Designer Ilya Birman has come up with what has to be one of the most elegant, minimal perpetual calendars we've ever laid eyes on?at least compared to other creations which tend to look like hideous sudoku puzzles.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-simple-chart-is-a-brilliantly-minimal-perpetual-ca-1057709528
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New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez leaves the dugout to take batting practice before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez leaves the dugout to take batting practice before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
New York Yankees' Ale Rodriguez gets a hit in his first at bat against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning in a baseball game at US Cellular Field in Chicago on Monday, Aug., 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney)
New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez leaves the dugout to take batting practice before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Facebook friends. Transcripts of BlackBerry instant messages. Records of texts.
Major League Baseball's investigators used an arsenal of high-tech tools to collect the evidence that persuaded a dozen players to accept 50-game suspensions this week for their ties to the Biogenesis clinic.
And when it came time to meet with the players' association, they flashed some of their documentary proof. While there was not enough time for the union to thoroughly examine what baseball had collected, there was little doubt there was an electronic trail, one of the people familiar with the meetings said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no public statements were authorized.
"It both complicates things and adds a layer of proof that certainly wasn't available many years ago," union general counsel David Prouty said Tuesday.
Alex Rodriguez, the lone holdout against a suspension, faces an arbitration hearing in coming months that likely will include such evidence. The New York Yankees third baseman was suspended for 211 games from Thursday through the 2014 season, though he is allowed to play until a decision is issued by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, which is not expected until at least November.
Until now, nearly all suspensions under MLB's drug program resulted from positive drug tests. The Biogenesis probe revealed players were using PEDs without detection.
"To catch the most sophisticated intentional fraudsters, you have to use non-analytical means, which is another reason why baseball's effort here is such a pivotal moment for the anti-doping fight," said Travis Tygart, chief executive office of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
MLB officials would not speak for attribution about its investigation. The league used about 30 people full time in its fact-gathering, another person familiar with the process said Tuesday, also on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.
The probe was sparked in January when the Miami New Times published documents linking players to the clinic and accused it of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Technology has evolved since 2003, when federal agents raided the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in Burlingame, Calif., sparking an investigation that eventually led to criminal convictions of Barry Bonds, track star Marion Jones, cyclist Tammy Thomas and NFL lineman Dana Stubblefield.
And when former Sen. George Mitchell issued his report on drugs in baseball four years later, he recommended baseball start an investigations department. Dan Mullin, a former New York City Police Officer, was hired as the unit's head in 2008. Former U.S. Secret Service director Mark Sullivan was brought in to assist in the Biogenesis probe.
After the Miami New Times report, baseball investigators examined the Facebook pages of Bosch and Porter Fisher, the former Biogenesis associate who gave documents to the newspaper. They began to sketch out which people they were friends with, and which of those friends posted photos of athletes or mentioned athletes. Each link led to new loops that provided leads.
MLB filed a lawsuit in March against Biogenesis of America, company founder Anthony Bosch and others, complaining they interfered with the contracts between MLB and the union. The suit was unusual and may never reach trial, but it did give MLB the ability to file civil subpoenas.
Records from Florida's Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County that were examined by the AP showed subpoenas were issued to Federal Express, AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA, UPS and Metro PCS. At least some of those companies complied and turned over data to the probe, one of the people said.
By June, Bosch agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The person said MLB hired a data recovery company to obtain records from his mobile telephone.
When baseball officials met with the union, evidence included the BlackBerry instant message transcripts and records of text messages. Lawyers for players believed some emails also had been recovered.
"It's like traditional law enforcement methods," Tygart said. "Even without the powers of law enforcement ? wiretaps, search warrants ? you can still have success in obtaining these documents."
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By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Amena Bakr
AMMAN/DOHA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has offered Russia economic incentives including a major arms deal and a pledge not to challenge Russian gas sales if Moscow scales back support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Middle East sources and Western diplomats said on Wednesday.
The proposed deal between two of the leading power brokers in Syria's devastating civil war was set out by Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, they said.
Russia has supported Assad with arms and diplomatic cover throughout the war and any change in Moscow's stance would remove a major obstacle to action on Syria by the United Nations Security Council.
Syrian opposition sources close to Saudi Arabia said Prince Bandar offered to buy up to $15 billion of Russian weapons as well as ensuring that Gulf gas would not threaten Russia's position as a main gas supplier to Europe.
In return, Saudi Arabia wanted Moscow to ease its strong support of Assad and agree not to block any future Security Council Resolution on Syria, they said.
A Gulf source familiar with the matter confirmed that Prince Bandar offered to buy large quantities of arms from Russia, but that no cash amount was specified in the talks.
One Lebanese politician close to Saudi Arabia said the meeting between Bandar and Putin lasted four hours. "The Saudis were elated about the outcome of the meeting," said the source, without elaborating.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, could not immediately be reached on Wednesday for comment about the meeting. A Saudi Foreign Ministry official was also not immediately available to respond.
Putin's initial response to Bandar's offer was inconclusive, diplomats say. One Western diplomat in the Middle East said the Russian leader was unlikely to trade Moscow's recent high profile in the region for an arms deal, however substantial.
He said Russian officials also appeared skeptical that Saudi Arabia had a clear plan for stability in Syria if Assad fell.
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
However, in a possible sign of greater flexibility by Moscow, other diplomats said that in the run-up to the meeting Russia put pressure on Assad to allow in a U.N. mission to investigate the suspected use of chemical weapons.
The U.N. team is expected to visit Syria next week.
"This was one of those unannounced meetings that could prove much more important than the public diplomatic efforts being made on Syria," one diplomat said.
A senior Syrian opposition figure said there had been a "build-up of Russian-Saudi contacts prior to the meeting".
"Bandar sought to allay two main Russian fears: that Islamist extremists will replace Assad, and that Syria would become a conduit for Gulf, mainly Qatari, gas at the expense of Russia," he said. "Bandar offered to intensify energy, military and economic cooperation with Moscow."
Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim powers have been strong supporters of the mainly Sunni rebels battling Assad, from Syria's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. The rebels have been joined by foreign Sunni jihadis.
Assad has enjoyed military support from Iran and fighters from Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi'ites.
