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OLD SCHOOL! (Revisiting 35mm Film)
Film. Really?
The notion of film doesn't warrant even as much as a fleeting thought for the majority of photographers around the globe these days. And, seriously, why would any photo enthusiast, photo artist or professional photographer want to dabble in film anyway? It's more expensive than it's ever been and that's just to mention the $5 cost of a little canister of sprocketed polyester.
Add to that the $15 going rate to process and print a roll of 24 frames, an extra $3 to burn the images onto a CD for later digital work and archiving, and the added cost of gasoline to physically bring in the roll, compared to simply uploading digital images.
Yup, and then there are the other hassles associated with the use of film in the year 2015. If you are a photographer who has a history with film, but haven't used it in years, you'll probably be surprised to learn how few options to process exist currently. Most grocery, department, drug and warehouse stores that routinely processed film in the past no longer handle the stuff. The few remaining shops that still run film in most larger cities have generally reduced their film service to a once-per-week schedule. Your only other option is to send your film by post to a mail order lab that may take up to a few weeks to turn your work around.
Well, despite all of these disadvantages, you just might want to drag out your old SLR camera (or your medium format Hasselblad, Leica, Bronica or Rollei), dust it off and consider loading it if for nothing other than a trip down memory lane. If photography really does run in your veins, though, chances are you'll find the experience extremely enjoyable, liberating and, well, downright fun! It may even make you appreciate both the traditional format as well as digital with new eyes.
Stephen Kristof, one of the writer-photographers and the Director of Creative Content for FreePhotocourse.com recently revisited film and found the experience to be uplifting and challenging. It also took him back to his photographic roots and reminded him of the reasons that he was and continues to be passionate about the art. "In my role as a photo and media educator (another hat I wear), I routinely introduce the concept of manual exposure to my photography newbies by having them shoot projects using 35mm film and completely manual SLR cameras, like the hard-to-beat Pentax's vintage Pentax K-1000 or Spotmatic F models and Canon's legendary AE-1. Interestingly, although I've been loading over a dozen cameras with film every few months for the last - well - many more years than I'm willing to count, I have not personally photographed with film in several years."
Kristof went on to explain that, just for the heck of it, he decided to shoot the rest of a roll of film that was unused and that had been sitting in one of his cameras for who knows how long. The result was not quite what he expected, even though he evaluates 35mm images on a regular basis. He said that looking at the digital scans and prints after processing revealed the staggering difference between film and digital; something he had not considered for quite a while. The film treated light differently, producing greater contrast and latitude than he was used to. He was also surprised at how grainy the images were; even with a relatively low 200 ISO film. The pictures looked like they were photographed a few decades ago. It wasn't that they were worse; just different and a bit retro. The colors were in some ways truer to memory. And the clarity seemed more believable than digital's often 'off-the-map HD technical' appearance.
He discovered something else. "The intense feeling and emotions that flooded through me when I held that old camera and began to press the shutter came out of the blue and brought me back to my high school days, when I shot a lot of the pictures for my school's yearbook. I began to remember all sorts of things that I had long forgotten and many of them had to do with what I initially felt was special about photography. A huge part of it was the anticipation of what processing would reveal. Whether I was in the darkroom watching the images appear in the developing pan or simply going to the photo shop to pick up prints from my roll of C-41 film, the anticipation of the unknown was fun, a bit scary (especially if it was an important photo session) and was ALWAYS something I would look forward to!"
The digital world is responsible for the loss of that special feeling; the anticipation is gone. In a way, photographing with a digital camera is a bit of a let down, because you know the results almost immediately; the rest of what's to come is simply editing in Photoshop or Lightroom and if you have a lot of images to get through, that can seem more like work than play.
In the final analysis, film is more grainy than today's top cameras. ISO 200 film will produce quite a bit more grain than a good digital camera will at ISO 1600. Film provides far less resolution than today's digital sensor chips can produce. It looks different. Film can produce images that look a bit vintage. But, on the other hand, film is still interesting to work with, it continues to lend itself to unique artistic expression and it certainly isn't rushed. And, best of all, you just can't beat that feeling of positive anticipation; it's why many of us got into photography in the first place.
A reader and follower of FreePhotoCourse.com named Sarah sent an email to our general mailbox yesterday with a very good question. We felt that our answer could be of value to all digital photographers with DSLR cameras, so we decided to post an extended "Tips" answer/article in our readers' forum and on this blog.
So here it is!
Sarah asked "I just paid $120 to have my CMOS sensor chip cleaned because it was filled with microscopic dust and particles that were leaving translucent splotches on my pictures. I've only had this particular DSLR for about 8 months and I do not live in a dusty environment, so what have I done wrong and/or why is this happening?"
Well, Sarah, this is a frustrating experience for all digital photographers and it seems to show up at exactly the wrong time...such as during special events, weddings, breaking news or other events that cannot be restaged. Argghh!!!
The first thing is to understand that under most conditions, even dusty ones, your camera is sealed and will not allow particles into the body of the camera. Very rarely will dust somehow 'get into' a camera that has either a lens or body cap in place. But, the problem generally occurs when changing the lens. There can be all sorts of microscopic dust particles floating around that you can't see. Also, any dust around the base of the lens or on the camera near the lens can easily find its way into the body of the camera when a lens or body cap is removed, because removing a lens creates suction.
There are certain environments that you should try at all costs to avoid if a lens change is necessary. Beaches are notorious for soiling sensor chips. All of the microscopic sand particles, particularly on windy days, as well as the salty humid breeze can quickly make a deposit during that brief moment when the camera is in-between lenses.
Dust bowls and arid deserts would obviously be a bad choice, but windy conditions in just about any area can whip-up all sorts of stuff that's just waiting to meet your sensor chip. Certain industrial environments can also be spoilers with various nano-particles that can be part of a manufacturing process.
The best advice is to:
1. Try to change your lenses INDOORS if at all possible.
2. If you are doing an outdoor shoot and must change lenses, try to get to a vehicle, restroom or other protected spot to do it.
3. Be quick with the process. NEVER leave a camera uncapped or without a lens for ANY period of time beyond a few seconds. Have the new lens ready to roll and get it in place as soon as the previous lens is removed.
4. Don't put the rear lens cap on the first lens before you mount the next lens. Do the rear cap thing AFTER you've replaced the lens.
5. Always spray off the front of your camera and lens with a rocket blower or can of compressed air before changing lenses. Wait a minute or two after doing this to avoid any unwanted movement of air and particles. (Warning: Never use compressed air to clean a sensor chip because it can deposit oil onto the chip.)
6. IF you MUST change your lens outside and can't get to a protected location, then try to do it in a large clean plastic bag. (Maybe not a camera bag, because they can be dusty from the fabric they are made from.)
7. If your camera condenses because you have gone from a cold air conditioned room to a warm humid environment (or from the cold, dry wintry outside to a warm, humid inside location), then wait until all condensation dries before you change lenses.
8. If your DSLR has an automatic sensor cleaning option, turn it on and choose the cleaning to occur at every camera power-up and power-down. Although this won't solve or clean serious dust problems on the chip, this feature can prevent the odd particle from hunkering-down on your chip.
Following these steps will help avoid the inconvenience and cost of having a sensor chip cleaned.
We hope this answers Sarah's original question and is helpful for all of our readers!
FreePhotoCourse.com Admin.
A visitor to our site contacted us yesterday with an interesting question about shutter speed. "Jim" is a newcomer to the DSLR world and is beginning to acquaint himself with manual exposure controls. His question is logical, but he's missing an important piece of the puzzle. Here is his question:
It makes sense, doesn't it? Jim is concerned about the overall clarity of his pictures (as any photographer should be) and he understands that there are two reasons why an image may not be clear. The first and most obvious reason is that the lens is not focused properly on the focal point. The second reason is that the shutter speed may be too slow to adequately freeze the motion of the subject and/or the camera itself.
Assuming that the camera lens has focused on the focal point (the most important part of the overall content that you want to see most clearly), motion is the only other thing that will affect clarity. If your subject moves - even slightly - a shutter speed that is slower than the subject's motion will result in a picture showing a blurred subject. And if the photographer moves the camera - again, even slightly - then everything in the frame will be blurry.
Our friend is correct in suggesting that the fastest shutter speed that's available on the camera will reduce the potential for motion blur. A shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second is fast enough to freeze most subject and camera movement. So his recommendation to always use the fastest shutter speed has merit.
But we also mentioned at the start of this post that a piece of the puzzle is missing. Consider that the faster the shutter speed, the shorter the exposure will be. 1/60th of a second (or a shutter speed of '60') is about the slowest recommended for everyday hand-held photography. Anything slower than that will almost certainly result in motion blur. 'Shutter speed' is, basically, the length of time the shutter is open, allowing light inside the camera
Now, stick with us here, because this is where it can get a bit confusing for newcomers to the DSLR. Try this. Count-off one second out loud. Next, imagine breaking-up that one second period of time into sixty equal segments. Imagine how little time just one of those segments lasts. This is the length of your exposure at a shutter speed of '60'. It's not a lot of time to allow light to enter the camera and make an exposure, is it?
That tiny segment of time gets even shorter as the shutter speed gets faster. So, at 1/4000 of a second, the sensor chip in Jim's camera is getting light for such a short period of time - a tiny fraction of a second - that there is far less light available to produce an image.
You see, when we talk about light in photographic exposure, it's a cumulative thing. Just like going to the beach on a sunny summer day. If you sit in the sun for fifteen minutes without sunscreen you'll likely see very little, if any, evidence of sun exposure on your skin. However, if you sit there for two hours, you'll definitely see the result on your skin and appreciate how light exposure can accumulate with time.
To wrap it up, Jim is right that the fastest shutter speed will help avoid motion blur, but it comes at a cost. And the cost is light. In order to use the fastest shutter speed, a photographer needs a combination of a tremendous amount of light, and/or a wide-open aperture (low number f/stop), and/or high sensitivity ISO. The reality is that you don't usually have a tremendous amount of light, wide-open apertures produce a soft focus (which you often do not want) and high ISO settings produce a lot of noise (which kind of cancels-out the clarity thing).
Our contributing photographers here at FreePhotoCourse.com often shoot with very fast shutter speeds, but usually in very specific circumstances with ample bright light when very fast moving subjects.
We hope this helps clear-up a question that a lot of our readers have posed to us over the years!
Now that spring has FINALLY decided to stick around (we feel really sorry for the folks in the US northwest and midwest who had to deal with snow even as May settled-in) we thought we would revisit the idea of spring photography and what it means in terms of your subject matter.
Nathan Anderson, one of our staff writers/photographers, decided to take his camera along on a spring photo shoot and see just what kinds of photo opp's he could find that exemplified spring. Here's what he had to say about his photo day trip:
"Well, first of all, it struck me as I began planning my day, that the first thing I wanted to do - quite instinctively - was to search out spring flowers. You know, I think most people who live in mid-to-northern climates get quite bored of seeing brown and grey vegetation for a good six to seven months of the year.
Our hearts and minds tend to zero-in on those richly saturated reds, fuschias, yellows, periwinkles and purples that you're sure to see wherever flowers are either sold or popping-up out of the ground. And since we gravitate to flowers after the long months of winter, our photographic pursuits tend to follow in step! However, I realized as I approached the first greenhouse at the first plant nursery that I visited this past Saturday, that there's a whole lot more to spring photography than capturing the exciting colors of spring flowers; indeed, there are even more exciting opportunities that say 'SPRING' all around us! For most photography enthusiasts, it's likely that your lens sees a lot more that's spring-like than your eyes will ever notice!
To be honest, I'll admit that I'm still drawn to the spring flowers, but I'm going to do my best to look for alternative spring photo subjects that I now realize can have an even bigger impact."
Nathan Anderson
The Dead of Winter
As the Feb. 28 deadline nears for entries in our "Winter Magic 2013" photo contest, we've been busy reviewing loads of images that have been pouring in. It's been a great experience seeing so many beautiful pictures. Some of them are so spectacular and dramatic that even the winter haters among our team here at FreePhotoCourse.com, have grown to appreciate the beauty and majesty that God paints with his own brush...and yes, in all four seasons!
We would like to thank all of the many casual and professional photographers who decided to participate and, being our very first contest, we are astounded by the response! :)
Take a look in the gallery of the best photo submissions and you'll agree that the content, locations and themes have varied widely, featuring everything from a stately four-point buck standing in the Ottawa, Canada snow...to a playful "snow bear" (aka snow man) in Colorado...to snow-dusted red mountains in Sedona, Arizona...and everything in-between. And while snow is a common denominator in many of the submissions, some of the participants have shown us that winter reveals itself in other ways, too. One young photographer felt that the city hall building in his hometown of Monroe, Georgia was, for him, the quintessential winter scene. He makes a point when you look at the yellow-brown grass and leafless tree limbs. Another photographer felt that the idea of winter is somehow embodied in the interior of an abandoned old school house in Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C.
