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Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city centre, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15 km (10 miles) and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis. Trains operate following a schedule, at speeds varying from 50 to 200 km/h (30 to 125 mph). Distance charges or zone pricing may be used.
- Characteristics
- Train schedule
- Track
- Metro
- S bahn
- Regional rail
- Inter city rail
- High speed rail
- Train types
- Multiple unit type
- Locomotive hauled services
- Seat plans
- Africa
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia
- South and West Asia
- Europe
- North and Central America
- South America
- Oceania
- References
Non-English names include Treno suburbano in Italian, Cercanías in Spanish, Rodalies in Catalan, Proastiakos in Greek, S-Bahn in German (although Regionalbahn or stopping services occasionally also operate as commuter trains), Train de banlieue in French, Příměstský vlak or Esko in Czech, Elektrichka in Russian, Pociąg podmiejski in Polish and Pendeltåg in Swedish. The development of commuter rail services has become popular today, with the increased public awareness of congestion, dependence on fossil fuels, and other environmental issues, as well as the rising costs of owning, operating and parking automobiles.
Most commuter (or suburban) trains are built to main line rail standards, differing from light rail or rapid transit (metro rail) systems by:
Train schedule
Compared to rapid transit (or metro rail), commuter/suburban rail has lower frequency, following a schedule rather than fixed intervals, and fewer stations spaced further apart. They primarily serve lower density suburban areas (non inner-city), and often share right-of-way with intercity or freight trains. Some services operate only during peak hours and others uses fewer departures during off peak hours and weekends. Average speeds are high, often 50 km/h (30 mph) or higher. These higher speeds better serve the longer distances involved. Some services include express services which skip some stations in order to run faster and separate longer distance riders from short-distance ones.
The general range of commuter trains' distance varies between 15 and 200 km (10 and 125 miles). Sometimes long distances can be explained by that the train runs between two or several cities (e.g. S-Bahn in the Ruhr area of Germany). Distances between stations may vary, but are usually much longer than those of urban rail systems. In city centers the train either has a terminal station or passes through the city centre with notably fewer station stops than those of urban rail systems. Toilets are often available on board trains and in stations.
Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in the same right-of-way can drastically reduce system construction costs. However, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays, especially where service densities have converged in the inner parts of the network.
Most such trains run on the local standard gauge track. Some light rail systems may run on a narrower gauge. Examples of narrow gauge systems are found in Japan, Indonesia, Switzerland, in the Brisbane (Queensland Rail's City network) and Perth (Transperth) systems in Australia, in some commuter rail systems in Sweden, and on the Genoa-Casella line in Italy. Some countries, including Finland, India, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil and Sri Lanka, as well as San Francisco (BART) in the USA and Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia, use broad gauge track.
Metro rail or rapid transit usually covers a smaller inner-urban area ranging outwards to between 12 km to 20 km (or 8 to 14 miles), has a higher train frequency and runs on separate tracks (underground or elevated), whereas commuter rail often shares tracks, technology and the legal framework within mainline railway systems.
However, the classification as a metro or rapid rail can be difficult as both may typically cover a metropolitan area exclusively, run on separate tracks in the centre, and often feature purpose-built rolling stock. The fact that the terminology is not standardised across countries (even across English-speaking countries) further complicates matters. This distinction is most easily made when there are two (or more) systems such as New York's subway and the LIRR, Metro-North along with PATH, Paris' Métro and RER along with Transilien, London's tube lines of the Underground and the Overground, (future) Crossrail, Thameslink along with other commuter rail operators, Madrid's Metro and Cercanías, Barcelona's Metro and Rodalies, and Tokyo's subway and the JR lines along with various privately owned and operated commuter rail systems.
In Germany the S-Bahn is considered as a train category of its own, and exists in many of the large cities and in some other areas but do have differing service and technical standards from city to city. Most S-bahns typically behave like commuter rail with most trackage not separated from other trains, and long lines with trains running between cities and suburbs rather than within a city. The distances between stations however, are usually short. In larger systems there is usually a high frequency metro-like central corridor in the city center where all the lines converge into. Typical examples of large city S-Bahns include Munich and Frankfurt. S-Bahns do also exist in some mid-size cities like Rostock and Magdeburg but behave more like typical commuter rail with lower frequencies and very little exclusive trackage. In Berlin, the S-Bahn systems arguably fulfill all considerations of a true metro system (despite the existence of U-Bahns as well) – the trains run on tracks that are entirely separated from other trains, short distances between stations, high frequency and uses tunnels but do run a bit further out from the city centre, compared with U-Bahn. A similar network exists in Copenhagen called the S-tog. (where a metro system also exists). In Hamburg and Copenhagen, other, diesel driven trains, do continue where the S-Bahn ends ("A-Bahn" in Hamburg area, and "L-tog" in Copenhagen).
Regional rail
Regional rail usually provides rail services between towns and cities, rather than purely linking major population hubs in the way inter-city rail does. Regional rail operates outside major cities. Unlike Inter-city, it stops at most or all stations between cities. It provides a service between smaller communities along the line, and also connections with long-distance services at interchange stations located at junctions or at larger towns along the line. Alternative names are "local train" or "stopping train". Examples include the former BR's Regional Railways, France's TER (Transport express régional), Germany's DB Regio and South Korea's Tonggeun services.
Regional rail does not exist in this sense in the United States, so the term "regional rail" has become synonymous with commuter rail there, although the two are more clearly defined in Europe.
Inter-city rail
In some European countries the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance/intercity trains is very hard to make, because of the relatively short distances involved. For example, so-called "intercity" trains in Belgium and the Netherlands carry many commuters and their equipment, range and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries. In the United Kingdom there is no real division of organisation and brand name between commuter, regional and inter-city trains, making it hard to categorize train connections.
Russian commuter trains, on the other hand, frequently cover areas larger than Belgium itself, although these are still short distances by Russian standards. They have a different ticketing system from long-distance trains, and in major cities they often operate from a separate section of the train station.
The easiest way to identify these "inter-city" services is that they tend to operate as express services - only linking the main stations in the cities they link, not stopping at any other stations. However, this term is used in Australia (Sydney for example) to describe the regional trains operating beyond the boundaries of the suburban services, even though some of these "inter-city" services stop all stations similar to German regional services. In this regard, the German service delineations and corresponding naming conventions are clearer and better used for academic purposes.
High-speed rail
Sometimes high-speed rail can serve daily use of commuters. The Japanese Shinkansen high speed rail system is heavily used by commuters in the Greater Tokyo Area. They commute between 100 and 200 km by Shinkansen. To meet the demand of commuters, JR sells commuter discount passes and operates 16-car bilevel E4 Series Shinkansen trains at rush hour, providing a capacity of 1,600 seats. Several lines in China such as the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway, and the Shanghai–Nanjing High-Speed Railway, serve a similar role with many more under construction or planned.
The high-speed services linking Zürich, Bern and Basel in Switzerland (200 km/h (120 mph)) have brought the Central Business Districts (CBDs) of these three cities within 1 hour of each other. This has resulted in unexpectedly high demand for new commuter trips between the three cities and a corresponding increase in suburban rail passengers accessing the high-speed services at the main city-centre stations (or Hauptbahnhof). The Regional-Express commuter service between Munich and Nuremberg in Germany go in (200 km/h (120 mph)) along a 300 km/h high-speed line.
The regional trains Stockholm–Uppsala, Stockholm–Västerås, Stockholm–Eskilstuna and Gothenburg–Trollhättan in Sweden reach 200 km/h (120 mph) and have many daily commuters.
Train types
Commuter/suburban trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. Cars may be single- or double-level, and aim to provide seating for all. Compared to intercity trains, they have less space, fewer amenities and limited baggage areas.
Multiple unit type
Commuter rail trains are usually composed of multiple units, which are self-propelled, bidirectional, articulated passenger rail cars with driving motors on each (or every other) bogie. Depending on local circumstances and tradition they may be powered either by diesel engines located below the passenger compartment (diesel multiple units) or by electricity picked up from third rails or overhead lines (electric multiple units). Multiple units are almost invariably equipped with control cabs at both ends, which is why such units are so frequently used to provide commuter services, due to the associated short turn-around time.
Locomotive hauled services
Locomotive hauled services are used in some countries or locations. This is often a case of asset sweating, by using a single large combined fleet for intercity and regional services. Loco hauled services are usually run in push-pull formation, that is, the train can run with the locomotive at the "front" or "rear" of the train (pushing or pulling). Trains are often equipped with a control cab at the other end of the train from the locomotive, allowing the train operator to operate the train from either end. The motive power for locomotive-hauled commuter trains may be either electric or Diesel-electric, although some countries, such as Germany and some of the former Soviet-bloc countries, also use diesel-hydraulic locomotives.
Seat plans
In the USA and some other countries, a three-and-two seat plan is used. However, few people sit in the middle seat on these trains because they feel crowded and uncomfortable. It is said one industrial designer for one of New York City's commuter railroads, Metro-North, told people: "I designed the aisle seat with a half-back and no upholstery, so it will be very uncomfortable to sit there. They'll move in and take the center seat!" (This seating design can also be found on older NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road rolling stock.)
