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Love on the Met line
It's funny how people shed all their inhibitions when on a train. Travelling home late the other night with my wife, we were both startled when a young man who boarded our train at Harrow yelled out of the window at the top of his voice "See you". Actually, in this age of texting, he might have been shouting "CU".
We looked up. His puffy face was adorned (surely not the right word - Ed) with studs and rings through various protruding features. Having drawn our attention, he began a loud conversation on his mobile. The topic was that of a date that he had just had. He described his partner as being five foot tall, cute and "he would definitely like to see her naked". We learned that they had differing tastes in music but he hoped to overcome this and that he was feeling "horny". So a successful romantic encounter then, and we certainly enjoyed hearing all about it.
So if you are a male in the Harrow area, and fancy a crack at a short but willing female who doesn't like Aerosmith, why not try your luck.
Labels: The Tube
Put a sock in it
Older readers may recall my account of the lengthy rebuilding of my home station, Ruislip Manor. I commented on the huge number of CCTV cameras (roughly two per passenger on quiet days) and the plethora of loudspeakers that festoon every lamp post. It has taken the staff a little while to learn about this new technology but now they have clearly mastered the art of using a microphone and some mornings you can barely hear yourself think for announcements.
Amongst the gems offered to us this morning were:
London Transport does not like people smoking
You should stand behind the yellow lines at all times for your safety
We are being watched on cameras for our own security.
Passengers wishing to travel on the Piccadilly line should take the first train to Rayners Lane (with the masterful timing of true genius, they make this announcement at 8:30, exactly when a Piccadilly train arrives, and on time)
and of course, that old standby "A good service is operating on all lines". Yes, they trotted this one out today. I knew when I came out on the platform that a good service was not operating because there were at least twice as many people waiting for the Metropolitan line as usual. And so it proved. We were heavily overcrowded until Harrow (when most people left to take a "fast" train). Sadly (for them), it was held up at Wembley Park and those of us who stuck to the stopping train were rewarded by the view of their faces as we trundled past.
Anyway the point is not to have a jolly good laugh at the expense of my fellow passengers but to suggest that being bombarded with loudspeaker announcements that largely state the bleedin' obvious, but which do not not actually bother to tell us when the next train is due, is a poor way to start the day. Why do they do it? Can't they just watch us on their high-tech surveillance and keep the mouth shut?
The lure of travel
Just back from a very nice holiday, cruising from Venice to Istanbul. And how, you will wish to know, do commuters in these far-flung places manage compare to us?
Well actually I have only the haziest idea. In Venice you get around by boat or by foot, so no stupid delays caused by "signal failure" or the tube's current favourite "person under a train", but presumably they get various water-related problems. Throughout the small towns dotted down the Adriatic coast, and in the Greek islands, you can walk, cycle or take a donkey. Cue "extensive delays due to certain animal products on the path". And in Istanbul the ferocious traffic jams and the permanently full (despite being amazingly frequent) trams, coupled with the non-stop ferries across the Bosphorus, suggest something that even we Londoners might flinch away from.
Cruising has got to be the most pleasant way to travel. Someone else is doing the driving. The accommodation is comfortable, the food splendid and the views keep changing. There are no unexpected delays, in fact the only delays we had were on the flights both outbound and returning.
Anyway, back to the world of real commuting. I picked up a copy of a "newspaper" called London Lite this evening. Apparently we are all trembling with excitement at the prospect of a rugby match tomorrow. Not me mate. Getting home without being held up for 10 minutes at Harrow because of a defective train down the line, that's the real turn-on.
Deconstructing Tube Ads - 2: Nokia
There's a poster in the tube showing a phone, or something. And a slogan at the bottom that reads "Be more Nokia".
I have a Nokia phone, as it happens. I am happy with it. I require nothing else from the company. I have not the slightest intention of being "more Nokia". Assuming that what they really mean is "Buy more Nokia", then this ad will reduce the probability of my so doing.
We are people (even those of who have to commute using the tube). We are not brands. We do not aspire to be brands.
Labels: Adverts, The Tube
Tube English 2
When trains are running late, and platforms are crowded (as they were today thanks to the stupid walk-out by drivers on the Circle and District lines), station announcers like to tell us to "Use all available doors". If I was an elementary particle or photon, capable of simultaneously passing through multiple locations (or in some versions of quantum mechanics, theoretically capable of being anywhere in the universe until the collapse of the probability wave function brought about by interaction with another particle or photon), then yes I could indeed aspire to using all available doors. But I am composed of billions upon billions of elementary particles, the probability that I occupy just one position in space-time is overwhelmingly huge and consequently I can use only one door at a time. And so can everyone else. So being told to do something impossible does make the announcers appear to inhabit some parallel universe of their own.
The mind of an Adman
Regular readers will know my dislike of advertising. It is unavoidable when travelling on the Underground, in the form of posters at the stations and placards on the inside of the trains. And any insight into the mindset of those who create this stuff is helpful, in making it easier to resist the endless lies.
So here is an extract from an interview in The Guardian a few days ago with Chamath Palilhapitiya, the VP of product marketing and operations of Facebook.
"We honestly believe if we make advertising more compelling and more socially relevant, we can have significantly less but it being more valuable…the thing is not to have as many ads as possible but to make them as essential and necessary as possible. And then it is not viewed as advertising but as content" (source: tinyurl.com/36ddn4).
Whoops, what a giveaway. Leaving aside the wonderful idea that there are things that the VP dishonestly believes, he has laid bare the essence of what admen believe – that their products are essential, that we actually need them, that they are as, if not more, relevant than the actual content of the website (TV programme, newspaper…) that we have chosen to read or watch or listen to.
So let me, as VP for plain speaking of Ramblings, make clear – adverts are not essential. They are basically lies. They distort reality. They purport to provide information, but by only giving us information that the admen wishes us to have, and by suppressing anything that the admen consider may be detrimental to their products, in reality they bamboozle and confuse us. And the idea that adverts will come to be considered on the same level of content is really frightening. It means that Facebook users will be unable to distinguish genuine friends and contacts from people trying to sell them something. There will be no distinction between people doing things because of a mutual interest, and people who care only about the money they can make out of you. Ultimately no distinction between truth and lies.
Do I protest too much? Remember the decades in which tobacco manufacturers assured us that smoking was good for us? And those in which we were told about how alcoholic drinks were good for us? The cosmetics firms that cruelly use animals for testing? The cosmetics firms that today sell water and vegetable oils mixed into "creams" to "reduce the signs of ageing"? The airlines who claim to fly to certain cities when in reality they fly to airports many miles from those cities? The ads that claim "Everyone's talking about…" a brand new product that nobody has ever heard of before? And so on, endlessly, on and on.
No, I protest too little.
Deconstructing tube ads - 1: Coke
I'm bemused* by a poster at Baker Street, on the southbound Bakerloo. It shows a variety of cartoonish images with a sort of 1960s pop music theme. On one side the silhouette of a male, the other a female. They are surrounded by some cliches of musicians (saxophonist bending double, someone swinging a microphone), images of LPs (Long Playing records: Ed) and cassettes, including a "Dansette" type record player (I had one in 1964), a cassette with the word "Love" handwritten on its label, lots of stars and explosions and clutter, and the odd coke bottle. And surrounding the whole charming scene, two sets of audio leads, one male one female, about to be joined together. I don't know how much more suggestive an ad can be. But trying to understand its underlying message is really tough.
You see, all the clobber depicted is old. It was ok stuff when I was young. It has no meaning at all today except as an exercise in nostalgia. So are Coca-Cola trying to reach my generation in order to market their ghastly oversweet rubbish? Hardly. Consider again the meaning of the two about-to-copulate sound leads. Presumably the subliminal message is "Drink this crap and you'll score". But that would aim this ad at young, and fairly dumb, people, who would hardly relate to the rest of the images.
Anyway, I've stared at this ad for a number of days, whilst waiting for a train; as the Bakerloo is such a good service I have never had more than a minute or so. My studies are by no means complete. I think there may be a quite different layer of meaning waiting to be unearthed. Though whether it is "Your parents drank coke so why don't you?" or "Coke, it tastes as bad as the noises depicted", I am not sure.
* This should now read "I was bemused" because the ad is no longer there, having been pasted over by something so ludicrous I may have to comment on it in a new posting
I suffer from an unusual medical condition. I listen to the announcements on the underground, and I consider what they say, and what they are trying to say. Take this one, heard regularly when a train reaches its destination.
"This train terminates here. Please take all your personal belongings with you"
All of my belongings are personal. So are yours. Everything is a belonging of someone or something. So why emphasise the word personal? Are they saying that you should leave behind the belongings of someone else that you happen to have brought with you? Or should you ignore the property of your employer (a laptop computer, say) that you are taking home? Nope, I think they would prefer that all belongings are removed from the train.
A stick in the door
I was told off by a tube driver earlier this week. But I don't care. I was on a London-bound train coming into Harrow-on-the-Hill (What a stupid name, it's at the foot of the hill) and as we pulled in a "fast" train was at the adjacent platform. Lots of people left my train to cross over since they would save about 2 minutes on their journey thereby, but I being comfortable stayed put. Then our driver announced the train was terminating there. So I joined the migration only to have the doors of the other train shut in my face.
But, and here's the crux, since I am still walking with the aid of my aged mother's stick, I was able to whip it out and prevent the doors from closing, whilst waving at the driver with the other hand. After a few grudging seconds he opened the doors and let me, and any other slower moving passengers, aboard.
'Twas then that he announced that passengers should not obstruct the doors as it caused delays. Well, sod him. What about me being stranded on the platform thanks to his cavalier attitude? Why was there no co-operation between the drivers? Why the hell don't the platform staff ensure that if a train is taken out of service, passengers forced to alight are given some consideration?
Actually I feel even angrier about this now than I did at the time, and if that driver comes withing range of my stick, I may just let it fall where it will do the most good, if you get my drift
Just to get you up to date
Not too much to report since my last bulletin, which to my shame I see was a month ago. Recovery from the twin problems of a damaged foot and blood clots in the lungs has continued, the latter faster. Little signs of improvement manifest themselves all the time. I am back at work and hope to be full time next week, the district nurses, who have done a wonderful job dressing the wounds since my discharge from hospital, have refused to come again because I am too fit, and the warfarin tablets seem to be getting the blood levels back to normal.
The final hurdle is for my big toe to heal. This is still in a state that I will not describe online and when bandaged, is too big to fit comfortably into a shoe. Men wearing sandals and socks are supposed to be fashion rejects, but let me tell you, some of us have no choice. Lucky it's summertime. I would not care to stroll through the wet or slush covered streets of beautiful Ruislip wearing my trusty old Clarks.
Returning to reality (whatever that is)
I'm finally back to work on a sort of occasional, restricted hours basis. I dare not travel in the rush hours because it is essential that I have a seat, and avoid all risks of anyone standing on or kicking my injured foot, on the 50 minute journey 'twixt beautiful Ruislip and Waterloo. And the effort of getting to work, as well as being there, is very tiring. So I'm doing a few hours, every three days or so, and working as much as possible at home the rest of the time.
It is quite pleasant to travel down mid morning in trains barely half full. Coming home they seem to be crowded no matter what time I choose to depart. But actually the idea of the "rush hour" is very out of date. Huge numbers travel at all times, apart from very early and very late. I can recall when the evening trains would be full of suited men with briefcases rushing home to their dinners in the suburbs (Thank you Mr Betjeman, we'll let you know: Ed). There are a few left, of course, but the travelling public is now representative of the general public, and in world that increasingly works all hours and all days, the transport system is going to do the same.
Labels: Commuting
Lines from a sofa - 2
I've been out of hospital for a week now and all being well will not need to go back (unlike the previous two occasions within the last month). I'm not even confined to the sofa anymore. Both foot and lungs are healing and mobility, in a limited way, has returned. Arm-chairs, dining chairs, even garden chairs, there is no restriction on the form of seating that is now available.
The commuting experience remains the short and tedious journey 'twixt home and Hillingdon Hospital. On Saturday I was called in by letter for a blood test, only to discover once there that the clinic is shut at weekends. Terrific stuff, very good for the blood pressure. The NHS equivalent of being told that all train services are running normally only to find, a few stops down the line, that your destination is unreachable by the normal route and a huge detour beckons. It's just like being on the Piccadilly again.
Lines from a hospital bed - 4
Back in hospital again, this time with blood clots in the lungs. This is an unfortunate consequence of my prolonged resting at home while my left foot healed. I have (or had) all the classic symptoms - breathlessness, dry coughing, pain in the chest, tiredness and dizzy spells. These are all cleared bar continuing pain in my left lung and an occasional cough that is driving me mad, because it hurts, I can't catch my breath and I end up gasping, unable to speak and fighting for breath. But I am coughing a lot less than a few days ago, hurrah.
I came back in a week ago and hope to be out soon. No idea when I can resume doing a decent bit of commuting though. Not only is my foot still too weak to bear my weight, the 40 odd steps at Ruislip Manor station are the equivalent of a steep hill in my current shallow-breathing state. I cannot see myself making it. Nor indeed am I fit to fight my way through the streams of people moving 'twixt Met and Bakerloo in that vortex of despair that is the stupidly narrow steps connecting those lines. God knows what cretin designed stairs wide enough for just one person in each direction. Wouldn't it be nice if the bosses of LU had to travel by wheelchair or with crutches every so often so they could understand how awful much of the Tube architecture really is.
I'm out of hospital (hurrah) and likely to need at least two weeks at home while my damaged foot recovers. Thanks to modern technology I can connect to my desktop pc at the office and work almost as if I was sitting there. So a spell of working, but not commuting, beckons. It's a strange feeling. I finish my breakfast, take six steps into the living room and start reading the office emails. All my life there has been some element of commuting and for much of it, regular journeys of an hour each way have been the norm.
Just for old times sake I checked out the Tube website to see if services were running normally. They are. But if there had been extensive delays due to hailstorms at Chalfont, or something, I should have permitted myself one short smile of appreciation.
I'm in a four bay ward and when the bloke opposite went home yesterday morning, I thought this would help toward a quiet weekend for the rest of us, given that hospitals don't do routine admissions then. I was wrong. Later that day the bed was given to a brash young man who has been a source of noise and distraction ever since. He is seriously ill with an unexpected recurrence of long-standing pancreas problems but has the air of a newly rich popstar holding court. Last night he had extensive treatment, had several machines plugged in him, hourly monitoring and visits from about a dozen assorted doctors, nurses and specialists. He greeted them familiarly, "allo, ow are you doing alright", instructed them where to insert drips and take blood, had his personal mineral water put in the nurses' fridge, told them which painkillers he wanted and made them explain every reading.
