text:
How To Split the Lib Con Coalition and Have Fun Doing It. #ge2010 #ge2015
We've woken up with a whole new political rule set, and everything from now on is going to be lots of fun.
The rules of politics in the age of coalitions are about listening, negotiating, collaborating and coming up with unexpected solutions.
But most of all the new rules are about shifting alliances.
Everything is always to play for.
And in our day and age, "everything to play for" is the best and most beautiful state to be in.
Everything is fluid, uncertain, changeable, unexpected, chaotic and complex. Any state we are in from now on is always just another state waiting to be born.
From this morning onwards all sorts of wonderfulness from science and economics and even maths have come into play. Ideas about self organising systems, game theory, evolutionary biology, autopoiesis, complexity science and systems thinking, all of which I can't even pretend to properly understand, are suddenly our guiding principles.
And one of the things these ideas reveal is that small actions can have big effects, which is great if we don't want to wait around for the over-networked posh idiots to sort the world out for us. Things that we can all do in structures outside of party politics matter. In complex non-linear systems the small things have unexpected consequences, it's a mathematical fact!
There are lots of big challenges of course, but that is great because you can't have a decent story or a decent game without risk of failure.
And best of all is that this new rule set is perfect for, and demands, creativity. Political systems become a subject for creativity.
I read a smshing definition of creativity in neuroscience the other day: "creativity as the ability to restructure one's understanding of a situation in a nonobvious way. "
And if nothing else, what was sadly sadly missing over the last 13 years was anyone ever doing anything "non obvious". They made an obsession of finding out the obvious and doing it. No one ever, ever, took a step back and looked at the system as a whole and said "ok what is really going on and how can we really change it?"
For all the battered nobility of his last few days, all Brown ever wanted to do was sit in the centre and command the world to change based on the force of his will and his absolute understanding, and his chosen mechanism for doing so was to throw tax revenues at it skimmed from the City.
But the world just doens't obey that command any more, if it ever did.
So here is a policy to test out in breaking up the current coalition:
Local income tax.
It's a Lib Dem policy I think anyway. The Cameron wing of the Conservatives would have to pretend to be in favour given how much they have gone on about localism, but the devolutionary implications would be too much for the right. If it passes then the control of revenues and the autonomy that goes with it will allow Labour to build up the independence of its English regional strongholds and push for greater freedom from London regardless of which coalition is in power there. And a hundred city states all experimenting with the rule sets of government is million times more creative.
God knows whether that would work or not in any way.
But that's not the point. The point is the process. Release early release often. Prototype. Beta test. Declare a republic in Sunderland and see what happens.
That is the world we are in now, and it is miles better than the old one, regardless of who it is that thinks they are in power.
A great essay about creativity and experimentation in political rule sets here.
A useful primer about systems thinking here.
A bonkers and almost mystical introduction to autopoiesis here.
11:30 in civic responsibility, culture_of_contempt, Felt Tip Revolution, fish (and other animals), fun, happiness, linux ubuntu, local government, location, ooooooh shit!, participation, Pervasive Games, Superstruct, The Future is Different When It's Evenly Distributed, Umm. Err. Umm. Err., Utopians for Real Change!, what does it all mean? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Who Would Play Gordon Brown in the Film?
If you read it as a story, which for most of us it might as well be, then the big character in the middle still feels like Brown.
He's the one who has got the most to loose. Not so much his job as of himself.
Look at his face. That has got to be a man who is lying there awake in the middle of the night, and he cant even turn the bedside lamp on because he doesn't want to wake his wife up, and he couldn't concentrate to read even if he did.
And what he is thinking about in the dark is that everything that he thought he'd done for the best might be judged a failure because of his own decisions, and in 100 years time there will still be people writing books arguing about how much he was to blame for a culture that brought the world to its knees.
A few weeks ago, he made a speech feebly blaming "lobbying" and "pressure from the Conservatives" for deregulation of the banks, which suggests he is already beginning to try and find a way to tell himself about his choices, but it will be all the harder to bear the answers because he will tell himself he made the choices in good faith, with good intentions, in order to use the tax revenues to do good.
And now everything that he may or may not have achieved before it will seem uninteresting to history compared to the crash. That's what he is now, as a public figure. The Bankers' Crash, guilty or not?
And that is quite a shift in what he can tell himself about himself in the last 24 months or so.
There is only one job in the whole world in which he can do anything about that, in which he can take action to change the ending of the story written about him, and of the story he can tell himself with any honesty. And that job is Prime Minister.
That is what will be torturing him. That perhaps as soon as tomorrow he's not going to be able to do anything else about changing the end of the story. If he looses the job then all he can do, from his new job at Oxford or Havard or wherever, is wage an undignified campaign for his own reputation, not change the future on which that reputation will rest.
Compared to that, Clegg and Cameron don't have much of themselves at stake. Cameron will probably get the knife if he can't deliver a coalition, but wanting to be the next Tony Blair isn't a failed ambition that anyone would find it too hard to recover from.
And as for Clegg, if he makes a tactical mistake he'll suffer only according to the strength of his principles, which ought to be what guides him anyway. If he follows them, he can't blame himself too much if it doesn't work out, and he's the only one of the three who is certain to be around for the next election with chance to try again.
That's why the big scene is, or has already been, when Brown understands, or is made to understand, that he has to let go, and when he knows that this time there isn't any more fight to be had. To work as a scene you'd have to write it such that he had real self knowledge and honesty, which he may or may not have.
But if the character of Gordon Brown has that self knowledge and honesty, then that is the scene when we'd watch a human being suffer at the hands of the only thing that can't ever be changed, our own choices in the past.
15:14 in civic responsibility, culture_of_contempt, fish (and other animals), stories, Umm. Err. Umm. Err. | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The problem isn't the excluded. It's the included.
If there are pockets of generation-to-generation "exclusion" and wasted human potential in the UK - and that means low birthweight babies, doing badly at school, tragically narrowed life chances, unemployment, ill health and early death - then it is because for a child born in those places the odds are stacked so heavily against them that only the most exceptional and determined could ever have any hope of overturning them.
And it's a lot to ask of a newborn baby to make up its mind to be so exceptional and determined by the time it is 3 years old.
