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Executive Summary
The Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of the San Francisco Public Library was recommended by a Strategic Audit commissioned by the Mayor, which was completed in April, 1997 a year after the building was opened to the public in April, 1996.
At the time the POE was commissioned in January, 1999, the administrative team members responsible for the design and construction of the facility had been entirely replaced. The new administrative team views the POE as an opportunity to obtain a baseline report by a group of outside experts to determine how public services could be improved by changes to the facilities. The direction given to the consultants was to evaluate the "here and now" of the library's operation, so that cost and value of making change could be considered by all levels of the organization.
The current administration maintains allegiance to policies and decisions made by the former administration only in so far as those decisions allow effective service to be provided. The new administration has made a number of incremental changes, however they have waited for the POE to provide an overview of changes that needed to be considered.
The consultant team consisted of Cynthia Ripley, a principal of Ripley Architects, who directed the study, and is recognized for the design of new and renovated library buildings. The team included both library and technical consultants. The two library consultants have extensive professional credentials; Florence Mason is a former librarian, professor who specializes in facility and management consulting. Susan Kent, in addition to her consulting practice, is the current director of the Los Angles Public Library.
Purpose of the Study
- Provide an objective, empirical assessment of the performance of the New Main Library;
- Identify problems with the library facility and propose solutions to those problems;
- Prioritize recommended changes and improvements so that the library may deliver the highest level of service to the largest number of patrons, or those most critically affected by a particular issue;
- Provide information about the cost of any proposed changes, as well as a cost benefit analysis;
- Assist the library in prioritizing improvements;
- Provide the Library with objective information about the strengths and weaknesses of the library facilities so that the library building can better meet the needs of the public and library staff;
- Contribute to the published literature on library design guidelines in order to help San Francisco as well as other cities when they plan new libraries.
Project Clusters and Costs
Proposed renovation consists of interior space planning changes requiring removal of non bearing partitions, patching of ceilings and floors, relocation of lighting, relocation of existing service desks, installation of shelving units. All exiting shelving and furniture can be reused. Maintaining the design standards of the existing building is paramount.
Changes to the building's mechanical, electrical systems require reconfiguration of the distribution systems. The one structural change is the development of a bridge between the west half of the 2nd floor to the Children's Center and the grand stair, which will require a light steel structure. This connection is intended eliminate the dead end at the 2nd floor which confuses and frustrates users and staff. The connection will require additional security and library staff. The proposed recommendations can be clustered into six projects which are described in section four as follows:
Renovation Project 1 Lower Level
Classroom Addition and New Collection Shelving
Renovation Project 2 6th Floor Relocations
Renovation Project 3 First and Second Floor
Part A Expand Browsing and Collections at 1st and 2nd Floors
Part B Expand 2nd floor Collections and Access
Part C First and Second Floor Desk Expansion
Part D First Floor Rest Room Expansion
Renovation Project 4 Third and Fourth Floor Renovations
Part A 3rd and 4th Floor Service Desk Relocation and New Furniture Installation
$ 1,663,757
Part B Expand Collection Areas
Renovation Project 5 Fifth Floor
Part A Relocate Periodical Shelving and Increase Reading Room Seating
Brooks Hall Renovation
Complete the Brooks Hall renovation for archival collections, back government documents and storage space.
Benefits of Renovation
The library is currently full. The benefit of implementing the facility changes is to make space for the collection and public services to allow the library to serve as the vital information resource which San Francisco needs. The alternative appears to be reducing the public collection to fit the building, or paging materials from a remote location.
In addition, on line public terminals at tables and carrels will be increased.
When materials are on open shelving, staff who currently page materials will be able to provide increasingly effective public library services.
Clarifying the way finding in the building will also liberate staff from traffic control, enhancing their ability to assist users with information retrieval.
Non-public departments will be able to serve the entire system more effectively and more cost effectively because they will have adequate space and excellent delivery access. Archival shelving and fixed shelving for back government documents will be provided in Brooks Hall.
Project Closeout Items and Maintenance Trouble Spots
In addition to the facility recommendations made by the POE consultants, there are several other open facility issues at the library resulting from the original design and construction contract.
There appear to be a number of incomplete project closeout items. Once the building was occupied, project closeout appears to have slowed. The Department of Public Works is in the process of completing project closeout items, although the fact that there are open items three years after the building was opened to the public is unusual. There should be no additional cost for this work.
A number of conditions under warranty need to be addressed. There appear to be a number of items for which the warranty period was extended for 5 years which do not function correctly. The building engineers need to clarify these items and exercise these warranties with the installers' and manufacturers' representatives. If they are unable to accomplish this, the library needs to adopt an alternative approach before the warranties expire. There should be no additional cost for this work, although staff time will be required.
A number of conditions which have proved to be difficult to maintain but which were designed, constructed to current standards have been identified by the maintenance staff. To solve these conditions, the library will need to hire architects, engineers and contractors to design and construct repairs. The consultants and contractors may be hired from the city or from the private sector. If the Library is using public funds for projects, the Library appears not to have the authority to contract for design and construction services directly and will need to have a Project Manager from DPW manage the work and retain services.
DPW currently holds a sum of approximately $3,000,000, the result of a settlement between the city, the contractor and the design architects for dispersal on behalf of the Main Library. The Library must determine the priority use of these funds. A further determination should be made as to whether these funds are restricted to outstanding items from the original construction contract. The Library needs to establish an internal project team and a reporting structures and measurable expectations with DPW in order to come to closure on completing the building and use of discretionary funds.
The consultants collected data through background document review, interviews, focus groups, staff and public surveys, observation and analysis of building systems. The data gathering provided information that helped the consultants to understand the range of services offered by SFPL at the Main Library.
The study finds that the building is both a significant example of contemporary civic architecture, and that serious operational problems are caused by the facility. The staff experiences major problems providing public services and the public has difficulty accessing services. Findings and recommendations are presented in the following areas:
- Functional Design issues - related to how the building spaces are configured and their impact on functional and operational issues;
- Legibility Issues - how well users are able to navigate within the building to find materials and services;
- Capacity Issues - related to the building's capacity to house materials, services and staff;
- Library Staff Issues - related to back of house library functions
- Facility Staff Issues - related to the building's daily operations and maintenance.
Modified POE Study Scope
In undertaking the study, the consultant team was disposed to focus first on library operations, and then to see if the facility needed to be changed to improve them. They recognized that management policies need to be evaluated as well as facilities, but this was not the subject of the study. The consultants approached the task with a sense of the importance of remaining independent both from individuals responsible for the design and construction of the building and the many critics of the library.
The team was familiar with the capital investment in the facility and the prestige of the architectural design team. The consultant team has not interacted with the Commission or library administration to devise a way to implement change; this is left to the library. Rather, the consultants have tried to frame the study as "a review by outside experts" and set of recommendations, which the library can adopt or develop. The POE Report is intended to assist those who support and love the library to make positive change as all great and vital institutions must.
After the initial background investigation, the consultants concluded that operational problems were severe enough to warrant change and that public services could be improved by renovating interior areas of the facility. The consultants' perspective was a long term one. The building is going to be in use for a long time - perhaps a 100 years or more. Change may be needed now, and it will probably be needed every 10-15 years. As one of the important centers for information for the city of San Francisco, the library will have to keep pace with the appetite for information that characterizes our age.
After the initial reconnaissance, and with the approval of the Library Administration, the consultants more closely defined the study objectives to focus on an investigation of the following issues:
- Discovering the extent to which the existing collection was accommodated in the existing building, and the means to increase space for future collection growth;
- Examining means of improving public access to materials in the library;
- Investigating methods of improving the public's ability to obtain services from staff or use of equipment;
- Assessing methods to improve the functional aspects of the building in terms of materials handling and operations affecting both staff and the public.
The Main Library building envelope is fixed by its Civic Center location; expansion can only occur by reconfiguring interior floors or by using existing floor configurations for different purposes. An important basic assumption on the part of the library is that the library's collection will not be reduced and that it will grow. This policy decision leads to the overriding set of recommendations concerning ways to make room for the collection, including reconfiguring floors, using Brooks Hall for archival and back government documents, and finding other offsite locations for non public service departments to release space in the Main Library for public services. Its finite capacity should be reserved for public services, not back of house operational functions which support the entire library system.
Brooks Hall, a former underground Exhibit Hall, should be used on a limited basis for designated collections and services and should be staffed independently. The public should access these collections directly from the Civic Center Plaza. Staff offices and reading areas can be designed with special lighting and finishes to achieve a quality similar to "First Stop" offices. In the consultants view, Brooks Hall presents some liabilities for the library because it is essentially warehouse space which requires a tremendous investment to bring it to a useable level for any other purpose than housing large collection which requires minor staff support. Hence the recommendation that it be used for the City Archive, which the library is charged with maintaining and will grow and other special archives which are growing; and government documents older than ten years. These types of collections require a great deal of shelving and the regular structural bays, as well as the grade level floor slab make Brooks an ideal candidate. Limited facilities storage for the Main Library and the Friends and Foundation book sale could also be assigned to Brooks.
Under no circumstances should funds be spent to upgrade Brooks Hall exclusively for major staff space or public space. The tendency to use Brooks for public collection overflow should be resisted, otherwise it is likely that it will continue to house an accumulation of uncatalogued material and equipment as it does today. Paging material from Brooks Hall to public service points in the Main Library is a costly waste of staff resources. If collections in storage on the lower level of the library are moved to Brooks Hall, the remainder of the public collection should be shifted so that materials requiring greater security or are less used move to vacated lower level storage space. The 1st and 2nd floors should be dedicated to new and popular materials, the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors should house the remainder of the collection on open shelving, which is kept fully accessible. The 6th floor and corner rooms on other floors should remain dedicated to their special collections, with overflow made available in the Brooks Hall Archive.
The library's current shelving as measured by the consultant team is 150,000 linear feet in the main building and 45,357 linear feet in Brooks Hall. A good deal of this shelving is compact shelving, housing material in the public collection on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors that has to be paged. Some of these materials may require greater security, but not all of it.
If floors are renovated in a similar manner to the recommendations in this report, the amount of shelving can increase to 154, 242 linear feet in the Main Library (a gain of 4,188 linear feet). This gain can be accomplished with the conversion of compact shelving to fixed shelving allowing public access on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors. If Brooks Hall is renovated according to the recommendations it will accommodate 109,410 linear feet (a gain of 64,054 linear feet).
Offsite space for non public services staff such as Personnel, Technical Services, Supplies and Delivery, Automation, Finance, could be located in leased or permanent space. The existing Federal Building in United Nations Plaza should be investigated to determine its ultimate designation, as well as other leased space in the Civic Center. Another alternative would be to locate offsite staff near a new or renovated branch. The site should be selected on the basis of delivery requirements, parking and public transit requirements for staff. Offsite locations should also take co-locations and partnerships with other libraries into consideration, such as UCSF in Mission Bay, Hastings, the State Library, City College and other private colleges, to save on administrative costs.
The following specific recommendations for facility changes to the Main Library are discussed and diagrammed in the body of the report.
2. In order to improve user access to the collection:
- Closed areas of compact shelving on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors need to be opened for public access and replaced with fixed shelving so that the public can have access to these materials without the delay of having them paged.
- Signage needs to be improved throughout;
- Service points in the East Side of the 3rd,4th and 5th floors should be relocated for maximum visibility from stairs and elevators; and the number of service points needs to be consolidated to 2 per floor to allow staffing at all times.
- The 1st and 2nd floors need to be re-planned and staffed in order to clarify access to the building and to provide more room for the new book and browsing collection;
- The online catalog needs ongoing investment and improvement.
3. In order to improve materials management and back of house library operations:
- The main return and circulation sequence of activities needs to be consolidated in one desk to use staff effectively;
- Sorting needs to move directly adjacent to the intake function;
- Automated clearing of fines and overdue books needs to be accelerated;
- External book drops need to be redesigned or dismantled;
- The loading dock needs to be more flexible for different sized loads.
1. In order to improve capacity and provide space for collections:
- Some non-public service departments, which serve the system as a whole, need to move to another location which has parking, delivery and public transit access.
- Storage on the lower level can be freed up by moving archival materials and back government documents to a newly established city archive and back government documents center in Brooks Hall. An independent entry from the Plaza and attractive staff and reading rooms needed to be provided in Brooks Hall. (Note: a full underground floor was omitted from the library during the design phase which has greatly contributed to the space shortage. Brooks Hall can serve as a replacement for that lost space.)
- Less used material from the public collection can then be moved to compact shelving and new fixed shelving on the lower level where it can efficiently be paged within the Main Library;
- The density of fixed shelving and number of user stations on floors can be increased. They are underutilized because of large ceremonial spaces.
4. In order to improve facilities management and maintenance:
- The maintenance budget needs to be prepared by a proactive team, including both the facilities manager and the finance director, which is committed to maintaining a major civic building;
- Facilities staff may need to be increased to maintain the building as it ages. Ongoing training and recruitment needs to be included in annual budgets;
- The Commission needs to support the facility improvement budgets not only to prevent deterioration, but also to support facility upgrades, with appropriate staff or on-call specialized consultants to manage the upgrades. The engineering staff has the time to operate and maintain facilities, but not to budget and manage renovation projects. Building maintenance and facilities renovation is two separate functions. A facilities renovation/budgeting group needs to be established which has library facilities as its core focus.
Specific findings resulting from the data analysis are the following:
- Improvements to collection space are needed. In spite of the ample foot print and the provisions of compact shelving areas, there is not enough foot print to shelve the current collection. Some of the space problems result because of the number of openings in the floors, which reduces usable floor area.
- The "legibility" of the building should be improved. Users cannot find their way from the entry to service points or to collections to get to the materials or help they need. The on line catalog interface seems to contribute to these difficulties as does the shelving sequencing of the collection. All these factors contribute to making searching difficult for users. Building signage is decorative, but does not provide any strategic way finding or materials location system that function with the online catalog.
- There are significant back of house operational issues. Staff encounters difficulties moving materials through the building and as a result, materials are damaged or are not as readily available for use as necessary in a library of this size. The Technical Services Department is overcrowded and delivery of materials to them is destroying the service elevator.
- There are facility management issues that affect the ongoing operation and maintenance of the 367,000 SF facility. The public toilets are very difficult to maintain. The AV systems in the auditoriums are deficient. The loading dock does not work.


