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BOOK REVIEW: 'Steam In Scotland: a Portrait of the 1950s and 1960s'
March 8, 2019 nzcrownminesLeave a comment
Title: Steam In Scotland: a Portrait of the 1950s and 1960s
Author: Kevin McCormack
Rating Scale (1: Very Poor, 10: Excellent) 7
In the opening paragraph of this volume's Introduction, the author states: ''This colour album covers steam in Scotland…and uses, to the best of my knowledge, images which have not previously appeared in print'. With that established, he then states that 'Most of the pictures used have been sourced from the Online transport Archive' and that '…There are even some of my colour slides included…' He concludes by saying: 'I hope readers will enjoy this nostalgic glimpse of the Scottish railway scene…before the Beeching axe was wielded…' As a precis it cannot be faulted.
The volume contains no Contents page, its first section being a three page Introduction. Within this the author details his personal railway-related story, introduces the reader to Scottish railways (the subject of this volume), and provides details about the origins of the photographs that have been used within it. The 159 pages of colour images which comprise the majority of the volume then follow. The author notes that 'The pictures…have been arranged on a roughly geographical basis, starting on the eastern side of Scotland upwards from the English border, proceeding around the top of the country and ending on the western side near the border'. Unfortunately the absence of any Maps makes the statement rather pointless, especially to those readers who are neither local residents, or who live off-shore. All images are in colour and, as indicated by the title, the volume is predominantly of photos of steam locomotives of varying shapes, sizes and classes in a variety of Scottish settings and conditions. Sometimes the locomotives are attached to trains, but most of the photographs are of single units. Curiously, two stations (Broomhill and Arrochar and Tarber on pages 108 and 138 respectively), make appearances in their own right sans steam. The photographs are from a variety of sources, are largely single-paged in format and have informative captions placed underneath. However, and where appropriate to the narrative, smaller images have been inserted into the larger and two or three smaller images appear on a single page. The sources of the images are acknowledged. A single page Index completes the volume. As previously-noted no Maps are provided.
In this reviewer's opinion (and given the book's title), this volume's Index is woefully inadequate. Although the volume is (supposedly) concerned with Steam In Scotland, the Index carries absolutely no mention of either locomotives or trains within its entries. It is totally 'station focused'. As a result, were the Index to be the first section consulted by a potential reader, it would be easy to conclude that steam locomotives and trains were not present when the volume's photographs were taken. Yet even with that focus, not every 'caption' mention of a specific station is recorded. Boat of Garten (for example), while mentioned on page 106, according to its Index entry appears only on pages 102-104. All and any references to such items as Railway Companies, Events and Geographical Entities (despite being mentioned within the captions) are also absent. The lack of Maps has already been noted. A Glossary providing quick interpretation of the various 'Company' acronyms within the volume would have been helpful.
For readers seeking 'Pictures of British steam trains in a Scottish setting' this volume will be a delight, as they are there in quantity. Due to the Index, those seeking photographs of specific Scottish railway stations are also likely to find their desires met. Enthusiasts and railway modellers seeking images of specific locomotives and / or classes (and assuming that these have even been included) may also find this volume of interest. It should however be noted that, due to the previously-noted inadequacy of the Index a lot of searching may be required with no guarantee of success. Some may not deem it worth the effort.
Had the Index been more indicative of the volume's content, the rating would have been higher.
BOOK REVIEW: 'Seventy Years of Railway Photography: Seven Decades Behind the Lens'
January 20, 2019 nzcrownminesLeave a comment
Title: Seventy Years of Railway Photography: Seven Decades Behind the Lens
Author: Colin Boocock
In this volume's Preface, the author makes the following statement: 'This book serves a modern need…by showing how anyone interested in railways can photograph them, and can keep up-to-date throughout a long photographic career as technology improves'. He then notes that 'The book is also a celebration. The year 2017 marks the seventieth anniversary of the year in which I took my first railway photograph, 1947'. These statements are an excellent precis for what is to follow.
This volume is of the 'Enthusiasts Picture Book' genre of railway publications. However, unlike many of that genre, it has the bonus of both a well-written and very readable narrative and several sections about the actual process of railway photography; the latter being something rarely encountered within such books.
Within the volume itself, an Acknowledgements page placed immediately after the Contents page thanks those who contributed to the volume, while clarifying the matter of Copyright in respect of the small number of images that are not the author's own. The author also notes that within the volume his '…Views are based on his own experience and cannot be attributed to the publisher or its agents'. A Preface follows. Within it the author simultaneously explains the volume's rationale and clarifies various technical matters relating to the photographic equipment he has used over the years. The Preface is followed in turn by an Introduction within which the reader is introduced to both the origins of the author's photographic passion and to descriptions of the various types of railway photography and the unique technical difficulties and solutions associated with these. The eight Chapters which comprise the bulk of the volume follow the Preface. Each Chapter covers a specific decade (for example The 1940s; The 2000s etc.). The Chapters are arranged in a standard format consisting of several pages of explanatory text outlining the author's photographic adventures during that time, followed by a selection of photographs relevant to the narrative. While initially the photographs are monochrome, over time (and as colour film became less expensive), these become increasingly of coloured format. Helpfully, and at the beginning of each collection of photographs, the author provides details of the camera/s used to take the images that are to follow. The Chapters are in turn followed by four Appendices. According to the author 'These appendices draw on my experience over the years', and are devoted to the 'technical' aspects of photography. A two-line Postscript conveys St. Augustine's thoughts on travel. It is the volume's final section. The book contains neither Index or Maps, nor a list of the photographs within it.
Unfortunately while this volume is both well-written and copiously illustrated, for this reviewer it is badly let down by the lack of an Index, with the additional lack of any Maps serving to compound the problem. In this reviewer's opinion, without the assistance of an Index, it is unreasonable to expect a casual reader to (for example) know where an image of Ryde Pier Head (page 47) might be found, where a Eurostar (page 153) is located within the volume, or where to look to learn about Mobile phones as a useful photographic device (pages 242-243). The absence of such assistance reduces this volume to essentially a 'Collection of Pretty Pictures' with some useful words thrown in – if the latter can be found! A similar situation pertains to the lack of Maps; where (for instance) is Grindleford (page 81) or AoBaoGou (page 177)? The average reader (especially if they are a layman) cannot be expected to have to repeatedly confer with refer to an atlas when perusing this volume. Again, this lack reduces the volume's value, particularly to the 'off-shore' reader not familiar with the geography of the British Isles (the book's primary area of focus).
Because it provides a unique photographic record of the period 1947-2017, there is no doubt that this volume will appeal to readers with an interest in the railways of Great Britain over that time. In many instances, the images capture now-departed aspects of British culture, and as a result, Social Historians might also find the volume useful as a research tool. Photographers and railway modellers are likely to find the images and articles relating to their interests useful, with the qualified assumption (due to the lack of an Index) that they can actually locate such material. Non -'railway enthusiast' readers looking for pictures of 'pretty trains' might also find it worthy of their attention. In summary: An excellent, well written and very informative volume; a shame about the Index and Maps…
It should have been much higher.
BOOK REVIEW: 'Steam At Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives'
January 4, 2018 nzcrownminesLeave a comment
Title: Steam At Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives
Author: Fred Kerr
Although to the General Public 'Preserved' steam locomotives are epitomised by such well-known machines as Flying Scotsman, there are other steam locomotives which are equally interesting and worthy of attention. These are the 'Industrials'; the small steam engines which have invariably worked tirelessly in largely-unknown areas and industries. They have a definite charm of their own and can be equally fascinating. Yet despite this, these engines are still largely overlooked. This volume is an attempt to remedy that situation and, in summary is '… Dedicated to those builders whose products are still in use many years after being built…'
This book is of the 'Enthusiasts picture-book' genre. It is a collection of colour photographs of small industrial steam locomotives built by 25 different British manufacturers. The photographs are beautiful and for those merely seeking high-quality images of small and colourful steam locomotives, this could be incentive-enough to purchase this volume. Those with a more technical interest in the subject are not left out however. As previously noted, this volume consists of 26 sections; (there being no 'Chapters' in the accepted sense). These are listed alphabetically on the Contents page, and are repeated as 'Section' headings. However, when creating these headings (and to delineate each section) the author has employed a curious form of two or three-letter abbreviations. These include (for example), AB (for Andrew Barclay Sons and Company); GR (for Grant Richie & Company) and WCI (Wigan Coal & Iron Company). As such items are not normally found in published works, they are possibly the author's invention, perhaps created to record details in his notebooks. Their use in a published work makes for an untidy Contents page and, in the opinion of this reviewer, brings an amateurish look to the section headings. The Contents page is in turn followed by an untitled page which provides a very brief history of industrial steam locomotive construction in Great Britain. The 'Photographic' part of the volume then follows. Within this, each 'Section' commences with three self-explanatory sub-headings (titled Date Established, Location and History). These are followed by a single paragraph listing the specific-manufacturer's locomotives that have been preserved, and their location within the British Isles. Although each locomotive-builder's product is portrayed by at least one colour photograph, several have received photographs in the 12-20 image range, However, 60 photographs have been taken of the products of one manufacturer (Hunslet), with the qualification that that Company's products are divided into two sections: Austerity Locomotives and Industrial locomotives. Each photograph is clearly captioned, and frequently-contains additional information relating to the specific locomotive it portrays or the event at which it was appearing when the image was taken. However, as some images have been transposed, it is advisable to check that captions refer to the specific locomotive in the photograph. In addition to the captions, an accompanying paragraph details the history of the individual locomotive. No Maps or an Index are provided. Regrettably, the author provides no details about the cameras or methods he used when taking the photographs.
As previously noted, this volume is of the 'Picture book' genre. As such it is beautiful, with the photographs being of frameable quality. It is little more. The absence of an Index requires readers to undertake unnecessary (and probably fruitless) searching, while the lack of any Maps means that the reader has no idea where the photographs were taken. This can be an especially frustrating situation for 'off-shore' readers for who maps are a necessary adjunct to their reading. .
Because of the quality of the images, it is possible that this book may have a wider appeal beyond the railway world; perhaps to readers who simply like quality images of small steam locomotives; or want something to share with children who are fans of Thomas the Tank Engine. It is also likely to appeal to 'generalist' railway enthusiasts, although those with a specific interest in preserved British industrial steam locomotives in contemporary settings are likely to find it a delight. Railway modellers with a specific interest in the subject may also find it of use.


