In the wake of the tragedy of Pittsburgh, the murder of 11 Jewish people at a synagogue in America’s most deadly act of antisemitism, we have heard a repeated cautionary refrain: that words have consequences. Donald Trump’s White House denies that the president’s rhetoric has any impact on reality. But others have noted that the “apparent spark” for the Pittsburgh murders was a “racist hoax” inflamed by the US president, who in the run-up to the US midterm elections has been scaremongering over a Honduran caravan of refugees fleeing violence and travelling to the US border to seek asylum, feeding antisemitic conspiracy theories that it has been funded by Jews.
That words have consequences is known viscerally to anyone whose identity is felt to be contested. Minorities, migrants and LGBT communities know all too well the terrible power of words to animate unconscious biases and rouse animosities; to poke at prejudices, stir hatreds and seed divisions. Words aren’t the only factor, but they create a context. Language is core to the architecture of antisemitism: words have, in recent memory, created the conditions for appalling violence and, ultimately, genocide.
In those terrible Pittsburgh murders, we saw the heinous power of words compounded, as we learned that the killer’s hatred of Jews merged with hate for migrants. This is a confluence pushed by the far right, in one of many hateful conspiracies directed at the philanthropist George Soros and beyond: that Jews seek to destabilise western nations by flooding them with migrants, some of whom are Muslims. These are the layered weapons of the far right: vile demonisation directed at Muslims, migrants and Jews interchangeably, depending on which is more socially acceptable, and which results in the most political traction.
This is why an attack on one minority group is so keenly understood as an attack on all. But such understanding must also underpin the words we use. If progressives are to face down the far right, there has to be a reckoning with our own prejudices, which set us against each other and dilute our opposition to destructive nativism.
It’s this that partly explains the frustration felt by British Jews over the left and antisemitism. When the left that is standing in solidarity against racism also struggles to see the antisemitism within its own ranks, its voice rings painfully hollow. Now more than ever, with the far right a politically resurgent menace, we need the left to weed out its own bigotries. And yet right now, on social media, some of the response to Jewish people discussing the horrors of Pittsburgh is: what about Palestine? Even when Jews are killed for being Jews, they are, for some leftists, taking up too much attention, and deflecting from a greater cause for which they are collectively responsible.
Meanwhile, those supportive of Jewish people in this row over antisemitism may elsewhere talk of “cultural concerns” over immigration, or worry about the “pace of change” – feeding a nativist narrative of immigration as a perceived threat, as opposed to just a historical and necessary fact of life. Across the political spectrum, we have pandered to a hostile view of migrants, with terrible consequences for those at the receiving end of racial hatred and for our political culture, now infused with dangerous bigotry.
A frighteningly casual hostility to Muslims has also become mainstream – a prejudice that the former Conservative chairman Sayeeda Warsi pointed out some years ago had passed the dinner-table test. Small wonder, in this grim context, that the number of religious hate crimes in the UK has hit a record high, with half of those attacks directed at Muslims.
Often the tendency is to rail against the prejudice we find most obvious while ignoring or downplaying others. You might insist that a particular bigotry exists only, or to a greater degree, on your political opponents’ side of the spectrum. Or you might view race hatred in a hierarchy, arguing that some minorities get more attention for their cause, or are less seriously attacked. Or perhaps you find it easier to see the operational mechanisms of one prejudice over another, or understand the coding of one group as a racialised minority more readily than another – which is how we end up with assertions that “Islam isn’t a race!” or that Jews are politically “white”.
We all have our blind spots. And they are the chinks in our defence, the weaknesses that far-right nativists are able to push through. Resilient communities construct inclusive narratives that are constantly on the lookout for such vulnerabilities. Kneejerk declarations that one particular side is prejudice-free are, in this context, a clear warning sign. If solidarity with one minority group under attack is to be effective, it has to be solidarity with all. And it has to go beyond mere words.


