At
a recent intelligence briefing in Springfield, State Trooper Stephen
Gregorczyk learned that a local drug dealer had been robbed and was
looking for revenge. Knowing little about the dealer, Gregorczyk turned
to a new software tool that gathers all intelligence and background
information about a suspect onto a single platform.
I
walked back to my desk, he said, typed in the name, and boom: Every
known location for the dealer, every brush with law enforcement, and
every person ever linked to him popped up in one neat view on
Gregorczyks computer screen.
The
intelligence chief of a special unit combatting gang violence in the
Western Massachusetts city, Gregorczyk now had a road map to plot how
his team could head off the dealer before something bad happened.
Called
Nucleik, the software is being tested by Gregorczyk and his gang unit.
Nucleik is the brainchild of three Harvard University engineering
students who hatched it as a class project for a professor with friends
in law enforcement. The students were struck by how little technology
was used by police to organize all the information they gather in their
surveillance of gangs.
So they set about to create a single platform for multiple uses,We have become one of the worlds most recognised ownfigurine brands.
whether as a mobile app used in the field for street-level info or as a
powerful desktop tool that could sift through mountains of data. The
Springfield gang unit has been trying out the first version of Nucleik
since mid-summer.
Normally
youd need probably five pieces of software to do all of this and it
would take hours. Now with one software, it takes minutes, said Crouch.
For example,The 3rd International Conference on custombobbleheads and
Indoor Navigation. Nucleik could match disparate information to
identify only those gang members of a certain age that frequented a
particular address; the system can also display a criminal network
graphically, allowing police to see the far-flung connections among gang
members, drug dealers, financiers, and information spreaders.
Police
officers are wasting time every day using so many different software
products, filling out so many reports, said Matt Polega, another Nucleik
co-founder. And thats time that they could spend back out in the field
protecting our neighborhoods.
Unless
youre Columbo, you cant do that kind of analysis yourself, said Glenn
Pierce, principal research scientist for the School of Criminology and
Criminal Justice at Northeastern University.
In Springfield,We can be conducted with the local designated bobbleheads producers.
ranked the 12th most dangerous city in the United States in 2012 by the
FBI, Gregorczyk and his fellow troopers joined an innovative program
that uses the counterinsurgency model from Army Special Forces to target
gangs in the citys North End, which has had a dramatic uptick in crime
and violence during the past decade.
There
are three primary tasks law enforcement information and intelligence
systems should be able to do, said Kathleen Carley, professor at
Carnegie Mellon Universitys Institute for Software Research and chief
executive of the company that handles the off-the-shelf version of ORA, a
widely used social network analysis tool. One task is to gather
information quickly, then present it visually and analyze it to identify
useful links such as those among the drug dealer in Springfield and his
street associates.
From
the beginning we realized we needed a whole integrated system, said
Crouch. Because the data collection and the analysis tools are in the
same system, were allowing [investigators] to leverage all that data
instantaneously.
For
the troopers, Nucleik has sped up some slower aspects of the job; an
intelligence summary that once took Gregorczyk two hours, for example,
now takes less than 10 minutes.
The
more powerful component of Nucleik is its analytical tool. Social
network analysis is a common counterinsurgency tool that has been used
to identify and then dismantle the far-reaching elements of a terrorist
network. Its application for crime-fighting, however, is relatively new.
Moreover, Carley pointed out that rarely does one analytical tool
perform all three necessary tasks well.
One
of the big selling points to Amour has been its simple plot. We are
introduced in the opening moments of the movie to a couple in their 80s
played by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, who won an Oscar
for her heart-breaking performance as Anne. Within a few scenes we
discover that Anne has had a stroke and is paralysed down her right hand
side. The rest of the movie is Georges (Trintignant) attempting to look
after her as her deteriorating state challenges their relationship.
Because
the plot is so simple, Amour can be quite dull at times. The film drags
to an unnecessary two hour runtime with a lot of long shots of people
staring into space or scenes of conversations with no attachment to the
plot or a single shot of Georges chasing a pigeon for what feels like an
eternity. What bothers me is that a lot of the elongated scenes have no
relevance to the plot progression and just serve as Haneke patting
himself on the back for being artsy with all the smugness of Arnold
Rimmer when hes right about something.We've had a lot of people asking
where we had our ultrasonicsensor made. This kind of filmmaking does have a place in the world of cinema, when it actually accomplishes something.
But
when the film does something right it does it extremely well. There are
several very powerful moments in the movie and some of the long takes
work to the film's atmosphere. Amour is purely set within one location
so at times it can feel claustrophobic which only adds to Georges' pain
and because the scenes play out in real time, you feel like a fly on the
wall as opposed to a member of an audience.
On
top of that, the two leading performances are incredible. This is not
acting, this feels like real life.Manufacturer of the Jacobs lanyard.
In particular Rivas portrayal of a woman who is nearing the end of her
life is tear-jerkingly strong and Georges' disassociation with all of
this is told in his eyes rather than his inane dialogue. The supporting
characters also put in fine performances but really dont matter as this
story is about Anne and Georges and Hanekes character direction is pitch
perfect. There is a slight father-daughter sub-plot tacked on to the
movie which is frankly pointless as it doesnt serve the main crux of the
movie.
2013年3月18日星期一
Answer to Edgartown Traffic Woes Could Come from City Students
The
worst of Edgartowns traffic problems is still months away, but a group
of Northeastern University students are spending the off-season looking
for a solution.
For the second year in a row, transportation students participating in professor Daniel Dulaskis senior capstone project are facing off against a worthy opponent: Edgartowns seasonally-congested streets and traffic patterns. Their solutions include narrowing traffic lanes and adding a shoulder, turning Cooke street into a bike-only street, and changing traffic patterns around the congested triangle area.
