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Release Date: February 7th, 2014
DVD Release Date: May 20th, 2014
PG-13 |1 hr 58 minPlot Summary
During World War II, the Nazis steal countless pieces of art and hide them away. Some over-the-hill art scholars, historians, architects and other experts form a unit to retrieve as many of the stolen masterpieces as possible. The mission becomes even more urgent when the team learns about Hitler's "Nero Decree," which orders destruction of the artworks if the Third Reich falls. Caught in a race against time, the men risk their lives to protect some of mankind's greatest achievements.
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, Dimitri Leonidas
Director: George Clooney
Genres: Historical drama , War
Production Co: Smoke House
Distributors: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Keywords: Brooding, 1940s, School, Rescue, Pursuit, Soldier, Quest

subset: commoncrawl


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Two Phuket tourist vans collide, injuring six
PHUKET: Two tourist vans collided last night near the main Tesco Lotus in Samkong, injuring six.
One tourist and both drivers remain in the hospital today.
A Maikhao Sakoo Co Ltd van driven by Sulaiman Udom had picked up tourists at the airport and was headed west on Phra Phuket Kaew Road to Patong when a Tez Tour Thailand van heading east lost control, crossed the median and slammed into it. The crash occured about 700 meters from the Tesco Lotus intersection.
The Tez Tour van was carrying just the driver, Sittichai Chuaychan, and a tour guide, Papasara Thanod.
Police were called to the scene at about 11:30pm; by then, uninjured passengers had been picked up and taken to their hotels.
"The vans slammed into each other very hard," said Capt Panya Meeon of the Thung Thong Police.
Mr Sulaiman was trapped by the crushed door of his van. It took Kusoldharm Rescue workers 10 minutes to pry it open to get him out, said Capt Panya.
Both drivers, the tour guide and the three injured tourists were rushed to hospital. The tourists were taken to Bangkok Hospital Phuket and the Thais to Vachira Phuket Hospital.
One tourist from Qatar, Omar Mohd, declined treatment and was discharged last night. Khaled Hussein Abdelaty, from Egypt, was discharged after being checked for minor injuries and chest pains.
"Alaoui Mdaghri, from Morocco, remains at Bangkok Phuket Hospital for observation as she hit her head during the crash. However, her condition is not serious," said a hospital staffer.
At Vachira Phuket Hospital, Mr Sulaiman is undergoing treatment and observation in the neurosurgery department and Mr Sittichai is being treated in the orthopedic department. Ms Papasara was released from the hospital last night, said a hospital employee.
Police will question the drivers once they are able to cooperate.
— Thawit Bilabdullar
The 15th Mai Khao Marine Turtle fun run attracts more than 4,000 runners
4,000 runners from Thailand and overseas took part in the 15th Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run and Half Marathon 2019 yesterday, starting from the Phuket Gateway.
The event is expected to raise 700,000 baht for the charity, now in its 15th year. The money raised goes towards to The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, which is committed to protecting the marine and coastal environment, and ecosystems, for the wellbeing of sea turtles that nest in the Mai Khao beach and the surrounding areas.
The annual race also provides funds for thePhuket Marine Biological Centre's Injured Turtle Rehabilitation Program and The Third NavalArea Command's Turtle Hatchery Program.
The race was in its 15th year and runners of all ages and abilities took part in the race. The morning's racing was divided into five categories – the 21.1km half marathon, 10.5km mini- marathon, 5km fun run and 3k family run and VIP participants for all the races. The route of 21.1 kilometre race took runners northwest along the Haad Sai Kaew beach towards Thao Thepkasattri bridge, past the rural road No. 3006, run along the road – Pi Lai viewpoint area returned back along the T. Baan Tha Nun to the iconic Sarasin bridge before finished the half marathon in the Phuket Gateway.
For Mini Marathon 10.5 km – Over all category, Mr. Chinnawat Changlek clocked 39 minutes and 40 seconds to clinch victory in the male half marathon, winning prize money and a trophy with the signature of Phuket's Governor. The winner in the female mini marathon was Surakarn Wanna with a time of 47 minutes and 47 seconds.
Winners also received a prize gift voucher as well as a medal. Congratulations to all participants.
'Phang Nga Bay and Beyond' exhibition by Marilyn Band at Mom Tri's WOK Gallery Kitchen in November
The Art exhibition "Phang Nga Bay and Beyond" by Marilyn Band is being held at Mom Tri's WOK Gallery Kitchen, Chalong, Kata Hill, Phuket from November 30, 2019 – January 31, 2020. The opening will take place on Saturday November 30, 2019 at 6.30 pm.
Artist's Statement
"For the current exhibition, I am presenting recent work, a more abstract expression of Phang Nga Bay's beauty, which intends to encourage the viewer the opportunity to interpret and appreciate a little bit of paradise. I am quite excited about these more abstract works as it has allowed me to explore the essence of these limestone monuments in the bay.
"I find the natural world a beautiful, magical place. My paintings are inspired by many sea voyages. Though based on reality I try to introduce my own feelings and vision which will delight others."
Marilyn Band has been creating art since childhood, influenced by a family who surrounded her with paintings and the creations of several generations of her ancestors who were famous stained glass artists. She went to Florence, Italy for life drawing and then went on to study graphics at High Wycombe Technical College in Buckinghamshire, England and started her career as a graphic designer in a variety of advertising agencies in London.
On Holiday in the Seychelles, she met her future husband, Nick Band, and they have been sailing around the Indian Ocean and SE Asia for more than forty years allowing Marilyn the chance to draw and paint the now disappearing tropical cultures from Zanzibar to Sri Lanka to Phuket, and beyond.
She arrived in Phuket in 1980 and immediately built a studio that has been the center of her art projects. Between sea voyages and other travels, Marilyn has become one of Phuket's most significant artists with one person exhibitions at Mom Tri's Boathouse and Villa Royale Galleries.
She has also designed and developed the graphics for the island's world famous Phuket King's Cup Regatta media.
She continues to explore new avenues of self- expression in acrylic, oil, watercolour, ink, collage and silkscreen.
Thalang Police arrest local Phuket drug dealer with amphetamine pills
PHOTOS: เหยี่ยวข่าว ภูเก็ต Newshawk Phuket
The amphetamine pills were packed in a black zip-lock plastic bag, which was hidden in his grey shoulder bag. Two of the pills were green and 190 of them were orange, while each pill had the letters 'wy' printed on them.
Wimon was charged for possessing and trading illicit drugs and was sent to Thalang police station for further investigation and processing.
STORY: Newshawk Phuket
The Thaiger Newsletter
Top 10 things NOT to do in Thailand (2019)
Top 10 things to do in Phuket when it rains (2019)
Top 10 scams in Thailand (2019)
Top 10 spas and massages in Phuket
Top 10 English news sources in Thailand (2019)
China has the most atheists, Indonesia and Philippines the most believers
Top 10 most boring news stories
So you're moving to Vietnam?
Patong Mayor hands out useless, cheap face-masks
Stricter controls and paperwork putting brakes on residential property market
Top 5 reasons why Aussies choose medical tourism in Thailand
Thailand's changing tourist demographic – the Indians
Bangkok land prices plateau, new tax on the way
Toxic skin-whitening creams still available on shelves
Smoke-laced smog envelops Phuket
Survey – Thais not taking sides and 66% prioritise health care
The 15th Mai Khao Marine Turtle fun run attracts more than 4,000 runners
'Phang Nga Bay and Beyond' exhibition by Marilyn Band at Mom Tri's WOK Gallery Kitchen in November
Top 10 English news sources in Thailand (2019)
Thai app will ease expat immigration woes and make 90 day reporting simple
PM will act on opposition's recommendations
Earthquake could hit Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
Russian wanted by Interpol arrested in Thailand
Crystal meth worth 500 million baht seized
Foreigner arrested for exchange counter robbery
Top 10 most boring news stories
PM defends the 80 billion baht munition spend
Thalang Police arrest local Phuket drug dealer with amphetamine pills
Another illegal concrete structure has to be removed from Thai national park
Police arrest con man who left bride to pay for 3.5 million baht wedding
ชมวาทะเด็ดธนาธร ให้การศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ คดีวีลัค ทำงานการเมืองเพราะอยากเปลี่ยนแปลงสังคม
ตรวจหวย 16/10/62 รางวัลที่ 1 เลขท้าย 2 ตัว 3 ตัว เลขหน้า 3 ตัว และรางวัลอื่น ๆ
ตรวจหวย 16 ตุลาคม 2562 ผลสลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล 16/10/62
ถ่ายทอดสด "สลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล" 16 ตุลาคม 2562 ลุ้นรางวัลที่ 1 สด ๆ
หนุ่มแท็กซี่ฉาว ท้าต่อยเจ้าของธุรกิจเต๊นท์ กลางงานสนามหลวง
ไทยแชมป์วอลเลย์บอลอาเซียนกรังด์ปรีซ์สนาม 2 รางวัลรายบุคคล
ตรวจหวย1ตุลาคม2562 ผลรางวัลที่ 1 เลขท้าย 2 ตัว 3 ตัว เลขหน้า 3 ตัว และรางวัลอื่น ๆ
ถ่ายทอดสดหวย 1 ตุลาคม 2562 ลุ้นรางวัลที่ 1 สลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล
สีจิ้นผิงกล่าวสุนทรพจน์ ครบรอบ 70 ปีก่อตั้งสาธารณรัฐประชาชนจีน -ลิงก์ถ่ายทอดสด
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Paramount เตรียมรีเมค FACE/OFF หนังบู๊ระดับตำนาน
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อารัมภบท รักฉุดใจนายฉุกเฉิน My ambulance ตอนแรก 6 กันยานี้
วอลเลย์บอลหญิงชิงแชมป์ยุโรป 2019 โฉมหน้า 4 ทีมตัดเชือกรอบรอง
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Rak Thai Bistro fuses cultures at Downtown Market
Downtown Market's indoor Market Hall is filling out its lineup of vendors just in time for its Labor Day opening.
Thai fusion
The market announced this week that brothers Yang Hang and Blon Hang willl open Rak Thai Bistro in the market's indoor Market Hall, offering Thai-fusion entrees.
Thai fusion involves the blending of traditional Thai recipes and sauces with elements of Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
This will be the brother's third location in Grand Rapids.
Rak Thai can also be found at 5260 Northland Dr. NE and 6719 Division Ave. S. The pair's Division Avenue location opened in May.
Market Hall
Market Hall will be the region's first urban marketplace, with 19 full-time vendors, ranging from ice cream and spices to an old-world butcher and a wine bar.
The Market is still working to fill in its restaurant and brewery spaces, as well as five remaining vendor stalls.


