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Christopher Lasch – Communitarianism or populism
Taken from Lasch's book The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy (1995, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc)
Excerpt from the Chapter Communitarianism or Populism (p.104-112)
The good society, like Whose Keeper?, is much more an attack on the market than an attack on the welfare state. Communitarianism in this form is difficult to distinguish from social democracy. At one point the authors of the former book explicitly call for a "global New Deal", notwithstanding their reservations about the "administered society". They have a great deal to say about responsibility, but it is "social responsibility", not the responsibility of individuals, that mainly concerns them. In their plea for "responsible attention", I hear overtones of "compassion", the slogan of social democracy, a slogan that has always been used to justify welfare programs, the expansion of the state's custodial and tutelary functions, and the bureaucratic rescue of women, children, and other victims of mistreatment. The ideology of compassion, however agreeable to our ears, is one of the principal influences, in its own right, on the subversion of civic life, which depends not so much on compassion as on mutual respect. A misplaced compassion degrades both the victims, who are reduced to objects of pity, and their would-be benefactors, who find it easier to pity their fellow citizens than to hold them up to impersonal standards, attainment of which would entitle them to respect. We pity those who suffer, and we pity, most of all, those who suffer conspicuously; but we reserve respect for those who refuse to exploit their suffering for the purposes of pity. We respect those who are willing to be held accountable for their actions, who submit to exacting and impersonal standards impartially applied. Today it is widely believed, at least by members of the caring class, that standards are inherently oppressive, that far from being impersonal they discriminate against women, blacks, and minorities in general. Standards, we are told, reflect the cultural hegemony of dead white European males. Compassion compels us to recognize the injustice of imposing them on everybody else.
When the ideology of compassion leads to this kind of absurdity. it is time to call it into question. Compassion has become the human face of contempt. Democracy once implied opposition to every form of double standard. Today we accept double standards – as always, a recipe for second-class citizenship – in the name of humanitarian concern. Having given up the effort to raise the general level of competence – the old meaning of democracy – we are content to institutionalize competence in the caring class, which arrogates to itself the job of looking out for everybody else.
Populism, as I understand it, is unambiguously committed to the principle of respect. It is for this reason, among others, that populism is to be preferred to communitarianism, which is too quick to compromise with the welfare state and to endorse its ideology of compassion. Populism has always rejected both the politics of deference and the politics of pity. It stands for plain manners and plan, straightforward speech. It is unimpressed by titles and other symbols of exalted social rank, but it is equally unimpressed by claims of moral superiority advanced in the name of the oppressed. It rejects a "preferential option for the poor", if that means treating the poor as helpless victims of circumstance, absolving them of accountability, or excusing their derelictions on the grounds that poverty carries with it a presumption of innocence. Populism is the authentic voice of democracy. It assumes that individuals are entitles to respect until they prove themselves unworthy of it, but it insists that they take responsibility for themselves. It is reluctant to make allowances or to withhold judgement on the grounds that "society is to blame". Populism is "judgemental", to invoke a current adjective the pejorative use of which shows how far the capacity for discriminating judgement has been weakened by the moral climate of humanitarian "concern".
Communitarians regret the collapse of social trust but often fail to see that trust, in a democracy, can only be grounded in mutual respect. They properly insist that rights have to be balanced by responsibility, but they seem to be more interested in the responsibility of the community as a whole – its responsibility, say, to its least fortunate members – than in the responsibility of individuals. When the authors of The Good Society say that "democracy means paying attention", they seek to recall us to a sense of the common good and to combat the selfish individualism that blinds us to the needs of others. But it is our reluctance to make demands on each other, much more than our reluctance to help those in need, that is sapping the strength of democracy today. We have become far too accommodating and tolerant for our own good. In the name of sympathetic understanding, we tolerate second-rate workmanship, second-rate habits of thought, and second-rate standards of personal conduct. We put up with bad manners and with many kinds of bad language, ranging from the commonplace scatology that is now ubiquitous to elaborate academic evasion. We seldom bother to correct a mistake or to argue with opponents in the hope of changing their minds. Instead we either shout them down or agree to disagree, saying that all of us have a right to opinions. Democracy in our time is more likely to die of indifference than of tolerance. Tolerance and understanding are important virtues, but they must not become an excuse for apathy.
The differences between populism and communitarianism are differences of emphasis, but they have important political consequences. My strongest objection to the communitarian point of view is that it has too little to say about controversial issues like affirmative action, abortion, and family policy. The authors of The Good Society assure their readers that they "do not want to advocate any single form of family life". It is the "quality of family life" that matters, in their view, not its structure. But quality and structure are not so easily separable. Common sense tells us that children need both father and mothers, that they are devastated by divorce, and that they do not flourish in day care centers. Without minimizing the difficulty of solving the problems that confront the family, at least we ought to be able to hold up a standard by which to measure the success or failure of our efforts. We need guidelines, not a general statement of good intentions. If communitarians are serious about what Bellah calls a "politics of generativity" they need to address the conditions that are widely believed to make it more difficult than it used to be to raise children. Parents are deeply troubled by the moral climate of permissiveness, by the sec and violence to which children are prematurely exposed, by the moral relativism they encounter in school. and by the devaluation of authority that makes children impatient with any restraints. Much of the opposition to abortion reflects the same kind of concerns, which cannot be addressed simply by taking the position that abortion, like the structure of the family, ought to be a matter of private choice. The privitization of morality is one more indication of the collapse of the community, and a communitarianism that acquiesces in this development, at the same time calling for a public philosophy, cannot expect to be taken very seriously.
Any attempt to base public policy on a clearly articulated set of moral guidelines, of course, invites the predictable objection that moral perceptions are inherently subjective, that it is impossible to arrive at a general agreement about these matters, and that politics and morality therefore have to be strictly segregated. Any attempt to combine them, according to this reasoning, will result in the imposition of one group's values on everybody else. The most common criticism of communitarianism is that it would lead to the regimentation of opinion, the repression of dissent, and the institutionalization of intolerance, all in the name of morality. Opponents of communitarianism, who include right-wing libertarians as well as left-leaning liberals, cite Calvin's Geneva, Cromwell's Puritan Commonwealth, and the Salem witch trials to show what happens when the state tries to enforce morality. The word "community", in their ears sound like a prescription for bigotry and parochialism. It conjures up images of village life out of Sherwood Anderson and Sinclair Lewis: suspicious, gossipy, complacent, ruthless in its suppression of originality and intellectual freedom. From this point of view, communitarianism appears to threaten everything the modern world has achieved in its progress from provincialism to cosmopolitanism, including the respect for "diversity" that has become the hallmark (we are told) of civilized societies.
The best answer to this indictment is that it exaggerates the difficulty of reaching a common understanding about moral issues. Amitai Etzioni, founder of the Responsive Community, the leading communitarian journal, argues convincingly that "there is more consensus than at first seems to be the case". The "values we share as a community" include a "commitment to democracy, the Bill of Rights, and mutual respect among the subgroups". Americans believe in fair treatment for all and in the "desirability of treating others with love, respect, and dignity". They believe in the virtues of tolerance and truth telling. They condemn discrimination and violence. Etzioni argues in his recent book The Spirit of Community that makes it possible to envision a "reasonable intermediate position" between libertarianism and authoritarianism. Unfortunately the inordinate influence wielded by special-interest groups, the media's vested stake in conflict, and the adversarial mode of justice embodied in our legal system promote condflitc ratjher than consensus. We conduct ourselves politically as if we had nothing in common. Some zealots go so far as to urge, in Etzioni's words, that "we forgo the notion of one society and allow it to be replaced by a conglomerate of tribes of various colors". Indeed, they claim that tribalism is the only form of "community" that is likely to take root in a multiracial, multicultural society.
Etzioni not only rejects this point of view but is confident that most Americans reject it too, since they share a wide range of basic beliefs. It can still be objected, however, that his description of the "moral infrastructure" consists of vague generalities and that people are bound to disagree about their application to specific issues. There is a good deal of evidence, however – though Etzioni does not avail himself of it- that Americans agree even about concrete issues, the very issues, prominent in recent years as a source of bitter ideological conflict, on which agreement is allegedly impossible. Public opinion polls show that large majorities favor the expansion of economic opportunities for women. A Gallup poll conducted in 1987, moreover, found that 66 percent rejected the proposition that "women should return to their traditional role in society". Yes 68 percent, according to the same poll, believed that "too many children are being raised in day-care centers". Almost 90 percent described themselves as having "old-fashioned values about family and marriage". In 1982 Daniel Yankelovich reported a two-thirds majority simultaneously in favor of women's rights and a "return to more traditional standards of family life and parental responsibility".
E. J. Dionne, who reports these findings in his Why Americans Hate Politics, notes that conventional labels do not accurately describe what Americans believe. "In the current era, … the concepts of 'left' and 'right' seem less useful than ever". Take the abortion issue, the most divisive issue in American politics, on which compromise is seemingly impossible. When the issue is defined as one of private choice against governmental interference, prochoice positions win out. But most Americans believe that too many abortions are performed and favor restrictions such as parental consent. The same ambivalence shows up in popular attitudes towards government. Most people agree, in principle, that government is too big and intrusive, but they support Social Security, national health insurance, and full employment. IN general, Dionne reports, polls suggest that "Americans believe in helping those who fall on hard times, in fostering equal opportunity and equal rights, in providing broad access to education, housing, health care, and child care". At the same time, they believe that "hard work should be rewarded, that people who behave destructively towards others should be punished, that small institutions close to home tend to do more than big institutions run from far away, that private moral choices usually have social consequences". Above all, they believe that families in which mothers and fathers live under the same roof with their children provide the best arrangement for raising the young. This commitment to the "traditional family", Dionne insists, should not be interpreted as opposition to feminism or even to alternative lifestyles. It simply reflects an understanding that "children are usually better off when they live with a mother and a father who made more than a passing commitment to each other".
As Dionne characterizes them, popular attitudes contain more common sense than rigid ideologies that dominate public debate. They are ambivalent but not necessarily contradictory or incoherent. Unfortunately they find no expression in national politics, and it is for this reason, according to Dionne, that Americans take so little interest in politics. The exmplanations of political apathy and stalemate offered by other commentators, including Bellah and Etzioni, emphasize procedural considerations: sound bites; campaign finance; the overwhelming advantages of incumbency in congressional elections. The real explanation, however, is substantive: The parties no longer represent the opinions and interests of ordinary people. The political process is dominated by rival elites committed to irreconcilable ideologies. If Dionne is to be believed, the politics of ideology has distorted our view of the world and confronted us with a series of false choices: between feminism and family, social reform and traditional values, racial justice and individual accountability. Ideological rigidity has the effect of obscuring the views Americans have in common, replacing substantive issues with purely symbolic issues, and of creating a false impression of polarization. It is the prominence of issues that strike most Americans as unreal, Dionne argues, that explains "why Americans hate politics". The issues that give rise to strident professions of faith, on both sides of the ideological divide, seem to have little bearing on the problems most people face in everyday life. Politics has become a matter of ideological gestures, while the real problems remain unsolved. "When Americans say that politics has nothing to do with what really matters, they are largely right".
Filed under: English
Tagged with: Christopher Lasch, common sense, communitarianism, family lasch, ideological rigidity, ideology, Lasch, populism