In the first quarter of this year there were 4,650 planning permissions granted for dwelling units, an increase of 50.4 per cent on the same period in 2016.
Of the permissions granted, 896 were for apartment units, while the remainder were for apartments with one-off houses accounting for 27.4 per cent of all new dwelling units granted.
The total number of applications that were approved in the quarter was 5,959. That includes agricultural and industrial buildings.
According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office the region with the most permissions granted was Dublin, with 1,403 permissions. The least significant was the midland region where 391 planning applications were approved.
Across the country, 1,523 applications were permitted for new dwellings while 1,767 were granted for extensions.
While planning permissions figures are a barometer of the land market in Ireland, they’re not necessarily a good measure of the housing market. According to the London School of Economics up to 40 per cent of planning permissions never translate into homes.
Can Irish Water soak up the cost of water treatment?


The 2019 Porsche Speedster looks like the rolling embodiment of a thank-you letter to Porsche fans. Clean lines, lean cockpit, naturally-aspirated and a manual transmission–seems pretty much as perfect as a Porsche could get in 2019.
Powered by a naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six from the 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS, the $274,500 Speedster will get individual throttle bodies which is supposed to aggressively sharpen the response of the engine’s claimed 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque.
This car is built around a chassis “derived from the 911 GT3 models with a specifically-calibrated rear axle steering system and dynamic engine mounts to deliver a maximum amount of precision, stability and driving pleasure,” per a press release, and Porsche’s promising a 192-mph top speed and a stopped-to-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
Besides the obvious exterior tweaks setting the Speedster apart from any other 911–those being the squat appearance thanks to its ultra-raked windshield and low rear hatch–this car’s been treated to extensive lightweighting.
The frunk, front fenders, and rear deck lid are all “made from carbon fiber composite material” while the front and rear bumpers are polyurethane. The interior door panels are lean, and the car’s standard option loadout omits air conditioning, though you can spec it for free if you must.
Speedster owners will also have to slum it with a cloth top that closes manually [gasp] in the name of weight savings.
The six-speed manual transmission saves “about nine pounds” over a Porsche seven-speed, and 40 pounds over a PDK automatic, as if you needed another excuse to go with three pedals.
All those tricks are supposed to slim the Speedster’s curb weight down to 3,230 pounds.
So, basically, “a GT3 Touring with a roof delete,” as Jalopnik contributor Bradley Brownell pointed out. He also speculates the cars will be selling for half a million bucks by next summer. And, yeah, probably.
2019 Speedster owners will also be able to get an “exclusive watch,” sorry, timepiece, if they buy the car. It looks like the wheel of the car and the strap is apparently made of the same leather Porsche uses to make its interiors. I have no strong feelings about it one way or another.
Back in 2018 Porsche teased a new sleek Speedster concept, taking design cues and a lithe aesthetic from the company’s first really well-known sports car and applying it to the new 911.
A production version of that car was confirmed at last year’s Paris Motor Show, with the caveat that only 1,948 will be built. The significance of that number being that the first Porsche 356 Speedster was built for 1948.
This is not the first Speedster variant of a new 911 and it most likely will not be the last. As most people who were paying attention anticipated, the showroom-ready rendition of the new Speedster is pretty close to the concept car that was trotted out almost a year ago. That’s definitely not a bad thing–this car is absolutely gorgeous; quintessential Porsche; fan service on wheels.
I’m not even always all that into 911s, but this thing has me fired up. The world needs more Speedster-style cars. Granted, we’re only getting about 2,000 more now, but still.


SB 4 seems like a NIMBY gambit to water down SB 50 to something the NIMBY cities could tolerate. Weiner is very likely to give into this small vs big city bifurcation, yet Palo Alto is preying he gives into nixing the 'jobs rich' areas upzoning and delaying application to 'sensitive poor communities', both of which the poor people want. There is going to be a lot of horse trading until the next hearing on the 24th. Hope Weiner doesn't water down SB 50 to the point of worthlessness like he did 827.
