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The role of informatics policies is to provide a strategic policy framework for the acquisition and use of information technology (IT) for social and economic impact. In order to be effective policies on IT should be harmonized and integrated with other socioeconomic policies for national development.
The main objective of national informatics policy is to cost effectively acquire and optimally use informatics to process information as an integral factor in all sectors of national development. The possession and use of knowledge are, without doubt, essential ingredients for national progress. Information, the communicable form of knowledge, especially scientific and technological information, is one of the main prerequisites for economic and social development. This means that the free flow of scientific and technological information and its assimilation are essential preconditions for progress in developing countries. The use of information technology in national planning should not be viewed as merely supportive of decision making processes. Use of information is integral to decision making processes; information is the decision making process. Collective and applied information is the development process (Dosa, 1990). Therefore instead of sensitizing decision makers and planners to the value of timely, uptodate and accurate data in decision making we should sensitize them to quality decision making which is inseparable from processing of quality information and data. Marta Dosa makes the point that "collective and applied information is the expression of a society". On this basis each decision maker is an information processor and producer. Further, information processing is today not distinguishable from information generation and transmission.
This study and others (Zwangobani, 1987) show that most countries have sectoral IT policies governing the implementation and operation of IT programmes. Some are micropolicies which operate at the organisation level while others are macropolicies which are applicable at the national level. This report documents legal instruments such as acts.
According to UNESCO (Montvilloff, 1990) the fundamental premise underlying the methodology for the formulation, implementation and operation of a national information policy is that "a national policy is required to ensure the harmonious implementation and operation of information resources, services and systems (e.g. timely access to relevant information for varying needs of users) throughout the society, coordination and compatibility of the overall information national system, better complementarity and compatibility between the various legislations concerning the provision of information, better responsiveness to the implications of the new information technologies to the implications of the new information technologies and more effective participation in regional and international information systems and services". The UNESCO approach recognizes the importance of integrating the national information policy with the national development plan. This methodology proposes as a first step the assessment of the needs of IT users at the national level, including survey of existing IT resources, and other relevant policies in force. This should be followed by a definition of the policy objective, and its various components, and formulation of strategies and design of mechanisms for implementation. An integrated national IT policy should have components covering the
The acquisition and/or development of the technology
The development of human resources and their use including informatics in the academic system
the establishment of a telecommunications infrastructure
the storage and use of data in private and public sector
the protection of intellectual property rights
participation in extranational information networks
and exchange
In view of the fact that African countries are opening up their economies to both external investment and market competition, policy formulation should take into account the impact of the national and the external environment on the development of IT in issues such as international data networks, compatibility of technology, intellectual property rights, transborder data flows, technology transfer, and economic conditions, should be explicitly considered in the policy. Information technology is very much an international commodity whose influence transcends national borders.
In the context of the national environment, the role of information technology in the development of a multisectoral economy is the main focus. Information technology should be utilised to improve productivity, quality of products and/or services, efficiency in the work place, competitiveness in the international market place. The links between IT and the different sectors of the economy must be analyzed and understood in the planning process. Such factors as user requirements, and infrastructural support should be included in assessing the impact of IT on the various sectors.
Lastly information technology should be looked at as an economic sector in its own right. This sector can be categorized into sub sectors such as research, human resources development, hardware, software, consultancy and database/networks. Each of these subsectors can be analyzed to assess its impact on national development programmes. Telecommunications is the key physical infrastructure that creates an enabling environment for the widespread development and use of IT.
While the Governments of Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe have not gone the route of formulating integrated national informatics policies their policy activities todate indicate a keen awareness of the potential of IT in the development of their economies. The lack of integrated policies could be attributed to the political, legal and technical complexities of formulating and implementing them. Evidently Governments feel that they can set up national frameworks for IT development by following less complex approaches. It seems easier to formulate implement and monitor policies in priority sectors, which could bring about increased use of IT in their countries. By taking advantage of existing infrastructures and resources the Government can move quickly from policy to implementation plan.
A number of countries (e.g. Kenya) have evidently given thought to developing as integrated policy framework, but the work had (at the time of the study) not progressed beyond flagging of policy directions. Others such as Ethiopia gave the responsibility for formulating an IT policy to the Science and Technology Commission. Tanzania is in the process of developing its own integrated IT policy.
Zimbabwe has adopted a multipronged approach where the S & T body is responsible for aspects of IT policy, and the Committee for Coordinating the Acquisition of Computer Technology is responsible for other aspects. The country, however, has no integrated IT policy. The Kenya Government's sixth development plan (19891993) significantly incorporates informatics in the national development plan. The plan analyses the existing IT infrastructures and pointed to the direction in which Government would like to invest in further development in this area. The paper briefly surveys current resources such as the Information Bureaux, Libraries, Archives and National Museums, as well as Scientific and Technological Information Services. The Kenya Government intends to "encourage and facilitate" the production of hardware and software as well as manpower training. The paper does not spell out how this is to be achieved. Furthermore the Kenya Government would like to establish a Development Resource Centre which should establish and maintain databases designed to encourage information sharing between government agencies and private institutions as well as individuals.
The Ethiopian Government Economic policy implemented in 1992 makes no explicit provision of the role of informatics in the National Development. The policy, however, is deemed to have had significant impact on IT development since it opened up the economy and has created an environment enabling the flourishing of this technology. As a result significant investment has occurred in IT.
The same is true of the Government of Zimbabwe. The economic structural adjustment policy (ESAP), now in its sixth year, makes no explicit recognition of information technology. However, the opening up of the economy has had tremendous impact on IT. The country has over 200 companies in the IT sector including hardware, software, consultancy, and training. Of particular significance is that IT is one of the economic sectors in which many indigenous professionals have established businesses a development which has considerable political importance.
The Nigerian Government has adopted a different approach. The Government has not implemented a national informatics policy as such but has established (in 1989) the National Data Bank (NDB) and Departments of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) in every ministry and departments. The NDB has as its major objective the production of uptodate and accurate data for national economic planning and performance monitoring. The Data Bank has the role of actively collecting and disseminating national and relevant international statistical data and disseminating the same to endusers. In addition, the NDB processes data used to monitor performance of the economy at federal, state and local levels. The NDB has achieved the following:
Preliminary survey of the Nigerian statistical system
Survey of user requirements for statistical data and reports
Installation of hardware and software for the storage and processing of data
Selection of seven data sets and their documentation and development of appropriate databases for these. The seven data sets cover the areas of: petroleum, manufacturing, international trade and balance of payments, money and banking, public finance, prices and price indices and national accounts. Data sets on Education, Health, Employment Labour and productivity are being developed.
Organisation of meetings/conferences
Provision of inservice training courses and study
In 1988 the Nigerian Government promulgated Decree 43 which decentralised the Nigerian Statistical framework by the establishment of a Department of Planning. Research and Statistics (DPRS) in each ministry and department. This development has had the effect of increasing awareness of statistical data in planing and monitoring of the various economic sectors. Consequently it has fuelled informatics development in Nigeria.
Tanzania has gone through a chequered history in the IT policy area. One of the most notable milestones was the banning of computers by Government in 1974! Subsequently the Government appointed two independent teams to study the effectiveness of informatics in Tanzania. Both teams recommended the formulation of a national policy and the launching of a national training programme for computer technology, and the setting up of a secretariat to oversee all matters relating to informatics in Tanzania. While the Government did not formulate a national policy it established the Ad hoc Computer Advisory Committee to control the importation of computers after the ban.