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Appening 1 - Note & Share on iOS
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (3) Visits (18563)
I've added the words "on iOS" because this might spread to other platforms.
A week ago I posted that I'd pick an app a week and try to get value out of it. I also said I might blog about what I think.
This week's app is Note & Share - an app that runs on both the iPad and the iPhone. (Probably on iPod Touch also but I don't have one of those.)
Needless to say this isn't an official IBM view or endorsement but my own personal experience.
I'm actually writing this post (interstitially) using Note & Share. I started it on the Piccadilly Line and am continuing it elsewhere. I wrote my previous post the same way.
So here are my thoughts on the app.
Basic Information
Evernote Integration
Setting up the link to Evernote is straightforward. Notes sync to the default notebook for the linked account - and they sync quickly.
You can easily keep a MarkDown version in the Note & Share app itself - so you can revise it. Updating the note and re-sending to Evernote leads to the note being updated in Evernote, rather than a new one being created. But the "created" time stamp is also updated, rather than just the "updated" one, when you send the note to Evernote.
Tags don't seem to make it through to Evernote properly but appear in the app's own note list. Tags appear in title in both Evernote web app and iPad app but in both cases a tag search shows the tagged notes appropriately. iPad app shows the tags in the note info. Putting the tags on their own line doesn't work. You might be able to clean this up with AutoEver.
Dropbox Integration
Dropbox integration works really well: When you save a note in Note & Share it is also saved to Dropbox. Even with Markdown Conversion on it saves without doing the conversion. This makes it easy to transfer to another computer.
I started this paragraph using the gedit editor on Linux, using MarkDown syntax and saved it in a folder watched by DropBox, with the updated file automatically imported into Note & Share. Then I added text to the paragraph in BBEdit on my Macbook Pro, again with the DropBox client active. (In BBEdit I selected MarkDown from the list of languages under "Edit" -> "Text Options" to enable syntax colouring and formatting with "Markup" -> "Preview in BBEdit".) Preview in BBEdit also reloads when the file changes, whether locally (even before saving) or in Dropbox.
You have to reload the note in Note & Share for updates made elsewhere to appear on your editing screen, despite Dropbox tapping the app on the shoulder. You might also have to bring Note & Share to the foreground.
BBEdit automatically reloads the note when Dropbox alerts it to the fact the note has been changed - unless you turn off this option in Preferences. gedit prompts you as to whether you want it reloaded.
I also edited the document from Dropbox with Geany on Linux. It will also do syntax highlighting if you set the filetype to MarkDown.
Dropbox is the key to sharing between iPads and iPhones: I successfully shared this note between 2 iPads and an iPhone, authoring changes on the 2 iPads.
I created a note in gedit on Linux and saved it to Note & Share's Dropbox folder and it showed up just fine in Note & Share. Late in the week I installed Marked on the Mac. It takes Markdown and creates other formats, such as HTML and RTF. It works fine.
To get this paragraph and the one before it into another Markdown document is a matter of copying and pasting.
Ease Of Composition
MarkDown syntax is simple to master but a little tough with the iPad keyboard. The MarkDown toolbar makes this much easier, though.
Standard iOS spelling suggestions are quite handy. Otherwise I'd soon get fed up with the on-screen keyboard.
TextExpander works but only after you enable immediate expansion and restart Note & Share. This is also true if you add a snippet to TextExpander. TextExpander support could be handy for creating more complex MarkDown. I've raided the restart issue with both ignitionsoft and SmileOnMyMac. The latter tells me there's a specific API the former should be using to avoid the requirement for a restart.
Headings need a blank line after them.
Snippets in iOS 5 or later works OK. For example, typing "zo" offers "z/OS" as an expansion (which you can decline).
Exporting HTML
Enabling the clipboard allows you to put HTML onto the clipboard. If you disable MarkDown conversion you can get the original markup there (and can then email it or save the note to Evernote). This is, however, for all services - but the option is near the top of the options dialog, so it's not too inconvenient.
Safari Bookmarklet
This is quite easy to set up but is not a way to import HTML as it only starts a new note with the page's URL in.
Other MarkDown Editors / Viewers
For an online editor and converter go to Daring Fireball: MarkDown Web Dingus. It converts to HTML and displays that HTML. It also has a MarkDown cheat sheet.
All the above is the contents of a note I built over the week. To get it into this one I copied and pasted it in. (The copy icon in the app creates HTML which I don't want at this stage.)
I could be criticised for not being inclined to put bounds round things: One learning point is it's sometimes difficult (and maybe unhelpful) to review one product in isolation. As you'll see from the above I roped in other tools (and in one case paid for one, though not much). You might expect a tool to stand alone but conversely to integrate well with others. Note & Share does both nicely. Recall the main point was to live with Note & Share and get value out of it. Writing a review was very much secondary. Hopefully you'll find this interesting both ways: As a product review and a view of how it fits into my kitbag of tools.
This one's a keeper - and on the front page if my phone.
Now to decide what next to try out for a week. It might be a game. I don't know if I'll write a review - we'll see. In any case I consider the experiment to be a success.
And standing outside a shop in Oxford Street I'm ready to post.
... Between writing this and posting the next day I notice Brett Terpstra has blogged about another (new) Markdown editor: iOS App Review: Write for iPhone. I'm not about to rush out and switch to it, being happy enough with Note & Share.


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This is a Wiki for museums in particular and cultural heritage↑ in general, set up by Jonathan Bowen in 2006. It is intended for museum personnel to participate in populating this wiki with museum-related material, typically in a form that is more detailed than suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia. It concentrates on technological aspects, especially museum-related wikis, but it is not limited to these topics. Do also visit the Virtual Museum of Computing and the Virtual Library museums pages (VLmp) on this wiki.
See notes of students on the LIS-697-09 museum informatics↑ course at the Pratt Institute↑ during May to June 2012.
— Jonathan Bowen
Help · About · Current events · FAQ · Forum
Further information
For information on using this wiki, see the paper A Museums Wiki at the MW2007 Museums and the Web conference. For information on documenting museums on Wikipedia, see the paper Museums and Wikipedia at the previous MW2006 conference. It is recommended that you read these papers first before attempting to edit this wiki. You are welcome to interlink Wikipedia museums pages and pages on this wiki if you wish, as appropriate. This wiki is best for more detailed multi-page information, Wikipedia is appropriate for a one-page entry on most museums.
In addition, an article on wiki↑s in general and Wikipedia in particular appeared in the Times Higher Education Supplement on 21 July 2006.
EVA Berlin 2018
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2018
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2018
EVA Berlin 2016
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2016
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2016
EVA Berlin 2015
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2015
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2015
EVA Berlin 2014
EVA Berlin 2013
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2013
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2013
EVA London 2012
The article EVA London 2012 includes links for the EVA London conference in July 2012.
The article MW2012 includes links for the Museums and the Web 2012 conference in April 2012.
EVA Berlin 2011
EVA Berlin 2011 was held in Berlin↑, Germany↑.
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2011
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2011
EVA London 2011
The article EVA London 2011 includes links for the EVA London conference in July 2011.
The article MW2011 includes links for the Museums and the Web 2011 conference.
EVA Berlin 2010
At the EVA Berlin 2010 conference the MuseumsWiki has been presented as colloborational tool for the project Kooperation der Forschungsgruppe INKA mit dem Museum für Islamische Kunst (German)
The MuseumsWiki provides the article MW2010 with links for participants of the conference and the Wikimedia@MW2010 workshop.
The article MW2009 includes links for this conference.
MW2008 conference
This wiki was presented at the MW2008 Museums and the Web conference (Montreal, Canada, 9–12 April 2008) by Jonathan Bowen as part of a mini-workshop on Wiki Software and Facilities for Museums.
Current events
Events (most recent first):
Berliner Herbsttreffen zur Museumsdokumentation 2013
See also
Online Communities
Amersham Museum Wiki · British Postal Museum & Archive · WikiProject Museums · Conservation of photographic negatives · Coventry Transport Museum Wiki · Docupedia-Zeitgeschichte · Main Street Museum (Catawiki) · MN150 Wiki · Museum Media · The Newark Museum Wiki · Placeography · Quilt Index Wiki · Semuse · Science Museum Object Wiki · Thomas Jefferson Wiki · Wikimedia@MW2010 · Wikizeum (MATWiki)


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Milo Dvorak will be celebrating his 95th birthday on June 16 with a card shower.
His children are Paul (Trudy) Dvorak of Plano, Texas; David (Carol) Dvorak of Ada, Mich. and Camilla (Marvin) Dostal of Clutier.
Milo and his wife, Irene, formerly of Clutier, now reside at 599 Taylor St., Apt 103, Traer, Iowa 50675.


