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FARMINGTON — The state Department of Environmental Services (DES) announced with the closure of Farmington's municipal landfill earlier this year, all unlined landfills with the potential of leaking harmful contaminants into local groundwater sources throughout New Hampshire have officially been closed and capped.
Formed in 1987, DES is today marking its 25th anniversary and says the Farmington closure marks a "significant environmental milestone" in the organization's history, according to representative Jim Martin, with the closure of more than 120 municipal landfills since its conception.
By the mid 1980s, many so called "sanitary landfills" remained in wide use, though they were not lined so as to prevent rainwater from coming into contact with the waste, which would interact with the materials and leach potentially hazardous waste into the surrounding soil and groundwater. According to the state department, 108 unlined municipal landfills were still in operation in 1987. By 1991, with new regulations in place, many towns took the initiative to close the sites and "cap" them, either with engineered soil or a synthetic cap. In 1994, the state enacted the Unlined Municipal Landfill Closure Grant to assist towns with their expenses incurred in the closure process. Since that time, DES reports they have expended more than $30 million to help 116 towns properly close 107 landfills.
Director of the Waste Management Division Mike Wimsatt said Farmington was the last site standing, with a five-year extension granted to the Board of Selectmen in 2005, when they said there were not enough funds to get the job done. In 2010, another one year extension was granted after selectmen signed a voluntary administrative order by consent (AOC), again due to lack of funding, and the site was finally closed and capped on May 12 of this year, according to the town office.
"It was fortuitous for the town because, with the economy failing, they got some competitive quotes," Wimsatt said, regarding the bidding process to place the soil cap over the landfill this year. "…My understanding is the extension was granted because what DES wanted more than anything else was a proper closure with a good design and a cap that would effectively protect the groundwater and the site, and the town was not prepared because they didn't have adequate funding."
Town Administrator Keith Trefethen could not be reached for comment on the closure and Director of Public Works Scott Hazelton did not return calls for comment before press time.
DES reports at this time the closure in Farmington included proper grading, drainage improvements and a low permeability engineered soil cap that is reportedly already growing green grass. The department notes when necessary, groundwater quality is being monitored in various communities to ensure the caps are working properly.
Wimsatt said his department is greatly pleased with the outcome of their decades' long initiative.
"That's a very encouraging milestone," he said. "It does a lot to improve and protect groundwater quality in the state … Almost without exception with what we've seen, once you put a cap on, the groundwater quality starts to increase over time."
Farmington's unlined landfill last in state to be closed and capped
FARMINGTON — The state Department of Environmental Services (DES) announced with the closure of Farmington's municipal landfill earlier this year, all unlined landfills with the potential of leaking harmful contaminants into local groundwater sources throughout New Hampshire have officially been closed and capped.

subset: commoncrawl


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I received this submission from reader Joanna:
Dear Vandal,
Do you accept submissions? If so, please accept mine. Note not only the obvious "Your" but also the mysterious lowercaseness of the lone pronoun. Oh, how I wished I had a Sharpie in my pocket, but at least I had my trusty camera phone.
This sign amuses me on two different levels. First of all, there's the obvious error.
But beyond that…what does a fish eating a worm have to do with walking and/or driving across a property?!
Odd. (It does remind me of a sign my sister and I begged our parents to get for the backyard. It had an angry cartoon fish on it yelling, "Hey! Who peed in the pool?" We thought it was hilarious. They wouldn't oblige.)
For the record, I always love submissions — so send them in!
Also, I'm off to Vegas this weekend. I'll be back on Tuesday, which is sure to be a wonderful, wonderful day here in America!


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The Hancock Inn has several new neighbors that arrived on Monday from the Finger Lakes region of New York.
These goats will play a pivotal role in the production of fresh goat cheese that is expected to begin next door to us sometime later this summer. But, already, the herd of 14-15 is delighting the neigborhood with their playful and engaging manner.
Say "Cheese".


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My head is still spinning. With a the point guards and all the trades prior, it is was very crazy.
MN T'Wolves Equals PG
When I sat down and look at what I hoped that Timberwolves leadership would do tonight, picked four point guards was not in the top ten scenarios possible.
Granted, UNC guard TY Lawson is headed to Denver and Florida guard Nick Calathes is going to Dallas. And everything I have heard and read is that there is going to be a deal with including Ricky Rubio.
Wayne Ellington at 28 is a good pick, but it is tough to give them a grade when it still seems up in the air.
Carter to the Magic
I get the need to fill the void of Hedu Turkaglu and Vince Carter replaces the scoring, but trading Country Lee makes me sad. He was something they did not have, a good defensive player who could get to he basket and make a mid-range jumper. Carter is going to have to figure out how to play with a quality big man, which he has not done, ever. And Carter will have to find how to be effective with out the ball in his hands.
This trade is a reaction to various things.
- Trade – With Shaq coming to Ohio and the Wizards adding Mike Miller and Randy Foye, the Magic needed to improve as top in the east got a little more crowded.
- Hedu Opting Out – With Turkeglu opting out of his contract, the Magic would have had a hole in the line-up.
- The Economy – it makes sense for teams to dump salary.
Many NBA "experts" like this trade and I am not sure I do. Mainly because you lose Courtney Lee. If this because he missed that lay-up? Pau Gosal hit the rim and the pass pulled him behind the backboard. Just leave him alone. I think Lee is going to blow-up in Jersey – ala Devin Harris – and those two could become the best young backcourt in the league.
Clippers – So Far So Good
Lets be honest, it would have been pretty hard for the em to mess this up, but there is still time, it's the Clippers for cry-out-loud.
Blake's brother, Tyler, was drafted at 48 to Phoenix.
Panthers in the 2nd Round
Both DeJuan Blair and Sam Young fell into the second and were picked back-to-back with Young going to Memphis at No. 36 and Blair to the Spurs at No. 37. I think Blair fell because of his knees and Young because of his age. Both will grow and will be assets the moment the put on a uniform.


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Homer Helter's Antique & Military Mall
12,000 Square Foot Antique Mall. The Largest Military Store in Florida.
find nearby:
- Arts & Culture
- Attractions & Tours
- Dining
- Hotels & Rentals
- Nightlife & Entertainment
- Shopping
Red Box Studio0.21 miles
Dennis Goodman Photography and Printing Art Gallery0.23 miles
Aldecor0.74 miles
Naples Art District0.75 miles
Botero Galleries0.94 miles
United Arts Council Arts-Mart0.96 miles
Fifth Avenue Design Gallery1.03 miles
NONA Gallery & Studio1.04 miles
Journeyman Photo Gallery1.06 miles
Pelaez & Etury Studio1.09 miles
United Arts Council Arts-Mart0.96 miles
Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida2.23 miles
Artis-Naples2.24 miles
Baker Museum at Artis―Naples2.3 miles
Masterpiece Mixers Paint and Party Studio2.67 miles
Bounce! Trampoline Sports3.24 miles
Alamo by Lotus Gunworks3.38 miles
Vino's Picasso3.61 miles
Harley Davidson of Naples3.62 miles
Time Trial Cycle4.04 miles
Black Eyed Pig0.32 miles
Weekend Willie's Sports Bar & Grill0.37 miles
DeLuca's Burgers and Fries0.4 miles
Sol Caribbean Grill0.45 miles
Radical Rations Catering Services0.46 miles
Restaurant Bonjour0.59 miles
Chinatown Restaurant0.61 miles
Grouper Grille0.76 miles
Noodle's Italian Cafe & Sushi Bar0.76 miles
Komoon Thai Sushi and Ceviche Restaurant0.76 miles
Hilton Naples2.02 miles
Staybridge Suites2.22 miles
Park Shore Resort2.7 miles
Naples Grande Beach Resort2.9 miles
Marriott Residence Inn - Naples2.91 miles
Inn of Naples3.1 miles
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham3.55 miles
Hampton Inn Central Naples3.83 miles
Courtyard by Marriott - Naples3.83 miles
Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples4 miles
Weekend Willie's Sports Bar & Grill0.37 miles
Noodle's Italian Cafe & Sushi Bar0.76 miles
Miller's Naples Ale House1.08 miles
Pelican Larry's1.21 miles
Decanted Wine & Beer Tastings1.33 miles
Artis-Naples2.24 miles
Naples Philharmonic Orchestra2.24 miles
Masterpiece Mixers Paint and Party Studio2.67 miles
Etudes de Ballet Arts and Recreation Center2.8 miles
Naples Grande Beach Resort2.9 miles
Home & Salvage0.32 miles
Bit of Everything2.23 miles
Twinkle Twinkle Little Store2.67 miles
Designer Divas3.27 miles
True Fashionistas3.27 miles
Clothes Mentor4.76 miles
Conservancy of Southwest Florida Upscale Furniture Resale Shop6.81 miles
Shabby Cat7.17 miles
Options Thrift Shoppe7.46 miles
Tea with Me at Audrey's7.49 miles
- Museum
- Gift Shop


