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Aging Gracelessly
By Peter G. Davis
Photo: Chris Lee; Ilustration by Matt Owens
South Pacific may be the one Rodgers and Hammerstein megahit that is really difficult, if not impossible, to revisit today, and I don't wonder that there hasn't been a Broadway revival since that first triumphant production in 1949. The recent concert performance in Carnegie Hall once again proved that the score is one of Rodgers's most spectacular efforts, and even a less-than-ideal cast demonstrated exactly why the show's songs became standards years ago. But Hammerstein's book, co-written with Joshua Logan—and perhaps even the literary source, James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific—is hard to take seriously now, especially after all the racial traumas we've been through in the past 50 years. What was once praised as a daring exploration of racial intolerance now seems unbearably condescending and self-righteous, not to mention dramatically unconvincing, and South Pacific comes across as dated as those quaint but musically rich shows Hammerstein wrote back in the twenties, when his composer collaborators included Friml, Youmans, Kern, and Romberg (Show Boat, a true timeless masterpiece, excepted).
In South Pacific, the parallel love stories that unfold on an island paradise during World War II depict nurse Nellie Forbush's struggle to accept Emile de Becque's mixed-blood children from an earlier marriage, and Lieutenant Joe Cable's similar problems with race in his romance with Liat, the innocent Tonkinese daughter of the irrepressible Bloody Mary. One affair ends happily, the other in tragedy, but neither one gets under our skin mainly because the characters remain half-sketched and superficial, even when Rodgers gives them some of his most ear-grabbing songs.
To make matters worse and more artificial, the cast of the Carnegie Hall concert performance, minimally staged by Walter Bobbie and filmed for PBS, hadn't yet learned the roles. Each singer was glued to a loose-leaf notebook in one hand, and their eyes almost never strayed from the pages. Only one moment threatened to come to theatrical life, when Reba McEntire as Nellie tossed aside her book, donned a sailor suit, and belted out "Honey Bun" with a hand mike. This, in fact, was the country diva's best moment, since the song responds to her country-and-Western twang better than most of Nellie's music. It's an odd coincidence that both McEntire and Mary Martin (the first Nellie) came to South Pacific after wildly successful runs in Annie Get Your Gun. But Nellie's songs are in a completely different style than Annie's, and Rodgers and Hammerstein carefully tailored them for Martin, by then a very sophisticated musical-comedy performer (it's said that R&H intended "A Cockeyed Optimist" to be an actual portrait of her). In comparison, McEntire as Nellie seemed harshly monotonous, ill-prepared, and otherwise completely out of her element.
The rest of the cast at least made capital from the music: Brian Stokes Mitchell as a sonorous Emile, Lillias White as a bouncy and brash Bloody Mary, and Jason Danieley as a lyrical Lieutenant Cable. Alec Baldwin failed to provide much comic relief as Luther Billis—even his drag outfit with its coconut-shell brassiere didn't seem very funny. No credit was given for the orchestration, but I could recognize a few echoes of Robert Russell Bennett's original masterly work in the bloated and blatty rendition of the score by the Orchestra of St. Luke's under Paul Gemignani's direction.
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Isaac Stern Auditorium,
Carnegie Hall. June 9.
capitol riot 19 mins ago

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Calling Your Best Cheeses – USDEC Sponsoring U.S. Entries for the 2019 World Cheese Award
Kara McDonald, USDEC
kmcdonald@usdec.org
ARLINGTON, VA - The World Cheese Awards (WCA) is one of the most respected competitions in the world attracting thousands of entries each year and your company's cheese could be among the contenders. Last year's edition drew in a record breaking 3,472 cheeses from 41 different countries, where the United States came in an impressive 4th place, winning 89 medals.
In 2019, the WCA will take place on October 18 in Bergamo, Italy and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC)-under its new customer-facing marketing entity, the USA Cheese Guild-will be sponsoring the Best USA Cow's Milk Cheese trophy; a high honor and one of a select number of trophies awarded during the competition.
To further the U.S. representation across this year's competition, USDEC will be supporting U.S. cheesemakers by covering the entry costs for cow's milk and cow's milk-based mixed milk cheeses produced in the United States. Help us showcase your superior skills and impress the world with a wide display of exceptional U.S. cheeses by entering your best products into the competition!
USDEC is making it easy to join the strong U.S. representation in the competition, and no export capabilities are required. Why? Because the United States has a tremendous history of quality cheesemaking and creativity to serve global needs, but that story is not well known outside our borders. USDEC is getting the word out by increasing the spotlight on specialty cheesemaking, including a gallery to tell the story behind the cheeses.
To join the movement, participants will simply need to send their best cheeses to a pre-appointed consolidation point, and USDEC will handle it from there. All cheese varieties are welcome, but large, bulk-style cheeses must be cut down and packaged into smaller 1.0lb-4.5lb (0.5kg-2.0kg) blocks. However, full artisan wheels may be accepted so as not to jeopardize the overall integrity and aesthetic of the cheese. Ask USDEC for additional details upon registration.
Contest entries will need to be registered in July and more information will be provided soon, but for now, interested cheesemakers should take the following steps:
Select their best U.S. cow's milk or cow's milk-based mixed milk cheeses for entry into the competition.
Reach out to Ryan Hopkin (rhopkin@usdec.org) to register and confirm the number, varieties, names and estimated weight of the cheeses they plan to enter. You must register with USDEC in order to benefit from the entry assistance.
For more information about the WCA, please follow this link.
The U.S. Dairy Export Council is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. USDEC accomplishes this through programs in market development that build global demand for U.S. dairy products, resolve market access barriers and advance industry trade policy goals. USDEC is supported by staff across the United States and overseas in Mexico, South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe. The U.S. Dairy Export Council prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, marital status, military status, and arrest or conviction record. www.usdec.org.
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Number Direct>Motors
As of 30th September 2014, there were 45.5 million people in the United Kingdom with driving licences. The majority of these people will also have their own vehicle and be regular road users. They may drive to the office every morning, take their family out on weekends or make daily business trips around the country.
However, we all know that vehicles can be temperamental. Drivers may encounter issues with the cars, or they may have problems with the government's Driver And Vehicle Licensing Agency (known commonly by its acronym DVLA) with issues surrounding their car use. Furthermore, they may even need to get in touch with their insurer.
When drivers urgently need to get in touch with their car manufacturers, or speak to the DVLA about an issue, they may be able to find a phone number below. Number Direct's call routing service can put you in direct contact with the customer service departments for a variety of different companies. You can speak with them about any number of problems you may be having, ask them any questions you might need answered and discuss their services. In our commitment to put you in touch with the department you need, Number Direct has numbers for a companies as diverse as AA, Ford, BMW and Churchill. These can all be found below.
