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The Homeless Library: a homecoming
The Booth Centre and arthur+martha would like to invite you to the opening celebration of three projects, The Homeless Library, Sing me to Sleep and Mosaics made at The Booth.
Join us on the 8th May at 1pm at The Booth Centre Manchester, for a sharing of the artwork, refreshments, and readings. All are welcome.
'A Perfect Vacuum'. From the Homeless Library Collection
The project The Homeless Library is nearly at its official finish point, but in truth this feels like the beginning, not the end.
There are so many stories that Phil and I didn't capture, so many strands of the history of homelessness that we only touched on. And like any history, it's happening right now; since completing the interviews and poems for the project, new people have become homeless for new reasons, we have seen people find accommodation, take steps forward in their personal battles with alcohol, substance abuse, mental health issues, relationships, tragically we have also seen others not make it.
The Homeless Library has fed directly into our new project Armour, sharing the stories of the homeless people who've served in the armed forces. Threads from it are teased out in Phil's Berlin-based project Heaven-Proof House, which asks refugees about the nature of home.
The Library has had a profound effect on us personally. In many ways it has been the hardest project we've ever done, because it was so emotionally intense and because we had so much to learn. The situation of some people we met was heartbreaking. But hope was also present in each day, each session - and humour and imagination, even delight. We were on a steep learning curve too: this was the first time we had attempted a formal "history". In fact, our Library is the first-ever history of British homelessness thats ever been attempted. The voices of homeless people are finally being heard and accepted, as a valuable, fascinating part of all our stories.
'Hamlet' from The Homeless Library collection.
We have also been approached by other organisations, to share our experience. The Museum of Homelessness have liaised with us and are doing excellent work. Recently, Lois met Karl Hyde from Underworld whose Street Poem project for MIF will soon start. A few days ago we were asked if another organisation could pick up our idea and start a Homeless Library in London...
The Homeless Library will continue to grow and develop, sending its message to the world. We would like to thank the many, generous-hearted Homeless Librarians who contributed and who led the way.
My name is hello thank you and goodbye
My name is many, legion
Woke up this morning not in my own bed
Half a bed it was I fell out of
Fell out across fields, over and out
Over and out to continue
Made my way here, my name is many
My name is hello thank you and goodbye.
To download your free ebook from The Homeless Library visit blurb.
For more information and links to films and artwork please visit /the-homeless-library/
And for more interviews and project diaries look on this site at arthur-and-martha.blogspot
Labels: Armour, arthur+martha, handmade book, homeless, Manchester community arts projects, mental health, North West, participatory arts, The Booth Centre, The Homeless Library
We came with no names, but we leave as kings. Pt 2
Princess, by Fatima. Berlin 2017
On the invitation of Kunstasyl arts organisation, Phil visited one of the largest refugee hostels in Berlin. In the second of this two-part blog he speaks with members of Kunstasyl, artists Barbara Caveng and Charlotte Danoy-Kent.
Phil:
I'm in a vast room, the core of an asylum seekers' centre at Mertensstrasse, in Berlin. In the midst of this colossal space is a small stage and on the stage, a tent is being made by the Kunstasyl arts organisation. It's the beginning of their new project Kings. It's the early stages and the possibilities are as big as this room and the many human beings within it.
I see the unmistakable flame-red hair of Barbara, the artist who devised Kunstasyl, and walk over to greet her. She has given me advice and introductions at crucial stages in my project in Berlin. At moments when she's most needed, Barbara seems to appear. Her work with people who've had to flee from war began with the escalating violence in the Middle East, but she's been making collaborative art projects for a much longer time.
Barbara: "Since 2003, I have worked with individuals making projects that ask a question. Not necessarily about a problem, just a question. Asking a good question, that is the art! I'd been doing a residency in Syria, talking to people, asking questions. When war started in Syria one and a half years later, suddenly people I'd been talking to over there were standing here in Berlin. So I started asking questions again."
The result was the remarkable exhibition Da Heim: Glimpses into Fugitive Lives, at the Europaischer Museum in Berlin. One of the most emotionally affecting exhibitions I've ever witnessed, a beautiful gesture of communal making which contradicts the fear, judgement, aggression that often meet the word "refugee".
"A society is not just something we live inside, but something we can change. That is a big question, right there. I don't know if European society can make a change. If you see the project at Spandau, which created the exhibition, as an experiment with 100 people, then you can say it was successful. But how much energy and skill was focussed in that small space! What would happen if we did the same thing with a million people? Thats what needs to happen. But I don't have answers, just questions. Take my work as an experiment, not a recipe."
