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Consumers barely managed to get their hands on the iPad before Apple presented its offspring, the iPad 2 earlier this year. It was released in the US on March 11th and in Europe on March 25th.
Smartphones and tablet pcs were not invented by Apple, but Apple really shook the waters and shocked the industry, jumping the technology a few generations forward. Before the iPad there was no real tablet-market. Instead there were a few tablet-like devices, sold in selective stores, that were slow, complicated to use and considerably expensive for what they offered. In essence, it was Apple that created the tablet-pc market.
The irony is that when the iPad was first launched critics said that it would not stand a chance in a market so saturated with smartphones, laptops and netbooks. It was too similar to existing technology to do well and take off. Despite such predictions, the first iPad took the market by storm. When the iPad was launched, Apple sold more than 15 million devices in less than 8 months, making a profit of more than $10 billion. The iPad 2 is forecast to do even better and even reach many hands that have never held an Apple device before in their lives.
Its main selling point is its 1 GHz Dual Core A5 processor, which makes it exceptionally fast, with no extra burden on its battery (the battery lasts around 10 hours). Its RAM memory is also bigger, up from 256MB for iPads to 512MB for the iPad 2. This makes applications to open and close instantly whereas with the iPad you had to wait a couple of seconds. iPad 2 is more dependable than the iPad, inspiring a sense of security to its users, who know that Safari won't crash and that they can load nine or ten pages without any problem.
The iPad 2 also has a new GPU (graphic processing Unit) which –according to Apple- manipulates computer graphics up to nine times more effectively than the iPad did, meaning that the graphics are much more detailed and faster to download.
In terms of design, the ipad2 is 33% thinner and 1/10 lighter than the iPad and it features, not one but two video-cameras (one in front and one at the back) enabling video-chat on high definition. In fact the iPad 2 is even thinner than the iPhone 4, which was the slimmest Apple device to date. Two models are available, a Wi-Fi version and a Wi-Fi & 3G version.
The iPad 2 is expected to sell faster than the iPad did thanks to its top of the range features and the reputation of its predecessor.


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It's a classic story: Legions of families leave their native land in search of better lives and jobs. They settle in California's Central Valley to work on the farms. It's hard labor, pay is poor and the community often is hostile to these outsiders who struggle to keep their families unified and healthy.
There are moments of catastrophe and tragedy, but it's mostly a narrative of human perseverance.
John Steinbeck tells this story in his 1939 masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. But fast forward a few decades, and you see a very similar picture. For migrant Oklahomans escaping the Dust Bowl, just substitute migrant Mexicans or other nationalities. California has seen a revolving door of immigrants who work its farms. Some 90 percent of farmworkers in the state are foreign-born, mostly from Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
"Steinbeck captured the desperate plight of migrant workers," said Marc Schenker, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and public health at UC Davis.
And while there certainly have been technological advances and improvements in working conditions since the Depression era, Steinbeck's writings and social analysis are relevant today, said Schenker.
For more than 30 years, Schenker has studied farmworkers and their families, focusing on various causes of illness and injury. Those range from lung disease from dust and pesticides to injury and fatalities from extreme, hot weather. At UC Davis, he is founding director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety and the Migration and Health Research Center.
From 2010 to 2016, he co-directed with UCLA's Michael Rodriguez, MD, MPH, the UC Global Health Institute Migration and Health Center of Expertise.
Schenker has studied reproductive health issues of Latina immigrants and examined their soaring rates of obesity and diabetes among immigrants. Partly to blame, is unhealthy food that is less costly to immigrants who are poor.
"Being an immigrant – including the stress that goes with being on the move and living on the margin in terms of income – affects their health as much as the work itself," said Schenker.
For undocumented immigrants, the stress may be even worse because of fears of deportation. And on top of all that, immigrants – documented and not – generally have poor access to health care.
This is not just a California or U.S. problem. "It is a global phenomenon," said Schenker. "It exists everywhere in the world. In all countries, there are unique patterns of migration, but it's the same story that we see over and over. And that story is of a population that has a very precarious health status."
"Unfortunately, it's not going away," he said. "It will only get bigger."
Whether leaving their native countries to escape natural disasters, political turmoil, violence or simply to pursue a better life, the number of international migrants reached 244 million in 2015, a 41 percent increase compared to 2000, according to data from the United Nations. Europe has the highest number of migrants, some 76 million, followed by Asia with 75 million and North America with 54 million.
Immigrants around the world, as in the U.S., hold the most dangerous jobs, such as farm work, construction and transportation, said Schenker. Many immigrant women do domestic work, and while those jobs may not have increased fatality rates, the chronic health problems rooted in that work is significant, he said.
"If you're an immigrant, you have higher disease and fatality risk than a non-immigrant with the same job," said Schenker. "Language barriers, training, risk-taking, perceptions about jobs all may play a part. And these are topics that need to be closely examined."
At research centers across UC, investigators from many disciplines look at broad and multiple factors that affect the health of immigrants.
Social determinants
Studies by UCLA researchers have focused on policies that affect "social determinants of health" – circumstances into which people are born, grow up, live and work and age – and how policies affect immigrants' ability to live healthy lives.
A 2015 report examined policies in all 50 U.S. states, focusing on five areas that influence the health of immigrants and their families: public health and welfare benefits, higher education, labor and employment, driver licensing and government ID card programs and federal Secure Communities program. The latter is the enforcement program requiring local police to share information with federal immigration authorities, and it has contributed to the deportation of an estimated 400,000 undocumented residents, separating families and putting stress on immigrants' finances and health.
California ranked highest of all states in public policies that support health and well-being of undocumented immigrants, while Ohio was the worst, according to the report by Michael Rodriguez, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of Family Medicine and director of the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health; Steven Wallace, PhD, professor in the UCLA Department of Community Health Sciences and associate director of the Center for Health Policy Research; and graduate student Maria-Elena Young.
"It is frustrating that so many states have policies that ignore or exclude a group of people who work hard and contribute so much to our society," said Wallace
They hoped that the report – supported partly by the UC Global Health Institute – would set the stage for additional research, advocacy and action to ensure advancement of policies to benefit undocumented immigrants.
But shifts in the U.S. political climate after the 2016 presidential election may hamper research and add strain to immigrants themselves. Proposed immigration policies that are harsh on undocumented immigrants and efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act already may be negatively affecting the health of immigrants.
