May 20th, 2012
FARGO – The total number of participants in all of the events of the Fargo Marathon this week will be about 24,000 at starting lines near the Fargodome.
And 35 soldiers in southwest Asia.
Most are from the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 119th Civic Engineer Squadron and are officially registered in the 5K, 10K or half-marathon.
“The friends we have made over here will last a lifetime,” Staff Sgt. Nik Guttormson wrote via email. “And being part of the marathon has been a part of that. Running is a big part of the military culture and many of us airmen have really come to enjoy the early morning runs.”
The exact location of the soldiers cannot be disclosed per Air Force regulations, but the region is in the midst of hot weather conditions, so this version of the Fargo Marathon has adjusted its times. The 5K and 10K will start at 5 a.m. local time on Friday and the half-marathon at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Melissa Olheiser, the wife of guardsman Jason Olheiser from Harwood, N.D., mailed medals and participant T-shirts. They will await the finishers.
“It’s gotten our family to have a little bit of connection and togetherness even though he’s not here,” Melissa said. “And it’s something they’ve all been looking forward to over there.”
It was the brainchild of the 25-year-old Guttormson, a Fargo resident who said running while on active duty helps relieve the stress of life in the military.
“It’s pretty funny how those who have hated running now comment on how peaceful it can be,” he said. “Many a problems have been talked about during runs.”
Include Guttormson in that, who has had to endure breast cancer to his grandmother from afar. An airman from an Alaska Guard unit has helped talk him through it on several runs, to the point that they joke they’ll have to run with a cell phone and Bluetooth technology when they return to the United States.
Guttormson’s squadron includes a wide variety of specialties such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and heavy equipment operators. Each shop will be represented in the Fargo Marathon events.
All involved in the project say the support of Fargo Marathon executive director Mark Knutson has been a big part of it. The marathon did everything free of charge.
“They are awesome, wonderful,” Melissa Olheiser said.
Airmen from Alaska, Georgia and Kansas will also take part in the Fargo Marathon events. Training has gone well, Guttormson said, with most of the guardsmen having their own structured programs. That includes the runners’ motto/motivation of “Embrace the Suck,” a reference that goes back to the original invasion of Iraq.
Guttormson is the veteran, having run the last three Fargo half-marathons. Despite being a world away, he won’t miss his fourth straight.
“I can’t say enough how cool it was for (the marathon) to offer this,” he said.
Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be reached at (701) 241-5546.
Kolpack’s NDSU media blog can be found at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia
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May 20th, 2012
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One of the authors of the independent Finkelstein media inquiry says the Convergence Review’s method of regulating the media won’t work because non-compliant media companies can’t be forced to join self-regulatory bodies.
Professor Matthew Ricketson, who assisted Ray Finkelstein QC on the five-month-long review of news media standards, also attacked the mainstream media for overreacting, misreporting and completely failing to cover major aspects of the inquiry.
Speaking at the University of Melbourne last night, Ricketson suggested this “tribal” coverage has undermined public confidence in the inquiry’s principal finding that greater regulation of the news media industry is required.
A recurring theme in the media’s coverage since the report was released in late February has been its attacks on Finkelstein’s call for a News Media Council to set standards and handle complaints about news reporting. Commentators have railed against the idea that the media, and especially newspapers, should be forced to comply with a government-funded statutory body.
While this recommendation was central to Finkelstein’s report it was rejected by the recent Convergence Review, which said such a measure should be a “last resort” and that larger media outlets should be obliged to join a self-regulatory body instead.
But Ricketson’s personal view is the Convergence Review’s approach is not an alternative because it fails to explain how media outlets would be compelled to join a self-regulatory body and address the media’s antipathy about government funding.
“In other words, they [the Convergence Review committee] seem to arrive at pretty much the same conclusion as Mr Finkelstein but choose not to take the step that the logic of his position requires,” he said last night.
Ricketson cited West Australian Newspapers’ recent decision to withdraw from the Press Council as proof that forcing media companies to comply with a self-regulatory body is fraught. He also accused media critics of failing to think beyond their initial anger at being targeted for an inquiry because of the News of the World scandal in the UK.
The response from News Corporation was to “react tribally to any suggestion of government interference in press freedom”.
“To take these positions and stick with them no matter what means closing your mind to the substantive issues of failure of media performance and lack of genuine accountability, which is what too many people in the industry have been doing for too long,” Ricketson said.
