The effort to create CIRM was launched after President Bush’s August 2001 restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell studies because the process requires the destruction of human embryos.
SB 1565 was sponsored by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a Santa Monica Democrat, and George Runner, a Republican from Antelope Valley. It had breezed through the Assembly and the Senate since its introduction Feb. 22.
Kuehl has long pressed CIRM for increased accountability and to codify — beyond CIRM’s policy — that stem cell therapies and diagnostics funded by the agency be affordable and accessible to uninsured Californians.
Runner has been an avowed opponent of embryonic stem cell research. His amendment would have allowed CIRM’s scientific and medical research funding working group — which includes 15 scientists who review, score, rank grant and loan applications — to allow a simple majority vote to push forward non-embryonic stem cell research.
That research already can receive federal funding. But adult stem cell research has picked up support over the past year, after Shinya Yamanaka, now a part-time researcher at the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, and others induced some adult skin cells to change into embryonic-like stem cells.
Runner’s amendment also may have made it easier for researchers at Stanford University, the University of California, San Francisco, the Gladstone Institutes and the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute to land more funding for their efforts to manipulate adult stem cells into embryonic-like stem cells or work with umbilical cord blood cells.
One of SB 1565’s aims already is coming to pass, though. The Little Hoover Commission, an independent, bipartisan state oversight commission, said Sept. 25 that it will study CIRM .
Source
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Governor vetoes California stem cell bill
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 1565, aimed at making stem cell therapies and diagnostics funded by California’s multibillion-dollar stem cell research agency affordable and accessible.
The bill also would have made it easier for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to fund research beyond politically charged embryonic stem cells.
In vetoing the bill Saturday, Schwarzenegger said SB 1565 would have undermined “the express intent of Proposition 71,” which California voters approved in 2004, setting up a $3 billion agency with state bonds.
Schwarzenegger said the bill would have eliminated the priority for funding human embryonic stem cell research and would have placed restrictions on CIRM’s oversight committee to adopt intellectual property policies that balance patient need and medical research.
“More than 7 million voters were very clear when they passed Proposition 71 in 2004,” Schwarzenegger said. “They wanted to fund embryonic stem cell research that the federal government wouldn’t. They also wanted to make sure that California receives a return for its historic investment in medical research. Both of these important goals are already being accomplished.
“This bill does nothing to advance the will of over 7 million voters. For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.”Continued...
The bill also would have made it easier for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to fund research beyond politically charged embryonic stem cells.
In vetoing the bill Saturday, Schwarzenegger said SB 1565 would have undermined “the express intent of Proposition 71,” which California voters approved in 2004, setting up a $3 billion agency with state bonds.
Schwarzenegger said the bill would have eliminated the priority for funding human embryonic stem cell research and would have placed restrictions on CIRM’s oversight committee to adopt intellectual property policies that balance patient need and medical research.
“More than 7 million voters were very clear when they passed Proposition 71 in 2004,” Schwarzenegger said. “They wanted to fund embryonic stem cell research that the federal government wouldn’t. They also wanted to make sure that California receives a return for its historic investment in medical research. Both of these important goals are already being accomplished.
“This bill does nothing to advance the will of over 7 million voters. For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.”Continued...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
California Curriculum Commission Recommends Pearson's Six Innovative
2. Pearson California Language Central (grades K-6), a component for intensive English-language development. Instruction is built from Grant Wiggins's Understanding by Design concepts. Instructional support for English learners of various proficiency levels includes: an explicit and efficient path to the Reading Street curriculum; frontloading of language and literacy skills; and connections of common unit and weekly concepts of Pearson Reading Street for California and Pearson calle de la lectura.
3. Pearson Calle de la Lectura (grades K-3), a parallel Spanish version of Pearson Reading Street for California. A comprehensive, research-based program developed specifically to support the teaching and learning of California Spanish-Language Arts Content Standards, with differentiated instruction for struggling readers, grade level readers and advanced readers.
4. Pearson Literature California Reading and Language (middle/high school) is a comprehensive literature program developed specifically for California and based on the most recent reading research. Organized around Big Questions and the Understanding by Design model of Grant Wiggins, the program also provides differentiated instruction for struggling readers, English learners, and advanced learners, making the program curriculum accessible to all students and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to master the State's English-Language Arts Content Standards. A corresponding online program provides an unprecedented level of interactive digital content, providing a natural and motivating learning tool to empower today's tech-savvy secondary students.
5. Pearson California Language Central (grades 6-8). Customized to meet California's rigorous standards, this program provides students with an additional one hour of instruction each day to help ensure that English learners acquire proficiency in English as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. Pearson California Language Central is directly aligned with Pearson Literature California Reading and Language and focuses on common units and lesson concepts and is consistent with its scope and sequence.
6. Pearson Longman Keystone, a stand-alone, multi-level intervention program for struggling readers and English learners whose academic achievement is two or more years below grade level, blends rigorous, research-based reading and language skills instruction together with a balance of content-area readings and age-appropriate, high-interest literature. The program incorporates the instructional principles of Understanding by Design, with the goal of equipping students with the key transferable academic skills necessary to transition successfully into mainstream basal programs.
Pearson's programs are complemented by SuccessMaker Enterprise, digital courseware providing a diagnostic and individualized 21st Century approach toward learning to meet the needs of different learning styles -- including students who are gifted, at-risk, or English language learners and those served by special education. With a proven record of improving student success for California students, SuccessMaker Enterprise addresses the full range of learner abilities through standards-based, targeted curriculum.
"Seeing is believing, so we are looking forward to showcasing the benefits of our programs next month at CRA," said Bush, who added the company will be displaying the curriculum as part of an elaborate street fair theme at the conference.
In a related announcement, Bush said that Pearson also plans to sponsor the Nov. 20 meeting in Sacramento of Californians Together, a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, education advocates and civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to quality education for all children.
Source
3. Pearson Calle de la Lectura (grades K-3), a parallel Spanish version of Pearson Reading Street for California. A comprehensive, research-based program developed specifically to support the teaching and learning of California Spanish-Language Arts Content Standards, with differentiated instruction for struggling readers, grade level readers and advanced readers.
4. Pearson Literature California Reading and Language (middle/high school) is a comprehensive literature program developed specifically for California and based on the most recent reading research. Organized around Big Questions and the Understanding by Design model of Grant Wiggins, the program also provides differentiated instruction for struggling readers, English learners, and advanced learners, making the program curriculum accessible to all students and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to master the State's English-Language Arts Content Standards. A corresponding online program provides an unprecedented level of interactive digital content, providing a natural and motivating learning tool to empower today's tech-savvy secondary students.
5. Pearson California Language Central (grades 6-8). Customized to meet California's rigorous standards, this program provides students with an additional one hour of instruction each day to help ensure that English learners acquire proficiency in English as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. Pearson California Language Central is directly aligned with Pearson Literature California Reading and Language and focuses on common units and lesson concepts and is consistent with its scope and sequence.
6. Pearson Longman Keystone, a stand-alone, multi-level intervention program for struggling readers and English learners whose academic achievement is two or more years below grade level, blends rigorous, research-based reading and language skills instruction together with a balance of content-area readings and age-appropriate, high-interest literature. The program incorporates the instructional principles of Understanding by Design, with the goal of equipping students with the key transferable academic skills necessary to transition successfully into mainstream basal programs.
Pearson's programs are complemented by SuccessMaker Enterprise, digital courseware providing a diagnostic and individualized 21st Century approach toward learning to meet the needs of different learning styles -- including students who are gifted, at-risk, or English language learners and those served by special education. With a proven record of improving student success for California students, SuccessMaker Enterprise addresses the full range of learner abilities through standards-based, targeted curriculum.
"Seeing is believing, so we are looking forward to showcasing the benefits of our programs next month at CRA," said Bush, who added the company will be displaying the curriculum as part of an elaborate street fair theme at the conference.
In a related announcement, Bush said that Pearson also plans to sponsor the Nov. 20 meeting in Sacramento of Californians Together, a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, education advocates and civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to quality education for all children.
Source
Monday, October 13, 2008
California Curriculum Commission Recommends Pearson's Six Innovative
The publisher's research-based customizations for California meet new state requirements while addressing the realities of 21st century learning in the nation's most diverse state. Bush noted that Pearson's programs have been infused with new material and concepts specifically relevant for California, contributed by nationally renowned experts who are co-authors for the programs. Among these noted academics are:
-- Dr. Grant Wiggins, whose renowned leadership in curriculum design is
revolutionizing learning.
-- Dr. Donald Leu, the leading expert in the "new literacies," and how
educators must meet the iPod generation on their turf -- including
effective use of the Internet, techniques for reading online, and projects
to bring students around the globe together to communicate and learn from
each other.
-- Dr. Sharroky Hollie from California State University, the leading
expert on urban literacy whose contribution includes a focus on embedding
relevant materials into curriculum programs that recognize the cultural
differences among California's diverse student population.
-- Dr. Jim Cummins, who leads the Pearson team in ensuring that English
learners receive the same high quality education programs as their peers,
provides his expertise in literacy development in multilingual school
contexts, as well as on the potential roles of technology in promoting
language and literacy development.
-- Dr. Connie Juel, professor of education at Stanford University, and
expert in the powerful role vocabulary plays in reading comprehension, and
in closing the achievement gap.
-- Jon Scieszka, the award-winning children's writer and recently-named
Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress, has
focused on the needs of boy readers, who as a group are in a crisis and
falling behind girls in reading performance.
"Our authors comprise a prestigious list of reading experts and have been instrumental in solidifying our reputation as the leader in reading," said Bush.
As the adoption process reaches its final phase, the California Curriculum Commission today recommended the following Pearson programs to the State Board of Education, which is expected to give final approval in November for the books to be listed and available to schools in California:
1. Pearson Reading Street for California (grades K-6), a customized curriculum steeped in five years of research and development to create the Scott Foresman Reading Street program. The top-selling reading curriculum in the U.S last year, the program has been enhanced and customized for California, adding a visually-engaging and entertaining digital path and including California authors and literature. Continued...
-- Dr. Grant Wiggins, whose renowned leadership in curriculum design is
revolutionizing learning.
-- Dr. Donald Leu, the leading expert in the "new literacies," and how
educators must meet the iPod generation on their turf -- including
effective use of the Internet, techniques for reading online, and projects
to bring students around the globe together to communicate and learn from
each other.
-- Dr. Sharroky Hollie from California State University, the leading
expert on urban literacy whose contribution includes a focus on embedding
relevant materials into curriculum programs that recognize the cultural
differences among California's diverse student population.
-- Dr. Jim Cummins, who leads the Pearson team in ensuring that English
learners receive the same high quality education programs as their peers,
provides his expertise in literacy development in multilingual school
contexts, as well as on the potential roles of technology in promoting
language and literacy development.
-- Dr. Connie Juel, professor of education at Stanford University, and
expert in the powerful role vocabulary plays in reading comprehension, and
in closing the achievement gap.