Russia has maintained military sales to Syria throughout the two year conflict in which 100,000 people have been killed, and helped block three U.N. draft resolutions criticizing Assad's crackdown on the mainly peaceful protests against him in 2011.
The Security Council has been considering a possible resolution on aid for Syria for several months and a shift in position by Moscow could alleviate this.
Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based defense think tank CAST, said he had no direct knowledge of the offer, but he would not be surprised if a contract to supply Saudi Arabia with 150 Russian T-90 tanks were revived.
"There was an order of T-90s that was stopped for mysterious reasons, and if this is a resurrection of that order then we could suspect that the Saudis want something in return and that something could be linked to Syria," said Pukhov, who is close to Russia's Defense Ministry.
"If the Saudis want Moscow to outright drop Assad, they will refuse the deal, but they may have a more nuanced position, which they could possibly agree to."
Russia and Saudi Arabia penned an arms contract in 2008 for 150 T-90s as well as more than 100 Mi-17 and Mi-35 attack helicopters as well as BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, but the contract has stalled for years.
Russian newspaper Kommersant reported at the time that the contract was concluded to persuade Moscow to curtail its ties with Iran, though the Kremlin denied that report.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Grove in Moscow; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-saudi-offers-russia-deal-scale-back-assad-133512903.html
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5 hours ago
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee July 18, 2013 in Washington, DC.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke should testify in the lawsuit by American International Group Inc's former chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg against the United States over the insurer's 2008 bailout, a judge ruled on Monday.
Judge Thomas Wheeler of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims rejected the government's effort to keep Bernanke from being deposed, saying the Fed chairman was a "central figure" in the decision to bail out AIG.
"Indeed, the court cannot fathom having to decide this multi-billion dollar claim without the testimony of such a key government decision maker," Wheeler wrote. "These facts constitute 'extraordinary circumstances' for the taking of Mr. Bernanke's deposition."
(Watch: Who will succeed Bernanke?)
Greenberg's Starr International Co, which once had a 12 percent stake in AIG, is suing over the government's taking of a 79.9 percent stake in the insurer in September 2008 and a separate 1-for-20 reverse stock split in June 2009.
Greenberg's attorney, Alanna Rutherford of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, said his team was pleased with the judge's decision.
Earlier this year Greenberg tried to force AIG to join his suit against the government over the $182.3 billion bailout, an effort the company ultimately rejected.
Greenberg is seeking tens of billions of dollars in compensation over the losses he incurred when the government rescued the company.
"Because of Mr. Bernanke's personal involvement in the decision-making process to bail out AIG, it is improbable that Plaintiff would be able to obtain the same testimony or evidence from other persons or sources," Wheeler wrote in his four-page order.
Wheeler said the court would extend "appropriate deference and courtesies" to Bernanke in scheduling the testimony; the judge also said he would attend the deposition himself.
It is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16, the order noted.
Reuters contributed to thisreport.
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The Chesterfield youth soccer coach accused of inappropriately touching a young boy is due in court on Monday morning.
Investigators say 22-year-old Joe Crespo texted and groped the boy during a car ride.
Crespo has been in jail since his arrest last week. He'll appear in juvenile court at 11 a.m. for an attorney status hearing.
Copyright 2013 WWBT NBC12.? All rights reserved.
Source: http://www.nbc12.com/story/22953884/chesterfield-soccer-coach-accused-of-touching-boy-due-in-court
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Source: delong.typepad.com --- Sunday, July 28, 2013
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Millions of people crowd Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro on July 28, 2013 as Pope Francis celebrates the final mass of his visit to Brazil.
By Anne Thompson, Mary Murray and Daniel Arkin, NBC News
A reported three million people jammed Rio de Janeiro?s Copacabana beach Sunday to get a glimpse of Pope Francis as he brought a whirlwind trip to his home continent to a close with a Mass, during which he called on young people participating in World Youth Day to extend their Catholic faith ?to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.?
?The church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you,? Pope Francis said to the massive crowd, one of the largest turnouts for a papal Mass in recent history, according to The Associated Press.
?Where does Jesus send us?? the pontiff asked the audience. ?There are no borders, no limits: he sends us to everyone. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone.?
Millions of people packed Brazil's Copacabana beach Sunday, and more were expected, to attend the Pope's final Mass of his trip to the country. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
The celebration of the Mass marked the climax of his week-long trip to the capital of Brazil and neighboring Sao Paulo, where legions of fans and the faithful celebrated a pope who has quickly gained in popular appeal. It also crowned World Youth Day, a biannual gathering of young Catholics.
Over the course of Francis' visit ? his first foreign tour since he was elected March 13 ? the pontiff presented a broad sketch of his key papal priorities: charity for the poor, bringing priests closer to the people, and re-evangelizing regions where Catholics have left the church ? particularly Latin America, where the Catholic population has dramatically shrunk.
"I would like Christ's command ? 'Go' ? to resonate in you young people from the church in Latin America, engaged in the continental mission promoted by the bishops," Francis said in his homily Sunday. "Brazil, Latin America, the whole world needs Christ!"
Many of the pilgrims who packed Copacabana beach early Sunday slept overnight to secure a spot at Mass, some pitching tents and camping out in sleeping bags. Normally a sea of bikinis and swimsuits, the world-famous beach was, instead, crammed with Bibles, rosaries and crucifixes as worshipers convened to hear Francis.
?We were dying of cold but it was worth it,? Lucrecia Grillera, 18, told the AP. ?It was a tiring day, but it was a great experience.?
The Vatican said that over 3 million people flooded the beach for closing Mass, based on data provided by World Youth Day organizers and local authorities, eclipsing the one million people at 2011 ceremony in Madrid and the 850,000 on hand for the 2002 ceremony in Toronto, according to the AP.
And yet the Rio crowd fell short of the estimated 5 million people who swarmed Pope John Paul II?s 1995 closing Mass in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, according to the AP.
Francis announced Sunday that the next World Youth Day would be in Krakow, Poland in 2016.
En route to the beach, Francis received a welcome befitting a rock star, as admirers flung well-wishes, kisses and gifts at the pontiff as he rode to the service in an open-sided car. Straight-laced Vatican bodyguards smiled as they moved along the pope?s vehicle, swept up in the ecstatic energy surrounding the convoy, according to the AP.
