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Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Old School Try
For generations now, everyone from Certified Experts to the kids themselves have bemoaned the rotten state of the public schools in America and made suggestions for improving it. Some of those ideas have been tried, and some of them have worked a little.
None of them have worked as well as one idea you've probably never heard of.
More than 25 years ago, in one of the Midwestern states beginning with "I", there was a school district whose ratings were so bad that the school board grew desperate enough to try a truly radical experiment.
It paid the kids to go to school and get good grades.
The kids studied all week and were given tests on Friday. The teachers graded the tests over the weekend and paid the kids on Monday, so any student who wanted money for the weekend had to learn to save it. The kids were paid for every hour they'd spent in class that week, and the amount was determined by their grades. For the high-school students, an A would give them $4 an hour – which, in those days, was legal minimum wage – a B paid $3, a C yielded $2, a D was $1, and an F paid nothing. Junior-high students got half that, and grade-school kids got a quarter of it. Of course, any student who acted up in class got an F for that hour.
Can you guess what happened to the students' grades, and school behavior?
Yes, grades skyrocketed and discipline problems took a nosedive. Over the course of the school year, the truant officer and several other bureaucrats common to public schools found themselves with nothing to do. The accountant assigned to monitor the experiment reported that the savings on school-property destruction, alone, more than paid for the students' wages. Most unwisely, he also went on to say that the school could now afford to fire those bureaucrats.
That was the kiss of death. The school board terminated the experiment at the end of the year, swore the teachers to secrecy, then scattered them throughout the rest of the state – and beyond. All records of the experiment, particularly its results, were locked up under every legal seal of secrecy that civilian government officials could get. Ah, but teachers gossip among themselves, especially after they've retired, which is how my mother – a music teacher in New Jersey – eventually heard about it.
The lessons to be learned here are obvious. First, paying the kids to go to school, behave themselves and get good grades gets solid results. Second, threatening the jobs of government bureaucrats is dangerous to everyone else.
14 comments:
- Ori Pomerantz said...
Paying people to make them do something? That would never work! I'd write a long explanation why, but I have to go get some work done ;-).
Seriously, I suspect that a lot of the purpose of modern education is not to prepare kids for adulthood as much as delay the transition.
I'm not sure how to handle it as a parent (my oldest is eight, so it is not yet an issue), but I think I'll try to teach them a profession while they are in high school. That way they'll be able to pay their own way in college, which is conducive to adulthood.
- June 12, 2011 at 5:11 AM
- Aya Katz said...
Innovation is unlikely to come from people who get good grades when you pay them to get good grades and bad grades when you don't pay them. Innovation comes from independent thinkers, those with internal motivation for learning and doing. These are usually the children who are reading a book in class, but it's far more advanced than the textbook. They sometimes get bad grades, because they are involved in solving a problem they assigned themselves and are bored by a curriculum designed for the lowest common denominator.
Paying students for grades is like paying factory worker for filling quotas. That is where conformity comes in: not innovation.
I'm not saying we don't need conformists, too. It takes all kinds to make a world. But the reason innovation has fallen off is that people who think for themselves are not rewarded by the corporate structure.
As for how threatening the jobs of bureaucrats hurts everyone, I'm not sure how you meant that, Leslie. Did you mean, let's stand them all to the wall? Or did you mean you're happy about this, because it will help support public unions?
- June 13, 2011 at 4:07 PM
- Ori Pomerantz said...
But the reason innovation has fallen off is that people who think for themselves are not rewarded by the corporate structure.
Really? Where I work we are constantly looking for better (cheaper or more effective) ways to do our jobs. We have to, our competitors are doing the same.
While huge innovations rarely happen in large corporations, those corporations typically buy startups that do such innovations. This provides incentive for investors to invest in those startups.
- June 14, 2011 at 6:18 AM
- Aya Katz said...
Ori, it's not a good thing that those who start a company have no incentive to keep working at it.
Somehow, after the initial burst of brilliance fades, the number crunchers take over, and they pay people for agreeing with them.
Anyway, don't you agree that there are different types of people in this world, and the ones you can motivate with a salary are not the innovators?
They may be very nice people, and they make sure everything keeps running smoothly even when it's not fun or exciting. They may be making a very valuable contribution to society. I'm not saying they are bad people. I'm just saying they are not innovators.
- June 14, 2011 at 8:33 AM
- Leslie Fish said...
Hi, Ori. Oh indeed, teach the kids how to get and keep a job while they're still in school, before they have to actually go out and earn a living. You'd be surprised how many kids get out of high school without a clue how to get and keep a job -- so they become slackers, living off their parents for decades, or crooks, or welfare bums. Yes, I damn-well blame the schools as much as the parents for this.
Hi, Aya. Come on, when have schools not taught conformity? Kids with independent minds became innovators, nonetheless. Yes, paying kids to get good grades is like paying factory workers to meet quotas -- and what do you think a lot of them will be doing for a living after they graduate? It's the ones who get good enough grades to go to college who will be rewarded for innovation -- which, these days, requires a solid educational grounding.
What's dangerous about threatening the jobs of bureaucrats -- that's the paper-pushers, not those who do real work like firemen, cops, teachers, sewer workers and so on -- is that those paper-pushers will then use their political power to shoot down the innovation that threatens their jobs, no matter how good or necessary it is.
Bureaucracy, like the quest for cheap labor, is a lethal curse on our economy.
- June 14, 2011 at 7:29 PM
- Aya Katz said...
Leslie, getting and keeping a job is mostly a social thing. I got out of law school, having a BA and a JD, passed the bar, and I still didn't know how to get a job. People with good social skills but lower grades than mine were able to get jobs. I had to open my own law practice. I know lots of high school drop outs who have jobs, and many others who run their own business.
So, no, I don't think good grades have much to do with the ability to get a job, any more than they have to do with being an innovator. In previous generations, when education was not mandatory, people had no trouble with that. You don't need to waste twelve years just on interview skills and dressing for success. The normal people know all that instinctively, and those of us who don't may never pick it up.
If people were still being apprenticed to employers at an early age, rather than forced to stay in school, they would also not have trouble understanding how to get a job.
But it's not fair to take everyone's money and everyone's children and force them all to sit in the same classrooms that are geared to turn out only one type of person. If paying people to study worked so well, why not let each parent use his own money to do so?
- June 15, 2011 at 5:20 AM
The thing is, there'd be a big, big, big knee-jerk against the idea of "paying kids to do what they should be doing anyway." Never mind that we pay a lot of people to do things that are done by volunteers in some instances---my little town has a volunteer fire department, but big cities' FDs are paid.
- June 15, 2011 at 12:30 PM
- Ori Pomerantz said...
Anyway, don't you agree that there are different types of people in this world, and the ones you can motivate with a salary are not the innovators?
I disagree. These innovations were made by people on the AT&T payroll. These were made by people who got a salary from IBM.
- June 16, 2011 at 3:51 AM
- Aya Katz said...
Ori, Bell Labs started out strong, but the last two paragraphs of the wikipedia article say it all:
"As of July 2008, however, only four scientists remained in physics basic research according to a report by the scientific journal Nature.
On August 28, 2008, Alcatel-Lucent announced it was pulling out of basic science, material physics, and semiconductor research, and it will instead focus on more immediately marketable areas including networking, high-speed electronics, wireless networks, nanotechnology and software."
The history of most successful companies includes being founded by a strong innovator, recruiting some good people who are more motivated by the work than the pay, and then getting muddled down by middle management types, stock investors, govt contracts, until finally nobody who is brilliant can bear to work there anymore!
- June 16, 2011 at 8:38 AM
You said the incentives were similar to paying factory workers "... which is what most of them will be doing anyway." Wrong ... not for the past 30-odd years. Not unless they move to some undeveloped country that pays $0.02/day. Why? Because manufacturing moved offshore long ago, in the never-ending quest for "productivity", defined as "Getting more work out of fewer people at the lowest possible cost."
So, no, the kids won't be working in factories. They won't be that lucky.
- June 16, 2011 at 1:17 PM
- Ori Pomerantz said...
Aya: The history of most successful companies includes being founded by a strong innovator, recruiting some good people who are more motivated by the work than the pay, and then getting muddled down by middle management types, stock investors, govt contracts, until finally nobody who is brilliant can bear to work there anymore!
Ori: True. But my point is that there are innovators who are happy drawing a salary.
- June 16, 2011 at 1:53 PM
- Aya Katz said...
Ori,my point is: even when they do draw a salary, it's not the salary that motivates them. Don't you think access to the labs and the expensive equipment and being allowed to work on important problems was the real draw?
I believe in the free market and in making money. But too many people mistakenly think that you can bribe people to work for anyone under any conditions. Not so. The people who will do anything just for the money are not the innovators. And that's why offering a higher salary to the same person doesn't make them produce more!
- June 17, 2011 at 6:46 AM
- Ori Pomerantz said...
Aya: I believe in the free market and in making money. But too many people mistakenly think that you can bribe people to work for anyone under any conditions. Not so. The people who will do anything just for the money are not the innovators.
Ori: I agree. Innovators need to eat, so salaries are extremely useful, but they are not a sufficient condition for innovation. Some companies understand how to get innovation out of their employees, others don't.
But a lot of innovation does occur in a corporate environment. It just happens in departments and companies where management understands how to get golden eggs without butchering the goose.
- June 17, 2011 at 6:16 PM
- KateGladstone said...
Ow way to pull off a pay-the-students program — without accidentally inciting bureaucrats to terminate it — would be this:
Get some company like Microsoft to run the program and pay the students' wages-for-grades:
Microsoft and some other fims already provide various scholarships, set up educational programs, and make charitable donations of goods and money and services to numerous public and private schools and educational programs all over the world
Have the company administer this, under the name of a "scholarship program" open to any student at any participating school: as long as the student meets, and who continues to meet, program requirements. (Scholarship programs can include just about anything the scholarship-provider wants them to, for just about any goal the provider wants — for example, the "Miss America Pageant" is technically & legally a scholarship program and this is actually specified in its articles of incorporation: the program's specified purpose is to reward, monetarily and otherwise, young women of a particular age-range who are judged to meet the scholarship-program's various requirements. If college girls can be offered a scholarship that requires, among other things, that they stay virgin for a year to keep the scholarship, then schoolkids can certainly be offered a scholarship that pays them weekly or fortnightly or monthly if they qualify & if they keep on qualifying.)
Who sends in the schools'/students' applications to participate? Who collects/computes/forwards to Microsoft the grade information? THAT will be what keeps the bureaucrats busy and happy: The school bureaucrats can be gainfully employed with such tasks as identifying (and forwarding to the scholarship company) the records of those students who qualify for the next payment from Microsoft.
In return, Microsoft might ask for the right to visit, at its own discretion, the school of any student who had received a Microsoft Student Award payment since the last time that Microsoft paid a visit. These "spot visits" (maybe once or twice a year) would be quality-control, to check that the students' performance was being accurately reported ... and, not incidentally, to give the school bureaucrats yet more work to (namely, managing those visits).
Could this work? If so — who, reading this, knows/works at/owns a company that could be persuaded to pull it off under the name of a "scholarship program"?
- January 15, 2012 at 8:32 AM


