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Finding Your [Social] Self
From colleague, and source of endless inspiration, Seth Godin.
Never smooth enough--a modern addiction
Once our needs our met, our instinct is to invent new ones, to find a fuel to continually move things forward, to bring that propulsive energy back.
Social media makes it easy to be both dissatisfied and to have a mission at the same time: Make everyone happy.
Every single critic silenced. Every customer delighted. Every prospect interested.
Sort of like your footprint in social media. It's imperfectible. There is someone, right now, who's miffed at you. Someone who misunderstands you. Someone who used to work with you who doesn't any more, or someone who has the wrong impression of you and won't even give you a chance. Not to mention the trolls, the ones who merely seek oppositional positions.
It's imperfectible.
For every person who wants you to have bigger portions, there is someone who says the portions are too big. For every person who says your writing is too personal, there's someone who wants it to be more personal...
Seeking a perfect sphere might be a hobby, but if it's not giving you joy, it's a lousy way to live. It's an addiction, not a useful tool.
People have been talking about you behind your back ever since fifth grade. Now, of course, you can eavesdrop whenever you choose. Don't.
Turn it off. Walk away. Accept the lack of perfect.
Better to make something important instead.
Jessica Higgins is a public speaker, strategic consultant, published author and advisor on creating end-to-end culture design solutions in healthcare, higher education, governments and large corporations. She is the Chief Operating Officer of Gapingvoid Culture Design Group, of which she developed and manages the only end-to-end culture design consulting practice in existence. She and her team work with Microsoft, Zappos, Roche, AT&T, Pfizer, L'Oreal, US Bank, Babson College, and many others. She is an expert in the field of Lean Six Sigma with specialty in systems design for sustainable growth. She holds a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, a Juris Doctor in law, a Masters in Business Management, and a Bachelors degree in Behavioral Psychology.
She has been an equality activist for over 15 years, cofounding the LGBTQ organization in her graduate school, as well as serving as President of the Texas Pay Equity Committee, an active supporter of Special Olympics, an active member of the AFL-CIO, member of the Gray Panthers, member of the LGBTQ Law Association, and is frequently interviewed and published on female entrepreneurship, gender and equality issues. She advises and mentors women in business success and volunteers for homeless and underprivileged families and youth in her community.
She has been published in The Ladders, Workforce Magazine, Training Industry Magazine, HR Daily Advisor, Becker's Hospital Review, B2B Kununu, and has corresponded on news media including CBS, Newsweek, The Miami Herald and Huffington Post. In the course of her career she has created over $500M in combined cost savings and business development and has created over 5,000 jobs throughout the United States.
For more information, contact firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Kurt Russell Comes Forward as Civil Pilot Who Reported Phoenix Lights
Kurt Russell, co-star of the recent interstellar superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, recently came forward as the civil pilot who reported the famous Phoenix Lights to ground control.
The Phoenix Lights were a mass UFO sighting that occurred on Thursday, March 13th, 1997, and stretched from Phoenix, Arizona to Sonora, Mexico. Witnesses reported a triangular formation of lights that passed over the state, and a series of stationary lights in the Phoenix area. The events were witnessed by thousands of people between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. that evening.
In an interview with the BBC to promote the film, Russell said "I saw six lights over the airport in absolute uniform, in a 'V' shape, and...I was just looking at them."
The 66 year-old film star said he was flying his son Oliver to see his girlfriend, and that they both witnessed the lights.
"We're maybe a half a mile out, and Oliver said, 'Pa, do you, what are those lights?'"
Russell said that he reported the lights to ground control, but they responded that they weren't showing anything on radar.
"Well, okay, I'm going to declare it's unidentified, it's flying, and it's six objects," responded Russell.
He further claimed that he had completely forgotten the incident until coming home one day, two years later, to find his wife, actress Goldie Hawn, watching a show on UFOs that featured the incident.
:"The fascinating part of that to me is that it just went literally out of my head, and Oliver never mentioned it. If I hadn't have seen that show, I'd have never thought of it again," said Russell of the incident.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! The use of massage therapy for pain reduction and management of pain has been known within the massage circles for many years. Its use in chronic pain with concomitant degenerative bone disease is not as well known. … [Read more...] about Neck Pain Management: Effects Of Massage Therapy And Stretching On Pain Reduction
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Richard Lee Laymon, 52, of Edmeston, NY, passed away peacefully, at the home of his son, Ryan in Mountville, PA. He was the son of Darwin Laymon, Unadilla Forks, NY and the late Gloria Coy Goslin. Richard was a very skilled, self-employed carpenter who could build a house from start to finish. He was the most hard working and determined person, and he took pride in his work. Richard was a loving father, brother, son and friend. He loved to help others, was known by many, and was loved by anyone that had the pleasure of meeting him.
Richard was an avid hunter who had a true passion for the sport. He would have lived in the woods if he could. Over the years he has bagged bear, turkey, deer and this fall, his first elk. He owned his own archery shop connected to his house, for family and friends, and also taught bow hunter safety courses.
Surviving in addition to his father, two sons: Ryan Lee Laymon, companion of Sheila Barrett, Mountville; Matthew Kory (Sienna) Laymon, Edmeston, NY. Three brothers: Terry (Luanna) Steele, Ithaca, NY; Steve (Karen) Laymon, North Carolina; Patrick Moorse, Ithaca, NY. Five sisters: Cristine Weeks, West Virginia; Sue (Shawn) Getchell, New Berlin, NY; Pam Misch, West Virginia; Jessie Watson, Oneida, NY; and Bobbi Jo Moorse, Whitesboro, NY. One granddaughter: Scarlett Irene Laymon. One sister-in-law: Mindy Laymon, West Edmeston, NY. He was preceded in death by one brother: Darwin Laymon, Jr.
The Memorial Service will be held at Second Baptist Church, Edmeston, NY, on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments. Arrangements by the Workman Funeral Homes, Inc., Mountville/Columbia. To send an online condolence, visit the condolence page.


text: The business club organizes various guest lectures and interaction programs with industry leaders, bankers, and entrepreneurs. They actively participate in business simulation exercises. These activities, we hope, will create enthusiasm and inspire students in their endeavors. It also organizes various agship events like "Business Plan Competition", " Idea Pitching Competition"," AD Design Competition", " Marketing and Sales Simulation Seminar", " Training on Share Market and Trading" etc.


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Christchurch match winner Dan Carter out of final test with hamstring injury
The New Zealand All Blacks have rung the changes for the third and final test in the Steinlager series, while Ireland have largely rewarded the team that came oh-so-close in the Christchurch test match.
Two of Ireland's three changes are injury enforced. Keith Earls returns from injury to replace bench bound wing Andrew Trimble. Paddy Wallace was called into the squad to replace the injured Gordon D'Arcy, and starts at 12. Number 8 Jamie Heaslip has broken his finger and is replaced by Peter O'Mahony. Loose forward Chris Henry takes a spot on the bench.
Certainly some of the All Black changes are injury-enforced, such as Dan Carter's hamstring injury and Kieran Read's head knock. Initially the third test was supposed to be an opportunity for a bit more experimentation, particularly after the first test implied the All Blacks could take some risks. However, the white-knuckle Christchurch test surely put paid to any complacency New Zealand would have had. Perhaps, NZ coach Steve Hansen would have replaced Carter with the in-form Cruden anyway, but now the New Zealand public will be far more anxious following Carter's contribution in the last test – a last minute drop goal to win the match.
It is hard to say if the All Black's wholesale wing changes are squad rotation or punishment for a lack of form in the first test, particularly from Julian Savea. Savea overcame early handling errors to burst onto the international stage with three tries in the first test. In the second test Savea retained the handling errors, indeed limiting his involvement to just those indiscretions. Guildford was for more involved, but hasn't set the world on fire in either test. Both drop out of the 22 and are replaced by Highlanders Ben Smith and Hosea Gear.
Potential debutant first five Beauden Barrett takes a place on the bench, while the versatile Tamati Ellison makes his All Black return covering the backs from the reserves bench.
Prior to this week, Hansen would not have ever imagined this new loose forward trio taking the field. Liam Messam comes in from the cold, straight into the starting lineup at 6. Young Sam Cane gets an opportunity to start in Richie McCaw's coveted 7 jersey, following an impressive debut of the bench last week. McCaw will be hoping he has put his handling issues behind him as that will be imperative to him being effective as a makeshift number 8 this week.
Adam Thomson drops from the blindside last week to the bench. Thomson has been challenged to bring more physicality to his game to obtain a starting spot. However, either the long season, the battering he took in the first two tests or even just his physical shortcomings for that sort of game has meant he has not imposed himself on any of the games so far.
Luke Romano makes his debut at 4, hopefully bringing more grunt to the scrum, while Brodie Retallick drops to the bench. Ali Williams has been injured out of the series. The front row from last week is retained.
This game could go a number of ways, particularity after how unpredictable the second test was. The All Blacks were supposed to improve and Ireland to disintegrate in the second test. The opposite happened. Will that game give the All Blacks the urgency they need for the third test? Can Ireland bring the same aggression and passion two weeks in a row? How will the new All Black loose forward trio perform?
RugbyFix Pick:
An 'unconfident' All Blacks by eight.
All Blacks Team to Play Ireland:
Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Hosea Gear, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Richie McCaw (capt), Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Brodie Retallick, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Tamati Ellison.
Ireland Team to Play All Blacks:
Rob Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Paddy Wallace, Keith Earls, Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony, Sean O'Brien, Kevin McLaughlin, Donnacha Ryan, Dan Tuohy, Mike Ross, Rory Best, Cian Healy.
Reserves: Sean Cronin, Declan Fitzpatrick, Donncha O'Callaghan, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O'Gara, Andrew Trimble.