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Share your moments with us!
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- Share on Instagram using #DeBeersForevermark and tag us @debeersforevermark

subset: commoncrawl


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A yarn that we dream about at night, Suri Merino is a warm, sumptuous blend of baby Suri alpaca & Fine Merino wool for structure. The lustrous, single –ply is perfect for just about everything from chic cardigans to fingerless mitts.
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Country of Origin: Peru


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Man Flees From Drug Arrest, Is Chased Down Alley, Found With .38
APD Press Release
During the late evening hours of Tuesday, Feb. 12, Arcata Police officers on foot patrol in the downtown area detained a male subject, later identified as Riley Gordon Kiesel, 29, of Mendocino, Calif. Kiesel was detained on the suspicion of possession and use of a controlled substance.
During the course of their investigation, Kiesel fled from the officers through a downtown alley. He was captured after a brief foot pursuit and arrested for resisting arrest.
In a search pursuant to his arrest, Kiesel was found to be in possession of a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun.
Kiesel was arrested and booked at the Humboldt County Jail without further incident and the following charges have been submitted to the Humboldt County District Attorneys Office:
- Carrying a concealed firearm upon a person
- Carrying a loaded firearm in public
- Resisting arrest
- Violation of terms of probation/not to possess firearm
- Possession of firearm by subject of a restraining order
- Violation of probation


