text:
Single point concentration, multiplexed high-throughput screen for confirmation of small molecule regulators of RGS family protein interactions, specifically RGS19-Galphao.
Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins are a diverse set of intracellular proteins that modulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling [Neitzel and Hepler, 2006]. Their diversity is a result of their localized tissue distribution as well as their preferential regulation of a particular subunit of G protein (Galpha) [Zhong and Neubig, 2001; Neubig and Siderovski, 2002]. Following more ..
BioActive Compounds: 89
Related Experiments
University of New Mexico Assay Overview:
Assay Support: NIH R21NS057014
HTS to identify small molecule regulators of RGS family protein interactions
PI: Richard Neubig, Ph.D.
Assay Implementation: Yang Wu Ph.D., Mark Haynes Ph.D., Anna Waller Ph.D., Mark Carter MS
Target Team Leader for the Center: Larry Sklar, Ph.D., (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Assay Background and Significance:
Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins are a diverse set of intracellular proteins that modulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling [Neitzel and Hepler, 2006]. Their diversity is a result of their localized tissue distribution as well as their preferential regulation of a particular subunit of G protein (Galpha) [Zhong and Neubig, 2001; Neubig and Siderovski, 2002]. Following activation by ligand-bound GPCRs, the Galpha subunit undergoes rapid GTP - GDP exchange, and subsequently dissociates from both the GPCR and the G protein beta-gamma subunit (Gbg). Active GTP-bound Galpha (Galpha-GTP) and Gbg further modulate the activity of a number of down-stream intracellular effectors [Cabrera-Vera et al., 2003]. The duration of G protein signaling is determined by GTP hydrolysis as well as by the re-association of inactive Galpha-GDP with Gbg. Gilman's early work with G-proteins suggested that their intrinsic GTPase activity, typically 2-5 per minute, could not account for the known speed of GPCR signal resolution [Gilman, 1987]. This discrepancy was resolved after the discovery of GTPase Accelerating Proteins (GAPs), of which RGS proteins are a subset. The RGS proteins bind directly to Galpha-GTP, accelerate the rate of GTP hydrolysis, and shorten the lifetime of active G proteins up to several thousand fold [Mukhopadhyay and Ross, 1999; Lan, et al, 2000]. Thus, RGS-Galpha interactions are central to the down-stream regulation of GPCR signaling events. Since GPCRs control numerous physiologic processes in diverse tissues, including brain, heart, liver, and lung, modulation of the RGS/G protein interaction has become an attractive target for drug discovery. Assays based on RGS binding to fluorescently labeled Galpha have recently been described in which immobilized RGS proteins are incubated with labeled Galpha [Roman et al., 2007]. Here we describe a further modification of this basic design where an AlexaFluor-488 conjugated Galphao (AF-Galphao) is incubated with RGS proteins that are immobilized onto microspheres. Binding interactions between AF-Galphao and RGS is subsequently assessed by flow cytometer. This design provides the basis for development of fluorescence-based assays amenable to high throughput flow cytometry screening. We have multiplexed this assay using differentially labeled microspheres and used it to identify small molecule regulators of the RGS-Galphao interaction using the following 5 RGS family members: RGS4, RGS7, RGS8, RGS16, and RGS19.
Each component of the multiplex assay consists of a streptavidin functionalized polystyrene bead, a biotinylated RGS-fusion protein target (bio-RGS, five total, supplied by project collaborator), and a fluorescent probe, AlexaFluor488-labeled Galphao protein. Six bead sets are used, including one unlabeled bead set and five sets that are labeled to different intensities with red fluorescence that are fluorescent in APC-Cy7 (FL9, 750 nanom LP) channel at 635 nanom excitation (Spherotech product numbers SVPAK-5067-5B). Individual bead sets are coupled with a single bio-RGS protein by mixing beads and bio-RGS in bead coupling buffer (BCB; PBS, pH8.0 supplemented with 0.1% BSA). The mixture is then incubated overnight at 4oC under mild vortexing. The 5 bead sets (each with a bound protein) and an uncoated bead set (Scavenger beads, see below) are centrifuged separately, washed once in BCB, followed by another wash in flow buffer (FB; 50 milliM HEPES, 100 milliM NaCl, 0.1% Lubrol, and 0.1% BSA, pH 8.0). The bead sets are then resuspended in FB and stored on ice until the plates are assembled using the Biomek FXp, Automated work station. Before incubation with bead-coupled RGS proteins, AF-Galphao is incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature in AMF buffer (50 milliM MgCl2, 50 microM AlCl3, 50 milliM NaF, 10 milliM GDP in FB). This incubation produces the activated AF-Galphao-GDP-AlF4-complex that binds RGS proteins with high affinity.
After preparation, the bio-RGS coupled bead sets and the uncoated Scavenger bead set are further diluted in FB, combined and loaded into 384-well microplates using the Biomek liquid handling workstation. The assay is conducted in 384-well microplates in a total assay volume per well of 10.1 microliters (5 microliters of bead mixture containing ~3,000 beads from each bead set, 0.1 microliters of test compound, and 5 microliters of 14 nanoM AF-Galphao-GDP-AlF4 in FB). Test compound concentration is 10 microM. Controls, which contain the same bead mixture and AF-Galphao-GDP-AlF4 but no test compound, are located in columns 1 and 2 of each plate (Positive Control Beads). Plates are incubated under mild vortexing for 30-90 minutes at room temperature.
Specificity of AF-Galphao-GDP-AlF4 binding is determined with a Negative Control using mixture of blank (no RGS) red color-coded streptavidin bead sets because there are no known universal blocking peptides for all 5 RGS proteins. The AF-Galphao Negative Control is run daily as a separate single tube assay by incubating the blank bead sets in 7 nanoM of AF-Galphao-GDP-AlF4 under mild vortex for 30-90 min.
Sample analysis is conducted with the HyperCyt(R) high throughput flow cytometry platform. The HyperCyt(R) system interfaces a flow cytometer and autosampler for high-throughput microliter-volume sampling from 384-well microtiter plates [Kuckuck, et al. 2001]. Flow cytometric data of light scatter and fluorescence emission at 530 +/- 20 nanom (FL1) and 750+ nanom (FL9) are collected on a Cyan Flow Cytometer (Dako). Time-resolved data is acquired as a single data file that is subsequently analyzed using IDLeQuery/HyperView software (software developed inhouse by Dr. Bruce Edwards) that merges flow cytometry data files with compound worklist files generated by HyperSip software. The raw data are parsed to produce annotated fluorescence summary data for each well. The parsed data are then processed through a Microsoft Excel template file, constructed specifically for the assay, which segregates data from each RGS-target protein and the fluorescence scavenger in the multiplex. Gating based on forward scatter (FS) and side scatter (SS) parameters is used to identify singlet bead populations. Additional gating based on FL9 (red) emission distinguishes the beads coated with different proteins. Per bead population, the median channel fluorescence (MCF) from FL1 (green) channel is calculated for analysis of AlexaFluor488-labeled Galphao binding.
In order to get a significant measurement of a compound's effect on a particular RGS protein, 25 beads with that particular protein bound needs to be collected from a well. When less than 25 beads are counted, the result for that protein is considered missing. Compounds from missing wells are given a PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_OUTCOME = 4 and PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE =0.
When the measured emission is potentially attributed to the innate fluorescence of the compound, these compounds are flagged as "Possible Green Fluorescent Compound" (see column titled PUBCHEM_ASSAYDATA_COMMENT). Assessment of fluorescence is made by comparing the influence of compound fluorescence on the scavenger beads in one well. In the presence of compound, if the measured MCF from scavenger bead is greater than or equal to 40% of that from the positive control bead set, the compound is considered a potential fluorescent compound.
Sample fluorescence for all the different proteins in a well are corrected for background fluorescence, based on potential systematic trends in data over the entire plate (whole plate trends), normalization is also utilized to calculate the percent regulation of the test compound. The background subtracted and normalized sample fluorescence is referred to as the Response Value of the test compound (RV, see column titled RESPONSE_VALUE). Due to the nature of this assay, instead of using a universal positive control for the whole plate, individual row trends of the controls are evaluated by linear regression. Then based on the plate location of a sample, a calculated Positive Control value (Notated with LinFit) is utilized for calculating the normalized response value. RV of the compound is calculated by the following equation:
RV = 100 x (SampleFL-NCntrl)/(LinFitPCntrl-NCntrl)
where all variables are in units of MCF in FL1 (530 nanom) associated with the protein-coupled bead set. SampleFL is for beads in wells containing test compound, LinFitPCntrl is the calculated value based on row dependent linear regression of wells without test compounds, and NCntrl is from the measurement non-specific AF-labeled Galphao binding in absence of RGS protein. Baseline of RV is 100, and represents a test compound that has no effect on the RGS-Galphao binding. A compound with activating effects would have RV greater than 100 and a compound with inhibitory effects would have RV less than 100.
PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE corresponds directly with the percent of regulation of the compound; PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE is the absolute value of RV minus 100,|%Reg|. The maximum PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE of 100 for primary screening is given when |%Reg| is greater then 100, meaning 100% activation or inhibition effect; the minimum PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE of 0 means the substance has no impact on the target RGS-Galphao interaction.
An active compound for RGS19 have a PUBCHEM_ACTIVITY_SCORE greater than 50 and the type of active compound (Activator or Inhibitor) is listed in column 'Activity'.
