text:
You've Been Warned
We pass by all sorts of crazy warning signs every single day—including police tape, wet floor signs, and crazy road warnings. But do they actually connect?
Written by Ernie Smith on Jan 02, 2018
caution signs, police line tape, police tape, warnings, wet floor, wet floor signs
Editor's note: Hey guys, ran into a snag with a story I was hoping to run tonight, so going with a rerun of a classic issue instead. Hope you dig!
Today in Tedium: On a daily basis, we're surrounded by warning signs of varying shapes, sizes, and importance. These signs, more times then not, are often warning us about things we shouldn't do, rather than things we should. Due to their commonality, we often don't take them nearly as seriously as we should—for example, "Signs," the 1971 hippie-rock classic from the Five Man Electrical Band, mocks the sentiment lying behind a lot of these signs. (That's right, you tell the man!) Warning: Today's Tedium may attempt to make the topic of warning and caution signs interesting. — Ernie @ Tedium
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"Even if a warning is perceived and comprehended, it will not be effective unless it induces people to behave safely."
— A line from Warnings: Fundamentals, Design, and Evaluation Methodologies, a technical book on the nature of warnings, first published in 1986, which is believed to be the first in-depth analysis of the importance of warnings ever published. (Good luck getting your hands on it. Amazon sells it for more than $600, though one of their other books about warnings goes for a lot less.) The authors of the book, James M. Miller and Mark Lehto, have closely worked on this issue for decades, from the perspective of human and philosophical factors, rather than merely from an appearance standpoint. Beyond running JM Miller Engineering together, the partners have written four books on the topic of warning signs. When you're done reading Fifty Shades of Grey, this is the next book you should pick up.
(Victoria Pickering/Flickr)
Police caution tape is everywhere, but it's not easy to figure out where it came from
Once relegated to crime scenes, barricade tape or police caution tape, the yellow-and-black plastic that tells people not to cross, has become something of a pop-culture icon, quietly showing up on the bedrooms of rebellious teenagers and on guitar straps for decades.
Strangely, though, finding out where it came from is really freaking hard. It's one of those things that has taken over the world, but nobody bothered to explain how or why it did. Doing a Google search on the history of barricade tape may make you feel completely lost, which is how I felt when I first started searching.
Even with a lot of deep digging, I could only find a single reputable source that had covered the rise of barricade tape as a cultural phenomenon: The Miami Herald, which wrote about it in 1998. In his piece on the subject (which, as a favor to you guys, I've replicated here), Geoffrey Tomb describes the way that tape has become a mainstay at rock concerts and road repairs.
It even, according to Tomb, has become more popular than Bob's Barricades, a mainstay of Florida warning signage that works closely with the state's department of transportation on traffic control issues. The crime-heavy city of Miami went through a lot of the yellow stuff, so much that they had started to use bilingual tape.
What inspired Tomb to write about this topic? To put it simply, there was a crime scene that was so large that it required the use of a lot of police tape.
"So much yellow tape was used at a police shooting in Miami last week that all four corners of an intersection of two city streets were roped off by multiple lines, making it look like a boxing ring," Tomb wrote in his story. "Yellow tape blocked traffic on streets nine blocks away from the shooting scene."
(I couldn't find that exact photo, but the crime scene left behind after the tragic shooting of fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1997, shown in this Herald story, kind of gives one an idea.)
Going back to my original question, the reason I started down this rabbit hole in the first place, when was police tape actually invented? Tomb dates the invention to 1962 and credits the invention to a California company called Harris Industries, which produces a variety of plastic warning tapes for purposes far beyond crime scenes, following the color codes recommended by OSHA standards.
Despite the fact that the tape tends to be used for official reasons (think signifying a chemical spill or a construction risk), the very inexpensive nature of plastic warning tape is the exact thing that makes it perfect for trolling. You can buy a giant thing of police tape on Amazon for less than $10, and you can even work with vendors to create your own customized warning tape.
Generally, this gets used for things like halloween decorations, but in 2009, teachers at a primary school in the United Kingdom were criticized for using the tape as part of a mock crime scene on the school's campus.
Apparently, trying to go all CSI on six-year-old kids is frowned upon in some parts of the world.
The year that European countries met in Vienna to discuss standardizations for warning signs on roads with the support of the United Nations. The resulting treaty quite literally set the rules of the road around the world for warning signs of all types. While not a party to the treaty, the United States was directly inspired by the results as the country moved to symbol-driven warnings in the early 1970s.
(Mike Mozart/Flickr)
Five Recent Innovations in Wet Floor Signage
Rubbermaid sells a lot of wet floor signs, but few rise up to the wood-and-metallic level of the company's Executive Multi-Lingual Wooden Caution Sign, which looks like it should be a trophy rather than a wet floor sign. "This wooden caution sign is designed to work with a wide variety of Rubbermaid products, helping to make cleaning and waste management more efficient and safe," the company says on its website.
Not to be outdone, a company called Banana Products has made an impact in the world of wet-floor signs by creating variations that look like … wait for it … bananas.
Fortunately for Rubbermaid, it has other tricks up its sleeve. One of those tricks is a product it calls the Over-the-Spill Station, which is akin to a Post-it note for spills. instead of putting down a sign, you put down super-absorbent paper towels that warn the public while picking up the stain.
Perhaps the ultimate example of floor-warning innovation, however, goes to the Hurricone, a device that combines a wet-floor warning cone with a floor-drying device, a joining of technology and helpfulness that any fan of hand dryers is bound to love.
Does this patent application represent the future of wet-floor sign technology? The invention, submitted by a guy named Rick Charles Furtado, includes a timer, a speaker, and motion sensors. Any more knobs on this thing and you might as well make it Android-compatible.
"The thing is though, that the people who really need to see this sign, are most likely just gonna pass it with their eyes glued to their screens."
— Jacob Semple, a Swedish artist, discussing the project he worked on last year with his creative partner, Emil Tiismann. The duo threw up a bunch of signs around Stockholm warning drivers of people caught up in their smartphones, texting and doing a bunch of stuff that people do on their phones. Semple said the project was inspired by personal experience. "One morning when I walked to work I almost got run over by a car because I was staring at my stupid smartphone," Sempler told Tech Insider in 2015. "I looked around, and realized that I wasn't the only one."
The point that Jacob Semple tripped onto in making his smartphone art project is pretty similar to the one that Mark Lehto has been making in numerous ways over the years.
Lehto, the guy who co-wrote the technical book on warnings that we mentioned earlier in the piece, is a longtime faculty member at Purdue University with a deep interest in "Human Factors"—in other words, the way that humans interact with information given to them.
As it turns out, humans don't necessarily handle this information very well. In 1995, Lehto organized a study in which a number of subjects were asked to complete a task using a foul-smelling glue. Despite the fact that the label clearly recommended that people ventilate the room before using the glue, only one of the 54 subjects did just that.
"This study suggests that if someone's main goal is to complete a task, the benefits he perceives in finishing may outweigh the risks of skipping a safety step," Lehto said of the study in 1997. "Similarly, if someone's out to have a good time, the benefits he sees in having fun may outweigh the risks he sees in driving drunk. If you want people to behave more safely, you need something more dramatic than a warning label."
Warnings already focus on bright colors and and dire wording—just look at cigarette warnings. How can we make them better?
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Tag Archives: European Space Agency
ESA moves forward on building its own reusable X-37B
June 5, 2019 at 10:29 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the preliminary design reviews for its reusable mini-shuttle, dubbed Space Rider, that they hope to launch by 2022.
Launched on Vega-C, Space Rider will serve as an uncrewed high-tech space laboratory operating for periods longer than two months in low orbit. It will then re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and land, returning its valuable payload to eager engineers and scientists at the landing site. After minimal refurbishment it will be ready for its next mission with new payloads and a new mission.
Essentially this is Europe's X-37B, but developed for commercial customers rather than the military. In fact, it suggests that Boeing, the builder of X-37B, is missing a major market by not developing its own commercial X-37B.
5 comments	competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, Space Rider, spaceflight, x-37b
Europe inaugurates ExoMars control center
May 31, 2019 at 8:15 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The Europe Space Agency yesterday inaugurated the control center where it will control and download data from the ExoMars rover, Rosalind Franklin, scheduled to launch to Mars in the summer of 2020.
The control center also includes a dirt filled enclosure where they can simulate Martian conditions with a rover model.
The article outlined the project's upcoming schedule:
Over the summer the rover will move to Toulouse, France, where it will be tested in Mars-like conditions. At the end of the year Rosalind Franklin will travel to Cannes to meet the landing and carrier modules for final assembly.
As I noted yesterday in my most recent rover update, this assembly, only six months before launch, gives them very little margin. If there are any problems during assembly, they will likely miss the 2020 launch window.
I also wonder if this will allow them any time to do acoustical and environmental testing, as was just completed on NASA's 2020 rover, to make sure ExoMars can survive launch, landing, and the journey to Mars. If they forego those tests, they might discover after launch that they were launching a paperweight, not an expensive planetary probe.
One comment	engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, ExoMars, government, Mars, policy, politics, Rosalind Franklin, rover, Russia, spaceflight
ESA agrees to subsidize Ariane 6 should it fail to sell
April 19, 2019 at 9:57 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed an agreement with ArianeGroup, the private company building its next generation rocket Ariane 6, to provide subsidizes to the company should the rocket's inability to get launch contracts continue.
The problem is that ESA had promised ArianeGroup seven launch contracts from its various governments during the rocket's development, but only three so far have been signed. Ariane 6, though less expensive than Ariane 5, still costs too much (it is not going to be usable), and it appears that too many member nations in ESA don't want to pay the extra bucks when they can get the same service cheaper from SpaceX.
This lack of contracts has caused ArianeGroup to slow development.
The new agreement gives the company a financial guarantee should the additional four launch contracts not materialize.
"If seven launch service contracts are not signed by the ministerial at the end of November, then the ESA DG [Director General Jan Woerner] will propose for decision to member states to complement the revenues needed for the first Ariane 64," said [Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA's director of space transportation].
In other words, Ariane 6 is going to turn out just like Ariane 5, an expensive rocket that never makes a profit. Moreover, if ESA requires its members to use its cost will handicap Europe's future space efforts.
This isn't a surprise. I predicted this likelihood back in September 2017 when ArianeGroup first announced the prices it planned to charge for Ariane 6 launches. Those prices, for launches in the 2020s, were higher than what SpaceX charges now, and were certainly going to be more uncompetitive in the future.
It seems that Europe's aerospace industry, both in and out of government, can't seem to understand these basics of the free market. You have to be competitive, and if you are not, the worst way to fix the problem is pour more money into an uncompetitive product. From the get-go they designed Ariane 6 as if it was 1990, when the industry said reusable rockets were impossible. The result is a rocket no one wants to buy, because everyone knows that by the mid-2020s they will have many inexpensive reusable rockets to choose from. Why buy an overpriced dinosaur?