VOSA Contact Number 0300 200 1122
VOSA was replaced by the DVSA in 2014. Numbers below will forward you to the DVSA automated service. VOSA Contact Numbers Department Opening Times Head Office (Mon – Fri) 8am – 6.30pm Registrations (Mon –…
DVLA Liverpool
Unfortunately, the nearest DVLA office for the Liverpool region was in Preston, Manchester and Chester. But to changes which were in effect of December 31st, 2013, the DVLA closed 39 local branches across England, Scotland…
Go Compare: UK Contact Number 01633 654060
Go Compare Contact Numbers Department Opening Times Customer Services (Mon – Fri) 8am – 6.30pm Insurance Services (Mon – Fri) 8am – 6.30pm Account Helpline (Mon – Fri) 8am – 6.30pm Complaints (Mon – Fri)…
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From November 1st, 2013, Tesco Bank will no longer be offering Tesco Breakdown Cover to new customers unless they hold a Tesco Car Insurance policy. Customers can still buy cover throughout October, but from November…
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The DSA has now closed. It was replaced by the DVSA in April 2014. Numbers below will transfer you to the new DVSA service. DSA Contact Numbers The DSA is a national organisation, part of…
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Skoda UK Contact Numbers Based in the Czech Republic, Skoda is an automobile manufacturer who offers a range of cars. For a range of contact numbers for Skoda, see the table below. Department Opening Times Customer…
Ashley Neal's Driving School – Driving Lessons Liverpool 0151 5236 177
Why call Ashley Neal's Driving School? Ashley Neal's Driving School is a driving school based in the North West of England. Predominately serving students in the Liverpool, Widnes, Wigan, St Helens, Southport and Warrington area,…
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Congestion Charge Contact Numbers The Congestion Charge is a fee charged to most motor vehicles in a certain area of Central London. There are no toll booths or barriers, instead, a camera reads your numberplate and sees…
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The Co-Operative Group businesses are known throughout the UK, from food shops and travel agencies to legal services and funerals. Another subsidiary of this group is Co-Op Insurance. They offer a variety of insurance policy…
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Citroën is a French vehicle manufacturer. André-Gustave Citroën, an industrialist, founded the company named after himself in 1919. Citroën introduced some of the world's automobile firsts, such as hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension in 1954. Their vehicles have…
Asda Car Insurance Contact Number 0844 381 0813
Asda is a British retailer with a well-known chain of supermarkets. It was founded in Yorkshire in 1965, and has been a subsidiary of the American retailer Walmart since a takeover in 1999. Asda offers…
TomTom Contact Phone Number 020 7949 0132
TomTom is a Dutch business which sells navigation and mapping devices and software. Since establishing in 1991, the company headquarters are still in Amsterdam. They have more than 50 offices in almost 40 countries, selling their…
Contact Phone Number For Tesco Car Insurance 0345 301 4455
Tesco is a British retailer of groceries and general merchandise. It is the leading supermarket chain in the UK and operates stores in seven countries throughout Europe and Asia. From 1919 until the early 1990s it was mainly…
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Kwik Fit is a leading car service company in the UK. There are more than 600 Kwik Fit Centres throughout the UK and Ireland, which are often open 7 days a week. They offer services and repairs…
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Diamond is a car insurance company created in June 1997. It specializes in car insurance for women, advocating for cheaper quotes because women are statistically better drivers than men. Diamond began offering online car insurance…
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Churchill Insurance is one of the insurance company brands underwritten by UK Insurance Limited. They also run other brands like Direct Line, Green Flag, and Privilege. Churchill launched in 1989 as one of the first…
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Adrian Flux is an insurance broker in the United Kingdom, based in Norfolk that will sure explain you how health insurance deductibles work and how to choose your insurance. They have been offering motor insurance…
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The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is an organization responsible for keeping databases of drivers and vehicles in the UK and Great Britain on behalf of the UK government. The DVA (Driver and Vehicle…


A diverse collection of more than eighty selections, The Mexico Reader brings together poetry, folklore, fiction, polemics, photoessays, songs, political cartoons, memoirs, satire, and scholarly writing. Many pieces are by Mexicans, and a substantial number appear for the first time in English. Works by Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes are included along with pieces about such well-known figures as the larger-than-life revolutionary leaders Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata; there is also a comminiqué from a more recent rebel, Subcomandante Marcos. At the same time, the book highlights the perspectives of many others—indigenous peoples, women, politicians, patriots, artists, soldiers, rebels, priests, workers, peasants, foreign diplomats, and travelers.
The Mexico Reader explores what it means to be Mexican, tracing the history of Mexico from pre-Columbian times through the country's epic revolution (1910–17) to the present day. The materials relating to the latter half of the twentieth century focus on the contradictions and costs of postrevolutionary modernization, the rise of civil society, and the dynamic cross-cultural zone marked by the two thousand-mile Mexico-U.S. border. The editors have divided the book into several sections organized roughly in chronological order and have provided brief historical contexts for each section. They have also furnished a lengthy list of resources about Mexico, including websites and suggestions for further reading.
Mexico's history in bite size chunks, and with plent of meat. Cannot recommend this book too higly. Nearly 800 pages containing close to 100 essays and excerpts, all carefully chosen and very readable, cover Mexico's history from the bad old heart-ripping-out days through the machinations of modern politics. While this kind of book can so often be dry and mind-numbing, this collection is fresh and fascinating, partly because of the varying viewpoints and writing style of the many authors.
The Mexico Reader is a compilation of essays, where you hear/read the authors voices, not the 21st century's historians point of view.What I enjoyed most about this book was the historian's selection of essays dealing with the same time period.Quite often they would chose very compelling essays showing opposite ends of the political discussion.That I found refreshing!
wise selection of a very wide variety of texts about Mexican history and culture. It is a great anthology that will give its readers a very good picture of Mexican Culture. The authors chosen are excellent. If you are a student or a teacher of Mexican Culture, this is a book you should read. Moreover, for those of you that only want to reach the Medieval ideal: Mixing learning and enjoyment, this is also a book for you.
Different and refreshing approach to Mexican history. Insightful and informative selections from both well known and more obscure original sources. Sections are brief and on point. Excellent bedside book. Outstanding as a stand alone work and valuable as a reference to more complete treatment of subjects you find particularly interesting. Balanced and objective. Best work on Mexico I've read in quite some time.
This book introduces a variety of Mexican cultural facets and also includes a brief history of the country. The only thing lacking is a list or glossary of common Mexican expressions or slang.
we use it as a textbook!
We teach a summer elective in Mexico for health professional students. Our 2 week in-country course focuses on learning the culture and language and health care systems of Mexico. This book is very useful because it gives a quick down and dirty synopsis of Mexican history (much longer and messier than U.S.history)that allows us, as teachers, to move into what we see as the aftermath, in the country today. It then moves onto the author's own experiences navigating the culture, with excellent tips, "to blend in" and understand what is going on around you. The details the author provides, such as going up to a stranger's house in the country, and asking "do you have any extra food today?" were true 20 years ago and are still true today. This provides the cultural context and informational detail we need, dealing with immigrants from these areas, in health care settings. It is not a guidebook. It is a hybrid...and very useful for those travelers who blaze their own paths, not the usual tourist tracks of Mexico.
I read this after reading the US State Travel Dept. Info Sheet which tends to be overly conservative and makes places sound like demilitarized zones. This guide put a little reality back into it. The author gives somecultural tips mainly for the gringo (US citizen) to help mostly in socialsituations. Especially useful, were the tips on how to recognize a goodMexican restaurant, how to address people in social situations, and otherMexicanisms such as various commonly used slang. The author also describesregional differences and urban/rural differences you may come across. Ifeel this is a good guide to get a feel for the people and the placeespecially for the casual visitor going to the non-tourist areas of Mexicoso you don't act like such a gringo. Not really a book to keep as along-term reference to Mexico, I'd try to borrow it before buying it. Theauthor does give minor Mexican differences in pronouncing Spanish, but Ithink he assumes most readers have a basis for Spanish, or will have aphrase book for this.
Not recommended.The biggest shock was the author's pedantry.The first third of the book is an obscure treatment of history which assumes too much knowledge on the part of the reader.The book needs a glossary with thepronunciation of unusual spanish words, names, and places.I found myselfconstantly stumbling over them.
Winner of the 2005 Society for American Archaeology Book Award.This authoritative book explores every aspect of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, from Paleo-Indian times to the sixteenth century. It provides overviews of the best-known regional cultures, such as those of the Olmecs, Maya, Zapotecs, and Aztecs, as well as balanced coverage of Mesoamerica as a whole.
The book covers every major site, from La Venta and Monte Albán to Teotihuacan, Palenque, and Tenochtitlan. It includes detailed discussion of major cultural themes, such as the ball game, and is lavishly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps. It has now been thoroughly updated to include new interpretations and recent discoveries.
CULTURE SMART! is the series of travel guides written for the smart traveler on the go. Each volume is a quick, accurate guide to customs and etiquette. What you'll find in CULTURE SMART!: --All the essential cultural and etiquette points covered, making you confident in a variety of situations. --You'll know what to expect in each particular culture. --You'll know how to behave in specific social and business situations. --Essential attitudes and values are clearly explained. --You'll find the concise writing style makes each topic a quick, easy read. --Each has the same look, page count, and organization for reference use. --Small and light, it tucks into your pocket or purse for on-the-go use. --Culture Smart! books are written by a staff of experts who consult on world travel as a profession.
Mexico comprises 32 diverse states, and this reference is the first to succinctly profile each. Each chapter devoted to one of the states provides a contemporary snapshot of the most important information to know about the state, with essay sections on its characteristics, flora and fauna, cultural groups and languages, history, economy,social customs, arts, noteworthy places, and cuisine with representative recipes. Familiar and noteworthy names in Mexican culture are highlighted in the applicable sections. The format is perfect for students studying Spanish and travelers and general readers wanting a different angle from that provided in guidebooks and more authoritativeness than they can offer.Readers learn about thepulsing metropolis of Mexico City to the jungle isolation found in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Considering the huge political, social, and economic focus on Mexico and the number of Mexican immigrants in the United Status today, Americans need to know more about Mexico and the homeland of these new immigrants. Make this one of the sources you recommend to your patrons to get a quick yet substantial feel for the states and their people. A map and photo accompany each chapter, and the volume contains a chronology, glossary, and selected bibliography.
Something that I have to be careful of when I write about my experience as an American expat in Mexico is not to come across in my prose as an expat expert. I think I tend to do this, but be assured, it is unintentional. It is easy for any nonfiction writer to get into trouble with this.
