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Myths abound regarding how, when and where to use sunscreen. Medical News Today, last July, shed some light on the right information.
The American Academy of Dermatology estimates a staggering 9,500 Americans are diagnosed daily with skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that one person dies from melanoma every hour. Smart measures are crucial to protect sun-exposed skin.
However, myths abound regarding how, when and where to use sunscreen. Medical News Today, last July, shed some light on the right information. Here are four myths, busted:
1) Sunscreen is not necessary on cloudy days: Wrong. "The truth is that any time the body is exposed to light from the sun, it is exposed to UV rays, even if it is an overcast day."
2) A body cannot absorb necessary vitamin D if covered in sunscreen: In theory, yes, but sunlight penetrates through clothing, and sunscreen diminishes in effectiveness over time and allows absorption of vitamin D. Plus, a body benefits from vitamin D if out in sunlight just five to 30 minutes daily.
3) People with dark skin do not need sunscreen: Wrong. While darker skin is less susceptible to sunburn as lighter skin, having darker skin does not protect against skin cancer.
4) All sunscreens are the same and only need to be applied once daily: Wrong on both counts. Check ingredients and read reviews before purchasing a sun-protection product. Look for a full-spectrum sunscreen, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends regularly (at least every two to four hours) applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Also, some believe that sunscreen application is not necessary in higher, cooler elevations. Yet, ultraviolet exposure actually increases with elevation. Don't let the cool mountain air fool you. A body can even become sunburned while cooling off in water.
Medical News Today advises not only applying sunscreen to all areas exposed to sunlight, but to wear a hat. The Skin Cancer Foundation lists "seek the shade" as a top skin cancer prevention guideline.
Disclosure: We earn commissions from purchased made after clicking curated product links


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In quantum physics, the divisions between object and observer—the systems and environment—become blurred. Because any measuring device is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, the act of measurement involves an interaction between two quantum systems. The exact mechanisms by which this works are still unclear in many instances, but much of the quasi-mystical language once used to describe quantum mechanics has given way to precise scientific descriptions.
One remaining frontier is comprehension of how systems gradually lose coherence via interactions with their environment, which prevents their usefulness in quantum computing. A new set of experiments by Yinnon Glickman, Shlomi Kotler, Nitzan Akerman, and Roee Ozeri revealed part of the mechanism by which environment disrupts quantum systems: photons. They found that photons that interacted with a quantum system can end up correlated with the system's state, the hallmark of entanglement. By careful preparation of the atom's state, it may be possible to reduce the loss of quantum information to the environment, and thus extend the life of these systems.
Measurement in quantum physics transforms an indeterminate system—one that behaves as if it's in a number of different states simultaneously—into one with a definite set of physical attributes. For example, the spin of an electron cannot typically be known in the absence of a measurement. However, sending the atom through a (nonuniform) magnetic field will deflect it either up or down relative to the field, showing that the electron is either aligned with or aligned against the magnet.
Since that outcome will happen whichever way the magnetic field is oriented, the electron's state is indeterminate before the measurement, but "collapses" into one of two alternatives after the fact. Those two alternatives comprise the "measurement basis," relative to the magnetic field; a different orientation will yield a different measurement basis.
Even if a quantum system is in a definite state (say after a measurement), interactions with its environment will tend to nudge it back toward indeterminacy. This process is known as decoherence, and it stands as one of the biggest obstacles to quantum computing. In essence, the environment itself—which includes ambient photons that make up the electromagnetic field—is performing "measurements" on the system. If these (or any other) measurements involve light, then the interaction creates entanglement between the quantum states of the photons and the matter.
In the current experiment, the researchers trapped a single strontium (Sr) atom in crossed electromagnetic fields. Strontium has an unpaired electron in its outermost shell, which dictates the spin of the atom. The experimenters subjected this spin to an additional weak magnetic field, coaxing it into a preferred quantum state. They then shone a laser on the atom in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field, and collected the photons that scattered.
The scattering process involves an atom absorbing a photon, which induces a transition between two quantum states inside the atom. Subsequently, the atom undergoes a second transition, emitting a new photon. So, one photon entered, one photon left, but the second takes some information with it: the polarization of the photon depends on the spin state of the electron in the strontium atom. By measuring the polarization of these scattered photons, the researchers could reconstruct the quantum state transitions of the atom.
To reconstruct the full physical system, the researchers prepared the atoms so that the electron spin started in one of several different directions, then compared the photon polarizations after scattering. The outcomes were very different: if the electron spin was aligned with or against the direction of photon scatter, then the light came out with one of two simple polarization orientations, corresponding to the measurement basis. However, for any other electron spin direction, the photons came out entangled with the state of the atom.
That meant that the result of the polarization measurement was correlated with the state of the atom. The outcome was a mixture of possible polarizations and, in most cases, they results didn't correspond to one or the other state in the measurement basis.
The finding is significant because the quantum state of a trapped atom has been used as a qubit in a quantum computer. Unfortunately, according to quantum physics, the environment contains ambient photons, which interact with any atom, and this can lead to decoherence. In effect, the environment is erasing the state needed for computations.
This experiment showed that orienting the detection devices in a clever way could avoid this form of decoherence, by exploiting scattering directions in which entanglement between environment photons and the atom's spin state does not take place. While this may sound simple, in practice it would be somewhat more challenging. Nevertheless, these new results indicate how future experiments could compensate for some aspects of decoherence.
Science, 2013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1229650 (About DOIs).

subset: commoncrawl


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Two Tone Gold Newgrange Spiral with Ogham Script Wedding Ring
Price: €399.00
Code: BR6TT
Quantity in Cart: None
Two Tone Gold Newgrange Spiral with Ogham Script Wedding RingLadies and Mens versions have same width of 7.5mm, thickness 2mm, weight 11 grams. Comfort fit. Ogham script reads, 'Faith'. This ring is handmade and hallmarked in Ireland and available in either 10k or 14k gold or a combination of sterling silver and 10k yellow gold.
Ogham script is an earliest known form of Irish writing. The characters comprise a series of lines and notches that are scored across a long-stem line, found often on ancient standing stones. In the majority of cases, the inscription is read from the bottom up, and usually names the person being commemorated along with their ancestors and the carver of the inscription.
In legend, Ogham was said to have been created by Oghma, the son of An Daghda. Ogma was both a warrior and the god of eloquence and literature, and fought the second battle of Magh Tuireadh where he slew the Formi, Indech, son to The Goddess Domnu.


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Jennifer Wilson Buck '94
A first team All-Capital Athletic Conference selection in both volleyball and softball for three straight years, Wilson is one of the most versatile athletes in school history. She was named the CAC Player of the Year in both sports in 1993, and was the first athlete in any sport to be named first team all-conference for three straight years (and did so in two sports). At the time of her induction, Jennifer still held the school record for career assists and season attack percentage in volleyball and most doubles in a season in softball.
Inducted October 24, 2008


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After 25 Years Local Retired Teacher Finally Gets a Good Night Sleep
Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center Offers Relief to Sleepless Nights
For over two decades every night 63 year-old Darrell Holmquist's sleep was always interrupted. His road to a restful sleep was discovered in an unusual way because Darrell wasn't overweight, didn't smoke or over indulge in alcohol, which are many of the common causes to sleepless nights. His optometrist recommended Darrell to see his primary care physician after learning of his sleepless nights and then discovering the blood vessels behind his eyes were in poor condition.
Photo Caption: Pictured are LuAnn Nurczyk, Manager of Respiratory Care for Silver Cross Hospital; and Technician Rod Hanna with New Lenox resident Darrell Holmquist (center) at the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center.
"I have glaucoma and I recently learned that research has shown a link with people who have glaucoma and those who sleep poorly," said Holmquist, who retired after 33 years of teaching history at Joliet Central and Lincoln-Way East and Central High Schools. "So I definitely wanted to reduce the chances of my glaucoma worsening, so I immediately made an appointment with my doctor." It was then determined Darrell had bad circulation in the back of his eyes which qualified him for a sleep study. At this point, his doctor referred him to have his sleep study at the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center located in Pavilion A at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. Here, it was determined that he indeed had mild sleep apnea.
"Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep," says Dr. Phillip Leung, board certified pulmonologist. "These breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes and often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour." During Darrell's sleep study, he had 18 breathing pauses every hour.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic condition that disrupts sleep making you tired during the day. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes; make arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, more likely; and increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents.
While at the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center, Darrell spent the night in a private home-like room where he had his own bathroom, calming décor, and comfortable bed to help put him at ease. He spent the next 8 hours undergoing a polysomnographic test and a sleep study that provided a detailed picture of his entire sleep cycle. The study allowed technicians to analyze Darrell's exact sleep pattern, from the onset of sleep through the 4 normal levels of sleep, to breathing, oxygen levels, heartbeat, movement and snoring activity. The next morning it was determined that he had mild sleep apnea and required a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help control his breathing while he sleeps.
"My experience at the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center was terrific," said Holmquist who resides in New Lenox. "The technician Terri, did everything with such thoughtful care to make me comfortable so my test results were reliable and valid. And the facility is gorgeous. It felt like a fancy hotel."