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Links tagged "Interview"
Tiger's LIVE Startup Opportunities
Hot Startups (just my opinion)
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6 Questions with Orthopedic Entrepreneurs - Tiger's exclusive interviews
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Issue of April 10, 2009
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. National Women's History Month
2. Stand and Be Counted - Demographics
3. The Effect of Demographics in Talk Dynamics
4. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
5. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
1. National Women's History Month
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
[We realize that National Women's History Month is over, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to highlight some of the women mentioned last week by Ivan King -- Eds.]
Williamina Fleming (1857–1911) was born in Scotland and immigrated to Boston. After her marriage broke up, she worked as a maid for Edward Pickering, director of the Harvard College Observatory. Pickering was frustrated with the inefficiencies of his male assistants and notoriously claimed that, 'his Scotch maid could do a better job.' Fleming became a 'computer.' She worked on the original spectral classification scheme for stars and created classes arranged alphabetically from A to Q based on the intensity of hydrogen lines. She also discovered 10 of the 24 known novae, 94 of the 107 known Wolf-Rayet stars, 59 gaseous nebulae, long-period variable stars, and the first spectroscopic binary, Beta Lyrae.
For more, see, e.g., http://www.answers.com/topic/williamina-fleming
Annie Jump Cannon (1863–1941) was the daughter of a Delaware state senator. She attended both Wellesley and Radcliffe and was appointed to the staff of the Harvard College Observatory. She revised Fleming's classification system to produce the OBAFGKM sequence that we use today. Cannon developed a phenomenal skill: she could classify three stars a minute! She received an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, the National League of Women Voters listed her as one of the 12 "greatest living American women," and she was the first woman elected as an officer of the AAS. She was nicknamed "Census Taker of the Sky" for classifying over 230,000 stellar bodies, more than any other person.
For more, see, e.g., http://www.answers.com/Annie%20Cannon
Antonia Maury (1866–1952) was the niece of Henry Draper. She graduated from Vassar in 1887 and became an assistant at Harvard College Observatory. Her work was on the classification of stellar spectra for the Draper catalog, but she proposed an additional modification. She argued that not only was the presence of a particular spectral line important, but so was its appearance: sharp, normal, or fuzzy. This was the first time spectroscopic criteria were used to determine the luminosities of stars. Ejnar Hertzsprung was quick to see the significance of her classification system and pointed out that some of her sharp spectra were indeed from giant stars.
For more, see, e.g., http://www.answers.com/topic/antonia-maury
Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868–1921) graduated from Radcliffe College in 1892 and became a research assistant at the Harvard College Observatory in 1895. She is most famous for her work on Cepheid variable stars. Leavitt realized that brighter Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds had longer periods. Since all the Cepheids were at approximately the same distance, the period of the variable must be related to the star's luminosity. The period-luminosity relation, or Leavitt Law, is now used to determine distances of galaxies millions of light-years away.
For more, see, e.g., http://www.answers.com/Henrietta%20LeavittBack to top.
2. Stand and Be Counted - Demographics
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
AAS member information such as birth date and gender are optional and used only for demographics, but these data are invaluable for studies on the state of the profession like those being done for Astro 2010.
Why should you include this optional information? For one thing, if the AAS has these data in its own records, then it does not have to commission expensive studies to gather this information. (This is what the AAS has done in the past to get data on gender.)
Stand and be counted!
It's easy: just log in to the AAS members web site:
Click on 'Member Profile' on the horizontal blue bar that runs across the top. If gender and birth date are already listed properly, then congratulations, you count! If not, click the grey 'edit' button and add the information. Click 'submit' and you're done. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to add their information too.
Let's make sure that everyone counts.
For recent information on AAS demographics, please see the article in the Jan issue of Status by Kevin Marvel:
http://www.aas.org/cswa/status/Status_Jan09.pdfBack to top.
3. The Effect of Demographics in Talk Dynamics
From: Hannah_at_Women in Astronomy Blog, April 3, 2009
I recently attended a talk on a subject within my area of expertise by someone who is not an expert in this field. He argued that the physics he was solving should still apply to the problem, but it quickly became abundantly clear that his understanding of the basic issues was insufficient. In any case, he became quite defensive, alternating between dismissing criticism by saying he wasn't an expert in the field and challenging the audience to produce better explanations. I began to feel like he was asking for advice but then refusing to take any of it.
It was only afterwards that it dawned on me that his three main critics were young (under 40) women (yes, one of them was me), while he was an older (50s? 60s?) man. It made me wonder if he responded to us that way because of our youth and gender. Unfortunately, I don't have a good baseline for judging whether there was gender bias or not, because we women pretty much dominated the discussion.
Then again, young women dominated the discussion! It seems to be a peculiarity of my subfield of astronomy that lots of young women are in it, especially in my research group. It's nice, but it makes me wonder if I'm shielded from a lot of gender bias because of it.Back to top.
4. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
To submit to AASWOMEN: send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org. All material sent to that address will be posted unless you tell us otherwise (including your email address).
To subscribe or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN go to
and fill out the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.orgBack to top.
5. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Past issues of AASWOMEN are available at
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.Back to top.