So, instead of pouring subsidies into Ariane 6, as designed, ESA should be demanding for its money new designs from ArianeGroup that make the rocket cheaper to launch.
Europe does not appear to be doing this, however, so expect Europe to be badly crippled in the upcoming 21st century space race.
5 comments	Ariane 6, ArianeGroup, bankruptcy, capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, Europe, European Space Agency, government, policy, politics, spaceflight
ArianeGroup successfully test fires new solid rocket motor
January 29, 2019 at 9:11 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
Capitalism in space: ArianeGroup, the private consortium building Europe's next generation of rockets, has successfully test fired the new solid rocket motor it will use for both its Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets.
The P120C is designed and built by a European consortium involving a joint venture known as Europropulsion, a venture between ArianeGroup and Avio, as well as CNES, the Italian ASI space agency, and Airbus Safran. This multinational venture uses the Avio facilities in Colleferro, Italy to manufacture the carbon fiber composite casing, a facility in France to build the ArianeGroup composite steerable nozzle, and the propellant casting and integration facilities in French Guiana to build up and prepare these boosters for flight.
The P120C, through its common use across launch vehicle lines and use of existing facilities, is designed to reduce costs as a competitive response to newer companies like SpaceX that have dramatically lowered launch costs and captured an increasing share of the worldwide launch market, dethroning the ArianeGroup from the dominating position it had held until very recently.
Without doubt they are going to save money using this solid rocket motor on both rockets. I remain somewhat skeptical, however, about whether they will achieve enough cost savings to compete with SpaceX. The seeming lack of interest by their primary European customers for Ariane 6 suggests this. It appears that its price might still be too high.
Leave a comment	Ariane 6, ArianeGroup, capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, government, policy, politics, spaceflight, Vega-C
BepiColombo begins first operational engine burn
December 19, 2018 at 9:09 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The European/Japanese mission to Mercury has begun the first operational firing of its four ion engines, set to last for the next two months.
This might seem like a ridiculously long burn, since most conventional rocket engines fire for minutes, not months. These are ion engines, however, far more efficient but producing a very tiny acceleration. It takes a long time for their burns to accumulate a velocity change.
One comment	BepiColombo, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, Japan, Mercury, science, spaceflight
ESA plans Vega rocket upgrades
November 23, 2018 at 9:33 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
In order to grab more market share, the European Space Agency today outlined a wide range of upgrades and options it is creating for its Vega rocket.
The article describes versions aimed at the smallsat market, the geosynchronous satellite market, and a recoverable mini-shuttle similar to the X-37B, dubbed Space Rider. All these options are expected to come on line by 2021.
Isn't competition wonderful? Threatened by loss of market share by SpaceX, Europe has been forced to up its game, something it had been loath to do for decades.
Leave a comment	capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, government, policy, politics, spaceflight, Vega
Europe picks landing site for its ExoMars 2020 rover
November 9, 2018 at 4:32 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen the landing site for its ExoMars 2020 rover, a generally flat area with scattered craters dubbed Oxia Palum.
After over 4 years of careful study of HiRISE and more recently CaSSIS images Oxia Planum was chosen because scientists were convinced that its fine grained sediments, deposited during the ancient Noachian epoch were ideally suited for the Exobiology rover. With an enormous catchment area the sediments will have captured organics from a wide variety of environments over a long period of time, including areas where life may have existed. The fine sediments should also be ideal for the ExoMars drill – it aims to get to 2 metres depth.
Remote identification with the Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Infrared spectrometers shows the presence of clays and other minerals giving clues to its aqueous history. A large group of scientists have been working on proposing, characterising and down selecting the sites, all of which had fascinating aspects, but Oxia Planum is the clear winner on both science and engineering constraints.
Based on my analysis of the last two candidate sites, I would guess that they also picked Oxia Planum because it is less spectacular, flatter, and thus poses less risk. It also means the images from there will be a bit more boring for the ordinary person.
2 comments	engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, ExoMars 2020, Mars, Oxia Planum, science, spaceflight
ArianeGroup successfully tests solid rocket booster
July 16, 2018 at 10:11 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
Capitalism in space: ArianeGroup today successfully tested the solid rocket booster that it will use on both its Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets in the 2020s.
The test success is good news for ArianeGroup, but this quote is actually more significant:
A compromise reached in May by European Space Agency members funding launch vehicle development will keep production of the P120C in Italy, allowing Avio to produce up to 35 boosters annually. A previous arrangement would have split production between Colleferro, Italy-based Avio and MT Aerospace of Augsburg, Germany.
The economies of scale provided by using the same booster for two rockets and concentrating production in one place are a key aspect of reducing the price for Ariane 6 missions by 40 to 50 percent compared to the Ariane 5 in use today.
Faced with stiff competition from SpaceX, the European Space Agency (ESA) gave ArianeGroup the power to structure operations more efficiently rather than cater to the pork desires of the agency's many member nations.
Whether either Ariane 6 or Vega-C can compete with SpaceX's reusuable rockets however remains doubtful. I expect that almost all of ArianeGroup's customers in the next decade will be ESA member nations, required to buy its more expensive services.
5 comments	Ariane 6, ArianeGroup, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, government, Italy, policy, politics, spaceflight, Vega-C
European satellite designed to test space junk removal released from ISS
June 21, 2018 at 9:40 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
Europe's RemoveDEBRIS satellite was released from ISS yesterday in preparation for its testing a variety of technologies for removing and deorbiting space junk.
The article at the link does a terrible job trying to describe this mission. Better to return to a news story from 2016, when Europe first announced this project. The video from that story, embedded below the fold, does an excellent job detailing the four experiments, which are mostly aimed at testing technologies that could be added to satellites that would make either their capture or deorbit easier.
Maybe the most interesting aspect of this mission however is how it got into space. It was launched as part of a SpaceX Dragon cargo mission. It was deployed by NanoRacks, using its privately developed deployment system attached to Japan's Kibo module.
Launch from ISS means that the satellite's deployment and orbit were far more controllable than if it had been launched directly into space as a secondary payload during a rocket launch. NanoRacks is selling this approach commercially, and this satellite is the largest deployed by them to date.
4 comments	capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, European Space Agency, government, NanoRacks, politics, RemoveDebris, science, spaceflight
Europe suddenly realizes that reusable rockets are possible and economical
February 13, 2018 at 8:53 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) has admitted in his blog that the agency's future rockets, Ariane 6 and Vega C, are not going to be competitive because they will not be reusable.
The promise to secure autonomous access to space and reduce the price by a factor of 2 proved sufficiently compelling to secure ESA member states' agreement to finance the development. At that time, I succeeded in placing environmental concerns and the possible development of reusability among the high-level requirements:
Maintain and ensure European launcher competence with a long-term perspective, including possibility of reusability/fly-back.
Ensure possibility to deorbit upper stage directly
Due to time and cost pressure, however, these aspects did not make it onto the agenda for Ariane 6 and Vega C. Yet in the meantime, the world has moved on and today's situation requires that we re-assess the situation and identify the possible consequences. In many discussions on the political level, the strategic goal of securing European autonomous access to space has not changed, however there is a growing sense that pressure from global competition is something that needs to be addressed. With Vega C, Ariane 62 and Ariane 64 approaching completion, it seems logical to complete these launchers in order to at least take that major step towards competitiveness. At the same time, it is essential that we now discuss future solutions, including disruptive ideas. Simply following the kind of approaches seen so far would be expensive and ultimately will fail to convince. Totally new ideas are needed and Europe must now prove it still possesses that traditional strength to surpass itself and break out beyond existing borders. In this sense, the process of discussing and deciding on a launcher system that eschews traditional solutions can send a powerful signal out into other areas as well. I therefore intend to invite innovative, really interested European players to come together to define possible ways forward. [emphasis mine]
Let me translate his bureaucratic wording: "We didn't think reuseable rockets were practical, economical, or even possible. We took a safe route in designing Ariane 6 and Vega C. We screwed up, and now face a competitive market in which our rockets cannot compete. Thus, we need to move fast to copy the private sector, SpaceX and Blue Origin in particular, or face serious financial consequences.
Unless he forces some major cultural changes in ESA, however, I expect that by the time this government-run operation manages to duplicate the achievements of those two private companies, those companies will have marched on to even more innovative successes.
9 comments	Ariane 6, capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, freedom, government, policy, politics, spaceflight, SpaceX, Vega-C
European push for more space regulations under international law
In the European space community and governmental circles, there appears to be a new push to revise the Outer Space Treaty, focused specifically on increasing the treaty's regulatory power in the area of large satellite constellations and space junk.
This week [the city of] Darmstadt hosts a closed-door, governmental meeting of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). Whether it was planned or not, the IADC is set to discuss a much-needed renewal of international space law, which is, experts admit, rather vague. But how far they will go is anyone's guess.
…There is a palpable sense that the space community needs enforceable international laws and regulations, rather than – or merely to bolster – its current inter-agency agreements. They've served us so far, but few countries have actually signed up to them. That leaves a lot of wriggle-room, especially as space becomes increasingly commercialized.
Most of our space activities are governed by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. It's a short document that primarily seeks to ensure space operations are "peaceful" and for the good of all humanity. It is complemented by other agreements, including a set of documents on mitigating space debris. "We have a good, coherent set of justified rules and we don't intend to alter them drastically," said Christophe Bonnal of the French Space Agency, CNES, and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in closing remarks last week. "But we will improve them at the IADC meeting to include mega-constellations."
It appears to me that this is a push-back against Luxembourg's recent announcement that it is going to request a renegotiation of the Outer Space Treaty to allow for property rights in space. What this article is advocating instead is that the treaty increase its control and regulatory power over private satellite constellations, which at present are not covered by the treaty.
4 comments	capitalism, commercial, competition, ESA, European Space Agency, freedom, government, oppression, Outer Space Treaty, policy, politics, regulation
ESA contract for hypersonic engine research