I talk awhile with Charlotte who is helping to develop Kings, the next phase of the project. Kings will be a performance that uses the exhibition as a backdrop. Charlotte is busying on the plans for a group structure based on the pyramid of human needs. As we talk about the piece, people come and go, asking her for guidance, or simply what's going on. She answers them all with good humour and infectious enthusiasm for the work. Her intense focus on the process of making draws people to her, they're intrigued. She explains: the tent structure will become a metaphor for survival - and for what is needed in our lives beyond survival.
I help for a little while, asking residents for their thoughts on the nature of kingship. One man discusses this with his group of friends, in Arabic. "We have decided," he says at last to me in English. The others nod at him, and he tells me: "Every king is only a poor servant of god."
As I say good bye, Barbara waves me over. "You know, the exhibition at the museum has been a big success. But we have to build on that. We mustn't just leave it, we need to add life to it, performance. We came with no names but we leave as kings…"
Heaven-Proof House is a poetry project based in Berlin, devised by Philip Davenport from arthur+martha CIC and supported by the British Council and Arts Council England. The project continues the arthur+martha strand of international work with marginalised communities, connecting people across economic, social and physical boundaries.
Berliner Stadmission run the Mertensstrasse building described here. Many thanks to Kunstasyl, Carlo Schenk, Berliner Stadmission.
Labels: Berlin, Heaven-Proof House, identity, isolation, Philip Davenport, refugees
We came with no name, but we leave as kings. Pt 1
Das Boot, by Ivan. Berlin, 2017
On the invitation of Kunstasyl arts organisation, Phil visited one of the largest refugee hostels in Berlin. In this two-part blog he goes on a walk-through of the building, and speaks with members of Kunstasyl, artists Barbara Caveng and Charlotte Danoy-Kent.
I'm inside of one of the biggest rooms I've ever entered. The word "inside" feels inappropriate for this space, which is the size of a football pitch. A big football pitch. The walls are springtime colours, crisp yellow, greens, and some sky blue. Day filters through ceiling skylights. It's the ground floor of a repurposed factory, now home to a whole community of people who've had to flee from war and leave their homes, to find temporary refuge here in Spandau, in Berlin.
My guide around the building is Carlo Schenk, an intern who is studying social sciences. I must look overwhelmed because Carlo smiles at my expression. "Huge isn't it? The first time I came here it looked unbelievable to me. Even now, after working two weeks here, it still looks too big. This open place is the shared area, over there are the tables and the kitchens, then there are smaller areas like the kindergarten and the workshops at the edge."
We walk around, and Carlo points out things of interest, but it's impossible to focus. Continual human voices roll across the space like waves. Children's voices, high pitched and excited as they play, men chatting at tables, or in the barber shop, a woman scolding her kid, all of them echoing together. Enough dining tables to serve hundreds of people. There's a big gleaming metal kitchen at one end of the room, a corner has been fenced off for a kindergarten, another space is a gym, another is a textile studio. At the far end, rows of planters containing palm trees and wooden benches, made by occupants of this "heim". People stroll back and forth, as if they're in a park.
"The barber shop is great isn't it? People socialise there, it's a really important part of Middle Eastern culture and most here are from the Middle East. We wish we could get more people cooking in the kitchens because cooking is important as well, but right now it's just too difficult to organise more than three families at once."
Next to the big hall are the sleeping rooms, another vast space divided into a grid of high-walled rooms with no ceilings, each sleeping six people. Carlo knocks on the wall of one of the shared sleeping rooms, where he knows the occupant, but no one is in. I peep briefly into the room, a stark box of stacked bunk beds.
We go briefly upstairs to look at the offices and quiet area. At every entrance or exit point is a security guard. Why is that? "To keep everybody safe, from outside and from each other. People have to sleep here so they must feel safe. There's got to be rules and they've got to be kept to. People have to feel secure and respected."
Carlo is researching the experience of LGBT refugees at the moment. "People who are lesbian or gay are in danger of experiencing the same prejudice in some refugee communities as they did at home. The same pressures that meant they had to leave might be here as well..."
We return to the gigantic hall on the ground floor. It's a big, big, big gathering point, like an airport or a stadium, where people shrink to little miniatures on the horizon of the room. A place where you might suspend ordinary life, hoping to return to it in an unspecified future. A place where you might lose yourself for awhile.
Heaven-Proof House is a poetry project based in Berlin, devised by Philip Davenport from arthur+martha CIC and supported by the British Council and Arts Council England. The project continues the arthur+martha strand of international work with marginalised communities, connecting people across borders and boundaries.
Berliner Stadmission is a social organisation with a Christian background, helping people in need. The Mertensstrasse building described here is currently being extended to take more people. Many thanks to Kunstasyl, Carlo Schenk, Berliner Stadmission.