This morning the crisis seems to have passed and he only took up about 80% of the time of the main nurse on duty. Mind you, she has 4 others to look after. Actually, this is not so bad as it may appear because the rest of us need little direct care. But unlike any other patient, he spent all the time not employed in ordering nurses on his mobile. These are not discreet and quick, essential calls. He bellows into the phone in a voice that cuts into Wishbone Ash (a 1970s rock combo. Ed) playing loud on my Walkman headphones. I would mind less if the hospital had not put large red notices at the entrance to the ward forbidding mobile use within.
As I write it has gone a bit quieter (exhaustion of the vocal cords?) but it won't last. His family will be visiting later.
Being a patient is hard work, but by God it's harder when you have to be your own doctor as well. If you don't like medical details then look away now. (wish I could. Ed)
I've been flat out with a damaged left foot. Naturally my body has reacted to the lack of physical activity, and the drugs, by shutting down certain, shall we say, functions. This has been fixed with the help of some little green pills. But, perhaps as a side-effect, a couple of days ago I had been feeling nauseous and nobody had taken any interest. I lost appetite and ate very little, returning 3 meals almost untasted. Today I stopped drinking, a real no-no, because I couldn't face anything going down my throat. Eventually I felt like vomiting, though there was nothing to bring up.There was a nurse with me at the time. He gave me an injection, designed I think, to prevent feeling sick. This made me feel so unwell - literally sick and tired - that I was almost unable to talk to my visitors a little later.
The solution lay in my own hands. I stopped taking painkillers (not that heroic because there was very little pain, but they do love doling them out). The idea was to reduce any opiates in the system because I react badly to them. Remembering something similar during a hospital stay some years ago, I induced a little retching session. Nothing came up but I began to feel better. After a repeat I was ready to think about drinking other than plain water. The next day the difference was amazing. I actually wanted my breakfast. I ate normally that day and now, a day later, can confirm that my treatment was right and the knee-jerk reponse of the nurse was wrong.
So, Dr. Commuter's advice is to listen to what your body tells you.
Labels: Dr. Commuter
My health has taken a turn for the worse and I write these lines lying flat on my back in hospital, typing one awkward letter at a time on a clamshell keyboard that doubles as a TV remote. Yes, thanks to modern technology, I can email and blog whilst nurses come and go, and 4 hours pass waiting for a fresh dressing for my damaged foot. This is certainly different to composing these finely chiselled words from the "comfort" of a tube train. Woozy from the side effects of pain killers I have unsettling dreams; physical movements are limited to finding a comfortable position and the odd visit to the toilet.
Don't worry, this is not turning into Haverings of a Hillingdon Invalid, but for the time being, bulletins of a medical nature must inevitably dominate these proceedings
Mastertronic artwork
This is a blatant plug. I'm selling the original Mastertronic artwork lovingly displayed on my website. These were paintings used to create the cassette inlays and disk covers for games that sold in their millions during the 1980s. Why not own something original?
Global warming or not, it was certainly hot over the weekend and continues so to be today. The external thermometer in my car reached 30c on Sunday afternoon. And here we are in the middle of April. The Acer in my garden is just about to put out its leaves here is what it will look like in a few weeks ; it must be one very confused tree right now with summer-like temperatures prevailing.
An alarming moment
I've wondered from time to time, as one does when travelling on the Underground, what actually happens when you pull the emergency alarm. Today I found out. I was sitting in the middle of a London-bound train at Harrow on the Hill when I noticed a young woman, who had just boarded, moving in some agitation close to where I was sitting. The doors had closed and we were moving. She spun around once or twice then pulled down the lever. The train stopped almost at once, with most of the carriages still by the platform.
Someone asked "What's the emergency?" and the woman said "My bag!" Evidently she had left it behind. Not really an emergency but maybe justified. Anyway, the doors were tight shut, there was no evidence of either the driver coming to investigate or any station staff doing anything so there we sat for a moment while she continued to dart about, knowing that her bag was on the platform somewhere just out of reach.
After a moment the driver made an announcement over the loudspeaker that the emergency alarm had gone off, and a bloke on the platform came up waving a handbag. Much relief from the owner, but the doors were still closed. He tried to cram it through the little window just where I was sitting. It was far too big. I suggested he speak to the driver. I don't think he heard, or understood, so we continued to sit there for a while, until after several minutes the driver made his way into the carriage, turned off the alarm that was pointlessly bleeping all the time and opened the doors so that handbag and wearer could be reunited.
I'm glad it was not a real emergency. To be stuck in the carriage, with no way out and no way of communicating with the driver, would not be pleasant. I have always liked sitting at the very front of a train and now I have a cast-iron reason for so doing.
A Sunday in April
To the Albert Hall, for a concert featuring not only one of my company's artists but an orchestral group of which my wife has just become the administrator. We drove down from beautiful Ruislip, encountered heavy traffic in Kensington (road works), very heavy traffic coming back around Hanger Lane (cause unknown but exacerbated by a broken down van in the middle of the A40, pointless sets of traffic lights at many streets where they could easily be turned off and near impossible parking around the Hall itself - we managed to find one space near the back of Imperial College. All this on what should have been a quiet Sunday. Admittedly the gorgeous spring weather must have attracted many into London, but it is sad that travelling into this city so often is such hard (and expensive) work.
Ah well, Easter approaches. One thing that we will not be doing is driving into London. At least the countryside is close to us here.
The escalator saga concluded
My last piece was about the long delays to repairing the down escalator at Waterloo. Well, what do you know? It's working again. Has the bitter sarcasm and searing invective voiced in this blog done the trick? I think I can claim some of the credit anyway. Once they realised they were being watched and reported upon, the game was up. So, another case closed and filed away under "V" for victories.
De-escalation
The down escalator at the Shell centre entrance to Waterloo tube station has been out of action since September. Until the beginning of March, we were informed that it would be fixed by mid-February. Now a notice merely says that it will be fixed and implies a sense of urgency. Ha bloody ha. 7 months to fix an escalator? From the country that thinks it can host the Olympic games and use the London Underground system to shift a significant number of the spectators and participants? I can't wait for the "unexpected delays" and "we are awaiting spare parts" notices that will festoon the Jubilee Line during those fraught days in 2012.
Tesco's promise
Although I commute by train, I am also a car driver and have some sympathy for those whose cars failed recently thanks to contamination of petrol supplies. In this morning's paper Tesco have taken out a full-page ad to apologise (although as they were the retailer, it would be more fitting if the oil refinery / wholesalers had done so).My eye was drawn to a curious wording in the body of the ad (there is plenty of time for this sort of thing on my morning journey into Central London). "We'd like to promise to pay for the repairs". At first glance a great admission of corporate culpability and a refreshing willingness to make amends. Now let us deconstruct the meaning of those few words, those oh-so carefully chosen words. Remember always that a raft of PR people and a flotilla of corporate lawyers have sifted and vetted every nuance and shade of interpretation of this simple statement. They could have said "We will pay for the repairs". But they did not. They could have said "We promise to pay for the repairs". Not in any way so strong or even legally binding, but something pretty difficult to wriggle out of. Obviously too strong for m'learned friends to sanction. Perhaps they envisaged a flood (that's the third marine reference I've snuck in so far, hope you are keeping count at home) of claims that would envelop their clients in a tidal wave (that's four) of litigation, with weepy-eyed drivers breaking down in court and howling "but you promised…".
So what we got was the weasel words "We'd like to promise…". Yes. I'm sure they would like to. Hell, even I would like to be able to make such a promise. But this is a mere statement of a state of mind. It is not binding in any sense. It is not a promise. Should Tesco turn down any claims, they are not even reneging on a promise because they have not actually made a promise. I can easily picture their lawyers, feet up on a gleaming desk, fees clocking up at £500 an hour, explaining this to some hapless motorist who thought he was onto a good thing. I'm not really attacking Tesco. I suspect that they do really mean to keep their apparent promise. It just bothers me that they felt unable to say so.By the way, just to show how carefully one should read this sort of thing, the BBC web site failed to get it right. According to them the wording is "we'd like to pay for the repairs".
"Thought for the day", the obligatory religious slot on Radio 4's Today programme informed us all of the onset of Lent. We are advised to give up something to mark our observance. Fair enough. I shall give up listening to Thought for the day.
Keeping informed
It was quite a difficult morning on the Metropolitan today. The trains were delayed by a signal failure at Finchley Road and also by a tree on the track (some said on a train) at Chorley Wood. The platform at Ruislip Manor was busier than usual when I arrived and there was a wait for the first southbound Met. This was pretty full when it arrived and very full by the time it reached Harrow. Trains from Uxbridge come in on the "slow" down platform 5 and the fast trains from Watford and Amersham come in alongside on 6. There was a train on 6 as we pulled in, but unusually they announced that it was going no further and that our train had been promoted to be a "fast" (you save a few minutes by not stopping at the next three stations). Given that there were plenty of people on that train, and that ours was already full, this did not go down too well but, as I had a seat, I could afford to be a bit smug about it.
We crawled down the track and reached Baker Street twenty minutes late. Nothing too strange about this but what was remarkable was the number of announcements made to keep us informed. Not only by our very friendly driver, but also at every station stop. The electronic platform displays were absolutely useless, of course, telling us nothing at all but the announcers did explain that there was a problem and that there was another train just behind, which must have been reassuring to those standing on the wet platforms, because normally there is no information at all about following trains at Harrow and stations to the north and west of it.
When things like this happen, frustrating as the delays are, I still think about what would happen on the Piccadilly which was until recently my route to work. Answer – very few announcements and knee-jerk cancellation of trains on the Uxbridge branch so as to give priority to Heathrow trains. With that in mind, the odd glitch on the Met, when it is handled like it was today, is easily forgiven
Exactly as forecast, 2 inches of snow fell over London this morning. London Underground performed magnificently. Not a train was cancelled, or even delayed. Compared to the dismal failure of two years ago, this was a welcome improvement.
The Metropolitan did have a faulty train stuck at Wembley Park and a points failure at Harrow. These made me half an hour late. The Bakerloo was closed between Marylebone and Piccadilly Circus (power failure some said, faulty communications equipment according to others), forcing me and thousands of others to crowd onto the Jubilee, which was itself suspended north of Wembley Park. There were serious delays on the Northern and who knows what else.
But the snow, you ask, did the snow play any part in the transport equivalent of England's useless football display against Spain last night? No, a thousand times no. So that's all right then.
Labels: The Tube, Weather
The glorious day of steam have returned. Consider this reason, posted by London Underground today on their website, for closing Bounds Green station – "no water supply". Now this cannot be anything to do with staff because plenty of stations operate with no staff at all at certain hours, my home station at Ruislip Manor being one of them. And by the same token it cannot be to do with fire safety because, if this were a concern, then there would not be any unmanned stations at all. So I assume that it is because the trains need to take on water there.
I picture Bounds Green as a little halt, near the village of the same name, with a quaint Victorian brick waiting room, toilets in a little wooden shed, faded posters advertising long-lost railway companies like LNER or the Somerset & Dorset and a trolley with a few battered old luggage cases propped up against a wall where a machine dispenses chocolate bars for a penny. Birds twitter in the nearby fields. Cattle crop the grass by the sidings. There is a distant whistle. A man wearing coal-dusty overalls and green-peaked cap consults his fob watch and ambles out toward the water tower. He looks up. He scratches his head. He jogs back to the platform, lifts the phone, winds the handle and in a rustic accent informs someone "higher up" that there is no water. The response is immediate. The station is closed and as the train approaches the attendant waves a green flag, gestures to the tower and the train continues on its way.
Later in the morning the message vanished from the web site so it seems either they found some water to put in the tower or maybe they cancelled the steam trains and ran one of these beastly new-fangled electric johnnies instead.
A little light snowfall
Less than an inch of snow fell in Southern England last night. It was forecast a few days in advance. The winds this morning are light. The weather is calm with sunshine and varied cloud. Naturally there is total chaos on the underground. You don't believe me? Well, you should. Here is the proof. BBC London Tube news – this was the position at 9:30 am today. Just about every line on the system has problems. Amazingly none are attributed to the snow or the to weather. Our trusty old friend signal failure, bolstered by the odd faulty train, is the prime suspect in this case. So, let's examine this one. Normally there are one or two lines with problems. Today the jackpot. What has changed? Apart from the snow, I can't think of anything. I put to you, m'lud, that the evidence, albeit circumstantial, is overwhelming and devastating. Whether the snow makes the signals fail or perhaps it's the cold hands of the bloke who pulls the string to make the lights change, well, I'm not able to say
A wind up
Winds gusting at nearly 100mph battered England a few days ago. The whole country was affected; predictably traffic chaos ensued. Fortunately, unlike in the "hurricane" of 1987, there was no widespread felling of trees and far less building damage. Down in sunny Ruislip, two panels from my neighbour's fence fell into my garden and that was about it.
London Underground put on their usual good show. I did not go to work until early afternoon, following a hospital appointment. The LU web site suggested the trains were ok so I left home. No sooner was I standing on the platform at Ruislip Manor than they announced the suspension of the Metropolitan Line due to obstructions on the track. They suggested we use alternative routes. As the alternative, the Piccadilly, was not apparently operating either and is any case just as vulnerable to trees falling, I called it a day and went back home. And discovered that, yes, there were now problems on the Piccadilly as well. In fact several lines were out of action until the following morning, and a number of people in my office at Waterloo had very long and difficult journeys home that night.
High winds are going to be a fact of life as global warming takes off. The Met Office provides good forecasts of impending storms. Why oh why, he asks without in the least expecting an answer, does it always take our transport providers by surprise?
The fashionable way to go
"If I should fall under a bus" is often quoted as an illustration of the unpredictability of the future and our frail mortality. Given the number of buses clogging up the streets of London these days it is more than a cliché. But of course death by bus is pretty unusual compared to the carnage wrought by other vehicles on the road. So why not choose some other form of transport?
My journey to work is way safer than it used to be. Prior to moving to Waterloo, I faced the twice-daily ordeal of crossing the A4 at one of its busiest stretches, where drivers ignoring red lights and no right turn signals were a very real danger. Now I have one easy road to cross, York Road that leads from the big roundabout at the southern end of Waterloo Bridge down past County Hall towards Westminster Bridge. Today the traffic was moving fast and it was not so easy to judge the right moment to cross. Just when a tempting gap appeared, I noticed a truck in a familiar green and gold livery looming up fast. This was the moment of truth. Should I stay put and let it pass or dash over? If I got the timing wrong, well, going under a Harrods van is surely a classier way to go than being crunched by a double-decker.
In the event I chickened out and waited for a longer gap. But if this blog mysteriously ceases to exist, maybe I will have been flattened under the wheels of an delivery lorry for a rather upmarket and expensive store. This does have a certain cachet, almost enough, one feels, to compensate for the inability ever to shop there again.*
*Editors note: it is not thought that AnthonyG actually does shop at Harrods very often, if it all.