-- Jon Scieszka, the award-winning children's writer and recently-named
Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress, has
focused on the needs of boy readers, who as a group are in a crisis and
falling behind girls in reading performance.
"Our authors comprise a prestigious list of reading experts and have been instrumental in solidifying our reputation as the leader in reading," said Bush.
As the adoption process reaches its final phase, the California Curriculum Commission today recommended the following Pearson programs to the State Board of Education, which is expected to give final approval in November for the books to be listed and available to schools in California:
1. Pearson Reading Street for California (grades K-6), a customized curriculum steeped in five years of research and development to create the Scott Foresman Reading Street program. The top-selling reading curriculum in the U.S last year, the program has been enhanced and customized for California, adding a visually-engaging and entertaining digital path and including California authors and literature. Continued...
Saturday, October 11, 2008
California Curriculum Commission Recommends Pearson's Six Innovative Reading Programs for State Adoption
Publisher Announces Plans to Showcase Curriculum at the California Reading Association's 42nd Annual Conference
With comprehensive instruction that includes emphasis on diverse cultures, English learners and reading in the Digital Age, Pearson's revolutionary new school reading programs moved one step closer to the classroom today as the California Curriculum Commission voted to recommend all six submissions to the State Board of Education for final approval in November.
Pearson today also announced plans to showcase its programs at the California Reading Association's (CRA) annual meeting in Sacramento next month, where the conference theme is 'Comprehension... A Key to Many Doors.'
"Our reading programs are indeed aimed at boosting comprehension," said Vicky Bush, Pearson's Vice President for California. "In fact, Pearson's curriculum has been designed specifically to ensure that the state's teachers possess all the keys they need to open those doors that will build the next generation of readers."
Bush noted that Pearson, the world's premier educational company, is the only publisher whose materials are being recommended in all curriculum categories and that "our deep bench of authors is second to none."
The six comprehensive K-12 programs address a wide range of critical reading issues confronting the state's schools, she said. Pearson's customized programs represent a continuum of curriculum aligned to California standards from kindergarten through high school. The recommended submissions include an integrated array of instructional materials with embedded intervention and assessment, and digital media, all aligned to Reading First requirements and revised State standards.
The offerings are published in identical formats in Spanish and include professional development for teachers.
"We are the only publisher with such a unified and seamless approach to the learning and instruction of reading in California," said Bush. "All the programs easily and naturally connect with one another."Continued...
With comprehensive instruction that includes emphasis on diverse cultures, English learners and reading in the Digital Age, Pearson's revolutionary new school reading programs moved one step closer to the classroom today as the California Curriculum Commission voted to recommend all six submissions to the State Board of Education for final approval in November.
Pearson today also announced plans to showcase its programs at the California Reading Association's (CRA) annual meeting in Sacramento next month, where the conference theme is 'Comprehension... A Key to Many Doors.'
"Our reading programs are indeed aimed at boosting comprehension," said Vicky Bush, Pearson's Vice President for California. "In fact, Pearson's curriculum has been designed specifically to ensure that the state's teachers possess all the keys they need to open those doors that will build the next generation of readers."
Bush noted that Pearson, the world's premier educational company, is the only publisher whose materials are being recommended in all curriculum categories and that "our deep bench of authors is second to none."
The six comprehensive K-12 programs address a wide range of critical reading issues confronting the state's schools, she said. Pearson's customized programs represent a continuum of curriculum aligned to California standards from kindergarten through high school. The recommended submissions include an integrated array of instructional materials with embedded intervention and assessment, and digital media, all aligned to Reading First requirements and revised State standards.
The offerings are published in identical formats in Spanish and include professional development for teachers.
"We are the only publisher with such a unified and seamless approach to the learning and instruction of reading in California," said Bush. "All the programs easily and naturally connect with one another."Continued...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Grid power: Sysadmin discovers 13-million-digit prime number
A grid of 75 computers at UCLA has found the largest prime number known to man
A systems administrator -- not a mathematician -- used a grid of computers supplied by volunteers at the University of California, Los Angeles, to find the world's largest known prime number. The immense number is made up of nearly 13 million digits.
The discovery is part of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS), a 12-year-old project that uses the computers of volunteers to find larger and larger prime numbers. The volunteer project has been focused on finding the first prime number with more than 10 million digits.
As a prize, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is handing out $100,000, with half going to the winner and half going to charity.
A prime number is a whole number that can be divided only by one and itself. Mersenne prime numbers are a class of primes named after Marin Mersenne, a 17th century French monk who studied the rare numbers 300 years ago. Edson Smith, the systems administrator at UCLA who found the largest Mersenne prime, explained that primes and even Mersenne primes are easy to find in the lower numbers, like 3 and 5, but become much more difficult to find when the numbers become long and intricate.
The prime that Smith and his team at UCLA found was 12,978,189 digits long. It's such a large number that if you printed it out, it would run 30 miles long, according to Smith, who said he believes that if you tried to read it out loud, you couldn't finish it during your lifetime.
"It's really cool for everybody involved," Smith told Computerworld. "This is an excellent demonstration of the power of the grid."
Smith explained that the GIMPS project leaders hand out potential prime numbers to teams of volunteers, such as that at UCLA, whose computers run software designed to test the number.
The UCLA team used 75 Dell desktop computers running Microsoft Windows XP. Smith noted that if they had had only one computer running the program, the job would likely have taken longer than his lifetime.
"There are so few of this-large prime numbers," said smith. "They're very rare and can only be discovered through computing power. It's really about the power of the grid. In a certain sense, I'm a lottery winner. There are thousands [of people] looking with tens of thousands of computers and it just happened to be us."
This isn't the first prime number to be discovered at UCLA; it's the eighth, according to the university. In 1952, UCLA professor Raphael Robinson discovered five different Mersenne primes -- reportedly the first ones to be found using computers.
GIMPS founder George Woltman said in a press release that the organization next will offer up a $150,000 award for the first person or group to find the first 100-million-digit prime number.
Source
A systems administrator -- not a mathematician -- used a grid of computers supplied by volunteers at the University of California, Los Angeles, to find the world's largest known prime number. The immense number is made up of nearly 13 million digits.
The discovery is part of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS), a 12-year-old project that uses the computers of volunteers to find larger and larger prime numbers. The volunteer project has been focused on finding the first prime number with more than 10 million digits.
As a prize, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is handing out $100,000, with half going to the winner and half going to charity.
A prime number is a whole number that can be divided only by one and itself. Mersenne prime numbers are a class of primes named after Marin Mersenne, a 17th century French monk who studied the rare numbers 300 years ago. Edson Smith, the systems administrator at UCLA who found the largest Mersenne prime, explained that primes and even Mersenne primes are easy to find in the lower numbers, like 3 and 5, but become much more difficult to find when the numbers become long and intricate.
The prime that Smith and his team at UCLA found was 12,978,189 digits long. It's such a large number that if you printed it out, it would run 30 miles long, according to Smith, who said he believes that if you tried to read it out loud, you couldn't finish it during your lifetime.
"It's really cool for everybody involved," Smith told Computerworld. "This is an excellent demonstration of the power of the grid."
Smith explained that the GIMPS project leaders hand out potential prime numbers to teams of volunteers, such as that at UCLA, whose computers run software designed to test the number.
The UCLA team used 75 Dell desktop computers running Microsoft Windows XP. Smith noted that if they had had only one computer running the program, the job would likely have taken longer than his lifetime.
"There are so few of this-large prime numbers," said smith. "They're very rare and can only be discovered through computing power. It's really about the power of the grid. In a certain sense, I'm a lottery winner. There are thousands [of people] looking with tens of thousands of computers and it just happened to be us."
This isn't the first prime number to be discovered at UCLA; it's the eighth, according to the university. In 1952, UCLA professor Raphael Robinson discovered five different Mersenne primes -- reportedly the first ones to be found using computers.
GIMPS founder George Woltman said in a press release that the organization next will offer up a $150,000 award for the first person or group to find the first 100-million-digit prime number.
Source
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Republicans Against 8 Launch Response to Yes on 8 Ads
GOP Group Focuses on Party's Legacy of Expanding Rights
A group of California Republicans unveiled a sixty-second video response to the multimillion-dollar ad campaign launched Monday by the Yes on 8 Campaign.
The Republicans Against 8 video targets Republican women by focusing on the GOP's history of expanding rights for all Americans, not taking them away. "Republicans Against 8 are giving a voice to the more than one million Republicans who believe our party should stand for freedom and limited government. Our party shouldn't be trying to take away people's rights," said Republicans Against 8 campaign manager Scott Schmidt.
The video highlights the GOP's historical accomplishments promoting equal treatment for women -- from women's suffrage to Richard Nixon signing Title IX granting equal access to athletic scholarships for college women, and Ronald Reagan appointing the first woman to the Supreme Court.
The video ends with a dual message to Republican voters in November: "It will take a Republican to put a woman in the White House," and "The Republican Party is the party of freedom, not taking it away." The group is asking voters to reject Proposition 8, the California Initiative Constitutional Amendment which would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples.
"Just a century ago, women had fewer rights than gays and lesbians have today," said Schmidt. "It took Republican leadership to make progress in expanding rights for women. Members of our party should not turn their backs on that Grand Old legacy of promoting fairness and freedom."
The video, "Freedom is a Republican Value," can be seen as the Featured Video at www.RepublicansAgainst8.com and on the Republicans Against 8 YouTube Channel.
Republicans Against 8 is a Campaign Committee of concerned California Republicans working to defeat Proposition 8.
I am a woman and I also promote women equality. I support this campaign.
Source
A group of California Republicans unveiled a sixty-second video response to the multimillion-dollar ad campaign launched Monday by the Yes on 8 Campaign.
The Republicans Against 8 video targets Republican women by focusing on the GOP's history of expanding rights for all Americans, not taking them away. "Republicans Against 8 are giving a voice to the more than one million Republicans who believe our party should stand for freedom and limited government. Our party shouldn't be trying to take away people's rights," said Republicans Against 8 campaign manager Scott Schmidt.
The video highlights the GOP's historical accomplishments promoting equal treatment for women -- from women's suffrage to Richard Nixon signing Title IX granting equal access to athletic scholarships for college women, and Ronald Reagan appointing the first woman to the Supreme Court.
The video ends with a dual message to Republican voters in November: "It will take a Republican to put a woman in the White House," and "The Republican Party is the party of freedom, not taking it away." The group is asking voters to reject Proposition 8, the California Initiative Constitutional Amendment which would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples.
"Just a century ago, women had fewer rights than gays and lesbians have today," said Schmidt. "It took Republican leadership to make progress in expanding rights for women. Members of our party should not turn their backs on that Grand Old legacy of promoting fairness and freedom."
The video, "Freedom is a Republican Value," can be seen as the Featured Video at www.RepublicansAgainst8.com and on the Republicans Against 8 YouTube Channel.
Republicans Against 8 is a Campaign Committee of concerned California Republicans working to defeat Proposition 8.
I am a woman and I also promote women equality. I support this campaign.
