This paper describes an experiment in studying users’ behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes in single usability testing sessions using an experimental method called the combined walkthrough. The users’ behavior was studied using task times and completion rates, and emotions were studied using bipolar scales for experienced valence and arousal. Cognition was studied after each task by revisiting detected usability problems together with the users and applying an interactive method based on cognitive walkthrough to each usability problem. An interactive media application was tested with 16 participants using these methods. The results of the experiment showed that the developed methods were efficient in identifying usability problems and measuring the different aspects of interaction, which enabled the researchers to obtain a more multifaceted view of the users’ interaction with the system and the nature of the problems encountered. Partala, Timo and Riitta Kangaskorte

Growing US pressure on China over internet censorship and human rights coincides with a string of other flashpoints

Leading Chinese human rights activists are urging western internet companies and service providers to follow Google's example in refusing to bow to Beijing's online censorship. Their intervention highlights how the high-profile tussle over freedom of information on the net is becoming part of a widening, multifaceted political confrontation between the US and China's increasingly assertive communist government.

Bob Fu, a former leader of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement and founder of the US-based rights body, ChinaAid, applauded Google's decision to defy Beijing's censors. "They are on the right path. Freedom of information is a basic human right defined by international conventions. I encourage other companies like Microsoft and Yahoo to stand up and not sell their consciences for more renminbi in their pockets," Fu said today.

Fu's remarks came amid indications that the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is keen to carry the fight to Beijing over what she sees as its indefensible internet censorship – although President Barack Obama is said to be less sure. An American strategy that focused tightly on upholding free speech could induce more western companies to refuse to play by China's rules. Getting its retaliation in first, the official People's Daily newspaper today accused Google of colluding with US government spy agencies.

Fu and another prominent activist, the Beijing-based human rights lawyer Li Baiguang, visited London and Brussels this week to draw the attention of policymakers and MPs to what they say are worsening human rights problems in China following the 2008 Olympics. Official attempts to restrict public information about individual cases, or to use the net to monitor political opponents, were part of a broader problem, they suggested.

Li said he had been detained and physically attacked on many occasions, and jailed three times, while pursuing cases involving abuses of human rights and religious freedom or unjust local government practices. He said it was entirely possible he would face arrest again on his return to China. "The public security people are always wanting to talk to me. We are forced to have tea together," he said with a smile.

Li highlighted the case of Alimujiang Yimiti, a Uighur Christian living in Xinjiang province, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail last year for "instigating separatism and revealing state secrets". Li said Alimujiang's actual offence, if it could be thus termed, was talking to visiting American Christians. Security officials had manufactured evidence and the conduct of his trial was illegal under Chinese law, Li said. Subsequent appeals to higher authorities in Beijing proved futile.

Fu drew attention to the case of Gao Zhisheng, which has received limited coverage inside China, owing to state control of the media. He said it was more than 400 days since Gao, the country's best-known human rights lawyer, a constant thorn in the side of the Chinese authorities and a Nobel peace prize nominee, had "disappeared" from his home in Shanxi province. There has been no sign of him since, raising fears about his safety.

Fu said Gao had been repeatedly arrested, imprisoned and tortured since 2005. He recounted one incident in which the lawyer said he was accused of being a traitor, beaten and electrocuted during a 53-day detention incurred after he wrote to a US congressman before the Olympics detailing human rights abuses. Fu said he had spoken to Gao days before he vanished in February last year and that the lawyer had expressed no intention of leaving home.

"Rumours and lies surround his absence," Fu said. "Silencing his voice is the only solution the Chinese leadership can come up with. They should concentrate instead on correcting an unjust system."

Li and Fu said western governments, churches and the public should put more pressure on China's leaders to abide by the rule of law, noting that when administrative lawsuits were set in train, the behaviour of state officials invariably improved. They also urged support for a public petition demanding Gao's release, which has so far been signed by 124,000 people in 180 countries.

Growing US pressure on China over human rights and freedom of information coincides with a string of other flashpoints in bilateral relations, ranging from Taiwan to Tibet to tyres. Moves are afoot in Congress to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports, while the US treasury may officially declare China to be a "currency manipulator" next month due to the low value of the yuan.

In another sign that the gloves are coming off, a report published in Washington this week blames unfair Chinese trade practices for 2.4m US job losses since 2001. Whether Chinese internet users will be allowed to read the report is open to question.

Journal of the American Medical Association

The full text is not available online without subscription, purchase or institutional access.

To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Allam and colleagues described the presence of calcium hydroxyapatite in vessel walls in 15 of 22 ancient Egyptian mummies examined with whole-body 6-slice computed tomographic (CT) imaging. The authors stated that "[c]alcification in the wall of a clearly identifiable artery was considered diagnostic of atherosclerosis, and calcification along an artery's expected course was considered probable atherosclerosis." We believe that this criterion was incorrect.

When observing a vascular calcification on a CT (particularly 6-slice), it is not possible to distinguish lesions of atherosclerosis and mediacalcosis. Mediacalcosis is a thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries (particularly but not exclusively muscular ones) due to a calcification of the tunica media, the concentric layers of helically arranged smooth muscle cells. Such lesions may be seen in all the sites described in the article by Allam et al (abdominal aorta, aortic arch, popliteals, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Philippe Charlier, MD, PhD
ph_charlier@yahoo.fr
Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
University Hospital R. Poincaré (AP-HP, UVSQ)
Garches, France

Isabelle Huynh, MD
Department of Radiology
University Hospital Pitié Salpétrière (AP-HP)
Paris, France

And the reply . . .

Drs Charlier and Huynh propose that mediasclerosis is a unique disease, manifest as calcification of the tunica medica, a disease completely different from atherosclerosis, which they presumably would define exclusively as a disease of the intima. We believe that atherosclerosis is a multifaceted, systemic disease that encompasses both of these histologic features. The earliest pathologic manifestations of atherosclerosis include intimal thickening and fatty streaks, but complex changes occur as the disease progresses, with structural remodeling of the vessel, cellular infiltrates, lipid accumulation, thrombosis, fibrosis, and calcification involving the media as well as the adventitia.

Although mediasclerosis (also called Monckeberg sclerosis) has been attributed by some to a distinct disease process, others regard it as an advanced form of atherosclerosis, most commonly seen in patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes. These patients often die from heart disease, another manifestation of the systemic disease of atherosclerosis. A distinct metabolic . . . [Full Text of this Article]

 Mister is a good sized QH gelding, with good bone and conformation. He will mature to 15.2 - 15.3 HH. This gelding can do it all, from a weekend of day rides in the mountains, riding alone or with other horses in arenas (indoor and out) to being out on the trails. He has lived with cattle, and is confident in chasing and moving them when asked. Mister is super soft and responsive and would do awesome penning or chasing cattle. Recently starting jumping, and he loves it! Doesn't take it to seriously until fences are over 2 feet, then he really starts to have a good time. He has been ridden in dressage clinics and has lots of lateral and horizontal flexion. Mister is becoming one awesome multifaceted horse! He would do barrels and well too! This guy is curious and well mannered. Recently floated, wolf teeth removed and he is ready to be put to serious work. He is level headed, and is quite smart and picks up on new concepts quickly. Mister trailers well, stands tied quietly and has no vices. He is four and with a little more work will develop into a great all around horse. This horse, with his unique coloring, personality and athletic ability is not one to be passed up on. Asking 4800 obo More information on Mister and other great horses at www.trailwiseequines.com

[ Docs & Non-Fiction (Cultural, Travel), 3:09, eGuider: Chris Brenner ] This unusual feature from CNN has Lufthansa flight attendent Hannah Schaaf waxing poetic on Moscow, a multifaceted city with many identities. For those of you who think any Russian city is cold, bleak and industrial, this romantic look at Moscow should dispel that notion. Spring break '10?

SAN JOSE, CA - March 22, 2010 R11; LynuxWorks™, Inc., a world leader in the embedded software market, today announced that its LynxSecure separation kernel was independently tested with a series of performance tests at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), to help assess the use of separation kernels for future real-time, mission-critical systems.

JHU/APL ran benchmarks on LynxSecure, using a Linux operating system as the guest. The results showed good performance and stability for LynxSecure with a range of common benchmarks, including LMbench and the iPerf networking suite. The tests also demonstrated the effectiveness of LynxSecureR17;s multi-core performance. When used with multi-core processors, LynxSecure can run multiple operating systems and applications on each core, or bind applications and operating systems to specific cores offering the utmost flexibility in system design and performance utilization.

“During our benchmark tests, we analyzed processor utilization in increasingly more complex conditions using larger loading levels,” said Ed Jacques, Computer Systems Engineer at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. "Even at high loading levels, we found that the system performance remained strong. Processor utilization was close to what was observed when running the same environment on the same hardware without LynxSecure.”

JHU/APL also investigated the robustness of the LynxSecure separation kernel, which supports a unified processing environment with multiple security domains. The suite of tests included a multifaceted application environment, which helped to demonstrate that LynxSecure running on Intel VT-x enabled hardware can support such complex environments with negligible impact on overall performance.

LynxSecure is a separation kernel and embedded hypervisor designed to be used in secure real-time environments to the highest levels of security. The small separation kernel part of LynxSecure maintains the real-time determinism and security separation including the definition of secure information flow policies between applications running on a single piece of embedded hardware.

“The JHU/APL benchmark tests have independently confirmed what we have known all along, which is that the LynxSecure separation kernel has the performance required to support multiple security domains on a single piece of hardware,” said Robert Day, vice president of marketing at LynuxWorks.

About The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is a not-for-profit university-affiliated center for engineering, research and development that meets critical national challenges through the innovative application of science and technology. JHUAPL has a staff of more than 3,000 engineers and scientists and is located north of Washington, D.C.

About LynuxWorks

LynuxWorks, a world leader in the embedded software market, is committed to providing open and reliable real-time operating systems (RTOS) and software tools to embedded developers. The company's LynxOS family of operating systems offers open standards with the highest level of safety and security features, enabling many mission-critical systems in defense, avionics and other industries. Additionally, LynuxWorks' BlueCat Linux provides the features and support of embedded Linux for companies wanting to use open source technology for their embedded applications. The Eclipse-based Luminosity IDE gives a powerful and consistent development system across all LynuxWorks operating systems. Since it was established in 1988, LynuxWorks has created technology that has been successfully deployed in thousands of designs and millions of products made by leading communications, avionics, aerospace/defense, and consumer electronics companies. LynuxWorks' headquarters are located in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit www.lynuxworks.com.

Contrary to popular belief, a motorist and pedestrian arenR17;t always at fault at a railroad crossing calamity. The same is true for a train. The answers lie in the complexity and ambiguity of railroad law. An experienced railroad accident attorney will offer you a comprehensive guide to railroad law and how it can impact your personal injury or wrongful death litigation.

Common cases involve:

• Car-train collisions
• Crew negligence
• Derailment
• Improper train speed
• Insufficiently maintained tracks and equipment
• People-train collisions
• Train-train collisions
• Malfunctioning or poorly maintained railway crossings

Timing is very important if you or someone you know are involved in a railroad accident. Representatives from the railroad company and federal, state, and local agencies will arrive on the scene quickly. Contrary to popular belief, many railroad crossing accidents are not the fault of the motorist or pedestrian. The best action you can take is to call an experienced and established personal injury attorney who is familiar with railroad accident laws in Arkansas.

Passengers or Employees who sustain injuries on train accidents may have a negligence claim against the train operator and railway owner. If the accident was caused by a malfunctioning train or safety device, injured parties, under certain state laws, may also bring a product liability suit to court. Under other state or federal safety laws, a court may find that a railroad company has absolute liability for an injury or death, meaning no further proof of fault is needed.

The Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) of 1908 allows railroad employees who are injured in work-related accidents to file negligence suits against his or her employer or another railroad employee. FELA is a multifaceted federal law. Employees who evoke it should seek competent legal counsel.

Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are privately owned. Pedestrians can be considered trespassers and should never walk, run, or play near these areas without considering the consequences. Motorists should always remember the basic railway crossing rules and follow them and the safety and highway laws of their local jurisdictions.

Continue reading "Railroad Accident Law"

Criticised for being too marginal or too sensationalist, it's time we gave Britain's black theatremakers the applause they deserve

Katori Hall's surprise win at the Oliviers last night is a big moment for black theatre. Set in civil rights-era black America, the 28-year-old's play The Mountaintop beat heavy-hitters Enron and Jerusalem to the best new play award. The playwright's victory should, as Michael Billington says, provide "a significant boost to black playwrights" – and open the doors a little wider for those trying to sustain a career in theatre. Although Hall was born in Memphis, her play was made in the UK, starting its life at Theatre503 in Battersea, south London.

But how healthy is black theatre in Britain? From one perspective, fighting fit. In the past year, theatres such as the Tricycle, Birmingam Rep, Contact and Royal Court have managed to engage racially diverse audiences with work by non-white theatremakers. Tricycle's near sold-out seasons, The Great Game and Not Black and White, were two of the year's biggest theatrical success stories, both as resonant as they were timely.

Yet there are still underlying complaints. Amazingly, there's still a persistent belief that black and Asian theatre is for minority audiences only, that if a play features a black cast or an Asian story, it can't be accepted as drama with potentially universal themes and ideas. At a public debate on the future of arts funding a couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a former colleague whether I thought developing new audiences was really the answer to the industry's future. After all, he suggested, the audience is so limited that the cost of investing in black and Asian theatre is greater than anything it could deliver financially.

There's also the perennial question of whether black theatre in Britain is ambitious enough. Last month Lindsay Johns in the Evening Standard accused the Royal Court of pandering to stereotypes with its production of Bola Ogbaje's Off the Endz. That this is a smart play as much about class and social aspiration as it is about criminality is an aside: Johns (somehow inevitably) hadn't even seen the play, but still believed it perpetuated the myth that the majority of black people in British society are an underclass.

It's an issue to which black theatremakers themselves are sensitive. On BBC London radio, Patricia Cumper, artistic director of Talawa theatre, asked for sensationalist rhetoric to be withdrawn, as it undermined a serious point: that from her point of view, black theatremakers and playwrights are cornered by literary managers, dramaturgs and development programmes. "There is interest in black plays", she later told me, "but only if you're writing a certain kind, about a certain section of black society". As the playwright Lynn Nottage said to me last week, "the deprivation narrative" – the rags to riches story, in which the downtrodden poor battle against the odds – has strong currency in theatre. Being boxed within such narrow parameters is a well-established complaint among black theatre practitioners, and one it's all to easy to understand.

But there are two responses to this. The first is that black theatre in the UK is much more diverse than its critcs give it credit for. Work like Michael Bhim's The Golden Hour or Rikki Beadle Blair's Family Man have nothing to do with the guns 'n' drugs cliches worrying commentators such as Bonnie Greer and Quentin Letts. More than that, it's all too often forgotten that there is a tremendous wealth of black British writing, beyond the siginificant achievements of Kwame Kwei Armah and Roy Williams, that is multifaceted and engaging.

Secondly, surely we're beyond the point where a single play or playwright is expected to represent a whole milieu? JB Priestley, Eugene O'Neill and Edward Albee were able to depict drunken, adulterous families without being accused of painting white society in a negative light. The work of black theatremakers such as Hall must be allowed to exist on its own terms. Let's give them a break – and with it the chance to emulate her success.

[Continuing his series of interviews with leading video game musicians for GameSetWatch, Jeriaska sits down with Masato Kouda to discuss his contributions to Capcom's Japanese smash hit Monster Hunter series, including a recent tie-in orchestral album featuring music from the franchise.]

Part of the success of the Monster Hunter franchise in Japan has been the immersive depth of its creature-inhabited fantasy locales. Another draw has been the music.

Built on a mixture of classical and regional instrumental styles, the foundation for Monster Hunter's signature sound was developed by composer Masato Kouda. His contributions to games scores range from Devil May Cry titles to the Wild Arms series.

Kouda's inventive approach to composing has led to his music being selected for the Press Start Symphony of Games and Monster Hunter Fifth Anniversary Orchestral Concert. As part of the Star Onions band, he has performed live renditions of Final Fantasy XI themes. Their album Sanctuary was released last May, on CD and iTunes.

Just as Capcom attempts to secure for Monster Hunter in the West the heights of popularity it has enjoyed in Japan, Kouda finds himself in a new transition: building his Tokyo-based music studio, called Design Wave.

In this music interview, Kouda offers insights into his multifaceted musical projects, from the arcade brawler Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters to the Greek mythology concept album Istoria ~Musa~ and Monster Hunter.

Kouda-san, thank you for joining this discussion on your music for videogames. Something people outside Japan might not know about the Monster Hunter series is that it is frequently the subject of live orchestral performances. How have you found the experience of witnessing your music from the series performed in front of concert audiences?

It's actually been a dream of mine since I started composing to hear my music performed by a full orchestra. Being able to attend the recordings for the first Monster Hunter at Victor Studio and later Press Start in 2006 was very meaningful to me, but because I had to perform at that concert I was required to be offstage much of the time. Press Start in 2008 was my first chance to join the audience, and I could hardly believe it was my music I was hearing.

Who has been responsible for orchestrating your songs from this series?

Shiro Hamaguchi adapted the original Monster Hunter themes for the orchestra. I'm a fan of his orchestral work for Final Fantasy and the Sakura Wars series. He places tremendous care in the treatment of my original compositions. Beyond that, he invents devices that I would never have come up with, which accentuate details of the piece. Especially with Monster Hunter he was careful to preserve my choice of chord progressions.

Monster Hunter themes in the key of E Flat are difficult for musicians to perform. If you lower the key, it becomes much easier to play. Now, there is a huge difference in the sounds of a D and E Flat chord. The way I might describe their textures is that D is like a primary color, while E Flat is like a mossy green. Hamaguchi-san respects this subtle distinction and he chose to keep the arrangements in E Flat.

That's an interesting observation. Have you always held these associations?

I guess I do. I'm not sure for how long, but it tends to make me particular about the differences between sharp and flat keys.

What roles are you interested in pursuing at your new sound design company Design Wave?

In terms of my position at the company, that might vary according to the situation. However, what I would really enjoy doing more often is performing live.

Are there any live venues that have left a strong impression?

When I performed in Santa Monica for a Final Fantasy XI fan festival in 2008, the reaction from the audience was extraordinary. It was totally different from what you see in Japan, where usually the audience listens quietly. In Los Angeles, the cheering and the energy was incredible. Even when the music we were playing was somber, or a jazz fusion piece totally unlike what The Black Mages perform, the audience had this enormous reaction. Being around that kind of energy motivates me to play live.

Would you be looking for another opportunity to play overseas?

I'd like to tour. That would be fun.

In terms of Design Wave's focus, do you see it as exclusively a videogame music studio?

The company is not limiting itself to games, but that's our main focus at this stage. For one, I am joined by composer [Masakazu] Sugimori, who arrived at Capcom a little later than me and has composed for the Phoenix Wright series.

What kinds of difficulties have you encountered composing for games?

Sequels have their challenges, but I find embarking on a new game project to be particularly tough. I first think about what kinds of themes would be appropriate to the musical style, for instance whether to focus on regional or orchestral style music. Along the way I get to see more of the game and often times it turns out to be different from what I had predicted.

