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It's 1962. A new developer has a big idea: He's eyeing a piece of land on the edge of his city. It's just empty fields right now, but he wants to fill it with new houses.
So the land is platted and the construction crew begins building roads out to these future developments. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are poured into these new roads. Next come the pipes, laid out in neat lines to each empty plot—more dollars spent. You can just imagine the beautiful homes that are about to be built, and you can smell the money that the developer's going to make on these homes, plus the new tax dollars that will fill the city coffers, all without the city paying a dime for the roads or pipes.
Once the houses are built and down payments are paid (thanks to subsidies and credits from the federal government), the families start moving in. One family comes from the inner city: growing up, they never had a yard, much less a swimming pool. But now they've got acres of space, plus a little playground on their quiet cul de sac where the kids can play. It's perfect.
Ten years later, the children are entering middle school. Hundreds of dollars from the family's budget are going to lawn care, to pool cleanings, to water bills every month—water that's running through those pipes recently built just for their home. Dozens more dollars each month pay for the family's weekly visit to the gas station, which fuels their trips into town for work on those recently paved roads. They knew their mortgage payments would go up when they moved into this house, but they didn't realize how many other expenses would be added to their monthly budget out in this suburb.
Twenty years later and we've got millions of private dollars spent to build the homes, millions of individual dollars spent to live in the homes, and it's time for the public dollars to start rolling in. The roads need to be repaved, some of the pipes have burst, the playground looks outdated…
Where is the money to pay for these fixes though? The suburban government was counting on big tax dollars coming from all these new homes, but it hasn't played out that way. Local leaders thought they were getting free roads and pipes from the developers, but now they're looking at maintenance bills they can't possibly afford.
So they kick the can down the road a few more years— they patch the biggest potholes and remove the defunct playground equipment. The families with wealth—who are dissatisfied with the direction the neighborhood's headed in—pick up and move to the newer subdivision one town over, taking their tax dollars with them.
Just as the neighborhood is beginning to seem less desirable and a little more shoddy, an opportunity comes along for the city: A grant from the federal DOT will allow the municipality to build a new four-lane road that runs near the sub-development and around the center of town. It's a win-win for the government because they get new infrastructure for a very low price (they just have to contribute 20% of the construction costs) and this new road will surely induce development along it. Their concerns about the maintenance of existing streets, pipes and public spaces are quelled by this windfall, and the costs for maintaining the new road surely won't materialize for several decades. By then, all that new highway-oriented development will be paying the bills, right?
The Growth Ponzi Scheme in Action
This is the Growth Ponzi Scheme in action. The Suburban Development Pattern paints this illusion of wealth—new homes and fancy lawns for the residents, new tax dollars for the government—but in the end, it actually robs the community of its wealth.
For many suburban residents, as we've demonstrated this week, that means a decline into poverty. What happens to the family in our little story? The kids grow up and move out of the house—away to more prosperous places we hope. Meanwhile, the parents are left in a big house that they don't have the energy to maintain. Their modest incomes during their working years (after all, this development was billed as "affordable luxury") have left them on a tight budget in retirement. Plus their property taxes are increasing in a last ditch attempt by the local government to start paying for overdue infrastructure maintenance.
When the father loses his driver's license because his vision has deteriorated, he's left relying on rides from his wife or the unreliable bus system just to get groceries or visit a friend. One day soon, this couple would like to sell their house and move into a senior home, but the value of the house has decreased so much that they're don't think they'll be able to afford it. So they're stuck.
Their neighbors—young and old, new residents and long-time residents—are having the same struggles, and local government and nonprofits offer little help. As property values decline, these suburban homes become more affordable to low-income families, and we reach a concentration of poverty in a place that is designed with none of their needs in mind, while wealthier Americans have moved on to a shiny new suburb or a revitalized urban core.
Suburbia is a massive experiment, and millions of Americans are finding out that it doesn't work. The numbers don't add up for these families, and suddenly they're behind on their mortgage, barely able to put gas in their cars and living in poverty.
What's more, none of the surrounding neighborhoods or towns realize what's going on. The disconnected nature of the suburbs—winding streets detached from one another, few public gathering spaces, little interaction with neighbors on the sidewalk or in public transit—makes it hard to see the poverty that might be affecting a family just blocks away from you. And that family might be in denial about it anyway.
A Strong Towns Approach
A glance at The Strong Towns Approach shows just how many ways our suburbs are failing at strength.
- A Strong Town relies on small, incremental investments (little bets) instead of large, transformative projects… Subdivisions are the definition of large, transformative projects. They take an empty field and pave it, shove it full of pipes, and plop down house after house on it in a matter of months.
- A Strong Town emphasizes resiliency of result over efficiency of execution… A great deal of American suburbs were never built with the future in mind. They were built to satisfy an immediate desire—new homes—in an efficient manner—insert identical houses here—with no plan for how they could live into a resilient future.
- A Strong Town is designed to adapt to feedback… Exactly what sort of feedback is present in a system where you build new roads and pipe before homes or buyers exist, let alone have a plan to pay for them in the long run?
- A Strong Town is inspired by bottom-up action (chaotic but smart) and not top-down systems (orderly but dumb)… Post-war suburbs are the very definition of top-down; a collusion between the top-down federal government subsidizing the creation of new single-family homes and top-down large developers doing the work to get them built, with municipalities putting their stamp on all of it.
- A Strong Town is obsessive about accounting for its revenues, expenses, assets and long term liabilities (do the math)… See our Growth Ponzi Scheme series for insight into just how little math has been done on the suburban development pattern.
The suburban development pattern promises to make us rich, but in the end, makes us poor. And what's worse, that poverty is happening in an environment without affordable housing options, without affordable transportation choices, without nonprofits or government agencies to assist.
It's an environment built for one type of person: a middle class family with time, energy and reliable finances.
It's an environment built for one type of America: an America with economic prosperity, cheap gas and endless government money for infrastructure.
That America may have been real once, but it isn't the case in most of our nation today. In order to start moving towards prosperity and offering a better option for those stuck in suburban poverty, we need to start building Strong Towns.
If you value our our in-depth of analyses of the forces at work in this nation of suburban decline and poverty, please support us by becoming a member of Strong Towns or making a donation so we can continue this important work.