The former Fairfax reporter’s most cogent criticism of the media was this:
“The sub-text of the report is to call this for what it is — a charade. It says to the industry: you have sound standards of journalistic practice that you say you believe in and you have had 35 years to make a success of the self-regulatory system for dealing with complaints about these standards and you haven’t — and you seem to be content with that situation. So, you’ve had your chance. If you won’t do it you have left us with little choice but to recommend some means of making it work and in your absence that someone will have to be government.
“But, really guys, it shouldn’t be too big a deal: all we are recommending is that you adhere to your own standards and that when you fall short of them there is a prompt means of righting that wrong.”
Ricketson listed several aspects of the report that were not covered by the media. These included the bald statement by Finkelstein on the first day of the hearings that he was not remotely interested in licensing the press because it was akin to a government decree on who is able to publish news. Finkelstein said this “is as close as going back to the Dark Ages as you could find” because it represents “probably as extreme an encroachment on news dissemination as you could get”.
Despite this clear statement of intent, commentators continued to run the line that the inquiry was determined to introduce heavy-handed regulation of the press.
“What they [the mainstream media] have done is to under-report a lot of what was presented to the independent media inquiry late last year, and to either misreport the inquiry’s findings or to ignore large parts of the report altogether,” he said.
The inquiry received around 10,600 submissions, of which 762 expressed dissatisfaction with the news media and only four expressed satisfaction — although it should be noted the vast majority of the submissions were channelled by the online advocacy groups Avaaz and NewsStand.
And what of the coverage by other media outlets? According to Ricketson the “smaller independent news websites such as Crikey and New Matilda and some individual blogs covered the inquiry in detail and with a good deal of care”.
*Disclaimer: Andrew Dodd has written a chapter in the new book Australian Journalism Today, edited by Matthew Ricketson
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May 17th, 2012
This year's winners of the Governor-General's Medals in Architecture include three residences that stand as architectural masterworks
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May 17th, 2012
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May 17th, 2012
ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Homeowners are increasingly turning to energy
efficiency upgrades in order to lower their energy costs and add
comfort to their home. Standard
Energy Solutions, the energy efficiency division of Standard
Solar, Inc., cites increased insulation, air sealing and modernizing
HVAC systems among the
most important home improvements to make now before temperatures
begin to soar this summer.
Standard Energy Solutions offers full service energy auditing and
contracting to help homeowners attain a more comfortable and energy
efficient home. An energy
audit determines how a home is using energy and the most cost
effective ways to increase efficiency. Here are four things that factor
into home energy efficiency:
-
Insulation – Heat naturally moves from warm areas to cool and
insulation, whether in walls, around ducts and vents or in the attic,
serves to create resistance to that flow of heated or cooled air.
Having a properly insulated home achieves greater efficiency. Older
homes often have inadequate levels, but even newer houses can benefit
from adding insulation. An energy audit can help not only determine
the amount of insulation a home has, but also pinpoint the areas in
which it could be improved.
-
Air Sealing – Air sealing prevents unconditioned air from entering a
home, and prevents conditioned air from escaping a home. While a more
insulated home is more energy efficient, proper air sealing is still
necessary. More information, including photos and video, can be found
on our blog.
-
HVAC System – Replacing your aging furnace, heat pump and/or air
conditioner with a new high efficiency system can lower energy costs
while increasing your home’s comfort. If your HVAC equipment is from
1997 or earlier, it is time to look at replacement.
-
Behavior – From simple changes like plugging electronics into power
strips and turning off when not in use to lowering the temperature on
the water heater, the changes undertaken in daily habits can develop
into long-term energy savings.
“Considering the long-term trend of rising energy costs, it makes
perfect sense to make sure the home is operating at its most efficient,”
said Rick Berube, vice president, Operations, Standard Solar. “An energy
audit is simple and affordable, and is a great way to learn how to
improve the comfort and value of your home.”
In addition to better comfort, a major benefit of increasing the energy
efficiency of your home is the financial savings. Many upgrades are well
worth the money, and actually pay for themselves very quickly. An energy
audit report will help prioritize the large projects as well as make
recommendations on simple changes and do-it-yourself tasks that can make
an impact at a low cost.
Utility and state incentives for home energy efficiency improvements can
dramatically reduce the payback period for retrofit work. Standard
Energy Solutions will identify which programs
are applicable and help file paperwork.
For more information and energy efficiency tips, follow our blog,
on Facebook
and on Twitter
@standardenergy.
About Standard Energy Solutions
Standard
Energy Solutions (SES) is a full-service energy efficiency firm that
specializes in energy assessments and home energy improvements. Our
company was founded by solar energy and building professionals who are
not just committed to making it easier and more convenient to buy solar
electric systems but also to making total energy consumption more
efficient. Our team of dedicated professionals, auditors, installers,
electricians and managers offers simple and dependable home energy
improvements and solar energy solutions to homeowners and businesses
alike. A division of Standard
Solar, Inc., SES is headquartered in Rockville, MD. For more
information, please visit http://standardsolar.com/Energy-Audits.