Dan Haynes, founder of Art Bank, took a dream and in 2007 made it a reality. While in the Air force, stationed in Louisiana, Dan spent his time absorbing the New Orleans art scene and grew to love Bywater, a more bohemian, artsy neighborhood. Dan combined his seasoned style with a slice of New Orleans' bohemian culture and opened a gallery with the intent to provide a nurturing, environment for emerging artist. He created a place where artists of all kinds, in all stages of their careers can promote their work free of commissions and other traditional requirements. Since it's beginning, Art Bank has given hundreds of artists the opportunity to showcase their work and given the community a place where art is accessible to everyone.
Gina Soo Golden is an artist who has been displaying her work at Art Bank since 2007. She recently purchased the gallery from Dan and retains Art Banks unconventional model and honors its inspiration with her own interpretation of New Orleans bohemian combined with classic gallery styles.
The building was constructed in the 20's and has be host to a number of business including of course, a bank. Located within the historic Massachusetts Avenue District with over 20 attending artist, Art Bank continues to be one of the most recognized and respected galleries in Indiana.


Start with a Kung Fu show in Beijing. Celebrate the philosophy and skill of the martial art of Kung Fu through a compelling storyline, dramatic design, spectacular choreography and breath-taking music.
Tour the Summer Palace, a magnificent imperial garden, the largest and most ancient preserved one in China. Participate in Taiji lesson, an internal martial art, Chinese meditation system and health practice, visit historic Tiananmen Square, the largest open public square in the world flanked by the imposing Tiananmen Gate, Imperial Palace, better known as the Forbidden City followed by a visit to the famed Silk Alley Market boasting of more than 1000 stores.
heaven for a good harvest.
Experience the speed train journey to Shanghai. In the evening visit highest and biggest observation deck in all of China, the Jin Mao Tower. Later cruise on the Huangpu River.
Tour a Buddhist shrine – Jade Buddha Temple. Next, visit the alluring centuries-old Yu Yuan Garden located in the Old Town of Shanghai which recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers. Walk along the wide boulevard of the Bund, lined with impressive neoclassical buildings, dating back to Shanghai's grandest days. Enjoy the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel: a mind-bending audio-visual ride underneath the Huangpu River. Shop at Nanjing Road, one of the busiest shopping streets in the world.
Take a ride on the Maglev Train (that uses magnetic levitation) to Pudong Airport for the departure flight.
Discover the city of Brussels on the Gourmet Tour, the fantastic foodie walking tour! Visit the tastiest restaurants, sample Belgian specialties and learn about the city's history and culinary traditions.
Students witness state-of-the-art car-making on a tour of the Audi factory, chocolate making from liquid to hard shell and taste the result at the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate and the Museum of the National Bank of Belgium that provides insight of the European Central Bank (ECB). Visit Belgian Comic Strip center, this kingdom of imagination is home to some of Belgium's best-known comic strip heroes: Tintin, Spirou, Bob and Bobette, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer, Marsupilami, etc. See over 1,500 instruments from around the globe and a variety of time periods at Musical Instrument Museum. Museum of Natural Sciences, that is dedicated to natural history and the Dinosaur Hall the world's largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs are other facilities we visit.
Adorned with delicate white stalactites and waterfalls, Dinant La Merveilleuse is considered as one of Belgium's most beautiful caves. Brussels City Tour will show us magnificent St. Michaels Cathedral, Our Ladies church of Laeken and the world-famous Atomium. We will then do a whistle stop tour around Europe at the Mini-Europe Park. Move onto the Royal Palace and enter the European district with the buildings and offices of the European Parliament, the European Commission and Council of Ministers. Tour ends with a stroll to Brussels beautiful Grand Place. Do not forget the cheeky Manneken Pis – the statue of a boy, representing the "irreverent spirit.
We will then spend three days at The Euro Space Center that offers the chance to involve in space classes where one can discover the mysteries of our universe and the history of space conquest. Choose from Astronaut Training, Discovering the World of Astronomy, Becoming a Junior Space Engineer of Rockets or Learn about Planet Earth, its biodiversity and technological innovations inspired by nature.
Visit the icon of Japan, the Mount Fuji before a tour of the Hakone National Park with its lakes and peaks. Later embark on a delightful cruise on Lake Ashi. Take an aerial ride on the Cableway at Mt. Komagatake for a sweeping view of Hakone.
Experience the sights of Tokyo on a city tour, including panoramic views of the city from the main observatory of Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace Plaza, Asakusa Kannon Temple. We then take a train to Hiroshima.
A short Ferry ride takes us to the Island of Miyajima where we admire the architectural beauty of the Itsukushima Shrine. Later Pay tributes to the victims of the bomb blast at The Peace Park and witness the aftermath of the blast at The Atomic Bomb Museum. Experience the Bullet Train, the Shinkansen, to Kyoto.
Visit Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, which contains the Textile Machinery Pavilion, the Automobile Pavilion, Technoland and other facilities which contain many valued items and documents belonging to the founder Sakichi Toyoda. Kyoto city tour will take us to Nijo Castle, the Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace and the Kyoto Handicraft Centre.
Kawasaki Good Times World, museum dedicated to the history of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group, that displays models of some of the machines the company has worked on and is proud of. We will also take a souvenir picture riding a jet ski or (almost) driving a Series 0 Shinkansen! Explore Nara with visit to the Todaiji Temple famous for its Buddha statue, the Deer Park and the Kasuga Shrine – Nara's most celebrated shrine.
See the highlights of the business and cultural hub of Switzerland in Zurich. Admire the medieval Old Town and the Bahnhofstrasse, and ride the Dolderbahn railway to the hilly Zurichberg district!
Ride to Engelberg, where the breath-taking journey to Mt. Titlis begins. Enjoy the spectacular sight of the glacier's deep crevasses and gigantic ice boulders from the revolving cable car ROTAIR. Proceed to Interlaken, for a walking tour of the city. See the town square, Hohbühl Pavilion and former Augustinian monastery, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz; and marvel at the soaring peaks of the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger mountains.
Spend time at the Cheese Factory Miggi. where the famous wheel-shaped Appenzeller cheese is made. Then we drive to the town of Vevey, one of the "Pearls of the Swiss Riviera", where we visit the Lionel Meylan S.A. – Horlogerie & Bijouterie, for a demonstration of watch making. We then stop at the lakeside near the statue of the most famous inhabitant, Charlie Chaplin. Proceed to Olympic Museum, which houses exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic movement.
In Geneva, we visit European headquarters of United Nation. Later see other sights of Geneva. Then drive to CERN, a major research organization also known as the European Organization for Nuclear Research. CERN presents its latest findings from the world of science, particle physics, cutting edge technology and their fields of application in our daily lives.
Leave for Paris, and enjoy an evening River tour, where we see the illuminated attractions including the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. Cruise along the Seine to admire Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower.
Enjoy a full day out in the magical world of Disneyland Resort Paris. Walt Disney Studios let your imagination soar and immerse yourself in the never-ending, always fascinating world of movies and television. Disneyland Park where an enchanting kingdom filled with fun, fantasy and discovery will form before your eyes, a world of make-believe characters, shows and attractions.
Britain is packed with historic monuments, royal palaces and some of the world's top museums. Visit the house where Shakespeare was born, climb cathedral spires, explore the Queen's favourite home at Windsor Castle or uncover the Tower of London's dark history.
We hit the road with a visit to Tower of London, a historic landmark where much royal blood was spilled, and displays world known Crown Jewels including the Koh-i-noor diamond, say hello to over 400 celebrities at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, see views of London from the London Eye, the world's fourth tallest Ferris wheel during the gradual 30-minute flight.
A guided panoramic city tour of London touching the Tower Bridge, River Thames, London Eye, Tower of London, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the famous Piccadilly Circus, Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square followed by the majesty of Buckingham Palace and its Changing of the Guards. Enjoy some free time at Oxford Street and then proceed to Oxford University. We will learn about the history of the city and the university, the collegiate system of tutorial unique to Oxford and Cambridge. Discover the famous alumni who studied and taught at the university.
Visit to Jaguar Factory will give us the unique opportunity to experience the whole process of how Jaguar cars are brought to life – from the molding of sheet metal to those intricate final touches. Later head to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and explore the heritage through the unique memorabilia and interactive displays, reliving the greatest moments and discovering what makes Manchester City the Club that it is today.
We then travel to Yorkshire Dales, first visiting The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World at Pateley Bridge and the conservation village of Arncliffe in Littondale. Proceed further to the traditional Dales Market Town of Hawes, where we see the award winning Wensleydale Creamery. Continue to Aysgarth Falls, a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by forest and farmland. Afterwards drive to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
See the 200-year-old "New Town" and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the "Old Town," drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland's Crown Jewels. Later, a unique experience aboard the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays.
We gather all the knowledge about space in Orlando at the Kennedy Space Center on an International Students Camp. Students team-up as they are presented with NASA engineering challenges. All engineering builds are based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics components.
Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) in tandem with Apollo Saturn V Center and Apollo Era, Truss Build – Innovative space and earth architecture incorporated with engineering design process, Air Rockets – Educators lead students through the science of rocketry, propulsion and Newton's Laws as each student constructs, then launches, their own air rockets. In two giant IMAX theaters, the dream of spaceflight comes alive to students with a wall of sound, a five-story screen and realistic 3-D special effects that allows students to feel like they're floating in space.
Fly to Washington DC and proceed on a tour of Washington DC. Stop at Capitol Hill and drive through Pennsylvania Avenue, to Lafayette Park for a view of the White House, at the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial – a tribute to the spirit, sacrifice and commitment of the American people, the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial.
Visit the world famous Hersheypark, home to Hershey's Chocolate World, where you'll see, feel, smell and hear the delicious transformation from bean to milk chocolate.
Now we start our day in New York with a guided visit to the Statue of Liberty, at Liberty Island. Then move on to the 'city that never sleeps, driving past some of New York's iconic landmarks like Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Centre site (Ground Zero), Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, through Soho, Little Italy, Fifth Avenue, Broadway and Madison Square Garden to Times Square. Stop by the United Nations Headquarters, Rockefeller Centre and Trump Tower and also visit the One World Observatory at One World Trade Centre.
A wild adventure awaits us as we visit the fascinating world of nocturnal creatures at the world's first wildlife park built specifically for night viewing, The Singapore Night Safari, which houses over 900 animals of 135 exotic species in eight zones recreated to stimulate various geographical zones. A park with a universal appeal – to the young and old and the first in Asia – the sprawling Universal Studios located within the Resorts World on the Sentosa Island thrills us with a world of movie magic rides. Step into S.E.A. Aquarium and immerse yourself in a magical marine world seen through our planet's largest window to the Ocean. Come face-to-face with over 200 sharks and more than 800 species of marine animals some of which are very rare.
Singapore city tour covers the iconic Merlion, panoramic views of Marina Bay, Chinatown and Thian Hock Keng Temple. Drive past the Padang, Cricket Club, Parliament House, Supreme Court and City Hall. Head to Sentosa on the scenic Cable Car Ride where you can see the beautiful landscape of the city. In Sentosa experience the Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon and Song of the Sea Show.
A visit to Jurong bird park shows us over 9,000 feathered friends from 600 species. Enjoy the spectacular Penguin Exhibit and Bird Shows. Maritime trade contributes significantly to Singapore's economy and in an attempt to understand this flourishing industry we visit Singapore Maritime Port Authority. Students also learn about the various vocations that make up the industry.
We visit Semakau Landfill for the opportunity to see and experience what it takes to develop innovative, creative and economical methods to deal with the daily waste produced in Singapore. In land scarce Singapore proper waste management is not only crucial to the environment but to the quality of life for the population.