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Saddle Tank 0-6-0 Steam Engine
1978 (No.0617)
The Hercules example is not pictured, but listed with the Santa Fe and Pennsy Saddle Tank steamers
in the 1978 catalog. That year the retail is $16 for this model. Bachmann's 1978 catalog is also the final year
any Saddle Tank find itself in the steam engine roster.
eBay auction image
Saddle Tank 0-6-0 Steam Engine
1972-1978 (No.0612)
The Saddle Tank is Bachmann's first HO-scale steam engine offering. It is first found in the
company's 1972 product catalog. For its introduction, Bachmann lists the above Pennsy example and a Santa Fe version.
The Saddle Tank is shown as available in a powered model with operating headlight carrying a retail of $12.
eBay auction image
Saddle Tank 0-6-0 Steam Engine
Santa Fe
1972-1978 (No.0616)
Bachmann catalog image
Please note that this site was created for use by those with an interest
in HO-scale model trains and does not necessarily represent the current Bachmann line available today. The author is
not affiliated with,
nor representing Bachmann in any way.
This site is intended for your enjoyment and information only.


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Discussion in 'Ford F-250 and F-350 Suspension' started by Big'un, Feb 13, 2012.
Got my pita new heads in !!!
damn those look good bigun
Thanks dood
fix that dent in your bumper
Looks good bro!
the look good Fig !!!
hey fig, you got a dent in your bumper. heads look good though.
Looks much better!
Separate names with a comma.


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A new classic from The Onion. Yes. I know I said new classic.
A new classic from The Onion. Yes. I know I said new classic.
What utter bull shit!
That is a presumption that I don't own my own life! Just because it happened that I had no choice in the matter of my conception and birth, does not mean that I should not own my life and have the option to end it at my own discretion!
And this other bull shit about heaven and hell is another crock of crap! We don't know what is there beyond the extinction of our biological computer or where it down loads to if it does!
It is an extension of democracy to permit one to choose when and where to extinguish ones own existence!
Onion? More like a Garlic Clove!
ha ha
I can see the humor in this piece, but what I also gather from it is another's willingness to have control over your life as ,Rodnikov, has implied.
That's very nice, Scott, and thanks for sharing it.


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Damn I'm busy these days. Guess that's what I get for teaching an overload (in a different department, no less). Anyway, here's a couple days worth of useless trivia from my overstuffed head:
– The famous mathematician Georg Cantor noticed that there, in fact, are different "sizes" of infinity. Take, for example, all the natural numbers, N. They are, of course, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, … and so on. We intuitively know that there are an infinite number of them. Now consider all the even numbers, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, … and so on. Clearly these are also infinite. But notice that we've plucked out every other member of our first set, so it seems as if the first set ought to be bigger than the second. This is what Cantor noticed and then formalized.
– Antarctica is technically the world's largest desert. It is the world's driest place, receiving an annual average of less than two inches of precipitation, and is a whopping 5.5 million square miles (well, it is a continent, after all). Outside the polar regions, the largest desert is the Sahara in Africa which is 3.5 million square miles.
– The Greek philosopher Socrates, unlike Plato and Aristotle who were landowners (and thus gentlemen farmers), was a stonemason and likely contributed to the building of the Parthenon.


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Back issues by year published
2005, 2004, 2003, 2002,
2001, 2000,
1999, 1998,
1997, 1996
University Communications
Winter 2004
Off the Wall
page 1
| 2 |
3 | 4 |
5 | 6 |
7 | 8 |
Baseman may have chutzpah but he doesn't always get his way. For his first New York Times Book Review assignment, he drew a cartoony
interpretation of a detail from Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights," one of his favorite paintings. The detail was a flower protruding from a man's rear end.
"What's that?" Heller barked. "That's from a Bosch painting," Baseman responded. "That's fine art." Heller was not impressed: "When Bosch does it, it's fine art. When you do it, it's a flower sticking out of a guy's butt. Take it out."
Typically, critics and journalists name art movements. Monet didn't identify himself as an Impressionist; the name has its origins in a derisive comment from a French journalist. It is testament to Baseman's marketing savvy and the tight rein he keeps over his own work that he acted preemptively to name the pervasive-art movement himself. The movement, which also embraces the work of the Los Angeles artists Mark Ryden, Tim Biskup, Rob and Christian Clayton, and Camille Rose Garcia, is beginning to get talked about in the press, but Baseman concedes it has yet to gain wide attention.
He defines pervasive art as art that has a cohesive style and message but which crosses traditional boundaries between the worlds of fine art and commerce. In Baseman's view, art doesn't need to hang in a gallery to be Art with a capital "a." Baseman is as comfortable creating an oil
painting for a gallery show as he is producing a TV cartoon or designing a toy that will sit on a store shelf — though he prefers that the store be Barney's rather than Wal-Mart. "I like the idea of commerce, as long as you keep the quality high," he says.
Not everyone in the art world agrees with Baseman's genre-bending notion of art. A lot of what Baseman creates, says the arts writer Susan Freudenheim, a former Los Angeles Times arts editor, "is about using the art form to tell stories or to create a game or have fun, and that's completely legitimate. It's just not what I think of as fine art."
<previous> <next>


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So where does Edinburgh Greens fit in with the Scottish Green Party as a whole?
Edinburgh Greens is a branch of the Scottish Green Party (SGP). SGP is run by a series of committees and working groups, overseen by the SGP Council. Elections for the various bodies are held every year and members are encouraged to stand for positions which interest them.
SGP Council
SGP Council is run by two co-conveners, one male and one female, directly elected by the members. They act as chief spokespeople for the party as well as facilitating internal party communication and cooperation.
- Female Co-Convener: Maggie Chapman
- Male Co-Convener: Patrick Harvie
- Vice-Convener: Isla O'Reilly
Council also includes: committee conveners, branch convenors and representatives, delegates from the parliamentarians and councillors.
Elections and Campaigns Committee (ECC)
The ECC is responsible for developing elections strategy; coordinating and running elections and other campaigns; developing a general campaigning strategy; supporting branches in local elections.
International Committee
The International Committee is responsible for liaising with international bodies and ensuring that SGP is represented on those bodies, and keeping the party informed of developments involving our international partners.
Operations Committee (Ops)
Ops is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Party, including ensuring the legality of the Party; implementation of decisions made at Conference, AGM or Council; management of party communications, finance and member services; management of the Office and staff; organisation of Conference and Meetings.
Policy Committee
This committee is responsible for developing and co-ordinating detailed policy positions for the Party; identifying and proposing solutions for policy gaps; presenting policy to the SGP and the public.
Standing Orders Committee (SOC)
SOC is responsible for maintaining the Constitution; advising on the interpretation of Standing Orders for branches, members and committees; determining the agenda of Conference; overseeing candidate selection.


text:
Keep Me Logged In
KC Mathews, UMB Bank, and Jamie Cox, Harris Financial Group, discuss what investors should do when it comes to the markets with respect to the drama in Washington.
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It is expected that all members of graduate committees should be physically present at all required oral examinations including the culminating thesis, dissertation, scholarly project or capstone defenses. Under special circumstances, however, it is permissible for the student, and/or committee members to participate from a remote location provided the conditions listed below are met:
- Advance agreement of the student and all committee members has been obtained.
- All participants join using university adopted video conferencing tools that allow for screen sharing.
- The thesis, dissertation, scholarly or capstone project has been distributed in advance to the remote participants.
- The committee members participate in real time during the entire, complete meeting, discussion, presentation, and evaluation.
- The student, with the assistance of the major professor, is responsible for making the scheduling arrangements; the major professor accepts responsibility for the oversight of any logistical arrangements necessary.
- Any costs associated with remote participation are not the responsibility of the Graduate School, and must be arranged in advance.
- The UT requirement of a public presentation for oral defense of dissertation is still in effect.
- Fill out the form, being sure to provide both the method and the reason for the remote participation, as well as the names of all who will participate remotely.
- Print out the form and obtain the signatures of all committee members.
- Deliver the signed form to the Graduate School at the time you schedule your defense. Use one of the following methods:
- Take the original, signed form to the Graduate School personally.
- Send the original, signed form to the Graduate School by mail.
- Scan the original, signed form and email it to email@example.com.


text:
Standard Life is warning employers they could have to pay extra pension fees if the Government presses ahead with proposals to cap auto-enrolment charges.
In October, pensions minister Steve Webb set out plans to cap fees on auto-enrolment default funds at between 0.75 per cent and 1 per cent.
The reform was originally due to be introduced in April but was pushed back to April 2015 "at the earliest" to give employers more time to prepare.
Speaking to Money Marketing, Standard Life UK chief executive Paul Matthews says 2,500 employers have registered to use the firm's auto-enrolment offering in the first 10 weeks of this year.
He says when the provider issues quotes it informs employers they may be required to bridge the gap if the quoted price is above any Government-imposed cap.
Matthews says: "We give employers a price quote and we tell them if any legislation is passed capping charges, there might be charges for the employer to pay if it wants to continue with that proposition.
"So if the employer still wants a scheme with a charge above the cap, we will work with the employer to collect that fee."
Aegon regulatory strategy director Steven Cameron says it is not looking at billing an employer directly for any charge above a cap as it would be too complicated.
He says: "We held back from providing terms to employers at the beginning of the year in anticipation of a cap being announced and we explained to Department for Work and Pensions we could not sustain that position.
"We have not covered the explicit options that employers might have if a cap is introduced. Ultimately it is the employer who would need to meet any new obligations."
Legal & General has already imposed a 0.5 per cent cap on charges on its auto-enrolment default fund. Aviva says its average charge for new group personal pension schemes is 0.5 per cent.
A Scottish Widows spokesman says: "Our existing terms and conditions include the caveat that terms offered remain subject to any future changes in legislation such as the DWP pension review which is currently in consultation. We have no plans to change our approach."
Wingate Financial Planning corporate adviser Richard Grover says: "It is crucial providers and advisers are absolutely clear to employers about the impact a charge cap could have on the scheme they have chosen for auto-enrolment.


