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Cover of the hardcover first edition, featuring an analemma behind the author's name
|Neal Stephenson
|United States
|Science fiction
|William Morrow and Company
Publication date
|Media type
|Print (hardback)
|Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2009)
|978-0-06-147409-5 (first edition, hardback)
0-06-147410-X (mass market paperback)
|813/.54 22
|LC Class
Anathem is a science fiction novel by American writer Neal Stephenson, published in 2008. Major themes include the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and the philosophical debate between Platonic realism and nominalism.
Plot summary[edit]
Anathem is set on and around the fictional planet Arbre. Thousands of years before the events in the novel, the planet's intellectuals entered concents (monastic communities) to protect their activities from the collapse of society. The avout (intellectuals separated from Sæcular society) retain extremely limited access to tools and are banned from possessing or operating most advanced technology and are supervised by the Inquisition, which answers to the outside world. The avout are allowed to communicate with people outside the walls of the concent only once every year, decade, century, or millennium, depending on the particular vows they have taken.
The narrator and protagonist, Fraa Erasmas, is an avout at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. His primary teacher, Fraa Orolo, discovers that an alien spacecraft is orbiting Arbre – a fact that the Sæcular Power attempts to cover up. Orolo secretly observes the alien ship with a video camera, technology that is prohibited for the avout. Erasmas becomes aware of the content of Orolo's research after Orolo is banished (in a rite called Anathem) from the Mathic World for his possession and use of proscribed technology within the concent. But the presence of the alien ship soon becomes an open secret among many of the avout at St. Edhar. The alien ship eventually declares its presence by shining a laser upon the Millenarian Math of Saunt Edhar, the bastion of those avout who have taken a thousand-year vow not to interact with the outside world. Shortly after that, the Sæcular Power evoke (call forth) many avout from Saunt Edhar, including Erasmas, as well as one Millenarian – Fraa Jad.
Erasmas and several companions, on Fraa Jad's suggestion, decide to seek out Orolo. After a dangerous journey over the planet's frozen pole, undertaken to reach another continent without passing through national borders, Erasmas and his comrades eventually arrive at a concent-like establishment called Orithena – which is on the site of the ancient source of the Mathic world – where they reunite with the no-longer Fraa Orolo (he being Anathematized). Orolo holds discussions with Erasmas about the nature of the cosmos and consciousness, and how he believes that the aliens are not simply from another planet, but from another cosmos that is influenced by Arbre. During the discussions between Orolo and Erasmas, a small spacecraft lands in Orithena, on the very site of the ancient Mathic world's Analemma, which is visible from space. A female alien is on board, but dead of a recent gunshot wound. She has brought with her four vials of blood – presumably that of the aliens – and much evidence about their technology. Shortly thereafter, the aliens propel a massive metal rod at a nearby volcano, triggering an eruption that destroys Orithena. Orolo sacrifices his life to ensure the safety of the dead alien's remains and her blood samples, an event that leads to his canonization as Saunt Orolo.
Erasmas then travels to the concent of Saunt Tredegarh – where he was expected to have gone when evoked – to attend the Convox. This is a joint conference of the avout and the Sæcular Power, dedicated to dealing with the military, political, and technical issues raised by the existence of the alien ship in Arbre's orbit. Tredegarh is where the Sæcular Power had brought the evoked avout of Saunt Edhar and from many other concents from all around the world to work on methods of interpreting the limited information regarding the alien spacecraft, as well as investigating possible military options. Much research is done on the samples Orolo sacrificed his life to save, and the aliens are found to come from planets in four parallel and distinct cosmos: Urnud, Tro, Laterre and Fthos. The multiple-worlds interpretation of the cosmos is discussed in great detail by the high-level avout at successive evening meals to which Erasmas performs the duties of a servant. In this section of the novel, it slowly becomes plain that Laterre is our own Earth, which serves as a 'higher plane of existence' for Urnud and Tro, and Arbre is itself a 'higher plane' for Laterre. Through observation and experiment, Erasmas and his companions determine that the conference is infiltrated by the aliens, and unmask a French-speaking Laterran linguist by the name of Jules Verne Durand. He explains that the aliens are experiencing internal conflict between two factions. The currently ruling faction (the more militaristic 'lower worlds' Urnud and Tro, as well as some Laterrans) intends to attack and raid Arbre for its resources in order to repair their spaceship, while the opposing faction ('the higher world' Fthos and most Laterrans) favors open negotiation. Jules Durand offers to assist the avout of Arbre in resisting the ruling faction of the aliens, believing that they can bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.
Fearing alien attack after Durand has been exposed, the avout evacuate Saunt Tredegarh and all the other concents on Arbre simultaneously. Erasmas and his comrades are taken to a distant sanctuary, where they receive training for a mission to board the alien ship and disable its weaponry. They are launched into space – on ballistic missiles built for planetary nuclear warfare – unknowingly bringing with them "Everything Killers" (miniaturized Neutron Bombs) that the Sæcular Power intends to use as a last resort should the primary goal of the mission fail. Three people – including Fraa Jad – are issued detonators.
Upon arrival at the alien ship, they are preparing the ship's main weapon. Avout from the Ringing Vale, who dedicate their lives to study of the martial arts and military tactics, head off to destroy the ship's main weapon, ultimately successful, but also perishing in their attack. The narrative now parallelizes (across multiple variations of the multiple cosmos of Arbre) as the avout team boards the ship and pass out from breathing the alien oxygen. In one Narrative, Fraa Jad awakens Erasmas and leads him through the ship toward the command center. Jad opens the accessway to the command center on the first try and, upon being attacked by alien soldiers, triggers the Everything Killers killing himself, Erasmas and everyone in that area. The Narrative immediately jumps back to the same accessway but this time Jad doesn't guess the lock code, and instead the soldiers take them captive and bring them to parley with the leader of peaceful faction, where it emerges that the Millenarian avout of hundreds of years in the past may have used their "incanting" powers to summon the ship to their cosmos from another universe.
In the final Narrative (the one that continues forward) Erasmas awakens in a hospital on the starship to the perplexing news that Fraa Jad had died immediately after their launch, contradicting his obvious presence and Erasmas' memories up to that point. It remains unclear which (or how many) of these contradictory narratives is real, and what may have happened in different worldtracks that have crossed and overlapped. However, Fraa Jad had hinted that the Incanters (and possibly Rhetors) were capable of operating simultaneously in parallel universes, so Jad is likely to have survived in other versions of the world.
Erasmas learns that the aliens have brought up a delegation of diplomats from Arbre. A funeral ceremony for those lost on both sides of the attack forms part of the signing of a peace treaty between the aliens and the Arbrans. On Arbre itself, the Sæcular Powers and the avout have agreed to cooperate as equal powers. The people of Arbre inaugurate a second "Reconstitution", revising many of the rules that had restricted the work and lifestyle of the avout. Erasmas and friends set about the task of building a new concent, dedicated to Saunt Orolo.
The "Discipline"[edit]
In the novel, avout follow a life path called the Discipline, sometimes referred to as Cartasian Discipline, after Saunt Cartas, the founder of the mathic world. It is a set of rules governing what is (and is not) allowed for avout to know and/or do, and was codified centuries before the time of the story in the Second New Revised Book of Discipline.
Chief among these is that the avout are separated, both mentally and literally, from the Sæculum, or outside world. There are different levels of separation. For example, within a concent, there are different terms of residency. There are 1-, 10-, 100-, and 1,000-year orders. Each of these celebrates "Apert", a festival opening the concent to the outside world and allowing the flow of information between them, on an interval determined by that number. For example, a 10-year order would celebrate Apert once every ten years, remaining isolated otherwise. Likewise, a 100-year order would only celebrate Apert every hundred years, and a 1,000-year order once every 1,000 years. It is an essential part of this that at any time an order celebrates Apert, all orders below it also celebrate Apert. For example, a Millenarian (1,000-year) order would celebrate in the year 3000. Because 3000 is also a multiple of 100, 10, and 1, Centenarian, Decenarian, and Unarian orders would also celebrate. Exceptions to this rule include "hierarchs" (those who administer the concent) who are required to confer with the Sæcular Power on decisions of weight.
The main secondary aspect of the Discipline is that the avout are allowed to own only their "bolt, chord, and sphere". These objects are made with "newmatter" (matter made with a modified atomic structure to be more versatile), and can be made to alter their shape, texture and other physical properties without the use of tools or other outside technologies. The bolt is a length of newmatter fabric and is used as clothing; the chord is a newmatter rope used to secure the bolt; and the sphere is a newmatter balloon of adjustable size, shape and hardness, and serves as a multipurpose tool.
There are several restrictions governing, for example, the use of "sequencing" (genetic engineering), "syntactic devices" (computers), or other "praxis" (technology). Due to the restrictions, avout can only work on an entirely theoretical basis de jure.
Philosophical and scientific content and influences[edit]
Large portions of the book involve detailed discussions of mathematics, physics, and philosophy. Most of these discussions use fictional Arbran terminology, but treat ideas from actual science and philosophy. Stephenson acknowledges the work of author Julian Barbour as the source for much of this material.[1]
A major theme of the novel is the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics based on a directed acyclic graph, which accounts for the various "worldtracks" and "narratives" explored by Fraa Orolo and manipulated by Fraa Jad.[1] Another major theme is the recurring philosophical debate between characters espousing mathematical Platonic realism (called "Halikaarnians" in the novel and associated with Incanters) and characters espousing nominalism (called "Procians" in the novel and who are the Rhetors).
Stephenson cites the work of Roger Penrose as a major influence on the novel. Specific ideas from Penrose's work include: the idea that the human mind operates in certain fundamental ways as a quantum computer, espoused in Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind; Platonic realism as a philosophical basis for works of fiction, as in stories from Penrose's The Road to Reality; and the theory of aperiodic tilings, which appear in the Teglon puzzle in the novel.[1] Stephenson also cites as an influence the works of Kurt Gödel and Edmund Husserl, both of whom the character Durand mentions by name in the novel.[1]
Much of the Geometers' technology seen in the novel reflects existing scientific concepts. The alien ship moves by means of nuclear pulse propulsion.
As an appendix to the novel, Stephenson includes three "Calca", discussions among the avout of purely philosophical or mathematical content. The first is a discussion of a cake-cutting procedure corresponding to the geometric problem of "doubling the square" presented in Plato's Meno. The second presents configuration spaces (called "Hemn spaces" in the novel) as a way of representing three-dimensional motion. The third discusses a "complex" Platonic realism, in which several realms of Platonic ideal forms (called the "Hylaean Theoric Worlds" in the novel) exist independently of the physical world (called the "Arbran Causal Domain" in the novel). The mathematical structure of a directed acyclic graph is used to describe the way in which the various realms can influence one other, and even the physical world can function as part of the realm of ideal forms for some worlds "downstream" in the graph.
- Erasmas (nickname "Raz"): The protagonist of Anathem; a Decenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar. The neglected son of slines, he was collected by the concent at the age of eight.
- Orolo: A Decenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar. He is an eminent cosmographer and Erasmas's mentor at the concent, but he's later Thrown Back for using forbidden technology to observe the Geometers in violation of the Discipline's isolation requirements.
- Arsibalt: A Decenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar and one of Erasmas's friends. The estranged son of a Bazian prelate, he seeks to reconcile religion with theorics.
- Lio: A Decenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar and one of Erasmas's friends. He's known as an absent-minded eccentric and is interested in military history, Vale-lore (martial arts), and unusual gardening techniques.
- Jesry: A Decenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar and one of Erasmas's friends. Unlike Erasmas, Jesry comes from a prosperous burger family, and is bored with the routine of mathic life preceding the arrival of the Geometers. He becomes famous for going into space with the Warden of Heaven (a religious leader of the Sæcular Power) to investigate the Geometers' ship.
- Ala: A Decenarian suur from the Concent of Saunt Edhar and later a major organizer of the Convox. Although they disliked each other as children, she and Erasmas become romantically involved in the course of the story.
- Jad: A Millenarian fraa from the Concent of Saunt Edhar. Jad is evoked in the same aut as Erasmas and accompanies him to Bly's Butte in search of Orolo. He later reappears at the Convox.
- Cord: Erasmas' half-sister and a machinesmith who lives extramuros near the Concent of Saunt Edhar. She accompanies Erasmas on his search for Orolo.
- Sammann: An Ita (a social caste of computer experts) from the Concent of Saunt Edhar who accompanies Erasmas on his search for Orolo.
- Yulassetar Crade (nickname "Yul"): An extramuros wilderness guide, member of the expedition to find Orolo.
- Ganelial Crade (nickname "Gnel"): An Counter-Bazian deolater (and Yul's cousin) who volunteers to drive the avout to the Convox, member of the expedition for Orolo
- Jules Verne Durand: An alien linguist who infiltrates the convox to gather information for the Geometers.
The novel was partly inspired by Stephenson's involvement with the Clock of the Long Now project, to which he contributed three pages of sketches and notes.[2][3] A separate compact disc, entitled IOLET: Music from the World of Anathem, containing eight experimental vocal compositions by David Stutz, will be sold separately through CD Baby and the Long Now Foundation, with profits going to The Clock of the Long Now project.[4][5]
To create the world of Arbre, Stephenson constructs new vocabulary. In order to familiarize the reader with the new words, many of which are analogous to English, Latin or Greek words and ideas, he put a glossary at the end of the book. Each chapter begins with a definition of one of these words, which usually relates to the chapter in some way. In addition, the Orth language spoken by the characters was created by Jeremy Bornstein at the author's request,[1] and has been documented.[6] The word anathem was invented by Stephenson, based on the word anthem and the Greek word anathema. In the book, an anathem is a mathic ritual by which one is expelled from the mathic world.
Anathem received mostly positive reviews. Paul Boutin wrote in The Wall Street Journal that "the lasting satisfaction of Anathem derives … from Mr. Stephenson's wry contempt for today's just-Google-it mindset. His prose is dense, but his worldview contagious."[7] On Salon.com, Andrew Leonard described the book as "a page turner and a philosophical argument, an adventure novel and an extended existential meditation, a physics lesson, sermon and ripping good yarn."[8]
Michael Dirda of The Washington Post disagreed, remarking that "Anathem will certainly be admired for its intelligence, ambition, control and ingenuity", but describing it as "fundamentally unoriginal", "grandiose, overwrought and pretty damn dull."[9] The novel entered The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Fiction at number one [10] and achieved the rare distinction for a novel of being reviewed in Nature.[11]
Anathem won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2009 [12] and collected nominations for the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards the same year.[12] In 2008, the novel received a nomination for the British Science Fiction Award.[13]
- ^ a b c d e Neal Stephenson, Clocks, Orreries, etc., acknowledgements for Anathem
- ^ Anathem, By Neal Stephenson – The Long Now
- ^ Long Now: Projects: Clock
- ^ Neal Stephenson's Anathem and Music
- ^ Iolet: The Music of Anathem
- ^ Monastic.org
- ^ Boutin, Paul (September 9, 2008). "Bookshelf: Internet-Free And Glad of It". The Wall Street Journal. pp. A23. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ "Philosophy! Theology! Global catastrophe! Adventure!". September 15, 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ "Michael Dirda on 'Anathem'". Washington Post. September 7, 2008. pp. BW10. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ "Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ^ Book review in nature
- ^ a b "2009 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "2008 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- "But enough about you – Neal Stephenson" – initial blog entry which broke the story
- "Plot of New Neal Stephenson Novel Revealed", io9, March 31, 2008
External links[edit]
|Wikiquote has quotations related to: Anathem
- Anathem on Stephenson's website.
- Anathem at Worlds Without End
- Stephenson discusses Anathem at Google, September 2008


