text:
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court confirms death sentence on Brotherhood leader
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[June 21, 2014]
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court
on Saturday confirmed death sentences against the leader of the outlawed
Muslim Brotherhood and at least 182 of his supporters, judicial sources
at the court told Reuters.
The court's decision came two months after it referred the case
against the Brotherhood's general guide Mohamed Badie and hundreds
of others to the state's highest religious authority, the Mufti, the
first step towards imposing a death sentence.
They were charged over violence that erupted in the southern
Egyptian town of Minya in July in the aftermath of the army's ouster
of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, a senior Brotherhood member,
after mass protests against his rule. One senior police officer was
killed in the violence.Saturday's decision comes just two weeks
after former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office as
president after winning an election in May. Sisi led the overthrow
of Mursi which was followed by protests by Mursi's supporters and a
crackdown by security forces in which hundreds of Islamist
protesters were killed and thousands jailed. In a separate case, a
Cairo court referred Badie and 13 other Brotherhood supporters on
Thursday to the Mufti on charges of murder and firearms possession
related to clashes during the protests last July. Around 500 army
and police officers have been killed since Mursi's fall.
Badie and other senior Brotherhood leaders including Mursi are
standing trial in other cases.
(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Dominic Evans; Editing by Janet
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Recipe: Panino di Pizza With Cauliflower and Romesco
Store-bought pizza dough varies; the ones that performed best in testing for this recipe were fresh dough from the bakery/pizza station at Whole Foods Market and a frozen version by Brooklyn Pizza Dough Co., also available at Whole Foods. You can, of course, use a homemade dough.
MAKE AHEAD: Frozen dough needs to be defrosted before baking; follow the package directions. The romesco sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. The roasted cauliflower can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
From Washington Post Food editor Joe Yonan, with a crust inspired by a Roberto Donna recipe from "In Julia's Kitchen With Master Chefs," by Julia Child (Knopf, 1995). The filling was inspired by a sandwich at G in Washington.
4 servings
For the cauliflower
1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the romesco sauce
1/2 cup cubed multigrain bread (from 1 small slice)
1 plum tomato, cored and cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup (about 4 ounces) jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
For the panino
Flour, for the work surface
1-pound ball store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature (see headnote)
2 cups lightly packed arugula
4 ounces pecorino-Romano cheese, shaved or grated
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Set a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.
For the cauliflower: Core the head and break the cauliflower into large florets, then cut those into 1/2-inch slices. Toss them on a rimmed baking sheet with the oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast until deeply browned on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Use a spatula to turn them over; roast until browned on the top, 10 minutes. Cover loosely to keep warm.
For the romesco sauce: Toss together the bread, tomato, garlic, almonds, salt and 1 tablespoon of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally with tongs, until the mixture browns in spots and the garlic is slightly tender when pressed, 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor. Add the red peppers, paprika, cayenne, if using, vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Puree until smooth. Taste, and add salt and vinegar as needed.
For the panino: Increase the oven temperature to 550, if possible.
Liberally dust a work surface with flour. Use your hands to press and stretch the dough, working from the center, into a 9-inch round. Transfer to the pizza stone; bake until it puffs to form a dome, browns all over and sounds hollow when tapped, 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer immediately to a cutting board; let cool briefly, then use a serrated knife to cut the crust in half horizontally, being careful to avoid the escaping steam. Remove the top.
Build the panino by spreading about 3/4 cup of the romesco sauce over the inside of the bottom crust. Layer with the roasted cauliflower slices, overlapping them as needed, the arugula, and the cheese. Smear the remaining romesco sauce on the cheese.
Put the top back on. Use the serrated knife to cut the panino into 8 wedges. Serve right away.
Nutrition Per serving: 670 calories, 26 g protein, 77 g carbohydrates, 30 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 1,320 mg sodium, 9 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar

subset: commoncrawl


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Davy Crockett, the American frontiersman, was born in 1786 and died in 1836. Before he became the legendary frontiersman, Davy Crockett won and lost various runs for candidacy in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1825 to 1835. The historical character gained new fame in 1954 when the Walt Disney television show ran a series of episodes featuring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. Coonskin caps and buckskins became popular and hundreds of different Davy Crockett items were made.
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Words of Wisdom (Letter to Lee)


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And yes, if a man assaults a woman he is to blame
Channel 9 media celebrity Kerri-Anne Kennerley has attracted attention for her comments on Mornings with Kerri-Anne, likening women who are picked up by male footballers to strays. She was discussing with former AFL star footballer Peter 'Spida' Everitt, the alleged assault of a 20-year-old university student by a group of men including two Collingwood players after their premiership win.
Everitt had posted a number of tweets on the incident, suggesting it was a case of morning- after regret and that girls who go home with footballers shouldn't be expecting Milo.
Men, said Kennerley, "put themselves in harm's way by picking up strays". She also asked what was it women expected in such situations and said that in alcohol fuelled scenarios at 3am "no one party can be blamed". In a statement of 'clarification', Nine said: "Not one party can be blamed for this. The responsibility lies with the girls as well as with the guys when you're talking about alcohol-fuelled situations at three o'clock in the morning."
Let's unpack these comments a little shall we?
"Picking up strays"
Women are to be compared with stray animals, like cats or (worse) dogs? We know that 85% of victims will never report to police. And people wonder why. When they risk being called, liars, sluts and now "strays", why would any woman who has just been through a terrible ordeal also want to sign up for that?
It is probably unintentional, but Kennerley is sending a message to rape victims and to girls everywhere that if they are raped they will be vilified and humiliated. In so doing, they are re-abused.
"What do they expect?"
Maybe they expect not to be subjected to rape? Maybe they expect they won't be sexually assaulted or subjected to any other criminal offense?
"They have to learn"
They have to learn that they could be seen as causing the assault? Leading him on? Contributing to it in some way? Women have to learn because they should expect to be sexually assaulted? As a commenter here said, "Men will be men". And another: "The law holds men responsible for their behaviour whilst inebriated and specifically does not hold women responsible for their behaviour in the same state. Hence this situation is inevitable."
More rape apologism suggesting rape is inevitable.
"No one party can be blamed"
If a man assaults a woman, is he not to be blamed? If a man takes advantage of a woman who is under the influence, she has not given consent. Therefore it is unlawful.
Drunkenness is not an invitation for sex. The inability to say no doesn't mean a woman has said yes.
Sexual Assault for Dummies
Remarkably, grown men still need to be taught that if a woman is out of it, she can't agree to sex. In the AFL's Respect and Responsibility manual, under a section of checklist items to help a man know consent has been given, it states:
When is consent freely given? When she's conscious – AWAKE!
MTR comments on The Morning Show
I also responded specifically to Kennerley's comments on Channel 9's Today Show this morning. Please follow this link to view.
There's been some excellent commentary on this issue the last couple of days. These pieces deserve to be read.
'A little bit sexually assaulted: a cup of milo and a bad lie down' by Lauren Rosewarne
A woman can't be a little bit pregnant, she can't be a little bit dead, she can't be a little bit equal, and she most certainly can't be a little bit sexually assaulted.
If consent is absent, rape has occurred. There is no grey.
While the details get shuffled about – the code, the players, the seedy nightclub providing the backdrop – in essence the same story is being retold. Footballers and sexual assault. The same story and frequently, the same public reaction: scepticism. Read more.
'Women cop blame (again) for sexual assault' by Nina Funnell
No men, including footballers, are entitled to sex with drunk women.
Women ask to be raped. Women fabricate rape allegations to assuage guilt. Rape victims are sluts and strays. These are some of the attitudes that have been unearthed this week following a police investigation into sexual assault allegations made by a 20-year-old woman.
The woman alleges she was the victim of a sexual assault involving a number of men, including two Collingwood players. The incident was said to have occurred in South Melbourne on Sunday morning, just hours after Collingwood defeated St Kilda in the grand final rematch. Read more.
'How Not To Rape People: A Handy Guide for Footballers and Men' by Ben Pobjie
In my perusings of the modern media landscape, a worrying trend has come to my attention: young men who apparently just can't stop having non-consensual sex with others. It's a tricky problem, and one to which there are, clearly, no easy solutions. I mean, it's all very well to say "No means no", but as popular ex-footballer/arachnid Peter "Spida" Everitt says, when a girl goes home with a guy at 3am, it's not for a cup of Milo. So we can see there are two sides to every story: on the one hand, a young lady might feel violated, but on the other hand, why do these women keep going round to strangers' houses in the hopes of having some Milo? Why don't they buy their OWN Milo? Young people today, I ask you. Read more.
