text:
If you want to know why Trump won, just look at the response to his winning. The lofty contempt for 'low information' Americans. The barely concealed disgust for the rednecks and cretins of 'flyover' America who are apparently racist and misogynistic and homophobic. The haughty sneering at the vulgar, moneyed American political system and how it has allowed a wealthy candidate to poison the little people's mushy, malleable minds. The suggestion that American women, more than 40 per cent of whom are thought to have voted for Trump, suffer from internalised misogyny: that is, they don't know their own minds, the poor dears. The hysterical, borderline apocalyptic claims that the world is now infernally screwed because 'our candidate', the good, pure person, didn't get in.
This response to Trump's victory reveals why Trump was victorious. Because those who do politics these days — the political establishment, the media, the academy, the celeb set — are so contemptuous of ordinary people, so hateful of the herd, so convinced that the mass of society cannot be trusted to make political decisions, and now those ordinary people have given their response to such top-down sneering and prejudice.
Oh, the irony of observers denouncing Middle America as a seething hotbed of hatred even as they hatefully libel it a dumb and ugly mob. Having turned America's 'left behind' into the butt of every clever East Coast joke, and the target of every handwringing newspaper article about America's dark heart and its strange, Bible-toting inhabitants, the political and cultural establishment can't now be surprised that so many of those people have turned around and said… well, it begins with F and ends with U.
The respectable set's allergy to Trump is fundamentally an allergy to the idea of democracy itself. To them, Trump's rise confirms the folly of asking the ignorant, the everyday, the non-subscribers to the New York Times, to decide on important political matters. They're explicit about this now. In the run-up to election day, big-name commentators wondered out loud if democracy is all it's cracked up to be. Trump's ascendancy showed we need better checks and balances on 'the passions of the mob', said Andrew Sullivan. We should 'cool and restrain [these] temporary populist passions', he said, and refuse to allow 'feeling, emotion' to override 'reasoned deliberation'. The little folks only feel and wail, you see, and it's down to the grown-ups in the system to think coolly on their behalf.
Elsewhere, a writer for the New York Times asked Americans to consider installing a monarchy, which could rise above the 'toxic partisanship' of party politics — that is, above open, swirling, demos-stuffed political debate. In a new book called 'Against Democracy' — says it all — Georgetown philosopher Jason Brennan argues for an epistocracy, an 'aristocracy of the wise', who might decide political matters for those of us who are 'low information' (ie. stupid). This echoes the anti-democratic turn of liberals in the 2000s, when it was argued that daft, Bush-backing Americans increasingly made decisions, 'not with their linear, logical left brain, but with their lizard, more emotional right brain', in Arianna Huffington's words. Such vile contempt for the political, democratic capacities of the ordinary person has been in great evidence following Trump's win — across Twitter and in apocalypse-tinged instant responses — and it is likely to intensify. Anti-Trump will morph more explicitly into anti-democracy.
If this all sounds familiar, that's because it's the same kind of pleb-fearing horror that greeted the Brexit result four months ago. 'Why elections are bad for democracy', a headline in the Guardian said. The people are deluded and it is the task of those with 'reason and expertise' to 'un-delude' them, said a writer for Foreign Policy. 'What if democracy doesn't work? What if it never has and never will?', wondered a pained George Monbiot. Boom. That's it. The secret and not-so-secret cry of the elites and the experts and the observers over both Brexit and Trump is precisely that: 'What if democracy doesn't work?' It's not so much Trump they fear as the system that allowed him to get to the White House: that pesky, ridiculous system where we must ask ordinary people — shudder — what they think should happen in the nation.
The anti-Brexit anti-democrats claimed they were merely opposed to using rough, simplistic referendums to decide on huge matters. That kind of democracy is too direct, they said. Yet now they're raging over the election of Trump via a far more complicated, tempered democratic system. That's because — and I know this is strong, but I'm sure it's correct — it is democracy itself that they hate. Not referendums, not Ukip's blather, not only direct democracy, but democracy as an idea. Against democracy — so many of them are now. It is the engagement of the throng in political life that they fear. It is the people — ordinary, working, non-PhD-holding people — whom they dread and disdain. It is what got Trump to the White House — the right of all adults, even the dumb ones, to decide about politics — that gives them sleepless nights
This nasty, reactionary turn against democracy by so many of the well-educated both explains the victory of Trump, which neatly doubles up as a slap in the face of the establishment, and confirms why democracy is more important today than it has ever been. Because it really would be folly, madness in fact, to let an elite that so little understands ordinary people, and in fact loathes them, to run society unilaterally. Now that would be dangerous, more dangerous than Trump.
RANGE / RANGEFIRE! — Addressing Issues Facing the West / Spreading America's Cowboy Spirit Beyond the Outback
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text:
Bob Newhart finally gets his Emmy Award
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bob Newhart, among TV's most enduring stars with shows stretching back more than five decades, wept as he finally captured his first Emmy Award.
Newhart, 84, was honored at Sunday's creative arts Emmy ceremony for his guest role last season on "The Big Bang Theory" as Professor Proton, a down-on-his-luck former host of a children's science show.
"This is my seventh shot at this. … I just love this very much," he said, gazing tearfully at the trophy in his hand as the audience gave him a standing ovation.
Newhart's long TV history includes the 1970s "The Bob Newhart Show," "Newhart" in the 1980s and "Bob" in the '90s and six previous nominations. His 1961 variety series "The Bob Newhart Show" earned a writing bid.
Backstage, Newhart said at one point he'd given up submitting his name for Emmy consideration.
"I just felt the kind of stuff I do doesn't win awards. I didn't want to go through the process, the disappointment," he said.
In addition to Newhart, other winners for guest turns included Melissa Leo for the sitcom "Louie" and, on the drama series side, Dan Bucatinsky for "Scandal" and Carrie Preston for "The Good Wife."
With eight statuettes, HBO's Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" was the night's top-winning individual program at the ceremony honoring technical and other achievements. The movie will compete for seven more nominations at next Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards.
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn of "Project Runway" won for outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition show, and "Undercover Boss" for outstanding reality program
Lily Tomlin received the trophy for best voice-over performance for her narration of "An Apology to Elephants," a documentary about the treatment of captive elephants.
Netflix's "House of Cards," the first online program to compete for top drama series honors, picked up trophies Sunday for casting and for cinematography for a single-camera series.
HBO earned a leading 20 awards, followed by CBS with 15 and NBC with eight.
Neil Patrick Harris will host next Sunday's ceremony airing on CBS.
Other winners at the creative arts Emmys included:
— Commercial: "Inspired," Canon.
— Animated Program: "South Park: Raising the Bar," Comedy Central.
— Nonfiction series: "American Masters," PBS.
— Children's Program: "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Forgotten But Not Gone: Kids, HIV & AIDS," Nickelodeon.
— Music composition for a series (original dramatic score): "Downton Abbey: Episode 6," PBS.
— Music composition for a miniseries, movie or special: "World Without End: Medieval Life and Death," ReelzChannel.
— Casting for a miniseries, movie or a special: "Behind The Candelabra," HBO.
— Casting for a comedy series: "30 Rock," NBC.
— Costumes for a miniseries, movie or a special: "Behind The Candelabra," HBO.
— Costumes for a variety-music program or a special (more than one award possible): "The 55th Annual Grammy Awards," CBS.
— Costumes for a series: "The Borgias: The Gunpowder Plot," Showtime.
— Stunt coordination for a comedy series or variety program: "Supah Ninjas," Nickelodeon.
— Stunt coordination for a drama series, miniseries or movie: "Revolution: Nobody's Fault But Mine," NBC.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
45 mins
56 m
Moderate track
The Pines Camping Area
(0km) Pines Camping Area → Int of Pines & Abbotts Falls Track
120 m
2 mins
Moderate track
(0.12km) Int of Pines and Abbotts Falls walking trails → Dammed Pool
120 m
2 mins
Moderate track
Dammed Pool on the Pines Walking track
(0.24km) Dammed Pool → Pines Walk (creek intersection)
100 m
2 mins
Moderate track
(0.33km) Pines Walk (creek intersection) → Pines picnic area (northern end)
620 m
13 mins
Moderate track
(0.95km) Pines picnic Area (northern end) → Pines Picnic Area Toilet Block on Palmers Rd
210 m
4 mins
Moderate track
Pines picnic area
(1.16km) Pines Picnic Area Toilet Block on Palmers Rd → Int of Pines and Abbotts Falls Track
470 m
10 mins
Moderate track
(1.63km) Int of Pines & Abbotts Falls Track → Pines Camping Area
120 m
2 mins
Moderate track
Maps for the Pines Circuit Walk walkYou can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.
