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How She Leads: Monique Oxender, Keurig Green Mountain
How She Leads: Monique Oxender, Keurig Green Mountain
How She Leads spotlights the career paths of women in influential roles in sustainable business.
Monique Oxender's jump to Keurig Green Mountain in 2012 after eight years with Ford Motor Company was a dramatic change. But the switch she made before that was even more life-altering: when she left her career as a high-school teacher to study for her MBA.
During her graduate studies, Oxender spent three years researching coffee, living on a farm and investigating the effects of the nascent Fair Trade certification on the coffee supply chain. Although her sustainability career took a detour to Ford, she jumped at the chance to continue that research. "One reason I really wanted to come here is because I could still play in the manufacturing space and also embrace the agricultural side of things," she said.
Today, Keurig Green Mountain is one of the biggest purchasers of Fair Trade Certified beans. Over the past several months, its senior director of sustainability has made headlines for two other high-profile commitments: its pledge to make 100 percent of the company's K-Cups recyclable by 2020 and her team's related decision to support Walmart's Closed Loop Fund, a $100 million initiative to support recycling infrastructure investments. Oxender discusses how to build consensus and why it's important for sustainability managers to speak the language of key stakeholders.
Heather Clancy: How hard was it to switch from your previous position at Ford to Keurig Green Mountain?
Monique Oxender: The biggest challenge in switching was not at all the practice of sustainability within a corporate context, because I think there are so many parallels and similarities. Honestly, the biggest difference was culture. I spent so long in a very old-school, male-dominated institutional kind of company. You know what an amazing legacy and history Ford has: to try to influence change in a company like Ford is like shifting the course of the Titanic. It takes a long time, a lot of patience, a lot of effort. Then, to come into a company that was very fast-moving. and the pace has only increased over the time that I've been here. There is constant redefining, and a lot of excitement about that change, whereas when you look at change within an institution as big as Ford, change is looked at with much more fear or uncertainty.
Clancy: Given that the cultures are very different, what lessons from your previous position can you apply at your current one?
Oxender: Ford was, I think, one of the first — at least one of the first to do it really well — to do an integrated structure. Maybe it was someone's brainchild that was just well-timed or maybe it was necessary because of really constrained resources. I wasn't there when that decision was made, but I know that it worked really well. There were sustainability people all over the organization.
What I did was hand-in-hand, lock-step with the buyers, with the quality engineers, with R&D and the guys setting the specs. It was very, very integrated, and that's something that we're trying to achieve here now. The other aspect is that Ford is really big and Keurig is learning how to be big. Having that experience has also been very applicable, as I have perspective on being able to establish and integrate processes.
Clancy: How did your team go about defining the K-Cup goal?
Oxender: We did a materiality assessment. Then, we went out to over 30 external stakeholders who were not necessarily buddy-buddy friends with us but were subject matter experts in the field: whether it was recycling or the infrastructure piece or the materials development or [lifecycle assessments]. With some of them, we weren't even sure why we were asking them specifically, but we went to them for insight and expertise. We also went to more than 120 people internally across the organization, all levels, to establish where our materiality matrix fit within their priorities.
Then we mapped that [information] across our value chain. So [we asked] where in our value chain are these issues arising, and thus, where do we need to insert solutions or leverage these places so that we can facilitate change, the change that needs to happen?
After that process had been completed, we established an external advisory panel. We had a really great experience doing the materiality assessment with a number of these stakeholders. We now meet three times a year. We gave them an inside view before we had finalized the goals and asked: 'Well, what do you think about these? Give us some feedback. Are these the right goals? Are they aggressive enough? Are they too aggressive?' We took that feedback, re-evaluated the goals and then came to a place where we were read to seek the executive approvals and board approvals to run with them.
Clancy: What special steps did you take with the internal team to make sure that they were on board with the vision?
Oxender: One thing I think it's important to understand about this company is that historically it has been consensus-based. As we grow larger, it's harder and harder to be that way, but opinions are still very much sought after, listened to, heard, and there's a real desire to make sure that we surface the internal expertise. You have to go to the bottom and figure out what's possible, what's been done, what's been shot down. Then, you also have to work from the top and understand the limitations, what's been tried, what resources are needed, etc. We use that top-down, bottoms-up approach to try to make sure everyone on both sides of the spectrum are aligned that this is where we're going, and what actions need to happen in order to get there.
I would say one of the best experiences that we had [when it came to this particular goal] was facilitating an understanding of the challenges specifically at the recycling centers. We've had some really powerful visits where we've brought some of our executive team, some of our marketers onsite to actually see what happens when those recycling trucks pull up and dump their loads, how the items are sorted, what falls out, what doesn't, what makes it through.
Then [getting them to] talk to the operators to understand their pain points, the opportunities, and the ways in which they're working with other materials or other partners to facilitate changes that are going to improve recycling rates, or improve recovery rates.
Clancy: You're completing a comprehensive water footprint assessment. What have you discovered so far?
Oxender: We are going to publish the results of that footprint soon, I hope. We have done the preliminary footprint for our whole system, including coffee. The one thing I can tell you, which validated what we already knew, is that the majority of the impact related to our water footprint are in coffee cultivation.
You'll notice that we did not set a 2020 goal relative to decreasing our footprint, our water footprint in the same way that we did with greenhouse gases, and the reason was because we needed to do this baseline. One of the next steps is to look at that and say, 'Okay. How do we establish reduction targets, a replenishment target?' We're working through that now.
Clancy: Who has been your most inspirational mentor?
Oxender: I want it to be a woman, but unfortunately in my professional career, I've not had a female mentor or really even a strong career mentor. I have had key people, I think all men, mainly because of where I came from in automotive. It taught me lessons about how to survive and thrive in corporate world. But when I look at inspiration overall, it comes from my mom.
My mother taught me how to survive four brothers, which I equate to surviving in a male-dominated world. She also taught me to balance priorities, especially across a career and motherhood, which is something that's really important, and to hold onto your values. [Former Irish president and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights] Mary Robinson [recently] gave an address around women leaders, and leading as a woman. Not with male qualities, but leading with those kind of characteristics that make us innately female. It spoke to me so much, because I think that that's something that I did get from my mother.
What I admire in looking at other women in leadership is how they lead, especially if it is consistent with the values that I think that we're oftentimes brought up to have, but then oftentimes conditioned out of having if we want to pursue a career and to be a leader within business.
Clancy: What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a career similar to yours?
Oxender: It's the same advice that I give to someone who wants to go into teaching: learn as many languages as you can. I'm not referring to Spanish or Portuguese or French. It's about really learning how to speak to people at all levels and meet them at the level that they're at. So within a hierarchy, it's the executive team or the board members down to the plant floor. And knowing that that person's going to receive you and communicate with you openly much quicker, much easier, but then also across the function.
This was something I learned quickly at Ford: speaking to an engineer is very, very different than speaking to a buyer versus a sales guy. So making sure that if you really want to navigate across the organization — as I think that you really need to do to be able to lead in sustainability in an integrated fashion in a business — you have to learn as many of those languages as you can and learn them effectively.
Clancy: What do you consider to be your most important achievement so far?
Oxender: The one that's most important and I am most proud of was the industry cooperation that we achieved in automotive. It took blood, sweat and tears, and a labor of love to build a coalition of automakers to move towards greater responsibility in supply chain. It went from initially engaging with just the big three: Ford, GM and Chrysler. Then the Japanese came: Honda and Toyota joined us. Then, I'm going over to Europe and recruiting Peugeot and Renault. Then the German companies.
Then over a period of six or seven years, we were all sitting at the table having amazing conversations that resulted in action. It wasn't conversation after conversation, we actually found a common agenda, a common mission, and we moved. We were able to achieve so much, and I took so much professional and personal satisfaction out of leading that initiative. The hardest thing about leaving automotive was the really deep relationships that I was able to form across the globe, across the industry, and knowing that you were effecting so much change.