In 1987, a seminar with the title "Seminar on the Contribution of Informatics to Economic Development" was held at Arusha. This seminar recommended the formulation of a national informatics policy. The Government, however, did not take up this recommendation at the time.
In 1991 the Planning Commission established a project team whose objectives were:
to review the current information systems (IS) issues within Tanzania.
to document terms of reference for priority IS projects.
The project team focused on three areas, namely
National policy issues for IS
IS education and training, and
Strategy within the government
The major outcomes of this study were policy and IS projects recommendations which were put before the Government. These are:
(i)Developing a vision statement for the future national policy on IS.
ii)Establishing a policy making body and defining its objectives, role responsibilities and procedures.
(iii)Specification of the desired IS standards covering human capital, technical standards and software.
(iv)Defining the industrial IS policy which should be based on supply and demand.
(v)Defining IS strategy for the government.
The recommendations of this study have been taken up for implementation by the Government. A project was drawn up (June 1992). The project should last 18 month and the outcome should be a draft document on national policy for informatics, which is expected to address the following issues: information goals, priorities, personnel, methodology, standards, industrial policy, institutional framework, and development strategies in government.
Thus Tanzania, with UNDP assistance, is in the process of formulating an integrated national informatics policy.
(i)It is clear from the country reports that none of the countries surveyed has formulated and implemented a national integrated informatics policy. It is equally evident that the Governments of these countries are all, to varying degrees, alive to the potential of informatics in their national development programmes.
(ii)The shift from centrally planned and controlled economies to ones where market forces are given free reign has resulted in growth of the IT industry. This development seems driven by the need for increased efficiency in both public and private sector organisations. This growth is not policy driven. It is one of the downstream effects of the structural adjustment policies.
(iii)Furthermore the policy change from centrally planned to open economies has had the effect of making redundant IT policies which were implemented before the turnabout in economic policies. As a result we are now dealing with a new policy era altogether in which the Government role is more promotional rather than regulatory.
(iv)Policies implemented before the structural adjustment programmes are now largely of historical interest, except in so far as they demonstrate the level of Government awareness of the role of IT in their economies during that period. Policies implemented after the introduction of the structural adjustment programmes have been in existence for a short time span. It may therefore be too early to arrive at a realistic assessment of their impact on the economy. It is certainly early to assess the success or failure of the economic structural adjustment programmes themselves.
(iv)All the Governments of the countries surveyed have put in motion mechanisms to formulate and/or implement IT sectoral policies. In the case of Tanzania the Government has taken steps to formulate an integrated national policy.
Each of the target countries has a variety of IT policies and/or policy instruments embedded in sectoral economic policies. Following the definition given above this document regards informatics as a national development sector in its own right. The other sector which shall be reported on is science and technology. This approach is taken advisedly since some countries regard S & T as a sector while others do not. An arbitrary way to categorize the two is that those that evidently do regard it as a sector have a ministries responsible for it, while those that take it as a horizontal activity have set up commissions to handle it. Admittedly this difference in approach could have other causes, such as differences in emphasis.
The Informatics sector will be analyzed by subsectors which include:
Education and Training
Data Banks
Research and Development
The policies presented for the above subsectors may have been formulated and implemented in other economic sectors rather than Informatics. For example, the Informatics subsector of Education and Training may have policies arising from the National Education Policies which have integrated IT policies. Each subsector above will be analyzed in terms of current policies, as well as any future policy directions, if these are given.
Policies in this subsector deal with issues relating to information technology acquisition and diffusion. Practically all the countries have policies relating to aspects of technology acquisition. Historically the main thrust of such policies has always been the regulation of the importation of computers. Some of the countries (Kenya, Tanzania) have gone through periods during which their Governments activity discouraged the importation of computers on the grounds that they created unemployment. These periods were, however, relatively shortlived.
A common approach for controlling the importation of computers was to create a body that regulated their importation. This body or committee determined whether the applicant(s) should be awarded a foreign currency allocation, or import permit, or both, for importing computers. This determination was usually based on sectoral national economic priorities. In Zimbabwe an ad hoc committee in the Ministry of Industry Trade and Commerce used to receive applications for and award import permits accompanied by the necessary allocation of foreign currency. This committee would process applications from both the public and private sectors. Since the introduction of ESAP there are no controls on the importation of computers by the private sector. The public sector, however, is regulated by the Committee for Coordinating the Acquisition of Computer Technology (CCAT). This committee coordinates the acquisition of computer technology and advises Government on the intended application(s) and on the selection of both hardware and software. The intention here is to harmonize use of information technology in the public sector, to ensure that standards are adhered to in the acquisition and use of hardware and software, and to avoid underutilization of resources. The Committee also ensures the availability of manpower before a project is embarked on. It has membership from the Ministries of:
Home Affairs
Education and Culture
Local Government
University of Zimbabwe
Posts and Telecommunications Corporation
Central Computing Services
The technical committee of CCAT vets all applications for computer acquisitions by Ministries. The committee sets the guidelines followed by all ministries and departments in the acquisition of data processing equipment. These procedures no longer apply to the private sector and to parastatals. From the foregoing it is evident that the Computer Committee is intended to introduce rationalisation, harmonisation, efficiency, effectiveness and economy in the acquisition and use of IT, rather than to regulate. The acquisition of telecommunications equipment is regulated by the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) for both the public and private sectors.
The introduction of ESAP, however, has made no difference to the tariff structure applicable to IT. Both computers and telecommunications equipment attract quite heavy import duties, surtax and sales tax. These add sixty two per cent to the CIF cost of computer, thus having a significant impact on the market price of these products.
In Ethiopia, the National Computer Procurement Committee played the same role as the CCAT in Zimbabwe. Interestingly, however, the National Computer Procurement Committee was in the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission and it advised the Council of Ministers. This committee, however, was disbanded in 1990. Currently some form of control is exercised through the acknowledgement of Competence Committeewhich is unique to Ethiopia. This committee advises the Ministry of Trade on the suitability of applicants for licenses for computer businesses. It is run by the Ethiopian S & T Commission and the Ministry of Trade. Therefore the Committee influences the actual establishment of computer businesses. A weakness of this system is that in some cases licenses are awarded to applicants directly by the Ministry of Trade without going through the Committee.
The Ethiopian tax rate for computers was reduced from 5080 per cent to 24 per cent, and 40 per cent for accessories. This is a good deal lower than the rate for Zimbabwe. However, the procedures an importer has to go through in Ethiopia to clear a consignment of computer through Customs is reported to be daunting.
The Ethiopian report is the only one that makes explicit mention of policies that effect technology transfer. The Ethiopian Government formulated and implemented the "Encouragement, Expansion and Coordination of Investment Proclamation and Investment Regulation". This policy was intended to "encourage and facilitate the absorption by Ethiopian nationals of foreign technology, knowhow and technical skills". This policy is not an IT policy but rather part of a package of investment policies implemented by the Government and is applicable to informatics.
In Kenya the Government controls the importation of computers through import controls, licensing and foreign exchange rationing. It is not clear whether these controls are still in place in the era of structural adjustment. Nigeria does not seem to have any controls on the importation of hardware.
Tanzania took the unusual step of banning the importation of computers in 1974. The Government felt that the country was not ready for computerisation. This was effected by means of a Government Imports Control Ordinance which prohibited the importation of computers. Subsequently the Ordinance was modified to permit importation of computers deemed to be in the public interest. This resulted in the Guidelines for Evaluation of Computer requests for Import of Computer Equipment. The guidelines laid down conditions to be met for the importation of computers, and it laid down the procedures to be followed if and when submitting an application. The implementing agency was the Ministry of Finance, and the executing agency was the Adhoc Computer Advisory Committee formed in 1974. This committee was short lived and is no longer in operation.
(i)Policies in this subsector were strongly affected by structural adjustment programmes. Prior to these programmes, most of the countries surveyed had stringent regulations and procedures which governed the importation of information technology.
Following the introduction of the structural adjustments programmes controls were set aside and in most cases, information technology products can now be imported relatively freely. This has brought about significant increase in the acquisition and use of information technology. This development has been a consequence of the structural adjustment programmes and not as a result of explicit informatics policies.