In Japan, longitudinal (sideways window-lining) seating is widely used in many commuter rail trains to increase capacity in rush hours. Carriages are usually not organized to increase seating capacity (although in some trains at least one carriage would feature more doors to facilitate easier boarding and alighting and bench seats so that they can be folded up during rush hour to provide more standing room) even in the case of commuting longer than 50 km and commuters in the Greater Tokyo Area have to stand in the train for more than an hour.
Currently there are not many examples of commuter rail in Africa. Metrorail operates in the major cities of South Africa, and there are some commuter rail services in Algeria, Kenya, Morocco, Alexandria, Egypt and Tunisia. In Algeria, SNTF operates commuter-rail lines between the capital Algiers and its southern and eastern suburbs. They also serve to connect Algiers' main universities to each other. The Dar es Salaam commuter rail offers intracity services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
East Asia
In Japan, commuter rail systems have extensive network and frequent service, and are heavily used. In many cases, Japanese commuter rail is operationally more like a typical metro system (with very high operating frequencies, an emphasis on standing passengers, short station spacing) than it is like commuter rail in other countries. Japanese commuter rail also tends to be heavily interlined with subway lines, with commuter rail trains continuing into the subway network, and then out onto different commuter rail systems on the other side of the city. Many Japanese commuter systems operate several levels of express trains to reduce the travel time to distant locations, often using station bypass tracks instead of dedicated express tracks. It is notable that the larger Japanese commuter rail systems are owned and operated by for-profit private railway companies, without public subsidy.
Commuter rail systems have been inaugurated in several cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha and the Pearl River Delta. With plans for large systems in northeastern Zhejiang, Jingjinji, and Yangtze River Delta areas. The level of service varies considerably from line to line ranging high to near high speeds. More developed and established lines such as the Guangshen Railway have more frequent metro like service. Hong Kong MTR's East Rail Line and West Rail Line were built to commuter rail standards but are operated as a metro system.
In Taiwan, Western Line in Taipei-Taoyuan Metropolitan Area, Taichung Metropolitan Area, Tainan-Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area as well as Neiwan-Liujia Line in Hsinchu Area is considered commuter rail.
Other examples in Asia include Seoul Metropolitan Subway of which some lines are suburban lines operated by Korail in South Korea.
Southeast Asia
In Indonesia, the KA Commuter Jabodetabek is the largest commuter rail system in the country, serving Jakarta metropolitan area. It connects Jakarta city center with surrounding cities and sub-urbans in Banten and West Java provinces, including Depok, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi, Serpong and Maja. In July 2015, KA Commuter Jabodetabek served more than 850,000 passengers per day, which is almost triple of the 2011 figures, but still less than 3.5% of all Jabodetabek commutes.
Other examples include KTM Komuter in Malaysia, and the Philippine National Railways orange line in Metro Manila, Philippines.
South and West Asia
In India, commuter rail systems are present in major cities. Mumbai Suburban Railway, the oldest suburban rail system in Asia, carries more than 7.24 million commuters on a daily basis which constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. The Chennai Suburban Railway along with MRTS is another railway of comparison where more than 1 million people travel daily to different areas in Chennai. In Hyderabad, the MMTS mainly transports people from the city centre to HI-TEC city, the city's Information Technology hub. Other commuter railways in India include Kolkata Suburban Railway which is the biggest Suburban Railway network in India covering 348 stations, Delhi Suburban Railway, Pune Suburban Railway and Lucknow-Kanpur Suburban Railway.
In Iran, SYSTRA has done a "Tehran long term urban rail study". SYSTRA proposed 4 express lines which are similar to RER suburban lines in Paris. Tehran Metro is going to construct express lines. For instance, the Rahyab Behineh, a consultant for Tehran Metro, is studying Tehran Express Line 2. Tehran Metro currently has a commuter line between Tehran and Karaj. Esfahan has two lines to its suburbs Baharestan and Fuladshahr under construction, and a third line to Shahinshahr is planned.
Major metropolitan areas in most European countries are usually served by extensive commuter/suburban rail systems. Well-known examples include Beovoz in Belgrade (Serbia), S-Bahn in Germany and German-speaking areas of Switzerland and Austria, Proastiakos in Greece, RER in France and Belgium, suburban lines in Milan (Italy), Cercanías in Spain, CP Urban Services in Portugal, Esko in Prague and Ostrava (Czech Republic), HÉV in Budapest (Hungary) and DART in Dublin (Ireland).
In Russia, Ukraine and some other countries of the former Soviet Union, electrical multiple unit passenger suburban trains called Elektrichka are widespread.
In Sweden, electrified commuter rail systems known as Pendeltåg are present in the cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg. The Stockholm commuter rail system, which began in 1968, is similar to the S-Bahn train systems of Munich and Frankfurt such that it may share railway tracks with inter-city trains and freight trains, but for the most part run on its own dedicated tracks, and that it is mainly used to transport passengers from nearby towns and other suburban areas into the city centre, not for transportation inside the city centre. The Gothenburg commuter rail system, which began in 1960, is similar to the Stockholm system, but does fully share tracks with long-distance trains. Other train systems that are also considered as commuter rail but not counted as pendeltåg include Roslagsbanan and Saltsjöbanan in Stockholm, Östgötapendeln in Östergötland County, Upptåget in Uppsala County and Skåne Commuter Rail. Skåne Commuter Rail (Pågatågen) in Skåne County acts also as a regional rail system, as it serves cities over 100 km (62 miles) and over one hour from the principal city of Malmö.
In Norway, the Oslo commuter rail system is the largest, which mostly shares tracks with more long-distance trains, but also runs on some local railways without other traffic. Oslo has the largest commuter rail system in Scandinavia measured as line lengths or number of stations. But some lines have travel times (over an hour from Oslo) and frequencies (once per hour) which are more like regional trains. Also Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim have commuter rail systems. These have only one or two lines each and they share tracks with other trains.
In Poland, commuter rail systems exist in Tricity, Warsaw, Cracow and Katowice urban area. There is also a similar system planned in Wrocław.
North and Central America
In the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico regional passenger rail services are provided by governmental or quasi-governmental agencies, with a limited number of metropolitan areas served.
South America
Examples include an 899 km (559 mi) commuter system in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, the 225 km (140 mi) long Supervia in Rio de Janeiro, and the Metrotrén in Santiago, Chile. Another example is Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) in Greater São Paulo, Brazil. CPTM has 93 stations with six lines, numbered starting on 7 (the lines 1 to 6 belong to the São Paulo Metro), with a total length of 260.8 kilometres (162.1 mi).
Major cities in Australia have suburban railway systems in their metropolitan areas. As with Japanese suburban railways or Germany's and Switzerland's S-Bahns, these Australian networks have far more frequent services and far higher ridership per capita than US 'commuter rail' in the usual sense of the term. To some US observers these networks may appear to operate as commuter/metro hybrids, however, they are simply the result of full utilisation of the available track capacity in the core of the suburban rail network, this being fed from multiple feeder lines. This is particularly so in Sydney and Melbourne, where headways on many lines in the core of the network reach 3–5 minutes in peaks and 10–20 minutes off peak (about 18 hours a day) and enter an underground loop for passenger distribution in the city centre; and where ridership per capita exceeds the sum of metro and commuter rail in comparable North American urban areas such as Toronto, Boston or the San Francisco Bay Area. All systems, however, are based on established main line rail systems, and track sharing with inter-city and freight services on parts of the network inhibit higher frequencies on some tracks. They are sometimes erroneously referred to as heavy rail, a different mode of public transport.
The main systems of commuter rail in Australia include:
New Zealand has two commuter rail systems, one using 25,000 V AC in Auckland and the other one using 1,500 V DC in Wellington (formerly operaterd by Tranz Metro).


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Lie, Cheat & Steal. Or, Just Make One Decision
- Deborah J. Thompson
- 2010 14 Jul
"You only have to make ONE decision." That is the advice my friend's 17-year-old son Austen, gave his little sister Olivia, as she was about to enter high school. "You make one decision to be the kind of person you choose to be. Then, when you are presented with situations or temptations, you've already decided what to do. You will quickly let others know that you aren't going to drink, do drugs, fool around, etc. because none of these activities reflect who you want to be. Make one decision and all the others fall into place."
There is tremendous wisdom and power in these words. And a lesson for us all: one decision—that's all any of us really needs to make. Who do we choose to be? Are we confident enough in ourselves and in our values to make that one decision?
"It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." ~Roy Disney
When we consciously decide who we want to be and what we want our lives to reflect, then all other choices become much easier to make. Tempted to cheat on a test, a spouse or a business deal? Is that who you've decided to be?
What about gossip, or speaking ill of others? Are you impatient? Guilty of road rage? Drinking too much? Angry? Promiscuous? Resentful? Stubborn? Disrespectful? Experimenting with drugs? Deceitful? How do any of these behaviors correspond with your ONE decision to be the kind of person you choose?