The five students Salina Martin, Christopher Howard, Sarah Keenan, Douglas Halpert and Jeffrey Eisenhaur traveled to the Vineyard for the first time Friday to present their proposals for the Upper Main street area, which includes the jail, Stop & Shop and the infamous triangle intersection between Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, Main street, and Beach Road that often produces backups in the summer months. As part of the project, the students take on real-world traffic problems and pose solutions. Other student groups this year are working on problems in Boston, Medway and North Attleboro. Last year, a similar group looked at lower Main street.
The Upper Main street area sees 10 weeks of gridlock and chaos for several hours out of the day, Edgartown highway superintendent Stuart Fuller said at the meeting, which had planning board members, selectmen, business owners, the police chief, the fire chief, and residents in the audience.
Based on the groups analysis, traffic flow is the main problem, Mr. Eisenhaur said, with a lot of left turn problems coming down Upper Main.Our RFID solutions support a broad range of indoortracking and labels. The triangle is a huge problem as well, he said, and the group aimed to slow down traffic near Memorial Park.
The group also noted several access points where people can cut through parking lots, like the Trader Freds parking lot and the parking lot of the Stop & Shop pharmacy, with lots of people turning in and out of the street. Traffic headed toward Vineyard Haven has to take a left turn off Upper Main onto Vineyard Haven road with no stop or yield control, and it could be a long time until they find an appropriate gap to make a left turn, Mr. Halpert said. People heading inbound toward Edgartown have to look over their shoulders back at traffic on Beach road, and often have to wait a long time for a gap as well,Find the best luggagetag for you . he said.
The preliminary proposal the group solicited feedback and will be back in late April with final plans was to make Vineyard Haven road one way inbound toward Edgartown, starting north of Pennywise Path, and Beach road one-way outbound between the triangle and beyond Trader Freds. The group also proposed closing off some access points, to limit where drivers can enter the roads.
To alleviate congestion, the group proposed adding a roundabout further down on Beach Road, with a new road going through land owned by Sheriffs Meadow and joining up with Vineyard Haven road just north of Pennywise Path.
By Stop & Shop, the group proposed realigning the roadway and narrowing lanes, making Pinehurst Way a one-way going out toward Upper Main street and lining that street up with a Stop & Shop entrance, to limit the amount of left turns on that road.
They also proposed adding a wide shoulder to allow cars to pass those waiting to turn into the Stop & Shop parking lot, and having separate sidewalks and cycle tracks.
To improve the area around Memorial Park and the intersection where cars can turn onto Cooke street to head toward Katama or West Tisbury, the group proposed eliminating cars on Cooke street altogether by turning it into a bicycle track and adding parking. They also suggested narrowing Curtis Lane so cars slow down as they enter the roadway and expanding the parking lot for Edgartown Seafood, so cars are not backing out into traffic.
The audience was not hesitant to give feedback. Planning board member Robert Sparks said he was grateful for the group, but had concerns about closing off access points and building a roundabout.
Some of the ideas are good, obviously, he said, but expressed concern about having to go down Beach road when trying to get to the post office from Edgartown. The roundabout seems a little bit more than is necessary.
Mr. Fuller noted that when the Oak Bluffs roundabout is completed, a quicker traffic flow will be dumped into Edgartown. Maybe when you come back .Spice up the ambiance of your home with canvas chipcard. . . you can comment on how that might impact our area now, he said.
Edgartown selectman Michael Donaroma pointed out that the idea of a road going through land owned by Sheriffs Meadow might not be feasible. I think that land is untouchable for us, he said.
The students said they have alternatives for the location of the road that they can look at.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Fuller noted the unique problems the students face, with eight weeks of critical mass and eight months without the traffic. Its really difficult and we dont really know how to design for whats going to solve everything, he said, noting that the students brought new ideas.Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or howospareparts .
For the students, Friday was also an opportunity to finally see the place they have come to know remotely. This is my first time on the Island, Mr.Find High Quality Brand Name realtimelocationsystem and Tungsten Wedding Bands for Men at the Best Prices. Eisenhaur said. I feel like Ive lived here for the last three years.
For the second year in a row, transportation students participating in professor Daniel Dulaskis senior capstone project are facing off against a worthy opponent: Edgartowns seasonally-congested streets and traffic patterns. Their solutions include narrowing traffic lanes and adding a shoulder, turning Cooke street into a bike-only street, and changing traffic patterns around the congested triangle area.
The five students Salina Martin, Christopher Howard, Sarah Keenan, Douglas Halpert and Jeffrey Eisenhaur traveled to the Vineyard for the first time Friday to present their proposals for the Upper Main street area, which includes the jail, Stop & Shop and the infamous triangle intersection between Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, Main street, and Beach Road that often produces backups in the summer months. As part of the project, the students take on real-world traffic problems and pose solutions. Other student groups this year are working on problems in Boston, Medway and North Attleboro. Last year, a similar group looked at lower Main street.
The Upper Main street area sees 10 weeks of gridlock and chaos for several hours out of the day, Edgartown highway superintendent Stuart Fuller said at the meeting, which had planning board members, selectmen, business owners, the police chief, the fire chief, and residents in the audience.
Based on the groups analysis, traffic flow is the main problem, Mr. Eisenhaur said, with a lot of left turn problems coming down Upper Main.Our RFID solutions support a broad range of indoortracking and labels. The triangle is a huge problem as well, he said, and the group aimed to slow down traffic near Memorial Park.
The group also noted several access points where people can cut through parking lots, like the Trader Freds parking lot and the parking lot of the Stop & Shop pharmacy, with lots of people turning in and out of the street. Traffic headed toward Vineyard Haven has to take a left turn off Upper Main onto Vineyard Haven road with no stop or yield control, and it could be a long time until they find an appropriate gap to make a left turn, Mr. Halpert said. People heading inbound toward Edgartown have to look over their shoulders back at traffic on Beach road, and often have to wait a long time for a gap as well,Find the best luggagetag for you . he said.