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by Calculated Risk on 10/13/2017 08:38:00 AM
Friday, October 13, 2017
Retail Sales increased 1.6% in September
On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 1.6 percent from August to September(seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.4 percent from September 2016.
From the Census Bureau report:
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for September 2017, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $483.9 billion, an increase of 1.6 percent from the previous month, and 4.4 percent above September 2016. ... The July 2017 to August 2017 percent change was revised from down 0.2 percent to down 0.1 percent.Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline).
Retail sales ex-gasoline were up 1.2% in September.
The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.
Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 3.8% on a YoY basis.
The increase in September was slightly below expectations, however sales in July and August were revised up.
Posted by Calculated Risk on 10/13/2017 08:38:00 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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Our sophisticated spread of hand-picked cheese, premium chorizo, and dried fruit has quickly become a crowd favorite whenever we break it out. Locally made and perfectly creamy, Coach Farm's fig-infused goat cheese sits alongside sweet and nutty Dutch Ewephoria's sheep's-milk gouda (careful with this one — it's addictive). To round out the tasty cheese selection, we added hearty slices of Olli chorizo and sweet, chewy dried apricots. If you want to really impress your guests, we recommend topping things off with a side of our raisin-pecan bread.Plate includes:
Plates and cutlery are not included but are available in our Plates & Utensils category. Platter serving utensils are included.
- Coach Farm fig-infused goat cheese
- Ewephoria sheep's milk gouda
- Olli chorizo
- Dried apricots
- Please note: FreshDirect's kitchen uses eggs, fish, milk, shellfish, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat ingredients.
- Contains Milk
Goat Cheese With Fig (Cultured Pasteurized Goat Milk, Enzyme, Salt, Fig [Figs, Pure Cane Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid]), Dried Turkish Apricots (Turkish Apricots, Sulfur Dioxide [Preservative]), Sheep Milk Gouda (Pasteurized Milk, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Enzymes, Annatto Color), Chorizo Salami (Pork, Sea Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Turbinado Sugar, Natural Flavoring, Wine, Sweet Paprika, Garlic, Lactic Acid Starter Culture).
Coach Farm Goat, Ewephoria Gouda and Olli Chorizo Board
Availability Note
Item is temporarily unavailable.