A 2016 study by Francisco Pedraza, UC Riverside assistant professor of public policy and political science, found that anti-immigrant policies stigmatize both foreign and US-born Latinos by creating a hostile social environment which affects their experiences of discrimination. These non-health policies can adversely affect their health.
Researchers also are finding that immigrants – documented and undocumented – are avoiding clinics and hospitals because they fear encountering immigration authorities, even though hospitals have been traditionally considered "sensitive locations," like schools and places of worship, where federal agents usually would not enter.
That fear also hurts the gathering of information and data for immigrant health research. "It's a challenge these days," said UC Davis' Marc Schenker. "You can't just go into an immigrant community and say 'I want to ask you these questions.'"
Nancy Burke, PhD, chair of Public Health in the UC Merced School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, studies health disparities and safety net community programs that support immigrants. Staff at clinics and school districts with whom she works make extra effort to reach out, communicate and allay the fears of immigrants. "They are trusted highly by the immigrant community and without their partnership, we wouldn't be able to do our work effectively," she said.
Good studies that shed light on health issues and potentially influence policies to improve health require evidence-based research, she explained. "We can't gather that evidence without collaborations in the community."
In a climate in which national support for immigrants may be waning, it is important not only to gather the evidence but also to get research findings into the hands of policymakers who can make a difference, said Burke.
Research and information about immigrant health has to spread widely and quickly, perhaps more of it published online and for more to share and absorb rather than in the traditional scientific journals, she said.
Schenker urged using more venues, including newspaper op-ed pieces to inform the general public about topics and crises in immigrant health. He did his part in May delivering a talk titled. "A Brief History of Global Migration and Worker Health."
It wasn't at a medical or scientific conference. It was in Monterey, at the annual Steinbeck Festival.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Bush says he doesn't favor censorship, but does think government should set limits."
From an interview on C-Span, reported today on WALB.com
To his credit, Bush did stress that the first line of defense for children is parents, saying "They put an off button on the TV for a reason." An important point. Parental limits are the best way to control what children see. Government limits are, er, well, censorship.


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In residential and commercial areas, there are different sewer systems; however, all sewers experience similar operational problems. The best way to protect a sewer system is by fully understanding the most common maintenance and repair signs. If you pinpoint simple problems early, you can take the proper steps to replace or repair inefficient sewer components before water severely damages your landscape.
Tree Roots
On lush landscapes where trees are found, some sewer systems are affected by tree root invasion. After this particular problem happens, the roots will grow around the sewer lines gradually based on the frequency of rainstorms. If enough water soaks into the soil where roots have infiltrated a sewer system, the tension will break the pipes.
When water begins to flow out of fixtures slowly in a house or building that's found on a lush property, tree roots may be causing the problem. If you want to ensure that roots might have invaded your pipes, simply trace the lines from your house to the main water valve. Along the way, determine whether or not trees are growing on the path. When a tree is growing over or near underground pipes, roots can easily invade important plumbing lines.
Pipe Problems
Although general property maintenance is important, some routines can dramatically shift the soil that covers various sewer lines. Once a lot of soil is shifted, various pipes will collapsed or develop alignment problems. When the soil is severely shifted, the pressure could crack or break the housing on weak pipes.
The easiest way to maintain an optimum piping system is by testing all of the fixtures that have water valves following each landscaping project that involves work around sewer lines. In order to replace damaged pipes underground that slow down water distribution throughout a home, you'll need to work with an experienced plumber.
By using these strategies, you'll have no problems keep a sewer system in peak condition. If you need to maintain an advanced system, you may need to run tests. According to plumbing experts, a sewer smoke test is a practical option that detacts air flow problems.


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An aircon Fan Coil is good device in homes because it helps to make rooms cool. This device works by converting hot air to cool air. The other technique that the device used to cool room is by changing humidity in rooms. During hot weather conditions is the best time to see the usefulness of this equipment. There are many chemicals that are utilized by Aircon Fan Coil in producing cool air. This equipment does not last forever but may get need servicing in order for it to last for a longer time. This is helpful in that the owner is able to save money that is to be used in replacing the equipment and use that money in other investments.
There are three main parts of the Aircon Fan Coil and these are the parts that need servicing. They include the evaporator, the condenser and the compressor. It is easier to service the compressor and the condenser than the evaporator because these parts are located on the outside. It is generally recommended to seek servicing help from a professional Aircon Fan Coil servicing company so as to have your equipment serviced in the proper way.
Select a your servicing contractor well
It is important that you select a servicing contractor company that has a good reputation. The company should be licensed with legal documents of providing air conditioning services. A good Aircon fan Oil servicing contractor should be in a position to offer quick installation, repair, diagnostic and minatenanvce services to its clients. The company must also offer 24/7 services so that they are easily available when required to offer emergency services. The customer care of that company also needs to be active so that clients can easily seek for services whenever they are urgently needed.
Carrying out Adequate Research About the Servicing Company and Their services
An Aircon Fan Coil is a big investment that needs to be well protected and maintained. You should do through research about the quality of services of your selected servicing company before giving them a mandate to service your Aircon. Contracting out Aircon Fan Coil servicing to a company that offers poor quality services is very risk because the company may damage your asset. The only way that you can know about the company's services is by doing thorough research especially on the internet.
You may also seek for referrals from your friends and genuine online customer reviews so as to be guided to well Aircon Fan Coil Servicing contractors. The referees will guide you to the right contractor who is operating within your location. Adequate research enables you to avoid making mistakes about air conditioning in your home. Remember to research information of the company's insure status. Hiring an Aircon Fan Coil servicing company that is not insured is risky and it is like putting your asset in danger. This is because you may not get compensated if your Aircon Fan Coil gets damaged by the staff of the servicing company.
Don't go for companies that charge very high servicing costs
Aircon Fan Coil servicing companies are supposed to charge their services at prices that are directly proportional to the extensiveness of their air conditioning servicing systems. It is common to see a company that uses high extensive equipments to service your air conditioners to charging higher prices than others. The prices are hence an indication of how good their services may be. However, there are some Air conditioner servicing Companies in Singapore that charge very high prices and yet the quality of their services is very low.
Hence, there is need to evaluate the relationship of the charges and services offered by each company before selecting the most appropriate one. The company that offers high quality services at a reasonable price should be given the priority in this case. You evaluate the charges of companies; remember to seek information as to whether there are any other hidden charges so as to know the correct net amount that you will pay for the services.