Enjoy an evening Sound & Light show at Gardens by the Bay. The structures light up in a rhapsody of colours to the sound of music that fills the entire park. We also spend time at public observation deck at Marina Bay Sands for a stunning view of Singapore.
Al Ain Dairy Farm in Al Ain, the largest vertically integrated dairy producer in the UAE, gives an entertaining and educational experience where students meet the cows that make the dairy farm so special. Later, we visit Al Ain Zoo, a home to over 4,000 animals, with at least 30% of its 180 species considered endangered. Al Ain zoo offers guided experimental learning programme which includes Hands-on activities, Research opportunities, questionnaires and debates.
Continue the industrial visit with Emirates Techno casting, one of the leading steel foundries in the world with high technical capabilities and produces 18,000 tons of Carbon, Low Alloys, Stainless, Duplex, Super Duplex and High Nickel Alloy Steel Castings per annum. Nestle Factory on the other hand specializes in the manufacturing, canning and packaging of different Nestlé brands in diary, chocolate and mineral water.
A joyful ride on the Palm Monorail gives a good vantage point to see the Palm Jumeirah. No building in modern history has aroused so much curiosity as has the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world. From the vantage point on level 124, know what it is like to see the world from such a loft height. We spend time at Dubai Mall and see Dubai Fountain show, the world's largest musical fountain.
We include a visit of Media and Communication department of Manipal University. It is one of the largest private universities in the Middle East & Africa region enrolling over 1700 students from across 33 nationalities across the globe. A visit to Abu Dhabi will give the opportunity to admire the fantastic architecture of the impressive Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and we end the trip by spending few hours at the World's largest Indoor Theme park, the Ferrari World.
We will start with Udaipur's City Palace complex, private residence of the 'King of Kings'. Wander through the markets and bazaars to visit the Jagdish Temple and Garden of the Maids of the Honour.
Jodhpur is next which is rightfully called the "Blue City" with the walls of the houses tinted in blue. Further the bazaars display the colourful range of commodities and the spices confirm the animated nature of the place. En – route visit Ranakpur Temples – the temple town of Rajasthan. Explore the elaborate carvings and classic architecture of the sprawling Jain temples, which are regarded as perhaps of the best in the country.
The Pink city of Jaipur – The Capital of Rajasthan offers us the Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar (Observatory) and Hawa Mahal. Enjoy an elephant ride up to the inner citadel of this Amber Fort.
The World wonder Taj Mahal awaits us in Agra, a mausoleum built as a symbol of Emperor Shah Jehan's devotion to his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. Agra Fort is another beautiful yet forbidding structure that houses many exquisite palaces, and is a handsome example of Mughal architecture.
The sights continue in the capital New Delhi too with the magnificent World Heritage-listed Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb – Last refuge of Emperor Humayun's which reminds rather of a luxurious palace, than a tomb. We then drive past Parliament, India Gate, Red Fort, Juma Masjid and Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The trip ends with Kingdom of Dreams, the ultimate live entertainment show where India's art, culture, heritage, crafts, cuisine and performing arts are brought to life with technological wizardry.
In Stuttgart, we visit the Mercedes-Benz Factory. This tour at Daimler AG's largest car production plant in the world offers a detailed insight into the fascinating world of vehicle manufacture. Proceed for Stuttgart City Tour, then to Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where you will enjoy a close-up experience of the history of Porsche.
Next we head to Europa-Park, the largest theme park in Germany and the 2nd most popular theme park resort in Europe, located in Rust. At Europa-Park, look forward to a sensational mix of adventure, entertainment and white-knuckle thrills in the 90-hectare grounds.
Drive to Munich for a short city tour. On arrival view key historic landmarks such as Marienplatz, Frauenkirche and the Viktualienmarkt food market. Visit Deutsches Museum one of the first scientific-technological museums in the world. Sailing ships, models of atoms, windmills, space probes, diesel locomotives, industrial robots, organs, lifeboats… this unbelievable abundance of technical achievement – are found there.
In Berlin we visit the Berlin Wall, stroll down Unter den Linden to Brandenburg Gate, see the Reichstag and Holocaust Memorial, hear the story behind Checkpoint Charlie and learn about the Topography of Terror museum. Move from these historical sites to modern marvels such as Potsdamer Platz and Friedrichstrasse. Then join on extraordinary and fun ride through Berlin with the Trabi, on the "Trabi Safari".
Visit Hamburg's Finkenwerder Airbus Plant, to experience the production and assembly of Airbus aircrafts. Explore Hamburg city's historical locations as you walk from the landmark of St. Michaelis Church to Hamburg's Town Hall (Rathaus). Experience an exciting harbor cruise in Hamburg and explore the city from the water. The tour ends with a visit at Miniature Wunderland to see the model railway and miniature buildings and landscapes of Hamburg's.
Melbourne is the ideal starting point for a trip up the Australian coast. Hop on the City Circle tram, see behind the scenes of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the super stage for Australian sport, stadium for the 1956 Olympics, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, International Cricket and Australian Rules Football or visit the National Gallery of Victoria and their latest exhibition.
Phillip Island, home to sea birds, fur seals and, most famously, fairy penguins would be the trip next but only after our interactions with koalas and kangaroos on the way. We then wait for the penguins to perform the Parade, their nightly ritual of waddling out of the water and along the beach to their burrows. Otherwise, we will take a ride on the Puffing Billy, Australia's favourite steam train and one of the finest preserved steam railways in the world, through the beautiful forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges.
Once flown into the commercial capital, Sydney, we walk through it's streets, cobblestone alleys and seaside paths and learn city's history; colonist and convicts, the natural sites, the local hangouts and all its favorite sites. Get up close to one of the world's most recognizable buildings and icon of Australia – The Sydney Opera House and then the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.
There isn't another harbour in the world to rival Sydney's beauty and vibrancy. So we travel all around the spectacular Sydney Harbour to get a different view of Darling Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and the iconic Opera House. Oceanworld Manly provides for fun and interactive educational opportunity to inspire your wonder and curiosity, diving into the colourful world of marine animals, or by coming face to face with snakes and crocodiles!
We then fly or take an overnight train to the Gold Coast, the fun place with its exhilarating rides, exotic animals offering interactive entertainment – from dazzling theme parks to small, hilariously kitsch museums. Come underground on a journey through the spectacular man-made caves! Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves. On the other hand, O'Reilly's Tree Top Walk allows you to walk through a canopy of flowering and fruiting trees covered by vines whilst you explore the epiphytic orchids and ferns surrounded by the many birds and animals that inhabit the tree tops. There is also an option to include a day's visit to the Space Flight Academy in Gold Coast.
Brisbane, the big city with several Museums, Parliament House, the Sciencentre, Art Gallery and Planetarium is on the way as we head back to the Airport for our flight back home.
Start from the UNESCO Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley. Experience the authenticity of the valley, its cultural and religious harmony; the varieties of temples of Hinduism and Buddhism that are standing next to each other for centuries, diverse ethnicities, colorful festivals and celebration.
Followed by white River Rafting in Trisuli River we reach Pokhara: A premier resort city in western Nepal and the most popular place for lovers of adventure activities. Experience the best in trekking, boating, hiking, pony rides, paragliding or simply relax by lakes with the stunning Annapurna mountain range surrounding you. Short hike to Sarangkot, which offers the magnificent sight of the sunset, sunrise, and of the whole city beneath. Gupteshower Cave- popular for the different natural forms made from limestone deposits and Devi's Fall – which comes to its gushing best just before disappearing underground while International Mountain Museum educate us highest Himalayan Peaks of Nepal and Mountaineering.
In the southern region of Nepal, the jungles of Chitwan National Park await you with wildlife experiences like no other. Track wild royal Bengal tigers and watch one-horned rhinos bathe in rivers alongside great Asiatic elephants. Witness wilderness in its real form, and do it in style like the old-day Maharajas on elephant back to spot rhinos and deer. Another, exciting adventure is to go canoeing in the marshy Terai River amongst hundreds of marsh mugger crocodiles basking in the sun. Visit elephant and gharial breeding farms, a perfect way to educate about the animals and their life cycle. Be a part of the local tribal life and visit the Tharu village and enjoy Tharu stick dance and local folk songs.
Orthodox Cathedrals, former palaces of Russian royalty and memorials of WW II; and the Scandinavian chic cities meeting remote forests, wilderness hikers and boasts of the majestic aurora borealis, this programme is literally out of the world.
An Orientation of Moscow visiting Sparrow Hills and Victory Park gives a panoramic view of the city. The Kremlin Tour, Russia's main museum and the residence of the President, will display the 15th-century fortress, Russia's Royal Cathedrals: The "red" colour of Kremlin walls reminds of Communism, but "red" had originally a different meaning in the Russian language, and Kremlin itself was founded for different purposes. Exploring its magnificent territory and splendid medieval cathedrals, we will learn about the history of the Kremlin project and its evolution in time. A short ride on Moscow's metro will be followed by a famous Russian Circus show.
Trip to St Petersburg will be on a high speed train and in the evening a Russian Folklore show will be showcased. Explore two of St Petersburg's artistic and architectural highlights on a walking tour: Ogle the eye-popping, multi-domed Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, and then, enjoy a tour of St Petersburg's Russian Museum, the world's largest repository of Russia art. Admire some of the wonderful 400,000 art treasures dating from the 10th century.
Moving on to Helsinki in Finland with a tour of Historical Centre, Diplomatic Quarters, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, Parliament Building, Finlandia Hall, Opera House, Senate Square, the Sebelius monument, and Temppeliaukio Church, that is quarried out of the natural bedrock. We will then take a boat ride to Suomenlinna Fortress, the UNESCO Heritage Island off Helsinki. An overnight ferry will take us to the Swedish Capital Stockholm. Places visited here are the Vasa Museum, a maritime museum located on the island of Djurgården, Skansen, the first open-air museum and zoo and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
A flight to Tromso, Norway, takes us above the Arctic Circle, the famed viewing point for colorful Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. A snowshoe trekking tour provides for closer looks at Norwegian wildlife and magnificent views of Fjords and Mountains that surround the area. Polaria, the world's northernmost aquarium and educational center is housed in a very distinctive building meant to mimic ice floes pressed up against land by rough Arctic sea.
Finally we say hello to a bunch of barking huskies that are ready to give us an amazing experience of a dog sledding tour.
Vietnam and Cambodia are linked by the waters of the Mekong, by the lush green mangroves and mangoes, and by the darkness of the last century. Seek out the relics of colonial Saigon and explore the breathtaking Angor Wat temples.
Experience a life-changing experiential learning adventure of North and South Vietnam. Our trip begins in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Walk through streets lined by French colonial buildings and into bustling markets alive with culture. Appreciate Vietnam's nationalist history at Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" – a prison camp used first to cage Vietnamese rebel fighters and American prisoners of war. Visit the Temple of Literature, a place promoting and dedicated to knowledge throughout the history of the country. Explore Hanoi Citadel the symbol of political and military power in Hanoi. Travel to beautiful Dong Kgac village, home to many high ranking Mandarins. We can also indulge in a private cooking demonstration and then create our own dishes to enjoy them for lunch.
Once in South in Ho Chi Minh City, we will move to the Reunification Palace including the underground war bunkers and control rooms used by the US and South Vietnam Military. Visit the War Remnants Museum and be shocked at the brutality and disregard for human life. Cu Chi Tunnels, which was used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. Spend rest of the day on a guided walking tour of HCMC visiting the famous Post Office, Opera House and other landmarks made famous during the Vietnam War.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Visit the Landmine Museum and listen to the story of Aki Ra, who disarmed the majority of these landmines alone. Later visit Banteay Srei, a 10th century Cambodian Temple.
Other interesting spots in Seam Reap include Killing Fields in Wat Thmey, Angkor National Museum and then the spectacular Angkor Temples, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, matched by only a few select spots on earth.