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It is often stated by parents and grandparents, 'I slept on my tummy and I slept my babies on their tummies and they were fine' or 'I smoked around my babies and they are all grown up and ok – they didn't die of SIDS!' This is thought to be due to reduced arousal responses. However, arousal and swallowing mechanisms are needed to protect baby's airway and work best when a baby is placed to sleep on the back.
Although many studies have identified underlying risk factors for SUDI, the causative or pathophysiological mechanism that make some babies more vulnerable than others still remains uncertain. However, it is currently widely believed that SIDS is multifactorial. The Triple Risk Model (Figure 1) is useful for understanding why SIDS may occur with particular babies and why it is important to follow the Red Nose safe sleeping practices when caring for every baby. This model suggests there are three interacting factors: when all three are present, SIDS is more likely to occur.
What are these three factors?
The first significant factor of the triple risk model represents a baby with an underlying weakness or abnormality which may only become apparent when the baby is exposed to stress. At this stage it is still unknown exactly what this factor is, but we know that babies born preterm or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more vulnerable to SIDS. Theories include a dysfunction in the brainstem, a genetic factor or a problem with a baby's arousal mechanism. Research is still ongoing for this factor.
The second factor of this model refers to the critical and vulnerable development period of a baby less than one year of age, particularly when under six months of age.
The third factor of this model involves the exposure of the baby to an outside stressor that may include known risk factors such as tobacco smoke, tummy or side sleeping position, overheating, head covering or an upper respiratory infection or illness.
The Triple Risk Model proposes that a vulnerable baby, at a critical period of their development, is exposed to a stressor with which he or she is unable to cope. According to the triple risk model, SIDS does not depend, therefore, on one independent cause but may occur if there is an interaction of these three factors/circles occurring simultaneously. If you can remove one of the three interacting factors, SIDS is unlikely to occur.
There are some factors that we cannot change such as the age of the baby (critical period of development) or identify, e.g. which babies may have an underlying vulnerability.
However, if parents and all care providers can remove as many as possible stressors to which babies are exposed, such as placing them on their back to sleep instead of on the tummy or side, reducing second-hand tobacco smoke, overheating, head covering, loose bedding and unsafe sleep surfaces, they will minimise the risk of SIDS.


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In statistics, model validation is the task of evaluating whether a chosen statistical model is appropriate or not. Oftentimes in statistical inference, inferences from models that appear to fit their data may be flukes, resulting in a misunderstanding by researchers of the actual relevance of their model. To combat this, model validation is used to test whether a statistical model can hold up to permutations in the data. This topic is not to be confused with the closely related task of model selection, the process of discriminating between multiple candidate models: model validation does not concern so much the conceptual design of models as it tests only the consistency between a chosen model and its stated outputs.

There are many ways to validate a model. Residual plots plot the difference between the actual data and the model's predictions: correlations in the residual plots may indicate a flaw in the model. Cross validation is a method of model validation that iteratively refits the model, each time leaving out just a small sample and comparing whether the samples left out are predicted by the model: there are many kinds of cross validation. Predictive simulation is used to compare simulated data to actual data. External validation involves fitting the model to new data. Akaike information criterion estimates the quality of a model.

Overview
Model validation comes in many forms and the specific method of model validation a researcher uses is often a constraint of their research design. To emphasize, what this means is that there is no one-size-fits-all method to validating a model. For example, if a researcher is operating with a very limited set of data, but data they have strong prior assumptions about, they may consider validating the fit of their model by using a Bayesian framework and testing the fit of their model using various prior distributions. However, if a researcher has a lot of data and is testing multiple nested models, these conditions may lend themselves toward cross validation and possibly a leave one out test. These are two abstract examples and any actual model validation will have to consider far more intricacies than describes here but these example illustrate that model validation methods are always going to be circumstantial.

In general, models can be validated using existing data or with new data, and both methods are discussed more in the following subsections, and a note of caution is provided, too.

Validation with Existing Data
Validation based on existing data involves analyzing the goodness of fit of the model or analyzing whether the residuals seem to be random (i.e. residual diagnostics). This method involves using analyses of the models closeness to the data and trying to understand how well the model predicts its own data. One example of this method is in Figure 1, which shows a polynomial function fit to some data. We see that the polynomial function does not conform well to the data, which appears linear, and might invalidate this polynomial model.

Validation with New Data
If new data becomes available, an existing model can be validated by assessing whether the new data is predicted by the old model. If the new data is not predicted by the old model, then the model might not be valid for the researcher's goals.

A Note of Caution
A model can be validated only relative to some application area. A model that is valid for one application might be invalid for some other applications. As an example, consider the curve in Figure 1: if the application only used inputs from the interval [0, 2], then the curve might well be an acceptable model.

Methods for validating
When doing a validation, there are three notable causes of potential difficulty, according to the Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences. The three causes are these: lack of data; lack of control of the input variables; uncertainty about the underlying probability distributions and correlations. The usual methods for dealing with difficulties in validation include the following: checking the assumptions made in constructing the model; examining the available data and related model outputs; applying expert judgment. Note that expert judgment commonly requires expertise in the application area.

Expert judgment can sometimes be used to assess the validity of a prediction without obtaining real data: e.g. for the curve in Figure 1, an expert might well be able to assess that a substantial extrapolation will be invalid. Additionally, expert judgment can be used in Turing-type tests, where experts are presented with both real data and related model outputs and then asked to distinguish between the two.

For some classes of statistical models, specialized methods of performing validation are available. As an example, if the statistical model was obtained via a regression, then specialized analyses for regression model validation exist and are generally employed.

Residual diagnostics

Residual diagnostics comprise analyses of the residuals to determine whether the residuals seem to be effectively random. Such analyses typically requires estimates of the probability distributions for the residuals. Estimates of the residuals' distributions can often be obtained by repeatedly running the model, i.e. by using repeated stochastic simulations (employing a pseudorandom number generator for random variables in the model).

If the statistical model was obtained via a regression, then regression-residual diagnostics exist and may be used; such diagnostics have been well studied.

Cross validation

Cross validation is a method of sampling that involves leaving some parts of the data out of the fitting process and then seeing whether those data that are left out are close or far away from where the model predicts they would be. What that means practically is that cross validation techniques fit the model many, many times with a portion of the data and compares each model fit to the portion it did not use. If the models very rarely describe the data that they were not trained on, then the model is probably wrong.