Keywords: NIH Roadmap, NMMLSC, high throughput flow cytometry, RGS4, RGS7, RGS8, RGS16, RGS19, multiplex bead-based screening
Result Definitions
** Test Concentration.
Additional Information
Grant Number: NIH R21NS057014
Data Table (Concise)


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Book your room at Bay Gardens Beach Resort
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds, Garden ViewMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds, Pool ViewMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds, BeachsideMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Standard Room, 1 Bedroom, Pool ViewMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Suite, 1 Bedroom, BeachsideMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Pool ViewMax Occupancy: 6 guests (up to 5 children)
Suite, 2 Bedrooms, BeachsideMax Occupancy: 6 guests (up to 5 children)
Get an overview of this hotelCondo with private beach, full-service spa
+VIP Access™ Hotel
We carefully hand-picked this hotel based on its dedication to service and excellent guest reviews.
Expedia +gold members receive free room upgrades and +gold and +silver members get other perks upon availability at check-in.See details
Located in Rodney Bay, this beachfront condo is in the entertainment district and within 1 mi (2 km) of Baywalk Shopping Mall and Reduit Beach. Rodney Bay Marina and Bonne Terre Tropical Gardens are also within 2 mi (3 km).
Property Features
Catch some rays on Bay Gardens Beach Resort's private white sand beach or spend the day relaxing at the full-service spa. Then enjoy a meal at one of the condo's 2 restaurants.
Room Amenities
All 75 condos boast deep soaking tubs and offer free WiFi and balconies or patios. Sitting areas and DVD players are standard, as are TVs with cable channels.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Step outside to feel the sun on your face and the sand in your toes on the white sand beach. For a free ride to the surf and sand, catch the condo's complimentary beach shuttle. Pamper yourself with a treatment at the full-service spa and enjoy amenities at Bay Gardens Beach Resort like an outdoor pool and a children's pool.
Dining is available at one of the condo's 2 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at the coffee shop/café. The property also has a snack bar/deli. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the condo's bars, which include 3 bars/lounges and a poolside bar. A computer station is located on site and high-speed wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. This Colonial condo also offers an outdoor tennis court, a spa tub, and a fitness center. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- On private beach
- Beach sun loungers
- 24-hour front desk
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
- Number of floors - 3
- Number of bars/lounges - 3
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free beach shuttle
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Computer station
- Laundry facilities
- Library
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Meeting rooms
- Total number of rooms - 75
- Terrace
- Poolside bar
- Porter/bellhop
- Free self parking
- Outdoor tennis court
- Number of restaurants - 2
- Conference space size (feet) - 12551
- Spa tub
- Outdoor pool
- Wedding services
- Coffee shop or café
- Express check-in
- Fitness facilities
- Full-service spa
- Pool umbrellas
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Garden
- Conference space size (meters) - 1166
- Conference center
- Snack bar/deli
- Year Built 2007
- Shopping on site
- Spa services on site
- Children's pool
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- On private beach
- Outdoor pool
- Children's pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Outdoor tennis court
- Snack bar/deli
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Access via exterior corridors
- Air conditioning
- Premium bedding
- Balcony or patio
- Premium TV channels
- Microwave
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Deep soaking bathtub
- Cable TV service
- Desk
- Television
- Ceiling fan
- Coffee/tea maker
- DVD player
- Phone
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board
- Refrigerator
- In-room massage available
- Free WiFi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Turndown service
- Separate sitting area
- Private bathroom
- Bathrobes
- Slippers
- Room service (limited hours)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Room service
Where to Eat
Hi Tide Restaurant - This beachfront restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. A children's menu is available.
Trios Caribbean Fusion - This theme restaurant serves dinner only. Reservations are required. Open daily.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
A private beach and an outdoor tennis court are featured at the condo. An outdoor pool, a children's pool, and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Aerobics on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Sailing on site
- Scuba diving on site
- Snorkeling on site
- Water skiing on site
- Windsurfing on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Ecotours nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
Spa Services
La Mer Spa has 5 treatment rooms including rooms for couples and outdoor treatment areas. Massages are available on the beach and in the spa; other services include facials, body wraps, and body scrubs. The spa is equipped with a mud bath and a spa tub.
- Number of treatment rooms 5
- Outdoor treatment areas
- Couples treatment rooms
- Massages on beach
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Mud bath in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No elevators
- Breakfast fee: USD 22.00 per person (approximately)
We should mention
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Summer/Fall Sale
Book a stay in a Garden View room category, for travel May 11, 2015 - December 19, 2015 and receive the following:
- 40% discount on the Garden View room rate at time of booking, or
- 30% discount on the Pool or Beach Front room rate at time of booking
- Stay 5-nights and receive a $150 resort credit and free buffet breakfast for 2 persons(or 4 if when booking a Two Bedroom Suite Pool View or Two Bedroom Suite Beach Front)
Family Promotion
Book a 5-night minimum stay in a Deluxe Beach Front of higher room category and receive the following:
- Free breakfast for 2 persons (or 4 if booking a Two Bedroom Suite)
- $150 resort credit per room/stay
- Free meals for up to 2 kids under age 13 when ordering from the kid's menu
- Free babysitting for 2 kids for up to 4 hours per room/stay
- 2 free motorized watersports adventures for up to 2 children per stay (children under age 14 years)
Half Term Offer - UK Residents Only
Book a minimum 7-night stay in any room and rate category for travel September 1 - November 30, 2015 and receive the following:
- 6 one-hour Splash Island Water Park passes per room, per stay
- For guests booking a One Bedroom Suite, 2 children up to 12 years of age can eat free from the kids menu (must be the same meal plan basis as adults; children must dine with adults)

subset: commoncrawl


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This conversation is closed.
You cannot eat money, or make clothes, or build a house out of it.
In this day and age when it is politically correct to be out of work and complain on being hard up I propose to reflect whether this widely proclaimed poverty is real or faked. If it is MONEY that you are after, then I have no remedy. You will be poor (in the sense that you have not enough) forever. If however you are able bodied and need food, shelter and security for yourself and your loved ones, and live in a town or a city and no-one wants to employ you and pay you for your work enough to cover your basic needs, then move to the country, grab the fork and shovel and produce your own kitchen veggies, keep a pork or two and some chickens. Chances are someone will help you build a decent house in exchange for the food which you have in excess. I agree individual small scale farming and husbandry is not efficient, but who wants the efficient when clearly efficiency does not prevent hunger and what is more is directly the cause of so much unemployment. Believe me, you will be happy as a lark provided it is not money that is your object in life!
Greg Swanson
Jan 28 2013: To add a little to your argument Jarek, I ask that people take a look at the bottom graph on page 45 of this (http://www.columbia.edu/~xs23/papers/pdfs/World_Income_Distribution_QJE.pdf). You will see the world distribution of income (WDI) per captia and also the same distribution for many countries in year 2000. Put shortly, the results indicate a fairly normal distribution of income and importantly, the income scale drops off to almost 0% at $100,000 USD. Based on these numbers, I have two points. First, it seems there are people still pissed at the 1% in this world. I've been there, but looking at some of these graphs, something hit me. MANY OF US ARE THE 1%. Yes there are some Billionaires out there that may not worry about money, but it seems that if we include countries outside the U.S., we need to make less than $100K a year to be in the top 1%. Correct me if I'm wrong of course. This leads me to our second point, something I want to call Greg's law of jealousy. It doesn't matter where we are at on the income scale, we often view those richer than us as rich and those poorer than us as poor (or maybe it's just me). That said, I think it's a slap in the face for many U.S. people to be pissed about their financial situation. We still have it better than many, and we will never all be the richest. I wrote in another post and I'll write it again; we simply need to work on caring less about things and more about people and we'll be happier. Simple as that. I'll start working on myself.
- +4
Sorry for the rant, it's late.
Feb 7 2013: I don't think it's rant.
If money, however failed as an economic instrument in the US, is ticket to consumption of world's resources, it is dangerously held with a scant little population on earth. I have grown out of the illusion of free enterprise and level playing field that Capitalism preaches because I have reasons to believe after someone accumulates some good money, it's growth is not anymore proportional to labor and industry but scheming and strategy.
Someone told me that if all the money, printed, in bonds and debts, are summed up together the cumulative promise of its exchange value in terms of resources will be few times of that of world can ever produce. If this is true - there is false promise somewhere.
I know it will not be very appealing to one who is starting his/her life but the race after money is an old trick that he/she has to give up. Real investment, instead, may be adding value to lives of people in every little way - by creating a common pool of resources and services with zero money value but immensely priceless.
John Smith
Jan 14 2013: Calling money a distraction is a luxury for those who already have money. In this world we need money for survival and money translates directly into power. It is foolish to think that you won't be affected when another person accumulates much more money than you. That other person will get to decide how much pollution there is in your drinking water, who you can or cannot marry and what and how much your children will learn during their education, even who lives and who dies, and when that person makes the tiniest mistake you lose your job.
- +4
When we decide to get rid of mindless accumulation of wealth we need to do it together, all of us.Jan 22 2013: Money is just a tool that can help us get what we want..However, without our mind ,spirit and body, money would not do us any good .It is possible to get what we truly want without spending any money.We just need to use our mind, our self-confidence and our energy wisely and patiently.For example ,if I truly want to learn a new language, there are tons of free resources here on the internet.
What we are actually looking for in life is never money but pleasure and "anti-pain".If we really really loved money ,we would never spend it.Jan 21 2013: Jarek, We have three gardens, some animals, a bycicle that converts wheat to flower when pedaled, a electric wind generator, a well, etc ... I am retired three times and have sufficient funds. We help provide the local orphanage with meat, eggs, veggies, etc ... We give to the windowed ... cut firewood ... and do quilting.