The reason those odds are so stacked is because through a mixture of history, bad government and malice aforethought we've ended up with a political rule set designed so that the included, for example this retailer of bankers' culture, can shamelessly game the system to their own advantage through old school connections, lobbying, political party funding, corporate hospitality, corporate sponsorship, slack corporate regulation, internships for each other's children, board membership of private companies and public institutions and so on and so on and so on.
Welfare for the rich, taxes for the poor.
If you haven't noticed that over the last 18 months, you really haven't been paying attention.
And if you give any sort of a shit about human beings having the freedom to waste their lives on their own terms and not on anyone else's then you've really got to be asking about system-wide structural changes to the rule sets.
Because if you think that the inclusion problem is going to be solved by the included being nicer, then you'll very soon find yourself taking the piss .
[square brackets]
a report on the freedom to waste your life on your own terms
10:58 in absolutely no bloody fun at all, culture_of_contempt, ooooooh shit!, Umm. Err. Umm. Err., Utopians for Real Change! | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
MacDonaldsville and Starbucksia (and Tallstoria, Nolandia, and Aircastle)
It really really really does depend who is talking and who is listening.
10:10 in civic responsibility, culture_of_contempt, Felt Tip Revolution, Umm. Err. Umm. Err., Utopians for Real Change!, what does it all mean? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Poor but 'Appy (and Rich but 'Appy)
Lots of research tells us that more equal societies are better places to live: their citizens are fitter, live longer and are happier.
It doesn't matter if everyone is rich or everyone is poor, equality is good for people.
England is one of the most unequal countries in the world, and I don't think it is going to become more equal ever again.
If it hasn't happened after 10 years of New Labour, it isn't going to happen in the next 10 years of David Cameron.
We are governed by the rich (wielding analogue power), for the rich and that isn't going to change.
So we are stuck with misery.
But we only live in such an unequal country because that's what we choose to draw our borders round.
If we draw our borders round city-states and regions, straight away they are much more equal places to live.
The gap between the richest few percent, the middle and the poorest will be far narrower in Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield and Newcastle than it is in England.
Without redistributing a single penny, everyone is suddenly happier.
And the best thing about this revolution?
You can start it in your head.
Whether you live in Mayfair or Maryport, just say "I don't live in England any more, I live in..." and whistle a happy tune.
12:15 in civic responsibility, Felt Tip Revolution, location, ooooooh shit!, participation, Umm. Err. Umm. Err., what does it all mean? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Reboot Britain Che Scale Challenge Results Are In!
The Che Scale is a handy ready reckoner for working out if policies are radical or just talking the talk.
Whatever the policy is, just ask yourself "If I were a rich and/or powerful person, how worried would I be by this?"
The Che Scale goes from 0 to 5, with 0 being "Ten more years of New Labour? Yes please!" and 5 being "Stuffing a suitcase full of used tenners and clawing their way onto the last Learjet to Monaco."
Anything over 0 has at least something worth listening to.
So, these are the sessions I went to at Reboot Britain, scored on the Che Scale.
Introduction and Welcome from Chairman Nesta 0/5
I wasn't happy with any of this, so much so that it gave me pause to wonder about how, why and in whose interests Nesta are spending a "national endowment".
I might come back to Chairman Nesta and his Vanguard of Innovation another time so I'll leave it there.
Except to say that this would have got minus Che Points except that Che never gets negative. When Che faces a negative situation in his life, such as girlfriend trouble or running out of milk, he gathers a band of armed men around him and sets off into the forest to start a revolution.
Jeremy Hunt MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 0.5/5
Only 0.5 Che Points but a very enjoyable talk.
It was interesting to hear a working politician talking about what he thought the internet meant for the centre left and centre right in the same way it's always interesting to hear people talk about jobs that mean something to them.
I'm not sure if the phrase "collaborative individualism" can make any sense, but if it does it'll depend on who says it and who hears it.
Fools Gold, Gillian Tait, Assistant Editor, Finacial Times 3.5/5
This was the most radical session of the whole day, presented by a financial journalist who used to be an anthropologist, and had analysed the credit crunch by studying the culture within banks.
The reason the world went bust was because:
- nobody responsible for financial innovation really had a clue what they were messing with
- they were all making too much pretend money for anyone to care
- regulators didn't regulate
- banks were structured like tribes with everyone in the tribe looking upwards not across,
- but, the tribes had no one at the top who knew what all the bits were doing let alone how it all worked
- whichever part of a bank was earning the most ("Who's got the most goats?") did what they wanted.
If I was a rich and powerful banker I'd be threatened by this, because it left nowhere to hide.
To stop it happening again we need to challenge this financial "innovation", and challenge the tiny priesthood doing it.
Then she wished us "good luck" and marched out, which at first I took as fond best wishes but afterwards I thought was actually "fat chance".
Mining the Archives, Tony Ageh 1.5/5
Archives are the raw material of a new industrial revolution, but they have to be opened up.
Let's hope so because I'm not sure the UK has got many other untapped sources of new wealth.
1.5 for the openness and the challenge to existing media.
How Co-design Can Help Reboot Britain, Deborah Szebeko 1.5/5
We should listen to the people who use public services when we try to make the services better.
This will make better and more efficient public services at a time when there is no money left to spend on better public services.
Can't argue with that.
I wasn't so keen on the idea that we should look at national questions through an X Factor style "Britain's Got Problems" type event, but 1.5/5 anyway, because that bit was probably a joke.
Consumer Democracy or a Politics of Citizenship Matthew Taylor 2.75/5
This was quite useful because he said that consumerism is ok in our relationship with services as we use them - we should all expect to get decent treatment - but it's not a good way of thinking about government.
In our other role as the owners of public services we have to recognise that governing is about working out compromises between groups of people who maybe can't all have what they want.
If our opinions are surveyed as consumers of government we are quite grumpy, but when people do take a role in "government" structures, e.g. citizen juries, they prove themselves to be good at listening and compromising.
I've read a lot of evidence of the same kind in a report called "Empowering communities to influence local decision making: a systematic review of the evidence" and I think it's all very hopeful, so long as it's done on scales that people can get their heads round - very local - and it means something, so there has to be a risk of failure.
Hyperlocality and Active Citizenship 3/5
"Hyper local is bringing geographical scale down." - Kevin Harris, who really does know about this stuff.
The smaller the units are the more chance there is of self-organising, self-sustaining, bottom up problem solving and self government in which people do listen and compromise.