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Friday, February 6, 2009. Chaos and violence continue, Barack moves back his "immediately" pledge on Iraq, Military Families Speak Up launch their DC action, US war resister Cliff Cornell has returned to the US from Canada, the (partial) election results are sifted through, and more.
Jon Allen (People's Weekly World News) reports on a teach-in entitled "War's Real Impact: Our Voices" that a number of groups staged in Chicago:
Eugene Cherry joined the army at the age of 19 in the hopes of getting money for college. Despite being a good student, he found his options in his impoverished south side neighborhood limited. "I thought the military would be my ticket out, but I found an organization based on racism, sexism and misogyny" he testified before the assembled audience. Later he spoke of "[a] culture of violence and racism" that the military promotes within its ranks. These pressures proved to be too much for Sherry. He deserted for 16 months after being refused mental health support by the army. "I found myself fighting and oppressing a group of people in the name of the war on terror" concluded his remarks to the gathering.
The plight of women in the armed forces proved to be a recurring theme. Patricia McCann, a National Guardsman deployed in 2003, noted during her testimony that instances of sexual assault and sexual harassment within the armed forces have risen but court-martials for these crimes have declined. Another veteran (and current Chicago police officer), Lisa Zepeda, added that victims of assault have no outside authority they can report assaults to; a victim must go through her immediate superior within her unit.
Allen notes that US House Rep "Jan Schakowasky and several Chicago aldermen also took the floor and addressed the audeince. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. and Illinois Senator Roland Burris also sent staff members to reaffirm their support of bringing the troops home."
Military Families Speak Out was among the organizations participating in the Chicago event and today they started a DC action that will run through Monday:
Come to Washington February 6-9 to demand "The Change WE Need"
President Elect Obama opposed the war in Iraq before it started, calling it a "dumb war." But he and his advisors have also said that they plan to spread the return of combat troops from that "dumb war" out over sixteen months and to keep tens of thousands of other troops on the ground in Iraq indefinitely.
So from February 6-9, MFSO will be traveling to Washington to bring the new President and new Congress the message that it is long past time to bring all our troops home from Iraq. The four days of events will include:
* A teach-in featuring the voices of military families, veterans, and Iraqis, explaining the need for an immediate and complete end to the war in Iraq -- and the human impacts of continuing the occupation. Friday, February 6 from Noon - 3:00 p.m. at Mott House, 122 Maryland Avenue.
* A solemn procession from Arlington National Cemetary to the White House beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 7. Meet at the front gate of the cemetery right outside the exit of the Arlington Metro stop. Please arrive early.
* A "Meet and Greet" and Legislative Briefing from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 8 at the Mariott Metro Center.
* Lobbying members of Congress to end the war in Iraq. Meet in the cafeteria of the Rayburn House Office Building at 9:00 a.m. Monday, February 9.
The teach-in takes place this afternoon. Actions continue through Monday. Meanwhile US war resister Andre Shepherd is seeking asylumn in Germany (we last noted Andre in Wednesday's snapshot). Wednesday, he was making his case for asylum to Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Andy Eckardt (NBC News) offers a strong report on Andre who explains, "When I enlisted in 2004 and later was sent to Iraq, I believed I was doing the right thing. But then, like other comrades around me, I started questioning why we were there and what we were fighting for. . . . My job was harmless until I factored in the amount of death and destruction those helicopters caused to civilians every day. The government made us believe we would be welcomed as heroes in Iraq, but we saw nothing but hostility from the Iraqis that came to work for us, they wanted to kill us." Meanwhile James M. Brnaum's GI Rights Lawyer.com explained yesterday:
U.S. war resister Cliff Cornell surrendered himself to U.S. border police on Wednesday after being ordered to leave Canada. He was promptly arrested for being AWOL from the U.S. Army, and is now being held at the Whatcom County Jail in Bellingham, Washington, twenty miles south of the U.S.-Canada border.
Cornell's attorney and supporters expressed outrage at the arrest.
"Clifford Cornell came back to the United States so that he could voluntarily return to his old unit at Fort Stewart," stated attorney James Branum. "He stated this intention to the Border Patrol, both verbally and in writing, by way of a letter I drafted on his behalf. I am disappointed that the Border Patrol chose to arrest my client and place him into a county jail with general population prisoners. This should not have happened."
Cornell, 28, fled to Canada four years ago after his Army artillery unit was ordered to Iraq. But despite a popular outcry to provide sanctuary to soldiers who refuse to fight in illegal wars, Canada's Conservative government is pressing ahead with deportations. Cornell, an Arkansas native, had come to call British Columbia home. But he now faces a possible court martial and imprisonment in the United States.
"Cliff Cornell should not be going to jail," said Gerry Condon, director of Project Safe Haven, a war resister advocacy group. "He had the guts to follow his conscience and obey international law," continued Condon. "President Obama should grant amnesty to Cliff Cornell and all war resisters."
Cornell is the second Iraq War resister to be held in the Whatcom County Jail. He follows Robin Long, who was deported from Canada in July. Long is now serving a 15-month prison sentence at Miramar Naval Consolidated Brig near San Diego.
"We want Bellingham to be a Sanctuary City for war resisters," said Gene Marx of Veterans For Peace, "not a way station for war resisters being sent to prison." Bellingham is known for being a progressive city, having passed two anti-war resolutions through its city council.
A public vigil in support of Cliff Cornell will be held outside of the County jail on Thursday from 10 am -- 1pm, organized by the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center.
A legal defense fund for Cliff Cornell is being established by Courage To Resist, a war resister support group, at www.couragetoresist.org.
Marie Marchand, Executive Director, Whatcom Peace & Justice Center
(360) 734-0217 (office); (434) 249-5957 (cell), WhatcomPJC(at)fidalgo.net
Gene Marx, Bellingham Veterans For Peace, Chapter 111, 253-653-4423 (cell)
Gerry Condon, Project Safe Haven, 206-499-1220 (cell),
In an update, AP reports that Cliff is being allowed to travel "by bus to Georgia" and will "turn himself in Tuesday at the Army base near Savannah." And, as Gerry Condon stated, Barack Obama should grant amnesty to all war resisters. But the reality is Barack's not even in a rush to end the illegal war.
Staying with the White House, US vice president Joe Biden is headed to Germany. Before he left the US today, he made some public remarks. Edward Epstein (CQ) reports, "He listed the economic crisis and ongoing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as the most pressing issues. Biden used a football analogy to describe the situation in Iraq, saying the United States is 'on the 20-yard-line' and 'driving toward the goal'." Jared Allen (The Hill) states the Biden "admitted that any victory is far from certain, and he reiterated that a victory through military means alone is unattainable." AFP quotes him stating, "Our administration is going to have to be very deeply involved not only keeping the commitment that we've made drawing down our troops in an orderly fashion consistent with what we said."
McClatchy Newspapers' Nancy A. Youssef is convinced that Barack's decision to request a variety of options for 'withdrawal' from Iraq is "the first indication that the Obama administration may be willing to abandon a campaign promise of a 16-month withdrawal." Or it may be Barack wanting to see all options, wanting to check if opinions ever see withdrawal possible (would you listen to someone's opinion if they didn't think the US could pull out in 16, 19 or even 23 months?). Who knows. But withdrawal' is not withdrawl. It is "combat" troops only. The White House unofficially says the number left behind would be approximately 70,000. That's not withdrawal. Youssef reports, "Obama is likely to announce his strategy for Iraq by mid-March, a senior administration official told McClatchy." That would be an indication of a broken promise and Youssef misses that point. At Hopey Changey "Three Facts about Barack Obama and Iraq" which includes this 'fact:' "Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq; successfully ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased."
What did Barack promise? "Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: successfully ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased." Mid-March? Mid-March is "immediately upon taking office"? Immediately upon taking office was when Barack was sworn in. That was last month. It's February. And a White House source is telling McClatchy it will be mid-March before anything's announced. Another case where "Barack kicks the can" and here he's promised "immediately upon taking office". (I have no idea who Nancy Youssef spoke to and this morning I'm being told that is not correct and that Barack will be making an announcement "this month" on Iraq. He may or he may not. But Youssef didn't make up that source. Even if an announcement is made this month, as two insisted this morning, the fact that some White House insider would tell Youssef it wouldn't be until mid-March goes to how unimportant Iraq is in the Obama White House. And "this month" would not be "immediately upon taking office".)
"Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's strong performance in Iraq's provincial elections was also a victory for American goals." No. al-Maliki wasn't a candidate. That's the lede to Sudarsan Raghavan and Ernesto Londono's Washington Post article and it's incorrect and they are not the only reporters/outlet to get it so wrong.
Nouri al-Maliki was not a candidate in provincial elections. These, as Londono himself has explained, are the equivalent of state legislature elections in the US. Did anyone assert that victory for Republicans in (pick one of fifty states) in (pick 2001 through 2007) was a victory for George W. Bush? No.
al-Maliki wanted to get some press and wanted to make the elections about him. He estimated a minimum of 70% of registered Iraqis would turn out. (51% did.) He thought this was going to be his big moment on the international scene.
For a reporter, it is very tempting to make it about al-Maliki for a number of reasons. For example, making provincial elections about the prime minister frees you of having to . . . cover the actual candidates. And there were 440 winners -- none of whom were named "Nouri al-Maliki." It's so much easier to stamp "al-Maliki Victory" and be done with it. This afternoon Alissa J. Rubin (at the International Herald Tirbune) focuses on Yusef Majid al-Habboubi who "managed to defeat not only the religious parties who controlled the province of Karbala but also Maliki's preferred candidates by a 2-1 margin in one of the bigger surprises in the provincial elections last week." In the preliminatry vote, Rubin explains, it appears al-Habboubi has 17% of the vote over twice what "the next two closest parties" appeared to have received.
This morning, Rubin's "Prime Ministers Party Wins in Iraqi Vote but Will Need to Form Coalitions" (New York Times) did a little better than the Post. The headline writer captures it and Rubin does as well for most of her article; however, sentences like the following trip her up: "In Baghdad, where Mr. Maliki ran a strongly nationalist campaign, he appeared to have had some success in winning votes from Sunnis, but in the Sunni-majority provinces to the north, his party's slate barely made a showing." He ran a strong nationalist campaign? And how many votes did he receive? What did he say in his victory speech? When will he be sworn in?
Here's reality, if you're going to wrongly make the provincial elections about Nouri al-Maliki, you're going to have to judge the success or failure of al-Maliki and the reality is "his party's slate barely made a showing" in the north. The reality is that Iraq has 18 provinces -- three of which have scheduled votes for this spring -- and to claim al-Maliki has 'won' a national campaign is not only premature, it doesn't even jibe with the actual (preliminary) results.
Raghavan and Londono tell you that the Dawa Party (al-Maliki's party) "won in nine provinces" -- with "an outright plurality" (NOT a majority) in Baghdad and Basra while it was a narrow win for Dawa "in the other seven provinces." Or, as Rubin puts it, "the party fell short of being able to operate without coalition-building."
That's a win? 14 provinces held elections last Saturday and Dawa didn't squeak out a majority win in any province, it only got "an outright plurality" in two provinces and, to govern, they need to coalition-build with other parties. That's not a win. Not for al-Maliki -- who was not a candidate -- and certainly not for Dawa.
What is troubling - - and what no one's pointed out -- is that we don't expect, for example, Barack Obama to head over to Oregon when they're electing their state legislature. We don't expect him to campaign for them or butt in. That al-Maliki was allowed to hit the road (attempting to buy votes) goes to how problematic the election actually was. Rubin writes, "Some politicians have voiced concerns in recent months that too much power was being concentrated in Mr. Maliki's hands, and the election results suggested that Iraqis were not ready to rally around a single leader." It's a shame the press never bothered to question why a prime minister was attempting to repeatedly inject himself into provincial elections?
Rubin writes, "Except in areas where Sunnis were voting for the first time, the large, prominent parties with nationally known leaders won the most seats, showing the power of incumbency and the difficulties facing the newer secular parties." Well if you're going to make that observation, you might also question why the country's prime minister is interfering in provincial elections? These are not the equivalent of US Congressional elections (that would be Iraq's Parliament). That issue was never raised. But, no, it is not normal for the highest office holder in the country to try to inject her or himself into local elections. And it's not normal -- when the press is lauding 'democracy' -- for no one to question that injection. Another question to ask: Did al-Maliki's injection depress voter turnout?
In the final paragraphs of Rubin's article she notes Anbar and quotes various complaints from Tamouz ("a nongovernment organization monitoring the elections"). She tells us that the Iraqi Islamic Party is Sunni. She tells us nothing about the make up of Tamouz. Tamouz is making accusations. Readers have a right to know who they are and the use of "nongovernment" will translate to some as 'from outside Iraq.' That's not reality. But we don't get a lot of reality in this morning's election coverage. Back to the Washington Post's article, the following should never happen:
The Obama administration appeared as pleased at what did not happen on election day as it was about the results. "Any election where [there is] fairness and generally aboveboard practices, where the people get a chance to vote and they're not rioting in the streets and throwing bombs . . . is a good result," a senior administration official said in Washington. "We should celebrate that. So far, so good."
There is no reason to grant anonymity for the above. If the 'celebrator' can't be named, his or her comment doesn't need to be included. When you start granting anonymity for prattle, you're degrading journalism standards. James Kirkup (Telegraph of London) attempts to write up Moqtada al-Sadr's political death stating, "British officials see the political setback as the latest sign of Mr Sadr's diminished importance in southern Iraq." Diminished importantce? Rubin says al-Sadr "did surprisingly well, given that his movement decided to support them only two weeks before the elections." BBC notes, "Finals results are not expected to be known for weeks." What is known is that the violence continues with Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports, "Abdulmajeed al Nuaimi, member of the incumbent provincial in Mosul" called the police about an unidentified object outside his home that turned out to be a roadside bomb.
In other reported violence today . . .
Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing at a liquor store that left "material damages to the store," a Baghdad grenade tossed at a supermarket leaving "material damages to the store".
Reuters reports, "U.S. and Iraqi security forces killed a civilian and arrested six suspected militants in raids on towns southwest of Kirkuk".
Nawal Al Samarrai is making news in Iraq. Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite Network reports she has resigned as the Minister of Women's Affairs due to the fact that her job is for-show and contains no real power to improve anything. Waleed Ibrahim, Michael Christie and Katie Nguyen report Reuters exclusive interview with al-Samarai:
Iraq's minister of women's affairs resigned on Thursday in protest at a lack of resources to cope with "an army of widows, unemployed, oppressed and detained women" after years of sectarian warfare.
Nawal al-Samarai said her status as a secretary of state and not a full minister reflected the low emphasis given by the government to the plight of women in Iraq, once one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East for women's rights.
"This ministry with its current title cannot cope with the needs of Iraqi women," said Samarai, who was appointed in July.
The Times of India adds, "Samarrai, who took office in July 2008 and had recently chaired two committees on improving the conditions of women and another on the breast cancer, said she would seek a position where she could actually help women." wowOwow covers the story and notes, "She has not, however, heard back from the Prime Minister's office on whether they accept her resignation or will heed her calls and provide more social services for Iraq's women."
Meanwhile, Barbara Starr and Mike Mount (CNN) report, "The Army said 24 soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in January alone -- six times as many as killed themselves in January 2008, according to statistics released Thursday." Stephanie Gaskell (New York Daily News) observes, "In a rare move, the Army released monthly suicide data Thursday to highlight the growing problem. Last week, Army officials said its suicide rates were at their highest in nearly 30 years. Last year, 128 soldiers committed suicide and another 15 suspected cases are pending. Last month, Army officials believe that 24 soldiers killed themselves - compared with just four in January 2008." Lizette Alvarez (New York Times) quotes Gen Peter Chiarelli stating, "Each of these losses is a personal tragedy that is felt throughout the Army family. The trend and trajectory seen in January further heightens the seriousness and urgency that all of us must have in preventing suicides." If you mean your words, do something. If not, stop boring us. The military's had more than enough time to notice the suicides and to do something about it. It's done nothing other than a few pamphlets and a 1-800 number. The change has to come from the top in the military because it is a top-down command. Chiarelli wants to change the culture? Great. Otherwise, it's just him using a tragedy to look sympathetic. And if that's harsh, it's harsh that so many suicides have repeatedly taken place and the military has ignored the problem. Or lied about it. It wasn't all that long ago CBS News was catching the VA lying about the number of suicides. CBS Evening News' Kimberly Dozier most recently reported on the suicides in December noting that 1st Sgt Jeff McKinney's family (rightly, my opinion) called him "a casualty of war" because he served, ended up wtih PTSD and did not receive the treatment he needed and he took his own life while serving.. His father, Charles, McKinney, told Dozier, "I think he felt like he couldn't send one more broken body home, one more person home."
Throwing out a link for friends, Washington Unplugged is a new CBS News show. It airs each Friday afternoon. Haven't seen it? It airs online only. Face The Nation's Bob Schieffer is the anchor and I use anchor because it is news reports and, at the closing, Schieffer offers a commentary as he does on Face The Nation. This week his comment is on Tom Daschle. Before that, Kent Conrad appears to make a fool out of himself. Tom Daschle didn't report it to the IRS because he thought the driver and car were a "gift"? Kent, learn the tax code. Such a gift would have to be reported to the IRS. Washington Unplugged streams live online Friday afternoons and archives are available seven days a week. This week (tonight on most PBS stations) NOW on PBS offers:
Is there a solution to the foreclosure mess that's destroying communities?
Across the country, cities are in crisis because of the fallout from the mortgage mess -- property taxes are way down, and abandoned homes are bringing down property values, inviting crime, and draining government coffers. Neighborhoods are being destroyed. Yet the federal bailout money is not going directly to desperate communities and homeowners, but to local and national banks.
This week, NOW investigates the innovative way some cities are fighting back. The city of Memphis, Tennessee is suing major national lenders and banks for deceptive and discriminatory lending practices in an effort to recoup the cost of the financial mess. Other cities suing lenders for their role in the mortgage mess include Baltimore, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Birmingham.
With desperation climbing alongside debt, can the strategy help these blighted parts of America?
Washington Week also begins airing tonight on most PBS stations and joining Gwen this installment is Ceci Connolly (Washington Post), Charles Babington (AP), Michael Duffy (Time magazine) and Jackie Calmes (New York Times). And on broadcast TV (CBS) Sunday, no 60 Minutes:
Saving Flight 1549
Hero pilot Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and his flight crew together reveal for the first time the sights, sounds and physical sensations they experienced as they pulled off an incredible water landing last month, saving the lives of all 155 people aboard US Airways Flight 1549. Katie Couric reports. (This is an extra-length story. | Watch Video
The British rock group that has taken its place among the most popular bands in the world gives 60 Minutes a rare look inside its world that includes a candid interview with frontman Chris Martin. Steve Kroft reports. | Watch Video
60 Minutes, Sunday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
60 Minutes Update
Beckham Leaving The L.A. Galaxy?
David Beckham wants to leave the Los Angeles Galaxy and stay with AC Milan after his loan to the Italian club is scheduled to end next month. The 33-year-old English midfielder announced his intentions Wednesday after playing in Milan's 2-2 exhibition tie at Glasgow Rangers. Beckham is about two years into a $32.5 million, five-year contract with Major League Soccer. In March 2008, CNN's Anderson Cooper profiled Beckham for 60 Minutes, discussing his widely publicized move to Los Angeles. | Video
Friday, February 06, 2009
Iraq snapshot
Posted by Common Ills at 2:43 PM