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I'm the Can-Do Cook who's constantly searching for the "best" recipe for everything that I like to cook, so I'm always trawling cooking websites and food blogs to try to find that perfect blend of ingredients. I'm also interested in healthier ways of eating and trying new and better takes on those favorite comfort foods.
The perfect thin and crispy pizza crust is something that I've always longed for. And even better? A whole wheat version that doesn't require a day to rise or a ton of physical exertion in the mixing and kneading. Well readers, I've found it, and it's become a favorite weekend dinner in my house. It doesn't even need a special pizza pan, and in fact, I often just use a cookie sheet smeared with a bit of olive oil and the pizza crust always comes out thin and crispy. You can even substitute the white flour and whole-wheat flour measurements for 3 1/2 cups unbleached white whole-wheat flour. For best results, I like the King Arthur Flour brand. Enjoy!
(Original source: www.Allrecipes.com)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
5. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.
Give it a try and do let me know what you think.

subset: commoncrawl


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Young Heroes of Warwick: Donnivin Duran Takes Care of His Sibling
Story by Sara Paul
It's dinner time, and Maximus "Max" Duran is screaming with anxiety and frustration. As an eight-year-old boy who has autism, Max was non-verbal until age six. Now with limited speech and frequent outbursts, there is just one little voice that can calm him: his brother Donnivin.
"I like to try to talk to him and help him talk to me. He is so quiet, like a little ninja, but then he's really loud when he's upset," says Donnivin, who has a natural ability to sense what Max is feeling and what can bring things down a notch.
"Sometimes we just need to leave him alone. If he's mad, he needs some time and might not want to be bothered. Max just needs his space," insists an over-protective and gentle brother, who enjoys playing tag and hide and seek and, of course, jumping on the bed with his favorite sibling.
Though younger than Max, seven-year old Donnivin has come to embrace his role as big bro and best bud. From his soothing words to his insights on what makes Max happy or sad, Donnivin has always been close with his brother, according to their mom, Najm.
"They have a really special relationship and love each other so much," she said, adding that though the boys have their own bedrooms, Max often calls out for his brother to sleep in his bed.
At a young age, Max was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PPD-NOS), a condition "… applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully meet the criteria for another Autism Spectrum Disorder… PDD-NOS can occur in conjunction with a wide spectrum of intellectual ability. Its defining features are significant challenges in social and language development," (www.AutismSpeaks.org).
To be sure, Donnivin wishes he could converse more with his brother, who "does not use the words I use," however, he gladly communicates with Max as Max is able to, through body language and sweet touches on the cheek.
Mom is grateful to have Donnivin's assistance in not only caring for Max, but also for their ten-year-old Shih-tzu, Candy, as well as helping around the house.
"Honestly, we just could not do it without him. He's just awesome and always wants to help," notes proud dad, Robert.
The Durans also have a daughter, Naja, 21, and a son, Ian, 18. Their mother notes that having mature siblings has provided a good example for Donnivin to follow.
"Our older kids are amazing, just like little parents, and he takes after them," she said.
"It's so nice when he lets Max touch his face and helps him with video games," said Naja.
Ian agrees that, "They're always side by side and making each other laugh."
Enjoying a sweet summer before Donnivin begins second grade at Sanfordville Elementary School in the fall, our young hero's advice to his peers is plain, simple, and even poster worthy: "Be patient. Be calm. Be helpful."
The Warwick Valley Dispatch would like to feature young people of Warwick who are doing meaningful things. Whether in school, athletics, in the community or at home, we know there are many moving stories that need to be told. These "hero" stories can be from the incredible to the mundane, from the kid who saved his dog from drowning to the teen who takes care of a sibling with special needs.We ask that if you know of any young individuals who would be appropriate for these human interest pieces, that you contact Sara Paul at email@example.com or 718-702-3091.


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To prepare for the negotiations with government and business at the Sector Job Summits (SJSs), NALEDI and COSATU and its affiliates are developing policies relevant to different sectors. Reference groups are driving the process. These are made up of NALEDI, COSATU and a lead COSATU affiliate, as well as COSATU support affiliates and affiliates from other federations. For example, CEPPWAWU is the lead union in the reference group that is developing policy for the petroleum sector. NUMSA and SACWU (a NACTU affiliate) also sit on this group.
The main aim of the project is to develop research in the sectors as a foundation on which to build comprehensive industrial policy proposals. The project also aims to ensure that a broad spectrum of union leadership is involved in policy formulation. The project is building capacity among union researchers, involving membership in the research process and ensuring that information gets through to members through education and publications. After the Summits, the project will monitor the implementation of the policies and processes agreed on and continue to find ways to bolster labour's capacity.


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Chef Tom Carlin recalls steps in his culinary journey in the pages of Andrew Friedman's Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll. Published by HarperCollins, readers are transported back in time to witness the remarkable evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and '80s.
Viewing entries in
Tom Carlin