For Monster Hunter, originally I had underestimated the impact that the title would have on the game industry. My perception was that it was a modest idea for a game. When I saw it in motion, I was deeply impressed and I knew the soundtrack needed more of the intensity of a feature film score.

Are there film composers whose style you admire?

John Williams, for sure. I've learned a lot about composition and arrangement from him. When I first heard the music for Jaws and Star Wars, I was blown away. I got excited every time a new film of his came out.

The first Hollywood movie I ever saw in the theaters was Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In that movie of course there is this UFO flying around, communicating with people telepathically. Do you remember how the film ends? It starts with that simple melody emanating from the saucer and then grows more and more elaborate until the ship flies away. It's just perfect.

Seeing as you have previously worked as a staff member for Capcom, how did it come about that you joined the Star Onions, a music band comprised of Square Enix composers?

Masato Kouda: I've been friends with Naoshi Mizuta since he joined Capcom in 1994, the same year as me. We continued to keep in touch after he became an in-house composer at Square Enix. Our musical tastes have so much in common, and this might explain why he felt at ease with the idea of my being a member of the Star Onions. On the album Sanctuary, "Griffons Never Die" and "Wings of the Goddess" were arranged by Mizuta-san, and I added further arrangement in addition. The tracks are in his style, and in fact he's the one on electric bass on those recordings.

What is your impression of the world music influences that Kumi Tanioka has brought to her music scores?

She definitely has a distinct way of expressing herself. For instance, on Final Fantasy XI her theme for Gustaberg is full of ideas I never would have thought of. I was the arranger on “Awakening” from the previous Star Onions album, and I was fascinated while studying this song's structure. She knows how to offer variety to the composition and has ideas about how to bring out feeling in rare instruments.

Tanioka is said to have drawn inspiration from working with Roba House on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. This is a group of musicians that specializes in Medieval and Renaissance instruments. Are you familiar with them as well?

While I've never worked professionally with Roba House myself, I graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, and the college is in the city of Tachikawa. Roba House is located close to the Tamagawa-Jousui station, so I used to go and see their live performances.

What was your experience working on the arrangement of the song "Distant Worlds"?

Of course, this song was composed by Uematsu-san, and he was perhaps the greatest influence on my decision to enter the field of videogames. When Final Fantasy IV came out, it made me realize that the world of game music was unique. I had never before had the idea of becoming involved in it.

All in all the Super Nintendo changed my perception of videogames entirely. It was the start of conveying orchestral sounds in games. Just around that time I was in a band playing keyboard, so I was starting to learn how to write electronic music. When I heard the background music in this game, I started thinking about a career in the game industry.

What do you recall from your experiences playing Final Fantasy IV?

I remember the scene with the Red Wings and their airships at the very start of the game. Also, the "Theme of Love" is a great song. Then there is the incredible opera scene in Final Fantasy VI. Kefka's theme is great, too, especially how it pops up again in the final battle. Doesn't the battle theme switch to a major chord midway through? That really made a lasting impression on me.

Was this experience at all reflected in your treatment of "Distant Worlds"?

In terms of "Distant Worlds," I had no difficulty approaching this arrangement. Even before getting started, I could already hear it playing in my head. If you listen to the original arrangement, which incorporates the orchestra and features a soprano singer, it has a jazzy approach to the chords. I wanted to bring that element of the composition to the fore.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to give a string section a recognizable jazz cadence. As a consequence, I felt that if I changed the arrangement to a quartet, using instruments like the vibraphone, I could emphasize the quality of jazz latent in the material. For that reason I have kept the original chord progression. Just by changing up the instrumentation the music becomes totally different in its feel.

By the way, the arrangement for the original was done by [Takahito] Eguchi. That means that previously Uematsu-san composed the song, Mizuta-san arranged it, and Eguchi-san did the orchestration. You can see it went through an elaborate process. Finally, for this album I arranged the track once more.

In addition to your participating in the Star Onions albums, you contributed a track to the image album Istoria ~Musa~ which includes nine songs dedicated to the nine muses of Greek mythology. How did it first emerge?

I forget how long ago it was, but the videogame musicians who were involved in this album got together around a table one night to have dinner and talk music. Kenji Ito, Yoshitaka Hirota and Akiko Shikata were present. That was how I became involved. When I heard about the concept behind Istoria ~Musa~, it sounded like it was well suited to Shikata-san's personal style, based on my impression of her music.

While the theme of the Muses informed my arrangements, just as significant was the need to complement the character of Shikata-san's style. The Muses whose themes I was given were those of history (Kleio) and tragedy (Melpomene).

How would you describe the style of your piano arrangement on the album?

The piano piece is reflective of the tragic theme. Rather than having it be energetic or passionate, I wanted the piece to sound cool and subdued. To that end I intentionally placed spaces between each note. I wanted the listener to be aware of the negative space in the piece, so I was sparing with the sound that you hear on this track.

You were also responsible for arranging several tracks for the arcade fighting game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters?

Yes, three of the stage themes.

How were those three chosen?

I was asked if I would work on the game and accept the tracks that had not already been taken. I was happy with the songs, so it was my pleasure.

How did you go about arranging them?

The chords found on "Dive Man's" stage have been modified. I took the existing melody line and altered the harmony which accompanies it to be more in line with my tastes. For "Pharaoh Man," I went with a Latin rhythm, which I think worked to its advantage, while on "Stone Man" the first passage is downbeat in the image of a saxophone.

Was it a good experience to collaborate with other musicians?

At that point I had only been in the company a couple years, so the others had more experience. I was able to observe their work patterns and learned a lot about arranging. It was a chance to come to understand their various styles and creative processes.

You've mentioned that you would like live performance to be part of your work at Design Wave. Do you feel that playing in a band is important to becoming a composer?

For the purpose of arrangement, it's very useful. You come to understand things like the range of a guitar or what the drums can do to create a particular atmosphere. Playing in a band you pick up these kinds of skills.

Is this something you might recommend to aspiring musicians who are interested in becoming game composers?

I would. These days it's common to make music all by oneself, from the composition to the arrangement. For videogame music it's natural to go about doing all the encoding and mixing alone. However, that way you never come to understand what actual guitars and other instruments are capable of. Having an in depth knowledge of various instruments' characteristics can be essential to fulfilling your potential as an electronic musician.

[This article is available in Japanese on Game Design Current. Interview conducted by Jeriaska. Translation by Takahiro Yamamoto. The Monster Hunter 3rd Anniversary Commemorative Best Track album can be imported from Amazon.co.jp. Images courtesy of Capcom, Vagrancy and Square Enix.]

french punkitude at its best for @URKiddinMee@Haaz@anderkaliber@mtmtm@ManoNegra ... and the multifaced @CreepyGirl ;)

• What: "Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced!)"
• When: 3 p.m., Sunday.
• Where: South Point Showrom
• Cost: $20, $25, $30; South Point box office
• For more information: 797-8055

Rick Faugno is 30 years old, so naturally he grew up as a big fan of … Sammy Davis Jr.

Fred Astaire, too. Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly. The usual suspects. The anti-“boy band” crew.

Having been raised with parents who were “a bit older, shall we say,” Faugno is a throwback artist who performs the roles of Frankie Valli (toggling with Travis Cloer) in the outstanding production “Jersey Boys” at Palazzo. But, similar to Cloer and such former “Jersey Boys” cast members such as the since-departed Erik Bergen, Faugno is not satisfied with residing only on the Jersey shore.

“I’ve really become interested in performing not as a character, as myself,” says Faugno, who a genuine song-and-dance man who is bringing his one-man show to South Point on at 3 p.m. Sunday. “It’s a lot more difficult to fill 80 minutes as yourself than you might think.”

Titled, “Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced),” which plays off the title of his new CD (same name, in other words), the show should show the multifaceted Faugno at his best. Those who knew him only as one of the Four Seasons in the Strip stage show were impressed with his song-and-dance performance at Bill Fayne’s benefit show at Suncoast earlier this month. If nothing else, Faugno might be the best young tap-dancer in town.

“It comes from my dad, who tap danced since he was a kid,” he said during a phone interview last week. “He did vaudeville shows, minstrel shows, and a lot of the kids who I grew up with in the sticks of Massachusetts had been exposed to the things I’d been exposed to.

It made for a bad fit scholastically for Faugno, who attended Catholic school for 2 ½ years, the period covering ages 10-12. He had a problem there, not necessarily with the studies but because he had a heavy measure of extracurricular distractions.

“I wanted to be on Broadway, and that’s the reason I left,” he said, evidently unaffected by the uncommon career demands on a 12-year-old kid. “They wouldn’t allow me to be on Broadway. Catholic school is very structured, and this was not something they allowed of a student.”

The role was as Will Rogers (young Will Rogers, actually) in, “Will Rogers Follies.” His other listed theater credits include Broadway appearances in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Conversations With My Father,” “Wonderful Town,” “Fosse,” and the national tours of “Jersey Boys,” “The Boy Friend,” and “Fosse.”

Keith Thompson, music director of “Jersey Boys,” will join Faugno (pronounced “Fawn-yo,” Fonzie-like) on Sunday. Thompson also accompanied Faugno at the Fayne benefit, and Faugno says the “Jersey Boys” producers (BASE Entertainment) are fine with the moonlighting projects of its stars. To a degree, anyway.

“As long as I don’t go out in character and sing ‘Sherry,’ or ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off of You,’ something like that, we’re OK,” he said. “They actually encourage us to do our own things as long as they don’t interfere with the show. It’s a win-win, it gives the show added exposure, which they like.”

Songs Faugno has plucked for Sunday’s show (and he’s s scheduled back at South Point on April 25, also at 3 p.m.), include “Embraceable You,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” “Cheek To Cheek,” “Our Love Is Here To Stay,” and “Mr. Bojangles.”

For his one-man showcase, Faugno needed to become accustomed to being himself onstage. Banter with the audience is an unappreciated talent, as important as being able to sing and tap with artistic precision. He says he was never driven to be a soloist.

“Standing there and talking as yourself, getting comfortable with an audience, is crucial,” he said. “What happens between numbers can make or break a show, no question about it.”

The artist Faugno particularly admires and respects is a man whose art transcended genres and continues to influence performers.

“Sammy Davis Jr., to me was so naturally gifted at everything, he has to be considered one of the greatest all-around performers, ever,” Faugno said. “He could play and sing the hell out of a song, dance, tell jokes, do impressions. That level of talent is just mind-blowing. Nobody comes close, even today.”

New York, NY, March 20, 2010 R12;(PR.com)R12; cNoteART is pleased to announce the introduction of its cNOTE (100) SERIES. U2’s “One” is one of only six songs featured in this premium, fine art collection. The other songs are Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

“U2’s artistic and commercial success is only matched by its altruistic achievements,” Erik Rosen, Founder of cNoteART, said. “ Their song, ‘One,’ reflects their multifaceted success. It is one of the Band’s most admired songs and a certifiable commercial success. The band also uses the song in concert to promote human rights causes and the ONE Campaign is the name of Bono’s charitable organization.”

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Comemorando o Dia de São José, o artista plástico, poeta, músico e compositor Arnaldo Garcez realiza a 1ª edição do Sarau Rio 180º. Colocando Santa Teresa mais uma vez no cenário cultural da cidade maravilhosa . O evento marca a fusão inédita das artes plásticas , literatura e música . Sexta-feira , dia 19 de março , no Hotel Rio 180º, a partir das 21 h. Entrada franca .

Santa Teresa, bairro charmoso do Rio , será mais uma vez palco da expressão cultural carioca . O espaço do evento , o Hotel Rio 180º suítes & cuisine, foi escolhido por ser a cara do Rio . O local possui uma vista panorâmica de 180º da cidade maravilhosa de tirar o fôlego . Unindo beleza , as artes , espontaneidade , contemporaneidade e alegria , o Sarau Rio 180º será o primeiro de muitos eventos na casa .

Nesta 1ª edição o artista Arnaldo Garcez, que acaba de chegar de uma temporada de trabalho e pesquisa em Nova York, inaugurará a exposição A Cor do Tempo, lançará nova edição de seu livro de poemas Varanda do Pensamento  e receberá amigos como o talentoso violonista Tavinho Bonfá, apresentando clássicos da Bossa Nova . 

O livro Varanda do Pensamento  reúne 60 poemas , como 60 gritos desferidos contra o monocórdio barulho da madrugada . São poemas reflexivos , onde o elemento existencial não se afasta do banal cotidiano , representado pelo sexo e pelos encontros / desencontros amorosos que o transsubstanciam. Puro rock’n’roll.
 
Músico e compositor , este multifacetado artista , toca com leveza e força sua flauta e recebe amigos para essa degustação musical. A banda é formada por Tavinho Bonfá ( violão ), Marcelo Lourio e Nádia Godoy ( voz ), Otávio Garcia ( bateria ) e Ricardo Hawbrick ( sax ).

A exposição A Cor do Tempo , inédita no Brasil, é composta de 18 trabalhos , onde utiliza a técnica acrílica sobre tela , de dimensões diversas. A cor é o fundamento da tradução do artista sobre o cotidiano . O foco principal é a figura humana que estabelece um diálogo entre a reflexão da humanidade , do ser e do tempo . Onde a solidão é ofuscada pela claridade das cores , característica das obras de Garcez.

Arnaldo Garcez, artista amazonense , desenvolve sua trajetória desde 1977. Veio para o Rio de Janeiro em 1979 onde estudou desenho , pintura , escultura e gravura na Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage. Em 1983 viajou para a Alemanha, onde fez pesquisa sobre o expressionismo e litografia .

Atualmente desenvolve trabalho com pigmentos naturais e realiza exposições em várias cidades do país e do exterior : Rio de Janeiro , São Paulo, Brasília, Manaus, Lisboa e Nova York. Seus trabalhos participaram dos cenários de várias novelas da TV Globo : Caminho das Índias, Beleza Pura , Páginas da Vida , América, Senhora do Destino , Da cor do Pecado e Mulheres Apaixonadas. 
  
Serviço:
Local: Rio 180º Hotel
Endereço: Rua Dr. Júlio Otoni, 254 – Santa Teresa – RJ
Data: 19 de março – sexta-feira
Horário: a partir das 21 h
Entrada Gratuita
Bebidas e comidas - open bar

by David Roberts

Sens. Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman,

Thank you for the work youR17;re doing to to address AmericaR17;s climate and energy challenges. As you meet with a broader group of stakeholders and begin to structure a bill, you face an enormous challenge of your own:  crafting legislation that can get 60 votes in a fractured and somewhat exhausted Senate. The odds are steep, but I believe there is a strong, bipartisan path forward.

The crucial starting point is this: The American people want clean energy. They want to make more energy in America; they want to use energy more wisely; they want to create jobs and compete in new global industries; they want to leave behind a clean environment and healthy children. These aspirations are shared across the country, across income groups and demographics, and across party lines, as reflected in poll after poll after poll.

What Americans and their political representatives are more ambivalent about is a policy instrument designed to serve those goals: putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions. One form of carbon pricing in particularR12;cap-and-tradeR12;has become a partisan political football and moved, unfortunately,  to the center of the public conversation. Cap-and-trade comprises only about a third of the comprehensive climate and energy bill passed in the House last year, yet in political and media circles it was discussed almost exclusively as a “cap-and-trade bill.”

Cap-and-trade has become the “death panels” of clean energy policy, rendering hyper-partisan what should be a rare area of pragmatic consensus. This is the dynamic you must change if youR17;re to have any hope of success. The question is: how?

Moving carbon pricing to the background

Past efforts at climate legislation, dating back to Sen. LiebermanR17;s first effort with Sen. McCain, have tried to secure support for a price on carbon by making concessions to affected industries and legislators from energy-intensive states. Lawmakers have distributed free permits under a cap-and-trade system;  promised subsidies and tax breaks;  weakened targets and increased the number of carbon offsets. As the SenateR17;s recent experience with health care shows, Americans do not particularly enjoy the sight of this kind of deal-making. Regardless, it hasnR17;t worked: no bill has offered enough sweeteners to lure 60 votes for carbon pricing in the Senate.

All of you, notably (and to his credit) Sen. Graham, have resisted the call for an “energy-only” bill. You agree with economists that a price on carbon is necessary for a long-term energy transition. How can you thread this needle?

There is a way. It begins by changing the way we think about carbon pricing. For at least the next five to ten years, no politically palatable price on carbon is going to serve as a primary driver of change. Anything that can pass simply wonR17;t be high enough and its effects will be too diffuse. The main goal with your bill should be to establish a framework whereby a carbon price is implemented and steadily raised. The initial price can be lowR12; low enough to avoid the kind of political backlash that has poisoned previous effortsR12;and phase in over time so affected industries have time to prepare. At least in the short term, we should think of carbon pricing as a funding mechanism for clean energy policies. ItR17;s a form of responsible budgeting, nothing more, nothing less.

As long as the revenue it raises isnR17;t being siphoned away for payoffs to nervous voters and energy incumbents, a relatively modest carbon price could produce the revenue needed to fund an ambitious clean energy effort without imposing undue pain on consumers or manufacturers.

This strategy moves carbon pricing where it belongs for the next decade: into the background, as part of a sturdy, multifaceted policy infrastructure. In the post-2020 years,  the price will reach a point where it plays a more direct role in driving behavior change. By then, clean energy will have built up enough capacity and market demand to give the public an appetite for increased ambition. In the meantime, clean energy and energy efficiency policiesR12; the job creators and money saversR12;should move into the foreground.

In exchange for reducing the role of carbon pricing, you should push to strengthen and expand the clean energy and efficiency provisions in your bill. Without a substantial price on carbon those policies will have to be that much more robust if they are to meet the goal President Obama promised in Copenhagen: 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.

Moving clean energy and efficiency to the foreground

The energy bill passed by the Energy Committee last year is a credible effort. Sens. Bingaman and Murkowski are to be lauded for the work it took to put it together. But as they both recognize, much more needs to be done.  The political climate is ripe for greater ambition and a host of good ideas on energy, many with demonstrated bipartisan appeal, have been put forward recently.

An effective starting point for the effort can be found in the “practical energy plan” being developed by Sen. Dick Lugar, who, like all of you, is a long-time Senate bridge-builder.  His plan is admirable for its simplicity and the clarity of its goals: capturing energy efficiency, diversifying and cleaning up the electricity sector, and reducing foreign oil dependence. Each of those goals is served by a range of policy instruments, from building efficiency standards to loan guarantees for clean energy generators to higher CAFE standards. ItR17;s a strong foundation that should be built on in a few important ways.

1. Strengthen the energy efficiency title.

Efficiency should be at the heart of any bipartisan effort: it saves consumers money, creates jobs,  benefits every single congressional district, and can be achieved quickly. As a comprehensive new report from the World Economic Forum and IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates puts it: “Of all the energy options, [energy efficiency] can provide the biggest R16;amountR17; of energy in the near and medium
  term while contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” Strong energy efficiency provisions can easily save consumers more money than a price on carbon would cost them; most people, particularly low- and middle-income Americans, would come out ahead.

The most important efficiency provision to add is a separate, free-standing energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) to complement the clean energy standard. It would require that utilities satisfy a percentage of new demand with efficiency programs of the sort that have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has done extensive modeling work on this subject and found that even a modest, easily achievable national EERS has the potential to save American consumers billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs. An ambitious EERSR12;say, 20 percent by 2020R12;can do even more. ItR17;s the lowest hanging fruit in energy policy and can benefit every region and every state.

