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NBN Co's whole board resigns: Report
news The entire board of Labor's ill-fated National Broadband Network has reportedly resigned, a victim of the poisoned relationship which had sprung up over the past year between the project's management and new Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
NBN Co's board is composed of a number of senior executives from a variety of industries. Its chair, Siobhan McKenna, has been a director of NBN Co since August 2009 and is otherwise best known for being the managing director of media magnate Lachlan Murdoch's investment company Illyria, as well as for having a history as a partner at management consulting firm McKinsey.
Other directors include Terry Francis, who was most recently chief executive of Bank of America in Australia and who has a history in finance, lawyer Alison Lansley, formerly a partner with Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Brad Orgill, who also has a finance background, former investor banker, government auditor and project director of the the proposed sale of the New South Wales government owned electricity generating plants Kerry Schott, and Rick Turchini, who has a long history in the construction industry. NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley, who has already signalled his intention to retire from NBN Co, also has a spot on NBN Co's board.
However, Turnbull significantly criticised NBN Co's board and management while in Opposition, arguing out that no member of the company's board had direct experience with managing the construction of a major telecommunications network, despite this being the primary nature of NBN Co's work.
The relationship hit a low point in July this year, when a series of sharply antagonistic letters between the two sides were published that highlighted the depth of the antagonism felt on each side. NBN Co's board, at the time, hired lobbying firm Bespoke Approach to represent it to the Coalition, a move Turnbull saw as inappropriate. NBN Co's board also retained legal counsel regarding the situation.
This morning, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the the board of NBN Co had offered to resign "en masse", believing it did not have the confidence of the incoming government. The article repeated recent reports that former Telstra and Optus chief executive Ziggy Switkowski was set to be appointed executive chairman of NBN Co as an interim measure. We recommend you click here to read the full article.
Analysis published by Delimiter's sister site Delimiter 2.0 (paywalled) has shown that both Turnbull and NBN Co's board severely broke with convention as their fraught relationship worsened while the Liberal MP sat in Opposition.
It is believed that Turnbull broke with long-held political convention by directly attacking the management of a government business enterprise, particularly NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley and board chair Siobhan McKenna, with politicians historically preferring to focus on attacking their political opponents rather than the public servants and other employees carrying out their policies.
On NBN Co's side, it is believed that the move by NBN Co's board to hire a lobbying agency to approach the Coalition breaches long-held conventions about the very limited conditions under which government bureaucrats and employees of government business enterprises such as NBN Co may approach and inform the Opposition of the day.
Recent reports by several publications have claimed that Turnbull has already approached former Telstra and Optus chief executive Ziggy Switkowski to act as executive chairman of NBN Co. However, analysis conducted by Delimiter 2.0 (paywalled) has shown that Switkowski has little direct experience with constructing telecommunications networks, and no experience with the telecommunications industry over the past nine years since he was asked to resign by Telstra's board in December 2004. Switkowski held the Optus role for only a little over a year, and the Telstra role from 1999 to 2004, during a period where Telstra did not undertake significant construction work on new network infrastructure.
Well, I guess we could have all seen this coming. This action by NBN Co's board is the right one — it does not enjoy the confidence of its new shareholder ministers, primarily Turnbull, and it's completely unsurprising that it would offer its resignations to Turnbull. I wouldn't be surprised if Turnbull kept one or two directors to ensure continuity — but I also wouldn't be surprised if the Minister accepted most of the resignations and moved on.
Personally, I don't think NBN Co's board, in its various incarnations since the company was formed in 2009, has done a terrible job during NBN Co's setup period. The company is demonstrably established and it was demonstrably delivering on the previous Labor Government's NBN policy. Sure, there had been delays and debacles, but I think you can expect this with any major infrastructure project of the kind the NBN represents.
However, Turnbull is also correct, in that the board does have little to no experience with major telecommunications network construction. This is a bit of an indictment, to be sure. Of course, a company like NBN Co will benefit from having bankers and lawyers on its board, to give it a bit of variety and wider experience. But it does also need experts with deep domain experience in NBN Co's business. Right now, NBN Co's board doesn't have that.
One final memo to Malcolm Turnbull: I strongly suggest you re-examine Ziggy Switkowski as potential executive chairman of NBN Co, if the executive really is in pole position at this point. Switkowski really does not have the experience which the new Coalition Government has said it is seeking for this role.
NBN Board: Turnbull not taking his own advice
Ziggy Switkowski appointed NBN Co exec chair
Ziggy has no rollout experience, says Albo
Turnbull appoints Simon Hackett, others to NBN board
Poison words: Turnbull + NBN board go to war
best-of-the-week
siobhan mckenna
ziggy switkowski
Faulko 23/09/2013 At 9:59 am
And here it comes.
This is not good news at all.
RichardU 23/09/2013 At 11:56 am
With each day that goes by, the number of people Turnbull can blame when things unravel becomes smaller.
And the number of warnings he has becomes greater.
Greater ego hath no man than this: that a man makes dismisses the people most able to assist him to complete his assigned task. I think there is something in the Good Book too about pride.
MegaB 23/09/2013 At 10:10 am
"it does not enjoy the confidence of its new shareholder ministers, primarily Turnbull"
I expect that the sentiment is mutual, and they think that Turnbull is an idiot. Frankly, he has acted like it with his disgraceful stint as shadow comms minister and looks very much intent on keeping that same putrid direction.
I wouldn't want to work on his misguided and ideologically raped version of the NBN. Let someone without ethics (like Ziggy) follow Malcolm's plan to destroy the potential benefits of a true NBN.
Ryan 23/09/2013 At 10:52 am
In that case, Sol would be a much better choice to rape the tax payer.
Lionel 23/09/2013 At 10:13 am
There really won't be much left soon, if my inside sources at NBNCo are correct, there are a lot that just don't want anything to do with Turnbull's plan and will be resigning.
Ninja 23/09/2013 At 10:17 am
Malcolm, he really is a people person, isn't he.
rusty 23/09/2013 At 10:21 am
I honestly used to think that Malcolm Turnbull had a level of personal integrity that put him a cut above above the likes of regular politicians like Tony Abbott. I was wrong.
Nobby6 23/09/2013 At 10:21 am
"and the Telstra role from 1999 to 2004, during a period where Telstra did not undertake significant construction work "
I think thats hardly fair to say, as you know fully darn well, serious competition was not as strong back then, as it is compared to now, some 10 years later.
Optus was only just entering the game seriously around that period. Not to mention that in 2000 when C&W sold off Optus to Singtel, the brakes were put on Optus investments too for a bit (including all the unlimited Optus cable plans that C&W propped up Optus with ended with that sale as Singtel couldnt/wouldnt continue to subsidising the leaches.)
