We investigate whether the design of the built environment encourages walking above and beyond individuals' attitudes toward walking. With data from a regional travel survey, we use regression analyses to examine differences in neighborhood walking trips among residents with positive and negative attitudes toward walking. The results show that built and social environment factors have a differential impact on walking trips depending on a person's walking attitudes. Therefore, strategies to promote positive walking attitudes should be pursued in tandem with land use policies to encourage neighborhood walking.
To compare these groups, the sample was stratified into two groups based on attitudinal differences, hereafter referred to as "high-walk" and "low-walk" attitudes. A walking attitude index was constructed based on an additive measure of three attitudinal questions from the South Bay travel survey. For each question, respondents were asked to rate on a 5-point ordinal scale (5 = very important; 4 = important; 3 = neutral; 2 = rather unimportant; 1 = not at all important). The median attitude index value of 10 was used as the threshold for stratifying the sample into high-walk and low-walk groups. Therefore, respondents who scored 10 or higher on the attitude index were included in the high-walk sample, while those who scored 9 or lower on the scale comprised the low-walk sample, with index scores ranging from 5 to 15.
Ok, but nowhere in the paper can I find what these three questions are, precisely. And that matters. Travel diaries tend to drive me crazy because transportation agencies seldom cognitively test their surveys with psychologists before administering them. I don't know whether SCAG did so, but if they did, it would surprise me. Few people in transport are trained this way. This lack of testing isn't something the authors of the study can do anything about; it's not their survey. It's just a problem that bugs me about agency-administered surveys in general.
But the questions they used to combine for their index should be explained in the article. Am I just missing it?
Splitting the sample means they are going to run into more trouble than otherwise when they begin to bring in their neighborhood level variables–which, for all practical purposes–work like another strata on the data. It's not really clear what the split sample accomplishes for them that using the preference variables or indexes as controls wouldn't accomplish just as well. The case for stratifying isn't made clear to me anyway.
They are trying to figure out if built environment and safety variables produce more of an effect for those with different levels of preference towards walking in the first place. They are also, I suspect, trying to figure out if people sorted themselves by residential preference according to preference towards walking: those who very much prefer walking might be expected to, all things equal, buy houses in neighborhoods with more walking amenities. They don't seem to see that effect here, which probably just means they can't control for enough residential neighborhood variables to see an effect, or the effect is simply dominated by preferences for other things, like schools.
Their dependent variable is a count of walking trips.
These glitches notwithstanding, they have some interesting results, but what I find interesting, they don't seem to find interesting. First, we'll look at what they find interesting. They find that for those who have a high preference for walking, violent crime rates do not dampen the individuals' tendency to walk much. And, in turn, a good supply of neighborhood walking destinations–a la the mixed use that planners promote so tirelessly–allows those with the preference towards walking to satisfy that preference. Yay! However, violent crimes seem to really reinforce lack of walking among those who show little preference for it–as we would expect–and no amount of neighborhood design seems to influence them to walk more. In fact, the Jane Jacobs idea–short blocks, lots of intersections thing seems to dissuade them! (I TOLD YOU PEOPLE SO! I've been saying it for years. Not everybody loves short blocks with lots of opportunities to get hit by a car!! Did you listen? NOOOO).
It would be interesting to see–which they probably can't do with these data–whether violent crime rates are informing the negative attitudes about walking to begin with.
Our cities are "smart" and getting smarter as information processing capability is embedded throughout more and more of our urban infrastructure. Few of us object to traffic light control systems that respond to the ebbs and flows of city traffic; but we might be taken aback when discount coupons for our favorite espresso drink are beamed to our mobile phones as we walk past a Starbucks. Sentient City explores the experience of living in a city that can remember, correlate, and anticipate. Five teams of architects, artists, and technologists imagine a variety of future interactions that take place as computing leaves the desktop and spills out onto the sidewalks, streets, and public spaces of the city.
"Too Smart City" employs city furniture as enforcers: a bench ejects a sitter who sits too long, a sign displays the latest legal codes and warns passersby against transgression, and a trashcan throws back the wrong kind of trash. "Amphibious Architecture" uses underwater sensors and lights to create a human-fish-environment feedback loop; "Natural Fuse" uses a network of "electronically assisted" plants to encourage energy conservation; "Trash Track" follows smart-tagged garbage on its journey through the city's waste-management system; and "Breakout" uses wireless technology and portable infrastructure to make the entire city a collaborative workplace.
These projects are described, documented, and illustrated by 100 images, most in color. Essays by prominent thinkers put the idea of the sentient city in theoretical context.
Here, too, is the very cool website from the Architectural League that accompanies the book, Toward the Sentient City.
Planetizen has really grown into a site that interests me way, way more than it did at the beginning, where it was primarily the usual planning advocacy stuff. Now that they've been there, done that, it's got writing that has been far more interesting to me, as I haven't heard the same material for 10 years running.
One of my favorites recently was this piece from Fanis Grammenos on Choosing A Grid, or Not. First, I want to respond to an Fboo comment that the piece reduces the grid to "mere statistics." First of all, there isn't anything in the piece that even approaches statistics. He talks about correlation, but he doesn't present any. These are measurements only. There is a difference between measurement and testing. And there's nothing "mere" about either.
Second, jeez louise. Tough crowd. Nobody who measures something believes they have captured the whole of anything. Intelligent people should understand that they are more than a shoe size. And yet, that measure is pretty useful on a day-to-day basis.
Grammenos is at least trying to help us understand the physical aspects of what we are talking about when we are discussing different grids. All knowledge is partial, regardless of whether you are describing something with numbers, pictures, or words. Yes, even your pretty pictures are partial.
We grasp little bits of understanding with every study of this type we try to do.
The interesting bit of this material to me concerns something I've suspected for a very long time: undisciplined use of sidewalk regulation can increase ROW and spread the urban footprint, particularly if you refuse to pare down on road space (as many places do).
The mathematics of networks and space are fascinating. Anybody who thinks this stuff is reductive should go check out Anna Nagurney's work, or her very nice blog.
Where do urban planning and urban design belong?
Another old controversy in planning concerns whether the field is an art or a science–a useful distinction for people who believe that art and science are distinct things, with bright lines between them. Since I don't, the dichotomy is less interesting.
More interesting is the idea of where design falls in urban planning, and whether urban planners in university programs should be housed with the architects or the social science people.
There are arguments either way; functionally, urban planners are going to be a minority regardless of whether you put them in social science or design, and being a minority discipline means disadvantage no matter where you go. Architects look down on planners, and economists and political scientists look down on planners, less because in fact they are all that much more rigorous than anybody else and more (largely) because a) it's fun to feel superior because b) it allows you to ignore for the nonce the crippling weaknesses in your own discipline's approaches and theories.
Planners, in general, have internalized this "we're inferior" mantra from other disciplines, for reasons that escape me. My attitude is to go outpublish people, learn more, get more grants–and to tell any architect or economist who gets up all in my face to jump in the lake and get over themselves. In the hard light of honest evaluation, knowledge is painfully partial, everywhere; everybody has intriguing answers, even if they aren't right, and nobody has all the answers.
The Journal of Planning Education and Research in a recent issue* takes up the question of where urban design belongs and where it should be taught.
The discussion here shows that not that many planning programs among those surveyed has an active design component. At USC, we have been fortunate: We have had terrific design-oriented faculty associated with the program, including Tridib Banerjee, Clara Irazabal, Elizabeth Faletta, among others.
This article considers the factors contributing to the recent international trend for a differentiation between planning and urban design. It considers these highly related fields from the perspective of neoliberalism, global competition, and the doxa of New Urbanism. The article argues that urban design needs to be retained as an important subset of planning practice, concerned with the physical design of cities, so that the core planning values of serving the public interest in the attainment of social equity, democratic civil society, and an ecologically sustainable future may be maintained in our city-building processes.
Gunders' is a concern that I share; among many of the fields of planning, design has always been associated with something developers and cities purchase to add value to land.
Banerjee's response goes a bit deeper than others, but I may be biased due to my fondness for a wonderful colleague. The argument he makes confronts the idea that planning needs to control urban design as a movement and a greater comfort with interdisciplinary practice in urban design.
I'm obviously no designer, but whenever I see social justice critiques about it, it reminds me of Adrienne Rich's fundamental question: can you use the master's tools to take down the master's house? Why is urban design any different from any other skill set? Use it for both public and private good, or use for exclusively private benefit. It's the practice that counts. It's hard for me to believe that James Rojas and his merry, joyful, and empowering set of urban blocks and models don't open up and democratize design.
This article assesses the performance of U.S. planning programs relative to their administrative location in design versus nondesign units. We use both archival data to compare program rankings between design and nondesign units and a survey of a random sample of faculty (108 at 61 accredited programs). The archival data show a higher publication performance of programs in nondesign units. The survey finds that faculty respondents from nondesign locations have more favorable evaluations of their programs than do respondents from design locations. Administrators and faculty differ: while faculty in design units score their programs dramatically lower, administrators have a moderate difference in the reverse direction.
Their sample has some problems (but I've yet to meet a sample that doesn't), but it's worth looking at their discussion. I have been both in a design college and in a social science unit, and I am much, much happier in the social science world, largely due to the emphasis and rewards to publication in social science units.
We should note, though, that design-oriented programs also have pretty big differences in course loads and contact hours in studio education. There's also just the fact that the terminal degree in architecture tends to be the master's, and so many, many good faculty instructors there may not be trained to publish research.
Finally, this issue of JPER shows some contradictions to the findings. Many of the design-oriented faculty featured in this issue are breath-takingly productive people: Talen, Steiner, Banerjee are all very well-published scholars (Steiner is a dean, too). There are others: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Gail Dubrow, Renia Ehrenfeucht, and Ann Forsyth are very productive scholars, to name just a few. So there is clearly productivity in the urban design subfield.
*I am sorry that these are paid articles.
One of my wonderful colleagues has a new book out from the University of Pennsylvania Press: Urban Tomography by Martin Krieger.
Tomography is a method of exploring a phenomenon through a large number of examples or perspectives. In medical tomography, such as a CAT scan, two-dimensional slices or images of a three-dimensional organ are used to envision the organ itself. Urban tomography applies the same approach to the study of city life. To appreciate different aspects of a community, from infrastructure to work to worship, urban planning expert Martin H. Krieger scans the myriad sights and sounds of contemporary Los Angeles. He examines these slices of life in Urban Tomographies.
The book begins by introducing tomographic methods and the principles behind them, which are taken from phenomenological philosophy. It draws from the examples of Lee Friedlander and Walker Evans, as well as Denis Diderot, Charles Marville, and Eugène Atget, who documented the many facets of Paris life in three crucial periods. Rather than focus on singular, extraordinary figures and events as do most documentarians, Krieger looks instead at the typical, presenting multiple specific images that call attention to people and activities usually rendered invisible by commonality. He took tens of thousands of photographs of industrial sites, markets, electrical distributing stations, and storefront churches throughout Los Angeles. He also recorded the city's ambient sounds, from the calls of a tamale vendor to the buzz of a workshop saw. Krieger considers these samples from the urban sensorium in this innovative volume, resulting in a thoughtful illumination of the interplay of people with and within the built environment. With numerous maps and photographs, as well as Krieger's unique insights, Urban Tomographiesprovides an unusually representative and rounded view of the city.
If you aren't following the Source, the blog for the LA Metro edited by Steve Hymon, you're missing out. All the news related to transit in LA–and there's a lot of it–is reported, along with frequent updates on Federal transportation news.
Among my favorites is the Art of Transit series. Go look.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its founders have been named as defendants in a class action lawsuit filed in federal court. Filed on behalf of mechanical systems designer Henry Gifford, owner of Gifford Fuel Saving, the lawsuit was stamped on October 8, 2010 at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Among other allegations, the suit argues that USGBC is fraudulently misleading consumers and fraudulently misrepresenting energy performance of buildings certified under its LEED rating systems, and that LEED is harming the environment by leading consumers away from using proven energy-saving strategies.
Ho boy. This is a can of worms, indeed.
Certifying buildings according to energy practices and design is one thing: making the connection between those practices and design and actual efficiency is a bigger deal.
For me, LEED and USGBC's willingness to begin certifying neighborhood design in the same way they have certifying buildings–and we are nowhere near understanding how urban design really affects energy use, and the same problem with the building standards (imprecise estimates, compounded) can be much worse estimated across the neighborhood–or across a whole inventory of emissions sources.
At the same time, having one set of standards can be very important to developers so that they know what to aim for.
This will be interesting to see as it unfolds.