Posted in Information | No Comments »
May 17th, 2012
This year's winners of the Governor-General's Medals in Architecture include three residences that stand as architectural masterworks
Posted in Information | No Comments »
May 17th, 2012
ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Homeowners are increasingly turning to energy
efficiency upgrades in order to lower their energy costs and add
comfort to their home. Standard
Energy Solutions, the energy efficiency division of Standard
Solar, Inc., cites increased insulation, air sealing and modernizing
HVAC systems among the
most important home improvements to make now before temperatures
begin to soar this summer.
Standard Energy Solutions offers full service energy auditing and
contracting to help homeowners attain a more comfortable and energy
efficient home. An energy
audit determines how a home is using energy and the most cost
effective ways to increase efficiency. Here are four things that factor
into home energy efficiency:
-
Insulation – Heat naturally moves from warm areas to cool and
insulation, whether in walls, around ducts and vents or in the attic,
serves to create resistance to that flow of heated or cooled air.
Having a properly insulated home achieves greater efficiency. Older
homes often have inadequate levels, but even newer houses can benefit
from adding insulation. An energy audit can help not only determine
the amount of insulation a home has, but also pinpoint the areas in
which it could be improved.
-
Air Sealing – Air sealing prevents unconditioned air from entering a
home, and prevents conditioned air from escaping a home. While a more
insulated home is more energy efficient, proper air sealing is still
necessary. More information, including photos and video, can be found
on our blog.
-
HVAC System – Replacing your aging furnace, heat pump and/or air
conditioner with a new high efficiency system can lower energy costs
while increasing your home’s comfort. If your HVAC equipment is from
1997 or earlier, it is time to look at replacement.
-
Behavior – From simple changes like plugging electronics into power
strips and turning off when not in use to lowering the temperature on
the water heater, the changes undertaken in daily habits can develop
into long-term energy savings.
“Considering the long-term trend of rising energy costs, it makes
perfect sense to make sure the home is operating at its most efficient,”
said Rick Berube, vice president, Operations, Standard Solar. “An energy
audit is simple and affordable, and is a great way to learn how to
improve the comfort and value of your home.”
In addition to better comfort, a major benefit of increasing the energy
efficiency of your home is the financial savings. Many upgrades are well
worth the money, and actually pay for themselves very quickly. An energy
audit report will help prioritize the large projects as well as make
recommendations on simple changes and do-it-yourself tasks that can make
an impact at a low cost.
Utility and state incentives for home energy efficiency improvements can
dramatically reduce the payback period for retrofit work. Standard
Energy Solutions will identify which programs
are applicable and help file paperwork.
For more information and energy efficiency tips, follow our blog,
on Facebook
and on Twitter
@standardenergy.
About Standard Energy Solutions
Standard
Energy Solutions (SES) is a full-service energy efficiency firm that
specializes in energy assessments and home energy improvements. Our
company was founded by solar energy and building professionals who are
not just committed to making it easier and more convenient to buy solar
electric systems but also to making total energy consumption more
efficient. Our team of dedicated professionals, auditors, installers,
electricians and managers offers simple and dependable home energy
improvements and solar energy solutions to homeowners and businesses
alike. A division of Standard
Solar, Inc., SES is headquartered in Rockville, MD. For more
information, please visit http://standardsolar.com/Energy-Audits.
Posted in Information | No Comments »
May 14th, 2012
A Toronto man is hoping to orchestrate a series of trades that will allow him to parlay a tiny toy car into a ticket into the city’s red-hot real estate market.
Charles Moffatt really wants a condominium.
But he doesn’t have much money and is still paying off university debts. And he’s skeptical about the health of the condo market in Toronto. The average price of a condo across the 416 and 905 area codes was $339,978 in April, up four per cent year over year, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board.
“I don’t really want to get into the condo market right now, because I think it’s going to burst in the next couple of years,” he told CBC’s Metro Morning in a Thursday interview.
“For me, it I think it would be much more logical for me to trade my way up into it rather than buy into it and then lose half my money when the market collapses.”
The starting point for Moffatt was a Hot Wheels 2008 Dodge Challenger.
Moffatt concedes his idea isn’t original – Montrealer Kyle MacDonald was able to go from a red paper clip to a two-storey farmhouse in Saskatchewan in 14 trades almost six years ago.