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Thursday, October 11, 2012
USDA Reports: Production and Prices Both HigherTweet
The numbers seemed to be bearish on the surface, but the market liked the outcome of USDA's October Crop Production and Supply-Demand Reports. In essence, USDA raised harvested acreage for both corn and beans increasing total production, but also raised demand which means the market still has rationing to do.
USDA's Crop Production Report for October increased harvested acreage by 300,000 to 87.721 million. Combined with a drop in the national average yield to 122 bushels per acre, that resulted in total estimated production of 10.706 billion bushels. The 122 bushels per acre is 24% below the trend yield for 2012. Lower yields in Illinois are only partly offset by increases for Minnesota and North Dakota. USDA said, "U.S. corn use for 2012/13 is lowered with a 100-million-bushel reduction in projected exports. In the USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate for October corn exports are lowered based on the slow pace of sales to date and strong competition from Brazil. Corn ending stocks for 2012/13 are projected 114 million bushels lower at 619 million, which is 5.6% of use. The season-average farm price for corn is lowered 10 cents on both ends of the range to $7.10 to $8.50 per bushel based on early season cash and futures prices and prices available for forward delivery through early 2013."
The harvested acreage estimate of 87.721 million acres, is close to the 87.4 million forecast in September, in an effort to balance production to meet demand. However, that sets up the opportunity to refine the harvested acres number in the November report. Since 90% of the crop was mature when the survey was taken, there will be less possibility of yield adjustments than acreage adjustments in the November and January reports.
Globally, "coarse grain supplies for 2012/13 are projected 11.0 million tons lower mostly reflecting reduced corn beginning stocks in the United States and Brazil. Brazil beginning stocks are lowered with 2011/12 exports increased 4.5 million tons. Global corn production for 2012/13 is lowered 2.0 million tons with reductions for EU-27, Serbia, and the United States. Global 2012/13 corn exports are lowered 1.1 million tons this month with the U.S. reduction partly offset by a 1.0-million-ton increase for Brazil and a 0.5-million-ton increase for India. Imports for EU-27 are raised 2.0 million tons with the smaller crop. Global corn feeding is down 1.4 million tons." Global corn stocks are now at a 50 day supply, the tightest in 39 years, and over half of it is in China.
Domestic corn use includes a 100 million bushel cut in exports to 1.150 billion bushels, both ethanol use at 4.5 billion and feed and residual use at 4.150 billion remained constant. USDA also removed 193 million bushels from beginning stocks, based on the September Stocks estimate released late last month. The total use of 11.150 billion bushels compared to 10.706 billion in production was is the first shortfall of its kind in the past 38 years for both corn and beans.
USDA's Soybean production estimate placed the crop at 2.860 billion bushels, compared to the 2.634 billion in September, which was a result of a 2.5 bushel per acre increase in the national average yield to 37.8 bushels per acre. Harvested acreage was estimated at 75.693 million, up from 74.6 million in September, a 1.1 million acre increase. USDA said, "Compared with last month, yield forecasts are higher or unchanged across all States. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at 75.7 million acres, up 1 percent from September and up 3 percent from last year."
The 226 million additional bushels of soybeans will be used, and not parked into carryover. USDA said, "U.S. soybean exports for 2012/13 are raised 210 million bushels to 1.265 billion reflecting increased supplies, lower prices, and the record pace of export sales through early October.
Soybean crush is raised 40 million bushels to 1.540 billion mostly due to increased soybean meal exports and increased soybean supplies. Soybean crush is also supported by an increase in domestic disappearance of soybean oil which reflects the impact of the increase of the biodiesel mandate for 2013 recently announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Soybean ending stocks are projected at 130 million bushels, up 15 million from last month."
With soybean demand remaining at high levels, USDA's increased production numbers indicates the market still has a considerable amount of rationing to do, with prices returning to higher levels.
Regarding prices, USDA said, "Prices for soybeans and products are all reduced this month. The U.S. season-average soybean price range for 2012/13 is projected at $14.25 to $16.25 per bushel, down $0.75 on both ends of the range. The soybean meal price is projected at $470 to $500 per short ton, down $15 on both ends of the range. The soybean oil price range is projected at 53 to 57 cents per pound, down 1 cent on both ends."
Globally, USDA reported, "Revisions to the world 2012/13 oilseeds estimates include reduced soybean exports for Brazil and Argentina, increased soybean imports for China and Mexico, and increased soybean crush for Argentina, China, and Mexico. Global oilseed stocks for 2012/13 are increased 3.6 million tons to 64 million. Soybeans account for most of the change, with higher stocks in Argentina, Brazil, China, and the United States."
Posted by Stu Ellis on 10/11 at 01:30 PM | Permalink


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April 9, 2008
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Mike Stoller
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Jess Bryn struck out nine in a complete first-game effort and Jess Cohen went 3-for-3 with two RBI as Babson College began a doubleheader sweep with a 7-1 win over MIT at Briggs Field on Wednesday. The Beavers, who took the second game, 3-1, improved their season ledger to 17-11 and 6-2 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference play. The Engineers fell to 4-17 and 1-9 in conference action.
In the first game, Babson built on an early 3-0 lead by exploding for three more in the fifth inning. Cohen blasted a one-out triple to left center that scored Courtney Thurston, who singled and stole second. Jess Winer doubled to right center, scoring Cohen. An error accounted for the third run.
The Engineers countered with one in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Holly Jeffrey singled up the middle, before Leah Bogsted doubled down the left field line. With runners on second and third, Kaitlyn McCartney singled down the right field line, scoring Jeffrey and advancing Bogsted to third. But Bryn struck out the next two hitters to end the rally.
Bryn improved her personal mark to 10-5. She allowed only five hits, while walking one.
Leah Bogsted surrendered only six hits for MIT, but four Cardinal and Gray errors didn't help her cause. The senior fell to 3-8.
The second game saw Babson scattered three runs among three innings to get the job done. The only earned run came on Bryn's RBI triple in the third. The Engineers scored their run in the third on a Jeffrey groundout.
Jessica Oleinik went 2-for-3 for MIT. She was also the tough-luck loser on the hill, allowing only five hits. However, the Engineers again unraveled a bit with three miscues.
Danielle Liska got the win for Babson, surrendering four hits, while striking out six and walking none in six innings of work. She improved to 5-4. Bryn picked up her first save, striking out the side in the seventh.


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Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective would agree that achieving 5th grade is not so "Elementary, my dear Watson."
It's time to hop off the bus! Summer Solstice is about to occur. Children are excited with freedom from classroom structure. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective would agree that achieving 5th grade is not so "Elementary, my dear Watson." Recall equilateral, isosceles, or scalene triangles? Still have trapezoid, pentagon, heptagon, etc., in your memory bank, or that the square, rectangle and rhombus are parallelograms? What? Your memory feeling a tad fuzzy over trapezoid and kite being types of quadrilaterals? Other than the stop sign being octagon, I haven't found much need to overtax my gray matter on all those other polygons. And, please don't ask me to calculate areas or perimeters! I would need a new math tutorial for most geometric properties. A swarm of bees could calculate the geometry of the sun's position with better results. Oh yes, math is fun! Most fifth graders would giggle over my quandary while eagerly absorbing new knowledge. Like that of animatronics technology used with electronics to animate figures for displays or motion pictures. Remember Jurassic Park? A 1993 science fiction adventure film centered on the fictional Isla Nublar near Costa Rica's Pacific Coast. A billionaire philanthropist and a team of genetic scientists created a park of cloned dinosaurs. Any curiosity toward Dilophosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, or Velociraptors is a far cry from the entity of politics.
Tyrannosaurus rex is the only dinosaur name that sticks with me. That's because "Sue" is on display at The Field Museum in Chicago. Every fifth grader should be given opportunity to meet this 3,000 pound marvel. No dinosaur in the world compares to Sue - the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered. In May of 2000, the unveiling of the 67-million-year-old skeleton made global news. Since then, more than 16 million visitors have met Chicago's pre-historic giant. Sue's sex is still unknown. The fossil is named after the woman who discovered it. Beginning in the summer of 1990, fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson was working at a dig site near Faith, South Dakota. She had hiked out to an eroding bluff from where she spied bone fragments that had rolled down the incline. Looking up, she spotted several vertebrae sticking out of the bluff face. She immediately identified them as the bones of a large carnivorous dinosaur and suspected they were from a Tyrannosaurus rex. Her commercial fossil-collecting team from the Black Hills Institute confirmed her find and named it "Sue" in her honor. It took six people 17 days to free Sue from her rocky grave. However, dispute followed. Word of her value spread, and battle erupted over who owned Sue. The Institute had paid the rancher for permission to dig on his land and thought they owned the fossil. The rancher stated that he'd only permitted them to clean and prepare Sue for future sale. Meanwhile, because the Native American rancher's property fell within the boundaries of a Sioux reservation, the tribe also claimed ownership. By now, the U.S. Government became involved to determine if Sue had been found on Federal land. (Seemed that everyone wanted a piece of the pie.) During dispute, the bones were locked away in storerooms at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. A judge finally decided that Sue be held in trust by the U.S. Government for the rancher on whose property the skeleton had been found. The rancher decided to sell Sue at public auction. After being put up for sale at Sotheby's auction house in New York, Chicago art dealer Richard Gray orchestrated the museum's participation in the auction and bidding process. Just eight minutes after the bidding began, the Field Museum had purchased Sue for a record total price of $ 8.36 million - the largest amount of money ever paid for a fossil. Months of planning allowed for the successful purchase.The Field Museum had formed a unique partnership with the McDonald's Corporation, the Walt Disney World Resort, and private individuals. Their generosity enabled the Field Museum to provide a permanent home for Sue. Without the united effort, Sue might have ended up someplace where her bones could not be studied by researchers or seen by the public. You might wish to consider a trip to the Chicago Field Museum for the fifth grader in your life. Walking around it, and viewing a real Tyrannosaurus rex fossil would leave even Albert Einstein to ponder. He once said, "we never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born." And, that's my opinion . . . .
(Sharen Jergenson of Heber Springs writes her "And that's my opinion column... " for The Sun-Times monthly)