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This Friday traditional printing group will show their diploma works on an exhibition. Mine will be there as well :) I'm not becoming a M.A. this June (I'll become one in September) but I'm still finishing my studies and starting a new life. Wow that sounds dramatic :D
Here you can see the works I'll show. I'll hang them tomorrow.
Have you seen all of them?


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Toyota's latest model Toyota Aygo is now available on lease at car Leasing Made Simple. The Aygo is a small city car have got bold look and style. Aygo is 3 door and five door hatchback car. It looks quite attractive with 'double-bubble' roof. We like the strong tagline of Aygo "Go Fun Yourself" sounds attractive.
First Aygo launched in 2005 and this 2014 is the latest edition. It has 1.0 litre engine capacity with manual and automatic to choose.
Aygo available on 5 different ranges – X, X-Play, X-pression, X-cite and X-clusiv. X clusive is higher range of model.
Comfortable, and fun to drive
The 2014 edition of Aygo have made a bigger improvement in quality ride. The car heels in corners are actually quite fun and performance in quite modest.2014 Aygo gives more comfortable and smoother ride. Headlights are improved with halogen headlamps for broader illumination. It comes with standard Toyota's safety features.
Toyota Aygo Lease
At Car Leasing Made Simple, Toyota Aygo is available on lease now starts from £94.41 only. You can get more information about Aygo from our sales advisors on 0800 458 0113.


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Lady Leopards Double Up Lake Catholic in 1st Scrimmage – Girls Lacrosse
Louisville 12, Lake Catholic 6
The Louisville Leopards Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team doubled up the visiting Mentor Lake Catholic Cougars 12-6 in their preseason opener Saturday Afternoon.
Marissa Vick and Mandy Wesely each scored a pair of goals and recorded an assist to lead the Lady Leopards. Katie Hollifield also scored a pair of goals to round out Louisville's leading scorers.
Altogether 8 different Leopards scored during the scrimmage. Haley Black and Kloe Mercorelli each finished with a goal and assist a piece. Madison Kirby, Lana Ulrich, and Megan Vesely also found the back of the net. Shelby Lewis rounded out the offensive state sheet by tallying an assist as well.
In goal, Evangelia Meckel recorded 6 saves and Madison Murray finished with a team-leading 5 groundballs.
JV: Louisville 12, Lake Catholic 1
Donate to Leopard Nation
UP NEXT: The Lady Leopards will next host the Wooster Generals for another scrimmage on Tuesday, March 13. JV will begin at 6:00 PM and Varsity will follow at 7:30 PM from Louisville Leopards Stadium.
Cover Photo By Jim & Laura Photography
View & Purchase Louisville Leopards Pictures on the Jim & Laura Photography Website


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- Hydethorpe Road, SW12
A unique opportunity to purchase this four bedroom house particularly of interest to any investors or developers. The property is arranged with a double reception room on the ground floor with high ceilings and large bay window allowing an abundance of natural light. The kitchen/breakfast room has ample wall and base units and leads out on to a 40ft garden. There are four double bedrooms on the...830m (10 mins) from Balham.
- 4
- 2
- 1


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Golden Jaguar Killmonger Cufflinksby FrenchCuffed
Collection | Comic Cufflinks
These Golden Jaguar Killmonger Cufflinks are customer favorites and the black and gold face of these cufflinks will add great contrast to any french cuffed shirt. At FrenchCuffed we strive to make unique cufflinks that will make you smile and these Golden Jaguar Killmonger Cufflinks are sure to bring a knowing smile from anyone that walks on by. If you are a fan of Marvel Comics, superhero films, T'Challa, the Black Panther, Eric Killmonger or simply The Golden Jaguar, what else could you possibly ask for?
These cufflinks are ideal as a small birthday gift for that special someone, whether that be for a wedding event, something for the office or just for a little bit of fun. Look, in the end, these unique black and gold cufflinks make your french cuff a focus of attention, which sure is better than cufflinks that are forgettable.
Make ANY Changes
All of our FrenchCuffed cufflinks can be made to order - which means that if you would like a different background color, or a slightly different image, or have any other questions / changes - please reach out to us and we can tailor you the perfect cufflink email@example.com.
Customer Testimonials
With thousands of happy customers from all over the globe, we wanted to share their comments!