I think you might have missed the point. Turnbull has criticised Quigley and the whole board for not having any experience with building big networks. Well, neither does Ziggy.
Regardless of why he lacks that experience, it is still a fact that he lacks it – and this fact would make Turnbull look like a massive hypocrite if he hired Ziggy.
I think he's proven himself a massive hypocrite anyway.
TrevorX 23/09/2013 At 11:45 am
And quite unconcerned at the perception (fact, but in his opinion, just perception).
tinman_au 23/09/2013 At 1:04 pm
Turnbull's lack of 'telecommunications' experience didn't stop him taking a director position with OzEmail…
At the board level, it's actually pretty common to have members without experience in whatever enterprise the company is involved in (Take WestFarmers as an example, but it applies to pretty well any ASX listed company). The CEO (who answers to the board) is however, expected to be an expert in the field.
Considering his previous experience with Alcatel-Lucent, I'd say Mike was actually very well qualified for his role (as can be demonstrated with Telstra's partnership with Alcatel for the trails they plan to run).
I guess time will tell as to whether Malcolm really does know what he's doing…
TJ 23/09/2013 At 12:35 pm
Renai LeMay – Can you please point to an Australian corporate chief who is available who does have experience in nation-wide telecommunications rollout?
Isn't that why they hire engineers?
More important to the success of the scheme was the funding, financial and legal aspects as with all major infrastructure projects there were many significant hurdles in those areas to over come.
The failure by you and many others is that you are measuring the NBN on the same yardstick as a business venture. It is not. This is the new centuries Trans-Australian Railroad or Snowy Mountain scheme. We don't need self-interested telco chiefs, we need people who understand financial and legislative complexity who also have the ability to negotiate at a high corporate level.
It seems that the words of Menzies still ring true "…. we in Australia are still, I think, handicapped by parochialism, by a slight distrust of big ideas and of big people or of big enterprises "
No — there are no Australian executives experienced in FTTP or FTTN on this scale. That's why they hired Ralph Steffens from BT to be NBN Co's COO.
http://www.nbnco.com.au/about-us/our-people/executives.html
I would hire someone from the US or UK for this kind of position. Quigley had a substantial amount of experience with this kind of rollout due to his history in the US.
GongGav 23/09/2013 At 1:24 pm
"Quigley had a substantial amount of experience with this kind of rollout due to his history in the US" — not if you listen to the Earl of Edgecliff…
Would there be anyone on the BT board that would work? He holds them up as the shining beacon of FttN, and you cant argue about lack of experience so that might be a decent source of execs.
Their ex-CTO, Peter Cochrane maybe…
Though he doesn't really see FTTN as "a good thing" http://delimiter.com.au/2012/04/30/fttn-a-huge-mistake-says-ex-bt-cto/ :o)
Alex 23/09/2013 At 4:09 pm
Henry Ergas is their fav and them his…
Thateus 23/09/2013 At 1:31 pm
I think people are confused about what the Board of Directors do and what the company does.
The board is more about governance and overseeing the performance of the CEO. It's not about directing day to day activities of the company – otherwise they would hired to be the CEO, COO, CFO etc etc.
Anyway, the entire board resigning means that Turnbull will have to find a replacement one ASAP (or reject their resignations – thus endorsing them in their position on the board).
Brian 23/09/2013 At 1:29 pm
Once more we have Malcolm accusing people he doesn't agree with of have no experience. Well what experience as he got ? He is a lawyer but… well say no more; he has some investment experience which includes unsurprisingly involvement in wireless technology and finally he has experience in politics wow!!! what a CV. The last time he made one of these silly accusations was when he accused the Treasury of have no experience in water and that didn't wash too well.
Finally it looks like Ziggy is waiting on the sidelines. Lots of experience there but regardless of that he was no bright star in his time as CEO of Telstra.
I guess the most qualified is, err, Mike Quigley… d'oh, Malcolm.
Observer 23/09/2013 At 3:38 pm
Looks like things could start unraveling around Malcolm. He is about to find out, like many of his colleagues are, that the art of 'doing' is much more difficult that that of "criticizing".
It is one thing to bag FTTP for the benefits of those who are technologically uniformed, it is another to convince those who know better.
Zeus 23/09/2013 At 7:02 pm
And here it all comes,
The best tweet I saw when the liberal party one was
something along the lines of Australian people you have 1000 days to think on your choice
Mark 23/09/2013 At 10:23 pm
According this this ABC report, Malcolm Turnbull asked the NBN Co board to resign after cost blowouts and delays. See:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-23/nbn-shell/4976378
Mark 24/09/2013 At 9:30 am
Interesting article from Sortius about this:
http://www.sortius-is-a-geek.com/vote-confidence/#more-3465
"…So why did Turnbull demand the whole board resign? Basically Turnbull is setting up NBN Co to fail. I've written on this previously, & now I'm as sure as ever that Turnbull's intention is to destroy the NBN, even now they are in office. This is the first step in many that will ultimately end in Telstra purchasing the NBN for below cost price…."
Soth 24/09/2013 At 10:34 am
Thanks for the links Mark, interesting read… Hmm Liberal are going to town with getting rid of people :/
Mark 24/09/2013 At 11:04 am
You're welcome. I'm a bit concerned with about what MT is up too. Really concerned!
Hubert Cumberdale 23/09/2013 At 10:40 pm
This certainly is concerning, hopefully Turnbull can assemble a new team soon and one that is totally impervious to "cost blowouts" & "delays". So far there have been more resignations than the number of nodes installed. Not a good look especially since Turnbull was very adamant about rolling out their network sooner. So many people in desperate need of a bit faster than ADSL2+ speeds and there is only 1194 days to go, can he do it? We. Just. Don't. Know.
SMEMATT 24/09/2013 At 11:07 am
Well based on the number of FTTN premises rolled out to date which is 0 and the amount Turnbull has spent which I going to assume is a positive integer using LNP math for cost blowout and delays it is going to take the Turnbull Infinity years and infinity billion dollars to implement can we sack him for this hug infinity % cost blowout and delay.*
*I know a/0 is not infinity but I'm using LNP math which based on their documents does seem to based on real number arithmetic.
I say this because I think the whole will rapidly precede beyond a joke so I've got to get the joke in now.
Steven 23/09/2013 At 11:39 pm
I know many of the engineers and designers, network operations people at NBN co as I have worked in the Telco business for 25 years. Basically the mood at NBN co is that Malcolm has killed the vision and the future of the company.
Basically most of them feel that they can look forward to a support role in NBN as they deploy cheap near narrow-band technology and re-commission the old equipment to reduce costs as much as possible.
So why would you want to work for a sinking ship, sorry that should be the NBN co ?
Brendan 24/09/2013 At 10:54 am
Meanwhile, Telstra is ramping up a trial, out of seemingly nowhere (I'm sure this has been on the back burner for a while, perhaps) and TPG is ready to gobble up a bunch of MDUs.
There's not going to be a chance, really, for "faster, cheaper", just "slower, more fractured". Perhaps Turnbull can place a military figurehead at the helm of broadband execution?
Seems to be in vogue within LNP at present.
Alex 24/09/2013 At 12:17 pm
Indeed and then tell us they therefore won't be announcing any numbers relating to the roll out…
Ah nothing like providing little or no transparency having previously damanding maximum transparency…