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Peerless Design
The stance is purposeful. Efficient. The truck looks like it's moving even when it's not. The effect is dramatic. Yet unmistakably a Volvo.
The design is a celebration of truck drivers all over the world
Design Director, Volvo Trucks
The perfect workplace
We've reinvented the Globetrotter. Unparalleled comfort on the inside. World-class safety on the outside. And a visually stunning design that stands out on the road
Our cabs
Choose from over 650 colours. All green.
Save time and money by not having to visit a separate paintshop – just have your Volvo cab delivered in the colour you like. Choose from over 650 different hues, tints, and shades. And if you don't find the one you're looking for, we can virtually mix any colour for you.
Want a preview? Use the cab colouriser below.
Please note that a computer monitor cannot fully do justice to the colors. To view actual paint samples, please visit your Volvo dealer. Please also note that not all colours are available on all models and markets. The image shows a truck with the highest possible paint level.
This colorizer contains all colours available in the sales system. Many of the solid colours are also available with a clear coat layer. If you cannot find your requested colour please contact your Volvo dealer.


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crussell necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 257 diseños de 78 diseñadores freelance.
Value Media
Let me tell you about us.
The logo is for Value Media. Our company creates businesses that help investors manage their portfolios. Our first products are designed to help families view their savings and investment accounts in a single dashboard to simplify planning and management. We give families sophisticated but easy to use tools to understand how each of their accounts are performing, pick and manage investment strategies and save on taxes, transaction costs and fees.
We like these designs:
Our desired logo is best described as a blend or the Barron's http://online.barrons.com logo and FaceBook logo. "Value Media" should be the name used. It can be a simple text logo and should incorporate a dollar/value component. It should
be easily readable, work in favicon and a banner application.
Our design absolutely must have:
Colors are optional, but we are not enthusiastic about the color green as are direct copies of leaders in the space. We are an original and your design should reflect that. We would like to limit the colors to 2 or less, but are open to ideas. Must be web friendly and prefer Pantone colors and in vector format.
$350.00 USD. Upon award and payment, the designer will agree to transfer all rights of the logo to the buyer.
Our target audience is:
Our goal is to make managing investments easier for our clients. Our target market is families with multiple accounts for kids college funds, parents retirement, and other savings and brokerage etc. While they are busy busy professionals they want to be in charge of thei financial decisions and need the information to make informed decisions and the tools to automate the process and save them time. They need a trusted source to help them without an agenda to encourage them to trade, buy products they don't need, or pressure to put all their assets with one firm.
Here is what we need:
We are looking for a logo that will represent our brand identity to our target market. The identity is meant to be a cross between Barron's and Facebook. Not a copy of the look but what they stand for: Trusted financial information and advice in a web savvy social application. At this time, the logo will appear on business cards, letterhead and web site(s).
For Tag line: (not necessarily included in logo) "Simple Tools for Sophisticated Investors"
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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311 for Workforce Development (Idea #5*)
"Hey [insert your city here]! I have a question!"
311. It's the phone number many cities and municipalities use to manage citizen inquiries. And it's so much more.
Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Sacramento, and New York are all using 311 to respond more effectively and efficiently to resident inquiries and to make their cities smarter.
It's that "making cities smarter" bit that we are particularly interested in. Look what New York City learned in its implementation (this can't-stop-reading WIRED piece is like a tutorial on 311, pay particular attention to "As Useful As...").
What would 311 for workforce looks like? In cities that already have 311, is workforce connected to it?
So what if...
* This is part of a series of entirely subjective posts intended to inspire greatness among applicants to the Workforce Innovation Fund. The opinions and perspectives expressed here are not those of Social Policy Research, the US Department of Labor (USDOL) or anyone other than the author. Please steal the ideas you find most promising.


text: Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week. His state's GOP leadership has censured him for his "disastrous" record. Ruben Sprich/Reuters/Landov hide caption toggle caption Ruben Sprich/Reuters/Landov The Two-Way McCain's 'Liberal' Record Earns Him Censure From Arizona GOP January 26, 2014 The five-term senator and former presidential candidate, has gone soft on conservative principles, his state's GOP leadership says.


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14A - Suitable for viewing by persons 14 years of age and older. Persons under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. May contain: violence, coarse language and/or sexually suggestive scenes.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: March 26Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Later Event: March 28Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice


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Shutters & Venetians
Luxaflex has shutters and venetian blinds to suit any home environment. Our Aluminium Venetian Blinds range in size, colour and operating method, and are very easy to clean. Luxaflex Timber Shutters come in a variety of paint finishes and timber stains to combine functionality, durability and quality, and give an authentic, natural feel. Our much talked about PolySatin Shutters are renowned for withstanding the toughest conditions, are practically maintenance-free, and come with a 20-year warranty.
PolySatin® Shutters
Luxaflex PolySatin Shutters bring a touch of understated elegance to any interior with their soft, matte lustre - similar to fresh paint. Visit Forster-Tuncurry Awnings & Blinds now.
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Explore Luxaflex Wood Essence Blinds which provide a practical alternative to traditional timber. Get a free quote from Forster-Tuncurry Awnings & Blinds Tuncurry today.
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Aluminium Venetian Blinds
Add a contemporary twist to your home with our metal venetian window blinds. Available in 94 colours & an extensive range of finishes. Find out more at Forster-Tuncurry Awnings & Blinds.


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The future of wealth advisory is no longer the traditional human advising another human scenario. With robo-platforms on the rise, the robot versus human debate continues to garner headlines.
Wealth management in the future, however, and in our view, is not an either/or scenario. Rather, it is an ampersand—humans & robots. Neither alone constitutes the future of investment advice. New Accenture research shows clients prefer hybrid models—a combination of humans and digital capabilities.
Providing an automated platform with periodic access to a human advisor ranks as the most preferred scenario across a range of investor profiles. Combining the best of both worlds—the low cost and access of robo-platforms with an advisor's expertise in handling more nuanced or complex investing scenarios—hybrid firms ranked higher than all others in several dimensions critical to customer loyalty and satisfaction, from "customized service" to "low-cost products."
Wealth management firms that want to remain competitive will need to address a mix of advisory styles. Digital tools, yesterday's difference maker in the industry, are now no longer considered as such by a majority of investors (roughly 20 percent see them as influential in deciding between firms). Instead, an increasing number of clients see digital technologies as table stakes, necessary simply to consider a firm as a potential wealth management provider.
But where does that leave human advisors? Still firmly in the driver's seat when clients require advice for complex or nuanced situations, an anxiety-producing bear market or a sensitive situation such as a death in the family. While 72 percent of US$10 million-plus investors and 56 percent of millennials question the value of a dedicated advisor according to our survey, only 8 percent of respondents believe robo-platforms can deliver customized advice.
Not only was a hybrid model given the best marks in our survey, but it helps improve client engagement. Hybrid model clients are significantly more likely to have sought and received firm assistance in financial planning than investors in any other model (64 percent versus 44 percent).
Firms should be shifting resources in the hybrid model direction now by:
Evolving your firm's current capabilities into the building blocks of a hybrid model.
Key questions include: What role will robots play? What about humans? What is the best pricing model?
Getting serious about a digital platform
Continuous innovation via digital tools is necessary to keep pace with the competition. Invest now to create a dynamic digital platform strategy
Investing in digital talent
The future wealth management workforce will likely consist of professionals who see technology as a trusted co-worker—and know how to enhance it to clients' advantage.
Developing a partner ecosystem that can support your hybrid model
It is unlikely that a firm could do it alone. Leveraging an ecosystem that can bridge the gaps is essential to giving clients the experience they are looking for when investing.