But there has to be a risk.
Nothing meaningful ever happens if there can't be a failure.
Participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre is full of the risk of failure: if not enough people in your neighbourhood can be bothered to take part, you get less money to spend. Tough.
Straight Line Thinking Stops Here, Alan Moore 0.25/5
This was about as much use as crystal aura cleansing. Lot's of natural metaphors and folksy stuff about communities and sharing.
0.25 just for not being Chairman Nesta.
How we learn to stop worrying and love local government 3/5
Local government as a convenor ( I quite like that word just because it reminds me of 1970s trade union shop stewards on the 6 O'clock News).
If you think of local government as the convenor of a process of citizenship at a very local scale (I can't quite bring myself to say "hyperlocal"), that is again quite powerful and hopeful I think.
The more sense people have of themselves as part of a local citizenry, the more of a challenge it is to the centralised state.
How People Power Can Reboot Britain, Lee Bryant 3/5
Three points for saying that government contracts should be parcelled up into small seed funding awards for small businesses, social enterprises and so on. These businesses would try and work out solutions, with the best ones making themselves obvious, and the same money would be working twice, with even the cost of the failed ideas being repayed as support for businesses that were trying to be innovative, some of which might well use the knowledge gained from their failed innovations to come up with successful, and unexpected, new ones.
And the same three points again for talking about failure at all, and pointing out that even if 60% of the ideas failed that wouldn't be any worse than the big contracts the government gives out now to consultancies.
And again for suggesting getting rid of "process based" improvement based on setting targets from the centre and enforcing them.
Howard Rheingold 2/5
Media literacy as an ongoing personal state of mind that questions sources of authority, and that convenes collective action (my use of "convenes" to paraphrase I think, rather than him saying it in so many words.)
And that was it. Home in time for tea.
I went to Reboot Britain with very mixed expectations, and all-in-all got plenty out of it, though I might have been even happier in a plain old conference about technology and local government.
Why MPs Were Right to Fiddle their Expenses
Because we let them.
Corruption is the UK is structural not personal.
What are those structures?
Is it because we are the second most centralised country in the world after North Korea?
Which means we are all victims of invisible analogue corruption that is far worse than the cost of a few tins of cat food*.
And, if you want my opinion, the way to end that structural corruption is to
• break up the English nation state* completely - it shouldn't even have a darts team, let alone a "parliament"
• replace it with a constellation of self governing city-states and regions
• give them power to make their own laws, raise taxes, conduct foreign policy and have their own darts teams
that way, the people to whom you grant authority to act on your behalf won't need a "second home allowance" because they will live on your street and work in your town hall, and if they abuse your trust, you can go round and wring their necks.
Of course, my opinion isn't worth sh**e (but nor is anyone else's from outside the centre of real, analogue, power).
And it's not very likely to happen anyway (but that doesn't mean it's not worth trying to make it happen.)
But if we are up in arms about the cat food, we have a responsibility to ask how it happened, be honest about who else has benefited from letting it happen*, and take responsibility for doing what is needed to stop it happening any more.
Asterisks:
*What do you think Peter Mandelson was doing on that Russian oligarch's yacht last summer? Talking about the football? A Lord and a gangster were carving up your life. How do you think the world's financial institutions got so "de regulated"? Anyone ask you if you thought it was a good idea to put your job and your mortgage at risk so that over-networked smug idiots could pay for their single estate first press olive oil importing businesses?
*nation states are sooo 19th century.
* And among those who benefit are the very same people stirring up the outrage in order to sell a few more copies of the Pyongyang Daily Worker.
07:57 in civic responsibility, culture_of_contempt, ooooooh shit!, Umm. Err. Umm. Err., what does it all mean? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Everything That Is Wrong With Our Shitarse Country Made Flesh In One Frail Human Being
A couple of weeks ago I was banging on as usual about what everyone could already see for themselves - that the reason we are in such a fine mess was because Margaret Thatcher deliberately wiped out any counterbalances to the City of London (financial services industry).
This meant there was no one left with any political authority to say
"letting 28-year-olds make massive bets with other people's money, pay themselves billions of pounds of bonuses based on what they claim the bets are going to win some time in the future, [and] retire at 35 to set up an organic single estate first press olive oil importing business because they've always been passionate about the finest ingredients"
isn't the only possible way to run a country.
The pixels weren't dry on the page before the Independent had a double page feature (I can't be bothered to find a link to it - why would I make this up?) on Harry Blain, the owner of the Haunch of Venison art retail outlet.
Harry was brought up in Surrey, went to Eton, and was a stockbroker before he retired to set up an organic single estate first press olive oil, sorry, art gallery in Mayfair.
You see what I mean?
08:54 in absolutely no bloody fun at all, culture_of_contempt, denial of seriousness attack, ooooooh shit!, Umm. Err. Umm. Err. | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
It's No Good Blaming the Bankers Now
We all ate in the restaurants that their lunches kept busy.
We all went to the art galleries that fed their art market.
We all re-mortgaged our houses in the property boom that their bonuses fueled.
Didn't we?
13:05 in absolutely no bloody fun at all, ooooooh shit!, Umm. Err. Umm. Err. | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
"There is no alternative." Remember that one?
It is what Margaret Thatcher said at the height of the recession of the early 1980s to justify her economic policy.
But that recession wasn't an unforeseeable and unstoppable tsunami any more than this one is.
That recession, if not politically generated, was used, with malice aforethought, by Margaret Thatcher's government to remove any counterbalancing political, economic, social and cultural centres of power that might offer an alternative to the dominance of the City of London [global financial services] in the UK - those counterweights being the industrial and manufacturing city-regions, mostly centre-left politically.
And that is exactly how we've got ourselves into the fine mess we are in now.
Because since then there has been no world view, and no point of view from which to have it, that carried enough weight to say
"Umm. Err. Umm. Err. Maybe letting 28-year-olds make massive bets with other people's money, pay themselves billions of pounds of bonuses based on what they claim the bets are going to win some time in the future, retire at 35 to set up an organic single estate first press olive oil importing business because they've always been passionate about the finest ingredients, and leave everybody else to face the consequences when the bets not only don't win but turn out never to have had any way of winning except by using them to make more bets and pay more bonuses, might not be the only possible way to run a country."