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Upton-on-line: Sustainable Development Edition
Upton-on-line Diaspora Edition
16th May 2001-05-11
Special Sustainable Development Edition
This is the edition many readers will have been dreading. An entire issue devoted to Sustainable Development. But it is the issue upton-on-line grapples with by day at the OECD. And this is the week in which Finance & Environment Ministers from OECD countries (including our own Jim Sutton and Pete Hodgson) gather in Paris to the review the results of three years' study of the issues by the OECD.
What follows is upton-on-line's take on the sustainable development debate. It is a less cautious, more provocative account of what's at stake than the OECD can permit itself. In short, it is one person's personal view of how we might assess the debate. It doesn't pretend to represent a consensus view but it might help spark some debate on a subject that is sometimes in danger of drowning in words.
Having said that, some readers will consider this edition to be the verbal equivalent of a one hundred year flood, so apologies in advance and we will return to juicier, shorter issues in the next edition!
[Special Note for Busy Readers: If you're interested in this issue but haven't time to wade through all of it, read the section entitled Re-focussing on the essential problems on page 2. Pages 2-6 set out the factual core of the issue but can be passed over quickly. Three key propositions are developed on page 7. This is the heart of the article. It is followed by two big 'answers' covering pages 8 - 11 – getting prices right and taking developing country trade access seriously. This too can be scanned by those who know the issues. The conclusion on page 13 is a challenge to politicians to sort out some priorities.]
Sustainable Development Nine Years After Rio: A Diffuse Agenda?
For about fifteen years, now, we have been living with the idea of sustainability. It has found its way into almost every corner of public policy. It has spawned a vast literature. And it has become a catch-all which a bewildering array of businesses, public interest groups, and political organisations have felt obliged to graft onto their agendas. Its success as a unifying principle of policy and conduct is also its Achilles heel. For as the case for sustainability has expanded to embrace almost everything, the possibility of a clear and focussed agenda has been placed at risk.
The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as progress that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It is a formula with enormous human appeal and it has stood the test of time.
But the hard core environmental and development issues that Brundtland identified should be tackled without recourse to metaphysical leaps. In particular, we should be wary of the claim that sustainable development erects some unique principle to which policy debates can appeal.
We need to be clear about the questions we are asking if sustainable development is going to be more than a mantra. While some questions lend themselves to scientific analysis or an appraisal of costs and benefits, others go to the heart of fiercely contested political ideals that defy consensus conclusions (such as equity and social cohesion). The case for sustainability is not an escape from real political and philosophical differences.
Re-Focussing on the Essential Problems
As we approach next year's summit conference, 10 years after Rio and 30 years after Stockholm, it might be worth trying to re-state, in very simple terms, just what it is that we're all worried about?
Contemporary concern is focussed on the ability of the planet's renewable resources to sustain life in general and human development in particular. Specifically, there are two over-riding concerns that have always been present:
first, that the pressure of human claims (particularly by developed countries) on some key elements of the bio-physical environment, place us at risk of crossing thresholds beyond which lie very significant environmental perturbations with high economic, social and environmental costs; and that the testing of those thresholds will be hastened if developing countries follow a similar path to that taken by developed countries before them.
second, that development is an imperative for literally billions of people in developing countries for whom barriers to development pose not just a moral challenge to the rest of the world community but increase the risks of conflict, environmental degradation and social instability.
What is the evidence for these concerns?
What are the thresholds?
With respect to the thresholds argument, the evidence of serious risks is reasonably compelling on several fronts.
(i) Climate Change
In the case of climate change, a number of models estimate that global warming over the next century will rise in the range of 1.4 to 5.8 degrees, depending on a combination of climatic sensitivity to rising greenhouse gases and the level of future emissions. This range is comparable to that reported earlier by the IPCC (1). Any significant warming will entail costs in fields as diverse as agricultural and public health. What are not fully understood are the thresholds at which catastrophic or irreversible changes could be triggered. To manage the risk, precautionary action would seem prudent. But concluding a binding treaty to take the first steps is proving extremely difficult.
(ii) Access to Water
Access to water is a key condition for food production and economic development. Water shortages contribute to poverty and starvation and severely constrain industrial development. Analysis undertaken for the World Commission on Water suggests that, over the coming 25 years, the areas affected by "severe water stress" on the planet will expand by more than 2 million square kilometres. The number of people living in those regions worst affected by such levels of 'water stress' will nearly double from 2.1 billion to 4 billion (2). Currently, seventeen countries are estimated to be mining their water resources to extinction (3). In some parts of the world the risk of heightened pressure on water resources leading to tensions or even regional conflicts is very real. This has significant implications for population displacement, infrastructure damage, and refugee flows.
(iii) The Marine Environment
A third area where thresholds loom is in the availability of fish resources and the health of coastal marine environments.
Fish play a fundamental role in the human diet. They provide for nearly a fifth of the animal protein consumed globally. As a consequence, declines in the fisheries resource have serious implications not simply for the environment, but for development as well.
It is estimated that almost 50% of all fish stocks are already fully exploited. Over 20% are either over-exploited or depleted (4). Worse, perhaps, less than 2% of the global fishery resource is on the road to recovery. One of the major problems remains the level of by-catch. It has been estimated that the by-catch of less favoured species exceeds 25 million tonnes a year or nearly a third of the overall annual fish take (5). The potential for destabilisation of the eco-systems on which harvested species is obvious. It is the sort of crude frontier-style destruction that has been unacceptable in developed countries for decades but goes unseen (and largely unprotested) on the high seas.
(iv) Terrestrial Biodiversity
The 'value' of biodiversity to the biosphere and to human development is more diffuse - and therefore less easily described – than other ecological 'services'. Depending on the ecosystems in question, naturally diverse habitats provide a wide range of benefits. They include carbon sequestration (valuable as a buffer against climate change), and water and soil conservation. And beyond pure amenity values, genetic diversity is an important source of valuable information for breeding programmes associated with food production and wider biotechnology.
A threshold in any global sense is not
coherent but locally and regionally the collapse of
ecosystems and the biological diversity within them can have
disastrous consequences.
Many parts of our planet, for instance, face unrelenting and radical destruction of habitat. During the 1990s, an area of tropical forests four times the size of Switzerland (nearly 20 million hectares) was felled annually. Within thirty years the projection is that nearly 10% of all tropical forest species will be extinct (6). The impacts of felling on this scale go beyond the loss of pure genetic diversity to include the disruption of climate patterns, hydrological systems and soil erosion.
In each of the above cases, the trajectories of resource use indicate severe disruption to bio-physical systems, in many cases at the regional level and in some cases (pre-eminently climate change) at the global level. While the thresholds at which the need for adaptation changes to crisis response are not precisely known, most trends indicate accumulating rather than decreasing risk, even allowing for technological change.
The Development Gap
If trends suggest we are taking increasing risks with the sustainability of biophysical systems, it is equally clear that the prospects for human development in many parts of the world make for similarly grim reading. Currently, 1.2 billion people live on less than one US dollar a day and a further 1.6 billion on less than two (7). More than one billion people therefore cannot meet even the most basic of consumption requirements and some 840 million people on the planet are severely malnourished (8).
Nearly a billion adults are illiterate and more than 260 million school-aged children do not attend any form of schooling. Worse still, more than 250 million of them work as child labourers. The share in global income of the richest fifth of the world's population is a staggering 74 times that of the poorest fifth. Emphasising the link between the environment and development is the point that some 60% of the world's poorest people live in ecologically vulnerable areas. Furthermore, nearly 3 million people a year die from air pollution, and more than 5 million die of diarrhoeal disease caused by unsafe water supplies (9).
In short, if the careless use of renewable resources by affluent countries is bad for the environment, there is nothing environmentally sustainable about poverty as it is experienced by a significant percentage of the world's population.
The imperative to address the kinds of social development problems noted above is frequently cast in moral terms. There are, however, more ruthlessly utilitarian and self-interested reasons. These problems have very real and direct implications for the developed world. It has become commonplace to describe the planet as a global village. The Internet and television have made it possible for one half of the world to see a glamorised version of how the other half lives.
People are understandably determined to try to gain access to this enhanced quality and quantity of life. It is hardly surprising that one of the implications of this development gap is inexorably rising pressure for migration to the developed world. To this pressure must be added specific (but related) causes of migration such as refuge from war, persecution, violence or human rights violations.
At the same time, the tensions generated by the deterioration of 'ecological services' (like access to water or fish) may act as a further catalyst for population displacement, along with the rising incidence of cross-border disease contagion, regional instability and civil strife. It is also well known that poverty coupled with the collapse of effective governance acts as a catalyst for international crime, including narco-trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. All of these are issues that impinge on the developed world's daily lives and should provide a justification, if not to help others, then as a form of self help.
Do We Need to Know More?
It is tempting to conclude that further descriptions of our distance from a sustainable development path will add little value; and that the urgency with which solutions are required is self-evident.
It is certainly true that the challenge of sustainability has spawned an industry of experts seeking to measure varying dimensions of sustainability at the national level. But in an increasingly interdependent world, there is a need to assemble measures that can relate national data to the global and regional systems on which resource use impacts and also shed light on priorities. Without some agreed measure of what it is we are seeking to achieve, setting priorities and assembling scarce resources to deal with them is all but impossible.
Such measures were called for at Rio in 1992. But nearly ten years on, there is still no agreement on how to measure the trends at the global level. The problem is only partly a dearth of reliable information – (there is far more available than there has ever been). It is also political. Governments cannot agree on which set of indicators to use, in part because of an anxiety about where their country might emerge in any ranking system and in part because of ongoing doubts about the reliability of any sure measures which would have huge public explanatory power.
This problem is not new. The adoption of GNP back in the 1950s as the primary measure of economic wellbeing was the subject of similar controversy. Many countries resisted its implementation and denounced the measure as naïve, simplistic and unable to measure accurately overall economic growth. Nearly sixty years later, the work of economic decision-makers without reference to GNP and the framework it provides for analysis, (not least for comparing the economic performance of countries) is unthinkable.
With respect to sustainable development, the human development part of the equation is, in some respects, better catered for. The UN's Human Development Index (HDI) is recognised as a fundamental measure of progress in terms of a country's commitment to and level of human development. It is methodologically transparent and easy to understand. And as a tool to both galvanise action and measure progress it is as flawed and as invaluable as GDP is to economic discussion.
A similar determination to measure the sustainability of resource use with reference to the bio-physical limits discussed above is required. Two particularly promising measures could help fill this gap. The first is the World Bank's concept of Genuine Savings. In simple terms, it adjusts gross savings by deducting the value of depleted resources and pollution damages including carbon dioxide emissions. It also considers education spending as an increase in saving, since this spending may be considered an investment in human capital (rather than consumption as in traditional national accounts). The overall figure is expressed as a percentage of GDP.
The appeal of such an indicator is that it uses established concepts and standard monetary values that are familiar to decision-makers. Its principal weakness stems from the fact that it relies on valuing environmental assets that aren't actually traded - such as the atmosphere's ability to absorb CO2, or biodiversity. Similarly, the measure fails to provide sufficiently broad coverage of renewable resources and does not address in a persuasive way the absence of data on the monetary value of water, fisheries resource and non-climate change related pollution.
One indicator that may address some of the shortcomings of the genuine savings measure is the 'ecological footprint.' This is based on the notion of 'carrying capacity' and is a way of expressing the impact of human activity on the biosphere as a single number. The result is a per capita 'footprint' that can then be multiplied by national populations to provide a country's footprint on the planet.
The major advantage of the footprint approach is that it gives a clear and unambiguous message about sustainability in an easily digested form. The World Wildlife Fund, which uses the footprint, suggests that humanity's overall ecological footprint has overshot the globe's productive area by over 30%.
The concept has not, to date, been used in official policy making. Beyond the striking message which the footprint conveys, the indicator does have its limitations. The manner in which energy use is calculated is controversial. Additionally, the measure excludes many environmental impacts (pollution, non-biological resources, environmental risks) and this makes it difficult to assess conclusively whether the measure is too conservative or, conversely, overly optimistic.
It is easy to discredit such tools. But in the absence a framework of indicators, national and international debates over priorities and trade-offs end up being based on fragmented data, anecdote, or worse. Indicators do not eliminate disagreement on policies. But they are a better guide than mere prejudice.
Is that all we need?