Life has been very good to us and we give back. All of these efforts are very time consuming and darn hard work. The point is that some can sit and bitch when given lemons and some open a limonade stand. I am sick of the war against the 1% by Obama when he has a aunt and uncle on welfare and is a multimillionare. Talk is cheap. There is plenty of work but the entitlement programs have made it unreasonable to get a job when being unemployed is much more lucerative. Give hand up and stop the hand outs.
But as Random Chance stated below ... this is just the rant of the brainshed on ted. I really felt pretty good until I found out how brainwashed and stupid I was. Guess I should thank him for straightening me out.
I, as you, do these things because they please me and I feel makes a difference to those less fortunate.
Jan 22 2013: In case you have been living in a cave for the last 6 years....The economy DID crash. The millions unemployed right now were perfectly fine with being employed prior to that crash. It isn't a question of laziness, it is the reality that there aren't very many jobs being offered relative to the number of bona fide job seekers out there.
This isn't about hating the 1%, it is about caring about the struggles of the 99%. When did you wake up and decide you hated most Americans? Most are hard workers. They deserve decent pay, access to healthcare, a reasonable opportunity at home ownership, and occasional leisure time and happiness. They don't deserve working conditions like the Chinese currently face - 12 to 16 hour days with nothing to show for it.
It is time to face facts. Trust fund billionaires aren't helping our economy. They are living off the wealth earned by the true innovators and job creators of many generations ago, and are doing little more in life than that. They are nothing more than an undeserving pseudo royalty whose only interest is protecting that unearned wealth. Send that money back to the bottom in the form of jobs with a meaningful estate/trust fund tax and meaningful progressive tax structure, and let that money rise back up to the top and into the hands of our modern day innovators and job creators.
Ben Jarvis
Jan 22 2013: true. the rich don't create jobs, customers do. henry ford wouldn't have employed anyone if nobody could afford to buy a car.Jan 22 2013: Brock, are you sure that trust fund billionaires could (if they wanted to) send their money back to the bottom in the form of jobs? I doubt it. We should not blame the billionaires for the rampant unemployment across the US and Europe. IMO the main reason for this is the absence of trade barriers. Indo-China produces everything more cheaply, that's all. But this cannot continue indefinitely. Once a new economic equilibrium is reached and established, Americans and Europeans will again find it profitable to produce things for themselves. We just must be patient. It is also very important that while waiting for that equilibrium to return, Americans and Europeans should maintain their skills, so that when things change people will not have to learn everything from scratch. And believe me, our modern day innovators and job creators stand not a chance against the tidal wave of new global economic reality. Also no amount of hollering at the pseudo royalty is going to be helpful. This is just barking up the wrong tree.
- +1
Jan 23 2013: Obviously you didn't understand the mechanism proposed....
Estate/trust fund taxes are taxes on transfers of wealth from one generation to the next...
"in the form of jobs" are the jobs government creates by spending those taxes.
Trade is part of the problem, but equilibrium can mean one of two things, either declining standards for the American worker or increasing standards for the Chinese worker. Given Chinese efforts to artificially keep weak the value of their currency, it is clear that the American worker is the one that will pay the price. This is unacceptable.
Maintaining a strong middle class maximizes demand for goods and services, and as such, maximizes GDP growth.Jan 22 2013: Bob, all is not lost when there people like you around. I wish I lived somewhere close by to benefit from your example and advice in gardening, animal husbandry and that wind generator (since you do not strike me as one begrudging advice to anybody).Jan 21 2013: "You cannot eat money, or make clothes, or build a house out of it."
true, but you can:
1. Grow food to sell, and buy clothes or a house with the money
2. Make Clothes to sell, and buy food or a house with the money
3. Build houses to sell, and buy food or clothes with the money
Money just makes the exchange easier.
Jan 21 2013: Brock, I have to admit that I was using the small scale farming example somewhat figuratively. I am not as atavistic as my post makes me look. I am not against money as a means of exchange. I am not against cars, washing machines, microwaves, artificial light in my flat and certainly not against COMPUTERS !!!!! :-) I do not want to turn the clock back and see people living in trees again.
I guess what I wanted to say in my post was that I want people to grow food to sell, make clothes to sell, build houses to sell and do all those things which people see/understand the point of doing. I had been doing something which I did not see any point of doing (apart from money which I got paid) for many years. I had been miserable. I chucked the job and now I am happy. Veeeeery poooooor but happy. I make sure that whatever I do, I do with conviction. I hope that makes sense. Thanks for the comment.
Ben Jarvis
Jan 16 2013: i've never thought of money as being pieces of paper, rather as a kind of open-ended IOU. if one of my kids has a disease, and i have nothing that a doctor is interested in trading for a cure, then i would be in trouble. however thanks to money, even if there is nothing i have that the doctor wants, i can trade money for service, and the doctor can then use to money to get what they do need. when i work for money i don't work for the money itself. society benefits from my expertise, and i benefit from the expertise of various individuals throughout that society. when i have a house built it will be built by people with much better building skills than i have, and with materials superior to those which i would be able to gather myself. why would i farm? even with my best efforts i would not be able to produce the same quality of food or even one-thousands of the amount of food that a professional producer could, so why not leave it to the experts?
- +2
people like to seethe against today's society but for misguided reasons. the way it's set up today everybody does more or less what they do well, which saves society time, time which is used for the pleasures in life such as art, travel, and participating in intelligent discussions on websites.Jan 14 2013: Money has become a god in the world because of unbridled materialism, greed, corruption and other manifestations of desperation to have more money. 1 Timothy 6:6 says "Godliness with contentment is great gain." verse 10 says "for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".
So, money is good for the provision of basic needs (food, decent accomodation for family, clothing and other comforts of living).
But when money becomes an obsession as it has now become, when it becomes the first consideration in everything and when our life is only guided by the acquisition of material things, then comes the problem.
This is where the world is; we have a culture of materialism and we seem to mistake being 'free to be bound' for being 'free'.
Jan 15 2013: And here's another bit of goodly advice on money, which is in harmony with your comment:
- +1
"wisdom is for a protection the same as money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners." (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
Given the option.....I opt for wisdom.Jan 20 2013: "1 Timothy 6:6 says..."
No need to bring fiction into the discussion.
Justin Elkin
Feb 7 2013: I was telling some coworkers of mine that very same thing. "You can't eat an ebt card" I like what Greg said,"we simply need to work on caring less about things and more about people and we'll be happier." I've tried to learn as much as I can and it seems the more you know the less money is needed to sustain yourself.
- +1
shawn disney
Feb 7 2013: Money is just book-keeping, basically. A clever invention to facilitate people's life choices. So that everybody is not required to spend a lot of time hoeing beans etc. Not that I have any thing other than respect for people who do. But I remember a song from WW1: "How are you going to keep them down on the farm, after they've seen Paree?" It is quite wrong to say that efficency doesn't prevent hunger; it is a "necessary but not sufficient" thing. Without efficency, and cheap and plentiful energy, it is not possible to live a civilised life, unless you are a very non-typical person. If you look at the history over thousands of years, it is clear that people have always "migrated" to where there was a better lifestyle when they had the chance, or the need. Subsistance agriculture is only fun if you don't have to do it.We are at a critical period right now. In the West, we have had a pretty comfortable time of it, relativelly, because of the Industrial Revolution and cheap coal and oil. Now that is playing out. But there is a viable alternative in existence. Nuclear Fission power is a million times more "Energy Dense" that coal or oil. And it is not necessary to use the common, obselete Uranium LWR Fukushima type reactors which are so scary and troublesome. The Thorium Liquid Fureled Reactlor (LFTR) is not widely known , but it should be , for a great mnay reasons. Thorium is so cheap, and powerful, that it could make a civlised life possible for everyone on the planet. And note that civilised nations really do not have overpopulation problems to nullufy this, either.
- +1
Dan F
Jan 28 2013: Our numbers on this planet and lifestyles demand sophisticated social systems just to maintain our needs let alone our wants. The use of money is basic to a certain amount of convenience and security. Unfortunately it is also used by those wealthy among us to gain power and impose their will and influence on how thing are done to their benefit. Sometimes justifiable, but all too often too self serving for them and those that rule.
- +1
I share your concern about the short comings of capitalism, etc., but in my way of thinking, we no longer have the liberty or option to reinvent or redirect to any significant degree the status quo and the vestment of what got us to where we are now. The monetary system aspect of governments is subject to failures. The wealthy can become victims of their own greed if the system(s) breaks down. Short of that potential crisis they will undoubtably stay the course, even as Rome burns.
On another note, the production of too many babies by the poor is a self defeating practice by continuing to INCREASE our planetary numbers which is only making the monetary system function to better favor the wealthy. Look around the world. Kids are wading in sewage and sifting through garbage in significant numbers and the money system is meaningless to them. Too many people essentially operate without money now. We recently broke the seven billion mark and many of you (I'm likely too old) will still be alive when we likely will break ten billion. Does anyone really believe that this fact isn't a huge contributer to the lowering of the worldwide standards of living and quality of life? People with less will alway be easier for the rich to manage, so the problem will only get worse with time as the population numbers grow.Jan 22 2013: Who pays hydro ? You can buy solar panels but with what ? Wind power is also an option but who foots that bill. Somewhere along the line you have to be a part of society if only out of sheer inevitable needs such as the fact that if everyone burns wood fuel pollution esculates dramatically. I wish life were this simple however it is not especially in areas where it snows. Someone might help you build a house but who is buying the materials and tools to accomplish said task on land you might not be permitted to build on since without money you can't possibly buy that land to build on in the first place, unless you are a squatter and in most cases no one will support that lifestyle either.