Source
Sunday, October 5, 2008
More than 1,100 arrested throughout California in immigration raids
By Denis C. Theriault
In one case, ICE agents apprehended a Fremont woman who had been ordered deported after convictions for voluntary manslaughter and threatening a witness. The onetime legal resident, whom authorities did not identify, was sent back to her native Portugal shortly after her arrest, officials said.
Many of those arrested did not have criminal backgrounds. But it is ICE policy to check the residency status of everyone inside targeted residences. In this month's operation, that meant scores of illegal immigrants without deportation orders or criminal convictions were also taken into custody.
The sweep marked the first large-scale operation for ICE's months-old San Jose team, one of a handful added this year in California, as ICE continues its five-year crackdown against immigrants who ignore deportation orders. In patrolling Northern California, it joins two teams in San Francisco and one each in Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield.
"It spreads us out a little more, gives us a little more reach," Meyer said of the new South Bay crew. "They know the area better and they can get out there quicker and be on the ground more often."
Nationwide, there are now 95 teams in operation, ICE officials said, with more than 100 expected by the end of the year. In 2003, when ICE's Fugitive Operations Program was created, only 17 teams were in place.
That expansion, along with the establishment of a federal investigation center in Vermont, has led to a surge in arrests. Last year there were 30,407 arrests nationwide, nearly double the year before. This year, ICE agents are well on their way to topping that number, with 26,945 arrests logged as of Aug. 1.
The crackdown has continued to cut into the number of immigrants nationwide who have standing deportation orders. In 2007, for the first time, the suspected number of fugitive immigrants in the United States declined. The backlog is now down to fewer than 560,000, about 34,000 fewer than on Oct. 1, 2007.
But for Basil Robledo, director of programs for the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) in San Jose, the latest arrests are one more step on a disturbing path following last year's failure by Congress to reform the nation's immigration laws.
He said federal officials have instead turned to heavy-handed enforcement — a strategy that Robledo says has led to fear, confusion and broken families.
"It is a scary situation for folks in the community," he said. "People keep their kids home from school. It creates less of a willingness to talk to police. They see ICE agents and they see a uniformed person, and that blends into all of law enforcement."
Meyer acknowledged the complaints his agency receives, particularly those concerning children and families, and took care to rebuff them, stressing that "when children are involved, we're very careful with that."
Still, he said, "these are the laws that are in place. And we're just following through, doing our job."
It is just right to impose the law.
Source
In one case, ICE agents apprehended a Fremont woman who had been ordered deported after convictions for voluntary manslaughter and threatening a witness. The onetime legal resident, whom authorities did not identify, was sent back to her native Portugal shortly after her arrest, officials said.
Many of those arrested did not have criminal backgrounds. But it is ICE policy to check the residency status of everyone inside targeted residences. In this month's operation, that meant scores of illegal immigrants without deportation orders or criminal convictions were also taken into custody.
The sweep marked the first large-scale operation for ICE's months-old San Jose team, one of a handful added this year in California, as ICE continues its five-year crackdown against immigrants who ignore deportation orders. In patrolling Northern California, it joins two teams in San Francisco and one each in Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield.
"It spreads us out a little more, gives us a little more reach," Meyer said of the new South Bay crew. "They know the area better and they can get out there quicker and be on the ground more often."
Nationwide, there are now 95 teams in operation, ICE officials said, with more than 100 expected by the end of the year. In 2003, when ICE's Fugitive Operations Program was created, only 17 teams were in place.
That expansion, along with the establishment of a federal investigation center in Vermont, has led to a surge in arrests. Last year there were 30,407 arrests nationwide, nearly double the year before. This year, ICE agents are well on their way to topping that number, with 26,945 arrests logged as of Aug. 1.
The crackdown has continued to cut into the number of immigrants nationwide who have standing deportation orders. In 2007, for the first time, the suspected number of fugitive immigrants in the United States declined. The backlog is now down to fewer than 560,000, about 34,000 fewer than on Oct. 1, 2007.
But for Basil Robledo, director of programs for the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) in San Jose, the latest arrests are one more step on a disturbing path following last year's failure by Congress to reform the nation's immigration laws.
He said federal officials have instead turned to heavy-handed enforcement — a strategy that Robledo says has led to fear, confusion and broken families.
"It is a scary situation for folks in the community," he said. "People keep their kids home from school. It creates less of a willingness to talk to police. They see ICE agents and they see a uniformed person, and that blends into all of law enforcement."
Meyer acknowledged the complaints his agency receives, particularly those concerning children and families, and took care to rebuff them, stressing that "when children are involved, we're very careful with that."
Still, he said, "these are the laws that are in place. And we're just following through, doing our job."
It is just right to impose the law.
Source
Friday, October 3, 2008
More than 1,100 arrested throughout California in immigration raids
By Denis C. Theriault
Billing a series of raids as the largest sweep of its kind in California, federal immigration authorities Monday announced more than 1,100 arrests throughout the state this month, part of a three-week effort that saw teams from San Jose and beyond knocking on doors in search of fugitive immigrants.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 1,157 men and women — 436 in Northern California — in the latest splash in a five-year push targeting immigrants who have ignored deportation orders or returned to the United States illegally after being deported. The sweep, which concluded Saturday, also produced 420 arrests in the Los Angeles area and 301 in the San Diego area. Those arrested came from 34 countries.
And although ICE officials hailed the sweep as a success, particularly because of the number of arrests, they said it was only the scale of the effort that was remarkable.
"This is something we do on a daily basis," said Craig Meyer, ICE's assistant field office director in San Francisco. "This was just a big surge to get as many boots on the ground as we could."
Teams from Northern and Southern California worked together to rove the state, turning up 595 immigrants with outstanding deportation orders and 346 with criminal convictions. In Northern California, which includes the Bay Area, 185 were fugitives and 92 had criminal convictions, ranging from petty theft to more serious crimes.
A breakdown of arrests by municipality and county was not available, Meyer said. Continued...
Billing a series of raids as the largest sweep of its kind in California, federal immigration authorities Monday announced more than 1,100 arrests throughout the state this month, part of a three-week effort that saw teams from San Jose and beyond knocking on doors in search of fugitive immigrants.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 1,157 men and women — 436 in Northern California — in the latest splash in a five-year push targeting immigrants who have ignored deportation orders or returned to the United States illegally after being deported. The sweep, which concluded Saturday, also produced 420 arrests in the Los Angeles area and 301 in the San Diego area. Those arrested came from 34 countries.
And although ICE officials hailed the sweep as a success, particularly because of the number of arrests, they said it was only the scale of the effort that was remarkable.
"This is something we do on a daily basis," said Craig Meyer, ICE's assistant field office director in San Francisco. "This was just a big surge to get as many boots on the ground as we could."
Teams from Northern and Southern California worked together to rove the state, turning up 595 immigrants with outstanding deportation orders and 346 with criminal convictions. In Northern California, which includes the Bay Area, 185 were fugitives and 92 had criminal convictions, ranging from petty theft to more serious crimes.
A breakdown of arrests by municipality and county was not available, Meyer said. Continued...
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
McAfee to pay $465 million for Secure Computing
By Jim Finkle
Jefferies & Co. analyst Katherine Egbert said that while Secure Computing has great technology for protecting computer networks from hackers, it has a reputation for being difficult to use.
"Strategically the deal makes a lot of sense," Egbert said. "But the challenge is going to be getting their products ready for mass distribution."
Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. analyst Daniel Ives said that the deal makes sense for Secure Computing, which began as a unit of Honeywell in 1984 and developed technology to protect computer systems at the U.S. National Security Agency. It was spun off as an independent company in 1989.
The company had struggled over the past year as it replaced its chief executive and its stock languished, losing more than half its value in 2008, versus a 14 percent decline in the Nasdaq Composite Index.
Ives called the McAfee deal "a better choice (for Secure Computer) than continuing to embark down a bumpy road in a tough macro environment."
The companies expect the transaction to close at the end of the fourth quarter of this year.
DeWalt said the acquisition will either have no impact on McAfee's 2009 profit or slightly boost profit for the year.
Source
Jefferies & Co. analyst Katherine Egbert said that while Secure Computing has great technology for protecting computer networks from hackers, it has a reputation for being difficult to use.
"Strategically the deal makes a lot of sense," Egbert said. "But the challenge is going to be getting their products ready for mass distribution."
Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. analyst Daniel Ives said that the deal makes sense for Secure Computing, which began as a unit of Honeywell in 1984 and developed technology to protect computer systems at the U.S. National Security Agency. It was spun off as an independent company in 1989.
The company had struggled over the past year as it replaced its chief executive and its stock languished, losing more than half its value in 2008, versus a 14 percent decline in the Nasdaq Composite Index.
Ives called the McAfee deal "a better choice (for Secure Computer) than continuing to embark down a bumpy road in a tough macro environment."
The companies expect the transaction to close at the end of the fourth quarter of this year.
DeWalt said the acquisition will either have no impact on McAfee's 2009 profit or slightly boost profit for the year.
Source
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
McAfee to pay $465 million for Secure Computing
By Jim Finkle
Computer security company McAfee Inc (MFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to buy Secure Computing Corp (SCUR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) for $465 million, adding specialized equipment that keeps hackers from breaking into computer networks.
The move, McAfee's biggest acquisition to date, helps the No. 2 computer security company expand the bundle of products it can sell to businesses. The deal also boosts the number of companies that use its products.
The Santa Clara, California-based company said on Monday it will pay $5.75 per share of Secure Computing's common stock, representing a 27 percent premium to the San Jose, California, company's closing price of $4.52 on Friday.
Secure Computing shares rose 23 percent to $5.56 on Nasdaq, while McAfee shares fell 1.7 percent to $36.68 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
McAfee Chief Executive Dave DeWalt said the purchase will help round out McAfee's line of products that help protect business networks. The company is best known for anti-virus software for PCs.
Since he joined McAfee in early 2007, DeWalt has used acquisitions to beef up its network security products.
So far McAfee only has "a few thousand" network security customers. The Secure Computing purchase will add 22,000 more customers in that area, he said.
"The market is moving toward bigger vendors with broader suites. That just means more dollars for McAfee," DeWalt said. "That is why we are expanding the portfolio." Continued...
Computer security company McAfee Inc (MFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to buy Secure Computing Corp (SCUR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) for $465 million, adding specialized equipment that keeps hackers from breaking into computer networks.
The move, McAfee's biggest acquisition to date, helps the No. 2 computer security company expand the bundle of products it can sell to businesses. The deal also boosts the number of companies that use its products.
The Santa Clara, California-based company said on Monday it will pay $5.75 per share of Secure Computing's common stock, representing a 27 percent premium to the San Jose, California, company's closing price of $4.52 on Friday.
Secure Computing shares rose 23 percent to $5.56 on Nasdaq, while McAfee shares fell 1.7 percent to $36.68 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
McAfee Chief Executive Dave DeWalt said the purchase will help round out McAfee's line of products that help protect business networks. The company is best known for anti-virus software for PCs.