See also

All models are wrong
Cross-validation (statistics)
Identifiability analysis
Internal validity
Model identification
Overfitting
Perplexity
Predictive model
Sensitivity analysis
Spurious relationship
Statistical conclusion validity
Statistical model selection
Statistical model specification
Validity (statistics)

References

Further reading

External links
How can I tell if a model fits my data?  —Handbook of Statistical Methods (NIST)

Statistical models
Validity (statistics)

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Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
The Media Is Desperate for an Obama-Clinton Feud. Get Ready for a Letdown.
By Brian Beutler
The most important thing about Hillary Clinton's interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg might not be what it told us about Clinton herself, or the nature of her expected presidential candidacy, but about the political media and how it's coping with the absence of a clearly contested Democratic primary.
The transcript has become a Rorschach test for the political press. How they interpret it probably says more about their perceptions of Hillary Clinton—whether based on years of reporting, or lazy caricatures—than about Clinton herself. Generally these interpretations fit into one of two different binary frames. Goldberg's Atlantic colleague James Fallows bisected one of those frames here. By one reading of the transcript, Hillary didn't mean to emphasize her disagreements with President Obama over national security policy, and his Syria policy in particular, and was simply slow to set the record straight. By another she knew exactly what she was doing, and is belatedly downplaying these differences pro forma, knowing that the damage she intended to do is done.
Then there's the substantive dichotomy: Either Hillary was expressing her long-held, well-understood interventionist views, which have always been to the right of Obama's, or she was positioning—trying to separate herself from him in any way possible—in which case the interview tells us nothing at all about how she might conduct U.S. foreign policy.
So there's some ambiguity here. What's unambiguous though, is that the absence of a natural Hillary rival has left the press desperate to set off unexploded differences between her and Obama, and that they will treat her every utterance about Obama's record as a condemnation if they can.
But I think they're going to be pretty disappointed in the end.
In the Goldberg interview, I saw a (likely) candidate acting intentionally but consistently. Surely she wants to play up some of her differences with Obama, and will play them up more aggressively in the future. There are pitfalls to this instinct. But there's also a real difference here, and there always has been. I don't think she'll say Obama proved unprepared for that 3 a.m. phone call, but she's always believed, and still believes that he should've answered it with more aggressive instincts.
Unfortunately for the press, that's just about the whole story.
As it turns out, we have a pretty detailed roadmap of the Obama and Clinton worldviews—showing where they overlap and where they depart from each other—in the form of a very well documented 2008 primary campaign.
One of the most remarkable things about that campaign was the overwhelming consensus among all of the top contenders on all key domestic policy issues. The lone, major exception to the consensus was then-Senator Obama's refusal to include an individual mandate in his national health care plan. He took a lot of guff from Clinton and John Edwards and health policy wonks for his position, but it made his plan easier to sell to the public, and perhaps was a smart way to tee off negotiations with the industry. The evolution of the Affordable Care Act, from Obama's blueprint in the primary, through passage of the law, is thus a story of Obama "evolving" toward Hillary's position, and eventually adopting it wholesale. I think Obama's original reluctance was a bit trumped up and cynical. But that's what happened.
If once in office, Obama had departed further from the primary consensus, and enacted a series of policies at odds with, or far short of, those he'd campaigned on, then we'd have a recipe for renewed Obama-Clinton warfare. Instead, the opposite is true. And as such I think there's almost no reason to think Hillary will run away from Obama's domestic record, or do damage to any of his accomplishments—particularly Obamacare—as a campaigner. She hasn't said much about ACA as a proto-candidate, but everything she's said has been consistent with the kinds of things you'd expect from a successor looking to shore up her predecessor's legacy. A great start, as good as we could have done with the constraints we faced, now we should strengthen it.
Unfortunately, that doesn't leave much material for the confrontation-obsessed. Saying that health care and Wall Street should be improved and strengthened isn't a great departure. Saying the steps Obama took through executive action—particularly his greenhouse gas and immigration policies—should be replaced by new statutes isn't much of a knock on his policies. I can imagine her attributing Obama's inability to squeeze climate change and immigration reform bills out of Congress to his unwillingness or inability to use the tools of political tradecraft—hardball negotiating, political networking—that she specializes in. But that'll just be a calculated way of saying that she's the person best suited to shore up and build upon his legacy.
Foreign policy will be the only substantive source of dissonance. I'm just not sure that'll be enough to satisfy the people covering her.
Brian Beutler is a senior editor at The New Republic. He hosts Primary Concerns, a podcast about politics.
@brianbeutler
Politics, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, Immigration Reform

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Memorial fund started for Orlando teenager shot and killed on his way to Boone High School
by Monivette Cordeiro
Photo via Orange County Public Schools
Alejandro Vargas Martinez
A memorial fund has been started to pay for the funeral of Alejandro Vargas Martinez, a 15-year-old sophomore who was shot and killed Tuesday morning while walking to Boone High School.
The fund was started The Foundation for Orange County Public Schools to help the family "provide the type of services Alejandro deserves, as well as help them with the many other unexpected costs related to his death," the foundation said.
Alejandro was shot around 6:41 a.m. on Dec. 18 while he was walking to school along Waldo Street near East Kaley Avenue. Deputies found the wounded teenager lying on the street and treated him at the scene, but he died at the hospital.
On Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office released surveillance video showing a "vehicle of interest" in Alejandro's killing.
A reward of $10,000 is being offered to anyone who has information on the case that could lead to an arrest. People with information are being asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.
"Alejandro was a fine young man, with a great sense of humor and a love for life," the foundation said. " Our community is broken and we want to help his family pick up the pieces of their lives in any way possible."
People can donate to the "Alejandro Vargas Memorial Fund" online or fill out a check payable to "Foundation for OCPS" with the name "Alejandro Vargas" in the memo section, and send to the Foundation for OCPS, 445 W. Amelia St., Orlando, FL 32801.
"Bringing those that are responsible for his senseless death to justice will be crucial to our healing and bring everyone closure," the foundation said. "Our hearts go out to the Vargas family and our community."
Bloggytown alejandro vargas martinez orange county sheriff's office orange county public schools
Reward increased to $15K for info on fatal shooting of Orlando high school student
by Monivette Cordeiro | Jan 2, 2019
Photo Via Orange County Sheriff's Office
Surveillance video shows 'vehicle of interest' in killing of 15-year-old Orlando high school student
$10K reward offered for info on fatal shooting of 15-year-old Orlando high school student
Photo Via Orange County Sheriff's Office/twitter
15-year-old boy shot, killed while walking to Orlando high school


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Globally, some advancements regarding women's rights has been achieved. In Honduras, domestic violence legislation is in place to protect women. As of February 2019, 21.1% of parliament seats are held by women. Moreover, women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) often face barriers with respect to their sexual and reproductive health and rights: the proportion of women who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods in 2006 year stood at 76%.
However, work still needs to be done in Honduras to achieve gender equality. Proportion of women aged 20-24 years old who were married or in union before age 18 is 33.6%. Adolescent birth rate is 103 per 1000 population as of 2013, up from 100.6 per 1000 population in 2010. In 2012, 11% of women aged 15-49 years reported that they had been subject to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months. Also, women and girls aged 15+ years spent 17.3% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work compared to 4.3% spent by men.
Country Score (Honduras)