Ensure that the company hired has qualified Professionals. There are cases where Aircon Fan Coil servicing companies send worker who are neither experienced nor skilled on serving such equipment. Their servicing inabilities are likely to put your Aircon Fan Coil in trouble. It is a good idea that you make an agreement with the company to send qualified and experienced professionals who know how t to service Aircon Fan Coil. Taking such a precaution is of great importance as you will reduce the risk of your equipment getting damaged.


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Museum exhibit features early football years
A special exhibit in The Citadel Museum provides a nostalgic look at The Early Years of Citadel Football.
In 1904, The Board of Visitors approved the cadets' petition to play football at The Citadel. The first game was played on October 14, 1905, against Porter Military Academy. The score for this first game was a tie 0-0!
Some items on display include the 1904 petition to play football, photographs of the undefeated 1906 team and the cadet who coined the term "Bulldog."
Cartoons and photographs in the exhibit highlight the cadets' enthusiasm for the game. Lists of all Citadel football coaches, games and scores from 1905 to 2006 are featured as well as a list of honors and awards from 1959 to 2005.
The museum is open 2 to 5 p.m, Sunday through Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.


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Cassowary Coast's History
Local Historical Photographs
Explore the pictorial history of our beautiful region. Photos from the local history collections housed in our Innisfail and Tully libraries are in the process of being digitised and added to our library catalogue. To go to the library catalogue, click here and type in a search term to begin.
Members of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori communities are advised that the Local History Images may include images or names of people now deceased.
History Briefs
History Briefs are information sheets that briefly cover a wide selection of topics relevant to the history of the Cassowary Coast Region, encompassing the former Cardwell and Johnstone shires.
Dunk Island and the Family Group
First Landing Party at Cardwell - 1864
Life along the Tully River: It Rains a Lot
Life along the Tully River: Cane Growing
Life along the Tully River: Cattle Grazing
Life along the Tully River: Kennedy's Explorations
Life along the Tully River: Sugar
Life along the Tully River: Other Crops
Life along the Tully River: Timber
Personal recount of the 1918 Cyclone by Mr Reg Elder


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It's almost Friyay!! Woot! Do you have any plans for the weekend?
The weather has been nothing short of amazing over the past 2 weeks. The temperature fell to 64 degrees and of course, some found it to be too 'cold' and others like me were simply just basking. To be honest, it was a bit chilly for the Cayman Islands considering that we're so used to scorching temps, but I loved every minute of it--so did my maxi skirt.
I do have a few pleated maxi skirts and would like to add a few other colors to my collection. When I saw this magenta colored one, I squealed with excitement. These skirts tend to come in a 'One Size fits all' size but I really think designers/ manufacturers should change that. There is absolutely nothing on this earth that is a 'One Size fits all' because we're all different and I had to alter the waist of my skirt a little.
My look was inspired by Folake of Style Pantry and Blaire of Atlantic Pacific. The combination of the versatile denim shirt with the pleated purple maxi skirt was perfect in my eyes and so I had to put my spin on it.
Outfit Details::
Denim Shirt- H&M | Maxi Skirt- Local Boutique | Heels- Shoe Republic LA | Sunnies- Tom Ford


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Come early, stay late, repeat.
We've created a number of ticketing options so you can enjoy a little or a lot (we recommend the latter). You can buy individual tickets, a Festival Pass, or, if you're a high school student between the ages of 14 and 18 with a love for movies, you can get a Plaza Classic Film Club Pass.
The Festival Pass and Film Club provide preferred access to all PCFF screenings, talks and events. Show up, flash your pass and you're in. Just remember you need to reserve your seats in advance for our screenings in the Philanthropy Theatre. The Festival Pass is transferable, so if you can't make all the Plaza Classic's events and screenings, share it with friends! See all the perks that come with your pass in the Tickets & Passes tab on this site.
For those joining us from out of town — or locals that want to totally immerse themselves — you can stay across the street at the Plaza Hotel at Pioneer Park (expected to open spring 2020) and the Hotel Paso del Norte (spring 2020 opening expected), three blocks south at the Stanton House or Aloft, three blocks north at the Courtyard by Marriott and the DoubleTree by Hilton, or fourth blocks east at the Hotel Indigo.
There is a growing number of nearby restaurants and bars within walking distance, including Anson 11, Starbucks and TCBY/Mrs. Fields Cookies in the Mills Building, and Cafe Central on the first level of the Texas Tower, across from the Plaza Theatre.
See our Accommodations page for more information.
Each Pass holder will receive a copy of a commemorative program on the Plaza Theatre, preferred access to all screenings (so you can pick your favorite seat), a chance to reserve seats in advance for Philanthropy Theatre events, selected discounts and invitations to:
• A private reception with one of our celebrity guests.
• The Opening Night VIP screening at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 30 in the Plaza Theatre's Kendle Kidd Performance Hall.
• Your Festival Pass will also bring you discounts on food and drinks at local eateries Anson 11, Starbucks and TCBY Frozen Yogurt/Mrs. Fields.
• The Plaza Classic Film Festival commemorative poster.
You can order a Festival Pass (or Passes) by clicking on the link on the Tickets & Passes page.
Yes. Feel free to loan your pass to a friend, family member or anyone else who can use it. The Festival Pass is fully transferable and is your ticket for admission (no matter whose neck it's hanging around).
All of our events are conveniently located in El Paso's Downtown Arts District, just a few blocks from the downtown exits from Interstate 10. The majority of movies are scheduled for the Plaza Theatre and the adjacent Philanthropy Theatre. We also have events at the El Paso Public Library, the El Paso Museum of Art, outdoors on Oregon Street near San Jacinto Plaza and on the top floor of the Mills Plaza Parking Garage), and inside the El Paso Community Foundation's Foundation Room, our banquet facility.
There are numerous parking garages within a few blocks of the theater, so can park your car inexpensively and hang out with us all day. The closest are:
• The Mills Plaza Parking Garage on Oregon Street (between Franklin and Main)
• The Convention Center parking garage on Santa Fe Street (between San Antonio and Main)
• The Union Plaza Transit Terminal on San Antonio Street (south of the Convention Center)
• The surface lot between Mesa, Oregon and Main streets (where the Coffee Box is located)
• The Bank of America building at the corner of Mesa and Main streets
Parking prices vary.
