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Indonesia: Getting Cut Off by the IMF?
It was all done in a very diplomatic way, but the message was clear. On Apr. 23-24, the International Monetary Fund sent a "review team" to Jakarta for two days of intensive talks. The message: The IMF delegates expressed "concerns" that Indonesia's budget deficit would blow out this year unless "concrete" and politically painful reforms were made immediately, such as removing fuel subsidies, collecting more tax revenue, and selling off nationalized banks. Indonesian Cabinet Ministers smiled, thanked the IMF delegates for their advice, and even promised to propose a revised budget to Parliament when it meets on Apr. 30.
At no time did the IMF state explicitly that it was pulling the plug on further aid to Indonesia, after pouring $12 billion in loans into the troubled economy since November, 1997. But in fact, that's what happened, at least for now, say economists who are familiar with the negotiations. Because of both sides' failure to agree on a plan that would have prevented a deficit blowout -- and could have persuaded the IMF to extend more loans -- the Indonesian economy appears to be on a course for disaster.
The IMF didn't slam the door shut in Indonesia's face. It left open the possibility that the country could still qualify for further aid. But the IMF delegation prepared to leave Jakarta without signing a "letter of intent" with the Indonesian government. That letter is required for the IMF to resume a three-year, $5 billion loan program that was halted due to concerns over lack of reform only two months after the IMF disbursed the first $400 million payment last December.
Because Indonesia did not commit to making the painful reforms required to prevent the deficit from surging to a forecast level of 6% of GDP this year -- two-thirds higher than the 3.8% level set in the current budget approved by the IMF -- the fund is expected to refuse to sign another letter. "The IMF basically said, 'Trim your budget deficit, or you're not going to get your funding,'" says David Cohen, regional director of economic analysis at S&P MMS in Singapore.
Why is no progress being made on budget reform? Because the government has been stymied by a life-and-death struggle between President Abdurrahman Wahid and political parties that control 90% of Parliament. Those parties are attempting to impeach Wahid on corruption charges -- and on Apr. 23, they gained the support of Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, whose prior refusal to join the impeachment attempt was Wahid's only line of defense. "Parliament is going to spend the next four months trying to impeach the President before they get around to the budget," says one government official, who asked not to be named.
As a result, Indonesia could soon find itself in desperate need of further IMF assistance. Because of the political instability, the Indonesian rupiah is trading at dangerously weak levels of nearly 12,000 to the dollar -- 80% less than its value of 2,400 to the dollar before the Asian economic crisis swept the country in late 1997. Economists recently cut their GDP growth forecasts for Indonesia this year from 5% -- the rate the country needs to keep up with population growth -- to a disconcertingly low 3.5%. "The downside risks have increased," the IMF noted in a statement distributed to reporters in Jakarta.
The appearance of the IMF giving up on Indonesia could be devastating. The three-year program that commenced last September provided rough policy guidelines for the reforms that the IMF says Indonesia's economy needs to recover. As such, it was the only constant factor that existed in a country where the leadership is in question and government policy is generally adrift. "As long as the IMF is there, there is a clear, consistent policy direction," says Indrawati Sri Mulyani, professor of economics at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. "It's not only about money. It's the only guarantee that Indonesia will stay on the international map of the investors, and also in the global economy."
It was a cruel coincidence that the IMF team, led by Anoop Singh, the agency's deputy director for Asia-Pacific, arrived during a two-day meeting by the Consultative Group on Indonesia, which includes the World Bank, the U.S., Japan, and other donor countries. The IMF delegates found themselves sitting in front-row seats for frank discussions that simply reinforced their own concerns and complaints.
Ranking high among those complaints is that since the vague Regional Autonomy Law took effect on Jan. 1, hundreds of local districts are demanding that they be paid directly by the IMF and not the central government in Jakarta. In addition, the government has failed to clean up corruption and incompetence at the central bank, and -- as the IMF sees it-- improperly detained Bank Indonesia Governor Syahril Sabirin for six months last year.
Also, the government has yet to sell off nationalized banks and seize collateral to cover a $70 billion debt overhang. Bankruptcy-court rulings are being ignored by higher courts, which overturn them in favor of politically connected debtors. The government's decision to phase out fuel subsidies from Apr. 1 to Oct. 1 is too slow to take pressure off the national budget at a time when the rupiah is weakening. And Wahid's economic advisers recently insisted on total control over the IMF program, even turning down requests by IMF officials to meet with them.
The government's response to those complaints was not reassuring. At one point, Indonesian Finance Minister Prijadi Praptosuharjo said, disappointingly: "Indonesia has not given any response to the main concerns. For the time being, we are taking them as inputs." Unwittingly, he was simply giving the IMF the best excuse it has seen yet to say no to Indonesia.
By Michael Shari in Singapore
Edited by Douglas Harbrecht


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(Versions in 中文, Français, 日本語, Русский, and Español)
For many years, countries in sub-Saharan Africa have spent large amounts on subsidizing fuel and electricity. For both sources of energy combined, this averages around 3-4 percent of GDP. That's about the same magnitude as public spending on health in many countries. Now we need to ask some important questions. Is this a good use of scarce resources? Where does this money go? Is it helping to support the livelihood of the poorest in African economies? Is it helping to boost the country's competitiveness? The answers are largely, no. I believe this money can and must be used better to invest in the critical physical and social infrastructure required to sustain growth in sub-Saharan Africa. A recent IMF paper backs this up.
Filed under: Africa, Emerging Markets, Finance, Fiscal policy, Français, growth, International Monetary Fund, Low-income countries, Politics | 1 Comment »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Anneka brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 83 Designs von 34 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
Simplicity Ministries, an exciting new faith-based non-profit organization needs fearless artist to dress up our existing logo concept with a little graphic "lipstick"!
Simplicity Ministries
We are looking for a logo for Simplicity Ministries to be used on our signs, print materials and upcoming website. We have launched this new faith-based non-profit organization from an existing church to break out into the community to accomplish what we call our 3 C's. They are:
Celebrate: Equipping people in public and private worship. Connect: Meeting in groups to love and serve God together.
Care: Sharing Christ's love outside our church walls.
Simplicity Ministries offers access and resources to other non-profit organizations, and empowers and connects individuals to become mobilized with others to impact needs in their local communities.
Simplicity Ministries is based out of The Simplicity Center, one of the ministries under the organization, which operates a large facility in which office space is rented by other non-profits, creating an energizing and unconventional workplace environment chock full of artists and dreamers daring to make a difference in the world, one community at a time. It is an exciting time for us and if you would like to be a part of our history, we need your savvy artistic genius!
I have an existing concept in jpeg form, and can email it to you.
Here is its description in a nutshell:
simplicity is in a "simple" lowercase typed font, with the letter "t" in a font that looks like a subtle cross. The stick of the cross dips down below the rest of the word into what appears to be three ripples(water) which are the three C's.
We like the concept, but need you to polish it up into something worthy of our identity! We are also open to other ideas, but must include the 3 C's somehow.
Think simple-cuz that's our name, but simple that can still knock-your socks off!
- "Simplicity" is the visual focus, "ministries" can be smaller or more subtle and must be able to be substituted for another word when used in reference to a specific department of Simplicity Ministries "ie: Simplicity Kids", "Simplicity Center".
-must include visual reference of the 3 C's, the ripples (or new idea) should not be complete circles, but C-shapes
- would like "t" to subtly reference a cross, impacting the 3 C's, but also open to alternative ideas
- simple and polished
- fresh, clean, modern, or perhaps even vintage typewriter
- not afraid of color, but should also look decent when black and white
-your typical "church" logo
-Capital Letters
-anything too complicated-think simplicity
-something that looks straight out of clip-art
-something too corporate-looking
-you to hold back!