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SOCIAL INFERENCE LAB
The lab prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We're firmly committed to maintaining an intellectual climate that's welcoming of students from all backgrounds, including students from groups that have been historically excluded from academia. We value the full spectrum of human diversity in race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, neurotype, socioeconomic status, body type, age, (dis)ability, national origin, sexual orientation, and religion. Together, we aim to create an environment of mutual respect and support.
Andy is open to admitting a new graduate student for Fall 2023 (Fall 2022 application cycle), particularly if that student is interested in studying topics directly related to perspective taking and theory of mind. More information about the application procedure can be found here. To keep the admissions process fair for everyone, Andy won't be having extended conversations with prospective students in advance of reading all applications. Interested students should explore this website to get an idea of the types of research that lab members are currently conducting.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
We seek highly motivated and reliable undergraduate students to assist in the lab during fall, winter, and spring quarters. Requirements include a GPA of at least 3.2, an interest in the research topics the lab is investigating, and a strong attention to detail. If you're interested in joining the lab, please e-mail Prof. Todd for an application.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Subject: Going Green & Going Global: The Future of the Automotive Industry
URL: http://mney.co/1SDZJOu
Going Green & Going Global: The Future of the Automotive Industry
By Jason Simpkins, Managing Editor, Money Morning • January 13, 2008
The automotive industry is one of the most competitive in the world. It's so competitive that the Ford Motor Co. (F), founded in 1903 by Henry Ford the legendary pioneer, innovator, and father of the assembly line, has fallen all the way to the third spot in U.S. auto sales. Just a few weeks ago, Ford was ousted from its longtime No. 2 spot by the Japan-based Toyota Motor Co. (TM), a clear sign that the strategic landscape in the auto sector is changing, and that nothing can be taken for granted.
Innovation has long been an industry hallmark and, as oil hovers near $100 a barrel, fuel efficiency has emerged as the latest way to get ahead in the race for auto sales.
The price of crude oil accounts for more than 55% of the retail price of gasoline, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
AAA, formerly the American Automobile Association, recently reported that the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline nationwide is $3.07, up from $2.32 a year ago. The record national average of $3.23 per gallon was set last May.
"It's hard to predict, but the chances are good we'll reach record high prices at the pump this year because of record prices for crude oil and high demand," Elaine Zeinner, spokeswoman for AAA, told the Charleston Daily Mail.
Zeinner said the AAA and industry analysts estimate that the price of gas could range between $3.40 and $3.70 a gallon this year. Some believe the price could climb as high as $4.00 a gallon.
Soaring gas prices and environmental concerns have blown the door wide open for fuel-efficient hybrid cars. Registrations of new hybrid automobiles increased 35% to nearly 290,000 vehicles in the first 10 months of 2007, according to data from R.L. Polk and Co., an auto information and marketing company.
Toyota Taps an Emerging Trend
Toyota is the world leader in hybrid technology. The company sold 277,750 hybrid vehicles last year, up 44% from 2006. Toyota's Prius, Camry, and Highlander are considered the best hybrids on the market today. In fact, the Prius is the industry's best-selling hybrid vehicle.
The latest addition to Toyota's hybrid family is the company's A-BAT, a concept truck set to debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to BusinessWeek, the vehicle is roughly the size of Toyota's smallest SUV, the RAV4. Its oversized grill and rugged body type are designed to appeal to truck enthusiasts, but the heart of the truck is its hybrid engine. Analysts have labeled the pseudo-truck as a bold attempt to capitalize on a market shift toward fuel-efficient and eco-friendly vehicles, without alienating traditional "red-state" truck owners.
"This is classic Toyota," Erich Merkle, of automotive forecasting firm IRN, told BusinessWeek. "They're positioning themselves ahead of the curve, preparing products for a generation of consumers that is still coming up."
It's such innovative thinking that's helped Toyota leapfrog Ford in U.S. sales, and possibly even to supplant General Motors Co. (GM) as the global leader in auto sales. GM is still first in the United States, but Toyota is gaining fast.
So now GM has launched an aggressive plan of its own as a counterstrike.
GM Cleans Up In China
Saturn, the General Motors specialty nameplate, is trying to establish itself in the hybrid market with a compact SUV. Like the A-BAT, Saturn's 2009 Vue Green Line two-mode hybrid, is an attempt to reach consumers by combining towing capacity with fuel-savings.
The "two-mode" hybrid system has also been showcased on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs. And it will be appearing on the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and Cadillac Escalade later this year.
GM isn't stopping with its product line either. The company's taking its eco-renovation to China, where pollution has become an epidemic. In October, GM announced plans for a $250 million research and development center to be built in Shanghai. The center will focus development on eco-friendly technology, such as alternative fuels, hybrid cars, and more efficient power trains. The R&D center will also serve as headquarters for GM's China and Asian-Pacific operations.
GM is trying to use China's well-known pollution problem as a means of strengthening its toehold in the world's second-largest - but fastest-growing - automotive market. It also capitalizes on the growing trend toward global diversification.
More than 7 million cars were sold in China in 2006, already outpacing Japan. And 4.58 million vehicles were sold in China in the first nine months of 2007, a 23.8% jump from the year before.
Two weeks ago, GM proudly announced that it was the first automaker to sell a million vehicles in China in a single year.
"From day one, GM and our partners have been committed to continually rolling out new and upgraded models with specific engineering done in China for China to satisfy the needs of Chinese vehicle buyers across the country," said GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner.
The partners Wagoner mentioned are a big reason why GM was the first to hit the million-car milestone. GM's flagship joint venture in China, Shanghai General Motors Co. Ltd., sold 500,308 vehicles in 2007, a 22% increase from a year ago, Shanghai Securities News reported.
According to Kevin Wale, president of GM's China unit, the company won't be tapping the brakes on its China-focused investments anytime soon. He recently told Bloomberg News that GM would spend about $1 billion a year on production and sales in China over the next five years. Wale estimates that China's total automotive demand will rise to 9.5 million to 10 million vehicles in 2008.
"GM's main hope is put in Asia-Pacific within which China is the most important part," Ashvin Chotai, an analyst with Global Insight Inc., told Bloomberg. "Even with this $1 billion a year, it'll be tough to remain No. 1 in China. With China becoming the most important strategic market in the world, it's crucial to have their investment to stay in the race."
Who Else Is On Track For Global Diversification?
Wagoner expects that GM alone will get 75% of its car-and-truck sales from outside the United States in the next decade. That's a staggering assertion, considering GM has been one of the biggest names in the American automotive industry since 1908. But it's become increasingly clear that global diversification is the way of the future, and GM and Toyota aren't the only ones capitalizing on the trend.
Even a company with a more-exclusive clientele, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unit of owner BMW, has been something of a clunker in terms of its performance. BMW is part of Daimler AG (DAI).
In the past, the Rolls-Royce brand struggled to expand its client base beyond the super-wealthy. Owning a Rolls has traditionally been more about prestige than profit, but that's all beginning to change.
Sales of Rolls-Royce cars for 2007 are expected to be up nearly 25% from 2006. And that increase in sales has been largely attributed to success in China. China is Rolls' third-largest and fastest-growing market, accounting for 10% of sales in 2007. According to TIME magazine, one well-heeled Bejing property developer paid $2.3 million for a stretch Phantom, a customized version of the company's most popular model.
Many industry analysts believe China will be the company's No. 2 customer by the end of 2008, surpassing its one-time home market of Great Britain. The United States remains Rolls' primary customer, accounting for 45% of the company's sales.
Even BMW is willing to admit that if the company hit a rough patch, the Rolls-Royce brand would be first to go up on the auction block, but as the brand flexes it global muscle it's becoming increasingly viable.
BMW isn't the only company to pounce on a luxury brand either. Tata Motors Ltd. (TTM) is the leading candidate to obtain Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Tata Motors is a well-known player in the Indian automotive market. While primarily a truck company, it also accounts for 17% of the country's passenger vehicle sales. The acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover would bump up its brand equity, giving it two platinum nameplates that would increase its prestige, boost its overall visibility and likely also enable it to access customers in much-higher income classes.
"The acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands will expose the company to the luxury product category, as well as to broader geographies; these are areas in which TML lacks experience," Elizabeth Allen, senior analyst at Moody's Corp. (MCO), told the Economic Times.
In the meantime, Ford - which owns the Jag and Rover brands - is looking to slim down in order to better expand its foreign-market initiative. As part of that, it may also be reducing its involvement in the U.S. and European markets, to better focus on the higher-growth markets of China and India.
The move looks to be paying off.
The company's retail sales in China rose 30% - to a record 216,324 vehicles - in 2007, Reuters News Agency reported. Ford also said its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., and Mazda Motor Corp. (PINK: MZDAF) enjoyed a 60% increase in wholesale volume.
Ford and its joint venture partners operate three vehicle assembly plants and one engine manufacturing plant in China. The company also announced recently that it would put half a billion dollars into the expansion of its manufacturing facilities in the India city of Chennai. The investment will bring total capital expenditures in India to $875 million.
"We have embarked on a strategy of growing our business across Asia Pacific," John Parker, Ford's executive vice-president for Asia Pacific & Africa told BusinessWeek. "We want to grow our manufacturing-and-supply footprint in China, Southeast Asia, and India."
Parker estimated that Asia, the Pacific, and Africa would account for 70% of the growth in demand for passenger cars in the next decade.
BusinessWeek:
Ford Revs Up in India.
The One Time it's Good to be Crude
Charleston Daily Mail:
Talk of $4-a-gallon gas heats up again
Fox Business News:
Ford Motor China Sales Rise 30 Percent in 2007, Outpacing Industry in Growing Market
Ford Motor says China sales rise 30 pct in 2007
How Rolls-Royce Got Its Rebound
REG-Rolls-Royce Grp Plc: Fourth Quarter Review - 2007
Economic Times:
Tata Motors bond risk rises to record on Jaguar, Rover bid
Saturn to Bring Two-Mode Hybrid to Vue
Inside Toyota's Hybrid Truck
Pimp My Ride: Tata Motors Looks to Burnish its Brand
General Motors Shifts into Growth Mode by Driving a Cleanup Effort in China
General Motors Veers Towards Emerging Markets After U.S. Sales Stall
With an 'Icky' First Half for U.S. Vehicle Sales, Toyota and GM Bank on China to Supercharge Sales Growth
[…] Money Morning Special Investment Report: Going Green and Going Global: The Future of the Automobile Industry […]
Car Companies Target Customers (And Each Other) in Hotly Contested Asia Battleground
[…] Sales have tumbled for U.S. automotive titans Ford Motor Co. (F), General Motors Corp. (GM) and Chrysler LLC because of soaring gas prices, slowing U.S. economy and global interest trending toward smaller and greener cars. […]
GM Tries to Reverse Course, but Can it Catch Toyota?
[…] Money Morning: Going Green & Going Global: The Future of the Automotive Industry […]
[…] Money Morning:Going Green & Going Global: The Future of the Automotive Industry […]