We're not going to say if any of the pictures described above are being considered for the top two prizes. There are many other excellent photos in terms of their content, composition and technique. But we can tell you that whether or not they win the top two prizes, all of the photos that we decided to feature in the gallery have won the distinction of being remarkable photos for a variety of reasons.
This brings us to the overall lesson we learned by launching this first of what will be many more future photo contests. Take a look at the picture at the top of this blog post and you'll see what's left of an old, lifeless, dried-up, spent rose atop a browning single stem. It's not particularly attractive and doesn't leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy. Nonetheless, it is a very real and valid part of winter. Yes, look around in the dead of winter and you might find remnants of fall or summer that have somehow survived; just in a different form.
And as much as you may hate winter (guess it all depends on who you are and where you live...), you've got to admit that, depending on your location, there are some interesting changes happening. And it doesn't always have to do with snow. There are some very real and interesting things that you may see in your own backyard or just down the street. You just have to be open to appreciating them.
Take a second look at the picture above. Click on the picture to expand it (or just click here) and you will see just how interesting nature can be in the winter. The bloom may have died, but what's left is incredible! Have you ever noticed the fluffy golden cottony stuff inside a living rose? Nope, it's not there. But leave it on the stem, wait for winter and voila! And what about the miniature curly brown thingies at the bottom of the golden cotton? Ever notice these before?
So the lesson we learned, if you haven't already figured it out, is that for a good photographer, winter is as much a state of season as it is a state of mind. An open mind to be precise.
Spring Photo Opportunities
Spring Photo Opportunities
No, this is not going to be a post about "cute cats", "cuddly little kittens" or "fabulous felines"! But, looking at the photo, it's easy to understand why you might think that. Despite all appearances, this blog post is actually an important reminder about looking for less obvious and more rewarding subjects when it comes to springtime photography.
One of our photographers was scouting-out spring photo opportunities the other day, when something occurred to her that should be an important talking point for all photographers at this time of the year. After arriving at a local park with conservatory-like gardens overflowing with spring blooms, she quickly mounted her macro lens on her DSLR and began shooting picture after picture of the inside, outside and underside of all sorts of flowers. Her results, although stunning, were somewhat cliché and expected.
Showing us her pictures, Emma said, "Yup, I got the highly saturated colors and beautifully crisp edges of many, many flowers from every imaginable perspective, but in the final analysis, the images were not as intersting and spring-like as much as they were - basically - overdone flower pictures."
Her macro shots of flowers were actually quite amazing - technically perfect. We even plan to post several of them in our "Nature - Free Images and Wallpapers" section over the next few weeks. But, she is correct about one shortcoming; the pictures do not really capture the essence of a very special season. In a very real sense, spring is a time of rebirth, new horizons, hope, excitement, rekindled love, second chances and fresh perspectives. However, when you mention the term "Spring Photography" to most people, the first...and only...thing that comes to mind are pictures of flowers.
Emma reminds us that, while spring photography can (and should) include fresh blooms and the birth of flora, there is so much more to be captured that speaks more sincerely to the spring season! Look for photo subjects that answer these questions: Beyond flowers, what else reminds you of hope? How can you show the excitement of the season? Who is experiencing "spring fever" - the kindling of the love spark? These are the kind of questions photographers need to be asking and looking for answers to, as they go about their springtime photo sessions.
So...what about the cat? Emma tells us that while she was lying on her side, photographing a frilly tulip from an interesting perspective, she heard something rustling in the tall grass behind her. Something...or someone...was watching her work. When she turned to see what it was, she saw that a cat was sitting quietly, taking-in the whole scene. Emma realized that she was not only a photographer, but was also a subject and her act of photographing a spring flower was as much a part of "spring" as anything coming out of the ground. She took it a step further. "I suddenly realized that the picture of me lying on the ground, camera in hand pointed at a tulip, was an even more interesting springtime image than that of the tulip itself. The cat, it seems, had a better understanding of spring photography than did I!"
Bottom line here? Look around at how people, animals, nature and society in general interacts with the spring season. You might just find that there's a lot more to spring than what's pushing out of the ground.
Happy shooting!
A Look Back at Summer 2011...A Day at the Beach
Aside from its important historical roots and local parades, for most people Labor Day generally signals the end of summertime fun and leisure. Traditionally and, thankfully still in some jurisdictions, kids and parents would see Labor Day as the day before school begins. It doesn't seem so long ago that Dad would put his white slacks and shoes toward the back of his closet until Memorial Day came around the following year.
The summer of 2011 brought unrelenting, record-breaking heat to a huge portion of the country. And, once again, just days before Labor Day, oppressive heat returned to many areas. But then, like clockwork, Labor Day 2011 made a less than welcome entrance with weather that, for many, was cloudy, wet and downright chilly. Waking up to this change made us here at FreePhotoCourse.com think of the colder months ahead. As we sat round the table at a staff meeting, Labor Day now behind us, we sipped the morning coffee and lamented that summer had already come and gone.
Whether it's back to school or simply the end of that summery feeling, the passing of Labor Day has always engendered a mindset that it's time to put aside the thoughts of vacationing, poolside mojitos and, perhaps, beach umbrellas, and instead, put the nose to the ol' grindstone and get back to work.
However, the one thing about photographers that helps us move from one season to the next, is that we tend to bank a lot of images from the previous season and look forward to working on them later. Call it a visual retrospective, a photo-essay or whatever works for you; here's our gift to you – a warm and sunny look at a beautiful summer day at the beach.
So, sit back and enjoy (...mojitos are optional)!
By the way, you can find these and many more updated beach pictures in our Free Images section.
A Change of Mind (and Heart)...
A Change of Mind (and Heart)...
Back in September, we blogged about an absolutely spectacular photo that we received from a reader that we had considered posting in our Contributor's Gallery. If you recall, the picture depicted a young boy from a remote mountainous area of Chile. The boy was dressed in traditional clothing, the llama wool hat and sweater were interesting and said a lot about where and how he lived. But what stole the show was the boy's expression; one of wonder and honesty. The photographic technique was flawless; exposure, focus and composition were on a professional level. The image was National Geographic cover material caliber.
We were initially excited about hosting this incredible image on our site. And then our Submissions Review Team began talking about the ethics of publishing this boy's picture. In the end, we decided against publishing it because, although it was taken in a public place and we could legally do so with editorial content, it just didn't seem right. We felt that children have a special right to privacy - one that at least their parent should have some say about.
Well, wouldn't you know it...the issue came up again very recently. But this time, the photographer sending us of his work turns out to be a professional documentary photographer, but with a twist. His name is Soham Gupta and he is deeply committed to using his work to advance the lives of the people he encounters in his work - in short, he is a humanitarian. Gupta works in and around Calcutta, India, and uses his photography as a means to bring attention to the human rights abuses, exploitation and suffering that are so much a part of so many peoples' lives.
Our Submissions Review Team was stunned. The depth of expression in Gupta's pictures is arresting. The authenticity unquestionably honest. The composition of the photos in his portfolio is highly insightful; he sees the symbolism in aspects of his locations and content, and uses it to make a strong point. His pictures reveal that India's booming economy is not a boom for everyone there and that a big slice of the population remains in abject poverty.
We had a change of mind. From an ethical perspective, we embraced the opportunity to publish Gupta's photos because the situation is so different from the one involving the Chilean boy. Gupta has a story to tell and his story is one that absolutely needs to be told, and to be told again and again. Yes, we are thrilled to host the works of such a highly talented photographer - there is no question about that; any serious photography site or publication would welcome the opportunity. But the fact that his work is a means to an even greater end is what drove us in our easy and heart-felt decision to feature Gupta and his compelling pictures.
As a photographer, Gupta is well on his way to making his mark. He has already been published in the Yale Journal of International Affairs, several other humanitarian publications and will soon participate in a major exhibition in London, UK. But after talking with him a lot over the past month, we know that he'll only feel true satisfaction in his work when it helps bring about change for the very subjects of his photography.
If you've gotten this far in reading this blog post, then you'll obviously want to see the exhibit.
NYC Exposed - Get Your Photos in Soon!
If you haven't already heard about it or had a chance to see it on our site, FreePhotoCourse.com has launched a new photography exhibit. It's called NYC Exposed, and it's the first in what we hope will be a series of high quality reader-submitted images from different cities around the globe.
Our Submissions Review Team is looking for pictures that depict the most interesting and artistic perspectives of different parts of New York City; both the well known and not so much! What we're really hoping to do is to reveal the personal viewpoint of both travellers to the City and, of course, from people who are New Yorkers down to their very soul! As we sift through the photos that are being submitted, we're getting very excited about the wonderful diversity that's being shown in the locations and in the very different styles of photography.
From the iconic landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge, to the fun style of the Mermaid Parade, the photos in this exhibit are illustrating just how different NYC can be and how varied different people's perspectives are. It really is a city that is all things to all people - the greatest city in the world!
If you have what you think is a well-composed and interesting picture of NYC - one that captures the essence of an important element of what the City means and does so from your own perspective - then why not submit it to the exhibit? If we select your work to be part of this fantastic new gallery, your photography will have an increased presence on the web by being included in this very special international gallery. You'll also receive a personalized limited edition poster designed specially for this new exhibit; if you're an amateur photographer, this poster would look great mounted and displayed on a wall. If you're a professional photog, the poster would be a fantastic addition to your portfolio or vitae.
Check out the new exhibit and consider sending us your NYC photos soon, because the Call For Submissions deadline is approaching quickly!
Autumn Photography Opportunities
Autumn Photo Opportunities...
Yup, it's right on schedule; the nights are getting quite a bit cooler, the leaves are changing and the smell of autumn is in the air.
But beyond putting a few pumpkins on the front porch and opening the windows at night, have you given much thought to how you'll change your photography habits to best capitalize on the unique opportunities this season offers? Photo professionals say that a huge part of photography - perhaps the most important part - is how the artist "sees" his or her world. That being said, how is it that the observant and creative photographer "looks" differently at his or her surroundings while mother nature does her thing?
We asked our own photographers here at FreePhotoCourse.com and we'd like to share their words of imaging widsom with you. First off, they all agreed that you really can't create truly authentic and interesting autumnal photos unless you dive into the season. This means that you need to think about doing fall-ish types of things first and then think about the camera second. (Their reasoning is that you'll be oblivious to the many beautiful visual opportunities if you're not actually participating.)
To further explain, our photog's suggest that you make it your priority to participate in various autumn activities rather than making the camera and gear the priority. Take the cam along, but keep don't make it the most important thing. They say that you should embrace the season rather than the camera and that by doing this, you'll notice a lot more that will inspire you photographically speaking.
Go for some hikes on leaf-scattered trails. Take-in the beauty of a foggy autumn morning; the haze that embraces leafless trees can be just as awesome as the filtered rays of sunlight spreading along another morning's fog. Pick your own pumpkin at a county pumpkin patch. Go and get lost in a corn maze!
Have a free lunch hour? Check out the nearest park and see how visually inviting leaves can be when they sit on just about anything. Get invigorated by going for a run just after an October rain and you might notice some really cool reflections in puddles on your path that reveal gorgeous distorted mirror images of trees filled with crimson and gold leaves.
Go to some farmers' markets that are likely bursting with a bounty of local harvest. Go for a drive down a lonely country road and see how a decaying old barn makes you feel during this season compared to any other.
Our photographers suggested that if you go out looking for photo opportunities of these delightful autumn subjects, you'll cheat yourself of many special experiences. They say you should go for the experience first and the photo second. After all, autumn is a time of pause and reflection - a time to consider where we've been and the things that winter will bring. It's a time that all of the frenetic activities that so much a part of the rest of the year seem to slow down so much that the falling leaves become the preferred movement of the day.
Fall is already in full-swing. Are you ready for it?
Perspective on Photography is FreePhotoCourse.com's official Blog. This is where you can find updates, stories, news, links to photo "finds" and more from FreePhotoCourse's contributing photographers and writers.