text:
Last spring, amid vows from Philadelphia school officials to stamp out adult cheating on state tests, students at Wagner Middle School sat down to take the 2012 exams.
On March 13, the second day of testing at Wagner, the head of the school district's test security program reported more than a dozen testing violations at the school.
Among the infractions that Daniel Piotrowski said he witnessed was a teacher coaching students on how to answer test questions.
The same week, at least one other monitor also reported testing infractions at the school, which is in the city's West Oak Lane section.
At the time, Wagner already had been targeted for investigation based on signs of cheating in years past, including 2009, when the district's chief academic officer was the school's principal.
The reports of fresh violations at Wagner presented the district with an immediate test of its new commitment to take cheating seriously.
Here is how the district responded:
• Piotrowski and at least one other monitor were removed from Wagner after reporting possible violations.
• District officials never formally interviewed either the monitors or Wagner staff.
• District officials dismissed some of the monitors' most serious complaints based on a "preliminary survey" of what happened at the school.
• District officials overturned Piotrowski's judgment that a full investigation at Wagner was warranted.
• The district waited seven months to file a formal memo to the state Department of Education about what happened at Wagner.
• District officials omitted pertinent information from that memo.
In July, Piotrowski, then the district's executive director of accountability and assessment, was fired. Neither he nor the district would comment on the circumstances of his termination.
This account of the events at Wagner is based on documents as well as interviews with sources who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.
A 'baffling' response
The district's response was highly questionable, said one national expert on educator misconduct.
"It's baffling to me why [the district] would not have responded more aggressively to a report of this nature," said Phillip Rogers, the executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC.)
In a statement, the district stood by its response to the cheating complaints at Wagner.
"The Office of Accountability, Equity and Compliance oversaw this entire process according to protocol and procedure," said district spokesman Fernando Gallard.
"There is no room in our schools for any adult involved in cheating."
High stakes, a troubled history
Each spring, students across Pennsylvania in grades 3-8 and 11 take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams.
Their scores are used to determine whether schools meet federally mandated academic performance targets. In Philadelphia, the test results also guide a wide range of high-stakes decisions, including which schools should be closed or converted to charters.
Last February, NewsWorks and the Public School Notebook jointly reported that a statewide investigation into possible cheating on the exams had widened to include 53 traditional public schools in Philadelphia.
Among them was Gen. Louis Wagner Middle School.
In a state-commissioned analysis of PSSA results from 2009, 2010, and 2011, Wagner was one of dozens of schools across Pennsylvania found to have highly suspicious patterns of "wrong-to-right" erasures on student response sheets – a telltale sign of adult cheating.
Penny Nixon, the district's current chief academic officer, was the school's principal in 2009.
In 2010 and 2011, Wagner was led by its current principal, Maya Johnstone.
As a result of its past problems, Wagner was one of about a dozen schools put under extra-tight security during the 2012 PSSA exams. Johnstone and other school officials were not allowed to open boxes containing the tests without a monitor present.
Although some complained that the new testing regulations were unfair to Philadelphia students and schools, the School Reform Commission backed the measures, calling them necessary to "ensure that PSSA test administration is conducted with integrity."
Daniel Piotrowski was the architect of the district's rigorous new approach. A six-year district veteran, he'd overseen the development of new testing protocols and the training of roughly 100 monitors for this round of the exams.
By March 2012, Piotrowski had emerged as the public face of the district's response to cheating. That month, he was profiled by the Philadelphia Inquirer for his work.
An urgent email
On March 13, Piotrowski was at Wagner to act as a monitor. He spent the day securing testing materials and observing classrooms.
That evening, Piotrowski emailed Johnstone at 9:49 p.m. (See document below.) His message began:
"I apologize for the late hour of this message, but after reviewing my notes from monitoring today and consulting some experts, I feel compelled to write to resolve some of the issues at Wagner regarding PSSA administration. Due to the level and number of violations witnessed at Wagner, the Office of Accountability will start an investigation into the testing procedures at Wagner."
Piotrowski outlined 13 definite and four possible violations of procedures that he said he'd witnessed at the school. His list included everything from teachers allowing students to use calculators on prohibited sections of the math exam to the test coordinator improperly leaving secure test materials in the school's main office.
Taken together, the list "ranges from sloppy practices to serious infractions of accepted testing protocols," said Rogers of NASDTEC.
The most serious claim in Piotrowski's email to Johnstone was that he had witnessed a "teacher coaching students on responses."
In his message, Piotrowski identified the teacher and suggested the teacher be removed from giving the test to students:
"I would like to reiterate my suggestion that [the teacher] not continue to administer the PSSA this year. At a minimum, both [Wagner assistant principal Yvette Benning] and I witnessed [the teacher] talking to the class with language that was neither the assessment nor test administration material. Although I cannot confirm absolutely that [the teacher] was providing answers, [the teacher's] actions were clear violations of PSSA policy, District safety policies, and Wagner's test administration plan."
The message from Piotrowski to Johnstone is contained within the thread of a longer email exchange. First, Johnstone forwarded Piotrowski's message to Benning, her assistant principal. Then, Benning responded to Piotrowski, copying in multiple other recipients.
In her message, Benning disputed part of Piotrowski's report, arguing that the teacher he cited may have been reading test questions aloud to special education students, a permissible accommodation under the testing guidelines:
"I stated repeatedly to you that I did not hear anything inappropriate as we were standing outside of [the teacher's] door. ... In the future, if you are going to refer to statements made, please make sure that you are restating the facts."
Benning, Johnstone, and Piotrowski all declined to comment for this story.
Monitors removed
Rogers of NASDTEC said the scope, severity, and source of the reported violations at Wagner should have provoked a swift, strong response by the district.
"Never should a report of a trained observer be dismissed if they have documented that there is cheating going on," he said. "For some [of the reported infractions,] I would think a serious third-party inquiry would be warranted."
At Wagner, Piotrowski was removed from monitoring the testing at Wagner shortly after reporting violations at the school, according to sources.
Documents and sources indicate that a second monitor who reported testing infractions at Wagner on a different day that week was also removed from the school.
"Monitors are sometimes moved based on administrative decisions and scheduling needs," said Gallard, the district's spokesman. Gallard said that Piotrowski was reassigned from Wagner to accommodate a media request to meet with him at another school.
In response to the complaints of testing violations, district officials chose not to formally interview or take statements from either Wagner staff or the monitors who reported infractions there.
Instead, Piotrowski's boss, Fran Newberg, received informal briefings from the monitors and conducted a site visit at Wagner, an approach Gallard described as consistent with district protocol.
At the school, Newberg, the district's deputy chief of accountability, led what district documents alternately describe as a "debrief" with Wagner staff or a "preliminary survey" of the situation.
Based on Newberg's efforts, the district concluded that two of Piotrowski's allegations were unfounded, including his claim to have witnessed a teacher improperly coaching students.
The district backed Benning's version of events regarding that teacher. District officials also cited the possibility that the teacher Piotrowski cited may have been reading test questions out loud to special ed students, which is permitted.
"The allegation that a test monitor witnessed a teacher using 'language that was neither the assessment or test' was reviewed and found to be inconclusive," Gallard said.
Through Newberg's review, the district substantiated 11 others infractions reported by Piotrowski. The district concluded that those problems "had been addressed immediately by [Wagner] principal and staff."
Piotrowski's superiors rejected his judgment that a formal investigation should be launched.
Varying responses
District officials handled differently a single reported violation at an unnamed elementary school, also reported in March 2012.
According to the district's investigation report at that school, obtained through the state Right to Know law, teachers alleged the school's testing coordinator had improperly arranged for students to complete missing sections of a test they had already taken.
That school was subjected to a full investigation involving both the district's Office of General Counsel and Office of Accountability. Signed statements were required from two teachers at the school, and formal interviews were conducted with three teachers and the school's testing coordinator.
In its four-page report submitted to the state, the district explained in detail the results of its inquiry, including why officials ultimately concluded that there was no wrongdoing at the school.
Gallard said the district responded more aggressively at the elementary school because the violations were reported after PSSA administration had concluded. The timing of the complaint, said Gallard, left "no opportunity for the Office of Accountability to visit the school and conduct a preliminary survey to dismiss, substantiate, and/or address the allegations while the testing was still in progress."
All told, testing violations were reported at 27 district schools in 2012.
Only the elementary school cited above was formally investigated.
Twenty-five other schools were reported for mostly lesser infractions, such as posters left on classroom walls. At these schools, the district's Office of Accountability pointed out the observed infractions to school staff. In some cases, officials held an informal conference with the school's leadership team. In summary memos sent to those schools and copied to the state in late August, principals were encouraged to more thoroughly train staff on the "do's and don'ts" of PSSA test administration next year.
That was the treatment given to Wagner.
Information left out
District officials waited until October to file their memo from Wagner.
Gallard attributed the seven-month delay to staffing and leadership changes at the district.
The memo ultimately submitted by the district excluded the two allegations by Piotrowski that had been deemed unfounded: "Teacher coaching students on responses" and "Improper materials on walls in classrooms."
Gallard said that a separate "summary report," also sent to the state on Oct. 3, contained information about these allegations, as well as the district's response.
Gallard confirmed that neither the memo on Wagner nor the "summary report" mentioned the infractions observed by other monitors at the school. Nor did either document mention that Piotrowski and at least one other monitor were removed from Wagner after reporting long lists of infractions. Gallard said neither omission should be considered unusual, given the nature of the reports.
Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesman Timothy Eller did not respond to multiple requests for comment or clarification on the state's policy regarding reporting testing violations.
Gallard said "the District stands by its report and believes it accurately describes the findings of the test monitors at Wagner Middle School."
What's happened since
On August 16, the School Reform Commission voted to terminate Daniel Piotrowski.
His firing was officially effective July 14, according to the SRC resolution.
In September, the district announced that Penny Nixon was taking a yearlong sabbatical as chief academic officer, effective Nov. 1. Officials say her sabbatical was approved to enable her to concentrate on her doctoral studies. They say this move had nothing to do with the Wagner situation.
On Sept. 21, the state Department of Education released the results of the 2012 PSSA exams, attributing statewide score drops to less cheating than in years past.
The percentage of students scoring proficient or above at Wagner fell 24 points in reading and 28 points in math from 2011.
The district remains responsible for investigating possible cheating on state tests at Wagner in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Officials have said the findings from that probe should be available by the end of this calendar year.
This story was reported as part of NewsWorks' partnership in education coverage with the Public School Notebook.
Support provided by
Wagner Middle School is located at 1701 Chelten Ave., in Philadelphia.