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SmartTech is a professional company which can supply the plastic/metal injection mould.
Product Description
PC plastic injection products, Customized Plastic Part, Plastic mould manufacturer Plastic Auto,Mould, plastic motorcycle parts mould, plastic electrics mould, plastic communication parts mould, plastic household appliance mould, plastic textile mould, Plastic injection mould ,Plastic injection & die casting molding parts, plastic parts manufacturer, plastic injection & blow molders.
plastic injection mold manufacturer shanghai
Plastic material
Steel of Cavity & Core
DIN 1.2316/ DIN 1.2738/DIN 1.2344 /M300/ 718/ P20..etc
Steel of Mouldbase
S50C.LkM standard…etc
Nos of Cavity
Hardness of Cavity & Core
Hardness of Wear Parts
Core pulling system
Motor /oil cylinder/ stripping plate, angel pin…etc
Mould Accessories
DME/HASCO Standard …
Cooling system
In core baffle cooling and in cavity plate chain drilling type cooling
Surface finish
Diamond polish,
Molding life
Cold or Hot
Delivery time
35 days
wooden case
Following is the process of production informations for reference
We support customer R&D. Make the files or improve the design if you needed.
the quality, price, material, delivery time, payment item, ect.
3.Place an order
according your own design or you chooses our design.
4. Mould
According customers request to build the mould. Before make the mould, we send mould design to customer approval first, before move forward to production; we send samples to customer to confirm first.
5. Sample shoot
If the first sample come out is not satisfied customer, we modify the mould and until meet customers satisfactory.
6.Products in store
If your quantity is beyond our storage, we will provide lead time to you.
7. Delivery
Delivery goods by sea or by air, according customers requirement
Plastic injection mold:
Injection molding parts:
CNC Machining process for metal parts :
Auto-CNC lathe parts:
Die-casting mold:
Die-casting molding parts:
Stamping mold:
Stamping molding parts:
CNC machining process for plastic parts:
Stereolithography(SLA/SLS Printing process):
PCB Fabrication service:
Secoundary operation:
Final assembly service:
Quality control :
Our SLA Printing Machines :
Our SLS printing Machines:
Our CNC machine center workshop:
Our auto-CNC lathe work shop:
Plastic tooling/mold manufacturing workshop:
Our injection molding workshop:
Our metal stamping workshop:
PCB Assembly Process Overview:
The various stages in the PCB assembly process including adding solder paste to the board, pick and place of the components, soldering, inspection and test. All these processes are required, and need to be monitored to ensure that product of the highest quality is produced. The PCB assembly process described below assumes that surface mount components are being used as virtually all PCB assembly these days uses surface mount technology.
Our PCBA Workshop:
Our Services
1. Molds and plastic parts making according to your samples or drawings .
2.Provide our customers engineering service.
3. Customer design is acceptable, OEM and ODM services are available
4. Mold design, CNC processing and other tooling, assembly service is available
5. Design software: UG, PRO-E, CAD, CAXA, CAM & CAE
6. Mold base standards: LKM, HASCO, DME and more
7. Molds' steel: NAK80, S136(H), 2738, 718&738 and P20
8. Hardness of steel: 15-60HRC
9. Cav/core materials: 2738, 2343, DIN-1, S130, 2344, 738H, 718, 8407, S136, P20 etc.
10. Cavity: Single/multiple
11. Runner: Hot/cold
12. Mold life: 500,000-1,000,000 shots as required
13. Final products' materials: ABS, PP, PE, POM, PA6(66)+GF, PC, PMMA HIPS, GPPS etc.
14. Final products' colors: any color at your request
15. Payment terms: L/C, T/T, Western Union, PayPal
16.Customized packaging service is available.
FAQ About Plastic Mould Manufacturing
Q1: What kind of molds do you make? Plastic injection mold, Compression mold or something else?
A1: We are mainly making plastic mold injection and rubber compression mold.
Sometimes we also make die casting molds according to our customer's requirements.
Q2: Do you build hot runner plastic moulds?
A2: Yes. We build hot runner Plastic Moulds and specialized in many different systems, such as DME,Master,Mastip,Hasco,Yudo,Incoe,Husky,etc.
The manifold recommended for your tool is selected to meet your individual needs.
Q3: What types of files do you accept (drawings)?
A3: With our CAD systems we can accept following files:
STP, IGS, DXF, DWG, Cad Key PPT, STL, X_T, CATIA, UG files, etc.
Q4: What kind of steel do you use for plastic mouldings?
A4: We can use any type of steel appointed by customer or popular in the market.
Such as P20, 718, 8407, NAK80, H13, S136, DIN 1.2738, DIN 1.2344, etc.
Q5: Can you provide the steel certificate and heat-treatment certificate?
A5: Yes, We can provide steel certificate or hardness certificate to prove.
Q6: Can you make the texture / text / heat-treatment /nitriding for the inejction mold plastic?
A6: Yes, As plastic mold fatory, we have long-term cooperated subsidiary factories that do those processes.
They are professional and well reputed in our local market.
Q7: How long is the lead-time for a plastic injection mold?
A7: It all depends on the mold's size and complexity.Normally, the lead time is 25—45days.
If the Plastic Mouldings are very simple and not big size, we can work out within 15 days.
Q8: Do you make spare parts for your customer?
A8: Yes, we will provide spare parts for the mold if needed or required by client.
Q9: How do you pack the china plastic moulds?plastic injection mold packaging
A9: We pack the plastic moulds with wooden box.
There are the main 3 operation steps.
First Step: We daub some rust preventive oil on the mold.
Second step: We pack the mold with thin plastic film to avoid moisture.
Third step: We put this plastic film packed mold in a wooden box, and fix it avoid any movement.
FAQ About Molded Products
Q10: How many injection plastic mouldings machines do you have?
A10: We have 120 sets of plastic Injection Mouldings machines.
Q11: what is the minimum & maximum unit weight and size your machines can produce?
A11: Our machines produce the unit parts from 1 gram to 6000 grams weight.
Our machines can produce the maximum size of unit plastic part: 1.5*1.5*1.5 meters.
Q12: What kind of plastic materials you usually use?
A12: We are specialized in producing plastic products with the following materials:
PP, ABS,PC,POM,PA,HDPE,HIPE,PS,AS,PBT,PET,PMMA,PVC and so on.
Q13: How do you pack the plastic molded parts?
A13: We pack the plastic molded parts by thick-wall cartons.
If the finish surface of plastic molded parts requires safe protection to avoid scratches, we will use bubble plastic bag to pack the parts.
FAQ About Worldwide Delivery
Q14: Can you deliver the plastic moulds or plastic products to our factory?
A14: Yes, We have cooperated with many international logistics companies for years.
And we have full experience to manage the delivery directly to the client's factory or
appointed warehouse.


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Gran Teatro del Liceo
In 1837 begins the history of the Gran Teatro del Liceo, when it stood at the former convent of Montsió (now Portal de l'Àngel) to enhance music education and a place to premiere the works of students. In 1847 was when it moved to the Rambla dels Caputxins, right next to the Hostal Mare Nostrum, when the city awarded the purchase of the building of the convent of the Trinitarians.
It was funded entirely by private shareholders, that is why theater is the only opera that has no real stage as Queen Elizabeth II declined to participate. Those who supported financially the construction of the theater won a lifetime seat in the theater. It is this social stratum that the anarchist movement saw as representing the ruling oligarchy of the moment which led to the events of November 7, 1893 when James Orsini Salvador dropped two bombs to the stalls causing twenty dead.
Liceu has burned twice in its history. The first time was on April 9, 1861 because of an oil light. In that fire was only the stone structure remained. The second time was in 1994 due to a torch that ignited the curtain and left the Teatro del Liceo practically destroyed. The Lyceum's golden age was during the twenties, during the heyday of the textile business was completely renovated and programmed the best shows around the world, since the public had also become more demanding.
During the Civil War was nationalized and renamed the Teatre del Liceu – Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and is now publicly owned and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the City Hall of Barcelona, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministry of Culture and managed by Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation.
Times of departure
– Guided tour: 10.00 am, daily (1 hour 10 min)
– Unguided tour: 11.30 am, 12.00 midday, 12.30 pm and 1 pm, daily (20 minutes)
Prices – Guided tour 8,8 € – Unguided tour 4,10 €
- Adress: La Rambla, 51-59
- Tel: 93 485 99 00
- Hours: 10h a 13h
- Web: http://www.liceubarcelona.com/