By now you've likely been forwarded Lauren's request that you ladies stop wagging YOUR ladies in her husbands face. See what you don't know when you are busy posting your beach vacation, waterskiing at the lake, and lounging by the pool photos is that you're ruining her marriage with your attractiveness.
But she's not judging you.
But once I looked beyond my own righteous indignation, I saw the sad, shallow, crux of the issue. This woman, her body insecurities, (despite her husband's apparent countless attempts at affirmations) and her projections on you, the hapless bystander in a string bikini. And to a point, I get it. I've compared myself to the barely there bikini wearers as I rock a belly covering and booby hoisting one piece. I've pondered the effect the hotdogs and cold beers might have on my lake physique. (And I've chosen the hotdog nearly every time.) We've all been there girl.
You're a beautiful woman Lauren. Just the way you are.
But by telling others to cover up, chastising women for being proud of the bodies they're in no matter what they look like, and by placing the oneness on others for your own insecurities doesn't solve your problem. Because the problem isn't within the other women. It isn't within your husband. The problem, honey, is inside that sweet little noggin of yours.
Of course, women can be tough on one another, but the truth is that we tend to be the harshest critics on ourselves. When I look at your photos, Lauren, I don't see a "mess of a body." I see a beautiful, healthy woman. A woman whose body shows the marking of being strong, a body that's brought another life into the world. And that's awesome. And beautiful. And something to be proud of.
So instead of seeking out the affirmations of others, worry about loving yourself, and loving the body that you have. Because then it won't matter if you see another woman in a bathing suit, or if your husband is a human male and catches a glimpse of Instagram cleavage. Because your husband married you. Clearly he thinks you're pretty awesome. It's just time to see that in yourself.