0:30 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Emma Johnson, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
05:36 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Paige White, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
06:52 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Wide.
12:26 Corner kick by Emmanuel (MA) Sydney Allen [12:26].
15:00 Shot by Suffolk O'Brien, Caleigh, Wide.
17:19 Shot by Suffolk Adamo, Melissa, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
20:56 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
21:30 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Mikayla Guthrie for Paige White.
22:45 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
23:27 Corner kick by Emmanuel (MA) Sydney Allen [23:27].
24:15 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Mikayla Guthrie, High.
24:53 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
25:37 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: Fieldsend, Julia for Katsoufis, Leto.
28:28 Shot by Suffolk Lanza, Addisyn, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
29:42 Shot by Suffolk O'Brien, Caleigh, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
30:40 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Abba McKenelley for Bailey Maurer.
32:16 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Sydney Allen, Wide.
32:52 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Mikayla Guthrie, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
33:14 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Emily Medeiros for Sydney Allen.
33:44 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Natalie Dash, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
35:11 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Hannah Sullivan for Natalie Dash.
37:57 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: McEachren, Mariella for O'Brien, Caleigh.
41:33 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Kennedy Davignon for Megan Mastrangelo.
46:06 Corner kick by Emmanuel (MA) Abba McKenelley [46:06].
46:49 Shot by Suffolk Kelly, Jackie, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
50:39 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Wide.
53:44 Shot by Suffolk Bernardo, Veronica, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
53:47 Shot by Suffolk Hunt, Julia, Wide.
55:07 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Kennedy Davignon for Rachel Prevost.
56:06 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Natalie Dash for Paige White.
59:02 Header Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Mikayla Guthrie, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
61:01 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: Fieldsend, Julia for Katsoufis, Leto.
62:40 Shot by Suffolk Barahona, Alyssa, Wide.
64:38 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Abba McKenelley for Emma Johnson.
67:08 Shot by Suffolk O'Brien, Caleigh, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
68:28 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.
70:20 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Bailey Maurer, High.
70:33 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Paige White for Kayla Generis.
70:33 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Hannah Sheskey for Rachel Prevost.
71:31 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Emma Johnson for Sydney Allen.
71:31 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Rachel Beliveau for Bailey Maurer.
73:25 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: McEachren, Mariella for Hunt, Julia.
74:20 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Abba McKenelley, High.
75:08 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: Katsoufis, Leto for Fieldsend, Julia.
75:08 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Kayla Generis for Natalie Dash.
75:30 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Berlin Rodriguez for Abba McKenelley.
76:24 Substitution!Suffolk substitution: Hunt, Julia for Barahona, Alyssa.
76:24 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Rachel Prevost for Kennedy Davignon.
79:39 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Sydney Allen for Rachel Beliveau.
80:13 Shot by Suffolk O'Brien, Caleigh, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
81:12 Shot by Suffolk O'Brien, Caleigh, Save (by goalie) Lexi Gawron.
81:48 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Mikayla Guthrie, High.
82:02 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Bailey Maurer for Berlin Rodriguez.
82:02 Substitution!Emmanuel (MA) substitution: Natalie Dash for Paige White.
83:55 Shot by Emmanuel (MA) Kayla Generis, Save (by goalie) Rodrigues, Allison.