'Rape probe hysterics an assault on justice' by John Silvester
So here we are again – women are sluts and men are morons.
That would appear to be the view of many who have decided to venture opinions on the police investigation involving a number of young men, including two Collingwood footballers, over allegations of sexual assault.
The facts as known are simple. A young traumatised woman has told police she was raped. Experienced detectives used to dealing with sexual assault victims found her credible. Read more.
See also: 'Not rape, just boys acting up'
'Why ask men to stop raping when women can barricade themselves in their homes?'
'Rape prevention tips guaranteed to work'


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PSC staff engage in projects related to many areas of high-performance computing. Fields that our staff contribute to include:
Biomedical Applications Group
The Biomedical Applications Group at PSC pursues leading edge research in high performance computing and the life sciences and fosters exchange between PSC expertise in computational science and biomedical researchers nationwide.
High-performance Networking
The Advanced Networking group at Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center conducts research on network performance and analysis in support of high-performance computing applications. We also develop software to support heterogeneous distributed supercomputing applications and to implement high-speed interfaces to archival and mass storage systems. See the Advanced Networking page for more of the tools, software and information they provide.
Advanced Systems (Data Handling and Analytics)
The Advanced Systems & Operations group conducts research in High Performance Computing systems and data storage. Current projects provide researchers better access to their data via the development of fast parallel filesystems and distributed filesystems for widely distributed computing environments.
In addition, they manage all PSC HPC resources, including security, supercomputing operations, high performance storage, and data management and file systems.
Current research efforts include:
Zest - Zest is a parallel storage system specifically designed to meet the ever-increasing demands of HPC application checkpointing. Zest differs from traditional parallel filesystems by making use of log-structuring filesystems on the I/O server in combination with opportunistic data placement. Utilizing these techniques, Zest is capable of driving its disks at 90% peak bandwidth. Read more about Zest here.
SLASH2 is a distributed filesystem that incorporates existing storage resources into a common filesystem domain. It provides system-managed storage tasks for users who work in widely distributed environments. The SLASH2 metadata controller performs inline replication management, maintains data checksums and coordinates third party, parallel, data transfer between constituent data systems. The SLASH2 I/O service is a portable, user-space process that does not interfere with the underlying storage system's administrative model. Read more about SLASH2 at https://github.com/pscedu/slash2.
See the Advanced Systems page for more information.
Scientific Applications and User Services
The Scientific Applications and User Services (SAUS) group at PSC promotes groundbreaking scientific research through efficient and inventive use of PSC resources. They often collaborate in research projects to provide expertise in scientific computing.


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Phils getting runners on, not knocking them in
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies entered Saturday's game against Kansas City with 30 runners left on base, which ranked ninth in baseball. They ranked 12th with 12 runners left in scoring position.
Bad sign: They aren't knocking those runners in. They are hitting .200 with runners in scoring position, which is 20th in baseball.
Good sign: They are getting runners on, which is the first step. Their .311 on-base percentage is 12th in baseball and sixth in the National League.
"Sooner or later, we will [knock them in]," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I don't want to go out here every day and leave guys on base. There are times when we will definitely address it. But also, that's part of the game. They have to be out there for us to knock them in. So being out there for us is the first thing. Now the second thing is to knock them in. It will come and go. When you are playing real good, you will knock them in. When things aren't going so good, more likely than not you will be leaving them out there."


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It has never seemed very sensible to me to treat musicology and music performance as separate — or even conflicting — areas of study; surely each is a part of the other. When I first arrived in Cambridge in 1960, Thurston Dart was the prime and in those days lone advocate of pursuing both paths; he was keyboard player, orchestra director, musicologist, editor, writer, teacher and broadcaster — a fine and I thought very tempting mix. He was also blunt in his criticisms; seeing me in the street clutching a newly-purchased copy of the standard edition of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, he stopped me to point out that I had paid for 'twenty errors on every page!'. He may have been exaggerating, but his proposed cure was most effective: 'My dear sir, go to the Museum down the road and look at the real thing'.
One of the revelations of entering the Fitzwilliam Museum (in addition to the rare treat of parts of it being air-conditioned in summer) was the unique combination of artefacts it displayed: paintings together with furniture, ceramics with carpets, frightening armour alongside fragile glass, Beethoven's watch facing Handel's bookcase.
And those 'twenty errors on every page'? My present project is the re-editing for Musica Britannica of all the material in the Virginal Book which has not so far appeared in scholarly modern editions, trusting that by doing so I will manage to appease the ghost of Thurston Dart.
Christopher Hogwood CBE (b. 1941)
Born in Nottingham in 1941, Christopher Hogwood was educated at Nottingham High School, The Skinner's School, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Pembroke College, Cambridge. A student of Music and Classics, he also pursued keyboard studies with Rafael Puyana in Spain and subsequently with Zuzana Ruzickova in Prague and Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam. Keyboardist with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, at the same time eager to play more baroque and early classical music on period instruments, Hogwood founded the Early Music Consort with David Munrow in 1965 and the Academy of Ancient Music in 1973. Director of the latter until 2006, he produced more than 200 recordings for Decca and revolutionized the way music is performed, recorded and heard. Equally at home in the neo-baroque and neo-classical repertoire, Hogwood regularly conducts leading opera companies and major symphony orchestras around the world. He was awarded the Martinů Medal in Prague in 1999.
A celebrated keyboardist and important collector of historical instruments, Hogwood has made numerous solo recordings on harpsichord and has done much to promote the clavichord. His Secret Handel, part of The Secret Clavichord series of CDs, was awarded a Diapason d'Or in January 2007. Also a noted musicologist, Hogwood has edited music from the sixteenth (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book) to the twentieth centuries (Elgar, Martinů, Stravinsky) and is chairman of the advisory board overseeing the new edition of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: The Complete Works (Packard Humanities Institute, 2014). Hogwood has also written on Handel, Haydn and Mozart and his most recent major work is Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (Cambridge University Press, 2005). His books have been translated into numerous languages and his work on Handel – editing, performance, recording and writing – has won Hogwood numerous awards, including the Halle Handel Prize 2008.
Appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1982 and Commander of the British Empire in 1989, Hogwood is Honorary Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London. He holds Fellowships at Jesus and Pembroke Colleges, Cambridge and is also a member of the Senior Common Room at Lowell House, Harvard University. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Cambridge in 2008.
Christopher Hogwood lives in Cambridge.
Related Links
Selected Bibliography
C. Hogwood, The Trio Sonata, BBC Books, 1979 C. Hogwood, Music at Court, Gollancz, 1980 C. Hogwood, Handel, Thames & Hudson, 1988 (rev. edn. 2007) C. Hogwood, Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, Cambridge University Press, 2005
Selected Discography
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, C. Hogwood, Decca / Folio Society 1981
Handel, The Musick for the Royal Fireworks, C. Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, Decca 1994
Music by Honegger, Martinů and Stravinsky, C. Hogwood and the Kammerorchester Basel, Arte Nova, 2005


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
This activity shows how reading a mathematics problem three times, with a different focus question each time, can help students make sense of a problem.
Investigate, make conjectures, and develop proofs about triangular and square numbers. Compare numbers whose corresponding figures have similar base lengths.
Look at patterns of solids made with Cuisenaire rods. Make a table of the surface area and volume for each term of this sequence and view graphs of your data. Find the rule for the nth term.
Investigate the characteristics of functions. How do graphs of functions change when coefficients are changed?
Explore the mathematics of a ball dropped from a height of 10 feet. Collect data on the height of the ball with respect to time and plot the curve representing the data.
Observe as the students diagram the facts of the problem. They then identify and graph the relevant functions to represent the motion around a Ferris wheel.
Observe the geometric structure of numbers. Play with square and triangular figurate numbers on a graph and see the shapes that representative dot patterns can take.
Students have to calculate the optimal number of bass and carp that a pond can support. They determine and graph information about feeding and breeding areas and solve an algebraic equation to get optimal numbers.
Measure the lengths and diagonals of three squares with a ruler. Look over your measurements and try to come up with a rule of thumb for estimating the length of a diagonal if you know the length of a side.