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The Dimond Branch Library will temporarily close for remodeling from Friday, December 23 to May 2017. For more information see the announcement.
Express Yourself
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Provides the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. |
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Get access to cool graffiti styled lettering and to other sites. |
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Read poetry or find resources to write your own. |
TeenSpot.com |
Offers teen chat rooms, contests, music, movies, and blogs. |
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Gun violence. Curfews. Homelessness. Hate crimes. Don't like it? Then sound off. Speak out. Take action. MAKE SOME NOISE! |
NextGen Digital Pathways & BUMP Records |
Making music, directing videos, or whipping together a website is second nature to BAVC youth artists. Contribute your creativity! |
Youth Speaks |
Pick up your pen or take hold of the microphone. Speak up for yourself! |
The Marsh Youth Theater |
Theater arts for Bay Area youth. |
Youth Radio |
Learn radio broadcast, music production, photography, journalism, mobile apps and more. Free trainings and paid internships after 6 months of training. Youth Radio produces digital media and Peabody-award winning journalism that is distributed nationally. |


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Fulham have made an improved offer for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent.
Having seen a £4million bid turned down earlier this summer the Cottagers have returned with an offer of £4.75million plus add-ons for the 29-year-old but it is believed that Villa want £6million.
Newcastle were also keen on signing the former England international earlier this summer but recently dropped their interest.
Soccer Headlines
Fulham increase bid for Bent but Villa want more money for striker
Daily Mail | Aug 3


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PennDOT has postponed work that was scheduled to cause overnight traffic stoppages on the Parkway East.
It had planned 15-minute stoppages between Squirrel Hill and Edgewood-Swissvale for erection of an overhead sign from midnight to 2 a.m. Saturday.
The work will be rescheduled.
Jon Schmitz: email@example.com or 412-263-1868. Twitter: @pgtraffic.
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Michigan Tech hits the road for a pair of GLIAC games this week against North Divsion opponents. Tech can move into first place in the North Division with a win at Ferris State on Thursday (Jan. 10). The Huskies will wrap-up the road trip Saturday (Jan. 12) at Grand Valley.
The Series
Michigan Tech leads the all-time series against Ferris State 40-26, but the Bulldogs defeated the Huskies both times they met last season.
Tech leads the all-time series against Grand Valley 40-30. Each school won at home last year.
Coach Cameron
Head coach Kim Cameron enters her third season as head coach of the Huskies. She has a 59-14 record and led the team to an NCAA Div. II National Runner-Up finish in 2011. Prior to being named head coach she served as assistant coach for five seasons and was a four-time letterwinner for the Huskies.
Career Night
Freshman Kylie Moxley scored a career-high 26 points against Lake Erie. The Brillion, Wis., native shot 10-of-11 from the field and made 6-of-7 free throws. Her previous high was 15 points against Findlay on Dec. 6. She is averaging 8.8 points this season, third most on the team.
League Leaders
Michigan Tech leads the league in three categories and ranks second in six others. The Huskies are tops in free throw percentage (76.9), 3-pointers per game (7.6) and 3-pointers attempted (19.3). Tech is second in field goals (26.8), field goal attempts (64.2), 3-point percentage (39.2), assists (16.6), turnovers (13.6) and blocks (4.6).
Shooting Matters
Tech is 8-1 this season when it shoots better than its opponents and 0-3 when they shoot worse.
Road Warriors
Tech has a 5-1 road record and has won all four conference road games this season. The Huskies lost its only road game of the season 83-82 on a buzzer beater at Minn. Duluth on Nov. 17th.
The Last Time Out
Four Michigan Tech players scored more than 10 points but it wasn't enough as they fell to No. 1 Ashland 76-66.
Looking Ahead
Michigan Tech host Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State in a pair of games next week.
Women's Basketball Headed to Ferris State and Grand Valley
Jan 08, 2013


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Crab-and-Pork Spring Rolls
Fatty pork is the standout ingredient in these crisp spring rolls; it adds intense flavor and a tender texture to the crab and vegetable filling. Fresh...
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Side Trip: Stockholm to Uppsala
For a big-city break, take a 40-minute train ride north—past fields and birch-filled forests—to the charming university town of Uppsala, Sweden, where the summer sun hardly sets.
Bicyclists pedal along Uppsala's cobblestoned streets, lined with inviting cafés and boutiques. The Fyris River flows lazily by gardens, along tree-lined riverbanks, and beneath footbridges draped with violet and white petunias. It would be almost too idyllic, but the town gets a jolt from the 20,000-plus students enrolled at Uppsala University (founded in 1477). Their contagious energy peaks each spring on April 30 for Valborg, or Walpurgis Eve. The tradition of welcoming the spring dates back to pre-Christian pagan festivals, when giant bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and clear the land of dead winter debris.
In Uppsala, the festivities begin early: Families picnic on herring under blossoming trees in the Stadsträdgården (city park), and students race homemade boats down the river. At precisely 3 p.m., crowds gather below the town's imposing pink castle, where students past and present don their white graduation caps before swilling champagne, rolling down hills, and dancing around bonfires. Sweden's oldest university choir, Allmänna Sången, leads a nighttime sing-along in front of the castle.
The party continues into the early morning at the 13 nations, unique student societies that date back to the 1600s and whose buildings are scattered throughout the city. Each has a restaurant and a pub, which offer deep discounts and are normally restricted to Uppsala students. Those with a student ID from a foreign university can gain entrance with a 60 SEK ($7) weekly guest card purchased at the university student union. Visitors without a guest card may find that a kind word and a smile are enough to gain entrance to many nations, especially early in the evening.
Gästrike-Hälsinge nation, one of the few that stays open in summer, serves dinner in the backyard of a stately yellow mansion. Outdoor heaters and a stack of cozy fleece blankets ward off any evening chill, so you can linger over rounds of Åbro beers. Around the corner, overlooking a pond crowded with ducks and a few swans, Konditori Fågelsången is a quintessential Swedish café. The glass counters display dozens of sweets—cakes draped in green marzipan (princesstårta), rich chocolate balls rolled in coconut (kokosbollar), spiced apple tarts (äppelkaka), and warm cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar)—that tempt you to skip a sandwich in favor of dessert on the outdoor patio.
For a more traditional and well-balanced meal, join the many Swedes who take advantage of daily lunch specials known as dagens rätt. Warm, filling Swedish classics like meatballs with gravy or salmon with potatoes and dill sauce are paired with a drink, a salad, bread, and coffee. Lunch at high-end restaurants, like the riverside Åkanten, is an especially good value (about 79 SEK/$9.50); the same meal might cost twice as much at dinner.
Across the river, along the pedestrian-only stretch of Svartbäcksgatan, department stores and a giant H&M share space with cafés and 100-year-old bakeries. In warm weather, vendors with small wooden carts sell raspberries and chanterelles handpicked in nearby forests. At Holmlunds, a bi-level clothing boutique, find dresses and skinny jeans from Acne, the current darling of Swedish fashion. Nearby, DesignTorget stocks whimsical housewares, toys, and gifts.
Still further along Svartbäcksgatan is the meticulously maintained garden of pioneering botanist Carl Linnaeus, who created the system of classification still in use today. The organized garden, known as Linnéträdgården, has been preserved to look as it did when Linnaeus lived in the adjacent house in the 1700s. Entrance to the garden is free from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Beyond the walls of Linnéträdgården, the towering Gothic spires of Scandinavia's largest cathedral, Domkyrkan, are visible above the rooftops. Inside the 15th-century redbrick cathedral, the smell of freshly blown-out candles lingers beneath the soaring gray stone arches. In the small chapel in the rear of the cathedral, Gustav Vasa—the 16th-century king considered the founder of modern Sweden—is buried alongside three of his wives.
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October 09, 2015 The road to inspiration opens at Rosenthal Take the road to Rosenthal and visit our brand new display centre with an all-new design on show, as well as two stunning World of Style interiors and a genuine Welcome Centre experience.
October 05, 2015 Spring style sale with Porter Davis and Coco Republic at Berry Lane It's not everyday you can buy professionally selected, designer quality furniture on sale, but that's exactly what you'll find at Berry Lane this Saturday 10th October.
September 30, 2015 Welcome spring into your home At long last, spring has arrived! Say goodbye to dreary clouds and drizzly rain, and hello to clear skies and warm sunshine. And what better way to greet the new season than with a touch of spring cleaning and decoration? Freshen up your interior spaces with our top tips on welcoming spring into your home.
September 14, 2015 Take home a World of Style selection from Williams Landing Come to our Coco Republic ex-display sale at Williams Landing and choose from skillfully selected furniture and décor from the Randwick and Dakar, where you can browse the complete style and buy your selections with confidence and heavily discounted pricing. Plus, as an added bonus the sale will also include an extra two houses worth of sale stock!
September 09, 2015 Herald Sun Home Magazine Reader's Choice finalists! Beautiful homes make a lasting impression and we hope the Brookwater at Harcrest exceeds all the expectations as a finalist in the Home Magazine Reader's Choice awards.