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October 31, 2012 11:03am PT by Eriq Gardner
Angelina Jolie 'Blood and Honey' Lawsuit Heats Up as Lawyers Fight Over Private Information
Angelina Jolie Blood Honey Headshot - P 2012
Forensic analysis of Jolie's e-mail, obeying the protocols of the Hague Convention, and figuring out protective orders are a few issues being discussed in an author's copyright lawsuit.
Attorneys for Angelina Jolie and Croatian author James Braddock have agreed to a 15-day trial beginning on January 29, 2014 in their dispute over whether the actress ripped off a 2007 book for her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey.
That is, if the case gets that far.
PHOTOS: Top 10 Legal Disclaimers in Hollywood
Before any trial happens, Jolie's attorneys say they will be making a summary judgment motion with the hope that Judge Dolly Gee will see that Braddock can't establish the required elements of access or substantial similarity to support a copyright infringement claim. Depending on how far this case goes, the dispute could get complicated thanks to Jolie's A-list status and the fact that the discovery process will happen both in the U.S. and in Europe.
Last December, Braddock sued Jolie, producer GK Films and distributor FilmDistrict weeks before In the Land of Blood and Honey hit theaters. The original complaint was filed in Illinois, but Braddock wasn't successful in showing why a federal court there had jurisdiction over the matter, so it was moved to California.
According to the original complaint, Braddock authored a book entitled The Soul Shattering. He says that on his travels to Sarajevo to promote his work and create awareness for Bosnian war victims, he met Edin Sarkic and allegedly discussed with him the possibility of creating a film adaptation.
Later, Sarkic became a producer on Jolie's film and has been credited with helping Jolie attain the necessary permits to film in Sarajevo.
Jolie disputes that her film is based on Braddock's book, saying the idea came from working as a UN ambassador. Her attorneys say that she'll be able to show Blood and Honey was independently created, and that any alleged similarities were purely coincidental or not actionable.
But how that gets to that point could be intriguing.
According to a court document filed late last week in the case, Jolie's lawyer Harrison Dossick says, "The Parties recognize that discovery in this case will extend to information and witnesses located in Eastern Europe and elsewhere outside the United States, and therefore will require substantial planning, will necessitate service of process pursuant to the Hague Convention, and will be very costly and time consuming."
VIDEO: Angelina Jolie Explains Choosing 'Blood and Honey' for Directorial Debut
Dossick, a partner at Reed Smith, highlights his discovery requests, which include other prior similar books as well as Braddock's book, historical facts and actual events upon which Braddock's book is based and Braddock's research. In other words, a real historical investigation of the Bosnian Civil War.
Braddock's attorney Rasheed McWilliams at Adli Law Group has his own discovery demands -- documents and depositions of Jolie and the other defendants, of course, but also "a forensic analysis of Defendants' computer accounting and email systems."
Dossick objects to that request, arguing there's no good cause to support such "extraordinary, intrusive discovery measures."
The international scope of this litigation creates potential disorder in other ways.
Braddock demands access to sensitive business, financial and personal documents from the defendants. This likely includes revenues for the movie as well as compensation records. The request isn't unusual, nor is a general agreement among the parties to treat such information as confidential. But what makes things tricky is what might happen should there be any leaks.
"With regard to Ms. Jolie, it is believed Plaintiff will seek highly confidential, non-public, private facts and personal information," says Dossick in a statement to the judge. "Defendants' concerns are further heightened in this case because Plaintiff -- who resides in Croatia and thus, as a practical matter, is beyond the contempt powers of this Court -- already has made disparaging and threatening comments about Defendants on his website and elsewhere on the Internet."
STORY: Angelina Jolie Seeks to Dismiss 'Blood and Honey' Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Jolie's attorney wants a strict confidentiality and protective order in the case.
Both sides say they haven't engaged in any settlement discussions as of yet. In fact, the lawsuit might expand before it goes away. Braddock's lawyer says he anticipates the need to add claims of unfair competition and false advertising. Jolie's lawyer believes there's no grounds to permit this.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The employee-boss relationship is often a one-way street, but it doesn't have to be. Employees have an important role to play in creating an open dialogue, setting expectations, exploring opportunities, analyzing challenges and creating the agenda. Just as bosses must manage down, employees must also manage up.
Building a mutually beneficial working rapport can be difficult, as the boss has a high degree of control over the employee's career and advancement opportunities. This can make for an extremely lopsided relationship, so employees must be careful to work with, not against, the boss.
Managing up isn't about political gain or changing someone's personality. It begins with the employee having a good understanding of his or her strengths, weaknesses, goals and working style, and using that insight to build a strong working relationship that considers the boss's objectives and preferences. A boss can't succeed without a good employee, and conversely, a good employee can't succeed without a good boss.
Does the boss opt for short updates, long emails or face-to-face meetings? Does he or she like real-time information to make quick decisions, or does he or she wait to see if trends emerge in the big picture? Knowing how the boss prefers to receive information is the first step in understanding his or her communication style.
Mismatched communications styles can hamper the employee-boss relationship. Author Mark Murphy identifies four communication styles: analytical, intuitive, functional and personal. Analytical communicators like hard data, intuitive communicators don't need details, functional communicators are concerned with process and personal communicators want to know how people feel. The key to resolving communication issues for employees to adapt to the style the boss prefers.
The New Boss Still learning the ropes, but probably knows what he or she wants to accomplish and is seeking allies for change. Listen and collaborate, and set expectations early in the relationship.
The Virtual Boss Works remotely, so it's difficult to build a face-to-face relationship. Establish clear goals and expectations, and try to build a social connection.
The Insecure Boss A fragile ego requires special care. Provide reassurance.
The Indecisive Boss Some are perfectionists; others don't want to mess with the status quo. Be transparent and try to address all the unknowns.
The Competitive Boss This boss competes against his or her employees. Build trust through transparency.
The Mean Boss Little or no empathy. If the boss is demanding, identify his or her drivers and always take the high road. If bullying is a problem, document the issues and go to HR.
The Peter Principle Boss Managers might be promoted beyond their level of competence. Speak up, look for the boss's strengths, set clear expectations and seek clarification.
The Vague Boss Doesn't provide clear direction. Ask follow-up questions; provide a summary of action steps and ask for review.