(ii)Some of the countries, e.g. Zimbabwe, have introduced controls for the public sector with the intention of harmonising and rationalising the acquisition and use of hardware and software.
(iii)Other countries, such as Ethiopia, Tanzania have introduced policies on technology transfer. None has formulated policies to introduce or promote IT industries.
(vi)The import tariff charges, where data was reported, is high in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. This could discourage the acquisition and use of informatics in businesses. This factor could also contribute to putting computers and their software out of the reach of home computer buyers. This of course retards the development of familiarity with computers by the general population. Worse still, it makes it difficult for schools to acquire computers.
(v)There is no country report which contains reference to acquisition, maintenance and connectivity standards for the public sector.
The policy instruments and statements made about the hardware sub sector also apply to software. However, customs duty, surtaxes and sales taxes for hardware do not necessarily apply to software. It is interesting to note that despite the relatively low salary levels in the African countries surveyed there has been no attempt by the governments concerned to implement policies intended to promote the development of their own software industries following the example of India and some Latin American countries.
The situation in Tanzania typifies all the countries surveyed. There is no government policy commitment to:
Training and Education in Software Engineering
Software Standards development
Introduction and promotion of international software houses
Provide and enforce legal protection of privacy and intellectual property of software assets.
(i)None of the countries surveyed have introduced policies to promote the development of a software industry. The constraints here may be shortage of manpower and lack of infrastructure such as reliable telecommunication systems
(ii)Software generally does not get any attention from the policy makers. Consequently there are no reported attempts in any of the countries to address such issues as software standards, intellectual property rights, etc. There are no bodies or committees established to define and monitor the implementation of system standards even for the public sector.
This is a subsector of notable policy activity in all the five countries. Policies and instruments have been implemented in virtually all the countries surveyed to promote the development of human resources in IT in both the formal academic systems as well as in training institutions. All five countries show awareness of the importance of developing their human resources to cope with this fast changing and critical economic sector.
However, policies on computer education in schools are not as widespread as the situation warrants. In cases where policies have been formulated to introduce computer education in schools, implementation has met with difficulties usually associated with acquisition of hardware and software and lack of trained manpower.
In other words, even though the national policy perspective is there, both the national resource base and the institutional capacity to implement policies are lacking. Furthermore mechanisms for developing and monitoring the effectiveness of IT curricula are too often quite inadequate.
In Ethiopia informatics education in schools is still new. Training in informatics is explicitly recognised in a number of policies and/or policy instruments. Some of these are:
National Computer Centre
Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority
National Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation Centre
Currently there are approximately thirty private IT training centres in Ethiopia. High level training is offered by the Addis Ababa University, Department of Mathematics. Kotobe Teachers Training Institute also runs courses on computer awareness.
It is worth noting that there is no organisation responsible for curriculum development in IT. Most of the courses available are on application software packages with an introductory course on the operating system. There is no report on a policy on the introduction of computer education in schools.
In Kenya the sixth development plan is silent on human resources development in IT. The country, however, has a considerable number of training centres offering courses on applications software as well as on basic computer skills such as programming techniques and systems analysis. Computer education and training is offered at tertiary level.
In Nigeria the government recognised the need to make Nigerian society computer literate and formulated a computer policy intended to bring this about. A high level committee was established to advise the government on the modalities of introducing computer education into the schools in Nigeria, including tertiary education.
The Committee produced as objectives:
To bring about a computer literate society in Nigeria by the middle of the nineties
To enable the present generation of school children at this level to appreciate the potentials of the computer and be able to utilize the computer in various aspects of life and late occupation.
These policy objectives were translated to apply to the general populace. Therefore general educational/training objectives were produced which included the ability to use and program computers and to understand their structure and their use in problemsolving. The Committee also produced a curriculum framework for the content of an educational program at secondary school level. Implementation of this policy had as one of its stumbling blocks the shortage of teachers trained in computers. Therefore the policy had to make provision for this. The Committee also outlined the roles of the Federal and State Governments, Universities, Polytechnic and research institutions in implementing this policy.
At the tertiary level the National Universities Commission has pushed for the effective implementation of the Computer Literacy Programme. It has also pressed for the development of curricular for degree programmes in computer science and engineering at first degree, master's and doctorate levels. The objectives of the computer literacy programme at tertiary level are as follows:
Establishing and entrenching a computer culture that permeates all activities in the University
Producing university graduates who are considered computer literate irrespective of their course of study or major disciplines
Producing computer science and engineering graduates who constitute the core of professionals in the practice and advancement of computer technology
Conducting research and developing hardware, firmware, software, and courseware that will enable the country to attain the latest computer technology capability
Ensuring the provision of the manpower and other resources required to meet the broader objectives of computer literacy at the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of education, and at societal level.
Computer education in polytechnic and technical colleges also comes under the responsibility of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) whose mandate is to ensure the observance of standards in education in these institutions. The NBTE oversees the development of curricula for computer education accrediting computer courses in their colleges. They also promote and fund adaptive research for the design, and development of computer hardware software, firmware, power systems, thinfilm technology and printed circuit boards.
As a result of these efforts the polytechnics have played an effective role in the development of human resources. They have achieved the following:
Training of technicians and technologists for hardware maintenance, adaptive designs and development
Training of technicians for software design and development
Establishing, designing, developing and producing hardware, software and firmware
Developing of thinfilm technology application particularly in printed circuit board design and production
Monitoring courses for technicians and technologists for the various levels of personnel from industry and the community at large.
As a result of the National Policy on Computer Education, computers have been introduced in many Federal Government Colleges. However, computers have yet to be introduced in most State Secondary Schools. Use of computers in schools is hampered by lack of trained teachers.
In addition to being responsible for the Policy on Computer Education, the Federal Ministry of Education intends to establish computer laboratories in all 45 Federal Government Colleges. Finally Ministries of Education in a number of states plan to introduce computer education in schools.
In Zimbabwe the government has a policy of introducing computer education in schools. However, the actual introduction of computers in schools has been hindered by lack of financial resources to purchase computers and by the lack of trained teachers. The price of computers has hitherto been so high that schools could not afford them. Recently the price of computers has come down dramatically with ESAP. However, ESAP requires drastic reduction in government expenditure. Therefore the consequent budgetary restrictions make it difficult for schools to acquire computers. Nevertheless the Zimbabwe Development Fund (ZIMDEF) has undertaken a project to computerise schools in Zimbabwe.
Computer education is offered in polytechnics across the country. They offer courses from National Diploma to Higher National Diploma. The courses are practically oriented and include attachment to industry. The Ministry of Higher Education and Culture has a curriculum development unit whose mandate include development of curricula for computer education.
Three of the Universities in Zimbabwe offer Computer courses. These vary from straight forward computer science courses to communications. Computer engineering courses are, unfortunately, currently not available.
The Government has created an organisation called the National Manpower Advisory council, NAMACO for short, which monitors the national manpower requirements. It was created under the Manpower Planning and Development Act No. 36 of 1994. It advises the Ministry of Higher Education on the development of the nations' human resources. NAMACO's membership includes a representative of the Computer Society of Zimbabwe. In 1994 NAMACO, with the Computer Society of Zimbabwe, launched a national survey of IT professionals in Zimbabwe. It also tracked IT staff movement within Zimbabwe and to other countries. The results of the survey should assist the Government in Planning the training requirements of the information processing industry of Zimbabwe.
In Tanzania the Institute of Curriculum Development of the Ministry of Education and Culture developed and recommended a syllabus for computer education in schools. As a result the Ministry issued a circular on the introduction of computer subjects in secondary schools.
The University of Dar es Salaam has not succeeded in offering a BSc (with Computer Science) degree due to constraints in the recruitment and retention of staff and in the supply of teaching materials, text books and other facilities.