The preliminary proposal the group solicited feedback and will be back in late April with final plans was to make Vineyard Haven road one way inbound toward Edgartown, starting north of Pennywise Path, and Beach road one-way outbound between the triangle and beyond Trader Freds. The group also proposed closing off some access points, to limit where drivers can enter the roads.
To alleviate congestion, the group proposed adding a roundabout further down on Beach Road, with a new road going through land owned by Sheriffs Meadow and joining up with Vineyard Haven road just north of Pennywise Path.
By Stop & Shop, the group proposed realigning the roadway and narrowing lanes, making Pinehurst Way a one-way going out toward Upper Main street and lining that street up with a Stop & Shop entrance, to limit the amount of left turns on that road.
They also proposed adding a wide shoulder to allow cars to pass those waiting to turn into the Stop & Shop parking lot, and having separate sidewalks and cycle tracks.
To improve the area around Memorial Park and the intersection where cars can turn onto Cooke street to head toward Katama or West Tisbury, the group proposed eliminating cars on Cooke street altogether by turning it into a bicycle track and adding parking. They also suggested narrowing Curtis Lane so cars slow down as they enter the roadway and expanding the parking lot for Edgartown Seafood, so cars are not backing out into traffic.
The audience was not hesitant to give feedback. Planning board member Robert Sparks said he was grateful for the group, but had concerns about closing off access points and building a roundabout.
Some of the ideas are good, obviously, he said, but expressed concern about having to go down Beach road when trying to get to the post office from Edgartown. The roundabout seems a little bit more than is necessary.
Mr. Fuller noted that when the Oak Bluffs roundabout is completed, a quicker traffic flow will be dumped into Edgartown. Maybe when you come back .Spice up the ambiance of your home with canvas chipcard. . . you can comment on how that might impact our area now, he said.
Edgartown selectman Michael Donaroma pointed out that the idea of a road going through land owned by Sheriffs Meadow might not be feasible. I think that land is untouchable for us, he said.
The students said they have alternatives for the location of the road that they can look at.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Fuller noted the unique problems the students face, with eight weeks of critical mass and eight months without the traffic. Its really difficult and we dont really know how to design for whats going to solve everything, he said, noting that the students brought new ideas.Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or howospareparts .
For the students, Friday was also an opportunity to finally see the place they have come to know remotely. This is my first time on the Island, Mr.Find High Quality Brand Name realtimelocationsystem and Tungsten Wedding Bands for Men at the Best Prices. Eisenhaur said. I feel like Ive lived here for the last three years.
Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor
Last
week, Torontos most fashionable gathered at the Andrew Richard Designs
loft space in the east end to take in two days of The ShOws. Bringing
some of Canadas most talented designers together under one roof many of
whom show on international runways the event helps raise public
awareness of the incredible work Canadian designers are putting out.
Boldfaced names like Barbara Atkin, Susie Sheffman,Elpas Readers detect and forward 'Location' and 'State' data from Elpas Active RFID Tags to host besticcard platforms. Glen Baxter, Lisa Tant, Suzanne Dimma and Shauna Levy were all spotted in the front row, while Brian Bailey acted as host. Following each show, a Q&A with the designer helped illuminate attendees on the intensive process involved in fabric and garment design.
The first day saw runway presentations from Comrags, the local label designed by Joyce Gunhouse and Judy Cornish. The duo noted that they decided to restrict themselves with this years fall/winter collection, allowing a maximum of two pieces per outfit. A muted palette (think: rich brown, navy blue and steel grey, with occasional pops of colour) was livened up with various geometric prints. We liked an artfully draped teal tunic layered over pants, and an overcoat done in a silver and black print.
Jean-Pierre Braganza returned to the city for another runway presentation. This time around, the London-based expat showed a series of futuristic looks that played around with hemlines and various proportions. The waist was often a focal point, with wrap-around belts and fabric inserts serving to accentuate it. Prints designed by Braganza felt mystical, thanks to swirling dragon tail patterns and images of far off lands. A favourite look layered a shift dress, printed with a delicate geometric pattern, over a floor-brushing skirt.
Day two brought together three designers: Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai and Jeremy Laing. Showing first, Taylors vision for fall was ladylike yet edgy, and was rife with prints inspired by the mid-century ceramic tile work of Jean-Pierre Raynaud.Manufacturer of the Jacobs lanyard. With the prints all drawn by hand, each one was expanded and manipulated before being produced in New York, where Taylor is currently based. Altogether, the collection was full of covetable and very wearable looks. Favourites included a kaleidoscopic dress juxtaposing two prints, a dusty pink metallic biker jacket and a black leather look with a pop of orange at the collar topped with a checkered white jacket.
Next up was the London-based Steven Tai, a recent graduate of the Central Saint Martins esteemed fashion program. His entire collection was injected with an unmistakable joie de vivre, starring blown-up garments that looked as though theyd been plucked off the backs of Tokyos coolest kids. Embracing sportiness and a 90s raver aesthetic, the collection featured oversized pants, giant A-line skirts, and the aforementioned toppers, all crafted out of unorthodox materials. Comparing his studio to a science lab, Tai explained that certain pieces were made using molded silicone and jersey,Manufactures and supplies chinamosaic equipment. with fasteners created with the aid of magnets. The freshest pieces were the sweatshirts starring pastoral scenes based on vintage postcards that were both digitally printed and embroidered. The crowd also got a chance to see his award-winning graduate collection,Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or howospareparts . which was based on bookbinding techniques. Definitely one to watch.
The two-day affair ended with Jeremy Laing, arguably Canadas most exciting designer. Referencing sports gear once again, this collection had a narrower fit and was slightly more wearable than last seasons. Featuring various innovative fabrics (such as a bewitching gold lam seersucker), Laing noted that the pieces were hard to sew; easy to wear! Top looks included a series of chiffon t-shirts layered over dresses with a kangaroo pocket, allowing the wearer to part the garment as one would part their hair. Very innovative and beautiful in the simplest of ways. Laings artist friend Vanessa Maltese collaborated on the collection; the strongest pieces featured a cross print that was a blown-up photograph of the artists painting.