If you have ordered a replacement touchscreen for your iPod Touch 3rd Generation and are wondering how to affix it onto the frame then look no further! This pair of iPod Touch adhesive strips are the safest and most efficient way to correctly attach the iPod Touch Touchscreen to the main frame assembly. This is exactly how the touch screen is mounted when produced in the factory.


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Table of Contents » Title 55.1. Property and Conveyances » Subtitle IV. Common Interest Communities » Chapter 18. Property Owners' Association Act » Article 1. General Provisions » § 55.1-1800. Definitions
Title 55.1. Property and Conveyances
Chapter 18. Property Owners' Association Act
§ 55.1-1800. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Association" means the property owners' association.
"Board of directors" means the executive body of a property owners' association or a committee that is exercising the power of the executive body by resolution or bylaw.
"Capital components" means those items, whether or not a part of the common area, for which the association has the obligation for repair, replacement, or restoration and for which the board of directors determines funding is necessary.
"Common area" means property within a development which is owned, leased, or required by the declaration to be maintained or operated by a property owners' association for the use of its members and designated as a common area in the declaration.
"Common interest community" means the same as that term is defined in § 54.1-2345.
"Common interest community manager" means the same as that term is defined in § 54.1-2345.
"Declarant" means the person or entity signing the declaration and its successors or assigns who may submit property to a declaration.
"Declaration" means any instrument, however denominated, recorded among the land records of the county or city in which the development or any part of such development is located, that either (i) imposes on the association maintenance or operational responsibilities for the common area or (ii) creates the authority in the association to impose on lots, on the owners or occupants of such lots, or on any other entity any mandatory payment of money in connection with the provision of maintenance or services for the benefit of some or all of the lots, the owners or occupants of the lots, or the common area. "Declaration" includes any amendment or supplement to the instruments described in this definition. "Declaration" does not include a declaration of a condominium, real estate cooperative, time-share project, or campground.
"Development" means real property located within the Commonwealth subject to a declaration which contains both lots, at least some of which are residential or are occupied for recreational purposes, and common areas with respect to which any person, by virtue of ownership of a lot, is a member of an association and is obligated to pay assessments provided for in a declaration.
"Disclosure packet update" means an update of the financial information referenced in subdivisions A 2 through 9 of § 55.1-1809. The update shall include a copy of the original disclosure packet.
"Electronic means" means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient of such communication. A meeting conducted by electronic means includes a meeting conducted via teleconference, videoconference, Internet exchange, or other electronic methods. Any term used in this definition that is defined in § 59.1-480 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act shall have the meaning set forth in such section.
"Financial update" means an update of the financial information referenced in subdivisions A 2 through 7 of § 55.1-1809.
"Lot" means (i) any plot or parcel of land designated for separate ownership or occupancy shown on a recorded subdivision plat for a development or the boundaries of which are described in the declaration or in a recorded instrument referred to or expressly contemplated by the declaration, other than a common area, and (ii) a unit in a condominium association or a unit in a real estate cooperative if the condominium or cooperative is a part of a development.
"Lot owner" means one or more persons who own a lot, including any purchaser of a lot at a foreclosure sale, regardless of whether the deed is recorded in the land records where the lot is located. "Lot owner" does not include any person holding an interest in a lot solely as security for a debt.
"Professionally managed" means a common interest community that has engaged (i) a common interest community manager to provide management services to the community or (ii) a person as an employee for compensation to provide management services to the community, other than a resident of the community who provides bookkeeping, billing, or recordkeeping services for that community.
"Property owners' association" or "association" means an incorporated or unincorporated entity upon which responsibilities are imposed and to which authority is granted in the declaration.
"Settlement agent" means the same as that term is defined in § 55.1-1000.
1989, c. 679, § 55-509; 1991, c. 667; 1996, c. 618; 1998, c. 623; 2001, c. 715; 2002, c. 459; 2003, c. 422; 2008, cc. 851, 871; 2011, c. 334; 2015, cc. 93, 410; 2019, c. 712; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 9, 494.
The chapters of the acts of assembly referenced in the historical citation at the end of this section may not constitute a comprehensive list of such chapters and may exclude chapters whose provisions have expired.
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New Year is traditionally accepted inFully armed, decorating the house creatively, covering a rich table and putting on the best outfit. Things from the wardrobe podnadoeli? Do you want to show off on a holiday in something new and fashionable? Then take the tailor's ribbon and needle, and fresh ideas into your head.
What is it - the perfect New Year's dress?
Before you start browsing fashionMagazines in search of patterns, imagine what should be your outfit. If you are going to celebrate the New Year in a restaurant or go to a party, where a fine evening awaits you, select a dress on the floor. This outfit looks spectacular and visually draws out the silhouette. Looking for a dress for a corporate party? Do you plan to dance at the festival? Sew a cocktail outfit: its versatile length will allow you to actively participate in entertainments. Ideal for a home celebration - a comfortable dress-tunic of knitwear.
Determined with the model, do not forget about theFeatures of the figure. If you have a disproportion in the physique (dominate the hips or, conversely, the shoulders and chest), create a combined dress, combining a monophonic and printed fabric, light and dark matter. In every way, emphasize your dignity: the owners of a thin waist should take a closer look at the feminine outfits of new-bow, women with beautiful breasts - to dresses of Empire with a deep neckline.
What fabric to choose for a dress?
Your outfit will beautifully shine and shimmer,If you want it from satin, silk muslin or satin. To make a transparent multi-layered skirt, chiffon is suitable, and for decorative inserts - lace. A deep color and characteristic texture, reminiscent of sheared fur, is distinguished by velvet. Chose a model with drapes? Give preference to jersey. If the dress should keep a good shape, buy brocade or a taffeta.
As for color, here it is possibleGuided by fashion trends. In winter 2017-2018 shades of mustard and cranberries, white wine and flax will be relevant. For the New Year's attire, you can choose a fabric of mustard-honey, deep emerald, amethyst or turquoise. Do you believe in oriental horoscopes? 2018 is the year of the Yellow Earth Dog, so you will get a yellow outfit on your New Year's holiday.
If you do not have rich tailoring experience, andAssiduity - not your horse, take advantage of the idea of the fashionable New Zealand designer Karen Walker. Her charming black dress in the spirit of the 60's, distinguished by its originality and light style, will perfectly sit on a slender (boyish) figure. You can sew it in a couple of hours, having in stock 2m black crepe-chiffon.
To get in front and back, cut out of the cloth 2 squares measuring 0.9 × 0.9 m.
Determine the center of the details (should follow the share thread). From it, postpone the necessary points and decorate the neckline of the transmission (green line) and the back (blue line).
Connect the shoulder sections (5 cm from the neck) and sides, process the edges of the dress.
Using the rest of the fabric, treat the neck of the cusp.
Since in itself any small dress of black color looks too simple, in the New Year's image it can be supplemented with spectacular accessories and shoes.
A simple dress can be quiteElegant and interesting, if it is sewed from an openwork fabric. Laces of pastel shades will make you more feminine and romantic. Do you prefer the image of a fatal woman? Choose the guipure of bright and juicy shades.
1. Make small adjustments to the pattern of the base: make the dress cut-off along the waist line, decorate the V-shaped neckline of the gear, deepen the armholes.
2. Arrange all the details of the dress along the share thread on knitwear, circle it and cut it.
3. Dissolve the guipure of the transfer and the backrest so that the neckline lines pass through the festoons.
4. Arrange the patterns of the front and back panels on the fabric in one direction, secure with pins and cut.
5. Leaving open the festons, put the lining on the guipure. Stitch all the grooves, picking up the knitwear.
6. Stitch the shelves in the center and shoulder sections, follow the right side seam (to the left will be a zipper). Overlap the edges.
7. Connect all the details of the skirt. The central seam of the rear panel can not be sewn up to the end - at the bottom you will get a cut. Process the edges of the slices.
8. Sew a skirt to the bodice, leaving a gap for the zipper. Overlap the seam along the waist line. Stick the buckle on.
9. Top the armhole with festoons (half-sleeves), bottom - overtake and hem into the hem.
10. If necessary, process the bottom of the dress.
Sometimes the seemingly complex form isSimple in fact. A vivid example is the evening dress "Murano". It looks extravagant and rich, thanks to its luxurious wine color, asymmetrical hem and crossed belt, but it can not be sewn. It only takes a couple of meters of red jersey.
1. Given the location of the share thread, cut out all the elements of the dress from knitwear.
2. Sew two parts of the belt from the blanks.
3. Grasp the lower parts of the gear and the backrest on the sides.
4. In the same way, do the upper parts. In the side seams under the chest vtachaet belt.
5. Fold the top of the bodice at the specified fold line (wrong side inward), flatten. Attach it to the bottom.
6. Connect the skirt to the bodice. If desired, cuts dresses can be overthrown, although in work with knitwear is not necessary.
Each time you look in a new way you willExperiments with the belt, which can be tied in different ways. To wear such a bright outfit costs with exquisite costume jewelry, for example, from Murano glass. The shoes you choose should not overshadow the dress.
Juicy color. With what to wear an orange dress or a skirt?
What a delight this dress is in the Greek style!


Yes, it is on Nantucket and it is priceless. Wild the value differential just because different addresses - arbitrage anyone? For instance, do you know where Gingy Lane is? Maybe so, maybe not - most don't. It's an amazing location between Cliff and Town on a cul-de-sac, that always has that salty, soothing Nantucket breeze flowing down the Belgian block lane. You can walk to Town, gorgeous beaches, bike paths, The Westmoor Club, Coffin Park, Something Natural, and the list goes on and it's a dead end street. But, the houses there trade for far less than if they had a more well known address - "Cliff Road" - type addresses. Cliff Road has cache. Cache is intangible.
The weather is wonderful and living on the Island is the best of the best. The best weather, the best fishing, the best waves, the best restaurants, the best beaches, the best shopping, the best people and of course the best real estate definitely on the East Coast but probably across the globe. ACK all the WAY!!! The other day a member of team JPFCO was walking to their car and saw that someone's car was dead. Time to make it happen. As we all carry jumper cables in our car; team JPFCO jumped the car. We got the car up and running, gave them our card. A week later they called in and bought a house. This is how we make it happen in more then one way at JPFCO. Come see for yourself and let's make it happen. Happy 4th to all.
The 4th of July is upon us and boy are we excited! Enjoy events sponsored by the Town's Office of Culture and Tourism, these traditional Main Street events will be held from 10:00am - 12:30pm and include face painting, watermelon and pie-eating contests, a ring toss, and community sing-a-long. The event wraps up with the traditional water fight between the Town of Nantucket Fire Department and the Boynton Lane Reserves at noon. Note: The use of water balloons and high velocity water guns is discouraged. Also, this year's Fireworks display will be held on Thursday, July 5th at 9:00pm. This is such a memorable week of the Nantucket summer season!
Have fun and Happy Independence Day!