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Jazzaar College for Contemporary Music & Jazzaar eLearning Platform
Jazzaar's education concept is simply 'Bandstand Learning with Rolemodels', and will be applied through out the College's Academic philosophy, while integrating a online Jazzaar eLearning Platform. This gifted youth development and cultural exchange project has been developing in Aarau, Switzerland since 1992. Once known as 'Bands Across the Seas' (BATS)TM, the project is a brainchild of Fritz Renold, the musical director of the festival, "jazzaar concerts".
The concept is such that professional musicians of high caliber in the international music scene are brought together with selected young and aspiring student musicians between the ages of 14 and 24 years old to study and prepare a musical work, either original music that is specially composed or 'standards' that are specifically arranged and orchestrated for this orchestra for a final performance often as premiers before a large public.
A 'situated learning' platform is created for young talents as they work together with professional coaches who impart the tools of their trade to bring a musical production to a completion! In the Jazz world the past century has seen music masters such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis or Art Blakey, (among others) who have proven this concept by recruiting young and talented musicians who eventually became professionals in their own rights, contributing to the progress of music.
The professionals invited for the project are working musicians from all over the world as well as from the Swiss music scene. Randy Brecker (USA), Bobby Watson (USA), Christian Jacob (FR), Willie Kotoun (CH), Victor Lewis (USA), Tommy Smith (SCOTLAND), Airto Moreira & Flora Purim (BRAZIL) and Benny Golson (USA) are some of the names of international musicians and pedagogues that have contributed to the project in the past. Participating student musicians are generally Swiss residents though an exchange programme with other countries have occurred in the past.
The 'Bandstand Learning with Rolemodels' educational programme continues to prove its efficacy by the evidence of its own prodigies. Drummer Matthias Künzli (New York) or saxophonist/band leader Rafael Baier, harpist Eliane Zweifel, saxophonist and educator Phil Hilfiker (American School of Modern Music in Paris) are just a few to name among numerous participants over the past 20 years who now belong to the who's who of the Swiss music scene.
This post is also available in: Englisch


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The DreamLaunch Tour primarily consist of a dynamic half hour presentation delivered by Jamail Larkins. The presentation covers the various opportunities available in the aviation industry, aviation youth programs, and shows students how to overcome any obstacles they may encounter in life while trying to achieve their goals.
As a pilot, Jamail had to learn how to navigate from city to city, and overcome many unforeseen obstacles such as weather, fuel requirements, equipment malfunctions, and many unexpected emergencies. "Navigating the Journey of Life" is a simple presentation that applies the same techniques pilots use, into an everyday life example for students to use, while facing many of the challenges they will encounter during their school years.