Felipe Dana / AP
The pontiff is making his first visit overseas since he was elected in March. An estimated 2 million people are expected to greet him.
It was Francis? second day addressing a massive audience on the beach. He spoke on Saturday to a crowd estimated by the Vatican to have climbed above 2 million people.
In his speech, he encouraged Brazil's young people, who have protested against corruption in their country, to continue their efforts to change society by fighting apathy and offering "a Christian response."?
He received yet another rapturous reception, stopping his popemobile several times to kiss babies.
On Thursday, Pope Francis underlined his mission to lead a ?church for the poor? Thursday, preaching against ?selfishness and individualism? in an address to a rain-soaked Rio slum.
He was cheered by residents of the Varginha favela who hung out of windows and stood on rooftops just to get a glimpse he gave his address from a vast, muddy soccer field.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:?
This story was originally published on Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:20 PM EDT
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Another priest has revealed details of sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church, claiming he?s being punished for coming forward.
A priest who is being called Father Michael, as he wishes to remain anonymous, claims he is being kicked out of the church for reporting Father Paul Moore to the police in 1997 for sexual assault.
The church has no comment ?due to the complex legal situation, criminal, civil and canonical?.
?I woke to find Moore fondling me under the bedclothes,? said Father Michael.
?I placed a chair behind the door and would sometimes hear it rattling,? he added.
Father Michael said he sought help on two separate occasions from Cardinal Kieth O?Brien, Britain?s former most senior Roman Catholic cleric who resigned in March over sexual misconduct.
In 1996 and in 2013 when Father Michael went to O?Brien, the former cardinal expressed ?shock? but did not offer any help.
Father Michael also went to O?Brien?s temporary replacement, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia who reportedly wrote ?I think it is better for me to return these documents to you? when Father Michael appealed for his help in 2013.
According to British newspaper The Guardian, the church has told Father Michael that he will be removed unless he resigns.?
Father Michael has received a letter in which Bishop John Cunningham of Galloway informs him he must retire because of ?your ill-health, both physical and psychological, as you yourself have detailed to me in your letters and in those sent by your medical doctors and psychotherapist.
Father Michael, who is recovering from cancer, claims Bishop Cunningham denied requests to lessen his workload while in recovery.
Though Moore reportedley confessed to inappropriate behavior, Father Michael feels he's being treated unfairly because the church is still protecting Moore while asking Father Michael to resign.
Father Michael said: ?What I have had to face is something very evil. Had I known what I would experience when I was lying on the floor at ordination, I would have stood up and walked out. I focused my life on priesthood, thinking it was about goodness, kindness and everything I wanted to aspire to. I discovered it was nothing like that.?
?It's a tragic story,? he added.
?It's about cover-up, deceit and lies.?
The church is a big mafia, and they trash you. They will do everything to destroy me.?
?
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'I do respect her and her choices,' actress said of 'Hunger Games' star.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1711325/shailene-woodley-jennifer-lawrence-divergent.jhtml
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It was only a few years ago that oil giants Chevron and Total were accused of propping up Myanmar?s military junta by helping it export oil and gas, earning them the ire of human rights groups. Yet with decades of political isolation over ? and most Western sanctions gone or waning ? this country of 60 million is now safe for Big Oil.
That?s why top officials from top energy companies have been quietly beating a path to the capital city of Naypyidaw over the past few months.
They?re looking for more details on 30 untouched offshore oil and natural gas drilling sites that the government is now opening up to foreign exploration. Earlier this month the government shortlisted more than 60 companies, including some of the biggest players ? Shell, ExxonMobil, and ConacoPhilips ? to make final bids, and the winners will be announced later this year.
That there is a race at all marks a stark turnaround: For decades after World War II, Myanmar's rich reserves of oil and natural gas were off limits for foreign companies. More recently, sanctions kept most Western companies out.
But plenty of tricky questions remain ? both for the companies and for Myanmar?s people. Violence against the Muslim Rohingya diaspora in western Rakhine state ? near where much of the fuel is located ? may give some companies pause. And the country?s oil and gas agency is plagued with mismanagement and cronyism.
Plus, Myanmar?s government is under increasing pressure at home to address its own considerable energy shortages ? and not simply export away its oil and gas riches as it did in the past.
PRAGMATIC MONEY
Satya Ramamurthy, of consulting group KPMG International, says the new government seems to be trying to chart a ?pragmatic? course and ?apply an approach which takes into consideration the country?s current situation,? while recognizing that foreign oil and gas companies want to make money, and have the potential to be lucrative for Myanmar (also known as Burma).
Myanmar is no stranger to the global energy market. Indeed, Scottish oilmen started exporting crude from this corner of southeast Asia in the late 1800s, when it was controlled by Queen Victoria.
Myanmar has proven natural gas reserves of 10 trillion cubic feet, and ranks 36th among natural gas producers worldwide ? with most of it going to neighboring Thailand ??? according to the United States Energy Information Administration. The country has proven petroleum reserves of 50 million barrels.
The companies that win the rights to operate the oil and natural gas sites will be required to enter into a production-sharing agreement with the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. The agency?s dismal reputation helped earn the government a dead-last ranking in ?resource governance? by the Revenue Watch Initiative, a New York-based non-profit watchdog group, in a May report.
TRANSPARENCY STANDARD?
The Myanmar government has promised to join the Norway-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an international transparency standard that many countries have pledged to abide by. And the US State Department has promised to help Myanmar modernize the agency.
Still, the Shwe Gas Movement, a coalition of activists who have vocally opposed a recently-completed Chinese-built pipeline across Myanmar, warned investors in a report last week that Myanmar?s laws won?t protect local communities, and that until they are reformed, foreign investment in energy ?should be put to a halt.?
Mr. Ramamurthy of KPMG says that companies weighing whether they can be confident their investments will be protected, environmental considerations and the potential displacement of people. ?I think that does weigh on the minds of investors,? he said during a visit to Naypyidaw.
And what it means for one of the biggest economic concerns facing Myanmar ? jobs ? remains unclear. Myanmar?s opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, noted at a June press conference that ?the extractive industry does not create many jobs.?
Read this story at csmonitor.com
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-opens-doors-big-oil-investment-pitfalls-still-130005912.html
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Posted by news on Thursday, July 25, 2013 ? Leave a Comment?