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Egadi Islands
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The Egadi Islands, in front of the west coast of Sicily, is formed by the islands of Favignana, Levanzo, Maritime and the Ant and Maraone islets. The beautiful waters surrounding the islands, rich in flora and fauna but also of archaeological finds, the pristine waters and beautiful coastline and wild make it a little paradise on earth, protected by the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands which makes it the most extensive marine reserve in Europe. magical backdrops and stunning coves, clear water rich in history, small reliefs, bays mysterious caves as well as the incredible variety of the seabed and marine species that inhabit them, make the reserve a unique destination and irresistible charm. The backdrops made magical by the sun's rays, are covered with meadows of Posidonia and rich in marine species, inhabitants of a fascinating underwater world. Do not miss the seabed of Punta Bassana at Maritime, or the charm of the Secca del Toro walls, Favignana. The geographical location of the islands, a strategic hub of the past, has made the area particularly rich in archaeological remains. Among the crystalline waters lurk underwater wrecks and ancient merchants and pirates boats. There are also many artifacts that date back to the prehistoric period and the rock carvings that adorn the walls of caves and inlets. In the depths of Cala Minnola at cance, including an encounter among the fascinating relics of an ancient Roman ship and browse through its cargo of amphorae, while Grosso Cape are still visible several stone anchors and lead. Favignana is the largest of the islands and is considered the pearl of Egadi. golden sands, majestic cliffs and hospitable coves make the scenic island suitable for all holiday needs.
Favignana is the largest island of the Egadi Islands, located about 9 miles from Trapani, owes its name to the wind Favonius. Its shape resembles a butterfly with outspread wings, are the two plains, one called the Bosco lying to the west and the other called the Plain stretched east to Sicily. At the center of the massive body made up of the mountain that culminates with the peak St. Catherine (302 meters above sea level) on which is located the eponymous castello.Da always at the center of the Mediterranean Sea was a strategic point for all people coming onto this sea and that its dominance clashed in epic battles. The best known of these is the one that in 241 BC contrasted the Phoenicians to the Romans, took place in the sea facing the island and was decisive for the fate of the first Punic war, the myth says that the body of water in which it took place, it became red for the blood shed by the fighters and was since then it was given the name of Cala Rossa to the bay in front of which combatte.Oggi the island with beaches, cliffs, beautiful coves and pristine beach is a popular tourist destination, combining the new with the 'ancient, putting together the many tourist activities with the traditions of a country that has always lived by the sea, and in particular the activities related to tuna fishing, where every year in the period from April to July renews the tradition of tuna and massacre, tuna fishing, very exciting and spectacular, a bloody ritual, spasmodic, but incredible charm. Death is not an end in itself show is fighting for the survival of fishermen and their families. Hike definitely to do to learn about another ancient but living tradition, is to open quarries for l 'extraction of tufa, fatigue tradition, the islanders exorcise boasting of the fact, that with the stones of their island have built many of the most beautiful Sicilian dwellings.
Marettimo is perfect destination for every type of tourist, scouts cave enthusiasts, aficionados of the sea, the lovers of underwater exploration, the lovers of archeology and in general all those who wish to get away from the noise and smog of the city, to plunge in an unspoiled paradise. The island of Marettimo can be considered one of the last paradises of the few remaining pristine marine locations. It is not easy to describe the beauty, the idyllic peace that reigns there, the importance of archaeological natural treasures that it will reign. The almost total absence of cars and all the noises that accompany us in the big cities, makes life in a quiet and serene country. It land at the airport again and immediately gives the impression of being overwhelmed by the mountain, looming and majestic. But it is the old airport, on the opposite side, the true harbor of Marettimo fishermen. Hence bringing the gaze to the north you can see Punta Troia who proudly juts out into the sea with its Castle, built by the Spanish in the seventeenth century. Continuing to Punta Troia and passed the headland, another stop at the grotto of Thunder, in the northern coast of the island ending tip Mugnone. From here it begins the fantastic scenery of the west coast: high rocks, dolomite, perched on a transparent sea of a deep turquoise, beautiful caves, now intense colors now faded depending on the play of light created by the sun's rays against the rocky walls and water surface. Continuing on this side of the island you reach the wonderful "Perciata" cave, full of stalactites, stalagmites, and calcareous deposits in the "Nativity grotto" have created figures that resemble the characters of the nativity. Finally we come to the grotto of the "bomb" which takes its name from the explosions that produces there the swell. After Punta Libeccio is dry of "Cretazzo", diving ideal place for lovers of underwater photography for the lush flora and abundant wildlife. The depths are less than one meter and you can find moray eels, conger eels, grouper, amberjack, sea bream and many other types of fish. still following the coast you come to Punta Bassana whose seabed is rich in seagrass, sponges, lobsters, snapper, etc .. Continuing the circumnavigation, you reach Cala Marino where you can see some small beaches before arriving to the country.
Levanzo It has the shape of a triangle. His "old town" lies, a mo 'nativity scene, on the shore of Cala Dogana and on top you can admire the remains of an ancient Saracen watchtower. No less important, however, with regard to the attractions of the island, its flora, in fact, despite the island is not rich in fresh water, there may be found about 460 kinds of plants, of which a really typical ten of the territory. During the wet season (late autumn, winter) are not lacking big and tasty mushrooms. The island is not big and this makes her valuable. Suffice it to say that the perimeter of the coastline measures 15 km. Approximately, and its surface area is 5.82 square kilometers. Its inhabitants until the early 1800s adibivano to the island's caves dwelling. The real country assumed such an appearance around 1850 with the blessing of the Church in the midst of the village. Before that it existed, situated on the plateau, in a warehouse of the Pallavicino Baron, for which they felt a rent from the Government. Levanzo is the smallest of the Aegadian islands, thanks to the mainly mountainous nature and to a limited human presence has saved several endemic plant species (about 400). The absence of rolling streets invites visitors to hiking trails through not difficult and of great charm; It can, without great difficulty, reach, following the west side, the Grotta del Genovese, meeting many of the vegetable expressions of the island with strong wild flavor. Graffiti of the Genovese cave, dating to 9200 BC , Witness of a community dedicated to hunting and already at the Tuna Fishing, united in tribal ties by magical rituals. By entering the cave and slowly getting used to the dark one it is overwhelmed by the charm that the reproduction of stylized dancers and symbolic produces. The supranational importance of Levanzo archaeological heritage certainly worth a visit. From the slopes of "Pizzo del Monaco" you can reach Cala Tramontana, one of the most beautiful island of the color of the rock, the transparent sea, the flora and fauna. Beyond the Cala Dogana, which overlooks the charming village, do not miss a bath in Cala Minnola.
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Home > Government Relations > FYI > Science Policy in 2022: 10 Stories to Watch
FYI presents its annual list of 10 science policy stories to watch in the year ahead.
VLA-Sunrise_June2018-740x500px.jpg
Sunrise at the Jansky Very Large Array radio astronomy facility in New Mexico.
(Image credit – NRAO / AUI / NSF)
The year ahead could be a historic one for U.S. science and technology policy, with Congress continuing to debate proposals such as the creation of a new National Science Foundation directorate and an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Lawmakers are also still pushing special multiyear funding measures that could send billions of dollars to science agencies such as NSF, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce, on top of what has already been provided through pandemic recovery funding and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Nonetheless, there remains considerable disagreement around the proposals on the table and the window for ambitious action may be short, given the approach of the November midterm elections. Developments that appear imminent can always disappear over the horizon, and, as ever, surprises are to be expected.
Here are 10 issues FYI will be watching in 2022.
Innovation policy puzzle still in pieces
In 2021, Congress advanced several efforts to support technology innovation. Seeking a quick bipartisan victory, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) teamed with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on legislation to establish a National Science Foundation directorate and regional innovation hubs that would prospectively focus billions of dollars on key technology areas. The bill was rolled into a package called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act and passed the Senate, but it was ultimately sidetracked in the face of competing priorities and disagreements with House lawmakers over matters such as the role of the NSF directorate and how to reduce geographic concentration of R&D funding. It is now awaiting action by a conference committee. Tied up with it is $52 billion in direct funding to launch initiatives to support U.S. semiconductor production and R&D that were authorized a year ago in the CHIPS for America Act. However, about $25 billion for energy technology development and demonstration is already in the books via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Department of Energy is gearing up to assemble an expansive portfolio of large-scale projects. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is also taking some actions on its own, such as allocating $1 billion from pandemic recovery funds to support "regional industry clusters" and exploring policies to bolster critical industries and supply chains for strategic technologies.
Science agency funding up in the air
Many federal R&D programs could receive major funding boosts once Congress completes its appropriations process for the current fiscal year, but Democrats have yet to secure sufficient support from Republicans, who have objected to the scale of proposed spending increases for non-defense programs. Federal agencies have been operating at close to their fiscal year 2021 budget levels since the start of the fiscal year on Oct.1, and if a deal can't be reached Congress could resort to a full-year stopgap measure that would squeeze many programs and prevent new initiatives from commencing. Yet, some new efforts are already ramping up using the influx of funds provided by the infrastructure law, and the Build Back Better Act could provide a windfall for some science agencies if Senate Democrats can revive its fortunes. The House-passed version of the bill allocates about $10 billion to R&D programs, including nearly $900 million for fusion energy initiatives. The draft Senate bill includes $5 billion for national laboratory infrastructure not in the House bill that DOE could use to patch budgetary holes in some projects while accelerating others. Both versions include $1.8 billion to launch the proposed NSF technology directorate.
Midterm elections loom
Democrats will feel increased urgency to move pending legislative initiatives across the finish line this year, since the November election could spell the end of their control of Congress. If Republicans take back either chamber of Congress, it would bury the possibility that Biden administration priorities will be funded using special spending legislation, though some bipartisan initiatives such as semiconductor incentives could have a longer shelf life. If the Senate changes hands, the confirmation of President Biden's nominations is likely to slow down beyond its already-languid pace and some presently viable nominees could be rejected. There will therefore be considerable pressure to fill out agency positions this year. In addition, retiring lawmakers will have a final chance to make a mark. House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) has already stated she plans to use her last year to promote "inclusive innovation," highlighting pending bills that aim to improve demographic analysis of the STEM workforce, build research capacity at minority-serving institutions and underserved geographic regions, and combat sexual harassment in academia.
Research security policy at a crossroads
The Justice Department ran into headwinds last year with its China Initiative, as it lost one case that went to trial and dropped a number of others involving academics, though it did secure several plea deals and the conviction of Harvard University chemist Charles Lieber. The initiative has faced criticism from Asian American advocacy groups and leading scientists, among others, who argue it is discriminatory, focused on relatively benign misdeeds, and is causing widespread fear in the research community. Some of the anxiety has stemmed from continued confusion surrounding what kinds of activities scientists need to report to funding agencies and what exactly those agencies will consider problematic. Seeking to lend clarity on the first question, the White House has just issued guidance to science agencies on disclosure requirements and directed agencies to produce "model grant application forms" within three months. It is also promising to provide guidance by an unspecified date on the more contentious question of how agencies should use the information that scientists disclose to them. The guidance will not apply to federal prosecutors, but the Justice Department is reportedly preparing to delegate more enforcement of disclosure violations to science agencies.
US and China vie to influence key technologies
The U.S. government is ramping up efforts to shape global norms and standards for emerging technologies, and to pressure the companies that develop and sell them to do so in alignment with the country's interests. The principal, if sometimes unspoken, target of these moves is the Chinese government, which has sought to advance its own influence over key technologies through initiatives such as "China Standards 2035" and its earlier "Made in China 2025" strategy. The Biden administration has pledged to build partnerships with democratic countries that share values about how to design and deploy technologies. It is also increasingly restricting exports to institutions in China that it deems are supporting repressive uses of technologies or the modernization of China's military. The Commerce Department plans to advance further controls on emerging technologies as well as on "foundational technologies," pursuant to a 2018 law. In addition, the administration and Congress are considering restricting U.S. institutions' ability to invest in China, a so-called "outbound" investment screening that would mirror the reviews conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S (CFIUS). Congress significantly expanded CFIUS in 2018, with an eye toward protecting sensitive technologies, and is debating whether to extend the process to the higher-education sector.
Climate research informing mitigation plans
Following climate change mitigation pledges made last year at the international summit in Glasgow, the Biden administration is expected to release a National Climate Strategy that outlines actions necessary to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition, the U.S. is pressing to improve international emissions-monitoring systems to hold countries to account, as well as to expand the availability of climate data and planning tools to the public. For instance, a blueprint for expanding federal "climate services" has been produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency that has long considered establishing a dedicated climate services unit. The administration is also working to improve climate science's ability to offer information specific to localized geographic regions and economic sectors, particularly through the fifth National Climate Assessment, slated for release in 2023. In addition, agencies across the government are continuing to appoint high-level climate advisers, and NASA has just combined the positions of chief scientist and senior climate adviser and named climate-modeling expert Kate Calvin to the role.
White House science team gains steam
The White House will seek to pivot from contemplation toward action this year as it advances some of its top priorities for science and technology policy. The Office of Science and Technology Policy has been engaged in an extensive stakeholder-consultation process in anticipation of redoubling efforts to promote scientific integrity and transparency in federal programs as well as to bolster diversity, equity, and justice in the sciences and in the design and application of technology. This month, the office proposed new principles for protecting the integrity of science across all federal agencies, including ones without their own science portfolios. The Biden administration is also working to flesh out its Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of federal investment in areas such as clean energy and climate preparedness to disadvantaged communities. Meanwhile, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will carve out its policy role as it starts to take on studies, including ones that address the high-level policy questions President Biden set out last year in a letter to his science adviser Eric Lander.
NASA turns a corner
Despite the doubts swirling around the long-term cost and schedule of NASA's Artemis exploration program, it is set to take a long-delayed leap this year with the launch of its first, uncrewed circumlunar flight. The agency's commercial robotic lunar lander program is also scheduled to make its first launches, following its own delays, joining an international host of uncrewed Moon missions. The ultimate goal of NASA's lunar campaign is to develop a new paradigm for spaceflight that interweaves science, exploration, and commercial development, which will also be an important theme of the National Academies decadal survey for space-based research that is currently spinning up. Meanwhile, the latest decadal survey for planetary science is expected to appear this year, refreshing the priorities of a program that has rapidly doubled in size. NASA's astrophysics program is beginning 2022 on a high note, as the James Webb Space Telescope takes its place in the firmament, opening a new era for space-based astronomy. With a new decadal survey now in hand, the program will soon turn to setting up a line of medium-scale "probe" missions while also laying groundwork for a future flagship telescope that will outstrip Webb's capabilities.
Scientists seek 'new normal' as pandemic grinds on
Several scientific organizations abandoned plans to hold in-person conferences early this year due to the rapid spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, underscoring how the pandemic continues to roil the research community. Scientists are experimenting with new modes of work, such as hybrid meetings and expanded remote-access procedures for user facilities, but have also drawn attention to the harms of lost in-person networking and training opportunities. As research facilities strive to return to normal operations, there has been pushback on vaccination requirements, with some contractor-operated federal labs facing legal challenges. While economic recovery has staved off feared budgetary crises at universities, especially ones with large endowments, financial uncertainty still looms over the higher-education sector. Universities are also facing a continuing dropoff in undergraduate enrollments, and, while international enrollments are recovering following a steep downturn, they have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
White House queues up biomedical innovation push
A central piece of President Biden's innovation agenda is establishing an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to drive forward high-risk, high-reward research. The idea has gained some traction in Congress, with House and Senate appropriators both proposing funding for the new entity contingent on Congress passing separate legislation to authorize its creation. Two competing proposals to establish ARPA–H have been put forward in the House, reflecting disagreements over where to place it within the federal bureaucracy so as to foster the appropriate culture, and the Senate has yet to introduce its own bill. Biotechnology has also been looped into debates over U.S. national competitiveness, leading Congress to establish a National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology to further examine the issue. In addition, White House science adviser Eric Lander has proposed a $65 billion "Apollo"-style biopreparedness initiative to head off future pandemics. He has pushed for Congress to provide a downpayment on the initiative through the Build Back Better Act, but the latest version falls well short of his spending targets.
FYI Team