Many of the film selections are appropriate for the whole family. Most of the movies we're showing in the Philanthropy Theatre during the day, in fact, were programmed especially for kids and families.
In most cases, we have scheduled films that may not be appropriate for children in later time slots and/or at times when there are other options provided.
Most films have an MPAA rating, though many older films are not rated, which are listed on the schedule in your program (if you're not sure, check). We don't want to impose our own criteria on what you take your family to, but we will be enforcing the rating system and have noted specifically where age restrictions will be applied, mainly to R-rated movies.
We want the Plaza Classic Film Festival to be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for all our attendees and that may mean, in some cases, minors won't be able to attend certain films that contain adult material.
Yes – but we're not baby-sitters. Feel free to bring your appropriately-aged kids down and drop them off. But we do mean "appropriately-aged"! You're the best judge of the maturity of your children, so we'll leave that decision up to you.
Better still, consider the Festival as a great opportunity to take a day off from work and enjoy the last days of summer along with your kids. The air-conditioning is free.
Please note: The Plaza Theatre is an historic landmark and our staff will make sure all attendees respect this remarkable venue.
If you haven't been to the Plaza Theatre before — or at least not in a while — we'd recommend you leave ample time to park your car and enjoy a leisurely stroll to the Plaza. We typically begin seating guests 20 to 30 minutes before show time. Some of our popular evening and weekend shows will be full, so don't be discouraged if you see a long line forming. The Plaza's Kendle Kidd Performance Hall seats 2,050! Once we start letting ticket holders in, it doesn't take long to find a seat.
We do recommend you purchase tickets or Festival Passes as early as possible.
The 13th annual Plaza Classic Film Festival runs July 31-August 9, 2020. Give yourself a little more time to park and walk over on those dates.
Several parking options are listed on this FAQ page.
Festival Pass holders will have an Express line, but we still recommend getting here a little early to insure your favorite seat is available.
Yes and no. Feel free to eat and drink all you want outside the Plaza Theatre and in the entrance hall, but there is no eating allowed inside the theater — please don't test our ushers by sneaking food in. The Plaza Theatre, which opened in 1930 and was restored in 2006, is a regional treasure that has undergone a $38 million dollar restoration, expansion and certification as an historic landmark. Please respect the theater and all of its spaces so that we can all enjoy the Plaza for many years to come.
The theater does offer a selection of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages at the bar near the MacGuire Hall entrance. They are served in covered, Broadway-style cups that you may take into the auditorium.
If you'd like to eat or enjoy a libation prior to a screening or unwind with friends after, try Anson 11, Starbucks or TCBY Yogurt/Mrs. Fields Cookies inside the Mills Building next door, Cafe Central (behind the Plaza Hotel) or other nearby establishments.
See our Accommodations page for a list of restaurants and bars in the immediate vicinity. We encourage Festival attendees to enjoy a meal between films at one of the growing list of eateries in the area.
Anywhere you like (except in the theaters). We encourage all Festival attendees to watch multiple movies and enjoy a snack, lunch or dinner at one of the many restaurants and bars in the area. Check out the Accommodations page for a few ideas.
Absolutely. During the course of the Festival, our wonderful team of volunteer organists will be performing on the restored Wyler Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ before each film screening in the Plaza Theatre, and off and on during the free Plaza Days programs in the Festival. We are fortunate to have the Plaza's original, rare and fully restored theatrical organ, so come early and enjoy some great music on the Plaza's Mighty Wurlitzer.
And don't miss master organist Walter Strony when he returns to the PCFF to accompany a silent movie.
Right next door to the Plaza Theatre. The Philanthropy Theatre is a state-of-the-art digital cinema that is in the Plaza Theatre Annex, part of the Plaza Theatre complex. It's on the second floor, above the box office. The Philanthropy Theatre's entrance is located between the Plaza Box Office and the Plaza Theatre's main entrance just under the marquee. The Philanthropy Theatre seats 191 people and has the latest in high-definition projection.
We'll show a mixture of children's movies, foreign films, documentaries and movies with local connections there.
Yes and no. Since we are the world's largest classic film festival, we try to show 35mm film prints of many of the titles scheduled for the Plaza Theatre's Kendle Kidd Performance Hall. We've worked hard to procure the best available film prints of each title and we're pleased that the major Hollywood studios have provided us with mostly archival film prints when possible. But a number of the screenings will take advantage of newly produced, digitally restored versions of our favorite classics (a new 4K digital projection system was installed in 2018). These will be noted in the program and on the website.
In the Philanthropy Theatre, the El Paso Museum of Art auditorium, the El Paso Public Library and the Foundation Room, we will present digital screenings of all titles listed for these venues.
The outdoor films also will be digital screenings.
We hope to have some surpluses from the Festival, but this is a non-profit event and a special project of the El Paso Community Foundation. Most of the Festival staff are volunteers and the El Paso Community Foundation devotes enormous resources and expertise to making the Plaza Classic a success. Any surpluses the Festival may generate go directly to the Plaza Classic Film Fund, which is managed by the El Paso Community Foundation. Your support of the festival (through sponsorships, donations, and ticket purchases) will help insure there are more Plaza Classic Film Festivals in the future.
Remember, all donations, underwriting and sponsorships are tax-deductible! Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or 915-533-4020 if you'd like to make a contribution. Any time!
We are accepting contributions and underwriting support for the Festival.
If you'd like to help sponsor a film or event, please contact us through the Contact page, email us at email@example.com or call the El Paso Community Foundation at 915-533-4020.
Absolutely! We will celebrate our 13th year from July 30-August 9, 2020.The Plaza Classic Film Festival is the world's largest festival devoted to classic cinema. With your help, we hope to keep the Festival growing for years to come. So invite your out-of-town friends as well.
Sure. But be forewarned: we're showing some of the greatest films ever made — in the region's finest cinema venue. Don't be surprised if some features are sold out prior to show time, or if there are long lines at the box office. The best way to guarantee admission is to buy your tickets early! You can get them at the box office, Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, or the Ticketmaster app.
There are no service charges when you purchase tickets at the Plaza Theatre box office; there are service charges when you buy them online, by phone, mobile app or at other locations.
Festival Passes are available by clicking the link on the Tickets & Passes tab or calling 915-533-4020.
Sign-up for our newsletter, like us on Facebook, follow us Twitter, monitor media coverage and keep watching this site. From time to time we'll send out reminders and e-announcements to our mailing list to keep you informed of the latest news about the Plaza Classic.