A couple of days before a friend of mine deployed to Afghanistan, I went to dinner with his family. I was stunned when, after talking to his mom for only a few minutes, she told me that upon hearing her son was about to deploy, people would ask if America was still sending troops to war. I couldn?t believe that a war, which had pervaded every aspect of my life, was so insignificant to others who are so removed from an army burdened by constant deployments. It worries me that my friend?s profound sacrifice may go unnoticed by those who don?t have a close friend or family member who serves.
Like many young officers who commissioned in my year group, I joined the army to serve my country during wartime. I made this decision during my time at Emory and began officer training shortly after graduation. My choice felt deliberate and meaningful. I could think of nothing more rewarding than wearing a sacred uniform and leading young Americans who felt the same urge to serve their country while she prosecuted two wars overseas. Through all my training, the prospect of serving in Afghanistan loomed large. Every bloc of instruction my peers and I received whether technical, tactical, or moral was learned and practiced with the war in Afghanistan lingering in the backdrop. It is not an exaggeration to say that I have thought about the war every day since I?ve entered active service. My assignment to the First Cavalry Division, one of the most deployed units in the army, only intensified my contact with the results and daily realities of America?s longest war.
The day my friend was scheduled to fly out of the country I dropped him off at his company. As we unloaded his bags from my car we were surrounded by hundreds of deploying soldiers in the midst of tearful goodbyes to their loved ones. They are the ones who boldly answered their country?s call to serve during wartime. They are the ones who hug their loved ones one last time without knowing if their world will be the same when they return. The ones who risk life and limb to serve in a region of the world where daily mortar attacks, IEDs and small arms fire are the norm. Many of these combat soldiers know they will return with memories that scar and color the rest of their lives and yet the majority still volunteer and serve honorably. It is a privilege to serve with men and women like my friend and from the bottom of my heart, I thank them for their service. It is my hope that we all recognize how lucky we are to have them and that these soldiers? tremendous sacrifice doesn?t wane in our society?s memory.? As our last combat brigades deploy and return home from Afghanistan, we must not forget what they have given up to make sure America?s withdrawal from Afghanistan is both safe and successful.
Neel Vahil is a graduate of Emory University and is currently serving as a combat arms lieutenant in the First Cavalry Division in Ft. Hood, Texas.
Source: http://www.emorywheel.com/has-america-forgotten-the-war-an-alum-on-his-military-experiences/
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GENEVA (AP) -- Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG posted an 11 percent rise in first-half profit Thursday boosted by strong sales of its blockbuster cancer drugs and some new additions to the line-up.
The Basel, Switzerland-based company said its core net income, or profit, during the first six months of the year increased to 6.65 billion Swiss francs ($7.09 billion), up from 5.98 billion francs in the comparable period of 2012 ? of that 6.5 billion francs was attributable to shareholders, up 12 percent on the previous year.
The world's biggest manufacturer of cancer drugs, which reports earnings only every six months, said Thursday that its top drugs, Avastin, Rituxan and Herceptin, and new breast cancer treatments Perjeta and Kadcyla contributed to strong first-half sales of more than 23.3 billion francs, up 4 percent from the first half of 2012. And on Wednesday, Roche announced positive results with its experimental leukemia drug GA101, indicating that could become a strong-selling successor to Rituxan after it loses patent protection in Europe at the end of this year.
The strong sales came despite the increasing competition in the market from cheaper generic rivals when strong sellers lose their patent protections. Roche said it expects full-year sales for 2013 to continue along the lines of last year's 7 percent growth.
Chief Executive Severin Schwan said Roche was putting most of its effort into developing products from some 68 new molecular entities in its pharmaceuticals pipeline and 55 potential diagnostics platforms and tests.
The company has always focused on dividends to return cash to shareholders and will also continue to focus on "bolt-on acquisitions," Schwan said. Its first-half results, he said, were "driven by our existing portfolio, recently launched cancer medicines Perjeta and Kadcyla, as well as continued growth in the clinical laboratory business."
Shares in Roche rose 0.6 percent on the Zurich exchange Thursday to end at 234.80 francs.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/roche-blockbuster-sales-boost-first-094257671.html
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Soyo, an NYK-owned coal carrier, has been selected as the 2012 ?Ship of the Year? by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE). An awards ceremony was held on July 25, and Mitsuhiko Sunouchi, the general manager of NYK?s Technical Group was presented with the recognition by JASNAOE.
JASNAOE?s ?Ship of the Year? award has been presented every year since 1990 to a Japan-built vessel that the society considers to be the most technically advanced, well-designed, and socially conscious. The NYK Group?s cruise ship Crystal Harmony (current name: Asuka II) received the society?s first ?Ship of the Year? award in 1990, and NYK-Hinode Line Ltd.?s two module carriers Yamatai and Yamato were recognized with special awards in 2010.
Soyo was honored for its innovative air-lubrication system and its proven impact on CO2 reduction. This new air-lubrication system reduces CO2 emissions by taking some of the main engine scavenging air (combustion air) from the main engine?s turbocharger and leading it to the vessel?s bottom to reduce the frictional resistance between the vessel?s bottom and the seawater. A system featuring this scavenging air bypass is expected to be effective in reducing CO2 on large vessels having deep drafts.
Yamatai and Yamato have similar air-lubrication systems, and were actually the world?s first vessels involved in overseas transport to have such a system permanently installed. The NYK Group is currently looking to equip car carriers with this eco-friendly system.
The system was jointly developed by NYK, Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., and the Monohakobi Technology Institute, an NYK Group company, in cooperation with the National Maritime Research Institute. System development was subsidized through Japan?s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism?s ?Support for Technology Development from Marine Vessels for Curtailing CO2? project, among others.
The NYK Group will continue to encourage initiatives that address climate change by striving to install this system on other types of vessels.
NYK, July 25, 2013
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We're used to seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger as an action hero, but can you picture him as the devoted father ... of a zombie? The Governator will take on the role of daddy to an undead daughter in the upcoming horror movie "Maggie," which features "Little Miss Sunshine" star Abigail Breslin as the zombie girl in question. (And if you're having flashbacks to "The Walking Dead's" own Governor brushing his undead daughter Penny's hair, you're not alone.)