If we take the time to define what we want our lives to reflect, then we have a foundation, a basis of comparison and a way to evaluate our thoughts, words and actions. And when we begin to step away from the values that we ourselves stipulated, then we also have a touchstone—our own "home base" in which to return.
It is equally important to remember: the choices that lead us away from our values are insidious and contagious. One poor choice can effortlessly lead to another and then these careless, willful and inappropriate choices can quickly become progressively worse.
When we begin to make choices that are not in line with our ONE decision, it becomes easier and easier to move away from our chosen values. If we gossip about someone, we will generally deny it. We start to lie. We don't want to acknowledge our behavior because we know in our hearts that it is wrong.
If we drink too much, skip school or work, try drugs or have sex outside of marriage, don't we lie about that too? Lying becomes the next logical step in protecting ourselves from admitting something that we know we shouldn't have done in the first place.
Our first lie is often to ourselves. How many times have you heard an inner voice saying, "It's only this one time"? Or perhaps, "No one will get hurt." We even justify our actions with, "I deserve this." Try to remind yourself that this inner voice is in itself, a lie, and will sabotage your ONE decision if you choose to give in to it.
When we lie about something, it sets us up to take the next step—to cheat.
Every cheating spouse started with a seemingly simple lie. And once they started lying to themselves, to their spouse and to others, they set the stage for the act of cheating itself. Cheating in business, cheating a friend or spouse, cheating on a test—they all begin with some form of a lie.
And cheating is actually a form of stealing. When we cheat, we steal something from someone else. We take something that isn't rightfully ours. And when we get away with it, it is much easier to do it again. Then we have to continue to lie in order to hide what we have done. The stakes get higher, the risks increase and the viscous cycle escalates.
Often, the fear of being caught then leads to more serious consequences. How many people have been injured and even killed by a desperate thief? How many murders and suicides have been committed to cover up the crimes of robbery, scams and embezzlement? Have many have lost their families or their very lives because of an adulterous relationship?
And in most cases, these crimes started with a simple lie, proceeded to cheating/stealing, and ended in violence. The distance between these steps is often much shorter than we are willing to admit. And they could all be prevented if we would make the ONE decision of the kind of person we want to be.
"So don't lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward." Hebrews 10:35
Today, I challenge you to make that ONE decision, the one choice of who you intend to be, of what you want your life to reflect. After that, you simply have to stay true to yourself and never take that first step away from your values—no lying allowed!
And as Austen so astutely put it, "Then, when you are presented with situations or temptations, you've already decided what to do."
One decision—that's not so hard, is it? Have confidence in your ability to make, respect, and adhere to, your one decision. After all, your entire life is defined by it.
"Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself." Robert F. Bennett
Deborah J. Thompson is a writer, artist and Stephen Minister. Her articles are published by Crosswalk.com and "The Fish" family of Christian radio station websites around the country. She shares "Reflections" on Life and Relationships on her website, www.inspiredreflections.info. And she is working on her first book, Your Life, Your Choice, which gives 5 simple steps to harness the power of your choices and bring more Love, Joy and Peace into your life. Join her on Facebook and Twitter/InspireReflect.
Original publication date: July 14, 2010

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Making Chlorophyll
It uses that much maligned variety of parsley - curly parsley
80 grams picked curly parsley leaves
6 cups water
Wash and dry the parsley leaves.
Place the leaves and water into a blender and process for a few minutes until it forms a bright green liquid.
Strain this through a fine sieve and pour into a saucepan. Over a low heat, stir constantly until you see green particles rising to the surface. It's important that you do this slowly.
Pour this into a container along with a handful of ice and place in the fridge to cool.
This photos illustrates how the mixture will look when cooled - the chlorohyll has separated from the water, it looks very much like algae.
When cold, pour through a muslin lined sieve, don't push the mix through let gravity do it's job. Once drained you can throw away the water. Scrape as much of the green paste that is remaining on the muslin as possible and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
This should give you about 2 tablespoons of Chlorophyll.
Tagged with Chlorophyll
10 comments
Thank you very much for this lesson Haalo.ReplyDelete
It sounds like a very interesting idea, Haalo. But thinking from the culinary side of things, what can the chlorophyll be used for? I've never known or heard of its use in cookingReplyDelete
Thanks Rose.ReplyDelete
Hi Trig - chlorophyll does have it's place in the commercial kitchen - it's used to colour pasta and sauces because it gives you a colour shift without added a taste. It's probably something more associated with molecular gastronomy.
Very exciting - I saw the post where you used this to colour ice cream!ReplyDelete
Oh how clever! Bravo!ReplyDelete
Thanks Pille!ReplyDelete
Thanks Truffle!
- AnonymousJune 04, 2007
Very interesting post. I never thought about making chlorophyll before.ReplyDelete
Thanks Mizzi!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 12, 2008
saw it being made in a rest i worked in sydney and couldnt remember how to do it. Now you have helped me remember. thank you. also make sure you store it in a black container as to keep it away from light.ReplyDelete
I've linked to your post! Well done, I too worked in a restaurant and forget the exact process. Great blog by the way!ReplyDelete


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Source: Link
McRAE, JOHN C., policeman and chief of police; b. 4 March 1859 in Carleton County, Upper Canada, son of Alexander McRae, a farmer, and Ann Conley; m. ——— Frizzell, and they had two sons and two daughters who survived him; d. 19 July 1921 in Winnipeg.
A Scots Presbyterian, John McRae (the date and reason he assumed the middle initial are not known) was 20 when he left Ontario to homestead in the small southwestern Manitoba community of Minnedosa; he remained there only a few months before moving to Winnipeg. He joined the city's police force in 1881. Five years later he was promoted sergeant and he became Winnipeg's third chief constable in 1887.
McRae's rapid rise and his fame as a police officer were due in large measure to his apprehension of a number of high-profile criminals. In 1885 he had pursued Bulldog Kelly all the way into the United States before arresting the alleged murderer and returning him to Manitoba. Two years later, while attempting to detain one of the province's most notorious cattle rustlers, Joseph Fant, he was shot in the groin. Both the chase and the lengthy trial that followed the fugitive's arrest solidified his already notable reputation for bravery. In 1889 he gained even further recognition when he single-handedly captured Martin Burke, one of the men responsible for the murder of Chicago doctor Patrick Henry Cronin, a homicide immortalized in Henry M. Hunt's Crime of the century. An imposing figure who did not make friends readily, McRae was nonetheless well regarded by the police force and the general public.
Despite a well-earned reputation for integrity, McRae received considerable criticism for his role in re-establishing a segregated red-light district in Winnipeg in 1909. A campaign in late 1903 led by the Reverend Frederic Beal Du Val had succeeded in abolishing the city's policy of tolerating prostitutes in a segregated area. In 1904 the police had raided and closed the district. Prostitution continued to increase, however, and McRae did not have enough men to deal with it, especially since it spread throughout the city. In 1909 the Winnipeg Police Commission decided to leave the regulation of brothels to McRae's discretion, tacitly accepting that he would reintroduce segregation in an attempt to control the problem. The following year, in a series of articles in Toronto newspapers, a prominent Presbyterian minister and national secretary of the Moral and Social Reform Council of Canada, the Reverend John George Shearer, accused Winnipeg of being the vice capital of the nation and implied that its police officials were guilty of graft. A commission established late in 1910 to investigate the charges exonerated McRae from any wrongdoing, but also found that the more than 50 houses of prostitution in the city existed because their presence was sanctioned by the police chief.
In 1911 McRae resigned as chief. With an annual pension of $2,485 the Winnipeg Telegram regarded him as being "comparatively a poor man." Largely uneducated, McRae had worked hard to improve both himself and the police force during his 24-year tenure as chief, the longest in Winnipeg's history. The force had expanded significantly during that period, from 13 men when he took office to over 108 men when he retired. He had seen to the construction of a new headquarters (1908) and two sub-stations (1911) and is credited with the introduction of a pension system, a variety of new investigative techniques, a motorcycle patrol, and North America's first police signal system (with 158 call boxes).
Two years after his retirement, McRae became one of the first recipients in Canada of the King's Police Medal, awarded for exceptional courage, skill, and distinguished service. He came out of retirement briefly in 1915 to act as a special commissioner for the provincial police during the investigation and prosecutions associated with the scandal over the construction of the Manitoba legislative buildings involving the premier, Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin*, the minister of education, George Robson Coldwell, and others. He was 62 and in poor health when he died at his Winnipeg home in 1921. He left an estate of just under $64,000.
John C. McRae published an article entitled "I remember" in the Winnipeg Telegram, 25 Dec. 1911.