Advice to Other Patients
"I would definitely recommend other people who aren't sleeping well to get a sleep study because it will change their lives," said Holmquist. "I no longer need to take afternoon naps because of the high quality of my night's sleep. I am awake after sleeping, and can continue my hobbies of riding my bike 7 miles a day!"
Holmquist also encourages new CPAP machine users to be patient when getting used to sleeping with the mask and machine. "The key to successfully using the CPAP machine is to give yourself time to adjust to sleeping with the equipment and find the right mask that allows you to sleep comfortable in any position," stated Holmquist.
In addition to diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, the Center specializes in sleep related breathing disorders, insomnia, sleep related movement disorders, and narcolepsy. "We are committed to helping our patients receive the correct treatment that will enable them to rest properly, so they can have a better quality of life," says Dr. Leung.
Sleep Study Patient Testimonial featuring Darrell Holmquist at the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center
If you or someone you love is experiencing a sleep problem, we invite you to contact the Silver Cross Sleep Disorders Center for an initial consultation. For more information, call 1-815-300-REST (7378) or visit www.silvercross.org/sleepdisorderscenter.


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Gibson guitar potentiometer database
Potentiometers listed for the Gibson Les Paul Anniversary electric guitar
Gibson Pot Database: home
|Model: Les Paul Anniversary
The following pots are listed as being used in this electric guitar. Further details of each pot can be found by following the link.
|part number
|part list / schematic
|1981 Gibson parts list
|1981 Gibson parts list
* The 1978-80 loose leaf update sheet lists suitable replacement pots for older ones no longer available from Gibson. Many of these are of different resistance, shaft length and possibly taper.
Back to the GIBSON INDEX | comment


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The first U.S. segment of the International Space Station came to life Monday night as the Unity module was activated for the first time. Activation followed the connection of electrical and data cables by Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jim Newman during a 7-hour, 21-minute space walk.
Working smoothly and ahead of schedule, Ross and Newman mated 40 cables and connectors running 76 feet from the Zarya control module to Unity as the 35-ton station towered over the cargo bay of the shuttle Endeavour.
The two veteran space walkers began their excursion at 4:10 p.m. Central time, quickly pressing ahead with the connection of crucial data and power cables between Zarya and Unity. Ross and Newman also installed handrails and other hardware that will help space walkers move around the station on upcoming assembly missions, completing all of the connections within three hours. At various times, robot arm operator Nancy Currie moved Ross and Newman around the station modules on the end of the shuttle's manipulator system to conduct their work.
As Endeavour and the International Space Station passed over Russian ground stations, commands were sent from the Russian flight control team to activate a pair of Russian-American voltage converters, enabling power to flow from Zarya to Unity for the first time. International Space Station flight controllers in Houston saw Unity's systems come to life at 9:49 p.m., confirming perfect electrical continuity between the two modules. Unity's systems were then activated, including a pair of data relay boxes serving as the brain and nervous system for the U.S.-built component. Near the end of the space walk, Ross removed thermal covers from the relay boxes after Unity's heaters began to control the module's temperature.
With Pilot Rick Sturckow serving as the space walk choreographer, Newman was raised on the robot arm to the Zarya module to take a close look at a pair of Russian rendezvous antennas that did not fully deploy following the module's launch on Nov. 20. The so-called TORU system serves as a backup to the automatic Kurs system on Zarya, providing navigational data for spacecraft approaching the Russian component for docking. Russian flight controllers say the TORU antennas are emitting signal strength, but space station managers wanted additional engineering data so they can decide on a course of action for deploying the antennas.
Shortly before the space walk ended, Ross broke the record for most cumulative extravehicular activity time by a U.S. astronaut of 29 hours and 41 minutes previously held by former astronaut Tom Akers during five space walks on STS-49 and STS-61. Ross, who completed his fifth space walk tonight, now has 30 hours and 8 minutes of time spent in the void of space.
About an hour after Endeavour's astronauts were scheduled begin an eight-hour sleep period at 3:36 a.m. Central time, Cabana asked if the wake-up time could be postponed. Mission Control agreed, and the crew now will be awakened at 12:06 p.m. to begin its sixth day in orbit. The astronauts plan to raise the altitude of the International Space Station by about 3 1/2 statute miles Tuesday by firing Endeavour's jets in the first of two planned reboost maneuvers. The crew also will take half a day off to relax and enjoy the view from orbit after a busy start to the first International Space Station assembly flight.
Endeavour and the station are orbiting at an altitude of 242 statute miles with all systems in excellent shape.
The next STS-88 mission status report is scheduled after crew wake up this afternoon.


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Mobility Research Center
Neil Alexander, M.D., M.S., Director
The 3,300 square foot Mobility Research Center houses studies of mobility and physical activity assessment and enhancement in older adults, including mechanisms underlying mobility problems and interventions to address them. Goals of the Center are to:
- Identify the mechanisms underlying impaired mobility task performance
- Develop methods to measure impaired mobility performance
- Develop interventions to reduce impairments in mobility performance
- Provide an environment to facilitate interdisciplinary research
- Publicize methods of evaluation and intervention to health care professionals and caregivers.
The Mobility Research Center (MRC) is located near the University of Michigan North Campus, is accessed by U-M shuttle, taxi, and city bus service, and has parking immediately outside the building for easy access. The MRC focuses on studies of mobility and physical activity assessment and enhancement in older adults. As a part of the U-M Geriatrics Center , an important mission of the MRC is to serve as a center for undergraduate, graduate, and junior faculty trainees.
The MRC leverages expertise from a number of disciplines (such as geriatrics, biomechanics, exercise physiology, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and neuropsychology) to examine the mechanisms underlying mobility problems and develop interventions to address these problems.
Areas of the MRC are dedicated to specific measurements, including a gait lab with a subfloor force plate pit and optoelectronic camera system for kinematic and kinetic measurements; a separate room for private medical history and examinations; a 60 foot walkway for walking tests; dedicated areas for oxygen uptake and isokinetic dynamometry measurements; and a common area with rails for group exercise activities.
Key equipment available at the Center includes:
- Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer for muscle strength assessment
- Optotrak Certus Motion Analysis system to measure joint motion
- AMTI forceplates to measure center of pressure changes at the feet.
- Sensor Medics Vmax29 Cardiopulmonary exercise system and portable MedGraphics VO2000 and Cosmed K4b2 for aerobic function measurements
- Trackmaster treadmill
- Exercise equipment (upright and recumbent bicycles, treadmills, and free weights)


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Friday August 23, 2019; 07:12 pm EDT
Craig Shelden is a believer
Craig Shelden's two-car garage is his refuge from the world. From this lair, he runs his spare-time robotics business, Shelden Robotics. The two family vehicles are parked outside the double doors.
Inside is neatness and order. A garden rake, trash can and recycling bins are the only clues to a family life beyond the closed door. Blue and red electric tape strategically stuck to the floor in circles and rectangles measures robotic achievement.
As a kid, Shelden loved Legos. At 43, retired from an engineering career as a Naval submariner, he rediscovered Legos, and the parts of his life meshed.
"I started with the Lego NXT Kits in 2006, as soon as they came in from Denmark," says Shelden. Lego NXT Kits develop into robots.
Son Daniel was his excuse. But Dad was the one who played with the kits, claiming its "educational benefits."
With three motors enabling movement forward and backward, left and right, Lego NXT is customizable to many purposes and lessons. Shelden made robots to "go the distance" following behavioral clues in shapes like octagons and polygons. Hence the tape on his garage floor. His robots can bounce, follow light sensors and respond to speed controls. They can even escape confinement.
They're pretty cute, but they look more like miniature Mars Rovers than R2D2 or Wall-E.
By 2009 his robots were spoiling to show off their stuff.
He found competition at his children's school, Barstow Elementary in Prince Frederick. Wendy Bowen's fifth graders — including Daniel — and their able robot won the 2009 College of Southern Maryland Robotics Challenge Junior Division competition, Power Puzzle.
"Bowen opened the doors for everybody," Shelden says.
But one robot was not enough for 20 students. The optimum ratio for robots to human is 2:1, Shelden says. "The synergy and teamwork are there with that kind of ratio."
In the gap, he saw opportunity.
Shelden Robotics opened for business in 2010 at the annual Robot Fest at the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum Heights.
Shelden's kit robots give kids more learning opportunities, more hands-on time with robots and programming and more fun learning.
The robots are fun, but they remain a means to an end, Shelden says, "by drawing kids into problem solving and engineering more deeply and enthusiastically than another page of math problems."
Shelden Robotics rent each LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits for $30 a month. They are scalable, meaning you can add more parts to make a robot do more work.
Shelden's robot kits are lowering entry costs for STEM education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by renting educational robots at reasonable rates.
His day job keeps him working for the Navy as a civilian. Beyond a living, he says he "gets insights into technology from around the world and that drives me even more to help the folks working STEM education efforts."


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Sentara RMH Medical Group president to retire
John A. McGowan, M.D., president of Sentara RMH Medical Group will retire effective July 2016. The extended timeframe will allow the medical group, a team of 135 physicians and advance practice clinicians, sufficient time to select a new president and ensure smooth continuity of care among the group's 23 clinics and medical practices.