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Wednesday June 13, 2012 3:45 pm
Amazon Prime Instant Video now showing MGM Studios TV shows and movies
Amazon has just announced a new partnership with MGM Studios that's set to bring hundreds of additional TV and movie classics to Amazon Prime Instant Video. This includes such hits as The Silence of the Lambs, Species, Rain Man, Stargate, and The Terminator. This brings the total of Amazon's offerings to over 18,000 movies and television episodes that you can stream to your Xbox 360 and other devices, all included in the price of your Amazon Prime membership.
Read More | Amazon
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- amazon, amazon prime, amazon prime instant video, home entertainment, internet, mgm, mgm studios, movies, prime instant video, streaming video, tv, tv shows
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Tottenham target £14m Inter Milan star, Rio's latest venture and Romania's hottest WAG
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Will Tottenham finally land Sulley Muntari?
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Rio Ferdinand is set to open his own restaurant
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[DJ Mick]
Burnley suffer Martin Paterson injury blow
[The Mirror]
Spoiler promotion: Play Fantasy Football and win Champions League Final tickets!


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Here is the church/And here is the steeple/Open the door/And see all the…projectors. There are plenty of people still in the pews, to finish the nursery rhyme as intended. Statistics which indicate that more Americans regularly attend services than the citizens of other developed countries, a presidential election that is said to have hinged on "moral values," and a building boom in Christian churches, particularly in the south and southwestern United States, are all signs that parishes ...
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ELIZABETHTOWN – Barry Birdwhistell's law office leaves little doubt where the former Anderson County football player's allegiance lies.
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Officials to Test Tsunami Warning System in Alaska
NOAA's National Weather Service, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Alaska Broadcasters Association plan to conduct a test of the tsunami warning communications system on Wednesday, March 29, at approximately 10:15 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time in coastal areas of southern Alaska. This test will be conducted for portions of coastal communities in Southeast Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, the Aleutians and Pribilofs. People in Anchorage may see or hear that a tsunami warning has been issued for the Kenai Peninsula.


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A cloud strategy vetted and supported by internal audit will help companies take advantage of the compelling cost benefits while managing new risks
Companies are adopting cloud computing. The economics are too compelling to ignore: standardized IT processes at reduced costs can free up IT resources to focus on differentiating the business. Yet risk is elevated because a broad cloud implementation requires changes in processes, people, and systems.
Chief audit executives should proactively engage the C-suite and business leaders to understand what data and applications may be moved to the cloud. They then should investigate specific risks and controls for near-term cloud adoption. As critical IT functions move to the cloud, new risks will arise. Internal audit (IA) should re-evaluate its annual risk assessment, audit scope, and resources to support its company's cloud strategy.