These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.
|1:25 000 Map Series
|1:100 000 Map Series
Cross sectional view of the Pines Circuit Walk bushwalking track
Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Pines Circuit Walk
Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001
Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.
|1.7 km
|45 mins
Grade 3/6
Moderate track
|Short steep hills (3/6)
|Quality of track
|Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
|Directional signs along the way (3/6)
|Experience Required
|Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
|Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
|Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Some more details of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk
Around 1.6km of this walk has gentle hills with occasional steps, whilst the remaining 120m has short steep hills.
Quality of track
Around 1.5km of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles, whilst the remaining 210m follows a clear and well formed track or trail.
Around 1.4km of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 340m is clearly signposted.
Experience Required
Around 1.4km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 360m requires some bushwalking experience.
This whole walk, 1.7km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).
Around 1.4km of this walk has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced), whilst the remaining 300m is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats).
Similar walks
This circuit takes you through both dry and moist forest, using a combination of walking trails and wider tracks. The side trip to the dammed pool is recommended, to see the deep Aboriginal carved grooves by the pool. This walk travels through open forest with wild flowers (in season) to descend into a moist rainforest environment near Abbotts Falls. This is great place to cool off on a hot summer's day.
Total climbing: 329m
7.3 km Circuit
3 hrs
Hard track
Other Nearby walks
1.9 km Circuit
2 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
This is a good walk on a hot day. This walk leaves Muirs Lookout and descends through healthy blackbutt and blue gum forest to find a moist rainforest of ferns and mosses. A quiet sit and picnic within the rainforest would be lovely. This walk returns the same way you have come.
Total climbing: 130m
1.5 km Return
1 Hr
Moderate track
This section of the Great North Walk starts from Watagan Creek Road and heads north, up the side of the valley then along the dirt roads to the Congewai communications tower. From the tower, you follow a bush track and wind down into the valley, through some farmland and along to the Congewai west track head. From here, the walk follows the road winding south through rural farmland, past the school, to the Congewai east track head.
Total climbing: 720m
17.8 km One way
7 hrs
Hard track
This walk starts on Watagan Creek Road and soon crosses the lovely Watagan Creek. From this point, the walk leaves the Watagan valley and climbs steeply up the bush track through forest. The walk then travels on dirt road, passing a campsite and rest area, before arriving soon afterwards at the unfenced Flat Rock Lookout. Flat Rock Lookout is a natural rock platform that offers magnificent views across the Congewai Valley to the east and north. An enjoyable walk, offering pleasant walking through forest and an outstanding viewpoint.
Total climbing: 384m
4.1 km One way
2 hrs
Hard track
This section of the Great North Walk starts from the Watagan Creek Road and winds north across the valley and up into the Watagan State Forest, following the ridge lines around the Flatrock Lookout and down into the Congewai Valley before finishing at the track head at Congewai Valley Road. There are few (and unreliable) water sources in this section, so carrying sufficient supplies is necessary.
Total climbing: 649m
12.6 km One way
5 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
This section of the Great North Walk starts from the Congewai Valley east track head and heads north up into the Watagan National Park, climbing up to the ridgeline and following the management trails and bush tracks heading east all the way to the Forestry HQ campsite. On day two, the walk continues east, winding all the way around the ridge and past some great lookouts to the Heaton communications tower and down the steep ridgeline to Freemans Drive and the Watagan Forest Motel.
Total climbing: 1702m
29.7 km One way
2 Days
Hard track
This full day walk starts from the Congewai valley trackhead (east) and follows the Great North Walk up into the Watagan National Park. Winding east along Georges road for the most part, this walk also passes many great lookouts and gives the option of a side trip down to the 125r lookout, which provides a great view to the south and nice spot for lunch. The walk finishes at the Watagan Headquarters campsite, which has a fire place and a picnic table.
Total climbing: 973m
17.2 km One way
7 hrs
Hard track
This short but steep walk to the base of an attractive cliff is worthwhile. The walk travels through open forest with gum trees and Xanthorhoea trees to eventually follow timber steps steeply to the base of the Monkey Face cliff. This cliff is used by rock climbers and abseiling parties, so be aware that people may be above you. Spend some time exploring the base of cliff before returning the same way.
Total climbing: 65m
406 m Return
30 mins
Hard track
Starting from the grand views of Flat Rock Lookout high on the range, you will walk down into the Congewai Valley below. On the first section of this walk, you will explore a little used dirt road to the Congewai Communication Tower. From here you follow a series of tracks that wind down, steeply in places, through the tall open forest with a scattering of grass trees to the bottom of the range. Now the walk guides you through open farmland before following Congewai Road along main valley to the trackhead near Brown Muir Farm.
Total climbing: 336m
13.8 km One way
5 hrs
Hard track
This short and scenic walk offers two lookouts and a forest walk. Gap Creek viewpoint gives views of dense forest, while the Monkey Face viewpoint gives views of forested farmland in the Gap Creek valley. The short forest walk between these two viewpoints is amongst large rocks and offers views of its own. The cliffs between the viewpoints are used by rock climbers and abseiling parties, so do not dislodge rocks from the top of the cliffs. This is a recommended and scenic walk.
Total climbing: 74m
1.3 km Circuit
45 mins
Moderate track
This return walk starts from a nice rest area on Georges Road and follows the road along the ridge, passing several great lookout points across the valley, to the quiet little 125r lookout, which provides a nice open clearing that just screams lunch time. Please note that Watagan and Georges Roads are dry weather roads only, if you are unsure, check with the park office before heading out. This walk can be made shorter by driving further along Georges Rd.
Total climbing: 209m
4.4 km Return
3 hrs 30 mins
Moderate track
This section of the Great North Walk starts from the Basin campsite in the Olney State Forest and winds north into the Watagans, via the Warrawolong Flora Reserve. This walk also offers a side trip from Turners Road up to the top of Mt Warrawolong, which is the highest point along the Great North Walk. The walk finishes at the Watagan Creek Road and gives a nice opportunity for that quiet drive in the country.
Total climbing: 784m
13 km One way
6 hrs
Hard track
Plan your trip to and from the walk hereThe Pines Circuit Walk walk starts and ends at the Pines Camping Area (gps: -33.062918, 151.33661)
Your main transport option to Pines Camping Area is by;
Car. There is free parking available.
(get details)
Fire DangerEach park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.
Weather ForestThis walk starts in the Hunter weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.
Forecast snapshot
Park Information & Alerts
Short URL = http://wild.tl/pcw
Gallery images
There are other downloads I am still working on.
You will probably need to login to access these — still all free.
* KML (google earth file)
* GPX (GPS file)
Special Maps/ brochures
* A3 topo maps
* PDF with Lands Topo map base
* PDF with arial image (and map overlay)
I wanted to get the main site live first, this extra stuff will come in time.
Happy walking
Matt 🙂


text:
Oconnor Sinead - Drink Before The War Chords & Tabs
Drink Before The War Chords & Tabs
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------# #This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the # #song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. # #------------------------------------------------------------------------------## Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 23:43:48 CST From: "Ben Weiss" Here's an attempt at another Sinead tune (useful for bashing right-wing politicians). After years and years of listening to this song, there are still some lyrics I can't figure out; any help would be much appreciated. Ben DRINK BEFORE THE WAR Sinead O'Connor (from _The Lion and the Cobra_) Am G Am G You tell us that we're wrong Am G Am G You tell us not to sing our songs Am G Am Em Nothing we can say will make you see Am Em Am Em You've got a heart of stone, you can never feel Am G Am Em You say, "Oh, I'm not afraid, it can't happen to me Am Em Am Em I believe that life is a good thing (?) Am G Am Em Oh no, you're out of your mind, it won't happen to me F G F G 'Cause I've carried my weight and I've been a strong man" Am G Am G Oh, I listen to the man in the liquor store Am G Am G (?) Anybody want a drink before the war? Am G Am [ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/o/oconnor_sinead/drink_before_the_war_crd.html ] Am G Am G Your parents paid you through Am G Am G You've got a nice big car, nothing bothers you Am G Am Em Somebody cut out your eyes, you refuse to see Am Em Am Em Ah, somebody cut out your heart, you refuse to feel F G F G And you live in a shell, you create your own hell F G Am G You live in the past and talk about war F G And you dig your own grave, yeah F G When it's a life you could save F G Am G So stop with the past, it's not gonna happen Am G And you cry but you'll never fall Am G No no no, you're building a wall Am G Am Em Got to break it down, start again Am Em Am Em You say, "oh no, it won't happen to us" Am Em Am Em We've lived our lives basically in goodness" F G F G So stop talking of war 'cause you know we've heard it all before F G Am G Why don't you go out there and do something useful? Am G Am G Oh, I've listened to the man in the liquor store Am G Am G (?) Anybody want a drink before the war? Am G Am Em Anybody want a drink before the war Am Em Am Em Ah, anybody want a drink before the war? Am G Am G Yeah, yeah... Am G Am


text:
Nice People Productions
Entertainment Agency
As members of The Agents association we have a large
stable of Party Bands available to us.