July 13, 2016 at 8:52 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The competition heats up: The European Space Agency has signed a research contract for 10 million euros with Reaction Engines to build a ground-based prototype of its hypersonic rocket engine.
While ground testing is always necessary, I am not sure what they gain by building a solely ground-based prototype. Hypersonic engines use the oxygen in the atmosphere, much like jet engines. Their operation however is dependent on altitude as well as the speed in which they are traveling, neither of which is easily tested on the ground.
This project is also one part of the United Kingdom's new space agency program.
One comment	commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, hypersonic engine, Reaction Engines, SABRE, spaceflight, United Kingdom
Europe aims for the Moon
March 25, 2016 at 9:49 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The new colonial movement: The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a video interview this week that building a lunar base is their next major goal.
The head of the multinational agency, Johann-Dietrich Woerner, said the village would "serve science, business, tourism and even mining purposes." In a video interview posted on the agency's website, Woerner said a permanent lunar base is the next logical step in space exploration. He said the village could replace the International Space Station in the future. The ISS has been continuously occupied since 2000. It was originally set to be decommissioned by 2020, but its operation has been extended through 2024. The agency said it could take 20 years before the technology is ready to make the Moon village happen.
My next words might sound familiar (see the post below), but few technical details were provided in the video. Instead it appears from the article and the actual interview that the focus here is to establish a bureaucracy, not design rockets or spaceships. I suspect Woerner is looking for projects that can justify the existence of ESA and its bureaucracy, not actually build anything. That he thinks it will take 20 years to make it happen, based on our technology today, is strong evidence of this, since the pace of innovation in the past decade suggests instead that such a Moon colony could happen far quicker, once private space starts making real money in orbit.
Leave a comment	capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, government, policy, politics, spaceflight
Europe might end its ISS partnership in 2020
January 6, 2016 at 9:26 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
Despite agreements by Russia, Canada, and Japan to extend their ISS partnership with the U.S. through 2024, both France and Germany of the European Space Agency (ESA) are having second thoughts and might pull out in 2020 instead.
In separate statements Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, the heads of the French and German space agencies said a detailed study is under way to assess the future operating cost of the station, and whether the cost can be justified given the pressure on near-term budgets.
Pascale Ehrenfreund, chairman of the board of the German Aerospace Center, DLR, which is Germany's space agency, said DLR would make no promises until after a full review of ISS's value. "In view of the high cost involved and the resulting implications on budgets of [European Space Agency] member states, we have to evaluate very carefully costs and benefits of a continued participation in the ISS," Ehrenfreund said in a Jan. 5 statement in response to SpaceNews inquiries. "It's only based on this evaluation that we will be able to take a definite position."
Germany has been Europe's ISS champion — its biggest paymaster and most vocal booster — for more than 20 years and at times has had to strong-arm France into boosting its support under threat of reduced German backing of Europe's Ariane rocket program, a French priority.
Eventually, all the partners running ISS with the U.S. are going to come to this decision, which means the U.S. government should begin thinking about what it does at that time. I say, when that time comes the government will privatize the station, giving it to the private companies best able to make a profit from it. And by 2024 the U.S. is likely to have a number of companies quite capable of doing so, from SpaceX to Blue Origin to Bigelow.
There also will be no reason to destroy the station at that time. Being modular, much of it is relatively new, and what is old could be replaced with relatively simplicity. This is a national asset that should not be abandoned nonchalantly.
5 comments	capitalism, commercial, competition, ESA, European Space Agency, freedom, government, ISS, policy, politics, spaceflight
A streamlined Arianespace to build Ariane 6?
July 1, 2014 at 9:40 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The competition heats up: The merged Airbus/Safran rocket division has surprised the European Space Agency with a proposed new design for Ariane 6.
The Airbus-Safran proposal, if carried to its logical end, would mean a single company building Ariane vehicles, with fewer subcontractors and much less government oversight. It would likely mean the end of the CNES launcher division as industry takes more control of Ariane design and operations.
In other words, the contractors who build the rockets for ESA want more power over that construction. They want less government oversight, and more ownership of the rocket they build.
Sounds like what's happening in the U.S., doesn't it? Giving ownership to the rocket builders means they not only have more flexibility and thus can be more efficient, it makes it easier for them to innovate in both construction and sales.
9 comments	Airbus, Ariane 6, Arianespace, capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, Europe, European Space Agency, Safran, spaceflight
Arianespace, under severe competitive price pressure from SpaceX, begs for more subsidies from ESA.
February 11, 2014 at 9:21 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The competition heats up? Arianespace, under severe competitive price pressure from SpaceX, begs for more subsidies from ESA.
In comments responding to a Feb. 11 audit of the French Accounting Court, Cour des Comptes, Israel said that since 2005 Arianespace has improved its competitiveness to the extent that some €200 million ($273 million) in annual subsidies from the 20-nation European Space Agency (ESA) have been halved. In addition, the reliability of the Ariane 5, which has seen 58 consecutive successes since 2002, has allowed the company to increase launch prices. The company also has reduced costs with a recent bulk buy of 18 Ariane 5 rockets that saved Arianespace 5%.
Nevertheless, Israel said the arrival of the medium-lift Falcon 9 as a competitor at the low end of the commercial communications satellite market, with prices substantially lower than what Arianespace charges for Ariane 5, means the company may be forced to ask ESA governments to increase price supports beyond the current €100 million per year. [emphasis mine]
In other words, this government-funded boondoggle doesn't know how to compete effectively on the open market, and wants an additional government bailout to keep its head above water.
Note also the text in bold. Several commenters on this website have repeatedly insisted that SpaceX's Falcon 9 was not the bargain claimed, despite numerous examples in the past three years of their competition saying they were that inexpensive. This statement by Arianespace's CEO reaffirms the fact that SpaceX is cheaper, and is forcing major changes to the launch industry.
In related news, French government auditors have found much wrong with Arianespace's current long term commercial strategy.
One comment	Ariane 5, Arianespace, capitalism, commercial, competition, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, spaceflight
Want to know why Arianespace has never made a profit? Read this story.
February 8, 2014 at 10:35 am Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The story itself is not about Arianespace, but about the agencies that run it.
20 comments	bureaucracy, competition, ESA, EU, European Space Agency, European Union, government, politics, regulation
The preliminary design for Europe's service module, to be used with the Orion spacecraft, has come in about a half ton too heavy.
June 17, 2013 at 9:59 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
4 comments	engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, Orion, service module, spaceflight
The European cargo ship docked at ISS today successfully fired its engines to raise the station's orbit.
August 22, 2012 at 9:17 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The European cargo ship docked at ISS today successfully fired its engines and raised the station's orbit to 260 miles.
This is in contrast to a previous attempt on August 15, which cut off prematurely.
3 comments	ATV, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, ISS, spaceflight
Poland has been accepted as a member of the European Space Agency.
July 13, 2012 at 1:23 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The new colonial movement: Poland today was accepted as a member of the European Space Agency.
Leave a comment	competition, ESA, European Space Agency, new colonial movement, Poland, politics, spaceflight
The billion pixel camera of Gaia
July 7, 2011 at 2:44 pm Robert Zimmerman	Points of Information
The billion pixel camera of Gaia.
Leave a comment	astronomy, engineering, ESA, European Space Agency, Gaia, science
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Radio: every Tuesday, and Thursday on the John Batchelor Show, syndicated nationally. Appearance times and days may vary, depending on events.
Radio: regular appearances on Coast to Coast with George Noory, acting as the show's science advisor.
Radio: June 4, 2019, the John Batchelor Show, syndicated nationally. Also available here and here.
Radio: June 10, 2019, the John Batchelor Show, syndicated nationally. Also available here.
Radio: June 11, 2019, 6:05-6:50 pm (Central), Pratt on Texas with Robert Pratt, aired on 790-AM KFYO in Lubbock, 1470-AM KYYW in Abilene, and 1290-AM KWFS in Wichita Falls.
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Lecture: July 25, 2019, 6 pm (Eastern). To be given at the National Geographic Theater, located at
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Lecture: August 6, 2019 evening. To be given as part of annual AIAA Young Professionals Networking/Movie Night event held at the Alamo Drafthouse theater in Littleton, Colorado. Subject: Unknown Stories from Space: Astronaut adventures that did not reach the press
Radio: September 24,2019, 7:00-9:00 pm (Pacific), The Space Show with David Livingston..
Lecture: September 26, 2019, noon (Eastern), for the AIAA Northwest Florida Section at Elgin Air Force Base, Florida. Subject: How Apollo 8 won the 1960s space race and changed the world.
Lecture: September 26, 2019, late afternoon (Eastern). for local middle school children for the AIAA Northwest Florida Section at Elgin Air Force Base, Florida. Subject: Unknown Stories from Space: Astronaut adventures that did not reach the press.
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text:
Court remands former sales representative of SIC over theft
A former sales representative of SIC, who allegedly stole GH¢129,263.00 of Sakyi Naomi and State Insurance Company Limited (SIC), Sika Plan Unit, has been remanded in Police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
Richard Kwame Appiah, charged on two counts of stealing, pleaded not guilty.
The Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah remanded the accused person to reappear on January 19, 2023.
The facts as presented by Police Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim were that the complainants, Madam Naomi Sakyi, and and Mr Asampong Robert were a trader and Manager of SIC Sika Plan Unit, Makola Branch, Accra, respectively.
The prosecution said the complainants as well as the accused person were all residents of Dansoman, Cantonment and McCarty Hills respectively.
It said the accused person, who went round on daily basis to collect contributions from his client within the province of Accra Central Business District, allegedly collected contribution from Sakyi for Sika Plan policy, and that upon the maturity of the said policy, all the monies accrued would be given to her.
The prosecution said the accused person, who allegedly intended to steal, succeeded in convincing the complainant to contribute up to GH¢146,000.00 but made a down cheque of GH¢52,637.00 to the complainant and failed to account for the rest.
It said Sakyi went to the outfit of the accused person to find out the anomalies but the accused was not met and was told by Asampong who was the Manager of the Company that the accused person had deserted his post since October 4, 2021, and all efforts made to locate him proved ineffective with all his contacts unreachable.
The prosecution said a report was made to the Police on October 15, 2021, and November 9, 2021, by Sakyi and Asampong respectively.
It said further checks by Asampong and the Operations Manager who was also a witness in the case revealed that the accused person to a greater Extent had declined to pay GH¢35,900.00 he took from his client into the bank's coffers.
The prosecution said the accused person was arrested on February 7, 2022, and he admitted the offence in his caution statement.
Sugarcane out-growers plead with 'akpeteshie' distillers to buy produce
PAC urges Auditor-General to furnish it with infractions of separate ministries