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text:
In which issues concerning the profession of philosophy are
bitched griped about
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
"Strongly Recommended" for What, Again?
But as of this morning, it's still up.
--Mr. Zero
62 comments:
A very excellent question, and well put, sir!
- July 26, 2011 at 9:35 AM
- Matt said...
Given the fast-paced nature of the debate and the number of issues to work through, I think it's fair to give them a week or two to work out something more comprehensive. Things would perhaps be more urgent if we were quickly approaching "grad school app" season (roughly November through February), but we're still in the summer.
- July 26, 2011 at 9:50 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
Hi Matt,
I think that makes sense, and patience is a virtue. But a "we're looking into it" would be appropriate. As far as I know, that's all the SWIP has done.
- July 26, 2011 at 10:00 AM
- Ben said...
If Oklahoma is currently under investigation then surely it's not appropriate to be recommending them. Presumably the appropriate thing to do would be to remove Oklahoma immediately, to be reinstated on the strongly recommended list if appropriate.
This policy may seem a little harsh, but strongly recommended isn't the same as good. I'd only recommend a programme if I was sure it was good.
- July 26, 2011 at 10:42 AM
I think U of O can be excused for this environment, since it is clearly a cultural phenomenon native to the state of Oregon as a whole: http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/07/26/wu.resigns/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn
(of course, I am totally tongue-in-cheek)
- July 26, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Both statements concerning the undergraduate director and the feminist philosopher indicate that their actions have simply been alleged. By whom? Has there been a formal complaint made? Has there been any form of formal investigation? If not, then this is merely hearsay, which should not be treated as fact. Academia is one of the only places where an allegation seems to equal immediate guilt. Also, the department is correct in their policy if they do not make statements to the public about hearsay.
- July 26, 2011 at 11:56 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
Jenny Saul reports here that the SWIP is reevaluating its "women-friendliness" award in light of a recent reason to believe that its procedures are ineffective. Leiter reports here that a graduate student from this department contacted him with the allegations, and that he was able to confirm them with a faculty member at Oregon as well as confirm that Oregon, who won the SWIP women-friendliness award this year, is the department Prof. Saul mentioned. And Rebecca Kukla who claims to have independent knowledge of the case confirms here that it is Oregon.
This could all be false, which is why I say 'alleged' in a couple of places in the OP. But it seems to me to be worth taking seriously. And it seems to me to be no less serious than the data that led to Oklahoma being taken off the "needs improvement" list. If you're the kind of person (and I'm not saying you are, I'm saying that the editors of the PG seem to be) who thinks that this is evidence that the climate at Oklahoma no longer needs improvement, you must also think that we are no longer in an environment in which Oregon can be strongly recommended. (And you'd probably be the kind of person who thinks that this would be a reason to take Rutgers off the "needs improvement" list.
- July 26, 2011 at 12:35 PM
- Adam said...
There is an update to this situation at Feminist Philosophers:
- July 26, 2011 at 4:35 PM
A kind of reply from Bonnie Mann (U Oregon) is now up at Feminist Philosophers.
In my opinion, it is a very disturbing reply. But see what you think.
- July 26, 2011 at 4:57 PM
While I'm not a faculty member at U of O, I know a few of them, have been to conferences with them (particularly ones in which their female grad students came along) and I can vouch that boundaries between students and faculty are a little lax. I'm not surprised that one faculty member has crossed the line. I'm honestly surprised that more have not. The fact that more have not attests to the moral fortitude of their faculty members (with the possible exception of this one). That's just the departmental culture at U of O. Student-faculty relationships are fairly informal. But I don't get the sense that the culture is one that condones sexual harassment, sexism or misogynistic behavior.
- July 26, 2011 at 5:28 PM
Anon 5:28: That's not what's at issue in this case at all. As the letter that BL posted said, it's about the undergraduate director.
- July 26, 2011 at 6:40 PM
How did the undergrad director get tenure with a CV like that? This department is ridiculous. Check out his picture!
- July 26, 2011 at 7:11 PM
- Adam said...
Anon 5:28: wait, so the fact that there is an informal atmosphere in the department means that it is unsurprising that there is sexual harassment? Is your next comment going to be that "she was asking for it"?
- July 26, 2011 at 8:04 PM
Adam gets the straw person argument of the year award. Certain departmental cultures are breeding grounds for such loathsome behavior, but having a culture that's tolerant of informal student-professor relationships is not the same as having a culture that condones sexual harassment or always assigns blame to the student when allegations arise. The guy does look like a swinger from the 1970s though!
- July 26, 2011 at 8:45 PM
- Adam said...
"I'm not surprised that one faculty member has crossed the line. I'm honestly surprised that more have not. The fact that more have not attests to the moral fortitude of their faculty members (with the possible exception of this one). That's just the departmental culture at U of O."
That statement equates to saying that sexual harassment is understandable because of the informal relationships among the faculty and students. I'm not saying that it is the same thing as condoning it. But I don't understand how a certain context makes harassment understandable. Is the assumption that professors and grad students can't coexist informally without something like this happening?
- July 26, 2011 at 9:04 PM
While the picture is absolutely hilarious (and fucking creepy at the same time...), maybe we can at least *try* not to judge him a swinger based solely on his pic? And, hey, there's nothing wrong with being a swinger. You just can't be a swinger who gropes his undergraduate students during office hours.
- July 26, 2011 at 11:56 PM
- Ben said...
Sorry, my above comment (#4) should have referred to Oregon, not Oklahoma. Getting my U of Os mixed up!
- July 27, 2011 at 1:13 AM
Let's not judge Oregon on the basis of some incidental misconduct. Let's give the alleged women-unfriendly faculty members a second chance.
- July 27, 2011 at 7:22 AM
I find Prof. Mann's reply really upsetting. First, she seems to think that because sexism is rampant, so is sexual harassment that consists of (if the allegations are correct) physically groping young, vulnerable undergrads. That's just a wild equivocation, and I'll take a department that marginalizes feminist theory over one that gropes women any day of the week. Second, she seems to think that Oregon should get some kind of bonus points for being friendly to feminist philosophy and good to many of their female grad students. Again, I don't give a crap what your politics are if in practice some member of the faculty is physically harassing undergrads- you've got to not physically violate people before you can get cred for your good politics. A physically safe setting is the sine qua non for a female-friendly climate. Third, I get this sense that Mann, or maybe others think, that since the incident doesn't involve grad students, it isn't relevant to the discussion of whether U of O is a good place for female grad students. Maybe it's possible for the prof. to stick to a "I'll grope you until you're a bona fide member of the profession" policy- but I really hope the department is not resorting to that kind of justification.
- July 27, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Anon 11:13's interpretation seems to be particularly ungenerous. It seems to me that questions isn't whether there are incidents of sexual harassment but how these incidents are addressed when the do happen.
The fact that there have been allegations is serious but not damning. More important is how the allegations are addressed. How is the climate otherwise (given my own experience in grad school as a woman, the existence of sexual harassers does not, by itself, make an environment inhospitable to women).
How others respond, whether the behavior is tacitly approved of insofar as no one in power addressed the issue, whether the vulnerable in the department have folks who stand up for and actively support them. These are all important factors.
My sense is that Mann was getting at these other
aspects of a community being at least as important.
It's bad if you live in the southwest and there's been longstanding policy and practice that makes forest fires more likely and, yes, the policies and practices ought to be changed. But, sometimes, even with the adoption of new policies and the earnest effort to change practices, fires happen. In these cases, it's the existence of a really good fire department, alternative housing, emotional support, etc. that becomes important.
Overall, there is no graduate program that is Xanadu for women and all women going into philosophy should be aware of this. But, this doesn't mean that there aren't programs tenured faculty aren't doing their best to improve things as much as they can.
If I'm going to be helping a woman figure out where to go to grad school, it's not going to be because I can guarantee that nothing sexist will happen to her, but because I can reasonably predict that if something does happen that she'll have the support to voice her concern, be heard and taken seriously. And, as far as I can tell, Oregon may, in fact, be such a place.
- July 27, 2011 at 12:54 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
I have had a chance to read Prof. Mann's comment carefully and digest it, and I find it pretty disappointing. For one thing, and this is understandable under the circumstances, she seems to be angry beyond the ability to express herself clearly.
She makes the point that although there is an official investigation underway, the results of this investigation are not known and it would be premature to rush to judgment. And it seems to me that this point is right. But it's not as though the fact of an official investigation into whether your undergraduate program director engages in unwanted sexual behavior including sexual contact with undergraduates is an irrelevant detail. If I were considering enrolling in a department with such an investigation, I would want to know about it. If I were compiling advice to graduate students about the women-friendliness of the climate of the department, I would want to know about it. The idea that it is possible to "strongly recommend" a department, by which you mean (in part) "that there are no causes for general concern about gender parity," when it has an ongoing investigation of this nature is absurd. Even if the allegations are ultimately untrue or exaggerated, it is worth knowing that they exist. And she seems to think the allegations are basically true, anyway.
But anon 12:54 is correct that the presence of allegations of sexual harassment and indeed harassment itself is not incompatible with a department that is on-balance friendly to women. A lot depends on how the allegations are addressed--how the faculty responds to apparent instances of harassment.
However, the evidence is equivocal as to whether the faculty behaved responsibly here. Prof. Mann seems to say that the department chair requested the investigation, but she admits that she was out of the loop until the investigation had been underway for months.
In contrast, Leiter's anonymous correspondent claims that the faculty failed to act at all and that the investigation was launched at the request of the graduate students. And in this comment, Oregon faculty member CK seems to confirm this version of the events, adding that this was because of ignorance.
Prof. Mann also points out that the problem of sexual harassment is widespread, saying, "Please name one department in which there is not a single male faculty member who behaves inappropriately toward women, ever." This is to profoundly miss the point. I could be wrong, obviously, but I think I am in a department where the undergraduate program director has not engaged in unwanted sexual contact with female undergraduates in his office. And if I were to discover that I am wrong, I would not be willing to say that my department has a friendly climate toward women. I would not be willing to "strongly recommend" my department to women on the basis of this climate.
Finally, she claims that to publicize these problems at Oregon is to work against the interests of women in philosophy or to fail to value what feminists & women have accomplished. I think it is obvious that this is not the case.
And it sort of seems like both Prof. Mann and CK have failed to distinguish between being a feminist and doing feminist philosophy.
P.S. Does anybody remember how George Bush became the feminist president for a moment when he invaded Afghanistan to save the women? I thought he invaded Afganistan because of Osama bin Laden.
- July 27, 2011 at 2:30 PM
12:54, I agree that for all we know, Oregon could be a good place for a woman to study philosophy. Is that really the issue?
Look, as you say, the Oregon department had a problem, and the way they addressed it might be a good way. (There's disagreement about this.) The Rutgers philosophy department also had some problems in the past, of a rather different sort, and by all reports the way they addressed it has been admirable. Has either department managed to perfect its atmosphere? Obviously not.
But here's an interesting thing. The Climate Report says that Rutgers "needs improvement". But it doesn't say the same about Oregon; it strongly recommends Oregon. This contrast, given (a) the facts we actually have, and (b) our (and pretty nearly everybody's) lack of knowledge of lots of relevant details, is a glaring contrast. It's exactly what a lot of us (including Mr. Zero, I believe) found alarming about the Climate Report.
Contrary to what Mann says, nobody is out to lynch her. That's just overheated rhetoric. The point (or anyway, the point that seemed most important and salient to me) is that the PG guide was not constructed in a responsible way, and ought to be changed.
(I am not among the critics who is trying to excoriate Linda Alcoff, Sally Haslanger, or anyone else; I am willing to give them all the benefit of the doubt since I know from other experience that their goals are admirable and their efforts genuine.)
- July 27, 2011 at 2:31 PM
"If I'm going to be helping a woman figure out where to go to grad school, it's not going to be because I can guarantee that nothing sexist will happen to her, but because I can reasonably predict that if something does happen that she'll have the support to voice her concern, be heard and taken seriously. And, as far as I can tell, Oregon may, in fact, be such a place."
Unless you want to talk about it to SWIP UK when they ask around, in which case the great feminist Bonnie Mann will tell you to shut up and call you "wildly misinformed" and accuse you of slander. And she shamelessly admits as much! If you don't agree, you're just giving aid and comfort to the enemy (Brian Leiter, of course, who is as we all know the source of all evil in the profession).
Also, you get extra points for conflating nothing sexist happening to someone and not being sexually assaulted by a faculty member.
The creepiness of the Haslanger stuff here is by far outcreepified by Mann and Koopman on the Feminist Philosophers thread (and their occasional cheerleaders elsewhere).
- July 27, 2011 at 2:45 PM
Adam, tolerance for lax or informal relations between students and faculty does not make sexual harassment "understandable" in the sense of more appropriate, accepted or acceptable, but in the sense of more tempting, feasible or easier to get away with for those with weak moral characters. Moral of the story: If you want to have a departmental culture like Oregon's, it's advisable to hire eunuchs or saints!
- July 27, 2011 at 2:47 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
This comment contains further information about the manner in which the sexual harassment investigation at Oregon was launched [using italics in lieu of blockquoting, as usual]:
Second, it is the case that most of the graduate student population knew about the allegations before most of the faculty. This is because this information was disseminated by a professor to grad students (which falls outside of standards of due process), and also because grad students (and not faculty members or undergrad students) were in the process of being interviewed by OAAEO regarding a request for an informal investigation (which was within the bounds of due process), though in the latter case we were asked to hold this matter in confidence (and many of us did, which incurred great distress and was, in my opinion, the cause of a great amount of distrust within our department, leading many of us grad students to believe that the faculty were possessed of information and were doing nothing about it). The upshot of these facts is that, in my opinion, it is inaccurate to accuse the faculty of inaction and thus to make the claim that it was "up to the grad students to do something."
- July 27, 2011 at 3:34 PM
With self-declared feminist UO grad students now coming out of the woodwork to defend their department's good name over at Feminist Philosophers, one wonders if jj is going to intervene to accuse them of just wanting to protect their mommies.
- July 27, 2011 at 3:37 PM
The guide is a train wreck. The authors should apologize, take it down, and promise an improved one in the future. But as it stands now, it's just a joke.
- July 27, 2011 at 4:03 PM
jj's comment was spoken in a heated moment, but you're making a false conflation here. The reason why jj mentioned the Rutgers grad students is that they wrote the letter *non-anonymously*. That introduces some obvious power dynamics. Women at Rutgers may very well have felt pressured to sign, because doing so could have put them in better standing with the department.
This isn't an issue for the Oregon folk, because they commented anonymously.
- July 27, 2011 at 4:47 PM
Anon 12:54 here.
To be clear, I was suggesting a different interpretation of Mann's comments. I was not endorsing the placement of Oregon on the Climate list or the list itself.
- July 27, 2011 at 5:33 PM
@4:47 - given all the allusions in that thread, it's pretty obvious that all the UO commenters, students and faculty alike, know who's commenting and saying what, so there's no conflation.
But maybe jj, in spite of her pseudo-apology for the first sexist comment (the I'm-sorry-you're-so-touchy-that-you-can't-focus-on-the-real-issues-because-of-a-perfectly-benign-thing-I-said), has learned her lesson and isn't attacking the UO students for that reason, rather than staying quiet now because she sees the UO "feminist" contingent as ideological allies while the Rutgers students were mere pawns of the Enemy.
- July 27, 2011 at 5:39 PM
4:47 here.
I guess it's possible that all the UO folk know who is saying what. Their comments didn't set off any obvious indicators of that, but it's possible I missed something. If that's the case, then the (cleaned up) version of jj's comment would apply there just as well as it would to the Rutgers folk.
That said, I wasn't quite ready to endorse my interpretation of jj as being definitive or the right view. But it does have some merit. We ought to at least consider it as one things to think about when evaluating what they have to say.
- July 27, 2011 at 6:08 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
I guess I also sort of wonder if the Oregon faculty and graduate students who claim that the departmental climate is wonderful for women in spite of the fact that their undergraduate program director seems to serial harasser and occasional groper have forgotten that undergraduate women are women.
- July 27, 2011 at 6:27 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
^be a
- July 27, 2011 at 7:07 PM
We should start a petition to fire all the faculty in U of Oregon's Philosophy Dept. and start over. It's perfect because (1) the departmental culture is all wrong there, (2) their undergraduate women are being harmed, (3) faculty are standing by and letting it happen and, (4) most importantly, many of us don't have jobs and would love to live and work in Eugene Oregon.
- July 28, 2011 at 3:06 AM
sounds like a great idea. And while we're at it (and in order to be consistent) we'll have to fire the senior faculty of virtually every philosophy department on the planet.
- July 28, 2011 at 6:14 AM
Zero, your bringing up the removal of Oklahoma seems to be a great parallel, although the editors of the PG would disagree. The line they are taking is that Oklahoma was not actually supposed to be on the needs improvement list. When we saw them up there 'test site' was still in the URL, and since the removal of 'test site' Oklahoma has not been on the needs improvement list. I call bullshit, but thats what they are going to lean on.
- July 28, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Anon 6:14
More jobs to go around! Let's shake it up. Perhaps jobs will go to more deserving candidates rather than washed up old white men and suck-ups.
- July 28, 2011 at 1:41 PM
So this means that U of O's credibility is pretty much done.
This all has spilled over to other blogs and they are now defamed.
Sucks for them, but after what I know to be true of the place, they deserve it.
Here's to the downfall of U of O philosophy. Buyer beware.
- July 28, 2011 at 6:44 PM
How many of you people know for a fact that anyone at the U. of Oregon committed sexual harrassment?
Here's a hint: hearing something from someone who sounded really, really serious about it and reported what he or she really believed to be true on the basis of further hearsay doesn't count.
So, anyone? Didn't think so.
Now, how many of you judged in your hearts that the guy pretty well for sure did it, anyway?
If you did, you need some serious work on basic ethics and critical thinking. Shame on you.
What's happened here doesn't seem too hard to figure out. It's summertime, people are bored, and so we might as well destroy the reputation of a colleague we don't really know on the basis of hearsay. It's such a sweet bit of entertainment, isn't it? We get to be gallant and stand up for a good cause while we watch someone's career and reputation go down the toilet for good as we wag our tongues.
Everyone who made snide comments about the U. of O and its professor (even including vewy witty discussions of his photograph!) ought to be ashamed. This is disgusting.
And Mr. Zero, I must question your choice to allow whatever inflammatory posts happened to come your way to sink this poor guy's reputation. Are we to take away from this that, for all your sensitivity to intangible harms to feminist women, it is enough for a man to be accused in a public, unofficial forum in order for you to think nothing of destroying him?
- July 30, 2011 at 12:03 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
This guy has been accused of sexual harassment and groping. When somebody has been accused of that stuff, there is nothing wrong with pointing out that accusations have been made. I think everyone is aware that the results of the investigation aren't in and that he has not been convicted of any crime.
And when somebody has been accused of that, it is perfectly fine to make fun of him.
- July 30, 2011 at 9:27 AM
OK then, Mr. Zero. I hereby accuse you of sexual harrassment of your students. Shortly, I will say more about you that will make it a very simple exercise for anyone to learn your true identity.