We provide project management services for managing all project execution tasks including financial, technical and scheduling aspects.
We'll handle concept definition, scope development, cost justification, detailed design, automation, programming, construction coordination, implementation, and documentation — and provide a fully integrated approach from power distribution to automation and controls. Project management will include management of these tasks and required resources as well as execution as needed by the customer.


The Killing Ground is the first novel in the newly released second Ultramarines Omnibus, which also includes several additional short stories and even a nice graphic short. The story see's the Two Ultramarines Pasanius Lysane and Uriel Ventris escaping from the Eye of Terror after the events of Dead Sky, Black Sun. Nothing returns from beyond the Warp unchanged though and they will have a difficult task ahead if they want to be welcomed back by their brothers in arms.
Having fought alongside renegade Marines and mutant cannibals will take some explaining, even if it was all done for the right reasons. Hijacking one of the Iron Men's vile, demonic machines they escaped to the world of Salinas along with a few of the Unfleshed (the mutant cannibals mentioned above). The planet of Salinas is home to an Imperial Guard army who have been awarded the world for years of loyal service to the Empire however the indigenous populous hasn't taken kindly to this "invasion". Since quelling an uprising when first arriving on the world which lead to a massacre and destruction of the city Khaturian (now known as "The Killing Zone") a rebel group known as "Sons of Salinas" continue to fight against the new government.
To complicate matters further, when Pasanius and Uriel came through the gates of the Empyrean, a lot of energy came through too and the walls between the warp and the world have worn paper-thin in places. When you add in the ungodly power created by the massacre of thousands and the souls that still haunt the ruins then Pasanius and Uriel may have more trouble on their hands than even their gene-enhanced power can deal with.
I've not read the first three Ultramarines books in the series however it didn't prevent me enjoying this book in the slightest. McNeill's deft prose and rich characterisation combine with a great plot and effective Warhammer 40k backdrop to produce something that is immediately engaging and entertaining. The author has also managed to get the atmosphere spot on with a well balanced mix of technology, horror and frantic battles that feels right at home in the Warhammer 40k universe.
McNeill manages to do real justice to the Ultramarines here, his depiction of Pasanius and Uriel is great, managing to create a real sense of comrades in arms and yet still instilling the feeling of the super soldier post-human. For me The Killing Ground also managed to highlight the other side to the Warhammer 40k universe, that ethereal plane that is an integral part of the universe and yet is easily forgotten when not reading about psykers and astropaths.
The plot itself is great and makes a very effective return to the real world for the two marines, a trial by fire and one that has a pretty rewarding ending, setting the scene quite effectively for the next novel in the series.
Anyone with the slightest interest in Warhammer 40k should read The Killing Ground, you don't need to be a fan of the Ultramarines or even the Space Marines as the intriguing plot, descriptive action and dramatic flair creates a great story all it's own.
Written on 22nd June 2012 by Ant.