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The flight to Alice Springs passed without event (which for Qantus seems to be a major achievement and blog-worthy if not newspaper-worthy), with us arriving at our hostel late afternoon. Having had only the briefest of catnaps the previous night due to a great clubscene in Perth we crashed out immediately, ready for our 4am alarm the next morning, when we would be collected by Adventure Tours for our 2-day camping trip to the Outback.
Annoyingly we were sharing a bathroom with 2 hyperactive German birds who ensured that we only got 20 winks (as opposed to our usual 40) each all night, before we then woke them up through the wafer thin walls with the shrill ringing of our alarm.
We were collected at 4.45am by our tour guide Ben and driven for 5 hours deep into the outback to King's Canyon. There were 15 in our group, comprising several Northeners, a few Swiss girls, an American guy, a Thai guy and a few Japanese. We hadn't been expecting to have to make our own food (the tour wasn't cheap at 400 bucks each), but it quickly became clear that "interactive" meant "cook your own bloody meals" and we were left to reheat some manky chicken burgers and make a salad at a campsite en-route. This task was made harder for the fact that there were a million flies on us (think Ethiopian TV appeals) plus several hundred long-legged beetles all vying for our attention. This, coupled with the fact that most of the boys had never even opened a tin before, let alone cooked a meal (those northern mums have got a lot to answer for, pampering their boys like that)meant that this wasn't as much fun as it sounds.
After an early lunch our tour guide did what any sane tour guide would have done at midday...he took us on a 3.5hr hike up to King's Canyon. Well, it was only 38 degrees. No problem, eh? The walk was pretty strenuous and we were all panting like bull mastifs after about 2 minutes. The only reason I was hot-footing it (literally) uphill was that the Japanese guy behind me was wretching violently, threatening to projectile vomit his greasy chicken burger at the back of my head.
He soon had to turn back, and it wasn't long before we were all dropping like flies. Unfortunately the flies were the only things NOT dropping, and we were all going crazy with the effort of swatting them away from our faces.
The King's Canyon was well worthe all the effort and the views were amazing...red earth for as far as the eye can see, contrasted with the bluest sky imaginable. I tried to burn the image of that sky onto my memory, to be conjured up on a grey, drizzly day back in London when we get home.
We cooled off at a watering hole - amazingly there are quite a few of these, even though there is hardly any rain in the Northern Territory. The porous rock sucks up the water from underground and stores it in veins inside the rock, hence there are never any water restrictions in this dry, arid part of the world, yet in Melbourne for example hosepipe bans are commonplace. Weirdly the rivers here are all underground yet in Alice Springs they have an annual boatrace. It's the only boatrace in the world conducted on a dry river bed - entrants have to run along the river bed carrying their boat, with the winner being the one who runs fastest to the finish line!
That evening we arrived hot and exhausted at camp, covered in the red dust from the earth which had mingled with our factor 30.
But there was no rest for the wicked as we had to prepare our dinner whilst the guide conveniently slipped off to get fuel for the bus. This became a common practise of his at mealtimes. Liam and Tom ended up taking control of the food, and we emptied various boxes of unidentified meats onto the barbie which later turned out to be kangeroo and very tasty at that.
After dinner and a few Tooheys we all settled down into our "swags" (canvas sleeping bags) and slept under the stars. Well, that was the plan but there was not much sleeping going on for quite some time as we all struggled to get used to the sound of the dingoes howling and various rustling noises coming from nearby bushes. We were warned that there may be snakes and given instructions on what to do if we saw any, and after the many species of insects that we'd seen that day we were all to aware that a whole range of critters were only inches away from our heads that rested on the red ground. One guy called Richard didn't have a torch, so resorted to taking pictures in the darkness using the flash as a light source, swivelling from side to side as he attempted to capture a shot of whatever it was that was buzzing nearby, taking more snaps than your average Jap. The poor guy was absolutely terrified but I had to laugh as he kept jumping and the flash kept going off on his camera. Steve came back from the toilets absolutely freaking out that he'd just watched a huge spider munching a massive beatle as he went for a wee...and so the hysteria continued.
After about 4 hours sleep we were woken up to a breakfast of soggy cornflakes at 3.45am, before setting off to watch the sun rise over Ayers Rock.
As we approached Uluru (aboriginal name for Ayers Rock) we were all amazed by the sight...no not the luminosity of the sun rising over this massive sandstone monolith, but the hundreds of other sightseers who had beaten us to it.Damn those Japanese tourists!
It was really good to watch the sun come up and change the rock through various shades of orange and red. The rock has been given back to the indigenous people as part of the reassimilation programme by the government to build bridges between the whites and aborigines, so the rightful owners now get 25% of all revenue from the rock. The rock is sacred and the Anangu people ask that tourists do not climb the rock, since it is only permitted for elders and initiated men of a certain status. Most tourists ignore this though and there are ropes for climbing, although it is often forbidden to climb anyway due to safety reasons (if it is above 36 degrees or too windy). This day was one of the rare days that it was open for climbing, so 6 of us from the group set off to attempt the climb. I am sorry to say that I got about 15foot up the vertical face of Uluru before sliding around in my gripless Adidas and going back down. Liam and a few others did manage it however, before the entrance was closed due to the temperature reaching 36 degrees at only 8am!!
Having lost the rest of the group I walked around part of the base of the rock before meeting the others after their 350 metre climb to the top.
At this point we were all flagging despite it only being around 11am, so we visited Kata Tjuta in a daze, all attempting to focus on the tour guide but struggling due to the 40 degree heat and multitude of flies.By this point I had been flapping my Space fan so furiously for the past 2 days that it actually broke!!
It had been an amazing few days, but by now the heat was taking it's toll so Ben took us to a nearby swimming pool where we plunged our sizzling bodies into the water to cool down, before climbing back into the bus for the gruelling 5hr journey back to Alice Springs, made worse by Ben's terrible taste in music. When the birdie song came on Liam finally snapped and went up the front of the bus to have a serious word. He then got dragged into compiling a quiz for the happy campers, and ended up on the mic as the new quizmaster general.
The quiz passed the time nicely as the barren land of the outback whizzed past, and we all had a quick shower back at our hostels before agreeing to meet up at the infamous Bojangles in the centre of town for a kangaroo burger to celebrate getting another great experience under our belts. After dinner and a few drinks we were done-in, plus the DJ at the bar/club didn't have much better taste in music than our dear old tour guide (old being the operative word, hence the lack of electro on his playlist) so we headed back to Toddy's for a much-needed sleep, this time in a bed rather than on the ground in the Outback....
About Me
- Sam and Liam
- We wanted to celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a holiday we'd never forget - we reckon 6 months of travelling the world (from trekking on the Inca Trail and through the Amazon to riding an elephant in Thailand) should just about cover it!
Monday, 1 December 2008
The Outback, King's Canyon and Ayers Rock
Posted by Sam and Liam at 20:41
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tommie Frazier says the '95 Huskers would beat Saban's Crimson Tide
The Tide have strung together three national championships and have been the flag bearer for the mighty SEC.
Former Husker quarterback Tommie Frazier was recently elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and spoke about comparing the Nebraska teams of the '90s against the Alabama teams of now. He had a lot to say and when asked who would win he was biased about his pick. He says the Huskers would'v beaten the Tide.
"They won back-to-back championships. That right there compares," Frazier said. "But it's a different time, different era. There are some good things that they did and there are some good things that we did.
"And there will always be that burning question in everyone's mind, 'Well, which team is better?' Well, in my mind, I already know which team is better. I say it publicly all the time that I don't think there's any team out there that would have beat that '95 team.
"And over a five-year span, I don't think there's too many teams that put up a record of (60-3). Coach Osborne built something special here in the mid-90s. Even though he built something special during his whole career, for some reason those mid-90s into his last game, those were special years. And I think it's going to be hard to duplicate that."
If it wasn't for a missed last second field goal against Florida State we might not b having this conversation. we might not be having it if it wasn't for Shevin Wiggins' kicked ball that allowed Nebraska a share of the title in 1997. We could easily say the same for Alabama. If not for the politics of the BCS they wouldn't be back to back as we speak.
There was no let up in those Nebraska teams and that's where I give them a razor thin edge. despite being a modern day dynasty Bama has gone 61-7 in the same five year stretch.
It's a different era and a different time. We'll always have these debates of who was the greatest and which team was better. But that's what makes sports so great.
Posted by Unknown at 8:41 PM
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Sara's ceremony was beautiful. It was Held today at the Empire Cemetery in Carson City. A Total of 84 guests showed up, 51 of them being clients of Sara's. We had two very special guests who flew in from Spain to grace us with their presence. Thank you to everyone who helped organize the ceremony, as well as a special thanks to Jenna Willness for getting all the affairs in order.
You will be Missed Sara!
Sara Angela Freder
November 15th 1962-November 13th 2007


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return to Weight Watchers. To be sure, it was an unusual start with two hospital stays, a surgery, and a vacation all in there. Nonetheless, I have been "on plan" except for a couple of days that I failed to track.
My net loss so far? Plus 0.4 pounds. I know, I'm going the wrong way.
Oddly, I'm not discouraged. My restrictions on exercise lasted most of the first 4 weeks, we're under tremendous stress at home with summer ending and all the kids dribbling back into school, and, truthfully, my medicines have changed 3 times. I think it could be worse.
I think this is the first time in my entire weight loss journey of 8 years in which I could honestly say, "It's not all about the scale." I am doing a great job providing the family with healthful food and beautiful food too. I know I am eating the things my body needs. I feel great, for the first time in months, and I feel happy about what I'm eating too. I did start exercising last week and it's going well because I feel well. There just isn't that much to be unhappy about.
This week, I'm experimenting with using only my daily points and not my flex points, although I have used 8 because of forgetting to log a food one day. I am staying the course and feel happy about it. I like that Weight Watchers allows me any food; that freedom helps me keep to my personal health guidelines and stick to what's in "my box." I have managed to "cook ahead" a bit to ease the pressure of school lunches.
I am encouraged, actually, that I managed to navigate all the obstacles of the last few weeks and remain, basically, the same weight. I have accepted that my life is always in a little bit of flux and I cannot wait for everything to fall into place.
I'd love to hear from some of you about what is working for you in your own weight loss or maintenance journeys, especially from my loyal 5 followers! Cheers!
The Crossroads - Recently, I dreamed I was standing at a crossroads in a huge windstorm; I was literally standing there in the middle with the way behind me and 3 seemingly...
2 years ago


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So the other day, I had the brilliant idea that I should try to bake my first set of oatmeal raisin cookies... and... how shall I put this? In Russian, there is a really great expression - pervyi blin komom - which roughly translates to "the first pancake will come out crumpled."
Turns out that is pretty much true in this case! Did you know that cookie dough should be put in tiny pieces on the cookie sheet? Because I, for one, did not realize that each dough dollop would expand as much as it did. What I ended up with is basically, a bunch of sweet scones. Still, I have to say that they don't taste all that bad! I actually ate one for lunch today with a cup of tea - and just one of these "cookies" was enough for quite a filling lunch. Don't think of it as eating a giant misshapen oatmeal cookie - think of it as a bowl of sweet oatmeal with raisins!


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We started here:
And finally the oranges:
I also knit most of the fiddly parts. (Anyone know how pom poms wash in a washing machine? ANNE... looking at your knowledge on this particularly.)
BUT, trying to look on the positive side, we're close. SO. CLOSE. It's going to happen for Stampede. It is. So I guess, memo to self, enter that this week.
Oh yah... since I'm down a blocking board until late this weekend, I also knit June's hat... kinda cute huh? (Also half way through July's hat too- woo!)
It's going to be a big party when this baby is considered "FINISHED"- we will celebrate. I promise you that.