As a Registered Charity, Weldmar Hospicecare is able to reclaim basic rate tax on all donations made to it by tax payers under Gift Aid.
The minimum limit for Gift Aid donations has been abolished so that all donations whether large or small, regular or one-off, are tax effective for the charity as long as the donor is a tax payer.
You must pay an amount of income tax or capital gains tax equal to the amount we are reclaiming, currently 25p on every pound you give, or you may be liable to be assessed for income tax on any excess.
Donors paying higher rate tax may claim relief against either income tax or capital gains tax.
Paperwork is minimal. All that is required is the completion of the simple form (a Gift Aid Declaration Form (PDF 88kb)) which merely requires your name and address including postcode and a signature requesting the charity to treat your donation and all future donations as Gift Aid donations. This Declaration only needs to be completed once in order to cover all future donations to the charity which you may choose to make. It may, of course, be cancelled at any time.
Donations, whether in cash, cheques or bankers orders, may be treated in this way.
Our online donations form collects this information, if appropriate, during the payment process.
Donations of items to our Charity Shops can also be Gift Aided – please ask in the shop when you take your donation to them.


AMS: Why criticise Chris for reporting on what embittered developers say?
One very well-known Acorn dealer told me (on the phone) that my Iyonix would probably have to be sent back to Castle because it was illegal. Maybe the developer that Chris overheard was the same person? I'd think that quite likely.
In the meantime, my Iyonix *has* gone back to Castle, but only for a disk upgrade, adding a second graphics card for dual display with Geminus, and adding a PCI-TV card. At the same time, I asked Castle to apply all the latest upgrades, and also bought a second Iyonix.
Personally, I think developers should spend less of their time being bitter, and more of their time getting on and releasing products that we want. The Iyonix has certainly achieved that, despite the nay-sayers!
Drobe never shys away from raising controversy, so why should we criticise Drobe just for pointing out that some developers have (sadly) been on a bad-mouthing spree yet again?
As for 200MHz, please remember the Risc PC was designed to support processors with maximum clockspeeds around 80MHz to 100MHz. The performance advantages of the StrongARM surprised many people, but there's certainly no reason to think the A9home shouldn't achieve performance far surpassing everything except the Iyonix.
In short, you can *claim* things aren't newsworthy, but proving it is another thing.


The event celebrated the partnership between Willamalane Park and Recreation District and the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club. A brief ceremony was held, followed by an exhibition, beginner clinic and pickleball matches.
The addition of eight new courts is significant, according to Roger Schaljo, president of the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club.
"You don't often get a new sport that catches on like wildfire and is so good for so many age groups. So this is a big deal for the community to have the first designated outdoor pickleball courts," he said.
Current club membership of the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club, which was started two years ago, is 142 members. Schaljo expects it to grow to 250 in the next year.
The club is committed to growing the sport, he said, and has worked closely with Willamalane to plan and construct the new courts. Through their own fundraising efforts, the club has raised $12,000 to match Willamalane's investment in converting two tennis courts into the new pickleball courts.
The previous year, the club volunteered their time and energy by power washing and striping boundary lines to prepare the courts for pickleball play. Their efforts and consistent use of the courts helped justify making the courts permanent.
To convert the courts, new surfacing, striping, permanent netting and fencing were constructed, he said.
The addition of the pickleball courts follows on the heels of last year's Meadow Park improvements, which included a new playground, landscaping, paved plaza, benches and renovation of restrooms. Along with the conversion of the pickleball courts, two other courts have recently been resurfaced for tennis.
Schaljo said the addition of the pickleball courts will help add to the energy and activity in the park, located at 851 Mill St. in Springfield.
He envisions the courts being busy throughout the week, especially evenings and weekends. He also predicts the new courts will be a catalyst for attracting even more people to pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
Schaljo attributes the explosion of the sport to several factors.
"First, it's an easy sport to pick up, and you don't have to be a super athlete. You can jump in and play after just a little bit of instruction. And second, it's a very social and friendly game where you're only 14-feet from your opponents," said Schaljo.
The game is played on a badminton-sized court, with rules similar to tennis. The equipment is also simple, with players using a solid paddle to strike a plastic whiffle ball. Both singles and doubles can play.
Along with the outdoor pickleball courts, Willamalane offers indoor court time throughout the week at Bob Keefer Center in Springfield.
To join the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club, or learn more about the sport, contact Roger Schaljo at 541-214-4940.


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Healthiest Employer Invests $1 Million To Establish Fishers, Indiana, Operations Center
2014 Gold & Silver Shovel Awards: Arizona, Tennessee and Indiana Awarded Silver Shovels - States with 5 to 8 Million Population
Criteria for Selecting a High-Tech Cluster
Leading Locations for 2014: U.S. Metros Ranked for Economic and Job Growth
Why the C-Suite Should Focus on Incentives
Healthiest Employer, a technology and health analytics company, plans to locate its operations center in Fishers, Indiana, creating up to 90 jobs by 2017. The company will invest $1 million to lease and equip 4,000 square feet of office space, which will be operational by early 2015.
Healthiest Employer will begin insourcing software development from Ohio for Springbuk, the company's corporate health analytics software.
"We work with employers in nearly every state, but Indiana is where it started for us," said Rod Reasen, CEO of Healthiest Employer. "We are committed to reinvesting in our state's workforce and look forward to participating in the local software ecosystem that is garnering national attention. Indiana is fertile ground for harvesting software that lowers healthcare cost and increases productivity." Healthiest Employer has already begun hiring for software development, business development and project management positions.
"With the decision to locate their growth in Indiana, local firms like Healthiest Employer continue to demonstrate the health of our Hoosier tech community," said Eric Doden, President of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "The crossroads of technology and wellness meet here, with a business climate that is supportive and affordable, tax policies that encourage investment and a workforce that is committed to the hard work and innovation needed to keep Indiana a state that works."
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Healthiest Employer, LLC up to $1,325,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The town of Fishers also supported the project.


The Mississippi Children's Museum is a state-of-the-art facility and is yours to play in whether you plan to visit 10 times a year or 100. MCM is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization and a signature project of the Junior League of Jackson. This project is partially funded through a grant by Visit Jackson. Opened in December 2010, this 40,000 square foot museum houses five galleries of educational, interactive exhibits and enriching weekly programs that focus on literacy; health and nutrition; the cultural arts; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and Mississippi heritage. In 2014, MCM opened a sixth, outdoor, 13,000 square foot gallery, the Literacy Garden, which combines experiential artworks with unique landscape architecture that encourages early language and reading skills development.