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Planning and Zoning Commission split on alley-free subdivision
Published 2:32 pm, Monday, February 4, 2013
Plans for the largest alley-free subdivision in Midland were delayed Monday when the Planning and Zoning Commission reached a stalemate, a 4-4 vote that prevented the item from being approved.
D. R. Horton Inc. applied for a proposed preliminary plat of a 104-acre neighborhood located on the west side of the extension of Avalon Drive, west of the developing Legends Park neighborhood. The area would have a housing density of 4.41 dwelling units per acre, according to the Department of Development Services staff report.
Members of the commission opposed the plat because approval of an alley-free neighborhood would set a precedent.
"Wouldn't it make more sense to have the (subdivision) code modified to no longer have alleys?" said commission member Galen Gatten.
Warren Ivey said it should be the City Council, not the commission, that decides if neighborhoods can be built without alleys.
Other members, such as Jane Wolf, said the lack of alleys would require the city to have a backup garbage pickup truck for the neighborhood.
Eric West, engineer for Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, said garbage would be picked up twice a week from a rolling cart that would be placed in front of homes. This differs from the Dumpster-alley system in most Midland neighborhoods.
Another commission member, Cindy Lanning, said double-parked cars could prevent garbage trucks from picking up garbage from the carts.
The same problem could occur in alley, West said.
He said there is a cost-saving benefit to not having alleys. The developer saves money by not having to build them, and the city saves money by not having to maintain them.
Another benefit is that a recycling program could be established. West said one pickup day could be for garbage, the other for recyclables.
Don Allen, director of land acquisition and development for D. R. Horton, said about 460 homes are planned for the subdivision, with the prices ranging from $150,000 to $240,000.
"That's what you call affordable housing, relative to Midland," said Royce Watkins, commission chairman.
The commission also discussed how the addition of alleys would decrease the number of homes. About 58 homes, or 15 percent, would be eliminated, according to the staff report.
Watkins said he approves of alley-free neighborhoods as long as they are designed accordingly and if city departments, such as police and waste services, approve, as well.
For this neighborhood, city departments did not object to the lack of alleys, Allen said.
But with the tied vote, the item did not pass.
Allen did not comment on the commission's decision, but said housing is not keeping up with Midland's dramatic growth and that D. R. Horton is here to help.
"Alleys have been in Midland for so long," Watkins said. "It's hard to make change."
The applicant will present the proposal in front of City Council next Tuesday, according to Watkins.
"I have no idea how City Council will decide," West said. "We might go through the same arguments."
In other business, the commission:
-- unanimously approved two hotels, Hotel Home2 Suites and Staybridge Suites, both located on Catalina Drive.
Hilton Home2 Suites is planned for the northwest corner of the intersection of Deauville Boulevard and Catalina Drive. Staybridge Suites will be on the west side of Catalina Drive but will be 320 feet south of Andrews Highway.
-- approved an alcohol sale permit for the Springhill Suites, currently under construction and set for a spring 2013 opening, West said.
Springhill Suites will be located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Deauville Boulevard and Catalina Drive.
"This area is zoned for hotels," Watkins said. "It has easy access to Loop 250 and State Highway 191."
There currently re four hotels in the Tradewinds Boulevard area: Courtyard Midland Odessa, Sleep Inn & Suites, Residence Inn Midland and TownePlace Suites Midland.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cheap broadband users should learn 'email etiquette'News brought to you by Skint Tariffs, providers of cheap broadband deals.
A few straightforward steps can save a great deal of embarrassment when sending an email using cheap broadband, an expert has claimed.
Many people will be familiar with waking up to find that they have sent a message or made cheap calls to international mobiles they wish they hadn't.
News editor at Web-User Magazine, Ben Camm-Jones, believes these situations can easily be avoided.
"There certainly is a code of etiquette when emailing, though this tends to go out of the window when someone has a few drinks inside them," he said.
"Don't write anything you wouldn't say to the person in question's face. If it is an emotionally charged email or text, save it as a draft, get a good night's sleep and see if you still want to send it in the morning."
An application called Mail Goggles was launched earlier this month with the aim of stopping you "from sending messages you might later regret". It includes tests to check if senders are in a fit state of mind to send messages.
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JK Rowling reveals 'History of Magic in North America'
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Harry Potter devotees became intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the British wizarding world through seven books, eight films and nearly two decades of immense popularity. In the fourth installment of J.K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, fans got a glimpse of the magical communities that lay far beyond the…
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Gallery: A roundup of fairly recent volcanic eruptions
Volcanoes have been pumping enough sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere in the past 12 years to cause a leveling in global temperatures, a new study shows, but that may also mean global warming will rebound quickly once the effect of volcanic action wears off.
Frist the volcano connection. As the LA Times summarized nicely:
The 17 eruptions from 1998-2012 pumped sulfur dioxide into Earth's upper atmosphere, where it formed liquid particles that reflected more sunlight back to space, moderating the larger-scale warming of the planet surface, according to the study published online Monday in Nature Geoscience.
The study authors add:
We show that climate model simulations without the effects of early twenty-first-century volcanic eruptions overestimate the tropospheric warming observed since 1998. In two simulations with more realistic volcanic influences following the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, differences between simulated and observed tropospheric temperature trends over the period 1998 to 2012 are up to 15% smaller, with large uncertainties in the magnitude of the effect.
In other words, according to climate models, the Earth should be trending warmer than it is. Some have argued that the ocean is absorbing the excess heat. As The Independent reported last year:
Global average temperatures are higher now than they have ever been since modern records began. However, after a period of rapid temperature increases during the 1980s and 1990s there has been a significant slow-down since the turn of the century, leading some sceptics to claim that global warming has stopped.
A scientific assessment of the planet's heat balance has found that the most likely explanation for the recent hiatus in global warming is the continual absorption of thermal energy by the huge "heat sink" of the deep ocean many hundreds of metres below the sea surface …
The EPA shared this graphic which clearly demonstrates the heat absorption of the oceans:
The new volcano researchers say this is likely true, in addition to the effect on warming due to volcanic eruptions.
"The recent slow-down in observed surface and tropospheric warming is a fascinating detective story," Lawrence Livermore climate scientist Benjamin Santer, who serves as lead author of the study, told Science Daily. "There is not a single culprit, as some scientists have claimed. Multiple factors are implicated."
And, here's what Santer told us in an email about the decline of the influence of volcanic activity:
If the early 21st century uptick in volcanic activity tapers off over the next several years, the volcanic contribution to the "warming hiatus" will diminish. In other words, the cooling caused by an increase in early 21st century volcanic activity has partly offset some of the slowly evolving human-caused warming signal arising from gradual changes in atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases. If volcanic activity declines in the next decade, this partially offsetting cooling effect will be removed.
In the absence of other countervailing effects (such as cooling associated with an uptick in emissions of SO2 from Chinese coal-fired power plants), a decline in volcanic activity would make it a little easier to discern the underlying greenhouse warming signal.
The geoengineering temptation
Knowing that pumping the right chemicals into the atmosphere can slow global warming creates the temptation to think humans can engineer a solution to climate change. Pump enough sulfates into the upper atmosphere, and global warming can be abated.
However, a University of Washington study published this month finds that geoengineering, even if it could be done without drastic side effects that counter any benefit, is a false promise.
"What our study points out, and other studies have pointed out, if you do this for awhile and CO2 keeps building up in the atmosphere, you have to keep doing it forever," said UW climate scientist David Battisti and co-author of the study. "It will take nature at least 500 to 1,000 years to clean this up, so you are stuck doing this for basically, oh, the same duration that civilizations exist."
So, once you start "artificially" cooling the planet you have to keep doing it or the rebound of global warming due to the continued pumping of greenhouse gasses into the air will be sharp and deadly.
"The absolute temperature ends up being roughly the same as what it would have been, but the rate of change is so drastic that ecosystems and organisms would have very little time to adapt to the changes," said lead author Kelly McCusker, who did the work for her UW doctoral thesis.
So, just to be a Negative Nancy here, it's possible that once the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions subsides, the rebound of global temperatures could follow the same accelerated march to the temperatures originally determined for our planet. Either way you slice it, we need to begin working out our global response to this looming global catastrophe.
"There have been seven disasters since humans came on the earth, very similar to the one that's just about to happen. I think these events keep separating the wheat from the chaff. And eventually we'll have a human on the planet that really does understand it and can live with it properly. That's the source of my optimism," scientist James Lovelock told the Guardian in its story "James Lovelock: 'enjoy life while you can: in 20 years global warming will hit the fan' "
Jake Ellison can be reached at 206-448-8334 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/Jake_News. Also, swing by and *LIKE* his page on Facebook.
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Netsize mPayment Bills 300 Million Euros in Mobile Services Revenue
"Direct consumer charging by mobile operators remains the favorite purchasing method of consumers to get entertainment content or to access services over SMS or Mobile Internet/WAP media," says Stanislas Chesnais, Chairman and CEO, Netsize. "We witness 800% transaction volume growth year-to-year mainly held up by Mobile Internet/WAP services growth. Our higher aggregation level enables the best revenue pay-out to publishers. Covering more than 100 mobile operators in 28 countries makes Netsize the global market leader."
"The Netsize mPayment solution enables publishers and content providers to achieve 12% more revenue in comparison with other implementations, thanks to an in-depth knowledge of the operator's payment platforms," says Stanislas Chesnais. mPayment also enables reaching any consumer worldwide over alternative methods such as credit card, PayPal(TM) , and other e-Wallets.
"The automatic and transparent consumer authentication makes mobile purchasing easy and avoids users from having to open an online account. The secured transaction is initiated from a single click without entering sensitive data which ensures the best transaction achievement ratio. The ease of use and convenience quickly recognized by consumers enables mobile handsets to be the tool for purchasing physical goods," says Stanislas Chesnais.
Analytics is an integral part of the mPayment solution. mPayment Analytics provides customers with a billing and payment dashboard with three statistics views. The summary view shows the key performance indicators such as revenue and transaction quantity split by country and handset model. The real-time statistics view shows all processed transactions allowing users to filter up to twenty criteria. The customized statistics view enables users to build his view by service, country, operator, or business model (subscription or pay-per-use).
netsize Mobile Business & Entertainment
Netsize is a leading mobile communications and commerce enabler. Netsize solutions include Mobile Messaging, with SMS and MMS delivery in 200 countries; Mobile Payment through operator-based billing (Premium SMS, MMS, & WAP) in 28 countries; and Mobile Content Management platforms with publishing & editing tools to manage messaging services and mobile Internet portals. Netsize manages more than 60 million mobile messages and payment transactions per month for 800 customers worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies. With 200 employees in 10 offices worldwide, Netsize provides both robust technical infrastructure and marketing expertise to support this successful deployment on a global scale.
For more information about Netsize please visit www.netsize.com
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UC-Spezialist Swyx wird von Waterland gekauft
Der UC-Anbieter Swyx hat sich einen Investor gesucht. Das Beteiligungsunternehmen Waterland kauft das Dortmunder Unternehmen. Ziel ist es europaweit zu expandieren.Weiterlesen