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Univ. of Wisconsin
J.D. Univ. of Wisconsin Law school
Brian was a geometry teacher through the Teach for America program and started the geometry program at his school
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Univ. of Wisconsin
J.D. Univ. of Wisconsin Law school
Brian was a geometry teacher through the Teach for America program and started the geometry program at his school
When a line is drawn parallel to one side in a triangle, two similar triangles are formed because corresponding angles yield the AA similarity shortcut. Because the triangles are similar, the segments formed by the parallel line are proportional segments. When finding one of the bases of the triangles, be careful in setting up the proportion since the ratio is equal to the small triangle's side to the large triangle's.
If we have a triangle and if I draw a line that's parallel to one of the bases, question that I'm going to pause is does that create 2 similar triangles?
Well, to do this we're going to have to say, one of our shortcuts angle angle, side angle side or side side side will have to apply in order for us to say that this smaller triangle dve is similar to the larger triangle abc. And notice that I've marked our angles 1, 2, 3, and 4. The reason why I did that is because I'm going to say that angles 1 and 2 are corresponding angles, which means that they must be congruent to each other. Since we have a transversal which is ab and 2 parallel lines, 1 and 2 are corresponding angles. In a similar argument bc is a transversal where we have 2 parallel lines which means angles 3 and 4 must be congruent to each other. And right now we have 2 angles in each of these triangles which is enough to say that they must be similar. So is triangle abc similar to triangle dbe? Yes, and our shortcut was angle angle.
So a couple interesting things happened here is we can use the converse of this and say that if you have 2 lines and the question is if this line is parallel, then you can say that these 2 triangles must be similar. And another way of saying that if these 2 angles are congruent and if these 2 angles are congruent then you must have parallel lines and you must have 2 similar triangles.
Let's look at 2 short examples. Right here I have a triangle and I'm being asked are we do we have 2 similar triangles? Well, if I look at this we have 70 degrees, 70 degrees, so those are congruent and we have 2 other congruent angles which means we can use the angle angle shortcut to say that these two must be congruent.
Now let's look at one other example. Here we have a triangle and again we don't have anything that's marked parallel. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to redraw my smaller triangle here. So this is the triangle with the side 4 and the side 6. Now I'm going to set up a proportion between the corresponding sides here. So we have 4 is the side on the left of the smaller triangle and the larger side is not 8 but it's 12 because the whole length is 12. And then over here we have 6 and the whole side is 18, 6 plus 12. So if I reduce these 4 twelves I can divide those both by 4 and I can get one third and here I can divide both of these numbers by 6 and I get one third. So are these triangles similar and the answer is yes. And our shortcut here would be the side angle side shortcut because they both share the same angle right there so it has to be congruent to itself.
Now one other interesting thing that you should notice is not only are 4 and 12 proportional and 6 and 18 proportional, but if I just looked at 4 and 8. 4:8 if I write that ratio here is equal to the ratio of 6:12. So if you have parallel lines, or if you have one line that's parallel to the base, you will create segments that are proportional to each other. So you don't even need to think about the ratio of 4 to the whole side. You could just say if we didn't know that length right there, that if this is 6:12 then this has to be 4 to some number. And so instead of using 8 we would have x and we would see that our ratio is double. So to get from 4 to x we would have to multiply by 2 and then we can find 8.
So two key things happened with a parallel line and a triangle. First key thing is it will create two similar triangles and the ratio of these sides created by that parallel line will be similar.