As you shop, you'll see Ganley Chrysler of Aurora offers some of the best values and processes in the market. Our internet pictures are 100% unretouched photos taken at a professional photo studio to provide you the most info possible, short of visiting. We'll also provide a Carfax, Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection report and how we arrived at our price using state of the art pricing software. We may not be the lowest, but if you want to know who is, we will show you that too. We're also prepared to offer the very best in financing and warranty options. Nobody beats our interest rates! Have a car you'd like to sell? We'll pay top dollar for it. Not in the local area? We are a national used car dealership serving the US. Free airport pick-up for out of town buyers. We can help arrange delivery right to your front door too!


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Hip Hop | R&B
Folk | World
Poetry | Readings
City of Leawood
Government; Non-Profit
City of Leawood Parks and Recreation department offers a wide variety of classes, camps, special events, and support for the Leawood Stage Company.
City of Lee's Summit Cultural Arts
Art; Dance; Government; Music
The mission of the City of Lee's Summit Cultural Arts Division is to build community with a drive towards economic vitality and cultural vibrancy, ensuring that the arts and creative industries have a voice in making our community a great place to live, work and play.
City of Overland Park, Kansas
Art is part of our everyday life in Overland Park. The city's cultural amenities include live performances, sculpture, art collections and exhibitions. You can see examples of the city's art collections around every corner, from the permanent collections at the Overland Park Convention Center and community centers to sculptures in parks, the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead and the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
Downtown Lee's Summit
Founded in 1989 by a group of visionary business and civic leaders to revitalize the heart of their community, Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, Inc. is a nationally-recognized and accredited 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee's Summit. DLSMS implements the National Trust Main Street Center Four-Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization, a community-driven effort to create strong social cohesion and economic opportunity. DLSMS has won multiple state and national awards for excellence in downtown revitalization and management, including the 2010 Great American Main Street Award®. The National Trust Main Street Center presents this award to only five communities across the nation every year.
Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center
Art; Dance; Education; Family; Gallery; Government; Museum; Music; Theatre
The Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, managed by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, is home to Theatre in the Park, the Johnson County Museum, and Fine & Performing Arts programs, exhibitions, and special events.
Johnson County Library
Art; Education; Family; Gallery; Government; Literary; Music; Non-Profit
Johnson County Library got its start in the 1950s in the homes of neighborhood families. Before they had funding, dedicated community members ran volunteer libraries out of their basements, schoolhouses, a barbershop, a plumbing company, a shopping center and a traveling bookmobile. Their hard work and passion soon led to an official Johnson County Library in Merriam, Kansas. Today, Johnson County Library serves over two million people from 13 library buildings in Northeast Kansas. And one thing hasn't changed — the Library staff are helped by 900 volunteers who donate over 50,000 hours of their time each year!
Lee's Summit Arts Council
Art; Government; Non-Profit
The Lee's Summit Arts Council promotes, strengthens and advocates for the arts in Lee's Summit. The Council works to enhance the quality of life of Lee's Summit citizens, and advancing economic and arts development through the arts in our community. It supports and collaborates with local arts organizations, artists, arts educators, and independent art programs to increase the public's awareness and participation in the arts in Lee's Summit. The Lee's Summit Arts Council is a citizen board of the City of Lee's Summit Government and serves as an advisory board to the City of Lee' Summit Cultural Arts Division.
Lenexa Parks & Recreation
The Lenexa Parks and Recreation department maintains all the city's beautiful parks, plans many festivals and events, and hosts numerous programs and classes for citizens.
Liberty Performing Arts Theatre
Government; Music; Non-Profit; Theatre
Opened in 1992, the LPAT is a 700-seat venue located within the Liberty Community Center. The LPAT has excellent acoustics, great sight-lines from any seat, free parking, quick access to I-35 and I-435, and one of the largest stages in the Kansas City area. Rental rates are highly competitive with other Kansas City area venues. The LPAT is a unique space in the KC Northland. It is the only professional live performance venue north of the river which regularly hosts multi-disciplined events.
Linden Square
Festival; Government; Music
A gathering place for friends, family and community to enjoy live entertainment, activities, festivals and events in downtown Gladstone.
Missouri state parks and historic sites are administered by the Division of State Parks, which is a part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Its main responsibilities are the administration of the Missouri state park system, and coordination of statewide programs in the areas of outdoor recreation and trails. The mission of the state park system is to preserve and interpret the state's most outstanding natural landscapes and cultural landmarks, and to provide outstanding recreational opportunities compatible with those resources.
Olathe Public Art Committee
Art; Government
The Olathe Public Art Committee supports the mission of the Olathe Public Art Program, to foster the commissioning, acquisition, presentation and preservation of permanent and temporary public art, act as a steward of the City's public art collection, and engage the public in the collection. The Committee executes the vision of the Olathe Public Art program, which states "Public art in Olathe is an amenity that helps build the overall identity of the city, activates public spaces, and connects people to the community."
R.G. Endress Gallery
Art; Gallery; Government
The R.G. Endres Gallery is located in Prairie Village City Hall and is operated by the Prairie Village Arts Council.
Dance; Education; Family; Government; Music; Non-Profit; Theatre
Theatre in the Park OUTDOOR Theatre in the Park is the largest outdoor community theatre in the country. Our outdoor amphitheater is tucked into 10 beautiful acres in Shawnee Mission Park with a separate entrance at 7710 Renner Road. Located just north of I-435 Highway and 87th Street, our facility is easily accessible from anywhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The casts from our shows are selected after an incredible weekend of auditions in the spring drawing hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of aspiring actors from our surrounding communities. Come early (gates open at 7pm every performance evening) to enjoy the park setting before the show begins at 8.30pm. Theatre patrons bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets. Typically, each performance lasts about 2 hours with a 20 minute intermission. Theatre in the Park is handicapped accessible with reserved parking, ramps and wheelchair seating areas. The entrance at GATE 3 is the easiest for patrons preferring a gentler slope into the seating bowl. Sign language interpretation is provided at the second Saturday performance of each show. Theatre in the Park is supported by the generosity of many area corporations and foundations that believe like we do that The Theatre in the Park enhances the quality of life in our communities. However, only about 40% of our operating budget is from tax support and these vital sponsors help finance our program with funds, materials, and/or service contributions. Many companies in our community offer matching grant programs to their employees as well, and we encourage you to check with your corporation to see if you can DOUBLE your contribution to TIP! Theatre in the Park enjoys the vitality and countless hours of dedication from its many volunteers who help with auditions, promotional events and clean-up projects at Theatre facility. A wide variety of employment opportunities are also available at Theatre in the Park. Creative talents are used for set design, sound, lighting, costumes and props. Our seasonal staff positions also include the box office, concession stand and parking staff. The theater facility and Theater Pavilion, are available for rent for special events, corporate gatherings, public attractions, concerts and fundraising events. Theatre in the Park INDOOR King Louie West becomes Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center 1959– Bowling alley opened; closed in 2009 1966—Ice rink opened; closed in 2007 due to equipment failure The original architect was a local man named, Manual Morris. He designed both portions in a mid-century modern aesthetic. Ice Chateau considered "Googie" architecture, a sub-set of modern architecture influenced by car culture, the Atomic Age and the space age. King Louie's accordion roof and front entry spire are indicative of its Googie style. SFS, a Kansas-City based architecture firm, was responsible for re-purposing the building. Kansas City-based firm McCownGordon was selected as the general contractor. The Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center opened June 10, 2017 to rave reviews from county patrons and staff. The Blackbox Theater then became a great home for the Theatre In The Park Indoor productions. The addition of the Blackbox Theater and the Arts and Heritage Center allowed for the Theatre In The Park Academy to also open its "doors". The Blackbox Theater is a 60'x60′ space that can be setup in numerous ways. In its first year of operation the space found itself stage space for 6 to 80 actors, and the house count ranging anywhere from 100 to 260 seats. As a rental space, the Blackbox Theater is available for professional, amateur, and educational theatrical companies to have a state of the art performance space. TIP performances in the space range anywhere from Kid Friendly to Adults Only. The Indoor Space allows for the repertoire of material to broaden its horizons from the large outdoor amphitheater. The addition of the space also allowed for a huge increase of productions, from the normal 5 a summer, to 12 a year! OUR VISION Theatre in the Park will be the leader in providing our audiences with quality, affordable entertainment and our participants with rewarding artistic opportunities. OUR MISSION To enhance the quality of life in our community by providing a variety of entertainment programs through public and private partnerships. CASTING Theatre in the Park is committed to non-discrimination and a flexible, imaginative casting policy. We also strive to be culturally conscience as it pertains to social and historical content. Performers of all ethnicities are strongly encouraged to audition.
Virtual Museum Day KC
Art; Education; Family; Festival; Government; Museum
Kansas City metro area museums are uniting during this historic moment with the support of the Heartland Learning Collaborative for a virtual museum day on May 29. Virtual Museum Day: This is our Story KC will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the event's Youtube channel. Institutions across the Kansas City metropolitan area will be premiering videos and live streams for the teachers, families and audiences that museum educators miss seeing in person. After the event, resources will be available for sharing, and learning extensions will be available on the Explorable Places website. We hope you can join us in community and solidarity to connect and discover!
West Bottoms Reborn Project
Art; Education; Government
In 2015, the Historic West Bottoms Association (HWB) approached the KCDC and the City of KCMO Office of Culture and Creative Services for help in addressing infrastructure and connectivity needs in the West Bottoms, with the hope that improvements would engage the unique heritage of the area and sustain its emerging arts industry without demeaning it. The KCDC worked with HWB and OCCS to apply for a National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Our Town Grant, which is a grant program (eligible to municipalities) that supports projects that enhance the quality of life and opportunity for existing residents, increase creative activity, and create a distinct sense of place with the arts at their core. Our Town projects challenge artists, arts organizations, and community development practitioners to deliberately integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work – placing arts at the table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety strategies. The KCDC West Bottoms Vision Study for a System of Public Places builds upon the Greater Downtown Area Plan (extends downtown boundaries to the West Bottoms), Arts Convergence Plan (nurturing city-wide artistic production), the KCDC 2011 West Bottoms Vision Plan, and the Urban Land Institute's Rose Fellowship Study (economic development). This project will also build on an existing streetscape and wayfinding plan and a green infrastructure plan that is currently underway.
Organization Type Art ArtsKC Supported Dance Education Family Festival Film Gallery Government Literary Museum Music Non-Profit Studio Theatre
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ArtsKC
Calendar Partners
ARTS KC
ArtsKC unleashes the power of the arts by bringing together people, resources and ideas. We imagine. We lead.
ARTSKC | 106 SOUTHWEST BOULEVARD, KANSAS CITY MISSOURI 64108
816.221.1777 | go@artskc.org
© 2021 - ArtsKC - regional arts council. All Rights Reserved.