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Gulab Jamun
Khoa (Mawa)- 1 cup
Chenna – 1/4 cup
Maida – 3-4 tbsp
Sodium bicarbonate – a pinch
Green cardamon powder (chhoti elaichi) -1/2 tsp
Rose water (optional)- Few drops
Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 1 cup
- Combine khoa, paneer, maida and sodium bicarbonate in a bowl.
- Mix every thing very well and mash the mixture several times to get a smooth dough.
- Make balls out of the mixture.
- Deep fry at low flame till they are golden brown.
- Make sugar syrup. You can flavor the sugar syrup with either green cardamom powder or by few drops of rose water.
- Soak gulab jamuns in hot sugar syrup.
- Serve after sugar syrup penetrates gulab jamun completely.
- Garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachio.
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Are You A First-Time Buyer?
What if we already have a Buyer for your Home who was willing to pay top dollar?
Starting to plan ahead to sell your home is a very wise decision. In fact planning 6 - 8 months ahead is the best idea and here is why.
People that started looking a few months ago might be ready to buy now. We get many calls every month from families ready to make a move right away. We also get calls from families wanting to make a move 6 months from now.
If we know your house is coming on the market, our special computer program will match the buyer up with your home as soon as we know it's coming on the market. Wouldn't that be great if we already had the buyer looking?
Because of our advanced technology we have sold homes in less than 1 day by having advanced technical resources on our side. It's as simple as pressing a button.


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California Supreme Court activity for the week of May 9, 2011/
The California Supreme Court held its (usually) weekly conference on May 11, 2011. Notable results include:
- On a petition for review, review was granted, and the matter held, in United Parcel Service Wage And Hour Cases (February 24, 2011) (fees not available to defendant prevailing on Labor Code section 226.7 claims), covered previously on this blog here. Review was previously granted in a case addressing this issue: Kirby v. Immoos Fire Protection, Inc. (July 27, 2010).
- On a petition for review, review was denied in Price v. Starbucks Corporation (February 17, 2011).


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Posted: December 6th, 2011.
Nicci from Nicolette Weddings recently hosted a ladies bachelorette tea that she cheekily named "Nicci's Naughty Tea".
This is what Nicci had to say about the details of the day:
"The tea party (and by 'tea' I mean champagne) was a ladies afternoon of champagne, cupcakes, macaroons and lots and lots of pink! The party was done with a vintage, 'Mad Hatters' theme. We also had a surprise visit from a popular burlesque dancer, Ms Behave."
We're just going to let the photos speak for themselves on this one… looks like fun, ladies!
We love these unique invitations!
Lovely decor details…
Strawberry Jam favours… yum!
Mad Hatter labels
The lovely Nicci…


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The fightyourcorner.com website is currently under review due to reorganisation of the business model.
We are looking for a PR/Marketing partner and National specialist consultants prior to continuing to provide a more comprehensive service on a UK wide basis.
In the meantime if you need to get in touch with us, email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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i found a wonderful foodie blog that i check every day. she inspires me to try new recipes and to be brave with new and different ingredients.
This weeks recipe was pork loin chops with roasted garlic cream sauce. i totally forgot to take pictures of the finished product, so i am borrowing from cassie craves blog.
|photo taken by cassie craves
this tasty recipe was easy peasy with basic ingredients. next time i make this i will use a pork tenderloin instead of chops. I tend to overcook chops which leads to dry and chewy pork. the cream sauce was delish and was a flavorful topper to some typical mash potatoes.
besides the mash potatoes, i served this recipe, taken from my friend's blog, life in a nutshell.
it was incredibly easy and again, it stretched me beyond the basic veggies that i often grab at the food store. broccoli rabe may not be my fave veggie (bitter and kinda chewy) but mixing it with some carrots and a pinch of nutmeg saved the day.
|photo taken by meredith from life in a nutshell blog
this weeks grade:
...and until next week. what should i try next?!?


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Female birds sing, too
In the last edition of the InsiderS, I wrote about some surprising insights concerning the gender dimension in academic research (http://nccr-planets.ch/heartbreaking-disregard-female-perspective/). This is the last article in this series and deals with gender in research projects, as discussed during a gender conference (http://nccr-planets.ch/gender-bias-erc-grant-evaluation/) – it would be interesting to see how and where this could be implemented in Astrophysics research: How to include the gender perspective in research and innovation projects.
By Nadine Afram
Gender research in STEM fields. The concept of responsible research and innovation was discussed and how it indispensably has to integrate gender and diversity perspectives. This integration has to be done at different levels to realise sustainable research. Sustainability has to include: Economy, Ecology, Society, and Culture.
If a project wants to be sustainable it has to take into account society and culture. Examples for the 'gender perspective' in various projects were given:
- Mechanical engineering: crash test dummies made for one type of man
- Transport engineering: mobility. Usually based on employment trips, but should also be based on caring work, i.e. transport of own kids, etc.
- Environmental engineering: Sanitation projects
Recommendation: Include gender and diversity into education, so that it flows into research and development automatically.
GRI (gendered research and innovation). This means the integration of sex and gender analysis into the funding and implementation process of research and innovation in different phases:
- Framing the research question (be aware of the GRI dimension)
- Analysing results: include sex/gender outcomes
Finding GRI aspects in research is not easy, but there are examples:
- Eating disorders in men are underdiagnosed and undertreated
- Bird song is mainly studied in male birds. Female birds also sing.
- Physics text books analysis shows suggestive pictures of women. Pictures of women and men are very different -> make text books more gender-sensitive
- To universities: get gender experts in panels
- To editors: include GRI in publications
- To research funders: adopt GRI policies, equal representation of men and women in panels, employ sex and gender analysis as resource to create new research.
[Notes and images from presentations by Carmen Leicht-Scholten (RWTH Aachen) and Katrien Maes (LERU Leuven) at the SNSF "Gender and Excellence: Challenges in Research Funding II" conference, 21 June 2016, Bern, Switzerland. Read more on the presentations here: http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/Web-News/160705_news-gender-excellence_leicht_scholten_carmen.pdf and http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/Web-News/160705-news-gender-excellence-maes-katrien.pdf] Categories: Internal Newsletter
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Setting the Codec s IP Address
Configuring the Wireless Touch Panel
System Configuration (Touch Panel)
System Configuration (TE30 Web Interface)
System Configuration (TE50 Web Interface)
Setting the VPT300 Camera Parameters
Setting the VPC600 Camera Functions
Interconnection with the Videxio Cloud Platform
Interconnection with the BroadSoft Server