EPA; Getty Images
Sandra Bullock plays an astronaut, Arnold Schwarzenegger a zombie's dad, and Keanu Reeves a samurai warrior in upcoming films.
Arnold has mingled with movie kids before. ("It's not a toomah!" he famously told one in 1990's "Kindergarten Cop.") But it'll be an interesting adventure to see him as the dedicated dad of an infected child.
His role inspired us to look at some other big-name stars who are taking on roles that are at odds with their cinematic image.
Keanu Reeves, samurai, '47 Ronin'
Dude, I am totally a samurai warrior! If you still think of Keanu Reeves as a surfer dude, have you forgotten his action-hero stints in "The Matrix" series and "Speed"? In the upcoming "47 Ronin," he plays a half-Japanese, half-British character named Kai, an outcast who joins up with a famed Japanese samurai band. The "47 Ronin" are a real group in Japanese history, though Reeves' character was created for the film.
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, astronauts, 'Gravity'
In one of the most chilling trailers of any upcoming film, hunky George Clooney and girl-next-door Sandra Bullock play astronauts. Clooney's the vet, Bullock is the space newbie, and they end up spinning alone through space in a horrible NASA nightmare scenario.
Mila Kunis, janitor, 'Jupiter Ascending'
Mila Kunis played a smart-mouthed beauty in "That 70s Show" and has carried that persona into many of her movie roles, including as a ballet dancer in "Black Swan." But can you picture her scrubbing toilets? In the future? In "Jupiter Ascending," Kunis plays a custodian who learns her DNA means she may lead the universe. (In other weird casting news, Channing Tatum stars with Kunis, and he plays an albino with wolf and human DNA.
James Franco, murdering father, 'True Story'
Anyone who heard about the Christian Longo case back in 2001 is unlikely to have forgotten it. Desperate for money, the Oregon man murdered his wife and three children, then hid out using a journalist's identity. Franco plays the disturbing role of Longo, with Jonah Hill as the journalist whose identity is stolen.
Angelina Jolie, evil queen, 'Maleficent'
In her real life, she's mom to six, a tireless activist, and has spoken out about her decision to have a double mastectomy after learning she was at high risk for breast cancer. But in her next movie, all the good works go on the shelf as Jolie portrays the evil queen from "Sleeping Beauty" fame in "Maleficent."
Kristen Stewart, soldier, 'Camp X-Ray'
She'll forever be Bella from "Twilight" to many, but this part, as a young American soldier stationed at Guantanamo Bay, takes the actress pretty far from Forks.
Daniel Radcliffe, poet Allen Ginsberg, 'Kill Your Darlings'
He's not Harry Potter anymore. The young British heartthrob will play the famed American Beat Generation poet in this stylish drama that was praised at Sundance. It receives a theatrical release this fall.
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GALESBURG, Ill. ? Seeking to build momentum for looming fiscal fights, President Barack Obama on Wednesday cast himself as the champion for middle-class Americans struggling to make ends meet. He chided Washington for having "taken its eye off the ball" and declared that the economy would be the "highest priority" of his second term.
Obama, in an hour-long address that was at times deeply partisan, also accused Republican lawmakers of succumbing to "an endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals." He said gridlock had only gotten worse since his re-election.
"I am here to say this needs to stop," Obama said in a speech at Knox College. "This moment does not require short-term thinking. It does not require having the same old stale debates."
Obama, as he often does when criticizing Washington, glossed over his own status as the inhabitant of the city's most powerful office.
GOP leaders quickly panned the president's remarks as a series of repackaged ideas and empty promises.
"It's a hollow shell, it's an Easter egg with no candy in it," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said.
Indeed, the president's remarks were void of new policy proposals or fresh solutions for breaking Washington stalemates. And there were no new approaches presented for resolving potential showdowns with Republicans this fall over raising the nation's borrowing limit and curtailing across-the-board federal budget cuts known as "the sequester."
For the president's advisers, a central goal of the speech was simply to refocus Obama's agenda squarely on the economy ahead of the fall deadlines. The first six months of his second term largely have been consumed by priorities like gun control and immigration, as well as an array of foreign policy crises and domestic controversies, including the National Security Agency's domestic spying programs and IRS scrutiny of political groups.
While official Washington's attention was elsewhere, the economy was slowly but steadily improving. The housing market is recovering, the stock market is soaring, and unemployment, while still high at 7.6 percent, is falling.
But the White House fears that standoffs this fall over the debt ceiling and the sequester could upend that progress. The president has declared that he will not negotiate over the debt ceiling and expects Republicans to lift the borrowing limit without concessions. He's also pushing to end the federal budget cuts before they extend into the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The president panned the sequester as a "meat cleaver" that has "cost jobs, hurt our military and gutted investments in American education."
Obama will seek to keep up his renewed economic focus in the coming weeks with a series of speeches on manufacturing, education, housing, retirement security and health care. Advisers say some of those speeches will contain more specific policy proposals, both for congressional legislation and executive action.
The president said he welcomed ideas from lawmakers of both parties, but wouldn't stand for reflexive opposition to his own initiatives.
"I'm laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot," he said. "Now it's time for you to lay out your ideas."
For Obama, the day trip to Knox College marked a return to the site of his first major economic address. He spoke at the school's graduation ceremony in 2005 as a newly elected U.S. senator.
His remarks back then were strikingly similar to the themes he outlined Wednesday in Illinois and later in Missouri, including the government's role in ensuring all Americans have opportunities to get ahead and the need for the U.S. to be better prepared to compete internationally. Barring action now, Obama said, "We will be waving the white flag while other countries forge ahead in the global economy."
The economy in the surrounding Galesburg community reflects much of the underlying economic concerns facing many Americans. A Maytag plant in the town shut its doors in 2004, leaving hundreds of people unemployed. Today, the factory still sits vacant. Galesburg's unemployment rate is just under 8 percent, and nearly a quarter of its population lives in poverty.
"Those old days aren't coming back," Obama conceded. He said the proposals he will outline in speeches later this summer will be aimed at adapting the U.S. economy to an increasingly competitive and interconnected world.
On education, the president promised "an aggressive strategy to shake up the system, tackle rising costs, and improve value for middle-class students and their families."