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Do you love classic video games? Would you like to hang out with hundreds of like-minded classic gaming fans? Would you like to touch real-live video game nerds? Get all this plus a free PRGE t-shirt and free admission to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo!
If you will be in the Portland, OR area on October 17-23, 2017 we could use your help! There are positions available in setup, and breakdown, guest assistance, tournament organization and stage management/production. Each volunteer gets free admission to the Expo for the entire weekend.
This year we are asking volunteers to commit a minimum of two 6 hours shifts, within the 6 days of the show. Each volunteer will receive a custom PRGE volunteer t-shirt and weekend entry to the show along with our utmost thanks.
If you are interested in volunteering at PRGE in 2017, please email us at email@example.com. We will be posting a formal application later in the year, but for now you can help us out by letting us know your skills and areas of interest. Thanks!
To apply please fill out this application.
Some of the volunteer positions we need to fill include:
If you have questions, please contact us at email@example.com. Thanks!


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Mrs. Bray grew up nearby in Wytheville, VA. She graduated from George Wythe High School in 1971. Her first two years of college were at Wytheville Community College where she earned an A.A. in Liberal Arts and was a member of the student council. She traveled to Guam with her first husband and lived there 2 years. She worked for a Japanese company and attended the University of Guam where she studied art. Back in the United States, she attended WCC again and earned an A.A.S. in Drafting and Design Technology. Her second year she was president of the student body. She then remarried and was a stay-at-home mom until her two daughters were ages 3 and 4. She commuted to Radford University and received a B.S. in Mathematics with a teaching certificate. She was awarded Outstanding Mathematics Senior in 1988. That fall she came to teach at Galax High School. She enjoyed working with the juniors on their proms for 18 years. She also taught night classes in the Adult Diploma Program until that program ended. She has taught several classes at the Governor's Summer School at WCC. Mrs. Bray obtained her Masters Degree in Mathematics from the University of Virginia is 2007. She is a member of the GEA, the VCTM, NCTM, and ADK;a local branch of an international sorority for female teaching professionals. Mrs. Bray's hobbies included board games and dolls, but she has now spends her extra time with her 2 granddaughters.
"I love math and the puzzles it offers. I also enjoy (the challenge of) working with teenagers. The people I work for and with at Galax High School have made it a very special place."
Mr. Carter was born in Galax and graduated from Grayson County High School. Following high school, he attended Emory & Henry College, graduating with a B.S. in Math/Physics. Mr. Carter taught at Grayson County High School for four years. In the fall of 2013, he accepted a position at Galax High School to teach physics and math.
Aaron Horton was born and raised in Carroll County, Virginia. He was a 2001 Graduate of Carroll County High School. Following High School, Aaron studied one year at Wytheville Community College before transferring to Virginia Tech. Aaron graduated from Virginia Tech in 2005 with a B.S. in Wildlife Sciences and 2006 with a M.S. in Career and Technical Education with an emphasis in Agriculture Education. Aaron has been teaching Agriculture Education for 7 years. He taught one year in Northern Virginia and North Carolina before arriving at Galax High School 5 years ago. Aaron is beginning his fifth year as a golf coach at Galax. Aaron is married to Megan Horton who is a Certified Physician Assistant in North Carolina and they share their life with their two dogs Sophie and Lanie.
Joyelle Edmondson grew up in the nearby town of Fries, VA and graduated from Grayson County High School in 2008. She then made her way to Blacksburg and attended Virginia Tech (H-O-K-I-E-S, HOKIES!). While at Virginia Tech she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology, graduating in 2012.
Joyelle began teaching Economics and Personal Finance at Galax High School in August of 2012. She also is the Assistant Varsity Volleyball coach and the JV Soccer coach.
"It is such a blessing to be able to come to school every day and work with so many wonderful students. I am so glad to be able to teach Economics and Personal Finance knowing that what I am teaching is something that they will carry with them throughout their entire life. It is my hope to make a differences in my student's lives, but what they don't realize is the difference that they constantly make in mine. :)"
Mrs. Gravley grew up in Richlands, VA and graduated from Richlands High School in 2004.
She attended Emory & Henry College and graduated with a B.S. in business administration and Education in 2008.
Later, she attended Radford University and graduated with a Masters in Business Administration in 2009.
Mrs. Gravley started teaching at Galax High in 2009 where she teaches business classes for grades 8-12.
Mr. McPeak grew up in Draper, Virginia and graduated from Pulaski County High in 1988. He attended and graduated from New River Community College in 1997, earning an ASE certification as a mechanic. Mr. McPeak was hired by the Chrysler dealership in Radford, Virginia shortly before he graduated. He served as an ASE certified master auto technician there for 14 years. Mr. McPeak was hired by Galax City Schools as the ASE certified auto instructor in 2010.
"Teaching is what I have always wanted to do. I enjoy working with all of the students in the Galax".
Ms. Ricketts grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she graduated from J.R. Tucker High School in 2003. She then moved to Blacksburg to attend Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), earning a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development with a minor in Psychology in 2007, followed by a Master's Degree in Counselor Education in 2009.
She worked as a School Counselor at an Eastern Elementary/Middle in Giles County for 3 years before moving to Galax in the summer of 2012. This is her 2nd year teaching Family and Consumer Sciences at GHS.
"My favorite part about my job is being able to teach students real-life skills that they will be able to use in their future. I feel so lucky to be working with such a great group of kids! I have always felt that I learn as much from my students as they do from me!"
Mrs. Sena Parks has lived in Galax all of her life, she is a 1992 graduate of Galax High School. She is married with 2 wonderful daughters.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Radford University in 1996. She worked in sales and marketing for 10 years before obtaining her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Liberty University in 2007. She then began teaching in the Grayson County School System in 2010, while teaching and working in technology there she received her Master's Degree in Educational Technology for Liberty University in 2017. Mrs. Parks loves teaching Business and Technology to all grade levels and is very happy to be doing so back "home" at Galax High School.


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The Omega Stone is an artifact of great power, able to grant immortality to the one that possesses it. Of course, such a prize is sought by many. Four great kings have found the components to summon the Omega Stone. However, no one is willing to give up their Blood Stone to anyone else. It will have to be taken by force. Only a grand melee will decide who gets the stones. That's the story behind Ascended Kings, a new combat board game up on Kickstarter.
In the game, players will take on the role of one of the kings looking to collect four Blood Stones in order to summon the Omega Stone. You'll move around a board that is constantly shrinking, due to the walls of fire that are moving in from all edges. There's no running and hiding in this game. There's also no player elimination. Even if your king dies, they will return as a Revenant, letting you still have an impact on the game and potentially even winning.
The Kickstarter campaign is also looking to fund a 60-page graphic novel that goes along with the game, telling the stories of the various kings and the ultimate fate of Empyrnea.
The Kickstarter campaign is up and running now. It's about 1/5 of the way to funding with still 20 days left to go.


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Two drones see through walls in 3D using WiFi signals
June 21, 2017
Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara have demonstrated the first three-dimensional imaging of objects through walls using an ordinary wireless signal.
Applications could include emergency search-and-rescue, archaeological discovery, and structural monitoring, according to the researchers. Other applications could include military and law-enforcement surveillance.
Calculating 3D images from WiFi signals
In the research, two octo-copters (drones) took off and flew outside… read more


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Purchased a FORA.tv video on another website? Login here with the temporary account credentials included in your receipt.
Cuban writer Ana Menéndez, author of Adios, Happy Homeland, says Cuba's successfully fought illiteracy but still "jails its poets" and puts limits on free speech.
Roxane Gay, author Bad Feminist and An Untamed State, says words last and fiction and nonfiction can be used to tackle hard truths.
Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!, looks at how writers use the power of play, silliness, and "what if?" against oppression.
Poet Kevin Young, author of Book of Hours, reads "Thataway," a poem inspired by painter Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration.
PBS NewsHour's Jeffrey Brown discusses the difference of the subjective idea of truth between poetry and journalism.


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How excited was I after being introduced to the music of the handsome Daniel Sobrino? Very excited, I must admit! I soon learned the talented young man was born and raised in Mexico City, where he discovered his love for music, and was singing all the time. Finally, when he was just 19 years old, the out and proud artist took the courageous step to pack his bags and move to Los Angeles to pursue his first love, music. That music is contagious Pop, written with a great connection to the heart. The songs offer a wonderfully uplifting message of strength, hope, and love.
That is certainly the case with "The Power of Us", the latest single from Sobrino. Written by Daniel, the song has a wonderful anthemic quality, allowing the song to soar when it must, and glide softly on the breeze when it can. The song is powered by love, and can light up the continent with the electricity. And it is Daniel's voice that fuels the power, and gives life to the song. Don't take it from me, check it out for yourself, with the official music video for "The Power of Us".
Daniel is currently finishing up work on his upcoming EP, 'Born Again'. For more about Daniel Sobrino, you can visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. The single "The Power of Us" can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon. The single can also be found on BandCamp, where you can name your own price.


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I review books by stars.
0- Worst Book I've Ever Read.
1- I didnt like it
2- It was Alright
3- I liked it but had some major problems
4- It was great! But with some small problems
5- Great book no bad parts, amazing
I will probably never rate a book a 0 star but you never know. Also sometimes I give book a .5 at the end and I will tell you what I mean by that.
1.5- It was ok but not good enough to be bearable.
2.5- I liked it a bit more than a two but still not enough for a 3.
3.5- It was a really good read and only had a few problems that doesnt make it a 4.
4.5- A great read but had about 1 or 2 problems that were too big to make it a 5.
And what I always do is this:
I just type the summary to the beginning of my review then I tell what I rate it. Then I say why I rated that and I seperated my reviews to three topics: Characters, Plot, Overall.
In characters I tell what I thought of them and if I liked them.
In that plot I tell them what I thought of the pace, the events, and the beginning, middle and end.
For the Overall I tell them what I thought of the book as a whole and sometimes I tell what ages should read it and what ages shouldnt read it.