Use the Galton board to validate the Law of Large Numbers. Compare experimental and theoretical results to illustrate the Central Limit Theorem.
To price his product and maximize his profit, Albert Moose needs to know all his costs and revenue. Assist Albert with his decision.
Michael and friends are planning a skiing weekend. Show them how to afford it.
Graph the sequence and find the equation of the curve. Solve the equation to determine the value of the 100th term of the sequence.
Practice classification/pattern recognition skills by guessing which button out of sixteen the computer has chosen. Go through a series of online questions about the buttons that differ in size, color, shape and number of holes to determine the answer.
How many valentines are exchanged if each of five friends gives a valentine to each of their other friends? Reflect on your solution, compare it with some others listed, and think about how you would solve a similar problem for more people.
Discover a fourth spatial dimension by using analogies (point, line and plane) from lower dimensions. Model objects of lower dimensions to gain understanding of a hypercube, which exists in the fourth dimension.
You took four snapshots of some geometric shapes that you saw on your train trip around a circular track. You dropped the pictures and got them mixed up, and now you must imagine your trip to put them back in order.
The bank is offering four special savings plans for new customers. Use the interest rate calculator to determine the best offer, taking variables like principal and compounding into account.
Answer the journal prompts, including reflections from the workshops and your own classroom. The journal (requires a login) will save your entries for 120 days after you register. However, you can print or transfer your entries to your own computer.
A limerick is a very funny piece of nonsense verse with its own special pattern of rhyme and rhythm. Use this tool to choose phrases to create your own limerick that follows the pattern.
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Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Boasts Fixed f/1.8 Lens, Big Sensor
Other major players have offered a big sensor/little camera combo, and up until now there was nothing in Sony's Cyber-shot lineup to compete. The RX100 offers a 3.6x optical zoom lens with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture and a 1.0-inch type CMOS sensor outfitted with 20.2 megapixels (13.2 x 8.8mm is its exact measurement). It will be capable of RAW image capture, and the RX100 will offer 1080 HD video.
A high-resolution 3.0-inch display with 1,229k dots of resolution is fixed to the camera's back panel. In this, Sony introduces a new (and unfortunately named) "WhiteMagic" technology, with extra white dots providing some gains in screen brightness. A ring around the base of the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens provides an extra level of user input, providing a shortcut to exposure or zoom settings. The lens is built with seven aperture blades for smooth bokeh.
Sony's optical SteadyShot image stabilization is present, and a native ISO range of 100-6400 is expandable up to 25600 in a multi-frame noise reduction mode. Burst mode clocks in at 10 fps for full-resolution images while a BIONZ processor keeps pace.
Pricing and Availability
It comes as no surprise that this camera won't be cheap. Sony's RX100 will be made available in July for about $650.


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text:
This text is part of Parks' Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.
These piers, which lie along Emmons Avenue between Ocean Avenue and East 26th Street, are located in a neighborhood named for a fish native to the Atlantic coast all the way from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico. The silvery, black-banded Sheepshead fish, a member of the porgy family, is so called for its teeth, which resemble those of sheep. Sheepshead Bay's name most likely dates back to 1844, when Benjamin Freeman built the first hotel in the area, The Sheepshead.


text:
But first remember...
Meet together often.
Together, read the scripture, read the lives of the Saints, read a book, prepare your cards to "our friends" and plan your acts of mercy.
Then, take care of your business.
I. Dues: Money that helps our local Diocese and money that helps our Archdiocese. $75.00 of the dues from every parish is sent on to the Archdiocese and the rest remains in our Diocese for our expenses and ministry.
Dues are to be sent by October 15, 2008 to the Treasurer of the AW of our Diocese:
Martha Rowell
P.O. Box 88
Gaston, SC 29053
Make checks payable to Antiochian Women – Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. Each check is to have two signatures as is required by the Archdiocese and strongly recommended by Bishop ANTOUN.
The amount is determined by the size of the parish:
Small (0-100): $200
Medium (101–175): $250
Large (176 and up): $300
Missions: not required, but encouraged to send at least $25
II. Delegates' Meeting: A meeting in mid-winter with AW Officers and delegates from each AW Chapter.
The AW President, Vice President/ Project Coordinator, Treasurer, Coordinators (Humanitarian, Membership, Public Relations, Religious) and all Chapter Presidents (or a representative) will give reports. This will include your activities, acts of mercy, your accomplishments, etc. It is suggested to have 50 copies.
Where – Pensacola, Florida
When – January 23-25, 2009
Hosted by – St. Andrew Orthodox Mission [1]; Fr. David Bleam, Priest
III. Project: Metropolitan PHILIP gave the AW a new project at the North American Board meeting in July. The new project will be to raise funds for special needs Children. The official description has not been given to us yet. We do know it will be primarily for the Al Kafat Home in Lebanon.
Charlotte Wood, St. Peter, Madison, MS will keep you informed.
Due by April 15, 2009
Send to: Martha Rowell
P.O. Box 88
Gaston, SC 29053
Make checks payable to: Antiochian Women – Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. Each check is to have two signatures as is required by the Archdiocese and strongly recommended by Bishop ANTOUN.
IV. Parish Life Conference:
June 10 – 14, 2009
Hosted by: St. Peter Orthodox Church [2]
Jackson, Mississippi
Very Rev. John Henderson, Priest
The AW usually meet on Friday. All officers, coordinators and AW Chapter Presidents give a report. Please make 70 copies.
V. Fundraiser or Donation at Parish Life Conference:
Children's Relief Fund:
We sponsor one child, Antonella, from Lebanon, sending $300 a year.
Benevolence Fund:
1. Sponsor one or two scholarships per summer for Camp St. Thekla ($350 per scholarship) depending on amount raised.
2. Financial help for Diocesan-elected officers to attend Parish Life Conference and mid-winter meeting. If requested, $200 per person per meeting.
3. Financial needs/emergencies at the discretion of the Executive Committee members.
This year we will probably ask for donations. Cathy Stazione, AW Vice-President, will keep you informed.


text:
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Those who question hell are asking the wrong question: What kind of God would not condemn His enemies to eternal torment?
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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


text:
Melbourne - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga strayed on to dangerous ground when he suggested jokingly that women tennis players were "emotionally unstable" compared to the men after losing his Australian Open quarter-final on Wednesday.
The Frenchman's defeat to Swiss world No 2 Roger Federer at Melbourne Park meant the top four men's seeds reached the semi-finals at a Grand Slam for the 15th time in the professional era.
While the seventh seed was clear in his mind why the top men dominated, he quickly realised he was on shakier ground when asked why the same was not the case in the women's game.
"You know, the girls, they are more unstable emotionally than us. I'm sure everybody will say it's true - even the girls," he told a news conference to laughter, before adding when women journalists disagreed: "No? You don't think?"
"It's just about hormones and all this stuff," he added, a big smile on his face. "We don't have all these bad things, so we are physically in a good shape every time, and you are not. That's it."
Women's world No 3 Serena Williams, renowned for her toughness on court, would have begged to differ with Tsonga after a painful back injury contributed to her loss to fellow American Sloane Stephens in the last eight earlier on Wednesday.
Tsonga was completely at a loss, however, when asked to explain why he could play such a close five-set match against 17-times grand slam champion Federer and yet not break the cabal of the "Big Four" in men's tennis.
"To be honest, I have no idea," he said. "You know, if you have some advice for me, I will take it because I don't know. I don't know what is the difference.
"I'm just working hard. I do my best. I mean, that's it. Maybe I'm less talented for the moment.
"In tennis, you know, you cannot lie," he added. "If they are number one, number two, number three, number four, it's because they deserve it and because they are the best players at the moment."
The 27-year-old gave as good as he got for most of an absorbing three-and-a-half hour contest with Federer on Rod Laver Arena before losing 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3.
His defeat, along with Jeremy Chardy's loss to Andy Murray earlier in the day, means France will have gone three decades without a male Grand Slam champion by the time this year's French Open begins.
Tsonga came as close as any Frenchman has to ending the drought since Yannick Noah's 1983 win at Roland Garros when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open final.
Despite being unhappy at his defeat to Federer, he said he would be straight back to work to prepare for his next attempt to break into the winners' circle at one of his sport's majors.
"I'm a bit in the bad mood because I lost it," he said. "But in other ways I played a good match. I was solid. I was there every time.