In 2011, HP finally shuttered the Palm brand in favor of the HP brand. It marked the end of an era where Palm, Blackberry, and Nokia regularly battled it out for the smartphone/PDA crown. A few months ago, details leaked of an upcoming Palm-branded smartphone that was exclusive to Verizon. Those leaks have officially been confirmed with the announcement of a device simply known as 'Palm'.
This Palm is a 3.3-inch device that is less standalone phone, more companion gadget to your existing smartphone. Instead of having its own phone number, the Palm phone co-opts your existing Verizon phone number so you can technically use it away from your main phone if you need to. It's part of an ongoing trend to use your main smartphone less and use a lighter phone for short trips or times when you don't want the distraction of your primary smartphone. The Light Phone 2 announced back in March also aimed to free users from their smartphone addiction.
On the outside, it has a tiny 3.3-inch LCD screen with a 445-ppi pixel density. It has a single multi-purpose button on the side that has different functions depending on how many times or how long you press the button. It has a 12-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter...if you care about taking pictures on a device this small.
Inside, the Palm phone is powered by a Snapdragon 435 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Despite the specs, the device seems decently quick based on a hands-on video from The Verge. The UI is a simplified hexagonal grid of icons and a search bar up top. There's a virtual button at the bottom that serves as the home and multi-tasking button. Since your phone number is linked to both your primary device and the Palm phone, your text messages will automatically sync between both granted you use the Verizon Messages app on both phones. Obviously, iMessages will not sync with it...sorry iPhone users.
Being that this is a companion phone that is meant to get rid of extraneous distractions, there is something called Life Mode. When Life Mode is turned on, not only do notifications get silenced, but all of the wireless radios are also turned off as well. The phone is also put into Low Battery mode to conserve power (it only has a 800 mAh battery after all). The theory is that you can actually experience "life" when everything is basically turned off.
If you're interested, the Palm phone is scheduled to release in November and will cost $349.99. However, you can't actually buy it on its own. It's available only as an add-on to your existing Verizon line. Some would argue that an LTE-enabled smartwatch could function the same way as the Palm phone but perhaps this could be a viable alternative for those who don't want something on their wrist (or who like traditional mechanical watches).
Truly speechless... life mode? is this even waterproof? 350 bucks? no sim card slot?
I could not imagine what goes on in the meeting room, that they decided to create this unorthodox device.
.... also, "I got so much spare muney that my phone have a phone"
So is this like taking Methadone to cure your Heroin addiction?
Its a shame that no one wants to make reasonably small smartphones anymore, without being stupidly small or handicapped out of the box, of which this is both.
I am clearly in the wrong profession.
In the words of Tom Hanks (in "Big")... I don't get it.
I think there is a market for smaller phones, but if you're part of the 0.1% that needs 2 different size phones couldn't you just move your SIM card to your "weekender" phone?
Also, wouldn't a flip phone be sufficient for that purpose?
Lastly, as a previous owner/lover of the Palm IIIx, it needs a stylus to be worthy of the Palm name.
In 2011, HP finally shuttered the Palm brand in favor of the HP brand.
Made me laugh - I remember that fiasco, everyone was trying to jump on the smartphone market after first Iphone, then Android based devices shown that there is a huge potential. HP in particular paid a fortune or so to acquire Palm ... then another fortune to develop a product ... then they had to sack it off - all these in one year.
And for all Apple hatters - do you remember using a Windows Mobile device back then ... we would be stuck with that crap now if Apple wouldn't have stepped in with the Iphone and change the game.
I am not sure it can be better than Apple.