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ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at email@example.com.
- Rogers, Rodney
- Minov, Jana
- 1 Arizona State University
- 1 Levy, Benjamin
- 1 Reber, William
- 1 Russell, Timothy
- 1 Schildkret, David
- 1 English
- audio/mpeg
- 1 application/pdf
- 1 Public
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
The focus of this study was the first Serbian opera, Na Uranku (At Dawn). It was written by Stanislav Binièki (1872-1942) and was first performed in 1903 at the National Theatre in Belgrade. There were two objectives of this project: (1) a live concert performance of the opera, which produced an audio recording that can be found as an appendix; and, (2) an accompanying document containing a history and an analysis of the work. While Binièki's opera is recognized as an extraordinary artistic achievement, and a new genre of musical enrichment for Serbian music, little had been previously written either …
- Contributors
- Minov, Jana, Russell, Timothy, Levy, Benjamin, et al.
- Created Date
- 2011


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Which Portland Universities Offer Architecture Programs?
Learn about universities with architecture programs in Portland, OR. See degree and specialization options, program requirements, school information, courses, and tuition rates. Schools offering AutoCAD Drafting & Design Technology degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Few options are available for architecture degrees in Portland. Find out what's available for degree programs, as well as what programs offer study abroad and internship possibilities.
What You Need to Know
You can find architecture programs at various levels through 4-year, public universities around Portland, OR. At the undergraduate level, a pre-professional bachelor's program requires four years of study. While it won't prepare you for the architect licensure exam, your studies could lay the groundwork for graduate school.
A 5-year bachelor's program provides the training needed to take the licensure exam and work as an architect. General education classes are a required part of this curriculum.
Master's programs could take you two or three years to complete, depending on which undergraduate degree you completed. These programs also prepare you for licensure. An architecture doctoral program prepares you to research and teach in the field. Read on to explore some Portland universities that offer various architecture programs.
Bachelor Degree Programs in Architecture in the Portland Area
Portland State University
The pre-professional architectural undergraduate program at Portland State University is one of the only options in the Portland area for architectural students. At this school, you have the chance of pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. Neither of these options meet the necessary educational requirements for state licensing, so you have to continue on to the graduate program if you're interested in becoming a licensed architect.
You partake in hands-on activities, such as modeling and drawing. The program also familiarizes you with digital milling, woodworking, metalworking and plaster casting. In order to be admitted to the junior level, you need to submit your work portfolio for review. Some of the classes you can enroll in include building tectonics, cultural history, visual communication and environmental design. You may study abroad in Spain your junior or senior year.
- Program Name: Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
- Program Length: Four years, full-time
- Tuition and Fees: $9,105 per year for in-state residents, $27,437 per year for non-residents (2018-2019)
- School Type: 4-year, public; around 20,357 undergraduates and about 5,354 graduates
University of Oregon
The Department of Architecture at the University of Portland offers specific degree programs or architectural courses at its Portland campus. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredits the undergraduate architecture program. Coursework includes history of architecture, urban design, sustainability and interior design, among others. You have the opportunity to study in Portland during the summer or after your fourth year, while being able to cover part of your non-architecture general studies through distance learning.
- Program Name: Bachelor of Architecture
- Program Length: Five years, full-time
- Tuition and Fees: $11,898 per year for residents, $35,478 for non-residents (2018-2019)
- School Type: 4-year, public; around 19,101 undergraduates and about 3,543 graduates
Master of Architecture Degree Programs in the Portland Area
Portland State University
At Portland State University, you can meet the educational prerequisites to become a licensed architect by completing the Master of Architecture program. The curriculum covers professional practice, contemporary architectural theory, architectural technology and detail design. You're also required to complete a development studio course and finalized a design thesis. The thesis work normally incorporates creativity, research and development in a specific situation in an urban environment.
- Program Name: Master of Architecture
- Program Length: Two years, full-time
- Tuition and Fees: $12,588 per year for residents, $18,420 per year for non-residents (2018-2019)
- Prerequisites: Pre-professional bachelor's degree in architecture
- Admission Requirements: Statement of intent, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, resume and portfolio
- School Type: 4-year, public; around 20,357 undergraduates and about 5,354 graduates
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon offers three tracks for the Master of Architecture program, including one if you're interested only in research rather than professional accreditation, one if you already have a bachelor's related to architecture (track 2) and one if you have a bachelor in another discipline (track 3). As a student, you may have the opportunity to intern at an architecture firm as part of your studies.
- Program Name: Master of Architecture
- Program Length: 2-3 years, full-time (depending on track)
- Tuition and Fees: $16,659 per year for residents, $28,161 for non-residents (2018-2019)
- Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree
- Admission Requirements: Letters of recommendation, essays, portfolio, GRE scores
- School Type: 4-year, public; around 19,101 undergraduates and about 3,543 graduates
PhD in Architecture Degree Programs in the Portland Area
University of Oregon
The doctoral degree program at the University of Oregon focuses on research, mainly in the area of sustainable design. Your areas of research may include building performance, sustainable urban policies and community development. You have to complete two years of residency in Eugene in order to graduate from this program.
- Program Name: Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture
- Program Length: 3-6 years, full-time
- Tuition and Fees: $16,659 per year for residents, $28,161 for non-residents (2018-2019)
- Prerequisites: NAAB-accredited degree or international equivalent
- Admission Requirements: Letters of recommendation, essays, portfolio, GRE scores
- School Type: 4-year, public; around 19,101 undergraduates and about 3,543 graduates
Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral-level degree programs are available for students in the Portland, OR area who would like to study architecture.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:


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Live reptile demonstrations | AnnualMaple Sugar Festival
2017.04.10 6:35 in Festivals and Events No Comments
Little Ray's Reptile Zoo
I saw a live reptile demonstrations with Little Ray's Reptile Adventure at the 32nd Annual Maple Sugar Festival in Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood. Little Ray's Reptile Zoo is a privately funded zoo and animal rescue founded and co-owned by Paul and Sheri Goulet. The zoo displays over 250 animals including Giant Pythons, Alligators, Cobras, Rattlesnakes, Tarantulas, Marmosets, Birds of Prey and more. The zoo is known as the largest and most diverse animal education outreach program in Canada. I introduce some of the reptiles I have seen on the demonstrations.
1. Cane Toad(Bufo marinus)
- Range: Throughout South America, northern Australia and parts of the Caribbean
- Average Size: 10-15 cm, but the record is 38 cm and over 2 kg!
- Cool Fact: Cane Toad have been introduced in many countries across the globe because of their ability to eat pests. In many of these countries they are now considered pests themselves due to a lack of predators, and because their hugs reproductive rate allows them to populate vast areas in only a few years.
2. Chuckwallas(Sauromalus ater)
- Range: Sonoran and Mojave deserts in Southern USA and North Western Mexico(Baja Pennisula)
- Average Size: 40-76 cm
- Lifespan: 20-25 years
- Adaptations for life in the desert: These lizards have a flat body shape. They live in rocky areas of the desert and when they are threatened by a predator they will dive into the nearest rocky crevice. Once in a tight fitting spot they will puff themselves up with air effectively jamming themselves in a tight area where no predator can dig them out. These lizards prefer to eat to eat plants(annuals and perennials), and rarely dine on insects. Their favourite foods are flowering desert plants such as brittlebush.
3. Western Fox Snake(Elaphe vulpine)
- Range: North America
- Average Size: 1-2m
- Diet: Carnivore mostly eating mice, rats, small mammals and birds
- Cool Fact: Ontario's second largest snake after the Black Rat Snake. The Fox Snake is also a species at risk that needs our protection if its going to survive. Often found in swampy areas close to human habitation, this snake is an excellent climber who will enter barns in search of mice or other prey. This species also bears a passing resemblance to a rattlesnake and like a milk snake it is often killed by people who mistake it for its dangerous cousin.
4. Bearded Dragon(Pogona vitticeps)
- Range: Hot dry deserts of Central Australia
- Average Size: 60 cm
- Lifespan: 10 years
- Adaptations for life in the desert: Bearded dragons are true omnivores. They will eat small animals and soft plants with equal amount of enthusiasm. Their ability to eat food from many different sources means that in harsh desert conditions they the best chance of finding food because they are willing to eat a wide variety of meals.
5. Red Knee Tarantula(Brachypelma smithi)
- Range: South Western Mexico, especially in Colima and Guerrero
- Average Size: 15-20 cm
- Lifespan: 20-30 years
- Adaptations for life in the desert: To avoid the desert heat this spider will dig a very deep burrow usually has 2 chambers: one large chamber where the spider will eat its prey and one smaller chamber used for moulting. During the moulting process the spider will seal the burrow with silk to ensure its safety. This species is officially listed as endangered.
6. Red-footed Tortoise(Geochelone carbonaria)
- Range: Widespread throughout South America
- Average Size: Shell length of 30-40 cm, weighing 5-12 kg
- Cool Fact: Red-footed tortoises spend much of their day grazing in the understory of South American rainforests. Their diet consists mostly of leaves, rotting fruit and occasional carrion.