During the second stop Wednesday, Obama highlighted a program at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg that gives students education and skills at a faster pace while lowering the costs. Students earn a bachelor's degree in two years.
"You are a laboratory for this innovation. ... I want the entire country to notice it," Obama said. "I've asked my team to shake the trees all across the country for some of the best ideas out there for keeping college costs down."
The president also said he would use the speeches he'll give in the coming weeks to renew his calls for increasing the minimum wage and giving all 4-year-olds access to pre-school programs. The first of those speeches will come Tuesday, when Obama visits an Amazon distribution center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Obama also pledged to take steps to encourage home ownership, make it easier for people to save for retirement and to continue to put in place the elements of his health care law in the face of efforts by Republicans in Congress to repeal, delay or eliminate funding for its various parts.
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Pace reported from Washington.
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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap and Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.wral.com/obama-washington-has-taken-eye-off-the-economy/12700209/
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed National League saves leader Jason Grilli on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm.
Grilli, who left Monday night's game at Washington in the ninth inning with discomfort in his forearm, traveled to Pittsburgh Tuesday and will be examined by team doctors.
"The biggest thing we've got to do is get Jason back to Pittsburgh and be seen by our doctors and get a more thorough evaluation," Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington said. "The initial read was he's going to be down at least seven to 10 days so the DL becomes a no-brainer at that point, but the rest is speculative and anything else at this point would be purely that."
Huntington was asked if the initial read on the injury was encouraging or incomplete.
"Both," he said. "The initial read is encouraging but until we have the actual read it doesn't make a ton of sense for us to be out in front and speculate on what it is or how long he's going to be down."
The All-Star right hander is 0-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 30 saves.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Mark Melancon (2-1, 0.97, two saves) will assume the closer's role in Grilli's absence.
"I think it's going to be somewhat of a seamless transition. We can't replace Jason but we are going to move Mark to the closer spot," Hurdle said.
He said several relievers will work to fill Melancon's eighth-inning role.
"I do think we'll go the way the game flow is. We could have a different option every night," he said. "I don't think I'm going to settle into one guy right now."
The Pirates also plan to recall right hander Vic Black from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he's 1-2 with 15 saves and a 2.31 ERA.
In a separate move Tuesday, Pittsburgh activated second baseman Neil Walker, who had been on the disabled list since July 7 with right side soreness. Walker is hitting .244 with six homers and 26 RBIs this season.
To make room for Walker, Pittsburgh designated veteran infielder Brandon Inge for assignment. Inge appeared in 50 games, hitting .181 with a homer and seven RBIs.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pirates-closer-jason-grilli-placed-dl-221534680.html
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As a procession of Republican governors cracked down on abortion in recent months, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York tried to lift the state's longstanding restrictions after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, granted a temporary reprieve to a murderer on death row and signed laws limiting rounds in gun magazines and allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. So did Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley in Maryland, who also banned capital punishment and legalized medical marijuana.
While Republican governors elected during the party's historic wave in 2010 have drawn criticism for their unabashedly conservative agendas to restrict abortion, rein in labor unions and slash state spending, a number of Democratic governors are just as aggressively pushing liberal policies like gay marriage and gun control. Emboldened by President Obama's re-election, a younger and more diverse electorate, and an increasing number of state governments under one-party control, these Democratic governors are crusading on issues the party steered clear of until recently. It's happening not just in solidly-Democratic states like New York, Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut but also in more competitive battlegrounds like Colorado, where new gun laws are fueling two recall elections and threats of secession from some rural counties.
As potential presidential candidates and rivals to Hillary Clinton, governors like Cuomo and O'Malley are leading the Democratic Party down its most socially liberal path in decades.
"Especially on social issues, the center of gravity in the Democratic Party has moved in the more liberal direction," said Bill Galston, a former Clinton administration official and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "There's a new generation of Democrats who see lots of gain and very little pain in stronger gun safety legislation and gay marriage."
Polling suggests the Democratic governors are on solid ground on some of these issues. Gay marriage ? or in the case of Colorado, same-sex civil unions -- is widely accepted in Democratic-led states and by a narrow majority in national polls. So is allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship. Expanding background checks on gun buyers received support from 91 percent in a nationwide Quinnipiac University poll in April frequently cited by Democrats.
The growing support for gun control ? an issue Democrats had studiously avoided for more than a decade -- followed a shocking string of mass murders, most notably the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. in December. On other social issues, the trends are more demographic. The fast-growing Hispanic and Asian-American communities favor immigration reform, while young people overwhelmingly back gay marriage. President Obama built a winning coalition in part by turning out this younger and more diverse electorate.
"After two Obama electoral victories, liberal interest groups are emboldened and demanding party leaders get in line," said Tim Miller of America Rising, a Republican super PAC leading an anti-Clinton effort. "As a result you are seeing Democrats with national ambitions tack far left and losing touch with mainstream voters."
Colorado, a perennial presidential battleground, is home to a fierce backlash over the state's adoption of liberal policies. The state is facing its first recall elections for a pair of Democratic lawmakers who backed stricter gun control laws spurred by the Newtown murders and the slayings of 12 people in an Aurora movie theater one year ago. In northern Colorado, several rural counties are threatening to secede over the new gun restrictions, driving privileges for illegal immigrants and a renewable energy mandate.
"The most recent legislative session in Colorado was the most liberal I've seen in decades," said Democrat-turned-independent pollster Floyd Ciruli of Denver. "Colorado is not New York, so of course there is going to be a reaction. I don't know if the governor is endangered, but he's dealing with a narrative of a Democratic Party that went too far."
While Hickenlooper has public opinion on his side on most of these social issues, taken together, they could fuel Republican attacks that the Democratic Party has become too radical and push away moderate voters. Amid declining approval ratings, Hickenlooper has also endorsed a controversial $1 billion tax hike for public schools. The latest Quinnipiac poll shows 67 percent of voters disagree with his decision to postpone the execution of Nathan Dunlap, convicted of killing four people in a Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant in 1993.
"Democrats have been talking a lot about Republicans being [pushed] into the extremes, and some Democrats here are anxious about a parallel situation," Ciruli said.