We cover many counties/regions
We are Proud Members of the Agents Association
We Recommend That Acts Join
The Musicians Union
Click The MU Logo above for an Application Form in PDF Format
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The area's of the UK we cover are listed below
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Party Band in Yorkshire Party Band in North Riding (Northallerton, Middlesbrough, Scarborough, Whitby)
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CRS: Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties for Inflation, February 11, 2008
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties for Inflation
CRS report number: RL34368
Author(s): Curtis W. Copeland, Government and Finance Division
Date: February 11, 2008
- Abstract
- Civil monetary penalties are one way agencies enforce federal laws and regulations. The minimum and maximum size of civil penalties may be established administratively by federal agencies, or may be established in statute. Over time, inflation can reduce the original deterrent value of civil penalties. To prevent that from happening, in 1996, Congress amended the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 ("Inflation Adjustment Act") and required federal agencies to adjust their covered penalties for inflation by October 1996; and to examine their covered penalties at least once every four years thereafter and make any required penalty adjustments.
- Download


text:
Our media do not seem to be interested in the curious matter of why the Russian agents accused of trying to acquire sensitive nuclear information from the U.S. Government were so quickly released. Why were they were sent back to Moscow less than two weeks after they were arrested?
It is certainly the case that a continuing spy scandal threatened to undermine U.S.-Russia business "opportunities" and "cooperation." It is also true that there is evidence that the Russian agents targeted the Obama Administration and former Clinton Administration officials.
Just before the scandal broke, a $4 billion deal had been announced between Boeing and a Russian firm. During the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the U.S., Cisco Systems had announced it was going to spend $1 billion in Russia, in part to develop a Moscow version of Silicon Valley. The United States Export-Import Bank had also announced a new deal to underwrite, with U.S. taxpayer dollars, U.S. business exports to Russia.
Plus, Obama had submitted a U.S.-Russian nuclear cooperation agreement, backed by powerful business interests, to the U.S. Congress.
All of this was clearly in jeopardy if the Russian spy scandal led to additional revelations of Russian spying on the American government and businesses. So the scandal had to go away—and quickly.
The exchange was hammered out so quickly and was so advantageous to the Kremlin, however, that it should have become apparent to some journalist somewhere that there was much more to the story. But the issue was just as quickly dropped by the media, liberal and conservative alike.
Fortunately, some people are paying critical attention to what has transpired.
Writing on the website of World Affairs, Vladimir Kara-Murza says that Yelena Bonner, the widow of academician Andrei Sakharov and a prominent advocate of human rights in Russia, "called the swap a missed opportunity and denounced the Obama administration not only for agreeing to an unequal exchange (ten for four) but, more importantly, for not requesting the freeing of more political prisoners, of whom there are scores in today's Russia."
One of those released by Russia in exchange for its agents was a political prisoner, historian and researcher Igor Sutyagin.
Funny Business
On "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Vice President Joseph Biden called the exchange a "good deal" and said that he would have preferred keeping the good-looking Russian woman spy and giving Rush Limbaugh to the Kremlin.
Has the possible penetration of the U.S. Government by foreign spies become a laughing matter for the Obama Administration? Are they fearful that a realistic review of what the Russian agents were doing would lead to the conclusion that Obama's foreign policy plays into the hands of the Russian government and has in fact been manipulated by the Kremlin?
Documents in the scandal demonstrate, as we have reported, that the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, was interested in penetrating "think tanks" with influence over U.S. foreign policy. The SVR, the successor to the KGB, was especially interested in nuclear weapons-related information.
What we do know, based on public reports, is that one Russian agent had a job at Microsoft, another had been trying to cultivate a fundraiser for and friend of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and another had claimed contacts with a Clinton Administration official by the name of Leon Fuerth, who had been Vice President Al Gore's top national security aide.
So we quickly found out that top Obama and Democratic Party officials had been targeted in this intelligence operation. Is this why the scandal had to go away?
The hastily-arranged "spy swap" ended any chance of finding out in detail in a public forum what kind of information the Russian intelligence service had been collecting and who in the U.S. Government had possibly been recruited or used as assets and contacts.
Scratching the surface of the scandal, Walter Pincus of The Washington Post wonders if all of the Russian agents have been rounded up.
He writes,
"The best public indication of the extent of Moscow's efforts comes from the late Sergei Tretyakov, the former Russian intelligence officer who under the guise of a press officer at the U.N. Mission ran espionage operations in New York City from 1995 to 2000. He served the last three of those years as a double agent for the FBI until he defected to the United States. As Tretyakov told author Pete Earley in the book 'Comrade J,' at one time he had more than 60 SVR officers working inside the United Nations and more than 160 contacts made up of illegals, outright spies, and other people who knowingly or unknowingly could supply information useful to Russia."
According to Earley, Tretyakov died "unexpectedly" on June 13. The circumstances were so suspicious that an autopsy was performed under the supervision of the FBI.
The Strobe Talbott Case
But there is something else that Pincus did not mention. It has to do with those "other people" targeted and used by Tretyakov and the Russians.
The book, Comrade J, identifies Strobe Talbott, a former high-ranking Clinton State Department official and the current president of the Brookings Institution, a major liberal think tank, as having been a trusted contact of the Russian intelligence service. Talbott has denied serving as a Russian agent, but when he was up for his State Department job in the Clinton Administration, he admitted a relationship with Soviet "journalist" and KGB agent Victor Louis.
The Talbott case is consistently ignored by the major media because he is respected and trusted by his colleagues in the press. He is also trusted by Senator Richard Lugar, who served as Obama's mentor when Obama was in the U.S. Senate and traveled to Russia, only to be detained and have his passport examined by Russian authorities. Obama joked about the detention, saying he wasn't in the Gulag.
Pincus asked, "What will the Russians do now?" He noted that Tretyakov had said that when the Cold War was over, "the United States asked Russia to stop the KGB's covert propaganda activities that portrayed Washington in foreign media as carrying out terrible activities, such as saying the United States was spreading HIV in Africa."
In response, Pincus noted that Tretyakov said that the KGB closed down "Department A," which ran the propaganda and disinformation operations, but then established another program which did the same thing. "Nothing changed," Tretyakov said.
So the propaganda and disinformation activities continue. Indeed, that is what the Kremlin-financed global Russia Today television channel is all about. It has a major presence in the U.S.
But wait. Didn't the Reverend Jeremiah Wright repeat the KGB disinformation that the U.S. was spreading AIDS? Indeed he did. In fact, Wright, who was Barack Obama's pastor for 20 years, actually claimed at a National Press Club appearance during the 2008 presidential campaign that the U.S. Government had manufactured the AIDS virus to kill black people.
So we have one identified channel of influence whereby Soviet propaganda and disinformation was spewing from the mouth of someone with direct influence over the President of the United States. But few in the major media were interested then—or now—as to whether or not Obama believed any of that nonsense.
Holder's Absurd Claims
One possible reason for quickly deporting the spies, from the point of view of the Obama Administration, is that they had explosive information about Russian influence over the U.S. Government that would have been too incriminating to reveal in a public court case. "Russia considered these people very important to their intelligence-gathering activities," Attorney General Eric Holder admitted. "They didn't pass any classified information," Holder insisted.
Are we supposed to take his word for it? This is one of the most political appointees that Obama has put in power. He is the official suing Arizona over its immigration policy and letting the Black Panthers off the hook for making threats at a polling station. When he was in the Clinton Justice Department, he helped orchestrate pardons for members of terrorist groups.