I took a writer's workshop a few years ago where this warning was discussed. Whenever you write nonfiction, readers tend to regard you as an expert in the subject about which you write. It is mostly unavoidable since you, the writer, are not responsible for how someone interprets what you write. You cannot dictate your reader's perception of the prose you put on the page. No matter what you write, there is going to be someone, somewhere, who somehow takes it the wrong way. Such is the adventure of writing.
Lately, I've been investigating works on culture by specialists who I would interpret as indeed being experts in Mexican culture. I have had a great time looking at those who have gone before me. They have done decades of practical and academic investigation into the Mexican worldview that steadily flows through the culture of these wonderful people. I've been humbled, instructed, and corrected in what I've read, particularly by a book called, Mexicans & Americans Cracking the Cultural Code, written by cultural analyst Ned Crouch.
In some of the cultural bumps in my expat road I've been driving here in Mexico, I've run into things that have been, to use a hyperbole, mindboggling. However, Mr. Crouch, who is indeed academically and experientially qualified in Mexican culture, has given me criteria in his fine book with which to exist at peace with some of these cultural mysteries.
One particular thing that I learned is that you could become fluent in Spanish and never begin to crack the cultural code of Mexico. What is needed is Spanish fluency, which leads to Cultural fluency.
You've got to have both.
Americans from Hispanic heritage and who speak Spanish find it difficult to get along in Mexico's culture because they operate here with an American Cultural Worldview. You have to become not only bilingual but also bicultural to be a success here.
I recommend getting a copy of this book. If you are going to do business in Mexico, study in Mexico, teach ESL in Mexico, work in Mexico doing anything, or even if you plan on making this country your retirement home, you need to read this book.
Though it is slanted towards readers who plan on conducting business in Mexico, everything from the first word to the last is applicable for anyone who will be spending time in Mexico.
He doesn't have a clue!
Well written book--BUT... He's a member of the elite writing for the elite. Having worked with wetbacks on the same job, I've found Mexicans to be no different than the sons of european immigrants working in our Pennsylvania Factories & mines. People are people. And our European immigrant sons and grandsons are as superstitious & family orientated as any Mexican!
Mexican workers laugh at management "suits" like the author the same as we American workers laugh at them. We know who run the factories and who decides how they are run day to day--and it isn't the guys sitting in the air conditioned offices. Bet you that in Mexico the 2nd shift works hard so 3rd shift can loaf/sleep just like in the states.
If you are concerned about the "Our Borders" issue.
What a sad comment it is that so many Americans, well-fed, self-righteous,and "Christian", have ganged up to make life even tougher for Mexican immigrants.
Read this knowledgeable description of the people south of us to understand their feelings toward the US. Ned Crouch knows Mexicans! and uses his experiences with Mexicans to explain their loving, well meant, somtimes stiffbacked, sometimes childlike behavior.
Thanks to Ned Crouch we now have a guide for understanding the differences between the American Business man and our Mexican friends and partners.This should be required reading for any company who is doing business in Mexico and are serious about developing lasting relationships.
I've been interested in the Sierra Mazateca for years-- after spending time there, I read the handful of books written about it, yet felt that there was much more to be said.I was thrilled to discover that last year, someone finally wrote a well-researched ethnography about it.Feinberg's book is packed with fascinating observations and reflections on the way people in the Sierra Mazateca understand and talk about their lives, history, and "culture."I would recommend this book to anyone with a background in anthropology or a similar field who is interested in cultural identity negotiation and "indigenous-ness," Oaxaca, sacred mushrooms, and folklore about devils and caves.
I know for a fact that Ben Feinberg has watched over one hundred hours of "I Dream of Jeanie."
But if that's not enough to convince you to buy his book, you might consider the actual subject matter. How do people in small places not overcome by the hegemony of time and space most people reading this website live with conceive of time and space? Feinberg looks at this, dealing with different categories of time and such from the perspective of the Sierra Mazteca. How do you get to Oaxaca de Juarez from Juatla? Where is the United States, and who are these weird tourists?
Read the book for the answers to these questions and more.
His analysis is brilliant.If you are unsatisfied after reading through once, then I suggest you purchase another copy and read it over again.
The Spectacular City, Mexico, and Colonial Hispanic Literary Culture tracks the three spectacular forces of New World literary culture--cities, festivals, and wonder--from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century, from the Old World to the New, and from Mexico to Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. It treats a multitude of imperialist and anti-imperialist texts in depth, including poetry, drama, protofiction, historiography, and journalism. While several of the landmark authors studied, including Hernán Cortés and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, are familiar, others have received remarkably little critical attention. Similarly, in spotlighting creole writers, Merrim reveals an intertextual tradition in Mexico that spans two centuries. Because the spectacular city reaches its peak in the seventeenth century, Merrim's book also theorizes and details the spirited work of the New World Baroque. The result is the rich examination of a trajectory that leads from the Renaissance ordered city to the energetic revolts of the spectacular city and the New World Baroque.
Mexico is a country rich in culture and beauty. Your young students willexplore this colorful and diverse land through activities andinformation intended to spark their imaginations. Your students will beguided through the activities in this book by Maria, a young Mexicangirl. They will learn about her home and family, favorite meals, games,and activities. Many different cross-curricular activities and projectsare included, enabling you to incorporate Mexico into every aspect ofyour classroom.
These essays celebrate Mexico City as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism, trace its history from the founding of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan to the present day, and explore how the varied experiences of its inhabitants have been represented in poetry, film, and photography.
Looking at the pre-Columbian city, colonial city and modern city, contributors show how Mexico City has grown organically, largely developed by waves of immigrants with new ideas and aspirations. While they have often envisioned the city in new ways, they have been unable to escape totally its historical past, and indeed at times have positively embraced it to serve contemporary political ends. As the city has grown, what it symbolizes to its inhabitants and how they experience the city has become fragmented by social class and ethnicity. There is not one Mexico City, but many.
Since ancient times, the most important foods in the Mexican diet have been corn, beans, squash, tomatillos, and chile peppers. The role of these ingredients in Mexican food culture through the centuries is the basis of this volume. In addition, students and general readers will discover the panorama of food traditions in the context of European contact in the sixteenth century—when the Spaniards introduced new foodstuffs, adding variety to the diet—and the profound changes that have occurred in Mexican food culture since the 1950s. Recent improvements in technology, communications, and transportation, changing women's roles, and migration from country to city and to and from the United States have had a much greater impact.
Their basic, traditional diet served the Mexican people well, providing them with wholesome nutrition and sufficient energy to live, work, and reproduce, as well as to maintain good health. Chapter 1 traces the origins of the Mexican diet and overviews food history from pre-Hispanic times to recent developments. The principal foods of Mexican cuisine and their origins are explained in the second chapter. Mexican women have always been responsible for everyday cooking, including the intensive preparation of grinding corn, peppers, and spices by hand, and a chapter is devoted to this work and a discussion of how traditional ways are supplemented today with modern conveniences and kitchen aids such as blenders and food processors. Surveys of class and regional differences in typical meals and cuisines present insight into the daily lives of a wide variety of Mexicans. The Mexican way of life is also illuminated in chapters on eating out, whether at the omnipresent street stalls or at fondas, and special occasions, including the main fiestas and rites of passage. A final chapter on diet and health discusses current health concerns, particularly malnutrition, anemia, diabetes, and obesity.


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« U.S. takes steps to enforce 'Safe Harbour Agreement'
Disruption by WhatsApp: New Opportunities and Challenges »
Media Law not to be used by Member State to circumvent EU regulatory framework for electronic communications
By Ad van Loon | Published: January 30, 2014
On 29 January 2014, the District Court in The Hague (Den Haag) in The Netherlands decided to render two provisions of national law ineffective for reason that the legislator, by adopting those provisions, violated the rules of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications. The alleged provisions require that cable operators make available the channel package which they offer to their subscribers, for resale purposes, to third parties (their competitors), in order to promote competition on their cable systems and give consumers more choice.
The State of The Netherlands relied heavily on Article 1 paragraph 3 of the 2002 Framework Directive for electronic communications (as amended in 2009), which stipulates that "This Directive as well as the Specific Directives are without prejudice to measures taken at Community or national level, in compliance with Community law to pursue general interest objectives, in particular relating to content regulation and audio-visual policy".
The State argued that the contested provisions pursued specific objectives of audio-visual policy and that the purpose of assessment is that consumers can choose from whom they purchase their television package. This freedom of choice, according to the State, should lead to competition, lower prices and better services.
The court, however, considered that in the present case, the contested provisions could not be seen as an audio-visual policy, now that those provisions were only intended to achieve that a standard package was forcefully offered for resale. This forced resale, according to the court, would not result in more content for the consumer to choose from: "At most, consumers can purchase the same standard package from a competitor for a lower price".