Colorado is among 38 states where the governor's mansion and both chambers of the legislature are controlled by one party, allowing Democrat-led and Republican-led states to enact equally ambitious agendas. In other words, the same unified political climate that allowed Democrats in Colorado and Maryland to pass a slew of progressive laws this year also allowed Republican-controlled states like Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio and North Carolina to ratify tough abortion restrictions.
In this increasingly polarized political landscape, Republican and Democratic states are moving in opposite directions in reaction to developments in Washington -- the failure of Congress to pass gun control, the ongoing talks over immigration reform, and the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the federal ban on same-sex marriage.
"The parties are essentially doubling down, retrenching and going back to their corners and saying, 'This is who we are, and this what we are going to do," said Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, who worked on Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. "The problem for Republicans and what this past election made very clear is that on the issues the president was pushing like abortion rights, the majority of Americans are with him. In the states where Democrats are pushing the envelope, growth is on their side."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democratic-governors-steering-party-leftward-065201677.html
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Welcome to my blog, and thank you for taking the time to also visit jhlang.com.? With the help of a dozen youtube tutorials and intermittent coffee breaks, I made my very first webpage.
I still have a long ways to go before gaining my IT badge, but I did enjoy this challenge as I put forth my most novice efforts.? It is likely that my students design better sites in half the time I took to make this one.? I can live with this though because the students are what motivates me to continually challenge myself as a leader in education.? As a future administrator I believe it is important to challenge our students to try new experiences and that we also challenge ourselves, so this crack at making websites was my attempt to ?walk the walk.?
Throughout my graduate course work, independent research, and even friendly debates with pals after Wednesday night basketball games, I have managed to find my voice on education policy and discover what it means to be a leader in this field.? The intent of this blog post is to share that voice, so I have broken my instructional leadership philosophy down to five key points which all tie into a Nicholas M. Butler quote that I often refer to.
?America is the best half-educated country in the world.?
I believe the United States has many of the best schools in the world, but unfortunately we also have some of the bad ones.? It is not a particular person or group?s fault as much as it is an issue of inequity.? All schools in the US were not created equal.? And if you are a teacher in one of these underprivileged schools then you know what I mean.? Many of these struggling schools operate in unhealthy climates and experience high rates of attrition.? Why, because they?re bad places to work!? The organization?s culture has been disrupted by budget cuts, policy mandates, and consequently high employee turnover.? When these occurrences become the norm, then building learning communities rooted in collaboration and efficacy become more difficult than blindfolded web design.
I believe in our public education system even though some schools are inequitably equipped with tools to produce students gains.? If we choose to close the achievement gap, then we need to address these differences from school to school and acknowledge poverty as an issue affecting achievement in urban and rural poor public schools.? Instead the solution to boost gains has been to privatize schools, silence unions, and replace traditional teacher salary scales with merit pay systems.? If we wish to pay teachers based on merit, then I want to know how we differentiate the the top from the bottom tier of teachers?? If teacher merit is based on standardized test scores, then we will continue to fuel the high stakes testing bandwagon while triggering more cheating scandals.? Worst of all, we will fail to prepare students for the creative economy we are entering. ? The best way to pay teachers is to pay them enough so money no longer becomes an issue.? Name me a teacher that went into education to become rich and I?ll give up my aspirations to instead design websites.? Merit pay is not the best way to motivate educators.? Educators are best motivated by the intrinsic rewards they receive when their students learn.? It is that ?Ah-ha moment? that simultaneously engages the students and motivates teachers to stick around the public sector for a little while longer.
Philosophy Point 1: Creating an Environment Open For Innovation and Collaboration
As a principal I am committed to helping urban and rural schools make organizational change that will close inequity gaps in the worst schools while also keeping our teachers from leaving the profession.? I will do this by adopting techniques that will help build professional learning communities that innovate and operate purposefully to make all our schools equally great.
One way to aid the change process, making schools more open to change and collaboration, is by identifying the hidden components that compete against our change efforts.? A simple way to do this is by developing an immunities map.? This is what one might look like.
| Commitment | What are you doing or not doing | Hidden or competing commitments | My big assumption |
| I am committed to improving school wide achievement | I am not collaborating with others. | I am taking on too much responsibility while not delegating to other professionals | If I don?t do the work then it wont be done correctly |
(Kegan & Lahey, 2009)
As seen in my example immunities map, adapted from a blank Kegan and Lahey map, the principal is committed to improving gains, but now realizes that her big assumption is getting in the way of school-wide innovation and collaboration.? The discovery of these assumptions can lead to strengthening organizational health.? Another tool that can be used is called Levels of Use, or LoU.? According to Gene E. Hall and Shirley M. Hord, when educational leaders innovate there is an assumption that their new program will successfully be employed (Hall & Hord, 2011). Their research has demonstrated that this is not the case and therefore LoU becomes an effective tool defining the different levels of use.? Hall and Hord break the levels up into two categories: users and nonusers.? The five levels of users are renewal, integration, refinement, routine, and mechanical use.? The three levels of nonusers are preparation, orientation, and nonuse (Hall & Hord, 2011, p.94).
Philosophy Point 2: Invest In The Future, Not in Standardized Tests
It has become a popular trend in today?s society to criticize public education.? Many stakeholders are pushing to create change that I do not see as being valuable to our educational system.? More standardized testing, education privatization, and merit pay are red herring initiatives distracting us from true change.? The charter movement is a threat to our public schools and middle class American values with the deunionizing of our school districts.? I ask where is the evidence that supports the need for more testing and privatization of our schools?? Where is the evidence to prove charter schools or virtual schools are more effective at educating our youth?? Has rote test preparation become our new curriculum?? Do we want an intelligent and thoughtful citizenry, or a society good only at taking tests?
Our students must be prepared for the Conceptual Age because the Information Age is already behind us.? According to Pink, in the Conceptual Age, left-brain dominant people will excel.? As globalization opens up employment opportunities across the globe, the professional qualities in demand will be creativity and global competencies (Pink, 2006).? Many incorrectly assume America was once on top in international test scores.? Just as Reagan and A.N.A.R. sparked controversy and doubt in our education system, today?s policymakers are again grabbing our attention regarding the state of American education.? Now that our attention has been piqued, let us make the right decisions for educational policy in the future.? I hardly believe in this public education apocalypse, but perhaps the heightened concern for our schools may lead to the right decisions if policymakers step up and other leaders in education let their voices be heard.? The Steve Jobs of the world didn?t become successful because they were good at standardized tests.? It was Job?s ability to think outside of the box that made him a revolutionary in his field.