Almost certainly not. Changes in governance, economic management and technological interconnectedness have been profound in recent years. Advocates of sustainability need to be careful that they are proposing solutions that are deliverable in the world as it has evolved. There is always a temptation to cling to verbally negotiated solutions long after the chances of their practical implementation has become remote. That's not surprising - reaching agreement is often an arduous business.
But it must always be open to carry out a reality check on the basic political assumptions that underwrite the world we live in. Here are three propositions, rarely stated, but glaringly obvious if actions rather than words are allowed to speak for themselves:
1. No developed country politician is going to secure a mandate to reduce consumption radically and effect big short-run cuts in living standards in an effort head off long-run environmental harm. (The recent reaction to rising energy prices on both sides of the Atlantic is testament to that).
2. No developing country is going to limit its freedom to develop as developed countries have before them. Developed world living standards are built on the conversion (for which read, destruction) of natural resources into intellectual and human resources. This 'substitution of natural capital with human capital' (as economists characterise it) is a trade-off that every country regards as its own sovereign choice.
3. It is extremely unlikely that the 1970s target set of raising levels of Overseas Development Assistance by rich countries to 0.7% of GNP will be met by more than the handful of north west European countries that have already achieved it (10). Buying a different development path with taxpayers funds looks a forlorn hope.
So what does this mean for the sorts of pressures that talk of sustainability is supposed to mitigate? Again, rather than looking at the professed intentions of governments, it may be salutary to reflect on the implications of the three preceding realities. If they are correct – no radical change in first world consumption, an ongoing conversion of natural resources to raise living standards today and no prospect of significant additional resources to change the pattern of third world development – then a visitor from Mars would be left with two fairly glaring conclusions:
First, that decision-makers must be relying on some extraordinary technological break through that will render all the unsustainable trajectories redundant; that radically different relationships are possible between resource use and current developed world living standards.
And secondly, that something other than developed world aid transfers will be available to change the game for developing countries so that their development path will follow a radically different pattern of resource use.
These are assumptions that are never spelt out probably because they are believed to be either too heroic, or too contentious – or both. But in the absence of evidence to the contrary, it is hard to see what else political leaders are banking on to solve many of the environmental and developmental issues that confront them.
How likely is it that solutions will come out of the undergrowth to make such unspoken assumptions more plausible? The answer is more likely than you might think, but it won't come about through benign neglect. And it won't come about by making altruistic gestures wrapped in visionary words.
Pricing for Scarcity
Start with good old-fashioned scarcity and hard-nosed risk management. If vital natural systems that deliver life-sustaining conditions are at risk, then their growing scarcity has to be communicated to the people who use them. Standard economic theory would suggest that prices actually paid by users are the best way of getting the message through. Fully privatised markets certainly get messages through - some of which (like ability to pay) may not be very palatable. So all sorts of things can be done to blunt the distributional consequences of putting a price on things like air or water. Governments can assert ownership and ration access in all sorts of price-distorting ways. That's a political judgement.
But what won't work is the pretence that there isn't some basic scarcity to the amount of water we can pollute, the amount of CO2 we can put into the atmosphere and so on. Or, worse still, that we can worry about these issues but go on subsidising activities that take us in the opposite direction – like keeping coal mine, shipyards and farms going when the market would have closed them down long ago.
Governments have to stop pretending that they can exhort people to make changes when the prices people pay say otherwise. Give a clear price signal about future price trajectories – and the first of the heroic assumptions comes plausibly within our grasp. If it is believed that technological ingenuity will find a way around the scarcity of atmospheric space or cropland or water, then it's irresponsible to delay giving innovators and investors that signal. That's what creating a market in scarce environmental assets is all about. How those assets are distributed and owned is a secondary – albeit mightily contentious – issue. But avoiding contention by pretending there is no scarcity is the road to ruin.
But does ruin lie at the end of this road? That's a question both about the trade-offs we're prepared to make, and the absolute limits that apply to some environmental assets. These are questions sceptics in developed countries and leaders in developing countries are bound to ask.
How much bio-diversity can be safely traded away for higher material living standards? How much conversion of forests into grazing or cropping land can we sustain? And what are the limits? The problem is raised in its most difficult, inter-generational form by climate change. How much warming are we prepared to tolerate – and what are the limits beyond which human-induced temperature increases might generate much more radical climate change?
These are questions of risk management. And science can only take us so far. The IPCC's decade long efforts to pool knowledge on climate change have come in for their share of criticism. But it's hard to know how else, in good faith, one could make an assessment of a genuinely global phenomenon. We can – and should – ask for the constant up-dating and challenging of research results, but at a certain point it becomes a matter of taking prudential action. And that means identifying a final concentration target and then getting down to the messy business of trying to chart a course there that takes account of the distributional consequences of acting at different speeds and in different sequences.
Unless a start is made – unless some provisional agreement that atmospheric space for human greenhouse gases is limited – even the first steps won't be taken. The good news is that everything we know about markets is that once a level of confidence is established, investors normally don't sit on their hands. They can take account of the long term as well as anyone can. That's why it may not be merely heroic to count on radical technological changes that can de-couple the trajectory of living standards that people aspire to from the resources consumed in providing it. But without political action to create the necessary framework, sensible people won't lift a finger.
Trade as well as Aid
So much for owning up to scarcity and making it the mother or invention. But what of the development gap? Even if we had the technologies and the management practices, how could we insert them into the growth trajectory of developing countries in time to alter the course of history? After all, many of the big infrastructural investments that come on the coat tails of development have long lead times and have a life of decades. Production and consumption patterns laid down now could be fixed for more than a generation.
In short, how do we intervene swiftly and effectively for the better? The traditional response – development assistance for capacity building and technology transfer – simply isn't going to deliver on the scale or at a speed that is acceptable to countries who see no reason why they should defer their chances for improvement at the behest of those who've only become concerned once they've made themselves comfortable.
The only transmission mechanism in sight is private investment. Many of the most important decisions that will affect the fate of the world's forest, oceans, freshwater and climate – and determine the development prospects of billions of people - are already being taken by companies. The institutions they encounter will determine whether or not they invest and, if they do, how well they will do it.
Businesses are more or less influenced by governments depending on where they operate. In some countries, clear and transparent regulatory systems ensure that resources are used efficiently and environmental harm is limited. In others, an unsavoury nexus of corporate pressure and political and institutional corruption almost guarantee that resources are wasted, environmental corners are cut and the social consequences of large projects are abject. So the extent to which official development assistance can shore up strong institutions and the education systems of developing countries can be very important.
But development is not solely a matter of external capital – whether public or private. It is also a matter of access to markets. Despite the Uruguay Round - which heralded unprecedented liberalisation of international markets - access to the high-value markets of the developed world remain something which developing countries struggle to achieve. While the imports of raw materials and low value-added items from developing countries generally face a zero or very low tariff in developed markets, intermediate and processed products face successively higher tariffs
Agricultural subsidies in developed countries have long inflicted damage on developing countries. In the five years since the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture came into force, subsidies for agriculture in developed economies have risen (11). And this, despite a commitment to reduce such support. The export of these subsidised products undermines the returns available to developing country exporters.
The statistics are barely conscionable. Last year, the EU spent over US$2 billion on subsidising EU sugar farmers alone to produce a product which can be produced more efficiently and cheaply in the developing world. Similarly, in the US, oilseed farmers received nearly US$12,000 per year in support (12). Compare that to the average wages in most developing countries. Overall tariffs and subsidies in the developed world cause annual welfare losses of almost US$20 billion for developing countries (13). This is equal to some 40% of annual ODA provided by OECD countries to the developing world (14).
Developing countries are right to be suspicious therefore of the conditionality that rich countries talk of imposing in return for lowering trade barriers. After all, the industrialised societies got where they are by being considerably less respectful of the physical and human environment than they are today.
A Grand Compromise?
Does it follow that there is no halfway house? In the context of a new trade Round, if the offer of access for agricultural products and textiles, for instance, was breathtakingly big (in the way that delivery on the promise of additional ODA and other forms of technical assistance has not been), might developing countries not be encouraged to take up their new opportunities in a more sustainable way? The answer depends on whether the developed world will put its money where its mouth is when it comes to the cost of meeting new standards.
Developing countries already find it hard enough to meet existing sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards stipulated by the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements. Technical assistance from developed countries to developing ones to honour these agreements has fallen well short of what is needed. Any new ones will have to be accompanied by a much less miserly approach.
Is there then a Grand Compromise in which developed countries open their markets and provide more generous technical assistance to developing countries to enable them to make sustainable development a part of the trade liberalisation agenda? That depends on what the deal is worth.
Movement on tariffs and subsidies alone is unlikely to be enough. A deal will have to be worked out which includes progress on these issues and on meaningful technology transfer/technical assistance to assist in meeting SPS/TBT requirements and new eco-labelling measures. Some more time to get there would also help.
Such a deal might just make the second heroic claim possible – that there is a readily available means to speedy development for developing countries: investment and trade secured by institutions that work. Countries with more open trade and investment regimes generally enjoy higher and faster rates of economic growth. The next round of trade negotiations therefore represents the best single opportunity to bring together the economic, development and environmental pillars of sustainable development.
So What's New?
Nothing in particular. And the OECD is only the latest inter-governmental organisation to analyse the issues at the core of sustainable development and talk about unsustainable trends and cupboards full of policy interventions that could change them. So why does so little happen?
Is it that, deep down, Ministers and their advisers don't really believe there are problems of the sort outlined in this article, but that they're stuck with what they said at Rio and can't easily bail out?
Or is it that countries acknowledge the difficulties but find themselves stuck in a Prisoner's Dilemma in which, lacking the international co-ordination mechanisms, they can only move at the pace of the slowest and most compromised participants?
Or is it all much more innocent – that we simply lack reliable measures of sustainability and a precise definition of the thresholds we dare not cross?
It is probably all of these and more. There are genuine sceptics in this world. There are co-ordination problems. And there is certainly a bewildering array of data that doesn't provide as clear a picture of the bio-physical limits we face as is desirable.
But one thing is clear. Assuming that current trends are not, in a hard bio-physical sense, sustainable, progress at the current rate will never enable us to turn the corner – and will certainly never see the development prospects of literally billions of people significantly improved within their lifetimes.
It is time to ask some hard questions about whether countries are pulling the right levers – and in the right sequence. Ponderous, grid-locked international forums cannot sustain themselves forever. The gap between words and deeds remains stark.
Political leaders – who after all vote the taxes
that fund all this international activity and direct
diplomats to talk about it - must decide whether to treat
sustainable development as a Holy Grail that is so complex
no-one can grasp it. Or whether to settle on a few concrete
issues that can head off human and environmental pressures
that are well described but unlikely to evolve tidily
according to a timetable or with predictable consequences.
If they do get out of hand, we can be sure that it will be
all hands to the pump. But fighting fires is no substitute
for taking out prudent, well-researched insurance.
(1) IPCC (2001a), "Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis", Working Group I Third Assessment Report, IPCC, Geneva.
(2) Alcamo, J., Henrichs, T., Roesch, T., (2000), World Water in 2025: Global Modelling and Scenario Analysis for the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century, Centre for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel.
(3) World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank (1999), World Resources 1998-99, Oxford University Press, New York.
(4) Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (2000), The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000, FAO, Rome.
(5) US National Research Council (1999) Sustaining Marine Fisheries, National Academy Press, Washington DC.
(6) OECD (2001), The DAC Journal: Development Co-operation 2000 Report, OECD, Paris.
(7) idem.
(8) United Nations Development Programme (1999) Human Development Report, UNDP, New York.
(9) idem.
(10) OECD (2001), ibid. The 22 Development Assistance Committee members in the OECD average 0.24% of GNP on development assistance, with, for instance, the United States at 0.1% of GNP in 1999 and Germany and Japan at just 0.26% and 0.35% respectively.
(11) OECD (2000), Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: Monitoring and Evaluation, OECD, Paris
(12) idem.
(13) World Bank (2000), Global Economic Prospects and Developing Countries, World Bank, Washington DC.
(14) OECD (2001), ibid.