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Copper (Cu) is an essential element in plant nutrition, but it inhibits the growth of roots at low concentrations. Accessions of Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana) vary in their tolerance to Cu. To understand the molecular mechanism of Cu tolerance in Arabidopsis, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and accession studies. One major QTL on chromosome 1 (QTL1) explained 52% of the phenotypic variation in Cu tolerance in roots in a Landsberg erecta/Cape Verde Islands (Ler/ Cvi) recombinant inbred population. This QTL regulates Cu translocation capacity and involves a Cu-transporting P1B-1-type ATPase, HMA5. The Cvi allele carries two amino acid substitutions in comparison with the Ler allele and is less functional than the Ler allele in Cu tolerance when judged by complementation assays using a T-DNA insertion mutant. Complementation assays of the ccc2 mutant of yeast using chimeric HMA5 proteins revealed that N923T of the Cvi allele, which was identified in the tightly conserved domain N(x)(6)YN(x)(4)P (where the former asparagine was substituted by threonine), is a cause of dysfunction of the Cvi HMA5 allele. Another dysfunctional HMA5 allele was identified in Chisdra-2, which showed Cu sensitivity and low capacity of Cu translocation from roots to shoots. A unique amino acid substitution of Chisdra-2 was identified in another strictly conserved domain, CPC(x)(6)P, where the latter proline was replaced with leucine. These results indicate that a portion of the variation in Cu tolerance of Arabidopsis is regulated by the functional integrity of the Cu-translocating ATPase, HMA5, and in particular the amino acid sequence in several strictly conserved motifs.
© 2008 American Society of Plant Biologists. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.
Kobayashi, Y., Kuroda, K., Kimura, K., Southron-Francis, J.L., Furuzawa, A., Kimura, K., Iuchi, S., Kobayashi, M., Taylor, G.J. & Koyama, H. (2008). Amino acid polymorphisms in strictly conserved domains of a P-type ATPase HMA5 are involved in the mechanism of copper tolerance variation in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology, 148(2), 969-980. DOI: 10.1104/pp.108.119933.


Pediatric Critical Care Specialist A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine is expert in advanced life support for children from the term or near-term neonate to the adolescent. This competence extends to the critical care management of life-threatening organ system failure from any cause in both medical and surgical patients, and to the support of vital physiological functions. This specialist may have administrative responsibilities for intensive care units and also facilitates patient care among other specialists.


EPIC had the chance to get some questions by a brand new, up and coming, DJ from Copenhagen. Volmer is a house artist who is ready to facilitate the music that inspires you to get out on the dance floor. With his most recent press release of his newest single "Feel Like Falling", we wanted to learn a bit more about this scandinavian producer.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What was your "light bulb moment" for the start of your career?
I remember it clearly! I was 5 years old and the local marching band was playing outside my house. I then decided to become a trumpet player or a drummer... trumpet tuition wasn't available in my small town so I started drumming. It was also a good idea to start with rhythm.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: If you had to categorize your music, which genre of dance music would it be in?
It's hard to say, I think. I always try and make a crossover between good songs and elements from club-music. I try and start with a tempo between 116 and 124 bpm. If I can get a great song going, it makes it easier for remixers to have fun with it afterwards. I think, the biggest goal, is to make a song that can make people dance, but still have a recognizable vocal.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: How long have you been making music?
Phew... I think my first time making a "beat" was in the early 90's with my commodore 64. It was probably more a few bleeps and blobs now I think of it. Would be fun to listen to today.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: To date, what has been your greatest opportunity/ biggest break in your music career?
It's hard to tell because there has been so many great moments. The most important, is probably the possibility to move to London to study and work with some fantastic producers. I learned a lot from that during the 5 years I lived there.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: How did you come to collaborate with Fura?
We are both managed by Fandango Music and they introduced us. I had only met Fura once before we wrote "Feel Like Falling". We had great chemistry in the studio so the song more or less wrote itself. It was a great day.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What excites you most about your new video "Feel Like Falling"?
I love the simplicity of the video. The black/white feel really brings out a feeling, I think. It's really hard to make a video but the director Nicho Oppermann had a great vision and skills to make it shine, i think.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Wow... that's a tough one. Everything from Prince to Solomun, Roy Ayers to Pele & Shawnecy. There's so much amazing music on so many levels. You'll see me at a small jazz-gig early in the evening and a big techno-rave later in the night. Great music is great music no matter what the genre is.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: Which artists would you love to collaborate with in the future?
More fantastic singers. I have a huge vocal crush on Etta Bond & Zalon Thompson at the moment. Both fantastic voices from London. Electronic artists i'd love to collaborate with are definitely Opiuo, André Hommen and some of the Ibiza guys. Amazing talents all of them.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What are your plans for the remainder of 2015?
Lots of DJ gigs and also a trip to New York to collaborate with Lauren Flax. I'm hoping to find time to come back to LA again to do some more writing. I love it there.
EPIC PRODUCTIONS: Is there a tour on the horizon for you? What can people expect from a live performance?
This self starter artist will no doubt be popping up more as he continues to work hard in the studio. Be sure to check out Volmer's video for "Feel Like Falling", as this 90s style beat will have you excited for more! Grab the single HERE.