Since he joined McAfee in early 2007, DeWalt has used acquisitions to beef up its network security products.
So far McAfee only has "a few thousand" network security customers. The Secure Computing purchase will add 22,000 more customers in that area, he said.
"The market is moving toward bigger vendors with broader suites. That just means more dollars for McAfee," DeWalt said. "That is why we are expanding the portfolio." Continued...
Monday, September 29, 2008
Public hearing on the California 241 toll road extension
Union representatives whip up the crowd just before the doors opened to start the U.S. Department of Commerce hearing on the proposed $1.3-billion extension of the California 241 toll road.
Source
Source
Friday, September 26, 2008
Takei weds longtime beau in California
"Star Trek" icon George Takei has married Brad Altman, his partner of 21 years, in Los Angeles.
The couple announced in May their plans to wed after California's Supreme Court legalized gay marriage under the state's constitution.
"All I can remember is what the priest said; that this moment will never happen again. It's something to savor," Takei, 71, told People magazine Sunday night after the Buddhist ceremony, which was attended by about 200 of the couple's friends and family members.
The reception was on the grounds of the Japanese American National Museum, People.com said.
"I was fighting back the tears," Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on "Star Trek," told People. "But they came oozing out anyway. I'm so happy that they're both able to legally proclaim their commitment to one another after spending the past 21 years together."
Nichols served as maid of honor at the wedding and Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov on the popular science-fiction show, was best man.
Takei is famous for playing Sulu on the series.
Source
The couple announced in May their plans to wed after California's Supreme Court legalized gay marriage under the state's constitution.
"All I can remember is what the priest said; that this moment will never happen again. It's something to savor," Takei, 71, told People magazine Sunday night after the Buddhist ceremony, which was attended by about 200 of the couple's friends and family members.
The reception was on the grounds of the Japanese American National Museum, People.com said.
"I was fighting back the tears," Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on "Star Trek," told People. "But they came oozing out anyway. I'm so happy that they're both able to legally proclaim their commitment to one another after spending the past 21 years together."
Nichols served as maid of honor at the wedding and Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov on the popular science-fiction show, was best man.
Takei is famous for playing Sulu on the series.
Source
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Colleges spend billions to prep freshmen
By JUSTIN POPE
It's a tough lesson for millions of students just now arriving on campus: even if you have a high school diploma, you may not be ready for college.
In fact, a new study calculates, one-third of American college students have to enroll in remedial classes. The bill to colleges and taxpayers for trying to bring them up to speed on material they were supposed to learn in high school comes to between $2.3 billion and $2.9 billion annually.
"That is a very large cost, but there is an additional cost and that's the cost to the students," said former Colorado governor Roy Romer, chair of the group Strong American Schools, which is issuing the report "Diploma to Nowhere" on Monday. "These students come out of high school really misled. They think they're prepared. They got a 3.0 and got through the curriculum they needed to get admitted, but they find what they learned wasn't adequate."
Christina Jeronimo was an "A" student in high school English, but was placed in a remedial course when she arrived at Long Beach City College in California. The course was valuable in some ways but frustrating and time-consuming. Now in her third year of community college, she'd hoped to transfer to UCLA by now.
Like many college students, she wishes she'd been worked a little harder in high school.
"There's a gap," said Jeronimo, who hopes to study psychology. "The demands of the high school teachers aren't as great as the demands for college. Sometimes they just baby us."
The problem of colleges devoting huge amounts of time and money to remediation isn't new, though its scale and cost has been difficult to measure. The latest report gives somewhat larger estimates than some previous studies, though it is not out of line with trends suggested in others, said Hunter Boylan, an expert at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, who was not connected with the report.
Analyzing federal data, the report estimates 43 percent of community college students require remediation, as do 29 percent of students at public four-year universities, with higher numbers in some places. For instance, four in five Oklahoma community college students need remedial coursework, and three in five in the giant California State university system need help in English, math or both.
The cost per student runs to as much as $2,000 per student in community colleges and $2,500 in four-year universities.
Jeronimo was hardly alone at Long Beach City College, where 95 percent of students need remedial coursework, according to President Eloy Oakley.
"It's the number one issue to Long Beach City College and the entire California community college system, easily," Oakley said. "I don't believe that the public in general really understands the magnitude of the problem."
Simply dumping the remedial students into large classes isn't necessarily expensive for colleges, although it's also not very effective. But smaller classes typically require more attention and money. Some states have refused to fund remedial courses at the university level. In California, Oakley said, state funding for community colleges favors credit courses. Remediation (or "basic skills" as he and many educators call it) is typically noncredit.
Educators are working to improve remedial courses. Long Beach is developing "success areas" that give extra time and attention to students. Community colleges in Tennessee have completely redesigned giant introductory and remedial courses where many students were struggling.
Boylan says colleges are learning such courses must also teach study skills to be effective.
Indeed, students often report that the hardest aspect of the transition to college isn't the material. It's the new rhythm and structure of college-level work.
"One of the things that they don't teach in high school is time management," Jeronimo said.
Eric Paris, who earned a 3.8 high school GPA but is finding his freshman year at Virginia Tech much more challenging, says the big difference is "it's all on my own." In class, "it's up to me if I want to sit on Facebook or pay attention." He, too, wishes he'd taken more challenging high school classes but thought a high GPA was more important.
Boylan says the gap between what high schools teach and what colleges expect isn't the only problem. He says there's often a mismatch, with high schools and colleges teaching material in different ways.
It's true that only recently have K-12 and higher education begun talking seriously about aligning standards. But Romer, who has also headed the Los Angeles Unified School District, doesn't buy that it's a communication problem.
"We're not expecting enough of our youngsters and the institutions that train them," he said.
Source
It's a tough lesson for millions of students just now arriving on campus: even if you have a high school diploma, you may not be ready for college.
In fact, a new study calculates, one-third of American college students have to enroll in remedial classes. The bill to colleges and taxpayers for trying to bring them up to speed on material they were supposed to learn in high school comes to between $2.3 billion and $2.9 billion annually.
"That is a very large cost, but there is an additional cost and that's the cost to the students," said former Colorado governor Roy Romer, chair of the group Strong American Schools, which is issuing the report "Diploma to Nowhere" on Monday. "These students come out of high school really misled. They think they're prepared. They got a 3.0 and got through the curriculum they needed to get admitted, but they find what they learned wasn't adequate."
Christina Jeronimo was an "A" student in high school English, but was placed in a remedial course when she arrived at Long Beach City College in California. The course was valuable in some ways but frustrating and time-consuming. Now in her third year of community college, she'd hoped to transfer to UCLA by now.
Like many college students, she wishes she'd been worked a little harder in high school.
"There's a gap," said Jeronimo, who hopes to study psychology. "The demands of the high school teachers aren't as great as the demands for college. Sometimes they just baby us."
The problem of colleges devoting huge amounts of time and money to remediation isn't new, though its scale and cost has been difficult to measure. The latest report gives somewhat larger estimates than some previous studies, though it is not out of line with trends suggested in others, said Hunter Boylan, an expert at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, who was not connected with the report.
Analyzing federal data, the report estimates 43 percent of community college students require remediation, as do 29 percent of students at public four-year universities, with higher numbers in some places. For instance, four in five Oklahoma community college students need remedial coursework, and three in five in the giant California State university system need help in English, math or both.
The cost per student runs to as much as $2,000 per student in community colleges and $2,500 in four-year universities.
Jeronimo was hardly alone at Long Beach City College, where 95 percent of students need remedial coursework, according to President Eloy Oakley.
"It's the number one issue to Long Beach City College and the entire California community college system, easily," Oakley said. "I don't believe that the public in general really understands the magnitude of the problem."
Simply dumping the remedial students into large classes isn't necessarily expensive for colleges, although it's also not very effective. But smaller classes typically require more attention and money. Some states have refused to fund remedial courses at the university level. In California, Oakley said, state funding for community colleges favors credit courses. Remediation (or "basic skills" as he and many educators call it) is typically noncredit.
Educators are working to improve remedial courses. Long Beach is developing "success areas" that give extra time and attention to students. Community colleges in Tennessee have completely redesigned giant introductory and remedial courses where many students were struggling.
Boylan says colleges are learning such courses must also teach study skills to be effective.
Indeed, students often report that the hardest aspect of the transition to college isn't the material. It's the new rhythm and structure of college-level work.
"One of the things that they don't teach in high school is time management," Jeronimo said.
Eric Paris, who earned a 3.8 high school GPA but is finding his freshman year at Virginia Tech much more challenging, says the big difference is "it's all on my own." In class, "it's up to me if I want to sit on Facebook or pay attention." He, too, wishes he'd taken more challenging high school classes but thought a high GPA was more important.
Boylan says the gap between what high schools teach and what colleges expect isn't the only problem. He says there's often a mismatch, with high schools and colleges teaching material in different ways.
It's true that only recently have K-12 and higher education begun talking seriously about aligning standards. But Romer, who has also headed the Los Angeles Unified School District, doesn't buy that it's a communication problem.
"We're not expecting enough of our youngsters and the institutions that train them," he said.
Source
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Writer's talent for empathy
DAVID Foster Wallace, widely regarded as one of the most brilliant writers of his generation, was found dead in his California home on Friday evening. He was 46.
Wallace's novels, short stories and essays were characterised by their comic inventiveness, their philosophical depth and the garrulous energy of his distinctive prose style. His first novel, The Broom of the System (1987), and his next book, the short story collection The Girl With Curious Hair (1989), gave an early indication of his prodigious talent and earned him considerable praise.
But it was his second novel, Infinite Jest (1996), that marked him as an important writer. At more than 1000 pages, it was an ambitious work that combined technical virtuosity with a painfully acute diagnosis of the despair at the heart of modern America.
Comparisons to high-postmodern writers of an earlier generation, such as Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo and William Gaddis, though not entirely misplaced, belied the originality of Wallace's talent.
The sometimes flamboyant comedy of his fiction was combined with a profound sense of the hollowness that was engendered by the superficiality and narcissism of modern society. Though his subject and style were decidedly American and contemporary, his work displayed thematic affinities with the European existentialism of Dostoevsky and Kafka. The great theme of Wallace's fiction was the alienating effects of self-consciousness, which he saw as a pervasive symptom of a materialistic, entertainment-driven culture that encouraged passivity and solipsism.
The cyclical narrative of Infinite Jest developed an implicit analogy between compulsive or addictive behaviour and the reflexive distancing of irony that denied sincerity and obstructed genuine communication. In an early essay, he wrote that "irony, entertaining as it is, serves an almost exclusively negative function. It's critical and destructive, a ground-clearing. Surely this is the way our postmodern fathers saw it. But irony is singularly unuseful when it comes to constructing anything to replace the hypocrisies it debunks."
Wallace's characters often found themselves trapped by their own subjectivity, their inability to convey the reality of their private experience. His literary project was to rediscover some form of empathetic human connection through his writing.
The range and complexity of his fiction, in which he used a host of different styles, including frequent footnotes, was an attempt to overcome isolation and emptiness, to break through the logical impasse and give voice to the reality of private pain and suffering.