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James Mitchell Ellis Garrow (20 October 1865 – 7 October 1935) was a New Zealand teacher, industrial advocate, university registrar, lawyer and university professor. He was born in Banff, Banffshire, Scotland, on 20 October 1865.

References

1865 births
1935 deaths
New Zealand educators
19th-century New Zealand lawyers
New Zealand academics
People from Banff, Aberdeenshire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In recent years, Drake's love affairs with the world's flavors of pop music, from dancehall to grime, has seemed at once endearing and calculated. To the cynical observer, his embrace of stars like Skepta, Wizkid, and Popcaan felt like an attempt to be as palatable as possible to everyone who encountered him, regardless of hemisphere. On Drake's new "playlist," More Life, his fascination with global pop is more joyful and generous than it's been in the past. More Life is often opposite to last year's VIEWS, a warm, convivial counterpoint to that album's frigid introspection. It is looser, sequenced in the way only a fanboy can cram a mixtape with the objects of their obsession. A clear highlight is "Get It Together," a collaboration with the 19-year old British vocalist Jorja Smith and the South African house DJ/producer Black Coffee.
It takes a full minute for Drake to appear on "Get It Together," and in a respectful show of patience he allows Smith and Black Coffee to run the show. The song's instrumental is a very lightly updated version of Black Coffee's 2011 song "Superman." Coffee's reworked instrumental has been pared down to a minimalist groove—retaining the irresistible polyrhythms and lounging jazz piano of the original—but shorn of its brighter hues in favor of something slightly more melancholic. Smith, for her part, brings a dusky singing voice that sounds one-part Rihanna, one-part Parisian jazz lounge. And for what is the majority of the song, she basks in Coffee's production, singing sweet nothings to someone who's just not there. When Drake finally does appear, he finds that perfect blend of wounded pride, desire for forgiveness, and unhurried poise he hasn't shown much of late. His singing, as well, has not sounded this languid in quite some time. "Get It Together," recalls songs like "Take Care" or "Controlla," where Drake is at his easygoing and boisterous best. It is an almost quiet rejection of the conflicted and angry songs on VIEWS. With "Get It Together," and More Life overall, Drake sounds like he's having fun again.