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Mrs. Freidman2013-11-15
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MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and manslaughter in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd.
Bystander video viewed around the world, and multiple police body cameras, captured Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds in the street outside Cup Foods that night. He was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and Judge Peter Cahill later reinstated a third-degree murder charge against him.
The jurors seated for the Chauvin trial deliberated for less than 10 hours before reaching their verdict. They delivered a verdict of guilty on all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin's conviction marks only the second time a police officer has been convicted of murder in Minnesota, and the first time such a conviction has been won against a white officer who killed a Black man. The first murder conviction for a Minnesota officer was that of Mohamed Noor, a Somali officer convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting death of a Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a white woman.
The maximum sentence Chauvin could face is 40 years for second-degree murder, 25 years for third-degree murder and 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. Those sentences would likely be served concurrently, not consecutively, since they are all for the same crime.
The presumptive sentences, however, are 12 and a half years for each murder charge and four years for the manslaughter charge. The judge could consider a heavier sentence based on an upward departure motion from the prosecution and other information discovered during the presentence investigation.
After the jury delivered its verdict, Chauvin was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. According to the Department of Correctional Facilities, Chauvin is being held at Oak Park Heights.
Fourteen jurors heard the case, but two alternates were let go right before deliberations. The final jury is made up of two white men, two multiracial women, three Black men, one Black woman, and four white women. Two of the jurors are immigrants.
During jury selection, many people expressed concern about their safety after the verdict is delivered. The judge told them they will remain anonymous until he deems it safe to release their identities as part of the public record of the case.
Floyd's death last year sparked global protests over systemic racism and police brutality. In the Twin Cities metro, it also led to widespread rioting and many burned and damaged businesses. This year ahead of the trial, local, state and federal law enforcement created a coalition called Operation Safety Net to manage the potential civil unrest.
Barricades and fencing have been put up around the Hennepin County Government Center and the police precincts. Mayor Jacob Frey has said at the peak, there will be about 2,000 National Guard soldiers and 1,100 law enforcement partners out on the streets.
On April 15, the day testimony in the trial ended, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said he will be the one to decide whether to use tear gas as a crowd control tactic.
The Chauvin trial is wrapping up concurrently with another high-profile police killing in Minnesota: Daunte Wright, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop on April 11 in nearby Brooklyn Center. Former officer Kim Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in Wright's death, which prompted several nights in a row of protests in Brooklyn Center.
George Floyd's family won a record civil settlement from the city of Minneapolis while the trial was ongoing: $27 million, surpassing the $20 million awarded to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond.
RELATED: 'We are able to breathe again' | George Floyd's family reacts to Chauvin verdict, calls for police reform
What happens next
A presentence investigation will be conducted before Judge Cahill sentences Chauvin. That process was described by retired Judge LaJune Lange as a "background check" in which Chauvin's whole life will come into play and possibly be shown to the public.
Before Chauvin is sentenced, he could also choose to make a statement to the judge. This would be the most the public has heard from the former officer himself, as he chose to invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to testify at trial.
What happened during the trial
The jury heard two weeks of testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution, followed by a few days of defense witnesses.
Bystanders who witnessed Chauvin and other officers restraining Floyd testified that they repeatedly asked Chauvin to get up off Floyd's neck. Multiple witnesses, some who were teens at the time, testified through tears that they carry guilt for not being able to save Floyd.
The state called a series of witnesses from the Minneapolis Police Department to testify about the training and policy Chauvin was required to follow. In a moment not seen often during police trials, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo took the stand to testify against his former officer, saying "That is not what we teach."
Defense attorney Eric Nelson had several effective cross-examinations during this phase of the trial, including that of Lt. Johnny Mercil, who leads the department's use-of-force training. Mercil said while putting a knee on a person's neck is not a trained restraint, it "isn't unauthorized." When asked about the concept that if a person can talk, they can breathe, he replied, "It's been said, yes."
Mercil and other high-level MPD officers all told the jury that officers are trained to turn a person to the side recovery position because of the dangers of the prone position, and to render medical aid to anyone in their custody who needs it.
Defense attorney Nelson called his own use-of-force expert, who testified that Chauvin acted with "objective reasonableness" and that he likely perceived the crowd of bystanders as a threat. He also said that the prone position is not inherently dangerous.
Finally, the prosecution called medical experts who testified that Floyd died from asphyxia, or a low level of oxygen, caused by the officers' restraint. The defense's own medical expert said he believes the cause of death was a sudden cardiac arrhythmia that happened during the restraint, and that Floyd's underlying heart conditions and the drugs in his system were contributing factors.
Dr. Andrew Baker, the medical examiner who performed Floyd's autopsy, was a key witness for both sides. He testified that the law enforcement restraint and neck compression "was just more than Mr. Floyd could take by virtue of those heart conditions." He said in another statement that the restraint "tipped him over the edge."