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Atlas Copco is the leading manufacturer of innovative tooling and assembly solutions. Whether you build vehicles, aircrafts, appliances, electronics or work in tough industrial environments - we can add value.
Every production line and industrial site is unique and has its own challenges. With that in mind, our service solutions are designed to help you get the most out of your industrial equipment. We combine analyses of production data with know-how and expertise in order to enhance your productivity and quality; while keeping you cost efficiency maintenance under control.
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Two Naked and Afraid super fans get one-on-one intensive primitive survival training with veteran survivalist, Gabrielle, before attempting a full 21-day challenge alongside all-stars Matt Wright and Gary Golding.
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Naked and Afraid XL takes a sneak peak into the toughest ever survival challenge. Twelve Naked and Afraid veterans will attempt to last 40 days and 40 nights in the Colombian badlands. Will their enemy be Mother Nature or each other?
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Naked & Afraid XL drops twelve veteran survivalists into the badlands of Colombia. Their challenge is to survive 40 days & 40 nights with no food, water, or clothes. Standing in their way are deadly predators, the stifling heat and each other.
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After a week of being dropped into the dangerous and desolate badlands of Colombia with no food or water, one survivalist has already tapped out, another is on the brink, and hunger, thirst, and distrust are threatening to take down several more.
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After thirty-one days in the Colombian jungle, the pressure is on to get the nourishment they need to survive extraction, but when one member doesn't play by the rules, the future of one group is thrown into jeopardy.
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The Dirty Dozen survivors from Naked and Afraid XL come together for the first time since their life-changing 40 day challenge. They'll discuss good times, hard times, and try to heal unresolved issues.
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Grady and Josh slash their way through the Nicaraguan jungle battling snakes, mosquitoes and dehydration. They struggle to start a fire using a soil testing kit, go on a nighttime hunt for caiman and build a raft to cross croc-infested waters.
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On the punishing slopes of Bulgaria's Rila Mountains, Grady and Josh face a whiteout blizzard, freezing temps and a run-in with a deadly predator. They must use unconventional methods to secure fire, shelter and food on this quest for civilization.
Dual Survival
Season 8 · Episode 3


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Doesn't he? News to me. Just thought he seemed a bit grumpy that's all.Originally Posted by benchmark00
Doesn't he? News to me. Just thought he seemed a bit grumpy that's all.Originally Posted by benchmark00
Please tell me how it was that the Aussies crumbled in the pressure situation here?Originally Posted by Fiery
Surely the pressure situation was the last few overs, and which side crumbled there?
marc71178 - President and founding member of AAAS - we don't only appreciate when he does well, but also when he's not quite so good!
Anyone want to join the Society?
Beware the evils of Kit-Kats - they're immoral apparently.
hopes brings decent late-order batting and another solid bowling option to the teams. I reckon Hopes will get a run this series, just a matter of whether it'll be before the series is decided or after.
Andrew Symonds 143*
It's 5 in a game, not in a series (and he struggles to even get that now!)Originally Posted by benchmark00
just put on the news and the aussie news was on.. apparently according to the aussie media "Australia easily beat the kiwis"
lol true, but if he bowls at the death he might pick up some cheap wickets??Originally Posted by marc71178
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
Still none the wiser.Originally Posted by marc71178
Injured by a bottle top ?Originally Posted by marc71178
are u made of paper or something
It could quite easily blind someone.Originally Posted by MoxPearl
Thats not the point though, just because you pay $40 to get into the ground, it doesnt give you the automatic right to terrorise the players on the boundary.... knuckleheads if you ask meOriginally Posted by MoxPearl
Last edited by benchmark00; 19-02-2005 at 03:51 AM.
It COULD have something to do with Scallywag's endless diatribes about accepting the umpires' decisions no matter what when they were criticized in previous threads, and just how quickly that pretence disappeared when the shoe was suddenly on the other foot.Originally Posted by marc71178
Just a guess - I've enjoyed the irony and how quickly he was exposed, though.
"Youre known for having a liking for men who look like women."
- Linda
"FFS I'm sick and tired of having to see a bloke bend over to pick something up or lean over and see their arse crack. For christ's sake pull your pants up or buy some underpants you bogan because nobody want's to see it. And this is a boat building shed (well one of them) not a porn studio."
- Craig
Hoo hah! Looks like we have a new layout....
The white! It BURNS! I miss the blue.
The logo's not half bad though.
"The Australian cricket captain is the Prime Minister Australia wishes it had. Steve Waugh is that man, Michael Clarke is not." - Jarrod Kimber
RIP Fardin Qayyumi and Craig Walsh - true icons of CricketWeb.
Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye.Originally Posted by MoxPearl
Then its bloody hilarious.
Only two states to be in - Queensland and drunk.
Originally Posted by mavric41
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This is not a technical question. I'm writing a thesis and I have found out about MakeIndex, which allows building a glossary and the nominal package, which helps making a nomenclature section.
So, what's the difference between the two? What kind of definitions fit into one or the other? No difference?


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A Malaysian Muslim woman due to be caned after being caught drinking alcohol in public has been given a temporary reprieve. Authorities said Monday that the order handed down by an Islamic court had been delayed until the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Kartika Shukarno, a part-time model who was caught drinking, did not appeal her original sentence and said she wanted to go through with the punishment as a deterrent to other Muslims. She even requested a public caning, which was turned down.
But her case has stirred a debate in Malaysia over the use of Islamic laws that operate in parallel to Malaysia's secular justice system. She would be the first woman to be caned in a country that still uses corporal punishment for many criminal offenses.
Some observers claimed that fierce competition between political parties ahead of a state by-election Tuesday was to blame. Parties that claim to represent Malay-Muslims, the largest voting bloc, typically try to assert their Islamic credentials in such races.
But the by-election campaign in Penang state has largely focused on other issues, including the dubious qualifications of the pro-government candidate.
Fines for drinking
Muslims in Malaysia who are caught drinking alcohol are usually fined, as was Ms. Kartika. Caning is highly unusual.
Lawyers have complained that Islamic courts are increasingly assertive and that non-Muslims aren't protected by civil courts in cases where civil and Islamic law come into conflict, like custody battles.
In the case of Kartika, the Islamic court had the final say. But the media furor has focused more on who she is – a photogenic young woman – and the severity of her sentence than on the knottier question about how justice works in Malaysia.


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The US federal government seems to have IPv6 on the brain as of late: both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) came out with IPv6-related documents recently. The FCC document is a collection of previously known information—it's not about FCC policy—but they managed to include a few things we weren't aware of.
It discusses the transition from NCP, the protocol used with the original ARPANET, to the current TCP/IP back in the early 1980s:
The NCP-to-IPv4 transition had two characteristics that distinguish it from the current transition: a flag-day transition date and a clear directive from an authority that could back it up. On January 1, 1983, NCP would be turned off. Those networks who had failed to prepare—there were a significant number of them—fell offline, and proceeded to spend several panicked months attempting to upgrade their computers and regain connectivity.
The meatier NIST document is intended for federal agencies, but "may be used by nongovernmental organizations on a voluntary basis." It goes into much detail about the differences between IPv6 and IPv4, and how those differences impact security. For instance:
Reconnaissance attacks in an IPv6 environment differ dramatically from current IPv4 environments. Due to the size of IPv6 subnets (264 in a typical IPv6 environment compared to 28 in a typical IPv4 environment), traditional IPv4 scanning techniques that would normally take seconds could take years on a properly designed IPv6 network.
Prevention of unauthorized access to IPv6 networks will likely be more difficult in the early years of IPv6 deployments. IPv6 adds more components to be filtered than IPv4, such as extension headers, multicast addressing, and increased use of ICMP.
A misconception about IPv6 is that IPv6 by itself introduces many more security risks than the IPv4 protocol. Perceived risk can cause an organization to delay deployment despite the fact that IPv6 enabled equipment is already on hand. As discussed in Section 2.4 of this document, IPv6 is no more or less secure than IPv4.
The report recommends using randomized interface identifiers and subnet numbers to make scanning difficult. It also recommends stricter filtering than for IPv4, such as using a "default deny" policy, for the time being, while gaining experience with the new protocol.
The document spends a lot of time discussing ICMPv6. ICMPv6 not only provides the functionality that's in IPv4 ICMP, such as conveying unreachability or performing ping, but also includes Neighbor Discovery, the IPv6 replacement for ARP, and more. Another topic in the NIST doc is Path MTU discovery—already a problem with IPv4, but it could easily be worse with IPv6.
If two systems that can handle 1,500-byte packets communicate over a path that is limited to 1,280 bytes somewhere in the middle (a common situation with tunneled IPv6 connectivity), then the router terminating that 1,280-byte link sends back a message that the sender needs to send smaller packets. Unlike IPv4, an IPv6 router can't fragment packets. However, if the sender of the original packet never receives the ICMPv6 message that informs it of the reduced packet size, it will keep sending large packets, which won't make it to the destination. So it's important to allow these "packet too big" messages.
However, the authors of the NIST document don't seem to be familiar with a nifty security feature that's in the ICMPv6 specification: for ICMPv6 packets that are only supposed to be local, the hop limit field in the IPv6 header—that would be the time to live field with IPv4—is set to the largest possible value, 255, when the packet is transmitted. Upon reception, the IPv6 system can then check if this value is still 255. If so, the packet was transmitted over the local network: if it came from elsewhere, one or more routers would have decremented the hop limit value so it couldn't have been 255. This way, non-local but supposed-to-be local packets can be rejected without explicit filters or cryptography.
One thing that I'm not entirely comfortable with is the recommendation to ruthlessly turn off IPv6 on hardware, OSes, and applications if IPv6 isn't going to be used in a particular network. In a government setting with fixed computers, this makes sense—although I wouldn't want to be the admin that has to turn it all back on later. But turning off IPv6 on a laptop may create unforeseen problems when it's connected to a different network where other systems may want to talk IPv6. This is especially true if in the near future ISPs start to deploy IPv6.
But even today, many types of local communication use IPv6, and may fail or work slower if one system tries IPv6 while the other only has IPv4. For instance, Apple uses IPv6 link local addresses to configure its WiFi base stations, and Microsoft has warned that its software for Windows Vista and Windows 7 isn't tested with IPv6 turned off—your IPv4-only mileage may vary.
The FCC document provides some interesting background and isn't too long, while the NIST document is a good introduction to the nuts and bolts of IPv6 and provides some good security information. Both are recommended reading.