Absolutely, and we can help coordinate ticket sales for groups of 15 or more. Just call the El Paso Community Foundation at 915-533-4020, go to the Contact page (preferably before the Festival begins) or inquire at the Plaza Theatre's box office.
Oh yeah. Feel free to explore the entire range of seating options in the Plaza Theatre, including the balcony. We suggest you sit in different seats for each feature presentation so you can check out the wide range of perspectives the Plaza offers. The screen is huge, so you'll get quite a view wherever you sit. Experiment.
It's 44 feet wide! It's also mounted on an armature so we can store it, intact, in the Plaza's huge fly loft.
Because 11 days and 90 titles seems like a lot of time and space to play all our favorite films – it's not. We think we've done a pretty good job of programming a diverse list of important and classic films, but there's still plenty of great titles for next year (and the year after, and the year after…).
Some did, some didn't, some we're not sure about. A complete list of all the films that played at the Plaza doesn't exist. The Plaza opened as a first-run movie palace in 1930 and closed in the '70s. The Exorcist was one of the last first-run commercial movies to play there, so few titles released after that would have been seen there — until now.
Nope, don't even think about bringing your 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-year old etc. As you'll see in the Schedule, we may have a few adult-oriented features for which minors are specifically excluded from attending. Also, late show R-rated films will be monitored for compliance with standard MPAA rating guidelines. We ask you use good judgment in what your child should see and how their attendance may impact the enjoyment of others in the theater.


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The National Women's Hockey League announced their 2017 Award Winners on Tuesday afternoon across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
New York Riveters netminder, Katie Fitzgerald was named as the NWHL's 2017 Top Goaltender. The award was voted on by members of the NWHL press association.
Riveters captain, Ashley Johnston was selected as the winner of the Denna Laing Award. The award is presented to the player that best represents the qualities of sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to her sport. The recipient of the Denna Laing Award is chosen by the NWHL Players Association.
The newest award, which was put in to give fans a chance to nominate their favorite players was the NWHL Fans' Three Stars Award. Rebecca Russo, of the Riveters, joins Harrison Browne, of the Buffalo Beauts and Anya Battaglino, of the Connecticut Whale as the players selected through the 8,000 fan votes.
Battaglino said, "To be selected alongside two of the leagues brightest stars, Harrison and Rebecca, is such an honor. They are both such amazing pioneers and have done so much to move our sport forward and develop deep connections with our fans."
She added, "The fans are the lifeblood of the NWHL and their support is the reason why we are able to chase our dreams. Thank you for all of the love, the support and the fun. The league is made better every single day and I could not imagine this journey without them."
The NWHL Foundation Award which is presented to the players who best apply the core values of hockey to her community, while helping to grow the game and improving the hockey culture was voted on by the general managers for the four teams. The 2017 recipients of the award were; Michelle Picard, of the Riveters, Elena Orlando, of the Whale, Kelsey Neumann, of the Beauts and Alyssa Gagliardi of the Boston Pride.
The Most Valuable Player for 2017 went to Brianna Decker of the Pride. The NWHLPA also selected the player they felt was most deserving of the MVP for the 2016-2017 season. The Best Defender went to Megan Bozek of the Beauts. The members of the NWHL media were given the opportunity to vote on the top defensive player in the league.
By putting up the best record during the regular season, the Pride also were named the Regular Season Champions. The Pride had not lost a game since January of 2016, until the Riveters ended the streak on the final day of the regular season, this past Sunday at the Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey.
The NWHL Playoffs will face-off on Thursday and Friday night, March 16 and 17. The Pride will host the Whale at the Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday and the Riveters will be the home team against the Beauts on Friday at the Barnabas Health Hockey House. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 PM faceoffs.
The Isobel Cup Final will take place on Sunday March 19 at the Paul E. Tsongas Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell with the winners from both semi-final matchups. Faceoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM. Ticket information can be found at www.nwhl.zone/tickets.
Chip Gianni
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- Metropolitan Riveters Re-Sign MVP Alexa Gruschow - September 12, 2018


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So I want to get into making videos regularly again. What's the best thing to do? A quick video about some PlayStation on Campus stuff.
A hat, some sunglasses, a bottle opener, and some voucher codes I'll probably forget about until years from now. Still, an interesting trip that's worth talking about.
So, the PlayStation truck rolled into town and set up their wares at Portland State University for avid gamers and anyone interesting. It was outside originally, but took place inside a small room when I went. It wasn't hard to find the place once I knew where the truck was.
Once I got in, I got to see some of the games on display. Some of them were the commonplace PlayStation ones like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but also recent games like God of War: Ascension, MLB 13 The Show and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, as well as some PlayStation Vita stuff off in the corner. I tried some God of War (it was okay) and PlayStation All-Stars (which is still Super Smash Bros but with 1-2 PlayStation characters and a bunch of characters from third party companies to fill the roster).
One challenge they had there was to beat 18 home runs in MLB The Show's Home Run Derby. Beating it won a PlayStation headset. I didn't tackle the challenge, because someone had already beaten it with 21. Unless they had multiple headsets, the chance of winning a prize made things pointless.
How I got the stuff was interesting: I found the sunglasses loose on the Vita table, the hat was given to me after I checked in to the event on Facebook, and the rest… well, you were supposed to enter a contest to win a PS3 or something for your campus, but since I haven't gone to college since 2010, I just smuggled them out. I'd feel regrets for stealing, but these are the kind of things that you have a whole bunch of in a plastic container or in the truck — taking these wasn't going to be the end of the world to them. I probably wouldn't do it again, that's for sure.
But enough about that. I wanna try to do these Trinket videos every weekend or so, and I already have next week's lined up. Here's a hint: It's related to a franchise I mentioned on this blog, and it's not PlayStation All-Stars.


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Discussion - Coming Election in Bihar ContestHi BSers,
As you know that Bihar is, presently, growing very rapidly, the coming election may decide the growth of Bihar in coming years. The present growth rate of Bihar is 11%, which is next to the growth rate of Gujarat. It is really a good thing for that Bihar which was thought as the most corrupted and criminal belt area, few years ago.
Mr. Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, is dedicated himself for the infra-structural developments in Bihar, as could as possible.