Furthermore, the court recalled that the aim of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications is progressively to reduce ex-ante sector specific rules as competition in the markets develops and ultimately, for electronic communications to be governed by competition law only. Promoting competition and consumer interests are, according to the court, "goals which EU competition law itself pursues and guarantees"; as the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications aims at full harmonization, the national legislator on this point has no powers anymore.
A further attempt by the State (supported by Tele2) to uphold the contested provisions was based on Article 31 of the Universal Service Directive (the "Must Carry" provision). The State and Tele2 argued that the resell obligation could be upheld on the basis of the "must carry" rules. The court, however, denied this, reasoning that Member States may only impose such obligations if they are necessary to meet general interest objectives as clearly defined by each Member State and they are proportionate and transparent. In the present case, according to the court, the contested provisions do not contain "must carry" obligations, but rather a "must resell" obligation, which goes beyond the purpose of the "must carry" rules, which merely intend to secure the receipt of the intended programme package by the end users. In addition, the court considered that the contested provisions do not comply with the requirement of Article 31 that "must carry" obligations must be in the general interest, since the contested provisions only pursue an economic interest.
Interestingly enough, in a similar case in Belgium, the authorities managed to uphold the resell obligation which they imposed on a number of cable operators; even against the opinion of the European Commission.
For an English translation of the judgement of the District Court in The Hague (Den Haag), click here (pdf).
For information of the situation in Belgium, click here (pdf).
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text:
Billy Joel enters rehab for alcohol abuse
Wednesday, March 16th 2005, 8:40 am
NEW YORK (AP) _ Billy Joel has checked into an undisclosed rehabilitation center ``for treatment of alcohol abuse,'' his spokeswoman said.
Joel, 55, entered the clinic after suffering ``a recent bout of severe gastrointestinal distress,'' spokeswoman Claire Mercuri told the New York Post for Wednesday editions.
In June 2002, the singer-songwriter checked into a New Canaan, Conn., substance abuse and psychiatric center. He later said he entered the hospital because he had been abusing alcohol.
Joel has been involved in several car accidents in the past three years, though none has been linked to alcohol or drug use.
The Grammy-winning artist, whose hits include his signature song, ``Piano Man,'' married 23-year-old Kate Lee last year. It was his third marriage.
News On 6 NEW YORK (AP) _ Billy Joel has checked into an undisclosed rehabilitation center ``for treatment of alcohol abuse,'' his spokeswoman said.
Joel, 55, entered the clinic after suffering


text:
Previewing the 112th Congress
Stephen Robert Morse.
As you may be aware, a couple of years ago two members of the New Black Panther Party stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia dressed in dark jackets and berets and doing their best to look vaguely menacing. One of them carried a nightstick. They chose to do this in a majority-black precinct that always votes overwhelmingly Democratic, which doesn't seem like especially fertile ground for intimidation of white voters, but they were charged with intimidation anyway. In due course their case came up, they didn't bother defending themselves, judgment was rendered, the Department of Justice got an injunction against the nightstick guy, and then the Obama administration dropped further action. Conservatives went nuts and have since given the NBPP almost endless amounts of publicity, which, as it always is with the NBPP, is what they were after in the first place.
The free publicity continues to this day, with various folks testifying that DOJ dropped the case because Barack Obama refuses to prosecute cases of civil rights violations against white people. In other words, blah blah Kenya blah blah reparations blah blah etc. etc. The usual.
But wait! Today Andrew Breitbart raises the bar even higher for lunatic conservative conspiracy theorizing. The National Chairman of the NBPP is one Malik Shabazz, and in July 2009, just as the NBPP case was reaching a — well, reaching nothing actually. Some Republicans were "demanding answers" at the time, but that's about it. But still, just as these Republicans were demanding answers, "a man named Malik Shabazz visited the exclusive, private residence in the White House"! Breitbart wants an explanation:
The White House has assured the American people that the Malik Shabazz that visited the White House at that time is not the same Malik Shabazz at the center of the New Black Panther story. But, the White House has not provided any information to verify its contention or who this "other" Malik Shabazz is.
We call on the White House to act in the spirit of their transparency policy and provide further information, sufficient to independently verify the identity of the person named Malik Shabazz who visited the White House private residence in July of 2009.
Now, as Breitbart might or might not know, Malcolm X was also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. So it's not as odd as it might seem for there to be more than one African American in the country by that name. And the guy in the White House logs is Malik H. Shabazz, not Malik Zulu Shabazz, the nutcase who heads up the NBPP. And he was there as part of a group tour of the White House along with 310 other people.
But no matter. We want answers! Maybe the middle initial is a feint. Maybe Shabazz broke off from the group and surreptitiously headed over to the Oval Office for a secret meeting. Maybe he and Obama cut a deal to…..do something. That part isn't clear, since the case had already been dropped by then. But something! Maybe plans for a vast wave of white voter intimidation in the midterm elections that Obama promised would get winked at by the authorities. Or a promise that a billion dollars worth of stimulus money would somehow find its way to the party's coffers. Something!
This is what we have to look forward to if Republicans win control of the House in November. I'm sure Darrell Issa has an investigation of the NBPP already teed up and raring to go. Doesn't that sound like fun? Sure it does! If you're not sure, be sure to check out the comments to the Breitbart post.
The New Black Panthers and Me
Stephen Robert Morse


The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has released its E-Book highlighting new initiatives and achievements. Users can find other information on the Rural Drinking Water Supply, Awareness Campaigns on water and sanitation etc.
The Ministry of Shipping has released its Sagarmala Post highlighting the major initiatives and achievements. You can get this file and find information on shipping sector, projects, policy initiatives, good governance, green initiatives, etc.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has multifarious responsibilities, the important among being – internal security, border management, Center-State relations, administration of Union Territories, management of Central Armed Forces and disaster management etc.
You can download this E-Book which is released by the Department of Defence Production to highlight its initiatives and achievements. Users can find information on various schemes, programmes and initiatives.
The 'Disability Division' of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will be strengthened by converting it into a separate Department, so that it can liaise effectively with all the other concerned Ministries/Departments and fulfill its responsibilities towards the disabled.


The first three I got handled pretty easily. Turns out, I'm totally non-musical, so that guitar thing is going to be tough. But, I'm as excited as Eddie Vedder in a flannel factory about #5.
Sometime around next February (in time for SXSW), you'll be able to hold in your hands, ponder on your Kindle, show off on your iPad, and maybe even listen on your headphones to a new book from me and my pal Amber Naslund. (Amber is Director of Community for Radian6, co-proprietor of the influential Brass Tack Thinking blog (formerly Altitude Branding), a cool mom, a motivating force, and a hell of a flautist).
We are thrilled to be collaborating, as our thinking around the state of business goes together like Cap'n Crunch cereal and the first half of "Dark Side of the Moon" (trust me). Plus, it's like the personal trainer scenario. I can't miss deadlines, because Amber will kill me. We also have an outstanding publisher (Wiley & Sons), and a fortuitously patient, experienced editor (Shannon Vargo) guiding us through the obstacle course.
We desperately want and need your help to keep us on track, too. We'll be rolling out a Facebook page so that as many folks as possible can begin interacting around the issues covered in the book. We have some other craziness planned, too, and we'll want to bounce ideas off of you, solicit your genius for marketing the book, and all that stuff.
Business is increasingly done in real-time. Customers can be won or lost, every second of every day. But we haven't yet changed the way we structure and operate our businesses to compensate for this new era of expectations. We reconfigured our companies to accommodate phone. And fax. And FedEx. And Email. But fundamentally, we've done very little in response to social media – perhaps the most transformative change of them all.
It's about the new blueprints that businesses need to reconsider their corporate culture. Who they hire. How they organize and communicate internally. And how they manage crisis and measure success. It's the book about social media's impact on the inside of your business, not the outside.
We're vibrating with excitement about it, and very much are trying to make it a book that applies to everyone. Not just the big companies, but the every companies.
Here are a few options for titles. Would you be so kind as to weigh in, and ask your friends to do so, too? We'd really appreciate it, and look forward to collaborating with you this summer.
One last thing. Sincere thanks to each and every one of you for your support of me and Convince & Convert. There is no way in hell this book happens without this blog, and that's 100% because of you. I know it. I won't forget it. And I look forward to buying as many of you a cocktail as possible on publication date. Please stay tuned.


text:
Moulding of concrete articles
A plant for moulding and curing elongated concrete products such as poles piles and pipes which includes at least one vertical mould, support means above the mould to suspend the reinforcing material in the mould, pump means to fill the mould with concrete so that the elongated product forms around the reinforcing material. A vertical curing carousel adapted to vertically suspend the moulded elongated product is associated with each mould. A lifting apparatus is used to lift reinforcing material into the vertical mould, to remove the formed product from the mould, to place it on the curing carousel and to remove it from the carousel when the product is sufficiently cured for storage. The products incorporate a reinforcing mesh which is suspended in the mould from at least two attachment points so that a portion extends from the top of the mould. A flexible link is used to attach the reinforcing mesh to the attachment points to reduce the likelihood of relevant movement between the reinforcing and the moulded concrete during removal and transfer from the mould.