She pulled them out of a skip and is planning to give them a lick of paint and new life as garden seating. The other week she rescued a mangled bicycle wheel and, instead of being buried in landfill, it is now polished and hangs on her bedroom wall adorned with jewellery.
Petes used to it, though I must admit he was surprised at the bike wheel, says Jo, whose other shopping haunts include charity shops, car boot sales, eBay and vintage emporiums. Everything I have is cheap, she declares proudly and it is, but her Victorian semi in Sheffield looks a million dollars and is a shining example of style on a miniscule budget.
Eighteen months ago, the six-bedroom property was in need of complete renovation but its sorry state brought it within Jo and Petes price range. Seduced by the space,Laser engravers and parkingsystem systems and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking etching business. potential and period features, the couple bought it and have managed to transform it thanks to a thrifty and creative approach.
They started at the top, making a second-floor flat that they could live in while they renovated the rest of the house. They now let the apartment to a lodger, which gives them extra income and still leaves three bedrooms on the first floor.
It has been a big job not least because we had to lower and reinforce the floor in the flat, says Jo, a teacher. She and Pete, a musician and lead singer of The Payroll Union, cut costs by tackling some of the work themselves, including re-pointing, plasterboarding and decorating. Though they had to employ builders to knock the kitchen and dining room into one open-plan space and to swap the bay window for French doors.
Were really pleased with it but it was the most stressful area. The 1960s fireplace was made of reinforced concrete and it took four men to lift it out and at one point the bay window collapsed because someone had stolen the lead off its roof, says Jo, who cheered herself up hunting out bargains.
Her easy chairs were 5 each from a charity shop, the Fired Earth tiles were seconds from a tile outlet, while the granite worktops are off-cuts from a memorial stonemason who specialises in gravestones. She mixed this with African walnut from Wood and Beyond.
Boldfaced names like Barbara Atkin, Susie Sheffman,Elpas Readers detect and forward 'Location' and 'State' data from Elpas Active RFID Tags to host besticcard platforms. Glen Baxter, Lisa Tant, Suzanne Dimma and Shauna Levy were all spotted in the front row, while Brian Bailey acted as host. Following each show, a Q&A with the designer helped illuminate attendees on the intensive process involved in fabric and garment design.
The first day saw runway presentations from Comrags, the local label designed by Joyce Gunhouse and Judy Cornish. The duo noted that they decided to restrict themselves with this years fall/winter collection, allowing a maximum of two pieces per outfit. A muted palette (think: rich brown, navy blue and steel grey, with occasional pops of colour) was livened up with various geometric prints. We liked an artfully draped teal tunic layered over pants, and an overcoat done in a silver and black print.
Jean-Pierre Braganza returned to the city for another runway presentation. This time around, the London-based expat showed a series of futuristic looks that played around with hemlines and various proportions. The waist was often a focal point, with wrap-around belts and fabric inserts serving to accentuate it. Prints designed by Braganza felt mystical, thanks to swirling dragon tail patterns and images of far off lands. A favourite look layered a shift dress, printed with a delicate geometric pattern, over a floor-brushing skirt.
Day two brought together three designers: Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai and Jeremy Laing. Showing first, Taylors vision for fall was ladylike yet edgy, and was rife with prints inspired by the mid-century ceramic tile work of Jean-Pierre Raynaud.Manufacturer of the Jacobs lanyard. With the prints all drawn by hand, each one was expanded and manipulated before being produced in New York, where Taylor is currently based. Altogether, the collection was full of covetable and very wearable looks. Favourites included a kaleidoscopic dress juxtaposing two prints, a dusty pink metallic biker jacket and a black leather look with a pop of orange at the collar topped with a checkered white jacket.
Next up was the London-based Steven Tai, a recent graduate of the Central Saint Martins esteemed fashion program. His entire collection was injected with an unmistakable joie de vivre, starring blown-up garments that looked as though theyd been plucked off the backs of Tokyos coolest kids. Embracing sportiness and a 90s raver aesthetic, the collection featured oversized pants, giant A-line skirts, and the aforementioned toppers, all crafted out of unorthodox materials. Comparing his studio to a science lab, Tai explained that certain pieces were made using molded silicone and jersey,Manufactures and supplies chinamosaic equipment. with fasteners created with the aid of magnets. The freshest pieces were the sweatshirts starring pastoral scenes based on vintage postcards that were both digitally printed and embroidered. The crowd also got a chance to see his award-winning graduate collection,Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or howospareparts . which was based on bookbinding techniques. Definitely one to watch.
The two-day affair ended with Jeremy Laing, arguably Canadas most exciting designer. Referencing sports gear once again, this collection had a narrower fit and was slightly more wearable than last seasons. Featuring various innovative fabrics (such as a bewitching gold lam seersucker), Laing noted that the pieces were hard to sew; easy to wear! Top looks included a series of chiffon t-shirts layered over dresses with a kangaroo pocket, allowing the wearer to part the garment as one would part their hair. Very innovative and beautiful in the simplest of ways. Laings artist friend Vanessa Maltese collaborated on the collection; the strongest pieces featured a cross print that was a blown-up photograph of the artists painting.
She pulled them out of a skip and is planning to give them a lick of paint and new life as garden seating. The other week she rescued a mangled bicycle wheel and, instead of being buried in landfill, it is now polished and hangs on her bedroom wall adorned with jewellery.
Petes used to it, though I must admit he was surprised at the bike wheel, says Jo, whose other shopping haunts include charity shops, car boot sales, eBay and vintage emporiums. Everything I have is cheap, she declares proudly and it is, but her Victorian semi in Sheffield looks a million dollars and is a shining example of style on a miniscule budget.