Labels: Berlin, Heaven-Proof House, identity, refugees
A very important question
Blumen-Menschen by Marwa. Berlin 2016
Phil writes:
I arrive at the asylum centre and a set of small obstacles defeat me. I want to meet someone to discuss an interview, but he isn't around. I need a table and chairs for making artwork with the kids, at my post in the corridor, by the security man. But Klaus the technical man is not around. Mohammed the security guy would normally help, but he also isn't around. He's translating a conversation for somebody who has a job centre interview. All of these small hiccups are made clumsier and bigger by my lack of language. I have no Arabic and am learning German, which refuses to stick in my head.
So I go upstairs to see The Old Man, Karim. He's a frequent port of call and welcomes me into his room cheerily as he always does. He speaks good English and humours me by teaching me a few words in Arabic. We have talked about his journey from Iraq, paying human traffickers for the privilege of a grim boat journey. But we haven't talked about why he left. Once I've been settled into a chair and Karim has made sure I'm comfortable, he stares directly into my eyes and asks the uncomfortable question.
Karim:
There is another question you should ask about why I leave my country. This is a very important question. When anybody leaves their country there is a reason. Why? For me, I was arrested there in Iraq for more than 35 days. We have been kidnapped by militia which worked with government because we is Sunni person and you know the militia is Shia.
I was officer in the Saddam regime. For this reason they take us to the prison, to the prison. In such vehicles as civilians use. They come near my place where I lived and open door by very bad manner. They hit me in my head and said: "Don't move, don't rise your head."
They take us to the places where they work, near the government, The Ministry of Internal Affairs. I very frighten when I remember the bad situation. They have ability to kill and maybe throw body garbage. Nothing do, just obey them.
35 days in a prison, in a room. Without ventilation, without cooler, electricity cutting more than 10 hours. In my opinion, someone wrote to them about me, the intelligence secret person. In Iraq it was famous for this manner. One person in room with me, a young man. What was he accused, I don't know. He was hitten. Them hitting his leg and his head. His leg had bleeding, I don't know why they did this. I don't why, but you cannot speak them. Cannot whisper them. "Don't speak, don't whisper," the guard said. That is right, silence.
They don't give medicine to me, I was afraid for my son bringing it. After I go out the bad jail.
After stay in prison they make report, total information, where we live where we work. In my opinion the informations don't reach for anything. Nobody speak about me, no guilty. In my opinion I am arrested because I was officer in Saddam regime and I am Sunni. In the last days, they spoke to me. They said, "Mister you will go to your family. You have done nothing and we are sorry."
But what did they do? They have many cars there for police, civilian cars. They said, "OK, we shall arrive you to your home." I said I don't believe they let me go. Me and four guards go in the civilian car. They laugh. They say: "We shall not arrive in your house." They left me in the different place. They know my eyes not good. I cannot cross street, cannot see. I try to catch taxi, but they do not stop. No one stop for me, they are too scared. But at last, God's wish it was, somebody picked me up and returned me to my family.
If you stay in such country, maybe another time they not arrest you, they kill you.
Labels: arthur+martha, asylum seekers, Berlin, British Council, Heaven-Proof House, interviews, refugees
Konig, by Anonymous. Berlin, 2017.
The arthur+martha international outreach project Heaven-Proof House is a collaboration with refugees in Berlin, devised by Phil. The project is based at an asylum seekers' centre, where residents have kindly granted interviews, made poems and artworks. The artwork above, like most artworks for this project, is by a child who is resident at the centre.
The artwork for my project in Berlin has been made in a narrow corridor which is the entrance way to the Berlin refugee hostel in Spandau, where I'm based. Every week, I put out my stall, which is a rickety wooden table and two or three chairs. On the table are placed pens, pencils, ink and a heap of paper.
Within a few minutes I have usually been joined by seven or eight kids who launched themselves at the art materials with formidable energy. Technically, they are children, but their life experience has taken them far beyond the worldliness of many adults. They have come out of the war zones of the world.
This is a quiet afternoon. Most of the kids have gone on a trip. But M, one regular member of the art gang, has been left behind so she sits down and lords it over the table. She splashes some ink around and experiments with a geometry compass. As she works, we talk. I have rudimentary German, which she mocks gleefully. "Dumkopf!" She also has a tiny amount of Arabic, she names a few of the creatures she's drawing in amusing combinations of the two languages.
Although she's full of jokiness, M has a dark cloud hanging around her, like a familiar. If anyone crosses her for any reason, real or imagined, she summons a ferocious glare. And follows it with a stream of abuse. She can be disruptive to an impressive degree, or delightful. But it is only ever her who decides which.