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Online Defensive Driving School
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Looking for Defensive Driving Houston classes that won't take up all of your time? If this sounds like you, sign up for Funny Bone today to regain your driving privileges in no time!


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
Once you are close to spending $800 the Samsung Q1 is by far the best solution. Don't spend more. And unlike the Nokia its not a learning project to load the orbiter (it runs windows XP).However the Nokia's are selling for less than the cost of the screen and can be made to work.I would love an install package or compiled binary to install Pluto Orbiter on it.


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Hi Everyone! Janis here, from Pinecone Camp. I mentioned on my blog, a couple of weeks ago, that I had found a $2 wire waste basket, and I was going to turn it into a pendant light. Well here it is. I used scrapes of fabric to create a light for my niece. Simple and really inexpensive!
An interiors and lifestyle photographer (and closet baker by night), Janis Nicolay hails from Vancouver and adores travel, airports, road trips, camping and mid-century style.
Blog: pineconecamp.blogspot.com
Site: janisnicolay.com
Shop: PineconeCamp.etsy.com


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Year of publication
- 2016 (1) (remove)
Document Type
- Article (1)
- English (1)
Has Fulltext
- yes (1) (remove)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (1) (remove)
- Abstractness (1)
- Allomorph (1)
- Allomorphy (1)
- Deutsch (1)
- German (1)
- OO-correspondence (1)
- Phonemic level (1)
- Phonologie (1)
- Peer-Revied (1) (remove)
A model of grammar needs to reconcile the undesirability inherent to allomorphy, the apparent extra burden on learning and memory, with its occurrence and possible stability. OT approaches this task by positing an anti-allomorphy constraint, henceforth referred to as "OO-correspondence", which requires leveling (i.e. sameness of sound structure) in related word forms (Benua 1997). The occurrence of allomorphy then indicates crucial domination of OO-correspondence by other constraints. To assess the adequacy of this proposal it is necessary to establish the level of abstractness at which OO-correspondence applies and to examine the consequences of this decision for ranking order. While proponents of OT tacitly assume the level in question to be rather concrete, the notion of allomorphy as originally envisioned in Structuralism was defined by distinctness at a more abstract level referred to as "phonemic" (Harris 1942; Nida 1944). The basic intuition here is that the defining property of subphonemic sound properties, their conditionedness by context, entails that whatever burden they put on learning and memory is of a fundamentally different nature than that entailed by phonemic distinctness. The evidence from German supports that intuition in that leveling can be shown to target phonemic sound structure to the exclusion of subphonemic properties. Allomorphy, defined by phonemic alterna-tion, tends to serve phonological optimization in closed class items (function words, affixes) while serving to express morphological distinctions in open class items. The key to demonstrating the correlations in question lies in the discernment of phonemic structure, which is therefore at the core of the article.