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In many countries sub-therapeutic usage of antibiotics (AGPs) is still widespread. According to the Trade and Agriculture Directorate Committee for Agriculture, the livestock sector's consumption of antimicrobials is projected to rise by 67% between 2010 and 2030, reaching 105,600 tons annually. Meanwhile, the sales of novel growth promoters should rise by at least 120 percent over the same period according to our own calculations, albeit from a different base.
Brakes on antibiotic usage
At least 32 countries have imposed a nationwide ban on antibiotic growth promoters and 35 have a veterinary prescription requirement. In some areas, efforts such as the European Union's 2006 ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed, has led to a decline in sales.
Furthermore, scientific research suggests that the farm level benefits have peaked. A meta-analysis of more than 1,000 swine trials between 1950 and 1985 did show average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) improvements of 16.4 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, in rearing pigs.
A new study by Teillant and Laxminarayan (2015) corroborates these findings, but reveals that since 2000, in-feed antibiotics elicit only minor responses in pig performance indicators through different production stages. The authors suggest several possible explanations. First, AGPs may have a reduced impact when animal nutrition, hygiene, genetics and health status of the animals are optimal. Second, resistance to antibiotics may play a role in diminishing the effectiveness of AGPs. This coincides with an increase in recommended dosage levels of sub-therapeutic antibiotics over the past decades.
Figure 1. Improvement in feed conversion ratio of pigs fed with antibiotics.
Source: Aude T. & Ramanan L., 2015
New ways to promote growth
Replacing AGPs will rely upon a holistic approach to improve animal health status and performance through better management, biosecurity measures, vaccination programs, diagnostics and feeding strategy.
Since feed costs account for a significant part of total production costs, feeding strategy is a crucial point. Organic acids, phytogenics, probiotics and prebiotics have all been identified as potential in-feed antibiotic replacements.
Novel growth promoters' (NGPs) mode of action differs considerably from antibiotics. While phytogenic feed additives (PFAs or botanicals) tend to improve digestion and an animal's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative status, organic acid-based products have a clearer antimicrobial effect that supports feed and water hygiene and the control of Gram-negative bacteria. For example, probiotics, or direct-fed microbials (DFM), serve to reinforce a healthy gut microbiota. All of these categories of feed additives are expected to grow more quickly than in-feed antibiotics in the coming years.
Comparable or better results
Significant effort has been paid to identifying which additives will replace AGPs. In general, a replacement should perform roughly equally as well under practical conditions in order to gain acceptance.
Looking across nine swine trials performed in various countries worldwide and testing both AGPs and NGPs (phytogenics or organic acid-based products) at a variety of production stages, each NGP group performed better on average in terms of FCR and ADG compared to the AGP group (Figures 2 and 3). This improvement accompanies better gut health and fewer intestinal disorders.
Figure 2. Average FCR results of nine pig trials.
Source: BIOMIN, 2015
Figure 3. Average ADG results of nine pig trials.
Source: BIOMIN, 2015
In the above trials both AGP and NGP groups performed better than control groups. In seven trials of antibiotics and phytogenic feed additives, PFAs delivered a 5.47% improvement in FCR compared to AGPs. In two trials of antibiotics and organic acid-based products, acidifiers offered just a one-half percent improvement in FCR. This suggests that NGPs are appropriately suited to replace AGPs in terms of feed efficiency. Both antibiotics and certain phytogenics reduce inflammation within animals, generating energy savings that can be used for growth. Acidifiers work differently in that they contribute to feed and water hygiene and decrease the overall pathogen load in the gastrointestinal tract. FCR improvement matters considerably since feed costs account for around 70% of total swine production costs. Higher efficiency—meaning a lower FCR—means better profitability. Improving the FCR from 2.75 to 2.70 of weaner to finisher (8-110 kg) stages means around 5 kg less feed per pig, which reflects 5 tons feed savings per 1000 pigs produced.
In seven trials of antibiotics and phytogenic feed additives, pigs receiving the PFA had a 6% higher daily gain on average compared to those receiving AGPs. In two trials of antibiotics and organic acid-based products, pigs receiving acidifiers had a 10.8% higher daily gain on average compared to those receiving AGPs. Improvement of average daily gain (ADG) can positively influence the final weight of the animals and number of rotations. For instance, an ADG improvement in growing-finishing phase from 900 to 910 grams can result around +0.9kg extra weight for finishers at sale. The above trials indicate that NGPs can also be considered an appealing tool to improve performance parameters.
Identifying the right tool
The results suggest that performance can be maintained with novel growth promoters and that these can be considered an important tool in antibiotic reduction strategies. The aim of NGPs should always focus on disease prevention, not treatment. Species, production phase, farm conditions, product dosage and ROI considerations all influence the choice of feed additive. Furthermore, combinations of additives have been demonstrated to work successfully in particular situations to achieve specific objectives or to counter challenges such as mycotoxins or pathogenic bacteria. This means that organic acid-based products and phytogenic feed additives may each play a role in future production as part of a tailer-made solution to help producers achieve animal health and performance goals.