Hume, Graeme Reginald (Werribee, AU)
249/177, 264/333
E04B1/16; B28B3/00; B28B7/28; B28B11/24; B28B15/00; B28B21/56; B28B23/18
20070291345 ORIENTED POLYMERIC SHEETS EXHIBITING DICHROISM AND ARTICLES CONTAINING THE SAME December, 2007 Kumar et al.
20040065978 Variable thickness sheet extrusion apparatus April, 2004 James Jr.
20050146066 Porous ceramic and method for production thereof July, 2005 Koide et al.
20050173845 Perforated plastically deformable sheet and method for making the same August, 2005 Huang
20060094333 Method for molding lofted material with decorative support panel and garment made May, 2006 Wood et al.
20030021991 Pellets and method for producing the same January, 2003 Sugayoshi et al.
20090324180 FOAMED FIBER OPTIC CABLE December, 2009 Kachmar et al.
20070009623 Annular venting of tire tread molds January, 2007 Lahr et al.
20080220276 Veneered cutting board with resin-impregnated core September, 2008 Miller et al.
20050006806 Method of forming grooves in resin bobbin and device for forming grooves January, 2005 Kanbe et al.
20030180498 Method for manufacturing an automotive trim part September, 2003 De Winter et al.
SMITH, JEREMIAH R
POLSINELLI PC ((DC OFFICE) 1000 Louisiana Street Suite 6400, HOUSTON, TX, 77002, US)
1. A plant for moulding and curing elongated concrete products which includes a) at least one vertical mould b) support means above the mould to suspend the reinforcing material in the mould c) pump means to fill the mould with concrete so that the elongated product forms around the reinforcing material d) a vertical curing carousel adapted to vertically suspend the moulded elongated product e) a lifting apparatus adapted to lift reinforcing material into the vertical mould, to remove the formed product from the mould, to place it on the curing carousel and to remove it from the carousel when the product is sufficiently current for storage.
2. A plant as claimed in claim 1 in which two moulds are used and the a lifting apparatus is positioned between the two moulds and a curing carousel is located adjacent each mould.
3. A plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the curing carousel has a sufficient number or product suspension points to enable a product to cure by the time the carousel has rotated at least 360°.
4. A plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the reinforcing mesh is suspended in the mould from at least two attachment points and a flexible link is used to attach the reinforcing mesh to the attachment points to reduce the likelihood of relevant movement between the reinforcing and the moulded concrete during removal and transfer from the mould.
5. A plant as claimed in claim 4 in which a support ring with at least two flexible chains hang from two equidistant points on the ring is used as the flexible link with the chains being attached to the reinforcing cage.
6. A plant as claimed claim 1 in which a lifting truss is used that is pivoted at one end adjacent the vertical mould so that reinforcing cages can be attached the truss in its horizontal position and raised to the vertical for insertion into the mould and moulded products can be lowered from the vertical to the horizontal position by the truss so that they can be transported in the horizontal position.
7. A method of forming elongated concrete products in which a) the products are formed in a vertical mould b) the products incorporate a reinforcing mesh a portion of which extends from the top of the mould c) the reinforcing mesh is suspended in the mould from at least two attachment points d) a flexible link is used to attach the reinforcing mesh to the attachment points to reduce the likelihood of relevant movement between the reinforcing and the moulded concrete during removal and transfer from the mould.
8. A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the attachment means is used to suspend the moulded product when it is removed from the mould and placed in a vertical curing station.
9. A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the reinforcing cage is raised from the horizontal to the vertical using a truss pivoted at a point adjacent the bottom of the mould and the truss is also used to lower the moulded product from the vertical to a horizontal position for transport.
This invention relates to improvements in the moulding of concrete articles such as poles, piles or pipes in a vertical mould and particularly to the layout of a production plant and the means of transporting moulded articles during moulding and curing.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
In producing precast concrete products the size and weight of the products means that the plant must be sized to accommodate cranes and transport to move the products from the mould to a curing station and then to a storage area for transport. For long concrete products such as poles, piles or pipes the land area taken up for moulding curing and storing is quite large and taking into consideration the capital cost of land this can affect the economic viability of a plant.
After moulding all precast concrete articles need to be moved. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,249 discloses a means for lifting a precast panel which incorporates a precast insert that is hooked to the reinforcing in the panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,005 discloses an alternative fixed attachment for retaining wall panels which is precast into the panel.
The moulding of concrete pipes, hollow poles or piles in a vertical mould has been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,013 and 6,284,172. The mould is filled from the bottom and the concrete is compressed between an inner and outer mould by moving the inner mould outwardly using a flexible membrane. The moulded pole is supported by the reinforcing cage when it is moved from the mould to the curing station. When the weight of the freshly cast pole is transferred from the mould to the reinforcing cage as a preliminary step to removing the moulded product, cracking can occur. Relative movement can occur because of a change in the alignment between the reinforcing cage and the concrete in the mould. When the product is lifted from the mould by the reinforcing cage slight differences in the position of the support points can cause a change in the shape of the cage and this in turn can cause cracking of the freshly moulded concrete. These patents had not addressed the need to design a plant for continuous production of poles
It is one object of this invention to provide an economic plant for the continuous production of long concrete articles such as poles, pipes and piles. It is an object of this invention to provide a means of avoiding cracking during lifting and transfer of the moulded article from the mould.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
To this end the present invention provides a plant for moulding and curing elongated concrete products which includes
a) at least one vertical mould
b) support means above the mould to suspend the reinforcing material in the mould
c) pump means to fill the mould with concrete so that the elongated product forms around the reinforcing material
d) a vertical curing carousel adapted to vertically suspend the moulded elongated product
e) a lifting apparatus adapted to lift reinforcing material into the vertical mould, to remove the formed product from the mould, to place it on the curing carousel and to remove it from the carousel when the product is sufficiently cured for storage.
By using a vertical mould the footprint of the production plant is reduced with a resultant saving in land area. The other consequence of using a vertical mould and moving the vertically suspended product to an adjacent carousel for curing is that the number of operators needed can be kept to a minimum because they are able to easily inspect the suspended poles from a centrally located work platform. Preferably a minimal plant layout utilizes a single central support mast which supports a work platform and two vertical moulds. Associated with each mould is a curing carousel. The curing carousel has a sufficient number of product suspension points to enable a product to cure by the time the carousel has rotated at least 360°. The number of stations on each carousel is equivalent to the time required to sufficiently cure the concrete divided by the time required to insert the reinforcing in the mould, fill the mould with concrete and dewater the concrete so that the product is able to be removed from the mould. In one embodiment of the invention each carousel has 18 stations and 9 hours is needed to cure the concrete and the moulds can be filled and the product removed in half an hour.
To raise the reinforcing cages a lifting truss is used that is pivoted at one end adjacent the vertical mould so that reinforcing cages can be attached to the truss in its horizontal position and raised to the vertical for insertion into the mould. Moulded products can be lowered from the vertical to the horizontal position by the truss so that they can be transported in the horizontal position.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of forming elongated concrete products in which
a) the products are formed in a vertical mould
b) the products incorporate a reinforcing mesh a portion of which extends from the top of the mould
c) the reinforcing mesh is suspended in the mould from at least two attachment points
d) a flexible link is used to attach the reinforcing mesh to the attachment points to reduce the likelihood of relevant movement between the reinforcing and the moulded concrete during removal and transfer from the mould.
In one embodiment of the invention the product is a hollow pole or pile of square, circular or elliptical cross section which may be of constant or reducing cross section. The reinforcing mesh is of similar shape and fits within an annular mould space. A portion of the reinforcing cage extends above the mould so that it can be attached to the support means. It is preferred to use a support ring that is supported on brackets above the mould and transferable to brackets on the curing station. The support ring has at least two flexible chains which hang from two equidistant points on the ring. These flexible links allow relative movement between the ring and the cage but do not effect alignment between the cage and the concrete.
The support ring stays with the reinforcing cage from the time the reinforcing is first suspended in the mould until the elongated concrete product is cured after which the support ring is detached from the extension of the reinforcing frame and reused.
A preferred embodiment of the invention useful in the manufacture of hollow poles, piles or pipes is illustrated in the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of a plant according to this invention;
FIG. 2 is a series of plan views taken at five elevations in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the central mast of the plant as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mast and carousels of the plant of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of another two mould plant layout in accordance with this invention and FIG. 5A is a single mould layout;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the carrying system used in transporting the reinforcing cages and moulded products;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the carry ring of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a view of a support bracket for the support ring of FIG. 7.