Today after 20 minutes or so, just as she is running out of energy, two new arrivals join us. They are new to the art group and new to the hostel as well. They look very tiny and very frightened, like shy animals. They are intrigued by the paper and the pens and by the possibility that they also could play. They are a brother and sister, perhaps four or five years old. I hope M won't be too vigorous with them.
The girl very quietly and uncertainly begins to draw. Her little brother stares at the white page. M jumps in with ruthless enthusiasm, she points to the picture and gives it a thumbs up. "Ja! Das ist gut!" And then hoots with manic laughter. The two new arrivals don't know what to make of her, but sense she is friendly. M makes an "accidental" ink spillage to amuse them, smirking as I mop it away. The little boy tentatively reaches out towards the paper and draws a single line. M larks about a bit more, stamping up and down the corridor and making fun of the security guard.
The boy looks at his paper awhile and adds another line. As I watch him slowly constructing this drawing, I realise that his hands are shaking. The drawing grows, the progress somehow fuelled by M's antics. Her boldness gives the two new kids a bit of shared bravery. The little boy with shaking hands is slowly becoming lost in his artwork, a picture of a king. Perhaps this is the first drawing he has made since his arrival here, since reaching safety. His expression is faraway, distracted. His sister smiles at him.
M nods with satisfaction, as if she knew this would happen all along.
Heaven-Proof House is funded by Arts Council England and the British Council. Advice and support has been given by the Kunstasyl arts organisation.
Labels: artist in residence, Berlin, Heaven-Proof House, identity, refugees
We came with no names, but we leave as kings. Pt 2...


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Larry Block is the new owner and publisher of WEHOville and has lived in West Hollywood since 1985. Larry is partially-sighted and the former Chair of the Disability Advisory Board and the City of West Hollywood Public Facilities Commission.
COMMISSIONER PROFILE: Jimmy Palmieri, Health & Human Services Commission
Saturday - December 4, 2021 by Larry Block
UpClose: Sergeant Fanny Lapkin
Tuesday - November 2, 2021 by Larry Block
I'm running for City Council in 2022, says Planning Commissioner Marquita Thomas
Friday - October 29, 2021 by Larry Block
Up Close: LA County Assessor and former West Hollywood City Council member Jeffrey Prang
Friday - September 3, 2021 by Larry Block
'A shy kid who became mayor of one of the coolest cities in America'
Monday - August 23, 2021 by Larry Block
Resident Profile: Tom Liebengood
Saturday - August 7, 2021 by Larry Block
What$ up at City Hall. Item 2M includes large pay increa$e$ for 8 Staff position$.
Sunday - June 20, 2021 by Larry Block
Mayor of West Hollywood is running for L.A. County Supervisor
Thursday - April 15, 2021 by Larry Block
WEHOville is Coming Home!
Thursday - April 1, 2021 by Larry Block
Opinion: Part Two — Moving West Hollywood Forward
Saturday - October 17, 2020 by Larry Block
Opinion: I'm Ready to Serve
Wednesday - October 14, 2020 by Larry Block
Opinion: It's Time to 'Think Green' in West Hollywood
Sunday - March 8, 2020 by Larry Block
Opinion: WeHo Was Jeanne Dobrin's Home, So Why Did She Have to Leave to Die?
Monday - February 3, 2020 by Larry Block
How LASC and Its Owners Helped Create West Hollywood's 'Gayborhood'
Monday - July 15, 2019 by Larry Block
'WeHo Wishes' Will Put Smiles on the Faces of People with Special Needs
Monday - February 18, 2019 by Larry Block
Opinion: Think Local!
Monday - November 19, 2018 by Larry Block
Opinion: National Night Out Was Fun but Needs More City Support
Wednesday - August 8, 2018 by Larry Block
Worth a Look: A Happy Holiday Poem That Drew Smiles and Frowns
Monday - December 18, 2017 by Larry Block
Opinion: Forget the Rumors, Here Are the Facts About 'Deputygate'
Monday - June 5, 2017 by Larry Block
Opinion: Gay Pride Parade or Protest?
Monday - March 13, 2017 by Larry Block

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This aerial view shows search and rescue personnel working on site after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, north of Miami Beach,…
This aerial view shows search and rescue personnel working on site after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
How Texas cities investigate apartment problems
by: Matt Grant
Posted: Aug 3, 2021 / 11:42 AM CDT
Updated: Aug 4, 2021 / 09:16 AM CDT
AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the wake of the Miami-area condo collapse that killed nearly 100 people, KXAN reached out to cities across Texas to see how each handles safety inspections at residential properties, along with the agencies tasked with investigating complaints and making recommendations. In the Lone Star State, we found, in many cases, cities put the responsibility to find problems on residents.
READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION: Why does Austin have a 'reactive' approach to apartment inspections?
In Austin, city leaders take a "reactive" approach to investigating problems at residential properties. Residents must first call 311 to alert code enforcement. Repeat offenders, with multiple code violations, are put on a list and monitored annually to make sure issues are fixed.
Here's how other cities handle inspections:
"Multi-family inspections are conducted annually in addition to inspections that are done based on complaints.
If a structural issue was identified through a complaint or Code Compliance inspection, a notice of violation would be issued. The City's Building Inspections Department would be involved in permitting and inspections of the work required to address the structural issue. Additionally, the Fire Department may become involving in the review process, depending on the severity of the issue.
City of Arlington Multi-Family Inspection Program information here"
"The City of Dallas completes comprehensive inspections of multi-family structures such as apartment complexes and condominium complexes at least once every three years, beginning five years after initial construction. These inspections entail confirmation of Certificate of Occupancy accuracy, confirmation of current multi-tenant registration/pool permits, and physical inspection. The physical inspection entails a comprehensive overview of the exterior of the property, its common areas, and interior inspection of 10% of a properties dwelling units (per tax parcel [owner occupied units excluded]). This process is detailed in Ch. 27-42 of our city Ordinance. You can find the ordinance here."
"The city of El Paso's Planning and Inspections Department conducts inspections of one- and two-family residential buildings and multi-family residential building (apartments) at the time a building is issued a permit and during the construction of the building.
Residential buildings are inspected based on the requirements of the adopted International Residential Code, Section R109, in addition to the IRC, the International Building Code, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Energy Conservation Codes as well as the National Electrical Codes.
The City Municipal Code does not have a requirement for a recertification of a building based on the age of building. However, building owners are strongly encouraged to maintain their buildings at all times and if an inspection is required a request may be made to the City for investigative inspection.
The City's Fire Marshal's office conducts yearly inspections for operational licenses such as hazardous material, high pile storage for warehouses, places of assembly, and commercial fire systems."
"We inspect construction associated with building permits as it occurs for compliance with the adopted building codes but have no inspection program for buildings based on age.
Staff is looking at the current policies to see if any modifications are needed. Staff is looking at current inspection schedules to see if anything needs to change.
Right now the inspections are only done when staff is made aware of a possible issue with building code compliance."
"The Houston Permitting Center's Building Code Enforcement inspects buildings prior to a Certificate of Occupancy being issued and will address structural concerns when brought to their attention by either the Fire Marshall or through a 311 complaint. Building Code Enforcement does not perform annual inspections on high-rises or condos after a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.
Apartment buildings are inspected every 4 years by a Multi-family Habitability Team.
NOTE: If the Fire Marshall has structural concerns, he will bring in the Houston Permitting Center's Building Code Enforcement to inspect the building. Proactive or annual inspections on high-rises or condos do not take place in Houston (it is only when there is a concern or complaint to 311).
Apartments are a different story and get a habitability inspection every four years.
A great tool for information about the Houston Permitting Center Multi-Family Habitability team can be found here. It breaks down the inspections and provides an FAQ."
"We inspect all buildings during construction through out Building Inspections Department as part of the permit process. When a building is completed and all inspections finished a certificate of occupancy is issued to occupy the building. We do not inspect buildings after a certain age.
The building product in Miami and along the coastal areas includes high rise condominiums. A recertification process is in place there due to the environmental concerns buildings face in the area. The sea and salt water air can damage a building accelerating a rusting process for steel and affecting concrete. Plano doesn't
have this type of environment nor did we have high rise residential buildings of this type until two years ago. We now have two high rise buildings which are residential occupancies. We understand that several counties in Florida have a 40 year building re-inspection program. We do not have a requirement for this in place. However, it is possible that such a program could be evaluated if deemed necessary in the future." – Selso Mata, Plano's Chief Building Official
"In San Antonio we do not have an inspection requirement as the one you mention. Our code requires owners to maintain their buildings in a safe manner to ensure accordance with safety codes."
"On behalf of the entire International Code Council family, we extend our deepest condolences to all of those affected by the Surfside building collapse, which was a terrible, tragic event.
The Code Council is the developer of the most widely used set of building safety codes and standards in the world, the International Codes (I-Codes). The I-Codes are updated on a three-year basis to incorporate new technology, approaches, information, and lessons learned. They require existing buildings to be maintained in good repair and structurally sound with structural members shown to be free from deterioration in order to support the imposed loads and create safe conditions. In the U.S., the specific rules and regulations related to inspections and
building re-certifications are determined by the local and state jurisdictions.