The Dar es Salaam Technical College is one of the relatively few institutions offering computer engineering courses. It incorporates microcomputer and hardware maintenance into its diploma and full certificate courses. The Institute of Finance Management (IFM) offers a range of informatics courses integrated with their diploma courses in Accountancy and Banking. In addition the Institute also offers short management information programmes. Currently the IFM is establishing a modern computing facility to run postgraduate, diploma and certificate programmes in informatics. A number of other public sector institutions also offer informatics programmes; these include the Institute of Development Management, Morogoro, the Cooperative College, Moshi, the College of Business Education, Dar es Salaam, and the Dar es Salaam School of Accountancy. These institutions teach basic computer courses including common packages such as word processing, dBase, Lotus, etc.
Education and training activities in IT are also found in the private sector. Over 55 organisations offer short courses in informatics. The majority, if not all, of the institutions offer introductory courses in common packages and/or operating systems. Three private sector institutions offer diploma courses in Computer Science. These are the Institute for Information Technology, Dar es Salaam, the Institute of Management and Information Technology, and International Communications Systems.
The Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) is a regional management training centre offering courses in informatics. ESAMI offers mainly short courses in such areas as Systems Analysis and Design; Programming, Database Systems, Distributed Computing, Security and Information Systems Planning.
Of all the countries surveyed Nigeria is the only one that can be said to have comprehensive policy on informatics education. The others have implemented their policies with a view to promoting certain aspects of informatics education. All the countries in the study have tertiary education programmes in informatics. Not all have programmes at the school level. Even those that have such programmes face practical problems of implementation. The priority given to tertiary education is most likely based on the need to address each country's manpower requirements.
Whether this topdown approach is valid remains to be seen. The private sectors are playing their part in offering basic courses. Institutions offering advanced courses are few. Equally interesting is the observation that computer technician's courses are not that readily available. If one assumes that investment in establishing courses is demand driven the conclusion follows that the demand is still low. It further follows that the population of PCs, etc. must be so low that the demand generated is not yet commercially significant.
(i)All the countries surveyed demonstrated a fair amount of policy activity in the subsector of education and training. Not all of them have formulated policies for informatics education in schools. They all, however, have informatics education at tertiary level.
(ii)In all the countries the private sector plays an active role on setting up and conducting training courses in informatics. Some of the countries have professional associations which have defined, published and implemented codes of conduct for private schools.
(iii)The development of curricula is, in all cases, carried out by an appropriate public sector body. In some cases, e,g, Zimbabwe, the private sector is involved in defining curricula for schools and for polytechnics.
(iv)The training of trainers is regarded as important aspect of policy by some governments. Programmes are in place to train trainers and teachers.
(v)Another major drawback in introducing computers in schools is the shortage of resources to acquire computer hardware and software.
(vi)In addition to the introduction of informatics education in schools and tertiary institutions, countries such as Nigeria have designed programmes to promote computer literacy in educational institutions and in society in general.
(vii)Of all the countries surveyed Nigeria is the only one that reports on specific policies for the training of hardware and software engineers. The other countries reports make no reference to policies for the training of hardware and software engineers.
The development of data banks designed to serve critical economic sectors is of the utmost importance in harnessing the power of IT for national development. The development of a governmentwide or country wide data bank presupposes the availability of resources to make this work. Some of the resources required are:
Enabling policy or legislative framework
Integration of the data bank with related systems
Availability of manpower and tools to manage the databases information network
Awareness of and user friendly access to the data bank.
Of the countries under study Nigeria seems to have taken the largest policy strides in terms of setting up public data banks for use by policy makers.
The Nigerian National Data Bank (NDB) was established under the National Data Bank (National Planning Commission) decree No. 12 of 1992. The NDB gets its data from sectoral and ministry data banks. For this to happen these data banks are integrated with the NDB. The initial set of sectoral data banks included Agriculture, Industry, Education, Finance, and Science and Technology. The objectives of the NDB are as follows:
The production of relevant, accurate and uptodate data for use by the three tiers of government in Nigeria Federal, State and Local
To analyze the data and produce reports that are used for monitoring socioeconomic indicators
The production of data definitions, classifications for use by NDB and the sectoral data banks
The definition of methodologies and procedures applicable to the data banks
The organisation of seminars and conferences
Since its creation the NDB has carried out a preliminary survey of the Nigerian statistical system covering 87 data producers. It has selected and developed numerical databases in the areas of petroleum, manufacturing, international trade, balance of payments, money and banking, public finance, prices and price indices, and national accounts. Work is already in progress on data sets in Education, Health, Employment, Labour and Productivity. In a step that reportedly increased informatics activities in the country the Government promulgated Decree 43 of 1988 which decentralised the Nigerian statistical system by setting up a Department of Planning, Research and Statistics in every ministry and department. As a result of these and other activities almost all the Ministries, State Governments and extra ministry departments have established or are establishing data banks.
Another important initiative is the establishment in 1988 of the National Documentation and Information Centre for Science and Technology located at Abubaker Tafawa Balewa University with nodes with responsibility for various sectors such as:
(i)Biomedical Sciences
(ii)Environment Sciences and Technology including earth sciences
(iii)Industrial Literature
(iv)Engineering and technology
(v)Social sciences literature
In Ethiopia in 1957 the Government established the National Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation Centre located in the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission with its main objectives as the strengthening and coordination of sectoral information systems and services, to provide S & T information services, and to promote the development of S & T information services and systems.
The centre currently provides information services to researchers, policy makers and the S & T community in general. The accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of the information it provides has improved. The success of the centre can be attributed to the impicit policy of the Government supporting the development of S & T information, the practice of the Commission to recruit graduates and give them in service training, and the accountability of the Commission to the Council of Ministers.
In Kenya the government has set up a number of information bureaux which store and provide data for planning and decisionmaking. This data is useful in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmers. These centres are:
Central Bureau of Statistics
Government Computer Services Centre
District Information and Documentation Centre
Ministerial Information Centres
The Government also plans to establish a Development Resource Centre which will facilitate interfaces between government agencies, private development agencies, private institutions and private individuals.
The Kenya National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is responsible for S & T information technology services. It is mandated to advise on all scientific information services and to establish a mechanism for the collection and dissemination of S & T information. In pursuance of these objectives it established the Kenya National Scientific Documentation Centre (KENSIDOC) whose objectives are:
To provide information, and referral Services and tools
to planners, researchers and technologists
Disseminate research results
Strengthen S & T information sources
The National Council for S & T, however, is more attuned to information science than to informatics.
In Zimbabwe the custodians of the data and the data banks have hitherto been separated. The custodian of the data is the Central Statistical office which has several PCs for producing the Statistical Year Book, for surveys, population census and other data. The CSO is mandated with the collection, storage, processing and dissemination of the country's statistical data. It operates under an Act of Parliament. In some sectors the collection for and transmission of data to CSO is required by law. CSO used to be in the Ministry of Finance but is now under the office of the President.
The custodian of the data banks is the Central Computing Services (CCS). This body is the main informatics policy instrument in the Zimbabwean public sector. Its main objectives are:
To provide computing facilities to Government in a cost
effective manner
To provide centralized training facilities to user departments
To enhance the appreciation of computing within the public sector
To provide advice and consultancy services to Government in the area of computing
The CCS is the custodian of many public sector databases some of which are owned by CSO, others by sectoral ministries. Access to the data is by means of a wide area network extending to user ministries around the country.
As the computing requirements of Government have grown, CCS found itself unable to cope in a costeffective manner. The Government then commissioned a study by the National Computer Centre of UK whose objectives were to:
Assess data processing resources and the appropriateness
of the methods and systems to user needs
Assess strategic information requirements of Government ministries and possibilities of data sharing
Assess resource requirements by CCS to provide centralised computing facilities and provide resources to monitor and coordinate information resource within the civil service
Assess the need and potential for distributed or enduser processing using terminals or microcomputers
Make recommendations as to the best possible ways of converting CCS to a cost based service environment
Recommend costeffective means of meeting user needs in the medium term (57 years) and draft a programme of activities