The plant as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a central mast 11 supporting two moulds one to make 12 metre poles and the other to make 9 metre poles.
The central mast 11 has a spiral staircase 12 leading to the work platform 13 for the 12 metre poles and to platform 14 for the 9 metre poles.
The moulds are inverted relative to the poles and the moulds 19 and 20 for forming the poles are located at the base of mast 11 and extend up to the appropriate work platform 13 and 14. The mould cores are held at the top of the mast and are lowered via the guide rails 15 and 16 into the moulds to define a vertical long annular mould space. The detail of the mould construction is the same as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,172 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. The mould may be hinged on one side with a series of wedge clasps on the other at centres of 300 to 750 mm apart mounted on a vertical steel column. The column is operated by two hydraulic cylinders. An alternate embodiment has the wedge fastening on both sides so that the mould shells remain parallel when being removed from the freshly moulded concrete articles. The sequence of steps in closing the mould may be
1. close mould around reinforcing cage and lock
2. lower core down through centre of cage
3. raise the column and lock
4. close the mould caps
Steps 1 and 2 can be reversed and steps 3 and 4 may be simultaneous. To avoid damage to the core the cage needs to be centred with the core during installation. The reinforcing cages for the poles are raised upside down into position by the raising trusses 23 and 24 and then lifted into the mould space using the articulated lifting beams 27 and 28. The reinforcing cage 67 is attached to a support ring 61 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 by the flexible links 65 that hang from the link mounts 64. The ring 61 is supported on the bracket mounts 63 by the brackets 69 shown in FIG. 8. These brackets are located on the central mast 11 about 300 mm above the top of the mould. The link mounts and the bracket mounts are at right angles to each other and the flexible links 65 include at least one pivot point so that there is little likelihood of relative movement between the reinforcing 67 and the concrete of the pole 66.
After the mould has been filled with concrete and the concrete dewatered in accordance with the procedure described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,172 the mould is opened in the following sequence
1. remove the top mould cap
2. split the concrete at the bottom
3. lower the column
4. raise the core
5. open the mould.
The formed poles, supported by the support ring 61 are transferred to the support hooks 33 or 43 by the lifting beams 27 and 28.
Associated with each mould are curing carousels 31 for the 12 metre pole and 41 for the 9 metre poles. These carousels are fabricated from steel sections to form individual pole curing compartments which are insulated. The insulation is preferably foamed polystyrene/steel sandwich panels. Each pole compartment is wedged shape with doors on the external wall. The carousel may contain 12 compartments. Preferably the number of positions on each carousel corresponds to the curing time divided by the moulding time for each pole.
The carousels are rotated manually or hydraulically using a ratchet system. The bearings for the carousels may be a large antifriction bearing a large sliding bearing or a central spherical bearing. When a pole first enters the compartment the doors are closed and the compartment is heated to raise the temperature to about 65° C. Preferably the compartment is then subjected to steam for about 2 hours followed by a cooling down period of up to 2 hours by which time the carousel will have completed one rotation and the pole is cured sufficiently to be removed for transport.
In an alternate embodiment the lifting beams for the reinforcing cage may be separate from those used for lifting the moulded poles.
A different plant layout is shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A. Again a single mast 11 supports a work platform 53. An access staircase is adjacent the mast. Two casting stations 50 are used and the mould halves 51 and 52 are shown. The reinforcing cages are moved into the work area in a horizontal position and laid on the lifting truss. The reinforcing cage is raised using the truss 56 which is pivoted adjacent the base of the mast below the centre front of the work platform 53 and the lifting beam 54 and has hydraulic lifting rams (not shown). The cage is transferred from the truss to a holding station 53A. The truss 56 is also used to remove the formed poles 55 when they are cured. The curing carousels 57 and 58 are similar to the carousels of FIGS. 1 to 4 and using the same carrying ring as described for FIGS. 6 to 8. An articulated lifting beam 54 transfers the reinforcing to the moulds, the moulded poles to the carousels and then the cured poles 55 back to the truss 56 for removal to the storage and transport section of the plant. The lifting beam or crane 54 is guided to each pick up and delivery point by a programmable logic controller.
The operating sequence of the plant shown in FIG. 5 A is as follows:
1. A cured pole is picked up by crane 54 and delivered to the vertical truss which lowers it to the ground where it is transferred in the horizontal position to a transporter
2. A reinforcing cage is then placed on the truss and raised for pick up by the crane
3. After delivering the cured pole the crane returns to the casting station 50 and carries a freshly cast pole to the curing station from which the hardened pole was removed. The carousel is the rotated to bring the next cured pole up to the transfer location.
4. The crane then moves to remove a reinforcing cage from the holding position 53A to the casting station 50. The operation of the mould is as described above.
5. the crane then removes the reinforcing cage from the truss 56 and places it on the holding station 53A
6. these steps are then repeated for the second casting station.
It is possible for one operator to operate the crane and to control the closing filling dewatering and opening of the moulds.
The casting plant of this invention has the following advantages
smaller land area required
greater production rate in terms of poles per hour
greater productivity in terms of poles per man hour
ability of the plant to be dismantled transported and reassembled
Those skilled in the art will realize that the invention may take many forms, apart from the embodiments described above.
Previous Patent: Method of forming particles
Next Patent: Apparatus and method for compression molding a chair mat


text:
Active Kids, Healthy Community
Physical Activity Deserts
Community Struggles
Community Success Story
A School Funding Opportunity
Get involved: Sign up for American Heart Association updates at www.yourethecure.org
What is shared use?
"Shared use" occurs when government entities (in this case, public schools) agree to open or broaden access to their property and/or facilities, such as recreational activities, for community use. In D.C., these formal "shared use" agreements are called "facility use" agreements. Shared use is also referred to as "community use" and "joint use" by different agencies.
Why should we support shared use?
Shared use is seen as a promising strategy to promote physical activity and prevent obesity across the country. In addition, shared use has been recommended by leading public health authorities, including such as the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, the National Physical Activity Plan, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of the Surgeon General, and Institute of Medicine. These organizations recommend sharing existing school and community recreational facilities to promote opportunities for physical activity.
The research is clear: the more active children are, the healthier they will be now and when they grow up. Yet certain places make physical activity harder instead of easier. Place matters, and experts know that where we live, work and play — the physical environment itself — determines, to a large degree, whether we will be healthy.
Many communities, especially those with populations at high risk for obesity, lack recreational facilities. Schools are often centrally located within a community and have gymnasiums, sports fields, courts, tracks, and other facilities that could provide opportunities for residents to be active if they were available. The shared use of existing school sport and recreational facilities can be a cost-effective way to promote physical activity among residents of all ages.
Legal contracts, commonly referred to as shared use agreements, or in D.C. as facility use agreements, set the terms for sharing sport and recreational facilities or programs to create opportunities for community members to be physically active. These use agreements, for example, can provide opportunities for a local youth sports league or neighborhood walking club to use school fields in the afternoons or on weekends. These agreements outline the specific activities and facilities an organization or individual will be permitted to use, as well as the insurance requirements and associated fees to cover maintenance and staffing costs.
Has this been successful in any other cities?
There are several areas that have found great success in community shared use agreements. They include:
• New York City, NY used shared use agreements to launch the "Schoolyards to Playgrounds Initiative," which opened more than 200 school playgrounds citywide for use outside of school hours.
• In 1959, the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Catholic Schools, and Edmonton Public Schools (Alberta, Canada) entered a shared use agreement to optimize use of publicly funded facilities. This agreement is still in place today.
• Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte, NC organized a Joint Use Task Force consisting of 2 dozen agencies to provide a more comprehensive and coordinated picture of the needs of the community... and to recognize the inter-relatedness of ... categories of infrastructure investments."
• In 2004, the city of St Petersburg, FL discovered through GIS mapping that the city did not offer many residents easy access to playgrounds. They found that elementary schools were located in all areas that playgrounds were missing, and through an incentive called "Play 'N' Close to Home" created shared use agreements that allowed the city to take over maintenance of many parks in exchange for public use of the land after school hours.
What is Active Kids, Healthy Community?
Active Kids, Healthy Community is a joint effort between Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Heart Association, and Advocates for Better Children's Diets, a D.C.-based non-profit group. The goal is to increase equity in access to shared use of school recreational facilities in all wards of the District of Columbia.
How many groups provide youth in DC with additional physical activity opportunities?
According to the Freedom of Information Act data for approved shared use agreements at DC Public Schools for June 2013-June 2015, there were about 26 individual organizations that were providing physical activities to children and youth outside of the school day.
How many groups provide adults with additional physical activity opportunities, usually through leagues?
Based on the FOIA data, there were five organizations that provided physical activities to adults outside of the school day.