He continued to write powerfully about the paradoxical, self-destructive logic of depression and addiction in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (1999).
His final book of fiction, the short story collection Oblivion (2004), featured several long, intricately constructed, intense stories about loneliness, suffering and suicide that confronted the problem of communicating the reality of subjective experience.
Wallace was born in Ithaca, New York, on February 21, 1962, but grew up in the midwestern state of Illinois. The son of academics, he was a gifted student and, as a teenager, became a junior-ranked tennis player. He was educated at Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he majored in English and philosophy, before attending the University of Arizona, where he completed a masters in creative writing in 1987.
He later began, but did not complete, graduate studies in philosophy at Harvard University. He taught in the English department at Illinois State University from 1993, and in 2002 accepted a position as professor of English and creative writing at Pomona College, California. He was awarded a prestigious MacArthur fellowship, known as a "genius grant", in 1997.
Wallace's nonfiction writing, no less than his fiction, displayed the scope of his inquiring intelligence. He wrote long and penetrating essays on subjects as diverse as talk radio, ocean cruises, pornography and English grammar, which he collected in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (1997) and Consider the Lobster (2005).
His interest in logic and mathematics informed Everything and More (2003), a study of the work of mathematician Georg Cantor. He also co-wrote a book on hip-hop with Mark Costello called Signifying Rappers (1990). His last published work was a long report on presidential hopeful John McCain.
To all his writing Wallace brought a unique and personable style, a sense of openness and a formidable intelligence. His life's work was a sometimes desperate search for genuine empathy and compassion.
Wallace apparently killed himself. His father said in an interview on Sunday that he had been suffering depression. Wallace is survived by his wife, Karen Green.
Comment:"I have observed that depression is the common cause of suicide.Talking with families and friends about our problems can greatly help. I am saddened by news like this because most of the people that commit suicide are talented, promising and can still do a lot of things for the world."
Source
Wallace's novels, short stories and essays were characterised by their comic inventiveness, their philosophical depth and the garrulous energy of his distinctive prose style. His first novel, The Broom of the System (1987), and his next book, the short story collection The Girl With Curious Hair (1989), gave an early indication of his prodigious talent and earned him considerable praise.
But it was his second novel, Infinite Jest (1996), that marked him as an important writer. At more than 1000 pages, it was an ambitious work that combined technical virtuosity with a painfully acute diagnosis of the despair at the heart of modern America.
Comparisons to high-postmodern writers of an earlier generation, such as Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo and William Gaddis, though not entirely misplaced, belied the originality of Wallace's talent.
The sometimes flamboyant comedy of his fiction was combined with a profound sense of the hollowness that was engendered by the superficiality and narcissism of modern society. Though his subject and style were decidedly American and contemporary, his work displayed thematic affinities with the European existentialism of Dostoevsky and Kafka. The great theme of Wallace's fiction was the alienating effects of self-consciousness, which he saw as a pervasive symptom of a materialistic, entertainment-driven culture that encouraged passivity and solipsism.
The cyclical narrative of Infinite Jest developed an implicit analogy between compulsive or addictive behaviour and the reflexive distancing of irony that denied sincerity and obstructed genuine communication. In an early essay, he wrote that "irony, entertaining as it is, serves an almost exclusively negative function. It's critical and destructive, a ground-clearing. Surely this is the way our postmodern fathers saw it. But irony is singularly unuseful when it comes to constructing anything to replace the hypocrisies it debunks."
Wallace's characters often found themselves trapped by their own subjectivity, their inability to convey the reality of their private experience. His literary project was to rediscover some form of empathetic human connection through his writing.
The range and complexity of his fiction, in which he used a host of different styles, including frequent footnotes, was an attempt to overcome isolation and emptiness, to break through the logical impasse and give voice to the reality of private pain and suffering.
He continued to write powerfully about the paradoxical, self-destructive logic of depression and addiction in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (1999).
His final book of fiction, the short story collection Oblivion (2004), featured several long, intricately constructed, intense stories about loneliness, suffering and suicide that confronted the problem of communicating the reality of subjective experience.
Wallace was born in Ithaca, New York, on February 21, 1962, but grew up in the midwestern state of Illinois. The son of academics, he was a gifted student and, as a teenager, became a junior-ranked tennis player. He was educated at Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he majored in English and philosophy, before attending the University of Arizona, where he completed a masters in creative writing in 1987.
He later began, but did not complete, graduate studies in philosophy at Harvard University. He taught in the English department at Illinois State University from 1993, and in 2002 accepted a position as professor of English and creative writing at Pomona College, California. He was awarded a prestigious MacArthur fellowship, known as a "genius grant", in 1997.
Wallace's nonfiction writing, no less than his fiction, displayed the scope of his inquiring intelligence. He wrote long and penetrating essays on subjects as diverse as talk radio, ocean cruises, pornography and English grammar, which he collected in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (1997) and Consider the Lobster (2005).
His interest in logic and mathematics informed Everything and More (2003), a study of the work of mathematician Georg Cantor. He also co-wrote a book on hip-hop with Mark Costello called Signifying Rappers (1990). His last published work was a long report on presidential hopeful John McCain.
To all his writing Wallace brought a unique and personable style, a sense of openness and a formidable intelligence. His life's work was a sometimes desperate search for genuine empathy and compassion.
Wallace apparently killed himself. His father said in an interview on Sunday that he had been suffering depression. Wallace is survived by his wife, Karen Green.
Comment:"I have observed that depression is the common cause of suicide.Talking with families and friends about our problems can greatly help. I am saddened by news like this because most of the people that commit suicide are talented, promising and can still do a lot of things for the world."
Source
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Fitch Affirms San Fernando RDA, California's $15MM TABs at 'BBB'; Outlook Stable
In the course of routine surveillance, Fitch Ratings affirms the 'BBB' rating on San Fernando Redevelopment Agency, California's $15 million tax allocation bonds (TABs). The Rating Outlook is Stable.
Note: Fitch issued an exposure draft on July 31 proposing a recalibration of tax-supported and water/sewer revenue bond ratings which, if adopted, may result in an upward revision of this rating (see Fitch research 'Exposure Draft: Reassessment of the Municipal Ratings Framework').
Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.
Source
Note: Fitch issued an exposure draft on July 31 proposing a recalibration of tax-supported and water/sewer revenue bond ratings which, if adopted, may result in an upward revision of this rating (see Fitch research 'Exposure Draft: Reassessment of the Municipal Ratings Framework').
Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.
Source
Monday, September 22, 2008
About the Annenberg Foundation
Established in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg, the Annenberg Foundation provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally through its headquarters in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and offices in Los Angeles, California and Washington, D.C. Its major program areas are education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; and animal services and the environment. In addition, the Foundation operates a number of initiatives which expand and complement these program areas. The Annenberg Foundation exists to advance the public well-being through improved communication. As the principal means of achieving this goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge.
Source
Source
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Annenberg Space for Photography
Background
The Annenberg Space for Photography was conceived by the collective Board of Trustees of the Foundation. The original inspiration was sparked by Wallis Annenberg's personal devotion to photography. A passion for the artform led Wallis to examine the challenges most traditional museums experience exhibiting photographic work. These museums have remarkable photography collections, and in many cases their archives are more comprehensive than exhibit space is available. This motivated Wallis and the Foundation Trustees to create a new paradigm for experiencing photography. A state-of-the-art digital presentation system will allow thousands of photographs to be readily accessible to the public in large and high resolution format.
When the Foundation announced its plan to move its administrative offices from Westwood to its current location at 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles Councilmember Jack Weiss and real estate developers at Trammel Crow approached the Foundation with the opportunity to operate a community space on the property, providing the perfect location for the realization of the Foundation's plans for the Photography Space.
Councilmember Weiss comments, "I am grateful that the Annenberg Foundation, with their vision and standards of excellence, is helping enrich the city by bringing world class digital art and photography to Los Angeles. This space will add cultural vitality and excitement to Century City."
The creation of the Photography Space builds upon the Foundation's long history of supporting visual arts. Most recently the Foundation demonstrated it's commitment to the arts by giving a grant to help LACMA acquire the Marjorie and Leonard Vernon Collection, an important group of 19th and 20th century photographs, featuring more than 3,500 prints which include the work of Ansel Adams, Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Steichen, W.H. Fox Talbot and Edward Weston. In recognition of this support, LACMA's Department of Photography is being renamed the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department.
Opening Exhibit
The Annenberg Space for Photography's opening exhibit will be a group show of eight Los Angeles-based photographers in the genres of fine art, architecture, documentary, fashion, photojournalism and celebrity portraits. The show, soon-to-be-titled, will feature the work of John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Greg Gorman, Douglas Kirkland, Tim Street-Porter, Julius Shulman, Lauren Greenfield and Carolyn Cole. All based in Los Angeles, these artists work in the city in which the Foundation has expanded its philanthropy in recent years. The exhibit will also include work from staff photographers at the Los Angeles Times. Anne Wilkes Tucker, renowned photography curator from the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, will serve as a Special Advisor for this inaugural exhibit.
Ms. Tucker comments, "The opening exhibit inaugurates an exciting new space with work by eight internationally recognized photographers. Their work represents richly diverse aspects of contemporary photography and of Los Angeles itself, from film and television celebrities to the Los Angeles Times coverage of international and local news, to city's rich cultural scene. The multifaceted displays of prints and digital projection, along with interviews with the artists speaking about their projects and careers, are uniquely innovative. This exhibit should appeal to the public and to many artists who might participate in future programs in this new space."
In addition to featured exhibits which will change several times a year, shorter weekly shows will enable visitors to have different daily experiences with multiple visits. Simultaneously, videos of photographers discussing their work will give guests the often rare opportunity to hear directly from the artists.
Workshops, lectures and discussions featuring artists will be a prominent part of the ongoing programming. Educational opportunities will be created for adults, children and teens. Guests of the Photography Space will have access to Century Park and its restaurants within steps from the Photography Space doors. The Photography Space is adjacent to 2000 Avenue of the Stars, the location of the Foundation's Los Angeles headquarters.
The interior design by architects DMJM Design was influenced and inspired by the ergonomics of cameras and lenses. The building also includes a residential-style workshop area that will be used for intimate discussions with photographers. The technology of the Photography Space enables extreme digital clarity, sound and multiple image presentation -- giving artists a wide range of creative possibilities for showing their work.
Photographer Greg Gorman comments, "I worked with film for decades before converting to digital. As the artform has evolved, I'm excited to see a space celebrate both. I expect that this will change the way we all think of a traditional photography gallery."
Fulfilling a Mission
The Annenberg Space for Photography aligns perfectly with the mission of the Foundation -- to improve the well-being of the community through the exchange of ideas and new ways of thinking. The Trustees believe that the experience of this art form and images exhibited there will further their vision as philanthropists for a better world.