There is a F&B minimum required for this private seating location for the 8 hour pool event.
With a max of (20) people at this seating location, you can enjoy the sounds of our epic DJ's all from the comfort of your private spot. A 10% Non-Refundable reservation fee is required to hold your request. Your fee is added to your reservation when used. You MUST have a Credit Card on file by 2 p.m. of the day chosen or you lose your fee and your reservation to the next person in line for this choice. A backup list will be a first come first serve day of event.


High Fantasy and the Lord of the Rings Racial archetypes in modern fantasy, particularly Tolkien's epic story.
similarities to the eldar race in warhammer 40,000 compared to us.
Malevolent folktale creatures relate to neanderthal races?
Racial reflexions and background in the Witcher saga.
Silmarillion: Why Valars from Tolkien universe don't care much about humans?
Happy 126th Birthday, J.R.R, Tolkien!!!


Last year in January, we had a blast participating in John Green Week and then we reviewed the awesomeness that is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green during Book Blogger Appreciation Week in the fall. As I read The Fault In Our Stars, I highlighted passage after passage, line after line of amazing. I was in awe of the whole book...I totally understand that not everyone shares my complete and utter, and maybe irrational, love of this book but it's hard to deny that this book is a great book. It happens to be my favorite John Green book and what I believe to be the best of what he has written so far.
Enough of my gushing about The Fault In Our Stars though. My goal in rereading this month is to focus on what great snatches of text I find in the books I'm rereading and also what I can learn for myself as a writer from my rereads. I have specific examples of each of these today!
*Please note that all page numbers are from my e-book copy that I have on my Nook so they may not exactly match up with the physical copy of the book.
At the beginning of The Fault In Our Stars, John Green introduces us to Hazel, Isaac, and Augustus. I love reading how authors carry out the exposition in books. How exactly do they introduce us to a character while at the same time start to share the story? There is definitely a finesse to this and it's not easy. In the two passages below, you can see how he weaves in description of the three main characters. Notice how each character gets a jam-packed paragraph that helps us visualize each of them. Word choice is insanely critical here because I'm guessing John Green wanted to give readers a clear picture of each character without spending too much time describing each of them. I also love how critically Hazel describes herself and what that tells readers about her. Readers have a lot of clues to help them infer what Hazel thinks of herself.
"The only redeeming facet of Support Group was this kid named Isaac, a long-faced, skinny guy with straight blond hair swept over one eye.
"A boy was staring at me.
I was quite sure I'd never seen him before. Long and leanly muscular, he dwarfed the molded plastic elementary school chair he was sitting in. Mahogany hair, straight and short. He looked my age, maybe a year older, and he sat with his tailbone against the edge of the chair, his posture aggressively poor; one hand half in a pocket of dark jeans.
Writing Challenge #1: Describe yourself or a character in five sentences or less. Read over your description and revise to make it as concise and full of punch as possible.
Writing Challenge #2: Sum up yourself or a character's story in 6 words. For examples of Six-Word Memoirs for teens, check out SMITHTeens.
I love comparing similes and metaphors with students and talking about how they help readers visualize. I've had many discussions about literary devices and just why an author chooses to use them and which he or she decides to employ. I have always felt that metaphors elicit a stronger conviction. The above metaphor is one of my absolute favorite lines from The Fault In Our Stars. It seems to have a very different tone when compared to the above simile although both definitely help a reader imagine.
Writing Challenge #3: Write a description as a simile and as a metaphor. Compare how your description changes depending on how it is written. Which one do you like and why does it resonate with you as a simile or as a metaphor?
I love using Jeff Anderson's strategies for using snatches of text to ask students to look at what they notice about sentences and grammar. The above quotes from The Fault in Our Stars are all examples of two independent clauses connected with a conjunction. When you connect two independent clauses with a conjunction, you need to put a comma before the conjunction. I like that the sentence lengths vary because it's not about the length of the clause that makes it independent. It's about whether it can stand alone.
Writing Challenge #4: Look at your own writing and see if you used commas correctly when joining together independent clauses. Do you have any sentences that can be joined with a conjunction to give some variety to the sentences in your writing?
Penguin Group Australia put together a great Teacher's Guide for The Fault In Our Stars. I especially love all the wonderful quote cards at the end that can be printed for use in discussion or in various other ways.
I hope you enjoyed revisiting the stellar-ness of John Green's The Fault In Our Stars. It was the perfect read to start off my month of rereading. I would love to hear if you have used The Fault In Our Stars as a mentor text and how you used it or plan to use it. As always, thanks for sharing!