Other energy efficiency bills focused on the building sector have emerged recently, backed by the Obama administration and several senators. The Home Star and Building Star programs would offer consumers and businesses incentives to invest in energy efficiency retrofits, while creating much-needed jobs for the struggling construction trades. Property-assessed clean energy bonds (so-called PACE programs) remove one of the primary barriers to cost-effective efficiency investments: the steep up-front costs. They have proven wildly popular in a growing number of cities and states. The Rural Energy Savings Program recently put forward by a bicameral, bipartisan group of lawmakers (including Sen. Graham) would extend the same employment and money-saving benefits to rural areas.

More ideas like this emerge every week, as legislatorsR17; eyes open to the win-win potential of energy efficiency. It can serve as the heart of your bill and as common political ground.

2. Strengthen the clean energy standard.

Just this week, a bipartisan coalition of 29 governors joined in a call for a renewable electricity standard (RES) of 20 percent by 2020. The Department of Energy found that an RES of 25 percent by 2025 is both affordable and achievable, and thatR17;s with fairly some pessimistic projections of scale and innovation.

Unfortunately, the RES in the Energy Committee billR12;15 percent by 2021R12;would do little to boost renewables above business as usual, according to both ACEEE and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The politics of clean energy have been vexed because some senators, particularly from the Southeast, believe their states have little access to clean energy and will end up subsidizing other regions. This is simply mistaken. As an analysis (PDF) from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy shows, Southern states have access to copious biomass, along with plentiful solar, geothermal, and offshore wind energy. (West VirginiaR17;s Joe Manchin is part of the coalition of governors.)

Further support could be built by allowing some nuclear power and coal with carbon sequestration to qualify under a broader clean energy standard, of the sort Sens. Lugar and Graham have proposed. If those sources are permitted, however, their contribution should be capped; genuinely renewable sources deserve special consideration.

3. Address the legacy fleet of dirty U.S. coal plants

One of the biggest impediments to the growth of clean energy is AmericaR17;s fleet of aging dirty coal plants. Just under 10 percent of U.S. power plants produce fully half the power sectorR17;s carbon pollution. Of those plants, 83 percent were built 30 or more years ago. That same group of decrepit plants also produces a disproportionate share of particulate emissions and mercury pollution, at substantial public health cost.

Because they are fully amortized and face no pollution controls (they were “grandfathered” under the Clean Air Act), the energy these plants produce is extremely cheap. For that reason, they have been run more intensively the last 20 years. For the same reason, no carbon price likely in the next 20 years will render them uneconomic. They must be addressed by regulation.

The best way to do this is via regulations of greenhouse gases by the EPA. Those regulations are the subject of heated controversy;  legislators from energy- or manufacturing-intensive states are concerned that they will be intrusive and expensive. (Less widely understood is the fact that a few simple legislative modifications to the Clean Air Act could allay those fears. The threshold for a regulated entity could be raised to 25,000 tons, or higher, to insure that only the biggest polluters are subject to regulation. The vexed question of what constitutes “best available control technology” under the Clean Air Act could be settled by Congress in a way that balances economic and environmental concerns.)

If, as is rumored, EPA authority over greenhouse gases is pre-empted by your legislation, Congress will still needs to address the problem. Steadily rising plant-by-plant performance standards would prompt utilities to upgrade or close those plants. Alternatively, T. Boone Pickens and Ted Turner have proposed a “cash for coal clunkers” program that would effectively buy out the oldest, dirtiest plants.

4. Pick the best of the rest

There are plenty of other worthwhile provisions in circulation, in the Energy Committee bill and elsewhere. They address the need for bulked up energy transmission and a smarter grid; the need to establish institutions (like a Clean Energy Bank) to provide stable financing; the need to bring utility regulations into the 21st century. Many of these ideas have, quietly and without fanfare, gathered bipartisan support. Look outside the conventional channels and conventional ideas. Beyond the somewhat stale thinking in the Beltway, many of AmericaR17;s brightest minds are furiously attacking this problem. Unleash them!

In long-overdue conclusion

America is ready for clean energy. A vast amount of private capital is being held back as investors wait for clear rules. The dispute over carbon pricing should not be permitted to cause further delays, concessions, or trimmed ambitions. The smarter path forward is to establish a minimal or slowly phased in carbon price, acceptable to most industries and legislators, along with a framework whereby it can be raised in the future. With that contentious debate behind you, you can turn to crafting the ambitious clean energy bill for which the American people have unambiguously voiced support.

Related Links:

Christian Coalition backs Sen. Graham on climate legislation

If it does matter where CO2 is released, cities are in trouble

For green homes, should energy trump everything else?

History has sped up, no question about it. Vietnam revisionism took decades. During Ronald Reagan's election in 1980, that multifaceted catastrophe became a "noble cause"...

by Sergio López-Piñeiro Presented at the 2010 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting New Orleans, March 2010 Within the architectural context of the American academy, a thesis constitutes the traditional conclusion to an architect’s education. This piece of work is usually required for both professional degrees, Bachelor and Master of Architecture. It is commonly implied that a thesis is a design that must clearly and unambiguously define the soon-to-be-architect’s position within the field of architecture. For this reason, it is usually expected that the student, through a fair amount of research, is able to define his/her position in theoretical and historical terms while using his/her design as a means to demonstrate and expand on the chosen position. The results of this widely spread requirement vary from school to school but I believe it is fair to say that, in general, they are not great. The possible causes for this situation are several but in my opinion the main reason is that only some of the students find this academic pursuit easy to understand and follow. And, as it is seen semester after semester, only very few students are actually able to deliver what is asked from them. Most faculty members will probably agree with me since it is not uncommon to end a thesis review hearing critics mutter comments such as “It only works well for a few students” or “There has to be another way.” However, and despite the slight but perennial disappointment that follows most thesis reviews, few schools start the following academic year with major changes regarding the organization or expectations for the new breed of students’ theses. In spite of this crisis, the thesis ritual is continued to be perceived and presented as the first step in an architect’s realization of the type of design practice it is required for his/her self-positioning within the field of architecture according to his/her own interests. The question, then, that I cannot help continue to ask myself is: why do we—the architectural academic community at large—ask students to do a thesis if most practicing architects do not work in this manner? Only some architects practice by grounding series of projects through individual theses. Nonetheless, we insist on testing the students’ abilities at this mode of working before they conclude their studies. And therefore, we continue to contradict ourselves when we present the thesis as the stepping stone for a future architect to project his/her understanding of what architecture is through how he/she believes that it should be practiced by only allowing students to follow one of the possible models of practice, the thesis. With this paper I would like to propose a methodology that might open up the discussion by expanding on the traditional definition of thesis through its reconsideration from a practice-based point of view. I will lay out this method by, first, categorizing practice models through various groupings of the elements that constitute the usual structure of an architectural education. And second, I will extract from these practice models new options for what an academic thesis might be, pointing out specific strengths and weaknesses of some selected cases. Current Architectural Educational Model or {{{{ Operations } Projects } Theses } Movements } The education of an architect usually follows a structure that allows students to slowly confront progressively complex designs. These degrees of complexity can be functional (such as scale, program, or site) or conceptual. As a starting point, it is a wide spread practice to have new architecture students do a series of exercises, each addressing a design operation focused on a specific architectural issue. These issues are as varied as the problems that the field of architecture encompasses and thus vary according to the profile and emphasis of each school. In general, most initial exercises involve techniques of production and representation, spatial and geometric experiments, site analysis, human scale and various understandings of the human figure, material explorations, etc. The most elementary conceptual lesson that new students learn at this stage is that it is only through an operation that an architect can exercise a design decision. Therefore, architecture is defined as a practice-based discipline and these exercises constitute the students’ first practice at various basic design operations. Only after a semester or a year of architectural training are students exposed to the design of a project. This transition is usually a tricky one and students can remain confused during the first weeks of this stage. Second year projects—or second semester depending on the school’s pedagogic structure—are to me the most interesting ones since they are the ones that, in attempting to address this transition, can reveal more about a pedagogic model, a school, or a faculty member. After a few more projects—all progressively increasing in breadth and complexity—and before they are allowed to leave the academic context, students are asked to do a thesis. This critical piece of work is expected to compile the knowledge the student has acquired during his/her studies while indicating how he/she is planning on using it. Movements are usually defined as organized efforts to achieve a common goal. Within architecture, these usually are ideologically articulated, stylistically defined, or technologically motivated. In this paper, I will refer to movements as any architectural current, trend, or -ism, without making any distinction. What I imply with this term is the grouping that necessarily exists of individual positions under a broader framework. Students of architecture are exposed to this understanding in history/theory classes as well as in the design studio. When students work on a thesis, they are expected to define their position within the field of architecture and this is partially achieved by framing their work in relationship to other architects’ positions. Thus, a student’s thesis must necessarily imply an understanding of movements—according to my use of this term—that are broader than his/her individual position. If the reader accepts this educational structure—which slowly confronts students with progressively complex designs—I can summarize the education of an architect with the expression {{{{ Operations } Projects } Theses } Movements }. This understanding, besides describing an educational structure, also implies a specific strategy for practicing architecture: it is a practice model based on an understanding of how architecture is conceptually constructed. Therefore, once a student is aware of this progressive nesting, the different options he/she faces by altering the given structure as a way of practicing architecture become obvious (figure 1). It is at this moment when the student should reflect on which practice model is more appropriate for his/her interests. Students should not have to do a thesis, but rather they should be asked which type of practice they find more aligned with their way of thinking. In short, they should state—and this statement should constitute their required academic thesis—which practice model they are going to follow as they define their position within the discipline of architecture. What follows are specific examples that I have pulled out from the chart in an attempt to clarify the methodology I am proposing. The following case studies should also be considered by the students who would like to proceed with this method as examples of the weaknesses and strengths that a particular model can present. Herzog and de Meuron or {{{{ Operations } Projects } } } The first case study I would like to concentrate on is a well-known architectural modus operandi where a project is defined as a group of operations, all of them responding to a specific formal idea worked out at different scales and through different materializations. This practice model shall be considered the most classical of all architectural modes of working and its understanding has traditionally implied how to spot a good designer. In traditional terms, good design is defined as the architect’s ability to coherently group a set of operations under an overall and strict formal logic. This conceptual position results in unique, carefully controlled, and highly coherent formal systems—through which, as a result, we are usually able to recognize the ‘hand’ of different architects. This tacit understanding, along with its many variations and implications, has regulated many of the disciplinary discussions on architecture, always producing supporters and detractors. For instance, many, if not all, of the architectural -isms developed during the late part of the twentieth century can be read as a response to this deeply engrained principle. Despite its long history, this practice model can still yield interesting results, especially if such conventions are questioned. For this reason, students willing to follow this model might want to study, for instance, the work by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. With the variables I have just described under consideration, some of their designs, such as the Tate Modern or the Bird’s Nest, should be considered as classical. The Bird’s Nest, for example, can be explained as a tight grouping of operations exploring different irregular crisscrossing instances of folding straight lines at various scales and with different materials. However, Herzog and de Meuron have also proposed other projects where these conventions have been questioned, attempting to yield other grouping strategies. One of these is their recently completed Caixa Forum in Madrid, Spain, where each space within the project is an isolated operation (conceptual, formal, material, geometric, and spatial) with few connections to other spaces located throughout the rest of the building. Conceptually, the project comes together as a discontinuous grouping of design decisions where formal continuity is rarely and only achieved by progressively morphing different formal logics throughout the building. ArandaLasch or {{{{ Operations } } } Movement } This mode of operation is quite prevalent among designers working with new technological developments varying from computer scripting to digital fabrication processes to physical computing, just to give some examples. Architects following this practice model usually position their work within a specific movement by briefly framing in conceptual terms the technology they are interested in using. This broad theoretical framework acts as an umbrella that allows them to experiment without worrying too much about the conceptual consequences of each of the exercises they attempt. In particular, the work developed by the office ArandaLasch epitomizes this very popular and current trend. Their book Tooling, published as the issue number 27 of the Pamphlet Architecture series, is structured around seven operations or tools: Spiraling, Packing, Weaving, Bending, Cracking, Flocking, and Tiling. Each of these algorithmic techniques is “presented alongside 1) a recipe, 2) shapes made by the recipe, 3) a project that uses the recipe within the architectural context, and finally, 4) programmatic computer code ...”¹ Attempting to regulate and exploit the design advantages of new technologies is not an easy process and therefore, thinking in terms of sets of “recipes”—each of them experimenting with a specific aspect of the new technological development—does seem to be a good approach. However, I remain doubtful about the capacity of the final product to resonate with architectural conditions beyond the ones that have been worked out through the experiment. For this reason, these proposals seem to present themselves more as a series of exercises through which to exploit the particular advantages of the listed operations rather than as complex and multifaceted projects. Students interested in the controlled exploration of a specific tool emerging out of new technological developments should not disregard other practice models as viable options. But this mode of working might be the most appropriate for such experimentations. Le Corbusier or {{{{ } Projects } Theses } Movement } This practice model will be of interest primarily to students with a very rational and logic understanding of their work as well as of the architectural discipline. Only with extreme clarity will this model yield acceptable results, thus well organized thinkers might want to consider it as a means of taking advantage of their well structured knowledge. Le Corbusier’s work can in many instances be described as pedagogic, due to the extreme clarity of his mode of working. Analyzing some of his proposals, the reader might even want to argue that his practice model was in fact {{{{ Operations } Projects } Theses } Movements }. And I would not disagree. In very few other architects’ work can the inner workings of the nesting process be perceived so clearly.² Clarity of approach, however, should not be confused with simple results. Undoubtedly, it was Le Corbusier’s clarity of work—at least when he described it through his many publications—what allowed him to publicize his work so easily. And what enabled him to contribute to the construction of the Modern Movement with easily comprehensible strokes. But this clarity should not misguide an interested student regarding the complexity of the results that can be attained. Carefully looking at some of his most holistic proposals, such as City of Three Million Inhabitants, is probably the best way of getting acquainted with this practice model. OMA or {{{{ } Projects } Theses } } OMA’s work exemplifies the project/thesis dichotomy. No other architectural office has been so precise in the production of groups of projects exploring specific architectural issues from clear and well articulated theoretical viewpoints. Amongst the theses we have enjoyed so far are the Culture of Congestion, Junkspace, Bigness, The Generic City, Typical Plan, etc. Despite their interest in well defined disciplinary positions, OMA has always resisted its inclusion within a movement. In a way, it could be argued that their ambition has been to create a movement. And in many instances they have come very close to it, if not plainly achieved it. This mode of working became quite popular in the mid-1990s coinciding with Rem Koolhaas and OMA’s reputation surge but it has stayed under the radar ever since then. In the early 2000s, architects’ attention shifted to other models primarily because this mode of working only yields successful results when architects have reached a certain stage of maturation in their ideas. The bursting of new technologies within the profession has triggered a multitude of experiments, many of them attracting much attention due to their novelty, but in most circumstances these explorations have not yielded mature positions yet. Therefore, the work that results from this practice model does not usually openly accept recent innovations but rather questions previous developments to propose new designs. For all these reasons, this modus operandi might only be appropriate for those students who start their thesis with a record of projects—not just exercises—already leading to clearly defined theoretical positions demonstrating that they have achieved a certain level of maturity. Most usually, although not always, these conditions are only met by older students who have taken time off to work or teach during their education or in-between degrees. Bruno Taut or {{{{ } Projects } } Movements } Architects practicing in this manner are the split personas of the architectural world since they simultaneously act as leaders and followers. As leaders, they take a predominant role in the definition of new disciplinary currents. As followers, their projects respond to broadly stated principles that they attempt to exploit or question. They do not concentrate on simple operations and they are not too worried about defending particular positions. Their interests lie in broad theoretical frameworks and specific projects as responses to those frameworks. I have selected Bruno Taut as an example because of his amazing variety of initiatives and achievements, both as an entrepreneur and as a team member. For instance, he initiated the Glass Chain, a German utopian correspondence group; he published Alpine Architecture, a major contribution to the Expressionist architecture movement; he was named chief architect of GEHAG, a progressive modern housing cooperative; and, he wrote Houses and People of Japan, the leading publication on Japanese architecture and culture from the second quarter of the twentieth century. However, other architects such as Philip Johnson are also representative of this mode of working. In his leading roles, Johnson was the founder of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and one of the three organizers of the 1932 influential MOMA exhibit “Modern Architecture—International Exhibition.” As a follower, his work for Mies van der Rohe or his numerous projects responding to different stylistic currents is well known. Enric Miralles or {{{{ } Projects } } } The work of Enric Miralles (first with Carme Pinós, then with Benedetta Tagliablue) relied on very personal means of expression. All throughout his work it is easy to establish genealogical links between projects—or families of projects, as Miralles himself called them once—but as it seems clear from his personal history, his ambition was never to group these projects in order to state a theoretical position. Each series of projects is to be seen as a meditated exploration where progressive variations, from one project to the next, allow for the constant rethinking and reappraisal of the issues considered. Under this category I would group most architects that demonstrate deep personal design interests and abilities, and whose work can be organized as series of variations without a strong theoretical positioning such as, for example, Zaha Hadid, Hans Scharoun, or SANAA. It is worth noting that this mode of operation is very similar to classical artistic practices defined by autonomous artists with no theoretical ambitions. Giacometti or Calder, for instance, are names which immediately come to mind.³ This type of artist does not rely on a theoretical framework to position his/her work within the field. Their positioning strategy relies on serialization: it is through sheer repetition and slight variations—enabled by their unique talent—that their work becomes positioned within the art field. For students with a strong and deeply entrenched design personality showing no tendency toward any theoretical argument whatsoever, series of projects around one of their design interests should, following the argument that I am proposing in this paper, be considered an acceptable academic thesis. Diller + Scofidio or {{{{ } } Theses } } I am primarily referring here to the series of works developed by Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio at the beginning of their partnership,⁴ such as Slow House, Tourisms: suitCase Studies, Bad Press: Dissident Ironing, or The Withdrawing Room. Every project from that period of time is unique and singular, poignant and intense. The poignancy and intensity of each design stems out of their ability to address the complexity of the issues constituting each proposal. In my opinion, the projects are successful because, in each of them, Diller and Scofidio stated a unique position capable of singularly defining a relationship between architecture and the cultural conditions they were facing. With each proposal, Diller and Scofidio redefined the role of architecture as a cultural agent by demonstrating what design can do with its unique capacities and outrageous pitfalls. For these reasons, each of these projects should be considered a thesis in itself. Some contemporary artists interested in a myriad of mediums and effects, such as Olafur Eliasson, need to work in a similar manner since, due to their disparate and broad range of interests and the difficulties implied in establishing connections between all of them, each piece of their work is required to stand on its own—and this can only occur by establishing an autonomous and strong aesthetic and conceptual position for each piece of work. In general, however, it is uncommon to find students or architects that can follow this mode of operation. But, and as I am sure that the reader has concluded, these are the students that find the academic thesis requirement to be the happiest and most productive time while at school. It is also worth noting that, in many cases, these same students might have experienced what is commonly referred as “productivity issues” in standard studios where ‘simple’ projects are expected—and where a high degree of detail is demanded without a broader theoretical position. Unless these students were attending schools with a high thesis-like tendency in every single one of their studios or unless the students were lucky enough to have an instructor that allowed for their thesis-like positioning interests, these students might not have necessarily received the best grades in previous studios. Epilogue I wanted to end with Diller + Scofidio’s practice model because their work exemplifies what many faculty members understand to be a desirable thesis. However, and as I hope that I have been able to demonstrate, this is only one of the multiple modes of operation that architecture students can follow as they finish their studies. I hope that this paper can help faculty reflect on how we teach thesis as well as encourage them to reconsider the expectations that we hold at this stage of the students’ education. But most importantly, I hope that this paper will be used by students in their pre-thesis course as a map of the different options they may encounter as they start a stage of self-introspection that should lead them to the realization of who they are and how they work as architects.⁵ This is, in the end, what a thesis should provide. Endnotes ¹ Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch, Tooling (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006), 9. ² The fact that the nesting process can be so clearly perceived in Le Corbusier’s mode of working raises an important and unavoidable question regarding the educational structure I have described at the beginning of this article and that I am using as the means to classify different practice models. Should it be deducted that this structure is a modern invention since it is in Le Corbusier’s work, the highest exponent of Modernism, where this structure can be most clearly perceived? ³ Consequently, Miralles’ interest in Giacometti is surely not a coincidence as he demonstrates in his reading of James Lord’s account of his own portrait by Giacometti. See Enric Miralles, “A Portrait by Giacometti,” Enric Miralles, 1983-2000 (El Escorial, Madrid: Croquis Editorial, 2005), 382. ⁴ If I have chosen not to focus also on the work developed by their current office, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, it is simply because I believe that their mode of operation has changed since the beginning of their original partnership—probably due to the type of commissions they are now able to undertake following the wide success that they have been enjoying. In any case, my decision to focus only on one part of their careers does not imply any judgment on the work that is now produced at Diller Scofidio + Renfro. ⁵ These endeavors will have to be left for a future paper but the methodology I have proposed could have two other important applications. First, it is fair to assume that it should be able to help establish appropriate pairings between students and advisors. A logical outcome of the method I have proposed is that different practice models probably require different advisors: thus, as a ‘thesis horoscope,’ this method could be able to point out pairings to look for as well as pairings to be avoided. Second, different modes of working are better appreciated in different working environments and by different working partners. As students realize what type of practice model is more suitable to their disciplinary position, they should also come to understand under which circumstances—offices or business partners—will they be able to take the most advantage out of their mode of working.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Most of us by now recognize the fact that coal is climate enemy #1. Witness the bitch-slapping Facebook suffered when it decided to use coal to power its new data center, for instance. The "We want facebook to use 100% renewable energy" group on — where else? — Facebook already has nearly 175,000 members.