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This is a live view from the osprey nest about 75 yards outside The Wetlands Institute. Our new high definition camera not only has night vision, it also has sound. To adjust or mute the sound, hover over the image with your cursor and click the speaker icon.
If the camera feed stops, try refreshing your internet browser. Storms may cause power outages which will interrupt the feed. Note: the livecam feeds work best when viewed with Internet Explorer. For Chrome users (if you get a green screen), be sure to uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available" in Advanced Settings. For more views of the marsh, visit our other livecams.
See more pictures an join the discussion by visiting our Facebook page.
9/2/16 – It is getting harder and harder to catch a glimpse of an osprey on the nest. A juvenile stopped by very shortly this morning but no sign of others since our last post.
8/28/16 – We have not been seeing two chicks in the nest at once for over a week now. Perhaps the friend has moved on. We did observe Marshall bringing fish to the nest today but haven't been able to catch Lily on camera.
8/9/16 – After nearly a week, the "visitor" is now more of an "adopted sibling" to Fisher. The newcomer has begun catching her own fish and was even seen sharing with Fisher. They seem to be getting used to each other and we get a bonus osprey chick to watch grow!
8/5/16 – Our visitor appears to be interested in a more permanent stay than originally expected. Both chicks have been eating and Lily has even been observed feeding one of them to make sure they both get their fair share. Can't tell them apart? Fisher is smaller and has a virtually spotless white chest. The newcomer has a spotted chest and she is slightly bigger.
8/4/16 – Fisher has fledged! We believe he took off for the first time around 9:30am.
8/3/16 – It seems like Fisher has a play date this morning! Another juvenile osprey is visiting the nest. Learning to fly, fledglings often land on neighboring nests. Osprey parents sometimes even feed the visiting fledglings – as Marshall has been doing – before the young head back to their own nest. This young however has been in our nest for nearly 24 hours now. Perhaps yesterday's winds blew him off track and away from his own nest?
7/22/16 – Our osprey chick has a name! We received nearly 100 name suggestions and our panel of 6 judges rated their favorites. One name came up as a #1 pick for 4 out of 6 judges so we are pleased to introduce the world to Fisher.
6/29/16 – Lily and Marshal have given up on the remaining eggs but are giving their only chick a lot of attention. He is now 20 days old and growing very fast.
6/22/16 – The first chick is growing stronger each day but we suspect he might be the only one we get to watch grow up this year. It has now been 44 days since the 3rd egg arrived which is past the average. Although these numbers can vary, incubation period typically ranges between 35 and 42 days.
6/15/16 – Still one chick and two eggs in the nest. Marshal and Lily are being good parents and keeping him well fed and safe.
6/10/16 – We have a chick! It may not be easy to find on the photo but if you keep watching the live feed, you will see it move. Welcome to the world little one!
6/6/16 – Our Ospreys have names! We put it to vote and our Facebook fans chose Marshal and Lily. Egg #1 came 36 days ago so we expect it to hatch any day now!
5/9/16 – This morning, the female osprey on the nest became entangled in a plastic bag around her neck. We monitored the situation closely and consulted biologists with the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and Conserve Wildlife Foundation about possible responses. A benefit of the nest camera is that we were aware of the problem and able to monitor it. Fortunately, after several hours, the female left the nest while the male incubated, and was able to free herself without intervention. She is back to incubating her eggs.
Marine debris is a serious issue with consequences for wildlife. Please do your part and make sure that you are not responsible for any loss of debris to the your surroundings and if you see any, please recover it and dispose of it properly.
The good news is – we now have 3 eggs!
5/5/16 – Two eggs in the nest!
5/2/16 – We have an egg! It arrived just before 5pm on Sunday May 1. Unfortunately, the rain makes it difficult to see but there it is!.
4/6/16 – After observing a few daily visits over the recent days, we were able to catch the pair sharing lunch today!
3/30/16 – After spending a windy day hunkered down in the marsh grass, our pair is back on the nest today. Mating activity has been observed and the male is bringing food for the female. So far, signs point to a successful nesting season!
3/28/16 – A male has now joined our female on the platform. The new camera allows a view of the perch in the background where he spent some of his time when not on the platform.
3/25/16 – A female osprey visited the nest for an extended period of time today. She was observed moving sticks around.
9/29/15 – Chance and dad were spotted this morning, on the platform by our walkway. Dad is still doing a good job feeding our little Chance who seems to be getting a hang at catching her own fish also. Chance's future is looking brighter and brighter each day! You can still catch an occasional glimpse on the close-up camera but most of their time is spent on the other vacant platform.
9/22/15- Chance is getting more and more difficult to spot on the livecam but fear not, she is still around and dad is still here as well. We were able to observe him bringing her fish yesterday. We also spotted her on the empty platform near our walkway this morning.
9/14/15 – Chance has been spending time on another abandoned platform near our elevated walkway. She was also seen on the camera-monitored platform by our staff throughout the weekend. At nearly 10 weeks old, our young osprey has been flying for 11 days now. There are still several other ospreys in the marsh as of this date.
9/9/15 – Chance has been enjoying her new found freedom and spending less time in the nest. By now, she should begin attempting to forage for herself but she will need some practice before she is successful and can sustain herself. In the meantime, dad still delivers meals. Make sure to watch Chance from our new livecams!
9/4/15 – She (or he) did it! Chance has taken that first flight at 8:28am! She flew all the way to the elevated walkway and landed on it. She is now taking a well-deserved rest before returning to the nest. Mom and dad have been watching over her from a nearby platform. Keep watching for her return!
9/3/15 – Our little Chance may be late in the breeding cycle but she is very close to fledging! Today she has been observed multiple times making lift and hovering for several seconds over the nest. Both parents are still in attendance as of now and diligently paying attention to young Chance. Most adult (male and female) and fledgling ospreys on surrounding platforms in the area are still in attendance as well. Many New Jersey ospreys remain through September into October. We are hopeful for Chance's success!
8/27/15 – A day in the life of Chance is spent eating fish, stretching and flapping wings, preening feathers, hopping around the nest and catching the occasional nap when flight practice becomes too hard. Mom and dad are still keeping a close eye on Chance, but prefer to rest on the posts of the platform or in the marsh. In the photo on the left, you can see Chance in the nest and mama resting on the platform post. Remember, practice makes perfect, so watch for Chance to fledge in the coming days!
8/21/15 – It's official! Voting is closed and the name Chance has won out! Thanks to all who voted. Stay tuned as Chance gets ready to fledge!
8/19/15 – Six weeks old and full grown today! As we celebrate our chick's milestone, we thought it fitting to give it a name. Our staff has selected four names to choose from: Hali, Fisher, Thumper and Chance. Voting closed on Friday 8/21/15 at 4:30pm.
8/17/15 – Hop, hop, hop! Our chick has been spending a lot of time hopping up and down around the nest learning the first steps in flying. We know it can be challenging to see the little chick in the nest with all the condensation and 'natural elements' on the camera lens, but with the chick so close to fledging it would not be wise of us to disrupt the young chick and adult pair this late in the season. Stay tuned and watch for increased hopping and wing flapping action in the coming days!
8/12/15 – Five weeks old today and growing stronger each day! In fact, in just one more week, our chick will be full grown and is already showing signs of independence. It is beginning to explore around the edges of the nest, was observed picking up smaller sticks in the nest and rearranging them along the perimeter and is even trusted by the parents to be left alone in the nest for short periods of time. It's amazing how quickly they learn!
8/3/15 – Our chick's down is quickly being replaced by feathers! Look closely and you can see the flight and tail feathers beginning to emerge. Feathers attached to the 'hand' of the osprey are known as primaries; feathers attached to the 'forearm' are known as secondaries; and feathers attached to the 'tailbone" are know as rectrices. Our chick is changing so quickly these days, so be sure to tune in daily!
7/29/15 – Our second osprey chick is exactly 3 weeks old today! You can see just how much it has grown since the last photo taken on 7/17/15. In just 3 more weeks, it will be almost full grown. From there, watch for it to fledge about 2-4 weeks later around September 2-16. This is late in the season for chicks to fledge, but we are hopeful for success!
7/27/15 – After a couple weeks of practice, and a few learning curves, this pair is providing their chick with great care! They have been observed securing and fortifying the edges of the nest, guarding and protecting the chick, and feeding it daily meals of eel, flounder and other fish. While Papa osprey continues to bring man-made objects into the nest, Mama osprey does a nice job of moving them to the sides of the nest, protecting their chick from harm. Keep up the good work you two!
7/14/15 – The first chick to hatch did not survive more than a day. The third egg was last confirmed yesterday and was still being incubated, though it had passed its expected hatch date. By the end of the day, the egg was no longer visible and may be covered by nest material or may have been removed from the nest. Thankfully our second chick continues to get stronger each day with close attention by both parents – its meal delivery (dad) and feeding (mom) service is keeping up with the demand.
7/8/15 – Our second osprey chick hatched this morning! Both parents have been present and are giving lots of attention to the nest and their new chick. We hope it will be joined by a sibling soon!
7/6/15 – We were excited to see our first osprey chick yesterday, July 5, right on schedule. It was brooded by its mother, while its father brought back fish for the twosome. The chick appeared frail and we did not observe it begging for food. By this morning the chick did not appear to be moving, though the female was still tending to her nest. We continue to pay close attention to our nesting pair and all hope for the best for the remaining two eggs.
6/8/15 – A sad example of the impact of marine debris. Our staff had to clean up the nest to remove debris that was of concern to the health of the parents and their soon-to-be nestlings.
6/3/15 – Triplets! A third egg in the nest! The new addition was spotted today.
5/31/15 – We have a second egg! The egg was laid sometime in late evening of the 30th or early morning of the 31st.
5/28/15 – We have an egg! The egg was laid sometime yesterday or overnight. The incubation period begins and we should expect a nestling within 35 to 45 days – right around Independence Day!
5/8/15 – For the past two days, we have observed the beginning of nest building on the platform. However, the pair seems to be deciding between two nesting platforms in the area. Should the osprey ultimately choose this platform, we will re-activate the osprey camera as soon as possible. Stay tuned!
4/20/15 – We are still observing regular visits from a pair of ospreys. They spend time on the platform but no nesting activity was observed yet.
The osprey returned to The Wetlands Institute to nest in 2014! However, they did not nest on the nearest platform with the camera. They chose instead to nest on a platform on the other side of the salt marsh.
The osprey returned to The Wetlands Institute to nest in 2013! However, they did not nest on the nearest platform with the camera. They chose instead to nest on a platform on the other side of the salt marsh.
The osprey returned to The Wetlands Institute to nest in 2012! However, they did not nest on the nearest platform with the camera. They chose instead to nest on a platform on the other side of the salt marsh.
Farewell to Hali, Luke and Giblet. The Wetlands Institute's resident ospreys have flown away for the season.
We look forward to March/April of 2012 for their return!
9/18/11 – An empty nest.
9/8/11 – Only chick (soon to be fledgling) seen – both parents have left the nest.
8/1/11 – Chick takes flight!
7/19/11 – Chick seen hopping up and down with wings flapping.
7/4/11 – Chick growing larger. Being left alone in the nest as parents go out for food and nest material. Numerous family feedings spotted through June and July.
6/8/11 – Both birds seen on nest helping with feeding chick.
6/7/11 – Second egg still not hatched. Mother feeding one chick.
6/5/11 – First egg hatched!
4/28/11 – Second egg!
4/26/11 – First egg!
4/10/11 – One bird is eating a fish while the other rearranges grass on the nest.
4/6/11 – Two osprey observed on and around the nest for most of the day.
3/31/11 – One osprey seen on the platform. It may just be passing through, and not a permanent resident.
Osprey Frequently Asked Questions and Answers!
Do the same birds come back to the nest every year? Osprey return to the same general area annually, but not necessarily the same nest. We think that the female is the same bird we've seen here since 2008; she has a rusty patch on the back of her head, and a band on her right leg. But since we can't see the number on the band, we can't be 100% certain that she's the same osprey.
When do they come back? Usually during the first week of April. In 2010, this nest was occupied on April 2.
When do they lay eggs? Eggs are usually laid within three or four weeks of their arrival. In 2010, the first egg was laid on April 20. Two more eggs followed within a few days.
When do they hatch? Eggs take about 38-42 days to hatch. In 2010, the first egg hatched on May 29, the third egg on June 5.
Do they have any predators? Adult osprey are apex predators, and not much will mess with them. Osprey chicks are vulnerable to gulls and owls, until they learn to fly, so you'll usually see one of the parents hanging around nearby.
What do they eat? Think you're good at catching fish with a pole? Try doing it with your feet! Osprey fly overhead and look for fish, then dive in feet-first. Once they've caught the fish, they'll rotate it in their talons so that it's headfirst, which is more aerodynamic in flight.
How many babies do they have? This answer depends a lot on the environment. If the weather is good, the water is clear, and the fish plentiful, they may lay three or four eggs. If it's rainy and food is scarce, there might be just one or two. The first chick to hatch has the best chance of surviving, since it will be the biggest and get the most food. It's not unusual for one chick to kill another. Most years this nest has only produced one or two surviving chicks, but in 2010 there were three survivors.
When will they learn to fly? Osprey chicks grow up fast. Their feathers will come in during June and July, and by late July they'll be flapping their wings in preparation for flight. Once they can fly, they'll learn to fish. By mid-August, they'll usually have started to migrate south.
Where do they go? Osprey head for warmer areas, from Florida and the Gulf to South America. Males and females usually migrate separately, and spend the winter apart.
Do they mate for life? Usually. But females have been known to "trade up" for a male that can catch more fish or has a better nest.


text: Dictionarysen•tencePronunciation: (sen'tns), [key] —n., v., -tenced, -tenc•ing. —n. 1. Gram.a grammatical unit of one or more words, bearing minimal syntactic relation to the words that precede or follow it, often preceded and followed in speech by pauses, having one of a small number of characteristic intonation patterns, and typically expressing an independent statement, question, request, command, etc., as Summer is here. or Who is it? or Stop! 2. Law. a. an authoritative decision; a judicial judgment or decree, esp. the judicial determination of the punishment to be inflicted on a convicted criminal. b. the punishment itself. 3. Music.a period. 4. Archaic.a saying, apothegm, or maxim. 5. Obs.an opinion given on a particular question. —v.t. to pronounce sentence upon; condemn to punishment. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.