The Annenberg Space for Photography was conceived by the collective Board of Trustees of the Foundation. The original inspiration was sparked by Wallis Annenberg's personal devotion to photography. A passion for the artform led Wallis to examine the challenges most traditional museums experience exhibiting photographic work. These museums have remarkable photography collections, and in many cases their archives are more comprehensive than exhibit space is available. This motivated Wallis and the Foundation Trustees to create a new paradigm for experiencing photography. A state-of-the-art digital presentation system will allow thousands of photographs to be readily accessible to the public in large and high resolution format.
When the Foundation announced its plan to move its administrative offices from Westwood to its current location at 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles Councilmember Jack Weiss and real estate developers at Trammel Crow approached the Foundation with the opportunity to operate a community space on the property, providing the perfect location for the realization of the Foundation's plans for the Photography Space.
Councilmember Weiss comments, "I am grateful that the Annenberg Foundation, with their vision and standards of excellence, is helping enrich the city by bringing world class digital art and photography to Los Angeles. This space will add cultural vitality and excitement to Century City."
The creation of the Photography Space builds upon the Foundation's long history of supporting visual arts. Most recently the Foundation demonstrated it's commitment to the arts by giving a grant to help LACMA acquire the Marjorie and Leonard Vernon Collection, an important group of 19th and 20th century photographs, featuring more than 3,500 prints which include the work of Ansel Adams, Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Steichen, W.H. Fox Talbot and Edward Weston. In recognition of this support, LACMA's Department of Photography is being renamed the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department.
Opening Exhibit
The Annenberg Space for Photography's opening exhibit will be a group show of eight Los Angeles-based photographers in the genres of fine art, architecture, documentary, fashion, photojournalism and celebrity portraits. The show, soon-to-be-titled, will feature the work of John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Greg Gorman, Douglas Kirkland, Tim Street-Porter, Julius Shulman, Lauren Greenfield and Carolyn Cole. All based in Los Angeles, these artists work in the city in which the Foundation has expanded its philanthropy in recent years. The exhibit will also include work from staff photographers at the Los Angeles Times. Anne Wilkes Tucker, renowned photography curator from the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, will serve as a Special Advisor for this inaugural exhibit.
Ms. Tucker comments, "The opening exhibit inaugurates an exciting new space with work by eight internationally recognized photographers. Their work represents richly diverse aspects of contemporary photography and of Los Angeles itself, from film and television celebrities to the Los Angeles Times coverage of international and local news, to city's rich cultural scene. The multifaceted displays of prints and digital projection, along with interviews with the artists speaking about their projects and careers, are uniquely innovative. This exhibit should appeal to the public and to many artists who might participate in future programs in this new space."
In addition to featured exhibits which will change several times a year, shorter weekly shows will enable visitors to have different daily experiences with multiple visits. Simultaneously, videos of photographers discussing their work will give guests the often rare opportunity to hear directly from the artists.
Workshops, lectures and discussions featuring artists will be a prominent part of the ongoing programming. Educational opportunities will be created for adults, children and teens. Guests of the Photography Space will have access to Century Park and its restaurants within steps from the Photography Space doors. The Photography Space is adjacent to 2000 Avenue of the Stars, the location of the Foundation's Los Angeles headquarters.
The interior design by architects DMJM Design was influenced and inspired by the ergonomics of cameras and lenses. The building also includes a residential-style workshop area that will be used for intimate discussions with photographers. The technology of the Photography Space enables extreme digital clarity, sound and multiple image presentation -- giving artists a wide range of creative possibilities for showing their work.
Photographer Greg Gorman comments, "I worked with film for decades before converting to digital. As the artform has evolved, I'm excited to see a space celebrate both. I expect that this will change the way we all think of a traditional photography gallery."
Fulfilling a Mission
The Annenberg Space for Photography aligns perfectly with the mission of the Foundation -- to improve the well-being of the community through the exchange of ideas and new ways of thinking. The Trustees believe that the experience of this art form and images exhibited there will further their vision as philanthropists for a better world.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Annenberg Space for Photography to Open in Los Angeles, California in 2009
The Annenberg Foundation, one of the nation's largest private family foundations, announced today plans to open a new community space dedicated to both digital images and print photography in Los Angeles, California.
The Annenberg Space for Photography will open in spring 2009 at 2000 Avenue of the Stars. Located on the former site of the Shubert Theater, the Photography Space will be a 10,000 square foot facility which will feature a state-of-the-art digital projection gallery along with a traditional print exhibit area. The combination of these galleries will enable the Annenberg Space for Photography to show an unprecedented number of images to the general public in a dynamic environment. General admission to the Annenberg Space for Photography will be free.
In addition to being a cultural experience that celebrates photography as an art form, the Photography Space will present images focused on the human condition as an expression of the philanthropic work of the Foundation and its Trustees. The Annenberg Space for Photography will be under the stewardship of the Foundation's Los Angeles-based Trustees -- Wallis Annenberg, Lauren Bon, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten.
The Trustees will work directly with guest curators throughout the year on all exhibits and programming.
Work by photographers at all levels of expertise from around the world will be featured. The galleries will also exhibit often unseen photographic collections held by museums, galleries and media organizations.
"Photography is one of the most accessible and personal forms of art. We are thrilled about creating a space completely dedicated to it which will compliment the landscape of existing cultural institutions nationally and in Los Angeles. Our Foundation will continue its multi-million dollar grant support of the existing arts and civic life. We see the creation of the Annenberg Space for Photography as a service to the community where visitors can see the world through a different lens and leave feeling motivated to make positive change," says Wallis Annenberg, Vice President and Trustee of the Annenberg Foundation.
Comment:"This is another milestone in photography."
The Annenberg Space for Photography will open in spring 2009 at 2000 Avenue of the Stars. Located on the former site of the Shubert Theater, the Photography Space will be a 10,000 square foot facility which will feature a state-of-the-art digital projection gallery along with a traditional print exhibit area. The combination of these galleries will enable the Annenberg Space for Photography to show an unprecedented number of images to the general public in a dynamic environment. General admission to the Annenberg Space for Photography will be free.
In addition to being a cultural experience that celebrates photography as an art form, the Photography Space will present images focused on the human condition as an expression of the philanthropic work of the Foundation and its Trustees. The Annenberg Space for Photography will be under the stewardship of the Foundation's Los Angeles-based Trustees -- Wallis Annenberg, Lauren Bon, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten.
The Trustees will work directly with guest curators throughout the year on all exhibits and programming.
Work by photographers at all levels of expertise from around the world will be featured. The galleries will also exhibit often unseen photographic collections held by museums, galleries and media organizations.
"Photography is one of the most accessible and personal forms of art. We are thrilled about creating a space completely dedicated to it which will compliment the landscape of existing cultural institutions nationally and in Los Angeles. Our Foundation will continue its multi-million dollar grant support of the existing arts and civic life. We see the creation of the Annenberg Space for Photography as a service to the community where visitors can see the world through a different lens and leave feeling motivated to make positive change," says Wallis Annenberg, Vice President and Trustee of the Annenberg Foundation.
Comment:"This is another milestone in photography."
Friday, September 19, 2008
Beaches and pumpkin fest, together in California
By ROGER PETTERSON Associated Press Writer
It's time to schedule some autumn travel, and if you plan now you can combine pumpkins and fall foliage with time on beaches along a scenic stretch of California coast.
The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival—http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/—is a great excuse to head for a little section of the California Coast stretching from San Francisco south toward Monterey Bay. The festival sounds a little like a Midwest county fair with handcrafts, pie-eating contests, lots of music by regional bands, and pumpkins so big they have to be weighed on heavy-duty industrial scales. Click on "About the Event" and "Quick Facts" to get an idea of the variety of food and drink, schedules for stage shows, and events such as the scarecrow contest. Look for "Miramar Events Home" at the bottom of the page for more events coming this fall.
Don't worry. That's not the only thing to see and do in Half Moon Bay—http://www.visithalfmoonbay.org/—which is just a half-hour or so drive south of San Francisco on California's scenic Highway 1. Along with wandering around the town, you can try your hand at surfing or kayaking (the water is described as very cold), spend some lazy time exploring tide pools, or head to sea on a fishing trip. Check the links on the left side of the main page for details on beaches, sea life, bird watching, photography and driving tours. And look through the entries under "Itineraries" and try the photo gallery for extra reasons to visit.
It's not all about the sea coast. Overlooking Half Moon Bay, the state's Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve—http://tinyurl.com/6lw6s—has California's signature tall trees, 21 miles of trails and mountain views.
Half Moon Bay sits in San Mateo County—http://smc.truebluelocal.com/—which takes in the urban edges of the San Francisco Bay along with coastal scenery, seafood, and locally produced cheeses and wines. Browse through "Nature" for spots such as the Ano Nuevo State Reserve, the largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals, the Japanese Tea Garden, beaches and lighthouses.
Stop to visit one of California's oldest wineries, the Woodside Vineyards—http://www.woodsidevineyards.com/—at the San Mateo County town of Woodside. Check out that and other towns at San Mateo.net—http://www.sanmateo.net/travel/—including tiny Princeton-by-the-Sea and the surfing haven of Montara.
Drive on down the coast to Santa Cruz County—http://www.santacruzca.org/—for more spectacular beaches and redwoods. There's a detailed beach guide that even lists four best choices for families under "Things to Do," along with tips on outdoor activities including windsurfiing and kiteboarding. If you don't want to spend all your time at the beach, click on "Places & Maps" for an interactive map that will take you to Web pages on the coastal artisans' enclave of Davenport, wooded Scotts Valley, and picturesque Santa Cruz.
Seriously think you'll have any time left for more sightseeing? Keep heading south through Monterey Bay and beyond with the help of California's Central Coast—http://www.centralcoast-tourism.com/—a guide to that part of the state that includes the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur, the Hearst Castle and still more beaches.
Along the way, you'll want to check out spots like the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. Visit the Bay Area region of California State Parks—http://tinyurl.com/25vwhh—and click on the place names. Then go to the "Region" dropdown menu in the upper right and select "Central Coast" if you plan to continue driving south.
Comment:"This is great!"
It's time to schedule some autumn travel, and if you plan now you can combine pumpkins and fall foliage with time on beaches along a scenic stretch of California coast.
The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival—http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/—is a great excuse to head for a little section of the California Coast stretching from San Francisco south toward Monterey Bay. The festival sounds a little like a Midwest county fair with handcrafts, pie-eating contests, lots of music by regional bands, and pumpkins so big they have to be weighed on heavy-duty industrial scales. Click on "About the Event" and "Quick Facts" to get an idea of the variety of food and drink, schedules for stage shows, and events such as the scarecrow contest. Look for "Miramar Events Home" at the bottom of the page for more events coming this fall.
Don't worry. That's not the only thing to see and do in Half Moon Bay—http://www.visithalfmoonbay.org/—which is just a half-hour or so drive south of San Francisco on California's scenic Highway 1. Along with wandering around the town, you can try your hand at surfing or kayaking (the water is described as very cold), spend some lazy time exploring tide pools, or head to sea on a fishing trip. Check the links on the left side of the main page for details on beaches, sea life, bird watching, photography and driving tours. And look through the entries under "Itineraries" and try the photo gallery for extra reasons to visit.