McGowan has served as medical group president since its founding in 2010. From 2008 to 2012, he was employed as an inpatient physician (hospitalist) with Sentara RMH. Prior to that, he was a nephrologist (kidney specialist) on staff at Harrisonburg Medical Associates.
"Dr. McGowan has been an invaluable member of the SRMH senior leadership team. His extensive experience as a private practice physician prior to joining the medical group brought great insight into the important role of the medical group president," said Jim Krauss, Sentara RMH Medical Center president.
Over the years, McGowan has served in various leadership roles in the local medical community — including chairman and president of RMH Medical Executive Committee, president of Harrisonburg Medical Associates and co-chairman and founding board member of Valley Health Plan.
"I want to thank all of those who have helped SRMG to grow and to advance in its efforts to provide exceptional healthcare in this community," said McGowan. "I'm also thankful for the many wonderful experiences I've had working with my colleagues at Sentara RMH and Harrisonburg Medical Associates."
In retirement McGowan plans to engage in volunteer activities, travel and spend more time with his wife, Beverly and three children, Sean, Kevin and Catherine.
Dr. McGowan graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine in Little Rock, Ark. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine, and a fellowship in nephrology, at Presbyterian-University Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he remained on staff for two additional years prior to moving to Harrisonburg in 1987.


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We all love a grilled cheese sandwich. And we love a crunchy BLT. So what happens when the two get together? We wonder why we hadn't thought of it before, that's what. Heidi Larsen came up with this gem of a recipe on her blog, Foodie Crush.
Heidi's BLT grilled cheese recipe calls for lacy Swiss cheese, which I think would go perfectly with bacon. But of course you can swap in any other cheese you like better. And if you're looking for a perfect tomato soup to go with that sandwich, here's a slow cooker tomato soup recipe from our big list of Crock-Pot soups. And there you go! The ultimate snowy day weekend lunch, BLT grilled cheese with a side of cozy soup.
BLT Grilled Cheese via Foodie Crush
2 slices egg bread
4 slices cheddar cheese
1-2 slices lacy swiss
4 slices cooked bacon
2 slices tomato
1 tablespoon butter
1. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, then stack buttered sides together. Layer 2 slices cheddar on top of bread stack, then bacon slices, then lacy swiss cheese, then tomato and finally the remaining slices of cheese. Place bread buttered side down in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Cover with lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
2. Reduce heat to medium and flip sandwich to other side and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasty golden and cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully.
3. Cut in half and enjoy with homemade tomato soup!
Image via Heidi Larsen


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Latest media releases
Times still hard for SMEs - Apprenticeship market intact
The slump in business suffered by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland in the first quarter, persisted during the second quarter. Revenues and cash flows fell further and even minor staff cutbacks continued. A sector comparison revealed that industrial SMEs appear to be suffering most in the current economic environment, but they expect the situation to improve in the third quarter. The survey findings on apprenticeships are more encouraging.
The results of the latest survey, which UBS conducts on a quarterly basis within the context of the UBS SME barometer in cooperation with the Swiss Trade Association showed that Swiss SMEs are still struggling in the face of economic turbulence. Thus, revenues and profits continued to fall in the second quarter, while the employment trend was once again negative. Expectations for the third quarter show no signs of improvement: Revenues and cash flows are likely to decline further, while price pressure is expected to increase marginally, and even developments in the workforce are showing no signs of reversing the trend.
Three quarters of the SMEs we surveyed advertised apprenticeships in the last year; who on average employed 5.5 apprentices. The survey indicates that the number of available apprenticeships in the service sector and in tourism is likely to rise slightly, while trainees in the retail sector are expect to face a dearth of vacancies. Overall, 83% of all SMEs surveyed are not planning any changes to the number of apprenticeship vacancies in the current year, 9% plan an increase and 8% a reduction. According to our survey, the number of vacancies on the apprenticeship market is unlikely to change to any significant extent.
Industrials bring up the rear
The business climate among industrial SMEs - calculated on the basis of the survey findings on output, revenues and new orders - deteriorated once again in the second quarter. The SMEs had to endure a repeated drop in profit and cash flows. Many industrial SMEs are suffering in the face of the slump in global trade. Incoming orders fell significantly year-on-year; more so in the export segment than in domestic trade. As a result, there were widespread production cutbacks, incoming orders tailed off and a further cut in production is likely in the coming months. Although the SMEs see the third quarter slightly less sceptically, the outlook remains gloomy and according to estimates of those surveyed, the business climate is expected to remain considerably negative.
SMEs in the service sector are relatively well positioned
Compared with larger service enterprises, the SMEs in the service sector posted a less pronounced drop in cash flows. Even their revenues dropped less severely, resulting in only minor staff cutbacks for the service providers among SMEs. The expectations for the third quarter are slightly more optimistic. Having said that, redundancies are set to continue at a slightly increased rate.
Less holiday spirits - The tourism industry is in the doldrums
The tourism industry is suffering from falling visitor numbers. According to our survey of SMEs, the second quarter saw the number of foreign tourists fall more drastically year-on-year than domestic tourists. These numbers are likely to have been influenced by the EURO08 football championships hosted by Switzerland last year. By contrast, the absence of Swiss tourists in the second quarter is likely to be attributable among other things to the deteriorating consumer sentiment and falling job security. SMEs were better able to withstand the price pressure in the tourist segment that their larger competitors. The cost of lodging is primarily exposed to the downtrend. Prices in the food service sector remained stable.
These price trends are expected to continue during the third quarter. However, the industry representatives surveyed, expect the decline in the number of foreign guests to pick up; the corresponding development of Swiss tourist numbers is likely to remain on par with the prior quarter. The SMEs expect profit and cash flows to drop off even more and plan further staff cutbacks.
Subdued consumer demand: Food revenues stagnating, other product segments suffering
Although the situation of the small and medium-sized retail enterprises improved slightly in the second quarter, (the drop in overall revenues and cash flows was less pronounced than in the prior quarter), retailers were pessimistic with regard to the trend in the third quarter: They anticipate significant dips in profits, cash flows and overall revenues. While revenues are predicted to stagnate in the food industry, SMEs in the retail segment expect revenues to fall even more dramatically, especially in the area of textile sales, but also in terms of business with other non-foods.
SMEs in the building sector under price pressure - they are not the only ones
Compared to other industries, SMEs in the building sector fared relatively well, recording lower declines in overall revenues and no staff cutbacks in the second quarter. Having said that, price pressure is greatest in this sector, with SMEs affected just as severely as their larger competitors. Since the start of the year the general trend in cash flows and revenues of the SMEs survey was negative. This is unlikely to change in the third quarter. The small and medium-sized building enterprises expect their business environment to become even more difficult given a further increase in price pressure, an increasing decline in overall revenues and rapidly falling incoming structural and civil engineering orders.
Changes in the UBS SME barometer
The UBS SME barometer was revamped this summer and now provides more detailed findings on individual industrial groups such as industrials, service sector, construction, tourism and retail. 603 small and medium-sized enterprises and - for comparison purposes - 177 large companies participated in the survey held in May/June.
Methodology used to determine the UBS SME barometer
The UBS SME barometer is based on an evaluation of the UBS survey on manufacturing that has been carried out by the bank since 1975, which was extended to include service providers starting in the third quarter of 2006. Around 1,300 companies (1,000 SMEs and 300 large companies), which form a representative cross-section of the Swiss economy, are surveyed every quarter. Any companies employing fewer than 250 employees are classed as SMEs. The responses obtained from our survey are evaluated using a diffusion index: the result represents the weighted average of the percentages of companies reporting a very positive, positive, negative or very negative trend. It therefore does not represent a percentage rate of change.
The business climate is calculated exclusively for the industrials on the basis of the survey results on output, incoming orders and revenue. Data on cash flow and at an industry-specific level have been collected since the first quarter of 2009.
Notes: Prior-quarter trends are extrapolated actual results (grey bars). Current-quarter trends are companies' expectations (shaded bar). The respondents were asked about the change compared to the same quarter in the previous year. The collected data are evaluated using a diffusion index. The results can range between -100 and +100, with results at or around zero [-5;5] representing stagnation, results up to -50 (+50) representing a deterioration (improvement) and results below -50 (above +50) representing a major deterioration (improvement). The data do not represent a percentage change in the parameter.
Carla Duss
WMR Economic Research Switzerland
Tel. +41-44-234 21 19
Daniel Kalt
Head WMR Macroeconomic Research
Tel. +41-44-234 25 60
Schweizerischer Gewerbeverband (sgv)
Dr. Rudlof Horber
Chief Economist
Tel.: +41-31-380 14 34
Hans-Ulrich Bigler
Director sgv
Tel.: +41-79-285 47 09
The Schweizerische Gewerbeverband sgv (sgv - Swiss Industry and Trade Association) is the umbrella organisation for small and medium-sized enterprises. It was founded in 1879 and is now the biggest business association in Switzerland. The sgv is active in representing the interests of some 300,000 small and medium-sized enterprises. Most of which are members of approximately 250 industry and professional associations and of the cantonal industry and trade associations, which are organised on a multi-sectoral basis.