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tHE MYSTERIES OF lIFE
sCENES FROM Kingdom of FiltwaTER
"Well, we're here." Although his voice didn't crack, Torlon's body shook all over.
"Are you sh-shure that we sh-shouldn't let sleeping dragons l-lie?" Torlon's shorter, darker-haired companion and friend Falz was having trouble walking anymore.
"Oh come on, Falz, what makes you think a sleeping dragon would talk much less lie? And even if he didn't Tell the truth in his sleep, then of course we shouldn't let him lie. After all, honesty is the best policy."
Falz sighed at the sight of Torlon's toothy grin. Torlon had stopped shaking.
"Well, now or never…"
"Better never," Falz mumbled as Torlon walked into the cave. Falz followed, as well as he could considering his shaky knees. "We sh-should've never t-taken that bet, T-torlon. This is d-dangerous."
"Oh come on, Falz, what's so dangerous about waking up the oldest creature on the planet and asking him a few questions about the mysteries of life?"
"Torlon, first of all, this is not a creature; it's a dragon – a sleeping dragon." Falz's nerves had calmed down; now that he was sure he was going to be the breakfast of a very old dragon. "Secondly, this dragon is ancient – he's at least seven centuries old. I don't know about your grandfather, but my grandfather is only seventy years old, and he's crankier than one of Sarden's stupid inventions. This dragon will be at least one hundred times worse. And thirdly, we'll be waking him up, and we both know what you are like in the morning."
"Always practical, aren't you? Where's your sense of adventure? Don't you want to know the answers to the mysteries of life? How often do you get to speak to someone who is seven hundred years old? Huh?"
"Someone? Someone? Torlon, this is a dragon. It has teeth the size of my leg, breathes fire and has claws which could rip mountains apart. In short, he's not going to invite us to breakfast. He may, however, invite us to be breakfast."
"Oh come on, Falz, don't be such a worry wart. I'm sure that he'll be very reasonable."
The cavern had gotten considerably darker, and Falz heard a thud.
"Hey, did you bring the torches?"
"Of course I brought the torches. After all, I want to know what horrible creature is going to eat me before I die." There was a spark as Falz lit a first torch and handed it to Torlon. He noticed that there was tear in Torlon's breeches at the knee. He then lit a torch for himself.
They wandered through the caverns for several moments; their footsteps echoed hollowly off the walls.
"Torlon, do you even know where the dragon is sleeping?"
"Yeah, in these caverns."
"I meant specifically."
"Well…uh…no, but how can we miss a creature as large as the dungeon of Filtwater?"
Falz rubbed his forehead and wished that Excedrin had been invented in the thirteenth century.
They wandered around the caverns for a couple of hours, or days or years, who could actually tell, when Torlon finally spoke, "Shhh!"
"I haven't said…"
"Shhh! You hear that?" whispered Torlon. "Well?" "Why don't you answer me?"
"You told me 'Shhh!'"
"So I did. Look! What's that glittering down there?"
"Liberace's jacket?" Falz laughed at the confused look on Torlon's face. They walked toward the glitter.
"I knew we would find him!"
"Great, Torlon, now how do we wake him?"
"Very carefully."
Falz frowned at this statement.
Torlon shouted at the dragon asleep on a very large pile of gold. "Um…Mr. Dragon! Sir Dragon! Excuse me, Mighty One! Would you please wake up?"
A low grumble came from the sanguine creature. Its head raised up, slowly, both eyes opening half-way. "I hate humans." Its mood didn't match its color.
"Um…Mr. Dragon, can we ask you some questions?"
"You disturbed my nap. You might as well go for it – the worst that will happen is you'll get toasted."
"Uh…well…see…we were wondering about the mysteries of life." A drop of sweat rolled off Torlon's eyebrow and dropped onto his cheek. "What is the purpose of life?"
If the dragon had eyebrows, he would have raised one. "Well, I suppose that would depend on who you asked. Would you like something to eat?" The dragon reached over and grabbed a sheep from the flock that both Torlon and Falz had just noticed grazing on some sort of cave moss growing near an underground stream. The dragon roasted the sheep to a very well done but still juicy and tender rack of lamb. He ripped off a leg and gave it to Torlon.
Torlon promptly burnt his hands and dropped the leg on the floor.
"Sorry, I forget how hot my breath is."
After it cooled, Torlon picked it up and shared it with Falz.
"Now, let's say you ask a bird what his purpose in being is. He would probably answer something like 'to fly and use newly washed horses and carriages as toilets.' Now, if you asked a stone, he would probably reply something like 'to sit around and gather moss.' If he were a rolling stone, he would probably say 'to stick out your tongue and grow the largest lips possible.' However, since you asked a seven hundred year old dragon, who has been stuck in these caves for the last four hundred years, I would have to say that I have no clue. What do you think the purpose of being is?"
Torlon was thrown off by the question, "Uh…uh…uh…I don't know."
"Well, did you wake me up after fifty years, interrupting my dream about the seven headed hydrette who was about to…well, never mind about that…for one question, or were there others?"
"As one so wise, Mr. Dragon…"
"Call me Rupert."
"Uh…Okay, Rupert, as one so wise you know that the mysteries of life are many, so of course, I have many more questions."
"Fire away."
"Are we predestined, or do we have a choice in things?"
"Any more questions?"
"But you didn't answer that one."
"I know, but I find that humans have a problem with cutting everything down to the smallest part, and then they ask about that part without knowing anything about the whole. Truly, sometimes, overlooking the whole."
Torlon looked confused.
Rupert continued, "So, if you ask me all of your questions at once, I may be able to explain it all without having to repeat myself, wasting both our time and energy."
"Okay…" Torlon paused for a moment then went on with his list of questions. "Did we evolve or were we created? Is there any more to life? Why do we exist? Do the things we do matter? What happens when we die? Is death permanent?"
"Mmmm…All very good questions." A sinister gleam shone in the dragon's eye. "Unfortunately, I can only help you answer the last two."
"How?" Torlon's face filled with anticipation.
"Well…just like so." With a move of such considerable speed that Falz couldn't believe that he had seen it, Rupert grabbed Torlon and, with a few crunching bites, ate him. "Any questions, little man?" He belched and a smile of satisfaction came to his lips.
"Just one."
"How do I get out of here?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't have been down here so long." Rupert set his head back on his gold mound and closed his eyes.
Falz wandered away, awestruck.
Kingdom of Filtwater I
Kingdom of Filtwater II
Kingdom of Filtwater III
Kingdom of Filtwater IV
Kingdom of Filtwater V
Kingdom of Filtwater VI
Kingdom of Filtwater VII
Kingdom of Filtwater VIII
Kingdom of Filtwater IX
Kingdom of Filtwater X
Kingdom of Filtwater XI


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Tal Woliner
Tal Woliner joined AAAS as its Chief Communications Officer in August 2021.
Tal has more than 15 years of experience in media relations, public affairs, and corporate and crisis communications, spanning industries including technology and telecommunications, food and agriculture, health care, transportation, energy, and financial services. Much of her work has been at the intersection of science and several of these sectors.
Immediately prior to joining AAAS, Tal was a senior vice president at Direct Impact/BCW, one of the nation's leading grassroots firms, where she led a cross-agency team of 60 people managing corporate communications and public affairs campaigns in nearly 30 U.S. markets for Crown Castle, the nation's largest provider of shared communications infrastructure. The company joined the Fortune 500 in 2020. As part of that work, Tal co-led the strategy and launch of an initiative to address the growing health and safety concerns and opposition to 5G technology. She also provides counsel on crisis communications.
Tal joined Direct Impact from Story Partners, a boutique public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. While there, she led PR and advocacy campaigns for the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) to promote lifesaving medical technology. She placed patient and advocacy stories and op-eds in national and local publications for AdvaMed. She also worked with scientists, nutritionists, and other experts on behalf of FMC to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture continued to designate carrageenan, a food additive, as approved for use in organic food.
Beyond AdvaMed, she served as the account leader for several other trade associations including the Large Public Power Council, whose members include the CEOs of the 27 largest public power systems across the United States, the American Cable Association, and the National Apartment Association.
Prior to Story Partners, Tal worked at Ketchum, a top 5 global public relations firm, for more than a decade. During that tenure, she provided strategic counsel, media relations, public affairs and reputation management support to IBM, Nestlé, CropLife International's GMO Answers program, and the auto parts industry's Quality Parts Coalition, among others. For six years, she led the IBM D.C. team focused on policy and public sector communications, including message and op-ed development, media outreach, Capitol Hill events, salon dinners across sectors, and the @IBMpolicy Twitter handle launch.
For GMO Answers, she oversaw the media strategy to demonstrate the safety and benefits of GMOs as an agriculture process, working with hundreds of scientists, farmers, and researchers as media spokespeople. Part of that role included garnering media coverage at SXSW and managing the process to secure five expert posts per month for a Forbes blog she brokered for GMO Answers.
Tal graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and with minors in Business Administration and Philosophy from the University of Southern California. During her spare time, Tal serves as the chair of the USC Annenberg Alumni Advisory Board and as a member of the Board of Visitors for The Fund for American Studies' Journalism and Communications Program.


It has been a bad year for the Neapolitan Song. In March, Roberto Murolo passed away, and the day before yesterday it was the turn of Sergio Bruni. He was 82. Services will be held today in the "artists' church," the Church of San Ferdinando, across from the Royal Palace.
Bruni was praised in il Mattino, the Neapolitan daily, by Roberto De Simone, musicologist and the authority on anything musical having do with Naples, from opera to folk and pop music to—in this case—the Neapolitan Song. De Simone recalls that playwright Eduardo de Filippo once called Bruni "the voice of Naples," a title that stuck, as did De Simone's own reference to Bruni as an "aristocrat from the people." Bruni, in fact, was born poor in Villaricca, a town near Naples, and started his life in music by learning to play the clarinet for the town band. Sergio Bruni was a stage name; his real name was Guglielmo Chianese.
Though perhaps not the academic anthologist of music that Murolo was, his active career as a singer spanned more than three decades, starting in the 1950s, and—with Murolo—Bruni enjoyed the reputation of one of those performers who helped the Neapolitan Song survive the onslaught of American popular music at mid-century. He was a dedicated opponent of the napolesi, as he called them (using a non-word instead of the standard adjective, napoletani to describe the false quality that he detested), those purveyors of commercial Neapolitan-ness, the hawkers of 'o sole mio. When, some years ago, the Italian state television network, RAI, pulled the plug on its Festival of Neapolitan Song, Bruni said that he and his friends popped open four bottles of champagne to celebrate. And when he read a music maven's complaint in 1975 that the "true" Neapolitan song was dead, he teamed up with noted Neapolitan poet Salvatore Palomba to write the haunting Carmela, now a classic and one of the best-loved of all Neapolitan songs.
In the 1970s he again worked with Palomba in a television production entitled "Unmask Pulcinella," noted, as the title might imply, for its lack of sentimentality about Naples, the "land of sun", yes, but also the land that hundreds of thousands of emigrants had deserted earlier in the century in order to find a better life. In such work, it is fair to regard Bruni as a forerunner of more recent singer/songwriters such as Pino Daniele and others, whose music is often a litany of what has gone wrong with Naples.
Bruni was both a Communist and a devout Roman Catholic, one, they say, who would read the Bible before dinner and Che Guevarra at bedtime. He was an active participant in the popular uprising against German troops in the city in 1944, an episode known as "The Four Days of Naples". His other activities included, for example, a brief appearance as a hotel musician in Billy Wilder's delightful 1972 film, Avanti .