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"Facing slumping donations, United Way offers 'poverty simulations' to show its relevance" by Sacha Pfeiffer Globe Staff December 22, 2016
In real life, they are Bank of America employees with comfortable white-collar careers — a private client adviser, an estate settlement assistant, and a self-described data geek.
But they recently got a taste of an uncomfortable alternative reality.
Dale Edmunds of Wellesley pretended to be unemployed, evicted, and living in a motel with his family after being laid off from his $50,000-a-year manufacturing job.
He's lucky he found a room.
Kristine Millet of Concord, his fake stay-at-home wife, struggled to find work to replace Edmunds' lost income and pay cellphone bills, car insurance, and overdue credit card debt.
Gene Poillucci of Boston played the part of their teenage son, upset that his parents may not be able to afford a restaurant meal for his birthday.
Together, this make-believe family navigated the world of food stamps, pawn shops, charities, and check-cashing agencies. At the end of the lunchtime skit, held in a conference room in a downtown Boston high-rise, they returned to their normal lives, but the experience had an emotional impact.
"I felt very stressed," said Millet, a senior information officer. "I thought, wow, this has got to be so stressful for folks trying to stay on top of bills rolling in when you barely have enough to cover them."
This so-called poverty simulation is one of several educational programs offered by the United Way as the nearly 130-year-old organization — long the dominant player in workplace charitable giving through automatic payroll deduction, but facing declining donations — strives to remain relevant in a changing philanthropic landscape.
This in a state with an allegedly great economy and with massive wealth inequality (of course, you do better here despite the high cost of living)!
For the hour or so they spent in this "Walk a Mile Experience," Edmunds, Millet, and Poillucci got a glimpse of the everyday challenges faced by the working poor. Developed by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, it's a fast-moving, intentionally frenzied activity designed to convey the sense of chaos, confusion, and helplessness often endured by people living at or near the poverty line.
Not the same knowing you can go back to your "real" life.
"I was hoping it would give me a better appreciation for the daily struggles of those living in poverty, and I think it did," added Edmunds, a managing director in the bank's private wealth management division. "I feel like we live in a bubble, and I want to be a little more sensitive to these issues."
Honestly, I'm sick of the banker's paper telling us how great they all are.
Bank of America 1st quarter profits up 40%
Bank of America boosts CEO Moynihan's pay 25 percent, to $20 million
Happy New Year!
"Cybercrime ensnares Berkshire Bank, lawsuit claims" by Deirdre Fernandes Globe Staff December 22, 2016
Berkshire Bank was the alleged target of an increasingly common type of cyberheist this fall that bilked a longtime customer out of more than $1 million, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
Jim Jacobs, a Florida-based modern art dealer, filed suit in US District Court in Springfield alleging that the bank's inadequate fraud detection systems allowed criminals to steal $1.4 million from his account and move the money to Hong Kong through two wire transfers in October.
Jacobs, who has ties to the Western Massachusetts art community, opened his personal account with Great Barrington Savings Bank in 1980, before it merged with what eventually became Berkshire Bank, now an $8 billion institution.
According to the lawsuit, over the years Jacobs's account grew significantly, and he was assigned a personal banker at Berkshire Bank who handled his transactions — a common practice among financial institutions looking to cater to high-net-worth clients.
Over the course of a week in October, the personal banker fell for three fake, or spoofed, e-mails from somebody pretending to be Jacobs. The imposter directed the banker to transfer $580,000 and $826,000 into two separate banks in Hong Kong, suggesting the payments were related to the work of abstract painter Agnes Martin, according to the lawsuit.
I never even look at e-mail anymore, other than to check the delete all button.
Berkshire Bank failed to verify that Jacobs was actually making the requests, according to the lawsuit. The transactions should have raised red flags at Berkshire Bank because Jacobs had never done business with the companies receiving the money, nor their Hong Kong banks, in the past, according to the lawsuit.
Scams that use fake e-mail to target businesses are on the rise nationally, according to cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officials. In most cases, cybercriminals were able to glean enough information about employees in a company to create a fake e-mail from an executive that's sent to accountants or financial officers instructing them to make wire transfers into accounts held by the thieves. These schemes have hit technology companies, small businesses, and real estate firms, said Michael Kelly, a supervisory special agent for the economic crime squad in the Boston FBI office.
Are you sure it wasn't an inside job?
And where the hell are the telecoms and NSA data collectors?
"If you make wire transfers on a regular basis, you're going to be targeted," Kelly said. "We are in a fast-paced business environment. We're not used to doing things face-to-face anymore and this scheme takes advantage of it."
Banks, which were targeted in the first wave of these scams, have deployed increasingly sophisticated algorithms to weed out potentially fraudulent wire transfer requests from their customers, Kelly said.
Jacobs learned of the unauthorized transfers when he returned from a European vacation in late October and spoke with the personal banker, who mentioned the transactions.
"Berkshire Bank, by failing to exercise the care of a reasonably prudent person in connection with sending and resending of wires to Hong Kong without authenticating the transfer orders, breached its fiduciary duty," the lawsuit states.
Jacobs was not available for comment. His attorney, Lucy Prashker, declined to comment on the details of the case. However, she said the FBI is aware of the case.
The FBI declined to say whether it is investigating.
Berkshire Bank officials declined to comment on pending litigation. However, according to the lawsuit, the bank has argued that the banker was acting as Jacobs's agent at the time and not as a Berkshire Bank employee.
Most banks have technology in place that flags unusual wire transfers, especially if they are for significant amounts or are being sent to bank accounts that a customer has never done business with before, said Seth Ruden, a senior fraud consultant with ACI Worldwide, a Florida-based payment systems company.
Some institutions can even detect whether customers are using their usual computer to send requests and whether it can be trusted, Ruden said.
"Banks do and should have anomaly [detecting] systems in place," Ruden said. "If they don't, they're missing a key component."
It's unclear what procedures Berkshire Bank had in place for customers such as Jacobs.
According to the lawsuit, Berkshire Bank never provided Jacobs with security measures to protect his account from fraudulent wire transfers.
After the theft, recovering the money can be a challenge, officials said....
I know the first place I would look.
Also see: Barclays to face off against US over crisis-era loans
Related: Blowing the Whistle on Barclays


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Freakin' Blue Angels
Damnit! Blue Angels! Every time, you scare the crap out of me. Last year I lived in the CD (Central District) and it seemed they were flying over my apartment every 5 minutes. That's likely an exaggeration. I do love airplanes. I think they're something like miracles. Every time I get on one I geek out like a little kid. "OOOh!!! The power of the engine! Check it out! We're waaaay up high! Higher than BIRDS!" So I love planes but every year the Blue Angels drive me nuts. *sigh* *smiles*
But I'm giving a big welcome to the sailors in town!! Last night I directed a group of drunken sailors (hardy har har) to the nearest bar. They were completely in the wrong section of town. It was nice to see them partying in our fair city. I fully plan to enjoy Seafair at some point this weekend.
My Starbucks people and I were discussing the joys of dancing this morning. They asked me why I was so happy and I said because it's Samba time! I have unrealistic hopes of being a Samba Queen. *laughs* I just want to wear the head dresses and samba all day long! How fabulous would that be? I love to head down to Cellar's on 1st Ave in Belltown for their samba nights on Thursday. They have a trio play and they're always fabulous. Always late but always fabulous. It gets packed!
My recent new restaurant discovery is Table 219, on Broadway. Their bacon melts in your mouth. It is incredible! I've never tasted anything like it before! Not to mention they have fabulous coffee cake and everything else looks divine too. I'm always tempted to get their country fried chicken for breakfast but I just can't convince myself *laughs* One of these days I will since I love it (Southerners grow up on it).
Another fabulous little spot is on Pine & 14th. Spinasse's renowned chef opened up a bar next door called Artusi. I drank wine that taste like Chocolate (though not to be confused with chocolate wine). I did not recognize any of their wine varieties! They have quite an unusual selection (for American bars). It's a little on the pricey side but it's fabulous. They have food too. I tried a cold mushroom/egg salad thing. It was mostly mushrooms. It was good but not my cup of tea, really though I ate it all. Their tuna balls were to DIE for!
Sorry this is so brief and spastic but I haven't written in such a long time and I wanted to throw something out there!
Man I can't wait til they fix the lights on the Bobby Morris Field. I miss laying in the sun on astroturf. Warm and I don't have to worry about wet grass spots all over my pants.