Today is a rainy day in Burbank and I am reminded of paintings I've made the past few years that were inspired by the rain. Click on the images to make them larger.
Tomorrow is supposed to be my first day to participate in the outdoor Artist Village at the NoHo Farmers Market. Since I am canopy-less, I'm hoping for a rain free day. Today, I'm continuing to prepare as if it will be beautiful, bearing in mind the potential for drizzle and the capacity for a quick getaway in case of downpour!


Book your airport transfer on Budapest.com! Check out our airport transfer service and order it online! Comfort, quality, reasonable prices!
Things to know about public transport system of Budapest, taxi companies, tariffs and how to get around by car.
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text:
Васенберг () е град в окръг Хайнсберг, административен регион Кьолн в Северен Рейн-Вестфалия, в Германия, на границата с Нидерландия.

Градът има площ от 42,41 км² и 17 101 жители (към 31 декември 2012). Намира се в долината на река Рур, на 6 км североизточно от град Хайнсберг, на около 15 км от Рурмонд и на 25 км от Мьонхенгладбах.

История

През 1273 г. Васенберг получава права на град.

През 1020 г. император Хайнрих II подарява замъкът и земята Васенберг на Герхард Фламенс фон Антойнг (~985 – 1035), който започва да се нарича Герхард граф фон Васенберг, и така основава графския род Васенберги, който след четири генерации на замък Васенберг, основава графство Гелдерн, от което произлизат херцогствата Юлих, Клеве и Берг.

Граф Герхард III (1060 – 1129) от фамилията Фламенсес е през 1085 г. граф на Васенберг и от 1096 г. първият граф на Гелдерн. Герхард III, след участие в кръстоносни походи подарява църквата Св. Георг във Васенберг. Неговата дъщеря Юта (* 1090, † 1151) се омъжва (1131) за Валрам III († 1139), граф и херцог на Лимбург, и занася Васенберг в Лимбург.

През 1206 г., по време на борбата за трона, в императорската битка при Васенберг при река Рур, войската на крал Ото IV от Велфите е победена от Филип Швабски от Хоенщауфените. Войската на Филип Швабски ограбва и унищожава Васенберг. През 1254 г. Васенберг попада обратно към Лимбург. През 1288 г. Васенбергите се бият на страната архиепископа на Кьолн Бруно фон Сайн и загубват в битката при Воринген.

Около 1530 г. Васенберг е обежище на Васенбергските предиканти.

През 2006 г. по случай 800-годишнина на град Васенберг е премиерата на мюзикъла "1206 – Die Kaiserschlacht von Wassenberg" от Михаел Беднарек (текст) и Торбен Беербоом (музика).

Източници
 Bernd Ulrich Hucker: Kaiser Otto IV. Hannover 1990. S. 80.
 Paul Clemen (Hrsgb.), Karl Franck-Oberaspach, Edmund Renard (Bearbeiter): Die Kunstdenkmäler der Rheinprovinz. 8. Band, III: Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Heinsberg. L. Schwann, Düsseldorf 1906, S. 126 ff.
 Heribert Heinrichs: Wassenberg. Geschichte eines Lebensraumes. Mönchengladbach 1987
 Heribert Heinrichs: Betty Reis. Leben und Leiden eines jüdischen Mädchens aus Wassenberg. Geilenkirchen 1993

Външни препратки

 Homepage der Stadt Wassenberg
 Denkmale in der Stadt Wassenberg
 www.wassenberg.de

Градове в Северен Рейн-Вестфалия

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Our Ninth National Forum was held on the March 3rd 2017 at Baskerville Hall in Powys again.
This was a fantastic day and a celebration event for Travelling Ahead with all the young people who have been involved over the last four years and their achievements. Our Youth Advisory Group helped us plan it as always and we were joined by young people from all over south, west and mid Wales as well as staff who supported them.
Julie Morgan AM was with us for the day and we had workshops from Travellers Times, Sherrie Flowers, Yoozer Crafts with Love , Sybil Lee and the PEER Project Community Researchers; stalls from the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Romani Cultural and Arts Company and Swansea's Children's Rights Observatory as well as Save the Children Wales' team. Drop in activities were provided by Lauren at BME Sport Newport (thank you SEWREC), Nathan Probert Boxing Gym and by Jess at Yoozer.


There is a simple process you can use to avoid being a victim of consumer fraud. If you implement this process before making any purchasing decision, you can avoid a loss of time or money and huge headaches in the process.
As silly as it may sound, people tend to make purchases without really knowing what they're buying. And people who engage in frauds and scams KNOW THIS. They bank on people not paying much attention to what they're doing. It's much easier than it sounds to get pulled into an emotional or impulse purchase situation without fully understanding the offer.
Moreover, with the advent of online shopping, it's difficult to know if you will actually receive anything once you make the purchase. It's super easy to create fictitious purchasing sites with falsified reviews. Whenever possible, make sure you only purchase from legitimate, verified sites.
What is the offer? What exactly are you buying? What are the promised deliverables? Do you really need what's being offered?
These are all valuable questions to ask prior to making the decision to purchase. The quickest way to become a victim of consumer fraud is to not be clear prior to making a purchase. The people who operate frauds and scams count on you not being informed or not pausing to make sure you have all the information you need before making a decision. A lot of consumer fraud ploys actually incorporate a time sensitivity to try to force you into rushed decision-making.
Just because you ask the questions and get the answers, that's not always enough. People who perpetuate frauds and scams are really good at talking people into things and making them sound legitimate. After you get the information, make sure you verify it.
If it's an online site, run the company name through google and make sure it doesn't have any obvious red flags. If it's an individual person offering something, get contact information for references and CALL THEM. There's always a way to verify legitimate information.
If the information can't be verified, ask yourself if the opportunity is worth the risk. Most frauds and scams can be avoided by simply choosing not to invest time or money until you have enough information to make an informed decision.
Before you make any purchasing decision use this simple process of: Think, Ask, Verify. It can be implemented easily and quickly in any situation. If you do, you'll be able to avoid becoming a victim to frauds and scams.


An excellent quality double action, suction and gravity feed airbrush which can be used for a variety of applications.
This Airbrush will allow you to create innovative art work on paper, wood, plastic, metal and many other surfaces with a variety of paint mediums. Typical fine line widths of 1mm to a broad line of 50mm can be achieved with this Sparmax DH125 Airbrush which makes it an ideal companion for any airbrush artist.


A short update on yet another titanic equity investment within China's P2P space.
Consumer lending platform Wanglibao has raised $40m in a series B fundraise. The funds were contributed by Shenzhen-listed Hongli Opto-Electronic Co., Ltd. Wanglibao only launched in August of 2014, but had already raised a significant $10m in a pre-launch Series A round led by IDG Capital Partners in February of that same year. From the available stats, we may discern that Wanglibao has over 250,000 registered investors to date.
This is not the first time that we've seen a Chinese P2P platform build up tremendous amounts of lending volume, and indeed venture capital investment, within only a year or two of launching. Last month Lufax raised $485m in a round that valued the company at a little less than $10 billion. The platform launched in 2012. Only a few days after the Lufax news broke, Jimubox (which launched in mid 2013) closed a Series C round worth $84m.
This tide of VC interest is being driven primarily by the colossal transactional flows that are washing through the Chinese P2P space. An article in ShanghaiDaily.com suggested that the sector matched 55.1 billion yuan ($8.9bn) in April, a growth multiple of 2.7 from the previous year.
But the risks persist. Online Lending House estimates that there were 52 fraudulent platforms in operation in April, down from 56 in March. Fortunately, a set of dedicated P2P regulations are inbound – and will reportedly arrive within the month.


My column in August explained how you could use an old 486 machine as a gateway between your LAN and the Internet. This month, I am going to explore how to add DHCP and 100BaseT network cards to that gateway.
But first we need to understand a little bit more about the way that Linux interfaces to your hardware.
Each Linux distribution includes dozens of software modules that support the most common pieces of PC hardware. They are supplied in C source code and are typically compiled into a kernel when it is "built." But the Linux Router Project (LRP) software diskette does not come with a C compiler, or with a complete set of Linux kernel source code.
Luckily, Linux lets you link separately compiled modules into a pre-compiled kernel using the boot-time program "insmod," and this gives LRP the flexibility we need.
The script that calls insmod is "/etc/init.d/modutils" and the list of modules to be loaded is found in the file "/etc/modules."
All the modules associated with the LRP kernel are contained within a "tarball," an archive created with the Unix utility TAR that has been compressed to a .gz format to save download time. The tarball for the kernel I used on my LRP gateway disk is at ftp://ftp.linuxrouter.org/linux-router/dists/2.9.4/kernel/2.0.36pre15-1.tar.gz.
Download it (about 1.5 Mbytes) and use WinZip 7, tar, or any other utility that can handle the .gz format) to unpack it. You can see that it contains 100 module files (each ending in a ".o", and a copy of the kernel. These module files can not only be used to add hardware, but can provide MS-DOS extended FAT compatibility ("vfat.o") and a number of other useful enhancements.
Some modules will not function unless other modules are already in place. We say that "module B is dependent on module A" if module A has to be loaded first. There is a list of dependencies in "modules.dep," and you need to read this file. The disk that I originally distributed, for example, uses the NE2000 NIC interface modules "ne.o" and "ne2k-pci.o", and both require that module "8390.o" has been loaded before them.
But which module does which job? The tarball contains 100 modules, all with cryptic names. How can you find out which one you need?
A good starting point is to check out the Linux Hardware Compatibility how-to. But this document does not contain a direct cross-reference between the module names and their function, and you will often be forced to use a search engine to find out which module matches your requirements. Of course, if you are seriously working with the LRP Linux, you should download a complete set of kernel source and compilation files, since the headers of a module's source code invariably give you a full explanation of what that module does.
There is little dispute that the Digital Equipment 21140 chip used on many 100BaseT cards is among the best of the 100BaseT performers. The driver for this chip is called "tulip.o," and version 0.89 is found in the tarball.
Recently, a number of lower-priced 100BaseT chips have become commonplace. I have found that the Macronix MX98715 also works well with this same tulip driver, although v0.89 has had some Macronix bugs reported, particularly when using multiple Macronix PCI cards in the same chassis.
I also bought a cheap Pentium motherboard that had a built-in 100BaseT interface using the Davicom 9102 chip. Miraculously, there was a Linux driver module on the board's CD-ROM, and that module worked fine when I used it with my LRP configuration. My suspicion, however, is that I was lucky, and I recommend you not to be too adventurous when selecting NICs for your LRP gateway.
Execute lrcfg to start up the menu system again and use the "b) Back-up ramdisk" command to backup "5) modules." This builds a new "modules.lrp" file on your floppy following the instructions in "/var/lib/lrpkg/modules."
Reboot the system with your 100BaseT card installed and everything should now work just fine.
DHCP is a network protocol that lets a workstation on a LAN request an IP address upon bootup, and it relieves the system administrator from the task of tracking and administering indvidual fixed IPs for each computer on the network. In many cases, it also lets more than 253 computers be connected to each LAN, as many of them -- the laptops, for example -- will probably not all be connected at the same time.
Microsoft Windows enables DHCP arbitration of an IP address as well as designation of a fixed IP address.
The LRP configurator accepts add-on packages (".lrp" files) that are automatically added to the menu system. I have selected a DHCP package that is only about 35K in size. It does not contain the client DHCP code, but only the server code needed for the Windows workstations on your LAN to connect to the LRP gateway. The client DHCP arbitration needed for PPP access to your ISP is already included in your "dialout.lpr" package.
Download the dhcpd.lrp package and copy it onto your LRP boot diskette.
All that is needed is to make any changes needed in your DHCP control modules. Reboot, execute "lrcfg," and select "4) dhcpd." Then change the default values of the network parameters to match your particular configuration.
I have put a complete image of the boot disk containing the tulip driver and the DHCP package onto my website to help anybody that is having trouble figuring out how it all fits together.