Fine and other members of the Scott Wiener's fan club have a chance to put money where their mouth is. Next Tuesday, buy the former City manager's share of a single family home. Use it for affordable housing/shelter now. Then use SB50 to upzone it into 4, 8 or more affordable units?
Note that the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors from where Mr. Weiner started his political life is opposed to SB50. They are already overloaded with people and infrastructure issues. So please do not play the NIMBY card here. The specifics of the bill do not make sense. PA and surrounding cities are already dealing with excess traffic, too many children in the classrooms, etc.
local government has no fee authority to pay for it."
All of these proposals are trojan horses that enable big developers to transform the peninsula into a NYC/Manhattan wannabee, because SF is already suffering from being a Hong Kong wannabee, and they want the rest of the Peninsula to be the same urban jungle nevermind who they displace.
These proposals will accelerate the displacement of ordinary people. The only answer is to reduce the demand side of the equation by incentivizing the creation of new job centers.
Cities should be tallying the costs of these to their localities and sending the state the bill -- for example, from recouping the cost of creating the magical Harry Potter-like expansion of the infrastructure, to the cost of new schools, to funds to restore ordinary people's gardens after drought restrictions that are applied without any regard for the burdens of new development (I still don't have a garden, by the way, since the last drought restrictions, the new development is a slap in the face). Cities should be able to recoup their portion of future water projects, healthcare because of increased pollution, etc etc.
The only way to get these lawmakers to stop pushing these horribly damaging trojan horse proposals (that aren't even that well-hidden giveaways to big developers that only create problems for small cities), is to truly tally the costs and send them the bill.
^^^ The Trojans will be all of the new residents living in Palo Alto under SB50.
If SB50 passes, I can see Palo Altans passing immediate citizen initiatives for large, progressive head taxes on large companies and restrictions on size.
I also agree with the recent editorial in the Weekly, that this sort of this is going to destroy the Democratic party in California, and squander the opportunity to provide universal healthcare. The left proves it is just as susceptible to being co-opted by the plutocrats as the right (only it will be harder to erase the evidence of overdevelopment than it will be for Republicans to stop being the party of lies and corruption).
> The Trojans will be all of the new residents living in Palo Alto under SB50.
The Trjoan Horse was actually filled with Greek warriors who upon exiting the Trojan Horse ramsacked & destroyed Troy.
SB50 is the Trojan Horse & the newer residents will destroy Palo Alto as we once knew it.
What's wrong with Hong Kong, it's the richest city in China. If land valuation permits the construction of high rises then do it. What I object to in SB 50 is the imposition of one size fits all and the inclusion of rent controls including inclusionary zoning. This gets you kicked out of a college prep economics class in high school and a 101 class in college to say nothing of a real estate economics class. Displacement is the history of city building now it's a heartfelt no-no. Wiener is looking for votes in San Francisco the biggest haven for free loader renters in America. Very few of he rent controlled renters are poor, just part of the most liberal city in the U.S.A.
I am originally from Hong Kong. What is wrong with compressed housing?
It accommodates more residents by vertical design like modern parking garages.
More people coming to Palo Alto and they need place to live.
San Antonio Road good use of land and space management. Looks like more buildings of this type are coming.
Good for solving housing shortages in Palo Alto.
Older and nicer residential neighborhoods will stay the same so no problem for residents there.
Redevelopment of Ventura and Barron Park will improve appearance of city an make properties worth more. East Meadow area between Alma and El Camino could use major facelift.
Article II, section 9, California Constitution.
"Older and nicer residential neighborhoods will stay the same so no problem for residents there." - Wrong. I suggest you read the bill. No matter where you live in Palo Alto, your neighborhood is not safe from developers if this bill passes. All it would take is a single bus stop and then zoning would effectively no longer exist within a .25 mile radius. Also this radius applies across city / county boundaries. If Menlo Park adds a bus stop on the other side of the creek then the radius extends into Palo Alto.