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ENGM 183: Operations Management
Cannot be used to satisfy any A.B. degree requirements
This course provides an introduction to the concepts and analytic methods that are useful in understanding the management of a firm's operations. We will introduce job shops, assembly lines, and continuous processes. Other topics include operations strategy, aggregate planning, production scheduling, inventory control, and new manufacturing technologies and operating practices.


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Service Program Adviser
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
| Service
Program Adviser
A Varsity Scout Team Service Program Adviser is a Team Committee member and an adult counterpart to a youth Service Program Manager in the Varsity Scout team. The program adviser serves as a sounding board and adviser as the youth plans and is primary leader for his program.
Position description
This program adviser mets with the youth program manager. The Varsity Scout acts a primary leader by supervising one or more advancement and award activities; the adviser provides direction and encouragement for these activities. The program manager learns leadership skills by carrying out these activities, and satisfies a requirement for the Denali Award. The other Varsity Scouts on the team may also fulfill a requirement for the Denali Award by active participation in the planned event. The adviser does not need to attend the activity, but approves the activity of the primary leader and determines what is required by the other Varsity Scouts to satisfy "participation."
Worthwhile activities help the Varsity Scouts toward Boy Scout advancement, Varsity Scout Letter and Denali trail advancement. and Scouting awards and merit badges. Activities for the religious award may be also coordinated with the Chaplain Aide.
Appointed by the Team Committee Chairman (can be recommended by the Team Coach). The program adviser can be a parent of a youth member of the chartered organization; in smaller units, the team coach may serve as a program adviser. The chairman along with the team coach meets with the program adviser to review duties.
- Serves on the team committee.
- Guides and mentors the youth advancement program manager.
- Meets with the youth program manager(s) to advise and encourage worthwhile leadership activities that will help the team provide service and the program manager satisfies the Denali requirement.
- Helps select service projects that provide meaningful assistance to individuals, families, organizations, etc., and fit with the standards of the BSA such as "Scouting for Food."
- Provide resources for potential services projects.
- Communicate with community and religious leaders the desire of your team to provide meaningful service.
- Assist Varsity Scouts in planning service projects necessary for advancement.
- Acquire materials, funds, or tools needed for services projects.
- Supervise the project to assure the safety and protection of all those involved.
- Work with the team committee and other program manages to integrate personal development activities into all team events.
- Reaches out to Varsity Scouts who do not regularly participate.
- Participates in boards of review on a regular basis.
- Completes all training that is available for the adult Varsity Scout leader.
- Sets an example for youth members by maintaining the principles of the Boys Scouts of America.
Beyond the obvious benefits, the service field of emphasis helps Varsity Scouts perform service hours for rank advancement and fulfill this requirement for the Denali Award.
Please make yourself available to meet the youth program manager, especially for the first time meeting. It is critical to get together with a program manager very soon after he receives this new assignment. Familiarize yourself with the Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet; make sure that the Varsity Scout completes one for "event" activities (involving team meetings), and submits it to his Squad Leader.
Working with the youth advancement program manager
A program manager's tenure can be a short as three months so help him make a plan and get started right away. Help the Scout choose a project that will benefit the lives of the team and others. Seek inspiration from God and make the effort for adequate planning.
Service projects can be fairly diverse and should be interesting for the program manager. Read the program manager's duties and the Varsity Scout Guidebook pp. 99-105. Help the program manager choose from "Ideas for Service Activities" and the "Program Features at a Glance." Other activities may be approved be approved by the adult program adviser that encourage advancement and allow the Scout to exercise leadership by organizing multi-step projects, making assignments, and working with Scouts and other adults.
Program helps
Event and ultimate adventure planning
- Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet (25K PDF) BSA 2003.
- Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet (33K PDF) Modified, Team 336 Omaha, NE (6/06).
- Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet (8K PDF) Modified, Utah National Parks Council, Provo District (2001).
See also
|Varsity Scout portal
- Positions of Responsibility
- Venture Patrol
- Varsity Scouting
- Varsity Scout Program
- Varsity Scout Advancement
- Boy Scouting
- Boy Scout Uniform
- Merit Badges (Worksheets)
Varsity awards:
Team Advancement Leaders:
|Reports to:
|Chartered Organization Representative
|Lead by:
|Team Committee Chairman
|Committee Secretary • Committee Treasurer • Advancement Chair • Equipment Coordinator • Activities Chair • Membership Chair • Training Chair • Public Relations Chair • Friends of Scouting Chair • Scouting for Food Chair • Fundraising Chair • ScoutParent Unit Coordinator • Chaplain
|Program Advisers:
|Advancement • High-Adventure/Sports • Personal Development • Service • Special Programs and Events
|Team Coach • Assistant Team Coach(es)
Team Positions of Responsibility and Adult Advisers
|Team Leadership:
| Captain • Cocaptain • Team Secretary • Squad Leader • Quartermaster • Chaplain Aide •
Librarian • Instructor • Den Chief • Order of the Arrow Team Representative
|Program Managers:
|Advancement • High-Adventure/Sports • Personal Development • Service • Special Programs and Events
|Other team leadership:
|Historian • Bugler
|Team Coach • Assistant Team Coach(es) • Committee Secretary • Committee Treasurer
|Program Advisers:
|Advancement • High-Adventure/Sports • Personal Development • Service • Special Programs and Events


text:
Dear Heart
Dear Heart
Add To Cart
Adding patterns to your 'cart' will not allow you to purchase nor convey your selection to us. These are simply visuals to help customers know what quilting patterns we offer within our longarm quilting services. Once you've selected your pattern write its name on your Order Form.


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Technical Resources
Land Use
Loading Tree...
Technical Resources
Estimates presented here are based upon the latest information from the National Resources Inventory (NRI). The NRI is a longitudinal sample survey based on scientific statistical principles and procedures. It is conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with Iowa State University's Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology.
These results are based upon the 2007 NRI, which provides nationally consistent data for the 25-year period 1982–2007. Current estimates cover the contiguous 48 States. Separate estimates also cover Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean Area.
The release of NRI results is guided by NRCS policy and is in accordance with OMB and USDA Quality of Information Guidelines developed in 2001. NRCS is releasing NRI estimates only when they meet statistical standards and are scientifically credible in accordance with these policies; also, measures of statistical uncertainty are provided for all 2007 NRI estimates released to the public.
The findings on land use come from the NRI data category "Land Cover/Use," which comprises mutually exclusive categories such as cropland, rangeland, forest land, other rural lands, developed land, and water areas. The NRI uses this classification to account for every acre of non-Federal land within the Nation. Every parcel of land is described by one and only one of these categories.
The NRI approach to conducting inventories facilitates examination of trends in rural and developed land uses over time because –
Irrespective of the scale of analysis, margins of error must be considered. Margins of error (at the 95 percent confidence level) are presented for all NRI estimates. Note that estimates of change between two points in time will be less precise (relatively) than estimates for a single inventory year because the changes will be occurring on a smaller fraction of the landscape.
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Policy and Links| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov


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Export 12 results:
Filters: First Letter Of Title is C and Author is Mitchell, Erica Michelle [Clear All Filters]
Building an apparatus: Refractive, reflective and diffractive readings of trace data. Journal of the Association for Information Systems.. (In Press). Apparatus v3 to distribute.pdf (984.9 KB)
Knowledge Tracing to Model Learning in Online Citizen Science Projects. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 1-12. doi:10.1109/TLT.2019.2936480. (In Press). transaction paper final figures in text.pdf (1.39 MB)
Classifying the unknown: Discovering novel gravitational-wave detector glitches using similarity learning. Physical Review D, 99(8), 082002. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.99.082002. (2019).
Linguistic Adoption in Online Citizen Science: A Structurational Perspective. In International Conference on Information Systems. Munich, Germany.. (2019). Linguistic Adoption (ICIS) final.pdf (3.07 MB)
Did they login? Patterns of anonymous contributions to online communities. In ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW). doi:10.1145/3274346. (2018). anonymous-contributions-cameraready.pdf (1.25 MB)
Folksonomies to support coordination and coordination of folksonomies. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 27(3–6), 647–678. doi:10.1007/s10606-018-9327-z. (2018). ECSCW-Paper-Final.pdf (2.14 MB)
perceptions-machine-learning.pdf (155.52 KB)
Encouraging Work in Citizen Science: Experiments in Goal Setting and Anchoring. ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW). doi:10.1145/2818052.2869129. (2016). CSCW-abstract.pdf (423.64 KB)
"Guess what! You're the first to see this event": Increasing Contribution to Online Production Communities. ACM Group. doi:10.1145/2957276.2957284. (2016).
Which Way Did They Go? Newcomer Movement through the Zooniverse. 19th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW). presented at the 2016. doi:10.1145/2818048.2835197. (2016). CSCW2016-Roles.pdf (1.38 MB)
Motivations for sustained participation in crowdsourcing: The role of talk in a citizen science case study. Proceedings of the Forty-eighth Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-48). presented at the 1/2015, Koloa, HI.. (2015).
Planet Hunters and Seafloor Explorers: Legitimate Peripheral Participation Through Practice Proxies in Online Citizen Science. 17th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW 2014) . presented at the 2/2014.. (2014). paper_revised copy to post.pdf (3.15 MB)


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We usually examine mainstream media reporting here, but we also have our eyes set on non-mainstream sites that cover religion. Earlier this month, tmatt highlighted a piece from the Baltimore Sun on Rocco Palmo who runs Whispers in the Loggia, which regularly scoops mainstream press. A former US correspondent for the London-based international Catholic weekly The Tablet, Palmo has served as a church analyst for many mainstream outlets since he launched the blog in 2004. A native of Philadelphia, he studied political science at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2010, Palmo received an honorary doctorate from Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Dominican school in St Louis, for services to the church's interaction with technology. In April he was named as one of two chairs of the Vatican's first conference on the blogosphere/social media. Get ready for an epic twist on 5Q+1 with Palmo, especially a bit of hopefulness in the bonus question.
(1) How would you describe the work you do: journalism, advocacy journalism, something else? What are you trying to accomplish?
These days, above all, I'm trying to accomplish not having to sweat the bottom line anymore. It's been a great almost-seven years now: more fun (and, a lot of days, more exhaustion) than I ever could've imagined having in a lifetime. When you're in a gig to write, though, having to double as CFO/development director/accountant, etc. is the worst energy-zapper there is. It's probably lost me about four books' worth of time and material by now.
As for the first part, I've never been one to conceptualize things too much -- I'd rather just do the job and let others analyze it. (Not being terribly smart helps, to boot.) As my thinking goes, though, "advocacy journalist" is basically a euphemism for a lobbyist who likes to write, and there are still a lot of people out there who think that for something to qualify as straight-up "journalism," it needs to read like Xanax and appear on dead trees (or look like it could). I'd like to think I do more of the latter than the former... even if one of my personal Commandments is "For the love of God, Never Be Boring." Luckily, the beat never is, and I just try to give it that respect.
A big problem with classification is the tendency to keep thinking in terms of templates. To use a common Vaticanese term, the templates "have been superseded," so with the freedom to approach the story from an unconventional vantage, attempts at pigeonholing can get messy, and sometimes even be unfair. Still, one of the commenters picked up on this, and it's true: if there's an analogy that best describes what I've always sought to shoot for, it's "beat writer for the Red Sox" -- not principally in the sense of Boston baseball, but as that's what cardinals are supposed to wear under their full-dress robes.
I don't mean to banalize faith here, but when you've grown up with the shadow of the ballpark to one side of your house and the parish on the other, they don't seem all that different: there are rules, traditions, trades, wins and losses; a community, a spirit and, always, a long season. You can't change any of them, nor should you even think of trying -- that's part of the magic. What transpires day by day either lifts people up or makes the winter that much tougher to get through. Yet beyond the result, you basically learn to roll with whatever comes down, you remember what's fleeting and what isn't, you rejoice and find comfort in those things that neither a run of championships nor a seemingly endless slump could, at its core, have any impact on.
When your team has lost more games over time than any squad in the history of American sports, all these distinctions come fairly naturally. In a word, you're always a "fan" (i.e. a believer), but reporting that your guys won 12-2 when, in fact, the result was the other way around -- or, alternatively, you confuse a seat in the press box with being the crew-chief on the field -- should get you be banned from walking into a newsroom ever again, let alone running anything from it. Unfortunately, though, I worry that we've got some of that around now, and I'm admittedly envious that you can even get a salary and benefits to do it.
It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to realize that -- much as I love Baltimore -- the Orioles aren't going to the World Series this year, and as a reader, it's pretty insulting to find the equivalent of stories that say, in effect, that they're either headed for late October or even a shot of it exists. However much the fans might pine and pray for the postseason -- it'd be more of a story if they didn't -- and packed the place out every night, if the standings show the dreaded "E" (eliminated), what else can you say?
To be sure, there are comparable things on both sides of the Catholic radar, where you'd essentially have to tear up 28 stadiums (or kill off most of the AL East) for them to merely stand a chance of living up to the hype. But if you hear about a high-school kid, "future Cy Young" written all over him, being scouted for the pros in a sandlot 10 minutes away, given the understanding, which one's your story?
The context of the last ten years has only served to amplify the extent to which, in the general perception, Catholicism has a transparency problem: on one side, you've got the the abuse revelations and the impact they've had on people's faith because of how allegations were (or weren't) communicated in many places, and on the other there's a surreal number of normally reasonable, perfectly well-meaning people who believe that the Vatican has a cadre of albino assassins at its disposal.
It might be more apparent in the former scenario, but both illustrate how the sharing of information isn't without its consequences on significantly bigger fronts, and a challenge that, for the church, has largely been self-made. And when you see this, if the bigger stuff means something to you, you have to face the question of whether you can sanely keep relying on a 1985 -- or 1965 -- communications model of tone and content, or when you've practically got nothing left to lose, do you try throwing some new ideas at the wall and see what sticks?
What comes of it might not be everyone's cup of tea... but, hey, it's a big church.
(2) Where do you get your news about religion? How do blogs like Whispers in the Loggia change the way people get their religion news?
If there's a place to find religion news, chances are I read it -- and not just on things Catholic, either. We're really lucky to live in a time when there's so much good stuff out there that's so easily available, and hopefully we don't take it too much for granted!
As for any "change" the blogosphere and its offshoots have brought to relaying things, I'd say it's more a change of accessibility and speed than the nature of the content. For one, Rome being very much a "company town," the Italian press has been doing this kind of thing from time immemorial (maybe even since before the birth of Jesus). But even in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, successive archbishops of New York learned of their appointments from reporters who, having been tipped off by overseas correspondents, showed up on their doorstep. So it's really nothing new -- it's just the combination of the medium and, for our time, that it's in English which have seemingly created the perception of "novelty."
That said, as a lot has changed in terms of breadth and delivery these last seven years, it might be off-topic, but I'm compelled to toss out a concern here -- how fast is too fast? Or, from another side, have we reached an over-saturation point?
To a considerable degree, the explosion of voices, fed first by the blogosphere, then by more instantaneous social platforms (Twitter and Facebook above all), has sped the news-cycle to what feels like an impossible pace to keep up with, especially when you've got several multi-thread stories dropping all at once. As a result, it seems the cycle's likewise become ever more "flattened" in that a tiered significance of things -- and above all, the top-grade stuff that takes time to wind out -- is lost in favor of the glomming on latest bit atop the timeline.
More and more, I find myself longing for the days of the old, long-frame, color-heavy magazine piece... or, at least, hoping to wean readers away from a mindset in which every day and everything is and has to be Christmas. I'm not terribly optimistic about either.
Hopefully others haven't had this kind of experience, but having been pelted for -- among other things recently -- not covering new auxiliary bishops in Chicago or Montreal because tracking the pieces of a hundred-year storm in my own backyard was taking up all the energy and brain-space I had, the thought's been ever more on my mind.
(3) What is the most important religion story right now that you think the mainstream media just do not get?
Obviously, we're talking just one religion here, so I couldn't claim the competence to say if there's a glaring hole (or several) in covering Islam, evangelicals, LDS or anybody else. Just another thing to leave to the legion of my betters.
As the American Catholic beat goes, though, I'd have to highlight the story that I consider my "baby" -- namely, the staggering demographic shift going on in the rank-and-file of the nation's largest religious body. Sure, one chunk of that storyline -- the data from Pew and others on ex-Catholics being the nation's "second-largest denomination," Anglos fleeing in droves, etc. -- is very well-known (...and, admittedly, sometimes I wonder whether there's an added reason it's as well-known as it is?). As the long-view and the internals go, though, it seems to be at least as significant that a supermajority of today's American Catholics under 30 (read: my generation) are Hispanic and, within as quickly as a decade, Latinos are set to comprise a majority of the roughly 70 million national membership, period. To be sure, the Anglo exodus has played a part in speeding up the time-frame, but in terms of raw numbers, the influx from immigration and birth-rates is at least keeping pace with, if not blowing out, the figures of those who are leaving.
Today, at least two of the church's most storied domestic outposts (New York and Chicago) already have majority-Hispanic Catholic populations, and on the back of what's now a 70% Latino contingent, LA's archdiocese of 5 million (at least double its 1985 size) has become the largest local church in Catholicism's five-century history in the US. It's bigger than the cited older duo combined... and here's the kicker: it's still growing.
You'd think these realities would be sufficient to garner at least as much play as the "Death of the Church" meme. But experience shows that isn't happening. Why not?
Historically speaking, the last time we've seen a shift of this magnitude came in the 1840s, when the first major waves of immigration (above all Irish) transformed the US church from a relatively small, English-dominated group into the nation's largest religious body. As the makeup changed, it was inevitably reflected in how the wider fold looked and the feeling it exuded, what its emphases were, and how it interacted with society. While a new dynamic at the local level is already well underway over much of the map, we're only beginning to see it go full-bore on the national stage, and that'll keep unfolding over the next ten, twenty years. It has to -- at least, if a dramatically different church is going to hold its long-standing population level and not bleed even more millions of its native demo-base.
Maybe it's a gripe, but since we're on the topic, it's worth recalling the story of taking a call a couple years back from a full-time religion writer for a major national daily in an archdiocese where Hispanics were already the dominant Catholic bloc. The writer was doing a story -- candidly, one on a manufactured "controversy" -- that touched on the Latino boom, and I made an offhand comment about how wild the scene was (read: tens of thousands in attendance, flowers everywhere) at the cathedral of the city in question on what's arguably the linchpin observance for the Hispanic ascendancy: the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12th).
When the scribe interjected by asking, "What's Guadalupe?" it suddenly became tempting to just hang up and spend the next hour banging my head into a wall. It still is, to be honest.