Snow, a graphic novel by Toronto artist Benjamin Rivers, will be the next homegrown comic to get a live action treatment. Last night at the Bit Bazaar opening party at Bento Miso, local film maker Ryan Couldrey announced that he's already started work on the feature film, which will be released in 2014. The film, set mostly in Queen West, follows lead character Dana, a "woman who likes her job, her friends, and the cozy comfort of her neighbourhood" but "doesn't deal well with confrontation" - sound like anyone you know? The film, like the comic, will be highly invested in the emotional impact of changing landscape of the Queen West strip.
As a former QW resident myself - rising rents flushed me out years back - I'm hoping this project can do justice to the frustrations I know I share with a lot of other neighbourhood ex-pats. The film will go live in fall 2014 and stream in full for free - yes, for free - but if you want to download it or buy the blue-ray, all the money goes to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. This is especially sweet since Couldrey is creating this film independently - no investors, no kickstarters, no grants - oh, and best of all, "no romantic sub plots." You can follow the creation of the film on Facebook, Twitter (#SnowFilm), and Couldrey's website SnowToronto.com.
No trailer exists yet, but you can get up close and personal with comic author Benjamin Rivers below.
Snow the Film is slated for release in fall 2014. You can buy the comic digitally or in print here.


Composting at Good Shepherd is Here.....and it's Simple!
Any and all food scraps can now be composted. Place them in the small bin located in the kitchen marked "compost," or place a compostable bag in a large pot to collect food scraps from community meals. When the bag is full, place it in the large, gray trash can outside in the alley marked "compost." Replace the bag in the small container. Bags for composting are out in the kitchen near the sinks.
Good Shepherd, its members and friends have suffered many deaths recently. We have experienced losses of other kinds as well: losing parents to dementia, losing our own health, jobs, or confidence.
On Sunday March 22, we come together as a community during worship to support one another as we mourn our losses and look forward to hope and light. We will share a meal together after the second service, at approximately 11:30 am.
Please join us. We encourage you to invite others who are mourning their own losses so we can uphold one another.


text:
Only in trust do we pay
Jakarta / Fri, November 22, 2019 / 08:46 am
Taxpayers consult with tax office staff as they apply for the tax amnesty at East Java Tax Office II in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Aug. 8, 2016. (Antara Photo/Umarul Faruq)
The low level of public trust in the transparency and accountability of the government's taxation system, as revealed by Tempo Media Group and CITA tax consulting company through a recent survey, only confirms the vital importance of good governance in enhancing voluntary tax compliance (VTC) or tax culture.
Similar surveys in many other countries have also discovered that public trust in their government is most important in tax compliance, which in turn determines the taxpayer base and consequently the tax to gross domestic product ratio.
VTC is the key to increasing the taxpayer base because the tax authority would never have enough auditors to examine or audit the many taxpayers. It would be grossly inefficient to audit even a mere 5 percent of the total number of taxpayers, given the large number of individual and institutional or corporate taxpayers.
In the United States, for example, average tax audit covers only 0.6 percent of the total taxpayers but the VTC rate is quite high at 88 percent, according to the latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) survey. The efficiency, integrity and competence of the IRS in enforcing tax laws make cheating extremely hard, but public trust in the public sector's governance also plays a crucial role.
Certainly the situation in Indonesia is strikingly different because the government is perceived to be utterly corrupt and the integrity and technical competence of the tax authority are quite inadequate. The cascading impact of both factors has made the rate of VTC extremely low.
Consequently, the tax ratio has remained under 11 percent, demonstrating that tax evasion is quite extensive. Even the World Bank estimates that Indonesia collects only 50 percent of its tax potential.
Even though the top tax rate for individual taxpayers is 30 percent — lower than in many other ASEAN countries — the contribution of nonemployee individual taxpayers (such as entrepreneurs and professionals ) to total 2018 tax revenue was only 0.7 percent of total tax revenues, compared to 10.7 percent from employee taxpayers (withheld by employers).
Only 65.4 percent of the 16.3 million registered individual taxpayers filed 2017 income tax returns by the March 31, 2018 deadline, reflecting a persistently low VTC. Yet more disappointing is that only 992,000 of the 10.6 million who filed tax returns were self-employed professionals such as doctors, consultants, lawyers and businesspeople, while the other 9.6 million were paid employees whose income taxes were withheld by their employers.
This means that only about 40 percent of registered self-employed individual taxpayers filed tax returns for 2017. The low individual income tax return filings also reflect a low tax culture, low VTC and even suspected widespread tax evasion, notably among highly paid professionals and high net-worth individuals (wealthy people).
Hence, the VTC rate must be increased by improving the quality of public sector governance along with the integrity and technical competence of the tax authority to enforce tax laws.


text:
John Gilligan
Arrogant thug John Gilligan still believes his own hype says ex-cop
Brian Sherry, who was involved in Veronica Guerin's murder probe before becoming a detective inspector, says we just have to look at the thug's actions in Spain to see how arrogant he is
John Hand
Pint-sized thug John Gilligan held a twisted celebration with pals
John Gilligan still believes his own hype today as much as he did when starting out on his criminal career, an ex-cop believes.
Brian Sherry, who was involved in Veronica Guerin's murder probe before becoming a detective inspector, says we just have to look at the thug's actions in Spain to see how arrogant he is.
The pint-sized thug is on bail facing serious charges after he was allegedly caught with drugs and a firearm buried at his villa last year.
Police believe he was running a drug smuggling operation.
And just last weekend ahead of the 25th anniversary of heroic Sunday Independent journalist Guerin's murder on Saturday, Gilligan held a twisted celebration with pals in Alicante.
But ex-senior garda Mr Sherry explained his biggest downfall was always the fact that he thinks he's going to get away with his crimes. He told the Irish Mirror: "His biggest problem was that he was so arrogant and believed he was untouchable because he had made so much money.
"And he thought he was going to be in the gentry.
Fearless crime reporter Veronica Guerin shot dead in car 25 years ago today
Open prison bed is being kept for Veronica Guerin's killer in Co Wicklow
"He's still as arrogant as you get. Sure look at him – he's 69 and he's still at it over in Spain.
"He's not the brains of Ireland by any stretch of the imagination."
Mr Sherry told how Gilligan had got so carried away with himself when his gang was making millions importing drugs, he was threatening local farmers to get their land and build his Jessbrook centre up in Kildare.
He said: "He built up this massive equestrian centre in Jessbrook. He had threatened local farmers and bought land off them, and he was getting away with it. And that was the reality of it."
Veronica Guerin
Mr Sherry had experience of Gilligan from the early 70s when he stopped him in his car in Dublin and discovered a haul of expensive cigarette lighters.
He recalled: "He had a big box of chocolate sweets up on the back window.
"And I got in and had a look at them and they weren't sweets unfortunately for him.
"They were expensive cigarette lighters. They were after doing the cigarette lighter factory in the Glasnevin industrial estate and he was going off unloading some of them.
Gangster John Gilligan confronted in southern Spain in memory of Veronica Guerin
John Gilligan enjoys drinks in Spain ahead of Veronica Guerin anniversary as pals chant 'he didn't do it'
"We went down and hit his place off the north strand at the time.
"Outside there was a bin bag in the bin and there was another couple of hundred in them. He got 18 months for that.
"He was arrogant then and always has been. But when he got more famous and got more money, running a gang and importing all the drugs, he thought he was beyond the law."
When Ms Guerin was murdered on June 26, 1996, Mr Sherry believes it was a watershed moment, when the powers that be woke up to the reality of the amount of drugs being imported.
He said: "What really astonished them was the money it was estimated he had made from importing drugs.
"There were estimations that he had made up to €50million. And people wouldn't believe it and people didn't believe it."
Mr Sherry also recalled how much rival gangs in Dublin turned on Gilligan following the murder he is believed to have ordered.
He said: "They supplied a lot of intelligence and information on the Gilligan gang. They were being put out of business because of Gilligan."
Only convicted killer of Veronica Guerin living cushy life behind bars and has phone access to make calls
Brave journalist Veronica Guerin's gangland killer Brian Meehan won't be released from jail for years