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SAI NO JUTSU:The sai (釵) is a traditional martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, prong shaped metal baton, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle. It is generally used in pairs.[2] There are many types of sai with varying prongs for trapping and blocking.
Part of the SAI:
- Monouchi, the shaft of the sai, this can be round or faceted.
- Yoku, the prong like side guards which are usually symmetrical but the manji design developed by Taira Shinken employs oppositely-facingyoku resembling a Buddhist symbol, the reverse swastika (manji) from which it takes its name.
- Tsume, the tip of the side guard (yoku).
- Moto, the actual center point between the two side guards (yoku).
- Tsuka, the handle of the sai. The tsuka can be wrapped with different materials such as cord or ray skin (same) to provide a grip.
- Tsukagashira, the butt end of the handle (tsuka).
- Saki, the tip or point of the sai which is usually blunt and not pointed.[3]
HISTORY:Before its arrival in Okinawa, the sai was already being used in other Asian countries including India, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.[4] The Indonesian form of the sai is called chabang or tjabang, which is used in the Indonesian fighting art known as pentjak-silat.[5][6] Early evidence from Java in the form of art work is said to show that the chabang predates the sai's use in Okinawa and China.[4] The chabang is said to have been developed from the trisula.[7] The word trisula itself can refer to both a long or short-handled trident. Because the trisula was created in South Asia, another theory is that the sai originated in India and spread along with Hinduism and Buddhism. This is supported by the fact that the trisula is important as a Hindu-Buddhist symbol.
In Okinawa the sai was used by domestic police (ufuchiku) to arrest criminals and for crowd control, the use of the sai was perfected in 1668 by Moto Chohei, an Okinawan prince.[8]
The sai eventually reached Japan in the form of the jutte (jitte), which usually has only a single prong although some jutte have two prongs like a sai. Both are truncheon-like weapons, used for striking and bludgeoning.
TECHNIQUE:The sai is typically used in pairs, with one in each hand.[9] Five kata are commonly taught, including two kihon kata. The style includes a variety of blocks, parries, strikes, and captures against attackers from all directions and height levels. Use of the point, knuckle and central bar is emphasized, as well as rapid grip changes for multiple strikes and blocks.
The sai's utility as a weapon is reflected in its distinctive shape. It is primarily used as a striking weapon for short jabs into the solar plexus but it also has many defensive techniques.
There are several different ways of wielding the sai, which give it the versatility to be used both lethally and non-lethally. One way to hold it is by gripping the handle with all of the fingers and pinching the thumb against the joint between the handle bar and the shaft. This allows one to manipulate the sai so that it can be pressed against the forearm and also help avoid getting the thumb caught in the handle when blocking an attack. The change is made by putting pressure on the thumbs and rotating the sai around until it is facing backwards and the index finger is aligned with the handle.
The knuckle end is good for concentrating the force of a punch, while the long shaft can be wielded to thrust at enemies, to serve as a protection for a blow to the forearm, or to stab as one would use a common dagger. In practice, some prefer to keep the index finger extended in alignment with the center shaft regardless of whether the knuckle end or the middle prong is exposed. The finger may be straight or slightly curled. Used in this way, the other fingers are kept on the main shaft, with the thumb supporting the handle.[10]
The grips described above leverage the versatility of this implement as both an offensive and a defensive weapon. Both grips facilitate flipping between the point and the knuckle being exposed while the sai is held in strong grip positions.


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I've been working a lot over the last year on things that aren't scrolls, for the sole purpose of bettering my skills. The exercise as resulted in a few things that will never see the light of day, but that's ok too.
I've always loved Ancient Egypt, and while I'm not likely to ever make garb from that era, I do love painting from that era.
Two Herons, gouache on papyrus


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"I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, like a salted peanut"(Margo Channing)
Monday, 30 November 2015
65 comments:
Well done, John. However, be careful, I was on my own for eight years and did all the little jobs, but prided myself on fixing AND extending wire on lampslChristmas lights etc., Then I met my hubby of the last 35 years. He took one look at the electric blanket and banned it (did not need it once I met him). As for the extensions, he said that until his name was on the top of my Will he would do all the fixing things. Hmmm Love Andie xxxReplyDelete
My Mr Him flexed his muscles cooking a roast. He decided he'd show psuedo son in law that preparing sprouts is manly at the same time.ReplyDelete
Wow ... let me see those muscles again ? flex flex ....ReplyDelete
Very nice cat flap.
I'm handy too ... except when spiders are involved.ReplyDelete
Very well done ..... but don't they just snap into position if you already had one there, and the hole is still in the door ... just saying ;-)ReplyDelete
I'm ducking as I type ... Lol !!Replies
LOL !! duck ..Delete
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.ReplyDelete
Dammit. That should have been 'A man's gotta chew' - epic nostalgia fail :-/Delete
Whenever I do any little bit of home improvement, no matter how minor, I always feel so CAPABLE.ReplyDelete
So I'm with you. I get it.
Impressive job John. Perhaps you should launch a series of instructional DIY videos on YouTube. Trouble is, Mary is already looking at the new cat flap and thinking, "I like a challenge!"ReplyDelete
Eleven out of ten that man for sheer effort.ReplyDelete
Are there any significant road works near your home John? I need to know as the marching band I've hired to honour your achievement don't like standing about in traffic. Hehehe.ReplyDeleteReplies
I'll bet it feels good to have that job done, what is next on the 'honey-do' list?ReplyDelete
Yay ! You put it in the right way up too !!!ReplyDelete
Your forefathers would be proud of you.ReplyDelete
I don't have a cat so I have to ask: How do cats know about cat flaps? Do they regularly wander about banging their heads on doors and walls in case an opening appears, do they have to be trained or is there some instinct to finding trap doors? It's a mystery to me!ReplyDelete
Well done you! Did you happen to buy an extra one just in case?ReplyDelete
But women should be able to do all those things as well. Much more fun than hoovering the carpets, I'm sure.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous10:30 pm
Indeed, John.Delete
It's no consolation: Nick doesn't get it. And I am not having a go at him. It's just a fact - he doesn't get it. There are people (like men) you'd take to the desert with you in search of an oasis, and there are people you not so much lose on the way as wish they'd go back home to the safety of their own backyard.
Woot woo !ReplyDelete
Nice flaps...ReplyDelete
The real deal. Albert will approve.ReplyDelete
What a man, what a man, what a mighty fine man.....ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:46 pm
My dear John, you are a man after my own heart. And I say this as a woman. Don't be frightened.ReplyDelete
The trouble with cat flaps is that they don't hold their nerve (hinges) when cats (your own, and particularly strangers in hot pursuit) bolt through them. Many a standoff in the kitchen. Fleury always stood her ground. Bouncer (all eight kilograms of him and a broad shouldered), a gentle soul, just sat still till - like Henry Kissinger - I came to his rescue.
It's strange, come to think of it: Dogs snarl or make that most frightful noise called "barking". Cats? They are musical/theatrical with the whole register of sound to fill a paperback dictionary.
Oh do I miss the necessity of a cat flap.
macho macho manReplyDelete
you gotta be
a macho man!
nice work, john! hope mary won't destroy THIS one!
Please reassure us that there was nobody there to photograph your builder's bum poking over the sagging waistband as you bent down so low for that task... I may be too afraid to look in here for a few days. Did you stop midway for tea and biscuits and to wolf whistle at Auntie Glad as she passed? (Just wondering how authentic a tradesman you really are).ReplyDelete
You are a man to worship and adore. Willy Dunne Wooters can't repair a thing.ReplyDelete
Wow. That is one very chic (er... I mean BUTCH, yeah BUTCH) cat flap!ReplyDelete
Was waiting for you to burst into song....'Oh what a beautiful mornin''-like! Hope that flaps Mary-proof!ReplyDelete


text:
Stand back a little kiddo.
He was cracking me up pressing his face on the open glass front to the entertainment center. I kept trying to get one with his nose smashed onto it but he moved too fast.
Spending a morning with his Mommy, a banana bread muffin, and Christmas cartoons. Couldn't get much better.
Noah loves to read. Loves it. I love when he brings me books or when I look over and he is looking at books on his own. One day I was reading him a book that he doesn't really care for. Halfway through he closed it, got down, went over and picked up another book, turned it over to look at the cover, nodded his head yes and then brought it to me. So cute.
He has started lining up some of his foods lately before eating them. It's pretty adorable.
Tonight we went downtown where they had a short "train ride" in town. We waited in line and everytime the "train" passed Noah got so excited and would wave and wave. When it passed he would stretch out his arm, open and close his little fingers and say, "more, more".
Here's the "train". He loves trains and lights...win win.
The "train" passing by.
Complete with Santa. During the ride he kept waving back to him. He had such a great time. After we had our ride we let him walk between us holding one of our hands each (the only way he won't try and run off by himself). He was having a blast. Until of coure he saw the car. Then when I tried to put him in the car he threw himself to the ground and cried. Poor guy. We did have a great time. It must be hard to be little and not understand why we can't keep doing things (it was almost bedtime).
What a fun night!


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lozz08 wrote:Nice, did you put it on the barbecue?:D
LOL I know right, this paint is black as hell! I'm going to give it a light coat of my glossy krylon fusion black so it isn't as flat, but still flat to a degree where it will not be easy to pick up while I am hiding.


text:
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text: 2017-05-05 / Local Springfield Town Library joins STEM project Librarian Michelle Stinson (far right) stacks wooden planks — tools to pull the youngest library users into science and engineering activities. (Courtesy) Librarian Michelle Stinson (far right) stacks wooden planks — tools to pull the youngest library users into science and engineering activities. (Courtesy) SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Springfield Town Library is the newest member of the VELI STEM project. The library joins 23 rural Vermont libraries, participating in a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. VELI STEM stands for the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The Vermont Center for the Book, the Montshire Museum and the Vermont Department of Libraries are the three partners who applied for the grant. Youth Services Librarian Michelle Stinson joined her peers from around Vermont in two packed days of training April 24 and April 25, aimed at developing effective and sustainable practices for early childhood programming for ages 3 to 7, parents and child care providers. Stinson will incorporate the tools, language and practices from her training as she plans activities for Build a Better World, the national summer reading program theme. Blocks, Keva planks, straws and connectors are natural ways for families to experience engineering. STEM learning by the youngest Springfield residents contributes to a robust future workforce. The first year of VELI STEM focused on Force and Motion, Building and Engineering this year, and Air and Water next year. Children explore objects and events, learning how to ask questions and construct theories about what they see and how things work. A question like "What will happen to a ball that rolls down this ramp?" might end up in simple experiments using different balls and measuring how far each travels. Librarians encourage this investigation through the use of fiction and non-fiction picture books and discussion.