"I keep my level of concentration really high at all times. I just gave my best today, so I'm proud of that. I'm not happy to lose, and I already look forward for the next tournament, the next Grand Slam, to try another time."
Tsonga one of the best characters on ATP tours
He is one of the few charismatic tennis players on tour. I wish he could get his first grandslam this year
He could have put it more diplomaticly, but it is true for most women. We shouldn't deny it, we should embrace the fact we have extremely complicated hormones, and with that comes extremely complicated emotions. Whilst men's are just simple, which allows them to focus so well on a single thing at a time, like a ball ;).
What an MCP toss-bag. :p
The French are too emotional. Period.


text: SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMISSION Minutes of the regular meeting of Thursday, February 04, 2003. (As approved amended March 04, 2003) The San Francisco Public Library Commission held a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 in the Koret Auditorium, Main Library. President Higueras called the meeting to order at 4:06PM. The following members were noted present: Commissioners Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman. Commissioners Streets and Strobin were excused attendance. Agenda Items: 1. APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 7, 2003 MINUTES 2. CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT 3. EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF PAGES 4. MAIN LIBRARY SIGNAGE 5. REVISED COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE 6. REVISION OF THE HOLIDAY CLOSURE POLICY 7. USA PATRIOT ACT RESOLUTION 8. LIBRARY 2003/04 BUDGET UPDATE REPORT 9. AFFINITY CENTERS UPDATE REPORT 10. COLLECTION RECOVERY PROGRAM 11. FRIENDS & FOUNDATION REPORT 12. LABOR UNION REPORT 13. NEW BUSINESS 14. PUBLIC COMMENT 15. ADJOURNMENT 16. APPENDIX AGENDA ITEM #1 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE January 07, 2003 COMMISSION MEETING Public comment: Anonymous member of the public called attention to problems with the recordings of this meeting and cited two examples where the Minutes were abbreviated and/or eviscerated of meaning. Mr. Ed Regan reported that his comments were accurately reflected in the Minutes. Commission comment: Commissioner Coulter called attention to a missing article in the report on public comment on the Minutes. Motion: by Commissioner Chin, seconded Commissioner Bautista by for approval of the Minutes of January 7, 2003. Action: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) AGENDA ITEM #2 CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT Deputy City Librarian Paul Underwood presented the City Librarian's Report in place of City Librarian Susan Hildreth who was participating in the Board of Supervisor's meeting, (copy attached). Public comment: An anonymous member of the public noted that the reason the City Librarian was attending the Board of Supervisors meeting was because matters related to the new Glen Park Branch Library were being addressed. This individual additionally noted that the announced meeting of the Library's Strategic Planning group, by its nature as a passive meeting body, is open to the public. Commission discussion: President Higueras noted that there were many exciting programs, exhibits and activities at the Library and commended staff for their hard work. AGENDA ITEM #3 EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF PAGES Deputy City Librarian Paul Underwood gave a detailed presentation to the Commissioners concerning the employment status of Library Pages resulting from Department of Human Resources action to enforce City Charter provisions limiting the number of hours allowed to be worked by city employees (Pages) classified as "temporary". This he noted would effectively deny opportunity for pages to achieve the minimum number of hours worked in a year needed to qualify to receive employee benefits. Mr. Underwood reiterated that the Library was working cooperatively with the Union and the Department of Human Resources and doing everything that it could to find ways to resolve this problem and in particular to preserve the benefits previously granted to some Pages. The Deputy City Librarian then described a proposed three step effort to resolve the problem by the creation of a fully benefited category of Pages, creation of a Page category, and a new Bookshelver classification with duties limited to handling materials, and temporary. Library Human Resources Director Donna Marion began her presentation noting that the Commission's authority in this matter was limited to its authority to budget and then outlined the City Charter language found in Section 10.104, category 16 as it applied to the Library's 3602 page classification. Ms. Marion reported that by Charter these kinds of positions citywide were supposed to be capped at no more than 1040 hours per year. Ms. Marion then discussed how improved weekly computer oversight of how City Departments expended budgeted funds by position by Human Resources had resulted in the enforcement memo no longer permitting exceeding this cap, a longstanding practice. Ms. Marion reported on meeting with the Library's union and the four meetings held to discuss the issue with Pages and noted report of these discussions were available on StaffNet. The Library's Director of Human Resources called attention to the strong commitment and very active involvement of the City Librarian to find a workable solution and outlined to steps involved in a civil service resolution of the matter. Ms. Marion noted the Director of the Department of Human Resources had promised to work with the Library in finding a solution. In view of a large number of likely public comments President Higueras limited each comment to 2 minutes on this item. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public said that he had prepared a 3-minute comment and would therefore reserve his remarks. Mr. Ed Regan noting that this was a beginning jobfor many young people and that while the position could be called temporary some should be hired permanently. SEIU Local 790, Representative Timothy West commented that the Library had had Pages receiving benefits since as far back as 1932 Mr. West additionally observed that 90 to100 pages hired before July 1, 2002 needed hours exceeding the 1040 limit to access benefits and additional pages should have their needs for benefits addressed. Ms. Catherine Bernard, a Library for the Blind Page, spoke again in support of the Union's position noting that she liked her job and was proud of her work. Ms. Bernard noted that the Charter provisions in question did not address the issue that Pages were not seasonal workers nor did it reflect current concerns with employment of the disabled, policies against sexual harassment, or, the encouragement of employment of single parents. Ms. Judy Beck, a West Portal Branch Page, spoke for other Pages unable to attend noting that an injustice to some effects all and that Pages were not temporary but vital to the functioning of libraries. She noted that Pages are year round workers who perform many duties and that they were not just kids but workers needing benefits. Ackerman Jones, SEIU Chapter leader, commented that Pages were vital, necessary, and deserving of benefits. Mr. Jones noted that he had begun as a Page 22 years ago and that steps should be taken to make permanent the 3602 class. Mr. Wayne Doyle, husband of a Page, called the City Charter language archaic, noting that Pages had had benefits for 20 years and were not just college interns. He remarked most Pages were not students and that their classification should be rewritten to treat them as normal City employees receiving benefits. Mr. Doyle suggested that San Francisco should set an example. Ms. Carol Raymond, an Ortega Branch Page for four years pointed out that she had had to use vacation, had worked steady regular hours, and that this sudden loss of hours and benefits was a serious problem. Reese, a Main Library Page, noted that the timesheets had been computerized for a long time and that he had been asked to accept a 20-hour position so that he would be able to get benefits. He suggested that the Library had been aware of this situation and was only now considering a three-tier system to placate DHR. Ms. Missy Bradford, an Ocean View Page found the proposed treatment of Pages wrong, noting that in small branches Pages frequently did all of the jobs and that they needed sick and vacation pay. Mr. David Hill, a Presidio Page since 1999 commented that he was not temporary or seasonal and had always worked a regular schedule. Mr. Hill noted that he loved his job and had great co-workers and that Pages should be getting benefits. Ms. Cathy Bremer, Librarian's Guild Steward, observed that the 300 Pages were vital to the Library, that the Library was not suffering from a budget shortfall or faced with layoffs, and that the Library should resist DHR rules as it had since 1932. Ms. Bremer remarked that Pages were essential workers and that denying them benefits sent the wrong message. Mr. Peter Warfield reiterated previous remarks in support of Pages having good working conditions and noted that Pages provided important services to users. Mr. Warfield urged the Commission to make every effort to support the Pages. Ms. Shelly Roushman, a Richmond Page for two years working in the Children's Room noted that she helped the librarians with every program and task, that she enjoyed her job working with the public, and that it was skilled work. Joshua, a newly rehired Main Library Page, now without benefits, observed that these plans said something about the City's commitment to public service, that this issue had been a longstanding problem, that the Shelver Class was not wanted, and that all Pages should get benefits. Commission discussion: President Higueras thanked everyone for coming to inform the Commissioners and noted that the Commissioners valued the contributions of Library Pages. President Higueras pointed out that this was a City imposed requirement that did not square with how the Library had treated the Pages and therefore left few easy answers. Deputy City Librarian Paul Underwood make it clear that it was Library Administration's goal to preserve the benefits of those Pages receiving them and that a great difficulty lay with the Department of Human Resources' (DHR) frequent shifts of position regarding what they would allow. Mr. Underwood pointed out that a tiered system for pages already existed in fact and that the current problem was created by the shifts in the City's policy on these positions. In response to questions by Commissioner