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As Sweden celebrated 200 years of peace in 2014, The Life & Peace Institute, in collaboration with the Uppsala University's department of Peace and Conflict Research (DPCR), the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and Fredens Hus, organized a seminar named "Tracks Ahead at 200 Years: Local Actors in Mediation and Negotiations for Peace".
The seminar focused on the role of local actors in the resolution of conflicts, the effects of dialogue among ethnic groups, the work and the methods used by the Life & Peace Institute, and related issues in peacebuilding.
The speakers were:
Dr. Isak Svensson
Mr. Joel Ahlberg
Mr Jussi Ojala
Ms Jenny Svanberg.
Uppsala, November 2013


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Affects 1 in 4 adults in England
Accounts for 12% of GP visits
High blood pressure (hypertension) is the second biggest risk factor for premature death and disability in England, and affects more than 1 in 4 adults.
Diseases caused by hypertension are estimated to cost the NHS over £2 billion every year, and account for 12 percent of all visits to GPs in England*.
Our group investigates better ways to monitor, diagnose and treat hypertension in primary care, and increasing patient involvement through new interventions such as self-monitoring and self-management.
A particular focus of our research centres around hypertension in pregnancy, which can carry risks for both the woman and the baby and remains one of the leading causes of maternal death in the UK.
Through our research we aim to develop an evidence base to change clinical guidelines, enabling GPs and other healthcare practitioners to deliver better care to those with hypertensive disorders.
*Figures from Public Health England
Pregnancy studies:
Management and self-management studies:
Monitoring and self-monitoring studies:
Screening studies:
Cardiovascular and metabolic research updates:
Blog posts
British South Asian narratives of diabetes and views on future research
6 September 2018
Cardiovascular & metabolic Global perspective Patient experience
"You've got pre-diabetes." What does the patient do next?
8 August 2018
Cardiovascular & metabolic Health Services Research Health behaviours Policy & health systems


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They have been busy, busy bees collating this years festival of merriment over at Mugdock Park, but the good people creating Mugstock 2017 still had some time to have a chat with us about this years festival, and a wee bit more! Check out what they have to say, listen to the collated playlist, then buy your ticket and take the ride!
Bloody hell, you guys have seriously upped your game in such a short period of time, you've went from boutique festival, to a hugely anticipated, fantastic line-up in the pace of time we have had the shop open, what's your secret to putting together such an exciting and eclectic line up?
Our (not very well kept) secret is our programming director Nelson. He has done a sterling job of hand-picking a lineup which is relentless in its quality, with artists at the top of their game representing a plethora of different musical genres. I think the hardest thing has been deciding what to say no to. We have booked over 125 acts and we had over 300 applications, and the quality of submission was so high. It's really humbling to see how much talent is out there, and it feels good to be able to help introduce some of these acts to new audiences. If anyone reading hasn't explored the line-up yet, I would recommend spending some quality time with the official MugStock 2017 Lineup playlist on Youtube:
What band are you most looking forward to yourself as an organiser, you must have one you are particularly looking forward to?
As a long term fan back in the day I am properly giddy about seeing the Supernaturals. As they are local lads who grew up playing in Mugdock Park this is something of a homecoming gig for them, especially as the last time they played anywhere close was about 20 year ago. I think the atmosphere on Saturday evening is going to be incredible. As that was probably a bit of an obvious answer, I will also give a mention to Hypnoblue - a lovely upbeat poppy band who join us all the way from Russia. Their tagline is "open hearted music". I think they'll bring a lot of love to the MugStock site.You seem to be making your name as a particularly family friendly festival, with plenty of arty things for the kids to get involved in.
Was it your intentions from the start to make it such a family event? Or was it just a natural progression?
Go to Mugdock Country Park any sunny day of the year and you will find it hoaching with families and dogs. It wouldn't have been fair to exclude either them, so yes we've been family friendly from the get go (and dog friendly since last year!). We still didn't anticipate how popular the festival would be with families. In both years so far 50% of ticket buyers have brought kids under 12. Having so many wee folk enjoying themselves on the site is definitely one of the main factors which produce our frankly magical atmosphere. We try to meet everyone's needs whether you're a 4 year old, a 40 year old or an octogenarian, and our audience feedback suggests that we're striking a good balance. We have a new family campsite this year which will be easier to get to and quieter at night, and a new campsite near the Glade, our electronic venue, for those who want to stay up and party a wee bit later.
With such a huge line up to put together, do you have to start collating bands for 2018 before the final chord of 2017's festival has been struck?
As it happens we are actively approaching potential headliners for 2018 right now. We'll most likely put out a general call for acts around the end of the year.
Do you guys intend on expanding anything within the scope of the festival itself, not necessarily the size of the bill, but possibly other aspects such as the art side of things, or the festivals capacity, for future MugStock's? Or are you happy with how it looks right now? (To be fair, it looks bloody great!)
MugStock is never going to be huge, but with our present site plan we still have a little room to grow. As a not for profit festival we have the luxury of investing in stuff like lights to make the site prettier, which means that all of the things that add quality to the festival-going experience should naturally get a bit better each year. One ambition is to integrate the majestic Mugdock Castle into the festival site. This beautiful piece of heritage is just a wee bit far away from everything else, so we've been wondering about connecting it with a wee train (or an epic zip slide!). We love Mugdock Park, and will keep using our imaginations in order to show it at it's very best and put on the most lovely, merriment-filled event we can for people of all ages for the foreseeable future.
Tickets and news on this years Mugstock can be bought by heading over to their Facebook page on this link!


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Yes, Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (and their parents). My teen earned her license in the Spring (*cue heart wrench*). Not that my daughter is a bad driver (regarding the heart wrench) it's that she's a newish driver out there in the world with some good and some bad drivers. Seriously, it's a scary thing to hand over your car keys to someone you gave birth to! Thus, I've compiled Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (and their parents)…read on…
Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and OnStar and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.
Avoid distractions. And I know…the first thing we think about is mobile phones. The texts, the social media pings, the music streaming apps. But there are other distractions…like switching radio channels. Having too many loud-laughing passengers (get my younger daughter in a car with her friends and the sound levels triple). Even drinking one of those trendy soy lattes. These can all be distractions to teen drivers. Remind them to stash their phones out of reach (a zipped up backpack in the backseat avoids all mobile distraction). Use confidence to tell friends to settle down. Sip the latte at the destination.
Take your time. Some teens have a video-game-mentality when it comes to driving (fast and furious-esque). But you gotta tell them obeying speed limits save lives. As do seat belts. And looking at road conditions before you drive (because rain, snow, and wind can dramatically affect your ability to control a vehicle). Take your time and you arrive alive.
Consider getting OnStar. OnStar is an in-vehicle safety and security technology with a human touch, available only on Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.
- Automatic Crash response
Get help right away in a crash even if you are unable to ask for it for yourself. If you are hurt or can't reach your cellphone – OnStar is right there with you.
- Emergency Services
Assistance in an emergency is only a button push away.
- Roadside Assistance
Trained Advisors will get you the help you need when you need it (this would have come in handy for the little headlight problem my teen had — see below).
- Crisis Assistance
Critical assistance in severe weather, natural disasters or other crises.
- Turn-by-Turn Navigation.
OK this is something not only helpful for newer drivers but for experienced ones like me who have direction problems! Access to the directions you want from an Advisor while you're on the road.
BONUS FOR PARENTS: OnStar Vehicle Locate* gives you peace of mind with 24/7 access to the location of your student's OnStar-equipped vehicle, enabling you to track progress on their journey.
Read more Teen Driving Safety Tips via OnStar
Turn the lights off when you park. This one comes from personal experience. When my teen took the car for her first evening drive, she forgot to turn off the headlights. The next morning we had a brick in our driveway as the car had no battery and we couldn't move it.
This week, my teen drove herself and friends to a concert…downtown…at night. I wish I had OnStar in the car for her to help with navigation, roadside assistance, and simple peace of mind that even though she is out in the world…someone is looking out for her.


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Lo and Behold! My Garden
Our first March vacation is nearing its end. While I am enjoying the one week break, I must say that I do miss school! I hope that does not mean that I am a strange kid! I am starting to get ready for school. I have finished all my homework. I had opportunities to play and bond with my family. However, I must admit I am eager to return to school where I can see my friends again! In fact, I just packed my school bag today. Everyone has a new time table for term 2. Looks like term 2 will be interesting as we would be going for a learning journey in the zoo. We are also being dismissed later (3pm) on Mondays in term 2. This is because the enrichment programmes are starting in term 2. I must remember to ask mom to give me extra money for lunch!
I am also wondering about the garden just outside my classroom. My teacher says that the school is working hard to create a lovely garden where we can rest and eat our sandwich and enjoy some greenery as well. The garden will also be a learning space for us where we can learn about science and even responsibility! I just returned to school today and the hoarding that used to surround the garden is gone! Lo and behold! I saw a most lovely garden! This is what I saw!
|We have palm trees!
I can see myself spending my recess here! The garden even has a pond with a fountain built in it! I am wondering we are going to have fishes in the pond. I must remember to ask the teacher if we could have some fishes so that we can just admire how they swim. Here are some pictures of how the garden looks like now.
|A view of the garden from the corridor near the General Office
|Our Small Pond! Can the fountain go any higher?
What a beauty!
Indeed, the garden has really evolved into one that I cannot imagine when I first stepped into Frontier Primary School in Dec 2011. In fact,because of the hoarding, we could not see what was being done to the green space. Only two weeks ago, the garden looked very different with what I saw today. Here are some "before" pictures of our garden in construction! I must see the faces of my friends when all of us returned to school on Monday!
I am raring to return to school! Yippee!
|A mini excavator in our Garden!
|Our pond?
|Garden in the Rain or Rain in the Garden?