What is the minimum cost associated with shared use agreements?
According to the DC Public School Guidelines for Use of School Facilities and Grounds, the Fee Schedule is as follows:
Gym or Auditorium -
children's event: $ 70.00/day
adult's event: $137.00/day
$480.00/month
Field/Stadium for soccer or other vigorous sport - $95/hour and $5/hour for equipment rental
High School Baseball Field - $35/hour
Custodial overtime - $30/hour varies (actual costs will be calculated on a per hour basis by the DGS Realty Office)
Security services fee - $36.62/hour/officer (must be there for entire event + 1 hour prior and 1 hour after but varies according to the contracted services
Where do payments for shared use go?
Payments by money orders or certified checks ONLY are made payable to the D.C. Treasurer. It is unclear whether the schools receive any of these funds through another method of recoupment.


text:
Q: What is a space elevator and who originated the idea? I was reading an old Science Fiction Chronicles the other day and came across the term "space elevator" as in, this would be a good place for one -- but what are they? The author didn't really explain what he meant or what it would look like, what it was for.

A: It's an elevator that goes from the surface of the earth (has to be some point on the equator) to (a bit beyond) geosynchronous orbit, 22,000 miles up. It's for getting stuff into space much more cheaply than rocket launchers.
See the Wikipedia article for much more information.
The concept was originated by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in the late 19th century, but didn't appear in SF until 1979, when The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C Clarke and The Web Between the Worlds by Charles Sheffield both appeared at pretty much the same time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Lyndon B. Johnson | January 8, 1964
Artist unknown. Photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson. Public domain.
Lyndon B. Johnson > State of the Union Address (1964)
American Presidents: Lyndon Johnson – The Great Society and Vietnam
Documents in Detail: "Great Society" Speech
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Members of the House and Senate, my fellow Americans:
I will be brief, for our time is necessarily short and our agenda is already long.
Last year's congressional session was the longest in peacetime history. With that foundation, let us work together to make this year's session the best in the Nation's history.
Let this session of Congress be known as the session which did more for civil rights than the last hundred sessions combined; as the session which enacted the most far-reaching tax cut of our time; as the session which declared all-out war on human poverty and unemployment in these United States; as the session which finally recognized the health needs of all our older citizens; as the session which reformed our tangled transportation and transit policies; as the session which achieved the most effective, efficient foreign aid program ever; and as the session which helped to build more homes, more schools, more libraries, and more hospitals than any single session of Congress in the history of our Republic.
All this and more can and must be done. It can be done by this summer, and it can be done without any increase in spending. In fact, under the budget that I shall shortly submit, it can be done with an actual reduction in Federal expenditures and Federal employment.
We have in 1964 a unique opportunity and obligation–to prove the success of our system; to disprove those cynics and critics at home and abroad who question our purpose and our competence.
If we fail, if we fritter and fumble away our opportunity in needless, senseless quarrels between Democrats and Republicans, or between the House and the Senate, or between the South and North, or between the Congress and the administration, then history will rightfully judge us harshly. But if we succeed, if we can achieve these goals by forging in this country a greater sense of union, then, and only then, can we take full satisfaction in the State of the Union. II.
Here in the Congress you can demonstrate effective legislative leadership by discharging the public business with clarity and dispatch, voting each important proposal up, or voting it down, but at least bringing it to a fair and a final vote.
Let us carry forward the plans and programs of John Fitzgerald Kennedy–not because of our sorrow or sympathy, but because they are right.
In his memory today, I especially ask all members of my own political faith, in this election year, to put your country ahead of your party, and to always debate principles; never debate personalities.
For my part, I pledge a progressive administration which is efficient, and honest and frugal. The budget to be submitted to the Congress shortly is in full accord with this pledge.
It will cut our deficit in half–from $10 billion to $4,900 million. It will be, in proportion to our national output, the smallest budget since 1951.
It will call for a substantial reduction in Federal employment, a feat accomplished only once before in the last 10 years. While maintaining the full strength of our combat defenses, it will call for the lowest number of civilian personnel in the Department of Defense since 1950.
It will call for total expenditures of $97,900 million–compared to $98,400 million for the current year, a reduction of more than $500 million. It will call for new obligational authority of $103,800 million–a reduction of more than $4 billion below last year's request of $107,900 million.
But it is not a standstill budget, for America cannot afford to stand still. Our population is growing. Our economy is more complex. Our people's needs are expanding.
But by closing down obsolete installations, by curtailing less urgent programs, by cutting back where cutting back seems to be wise, by insisting on a dollar's worth for a dollar spent, I am able to recommend in this reduced budget the most Federal support in history for education, for health, for retraining the unemployed, and for helping the economically and the physically handicapped.
This budget, and this year's legislative program, are designed to help each and every American citizen fulfill his basic hopes–his hopes for a fair chance to make good; his hopes for fair play from the law; his hopes for a full-time job on full-time pay; his hopes for a decent home for his family in a decent community; his hopes for a good school for his children with good teachers; and his hopes for security when faced with sickness or unemployment or old age. III.
Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope–some because of their poverty, and some because of theft color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity.
This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort.
It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest Nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it. One thousand dollars invested in salvaging an unemployable youth today can return $40,000 or more in his lifetime.
Poverty is a national problem, requiring improved national organization and support. But this attack, to be effective, must also be organized at the State and the local level and must be supported and directed by State and local efforts.
For the war against poverty will not be won here in Washington. It must be won in the field, in every private home, in every public office, from the courthouse to the White House.
The program I shall propose will emphasize this cooperative approach to help that one-fifth of all American families with incomes too small to even meet their basic needs.
Our chief weapons in a more pinpointed attack will be better schools, and better health, and better homes, and better training, and better job opportunities to help more Americans, especially young Americans, escape from squalor and misery and unemployment rolls where other citizens help to carry them.
Very often a lack of jobs and money is not the cause of poverty, but the symptom. The cause may lie deeper in our failure to give our fellow citizens a fair chance to develop their own capacities, in a lack of education and training, in a lack of medical care and housing, in a lack of decent communities in which to live and bring up their children.
But whatever the cause, our joint Federal-local effort must pursue poverty, pursue it wherever it exists–in city slums and small towns, in sharecropper shacks or in migrant worker camps, on Indian Reservations, among whites as well as Negroes, among the young as well as the aged, in the boom towns and in the depressed areas.
Our aim is not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it. No single piece of legislation, however, is going to suffice.
We will launch a special effort in the chronically distressed areas of Appalachia.
We must expand our small but our successful area redevelopment program.
We must enact youth employment legislation to put jobless, aimless, hopeless youngsters to work on useful projects.
We must distribute more food to the needy through a broader food stamp program.
We must create a National Service Corps to help the economically handicapped of our own country as the Peace Corps now helps those abroad.
We must modernize our unemployment insurance and establish a high-level commission on automation. If we have the brain power to invent these machines, we have the brain power to make certain that they are a boon and not a bane to humanity.
We must extend the coverage of our minimum wage laws to more than 2 million workers now lacking this basic protection of purchasing power.
We must, by including special school aid funds as part of our education program, improve the quality of teaching, training, and counseling in our hardest hit areas.
We must build more libraries in every area and more hospitals and nursing homes under the Hill-Burton Act, and train more nurses to staff them.
We must provide hospital insurance for our older citizens financed by every worker and his employer under Social Security, contributing no more than $1 a month during the employee's working career to protect him in his old age in a dignified manner without cost to the Treasury, against the devastating hardship of prolonged or repeated illness.
We must, as a part of a revised housing and urban renewal program, give more help to those displaced by slum clearance, provide more housing for our poor and our elderly, and seek as our ultimate goal in our free enterprise system a decent home for every American family.
We must help obtain more modern mass transit within our communities as well as low-cost transportation between them.
Above all, we must release $11 billion of tax reduction into the private spending stream to create new jobs and new markets in every area of this land. IV.
These programs are obviously not for the poor or the underprivileged alone. Every American will benefit by the extension of social security to cover the hospital costs of their aged parents. Every American community will benefit from the construction or modernization of schools, libraries, hospitals, and nursing homes, from the training of more nurses and from the improvement of urban renewal in public transit. And every individual American taxpayer and every corporate taxpayer will benefit from the earliest possible passage of the pending tax bill from both the new investment it will bring and the new jobs that it will create.
That tax bill has been thoroughly discussed for a year. Now we need action. The new budget clearly allows it. Our taxpayers surely deserve it. Our economy strongly demands it. And every month of delay dilutes its benefits in 1964 for consumption, for investment, and for employment.
For until the bill is signed, its investment incentives cannot be deemed certain, and the withholding rate cannot be reduced–and the most damaging and devastating thing you can do to any businessman in America is to keep him in doubt and to keep him guessing on what our tax policy is. And I say that we should now reduce to 14 percent instead of 15 percent our withholding rate.