We emphasize to all communities the importance of adopting modern building codes and stress the
critical importance of continued inspection and enforcement to keep buildings and their occupants safe and healthy.
The Code Council and the National Institute of Building Sciences are convening an in-person panel discussion in the wake of the Surfside, Florida building collapse. Hosted by the Building Officials Association of Florida, this dialogue will focus on how communities monitor the safety of existing buildings, what guidance exists for
building owners, and how future catastrophic events can be avoided. We will not be looking into the causation of the building collapse but instead focusing on the broader questions related to frequency of inspections, structural safety,
maintenance, and the application of current building codes and standards. The goal of the discussion is to establish a channel for the building safety community to have a dialogue and develop information that could inform policy
makers as they consider questions raised by the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South.
The Code Council has always advocated for safe, affordable, and sustainable buildings and communities – which includes the consistent maintenance of existing buildings. To meet this, the I-Codes require existing buildings to be maintained in good repair and structurally sound with structural members shown to be free from
deterioration in order to support the imposed loads and create safe conditions. For the specific language, please refer to the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) Section 304." -Whitney Doll, ICC executive vice president of
communications and strategic initiatives."
City of Austin Development Services Department
"The City of Austin follows national code standards and the City's land development code to help ensure building integrity from design through construction. A building permit is required before constructing, altering or improving any building or structure, including high rises. The process of acquiring a permit includes an extensive plan review process, with a focus on protecting life, health, safety, welfare and property. Large commercial structures typically require multiple permits, each with specific inspection requirements.
In 2017, the City of Austin established a dedicated structural review team, whose primary focus is to examine a limited list of project types for public safety issues while ensuring sound engineering principles. Licensed engineers perform structural reviews before construction. See Structural Review Submittal Checklist.
Identifying which inspections are needed begins in plan review, and the inspections occur throughout construction to ensure required standards and approved plans are being followed.
Structural inspection requirements are established by the International Building Code and the material standards it references (e.g., American Institute of Steel Construction, American Concrete Institute). These codes and standards dictate requirements for materials, inspection frequency and other facets of structural oversight.
In addition to conducting numerous inspections throughout construction, City staff also reviews special third-party inspections that require specific expertise.
The city requires design professionals, like engineers and architects, to tell us what 3rd party inspections are required by submitting a Statement of Special Inspections. What this means is the design professional is indicating within the development process what types of inspections need be reviewed, like materials, types, extent and frequency. Then the Contractor is responsible for submitting reports that the inspections are completed and have passed. Finally, the City provides oversight of the entire process. This process is defined under the 2015 International Building Code, Chapter 17.
The City of Austin has departments who review plans and perform inspections during the development process, and departments who respond to complaints and ensure compliance once construction is complete. The Development Services Department reviews and approves plans and performs inspections throughout the development process. There is not currently a code for frequency of inspecting existing structures once development is complete. Two City departments, Austin Code and Austin Fire, respond to complaints and take necessary steps to address deficiencies if they arise. Property Maintenance is a shared responsibility between the City, property owners and tenants. We encourage tenants to speak to their landlords if they observe structural damages. If these are not addressed in a timely manner, they can also call Austin 3-1-1 to report the potential code violation. By reporting it, the City becomes aware and an inspector is assigned to investigate and bring the property into compliance." -Robbie Searcy, Public Information Specialist Sr., City of Austin Development Services Department
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hile the government is banking heavily on the Aadhar data supplied by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for the implementation of the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) and better targeting of fertiliser subsidies, the reliability of the data is in itself in question.
In fact, a Parliamentary Standing Committee Report on Finance had questioned the legality of the collection of biometrics for creating a citizen database in December 2011. Also, the process of creation of a citizens' database was outsourced to a third party with no means of adequate monitoring of their activities. The Union Finance Minister seems to have placed immense faith in this one-technology driven initiative to deliver many ambitious fiscal targets. But most of the UID-based delivery schemes will be pilot projects to be rolled out in a few chosen districts. It is unlikely that they will improve the efficiency and accuracy of the government's gargantuan welfare schemes this year.
"Also, there has been no audit of the UID project by an independent authority. The CAG should audit the entire process of creation of a people's database," Saraf said.


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BOW GAMELAN ENSEMBLE
Post BGE
W0B
Toynbee Studios launch event
Spitalfields, London, 1 Mar 2007
Anne Bean, in collaboration with the pyrotechnicians and artists, Mark Anderson and Nick Sales installed over 100 ribbons of 100 metres, each having an electrically detonated explosive charge at the roof end, to ignite and cut through the ribbons in order to finally release the new building.