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Saudi reforms provide 600,000 jobs for locals
Riyadh, March 19, 2013
Saudi Arabia's attempts to reform its expatriate-heavy labour market have put more than 600,000 locals into jobs at private companies, a senior official said on Tuesday, a sharp increase over previous rates.
Unemployment among men last year dropped to 6.1 percent, the lowest figure since 2000, deputy Labour Minister Mofraj Al-Haqbani told Reuters after a press conference in Riyadh.
"It is the lowest since 13 years ago... I think next year, God willing, we will see better results," he said.
The Middle East's largest economy grew by 6.8 percent last year, but private companies have traditionally been reluctant to employ Saudi workers, who are paid more than foreigners and enjoy more job protection.
Employment statistics are also skewed by the low level of women in work due to religious restrictions on gender mixing.
The world's top oil exporter sees low employment among nationals as a long-term strategic challenge, a view given added impetus after joblessness in nearby countries contributed to the Arab spring uprisings.
Central bank figures from 2011 showed around nine in 10 Saudis in work were employed by the state, while more than 6 million foreign workers held roughly the same proportion of jobs at private companies.
The Labour Ministry has aggressively pushed reforms, overhauling an existing system of quotas for Saudi and foreign employment in the private sector and fining companies that employ more expatriate than local workers.
The changes have provoked anger among some Saudi companies, which say they cannot find Saudis willing to do jobs seen as menial, such as in the labour-heavy construction sector.
The quota system, called "Nitaqat", categorises companies by sector and size to determine what proportion of foreign employees they should have. Firms that miss their targets are penalised with fines and hiring restrictions. It was started in late 2011.
Economists have said it is too early to assess the wider impact of the labour reforms on the kingdom's job market and private sector.
In November, the Labour Ministry also announced a new policy of charging companies a fee of 2,400 riyals ($640) for each foreign worker they employ over the number of Saudi staff. The fee was introduced immediately and must be paid when an expatriate's work permit comes up for renewal.
"We employed more than 600,000 since Nitaqat was launched," said Haqbani, adding that previously 50,000-80,000 Saudis joined the private sector workforce each year.
In a sign of the government's push to raise female employment, women represented a third of the new private sector employees, Haqbani said.
"In history (before Nitaqat) we only employed about 70,000," he said.
Labour Minister Adel Al-Fakeih was quoted in al-Eqtisadiah newspaper on Tuesday as saying the number of women employed by private companies in Saudi Arabia had doubled from a year ago.
He also said the ministry was working on 100 initiatives to improve Saudis' employment prospects with private firms, including a system of monitoring wages to prevent companies cheating existing requirements.
Haqbani said he did not know how much money the SR2,400 levy on foreign workers would raise for the government, and he also did not know how much an unemployment benefit of SR2,000 a month, payable for up to one year, had cost the country.
More than 1 million people are on the unemployment benefit, known as Hafez, he said, and around 86 percent of them are women. He said most of the people who had found new jobs had been on the Hafez programme.
The government last year introduced new rules making some retail jobs, such as for lingerie and cosmetics, women only. It has also sent tens of thousands of women abroad on scholarship programmes, alongside men, aimed at improving their job prospects. - Reuters


text: Atomic PhilosophyThe hypothesis of Leucippus, Democritus, and Epicurus, that the world is composed of a congeries of atoms, or particles of matter so minute as to be incapable of further diminution. Of course it is quite impossible even to think of a portion of matter which has not an upper and under side, with some breadth and thickness. "According to Democritus, the expounder of the Atomic Theory of matter, images composed of the finest atoms floated from the object to the mind." —McCosh: Psychological Cognitive Powers , p. 23. Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894


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Law Students Donate Toys, Enjoy 'Immunity Day'
Helping the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program brought Baylor law students a welcome relief from the ordeal of being called upon in class by their professors.
Thursday, Dec. 15, was designated "Immunity Day" at Baylor Law School. By donating toys to the campaign, the students had their names added to lists of those who would not be called upon during class sessions.
Encouraged by such a worthwhile cause, the students, along with faculty and staff members, pitched in and donated toys and cash totaling more than $6,000 to the Toys for Tots Program. The donated toys, which filled five large boxes, were picked up Thursday by members of the Marine Corps Reserve at the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center. Many students were on hand to assist the Marines as they loaded the toys into their seven-ton military truck.
"Immunity Day" has been enjoyed for more than a decade at Baylor Law School and is a joint Toys for Tots project of the Student Bar Association (SBA) and members of the law faculty and staff.
Law Dean Brad Toben said "Baylor Law students are so generous with their time and resources. The Toys for Tots Program is one of several charitable projects sponsored by the SBA and by our other student organizations each year. Our students know that we are part of a helping profession and they demonstrate that understanding in these projects in which they participate to reach out to disadvantaged groups. My colleagues and I are so proud of them."
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The board shall authorize the private pension, insurance, annuity, mutual fund or other qualified company or companies with whom it contracts to make available to members such supplemental annuity options, disability and other insurance or benefits as the board deems appropriate: Provided, That such supplemental annuities, insurance and benefits shall be funded solely from employee contributions.
Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2016 Regular Session
The West Virginia Code Online is an unofficial copy of the annotated WV Code, provided as a convenience. It has NOT been edited for publication, and is not in any way official or authoritative.


text:
Nissan Sentra Recalled
• Nissan North America, Inc.• Models: Nissan Sentra Years: 2000-2001
• Number Involved: 81,393
• Dates of Manufacture: January - October 2001
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Vehicles produced during this period were missing tamperproof caps that prevent horizontal headlamp adjustment.
Remedy: Dealers will install a tamperproof cap over the horizontal adjustment screw for both headlamps. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was to begin during January 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
• (NHTSA Recall No. 01V376)