Comment deleted
Jan 21 2013: Carolyn I like your whole comment but in particular this statement, " ... When I speak of the terminally rich, I often say, "it's not their fault, they were born that way"". I would take that statement one step further. WE ALL SUFFER FROM THAT TERMINAL CONDITION. Only in majority of us it is dormant. If we were to anihilate the 1% so much railed against by the 99%, what would be the result? My bet is, a new 1% (in terms of personnel) would set themselves up in two or three weeks. The remaining 99% (more or less) would be as miserable as before (perhaps a bit more for having blood on their hands). And if the process of murdering the current 1% were repeated a sufficient number of times, chances are you and I would find ourselves among the number of ... 1%!!! What I am saying is that if a very shy, withdrawn person crashlanded on a desert island with a group of people who were even more shy and withdrawn, then it would be only a matter of time before that person assumed a leading position and became the much hated oppressor. It is all relative. We always assume positions of power that are available to us, whether we like it or not (and whether we are willing to admit to ourselves or not) That is why ALL revolutions failed. They all attacked a wrong enemy. The real enemy is in ... OURSELVES! Unless people start to fight the real enemy, humanity is doomed to go through these eternal cycles of PEACE (growing economic tension between rich and poor) and WAR (release of tension).
I believe the "phase" which humanity is now at, is that of growing economic tension reaching the point of release. The only popular move which can deliver us is popular turning our backs on the world based on money and instead falling back on something which we can all understand and have faith in. We can look for ways to feed ourselves. Not through bonds, shares, hedge funds and the like but through small scale farming which on top of providing food, is certain to restore our self-dignity.
Don Anderson
Jan 16 2013: Money is just a means to exchange services, and one more effective the bartering system.
- +1
Poverty comes from too many not providing a service or a service that is not desired.
Rather you use bartering or money to exchange makes no difference, you still need to provide a wanted service.
Now to be happy you need to find a service that your good at, enjoy doing and that is wanted by others., good luck.
W. Ying
Jan 15 2013: Yes!
- +1
Your are right!
"If it is MONEY that you are after, then I have no remedy. You will be poor (in the sense that you have not enough) forever. "
Our gaol of life is to keep our DNA alive. Not for MONEY.
For money is for INVALID happiness.
INVALID happiness will leads us to greed, economic crises, wars, .... human self-extinction.
(For INVALID happiness, see the 1st article, points 1-3, 14, at https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D&id=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D%21283&sc=documents)Jan 14 2013: You can buy these things with money. The answers to your "real or faked" point is related to the individual. You could be being somewhat naive or callous to most of these individuals. Now think of the word "unfortunate" to describe them as Alain de Botton suggested in his most recent Ted talk.
Jan 15 2013: Many thanks for mentioning Alain de Botton. I was fascinated by his TED talk and also watched some of his viedeos on YouTube. Great stuff.Feb 13 2013: Practically it so happens that - Higher an employee is paid more his Advise is asked (Even-though it totally wrong advise). Guess this is the reason most big corporations have very costly failures on their hands most of the time.
Society does not accept this fact and most people become victims of this.Jan 31 2013: The peasents who were overlooked by the nobles were such a people, living a life as you describe. I'd say it was a failed lifestyle, given up in the pursuit for money.
If you are a social castaway, it may be the only process between you and death.Jan 28 2013: This suggestion parallels the colonization efforts of the 17th C. which resulted in extremely high mortality rates and those people were much more closely aligned to an agrarian lifestyle than modern city dwellers. I'm also curious if you have several thousand acres of land that you're willing to open up on a first come first served basis.Jan 26 2013: Ahh but alas, the people that proclaim this poverty are currently living off of taxpayer money for literally doing nothing. Therefore, why would they want to work for themselves to keep clothes on their backs, roof over their heads and food in their bellies? Also in this society money is just simply the name of the game and thats it.Jan 24 2013: in this economy profit is the name of the game not morality and empithyJan 24 2013: money is the root of all evil and i truely believe this. its not just the people in america that are out of work, its also whole countries that have been brought to their knees because the world banks have come to these countries and offerd help with the hidden motive of getting them into more debt then they can repay. these countries are then forced to give up their resources for very cheap instead of these resources (and the profits of them) going back to the people from which they came. the world banks are the ones to blame but you will never see them brought to justice cause they have the whole world in debt to them. they distibute the wealth to a very few and the rest have to scrape by. i also do not believe in giving hand outs but alowing these people to prvide for them selves in a manner which dose not depend on money would be a great thing for the world
Greg Swanson
Jan 28 2013: If you were quoting the bible, then it is THE LOVE of money is the root of all evil and I believe this. I don't think money is inherently bad, just when one chooses money over more important things. Simplified, I think something is wrong when people choose things over people (to a degree of course). Interestingly, it seems we hear a common argument that to me seems flawed. That is that we feel the homeless/welfare recipients should get jobs and contribute, but then we look at people with a lot of money as some evil curse on the world. I think often deep down it is jealousy and unhappines that one looks down on someone that doesn't have to do as much as they. The truth is that you don't have to work so hard either, but you then have to forgo your ipad/tv/internet/car/home-ownership. I think when we can master the skill of not being jealous, we will be much more happy. I really think the world would work out just fine if we all decided to work part-time and just buy/have less.
- +1
You can say that my experience has been that I've made very good money for a time, lived a good couple of years, but then went jobless,broke, and homeless. The contrast was a really good learning experience and really taught me a lot about people and about my desire for things. For the rest of my life, I really don't want to make a lot of money and won't envy those that do because they often trade a good portion of their time for the flashy things.
BTW, there is a new prediction/forecast by 'scientists' that the rate of population growth is declining. Important, the RATE of population growth. Feel free to do the research, but I recall that we are expected to top out at 9 billion people and then decline/maintain.Jan 20 2013: Money is a good that acts as a medium of exchange in transactions. Classically it
is said that money acts as a unit of account, a
store of value, and a medium of exchange. Most
authors find that the first two are nonessential
properties that follow from the third. In fact, other
goods are often better than money at being intertemporal stores of value, since most monies
degrade in value over time through inflation or
the overthrow of governments.Jan 18 2013: Money is a means of creating greed and crime which lead to inequality, which leads to poverty, slavery and eventually war and death investments.
It is not just a means of exchange.
That is sugar-coating evil.
It's quite ingenious to blame poor people for poverty,
It's really amazing to read the rantings of brainwashed humans here on Ted.
Jan 18 2013: do you claim that without money, we would have less greed, crime, inequality, poverty, war and death?Jan 20 2013: Firstly I did not blame the poor; it is through no fault of their own that the poor do not have the proper tools need to provide a service. Tools like a good education and a safe place to live and work.
How is it money's fault we have evils like domestic abuse, race hate crimes, religious hatred and wars, sex crimes, and so on.
I'm sure people got killed for their food, shelter, or clothes long before there was money.
Jan 15 2013: Jarek,
- 0
Look what someone wrote on the wall of this artist's project......it comes on the screen at around 3:28
Jan 15 2013: Yes, top of the list! I want to live without money. I must underline however that it was not my intention to discard the idea of money altogether. Money is a wonderful and useful invention which makes the exchange of useful work easier. The key is your attitude towards money. There is nothing wrong with money as long as you do not think of it as a goal. Look at money as a RESULT of your work. Just make sure that whatever it is you are doing in exchange for money, you completecly understand and aprove of. Conversly, never engage in anything you are unsure about just because it pays, PARTICULARLY when it pays good. Easier said than done, eh? Well, I dumped my job 3 years ago, because I felt that by doing what I was doing I was making not only my life miserable but equally so that of other people. I was well paid for tormenting myself and others, so the decision was not an easy one. Now I live hand to mouth, but enjoy being frugal and resolute (am even planning to amend my diet with plants from my own kithen garden this season), but above all I enjoy some (growing) respect for myself, which is more that I could boast of 3 years ago.
Good luck Mary M.
Feb 7 2013: Jarek: your wish to live without money is an honorable one, and people have often lived that way in large numbers, in Monasteries, Armies, and Churches. But to face facts, most people are not up to the challenge, and there is really no reason they should have to live austerely in an economy as "wealthy" as ours is. And it could be much more so, since a safe type of nuclear energy is available . Remember, civilised life depends on coal and oil, but nuclear is a MILLION times more powerful than that. Right now, the 1% is operating as if we were in an "economy of scarcity" i.e repression and imposed class structure. But that is an obselete way of thinking, just as the Feudal System was, and for about the same reasons.Jan 14 2013: Very depressing picture of the world John Smith. Very depressing. I gather you are a great believer in 1%/ 99% divide. I see the 1% as just the tip of the iceberg. Guess who constitutes the underwater part of this model? Yeah, the 99%. Whether you like it or not, we all contribute to the situation. We all have a stake in the system. We all in our brainwashed minds believe that we stand to benefit from our bank savings, from our pension funds and the like. We are all petty speculators, except that most of us are amsteurs and therefore we are bound to lose to professional players. Contrary to your belief, my belief is that if we the 99% stop taking part in the rat race, then the World Financial Institutions of which you are so fearful, will crumble onto itself much as the World Trade Center did. The big corporations, the financial elite of this world depends for their very existence on the greed of the 99%! Once that greed disappears, the game is over! So I prefer to live in my world, in my wonderworld in which money is just means, not an end. And I will start pulling my hair out only when my world is invaded and encroached on by the reality which you believe in. I guess I just do not want to waste one second of my precious and enjoyable time here on Earth on worrying sick of what the future can possibly throw at me.