XIANG - you live here now - is that because it is nicer and does not have compressed housing? So why did you pick this city instead of downtown SF? The fact that you are here vs some other compressed city says it all. We are okay with Hong Kong retaining the honor of being a compressed city.
Have you not considered that he may have moved to Palo Alto because he's employed there?
You are using your free speech right to rail against SB50, but if you are against it you have to propose how Palo Alto is going to meet its housing commitments. In recent years, Palo Alto has failed miserably in getting housing built. If not for SB50, I think you would continue to sit on your hands.
Why should Palo Alto have to build more housing and all the attendant costs, when the infrastructure is maxed out? Why shouldn't Palo Alto encourage large companies to move where they can grow, as Facebook did? The trying to expand the already maxed out infrastructure is more costly and makes way less sense.
And why should Palo Alto have built more housing anyway? As if people could have seen this kind of crush of large companies. This area has always had boom and busts, and the bust times, when places end up empty, never make housing cheap because investors find it to be such an opportunity to scoop up a (somewhat, for them) bargain.
Encourage your employer to support spending the money to create civic amenities in cities around California that have actually been losing people and want the investment. I will move with you if they do.
"...you have to propose how Palo Alto is going to meet its housing commitments."
Actually, the City of Palo Alto has already met its legal housing commitments. The main thing the City is required to do is establish plans for enough new housing to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). It did this as part of the most recent Comprehensive Plan update.
I've read that developers have asked for, and received, entitlements to build the RHNA units. The property owners simply haven't gone ahead with permits and construction.
Right now there's no meaningful limit on commercial construction, and it's more lucrative than housing, so financing is probably flowing to commercial projects instead of housing. It's also possible some developers are waiting to see what happens to SB 50 and the other bills currently in the works. If they can get a financial windfall by waiting, then it makes sense for them to wait instead of building now.
Be aware that it isn't profitable to build affordable housing here. Even if SB 50 passes, you should expect new housing to be expensive. I'm looking for better analysis of this, but haven't found anything compelling yet. In the meantime, Michael Goldman's blog (Web Link) and this report from Berkeley (Web Link) are good places to start.
If we are behind on our overall number it’s a matter of a few hundred housing units. Meanwhile the region is underwater by almost 500,000 jobs.
Chris, you can’t just regurgitate what someone-else says without understanding the facts. Corrupt politicians like weiner want you to think it’s palo alto’s fault because we are an easy target. We are nothing in the scheme of this imbalance. He just wants to throw ‘wealthy white privilege’ into the mix because it is the phrase of the day. Meanwhile the Duke and Harvard educated white privileged boy that he is, has been bought by every real estate pac in the business and is just doing their bidding.
Palo Alto generates revenue from over 100,000 jobs. There is no way that Palo Alto will provide housing for for as many workers as it provides jobs, but the posters here are hypocritical in denying Palo Alto has a responsibility to significantly increase its housing commitment. The reason housing is not more affordable is because of density restrictions.
The posters here do not seem to see the irony in the fact that even San Francisco provides net housing for Pal Alto despite the fact that SF itself has a big surplus of jobs.
SB50 will not pas in its current form but the intransigence of Filseth and his cronies will not end well. It needs to show it can manage its resources responsibly if it wants to avoid detailed state regulation.
Palo Alto has no legal or moral responsibility to build more housing. Building more developer-profit multi-story housing will not result in more affordable housing, it will only result in more developer windfalls. Palo Alto can and should build more affordable housing for existing residents, which is why SB 50 must be defeated.
Developers are the agents of demand. As such they are good people. Investment capital is the controlling factor. No profit no can do. Government oversight especially in California turns capital off. Look to Oregon with statewide rent control. Almost for certain this will lead to an investor strike. Money has better things to do than deal with Econ 101 flunkies. Resources are scarce. Government in California and Oregon is the problem. The big factor now in play: global warming.
Correction is a registered user.