The NCC report made recommendations covering both policy areas and operations of CCS itself. The report is currently being studied by Government.
(i)Virtually all the countries surveyed have established statistical databanks of one kind or another. Users access the databanks by means of wide area networks in some of the institutions while in others no such facilities are available. In the latter the institutional framework is lacking and consequently implementation falls short of policy expectations. This should impact negatively on the rate of use of such resources by the user ministries and departments.
(ii)The country reports make no reference to the effectiveness of the established databanks. Therefore no indication is available as to the value of the initiatives to the economies of the countries surveyed.
(iii)The importance attached for S & T information in highlighted by the fact that all the countries have S & T information services of varying levels of sophistication and effectiveness.
(iv)There is no reported participation in or access to the data banks or information systems by the private sector. This is understandable for Governmental databanks but not to national statistical planning data and S & T information systems.
(v)There are no reports of linkage of data banks to foreign data networks nor to databanks of neighbouring countries.
One of the most important infrastructures for the development of informatics is telecommunications. Policies on and the development of telecommunications have a crucial bearing on informatics. All the countries under study have put in place centralised, monolithic and monopolistic organisations to establish, maintain and develop telecommunication services. The era of structural adjustments and opening up of the economies is slowly bringing changes in this sector.
The main objectives of telecommunication authorities can be summarised as follows:
To establish, provide, operate, promote, regulate and
monitor the development and operation of telecommunication
To protect the rights and privileges of users and operators
To act as an agent for the Government in all matters relating to the provision of telecommunication services internally and for external communication
To provide training to staff and users
To establish and operate any supporting industries for the repair, manufacture, assemble telecommunication equipment
In Ethiopia the Ethiopian Telecommunication Authority
(ETA) was established in 1952 and has been successful
in promoting telephone services. However, its use of
telematics is very low (despite the existence of a
FIDOnet node with some 2000 users operated by PADIS/ECA)
and remote data communications is still rare. The only
major exception is Ethiopian Air Lines which is connected
to SITA, the worldwide airlines reservations network.
Other users of data network are UN agencies linked
to external networks.
Importation of any telecommunication equipment was not allowed to individuals until 1992. Currently individuals can import modems, cordless telephones, fax machines provided they follow ETA's specifications, which many persons complain are obsolete. Further any equipment to be connected to the PSTN has to be type approved by ETA.
Satellite technology is used for telephones and TV. Ethiopia has a domestic satellite communications for telephone, telex and TV. Use of the satellite services requires a license and fees have to be paid.
In Nigeria telecommunications are organised at three levels. These are policy, development, regulations and carriers/operators. Regulations are under the control of the Nigeria Telecommunications Commission established by Degree No. 75 of December 1992. The carrier is NITEL plc., a fully commercialised autonomous company.
In 1990 NITEL introduced digital lines, and in 1992 cellular mobile telephones. Nitel has embarked on a joint venture with SATCOM to provide a data communication service called DATANET. Other services provided by NITEL are:
Private Leased Telephone and Telex Services
Leased Telephone and Telegraph Services
Data Switching System
Electronic Mail (National Service only)
K. 25 Switch
K.400 Electronic Messages
It is worth noting that with the establishment of the Commission the following areas were privatised.
Installation of terminal or other equipment
Provision and operation of private links, employing cables or satellite within the country
Provision and operation of public mobile communication
Provision and operation of community telephones
Provision of operation of valueadded network services
Report and maintenance of telecommunications facilities and cabling
The Post and Telecommunication Corporation (PTC) has
a monopoly in the provision of telecommunication services
in Zimbabwe. There are extensive radio and microwave
links connecting cities and towns. Data communications
are available over leased circuits, dialup on ordinary
telephone lines, and the recently introduced ZIMNET,
an X.25 packet switching network.
PTC services are provided under the PTC Act "Rhodesia Government Notice No. 399 of 1973 Act/4674." In addition there are some bylaws and regulations controlling aspects of the provision of service. These include:
Post and Telecommunication Services (Telephone) By Law
1993 which regulates procedures for obtaining telephone
Post and Telecommunication Services (Charges) By Laws 1993 Statutory Instrument 247 which gives guidelines to charges for services provided by the PTC
In Kenya telecommunication services are provided by the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) established in 1977 by an Act of Parliament. The operations of the KPTC are characterised by:
Highly bureaucratic type approval
High operating costs
Limited options (only dedicated lines)
High tariffs
These characteristics also apply, in general, to Zimbabwe, KPTC recently established a dedicated packet switching data network called KENPAC which is still to be assessed.
The importance of an efficient telecommunications infrastructure to the development of the informatics sector cannot be overemphasized. Efficient data communication infrastructure in African countries are simply hard to come by. Some countries offer leased lines at 9500 baud as well as dialup facilities. However, the cost of such systems in often quite high, thus discouraging their use except by large organisations and companies. Furthermore archaic regulations prohibit users from venturing into the use of new communication technologies which may offer them more efficient service.
(i)All countries surveyed have centralised bodies virtually monopolising telecommunications services. Despite the structural adjustment programmes the area of telecommunications is, in general, yet to be adequately deregulated.
(ii)Digital services have been or are being introduced in some of the countries. Packet switched telecommunication networks are available in the majority of countries. No reports are available as to their reliability, availability, nor on their charging levels.
(iii)It is evident that development in telecommunications lags far behind and is a major hinderance to the overall development of data networks. Where services are available, reliability is a major question.
(iv)In some countries, regulations governing the operations of telecommunication services, are out of step with modern technological developments. Consequently the country pays the penalty by stultifying the developments of its communication networks.
The R & D covered in this section relates to information only. None of the country reports dealt with direct policy relating to R & D in informatics. In Zimbabwe R & D is generally carried out under the umbrella of S & T. The Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCI) established in 1993 the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SINDC). The RCZ is a policymaking body in the area of S & T. Its operations are governed by an act of Parliament called the Research Act. It supervises and monitors all research in the country. The SIRDC is an operational arm intended to support the modernisation of Zimbabwe industry through technology acquisition, adaptation, R & D, and information dissemination. CIRDC has a number of research institutes including one for microelectronics. The Institute for Micro electronics carries out research in selected aspects of micro electronics, information and telecommunications. The R & D work at SIRDC is supposed to be directly related to the identified interests of industry.
In Nigeria the National Board for Technical Equation (NBTE) was mandated, amongst other objectives, to promote and fund research and development in computer hardware, software, firmware, power systems and related technologies. In addition the National Universities Commission was also tasked with conducting research into and developing of computer hardware, software and courseware with the aim of enabling the country to participate in stateofthe art developments in this area. In Ethiopia some R & D work is reported dealing with the development of Amharic Systems.
(i)There is some policy activity in the area of R & D in informatics, though not a great deal. This is perhaps not surprising. The countries surveyed are more concerned about getting their economies and societies to adopt and use informatics as a priority rather than in exploring the frontiers of the technology. Some countries, such as Zimbabwe, have explicit policies on R & D, including R & D in informatics.
(ii)Tertiary institutions, however, including polytechnics, do have modest research programmes in informatics. In Ethiopia's case work in developing Amharic systems is very appropriate as a response to a national need.
Consultancy services are generally provided by centralised institutions such as central computer centres, central statistical offices etc. These departments often provide consultancy to government ministries and departments. The provision of consultancy by the private sector to government is regulated by bureaucratic procedures.
In Zimbabwe the Computer Society operates a register of consultants. It has also drawn up a code of conduct for registered consultants. However, there are no definite policies aimed at promoting the use of local consultants.
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Yesterday, I shared a great offer for NEW Shutterfly Customers where you can save $15 off of a $15 or more purchase. Well, if you have previously ordered from them, that meant you couldn't use this code. I've got good news though — all customers can save $10 off of a $10 or more purchase right now with the coupon code SAVE10!! There are a lot of really good deals you can find including labels, mouse pads, stationary items and more!
If you happen to spend $30 or more (after the code), you can also use the code SHIP30 and get FREE shipping on your order as well. Keep that in mind while shopping as well!!
Here are some ideas for you:
You can order 67 photos for just $0.05 + $5 shipping for a TOTAL of $5 (after the code). That calculates out to around $0.07 per print shipped to your front door!
Chore Chart for $4.99 (after the code) plus around $10 shipping for a total of $15 shipped.
Luggage Tags are priced at $9.99 each. Add in a photo print for $0.15 and use the code. Your total will be around $6 shipped!!
You can use the code to even order personalized Halloween Party Invitations! You can order 10 for a total of $15.64 shipped!