During the days before, the ribbons acted as a gigantic aeolian harp, playing mysterious hummings and throbbings in the wind.
Performers from the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band dressed in full Scottish regalia stood on balconies of the high rise flats opposite, hosted by individual families, with 10 metres of rope light hanging down from each of the balconies, as well as on roofs of office blocks and various levels of Toynbee itself. They played a piece composed and orchestrated by Ansuman Biswas, with the ribbons, numbered on the detonating 'keyboard', to release at different moments, being an intrinsic part of the score.
Toynbee Studios launch event (2007)
Midnight Hour
© 2022 Bow Gamelan Ensemble


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Three Books that Will Restore Your Faith in Miracles
December 20, 2017 / Yolande Morris
Photo by {artist}/{collectionName} / Getty Images
"Christianity is the only religion that depends, for its overall coherence, on the authenticity of miracles." -- C.S. Lewis
As we continue our series on miracles, we're digging deeper into the how and why miracles happen in our world today. To be honest, sometimes it is hard to believe the sensationalized news stories about weeping statues and medical mysteries because, even as Christians, we've been taught to question the supernatural. After all, there must be scientific evidence or some other rational reason why things happen to people. Rather than try to sway you with our own arguments, we found three books (and incredible stories) that will restore your faith in miracles, God, and the impossible.
In his book, Miracles, C.S. Lewis wrote that "seeing is not believing" and that defines a miracle as an interference with Nature by supernatural power. As such, Christians must not only accept but rejoice in miracles as a testimony of the unique personal involvement of God in his creation. If you have trouble reconciling your belief in miracles with modern-day thinking and science, then this book is for you. Lewis discusses the natural versus the supernatural view of Bible miracles and why "Christianity is the only religion that depends, for its overall coherence, on the authenticity of miracles." Think of this book as your introductory guide to miracles with a study guide from the C.S. Lewis Foundation here.
Imagine that your son fell through a lake on a one winter morning and after taking him to the hospital, he died. That is what happened to Joyce Smith when her 14-year-old son John suffered a tragic accident. She was hurt and angry with God but she refused to give up on her son. She cried out to God to save her son and, miraculously, John's heart started beating, again after 45 minutes.
"The Impossible is about a profound truth: prayer really does work. God uses it to remind us that He is always with us, and when we combine it with unshakable faith, nothing is impossible." - Joyce Smith, author of The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother's Faith and Her Son's Resurrection
Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing
When Annabel Beam fell three stories headfirst into an old, hollowed-out tree after playing outside with her sisters, she wasn't expected to live. But Annabel didn't just live, she was healed from a rare and incurable digestive disorder after visiting heaven while she was unconscious inside the tree. Her story became the basis for the memoir Miracles from Heaven, written by Annabel's mother, Christy Beam. The book was later adapted into a major motion picture starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah and directed by Devon Franklin.
Get the book here.
This Christmas, inspire someone else to believe again by sharing these stories, and books, with them.
December 20, 2017 / Yolande Morris/ Comment
miracles, miracles from heaven, impossible book, story, books on miracles, faith, reading, holiday reading, books for christmas, christmas gifts, amazon


An employee walks through the parking lot of a Marathon Petroleum Corp. Speedway gas station in Huntington, West Virginia, in 2016. Marathon Petroleum Corp. paid its CEO 935 times more than it paid its median employee in 2017, according to a new disclosure.
WASHINGTON ― A moment that corporate executives may have dreaded for years has finally arrived.
As Congress chips away at bank regulations established by the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, another part of the measure is exposing the extreme income inequality between bosses and their workers.
The law requires publicly traded companies to calculate the ratio of their chief executive officer's compensation to the median pay of the companies' employees. After a series of delays, firms are finally disclosing their pay ratios in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Some of the numbers are shocking. The staffing firm ManpowerGroup paid its chief executive $11.9 million last year ― 2,483 times the average employee's earnings. The firm noted in its disclosure that most of its employees are temps who work only part of the year, making just $4,828 on average.
ManpowerGroup's ratio is the most lopsided of any disclosed as of Tuesday morning, according to Proxy Insight, a company that tracks SEC disclosures for investors. Excluding firms with no employees, the average ratio among the more than 263 disclosures to date is 77 to 1, with CEO pay averaging $7.2 million compared to $93,000 for the typical worker.
Other notable ratios for big firms include the appliance maker Whirlpool Corporation, which paid its CEO 356 times what it paid its average worker, and the health insurance company Humana, whose top executive earned 344 times more than the median salary for employees.