That's not to say the Catholic press has been phenomenal in handling the story, either -- if anything, by and large, especially given their prime vantage, they've been an embarrassment. We've got broad-sweep history on our hands and a narrative even bigger -- and truer -- than "Everybody's leaving because of birth control bans/no women or married priests, etc." yet while few national church-beat outlets would dare fail to mention a single DC March for Life weeks later on the Roe v. Wade anniversary (and, even though it's an ecumenical event, rightly so), you've got a crowd at least as large (250,000, all of them Catholic) freezing and singing and praying at a shrine outside Chicago through the night of every 11-12 December, to say nothing of literally hundreds of other packed-out parishes, cathedrals, even arenas all over the country those same hours, and the in-house scribes are asleep. All told, I'd bet that the Guadalupe Mañanitas (Vigil) crowds nationwide dwarf even the totals of those who go to Midnight Mass on Christmas -- it's just that big, and across most of the country, become so over a staggeringly short space of time.
After a few years of going all-out for the US church's "Super Tazón" (Super Bowl) and feeling like no one was listening, I thought it'd seemingly make little difference if I wrote Whispers in Spanish for the weekend of the feast. I ended up with more venom-filled hate-mail than I've ever gotten on anything else. Thanks to that, it'll now be an annual custom, and -- if my horrible Spanish can hold up -- for the whole week. Still, for the first time, seeing the response gave me something of a sense of what my grandparents had to deal with coming off the boat and being the only family in a Catholic-to-the-core neighborhood that wasn't Irish, German or English and been there for three or four generations. And yet again, that same crossroads of hope and conflict is the next chapter in the life of the American church.
While we're at it, albeit to a smaller degree by numbers, the same thread runs true for numerous Asian (and even, in some parts, African) immigrant communities who've quickly emerged to make a significant impact on the life of a good many American dioceses, notably on the front of priestly and religious vocations. With the spirit and sense of contribution -- and, often, a lived experience of real and brutal persecution most of us could barely imagine -- they bring to the table, you sometimes almost think to yourself, "Who needs the Anglos?"
(4) What is the story that you will be watching carefully in the next year or two? Just one? Over years? I've got a handful just between now and December. Just indulge me with two -- Lord knows where I'll be in 2014.
First, and it's not just my local side coming out, anyone with an interest in the future of American Catholicism should be watching my hometown very closely over the next year... and definitely not because of Whispers. As the whole world seems to know by now, Philadelphia has a new Archbishop, and Charles Chaput has arguably inherited the steepest mountain of internal challenges to face an American bishop in at least a half-century, and perhaps even longer.
Of course, media attention's focused on the fallout of the second grand-jury to investigate the archdiocese's handling of sex-abuse cases -- above all, the five criminal trials which are slated to begin in the spring (with a prosecution witness list said to number at least 70, including several bishops), plus seven pending civil suits. As things go on the ground, though, when you see the other looming hurdles, among them a costly, century-old parish and school structure in need of significant overhaul; a famously potent administrative apparatus run amok; broken survivors and their families seeking justice and healing; 30 priests suspended over the last nine months and hanging in an investigatory limbo, while their confreres who remain are shaken and furious over "guys being thrown under the bus," and a hurting, often angry people in the pews at their wit's end (to say nothing of those who've gone) -- and all of it in the glare of the nation's fourth-largest media market -- you can't help but think, "How on earth does anyone handle all this?" And just thinking about it is enough to make you tired. Put simply, the grunt-work -- and tough calls -- of three tenures will need to be tackled in roughly a decade.
On top of that, there's the clash of cultures -- a rare face-off between two very distinctive ecclesiologies. Chaput, of course, comes steeped in the vibrant, lay-heavy, orthodox but decidedly post-Vatican II church of the West, while Philly has long been viewed as American Catholicism's "Last Great China Shop" -- the ultimate bastion of a triumphalist, hidebound clericalism of an earlier age that coats everything in glory, yet whose yield on numerous levels over recent decades has been anything but golden. It might sound too colorful to be true, but it's now the case that the nation's emblematic "Catholic, Inc." diocese, its institutional structure having bred over a century of "ecclesiastical tycoons," rests in the hands of a bishop long on-record declaring that "The Church is not General Motors." And with it, Rome has set a fascinating experiment into motion -- a push for the most thorough revamping of a US diocese since the period immediately following Vatican II, one whose developments could have ramifications up and down the East Coast.
As the outlook goes, another nearby bishop once told me that he and his counterparts in the region were privately resigned to the task of "managing decline," and I just can't see that concept computing in Chaput's mind. So, come 2020 or thereabout, will the result be Denver on the Delaware, or will internal resistance to a 21st century reboot prove too powerful for the archbishop's ambitions to be realized? From another angle, might an energized, collaborative vision of a gilded church's new possibilities be enough to rally the faithful and reach the disaffected, or will the daily drip of the trials and, likely, costly settlements -- not to mention what always hurts most: the closing or consolidation of scores of parishes and schools -- be too much for people to hang on through?
I've followed the prelate closely for over a decade and know the place better than anything, and my hopes for the union of the two are sky-high, but predicting how this most unlikely of marriages will pan out is beyond me; right now, there are just too many variables, and it's simply uncharted territory for everybody involved, which makes it all the more compelling to watch. Either way, having had a front-row seat for the astonishing cultural collapse of the last seven months, I don't think I'll ever know a more intense story in my professional and ecclesial life. In its wake, though, while I've always maintained that appointments matter -- and can never underscore enough the degree to which they do -- I honestly can't remember one whose significance and potential rise to the epic level of this.
(Wait... did I miss something in all that?)
The other impending biggie begins in about six weeks -- the first ad limina visit of the US bishops to Rome in Benedict XVI's pontificate. While the world's 5,000-odd prelates are supposed to make their visits every five years, Benedict's spaced them out on a seven-year cycle for two reasons: his desire to pace himself at 84, and above all, the time he invests in poring over the extensive reports submitted on the state of each diocese. (For purposes of context, a friend in one mid-sized diocese reported the other day that his place's report filled up a one-inch binder.)
Most of the week-long visits -- in our case, the US is split into 15 regional groups -- are taken up by prayer-stops and informational meetings with the offices of the Roman Curia, but their highlight tends to be the one-on-one meetings each individual cleric has with the pope. As a point of contrast, John Paul II used to begin the sit-downs by asking his guest to point out his diocese on a map. Benedict, however, already knows where his visitor's diocese is, and isn't afraid to grill a prelate with questions from his reading -- "Why don't you have more seminarians?" "What are you doing to raise your levels of Mass attendance?" and, quite possibly for the US hierarchs, "What do you do when an allegation of abuse is received?" (Remember here that the zero-tolerance provisions of the USCCB's Dallas Norms are, by Roman decree, national canon law for the States.) In other words, much as the accountability of church leadership has become a hot topic over recent years, as things stand, the ad limina is its unparalleled exercise, and one the reigning pontiff has taken to wielding to maximum effect.
At the close of each group's visit, the pope gives a public talk to the bishops, summarizing his impressions of Catholic life in their area, offering advice, and candidly zeroing in on his concerns, so things ranging from proposals for same-sex marriage, the polarization of the church's cultural and intellectual realms, parish closings and responding to the abuse crisis or demographic shift, and perhaps even the use of digital media in church life are likely to come up. The results tend to be reflected in policy emphases and decision-making for the years ahead, both domestically and at the Vatican level. And if nothing else, against the backdrop of a presidential election, what the pontiff says in his sum-up speeches could end up being very, very newsworthy.
What's more, to a heightened degree even from the last visit (2004), something especially striking about this time is that, in effect, two very different US churches with starkly divergent realities and challenges will be heading over: the bishops of a shrinking, aging "Rust Belt," and the prelates of the booming South and West, who often can't build parishes and schools large or quickly enough to keep up with their population spikes.
Bottom line: anybody who thinks that the modern reality of American Catholicism can be encapsulated in a single overarching storyline might want to pay extra attention to what comes from these meetings over the next year; the visit begins with the Northeastern bishops through November and December.
(5) How might religion reporters cover the Catholic Church differently from other religious bodies? Are there certain aspects to keep in mind that might be different from covering Islam or Protestantism?
I've gone on more than enough, so let's just say the aspects are too numerous to mention -- if anybody needs a hand on anything, just give me a shout.
BONUS: Do you have anything else you want to tell us about religion coverage in the mainstream news media?
I always get hammered for saying this, but I've always found it to be true: what's far too often chalked up to some sort of "anti-Catholic" bias (or conspiracy thereof) in press coverage owes itself considerably more to a simple lack of understanding a staggeringly complex culture in all its depth and nuance, and -- while not universally -- the inability of much of the church's communications apparatus to sufficiently address the questions that come up, or anticipate the blanks that a reporter might have to fill in but, in many cases, won't even know to ask about.
Where these go lacking, suffering can unwittingly end up going around, and when that happens, the people in the trenches -- who've already got more than enough to deal with -- tend to undeservedly bear the brunt of it. And when you've got ever fewer specialists to write the stories, the responsibility of providing a comprehensive, engaged, accessible and palpably Christian "one-stop shop" falls all the more on the church side of the equation. Fail that, and you're essentially playing Russian roulette with coverage. In a time when, nationally, roughly a quarter of the church makes it to a parish on any given Sunday, the stakes are too high to even think of taking that risk.
I've dealt with reporters -- given the tides, mostly impromptu religion beaters -- by the hundreds over the years and, with fewer exceptions than I could count on one hand, have always found a tremendous amount of respect and fairness toward the church and its ways, and a desire to genuinely grasp the story at hand for what it is. I'm immensely grateful for that.
One bit of advice, though: when it comes to this corner of the beat, assume nothing. When in doubt -- however minor the point might seem -- please, just ask.