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Yeah...like the other gender reads this...well, Sweet Man may, since I added his email to the Feedburner....cuts down on the redundancy of our days....
But I digress....
I am not a feminist. I willingly accept my role as volumptuous woman, to domesticate and to be cherished... and protected to some extent. My Sweet Man may disagree, but I rarely have a problem with the submission part of marriage. (This is an off-the-cuff assessment of marriage for me...need to express my role as woman a little better, at another time perhaps. Don't jump down my throat, s'il vous plait.)
And as such, I often take for granted the minutiae of getting a job done. I ask Sweet Man to do something and he does it, eventually. I look at a project as a whole, not the mini-steps along the way that can be foiled by any number of problems. But today without a male counterpart and kids in tow, I roared. There were challenges today that other days I would have gladly deferred to the expertise and brute strength of another. But I didn't really have that choice. And not having that choice was good for me.
You may remember, I came back from Wichita for two reasons: my momma and that blasted pool.
Today the daunting task of cleaning and filling the pool loomed. This is a job usually reserved for Sweet Man...he starts up the season and I enjoy it...arbitrary and now I see it's unfair.
My fantastic FIL had helped me Thurs. to clean the wood all around the pool as I drained the swamp while my fantastic MIL kept my babes. He finished his task and I was almost done but decided to return in a couple of days to finish draining. So at noon Saturday, the babes and I arrived and immediately I opened the drain valve to continue the emptying of the last few inches, hoping I wouldn't flood my downhill neighbors. No chance of that, since the drain was not working...hmmm...clogged? I tried to blow out the line from either end...even braving the stripped screws to remove the drain grate. I started to realize that the pipe from the drain was actually uphill from the rest drain. And the drain was higher than the corners of the pool....hmmm...who engineered this? No time to blame...gotta find a way.
I remembered a small pump sitting on the garage shelves and ran to get it. Don't know much about pumps...but I put my waders on (to ground myself : ) threaded the hose on, and plugged it in. It cheerfully whirred away and Bug was all too happy with the job of making sure there was green water pulsing out the end of the hose. Actually, he was all too happy to spray his sister with green water.
I called Sweet Man to glean some Shop Vac knowledge and he suggested siphoning the drain line to get it going, which consisted of filling the drain line with water from the garden hose and then running it downhill; it would work regardless of the height of the drain...so for about 15 minutes I tried that...looking foolish filling the line and then dropping it to run up the steps to push more water to the drain so that the flow would continue....didn't happen. I stopped running.
Okay, pump kept working and I knew I could walk away from it for a while. I decided to throw in another task...the kids and I painted the front porch (that blue is one of my all time favorites.) That was interesting...and fast...and now finished!
Ran up to check on the pool...and there were just green puddles remaining. I bent down and Shop-Vac'd each one and hoisted the full Vac up to the pool deck to dump it 3 times. That brought back Spring Valley memories of watching the guys hoist 5 gallon buckets of muck with rope and muscles to get the concentrated biomass out, yuck.
Oh, my back...bending to suck up puddles and standing to lift the Shop Vac up over my head to dump it over the edge of the pool deck...I don't think I've ever wanted a beer more....
Bean, turn. on. that. clean. water. (She waited all day to do her part.) Slipping and sliding commenced in the barely skimming water. We did it. (Insert maniacal laughter...mawahaha!)
All of this to say that this is a big victory for me. My choices at many points were walking away and finding someone else to take care of this mess OR figuring out a way to get it done. I usually give up at the first sign of difficulty...but today, it was Jesus and me...we were gonna do this. Between curses and prayers we did. My fantastic neighbor, John (who will be plumbing the pool works - thank you!) looked over his fence and said, "The pool looks great!" Roar!
Bring on the next challenge...hold that thought...I see a few already on the horizon....