It's not all about the sea coast. Overlooking Half Moon Bay, the state's Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve—http://tinyurl.com/6lw6s—has California's signature tall trees, 21 miles of trails and mountain views.
Half Moon Bay sits in San Mateo County—http://smc.truebluelocal.com/—which takes in the urban edges of the San Francisco Bay along with coastal scenery, seafood, and locally produced cheeses and wines. Browse through "Nature" for spots such as the Ano Nuevo State Reserve, the largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals, the Japanese Tea Garden, beaches and lighthouses.
Stop to visit one of California's oldest wineries, the Woodside Vineyards—http://www.woodsidevineyards.com/—at the San Mateo County town of Woodside. Check out that and other towns at San Mateo.net—http://www.sanmateo.net/travel/—including tiny Princeton-by-the-Sea and the surfing haven of Montara.
Drive on down the coast to Santa Cruz County—http://www.santacruzca.org/—for more spectacular beaches and redwoods. There's a detailed beach guide that even lists four best choices for families under "Things to Do," along with tips on outdoor activities including windsurfiing and kiteboarding. If you don't want to spend all your time at the beach, click on "Places & Maps" for an interactive map that will take you to Web pages on the coastal artisans' enclave of Davenport, wooded Scotts Valley, and picturesque Santa Cruz.
Seriously think you'll have any time left for more sightseeing? Keep heading south through Monterey Bay and beyond with the help of California's Central Coast—http://www.centralcoast-tourism.com/—a guide to that part of the state that includes the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur, the Hearst Castle and still more beaches.
Along the way, you'll want to check out spots like the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. Visit the Bay Area region of California State Parks—http://tinyurl.com/25vwhh—and click on the place names. Then go to the "Region" dropdown menu in the upper right and select "Central Coast" if you plan to continue driving south.
Comment:"This is great!"
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Jain Center of Southern California Announces Dignitaries to Speak During Eleven-Day Event
Spiritual Leaders Speak on Jainism at the New Temple Complex in Buena Park, California
The Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) today announces its program of dignitaries to speak at the eleven-day cultural and spiritual event inaugurating the new Derasar (Temple) and Aradhana (Meditation and Reflection Hall) taking place on September 26 to October 6, 2008 in Buena Park, California. The dignitaries, recognized for their extraordinary knowledge in the Jain philosophy mastering its fundamentals in thought, practice and spirituality, include Gurudev Chitrabhanuji, Shri Rakesh Bhai Jhaveri and Shri Kumarpal Desai, among others. These distinguished figures will discuss the role and relevance of Jain beliefs across the globe.
"For many followers of the Jain Religion, an occasion to listen to these leaders in one place is rare," said JCSC President Ashok Savla. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to share the wisdom of such highly regarded figures with the people of Southern California. The opening of the new temple complex along with presentations by scholars establishes this event as a milestone for the JCSC and Jain religion."
The schedule of lectures during the JCSC event includes:
Gurudev Chitrabhanuji: Friday, September 26 from 7:30pm - 8:00pm
Shri Rakesh Bhai Jhaveri: Monday, September 29 - October 1 from 10:30am -
12:30pm
Shri Kumarpal Desai: Monday, September 29 from 5:00pm - 5:30pm
The Derasar and Aradhana Hall inauguration are part of the new Jain Complex, over a three-phase plan at an estimated cost of $20 million raised from the community. The plan includes a Cultural Complex -- Phase 1, Religious Temple and Meditation Hall -- Phase 2, and National Library and Study Rooms -- Phase 3. The Library will eventually hold over 15,000 books, manuscripts and multi-media resources and will begin construction after the inauguration of the new Temple and Meditation Hall.
Decorated with paintings, murals, tapestries and sculptures to depict the Jain way of life, the opulent features of the architecture reflect the famed ancient Jain temples in India. When completed, the Jain Complex will become a prominent international Tirth (pilgrimage site) for spiritual and scholarly pursuits.
Source
The Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) today announces its program of dignitaries to speak at the eleven-day cultural and spiritual event inaugurating the new Derasar (Temple) and Aradhana (Meditation and Reflection Hall) taking place on September 26 to October 6, 2008 in Buena Park, California. The dignitaries, recognized for their extraordinary knowledge in the Jain philosophy mastering its fundamentals in thought, practice and spirituality, include Gurudev Chitrabhanuji, Shri Rakesh Bhai Jhaveri and Shri Kumarpal Desai, among others. These distinguished figures will discuss the role and relevance of Jain beliefs across the globe.
"For many followers of the Jain Religion, an occasion to listen to these leaders in one place is rare," said JCSC President Ashok Savla. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to share the wisdom of such highly regarded figures with the people of Southern California. The opening of the new temple complex along with presentations by scholars establishes this event as a milestone for the JCSC and Jain religion."
The schedule of lectures during the JCSC event includes:
Gurudev Chitrabhanuji: Friday, September 26 from 7:30pm - 8:00pm
Shri Rakesh Bhai Jhaveri: Monday, September 29 - October 1 from 10:30am -
12:30pm
Shri Kumarpal Desai: Monday, September 29 from 5:00pm - 5:30pm
The Derasar and Aradhana Hall inauguration are part of the new Jain Complex, over a three-phase plan at an estimated cost of $20 million raised from the community. The plan includes a Cultural Complex -- Phase 1, Religious Temple and Meditation Hall -- Phase 2, and National Library and Study Rooms -- Phase 3. The Library will eventually hold over 15,000 books, manuscripts and multi-media resources and will begin construction after the inauguration of the new Temple and Meditation Hall.
Decorated with paintings, murals, tapestries and sculptures to depict the Jain way of life, the opulent features of the architecture reflect the famed ancient Jain temples in India. When completed, the Jain Complex will become a prominent international Tirth (pilgrimage site) for spiritual and scholarly pursuits.
Source
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Is California better off with Arnold? Counterpoint: Bill Boyarsky
As for Bill Boyarsky,Arnold is no Pat Brown or Ronald Reagan.
I thought the 2003 recall was a bad idea. But once it succeeded and put Schwarzenegger in the governor's office, I tried to be a good sport and see what he could do.
You are right, Bill, in your analysis of his laudable efforts on environmental issues and his working with Democratic legislative leaders on the infrastructure bonds. But these are not uniquely unattainable goals in Sacramento. Builders, contractors, manufacturers, labor unions, financial institutions and other powerful Capitol interest groups and campaign contributors will benefit hugely from the badly needed upgrades of highways, levees and other aging portions of the state's once-grand infrastructure. So will cities, counties, towns and many local agencies.
It's a win-win situation. So is renewable energy, a long anticipated industry now coming into its own with the prospect of real money being invested. The prospect of money being made -- and contributed to political campaigns -- seems to bring lawmakers and Capitol special interests together.
But I don't agree that the governor has, as you put it, "stabilized the state's finances." All he has done is delay disaster until another day, presumably after he leaves office. The budget deal crafted over the weekend by legislative leaders does nothing except put off problems. It's worthless, and the state Legislature's leaders and Schwarzenegger should be ashamed.
Actually, it doesn't seem as though the governor had much to do with it. As reported by The Times' Evan Halper, the governor "appears to have been left out of the final deal-making."
That brings me to Schwarzenegger's greatest failing. He doesn't seem to know how to play the frustrating, sometimes disreputable, game of Capitol politics. Why can't he push around or persuade a few Assembly Republicans? I know they act as though they were members of a cult. But isn't there something a few of them might want? Doesn't a law partner or a relative want a judgeship or something else? Or couldn't he twist an arm or two? Even though they are cultists, I doubt that every Assembly Republican is impervious to fear.
Our last actor-governor, Ronald Reagan, knew these things -- and he also understood how to negotiate, as he showed later in life in his dealings with the Soviet Union. His predecessor, Pat Brown, had these skills, as did other successful governors.
I understand that the structure of government works against Schwarzenegger. Term limits deprive the legislature of skilled, experienced leaders such as former Assembly speakers Jesse Unruh and Willie Brown.
Schwarzenegger is smart, and he's got a great personality. He is confident and he understands politics. But he has yet to focus his skills, as various pundits and other critics have been saying since he took office.
On the whole, however, the governor's sunny optimism and can-do attitude has improved the atmosphere in Sacramento. At least that's how it looks to me, living a few hundred miles south.
That's why the prison guards union's threat to recall him is a terrible idea. It is the product of a group of pampered political bullies. The prison guards treat us taxpayers as if we were prisoners, and I like the way Schwarzenegger is standing up to their union.
Source
I thought the 2003 recall was a bad idea. But once it succeeded and put Schwarzenegger in the governor's office, I tried to be a good sport and see what he could do.
You are right, Bill, in your analysis of his laudable efforts on environmental issues and his working with Democratic legislative leaders on the infrastructure bonds. But these are not uniquely unattainable goals in Sacramento. Builders, contractors, manufacturers, labor unions, financial institutions and other powerful Capitol interest groups and campaign contributors will benefit hugely from the badly needed upgrades of highways, levees and other aging portions of the state's once-grand infrastructure. So will cities, counties, towns and many local agencies.
It's a win-win situation. So is renewable energy, a long anticipated industry now coming into its own with the prospect of real money being invested. The prospect of money being made -- and contributed to political campaigns -- seems to bring lawmakers and Capitol special interests together.
But I don't agree that the governor has, as you put it, "stabilized the state's finances." All he has done is delay disaster until another day, presumably after he leaves office. The budget deal crafted over the weekend by legislative leaders does nothing except put off problems. It's worthless, and the state Legislature's leaders and Schwarzenegger should be ashamed.
Actually, it doesn't seem as though the governor had much to do with it. As reported by The Times' Evan Halper, the governor "appears to have been left out of the final deal-making."
That brings me to Schwarzenegger's greatest failing. He doesn't seem to know how to play the frustrating, sometimes disreputable, game of Capitol politics. Why can't he push around or persuade a few Assembly Republicans? I know they act as though they were members of a cult. But isn't there something a few of them might want? Doesn't a law partner or a relative want a judgeship or something else? Or couldn't he twist an arm or two? Even though they are cultists, I doubt that every Assembly Republican is impervious to fear.
Our last actor-governor, Ronald Reagan, knew these things -- and he also understood how to negotiate, as he showed later in life in his dealings with the Soviet Union. His predecessor, Pat Brown, had these skills, as did other successful governors.
I understand that the structure of government works against Schwarzenegger. Term limits deprive the legislature of skilled, experienced leaders such as former Assembly speakers Jesse Unruh and Willie Brown.
Schwarzenegger is smart, and he's got a great personality. He is confident and he understands politics. But he has yet to focus his skills, as various pundits and other critics have been saying since he took office.
On the whole, however, the governor's sunny optimism and can-do attitude has improved the atmosphere in Sacramento. At least that's how it looks to me, living a few hundred miles south.