Happy New Year! It's that time of year when the majority of your employees, and maybe even yourself, make the annual vow to go on a diet and exercise regularly. Great! Who doesn't want to be healthier? That means cutting out the snacks at work, right? Not necessarily.
Eating a snack between meals sustains energy levels, improves mood and keeps employees productive-but not all snacks are created equal.
When selecting snack options for the breakroom, consider healthier alternatives instead of eliminating them all together. Employees feel appreciated, important and supported when you provide snacks, so getting rid of them altogether would be a bad move. Plus, there's a circle of benefits to providing healthy snacks: healthier people mean fewer sick days; fewer sick days mean fewer healthcare costs; fewer healthcare costs mean more money for food; more money for food means happy, snacking people who can easily stick to their New Year's resolution without depriving themselves – it's a win-win!
When stocking your breakroom, there are many options and taste preferences to consider.
Choices, choices: By providing lots of different choices, whether it's seasonal fresh fruit or dietary options (such as gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, etc.), you're letting your employees know that you value their wellbeing and support their waistline efforts.
No-cost, low-cost: It's true, happiness is free food. If snack options are free or made affordable, employees can save their hard-earned money while still feeling nourished and appreciated. Tasting events are a great way to bring everyone together and try new, wholesome treats to replace the ol' standbys of chips and crackers.
Proper hydration: Aside from full-service coffee, in the breakroom, employees need nourishing hydration to keep their bodies functioning optimally. A water bubbler, is essential, but also stocking selections like flavored water and seltzer will keep everyone drinking up with healthy options.
Single-servings: Employees will feel more compelled to grab a healthy snack if it's in an easy, single-serve container. No one wants to be the first one to open the jar of nuts. Keeping KIND bars, Cliff bars, and fresh fruit available and stocked will keep people satisfied with healthy choices.
Low-carb, high-protein: Snacks are important, but proper snacking is key. In order to reap the benefits and prevent the afternoon crash, pair a low-carb food with protein and a healthy fat. Try jerky, cheese and crackers, banana with nut butter, or veggies with hummus. Have fun and mix it up—variety is the spice of life!
Giving employees access to appealing and reasonably priced snacks when they're watching their waistlines—and throughout the year—is the key to keeping them sustained and productive throughout the work day. It's an economical way to take care of your business and your workers. Whether you're having the breakroom stocked with smart vending machines, electing to have a micro-market in your place of business, or a full blown café, the payoff of keeping a hardworking and hungry workforce happy and feeling supported is worth it.


After CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked President Donald Trump if he was manufacturing a crisis at the border Friday, the president fired back, telling him to ask the family members of those killed by illegal immigrants whether or not the crisis at the border is real.
Sitting a few rows in front of the podium in the Rose Garden were a group of "angel moms," mothers of those who lost their lives to illegal immigrant violence. Acosta had asked Trump if he was "creating a national emergency" in order to get his border wall, which Trump quickly responded to by pointing to the grieving mothers.
"This is real!" one of the angel moms said to Acosta.


Wesley Erwin Curtis was born on January 16th 1939 in Fort Worth, Texas. Leader of a little band, he plays with Bob Luman in 1955 and records some superb Rockabillies. He records himself "What'll Do" for Jim Shell. This title is released in the seventies by Ron Weiser (Rollin Rock 45029).
First singles of pure Rockabilly in 1956 with "If I Had Me A Woman" (King 4927) and "Grand Daddy's Rockin" (King 4949) two great titles with big vocal and crazy slap. These are fantastic too: "Say So", "Little Miss Linda", Just So You Call Me", "That Ain't Nothing but Rigth", "What You Want", "Half Hearted Love", "You Ain't Treatin' Me Rigth" and "Goose Bump". In the late fifties and in the early sixties, Mac works forthe productor Major Bill Smith. During this period he records "Somebody Help Me", "No", "Evil Doll" and "The Squirm" released in 1979 on a british label, Sonet SNTF 807. These are good titles of Rockabilly, but not as good as the others.
In the moddle sixties, Mac records country music, with his album "Sunshine Man" (Epic BN 26419) producted by Bill Sherrill with good takes of "Break My Mind", "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail" and "Little Ole Wine Drinker".
He comes back to Rockabilly in the early seventies with his album "Ruffabilly" (LP US Rollin Rock 002) with Ray Campi at the slappin bass. It contains good compositions: "Big D Woman", "Sidetrack Mama", "You Hurt Me", "Homdin' On" and "Amarillo Killer" and a tribute to Johnny Caroll (everybody thinks his dead!) with "Hot Rocks", Crazy, Crazy Lovin'" and "Wild Wild Women".


A discrepancy has been detected between the runtime of the original asset delivered and that of a resupplied asset. This can occur when fulfilling a Redelivery Request or an Upgrade Request. The error message provides the duration of both assets in seconds.
A common example of this is when the originally uploaded file failed due to the presence of extraneous material such as bars and tone, ad breaks or too much black at the end. The redelivered file has this material removed in order to make the file compliant, however now the duration of the new file is shorter.
For A/V MUX assets a maximum difference of one second is allowed. For Secondary Audio assets a maximum difference of five seconds is allowed.
When performing a redelivery or upgrade request use the proxy available from Backlot to ensure the new file has the same duration as the original.
If the redelivered file must have a different duration because you are removing extraneous material then you should communicate this to your Netflix representative and they can override the error.
Are you a Netflix representative? You can solve this issue!


"Is the new Spitfire for you?"
"You would be proud too...if your name was Spitfire"
Sports Car Graphic introduces the new Spitfire!
Car & Driver test-drives and reviews the new Spitfire!
"Standard-Triumph has never built a better car!"
Sports Car Graphic test-drives and reviews the new Spitfire!
197? Spitfire 1500 German sales brochure cover, "One of the Last REAL Roadsters "


Richelle Mead was born in Michigan, and currently lives in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington, United States. She has three degrees: a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Michigan, a Master of Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Teaching from the University of Washington. Her teaching degree led her to become an 8th grade teacher in suburban Seattle, where she taught social studies and English. She continued writing in her free time, until she sold her first novel, Succubus Blues. After quitting her job to write full-time, her other books quickly followed.


text:
Q: Eager loading relationship returns empty using SELECT in WITH clause Using Laravel 5.4, I have a query that correctly returns a relationship. Using the "with" clause in the query, I am attempting to return only selected columns from the relationship in my controller.
When I add the select to the with clause, relationship returns an empty array. Oddly enough, if I add a different parameter, such as a groupBy or join the query DOES return results. So something about my setup dislikes the select on the query.
Thus far I have tried:

*

*using selectRaw

*using select(DB::raw)

*tried defining this as a separate relationship on my model.

Nothing has worked this far. Sql log looks good when I dump it.
Here is my model:
// MODEL
namespace App;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use DB;

class ClassBlocks extends Model
{
    public $timestamps = false;

    public function schedule(){
        return $this->hasMany('App\ClassSchedules', 'class_block_id', 'id');
    }
}

And here is my controller:
//CONTROLLER
use App;
use DateTime;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class ProgramsController extends Controller
{
    public function filterClass(Request $request, App\ClassBlocks $block)
    {

        $block = $block->newQuery();

        // Attempt to eager load relationship
        // Returns results when "select" disabled
        $block->with([
            'schedule' => function($query){
                $query->select('time_start');
                $query->groupBy('day');
            },
        ]);

        return $block->get();

    }
}

Here is a sample result with select enabled (schedule returns empty):
[
  {
    "id": 13,
    "program_id": "1",
    "class_group_id": "1",
    "schedule": [

    ]
  }
]

And here is a result with select disabled (returns relationship when select disabled):
[
  {
    "id": 13,
    "program_id": "1",
    "class_group_id": "1",
    "schedule": [
      {
        "id": 338,
        "class_group_id": "1",
        "program_id": "1",
        "class_block_id": "13",
        "date": "06/13/2017",
        "day": "Tuesday",
        "instructor_id": "1",
        "time_start": "6:30am",
        "time_end": "6:30am"
      },
      {
        "id": 339,
        "class_group_id": "1",
        "program_id": "1",
        "class_block_id": "13",
        "date": "06/14/2017",
        "day": "Wednesday",
        "instructor_id": "2",
        "time_start": "6:30am",
        "time_end": "6:30am"
      }
    ]
  },
]

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

A: The problem here is:
$query->select('time_start');