'It is widely assumed, since they were not charged with espionage, that the Russians were agents of influence who were trying to affect or obtain information about U.S. foreign policy. But this doesn't mean that they did not do significant damage. The documents in the case cite secret money drops and secret messages to "Moscow Center."
"We did actually make contact with certain people and did obtain certain information from people who were unwitting in their interaction with these people," Holder acknowledged. Who were these "unwitting" people? Were they dupes of Moscow? Were
they in the Obama Administration? Were they in the think tanks that we know the Russians targeted?
Holder had no real answer to CBS "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer's question of why, after spending so many years following these agents, they were not prosecuted. Holder could only claim that the 10 were somehow not as valuable as the four we got. In terms of math alone, it just doesn't add up.
Documents in the case, as we have reported, demonstrate that the Russian agents were seeking information about the proposed arms treaty with Russia and other nuclear weapons information. That treaty, the New START, has now been signed and submitted to the Senate for ratification. It is being criticized by conservatives for giving Russia a strategic and tactical advantage in nuclear weapons.
One document says four Obama Administration officials were specifically targeted in the intelligence-gathering effort. But their names were omitted from the Justice Department documents about the case. If they actively conspired with the Russians, shouldn't they be identified and arrested and prosecuted?
However, there is another possible reason for the quick release of the Russian agents. It is that powerful U.S. business interests told the Obama Administration that an unfolding spy scandal—and a public court case—could damage their business dealings with the Russian government.
Bad Timing for Business
There is no question that the timing of the scandal was bad news for these business interests. Before it broke on June 28, a major push had been launched by an entity called the Coalition for a U.S.-Russia Civilian Nuclear Partnership to have Congress approve a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with Russia as "a natural next step in deepening the relationship and trade ties between the U.S. and Russia."
The coalition is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S.-Russia Business Council, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), and Tenex, a Russian company described as the world's leading exporter of nuclear fuel cycle products and services.
The NFTC, an association of some 300 major American multinational corporations, is also behind a "New Strategy of Engagement" with Communist Cuba, including aid and trade for the Castro regime.
General Electric, a key member of the U.S.-Russia Business Council, has worked in Russia since the 1920s "to develop the country's energy infrastructure," it boasts. GE owns NBC and MSNBC. In fact, NBC is itself a member of the U.S.-Russia Business Council.
Is this why GE-owned media properties have not seen fit to do any in-depth investigative reporting on the Russian spy scandal?
It is interesting to note that Jeffrey Immelt, CEO and Chairman of General Electric, met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on April 6 of this year. The topic was business in Russia.
Immelt sits on Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Even more significant, just four days before the Russian spy scandal broke, the U.S-Russia Business Summit was held, coinciding with the meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in Washington, D.C. The June 24 event, which featured the chief executive officers of U.S. and Russian companies and business associations, included the announcement that Boeing and Russian Technologies were moving forward with a $4 billion deal on 50 Boeing 737s.
Other announced deals included:
- U.S. engine manufacturer Cummins and Russian truck-builder Kamaz are going to jointly produce a lower-emission engine in Russia.
- The United States Export-Import Bank and Russia 's VneshEconomBank signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation to "finance U.S. sales of medical equipment, energy efficiency equipment and other goods and services to support Russia's economic and technological growth, and U.S. exports and jobs."
On June 13, as part of his U.S. tour, Medvedev visited the headquarters of Cisco Systems in San Jose , California . Cisco CEO John Chambers used the occasion to announce that it would commit $1 billion to "the Russian technology innovation agenda over the coming decade," including a high-tech innovation center outside of Moscow , a Russian version of Silicon Valley.
But there's more.
Russia's Anti-American Duplicity
The Bush Administration had submitted a nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia but it was withdrawn after Russia 's 2008 military invasion of Georgia . The Bush Administration came to the belated realization that Putin's Russia was not to be trusted.
Today, however, Russian forces continue to occupy regions of Georgia , even though the Obama Administration claims to be opposed to this Russian aggression, and are even building military bases there.
Nevertheless, the Obama administration re-submitted this U.S.-Russian agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation to Congress on May 10, 2010. In justifying the measure, Obama said there had been had been enough "significant progress" in the U.S.-Russia nuclear relationship, including on thwarting the Iranian nuclear weapons program, that it was now appropriate "to move forward with this Agreement for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy."
Does this claim have any credibility?
No matter how unbelievable Obama may be, the agreement automatically enters into force after 90 days unless both the House of Representatives and Senate vote to stop it.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), co-founder of the Congressional Nuclear Security Caucus, and Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.), founder of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, have introduced H. J. Res. 85, a resolution of disapproval for the United States-Russia civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter, they point out:
- "Russia continues to assist Iran 's controversial nuclear program. Russia has a $1 billion contract for the construction of Iran 's large nuclear reactor at Bushehr, which is scheduled to become fully operational this year.
- "Russia has sold Iran advanced conventional weapons and air-defense systems, and assisted Iran 's ballistic missile production program.
- "Russian entities continue to sell WMD-related technologies to Iran and other countries of concern, resulting in U.S. sanctions. Since 2001, the U.S. Government has sanctioned at least 10 Russian entities on 11 separate occasions, including the state designated arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.
- "Russia still occupies parts of Georgia.
- "Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently discussed the possibility of Russian-Syrian nuclear cooperation."
A previous Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the proposed agreement that was presented—and then withdrawn—by the Bush Administration outlined what Democratic lawmakers then said were "significant problems within the executive-branch process for evaluating Russia's nuclear proliferation activities…"
Is there any evidence that the Obama Administration is better able to monitor Russian nuclear proliferation activities?
Will the Democrats this time give the administration a pass, since the President is a member of their own political party?
If so, then relations with Russia , despite the spy scandal, will be back on track and business-as-usual will continue with the Kremlin. Human rights in Russia will continue to suffer and political prisoners will continue to languish in jail. More importantly, Russian intelligence operations, run mainly out of the United Nations in New York , will continue.
Obama's next step, also certain to please the Kremlin, is to seek the 67 votes he needs for passing his new arms deal with Moscow.
Cliff Kincaid is the Editor of Accuracy in Media, and can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Warning Signs to Tell If You Should Break Up
"Sometimes you have a moment of clarity about a woman--like when you find her indexed, 7-year collection of Brides magazines. Other times, the signals are harder to read. Here's help. 1. She Hand-Feeds Free-Range Chicken to Her Dog Stay or Go: Stay She may seem like a coddler, but dogs can lower stress and blood pressure, making her a healthier and more stable person. "Dogs make you more extroverted and outgoing," says Katherine C. Grier, Ph.D., author of Pets in America. Even if the dog fits in your pocket and has a name like Tinkerbell, playing puppy papa will improve your health, too. But when you walk it, remove the bow first. 2. She Can't Make a Decision Without Calling Her Parents, Best Friend, Therapist, and Psychic Stay or Go: Go Her insecurity means she tells everyone about the finer points of your relationship. "She doesn't know who she really is, so how can you know who you're really with?" asks Caroline Tiger, author of How to Behave: Dating and Sex. If she's constantly on her BlackBerry, make her put it away for a day. If she freaks, move on. 3. She "Wuvs" the "Cutie-Ooty" Baby Talk Stay or Go: Go "Hey, baby" isn't so bad, but the coochie-coo stuff, especially in bed, is just creepy. "She may be trying to avoid adult issues in the relationship, like problems or sex," says Tiger. It's also a mark of high maintenance. "She wants to be treated like a baby, like a precious princess plaything," Tiger says. She'll throw a tantrum when you drop her, but you'll feel good back in the adult world. 4. She Doesn't Know from A Bronx Tale Stay or Go: Stay Relax. So she doesn't lean over and unlock your car door. (You should have automatic locks anyway, Calogero). It's not her fault she didn't see this classic film. But a Scorcese knockoff about gangsters and racism isn't exactly leading the chick-flick queue. Just Netflix the movie and watch it together. She'll get the point. 5. She Overquotes Hegel and Other Dead White Guys You Should Have Read Stay or Go: Go Aside from the obvious fact that the know-it-all act is annoying, she's not comfortable in her own skin if she's cloaking herself in book smarts. Now, if she talked in movie quotes, that'd be different. Lock that one down--especially if they're lines from A Bronx Tale. Now yuze can't leave. 6. She's a Bohemian Who Hasn't Had a Steady Paycheck. Ever Stay or Go: Stay The arty vibe hooked you, and it's not a huge leap to help her turn that creativity into a career. Plenty of companies need creative minds. "Tell her she'll bring art into everyday life, not limit it to the occasional gallery visit," says Rachel C. Weingarten, author of Career and Corporate Cool."