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CAMPBELL, Ohio (WKBN) — Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel made another Valley visit Friday, speaking at the city of Campbell's annual Civic Day to both elected leaders and high school seniors.
Mandel said the greater Youngstown area can lead the state's economic recovery, referencing the area's manufacturing past and what's currently happening with the oil and gas industry. Mandel wants high school students to know the importance of "hands-on" work.
"One of the things I feel very strongly about is putting shop class back in high school and investing more and more in the skilled trades," Mandel said. "If we're going to stay strong as a region, a state and a country, we have to make things."
Mandel also talked with First News on his proposal to get the state's checkbook online to allow citizens the opportunity to follow how the state spends money. The General Assembly has yet to approve the idea.


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Mary Virginia Woodford Spradlin, 94, of Altavista, died Monday, May 21, 2012 in Virginia Baptist Hospital. She was born Nov. 23, 1917 in Bedford County, a daughter of the late Ella Catherine Wood Woodford and Joel Shepherd Woodford. She was the last of thirteen children surviving.
Mary was a member of Ephesus United Methodist Church. She was employed at Rubatex Corp. for over 20 years.
In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband, John Aubrey Spradlin.
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The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has found West Nile virus in a local mosquito pool.
The health unit tested 42 pools.
The positive test for one of them is the first sign of the virus in the region this year.
A mosquito pool is a group of mosquitos gathered for testing.
To date, no human cases of the disease have been found in Windsor-Essex.
The health unit reminds people to protect themselves by using insect repellent and wearing light clothing outdoors.