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VDOT News - Statewide
Jenny O'Quinn 804-225-4984
804-357-6017 (cell)
Marshall M. Herman 804-692-2134
804-652-9689 (cell)
Dec. 14, 2017
The new version of the 511 traveler app offers current traffic conditions; travel-trends map predicts congestion
RICHMOND, Virginia – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will lift lane closures where possible during the Christmas and New Year's holidays to help make your travel quicker and easier. VDOT is also offering the next generation of the 511 app to help you plan and navigate your trip; real-time traffic information can also be found online at 511Virginia.org. VDOT's Christmas/New Year's travel-trends map will help predict peak congestion to assist you in planning travel.
VDOT's travel-trends map helps travelers predict peak congestion during the upcoming holidays.
VDOT will suspend most highway work zones and lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon Friday, Dec. 22 until noon Tuesday, Dec. 26. Lane closures will also be lifted from noon Friday, Dec. 29 to noon Tuesday, Jan. 2.
If you haven't yet updated your 511 app, do so before holiday travel. The app has always offered real-time information about construction, traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads, but the new version offers substantial enhancements.
Access to VDOT cameras and more are provided on the map from the overlays menu in the upper right. Open the app, search for any location in the search bar, and see travel times for driving and transit options to that location.
Navigation is provided through VDOT's partnership with Waze, the free, real-time, crowdsourced navigation app. Tap on an option to see detailed directions, then tap on the Waze button to open the Waze app for navigation to your destination (installation of Waze app is required to use this feature). Learn more about updates to the app on VDOT's website.
Is inclement weather in the forecast? The new 511 app allows you to track storms, get current road conditions and see live traffic cameras across Virginia. Use Map Options (icon located upper right) and Settings (icon located upper left) to customize your experience.
Online information about Virginia traffic is available at 511Virginia.org. Download the free mobile VDOT 511 app, or call 511 from any phone. To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT's Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.
VDOT's online, interactive travel-trends map shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Christmas and New Year's holidays (2014-2016). The map shows varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion. The Christmas travel map is currently displayed, with the New Year's map available by clicking a button near the top of the screen. After Tuesday, Dec. 26, the New Year's map will be displayed on the main screen.
To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.
Those traveling for the Christmas holiday will likely see the most congestion from midday to evening on Saturday, Dec. 23, and Tuesday, Dec. 26, with the most notable congestion being on Interstate 95 south. During the New Year's holiday, the most notable congestion periods are between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 31. Some congestion is also expected during the afternoon hours of Tuesday, Jan. 2.
- All HOV restrictions on I-66 and rush hour tolls on the 66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway will be lifted on Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1. Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road HOV ramps operate on a normal weekday schedule.
- HOV restrictions on I-395 will be lifted on Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1. For more information on northern Virginia HOV schedules, visit www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.asp.
- Visit www.expresslanes.com for directional schedules for the reversible 95 Express Lanes. Drivers are reminded that they need an E-ZPass Flex (for HOV-3 to ride toll-free) or an E-ZPass to use the 95 and 495 Express Lanes at all times.
- I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV diamond lanes: Normal operating schedule/restrictions in place for the HOV lanes and the Reversible Roadway Dec. 22-24 and Dec. 29-31. On Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, the Reversible Roadway will maintain a normal operating schedule, and HOV restrictions will be lifted on all HOV diamond lanes.
- I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Local traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
- Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.
While VDOT will lift most lane closures for holiday travel, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:
Botetourt County
I-81 – Improving Exit 150 interchange. Lane closure and off-ramp narrowed at exit 150 A. Shoulder closures in place throughout the area. Signs and message boards in place.
Dinwiddie County
Route 1 – Repairing southbound bridge on Route 1 (Boydton Plank Road) over CSX property. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions. Southbound shifted to northbound bridge. Width restriction of 11-feet in both directions.
I-95 – Improving interchange at Exit 130 (Route 3). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone. Be alert for new traffic signal and traffic pattern at I-95 southbound exit ramp to Route 3 westbound.
Lancaster County/Middlesex County
Route 3 – Traffic reduced to a single lane on the Robert O. Norris Bridge over the Rappahannock River, controlled by temporary traffic signals. Painting underway to improve condition of bridge's center spans.
Route 29/460 – Constructing interchange bridge at Odd Fellows Road and extending Odd Fellows Road. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph. Lane closures possible.
Mecklenburg County
I-85 – Be alert to lane closures and delays near the North Carolina state line. Alternating lanes will be closed in both directions due to a North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) pavement rehabilitation project. Motorists traveling between the Virginia state line and Henderson, N.C. are encouraged to use an alternate route.
Newport News/Williamsburg
I-64 – Widening interstate between Newport News and Williamsburg. Speed limit reduced to 55 mph in work zone both directions.
I-564 – Extending I-564 to Norfolk International Terminals through Naval Station Norfolk. Closures or changes in traffic patterns available at www.i564intermodal.com/press-room/traffic-alerts.
Norfolk/Virginia Beach
I-64/I-264 – Improving interchange. Lane shift and closed shoulder on I-64 westbound starting after Indian River Road and ending near the I-264 interchange.
Route 17 – Repairing and replacing utility and sewer infrastructure under the intersection of Route 17 (Frederick Boulevard) and Turnpike Road. One lane open northbound Frederick Boulevard at Turnpike Road intersection; southbound Frederick Boulevard remains closed for widening and reconstruction of Turnpike Road. Turnpike Road closed on both sides of the Frederick Boulevard intersection.
Pulaski/Montgomery County
I-81 – Replacing northbound bridge over the New River at the Pulaski/Montgomery County line. Shoulders closed between mile markers 103 and 105. Speed limit reduced to 60 mph in work zone.
Rockingham County
Route 257 – Replacing bridge over Dry River. Single-lane traffic controlled by temporary signal. Vehicles limited to 13 feet in width.
Scott County
Route 23 – Replacing eastbound bridge over North Fork Holston River in the Wadlow Gap area. Traffic restricted to one lane both directions, sharing the westbound bridge
Shenandoah/Warren County
Route 11 – Replacing bridge over Cedar Creek at the Shenandoah/Warren County line. Traffic in both directions reduced to one lane, sharing southbound bridge. Northbound traffic will detour across median to use southbound lane.
Southampton County
Route 58 Business – Reconstructing roadway in Courtland. Eastbound lane is closed.
Spotsylvania County
I-95 – Improving the Exit 118 (Thornburg) interchange and replacing the I-95 overpass. All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.
Stafford County
I-95 – Improving interchange at Exit 140 (Courthouse Road). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.
Virginia Beach
Route 13 – Improving interchange at Route 13 (Northampton Boulevard) to I-64 West. On ramp and merge lane narrows; concrete barrier in place.
Washington County
- Reconstructing interchange at exit 14. Lanes shifted due to bridge reconstruction at exit. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
- Reconstructing two interstate bridges over Halls Bottom Road near exit 10. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
- Rehabilitating Route F310 bridge at exit 10. Traffic signals are control one-way traffic on Route F310. Nighttime lane closures on I-81 near exit 10.
Wythe County
I-77/I-81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.
Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.


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BioNumerics is a very comprehensive software package, which has many applications in different research fields of the biological sciences. The listing below is by no means exhaustive, but gives an idea about what our software is capable of.
The TaqMan® SNP genotyping technology utilizes the 5' nuclease activity of Taq polymerase to generate a fluorescent signal during PCR. For each SNP, the assay uses two TaqMan® probes that differ in sequence only at the SNP site, with one probe complementary to the wild-type allele and the other to the variant allele. The technique utilizes the FRET technology whereby a 5' reporter dye and a 3' quencher dye are covalently linked to the wild-type and variant allele probes.
Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat Polymerase Chain Reaction (ISSR-PCR) is a reproducible and relatively inexpensive DNA fingerprinting method for animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. It is based on the amplification of genomic regions between microsatellite loci. Running this versatile typing method on an automated DNA sizing system such as the QIAxcel Advanced System reduces the number of manipulations required as well as the time to result. Raw data files from the QIAxcel Advanced System ScreenGel® software can be imported as densitometric curve files or peak table files in BioNumerics with the QIAxcel plugin.
In marker assisted breeding, successful cross-over is assisted and facilitated by genetic markers. A commonly used DNA marker technology is Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, where selectively amplified whole genome restriction fragments are separated via electrophoresis into a complex band profile. The occurrence of specific bands can be linked to the presence of particular phenotypic traits. In diploid organisms however, a phenotypic trait can be homozygous or heterozygous, which in theory will result in marker bands that can have double or single intensities.
© 2020 Applied Maths NV. All rights reserved.


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TAA Reversal on Grand Bargain
On Monday, a group of 41 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) sent a letter to President Obama, praising his administration's recent decision to abandon its erstwhile promotion of the three pending trade deals as "job creators" and instead warn Congress it won't submit the pacts for a vote unless they can be assured that a stimulus‐enhanced version of trade adjustment assistance will be renewed.
The letter contains much about the benefits of the program, with little mention of its costs to taxpayers and even less concern shown for the innocent consumers whose pockets have been picked for decades to maintain the jobs lost when trade is allowed to flow more freely. That's pretty standard fare for protectionists, who rely on the hidden and dispersed nature of the costs to get support for their policies. What's new about this situation is the ratchet effect — the base TAA program is still in place, so what they are asking for is a renewal of part of the stimulus as a pre‐condition for supporting trade liberalization. Note that the stimulus changes included a removal of the requirement that job losses be linked to a trade agreement (a feature, not a bug of the program, according to the Senators).
Wait, did I say a renewal of TAA‐plus would be a pre‐condition for supporting trade agreements? Not necessarily. Note this telling paragraph of the letter:
While we the undersigned may have differing views on elements of the trade agenda — with some of us looking forward to supporting the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama, and others skeptical of the impact of the agreements -we are unified in our belief that the first order of business, before we should consider any FTA, is securing a long‐term TAA extension. [emphasis added]
As I've said repeatedly, I understand (even if I don't support) the political calculation that TAA is necessary — and worth it– if it secures votes for trade liberalization. But reading between the lines, some of the letter signers have no intention voting for the trade agreements, even if the mega‐TAA is approved. What we have here is a reversal of the grand bargain on trade liberalization, that gave extra welfare to workers who lost their job because of freer trade in exchange for support for trade agreements that lowered trade barriers. That 'grand bargain' has been tenuous for years now, of course — witness the complete lack of movement on the trade agreements even after the 2009 enhancement of TAA, at least until recent months. But now, rather than using TAA to buy votes for trade liberalization, the administration and their allies appear to using pretty‐much‐assured votes for trade liberalization to buy TAA. As a Wall Street Journal editorial said on Friday, it's extortion.