Hmmm… put a lot of work in here on the production tip, huh?
Celebrating BIG's birthday, and continuing to smash Prince songs into Hiphop mixes… yeah.
A large part of this week's show was by request (shouts to my man Leo and my main homeboy at Wakulla Correctional). Two hours of classic Hiphop mixed by yours truly, with frequent ad breaks to plug (pause) a male strip show.
Back to normality after last week's Guru tribute, with Stess, myself, and Zone all up in the studio again.


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Lou Dobbs segment explodes in frustration at lame GOP: Where the hell are they... Are we a banana republic?
Lou Dobbs segment explodes in frustration at lame GOP: Where the hell are they… Are we a banana republic?
December 8, 2020 | Jon Dougherty | Print Article
Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs railed on Republicans and the Justice Department for their apparent lack of support for President Donald Trump's claims of mass vote fraud during an interview with White House adviser Stephen Miller.
During the segment, Dobbs initially offered praise for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who on Monday offered to argue a case on behalf of Pennsylvania plaintiffs before the U.S. Supreme Court, if justices accept it.
But he quickly pivoted to criticism of other Republicans, repeatedly demanding to know "where the hell" they are in supporting the president's legal arguments alleging voting irregularities and violations of state voting laws ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
"The president in Valdosta (Georgia) asking for a hero to step up here because there are very few people that have stood up, whether it's in state legislatures, whether it's in law enforcement, whether it's the (U.S.) attorney general," Dobbs noted.
"Sen. Ted Cruz just stood up, offering to argue the case for the president and for free and fair elections and against unlawful elections, fraudulent elections, before the Supreme Court," he continued before asking Miller to respond.
"Yes, well, we salute the courage of Sen. Cruz and you're right, heroes do need to step up. And that means heroes in our state legislatures need to step up," Miller said, noting that the Trump campaign has been pushing for "signature verification" of mail-in ballots after witness affidavits allege many of them could be fraudulent.
He then went on to blast the "ludicrous" and "illegal consent decree" Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) signed, with Gov. Brian Kemp's approval, that reportedly made it much more difficult to conduct signature verification.
The decree came in response to a lawsuit filed by Marc Elias of the Perkins Coie law firm — the same attorney and firm that hired Fusion GPS to produce the phony "Russian dossier" ahead of the 2016 election, which triggered the "Russian collusion" narrative.
"Let me raise my hand," Dobbs said, interjecting. "We know about Perkins Coie. You know about it. So does the RNC (Republican National Committee). So does every PAC in the country, every Republican donor. But they ignore everything they do."
"Marc Elias…why don't you guys put together a half-billion dollars and go hire him and get him out of your way?" Dobbs continued, his voice rising. "It's extraordinary. The president warned for months and months and months about mail-in ballots and the potential for fraud, and the Republicans do nothing, Stephen. Nothing."
As Miller attempted to respond, Dobbs railed on against the GOP.
"What in hell is wrong…what's wrong with the Republican Party?" Dobbs demanded.
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"Where is the outrage? Tens of millions of ballots, Lou…" Miller began before being interrupted again by the host.
"Where the hell are the Republicans, Stephen? Where the hell are the Republicans? Where are they?" Dobbs said again.
"You're right, Lou," Miller began. "Tens of millions of ballots nationwide, no signature checks. No citizenship checks. No residency checks. No age checks. No criminal-record checks. Not even checking if you're alive or dead?
"Are we a third-world country? Are we a banana republic?" Miller shot back. "What has it come to? If you count only legal votes from U.S. citizens, this president gets four more years."
"From your lips to God's ears," Dobbs responded after some crosstalk, going on to say he believes the president is essentially fighting his battle alone while before asking why the White House isn't doing more to help after Cruz "stepped up" and "offered to argue before the Supreme Court."
Miller began to respond by saying GOP state legislatures should do the same, but Dobbs interrupted him again and demanded an answer.
"No, no, Stephen, I'm not gonna let you do that. I asked a question…why don't you answer me? That's all I'm asking here, Stephen. Why don't you guys jump and salute Ted Cruz and say, 'Yes, we want you on the team now'? My God, this is not a time for internecine nonsense on the part of the Republican party which is watching its blood drain into the streets because they're gutless!"
Miller went on to explain that he couldn't speak yet on the issue on behalf of the president but promised "to get you the answer" before calling again on GOP state legislatures to "step up" as well.
Dobbs then blasted the Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Department's election crimes unit, declaring "they don't give a damn" about reports of vote fraud, which they have reportedly received.
"These people are either damned fools or damned liars. Either way, the American people are suffering at the hands of an absent Justice Department," Dobbs added.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Crime Prevention Through Urban Design (CPTUD) influences the design of crime free cities, with the aid of practical examples, Evaluate the usefulness of this concept in urban design.
Crime Prevention Through Urban Design is a crime prevention philosophy based on good design and effective use of the built environment leading to a reduction both in the fear and incidence of crime, as well as an improvement in the quality of life , (Crowe,1991). The main of CPTUD is to reduce crime and fear by reducing criminal opportunity and encouraging positive social interaction among the members of the society. It mainly focuses on prevention rather than apprehension and punishment. Crime Prevention Through Urban Design has a number of concepts and strategies which include; Natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement, natural access control and finally target hardening , these strategies promote social control. According to the Office of Crime Prevention (2006),in communities where this philosophy has been implemented, criminal activity has decreased by as much as 40 percent which is generally exceptional.
However, CPTUD strategies are most successful when they inconvenience the end user the least and when the CPTUD design process relies upon the combined efforts of environmental designers, land managers, community activists, and law enforcement professionals ,Saville(1995). In terms of effectiveness, a more accurate title for the strategy would be crime deterrence through environmental design. Research demonstrates that offenders cannot be literally prevented from committing crimes by using CPTUD, Robinson,(1996) . CPTUD relies upon changes to the physical environment that will cause an offender to make certain behavioral decisions. Those changes are crafted so as to encourage behavior, and thus they deter rather than conclusively "prevent" behavior. This essay, seeks to outline the usefulness of this concept in urban design.
Firstly, according to Newman's (1972) research for the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the late 1960s included a 2, 740-unit public housing high rise development, Pruitt-Igoe, which never achieved more than 60% occupancy and was torn down about 10 years after its construction at a loss of $300 million, because it had rampant crime. Across the street, an older, smaller row-house complex, Carr Square Village, occupied by an identical population, was fully occupied and free of crime during and after the construction, occupancy, and demolition of Pruitt-Igoe. Newman's research regarding multiple communities, including Pruitt-Igoe, into what caused these differences in crime resulted in a new, but related, term of defensible space. This concept of ownership as a deterrent to crime has been accepted by professionals in the field and incorporated into the current widely accepted CPTED definition by Jeffrey and the associated CPTED principles and has been useful.
Secondly, natural surveillance concept is directed primarily at discouraging criminal activity by ensuring that public spaces are easily observable, Crowe, (2000). While formal surveillance techniques may involve hidden cameras and security personnel, physical features that maximize visibility of people, parking areas and building entrances can be just as effective. Examples include: doors and windows that look out on to streets and parking areas; sidewalks and streets that are open and inviting to pedestrians; unobstructed sight-lines; open design concepts that do not create hidden spaces; front porches and activity areas in front of buildings to encourage a visual connection with the street; and adequate night-time lighting. The overall sense of safety improves when people can easily see others and be seen. With proper use of natural surveillance, formal surveillance may only be necessary in vulnerable locations such as elevators and interior corridors. This reduced crime in In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Phoenix Project resulted in a 75% decline in crime, the lowest since 1972, by controlling street drug trafficking with the use of natural surveillance.
Thirdly, the historical basis of territorial reinforcement lies in the need to defend an environment against attack. Physical design can create or extend a sphere of influence. Users then develop a sense of territorial control, while potential offenders, perceiving this control, are discouraged. This strategy is promoted by features that define property lines and distinguish private spaces from public spaces, Crowe, (2000). Ways of doing this include use of landscape plantings, pavement designs, gateway treatments, and fences which create boundaries without compromising natural surveillance. It is further enhanced by a sense of pride or ownership, which is demonstrated by the way in which a space is cared for or maintained. By contrast, poorly maintained areas offer an invitation to criminal activity. This was done in Knoxville, Tennessee, police, traffic engineers, public works officials, and residents participated in territorial reinforcement and its implementation to address drug trafficking and excessive vehicle traffic in residential areas. This managed to reduce the rate of crime.
More to that, there is natural access control which is a design concept directed primarily at decreasing crime opportunities by discouraging access to crime targets and creating a perception of risk to offenders (Robinson, 1996). This is a logical extension of the idea of territorial reinforcement. It is gained by designing streets, sidewalks, building entrances and neighbourhood gateways to clearly indicate public routes, and by discouraging access to private areas with structural elements. There are positive ways to achieve this without creating fortresses with walls and gates. In Sarasota, Florida, a successful plan to reduce crime in one neighborhood resulted in the integration of natural access control into the local planning process for all development and redevelopment in that city. This was useful as it saw the reduction of crime rates.
Moreover, there is legibility this concept is increasingly important in urban design and CPTUD. An urban environment is said to be legible if it is designed in ways that allow people in it easily to know where they are and how to get to where they are going. It is not confusing and does not easily get people lost, thus easy navigation. Legibility is therefore about way-finding and about confidence. While this is important for those travelling in vehicles, it is a particularly important CPTUD quality for pedestrians and cyclists in that people can see which are the important or appropriate routes to take ,they can tell which are the desirable or likely places for the services they seek or most likely to be frequented by others , they are less likely to become lost and wander into out the way places less likely to be overlooked , they are therefore likely to be more confident and assured and less stressed, and they are therefore more likely to be observant of what is happening around them than if preoccupied with their being lost or stressed. The aim is to put the individual in control so that it's easy for the individual to escape in case of danger or emergency. In Cincinnati, Ohio, legibility has resulted in a 12 to 13% decline in crime in the first three successive years after the plan was implemented.
In addition, there is maintenance, the characteristics of an environment that express ownership of the property. Deterioration of a property indicates less ownership involvement which can result in more vandalism, also known as the Broken Window Theory. If a window is broken and remains unfixed for a length of time, vandals will break more windows. Crime is more prevalent in areas that are not maintained. This was implemented in certain communities in the United States and Canada and an there has been an average of 15-100% reduction of drug sales, house break-ins and other crimes .
Lastly, there is target hardening, this is the last resort to resist crime by increasing physical security and is a more recognizable, traditional way to discourage crime. Target hardening is accomplished by features that prohibit entry or access such as: window locks, dead bolts for doors, and interior door hinges. This method of crime prevention is most effective when combined with the strategies identified above, so as to achieve a balanced approach. Basically for any of the strategies mentioned above to be effective they have to be combined. This has resulted in the reduction of molestation crimes among school children in Glasgow.
However, there are instance when CPTUD is not that useful mainly due to obstacles like lack of knowledge of CPTUD by environmental designers, land managers, and individual community members, resistance to change and that many existing built areas were not designed with CPTUD in mind, and modification would be expensive, politically difficult, or require significant changes in some areas of the existing built environment. On the same note there are other strategies which can be implemented other that CPTUD to achieve the same aim for example helping ex-offenders find secure living-wage employment.
In conclusion, CPTUD strategies are most successful when they inconvenience the end user the least and when the CPTUD design process relies upon the combined efforts of environmental designers, land managers, community activists, and law enforcement professionals. In terms of effectiveness, a more accurate title for the strategy would be crime deterrence through environmental design. Research demonstrates that offenders cannot be literally prevented from committing crimes by using CPTUD, it also encourages behavior change, and thus they deter rather than conclusively prevent crime.