We are looking for someone with a design background to help us create tech packs that include construction details, sketches, fabrications, trims, print and color details for a collection of totes and clutches using deadstock and repurposed materials. We will be employing a person transitioning out of homelessness to do the sewing.
Our workspace will either be in West LA or in Larchmont Village on a weekday and/or Saturday.


As your scrolling through the images of this month's Hello! Neighbor tour take some time to stop at look at the photos of the kitchen. One of the things that drew Ana and Christian to this house was the original 1950s cabinetry yet every contractor they spoke to insisted they tear it out and start again. Instead this couple chose to add in a black and white checked floor, a farmhouse style sink and butcher block countertops essentially making it their own. One of my favourite things about doing these house tours is stories like these where homeowners stick to their guns to fulfill their own vision of what home is. Enjoy the tour!
The kitchen--it gets lots of light, has plenty of space, and its where all the action is whenever we have a gathering of friends and family.
We spent a long time looking for a place in the East end (our old apartment was at Danforth + Broadview). We finally expanded our search West and with the help of our good friend and real estate agent extraordinaire Avryll McNair we landed a great deal on our place just before the economic meltdown of 2008.
I would describe our aesthetic as preference for the worn, loved, and vintage. Especially when it comes to fabric and furniture--if the design looks 'new' we don't tend to dig it.
We absolutely lucked into an incredibly family friendly neigbourhood and street. Close to work (for Ana) and close to the subway (for Christian). Plus with High Park (for Toby) and the shops on Roncesvalles only a short walk away it is an ideal location for us in every way.
The layout of the house was pretty typical but we fell in love with the size and layout of the kitchen in particular right away. When we first moved in we had a tough time finding a contractor who was willing to work with the existing 1950s kitchen cabinetry which we loved. At first, everyone we met insisted we rip it out and start fresh with brand new cabinets and granite countertops which is not really our style. Our vision was to match + extend the existing cabinetry along the South wall, and tie it all together with a butcher block counter, simple checkerboard floor tiles, and a farmhouse sink. We think it turned out great! We also designed a bench which doubles as a shelf for shoes and a storage box for outdoor gear since we would need to tear down the mudroom in order to have space for the bi-level cedar deck built in our backyard. Our backyard is pretty shady so we finally learned our lesson that tomatoes and herbs won't work, but our next big project is to landscape with a rock garden and lots of ferns. We also had our bathroom professionally redone after an initial try at doing the re-tiling ourselves. In the living room we built an entire wall of shelving to accommodate a gorgeous old cast iron fireplace front we found on Craigslist.
Flooded with sunlight on a sugar maple farm in the country.
Fresh flowers--our home's favourite accessory, especially in the middle of the grey winter months.
Thanks Ana and Christian for inviting us into your home.
What's your favourite feature of their home?


text:
Apr 26, 2013 at 12:00 am by Hooper
Clark was the lead news anchor at WTVF (NewsChannel5) in Nashville for 41 years, from 1966, until his retirement in 2007, making him the longest serving anchor in Nashville, and one of the longest-tenured anchors in American television history. In the earlier years of his tenure, Clark also served as the news director.
Prior to arriving at what was then WLAC-TV, he worked in Albany, Ga., and interviewed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Clark's work at NewsChannel 5 took him around the world, reporting from locales such as Israel, the former Soviet Union, Great Britain, and Puerto Rico. He tracked drug lords from Middle Tennessee to the Dominican Republic, and delivered food to people in Somalia with the National Guard
Through the course of his career, Clark crossed paths with several high profile personalities and influential leaders, including President Richard Nixon. He also launched the career of a young journalist named Oprah Winfrey, hiring her for her first television job in 1974.
In December of 1969, an inmate at the Tennessee State Penitentiary took 23 people hostage in the visitors' gallery of the prison. The convict told authorities he would negotiate only with Chris Clark, whom he had seen on television, so Gov. Buford Elington called the news anchor to mediate. A little over four hours later, Clark had brought the situation with the knife-wielding inmate to a peaceful close.
Clark was also on duty during the station's first breaking news story: the emergency swearing-in of Gov. Lamar Alexander to remove the outgoing governor who'd been selling commutations to prisoners. "I was just thinking, my poor newspaper colleagues. By the next morning, everybody not only knew it, they'd seen it," he said.
As chair of the Society of Professional Journalists Freedom of Information Committee, he played a vital role in convincing the Tennessee Supreme Court to allow an experiment with cameras in the court. That experiment persuaded the justices to allow cameras in state courts.
Clark won the 1993 Emmy from the Middle Tennessee chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for a lifetime achievement in broadcast journalism, and the Associated Press "Broadcaster of the Year" award.
Upon his retirement, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a joint resolution, saying, "throughout his estimable career as news anchor of WTVF-Channel 5, Chris Clark has demonstrated the utmost professionalism, ability, and integrity, winning the unbridled respect and admiration of his colleagues and the good people of Middle Tennessee alike. Mr. Clark truly epitomizes the dedicated news professional who is wholly committed to the highest ideals of public service.
Through his internationally recognized work, Chris Clark has distinguished himself by outstanding service to the profession of journalism, and has brought great honor to himself, his community and the State of Tennessee.
BILL WILLIAMS
DEAN STONE
JOHN SEIGENTHALER


text:
Q: how to turn active  tag color into another color?

a {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: gray;
}
a:link::before {
  color: grey;
}
a:visited,
a::after,
a:active{
  color: #00b39b;
  text-decoration: #00b39b;
}

                    About us

                    Career

                    Departments

ok guys I wanna change only the active link color into this (#00b39b)
i tried different things like the :
1- a:active
2- a:visited
3- a:focus
4- a:hover
but I can't make to set only the active link to the color I want
any suggestions !!??