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Your Custom Text Here
The Hampton Inn Downtown is a fifteen-story, four-star hotel completed in 2015. The hotel contains 174 rooms and includes a green roof planted with native California grasses. The ground floor contains retail space. The upper floors of the hotel are set back in order to maintain the scale of the existing buildings in the immediate vicinity at the street front. The lower portion of the building is clad in a terracotta veneer, while the upper and rear portions of the building are clad with a more modern metallic panel. Accent panels at the window openings create continuity between the upper and lower levels. This hotel is the first hotel project in the city to break ground after the 2008 recession, and one of the only high-rise hotels in San Francisco to break ground in the past fifteen years.
Interior Design: Studio HBA
MEP Engineering: GMEP
General Contractor: Layton Construction
Structural Engineer: KPFF
Photography By: Isaac Strackbein


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Somehow I'm in the middle of developing an app, a game. Well, I myself am not developing it — that's the job of a genius team. But I did conceive the concept and game play. The game is called 'Lineage', and will be available, for free, on iOS and Android in a few months*. Basically, you play as a sperm to fertilise at least one egg, and then divide into a larval salamander and catch food, and then metamorphose into an adult. And, if you manage to survive through those three stages and manage to find a mate as an adult, then you begin a new generation back as a sperm. The cycle continues and you must grow the largest lineage of salamander.
What do you think, sound interesting? Well I hope so.
My ultimate goal is to interweave education, and entertainment into a worthwhile final thing. Hopefully it pans out like I hope. The work is only just beginning.
*The above was written in early 2014. Writing this in September 2015 — progress is going slowly. Hopefully next time I write about this, it will be complete.


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This site is moving to: http://mysite.verizon.net/res12merh/
The theories and "laws" of physics are also models. Whether in the solving of a particular engineering problem or in the search for the wide ranging laws of physics, the art of scientific analysis consists in the creation of useful models of reality. The model is the interface between reality and the human mind. As such, the model must be expressed in human terms; it is cast in terms of concepts which we create from the data of our experience. Our models speak as much about us, our experience and our modes of thought as they do about the external reality being modeled.
I prefer to speak of models where others might speak of theories because the word "model" emphasizes the criterion of usefulness. We tend to think of a theory as a candidate for some absolute, objective truth; a model is used to convey useful information without the pretense of being unique, complete or ultimate. As an example of the conception, gestation, birth and growth of a model in physics let us consider the history of the "ideal gas law" (PV=RT), which you undoubtedly have studied in your chemistry classes.
> To collapse a very long story, their experimentation resulted in the creation of the empirical relation PV = RT, the variables P and T representing the readings of the manometer and thermometer respectively; R is a constant for a fixed quantity of gas. If we then define P, V and T to be measurements of properties of the gas, PV = RT becomes a useful model of the gas behavior, even though P and T, at this point, have no deeper meaning other than the numbers generated by the specified devices.
> That there should exist any (let alone such a simple) relation among the numbers generated by these (or any other) devices is not at all to be expected; such serendipity can only be gratefully contemplated when it appears. It is an instance of the profound meaning in one of Einstein's most famous quotations: "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."
The creation of the model PV = RT was a giant leap forward; and note that the crucial beginning step consisted in the free creation of a set of concepts in terms of which meaningful questions might be put to nature so that nature might respond in a meaningful way. These concepts are not lying in nature awaiting discovery by some passive act of looking; they must be actively created. This is how the properties of matter come to be. This is how we define into existence those measurable properties of reality which we find to be useful. They are human constructs in terms of which we might ask meaningful questions, read nature's answers and organize our understanding into useful and testable models.
Each of these concepts is quantitative in nature: the number generated by a measuring device. Our empirical gas law is simply a relation (and very useful) among the numbers (P,V,T) generated by our measuring devices; it is an empirical model. The numbers generated by measuring devices have no deeper meaning except within the context of a conceptual model of the system being measured and its effect upon the measuring devices.
> Boyle did his experimentation in the 1600's, while the pilgrims were colonizing America. It was not until the mid 1800's, while Americans were fighting over slavery, that Joule brought together the theories (models) of Newtonian mechanics and atomism (then hotly contested) to create a conceptual model of the ideal gas as a system of randomly moving point particles. In this model P is quite naturally associated with the Newtonian force concept and accounts for the behavior of the mercury manometer. However there is no a priori mechanical association for the empirical quantity T, the "temperature" of the gas as generated by the thermometer.
> Herein lies a wonderfully simple instance of the incredibly awesome power of an empirically based analytical science: the fruitful interaction of experimental and theoretical physics. Newton's laws drove Joule's conceptual model to a very illuminating result: the numerical value of the product PV for Joule's gas is proportional to the total kinetic energy of the randomly moving gas particles. Thus Joule's conceptual model bestows upon the empirical temperature T, in PV = RT, a deeper meaning as a humanly invented property of the gas; it becomes a measure of the energy of random motion of the gas particles.
1) It is a human construct, the offspring of both our experience and our imagination.
2) It is quantitative and speaks of freely defined, measurable properties of matter.
3) It has both an empirical and a conceptual usefulness: it presents a testable numerical equality involving the numbers generated by specified measuring devices, and it offers a conceptual framework for associating a deeper meaning with these numbers.
4) The empirical usefulness of a model is a matter of experimental verification, and once verified this usefulness will remain; future models of a wider scope will include it as a special case.
5) The conceptual usefulness of a model can be a cultural matter, a matter of institutional and personal taste (more of this later).
Conceptual models are observer dependent and observer limited. As the physicist probes into the behavior of reality she strives to create meaningful conceptual models of that reality, using as raw materials the concepts fashioned from human experience. As she probes deeper she finds that she has to become ever more creative and imaginative, generating abstractions and cross fertilizations of her ideas in order to conceptually model the behavior of reality in human terms.
There is no reason to expect that this process can be extended indefinitely. It seems reasonable to anticipate that beyond a certain level of analysis the behavior of reality cannot be conceptually modeled in literal human terms, even though we may continue to be clever enough to create numerical equalities involving the readings of our instruments. After all, our instruments operate on the same superficial level as our senses.
We are already on the doorstep of this conceptual barrier. The mathematical models of quantum theory defied even the imagination of Albert Einstein; he was never able to conceive a satisfactory conceptual model of the reality behind these equations. As regards creative "weirdness", modern art and music are poor seconds to modern physics, even though the arts operate completely free of any constraints, whereas physics operates under the severe constraint of empirical usefulness!
> The dilemma exposed in the above paragraph is not debilitating; we need only replace the word "theory" (a candidate for an absolute, objective truth) with the word "model" (a useful way of describing reality in human terms). In this view, the choice of a clock simply defines into existence a measurable parameter "t" which will be used as a linear time base for the description of the evolution of phenomena. We will be comparing the course of all other phenomena to the succession of ticks of this clock.
> Clearly the choice of standards is a matter of free definition. The criterion is not one of truth; it is simply one of usefulness: which choices lead to the most "desirable" empirical and conceptual models of reality? Put another way: how "weird" does the conceptual model have to get in order to be empirically useful? The words "desirable" and "weird" must be defined by you and/or current scientific culture; they are a matter of taste. Historically, and logically, this is an iterative process, as we see more and more details of where the model is leading.
Let me tease you with a famous example (which hopefully you will study in detail later): Einstein, in his 1905 relativity theory, was the first to capitalize upon this freedom of choice (of rods and clocks) in a radical way. His definitions of "desirable" and "weird" were not mainstream. To him the desirable model must preserve the invariance (sameness) of physical law (in particular Maxwell's equations of electrodynamics) for all non-accelerated observers. But conventional wisdom said that the velocities appearing in Maxwell's equations must be measured from an absolute frame of reference (the "aether" frame). This was "desirable" to many; they found it satisfying that the laws of physics should be simple only to an observer at absolute rest. In fact, any deviation of your experimental results from the laws of physics would then furnish you with sufficient data to measure your own absolute velocity. They had been disappointed that Newton's model of mechanics did not allow us to measure our absolute velocity by mechanical experiments (Newton himself must have been disappointed). They were overjoyed that now Maxwell's model of electrodynamics (which includes light) would allow us to measure our absolute velocity using optical experiments.
Einstein conceived a completely different conceptual model for Maxwell's electrodynamics. He sought a model in which these equations could be used with equal validity by all non-accelerated observers, each using the numerical values of all quantities (eg., velocities) as measured from her frame. He dared to redefine the measurement of space and time intervals to make this so. It is to be expected that such a redefinition would force new and worse weirdities into the model; we surely should expect that we will have to design new clocks and measuring rods, with exotic "relativistic" properties. The remarkable result has been that the new weirdities were only cultural, that ordinary clocks and meter sticks behave relativisticaly, and that a vast scope of phenomena have become more simply describable, even phenomena far removed from Maxwell's equations. Widespread acceptance did not come quickly or easily, but today relativity is not only accepted as empirically and conceptually useful; it has become beautiful!
The search for beauty in our conceptual models has always been a driving force and sometimes, as with Einstein's relativity, it seems to have been the sole motivation. Today many, like Einstein, are disappointed in their search for intuitive beauty in the quantum aspects of modern physics. Unlike relativity, the beauty of quantum theory still eludes visceral human appreciation. Perhaps with time we can acquire a taste, but it must begin with an adjustment of our expectations, toward models rather than "theories". Physics does not offer any quieting and ultimate answers.
-Bob Sciamanda, Edinboro Univ of PA firstname.lastname@example.com