John Smith
Jan 14 2013: To answer this I shall use your own wording: "you cannot eat money, or make clothes, or build a house out of it, but money gives you the power to make someone else give you food, a house or clothing"
- +1
If 99% of the people stopped caring about money the economy would collapse along with financial institutions but after a while the other 1% would come back on top and dominate the rest. You don't need central banks and limited liability corporations to transmute money into power, just the very act of consuming more gives power. It's also not something exclusively between the 1% and the 99%, that's just the most extreme case.
Until either 100% of the people stop caring about money (or devise another economic system) or the people that stop caring can find ways of isolating themselves from the people who don't stop caring (probably through force, or the threat of force, since it's the only way to exert power other than having more wealth), you will be affected by the wealth of other people.Jan 16 2013: Jarek.
Hope you don't mind or were you being facetious and I missed it?
There is basically no greed on the side of the 99%, as far as I can see.
Since there is a 1% on which you agree has it all, then they are the greedy ones and not the 99%.
The 99% are just trying to survive and sometimes wind up doing things they wouldn't ordinarily do, because of this desperation-induced need and desire to survive. Then, because of this need and this right to survive, someone calls them greedy.
To change this does not require people to stop "caring about money".
They have to be willing to stop using it. They have to stop giving their power to it. They have to stop believing and begin learning that they don't need money. Along the way, then I guess they would wind up not caring about money. So maybe in that way you're right.
And why do we need to stop using money, to stop giving power to it and to stop caring about it?
Because nothing costs money. Everything costs people.
Things don't "get done" because of money.
Things "don't get done" because of money.
We will still get things done without money and that may soon be the reality of the world.
It will be a chance to function without it and take away the power of those who have falsely lied to use about the need for money. It is their need, not ours, in order to gain control of others, maintain control of others and use others against others. Why are they striving so hard to simultaneously end it and also to keep it going?
First, ending it means they can then present to the world a one global currency which still means a monetary system which is unjust and won't work --- for the average person.
Secondly, keeping it afloat keeps people believing they need it and they remain dependent upon it.
Real beneficial change is inclusive of everyone on earth, is beneficial to all and is ultimately peaceful, not damaging and is real economy, and that is achieved by not using money and finding another way. We can do that.Feb 7 2013: Jarek : you're right about the possiblity of collapse, leaving the Wealthy stranded. But they are usually too arrogant to notice in time. The fact is that people are sociable, "Groups" are real, and cooperation is what makes civilization possible. But note, what gives "Money" its power is Cheap Energy, which permits a lot of construction of various kinds. Otherwise, one could say that the leaders of Zimbabwe are "powerful", (they have lots of money), but they are not, because all they have is Police Power, like Feudal Lords.


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Health Care
Business Type: Family Planning
Business Type: Women's Health Care
Medical License: Yes
Board Certified: Yes
Women's Care Center
Unwanted Pregnancy? Women's Care Center can help.
For more than 20 years, The Women's Care Center has been providing women with the best possible and most affordable reproductive health care. We provide quality medical care in a clean, comfortable atmosphere, educating women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health care.
Saturday appointments are available.
In addition, complete gynecology services are available at Women's Care Center. Every woman past the age of 18 or who is sexually active should have an annual pelvic exam and pap test. Our experienced staff at the Women's Care Center cares about your reproductive health.
Our staff includes a board certified ObGyn with more than 30 years of surgical experience. We proudly accept all major credit cards and are particating with most PPO health insurances.
Free Pregnancy Testing
|We offer birth control solutions.
|We provide # 24-hour Appointment Hotline # Same-day Surgery # Pregnancy & Birth Control Counseling # STD Testing, Diagnosis & Treatment # Infertility Treatments & Surgery # Complete Gynecology Services # Reproductive Healthcare # Annual Pelvic exam and Pap test # Clean, comfortable environment # Confidentiality Assured.
|We specialize in non-surgical abortions.
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|Our services include: Free walk-in pregnancy testing 24 hour appointment hotline Same day surgery Abortions up to 14 weeks Morning-After-Pill Cancer Screening and Treatment options Free pregnancy and birth control counseling New non-surgical abortions/Abortion Pill (A safe, non-invasive option if you are not more than 7 weeks from your last normal menstrual period) Vaginal Rejuvenation & Vaginoplasty Botox injections Infertility treatments & Laparoscopic Surgeries Colposcopy & biopsy Surgical Tubal Ligations (performed as an outpatient surgery) Ultrasounds STD Testing, Diagnosis & Treatment Fibroid Evaluation Endometriosis Treatment and Evaluation
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Modern rockers NEEDTOBREATHE and British dubstep producer Rusko will headline Vanderbilt University's annual Rites of Spring Music Festival, taking place April 19 and 20 on the Nashville school's Alumni Lawn.
Also featured on this year's across-the-board bill: R&B phenom Miguel, local pop/rock songsmith Mat Kearney and electronic star Baauer, whose song "Harlem Shake" has been the soundtrack to the viral video phenomenon of the same name.
Other performers include rapper Juvenile and local indie favorites The Apache Relay and Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Fri., March 15 at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, by calling 1‐800‐745‐3000, or without services at the Sarratt Box Office on the Vanderbilt campus.
Weekend passes for the general public are $50 in advance and $60 after April 14. Single-day tickets are $40 and will be available on April 1.


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6 Places You Can Find Trash to Transform into Treasure
Photo via Shutterstock
1. Thrift Stores
Go to any town or city and you are bound to find a thrift store. Whether its run by Salvation Army, Goodwill, SPCA or owned by a private person, thrift stores are often a wellspring of junk you don't want. But every so often you'll find a gem. Mondays are the best days to go because most people drop off their unwanted belongings on the weekends, which is also when junk dealers go hunting for trashy treasures. Most importantly, don't rush through: comb through the offerings slowly and open your mind. You're bound to find something worth giving new life.
Photo via Shutterstock
2. Yard Sales
Again, yard sales are something of a crapshoot since people sometimes want to pawn off their ugliest belongings. But sometimes it happens that people have to move far away very suddenly and have to get rid of all their belongings as quickly as possible. And those are the gold mines. Everything is sold for cheap and you're bound to find something that with a little sandpaper and paint and added paraphernalia may become the new talking piece of your home.
Photo via Shutterstock
3. The Side of the Road
No, seriously. People leave stuff on the side of the road for the same reason as they stage yard sales. Except sometimes this stuff is so cruddy it can't even sell for a penny. But we have heard stories of DIY experts who have literally found old pieces of furniture languishing on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, given them some love, and turned around and sold them for a nice price.
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Washington, DC -- With the enrollment for the Affordable Care Act beginning on October 1, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ALA announce new resources available to libraries.
An IMLS cooperative agreement with OCLC's WebJunction will result in online educational webinars, tip sheets, and other resources to help library staff members respond to increased patron information needs related to the Health Insurance Marketplace.These resources include:
American Library Association (ALA) President Barbara Stripling and IMLS Director Susan Hildreth issued the following joint statement:
"Providing resources that help librarians answer patron requests for health insurance information furthers the long-standing commitment of both IMLS and ALA to make information more widely available to the public. We are delighted to help connect libraries to these resources so they can provide timely information to their customers.
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Autumn means pumpkins, colorful leaves and, for some, worries about asthma. You can blame these worries on seasonal asthma triggers that are in the air and environment, along with falling temperatures.
You can thrive during this season by avoiding asthma triggers and following your asthma action plan. Here are tips for lessening the impact of fall asthma triggers:
Ragweed pollen. Fall is the peak season for this allergen, which is especially thick in the early morning air. Keep windows closed in the morning to prevent pollen from blowing inside. Limit outside activity during early morning hours. If you are outside when pollen counts are high, shower afterward to rinse away pollen that may cling to your hair and skin. Don't hang linens or clothes outside to dry.
Temperature swings. Autumn days begin and end cool, but warm up midday. These temperature swings have been known to trigger asthma. When you are outside in the cold, wear a scarf that covers your mouth and nose to help warm the air as you inhale.
Mold. Decaying leaves are a prime spot for mold to grow. If mold is one of your triggers, avoid walking through leaf piles, and ask somebody who is not allergic to handle the raking.
Viruses. Colds and the flu can trigger asthma, so get your annual flu shot and stay away from those who are sick. Wash your hands often.
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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
This charming property is tastefully decorated in modern French style and offers splendid accommodation for a small group or family not wishing to share a larger chalet. The spacious living area is imaginatively furnished with ample comfy seating, a charming dining area with abundant character and a glorious south-west facing terrace. There is a hot tub and gazebo in the secluded garden for the ultimate in 'hot bubble & cold snow' relaxation. An exclusive enclave at the entrance to Meribel, a 12 minute walk to the village centre. The piste is 3 minutes away by our Merishuttle chauffeur service.
Chalet catering: Welcome champagne & canapes Wake up drinks Bathrobe and slippers Complimentary toiletries Use of chalet iPad Resort film & board games library In-chalet ski & boot fitting (pre-bookable) Merishuttle driver service
Room 1: Double bedroom with en suite shower, handbasin and WCRoom 2: Twin bedroom with balcony, en suite shower, handbasin and WC. Steep steps to small double bed on mezzanine with limited headroom. (50% reduction for 3rd person on mezzanine)Room 3: Mezzanine twin bedroom with en suite bath, handbasin and WC (access via steep steps, limited headroom).
The chalet host will have a day off during the course of the week, during which you will be required to eat out.