Bautista, Mr. Underwood noted that the Library wanted to continue paying these benefits but that DHR was not allowing it. The Deputy City Librarian further explained not all Pages have benefits or even the same levels of benefits citing 76 of 294 Pages with benefits and another 188 with vacation and sick leave were affected. Attention was called to a DHR Memo of June 2002 indicating strict citywide enforcement of the City Charter requirement and monitoring of Department expenditures so that the 1040 maximum annual hours could not be exceeded even if a part-time worker went from one City Department to another. It was noted that there were no funds budgeted to provide additional benefits for Pages not already receiving them and that the Page classification had only a 2-step salary scale with additional increases only through COLAs. In response to a question by Commissioner Chin, Mr. Underwood noted that reclassification was a possibility but that the negotiations with DHR had not achieved an answer yet. Commissioner Coulter observed that this was a difficult problem with citywide implications, noting that Pages were very important to the Library. Ms. Hildreth pointed out that the Library's situation in this matter was sufficiently unique that a change in the type of appointment with cooperation from DHR, the Mayor, and the Controller and Health Services might be possible. Tim West responding to the Commissioners' discussion commented that there were 1500 people in these classifications citywide but that the Library's situation was different. Mr. West remarked that the Pages did not want to lose benefits and hours and that the Union would continue to appeal the Page's designation as "temporary" to the Civil Service Commission. In response to calls by members of the public for additional public comment, Deputy City Attorney Catharine Barnes reported that as public comment had been taken and closed for this item those wishing to make additional comments on this topic would have to wait until the Labor Union Report or general Public Comment AGENDA ITEM #4 MAIN LIBRARY SIGNAGE Deputy City Librarian Paul Underwood presented a brief summary report (copy attached) and status update on POE (Post Occupancy Evaluation) Report projects focusing in particular on efforts to address Main Library signage concerns. Mr. Underwood noted that after extensive staff evaluation and work by signage consultants it was the staff's recommendation that an additional $100,000 for a total of $450,000 be authorized to cover increased costs to fund fabrication and installation of the new signage as well as needed lighting. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public noted that the explanatory document had not been listed on the agenda and questioned shifting of funds earmarked for a apparently now eliminated 2nd Floor Bridge to this project. This person additionally found that $500,000 was a large amount for signage and wondered why it was being funded by the Library Preservation Fund instead of the Library Improvement Fund. Mr. Peter Warfield complained about the unavailability of explanatory documents and found the signage proposal expensive. Mr. Warfield questioned exactly how the proposed funding would be spent and asked if there was a contract. Commission discussion: Vice President Steiman pointed out that all of these matters, in particular the signage issues, had been extensively discussed at previous meetings. She observed that it would not be fully known if the new signage worked as intended until it had been put up and suggested inclusion of contract language that would allow for modification if elements did not work as planned. Chief of the Main Library Kathy Lawhun noted that there was no fabrication contract as yet but that a clause could be included to address changes if found to be needed. President Higueras commented that this was difficult to do within most contracts and suggested that staff phase in the projects so as to allow flexibility. President Higueras recommended that significant prominent locations be done with follow up checking as each segment is completed. Then Ms. Lawhun reported that the program schedule was still being worked out. Ms. Lawhun additionally noted that the proposed Signage Program had been presented to the Council for Neighborhood Libraries, a knowledgeable group of library users, and been found to be a great improvement. In response to questions by Vice President Steiman, Ms. Lawhun reported that $68, 000 would be paid to the consultant, that $214,000 was for fabrication, and $379,000 for demolition, lighting, and sign installation. Ms. Lawhun noted a $26,000 contingency reserve for the project. The Chief of the Main Library then outline d the RFP and contract issuance process, and clarified that ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) concerns had been addressed. Commissioner Coulter recalled that the root of this problem resulted from the original signage fabricator of the Main Library bankrupting just prior to its opening and that as a result staff with little time and resources to do the job properly had thrown signage together. Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, 2nd by Commissioner Bautista for approval of the proposed reallocation of funds for Main Library signage. Action: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) AGENDA ITEM #5 REVISED 2003 COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE The Commission Secretary presented a brief overview of why changes in the regular meeting day of the Board of Supervisors from Monday to Tuesday suggested that the Library Commission move its regular meeting day from the first Tuesday of each month to the first Thursday. This he pointed out would reduce the likelihood that Library staff would have conflicts between a need to address issues before the Board of Supervisors at the same time a Library Commission meeting was scheduled. The Commissioner Secretary called the Commission's attention to a proposed-revised 2003 meeting schedule (copy attached) setting out the new meeting dates. The Commission Secretary recommended that the change in meeting day not go into effect until May to allow sufficient time for everyone concerned to be made aware of the change. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public while finding the presentation confusing saw some advantage to the proposed change in schedule, finding it probably better that the meetings not be in conflict. Mr. Ed Regan while generally opposed to changes found them justified in this case. Mr. Peter Warfield while generally supportive queried if such a change should be made without all of the Commissioners being present. Mr. Warfield also recommended moving the start time for meetings back to 5:30. Ms. Elaine Tanzman recommended a later start time for meetings to allow those who worked to attend. Commission action: Commission Bautista had no problem with the proposed change in meeting day. Commissioner Coulter noted that while first Tuesday Commission meetings had been traditional, staff concerns with having scheduling conflicts with attendance at the Board of Supervisors made sense for the change. The City Librarian reported that staff had proposed this change in order to avoid such future scheduling conflicts. Vice President Steiman found the change reasonable and affirmed support for maintaining the 4PM start time. Deputy City Attorney Catharine Barnes pointed out that question of meeting start time was not on the agenda for discussion/action and so could not be addressed in any event. Motion: by Commissioner Bautista, 2nd by Commissioner Chin for approval of the proposed revised 2003 Meeting Schedule changing regular Library Commission meetings to the first and third Thursdays of each month beginning in may 2003. Action: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) AGENDA ITEM # 6 REVISION OF THE HOLIDAY CLOSURE POLICY Deputy City Librarian Paul Underwood briefed the Commissioners on the reasoning behind the proposed revision of the Library's Holiday Closure Policy ending the system wide closure on Easter. Mr. Underwood reported that the traditional observance of this religious holiday was no longer in keeping with the wishes of library staff, that this holiday closure alone was not among the City's recognized holidays, and noted that the closure sometimes forced staff to use vacation hours they would prefer to take at another time. Additionally, library users had also requested that the libraries remain open on that day. Public Comment: Mr. Ed Regan found that this change provided an opportunity for more public services hours and so met with his approval. An anonymous member of the public found favorable the addition of more hours, and but expressed concern that if that the change was based on a rationale the fewer Christians resulted in less interest in honoring the holiday this person was less favorably inclined to the change. Mr. Peter Warfield spoke in favor of additional open hours but questioned why only the Easter holiday closure was being considered instead of others as well. Commission discussion In response to questions by Vice President Steiman, the Deputy City Librarian clarified that staff who wished to honor the religious holiday would be accommodated as were other staff wishing to observe other such holidays. Motion: by Commissioner Chin, 2nd by Commissioner Steiman for approval of the proposed revised Holiday Closure Policy to end the system wide closure on Easter beginning in 2004. Action: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) AGENDA ITEM #7 USA PATRIOT ACT RESOLUTION City Librarian Susan Hildreth reported to the Commissioners concerning the controversy about the USA Patriot Act and the recent adoption by the Board of Supervisors of a resolution in opposition to the USA Patriot Act. Ms. Hildreth additionally noted that the American Library Association (ALA) had adopted a similar resolution at its recent Mid-Winter conference reflecting the deep concerns and misgivings in the library profession about the negative impact of the USA Patriot Act's provisions on user privacy and intellectual freedom. The City Librarian observed that, while everyone agreed that terrorism must be combated, those goals could be achieved without sacrificing civil liberties, library users' right to privacy, and intellectual freedom that the Patriot Act seemed to sanction. Ms. Hildreth noted that approval of the proposed resolution would express solidarity with the Oakland Public Library that had adopted a similar resolution as well as with the ALA, and the Board of Supervisors in support of library users' right to privacy and pursuit of intellectual freedom. The City Librarian reported that this resolution reflected the Library staff's desire to go on the record with their concerns about this law. Ms, Hildreth reported that there had been thus far no requests for information by government agencies made to the Library under provisions of this law Public comment: Mr. Peter Warfield expressed agreement with the intent of this resolution but was concerned that the Library's use of time out software created a use record tied to library cards that might pose a potential threat to privacy of users. An anonymous member of the public commented in support of the resolution, finding this a serious topic, and noting that in this matter the Library was defending the rule of law and respect for everyone. This person found this resolution preserving libraries traditions and wondering how long they might last without any rights. This individual suggested that this had nothing to do with being against terrorism and much to do with affirming commitment to freedom. Mr. Ed Regan noted that he did not know much about this law but from what was said he supported the proposed resolution. Commission discussion In response to comments by Commissioner Coulter and Vice President Steiman the proposed resolution was modified to clarify that the Library Commission was addressing its opposition to those specific sections of the Patriot Act that impacted library users' rights. Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, 2nd by Commissioner Steiman for approval of the proposed resolution in accordance with American Library Association and Board of Supervisors resolutions expressing the concern with and opposition to certain provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Action: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) President Higueras called a brief recess at 6:09PM The meeting resumed at 6:19PM AGENDA ITEM #8 LIBRARY 2003/04 BUDGET UPDATE REPORT Library Finance Director George Nichols provided an update report on the current status of the 2003/04 City and Library budgets. Mr. Nichols clarified that there would be no explanatory document for this brief report contrary to what was noted on the meeting agenda. The Library's Finance Director reported that as a result of additional increases in the City's likely budget shortfall to $350 million and declining City commercial revenues, the Mayor's Budget Office had issued new budget directions requesting that City Departments prepare and submit a new contingency plan for a 10% reduction in proposed 2003/04 budgets. Mr. Nichols reported that the new budget instruction also directed a stop to discretionary spending and for some Department's the preparation of lay-off lists. The Finance Director discussed the possible ramifications of the Mayor declaring a City State of Emergency and what that might mean for the Library Budget. Mr. Nichols reported that the Library's budget was currently within the limits funded by Prop. E (Library Preservation Fund 1994) and that no reductions in staff or programs were expected this year. Mr. Nichols then outlined issues such as: the 10% contingency reduction plan due March 15; the likelihood that there would be no salary increases next year; a baseline budget correction that would be needed to cover $182,000 in underfunding for premium pay; and the impact of a DHR memo on increased workers compensation costs. Additionally, Mr. Nichols called attention to an upcoming premium increase for employee health insurance and noted that some outcomes of the Page situation could have budgetary impact. Mr. Nichols concluded his report by observing that the next year would be difficult as the city's budget problems were tied to the even more serious State government budget shortfall. The Finance Director noted that in this very fluid situation he would be providing monthly updates so that the Commission could be aware of and ready to respond to ongoing development if necessary. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public expressed appreciation for being informed that there was no explanatory document for this item and regret that none was available. This person criticized the Commission's approval of a 2003/04 Budget that spent down reserve funds suggesting that continuing decline in the City General Fund revenues could have serious impact on the Library. Mr. Ed Regan found Mr. Nichol's presentation excellent and suggested a break out of the entire budget displaying wages, benefits, and expenditures for books, denoting expenditures for fiction and non-fiction books. Commission discussion: In response to questions by Commissioner Bautista, Mr. Nichols discussed the as yet hypothetical results of the various budget reduction contingency plans called for by the Mayor's Budget Office noting that it was not his expectation that they would be put into effect until the situation became quite dire. Ms. Hildreth reported that the budget picture changed day by day and agreed with Mr. Nichol's assessment that continuing General Fund reductions would likely be off set by increases in Prop. E revenues from property taxes. AGENDA ITEM #9 AFFINITY CENTERS UPDATE REPORT Chief of the Main Library Kathy Lawhun introduced Librarian Doris Tseng of the Chinese Affinity Center for an update report on recent activities. Ms. Tseng began by wishing the Commissioners Happy Chinese New Year and outlined the extensive array of programs, services, and materials available in both Chinese and English for the Center's users. Ms. Tseng provided highlights of recent programming calling attention to the more than 1400 people who had participated in immigration related programs, Peking Opera programs, author readings, and bi-lingual tours and internet classes in Chinese offered by the Chinese Affinity Center. The Chinese Center Manager then described the recent China Wonders Exhibit and the upcoming Wonders of Taipei exhibit, a new display of Chinese pottery, and spoke about the many new multi-cultural users attracted to the Library by the Center's activities. Ms. Tseng reported that efforts were underway to create a homepage for the Center and a Chinese language version of the Library's home page. Ms. Lawhun then introduced Librarian Stuart Shaw of the African American Affinity Center who presented an extensive update on that Center's programs, exhibitions, and recent activities. Mr. Shaw described the Center as a gateway collection that helped guide users to resources available. Mr. Shaw then discussed the 14 programs, author talks, lectures, the Hopes & Visions exhibit from the New York Public Library's famed Schaumburg Center, a program featuring African American Authors of the past 30 years, programs on 20th century African American writers/poets, and a video program "Unchained Memories" done to coincide with an HBO program presentation of the same name. Mr. Shaw reminded the Commissioners that February was African American History Month and called attention to a storyteller festival to be held from February 15 through 22nd in cooperation with the Library's Children's Services Department. Mr. Shaw also discussed the upcoming 6th Black Independent Film Festival and discussed planned exhibits to be held in the African American Center in the coming months. Public comment: None offered Commission discussion: President Higueras congratulated and commended the affinity center staff for their excellent presentations. In response to a query by Commissioner Bautista, Library Community Affairs Chief Marcia Schneider discussed the extensive support her department provided to the affinity centers to assist in publicizing their programs and activities. Ms. Schneider noted that extensive outreach was made to the ethnic and community press to maximize exposure of the centers' programming. Ms. Tseng noted that the Chinese Affinity Center was extensively covered in the Chinese language media, including the press, radio, and television. Commissioner Coulter congratulated the staff for the continuing good work of the centers, calling attention to monthly update emails he received on current affinity center activities. Commissioner Coulter suggested that efforts be continued to let previous affinity center donors know about current activities and make outreach to bring the communities into the centers. Commissioner Coulter called attention to a planned event honoring the late Dr. Arthur Coleman, a pioneering civic and community leader and a founder of the African American Affinity Center at the Library to be held on March 3rd. In response to questions by Commissioner Bautista, it was reported that center donors were recognized in publicity concerning center events and in photographs displayed in the centers. In response to questions by Commissioner Chin regarding outreach to schools and youth, Mr. Shaw and Ms. Tseng discussed their efforts to make outreach to children and youth. President Higueras left the meeting at 6:58PM. AGENDA ITEM #10 COLLECTION RECOVERY PROGRAM City Librarian Susan Hildreth presented a report (copy attached) discussing the background and reasons that staff felt that the Commission should again consider requesting that the Board of Supervisors authorize the Library to collect a fee to fund an effective collection recovery program. The City Librarian outlined in some detail the largely unsuccessful efforts which the Library had pursued to try to recover the over $600,000 in materials that were not being returned annually. Chief of the Main Library Kathy Lawhun provided details of three proposed alternatives that might be considered to address the problem. The Chief of the Main Library noted that there had been virtually no change in returns with the additional mailed notices from the Library. Ms. Lawhun outlined the key comparisons and options of using the professional recovery company Unique Management Services, having the City's Tax Collector recover delinquent accounts, and having expanded Library staff attempt to increase the rate of materials returned. Ms. Lawhun noted that of these options: Unique Management was revenue neutral with the highest proven record of getting materials returned; that the Tax collector would charge the Library an $81,000 annual fee and commit to an estimated 60% rate of return; and that increased Library staff could cost $162,000 with an estimated 50% rate of recovery. The City Librarian noted that what the Library most wanted was a system that would get materials returned rather than one that focused on collecting money. Ms. Hildreth asked that the Commissioners review the proposed options and noted that this matter would be returned to the Commission for further consideration and possible action in March. Public comment: An anonymous member of the public noted that there was no mention of