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>> for more recent lifestyle writing on travel, fashion and beauty, go to tripstyler.com <<
brush off your bongos and point your feet towards the nearest drum circle because this summer's shoe trends verge on hippie-dippie. see also: comfortable, 70s, man repelling and my favourite term from the french—jolie-laide. yes, it's the summer of pretty-ugly shoes, which bodes well for savvy travelers, who are always searching for packable, comfortable, stylish footwear. so, ladies AND gentlemen, grab a kombucha tea, settle in and check out this summer's trends. {i promise i don't mention the return of tevas or shower sandals, but they're ba-aaack...}
women {clockwise from top left}: birkenstock floral-print arizona, birkenstock stripe-print arizona, zara color bio sandal, birkenstock gold arizona, steve madden boomer sandal / Men {bottom left}: birkenstock black arizona
trip styler tips: try narrow-width birkenstocks for a slimmer silhouette. remember that there will be breaking-in time, so wear them around the house before you take them on vacation. finally, socks and sandals are no longer a fashion faux-pas—when done well. try the style with rolled boyfriend jeans or a boxy dress and contrasting or printed socks.
women {from top left}: jeffrey campbell atha espadrille, loeffler randall alfie espadrille sneaker, loeffler randall mara espadrille / men {from top right}: castaner alfonso boot, soludos for j.crew striped espadrilles
women {clockwise from top left}: swedish hasbeens suzanne sandals, isabel marant towson clog, sven peep-toe clog, bosabo ketty clog, old navy heeled clogs
this post was originally featured on tripstyler.com

subset: commoncrawl


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making reuse child's play
Email: email@example.com
We Came, We Saw, We Crafted
Reuseful UK were thrilled to attend Kirstie Allsopp's Handmade Fair for the first time between 22nd – 24th June 2018. The Fair was held in the beautiful grounds of Bowood House and blessed with sunny skies over the weekend. Over 1,100 crafters joined in the with the free Make and Take activities of making peg butterflies, brooches and bunting.
We are excited to announce our partnership with RWM, the UK's leading event for recycling and waste professionals. Under new management, RWM is now bigger and better than before with an unmissable jaw dropping line-up in place to help your business reach new exciting levels in the recycling & waste industry. The event takes place on the 12th & 13th September at the NEC, Birmingham and you are exclusively invited to attend. Claim your free ticket here!
We are thrilled to announce Reuseful UK's partnership with RWM 2018, the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition.
Under the new management of PRYSM Media Group, RWM returns to the NEC Birmingham on September 12th and 13th. The leading environmental exhibition is free to attend, with tickets now available on the RWM website.
We are excited to reveal Reuseful UK will be exhibiting at RWM in the autumn, showcasing an interactive, creative feature at stand #4K62 in Hall 5. Reuseful UK CEO Nikki DiGiovanni will also take to the stage at RWM and get involved with a speaker session – details of which will be released soon.


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When God Shammgod was nominated for Name of the Year back in 1996, we didn't give him much respect. His name was already suffering from media overexposure and, in truth, we thought it was a contrivance.
In that pre-bracket era, there were just 11 names on the NOTY ballot, and voting was limited to whoever showed up for the NCAA regional semifinal at our one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. God finished dead last, the only nominee not to receive a single vote. The winner was Honka Monka, whose name we verified by dialing her home in Queens. (Actual dialogue: ``Is Honka there?'' ``No. Who's calling?'' ``It's Paul.'') Johnny Economy, Esther Sylvester, Lloyd Mangaroo, DeJuan Wheat, a descendant of Godfrey Sithole—they all outpolled God.
In addition to having a basketball move named for him, God has, of course, become a name legend on the information superwebs. Around NCAA time, he's cited in just about every all-name post. And whenever he pops up again, we feel a little guilty for disrespecting his name back in the day.
This morning, we got a chance to make it up to God, courtesy of Alan Paul, who writes a column about living in China for The Wall Street Journal's website.
God is 30 now. He's been playing in China, among other basketball paradises (Poland, Saudi Arabia), since he: missed a last-second layup that would have put Providence in the Final Four, mistakenly turned pro after his sophomore year, was drafted by the Washington Bullets (Bullets!) in 1997 and was released after one season. Paul reports that God played last season in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, `` one of the most polluted cities in the world,'' for a team that finished 4-26. As described by Paul, it's a pretty grim existence. God eats at Pizza Hut and McDonald's, the only Western restaurants in the city, and has to ``endure hours of repetitive, endurance-test practices,'' ``wade through cigarette-smoke-clogged hallways'' to get to the locker room and ``stay in hotels without shower curtains and with old cigarette butts on the bathroom floor.''
If Shamm, as he prefers to be called [italics ours], is in China and he's not playing ball, he's likely online, downloading NBA games or highlights, talking on Skype, emailing or IMing with his wife, kids and countless friends, including NBA stars Chauncey Billups and Kevin Garnett.
Paul was taken with God, says he's a good guy who deserves better. They hooked up in Taiyuan and a few weeks later in Beijing, where they dined at a T.G.I. Friday's. Over chicken wings and fried shrimp, Paul asked God where he wanted to play next season.
``Hopefully the NBA.'' He dunked a wing into a dish of hot sauce. ``And if not ... we'll see what works out, but I've been saving money and making good investments. I'd really like to stay in the U.S.''
It's a very nice piece. But nothing new on the name of God. Then we discovered that Paul had blogged about the visit when it happened. And delivered the goods: new details from God about his name.
We remebered reading years ago that God Shammgod was his legal name at birth, that it was changed when he was a kid—to Shammgod Wells, his father's and mother's surnames—and that he changed it back when he got to college. Providence coach Pete Gillen told the Providence Journal in 1995:
``He's gotten closer to his father recently, and he's doing it for his father.''
But God told Alan Paul that he originally changed his name to Shammgod Wells because he had been ``teased mercilessly as a child.'' And that it bothers him that people still think he chose to call himself God.
When he got to college, he was told he had to use his real name or legally change it, which would have cost $600, money he says he didn't have. He stressed this to me several times and really wants it in the story. He feels that misperception has really given him a bad rep and I'd say he's right. That's what I remembered first about him—the guy who changed his name to God.
Come home, God. All is forgiven. At NOTY, you'll always be our co-pilot.
(Photo by Alan Paul)


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A team of Finnish students took their electric sportscar prototype, the ER-V, to 161 miles an hour (260.06 km/h) on ice. Electric cars still aren't totally lust-worthy, but this unofficial record-breaking run certainly helps them stay cool.
These students from the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and their 383-horsepower, 33kWh ER-V (formerly the Raceabout) aren't exactly making a dent in global automotive emissions, nor are they making a significant addition to the sports car market.
They are making a statement that Telsa (and to some extent Fisker) have been trying to make for a few years now: If you build them right, electric cars can be exciting.
Last September, the same car lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 8 minutes and 42 seconds.
(Hat tip to McNewbie1!)