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Wildfire forces evacuations in Archer City area
Published 6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Some evacuations have been ordered in the Archer City area due to a wildfire being fanned by strong winds.
Archer County Judge Gary Beesinger said Thursday afternoon the jail has been evacuated, along with a nursing home. Schools have been closed for the day.
Archer City is a town of about 1,800, located 110 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
Windy conditions across Texas this week have whipped up wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres.
Information assist from Doug Helton of Texas State Networks: http://www.tsn.radio.com


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Funding supports the study of potential commercial fisheries in Eastern and High Arctic
IQALUIT, July 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for CanNor, announced funding of $1.2M to study fisheries data gathered from the Eastern and High Arctic. The results from this analysis will identify the potential for establishing commercial fisheries activities around three communities in Nunavut.
In 2015, researchers on board the fishing vessel Kiviuq studied the waters near the communities of Arctic Bay, Resolute Bay, and Qikiqtarjuaq. The researchers examined the commercial viability of species such as turbot, shrimp, and whelk, and also gathered baseline environmental, oceanographic, and ecological data.
Preliminary results of the research show potential for the development of local fisheries, which could provide increased job opportunities for Inuit and an expansion in Inuit-owned businesses in the fisheries sector.
"The Government of Canada is committed to economic development and diversification in the North. The research from this project has the potential to help Inuit-owned businesses expand and innovate, and could lead to high quality jobs for Inuit."
Navdeep Bains
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and
Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
"This exploratory research has the potential to lead to a stronger, sustainable commercial fisheries sector in the Eastern and High Arctic. The Government of Canada is pleased to support research in fisheries science that enables potential economic opportunities for Inuit in Nunavut."
Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
"AFA has always been committed to investing in Nunavut's future. The support of CanNor is appreciated and assists us to make the discoveries needed to develop inshore fisheries in our owner-communities."
Jaypetee Akeeagok
Chairman, Arctic Fishery Alliance
Quick Facts
SOURCE Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)
For further information: Office of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, 343-291-2500; Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Craig Welsh, Communications Advisor, Nunavut Region, 867-975-3722; For more information about CanNor, visit cannor.gc.ca; Arctic Fishery Alliance, Jaypetee Akeeagok, Chairman, 867-980-9142RELATED LINKS
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What you will find on this web site
- About the Book: Access information about the latest edition, including a full description of the book, several sample chapters, and a list of related Routledge-Cavendish titles.
- Student Resources: Exploit our range of Student Resources, written by A-Level Law teachers. Download an audio revision file, test your knowledge with our flashcard glossary, and examine your understanding of AS-Level Law by tackling a series of quizzes and exam questions. A list of chapter-by-chapter weblinks are also provided in this section, along with links to practice exam papers.
- Teacher Resources: Teachers of AS-Level Law can download chapter-by-chapter worksheets and teaching suggestions, as well as PowerPoint slides of the latest edition's tables and figures in this section.
- Updates: Any relevant updates to AS Law will be posted in this section.
- Feedback: Send feedback to the book's publisher.


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Series of bombings kill 12 in Iraq: officials
A series of bombings across Iraq today killed 12 people, including three policemen, and wounded more than 40, officials said.world Updated: Dec 31, 2012 14:49 IST
A series of bombings across Iraq on Monday killed 12 people, including three policemen, and wounded more than 40, officials said.
The violence struck the northern ethnically mixed provinces of Kirkuk and Diyala and south of Baghdad in Babil province, and targeted government officials, security forces and Shiite Muslims in the lead-up to major commemoration ceremonies.
In the deadliest attack, seven people – three women, two children and two men – were killed when three houses were blown up in the town of Mussayib south of Baghdad, a local police officer and a medic said. Four others were wounded.
The victims were apparently targeted because they were Shiite Muslims, the officials said.
No group has yet admitted responsibility for staging Monday's attacks.
However, Sunni militants regularly target Shiite pilgrims ahead of major rituals, with the Arbaeen commemoration ceremonies due in the coming days, as well as officials and security forces in a bid to destabilise the government.
In the northern city of Kirkuk, three policemen were killed and four critically wounded by a roadside bomb, while two people were killed by a car bomb outside government offices in Hilla, south of Baghdad, as the provincial governor was arriving for work.


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Results 1 to 1 of 1
Thread: GNU Libidn 1.0
- 07-31-2007, 07:36 PM #1levent Guest
GNU Libidn 1.0
GNU Libidn is an implementation of the Stringprep, Punycode, and IDNA specifications defined by the IETF Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) working group. It is used to prepare internationalized strings (such as domain name labels, usernames, and passwords) in order to increase the likelihood that string input and string comparison work in ways that make sense for typical users throughout the world. The library contains a generic Stringprep implementation that does Unicode 3.2 NFKC normalization, mapping and prohibition of characters, and bidirectional character handling. Profiles for iSCSI, Kerberos 5, Nameprep, SASL, and XMPP are included. Punycode and ASCII Compatible Encoding (ACE) via IDNA are supported.
Libidn is now considered stable, and is being used in production at many sites world-wide. The command-line tools, examples, etc are now licensed under GPL version 3. Documentation, translations, and gnulib files have been updated.
URL: GNU IDN Library - Libidn - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)


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Weight saved by the ultra-light triaxial carbon crown (78% lighter than steel)* is repositioned to increase MOI and lower the CG for easy launch and added power.
*Comparison of Epic fairway crown (5.8g) vs. XR16 fairway crown (26.5g)
The latest generation of our Hyper Speed Face Cup is more efficient at delivering fast ball speed across the face, especially on mis-hits, for increased average distance.
Developed with direct input from aerospace experts to improve aerodynamics for fast swing speed and distance without extra effort.
Six models -- 3+, 3, 5, 7, Divine Nine, Heavenwood -- gives golfers multiple opportunities to put Epic performance in their bag.
Photos | 3D Images | Specs | Shaft Options
The post Callaway GBB Epic Fairway Woods appeared first on Callaway Golf News and Media.
Harry Arnett (SVP of Marketing) and Dr. Alan Hocknell (SVP of R&D) sit down to chat about Callaway's newest GBB Epic Drivers and the never-done-before Jailbreak Technology that's in them.
The post Callaway Talks: How We Made the New Epic Drivers appeared first on Callaway Golf News and Media.


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Efim Rachevsky: Students have a lot. Few experts
People's teacher of Russia Efim Rachevsky appreciated part of the presidential address on education
12 Dec 2013, 17:05
Text: Denis Nizhegorodtsev
"Our school has more than 10 years engaged in the import, not the janitors, but we can say, the intellectual elite," – said the newspaper LOOK member of the Public chamber, the Director of the Moscow center of education № 548 "tsarina's" Efim Rachevsky. He said that part made by the President's initiatives on education is already being implemented in his school.
On Thursday, speaking with a message to the Federal Assembly, online broadcast which led the newspaper VIEW, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the assessment for the final composition in the school should be considered for admission to universities.
"It has long been instructed that starting from the next school year to provide for a senior term paper. Naturally, the results have along with the exam to be considered for admission to universities and other educational institutions", – he noted.
In addition, Vladimir Putin urged the country's leadership "to assess the scale of the problem" with the education of children in schools in two shifts. According to the head of state, almost a quarter of Russian schools, and in cities – almost half of working on such a system. But the quality of education it affects not the best way. To solve this problem Putin, in particular, proposed to consider the possibility of construction of schools and kindergartens under one roof.
Speaking of universities, the President noted that student mobility in the current environment leaves much to be desired. And one of the negative factors influencing it, is the exorbitant prices on hostel in colleges and universities. "It is impossible to heaven to bully them", – said Putin, threatening rectors to apply to them strict measures, if they are not corrected.
Putin also proposed to provide conditions for attraction of domestic universities and talented youth from the CIS countries.
"We also have to increase the export of educational services. This is a serious tool for strengthening the cultural and intellectual influence. It is time to study the issue of creating the exam on the Russian standards in the CIS countries on the basis of centers for the study of the Russian language in these countries", – said the President. The exams should be held simultaneously with the exam in Russian schools.
Finally, the President asked the Cabinet to submit proposals on optimization of the system of students ' military training. According to him, young children can and should be taught useful military profession, while not taking away in the army.
"In this regard, not refusing the deferment for students, to change the very system of military training in universities, to enable all students to complete during the training and subsequent military training military training and military specialty", he said.
To comment on the President's words, VZGLYAD asked the member of Public chamber Commission on education development, Director of the Moscow center of education № 548 "Tsaritsyno", people's teacher of Russia Efim Raevskogo.
OPINION: Yefim Lazarevic, the President said that for admission to universities takes into account not only the results of the exam, but also the composition of the entrant, as before. What do you think?
Efim Rachevsky: I think it's good. Because, in addition to the certificate exam, we will bestow and matriculation. But maturity involves a number of things. First, the culture of written speech. Secondly, knowledge of the cultural underpinnings of their own Fatherland and of the world. Third, the ability clearly to Express their thoughts using the same written language. And fourth, the ability to see significant in any other immaterial. With the help of the works just to demonstrate this knowledge. The format of the test that gives the exam, is very small.
Efim Rachevsky agreed with many of the theses of Vladimir Putin (photo: ITAR-TASS)
VIEW: how it is supposed to take into account the result of the works along with the exam?
E. R.: And here's how it will be taken into account, causing me some doubt. Maybe for those universities where there is a specialty "Philology" or "Journalism", is important. But I would go the other way. If someone's writing is not written – he just matriculation do not need to give. And it already in any University will not enter.
OPINION: the Renaissance of the essay as final exams: according to the discussions in the Network society has reached a consensus on this issue. Whether everyone agrees on it?
E. R.: I agree All except those who have to write these essays.
OPINION: Vladimir Putin complained about the overcharging for dormitories for students. Supposedly, rectors cheat, making money on the students…
E. R.: This question I will leave unanswered. If I knew who does it, call the Prosecutor's office.
OPINION: Another important issue – Putin urged to attract more talented youth from the CIS and to ensure the functioning of the system in which they could pass the exam in their countries with students from Russia…
E. R.: It was, to be honest, my initiative. Our school participates in the Moscow certificate. If interested, type in any search engine on the Internet her name and you will see that I and my colleagues are engaged, let not 15, but more than 10 years – since 2001.
LOOK: Tell us in General terms how this exam students of CIS will occur in practice?
E. R.: Already happening. Remotely. The President said, among other things, about the necessity of introduction of distance education. And we since 2001, the remotely teach children living in the CIS and the Baltic States. Then we conduct cross-sectional work on the subject of whether to admit them or not admit to final exam. Then they come to Moscow. And here pass the exam, get the certificate. After that, they remain in Russia as teachers, doctors, engineers, programmers… So our school for more than 10 years engaged in the import, not the janitors, but we can say that the intellectual elite. And some of them are already consultants Open government of Russia.
LOOK: Then a simple question. Why students from the CIS countries? In Russia their students enough?
E. R.: it is not the students. Students just have a lot. But the experts are really small. Russia became a country of universal higher and not very good education. Today to become a student with us as well just how to register any hairdresser.
OPINION: What do you think about the problem of education in Russian schools in two shifts?
E. R.: Statistics, in how many schools it is, I do not have. But in two shifts, children do not need to learn it very bad. The President also said that we need more education. This is physical education, and sports, and other clubs. But nowhere, when studying in two shifts. Just school we need to build a good puzzle and this issue of the governors. Albeit smaller build bureaucratic buildings. Let's see what palaces have tax, from other departments. Schools need to build more, then there will be two shifts.
OPINION: what do you think about teaching students of military science at University, not taking him to the army?
E. R.: I myself was a military Department. And it was the most exciting classes at the University where I studied. Absolutely normal idea. Nothing will bring a man's masculinity than even a short belonging to the armed forces.