Many environmentalists, including top NASA climate scientist James Hansen, have called repeatedly for a phase-out of coal-burning power plants by 2030 if we’re to have any chance of avoiding catastrophic, runaway climate change. But that won’t be easy, as Big Coal has buckets of cash and plenty of friends in high places (including several in the U.S. Congress).

Which is why many environmental organizations have already been targeting new coal plants and trying to stop them from being built. By the Sierra Club’s count, some 126 proposed new plants have been stopped in their tracks since 2001. There’s a great searchable list of coal plants that have been proposed across the U.S. here.

The Sierra Club’s success in defeating new coal plants is just one of many victories against Big Coal noted by Ted Nace in a recent post over on Grist. Nace certainly knows what he’s talking about, having written a book, Climate Hope: On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Coal, all about “the organizing methods and political tactics that enabled underdog activists in state after state to take on and defeat Big Coal, one of the most politically dominant industries in America.”

The conclusion Nace has reached is that a multifaceted movement targeting coal is the only way to phase out the use of this supremely dirty fossil fuel. What I found most interesting was his discussion of the work various groups are doing to take the movement to the next level: from stopping proposed plants to shutting down existing ones. This little fact really caught my eye: “Almost 90 percent of existing coal-fired generating capacity dates from before 1985, which means that if we simply instituted a policy of retiring coal plants at age 40, we'd be 90 percent of the way to the zero-coal goal by 2025.”

But because that would make too much sense, a coordinated phaseout of this sort is probably unlikely. Nace proposes instead that coal is more likely to succumb to a strategy of “death by a thousand cuts.” He even proposes ten different “knives” — or tactics — that could be employed to “whittle down” the coal fleet. They include lobbying for federal regulations, including a renewable portfolio standard, regulation of coal waste, and of course cap-and-trade, in addition to direct action and protests.

Want to save the climate? Get to work making some of those thousand cuts.

Image credit: Open Market

Traverse, Edinburgh

The commedia dell'arte figure of Pierrot was the unifying theme to this programme from the Hebrides Ensemble. The figure of the lovelorn clown was present both in the music and on stage as Pierrot emerged to gaze at the luminous moon projected behind the ensemble. Yet if anything, the theatrical aspect of this programme wasn't fully realised, and this remained a largely straight concert performance, apart from Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire.

Sally Beamish's Commedia, a music theatre piece based on stock characters and situations of the commedia dell'arte tradition, is a slight work with the pantomime aspect entirely convincingly expressed in the music. Helen Grime's Seven Pierrot Miniatures, a new work written in response to poems by Albert Giraud (also drawn on by Schoenberg for his Pierrot Lunaire), was brief but rich in interesting contrasts. Grime's chamber pieces express a dreamlike tranquillity one minute and explosive brutality the next, reflecting the mercurial nature of Schoenberg's own settings.

Contrast was also provided by juxtaposition: the spare, ascetic beauty of Debussy's Cello Sonata was a startling glance back to the music of an earlier era placed as it was between the works by Beamish and Grime, and Chopin's C sharp minor Waltz, Op 64 No 2, which acted as a prelude to Pierrot.

French actress Sylvie Rohrer took the part of Pierrot in the Schoenberg, tending towards the speaking side of the speak-singing directions. It was a curiously muted performance, the mime gestures not entirely compensating for the limited vocal inflections. The colours and nuances were all in the instrumental ensemble whose performance brought out the multifaceted detail of Schoenberg's score.

Rating: 3/5

Creative company seeking Administrative Coordinator / Bookkeeper with 4+ yrs exp. PT position with FT potential. The ideal candidate will possess a mastery of QuickBooks, Excel, payroll procedures, and have a solid knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles. This is a multifaceted administrative position which requires a versatile, well organized professional with excellent interpersonal skills. Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in Accounting or related field; 3+ years bookkeeping experience; AIPB certification a plus. Background check required. Please forward resume and salary history to: jobresponse2010@yahoo.com

Strictly NO recruitment agencies - if you are a recruiter, please do not contact us about this post

The 24 Media Group is a multifaceted design and new media company based on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. We are currently on the lookout for a talented individual to join our team in the role of PHP/mySQL developer, on a part time basis.

YouR17;ll need to have extensive experience of working with PHP-based content management systems. Ideally, youR17;ll also have a working knowledge of using HTML and CSS for layout and unobtrusive JavaScript/AJAX techniques. Most importantly though, youR17;ll have exceptional communication skills coupled with a strong desire to develop yourself, learn, and advance your skills and knowledge. Design skills in Photoshop are also preferable but not essential.

We donR17;t believe in hand-holding so youR17;ll be given lots of responsibility from day one, although weR17;ll always be at hand to give you the support you need.

Strictly NO recruitment agencies - if you are a recruiter, please do not contact us about this post

SunWize/San Jose, CA

About SunWize:
Solar electric solutions change the way energy is put into homes and businesses. We are one of the largest and most highly respected solar renewable energy companies in the nation. For over 18 years, SunWize has been a leader in the USA solar electric industry. In addition to distribution, off-grid, and industrial systems, our grid-tied systems provide power for hospitals, grocery stores, water districts, vineyards and much more! Businesses and government agencies depend on us for innovative solutions for meeting their renewable energy needs. We are innovative, fast moving and fast growing – stable and firmly established, yet highly entrepreneurial in our thinking and doing.

Compensation and Benefits:
SunWize offers a competitive salary plus fully comprehensive benefits and sales bonus plan based on sales revenue. Our generous benefits package includes a 401(k) Retirement Plan, medical/dental/life/disability program, 10 days annual vacation time, 6 days sick time, 6 days of PTO time, prorated from your date of hire.

Position Title: Commercial Sales Manager
Classification: Full time position
Locations: San Jose, CA
Reports To: Director of Commercial Sales

Job Overview:
SunWize Commercial Power Systems provides turnkey on-grid solar electric solutions to a broad range of customers in the public and private sectors. Our commercial sales managers are the customer looking face of SunWize. Our sales professionals are charged with managing all aspects of selling medium to large scale commercial or government solar electric solutions including; evaluating the customer's energy needs, available space, shading issues, electrical service limitations, contractual requirements, and financial goals to arrive at a suitable recommendation for the solar electric system size and configuration. Our Sales Managers are also charged with planning channel strategy with Marketing and supporting marketing initiatives and lead generation through networking and trade shows. The ideal candidate will have experience managing a multifaceted sales process directed at C-level decision makers.

Further Job Responsibilities:
• Prospect for new customer leads by networking with customers, teaming partners, and procurement entities, by attending relevant trade shows, and through other marketing initiatives.
• Perform initial qualification of customer leads and feed new opportunities into the Company's formal opportunity evaluation process.
• Respond to Sources Sought, Statements of Qualification, Intent to Bid and similar requests.
• Evaluate RFP and RFQ opportunities and assist team with bid/no bid decisions.
• Attend pre-proposal site assessment meetings and perform initial site surveys.
• Review site feasibility using satellite imagery tools and site survey data and perform basic calculations to determine appropriate system size.
• Work closely with engineering and construction teams to develop optimum system configurations and accurate project cost estimates.
• Provide formal status updates on all customer opportunities and produce regular sales reports.
• Develop government and commercial proposals as required.
• Perform project financial analyses and develop compelling proposals using company system performance and financial models.
• Present proposals and sell economic, technical, and environmental benefits of solar electric systems to customers.
• Negotiate contracts with customers.
• Ensure appropriate company reviews are scheduled and conducted, and obtain required approval signatures prior to submittal of proposals or execution of contractual documents.
• Perform win/loss analysis with sales team.
• Maintain current knowledge of solar electric system market conditions and of local, state, and utility incentive and tax credit programs for solar electric systems.
• Work closely with Marketing to execute channel initiatives.

Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree and 7-10 years working experience in business management, technical sales, marketing, finance, engineering or other relevant field.
• Working understanding of business financial calculations such as Gross Margin, Gross Profit, Direct Costs, G&A, Return on Investment, and Break Even Analysis.
• Ability to work with cross functional internal teams to complete and perfect proposals for customers.
• Proven verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate the results of technical and financial analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to close sales contracts, preferably in energy services or construction industry.
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Up to 40% travel.
• Strong computer application skills including PowerPoint, Excel and MS Office.
• Experience with Salesforce and MS Project is desired but not required.
• Comfortable with use of basic construction surveying and estimating tools such compass, camera, and measuring tools.
• Comfortable in electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, and on ladders and rooftops.
• Must employ ethical business practices throughout all the entire sales process.
• Established list of prospective clients such as facilities managers, business owners and executive officers is desired but not required.
• Basic working knowledge of construction methods and electrical power systems is preferred.


SunWize is an Equal Opportunity Employer, with a diverse and inclusive work environment.







Apply To Job

About SunWize:

Solar electric solutions change the way energy is put into homes and businesses. We are one of the largest and most highly respected solar renewable energy companies in the nation. For over 18 years, SunWize has been a leader in the USA solar electric industry. In addition to distribution, off-grid, and industrial systems, our grid-tied systems provide power for hospitals, grocery stores, water districts, vineyards and much more! Businesses and government agencies depend on us for innovative solutions for meeting their renewable energy needs. We are innovative, fast moving and fast growing – stable and firmly established, yet highly entrepreneurial in our thinking and doing.

Compensation and Benefits:

SunWize offers a competitive salary plus fully comprehensive benefits and sales bonus plan based on sales revenue. Our generous benefits package includes a 401(k) Retirement Plan, medical/dental/life/disability program, 10 days annual vacation time, 6 days sick time, 6 days of PTO time, prorated from your date of hire.

Position Title: Commercial Sales Manager
Classification: Full time position
Locations: San Jose, CA
Reports To: Director of Commercial Sales

Job Overview:

SunWize Commercial Power Systems provides turnkey on-grid solar electric solutions to a broad range of customers in the public and private sectors. Our commercial sales managers are the customer looking face of SunWize. Our sales professionals are charged with managing all aspects of selling medium to large scale commercial or government solar electric solutions including; evaluating the customer’s energy needs, available space, shading issues, electrical service limitations, contractual requirements, and financial goals to arrive at a suitable recommendation for the solar electric system size and configuration. Our Sales Managers are also charged with planning channel strategy with Marketing and supporting marketing initiatives and lead generation through networking and trade shows. The ideal candidate will have experience managing a multifaceted sales process directed at C-level decision makers.

Further Job Responsibilities:

• Prospect for new customer leads by networking with customers, teaming partners, and procurement entities, by attending relevant trade shows, and through other marketing initiatives.
• Perform initial qualification of customer leads and feed new opportunities into the Company’s formal opportunity evaluation process.
• Respond to Sources Sought, Statements of Qualification, Intent to Bid and similar requests.
• Evaluate RFP and RFQ opportunities and assist team with bid/no bid decisions.
• Attend pre-proposal site assessment meetings and perform initial site surveys.
• Review site feasibility using satellite imagery tools and site survey data and perform basic calculations to determine appropriate system size.
• Work closely with engineering and construction teams to develop optimum system configurations and accurate project cost estimates.
• Provide formal status updates on all customer opportunities and produce regular sales reports.
• Develop government and commercial proposals as required.
• Perform project financial analyses and develop compelling proposals using company system performance and financial models.
• Present proposals and sell economic, technical, and environmental benefits of solar electric systems to customers.
• Negotiate contracts with customers.
• Ensure appropriate company reviews are scheduled and conducted, and obtain required approval signatures prior to submittal of proposals or execution of contractual documents.
• Perform win/loss analysis with sales team.
• Maintain current knowledge of solar electric system market conditions and of local, state, and utility incentive and tax credit programs for solar electric systems.
• Work closely with Marketing to execute channel initiatives.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and 7-10 years working experience in business management, technical sales, marketing, finance, engineering or other relevant field.
• Working understanding of business financial calculations such as Gross Margin, Gross Profit, Direct Costs, G&A;, Return on Investment, and Break Even Analysis.
• Ability to work with cross functional internal teams to complete and perfect proposals for customers.
• Proven verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate the results of technical and financial analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to close sales contracts, preferably in energy services or construction industry.
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Up to 40% travel.
• Strong computer application skills including PowerPoint, Excel and MS Office.
• Experience with Salesforce and MS Project is desired but not required.
• Comfortable with use of basic construction surveying and estimating tools such compass, camera, and measuring tools.
• Comfortable in electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, and on ladders and rooftops.
• Must employ ethical business practices throughout all the entire sales process.
• Established list of prospective clients such as facilities managers, business owners and executive officers is desired but not required.
• Basic working knowledge of construction methods and electrical power systems is preferred.

Qualified candidates should send resume and cover letter to sunwizecareers@sunwize.com.

SunWize is an Equal Opportunity Employer, with a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Everyone want more visitors on your website is a very multifaceted process with a lot of variations, there is many ways as examples: SEO, valuable content, link exchange and advertising on different resources. As per today need of most design and technology based bloggers who want to promote design

5 Vote(s)

Here's a good reason to stay in Austin on Monday night. In 2001, Jon Lebkowsky and Cory threw the first annual Electronic Frontier Foundation party during SXSW Interactive, hosted by EFF-Austin. This party became annual tradition, and morphed over the last four years into Plutopia, a multifaceted extravaganza of music, performances, art, and talks, ...

BoingBoing: Plutopia, a multifaceted extravaganza, in Austin Monday, March 15 http://bit.ly/c3tPQw

(By @BoingBoing - Blog Feed - BoingBoing, Entertainment)

Here's a good reason to stay in Austin on Monday night.

In 2001, Jon Lebkowsky and Cory threw the first annual Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) party during SXSW Interactive, hosted by EFF-Austin. This party became annual tradition, and morphed over the last four years into Plutopia, a multifaceted extravaganza of music, performances, art, and talks, this year based on "The Science of Music." The event is Monday night, March 15, at the Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin.

Plutopia 2010 is an amazing convergence of technology, DIY, music, art, and academics. In addition to standard party fare, performance and the arts will play a major role alongside exhibits and talks in presenting the ideas in a way that will make this yet another memorable, stimulating, and fun SXSW after event.

Way beyond the run-of-the-mill "booze and schmooze" after-party mixer, Plutopia is an ever-evolving multimedia experiment of Austin-tatious proportions dedicated to a playful, yet masterful cross-pollination across verticals to bring you an immersive interactive experience event.

This year's Plutopian theme explores the role of technology, sound and digital media in changing the landscape and narrative of music in the information age.

The science refers to everything from immersive listening and the expanding of audio boundaries and experimentation, to new forms of instrumentation, sampling and remixing and emerging creative processes; and from integrated multisensory systems and interfaces with intelligent networks, to the transformations of aesthetics and the changing rhythm of nature.

Monday, March 15, 2010
7pm - midnight
Mexican American Cultural Center
600 River St. Austin, TX
FREE to SXSW Interactive and Platinum Badge Holders; $15 General Public

FEATURED ARTISTS:

Bruce Sterling
Xiao He
DJ Spooky
Black Pig Liberation Front
White
Dr. Strangevibe
and also featuring the Edible Austin Foodie Fest and Tipsy Texan Cocktail Bar!

Unique to this and only this event, Edible Austin magazine is bringing the heart and soul of Austin's local foodie scene and cutting edge mixology to Plutopia and will be hosting out-of-town guests from Eat Well Guide. Full list of food and drink participants here.

Plutopia

For all the talk of how crazy the conference has been this year, the Pac-10 Tournament has provided a decidedly un-crazy showdown for its championship today, as the top two teams in the conference's preseason poll -- California and Washington -- will meet for the right to lock up an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears and Huskies have left little doubt who the two best teams in the conference are. Cal used a 22-7 second half run to put away a pesky UCLA team, 85-72, while Washington led from tip to finish in dispatching Stanford, 79-64.

UCLA was determined to interject some drama into the first semifinal, leading 39-30 with just over a minute to go in the first half. The Bruins were hot from all over the floor, while Cal's usually explosive offense had yet to take flight. But the Bears closed the gap before the buzzer, as Jerome Randle showed everyone why he's the Pac-10 player of the year by draining a 3-pointer off the dribble just before the horn.

From there, it was all about the Bears, says California Golden Blogs:

After Dragovic nailed a 3 to give UCLA a 44-42 lead, Cal went on a 22-7 run to effectively end the game. UCLA shot over their heads in the first half and returned to Earth to start the second, missing their first four shots and going 2 of 11 to start things off. A lot of this has to do with the ramping up of defensive effort, but some of it also has to do with poor shot selection. The Bruins shot 38% in the half, which just isn't going to end well if you're playing Cal.