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We couldn't have said it better ourselves!
Epic video from Lone Tree Survival:
Rock and Ice falls in love with the feel and carry of the Air Beam Framesheet
"We did blind tests with the air frame….. climbing 5.7 sport climbs with a 30-pound load at Big Rock near Riverside, California. Sometimes they climbed with the Cilo's rigid frame and sometimes with the Air Beam frame.
No one noticed any difference in load transfer to the hips, but each climber said that the air frame allowed more freedom of movement. I also loaned the air frame and pack to ski mountaineers (40-pound packs) and they also said that the air frame allowed more twisting and bending, while still giving support."
Rock and Ice said it: Equivalent load transfer to rigid framed packs with a better range of motion, lighter weight, and more comfort.
The Klymit Air Beam is built for Motion. Check it out in our packs: http://www.klymit.com/index.php/products-1/backpacks/motion-35.html
Our buddy Sam rides bikes…AND just invented a better, simpler clipless pedal system.
Everyone that rides bikes…this is for you. Our buddy Sam right here in Ogden has created a more simple and elegant solution for clipless pedals. Check it out, and if you choose to support the project on Kickstarter good for you. We vouch for Sam and Mobius cycles!
The Tetons from the Idaho side…
Tags: Adventure, Klymit, sleeping pads
On a roll!!!!! Klymit Ultra Endurance athlete Kelly Agnew with another win!!!
Ultra running is a tough sport, giving the athletes massive amounts of time to beat themselves mentally, and that is assuming the body holds up. I love reading about that inner dialogue. Here is another delightful gonzo description of 48 hours of determination:
Klymit LWD wins GEAR OF THE YEAR!!!!!!
Tags: Klymit, LWD, outdoor gear
Our huge in the water, tiny in your pack packraft, the LWD, received a GEAR OF THE YEAR AWARD from Gear Junkie!!!! We are stoked!!!! Thanks to the wise folks over at Gear Junkie, and for the support of all adventurers who are looking at a map a little different with the LWD in hand. Literally, it is the size of your favorite Tolstoy novel when carefully folded!!!
We are enthused by the pick and the thought that something that we playfully named the Light Water Dinghy has the potential to make real packrafting accessible to everyone that can find it in a retail location or online. The 2 pound tax is nothing when compared to the copius amounts of fun you will have at your own lake in the backcountry, or on your own creek, or getting to where no one else can by easily crossing just about anything. We had a ball testing and developing the LWD, using a little geometry and not a small amount of "Kentucky Wind". I remember one time when Matt, Cory, and I took a 50D nylon version over a 3 foot drop in the Ogden Kayak park….all on it at the same time. We did it 3 times and were just amazed at the bouyancy. The fourth time we got cocky and chose a bad line. The bouyancy of the LWD is unmatched in all light packrafts. That was about 450 pounds on the boat, and it rocks. Hunters can float their game out like the trappers of old, 2 careful hikers can cross in one pack raft. The possibilities are endless, and the LWD just screams potential.
It has been said that the peaks and the trails of the world have all been tread upon and carved, but there is so much more to discover. The LWD is among our most unique contributions to the pursuit of exploring the rest. Thank you for giving it a try Gear Junkie, and seeing the vision while having a blast. We are hopeful that the LWD continues to have an impact; and that impact is generating toothy smiles and finding new places to be inspired by and connected to.
The Epic of Epics…establishing new routes in the murder capital of the world
Here is one of our favorite stories from Rock and Ice. Enjoy! http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/the-epic-of-all-epics


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- Help leaders understand the importance of 'painting the picture' of their vision
- Help leaders engage their constituents in sharing the vision
10 – 30 participants
Time Required
45 minutes
- PowerPoint slide presentation: Floyd Lee's Vision
- Wallchart paper, markers
- A Culinary Oasis article, U.S. News and World Report © 2004
Area Setup
Tables and chairs so that groups of 3–6 individuals can work together in small groups
- Begin by sharing the purpose of the exercise. Say:
"The purpose of the exercise is to help us, as leaders, become more aware of how important it is to 'paint the picture' of our vision and also to engage our constituents in sharing and making the vision come to fruition. In this exercise, we will be using a great example of an inspiring leader, Floyd Lee, who ran a chow hall in Baghdad, Iraq."
- Have the PowerPoint ready on the screen so that you can give a brief overview of the situation.
- Present the Exercise Overview section of the PowerPoint presentation (print out slides 2-5 and distribute as a handout, if you would like)
- Share with the group this background info:
"Iraq can grind down even the most gung-ho soldier. The tours of duty last mostly a full year, the workweek is seven days long, and workdays can stretch to 18 hours or more. With regular rocket attacks on the base, every soldier faces perils. So sometimes all they have to look forward to is a meal at our mess hall."
- Tell the group:
"You are part of the new food service staff at the Pegasus Grille (i.e. chow hall) at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq. I'm Floyd Lee, the chow hall manager. I want to spend a few minutes with you sharing my vision about what I think we can do together to make this the best chow hall ever. In its simplest form I believe that, "We are not just in charge of food service; we are in charge of morale." (share bullets of Floyd Lee Vision Detail—slides 3 & 4 of the PowerPoint—and embellish with stories)
- Share the U.S. News & World Report article, A Culinary Oasis: and give participants a few minutes to read it. Show the images of Floyd Lee's chow hall (slides 6 - 11 of the PowerPoint). As you show the images, point out the creative ways that the service team made the chow hall the place where soldiers came for a morale boost.
- Challenge your group to be creative and resourceful in coming up with new ideas beyond what the last service staff incorporated, remembering that there are no extra dollars/resources in the budget.
- Tell the group what their task is:
"For the next 10 minutes, your small group will be brainstorming a list of 'out of the box' creative ideas about how you can 'serve up morale' to the soldiers. The more creative, the better! The more ideas, the better!
Be prepared to share your ideas with the larger group when we reconvene."
- Reconvene the participants into a large group
10. Ask each group's spokesperson to share some of their ideas with the large group.
11. Facilitate a discussion by asking these two questions:
- What did Floyd Lee do to engage his team to make the chow hall vision come true, serving up morale? (Help the group understand that Floyd Lee shared his vision and then asked for the team's ideas about how to flesh it out. It became a shared vision.)
- What are your ideas about how you will inspire and engage your team to share in your vision? How will you gather their ideas and inspire them to become part of the shared vision?
Edith Katz is Employee Development Manager and Karen Gallagher is Vice President, Human Resources at Brooks Rehabilitation, based in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they facilitate an 11-week Leadership Challenge series that includes action learning assignments for each of The Five Practices. Edith can be reached at email@example.com; Karen can be reached at email@example.com.