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Farm Frenzy: Pizza Party
In Farm Frenzy Pizza Party you must return to the farm to create pizza ingredients for the town. You`ll start out by growing grass, feeding animals and collecting produce. Have fun working hard and you`ll be mixing up your goods to turn them into ingredients in no time. As you strive to master the game, you`ll fend off bears, purchase buildings that produce different ingredients and upgrade your vehicles. You`ll also enjoy some of the zaniest animations ever created for a casual game!
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A genetic defect that profoundly affects speech in humans also disrupts the ability of songbirds to sing effective courtship tunes.
This defect in a gene called FoxP2 renders the brain circuitry insensitive to feel-good chemicals that serve as a reward for speaking the correct syllable or hitting the right note, a recent study shows.
The research, which was conducted in adult zebra finches, gives insight into how this genetic mutation impairs a network of nerve cells to cause the stuttering and stammering typical of people with FoxP2 mutations. It appears today in an early online edition of the journal Neuron.
"Our results integrate a lot of different observations that have accrued on the FoxP2 mutation and cast a different perspective on what this mutation is doing," says Richard Mooney, professor of neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine and a member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.
"FoxP2 mutations do not simply result in a cognitive or learning deficit, but also produce an ongoing motor deficit. Individuals with these mutations can still learn and can still improve; it is just harder for them to reliably hit the right mark."
Language gene?
About 15 years ago, researchers discovered a British family with many members suffering from severe speech and language deficits. Geneticists eventually pinned down the culprit—a gene called forkhead box transcription factor or FoxP2—that was mutated in all the affected individuals.
The discovery led many to believe FoxP2 was a "language gene" that granted humans the ability to speak. But further studies showed that the gene wasn't unique to humans, and in fact was conserved among all vertebrates, including songbirds.
Though the gene is present in every cell, it is "active," or turned on, mostly in brain cells, particularly ones residing in a region deep within the brain known as the basal ganglia. This region is dysfunctional in Tourette syndrome, known for its vocal tics and outbursts, and is also shrunk in individuals with FoxP2 mutations.
To explore the complex circuitry involved in these deficits, Mooney and former graduate student Malavika Murugan, decided to replicate the human mutation in this region of the brain in songbirds.
Voice lessons
Zebra finches start learning how to sing 30 days after they hatch by listening to a male tutor and then practicing thousands of times a day until, 60 days later, they are able to make a very good copy of the tutor's song.
As good as that copy is at day 90, the male finch's song gets even more precise when he "directs" it at a female as part of courtship.
To investigate the role of FoxP2 in the generation of this directed song, Murugan introduced specifically targeted sequences of RNA to suppress FoxP2 activity in the basal ganglia of male zebra finches. The birds were placed in a glass cage that revealed a female sitting on the other side. Murugan then recorded sonograms of their song to capture the subtle vocal variations indistinguishable to the human ear when they produced directed songs at the female.
Murugan found that though the genetically manipulated males had already learned how to sing, their ability to hit the right note repeatedly in the presence of a female—a behavior critical to attracting a mate—was subpar.
This indicates that in songbirds, FoxP2 has an ongoing role in vocal control separate from a role in learning, a distinction that has not been possible to make in humans with FOXP2 mutations.
Having deduced the behavior associated with this genetic mutation, the researchers then identified underlying neural deficits by recording brain activity in birds with normal and altered FoxP2 genes.
'Insensitive' to dopamine
In one set of experiments, Murugan sent an electrical signal into the input side of the basal ganglia pathway and then used an electrode on the output side to measure how quickly the signal traveled from one side to the other. Surprisingly, the signal moved more quickly through the basal ganglia of FoxP2 mutant songbirds than it did in songbirds with the functional gene.
Murugan also found that dopamine, an important brain chemical involved in brain signaling and the reinforcement of learned behaviors like singing or playing sports, could influence how fast basal ganglia signals propagated in birds with normal but not mutant forms of FoxP2.
"This switch between undirected and directed song is actually dependent on the influx of this neurotransmitter called dopamine," says Murugan, first author of the study. "So what we think is happening is knocking down FoxP2 makes the male incapable of reducing song variability in the presence of a female.
"An adult male sees the female, there is an influx of dopamine, but because the system is insensitive, the dopamine has no effect and the adult male continues to sing a variable tune." In juveniles, the inability to constrain variability and to respond to dopamine could also account for poor learning.
Songbirds and humans
Though the researchers are cautious not to draw too many parallels between their findings in birds and the deficits in humans, they think their study does highlight the value of songbirds in studying human behaviors and disease.
"Birds are one of the few non-human animals that learn to vocalize," says Mooney. "They produce songs for courtship that they culturally transmit from one generation to the next. Their brains might be a thousandth the size of ours, but in this one dimension, vocal learning, they are our equal."
The National Institutes of Health supported the research.
Source: Duke University


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Evidence for intelligent design in cosmology
The observable evidence of design is not limited to design in biology, but extends to the entire observable universe. The Anthropic principle argues against this being true.
From the IDEA Center
Consider the article, Evidence of the Design of the Universe through the Anthropic Principle[1] found at the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness Center (IDEA)[2]
There is an abundant wealth of evidence from the workings of physics, chemistry, and properties of the universe, our solar system, and earth which indicate that life on earth did not happen by accident--it was planned. These arguments are typically called "anthropic principles," where physical properties or parameters seem to be "just right" or "fine-tuned" to allow for life--and not necessarily just for life as we know it.
From William Lane Craig
Consider the article, The Teleological Argument and the Anthropic Principle[3] by William Lane Craig.[4] Dr. Craig states:
In recent years, however, the scientific community has been stunned by its discovery of how complex and sensitive a nexus of conditions must be given in order for the universe to permit the origin and evolution of intelligent life on Earth. The universe appears, in fact, to have been incredibly fine-tuned from the moment of its inception for the production of intelligent life on Earth at this point in cosmic history. In the various fields of physics and astrophysics, classical cosmology, quantum mechanics, and biochemistry, various discoveries have repeatedly disclosed that the existence of intelligent carbon-based life on Earth at this time depends upon a delicate balance of physical and cosmological quantities, such that were any one of these quantities to be slightly altered, the balance would be destroyed and life would not exist.
From Michael Behe
In response to the question, "How does your view of intelligent design in biology fit with the findings and theories of cosmology and physics?" Michael Behe, author and Professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, provided the following answer:
The conclusion of intelligent design in biology fits very well with unexpected results in the past few decades from physics and astronomy, which show that the universe, its laws, physical constants, and many details, are "fine-tuned" for life on earth. For example, if the charge on the electron or the properties of water were much different, life as we know it would be precluded. Biology has now discovered that the fine tuning of the universe for life actually extends into life. The term "consilience" denotes the situation where results from several scientific areas point in the same direction, reinforcing our confidence that the conclusion is correct. Biology has attained consilience with results from cosmology and physics. --Question & Answer With Michael J. Behe, author of The Edge of Evolution:The Search for the Limits of Darwinism [5]
From Stephen C. Meyer
Consider the article by Stephen C. Meyer,[6] entitled, Evidence for Design in Physics and Biology: From the Origin of the Universe to the Origin of Life.[7]
Meyer states:
[C]onsider the following illustration. Imagine that you are a cosmic explorer who has just stumbled into the control room of the whole universe. There you discover an elaborate "universe-creating machine", with rows and rows of dials, each with many possible settings. As you investigate, you learn that each dial represents some particular parameter that has to be calibrated with a precise value in order to create a universe in which life can exist. One dial represents the possible settings for the strong nuclear force, one for the gravitational constant, one for Planck's constant, one for the ratio for the neutron mass to the proton mass, one for the strength of the electromagnetic attraction, and so on. As you, the cosmic explorer, examine the dials, you find that they could easily have been turned to different settings. Moreover, you determine by careful calculation that if any of the dial settings were even slightly altered, life would cease to exist. Yet for some reason each dial is set at just the exact value necessary to keep the universe running. What do you infer about the origin of these finely tuned dial settings?