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South Africa has the lineup of richest rappers in Africa. in this article we have listed the top ten Richest Rappers In South Africa 2018.
The questions fans ask, are!! Who is the richest rapper in South Africa 2018?
1. Die Antwoord (Net Worth: R56 million.
Die Antwoord is a group of two spectacular rappers who have made great waves with the help of their rap skills.
Die Antwoord is South Africa's richest rap group. With the annual earnings of R8 million and numerous global tours, it is believed that Die Antwoord will continue to soar high in coming years.
2. AKA (Net Worth: R4.8 million.
Here is another prominent character in South Africa's lineup of rappers. Popularly dubbed AKA, this rapper rose into great stardom in 2011 and this came after choosing to bear the stage name AKA. In point of fact, he has been making a huge profit since he changed his stage name to AKA. In some measure, his music fortune came shortly after the launching of his first album titled Alter Ego.
Although was already a talented rapper during his teens, he became a superstar in 2011 and today, he is one of the spectacular South African rappers with a pretty number of endorsement deals. At the moment, he is worth R4.8 million rands.
3. Cassper Nyovest (Net Worth: R3.2 million.
South African rapper (Cassper Nyovest) emerged into the music industry and made his mark within a short timeframe. South Africa's music industry is dominated by a lot of talented rappers and great musicians. Owing to this, it is quite amazing that Cassper Nyovest has quickly risen with great influence despite the tight competition among rappers. Cassper is said to have achieved a great feat precisely through the endorsement deal he signed with MTN. Impressively, this distinguishes him as the South African artiste with the biggest endorsement deal.
4. Khuli Chana.
Khuli Chana has been in the game for over 10 years now and has been a prominent brand for a long time. The rapper was also involved in an incident with the police when they confused him with someone else and opened fire on the rapper, the rapper is said to have made off with a R2.5 million settlement. Khuli also has some prominent business's outside of the music industry .
Mr Cashtime is another rapper that came into the game about a decade ago with Teargas and has managed to start a successful solo career plus is also part owner of the Cashtime Life label which has artists like Nomoozie, KiD X and more.
J.R is a fortunate rapper to reckon with. He emerged into the music industry in the late 2000's. He makes money through shows and mega endorsement deals. His rap lyrics have given him a significant edge as one of the richest rappers in South Africa. He once bagged an award –the Tropical Island –in addition to the sum of R1, 000, 000. Like few other rappers, he runs a number of thriving businesses to take his wealth beyond the
The King Of Maftown has been in the game for a long time now and was the most prominent rapstar in the country for a several of seasons straight.
8. Da LES
Da LES found his way into the entertainment industry –precisely with the release of Jozi. Since he came aboard, he has continually made waves with constant tours and hit songs. Obviously, fame isn't at any distant stretch from him. He has it right around him. Only a few years ago, he bagged the Tropical Islands together with the sum of R1, 000, 000.
9. Jack Parrow
Considered an outstanding rap star, Jack Parow is one of the richest South African rappers. Though his wealth doesn't compare that to the rappers above, Jack Parow has taken the advantage of his rap skills to tour across Europe. In view of this, he has established a massive international audience.
10. Tumi Molekane (Stogie T)
Tumi Molekane Among The Richest Rappers in South Africa
Tumi is a renowned South African rapper who rose in popularity around the 2000's. Fortunately, he is part of the South African rappers who have toured across the globe. Also, he maintains his reputation as the owner of a South African record label called Motif Records. Some of the stars signed to the label are Reason and Ricky Rick.
Tumi makes money from a number of sources but the robust part of his wealth is attributed to music. To signify his intense passion towards music as a career, Tumi has included a number of albums in his gallery.


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One of the "symptoms" of there being something wrong, mood-wise, is that I'm being too quiet. Not responding to things at all, or in too flat a way.
One of the other "symptoms" is the opposite, of course– I overreact to stuff that does deserve some kind of reaction, but because of my formative personal bullshit, I can't help but be loudmouthed and less than diplomatic about it. (Histrionic, even.)
The balance between not rocking the boat (and feeling stifled and hating myself for stifling myself and letting others stifle me, too) and blowing the boat out of the water by overreaction, because telling the truth as I know it, right now, still apparently seems to be too critical/disdainful/sarcastic/over-expectant of the rest of the world and therefore not fair.
I find it hard to really give a shit, much. I spent thirty five years mostly keeping my mouth shut and not asking for stuff, and all it did was make me miserable. I didn't get what I wanted, I didn't save or heal anyone. Even myself. All I did was make myself angry, and get increasingly furious at everyone else for not seeing how angry I was.
It would be nice to learn how to tell people to slow their roll when they're triggering my stuff in a way that isn't aggressive or critical or whatever confrontational and judgmental words my therapist's using this week that make me feel like a bad person who needs to shut the fuck up. (And yes, I need to tell her that her choice of language is making me feel self-hateful. I need to talk to her about how it's important that we discuss perception versus intention. I need to talk to her about how her vagueness bugs the shit out of me, because I feel like I'm answering wrong, and that can't be right, because it's my goddamned therapy. I haven't gotten there yet.)
It would be nice to learn to not be triggered at all, to be more zen about stuff and not take things so personally, to just have fewer extraneous feelings in general– but I know that this is a hope, not an absolute likelihood, and that while there are some things I'll find my zen about, some day, and therefore won't overreact when someone hurts my (at last not too many) feelings, so that I can make the decision of whether to be diplomatic at all and say nothing, or find a clear way to say– "That bothered me, even if you didn't intend it that way."
My parental emotional modeling pinballed between silent sulking after explosive rages at whatever some other had done wrong to hurt, to perform badly, to reflect poorly, to just not do something timely, to fail to anticipate some unarticulated demand for something a child shouldn't have had to ever have guessed. I understand that, on a theoretical basis. I resent the hell out of the fact that all criticism is inherently destructive to me because being valedictorian was a given and an A was greeted with "Why didn't you get an A+?" I will probably never forgive that even though I was relieved as hell that my mother moved to California because she is exhausting even over the phone, the explicit reason she did it was because I wasn't going to give her grandchildren. (Oh, yes she did.)
I know I need profuse recognition and thanks to a ridiculous degree– and that when it's given, I don't believe it, because it wasn't given to me when I was small, and if the people who were supposed to love me before I ever could have fucked anything up didn't love me, give me those things, then clearly, there's some flaw in me that everyone else just hasn't seen yet. I believe I am not worthy of love, because I couldn't fix the people who should have loved be first, best, most. I can't accept praise, because I am waiting for everyone to see whatever else will happen when the other shoe drops and I screw something up. And then I screw something up, because I can't stand waiting, and I am so angry that they haven't given me praise so far for not fucking up that I get depressed and angry and anxious and cease to function– and all the while, can't just say "I need an attagirl for doing stupid, basic adult things today, please."
(Although, I did try, with my husband. He thought it was stupid to need validation for accomplishing basic shit he himself was erratic at doing, and he didn't/couldn't hear the underlying message I couldn't say/didn't understand yet, which was that I was drowning and basic things were what kept my head above water. And he thought I was wrong to be angry about the things I was angry about, even never having experienced them for himself. I was angry for being told that my feelings were wrong and too much and that I was a bad person for thinking that way. I may have overreacted to his failure to empathize with me, but at least I tried to tell him, unlike my parents, who never fucking listened in the first place and still can't hear me, and so we will always have distance between us because I am not going to try to bridge it. I will not get burnt trying to cross it again.)
I've been working my way around trying to figure out what to say, what to think, about this work thing. Because I opened my mouth about my boss not knowing her job, and now I'm being punished. Because I took a week's vacation and the store went to shit. Because I came back and did what I always did, and now, of course, grapevine says for 2000, Alex, that the boss thinks I'm "doing better" which is either code for regretting getting into it with a lawyer who said "Fuck you, prove it, write it all down" and now she doesn't have anything to write down, or she realized the place will burn down the minute I leave. (Clue, I am leaving, as soon as I can.)
I had a panic attack yesterday, pretty bad, brought on in the short term by my dad's bitching at me about driving in the snow– because of course, I'm an idiot who crashes her cars on a regular basis and maims drivers on the road left and right and can't shovel for shit. (Here's a clue. No, to all of these things.) Of course, the panic attack in the long run was about two things. The first was about said boss' silence/failure to give "feedback" now that I'd been back a few days and busted out projects the same way I always did and wondering whether I was going to walk into a shitstorm of "Hey, you still suck" today. (I didn't, and she couldn't even have the conversation about me doing a good job with me, either; it was held indirectly through her favorite lackey, instead, which lends credence to the hohfuck, what did I get myself into theory, and lends credence to my opinion that this is all punitive shit.)
Which doesn't make me feel badly, in general principle, for saying she sucked at her job. Because it's the truth. And she wouldn't have heard it except bluntly. And she doesn't intend to do anything about it, regardless, but I have no tolerance for people who prefer mediocrity to sharing information and developing people beneath them, and if that's disdainful then, well, fine, it's disdainful. She's not a bad person, but she wants things her way. And I'm not trying to be mean, but I am trying to make things work the best way, and if the only way to get that message across is to be blunt, then if someone else interprets that as me being mean, well, it's both our problems and it's time for me to get the fuck out and find some coworkers who can handle the truth.
(I'm too idealistic. I know. Maybe I just need to start prefacing all my interviews and cover letters with "I'm radically honest" and see where it gets me.)
The second thing the panic attack was about was more complicated. It was anticipatory, because I didn't send out any applications while on vacation, and have only heard back from a few places where I wouldn't want to work anyway. I don't know if it's that my resume screams overqualified or boy is she burnt out or what, but the lack of responses to the dozen plus applications I've made has me feeling like– maybe my boss is right and I really do suck. Even though I know that I don't, and not just because I have pride and work my ass off, but because when I walked back in the door on Sunday, everyone in the store who wasn't manager-class had something to say about thank all-fuck that I was back.
That doesn't mean that I didn't still feel hella anxious and procrastinatory about sending out more job applications, when I still have no idea what would be a good fit, I am on a deadline, I am still working my way back up to an effective dosage of meds, and other miscellaneous low level crap that all adds up to a heaping pile of hypervigilant crap to watch out for. That doesn't mean I don't feel panic at starting over and over and over again, and worry about taking the first half-decent offer, only to find myself in the position of needing to start all over again in another half-year or more.
All I can do is try and be obnoxiously loud about it to everyone, including me, from the start, and hope, over time, that I'll learn to still say what I need, but just– pare it back to polite essentials. Not silent ones, though.