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Palm Pré arrives in Blighty
Followed by Reg Hardware's Pré review...
The Palm Pré has been available Stateside since June, but Blighty-based gadget fans can finally bag themselves the smartphone from today.
O2 is selling the Palm Pré from today
O2 is the Pré's exclusive carrier in the UK and the smartphone can be bought either through the network operator's online sales website or from its high-street stores.
But, much like the iPhone, the Pré ain't cheap. Customers willing to sign a 24-month contract costing £34.26 ($56.05/€37.97) per month can get the Pré for free. The contract includes 600 UK minutes, 500 UK text messages and unlimited downloads, O2 said.
Alternatively, an 18-month contract - priced at £73.41 ($120.10/€81.36) per month – will still see you get a free Pré, but also a whopping 3000 UK minutes. The contract includes 500 UK text messages and unlimited downloads, O2 added.
O2's Pré prices - check out our review to see if the phone's worth the cash
A wireless Pré charging dock – called Touchstone – will also be available through O2, priced at £44.11 ($72.16/€48.88).
But before committing yourself to a costly 24-month contract, check back with Register Hardware later today and read our in-depth Palm Pré review. ®
Sponsored: Detecting cyber attacks as a small to medium business


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Libri e Riviste » Monografie » aps004
La collana di studi della rivista semestrale Ad Parnassum. A Journal of 18th and 19th-Century Instrumental Music è dedicata a compositori che hanno avuto un impatto significativo nel campo della musica strumentale. In questo modo essi rimangono nell'area di pertinenza della rivista, senza tuttavia strette limitazioni sugli specifici temi trattati, potendo spaziare sull'intera produzione del compositore in oggetto, non solamente la musica strumentale.
Fontes Artis Musicae 60/1... This new collection of essays, expertly edited by Luca Sala, manages what. seems impossible: to re-examine the place of Karlowicz in music history and the rich ramifications of his works without falling off the cliff of wishful thinking ... The place of Kar!owicz in the history of nineteenth and early twentieth century music was particularly underestimated. Thanks to studies collected and edited by Luca Sala, a major step was made toward filling this scholarly gap. The book ... is highly recommended to scholars of late romantic European music. (Maja Trochimcyk)
Nineteenth-Century Music Review No. 82 (2011)... This volume addresses issue surrounding Karlowicz's life and works from a number of points of view and provides a wealth of analysis on musical works. The translations are first rate and the music examples, in particular, serve as a valuable source for musicians and scholars of the European fin-de-siècle. An appendix illuminates of six black and white photos the composer's vision of the Tatras, with images that include the composer on skis in Zachopane. The book concludes with an extensive Chronological Bibliography. Sala includes here a great deal of valuable material for further research on the composer's music in areas such as reception and cultural history, in addition to specific studies on individual works. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with photographs, musical examples, manuscript reproductions, and other relevant archival documents. The book appeals to scholars of Polish music and reception history, and to a general readership interested in pursuing the artistic connections that contributed to Karlowicz's success in Europe and Poland in the period that spanned the two centuries. (Anne Swartz)


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Welcome to the new JPS Alumni Connection website, with news and information for and about the thousands of physicians who trained at John Peter Smith Hospital and our community clinics across Tarrant County.
This new professional community is designed to offer our former residents and fellows a forum to keep you connected with each other and with JPS. We hope to foster the exchange of information among graduates and medical staff here at JPS.
We will share regular updates about our progress, activities and events happening throughout the network. Be on the lookout soon for an invitation to a spring Open House where you'll get the chance to tour the main campus and our Level I Trauma Center, as well as learn about our comprehensive medical services, research initiatives and training programs.
Please take a moment to sign up for the organization and provide updated contact information so that we can keep in touch. We are also eager to learn your suggestions on the kinds of programs, services and communications that JPS Alumni Connection can provide to create a robust professional community with an ongoing relationship with JPS.


text: Founded in Southern California in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray, St. John is revered for its ability to reinvent classic styles into chic and modern women's clothing. The St. John Collection continues the brand's tradition of crafting effortless apparel with supreme craftsmanship. Intricately sequined and printed skirts, sharp pencil skirts and Jennifer pants, exquisite sequined gowns, and the signature range of St. John Knits, including diamond-knit toppers, geometric-lines knit dresses grace the collection. Explore Neiman Marcus for a stunning range of St. John Collection including St. John dresses, jackets, pants, and more, available in a variety of alluring patterns and styles.