- ↑ http://www.ideacenter.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/837
- ↑ http://www.ideacenter.org/
- ↑ http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/teleo.html
- ↑ William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A3DGRQ0IO7KYQ2/ref=cm_blog_blog/104-5653991-7255137
- ↑ Stephen C. Meyer is director and Senior Fellow of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute, in Seattle.
- ↑ http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=847


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Launch SRP S$209
Sony Walkman NWZ-E465 (16GB)
Boasting audio playback of up to 50 hours, the Walkman NWZ-E460 series comes with EX headphones and Sony's Clear Audio technologies, which restores the clarity and depth of digitally compressed music.
Tags: sony, walkman, nwz-w series
Product Specification
|2-inch, TFT color display with white LED-backlight, QVGA (240 x 320 Pixels), 262,144 colors
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|I/O Ports
|Headphone / Hi-speed USB (2.0) / WM-PORT (22pin)
|Audio Format Support
|MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, Linear-PCM
|Video Format Support
|AVC(H.264/AVC), MPEG-4 Video, Windows Media Video 9, AAC-LC Video, WMA (for Windows Media Video 9)
|Other features
|Maximum Power Output (16 ohms/mW): 5+5mW Clear Audio: EX Headphones / DSEE / Clear Stereo / Clear Bass Continuous Playback Time: Approx. 50 hrs (128kbps) Video Resolution: Up to QVGA (720 x 480)
|Approx. 45.0 × 96.8 × 10.0mm
|Approx. 58g


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Chris Brown to box Soulja Boy over social media feud
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A social media war between Chris Brown and Soulja Boy will apparently be settled in the ring with the help of boxer Floyd Mayweather.
Both hip-hop stars have announced that they've signed on for a three-round bout that will be televised on pay-per-view and promoted by Mayweather's companies.
Soulja Boy put up a post promoting the fight on Instagram on Wednesday and said in the caption: "It's going down! Signed my contract." Soulja Boy says Mayweather himself is training him for the fight, which he says will take place in March in Las Vegas.
Brown also said on Instagram that the match was set.
The feud between the artists stems from Soulja Boy's liking of an Instagram picture posted by Brown's ex-girlfriend, Karrueche Tran.


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Social influence-ranking service Klout released some interesting numbers yesterday showing BlackBerry users are more influential than Android or iPhone users. Take that, you smug RIM-hating jerks.
Klout reported that the average Blackberry user it tracks scored a 43.6. The average iPhone user was a 42, while Android users came in behind both at 40.6. The average score on Klout is 20. Justin Bieber scores a perfect 100, baby.
Klout tracks some 80 million people on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. It then purports to measure influence by looking at how one's posts on those networks affect others, and assigns a score from 0-100. It weeds out the bots, and places less importance on follower counts than it does action counts. For example, if you share a link, and many of your followers re-share it, or respond to it, or retweet it, that will raise your score. Likewise, if your network is made up of very influential people, that will also raise your Klout score.
Which sort of explains why BlackBerry users would win this thing. Who gets BlackBerrys? Corporate executives, often C-level types. My guess is that if you looked at the BlackBerry demographic on Klout, it would be an older and more professional user group than iPhone and Android with well-developed networks. Similarly, if you think about how many Android phones are free phones, it makes sense that a lot of those are going to end up in the hands of young people who haven't had the time or inclination to develop the kind of peer networks their elders have.
Which doesn't necessarily make the findings true.
On one hand, I'm not sure I really trust the validity of anything Klout or PeerIndex or other social media ranking services report. Someone who keeps a very private Facebook page, or has a locked Twitter account, for example, may be hugely influential on a small number of followers with a resulting large ripple effect, yet still have a low score. And of course, doesn't measure those who don't use social media at all.
On the other hand, my Klout score is awesome.
You can keep up with Mat Honan, the author of this post, on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.


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Let $G$ be an unramified reductive group over $Q_p$. I want to prove that the group $G(Q_p)$ has a supercuspidal representation (complex coefficients).
I have been looking in many parts of the literature, and it seems that many people are convinced that it is true; however up to now I never saw it stated explicitly.
By the works of L. Morris I reduce to showing that a reductive group $M$ over $F_p$ has a cuspidal representation (L. Morris, level zero G-types, p 140).
So then, I should prove that $M(F_p)$ has a cuspidal representation. The article of Deligne–Lusztig provides such a representation when given a minisotropic torus $T$ in $M$ and a character $\chi$ of $T(F_p)$ which is in general position.
Let me recall that "character in general position" means that the rational Weil group acts freely on the character.
So now comes my doubt and question. Is it true that such a pair $(T, \chi)$ can always be found for all reductive groups $M$ over $F_p$ ?
I am "afraid" of "small" groups that have tori with "large" Weyl groups.
The supercuspidal representations that come from the above construction are of "level 0".
In the book of Carter (Finite Groups of Lie Type) I found a result pointing in this direction. Lemma 8.4.2 p. 281 (with an easy proof) shows that for $T$ given and $q$ sufficiently large, the torus $T(F_q)$ has a character in general position.


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Engineering Management Masters Online Degree
Online Masters in Engineering Management (MEM) programs combine principles of science, technology and management to prepare students for leadership or advanced engineering positions. Students who pursue their masters in engineering management online could develop the ability to plan, lead and oversee activities or research and product innovation in technological organizations and teams.
Many engineering management online masters programs are designed for current professionals in engineering, math, physical science, or computer science who want to conveniently learn how to manage technical projects and operations while they continue to work full time.
What is an Engineering Management Masters Online?
An online Masters in Engineering Management program, (MEM), in short form – MSEM (for master of science in engineering management), is a course of study that could provide both technical and managerial instruction. While course credits and program lengths are known to vary between schools, many programs entail about 31-36 credits. Full-time online students might complete their degree requirements in about two years. Most schools award the same diploma to distance and resident students although the course delivery is different.
Admission and Prerequisites
Individuals who seek admission to a master of engineering management online degree program may need to fulfill some prerequisites. For instance, some programs contain coursework that requires a solid background in engineering, mathematics, physics, or science. If an applicant does not have this already, they may be required to successfully complete prerequisite classes.
Undergraduate Degree: In most graduate schools, an applicant to a masters in engineering management online program needs to have a bachelor's degree. The degree usually must be issued from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or it should be a similar award. Some schools also set a minimum junior/senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Work Experience: To enroll in some online Masters in Engineering Management programs, students may need a few years of applicable work experience. Other programs may appeal to students who have practical knowledge, but it may not be required to apply.
Other Application Material: Applicants to most schools are required to submit material that could include the following.
- Official transcripts
- GRE scores
- English proficiency
- Reference(s)
- Resume
- Statement of goals
Admissions to online masters in engineering management programs vary. It's best to contact admission advisors for full details.
Some workers earn their master's degree before advancing to management positions, and others earn it while they work as a manager." (BLS)
Types of Engineering Management Masters Online Programs
Online Masters in Engineering Management degrees could be offered in different tracks. The most common of these is the Master's Degree in Engineering Management (MEM, MSEM). Students might otherwise opt for a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on engineering, or a dual degree (e.g. MBA-MSE/MEM). Each degree program has its own goals, prerequisites and potential learning outcomes. As a result, you might want to speak with an academic advisor for more information as to which program could be a good fit for you.
What are Online Master of Science in Engineering Management Programs?
MS in Engineering Management online programs could provide engineers with the opportunity to learn how to solve problems, lead business initiatives and form policy. An online engineering management masters degree is typically offered by the university's engineering school and specifically focuses on management as it relates to engineering projects. As such, it could help students prepare to pursue managerial or executive career paths within an engineering or technology-focused organization.
What is Online MS in Engineering Management Curriculum?
Coursework in an online Masters in Engineering Management program depends on the school. Some programs blend a core curriculum with a selection of concentrations. These areas of emphases might provide each student with the chance to refine their expertise based on specific interests. Thus she may be able to tailor their degree in a manner that could support their long-term goals.
What is MEM Online Coursework?
In their first year, students could study advanced topics in engineering management science. Engineering management science revolves around mathematical models, optimization and forecasting. Students could learn how to provide quantitative solutions to engineering management issues such as scheduling, distribution and inventory control. While each school has its own syllabus, some examples of course topics are listed below.