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I want to talk to you about the great doctrine of divine redemption...divine redemption. Earlier when I read Psalm 19, you will remember the final statement of Psalm 19 is, "O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer." Many places in the Psalms God is referred to as Redeemer. Psalm 78:35 calls Him the high God who is Israel's rock and Redeemer. It was Job who in the midst of his horrific situation said, "I know that my Redeemer lives." The writer of Proverbs identified God as a mighty Redeemer. Isaiah loved to refer to God as Redeemer and did so about a dozen times in his prophecy, calling Him the Redeemer, the Holy One. Jeremiah echoed the very words of the Psalmist, "Our Redeemer is strong," he wrote. And when we entered into our study in the gospel of Luke, we remember that the priest, Zacharias, who along with Elizabeth were the privileged parents of the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, when he found out that Messiah was in fact coming and that he would be the father of the forerunner of Messiah, he broke out in that amazing benedictus at the end of the first chapter of Luke in which he said the Messiah was coming to accomplish redemption for His people.
Even at the end of the gospel of Luke, redemption comes back to be a very important theme. He came to redeem Israel. The New Testament writers gather around this subject of redemption, certainly the Apostle Paul does, he wrote of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us. Peter said we were not redeemed with silver and gold and precious stones, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the unblemished and spotless Lamb. And when we look into the glories of heaven in the fifth chapter of Revelation, we'll do a little more later, we find that gathered around the throne of God are all the saints of the ages singing a new song of redemption. Romans talks about redemption and so does Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and the great epistle of Hebrews which presents the superiority of Christ presents Him as the one who redeemed sinners.
No consideration of great doctrine then could pass by the doctrine of redemption. It is at the heart of what salvation really is. It's not peripheral, it is core. We have been digging into the treasure of great doctrine. We started out backing, going, I guess in reverse, backing into these great doctrines from what would assume to be their logical order, we started with the perseverance of the saints, that is if you're saved it's forever. We then saw that our eternal salvation is predicated upon eternal election, the sovereign choice of God in eternity past. We saw that sovereign election and irresistible grace are necessary for salvation because of man's total depravity or absolute inability to save himself or make any contribution to his own salvation. We saw then that if God had predetermined who He would save, if God had chosen to awaken certain sinners to salvation, it was for them that He provided in fact an actual atonement so that Jesus really died to pay in full the price for the sins of those who would believe.
We then looked at the doctrine of divine love. Behind it all God so loved. It is that divine love that led to that divine election. That divine election led to that drawing out of our absolute inability. That divine election led to providing an actual atonement which is, in fact, to be understood as a redemption of sinners. We have been redeemed. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us that God in love, verse 4, predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, sons to Himself according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved, in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us. You basically find elements of all those doctrines in just those few words...in love, He predestined, through His will He bestowed on us by grace the forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of Christ in His blood which for us was the redemption price paid.
We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness, Paul wrote to the Colossians, into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son in whom we have redemption. I can't count all the times redemption is referred to in the Old Testament, in the New Testament it is all over the place. It is a critical element of doctrine to understand and it takes us to the very heart of the gospel. If we're going to talk about what it is to know God, what it is to be saved from sin, what it is to be rescued from judgment, what it is to become a true believer, what it is to know and experience the love of God, we have to talk about redemption. And when you talk about redemption, it's all predicated on understanding the human condition. It is predicated on understanding man as guilty before God, under condemnation, under just judgment because he has incurred a debt to God by violation of His Law which he has no capacity on his own to pay. He is then sitting, as it were, in prison waiting for final damnation. His only hope is to be redeemed to have the price that he owes God paid by someone else. The debt removed by payment if he is to be delivered from judgment.
This certainly is an important doctrine from a biblical standpoint and ought to be at the forefront of all of our discussions of the gospel. And yet today the pop gospel gives little consideration to this immensely central truth of soteriology. As long as preachers leave out the issue of sin, the issue of guilt, the issue of eternal damnation, as long as they leave out those matters of debt incurred to God in violation of His Law which puts us under just retribution, as long as that is left out, then the doctrine of redemption is lost. And to lose an understanding of redemption then is in some ways to blaspheme God by stealing the glory that belonged to Him as our Redeemer. How can we sing, "Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am," with any meaning at all if we don't know what we're talking about? From what have we been redeemed? By whom unto what? Salvation has come in the modern area...era, a kind of therapy, a kind of spiritual experience where Jesus makes nice people nicer and occasionally bad people nice, and good people better, and unhappy people happier, and purposeless people purposeful, and unfulfilled people fulfilled, and unsuccessful people successful, and discontent people content. That's the therapeutic view of salvation. That's not the biblical one. In the Bible, God is not a therapist, God is a Redeemer. People are not just unfulfilled. They don't just lack purpose. They're not just dysfunctional. They're under the just condemnation of God. They're on death row headed for a judgment that they deserve without the capability to change that. And the glory of the gospel is that God is a Redeemer who has provided redemption, payment in full, so that we can be bought back from judgment.
There are many passages that deal with this. Let me draw you to Galatians 3, this is the best, this is the simplest and most straightforward. Galatians chapter 3, I've been thinking about this for a long time, a lot lately. As you well know, I..I seem to be continually distressed by a lot of things that go on in the name of Christianity and one of them is the loss of this great understanding of the doctrine of redemption because we are so unwilling to paint the picture of the human condition truly accurately, biblically, because we want people to like us because we think it's important to be popular and winsome, we're not willing to really tell people the truth about their condition before God. And consequently salvation then becomes a very superficial thing and the heart of it is, we can't talk about redemption if we don't talk about desperation on the part of those who need to be redeemed. You know, as we're learning in the book of Luke, it wasn't that the people hated Jesus and killed Him because they hated the idea of heaven. It wasn't that they didn't like the idea of a Kingdom. It wasn't that they didn't like the ideas of miracles. It wasn't that they didn't like the idea of peace and joy. It wasn't that. That's not why they killed Jesus. It was that they would not accept the diagnosis of their condition. The Jews prided themselves on the fact that they were righteous before God and Jesus came along and told them the very opposite about themselves and that's why they killed Him. It's a so very unpopular message. The purest person whoever lived, the only sinless person who ever lived, the greatest communicator whoever lived, the most profound mind whoever lived, the greatest story teller whoever lived, the greatest motivator whoever lived, the one with the greatest insight into human need and human understanding whoever lived, the Lord Jesus Christ with all of those things going for Him could not...could not win popularity because what He said was unacceptable to a self-righteous world. And if people are going to understand the truth of the gospel, they've got to accept the diagnosis, then they can understand what redemption means, then they can give God the glory that He is due as the Redeemer.
Galatians 3:10, "For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them, to do them. Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident for the righteous man shall live by faith. However, the Law is not of faith, on the contrary, he who practices them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
My intention is not to get caught up in the details of this text, but to take a look at the big picture here. This is profound and this is at the heart of the issue of redemption. Let's look at the problem in verse 10.
"As many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse." Everybody who comes under the Law of God is cursed. And who is everybody? Everybody...everyone, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Law acts in behalf of God upon every soul whoever lives. All are held accountable to that Law. Written in the heart, Paul says in Romans 2, if not known, written on stone or paper." And everyone under the Law is under a curse. Why? Quoting from Deuteronomy 27:26, "Cursed is everyone who doesn't abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them." Now this is the curse, the Law curses people. It curses everyone. Most people when they think about the Law of God, think about sort of a lofty noble ethical code summarized in the Ten Commandments, a good system to strive to live by, to adhere to, a somewhat elevated standard that we would like people to achieve though certainly not hard and fast if we sort of make a good run at it now and then and give it a shot, God will overlook our short falls. If we fail to obey, you know, God's going to be kind to us because we...we really tried.
In a sense, that's what the Jews believed. They believed that if they made a noble run at the Law and picked out a few things that they could now and then adhere to and things mostly external because on the outside when they were, you know, white, unpainted sepulchers, on the inside they were full of dead men's bones, they never could deal with the inside. No one can by the power of the Law. But they thought that they had accomplished at least enough of an interest in the Law and enough of an achievement in Law keeping that God would be satisfied with them and that they were pleasing to God and that they had possessed their own righteousness having achieved it through their attempt to keep the Law. In fact, the average Jewish rabbi at the time of Jesus believed that only the Vulgar, only the Amharits(???), the hoi-polloi, the common people who had neither knowledge or interest in the Law were actually under the curse. They limited the curse to only those who were indifferent to the Law. In fact, in the seventh chapter of John and the 49thverse, mockingly the leaders said, "This multitude which does not know the Law is cursed." For them knowing the Law and being able to articulate the nuances of the Law and the embellishments of the Law and fussing and fiddling with all the minutia of the Law, that was tantamount in their minds to satisfying the obligation of the Law. And it was only those who didn't know the Law or paid no attention to it, indifferent to it, who were under the curse. They certainly were not. Jesus turned that completely on its head. And Jesus came and condemned them all by the Law, and they killed Him for it.