Nature Trust FEE – Malta has in the past years given great importance to environmental education – so much so that it is one of the three pillars on which the NGO is built. It was for this very reason that Nature Trust FEE – Malta are proud to be the representatives of FEE in the Maltese Islands since 2002. This opportunity opened the way for schools to practice sustainable development.
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. It was founded 29 years ago, and has designed 5 programmes focusing on Sustainable Development: Eco Schools, Blue Flag, YRE, LEAF and Green Key. Nature Trust FEE – Malta is currently running 4 programmes in Malta: EkoSkola, YRE, LEAF and Blue Flag.
Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is a programme designed specifically for secondary and post secondary students. The main aim is to carry out investigations on local environmental issues and propose solutions through investigative reporting and photojournalism. The goal of YRE is to engage youth in resolving environmental problems and issues.
The Young Reporters for the Environment concept originated with FEEE France in 1991, during an international youth mission to Kiruna (Sweden) to understand the ozone layer depletion and explain the problem to a larger public audience. In that frame, the ozone layer problem revealed how far environmental issues can be complex, and how essential it is to explain how basic local behaviour can be responsible for global complex problems. To propose a programme answering to this issue, journalistic investigation was quickly identified as a powerful tool to work in the frame of a motivating school project. In 1994, Young Reporters for the Environment became a programme of FEE and since then has grown to reach countries outside of Europe.


text:
Recruiting surges at regionals, indies ― wirehouses not so much
September 26, 2017, 10:40 a.m. EDT
It's shaping up to be a strong recruiting year ― just not for the wirehouses.
"I've got five recruiting meetings in the next day and a half. At a wirehouse, if you had five recruiting meetings in a month you would be the star of the country," says Jim Gold, CEO of Steward Partners.
Recruiting momentum at independent firms such as Steward Partners as well as regional BDs and those that assist breakaways is outpacing the wirehouses.
So far this year, the big four have recruited advisors who managed approximately $14 billion in client assets, according to hiring announcements. Their smaller rivals have announced new recruits who oversaw about $60 billion.
The shifting fortunes are partially driven to policy changes at three of the four wirehouses; UBS announced recruiting cutbacks a year ago. Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch made similar announcements this year.
But it's also a reflection of advisors' changing preferences and the growing appeal of independence to both planners and their clients.
"Independence is doing to wealth management what Amazon did to shopping. The wirehouses are like the old shopping malls," says Gold.
Steward Partners, which is affiliated with Raymond James, has added a number of new hires this year, including three teams that managed more than $600 million in client assets and opened a new office in Boston, the firm's 10th.
"In 2016, we recruited more than we did in the prior two years. We'll be 50 to 60% more of that this year. The level of interest is not slowing down," says Gold, whose four-year old firm now counts more than 60 advisors.
GROWING CLOUT
Firms that have multiple channels, like Raymond James, have done particularly well in terms of recruiting. Regional brokerages such as Janney Montgomery Scott and RBC Wealth Management have picked a number of new recruits.
RBC hired more advisors in the first half of this year than it did in all of 2016, according to a spokeswoman.
"This is a window for these regional firms to really explode," says Rob Blevins, a recruiter in Dublin, Ohio.
Blevins adds that larger and larger advisors have been willing to leave the wirehouses for regional firms or RIAs.
"The average producer in my pipeline is doing $1 million. In years past, it was closer to $500,000," he says.
St. Louis-based Stifel is bringing in advisors with larger average AUMs than in the past, according to John Pierce, heading of recruiting.
Many of Stifel's new hires have come from the wirehouses, but not all. Among recent hires was a team from Oppenheimer & Co. that oversaw $342 million in client assets. Stifel currently has more than 2,200 advisors.
Pierce says that improvements in platforms at regional firms such as his have boosted their appeal.
"They've clearly invested in the capabilities to handle the larger advisors who have typically been at the wirehouses," he says.
Morgan Stanley cuts recruiting, joins UBS and Merrill
It seems that a long bull market in transition deals may be coming to an end.
Merrill Lynch recruiting pullback: Regionals and breakaways eye opportunity
"It's always nice when one poker player folds and it's down to two or three players," one recruiter says.
More culture, less recruiting: How UBS plans to grow
The wirehouse's executives think they've struck on the right formula to boost growth through a simplified comp plan, greater autonomy and an attractive retirement package.
Another factor leveling the playing field: wirehouse recruiting deals aren't what they used to be.
Regional BDs and other small firms typically offer smaller signing bonuses than their larger competitors. But three of the wirehouses cut the size of signing bonuses last year. Stifel CEO Ronald Kruszewski predicted earlier this year that would "benefit us competitively."
Wells Fargo, unlike its three main competitors, has reportedly maintained a lucrative signing bonus among other recruiting efforts. And the firm has continued to pick up new hires, particularly for its independent broker-dealer arm.
However, scandals at the bank have dampened overall advisor interest in the firm as a potential employer, according to recruiters. The company's headcount has fallen by more than 500 advisors since the fourth quarter of 2016.
Wells Fargo has moved to make new investments in technology and training, according to a company spokeswoman.
"We have also put a lot of thought into our local markets, recently adding a new southern region to streamline our field leadership and bring them closer to the voices and needs of our clients and advisors in each region," she says.
To industry insiders like Blevins and Gold, the current trend lines aren't likely to change.
"There's a groundswell of interest [in going independent], and the more people who do it and have success doing it, then the momentum will continue to grow," Gold says.
Andrew Welsch
Senior Editor, Financial Planning
RecruitingRegional BDsIndependent BDsRIAsGoing independentWirehouse advisorsWirehousesSteward PartnersRaymond James FinancialStifel Financial


A Senate Appropriations Committee report issued on September 7 showed Senator interest in understanding the cannabis market more deeply through the implementation of a "National Testing Program for Schedule 1 Marijuana-Derived Products". This development comes as part of a push from the Senate urging federal agencies to understand the potency and purity of cannabis for sale in the legal markets throughout the country.
The report specifically instructed the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Drug Enforcement Agency to study cannabis samples. They are looking for reliable, robust data that will help them develop adequate policy. Previously NIDA researched illicit cannabis but the institute has never analyzed cannabis samples from the state legal medical or adult-use markets.
The Committee suggested that NIDA conduct research both on legal and illicit cannabis to eventually inform policy. The Committee cites public health policy, drug abuse prevention, and the development of law enforcement tactics as the guidelines for this change in federal procedure.
A separate section of the same report addressed concerns with restrictions put on the type and amount of research that is allowed to be conducted on certain schedule 1 drugs like cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids. Through the document, the Committee directed NIDA to provide them with an update on how the classification (Schedule 1) of compounds and drugs like cannabis create barriers in research.
These advancements in understanding at the level of the Senate could be monumental in the formation of reliable policy for the cannabis industry. Unfortunately, it is yet to be determined how cannabis will be acquired from legal adult-use states. This could be accomplished by NIDA acquiring cannabis from legal dispensaries or, worst case scenario, bust dispensaries across the country for the sake of research. From a subjective point of view, it seems that the best course of action would be to work in conjunction with testing labs across the country to further understand the plant.