At the same time Rahul Gandhi visited to Bihar. The Congress Party has decided to select Young Politicians from Bihar who can make election in favour of the Congress.
There is less but have a good chance for RJD of Lalu Prashad Yadav.
So, discuss on below points and win attractive cash credits :.
1. What would you think on coming election in Bihar? Result of coming election may have an affect on future growth in Bihar? Present rate of growth will be maintained in coming days?
2. Which Party win the election and why? Discuss.
3. Nitish Kumar as a Chief Minister is better for Bihar or not? Discuss.
4. If you are allowed for voting, then you will give vote to which Party? Why you choose that particular Party? Discuss.
Prepare a complete descriptions on the above points and post them under Resource section.
Participate in contest at Biharspider:
Get extra cash credits on your Resources


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People 6-12-09
***Photo only here***
CAPTAINS OF THE GALA – Members of the American Cancer Society's Cape Cod Sails of Hope Spinnaker Gala committee get together before a long summer of planning the Sept. 12 event. Back row, left to right: Cherie Nixon, Chatham; Alice O'Neill, Centerville; Michelle Fairbanks, Centerville; Deb Gengras, Brewster. Front row, left to right: Charlotte Murphy, East Dennis; Elaine Fialky, East Dennis; Gary Longtine, Hyannis; Ann Rascati, Barnstable. For information on tickets for the gala, contact Judy Whalen at 508-775-4161 ext. 205.
One sweet Scouting achievement
Girl Scouts Caitlynne Dawson and Lianna Mitchell, both of Barnstable troops, sold more than 500 boxes of cookies this year and were recognized by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts for their efforts.
Sons make Barnstable families proud
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James E. Canon, son of Christine and James Canon of Centerville, reported for duty with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 of the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
Navy Seaman Recruit Kassio Coutinho, son of Aparecida Desouza and Thomas Bayuk of Hyannis, recently competed basic training at Recruit Training command in Great Lakes, Ill.
BMS students recognized by state educators
Barnstable Middle School students Sara Pipe-Mazo and Jake Donehey were recently recognized as Middle Level Scholar Leaders at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middle Level Educators' banquet. Students who receive the award are recognized for academic initiative, service, positive attitude and demonstrating leadership.
Osterville daughter returns from Kenya
Jennie Silvia, daughter of Kathy and Ronald Silvia, is returning home from humanitarian work in Kenya. The doctoral student worked on the AIDS/HIV crisis in the African country. She'll discuss her experiences during a talk at United Methodist Church on June 14.
He's filming a bright future
Michael McGuirk, a Barnstable High School alumnus from Cotuit, recently graduated form Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor's degree in film and video.
UMass Dartmouth's Barnstable graduates
The following Barnstable residents recently graduated from UMass Dartmouth:
Centerville: Michael Cunningham; Mellissa Jean Morris, summa cum laude; Sarah Richardson, magna cum laude; Cotuit: Christopher Seguin; Hyannis: Marguerite Donley, magna cum laude; Christopher Gaspard, cum laude; Peter Rubino; Osterville: Elizabeth Kuzyk; West Barnstable: Sarah Comolli, magna cum laude; Tyler Manni.
Sturgis student wins Rotary Club scholarship
Emma Haselton, daughter of Lee Haselton of West Barnstable, recently received the Frank H. Appleton Scholarship from the Rotary Club of Osterville for her dedication to service. The scholarship will aid Haselton with $4,000 over four years. The Sturgis Charter School senior, who plans to attend Cape Cod Community College in the fall, was editor of the Sturgis Stormwatch, editor of the yearbook and is a medal-winner in English dancing. She was recognized with the Alice B. O'Neil Humanitarian Award form Champ Homes and is a deacon at West Parish Church of West Barnstable, among other accolades and activities.
OGC supports college-bound green thumbs
The Osterville Garden Club recently awarded four $1,000 scholarships to Cape Cod students, including Jordan Bonino and Joshua Jones, Barnstable High School; Morgan Grenier, Sturgis Charter School; and Allie Sparre, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School.
Mills student honored with "Believe and Achieve"
Toni Alongi, a graduating Barnstable High School student, has been awarded a $1,000 Cumberland Farms "Believe and Achieve" scholarship. She plans to attend Providence College to study education.
Saint Michael's dean's list honorees
The following Saint Michael's College students were named to the dean's list for the spring 2009 semester: Samantha Hidy, daughter of Miklos and Mary Ann Hidy of Barnstable; Brianna Murphy, daughter of M. Christopher and Martha Murphy of Centerville; Daniel Robbins, son of William and Mary Robbins of Centerville; and Timothy Fenney, son of William and Mary Fenney of West Barnstable.
Bates is a winner at Becker College
Lisa Bates of Centerville recently made the dean's list for the Becker College 2008-2009 academic year.
Championing green efforts
Champ Homes is accepting nominations for its fourth annual Fragile Earth Awards, given to individuals and groups who take action to protect the environment. Awards will be presented this summer at Champ Homes' new Community Solar Pavilion. Nominations can be sent to email@example.com or Mary Hebert, Fragile Earth Awards, 82 School St., Hyannis, MA, 02601. For information call Hebert at 508-771-1470. Nominations are due by June 15.


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If you have ever called into a telephone customer service line for help with a product, most likely the person on the other end was having their performance measured by a series of metrics that included how fast they resolved your problem or simply finished the call, how accurately they entered data related to your call, if they were able to up-sell you to another product or the response time after your call hit the queue. In many cases, your call would have been recorded and a supervisor would have later listened to the recording, using an evaluation form, and notated how many criteria were achieved.
Most customer-facing jobs include a set of metrics which allow management to measure performance, reduce overhead by minimizing repeat calls, evaluate customer satisfaction and minimize the percentage of customers who might jump ship and defect to competitors. While the experience of many customers is that they wait on endless hold, get a snarky person on the phone or end the call with no resolution, the fact remains that metrics are widely used in call centers.
Evaluating costs and performance, using a predetermined set of criteria, is a common practice and it allows management to determine who might qualify for a pay raise, promotion or dismissal. It is also a way to find ways to remain within a budget and measure the effectiveness of current procedures. In the end, it's about getting better; improving.
This notion of constantly improving, running a tight ship and providing a cost-effective product has not escaped the biomed world. Someone, somewhere is always evaluating how efficiently things are getting done and how well medical equipment is maintained and repaired, utilizing various criteria for measurement.