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HOSPITALS awarded three-star ratings under new performance league tables to be announced today will be allowed to set up their own companies and keep the profits.
Under the radical reward system for the best managed trusts, NHS hospitals can set up cleaning, catering or laundry companies selling the services to other hospitals or local schools. Other companies could be established to reap financial benefits from innovative hospital research.
Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary, said yesterday the Government was looking to the hospital service to become the "entrepreneurs of the public sector", ploughing the money back into the NHS.
The new tables are expected to show wide variations in hospital performance. There is now little patience with poor performers which have in the past have used excuses such as being situated in difficult areas or out-dated buildings.
About 25 NHS trusts out of 170 in England are expected to be awarded three stars. The majority will be given one or two stars and the worst performers, about a dozen, will receive none.
These poor performers can expect "help" from the NHS Modernisation Agency which will dictate how money from the £600 million NHS Performance Fund will be spent on improvement.
They will have a short time to show that they are making improvements. If they fail they can expect replacement managements to be brought in from successful trusts.
Mr Milburn said yesterday: "We know there is good and bad in the NHS and where there is poor performance we will have to step in. Where there is best performance we want to set trusts free from central control.
"The aim is to put the NHS stars centre stage - the top doctors, nurses, scientists, cleaners and managers, who are really doing the business for NHS patients. They have earned their autonomy. Our task now is to give the best performers the freedom to get on with the job, the resources to do it well and new powers to perform to their potential."
The new tables are broader than, and in addition to, the annual league tables on clinical performance in hospitals. The Department of Health has dropped its idea of green, yellow and red "traffic light" ratings for hospitals in favour of star ratings which it believes is more reassuring to patients who will have to use the zero-star hospitals.
The ratings will be based on a range of indicators including waiting times, cancelled operations, staff vacancies and financial management. Where the Commission for Health Improvement, the independent NHS watchdog, has carried out a routine assessment of a trust, its findings have been taken into account.
Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts, said one of the key issues with failing trusts was the ability of managers to get senior doctors behind them.
"This is not about evil doctors against good managers," he said. "But trusts are big organisations with turnovers of £100 million and cultures of their own. Not all these cultures are healthy. People can change but it can take time."
Mr Edwards added that the confederation wanted to know more about the "freedoms" awarded to three-star hospitals. He said money earned from hospital companies could only be at the margin of a hospital's income.


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In such a complicated environment, the sniper keeps things incredibly simple.
Sniper Nest #1: Yup, this is where the rifle is located. Most snipers never leave the platform.
Sniper Nest #2: If they do, it's to jump over to the adjacent ledge and nestle in behind the wall. Interestingly, the east ledge, though almost identical to the west, is much more popular.


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NORTH NEWTON, KAN. – When the Bethel College Board of Directors met on campus recently, they considered a theme of physical environment or place, consistent with the Bethel marketing theme "Find your space." Several board members, administrators and staff started their day with a visit to some public art, located close to the college, that evoked the theme and was created by two Bethel alumni.
Phil Epp, Newton, who designed the "Blue Sky" sculpture, wrote in an article for The Newton Kansan: "The tile sky motif is intended to heighten the viewer's awareness of the changing Kansas sky.… The natural sky can be viewed behind the glazed tiles and through the sky passageway. The sun movement from east to west along the arched surface will change the color and intensity at different times of the day."
After the visit to the sculpture, the board heard a presentation in the chapel by Robert Kreider, professor emeritus of peace studies, entitled "A sense of place." (photo by Vada Snider).


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: Peace.Love.Malfoy by peacelovemalfoy
After being shaken up over the summer before there 7th year at Hogwarts Hermione is forced to push herself away from the trio and all her friends. Things just cant be the same after what has happened and what will happen if she stays around. She is alone with no one to talk to, except her unlikely foe Malfoy. Can he put his hate aside to help her? and can she put hers away for help?
Authors note: I do NOT own any of these characters just the story line. My story ignores Deathly hallows and the Half blood prince.
Genres: Drama, Horror/Dark, Romance Era: Hogwarts Characters: Bellatrix, Draco, Harry, Hermione, Lucius, Pansy , Ron Pairings: Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Lavender
Advisory: Strong Language, Strong Violence, Scenes of a Sexual Nature, Substance Use or Abuse, Sensitive Topic/Issue/Theme
Published: 2011.01.20 Latest Chapter: 2011.02.21 Updated: 2011.02.21 Status: WIP (6316 words)


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Posting in General Chat thread. 11/11/2017it has been noted that too many Members are posting messages in the General Chat area instead of the correct Forums. Any messages posted in the General Chat area that are not General Chat will be deleted without warning and offenders may recieve warning points if repeated instances are seen from that Member. There are plenty of different Club areas that encompass 99% of Ford related posts, please select and use the correct one. If anyone is not sure of which area to post something then feel free to P/M myself or other Senior Staff for guidance. The Moderating Staff are having to spend far too much time chasing this problem instead of maintaining the other areas of the forum.
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Car is 2 and a half years old. Sold with remainder of manufac warranty just over a year ago. Serviced before purchase by selling garage main dealer(multi). It is driven by my son (no he is not a boy racer- he's 24 and a teacher). He noticed a loss of power and I told him to get it checked when he took it for a service. He does not recall a sudden loss of power. One communication from dealer states: you reported struggling at high gear, low speed and lacking acceleration. On Inspection it was found to be caused by Number 4 spark plug failure. Number 4 spark plug ceramic had broken up inside the engine. All the spark plugs were replaced. The Fiesta was booked in for diagnosis of the ticking noise on the 29.10.12 following the report from the service. The engine has been stripped and examined. Number 4 cylinder bore is scored and to rectify this, a short block engine would be required. They and we assumed it would be covered under warranty until we heard that Ford warranty had refused it. The ford warranty comes in two parts the Ford Base warranty (1st year) and then Ford Protect which is not so comprehensive- so beware that is their excuse. I had assumed at the time of purchase that we had the full manufacturers warranty. Thanks for your interest and any help appreciated.
thanks for your support. The reason for the post was twofold- one to see if it had occurred to others and two to gather more information about possible faults. I argued the 'how do you know it was the spark plugs' (answer that is what we believe) but it was actually Ford warranty that turned down the claim. I wasn't able to put forward any other cause but why should I have to? It was impossible to contact warranty dept direct you have to go thru Cust. Relations- basically a method to stop you talking to anyone with any power. Beware your Ford warranty. I'd be interested in other ideas. No I won't go away.
Spark Plug Blown Leads To Bore Damage
wisewords posted a topic in Ford Fiesta ClubHas this happened to anyone else?Under warranty Ford fiesta- spark plug blew leading to a bill of over 3 grand- Engine Found No4 bore damaged, requires new short engine block. Replaced engine short block, replaced all relevant gaskets, nuts/bolts etc.' Ford say not coverered because engine fault caused by spark plug which is only covered for one year
wisewords started following Spark Plug Blown Leads To Bore Damage