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Now Showing
Third Coast Gallery
September 5, 2017
2413 Mechanic, Galveston, Texas
Melinda's Coastal paintings will be on display for about 6 weeks in Jack Morris' iconic gallery.
SEAD Gallery
February 13, 2016
Artist Reception November 17, 6 PM to 9 PM
If you are in the Bryan/College Station, TX area (home of Texas A&M University) November, 2016 through January, 2017 please stop by SEAD Gallery to see some of my latest work. The gallery is open Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
SEAD Gallery is located in the Federal Building in Historic Downtown Bryan, TX and offers exhibits juried by Arts Council of the Brazos Valley. Built in 1915, the Federal Building was once the community post office and and later housed the IRS and FBI. Today the Federal Building is home to the Innovation Underground and SEAD Gallery – community and economic development projects by Advent GX.
Affaire d'Art Fine Art Gallery, Galveston
August 29, 2015
When in Galveston, Texas, stop by 2227 Postoffice to see my coastal art. Nikki and Alicia would love to show you around the gallery.
Upcoming Galveston Artwalk events:
Saturday, March 5, 6 – 9pm
Saturday, April 16, 6 – 9pm
Saturday, June 4, 6 – 9pm
Saturday, July 16, 6 – 9pm
Saturday, August 27, 6 – 9pm
Texas Art Asylum
February 12, 2013
Texas Art Asylum, 1719 Live Oak, Houston, TX.
February 16, 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
East End Gallery, Houston
February 12, 2013
East End Gallery, 708C Telephone Road, Houston, Texas. Show runs February 8 through 22.


text: Self Directed Support The Self Directed Support (SDS) provides you with more choice and control over how you receive your care and support services More and more people are looking at taking control of their own support arrangements and more options are now becoming widely available through the implementation of the Self Directed Support Bill 2013. The SDS Bill defines SDS in terms of four options that councils will have a duty to offer. What is Self Directed Support? Self Directed Support (SDS) allows you to choose how your support is provided, giving you and your family greater flexibility, choice and control over your support. What about Personalisation, is this the same thing? Personalisation means that people are actively involved in shaping and selecting services they receive. What are my Self Directed Support options? There are four main ways that your SDS can be used: Option1. Direct Payments A payment to allow you to arrange support to meet your agreed support plan outcomes. Rhythmic Care can for example provide home care with dedicated care workers. Option 2. Individual Service Fund Where the council or a chosen provider such as Rhythmic Care will hold the budget but you are in charge of how it's spent. Option 3. Local Authority arranged support The council arranges support on your behalf to meet your support plan outcomes. Rhythmic Care can also provide this more traditional form of service delivery as well. Option 4. A combination A combination of the above options can also be used if you feel this provides the best solution. So is Self Directed Support Different from Directs Payments? Direct Payments have been around since the year 2003 and will continue to be Option 1 of the 4 SDS options. Direct Payments are payments for the direct purchase of support. The main change with SDS is that you will know after your assessment, how much your individual budget is and you'll be supported to focus on your desired outcomes, not just your basic needs. Why would I want Self Directed Support? SDS can give you more choice and control over the decisions that affect your life. For example, many people need help to get out of bed in the morning, new choices mean you can arrange for someone to come in at the times that suit you and not when the local authority designate. You will have to remember that services will have peak demand times; services at premium times may have additional charges. SDS gives people more control over the budget spent on their support. Am I eligible for Self Directed Support? Everyone is eligible for Self Directed Support and your council has a duty to offer an option to you. If you are new to receiving social care and support, your council has to offer you Self Directed Support. It will be up to the council to decide when existing customers are transferred to SDS. The council will support a 'direct payment option' if it is satisfied that you will be able to manage it. Your council will be able to tell you more about managing payments and Rhythmic Care are here to help you on all of the aspects of Self Directed Support Services. What can I use Self Directed Support for? SDS can be used to arrange the services that the council has assessed you as needing. Your Self Directed Support can be used in a number of ways including: Receive help at home for personal care and practical help Support in getting out and about in the community Keeping up hobbies and interests or local classes Respite care Mobility equipment and home adaptions I want to chat to someone about my options… If you would like to get more information about SDS, please feel free to call Rhythmic Care team on 0208 553 2000. Alternatively, contact us online and we'll give you a call back.


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TOKYO -- Move house or apartment in Japan and the first person likely to welcome you to your new neighborhood will be a man from one of Japan's two leading daily newspapers, the Yomiuri or Asahi.
With a fawning smile he won't come empty-handed. Sign up for a minimum of three months and in return he'll lavish you with boxes of washing powder, tickets to theme parks, free beer and other enticing knickknacks. Claims of superior content, scoops galore or hard-hitting exclusives probably won't be part of his, or his competitors', sales pitch. It will be a simple choice between who brings the best goodies to your front door.
It usually takes a catastrophe to transform Japan at any pace faster than glacial. More often than not change is a slog of incremental advances that everyone must agree to before they go ahead. That snail's pace of change has, however, made the Japanese masters at making do, and in business that has honed the skill to sustain business practices that elsewhere are abandoned as archaic.
No better example of that talent exists than in the newspaper industry's dogged determination to stick with the printed word as publications around the world shift to online as ad revenue and circulation falter. Any American publisher insane enough to swim against the Web tide might learn a few things from the Japanese.
With broadband access plentiful and 3G mobile telephony the norm, Japan, like everywhere else, has become a nation of bloggers and social networkers. But, unlike their counterparts in the U.S., Japan's media conglomerates just can't lay off the thousands of journalists or typesetters that any shift to the Web would demand. Newspapers, like other companies in Japan, are expected to do their bit for the nation by keeping as many people gainfully employed as possible. Tough unions and stringent labor laws are there to make sure they do. The Yomiuri's overlord, Tsuneo Watanabe, the nearest thing Japan has to Rupert Murdoch, doesn't hide his disdain for online news.
That means they've got to sell papers, and their detergent-toting salesmen are their shock troops. They have chalked up impressive circulation numbers.
Though little known outside Japan, the middle-of-right Yomiuri sells 10 million newspapers a day, more than any daily anywhere in the world, double the combined circulation of USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Sales of Japan's top three news vendors, including the left-leaning Asahi with 8 million copies, and the main financial daily the Nikkei at 3 million, is roughly equivalent to the circulation of America's top 70 papers combined. Nine out of 10 Japanese households have breakfast with a newspaper.
Shoving that paper into the post box every morning is a full-time, full-grown employee of the Yomiuri or Asahi. The stop-start whine of his newspaper-laden scooter at 5 a.m. is a familiar part of Japan's dawn chorus. In Japan there are no amateur part-time paperboys. Augmenting that aggressive distribution network is a degree of local advertising that Western papers can't match. Apart from the ads for cars or digital cameras printed on its pages, each paper at neighborhood offices stuffs its pages with leaflets and fliers advertising discounts at the supermarkets round the corner, apartments and houses for sale down the road, or offers to join the local sports club.
Ironically it's online that the Yomiuri, Asahi and Nikkei, hint at the future of print media in Japan. The three papers established a joint Web site that excludes smaller papers such as the Sankei and Mainichi.
The message is clear. Although smaller publishers may fold as ad revenues erode, they will champion the future of ink on paper in Japan. Americans and Europeans may only find bills and pizza menus stuffed through their letter boxes in the future, but the Japanese will probably be sitting down to their toast and cornflakes with a paper for a long time to come. And the newspapers will continue to keep the nation's clothes clean.
See Also:
Can A News Cabal Save Newspapers?
Buffett Wouldn't Buy More Newspapers 'At Any Price'


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ARToberfest: Saturday & Sunday, October 1st & 2nd from noon to 5 pm. A special weekend celebration with ART for all! In addition there will be food, beer, activities, art demonstrations, and more. If you find yourself without any plans, stop by and visit us in Studio 331!
FIRST SATURDAY OPEN STUDIOS. So much to see – you'll be amazed at what you find. Every month is an opportunity to talk to artists about their work ,how they make it, what inspires them. It'll take you more than one visit to check out all the art you'll find at Western Avenue.
There is free parking on site. If the parking lot if full there is a free shuttle bus that runs to off site parking 3 minutes away. There are docents at the entry doors to help you get started on your visit – make sure to chat with them if you have any questions.