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Weather Service Chief Defends Integrity Of Forecasters
The head of the National Weather Service issued a strong public defense Monday of forecasters who contradicted Trump's claim that Hurricane Dorian posed a threat to Alabama as it approached the United States.
Director Louis Uccellini said forecasters in Birmingham did the right thing Sept. 1 when they tried to combat public panic and rumors that Dorian posed a threat to Alabama. It was only later that they found out the source of the mistaken information, he said.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Weather Association, Uccellini said Birmingham forecasters "did what any office would do to protect the public."
"They did that with one thing in mind: public safety," said Uccellini, who prompted a standing ovation from hundreds of forecasters by asking members of the Birmingham weather staff to stand.
Earlier, the president of the 2,100-member association, Paul Schlatter, said any forecast office "would have done the exact same thing" as the Birmingham forecast office.
Trump has defended his tweet about Alabama, and he displayed an altered forecast map in the Oval Office last week in an attempt to make his point. Apparently siding with Trump, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an unsigned statement critical of the Birmingham forecasters Friday.
But Alabama had never been included in hurricane advisories and Trump's information, based on less authoritative computer models than an official forecast, was outdated when he sent a tweet saying Alabama could be affected by Dorian.
Discussing the flurry of social media contacts and phone calls that followed Trump's tweet, Uccellini said Birmingham forecasters used "an emphasis they deemed essential to shut down what they thought were rumors" when they posted on social media that Alabama's wasn't at risk.
"Only later, when the retweets and politically based comments started coming to their office, did they learn the sources of this information," he said.


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Knoxville, TN, Strayer University Campus
Welcome to our Knoxville campus
Come visit – we're ready for you! At our Knoxville campus, you'll find a team of local advisors to help you choose your program, find cost-saving opportunities and navigate the admissions process.
Plan your visit
Before you make the trip, here's what you need to know.
- We're following CDC recommendations to keep our campus community safe.
- Services may vary by campus, so check the website beforehand.
- Walk-ins are welcome.
- Appointments are okay, too.
Winter Classes Start on January 2
Find out what's happening on campus
Start-to-finish support
Your admissions officer and student services coach will motivate and support you from enrollment to the day you graduate.
Select on-campus courses
We offer select on-campus courses, so you can connect with professors and classmates face-to-face. Contact us to learn more about on-campus courses.
On-campus activities
We have a ping-pong table and video game system available on campus for you to use. It's a great way to connect with fellow students.
Knoxville, TN campus
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9 a.m – 6 p.m.
Online degrees with on-campus support
Pursuing your online degree doesn't have to be lonely. We offer select courses on campus, so you can enjoy face-to-face support and camaraderie of a classroom. Ask your admissions officer which courses are available on campus.
Knoxville campus amenities
Get tutoring from subject matter experts. Tutoring is offered to fit your schedule, so check your nearby campus for availability.
Admissions assistance
Navigate the enrollment process with the support you need. We'll match you with an admissions officer who will get you on the road to your degree after getting to know you and your educational goals.
Financial assistance
Getting a degree is a big investment, but it doesn't have to get in the way of your dream. Our financial aid advisors can help you find ways to make your degree more affordable.
On-site faculty
Have a question about your coursework? Visit your professor during office hours and get answers fast.
Wi-Fi access
Easily connect to high-speed internet via the campus Wi-Fi, as you work through homework or if you just need a study break.
Guidance to graduation day
As your first quarter wraps up, you'll be paired with a student services coach who will mentor, motivate and guide you as you advance toward your degree. Learn how your coach can help you graduate.
Student lounge
Enjoy a bright and sunny space to study and socialize with your fellow students.
Study spots
From a quiet corner in the library to the student lounge to lively coffee shops nearby, you'll find just the right place to study.
The classroom experience
We offer select courses here on campus to give you the support and community you need. Classes are held in the evenings and sometimes weekends — and are taught by faculty with real-world experience.
Computer lab access
Need some tech to complete your assignments or check email? Visit the campus computer lab to access state-of-the-art computer systems, high-speed internet, popular software programs and printers.
Experience the Strayer difference
Save on your degree
For every three classes you pass, you'll earn one on us at the end of your program. Eligibility and participation rules apply.
Start with a laptop on us
Every eligible student enrolling in a bachelor's program gets a new laptop and Microsoft software package. Eligibility requirements apply.
Bingeworthy courses
Learning comes to life through short, documentary-style videos that blend core subject matter with stories about real people.


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Serving Size: 4
2 cups black-eyed peas — cooked
1/2 cup rice — white or brown
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup celery — chopped
1/2 cup onion — chopped, or
1/4 cup green pepper — chopped
4 green spring onions — chopped, up to 5
4 ounces mushrooms — sliced, canned
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
4 tomatoes — crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper — crushed (opt)
Directions: Combine ingredients in a stockpot or crockpot, and cook until rice is done, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. A little more liquid may have to be added. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking as the mixture thickens whichever method is used. In crockpot, cook about 4 hours on high, and 6-7 hours on low heat.
Cook's Note: In any authentic Southern cookbook, there will almost always be a recipe for Hoppin' John, which is basically a combination of rice and black- eyed peas. To this basic recipe, each cook will addhis/her personal touches and I have added mine. White rice is traditional, but brown rice has more fiber. Tomatoes are optional. Mushrooms are a modern touch. In some areas, red pepper sauce or Tabasco sauce replaces the crushed red pepper. In Texas, Purple Hull peas are frequently used, with Picante Sauce served on the side. In Louisiana, Red Beans and Rice are the popular combination. In other places is found the combination of black beans and rice as the popular dish.
Updated from old family recipe. A.Broaddus 3/14/72


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Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Passing of Marcus Borg (March 11, 1942 - January 21, 2015)
The news about Marcus Borg's death is spreading. Borg was a recognized New Testament scholar who became associated with the Jesus Seminar in the 1980s and 90s.
Among his many books were some like Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time and Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Faith of Modern Faith. Both reflect his many attempts to bring New Testament scholarship to a non-scholarly audience.
Although there were any number of things one could about disagree with Borg, he was always a gentleman. His desire to make the New Testament accessible and useful for those living in the modern age will not only be one of his hallmarks, it will be greatly missed.
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text:
Arthur Schopenhauer Quote
Related Quotes
I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel.
Audrey Hepburn
Tipani flower skies blazing rapture of color laced tree crowns silhouettes along the ocean diamond necklaced beach...of my heart in fragrance of love spilled by caressing kisses of the sun opening the...
Oksana Rus
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
Audrey Hepburn
I used to wonder if it was God's plan that I should be alone for so much of my life. But I found peace. I found happiness within people and the world.
Lana Del Rey
Just as a cautious businessman avoids investing all his capital in one concern, so wisdom would probably admonish us also not to anticipate all our happiness from one quarter alone.
Sigmund Freud
Man does not live by soap alone and hygiene, or even health, is not much good unless you can take a healthy view of it or, better still, feel a healthy indifference to it.
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Eagle's flight of loneliness soars so high Around its sigh, no more alone the sky Other birds remain away, clouds pass byBetween shrouds of life and haze sun rays die
Munia Khan
Failure to put the relationship on a slower timetable may result in an act that was never intended in the first place. Another important principle is to avoid the circumstances where compromise is lik...
James C. Dobson
About Arthur Schopenhauer


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A Couple Hours With Two of The Best
Posted by destinjames
Just as I usually do, I found out about something very cool last minute and by accident.
Two of the best disc golfers in the world: Will Schusterick & Paige Pierce hosted a clinic at Oregon Park near Dallas, GA last night, and it was fantastic! The majority of their training wasn't new to anyone there (grips, stances, etc.), but it was nice to ask true professionals questions that you can't ask just anyone.
Will was able to help me with my up-shot wrist work with tremendous results. My wrist was too tight, and he fixed it. That's something I could have not learned without a real face to face training session.
Paige was also able to help me and many correct their distant putting by focusing on follow-through. I was much more accurate at about 40 feet after Paige demonstrated techniques.
I think one of the best times of the evening is getting the Dogleg shirt signed!
Overall it was great to support the local disc golf scene and two of the best disc golfers out there. Will and Paige are truly great people with a lot of class. Make sure you root for them this weekend for The Hall of Fame Classic here in GA!