And while the defense was the catalyst, it ultimately was the Bears' offense that proved to the be difference as they ended up scoring 1.23 points per possession when it was all said and done.

Washington, on the other had, was fueled by its defense -- which has increasingly become the Huskies' identity this season. Stanford shot just 31.3 percent overall for the game and posted just a 35.9 effective field goal percentage thanks in large part to a 6-for-23 performance from behind the arc. The Cardinal posted just .88 points per possession -- their second-lowest mark of Pac-10 play.

The showdown between Landry Fields and Quincy Pondexter would have to be considered a draw, with both players struggling at times to score efficiently from the field -- Pondexter with 19 points (on 5-of-12 shooting), seven rebounds and three assists, Fields with 20 points (on 6-of-15 shooting), 14 rebounds and one assist.

It's tough to know whether the drama has been removed from the championship or not in terms of the conference's postseason fate. It would be shocking if Cal wasn't a lock at this point, and most Bracketology experts seem to agree that Washington is one of the final handful of teams in. It's hard to believe that losing to the regular season conference champion in the final would do anything to diminish that. Regardless, it appears highly unlikely the Pac-10 will receive more than two bids tomorrow, which is still almost shocking to write.

Who will come out on top today? The two teams split their regular season meetings with each team winning convincingly at home. The Huskies' win came in the second weekend of the conference slate, though, with Jerome Randle hampered by a minor knee injury and the Bears' defensive catalyst, Jorge Gutierrez sitting out.

While both teams preach offense and like to get up and down the floor, the truth is that this game will be won or lost with UW's defense. The question is whether the Huskies can be the first team in a month to even sort of slow down the Bears' multifaceted attack.

The final tips off at 3:10 p.m PST on CBS.

Salesforce.com is the enterprise cloud computing company. Our portfolio of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, including our award-winning customer relationship management (CRM), has revolutionized the ways that customers manage and share business information over the Internet. Salesforce.com has evolved from a startup founded by four people in a cramped San Francisco apartment ten years ago to a company described by Barron’s as “the fastest growing business software company in the world.” With more than 3,800 employees, over $1.3B in annual revenues, and over 68,000 customers worldwide, we are proud to contribute to the success of companies of all sizes, in all industries, around the globe. According to Gartner, 25% of all software will be deployed via the cloud computing model by 2011. No matter how you slice it, the future of software is cloud computing. Consider joining the cloud computing leader, Salesforce.com, and be part of the team that is creating this future.

We currently have an opportunity within our FP&A; organization for a Finance Director supporting our Sales Organization. This is a key position that is responsible for providing multiple planning, reporting analysis functions for the Sales organization. This role serves as a business partner to senior management within the Sales organization, providing guidance on and influencing financial and operational matters. Additionally, this individual is expected to be an integral player in important cross-functional, organization wide initiatives and projects.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate various company planning and forecasting processes, provide financial analysis and manage ongoing financial performance for the sales organization
• Analyze complex business and financial data and scenarios to provide recommendations and solutions to sales leadership.
• Support key business reviews (financial and operational) for sales organization along with other members of finance and operations teams.
• Partner with sales operations and strategy teams as well as international finance partners to drive financial insight into sales effectiveness, productivity and quota setting process.
• Develop and/or refine key financial and business reports and metrics to aid in decision making and provide greater visibility to company management.
• Lead evaluation of new initiatives that cross sales, marketing and product groups in conjunction with other finance and operational groups.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Accounting, Finance or related field.- MBA or CPA strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant public company work experience a plus.
• Experience interfacing with sales organizations strongly desired.
• SaaS or software industry experience a plus.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal), organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills a must as well as strong presentation skills
• Proven track record of top performance
• Experience leading multifaceted cross-functional initiatives strongly desired.
• Ability to multi-task and manage dynamic work load of changing priorities.
• Team player with the ability to work independently, proactively and effectively under pressure.
• Experience with financial systems - Hyperion, Oracle, Business Objects - is strongly preferred. Experience with the Saleforce.com application is a plus.

Salesforce.com is an invigorating and stimulating place to work. We were named in early 2010 as one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The best-of-the-best work side by side every day—addressing challenges and providing the opportunity for each of us to do the best work of our careers. If you are ready to become a key contributor and join one of today’s hottest, market-leading companies, then send us your resume/CV and accomplishments today. In return for your efforts, salesforce.com offers a competitive compensation package including on site yoga, healthy snacks, paid-time-off for volunteering and more. Principals only, no agencies please. At salesforce.com, equal talent always means equal opportunity.

To Apply for this position, please CLICK HERE

Health care and bank accounts loom large in Lionel Shriver’s multifaceted 10th novel, in which plans, relationships and families are changed by illness. More: continued here

Warning: this post may be perceived as offensive to some overly sensitive persons of female persuasion. Please refrain from attacking the author before you finished reading it.

Disclaimer: no men or women were harmed during research and preparation of this post.

Introduction

While many a general observation was published on various phenomena related to use of cellular phone by women (such as choosing the same ringtone in 80% of the cases, frantic search for the ringing phone in the depths of that bag etc), no detailed analysis was performed on specifics of the undoubtedly complex interaction between a woman and her mobile.

This research concentrates on one single aspect of the multifaceted woman-phone interaction. Its purpose was to establish the reasons for the calls to a cell phone of a specific person remaining unanswered in 80 to 90 %% of the cases.

The statistics were collected during close to 10 years.

The person under observation reviewed the results and, while some of her comments were censored due to highly personal contents, the essential data wasn't challenged.

The structure of the following report is fairly basic: it contains three main parts:

• Conditions under which the phone call wasn't answered (total of 80 to 90%%)
• Conditions under which the phone call was answered (total of 10 to 20%%)
• Conclusions

1. Conditions under which the phone call wasn't answered

1.1 Forgotten at home

1.1.1 Charged and switched on
1.1.2 Charged and switched off
1.1.3 Uncharged
1.1.4 Connected to the charger and switched on
1.1.5 Connected to the charger and switched off
1.1.6 Left at home on purpose (cause I am not taking my bag with me this time)

1.2 Not forgotten at home

1.2.1 Uncharged
1.2.2 Charged and switched off (by mistake)
1.2.3 Charged, switched on, left in another office
1.2.4 Charged, switched on, ringing not heard due to phone being deep in the bag
1.2.5 Charged, switched on, ringing heard but was too late to the phone to answer
1.2.6 Charged, switched on, ringing heard but busy (on the office phone)
1.2.7 Charged, switched on, ringing heard but couldn't answer due to sitting in a meeting

2. Conditions under which the phone call was answered

2.1 While driving (without a headset, which act carries a stiff fine in this country)
2.2 No reasonable explanation, the intangible and unscientific element of good luck has to be introduced. In general, this element is hardly of any importance due to extremely low percentage of this case.

3. Conclusions

Proven effective as means of establishing outgoing communication (when charged and switched on), mobile phones have yet to prove their effectiveness as a bi-directional wife-husband communication tool. Some science fiction authors mull on the possibility of implanted cell phones powered by heat of the human body. This could be the ultimate answer to the issue raised here. However, this theory remains to be validated in the field, and no doubt some new obstacles will be encountered.

by Daniel N. White Featured Writer Dandelion Salad March 11, 2010 John Yoo, the man who provided the legal rationalizations for many of our numerous and multifaceted war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq during the Bush II administration came to speak in Austin last week at the University of Texas law school.  I skated out from work a little [...]

The See Forever Foundation, located in Washington, D.C., has an immediate opening in its Leadership Corps program at its Maya Angelou Academy in Laurel, MD. This is a multifaceted work experience for those interested in education, community building, juvenile justice, and transforming the lives of adjudicated and at-risk youth.

Our Leadership Corps is a talented, committed team of people with diverse backgrounds and professional goals who spend a year working hard in all aspects of our new school at the New Beginnings Youth Center (formerly known as Oak Hill) -- Washington D.C.’s secure facility for youth who have been adjudicated delinquent. Corps members have a critical role in the school, working closely with teachers, special education staff, and on-site Career Institute staff in all aspects of the program, learning from experience how to motivate, engage, and problem-solve with students who have diverse needs and unique strengths. Corps members will be challenged to teach, to lead, and to advocate for our students in a number of contexts, inside and outside of the classroom. This is creative and team-based work, and an outstanding preparation for any career.

See Forever sponsors a series of leadership and development activities for our Corps, including discussion sessions with community leaders and policy makers, and field trips to other programs and community service projects that are making a difference. Corps members learn the wide-ranging aspects of running a nonprofit, and working to make a difference in urban America.

Corps members’ responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Assisting teachers in the design and preparation of lessons and activities and management of the classroom
• Working with small groups of students or individual students on a variety of projects
• Helping to implement academic, social, or behavioral interventions for individual students
• Assessing student learning
• Participating in interdisciplinary team meetings with teachers, other staff, students, and/or parents as needed
• Modeling and contributing to a school culture of hope and high expectations for achievement
• Participating in a wide range of school activities including off-site retreats, family nights, and school celebrations
• Working as lead instructors in our Summer Freedom School program

Qualifications:
• Experience with or desire to work with urban teens in an educational or youth development environment
• Ability to motivate others and work as part of a team
• Ability to think critically and analytically
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Strong appreciation and understanding of individual cultural history and cultural differences
• A firm belief that all students have strengths and talents and that a good teacher helps students find these and use them to address weaknesses or overcome fears
• A commitment to youth advocacy
• An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred

Background
See Forever opened in 1997, with the goal of creating a small, nurturing high school for students who had not succeeded in traditional schools. We currently run three campuses under the Maya Angelou Public Charter School name. One high school campus is located in the historic Shaw district at 9th and T Streets NW, and the second one is in the former Evans Middle School at 57th and East Capitol Streets NE. Our middle school, also located in the Evans building, opened in the fall of 2007.

We assumed the management of the Maya Angelou Academy (formerly known as the Oak Hill Academy) in Laurel, MD in the summer of 2007, and opened an affiliated Transition Center in downtown Washington. Some of the students leaving the Maya Angelou Academy attend the Transition Center for up to three months.

Nearly all of our students are behind grade level academically, many have special needs, and most have experienced significant trauma at some point in their lives. We aim to provide these students with the best education they have ever had. Our school approach and design have worked where others have failed. Over 80% of our graduates have gone on to postsecondary school after graduating from the Maya Angelou Public Charter School, and many are earning bachelor’s degrees. For additional information about See Forever, visit our website, www.seeforever.org

To Apply
If you are interested in applying for this position, send your resume, a cover letter, and contact information for three references by e-mail to: hr@seeforever.org. Resumes, cover letters and references should be in MS Word, and sent by e-mail attachment.

See Forever is an equal opportunity employer. We believe a diverse staff is a better, more effective staff. Persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Reading a good mystery novel set in another country can be pleasurable on several levels. You grapple with the whodunit aspect and, while doing so, you absorb something of the unique flavor - the language, sights, history and politics - of the country and perhaps a substrata of society that you would never glimpse as a tourist. Here is a small selection of crime/thriller mysteries to whet your appetite for this fascinating mystery fiction sub-genre.

BOTSWANA

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander Mccall Smith. This is book 1 of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Book 11(The Double Comfort Safari Club) is scheduled for publication next month. Anchor. Print length: 272 p. Kindle edition $1.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
The other titles in this series are equally enchanting. They are Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, The Full Cupboard of Life, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Blue Shoes and Happiness, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, The Miracle at Speedy Motors and Tea Time for the Traditionally Built.
"This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith's widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to 'help people with problems in their lives.' Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors." - paperback edition, inside flap.

BRAZIL

Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage. Soho Crime. Print length: 304 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"In the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where landless peasants are confronting the owners of vast estates, the bishop arrives by helicopter to consecrate a new church and is assassinated. Mario Silva, chief inspector for criminal matters of the federal police of Brazil, is dispatched to the interior to find the killer. The pope himself has called Brazil’s president; the pressure is on Silva to perform. Assisted by his nephew, Hector Costa, also a federal policeman, Silva must battle the state police and a corrupt judiciary as well as criminals who prey on street kids, the warring factions of the Landless League, the big landowners, and the church itself, in order to solve the initial murder and several brutal killings that follow...Here is a Brazil that tourists never encounter." - Amazon.

CHINA

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong. Soho Crime. Print length: 464 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Set a decade ago in Shanghai, this political mystery offers a peek into the tightly sealed, often crooked world of post-Tiananmen Square China. Chen Cao, a poet and T.S. Eliot translator bureaucratically assigned to be chief inspector, has to investigate the murder of Guan Hongying, a young woman celebrated as a National Model Worker, but who kept her personal life strictly and mysteriously confidential. Chen and his comrade, Detective Yu, take turns interviewing Guan's neighbors and co-workers, but it seems most of them either know nothing or are afraid to talk openly about a deceased, highly regarded public figure. Maybe they shouldn't be so uneasy, some characters reason; after all, these are 'modern times' and socialist China is taking great leaps toward free speech...Tiptoeing around touchy politics and using investigative tactics bordering on blackmail, Chen slowly pieces together the motives behind the crime." - Publishers Weekly.

FRANCE

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black. Soho Press. Print length: 329 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
This is the first of ten volumes in Black's Aimee Leduc Investigations series.
"Although set in Paris in the early 1990s, Black's new series start harks back to World War II crimes. Private investigator Aimee Leduc becomes involved when she discovers the body of an elderly Jewish woman whose forehead has been inscribed with a swastika. With the arrival of a German trade delegation, meanwhile, the existence of a powerful covert group comprising former SS officers becomes clear. Aimee's subsequent investigation exposes the connection between a war-time romance gone wrong and the modern-day murder. Literate prose, intricate plotting, and multifaceted and unusual characters..." - Library Journal.

ITALY

The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri. Penguin. Print length: 352 p. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano has garnered millions of fans worldwide with his sardonic take on Sicilian life. Montalbano's latest case begins with a mysterious têtê à têtê with a Mafioso, some inexplicably abandoned loot from a supermarket heist, and dying words that lead him to an illegal arms cache in a mountain cave. There, the inspector finds two young lovers, dead for fifty years and still embracing, watched over by a life-sized terra-cotta dog. Montalbano's passion to solve this old crime takes him on a journey through Sicily's past and into one family's darkest secrets. With sly wit and a keen understanding of human nature, Montalbano is a detective whose earthiness, compassion, and imagination make him totally irresistable." - Amazon.

Blood Rain: An Aurelio Zen Mystery by Michael Dibdin. Vintage. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.65. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Despite his best efforts to please everyone and keep out of trouble, the veteran Italian Criminalpol officer Aurelio Zen has made more enemies than friends over the years. Now it's payoff time. After his last case, amid the gentle hills and lush vineyards of Piedmont, Zen finally receives the order he has been dreading all his professional life: his next posting is to Sicily, heart of the Mafia's power. The gruesome discovery of an unidentified, decomposed corpse sealed in a railway wagon on a deserted part of the island marks the beginning of Zen's most difficult and dangerous case. And indeed, it soon turns out that he will need all his cunning and skill to survive..." - Amazon.

Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon. Grove Press. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $8.00. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"For Commissario Guido Brunetti it begins with an early morning phone call. A sudden act of vandalism has just been committed in the chill Venetian dawn. But Brunetti soon discovers that the perpetrator is no petty criminal, for the culprit at the scene is none other than Paola Brunetti, his wife." - Amazon.

LAOS

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. E-Reads. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $3.21. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Dr. Siri Paiboun, one of the last doctors left in Laos after the Communist takeover, has been drafted to be national coroner. He is untrained for the job, but this independent 72-year-old has an outstanding qualification for it: curiosity. And he doesn't mind incurring the wrath of the Party hierarchy as he unravels mysterious murders, because the spirits of the dead are on his side. With the help of his newly-appointed secretary, the ambitious and shrewd Dtui, and Mr. Geung, the Down-Syndrome-afflicted morgue assistant, Dr. Paiboun performs autopsies and begins asking questions to solve the mysteries relating to the death of the wife of a government official and of the unidentified body fished out of the river who didn't drown but was tortured with electricity. As it turns out, all is not peaceful and calm in the new Communist paradise of Laos." - Amazon.

THE MIDDLE EAST

Murder in Jerusalem by Batya Gur. HarperCollins. Print length: 416 p. Kindle edition $9.59. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Tirzah Rubin, set designer for Israeli television, is found dead under a fallen marble pillar. Michael Ohayon, the quiet, introspective Chief Superintendent of the Israeli police, arrives on the scene to begin an investigation of what first appears to be an accident and soon becomes a crime. When the killing is followed by a second and then a third death at the studio, Ohayon and his staff delve further into the deeply intertwined lives of the victims and the other major players in this closely knit television family. Was the murderer's motive love, politics, or something else? The story is rich in the culture of modern-day Israel and gives a vivid depiction of the behind-the-scenes drama of a television station, including a masterfully written scene depicting the hour before airtime..." - Ellen Bell for School Library Journal.

The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees. Soho Crime. Print length: 272 p. Kindle edition $9.86. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
Author Matt Beynon Rees is a former Jerusalem bureau chief for Time magazine. This is the first book in his Omar Yussef mystery series. It was published in the UK as The Bethlehem Murders.
"For decades, Omar Yussef has taught history to the children of Bethlehem. When a favorite former pupil, George Saba, is arrested for collaborating with the Israelis in the killing of a Palestinian guerrilla, Omar is convinced that he has been framed. With George facing imminent execution Omar sets out to prove his innocence. His classroom is bombed and members of his family are threatened. But with no one else willing to stand up for the truth, it’s up to Omar to act, even as bloodshed and heartbreak surround him." - www.themanoftwistsandturns.com.

NORTH KOREA

A Corpse in the Koryo by James Church. Minotaur Books. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Inspector O, a North Korean state police officer, is given an unusual assignment: go to a certain part of a certain road at dawn and photograph a certain vehicle. Little does he suspect that this seemingly inconsequential task will escalate into a case that will lead him to risk his job, and his life. The (pseudonymous) author, a veteran intelligence officer, has intimate knowledge of Asian life and politics, and it shows: he gives the North Korea setting a feeling of palpable reality, depicting the nature of daily life under a totalitarian government not just with broad sociopolitical descriptions but also with specific everyday details... The writing is superb, too, well above the level usually associated with a first novel, richly layered and visually evocative." - David Pitt for Booklist.

RUSSIA

Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog by Boris Akunin. Random House. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.65. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Set in the late 19th century, this charming, highly unusual whodunit from Russian author Akunin (the pen name of Grigory Chkhartishvili) introduces Sister Pelagia, a young nun in a remote Russian province far removed from the intrigue of the czarist government. Pelagia's bishop, who has discreetly and successfully employed her deductive skills before, calls on her when an uncommon white bulldog belonging to his aunt is poisoned. After the nun's arrival on the scene, the two remaining dogs in the breeding line turn up dead, leading Pelagia to suspect the killings are actually an indirect attempt to murder their wealthy mistress, whose devotion to the animals is legendary. Akunin's gently humorous omniscient narrative voice distinguishes this novel from other historical mysteries." - Publishers Weekly.