"CE /HTM departments mostly just do their jobs. The good departments know the importance of the hospital doing well financially so they are very aware of the cost of running their department. These departments run their operation like a business," says Frank R. Painter, MS, CCE, assistant professor and Clinical Engineering program director in the Biomedical Engineering Department in the School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut.
"This is what separates the mediocre operations from the very good operations," he says. "So to run like a business you need to know how much it costs you to provide services to those you work for. This is a simple calculation, but few do it."
Painter points out that this calculation consists of the total cost of running the CE department for a year – salaries, benefits, supplies, space, utilities, etcetera – divided by the number of hours of service the department is able to provide to its customers in a year.
"This will come out somewhere in the range of $75 to $120," he continues. "If you know this, you can then calculate the cost of providing services to a particular department and compare yourself to other providers (GE, Aramark, Sodexo, etcetera). This is a valuable benchmarking metric but is also a useful number needed to run like a business."
"Historically, clinical engineering programs have tracked such metrics as PM completion rate; percentage of scheduled inspections completed on time; number of device failures; number of equipment problems found to be 'use' related (i.e., operator error); service response time; and "cost-of-service ratio (COSR)," says Dave Dickey, CHE, CCE, corporate director of Clinical Engineering for McLaren Health Care in Flint, Michigan.
"Do any of these metrics have anything to do with measuring 'efficiency or success?' Perhaps, but most likely, they do not," he says. "Efficiency of a CE program could perhaps be quantified by measuring the degree to which a desired outcome was achieved with the least effort."
"I guess this was more relevant long ago, where the focus was on doing electrical safety tests, as a driver to prove that a PM was done comes into play. We got really high numbers, with little work effort involved with pushing that little 'lift ground' button. Cranked out 50 inspections in a day. Does this mean our program was efficient," Dickey asks?
Dickey questions if success can be quantified by the degree to which goals are obtained. He asks if doing 100 percent of scheduled inspections mean you have a successful program?
"Perhaps, but what if 10 percent of your inspections actually induced post inspection failures of the equipment tested, due to improper maintenance being done (i.e., put it back together incorrectly)," he says
"Hitting a financial target could also mean you were successful in meeting the goal, but what if this was achieved by spending far too much time on equipment repairs, say, taking three days to fix equipment using in-house staff or used parts that were DOA, as opposed to biting the bullet and calling in the vendor, who may have had the device repaired in half the time? You may have saved some cash, but to what expense," Dickey adds.
Dickey also says that some metrics, which are commonly used, may not have an even application across different institutions and programs.
"Also, cost-of-service ratio, while I believe is a great benchmark for tracking year to year trends; to identify overall financial cost of equipment ownership trends; and to support the annual budgeting exercise, is not a good benchmark to use from one hospital to another, since it is highly dependent on equipment type; what's included in your program; and purchase cost," he says.
"However, I do suspect it is quite useful when comparing in-house versus outsourced program options, assuming you have an apples to apples comparison of program inclusions (example; an in-house program may cover abuse related repairs, whereas an outsourced program may not). Another thing to watch for, when attempting to benchmark cost-of-service ratio, relates to equipment types covered. For example, our program includes costs for surgical instrument sharpening, power equipment, rigid and flex scopes; linear accelerators and some image management systems, whereas another HTM programs may not," Dickey adds.
The variability in the cost-of-service metric is one reason that other approaches are utilized as well according to Benjamin Lewis, MBA, CHTM, director of Clinical Engineering GA/FL for Novant Health Inc.
"Because of our close relationship with our supply chain, we are still able to calculate our cost-of-service ratio. However, this is a difficult metric to capture and can also be somewhat fluid," Lewis says. "There are other ways to measure and track your performance. The depth and meaningfulness of these key performance indicators are only limited by the data you accurately track in your CMMS."
Lewis says that some of these other key performance indicators (KPIs) include: "Parts Cost Savings: The difference in OEM and third-party parts costs. Success in this metric will be based on your organization's savings versus spend trend over time."
Another KPI he cites is: "Contractual Cost Savings: The reduction of contract spend by bringing contracts in-house or negotiation of a reduction in existing spend."
He also lists Contractual Cost Avoidance; the cost savings from the avoidance of contracts due to in-house maintenance along with Actual Cost versus Budgeted Cost, which is the ratio of actual cost to budgeted cost.
"CE expenditures can vary due to maintenance needs like tubes and detectors, but the goal is to be, at or below, budget by five percent. The goal is not to pad your budget but not to go over," he adds.
Tried and True
"Cost-of-service ratio is an excellent financial benchmark," Painter says. "It tells your cost of doing business – running your HTM operation – but it is then 'normalized' so you can compare yourself to others of different size or capability."
"The normalization factor is the purchase price of the inventory you support. So if you are relatively small, or very large, if you support imaging or you just do general biomedical equipment, the total cost of the inventory you support will be the factor which helps us all to compare ourselves to each other. The problem is that only in the last five years or so have many CE departments been aware that there is value in collecting acquisition cost," Painter adds.
"Prior to that, most had little or no data about the cost of the inventory; but to properly calculate COSR we need the data. The mediocre departments, or the departments which have been squeezed by administration and are short staffed are not able to do the research to find or estimate these important numbers. So you can see that it is a mad cycle. If you don't have the ability to collect the data, then you won't get the metrics which will show how well you are doing," Painter says.
Painter, Baretich and Ted Cohen co-authored a 2015 guide to benchmarking published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) called the "HTM Benchmarking Guide; Why Benchmarking Matters, and How You Can Do It." The guide provides examples from AAMI's web-based "Benchmarking Solutions" platform.
The guide helps in establishing some degree of standardization, as well as covering a case study and reasons for benchmarking.
"My experience as one of the subject matter experts for the AAMI Benchmarking program is that COSR is increasingly recognized as a fundamental performance metric for HTM," says Matt Baretich, P.E., Ph.D, president of Baretich Engineering, Inc. in Fort Collins, Colorado. "That's certainly the case among my consulting clients and the professional colleagues I communicate with."
Baretich says that the challenge is that many HTM programs do not have data for the dollar value of the equipment they manage. Since the objective of performance monitoring and benchmarking is performance improvement, he recommends that one of the first performance improvement initiatives is to get the data.
"That means working with Finance to make sure that HTM routinely gets cost data on all new purchases. For existing equipment, I recommend making good estimates and focusing first on high-value equipment such as imaging devices and systems," Baretich says.