Paul essentially does the same thing here in verse 10. "Cursed is everyone who doesn't abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them." You have to keep it all, you have to keep it all, all the time. And if you've broken it one time, you're under its curse. In Romans chapter 4 and verse 15 we find out the purpose of the Law. "The Law works wrath...the Law works wrath." The Law produces judgment. The Law brings a curse. Every person in the world is born in sin, therefore sins, therefore violates the Law, therefore is cursed, therefore is subject to eternal judgment. And that's how we all live. And verse 11 adds this note of hopelessness. "No one is justified by the Law before God...no one, absolutely no one." That should be evident because the Old Testament says, Habakkuk 2:4, "The righteous man shall live by...what?...by faith...by faith." and the next verse says, "The Law is not of faith. They're mutually exclusive." If you're going to live by Law, then you're going to live according to Leviticus 18:5, "He who practices them shall live by them." Okay, you want to achieve your own righteousness before God by the Law, then you're obligated to keep the Law. And, of course, you can't do that. There's no mingling. There's no mingling. The Law is not of faith.
I was reading this week a letter written by a pastor of a large Bible church to someone who questioned the fact that he said, "Mother Teresa was a true Christian who would be in heaven." And the person who heard him say that wrote a letter and said, "On what basis would you say that Mother Teresa would be in heaven since she affirms that salvation is a combination of faith and works?" And the letter which I read this week that the pastor wrote back was really pretty astounding. He said something like this and this isn't a direct quote but it is the gist of it, I read it over a number of times. "Surely you don't think God would send someone to hell just because they didn't get their soteriology right?" That's why people go to hell because they don't get their soteriology right. What connection does the Law have to faith? None. They're mutually exclusive. That's why the Reformation said loud and clear, "Salvation is sola fide, faith alone." The Law produces wrath.
And so what you see here then is the problem. The problem is, we're all cursed. The word "curse" in the Old Testament there, at least three Hebrew words for it, means devoted to damnation, devoted to destruction. The Greek word in the New Testament means the same thing, something doomed, something devoted to destruction, headed for judgment. We're all cursed who have violated the Law, even one time, and there's nothing we can do on our own to get out from under that curse. The only way we could ever be saved would be completely apart from law-keeping by faith. And at that point, we move from the problem to the provision in verse 13. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law."
But I want to stop a minute, I want to expand this a little bit. I want you to understand what the curse of the Law is, okay? If you were to take the time, and you don't need to do it right now, to go back in to the Old Testament, you go back to Deuteronomy 28 when God lays out His promise of blessing and cursing. And basically God says in Deuteronomy 28 that if you break My Law, you're cursed. And this is what it's going to look like in your life, he writes, Deuteronomy 28, "The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, frustration in all you do and undertake to do until you're destroyed and you perish quickly on account of the evil of your doings because you've forsaken Me. The Lord will smite you with consumption, fever, inflamation, fiery heat, drought, blasting, mildew. The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You'll go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. You'll be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, your body will be food for the birds of the air, the beasts of the earth. No one is going to be able to frighten them away. The Lord will smite you with madness, blindness, confusion of mind. You will grope at noonday as the blind grope in darkness. You shall betroth the wife and another man shall lie with her. Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people. It shall not be in your power to prevent it. You will be driven mad by the sight which your eyes will see. You will become a horror, a proverb, a byword. Curses shall come upon you, pursue you, overtake you and your descendants forever because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart." He goes on to say you'll experience hunger, thirst, nakedness, the want of all things. And then the horror of all horrors, and this occurred in the time of the terrible siege of Jerusalem, you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your own sons and daughters. It goes on to talk about the most tender woman, tender, tender woman who would eat her own child before she would let somebody else eat the child because the famine conditions are so horrific when the judgment of God falls.
This is what's going to happen on cursed people, temporally in this world if you're not careful to do all the words of this Law which are written in this book and fear this glorious and awful name, the Lord your God. It doesn't exactly sound like God has a wonderful plan for your life, does it? God has a horrible plan, even temporally, he says, life is going to be horrific. And then eternally, you're going to suffer forever.
The Psalms are full of divine curses...full of them. It talks about God shattering the head of His enemies. It talks about punishment upon punishment, sevenfold retribution and vengeance. C.S. Lewis even said that in some of the Psalms the spirit of hatred strikes us in the face like heat from a furnace mouth. A man named R.N. Benson wrote a hymnal in 1901 called "War Songs of the Prince of Peace," and said there were no less than 39 Psalms that were war songs. God making war against sinners. One English study in 1974 concluded that 84 Psalms were not fit for Christians to sing. The prophet Nahum speaking about Gentiles said, "The Lord is a jealous God avenging, the Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, keeps wrath for His enemies. Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the heat of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire. The rocks are broken asunder by Him." Isaiah said, "The day of the Lord comes cruel with wrath and fierce anger." Romans 1 says that all of us have come under the wrath of God for our ungodliness and unrighteousness. Jesus said, "Depart, you cursed into eternal fire." Jesus cursed towns. Paul borrowing from Deuteronomy in Romans 12:19 says, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
You see, the inability to keep the Law of God brings a massive curse on all people. And Jesus came and laid down that condition, they killed Him and then they killed the Apostles. And people are still being martyred for this message. You don't want to go the way of the Law, folks. You don't want to live that way. You don't want to try to be justified by the Law. You can't be. No one, it says again in verse 11, is justified by the Law before God, the righteous live by faith. You don't want to go the way of Law, the way of Law is not the way of faith. And if you're going to go the way of Law, then you've got to practice the Law perfectly.
Let me tell you a few things about the Law, okay? Because I don't think we can understand redemption if we don't understand the curse. And we can't understand the curse in its fullness unless we understand the character and work of the Law. So I'm going to give you some things to think about. If you want, you can jot them down. Number one, the Law requires behavior contrary to your nature. The Law requires behavior contrary to your nature. The Law of God asks you to do exactly what you don't want to do. Have you noticed? It is opposite your longings. It is opposite your lusts. It is opposite your desires. It is not the line of least resistance, it is the hard, hard way. It calls for you to love what you hate, and hate what you love. It calls for you to go against the grain of all your natural desires and that is undesirable. You have to desire what you don't desire, want what you don't want, love what you don't love, hate what you don't hate. The Law requires behavior contrary to human nature. So if you're going to try to live by the Law, you're going to have a serious battle your whole life trying to do what you don't want to do, what there's nothing in you that longs to do.
Secondly, the Law not only requires behavior contrary to your nature, it requires behavior that is impossible..impossible. It's not only against your will, it's against your ability. Even if somehow, someway, somewhere by some means you could be motivated to want what is right in the truest sense, you couldn't do it. Could you wish it, you couldn't do it. You couldn't do holy things, your best, your righteousness is filthy rags. You can't think holy thoughts and speak holy words, there's not any of us who is good, there's not anything in us that's good and so here is the Law saying do this, and it's completely contrary to our nature, do this and it's not only contrary to our nature but we can't do it. That's simply illustrated by summing up the Law, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself." And we can't do that. Certainly the unregenerate cannot do that, but all the people who live in a legalistic system are kept under this Law and this bondage and they end up cursed because they're trying to do what they can't do and what they don't want to do.
Thirdly, the Law requires perfection...the Law requires perfection. The Law is a severe creditor, it demands perfect compliance. It demands nothing less than absolute perfection. It's not what we want, it's not possible. And the standard is way too high. Matthew 5:28, "Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect," that's the standard, okay? And it never, ever, ever relents. That's why it curses us. We're cursed because we're trying to do what we don't want to do, we're trying to do what we can't do, and we're commanded to do it perfectly which is utterly beyond our possibilities. That's why we're cursed.
There's another one, four, the Law refuses to accept good intentions and effort as compensation. This is why the Jews missed it. They thought that their meager longings toward goodness, that their religious activities, that their efforts counted. Well, trying counts in some areas, but not in law keeping. Effort counts for nothing. Good intention counts for nothing. There's no consolation bracket in the Law.
Number five in my little list, why we're cursed under the Law, is the Law accepts no payback plan. Now there are a lot of people who think, "I know in the past I've been a bad person, but now I'm going to be a good person. I know I've done a lot of bad things, but now I'm going to do a lot of good things and maybe as I, you know, do good things, they'll cancel out bad things." No, the debt is never discounted. The debt is never negotiated. The debt of all your sin is never repaid. You can't atone. You can't atone by saying beads. You can't atone by lighting candles. You can't atone by flagellating yourself. You can't atone by praying, by genuflecting, you can't atone by ceremony. You can't atone by doing good things in a human sense. You cannot atone by any religious activity or ceremony. There is no way to wipe out one single sin of the past, none. In fact, if you were to break the Law of God once in your life and never again, the rest of your life doing what was right wouldn't cancel what was wrong and what was wrong would be enough to damn you. Or if you lived your whole life and kept the Law of God and broke it just before you died, all that accumulated merit would count for nothing. There's no payback and there's no prepayment.
Number six, the Law is an unrelenting task master. It never says take the weekend off and do what you want...never. It never eases up. It never lightens the load. That's why Paul said, "When I saw the Law of God as it was, I died, it just killed me, it slew me, it crushed me." It never relaxes its requirements. It never gives the sinner a moments rest. It is stringent on bending, on relenting.