the explanatory document on the agenda and found curious that the additional notices had had no impact as the reported missing/assumed lost category of materials had dropped from 125,000 to 86,000 in the period covered by additional notices. . This person suggested that the Board of Supervisors request for reports on recovery of materials had not received due attention. Mr. Peter Warfield complained that explanatory materials were not available, noting that this was a controversial topic about which the Library had suffered defeat at the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Warfield found the proposed collection recovery program outsourcing of librarian's work and indicated a preference for being contacted by librarians when it was necessary to recover un-returned materials. Mr. Warfield suggested that using Unique Management would lead to damaging the credit rating of those with un-returned materials. Commission discussion: In response to a question by Commissioner Coulter, Ms. Hildreth confirmed the $600,000 loss figure and emphasized the need to act to address this serious erosion of the Library's collections. The City Librarian confirmed that Unique Management had been very successful in recovering materials for other libraries such as the Oakland Public Library, which now had a better than 65% rate of materials coming back. Commissioner Bautista noted that it seemed like a good program, remarked that librarians were not debt collectors, and that this was a reasonable first step in recovering lost materials. In answer to a question by Commission Chin, Ms. Lawhun noted that Unique Management was currently the only significant operator in the field. In response to a question by Commissioner Coulter, Ms. Lawhun confirmed that there were still some problems with recovering materials checked out by homeless users but that in the overall picture this was a very small part of the problem as they could only check out one item at a time and not receive anything else until that item was returned. AGENDA ITEM #11 FRIENDS & FOUNDATION REPORT Ms. Deborah Doyle, President of the Friends & Foundation brought the commissioners up to date concerning recent activities. Ms. Doyle invited the Commissioners to participate in the March 3rd reception co-sponsored by Mayor Brown and the Library honoring the late Dr. Arthur Coleman and marking the beginning of creation of an endowment in his honor. The President of the Friends & Foundation then reminded the Commissioners to keep April 4th the date of the Annual Library Laureates Dinner, this year featuring special honors for the 3 M's, Marjorie Stern, Mary Louise Stong, and Margaret "Mig" Mayer for their decades of leadership on behalf of San Francisco's public libraries. Ms. Doyle additionally reported that the Friends & Foundation Board had approved support for the proposed Library Wall of Heroes, approving $10,000 for design and installation of the dedicatory plaques. Ms. Doyle also noted the participation in the ALA Mid-Winter conference by several library staff members had been assisted by the Friends & Foundation. Public comment: None offered AGENDA ITEM #12 LABOR UNION REPORT None offered AGENDA ITEM #13 NEW BUSINESS None offered AGENDA ITEM #14 PUBLIC COMMENT An anonymous member of the public called attention to their observance of 28 years of attending Library Commission meetings, noting that this represented half of their lifetime. This person commented that this experience had demonstrated that: everything that they had though to be true was not true; and that a mechanisms exists to lie to, ridicule, and blame the victim. This individual additionally noted that such attacks on self-esteem, the promotion of which was an interesting California State policy, were attacks on self-respect. Mr. Ed Regan recommended that libraries be open from 6AM until Midnight, seven days per week, every day of the year. Ms. Deborah Doyle, Library BALIS representative, called the Commissioner' s attention to a March 1st joint workshop held at the Main Library sponsored by BALIS focussing on how to make more effective library friends groups. AGENDA ITEM #15 ADJOURNMENT Motion: by Commissioner Coulter, seconded by Commissioner Bautista that the meeting be adjourned. Action: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, and Steiman) The meeting was adjourned at 7:30PM Michael Housh, Commission Secretary 3/5/03 Please note: Copies of Commission Minutes and handouts are available in the Office of the Commission Secretary, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 Appendix A Library Commission meeting of February 4, 2003 The Public Comment Summary Statements included in these Minutes are authorized by San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.16.. These summary statements are provided by the speaker. Their contents are neither generated by, nor subject to approval or verification of accuracy by, the San Francisco Public Library Commission. The number of members of the public who spoke anonymously at this meeting: 1 Public comment (PDF 182K) available for viewing.


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - 2020 and all that! Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in 2020 and all that! Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Turkey View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message sixthchildJoined: 18 Apr 2012Posts: 298Location: East of Eden Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:52 am Post subject: 2020 and all that! So Istanbul is hoping to get chosen over Madrid and Toyko for the 2020 Olympics, can anyone see them doing that? More chance of getting into the E.U, perhaps? Back to top 7969Joined: 26 Mar 2003Posts: 5782Location: Coastal Guangdong Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:16 pm Post subject: Probably got a better chance than Madrid. Does Spain really want to blow up their economy worse than it already is? Pencil Istanbul in for a close second after Tokyo. Back to top QaaolchouraJoined: 10 Oct 2008Posts: 539Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 6:00 pm Post subject: Better chance by far than of joining the EU. Most Turks don't want to be in the EU (they're only bothered that they won't get the chance to turn the EU down), and most continentals don't want Turkey in their club. Turkey has yet to host either summer or winter games, whereas Spain and Japan have already hosted the Summer Olympics once each and Japan's hosted the Winter Olympics twice. Consider also the fact that Turkey is a rising economic power, whereas Japan is a declining economic power and Spain is a faltering economic mediocrity, and I feel like Istanbul is a strong contender. Regards, ~Q Back to top parnettJoined: 29 Jun 2012Posts: 179Location: China Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:19 pm Post subject: Have any of you thought about the logistics of having the Olympics in Istanbul? First of all, where would they put the Olympic Stadium? Olympic Village? All of the other athletic venues? They would have to be reasonably close to each other. Where would all the rowing events take place? On the largest septic tank in the world- the Bosphorus? There isn't a body of water even remotely clean within a 100 mile radius of Istanbul to host such an event. The traffic problems would be a colossal nightmare. Can you imagine the congestion on the two bridges crossing the Bosphorus? I can't even begin to imagine the number of car accidents there would be and traffic jams resulting from these accidents. Turkish drivers may very well be the worst in the world. The corrupt and overly violent Istanbul police force would have a field day with all of the new yabanci in town. The threat of terrorism would be huge. There will be a cloud of tobacco smoke hanging over all of the outdoor (and maybe indoor) events. Can you fathom Turks actually obeying the nonsmoking sign and giving up there beloved cigarettes while watching an Olympic event? Where will the electricity come from???? I lived in 7 different parts of Istanbul, and the electricity went off in each section on almost a daily basis. Can you imagine the lights going off during the men's basketball final? I can. The Olympics in Istanbul would be a complete joke. Has a Muslim country ever hosted the Olympics? Back to top billy orrJoined: 15 Jul 2009Posts: 229 Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:54 am Post subject: The main problem is the traffic. The rest can be sorted with enough money and effort, and Turkey is capable of putting on a good show. Look at the top class tourist hotels that have been developed in places like Belek. There is already an olympic stadium on the edge of the city, with lots of space around it for an olympic park. The Golden Horn has already been used successfully for international rowing. Far fewer people smoke these days, and no smoking signs are respected, especially in istanbul. Everything is doable but I don't know about the traffic. And overcoming some peoples prejudices will be difficult too, of course. Back to top sixthchildJoined: 18 Apr 2012Posts: 298Location: East of Eden Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:34 am Post subject: Interesting comments so far, sorry Billy would you care to expand on that last point relating to prejudices? Back to top parnettJoined: 29 Jun 2012Posts: 179Location: China Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:44 am Post subject: I assume you are referring to Ataturk Olympic Stadium (is there anything in Turkey not named after him?). I was there twice- once in 2007 and again in 2009. Getting to and from the stadium was a nightmare, and this was for only about 40,000 people. What will happen when 90,000+ show up? And how will they even get there? In dolmuses???? In 2009, the stadium could be accessed by one major highway, and I'm sure conditions haven't improved. I don't recall any major hotels near the stadium. I was there when a couple of British soccer fans were murdered by Turkish nationalists for desecrating the Turkish flag in Taksim in 2000. Turks are touchy, touchy touchy people. They love to look for a fight. They would have plenty of opportunities if the Olympics were there. The undertrained police force would have their hands full. I would never feel safe if I were there. And, as I said before, what about the electrical problem? I'm sure there would be no major foul-ups, but I also wonder what will happen to the first athlete who misses an event because he/ she overslept due to the electricity being off. You can laugh all you want, but it will happen. Back to top 7969Joined: 26 Mar 2003Posts: 5782Location: Coastal Guangdong Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:36 am Post subject: parnett wrote: I also wonder what will happen to the first athlete who misses an event because he/ she overslept due to the electricity being off. They probably won't get a medal. To avoid this situation the athletes might rely on the invention known as the battery operated clock. AKA the mobile phone. Been awhile since I've been to Turkey (2002) but the reason the IOC gives them seven years lead time to get ready is so they can sort these infrastructure problems out. Some (media for one) are expressing concerns about Rio right now - security, traffic, congestion, getting the venues ready on time, people that don't want to sell their land for Olympic development etc etc. Same same for Athens as I recall. Early stage panic is nothing new to these places that end up getting the Olympics but somehow they all manage to pull it off. The threat of global embarrassment is a powerful motivator for these cities to get it done on time and in working order. Back to top LuxeJoined: 08 Jul 2010Posts: 43 Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:22 pm Post subject: As others, I find it improbable that Istanbul would get the bid. The bids almost always go to cities with brilliant infrastructure that are able to accommodate the chaos that the Olympics bring to their cities. Istanbul would shut down, literally. I have always lived in relatively affluent areas of the city, and even in these areas electricity randomly shuts off or water is turned off at random intervals. The traffic is a nightmare and the public transport network could not be improved to the degree necessary in just eight years. Istanbul is a great city, but it is total shit from an infrastructure standpoint, and infrastructure is a huge make or break in determining Olympic host cities. Not to mention the fact that tap water is considered undrinkable even by the natives. These things may sound trite, but they all go into the decision of whether or not a city is suitable to host such a demanding event. Security would also be a serious concern, IMO. Back to top parnettJoined: 29 Jun 2012Posts: 179Location: China Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:09 am Post subject: Very well put, Luxe. Istanbul, according to several sites on the Internet, is now somewhere between the second and fifth largest cities in the world. It is the perfect example of urban sprawl- when driving through it, it seems to go on and on forever. The transportation system was constructed to accommodate a city of 6 or 7 million people and not 13. If I lived on the Asian side (say Umraniye or worst yet, Kartal), how would I get to Ikitelli where Olympic Stadium is? I think anyone living or staying on the Asian side would simply have to forget about going. A majority of the better hotels in Istanbul are in the Taksim-Sisli area. From there, you could take a train to Avcilar and then what? Can you imagine 75000+ people migrating to Olympic Stadium for opening day? A subway or some sort of skytrain would have to be built from Taksim to Ikitelli with many stops in between. That would be an enormous undertaking and I can't see it happening. The electrical problem cannot be emphasized enough. Turks like to build, build and build, and worry about minor items such as electricity and water later on. I lived in Bahcesehir (one of Istanbul's most affluent suburbs) for 4 years. The electricity seemed to go off on a daily basis, yet literally hundreds of new apartment buildings were sprouting up across the manmade lake. I had the pleasure of being the mayor's private English tutor for a couple of years. I once asked him where all the electricity was going to come from for the new communities across the lake. His reply- "We'll worry about that when the time comes." This is the typical Turkish attitude that would doom any thought of hosting the Olympics. Back to top 7969Joined: 26 Mar 2003Posts: 5782Location: Coastal Guangdong Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:40 am Post subject: Luxe wrote: As others, I find it improbable that Istanbul would get the bid. The bids almost always go to cities with brilliant infrastructure that are able to accommodate the chaos that the Olympics bring to their cities. Recent history suggests otherwise: Can roughed-up Rio be ready for the 2016 Olympics? Quote: Public officials admit they're facing an enormous challenge to be ready for two mega-events in the next four years. Quote: The top concerns are pretty significant: a notable shortage of hotel rooms, a lack of public transit and fears over security in what used to be considered one of the most dangerous cities in the hemisphere. Quote: Today, the city, aided by state and federal money, is subsidizing the building of thousands of new hotel rooms, in the hope of almost doubling the current capacity. Quote: It's also setting up a new rapid-transit bus loop and trying to bring formerly gang-controlled neighbourhoods many of them exactly where the 2016 Olympics will take place under police control. Quote: These types of improvements are what the International Olympic Committee refers to as a "legacy" that residents will enjoy in return for all of the construction and traffic congestion they're enduring now in the run-up to the Games. I remember reading similar articles about Athens 10 and 12 years ago, and they pulled it off. In the run-up to their Olympics Beijing had unprecedented pollution concerns to deal with. They shut industry down for weeks at a time before the Games to alleviate that problem. Having brilliant infrastructure isn't the sole or even the main criteria the IOC base their decisions on - recent history shows it to be more of a "where can we maximize our profits," "what kind of legacy can we leave behind?" along with "the Games have never been held here before" decision-making process. If brilliant infrastructure were the main criteria Athens and Rio would never have been awarded the Olympics either, so there's a precedent here and Istanbul does have a chance. Spain's economy is in the tank with no prospect of revival yet (the vote for 2020 is next year), so I don't think too many people envision Madrid winning. Japan has the fallout from the nuclear disaster to deal with. . . I read an article somewhere and someone actually claimed that's one of their selling points for why they should be chosen I'd say Istanbul's chances aren't too bad actually. Seriously if Istanbul is as messed up as some people claim it is (Haven't been there for a decade now so can't say first-hand) then the Olympics might be one (the only?) way to actually rectify some of these problems. I would think people living there would want to see this happen. It'll be a challenge no doubt but it's not like it hasn't been done before. Luxe wrote: Security would also be a serious concern, IMO. Security's been a serious concern at every major international event for decades, moreso since 2001. What makes security in Istanbul more of a concern than other places that have held the Games recently or will hold them in future? It's closer to the Middle East? I'm sure Istanbul would do what every other city has done and review the "lessons learned" from past Games and plot their strategy accordingly. Back to top QaaolchouraJoined: 10 Oct 2008Posts: 539Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:04 pm Post subject: Luxe wrote: The bids almost always go to cities with brilliant infrastructure that are able to accommodate the chaos that the Olympics bring to their cities. Dude, come again?! 7969 just discussed Rio, and I recall visiting Beijing back in 2002. It was in far worse shape than modern Istanbul, and that was after the city had been awarded the 2008 games. Turkey is in a far better position to cope with the infrastructure problems than either China or Brazil, both because it's starting from a better place, and because the AKPas odious as they are in many waysis a party that generally gets things done, far more subtly and effectively than the hamhanded tactics of the Chinese Communists or the amanha obstructionists who dominate Brazilian politics. To be fair, if Turkey's hosting the Olympics, I'd say the best location logistics-wise is Izmir. Turkey's third-largest city has a far better public transit network than Istanbul as well as surprisingly efficient public servants. But the Olympics generally seem to go in a nation's largest city or capital, and frankly as a Smyrnophile I'm rather glad Izmir isn't under consideration. (It would raise costs in Izmir, and Istanbul could use the infrastructure and investment boost far more anyways.) ~Q Back to top parnettJoined: 29 Jun 2012Posts: 179Location: China Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:30 am Post subject: I agree with you Qaaol. Izmir would be a far better choice than Istanbul with far fewer problems. Has anyone given any thought to the potential earthquake problem? I realize there hasn't been one in Istanbul in more than ten years. I was in Bahcesehir during the 2 major earthquakes over a decade ago, and if I can recall correctly, the area where Olympic Stadium now stands was hit pretty hard. Back to top 7969Joined: 26 Mar 2003Posts: 5782Location: Coastal Guangdong Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:46 am Post subject: parnett wrote: Has anyone given any thought to the potential earthquake problem? I realize there hasn't been one in Istanbul in more than ten years. I was in Bahcesehir during the 2 major earthquakes over a decade ago, and if I can recall correctly, the area where Olympic Stadium now stands was hit pretty hard. Not sure how much they (IOC) consider that factor, but most of China lies along a fault line and earthquakes are not unheard of, massive ones too. Tangshan in 1976 wasn't far from Beijing. Tokyo as well seems to be prone to earthquakes (but well-prepared too). Back to top parnettJoined: 29 Jun 2012Posts: 179Location: China Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:32 am Post subject: A few more points: Where is all the money going to come from to build the Olympic Village, sports venues and hotels? Turks feel that they are far more important on the world stage than they actually are. Would the Olympics fuel the governments's overdeveloped sense of its own self-worth resulting in disaster in the Middle East? An orderly expansion of Istanbul would have to be planned by city authorities. Orderly? In Turkey? The word doesn't exist there. Who owns all of the land adjacent to Olympic Stadium? If it's owned by developers, and Istanbul indeed gets the bid, expect to see the construction of a vast sprawl of concrete apartment buildings in that area in the next five years instead of the building of major infrastructure. 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