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LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles police say Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Hines Ward was briefly detained at gunpoint in a mix-up over a reported stolen car but has been released.
Sgt. Maria Morrison says Hines and a woman friend were stopped in her car at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday in North Hollywood because the woman had reported it stolen.
Morrison says Hines was taken from the car at gunpoint and handcuffed until the woman proved the car was hers. The sergeant says the driver reported the vehicle stolen on April 19 after forgetting where she had parked it. She later found it but never canceled the report.
Police say Hines was cooperative. The woman's name wasn't released, but she isn't Hines' partner on "Dancing With the Stars."
Watch NFL Star Hines Ward Get His Cha Cha on on "DWTS":
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Explore how copper stills are made, the end our journey down the Rockies and a visit to Ballindalloch
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Whisky Magazine Issue 66 How glass affects your taste - Rise of small stills - Tamnavulin - Woodford Reserve - Jura - Ardbeg Dinner - Michael Jackson - Bunnahabhain.
Published September 2007.
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Ok...Let's start this off by congratulating Kenai Golf Course and their Walker Cup team for such a convincing and thorough butt kicking this past Sunday during the singles matches. We deserved it. The Kenai team turned a close competition into a runaway victory and made it look awfully easy with some great play from all their players. I was impressed with a couple new additions to their team, Jack Darsey and Gilbert Arellano played some great golf over the weekend and that certainly helped their determined effort to win back the cup. As an opponent you always know what you're going to get from Gordon Griffen, Doug Jung, John Dahlgren, Todd Eskelin and the rest of the guys over there. Steady play, they won't make many mistakes and they're going to force you to beat them. Rarely will they give holes or matches away. In years past we have been able to do a little better job of putting pressure on them to perform, but this year we didn't have the players top to bottom to do that and it showed. We'll have to do a much better job of fielding a team next year if we want to win the cup back on our own course, because right now the two teams don't stack up. They're better than us.
I miss playing in the Walker Cup, I really do, but as a "captain", which is a very loose term in this event, I still hate losing just the same. Losing sucks. That's all there is to it. Now I'm not condoning throwing a temper tantrum if you get beat, but it's ok if it sticks in your craw a little. A reality of golf is you're going to lose a hell of a lot more often than you'll win, that's tournament golf. As great as Tiger Woods is he's lost far more tournaments than he's won. Unfortunately a lot of these matches weren't competitive. We can all sit here and say politically correct things like, "t he matches were great", or "everyone played well", or my personal favorite, "as long as everyone has fun the result doesn't matter". That last one nearly makes me puke. What's the fun of that? If it doesn't matter we should just cancel the thing and all go out for tea and talk about flowers. It matters, and because it matters the Walker Cup has turned into the best event on the peninsula. I'm sure most of the players from both courses would agree with that.
Now let's touch on this contentious vibe between the two courses. I love it. I think it's great. A little animosity will go a long ways towards making things interesting. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this one, or at least one of the few willing to say it, but that's how I feel. I don't know if it's because we grew up playing sports against each other in middle and high school (or in some cases had kids that played) and those old rivalries have stuck, but beating Kenai has always been a really enjoyable thing to do. It's not like us golfers are going out to the bars getting in fights with each other all the time. We're not the Hatfield and McCoy's, but it's OK to have a little rivalry. That doesn't mean our golf courses couldn't work together better, we could, and we should, and in time I'm confident we will, but I don't think we need to be out there giving each other hugs and kisses either.
Again, congratulations to Kenai Golf Course. You guys played wonderfully all week. It was an impressive performance.
Senior League
Nine extremely well aged men rolled into town for some spirited senior league action. Captain Cohoe, Ray Hamby represented my neighborhood well posting a net 30 to take low net. John "The Last DJ" Davis was runnin' down a dream as he knocked his ball within 13' of the cup at the sixth for closest to. Davis also captured closest to honors at the eighth with another wonderful shot within 28' of the pin. Gordon "Slicker Than Crisco" Briscoe greased up his ball before sliding it in the cup from 20" inches away to win the long putt on nine. Has a longer putt ever been made? Way to roll in a bomb Gordon!
Tuesday Morning Ladies League
The scintillatingly sexy ladies of Birch Ridge were back on the runway to show off their new golf attire again this week. There were no winners this week as every team tied! It would have been great if the ladies had held an arm wrestling competition to settle the matter, but apparently they decided against it. Beth "Heartbreaker" Roseberry took fewer putts than anyone other lady to win an incredible prize.
Tuesday Couples Night
The sun was shining on the love birds for another night of steamy couple on couple golfing action. The game this week made the men earn their way into the bedroom with solid play or else it was another night on the couch! Couples used five net scores from the men and just four from the women. Dave Keating defended Sharon's honor playing some great golf en route to a first place couples finish. Vic "The Stick" Hussey teamed with the lovely Carol to place second.
If you're madly in love with someone and would like to join the rest of the couples we would love to have you out on Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm. It's great time that is enjoyable for players of all skill levels. There's always food and drinks after play concludes and the couples change games to make it fun and interesting. Come on out and join the fun.
Golf Joke of the Week
Bill and his wife Sally died and went to Heaven together. They were met at the gates by an angel that said, "Right over here, we have our very own golf course!" "Wow! It's beautiful! Can we play it now?" they both asked. "Sure!" said the angel.
It was the most beautiful course they had ever seen. Everything was perfect... the fairways, the greens, even the roughs. The more they played the more the woman beamed with happiness, but she noticed her husband was becoming disheartened and angry.
Sally confronted her husband on what was wrong. She said, "I can't understand why you're not happy. We're in Heaven! We're together! We're playing on the most beautiful and perfect golf course ever! What's wrong with you?"
Bill replied, "Now you're going to want to join me every time I play golf...Are you sure this is Heaven?"
Posted July 26, 2012 12:33 am


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I had the good fortune recently to spend an hour on the phone with Peter Benson, founder and CEO of ECCMA, the Electronic Commerce and Code Management Association.
ECCMA, among other things, is the project leader for the standards program ISO 2275 (open technical dictionaries and their application to the exchange of characteristic data) and ISO 8000 (information and data quality).
I wanted to talk with Peter about the "total cost of standardization" which I've written about here. Given the likely impact of the coming U.S. DATA Act on access to federal spending data, and continued development of federal "open data" programs, I wanted to "pick the brain" of someone for whom data and metadata standardization is a "meat and potatoes" business.
The problem of secrecy
At the center of Peter's concern about data standardization is secrecy. The approach promoted by ECCMA for industry data standardization through open access data dictionaries that are built and maintained collaboratively is that individuals and organizations cooperate and share information in the development and maintenance of such dictionaries. Use and reuse of dictionary contents is the goal. This generates cost and time savings through avoidance of duplication. Organizational or industry secrecy to promote short-term political or financial gain would fly in the face of such objectives.
Too much concern about costs?
Peter also believes that too much concern over the "costs of standardization" could be misguided given increasing availability of cloud-based technologies that lower the cost of storage and access. Technology also facilitates necessary data operations such as data mapping and data analytics, both of which are needed in some form in any effort at creating technical data dictionaries describing term meanings, equivalences, and relationships.
Needed: Data Governance
One challenge, Peter believes, is connected with implementing appropriate data governance practices. This is not something that the IT department should attempt on its own. Decisions related to concept definitions, concept relationships, syntax, and data usage in business and industry must meaningfully involve business stakeholders.
I'm currently reviewing the wealth of information ECCMA makes available on its website and agree with Peter about a lot of things especially the importance of data governance and the need to involve both business and IT in decisions about "data standards." How data definitions and relationships are defined and governed inside and outside an organization requires what I call a collaborative project management approach where planning, flexibility, sharing, and trust are critical to success.
Defining standardization
When thinking about "data governance" it's important how we define "data standardization." The shareable and collaboratively-built open access data dictionary concept promoted by ECCMA originated from the needs of manufacturers, supply chain managers, EDI specialists, and NATO governments. It has proven to be a pragmatic approach to organizing how concepts, terms, and their relationships are defined and used. People using different information systems and languages need to communicate and share information about the same product or concept and they need to do so without necessarily using the same language or terminology. The idea of the data dictionary supports this since relationships between concepts and different terms can be made explicit, shareable, reusable, and the basis for on demand translation.
Data governance and automation
I am also currently researching the extent to which the development of such data dictionaries can be automated, given the constant rise and electronic data volume and accessibility. "Data governance" will be important in situations such as DATA Act implementation where financial data from different industries, conceptual models, and systems will need to be managed and inconsistencies resolved. Another factor driving the need for improved data governance is the movement to open up Federal data by government agencies as the current Administration is pushing. Making more data available will probably reveal significant overlaps in data management and collection by many agencies and this will generate a demand for more standards, more sharing of resources — and improved data governance.
The AllWeb — the Internet of Things
Finally, the "Internet of Things" is upon us which I'm starting to refer to as the "AllWeb." This will generate large volumes of online-accessible data as everything from toasters and refrigerators to sump pumps, thermostats, workout results, and medical records go online. Making sense of such varied volumes of data will require a variety of approaches including automated approaches relying on algorithms and semantic technologies. Many of the decisions related to large data volumes will also benefit from the formalism introduced by organized data governance programs. Planning how to do that should already be underway.
Related reading:
Recommendations for Collaborative Management of Government Data Standardization Projects
Transparently Speaking, Are Bad Data Better than No Data At All?
How Important Is 'Total Cost of Standardization' to the DATA Act?
A Project Manager's Perspective on the GAO's Federal Data Transparency Report
Scoping Out the 'Total Cost of Standardization' in Federal Financial Reporting
Getting Real about Project Management, Collaboration, and Communication
- Balancing Structure and Flexibility in Collaborative Project Management
Copyright © 2014 by Dennis D. McDonald, Ph.D. Dennis is a project management consultant based in Alexandria, Virginia. He works with BaleFire Global on designing and implementing open data programs and with Michael Kaplan PMP on SoftPMO project management services. His experience includes consulting company ownership and management, database publishing and data transformation, managing the integration of large systems, corporate technology strategy, social media adoption, survey research, statistical analysis, and IT cost analysis. His web site is located at www.ddmcd.com and his email address is email@example.com. On Twitter he is @ddmcd.