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
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where similar holidays are offered by more than one supplier). We reserve the right
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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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A complete application package shall be submitted prior to 12 PM on the application deadline date as indicated on "Calendar and Filing Deadlines" (dates are subject to change) to the Planning and Development Department prior to the commencement of project/request reviews.
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InterContinental Milwaukee
- 139 East Kilbourn Avenue
- Milwaukee , WI , 53202
- United States
- Front Desk +1-414-2768686
In the Heart of the City
The finest city addresses come courtesy of InterContinental hotels. Vibrant, cosmopolitan destinations offer a sanctuary of luxury, from front-row seats over Times Square, New York to stunning spa pools overlooking Hong Kong Harbour. Prestigious city addresses include Sydney Harbour, Dubai, London Park Lane, Mayfair and Paris. Find your premium location in the heart of the city.
Distance 8 MI / 12.87 KM SOUTH to Hotel
Shuttle Charge (one way): $13.00 (USD)
Taxi Charge (one way): $25.00 (USD)
Time by taxi: 15 minutes
Train Charge (one way): $7.50 (USD)
Time by train: 11 minute
Ferry Charge (one way): $0.00 (USD)
Take I 43 North to I 94 West. Take Exit 310C for I 794 East. Exit 1D Plankinton Ave (Merge right at fork) then take a right on Kilbourn. Hotel is on the right. The hotel does not provide airport transportation.
O'Hare International (ORD)
Distance 81 MI / 130.36 KM NORTH to Hotel
Taxi Charge (one way): $0.00 (USD)
Train Charge (one way): $0.00 (USD)
Ferry Charge (one way): $0.00 (USD)
I 190 East to I 294 North to I 94 W. Take I 794 East towards the lakefront, take Plankinton Ave (Merge right at fork), take a right on Kilbourn. Hotel is on the right.
Station Name: Amtrack
Distance 1.5 MI / 2.41 KM NORTH to Hotel
Taxi Fee From Train Station: $5.00 (USD)
Head North on 4th street, then take a right on Kilbourn. Hotel will be on 4 blocks down on the right.
- Daily Self Parking Fee: $27.00 (USD)
- Underground, secured parking connected to the hotel. Entrances to parking garage on both Water Street and Kilbourn Avenue. $27 to self park or $32 for valet parking.
- Valet Parking Available: $32.00 (USD)
- Valet Parking Available
- Controlled Access Gates to Parking
- Parking Area Equipped with Lights
From the North - Take I 43 South to the Fourth Street, Broadway Exit. Exit on Fourth Street. Follow Fourth to Kilbourn Avenue. Turn Left onto Kilbourn Avenue. Go East on Kilbourn Avenue to the intersection of Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street. From the South - Take I-94 W and continue on I-43N. Exit 73A 145 S/W Fond Du Lac Ave toward McKinley Ave. Take a right on Water Street. Hotel is on the corner of Kilbourn and Water (on the right). From the East - Lake Michigan on the East driving directions not applicable. From the West - Take I-94 E and exit 310B for I-43N toward Green Bay. Take Exit 72C toward Kilbourn Ave. Hotel is on the corner of Kilbourn and Water (on the right).
Languages spoken by staff
Pet Policy
Local Time10:46 AM
CHECK-OUT12:00 PM Late Check out Available
- Service animals allowed
- 16 Room(s) with Accessibility Standards
- Parking
- Special Needs


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UIS Academic Professionals/Civil Service Quality of Life Survey
This survey was undertaken in 2005 at the request of the Campus Planning and Budget Committee (CPBC) to assist in their development of the Goals and Objectives Report. The survey was designed, administered, and compiled by the CPBC's Academic Subcommittee.
Academic professionals and civil service employees were asked to rate the importance of and satisfaction with the reputation of UIS, administrative leadership and responsiveness, cooperation, respect and staff morale on campus, the UIS work environment, potential for career advancement and development, respect and autonomy in the workplace, workplace recognition, workplace procedures, compensation, workload, and the impact of Banner and selected services.
Summary of Surveys of Academic Professional Staff
During the 1997-98 and 1998-99 academic years, the academic professional advisory committees (APACs) on all three campuses conducted surveys of their constituents to determine the job-related issues of greatest concern to academic professionals. This report provides a brief summary of the key findings across the three campuses and offers some recommendations for follow-up.


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- Independent
- The Enterprise
- The Recorder
Opposition to a liquor store slated to open in August near Westlake High School dominated the Charles County commissioners' monthly public forum Tuesday.
Twenty incredulous Waldorf and White Plains residents came to protest the location of Cheers liquor store, which will be in a shopping center on Middletown Road near its intersection with Smallwood Drive and within easy walking distance of both the high school and a nearby day care center.
Under current rules, liquor stores cannot be within 500 feet of a school. Cheers will be 506 feet from Westlake.
Westlake Principal Chrystal Benson was among those who spoke against a liquor store "next door" to the school.
"Each day, over 1,500 students and 150 staff members trust me to keep them safe and make decisions in their best interest," Benson said. "Allowing a liquor store to be placed 506 feet … from Westlake High School is not a decision that is in the best interest of our students, staff and community."
Benson said she was disappointed to find that liquor stores are only required to notify residents and post a sign at the front of the store if they are located within 500 feet of a school.
"I don't read the paper to see who applied for a liquor license, and I don't travel construction sites looking for the next new liquor store," she said. "Although the letter of the law was followed by the liquor board, the spirit of the law was not."
Acknowledging that the store's owners appeared to have followed the proper procedures in applying for the license, several residents instead seemed irked that the law allows for a liquor store so close to a school and that the amount of public notice required is easily overlooked.
"Who thought this was a good idea, and why are they going to put a liquor store near a high school and a day care center?" White Plains resident Charles Radford asked the commissioners. "The kids want to get the liquor, and you're putting this right next to Westlake? You know what's going to happen. You're opening the door for trouble, and that school's already got enough problems as it is. It was a bad idea; it was not thoughtfully, in my opinion, thought through."
Commissioners' Vice President Reuben B. Collins II (D) reminded the audience that the liquor board alone awards liquor licenses, and that he and his colleagues are not involved in the process.
In a follow-up interview, Collins said the residents' comments were "legitimate" and "on point."
"The unfortunate thing is, the more appropriate forum would have been the hearing for that actual application," he said. "I'm pretty certain that would have impacted the decision that was made by the [liquor] board."
Collins said he first learned of the liquor board's decision from Benson the day after it was made.
"So, it was literally a situation where this occurred under everyone's radar," he said, adding that he wants to look into requiring additional public notice in the future if a liquor store is proposed to go near a school or other public facility serving children.
"It's a tough one because it is legal, what was approved," Commissioner Ken Robinson (D) said in a follow-up interview. "However, I'm not sure I would agree that it makes sense."
Robinson said he had conferred with the county's attorney's office and been told there was little that could be done regarding Cheers. He said the issue will likely be "100 percent" of the discussion when the liquor board comes before the commissioners during their July 10 meeting.
"If this liquor store does open, I'm sure it will be under the microscope more than any other in the county," Robinson said. "I honestly wish I could be more encouraging, [but] 500 feet is the rule, and it's 506 feet, so it is legal."
Both Collins and Robinson suggested that the commissioners could explore passing legislation extending the distance liquor stores must be from schools.
In a follow-up interview, Commissioner Debra M. Davis (D) said she was interested in requiring a larger radius around proposed liquor stores in which homes must be notified.
"We heard about it the day before that people were coming in to talk about this. So, we didn't have much notice on this either, but it sounds like it was legally sound," she said. "I think it's a great opportunity for discussion because how many liquor licenses are still available in the county and why? What do we envision for our development district moving forward?"
Commissioner Bobby Rucci (D) did not return a call seeking comment. Commissioners' President Candice Quinn Kelly (D) was not present at the forum.
The Board of License Commissioners approved the store's liquor license at its May 9 meeting. Each board member expressed concerns over the store's proximity to the school, but found it fell within the current rules.
"I'm still very concerned about it, as to the proximity of the school," board member Burkey Boggs told the store's owners, Waldorf resident Ajit Singh Dhaliwal and his son, Aman Singh Dhaliwal. "I just want to warn you if this license is granted to be very, very diligent in checking IDs."
"We will be very careful about that," said Ajit Singh Dhaliwal, who said he and his son have completed Techniques of Alcohol Management training offered by National Hospitality Institute and intend to have their employees receive TAM certification, as well. He said he also intends to prominently display in the store every day the minimum birthday required to purchase alcohol.
"I just want to remind you, valid ID or not, you have the right to refuse anyone's service," board member Wayne Magoon said. "So, if you don't like what's going on around you, or if you suspect there's someone underage waiting to receive that, you have the right to refuse, and I would hope you would exercise that right."
"Because you are going to be tested. You are right there. They will come every five minutes in droves. I expect that," board Chairwoman Pamela Smith said.
"Since your business will be located close to the school, there will be quite a few people hanging around or loitering," board member William Young said. "You should be aware of that. Do not let that happen to create a nuisance in the area, also."
"They're going to have fake IDs and everything. Trust me, they're kids," board member Thomasina Coates said.
Ajit Singh Dhaliwal said he intends to check every customer's ID when the store first opens.
"You really should get into the habit of checking everyone. I don't care if they're 80, check it," Smith said.
Representing the owners, attorney John Mudd told the liquor board that his clients intend to open the store Aug. 1, after making some improvements that could cost between $50,000 and $75,000.