The first session of the event that we attended was on Universal Search. Also known as blended sarch, Universal Search was introduced by Google in late Spring/Early Summer of 2007. Universal Search presents an opportunity for users to see you in many different forms. Technically you could now dominate the first page of results.
The session started out with Johanna. She started out discussing what exactly Universal Search is. It's Google's responsibility to give the user the data that they want. The best answers for the users. Google works on the premise to keep it fast, keep it simplae and above all keep it relevant. She used the local search example of the Original Joe's restaurant just up the street from the Convention center. She illustrated examples included images and video. She stated that in Google 20 - 25% of the queries that have not seen before. I assume pertaining to Universal search queries. There is a lot more support for queries in different languages.
Google decides what to show only after they collect all of the data. How they do they rank apples to organges? Well many type of signals are involved. For News for example, how recent did the news story/result break? There is a lot of deep complex understaning that goes into how Google ranks a universal result. There was not a lot of specifics presented here. Johanna did mention that they continue to update how they look at which results to serve up. A tip that she did give is to create high quality blogs to help with Universal Search.When deciding to serve up three local results vs. a result, Google bases this on the information that they have. the solution? More rich content.
Cris was up next. He started by showing how the search engine results pages have changed with blended search. Yahoo example used for for the query "Beijing olympics 2008". He showed other examples as to how Yahoo included photos and video into the search results. With video, users have he ability to play the video right from the result. This a pretty cool feature that Yahoo has incorporated into their blended results. He mentioned that blended search is important because it helps boost comprehensiveness and relevance that Yahoo can provide to the user. He touched on "Search Monkey" where site owners can open the results page and differentiate the result for the user. Yahoo appears to be sincere with their Blended Search efforts, they truly want to provide the user with the most relevant information. Cris mentioned that you can provide relevant plug-ins triggered on every page. Help the users get the right information at the right time. Serve up rich data so that the users can get more done faster.
The third speaker was Todd Swartz from Microsoft. He demoed how Live Search is trying to incorporate blened results into their search results. He used an example from the olympics where the Live Search SERP returned a medal count from MSNBC at the top of the results. It was apparent to me that Microsoft is still behind when it comes to blended search. He used travel and shopping examples where the blended search results were not necessarily innovative and showed images with the results. It was not until you dug deeper that you were returned with a better blended result. Todd did comment that for SEO you should pay attention to user reviews and ratings. This is obviously one of the key factors used by Microsoft when determining which result to present in their SERPs. Again Todd mentioned that Microsoft is detemined to serve up the best results for the user.
Erik was up next, which was exciting for me because I am a fan of the ASK SERP. I think that they really did a great job with their blended search results. Erik started to update us on the ASK 3-D experience. He discussed the blending in with the blue links. They are blending in TV results associated with movies and famous people. Try a search for "What is on TV tonight?" ASK is experiementing with placement of the search box. They blend organic results, Smart Answers, Images, Video, News, blogs. ASK probably blends more different types of results than any other major search engine. They use clustering to help determine which types of results they serve up. When there is breaking news, ASK determines which results should be ranking. Should they serve up all news results? It is difficult of when to show images or video. They A/B test to determine this. Erik suggested that there are times when you don't need to show blue links at all.
ASK does a much better job of revferene queries. ASK likes to show enhanced content more than the other engines. ASK shows a lot of partnered content.
Shasi was the final speaker. He showed some stats and that much has changed since the launch of Netscape. Screen resolutions have changed. It's pretty high across the world. We may not be taking of that. 70% of the monitors in the world are 17" or larger. We are not taking advantage of this. He posed the question, Why are we still searching and browsing like this? Shasi made an interesdting statement of the future of search where you have panels or walls of content that are blended together where you can quickly scroll through this content very fast. He likended this experience to walking through a mall and entering stores that pique your interest. He mentioned that this experience is going to be how blended and universal search will change in the future. Great presentation by Shasi.
I like the topic of the session as we are expecting Blended Search to become even more prevelant in the future. We are already seeing more video results, image results and news results mixed in within the traditional Search Results of the engines. The common theme communicated by the engines is that blended search is all about improving the relevancy of the results for the user.


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Globe-spanning research activities
The University of Stuttgart's international engagement is mirrored by a large number of transnational projects and cooperations of the most varied kind. Some of these generate durable networks. On this page we introduce a selection of these projects.
Delegation to Wuhan as part of the Geodesy DAAD network.
Science and research look beyond borders in developing idea exchanges, arguments and impulses, in cooperation and in competition. The University of Stuttgart avails itself intensively of the opportunities for international collaboration within the framework of the HORIZON European research program. It also partners outside Europe's boundaries in international networks that invigorate the global research landscape.
International research is going on in all disciplines at the University of Stuttgart and on all rungs of the scientific ladder. The examples presented here are a representative sampling.
Selected international research activities
Networked geodesy
Geodesy, the science of measuring and representing the earth's surface, is particularly dependent on international collaboration. The data collected gives clues to global climate change, to droughts or natural catastrophes. With the help of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), in 2015, the University of Stuttgart acts to advance the global networking of the research community in the geodesy field. The DAAD funds are not only destined for staffing positions and buying equipment, but also above all to foster exchanges of people and knowledge, for example, in the complex evaluation of satellite data.
Participating in the project are five of the University's institutes plus their international partners. Important partner universities are in China, among them the Wuhan University, renowned in the area of surveying, and Shanghai's Tonji University.
To the project website
Joint Research Labs in Shanghai
To drive innovation and in particular the industry 4.0 paradigm, the University of Stuttgart and Shanghai Institute of Smart Manufacturing (SISM)/China built an international research area. One aspect of the cooperation are so-called Joint Research Labs at SISM, in which one professor from each partner country and their respective teams jointly work on a research topic and share use of the project apparatus. Also participating in the Labs is the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) with the start set for 2017.
The concrete problems to be investigated are currently being worked out and will focus especially on the areas of mechanical engineering and manufacturing technologies. Infrastructure construction costing several million euros comes from the government's "China 2025" program; the Chinese side also pays for equipment and staff. In addition, the cooperation covers funding for PhDs in Stuttgart and in Shanghai.
Civil engineering in the Himalaya foothills
A research exchange program started in 2011 between the Indian Institute of Technology in Mandi/India and the TU9 universities is coordinated by the University of Stuttgart. The focus is on problems in civil engineering. Important points in this are, for example, innovative building using traditional materials, lightweight construction, and recyclable building materials, earthquake research and building in earthquake zones, energy supplies and water management as well as waste disposal. In 2016, the collaboration was expanded to include the Structural Engineering Research Center (SERC) in Chennai (Madras state). Already in 2015, Bachelor's and a Master's study program were set up, whose curriculums oriented to the conditions in the Himalaya region.
Mind meets machine in Lombardy
Research is more active than ever where disciplines intersect, because unknown phenomena are so complex that they are better explained by the different approaches of individual fields. Examples of this at the University of Stuttgart are computer linguistics (linguistics and computer science), digital humanities (German literature and computer science), infrastructure planning (architecture, engineering, and social sciences) or estimating the consequences of technology and respectively risk management (natural sciences, engineering sciences, and social sciences). Other subjects such as health and technology in an aging society, climate change, the energy revolution or water management for world population growth and warming will in the future be added in strengthened fashion.
Also focused on this type of interface is the collaboration between the University of Stuttgart and the Università degli Studi di Bergamo in Lombardy/Italy. A strategic network like this facilitates intensive research and learning cooperations in different areas. So, for instance, in October 2016 started the "DROPIT" German-Italian graduate college (see below) funded by the German Research Society (DFG). Other areas of cooperation pertain to the International Center for Culture and Technology Research (IZKT), the Institute of Business Administration (chaired by Prof. Oesterle) and the Language Center at the University of Stuttgart.
Porous media go intercontinental
The NUPUS Stuttgart Research Partnership emerged in 2015 from the graduate college "Nonlinearity and Upscaling in porous media," in which young scientists and students exchange knowledge on various approaches to researching porous media. The focus is especially on the question of how fluids, gases, and particles spread in porous media. The applications stretch from water research to batteries. With the SRP's founding, several other universities and research institutes joined the partnership, from Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, and USA.
Droplet interaction in Italian
Whether it involves spray cooling of foodstuffs, evaporative processes or combustion processes in the engine, how droplets behave vis a vis each other and toward their environment plays an important role in many industrial applications. Technical progress in this field calls for development of adequate computational approaches. But, this is possible only if difficult-to-observe detailed processes are analyzed at the phase boundary and the surface microstructure. This is the objective of an Italian-German graduate college at the University of Stuttgart that is funded with 3.5 million euro by the German Research Society (DFG).
Short-term research for Master's students
Not only established researchers but also young scientific talent is welcome for research stays at the University of Stuttgart. The entry point for it is provided by the Stuttgart University Program for Experiencing Research (SUPER) that gives priority to undergraduates at North American elite universities like MIT, Purdue, or the University of Toronto. During their two-to-three month guest stays, the participants are mainstreamed into a research project at guest institutes and experience what research and life in Germany are like. To the project website.