Do we all get to make endless snide comments about you, as we continue to defame you, with serious risk of destroying your entire career?
Are you really happy with this consequence of your position? Have you ever thought this stuff through?
- July 30, 2011 at 10:10 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
I think the "accusation" would be more analogous if you were to learn that the graduate students in my department had become aware of accusations that I had harassed & groped students during my office hours; that they had written and publicly posted an open letter concerning the accusations in light of what they thought was administrative and departmental inaction; and that the ombuds office at my school was conducting an actual investigation into this misconduct; and then to mention these facts publicly on a blog in the context of a discussion about how my department had been twice commended on is women-friendly climate; and in which several graduate students and faculty members in my department had publicly said that the accusations were at least worth taking very seriously.
Since none of that has happened, I don't see how your "accusation" against me is remotely similar.
Although I would say that this person's personal and professional reputation is now ruined, it is the accusations themselves that have ruined them, and not the ensuing discussions on the Philosophy Smoker and elsewhere.
- July 30, 2011 at 10:55 AM
I don't see that anyone here has accused the U of O professor of anything, actually. I see comments about what he "allegedly did", and what he "seems" to have done, but nobody has claimed to know the truth, or even said that "he pretty well for sure did it." So I think 12:03 is just making this shit up.
I know philosophers love to give lectures, but save the schoolmarmish scolding sanctimony for your own children, please.
- July 30, 2011 at 11:26 AM
Those people (like me) who have quite a bit of detailed evidence about what he did aren't dumb enough to f*ck up an ongoing investigation by spilling details online about it. Obviously he is innocent until proven guilty, but fact that multiple students and faculty members from UO are confirming that there is a problem ought to count for something. And face it, the photo is mockery-worthy even if he never did a thing in his life other than put that up.
- July 30, 2011 at 12:30 PM
@ Jul 28, 10:02am,
Has that explanation of Oklahoma's removal been publicly given?
If so, where?
- July 30, 2011 at 3:37 PM
- BunnyHugger said...
I'm inclined to agree, in part at least, with Anon 12:03. It does seem to me that some people rushed to judgment based on accusation. And although I am often in agreement with Mr. Zero's remarks, here I do take exception to his claim that it's fine to ridicule someone because he has been accused of something.
I'm not in any way suggesting that the accusations are untrue, or that they should not be taken seriously. I'm also not suggesting that it is insufficient reason to rescind U of O's "highly recommended" standing in the Guide. (In fact, I think it is a very good reason.) I am suggesting that a better show of neutrality on the matter of his innocence or guilt would be preferable.
- July 30, 2011 at 6:35 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
To the person who is frustrated about the way the Oregon thread at Feminist Philosophers was shut down: I'd be more willing to post your comment if you were to take it a little easier and go a little lighter on the name-calling.
- July 30, 2011 at 9:48 PM
Mr. Zero, you said: "And when somebody has been accused of that, it is perfectly fine to make fun of him."
So, now you're limiting that to cases in which most or all of the other details you now mention are in place?
More generally (to you and Anon 12:30): have you considered that the 'evidence' in the case you mention could well be no better than in the case of my frivolous accusation of you?
Consider, please, the following scenario. Some graduate student comes to believe that one or more undergraduates have been groped by a professor. He may have very little basis for believing this. But he tells other graduate students, who are hence socially forced to choose sides. The graduate students don't want to be seen (or see themselves) as lax about sexual harrassment, so they jump on the bandwagon to 'expose' the professor.
Then, the faculty members who heard about it feel compelled to take sides for the same reason, and many choose the same side as the graduate students (for the same reason, or perhaps because of other, perhaps dirtier reasons). And the original grad students variously bring the matter before the ombudsperson (who now has to look into it, and post their views on a blog.
Now, in the scenario I have outlined, none of the people involved (including the original grad student) need to have any first-hand information that harrassment occurred. And the second-hand information could in fact be extremely weak.
Yet, this fulfils all the criteria.
So, do you still think it's OK to add insult to injury by publicly ridiculing such an individual? Trust me, it could happen to you.
Also, in the original post on Leiter, the name of the institution was not mentioned. Here on the Smoker, it is. Somewhere along the line, and I haven't researched this, the identity of the school (and hence of the professor) was 'outed'.
Do you happen to know where it was? It might be good to have that information handy. If I were the professor in question, I'd be lawyering up right now. And having done that, the best path would seem to be to come after you for libel. Might be good to have this story straight.
- July 30, 2011 at 9:58 PM
- Mr. Zero said...
Somewhere along the line... the identity of the school (and hence of the professor) was 'outed'. Do you happen to know where it was?
Yeah. It was an addendum to the same Leiter thread you mention. Then a commenter at Feminist Philosophers who claimed to have independent knowledge of the situation and who was writing under her own name, Rebecca (Kukla, of Georgetown, if I'm not mistaken), confirmed that it was Oregon. Then Bonnie Mann, associate professor at Oregon, writing under her own name at Feminist Philosophers, confirmed that it was Oregon. Then Colin Koopman, assistant professor at Oregon, writing under his initials with no intent to hide his identity also at FP, also confirmed that it was Oregon. Then a bunch of Oregon graduate students, writing pseudonymously at FP, confirmed that it was Oregon.
If I were the professor in question, I'd be lawyering up right now. And having done that, the best path would seem to be to come after you for libel.
I'm not a lawyer, so I could be wrong about this. But according to my understanding of U.S. libel law, this is very unlikely. My understanding is that the libelous statement would have to be false, damaging, and known to be false by the person who made it (or at least done without adequate research). I didn't say he harassed or groped anyone, I said he'd been accused of doing that. So I didn't say anything false. So I didn't libel him.
- July 30, 2011 at 10:27 PM
The blog moderator at Feminist Philosophers shut the U Oregon thread down. It is a testimony to Zero's open-mindedness that he's willing to hold open this thread, even while people attack him. I also detect some hypocrisy among those who are extremely authoritarian (e.g. shutting down threads) but profess to be against the patriarchy which is similarly authoritarian. In this respect I would venture to say that Zero is a more consistent and thoroughgoing feminist.
- July 30, 2011 at 11:23 PM
I admit I'm not sure of the libel issue in a US context (my experience is from the UK).
But in any event, there is a serious moral issue here. The individual in question has been accused by various individuals as having done something seriously wrong. It is for the ombudsperson to determine, on the basis of a full review of the evidence, whether that individual committed those acts. That review has not, as far as we know, been completed; and no judgment has been publicized.
There are excellent reasons why all those bringing forward evidence or testimony on these issues are told (as they were in this case) to keep such matters strictly confidential. The reason is that great damage can be caused to innocent parties, and unfair harm can even be caused to guilty parties, if word is spread in ignorance. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that continued allegations that someone is "suspected" or "accused" of X have a way of seriously harming the credibility of an individual or institution in the public's mind. Many organizations have dismissed individuals smeared in such ways for invented reasons just to avoid the taint of scandal. Such individuals, obviously, have a very difficult time finding further work, even if nothing beyond an accusation was ever made.
I appreciate that you may not be the party who chose to 'out' this individual in print. But you and others have brought these confidential charges to a much broader audience. The fact that you have done this, and that you continue to be so cavalier about it, is disturbing. Perhaps you might reconsider your approach.
- July 31, 2011 at 6:18 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
I admit I'm not sure of the libel issue in a US context (my experience is from the UK).
I suspected that this was the case. UK libel laws are much more friendly to the plaintiff than their US counterparts.
there is a serious moral issue here.
There are excellent reasons why all those bringing forward evidence or testimony on these issues are told (as they were in this case) to keep such matters strictly confidential.
I agree with you. The rights of the accused are important and should not be ignored. But the toothpaste is out of the tube.
[slightly out of order] It is for the ombudsperson to determine, on the basis of a full review of the evidence, whether that individual committed those acts.
I don't disagree with this, either. If the editors of the Pluralist's Guide had issued a statement to this effect, that would have satisfied what seem to me to be the bare minimum criteria for responsible behavior under the circumstances.
And it should be emphasized that we're not discussing these charges because they are intrinsically interesting, or because the Philosophy Smoker is in the business of publicly ridiculing people people who have been accused of potentially career-ending crimes.
We are discussing these charges because the "Pluralist's" Guide has published information on the climate for women in the philosophy department at Oregon. The fact of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against the undergraduate program director is not at all irrelevant to the question of climate; indeed, according to the question set published by Linda Alcoff here, sexual harassment is one of just four things that they considered in determining the rankings. The "Pluralists" strongly recommend this department as a place with a women-friendly climate.
But you and others have brought these confidential charges to a much broader audience.
That's because there is an important discussion to be had: now that the charges have been made public, and given that you've got a website up strongly recommending this department to women for its friendly climate, and given that part of what you mean by that strong recommendation is that there are no present or ongoing concerns regarding sexual harassment, what's the right way to react?
- July 31, 2011 at 2:09 PM
It's difficult to know the right way to react. But I would suggest, myself, that the right way would not involve making one's blog the vehicle for defamatory and hurtful comments about the accused party (including even comments about his photograph), and that it also would not involve the attitude that someone who has been made the subject of as-yet-unproven accusations is thereby a fit subject of ridicule (which you claimed before).
I note that you have, apparently, begun to censor a number of comments that you felt cast feminist philosophers (etc.) in a bad light. You claim that your reason for doing this stems from your view that some of your female readers might feel uncomfortable reading them (though this has been contested). But since you take the view that those comments deserve censorship, you surely cannot fall back upon a general opposition to censorship as a justification for publishing much more obviously harmful comments against an accused party.
I would suggest that a principled stand would have involved at least refusing to publish any comments that discuss the accused party for the sake of sheer mirth. For instance: "While the picture is absolutely hilarious (and fucking creepy at the same time...), maybe we can at least *try* not to judge him a swinger based solely on his pic? And, hey, there's nothing wrong with being a swinger. You just can't be a swinger who gropes his undergraduate students during office hours." - Anonymous, July 26, 2011 11:56 PM
Alternatively, you could have published the comment and then rightly put the poster in his/her place. The point would not be to defend the accused party, who might after all be guilty; but to point out how utterly low it is to revel in another's misfortune while extending its boundaries simply because one finds it titillating to drag others through the mud as part of a social crusade.
I take it from other comments I've seen here that I'm not the only fellow who finds the double standard you increasingly adopt to be very unfortunate.
- July 31, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Oh, look, it's not a "double standard". There's one standard. Here's the standard: feel free to criticize philosophers, but when it gets to the point of berating one person over and over again, with no new content, just slamming away, then productive exchange has ended and it's time to move on.
Think of this blog more like a seminar than a newspaper. It's open to critical ideas, even if they aren't all that well supported, but when it turns into harping on some dead-end idee fixe then whoever is in charge should guide us on to the next topic. I can't believe anyone has a problem with this.
- August 1, 2011 at 7:24 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
the right way would not involve making one's blog the vehicle for defamatory and hurtful comments about the accused party
Maybe I'm dense, but I don't see how the comment you mention is defamatory. If the comment had called him names or presumed his guilt, that would be one thing. But this comment does neither. I see why you object to it, and I thought about not letting it through. It is not a particularly constructive comment. But it's not defamation and it's not libelous.
I note that you have, apparently, begun to censor a number of comments that you felt cast feminist philosophers (etc.) in a bad light. You claim that your reason for doing this stems from your view that some of your female readers might feel uncomfortable reading them (though this has been contested).
I would say that this is not a completely accurate description of the comments policy or the reason behind it. The point of the policy is not to ensure that feminists are portrayed in a positive light. I think if you look around you will see plenty of comments in which feminists are portrayed in a negative light. The point of the policy is to avoid situations in which the discussion is derailed by trolling, name-calling, displays of prejudice, and things like that.
I have also made an effort to approach this policy with as light a touch as possible. As has been pointed out several times, there is a substantial risk of heavy-handed moderation inhibiting the free flow if ideas, causing the discussion to reflect the moderator's sensibilities at the expense of reasonable points of view he (by which I mean "I") disagrees with, or causing the discussion to shut down altogether. It seems to me that there is clear evidence of this sort of thing on other blogs with more intrusive comment moderation that what we have here. I am trying to exert a more subtle influence on the discussions here, and one ways I try to do that is by withholding comments only in extreme circumstances.
But I see your point about the comments mocking the person's photo. They are not helpful. They do not move the discussion forward. Perhaps they are over the line. I thought about withholding them, but in the end did not think they were so far over the line that it was worth holding them back. Maybe this was a mistake, and if so I apologize.
Alternatively, you could have published the comment and then rightly put the poster in his/her place.
Yeah. I could have done that. Maybe I should have. If so, I apologize for having not done it.
- August 1, 2011 at 7:36 AM
Good of you to apologize, Mr. Zero.
Anon. 7:24, there is good reason to believe that the censorship policy is not being applied as even-handedly as you suggest, nor that it does not have a bias toward particular causes that appear to be near and dear to Mr. Zero.
In Mr. Zero's own description of his policy, he claims: "I will not approve comments that make unfounded claims about how easy it is to be a woman in philosophy, or how hard it is to be a white man in philosophy.". Nowhere else in his description does he make any comment about any other view that will be censored, founded or unfounded. An even-handed censorship policy would equally censor unfounded claims that women have it more difficult than men do.
Of course, the question whether a view is 'unfounded' leaves considerable room for personal bias. Those who take it as obvious that women have it much more difficult than men do in philosophy (including Mr. Zero) will naturally not see any claims to this effect as 'unfounded', even if they provide no supporting evidence.
All that is theory. What about the practice? Well, I myself recently posted a comment in a thread that attempted to respond to a point another commenter made. Mr. Zero censored it. I asked why, and he claimed that it did nothing but re-hash old claims about Haslanger that had already been made. I wrote again, and pointed out that it did no such thing.
My comment to that effect was not published, either.
So, anyone reading this blog would get the impression that nothing is being censored but comments that repeat old claims and fail to keep the conversation going. That is simply false. On the other hand, irrelevant and vindictive comments aimed at individuals facing unproven accusations are permitted, and Mr. Zero has admitted that he sees nothing wrong with poking fun at such people.
What about that doesn't imply a double standard to you?
- August 1, 2011 at 8:49 AM
While there seems to be some benefit (and a lot of Schadenfreude) in pointing out the profound incompetence of the PG people, the real problem -- that grad school applicants might be misled by the PG -- has sort of been overlooked. In fact I don't see that it is such a great of a problem. Qualified applicants to graduate programs in philosophy are, hopefully, not stupid enough to make decisions based on any list on a website, let alone the PG. It's obscure, sloppily written, doesn't explain its methodology, and generally just isn't in competition with the PGR (which should be taken with a few grains of salt, anyway). It's hard to believe that, e.g., qualified Rutgers applicants are being scared off by this "needs improvement" listing. Even if they somehow don't know about the PGR (and roughly everyone knows about the PGR), presumably they'd get a second or third opinion. All this arm-twisting about removing listings from the PG seems beside the point. Leiter has already done plenty of grandstanding.
- August 1, 2011 at 11:36 AM
- Mr. Zero said...
In Mr. Zero's own description of his policy, he claims: "I will not approve comments that make unfounded claims about how easy it is to be a woman in philosophy, or how hard it is to be a white man in philosophy.". Nowhere else in his description does he make any comment about any other view that will be censored, founded or unfounded. An even-handed censorship policy would equally censor unfounded claims that women have it more difficult than men do.
That was a clear defect in the way I formulated the policy in that post, which was addressed in comments to the (stated) satisfaction of several people who pointed out the problem.
Well, I myself recently posted a comment in a thread that attempted to respond to a point another commenter made. Mr. Zero censored it. I asked why, and he claimed that it did nothing but re-hash old claims about Haslanger that had already been made. I wrote again, and pointed out that it did no such thing.
If you're talking about the only comments I withheld in the Haslanger exchange, this description of the comments is false. The comment I withheld contained a brief defense of the practice of putting 'effing' between a person's first and last names, and then did a nearly line-by-line fisking of Haslanger's objectionable comment at Leiter. I did not publish it because it added nothing new; because we had been over and over and over that stuff.
Obviously, I can't prove this. The comment is gone. I deleted it. But I can point to the many anti-Haslanger comments I approved. I can point to the many anti-Haslanger comments I approved after I said I wouldn't approve any more anti-Haslanger comments (unless the anti-Haslanger crowd could start making new points). I didn't publish this person's anti-Haslanger comment because it was pure rehash. But if the person has new stuff to say, s/he is welcome to post it.
- August 1, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Why are we still discussing the commenting policy?
1. Libelous or pure smear comments aside, it's your blog and you can (dis)approve what you like. If someone doesn't like the policy, then that person can leave and post elsewhere.
2. Anonymous person pointed out what he thought were inappropriate comments, you apologized for what may have perhaps been an error of judgment. So let's move one.
- August 1, 2011 at 8:10 PM
I think I qualify as someone who, at the completion of his BA, would easily have taken something like the PG seriously. The reason didn't have that much to do with my native abilities, I hope (I did, after all, eventually complete a PhD and enter the profession), but rather with the fact that I had no idea what to take seriously and what to ignore.
I have since met (and I hope counselled) many students completing their undergrad degrees at good schools. They seem to be remarkably well-aware of what is going on. However, I still come upon many others who have been given misleading, outdated or flat-out false information about going to grad school.
Since such people could easily come upon the guide by themselves, or even have it recommended to them by instructors they respect, I think the problem is worth taking seriously.
- August 1, 2011 at 11:47 PM
Plus (outrageously) University of Oregon lists on the front page of its philosophy website that it made the 'strongly recommended' list, and I think that is just the sort of thing that will be seen by and might influence prospective students, who are perhaps less likely to dig up obscure rankings. And I'll bet other 'recommended' schools follow suit, and I am sure (word carefully chosen) that there are other schools on the 'recommended' list that deeply suck for women. Oregon has ended up at the center of the controversy but the problem is much farther reaching.
- August 2, 2011 at 2:54 PM
SWIPUK has withdrawn the 'woman-friendly' designation for UO! Thus (quoting for the remainder of this comment):
SWIP UK regrets to announce that we are withdrawing the Women-Friendly Department Recognition that we had awarded to the University of Oregon's Philosophy Department for 2011. It has become clear to us that our procedures were not properly followed during the canvassing of opinion prior to making the award, and as a result we were not apprised of information that might have had an impact on our decision. Because these procedures were not followed, we feel we must withdraw the recognition, despite the impressive mainstreaming of feminist philosophy at Oregon.
- August 15, 2011 at 10:14 AM