"I think they will be responsive to the needs of the public, accommodate the public in a lawful manner. I believe that they have done their due diligence," Mudd said. "This is a significant economic enterprise undertaking by them, and they understand that, and they are going to treat this, it's they're money that they're investing and they want to safeguard their investment, and the best way to do that is to operate the premises in a lawful manner and in an accommodating manner, and I believe they intend to do that."
Benson brought up the liquor board's concerns during her comments at Tuesday's forum.
"How could they know that and state it publicly but still vote in favor of this liquor store going next to a high school?" Benson asked.


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The daily adventures of a mom of 12 who loves to run and is training hard to see just how good I can be.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Three years ago...
Three years ago today that Wii fit told me I was obese.
Three years ago today I decided I was done being fat. I decided I was done being unhealthy. I decided I was done taking care of everyone but myself. I decided I was done with looking in the mirror and not liking what I saw.
When Josh and I set up the Wii Fit that night (that we had gotten as a Christmas present from his sister) I thought we would play a few games and have a few laughs. In fact, being 100% honest, I was eating Ben and Jerry's from the carton WHILE Josh was setting it up.
But when I stood on it, and it ballooned up the little cartoon version of me, made an embarrassing noise, and announced that I was obese at 208lbs (and 5ft 5inches tall), something inside me clicked. From that moment on, I have worked hard to change my body, my health, my attitude, and my priorities.
I started with baby steps. I didn't want to start anything that I couldn't maintain. I didn't want to go on a short term weight loss/diet plan, and I didn't want to do anything drastic. I started exercising five to six days a week for 30 minutes a day (in the beginning it was almost all on the Wii Fit).
I made baby steps in improving my diet as well. I stopped eating after 7pm. I started watching portion sizes. I added fruits and veggies to my diet (which I was eating almost none of at the time). I cut out soda and almost all liquid calories and started drinking water for the first time. I chewed gum when I was feeding the kids so I didn't pick off of their plates. Baby steps.
And sure enough the weight started coming off. I couldn't believe it at first! I averaged six pounds lost a month. The more weight I lost the more encouraged I was, the better I felt, the more I wanted to keep exercising and eat well, and the more weight I lost.
I did not set a goal weight. I figured I was making life-long changes... I wanted to continue with daily exercise and healthier eating habits... so I planned to keep doing what I was doing and assumed that my weight would level out at a healthy weight for me. In just over eight months I lost 50lbs. I felt like a new person. My weight leveled out at about 155 and I assumed that was my healthy weight, but after 6 months or so of leveling out, I lost another 20+ lbs and now I have been at about 131 lbs for a while (which is down 77lbs from where I started).
On April 25, 2009 I went for my first run. I was sick of the Wii Fit (although grateful for it!), the weather was warming up, and the sunshine beckoned me. A few ladies in my neighborhood had started going on short runs, and I figured if they could do it, so could I.
My first run was a 2.3 mile loop from my house. When I started I was sure I could run the whole thing. I made it almost a mile before walking, and had to walk several more times before I made it home. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and yet again... something inside me clicked. I loved being out in the world. I loved the feeling of my body moving forward (even though I was moving very slowly at that point). I loved the challenge of it. I was hooked. In my heart, that is the day I became a runner.
I had no idea three years ago when I stepped on that Wii Fit that it would be such a life-changing moment. I also had no idea when I went for that first run that it would an equally life-changing moment.
I woke up this morning and thought, "Three years ago today I weighed 208lbs, and today I am a sponsored runner." I am so grateful.
I know that there are many people out there who need to make a change in their life. They need to be healthier. They need to care for themselves. They need to eat better. They need to get active. They need to make themselves a priority in their own lives.
I know how overwhelming it seems at the beginning. I know how discouraging it is when it is SO HARD to do any little bit of exercise and the weight comes off SO slowly. But I also know how good it feels, inside and out, to make those hard changes. You can do it!
Here are my tips.
- Make baby steps and set small goals. As you make changes and achieve goals, add to them.
- Find an exercise you enjoy. Some people love running. Some like riding a bike. Some like swimming. Some love classes at a gym. Some need to keep it mixed up. Find what you like, because that is what you will stick with.
- Celebrate small achievements!
- Find friends (in "real life" or online) who are making similar changes and can support you and encourage you. Having a friend to exercise with really helps too.
- Believe in yourself. Never doubt how far you can go and how much you can achieve. And believe in your heart that you are worth the effort.
32 comments:
- Zaneta said...
wow... what a lifestyle change!! So inspiring!! Thank you for sharing!! :)
- December 28, 2011 at 10:50 AM
- Lauren {sweat junkie} said...
Great post! You are truly an inspiration to all of us! Thanks for sharing :)
- December 28, 2011 at 11:09 AM
- robinbb said...
Love this post. It is amazing to see how far people have come. So excited to meet you next week.
- December 28, 2011 at 11:23 AM
- Jen said...
Great post!!!! Thanks for sharing your journey.
- December 28, 2011 at 12:03 PM
- SWMom said...
Love this post!! You're always an encouragement I take to heart on running (and being a Mom!). Thanks!
- December 28, 2011 at 12:19 PM
- giraffy said...
- December 28, 2011 at 12:23 PM
- Stephanie said...
Thank you for this! This is amazing. I did not even know - this is just, well, still amazing :) Congrats on taking control of your life, health, and future
- December 28, 2011 at 12:39 PM
- Stephanie Anne said...
how impressive & inspiring. You are awesome!
- December 28, 2011 at 1:33 PM
- running escapades said...
Wow! What an amazing story! You should be proud of yourself for your accomplishment and how you are inspiring others everyday. You are living proof that any of us can make changes in our lives! Thank you for sharing ;)
- December 28, 2011 at 1:41 PM
- Katie said...
Great post! You are an inspiration!
- December 28, 2011 at 2:23 PM
- ShutUpandRun said...
Amazing and you did it the "right" way. I think with lots of goals, people bite off way more than is manageable, then they quit out of frustration. Baby steps is totally the way to go. Congrats on your incredible progress as an athlete.
- December 28, 2011 at 3:05 PM
- Cory Reese said...
This is so awesome! We got a Wii Fit this Christmas and I have seen some family members have the same experience. This post is such a great motivation!
- December 28, 2011 at 3:05 PM
- Terzah said...
Really nice post, Erin!
- December 28, 2011 at 3:16 PM
- Caroline said...
Erin...you know I love this...I was there...different numbers in height :) but same weight loss well close ..you have 2 extra lbs!!! A few days ago I was looking for a video of my son singing Christmas carols in pre school and I put a tape in that did not have a label..it was from 2007...I saw who I used to be...I cried...my older son came in and looked at the image and said "wow mom you look so different!..like another person!"....indeed
congrats to you my friend
- December 28, 2011 at 5:31 PM
- Suz and Allan said...
Wow, amazing how one little thing like stepping on a Wii fit can spark a life change!
- December 28, 2011 at 6:26 PM
- Running for the Kitchen said...
you are so amazing. what a great example of small changes adding up and drastically changing your life!
- December 28, 2011 at 9:52 PM
- Quiltlady said...
Thank you for sharing! It is very inspiring. Even though I have lost 50 pounds, it is still so inspirational to hear others talk about their story - it keeps me moving in the right direction. Thanks again! PS - You look amazing.
- December 29, 2011 at 5:00 AM
- Laura said...
I didn't know this part of your story... that is just amazing. And you obviously had some hidden running talent, you just didn't know it! Thanks so much for sharing your journey!
- December 29, 2011 at 6:18 AM
- christa said...
Amazing story!! I lost over 50 lbs about 7 years ago and in the past year about 15 have come back on, mostly since I was in the hospital in August. Your post has motivated me to get back on track! THank you Erin!!
- December 29, 2011 at 6:31 AM
- Emz said...
Freaking. Awesome.
You need to write wii fit. Seriously.
- December 29, 2011 at 9:11 AM
- {lifeasa}RunningMom said...
I am so glad you got that Wii Fit 3 years ago! You are an amazing and beautiful woman!
- December 29, 2011 at 9:29 AM
AMAZING and very motivating story.
Slow and steady wins the race.
I have lost 15 lbs in 5 months from running and eating right (small portions, watching cals). I'm finally in a normal weight range and I feel amazing. It was slow, just losing a pound a week or so, but it was steady and I did it the right way.
Keep up the great work. You have an amazing story!!! Anyone can do it, you just have to have drive and will power.
- December 29, 2011 at 11:12 AM
- Mary Lou Caskey said...
Way to go, thanks for sharing this!
- December 29, 2011 at 12:23 PM
- Adoption Advocates International said...
Yay Erin! You are beautiful, inside and out. Congratulations on all your achievements.
- December 29, 2011 at 12:56 PM
- Kevin said...
Wow, just wow!!
- December 29, 2011 at 1:02 PM
- misszippy said...
Such a cool story, Erin! Love how something clicked, you followed through, and now look at you! The best.
- December 29, 2011 at 1:18 PM
- Mark Matthews said...
Love the story of this post and your whole tone, full of strength, gratitude, and humility. Thanks for being.
- December 29, 2011 at 1:20 PM
- Marisa @ The Pace of my Life said...
WoW! So inspiring!
Funny thing...I started out on my journey to becoming "fit" with Wii Fit, too!
- December 29, 2011 at 1:47 PM
- Melinda said...
Awesome Erin! I remember when you first posted about working out on the wii. You have inspired many on your journey, including me, while setting such a great example for your kids. Can't wait to see all of your accomplishments in the new year. Keep up the great work, you Rock!!!!
- December 29, 2011 at 5:47 PM
- jackie said...
you are an inspiration! i struggle with weight issues, but, reading your post gives me so much hope. thank you.