text:
All The Rage: ATR at SDCC Day 3
Keith Dallas
Review: X-MEN #1 - The Good Times are Here
Big Two, Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics, Reviews
Preview: Herald, Fingers to the Bone TPB
Who Is Jake Ellis? #2
Scott Kolins: Interlude with the Man of Steel and Caped Crusader
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Review: 'Machete Squad' is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir
Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics, Reviews
You know you're in for a hoot of an mini-series when the first issue credit page announces, "Well, they've desecrated one comic book universe–and now they're coming for yours!" Make no mistake:Defenders does not deviate from the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire collaborative method of storytelling that was introduced to us almost 20 years ago in Justice League #1. The sandwich offered to you here is the same sandwich you ate when you read Justice League International in the late 1980s, and it's the same sandwich you ate very recently with Justice League: Classified. And despite the fact that you've eaten it before, it's still a DAMN GOOD sandwich. Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire provide plot, and they provide characterization, but of course, the real reason you read a Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire collaboration is the expectation that you'll laugh so hard, you'll wet yourself. I soiled four pairs of pants reading Defenders #1 (hence, the
rating).
The Defenders are the perfect super-group for Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire to tackle. The creators excel at presenting team dysfunction in a humorous light, and the Defenders were perhaps the first super-hero "non-team" in that (to paraphrase Michael Deeley in his review of the Essential Defenders collection) they would reluctantly band together only to confront and defeat a common foe, after which they went their separate ways. So the creative team that revels in intra-group conflict finally handles the super-hero team that was defined by intra-group conflict. The question I'm left with is: why did we have to wait until 2005 for a Giffen/DeMatteis/MaguireDefenders book?
At the beginning of this first issue, Nightmare informs Dr. Strange of an alliance between Dormammu and Umar and their plan to conquer Earth. Strange then recruits Bruce Banner, Namor and Silver Surfer to aid him. And that's all I'm willing to reveal because to describe anything more would be to spoil the characters' taunts, banter, set ups and punch lines (some of which are telegraphed but most of which are unexpected and hysterical). As expected, humor can be found on every page, perfectly complemented, as always, by the facial expressions provided by Maguire. In this age of story-telling decompression, Defenders #1 is full to capacity. Most of the pages in Defenders #1 contain at minimum five panels. In a 22 page issue, there is only one splash page while two pages contain 9 panels, two pages contain 10 panels, and three pages contain 12 panels. Poor Kevin Maguire, I'm sure he was paid by the page, not by the panel. Understandably, these high panel count pages for the most part lack background art, which isn't a problem because the empty space is filled with dialogue, of which there is A LOT.
My point is that for three bucks, you get your money's worth, and during a time when super-hero comic books supposedly are becoming more bleak, grim and realistic (a claim I've been hearing every year for the past 20 years, and I have no idea why that last term should in any way be applied to a super-hero comic book), the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire collaboration is both welcome and needed. Variety of tone should ALWAYS be the goal of the super-hero comic book marketplace. And as long as these three creators are willing to work on these projects together, they should receive as much support and attention as can be provided. They're the best at what they do, and what they do is pretty damn funny.
The funniest part of Defenders #1, however, wasn't written by DeMatteis or Giffen nor drawn by Maguire. That honor goes to the series' Ed
itor Andy Schmidt. The last page of the issue provides a column by Schmidt where he answers questions fans have asked him about the Defenders series. In response to the question "How does this mini-series fit into continuity? Or does it?," Schmidt writes, "You bet it does! This is real stuff! One of the reasons you may notice (if you're a fan of Keith, JM, and Kevin's previous work) that this book reads a little differently from their work across town is that this stuff is happening right here in the real Marvel Universe. Yes, it's funny (I hope), but it's more about the characters and the adventure. If Dormammu and Umar don't scare you, then we've not done our jobs." As characters from Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire's other work from "across town" might proclaim, "BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!" Andy, what have you been smoking, and where can I buy some? That's either (A) an ineffectual jab at DC Comics, (B) one of the worst attempts at sarcasm I've ever read, or (C) a sincere editorial declaration. If "C", then let's get this straight: Defenders is IDENTICAL in tone, approach and execution to their recent arc in Justice League: Classified which means characters' attributes are exaggerated and parodied for comedic effect. Dr. Strange is ridiculously verbose. The Silver Surfer is a wide-eyed air head. Bruce Banner is REALLY snarky (Peter David presented an intelligent Hulk as witty, but not snarky). Namor is obnoxiously arrogant (that's actually pretty much in line with how he's ALWAYS been presented). Sorry Andy, if this Defenders mini-series "fits" into Marvel continuity, and if readers are truly scared of Dormammu and Umar, then Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire have NOT done their job.
Kelvin Green
Oh bollocks, I'm going to get crucified for this…
I just didn't find this comic to be very funny, I'm afraid. I thought the jokes were rather obvious and somewhat strained, and I actually found the earlier Busiek and Larsen series to be more humorous. Given that the entire point of the series is apparently to make me wet myself with riotous laughter, I'm left with that sort of embarrassment you get when someone tells you a joke, it misfires completely, and you don't know what to do.
Banner and Namor's spiteful banter raised at least a smile on occasion, as did the sequence with the Silver Surfer trying to finding wisdom and enlightenment among a group of beach bums, but both of those strained existing characterisation to the limits in order to work. I really can't see the Surfer doing that, and even though that's why the contrast ultimately works, the situation itself doesn't. I'd have thought that lampooning his overly serious existentialist musings would be a more rewarding approach to Silver Surfer based comedy, and one that wouldn't create a rift between the serious and comedic versions of the character. Similarly, Banner is a tortured individual afraid of his own emotions, and I just can't see him being as flippant and jokey as he's shown to be in this issue. Joe Fixit? Yes. Professor Hulk? Yes. Banner himself? Not really.
None of that is to say that I want these characters to be serious at all times or even for there to be no humour in superhero comics; I just think that there are ways to approach the humour that also keeps the characters consistent with their previous appearances. There's a feeling here that the creators are reaching too far beyond the concepts of the characters in order to derive humour from them, which adds to the air of desperation in the writing.
Sadly, with the humour falling flat, all that's left is a somewhat generic superhero story; having the characters all remark on its generic nature doesn't make it any less so.
The art is far more successful, although Strange is rather too thick-set and swarthy for my liking, and Namor's a bit elfin and boyish, which I suppose fits in with his earliest appearances, but he's not looked like that for about fifty years. Maguire's storytelling and characterisation are as superb as his reputation suggests however, and the art goes a long way to redeem the book.
I can't shake the feeling that this has been overhyped somewhat; there's a general air of half-heartedness around the comic, as if Marvel just wanted to thumb their nos
e at DC by poaching a popular creative team but without any clear idea of what they wanted that team to do, resulting in a very unsatisfying comic. Perhaps my colleagues will find this more engaging. Perhaps it' s actually very funny if you're in the right mood. But this comic did nothing for me.
Shawn Hill
Plot: Nightmare. Umar. Dormammu. Yes, it's a Dr. Strange story, and before you can utter "crimson bands of cyttorak!" he's beat you to it and has a world to save, but not all by his lonesome.
Comments: There's a problem with this series, and it's the same problem the last Defenders series had and the problem the original series had at first. There aren't any women. Editor Andy Schmidt explains in the letters page that to him the four founders are the most powerful members, and reason enough to use them. He's wrong. It's exactly like the last series, and that didn't work there, either. And most powerful or not, the Defenders is better with rotating gangs of members, not with these four boring, pontificating stuffed shirts. People cycle into and out of the Defenders because things aren't working out in their regular lives, they don't band together just to go SMASH! everyone else.
The odd grouping of the original "non-team" took a bunch of Marvel second-tier males (well, Hulk is arguable, but he didn't work in the Avengers and only did so in the Defenders because Valkyrie kept him docile) and tried to make a series.
To be fair, there weren't any second-tier female (or even first-tier) solo series at the time. Things only picked up when Valkyrie arrived, and later the Red Guardian, Moondragon, Hellcat, Clea and others. If anyone remembers (and Schmidt doesn't seem to), some of Giffen's earliest mature work was on this title as an artist in the 70s, and he did distinctive work for a fairly lengthy run (often inked, incongruously but wonderfully, by Klaus Janson).