AM, ATG 25, file 13840; AMLJH, P 1359, file A0044. LAC, RG 6, D1, 359, file 114-2-k1-1, pt. 2. Manitoba Free Press, 24 Feb., 18 March 1886; 10–11 Jan., 1 Feb., 12 Nov. 1887; 17 June 1889; 10 June 1911; 2 Jan. 1913; 19–20, 22 July 1921. Winnipeg Telegram, 10 June 1911, 20 Sept. 1915. Winnipeg Tribune, 19 July 1921. A. F. J. Artibise, Winnipeg: a social history of urban growth, 1874–1914 (Montreal and London, 1975). Canadian annual rev., 1915. B. E. Chaffey, "Regina vs. Fant, a tale of fifty years ago," Manitoba Bar News (Winnipeg), 9 (1936–37): 327–29, 331–32. Joy Cooper, "Red lights of Winnipeg," Man., Hist. and Scientific Soc., Papers (Winnipeg), 3rd ser., no.27 (1970–71): 61–74. Gateway city: documents on the city of Winnipeg, 1873–1913, ed. and intro. A. F. J. Artibise (Winnipeg, 1979), 207–23. H. M. Hunt, The crime of the century, or, the assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin: a complete and authentic history of the greatest of modern conspiracies ([Chicago, 1889]). Robert Hutchison, A century of service: a history of the Winnipeg police force, 1874–1974 (Winnipeg, 1974). The Queen v. Cloutier (1898), Manitoba Reports (Winnipeg), 12 (1897–99): 183–89. H. A. Robson, Judge Robson on segregation or toleration of vice . . . the report of the Social Vice Commission, Winnipeg, January 11th, 1911 (Toronto, [1911?]). Jack Templeman, From force to service: a pictorial history of the Winnipeg Police Department: 125th anniversary (Winnipeg, 1998).
© 2005–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
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Cite This Article
Dale Brawn, "McRAE, JOHN C.," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 4, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mcrae_john_c_15E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|Dale Brawn
|Title of Article:
|McRAE, JOHN C.
|Publication Name:
|Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15
|University of Toronto/Université Laval
|Year of publication:
|Year of revision:
|Access Date:
|October 4, 2023


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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for INVOKANA®, INVOKAMET® (canagliflozin/metformin HCl), and INVOKAMET® XR
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for INVOKANA®, INVOKAMET®, and INVOKAMET® XR
- Postmarketing cases of metformin-associated lactic acidosis have resulted in death, hypothermia, hypotension, and resistant bradyarrhythmias. The onset of metformin-associated lactic acidosis is often subtle, accompanied only by nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, myalgias, respiratory distress, somnolence, and abdominal pain. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis was characterized by elevated blood lactate levels (>5 mmol/L); anion gap acidosis (without evidence of ketonuria or ketonemia); an increased lactate:pyruvate ratio, and metformin plasma levels generally >5 mcg/mL.
- Risk factors for metformin-associated lactic acidosis include renal impairment, concomitant use of certain drugs (eg, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as topiramate), age 65 years old or greater, having a radiological study with contrast, surgery and other procedures, hypoxic states (eg, acute congestive heart failure), excessive alcohol intake, and hepatic impairment.
- Steps to reduce the risk of and manage metformin-associated lactic acidosis in these high-risk groups are provided in the full prescribing information.
- If metformin-associated lactic acidosis is suspected, immediately discontinue INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR and institute general supportive measures in a hospital setting. Prompt hemodialysis is recommended.
INVOKANA® is contraindicated in patients with:
- Serious hypersensitivity reaction to INVOKANA®, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema
- Patients on dialysis
INVOKAMET® and INVOKAMET® XR are contraindicated in patients with:
- Severe renal impairment (eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2) or on dialysis
- Acute or chronic metabolic acidosis, including diabetic ketoacidosis
- Serious hypersensitivity reaction to INVOKANA® or metformin HCl, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema
WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS
Lactic Acidosis: Postmarketing cases of metformin-associated lactic acidosis, including fatal cases, were reported. These cases had a subtle onset and were accompanied by nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, myalgias, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, or increased somnolence; however, hypothermia, hypotension, and resistant bradyarrhythmias have occurred with severe acidosis. Additional findings included elevated blood lactate concentrations (>5 mmol/L), anion gap acidosis (without evidence of ketonuria or ketonemia), an increased lactate:pyruvate ratio, and metformin plasma levels generally >5 mcg/mL.
If metformin-associated lactic acidosis is suspected, general supportive measures should be instituted promptly in a hospital setting, along with immediate discontinuation of INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR. Prompt hemodialysis is recommended to correct the acidosis and remove accumulated metformin.
Educate patients and their families about the symptoms of lactic acidosis and if symptoms occur instruct them to discontinue INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR and report these symptoms to their healthcare provider.
Recommendations to reduce the risk include:
Renal Impairment: Obtain an eGFR before initiation and at least annually thereafter, and more frequently in patients at increased risk of renal impairment.
Drug Interactions: More frequent monitoring is recommended when administered with drugs that impair renal function, result in hemodynamic change, interfere with acid-base balance, or increase metformin accumulation (eg, cationic drugs).
Age 65 or Greater: Assess renal function more frequently in elderly patients.
Radiological Studies with Contrast: Stop INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR at the time of, or prior to, an iodinated contrast imaging procedure in patients with an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2; in patients with a history of hepatic impairment, alcoholism, or heart failure; or in patients who will be administered intra-arterial iodinated contrast. Re-evaluate eGFR 48 hours after the imaging procedure, and restart INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR if renal function is stable.
Surgery and Other Procedures: Discontinue INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR while patients have restricted food and fluid intake.
Hypoxic States: Discontinue INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR in conditions associated with hypoxemia.
Excessive Alcohol Intake: Warn patients against excessive alcohol intake while receiving INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR.
Hepatic Impairment: Avoid use of INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR in patients with evidence of hepatic disease.
Lower-Limb Amputation: An increased risk of lower-limb amputations associated with INVOKANA® use versus placebo was observed in CANVAS (5.9 vs 2.8 events per 1000 patient-years) and CANVAS-R (7.5 vs 4.2 events per 1000 patient-years), two randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluating patients with type 2 diabetes who had either established cardiovascular disease or were at risk for cardiovascular disease. The risk of lower-limb amputations was observed at both the 100-mg and 300-mg once-daily dosage regimens.
Amputations of the toe and midfoot (99 out of 140 patients with amputations receiving INVOKANA® in the two trials) were the most frequent; however, amputations involving the leg, below and above the knee, were also observed (41 out of 140 patients with amputations receiving INVOKANA® in the two trials). Some patients had multiple amputations, some involving both lower limbs.
Lower-limb infections, gangrene, and diabetic foot ulcers were the most common precipitating medical events leading to the need for an amputation. The risk of amputation was highest in patients with a baseline history of prior amputation, peripheral vascular disease, and neuropathy.
Before initiating, consider factors in the patient history that may predispose to the need for amputations, such as a history of prior amputation, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, and diabetic foot ulcers. Counsel patients about the importance of routine preventative foot care. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infection (including osteomyelitis), new pain or tenderness, sores, or ulcers involving the lower limbs, and discontinue if these complications occur.
Volume Depletion: INVOKANA® can cause intravascular volume contraction, which may sometimes manifest as symptomatic hypotension or acute transient changes in creatinine. There have been postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury which are likely related to volume depletion, some requiring hospitalizations and dialysis, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving SGLT2 inhibitors, including INVOKANA®. Patients with impaired renal function (eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2), elderly patients, or patients on loop diuretics may be at increased risk for volume depletion or hypotension. Before initiating INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR in patients with one or more of these characteristics, assess and correct volume status. Monitor for signs and symptoms of volume depletion after initiating therapy.
Ketoacidosis: Ketoacidosis, a serious life-threatening condition requiring urgent hospitalization, has been identified in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus receiving SGLT2 inhibitors, including INVOKANA®. In placebo-controlled trials of patients with type 1 diabetes, the risk of ketoacidosis was increased in patients who received SGLT2 inhibitors compared to patients who received placebo. The risk of ketoacidosis may be greater with higher doses. Fatal cases of ketoacidosis have been reported in patients taking INVOKANA®. Before initiating INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, consider factors in patient history that may predispose to ketoacidosis. For patients who undergo scheduled surgery, consider temporarily discontinuing INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR for at least 3 days prior to surgery. Monitor for ketoacidosis and temporarily discontinue in other clinical situations known to predispose to ketoacidosis. Ensure risk factors for ketoacidosis are resolved prior to restarting therapy. Educate patients on the signs and symptoms of ketoacidosis and instruct patients to discontinue INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR and seek medical attention immediately if signs and symptoms occur.
Urosepsis and Pyelonephritis: Serious urinary tract infections, including urosepsis and pyelonephritis, requiring hospitalization have been reported in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors, including INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR. Treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors increases the risk for urinary tract infections. Evaluate for signs and symptoms and treat promptly.
Hypoglycemia With Concomitant Use of Sulfonylurea or Insulin: Insulin and insulin secretagogues are known to cause hypoglycemia. INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/ INVOKAMET® XR may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when combined with insulin or an insulin secretagogue. Therefore, a lower dose of insulin or insulin secretagogue may be required to minimize the risk of hypoglycemia when used in combination with INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR.
Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Perineum (Fournier's Gangrene): Necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum, a rare but serious and life-threatening necrotizing infection requiring urgent surgical intervention, has been identified in postmarketing surveillance in female and male patients with diabetes mellitus receiving SGLT2 inhibitors, including INVOKANA®. Serious outcomes have included hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and death. If suspected, start treatment immediately with broad-spectrum antibiotics and, if necessary, surgical debridement. Discontinue INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR.