Eighteen months ago, the six-bedroom property was in need of complete renovation but its sorry state brought it within Jo and Petes price range. Seduced by the space,Laser engravers and parkingsystem systems and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking etching business. potential and period features, the couple bought it and have managed to transform it thanks to a thrifty and creative approach.
They started at the top, making a second-floor flat that they could live in while they renovated the rest of the house. They now let the apartment to a lodger, which gives them extra income and still leaves three bedrooms on the first floor.
It has been a big job not least because we had to lower and reinforce the floor in the flat, says Jo, a teacher. She and Pete, a musician and lead singer of The Payroll Union, cut costs by tackling some of the work themselves, including re-pointing, plasterboarding and decorating. Though they had to employ builders to knock the kitchen and dining room into one open-plan space and to swap the bay window for French doors.
Were really pleased with it but it was the most stressful area. The 1960s fireplace was made of reinforced concrete and it took four men to lift it out and at one point the bay window collapsed because someone had stolen the lead off its roof, says Jo, who cheered herself up hunting out bargains.
Her easy chairs were 5 each from a charity shop, the Fired Earth tiles were seconds from a tile outlet, while the granite worktops are off-cuts from a memorial stonemason who specialises in gravestones. She mixed this with African walnut from Wood and Beyond.
2013年3月14日星期四
A time for renewal
Everywhere Mr Emanuel looks, he sees the need for new or improved
infrastructure: pockmarked roads; century-old stations on the “L”,
Chicago’s elevated-train network; grand but draughty municipal
buildings; a congested airport; clapped-out schools and community
colleges. Over the next three years alone he plans to spend over $7
billion to start fixing all this.Laser engravers and howotipper systems
and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking
etching business. But finding the money has required some creativity.
Cities like Chicago, with meagre investment budgets, generally rely on grants from the state and federal governments, along with municipal bonds, to pay for such improvements. However, the federal government’s fiscal woes and the political impasse in Washington have been putting the squeeze on infrastructure funding. Take the highway fund, which Congress created to pay for its share (usually about a third) of improvements to roads and public transport around the country. It is supposed to be fed by receipts from the gas (petrol) tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, but this is not linked to inflation and has not been raised since 1993. Moreover, Americans are driving less, in more efficient cars, or in ones that run on something other than petrol, all of which leaves the transportation kitty increasingly bare. At the same time the cost of building roads has risen faster than prices in general, further sapping the fund’s value.
Politics has compounded the problem. The act under which Congress doles out money from the highway fund expired in 2009. Unable to agree on how much to spend, or how to top up the shrinking fund, lawmakers passed nine short extensions of the old act before finally approving a new, two-year bill last year. But this does nothing to strengthen the fraying funding mechanism. Instead, Congress has frozen spending at the current level and cobbled together a few one-off revenue-raisers to pay for it. The Congressional Budget Office now expects the highway fund to run dry in 2014, and the gap between receipts and the present level of spending to reach $109 billion over the next eight years.
Worse, the current level of investment, even if Congress finds a way to maintain it, is utterly inadequate. More than five years after the collapse of a bridge in Minnesota that claimed 13 lives and prompted pledges to speed up repairs, almost 70,000 other bridges, or roughly 11% of the total, are still rated as “structurally deficient” by the Federal Highway Administration. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimated in 2009 that Americans lost $78 billion a year to traffic delays, in the form of wasted time and petrol. A further $67 billion goes on repairing the damage to cars caused by the shoddy condition of many roads. Crashes, a good number of which are also attributable to this neglect, cost a further $230 billion. The ASCE reckoned that for the period from 2005 to 2020 the country was spending only 54% of what was needed to prevent further deterioration, and just 29% of what it would take to set America’s roads to rights.
Nor are the problems confined to roads. The ASCE thought that America’s water and sewage systems, inland waterways and levees were equally dilapidated, and that its schools, dams, airports, public transport and hazardous-waste disposal were in only slightly better shape. It blamed “delayed maintenance and chronic underfunding” and argued that the country needed to double its spending on infrastructure over five years, from a projected $1.1 trillion to $2.Automate patient flow and quickly track hospital assets and people using owonsmart.2 trillion. And that was at a time when infrastructure spending was being boosted by a one-off contribution from Mr Obama’s stimulus.
Civil engineers, naturally, are keen on civil-engineering projects.Manufacturer of the Jacobs crystalmosaic. But the Centre for American Progress, a think-tank, reached much the same conclusion in a report that looked only at the federal share of spending on essential projects. Congress, it concluded, was coughing up barely half of the $262 billion a year that was needed.
Such big sums are daunting in austere times, but the potential benefits outweigh the spending. In the short run, infrastructure investments provide a boost to a feeble recovery. The CBO estimated in 2011 that for every dollar the federal government spent on infrastructure through Mr Obama’s stimulus, the value of economic activity increased by between $1 and $2.50—one of the biggest multipliers of the main components of the programme. And a study by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2009 found that every $1 billion spent on infrastructure creates 18,000 jobs, almost 30% more than if the same amount were used to cut personal income taxes.
In the long run, investment in infrastructure boosts productivity by enabling people and goods to get to places faster, communicate more easily, spend less time and money on repairs and so on. One recent study found that the construction of a road typically led to an increase in economic activity between three and eight times bigger than the initial outlay within eight years after its completion. (The impact subsequently fades, presumably because congestion returns.) And since the government’s borrowing costs are currently low and the construction industry is still in the doldrums, investment in infrastructure is cheaper now than it will be when the economy is humming again.