The shipping rates to Italy and San Marino change according to the order total amount (shipping costs excluded).
For all the other countries the shipping rates are fixed and do not change with the number or size of the ordered items.
To learn more please visit our page about shipping rates.
Your order is generally dispatched within 1-2 working days upon receipt of your payment.
If your order includes "coming soon" items it will be dispatched within 1-2 working days of the availability of the new items.
Delays in deliveries may occur during Christmas, Easter and Bank Holidays.
Delays may occur also after promotional periods or due to force majeure.
You can make your payment through a wire transfer to our bank account.
Once you place your order the items are reserved and shipped as soon as we get your payment.
If we do not get your payment within 15 working days your order will be canceled.
We accept all major credit cards and all the payments are processed through PayPal, world leader in online security and anti-fraud technology.
Items prices are displayed on our website and may or may not include vat according to the country that the models are shipped to.
Used items are vat free either for EU or non-EU countries.
- a EU price list valid for all the EU member countries that includes vat.
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We do not make offers so it is important that you let us know the price you wish to sell it at.
If we are interested we will call you to agree the best way to close the deal.
Sales representatives are requested to make an appointment.


text:
const Elasticsearch = require('@kelda/elasticsearch').Elasticsearch;
const infrastructure = require('../../config/infrastructure.js');

const infra = infrastructure.createTestInfrastructure();
const elasticsearch = new Elasticsearch(infrastructure.nWorker).allowFromPublic();
elasticsearch.deploy(infra);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Can Sariöz
Author Archives: Can Sariöz
« 1 … 8 9 10
Being at Cal is not the same thing as being a Golden Bear
School spirit is a strange concept. It's not something that you automatically start with, but when you build it, it's not going anywhere. Having school spirit is like being a fan of a sports team. The pride of being at the college of your dreams is expected to translate to supporting the team in the stadium. However, that's not always true. I don't see a complete reflection of the pride of being a UC Berkeley student in pride in being a Golden Bear.
Cal rugby's young team prepares for West Coast 7's
Depth can sometimes be challenging. No team would ever complain having so many players on their hands, but the roster spots are limited. Last time out, Cal rugby split into two teams at the West Coast 7's. Both teams swept their respective brackets and met in the finals, where they
Cal men's tennis plays in 4 semifinals at UCSB Classic
It's hard to maintain a successful performance week in and week out, especially in tennis where game plans have to be completely readjusted depending on opponent. At the UCSB Classic, Cal men's tennis was looking to repeat what they have done in Davis the week prior. However, instead of singles
NBA rule changes will have minor effect at best
When you're far from you final destination, it can be hard to tell if your first step is even in the right direction. This is what the NBA had to contend with in its most recent board meeting. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NBA Board of Governors decided to implement
Cal men's tennis leave some in ITA All-Americans as other travel to Santa Barbara
With a young core, Cal men's tennis is set to reach its peak of the preseason in the regionals, which start Oct. 19. This weekend will be the last practice run as seniors Billy Griffith and J.T. Nishimura continue in consolation after a short run in ITA All-American Championship main
Cal men's tennis freshman Jacob Brumm takes consolation title
Rebuilding is a big part of sports, constructing a solid team after losing big names from the roster is something almost all teams have to go through. Cal men's tennis entered that process this off-season with seven freshmen who represented the No. 1 recruiting class in nation. That process seems
Cal men's tennis set for busy weekend in Malibu, San Francisco
While players have a lot to gain this week, coaches are not very interested in the results this early in the season. With having more freshmen than any other class on the team, the Bears are looking to develop more than anything, and the doubles games are a great opportunity for them as they match up freshmen with upperclassmen in these preseason tournaments.


text:
American Imago
Anne C. Dailey
Volume 64, Number 3, Fall 2007
10.1353/aim.2007.0032
Buy Issue for $20 at JHUP
Psychoanalysis has been a presence in legal thinking for over seventy years. Nevertheless, the history of the relations between the fields of law and psychoanalysis is fraught with ambiguity. Each discipline has had its internal controversies, while the interaction of the two has produced a distinctive set of accomplishments and setbacks. Yet despite the historiographic challenges, the convergence of law and psychoanalysis is clearly demarcated by the publication of two works, one that called the field into being in 1930, and another that ushered it into relative dormancy in the 1960s. The publication of this special issue of American Imago may well mark a third such defining moment to the extent it portends a renewal of earlier scholarly aspirations for the broad investigation of psychoanalytic ideas about human nature and their relevance to law.
The seminal event for law and psychoanalysis was the publication in 1930 of Jerome Frank's widely read book, Law and the Modern Mind, in which he called attention to the unconscious and irrational influences that permeated judicial decision-making. This was a distinguished beginning for the field of law and psychoanalysis. Frank was a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a member of the Yale Law School faculty, and a leading figure in early twentieth-century legal thought. He became interested in psychoanalysis after he underwent six months of treatment with the New York analyst Bernard Glueck (Brickner 1987). Frank's influence on legal thinking was profound. His book "fell like a bomb on the legal world," as one commentator remarked, and opened the door to decades of psychoanalytic inquiry by his followers (Verdun-Jones 1974, 184).
These decades witnessed the application of psychoanalysis to a wide range of legal subjects, including criminal law, mental health law, child custody law, and jurisprudence. As Susan Schmeiser observes in her essay in this issue, psychoanalytically oriented doctors and lawyers were closely involved during the [End Page 291] 1950s in drafting the nation's first model criminal code, which laid the foundation for the modern criminal justice system. Analysts and lawyers were busy collaborating in other areas of the law as well. The Yale law professor, Joseph Goldstein, and the Yale child psychiatrist, Albert Solnit, worked closely with Anna Freud to produce a trilogy of psychoanalytically informed books (1973; 1979; 1986) on child custody that revolutionized the law in this area by focusing on the psychological needs of the child.
But the high water mark of law and psychoanalysis was, indisputably, the publication in 1967 of the 800-page treatise Psychoanalysis, Psychiatry, and Law, by Jay Katz, Joseph Goldstein, and Alan Dershowitz. Working with Goldstein was Jay Katz, an analyst on the Yale Law Faculty, and Alan Dershowitz, a Yale law student at the time and future Harvard law professor. With the publication of their book, law and psychoanalysis as a distinct field of academic study reached its zenith and, at the same moment, presaged its own imminent decline.
The authors of this path-breaking treatise had high ambitions. Katz, Goldstein, and Dershowitz sought "to identify the assumptions reflected in and by law about the nature of man, his motivations, his capacities, and his limitations and to compare them with the assumptions in a single theory of man, psychoanalysis" (1967, 2). They scoured legal doctrines as diverse as trusts and estates, criminal procedure, copyright law, family law, military law, evidence, insurance, civil commitment, and patent law, and they excerpted material from legal scholars and philosophers as diverse as Friedrich Nietzsche, Georg Simmel, Henry Maine, John Bentham, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and Jerome Frank. Their references to psychoanalytic authors included, to name only a few, Sigmund Freud, Richard Sterba, Edith Jacobson, Heinz Hartmann, Ernst Kris, Rudolph Loewenstein, Roy Schafer, and Robert Waelder. By applying the ideas of these thinkers to a variety of legal doctrines and cases, the authors hoped to uncover the assumptions about human nature and motivation that lay beneath the law's ideal of the "reasonable man," a fictional figure who embodied conscious, rational thinking. They probed ideas about the dynamics, economic underpinnings, and development of the structural model of mind, and its relevance to issues such as criminal guilt...


How can I make my PC ask for a password before accessing any external drive?
Hello, I am so sick of this problem that someone came and copy some information to their external drive (e.g. usb drive) without my permission. So, I want my PC to ask for a password before accessing the device that is plugged in.
The easiest way to prevent your problem is to never leave your computer logged on and unattended. Either LOG OFF or Lock Screen.
Set up a password on your account, so that only you would be able to log on.
Change the security on your system so that your data cannot be accessed by anybody (encrypt your hard disc, make your profile private or whatever your system allows you to do.
Log off or lock your system whenever you're not using it.
You can also disable USB drives altogether, but this will affect all users, including yourself.
One way would be to right click on the drive select properties and then change the permissions to just you under Security assuming of course that you log out when leaving your machine unattended.


This page is about working with the A* Pathfinding Project when deploying for iPhone/Android or UWP (Universal Windows Platform).
Most things here apply for both iPhone and Android. But some is only relevant for iPhone since iPhone is more restrictive and thus greater care must be taken for compatibility.
Unity for some reason refuses to include the metadata for some .dll files in the package with the UnityPackage file. To get it working on UWP you need to locate the Pathfinding.Ionic.Zip.dll file in your Unity project and make sure it is marked as being *excluded* when building for UWP. This should be the only thing you need to do to get it to work.
The A* Pathfinding Project works for the most part out of the box even for iPhone. But if you are using stripping (Assembly or bytecode) you will have to locate the link.xml file, which you can find at Assets/AstarPathfindingProject/link.xml and place it at Assets/link.xml. This file will instruct the AOT (ahead-of-time) compiler not to strip out the classes mentioned in the file. If you do not do this, you might get errors in some cases, for example when attempting to use caching.
Using the micro mscorlib is not supported since that strips out too much of .Net.
Also do the same in JsonSerializer.cs.
This will hard-code references to the built-in graph types. If you have written any custom graph types you will have to add them to the hard-coded list defined in the variable DefaultGraphTypes in AstarData.cs.
Caching Startup is a good idea when deploying for the iPhone since that will reduce startup times, especially if you are using Recast graphs.
You can also check out the various options under A* Inspector -> Optimizations as they can help increase the performance in some cases.