Home > Human Resources > Should I Buy (or do I need) Workers' Compensation Insurance?
Texas employers have the option of purchasing workers' compensation insurance or going as a nonsubscriber. Deciding whether to be a nonsubscriber or purchase workers' compensation insurance requires an idea of what your anticipated workers' compensation premium will be (usually obtained through your insurance broker) as well as understanding what legal protection a Texas employer gets by becoming a workers' compensation insurance subscriber. Here is a quick summary of the differences between being a subscriber versus a nonsubscriber.
The primary advantage of worker's compensation coverage is that workers compensation subscribers (i.e., employers having workers compensation insurance coverage) cannot be held liable in court for employee injuries or illnesses that occurred in the course and scope of the employee's employment. This protection does not apply to individuals who are independent contractors of an employer. The primary disadvantage to worker's compensation coverage is its cost. Another disadvantage is that worker's compensation subscribers cannot discriminate or retaliate against employees who report or have workplace injuries, and employees can sue employers if they experience an adverse employment action shortly after reporting or having a worker's compensation claim.
Nonsubscribers, on the other hand, cannot be sued for discrimination or retaliation for taking adverse action against an employee that has been injured on the job. They can, however, be sued by the employees for negligence and gross negligence when they are injured at work. The law is written to encourage employers to purchase workers compensation insurance. Consequently, nonsubscribers have few defenses to these claims such as claims for contributory or comparative negligence (aka "proportionate liability") where liability is apportioned between the employer and employee based on percentages of relative fault. The only legal defenses a nonsubscriber has to a claim that an employee was injured in the course and scope of employment are that the employee was the sole cause of the injury or was intoxicated at the time the injury occurred.
Understand that your general liability, homeowners or umbrella insurance policies alone do not provide coverage employee injuries or illnesses. Most such policies have exclusions that do not cover claims made by employees or those otherwise providing services for the employer (i.e., independent contractors). Whether to purchase worker's compensation insurance is an important business decisions and the pros and cons of that decision should be weighed carefully.


A blog about all things lone worker.
Welcome to the SoloProtect Lone Worker blog, here we'll leave information, opinion, pass comment in relation to the issues affecting the lone worker industry, trends around standards, best practice, and risks to lone workers and the businesses and industries employing staff who work alone.
Not the landmark anyone wished for, as verbal abuse instances directed at retail staff reaches record level for the first time.
How much time could it save your lone worker?
Lone working exists in all sectors, and with lone working comes associated risks and consequences. It's important to remember that lone working can be stressful and therefore, impact on an employee's mental health.
What's the most important feature of your lone worker solution?
Don't let the video star kill your infrastructure!
Why the implementation of Body Worn Video might not be as daunting as you first think.
Was improving workplace safety one of your resolutions? Here's how to make sure your safety programs, policies and protections thrive this year.
As analysts Berg Insights announce an increase in the usage of lone worker solutions in Europe and North America, we discuss what is going to push the balance further towards greater adoption and better safety for lone workers around the world.
As Police response times drop Ambulance Services in the South West introduce new measures to improve their crews safety.
If lone worker technology can help all parties where debt recovery is concerned, why aren't more people using it?
Autumn, and looking further ahead, winter bring with them a plethora of environmental risks for workers to consider, risks that may not have existed just a few short weeks ago.


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Conversation series
Johns Hopkins Health Policy Forum
The Johns Hopkins Health Policy Forum is a quarterly series featuring conversations with leaders who address the most pressing challenges in the development or implementation of health policy.
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing welcomed Xavier Becerra on Dec. 15, 2022, for a virtual conversation with Dean Sarah Szanton. The discussion covered a range of topics including nursing workforce and leadership, Secretary Becerra's work to expand access to health care and advance health equity, and more.
Watch the archived broadcast
The series is jointly hosted by the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the Carey Business School, and Johns Hopkins Medicine. The forum provides an opportunity for Johns Hopkins faculty, students, and operational experts to engage with policy makers and explore contemporary health policy approaches.
Health Policy Forum
HHS Secretary emphasizes the importance of health care for all
Xavier Becerra champions health care workers who pursue their mission with energy and spirt in seventh installment of the JHU's Health Policy Forum series
Donna Shalala reflects on a career of health care leadership
The former Health and Human Services secretary joined the Johns Hopkins Health Policy Forum for a discussion of her decades of leadership in health care policy
USAID's Atul Gawande discusses the challenges of misinformation
Gawande encouraged the next generation of public health scholars to take on science skepticism in fifth installment of the university's Health Policy Forum series
CMS administrator discusses pandemic 'inflection point'
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure spoke Friday as part of the university's Health Policy Forum series
Merck CEO: COVID-19 pill in the works, but vaccination remains key
Health Policy Forum guest speaker Robert Davis emphasized the need to use every tool at our disposal in the fight against COVID-19
CDC director discusses COVID-19 vaccines, variants, and the U.S. pandemic response
School of Medicine alum Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, returns to JHU for a conversation with Dean Paul Rothman
Anthony Fauci discusses state of U.S. coronavirus response
Published Oct 16, 2020 Video
Bloomberg School's Ellen MacKenzie spoke with the nation's top infectious diseases expert in the first installment of the university's Health Policy Forum series