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December 2016 issue of Janamuktikami is now available.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
Leninism and Soviet Socialism
Leninism and Soviet Socialism, a book by Biswajit Basu has dealt many debates that prevail in the communist revolutionary camp. Download Leninism and Soviet Socialism by Biswajit Basu.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Hundred Years After
Gargi Sengupta
In 1917, two revolutions swept through Russia, ending centuries of imperial rule and setting in motion political and social changes that would lead to the formation of the Soviet Union. In March, growing civil unrest, coupled with chronic food shortages, erupted into an open revolt, forcing the abdication of Nicholas II, the last Russian Czar. Just months later, the newly installed provisional government was itself overthrown by the more radical revolutionary party in the former Soviet Union and another revolution broke up rapidly. The revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin and was based upon Lenin's writing on the ideas of Karl Marx, a political ideology often known as Marxism-Leninism. It marked the beginning of the spread of Communism in the 20th century. It was less sporadic than the revolution of February and came about as the result of deliberate planning and coordinated activity to that end.
The first Russian revolution of 1905 was the expression of a gigantic conflict between the growing forces of production on the one hand and reactionary, industrial and political conditions in Russia on the other. A rapidly growing capitalism demanded the freedom of the inner market, the failure of the Russian-Japanese War having made the extension of foreign markets impossible. But the home market was equally unresponsive. The predominant group among the Russian people was its peasantry, whose demands and buying power represented the basis for all further capitalistic development. They were equal, it is true, but equal in misery.
The Russian revolution of 1905 was said to be a major factor behind the revolution of 1917. The events of Bloody Sunday triggered a wave of protests. Amidst this chaos, a council of workers was convened in St. Petersburg and the beginning of a Communist political protest had begun. World War I prompted a Russian outcry directed at Tsar Nicholas II. It was another major factor that contributed to the retaliation of the Russian communists against their royal opponents. After the entry of the Ottoman Empire on the side of the central powers in October 1914, Russia was deprived of a major trade route through the Ottoman Empire. This was followed by a minor economic crisis, in which Russia became incapable of providing munitions to its army in the years leading to 1917.
However, the problems were merely administrative and not industrial as Germany was producing a considerable arsenal of munitions, while constantly fighting on two major battlefronts. The war developed awareness in the city, owing to a lack of food because of the disruption in agricultural activity. The cities were almost always short of food. At the same time, rising prices led to demands for higher wages in factories and in January and February, 1916 revolutionary propaganda, aided by German funds, led to widespread strikes. These agitations became more frequent from the middle of 1915. Working class women in St. Petersburg reportedly spent about forty hours a week in the food lines, begging, turning to prostitution or crime, tearing down wooden fences to keep stoves heated for warmth, grumbling about the rich and wondering when and how this would all come to an end.
All these factors had by 1916 given rise to a sharp loss of confidence in the regime. Nicholas was blamed for the crises and what little support he had left began to crumble. As discontent grew, the State Dumas issued a warning to Nicholas in November 1916. It stated that a terrible disaster would inevitably grip the country unless a constitutional form of government was put in place. In typical fashion, however, Nicholas ignored the warnings and Russia's Tsarist regime collapsed a few months later during the February Revolution of 1917. In the beginning of February, Petrograd workers organised demonstrations and went on strike. On 16 March, a provisional government was announced. The representatives of the provisional government agreed to "take into account the opinions of the Soviet of Worker's Deputies" though they were also determined to prevent " interference in the actions of the government", which would create "an unacceptable situation of dual power".
On 18 June, the provisional government launched an attack against Germany, an offensive that failed miserably. The soldiers refused to follow the orders of the government. The soldiers and sailors, along with Petrograd workers, took to the streets in violent protest, calling for "all power to the Soviet". In the aftermath of the turmoil Lenin fled to Finland under threat of arrest while Trotsky, among other prominent Bolsheviks, was arrested. Alexander Kerensky, a young and popular lawyer and a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRP), increasingly became the central figure of the provisional government.
By October 1917, Lenin returned to Petrograd (St. Petersburg) as he became aware that the increasingly radical city posed a legal danger and also the second opportunity for revolution. Recognizing the strength of the Bolsheviks, Lenin began pressing for the immediate overthrow of the Kerensky government by the Bolsheviks. He was of the opinion that assumption of power should happen in both St. Petersburg and Moscow simultaneously, parenthetically stating that it made no difference which city rose up first, but expressing his opinion that Moscow may well rise up first. The Bolshevik Central Committee drafted a resolution, calling for the dissolution of the provisional government in favour of the Petrograd Soviet. The resolution was passed 10-2 (Lev Kamenev and Gregory Zinoviev prominently dissenting) and the November revolution began.
The Bolshevik, or the Russian Revolution, triumphed on November 7, 1917 (October 26 according to the orthodox Byzantine Calendar). Apart from the heroic episode of the Paris Commune, for the first time millions of downtrodden workers and peasants seized political power, sweeping aside the despotic rule of the capitalists and landlords. They were determined to create a socialist world order.
In the early days, the regime established by the revolution was neither bureaucratic nor totalitarian but the most democratic regime yet seen on earth. For the first time in history the success of the planned economy was demonstrated, not in the pages of Das Kapital but in an arena comprising a sixth of the planet's surface. Not in the language of dialectics but in the language of steel, education, health care and electricity. In a gigantic and unprecedented experiment it was proved that it was possible to run society without capitalists, feudal landlords and money lenders. Despite the aggression of 21 imperialist armies, tremendous objective difficulties and obstacles, the abolition of the market mechanisms and the introduction of the planned economy revolutionized the productive forces and laid the basis for a modern economy.
Actually, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most significant events in the 20th century. It completely changed the government and outlook on life in the very large country of Russia. It had a profound impact on the entire world. It generated a new way of thinking about the economy, society, and the government. The Bolsheviks set out to cure Russia of all its injustices that are rooted in class differences. To an extent, they succeeded. The revolution marked the end of a dynasty that had reigned for 300 years and had concluded with the seizure of power by a small revolutionary group. The Tsar was replaced by a Council of People's commissars and private ownership was abolished. The Communist movement began to expand worldwide, by which the entire capitalist world was unnerved. In spite of several difficulties, no one can deny that this unique revolution threw a very big challenge before the entire capitalist world.
The aftermath of the Soviet Revolution was far-reaching. The revolution spread a new message of hope and liberation for the toiling people all over the world and the peoples of the colonies. It was a message of liberation from all forms of exploitation -- national, social, economic and political. This was reflected in a series of declarations, legal pronouncements and diplomatic initiatives of the new Bolshevik Government. The October Revolution heralded a new era by creating a state of the workers and poor peasants whose interest was opposed to economic exploitation, war, aggressions, colonization and social discrimination. It brought into existence a socialist state that could work as a bulwark against war and imperialism. This revolution initiated the essay towards creating an alternative world socialist system based on equality and free of exploitation, renounced any form of aggression, colonization and social prejudice, as opposed to world capitalist system that is based on colonization, economic exploitation, racialism etc.
The socialist revolution was marked by the establishment of the first socialist state which till then was regarded by many as a distant dream. This is comparable to what happened in France in the 18th century. The Russian Revolution shook not only Russia, but radically changed the whole world. The world we see around today would be unthinkable without it just like the world of the 19th century would be unthinkable without the French Revolution. The British Prime Minister Lloyd George wrote: "The whole Europe is filled with the spirit of the revolution. There is a deep sense not only of discontent but of anger and revolt amongst the workmen against the pre-war conditions. The whole existing order in its political, social and economic aspects is questioned by the masses of the population from one end of Europe to the other."
This is the 100th year of the November revolution. It is time to reflect on its contributions. In a word, it has taught us how to dream a dream. The underlying theme of the revolution was a society free from exploitation and to emancipate humankind. In the context of the November Revolution, Lenin proved that theory is grey, but life is green. It was his philosophy that attained fruition through the November Revolution. Many revolutions came and went, they wrought havoc to society, but the November Revolution was unique, unparalleled and novel in all aspects for it brought about momentous changes to all patterns of society and state policy for which the downtrodden humanity had longed for thousands of years.
April 8 & 9, 2016. The Statesman
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Labels: Soviet Revolution
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Janamuktikami April 2016 Issue Available
April 2016 issue of Janamuktikami is now available.
Visit Janamuktikami
Visit Janamuktikami
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Friday, March 4, 2016
Koodankulam kaput
Sam Rajappa
On 30 January, Alexander M Kadakin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, conveyed to RS Sunder, Director of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant project, "President Vladimir Putin by his decree No. 29 dated 29 January 2016 has awarded you the Order of Friendship for your great contribution to the implementation of KKNPP project." Sunder said in modesty, "The credit should go to Russian scientists as well." Buoyed by the award, Sunder worked through day and night and re-started the 1,000 MW first unit of the plant, shut down since 24 June 2015 allegedly for annual maintenance, at 3 am on 31 January generating 7 MW of power which peaked to 252 MW at 11.44 pm. It worked in fits and starts for the next three days. On 4 February Sunder said the plant was generating 715 MW power and would hit the full capacity of 1,000 MW "in a day or two." The plant went kaput at 10.34 pm the same night.
The brand new Russian plant was erected jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and Atomstroyexport of Russia. It was connected to the grid on 22 October 2013 and commercial operation began on 31 December 2014. During the 800 and odd days of grid connection the reactor worked for 372 days, tripped 20 times and was off the grid for about 470 days. The actual power produced is 3,222 million units, just 18 per cent of its rated capacity. The reactor was commissioned for one year's warranty period operation on 30 December 2014 but was shut down on 24 June 2015, much before the expiry of the warranty period.
The original agreement for two 1,000 MWe VVER reactors between India and the USSR was signed in November 1988 and a supplemental agreement with Russia was signed in June 1998. The two reactors were taken up as a single project and evaluated as such. Work on the project began in March 2002 with the construction of the twin domes and a small port on the Koodankulam sea-front. Reactor and other core equipment arrived at the site by mid-2005 and both units were to begin commercial operation in December 2007. Not much progress was made in the next four years. Although the people in general and the fishermen's community in particular were opposed to the project right from the beginning, active public protest at Idinthakarai, adjacent to the project site, began only in August 2011 after the Fukushima disaster and lasted about 11 months. It hardly hampered the project work and cannot be blamed for the inordinate delay in commissioning the plant.
When the Atomstroyexport formally handed over the KKNPP-1 reactor to NPCIL for one-year warranty operation on 30 December 2014, there was no mention of the second unit. Construction of the two units was taken up simultaneously but because of the supply of sub-standard equipment by Russia and both the governments' eagerness to show some result before signing an agreement for the third and fourth units, the second unit was canibalised to make the first unit work. In the process, the second unit has been virtually abandoned. The government has so far spent about Rs 25,000 crore on the first phase of KKNPP. At full capacity, the plant should have been producing 48 million units of electricity a day. The actual production so far has been less than 20 per cent of the rated capacity. If this is the result in the first year of operation of a brand new plant when production should be at its optimum, it only shows that KKNPP, besides being an ecological catastrophe, is also an economic disaster. Units 3 and 4 are estimated to cost Rs 45,000 crore.
Studies conducted by non-governmental agencies show that almost all components of the reactor were manufactured in the 1980s and rendered surplus due to post-Chernobyl cancellation of orders for more than two dozen reactors. The Russia made turbine had to be overhauled surreptitiously by a Hyderabad-based private contractor two years before its grid connection because it was found faulty. Even after the overhaul the turbine failed within hours of grid connection and kept the reactor shut for 59 days during August-September 2014. Normally a turbine is overhauled after working for five to 10 years. During the 365 days the turbine remained connected to the grid, there were 14 trips (shutdowns), two outages and one major accident in the fuel-water system which kept the reactor idle for 175 days. Non-performance of Unit 1 is causing production loss of 24 million units of electricity a day, financial loss of Rs 10 crore daily, besides the interest on the capital invested.
In an article published on 4 February, A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, said, "In the Koodankulam case, there are serious flaws of one kind or other. The lack of transparency certainly raises doubts that the Department of Atomic Energy, NPCIL and the AERB together may be hiding some serious deficiencies from the public. This impression needs to be removed by honestly answering the doubts and questions raised by the public regarding the plant." The DAE and the NPCIL have repeatedly denied the issue of sub-standard and counterfeit components in KKNPP. Gopalakrishnan said a large amount of public funds had been spent on this reactor with very little benefit to people in return. "The reactor is known to have suffered continuous and unprecedented problems during the construction, erection and commissioning phases as well during the current operational period." Yet the NPCL serenades it as a great success and has signed for units 3 and 4, with units 5 and 6 in the pipeline. The tragedy is the AERB has approved it.
The growing travails of the nuclear power industry world-wide show that it is not the answer to India's energy needs. While countries like France and Germany are phasing out their nuclear power plants and other advanced countries have stopped constructing nuclear power plants, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the UPA government, after signing the Indo-US nuclear agreement, set out to make India the world's largest importer of nuclear power reactors. Without waiting for competitive bidding process, he reserved three coastal nuclear power parks for three foreign suppliers of reactors: Jaitapur in Maharashtra for Areva of France, Mithi Virdi in Gujarat for Westinghouse of the USA and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh for GE, also of the USA, and signed Memorandum of Understanding with them. Areva is yet to build the EPR reactor contracted for which is still in the drawing board stage and the French regulator, ASN, has threatened to decline approval. How can India having an Atomic Energy Commission and AERB commit itself to a reactor that has never been built? asks Gopalakrishnan. Koodankulam has been kept for Atomstroyexport of Russia to expand it to the level of the other three nuclear parks yet to take shape. The justification for the Indo-US deal was that America would transfer nuclear technology to India which lacks expertise in enrichment of uranium. Within two months of the deal the USA informed the Nuclear Suppliers Group that uranium enrichment technology should not be shared with nations that are not party to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. India which steadfastly opposed NPT found itself hoodwinked. The NDA government of Narendra Modi with its emphasis on "Make in India" policy has a golden opportunity to reconsider the Indo-US Nuclear Agreement and scrap the MoUs. With its abundant wind energy and solar power potential, India can well afford to keep Made in Russia and Made in USA reactors at bay and save the coastline for the future generations.
Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/koodankulam-kaput/124276.html#zkorcxMX4qVwgSmm.99
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Labels: Kodankulam, Nuclear Power Plant
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Land Reforms in West Bengal & India's Agrarian Economy
Land Reforms in West Bengal & India's Agrarian Economy by Chittaranjan Das is now available.
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