That's why the prison guards union's threat to recall him is a terrible idea. It is the product of a group of pampered political bullies. The prison guards treat us taxpayers as if we were prisoners, and I like the way Schwarzenegger is standing up to their union.
Source
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Is California better off with Arnold? Point: Bill Bradley
According to Bill Bradley,a former senior advisor in presidential and gubernatorial campaigns, publishes NewWestNotes.com., California is better off with Arnold Schwarzenegger than it was before the dramatic 2003 recall of Gray Davis.
I know both governors well, and like them. The reality is that the pre-recall situation had become so toxic that Davis was unable to govern. His 2002 reelection was won in a highly negative political environment against an unqualified Republican, with a smaller-than-expected turnout of Democrats and independents. Then came the surprise announcement of a massive budget deficit. The former governor, who was in trouble with Capitol factions and lacked Schwarzenegger's ability to appeal to the public, has acknowledged since his defeat that Schwarzenegger has a number of notable accomplishments that he would likely have been unable to achieve.
First, Schwarzenegger stabilized the state's finances by winning voter approval of the multi-billion-dollar deficit bonds Davis and the Legislature put together to keep state government running. Schwarzenegger's Propositions 57 and 58, which voters approved in the 2004 state primary, made the deficit bonds constitutional; otherwise, the state's finances could have been shattered by a legal challenge. Schwarzenegger then passed a major workers compensation reform package which, while decidedly imperfect for workers, helped many businesses.
After a rightward detour into his 2005 "Year of Reform" special election (his initiatives addressed legitimate concerns but not well, especially from a marketing standpoint in this blue state), Schwarzenegger got to working on some issues he had talked enthusiastically about with me and others in 2002 and '03 while considering and preparing his run for governor.
He accelerated the state's renewable energy requirements even beyond the nation-leading level approved by Davis. Then, working with Democratic legislative leaders Fabian Nuñez and Don Perata, he pushed the biggest bonds investment package in history to rebuild the state's crumbling infrastructure and a landmark program to cut greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change that is a model for many states.
The Bush administration has predictably done everything possible to block California's climate-change actions, so Schwarzenegger and former governor-turned-attorney general Jerry Brown fought it out with the White House in court. In any event, the next president, whether it is Barack Obama or John McCain, has pledged to allow California's climate change program to proceed.
Schwarzenegger also pushed long and hard last year for a universal healthcare program. Perhaps he pushed too long for it. Despite putting together an impressive coalition, he couldn't overcome the issue's intractable politics. He's also working to achieve the needed next steps on water.
Nevertheless, even with these accomplishments and others, there is one big thing Schwarzenegger has definitely not solved. That's California's chronic budget crisis, fed in part by his first act as governor: the extraordinarily popular decision to cut the car tax, which, nevertheless, could and should have been more than offset by a combination of increased revenues and reforms.
On the budget, Schwarzenegger is confronted by two extraordinarily stubborn opposing political factions and one bizarre legal quirk. The combination of the three factors creates fiscal entropy in the closed system of the Capitol.
The two factions are the ultra-government faction (principally public employee unions and other advocates for expanding government), which dominates legislative Democrats; and the anti-government faction (far right ideologues and the anti-tax lobbies), which dominates legislative Republicans. The bizarre legal quirk is the nearly unique requirement of a two-thirds legislative vote to pass a budget, which California shares with only two other states, both quite small.
Schwarzenegger has made many proposals, but they haven't taken flight. Meanwhile, he has been whipsawed from year to year by the demands of the ultra-government and anti-government factions.
Will this outsized figure who made the unlikeliest of journeys from small-town Austrian boy to global sports and movie superstar and, now, governor of America's largest state be undone by this chronic fiscal crisis? I don't think so.
Source
I know both governors well, and like them. The reality is that the pre-recall situation had become so toxic that Davis was unable to govern. His 2002 reelection was won in a highly negative political environment against an unqualified Republican, with a smaller-than-expected turnout of Democrats and independents. Then came the surprise announcement of a massive budget deficit. The former governor, who was in trouble with Capitol factions and lacked Schwarzenegger's ability to appeal to the public, has acknowledged since his defeat that Schwarzenegger has a number of notable accomplishments that he would likely have been unable to achieve.
First, Schwarzenegger stabilized the state's finances by winning voter approval of the multi-billion-dollar deficit bonds Davis and the Legislature put together to keep state government running. Schwarzenegger's Propositions 57 and 58, which voters approved in the 2004 state primary, made the deficit bonds constitutional; otherwise, the state's finances could have been shattered by a legal challenge. Schwarzenegger then passed a major workers compensation reform package which, while decidedly imperfect for workers, helped many businesses.
After a rightward detour into his 2005 "Year of Reform" special election (his initiatives addressed legitimate concerns but not well, especially from a marketing standpoint in this blue state), Schwarzenegger got to working on some issues he had talked enthusiastically about with me and others in 2002 and '03 while considering and preparing his run for governor.
He accelerated the state's renewable energy requirements even beyond the nation-leading level approved by Davis. Then, working with Democratic legislative leaders Fabian Nuñez and Don Perata, he pushed the biggest bonds investment package in history to rebuild the state's crumbling infrastructure and a landmark program to cut greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change that is a model for many states.
The Bush administration has predictably done everything possible to block California's climate-change actions, so Schwarzenegger and former governor-turned-attorney general Jerry Brown fought it out with the White House in court. In any event, the next president, whether it is Barack Obama or John McCain, has pledged to allow California's climate change program to proceed.
Schwarzenegger also pushed long and hard last year for a universal healthcare program. Perhaps he pushed too long for it. Despite putting together an impressive coalition, he couldn't overcome the issue's intractable politics. He's also working to achieve the needed next steps on water.
Nevertheless, even with these accomplishments and others, there is one big thing Schwarzenegger has definitely not solved. That's California's chronic budget crisis, fed in part by his first act as governor: the extraordinarily popular decision to cut the car tax, which, nevertheless, could and should have been more than offset by a combination of increased revenues and reforms.
On the budget, Schwarzenegger is confronted by two extraordinarily stubborn opposing political factions and one bizarre legal quirk. The combination of the three factors creates fiscal entropy in the closed system of the Capitol.
The two factions are the ultra-government faction (principally public employee unions and other advocates for expanding government), which dominates legislative Democrats; and the anti-government faction (far right ideologues and the anti-tax lobbies), which dominates legislative Republicans. The bizarre legal quirk is the nearly unique requirement of a two-thirds legislative vote to pass a budget, which California shares with only two other states, both quite small.
Schwarzenegger has made many proposals, but they haven't taken flight. Meanwhile, he has been whipsawed from year to year by the demands of the ultra-government and anti-government factions.
Will this outsized figure who made the unlikeliest of journeys from small-town Austrian boy to global sports and movie superstar and, now, governor of America's largest state be undone by this chronic fiscal crisis? I don't think so.
Source
Monday, September 15, 2008
California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools Heralds Animation Mentor's Newest Online Learning Partnership as Groundbreaking for Students
Innovative Partnership with Sony Pictures Imageworks' and Sony Pictures Animation's IPAX Education Program Leverages School's Interactive Learning Model
The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) today applauded AnimationMentor.com for its groundbreaking new partnership with Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation's IPAX Education Program as an important step for students and employers in today's tight economy.
"This type of partnership and sharing of state of the art technological advances in developing the workers of tomorrow by mentoring the students of today shows real vision," said Robert Johnson, CAPPS Executive Director. "By expanding on Animation Mentor's innovative teaching model and online learning platform, students will better be able to enhance their capabilities faster and develop their skills making them work ready in a shorter period of time -- it's a win-win for all involved."
The Animation Mentor/Sony Pictures partnership will commence in the winter of 2009 and leverages Animation Mentor's unique learning model. The new three-month program will pair top students from 18 IPAX member schools with top Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation artists who will provide individual online mentoring, training and guidance. Animation Mentor's teaching model and online teaching platform enable mentors to work with students directly as they grow their craft. Tools include live video conferences, video guest lectures with industry experts and eCritiques -- an innovative video feedback commentary working directly with students' work to illustrate and enhance concepts.
Animation Mentor is one example of California's more than 2,500 private postsecondary schools that offer educational programs based on both academic and specific employer needs and reflect the demand of today's modern workplace. Studies have shown that six to eight out of every 10 jobs in California require specific skills not normally available in a four-year academic degree program.
About Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a state-of-the-art online education mentorship program teaching students the skills needed to succeed as a professional animator in the studio environment. Focused 100 percent on character animation, the 18-month program is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. Animation Mentor's online campus environment provides students from around the world with a convenient, flexible and accessible learning environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. www.AnimationMentor.com
About CAPPS
The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) is a non-profit membership organization that has represented California private postsecondary schools and regulatory institutions since 1985. CAPPS works with the Governor's Office, the State Legislature, and various state regulatory agencies. CAPPS also provides training seminars and workforce development programs for member schools and scholarship opportunities for students attending private postsecondary schools.www.cappsonline.org
Comment:"This is a very good partnership. It can greatly help the students who wants to become professional animators in the future. I hope that there will be more partnerships like this in the future."
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The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) today applauded AnimationMentor.com for its groundbreaking new partnership with Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation's IPAX Education Program as an important step for students and employers in today's tight economy.
"This type of partnership and sharing of state of the art technological advances in developing the workers of tomorrow by mentoring the students of today shows real vision," said Robert Johnson, CAPPS Executive Director. "By expanding on Animation Mentor's innovative teaching model and online learning platform, students will better be able to enhance their capabilities faster and develop their skills making them work ready in a shorter period of time -- it's a win-win for all involved."
The Animation Mentor/Sony Pictures partnership will commence in the winter of 2009 and leverages Animation Mentor's unique learning model. The new three-month program will pair top students from 18 IPAX member schools with top Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation artists who will provide individual online mentoring, training and guidance. Animation Mentor's teaching model and online teaching platform enable mentors to work with students directly as they grow their craft. Tools include live video conferences, video guest lectures with industry experts and eCritiques -- an innovative video feedback commentary working directly with students' work to illustrate and enhance concepts.
Animation Mentor is one example of California's more than 2,500 private postsecondary schools that offer educational programs based on both academic and specific employer needs and reflect the demand of today's modern workplace. Studies have shown that six to eight out of every 10 jobs in California require specific skills not normally available in a four-year academic degree program.
About Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a state-of-the-art online education mentorship program teaching students the skills needed to succeed as a professional animator in the studio environment. Focused 100 percent on character animation, the 18-month program is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. Animation Mentor's online campus environment provides students from around the world with a convenient, flexible and accessible learning environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. www.AnimationMentor.com
About CAPPS
The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) is a non-profit membership organization that has represented California private postsecondary schools and regulatory institutions since 1985. CAPPS works with the Governor's Office, the State Legislature, and various state regulatory agencies. CAPPS also provides training seminars and workforce development programs for member schools and scholarship opportunities for students attending private postsecondary schools.www.cappsonline.org
Comment:"This is a very good partnership. It can greatly help the students who wants to become professional animators in the future. I hope that there will be more partnerships like this in the future."
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