SCANDINAVIA

The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson. Translated by Ebba Segerberg. Minotaur Books. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"When the badly mutilated body of John Harald Jonsson - a working-class family man and an expert on the tropical fish known as cichlids - is found in the snow in the provincial Swedish town of Libro, homicide detective Ola Haver and his colleague, Ann Lindell, quickly identify a suspect, an embittered sociopath. The brilliance of Eriksson's richly detailed crime novel...lies in its psychological and even sociological insights. Eriksson not only reveals a deep, sympathetic understanding for his large cast of characters but also evokes a pervasive sense of despair, reminiscent of Henning Mankell's, in the face of the violent, amoral nature of contemporary society and the challenges it places on the police. The title derives from the common name of one of Jonsson's beloved cichlids, and the aquarium is a neat metaphor for the dynamics of smalltown life..." - Publishers Weekly.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Vintage. Print length: 480 p. Kindle edition $5.50. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"...combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

The Locked Room by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Vintage. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"A woman robs a bank. A corpse is found shot through the heart in a room locked from within - no firearm in sight. To the eerily intuitive Inspector Martin Beck, these seemingly disparate cases are facets of the same puzzle, and solving it is of vital importance. Only by finding our what happened in the locked room can Beck - haunted by a near-fatal bullet wound and the demise of a soulless marriage - escape from an airtight prison of his own. From its classic premise, The Locked Room accelerates into an engrossing novel of the mind. Exploring the ramifications of egotism and intellect, luck and accident, and set against the backdrop of the inspired deductions and monstrous errors of Martin Beck and the Stockholm Homicide Squad, this tour de force of detection bears the unmistakable substance and gravity of real life." - Amazon.

SPAIN

Death of a Nationalist by Rebecca Pawel. Soho Crime. Print length: 280 p. Kindle edition $9.60. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Madrid 1938. Carlos Tejada Alonso y Leon is a Sergeant in the Guardia Civil, a rank rare for a man not yet thirty, but Tejada is an unusual recruit. The bitter civil war between the Nationalists and the Republicans has interrupted his legal studies in Salamanca. Second son of a conservative Southern family of landowners, he is an enthusiast for the Catholic Franquista cause, a dedicated, and now triumphant, Nationalist...It is at this moment, when the Republicans have surrendered, and the Guardia Civil has begun to impose order in the ruins of Madrid, that Tejada finds the body of his best friend, a hero of the siege of Toledo, shot to death on a street named Amor de Dios. Naturally, a Red is suspected. And it is easy for Tejada to assume that the woman wearing a red scarf, caught kneeling over the body, is the killer. But when his doubts are aroused, he cannot help seeking justice." - Amazon.

THAILAND

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett. Vintage. Print length: 336 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Bangkok cop Sonchai Jitpleecheep is the only honest officer in his district, yet he reveres his gangster police colonel. He stays out of the city's sex trade but indulges in meth. He's the son of a crafty whore and an American GI, but his mother's hand-picked clients gave him a classical education. While his personality puzzles Westerners - Sonchai also sees the past incarnations of people he meets - these contradictory traits are quite acceptable to his fellow Thais. The more readers get to know Sonchai, the more appealing he'll become. A Buddhist, he nonetheless promises to kill those responsible for the death of his partner, Pichai. Because Pichai was bitten by a cobra while tracking a Marine suspected of jade smuggling, Sonchai's vow piques the interest of U.S. officials. Once they team him with a feisty FBI agent, the investigation takes a series of wonderfully bizarre turns." - Booklist.

TIBET

The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison. Minotaur Books. Print length: 416 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Reader alert: The paperback edition of this book is less expensive than the Kindle version.
"Not many political thrillers are set in Tibet, and few can match the power and poetry of this debut novel by journalist Eliot Pattison. At the heart of the story is a forced labor camp where the Chinese imprison Buddhist monks and other local dissidents they've swept up since taking over Tibet. The prison also holds a few special Chinese prisoners--including Shan Tao Yun. This middle-aged man was once the inspector general of the Ministry of Economy in Beijing, specializing in fraud cases. For reasons even he doesn't understand, he has been imprisoned and brutalized, and now he spends his days breaking rocks high in the Himalayas on a road crew called the People's 404th Construction Brigade. Shan manages to survive under these harsh conditions thanks to the spiritual guidance of his fellow prisoners, but this precarious balance is threatened by the discovery of the headless body of a local Chinese official near a road construction site. The dead man's head soon turns up in a famous shrine - a cave that contains the skulls of heroic monks. The shrewd Red Army colonel in charge of the district asks Shan to conduct an investigation: offers of better food and conditions combined with threats against his monk friends convinces him to take on the task. Colonel Tan wants a fast resolution that incriminates a mute, passive monk found near the cave, but Shan is certain that the man isn't guilty..." - Amazon.

POSITION: Event Security Coordinator

REPORTS TO: Event Security Manager

LOCATION: Redmond, WA (Relocation assistance not available for this position)

SALARY: TBD / DOE

JOB SUMMARY: The Event Security Team ~ Americas is seeking a team oriented, highly motivated and enthusiastic applicant to fill the position of Event Security Coordinator. This applicant will work closely with the client, third party vendors, and the Microsoft Events Security Manager to organize and coordinate security for marketing and trade show events associated with the Microsoft Account. The applicant must be capable of independently managing multifaceted projects consistent with corporate policy and marketing objectives without compromising the safety and security of attendees, talent, executives, guests and event staff. Must effectively communicate these security projects to all levels of personnel in a professional manner utilizing various techniques and media sources including Microsoft Office Suite. The successful applicant will possess outstanding interpersonal skills capable of managing various levels of crisis management and escalation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• The functions listed describe the business purpose of this job or position. Specific duties or tasks may vary and be documented separately. An associate might or might not be required to perform all functions listed. Additional duties may be assigned, and functions may be modified, according to business necessity.
• All assigned duties or tasks are deemed part of the essential functions, unless such duties or tasks are unrelated to the functions listed, in which case they are deemed to be other (non-essential) functions.
• Associates accountable for successful job performance. Job performance standards may be documented separately, and may include functions, objectives, duties, or tasks not specifically listed herein.
• In performing functions, duties or tasks, associates are required to know and follow safe work practices, and to be aware of company policies and procedures related to job safety, including safety rules and regulations. Associates are required to notify superiors upon becoming aware of unsafe working conditions.
• All functions, duties, or tasks are to be carried out in an honest, ethical and professional manner, and to be performed in conformance with applicable company policies and procedures. In the event of uncertainty or lack of knowledge of company policies and procedures, associates are required to request clarification or explanations from superiors or authorized company representatives.

1. Responsible for planning, coordination, consulting, and management of security operations for high risk/high visibility domestic events (Tier-1 events).
2. Develops and implements security strategies supporting client events.
3. Supports business owners in selection of security contractors and preferred providers through the RFP/RFI Process.
4. Develops mitigation strategies for key risk areas (i.e. incident response/management, physical, intellectual property security, workplace violence, business continuity, and executive security).
5. Coordinates event security requirements with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
6. Performs additional functions, duties, and specific tasks of a similar nature and scope as necessary to achieve assigned business objectives.
7. Ability to travel 60% of the time
8. Credit history at a level to qualify for a corporate credit card

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AT ENTRY
Additional qualifications may be specified and receive preference, depending upon the nature of the position.

Education/Experience
Bachelor’s degree or three years of experience in a related security field, customer service oriented organization, or event logistics. The candidate must have experience in one or more of the following areas: strong customer service and communication skills, security operations, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job, as determined by the company.

Competencies (as demonstrated through experience, training, and/or testing):

• Strong customer service and service delivery orientation.
• Successful participation with management teams in analysis, planning of projects and problem solving.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills required for preparing clear, concise, grammatically correct materials and communicating information effectively to others.
• Intermediate computer literacy in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, SharePoint, etc.).
• Professional demeanor and ability to contribute independently.
• Understanding of security operations.
• Planning, organizing, and leadership skills.
• Interact effectively at various social levels and across diverse cultures.
• Facilitate progressive change.
• Take the initiative to achieve results.
• Develop and manage a project budget.
• Respond appropriately in high stress situations.
• Carry out multiple assignments concurrently.
• Adapt to continuing changes in the environment external to the organization.
• Establish goals and meet deadlines.

Working Conditions and Physical/Mental Demands
With or without reasonable accommodation, a candidate must have the physical and mental capacity to effectively perform all essential functions described. In addition to other demands, the demands of the job include:
• Maintaining composure in dealing with authorities, executives, clients, staff and the public, occasionally under conditions of urgency and in pressure situations.
• Successful passage of background, reference, placement, and controlled substance tests, in addition to any mandatory licensing requirements.
• Must be flexible with the ability to work evenings and weekends with little notice.
• Successfully manage multiple tasks concurrently.
• Keyboarding, intermediate computer usage and operating controls.
• Seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing clearly in order to communicate with employees and clients, observe and report incidents, and direct others.
• Frequent sitting, standing and walking, which may be required for long periods of time, and may involve climbing stairs and walking up inclines and on uneven terrain.
• Occasional reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling.
• Frequent lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds and occasional lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds.
• Close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• May be required to use vehicle for the performance of duties.
• On occasion may be required to perform stressful and physical activity.
• Depending upon assignment may be exposed to inclement weather or be required to work in environments or under conditions that require the use of protective gear and devices and/or awareness of personal safety and safety of others.
• May be exposed to or required to handle sensitive and confidential information with the understanding of nondisclosure.

To apply, send cover letter & resume to:

J. Lester
Human Resource Specialist
One Microsoft Way, Bldg 125
Redmond, WA 98052
Email: mssecjob@microsoft.com
EOE/AAP M/F/DV

Planning to be in Paris over the next few months? Need an excuse to go? The only reason I ever need to visit Paris in the spring is the possibility that I might find myself strolling on the banks of the Seine in the mistR12; straight out of a Doisneau photo. However, if you’re looking for a bit more excitement, here is an eclectic smattering of interesting events and openings happening in the City of Lights this spring. Bon voyage et amusez-vous bien!

Le Festival Européen du Film Indépendant
March 12-March 14 2010
(European  Independent Film Festival) Between March 12- March 14, Paris will welcome over 60 of the top independent films made in Europe last year. Tickets range in price between 5-8 Euros, and all of the films are shown at these two locations:

Cinéma Le Grand Action
5 rue des Ecoles
75005 Paris
Métro : Cardinal Lemoine ou Jussieu

Théâtre le Triomphe
5, Rue Blainville
75005 Paris
Métro : Monge

elles@centrepompidou, women artists in the collections for the National Modern Art Museum
Centre Pompidou
May 27, 2009-February 21, 2011
If you’re a fan of contemporary creations by female artists, head to the Centre Pompidou  this spring (and into next winter) for this multifaceted exhibition. www.centrepompidou.fr

Le Carré des Ateliers de Paris (Paris Artist Expo and Sale)
First Saturday of the month between March and December 2010
From 10am to 7pm, artisans and artists in a variety of genres offer products for sale (including decorative objects, fashion accessories, jewelry, clothing, furniture, sculptures and lamps). Located on the Boulevard Richard Lenoir near Breguet Sabin metro station.
Métro : Bastille lines 1, 5, 8 or Bréguet Sabin line 5

The Paris Opera Ballet presents Siddhartha
March 18 - April 11 2010
With music by composer Bruno Mantovani and set design by visual artist Claud Lévêque, choreographer Angelin Preljocaj explores the story of the man who was to become Buddha.

Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais
March 11 R11; August 2010
On March 11th, the Musée des Beaux Arts at the Petit Palais will open its first ever exhibition dedicated to high fashion- and the subject of the show is none other than the beloved French designer, Yves Saint Laurent (deceased in 2008). This comprehensive retrospective is sure to please design lovers and fashion aficionados.
Musée du Petit Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris
01 53 43 40 00
Metro station : Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau or Concorde
RER C, Invalides ; RER A, Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile
Full price: €11
Reduced price: €8
Half price: €5.50

Indochine at Stade de France
June 26, 2010
The 80s band Indochine is celebrating their 30th year performing together at Paris’ premier sports arena. Ticket prices range from 40-60 Euros and can be purchased online at

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) 50+ years
Become the leader of the team that is making a difference!

ECFMG is looking for a professional and dedicated Manager for its Center in El Segundo, CA.

A qualified candidate for this manager position will have at least 5-8 years of management experience as the top manager of a large, multifaceted operation with at least 50 direct report employees. Strong level of experience and skills in the areas of recruiting, hiring, training, developing, supervising and leadership required. Experience managing both exempt and non-exempt staff is required. A qualified candidate must also have experience using corrective action and performance management to ensure high standards are met by all staff. Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required. Experience in the medical education field, clinical skills and/or testing arena is not required.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) is a not for profit organization based in Philadelphia, PA and has the responsibility of evaluating qualifications of graduates of international medical schools who seek entry into postgraduate medical education positions in the United States. International medical graduates who wish to enter an ACGME-accredited residency or a fellowship program in the U.S. must be certified by ECFMG. The current requirements for ECFMG Certification include passing portions of the United States Medical Licensing Examination™ (USMLE™). ECFMG has an organizational commitment to promote excellence in international medical education.

Step 2 Clinical Skills (Step 2 CS) is a component of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. ECFMG, in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME), began administering Step 2 CS in June of 2004 at five test centers located in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, and Houston. Step 2 CS evaluates an examinee’s ability to gather and interpret clinical patient data and communicate effectively in spoken and written English. The assessment model used for Step 2 CS depends heavily on standardized patients (SPs). The SPs simulate patients by presenting symptoms and responding to questions from examinees with answers appropriate to the patient being portrayed. Graduates of both international medical schools and medical schools in the United States and Canada must take Step 2 CS.

ECFMG offers competitive compensation and excellent benefits including 100% coverage for health, dental and vision insurance, 15% employer contribution to retirement, 100% tuition reimbursement, and many other great benefits. ECFMG is an equal opportunity employer.

Qualified and interested candidates should apply online and complete an application with salary history at: https://www.hiretouch.com/ecfmg or email resume with salary history to resumes@ecfmg.org.

Authored by: Manuel Bueno

Early childhood development (ECD) is a term used to describe the personal growth of a child until the age of 6. During this period the brain of a child continues to develop and form neural connections – a process that started during the pregnancy. Adequate nutrition, cognitive stimulation and care strongly influences the extent to which a child’s health may develop to their fullest potential, as well as her cognitive and social and emotional abilities (Young, 2002).

Unfortunately, in many low-income countries, poverty also begins at birth. Children from low-income families are much more likely to be malnourished, live under unhygienic circumstances and receive low levels of education. A shortfall in early childhood development will have irreversible consequences on individuals’ future lifetime opportunities. This will reverberate later in life in the form of lower quality jobs, lower wages, shorter life-spans, worse health and lower cognitive abilities, thus perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

Return on investments in early childhood will be higher than returns to investments made later in life.  Firstly, because beneficiaries have a longer time to enjoy the rewards from these investments; secondly, because investing on, for instance, better health or education has a stronger impact on young children than on any other population segment, even if the amount of years was the same. Therefore, supporting ECD generates a positive impact that will have a stronger impact on the individual’s wellbeing than at any other later stage of her life (Recent Nobel laureate James Heckman, has studied this topic extensively, see for instance, Heckman, 2006).

To assist ECD, the child’s family environment is pivotal, hence ECD interventions should at least also consider the child’s mother (as I suggested in a previous post) or at least the child’s primary caretaker. The parental environment and family income of a child are, moreover, far more decisive in promoting human capital and school success during early childhood than in later years (Vegas and Santibañez, 2010).

Although ECD is a very multifaceted concept (at the end of the day everything may have an impact on the child’s development), a recently published book by the World Bank suggests prioritizing 3 goals:

1. Enhancement of a child’s development early in life, including her cognitive and social and emotional development, physical growth, and well-being;
   
2. Enhancement of a mother’s antenatal care with services and information to strengthen the probability of delivery of a healthy baby;
   
3. The education of parents and/or caregivers in better parenting, health, and hygiene practices, as well as providing them the opportunity to participate in the labor force.
   

In other words, at the child’s level there are three main and interdependent needs: nutrition, education and health. At the family level, and especially for mothers, health and education about how to take care of a baby are essential. Therefore adequate ECD programs should ideally be multi-sectorial (straddling more than one industry) and target the child and her family. Along these lines, the most successful ECD programs are:

1. Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs: CCT programs transfer money (in cash or in kind) to families in exchange for them to comply with certain conditions. These conditions normally revolve around children's education and health, such as school attendance or regular vaccinations. In Latin America, where CCTs have been successful, it is estimated that they have benefited more than 15 million poor families and over 60 million low-income people.
2. Parenting Programs: These programs try to educate parents in childrearing and child stimulation techniques and often also include child preschool programs that have been found to significantly affect long-term educational attainment.
3. Nutrition and supplementation programs: This third type of programs have been mainly geared to improve the children’s physical wellbeing and growth as well as stimulating better cognitive outcomes. For instance, subsidized milk and milk fortification programs for children and lactating women have been massively popular and successful in places like Colombia, Mexico or Guatemala.

Unfortunately, the role played by the private sector in ECD is minor at best. Such a state of affairs stems partly from the belief that nutrition, education or health for infants and young children are sectors better taken care of by the public sector rather than by private enterprise. Moreover, scandals such as in Nestle’s baby-feeding formula have not encouraged BoP firms to try to tackle this set of unmet needs for fear of a public backlash.

This represents a missed opportunity for BoP businesses. I believe that businesses operating in low-income markets would have three main advantages over state–run programs as far as ECD programs are concerned. Firstly, many BoP businesses have accumulated a very high degree of trust and legitimacy at the local level. This high status enables them to more convincingly sway families into changing the way many children are brought up and improving their health and hygiene standards.

Secondly, most BoP business are hierarchically flat in order to decrease operational costs to a minimum and be financially sustainable. This means that a smaller portion of investments in ECD programs would be devoted to the maintenance of business structures and a greater portion would end up on the hands of those who need it most. This is a serious problem in many state-run programs where often a big percentage of the money devoted to development is diluted after passing through the hands of several public organizations (even when there is no corruption).

Thirdly, the integrated nature of ECD programs, and the fact that the most effective interventions include components that are usually the domain of different government sectors (such as education, health, welfare, and labor), makes it complicated to implement and sustain them at the public level. However, most of the most successful low-income businesses exploit hybrid business models. The fact that they straddle more than one sector often represents a strength rather than a weakness or a source of difficulty in their business model.

As I have argued before, it is time to extend the focus of BoP businesses beyond male adults and try to develop products and services targeted to other comparatively hidden population segments such as women and, as I have argued in this post, small children. By refocusing and growing our field of vision, private sector development will achieve increased legitimacy vis-à-vis other more traditional forms of aid and realize higher social impacts.

IR17;ll be in New York City sometime during the month of March. IR17;ll be attending The Human Capital Summit to talk about employer branding. You know what I think about employer branding, right? I think that a company has a brand, a reputation, and a relationship with its consumers and employees. Those relationships are complex, multifaceted, [...]

by Evelyn Pringle

Since Paxil came on the market in 1992, there have been three separate types of failure to warn lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline over Paxil; birth defects, suicide, and addiction.