Number seven, the Law destroys happiness. The Law destroys happiness. It's like a steal rod crushing a clay pot. It's like a hammer through a glass window. When you really come under the Law, it produces shame and guilt and remorse and sorrow and fear and pain and futility and hopelessness and restlessness and anxiety and depression. And when you really live under the Law and feel the true reality of the Law, there is no relief. That's why you find a Publican in a synagogue pounding his chest, what is that? That's the agony of unrelieved guilt. "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Why is he pounding? Why is he looking at the ground? Why won't he lift his head up? Because he is crushed under the oppressive and relentless weight of the Law. He has no joy, no peace, no happiness. He can't find any relief and so he beats himself in an act of contrition and pain, demonstrating physically what his heart feels, crying for God in mercy to relieve this relentless sorrow.
Number eight, the Law requires the severest penalty. The Law has only one penalty, hell forever. Everybody gets it. There's no parole. There's not time off for good behavior. And nobody gets a shorter sentence. You break the Law, you get eternal judgment.
What are we saying? The Law requires you to do what's against your nature. It requires you to do what you can't do. It requires you to do it perfectly. It refuses to accept any good intention or effort as compensation. It accepts no payback and no prepayment plan. It is an unrelenting task master. It shatters your happiness and your peace. It requires the severest penalty for everyone.
Let me turn a corner, here's another one. This would be number nine in my list, the Law demands but doesn't help. The Law demands but doesn't help. It offers you no strength. It offers you no power. It offers you no plan. It offers you no method. It offers you no assistance. It offers you nothing to help you. There's nothing in the Law to help you. And I have to add to that, it offers no salvation. It can't make you different. And it can't save you. There is no salvation in the Law. Salvation is by faith. Being just before God is by faith not by Law. So number eleven, the Law listens to no one's repentance. It doesn't care that you're pounding on your chest. Doesn't care that you're beating your breast. It doesn't care that you're depressed. It doesn't care that you're full of shame and guilt and remorse. It doesn't care that you've lost your joy and lost your peace. It doesn't care how penitent, how broken, how sorry, how sad you are, it does not respond. It is indifferent to all repentance. That's what's so sad, you know, you have these people who feel the weight of their sin, it's pounding down on them. They want to appease the God. In the Old Testament they go and burn up their baby, or they go offer an offering to a false god, or in some form through the history of mankind they do whatever they think is going to...is going to break the terrible pressure that they feel, or they go confess to a priest or somebody and they're told to go through a routine, some kind of legal action, some kind of ceremonial thing and somehow they're going to find in that freedom...and there's no freedom there. The Law and all the ceremony that goes with it listens to no one's repentance, has no compassion on anyone's grief.
Number twelve, the Law offers no forgiveness. There's no mercy in the Law and there's no grace, that's why it's Law. There is no mercy and there's no grace.
Therefore...next, there's no hope. There's no promise that it will get better, that tomorrow will be brighter. That the future will be less difficult. No, the future will be worse. The future is horrible and it lasts forever.
I don't think you want to live there, do you? Under the Law. I don't think you want to work your way to hell thinking you're working your way to heaven. But that's where all of us are. We're all under the weight of the crushing violation of the divine Law of God which renders us guilty before God and just punishment and retribution needs to be meted out by a holy God. Our only hope is that somebody would rescue us. Our only hope is that someone would pay the debt we owe. Our only hope is that someone would pay the price. It can't be silver and gold, Peter said. And that's what brings us to verse 13. From the problem, to the provision. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law.
Can I go back and say it's not therapy, folks? It's redemption. He brought us out from under the curse. Verse 5 of Galatians 4, can you look at that for a minute? Galatians 4:5, just one chapter later, it says, "He redeemed those who were under the Law." He redeemed those who were under the Law. Christ redeemed us. Paul said to Timothy, "He is a ransom for us all." He said to Titus, "He gave Himself that He might redeem us." Now how did He do it? What was the price? Verse 13, "He redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us." Now you understand the death of Christ. He dies on the cross and pays your debt and my debt. Just a staggering reality.
It is at the heart of the Christian gospel, it's about redemption. He was cursed, analogous to the Old Testament statement back in Deuteronomy 21:23, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." He became a curse for us. He took our punishment. That's the gospel. In Romans chapter 5, if there is a great statement about this, when we were still helpless, verse 6, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Notice that, "He died for the ungodly." He didn't die for the godly. There aren't any. He didn't die for the good law keepers. He died for the ungodly. One would hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And we have been, verse 9 says, justified through His blood.
In Hebrews chapter 9 there are two statements about this that help us to see this. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 12, it says that, "Through His own blood He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. A redemption that the blood of bulls and goats couldn't obtain." They just pictured the one who would die and satisfy God. "He obtained eternal redemption." Once you're redeemed, it's forever. And we're back to that great doctrine of perseverance where it all began. Down in verse 15, "He is the mediator of a New Covenant because through death He has brought about...verse 15...the redemption of the transgressions committed unto the first covenant." The first covenant talking about here is the Mosaic Law. We all violated it. We all transgressed it. So He died to pay the price to redeem us out from under the curse of the violation of the first covenant. In this new covenant is our redemption. He became a curse for us. Criminals sentenced to death under Mosaic Law were usually executed, not crucified. The Jews didn't crucify. But when they had executed a person, they would tie the dead body to a post and they would let that body be on display for others to see to cause fear. Tying someone then to a tree or a post was to show that this person had been cursed by God. Analogous to that Old Testament pattern was Christ being put on a tree, cursed by God for us. He became sin for us. He took our place that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Look at Galatians 3:24, "The Law...and here's its good function...while it works wrath, the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith." The work of the Law is to produce wrath, but the work of the Law is to produce in the sinner the understanding of wrath and judgment and punishment and a curse that drives the sinner to Christ so that he can place his faith in Christ and be justified by that faith.
Now let's go back to Galatians 3 and close. What is the purpose of this? The problem, we're cursed. The provision, Christ. What's the purpose? Verse 14, it's a purpose clause here in the Greek, "In order that in Christ Jesus two things become ours, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles." What's that? What is the blessing that came to Abraham?
I'll tell you what it is. Romans 4 tells us the great blessing God gave to Abraham. "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, Genesis 15. What was the great gift that God gave Abraham? Righteousness. He removed the curse. Not through Abraham's works, but through Abraham's faith...through Abraham's faith. The same blessing of righteousness by faith comes to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.
So the first purpose, the first blessing is justification by faith. We are made righteous. The curse is removed. The second, we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. We didn't earn that either. The first thing we get is justification, second thing we get is sanctification. The first is salvation by faith, the second is the coming of the Holy Spirit who becomes the means of our sanctification. And what is the work of the Spirit? To produce in us a new heart, a new spirit, and a new love for the Law of God and a new desire to keep that Law. We are free from the penalty of the Law, we're not free from the obligation to obey God. Christ became a curse for us to buy us back from sin and damnation, to set us before Him as righteous and holy in position, and then to place His Spirit in us to progressively make us righteous and holy in practice. This is the gospel. This is the glory of redemption. And we rejoice in worshiping our God, the Holy One of Israel, our strength and our Redeemer.
Father, we thank you for the Word. Thank You for the truth of redemption. We embrace it with all our hearts. We treasure it as no other truth for in it we are rescued. We thank You for these glorious realities and may they be pressed to every heart. And now, Father, we are so thankful that though we are completely unworthy of redemption, You have nonetheless redeemed us. You have filled our hearts with grace and love. You have drawn us into this fellowship of believers. You have called us to service to reach the world with the glorious message of redemption. And may we worship You and out of that overflowing worship, may we proclaim the glory of the Redeemer, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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text:
Millikin Fine Arts Alumna to deliver Spring Commencement Address
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[May 08, 2014]
– Millikin University will celebrate its Spring Commencement with
two ceremonies on the weekend of May 17-18, 2014.
Millikin's traditional ceremony for students will be
on Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. at the Decatur Civic Center. Millikin
will host a ceremony for graduates of its Professional Adult
Comprehensive Education (PACE) Program and Master of Business
Administration (MBA) Program on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. in
Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Tickets are required for admission to
both ceremonies.
The ceremony on Sunday, May 18 will mark the graduation of
approximately 350 students. Theatre and Dance's own Shawn Lent '00
will return to the Big Blue to serve as the 2014 Commencement
speaker. The ceremony will also include remarks by student Elise F.
Scannell of Jerseyville, Ill., selected by her fellow classmates to
address the graduating class.
Lent created her own job title: social practice dance artist and
manager. Trained as a professional dancer, it was her passion to
help others that ultimately led Lent to find her calling beyond the
stage and to opportunities that have taken her around the world.
Combining dance with her desire to bring social change and reform,
Lent has used her talent to unify cultures, provide recreational
therapy and bring smiles to those in need.
From 2001 to 2003, Lent worked as a dance critic and youth worker in
a predominantly-Muslim community in East London, England. As a youth
and community development worker at Froud Community Centre, Lent
spearheaded art festivals and music and tolerance workshops. She
also secured funding for community-based film projects and
job-readiness programs for youth offenders and served as a youth
worker for crime prevention initiatives.
Lent returned to the U.S. in 2003, taking on several positions that
combined both her interests, including serving as arts integration
program specialist for the Center of Community Arts Partnerships at
Columbia College in Chicago from 2006 to 2012. She was one of only
12 North American and European leaders selected for the 2010 United
Nations Alliance of Civilizations International Fellowship program.
In May 2011, she was handpicked by representatives of the United
Nations to teach dance in Kevljani, Bosnia-Herzegovina, as part of
the Most Mira "Bridge of Peace" Youth Festival.
Awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant during the 2012-13 academic year,
Lent lectured at the Academy of Arts' High Institute of Ballet in
Cairo, Egypt. Her project, "Artist as Catalyst," focused on dance
classes and lectures on community arts theory and the role of
artists in civil society and education. Today, she serves as
EducationUSA coordinator and grant manager at AMIDEAST Cairo and an
instructor for Cairo Contemporary Dance Center. She also founded the
dance program at the 57357 Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt, where
she also volunteers and teaches dance to cancer patients.
Lent was founding chair of the Associates Board for Links Hall,
Chicago's home for independent dance and performance, and a founding
board member of Donna's Good Things, a foundation that provides
opportunities for children facing adversity. She has also served on
the Young Associates Board of Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
and Chicago Arts Educators Forum advisory board, and is a member of
the UNESCO International Dance Council (CID) and the British
Council's Transatlantic Network 2020.
Lent completed a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre and dance
from Millikin in 2000. She holds a master's degree in arts
management from Columbia College Chicago and a post-graduate
certificate in professional practice from Goldsmith's College,
University of London. Lent also writes a personal blog that was
featured in the Arts and Culture section of the Huffington Post
online news website. Her July 2013 post "Am I A Dancer Who Gave Up?"
received more than 140,000 hits and 27,000 likes.
[to top of second column]
The ceremony on Saturday, May 17 will celebrate the
graduation of students earning their bachelor's degree from Millikin
in one of six academic programs offered in PACE, the accelerated
evening bachelor's degree program for adults, as well as students
receiving their Master of Business Administration degree from
Millikin. The speaker for the ceremony will be Dr. Randall Rentfro
'78, associate professor of accounting at The University of Tampa.
The ceremony will also include speeches by PACE student Daniel W.
Hartman of Sherman, Ill., and MBA student Bobbi J. Donath of
Decatur, Ill., also selected by fellow classmates to address the
graduating class.
Dr. Randall Rentfro currently serves on the Board of Trustees of
Millikin University. He graduated from Millikin with a bachelor's
degree in accounting in 1978, completed his master's degree in
accountancy at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in
1986, and earned a Ph.D. in business administration (accounting
concentration) at Florida Atlantic University in 2000.
Dr. Rentfro's teaching and research interests focus on the financial
reporting of corporations and governments and factors that influence
such reporting. Dr. Rentfro's most recent research activities center
on state and local governments. In 2010, he and two colleagues
received a grant from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
to examine the need for disclosures of tax abatement activities by
local governments.
Dr. Rentfro began his career at Caterpillar Inc. in 1978 and held
various positions until he left to join Decatur Memorial Hospital in
1986 as its controller. In 1990, he began his faculty career at
Millikin as an assistant professor of accounting. He later assumed
the responsibility for being the director of Institutional Research
and Assessment and chair of the Department of Accounting and
Management Information Systems. In 1996, he moved to Florida to join
Florida Atlantic University as a graduate teaching assistant and
research assistant and upon finishing his Ph.D., was promoted to an
assistant professor of accounting. In 2005, he joined Nova
Southeastern University where he taught in the undergraduate and
graduate programs. Dr. Rentfro also chaired four dissertations for
students in the Doctorate of Business Administration Program (DBA)
at NSU. In 2011, he left Nova Southeastern to join The University of
Tampa as an associate professor of accounting.
Dr. Rentfro's professional work has been recognized with numerous
awards such as the Distinguished Research Award from the Academy of
Marketing Studies, and the 2010 National Author Award from the
Association of Government Accountants. He is a three-time Accounting
Professor of the Year award recipient at Florida Atlantic
For more information on Millikin University's 2014 Spring
Commencement, please visit
millikin.edu/commencement .
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text: SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMISSION Minutes of the regular meeting of Wednesday, January 2, 2002 (as approved Feb. 5, 2002). The San Francisco Public Library Commission held its regular meeting on Wednesday, January 2, 2002 n the Koret Auditorium, Main Library. The meeting was called to order at 4:08 PM by President Higueras. The following members were noted present: Commissioners Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig. Commissioners Chin, Streets, and Steiman were excused attendance. Agenda Items: 1. APPROVAL OF THE DECEMBER 4, 2001 MINUTES 2. CITY LIBRARIAN"S REPORT 3. LIBRARY 2002/2003 BUDGET 4. LIBRARY BYLAWS REVISION 5. ELECTION OF COMMISSION OFFICERS 6. AFFINITY CENTERS UPDATE REPORT 7. FRIENDS & FOUNDATION REPORT 8. NEW BUSINESS 9. PUBLIC COMMENT 10. ADJOURNMENT 11. Appendix A AGENDA ITEM #1 APPROVAL OF THE DECEMBER 4, 2001 MINUTES Public comment: An anonymous member of the public noted that the Minutes were incomplete as the public comment summary statements had not been posted on the Library's website. This person also noted that an anecdote they had related had not been explained in the Minutes. This anonymous member of the public further noted that a comment by President Higueras about the cost of library improvements had not been accurately reported. Mr. Ed Regan requested that a comment concerning library book collections be clarified to read as referring to non-fiction collections. Mr. Peter Warfield expressed a desire for greater specificity in reported comments, found the budget proposed a sad document, and suggested that the reported POE (Post Occupancy Evaluation) Report items did not track back to the recommendations in the POE Report. Commission comment: Commissioner Coulter suggested that the Commission consider moving approval of previous meeting Minutes to the end of its regular agendas. Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, seconded by Commissioner Bautista for approval of the Minutes of December 4, 2001 with corrections to Mr. Regan's remarks as noted. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig) AGENDA ITEM #2 CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT City Librarian Susan Hildreth reported that the San Francisco History Center had received the gift of an Underwood typewriter used by famed San Francisco author Dashiel Hammett from Mr. Hammett's daughter and thus it joined columnist Herb Caen's typewriter in the Library's collections. The City Librarian reported that the reopening of the Visitacion Valley Branch Library would occur on January 8th. Ms. Hildreth noted that the ILS (Integrated Library System) RFP (request for proposals) was being released on January 2,2002 and would close on March 15th. She noted that the document had been developed and then extensively reviewed by staff committees. The City Librarian informed the Commission the Tool Lending Center would be holding a 1st Anniversary celebration on January 4th from 5 to 8PM. Ms. Hildreth next noted that there would be a community meeting held on January 22nd to discuss the mural at the Bernal Heights Branch Library. Ms. Hildreth then reported that the Library would participate in a meeting with the Glen Park Neighborhood Association to begin the discussion of what kinds of services the neighborhood might want at the new branch library. The City Librarian then informed the Commissioners of the details of a library public awareness campaign sponsored by the State Library that would include billboard advertisements, newspaper ads, and radio and TV public service announcements (PSA) calling attention to libraries with the theme "the library, check it out". Public comment: An anonymous member of the public commented favorably on the Hammett typewriter gift and the message of the PSAs. This person then noted that they had not received a copy of the RFP despite having requested that they received all such documents. Lastly, the anonymous member of the public called the Commissioners attention to a proposal by Supervisor Yee to create a library advisory committee. Mr. Ed Regan inquired regarding the location of the Glen Park meeting. Mr. Peter Warfield commented that the Hammett typewriter was a worthy acquisition. Mr. Warfield additionally observed that the ILS RFP was disappointing and that there had not been any public input or discussion of what was wrong with the old catalog. Ms. Amanda Thomas, Manager of the Tool Lending Center, formally invited the Commissioners to attend its January 4th Anniversary celebrations. Commission comment: In response to questions by Commissioner Coulter, Ms. Thomas outlined the successes achieved by the Tool Lending Center during its 1st year with more than 15,000 tools loaned to users from every part of San Francisco, and without any reported accidents. She also noted that the tools were being returned. Commissioner Coulter lauded the acquisition of the Hammett typewriter and commended the public awareness campaign. Commissioner Coulter noted the increased cooperative efforts on exhibits by the library staff with the support of the Friends and Foundation. Commissioner Bautista noted that the Commissioners themselves had just received copies of the ILS RFP at the meeting. Commissioner Swig applauded the PSA campaign. AGENDA ITEM #3 LIBRARY 2002/2003 BUDGET Mr. George Nichols, Library Finance Director gave the Commissioners an extensive and detailed overview of the proposed 2002/03 Library Budget (copy attached) and outlined possible reductions that could be considered should the Mayor's Budget Office find that revenue projections warranted additional reductions in planned city spending. Mr. Nichols proposed to report back to the Commission on the Mayor's Budget Office's revised instruction's for the Library's 2002/03 Budget at the February Commission meeting. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public commented that while this was a complex subject this budget did not represent returning to basics. The anonymous member of the public further commented that they were unclear concerning the strategy being proposed and that while great expenditure was proposed for one-time projects, the book budget was flat or declining. Mr. Ed Regan recommended that money from the Fuhrman Fund be used to fill in gaps in the Library's collections of books on politics and economics. Ms. Corry Collandra of SLUG (San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners) lauded the achievements of the Tool Lending Center and urged the Commissioners to continue its funding. Mr. Peter Warfield commented that even though there was a $2 million increase in the budget there was no increase for books and urged the Commissioner not to approve the budget. Commission comment: In answer to questions by Commissioner Coulter, the City Librarian explained limitations on use of bond funds and how the proposed staffing for the new Mission Bay Branch library would be integrated into the budget over the next two years as needed. Ms. Hildreth then discussed in detail how the various aspects of the new branch telephone system upgrades could be managed within likely budget limitations. The City Library next noted increased Fuhrman Fund purchases of books on politics and economics in the proposed budget. Commissioner Bautista asked if a list of books purchased by the Fuhrman Fund could be prepared? In answer to questions by Commissioner Swig, Kathy Lawhun, Chief of the Main Library outlined the need for microfilm readers and discussed the impact of the changes resulting from the end of the IKON contract. In response to President Higueras's comments on the importance of maintaining a budget reserve for a rainy day, Mr. Nichols discussed what might constitute a prudent budget reserve and noted that additional reductions proposed by the Mayor's Budget office could fully utilize the existing reserve. In answer to additional questions by President Higueras, the City Librarian discussed how to manage on-going maintenance needs in branch libraries that would be either replaced or significantly upgraded by the Branch Library Bond Program. President Higueras expressed concerns with the possibility of reductions in the book budget noting that any additional funding reductions would offer painful choices. President Higueras expressed support for continued funding for the Tool Lending Center. President Higueras observed that if there were to be more reductions next year the choices would become even more difficult. In response to questions by Commissioners Bautista and Swig, Mr. Nichols discussed the proposed training and travel allowance budgets. Commissioner Bautista expressed the hope that the economy would improve and preclude any need for additional reductions. Commissioner Swig requested that a prioritized list of suggested cuts be prepared for the Commission before they next considered budget cuts. President Higueras suggested that options for use of the reserve be prepared with a rationale for proposed reductions and a review of planned one-time expenditures. Motion: by Commissioner Bautista, 2nd by Commissioner Swig for approval of the proposed 2002/03 Library budget. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig) President Higueras called for a brief recess at 5:55PM The Commission returned to session at 6:02PM AGENDA ITEM # 4 LIBRARY BYLAWS REVISION The Commission Secretary clarified that the Bylaws were last amended in April 1998. Then, Deputy City Attorney Catharine Barnes outlined in detail the proposed Commission Bylaws. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public observed these changes might not accomplish what the Commissioners hoped and that the agenda item notice did not include dropping the annual report. This person commented an annual report increased accountability and that the proposed changes regarding the Minutes had the virtue of reminding them of the requirements of the law. Mr. Warfield commented that the Bylaw changes were not properly noticed; that the amendment provisions were too loose; that there was no enforcement provisions; and found unfortunate that the Bylaws referenced an outside document. Commission comment: Commissioner Coulter suggested retaining the annual report language, finding it a useful tool to publicize the good work accomplished in a year by the Library. He further suggested that such a report could be prepared in partnership with the Friends and Foundation to make the community more aware of what the Library had accomplished. Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, seconded by Commissioner Bautista that the proposed Bylaw revisions be adopted except for the provision eliminating the annual report. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig) AGENDA ITEM #5 ELECTION OF COMMISSION OFFICERS The Commission Secretary informed the Commissioners that President Higueras and Vice President Steiman had been nominated to continue as President and Vice President for 2002 and asked if there were any further nominations. No additional nominations were proposed. Public comment: Mr. Peter Warfield inquired if campaign finance disclosures were to be made. Mr. Ed Regan commented that President Higueras and Vice President Steiman had done a good job in office. Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, seconded by Commissioner Bautista that Commissioner Higueras be elected President and Commissioner Steiman be elected Vice President of the San Francisco Public Library Commission for 2002. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig) AGENDA ITEM #6 AFFINITY CENTERS UPDATE REPORT City Librarian Susan Hildreth introduced Doris Tseng of the Chinese Center and Asa Peavy of the Book Arts and Special Collections Center to present a quarterly update on recent Library affinity centers activities. Ms. Tseng discussed in some detail the use of both the English and Chinese language collections in the Center and called attention to the heavy patron use of its two Chinese language Internet computers. Ms. Tseng then described changes made in the Center's arrangement to facilitate greater access to and use of its collections. The Chinese Center's Manager then outlined various highly successful programs and author presentations that the Center had sponsored this year. Ms. Tseng concluded her report with a brief outline of several proposed efforts to strengthen the center's collections, increase cooperation with the Shanghai and Tapei Sister City Committees, and develop a collection of Chinese American photography. Ms. Tseng reported a recent gift of 500 English language books on Chinese culture from the Chinese government. Mr. Peavy provided the Commissioners with a packet of materials demonstrating the richness of the Library's Book Arts and Special collections and spoke extensively concerning recent exhibits sponsored by the Center, notably an exhibit by the Pacific Center for the Book Arts and the widely acclaimed Zapf Fest series of programs on calligraphy and fine printing typeface design. Mr. Peavy called attention to a special holiday card designed for the Library by Herman Zapf, and discussed the works of Paul Elder, a Master of Arts and Crafts fine printing in the early 20th century. Mr. Peavy noted that an exhibit of his work would be held in 2003. The Book Arts and Special Collections Manager then informed the Commissioners concerning an upcoming exhibit of handmade books in February. Library Community Affairs Chief, Marcia Schneider then introduced Catherine King and Everett Erlensen, the new curators in her department who would be working to facilitate all of the proposed exhibitions. Public Comment: Mr. Peter Warfield noted that he had attended many of these events and inquired if the curators were to be assigned to work exclusively for the affinity centers or if they would work on exhibits of collections throughout the library. Commission Comment: In response to a question by Commissioner Coulter, the City Librarian reported that the Friends and Foundation had paid for the holiday card. Commissioner Coulter expressed satisfaction with the excellent work being done in the centers and inquired about expanding outreach efforts, including expanded email program notes and event notice lists, to increase community involvement with the centers. Commissioner Coulter also suggested that the Friends and Foundation might consider reconstituting the fundraising support groups for the centers to increase their ability to offer programs to the community. President Higueras noted that these reports called attention to the riches in the Library's collections. Commissioner Bautista commented that exchanges of staff with sister city libraries might be considered. AGENDA ITEM #7 FRIENDS & FOUNDATION REPORT Ms. Cynthia Adam, Interim Executive Director of the Friends and Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library brought the Commissioners up to date on recent activities including: the conclusion of this year's arts and lecture series, plans for the April 8th Library Laureates Dinner, the January 21st Grotto Night events, and the Friends and Foundation year end appeal and membership drive. Ms. Adam also informed the Commissioners concerning the on-going search for a permanent Executive Director and to relocate the Friends and Foundation offices. Public Comment: None offered Commission Comment: None offered AGENDA ITEM #8 NEW BUSINESS President Higueras called for discussion of an annual report. Commissioner Swig requested an update on the Strategic Plan. Commissioner Bautista requested a discussion of how to resolve a continuing graffiti problem at the Ortega Branch Library. Public Comment: An anonymous member of the public commented that an annual report was a good thing for many reasons. This person also commented that moving approval of the meeting minutes to the end of a meeting was an issue of accountability. Agenda item #9 PUBLIC COMMENT An anonymous member of the public commented on the topics raised and Commissioner Coulter's response to discussion that had occurred during public comment at a previous meeting. This person suggested that Commissioner Coulter had misunderstood the point of the discussion. Mr. Ed Regan suggested that Library public service hours be expanded from 6AM until Midnight 7 days per week, that the Library purchase more comfortable furniture including tables to read standing up. Mr. Peter Warfield commented that the furniture was too heavy and tabletops problematic. Mr. Warfield also raised two issues, inquiring concerning the status of the proposed system-wide Support Services Center, and regarding what plans were being considered to create space for books in the branch libraries. AGENDA ITEM #10 ADJOURNMENT Motion: by Commissioner Bautista, seconded by Commissioner Coulter that the meeting be adjourned. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Coulter, Higueras, and Swig) The meeting was adjourned at 7:19PM. Michael Housh, Commission Secretary 1/16/02 The number of members of the public who spoke anonymously at this meeting: 1 Appendix A The Public Comment Summary Statements included in these Minutes are authorized by San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.16.. These summary statements are provided by the speaker. Their contents are neither generated by, nor subject to approval or verification of accuracy by, the San Francisco Public Library Commission. The number of members of the public who spoke anonymously at this meeting. 1 Please note: Copies of Commission Minutes and handouts are available in the Office of the Commission Secretary, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 Copies of Public Comment Summary Statements as authorized by San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.16 can be found in Appendix A. These summary statements are provided by the speaker and their contents are neither generated by, nor subject to approval or verification of accuracy by, the San Francisco Public Library Commission.


text:
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text:
Smogranch is moving……
Hey Everyone,
I'm giving notice. Not a thirty-day notice mind you, more like immediate, fleeing the country with NSA on my heels notice. Only I'm not fleeing. Just consolidating. I'm going to start posting my Smogranch stories on my Shifter.media site under the "Read" Category. I can't just sit here and play on the dolphin all day. I've got work to do. Same stories, same style, just in one location instead of two. Shifter will be undergoing changes in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that. I'm sure you will all be anxiously awaiting….okay, probably not. Get your asses over there people!