The city does NOT generate revenue from the 100,000 workers. Perhaps there's a small amount of sales tax attributable to them, but most of it is generated by residents. Same with property tax. The state captures the lion's share of revenue from the jobs through income tax.
I have to say that it's a little scary how much you don't understand.
Palo Alto has always had a shortage of lower priced housing. Even when I moved to the area in 1960s, housing was expensive. Many who could afford Palo Alto CHOSE to live in Atherton, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Menlo Park. Those who could not afford Palo Alto went to Mt View and Sunnyvale.
Instead of insisting on a city by city housing requirement, it would be better to encourage an area-wide solution. Also cities should require builders to contribute to the needed infrastructure to go with the houses--increased public transportation that goes somewhere useful and on time, more schools, libraries, some good restaurants where the noise level isn't so high. If you want to pack people like sardines, then put it next door to those responsible for all the new housing--developers business developers.
I wonder what the effect would be on global warming if all of the Bay Area and possibly Los Angeles area completely disappeared? My guess is that it would have no measurable effect on the present trajectory. I think the Yes In Your Backyard groups advocating dense housing in our area as a countermeasure to global warming are of course correct in saying it would help, but do not have any idea of the scale of the problem. Only major multinational actions have any hope of dealing in any meaningful way and even those are probably too late. SB50 and 4 are too late to save the world.
Do Palo Alto homeowners want a tall, multi-unit apt. or condo building built next door to their single family home --- with little parking? Yes, this will happen if these bills pass. And every part of Palo Alto would be affected by these bills, not just areas near transit, as Palo Alto is considered a "Jobs-Rich" zone. Not even one parking space is required per housing unit for these tall buildings. Meanwhile, neither bill guarantees that those who these bills purport to serve, people commuting to work in places like Palo Alto, will actually purchase and/or reside in these tall, multi-unit buildings, to be built next to single family homes.
Hong Kong has a well developed transit system. The Bay area does not. Palo Alto especially does not. Don't be trolled by posters saying that developers want what is best for the residents of our city or that Hong Kong is a good example for what this region needs. When those structures on San Antonio are completed and filled it will be clear that the debate over closing Churchill was a laughable distraction from the coming gridlock. What IS clear is that no one ever attempted to anticipate, plan, and build for the future. How is this for a desperate solution? Eliminate Prop 13 and normalize property taxes. Retirees (like me) will move out. Money will be available to build out transit (perhaps even a CalTrain Tunnel!)and Xiang and George can have their Hong Kong II.
Why is Palo Alto considered to be inflicted with a job/housing imbalance, but not Atherton, Los Altos Hills, Woodside, Portola Valley and Hillsborough? At least 5 days a week thousands of workers descend on those very wealthy towns: nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, maids, butlers, security people, chaufers, handymen, etc. Why isn't there no demand that those workers, who are mostly Hispanic, African American and Pacific Islanders be housed there? Is it because the housing "advocates" target only well paid tech workers to be provided with housing? This was a rhetorical question of course, since we know the answer.
Atherton, Woodside, etc. are too intelligent to accept government ignorance and its political agenda. The blue state where economics is the taboo science. If there is a housing shortage why are the school districts overflowing with students (those whose parents can afford the unaffordable). Government has no money except what it can tax. Thirty year bonds for "affordable housing" burdens the rest of real estate. Only one out of four who qualify receive government assistance in housing. Resources are scarce. Palo Alto, the peninsula can't provide subsidized housing to any extent. That's why I'm clearing rent control out of San Jose. First: mobile home parks make perfect land sources for much subsidized housing if this is wise. You don't want people to be married to the government.
Economically illiterate Blue states are the economic powerhouses in this country.
Even in blue states most people do not comprehend economics. Those largely white men do (Republicans with money). With Japan, South Korea, Taiwan coming aboard in development it is pale skinned men who set the agenda. Social studies is a wonderful subject. Get on the internet. All sorts of info at your finger tips. And yes, men are a lot smarter and a lot dumber than women. I.Q. tests, the pride and joy of the science of psychology. Politically correct Palo Alto. Inclusionary zoning in Palo Alto has to go. It gets you an F in economics (too much risk for the investors.