A: Now this code will change a:active color to #00b39b
text-decoration don't apply for color
Read this to know more about text-decoration

a {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: gray;
}

a:link::before {
  color: grey;
}

a:visited,
a::after,
a:active {
  color: #00b39b;
}

    About us

    Career

    Departments

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Further Comments: A man at this property awoke to find what he thought was an intruder in his bedroom. The man's shouts awoke his wife, and they both witnessed a dark shadowy figure in a black cloak and floppy hat move to the opposite side of the room and vanish. A few months later they heard the legend of Black Tom, the local horse rustler who was hanged close to their home.
Further Comments: A baby's screams awoke the mother, who spotted a shadowy hand cross the wall of the room and come to rest on the baby's face. The baby screamed again. The mother quickly grabbed the child, and from that day, they shared the same bed.
Further Comments: A former occupant reported experiencing loud breathing, disembodied footsteps and items which would fall over unaided.
Further Comments: Returning to the barracks, one witness was hit by a cold wind which pushed him back. The witness found his room trashed, so called the police, who disbelieved his story. An officer later told him that the barracks was haunted by a parachute designer nicknamed Brainy Dobbs, and that there had been many other reports identical to that which the witness experienced.
Further Comments: A male member of staff was woken as someone sat on the end of their bed. Raising their head to see who had entered the room, the man saw a nun sitting at the end of his bedcovers. The nun then stood up and walked through the bedroom wall.
Further Comments: A member of staff once reported seeing a ghostly cat that appeared in his bedroom.
Further Comments: A mother and daughter watched a glowing ball of light move down the path towards their property. The mother later discovered that her niece and niece's boyfriend had also seen a glowing ball on the same day outside their home (once again, moving towards the front door), which was around half a mile away.
Further Comments: After site security reported strange happenings, the Luton Paranormal Society investigated the site. They reported the sounds of whispering, a scream, and smells with unidentifiable sources.
Further Comments: Customers have reported being trapped in the toilets after an unseen hand locks them in. Bottles of spirits have been known to fall off the shelves for no reason, and the taps on beer barrels are turned off.
Further Comments: Singing has been reported coming from an empty bar, and footsteps have been heard in other vacant areas.
Further Comments: Dying after falling from a hayloft, this young stable lad is now thought to haunt the kitchen area. He is blamed when small items go missing, often reappearing a short time later.
Further Comments: The site has picked up a spooky reputation, most likely influenced by its ruined state. The Luton Paranormal Society claimed to detect spirits on the site, while other groups have experienced poltergeist-like activity.
Further Comments: Dyve is said to walk inside the church to ensure his boots and sword remain inside. The churchyard is also home to the phantom laughter of children.
Further Comments: A pair of galloping horses are said to charge down the hill, vanishing as they approach the bottom.
Further Comments: A driver passing through the woodlands encountered a horseman who passed through their car. When the Luton Paranormal Society investigated the area in 2015 they reported no evidence of a haunting, though noted the site had an 'odd feeling'.
Further Comments: Luton Paranormal Society wrote that a number of spooky occurrences are reputed to have occurred here, including a sighting of a phantom older man in RAF uniform, and the sound of disembodied footsteps. During their own vigil, the group reported a number of strange feelings and perceptions.
Further Comments: A hooded monk on horseback holding a lantern was seen by a man delivering newspapers in the early hours of the morning. He said that the horse passed straight through his car.
Further Comments: A woman named Sophie is thought to be one of the ghosts that haunt this church. Her coffin was discovered hidden in the nave. A World War One air force mechanic named George is also thought to wander around the headstones, looking for his friend's grave. The church was heavily vandalised in the 1960s and 1970s, with a grave being opened and the human remains placed in a ritual circle - maybe because of this activity, many people report the church has an oppressive atmosphere.
Further Comments: Five occupants of a car driving along this road spotted another car a short distance in front of them. The vehicle ahead followed the winding road around a cutting; as the car behind did the same, the occupants realised that the other car had vanished, with nowhere to turn off or pull over.
Further Comments: Smoking a pipe and wearing his hair in a pigtail, the ghost of a sailor was seen several times by a former landlady as he sat by the fireplace.
Further Comments: Two men walking along the lane watched a legless and armless shape wearing a large hat drifting along. They stated the entity stood just over two metres in height and changed colour from white to black.
Further Comments: While riding her horse, Lady Snagge was decapitated by a thin piece of rope pulled across the road by robbers who plundered her body before leaving it. Snagge's ghost is still reported as it repeats her final journey, sometimes with head intact, and sometimes without.
Further Comments: The lost spirits of two cricketers have been seen walking along this road, heading towards the Pack Horse public house. They are thought to have been killed in a road traffic accident while travelling back from a cricket match.


Pasture raised poultry – taste the difference! K & M farms raises poultry like your great grandmother did – the natural way – outdoors, on pasture, with no antibiotics, or hormones. Chickens and turkeys are kept on pasture, completely outdoors. Fresh turkeys are available for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Chickens are available fresh five times per year. Frozen product is available the rest of the year as supplies last. Check the web site for pick–up days for fresh product.
Open: Mon-Sat by appointment only.


We plot the ellipses (that we call parallels) obtained by intersecting Lamé's ellipsoid with planes parallel to the principal planes. The points of these ellipses are the extremes of traction vectors whose intrinsic components (normal and tangential) are shown by a geometric construction using Mohr's circles.
Antxon Sánchez Parandiet "Lamé's Ellipsoid and Mohr's Circles (Part 2: Parallels)"


Not too far away now, so get prepared.
One thing you can do is ask a leading question of all candidates. Then, possibly, an advert like the one below could be placed in the local paper.
Local volunteers will be needed to garner the necessary information. And the process must be accurate. Attributions for or against any race-based stance cannot be published on the basis of hearsay. I.e. 1Law4All does not want to mis-represent any candidate's position. And candidate means any 'new faces,' as well as those standing for re-election. That likely means getting something in 'writing,' whether on paper or by e-communication.
Volunteers for this important candidate screening task should click here to contact the 1Law4All office.
In our local council the candidates don't have meetings and refuse to have any policy statements so it reduced to just -' I'm a good person and been on the council for years-vote for me'. Surprise that few people bother to vote.
I've never heard this subject of race-braced politics being brought up in Wellington? I'm keen to know if there has been any discussion on this here?
Yes good time to start the process but do you have a list of those current councillors who voted politically and for decisions, like a non elected committee to make crucial decisions which impact us all, on a race based issue, so we can check for ourselves. As regarding the advert, that looks great but I notice lately that the term Culturally based decisions are being made to, to try and press a point if view in favour of certain issues that really are race based, just a cover up really. If anyone has information regarding council members who believe strongly in race based decisions, would be good to know to avoid voting for them. We desperately need council officers who vote neutrally for all NZ people, to ensure we are treated all the same. We have to change the raced based running of this city, as well as the country as a whole. It's totally wrong and totally against democracy. Let's getting this country United for a change…the world is changing…we need to do the same.
A good start, now let all voters get behind the idea and ask all the candidates where they stand on this issue.
Make sure that you dont vote for any candidate that supports race based appointments.
People standing for council should make it known in their candidate profile which goes on the voting papers if they are against race-based policies. also ask the question at a candidate meeting.
Yes, I fully intend bringing these questions up. In fact, I've been asking Nick Leggart who's the latest carpetbagger to chase the mayoralty chains about what he stands for so I'll ask him this question.
I shall vote for nobody unless I have a guarantee that that candidate will be vocal in their dismissal of race based undemocratic politics. At this stage, "None Of The Above" is my chosen option.
I hope that people will keep us informed on what are told by candidates.