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(please note that this program is subject to change)
Saturday 19th November 2016
'Urban Agriculture Open Garden Day' – open gardens / urban ag projects & initiatives – city-wide. You do not need to register for or attend the UA Forum to participate in Open Garden Day!
Sunday 20th November 2016
8.30 am. Registration, Coffee & Tea
9.00 am. Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country
Chris Williams (University of Melbourne, Burnley Campus), Nick Rose (Sustain), Bruce Pascoe.
9.45 a.m. 'Lessons From Abroad: Food and the Built Environment' - Keynote Presentation
Debra Solomon
10.15 a.m. 'Urban Farming in Australia' - Short Keynotes
Michael Zagoridis (Pocket City Farms), Morag Gamble (SEED), Anthea Fawcett (Remote Indigenous Gardens Network)
11.15 a.m. Morning tea
11.30 a.m. Concurrent Panels - 'Urban Agriculture in Melbourne: Achievements, Lessons, Enablers, Opportunities'
i. Emily Connors (CERES Organic Market Garden), Mark Sanders (Moreland Food Gardens Network), Peta Christensen (Cultivating Community)
ii. Hermann Paulenz (Permablitz), Ellie Blackwood (3000 Acres), Georgia Savage (Farmer Incubator)
12:30 p.m. Lunch
Optional Lunch Tour (12:45-1:15) of the Burnley Campus Lawns and Gardens - led by Chris Williams from The University of Melbourne
1.30 p.m. 'Food Growing Education and Urban Agriculture Training' - Presentation
Dr Chris Williams (University of Melbourne, Burnley)
2.00 p.m Working Groups
3.15 p.m. Afternoon tea
3.45 p.m. Working Group Presentations
4.15 p.m. 'Exploring the relationship between food and the built environment' - Presentation
Robert Van De Graaff
4.45 p.m. Review and Close
Nick Rose / Chris Williams
5.15 p.m. finish
6.30 pm – 9.00 pm Forum Dinner @ Craft & Co (tickets sold separately)
Guest speaker: Stuart Anderson, Inventor & Co-Proprietor, Flow Hive
Monday 21st November 2016
8.30 am. Registration, Coffee & Tea
9.00 a.m. Welcome, introductions and review of previous day
9.15 a.m. 'The role of urban agriculture in the development of healthy, sustainable and resilient cities'
Henk de Zeeuw
10.00 a.m. 'Designing Sustainable Cities: The Role of Urban Planning in Supporting the Growth of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture'
Laura Phillips (Neometro), Sally Burgess (Victrack), Dan Green (Melbourne Water), Henk de Zeeuw, Brian Coffey
11.00 a.m. Morning tea
11.15a.m. 'The Role of Local Government in Urban Agriculture: Policies/Strategies/Governance' - Panel and Question Time
Kathi Orsanic-Clark (City of Yarra), Lee Tozzi (City of Darebin), Greg Jacobs (City of Melbourne), Nick Rose (Sustain), Kat Lavers (Hobsons Bay City Council)
12.30 p.m. Lunch
Optional Lunch Tour (12:45-1:15) of the Green Rooftop, led by students of The University of Melbourne Burnley Campus.
1.30 p.m. Concurrent Panels
i) 'Urban Agriculture Food Justice: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective'
Sophie Lamond (Right to Food Coalition), Peta Christensen (Cultivating Community), Susie Scott (FareShare Melbourne)
ii) 'Peri-Urban Agriculture: The Challenges and Opportunities'
Rachel Carey (University of Melbourne - Foodprint Melb), Annemaree Docking (City of Whittlesea - Land Capability Assessment) Chris Williams, Burnley
2.30 p.m. 'The role of social enterprise and impact investment in expanding urban agriculture'
Seb Lindner (Propagate), Rebecca Scott (STREAT), Amanda Miller (Impact Generation Partners)
3.30 p.m. Afternoon tea
3.45 p.m. Concurrent Panels
'The New Farm to Table: Collaborative Relationships Between Urban/Peri-Urban Food Growers and Chefs' - Panel
Oliver Shorthouse (Ramarro Farm), Michael Zagoridis (Pocket City Farms), Debra Solomon
Costa Georgiadis, Claire Hetzel (Horticultural Therapist)
'Intangible and Hard to Measure Benefits of Urban Agriculture' - Panel
Pablo Oliveri (Pro Huerta), Miriam Issa (RAW),
Costa Georgiadis, Claire Hetzel (Horticultural Therapist)
Building a shared agenda for flourishing edible cities in Australia
4:45 p.m. Plenary
Where to from here?
Building a shared agenda for flourishing edible cities in Australia
Please note that tickets to the FORUM DINNER are sold separately to the forum. Book your tickets here.