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UnNews:Icke, LaRouche: Diana killed in "vast conspiracy"
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Icke, LaRouche: Diana killed in "vast conspiracy"
Who knew The Onion® had a retarded stepbrother?
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 14:59:59 (UTC)
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14 December 2006
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THE REPTILE HOUSE, London, Thursday (UNN) -- The official rejection of conspiracy and murder allegations in connection with the death of Princess Diana almost ten years ago is unlikely to silence speculation about her tragic death, British analysts said Thursday. Lord Stevens, the former head of Scotland Yard who led the three-year inquiry, Allegations of Conspiracy to murder Princess Diana, said his team had found that there was "no conspiracy and no cover-up" in the death of Diana and her lover, Dodi al Fayed.
David Icke and Lyndon LaRouche have insisted that Diana and Dodi were murdered on the orders of a giant lizard from the Royal Family because she was allegedly planning to dilute her lizard blood with that of an Egyptian human Muslim. LaRouche has posited axiomatically non-linear human cognition in the science of physical economy and three-body motion of fast cars driven by drunk stupid rich people not wearing their seatbelts while being chased by packs of paparazzi through Parisian motorway tunnels.
Icke branded Lord Stevens' investigation as a "cover-up." He said that Lord Stevens, formerly Britain's most senior policeman as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, is "just a mental case" if he tries to brush aside his concerns as simply the words of a schizophrenic football-commentating conspiracy nutter. "The giant lizards of the Royal Family planned it, and the whole plot was executed on their orders with the help of members of MI6. Lord Stevens is simply a tool for the establishment and the Royal Family and intelligence", he insisted, "and somewhat green and scaly."
LaRouche, America's foremost economic theorist, reasoned out the Diana mystery from first principles starting from "I rant, therefore I am." In 1998, he wrote The Secrets Known Only to the Inner Elites, in which he described the history of European civilization, leading up to its final battle in the Parisian motorway tunnel, as a battle between two conflicting images of royalty — in which Diana helps landmine-exploded orphans with AIDS through her powers of Cognition, while Aristotle and his followers see the universe as static and fixed, with humans being just another species of animal, under the natural control of giant lizards.
According to LaRouche, the plan, spearheaded by Prince Philip, the lizard of Queen Elizabeth II and Diana's ex-father-in-law, was to shore up the Crown's drug income by killing both with the help of the intelligence services.
Lord Stevens pooh-poohed the statements of the conspiratorial football genius and the insightful economic radical. Stevens' painstaking work concluded that the couple, along with French chauffeur Henri Paul, died in a "tragic accident" when their black Mercedes car crashed in a Paris underpass just after midnight of August 31, 1997. "We have left no stone unturned," said Stevens about his 900-page report, "and have conclusive scientific proof that the scales found on the road leading up to the crash were quite definitely from a fish and had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with giant lizards. Really."
But he also admitted, "I have no doubt that speculation as to what happened that night will continue and that there are some matters, as in many other investigations, about which we may never find a definitive answer. Not if I can help it, anyway. ... This microphone isn't live, is it?"
Stevens' inquiry had found no evidence that Diana was planning to get engaged, or even married, to Dodi, or that she was pregnant. Asked directly by journalists whether Diana's relationship with a Muslim could be linked to her death, Stevens said, "That is speculation. Furthermore, the inexplicable gory death of all witnesses supporting such a line of thought is entirely and absolutely coincidental," he continued, quickly flicking his forked tongue over his lips.
edit Sources
- J.G. Ballard "Aliens, mutants, senseless violence and GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS!!". The Character Assassination of Prince Charles Considered as a Downhill Hybrid Automobile Race, December 14, 2006
- Martin Gore "Is Princess Di wearing a new dress?". Harrod's Christmas Catalogue, December 14, 2006


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Prince (credit: John Sciulli/Getty Images)
(CBS SF/99.7NOW) – Before Prince and 3rdEyeGirl performed at Fox Theater in Oakland on Saturday, March 15th, a flash mob started outside the venue. Fans gathered on Broadway and performed to the Prince songs "Delirious" and "Ain't Gonna Miss U When U're Gone."
Before their sold out Saturday night show, Hannah "Ford" Welton, Ida Nielsen and Donna Grantis – the girls of 3rdEyeGirl, sat down with Liam Mayclem inside the CBS Local studios. They talked about their new single, what it's like to perform with Prince and what their plans are while in the Bay Area.


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Alexa excelled in creative writing and poetry workshops that allowed her to further develop a unique and dynamic writing style.
Invited to join Honors Society for outstanding academic performance.
Alexa has written numerous articles for QuantumStones.com and other online publications that explore alternative methods for healing depression and anxiety, finding forgiveness and breaking negative habits. Drawing from her own struggles with anxiety, her self-help articles are both innovative and relatable.
Alexa is an astrologer and intuitive counselor with over seven years of experience giving readings, writing in depth astrology forecasts and developing witty and entertaining horoscopes.
Alexa specializes in developing engaging how to guides for startups and small businesses. Drawing from her background in social media marketing and account management, Alexa combines innovative insights into marketing with a flair for creative language to draw in audiences and successfully bolster website traffic. Projects have included how to guides on creating pitch decks, slide decks, and more.
Combining SEO with creative language allows Alexa to produce unique blog posts that will successfully increase website traffic and secure loyal readers.
Alexa specializes in writing self-help and marketing articles.


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Leighton Meester Is Pregnant
The Gossip Girl actress and Adam Brody are expecting their first baby
Blair Waldorf and Seth Cohen are having a baby!
Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are expecting their first child, fulfilling the dreams of millennial TV drama fans everywhere (after getting married early in 2014). And Meester is already out and about with a big baby bump on display, probably laughing about the fact that she managed to keep it a secret for so long. (Blair would be proud—not to mention BFF Serena van der Woodsen.)
Congrats, guys!
From the editors of ELLE.com


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The Walt Disney World College Program Recruiting team is once again partnering with MSU to provide students with the opportunity to spend a semester living, learning and earning at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.
The Walt Disney World College Program offers educational seminars that teach students Disney?s leadership practices and management philosophies and prepare them for the next stage in their career development. The WDW College Program casts students in exciting roles in its theme parks and resorts, where they work side-by-side with Disney leaders. Students earn credits through MSU?s Cooperative Education Program.
Students are required to apply on line. For application information visit the website: www.wdwcollegeprogram.com.
The Walt Disney World College Program Recruiting team will be at MSU to conduct a presentation and interviews on:
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2000
Time: 3:00-5:00pm
Place: Student Center, Ballroom C.
For more information contact Elaine Russo,The Cooperative Education Program, at email@example.com or 973-655-4426.


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London Olympics 2012 Football: Brazil reach final defeating S Korea 3-0
Jay Jaffa/Goal.com
London: Brazil booked their place in the Olympic final with a comfortable 3-0 win over South Korea courtesy of goals from Romulo and a double from Leandro Damiao at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
Mano Menezes` side started slowly but found their stride to put an end to South Korea`s 18-game unbeaten run, lining up a place in Sunday`s final against Mexico, who overcame Japan 3-1 earlier in the day.
Both sides made changes to their quarter-final line-ups as Brazil recalled Alex Sandro for Hulk and South Korea were forced to replace the injured Jung Sung-Ryong and Kim Chang-Soo with Lee Beom-Young and Oh Jae-Seok.
Despite playing 120 minutes in the quarter-final against Team GB, South Korea began the game far stronger than Brazil creating a number of early chances that served as a wake up call to the tournament favourites.
After a gentle opening 10 minutes, a short South Korean corner led to a neat piece of footwork and backpost cross that saw Kim Hyun-Sung rise to seemingly head into an empty net. Only the presence of Ji Dong-Won and an inadvertent block kept the scores level.
The Sunderland striker was the lead protagonist in the opening stages, creating another chance for Kim as he clipped a diagonal ball to the backpost. His strike partner rose above the 19-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel and forced the ball back across the box for the onrushing Ji but he was denied by clearance more suited to martial arts than football – averting danger and fortunately avoiding conceding a penalty.
Brazil eventually buzzed into life and forced Beom-Young into a series of saves beginning with Damiao`s low left-footed drive from the edge of the box that was just diverted to safety.
Seconds later a weak back-pass forced Beom-Young from his goal and into a sliding tackle on Damiao on the edge of the box. Though the block was firm, the rebound fell to Sandro but South Korea were relieved to see his tame first-time chip easily cleared off the line.
Romulo continued to build the pressure further with a precise curling effort that Beom-Young pawed into the path of Damiao, but the 23-year-old`s cross-shot found neither the goal or a team-mate.
For all Beom-Young`s good work, it was undone on the 38th minute as Menezes` side took the lead.
Sandro robbed South Korea of possession on the halfway line and Neymar picked up the loose ball, immediately shifting it inside to Oscar. The new £25 million Chelsea signing carried the ball to the edge of the box before sliding a neat pass to the overlapping Romulo who struck his shot low and under the keeper at his near-post.
It was a touch cruel on South Korea, who had been the better side for the first 20 minutes but Brazil struck at a crucial time and took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Hong Myong-Bo`s team emerged for the second-half displaying the same positive ethos that caused the Selecao problems in the first period and they were extremely unlucky not to be awarded a penalty as Kim Bo-Kyung was tripped by Sandro in the box as he ran to collect a through ball.
But the early rally was quelled by Brazil as Marcelo galloped forward from left-back to link up with Neymar. The much-vaunted striker played a one-two on the edge of the box, before hitting the byline and cutting the ball back for the waiting Damiao who made no mistake from 15 yards, smashing the ball back across goal to double Brazil`s lead.
And it took just five more minutes for Damiao to find his second of the game as good work from Neymar and Oscar saw an attempted pass to the Santos striker deflect into his path.
The Internacional forward who has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham, reacted sharply to toe-poke the ball into Beom-Young`s bottom right-hand corner from roughly 12 yards.
Hulk and Alexandre Pato were introduced for the final 15 minutes and Brazil relaxed, switching to the showboating style synonymous with the national team.
But it was Neymar who continued to exude the flamboyant nature that has made him such a watchable figure. His run in the 90th minute down the left flank and into the box included step-overs, a sudden stop and a beautifully flighted cross that was just misread by Oscar, preventing Brazil making it four. And that was how the game stayed.
South Korea will look back at this tournament with pride but ultimately they came across a team, that when in the mood, have too much attacking potency to contain.
The final scoreline ensured Brazil maintained their record of netting three goals in every Olympic game and will certainly ensure they retain their tag as favourites to win a maiden gold medal.