Genital Mycotic Infections: INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR increases risk of genital mycotic infections, especially in uncircumcised males or patients with prior infections. Monitor and treat appropriately.
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema and anaphylaxis, were reported with INVOKANA®; these reactions generally occurred within hours to days after initiation. If reactions occur, discontinue INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR; treat and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.
Bone Fracture: Increased risk of bone fracture, occurring as early as 12 weeks after treatment initiation, was observed in patients using INVOKANA®. Prior to initiation, consider factors that contribute to fracture risk.
Vitamin B12 Levels: Metformin HCl may lower vitamin B12 levels. Measure hematological parameters annually and vitamin B12 at 2- to 3-year intervals and manage any abnormalities.
Drug Interactions With Metformin
Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
Topiramate or other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (eg, zonisamide, acetazolamide, or dichlorphenamide) frequently decrease serum bicarbonate and induce non-anion gap, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Concomitant use of these drugs may induce lactic acidosis. Consider more frequent monitoring of these patients.
Drugs That Reduce Metformin Clearance
Drugs that are eliminated by renal tubular secretion (eg, cationic drugs such as ranolazine, vandetanib, dolutegravir, and cimetidine) may increase accumulation of metformin and risk for lactic acidosis.
Alcohol is known to potentiate the effect of metformin HCl on lactate metabolism. Warn patients against excessive alcohol intake while receiving INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR.
Drugs Affecting Glycemic Control
Certain drugs tend to produce hyperglycemia and may lead to loss of glycemic control. These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel blockers, and isoniazid. When such drugs are administered to a patient receiving INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, the patient should be closely observed for loss of blood glucose control. When such drugs are withdrawn from a patient receiving INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, the patient should be observed closely for hypoglycemia.
Drug Interactions With INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR
UGT Enzyme Inducers
Co-administration with rifampin lowered canagliflozin exposure, which may reduce the efficacy of INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR. For patients with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2, if an inducer of UGTs (eg, rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir) is co-administered with INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, increase the dose of canagliflozin to 200 mg once daily in patients currently tolerating canagliflozin 100 mg. The dose may be increased to 300 mg once daily in patients currently tolerating canagliflozin 200 mg and who require additional glycemic control.
For patients with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, if an inducer of UGTs is co-administered with INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, increase the dose of canagliflozin to 200 mg once daily in patients currently tolerating canagliflozin 100 mg. Consider adding another antihyperglycemic agent in patients who require additional glycemic control.
Canagliflozin increased digoxin exposure. Monitor patients with concomitant digoxin and adjust doses appropriately.
Drug/Laboratory Test Interference
Positive Urine Glucose Test
Monitoring glycemic control with urine glucose tests is not recommended in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Use alternative methods to monitor glycemic control.
Interference With 1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) Assay
Monitoring glycemic control with 1,5-AG assay is not recommended in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Use alternative methods to monitor glycemic control.
- Pregnancy: INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR is not recommended in pregnant women, especially during the second and third trimesters.
- Lactation: INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR is not recommended while breastfeeding.
- Females and Males of Reproductive Potential: Discuss the potential for unintended pregnancy with premenopausal women as therapy with metformin HCl may result in ovulation in some anovulatory women.
- Pediatric Use: Safety and effectiveness of INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR in patients <18 years of age have not been established.
Geriatric Use: Frequently monitor renal function after initiating INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR in elderly patients and adjust dose accordingly.
Patients ≥65 years had a higher incidence of adverse reactions related to reduced intravascular volume, particularly with the 300‐mg dose; more prominent increase in the incidence was seen in patients who were ≥75 years. Smaller reductions in HbA1c relative to placebo were seen in patients ≥65 years compared to younger patients.
Metformin HCl
The initial and maintenance dosing of metformin HCl should be conservative in elderly patients due to potential decreased renal function. Adjust dose based on assessment of renal function.
- Renal Impairment: The efficacy and safety of INVOKANA® for glycemic control were evaluated in a trial that included patients with moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30 to <50 mL/min/1.73 m2). These patients had less overall glycemic efficacy, and patients treated with 300 mg per day had increases in serum potassium, which were transient and similar by the end of the study. Patients with renal impairment using INVOKANA® for glycemic control may be more likely to experience hypotension and may be at a higher risk for acute kidney injury. INVOKANA® is contraindicated in patients with ESKD on dialysis. INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR is contraindicated in severe renal impairment (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2) or in patients on dialysis.
Hepatic Impairment: INVOKANA® has not been studied in patients with severe hepatic impairment and is not recommended in this population.
Metformin HCl use in patients with hepatic impairment has been associated with some cases of lactic acidosis. INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR is not recommended in patients with hepatic impairment.
- In the event of an overdose with INVOKANA®/INVOKAMET®/INVOKAMET® XR, contact the Poison Control Center. Employ the usual supportive measures.
- The most common (≥5%) adverse reactions with INVOKANA® were female genital mycotic infections, urinary tract infections, and increased urination.
- The most common (≥5%) adverse reactions due to initiation of metformin HCl are diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, flatulence, asthenia, indigestion, abdominal discomfort, and headache.
Please read full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for INVOKANA®.
Please read full Prescribing Information for INVOKAMET® and INVOKAMET® XR, including Boxed WARNING, and Medication Guide for INVOKAMET® and INVOKAMET® XR.
INVOKANA® (canagliflozin) is indicated:
- as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
- to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- to reduce the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), doubling of serum creatinine, cardiovascular (CV) death, and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy with albuminuria greater than 300 mg/day
INVOKAMET® (canagliflozin/metformin HCl) and INVOKAMET® XR (canagliflozin/metformin HCl extended-release) are a combination of canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Limitations of Use
INVOKANA®, INVOKAMET®, and INVOKAMET® XR are not recommended in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. They may increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis in these patients.
INVOKANA® is not recommended for use to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with an eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2. INVOKANA® is likely to be ineffective in this setting based upon its mechanism of action.


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Jon O'Donnell '10 -Slightly more than two months have passed since I first arrived in Spain. It's not often articulated that to leave everything behind to live in a different culture for several months is a substantial challenge, but without a doubt I can say that my off-campus experience has been very formative. While my first four semesters at Wabash certainly taught me how to think and I've filled my head with all of the physical constants that exist in the Sciences, I had not grown much socially and culturally. Salamanca, Spain, where I am studying abroad currently is like a mini-UN consisting of students.
No joke: I have met one student from EVERY country in Western Europe and many from Eastern Europe, as well as someone from nearly all the SE Asian countries, all around Latin America, and Australia. My best friends here are from England, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia. I keep in touch with a girl from Tehran, Iran, who is currently studying in Madrid. While there are loads of Americans studying abroad here (Salamanca is THE place to study if you desire traditional Castilian Spanish), I intentionally try to avoid as many as I can in order to prevent the trap of falling back into a "comfort zone."
It is nearly impossible to describe the impact that this cornucopia of nationalities has had on my worldview, but I have learned that we don't live in an "Americo-centric" world, though America is an important, powerful presence in every other country. I, as an American, have tremendous responsibility to live well and correctly. I hope I can carry this lesson into my adulthood and practice it wisely.
Besides being exposed to many differing worldviews and cultures, I have traveled plenty. I was fortunate enough to work out one trip to Northern Spain with my friend and classmate Forrest Craig (Wabash '10), who is currently studying in Segovia, Spain. We traveled from Salamanca to the País Vasco and Cantabria (two regions in the north of Spain). San Sebastián is perhaps the most beautifully located city I have ever experienced; Bilbao's amazing Guggenheim Museum dazzled me with its modern art showcase and sinuous architecture; Santander's beaches provided a welcome respite; and Santillana del Mar's Altamira Caves display some of the oldest known paintings on earth, about which I had learned just the week before in my Spanish Art History class.
I also visited Rob Harvey and Dan Metz (both Wabash '10) previously for a week in Rome, where they are studying; they graciously shared their apartment with me. I have plans to meet up with Mark Thomas (Wabash '10), who is studying in Toledo, in Madrid in early December.
My Spanish language speaking skills have come a looooong way. I can understand everything that is said when one is talking directly to me, and my own conversing abilities continue to improve exponentially. I have several friends from other countries (notably Germany and Japan) with whom I only speak in Spanish, although English would be more comfortable even for them. The fact that we both are working hard to better our Spanish only works as a snowball effect, so that it becomes easier to speak Spanish the more we practice it together.
Although it is difficult to avoid the occasional homesickness, I am so blessed to be having the truly international experience that is found in Salamanca. I have made friends from all over, friendships deep enough where a quick message in the future will setup a place to crash for some period of time in Europe, Asia, or Australia. Priceless.
In Photos: Upper right, A view of the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca at night. Center left, Forrest Craig and I above La Concha bay in San Sebastián, Spain. Lower right, a view of the Patio de Escuelas Menores that is located just outside my classroom window at the University of Salamanca.