But Toronto’s real estate market is very different from rural Saskatchewan’s.
“I’m just setting my goal a lot higher, literally and figuratively,” Moffatt said.
He has already made two trades. In April, he traded the toy car for a Mastercraft digital multimetre kit, a tool commonly used by electricians.
This weekend, he traded the kit for a Raleigh Mixte bicycle that he believes is worth about $150.
Someone has already offered to trade him an older iPod for the bike, but he doesn’t think that trade works for him. Moffatt is aiming in each transaction to double the value of the item he traded away.
The trick in finding a trading partner is to locate someone who has something they don’t use or need any more.
If he is able to manage that, he figures should be able to by a condo after about 17 trades.
“It might take me 20 or 30 trades to do it because as you get higher up the rankings … it might become more difficult,” he said.
“And to actually find someone who’s willing to trade a condo — there are people out there who trade real estate, but it just doesn’t happen very often. But maybe if the market collapses, there will be a whole bunch of people who are looking for a way out and they are trying to get rid of a property that nobody wants to buy.”
Moffatt is chronicling his quest for a home on his blog.
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May 14th, 2012
This year's winners of the Governor-General's Medals in Architecture include three residences that stand as architectural masterworks
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May 11th, 2012
There’s nothing funny about the treatment many nannies, housekeepers, and caregivers receive from their employers—including missed wages, no sick days, and strenuous hours. But a new public art project is using humor as a vehicle to educate workers, their bosses, and the public about the New York Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, a state law passed in 2010 that guarantees basic protections to a vulnerable class of workers.
“New Day New Standard” turns the idea of an information hotline on its headset. Instead of hearing a set of numbered self-help options, callers choose from a collection of comedic sketches explaining the new legislation in a radio talk show format. Hosts Christine Lewis and “Miss Know-it-All” (played by voice actor Jen Cohn) tackle questions called in from real domestic workers about the new details in the new laws, including minimum wage, overtime, taxes, unemployment insurance, penalties for employers who disregard the requirements—plus broader subjects like immigration, human trafficking, and slavery. The voices on the phone also take the time to joke and deliver punchy one-liners in a menagerie of accents that highlight the diversity of the ethnic communities from which New York domestic workers hail, including West Indian, West African, Filipino, Haitian, Dominican, Mexican, and many other Spanish-speaking groups.
A veteran advocate for New York City nannies and workers, Lewis has experience patiently explaining her industry’s hardships: She once appeared on The Colbert Report to tell the ostensibly-right-wing personality about why domestic workers need protection. Her status as a rising, charismatic leader in the movement made her a natural fit for the role as the talk show’s Oprah, according to creative director Marisa Jahn.
Jahn and her collaborators from REV-, a nonprofit for socially engaged art and design, came up with the NDNS concept when advocacy group Domestic Workers United approached them with the idea of doing an audio PSA. “We know that many low-wage workers and multi-lingual immigrants don’t listen to the radio anymore,” says Jahn “And they don’t have regular access to the internet where they could download audio pieces.”
But everyone has a phone, and even an antique flip phone can turn into a broadcasting device when NDNS’s hotline is dialed. Jahn imagines the service could come in handy for a nanny watching kids on the playground, for example. While she’s working, she “can whip out [her] cell phone, call the New Day New Standard hotline, and hear an ‘episode’ about minimum wages, paying your taxes, vacation time, etc.”
The New York Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, the first such law in the nation, offers the type of bare minimum protections you’d hope to see at any job: the right to time-and-a-half overtime pay, a day off every seven days, three paid days off per year after a year with the same employer, and added protection against sexual and racial harassment. The law came after years of organizing by DWU and a broad coalition of partners. Similar legislation is currently in the works in California.
Jahn emphasizes that the project is more than the typical PSA: “To improve the livelihood and well being of domestic workers in New York State and beyond, we need a really compelling ‘product’ of the highest caliber. In other words […] we needed art.” And that idea didn’t come solely from the creatives tasked with the project. Interviews with domestic workers proved that something entertaining and unique would work best for spreading the message. Describing the final product as “‘art’ dignifies their involvement in this project as one worthy of sharing with the broader public,” Jahn says. “‘Public art’” sounds like you’re going to hear something exciting and fresh; ‘PSA’ sounds like it will be boring and didactic.”
The project’s outreach efforts kick off this month in the liberal, yuppie neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, where Jahn says more than 60 percent of employers are in violation of the bill of rights legislation. Piloting in a progressive area, organizers hope, will make it easier to bring their work everywhere else.
Image courtesy of Marisa Jahn
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