Mr Emanuel is convinced of all this. Unfortunately for Chicagoans, the politicians in Springfield,Wear a whimsical Disney luggagetag straight from the Disney Theme Parks! the state capital, are even less help than those in Washington.Large collection of quality parkingsystem at discounted prices. The state and local authorities have accumulated debts of about $10,000 per resident, which puts them among the top quintile in the country. The pension plan for state workers has assets to cover only 39% of its projected liabilities. In 2009 the legislature approved a series of tax increases on things like sweets and alcohol, as well as an expansion of gambling, with the proceeds earmarked for infrastructure improvements. But so far these measures have fallen well short of producing the hoped-for $1 billion a year. All this has left Illinois with the worst credit rating of all 50 American states—and little money to spare for an overhaul of Chicago’s infrastructure.
The city has not always been a model of fiscal rectitude. The previous administration papered over deficits with one-off measures, prompting a downgrade in its credit rating the year before Mr Emanuel took office. Although for the most part he has since cut costs enough to match the city’s means, the state’s failure to amend the pension system, in which Chicago participates, raises yet another threat to its finances.
With the city, state and federal governments all strapped for cash, Mr Emmanuel has had to turn to other sources of revenue. One obvious step is to increase the charges to users of the city’s infrastructure. At his urging, the city council raised water rates by 25% last year; by 2015 they will almost double. That has allowed the city to start replacing leaking water mains at two-and-a-half times the previous rate. Similarly, fares on the L are rising, which should help cover the costs of refurbishing decrepit stations. Mr Emanuel also wants to encourage more private investment in the city’s infrastructure, but its left-leaning voters are touchy about anything that smacks of privatisation. They noted that a consortium to which his predecessor sold a 75-year lease on the city’s parking meters immediately quadrupled the fees.
Mr Emanuel’s solution is called the Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT). This will help pair investors with projects that will generate a revenue stream to be hypothecated to cover the cost of the original investment, plus a return. First on its list are some $100m-worth of energy-saving measures in city buildings.
Cities like Chicago, with meagre investment budgets, generally rely on grants from the state and federal governments, along with municipal bonds, to pay for such improvements. However, the federal government’s fiscal woes and the political impasse in Washington have been putting the squeeze on infrastructure funding. Take the highway fund, which Congress created to pay for its share (usually about a third) of improvements to roads and public transport around the country. It is supposed to be fed by receipts from the gas (petrol) tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, but this is not linked to inflation and has not been raised since 1993. Moreover, Americans are driving less, in more efficient cars, or in ones that run on something other than petrol, all of which leaves the transportation kitty increasingly bare. At the same time the cost of building roads has risen faster than prices in general, further sapping the fund’s value.
Politics has compounded the problem. The act under which Congress doles out money from the highway fund expired in 2009. Unable to agree on how much to spend, or how to top up the shrinking fund, lawmakers passed nine short extensions of the old act before finally approving a new, two-year bill last year. But this does nothing to strengthen the fraying funding mechanism. Instead, Congress has frozen spending at the current level and cobbled together a few one-off revenue-raisers to pay for it. The Congressional Budget Office now expects the highway fund to run dry in 2014, and the gap between receipts and the present level of spending to reach $109 billion over the next eight years.
Worse, the current level of investment, even if Congress finds a way to maintain it, is utterly inadequate. More than five years after the collapse of a bridge in Minnesota that claimed 13 lives and prompted pledges to speed up repairs, almost 70,000 other bridges, or roughly 11% of the total, are still rated as “structurally deficient” by the Federal Highway Administration. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimated in 2009 that Americans lost $78 billion a year to traffic delays, in the form of wasted time and petrol. A further $67 billion goes on repairing the damage to cars caused by the shoddy condition of many roads. Crashes, a good number of which are also attributable to this neglect, cost a further $230 billion. The ASCE reckoned that for the period from 2005 to 2020 the country was spending only 54% of what was needed to prevent further deterioration, and just 29% of what it would take to set America’s roads to rights.
Nor are the problems confined to roads. The ASCE thought that America’s water and sewage systems, inland waterways and levees were equally dilapidated, and that its schools, dams, airports, public transport and hazardous-waste disposal were in only slightly better shape. It blamed “delayed maintenance and chronic underfunding” and argued that the country needed to double its spending on infrastructure over five years, from a projected $1.1 trillion to $2.Automate patient flow and quickly track hospital assets and people using owonsmart.2 trillion. And that was at a time when infrastructure spending was being boosted by a one-off contribution from Mr Obama’s stimulus.
Civil engineers, naturally, are keen on civil-engineering projects.Manufacturer of the Jacobs crystalmosaic. But the Centre for American Progress, a think-tank, reached much the same conclusion in a report that looked only at the federal share of spending on essential projects. Congress, it concluded, was coughing up barely half of the $262 billion a year that was needed.
Such big sums are daunting in austere times, but the potential benefits outweigh the spending. In the short run, infrastructure investments provide a boost to a feeble recovery. The CBO estimated in 2011 that for every dollar the federal government spent on infrastructure through Mr Obama’s stimulus, the value of economic activity increased by between $1 and $2.50—one of the biggest multipliers of the main components of the programme. And a study by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2009 found that every $1 billion spent on infrastructure creates 18,000 jobs, almost 30% more than if the same amount were used to cut personal income taxes.
In the long run, investment in infrastructure boosts productivity by enabling people and goods to get to places faster, communicate more easily, spend less time and money on repairs and so on. One recent study found that the construction of a road typically led to an increase in economic activity between three and eight times bigger than the initial outlay within eight years after its completion. (The impact subsequently fades, presumably because congestion returns.) And since the government’s borrowing costs are currently low and the construction industry is still in the doldrums, investment in infrastructure is cheaper now than it will be when the economy is humming again.