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(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma) released the following statement today announcing their support for the recommendations of the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
"Our debt crisis is a threat to not just our way of life, but our national survival. History has not been kind to great nations who borrowed and spent beyond their means. Doing nothing will, sooner rather than later, guarantee that this nation becomes a second-rate power with less opportunity and less freedom. The plan developed by the debt commission, while flawed and incomplete, will help America avoid this fate and secure freedom for future generations."
"The time for action is now. We can't afford to wait until the next election to begin this process. Long before the skyrocketing cost of entitlements cause our national debt to triple and tax rates to double, our economy may collapse under the weight of this burden. We are already near a precipice. In the near future, we could experience a collapse in the value of the dollar, hyperinflation or other consequences that would force Congress to face a set of choices far more painful than those proposed in this plan."
"This plan will not just avert a disaster, but help drive the kind of economic recovery we need to create jobs and spur growth. The plan's provisions to lower tax rates while creating fairness in the tax code are similar to pro-growth policies supported by President Reagan. The plan also reduces discretionary spending and takes meaningful steps to preserve Social Security. Taking steps now to reduce our debt burden and slow unsustainable entitlement spending can help prevent massive and debilitating tax increases in the future. Finally, all of these steps will send a clear signal to investors that America is serious about getting its fiscal house in order."
"Still, the plan does not do nearly enough to address the crisis in health care spending. Eighty percent of our debt problem comes from Medicare. This proposal takes some helpful steps in the area of health reform, such as repealing the CLASS Act and reforming the Sustainable Growth Rate (the "doc-fix"), but Congress has to address Medicare's unfunded liabilities more aggressively. We also have to repeal the misguided health care law we passed last year, which will make our debt crisis even more severe."
"The real choice facing Congress and the American people, however, is not whether to support the commission's recommendations, but whether we will rediscover the wisdom of our founders and apply the principles of limited government written into our Constitution. The debt problem is almost entirely the consequence of growing government far beyond our founders' intent. This plan is merely a down payment that will begin the process of reforming government at all levels."
"As we begin this process with this plan, or a better plan, everyone in America should be prepared to sacrifice, beginning with politicians in Washington. Everything has to be on the table. There can be no sacred cows. Our oath to the Constitution must trump our oaths to parties, interest groups and ideology. This challenge is a matter of national survival but we know America has faced great challenges before and emerged stronger and more prosperous. The good news is all of these problems can be solved. If we act now in the spirit of service and sacrifice that built this country, we can create a future that honors the tremendous sacrifice that came before us."


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Harvest Time & The Crush
Every year during late summer and early autumn, workers tend the fields from dawn until dusk, clipping grapes and preparing them for the juicing process. Many wineries have ceremonies (mostly small and private) to honour the land and pay tribute to all of the hard work tending the bounty of grapes. During this time, tasting rooms may be short-staffed—an all-hands-on-deck policy is required to get grapes crushed and their juice into tanks as quickly as possible. Some wineries celebrate by hosting pre- or post-crush parties with wine tasting, food and live music. Sparkling wine purveyor Schramsberg holds a weekend-long autumn harvest camp, where guests join in to harvest grapes. Grgich Hills Estate and Schweiger Vineyards have old-fashioned grape stomping events (roll up your trousers and jump in). And V. Sattui hosts annual harvest balls and crush parties.
Northern California
Spotlight: Napa & Sonoma
Cradling California's most famous wine country, these two world-famous wine regions, both about an hour's drive north of San Francisco, boast rolling hills planted with some of the most coveted grapes in the world. Napa Valley reigns as the land of grand estates, expansive tasting rooms, quaint towns and elegant accommodation, many lining the celebrated Silverado Trail. Sonoma County tends to have a more intimate feel, especially as you head further north towards the Russian River. Whether they're in a castle or renovated barn, the hundreds of wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valleys earn their gold medals and international accolades.
When to visit? Each season has its charms: spring brings brilliant green new grape leaves and lush hillsides, and fields of yellow mustard add brilliant contrast. Summer warms up, both with events and crowds, so start your day early to avoid both. Autumn brings the crush, and vineyards bustle with workers in the vineyards and the wineries. Winter brings a cool hush—insiders know this is a time to snag reservations at the region's Michelin-starred, in-demand restaurants, shop for holiday gifts in spruced-up towns and relax in peace at luxurious spas.
Silverado Trail
Here's the best of the best, a country road lined with shady oaks and world-class wines, with so many wineries you could travel it for a week straight and still not visit them all. The first permanent road linking the town of Napa to Calistoga, roughly 30 miles south, the Silverado Trail is the country-road counterpart to busier Highway 29, which roughly parallels the route. Drive—or better yet rent a bike and pedal—along this tranquil, scenic route, snuggled up against the valley's eastern hills.
'Here's the best of the best, a country road lined with shady oaks and world-class wines.'
The biggest challenge is figuring out where to stop first. Prestigious wineries with Silverado Trail addresses include Joseph Phelps, ZD Wines, and Miner Family Winery, just three of the dozens of wonderful places to sample Napa Valley's infamous Cabernet Sauvignon and other big-bodied reds. Sparkling wine fans will want to stop at Mumm Napa, where you can sip bubbly on an elegant patio, in a tasting salon or reserve a seat on the intimate Oak Terrace. Other turns take you to how-can-they-be-so-perfect wine-country inns and resorts, such as Auberge du Soleil and Solage Calistoga. To see one of the prettiest places in the whole region, take the long, leafy drive onto the manicured grounds of Meadowood Napa Valley for an al fresco lunch at The Grill, or, if you're feeling particularly indulgent, dinner at the three-Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood, known for impeccable service and farm-to-table offerings served with—of course—exquisite wines.
Dry Creek & Sonoma Valleys
These valleys flanking the Russian River are great for spicy Zinfandels but also produce a wide range of other varietals.
Sonoma Valley is just one of 17 distinct growing regions, or AVAs, in Sonoma County. The 14,000-acre AVA, also known as the Valley of the Moon, is often referred to as the birthplace of California's commercial wine industry, and old-vine Zinfandels, with rich hints of cherry and blackberry, are particularly noteworthy here. Visit the home of early wine pioneers at Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 as California's first premium winery. For beautiful views, climb up to villa-like Chateau St. Jean, where you can tour formal gardens, buy charcuterie and have an on-site picnic, and of course sample wines.
On the west side of the Russian River is the appealing and intimate Dry Creek Valley, with pretty views that hint of Italy's Tuscany and Piedmont regions. Not surprisingly, early Italian wine-grape growers felt at home here and planted Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Carignane grapes to produce hearty red wines. This is a sunny region that's perfect for those big reds, yet hot summer days cool down nicely when the fog rolls in from the Pacific. For a perfect way to spend the day, relax on the lawn at ultra-friendly Bella Vineyards—it also has fantastic wine caves. Quivira has beautiful organic gardens; ask about the winery's bio-dynamic agriculture techniques.
St. Helena
Nicknamed 'Napa Valley's Main Street', this popular wine-country town has a bumper crop of shops, art galleries and cute cafes. Join an olive oil tasting at Olivier and satisfy your sweet tooth at Woodhouse Chocolate. Merryvale Vineyards (the first winery in the valley to be built after the repeal of Prohibition) holds daily tasting seminars in its historic cask room—it's a great way to educate your palette before you head out to area wineries. That said, there are plenty of in-town tasting rooms—nice if you don't want to drive. A local Passport St. Helena gives you access to eight stroll-to wineries, where you'll get exclusive tastes of top vintages paired with nibbles.
'You'll get exclusive tastes of top vintages paired with nibbles.'
Though St. Helena is undeniably appealing, try to drag yourself away long enough to check out Hall Vineyard, where top-notch wines and edgy art go hand-in-hand. The property is dotted with sculptures and installations and wow-worthy views from the second-floor 'glass house' tasting room.
Back in town, relax with a Harvest Signature Mud Wrap & Massage treatment in the garden at Health Spa Napa Valley, then dress up for dinner cooked by budding chefs at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in the magnificent Greystone estate.
Foodies will find a little slice of heaven in Yountville. With more Michelin stars per capita than any other place in North America, this little village could keep you happily munching for days—if you didn't care about calories. But who cares—this is what holidays are all about: beautiful settings and incredible food.
The man who really put Yountville on the culinary map is the incomparable Chef Thomas Keller. He may have a worldwide empire of restaurants now, but The French Laundry, which he took over in 1994, was a breakthrough, a true destination restaurant in Napa wine country. It's still outstanding, earning a coveted three Michelin stars, and requiring bookings several months in advance. (Try for lunch and you may have a better chance.) Today, you can practically call the town 'Keller-ville': he has also opened his more relaxed but also excellent Bouchon, as well as the forget-the-calorie-counter Bouchon Bakery. Other amazing restaurants include Redd, Etoile, Bistro Jeanty and Bottego, where celebrity chef Michael Chiarello focuses on ultra-fresh Italian cuisine.