Setting the Bar
Painter differentiates between completing regularly assigned tasks and making measurable incremental improvements.
"The metric 'PM completed' is not a metric anyone should consider to be a performance improvement benchmark. It is a basic requirement of the CE department to get these things done as required by TJC," he points out.
"Following them is good, as it will help you keep your job, but it cannot be considered a performance improvement metric. You either get them done or you're toast," he adds.
"Related to performance improvement, there are two types of benchmarking. Benchmarking against yourself and trying to continuously improve your own performance," Painter says. "This is the purest form of benchmarking and if done carefully and with eyes wide open, it can result in good forward progress in supporting your hospital's healthcare technology."
"The other method is to benchmark yourself against others. We do this to 'keep up with the Jones' or as a self-defense measure to show your boss you are in the ballpark and are worth investing in," he adds.
Quality work equals devices that run smoothly and with fewer disruptions. Tracking data accurately can provide additional benefits.
"In addition to quantitative metrics, qualitative metrics also allow us to increase cost savings through performing alternative equipment maintenance on some equipment that meets the parameters for being part of our AEM program, excluding imaging and laser equipment," Lewis says.
"Through proper work order tracking and accurate data pulled from our CMMS, we can study metrics like time between failure and total corrective maintenance work orders for a specific model of equipment over a period of time which enables us to make informed decisions on maintenance intervals and procedures."
The Next Evolution
Finally, much in the way CMS holds a measuring stick up to a health care provider with its own set of metrics, the approach spills over into the HTM department.
"At McLaren Health Care, we are launching a new set of metrics which will allow us to track quality and effectiveness of our medical equipment management program, which I believe are more appropriate for demonstrating an HTM program's value to the health care organization," Dickey says.
"The focus here is to determine how our work affects (1) patient care outcomes, and (2) impact on patient's length of stay. While focusing on these metrics is somewhat new, and a 'works in process,' the reality is that, so long as the inspection agencies keep asking about PM completions, our industry will continue to measure, report, brag and/or, hide from what these values, these numbers actually reflect; which is, not much," he concludes.
When a call comes into a call center, a well-prepared customer service agent can provide the right answer and send the customer happily on their way. When medical equipment is up and running, a patient, who came in through the ER, may be able to get back home before the sun goes down. A measure of success in achieving these things goes a long way.
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By officially committing to inflation targeting through the signing of a monetary policy agreement between the finance ministry and the RBI, India has joined 28 other countries in explicitly fixing goals for annual increases in the consumer price index (CPI) and pinning responsibility on the central bank for achieving them.
Interestingly, among the now 29 countries, India has the lowest per capita income. While there are as many as 13 in the list with nominal per capita incomes below $10,000 a year, India's, at $1,509 (IMF data for 2013), is lower than even that of the Philippines ($2,790) and Ghana ($1,871). But that isn't the sole factor that makes India's adoption of inflation targeting, underpinned by a formal legal framework, rather unique.
Unlike in other countries, India's CPI has very high weightage for food and non-alcoholic beverages (FNB) — 45.86 per cent in the new 2012-base combined index. The FNB contribution to the CPI is lower even for Ghana (43.48), the Philippines (38.98), Thailand (33.48), Brazil (24.6) and South Africa (17.5), not to speak of New Zealand (18.84), Canada (16.4) or the UK (11.2).
The monetary policy framework, signed on February 20 and made public on Monday, obliges the RBI to contain CPI inflation under 6 per cent by January 2016, while fixing it at 4 per cent (subject to a plus/ minus 2 per cent band) for 2016-17 "and all subsequent years".
While 6 per cent or less seems quite feasible for the moment, the question to ask is how the targets are going to be met on a sustained basis. CPI inflation averaged 10.19 per cent in 2012-13 and 9.49 per cent in 2013-14. Food inflation averaged higher, at over 12 per cent, during these two years. Since October, though, overall CPI inflation has fallen to an average of 5 per cent. Average CPI food inflation has been even lower, at 4.9 per cent, during the four months ended January.
It follows from this that CPI inflation is significantly tied to food inflation. Given the latter's high weightage in the CPI, the success of inflation targeting in India is predicated on what happens to food prices. The general declining trend in inflation from July, accelerating since October, has had mainly to do with food and fuel. In both cases, external factors — sliding global oil and farm commodity prices — and not the RBI's monetary policy have been crucial.
Monetary tightening has, no doubt, worked in controlling "core" manufacturing inflation — although, in the process, it has inflicted collateral damage in the form of a longer than necessary slowdown. We are now beginning to see some loosening of policy, thanks to receding inflationary pressures, in which high repo rates have, however, played a minimal part.
Now, we don't know when these external factors may turn unfavourable — be it on account of geopolitics or extreme weather events — and push up CPI inflation all over again, simply by virtue of food's large share in the index.
Does it make sense at all, then, to target inflation — that too at the retail end — while blaming the RBI for overshooting? The framework agreement, in fact, requires the RBI to give "reasons for its failure" to meet the targets and also propose "remedial actions". Such actions will obviously mean hiking repo rates, even when we know these would make no difference to onion or tomato prices.
While inflation targeting has some rationale in advanced economies, where food's contribution to the CPI and consumption expenditures is barely 20 per cent, and agricultural markets are far more organised, there is an inherent danger of it creating an anti-farmer policy bias in a country like India. Can one make rational projections of food inflation here? Considering the sheer unpredictability of such an exercise, wouldn't the rigid commitment to CPI inflation targets naturally predispose policymakers towards freezing minimum support prices, imposing restrictions on farm exports on the slightest pretext and opening up to duty-free imports with or without the WTO?
Any policy that ultimately affects the incomes and livelihoods of large sections of the population should be debated and approved by Parliament first. It is fair to believe that targeting CPI inflation has the potential to impact the country's 300 million-plus farming population. One wouldn't debate the issue much if the RBI were to target only "core" CPI inflation that strips out the volatile food and fuel components.
There are, of course, many who would see a discussion on the country's monetary policy framework by elected people's representatives as gravely threatening the central bank's autonomy. They should be reminded that it is the same Parliament that passed the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to institutionalise governmental financial discipline during the tenure of the last NDA regime. Subsequently, most state assemblies followed suit in enacting their own versions of the same legislation.
Let's trust our politicians to make similar informed judgements on inflation targeting.
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