Roughly 150 suicide cases were settled for an average of about $2 million, and about 300 cases involving suicide attempts were settled for an average of $300,000, according to a December 14, 2009 report by Bloomberg News. Glaxo paid an average of about $50,000 each to resolve about 3,200 cases linking Paxil to addiction problems. The drug giant has also paid about $400 million to end antitrust, fraud and design claims, Bloomberg reports.

All total, Glaxo has paid out close to $1 billion to resolve Paxil lawsuits since the drug came on the market in1992. The company's provision for all legal matters and other non-tax disputes as of the end of 2008 was listed as $3.09 billion in its annual report.

The first birth defect trial, in over 600 cases filed, resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs on October 13, 2009, and an award of of $2.5 million in compensatory damages for the the family of Lyam Kilker, who was born with three cardiac birth defects after his mother took Paxil while pregnant.

In the Kilker trial, Glaxo's lead attorney was King & Spalding partner, Chilton Varner, and Sean Tracey, from Houston, led the family's legal team.

Andy Vickery, of the Houston firm of Vickery, Waldner and Mallia, is the lead attorney in several Paxil birth defect cases. The first case set for trial is unique in that it involves, Delaney Novak, an infant born with heart defects on April 4, 2002, to Laura and Derek Novak, after Laura was prescribed Paxil off label for migraine headaches.

The Novak case is also unique among the Paxil birth defect cases because Delaney's parents had their insurance with United Healthcare, and Laura was part of the study that Glaxo contracted for, which resulted in the initial warning letter about birth defects in September 2005.

According to Vickery, Glaxo conducted a study on Wellbutrin (bupropion), another antidepressant, after discovering a possible link to birth defects. “The review found no problems with Wellbutrin, but discovered that a significant number of mothers who had been prescribed Paxil (nearly twice as many as those who had not taken the drug) had children born with heart defects,” he says.

Doctors Ra-id Abdulla, David Healy, Shira Kramer and Suzanne Parisian testified as the experts for the plaintiffs in the first trial. All told the jury they believed Paxil caused Lyam's heart defects. Doctors Abdulla, Healy and Kramer are also expert witnesses in the Novak case.

Ingenix Study in First Trial

The Ingenix study, with lead researcher, J Alexander Cole, was conducted using data from the Ingenix Research Data Mart, containing insurance information from UnitedHealthcare. The study was not supposed to look at Paxil.

During the testimony of several witnesses in the first trial, the jury was shown a February 7, 2003 email in which Glaxo employee, Graham Cottam, stated that he had informed Anne Bell, the project leader for Paxil, about plans to do the Ingenix pregnancy study on Wellbutrin, and “Anne wanted to be sure that we will not be looking specifically SSRIs or Paxil.”

Doctor Suzanne Parisian, a former FDA scientist, testified that the initial 2002 proposal was “to do a large database study for Bupropion in pregnancy.”

There was “nothing that addresses Paxil,” she told the jury. The “procedure had never been designed to specifically look at Paxil.”

But when the data was broken out for Paxil in the original study, it “showed the increased risk and the pregnancy was changed to Category D,” she explained.

The FDA later requested that Paxil be studied, according to the testimony of Glaxo employees and documentation, she said.

The famous neuropyschopharmacologist and professor of psychiatry from Cardiff University in Wales, Dr David Healy, explained that Glaxo had hopes that the study would show Wellbutrin as an antidepressant that did not cause birth defects and the company could apply to the FDA to have it classified as a pregnancy category B drug instead of a C.

“It would give the message,” he said, “that this of the drugs we have available to use for women of childbearing years, this would be one of the safer ones.”

Healy told the jury that there was “no reason from the scientific point of view why they would not want to also look at Paxil.”

“And this appeared to be the FDA's view,” he said, “because FDA said, well, you looked at Bupropion, why don't you look at Paxil, also,” a couple years later.

When asked whether by the year 2003, he could think of any scientific reason not to do a pregnancy study with Paxil, Healy replied, “No, I can't.”

In fact, Tracey showed the jury an internal company email written by a Glaxo employee two years later in August 2005, around the time that the results on Paxil from the Ingenix study came out, who asked the question: “Why hasn't the company gathered data on this until now, 13, I think, years after the product was approved?”

In the case of the study on Wellbutrin, there were only 16 reports of birth defects that indicated there was a signal to do the study, Parisian told the jury. While an internal analysis conducted by Glaxo on Paxil in 2000, showed 79 cases of birth defects.

In September 2005, the conclusions of the Ingenix study were: “The use of paroxetine in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations compared with other drugs.”

“To your knowledge, prior to 2005 did GSK ever do a single epidemiological study to determine whether or not Paxil caused birth defects?” attorney, Adam Peavey, asked Parisian.

“Not that I have seen,” she said.

Ingenix Downside

During the testimony of Dr Shira Kramer, an epidemiologist, Tracey put up a slide on the Cole paper that was published in 2007.

The paper was on a study conducted by epidemiologists who were employed by Glaxo to do the research, Kramer explained. It was a continuation of the Ingenix study that looked at Wellbutrin and then Paxil. One of the co-authors was Sara Ephross, an employee of Glaxo.

Kramer was asked to explain the importance of the Cole study. “First of all,” she said, “it was a cohort study comparing ... people exposed to Paxil ... to people who were exposed to other SSRIs.”

“So one very key thing for you to remember is that here the ... unexposed group is not people who were not exposed to SSRIs, they were exposed to SSRIs,” she told the jury.

“That's a very important point,” she said, “because if SSRIs are a risk factor for cardiac defects, birth defects, then the relative risk that will be generated in this study is going to be lower than it normally would if truly people were unexposed to SSRIs.”

“The other thing that is important to keep in mind,” she told the jury, “is that the information was obtained from an administrative claims database called the Ingenix Research Data Mart. “

“There was no individual, either examination or interviewing of anyone,” she explained. “The information was extracted from administrative claims data that was available.“

“The other thing that's important,” she said, “is that initially the population that was studied covered the years 1995 to 2002, and then after the fact an additional two years were added to the study.”

“The published results, based on all of the years that were eventually included in this study, were an odds ratio for all cardiovascular malformations related to Paxil exposure of 1.46, which means that individuals who took Paxil were at 46 percent increased risk of their child having a cardiovascular malformation diagnosed at birth compared to individuals who took other, other SSRIs,” Kramer explained.

“In the second odds ratio of 1.68,” she said, “showing a 68 percent increased risk, now we are comparing women who took Paxil either alone or in combination with another SSRI, compared to the other SSRI group, either alone or in combination with other SSRIs, mono- or polytherapy.”

The published study contained an asterisk that said: “An interim analysis performed by Cole, et al, using births occurring between '95 and 2002 found an odds ratio of 2.0 for the association between first trimester Paxil use and cardiac birth defects.”

Kramer was asked to explain what that statement was referring to. “Initially, the study was designed to include the years 1995 through 2002 with a sampling ratio of controls to cases of 7 to 1,” she said. “That was the protocol.”

“And when that analysis was done, the odds ratio, instead of being 1.46, which ultimately is what was published, was actually higher, it was 2,” she told the jury.

“That means that the exposed group had a risk of a child with a cardiac malformation two times that of the group not exposed to Paxil,” she added.

The odds ration got smaller when the Glaxo researchers, the authors of the study, “added in two additional years of data with a different sampling ratio,” Kramer explained.

It is not appropriate for an epidemiologist to do that, she said, because “you are changing the rules after you look at the data.”

It “really raises the questions as to, are you trying to influence the data,” she noted.

“I can say very clearly,” she told the jury, “that that is not considered to be appropriate conduct, scientific conduct. “

“What you are supposed to do is set up a study protocol in advance and follow it, and not change it after you have looked at the results,” Kramer explained.

It is not appropriate to find out the results and change it in the middle, she said, “for obvious reasons, it looks like you are manipulating the data to make it come out looking a certain way.”

“And if you want to do an unbiased, fair study,” she told the jury, “the only appropriate plan of action is to develop a study protocol ahead of time, to follow it, and to analyze the results and not to fool with it, not to fiddle with it and not to change it.”

While testifying, Kramer explained the meaning of “underpowering” a study. You need to have “a sufficient number of people in a study in order to test a certain research question,” she said.

“And if you are going to apply statistical tests to the data that you generate,” she told the jury, “you need to have enough people in that study to have generated enough cases of the outcome and you need to have enough people who are exposed.”

“Now, this case,” she said, “we have got a relatively rare exposure to Paxil, we have a relatively rare outcome, which is congenital cardiac birth defects, so you need to study very, very large populations in order to achieve statistical significance at these levels that we have been discussing.”

She said the “investigators, the research team,” dictates the size of the study.

Kramer went over the reasons why the odds ratio in the Cole study might be attenuated, or lower. It's “very clear that there are certain characteristics of this study that are making this odds ratio probably lower than it really would be given certain characteristics of the study design,” she told the jury.

“One of the them is that the controls are really not unexposed to the SSRIs,” she said. “They are exposed to drugs in the same class.”

We have “observed in epidemiological literature that other SSRIs are associated with an increased risk of cardiac malformations,” she told the jury. “Therefore, it is likely that since that's the comparison group, we have got an odds ratio in this study that's lower than it probably would be.”

The second reason was that the analysis only included live births. “So you are missing fetuses who were miscarried,” she said. “And then there are many miscarriages that are due to birth defects.”

“You are missing fetuses that are aborted, electively aborted, because of known cardiac or other congenital malformations,” she told the jury. “You are missing stillbirths.”

And with a follow up for only nine months, she said, “you are missing congenital cardiac defects that aren't detected until later.”

“So you have got a fairly substantial population that is not really being captured in this study of exposed fetuses,” she pointed out.

Closing Recap

During closing arguments, Tracey reminded the jury about the email with Anne Bell's statement to make sure Paxil was not included in the Ingenix study, and said: “This document ... two years before this child is born, they are affirmatively saying: We do not want to look at Paxil in pregnancy.”

In her closing argument, Varner told the jury: “Now, Mr. Tracey has talked to you about Anne Bell this morning.”

“He has said that GSK would have done anything to avoid looking at the risk for Paxil,” she pointed out.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen,” Varner said, “GSK funded the study that did look at Paxil for the risk and published preliminary findings in August of 2005.”

As soon “as even a possible link emerged in all of 2005, GSK reacted promptly and proactively to notify both FDA and doctors,” she told the jury.

“It went immediately to FDA. It immediately changed its label,” she said. “And it immediately sent out letters to doctors telling them about the changes.”

In his final summation, Tracey told the jury, “I want to talk to you about the Ingenix study because Ms. Varner said something that is very, very important.“

“She said when they found out what she says is August of 2005, within 21 days, they changed the label. Within 21 days, the doctors got the news,” he recounted.

What “she forgets to tell you is that two years prior to this, Anne Bell said, Don't study the drug,” Tracey told the jury.

“Had they not listened to Anne Bell,” he said, “had they studied the drug in 2003, Michelle David wouldn't be sitting here because the warning would have gone out like that.“

“We would have been two years ahead of the game,” he pointed out.

“GlaxoSmithKline did not want to study the drug,” Tracey told the jury. “The FDA made them study Paxil.”

“It was not some sort of voluntary we're just a good drug company trying to get along,” he said. “It was we don't want to study it and they're forcing us to study it.”

Paxil Off-Label Promotion

Paxil is not FDA approved for use by pregnant women, so all mothers who gave birth to infants with heart defects received the drug off label. In Andy Vickery's first case set for trial, Delaney Novak was born with heart defects after his mother, Laura, was prescribed Paxil for migraine headaches, another unapproved use.

Dr Dee Mangin is an expert witness in the Novak case. Her research and published work has focused on rational prescribing, and the influence of drug company promotion both to physicians and direct to consumers. She submitted a report on October 13, 2009, which outlines Glaxo's off label promotion of Paxil around the time of Laura’s pregnancy.

In her report, Mangin defines off-label use as the “practice of prescribing drugs for a purpose outside the scope of a drug's approved label – often an unproven use or one that has not been widely tested.”

“While it is legal to prescribe off label in the United States, it is illegal for companies to promote off label use,” she notes.

“The risks of off label promotion,” she says, “are that it could lead to exposure of patients to the risks of a medicine for no benefit, and furthermore they maybe denied other more effective treatment.”

“GlaxoSmithKline from 2000,” Mangin says, “mounted a multifaceted and targeted national promotional campaign that employed explicit strategies designed to promote sales of Paxil in pregnant women and women of reproductive age.”

An exhibit cited in the report from a “Paxil Tactical Marketing Plan in 2000,” states: “New Paxil data with high media interest, hot flash, postpartum, depression, pregnancy, and lactation will position Paxil as the drug of choice for women.”

“One of the known reasons that physicians change their prescribing behavior is as a response to the volume of evidence containing the same message that the physician is exposed to,” she wrote. “The so-called “Carpet Bombing” technique used in the Paxil campaign feeds directly into this.”

“There are a number of strategies companies can use to highlight use for off label conditions including distribution of individual scientific articles discussing the off label indication and use of the drug as well as mentions of off label use by key opinion leaders in continuing medical education,” the report explains.

“In relation to the off label prescribing for migraine,” Mangin says, “there is no evidence of any effectiveness over placebo for SSRIs in migraine prevention.”

Yet a paper titled, “Paroxetine in the Treatment of Chronic Daily Headache,” by Carol Foster, MD, and Jacklyn Bafaloukos, RN, that was distributed to doctors, specifically states: “The dramatic improvement in the patients in our study suggests that paroxetine appears to be a safe and effective drug for the treatment of chronic daily headache.”

“The strategies outlined where reprints about treatment of migraine with paroxetine, large numbers of form letters containing summaries of studies of use in headache were sent to physicians and detailing and providing free samples to physicians likely to treat women with migraine were therefore encouraging use of Paxil and exposure to its risks when in reality it is no more effective in this situation than a sugar pill,” Mangin reports.

Encouragement “of unapproved use for migraine further attempted to expand the market beyond that which was medically justified and likely to lead to unnecessary exposure to the risks of Paxil,” she advises.

In an August 11, 2009 deposition, Laura's doctor testified that Glaxo sales representatives would commonly leave reprints of articles on off label uses and salespeople did discuss the literature on the off label use of Paxil for migraines with him. One of the sales representatives visiting the doctor at the time stated in a deposition that it was his habit to distribute all such articles.

But most importantly, the doctor said he would not have prescribed Paxil to Laura had Glaxo told him back in 2000, or early 2001, that there was an association between Paxil and birth defects. He further noted that there was no benefit from Paxil that would outweigh the risks of birth defects and that he had not used Paxil in his practice since the Dear Doctor letter warned about birth defects.

Delaney suffers from a septal heart defect. “None of the information from the medical records of the family or their statements on potential genetic, environmental and pharmaceutical causes of heart defects indicates any other factor more likely to have caused her condition than the Paxil exposure,” Mangin points out.

“It is clear that if the prescribing doctor had been informed of the risk of heart defects, Laura Novak would not have been exposed to Paxil,” she notes.

In the report's conclusion, Mangin states: “It is my opinion that this promotional campaign for Paxil was inappropriate given the scientific knowledge and what was known by the company at the time.”

“The degree of comfort with the use of this medication in the reproductive years and pregnancy is likely to be influenced by GSK’s misleading promotional campaign where concerns were minimized, efficacy was overstated, the idea of off label prescribing was seeded for migraine, and lastly the marketing specifically targeted a group at higher risk in terms of safety concerns - pregnant women and women in the reproductive age group,” she reports.

“This Paxil promotional campaign was irresponsible, and potentially disastrous from a public health perspective as it was likely to expose a much greater proportion of the population to these potential harms,” she concludes.

Glaxo's Phone Book

During closing arguments on October 8, 2009, Tracey told the jury regarding Glaxo: “They have a telephone book full of doctors.”

Referring to an exhibit introduced during the trial, he said: “This is all the doctors that they pay to give speeches on their behalf to push their drug, to sell it, to convince other doctors to prescribe their drug.“

While Healy was testifying, Tracey had him go over some of names of doctors in the book that included Lori Altshuler, Vivian Burt, Lee Cohen, Charles Nemeroff, Jeffrey Newport, Zachary Stowe, Katherine Wisner and Kimberly Yonkers. None of these doctors appeared to testify on Glaxo's behalf in the trial.

What “they did was aggressively market this drug to women,” Tracey told the jury.

All “these names of people that they ghost-wrote articles for to get the doctors ... to sell the drug,” he noted.

Doctor Healy told you that “they altered the prescribing practices in this country,” he recounted. “What they set out to do, they succeeded in doing. They got doctors to prescribe the drug to women.”

“And they did it,” Tracey said, “by having seminars where they would put these doctors, experts in the field, on their payroll, that the doctors would go and listen to, unwittingly knowing what they are really hearing is a marketing campaign.”

In reference to another exhibit viewed during the trial, Tracy said: “This document describes that it worked. When the doctors came out, these are the comments they made after attending these seminars: Will prescribe Paxil to pregnant women. My comfort in treating depression in pregnancy has increased. Treating pregnant patients with confidence. Will feel more comfortable giving Paxil to pregnant women.”

In citing $765 million in the US alone, between 1997 and 2005, Tracey told the jury: “This is the number for over a nine-year period this company spent to convince doctors to sell their drug, to prescribe their drug to women of childbearing years.”

“And they got a heck of a return on it,” he said. “Net. After expenses. Almost 14 billion dollars for a nine-year period.”

“Out of the 700 million dollars they spent trying to sell this drug to people,” Tracey stated, “there is not one shred of evidence in the record about how much money they spent to try to figure out whether it was going to induce birth defects.”

“And as far as I can tell in the record,” he said, “after they bought it, they did one animal study and they didn't spend another penny.”

*************

(The Paxil Birth Defect Litigation Update Series is sponsored by the Houston law firm of Vickery, Waldner and Mallia at www.justiceseekers.com)

Source

I attended my first blogging conference this weekend. There, I learned some important things. Such as:

1) There are a lot of people out there with much better haircuts than me.
2) There are a lot of people out there with way more kids and page views than me.
3) Not all bloggers are introverts.
4) I really should have brought business cards.
5) I have more balls guts than I thought.

First, you should know that I crashed the conference, which was called Bloggy Boot Camp. I was not registered or invited. I waited too long and the conference was sold out. When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was seething with jealousy and regret. WHY hadn’t I just signed up?? Actually, I didn’t think I was available that day, but it turned out I was. And I had childcare and everything!

At my husband’s urging, I decided to just go down there and hope they had a no-show or two. Hey, it happened at our wedding. Why not a conference? The whole time I was showering, picking out a blog-conference-worthy outfit, and obsessively checking Twitter to see what people already at the conference were saying, I was thinking, “I can’t do this. It’s so forward. So obnoxious. So NOT ME.” I was as bad as those White House gatecrashers! Only not as well-dressed or connected, obviously.

So you know what happened? I showed up and...they let me in. Nicely, graciously, totally no big deal. Whoa. Who could’ve predicted THAT?

The moment I slipped into my seat, I knew I had done the right thing. First of all, people? Bloggers are FUNNY. None of those stiff, boring Powerpoint presentations droning on and on. People were laughing, shouting out questions, sharing information. I didn’t even want to go to the bathroom because I was afraid I’d miss something. Even the woman running the conference was so down-to-earth that she took off her shoes halfway through and walked around barefoot the rest of the day. Awesome.