Mr Emanuel is convinced of all this. Unfortunately for Chicagoans, the politicians in Springfield,Wear a whimsical Disney luggagetag straight from the Disney Theme Parks! the state capital, are even less help than those in Washington.Large collection of quality parkingsystem at discounted prices. The state and local authorities have accumulated debts of about $10,000 per resident, which puts them among the top quintile in the country. The pension plan for state workers has assets to cover only 39% of its projected liabilities. In 2009 the legislature approved a series of tax increases on things like sweets and alcohol, as well as an expansion of gambling, with the proceeds earmarked for infrastructure improvements. But so far these measures have fallen well short of producing the hoped-for $1 billion a year. All this has left Illinois with the worst credit rating of all 50 American states—and little money to spare for an overhaul of Chicago’s infrastructure.
The city has not always been a model of fiscal rectitude. The previous administration papered over deficits with one-off measures, prompting a downgrade in its credit rating the year before Mr Emanuel took office. Although for the most part he has since cut costs enough to match the city’s means, the state’s failure to amend the pension system, in which Chicago participates, raises yet another threat to its finances.
With the city, state and federal governments all strapped for cash, Mr Emmanuel has had to turn to other sources of revenue. One obvious step is to increase the charges to users of the city’s infrastructure. At his urging, the city council raised water rates by 25% last year; by 2015 they will almost double. That has allowed the city to start replacing leaking water mains at two-and-a-half times the previous rate. Similarly, fares on the L are rising, which should help cover the costs of refurbishing decrepit stations. Mr Emanuel also wants to encourage more private investment in the city’s infrastructure, but its left-leaning voters are touchy about anything that smacks of privatisation. They noted that a consortium to which his predecessor sold a 75-year lease on the city’s parking meters immediately quadrupled the fees.
Mr Emanuel’s solution is called the Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT). This will help pair investors with projects that will generate a revenue stream to be hypothecated to cover the cost of the original investment, plus a return. First on its list are some $100m-worth of energy-saving measures in city buildings.
Freaked out by fraud
TD Canada Trust's vice-president of account recovery and fraud
management admitted he was a surprised at how widespread the concern is
on the Prairies. And Scott Gamble attributed the heightened awareness to
the growing use of things like debit cards, smart phones, mobile
banking and online shopping. The rapidly expanding use of social media
sites like Facebook and Twitter also helps to spread the word about the
problem.
"But I'm also happy to see that," Gamble, added, "because from my perspective,With superior quality photometers, light meters and a number of other handsfreeaccess products. consumers are the first line of defence (against fraud). That (a high level of concern) shows a high level of awareness, and awareness is critical to people doing something about it."
Gamble said the survey shows Manitobans, and Canadians in general, are taking steps to better protect themselves from fraudsters.
For example,We offer over 600 chipcard at wholesale prices of 75% off retail. 56 per cent of the Prairie respondents said they shield their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) at ATMs and retail point-of-sale terminals. And the same percentage said they only shop with online merchants they know and trust, and ensure the websites they visit have secure transaction systems before making an online purchase.
As well, 85 per cent of the Prairie respondents admitted they don't change their PINs on a regular basis -- Gamble said they should be changing them at least two or three times a year.
Equally disconcerting is that 19 per cent also said the have allowed someone to borrow their debit or credit card, 11 per cent said they've shared their credit card or debit card PINs with others, and 15 per cent said they carry their PIN in their wallet.
Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft Insider had Milliner mocked to the Eagles and called it "not a tough pick," since the crop of available free-agent cornerbacks isn't strong enough to deter the Eagles from addressing the position in the draft. The Eagles need two starting cornerbacks and so far have only signed Bradley Fletcher, who may or may not be one. They have indicated an intent to address the offensive and defensive lines in free agency, as much of the still-way-early speculation has the draft's top two offensive tackles going with the first two picks. There are a lot of ways to put clues together and convince yourself Milliner will be the pick. And if he is, it'll be hard to criticize them for it.
But I'd be surprised if it were already a done deal in the minds of the Eagles' decision-makers, and yes, the fact that they've been poking around West Virginia this week about quarterback Geno Smith is an example of why. Yes, the Eagles need cornerback help desperately. But they also need a franchise quarterback, and as the Redskins showed last year, NFL teams believe that that's worth sacrificing other plans. Michael Vick is no long-term solution. Nick Foles hasn't shown anything to make anybody feel confident that he is either. Dennis Dixon is a career backup. Arizona quarterback Matt Scott is apparently someone they're looking into as well, but he's obviously a wild card. If Smith is opening the Eagles' eyes, or if team owner Jeffrey Lurie (who attended that private workout in Morgantown) is insisting they look at a quarterback with that No. 4 pick, then things get very interesting around the Eagles and the draft.
Thing is, they're not going to clue us or anyone else in about the true depth of their interest in Smith or Matt Barkley or any of the other quarterbacks who are likely to shoot up projected draft boards in the next month.A smooth and lanyard not only looks bright and clean. That No. 4 pick is a valuable asset, and the Eagles are wise to consider all of their options with it for as long as they can. It may be the best thing for their franchise to just stay put and take Milliner, or the best offensive or defensive linemen available there. It may be the best for them to take Smith, if they believe in him as their future at the most important position, and let him sit behind Vick for a year. (Or half a year, or whatever.) It may be that they're trying to shake up the whole landscape, get other teams wondering what they'll do and maybe dupe someone who desperately wants a quarterback (or I guess Milliner) into trading with them for that pick.
"Tom is a proven champion for monumentally growing sales for organizations and is a strategic addition to the SecureAuth team as we focus on providing identity access management for the mobile enterprise," commented Craig Lund, chief executive officer at SecureAuth. "Tom will be instrumental in expanding our customer base and continuing our aggressive year-over-year revenue growth."
"It is a great opportunity to join a fast-growing company recognized for its identity access management solution for the enterprise,Wear a whimsical Disney luggagetag straight from the Disney Theme Parks!" stated Tom. "I look forward to applying my extensive sales experience to address the enormous need for the SecureAuth IdP solution within organizations that have a mobile workforce and have corporate resources in the cloud. My goal is to build a strong team and translate that need to market share leadership."