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Justia New York Court of Appeals Opinion SummariesArticles Posted in Professional Malpractice & Ethics
Connolly v. Long Island Power Authority
Defendants Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO), and National Grid Electric Services, LLC failed to demonstrate that the actions challenged by Plaintiffs in their amended complaints were governmental in the context of pre-answer, pre-discovery motions to dismiss, and therefore, the intermediate appellate court and Supreme Court properly denied Defendants' motions to dismiss. In their complaints, Plaintiffs alleged that their property was destroyed by fire as a result of Defendants' negligent failure to preemptively de-energize the Rockway Peninsula prior to or after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. Defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaints pursuant to N.Y. C.P.L.R. 3211(a)(7), contending that their actions were governmental and discretionary as a matter of law, and even if their actions were not discretionary, that Plaintiffs' failure to allege a special duty was a fatal defect. The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts, holding that, given the procedural posture, Defendants failed to establish as a matter of law that they were acting in a governmental, rather than a proprietary, capacity when engaged in the conduct claimed to have caused Plaintiffs' injuries. View "Connolly v. Long Island Power Authority" on Justia Law
Posted in: Personal Injury, Professional Malpractice & Ethics
B.F. v Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, LLP
The statute of limitations for a cause of action permitting parents to recover the extraordinary expenses incurred to care for a disabled infant who, but for a physician's negligent failure to detect or advise on the risks of impairment, would not have been born runs from the date of birth rather than the date of the alleged negligence. Plaintiffs in both cases gave birth to children through in vitro fertilization treatment using an egg donor. Two of the three children born to the two couples had the Fragile X mutation, a chromosomal abnormality. Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants failed timely to screen the egg donor for the Fragile X mutation and that these negligent acts or omissions resulted in the parents incurring extraordinary expenses to care for and treat a child with a disability. Defendants moved to dismiss both complaints, arguing that the extraordinary expenses claims were time-barred because the limitations period runs from the date of the alleged malpractice, which they identified as the date the embryos were implanted in the mothers. Supreme Court denied the motion to dismiss, and the Appellate Division affirmed. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that because Plaintiffs' causes of action for extraordinary expenses accrued upon the birth of their children, the claims were timely. View "B.F. v Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, LLP" on Justia Law
Posted in: Medical Malpractice, Professional Malpractice & Ethics
Nomura Asset Capital Corp. v. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Nomura Asset Capital Corporation and Asset Securitization Corporation (Nomura) established a commercial mortgage-backed securities business and engaged the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, LLP (Cadwalader) to confirm that Nomura's securitized commercial mortgage loans qualified as real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) trusts. When one REMIC securitization, known as the D5 securitization, involved Nomura in federal litigation, Nomura commenced the underlying legal malpractice action against Cadwalader, alleging that Cadwalader failed to provide appropriate legal advice and perform necessary due diligence concerning the REMIC eligibility of the D5 securitization. Cadwalader moved for summary judgment, which Supreme Court denied. The Appellate Division modified the order by dismissing the advice claim and otherwise affirmed. The Court of Appeals modified the Appellate Division order, granted summary judgment to dismiss the legal malpractice in its entirety and otherwise affirmed, holding that Cadwalader established, as a matter of law, that summary judgment and dismissal of the legal malpractice cause of action were merited in this case. View "Nomura Asset Capital Corp. v. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP" on Justia Law
Posted in: Professional Malpractice & Ethics
Schoenefeld v. State
Plaintiff, a New Jersey resident who was admitted to the practice of law in New York, maintained her only law office in New Jersey. When Plaintiff learned of the statutory requirement that nonresident attorneys must maintain an office within New York in order to practice in the State under N.Y. Jud. Law 470, Plaintiff commenced this action alleging that Judiciary Law 470 violated the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit asked the New York Court of Appeals to set forth the minimum requirements necessary to satisfy the mandate that nonresident attorneys maintain an office within the State "for the transaction of law business" under Judiciary Law 470. The Court of Appeals answered by holding that the statute requires nonresident attorneys to maintain a physical office in New York. View "Schoenefeld v. State" on Justia Law
Grace v. Law
Plaintiff retained Attorneys to pursue a medical malpractice action against the Veteran's Administration, the University of Rochester, and an opthalmologist. A federal district court disposed of the majority of Plaintiff's claims on summary judgment. After Plaintiff was informed by Attorneys that he was unlikely to succeed on his remaining claim, Plaintiff discontinued the underlying action. Subsequently, Plaintiff retained new counsel to sue Attorneys for legal malpractice in failing to timely sue the University and the opthalmologist. Defendants argued that Plaintiff was estopped from commencing this action because he failed to appeal the underlying action. Supreme Court denied Attorneys' motion for summary judgment. The Appellate Division affirmed. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding (1) a failure to appeal bars a legal malpractice action only where the client was likely to have succeeded on appeal in the underlying action; and (2) in this case, Attorneys failed to provide sufficient evidence to determine that Plaintiff would have been successful on appeal. View "Grace v. Law" on Justia Law
Posted in: Professional Malpractice & Ethics
K2 Inv. Group, LLC v. Am. Guar. & Liab. Ins. Co.
Plaintiffs brought legal malpractice claims against Jeffrey Daniels, American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Company's insured. American Guarantee wrongly refused to defend the claims. A default judgment was entered against Daniels, who assigned his rights against American Guarantee to Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs then brought the present action seeking to enforce American Guarantee's duty to indemnify Daniels for the judgment. Summary judgment was awarded in favor of Plaintiffs. The Appellate Division affirmed. The Court of Appeals affirmed, concluding that American Guarantee's breach of its duty to defend barred it from relying on policy exclusions as a defense to the present lawsuit. The Court later granted reargument, vacated its prior decision, and reversed the Appellate Division's order, holding (1) under controlling precedent, American Guarantee was not barred from relying on policy exclusions as a defense; and (2) the applicability of the exclusions American Guarantee relied on presented an issue of fact sufficient to defeat summary judgment.View "K2 Inv. Group, LLC v. Am. Guar. & Liab. Ins. Co." on Justia Law
Posted in: Contracts, Insurance Law, Professional Malpractice & Ethics
Koch v. Sheehan
The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) terminated a physician's participation in the Medicaid program on the basis of a Bureau of Professional Medical Conduct (BPMC) consent order, in which the physician pleaded no contest to charges of professional misconduct and agreed to probation. Supreme Court annulled the OMIG's determination. The Appellate Division affirmed, concluding (1) the agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously in barring the physician from treating Medicaid patients when the BPMC permitted him to continue to practice; and (2) the OMIG was required to conduct an independent investigation before excluding a physician from Medicaid on the basis of a BPMC consent order. The Court of Appeals affirmed but for another reason, holding (1) the OMIG is authorized to remove a physician from Medicaid in reliance solely on a consent order between the physician and the BMPC, regardless of whether BPMC chooses to suspend the physician's license or OMIG conducts an independent investigation; but (2) because OMIG did not explain why the BPMC consent order caused it to exclude the physician from the Medicaid program, the agency's determination was arbitrary and capricious. View "Koch v. Sheehan" on Justia Law
Posted in: Government & Administrative Law, Health Law, New York Court of Appeals, Professional Malpractice & Ethics, Public Benefits
Sullivan v Harnisch
Plaintiff was a 15% partner in defendant Peconic Partners (hedge fund), as well as Chief Compliance Officer. Plaintiff alleged that he was subsequently fired after a dispute with Peconic Partners' CEO and President (Defendant Harnisch). The gist of plaintiff's claim was that the legal and ethical duties of a securities firm and its compliance officer justified recognizing a cause of action for damages when the compliance officer was fired for objecting to misconduct. The court held in Murphy v American Home Prods. Corp that New York common law did not recognize a cause of action for the wrongful discharge of an at-will employee. Therefore, the court declined in this case to make an exception to that rule for the compliance of a hedge fund. View "Sullivan v Harnisch" on Justia Law
Posted in: Labor & Employment Law, New York Court of Appeals, Professional Malpractice & Ethics, Securities Law
Matter of Baker v Poughkeepsie City School Dist.
This case arose when the superintendent of the school district preferred eight charges of misconduct and/or incompetence against petitioner, then the business manager for the school district. At issue was whether persons who have testified in a Civil Service 75 disciplinary hearing were required to disqualify themselves from subsequently acting upon any of the charges related to that hearing. The court held that, because the testimony of the testifying witnesses, concerning the charges levied pursuant to section 75, rendered them personally involved in the disciplinary process, disqualification was necessary. View "Matter of Baker v Poughkeepsie City School Dist." on Justia Law
In the Matter of Eddy Marte
In a memorandum opinion, the court addressed whether defense counsel gave implied consent to a mistrial. The court held that there was ample basis on the record for the trial court to conclude that defendants agreed that a mistrial on the undecided charges was the appropriate course of action. The court also held that, because it found no basis to disturb the Appellate Division's factual finding of implied consent, it had no occasion to address the People's alternative argument that there was manifest necessity for the mistrial.