Automotive Translations and India's Competitive Car Localization Industry!
Many businesses are investing in localization and automotive translations to gain an edge over their competitors in foreign markets. When companies release offerings in unfamiliar regions, they must overcome local and international competition in the area.
In the car manufacturing industry, localization is commonly applied when matching features with the needs of the target demographic. For example, European car makers have been known to release vehicles without heaters to markets in South East Asia, where temperatures rarely dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also applicable during manufacturing, when local parts and labor are used to decrease production costs.
Renault, a French multinational automobile manufacturer, is a global brand with decades of localization experience. In India, the group released a special model of its popular Duster crossover- a version designed for the local region. The company set a localization level of 70 percent opens in a new window and will push for 80 percent by the end of this year. Other competitors in the field, such as Hyundai, reportedly has a localization level of 90 percent.
"The Duster facelift offers 32 changes and the most important of which is India's first Easy-R AMT (Automated Manual Transmission). Other noteworthy changes include a revised headlamp, grille, bumpers, taillights, new alloy wheels, piano black center console with automatic climate control system in top-end variant, new seat fabric, and updated platform components and electric architecture," said The Hans India.
Ford, a leading US-based car manufacturing brand, is also expanding its presence in India. However, it is lagging behind due to a delayed entry. In 2012, the business revealed that is at 80 percent localization for the EcoSport, which arrived in the country three years later in 2015. To boost its car localization efforts, the company opened an independent technical training center in Manesar opens in a new window. The 18,000 square-foot facility has the capacity to train roughly 13,500 candidates annually. The trainees will be educated on Ford's product portfolio, service standards, as well as updated technical specifications for its current and upcoming vehicles that will be launching in India. This marks the seventh training center that the group built in the region, which signifies the establishment's long-term commitment to localization.
Another aspect of localization is the translation of various technical documents opens in a new window, such as car manuals, service procedures, training material and replacement parts specs and packaging. It is important to consider that India has over 14 official languages, creating the need for a streamlined technical translations process. An efficient way to go about completing this aspect of car localization would be to partner with a company that specializes in automotive translations.
"Unlike the nation's traditional channel marketers, India's digital marketers have largely focused on English language content. But the fastest growing digital demographics are non-English speakers, and overall English proficiency remains relatively low – an estimated 10% of the total [Indian] population," explained Ashwath Ganesan, national head of planning at OgilvyOne in Mumbai.


text:
Q: How can i validate two hours with Yup? I have a validation schema for my Formik Form on React Native using Yup. There are two fields (start_time and end_time) and i want to compare if start_time is after end_time and thrown a message to user.
I read about mixed.when and tried to figure out a solution with that, but i'm blocked with it.
const isSameOrAfterTime = (startTime, endTime) =>
  moment(startTime, HOUR_MINUTE_SECONDS_MASK).isSameOrAfter(endTime);

// example - data
// start_time: 08:00:25
// end_time: 10:23:42

start_time: Yup.string().when(['start_time', 'end_time'], {
    is: (startTime, endTime) => isSameOrAfterTime(startTime, endTime),
    then: Yup.string() // ???
    otherwise: // ????
  }),

I want to thrown a message when the start_time is after end_time

A: Use yup.test instead.
https://github.com/jquense/yup#mixedtestname-string-message-string--function-test-function-schema

const SignupSchema = Yup.object().shape({
  // (end_time, screma, self)
  start_time: Yup.string()
  .test(
    'not empty',
    'Start time cant be empty',
    function(value) {
      return !!value;
    }
  )
  .test(
    "start_time_test",
    "Start time must be before end time",
    function(value) {
      const { end_time } = this.parent;
      return isSameOrBefore(value, end_time);
    }
  ),
  end_time: Yup.string()
});

const isSameOrBefore = (startTime, endTime) => {
  return moment(startTime, 'HH:mm').isSameOrBefore(moment(endTime, 'HH:mm'));
}

https://codesandbox.io/s/awesome-johnson-vdueg

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to customize C# .NET Framework Manifest without Visual Studio I primarily use JetBrains Rider, which appears to lack the option to add a manifest (though my installation of Visual Studio mysteriously lacks "Application Manifest" under the "Add Item" menu anyhow).
So, I created app.manifest and filled it with the desired XML (in my case, it's a vanilla manifest with the classic <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"/>)... but  it didn't work.
I Changed Build Action to EmbeddedResource... but it still didn't work.
I renamed the file to sandbox.exe.manifest... still nothing!
If I open the exe in a text editor, I see two manifests - mine, and the default.
What step am I missing?

A: You have to specify manifest file name in the project file. Open corresponding csproj file (Solution Explorer -> select your project -> F4 \ Edit sources) and add the next line to the global properties group :
<ApplicationManifest>app.manifest</ApplicationManifest>

For more information you can read this question:
How can I embed an configuration-specific manifest file in my c# app?