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The Canadian Press has been Canada's trusted national news agency for more than 100 years, a news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Through words, photos, graphics, audio and video, more than 180 journalists cover news stories that impact Canadians with fairness, compassion, accuracy and taste. CP, a for-profit enterprise owned jointly by three of Canada's largest media companies, gives Canadians an authentic, unbiased source, driven by truth, accuracy and timeliness. More details about CP's news principles are available here.
Watch more video...
'Simpsons' actor Hank Azaria will no longer voice Apu
Residents concerned about 'aggressive' raccoons
TODAY'S QUESTION
Do you think camo is the right look for the U.S. Space Force?
'Camo in space?': U.S. Space Force mocked after revealing its uniforms


Artists need to approach galleries for exhibition and representation. What's the best way to do it? The best way is with a mind and feelings that are open to learning. If an artist cannot learn from galleries they will not be able to improve their chances of success.
Rejection comes in many forms and for many reasons. Even the best artists in the best galleries get bad remarks, critic disapproval and are often ignored by major annual exhibitions or magazines. But artists must start somewhere. Learning from these starts is difficult if the artist does not understand gallery rejections.
What can the artist do about these 10 top reasons most artists get rejected by galleries? That will be the focus of this article – giving you some real answers to these kinds of rejection. Many of these answers contain attitudinal as well as behavioral components for adjustment. The purpose of these answers is to help you learn more and feel rejection less. So read and send me feedback if you wish at Contemporary Art Gallery Magazine.
Your style is not what the gallery wants – Let's face it, every style is different and reflects the personal progress of your work. It must be shown in a gallery that wants your personal style.
Your quality is not what the gallery offers – You have a choice here, either: find out how to improve your quality and do it – or – look for a gallery that is not as worried about quality.
Same style as other gallery artists – You can't help this one. Just understand that other galleries may not carry such similar styles.
Different style from other gallery artists – Again, you can't help this one, just keep looking.
Your prices are too low – Ask what a realistic price should be for your work at every gallery you talk to. Pricing is based on many factors, ask which factors matter at each gallery.
Your prices are too high – Again ask a lot of questions, and remember that low-end galleries can't handle top end artists.
You don't live in the right location – Maintain several addresses in different states or countries. Many people have different addresses and phones or they travel a lot.
Your work is too difficult to deal with – If your work is very large or heavy or delicate you must have a gallery that can deal with these limitations.
Hard to deal with – Personality can be a major factor for artists and people who know artist behavior. Just remember a little quirkiness goes a long way, and few reps begin with a personality quirk.
Group dynamics – Some groups are not easy to fit into. Remember that some gallery groups are so tough that no one actually wants to be there anyway.
In short, remember that the 10 top reasons most artists get rejected by galleries are seldom a personal rejection when you break it down. And if you break it down you can learn a lot.


Mother's Day is just around the corner and, love it or not, chances are, you're either looking for gift ideas or someone is looking for gift ideas for you. So we're here to help. I've rounded up some of my favorite gifts and ideas! These will go clockwise, starting from the top lefthand corner.
Bread Box. Most people don't really bake all their bread anymore, so a bread box feels kind of antiquated, but that's what makes this so cute! A little old-fashioned and coming in adorable colors, this is something Mom probably isn't going to buy herself, but it makes a great gift.
Our Best Bites stuff. If she's been eyeballing the Menu Plan, needs new cookbooks (or has loved 400 Calories or Less, Savoring the Seasons, 150 Family-Friendly Recipes to death and wants a clean copy), or if she has been coveting one of our new tumblers in our Shop, we've got you covered!
When I wrote my ice cream post last week, I got a lot of requests for ice cream maker recommendations. I've had this one for years and I highly recommend it, especially if you're just getting started. If you're looking to up your ice cream game, there are mixers with cold compressors, so you don't have to worry about freezing the canister. This is the maker I have my eye on, which is a little more middle-of-the-road but has great reviews. Sara has this high-end machine and loves it.
This Charcoal Scrub is a great way for her to feel pampered (especially if you pair it with the hand cream.) It's a great natural exfoliator and feels high-end without the high-end price tag.
I've used these Cake Boss Bowls in some photographs and always get tons of questions about them. They're inexpensive and adorable and the perfect little gift.
This Lodge Covered Casserole is one of my most favorite recent purchases. A fraction of the cost of Le Creuset and just as gorgeous, it's the perfect size for everyday use. It's like the best of both worlds of a skillet and a large Dutch oven pot.
I hope that helps with your Mother's Day gift-giving!
Those little bowls are darling!
Thanks for the great ideas! Question for you – I was just looking through the shop to place an order, but I can't find your rainbow whisks. I already have two sets but I need a replacement and I was hoping to buy another set. Are they coming back? They've been my favorite whisks!
We're out of stock right now, but we're hoping to have more soon! So sorry!!
I love the JR Watkins lemon hand cream it smells so good. You can get the brand at my work in the organic dept or Cracker Barrel stores inside their gift shop. I love that it's reasonably priced.
I picked up the hand cream last time I was at target and it's AMAZING. I love it.
From this recommendation, I got the lodge casserole dish for Mother's Day. I was so excited! But so far, everything I have cooked in it has stuck to the pan so bad. Is there a trick to cooking with it?
There's kind of a learning curve, especially if you're used to cooking with non-stick cookware. You may need to play around with the heat and and oil/butter–generally, adding something straight to the fridge to a hot pan is going to lead to more sticking. Eggs are always tricky. The hotter your Pan, the more sticking there is going to be when you're sautéing, so maybe bring the temp down a little at first and then gradually increase it as needed. Hope that helps!


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Q: How to set default value checked in a checkbox from database using AngularJS While editing the record the data comes in their respective fields for editing, but the checkbox is not checked if its value is 1.
It should be in checked state if it has 1 and not checked if it has 0 as the datatype of the field is tinyint. I am retrieving the data from JSON array via PHP. I am trying to get value by ng-checked="{{rec.isSpecial}}" but it is not working.
Here is my HTML:

        <input type="checkbox" ng-checked="{{rec.isSpecial}}" ng-model="rec.isSpecial">
        Special

here is my JS
$scope.rec = $resource('api/AdminArea/category/edit/:id', {
  id: id
}).get(function(data) {
  $scope.rec = data;
});

A: Since your data returns numbers and not true or false values you could do like so:

          <input type="checkbox" ng-checked="rec.isSpecial==1" ng-model="rec.isSpecial">
          Special

see fiddle for more info

A: You don't need ng-checked at all, ng-model is enough for it to work. If your rec.isSpecial is set to 1 for it to be checked then just your input like this:
<input type="checkbox" ng-model="rec.isSpecial" ng-value="1" />

and the Angular will automatically check that checkbox.

A: The expression ng-checked={{ ... }} expects a true or false statement.
If you would set rec.isSpecial = true, in your Angular controller, your code should work!