This cute two bedroom farm house offers the feel of acreage living with the benefit of only a regular house block to maintain. With sweeping vistas of cane fields from your kitchen & living room windows this property certainly has the feeling of space and privacy.
This property is perfect for the first home buyer, young family or a great project for the home renovator. Call Debbie today for more information.


text:
Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna w Katowicach – niepubliczna szkoła wyższa z siedzibą w Katowicach. Upadła w 2009. Pomimo iż władze uczelni zapewniały o dobrej kondycji finansowej szkoły, okazało się, że nie dysponuje ona środkami finansowymi na bieżącą działalność. Przeciwko władzom uczelni i właścicielowi toczy się kilka postępowań sądowych.

Kierunki i specjalności
Uczelnia prowadzi studia na kierunku Dziennikarstwo w następujących specjalnościach:
 rzecznik prasowy
 dziennikarstwo prasowe
 dziennikarstwo radiowo-telewizyjne

Uczelnie w Katowicach
Nieistniejące polskie uczelnie
Murcki

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In this section we will put those videos we make from here in Sun City Center that do not fit other categories, and videos we create in other parts of the world that we think others may find interesting. It is a potpourri of sounds and sights that we think will please you, cause you to smile, or give you inspiration.
Friends In Route is a private bed and breakfast club that is well worth reviewing. The group has numerous members here in Sun City Center. If you enjoy getting the most out of your travel dollar along with making new friends this will be the place for you. To see this video please click on the picture or the title.
On the eastern edge of Salt Lake City, Utah, there is a wondrous place for young and old alike. It is the place where Brigham Young finally ended the great migration of Mormons from the Midwest, by holding out his hand to the vista of the Salt Lake valley and declaring an end to their travels saying, "This is the place." Today it is a tribute to these pioneers and gives the rest of us an opportunity to travel back in time to the late 1800's. It is a wonderful place for children, seniors and anyone in-between. The admission is modest and the facilities/staff are first class. To see this video, please click on the picture or the title.
In this video, the Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad in southwestern Ohio is spotlighted. LM&M RR is a short-line excursion train that recreates the experience of yesteryear when passenger trains were essential for long-distance travel. LM&M holds special events throughout the year. This video features one of those events—the Civil War Train which includes a Yankee vs. Confederate army battle reenactment. To see this video please click on the picture or the title.
Bill Hodges spotlights the Florida Historic Capitol building and memorabilia dating back to the beginnings of Florida. Exhibit Projects Manager Andy Edel leads a tour of this building that is so rich in history. To see this video please click on the picture or the title.


Is renovation the plan for this year? Localtraders.com can call upon a network of skilled Scarborough garage door fitters to help you with that renovation project.
Use our service to find a quality garage door fitter in Scarborough to put the finishing touches to your renovation with a quality garage door.
Complete our user-friendly enquiry form with your contact details and the details of the job you need doing and we'll forward them to a range of expert Scarborough garage door fitters. A local tradesperson will then contact you directly.


Sela started dancing when she was ten, training in tap and jazz. At fifteen years old a friend from school started a hip hop crew, so she left her tap and jazz classes behind to discover a new passion for urban styles. Last year's Untold was Sela's Dream Dance Co debut, so returning to the company as a part of GODDESS is an exciting continuation on her work with the Dream.
Sela behind the scenes at the GODDESS promo shoot. Photograph by Emily Newton-Smith.
How did your dance training get you to where you are today?
I found myself auditioning for Ev & Bow, knowing that not having a lot of classical training was going to be a real challenge in a contemporary school. So when I got in it was such a dream, especially to be able to work with Sarah Boulter. And since then I've been doing a lot of choreography and just creating space for individuals and for diversity in the dance industry, with my own projects like U ∴ ME and U ∴ SHE.
How did you get involved with the Dream Dance Company?
The Dream came about last year when I did Untold. It wasn't actually an audition; what Marko wanted was just to tell stories from individuals, and I guess I was one of the people he had in mind. And that's how my Dream journey started.
I would say it's a fusion of hip hop and contemporary, with my dance training background. It's very much experimental hip hop.
Are you excited about working with Caetlyn Watson?
I've worked with Caetlyn before on a few things. It's always such an easy process, and really flows so smoothly when we're working together, so I'm excited for more of that. I'm also really excited to work with the other dancers, there's some people that I've looked up to for so long, and they're so talented in their own individual ways. I'm excited to learn and grow from being in the room with them every day.
What's your advice to any aspiring dancers?
Be yourself, and work as hard as you can to be as authentic as possible.


text:
Q: Having trouble computing $\int_3^5\frac{t}{1+0.1t} dt $ $$\int_3^5\frac{t}{1+0.1t} dt $$
For some reason this is equal to:

1/0.1 (2 - (1/0.1 (ln1.5 - ln1.3)))

I have no idea how to reduce to that.

A: Hint:
$$\frac{t}{1+0.1t} = \frac{10\cdot(1+0.1t) - 10}{1+0.1t} = 10 - \frac{10}{1+0.1t}$$

A: $$
\frac{x}{1+0.1x}=\frac{x}{1+0.1x}\cdot\frac{10}{10}=
\frac{10x}{10+x}=10\left(\frac{x}{10+x}\right)=\\
10\left(\frac{-10+10+x}{10+x}\right)=
10\left(\frac{-10}{10+x}+\frac{10+x}{10+x}\right)=
10\left(-\frac{10}{10+x}+1\right)=\\
10\left(1-\frac{10}{10+x}\right)=10-\frac{100}{10+x}.
$$

$$
\int\left(10-\frac{100}{10+x}\right)\,dx=
10\int\,dx-100\int\frac{1}{10+x}\frac{d}{dx}(10+x)\,dx=\\
10x-100\int\frac{1}{10+x}\,d(10+x)=
10x-100\ln{|10+x|}+C.
$$

$$
\int_3^5\frac{t}{1+0.1t}\,dt=
\bigg[10t-100\ln{|10+t|}\bigg]_3^5=\\
50-100\ln{15}-(30-100\ln{13})=
20-100\ln{15}+100\ln{13}=\\
20-100(\ln{15}-\ln{13})=20-100\ln{\frac{15}{13}}.
$$

The answer you gave is equivalent to what I got:
$$
\frac{1}{0.1}\left(2-\frac{1}{0.1}\left[\ln{1.5}-\ln{1.3}\right]\right)=
10\left(2-10\left[\ln{\frac{15}{10}}-\ln{\frac{13}{10}}\right]\right)=\\
20-100\ln{\left(\frac{15}{10}\div\frac{13}{10}\right)}=
20-100\ln{\frac{15}{13}}.
$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Everybody hates Fiestas, said no Juan ever!
What else can we taco-bout? Well, each car is a 17-plate or newer. Oh, and did we mention each car comes with a full service history?
Be quick though, because once these mexcellent deals are gone, then they are gone! Below we have a table with all of our best offers on, so quit having a siesta and get yourself behind the wheel of an immaculate Fiesta!
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost award-winning engine that features in all the cars available is a punchy motor that returns excellent fuel economy and low emissions, because it is turbocharged, you get all the power from low down in the rev range.
The Titanium model benefits from a range of goodies, such as a heated front windscreen, Start/Stop engine technology, Cruise Control and SYNC Bluetooth. Low road tax, a low insurance group and a fuel-efficient engine all combine to create a car that is incredibly reasonable to run on a daily basis.
The Zetec model has lots to offer as well. 15" alloy wheels, heated front windscreen & SYNC Bluetooth as well as a leather steering wheel and gear stick. All of this gives the Fiesta Zetec a luxury feel whilst still being cost efficient in a low road tax and insurance group.


text:
Glanbia shares nosedive amid 'disappointment' over GPN division
Aisling Kiernan
Share price in Glanbia plc has nosedived over the past 24 hours after the first half of 2019 for the Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN) side of the business was described as "disappointing" by the company yesterday morning, Wednesday, July 31.
As shares continued to take a hammering, AgriLand can reveal that, as of today, Thursday, August 1, price reached its lowest level this year – €10.84 – at one point before recovering slightly to €10.96 on the stock exchange.
On Monday, July 29, the share price stood at €14.33 while the highest value per share this year was €18.82 which was recorded in March.
Siobhán Talbot, group managing director, said that while Glanbia grew wholly owned revenues by 12.0% – on a constant currency basis, in the first half of 2019, adjusted earnings per share declined by 10.8% on a constant currency basis.
She then pointed out that the company's nutritional solutions, US cheese and joint venture businesses had good results so far this year.
The recent acquisitions of SlimFast and Watson are performing very well.
She continued: "GPN had a disappointing first half reflecting a number of factors including: business seasonality; consumer channel shift in Europe; and difficult global trade dynamics in key international markets.
"Overall, while we have positive momentum across many parts of the group, this has increased our caution for the remainder of the year.
"For the full year, 2019, Glanbia now expects to deliver adjusted earnings per share on a reported basis of between 88c to 92c assuming foreign exchange rates remain at current levels."
Drive and growth
Meanwhile, Glanbia reported wholly owned revenues of €1,758.4 million – up 12.0% constant currency on the prior half year.
Wholly owned revenue was driven by volume growth of 1.6%, a price decline of 0.2% and acquisitions of 10.6% constant currency, versus the prior half year.
Talbot added: "The US cheese aspect saw revenue growth of 4.9% constant currency, while the group's joint ventures share of profit after tax was €26.8 million, up €9.0 million on the prior half year."
Seperately, there was an interim dividend of 10.68c per share recorded – up 10% on the prior half year and, as of today, Thursday, August 1, the value of Glanbia plc stands at €3.29 billion.
Glanbia reveals new US acquisition and increased 2018 earnings
Dairy Glanbia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The US-led attack on Syria's chemical weapons facilities did not achieve most of its objectives and will not deter President Bashar Assad, according to Israeli intelligence assessments.
"If President Trump had ordered the strike only to show that the US responded to Assad's use of chemical weapons, then that goal has been achieved," according to a senior defense establishment official. "But if there was another objective—such as paralyzing the ability to launch chemical weapons or deterring Assad from using it again—it's doubtful any of these objectives have been met."
Another intelligence official added that, "The statement of 'Mission Accomplished' and (the assertion) that Assad's ability to use chemical weapons has been fatally hit has no basis."
Officials in Israel's defense establishment, including in the Mossad, estimate Assad has been able to keep 5-10 percent of his chemical weapons stockpiles after the signing of an agreement to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons in September 2013, and he has been making attempts to hide what's left.
After US President Donald Trump began making threats last week of an imminent strike, the Syrians have made additional efforts to move away, scatter and hide planes, launching measures and munitions.
According to Israeli appraisals, since the signing of the 2013 agreement, Syria has used chemical weapons in about 100 instances, with 100 additional inconclusive cases. Assad has reportedly used sarin and mustard gas in these attacks, but not VX, the most lethal of the chemical weapons in his possession, as he is believed to be saving it as a "doomsday weapon." The Syrian president also makes frequent use of chlorine, which the US failed to include in the original agreement.
Based on the information gathered so far, only some of the chemical weapons facilities known to Israel were destroyed in the US-led attack.
However, an Israeli official noted, "Even if all of them had been destroyed, they don't include all of the chemical weapons, some of which is difficult to tell where the Syrians had hidden them."
The fact there were no reports of chemicals leaking following the strikes only serves to bolster assessments that the major stockpiles haven't been hit.
In addition, the Syrian Air Force only suffered a minor hit, and so the Syrian ability to drop these chemical weapons on their targets has hardly been compromised.
The bottom line, the officials said, is that "only a partial damage was caused to the chemical weapons stockpiles and launch capabilities."
In addition, Israeli intelligence officials believe "Assad has not been deterred from using chemical weapons again" due to Trump's declaration that American forces would leave Syria soon and comments from other American officials that there were no future attacks planned.
"If you want to shoot—shoot, don't talk," quoted a diplomatic source. "In the American case, this is mostly talk. They themselves show actions are not going to follow," he criticized.
Israeli officials believe the United States has been intentionally underplaying its ability to operate against Syria, so it doesn't have to do so. On several occasions, Israeli officials have pointed to their American counterparts that the United States has the ability to do more for the Syrian people and were met with shrugs and bizarre assertions that this was not possible operationally.
See all talkbacks "Israeli intelligence: Objectives of Western strike in Syria not achieved"


text:
Calumma brevicorne () è un sauro della famiglia Chamaeleonidae, endemico del Madagascar.

Descrizione
Si distingue dalle altre specie di Calumma per la presenza, nei maschi, di una singola appendice rostrale di almeno 2,5 mm, appiattita lateralmente. Un maschio adulto ha una lunghezza di 90–170 mm (sino a 350 mm con la coda) e presenta due ampi lobi occipitali, pliche cutanee simili ad orecchie di elefante, che si fondono dorsalmente.
La livrea ha colorazioni estremamente variabili, dal verde chiaro al marrone scuro. I maschi di alcune popolazioni hanno le zampe bluastre. La lunga coda è prensile.

Biologia
È una specie arboricola, solitaria, spiccatamente territoriale.
Se infastidito espande a ventaglio i lobi occipitali, spalanca la bocca e soffia in atteggiamento minaccioso.

Alimentazione
Si nutre di insetti.

Riproduzione
È una specie ovipara; dopo l'accoppiamento la femmina depone da 10 a 30 uova.

Distribuzione e habitat
La specie è diffusa nelle foreste pluviali del Madagascar orientale, tra gli 800 e i 1.000 m di altitudine.

Conservazione
La IUCN Red List classifica C. brevicorne come specie a basso rischio (Least Concern).

La specie è inserita nella Appendice II della Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
Fauna del Madagascar
Rettili del Madagascar

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Chamaeleonidae
Rettili endemici del Madagascar


text:
Premier League: J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale beat Frank Lampard's Chelsea via Leandro Damiao goal
NBA: Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry undergoes surgery to repair damaged ligaments in left thumb
Intercontinental Cup 2019: Solitary Pak Hyon Il goal powers North Korea to victory over Tajikistan in final
British PM Theresa May does 'not agree' with Donald Trump's immigration policy
World AFP Jan 29, 2017 09:40:50 IST
London: British Prime Minister Theresa May does "not agree" with the restrictions on immigration imposed by US President Donald Trump and will intervene if they affect UK nationals, Downing Street said on Sunday.
"Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States, just the same as immigration policy for this country should be set by our government," a spokesman said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May. Reuters
"But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking. If there is any impact on UK nationals then clearly we will make representations to the US government about that."
May had sparked controversy in Britain on Saturday after refusing to condemn the order by Trump to suspend refugee arrivals, saying Washington was responsible for its own immigration policy.
"The United States is responsible for the United States' policy on refugees. The United Kingdom is responsible for the United Kingdom's policy on refugees," May said at a news conference during a trip to Ankara.
Meanwhile, an MP from May's Conservative Party on Saturday revealed he would be barred from entering the US under Trump's clampdown.
Iraqi-born MP Nadhim Zahawi tweeted that he had had "confirmation that the order does apply to myself and my wife as we were both born in Iraq," even though the pair have British passports.
"A sad sad day to feel like a second class citizen! Sad day for the USA," he added.
The first foreign leader to meet Trump since his arrival in the White House, May discussed with the new president the possibility of quickly putting in place a trade agreement between the two countries after Britain's exit from the EU.
Shortly after their meeting on Friday, Trump signed an executive order to suspend refugee arrivals and impose tough new controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries, including Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Sudan.
The implications for British citizens led to increasingly loud calls from lawmakers that she denounce the policy.
Tory MP Sarah Wollaston called Trump "a sickening piece of work" and demanded that he not be allowed to address both of Britain's Houses of Parliament when he makes a state visit later in the year, when he will be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Opposition Labour MP Yvette Cooper said that May's refusal to condemn Trump "shames Britain".
Updated Date: Jan 29, 2017 09:40:50 IST
Tags : British PM, Donald Trump, Europe, Theresa May, TheySaidIt, UK, United States, US Immigration Policy, World
Donald Trump blasts Theresa May for 'mess' she created with Brexit negotiations, calls her impending departure 'good news'
New Zealand PM 'utterly disagrees' with Donald Trump's tweets on US congresswomen; joins international condemnation
1British PM Theresa May does 'not agree' with Donald Trump's immigration policy
3Oil-water mix of 3,200 gallons spilled off Canadian island into Atlantic Ocean, efforts to minimize environmental impact underway
4'Lawmakers obligated to love country': Donald Trump after claiming to disavow racist chants by supporters against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
5Ilhan Omar calls Donald Trump 'fascist' after racist slogans at US president's rally; sparring with Democratic Congresswomen escalates


text:
This is David M. Perry
Journalist – Historian – Speaker
Secure Contact
Seattle Museum Turns Down the Lights for Kids with Sensory Issues
Posted on January 25, 2015 February 7, 2019 By David Perry
In general in disability journalism, I'd like to see us emphasize needed accommodations over diagnoses. In other words, what do people with disabilities need over what they "have."
Here's an example. I titled this blog post "for kids with sensory issues," but I'm referring to a piece actually called "Museum Opens Doors, Turns Down Lights For Autistic Kids." It's a lovely story from NPR about a Seattle museum working to be less overstimulating so kids on the spectrum can enjoy it:
Loud noises, bright lights, crowded spaces: This is exactly the situation Mike Hiner tries to avoid with his 20-year-old son Steven, who is autistic.
He's one of the many children and young adults in the Northwest who have some form of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD: In the Seattle School District, 10 percent of the special education population has ASD, and in nearby Bellevue, that figure is 17 percent. And because overstimulation can be painful for children with autism, many parents with autistic children avoid crowded, sensation-filled situations altogether — which can mean missing out on fun outings.
Steven Hiner, with his sister Elizabeth and his mother Carol Hiner, visited the Pacific Science Center before regular hours, so Steven could enjoy the exhibits without the crowds or bright lights.Jennifer Wing/KPLU
But some museums, including the Pacific Science Center, are recognizing the problem, and toning down the sights and sounds. One Saturday each month, the museum opens up early for families with ASD — like the Hiners, here before official hours begin.
This is great. Public spaces have really improved in terms of universal design, but sensory issues can be so tricky. The exact kind of noise and light and excitement that make a place better for many children can bar others from participating. So a special morning like this is a good thing.
I also liked this tidbit from the article.
Other museums and organizations across the country have similar programs, from the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., to the Dallas Museum of Art. Even NASCAR holds events where autistic children go to the track to watch a live race from a quiet room.
Again, I'm for all of this.
But I'd like to contrast the rhetoric to the Sunday-morning "Everyone at Play" at the Kohl's Children's Museum.
My son doesn't have autism, but has similar sensory issues. So do many children I know with Down syndrome and plenty of others with various kinds of sensory processing disorders. I'm concerned with the emphasis on autism in the journalism here and in some of the advertising for these programs (even though I'm sure many of the museums are not in fact exclusive to autism only).
Instead of emphasizing a diagnosis (autism), I'd like to see us emphasize accommodations (the need for lower sensory stimulation). That way any child who needs this accommodation (and his or her parents) feel welcome, regardless.
And I think this is a general rule that journalists and institutions would do well to follow: Focus on the need, not the diagnosis.
CategoriesUncategorizedTagsdisability
One Reply to "Seattle Museum Turns Down the Lights for Kids with Sensory Issues"
Two Mamas says:
AMC Theaters did (or does?) have Saturday morning movies with lower sound, a little more lighting, and an understanding that kids may be loud or not stay in their seats (more than in a typical movie). It was supposedly for special needs, but was mostly filled with typical kids and families. The atmosphere was just super relaxed. Leads me to wonder if we are overestimating the "difference" part a bit when all kids seemed to benefit from the less intense environment. All kids can benefit by making some of these places more inclusive.
Previous PostPrevious Post Nicholas Kristof and How to Be an Ally
Next PostNext Post Monday Roundup – Justice, Disability, Freedom, Lies
Support David on Patreon!
University of Toronto, 1/30-1/31
Cornell University, 4/17
Disabled Professors Need Not Apply (to teach special ed)
Now We Are Sick
Business Professor fails Chart Reading 101
Gifting Failure, Presuming Competence
Follow David on Twitter
Follow David on Facebook
David M. Perry
New Post: #TanSuit coverage of the Joe Biden White House has already begun. Apparently *gasp* he's got a peloton.
But what if instead we focused on covering how policy affects peoples lives? How about we try to inform about things that matter. Please read and share (post is open).
https://www.patreon.com/posts/46421073
Tan Suits and Covering the Biden White House | David M. Perry on Patreon
Official Post from David M. Perry
University of Colorado - Colorado Springs wants to hire a new professor of special education. Disabled people need not apply.
[image description: A screenshot of a job ad. Details in the post]
Disabled Professors Need Not Apply (to teach special ed) | David M. Perry on Patreon
"This isn't about justice, although justice should be the aspirational goal. President Trump is going to exit the White House with an unprecedented flurry of preemptive pardons for everyone who might possibly implicate him in anything. President-elect Biden has indicated he'll let the Justice Department decide who to prosecute, but I'm skeptical this will happen. Influential voices are lining up against prosecuting Trump. Biden is wary that prosecutions would be a distraction. And after all, Nixon was pardoned, Iran-Contra forgotten, and Obama famously chose to "look forward, not backwards," when choosing not to investigate the Bush-era use of torture. Letting Republican administrations off the hook for malfeasance has been common, but not in the end restorative."
https://gen.medium.com/biden-must-help-us-learn-the-truth-about-these-last-four-years-4a56f56df7e8
Biden Must Help Us Learn the Truth About These Last Four Years
It's time the country got a dose of reality
gen.medium.com
ELVIS PRESLEY HELPS US DEFEAT COVID (ok ok not really but go ahead and read it)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/opinions/covid-vaccinel-leadership-elvis-presley-perry/index.html
Opinion: How Elvis Presley can help us with a Covid vaccine
Former presidents Bush, Clinton and Obama have all said they'll get a Covid-19 vaccine publicly. David Perry reflects on a crucial 1956 moment when Elvis Presley got a polio vaccine on television; Perr argues we have an even greater need today for trusted public figures and celebrities from all walk...
Bill Barr, Attorney General, is killing people in your name.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/12/01/trump-barr-executions-biden-abolish-federal-death-penalty-column/6464354002/
As Trump and Barr ramp up executions, Biden must rally America to end the death penalty
This spasm of state murder is unprecedented. Lives should not be subject to the whims of prosecutors, judges and rogue outgoing presidents like Trump.
10 1 View on Facebook
"The American people have spoken and elected Joe Biden to be our next president. In a civilized country, the process of smoothly handing over power from one side to the other would consist, at the bare minimum, of precluding irrevocable decisions by the outgoing administration. Attorney General William Barr's reaction: Kill as many people as he can as quickly as possible.
The Trump administration's final spasms of state murder make one thing clear: Biden must abolish the federal death penalty. Every state should follow suit. No longer should lives be subject to the political whims of prosecutors, judges and rogue outgoing presidents."
12 View on Facebook
Copyright © 2021 This is David M. Perry. All Rights Reserved. | dmperry-2019 by Adam Stemple
Scroll UpScroll UpScroll Up