I therefore urge the Congress to take final action on this bill by the first of February, if at all possible. For however proud we may be of the unprecedented progress of our free enterprise economy over the last 3 years, we should not and we cannot permit it to pause.
In 1963, for the first time in history, we crossed the 70 million job mark, but we will soon need more than 75 million jobs. In 1963 our gross national product reached the $600 billion level–$100 billion higher than when we took office. But it easily could and it should be still $30 billion higher today than it is.
Wages and profits and family income are also at their highest levels in history–but I would remind you that 4 million workers and 13 percent of our industrial capacity are still idle today.
We need a tax cut now to keep this country moving. V.
For our goal is not merely to spread the work. Our goal is to create more jobs. I believe the enactment of a 35-hour week would sharply increase costs, would invite inflation, would impair our ability to compete, and merely share instead of creating employment. But I am equally opposed to the 45- or 50-hour week in those industries where consistently excessive use of overtime causes increased unemployment.
So, therefore, I recommend legislation authorizing the creation of a tripartite industry committee to determine on an industry-by-industry basis as to where a higher penalty rate for overtime would increase job openings without unduly increasing costs, and authorizing the establishment of such higher rates. VI.
Let me make one principle of this administration abundantly clear: All of these increased opportunities–in employment, in education, in housing, and in every field–must be open to Americans of every color. As far as the writ of Federal law will run, we must abolish not some, but all racial discrimination. For this is not merely an economic issue, or a social, political, or international issue. It is a moral issue, and it must be met by the passage this session of the bill now pending in the House.
All members of the public should have equal access to facilities open to the public. All members of the public should be equally eligible for Federal benefits that are financed by the public. All members of the public should have an equal chance to vote for public officials and to send their children to good public schools and to contribute their talents to the public good.
Today, Americans of all races stand side by side in Berlin and in Viet Nam. They died side by side in Korea. Surely they can work and eat and travel side by side in their own country. VII.
We must also lift by legislation the bars of discrimination against those who seek entry into our country, particularly those who have much needed skills and those joining their families.
In establishing preferences, a nation that was built by the immigrants of all lands can ask those who now seek admission: "What can you do for our country?" But we should not be asking: "In what country were you born?" VIII.
For our ultimate goal is a world without war, a world made safe for diversity, in which all men, goods, and ideas can freely move across every border and every boundary.
We must advance toward this goal in 1964 in at least 10 different ways, not as partisans, but as patriots.
First, we must maintain–and our reduced defense budget will maintain–that margin of military safety and superiority obtained through 3 years of steadily increasing both the quality and the quantity of our strategic, our conventional, and our antiguerilla forces. In 1964 we will be better prepared than ever before to defend the cause of freedom, whether it is threatened by outright aggression or by the infiltration practiced by those in Hanoi and Havana, who ship arms and men across international borders to foment insurrection. And we must continue to use that strength as John Kennedy used it in the Cuban crisis and for the test ban treaty–to demonstrate both the futility of nuclear war and the possibilities of lasting peace.
Second, we must take new steps–and we shall make new proposals at Geneva–toward the control and the eventual abolition of arms. Even in the absence of agreement, we must not stockpile arms beyond our needs or seek an excess of military power that could be provocative as well as wasteful.
It is in this spirit that in this fiscal year we are cutting back our production of enriched uranium by 25 percent. We are shutting down four plutonium piles. We are closing many nonessential military installations. And it is in this spirit that we today call on our adversaries to do the same.
Third, we must make increased use of our food as an instrument of peace–making it available by sale or trade or loan or donation–to hungry people in all nations which tell us of their needs and accept proper conditions of distribution.
Fourth, we must assure our pre-eminence in the peaceful exploration of outer space, focusing on an expedition to the moon in this decade–in cooperation with other powers if possible, alone if necessary.
Fifth, we must expand world trade. Having recognized in the Act of 1962 that we must buy as well as sell, we now expect our trading partners to recognize that we must sell as well as buy. We are willing to give them competitive access to our market, asking only that they do the same for us.
Sixth, we must continue, through such measures as the interest equalization tax, as well as the cooperation of other nations, our recent progress toward balancing our international accounts.
This administration must and will preserve the present gold value of the dollar.
Seventh, we must become better neighbors with the free states of the Americas, working with the councils of the OAS, with a stronger Alliance for Progress, and with all the men and women of this hemisphere who really believe in liberty and justice for all.
Eighth, we must strengthen the ability of free nations everywhere to develop their independence and raise their standard of living, and thereby frustrate those who prey on poverty and chaos. To do this, the rich must help the poor–and we must do our part. We must achieve a more rigorous administration of our development assistance, with larger roles for private investors, for other industrialized nations, and for international agencies and for the recipient nations themselves.
Ninth, we must strengthen our Atlantic and Pacific partnerships, maintain our alliances and make the United Nations a more effective instrument for national independence and international order.
Tenth, and finally, we must develop with our allies new means of bridging the gap between the East and the West, facing danger boldly wherever danger exists, but being equally bold in our search for new agreements which can enlarge the hopes of all, while violating the interests of none.
In short, I would say to the Congress that we must be constantly prepared for the worst, and constantly acting for the best. We must be strong enough to win any war, and we must be wise enough to prevent one.
We shall neither act as aggressors nor tolerate acts of aggression. We intend to bury no one, and we do not intend to be buried.
We can fight, if we must, as we have fought before, but we pray that we will never have to fight again. IX.
My good friends and my fellow Americans: In these last 7 sorrowful weeks, we have learned anew that nothing is so enduring as faith, and nothing is so degrading as hate.
John Kennedy was a victim of hate, but he was also a great builder of faith–faith in our fellow Americans, whatever their creed or their color or their station in life; faith in the future of man, whatever his divisions and differences.
This faith was echoed in all parts of the world. On every continent and in every land to which Mrs. Johnson and I traveled, we found faith and hope and love toward this land of America and toward our people.
So I ask you now in the Congress and in the country to join with me in expressing and fulfilling that faith in working for a nation, a nation that is free from want and a world that is free from hate–a world of peace and justice, and freedom and abundance, for our time and for all time to come.
Speech on Amendments to the Constitution
New Jersey Constitution
The Justices' View on Brown v. Board of Education


HSA First Aid Guides relating to the workplace requires staff to be trained to the QQI FETAC Level 5 standards. This course is 3 days long, covers 8 modules, is examined by any external instructor on the last day and requires a one day refresher every two years. There will be a change over from the current OFA Occupational First Aid to FAR – First Aid Response (December 2017). Natiuonwide onsite training Call 015340999.


The Mornington Peninsula's underwater wilderness rivals Australia's northern coast for its colour, diversity and intriguing marine life. You could meet anything from sea stars to seals and dainty hula fish to dolphins as you snorkel or dive around rocky reefs, seagrass meadows, underwater forests and sponge gardens.
The 260km of coastline around the Mornington Peninsula and the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park offers you almost limitless opportunities to explore thousands of little underwater villages where more than 500 species and 1000 species of marine plants are at home.
So come and observe their fascinating lives and curious habits, by snorkelling off one of the dozens of beaches, taking a boat dive or scuba diving around some of the 60 wrecks which were victims of Port Phillip Bay's notorious rip.
For novice divers, the Octopuses' Garden at Rye Pier is a very rewarding place to start. This 200m long trail follows the pier, with big underwater signs pointing out some of the more unusual inhabitants. There's a huge variety of sponges, fish, sea stars and rays – and watch out for the elusive pipefish, shy pygmy seahorses hiding in the seaweed and octopuses lurking in the sand.
Dive Victoria chartered Boat dives go to a number of prime locations including the Portsea Hole and Port Phillip Heads. Both have vertical walls whose extravagant marine decorations and diverse communities put them amongst Australia's to wall dive locations. The Pope's Eye, an artificial reef which was built in the 1880's has luxuriant marine life and is suited to less experienced divers.
Melbourne is home to some of the cheapest discount Scuba Diving gear in Australia. So you can enjoy all these wonderful activities.
Seals and dolphins are Port Phillip Bay's most loved marine characters, and you can slip into their communities on boat trips (wetsuits, masks and snorkels ) is all you need to experience the fun.


The Kennedy is a 2-story home with a grand entrance that leads you into a family room with towering 20-foot ceilings. Breathtaking banks of windows give you a gorgeous view of the outdoor living space. The adjacent kitchen flows right into an eat-in breakfast nook. There is a formal dining room that is accessible from the foyer and the kitchen. The master suite is also located on the first floor, and features a private bath, a large walk-in closet, and access to the rear patio. Upstairs you'll find a large game room in addition to 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.