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Zahir Ebrahim, Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
September 24, 2009 | Updated Tuesday, January 22, 2019
To what extent do some or many of the following points reflect the state of the press today? In reading the following excerpt from the well known 100 year old document [1] – deemed to be a forgery by many, and blueprint for world conquest by many more – and assuming it merely be an anonymous work of profound literature, of entertaining fiction, or a frightening discourse in political science, its diabolical prescience to reflect what has come to pass in the worldwide press today is incredibly shocking. As in Machiavelli's The Prince, the diabolical mechanisms proposed therein to manufacture and control public opinion to serve the interests of a despotic oligarchy bears close study.
The very word "freedom" has been circumscribed in this despotic system from what is deemed "unalienable", to what is ordained "legal". And it becomes pertinent to ask the question: Is that state of affairs reflected in the tortuous reality of today? As the text asserts: "all freedom will thus be in our hands, since the laws will abolish or create only that which is desirable for us according to the aforesaid program."
Has that happened in the United States? In whose hands is this freedom? How did that mechanism come to pass in America? In Europe? Without perceptively understanding how this hijacking was orchestrated in the West which itself originated the press, no reform is tenable because the same forces which orchestrated it will continue to sustain it and will subvert all reform including that which sends them to the gallows.
Anyone can benefit from any prose, literature and political science with due diligence, including from studying the Mighty Wurlitzer [1a] [1e] [1f] [1g] – whose abominable existence is as empirical as the origin of this nefarious document [1b] is mysterious – and from the Chinese Sun Tzu's The Art of War, [1c], and the US Military's From PSYOP to MindWar. [1d]
Therefore, in order to institute any meaningful reforms as wished by Robert Jensen et. al., [2] how do the journalism savants propose to counter this hijacking of the press by the Mighty Wurlitzer – even under the (highly questionable) premise that an informed polity can be a useful obstruction to despotism – such that giving the press the constitutional protection of "freedom" remains in practice something more than highly polished public relations for social control by any 'ubermensch' oligarchs, as for instance outlined in the Machiavellian text below.
It further bears to keep in mind that this highjacking of the press is not in isolation, but situated in a larger context that includes the oligarchy acquiring full monopolistic control in society of all that is meaningful, from money to economics to industry to education to entertainment, including acquiring full control over the glorified "errand boys" [3] who are dutifully elected by the polity only to represent the front faces of the behind-the-scene oligarchy. How are any reforms, be they for the press, or for the monetary system, [4] to be instituted under such an unvarnished reality?
2. Freedom is the right to do what which the law allows. This interpretation of the word will at the proper time be of service to us, because all freedom will thus be in our hands, since the laws will abolish or create only that which is desirable for us according to the aforesaid program.
3. We shall deal with the press in the following way: what is the part played by the press to-day? It serves to excite and inflame those passions which are needed for our purpose or else it serves selfish ends of parties. It is often vapid, unjust, mendacious, and the majority of the public have not the slightest idea what ends the press really serves. We shall saddle and bridle it with a tight curb: we shall do the same also with all productions of the printing press, for where would be the sense of getting rid of the attacks of the press if we remain targets for pamphlets and books? The produce of publicity, which nowadays is a source of heavy expense owing to the necessity of censoring it, will be turned by us into a very lucrative source of income to our State: we shall law on it a special stamp tax and require deposits of caution-money before permitting the establishment of any organ of the press or of printing offices; these will then have to guarantee our government against any kind of attack on the part of the press. For any attempt to attack us, if such still be possible, we shall inflict fines without mercy. Such measures as stamp tax, deposit of caution-money and fines secured by these deposits, will bring in a huge income to the government. It is true that party organs might not spare money for the sake of publicity, but these we shall shut up at the second attack upon us. No one shall with impunity lay a finger on the aureole of our government infallibility. The pretext for stopping any publication will be the alleged plea that it is agitating the public mind without occasion or justification. I BEG YOU TO NOTE THAT AMONG THOSE MAKING ATTACKS UPON US WILL ALSO BE ORGANS ESTABLISHED BY US, BUT THEY WILL ATTACK EXCLUSIVELY POINTS THAT WE HAVE PRE-DETERMINED TO ALTER.
4. NOT A SINGLE ANNOUNCEMENT WILL REACH THE PUBLIC WITHOUT OUR CONTROL. Even now this is already being attained by us inasmuch as all news items are received by a few agencies, in whose offices they are focused from all parts of the world. These agencies will then be already entirely ours and will give publicity only to what we dictate to them.
5. If already now we have contrived to possess ourselves of the minds of the [untermensch] communities to such an extent the they all come near looking upon the events of the world through the colored glasses of those spectacles we are setting astride their noses; if already now there is not a single State where there exist for us any barriers to admittance into what [untermensch] stupidity calls State secrets: what will our positions be then, when we shall be acknowledged supreme lords of the world in the person of our king of all the world ....
6. Let us turn again to the FUTURE OF THE PRINTING PRESS. Every one desirous of being a publisher, librarian, or printer, will be obliged to provide himself with the diploma instituted therefore, which, in case of any fault, will be immediately impounded. With such measures THE INSTRUMENT OF THOUGHT WILL BECOME AN EDUCATIVE MEANS ON THE HANDS OF OUR GOVERNMENT, WHICH WILL NO LONGER ALLOW THE MASS OF THE NATION TO BE LED ASTRAY IN BY-WAYS AND FANTASIES ABOUT THE BLESSINGS OF PROGRESS. Is there any one of us who does not know that these phantom blessings are the direct roads to foolish imaginings which give birth to anarchical relations of men among themselves and towards authority, because progress, or rather the idea of progress, has introduced the conception of every kind of emancipation, but has failed to establish its limits .... All the so-called liberals are anarchists, if not in fact, at any rate in thought. Every one of them in hunting after phantoms of freedom, and falling exclusively into license, that is, into the anarchy of protest for the sake of protest ....
7. We turn to the periodical press. We shall impose on it, as on all printed matter, stamp taxes per sheet and deposits of caution- money, and books of less than 30 sheets will pay double. We shall reckon them as pamphlets in order, on the one hand, to reduce the number of magazines, which are the worst form of printed poison, and, on the other, in order that this measure may force writers into such lengthy productions that they will be little read, especially as they will be costly. At the same time what we shall publish ourselves to influence mental development in the direction laid down for our profit will be cheap and will be read voraciously. The tax will bring vapid literary ambitions within bounds and the liability to penalties will make literary men dependent upon us. And if there should be any found who are desirous of writing against us, they will not find any person eager to print their productions in print the publisher or printer will have to apply to the authorities for permission to do so. Thus we shall know beforehand of all tricks preparing against us and shall nullify them by getting ahead with explanations on the subject treated of.
8. Literature and journalism are two of the most important educative forces, and therefore our government will become proprietor of the majority of the journals. This will neutralize the injurious influence of the privately-owned press and will put us in possession of a tremendous influence upon the public mind .... If we give permits for ten journals, we shall ourselves found thirty, and so on in the same proportion. This, however, must in no wise be suspected by the public. For which reason all journals published by us will be of the most opposite, in appearance, tendencies and opinions, thereby creating confidence in us and bringing over to us quite unsuspicious opponents, who will thus fall into our trap and be rendered harmless.
9. In the front rank will stand organs of an official character. They will always stand guard over our interests, and therefore their influence will be comparatively insignificant.
10. In the second rank will be the semi-official organs, whose part it will be to attack the tepid and indifferent.
11. In the third rank we shall set up our own, to all appearance, off position, which, in at least one of its organs, will present what looks like the very antipodes to us. Our real opponents at heart will accept this simulated opposition as their own and will show us their cards.
12. All our newspapers will be of all possible complexions - aristocratic, republican, revolutionary, even anarchical - for so long, of course, as the constitution exists .... Like the Indian idol "Vishnu" they will have a hundred hands, and every one of them will have a finger on any one of the public opinions as required. When a pulse quickens these hands will lead opinion in the direction of our aims, for an excited patient loses all power of judgment and easily yields to suggestion. Those fools who will think they are repeating the opinion of a newspaper of their own camp will be repeating our opinion or any opinion that seems desirable for us. In the vain belief that they are following the organ of their party they will, in fact, follow the flag which we hang out for them.
13. In order to direct our newspaper militia in this sense we must take special and minute care in organizing this matter. Under the title of central department of the press we shall institute literary gatherings at which our agents will without attracting attention issue the orders and watchwords of the day. By discussing and controverting, but always superficially, without touching the essence of the matter, our organs will carry on a sham fight fusillade with the official newspapers solely for the purpose of giving occasion for us to express ourselves more fully than could well be done from the outset in official announcements, whenever, of course, that is to our advantage.
14. THESE ATTACKS UPON US WILL ALSO SERVE ANOTHER PURPOSE, NAMELY, THAT OUR SUBJECTS WILL BE CONVINCED TO THE EXISTENCE OF FULL FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND SO GIVE OUR AGENTS AN OCCASION TO AFFIRM THAT ALL ORGANS WHICH OPPOSE US ARE EMPTY BABBLERS, since they are incapable of finding any substantial objections to our orders.
15. Methods of organization like these, imperceptible to the public eye but absolutely sure, are the best calculated to succeed in bringing the attention and the confidence of the public to the side of our government. Thanks to such methods we shall be in a position as from time to time may be required, to excite or to tranquilize the public mind on political questions, to persuade or to confuse, printing now truth, now lies, facts or their contradictions, according as they may be well or ill received, always very cautiously feeling our ground before stepping upon it .... WE SHALL HAVE A SURE TRIUMPH OVER OUR OPPONENTS SINCE THEY WILL NOT HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSITION ORGANS OF THE PRESS IN WHICH THEY CAN GIVE FULL AND FINAL EXPRESSION TO THEIR VIEWS owing to the aforesaid methods of dealing with the press. We shall not even need to refute them except very superficially.
16. Trial shots like these, fired by us in the third rank of our press, in case of need, will be energetically refuted by us in our semi-official organs.
17. Even nowadays, already, to take only the French press, there are forms which reveal masonic solidarity in acting on the watchword: all organs of the press are bound together by professional secrecy; like the augurs of old, not one of their numbers will give away the secret of his sources of information unless it be resolved to make announcement of them. Not one journalist will venture to betray this secret, for not one of them is ever admitted to practice literature unless his whole past has some disgraceful sore or other .... These sores would be immediately revealed. So long as they remain the secret of a few the prestige of the journalist attacks the majority of the country - the mob follow after him with enthusiasm.
18. Our calculations are especially extended to the provinces. It is indispensable for us to inflame there those hopes and impulses with which we could at any moment fall upon the capital, and we shall represent to the capitals that these expressions are the independent hopes and impulses of the provinces. Naturally, the source of them will be always one and the same - ours. WHAT WE NEED IS THAT, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE ARE IN THE PLENITUDE POWER, THE CAPITALS SHOULD FIND THEMSELVES STIFLED BY THE PROVINCIAL OPINION OF THE NATIONS, I.E., OF A MAJORITY ARRANGED BY OUR AGENTUR. What we need is that at the psychological moment the capitals should not be in a position to discuss an accomplished fact for the simple reason, if for no other, that it has been accepted by the public opinion of a majority in the provinces.
19. WHEN WE ARE IN THE PERIOD OF THE NEW REGIME TRANSITIONAL TO THAT OF OUR ASSUMPTION OF FULL SOVEREIGNTY WE MUST NOT ADMIT ANY REVELATION BY THE PRESS OF ANY FORM OF PUBLIC DISHONESTY; IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE NEW REGIME SHOULD BE THOUGHT TO HAVE SO PERFECTLY CONTENDED EVERYBODY THAT EVEN CRIMINALITY HAS DISAPPEARED ... Cases of the manifestation of criminality should remain known only to their victims and to chance witnesses - no more.
[1] Anonymous, nineteenth century political treatise on the diabolical methods of subversion for any small cabal to takeover the world, Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, https://sites.google.com/site/humanbeingsfirst/download-pdf/cacheof-three-political-dialogs-to-screw-your-enemy-via-gutenberg-and-aztlan.pdf
[1a] See Zahir Ebrahim's note on mass behavior control through perception management by the Mighty Wurlitzer, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/05/note-on-mighty-wurlitzer.html
[1b] See Zahir Ebrahim's note on Subtracting Jewishness from Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, https://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2015/09/acknowledgment-on-road-less-traveled.html#Subtracting-Jewishness-from-Protocols-of-the-Learned-Elders-of-Zion
[1c] Sun Tzu, The Art of War, http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html
[1d] Valley and Aquino, US Military Document, 1980, From PSYOP to MindWar: The Psychology of Victory, https://web.archive.org/web/20091122111046/http://www.xeper.org/maquino/nm/MindWar.pdf
[1e] See Zahir Ebrahim's analysis on the necessity to engineer both consent and dissent in a democratic society for behavior control, Manufacturing Dissent: Weapons of Mass Deception – The Master Social Science, Preamble 2008, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2008/06/wmd-master-social-science.html#Preamble
[1f] See Zahir Ebrahim's deconstruction of the diabolical cunningness of the masters of dissent for engineering consent among the detractors of status quo to maintain it, The Cunning Masters of Dissent and The Dying Songbird, http://humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/p/dying-songbird.html
[1g] See Zahir Ebrahim's deconstruction of the use of Newspeak language for political subversion to create and maintain the necessary illusions for full spectrum thought and behavior control via legal fiat, The Ultimate in Malevolent Revolution, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-ultimate-in-malevolent-revolution.html
[2] Robert Jensen, September 15, 2009, "Can journalism schools be relevant in a world on the brink?" Also see author's response titled "Re-titling makes the problem more apparent: Can journalism schools be relevant in a New World Order of one-world government?" https://web.archive.org/web/20150908021704/http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/11522-can-journalism-schools-be-relevant-in-a-world-on-the-brink.html
[2a] Zahir Ebrahim, September 15, 2009, Letter Response to Robert Jensen 'Re-titling can perhaps make the problem-space more apparent: Can journalism schools be relevant in a world on the brink?', https://sites.google.com/site/humanbeingsfirst/download-pdf/zahirs-response-to-robert-jensen-on-the-question-of-journalism-reform---Can-journalism-schools-be-relevant-in-a-world-on-the-brink-sept-15-2009.pdf
[2b] Zahir Ebrahim, February 5, 2010, Letter Response to Richard Keeble 'How Alternative Media Provide The Crucial Critique Of The Mainstream - Richard Keeble Responds To Tim Luckhurst', https://sites.google.com/site/humanbeingsfirst/download-pdf/zahirs-response-to-how-alternative-media-provide-the-crucial-critique-of-the-mainstream-richard-keeble-responds-to-tim-luckhurst-february-05-2010-and-article.pdf
[2c] Zahir Ebrahim, December 06, 2009, Letter to the Center for Journalism At the University of Kent 'Where journalists have greatness thrust upon them', http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/12/journalists-greatness-thrust-uponthem.html
[2d] Zahir Ebrahim, The Role of Mass Media in Empire Building, Prisoners of the Cave, 2003, Chapters 4-7, http://prisonersofthecave.blogspot.com/2007/04/chapter-4.html ,http://prisonersofthecave.blogspot.com/2007/04/chapter-5.html ,http://prisonersofthecave.blogspot.com/2007/04/chapter-6.html ,http://prisonersofthecave.blogspot.com/2007/04/chapter-7.html
[3] Zahir Ebrahim, Not-Voting is a 'YES' vote to Reject a Corrupt System which thrives on the facade of Elections and Democracy!, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-voting-is-yes-vote-to-reject-system.html
[4] Zahir Ebrahim, The Missing Link of Monetary Reform: How? A challenge to monetary reformers, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/09/response-ami-monetary-reform-conf.html
[4a] Zahir Ebrahim, October 5, 2010, Letter to Bill Still – Director of The Secret of Oz – How?, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/09/response-ami-monetary-reform-conf.html
[4b] Zahir Ebrahim, October 5, 2010, Re-visiting Money as Debt and Monetary Reform: The Secret of Oz, http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2010/10/re-visiting-money-as-debt-and-oz.html
PDF: https://sites.google.com/site/humanbeingsfirst/download-pdf/challenges-to-journalism-reform-dec082009b.pdf
First Published September 24, 2009
Updated for links fix, sentence diction fix for readability, and additional footnotes, on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 11:00 am 3271
A challenge to the aspiring reformers of the Journalism Profession 9 / 9