3.65M sq ft office space, 6K residential units, 400K sq ft retail, 300 unit hotel. Assuming the usual (though overly-optimistic) 250 sq ft per employee for office space, and 2.3 people per unit for housing, this project has a jobs/housing imbalance of 1.1. Assuming a more realistic 150 sq ft per employee, the imbalance is 1.8. Including the employees needed for the retail areas and hotel would make the numbers worse in either case.
The lack of housing in Silicon Valley is all about development economics, not zoning restrictions. To fix the problem, we need to fix the economic incentives.
Why not the obvious choice? Let's just close the Cal Ave and Palo Alto Caltrain stations.
Be real. Palo Alto is for the natural aristocracy. An aristocracy based on brain power. What Palo Alto can do is knock down all the old houses and create fire defensive housing under the 2008 building code. A house did survive in Paradise, a new house complying with the 2008 doctrine. Doze Palo Alto before gasoline bulldozers are banned because of climate change. We're not seeing fires anymore but fire storms.
I'm going to clear the way in the east side of Silicon for tens of thousands of new apartment houses. The problem in California is rent (price) controls. The number one grievance in economics. Look to Mountain View for the brutal demolition of price controlled "affordable housing". The long arm of economic law. Apartment houses a great investment until California's government gets involved. Votes to the Democrats are more important than the actual production of more housing at a cheaper price. "Liberals" are comparatively ignorant of economics and history as verified by Zogby and Pew testng. Very conservative people test at the top.


Across Terrebonne and Lafourche, just under 33,000 homes and businesses lacked power tonight, about half the number of outages reported in the hours after Hurricane Isaac hit Tuesday night and early Wednesday.
About 22,100 Entergy customers in Lafourche Parish were without power by this evening, a figure that dropped by 7,000 since this morning. In Terrebonne, 10,300 Entergy customers lacked power, down by nearly 1,500 since morning, said Mike Burns, spokesman for the utility.
Only a few individual city of Houma customers with damage specific to their homes or businesses lacked power by tonight.
About 650 SLECA customers remained without power by 7:30 p.m., and General Manager Joe Ticheli said they were expected to be restored by midnight. About 200 of those sites were fishing camps in Terrebonne and Lafourche. The rest were mostly homes in the Oakshire neighborhood and north Bayou Black area of Terrebonne. Power had been restored to more than 1,000 SLECA customers in both parishes throughout the day.
To report power outages, call Terrebonne Parish's Utilities Department at 873-6750; Entergy at (800)-OUTAGE or SLECA at 876-6880. At www.entergy.com, customers of the utility can view outages by neighborhood and sign up for text messages that will tell you if the power is out in your area and when power is expected to be restored.


When more than one value in a calculation has been rounded, the upper or lower bounds for each value should be used in the calculation to find the greatest or least possible values that the calculation can take.
A bag of flour has a mass of 1500 g (to the nearest 10 g). Find the upper bound for the mass of 10 bags of flour.
The upper bound of 1500 g rounded to the nearest 10 g is 1505 g. The upper bound for 10 bags of flour is therefore ( = 15.05 kg).
Jack is 1.8 m tall (rounded to the nearest 10 cm). Ella is 1.63 m tall (rounded to the nearest cm). What is the smallest possible difference in their heights?
To find the smallest difference, we need to use the lower bound for Jack’s height and the upper bound for Ella’s height. The lower bound of 1.8 m (rounded to the nearest 10 cm) is 1.75 m. The upper bound of 1.63 m (rounded to the nearest cm) is 1.635 m.
A piece of A4 paper is 21.1 cm by 29.7 cm measured to the nearest 0.1cm. What are the lower and upper bounds of its area, in square centimetres, correct to 1 dp?