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Ring Development
George Pauly
George developswith Python, Twisted Python, Javascript, AJAX, Dojo, and SQL for internet applications that work and feel like desktop software.
For each projecthe provides unit tests, versioning, backup, and a development environment.
George was trainedas a marine chemist, dabbles in mathematics (particularly optimization), and is a wizard with new technologies.
One of his interestsis wireless internet. Here's an article George wrote on the subject.
Ring Development People
Ring: A metaphor for a close-knit group, encouraging purposeful communication, where no part is greater or less than the others.


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Booby Tales
From WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia.
Booby Tales is a Japanese doujin fighting game created using Fighter Maker 95. It is of furry interest because the majority of characters are anthropomorphic animals.
List of Characters[edit]
- Benga- a chain smoking tiger in a suit
- Dowl- a fedora wearing wolf
- Ia- rabbit
- Wao- a pirate kung-fu monkey
- Pelsha- a magic using cat
- Chesha- a magic using cat (may be related to Pelsha, and may be the game's last boss)
- Carat- a cat (appears to be the game's training dummy)
- Cory- dog
- Shiba- dog
- Pacu- bulldog
- Kokumaru- ninja crow
- Green- turtle
- King- a crown wearing snake
- Makko- a whale
- Vixel- fox
- Himizz- mole, he is the game's grappler
- Eurycea- a fire breathing otter?
- Stripe- a chipmunk? He carries a huge sword.
- Aligay- an alligator
- ?- a giant egg (appears to be the game's sub level boss).


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Peter S. Craig
Statement of Peter S. Craig, Trustee, Committee of 100 on the Federal City. May 12, 1975
Peter S. Craig Papers ; Gelman Library Special Collections Division, G.W.U.
... Section 137(b) of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (codified as 23 U.S.C. 103(4)), which authorized the Governor (Mayor Washington, in the case of D.C.), and the responsible locally elected officials (the D.C. City Council) to jointly request the U.S. Department of Transportation to transfer federal aid, formerly earmarked for freeways, for 80% of the cost of transit improvements. Such fund transfers may occur on either of two alternatives:
First, that the Interstate segment being deleted "is not essential to the completion of a unified and connected interstate System." The following un built freeways meet that test:
(1) North Central Freeway (70-S); Maryland has already abandoned 70-S (now I-270)
(2) Northeast Freeway (I-95); Maryland likewise has abandoned I-95 within the Beltway
(3) New York Avenue Industrial Freeway. This is not even on the Interstate System.
(4) East Leg of Inner Loop (I-295). Without an I-95 to Maryland, this is a freeway leading nowhere; the I-295 label should be returned to the already-constructed Kenilworth Avenue Freeway where it began.
(5) North Leg-West Section of Inner Loop (K Street Freeway)(I-66). This Council already has urged that Virginia abandon I-66 inside the Beltway in Virginia. Consistent with this action, I-66, within the city should also be scrapped. [DW note: that I-66 was actually built and opened in 1982]
(6) North Leg-East Section (Center Leg and I-66 to East Leg). Also not essential.
(7) South Leg, Inner Loop (-695). There are enough "95s" around and through Washington without adding this one. We have I-495 around the city and I-295 through it.
(8) Three Sisters Bridge (I-266). Even Virginia's State highway Department -- never distinguished for its concern for area residents (Virginians included), has concluded this bridge should not be built. With no Virginia connection, it would be a bridge leading nowhere.
(9) Georgetown Waterfront Tunnel (I-266) This segment is also not essential for an Interstate System, although (if properly tunneled and restricted in capacity) it may be desirable to achieve other urban goals.
Second, and independently of the first reason it, freeways may be deleted and the federal aid transferred to mass transit -- even if the freeway segment might be deemed essential for a "unified and connected Interstate system" if such freeway segment "would not be essential after completion of one or more substitute public mass transit projects." See 23 C.F.R. 476.304(3). All previously planned but un built freeways in D.C. meet this test. This has been adequately demonstrated by the numerous in-depth studies published by the Committee of 100 on the Federal City and other independent analysts.
Several red herrings have been raised concerning the flexibility of the federal-aid transfer provision. None, however, has merit. For example, former D.C. Highway Director Airis, wanting to construct the South Leg of the Inner Loop (under the Lincoln Memorial) [sic] claimed that fund transfers were not applicable in that case because there were no plans for rail rapid transit "in the same corridor"; i.e., between Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and the Southwest Freeway. The Act of Congress and the DOT regulations contain no such rigid requirement. To the contrary, the federal aid transfer authority may even extend outside the urbanized area of Washington. This was made explicit by the DOT regulations which provide (23 C.F.R. 476.314):"The proposed projects must serve the urbanized area from which the Interstate segment is withdrawn, but need not utilize the same transportation corridor as the withdrawn segment and need not be physically located within that urbanized area."Thus, theoretically at least, the South Leg of the Inner Loop could be removed from the Interstate System and the federal matching funds for this project applied for construction of an extension of Metro to Annapolis or the Eastern Shore. Such an extension, although outside the urbanized area of Washington, would nonetheless "serve the urbanized area" of Washington.
With this wide-open legal authority to get rid of unwanted freeways and to transfer that federal aid to public transit, it is remarkable there has been so little sign of activity at the District Building to implement this authority.
Over one billion four hundred dollars of federal aid is involved. It provides a vehicle, without Congressional action, to increase the ratio of federal aid to local participation for Metro from its present 2/3-1/3 [67/33] split to an 80/20 split. Without any increase in local participation (and local taxes) it offers an additional $840 million in federal aid for Metro. If the full $1.4 billion of federal aid for Metro were desired for transit improvements, the additional matching cost to local jurisdictions (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) would be $112 million. These funds may be spent anywhere -- not merely in the District of Columbia. They could hasten the day when the full 98- mile rail rapid transit system is operating as originally planned. They could also be devoted to purchases of new buses and other transit improvements.
There is no reason for the Council to wait, simply because the city administration has been delinquent on its promises to establish a city Department of Transportation under new and competent leadership. The time is overdue for people-moving, rather than car-moving, to be the primary objective of this city's transportation planning.
We therefore recommend that the Council immediately initiate the following actions:
1. Set a date for prompt hearings on amendment of the Comprehensive Plan to delete all un built freeways (with the exception of the Whitehurst Freeway -- pending completion of the Georgetown Waterfront Study now underway), including: South Leg Freeway, North Leg-West Section (K Street Tunnel), North Leg-East Section, New York Avenue Industrial Freeway, East Leg Freeway. (North Central, Northeast and Three Sisters Bridge Freeways were eliminated in 1968).
2. Enact a resolution directing the Mayor to request changes in the designated Interstate System reflecting the Council's determinations regarding freeways that should not be built.
3. Enact a resolution requesting DOT to transfer the Federal aid for the freeways thus "de mapped" to Metro, without limiting such transfers to segments within the District of Columbia. In other words, such transfers should be available for completion of Metro within suburban Maryland and Virginia as well as in the District of Columbia.
Committee of 100 on the Federal City
Letter of May 12, 1975; Elizabeth Rowe, Chairman
Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the Council:
The Committee of 100 on the Federal City respectively requests early action by the Council on two very pressing transportation matters:
First the de mapping of unnecessary and unwanted freeways in the District of Columbia through amendment of the city's Comprehensive Plan and appropriate requests to the US Department of Transportation for the removal of such freeways from the Interstate system.
Second, the initiation by the Council, in cooperation with the Mayor, of a request to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the transfer of the federal aid formerly earmarked for such freeways (in excess of $1.4 billion) for completion of the presently-authorized Metro rail transit system.
These actions are necessary to implement two very pressing needs: First to remove forever the cloud of destruction and more autos in an auto-chocked city caused by the presence of obsolete freeway plans in the comprehensive plan and on the interstate system; and second, to help meet the escalating costs of construction of the Metro system.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, Chairman


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Tips to Choosing a Private Investigator
You can be having particular reasons why you require the help of a private investigator. Regardless of the reason, it is essential to ensure that you contract an investigator that can guarantee you of getting the outcomes that you are looking for. If you need to get the best Private investigator, ensure that you take after some clues offered here.
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The other thing you have to know when you are picking the private investigation firm is to know the people that will deal with your case. When you know the individual that will deal with your case, you will be sure that you can know the expert and know about his personality. It is additionally essential for the private investigation firm to ensure that they let you know whether they will subcontract the work to other individuals. You should ensure that you know the sort of individuals you will deal with before you enlist the private investigation firm.