subset: commoncrawl


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Mike Fine looks at the Pistons winning the NBA title, and says that even with the example of Detroit to follow, the Celtics are light years away from becoming a contender. Matt Bonesteel is begging Doc Rivers to stay on as an ABC broadcaster and not coach the Celtics.
David Perry looks at the book Chasing Steinbrenner: Pursuing the Pennant in Boston and Toronto written by his Lowell Sun colleague Rob Bradford. Tom Caron has his NESN Mailbag, and opens by poking fun at the Internet message board controversy. Eric Wilbur considers trading Nomar. Mike Klis of the Denver Post looks at the slow start by Nomar in his return. Jack Curry of the NY Times (registration required) has a look at Curt Schilling, that he has endeared himself to Sox fans and also talks some about the SoSH incident. Peter Gammons said that Buck Showalter had the following to say on Schilling:
"I don't know anyone with a bigger heart than Curt, and he wears his heart on his sleeve because he is so passionate about everything. Some people don't like the fact that he tells it as he believes it is, isn't afraid to tell it anyone, and that he's right more than most of us."
What? Could reporters not like Schilling because he's smarter than they are?
Peter Kerasotis reports that Mark and Bobby-Jo Ferrell have dropped their efforts to have Ted Williams' remains taken out of Alcor.
Terry McCormick reports that Neil O'Donnell has rejected overtures from the Patriots to join them as a backup QB. Andy Hart of Patriots.com also has a look at O'Donnell and if the Pats might've been interested. Out in Chicago, Bob LeGere has the story of former Patriots practice squad player (he was active in one game this past season) Jamin Elliott, who is wondering why he didn't get a Super Bowl ring. Larry Weisman of USA Today has a look at NFL players serving as interns preparing for a post playing career. Featured prominently in the article is the Patriots' Jarvis Green. Pat Kirwan has an overview of the AFC East.
Michael Felger in the print edition of the Herald this morning reported that Tedy Bruschi has agreed to a contract extension with the Patriots that keeps him here through 2007. The story never made it to the on-line edition. If you go to the NFLPA website, you can get the breakdown of the numbers for the new deal.
The Washington Post reports in it's NBA notebook that the Celtics have targeted Wizards forward Etan Thomas as someone they would use their mid-level exception this summer on.


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Fast-Growing, Carefree Tree
Thornless Honeylocust is an attractive, fast-growing tree. It would be perfect for your street or driveway due to its hardy, adaptable nature. Your Thornless Honeylocust tree is easy to grow, so it will consistently provide its admirable features without a lot of work from you.
Its delicate leaves are finely-textured, displaying a graceful shimmer in the lightest of breezes and casting a relaxing, filtered shade. Delicate flowers will appear in the spring, pristine white and gracing your yard with their sweet fragrance.
Yellow-gold fall foliage will light up your yard in the autumn. The bark lends winter interest with its fissured, grey bark with orange-tinted interior that becomes even more interesting with age.
Imagine seeing up to two feet of growth each year with your Thornless Honeylocust without having to fuss or fret over it. Thornless Honeylocust is quite hardy, and tolerates a variety of conditions including drought, salt and urban environments.
It can reach 60 feet with little effort and doesn't mind being shaped to match your preferences. If you'd like a tree to shade a walkway, this is the tree for you. Pruning the low branches doesn't detract from the tree's appearance and it's almost seedless, so raking isn't an issue either. You can even easily transplant it should you decide to try a different location.
Thornless Honeylocust clearly has a lot to offer, and would make an outstanding addition to your yard today.
* Thornless
* Fast-growing
* Yellow-gold fall color
|Nature Hills Nursery
|Botanical Name
|Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
|Mature Height
|50 - 70 feet
|Mature Spread
|40 - 50 feet
|Soil Type
|Widely Adaptable
|Sun Exposure
|Full Sun, Partial Sun
|Growth Rate
|Flower Color
|Greenish, Yellow, Fragrant
|Fall Color


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Sunset Grill - May 20,1989 -January 20,2017!!
Thank you to everyone who helped make Sunset Grill such a special place throughout the years....Fred Wilson & Gary Reilly
Happy Birthday Jimmy Clive!! Hope today's KBVA Tournament is Awesome as well…
See you all at the Grill later tonight for post game bevies!!
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Name *
Email *
Sunset Grill 2204 York Ave Vancouver, BC V6K 1C6 Canada
Visit us at our award winning liquor store, Brewery Creek. Opened in 2005, we provide Vancouver's best original selection of craft beers, premium wines and select spirits as well as your everyday domestic demands. Located at 3045 Main Street in the Soma district.


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March 2005
Link Blogs and Link Validationby 2 others
January 2005
opensourceCMS.comby 69 others
An open source directory of wonderful open source things.
1 (3 marks)
Founded in late 2003 and heartquartered in France, we are non-profit and independant.
We believe in the open web, think internet services should be sustainable, build for the long term.
While we are re-launching the service, we only accept new members through invitation.


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Clue: Central American Indian
We have 2 answers for the clue Central American Indian. See the results below.
Possible Answers:
Related Clues:
- Guatemala natives
- Chichén Itzá resident
- Language of Mexico
- Poet Angelou
- "And Still I Rise" poet Angelou
- Chichén Itzá native
- Early Yucatán dweller
- Palenque native
- Ancient pyramid builders
- Yucatán native
Last Seen In:
- Washington Post - October 10, 2008
- New York Times - January 03, 2000
Found an answer for the clue Central American Indian that we don't have? Then please submit it to us so we can make the clue database even better!


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|Best Brownies from allrecipes.com
|Glazed Mint Brownies with too much mint filling
So the mint brownies were gone and I was sad yet again. I had half a package of butterscotch chips in the pantry, why, I don't know, but I wanted to use them because I was tired of seeing them sitting all dejected next to the shiny, new, unopened packages of chips. The result was a new recipe inspiration: Butterscotch Chip Brownies with Cocoa Caramel Frosting. I'm a little obsessed with caramel coffee creamer (if you couldn't tell) and just keep coming up with new uses for it! I took inspiration from the Best Brownies recipe. I reduced the sugar (I've found that you can reduce the sugar by a quarter in most recipes and still have it taste great) and tweaked the frosting. Here is my new recipe.
Butterscotch Chip Brownies with Cocoa Caramel Frosting
(This is not a low-FODMAP recipe)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. caramel coffee creamer
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in butterscotch chips. Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
- To Make Frosting: Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, honey, coffee creamer, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while still warm.


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Vernon Township School District offers 30 varsity sports encompassing 49 levels. Vernon competes in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and the Hunterdon Warren Sussex League (HWS) along with sport specific leagues in ice hockey, skiing, in-door track and field, volleyball and lacrosse. The ideal of sportsmanship permeates every aspect of our culture. The ethic of fair play and respect of an opponent is fundamental. Athletics as we know it are a training ground for good citizenship and high behavioral standards. Vernon Township High School, the N.J.A.C. and the N.J.S.I.A.A. are all committed to fair play, graciousness toward an opponent, and a genuine concern and respect for others.
Our Departments have been paving the way for the District in adopting STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) as a way of life. Our Engineering program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has expanded to three H.S. course offerings in 2015-2016 and will also begin offerings at the 7th and 8th grade level. We now offer Robotics as a club in both Middle Schools and the High School, serving grades 5-12. All of our courses have been infused with technology and design with a focus on college & career readiness. Some examples include courses like Fashion Design, Web Design, and Computer Graphics. Vernon recently even incorporated a state of the art Music Production/Engineering room at VTHS complete with ProTools, Logic, and everything you need to write, arrange, and produce music.


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Pronunciation: ă-tak′sē-ă-gram
Definition: The recording made by an ataxiagraph.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer. All Rights Reserved. Review date: Sep 19, 2016.
Search Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.


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Young revolutionaries pack the streets of Prague in the video for Watch The Throne opener "No Church In The Wild," a clip is pretty much the opposite of the "Otis" video. There's a lot of slow-mo Molotov cocktail throwing and long pans on marble statues. It looks expensive; it's basically the palatial version of 2 Chainz' "Riot" video. Romain Gavras (M.I.A.'s "Born Free") directs. Watch it below.
Watch The Throne is out now on Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation and available at eMusic. So, real talk. Where does "No Church In The Wild" work better? In the official video or in the trailer for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby?