The disclosures come as Democrats and Republicans wage a rhetorical battle over who benefits most from the massive corporate tax cut President Donald Trump signed into law late last year. While Republicans have touted modest bonuses several million workers have received from various companies, Democrats have kept a running tally of share buybacks, which inflate the value of a company's stock and enrich executives. Stock awards represent a substantial portion of executive compensation.
Companies have long disclosed executive pay as part of their SEC filings, but what's new is the requirement that they also own up to what they pay their rank and file. Paired together, the numbers can serve as a barometer for economic inequality within particular firms.
Lisa Gilbert, a lobbyist and expert on executive pay with the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said that if company leaders dreaded this day, they were right to do so.
Although it has little regulatory impact, the CEO-to-worker pay ratio was one of the most contentious pieces of the Dodd-Frank legislation. It took the SEC three years to issue a proposal for firms to disclose the ratio, over the fierce objection of corporate lobbyists. The business community argued it would be too difficult and costly to calculate the ratios.
Some regulators sympathized. Two Republican members of the SEC voted against the rule, and one of them, Michael Piwowar, said its real intent was to "shame" executives.
The rule's backers argued that both investors and employees have a right to know when executive pay is grossly out of step with typical workers' salaries, saying it sheds light on a company and its priorities.
Labor groups have used industry-level wage data to calculate worker-to-CEO pay ratio estimates to spotlight pay inequity. The AFL-CIO reported last year that among more than 400 companies traded on the S&P 500, the average CEO made 347 times more than his or her average worker.
Executive compensation has grown far faster than overall wages, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank. It found that in 1965, executives earned merely 20 times more than their average employee.
For some firms, the ratio alone can obscure important details about employee compensation, such as whether workers reside in areas with a low cost of living and what their hours are, said Tim Bartl, CEO of the Center on Executive Compensation, a group that opposed the pay rule.
"Unless you get into the details, it doesn't tell you a whole lot," Bartl said.
Still, some companies in their disclosures appear eager to erase their lowest-paid employees from existence to make the pay ratios less conspicuous. ManpowerGroup, the temporary staffing firm, offered an alternative ratio that excluded the temp workers who are at the heart of its business model.
The company noted in its SEC filing that its CEO earned only 276 times as much as the firm's permanent employees.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation is another firm with an eye-popping ratio. CEO Gary Heminger earned nearly $20 million last year ― 935 times more than the median Marathon employee.
The company blamed the disparity on the thousands of workers at its Speedway gas station subsidiary. Gas station cashiers earned an average of just $9.83 per hour last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If the company could wave a wand and make those low-wage workers disappear, then its CEO-to-worker pay ratio would be a much more reasonable 156-1, the company said.


CARTER (voice-over): I'm a Southerner, and I'm proud of a heritage that shows concern for the working men and women who are the backbone of our great nation.
These are the people who are often cheated by an unfair system of government. These are the people forgotten by the present administration, while the influential and powerful get special favors. When I'm elected president, that will change.
MALE NARRATOR: We in the South can help, by voting for [with TEXT] Jimmy Carter: A leader, for a change.
www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1976/south (accessed April 22, 2019).


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Upcoming School Closure Mandated by Governor Tim Walz – Wednesday, March 18th through Friday, March 27th.
Upcoming School Closure Mandated by Governor Tim Walz
Independent School District 518 (ISD 518) will be closed from Wednesday, March 18th through Friday, March 27th. This is in accordance with Governor Tim Walz's Emergency Executive Order 20-02, given on Sunday, March 15th. During the closure time, ISD 518 will be preparing a plan for Distance Learning.
ISD 518 understands the importance of community mitigation in response to the growing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. The school district plays an important part in this process and will continue working to teach social distancing as well as good hygiene and health habits such as frequent and thorough hand washing, using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available, covering coughs without using bare hands, and staying home when sick.
Visitors to ISD 518 facilities will be limited on Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th. Beginning Wednesday, March 18th, staff will report to district locations but there will be no instruction for students through March 27th. During this closure time, ISD 518 would like to ask the public to not enter district facilities unless otherwise invited or by appointment only. Building occupancy hours across the district will be 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Food service will be available during the closure period. More information on the lunch program will be released at a later time.
Registration for new students will be by appointment only. District buildings will be closed to the public and all athletics and activity meetings and practices are cancelled by order of the Minnesota State High School League.
Schools are centers of their communities. It is critical to public health that students, staff, and community members participate in the social distancing measures that are being recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and ISD 518.
ISD 518 Superintendent John Landgaard says, "I want to express my appreciation for all District 518 employees for their support and willingness to help in a number of ways supporting students, families, and the District 518 community. By pulling together and thinking outside of the box, we will continue to provide high quality, equitable education and support others in our district community."
Posted on Tue, March 17, 2020 by Anne Foley