Laravel need to have column that is connection between 2 records. In this case you should probably use:
$query->select('time_start', 'class_block_id');

to make it work.
Obviously you will have class_block_id in response this way. If you really don't want it, probably you should create some transformer that will return exactly you want in response.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Does Cambridge University & the Judge Institute want to show the world how antediluvian it can be?
Interesting panel but, as an aside, the Judge Institute does not let people in the audience have access to WiFi unless they are registered students. This makes the Judge Institute look really stupid. Really, really stupid. How can they possibly host talks from some of the world's most interesting technology businesses, hoping to imbue the entrepreneurs of Cambridge with a Silicon Valley spirit when they can't even get their heads around the concept of making WiFi available?
This has not changed for four years. It makes the Judge Institute and Cambridge University look pathetic. Please change. The 21st century started 11 years ago.
One response to "Does Cambridge University & the Judge Institute want to show the world how antediluvian it can be?"
frank morris says:
Organisers should boycott venues without open wifi


There is no place like home to this 3rd generation Idaho native. Raised in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Bonnie has in-depth knowledge of the area and a great appreciation for the lifestyle the Lake City and surrounding areas have to offer.
Small town values and knowledge of the local market lends itself to consistently earning her client's trust. Bonnie is dedicated to providing a high level of service and determined to exceed her client's expectations. She listens closely to each client's unique set of circumstances and provides sound advice throughout the transaction- treating every client as though she were in their shoes.
Prior to a career in real estate, Bonnie served the Great State of Idaho for over 18-years as a Workforce Consultant and Business Specialist for the Idaho Department of Labor. Her vast experience includes collaborating with the health care industry and education to bridge workforce gaps, case management for "at risk" youth, career counseling at Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) and working as a Disability Program Navigator. She served on numerous committees to include the Veteran's Stand Down and the Homeless Coalition, to name a few. Bonnie received an, "Outstanding Service Award" in 2014 for providing outstanding service to the citizens of the Great State of Idaho.
Bonnie graduated from Lewis-Clark State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She is an avid animal lover with a spoiled Labrador Retriever named, Squirrel. Bonnie enjoys taking advantage of the North Idaho four seasons by snowboarding, snowmobiling, waterskiing, jet boating, gardening, exploring the backcountry, and picking huckleberries.


Here's a guide for some of the most common considerations entrepreneurs think about when taking next steps to incorporate a business.
This International Women's Day, join Ownr and let's celebrate five Canadian women entrepreneurs we love.
Here's 4 ways to build awareness for your business, and make the most of your marketing budget.
The Ownr Blog has a fresh, new look. Check out our one-stop hub to learn more about starting and growing your business.
In this first instalment of a two part series on managing business finances, we look at the practice of bookkeeping and accounting, and help breakdown everything you need to know to make informed decisions.
Brandi Leifso started her cosmetics company, Evio Beauty, while living in a women's shelter. That experience taught her the power of conscious decisions, which is reflected in her mission to create a conscious future through sustainable and clean products.
Streetwear brand Never Afraid is empowering its customers to live with #NoFear with designs that speak to their life experiences. We chat with the founder, Dami Mosaku-Johnson about the cultural influence of streetwear.
A fisherman's daughter built one of North America's most successful retail construction companies. This edition of Ownr Spotlight features Mandy Rennehan, the Blue-Collar CEO™.
Little Paws Inn has replaced the kennelled pet daycare with an open-concept, home-style daycare and boarding for dogs, cats and rabbits.
Reduce, Reuse and RELOVE! An online wardrobe-sharing platform empowers millennial women to get a return on their fashion investment and reduce their carbon footprint.
Building a successful business is hard work. If you're doing what you love, the journey becomes meaningful. Can a passion project make money? Find out how Camy was able to build a successful business with her love for travel.


Outdoor mind body spirit event – therapists can you help?
Natural health practitioners are invited to take part in the country's first ever outdoor Mind Body Spirit event to help autistic children.
The two day "A Touch of Therapy" festival is planned for October as a novel way to introduce the children and their parents to a range of alternative and complementary therapies.
It is being organized by Laois ARC and ARC Eireann on October 8th and 9th at Ballintela near a 600 acre woodland just outside Stradbally, Co Laois.
Says Maggie Whelan of Laois ARC: "We are inviting new or unique therapies at this event, we would love to see them.
Therapists will converge on the site for the two days offering everything from yoga, reiki and painting to horse therapy, therapeutic gardening, tai chi, shamanism and organic food.
The festival will also offer walks in the woodland, a small animals area, a kids therapy area, an eco homes and gardens expo' and live music.
"We are putting the word out about it at the moment" adds Maggie who has asked any interested practitioners to get in touch by email, desribing what therapy they can bring to the event.
"We want to give people in Ireland an opportunity of A Touch of Therapy to let them know what is available to them, to complement what ever therapy that the may be using or may not be using!!
Therapists can have a pitch for two days at the event for a fee of €70.
Entrance to the festival is €5 for adults and children are free.
Camping is options at a cost of €25 to pitch a family tent for the night.
People can supply their own food and drinks or avail of catering van with "organic food and drinks at an ethic price".
There is strictly no alcohol at the event and a place will be allocated for smokers.


Milky white beauty Tamanna has replaced Genelia in promoting a soft drink brand 'Fanta' in the Southern region.
Till recently, Genelia has been endorsing the brand. After her marriage with long-time boyfriend Riteish Deshmukh, the soft drink major Coca Cola has decided to replace her with another beauty who can pull it off, instead of renewing the agreement. Finally, the company has roped in Tamanna as their new brand ambassador.
"I'm very selective, when it comes to endorsing a product or a brand. I prefer the brands which suit my image and age. This is a good opportunity to stay in touch with my fans," said Tamanna, when quizzed about the deal.
For a six day call sheet per year, Tamanna will be paid a staggering Rs 60 lakhs. Depending on the requirements, the company will use the services of actress during this period either for promotions or for photoshoots of the brand. With this deal, Tamanna has entered into the list of Top League brand ambassadors. Looks like, She is already enjoying the fruits of telugu movie 'Racha' success.


If you want to know tips on how to write and promote articles, you're in the best place. It has been over twenty years now since I discovered methods to do it, however the thrill of an article acceptance has never gone away. I'm largely asked to jot down articles upfront now, so I don't work for magazines like I used to; I simply write for one or two I like (and the ones that seem to like me!) and even then solely occasionally. I can't bear in mind the final time I truly wrote for a journal, to be trustworthy. And that suits me nice.
Take warning before purchasing bulk portions of produce so that half or more will not end up in the rubbish. You won't want a dozen oranges however a bulk dimension of organic strawberries may be so as if you're making a strawberry pie. When you've got a large family and enjoy many servings of vegetables and fruit, there are nice values on this product class. Look for organic choices too as the financial savings for this category of produce are even greater in comparison with natural prices in grocery shops.
The merging of so many media companies into in the present day's handful of powerhouses has been allowed, and some may say encouraged, by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an unbiased government company composed of 5 people whose responsibility it's to determine media coverage and law. Created in 1934 by the Communications Act, the FCC's position is to control interstate and international communications by radio, tv, wire, satellite tv for pc and cable all through the United States. Critics say it hasn't achieved an excellent job, and the proof is the existence of the Large Six.
A bit-recognized fact: Nearly all reported water temperatures are taken at the floor the place the temperatures are warmer (as a result of heat rises). The temperature at the bottom may be as a lot as 5° F – 20° F colder than at the surface. In a drowning situation, the sufferer often descends into colder and colder water. A life jacket keeps the sufferer at the floor the place the temperatures are warmest.
Outcomes from the triple backside line analysis suggest that Rio Tinto Iron Ore is reaching long term targets by way of sustainability. Flux within the macro environment is threatening areas of the economic backside line, which can affect their degree of sustainability the place corners are minimize. Nevertheless, diligent recognition of threats are inflicting Rio Tinto to re-align their financial methods with their drivers to make sure targets are met.