It is ironic that many stakeholders in education today revere the education systems of Asian countries that have in recent years been working to emulate American education (Zhao, 2009).? In Zhao?s book he discusses how the Chinese have made strides to move away from a rigid standardized test culture.? To be a leader it often means standing up for what you believe in.? I believe standardized tests can be one?assessment of student performance, but I do not believe in the stakes we have attached to these tests.? Education must be about preparing students for life beyond the classroom.? After spending five years as an ESL teacher in Asia, what I?ve witnessed is what I would expect.? Extreme rote memorization and test preparation has produced a lot of students with phenomenal abilities for taking tests, but that is about all.? As a principal, I will make my feelings towards standardized tests clear.? I will ask my teachers to do a good job preparing their class for tests but to not lose sight on the greater purpose of education.? I will do my best to support my teachers while taking as much of the standardized test burden off their shoulders.
Philosophy Point 3: Strengthening Teacher Capacity
As educational leaders everything we do must be purposeful with the intent to boost achievement.? There is room to make mistakes along the way, but it is crucial that we learn from our errors to build more efficient schools.? One way I can build capacity as a leader is to adopt Charlotte Danielson?s framework for teaching.? With this framework, administrators can end blind assessments and make the process more purposeful.? Two valuable steps often overlooked in the teacher evaluation process are the pre and post teacher interview.? The principal should take about thirty minutes to sit down with the teacher before and after their class is assessed.? Here are some sample questions the principal could ask before the interview:
Here are some sample questions the principal could ask after the interview:
When principals take time to share the framework process with teachers, the teacher better understands how she or he will be assessed.? Moreover, this is one way for the principal to show support for building learning communities when teacher assessments are done in a non-threatening way.
Philosophy Point 4: Building Efficacious Environments
As a leader I will work to develop efficacy beyond school walls and into the greater community.? Efficacy is important because many of our lowest performing schools are set up for failure before the day even begins.? The privatization movement continues to falsely claim that our public education system is a failure; meanwhile, we continue to underfund schools and ignore the implications poverty has on a student?s chances for success.? We need to believe in our schools, and we need to believe that, ?it takes a whole village to raise a child.?? I argue that the criticisms many make against public education are pointless and do no good.? I believe this because they destroy academic optimism while also failing to offer any real solutions.? The focus is always on the problem, and not how collectively we can make it better.? For instance, I don?t buy a new house when I have a leaky pipe.? I just fix the pipe.? I feel like abandoning public education is like buying that new house when we could just fix the pipe.? The first step in turning a school around and creating a culture of academic emphasis is developing faculty trust (Hoy & Hoy, 2009).? Again, one way we might develop trust is by adopting Danielson?s framework.? Once trust is developed, local stakeholders can begin to develop the collective efficacy needed to innovate and succeed.
Philosophy Point 5: Collaboration and Education
Learning communities are built through collaboration, and without collaborative efforts, innovation will stall.? As a future leader in education I will build a culture of trust that welcomes innovation and demonstrates purposefulness in what we do as a school.? I will work to make schools transparent while also preserving the professionalism of my teachers.? I myself will be visible to my staff and the greater community because I believe the principal must be accessible.? I will try to always answer questions openly and honestly.? Also, to demonstrate that the entire community is a shareholder in public schools, I will look to parents, and other leaders, for help when possible.? I will work to make school spaces available to the elderly, families, or local organizations.? I believe some adults think of schools as I remember the dentist office.? They recall negative experiences of their own and therefore still avoid or have bad attitudes towards school later on in life.? Collaboration is important, and if done successfully then it will also help to build efficacy in our schools.? Like the saying goes, I too believe it takes a community to raise our children.
Thank you again for taking the time to listen to the voice of a future administrator.? I believe my leadership abilities in education exceed my web design abilities in information technology, or at least I like to think so. ?If you enjoyed this blog post, then please subscribe or read earlier posts.
References:
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Hall, G.E. & Hord, S.M. (2011).? Implementing change: Patterns, principles, & potholes (3rd ed.).? Boston, MA: ? Pearson Education, Inc.
Kegan, R. & Lahey, L.L. (2009).? Immunity to change:? How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization.? Boston, MA: Harvard Business School.
Pink, D. H. ( 2006). ? A whole new mind:? Why right-brainers will rule the future.? New York, NY:? Riverhead Books.
Woolfolk Hoy, A. & Hoy, W. (2009).? Instructional Leadership: A Research-Based Guide to Learning in Schools (Third Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Zhao, Y. (2009). Catching up or leading the way? American education in the age of globalization.? Alexandria, VA:? ASCD.
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Source: http://jhlang.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/the-voice-of-a-future-administrator/
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Twitter's co-founder Biz Stone has suggested that Facebook should offer to let users pay for access to the social network and in return remove all ads from the service.
"I?ve got an idea for Facebook. They could offer Facebook Premium. For $10 a month, people who really love Facebook (and can afford it), could see no ads. Maybe some special features too. If 10 per cent of Facebook signed up, that?s $1B a month in revenue. Not too shabby," wrote Stone on Medium, a collective editorial blog site.
Stone says that since he has started using Facebook again recently, the adverts really annoy him and he would be happy to pay for a premium version of the site if Facebook promised to remove the adverts.
It's an interesting concept and one that follows Spofity's ad free model if you pay ?9.99 a month, however even though some newspapers, like The Times, insist you pay to access your content, it still shows adverts.
Meanwhile Facebook for Every phone, the feature phone version of Facebook is now being used by over 100 million people each month according to the social network.
The app, which works on over 3,000 different times of feature phone, shows that Facebook's users aren't just about the latest and greatest devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5.
The number represents one in 10 users of the social network, suggesting that while it's always going to be a niche part of the business
"Today, millions of people in developing markets like India, Indonesia and the Philippines are relying on this technology to connect with Facebook, without having to purchase a smartphone," said Facebook in a note detailing how proud it is to reach the 100m milestone.
Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/122492-twitter-co-founder-say-facebook-should-charge-users
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