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Check out the super-early game lines for opening weekend below, via @5Dimes:
Thursday, Sept. 3
Duke at Tulane (+20.5)
TCU at Minnesota (+19.5)
North Carolina vs. South Carolina (-7.5) -- Charlotte, N.C.
Michigan at Utah (-3.5)
Friday, Sept. 4
Baylor at SMU (+35.5)
Kent State at Illinois (-17)
Saturday, Sept. 5
Arizona State at Texas A&M (-5.5) -- Houston
Alabama vs. Wisconsin (+12.5) -- Arlington, Texas
Virginia at UCLA (-16)
Texas at Notre Dame (-12.5)
Auburn vs. Louisville (+12.5) -- Atlanta, Ga.
Sunday, Sept. 6
Purdue at Marshall (-13.5)
Monday, Sept. 7
Ohio State at Virginia Tech (+20.5)
Looks to be a fun opening week.
I am especially eager to see the Auburn-Louisville game.
It is hard for me to believe that OS is that big a favorite at VT.
I don't mean just because last year VT won at OS, but because that is a lot of points to put up at VT on a Foster defense. I need to put a $thousand on that. I guess the mob feels VT will score little to nothing. That has been the case lately.


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Manuscripts in Special Collections
Search our Manuscript Collections Using ArchivesSpace
Use the link above to search across Special Collections finding aids for specific words and phrases. Click here to see a complete listing of our manuscript collections.
About our Manuscript Collections
The manuscript holdings in Special Collections measure slightly over 2,000 linear feet and consist of approximately 400 collections. Each collection can range from one small box to over 100 boxes. Many of our manuscript holdings have been described in detail by Special Collections staff. To see a list of online descriptions and finding aids, click here. In addition, some manuscript collections have finding aids that are not available online but can be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room.
|A girl watering the garden at the West End Settlement in Rock Island, Illinois. From the John H. Hauberg papers.
The majority of the manuscript collections in Special Collections are related to either Augustana history, local history, or both. Collections with Augustana roots include the papers of all the former presidents of Augustana, materials from current and former student clubs, organizations and societies, papers of various faculty and alumni, and materials from campus departments and offices.
Materials with local connections include papers of prominent local families, such as the McMurphy family and the Hauberg family, area organizations such as the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, and local businesses such as the Rock River Navigation and Water Power Company and the Kahlke Bros. Boatyard.


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Blushed: Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric (HD Orange)
February 8, 2013
Armani released a colorful collection of shadows, blushes and lipsticks for Spring 2013. But I only had eyes for one thing: The Blushing Fabric in HD Orange. The shimmering orange color just screams Fresh Squeezed Springtime. I wasted no time testing it out on myself. It applies best (and you


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At first hearing that Dean would be turned into a vampire for this episode, I had my doubts. But I also thought that a giant, talking teddy bear sounded awful, and that turned out to be one of Supernatural's greatest moments. So, I gave the "Live Free or Twihard" storyline a chance, and for the most part, I'm glad I did.
The Twilight mockery in "Live Free or Twihard" is pretty funny, especially for those of us who think that Twilight is a bland and silly excuse for a vampire story. However, when Dean actually starts behaving like that story's Edward, complete with creepily watching his lover sleep, I was surprised to realize that I actually liked the storyline the way it is used in the episode. I sympathized with Dean's plight, instead of rolling my eyes the way I did when I saw the same events unfold in Twilight. Maybe this is because I already like Dean; he is a fully fleshed out character who does not exist solely to protect Lisa from harm. It also helps that Supernatural knows enough to keep this section of the episode short, and when Dean starts putting Ben and Lisa in danger with his behavior, Lisa is smart enough to know that he is dangerous.
What is less great about the plot in this episode is that there is suddenly a cure for being turned into a vampire. Of course, they can't keep Dean a vampire forever, that is not the story the series is telling. But the solution ends up feeling like a cheat. It lessens the impact of the vampires in general to have a "get out of jail free" card out there.
While the cure part of the episode may leave something to be desired, what is more intriguing is the glimpse into Sam's current state of mind. We have been given hints that Sam is not quite himself this season, but his actions in this episode clearly show that this is not the Sam we know. First, and most importantly, he does not step in to save Dean from being turned. The smirk on his face as the vampire's blood is forced on his brother is disturbing. He is more interested in finding out about the alpha vampire than he is in sharing with his brother that there is a cure.
While Grandpa Samuel (guest star Mitch Pileggi) and the rest of the Campbell clan have seemed suspicious so far this season, in this episode Sam is the one who cannot be trusted. The show has done divisions between the brothers a few times already, but I am hopeful that there will be a new twist to it this time around.
For viewers who need less romance, and more gore in their vampire stories, Supernatural comes through. These vampires have teeth, metaphorically and literally. That there is an organized recruitment plan is disturbing, as well as the idea that they are less afraid of hunters than they used to be. And since cutting off their heads is the way to kill them, there is plenty of blood.
Jensen Ackles does a fantastic job with the emotions Dean is going through during his ordeal. He is matter-of-fact about needing to be killed; he does not want to live on as a monster. He can't resist visiting Lisa one last time, although his disgust with himself for being "the Pattinson" in the story is hilarious. Most compelling is watching Dean as he infiltrates the vampire nest with the intention to kill the one who turned him. Dean's nervousness is written all over his face, and that is not something that we are used to seeing in the usually cocky and sure-of-himself hunter.
The breadcrumbs that we are being given so far this season about the alphas of various monsters have been intriguing enough that I am curious to see where this is leading. More than that, I am looking forward to an explanation for Sam's behavior, hopefully sooner rather than later.