text:
for additional privileges
Civic Media Project
adminx, Author
You appear to be using an older verion of Internet Explorer. For the best experience please upgrade your IE version or switch to a another web browser.
Aliens on Campus: An alternate reality approach to student inclusion
Wouter Grove, Johan Breytenbach, Leona Craffert
This case study describes the development of a "Confucius says…"- meme-inspired, technology-enhanced Alternate Reality Game (ARG) program for student induction purposes at a higher education institution in South Africa. Concerns that received attention during this study include, inter alia, sensitivity to the current higher education landscape and digital literacy inequalities in South Africa when designing student digital inclusion processes, the role of meaningful inefficiency in gaming in developing civic literacy within a developing world context, benefits and challenges related to using ARG as a communication approach towards diverse groups of students, and the (controversial) concept of memes as remixed communication devices that can be used to benefit student engagement and digital inclusion.
Concerns that received attention during this study include, inter alia, sensitivity to the current higher education landscape and digital literacy inequalities in South Africa
In the global knowledge economy of the 21st century, universities are tasked with graduating digitally literate, connected students. Rushkoff (1997) describes tertiary students as needing to be "equipped to absorb the data flying across our screens, make sense of the post-linear grammar with which it is formatted, and participate in its production as amateur journalists." Higher education (HE) institutions should, by implication, be digitally inclusive.
South Africa's struggle in the digital inclusion arena is undeniably linked to inequalities of access to digital literacy education resulting from years of societal division under Apartheid (Balfour & Kajee 2011). This unequal reality is particularly problematic within HE, where digital technologies are increasingly becoming a feature (Balfour & Kajee 2011).
Within this context, an Alternate Reality Game (ARG)-based student induction program was designed at the University of the Western Cape1 to enhance student engagement and digital inclusion. ARG presented itself as a potential solution, as it could include all students regardless of the student's digital capacity in what Suits (1977) refer to as the "temporary reallocation to autotelic activities of resources primarily committed to instrumental purposes."
The purpose of this project was to increase student engagement using ARG and localized memes, while increasing higher education institutions' level of digital inclusion. ARG has been used in HE to increase student engagement (Piatt 2009; Whitton 2009a). Literature also provides examples where memes were used as engagement devices (Börzsei 2013). Numerous university meme pages exist on social media sites such as Facebook (Börzsei 2013).
Memes, as "units of cultural transmission," were first conceptualized by Dawkins (2006). Davison (2012) defines an internet meme as follows: "An Internet meme is a piece of culture, typically a joke, which gains influence through online transmission."
The common usage of a "meme" was criticized by Jenkins et al. (2013), who questions the concept of deterministic "self-replicating" culture and the negating of the agency role of greater public control over content that spreads through culture (Jenkins 2014). This study asks the question whether deliberate meme creation may offer value in HE.
Aliens on Campus
The Game [Design and approach]
A creative adaptation of the "Confucius says…" meme was utilized and remixed as starting point for the game narrative. Within this context remix means taking cultural artifacts and combining and manipulating them into new kinds of creative blends (Knobel and Lankshear 2008). Lessig (2008) suggests two goods that a remixing culture may create, namely creating of communities of remixers (not only as participants, but also as engaged producers) and impacting education (by for example stimulating interest- based learning).
A multi-channel communication strategy was designed with our target group's diversity in mind and utilized text messaging, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), mass e-mail, as well as social media channels (Facebook; Twitter; Google Plus and YouTube).
Storyline: Confucius is the leader of the alien craft from planet ConfusX-12 that crash-landed at UWC. Remixed videos and images were teased onto a website and social media channels.2 The League of Deconfusers is a secret society receiving telepathic messages from Confucius via social media, and they are actively recruiting UWC students to join the League. Senior students were recruited as Deconfusers, issued with branded t-shirts and given short training.
Confucius' nemesis is the "Doom of Not Knowing" (The DONK) and attacks people not connected and linked. The DONK was spotted at various places on campus and captured onto remixed videos which were placed onto the various web properties created for the campaign.
Players moved through the game by collecting clues, answering questions, uploading media (video; images; text), entering codes left at particular places at particular times and using particular social media hashtags. The campaign aimed to create opportunities for ideas to evolve through deliberative dialogue, thus creating meaningful inefficiencies (Gordon 2012).
The game purpose was explained as defeating the threat of the DONK by collecting and then sharing experiences & opinions. The threats faced focused on the main themes as per the program of a concurrent academic conference hosted on campus over the five day period of play (i.e. Cities in Transition; HIV-Aids prevention).
Aliens on Campus Logo
Lessons learnt from this pilot case include (i) ARG showed potential as a communication tool in a context characterized by varying levels of digital literacy, (ii) leveraging [by means of remixing/repurposing] internet memes within ARGs in order to attract student attention within the attention-deficit economy, showed sufficient promise to continue investigating its utilization, (iii) social media was confirmed as popular communication tool (within ARG) for marketing and communication amongst students, (iv) the use of existing online memes as engagement catalysts had a positive impact on student engagement within the ARG-enriched induction program, and (v) time constraints (only 5 days of gameplay) impacted negatively on the project team's capacity to create sufficient scaffolding to ensure ease of mastery and more efficient adoption of the game by the target group.
The true ARG aesthetic may not be optimal within educational applications. As Whitton (2009b) states: "In order to generate larger player numbers, ARGs need either a) ensure a larger initial sign- up from the target population or b) ensure a greater percentage of active players from those who do sign up. Ways in which to achieve both of these outcomes deserves further consideration and research."
Even within the very limited game play time, players and some other university stakeholders started remixing the memes utilized and even started creating and sharing their own memes. This corresponds with the experience of McGonical in other more well-known ARGs played out over much longer periods (McGonigal 2006).
On the potential value of the remixing culture in developing cultural literacy Jenkins (2006) states,"More and more literacy experts are recognizing that enacting, reciting, and appropriating elements from preexisting stories is a valuable and organic part of the process by which children develop cultural literacy."
The potential exists that the creation of meme-based ARG induction games can leverage the generativity of internet memes that "allows instant reaction and encourages virality, so people can comment on the most current issues, events and people, as well as find an audience" (Börzsei 2013).
This is one of the ways in which the game did not succeed. There was a lack of sufficient opportunity to ensure that the many systems designed were truly responsive to player interactions as suggested by McGonigal (2006). Therefore it can be concluded that, although a meme-inspired ARG offers potential for enhancing student induction, it needs to play out over significantly longer time in order to derive maximum benefit, and it needs to be an integral part of the broader induction programs.
Our sincere appreciation goes to the following students who co-created Aliens on Campus: Reuben Claasen, Chiunde Mwanza, Conal da Costa, Ziyaad Parker and Vuyiswa Nomlala.
Balfour, Robert John, and Leila Kajee. 2011. "Students' Access to Digital Literacy at a South African University: Privilege and Marginalisation." Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29 (2): 187–196.
Börzsei, Linda K. 2013. "Makes a Meme Instead : A Concise History of Internet Memes." SelectedWorks 7 (March): 1–29.
Dawkins, Richard. 2006. The Selfish Gene. 30th anniv. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Gordon, Eric. 2012. "Meaningful Inefficiencies in the 'Smart City.'" Places of Social Media Available at: http://placeofsocialmedia.com/blog/2012/07/24/meaningful-inefficiencies-inthe-smart-city/.
Jenkins, Henry. 2014. "A Meme Is a Terrible Thing to Waste: An Interview with Limor Shifman (Part One). Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/2014/02/a-meme-is-a-terrible-thing-towaste-an-interview-with-limor-shifman-part-one.html.
Jenkins, Henry, Sam Ford, and Joshua Green. 2013. Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York: NYU Press.
Mcgonigal, Jane Evelyn. 2006. "This Might Be a Game: Ubiquitous Play and Performance at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century." University of California, PhD thesis. Available at: http://janemcgonigal.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/mcgonigal_this_might_be_a_game_sm-1.pdf.
Patrick Davison. 2012. "The Language of Internet Memes." In Social Media Reader, edited by Michael Mandiberg, 120–137. New York and London: New York University Press.
Piatt, Katie. 2009. "Using Alternate Reality Games to Support First Year Induction with ELGG." Campus-Wide Information Systems 26 (4): 313–322.
Rushkoff, Douglas. 1997. Children of Chaos : Surviving the End of the World As We Know It . London: Flamingo.
Suits, Bernhard. 1977. "Words on Play." Journal of the Philosophy of Sport (IV): 117–131. 7
Whitton, Nicola. 2009a. "Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialization and Induction (ARGOSI)- Final Report". Manchester, UK. Available at: http://argosi.playthinklearn.net/final.pdf.———. 2009b. "ARGOSI Evaluation Report". Manchester, UK. Available at: http://argosi.playthinklearn.net/evaluation.pdf%0A.
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No. 1 Kansas to Host Michigan in Men's Basketball Saturday at 11 a.m.
Kansas notes for Michigan in PDF Format
No. 1 Kansas (9-0) took this week off for final exams and hosts Big Ten Conference foe Michigan (5-4) Saturday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN, which is promoting the game as a Green Game. In that, ESPN has been on campus filming the University of Kansas and the city of Lawrence sustainability efforts. These efforts will be featured throughout the telecast.
KU-Michigan Promotions
–Green Game promotion in conjunction with Kansas Athletics and ESPN (see note later).
–Kansas Director of Athletics Lew Perkins will present former KU great John McLendon's widow, Joanna, with a check from Kansas Athletics to the McLendon Foundation (see note later).
–New Kansas football coach Turner Gill will be introduced at halftime and will address the Allen Fieldhouse crowd.