Tom has more than 15 years of sales, sales management, security, authentication, and identity access management experience. Prior to joining SecureAuth, Tom was the worldwide vice president of Strategic Sales and Business Development for the Cloud and Identity division of Identive that focused on the issuance of secure credentials to a smartcard via SaaS, as well as the convergence of physical/logical access. Previously, Tom was the vice president of Sales,saxobankcycling Cloakware Division at Irdeto, a $200+ million private company, and was instrumental in selling the Cloakware Password Authority Division to Xceedium. He was also the general manager and vice president of Sales for Protocom, an Australian-based start up focused on enterprise single sign-on and authentication software, and grew its revenue to $20 million, and was later acquired by Actividentity (formerly NASDAQ ACTI, now a part of HID Global). At Actividentity, a company that focused on two factor authentication, card management systems, and single sign-on, Tom was the vice president of Commercial Sales growing the business over 300 percent in his first two years, and eventually became the vice president of Sales for both Commercial and Federal. Tom holds a BA in Communications from UC Davis.
"But I'm also happy to see that," Gamble, added, "because from my perspective,With superior quality photometers, light meters and a number of other handsfreeaccess products. consumers are the first line of defence (against fraud). That (a high level of concern) shows a high level of awareness, and awareness is critical to people doing something about it."
Gamble said the survey shows Manitobans, and Canadians in general, are taking steps to better protect themselves from fraudsters.
For example,We offer over 600 chipcard at wholesale prices of 75% off retail. 56 per cent of the Prairie respondents said they shield their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) at ATMs and retail point-of-sale terminals. And the same percentage said they only shop with online merchants they know and trust, and ensure the websites they visit have secure transaction systems before making an online purchase.
As well, 85 per cent of the Prairie respondents admitted they don't change their PINs on a regular basis -- Gamble said they should be changing them at least two or three times a year.
Equally disconcerting is that 19 per cent also said the have allowed someone to borrow their debit or credit card, 11 per cent said they've shared their credit card or debit card PINs with others, and 15 per cent said they carry their PIN in their wallet.
Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft Insider had Milliner mocked to the Eagles and called it "not a tough pick," since the crop of available free-agent cornerbacks isn't strong enough to deter the Eagles from addressing the position in the draft. The Eagles need two starting cornerbacks and so far have only signed Bradley Fletcher, who may or may not be one. They have indicated an intent to address the offensive and defensive lines in free agency, as much of the still-way-early speculation has the draft's top two offensive tackles going with the first two picks. There are a lot of ways to put clues together and convince yourself Milliner will be the pick. And if he is, it'll be hard to criticize them for it.
But I'd be surprised if it were already a done deal in the minds of the Eagles' decision-makers, and yes, the fact that they've been poking around West Virginia this week about quarterback Geno Smith is an example of why. Yes, the Eagles need cornerback help desperately. But they also need a franchise quarterback, and as the Redskins showed last year, NFL teams believe that that's worth sacrificing other plans. Michael Vick is no long-term solution. Nick Foles hasn't shown anything to make anybody feel confident that he is either. Dennis Dixon is a career backup. Arizona quarterback Matt Scott is apparently someone they're looking into as well, but he's obviously a wild card. If Smith is opening the Eagles' eyes, or if team owner Jeffrey Lurie (who attended that private workout in Morgantown) is insisting they look at a quarterback with that No. 4 pick, then things get very interesting around the Eagles and the draft.
Thing is, they're not going to clue us or anyone else in about the true depth of their interest in Smith or Matt Barkley or any of the other quarterbacks who are likely to shoot up projected draft boards in the next month.A smooth and lanyard not only looks bright and clean. That No. 4 pick is a valuable asset, and the Eagles are wise to consider all of their options with it for as long as they can. It may be the best thing for their franchise to just stay put and take Milliner, or the best offensive or defensive linemen available there. It may be the best for them to take Smith, if they believe in him as their future at the most important position, and let him sit behind Vick for a year. (Or half a year, or whatever.) It may be that they're trying to shake up the whole landscape, get other teams wondering what they'll do and maybe dupe someone who desperately wants a quarterback (or I guess Milliner) into trading with them for that pick.
"Tom is a proven champion for monumentally growing sales for organizations and is a strategic addition to the SecureAuth team as we focus on providing identity access management for the mobile enterprise," commented Craig Lund, chief executive officer at SecureAuth. "Tom will be instrumental in expanding our customer base and continuing our aggressive year-over-year revenue growth."
"It is a great opportunity to join a fast-growing company recognized for its identity access management solution for the enterprise,Wear a whimsical Disney luggagetag straight from the Disney Theme Parks!" stated Tom. "I look forward to applying my extensive sales experience to address the enormous need for the SecureAuth IdP solution within organizations that have a mobile workforce and have corporate resources in the cloud. My goal is to build a strong team and translate that need to market share leadership."
Tom has more than 15 years of sales, sales management, security, authentication, and identity access management experience. Prior to joining SecureAuth, Tom was the worldwide vice president of Strategic Sales and Business Development for the Cloud and Identity division of Identive that focused on the issuance of secure credentials to a smartcard via SaaS, as well as the convergence of physical/logical access. Previously, Tom was the vice president of Sales,saxobankcycling Cloakware Division at Irdeto, a $200+ million private company, and was instrumental in selling the Cloakware Password Authority Division to Xceedium. He was also the general manager and vice president of Sales for Protocom, an Australian-based start up focused on enterprise single sign-on and authentication software, and grew its revenue to $20 million, and was later acquired by Actividentity (formerly NASDAQ ACTI, now a part of HID Global). At Actividentity, a company that focused on two factor authentication, card management systems, and single sign-on, Tom was the vice president of Commercial Sales growing the business over 300 percent in his first two years, and eventually became the vice president of Sales for both Commercial and Federal. Tom holds a BA in Communications from UC Davis.
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