- Organizational behavior
- Human resources
- Financial studies for engineering
- Technical project management
- Federal regulations, ethics and the legal system
- Decision and risk
Aside from core coursework, some programs might require students to complete a final project and discussion-based capstone. This could be an opportunity to synthesize content covered throughout the program.
Technical Electives: In some MS in Engineering Management online programs, students could choose technical electives. These topics draw from a school's list. Therefore, you should refer to individual schools for details. Below are a few examples of possible elective course topics.
- Aircraft maintenance
- Business research methods
- System quality assurance
- Supply chain
Engineering Management Concentrations: Areas of emphasis are often built around a few courses (e.g. 3 to 4) that are in addition to core requisites. Some examples of concentrations include the ones below. However, you should refer to individual programs to see what each school offers.
Commercialization: An emphasis in commercialization could explore the ins and outs of marketing and technology ventures. Students might take courses in product development, intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship, as well as applied business decisionmaking.
Financial Management: An emphasis in financial management could help students learn things such as managerial accounting for decisions, managerial finance and financial engineering.
Project Management: An emphasis in project management could cover topics such as risk and communication. Students could learn how to plan, direct and control engineering projects.
Systems Engineering: An emphasis in systems engineering could delve into system requirements analysis and modeling. Courses may also cover system architecture design.
Leadership: An emphasis in leadership could explore leadership communication and organizational leadership. Students might also study how to lead research initiatives.
Management: An emphasis in management could cover topics such as labor issues in an industrial environment, entrepreneurship and global economic analysis. Students could learn how to plan and execute strategy.
Supply Chain Management: An emphasis in supply chain management could discuss purchasing for logistics and supply chain managers. Students could take courses in transportation management, integrated logistics and global logistics.
Aviation/Aerospace Management: An emphasis in aviation and aerospace management could explore topics such as industrial safety, international aviation policy and integrated logistics. Students might also learn about airport and airline operations and management.
Research Methods: An emphasis in research methods could help students develop a grasp of applied statistics and advanced statistical methods for engineering research. Courses might also cover areas such as data mining and screening experiments. As a result, students might learn how to effectively develop a research proposal or designed experiment.
MEM vs Engineering MBA Programs
An online Masters in Engineering Management program typically differs from the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in that its aim is to prepare students to pursue a career in management specifically in technology or engineering fields. An MBA with a focus in engineering, on the other hand, is typically business-focused with the addition of engineering electives. In many cases, the MBA program is offered in a university's business school, and students might take their electives through the engineering department. Since an undergrad degree in engineering may not be a prerequisite for admission, this type of program might appeal to non-engineers, as well as engineers who want to take courses in corporate strategy and organizational behavior.
Online MBA students could study core topics in finance, management, accounting, leadership, and human resources. That said, an MBA program might not provide the same coursework in engineering projects, products and teams as an online master of engineering management. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals "who prefer to manage in technical areas pursue an MsEm or MSTM and those interested in more general management skills earn an MBA."
Students who work towards an online MBA/engineering management might be able to choose an area of emphasis. These vary between schools and programs but some examples might include topics such as supply-chain management, human resources, IT, non-profit, industry/operations, marketing, entrepreneurship, or finance.
Dual MBA/MSEM Programs
In some universities, students might have the option to pursue a dual degree – a masters in engineering or masters in engineering management/MBA. While the time to completion could be extended, students might develop a fuller grasp of engineering, management and business administration topics.
Earning Your Masters in Engineering Online
Those who choose an Online Masters in Engineering Management program may be able to complete their coursework on their own time frame. Some graduate schools use an 'asynchronous' mode which means you don't have to attend classes at a specific time. Or, you may have the option to log in to take part in live streaming courses along with on campus classmates. These sessions are typically recorded and uploaded to the online platform sometime later for those who need more flexibility. Then you could view content on a desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection.
In some universities, online Masters in Engineering Management programs are based on the cohort model, where students progress through their program together. Those who work to achieve their MS in engineering management online might also take the same courses, with the same faculty, as their campus peers. This could create opportunities to collaborate, interact, and integrate material as students and instructors exchange ideas through digital tools. Skype, email and discussion formats are some of the ways you might keep connected to others.
Virtual Classroom
Since schools use their own centralized web platforms, the best way to know exactly what to expect from an online masters of engineering management program is to check with individual institutions. Often, students log into a portal where they could get assignments, contact faculty, communicate with peers and reply to message boards. Some schools even offer new-student orientation via webinar to help students become familiar with their system. This could help you work out the kinks and feel supported if online study is new for you.
Exams and Assignments
Assignments are usually submitted via your online course management system, much like you would turn your homework into a professor on campus. In other words, you usually must respect deadlines even though you might get to pace yourself in other ways. Most often, exams are taken through an approved university proctor. Some schools might help students to secure a proctor in their home communities.
Student Activities and Resources
In universities where there are both distance and onsite programs, Masters of Engineering Management online students could take part in their schools' activities, or use facilities. Also, many schools have online libraries, tech support and other digital resources in place.
You could find online Masters in Engineering Management programs at regionally accredited schools. Accreditation is a type of quality control review that a school might opt to undergo at periodic intervals. It speaks to things such as the school's financial stability and student resources. Since accredited graduate schools could be eligible for federal financial aid, it might be something to consider as you review possible engineering management schools.
Potential Career Outlook
Engineering managers are employed in manufacturing, government, management of companies and scientific research. Of these areas, engineering managers engaged in scientific research and development services earned the highest income. As of May 2016, the median annual wage for engineering managers engaged in this area is reported at $157,570.i
Continued Education
Interested graduates of online masters of engineering management degree programs might continue their education. The PhD in Engineering Management could be a way to further refine leadership capabilities and expertise. Doctor of Philosophy students typically spend a fair amount of time in independent research to be able to contribute new information to their field.
Find an Online Masters in Engineering Management Program
Easily sort through online Masters in Engineering Management degree programs right here. All you do is scroll through paid programs. Find a few that interest you? Great! Take the next step with the help of the on-page forms. Request information now.
Schools with Online Masters in Engineering Management Degrees
|Annual Mean Wage
|Metro Area
|Annual Mean Salary
|San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
|Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
|Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
|Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
|Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI
DID YOU KNOW? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most architectural and engineering managers work in offices. Some work in settings such as research laboratories or industrial production plants. These managers may work in groups and supervise other staff members, such as architects and engineers. They are often under pressure to meet deadlines and budgets.
GradSchools.com offers 34 Graduate Schools in Online Masters in Engineering Management Degrees
Youngstown State University
University of Alabama - Huntsville
Southern Methodist University
Stevens Institute of Technology
California Maritime Academy
Oklahoma State University
Oakland University
Pittsburg State University
Kansas State University
Kettering University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Texas A&M University


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Welcome to the U.S. Network for Education Information, USNEI. On this site you will find:
For International Students and Professionals, information and links about coming to the United States, recognition of foreign qualifications, accredited U.S. institutions and programs, avoiding frauds, and financial aid.
For International Educators and Officials, information about the U.S. education system, U.S. accreditation and quality assurance, recognized institutions, avoiding fraudulent providers, and related resources.
For U.S. Students, information about studying abroad, financial aid, and links to official information about education in other countries.
For U.S. Educators, information about international education, other education systems, teaching overseas and the recognition of foreign education within the United States.
For U.S. Human Resources Professionals and Officials, information about foreign education systems, recognized foreign institutions, and U.S. credential evaluation for foreign degree-holders.
Click on one of the topics above or choose a link from the lefthand menu.


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Wear alone or stack together to show your individual style.
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If you're looking for an iron-clad indictment of Barack Obama's failed fiscal policies, you don't have to look much farther than the President's own words in a speech he delivered yesterday at the Associated Press luncheon in Washington, D.C.
In what was seemingly an attempt to criticize House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) FY2013 budget plan — the only such proposal to emerge from either the House or the Senate — the President dredged up his stale complaints about President George W. Bush's policies — many of which he has maintained — and turned to scary rhetoric about Trojan horses and social Darwinism in order to paint the conservative vision for fixing America's budget crisis as a radical one.