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Voting in 2012, Libertarian and Otherwise
Somehow, election results continue to trickle in, and David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report continues to update his spreadsheet of the national popular vote. At this point, he shows President Obama reelected with 50.86 percent of the vote to Mitt Romney's 47.43 percent. For whatever reason, the late‐arriving results all seem to widen Obama's lead.
The total vote appears to be down by almost 4 million votes from 2008, and Obama has received about 4.7 million fewer votes than he did in his first campaign. Romney received slightly more votes than John McCain did.
Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson received 1,265,000 votes, according to Wikipedia, whose mysterious editors show the votes for every candidate. That's the most any Libertarian presidential candidate has ever received. It amounts to 0.99 percent, just shy of Ed Clark's 1.06 percent in 1980. If Johnson had been on the ballot in Michigan and Oklahoma, he would surely have broken 1 percent, though he still probably wouldn't have exceeded Clark's percentage. (Michigan and Oklahoma haven't been very good states for Libertarian candidates.) Johnson's best states were New Mexico, where he served two terms as governor, followed by Montana and Alaska.
The Libertarian Party reports that seven Libertarian statewide candidates in Texas and Georgia received more than a million votes.
Don't forget to read the new ebook The Libertarian Vote: Swing Voters, Tea Parties, and the Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Center, which discusses how the millions of libertarian‐leaning voters in America tend to vote. (It does not have 2012 results.)