text:
Capita gobbles Northgate Managed Services for £65m
Cloud biz finally finds a buyer
Outsourcing monolith Capita has coughed up £65m to buy Northgate Managed Services (NMS) in a deal announced to the London Stock Exchange this morning.
As revealed by The Channel last year, VC Kholberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Company - owner of NMS parent Northgate Information Solutions, touted the division with a price tag of £100m.
But none were tempted by that first offer, and subsequently it emerged that NMS chief Andy Ross exited the business.
Under the terms of the deal, Capita will stump up £22m in cash, assume a £17m pension deficit net of tax relief, and take on finance leases for kit used in NMS amounting to £26m.
NMS turned over £141.6m in its fiscal 2012 that ended in April, up from £128.6m a year earlier, according to paperwork filed at Companies House. The biz posted profits of £2.6m compared to £3.77m in fiscal 2011.
It employs 1,150 staff including 640 engineers, and flogs cloudy infrastructure services and managed services to government and private-sector customers.
In a canned statement of the bleeding obvious, Paul Pindar, Capita chief exec, said: "As the pressure mounts for businesses to try to gain efficiency, technology has a growing role to play."
Northgate Information Solutions boss Adel Al-Saleh, said offloading NMS to Capita "is the right strategic decision for both NMS customers and employees". He added NIS will build on its HR technology and services and public sector software and services via the NorthgateArinso and Northgate Public Services.
Closure of the deal is subject to approval from the "necessary parties".
KKR forked out £1.1bn for Northgate Information Solutions back in March 2007, and John O'Brien, research director at TehcMarketView, said today's sale represents a "significant loss on its investment"
"At the time, NMS represented 23 per cent of Northgate's turnover (FY08) (now only 17 per cent because of the acquisitions made by NGA since then). So, although a simplification, you could say that NMS was bought for about £253m in 2008. The sale to Capita has therefore netted KKR almost 75 per cent less than they paid for it," he claimed. ®