It's not a balanced team with these four wary guys, and the natural humor talents of the writers aren't enough to pull them together yet, any more so than Busiek's serious tone or Larsen's slapstick could a few years back. This is especially glaring if you consider this creative team's last big success. Sure, Beetle and Booster are the Laurel and Hardy of the super-set, but both recent "Super Buddies" series hinged major plot points and scenes, not to mention the excess of verbiage they enjoy, on women like Sue Dibny, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, Fire, "Ice," and most all neophyte powerhouse Mary Marvel.
So what if it was mostly that old standby, the battle of the sexes? Maybe it's as old as the Thin Man movies, but then again, those movies are classics for a reason. It worked, it was funny, and it gave us some of our most emotional moments as well, as Bea's mourning for Tora touched everyone around her (and even brought some dramatic moments out of Guy Gardner). Here, we get two juvenile-esque brats in the forms of Namor and the Silver Surfer (why are they teen-aged? Uh, why not, I guess?), a pretty good Bruce Banner, and a rather overwhelmed Stephen Strange. Fair enough, but there's
going to need to be more to keep interest up. Distant daddies and bad boy sons ain't gonna' do it for long.
Visual flair: Maguire shows once again how efficient he is at envisioning Hell, with Umar in glamorous Hollywood dominatrix mode, while Dormammu prattles much more awkwardly than usual. Great facial expressions on all the major players, though I don't think he has a handle on where the humor quite lies in this tale yet. Nor do I.
Overall: Good effort, but with quite a few kinks left to be worked out. So far, the title of the issue is all too true.
Jim Kingman
The creative team that brought us a JLA we can smile at has made their way into the Marvel Universe! Their victims? The Defenders!
What this comic is… is nothing new. However, it's still a lot of fun, and that's what makes it special.
The dread Dormammu has teamed up with his equally evil sister, Umar, to destroy Dr. Strange once and for all. Dr. Strange learns a different variation of Dormammu's plans from another longtime foe of his, Nightmare, a plan that involves the destruction of the Marvel universe. Strange sets out to recruit the original members of the Defenders to help him combat this recurring menace. None of his fellow comrades come along enthusiastically. In fact, Bruce (the Hulk) Banner and Prince (Sub-Mariner) Namor are quite reluctant to even join the cause, but they do eventually give in to Strange's persuasions (and theatrics). The only holdout is the Silver Surfer, who has found a kind of peace with a bunch of Southern California surfers.
A bad case of bickering develops between Banner and Namor at Dr. Strange's sanctum, and it escalates to the point where Banner changes into the Hulk and a mighty battle is about to transpire. Hoping to cut off internal disaster before they even begin saving the universe, Strange transports the Hulk, Namor and himself to Dormammu's realm, where the Hulk is separated from his colleagues by a supernatural barrier. Hulk also finds himself surrounded by a group of vicious, attacking monsters (so who should we feel sorry for?). Dormammu becomes aware of Strange's presence and sends his heavily armored, mighty muscled goons out to dispose of him. Namor sees them coming first and braces himself accordingly, while we can only hope the contemplative Strange turns around and acts in time! To be continued!
Again, nothing new in the way of plot (many issues of the original Defenders series billed the group as a non-team banding together only when the life of Earth was threatened, which is pretty much what we have here), but in the artistic hands of Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire the dialogue and situations have a humorous, lighthearted focus that you're not going to find in House of M or any of the DC books leading up to Infinite Crisis (not to mention most issues of the original Defenders). The colors are vibrant, the skies are bright and clear, and the costumes and superhero shorts distinct and classic. The facial expressions are priceless. And even with Earth threatened for the umpteenth time, Strange's life once again in jeopardy, the Defenders having a hard time getting along, and Dormammu killing people left and right, the tone isn't at all serious. Defenders #1 is simply a fun comic to read; the kind of fun that makes rereading it such a pleasure, and the thirty day wait for the next issue the only painful part.
Shaun Manning
Dr. Strange's sleep is disturbed by Nightmare! In the guise of Strange's faithful servant Wong, the villain brings a message most dire: the Dread Dormammu and Umar the Unholy are preparing to invade Earth! But can the Sorceror Supreme trust a being that has just tried to strangle him to death? Is saving the Earth worth the trouble of assembling the Defenders?
So, the fan-favorite, award-winning team of Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire transfer their Bwa-ha-ha skills from Justice League to one of Marvel's most celebrated teams. What does it look like? Well, there are fewer strong personalities in the Defenders than in JLI, and
the writers themselves note the similarities between Namor and Strange. This leads to a bit of repetition and hammering on the same jokes, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Also, one of the strengths of the team's original works was the combination of situation humor and witty banter, while their more recent work relies much more heavily on dialogue. That situation is exasperated in Defenders as there are two consecutive pages with twelve panels apiece (followed by a couple of niners), just to get some sort of transition between quips. There is a bit of remedy to this trend, though, in an errant spell Strange casts to separate Hulk and Namor leading to one of the funniest scenes Keith and Marc have come up with in quite a good while.
There is some good character interaction here, but it's not often between the core members of the team. The Defenders villains are much more amusing than the heroes, with rival siblings Dormammu and Umar squabbling over family matters in an effort reminiscent of the old Manga Khan stories in JLI but revitalized by the transformation to the Marvel U. Of course, none of the Defenders has a history of fighting exclusively on the side of angels, and Giffen and DeMatteis cast their best magic when playing up the ensemble's checkered histories. Dr. Strange shouting at Namor, "How many times have you invaded the surface world?" is a beautiful confrontation.
Kevin Maguire's art looks a bit silly. Which is fine, given the circumstances. Though it will likely piss off fans of Namor. Or the Hulk. Or Silver Surfer. Or Dr. Strange.
Is this book funny? Well, sure. Is it BWA-HA-HA funny? Not yet, but it's getting there. It's possible the dilution of the Giffen-DeMatteis brand comes from the fact that fans have come to expect a certain thing from this team, and the writers are trying to play into it, whereas with their original stint on Justice League it was just two guys writing the Justice League who were allowed to do whatever they wanted. Even revisiting the same characters in the recent DC miniseries, there was a large sense of self-tribute rather than freewheeling invention. Doesn't mean it wasn't damn funny, but it was a bit less true. Here, a new set of characters forcing them to set up new relationships and conflicts while still keeping the laughter alive, the "gathering the troops" issue of Defenders tries to pack a lot in and mostly succeeds. If these guys had more than five issues, they may work wonders on the friendships and rivalries of a team never meant to come together, and eventually mold these godlike beings into more sympathetic characters. As things stand, we can all enjoy this miniseries as a good sitcom and hope it develops into something more.
Ray Tate
Let the Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-has! commence. Giffen/DeMatteis and Maguire strike again with The Defenders. Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange come together–sort of–to combat an old menace with a twist of lime.
The real irony in the book is that Giffen and DeMatteis adhere to the basic treatise of the original Defenders. They don't like each other and barely if at all respect one another as human beings or whatever the hell they happen to be.
The difference is in the tone. Whereas originally, the Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange and the Surfer combated each other in a more serious tone; the new version of the team battle each other in a more realistic fashion. They don't emote, at least not in anger. They snipe at each other, insult each other and on occasionally bitch-slap each other. When they ham it up, it's for the sake of posturing rather than pitching fits, and during these wonderfully cheesy moments David Sharpe's letters provide welcome accents from the cold fonts of a computer and
a ham-fisted programmer.
This change in emotional climate creates a schism between The Defenders and the creative team's previous works. You often laughed with the Justice League, but you laugh at the petty antics of the Defenders.
Generally speaking, and this is noted in the editor's page at the end, Giffen/DeMatteis and Maguire often create such a zany incarnation of what is known that its often wiser to separate their version from the general vicinity of continuity. This isn't actually the case for The Defenders. There's no really good reason to suggest that these goofs aren't the same "heroes" who formed the original team.
Maguire infrequently works for Marvel. I think he once did a page for Captain America, but Maguire's realism and his encyclopedic knowledge of expression actually improves Marvel's characters. He also takes artistic liberties which actually suit the characters. Namor, for instance, looks less human and more elfin, as Bill Everett originally intended. The Surfer does not appear to be a shiny naked dude but instead a Gray that has been dipped in a vat of silver.
The Defenders is a fast funny exploration into Marvel's least interesting team of "heroes." It's whacky fun from the makers of "One Punch!" and will only offend those lacking a sense of humor. Even hardcore Defenders fans–I'm sure there are a few out there–should appreciate the new title.
J.M. DeMatteisJim KingmanKeith DallasKeith GiffenKelvin GreenMarvel ComicsRay TateShaun ManningShawn Hill
A Few Personal "Best Comic Book Stories of All Time" – Part I
The Birth of a Comic Book: Venger
Keith Dallas is a writer for Comics Bulletin
Review: X-MEN #1 – The Good Times are Here
Jason Jeffords Jr.
House of X #5: Death and Resurrection Is The Latest Fashion