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Here's what it was like in 2000: the Web frenzy was underway, and the predictions for it were completely out of hand. In many ways, they were overblown. And yet the long-term impact of the Web was far more pervasive than any of us had expected, along surprising dimensions.
It's the same now. Social technology in 2012 is the Web in 2000. The predictions both over- and underestimate its significance. Here's some perspective (always a badly needed commodity) from the Web of 2000, applied to the social technology world of now.
In 2000, less than two-thirds of American consumers were online, but many of them were only occasional users. Broadband made the difference -- it turned a "check-occasionally" experience into one that was a pervasive part of every interaction between companies and people. The rise of broadband was far more important than the rise of online penetration.
Now, more than half of Americans are in a social network. But as in 2000, keep your eye, not on penetration, but on the enabling technology, which in this case is mobile. Mobile changes social from a "check-when-I'm-at-a-PC" experience to one that pervades everyday life. Mobile penetration in the US will reach one in three consumers this year. The explosion of cheap smartphones in 2012 is what will make social part of the fabric of every interaction.
In 2000, all eyes were on e-commerce. Every company we worked with wanted an e-commerce strategy, and the likes of pets.com and furniture.com were threatening to challenge bricks-and-mortar retail. E-commerce was huge, for sure -- try $60 billion this holiday season -- but for most companies selling online wasn't the big impact (and rather than killing bricks-and-mortar, the Web became an important strategic element of every traditional retailer). Instead of e-commerce, for most companies, it wasservice that mattered. Consumers wanted to get information both before and after the sale -- every company had to deliver on that promise.
Now, social commerce is again a big topic. But the overblown expectations around Groupon may lead to another disillusioned collapse. Once again, the real power of social technology is in service -- the successful companies are those that live up to their customers' service expectations by responding to queries in the social world, as Zappos and Comcast now already.
Finally, in 2000, all the focus was on how the Web changed companies' relationships with their customers. But arguably, the impact of the Internet was broader within companies. Everyone got email. Everyone got laptops with browsers installed. And as a result, organizations flattened -- anyone could reach anyone else, electronically, anywhere. This vastly increased the speed of collaboration and ratcheted up competitive demands.
Now, again, the focus is on social technology as it affects consumers. But increasingly, from Chatter to Newsgator, the staid old Intranet is becoming a social network that feels a lot like Facebook. Social interactions within companies are transforming the speed of interaction and flattening corporations even further. If you work for a sizable company, you may find in the next few years that your corporate social network is far more important to you than your Facebook page. Social will transform what it means to work in a company, just the Internet did.
Here's the value of perspective. Try to lift your viewpoint out of the tired old social technology dichotomy -- "We all have to do this now" vs. "Social is truly overhyped." Instead, ask yourself, once the social connection is part of every interaction, for most consumers, and both within and outside of companies, how will the world be different? The strategic thinker prepares for that .


text: Zombie Meets Vampire Trailer is a post apocalyptic industrial grunge zombie meets vampire track, heavy dark guitars, horror screaming synths, scary funky loops and beastie boys bass thrown in for good measure! Great for a horror film trailer or video game, or anything else you can shake a club at. Has a creepy, ominous, tone, and foreboding vibe.


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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) 2011 Leukemia Cup Regatta, held January 14-16 at Lake Pleasant, raised $41,000 to support the fight against blood cancers. The Society's signature sailing event has raised more than $300,000 in Arizona in the last 4 years. "We would especially like to acknowledge the Arizona Yacht Club (AYC), for their commitment over the past 9 years in running a safe and very competitive sailing race for us," said Jon Meyers, Executive Director of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Desert Mountain States Chapter. "The need for continued investments in research is critical. More than 900,000 people in the United States are currently living with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and an estimated 55,000 will lose their battle over the coming year." The chapter holds its sailing fundraiser in conjunction with the AYC, who celebrate their Birthday Regatta over the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend each year.
Fundraising events depend upon the support of the area community, and LLS gratefully acknowledges its 2011 Leukemia Cup Regatta sponsors: Arizona Yacht Club, Wolters Kluwer, Protea Medical Center, Phoenix School of Law, ST Microelectronics, Smith Law Group, West Marine, North Sail, SailShop, AGM Technical Solution, Arizona Boating and Water Sports, Mt. Gay Rum, Sailing World, Vineyard Vines, Jobson Sailing, John MeCray, Ken Gardiner, The Heislers, AmeriChoice, United Healthcare, Colligo Marine, Casa Technology Systems and Full Sail Brewery.
The three days of the Regatta proved once again that the wind in Arizona can be great, good and also non-existent, all in the same weekend! Friday, January 14, saw consistent wind all day out of the north to northeast. Saturday, January 15, was a typical Lake Pleasant day with a couple of races off to the north before the midday shift and another race or two off to the south. Sunday was good in the morning, but without a hard and fast shift to the south, fleets checked out around noon. The wind did come back up, but by then the RC had flown the AP/A and everyone was on their way home. A special thank you to Peter Howson for coming out and taking some really great pictures.
Congratulations to all of the event winners:
|Bucc 18
|Maggie Blumm & Dennis Martinelli
|Doug McMillan
|PHRF – MultiHull
|Brad Smith
|PHRF – Non Spin
|Greg Woodcock
|PHRF – Spin
|Al Lehman & Steve Quant
|Michael Leon
|Viper 640
|Juan Mauri
Congratulations, sailors, and we look forward to another amazing year next year!


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Posted on - November 21, 2010 [at] 4:01 pm by Brad
Tagged in - mac, osx, switch, windows
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Happy 25th birthday, Windows. I just had a birthday too, I'm 34 now. DOS & Windows have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. We've had a good run, but I'm moving on. I just sprung for a quad core 27″ iMac and I'm as excited about getting it as can be.
When I was younger I really loved getting my hands dirty, building my own systems, getting under the hood of the OS, tweaking it, customizing it, learning its quirks and weaknesses and how to make it run smoothly. The flexibility of Windows and the control it allowed me was a huge part of its draw. Along with it being the most popular platform – where the action was happening.
But things have changed. The most popular platform is the web and the OS matters less now. And I've personally changed. My number one issue in my life these days is that I don't have enough time to do the things I want. And every time Windows wastes my time, or is unhelpful or counter-intuitive, I resent it and that resentment has finally boiled over. While I have issues with their lack of openness, my iPad and iPhone nearly always feel like they're on my side – they want to help me do what I want.
Here are some things I'm looking forward to:
- Being on Unix. Basically every other machine I interact with on a regular basis is running some flavor of Unix. Going back to DOS and not having all the usual tools available has become intolerable. Write a batch file? Ugh, go die.
- Worrying less about security. As on the ball and cautious as I generally am, even with better browser and OS security and multiple scanning apps, it's still impossible to avoid getting spyware. That of course sucks for performance and security issues but it's also just a huge waste of time.
- Easier backups. I'm excited about Time Machine. My backup situation right now works but is crazy and scattered.
- Higher quality applications. In my research looking around to see if there was any software I'd truly miss from Windows, nearly everything appeared to have a superior OSX counterpart.
- All my iStuff working better. iTunes on Windows is a slow piece of shit. MediaMonkey is nice (but ugly) and syncing breaks regularly. My iPad and iPhone would rather deal with OSX, I'm sure.
We'll see though – after so long with DOS and Windows the transition will certainly be weird, but I'm looking forward to it.