Kansas posted a 90-65 win against La Salle in the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout on Dec. 12 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Freshman Xavier Henry had a career-high 31 points in the game and was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second-straight week for his efforts. Kansas averages 90.3 points per game, is giving up 57.7 points and ranks in the top five nationally with a +32.7 scoring margin. KU is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 34.3 percent. Only one KU opponent, Radford, has shot above 40 percent against the Jayhawks this season. Xavier Henry leads the team with an 18 point scoring average. He is making 53.3 percent of his shots from three-point range and leads KU with 24 threes and 16 steals. Senior guard Sherron Collins scores 13.3 points per game and he has made 19 three pointers. Collins leads the team with 40 assists, which are five ahead of sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (7.3 ppg). Taylor has 14 steals, two ahead of Collins (12). Junior center Cole Aldrich leads the team in rebounds with 9.6 per game. He also leads KU and the Big 12 in blocked shots with 3.6 per outing. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris is a starter who is scoring 9.8 points and pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Markieff Morris is coming off the bench to score 8.9 points per game. Markieff, who recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against La Salle on Dec. 12, is second on the team with his 6.2 rebound average and leads KU with a 69.8 percent field goal shooting. Junior guard Tyrel Reed scores 4.8 points per outing and he has 10 three-pointers this season. Freshman guard Elijah Johnson (4.3 ppg) has started the last two games. Thomas Robinson (5.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is another regular who scored 10 points with seven rebounds against Radford (Dec. 9).
Kansas is the five-time defending Big 12 champion, finished 27-8 last season and won the 2009 league title outright with a 14-2 conference record. The Jayhawks advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before falling to NCAA runner-up Michigan State in Indianapolis last year.
Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., and coached by John Beilein, Michigan has won two of its last three games and is 5-4 on the season following its 75-64 win against Detroit on Dec. 13 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines average 71.1 points and give up 63.9 per game for a +7.2 scoring margin. U-M averages 8.2 steals per game and forces 15.6 turnovers per contest. Michigan is one of the youngest teams in America with 12 players redshirt sophomores or younger. Junior guard Manny Harris leads the team with 22.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Harris also has a team-high 18 steals and 45 assists. He is tied for the team lead with 13 three pointers along with sophomore guard Laval Lucas-Perry, who is scoring 7.4 points per game. Senior forward DeShawn Sims is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per contest and he is just behind Harris in rebounds with a 7.4 average. Sophomore guard Zack Novak and freshman guard Darius Morris round out the starters. Novak scores 6.3 points per game, while Morris averages 4.8 ppg. Senior forward Zack Gibson (6.0 ppg) and sophomore guard Stu Douglass (4.7 ppg) each average more than 24 minutes per game for the Wolverines.
Michigan has won all five meetings with Kansas in men's basketball. This is a rarity for Kansas – the third-winningest program in NCAA Division I – because of teams with multiple games played against Kansas, Bradley (2-0) and UTEP (3-0) are the only teams that have undefeated records versus KU. The Kansas-Michigan series dates back to 1949 and runs through 1992. Two of the matchups have been on neutral floors with a 49-47 Michigan win in 1949 in Kansas City and the last meeting, an 86-74 Michigan victory on Dec. 30, 1992, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. This will be the second meeting between the schools in Allen Fieldhouse as Michigan defeated Kansas 64-52 during the 1980-81 season.
Team Notables
–Kansas remains one of 11 undefeated teams in NCAA Division I (Dec. 13). Others include Georgetown, Kentucky, Missouri State, New Mexico, Purdue, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
–Seven of Kansas' nine victories this season have been by 25 or more points with six of those by 30 points or more.
–Entering the week, Kansas led the nation in scoring margin at +32.7. The Jayhawks also ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (third at 90.3), field goal percentage (seventh at 51.2), field goal percentage defense (second at 34.3), three-point field goal percentage (fifth at 44.2), assists (fourth at 19.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.65) and blocked shots (seventh at 7.4).
–KU averages 7.4 blocked shots per game to its opponents' 3.2.
–Kansas has shot 50 percent or better in six of nine games this season.
–The Jayhawks' bench outscored La Salle's bench 25-3 in its last game. KU's averages 31.3 points per game compared to 13.6 by its opponents.
–Through nine games, seven different Jayhawks, including ties, have led the team in steals, seven in points and five in assists.
–Kansas forces 16.7 turnovers per game and averages 21.3 points off turnovers per game.
Player Notables
–Senior Sherron Collins has scored in double figures in seven games this season. He has 12 assists in his last two games and averages 4.4 assists on the season. He is second on the team in scoring and his 13.3 ppg ranks 19th in the Big 12. Collins also ranks among the league leaders in assists (sixth at 4.4), three-point field goal percentage (seventh at .432), three-point field goals made (eighth at 2.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 2.9).
–Junior Cole Aldrich, an Academic All-America candidate, is coming off a season-high 19 points against La Salle (Dec. 12). He leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally with 3.6 blocked shots per game. Aldrich tied his season high with five blocked shots against La Salle (Dec. 12) and has had at least three blocked shots in all but one game this season. He led the league with 2.7 blocked shots per game last year and his 160 career blocked shots are sixth on the KU list. Aldrich has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in three of his last five games and is third in the Big 12 in rebounding at 9.6 rpg. He has three double-doubles this season.
–Freshman Xavier Henry was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second-straight week on Dec. 14 following his career-high 31 points against La Salle on 10-of-15 shooting. He has led KU in scoring in five of nine games this season and has a team-best and Big 12 freshmen-leading 18.0 scoring average. He has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in all but one game this season and is making 53.3 percent from three-point range. The last KU freshman to lead the team in scoring was Brandon Rush in 2005-06 at 13.5 ppg. Henry ranks seventh in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.0 ppg, fourth in field goal percentage at .556, second in three-point field goal percentage at .533 and third in three pointers made at 2.7.
–Sophomore Markieff Morris scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting against La Salle (Dec. 12). He has pulled down six or more rebounds in four of his last six games. He also had a career-high four blocked shots against the Explorers. Two games earlier, Markieff had a career-high 19 points at UCLA (Dec. 6) on 8-of-11 shooting. He is shooting 69.8 percent from the field on the season and had made 15 consecutive shots at one point. Markieff ranks 13th in the Big 12 in rebounding at 6.2 rpg.
–Sophomore Marcus Morris had nine points and six rebounds against La Salle (Dec. 12). He has started the last seven games and is third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest. Marcus has pulled down six or more boards in four of his last six games. He recorded his third career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Oakland (Nov. 25).
–Sophomore Tyshawn Taylor had 10 points against La Salle (Dec. 12) to mark his second double figure scoring game of the season. He has 12 assists in his last two games and five or more assists in three of his last four contests. Taylor's five rebounds against Radford (Dec. 9) were a season high. Taylor had a career-high five steals against Alcorn State (Dec. 2). Taylor ranks tied for 11th in the Big 12 in steals at 1.6, eighth in assists at 3.9 and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.9.
–Freshman Elijah Johnson has started the last two games and had a career-high 11 points in his starting debut against Radford (Dec. 9). Johnson had nine assists against Alcorn State (Dec. 2) in addition to four rebounds. He is third on the team with 24 assists.
–Junior Tyrel Reed, an Academic All-America candidate, has made 10 three pointers and 15 field goals on the season. He played a season-high 22 minutes at UCLA (Dec. 6) with five points. He is averaging 4.8 points per game.
–Freshman Thomas Robinson had 10 points against Radford (Dec. 9) to record his second double-figure scoring game of the season. He has pulled down four or more rebounds in seven of nine games this season, including seven against Radford, 11 against Central Arkansas (Nov. 19) and 10 versus Alcorn State (Dec. 2). He recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Alcorn State. For the season, he is scoring 5.4 points and pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game.
–Freshman C.J. Henry had a career-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting against Radford (Dec. 9). Henry was 3-for-4 from three-point range versus RU with one blocked shot in 10 minutes. C.J. is 9-for-15 (60 percent) from the field this season, including 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from three-point range.
Kansas Athletics to Donate to McLendon Foundation
Kansas native John McLendon was a true basketball pioneer with a long list of remarkable achievements. As a student at the University of Kansas in the 1930's, McLendon was the first African-American to study under James Naismith, and he became Dr. Naismith's advisee during his time here in Lawrence. McLendon, who passed away in 1999, broke down racial barriers to become an outstanding, innovative coach, winning several championships during his groundbreaking career. His first came in 1957, when he coached Tennessee A&I State University to the first of three-straight NAIA championships. He made his mark internationally as well, assisting as a coach on the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and 1972. In 1966 he was hired by Cleveland State University, and became the first African-American head basketball coach at a predominantly white institution. In addition to his coaching achievements, McLendon held administrative positions at several colleges, including North Carolina College, Hampton Institute, Tennessee State University and Cleveland State University. In 1998 the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics honored him by founding the McLendon Foundation to aid minority students pursuing a graduate degree in athletics administration. The McLendon Scholarship program has provided more than 30 postgraduate scholarships, each in the amount of $10,000. Additionally, in 2007 the McLendon Foundation established the McLendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame to recognize and honor the dedication of longtime minority athletics administrators. Last June, KU's Gale Sayers was inducted into the McLendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame. At halftime of the Michigan game, KU Director of Athletics Lew Perkins will present McLendon's widow, Joanna McLendon, and Mike Cleary, executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, a $10,000 donation from Kansas Athletics to the McLendon Foundation.
Kansas hosts Pac-10 foe California on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. The Jayhawks will then host Belmont the following Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. to close out the 2009 calendar year.