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Ideal Footwear: a barefooters perspective
So, what is the ideal shoe from the perspective of a barefooter?
Firstly, let me make it perfectly clear...nothing comes close to the perfection of the foot as-it-is.
With that in mind, here's what you should look for in footwear:
1. Lightweight - we don't need any extra weight.
2. Extremely flexible - don't control my foot thank you.
3. No support - none, we want to get stronger through good form.
4. No cushioning - none, it's not needed (see above).
5. Wide - freedom for feet to be whatever they are...always.
6. Thin-soled - we need to FEEL the ground.
7. Puncture proof - as rarely needed insurance.
8. Durable - long lasting, wear well.
9. Easy on-and-off - please.
10. Portable and easy to stow - so we can travel together.
11. Fairtrade made - thinking about the future.
12. Green - earth safe materials, recyclable, duh.
13. Breathable - so as not to suffocate.
14. Good grip - let us stay upright when things get slippery.
15. Toe articulation - I have toes for a reason.
16. Beautiful - because we never tire of beauty's inspiration.
17. (added 8/8/09) No Stink - a shoe should not smell bad...ever.
What do you think?
Labels: barefoot shoes


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A controversial last-minute provision inserted last week into an education trailer bill could help the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and a handful of other sanctioned schools regain eligibility for Cal Grants next fall instead of having to wait until the following year.
The academy's students are losing access to Cal Grants this fall because the institution's 2010-11 graduation rate dipped below the minimum required by state law. Its newest graduation rate cleared the hurdle, however, meaning it could regain the grants in fall 2013 instead of fall 2014 if the trailer bill passes.
At issue is current language in the Education Code that says a sanctioned school "may regain its eligibility for the academic year following an academic year in which it satisfies the requirements."
Under the Education Code, the California Student Aid Commission determines a school's Cal Grant eligibility for the 2012-13 year based on October 2011 data.
The commission and state Department of Finance interpreted that language to mean that the Academy of Art University and other schools would have to meet state requirements in October 2012 and October 2013 to get back into the Cal Grants program in 2014.
But at a hearing last week, state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, argued that lawmakers had never agreed to a two-year penalty and that such a punishment was unfair.
Michael Cohen, chief deputy director of the state Department of Finance, which opposes the change, said the sanction period had been established clearly as two years. In addition, he said, the change would reduce the amount of financial aid money the state would save.
California began limiting Cal Grants for colleges with high student loan default rates in 2011 in an effort to hold schools accountable for the state aid they receive. The idea is that colleges where many students default on loans might not be adequately preparing graduates for jobs.
The first round of penalties, which took effect in fall 2011, affected colleges where default rates hit 24.6 percent or above.
Lawmakers tightened the sanctions earlier this year, lowering the default rate threshold and adding graduation rates into the mix. In order to retain Cal Grant eligibility for this fall, colleges must have graduation rates of at least 30 percent and student loan default rates of no more than 15.5 percent.
The new list [PDF] of sanctioned schools was released at the end of July. The art academy is one of 154 institutions that the California Student Aid Commission deemed ineligible for Cal Grants under the new standards. Its default rate is 10.62 percent, well below the cutoff. But the school fell just shy of the graduation rate threshold, at 29.2 percent in 2010-11, the year used for the current sanction.
The academy's 2011-12 graduation rate bounced up to 34 percent. It also kept its default rate below the cut off, at 11.9 percent, according to the school. That means the academy could regain eligibility after the sanction period. The academy was one of at least three colleges to appeal its sanction in recent weeks, but its appeal was denied.
"We're aware of the proposed change, and we support it because our current graduation rate is at 34 percent, which I believe is above the threshold," said Sue Rowley, executive vice president of educational services for the academy. "And because we are moving in the right direction, it's unfair that students can't get their grants."
During a hearing of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee last week, Cohen, of the state Department of Finance, said an agreement on the law clearly included a two-year penalty period and the state had estimated savings based on that timeline.
"Definitely, a key fact for us in this debate is that when we set the targets in terms of savings amounts, we were assuming that these institutions were sitting out of the program for the longer period," Cohen said.
Leno said that he did not agree to a two-year period and that such a penalty was too punitive.
"It almost sounds counterintuitive that you fall out of compliance, you do the good and necessary work, which we're incentivizing to get into compliance, and then you meet the thresholds that we set, and then we say, 'No, you have to sit out another year,' " Leno said.
Cohen countered that at a time when financial aid dollars are limited, it's reasonable to focus dollars on colleges that consistently meet requirements.
"Those that aren't able to meet the criteria, unfortunately, given the state of the General Fund, we can't afford to let them back into the program right away," Cohen said.
Judy Heiman, an analyst with the state Legislative Analyst's Office, said the proposed change is helpful because of the confusion about whether the intent of law was to penalize schools for one or two years. She said it is reasonable to let colleges that meet the state's expectations regain Cal Grants the following year.
The new language says a sanctioned school "shall regain its eligibility for the academic year for which it satisfies these requirements," which Heiman said makes clear the punishment period is one year.
In addition to the Academy of Art University, at least four other sanctioned colleges have pushed their graduation rates above the required threshold in 2011-12 and could regain eligibility as a result: South Coast College, the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles, Bryan College and West Coast University, Heiman said.
But their ability to bounce back will depend on their default rates. Draft versions of the rates have been provided to the colleges but will not be posted publicly by the U.S. Department of Education until the fall.
At sanctioned schools, including the academy, continuing students will see their Cal Grant awards reduced by 20 percent. New students will not get Cal Grants at all.
But Rowley said the academy will provide scholarships to all affected students to make up for the Cal Grant funds in 2012-13.
Cal Grants, which do not have to be repaid, can provide up to $9,223 per year for students with financial need at non-public colleges.
View this story on California Watch
This story was produced by California Watch, a part of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting. Learn more at www.californiawatch.org.


text:
How to bid
To bid on this item, just click on the bid button above. Your bid must be greater than the last bid by the amount of the increment, unless it is the first (or opening bid). For example, if the last bid before you bid was $100, then you need to bid $150 (which is the last bid of $100 + increment) in order for your bid to be counted. To see the latest bids, click on the button below. You will be notified by email if your bid was not valid. You can also check that your bid made it to the bid sheet by clicking on the button below after you place your bid. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
This basket includes:
- Factory tour for two
- Tesla T-shirt
- Tote bag
- Model Car
- Travel Mug


text:
In Aikido, a Japanese art of self-defense, a master practitioner blends and redirects the motions of attackers instead of confronting their force directly.
Similarly, businesses security leaders must to shift from the traditional, control-focused defensive postures to deal with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Despite the resources invested in security, many still fall prey to attacks.
A proactive stance aligned with business priorities can address a number of needs: data protection, understanding potential threats and the changing demands of a global and mobile workforce.
Such an approach should readily integrate with other operations. This includes cloud services, suppliers and identity and access management technologies, as well as information security currently in place.