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Never watched the show myself but after going through all my requests in the last few days decided that the Teen Wolf guys would be a good choice to start with for some new nude fakes. Hopefully I havn't lost too much of my edge because of my lack of faking practice lately.
COMMENT and JOIN if you like :)


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The Times Union's annual Best Of the Capital Region came out today, and I owe all (well, many, we know Christa and Sarah were not voting for me) of you a major thank you for voting for me in the blog, Tweeter and local print journalist categories.
Unlike the Bobblehead contest, which I clearly pimped the Giuseppe out of, I never asked anyone (not even my parents) for a vote in the Times Union's Best Of. Additionally, due to the nature of the settings on Survey Monkey — the program we used to collect votes — it was difficult and time-consuming to ballot-stuff (again, unlike we all know was openly happening with the Bobblehead contest). So, the fact I ended up in three Best Of categories genuinely, rather than through excessive begging pleading encouragement, is highly appreciated (and, admittedly, a bit shocking).
I grew up with the Times Union Best Of — my mom even mailed it to me and Cindy at college — so it's really nice to appear in what is, to me, a time-honored, home-town product. There are a lot of well-liked, talented people out there on the local interwebs, and writing for the various Capital Region print products, so I thank you for choosing me to receive your vote.
In honor of OTE's win, I thought it would be fun to do an open post of sorts answering some of your oft-asked questions regarding this blog and the people in the OTE community. I've included a few I hear regularly, but feel free to add your own.
Q: What's Goose really like?
A: It's no secret Goose and I did not get along on here for a good year, yet now he's one of my absolute favorite people.
Hearing him talk about his daughter would even make Marlon's heart unfreeze. He adores that little girl. I also have to mention his no-longer-new girlfriend who, as he freely admits, completely changed his attitude toward, well, everything.
Goose is also one of the funniest commenters on any of the TU blogs. Reading and approving his comments often ends with my editor saying "Kristi, you're having too much fun over there," because I laugh so loud.
One thing I've noticed meeting Goose in person — he's much more quiet and demure than you may expect. I went into our first meeting thinking he'd be loud and showy and I'd want nothing to do with him, but he's actually uber-classy and blends really well in social settings. He doesn't make events about him, even though he is often beyond the success of said gatherings.
You've got to admire the man's career drive and motivation, too. He's got something like two successful businesses and he's only 32.
Oh, and we can't forget this: He's got the smoothest hands of any man I've ever met, plus he smells really good.
Q: Why is R anonymous?
A: Other than my parents, Cindy, C-Note (basically, my immediate family) and Jenn, everyone in my life is, essentially, anonymous in my writing. It's a combination, but mostly because, unlike me, they didn't choose a public life and it's not my place to change that. Not to mention, actually knowing who they are doesn't add depth or value to my posts or columns.
On a semi-related note, I know some of you have even questioned if R is real. Those of you who have met him when we are out around town can answer that one :D
Q: Why can't people on other blogs disagree with one another the way you and Leigh do? You two "argue," yet never attack one another and you seem to walk away from disagreements with no hurt feelings.
A: I can't speak for Leigh, obviously, so I'll stick with how I feel.
The two of us often see social/political issues from different positions, but there's nothing wrong with that. I don't believe in getting mean or nasty with anyone who has opposing life views. If everyone agreed on everything, life would be boring. But that's sort of the overarching, generic answer.
More specifically, Leigh is smart, funny and always presents her view with logic. Plus, she's open about the fact that her thoughts — like anyone's — are opinion, not fact. It's kind hard (not to mention useless and ignorant) to argue with opinion.
I have a huge amount of respect for Leigh and look forward to her thoughts on topics, even when I suspect they will not be in line with my own. Her personal blog and writing style are so impressive, she won the "best vacation post" award on OTE last year. Also, I've asked her to write for us again this year.
Q: How do you come up with ideas?
A: I talked about this a bit in this post. But, mostly, I observe and listen (AKA, eavesdrop, at times) and try to determine what's culturally popular.
If I'm too busy to compose a fresh post, or just don't have much to say on a topic I believe interests many of you, I'll just find mentions of it elsewhere and link out.
As I said at the Media 2010 conference, my job for OTE is to act as a dinner party host. I bring people with common interests together and then spark or start a conversation. After that, you're on your own. So far, this has worked.
Q: You genuinely seem to like Amanda, even though she writes about a lot of the same things you may write about. Is she the Jeff Kent to your Barry Bonds, or are you friends?
A: It's all an act. We battle behind closed doors.
Amanda is – and has been – one of my favorite people on OTE for most of the 3-year life of OTE. Now that she has her own blog, I like her even more. Her blog is the one place I know I can turn daily for a relatable, funny, well-told story.
From a professional standpoint, I see a lot of potential in Amanda and am excited for her and her blogging success. She delivers honest, thought-provoking stories in a way I continually wish I could do.
As for the "competition," that only causes everyone on the local blog platform to strive to do better – and, in the end, that benefits all of you.
OK, that's a look at the questions I hear most often from all of you. Did I miss anything?


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Heck sausages have been launched in independent retail chain Budgens.
They are available in three varieties – the 'fair & square' square pork sausage, 'Chicken Italia' chicken chipolatas and the 'Smokey Chicken Paprika' - and come in a pack of six (rrp £2.50).
Charlotte Tyne, trading manager for meat, fish and poultry at Budgens, said: "Heck are a really exciting company so it felt right that they should be on our shelves. They are completely dedicated to producing great-tasting sausages but they also offer a little something different too. Their chicken sausages are a great alternative for those who prefer to limit red meat; they are also packed with flavour so there is no compromise on taste."
Andrew Keeble of Heck, which is based in North Yorkshire, said: "Heck is the number one premium sausage brand in the UK. We're really passionate about what we do and we're proud of our product. We are delighted to now be stocked in Budgens stores."
Budgens is an independent retail brand and forms part of the Booker Group. According to the latest Grocery Retail Structure, compiled by Convenience Store, The Grocer and IGD, there are 168 Budgens sites throughout the UK.


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Saying Sorry @ RomanceClass -
Didn't flirt
i told u i loved u then he started to flirt with me. i didnt flirt bk and u thought i was, i should have told him to bk the hell off, i didnt, so not flirting bk doesnt matter, now ur bk, and im more mature.. i hope ull give me another change cuz im so sorry...
2.15 out of 5 hearts
Add your vote! How much forgiveness does this story rate? 1 is lowest, 5 is highest.
Submit your own story
Most Recent Apologies


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Actress Christina Hendricks was unfazed by her parents' divorce – and even encouraged them to split.
The "Mad Men" star's mom Jackie and her father Robert experienced a rough patch when she was a teenager, parting ways just after she'd finished her education – and Hendricks confesses she's glad they separated.
She tells Cosmopolitan magazine, "(They split) when I graduated from high school. It didn't affect me – they hadn't been getting along for some time and I was just like, 'Just get a divorce. Save yourselves'."
But Hendricks, who wed Geoffrey Arend in 2009, insists she still has faith in successful partnerships.
She adds, "I believe very much in marriage and in working hard for it. My husband's parents are still together and I really like that. But I wouldn't have wanted my parents to stay together if they weren't happy."


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One of my molars is sensitive to cold air. I barely even notice it....maybe once every couple week.....and it doesn't even bother me. There is no pain in the tooth at all. My dentist says it's a deep cavity....which I am hoping can be fixed with just a filling.
But since the air is able to reach the nerve, does that mean I may need a root canal?


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Taylor (1977)
1977 Taylor Report (complete)
The Taylor Report (1977)
A New Partnership for Our Schools
Report of the Committee of Enquiry appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for Wales under the chairmanship of Mr Tom Taylor CBE
London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1977
Notes on the text
The committee of enquiry was appointed by Labour education secretary Reg Prentice (and the Secretary of State for Wales) in April 1975 (eighteen months before prime minister Jim Callaghan gave his Ruskin College speech which began the 'Great Debate' about education). It was asked:
To review the arrangements for the management and government of maintained primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, including the composition and functions of bodies of managers and governors, and their relationships with local education authorities, with head teachers and staffs of schools, with parents of pupils and with the local community at large; and to make recommendations.The committee's report was presented to education secretary Shirley Williams and Welsh secretary John Morris in June 1977. (Margaret Thatcher's Tories won the 1979 election and Williams left the Labour party in 1981 to become one of the 'Gang of Four' who founded the Social Democratic Party, which was later merged with the Liberal party).
Born in 1929, Tom Taylor (pictured) became a member of Blackburn Town Council in 1954 and was its Leader from 1972 to 1976. He was a founder member of the Council of the Lancaster University and served as its Deputy Pro-Chancellor from 1972 to 1995. He became a peer (Baron Taylor of Blackburn) in 1978. He was suspended from membership of the Lords for six months in 2009 after being caught up in the 'cash for questions' scandal.
The 23 members of the committee included Joan Sallis, who has long campaigned for school governor training and was the first national president of the Campaign for State Education.
The committee was divided on a number of issues, one member (Councillor PO Fulton, chair of Cleveland's education committee) even producing his own minority report, which can be found in the Notes.
The Taylor Report contains an invaluable history of school managers and governors from 597 to 1945 in Appendix B.
The report online
The full text of the report (including the Appendices) is online.
The formatting of the text (bold, italics, centred etc) is a reasonably accurate representation of the printed version, but the pages presented here are not exact facsimiles of the original: the font (Times, Arial etc) and size of print - and therefore the number of words to a line and lines to a page - are determined by the settings you have chosen for your web browser. However, the page breaks are correct. In other words, if something is shown here as being on, say, page 103, you can be sure it appeared on page 103 in the original.
I've corrected a handful of misprints and a few spelling inconsistencies.
Anything added by way of explanation is shown [in square brackets]. Note, however, that square brackets are used in Appendices B, E and G - these are as shown in the printed version.
Summary of the report's main recommendations
The committee made 89 recommendations, which can be found in the Summary of recommendations. The following are some of the key points:
The 1977 Taylor Report and the above notes were prepared for the web by Derek Gillard. The report was uploaded on 17 August 2008; the revised notes on 24 November 2012.