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MASSIVE sexual violence rally in Kaikohe
September 19, 2015 by SPCS Leave a Comment
Victims, ex-abusers and supporters stomped down the street to say sexual abuse is not ok.
The MASSIVE sexual violence march aimed to break the silence and raise awareness on Kaikohe's Broadway July 23.
Supporter and survivor of sexual violence Judy Mihaka says it is prolific in our communities.
She says it's something many people in her generation of baby boomers have experienced.
"All my friends, everyone I know has been molested in some way."
She says the first step of the journey for rehabilitation, for both victim and abuser, is to admit it.
"It's a hard thing for someone to put their hand up and get up in front of strangers and say 'I did this'."
Stop Demand, Korowai T?manako and the Riders against teenage suicide were involved in the rally and the whole community was invited, Kaikohe community leader Mike Shaw says. Even the Plunket van joined the march.
Full story published 24 July 2015
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/northland/70491224/massive-sexual-violence-rally-in-kaikohe
Filed Under: Crime, Rape statistics, Violence Tagged With: sexual abuse
Kelvin Davis walking the talk highlighting sexual and domestic violence
Labour MP Kelvin Davis hasn't done much training ahead of walking a half-marathon for 17 days, but says the pain will be worth it if it puts a stop to sexual violence. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Crime, Rape statistics, Violence Tagged With: sexual violence
Sexual assaults in Australia and New Zealand more than double world average
The rate of sexual assault in Australia and New Zealand is more than double the world average, according to a new report.
After several highly publicised rapes and murders of young women in India and South Africa, researchers from several countries decided to review and estimate prevalence of sexual violence against women in 56 countries.
The results, published in the UK medical journal The Lancet, found that 7.2 per cent of women aged 15 years or older reported being sexually assaulted by someone other than an intimate partner at least once in their lives. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Crime, Rape statistics Tagged With: rape crisis, sexual violence
What's wrong with our rape laws? Opinion
What's wrong with our rape laws? OPINION by Andrea Vance:
Amid the national moral panic stemming from the Roast Busters sex scandal, politicians were grappling with one challenging question: What's wrong with our rape laws?
What is it about our justice system that makes more than 90 per cent of victims unwilling to report incidents of sexual violation to the police?
Why is it that sexual violence is the fifth most common offence but the least reported to police? [Read more…]
Filed Under: Crime, Rape statistics Tagged With: rape laws, Roast Busters, sex scandal, sexual offences, sexual violation
What's behind Boobs on Bikes? By political activist John Minto
March 10, 2009 by SPCS Leave a Comment
Article from the Stuff News Archive (2009): Political activist John Minto wrote ……..
John Minto: 2014 Candidate -Mana Party
[Photo Source: http://yournz.org/tag/john-minto/]
Most people seem to think the Boobs on Bikes parade is tasteless and tacky but nothing to get steamed up about. Just harmless fun and a bit of titillation to warm up a cold winter perhaps.
Certainly we have plenty of people hung up about sex and nudity but the protest at the parade was not a bunch of prudes averting their eyes at the sight of silicon-implanted breasts. Instead it was a warning cry about the deep damage being done by the hard-core porn industry with Boobs on Bikes organiser Steve Crow at the heart of the problem.
[Note: The next Boobs on Bikes event has been announced as scheduled for 7 October 2015, – rescheduled says Crow – from August 2014, "To coincide with the shift in dates for the Erotica Lifestyles Expo"].
I've seen material pictured and quoted from some of Steve Crow's publications which is quite depraved. For example men speaking about women in a way no reasonable people would speak about their neighbour's dog.
Denise Ritchie of the [registered charity CC30599] group Stop Demand [Foundation] (the demand side of the sex-for-sale industry) points out that sex-related crimes against women and children do not take place in a vacuum but rather are underpinned by the hard-core porn industry. This is where for example videos of simulated rape, incest and all manner of sexual violation against women and children are produced and sold commercially.
I don't have to buy his filth if I don't want to but if Crow's activities are making our community a less safe place for me and my family, and other women and children in particular then I have a right and a duty to object.
This is serious money. So is there a connection between Steve Crow's promotion of hard-core porn and sexual violence against women? I have no doubt there is a strong, direct link. There can be no doubt that the abusive behaviour of some people is stimulated by this Crow-type pornography.
Denise Ritchie points out that two months ago a 60 year old Wanganui man was convicted for performing sexual acts on his severely handicapped wife after watching a pornographic video with two other men, one of whom he invited to "join in". It would be only the deliberately naïve who refuse to see a connection in this case and more widely. I have no doubt that the glorification of rape on a pornographic video will reduce the seriousness of such behaviour in the minds of enough men so as to increase the risk to women generally.
To quote Ritchie once more, "our Chief Censor [Mr Bill Hastings at that time], our pornography investigators and global research are unanimous in reporting that hard core pornography, which makes up the bulk of Steve Crow's commercial interests and profits, is increasingly cruel, misogynistic and degrading of women." We should all be very concerned at the messages this material is sending to men.
Forget about the boobs on bikes. These are the entertaining sideshow to a porn industry which is making the country less safe for all of us.
Stephen Peter Crow promoting Erotica Lifestyles Expo
Steve Crow: 'Long-standing identification' with Boobs on Bikes parade. (Photo: Stuff News 27/04/11)
According to Stop Demand, a 2006 Treasury report estimated that sexual violence in 2003/2004 cost the New Zealand economy no less than $1.2 billion. $827 million of this is the loss of quality of life for victims, across an estimated 16,500 sex offences.
Source: What's behind Boobs on Bikes by John Minto. Published 09/03/2009
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/blogs/frontline/1880536/What-s-behind-Boobs-on-Bikes
Note 1: Stop Demand Foundation is a registered charity (CC30599) that was registered with the Charities Commission on 30/06/2008. Its website is www.stopdemand.org A message to men on its website states:
"Sexual violence, exploitation and denigration of women and children is overwhelmingly a men's issue. We need men's proactive support to stop it."
To find out about the governance of Stop Demand go to: http://www.stopdemand.org/wawcs0153449/WHO-WE-ARE.html
Note 2: Stephen (Steve) Peter Crow has 33 criminal convictions for distributing objectionable material. Source: Sunday-Star Times 26 October 2003.
See: The People Vs. Steve Crow," by John Landrigan, North & South (Issue 207, June, pages 82-90). "Besides the porn baby [controversy], collectively he, his ex-business partner Fiona Gibb and Vixen Direct [Ltd] faced 135 criminal charges last year. Crow pleaded guilty to 33 of the lesser charges – for the distribution of objectionable material … he still faces seven regulatory infringements to a law he does not agree with."
Note: 3
Mr Crow had criminal convictions for distributing objectionable material and the inquiry was treated as an employment issue.
Police are told not to associate with people with a criminal history.
See full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10392287
Filed Under: Porn Link to Rape, Pornography, Rape statistics Tagged With: Boobs on Bikes, Boobs on Bikes Steve Crow, criminal convictions, Crow-type pornography, distributing objectionable material, Erotica Lifestyles Expo, John Minto, Mr Crow, objectionable material, Stephen Peter Crow, Steve Crow, Steve Crow Boobs on Bikes, Stop Demand, Stop Demand Foundation, Vixen Direct


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Government workers with autism may go unpaid, despite their valuable contributions to science
A volunteer program by USGS could provide setbacks for students seeking independence.
By Kelly Brenner | Published Dec 2, 2019 5:11 PM
STEP-UP students take a tour of Washington D.C. Courtesy of USGS
Twenty-two years after a Ross's goose hatched from an egg in Saskatchewan, Canada, it was shot somewhere in California. Scientists collected the metal leg tag to have it added to a searchable database—one of 77 million entries for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory.
The fact that we can learn the story of a 22-year-old goose today is due to a large effort to digitize millions of avian profiles from paper and microfilm. Contractors did much of the labor, but a group of college-aged students also played a significant role by uploading 500,000 Bird Banding Laboratory records. The contractors made $1 per record. The students, who were autistic, earned nothing.
Launched in 2012, the USGS STEP-UP program uses students on the spectrum for a myriad of projects, including typing up records from tagged birds, sorting microfossils, identifying species on trail-cam
era images, cataloging rock cuttings, and more. The program has expanded its bounds in recent years, from a single school to partners in Denver, Salt Lake City, Monterey, and other cities across the country. To date, it's enrolled 195 individuals.
The students, aged 18 to 22, spend up to five days a week for a year or longer on their volunteer gigs. Many are simultaneously earning non-standard high school diplomas with their school districts; some are working on post-secondary certificates.
But while STEP-UP is meant to help pave the way to science-based careers, the unpaid program could prove to be a setback for those it serves. The period after high school is a particularly challenging time for young adults with autism: Many social services are cut off, and opportunities for employment and higher education are often limited. Nation-wide surveys show that two-thirds of autistic high school graduates can't find a job or enroll in college within two years. Only 35 percent eventually head off to college, and a smaller fraction earn their degrees and end up in the work force.
"The fact that the existence of autistic adults was not acknowledged by the psychiatric establishment in America until the early 1990s means that there is still shockingly little infrastructure already in place to help young autistic people make the transition from education to the workplace," says Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity.
Transitional programs like STEP-UP are designed to teach participants job skills. The USGS states that the program increases volunteers' "future financial independence"—but Silberman notes that "many existing programs are framed as forms of charity, rather than as training for creative, rewarding, and fairly compensated careers." This, he says, is "despite the fact that some autistic employees may perform better than their neurotypical colleagues when doing the same jobs."
In fact, STEP-UP volunteers did perform better than paid contractors, with an error rate of 0.3 percent compared to 3 percent. And they found errors in the work of others. They also converted major troves of data: One student's work on mapping oil well pads was so significant, he was listed as a co-author on a scientific publication in 2016.
David Craig, a professor at Willamette University who runs a community science project tracking Caspian terns, draws information from the very BBL database that the autistic students helped to digitize. He recognizes the "particular talents, skills, and energy" that those on the spectrum can bring to scientific research.
"We need a neurodiverse workforce," Craig says. "The STEP-UP program is making unique contributions in training talented people that can join us in the joys and struggles of bird research and conservation."
There are few institutions that train autistic students in STEM fields (despite the youth's interest), making unpaid opportunities more alluring. The USGS also offers the prospect of hiring volunteers once they age out of the program at 22. So far, nine of the 45 students who have completed this program have come on permanently, while 20 others have found employment elsewhere, says Hannah Hamilton, a public affairs specialist with the agency.
The issue, however, is the lack of pay during prolonged training. When the USGS's volunteer program came to light on social media, many people expressed outrage at what they perceived to be exploitation of a vulnerable, adept community. But the problem of low or unpaid labor is a regular dilemma for individuals with disabilities, both in and outside of the scientific sphere.
https://twitter.com/aneeman/status/1195890295273066496//
"It's a pervasive problem in society as a whole when accommodations for employees with disabilities are seen as favors for people with 'special needs' or expressions of the employer's benevolence, rather than as ways to tap the most skilled workforce and ensure that every employee is given what they need to succeed," Silberman says.
Given the right paid opportunity, STEP-UP students could go from translating cryptic numbers and notes to being the scientists who band fluffy goslings in the Canadian wilds.