There seems to be this mythical lore surrounding “mommy bloggers” right now. They’re always being talked about in the media and by advertisers and PR people, and it seems like every other mom you meet at the park has a blog. Dooce has become a household name. (Blogger joke: Some family member reads the article du jour mentioning Dooce.com and says, “Hey, this woman is actually making real money from her blog. YOU should do that!” Ya think?)

Sometimes the attitude toward mom bloggers is patronizing. Sometimes it’s positive (“Ka-CHING!” think the advertisers). And sometimes it’s perplexed. Why would someone devote all this time to a blog when a scant few are making any money from it? Who reads it? What’s the point? And why attend a conference if all you do is write about your kids and your husband’s crappy housekeeping habits? (Not me, of course.)

Well, there are probably as many different answers as there were women at that conference. I met people who blog about fashion, food, saving money, even how to make your own tutu. I met lawyers, photographers, stand-up comedians, mothers of triplets, people who make their own yogurt, people who flew cross-country to be there. And that was just at my lunch table.

I bet it would surprise some people to know that there were discussions about media kits and advertising rates and work agreements in between conversations about “The Bachelor” and potty training. That’s right. We mom bloggers are a multifaceted bunch.

For me, it was a chance to meet some people IRL (that’s “in real life” for you non-texters) who share my passion for blogging. It was an opportunity to gain some knowledge and support for my labor of love. (My OTHER labor of love, besides the 2 little ones at home.) It was a chance to spend an entire day on my own, doing something *I* wanted to do. How often does THAT happen?

But boy, did I miss my boys. Within minutes after the conference ended I was picking up my son’s prescription and heading home to nuke frozen peas and lay out Batman pajamas. Later, I knew I’d jump back online and start implementing what I’d learned. That’s my life -- a messy mix of mom, wife, writer, blogger, domestic, and professional. Just the way I like it.

SHOUT-OUT: To my amazingly supportive hubs, who always encourages me at whatever I do. *Love.*

This is a fantastic opportunity for an individual to learn a new career in a specialized health-care field and join a fast-growing company with great opportunities for growth and advancement.

Position:
Office Receptionist / Bookkeeping

Job description:
We are looking for an energetic, friendly, and detail-oriented "self-starter" with strong people skills to join our team.

Job details and responsibilities include but not limited to:
- Answering phones and scheduling
- Strong interaction with patients
- Data entry including bookkeeping
- Additional multifaceted responsibilities in a small office setting

Requirements:
- Must be 21 years or older
- Must have clean background check
- Must have reliable car, proof of auto insurance, & valid drivers license
- Must have reliable cell phone
- Previous customer service experience
- A strong understanding of blogging, social networks, and online communities
- Strong computer skills; including proficiency Microsoft Office programs and knowledge of QuickBooks

Hours, compensation, and benefits:
- Full-time position (immediate opening)
- Starting $10/hr, review after 3 months
- Excellent benefits, paid vacation, and annual bonus

Office hours and location:
Mon-Sun 10am-8pm
Thousand Oaks, Ca

To apply, please email us your resume and availability ASAP. This is for an immediate opening and we are interviewing early this week!!

The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 ) Film: Extras: Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )

87

Studio and Year: Paramount - 2009 MPAA Rating: R Feature running time: 109 minutes Genre: Dramedy Disc Format: BD-50 Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4) Video Aspect: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French/Spanish/Brazilian Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, JK Simmons, Danny McBride, Jason Bateman Written & Directed by: Jason Reitman Music by: Rolfe Kent Region Code: A Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 9, 2010

"The story of a man ready to make a connection"

Film Synopsis:

Ryan Bingham (Academy Award® winner* George Clooney) is truly living the high life. Flying all over the world on business, he never stops moving...until he meets Alex, a fellow passenger and learns that life isn’t about the journey, but the connections we make along the way.

My Take:

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) works for Career Transition Counseling a company that is subcontracted by various corporations to conduct layoffs (sometimes on a large scale) and to prepare severance packages etc. for those being terminated. He is also hired often as a motivational speaker to inspire those in the workforce to reach for loftier goals by ridding themselves of life‘s excess “baggage“. He is on the road (or should I say in the air) an average of 320 days a year and considers himself a valued commodity in the world of air travel/rewards. His goal is to be the youngest person ever to rack up 10 million frequent flyer miles which will place him in exclusive company and afford him the perks that go along with it. Ryan has mastered the art of letting people go and avoids the pitfalls associated with showing any signs of compassion or understanding when doing so. He has a seemingly glib approach to his personal life and sees it as more of a nuisance than a comfort. He treats his relationships very much the same. That is until he meets Alex (Farmiga), a traveling professional much like himself who prefers the almost constant escapism provided by a job that keeps you away from home. The two begin an open affair that is guided by their schedules and an impassioned attraction that is fueled by their appreciation of being on the go with no entanglements. Ryan’s world is turned upside down when his boss Craig (Bateman) hires a young, bright Cornell graduate, Natalie, (Kendrick) who comes up with a plan to handle the service his company provides via video conferencing. Ryan strongly objects to implementing something that not only completely removes all personal contact but also puts an end to the aspect of his job that he most treasures. Craig decides to send Natalie and Ryan on the road so that Ryan can show her the ropes while the video conferencing system is put online. As they travel together and interact Ryan comes to see the essence of the impact of what they do through Natalie as she experiences the devastation as seen through the eyes of people who lose their financial security with the swipe of a pen. Ryan finds that his relationship with Alex is closer to his heart than he wants to admit when he invites her to be his date at his estranged sister’s wedding. Ryan’s relationships with both of these women will forever change his outlook on both his personal and professional life. The outcome of which makes for one of the year’s best films.

I was eager to see this film based upon the praise and Academy Award nominations it has received. Often times films like this that are highly lauded wind up being not quite as good as expected. After seeing Up in the air I am happy to report that it was as rewarding a film as I’d hoped. This is most decidedly an adult drama/romance but its light comedic edge gives it a faceted side that is appealing. At its heart I think that it’s poignant as it speaks to the economic climate and the growing number of people losing their jobs. The film also presents the human side to that equation as seen through the eyes of those suffering the humiliation of being laid off despite their professional competence. The story’s elements are intelligently integrated and make for an interesting, witty and entertaining expose that may not be profound but is readily engaging. Writer/director Jason Reitman absolutely nailed these archetypes and the film’s situational structure as he balances its varied conceptual design without straying too far in any direction (thereby watering them down). I loved the cinematography and camera work which played an integral role in conveying the decisiveness and emotion in each sequence involving the firing of an employee. Clooney and Kendrick gave superb performances and I appreciated the use of quality character actors serving in the various roles of those losing their respective jobs as I think it added depth/credibility to the cast. I thoroughly enjoyed Up in the air and its portrayal of a unique guy that thinks he has it all figured out only to have it cave in around him before coming full circle. I am not so sure it is the best film of the year but it is deserving of the recognition and accolades it has received.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for language, some sexual content, and brief nudity.

AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers: REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65 **My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.** (Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

Audio: 84

• Dynamics:
• Low frequency extension:
• Surround Sound presentation:
• Clarity/Detail:
• Dialogue Reproduction:

Video: 90

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

• Resolution/Clarity:
• Black level/Shadow detail:
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Up in the air comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 31 mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.5 mbps.

This is an excellent high definition video presentation that offers impressive transparent imagery. The color palette is deliberately subdued and held to primary use of black, grays, whites, and blues that give it a cooler emphasis. Colors are rendered well with realistic looking depth and detail. This is a solid, high bitrate encoding that delivers superlative image resolution. Close ups reveal high level detail that allows the pores, stubble, peach fuzzy hair and subtle variations in the complexions of the cast to be perceivable. The texture on the surfaces of objects is just as defining which give them visibly apparent structure and tangible quality. Black levels and contrast are excellent and visible detail within dark backgrounds and shadows are equally as strong. The video has a filmic and pristine quality that appears devoid of video related anomalies and artifacts. The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack hit all of the high points and mated quite well with the program material. This is essentially a dialogue driven soundtrack but it makes good use of the surround field to reproduce the music score, ambient background details and a few discretely mixed spatial cues. Low frequency detail has solid weight and depth when applied but there was rarely a call for it. Dialogue was rich with excellent tonal distinction and crystal clarity. I enjoyed the open and transparent nature of this mix as it definitely had a realistic and ‘you are there’ feel to it.

Bonus Features:

• Commentary by writer/director Jason Reitman, director of photography Eric Steelberg, and fisrt assistant director Jason Blumenfeld
• (HD) Shadow play: Before the story - a brief look at this small boutique studio and their contribution to the production - 2 minutes
• (HD) “By yourself“ music video by Sad Brad Smith
• (HD) Storyboards
• (HD) 13 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Jason Reitman
• (HD) American Airlines prank - 1 minute
• (HD) Teaser and theatrical trailers

Final Thoughts:

Up in the air is an intelligently crafted, well enacted and multifaceted film about a guy that thinks he has it all figured out only to have it cave in around him. He comes full circle after experiencing that perhaps there is more to life. I thoroughly enjoyed its superb direction and strong performances which have garnered it a multitude of accolades from Hollywood including Academy Award nominations. It’s debut on Blu-ray Disc from Paramount is technically rock solid as it looks and sounds terrific in high definition. I found the less than comprehensive bonus feature package to be disappointing but it doesn’t prevent this disc from being a worthy addition to your collection. Highly Recommended.

Ralph Potts AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews

Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier) Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video) Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video) Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video) Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI) Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control Canton "Ergo" Series speakers Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish) APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package

An Education is based on the real-life story of a romance between a 16-year-old girl and an older man. It deals in depth of several of the classical romantic themes -- relationships between older men and younger women, men's proclivities toward seduction, infidelity, and the occasional betrayal of trust in romantic relationships. These are the facets of human nature that evolutionary psychologists have explored too deeply for some tastes, but that continue to fascinate and bemuse most of us. Relationships between older men and older women, for example, are universal across human societies, and almost completely misunderstood by social scientists for most of the 20th century (see Kenrick & Keefe, 1992).

An Education is also concerned with Getting Ahead, and with the trade-offs between different fundamental motives. The heroine has to choose between pursuing her goal of getting into Oxford, and her relationship with the boyfriend. The central character in is Jenny Miller (played by Carey Mulligan). She provides a stark contrast with the central character in Precious. Whereas Precious was a poor obese girl living in Harlem who had almost nothing going for her, Jenny is a middle-class schoolgirl who has everything going for her - she is cute, charming, brilliant, loved by her parents, her teachers. Her dilemma is a choice between a staid conservative university education and a flashier life, traveling to Paris and going to exciting jazz clubs. Despite the fact that Jenny Miller has so much going for her, she is easy to relate to, especially if you are an intellectual nerd with a wise mouthed inclination toward sarcastic humor.

An Education also contrasts with Blind Side, which also tells the story of a teenager who is striving for higher things. The difference is that the players in An Education struck were not depicted as unidimensional Hallmark characters, but as authentically sincere and multifaceted. The movie also touches on gender differences, but not in a simplistic way. Jenny wants to wait till she is 17 to have sex, but she is hardly reticent about getting involved. The real life character on whom she is based went on to work for Penthouse magazine, and to brag about sleeping with dozens of other undergraduates at Oxford - hence representing what Steve Gangestad and Jeff Simpson would characterize as an unrestricted mating style (although she did eventually settle down, get married, and have children).

An Education was tightly edited, both visually and verbally. The script builds increasing tension over the questionable romance, leading up to a surprising revelation, and finally to a satisfying resolution. The dialog alone is worth the price of admission. And the movie capitalizes on the anthropological power of cinema -- transporting the viewer into another time and place and making it feel as if you are there.

On the overall rating, we split DTK gives it a strong A, experiencing it as a near perfect movie. DLK gave it a B, finding some of the plot twists less than perfectly executed, and experiencing the main male character as creepier than perhaps intended (but all his cinema friends loved it, so he'll watch it again).

References

Gangestad, S.W., & Simpson, J.A. (2000). The evolution of human mating: Trade-offs and strategic pluralism. Behavioral & Brain Sciences, 573-587

Kenrick, D. T., & Keefe, R. C. (1992). Age preferences in mates reflect sex differences in human reproductive strategies. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 15, 75–133. 

 

New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme

What's to be got by transferring Chaucer's tales from page to the stage? A multifaceted encounter with a bawdy, mystical, hilarious world 600 years old and fresh as a morning in May, that's what. On a seemingly infinitely manipulable wooden set (Lis Evans's design, Lee Threadgold's puppeteering), horses prance, conjured from sacks and pitchforks; a child toddles, fashioned from folded cloth; a windmill turns its ladder sails (while, inside, a windy miller trumps his bedclothes airborne). Characters (and with 16 actors playing multiple roles, they are legion) spring to life in glorious caricature, luminous with humanity. Director-composer Conrad Nelson deploys strings, brass and percussion, played by the mercurial cast, to modulate the lightening-flash transitions of subject and mood, while Mike Poulton's updated text remains as invigorating as a high wind over the downs in spring.

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NEW YORK — The Academy Awards have a tiresome habit of calling the annual Oscar telecast "Hollywood's biggest night."

This year the Oscarcast could prove to be a pretty big night for television, too.

The economy may be wheezing, but advertising time on ABC's Academy Awards shindig (Sunday at 8:30 p.m. EST) is sold out, with the price tag reportedly $1.5 million per 30-second spot, up from less than $1 million last year.

And even in an era defined by eroding TV viewership, several promising signs – including the David-and-Goliath battle between "Hurt Locker" and "Avatar" – suggest Oscar could regain a measure of its past ratings glory.

Last year, the Oscarcast attracted 36.3 million viewers, with dark horse hit "Slumdog Millionaire" crowned best picture. In 2008, the audience, by Oscar standards, was even paltrier – just 32 million, as the not-for-everyone drama "No Country for Old Men" claimed the big prize.

But roll back the clock to 1998, when titanic interest surrounding "Titanic" helped bring an all-time-record of more than 55 million viewers to the show.

No big surprise – Oscar audiences are larger when a leading contender also happens to be a worldwide box-office phenomenon, and "Titanic" (with its dreamboat leading man, Leonardo DiCaprio) was a doozie.

"Titanic" brought the broadcast added suspense too: Would Oscar give its blessing to a hugely overbudget adventure-history-romance with more bombast than artistry that rose from near-disaster to be moviedom's biggest and arguably most unlikely smash?

Everybody knows the answer to that – director James Cameron emerged that night as Oscar's King of the World. And now, this year, most everybody knows that Cameron is back and has potentially topped himself with the 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar."

Even better, his ex-wife – the acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow – is going toe-to-toe with Cameron in both the Best Director and Best Picture categories for her gritty, nowhere-near-big-budget military masterpiece, "The Hurt Locker."

This sort of faceoff has sporting interest at almost every level: art vs. spectacle, realism vs. fantasy, woman vs. man in an industry where no woman has ever won the best director prize, plus dueling ex-spouses. Who could fail to be caught up in that multifaceted bout?

Most of the other major awards seem, well, a little predictable, leaving the suspense to the final minutes of the hours-long Oscar extravaganza. But who can quibble, with such nominees as Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, George Clooney and other faves guaranteeing the viewer prime star-gazing along the way, win or lose?

There's even more to put a smile on Oscar's deadpan face.

The Academy Awards hope to capitalize on a heartening upswing in recent months for big-event television.

The Grammys earlier this year drew 26 million viewers on CBS, up from 19 million in 2009. Ratings for the Golden Globes on NBC were up 14 percent, while the People's Choice Awards on CBS got a bump of 15 percent.

The Super Bowl followed as the most-watched U.S. TV event of all time, drawing 106 million people to CBS. Most recently, the Olympics on NBC have consistently triumphed in the ratings; the opening ceremony drew 32.6 million viewers.

It's possible that TV has turned the tide, at least with the right show, after years of dwindling ratings. Maybe in an uncertain world and a nervous economy, viewers are eager to embrace opportunities to commune electronically. (They certainly flock to Fox's "American Idol," which on certain nights beat the gargantuan Olympics, aired head-to-head.)

And there's a new ingredient in the mix. Social media networks, which facilitate swift, real-time response on sites such as Twitter and Facebook, have helped rally large audiences who share in an unfolding TV show through a corresponding, interactive channel.

Go figure: the Internet, which some traditionalists warn will kill old-fashioned TV, can, under the right circumstances, supercharge it.

And speaking of old-fashioned, the Oscars are boasting some venerable box-office appeal with its co-hosts: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin (who hosted solo in 2000 and 2002).

While neither of them is young or pretty, at their best they are two of the funniest men alive, with Baldwin blossoming in recent seasons on the NBC comedy "30 Rock." Furthermore, they are bonded by friendly rivalry as the two champs of "Saturday Night Live" hostmanship: Martin currently has logged 15 host appearances, while Baldwin is runner-up with 14.

The curiosity factor of seeing these veteran funnymen join forces for one of TV's most daunting tasks – keeping an inherently bloated awards show both moving and amusing – could prove to be an audience draw all its own.

That is, if you can see it. An added dose of intrigue for this year's Oscarcast has been inflicted on some 3.1 million New York City area Cablevision subscribers. Cablevision is currently squabbling with ABC in a dispute over how much the network is paid by the cable operator. If that fight isn't resolved pronto, WABC owner Walt Disney Co. has warned it will pull the station off the cable system after midnight Saturday.

Even if that happens, life will go on. A loss of as much as 3.1 million viewers is unlikely to make a crucial ratings difference in a flush Oscar year like this one promises to be.

And if ABC does go dark on Cablevision, chances are the message will reach deprived New Yorkers. After all, there's always radio, texting and Twitter.

___

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.

___

On the Net:

http://www.abc.com

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$825 of $4,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 4, 2010

The “Las Bendecidas” (The Blessed Ones) is represented by Amparo and made up of 14 members who are in their second loan cycle. They have shown unity, responsibility and the desire to continue growing to get ahead and make more progress every day. Amparo Campos Paredes (group president) has a cosmetics sales business. Thanks to her efforts, she continues to move forward in her work day to day. She has two children and is separated from her husband. Because of this, she overcomes obstacles in order to get her children ahead in life. She’s a hard-working woman and has shown herself to be very responsible. She lives under the anticretico modality (a transaction not available in the U.S. whereby a property owner requests a "loan" from you in exchange for housing, which must be paid back to you at the end of your contract. If your loan is not repaid, the property owner loses the property to you) and dreams with having her own home for her and her two children. Amparo is making a great effort to reach this goal. She will use the funds as working capital to continue growing in her business. All the members of this group are multifaceted; they enjoy work very much. Some sell food; others sell groceries, chickens, soft-drinks and turnovers. Some sell milk, others vegetables. Some sell maja blanco (a sweet). In this case, competition is non-existent because they all have different businesses and they all do well because they go out to different points of sale both within the city and to its outskirts in order to sell their merchandise. The funds will be used to increase their ingredients, supplies and products in order to generate better income and meet customer demand. The members already have quite a bit of experience in the field of group loans. This is an established, very good group. They completed their first loan cycle well with us and, to date, continue to prove themselves as being very hard-working and responsible people. The institution, therefore, grants new economic support to them so that they may continue to succeed and provide their families with a better quality of life.

Translated from Spanish by Michael Bujazan, Kiva Volunteer