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Legislative leadership released the draft of the FY2016 budget yesterday.
The budget proposal, which reduces the Oklahoma Arts Council's budget by 7.25%, will reduce the ability of arts and culture organizations to improve our state's communities, economy and education including providing access to citizens who might not otherwise have it.
While we know the Legislature faced difficult decisions in this budget process with a large projected shortfall, arts advocates cannot be satisfied with these reduction of funds to improve and distinguish our state with arts and culture programming and education.
We will learn more about this budget's impact over time. Meanwhile, we know:
- The Oklahoma Arts Council faces a 7.25% budget reduction, which means $274,406 less in funding and infrastructure support for the arts and culture sector. These cuts will have a direct negative impact on communities across the state, decreasing community programming and limiting educational experiences.
- This is a multiple year policy direction. Over the past 7 years, the Oklahoma Arts Council's budget has been reduced by 32%. The Oklahoma Arts Council's budget has gone from $5,150,967 in FY2009 to $3,510,505 in the FY2016 proposed budget. In fact, the budget proposal for the Oklahoma Arts Council will be smaller than any year since 1997.
These ongoing funding decisions will have a negative ripple effect on many communities, especially rural communities who otherwise might not have access to arts programming. Schools and other sectors, including businesses, also will feel the negative impact.
- Since $1 in Oklahoma Arts Council's grant funds seeds $13 in private matching funds and returns $8 in local and state tax revenue, this budget reduction will constrain arts and culture organizations, artists and local communities' economies, limiting their ability to help our state advance.
On the brighter side, arts advocates can be assuaged that the Oklahoma Arts Council was not singled out for extremely disproportionate cuts. This is a big improvement over the last few legislative sessions where the Oklahoma Arts Council faced elimination, showing the hard work of arts advocates and the strong leadership of our legislative champions.
Regardless of short-term decisions, arts and culture advocates must work for the long term. We must be engaged and work harder to educate our elected officials through visits and communications. We must demonstrate further the positive impact of the arts and culture sector. We must continue to creatively provide rich arts and cultural experiences across the state.
Each individual who understands the importance of arts and culture to the growth and development of our state and quality of life must recommit to developing a broad understanding by our elected officials. We need to you.
Updates on the bill containing the budget will be tracked on our website here. Sign up for the Oklahomans for the Arts email list to keep informed and take future action.