text:
WTH, He Pulled Out The Lotion: Indian Dude Trippin Trying To Sing When He's Home Alone!
Guess the club can't even handle him
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
We welcome you to enjoy the 2nd issue of Oasis Magazine.
Following in the celebrated tradition of the Arabian horse. Oasis covers a breadth of topics, positioned as the premier international showcase for all elements of the purebred Arabian horse lifestyle. The wide array of select advertisers and beautifully crafted editorials exhibit an unwavering commitment to quality. For Arabian horse enthusiasts at every level, Oasis is an ideal platform from which to promote, explore and simply appreciate the grace and spirit of the Arabian horse.
In this issue:
• American Breeders
• Arabian Breeders World Cup
• Menton
• Arabian Strains - part II
• Featured Photographer - Shane Knight
• Fashion - Der Dau
• Al Andalus - Endurance ride
• The Australian Arabian Classic
• Foaling
• Featured Artist - Judy Nordquist


text:
France to float UN council resolution on Syria
PARIS (AP) — France will float a resolution in the U.N. Security Council aimed at forcing Syria to make public its chemical weapons program, place it under international control and dismantle it, the French foreign minister said Tuesday.
Laurent Fabius said France, a permanent member of the 15-nation U.N. body, will start the resolution process on Tuesday under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which is militarily enforceable. The proposal would also condemn a chemical weapons attack near Damascus on Aug. 21 that Western powers allege was carried out by Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime — a claim he has denied.
The French initiative comes a day after Russia, a fellow permanent member of the council that has been a key ally of Assad's regime, expressed support for a proposal for Syria's chemical weapons arsenals to be placed under international control and destroyed.
Fabius said the resolution, based around five points, would demand that Syria "bring fully to light" its chemical weapons program. The measure would also set up international inspections and controls of the dismantling process, and would carry "very serious consequences" if the commitment were violated.
It would also seek to bring to justice those responsible for the Aug. 21 attack.
The minister said he expected a "nearly immediate" commitment from Syria. He said Russia had information about Damascus' chemical weapons stockpile, and expressed hope that this time a tough resolution on Syria would not be blocked — an allusion to a string of efforts led by Western powers at the U.N. body in recent months that were blocked by Russia and China.


text:
Plan With Crystal Sky Banquets
Crystal Sky Banquets wants to make your next event a memorable one. We have been in the event planning industry for over 30 years and are ready to make your next banquet, wedding reception, or corporate function one to remember for many years to come. Enjoy the full service bars, dance floors, and tables topped with crisp linens. We welcome you to invite your friends and family to celebrate your next event at Crystal Sky Banquets.
An Ideal Setting For Special Events
Crystal Sky Banquets can accommodate any size event and can provide the perfect atmosphere for your small or large function: Weddings, Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Retirement Parties, Graduations, Luncheons, Cotillions, Corporate Events, Holiday Parties. We would love to be part of your next celebration!
Celebrate Your Wedding With Us
We know that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. Inviting family and friends to Crystal Sky Banquets to celebrate your upcoming wedding is sure to impress. Our experienced staff will cater to your every need to insure it is everything you dreamed of.
A Complete Menu For Every Event
Our food is prepared fresh by our in-house chef according to your specifications. Your menu selections can be served plated, family style, or buffet. Please visit our menus page to select the perfect menu for your next event with Crystal Sky Banquets.
Crystal Sky Banquets will make your next event memorable. Family owned, we have been in the event planning industry for over 30 years. Celebrate your next special event at Crystal Sky Banquets.


text:
".eu" Internet Domain Now Available In All EU Languages
This means that registrants, for example, can use Greek or Cyrillic names like www.роуминг.eu. This was made possible thanks to new EU rules adopted by the European Commission in June 2009 ( IP/09/1044).
"Internationalised Domain Names under .eu, our European Top Level Domain, are a big step towards a truly global and at the same time local internet. Many internet users will come from countries where most languages are not based on the 'a to z' Latin script and they will naturally want to use their own scripts," said Viviane Reding, the EU's Information Society Commissioner. "The launch of international domain names under .eu will respond even better to the needs of a multilingual and multicultural Europe."
Internationalised Domain Names (IDN) are internet domain names that contain other characters in addition to the 26 characters of the Latin alphabet "a" to "z", digits "0" to "9" and "-". Until today, those registering domain names under .eu could only use this limited set of characters but now a whole range of different characters used in the various official languages of the EU can be registered.
The Commission decided that the European top level domain .eu should offer characters from all official EU languages. IDNs are a way to allow this. It will now be possible to register names using characters like "à", "ą", "ä", "ψ" or "д" under ".eu". EU citizens, businesses and organisations will be able to register domain names in non-Latin scripts, which is essential for languages such as Greek and Bulgarian. Also, Spanish and Basque speakers can register names with "ñ" while French, Portuguese and Catalan speakers can use "ç".
From today onwards, names under the .eu Top Level Domain (TLD) will benefit from IDN. For example, in europa.eu ".eu" is the top level domain, whilst "europa" is the name registered under this TLD.
The Commission is also working towards introducing internationalised domain name variants at the top level for .eu (e.g. "eu" in Greek or Cyrillic characters) as soon as possible. Commissioner Reding informed the CEO of ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), Rod Beckstrom about the Commission's plans at the Internet Governance Forum in November. When ICANN approves international domain names at the Top Level for .eu, EU registrants will be able to register a whole web address in their own script (e.g. both "europa" and ".eu").


text:
bgood1 needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 104 designs submitted by 27 freelance designers.
Dating Without Drama
We are a dating advice site for women which has been in business for 4+ years. We're looking to attract new users by inviting them to take our free "Understanding Men" quiz.
Single women
Ages 30-45
Looking to find "The One"
Banner ad, 300x250.
1 – We are moving away from our former cartoon-style to a more sophisticated, photo-driven design (see attached comp of our new web site design – to be launch in the next 30 days)
2 - We'll be redesigning our logo next and would love to the winning designer take on that project too. For this reason, we don't want to use our current logo in the ad. Just text of our name will be fine for this ad.
3 - Feel free to experiment with colors
4 – Stock art is OK, no clip art
5 - Use animation as you want
6 - This is the page the ad will be driving to: http://www.datingwithoutdrama.com/d…index.php/
Ad Copy:
Headline: How Well Do You Understand Men?
Subhead: Take this quiz and find out now
Benefits: • Instant feedback
• Personalized tips
Call to Action: Start Quiz
1 - 300x250 banner
2 - Source file (PSD + any other related source files)
3 - If animated, non-animated backup required
Looking forward to finding our new design partner!


text: Hi! Its been more than five months since i started using ispconfig3 and im really happy but...there is a monster in the story (muaahhaha) APACHE2 Why..if any user/client of ISPConfig3 makes something wrong every client must be punish O_O. E.g. If someone install bad an SSL (someone copied the Certificate Issuer into SSL Bundle) apache will refuse to start. Why that kind of things happen ? is there a solution ?.


text:
Welcome to South Bay Jewelry!
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South Bay Jewelry is a family owned and operated jewelry store that has been in business for 40 years. With its humble beginnings in Newport Beach in 1969 it's evident that South Bays recipe of superior customer service, quality jewelry, and trust is the reason for its continued success. From Rare time-pieces to bridal and anniversary collections, we have it all.
Or email us: Fill in the Form


text:
Mundo Hostel
Hostel Mundo is located in the heart of Krakow's old town and Kazimierz, the former Jewish District of Krakow which is now home to krakow's bohemian nightlife.
The hostel is also closeby to Wawel Castle and the Wisla River.
The hostel offers 4 twin rooms, 5 double rooms, 2 rooms for 6, and also rooms for 4 people.
The hostel's common room is the ideal place to meet new people over coffee or you can also relax on the hostels patio over a beer.
There is a fully equipped kitchen and you can enjoy a tasty breakfast on the patio.
The hostel has welcomed many international bands and you may even be lucky to have them stay at the same time. The hostel does not accept stag parties.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- 24 Hour Security
- Airport Transfers
- Bar
- Bicycle hire
- Bicycle parking
- Free Breakfast
- Café
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Telephone/Fax Facilities
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- Hot Showers
- House Keeping
- Internet Access
- Self-Catering Facilities
- Laundry Facilities
- Linen Included
- Security Lockers
- Luggage Storage
- Meals Available
- Meeting Rooms
- Mini Supermarket
- No Curfew
- Outdoor Terrace
- Reading Light
- Safe Deposit Box
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels For Hire
- Washing Machine
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 2 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Our Hostel is situated in the city centre of Krakow - it only takes a 15-minute walk to reach us from the main bus/train station. You simply have to walk through Westerplatte Street which turns to St.Gertruda Street, and then turn left to get to Sarego Street. If you would like to shorten the distance - you can take a tram (number 3, 10, 24, 52) to get to tramstop called 'Poczta Glowna'. Then you need to follow Westerplatte Street and St. Gertruda Street - till you get to Sarego St. If you still have problems - visit our website and look at the map :-)
From the airport - you can take a shuttle train or a bus to the train station - and then follow the directions above. The train goes every 30 minutes, the journey takes approx. 20 minutes, and the ticket costs 12 PLN. If you decide to take the bus, the number you need to look for is 292.