A:

'use strict';
var app = angular.module('MyApp',[]);
app.controller('myController', function ($scope) {
   $scope.isSpecial =true;
})

                       <input type="checkbox" ng-checked="{{isSpecial}}" ng-model="isSpecial">
                                       Special

A: You don't really need the directive ng-checked if you are using ng-model in the tag input.
Since it is a checkbox, the model will be a boolean, so you need to make a cast. This example will work
HTML

    Check
    <input type="checkbox" data-ng-model="isSpecial">

JS
angular.module('app', []);

angular.module('app')
    .controller('MainController', mainController);

mainController.$inject = ['$scope'];

function mainController($scope){

  $scope.check = 0;
  $scope.isSpecial = ($scope.check === 1) ? true : false;

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


DavidGX's House of Smaller Houses: WoW: Cataclysm info.
Anyone out there play World of Warcraft?
If so, you've probably heard about the upcoming expansion, Cataclysm. Info, at least officially, is kind of scarce. Luckily there are websites that have a bunch of info leaked from the current alpha of the game. Either by people actually in the alpha or just running the leaked client.
One of the better sources of leaked info I've found is the forums on MMOwned. For some footage it shouldn't take long finding some on Youtube. The standard spoiler warnings apply and all that.
And now for a Cataclysm trailer that's slightly less official than the official one but still pretty amusing.
Edit: Looks like the closed beta for Cataclysm has begun. The NDA has been lifted and therefor you shouldn't need any "leak" sites for info now. Woo!


text:
Hemisfair Announces Grand Opening Events
Aug 04, 2015 in Press Releases
The first park in the newly redeveloped Hemisfair will hold a grand opening October 3, 2015
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, August 3, 2015 –Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) has announced that Yanaguana Garden will officially open on Saturday, October 3, 2015.
Festivities will run all weekend, starting on First Friday, October 2nd. Friday evening, San Antonians can expect music, food trucks and fun activities for families in the park. Saturday morning will see the official ribbon cutting and all-day activities for children of all ages. Finishing the weekend-long celebration, Sunday, October 4th will focus on art, education and health. A full schedule of events will be released at a later date.
Entrance to the park is free, and opening weekend activities are open to the public. In addition to park features like climbing structures, swings, a splash pad and a sand digging area, Hemisfair will have music, interactive art demonstrations and other family-friendly activities planned throughout the weekend. Operating hours for the park will be from 7am-12am daily, including during grand opening festivities.
This announcement comes after three years of planning, design and development. Final designs for the park were announced in 2014, with construction beginning later that year. Construction and programming have been funded in part by generous contributions from the community to the Hemisfair Conservancy.


text:
Jackie Sellers and Marcus Walker stood with a group of friends on Seventh Avenue in Beaver Falls, about a block away from where police say a teen was shot only two days before.
The shooting didn't exactly surprise Sellers or Walker, both 17, who seemed indifferent to the latest report of a shooting. In fact, the two said they know the victim, someone they consider a friend. And Sellers said she knows plenty of others who suffered gun injuries in the past.
"A lot of people," Sellers said, when asked how many.
"It's because of ghettoness and the drug population," she explained. "We've got little kids selling drugs."
Gun violence is in the media, on television, in music videos and video games. But for many young people, it's a part of real life. Neighborhood violence in some of the toughest parts of Aliquippa and Beaver Falls has increased dramatically from a time when steel mills boomed in Beaver County's only two cities.
An informal survey recently released by the Metro-Urban Institute of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary found a "staggering" majority of Pittsburgh area young people had experienced gun violence. Of the 9- to 18-year-old respondents to the informal survey, 78.9 percent said either a family member or close friend had been shot.
And nationally, an average of 61 percent of young people experienced some form of violence, according to a 2009 report from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency.
TWO SHOOTINGS
Sometime between 9:30 and 11 p.m. Tuesday, a 17-year-old in Beaver Falls whom police did not name was shot at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue. Police learned about the shooting when the victim turned up at a local hospital. The gunshot wound to his arm was not life-threatening, police said.
On the early morning of Jan. 9, in Aliquippa's Plan 12 section, a 22-year-old city man was shot multiple times and killed. A motorist who happened upon the body of James Little Jr., lying in the middle of the 1000 block of Main Street, called police.
The day his son was killed, James Little Sr. of Aliquippa quickly pinpointed an old feud between residents of the Linmar Terrace housing complex and the former Griffith Heights housing complex as a motive for his son's death.
"They need to quit with these gangs, Linmar and Griffith," a devastated Little Sr. said outside his apartment.
Aliquippa police Detective Don Couch said Little Jr. and his parents once lived in Griffith Heights. A feud between young people from the two neighborhoods still exists even though Griffith Heights was razed years ago and half of Linmar has been leveled.
Couch, who has been with the department for 14 years, said investigators also believe much of the motivation behind Aliquippa's latest homicide goes back to the Linmar-Griffith beef.
"The kids that initially started it are now in their early to mid 20s and are still sworn enemies to one another and have to watch themselves," Couch said.
LACK OF SUPERVISION
Police from both cities said a small minority of young people are causing trouble.
Beaver Falls Police Chief Charles Jones said juveniles have caused some of the biggest problems police have had in the last couple of years. He blamed it on a lack of supervision. More and more teens have been violating the city's 10 p.m. curfew, and police have started citing parents under strict zero-tolerance enforcement.
"A lot of these kids are pretty much raising themselves," Jones said.
As part of a federal sting operation, Couch said 13 young adults from Linmar were rounded up about a year ago.
However, another young group has banded together, and its members have even gone so far as to have hoodies made up with gang-related language, he said.
"It seems like you clean a whole batch off the street and there's another young and coming group again doing the same thing."
Police agree with Sellers: Drugs are one of the biggest problems.
But experts say there are other contributing factors - economics, family and culture - to entangle young people in violence.
So begins a cycle, said Norman Conti, professor of sociology at Duquesne University, who said children growing up around violence, or in tougher neighborhoods where residents are disengaged, can be made to feel powerless.
"They are more likely to grow up feeling like they can't do anything," Conti said. "That just becomes the normal."
STOPPING STREET VIOLENCE
When violence happens repeatedly, young people have a tendency to become numb to it, said Jonathan Pettis, executive director of the Franklin Center of Beaver County (formerly the Aliquippa Alliance for Unity and Development).
"Not only in real life, but what they view on television has a way of desensitizing what they see," Pettis said.
In the Pittsburgh Seminary's survey, 455 students from 9 to 18 years old responded. Those 15 to 19 experienced the most gun violence, with about 86 percent claiming to have a friend or relative who was shot or killed. Of all the kids polled, only 21 percent didn't know anyone who has been shot or killed.
Students were asked for two suggestions for stopping street violence. Most suggested banning or controlling guns and creating more community activities.
Coming up with solutions isn't easy, but efforts are being made, officials said.
Beaver Falls started a neighborhood watch program. The fourth meeting is Monday at Second Baptist Church on 24th Street. Jones said attendees have talked about identifying neighborhood problems and reporting crime. He said sometimes people are too quick to blame police, but the neighborhood watch is reviving a partnership between the community and police.
Pettis said The Franklin Center recently started an Aliquippa Men's Council and Fatherhood Initiative focusing on making men more visible, accountable and responsible. He said the men want to have an impact on violence in their community while increasing young people's performance in school.
Pettis said about 20 men have been meeting every other Saturday since November trying to come up with solutions.
The Franklin Center of Beaver County, formerly the Aliquippa Alliance for Unity and Development, recently started an after-school and summer mentoring program for children 12 to 15 years old. The entrepreneurial training program teaches youngsters aspects of running their own business. The center also runs an outreach and referral center in Aliquippa and houses about 20 programs.
Tiger Pause Youth Ministry in Beaver Falls is a program that targets at-risk Beaver Falls young people in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Matt Nance, executive director, said in addition to after school programs, the ministry pays teens at a reduced rate to haul scrap, pick up furniture or serve at Beez Cafe, a ministry-run coffee shop on Eighth Avenue
The ministry also has begun remodeling homes for low-income families who qualify to own.


text:
Home Innovations GIS Autodes?s GIS software helps city of Taipei protect public safety and manage...
Autodes?s GIS software helps city of Taipei protect public safety and manage city infrastructure print
Autodesk, Inc has announced that the Taipei (Taiwan) City Government (TCG) has deployed Autodesk's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology as part of its ambitious "CyberCity" initiative to bring government services online. TCG is using Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk OnSite View, and Autodesk OnSite Enterprise software to help them reach the initiative's goals. The Autodesk GIS implementation, known as the "CityLook" Reporting and Management System, is designed to more efficiently manage city infrastructure, protect public safety, keep the city clean, and meet the evolving needs of citizens for more government accessibility online.
With physical expansion constrained by geography, the City of Taipei and its 2.6 million residents have experienced heavy congestion and an overtaxed municipal infrastructure. Without space to expand, the city government turned to cyberspace to improve the quality of life and help give businesses the competitive edge of working in a world-class city.
The goal of the CyberCity initiative is to establish an easily accessible network to help bridge the gap between residents, businesses, and the city government. By bringing government services and processes online, city employees become cyber civil servants making government more accessible and the delivery of services faster and more efficient.
Using the Reporting and Management System, city employees can collect a wide range of information linked to Taipei's digital topographical maps, review the data, and help establish a highly efficient workflow across relevant city departments. They can create work orders and automatically send them to the appropriate city department and field crews for action. The field crews can check the status of the reported cases on wireless devices on the spot and once the problem has been corrected, can easily access the system to report completion and close the work order.
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