A relic of Ottawa's efforts to root out homosexuals in the military and public service during the Cold War is back in the news following a class-action lawsuit from LGBT individuals who lost their jobs.
It's not fiction — although it sounds like something straight out of a dystopian novel.
The so-called "fruit machine" was a homosexuality detection system commissioned by the Canadian government during the Cold War — and developed largely by a psychologist at Carleton University in Ottawa — to keep LGBT people out of the public service or military.
While the machine is long gone, its legacy is back in the news after the federal government was hit with a class-action lawsuit this week from former public servants who lost their jobs because of their sexual orientation.
Gay and lesbian civil servants were driven out of the Canadian military and public service beginning in the 1950s, but the practice continued after homosexuality was removed from the Criminal Code in the 1960s.
At the time, homosexuals were perceived by the government as weak, unreliable and potentially disloyal. The government feared they might be easy targets for Soviet spies who could blackmail them into giving up important secrets — and thus commissioned the machine to determine a person's sexual identity through involuntary biological responses.
The project "was a series of psychological tests," said Patrizia Gentile, an associate professor at Carleton University and the author of The Canadian War on Queers.
In one test, for example, subjects were shown pictures that would "arouse desire," said Gentile, while cameras took pictures of their pupils, to see if they dilated.
The machine was used by the federal government throughout the 1960s, until the Defence Research Board — which was later folded into the Department of National Defence — pulled funding in 1967.
The device was never able to establish a "discernable difference," between the biological responses of heterosexuals and LGBT individuals, Gentile wrote in her book.
The machine was based on research by Frank Robert Wake, a Carleton University psychologist who died in 1993.
"I think he was a product of his time, definitely. But that doesn't of course excuse the fact that he came up with research that was discriminatory and harmful to a lot of people's lives," Gentile told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Thursday.
"He is part of the Cold War culture and this culture of fear, where homosexuals and communists were conflated."
According to Doug Elliott, a longtime gay rights activist and the Toronto lawyer leading the class-action lawsuit, as many as 9,000 people could be eligible to join it.
The Liberal government is planning an apology to the country's LGBT community for the past discrimination, but it's unclear when it will act.


text:
World Chess Championship 2010 – a curtain raiser
4/24/2010 – The World Championship match in Sofia begins on Saturday, a day later than originally scheduled, and two hours later than the rest of the match – at 17:00h local time, 16:00h CEST, 10 a.m. New York, 16:00h Moscow and 19:30h Indian Standard Time. There will be a rest day after every second game. We bring you the full schedule and a nice promotional video.
Sofia, 23rd April
World Chess Championship matches have always had a special flavor when they are contested by players who have held the title at one time or the other. The World Chess Championship 2010 at Sofia which starts on Saturday 24th April, a day later than originally scheduled, has reigning Champion Viswanathan Anand of India taking on Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria.
NIIT MindChampion Anand has won the title on three occasions in 2000, 2007 and 2008 while Topalov was the winner in 2005. The Match will consist of 12 games and the first player to score 6.5 points will be the winner. In case the scores are equal at 6-6, four tie-break games will be played in the Rapid format on 13th May.
The first game is scheduled for Saturday 24th April and will start at 16:00h CEST (7.30 p.m. Indian time), a delayed start of two hours while the remaining games will start at 5.30 pm IST. 40-year-old Anand will start his campaign with the black pieces, just like in Bonn in 2008, where he defeated Vladimir Kramnik for the title. Anand will play with the white pieces in game 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11. A rest day is scheduled after every two games.
Day Date Start of game Indian time
Saturday April 24 16:00h CEST 19:30h IST
Sunday April 25 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Monday April 26 Free day
Tuesday April 27 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Wednesday April 28 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Thursday April 29 Free day
Friday April 30 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Saturday May 01 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Sunday May 02 Free day
Monday May 03 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Tuesday May 04 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Wednesday May 05 Free day
Thursday May 06 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Friday May 07 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Saturday May 08 Free day
Sunday May 09 14:00h CEST 17:30h IST
Monday May 10 Free day
Thursday May 13 Tiebreaks
The prize fund is 2,000,000 Euros (around 120 million Indian Rupees), the highest ever in recent times and will be shared by the two players. Pananqiotis Nikolopoulos of Greece is the chief arbiter.
The match is expected to be evenly contested and promises to be exciting considering the playing style of both players. These players have met each other 44 times, with Topalov winning 11 times, Anand 10 times and 23 games have ended in draws. Both players are reputed for their intensive preparation and it is this aspect which will be watched keenly by chess enthusiasts.
In terms of Match experience, Anand is a favourite and showed sparkling form in Germany in 2008 against Kramnik. Topalov on the other hand had lost to Kramnik in the reunification match in 2006. Going by age, Topalov is younger than Anand by five years and has the advantage of playing in his home country.
This is a short biographical film on the great achievments of grandmaster Viswanathan
Anand who created history by winning World Chess Champions title in all the three
format of the game, knock-out, round robin and match play.
Anand is a complete player with a vast opening repertoire, and his ability to adapt to the situation on board is his major strength. Topalov on the other hand is known for taking major risks and is reputed for making strong comebacks in the last half of the tournaments.
In a recent interview Anand commented on his opponent: "Topalov as an opponent is very demanding, as he shows a lot of energy on the board and is able to squeeze a position to its maximum. He is a tenacious and tireless fighter and has played some great events like San Luis 2005".
Topalov too in an interview commented on Anand, "Anand is one of the greatest talents in the history of chess. He is now forty, and half of that time he has been one of the strongest players in the world".
Midday: Anand, Topalov ready to rumble
Telegraph: Chess players get silent treatment in £1.7m tournament
Times of India: No draws, Topalov tells Anand ahead of WCC
DNA: Viswanathan Anand relieved to make it to World Championships
Sofia Echo: Opening gambit
Novinite: No Outright Favorite in Sofia World Chess Class Anand vs. Topalov
Sakaal Times: Anand's Bonn Supremacy on test in Sofia against 'local' Topalov
Most chess blogs, servers and news sites have announced live coverage of the event.
NIIT MindChampions' Academy
The NIIT MindChampions' Academy (MCA), a not-for-profit initiative has been set up as a joint initiative with Grand Master Viswanathan Anand and NIIT Ltd, with the objective of promoting Chess in schools to enable development of young minds. Studies have shown that Chess improves concentration and diligence, thus helping students perform better academically.
Established in 2002, the Academy has fostered over 7000 Chess clubs with over 8,50,000 students as its members, in schools across the country. GM Viswanathan Anand has personally traveled to Agartala, Guwahati, Hyderbad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, Raipur, Chennai, Hyderbad, Kolkata, Pune and other cities across India, spreading the message and motivating the school students to start playing Chess. NIIT Mind Champions' Academy conducts an Annual Event around the month of December and January, known as Chess Master for these school children across India in the NIIT network.
Updates on Viswanathan Anand sent by Team Anand at NIIT. For further inquiries contact: TeamAnand@niit.com


Title: More adventures of Big Mac. The Mad Maintenance Man.
This is a simple but devious single screen 15 level platformer programmed by Tony Kelly who's reputation on the C16 is extremely high. This was released by Mastertronic in 1985.
Mac's main objective is to turn off all the switches in each of the 15 vaults. Once each vault is shut down he then has to make his way to the flashing EXIT which will suddenly appear to escape to the next vault. Many of the switches operate the high-voltage electric beams which block your way, touch the beams and you lose a life.
Throughout the game you will encounter enemy cannons which continuously spit out bullets whichever way it's horizontally facing. The most dangerous enemies are the spinning turrets which randomly spit out bullets either left or right which require more dexterity and plenty of luck.
If that wasn't enough, there are also plungers which continuously move up and down in an attempt to flatten Big Mac into the size of a single cheeseburger. There are ladders, moving elevators on one level, and many dissolving platforms and a rapidly depleting energy bar which serves as a time limit, so there's no hanging around.
Everytime Mac clears a level, the remaining energy will add points to your score, and he will regain an extra life up to a maximum of four. Clear all 15 vaults and it just loops back over to vault 1. You can also skip to the next vault, right upto the highest level you achieved in a previous game by hitting the Y key.
As platformers go, this is up there in the top list. It starts off simple to ease you in, but as you progress you will find out just how more and more devious the level designs become. It takes quick thinking and you will often be pulling your hair out in frustration. Sometimes you might become trapped forcing you to press D to lose a life.
The graphics are pretty simple but are crisp, bright and colourful. Mac himself is quite small but this just means room for a larger level layout, and like the rest of the graphics there is no blockyness or colour clash and has excellent collision detection. Controlling Mac is very responsive, and everything runs smooth and fluid. Mac can also change direction in mid-jump which becomes vital.
The spot sound effects are few and the high pitched tones may have you turning the sound down low. However the music on the rather nice title screen is quite fun and bouncy but again it's high-tones might have you reaching for the volume after a couple of minutes.
Anyway, this is a seriously addictive game which I still often return to 26 years later. It's very good fun to play and the hi-score status means that even once completed, you will soon be coming back for more trying to beat it. It even rivals the excellent C64 version which was also programmed by T. Kelly. Incidentally, an excellent sequel based on the same code was later released for the C16 titled Mr Puniverse which wasn't converted over to other systems.
Nice title screen accompanied by a decent tune. Turn-based 2-player mode. Hi-Score status, very responsive controls. Ability to skip a level upto the highest you achieved in a previous game.
Bright and colourful, great collision detection and fluid animation throughout.
Jolly title tune, nice ingame spot effects, but the jump sound might grate after a while.
Instantly easy to get into. Well designed levels which start off easy and gradually gets more difficult.
The later more devious vaults will compel you enough to come back to try beat it. Even if you manage to complete all 15 vaults you will be coming back for more.
There's nothing cheesy about this Big Mac. Play it now.