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The man behind Nintendo's insanely popular fighting game series, Super Smash Bros., worked tirelessly to give fans their GameCube sequel to the Nintendo 64 original. He calls the making of that game "grueling" and part of a "really destructive lifestyle."
Masahiro Sakurai, the game designer of Super Smash Bros. and its two sequels, writes in a new magazine column about the hardships of development of the GameCube entry, Super Smash Bros. Melee. He also says we'll likely never see a Smash Bros. game that "hardcore"-leaning again.
"On a personal level, Melee had an extremely grueling development cycle," Sakurai wrote in a new Famitsu column, translated by 1UP. "I worked on that game for 13 months straight, after all, without a single Sunday or holiday off that whole time. During parts of it, I was living a really destructive lifestyle — I'd work for over 40 hours in a row, then go back home to sleep for four."
Sakurai says he considers Melee to be the "sharpest" of the Smash Bros. games, but one that was "just too difficult." More from the game designer at 1UP.


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Embracing a green-technology strategy not only leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, but signifies a smart business move: It translates to cutting costly waste, from electricity to paper to gasoline, and can result in more efficient business processes. Naturally (no pun intended), the environmental implications of embracing green IT are well worth considering. For example, green tech can help combat global climate change, which, if left unstopped, could have devastating effects on the planet and, in turn, the economy. At the same time, green technology offers opportunities for IT organizations to once again come up with solutions to pressing problems.
For starters, businesses should start taking notice of their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint for the simple (or perhaps not so simple) reason that a carbon cap-and-trade system will almost certainly go into effect here in the United States in the not-too-distant future. Both John McCain and Barack Obama advocated such a system during the presidential campaign. Now, Obama presumes in his 2010 budget proposal that by 2012, there would be a nationwide cap on CO2 emissions. The vision is to reduce said emissions to 14 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and to 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.
Under such a system, businesses would face limits on how much CO2 they could emit. Those caps could come in the form of permits, where each permit would equal, say, a ton of CO2. Companies that are able to produce fewer emissions than they're allowed would be able to sell their extra permits to companies that can't keep their emissions within bounds.
In this scenario, companies will need to do two things: measure their carbon footprints and reduce their emissions. In both cases, IT will play an integral role.
Carbon calculators
In terms of measurement, we've already witnesses companies, including Rackspace, Microsoft, and Ilog, cranking out carbon-measurement tools, though I doubt their offerings are currently sufficient to deliver comprehensive carbon measurements that organizations would require to comply with future legislation. A cap-and-trade system opens the door for more companies such as IBM and startup Greenstone, which offer more sophisticated software and consulting services for measuring carbon emissions.
Measuring CO2 emissions is but the first step. More importantly, companies need to reduce those GHGs. Here, IT organizations have already started delivering solutions in the form of products, both hardware and software, that can help companies cut energy and fuel consumption throughout their organization. The list is exhaustive, from software that powers down PCs at night to more energy-efficient hardware to business intelligence software that helps plan more efficient driving routes to telepresence products that reduce the need to travel.
[ Learn more about approaches to reducing costly waste at your company by reading "Greening the enterprise from top to bottom" and "The ROI of green IT." ]
It's worth emphasizing that these IT solutions aimed at reducing emissions can also be cost-savers, which could be particularly important when a cap-and-trade system takes effect. A recently released report from the George C. Marshall Institute predicts that a cap-and-trade system could result in electricity prices jumping 5 to 15 percent by 2015, natural gas prices up 12 to 50 percent, and gasoline prices up 9 to 145 percent. If these predictions are indeed accurate, companies will have all the more incentive to conserve.
Resource madness
I expect the prospect of a cap-and-trade system will cause more than a couple of CEOs to roll their eyes as they contemplate the hassles associated with complying with new, complex legislation. But consider, for a moment, just some of the business risks associated with ignoring the threat of global climate change.
For example, a recent report [PDF] released by Ceres and the Pacific Institute warns that global climate change is exacerbating water scarcity problems around the world.
"Already, China, India, and the western U.S. are seeing growth limited by reduced water supplies from shrinking glaciers and melting snowcaps that sustain key rivers. Meanwhile, agricultural and power plant production have been cut back due to more frequent and more intense heat waves and droughts in large parts of Australia, California, and the southeast U.S.," according to the reporting organizations.
What does that mean for the IT industry or companies that rely on IT? First, it means less available electric power, which makes the power crisis we're facing all the more dire: "Drought-induced water shortages have already caused power plant shutdowns in Europe, Brazil, and the southeast U.S. that led to price spikes and reduced economic growth. The power industry depends heavily on water and accounts for a staggering 39 percent of freshwater withdrawals in the U.S."
Second, a water shortage has a profound impact on the silicon-chip industry, the cost of which could trickle up the supply chain. According to the report, "eleven of the world's 14 largest semiconductor factories are in the Asia-Pacific region, where water scarcity risks are especially severe. IT firms require vast amounts of ultra clean water; Intel and Texas Instruments alone used 11 billion gallons to make silicon chips in 2007. A water-related shutdown at a fabrication facility operated by these firms could result in $100 to $200 million in missed revenue during a quarter, or $0.02 or $0.04 per share."
[ Businesses, including IT companies, have other reasons for concern over the GHG emissions and global climate change, such as the threat of litigation. Learn more by reading "C02 spewer? See you in court!" ]
The bottom line here is that we're finally witnessing greater acknowledgment and acceptance in the political and business worlds that global climate change is indeed a threat and that more steps need to be taken to combat it. Yes, a cap-and-trade system will yield headaches. Companies will likely have to make some investments up front to measure and reduce their emissions. There are payoffs, though: Conservation leads to savings in the long run (efficiency can yield dividends) -- and preserving the planet is a nice bonus.


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LGM with non-linear data
Mplus Discussion
Growth Modeling of Longitudinal Data
posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 10:16 am
I am working with data from a randomized treatment study and 3 measurement points (baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up). Analyses include latent growth model of Tx effects on outcome of interest, as well as a number of Tx mediation models that examine Tx effects on growth trajectories for mediators and then intercept/slope effects of mediators on outcome. We are using the 2003 Structural Equation Modeling article by Cheong, MacKinnon, & Khoo as a guide for conducting parallel process LGM.
One question -- the data has previously been examined within a repeated measures ANOVA framework, giving a pretty clear indication that (for some of the variables) a linear trajectory is not appropriate (e.g., much of the change takes place from baseline to 6-months and is then maintained). With only 3 time points, I don't have the parameters to add model covariates (e.g., Tx) and model both linear and quadratic slope components; and have had similar difficulty with a free trajectory approach. Is there any appropriate way to set factor loadings for a growth model in such instances?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 2:45 pm
This is tough because with three time points, if you estimate growth factor means, variances, and the covariance, that is 5 parameters. These plus 3 residual variances come to 8 total parameters leaving you only one degree of freedom to play with. If you want to free time scores, you would need to hold residual variances equal or make some other model modifications. This is a difficult situation and why we recommend no fewer than 4 time points.
mihyun park
posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 8:59 am
I tried to do LGM.
In output data, Means are follwing..
y11= 2.144, y12=2.118, y13=2.281, y14=2.393.
But model fit of quadratic growth model is not good than it of molinear growth model. Is this result possible? As you see, the mean of y12 is decreased and means again increased. Why did the result happened?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 10:42 am
You could look at modification indices. I would do that for the linear model. It may be using a free time score would help.
mihyun park
posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 11:05 am
Dear Drs Muthen,
Thank you for your answer.
I used a free time score like this..
i s |
y12* y13*
The model fit could be more better. And then, in the model result section, S estimate of y12 was negative. Can linear model have negative S estimate? Is the interpretation of linear model similiar with free time score model?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 1:05 pm
A negative variance makes the model inadmissible. If it is small and not significant, you can fix it at zero. I would suggest that you listen to the Topic 4 video which covers growth modeling.
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