Also visit in-town tasting rooms; try Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, sample wines from more than 20 vintner partners on the back patio of the historic stone building, and you'll feel like you've slipped away to Provence. Wines are great, but if you want to switch things up, sip a poolside cocktail at the Dive Bar at Bardessono, an ultra-swanky (and LEED-platinum certified) boutique luxury resort. (Parties are held the last Thursday of the month, June to August).
It's true: Healdsburg is as amazing as everyone says it is. First, there's that perfect town square, surrounded by tasting rooms filled with beautiful people, boutiques tempting at every turn and swanky restaurants glowing at dusk. And then there's Les Mars Hôtel, which feels more like Louis XIV's Loire Valley than Sonoma County. What may have once been a sleepy country town at the north end of the Sonoma Valley is now one of the classiest destinations in California wine country.
'Tasting rooms filled with beautiful people, boutiques tempting at every turn, and swanky restaurants glowing at dusk.'
One of the best places to anchor your explorations of surrounding Sonoma AVAs, Healdsburg has plenty to offer in its own right. Locally grown produce gets the spotlight here, and the twice-weekly (June to October) farmers market is a model of fresh, local and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables. Stop in at Healdsburg Shed, an expertly curated haven of kitchenware, cookbooks and garden tools. Be sure to try a seasonal house-made shrub (a vinegar-based drink) and wood-oven pizza, and see if there's a class or workshop you'd like to attend (topics include gardening, cooking, sustainable living). Collect artisan cheeses and a fresh crusty loaf at tempting Oakville Grocery and have an impromptu picnic in the square. Finish the day with a decadent meal of pork-belly biscuits, Hamachi crudo and squid-ink pasta at Chalkboard.
Downtown Napa
Though there was a time when this town was often passed over in the rush to get deep into Napa Valley wine country, that's not the way to go now. Savvy visitors know that this bustling town on the banks of the Napa River has undergone a renaissance, with a major influx of celebrity-chef restaurants, appealing parks, river walks and upmarket accommodations. And tasting rooms—lots and lots of tasting rooms. Nearly 30 such locations, with settings ranging from coolly sophisticated to kickback relaxed, are all within walking distance in the town centre. Streets are also dotted with a tempting array of shops, cafes and chocolatiers, and leafy neighbourhood streets are the place to find some of the classiest B&Bs in California.
Highlights around town include Oxbow Market, a lively food hall where you can slurp fresh oysters, sample house-made charcuterie, peruse chocolate truffles with names like 'Tart Cherry Cabernet' and find endless other ways to stuff yourself silly. Along the riverfront, step into the minimalist beauty of Morimoto Napa, enjoy ultra-fresh seafood at Celadon, or cross the river to sample Chef Ken Frank's elegant offerings at La Toque. For overnight stays, consider big city chic option Andaz Napa, or one-of-a-kind B&B options such as ultra-elegant Churchill Manor or friendly Cedar Gables Inn.
For a truly unique (car-free) way to explore the region, settle into a cushy appointed vintage train carriage to sightsee, dine and sample wines aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, departing from the Napa town centre year-round.
Napa & Sonoma Luxury Accommodation
With surroundings as blissful as the Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine country, it was only a matter of time before blissful hotels followed suit. In the 1980s, St. Helena's Auberge du Soleil started seriously pampering visitors, offering tucked-away rooms with wood-burning fireplaces and French doors leading to private verandas and a peaceful pool with romantic valley views. At country-club-like Meadowood, on Napa's Silverado Trail, guest can swing a golf club, whack a tennis ball, play croquet or relax in an exclusive spa, then preen themselves for dinner at three-Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood. (The multi-course Chef's Tasting Menu is a dazzler.)
Sonoma Mission Inn—now a Fairmont property—focused on healing waters and lush surroundings, and visitors still enjoy the silky mineral pools in lap-of-luxury surroundings. In Yountville, relax on the swanky rooftop pool at ultra-modern Bardessono, built from salvaged stone and reclaimed wood. At Calistoga Ranch, 50 free-standing guest lodges are nestled among oak trees and babbling brooks, and fire pits warm outdoor living rooms.
If you think all this indulgence is for couples, think again. Solage Calistoga may be high-end, but it's also got nice family-friendly touches, liked a children's pool and free bikes.
Guided Tours
Whether by foot, car or train, experts will do the talking while they show you the ins and outs of the valleys. Van and bus tours can be booked through hotels or tourism offices; also ask about guided bike tours. On a 90-minute walking tour of Downtown Napa, learn about the region's history—the Gold Rush, Prohibition and the boom years during World War II. Roll through the region in vintage train carriages, decked out with velvet curtains and finery, on the Napa Valley Wine Train, offering a variety of tours—including a multi-course meal and wine. In Sonoma County, hitch a ride on a replica of a late 1890s San Francisco cable car to enjoy tastings at four wineries, plus a catered lunch by local favourite, the Girl & the Fig. For do-it-yourself touring, consider getting a single or multi-day pass to enjoy wine tastings in a given area; having one of these passports, like the one for the Wine Trail region (Dry Creek, Russian River and Alexander Valley) might also net you discounts on wine purchases, private guided tours and behind-the-scenes walks with winemakers.


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World's rarest whale seen for first time in New Zealand
Rarest whale: Two spade-toothed beaked whales, a mother and calf, were stranded on a beach in New Zealand. This is the first time this species of whale has ever been seen as a complete specimen.
The world's rarest whale has been spotted for the first time, in New Zealand, where two of the whales stranded themselves.
The two spade-toothed beaked whales, a mother and calf, stranded and died on Opape Beach on the North Island of New Zealand, in December 2010. The mother was 17 feet (5.3 meters) long and the calf was 11 feet (3.5 m) long.
A report describing the whales and the analysis of their DNA appears in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Current Biology.
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"Up until now, all we have known about the spade-toothed beaked whale was from three partial skulls collected from New Zealand and Chile over a 140-year period. It is remarkable that we know almost nothing about such a large mammal," Rochelle Constantine, a marine biologist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said in a statement. "This is the first time this species has ever been seen as a complete specimen, and we were lucky enough to find two of them."
At first, the animals were thought to be much more common Gray's beaked whales. Their identity came to light following routine DNA analysis, which was done as part of a 20-year program to collect data on beaked whale species in New Zealand waters. New Zealand is a known hotspot for whale stranding, and it has the highest rates and greatest diversities of stranded whale species in the world, the researchers report.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation photographed the animals and collected tissue samples.
"When these specimens came to our lab, we extracted the DNA as we usually do for samples like these, and we were very surprised to find that they were spade-toothed beaked whales," Constantine said. "We ran the samples a few times to make sure before we told everyone."
The researchers said they have no idea why the whales have remained so elusive.
"It may be that they are simply an offshore species that lives and dies in the deep ocean waters and only rarely wash[es] ashore," Constantine said.
Because the spade-toothed beaked whale has never been seen alive, nothing is known about its behavior.
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Favorites! Our collections on display at Pointe-a-Calliere
February 24, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm$8 – $25
Ever wonder what makes Montréal so different from other cities around the world? Through 400 "favourite" objects chosen from among the thousands preserved at the Museum, the exhibition paints a moving portrait of Montréal life. Furniture, clothing, jewelry, toys, tools, books, maps, posters, and iconography have literally been pulled out of the storehouses to tell you the story of the city and its inhabitants.
Key events, the economy, navigation, sports, arts, and culture… set against a theatrical backdrop, several facets of the city come to life in 20 tableaus made up of a wide variety of objects. You'll also explore touching profiles of our co-citizens, along with testimonials by archaeologists, historians, and other specialists, which complete this multi-dimensional living gallery with contemporary points of view.
Test your knowledge! A quiz and interactive games encourage young and old alike to have fun by diving into Montréal's past and present. An unusual "box of curiosities" contains sometimes surprising objects from the not-so-distant past… Can you guess how they were used?
With Favourites! Our Collections on Display, you'll fall under the city's spell all over again… one object at a time!
Adults $25, children 5-12 $8, ages 4 & under free


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Sometimes, dreams really do come true.
The NBA and its players have reached a tentative agreement to end the five-month-long lockout and begin play on Christmas Day, as first reported by Ken Berger.
Both players and owners must agree to a final vote of approval, but that is merely a formality at this point.
After 16 hours of discussions Friday (and into Saturday morning), David Stern and Billy Hunter held a joint press conference just before 4 a.m. announcing the long-awaited handshake deal.
"We've reached a tentative understanding that is subject to a variety of approvals…but we're optimistic that it will all come to pass," Stern told a patient crowd of stakeout reporters.
Training camp is set for Dec. 9. The season is set for 66 games and will open Christmas Day with an exciting tripleheader featuring Boston vs. New York, Chicago vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, and an NBA Finals rematch between Miami and Dallas.
The lockout lasted 149 days.
It's finally over. Hallelujah.


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24th August 2023, 13:41
What's new in the world of science, technology and military hardware
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A place to sell or trade hardware, software or whatever you want. The MURC takes no responsibility for any deals made in this forum.
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This forum will provide an archive of useful postings from around the site to build up a forum FAQ.