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Have you burned out yet? Note the "yet" on that question – these things are after all inevitabilities in the case of fashion, as there is only so much of the "new" you can take, a finite number of cultures to plunder, and all it takes is a slight shift of the zeitgeist for you to be out of tune with it. In those instances a search for meaning becomes necessary, a desire to find something, anything, that feels connected to a larger context worth belonging to via clothing. More often than not that search becomes a very euphemistic one, where the individual occupies themselves with quality or technical proficiency in the attempt to add a vague sense of value to an otherwise culturally bankrupt creation. However, no matter how much applique is applied, how expensive a garment dares to be, it is ultimately a rather hollow experience unless connected to a modicum of context – no-matter how insultingly small.
Saying that, even though the world at large seems to becoming ever more adept at stripping away meaning from pretty much anything we used to hold dear, whether culture, race or religion, in its increasingly desperate search for a new aesthetic, there are pockets of resistance, of designers who have looked inward rather than outward to create fashion that is not only entirely their own, but also with genuine heart.
Under the theme of "DNA" the "rooms 29" trade show, recently held in the Yoyogi National Gymnasium a stone's throw from Harajuku, provided a fair amount of proof of that this kind of fashion is possible, but was epitomized by the work of Keisuke Kanda (whose wishes I am grudgingly respecting by not publishing his fantastic work – you will have to track it down yourself) and also today's subject – Ryota Murakami.
Regular readers of this site should know Ryota Murakami, at least visually if not by name from his student work at the Coconogacco alternative fashion school, and his appearances at Trans Art Tokyo and the Zetsumeiten. However, his exhibition at rooms was his first solo exhibition in Tokyo, and broadly justified by being selected by Coconogacco organizer and Writtenafterwards designer Yoshikazu Yamagata as a brand to watch.
Beyond that fairly weighty recommendation Ryota's connection to the DNA theme of rooms is also a very literal one, while his brand takes his own name it is the work of two people, his design partner being his own mother Chiaki Murakami. This personal relationship becomes the focus of the brand, designs come from shared memories, a pattern could be derived from a curtain Ryota remembers as a child, or else a childhood toy becomes the face on a sweater.
This introspective version of fashion is largely resilient to the forces I mentioned above, the design could be ripped off, but the copy would quite simply lack the context that made the original of value, and likewise the familial context cannot be stripped out by the digital age's propensity to dilute anything to as brief an explantation as possible, as without sufficient explanation the work quite simply ceases to exist. After all the work only exists in its context – its DNA.
Luckily enough Ryota Murakami goes to great lengths to tell the story of his work, not only in the garments, but also via conventional narratives as below:
I challenge anyone not be at least slightly moved by the naive honesty of his work, and that is not to say for one moment that this contextual definition of fashion only applies to work like this, perhaps only that this is a topic that best illustrates it given that pretty much everyone can relate to across borders.
Tatami is frequently used in Ryota's exhibitions, the connection to the home and the family framing his work wherever it goes.
On to the fashion itself and knitwear features prominently, it being the medium Ryota grew up watching his mother create with.
However, beyond the showpieces other textiles appear in combination, the leather on the above right providing a nice contrast against the raised texture of the sakura petals.
The work may be whimsical, but it is also accomplished, designs are rendered with absolute cartoon-esque precision.
Ryota's use of props won him a nomination for the "Artwork Category" for ITS, but I like to think of the toys and props being a continuation of the fashion proper, rather than outside it.
For now I will allow you to absorb yourself in the details, and if you don't feel the slightest emotional reaction to his work, then maybe you are too burned out for even me to help you!
The invitation to become part of Ryota Murakami's extended family is still pending, in that he has no homepage or shop as of yet, but rest assured when he does you will hear about it here.