text:
By: Sakthi Prasad -- Content Director
(Pic Courtesy: Nat Parameswaran)
It was a typical summer day in Chennai, India when Nat Parameswaran, VP and Head of Global Procurement and Supply Chain for USG Boral, received Beroe's call.
The temperature was soaring past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with hot western winds blowing over the southern coastal city.
Beroe contacted Nat to find out how his global sourcing team at USG Boral -- a leading manufacturer and supplier of building products such as gypsum-based wall and ceiling systems -- was managing the supply chain disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"No one could have perhaps predicted that an entire country would be locked down as a result of a pandemic. We have four plants in China and we knew they would have to be shut down right after the government announced strict measures to control the pandemic," Nat told Beroe in an exclusive interview.
After the China lockdown was announced, Nat added that he was not particularly concerned about raw material or commodity sourcing within China's geography as the entire country was under lockdown anyway.
"However, my immediate reaction was what happens to countries outside of China that are dependent on China-sourced raw materials," Nat said.
He then cited how -- a few years ago -- the USG Boral transformation to a center-led procurement function was useful in terms of executing risk mitigation programs across the division in a coordinated and collaborative manner.
USG Boral - Manufacturing Network Map
Source: USG Boral
Procurement Transformation
Singapore-headquartered USG Boral is a 50-50 joint venture between USG Corp (owned by Knauf GmbH) and Australia-based Boral Ltd.
The company originally had a decentralized procurement organization structure, with each country having its own autonomous procurement organization.
After taking over the reins of the company's procurement and supply chain five years ago, Nat explained that USG Boral opted for a center-led procurement structure (not centralized), with the "Global Sourcing-Local Procurement" model as a philosophy, which still retained the strengths of tactical procurement and execution locally in each of the 12 countries spanning over 30 manufacturing plants in the network.
Besides managing supply chain risk and driving cost-saving initiatives, the central leadership also drove key commodity strategies and global vendor negotiations -- both of which enabled volume leveraging across the group. The central leadership also handles activities such as market intelligence and competitive benchmarking.
This model -- which was proactively instituted a few years ago -- was useful when China suddenly locked down large parts of the country.
"As soon as the lockdown in China was announced in late January, we received a call from the China Procurement Head inquiring about the possibility of sourcing safety masks from outside the country. The Chinese Government had just declared a nationwide lockdown and issued an order to 'ration' masks within the country to facilitate their availability for healthcare workers and people in the Hubei region.
"This call got us thinking that the China business unit could potentially face issues of inadequate mask availability once operations resumed, resulting in plants having insufficient masks to cover the demand, especially if masks are made mandatory," Nat said.
He further added that the Global Procurement Team along with Central Response Team immediately sprang into action and started scouting for masks from other countries in South East Asia.
"At this time, many other countries had still not placed an embargo on securing masks by private enterprises like us. Within a span of a week, our procurement teams from South East Asian countries were able to ship masks to China, which allowed the China operations to have enough protective gear when operations resumed in March. This fast 'reactive' action was possible due to the collaboration, coordination, resilience and rapid decision-making that was already inherent in our Center-Led procurement model," Nat explained.
Commodity Strategy: Diversification of Supply Base
When Nat started his role five years ago, he realized that there were certain commodities where the company was "single sourced."
"There was a need to put together a program to diversify the supply base as part of risk mitigation strategy. Over the past couple of years, we had accomplished that for most key commodities, where we managed to qualify and develop new supplier partners," Nat said.
"When the pandemic crisis started, and China went into lockdown, we were able to seamlessly shift volumes to our other qualified sources outside China to supply the key raw materials to rest of the network of plants by rebalancing our volume allocation to our alternative suppliers in the region," Nat said.
He emphasized that this was possible because of the great relationships the company has with key supplier partners who are global players in their respective sectors.
"As a result, we did not have to shut down any single line due to raw material shortage or logistics disruption in our network, outside of government mandated lockdowns in certain countries. This was due to the risk mitigation strategy we had put in place that laid emphasis on supplier diversification," Nat elaborated.
Importance of China
Nat was a management consultant before moving into supply chain operations. As a result of his extensive experience in supply chain strategies and global strategic sourcing, combined with his knowledge about manufacturing systems, he is no stranger to dealing with business complexities in China.
The U.S.-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic has put a question mark on unfettered globalization with increasing political noise to move supply chains out of China.
Nat said it remains to be seen as to how much of this talk about moving supply chains out of China is actually going to materialize in the mid-to-long term.
"China still has vast raw material resources and scale to supply to the entire world, and that is not going to change much. It all comes down to dollars and cents, and the value of incentives that recipient countries are willing to offer for companies to move and setup shop outside of China," he said.
He followed up by saying that there are a large number of vertically integrated industries that have developed a supply chain ecosystem in China that would be very difficult to replicate in a short time elsewhere in the world.
"Chemical emulsions like latex, cellulosic, foaming agents and so on are fairly generic and widely used chemical additives. These are used in industries such as automotive, paint, cosmetics, building materials, etc.
Chemical emulsions are manufactured by global players generally through polymerization process that produces various grades of additives depending on the polymerization chain. Such industries have significant investments in China as they generally tend to be vertically integrated. And if such industries had to take those chemistries out of China and establish them elsewhere, it would require significant capital and mark a major strategic shift," he said.
Instead, Nat explained, such companies may choose to manufacture the key chemistries in China and then perform some of the final value-added steps in a different country closer to the markets, thereby diversifying some risk. This would require the creation of a new supply chain network in terms of final manufacturing setups, distribution centers, logistics, and warehousing -- the 3PL factor.
"If each and every country is completely reliant on itself to produce all of its needs, then there is nothing like that. But that wouldn't be a viable option. Therefore, most customers probably will have a sourcing strategy that has a 'China-plus-one' model where they will diversify their supply risk by developing additional sources outside China," Nat said.
Inventory and Cash Flow
When the COVID-19 crisis began to unfold, Nat said that the immediate aim was to ensure that plants outside China had an adequate supply of raw material inventories.
"As shutting down a line due to a lack of raw materials is never a good strategy, the approach we adopted was 'let us get in as much raw material as we can from the alternate suppliers' so that we are not compelled to shut the line down," Nat said.
He maintains a daily dashboard that gives a snapshot of the inventory situation in each plant location. Nat explains, "Whenever the raw material position goes from green to yellow, then the mitigation strategies immediately kick in and we make sure that we execute actions to address the risk to bring back the status to green." The dashboard, he said, is a "living and breathing document."
"Right now, it is still a dynamic inventory management philosophy as we are also making sure that we conserve cash in terms of how much inventory we are stocking. That is a fine balance we are striking. No longer am I telling all countries to keep as much as possible. As days progress, we can take a calculated risk by dialing back some of the inventories.
"At the end of the day, there are creative ways to preserve cash flow and manage risk by working with your key supplier partners," he said.
Demand Shift
Nat said that no one knows when the pandemic will end or what shape it will take in the days and months to come.
"We may eventually see a demand shift. Part of our procurement strategy is directly dependent on how the demand shapes up in the next six to twelve months. A crisis is not a time to create new sourcing strategies. A crisis is a time to execute on the risk mitigation strategies that you have already developed. Any new strategies will have to be developed when we know how the new normal looks like.
"As we transition out of this severe lockdown and into a new normal, the procurement professional's job is to understand the demand shift that will exist in the market for the products and the actions that the suppliers take, which will then drive new strategies to survive in the new normal.
"What you have in place today may need to be significantly fine-tuned based on the demand shift," he concluded.
"Our aim is to deliver a great experience for end users" - Roche CPO
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