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One more fall thing. Do you know about Honeycrisp apples? They are the BEST apples and you can only get them during fall. (You know it's got to be good if I am raving about a fruit. Usually powdered donuts or brownies are something I rave about.)
I am pretty sure it's the apple that Eve ate in the garden of eden. And I bet it was totally worth it.


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Enjoy these photos, courtesy of German Alegria (Muchas gracias compadre!), and then scroll to the bottom for some postmatch reaction from Bruce and Co.
Bruce Arena
On the game:
"I thought that it was a sloppy performance by our team tonight. I don't think that we did good with our passing, we didn't take any of our chances, our crossing of the ball on the night was poor. Give our opponent credit, they did what they wanted to do, a classic road mentality. The few chances that we created in the first half, we really should have put one of those away to really open the game up."
On where the team is heading into Saturday:
"I think that we're doing fine. You don't overreact to these things. I think that this was a good game to get in the stadium, especially for the young players, a bunch of nervous players tonight with their first experience in the stadium so that was good to get that experience and hopefully that helps moving forward."
On the play of his defense:
"The defense wasn't really tested but overall our center backs had a good game."
Landon Donovan
On where the team is heading into the season:
"The only thing is that I wish we were a little healthier in a few spots. Tonight, it would have been helpful to throw another forward on but we didn't have that luxury. But hopefully getting Alan back, Jovan back and healthy will give us some options."
On the play of the three Brazilians:
"I've been very impressed with all three. I think that once they get over the language barrier they are going to be even better, but they are definitely going to contribute this year."
On this team compared to last year:
"Miles ahead. Aside from tonight, we're going to create a lot of chances and we did tonight. The biggest thing is that we know each other, we know how to play. The only fault at this point is that maybe we were a little naïve today and when we have a chance to beat a team that is not on our level, we have to beat them."
Edson Buddle
On the game:
"Overall I felt pretty good. It was a good game, a good warmup for the regular season next week."
On Aguila's style:
"The way they play is similar to what we can expect to see in the Champions League and maybe even next week, with New England on the road, they might play that way as well, so it was a good test."
Tristan Bowen
On the Game:
"It was a bit tough. They came with five in the midfield so that took a little bit of time to figure that out and where to go. Overall I think that we could have done a lot better, it was just a different look."
On playing the role of creator this season:
"With LD up there you expect him to finish, though there are times he's going to miss. All I have to do is get the ball into good spots and our forwards will do their jobs."
On playing out on the wing compared to up front:
"It's a little bit different. You don't have the pressure of scoring goals but there are things that come with being a midfielder and you have to make sure you get good service into the box and pick out runners."
Todd Dunivant
On the team's growth since last season:
"Last year that was the focus, our defense, and we still have that core. It's been a good preseason for that now we just have to continue to work and get better going forward and get some crosses in, tonight we struggled in that department. But we'll get that rust out, we'll work on that this week and come back ready for New England.
On the team's struggles against Aguila:
"We weren't as sharp as we normally are. The crossing wasn't good, I missed a couple and we just didn't have that sharpness and crispness to move the ball. We're going to see that in the Champions League, teams coming in here to get a result and sitting back, so we're going to have to be crisper, sharper and really attack them when we have the chance. We didn't do that very well tonight but we're not hitting any panic buttons, we've had a great preseason and we'll build on that going into the season."
Dema Kovalenko
On the game:
"It feels good to play a game, it feels good that the season is going to start finally and it feels good that the CBA is out of the way and we can concentrate on the season. We have the same team pretty much, so we know what we have to do, we just have to come out and do it. Today was okay but we have to be better. We created chances, now we have to take them."
On Aguila as a final tuneup:
"It was good. We were not sharp enough passing-wise, but it's okay. It was a game and we didn't lose. We created some good moments, but we were not sharp enough. We will work on that during the week and get better."


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Get high school and college credits at the same time
Volunteer State Community College is proud to partner with area school systems to provide an opportunity for high school students to get a head start on their college experience while still enrolled in high school. Courses are mainly offered at the high school campus during the regular school day and follow the high school calendar as closely as possible. Additionally, students in some school systems, including home-school associations, are able to take classes on Vol State's campus or online with the prior approval of their high school administration. Successful course completion allows the student to earn high school credit and college credit for the same course.
Course offerings are determined in consultation with the participating schools' administration. Students may take a variety of courses including classes from the general education core, as well as career and technical education courses.
Dual Enrollment courses are taught by numerous Vol State faculty. Some courses are taught by full-time faculty who travel to the high schools, and some courses are taught by high school teachers who are also credentialed to teach college-level courses and serve as qualified Vol State adjunct faculty.
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Newman announces new spending to lift school outcomes
The Queensland Government has announced a multi-million-dollar policy to improve teaching.
Over a four-year period from 2015, it will invest $535 million of additional funding into state schools.
The Government is proposing to reward teachers and put some principals on contracts.
Premier Campbell Newman says the changes will focus on boosting school autonomy and lifting teaching standards.
He says Queensland cannot wait for the Federal Government's Gonski reforms.
"We're not going to sit around and wait for someone else to solve the issues of better performance in our schools, better outcomes for our kids," he said.
"These are very meaty, sensible practical initiatives that will get the results for our kids.
"This is all about dealing with the fundamental issue that we do need to address, that to get the best outcomes for our kids we need the very best teachers and principals, and we need to provide the very best support for them."
Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates says the policy is an attempt to undermine the Federal Government's Gonski education reforms.
"What Gonski proposed to do is not pay teachers but instead direct resources into schools to allow students who are disadvantaged by a whole range of circumstances to get better outcomes for education," he said.
"That's where we'd like to see this money being spent."
Better qualifications
Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek says it will recognise and reward the best in their field.
"Helping those teachers to get better qualifications, to recognise their abilities and then to mentor other teachers as they come through the system, then to give them scholarships so they can get masters degrees," he said.
"It'll give them an accelerated career pathway and we know that then they'll be able to work as master teachers in our school system.
"That's going to lead to better results for our students."
State Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says there was no consultation with parents, teachers or principals.
She says it is just a policy recycled from New South Wales.
"They've directly copied and if you submitted this as a school assignment you'd be done for plagiarism," she said.
Mr Bates says the union has concerns about some of the changes.
"We absolutely reject contracts for principals," he said.
"Every other state where this has been the norm of employment practices for principals has led to abject disaster.
"Queensland has an excellent system of collegial education - that is, principals and teachers working together to ensure that the outcomes for students can be improved."
Topics: schools, teachers, unions, public-sector, federal---state-issues, programs-and-initiatives, brisbane-4000, bundaberg-4670, cairns-4870, gladstone-4680, longreach-4730, mackay-4740, maroochydore-4558, mount-isa-4825, rockhampton-4700, southport-4215, toowoomba-4350, townsville-4810
First posted