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Battling the Coons: Canoeing the southwestern Okefenokee Swamp
Canoeing: a continuing tale of canoes and canoeing inthe southwestern Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia and northeastern Floridanear Jacksonville, FL..
CyberSports ………………………………………………
Canoeing and Camping The southwestern Okefenokee Swamp
By William A. Logan
Battling the Coons
We arrived at Craven's Hammock about 4:00 P.M. From paddling up current and against the wind most of the time, especially the sill canal, we were bushed. We found the small island had an excellent dock about 50 feet long. As good as or better than Billy's Island.
On the outermost end is a chemical "John" that was very modern and in good condition. We tied up and walked up above about 75 feet to the campsite and checked it out, discussed our plan and returned to the canoes.
We had not even started unloading and here was a `coon already in Chuck's canoe inspecting everything. (No doubt laying elaborate plans how he would best attack after dark.) We ran him off and continued to set up camp. In no time, there were three more `coons wandering around the camp perimeter, checking everything out and sniffing the air. They were paying no attention to us whatsoever. We had to keep chasing them away. They were obviously HUNGRY.
After setting up everything, we got out our folding chairs and momentarily crashed. Chuck got out our "relaxing medicine" and we each enjoyed something cold and caught our breath. It was a great feeling.
Mac had brought our own oak firewood, knowing there would be almost zero downed wood on the site, so we soon set to work getting ready for a nice fire after supper. All this time there were four or five `coons wandering the outer edges of our campsite checking us out. We sat and savored the moment, enjoying watching the antics of the `coons which at times would come right up to us and smell our shoes or trousers or a piece of equipment.
The temperature was about 68 to 70, the air was still, the sweet smell of the forest around us was clean, there was just enough breeze to rustle the tree tops but not bother us.
Just being there in a relaxed atmosphere was great. We were enjoying every moment of it. One thing we found quite strange. As we were setting up our tents, there were mosquitoes. BIG mosquitoes . . . but not many. I have been in many places much worse. We expected they would really get bad about dark so we were prepared with our repellant.
We were surprised to find that as soon as it got dark, the mosquitoes must have gone to bed. Surprisingly, they became almost non existent. The two young `coons had hung around, the others drifted off somewhere into the brush but we knew they were close by, just waiting for a chance to get into everything.
The two that hung around almost underfoot were about half grown. A male and a female. The male continually letting the female know HE was boss. He had apparently been in a skirmish with something or someone recently since the inside of his rear leg was peeled right down to the flesh in an area about an inch wide by two inches long.
Every time it looked like she would get too close (to maybe pick up a treat) he would pounce on her with vengeance. In other words, "I get the first handout, not you!" She would just cower down and wait for the attack to subside and would then go on her way.
After watching this five or six times, we felt a little sorry for her. She was a cute little thing and not aggressive at all. Where the male was bold in his search for food, she seemed content to just sit and wait until someone offered her something.
After resting awhile, we decided to explore the high ground of the island. Surprisingly, after all the rain the area had received in the last two weeks, the top of the dock was more than a foot above water. We determined that the ground we were camping on was about five to six feet above the dock, We were surprised to find that the water came up on the north side of us to within 100 feet of where we were camping.
On the west side, we only had about 40 feet, and on the south side it appeared we had plenty of high ground. We only went about 50 feet or so down the trail and the vegetation got quite dense. With the high ground being so small, it was no wonder the coon population was so large. We didn't know it at the time but we were in for a bigger surprise when we went to bed.
Just before dark, we fixed supper and sat down to enjoy our meal. The young `coons again put on a show only this time the little girl would come up right in front of us and stand on her hind legs with her front paws stretched out as if to catch it if someone threw her a treat.
The others that had disappeared soon showed up but would not come in as close. We had finished eating when we heard noisy `coons behind us. We turned to see three `coons doing their best to get into my `coon proof' PVC food container. It's a two foot – four inch piece of PVC pipe (the light sewer pipe, not the heavy stuff) with a PVC cap at each end. I usually carry a loaf of French bread, or bagels (halves) cookies and Pepperoni roll in it. It had worked well before, but this was the first time we actually were able to watch the `coons in action.
It was an interesting show, hilarious at times! I had put a piece of "200-MPH tape" on one end since that cap was looser than the other. It took them no time to get that off. I watched in amazement as one `coon actually got his paws on the cap on each side and try to work the cap off. I thought for sure this guy was going to succeed and was getting a little uneasy that it might not be as "coon proof" as I thought . . . when finally they gave up in disgust and wandered off looking for something else to get into. Meanwhile, Chuck had been filming this "coon intelligence show" with his camcorder, also taking several still shots of these guys at work. It was a memorable experience.
After the show, Chuck wandered down to the dock and brought back the "camper's log sheet" You are required to register when you arrive and when you leave. There is a place for comments on the far right. Most of the comments were quite comical….. some with a serious warning but all carried the same informative message.
Here are some of the comments . . . "Coonzilla Lives!". . . "Coons -3 Visitors – 0" . . . "Coon Haven." . . . "They will destroy everything," . . . "The woods are alive," . . . "We needed armored tents," . . . and the message (clue) that we found to be the most important of all . . . "The only place that is coon proof is the John" . . .
Luckily, we read those log sheets before we went to bed. We each had coolers, foods and crackers, etc. (in five Gal. PVC buckets) so off we trotted to stow it all in the John on the end of the dock. Good move. It turned out to be a great idea. Everything we put in there was safe the next morning.
On one other trip into the Okefenokee several years ago, I found out the hard way that food inside a tent brings unwelcome visitors. When camping out west, I knew VERY well not to put food in my tent since the bears would come right in. It was my first camping trip to the swamp in 35 years and I was not concerned with bears. After all . . . there were only small animals here. I knew there were `coons around but never gave them much thought.
Neither did I realize they could be very destructive to my new tent. (I had used it only once before) In the middle of the night I woke up hearing the munching and rustling of plastic paper. I unzipped my tent flap and shined my flashlight into the face of the biggest darn coon I had ever seen. He must have weighed twenty-five lbs. And he was chowing down on my loaf of bread. I thought that strange, since I didn't leave anything on the table . . . then a horrible thought came to me . . . I ducked back inside and shined my light on the tent wall.
To my horror . . . here was a one foot rip in my tent wall shaped like a cross. That sucker had done a job on my tent. I wanted to kill him on the spot . . . but I gritted my teeth realizing it was my fault . . . not his. So I rolled back into the sack with an angry disgusted feeling in my stomach.
Back to Craven's Hammock . . . We had finished supper, stowed all our food and gear, threw a couple more logs on and again sat down to enjoy the fire. We were discussing the events of the day when here comes the little girl back. She checked us out once more, then satisfied there was nothing else to eat, she decided to join us enjoying the warmth of the fire.
My jaw dropped as I watched her go to the side of the fire ring, climb up on one of the large stones and hunker down next to the fire just like a cat. She even curled her tail up around her feet. It was obvious she was really enjoying the warmth of the fire. Soon, she closed her eyes and looked quite content to soak up the heat. We enjoyed a good laugh. She had joined us in enjoying the fire as if she was one of us.
I made a comment that she seemed to have quite a bit of intelligence and I had a sort of sympathy for her. Chuck popped up and said, "Oh Oh! Lookout Joyce, Bill's going to bring home another animal" . . . we cracked up! He had been referring to a starving stray dog I had found on a Suwannee River canoe run a couple year's back that captured my heart with her plight. I brought her home and she has made a wonderful pet and companion ever since. But that's another story. Back at the cabin I had trouble getting out on my cell phone and had suspected it was because of tower or line damage from the storm. So, sitting by the fire, I decided to try the phone, to see if it worked from deep within the swamp. To my surprise, my wife answered. I told her about the days events and sitting around the fire with lots of company etc. It was surprising the cell phone had worked well so deep in the swamp.
It was about 10:00 when we decided to call it a day. We made several passes around camp to make sure all was out of reach of the `coons. When we were satisfied, I turned out the Coleman lantern and we turned in. We had no more than got in our sleeping bags when we heard a crash. I heard Chuck say . . . " What the *^#@!**&%#& was that?
I laughed and shined my light over to see two `coons had knocked the stove over and were trying their best to open it.( I had closed and latched it) Next morning I found two little pork & beans had spilled into the stove. Knowing they couldn't get in, I again climbed back in my sleeping bag and in minutes, there was another loud crash. This time I was mystified as to what this one was, so again, up, shined the light, only to see this time a `coon had climbed up on my folding chair and had tipped it over onto the stove. Again, back in the sack.
We lay there listening to all the noises of metal being crunched as the `coons got into several empty pop cans left by the fire. They actually tore them to pieces. I was just getting comfortable thinking all was well when we heard a loud crash at the canoes. Again, "What in the @#!%$&* was that?" Up I go, and chased two `coons out of the canoes. At this time I didn't know there was anything in there they could get into. So, back in the sack I went.
It was not ten minutes until we heard more crashing and banging in the canoes. Up again I go, this time getting rather ticked at all this comedy. I was shocked to see a `coon come running off the dock with a whole roll of Ritz crackers. Two more `coons were in my canoe and had discovered my "Bailey's Irish Cream" metal cans that were tucked under my seat, (I had forgotten about them) they contained Ritz crackers and cookie snacks . . . the heavy wire bail not only was snapped shut, I had added an extra safety wire tie down to the latch, around the can expressly for the purpose of keeping animals out. Being strong metal cans, I had thought they were `coon proof.
WRONG! Those darn guys had one of the can's top chewed through and popped off and were eating my cookies.
I couldn't believe my eyes. As I lunged for them with a paddle, they swiftly climbed a tree next to the dock and in seconds were sitting in the very top looking down at me with those beady little shining eyes (and I'm sure they were laughing to themselves) I gathered what was left of the open can, cookies, etc. and the second can they had not yet opened and put them with the rest of the food stored in the John.
Once again . . . I checked the canoe for food or anything else they could get into. When satisfied there was nothing else . . . back to the sack I went. I had no sooner climbed into my bag when I again heard those rascals rummaging through the canoes. This time I rolled over and ignored them.
Next morning we discovered what they had found were pop cans. One in mine and one in Chuck's canoe . . . both cans were in shreds. I hear Chuck laughing like crazy so I came over to my canoe to see what was so funny. He said with a big grin, "looks like you made those ole boys really mad at ya!"
I looked into my canoe to see they had gotten even with me for stealing "their food." There was not one, but two, big piles of "coon poop" in my canoe where the cans had been. Yet there was none in any of the other canoes. I said with a grin, "you're probably right! They were getting even" . . .
Gads! What a night! We made sure we left a comment in the log that would alert those coming behind us.
More Next Week… Bookmark and Return!
GreenBuilding and Remodeling


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Painfully Funny
Brian put up a sneak peak of his European Gay Vacation. Hilarious homoerotic clips of the travellers scaring Grant over and over and over again. It brought a tear to my eye. Watch it Now!
BTW, this weekend I sat around a lot and didnt move. Watched more VH1 on Friday and Saturday with Vicki than i ever did in my entire life. On saturday Japser from the Sounds called me to invite me to some loft party and me and vicki just sat on the couch the whole time singing along to VH1 Classics and avoiding all human interaction. "Can't talk -- tv on. Humans bad. TV good."


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The new normal.
to 'everything is a brand experience.'
Here's how we approach our projects to create measurable, memorable moments with your audience.
Here's how we approach our projects to create measurable, memorable moments with your audience.
Without people, there's no purpose.
At the start of every project, we place ourselves in the shoes of our audience. Because brand experiences are only felt by humans. If people aren't at the heart of what we're doing, we're not talking to anybody.
We believe in creating meaningful interactions between brands and people. Reaching new audiences. Engaging employees. Connecting communities. Building bridges for businesses. We're humans first.
Don't forget the magic.
What you say is important. How you say it is just as crucial.
Humans are wired to connect with story. Whether it's a visual or sonic experience, an immersive environment or a set of well-chosen words — we believe in the power of stories to communicate and engage with audiences. We create unique, beautiful and unforgettable moments for businesses, to bring their brand truths to life.
Count what matters.
We build measurement into every project we do. We're obsessed with footfalls, interactions, posts, conversations, clicks, leads, likes, views, visits. These are the tangible results of great ideas and strong executions, and we count them all. Because they matter to your brand.
After all — if you can measure it, you can improve it.
Good ideas can come from anywhere. All our team members are 'creatives.' We draw on a wealth of practices and perspectives to create unique, captivating, beautiful brand experiences.
We don't do "Ready, FIRE, Aim!" We work smart, using design thinking and client collaboration sessions, to plan each project from the outset so that it achieves your goals and hits the mark.
Brand experience is communication — connecting audiences with brand truths. We write, design, create and produce content to tell your story on every platform it needs to be told.
We believe in designing 'memorable', and delivering 'measurable'. Because great brand experiences don't just make people feel good – they create actual, tangible results.