To help bolster his case that more Obama-style policies are needed, the President detailed the problems America is still facing, despite three and a half years of his own policies:
Whoever he may be, the next President will inherit an economy that is recovering, but not yet recovered, from the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression. Too many Americans will still be looking for a job that pays enough to cover their bills or their mortgage. Too many citizens will still lack the sort of financial security that started slipping away years before this recession hit. A debt that has grown over the last decade, primarily as a result of two wars, two massive tax cuts, and an unprecedented financial crisis, will have to be paid down.
To the extent that the President has identified the problems America is facing today — an unemployment rate that is too high, an economy that is recovering too slowly, lack of financial security, and an out-of-control debt — he's right. Thank you, Mr. President, for identifying the problems that we are well aware of. Unfortunately, this Administration has not offered any solutions that will fix them. Yet Obama yesterday had the audacity to criticize the Ryan plan — the only budget to pass the House of Representatives that addresses America's fiscal crisis — saying it would cause air pollution, disease, park closures, flight cancellations, and even a crisis in weather forecasting. Interestingly, President Obama's own budget was defeated unanimously in the House (414-0) as it was last year in the Senate (97-0).
Heritage's Patrick Knudsen explains that while the Ryan budget isn't perfect and could benefit from more aggressive entitlement reforms, "Its policies are measured and carefully crafted, rooted in sound conservative principles, and aimed at winning consensus." Meanwhile, Knudsen writes, the President is presiding over the fourth straight trillion-dollar-plus deficit of his tenure, has ignored the deficit-cutting recommendations of his fiscal commission, increased the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion without agreeing to any entitlement savings, and has proposed a budget that would increase publicly held debt to more than 76 percent of gross domestic product by 2022.
Contrast the President's total failure to confront America's debt crisis with the Ryan plan, which includes proposals similar to those in Heritage's Saving the American Dream plan. Heritage's Alison Fraser explains that under Ryan's plan, the debt crisis is squarely addressed; Obamacare is repealed and health care is moved from the hands of bureaucrats to patients and doctors; Medicare is preserved with a premium support system that allows America's seniors to pick the plan that suits them best; and the tax code is reformed not to punish the productive, but to increase growth, wages, and jobs. But under Obama's vision, Fraser writes, "we close our eyes and pretend that big government has all the answers to every risk and problem in society, real or perceived."
We have seen the results of that theory in the direction America is headed. Even the President acknowledges the country is in dire straits, yet he refuses to accept that he has had the privilege and responsibility to do something about it. Unfortunately, even though he has the power to help lead the country out of its fiscal crisis, he has consistently refused to do it. Instead he is criticizing those who are stepping up to the plate with real solutions for the American people.
Quick Hits:
- Mitt Romney swept yesterday's Republican presidential primary contests, winning races in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Wisconsin. The next round of primaries will be held on April 24.
- Americans' take-home pay declined in January and February. Wages increased at a slower rate than energy prices, leaving Americans with less money in their pockets.
- At least ten people were killed in a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan on Wednesday. Four of those killed were police officers and six were civilians.
- Windmills in Nevada aren't paying the dividends that were promised. One turbine that cost the city of Reno $21,000 to install saved only $4.
- Liberals are panicked over the Supreme Court's impending decision on Obamacare, and they have preemptively accused conservative justices of "judicial activism." Read more about it on The Foundry.


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MYASS – Software Joke
May 20, 2007 · Print This Article
My Ass This memo is to announce the development of a new software system which will be Year 2000 compliant. known as:"Millennia Year Application Software System" (MYASS). Next Monday there will be a meeting in which I will show MYASS to everyone. We will hold demonstrations throughout the month so that all employees willhave an opportunity to get a good look at MYASS. We have not addressed networking aspects yet, so currently only one person at a time can use MYASS. This restriction will be removed after MYASS expands. Some employees have begun using the program already. This morning I walked into a subordinate's office and was not surprised to find that he had his nose buried in MYASS. Some of the less technical people may be somewhat afraid of MYASS. Last week my secretary said to me, "I'm a little nervous, I never put anything in MYASS before." I helped her through the first time and afterward she admitted that it was relatively painless and she was actually looking forward to doing it again, and was even ready to kiss MYASS. There have been concerns over the virus that was found in MYASS upon initial installation, but the virus has been eliminated and we were able to save MYASS. In the future, however, protection will be required prior to entering MYASS. This database will encompass all information associated with the business. As you begin using the program, feel free to put anything you want in MYASS. As MYASS grows larger, we envision a time when it will be commonplace for a supervisor to hand work to an employee and say, "here, stick this in MYASS."


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Radical Candor by Kim Scott. It's a good read on managing and focused on people. I'd recommend it if you are a manager or help others manage people.
I'd summarize it by saying it takes a teaching and mentoring approach to management, very much of the school that managers primarily exist to help the people on their team. The advice is both practical and actionable, with specific advice for running 1:1s and meetings, and focused how to encourage conversations where people strive to improve themselves as well as helping others.
Some carefully selected quotes from the book:
"It seems obvious that good bosses must care personally about the people who report directly to them ... And yet ... "
"It turns out that when people trust you and believe you care about them, they are much more likely to accept and act on your praise and criticism, tell you what they really think about what you are doing well and, more importantly, not doing so well, engage in this same behavior with one another ... embrace their role on the team, and focus on getting results"
"When you're the boss, it's awkward to ask your direct reports to tell you frankly what they think of your performance, even more awkward for them than it is for you. To help, I [ask] ... 'Is there anything I could do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?' ... It is essential that you ... commit to sticking with the conversation until you have a genuine response. One technique is to count to six before saying anything else, forcing them to endure the silence. The goal is not to bully but to insist on a candid discussion ... Then listen with the intent to understand ... Once you've asked your question and embraced the discomfort and understood the criticism, you have to follow up by showing that you welcome it. You have to reward the candor if you want to get more of it ... Make a chance as soon as possible ... show you're trying."
"If you can absorb the blows, the members of your team are more likely to be good bosses to their employees when they have them ... The rewards of watching people you care about flourish and then help others flourish."
"The ultimate goal of Radical Candor is to achieve results collaboratively that you could never achieve individually ... A culture of guidance ... An exemplary team ... self-correcting quality whereby most problems are solved before you are even aware of them ... Don't start by bossing people. They'll just hate you. Start by listening to them."
Saturday, April 01, 2017
Book review: Radical Candor
Posted by Greg Linden at 8:22 PM
1 comment:
- Greg Linden said...
HT, Xavier Amatriain on Twitter, who said, "Bought a copy of @kimballscott's Radical Candor for each of my managers @Quora"
- April 1, 2017 at 8:23 PM
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- Credits: Wednesday Studio
- Web3 hackathon website with a cool graphic layout.
Added February 28, 2023
loadmo.re is a mobile-websites showcase initiated by DVTK. The curation was initially based on our own selection and is now meant to grow through submissions from our online community.
From its earliest days, digital design practice has been focused on creating interfaces for computers. Screen-based interactions are now mainly happening through smartphones and mobile-first experiences have become the norm. However, as digital designers, we still use computers as our main working tool and continue to browse desktop websites when searching for references. This process makes it difficult to acknowledge a shift and embrace the fact that the Internet isn't happening where it used to.
loadmo.re showcases distinctive websites for smartphones. Through this archive, we hope to encourage digital designers to take full advantage of the mobile phone's interface and functionality. We hope that this platform will generate conversation on mobile-first design within our digital communities.


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Solar Irrigation Pump Controller
Introduced by Sustainable Technologies (SusTech), the VariSun Controller uses captured sunlight to power irrigation pumps. While the product is targeted to California because of an approaching deadline for replacing diesel-powered motors, it can be shipped out of state. The controller is part of a solar-powered mobile unit that can be connected to an electrical grid or work off-grid in remote locations. The system uses DC power to control the speed of three-phase AC motors. Depending on pump size and energy needs, SusTech can custom-design solutions for farmers. Without the three-phase pump, the 1-hp VariSun Mobile Solar System costs about $7,200 with a four-panel, 1,080-watt system. The 2-hp to 3-hp VariSun Mobile Solar System costs $11,500 with a 10-panel, 2,700-watt system, without the three-phase pump. The 5-hp VariSun Mobile Solar System ranges from $18,200 to $19,700 with 16 to 20 panels and a 4,300- to 5,300-watt system. The 2- to 3-hp VariSun control panel, ready to connect to a solar array, costs $3,000. Larger systems are also available. For more information, call SusTech at (510) 523-1125 or email@example.com.