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Hello peeps! I have spent the past few hours drawing up this character, and did it as fast as I can so I can bring it to you all! If you're a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (such as myself) and watched the season 3 premier over the weekend you should recognize this pony! If not let me introduce you to King Sombra, he's evil, power hungry, and vengeful. He was once king of a place called The Crystal Empire, and due to being a cruel and evil king he was banished by Celestia and Luna. There's much more to it than that, and I'm surely not gonna spoil the episode! So, I'll stop there, and let you all have fun learning How to Draw King Sombra!
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LONDON (Reuters) - The shift toward open access to publicly funded scientific research should be supported with an extra 50 million to 60 million pounds a year in public money, according to a UK government-commissioned report.
The report, published Tuesday, strongly backs a move away from subscriptions by readers of scientific journals to charges levied on researchers in order to expand access to published research.
Some 38 million pounds of the extra money being called for is earmarked to help pay the charges associated with open access publishing, with the rest dedicated to an extension of license agreements that allow group access and investment in so-called 'repositories' that enable online searching of archived research.
But the report also says the shift should be gradual and carefully managed to avoid damaging any part of the existing science publishing industry, dominated by the likes of Reed Elsevier, Macmillan's Nature Publishing Group and Springer Science+Business Media.
"Subscription journals will continue to be important for some time yet," Dame Janet Finch, the Manchester University sociologist who led the review group, told reporters.
The debate over open access is raging on both sides of the Atlantic, driven by the moral argument that science funded by governments and charities should not sit behind a pay-wall and generate huge profits for private companies.
The report supports this argument, saying: "The principle that the results of research that has been publicly funded should be freely accessible in the public domain is a compelling one, and fundamentally unanswerable."
Reed Elsevier and other subscription-driven publishers say the criticism leveled at them by some supporters of open access is unfair, and the value added by the editorial process does not come cheap. Attacking the subscription model risks damaging a successful industry, a major employer and a significant contributor to government tax revenues, they say.
The industry is complex. Some publishing groups, Springer in particular, own both subscription and open access journals, and some subscription journals published by not-for-profit science academies like The Royal Society, generate income for their scientific work.
A decisive move to open access would also give free access to corporate customers like the major drug companies, who arguably can well afford to pay, which publishing industry sources say make up nearly a quarter of the revenues from scientific journals.
Science is also international. A policy change in the UK would only affect 6 percent of the research published globally and top subscription journals like Nature, Science and Cell draw their content from across the world.
The Finch report acknowledges that complexity but calls for "a clear policy direction" in the UK that supports open access as the main vehicle for scientific research, especially when it is publicly funded.
"In the longer term, the future lies with open access," said Janet Finch, but the current mixed economy of scientific research publishing will continue "for the foreseeable future" with subscription and open access journals co-existing.
She said the pace at which the industry shifts depends what happens elsewhere in the world and one of her committee members, Adam Tickell from the University of Birmingham, says similar moves by other key players in the science world could tip the balance in favor of open access.
"If the EU and the United States are as serious about open access as we are, I would expect the rest of the world to follow very quickly," he said.
Funders of scientific research, the report says, should incorporate the cost of publication into the grants they award, a recommendation that draws support from the Wellcome Trust.
"This will need the support of all of those that fund and support research, who will need to put into place effective and flexible arrangements to meet these costs, which we anticipate being only 1.0-1.5 percent of research costs," said the trust's director Sir Mark Walport.
The report predicts that over time the amount UK universities spend on subscriptions - estimated at about 150 million pounds a year - will come down as the money paying for publication in open access journals increases.
But during the transition period, which could last several years, any embargo rules that force scientists who publish in subscription journals to make their research more widely available within, say, six to 12 months of publication, should take into account the damage this could do to those top journals.
Reed Elsevier welcomed the report, adding: "The recommendations identify real opportunities, as well as risks, and how they are implemented will be key in ensuring sustainable models for scholarly communications."
David Willetts, the UK Minister for Universities and Science, has already set out in-principle support for open access but said the Finch report will feed into a government policy on the issue that will be set out in the near future.
Editing by Tim Dobbyn


text:
Up until this week, the only celebrity sightings I'd ever had were pretty tame. In my high school years, I walked by Mr. Aerosmith himself, Steven Tyler, at an outdoor art festival. In my college years, I randomly met one of the boys in the boy-band 98 Degrees. (Unfortunately it wasn't Nick Lachey, but instead the short, slightly balding member of the group. Nice guy though.) Then, years later at the same outdoor art festival where I saw Steven Tyler, I saw tennis player Taylor Dent. Oh, and when I was visiting my best friend in Los Angeles, I saw the lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls and Ron Jeremy (not together), but, according to the locals, that's a common occurrence in Santa Monica, CA.
Okay, so fine. I have seen quite a few celebrities. But none of that compares with this week, which I've appropriately titled "Best Celebrity Week Ever!" (Yes, we in journalism rarely use exclamation points, but an exclamation point was necessary there.)
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to meet and interview Dr. Ian Smith from VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club." Dr. Smith was in town promoting his new book, "Extreme Fat Smash Diet," and I chatted with him about his book, his 50 Million Pound Challenge and working with difficult people, aka Dustin Diamond (best known as Screech from "Saved by the Bell"). Stuart purchased for the staff a fancy new digital recorder over the long weekend, so in a few weeks we'll have the interview with Dr. Smith up on the Web site for you to listen to as a podcast. Keep an eye out for it.
Then yesterday, I spoke with yoga guru Rodney Yee. Although I believe I masked my dorkiness over the phone during the interview, I was seriously psyched to talk to the same man who stars in my all-time favorite yoga DVD, "Power Yoga." I'm working on an article about the controversy over yoga copyrights and the Westernization and commercialization of yoga. Yee gave me a lot of insight into the matter, and I think his comments will add depth to the article.
For many "normal," non-fitness people, seeing Steven Tyler is probably more exciting than meeting fitness celebrities and experts but not for me. No way, Jose. I'll take Dr. Smith and Mr. Yee any day to your common pop and rock stars!
Who's having the best week ever? I am! --Jennipher