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Forum for the MURC distributed computing project teams of SETI@MURC and Genome@MURC
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The economy is pretty untrustworthy in Argentina right now – the economy's 30% inflation will eat away at your paycheck till there is nothing left and it's not wise invest with Argentina pesos. It is very difficult to conduct business at all given the frustrating lack of transparency of most monetary transactions. Which is why it's incredible that worker-owned businesses have flourished in the rubble. In Argentina, worker ownership requires trust against all odds. As a student of economics and a young activist, I have held the worker-ownership model in Argentina up as a beacon I could orient towards, an alternative and a method of resistance that might be widely applicable.
The Spark for the Movement: Economic Crisis in 2001
For the past two months, I have been visiting, interviewing and working with the worker-owners of Argentina's empresas recuperadas, or taken factories. The movement of taken factories gained enormous momentum after the Argentine economic collapse of 2001, when foreign investors saw Argentina's strong industrial sector crumble, and closed up shop. The economy lost thousands of factories that supplied millions of jobs. Workers at some of these factories saw the lunacy in letting their former workplaces lie cold and vacant while they were out of work and already knew how to run the businesses and operate the machines. One by one, they began to occupy their factories and demand the right (protected under Argentina's constitution) to work, and to re-start production as a worker-owned cooperative, resulting in more than 180 cooperative factories employing over 10,000 workers.
The workers' logic was that since their labor produced all the added value for the products, and their employers had walked away from their businesses, that it was their only option and also their right to run the factories themselves, under horizontal direct democracy. Once workers decided to take over their factory, a long and often complicated judicial process awaited them. They camped out for months in or near their workplaces to ensure the former bosses didn't gut the factory and sell the machines in the middle of the night.
Early in the process, many occupations turned violent as police tried repeatedly to evict the entrenched coop members. But the process has now become more streamlined and normalized. I met one group of workers in the middle of the recuperation process. Their little camp on the street was filled with laughter, music and homemade empanadas delivered by other members of the movement, worker owners who already won their battles for the right to produce.
This movement provided immense hope for many around the world who saw factory occupation and recuperation as the beginning of a paradigm shift; a chance to build a new system within the broken shell of globalized capitalism. The flood of energy and idealism was undoubtedly released in the US by a film by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis called The Take, documenting a successful factory recuperation. I gained a window into the maturation of this dream in Buenos Aires now 11 years after the first factory take over, of a movement that through its institutionalization process has held fast to some fairly radical principles, while beginning to access mainstream markets.
The stories of the workers I've interviewed are filled with contradiction, with relentless struggle against oppression and with degrees of triumph. My time in Buenos Aires helped me to redefine the meaning of dignified work, and provided a frame for the global struggle for worker self-determination. Studying the coop movement in Argentina and identifying pieces that could be translated for the movement in the US, we have so much to learn from our friends in the South.
La Matanza: A Coop With Very Old Problems and Brand New Solutions
We turned onto a side street of a dirty industrial district on the edge of Buenos Aires and parked in front of a warehouse belonging to La Matanza, a worker owned cooperative since 2003 that makes screws. At the time of its factory take over, the workers hadn't been paid for ten months, so they staged a fifteen day occupation of their factory to ensure that the owner couldn't ferry the stock away and sell it off. The nine current members (or socios) of La Matanza are aging, most close to sixty years old. Some have worked in the dim, cold interior of La Matanza for forty years and now are building new relationships based in horizontal authority and collective decision making with the men they worked next to for so long.
Business is pretty good at La Matanza with a stable client base and higher than average returns (they're not called wages in a coop). They feel secure in their work. The biggest problem, everyone said was the delays they experience when the machines break down. "Well, how old are the machines?" I asked. They looked at each other, shrugged, and said casually, "Around one hundred years old." This factory started producing screws before the dictatorship, Juan Peron, and the Falkland Islands War and nearly everything that has shaped the face and the fate of Argentina today. When these centenarians break down, the workers take them apart, honing new parts out of scrap metal and coax them back to life. But it takes a couple days, and that's their biggest impediment to production.
They display intimacy, the men and their machines. One member was showing me how a compressed air pump stamps the Phillips-head imprint onto the head of a screw and stuck his smooth calloused fingers so close to the pumping mechanism that I began to wince, bracing for the yowl of snagged flesh. But he knew he was safe. He knew the cadence of the rotation, showed me with pride how his craft works. Some of these men have spent more time with these machines, inside this dim cold warehouse where everything is covered in eerie, shimmering dust, than they have with their families, their friends. Than they've spent outside in the open air. This is the price of industry.
Flexible Politics at Cooperativa SG Patria Grande
My next stop outside the city was a coop called SG Patria Grande. As soon as we stepped in from the bright sunlight I was surprised by a flurry of color and activity. Boxes were flying around the warehouse, being chucked from the loft and unceremoniously corralled into the open doors of a truck. Everyone working was young, under thirty-five, and was bustling around, whistling and cracking jokes. The boxes flew through the air with such ease because this coop distributes a wide array of intentionally lightweight disposables. Every imaginable extrusion of Styrofoam and cardboard and wrapping paper and Kleenex lay carefully ordered in yet another layer of packaging, in a warehouse stacked to the ceiling with what amounts to pre-trash.
The coop has a dream of using funds from their distribution business to open a responsibly produced bulk food store and restaurant, and seem very serious about making the transition, but know they will rely on revenues from pre-trash for the next ten years at least. They're trying to offer more corn-based compostable products, but they are not confident that these products are a viable long term alternative.
I began chatting with Julio, one of the founders of SG. He is 35, super alert, casual and bounced around on the soles of his bright red converse as he spoke with us. He started SG with more than a dozen friends when they were in their late twenties. They are all from middle class backgrounds, much younger than other coop socios I've met, and very concentrated on building cooperativism as a social movement. SG would like to host a coop summit to get all movement leaders together to share stories and create both business and personal connections. They hold workshops in cooperative business management and are a great resource for their fellow worker owners to access legal and technical information.
He said that when they first started, there were just a few stacks of boxes at the back, and now they've crept forward so that the room is nearly bursting. The huge back stock is a measure of the good health of this growing cooperative. On one wall of the warehouse there is a huge colorful mural of a masked Zapatista warrior with a baby on one hip (also in a black mask) and waving the rainbow checked indigenous flag. In the US, it would be unthinkable to see such a blatant representation of a clearly subversive group like the Zapatistas in any sort of capitalist business establishment.
Even odder, is that this Zapatista mama was flanked on the wall by a life sized cut out of Christina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina's current lady president. This is the type of small business her rhetoric is intent on supporting, although in practice she strongly favors supporting massive (Argentine, not foreign) corporations. More importantly perhaps, she represents a distinctly mainstream "business as usual" attitude with regard to capitalism that clashes with the chants of "que se vayan todos" ("get them all out", with regards to the power elite) that rang through the streets in 2001 when the empresas recuperadas movement was born. That was a time where people were desperate enough to imagine what a more radical shift might look like.
The empresas recuperadas movement helped people to envision what an economy based in solidarity and horizontal decision making might be, how that would change their daily lives and their relationships to their neighbors. But small gains for people clawing their way back towards middle class have tempered that vision, and many social movements in Argentina have once again set their sights on reform and not revolution. Julio saw me staring in bewilderment at the two women on the wall, he just smiled again and said mischievously, "We like a little bit of everything at SG."
The socios at SG are doing admirable work through their plans to supply more sustainable products and continue hosting cooperative workshops. They, and the rest of the worker-owners I spent time with, are building new networks together of good and services, providers and clients, producers and consumers based in socially responsible economic principles that provide mutual benefit. The challenges they face are an aging industrial landscape and a weak currency, however their struggle has weathered 11 years already and shows no signs of going away. Their success will lead to the success of their children and their communities.
An Advancing Global Movement
While the economic conditions in Argentina have been incredibly precarious, the consciousness that evolved as a result of the crisis provided fertile ground for a vibrant movement. Similar conditions are ripening in parts of the US as well. Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis and Chicago are all looking to new economic models. Chicago is the home of the first worker cooperative takeover of a factory in the US, New Era Windows and Detroit unions are seriously considering replacing the corporate auto industry that fled with their jobs with worker-owned industries. Despite the movement's contradictions, Argentina is still a priceless window into a new path and economic paradigm of worker's dignity, mutual aid and trust that can provide tangible inspiration to struggling workers and communities around the world.
The Working World is now helping to turn those dreams into reality in other countries and helped New Era purchase their factory from its previous owner. Working World is a non-profit organization that provides investment capital and technical support for worker cooperatives. Upon return, all investment money is reintegrated to a locally-based revolving loan fund, overseen by the cooperatives and the community it serves. According to Working World, "We support worker cooperatives using a finance model that puts money at the service of people, not the other way around. We help design, fund, and carry out productive projects, only requiring that cooperatives pay us back with the revenues the investments generate. As active partners, we are more motivated to ensure that these projects are successful, or in other words, that finance is only used as a tool to create real, lasting wealth for those that it serves."
This article is cross posted with permission from Shareable.net.