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Uncool as Ice
Can we please, for the love of God, declare a moratorium on the use of Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" on the soundtrack of any and all movies? (While we're at it, "We Want the Funk" can go, too.) At the very least, if the plot of the movie in question features an uncool white guy who undergoes a quest for respect, let's use the Vanilla Ice version ("Oh, my God, homebody, you probably eat spaghetti with a spoon!"). V-Ice, as Robbie Van Winkle calls himself these days, could probably use the extra cash.
Then again, as the central character of Malibu¹s Most Wanted is fond of reminding us, "The name is B-Rad/Not Robbie Van Winkle/I like my latte nonfat/And don't forget the sprinkle!" The rhymes in Cool as Ice were definitely dope by comparison. B-Rad (Jamie Kennedy), otherwise known as Brad Gluckman, is merely dopey, a white boy who lives "up in the 'bu," where he hangs with phony gangs who wear designer colors. Their idea of trouble is when a scented-candle store accidentally gives them the wrong merchandise, or "when the public be all up on yo' private beach!"
Hardly a hangable offense, that. Part of the benefit of being rich is the ability to be obnoxious and/or moronic with impunity. The problem is that B-Rad still lives with his straightlaced parents (Ryan O'Neal and Bo Derek), and while they aren't the harsh disciplinarians seen in more serious culture-clash teen fare like crazy/beautiful, Dad is running for governor. He'd love to score more points with minorities, but having his pale-skinned son constantly crashing his rallies with inept rhymes about bitches and hos, however well-meaning, doesn't quite curry favor with that all-important soccer-mom demographic. Therapy is tried, with shrink Jeffrey Tambor concluding that B-Rad suffers from "an advanced case of gangstaphrenia," a condition that will require intense therapy for at least five years.
Malibu's Most Wanted
The campaign doesn't have that long, so campaign manager Tom (as in "Uncle") Gibbons (Blair Underwood) comes up with a more radical notion to scare B-Rad straight: Hire actors to pretend to be real thugs, have them carjack B-Rad and take him on a tour of the real 'hood. The actors, who take on the nicknames of Bloodbath and Tre, are even less "real" than their target: pompous Sean (Taye Diggs) has to buy a dictionary of hip-hop slang to get into character ("Weak: of poor quality"), while cowardly PJ (Anthony Anderson, in his third major screen role of the past four months) relies on his hairdresser cousin Shondra (Regina Hall) for insight.
Unlike such run-of-the mill race-based comedies as Bringing Down the House, Malibu's Most Wanted thankfully avoids the cliche of exalting stereotypical "blackness" as inherently cool, and it also steers clear of implying that any race behaves in a uniform manner. Underwood's ruthless bureaucrat is vaguely implied to be a sellout, but Sean and PJ aren't. They're ridiculed for being untrue to themselves, not for being unable to embody gangsta cool.
The film does run into tricky territory with this theme, however. Kennedy and the filmmakers (including a director with the amusing moniker of John Whitesell) ask us to understand that B-Rad is, in his own way, genuine, even though the character's about as believable and subtle as Jar Jar Binks. By movie's end -- and this spoils nothing -- he hasn't somehow become a good rapper or developed much of an idea of how the ghetto really is. In one scene that hilariously parodies the rap-battle climax of 8 Mile, the realization appears to sink in that he's wack on the mike and has no credibility, but he later regains his confidence without the skills and knowledge that such a development should require.
He's a caricature, and that's fine for comedy purposes, as Kennedy knows from having already used the character in stand-up routines and his prank-comedy TV show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. This doesn't make him easy to identify with, though, as he seemingly wants us to do here. Though never as flagrantly unrealistic as Danny Hoch in Whiteboys -- he looked way too old in a similar role despite being the same age as the more baby-faced Kennedy -- B-Rad, while funny, doesn't ring true in any way. Like Dana Carvey and Dennis Miller, Kennedy often seems to be laughing at his own jokes even as he's performing them.
Diggs and Anderson, on the other hand, are funny and believable, at least to the extent that any such characters can be in a high-concept comedy. There's probably some truth to their portrayals -- Diggs's character's lament that he only ever gets cast as hoodlums could apply to Diggs's real-life career. If the movie had revolved around "Bloodbath and Tre," in the vein of The Ransom of Red Chief or Ruthless People -- films that centered on kidnappers babysitting tremendously annoying "victims" -- it could have gone over the top as a real winner. It's still a fun diversion, but unlikely to challenge the box office of the latest Chris Rock and Adam Sandler flicks.
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Eurozone debt fears run rampant. European stocks and U.S. futures are sharply lower, led by bank stocks, on fears the eurozone debt crisis has taken a turn for the worse. Greece committed to €2B in new budget cuts Sunday, but that did little to calm concerns Greece will default on its debt - especially after German FM Philipp Roesler said Europe could no longer rule out an "orderly default."
French banks see sea of red. French banks are sharply lower on fears of an imminent Moody's downgrade. In Europe, SocGen (OTCPK:SCGLY) was recently -9.6%, BNP Paribas (OTCQX:BNPQF) was -11%, and Credit Agricole (OTCPK:CRARF) was -9.7% - leading a 4% drop in Paris's CAC. The pressure on SocGen - which has dropped 50% since Aug. 1 - comes despite today's attempts to calm investor worries (see below).
SocGen's own austerity plan. SocGen (OTCPK:SCGLY) surprised markets by saying it will cut jobs and costs and sell toxic assets worth €4B to bolster its balance sheet. The move was apparently intended to mitigate damage from a potential Moody's downgrade, but jitters over European banks' exposure to a Greece default continue to roil investors.
Stark departure a vote of non-confidence. Also contributing to today's gloom is Friday's shock resignation of top German ECB official Juergen Stark over the ECB's purchase of government bonds - a move that could hardly have come at a worse time. "It's the ECB that is holding the show together, so anything that weakens the ECB is bad news," one EU official said.
Member states blast EC budget. The European Commission suffered a setback this morning after eight of its largest constituents rejected its 2014-2020 budget proposal. "European public spending cannot be exempt" from austerity efforts, they said, urging the EC "to spend better, not to spend more."
U.K. banks need to build fences. The ICB's much-anticipated Vickers report recommended this morning that U.K. banks "ring-fence" their basic services (deposits, overdraft), and move riskier "casino" operations to a non-ring-fenced bank that would not enjoy government support. Ring-fenced ops would need to maintain a debt/equity ratio of at least 10%. U.K. banks were among the least impacted by this morning's downturn after the somewhat mild verdict, with BCS recently -3.2%, LYG -2.5%, RBS -1.8% and HBC -1.2%.
Dimon to U.S.: Time to exit Basel III. In an interview this morning, Jamie Dimon (NYSE:JPM) called on the U.S. to exit Basel III, saying new rules - that require mega-banks like JPM to maintain Tier 1 capital of 9.5% - are "blatantly anti-American." While Basel III's top-tier banks include 5 non-U.S. outfits, Dimon's worried the rules will lead to Asian banks grabbing market share from muzzled U.S. I-banks.
McGraw-Hill to split into two. McGraw-Hill (MHP) will unleash shareholder value by splitting into two companies - McGraw-Hill Markets and McGraw-Hill Education. MHP says the move - which was floated in August - will allow the "pure plays" to leverage their businesses, cut costs, and shrink share floats.
Colfax wins Charter in bidding war. U.S. pump and valve manufacturer Colfax (NYSE:CFX) will buy U.K. toolmaker Charter International (OTC:CHITF) for £1.53B ($2.4B) in cash and shares, beating off rival bidder Melrose (OTC:MLSPF). Despite the sweeter bid, Colfax still needs to convince Charter's shareholders that it can do a better job of a turnaround.
Wynn Macau gets first nod. Wynn Macau (NASDAQ:WYNN) beat rivals MGM China (NYSE:MGM) and SJM Holdings (OTCPK:SJMHF) in signing a $193M deal to develop its Cotai property, and compete with incumbents Sands China (NYSE:LVS), Melco (NASDAQ:MPEL), and Galaxy (OTCPK:GXYEF).
Ireland not done with public-sector pay cuts. Ireland should cut public-sector pay again to bring its deficit under control, outgoing ECB chief economist Juergen Stark says. "Without the support of the public and without strong political leadership, there is a risk that the program gets off track." The ECB, together with the IMF and EC, form the "troika" overseeing the Irish bailout.
No recession in China. China imports surged 30.2% in August from a year ago, following a 22.9% rise in July, shrinking its trade surplus to $17.8B from $31.5B even as exports rose 24.5%. Economists say the data allays concerns of a sharp slowdown in Chinese demand, even as the rest of the global economy sags.
Fed wants better peek into COF/ING deal. The Fed is pressing Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF) for details about its planned $9B purchase of ING's (NYSE:ING) U.S. online-banking in order to determine whether the combo would pose a systemic risk to the financial system. The Fed's request is unusual, and its ruling could have broad impact on what Dodd-Frank means for the biggest U.S. banks. So far, the Fed has said little about how it will apply the rules.
Today's Markets:
Asia: Japan -2.3%. Hong Kong -4.2%. China closed. India -2.2%.
Europe at midday: London -1.7%. Paris -4.0%. Frankfurt -2.6%.
U.S. futures at 7:00: S&P -2.05%. 10-yr +0.08%. Euro -0.38% vs. dollar. Crude -1.88% to $85.6. Gold -1.12% to $1836.35.
Monday's economic calendar:
9:00 NABE conference
1:00 PM Results of $32B, 3-Year Note Auction
7:00 PM Fed's Bullard: 'Lessons Learned from the Financial Crisis'
No notable earnings.
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