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Name: Lindstrøm
Progress Report: Norway's finest super producer talks about his disco-infused 2012 release, Six Cups of Rebel.
Hans-Peter Lindstrøm has been releasing some of the world's finest electronic music for nearly a decade now, both on his own and along with fellow production whiz Prins Thomas. In 2011 Lindstrøm released Real Life Is No Cool, a collaboration with Norwegian-Mauritian singer Christabelle that would ultimately prove to be one of the most popular releases of his career (and his most overtly "pop" record to date). Next year Lindstrøm will release Six Cups of Rebel, which ditches the glittery pop of the Christabelle collaboration in favor of funk and disco — and the sound of his own singing voice.
I called Lindstrøm at his studio in Oslo, Norway where apparently it was already very late and the winter is already very cold. He was about to go to bed.
STEREOGUM: This record kind of sounds like a departure for you. Were you working in a manner differently than you normally do?
LINDSTRØM: I'm working on music every day and always trying something new in the studio. I think that's one of the most important things in music is to keep working and see what happens. There's a lot of stuff that I'm working on where and trying to decide if it's going to become an album, EP or single. I guess this album was kind of my second attempt to compile an album out of the stuff I'm doing over the last year. In the beginning I decided it wasn't going anywhere so I scrapped everything and started again. Everything just started with making a few tracks and hearing that it might make sense to put it together and imagine how it might sound as an album. I guess I just decided that this might as well be an album in the end. I think what I did this time that I haven't really done before was that I was kind of making tracks for this album in the purpose of making them fit in the album format. I got the first track and third track ready then I could make something more mellow as the second track knowing that it had to fit in between the other two tracks. I really wanted the album to be whole. It's something that I hadn't done before.
STEREOGUM: Yeah, the album does feel very cohesive. Is this the first time you've only used your own voice and not other vocalists?
LINDSTRØM: I decided that I only wanted to make an album with my own voice and wasn't sure at first how I would use it. I then came to the conclusion that everything was about tweaking and pitch shifting with my voice. I'm not trying to do this live. It's only a studio thing, I'm not a vocalist and I don't really want to try and perform it live. Over the years I haven't really been exploring my own voice. It's been too personal. I was seeing what I'd done on re-releases and grabbing the vocal parts I liked and then treating them as someone else's vocals. It was important to me to just try it. I've always thought that it would be great to use the voice in different ways. When we played live in Europe after the release of my last album I was doing a lot of background vocals and enjoyed that. So this time I wanted to see what would happen.
STEREOGUM: Yeah, it's nice to be a self-contained artist and be able to do everything yourself. Do you prefer that as opposed to collaborating?
LINDSTRØM: I like a combination of it. It used to be that after working with someone it's really nice to work alone. I think even though it's really comfortable doing everything yourself, it's also nice to have that feedback when you have more people in the room. I think it's interesting and it's important for me to do a bit of everything. Sometimes by myself and other times with other people.
STEREOGUM: Were you surprised by the success of Real Life Is No Cool? That record seemed to take on a life of it's own.
LINDSTRØM: I was really surprised by it. I consider it a big personal success as well. I wish they had played more of the tracks on the radio and given it more support. From where I was standing I didn't really feel like this was my "breakthrough."
STEREOGUM: Really? That record — particularly "Lovesick" — felt pretty inescapable to me. In NYC you heard it everywhere.
LINDSTRØM: That's what really counts. It's not important for me to have a big seller. I really wanted to make that album more accessible. It was my first album with vocals. It felt like it had the most potential to not just be something that was underground for DJs to play. There was a lot of people that told me they really liked the album and that's what is important to me. I love getting feedback from people I respect.
STEREOGUM: Aside from making and producing music do you spend a big part of your year traveling and DJing?
LINDSTRØM: I spend a lot of time traveling, but I only perform my own music when I'm playing. It might look like I'm DJing onstage because there's not as much visual things but I'm playing my own stuff only. I'm not sure if I'll be traveling a lot, something like two weekends a month but I don't want to travel any more than that. I've been doing that for six or seven years. I know that for bands two weeks is probably the limit. I've only done that once in the last twelve years and that was like a nightmare. So just doing weekends twice every month is perfect for me.
STEREOGUM: This album comes out in February of next year, will you be coming to the States?
LINDSTRØM: Yeah, we're scheduling a mini-tour in March. A mini-tour for me is just three dates. I'll probably continue with those types of shows until the summer when there's going to be some Festivals I'll be playing. It's hard to tell since the album hasn't come out yet. I was thinking of actually not doing a single at all from the album. I'm starting to think that it's better if the album is heard from start to finish rather than to split it up. Everything is kind of connected on it. In an ideal world a single shouldn't be necessary.
STEREOGUM: Any idea what you're going to work on next?
LINDSTRØM: I think I'm always trying to do something different since I don't want to get bored. I guess people have been expecting the followup to the Christabelle album somehow — and that's probably what I should have done — but it just feels more right for me to do something different. I might be digging my own grave every time I do that. There will probably be a lot of people who are like, "Ok I'm really not following what he's doing now. Why is he doing this every time?" But it's really important to me, I don't want to do the same song or album every time. Some of my favorite artists are doing that and I really appreciate them doing something different every time because otherwise you just get bored of the same sounds. I hate to be bored.
Lindstrøm's Six Cups of Rebel is out on February 7th via Smalltown Supersound.


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|Truvada/Reyataz/Ritoniavir dose
Oct 1, 2007
i have decided to go on meds and my doc has suggested truvada, reyataz with a retonavir booster. i found out that i am resistant to the class of drugs that sustiva and viramune belong in. what do you think about the prescribed regimen? what do you feel is the necessary dosages. my cd4 is 340 and viral is 70k.. what side effects are common with this cocktail and is there any thing else i should know?
Response from Dr. Wohl
This is a good combo and the doses are standard:
Reyataz 300 mg daily Norvir 100 mg daily Truvada 1 pill daily
The major potential side effects are nausea and diarrhea. Some people get a high increase in bilirubin in their blood that can make the eyes and skin yellow tinged - this can require a change in the meds.
Do not take any medications that reduce stomach acid as Reyataz requires acid to be absorbed.
Most people do not have problems with this regimen.
3 blips in a row
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Recommended tool:LM21212-1 is the recommended alternative device to TPS54873. Please refer to the LM21212-1EVM for new device evaluation.The TPS54873EVM kit allows the designer to easily evaluate the 8-A TPS54873 synchronous buck DC/DC Converter with disabled sinking during startup (DSDS). The module provides 4 series diodes to allow the user to pre-charge the output from the EVM input voltage or an external source. The input voltage range is 4-6V and the output voltage is adjustable down to 0.9-V (module preset to 2.5-V). Other voltages are possible by changing the resistor divider.
Please see the TPS54873EVM User's Guide (SLVU079) document for more information.


text: Life will become less difficult when you set your sights for you path in life. Giraffe is saying listen to your heart. Rhodonite can help one to remember their soul-purpose of incarnation, and facilitate living from the heart. This lovely stone also helps one to remember that the best rewards come from serving the highest good.


text: Best Holiday Gift Ideas 2012 Posted on November 27, 2012 by Wyatt We strongly believe that a wood print is one of the best holiday gift ideas of 2012. If you agree, we love you. If you disagree, then you just haven't seen one yet. Take a minute to poke around the site and get aquainted, we think you'll like what you see. Sincerely, The Plak That Team Customer designed print. Create yours today by clicking on the photo!


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Posted by: davedan« on: September 09, 2018, 06:08:36 pm »
The dream means that you should stop smoking Ice.
A night ago, I had a weird dream about a clown who was in charge of an amusement park.
Every one of the rides or attractions had some sort of effect on those who went on them - though it seemed to depend on the person. For every good effect the rides or attractions had however there was an equally deleterious effect that was imposed.
I was observing from a third person perspective, and seemed to hear a narrator explaining everything that happened to the people in the dream.


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Yes, BitTorrent should expand their capabilities in order to keep up with faster internet speeds, because if they don't their audience will go other places to find content. BitTorrent needs an upgrade to stay competitive. They should stay cutting edge because that will help them stay competitive, with so many things offered on the internet.
I think that everything needs to expand to keep up with faster internet speeds. Bit Torrent is a popular thing and if it wants to survive in the future, it will have to expand to keep up with faster internet speeds. If they do not expand, they will most likely die out.
I believe if BitTorrent wants to grow and remain viable it will no doubt have to expand to keep up with faster internet speeds. This would be the case for any entity on the Internet that provides any kind of viable service. Competition never ends on the Internet, everything is always expanding and changing.
BitTorrent was fantastic technology for the time it started. Downloading huge files over the Internet could be done more efficiently with many computers downloading smaller chunks. Now, with the advent of cloud computing services and faster Internet speed, BitTorrent needs to find ways to be relevant. Livestreaming videos doesn't need a lot of computer memory anymore because the files are stored elsewhere and not on a hard drive.
If possible, BitTorrent should expand due to the large amount of people who participate in the file sharing community. Although illegal, there are a bunch of people who go to BitTorrent and other sites in order to get files they want. In order to stay competitive, they should expand to keep up.


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Montreal is known as the City of Festivals and one of the best ways to experience a festival is to roll up your sleeves and volunteer. This week, our voluntourism spotlight highlights the upcoming Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, which you can attend and help the city prepare for and promote. Tune into this weekend's broadcast of Peter Greenberg Worldwide to learn more and check back every Wednesday for more voluntourism opportunities.
Montreal is a city known for its abundance of festivals, and with these diverse celebrations of culture, come a host of volunteer opportunities. You can research volunteer happenings through the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal, an organization founded in 1937 to match volunteers with community organizations. For citizens of Montreal, the volunteer openings are continuous. Visitors have the option to take part in the short-term activities.
This month you can help the city get ready for the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival that takes place April 22-28, 2013. This festival celebrates writers, the pleasure of reading and literary works in all the world's languages. Prior to the festival, volunteers help distribute festival programs and promotional material to libraries, cultural centers, bookshops, and museums. Once the festival starts in April, volunteers will be needed for a variety of different positions to help the festival function successfully.
If you are interested in volunteering for the International Literary Festival, first visit the Metropolis Blue Homepage to get an overview of events. You can also visit the office located at 661 Rose de Lima Street, Suite 201 Montreal, (Québec) H4C 2L7, Metro Stop: Lionel-Groulx, or call Nicolaon Manuel at 514. 932. 1112 (ext. 31).
If you can't make the festival, check the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal website for more volunteer opportunities or click here for a complete listing of Montreal Events.
By Ashleigh Whelan for PeterGreenberg.com


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