- December 30, 2011 at 7:14 AM
- Shaindel said...
I'm "sort of" new as a runner. My longest run so far has been four miles, and a friend just recommended your blog to me.
This is my first visit to your blog, and I'm hooked. Thank you!
- December 30, 2011 at 10:20 PM
- meg said...
You are awesome! Thanks for being an inspiration.
- July 5, 2012 at 7:25 PM


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Peter Frampton, Peter Cetera, JD Souther and Lee Greenwood helped raise $103,700 for the W.O. Smith/Nashville Community Music School during the recent sixth annual Dustin J. Wells Gift of Music benefit concert.
The Dustin J. Wells Foundation was established by Nashville dentist Dr. Dennis Wells to honor the memory of his son, a gifted musician. The series of concerts, which in the past has featured artists including Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, and Dolly Parton, has raised nearly $500,000 for the W.O. Smith School, which provides affordable music lessons for children from low-income families.
"We are so grateful for the friendship and magnanimity of The Dustin J. Wells Foundation, Dr. Wells, his family and associates," said W.O. Smith School Executive Director Jonah Rabinowitz in a statement. "We are humbled to be a keeper of the enduring legacy of Dustin's life."


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More information on Patients & Families
More information on Education
More information on Research
More information on Community
May 2013
Auto crashes are the leading cause of unintended death for 16 and 17 year olds in New York state, and summer is the worst for them. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is dubbed the 100 deadliest days because almost a third of teen driver deaths happen in the summer months. What can parents and loved ones of teens do to help them be safer on the roads?


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Asante Traditional Buildings
Asante Traditional Buildings
To the north-east of Kumasi, these are the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are made of earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the onslaught of time and weather.
Bâtiments traditionnels ashanti
Au nord-est de Koumassi subsistent les derniers témoins matériels de la grande civilisation des Ashantis qui connut son apogée au XVIIIe siècle. Les maisons de bois, de terre et de chaume sont peu à peu menacées de destruction sous l'effet du temps et du climat.
المباني التقليدية الخاصة بشعب أسانتي
بقي شمال شرق منطقة كوماسي آخر الشواهد الملموسة على حضارة شعب أسانتي العظيمة التي بلغت ذروتها في القرن الثامن عشر. إنّ المنازل الخشبية والترابية والقصبية تتهدد تدريجاً بالدمار نتيجة الطقس والمناخ.
source: UNESCO/ERI
source: UNESCO/ERI
Традиционные постройки народа ашанти
К северо-востоку от Кумаси обнаружены единственные дошедшие до наших дней материальные свидетельства великой культуры ашанти, которая достигла своего расцвета к XVIII в. Поскольку жилища были сооружены из земли, дерева и соломы, они сильно подвержены разрушительному воздействию времени и климата.
source: UNESCO/ERI
Edificios ashanti tradicionales
Situados al nordeste de Kumasi, estos edificios son los últimos testimonios materiales de la gran civilización ashanti, que llegó a su apogeo en el siglo XVIII. Construidos con madera, tierra y paja, corren peligro de ser destruidos por la acción del tiempo y el clima.
source: UNESCO/ERI
source: NFUAJ
Traditionele gebouwen van het Ashanti rijk
In het noordoosten van Kumasi bevinden zich de laatste materiële overblijfselen van de grote Ashanti beschaving, die haar hoogtepunt bereikte in de 18e eeuw. De woningen zijn gemaakt van aarde, hout en stro, waardoor ze gevoelig zijn voor de invloed van tijd en weer. De gebouwen, hun rijke kleur en de vakkundigheid en diversiteit van hun decoraties, zijn de laatste overgebleven voorbeelden van een belangrijke traditionele architectuurstijl die het invloedrijke, machtige en rijke Ashanti Koninkrijk van de late 18e tot eind 19e eeuw belichaamt. De traditionele Ashanti gebouwen weerspiegelen een complex, ingewikkeld technisch, religieus en spiritueel erfgoed.
Source: unesco.nl
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
Near Kumasi, a group of traditional buildings are the last remaining testimony of the great Asante civilization, which reached its peak in the 18th century. The buildings include ten shrines/fetish houses (Abirim, Asawase, Asenemaso, Bodwease, Ejisu Besease, Adarko Jachie, Edwenase, Kentinkrono, Patakro and Saaman). Most are to the north-east of Kumasi, and Patakro, to the south.
Arranged around courtyards, the buildings are constructed of timber, bamboo and mud plaster and originally had thatched roofs. The unique decorative bas-reliefs that adorn the walls are bold and depict a wide variety of motifs. Common forms include spiral and arabesque details with representations of animals, birds and plants, linked to traditional "Adinkra" symbols. As with other traditional art forms of the Asante, these designs are not merely ornamental, they also have symbolic meanings, associated with the ideas and beliefs of the Asante people, and have been handed down from generation to generation.
The buildings, their rich colour, and the skill and diversity of their decorations are the last surviving examples of a significant traditional style of architecture that epitomized the influential, powerful and wealthy Asante Kingdom of the late 18th to late 19th centuries. Asante Traditional Buildings reflect and reinforce a complex and intricate technical, religious and spiritual heritage.
The traditional religion, still practiced in the Asante shrines, takes the form of consulting with the deities to seek advice on specific situations, or before an important initiative. That is why the shrines have been maintained complete with all their symbolic features.
Criterion (v): The Asante Traditional Buildings are the last remaining testimony of the unique architectural style of the great Asante Kingdom. The traditional motifs of its rich bas-relief decoration are imbued with symbolic meaning.
The group of buildings is the only surviving example of the Asante traditional architecture. Very few of the buildings are complete. In most cases parts of the original structures are missing. The integrity is threatened by deterioration of the fabric due to the warm humid tropical climate that is destructive of traditional earth and wattle-and-daub buildings. Heavy rainfall and high humidity encourage rapid mould formation on wall surfaces, and the activities of termites, and other prolifically breeding destructive insects. The intensification of agricultural developments makes the traditional building materials of thatch, bamboo, and specific timber species less easy to obtain.
The present appearance of the buildings and their architectural form is largely authentic in terms of reflecting their traditional form and materials, although many have been largely reconstructed. In 12 out of the 13 buildings the original steeply pitched palm-frond thatched roof has been replaced by lighter, shallower-pitched, corrugated iron roofs, and in all the buildings there has been the insertion of more durable paved flooring than the traditional rammed earth.
Protection and management requirements
Between 1960 and 1970 the buildings were acquired by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) and scheduled as a National Monument under the Law of Ghana NLC Decree 387 of 1969. There is also involvement by the Chief and his Elders.
Therefore, the instruments for the protection of the Asante Traditional Buildings operate on two levels. The first is a prescription of customary regulations, prohibitions and penalties that have been handed down through generations from the past. The second is the modern statutory regulations enacted by Government. The two sets of laws complement each other, and are a generally effective means of protection although the modes of enforcement are different. The former is built into the belief system and worldview of the communities where the sites are located, while the latter prescribes the role of the GMMB.
Part III of Executive Instrument (EI) 29 of National Museums Regulations, 1973, provides legal protection for the properties as National Monument.
The GMMB is responsible for all conservation activities on the properties. Routine inspections are carried out by staff of GMMB and there are Caretakers at all the sites who report to the Regional Office of the GMMB.
Planning and implementation of intervention measures are carried out with the involvement of the Traditional Authorities, Local Council, the Community members and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
A strategic and management planning framework "Local Tourism Promotional Strategy and Management Planning framework for Sustainable Development of Asante Traditional Buildings" has been put in place to ensure a sustainable development of the Asante Traditional Buildings.
The long-term challenges for the management of the Asante Traditional Buildings are to ensure regular maintenance in order to mitigate the impacts of the warm humid climate and to put in place a long-term strategy to secure a sufficient supply of organic materials for their repair.
Long Description
To the north-east of Kumasi are to be found the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. As the dwellings are made from earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the onslaught of time and weather. These buildings are the last remaining material testament of the great Asante civilization, of which they are a perfect illustration.
The traditional Asante (Ashanti) buildings are spread throughout the north and north-east of Kumasi. The majority of the Asante villages were destroyed during the 19th century in the wars undertaken by this people against English domination between 1806 and 1901. It was during this period that the royal mausoleum (Barem) was burned by Baden-Powell in 1895. There exists today only a small number of the traditional structures, habitats of men and gods, of which the majority are less than 100 years old.
The disposition of these structures is well known through eyewitness reports by early European travellers as well as contemporary studies. A series of poles and wooden imposts linked by bamboo slats form the framework which supports the thatched roof. The floor is of puddled clay. A rich decor of earth-facing over a core of wood reigns over the principal facade; this is comprised of a balustrade, imposts, and sometimes windows whose decorative openwork may be likened to that of the transenna (a heavy grill-work used for closing off the tombs of Christian martyrs). The decoration consists of geometric, floral, animal, or anthropomorphic motives.
The preservation of these structures built from heterogeneous material poses a difficult, if not insoluble, problem. The thatched roofs are made from obviously fragile material. At the time of the publication of Michael Swithenbank's basic book, Ashanti Fetish Houses, the majority of the houses had been given a roofing of corrugated iron. Since then, maintenance efforts have been agreed to by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
The wood of the framework of the roof, essentially derived from two tropical species (Hippocrates africana and Hippocrates rowlandii), is known for its resistance against termites. However, it does not appear to be very durable, owing to the process of biological deterioration at this latitude. The existence of the clay facings covering the wood core can likewise not be guaranteed over the coming decades.Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC