"What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom….
to bring them the light and joy of our faith.
"Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter!
Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious!….
What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. The love God can do this!
This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell — to the abyss of separation from God — this same merciful love has flooded with light the dead body of Jesus, has transfigured it, has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope….
Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden….
So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish….
"The central Christian belief is that Christ's death has somehow put us right with God and gives us a fresh start. Theories as to how it did this are another matter. A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how food nourishes him. A man can accept what Christ has done without knowing how it works: indeed he certainly would not know how it works until he has accepted it.
"A couple of years ago, talking to a Puertan Rican monsignor with an acute gift for simplicity, I found myself embarrassedly asking if he could explain to me the core meaning of Christianity. He urged me not to feel bad, since about 95 percent of Christians do not understand Christianity either….
On the evening of that first Good Friday, he went on, this is how it was with Jesus. But then, forty hours later, something happened that would change everything. Jesus came back to life. Let us be clear, he emphasised, Jesus began to breathe again, grew warm, started to move, re-engaged with reality, became interested in things around Him. Having been dead, He became, once again, as alive as we are.
This, the monsignor told me, is both the meaning of the Resurrection and the central idea of Christianity: that death has no dominion, that beyond the end there is a new beginning. Christianity, he said, is the announcement to the world of the death of death…. In a life spent in Catholic churches and schools, reading Catholic periodicals, nobody had ever succeeded in communicating to me that the central message of Christianity is about hope beyond human imagining.
"For most, it seems, resurrection is just about the future. If so, they miss the point.
Jesus is risen, not will be risen.
We too can ask for Jesus' help to be resurrected daily. On waking, ask for resurrection of some part of our lives. Each of us are different: it might be a relationship with a family member, for example.
On Holy Thursday Jesus put thoughts on his prayers.
On Good Friday he put it into action, into deeds.
On Saturday, so often overlooked, he was entombed. Resurrection does not happen instantly.
he keeps nothing for himself, not even life.
so as to be with us always, to dwell among us.
but with absolute trust commends himself to the Father.
in perfect union with his will, to demonstrate his love for us….
What is the meaning of all this for us?
It means that this is my, your and our road too.
especially those who are the most distant, those who are forgotten, those who are most in need of understanding, comfort and help.
Living Holy Week means entering ever more deeply into the logic of God, into the logic of the Cross, which is not primarily that of suffering and death, but rather that of love and of the gift of self which brings life.
It means entering into the logic of the Gospel.
to come out of ourselves, out of a dreary way of living faith that has become a habit, out of the temptation to withdraw into our own plans which end by shutting out God's creative action….
the one that has strayed the furthest.
and Jesus came out of himself for all of us….
what a pity so many parishes are closed!


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Publications Reviews and Reports
Review of the Chicago Police Department's Management of School Resource Officers
The Public Safety Section (PS) of the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has concluded a review of the Chicago Police Department's (CPD or the Department) management of School Resource Officers (SRO) assigned to Chicago Public Schools (CPS). OIG has concluded that CPD's recruitment, selection, placement, training, specification of roles and responsibilities, and evaluations of its SROs are not sufficient to ensure officers working in schools can successfully execute their specialized duties.
OIG reviewed CPD's recruitment, selection, placement, training, specification of roles and responsibilities, and evaluation of its SROs assigned to CPS. OIG determined that, since December 31, 2016, CPD has assigned officers to CPS without a current legal agreement between the two agencies. Neither CPD nor CPS is able to provide an up-to-date list of SROs and the school locations to which these officers are assigned. Rather, CPD provided a list last updated in March 2017, while CPS provided a list current through 2014.
CPD currently lacks Department directives to address SRO-specific recruitment, selection, placement, training, or evaluation. Moreover, CPD's current processes for recruiting, selecting, placing, training, specifying roles and responsibilities, and evaluating SROs do not reflect best practices—as none have been adopted by CPD. Yet best practice standards exist. For example, in 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education released a set of resources entitled the SECURe Local Implementation Rubric and SECURe State and Local Policy Rubrics—to help both local education agencies and law enforcement agencies develop SRO programs that foster school safety without violating students' civil rights or unnecessarily involving students in the criminal justice system. CPD's current lack of guidance and structure for SROs amplifies community concerns and underscores the high probability that students are unnecessarily becoming involved in the criminal justice system, despite the availability of alternate solutions.
For the benefit of CPS students, their families, and the Chicago community at large, within this report, OIG provides CPD with recommendations for the Department to establish an SRO program aligned with national best practices. To that end, OIG recommends that CPD,
draft and implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in collaboration with CPS and community stakeholders that, amongst other areas, states:
the purpose of the SRO partnership;
outlines the roles and responsibilities of CPD, CPS, and principals in schools; and
emphasizes that SROs should not be involved in routine student disciplinary matters;
collaborate with CPS, students, families and the community to establish hiring guidelines for SROs;
establish and require initial and ongoing training for officers assigned as SROs;
establish performance evaluations aligned with established SRO roles and training that measures the ability of SROs to de-escalate situations and use alternatives to student arrest;
designate a program coordinator to enhance coordination and accountability; and
maintain and regularly update rosters of officers assigned to CPS.
Due to the high level of significance this issue holds within the community and in order to bring much sought-after clarity and resolution to this topic, OIG requested a prompt response from CPD detailing: (1) the Department's response to the findings; and (2) its intended actions to remedy this current state of affairs. OIG encouraged CPD and CPS to resolve these issues prior to the start of the 2018-2019 school year, so that CPS students could benefit from a functional SRO program rooted in national best practices as soon as possible. CPD, in turn, requested a 30-day extension for its response to this report. As a result, OIG received CPD's response on September 4, 2018—the first day of school for the current school year.
In their response, CPD concurred with many of the findings and recommendations detailed in the report. CPD's response indicated that the Department will:
Undertake best efforts to enter into an MOU with CPS that clearly delineates authority and specifies procedures for CPD officer interaction with students while on school grounds;
Develop a policy that defines roles, responsibilities, and appropriate actions of SROs, which will include an express prohibition on the administration of school discipline by CPD officers and provisions for the collection, analysis, and use of data regarding CPD activities in schools;
Develop and implement screening criteria to ensure SROs have the qualifications, skills, and abilities necessary to work safely and effectively with students, parents/guardians, and school personnel; and
Ensure that all SROs receive initial specialized training and annual refresher trainings, and encourage SROs to exercise discretion to use alternatives to arrest and referral to juvenile court.
OIG acknowledges CPD's expressed commitment to making these necessary reforms. However, the reforms proposed by CPD in their response did not address other crucial areas of concern outlined in the report. Specifically, CPD did not acknowledge or respond to the following recommendations outlined in the report:
To include a broad range of community stakeholders in the creation of the MOU;
To create hiring guidelines and include a broad range of community stakeholders in the process;
To state the purpose of the SRO partnership with CPS in the MOU;
To define the data and information that will be shared between CPD and CPS;
To establish performance evaluations for SROs; and
To maintain and regularly update rosters of SROs.
Last, CPD indicated that their proposed changes will be implemented as part of the consent decree before the start of the 2019-2020 school year. CPD's failure to act more expeditiously to implement the reforms prior to the next school year leaves students, teachers, parents, and community stakeholders in the current school year without the protections and assurances of a school safety program that is aligned with national best practices.
Find a Spanish translation of the School Resource Officer report here.
CPD SRO Program Management Report
Read the 2019 Follow-Up Report:
CPD SRO Program Management Follow-Up
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Next post OIG Finds Chicago Police Department's School Resource Officer Program Requires Immediate Changes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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An initiative to test almost 5,000 previously untested rape kits in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has resulted in over 250 convictions, as well as unsettling information about sex offenders' behavior, according to a press release from Case Western Reserve University.
A team of researchers at the university's Begun Center, led by Drs. Daniel Flannery and Rachel Lovell, were given nearly $500,000 of Justice Department money to go through data collected from the county's backlog of sexual assault kits.
On Monday, CWRU announced the results of the investigation, which are available in a series of briefs posted here. The most alarming of these suggests that serial rapists are far more common than we might have assumed—of the 243 kits studied, 51 percent were linked to serial offenders, "who generally had more extensive and violent criminal histories than one-time sexual offenders." Among the serial offenders identified, 26 percent had previously been arrested for sexual assault and 60 percent were subsequently arrested for a sexual assault unrelated to the one being tested.
The study also found that serial offenders and one-time offenders exhibited different behavior. According to the report, offenses committed by serial rapists more often involved kidnapping, verbally and physically threatening the victims, and using or threatening the use of weapons.
"Our findings suggest it is very likely that a sexual offender has either previously sexually assaulted or will offend again in the future," said Lovell, a senior research associate at the Begun Center, in a statement. "Investigating each sexual assault as possibly perpetrated by a serial offender has the potential to reduce the number of sexual assaults if investigations focus more on the offender than on single incidents."
There are currently hundreds of thousands untested rape kits (which are invasive, hours-long, and potentially traumatizing for already-traumatized victims) across the country, and most jurisdictions have no system for tracking or counting them.
Said Lovell, "The new processes we hope will emerge from our effort will better honor victims."
Open kinja-labs.com
Senior Editor, Jezebel
Honeybea
Far more common than who thought? Because I'm pretty sure most women are not surprised by the news that when rapists get away with one rape, they go commit more. That's what happens when a society doesn't take rape as seriously as it should.


One need only consult the government's own accounting of all its giveaways to see how politically skewed successive governments have rendered our tax system.
If I had Finance Minister Bill Morneau's money, I'd buy a first-class ticket to Paris, then find the nearest Porsche dealership, acquire a loaded Carrera, drive straight to that villa in Provence he owns through a shell company, and send a note back to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian public tendering my resignation and wishing everyone the very best in the years to come. Canadians would never hear from me again.
Instead, Morneau puts up with a remarkable dose of ridicule, almost daily, for being wealthy. He now seems ready to punish himself financially, a price Canadians evidently demand from rich people who want to enter public service. (Serving in cabinet is apparently such an enormous privilege that ministers are expected to surrender their holdings to a trustee who may or may not ruin them financially while they're working long hours for a salary that's tiny relative to what some of them were making in the private sector).
Morneau is now even promising to donate new profits from part of his stock portfolio to charity. He's effectively offering to pay for his job, if only he can stay on as the government's biggest whipping boy.
Why he would want to do that is a matter for psychologists.
But he's also willing to trot around the country repeating nonsensical talking points concocted in Trudeau's central messaging department, banging on about making wealthy Canadians "pay their fair share," and how the government is committed to "tax fairness," as though such a thing exists.
The reality is this: our tax system is so distorted by politically motivated exceptions and giveaways that the concept of fairness is meaningless. Morneau might as well be talking about tax "niceness."
One need only consult the government's own accounting of all its giveaways to see how politically skewed successive governments have rendered it.
The latest report on federal tax expenditures details 182 credits, deductions and exemptions for 2015, totaling $117 billion. In other words, Ottawa is giving away roughly half the money it brings in from income taxes and the GST.
The logging tax credit. The deduction for clergy residence. The deduction for tradespersons' tool expenses. The expensing of advertising costs. The non-taxation of registered charities. Et cetera, et cetera, all the way up to massive breaks like exemptions of the profits on selling your home (which advantages homeowners), the child tax benefit (which advantages parents), RRSPs (a disproportionate advantage for medium-income earners) and the exemption for registered pension plans (which advantage employees lucky enough to have pensions at all).
And each break represents a revenue loss that other taxpayers have to make up.
"It's an awful lot of money," says Sahir Khan, one of the economic detectives at the University of Ottawa's Institute for Fiscal Studies and Democracy. "It's kind of a big deal. And all these measures do not undergo the normal level of parliamentary scrutiny that other kinds of government spending receive."
Furthermore, says Khan, the $117 billion figure is probably low. The Department of Finance, he says, actually has no idea of what some of the exemptions and deductions are costing the taxpaying public.
Each of the breaks, of course, was written into the tax code to further some government's idea of a noble objective, usually meaning something that benefitted its particular voter base. (In the case of our current government, that means the middle- and lower-income Canadians it invariably describes as "hard-working," as opposed to higher-income citizens it basically characterizes as non-hard-working tax avoiders).
And once created, each break becomes sacred. Each creates a sort of cognitive dissonance: my tax breaks are normal and completely fair, but everyone else's are reversible, if need be, to reach systemic fairness.
That thinking applies to everyone.
No doubt Bill Morneau considers the income trusts and numbered accounts he uses to minimize his personal tax exposure to be fair, even as he talks about the need to eliminate measures unfairly used by, say, doctors or other high-income entrepreneurs.
As tax policy expert Vern Krishna puts it: "Mr. Trudeau is not going to tell you that when he gets his rather substantial parliamentary pension, he will be able to split it with his wife to reduce his tax exposure."
"All decisions concerning taxation," says Krishna, "are political. Every tax break detracts from fairness."
Given that, is there any way to measure our system's fairness, which Morneau and Trudeau say needs to be made more fair?
One way is to look at "progressivity." Western nations have accepted that the rich should not just pay more, but should pay a great deal more – a greater percentage of their income than those further down the income scale.
Well, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada is already more progressive than a long list of countries, including Japan, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Norway, Italy and the United States.
The Fraser Institute puts it another way: "55.6 per cent of all federal, provincial, and local taxes are paid by the top 20 per cent of income-earning families, while this same group earns 49.1 per cent of the country's total income."
As for the "one-percenters" the government is now targeting, they already contribute about the same amount of taxes as the entire bottom half of Canadian taxpayers.
In fact, once government transfers like tax credits and refunds are taken into account, the lowest 40 per cent of earners pay no taxes at all, and are actually enriched by the government, while the top 20 per cent part with about 34 per cent of their income.
Yes, yes, I know, damned statistics. But I prefer them to demagoguery, which is what we are hearing at the moment from Bill Morneau and Justin Trudeau, whose real problem is controlling their urge to spend public money.


Showing posts from December, 2015.
Mark your calendars for the 26th annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, also known as the world's largest charitable ice fishing event. The Extravaganza began in the early 1990's with the goal of creating a signature event in the Brainerd lakes Area that would supply a fun winter event and money to non-profit charities in the area.


Cozy as can be!! Quiet, quaint home located on a cul de sac with large fenced backyard for the kids. 4 Bedroom 2.5 bath home in sought after Hidden Creek Subdivision!! Perfect mix of tile and wood flooring in dining room, foyer, hall and kitchen. Fresh interior Master bath with double vanity, garden tub, and walk-in closets. Excellent Location! Close to 575, downtown Woodstock, endless shopping, and new hospital!! Owner is Agent.
362 Hidden Creek Ln has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms located in Canton GA, Cherokee County. This property is listed for sale at $207,990 and is currently active and accepting offers.


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Sell Your Cassettes
Type 1 - Normal Bias - Cassettes
Type 2 - High / Chrome Bias - Cassettes
Type 4 - Metal Bias - Cassettes
Minidiscs
Our Cassette Videos
SELL YOUR BULK BLANK CASSETTES QUICKLY - CLICK HERE!
TDK FE - 1997 - EU
Tape Length 90 Minutes
90 Minutes - £2.49 GBP
A decent cassette for everyday voice and music recordings that was available for a long time, unchanged.
To our ears, doesn't sound different from the classic TDK "D", but at a more affordable price.
These are also rare outside of Europe, so are quite collectable, for a low price.
About TDK:
TDK was founded in Tokyo, Japan, on 7 December 1935 to manufacture the iron-based magnetic material ferrite, which had been recently invented by Yogoro Kato and Takeshi Takei.[3] In 1952 and 1957 they began production of magnetic tapes, with compact cassette tapes following in 1966; it is for these that the company is most widely noted. TDK used to manufacture an extensive portfolio of magnetic and optical media, including several formats of videotape and blank CD-R and recordable DVD discs until the recording business was sold to Imation in 2007.
Operations in the USA began in 1965 with a New York City office,[4] and European operations began in 1970 with an office in Frankfurt, West Germany.[5]
Since 1997 TDK has gradually withdrawn from the production of compact cassettes. First with the MA-X and AR ("Acoustic Response"), then the AD ("Acoustic Dynamic") and SA-X line in 2001 and 2002 respectively, then the MA ("Metal Alloy") line in 2004. The SA ("Super Avilyn") and D ("Dynamic") lines were withdrawn in 2012 under Imation ownership. Industry trends see the company moving into new forms of media; in 2004 TDK was the first media manufacturer to join the companies developing BD post-DVD technology.[4] TDK operated a semiconductor division in California for about a decade, but divested it in 2005.
In late 2007, Imation acquired TDK's recording business, including flash media, optical media, magnetic tape, and accessories, for $300 million.[6][7] This also included a license to use the "TDK Life on Record" brand on data storage and audio products[8] for 25 years.[6] In September 2015, Imation announced that it had agreed to relinquish this license[9] and would cease selling TDK-branded products by the end of the year.[10]
Back to TDK Type 1 Cassettes
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© 2020, Cassette Comeback - UK, a trading name of Red Manor LTD - UK Company Number 11959888


Keeping digits warm and functional while allowing access for making a shot in seconds Manzella`s`s Thinsulate insulated Bowhunter Convertible is critical for cold weather stalks.
Run and aerobic convertible mitt/glove combination. The Windproof mitten flips back and tucks away in a pocket on the back of the glove.
Manzella`s lightweight All Elements 1.0 TouchTip Glove provides protection against the elements but is highly breathable. It is designed with TouchTip technology that allows you to use your mobile devices with your gloves on.
Manzella All Elements 1.0 Touchtip gloves for men are great for any cool-weather sport or outing, and let you stay connected to your touch-screen device without removing your gloves.
Ultimate performance meets great durability with the All Elements 3.0 TouchTip Glove from Manzella . This glove features TouchTip on index finger and thumb for touch screen compatibility.
The mid-weight All Elements 3.0 Touch Tip(TM) Gloves feature a waterproof breathable Hydroblok membrane that keeps hands warm and dry. And, they let you operate your touch-screen electronics.
The All Elements 5.0 TouchTip Gloves feature a Gore-Tex (R) waterproof breathable membrane that keeps hands warm and dry. And the TouchTip feature lets you operate your touch-screen electronics.
Manzella Cascade gloves are not ordinary fleece gloves. HydroBlok waterproof breathable inserts, heavyweight 280g microfleece fabric and 40g Thinsulate(R) insulation make them well beyond warm.
Keep your digits warm and use your mobile device effortlessly with Manzella`s Coyote Touch TIp Glove. This hunting glove features lightweight precision stretch softshell for ultimate form-fit performance and digital ready index fingers.
Ski in comfort and warmth with help from the Fahrenheit 5 Touchtip? Glove from Manzella . This extremely warm winter glove features DWR softshell that sheds cold and wet weather as well as having TouchTip? index finger and thumb for touch screen compatability.
Manzella embodied the look of aged leather in waterproof breathable gloves. The Men`s Freemont Outdoor Gloves feature comfort lined genuine leather shells and polyester fleece liners.
Working hard in frigid weather? Reach for Manzella `s Fremont Glove and enjoy fleece lined waterproof breathable leather encased comfort!
Manzella`s Get Intense TouchTip Glove features Touch Screen Compatible as well as warm 2-layer stretch soft-shell.
The insulated Manzella Gore-Tex Stealth II gloves feature durable nylon shells, grippy palms, and Gore-Tex(R) waterproof breathable inserts to protect your hands against melting snow and ice.
Simply put Manzella`s`s Grizzly lives up to its namesake as the world`s warmest all purpose hunting glove ready to handle winter`s worst.


Whether you're getting fillers or a facelift, you have a variety of decisions to make— including what type of procedure to go with, the results you want, and most importantly, what surgeon you are going to choose. Even though websites offering coupons or group deals to for cosmetic surgery procedures may sound appealing, unless they are being administered by a board certified surgeon like Dr. Larry Weinstein, you run a huge risk. So, how can you ensure that you are going with a surgeon you can trust? Read on to learn more.
Sticks to a strict code of ethics.
Has completed five years of surgical training with a minimum of two years in just plastic surgery.
Only operates in approved and accredited hospitals and clinics.
Maintains standards and patient safety innovations while fulfilling continuing medical education requirements.
Is trained and has experienced in all plastic surgery procedures.
In this day and age, it can be almost foolish not to use the Internet to research the surgeon you are going with. Most websites offer the ability to look at reviews of the surgeon you are interested in. If the surgeon has mediocre or negative reviews, make sure to cancel your appointment with them and schedule one with a surgeon who has positive reviews.
If you are looking for a surgeon you can trust, look no further than Dr. Larry Weinstein himself. Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and with years of experience performing procedures like breast implants, rhinoplasties, abdominoplasties, and more, you know that you are in the best of hands. To learn more about Dr. Larry Weinstein or to schedule a consultation appointment, contact our office today!
Depending on the size of your body and the cosmetic surgical procedure you would like to have done, you may not have enough skin to cover the area. For instance, if you are petite and would like to get a breast augmentation, you may not have enough skin to cover the implants. Luckily, with a procedure called tissue expansion, Dr. Larry Weinstein can expand your skin so that it properly covers and protects the surgical site. To help you prepare for this surgery, we have created a brief guide with three easy tips. Read on to learn more.
Before you undergo surgery from Dr. Larry Weinstein, you should stop smoking at least two weeks before your surgery. Smoking decreases your body's ability to heal after surgery which puts you at an increased risk of complications. If you need help quitting smoking, contact a local hotline or reach out to our staff for additional support.
If you are on any blood thinning medication, make sure to notify Dr. Weinstein in your initial consultation. Blood thinners can make the surgical process a lot more complicated and can increase your recovery time. If you take medications like Ibuprofen or aspirin on a regular basis, you will be instructed to stop taking it for at least a few weeks before surgery.
Typically, Dr. Larry Weinstein can start the tissue expansion project at the same time as your breast augmentation surgery. However, because these are two fairly invasive surgeries, you will be under anesthesia which means that you won't be able to drive home. Before you come in for surgery, make sure that you schedule a ride home from either a friend or family member. If you don't have anyone to pick you up, let us know beforehand, and we can arrange for a taxi service.
Before you get a tissue expansion surgery, make sure that you stop smoking and taking blood thinners, and that you arrange for a ride home after surgery. To learn more about this surgery and more, contact Dr. Larry Weinstein's office today!


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(-) Remove Home Front filter Home Front
Sergeant has a dental procedure performed at Fort Benning, Georgia on 10 October 1944
1689. '10 Oct 44. DuTiel. L to R Maj C. T. Ensmineer, Tec Sgt D. C. Brown, 4th Medics, 1st Sgt Joseph E. Montmarquet,...
Howitzer crew loading ammunition at Fort Benning, Georgia on 12 October 1944
1727. '12 Oct 44. Paik. 155mm howitzer crew from 564 FA Bn 71st Div, Fort Benning, cleaning bore of gun with ram rod...
Two soldiers inspecting map during training maneuvers at San Luis Obispo, California on 27 March 1944.
951. Two soldiers inspecting map during training maneuvers. '3-27-44. Paik. Lt. Paul F. Irwin of S-2, Lt. Horace H....
Soldier demonstrates one of the steps in preparing an explosive charge at Fort Benning, Georgia on 12 July 1944
1466. '12 July 44. Hussey. After cap has been set in charge do not forget loops and hitches around the charge. Prime...
Lieutenant in office at Fort Benning, Georgia on 12 September 1944
1603. '12 Sept. 44. Paik. Lt. Harold T. French, Classification officer of 4th HQ. Special Troops 2nd Army, Fort Benning...
US servicemen with M4 Sherman tank during training exercises at San Luis Obispo, California on 8 March 1944.
827. US servicemen with M4 Sherman tank during training exercises. '3-8-44. Zoff. Sgt Don Hankowski of 710th Tank...
Director's HQ moving into new location 2 miles west of Cp. S.L.O., Calif., on Morrow Bay road at San Luis Obispo, California on 29 March 1944.
1049. '3-29-44. Hussey. Director's HQ moving into new location 2 miles west of Cp. S.L.O., Calif., on Morrow Bay road....
Men training on artillery weapons at Fort Benning, Georgia on 9 October 1944
1706. '9 Oct 44. DuTiel. No. 2 man from Cannon Co 5th Inf about to load a 105mm howitzer at Ft. Benning, Ga. 168-L-44-...
Sergeant sets a charge against a tree at Fort Benning, Georgia on 12 July 1944
1483. '12 July 44. Farrand. Priming a demolition charge M1, by connecting primer cord to primer cord in chain by square...
Salvaged paper at Fort Benning, Georgia on 6 September 1944
1621. '6 Sept 44. Paik. Baled salvage paper ready for shipment at the Main Post Salvage Fort Benning, Ga. 168-L-44-2867...
Division troops in front of officers' reviewing stand a tSan Luis Obispo, California in1944.
844. Division troops in front of officers' reviewing stand. 'General Mueller addresses the 81st Div. Training Bn at...
Company crawling through barbed wire during maneuvers at Camp San Luis Obispo, California on 30 March 1944
1069. '3-30-44. Paik. Co. F, 2nd Bn. 323 rd Inf. 81st Div., crawling thru barbed wire during maneuvers at Cp. S.L.O.,...


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Upcoming Academic Terms: Info and Plans
Home > All Updates > Interim President's Friday Message
Interim President's Friday Message
Updated on Dec 11
Tags: community, all updates
An intensive care nurse … and the price of unreason
Since my last campus message, the pandemic's effects have grown more grave. The United States is seeing intensive care wards nearing capacity. Alberta has gone into lockdown. Infection and hospitalization rates here in Saskatchewan are rising rapidly. City schools are moving to fully remote teaching. A few kilometres away from our main campus in Regina, a nursing home outbreak has infected nearly 200 residents and staff, and contributed to a number of deaths. The Saskatchewan Health Authority has assumed responsibility for operations at the home; paramedics and first responders from Regina Fire and Protective Services have been called in to assist.
None of this is what we want. And those caring for the very ill are speaking out. "We are tired. We are terrified. We need your help." So writes Andrea Kosloski, a nurse in a Saskatchewan intensive care unit. "This virus is spreading like wildfire," she says. "As healthcare workers, we are watching and we are scared."
As she ends her message, Ms Kosloski refers to the falsehoods and sheer irrationality now in wide circulation. Political opportunists, anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, religious-freedom ideologues, conspiracy theorists who claim the pandemic is a hoax ... though few in number, they are in full voice. Via social media and rallies, they spread nonsense. They sow confusion, anger, fear.
And while they do so, people like Ms Kosloski, working with the very ill, edge toward exhaustion.
So what do unreason and falsehoods have to do with us? Central to a university's mission is the pursuit of new knowledge, the discernment of truth, and - through painstaking research, critical analysis, and the application of the scientific method - the rejection of the false, the irrational, the nonsensical. It is one of our vital contributions to society, to making the world a better place. Indeed, as part of our vision and commitment to the community, we at the University of Regina aver that we "seek to reflect the world in which we want to live."
That world is one in which reason is prized, not irrationality; a world that values truth over falsehood, hope over fear; a world that insists on care for the broader community, not anti-social ignorance and tinfoil-hat nonsense.
As we near the holiday season, I want to say that I believe reason and hope, not unreason and fear, will prevail. I thank each of you again for your commitment to the University's vision and mission. Please continue to take care of yourselves, your families, and your communities. Please bear in mind what people like Andrea Kosloski are going through.
University community supports United Way in a time of great need
The pandemic is taking a severe toll on non-profit organizations that rely on public contributions to help those in need. For example, Regina's Sofia House, a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence, has seen increased demand for its services at precisely the time when donations from the public have decreased. The same is true for many other non-profits.
That is why there is added resonance to the University of Regina United Way campaign's announcement on Wednesday that it has surpassed its 2020 fundraising target of $85,000. To date the campaign has raised more than $90,000, which will be distributed to the United Way's funded partners including Sofia House and other transition houses. This support is especially important in such a challenging year, and it is a testament to faculty, staff, and students that you have once again risen to the occasion for the United Way and its partner organizations.
The campaign continues until 18 December, so you may still contribute via secure e-pledge here.
Thank you once again to campaign co-chairs Doug Moen of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and Dr Chris Oriet of the Department of Psychology, and to the members of the campaign committee.
And thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year's campaign! Your compassion and generosity will make a difference in the lives of others.
An astonishing new work of fiction … and a unique dialect
This year's Booker Prize winner is Shuggie Bain, a first novel by the Scottish-American writer Douglas Stuart. Set in post-industrial Glasgow during the Thatcher years, it is the story of a small boy struggling to make his way in life, alternately helped and hampered by a "glamorous, calamitous" mother who loves him, but who struggles with addiction, rejection, and poverty.
As one who lived in Glasgow at that time, I can attest to the accuracy with which Stuart depicts Glaswegian folk and captures the rhythms of their speech. Hear what the Booker judges say about Shuggie Bain, which will be "loved, admired, and remembered for a very long time." You can hear Douglas Stuart, himself a Glasgow native, reading from Shuggie Bain here, beginning at the 7'00" mark.
And for a lighthearted introduction to the wonders of Glaswegian English, try this. As the people of Glasgow would say, "belter"!
Thomas Chase
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor
Update Archive
© University of Regina


Dance Marathon was last weekend, and I still haven't caught up on my sleep. For those of you who don't know, Dance Marathon is an event put on by Hope that raises money for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Participants sign up for the full 24-hour shift or 8-hour shifts, and we all gather in the Dow for fun activities, dancing, and fundraising all night.
You'd be surprised at how long you can go until your feet start to feel like they're going to fall off.
The coolest part of the marathon is hearing the stories of the families that you're raising money for. Personally, this is what kept me going throughout the night. Being given a reminder as to why I was there, still awake and feet killing me, gave me all of the reason to go on.
Besides the speakers, there were various music groups that came, inflatable bounce houses, a pancake making competition (delicious), yoga, zumba, kickboxing, snacks, meals, and pool-time (time to dip your feet in the pool) to keep us busy. There was even a line-dance that they taught throughout the night that kept us all busy! In addition, there was a schedule of themes for certain hours; you dressed up for the theme and your team could get points!
I'm pretty proud of the positive attitude that I kept going at Dance Marathon this year… I didn't really start getting grumpy until after lunch on Saturday morning, and at that point we only had four or five hours to go. I found the experience to be very rewarding. Tiring, but rewarding.
At the end of the experience, all of the participants circled around the Dow and the families went around and said goodbye to us all. I could tell by the tears on one of the miracle child's (one of the kids from the hospital!) face that the time spent really meant a lot to her too. My heart was touched.
Our marathon raise $182,187.30 for the children of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. It's truly a remarkable event that continues to raise more and more awareness and funds each and every year. I'm so glad that I got to take part in it!
Wow. What a weekend…This last weekend was Dance Marathon. This is an extraordinary event where all the money that is raised goes towards the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. This money is raised through fundraisers, but also through donations brought in through the participants of Dance Marathon. On top of the participants raising money, they stand on the feet for 24 hours in order to support the kids who are daily fighting their battle against their illness. This whole event is all for the families of kids at the Hospital, and for the kids themselves, to make them feel like superstars.
This year for the marathon, I had the honor to serve on the Dream Team (the 28-ish students that put the Marathon on) as the Morale co-chair. One of the duties of this role is making and choreographing a 9-minute line dance that is taught throughout the entire Marathon. This is a project that my morale co-chair and I have been working at since the first semester and finally taught it to the DM participants last weekend.
Last year, as a freshman, the Marathon meant a lot to me, mostly because it was a lot of fun as I love to dance and have unnatural surplus of energy – thus I didn't get tired. This year the Marathon had a whole new spin. A lot of that was due to the larger role I had within it, but also due to the situations I went through leading up to the event. As some of you may be aware from reading my other blogs, I recently sprained my ankle. After I sprained it and got off my crutches, I re-sprained it just shy of 3 weeks before Dance Marathon.
This was a moment that was crushing in my life, yet also humbling. In this moment, I made the decision that it was not fair to myself, to my co-chair, to the rest of Dream Team, to the participants at Dance Marathon, and most importantly to the kids to continue on in my duty if I wasn't fully able to enact in it. It was in that moment that a lot of pride was broken down inside of me and that I realized how little this event truly had to with me, but was 100% for the kids being treated at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
Fortunately, my ankle was healed in time for the Marathon and I was able to continue in my duties as Morale-Co Chair, yet now I had a much healthier and correct perspective. Due this mindset, this year's Marathon was a lot more emotional as well as passion driven. I loved hearing the families share their stories and I found it very moving.
I am so proud to be a part of this organization due to what it can provide for these families that have gone through so much. I am also proud of how at this year's Marathon, we were able to raise a record amount of money and well as have a record amount of participants. I thank God for the events that led up to this marathon, including re-spraining my ankle, because if I didn't stumble, that I would have seen the Marathon through blind eyes.
If you are reading this as a prospective student or a student that has never done Dance Marathon, I encourage you to do it next year and allow these families stories to move you as they moved me.
Happy Friday, Hope College! I hope this week went by fast for you and the next few do for you too, it's almost Spring Break!!
As you all probably know, there's only a week until Dance Marathon! I truly can't wait for the freshmen class to experience this awesome event for the first time. I know that last year when I was a freshman, I had no idea what to expect, but by the time it was over, it was one of my favorite events of the year.
Last year, I participated in Dance Marathon as a dancer – that means a full 24 hours on my feet dancing and raising my goal for fundraising! It was a great experience, but one I unfortunately couldn't swing this year. So instead, this year I will be participating as a moraler. This means I'll only be required to stay at the marathon for an eight hour shift to support the dancers. Even though I'm only REQUIRED to spend eight hours moraling, I'll most likely spend a lot more time there since there are so many fun events that make the marathon worth being at!
Both dancers and morales (and anyone else that is involved with Dance Marathon) have the opportunity to raise as much money as they can for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Last year Hope raised $139,041.13 – an amazing new record! In addition to raising money, organizations through Hope, such as Volunteer Services and certain sororities and fraternities, sponsor children that have been or are still going through Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Last year since I was on Dykstra Hall's team, I got to help sponsor Riley Jo – the cutest little girl with the greatest personality!
This is Riley Jo! I believe Dykstra Hall will be dancing for her again this year. She's the sweetest and her and her family both love being involved with Dance Marathon!
If you're involved with Dance Marathon this year – great! Keep raising that money and prepare your bodies for a great 24 hours. If you aren't involved – that's ok! Anyone is welcome to go and watch the marathon at any time in the Dow next Friday, March 7th-8th. It starts at 5pm and ends the next day at 5pm. There are different events like a lip sync competition between teams, and different theme hours throughout the night so make sure to come on out and watch!
Hope to see you all there next week! Until next time, readers.
Posted on February 27, 2015 March 2, 2015 Author Mikaila BissonCategories Campus LifeTags dance marathon, dm2015, For the KidsLeave a comment on Do it For the Kids!
"Mafia in the Woods" anyone?
This weekend, I went on a fantastic retreat with this group of people. These guys and gals are what makes up the Dream Team for Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is event put on by Hope College that raises money for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. The actual Marathon is a 24 hour event where people stay on their feet for 24 hours straight. You get to dance, play games, hear hospital children's stories, and so much more. Last year, was the first time I did Dance Marathon and it changed my life. This year I am on the Dream Team – a group of 29 students that put on the whole marathon! It is a ton of work, but so worth it. What makes it worth it, is the kids. It so satisfying being a part of the kid's journey and to get to help them through battling their different diseases.
This weekend I had the opportunity to actually tour the Helen DeVos Hospital (which is more like a hotel!) and get to know the members of my team better. We stayed at a log cabin in the woods. We had a TON of fun. One night, we shut off all the lights and played Mafia. People were bumping around in the dark, screaming as they ran into people, and some townspeople were dying until they were able to uncover the Mafia's identity. It was a blast.
This retreat was so good and makes me extremely excited for the upcoming Dance Marathon. FOR THE KIDS!!!
At the end of the retreat, we said kind loving things to team members by passing them the ribbon to someone and then saying something kind to them.
Posted on September 6, 2014 September 8, 2014 Author John Luke HawkinsCategories Campus LifeTags dance marathon, dream teamLeave a comment on "Mafia in the Woods" anyone?
Happy Tuesday night, folks! I just want to post about my weekend. It really was mundane, I did a bunch of homework, cleaned my room, did some errands and just relaxed. Sometimes, I wish that there was more time in the weekend. We could all use some more time, right? Anyways, the highlight of my weekend was the 5K For The Kids sponsored by Hope College Dance Marathon! It was so much fun to run with friends for such a great cause!
Hope College Dance Marathon helps kids who are currently experiencing childhood cancers. They have done an amazing job raising money for the kids! It really is such a cool thing Hope College does to serve our community. If you want to learn more about Dance Marathon, just click!
Anyways, I just wanted to share some of my pictures from this weekend's 5K. It was a great short race, and I was prepared for it because I have been running! I hope you enjoy the pictures! I know this is a short post, but don't worry, I'll be posting more this week! If you haven't already, make sure you follow me at @HopeMarvin15 on Twitter!


An agriculturist, Mr Ismail Olawale, says there is a need to create an enabling environment and conduct research in efforts to improve agricultural value chains in the country.
Olawale, who is an official of the National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, Monday.
It was reported that an agricultural value chain, which entails the flow of products, knowledge and information between smallholder farmers and consumers, also offers an opportunity to boost the value of an agricultural produce at production, marketing and consumption stages.
Olawale said that the creation of an enabling environment for the development of effective agricultural value chains was the panacea to the challenges facing smallholder farmers.
"With the right enabling environment, effective agricultural value chains will provide information on market prices of farm produce, available technologies, agribusiness opportunities and technical know-how to boost the business of the local farmer," he said.
The agriculturist reiterated the need to create an enabling environment and conduct adequate research in efforts to develop the country's agricultural value chains.
"There are a lot of factors mitigating against the country's agricultural value chains; the enabling environment for the development of efficient agricultural value chains is presently not available.
"Developed countries with effective agricultural value chains have a support system in place to aid the process.
"The agricultural value chain will not just work as a theory or a concept.
"Good policies must be enacted; good cultural, socio-political, economic structures and infrastructure must also be in place to influence the evolution of effective agricultural value chains," he said.
Olawale said that an effective agricultural value chain system would help the local farmer to cut his losses, while providing the necessary information that would boost his business.
He stressed that there was a dearth of transportation and storage facilities for most agricultural produce in rural areas across the country.
"Loss of farm produce is very common in the country, owing largely to poor storage facilities and transportation systems.
"For example, tomatoes ferried from Kano to Lagos are packaged in local raffia baskets and transported in trucks for long hours. Obviously, the tomatoes would have lost considerable value before getting to Lagos.
"The local farmers are aware of this challenge; they count their losses before the arrival of their produce in distant markets but they have no idea of how to address the situation," he said.
Olawale said that most smallholder farmers were ignorant of the concept of agricultural value chain, adding that there was, therefore, the need for consistent advocacy on the concept.
He also stressed the need to encourage the conduct of more research on how to develop effective agricultural value chains in Nigeria, just like what obtained in developed countries.
"We must start a very strong and consistent advocacy for the local farmer to understand the benefits of the agricultural value chain.
"We must also conduct investigations and surveys on how to develop and effectively manage our agricultural value chains," he added.


Mayor of Peterborough Cllr Chris Ash has been formally installed as the city's First Citizen for the forthcoming 2018/19 year.
Cllr Ash and Mayoress Doreen Roberts, as well as Deputy Mayor Cllr John Fox and Deputy Mayoress Cllr Judy Fox, joined dignitaries in a procession to Peterborough Cathedral where the installation was held.
Cllr John Fox was mayor last year before becoming deputy.
Cllr Ash, who was confirmed as the new mayor in May, is pictured on the right in the red robe.


text:
package com.graphhopper.routing.ch;

import com.graphhopper.GraphHopperConfig;
import com.graphhopper.routing.RoutingAlgorithmFactory;
import com.graphhopper.routing.util.HintsMap;
import com.graphhopper.storage.CHProfile;
import com.graphhopper.storage.GraphHopperStorage;
import com.graphhopper.storage.StorableProperties;
import com.graphhopper.util.PMap;
import com.graphhopper.util.Parameters.CH;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import java.util.*;
import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorCompletionService;
import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;

import static com.graphhopper.util.Helper.*;

/**
 * This class handles the different CH preparations and serves the corresponding {@link RoutingAlgorithmFactory}
 *
 * @author Peter Karich
 * @author easbar
 */
public class CHPreparationHandler {
    private final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
    private final List<PrepareContractionHierarchies> preparations = new ArrayList<>();
    // we need to decouple the CH profile objects from the list of CH profile strings
    // as we need the strings to create the GraphHopperStorage and the GraphHopperStorage to create the preparations
    // from the CHProfile objects currently requiring the encoders
    private final List<CHProfile> chProfiles = new ArrayList<>();
    private final Set<String> chProfileStrings = new LinkedHashSet<>();
    private boolean disablingAllowed = false;
    // for backward compatibility enable CH by default.
    private boolean enabled = true;
    private EdgeBasedCHMode edgeBasedCHMode = EdgeBasedCHMode.OFF;
    private int preparationThreads;
    private ExecutorService threadPool;
    private PMap pMap = new PMap();

    public CHPreparationHandler() {
        setPreparationThreads(1);
        // use fastest by default
        setCHProfilesAsStrings(Collections.singletonList("fastest"));
    }

    public void init(GraphHopperConfig ghConfig) {
        // throw explicit error for deprecated configs
        if (!ghConfig.get("prepare.threads", "").isEmpty())
            throw new IllegalStateException("Use " + CH.PREPARE + "threads instead of prepare.threads");
        if (!ghConfig.get("prepare.chWeighting", "").isEmpty() || !ghConfig.get("prepare.chWeightings", "").isEmpty())
            throw new IllegalStateException("Use " + CH.PREPARE + "weightings and a comma separated list instead of prepare.chWeighting or prepare.chWeightings");

        setPreparationThreads(ghConfig.getInt(CH.PREPARE + "threads", getPreparationThreads()));

        // default is enabled & fastest
        String chWeightingsStr = ghConfig.get(CH.PREPARE + "weightings", "");
        if (chWeightingsStr.contains("edge_based")) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Adding 'edge_based` to " + (CH.PREPARE + "weightings") + " is not allowed, to enable edge-based CH use " + (CH.PREPARE + "edge_based") + " instead.");
        }

        if ("no".equals(chWeightingsStr) || "false".equals(chWeightingsStr)) {
            // default is fastest and we need to clear this explicitly
            chProfileStrings.clear();
        } else if (!chWeightingsStr.isEmpty()) {
            setCHProfilesAsStrings(Arrays.asList(chWeightingsStr.split(",")));
        }

        boolean enableThis = !chProfileStrings.isEmpty();
        setEnabled(enableThis);
        if (enableThis)
            setDisablingAllowed(ghConfig.getBool(CH.INIT_DISABLING_ALLOWED, isDisablingAllowed()));

        String edgeBasedCHStr = ghConfig.get(CH.PREPARE + "edge_based", "off").trim();
        edgeBasedCHStr = edgeBasedCHStr.equals("false") ? "off" : edgeBasedCHStr;
        edgeBasedCHMode = EdgeBasedCHMode.valueOf(edgeBasedCHStr.toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT));

        pMap = ghConfig.asPMap();
    }

    public final boolean isEnabled() {
        return enabled;
    }

    /**
     * Enables or disables contraction hierarchies (CH). This speed-up mode is enabled by default.
     */
    public final CHPreparationHandler setEnabled(boolean enabled) {
        this.enabled = enabled;
        return this;
    }

    public final boolean isDisablingAllowed() {
        return disablingAllowed || !isEnabled();
    }

    /**
     * This method specifies if it is allowed to disable CH routing at runtime via routing hints.
     */
    public final CHPreparationHandler setDisablingAllowed(boolean disablingAllowed) {
        this.disablingAllowed = disablingAllowed;
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * This method specifies whether or not edge-based CH preparation (needed for turn costs) should be performed.
     *
     * @see EdgeBasedCHMode
     */
    public final CHPreparationHandler setEdgeBasedCHMode(EdgeBasedCHMode edgeBasedCHMode) {
        this.edgeBasedCHMode = edgeBasedCHMode;
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Decouple CH profiles from PrepareContractionHierarchies as we need CH profiles for the
     * graphstorage and the graphstorage for the preparation.
     */
    public CHPreparationHandler addCHProfile(CHProfile chProfile) {
        chProfiles.add(chProfile);
        return this;
    }

    public CHPreparationHandler addPreparation(PrepareContractionHierarchies pch) {
        // we want to make sure that CH preparations are added in the same order as their corresponding profiles
        if (preparations.size() >= chProfiles.size()) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("You need to add the corresponding CH profiles before adding preparations.");
        }
        CHProfile expectedProfile = chProfiles.get(preparations.size());
        if (!pch.getCHProfile().equals(expectedProfile)) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("CH profile of preparation: " + pch + " needs to be identical to previously added CH profile: " + expectedProfile);
        }
        preparations.add(pch);
        return this;
    }

    public final boolean hasCHProfiles() {
        return !chProfiles.isEmpty();
    }

    public List<CHProfile> getCHProfiles() {
        return chProfiles;
    }

    public List<CHProfile> getNodeBasedCHProfiles() {
        List<CHProfile> result = new ArrayList<>();
        for (CHProfile chProfile : chProfiles) {
            if (!chProfile.getTraversalMode().isEdgeBased()) {
                result.add(chProfile);
            }
        }
        return result;
    }

    public List<CHProfile> getEdgeBasedCHProfiles() {
        List<CHProfile> result = new ArrayList<>();
        for (CHProfile chProfile : chProfiles) {
            if (chProfile.getTraversalMode().isEdgeBased()) {
                result.add(chProfile);
            }
        }
        return result;
    }

    public EdgeBasedCHMode getEdgeBasedCHMode() {
        return edgeBasedCHMode;
    }

    public List<String> getCHProfileStrings() {
        if (chProfileStrings.isEmpty())
            throw new IllegalStateException("Potential bug: chProfileStrings is empty");

        return new ArrayList<>(chProfileStrings);
    }

    public CHPreparationHandler setCHProfileStrings(String... profileStrings) {
        return setCHProfilesAsStrings(Arrays.asList(profileStrings));
    }

    /**
     * @param profileStrings A list of multiple CH profile strings
     * @see #addCHProfileAsString(String)
     */
    public CHPreparationHandler setCHProfilesAsStrings(List<String> profileStrings) {
        if (profileStrings.isEmpty())
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("It is not allowed to pass an empty list of CH profile strings");

        chProfileStrings.clear();
        for (String profileString : profileStrings) {
            profileString = toLowerCase(profileString);
            profileString = profileString.trim();
            addCHProfileAsString(profileString);
        }
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Enables the use of contraction hierarchies to reduce query times. Enabled by default.
     *
     * @param profileString String representation of a CH profile like: "fastest", "shortest|edge_based=true",
     *                      "fastest|u_turn_costs=30 or your own weight-calculation type.
     */
    public CHPreparationHandler addCHProfileAsString(String profileString) {
        chProfileStrings.add(profileString);
        return this;
    }

    public List<PrepareContractionHierarchies> getPreparations() {
        return preparations;
    }

    /**
     * @return a {@link RoutingAlgorithmFactory} for CH or throw an error if no preparation is available for the given
     * hints
     */
    public RoutingAlgorithmFactory getAlgorithmFactory(HintsMap map) {
        if (preparations.isEmpty())
            throw new IllegalStateException("No CH preparations added yet");
        return getPreparation(map).getRoutingAlgorithmFactory();
    }

    public PrepareContractionHierarchies getPreparation(HintsMap map) {
        CHProfile selectedProfile = selectProfile(map);
        return getPreparation(selectedProfile);
    }

    public PrepareContractionHierarchies getPreparation(CHProfile chProfile) {
        for (PrepareContractionHierarchies p : getPreparations()) {
            if (p.getCHProfile().equals(chProfile)) {
                return p;
            }
        }
        throw new IllegalStateException("Could not find CH preparation for profile: " + chProfile);
    }

    private CHProfile selectProfile(HintsMap map) {
        try {
            return CHProfileSelector.select(chProfiles, map);
        } catch (CHProfileSelectionException e) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    public int getPreparationThreads() {
        return preparationThreads;
    }

    /**
     * This method changes the number of threads used for preparation on import. Default is 1. Make
     * sure that you have enough memory when increasing this number!
     */
    public void setPreparationThreads(int preparationThreads) {
        this.preparationThreads = preparationThreads;
        this.threadPool = java.util.concurrent.Executors.newFixedThreadPool(preparationThreads);
    }

    public void prepare(final StorableProperties properties, final boolean closeEarly) {
        ExecutorCompletionService<String> completionService = new ExecutorCompletionService<>(threadPool);
        int counter = 0;
        for (final PrepareContractionHierarchies prepare : getPreparations()) {
            LOGGER.info((++counter) + "/" + getPreparations().size() + " calling " +
                    "CH prepare.doWork for " + prepare.getCHProfile() + " ... (" + getMemInfo() + ")");
            final String name = prepare.getCHProfile().toFileName();
            completionService.submit(new Runnable() {
                @Override
                public void run() {
                    // toString is not taken into account so we need to cheat, see http://stackoverflow.com/q/6113746/194609 for other options
                    Thread.currentThread().setName(name);
                    prepare.doWork();
                    if (closeEarly)
                        prepare.close();

                    properties.put(CH.PREPARE + "date." + name, createFormatter().format(new Date()));
                }
            }, name);
        }

        threadPool.shutdown();

        try {
            for (int i = 0; i < getPreparations().size(); i++) {
                completionService.take().get();
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            threadPool.shutdownNow();
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }
    }

    public void createPreparations(GraphHopperStorage ghStorage) {
        if (!isEnabled() || !getPreparations().isEmpty())
            return;
        if (!hasCHProfiles())
            throw new IllegalStateException("No CH profiles found");

        for (CHProfile chProfile : chProfiles) {
            addPreparation(createCHPreparation(ghStorage, chProfile));
        }
    }

    private PrepareContractionHierarchies createCHPreparation(GraphHopperStorage ghStorage, CHProfile chProfile) {
        PrepareContractionHierarchies tmpPrepareCH = PrepareContractionHierarchies.fromGraphHopperStorage(ghStorage, chProfile);
        tmpPrepareCH.setParams(pMap);
        return tmpPrepareCH;
    }

    /**
     * Determines whether or not edge-based CH will be prepared for the different weightings/encoders.
     */
    public enum EdgeBasedCHMode {
        /**
         * no edge-based CH preparation will be performed
         */
        OFF,
        /**
         * for encoders with enabled turn costs edge-based CH and otherwise node-based CH preparation will be performed
         */
        EDGE_OR_NODE,
        /**
         * for encoders with enabled turn costs edge-based CH will be performed and node-based CH preparation will be
         * performed for all encoders
         */
        EDGE_AND_NODE
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Charaxes bernardii is een vlinder uit de familie van de Nymphalidae. De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1977 door Minig.

Charaxinae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Yellow Dog Patrol: Why I Won't See "Unbroken"
Angelina Jolie took on the story to bring it to the big screen, and without a doubt, it is a massive story. However, her story ends at the prison camp. Oh, there is a token epilogue on what happened after, but if you have read the book, you know that's where the true story is.
Without getting into detail, Louis Zamperini was saved - scratch that, "redeemed" as the title of the book says - by a personal relationship with God. Ah, but mainstream Hollywood doesn't like all that holy roller stuff, so by all means cut the story short and let's have a movie where a guy gets beat through a large part of it.
I cannot recommend Hillebrand's book enough. As for the movie, well, you're going to have to do that one on your own. But if you do see it and feel it leaves you lacking, know that it is because the most important and the best part of the story - the "redemption" part - was missing.


Liza Minnelli's act was worthy of a Tony. Photos from ebay Web site.
SOMETIMES it's not that hard to meet the theater lover's strict criteria for the odd or unusual. For proof, look no further than – say – ebay.
Bid for some of the many items of memorabilia on display.
A recent visit yielded a still-sealed album of the Liza Minnelli tuner, "The Act." Kander and Ebb wrote the musical as a comeback vehicle for LM but the show closed after just 233 performances and never recouped its costs.
Also available to the sharp bidder is a 1946 album of the Broadway revival of "Show Boat." Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II created the musical in 1927. It ran for nearly a year and a half to great critical and popular success.
The album from the 1946 revival of "Show Boat."
JK and OH II wrote the part of Joe, the stevedore, especially for Paul Robeson. The formidable actor would go on to sing "Old Man River" in the 1928 London stage premiere, as well as the Broadway revival in 1932 and the 1936 film. The 1946 revival was held at the Ziegfeld Theatre, which was the venue for the original Broadway production.
The Addams Family was anything but a rousing success when it played on Broadway in 2010, though it is currently touring the world with companies across the United States, in Brazil and in Sydney.
Krysta Rodriguez won acclaim as an exciting newcomer, portraying the original Wednesday Addams. Wednesday's red T-shirt, in small, can be picked up for a modest bid and appreciated by a troubled teen, perhaps your own.
A caveat: keep in mind as you troll through the ebay theatrical memorabilia that some of these treasures may no longer be available.You may find others, though, adding to the thrill.
Elsewhere, the visit turned up a 1976 souvenir program of a rare Katharine Hepburn stage appearance in "A Matter of Gravity." It was marked a mere $12. The play was popular despite poor reviews.
Katharine Hepburn is the "girl" on the cover of the "A Matter of Gravity" program.
"A Matter of Gravity" closed on Broadway after three month and embarked on a successful national tour. During the Los Angeles leg, KH fractured her hip. Ever the trooper, she chose to continue performing from a wheelchair.
Visit http://www.ebay.com/bhp/broadway-shows and http://www.ebay.com/sch/Theater-Memorabilia-/2362/i.html to learn more about EBay theatrical memorabilia.


text:
Ski Beatz Tells All: The Stories Behind His Biggest Hits
ByInsanul Ahmed
Insanul Ahmed is an Editorial Producer for Complex. Follow him on Twitter @Incilin
After a few delays, Ski Beatz' album, 24 Hour Karate School, finally hit stores last week. Entirely produced by Ski, it was released under Dame Dash's DD172 label, with appearances from Jay Electronica, Jean Grae, Curren$y, Jim Jones, Wiz Khalifa, and others.
Although the North Carolina native has caught a second wind as an in-house producer for Dame Dash's DD172 collective (he produced most of Curren$y's Pilot Talk), he's still probably best known for his work with acts like Camp Lo, Sporty Thievez, and Jay-Z in the '90s.
That's why we got on the phone with him to hear the stories behind some of his classics like "Luchini," "John Blaze," and "Dead Presidents." We even got Ski to tell us how he threw away classic material, what Dame Dash's favorite Jay-Z song is, and the one beat Jay always wanted to rap over.
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Day in Rock reports: Lars Ulrich reportedly suffered some kind of "medical emergency" and according to some reports he was hospitalized. That obviously prevented him from playing the Download festival. There is no official word yet, what happened. Metallica.com has a report about the show going on with special guests [click the full story link to read all about it.] Hopefully, we will know more for tomorrows report. For now here is the set list and special guests that joined the band for the show.
Eric Heyl of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports: Hell hath no fury like a headbanger seemingly scorned.
This I discovered last week after penning a seemingly innocuous column jokingly linking Californian Adam Gadahn's evolution into suspected terrorist to his youthful love of heavy metal music. Gadahn, 25, is being hunted by various law enforcement agencies for allegedly having al-Qaida ties.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of metalheads failed to get the joke. They were convinced I had attacked their favorite form of music.
Digital Noise reports: The members of Kittie narrowly escaped a life-threatening accident while on location for the shooting of its video, "Into the Darkness."
Digital Noise reports: Static-X were forced to cancel their appearance at the Download Festival in Donnington, England after their tour bus broke down in Germany.
Digital Noise reports: Darkest Hour will be re-releasing "Hidden Hands of A Sadist Nation" on July 13th through Victory Records.
NMC reports: The MTV Move Awards is always a spectacle... Among this year's highlights? Eminem mooning the crowd.
NMC reports: The Beastie Boys are getting down with no delay.
CNN reports: The rock band that belted out "Highway to Hell" could soon stroll down a lane named in their honor, city officials in the southern Australian city of Melbourne have said.
Melbourne City Council is considering renaming Corporation Lane, a narrow downtown alley, AC/DC Lane as a tribute to the band.
Wired reports: The movement to introduce low-power radio stations onto the FM dial in urban areas got a boost Friday from two powerful senators who introduced a bill allowing federal regulators to license small stations.
Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, introduced the measure, which they hope will lead to the introduction of hundreds of community radio stations that can reach listeners up to 3.5 miles away.
Reuters reports: For heavy metal bands, it has always been about distortion-laden guitars, pounding drums, singers who can growl and break-neck solos. But now business demands are making some metal acts show their softer side.
Billboard reports: Bon Jovi guitarist/songwriter Richie Sambora says the band is considering releasing a boxed set.
"We found four albums' worth of songs people have never heard before," Sambora says.
Don't worry antiGUY & Dr Fever are planning to announce their run in the coming weeks. No word yet on the key issues but the words 'free beer' & 'save Iraq with rock' are among the rumored taglines.
antiMUSIC reports: [for those that missed the news on Friday] It has been expected for a few months but now it has become official--Creed has called it quits. The band announced their break up in a statement on Friday (June 4) and the key members are already working on the next chapter of their musical story.
New York Daily News reports: [not rock related but something silly to start the week off with] Police are searching for a man who was naked when he picked up his fast food order this week at a drive-through window.
The customer at Bojangles restaurant was described as a hairy, big-bellied man in his 30s with short curly black hair that was receding on the top of his head. He picked up an order at the window Monday morning.
Ananova reports: Jet have reportedly pulled out of this month's Glastonbury Festival due to family illness.
The Australian group were due to play on the Other Stage on the opening day of the festival.
Ananova reports: Stereolab have been dropped by the Warner Music Group in a major reorganisation by the record giant.
According to Rolling Stone nearly half of Warner Music Group's 170 artists may be dumped by the company while those who survive including the Darkness will probably have to work with smaller budgets in the future.
Martin Pike, manager of the London-based electronic-pop band told the magazine, "We were told that our services are going to be dispensed with.
Ananova reports: Moby and rap group Public Enemy have teamed up on a new single MKLVFKWR.
The track was written specially for Unity, The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album compilation.
liveDaily reports: With their final dress rehearsal behind them, the members of Van Halen are on the verge of launching a summer tour that continues to grow.
On Thursday (6/3), the group added to its itinerary stops in Louisville, KY; Green Bay, WI; Biloxi, MS; Atlanta; and Cincinnati. Tickets for the Louisville stop hit the box office on Saturday (6/5), while tickets for the Green Bay show go on sale June 12. On-sale dates for the remaining new stops have not been announced.
liveDaily reports: Rockers Finch--who are in the studio working on their second album--get back on stage this summer for a headlining club tour, as well as performances at each stop on the Rolling Rock Town Fair Tour.
Xfm reports: Despite recent claims by Libertines' co-frontman Pete Doherty, that he is abandoning the band to live in France, the troubled group's manager Alan McGee has stated that the band are not splitting up.
In an online message the ex-Creation and Poptones records label boss explained that the group are still together, though Doherty is back in rehab for his drug addiction.
As �Walk Idiot Walk' the new single from Sweden's top monochrome suited quintet The Hives surfaces on 104.9 Xfm, we can finally reveal the band's new album title and release date, information hitherto shrouded in secrecy.
The track will be the first single off the band's new album �Tyrannosaurus Hives' which will be out on July 19.
The Next Step in AntiPiracy?
tinfoil music reports: ...'In practical terms, VeriTouch's breakthrough in anti-piracy technology means that no delivered content to a customer may be copied, shared or otherwise distributed because each file is uniquely locked by the customer's live fingerprint scan,' claims a company rep.
Welcome to the Day in Rock's Monday Media. This weekend's addition to antiMUSIC's Mandatory Media section include new media from Velvet Revolver, Fastball, Vernon Reid (guitarist, Living Colour), Fleetwood Mac, Slicker, Bonnie McKee, The Soviettes and this week's Featured Media from The Killers.
New video from hot up and coming band.


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Smart Chicago: how smart city initiatives are helping meet urban challenges
Posted on April 19, 2017 by stevenmcginty
Home to former President Barack Obama, sporting giants the Chicago Bulls, and the culinary delicacy deep dish pizza, Chicago is one of the most famous cities in the world. Less well known is Chicago's ambition to become the most data-driven city in the world.
A late convert to the smart city agenda, Chicago was lagging behind local rivals New York and Boston, and international leaders Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Singapore.
But in 2011, Chicago's new Mayor Rahm Emanuel outlined the important role technology needed to play, if the city was to address its main challenges.
Laying the groundwork – open data and tech plan
In 2012, Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued an executive order establishing the city's open data policy. The order was designed to increase transparency and accountability in the city, and to empower citizens to participate in government, solve social problems, and promote economic growth. It required that every city agency would contribute data to it and established reporting requirements to ensure agencies were held accountable.
Chicago's open data portal has nearly 600 datasets, which is more than double the number in 2011. The city works closely with civic hacker group Open Chicago, an organisation which runs hackathons (collaborations between developers and businesses using open data to find solutions to city problems).
In 2013, the City of Chicago Technology Plan was released. This brought together 28 of the city's technology initiatives into one policy roadmap, setting them out within five broad strategic areas:
Establishing next-generation infrastructure
Creating smart communities
Ensuring efficient, effective, and open government
Working with innovators to develop solutions to city challenges
Encouraging Chicago's technology sector
Array of Things
The Array of Things is an ambitious programme to install 500 sensors throughout the city of Chicago. Described by the project team as a 'fitness tracker for the city', the sensors will collect real-time data on air quality, noise levels, temperature, light, pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and the water levels on streets and gutters. The data gathered will be made publicly available via the city's website, and will provide a vital resource for the researchers, developers, policymakers, and citizens trying to address city challenges.
This new initiative is a major project for the city, but as Brenna Berman, Chicago's chief information officer, explains:
"If we're successful, this data and the applications and tools that will grow out of it will be embedded in the lives of residents, and the way the city builds new services and policies"
Potential applications for the city's data could include providing citizens with information on the healthiest and unhealthiest walking times and routes through the city, as well as the areas likely to be impacted by urban flooding.
The project is led by the Urban Center for Computation and Data of the Computation Institute – a joint initiative of Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago. However, a range of partners are involved in the project, including several universities, the City of Chicago – who provide an important governance role – and technology firms, such as Product Development Technologies, the company who built the 'enclosures' which protect the sensors from environmental conditions.
A series of community meetings was held to introduce the Array of Things concept to the community and to consult on the city's governance and privacy policy. This engagement ranged from holding public meetings in community libraries to providing online forms, where citizens could provide feedback anonymously.
In addition, the Urban Center for Computation and Data and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ran a workshop entitled the "Lane of Things", which introduced high school students to sensor technology. The workshop is part of the Array of Things education programme, which aims to use sensor technology to teach students about subjects such as programming and data science. For eight weeks, the students were given the opportunity to design and build their own sensing devices and implement them in the school environment, collecting information such as dust levels from nearby construction and the dynamics of hallway traffic.
The Array of Things project is funded by a $3.1 million National Science Foundation grant and is expected to be complete by 2018.
Mapping Subterranean Chicago
The City of Chicago is working with local technology firm, City Digital, to produce a 3D map of the underground infrastructure, such as water pipes, fibre optic lines, and gas pipes. The project will involve engineering and utility workers taking digital pictures as they open up the streets and sidewalks of Chicago. These images will then be scanned into City Digital's underground infrastructure mapping (UIM) platform, and key data points will be extracted from the image, such as width and height of pipes, with the data being layered on a digital map of Chicago.
According to Brenna Berman:
"By improving the accuracy of underground infrastructure information, the platform will prevent inefficient and delayed construction projects, accidents, and interruptions of services to citizens."
Although still at the pilot stage, the technology has been used on one construction site and an updated version is expected to be used on a larger site in Chicago's River North neighbourhood. Once proven, the city plans to charge local construction and utility firms to access the data, generating income whilst reducing the costs of construction and improving worker safety.
ShotSpotter
In January, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Department commanders announced the expansion of ShotSpotter – a system which uses sensors to capture audio of gunfire and alert police officers to its exact location. The expansion will take place in the Englewood and Harrison neighbourhoods, two of the city's highest crime areas, and should allow police officers to respond to incidents more rapidly.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson highlights that although crime and violence presents a complex problem for the city, the technology has resulted in Englewood going "eight straight days without a shooting incident", the longest period in three years.
ShotSpotter will also be integrated into the city's predictive analytics tools, which are used to assess how likely individuals are to become victims of gun crime, based on factors such as the number of times they have been arrested with individuals who have become gun crime victims.
Since 2011, Chicago has been attempting to transform itself into a leading smart city. Although it's difficult to compare Chicago with early adopters such as Barcelona, the city has clearly introduced a number of innovative projects and is making progress on their smart cities journey.
In particular, the ambitious Array of Things project will have many cities watching to see if understanding the dynamics of city life can help to solve urban challenges.
If you found this article interesting, you may also like to read our other smart cities articles:
Bristol is Open: case study of an innovative smart city
Digital Greenwich: a local council approach to smart cities
Smart eco-cities: how technology is addressing sustainability challenges in the UK
How do we engage citizens in smart cities? Views from Holyrood's smart cities event
How data and smart city infrastructure can support transport planning
Urban cycling innovations: smart cities get on their bikes
Smart cities … treading the line between the possible, the probable and the desirable
Posted in Crime, justice and rights, Digital, Environment, Government and politics, Transport, Infrastructure and communications	| Tagged #arrayofthings, #smartchicago, Array of Things, built environment, citizens, city data, city governance, city innovation, city problems, communities, community engagement, crime reduction, data, data-driven city, education, environment, information, infrastructure, Lane of Things, managing cities, neighbourhood, open data, outreach, policies, predictive analytics, privacy, public service, public services, real time data, residents, sensors, ShotSpotter, Smart Chicago, smart cities, smart city, smart city engagement, smart city solutions, stakeholder involvement, sustainable cities, tackling crime, technology, technology plan, underground, understanding cities, Urban Center for Computation and Data, urban challenges, urban mapping, urban problems | 3 Comments
A tale of five cities: night time transport infrastructure in global cities
As London's launch of its new night tube services is delayed, we compare night-time transport infrastructure in 5 cities and consider the importance of the night tube to allow London to maintain its status as one of the world's great cities.
London. Creative Commons: knivesout, 2006
London is viewed, like most modern-day cities, as a 24-hour hub of activity, and supporters of the night tube have argued that we need 24- hour infrastructure to support it. The importance of the night tube on London's night time economy has been heavily emphasised by supporters of the roll out. According to TfL, the night tube will create almost 2,000 new jobs and contribute £360m to the economy:
"Demand for a 24-hour Tube service is clear – late night Tube use has increased at double the rate of day-time trips and Night Bus usage has risen by 173 per cent since 2000. There are already over half a million users of the Tube after 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays."
Under the plans for the night tube, services will run 24 hours over Friday and Saturday on five main tube lines: Jubilee, Victoria, Piccadilly, Northern and Central lines. Plans for further expansion are already in place.
But how does London compare with other world cities?
Many major world cities operate late running underground services, particularly at weekends. However when London eventually launches its night tube, it will become one of only seven cities to have 'around the clock' underground transportation, either in full or on particular days of the week. The other six are: Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, Sydney, Chicago and New York.
That leaves many other major world cities with transport networks which do not reflect their '24-hour' reputations. Cities like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Paris have more limited night-time transport services but still effectively serve the inhabitants of some of the worlds biggest cities.
Hong Kong skyline. Creative Commons: Phil Wiffen, 2009
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated public transport network which has made it the envy of city planners across the world. However it does not operate a 24 hour transport system, nor are there plans to introduce one.
Hong Kong's public transport system is supported by 24- hour ferry services, buses, trams and moving public walkways to allow easy travel through the city although few of these run beyond midnight. Underground trains feature below ground 3G, colour coded stations to ease navigation of passengers and an integrated payment system in the form of an "Octopus" card. The equivalent of London's "Oyster" card, it was the first of its kind in the world and can be used on all public transport in Hong Kong. Tickets cost an average of $14 HKD (£1.18).
New York. Creative Commons: Michael Tapp, 2013
Hosting one of the largest underground train systems in the world, New York has been committed to offering 24 hour underground transportation since its first trains ran in 1904. It's total track length spans the distance from Chicago to New York.
Recently they introduced a system which can email commuters details of a delayed journey to work, to justify lateness to employers; they also have an email alert system to inform passengers of delays on selected routes. An average equivalent Zone 1-6 fare in New York would cost $2.75 (£1.76) The London average is £5.10.
Paris metro sign. Creative Commons: billknock, 2015
The second busiest subway system in Europe after Moscow, the Paris subway carries an average of 4.2 million passengers a day. Standard operating times are between 05:30am- 01:15am, except Friday, Saturday and nights before national holidays, when services run until 02:15.
There is contemplation in the French capital of whether to introduce a 24 hour service there – the success or failure of London's scheme will undoubtedly impact on their decision. Paris metro fares are significantly lower than those in London, with tickets in the region of €1.80 (£1.28).
Copenhagen. Creative Commons: Caroline de Francqueville, 2013
Not the first city you might think of when looking at transportation in global cities, but in terms of transport infrastructure Copenhagen has one of the best in the world. Their driverless underground system has operated 24/7 since 2002. In addition an S-train system runs from 05:00am- 00:30am daily.
Awarded the "Best Metro" and "Best Driver-less Metro" awards at the 2010 MetroRail congress in London, the Copenhagen system is considered one of the safest, cleanest and most efficient underground lines in the world. An average ticket on this service would cost around 31 Danish Krone (£3.08).
When London's night tube finally launches, under the branding 'free the night', TfL will be keen to stress the unique qualities it will bring to London's transport system. By making the city accessible for longer, the night tube will place London among a select group of world cities with 24-hour transport infrastructure.
And the success of the programme could prove key to encouraging some of the world's other largest cities to follow suit, potentially allowing London to provide a blueprint for services which could be emulated across the globe.
Read our article How data and smart city infrastructure can support transport planning for more on intelligent mobility and how London is leading the way in the use of data in transport planning.
Posted in Transport, Infrastructure and communications	| Tagged 24- hour, copenhagen, Hong Kong, intelligent mobility, London, london underground, New York, night time economy, night tube, paris, subway, transport, transport planning, tube, underground | 2 Comments


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Organizational Behaviour Reassessed: The Impact...
'Most books on Organizational Behaviour are still gender-free zones. This book however treats gender as it needs to be treated, as a fundamental organizing principle of organization'. Professor Paul Iles, of Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University: Challenging mainstream accounts of organizational behaviour and management, which treat gender as an optional extra, this book demonstrates how it can be an essential organizing principle. Each chapter covers one or more of the principal mainstream topics before deconstructing and critiquing these and suggesting other ways of understanding these issues.
Chapter 7: Teamworking
By: Elizabeth Sondhaus & Mary Beth Gallagher
In:Organizational Behaviour Reassessed: The Impact of Gender
Subject:Diversity, Organizational Behavior
Keywords:gendered organizations; hierarchy; staff; team development; team performance; team-based organization; teams
Teamworking
ElizabethSondhaus and Mary BethGallagher
No one knows the true impact of the profound and dramatic changes business is experiencing today. In most companies business practices will never be the same, but what about their underlying organizational structures? Companies across the globe are facing tremendous pressures to continuously innovate and improve their business practices in order to remain competitive (Trent, 1996). At the same time that they introduce innovations, many still cling to traditional organizational values such as strong, individualistic leaders; different degrees of hierarchical control, authority, direction, and planning; and entrenched differences in pay, authority, status and power. This hidden agenda helps explain why many apparently promising new ideas do not work and why workers often feel so cynical about the sincerity of change attempts ...
Sondhaus, E., & Gallagher, M. (2001). Teamworking. In E. Wilson (Ed.), Organizational behaviour reassessed: The impact of gender (pp. 129-148). SAGE Publications Ltd, https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781446220764.n7
Sondhaus, Elizabeth, and Mary Beth Gallagher. "Teamworking." In Organizational Behaviour Reassessed: The Impact of Gender, edited by Wilson, Elisabeth, 129-48. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446220764.n7.
Sondhaus, E. and Gallagher, M. 2001. Teamworking. In: Elisabeth Wilson Editor, 2001. Organizational Behaviour Reassessed: The Impact of Gender, London: SAGE Publications Ltd. pp. 129-148 Available at: <http://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781446220764.n7> [Accessed 18 Jan 2021].
Sondhaus, Elizabeth and Mary Beth Gallagher. "Teamworking." Organizational Behaviour Reassessed: The Impact of Gender. Edited by Elisabeth Wilson. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2001, pp. 129-48. SAGE Knowledge. 18 Jan 2021, doi: http://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781446220764.n7.
Link to this page directly with a permalink: https://sk.sagepub.com/books/organizational-behaviour-reassessed/n7.xml
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Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research, and Application
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Culture and Organizational Behaviour
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Punch, Maurice May 31, 2012
Discourse and Organization
Grant, David, et al. December 20, 2013
Diversity and Leadership
Chin, Jean Lau, et al. December 8, 2017
Diversity in Organizations: New Perspectives for a Changing Workplace
Chemers, Martin M, et al. May 31, 2012
Women and Leadership at Bettendorf College: An Organization's Responsibility for Addressing Gender Differences
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Handbook of Gender & Work
Powell, Gray N May 31, 2012
9/11 – The Effects and Organizational Response
Branine, Mohamed March 6, 2016
A Case Study of Diversity and Leader Member Exchange in Intercollegiate Athletics
Todd, Samuel Y., et al. January 2, 2018
A Case Study on Power and Politics in Organizations
Hemme, Florian, et al. January 2, 2018
A Late Bloomer: ZPMC CEO Guan Tongxian
Yang, Baiyin, et al. March 6, 2016
A Rise in Leadership: An Appalachian Woman's Academic Journey
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Imani was really great at customer service. Everyone viewed her as a superstar. Coworkers, customers and management loved working with her. She had a giant fan club in the company. When one of the leaders of the company left to pursue other opportunities, management decided to make Imani a supervisor. She was promoted and overnight had a small army of 16 people reporting to her. Imani was delighted to be so well regarded and to get promoted, but she was nervous because she had no management experience. She mentioned it to her boss one day and her boss said "Oh Imani, don't you worry, you are going to do a great job." Within two weeks she felt very overwhelmed and wasn't sure if the company had made the right choice. Maybe promoting her was a big, stupid mistake. She was a nervous wreck and wasn't sure if she was going to make it.
Far too often, we promote someone because they are technically competent, but it doesn't necessarily mean they know how to lead. Just because someone was good at selling something doesn't mean they will be a good sales manager. Just because they were good at IT, doesn't mean they will be a great IT manager. Star quarterbacks don't always make great coaches. Any team member who gets promoted to a leadership role should be taught all the critical leadership skills they will need. If we don't, we are throwing them into the pool and expecting them to know how to swim. That is very unfair to them and to the people that report to them every day.
2. Not developing them all along.
In the case study above, if the company thought Imani was going to be a future leader, they should have already had her in a leadership development program or had her working with a mentor to get her ready for the future. Companies should have a process in place to identify, coach and train people -- to groom them for future opportunities and build bench strength of future leadership talent. Senior leadership should work carefully with HR, training and operations to fill the talent pool.
In every organization, I believe that beyond the performance review there should be a separate meeting for every team member to discuss their career goals with their manager. It is sad, but this discussion almost never happens in organizations. There is not time, effort or commitment made to this process that is so important. This discussion helps organizations identify who is interested in being in a leadership role and who isn't. The discussion about leadership and a future management role should not be a mystery or cloaked in secrecy. It should be an open, honest and frank discussion about their goals short, mid- and long-term. The manager should then commit to helping them get where they want to go through training, development, experience or stretch assignments.
4. Not making leadership development the responsibility of all leaders.
Many leaders don't do this because they don't have time and are extremely busy. They may also be threatened by people who report to them developing and surpassing them. I think it should be the responsibility and expectation of all leaders to develop future leaders of the company. How many companies set this as an expectation? Almost none that I know of or work with around the country. Leadership development is not part of the leaders' performance reviews or part of leaders' objectives, but it should be. People in a leadership role should be tasked with developing and fostering talent and building leadership bench strength. The future of the company depends on having great leaders to lead growth, to drive results, sales and productivity.
As Jack Welch once said "Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."