This problem requires the biggest and smallest areas possible. What are the upper and lower bounds of the measurements and how should they be combined to achieve the correct outcomes?
In this example, the maximum area is found by multiplying the two upper bounds. The minimum area is found by multiplying the two lower bounds.
The following rules help to decide which bounds to use when doing combinations and calculations.
A = 34 cm to the nearest cm.
B = 11.2 cm to 1 decimal place.
C = 200 cm to 1 significant figure.


If you could take a deep-dive into any particular concept, topic, idea or strategy during our time together, what would it be?
If you could design your ideal three-day experience, what objective would you want to achieve for yourself by the end of it?
What is the one topic, tool, concept, idea, or strategy that will cause you to roll your eyes and wish that you could sneak out of the workshop never to return again?
Answers to the last question proved to be fascinating as they clustered around three themes: no more "collaboration," enough with the talk about "growth mindset," and NO EduSpeak. I really liked the last comment as it seemed to eloquently sum up the underlying issues with the first two. This group of teacher-leaders did not want three days of flowery language that had little meaning and could not be acted upon. On the first morning, I made the group a promise: we would not use any terms that we could not define in an actionable way.
Few terms have achieved the state of "buzzword-ness" as innovation. Three years ago, I made an attempt to define it based on input from thought-leaders John Kao and Scott Berkun as well as educators Lisa Palmieri, Lawrence Reiff, and Kristen Wideen. What resonated most in the writing of that post was Berkun's notion that innovation could be defined as significant positive change. He then further clarifies that significant implies a change of at least 30%. Using this definition as our baseline, we set out to determine what 30% change might look like in the classroom.
With the first potential eduspeak out of the way, we next tackled the challenge of defining learning. If the goal of innovation was to change 30% of something in a positive direction, student learning presented a good starting point. Instead of guiding the conversation or providing a pre-packaged definition, I asked my participants to collaboratively construct their own conception of student learning by working through the Think-Pair-Share thinking routine. That first morning, they generated a substantial list of ideas: having experiences, connecting to prior knowledge, retaining and applying information, as well as asking questions. However, in listening to their definitions, I realized that the problem of eduspeak may be driven by a lack of pedagogical language to concretely define the desired learning experiences.
To kick off the second morning, I asked the group to revise their definition of learning based on the prior day's experiences. Though they agreed to keep many components of their original definition, they also added reflection and the idea of learning being a student-centered, active process. At that point, I introduced Ertmer and Newby's (1993) concept of learning theories as points on a continuum to guide the selection of instructional strategies. By using a set of essential questions to guide thinking, Ertmer and Newby (1993) argue that educators can design instruction based on the type of learning that would produce the desired results. These questions ask educators to consider how learning occurs in a given context, the factors that could influence learning, the role of memory in learning, and how transfer might manifest itself.
Table based on Ertmer & Newby (1993).
In discussing the differences between behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, two insights emerged. First, we discussed whether constructivism should be the goal. Admittedly, by presenting this information as a table, I inadvertently gave the false impression that learning theories could be viewed as a rubric with constructivism being the desired outcome.
Much of the eduspeak touts the need for "constructivist" environments. And while I am a major proponent of inquiry-based learning and designing constructivist experiences, Ertmer and Newby (1993) make an excellent point that sometimes constructivist theory may be ineffective for the desired learning. On the other hand, much of the current educational system focuses solely on behaviorist strategies with an emphasis on convergent thinking and assessments that value recall versus the construction of new understandings. Instead of viewing the table as a rubric, one participant commented that we should consider it a "Bingo Card." The goal should be to fill the card over time and not focus on a particular column.
The second insight involved the prevalence of construction metaphors in education. Within the cognitive perspective, learners construct new knowledge by building on prior experience. According to the theory of constructivism, learners construct meaning and a new sense of reality by interacting within an authentic context. However, constructivism is often confused with constructionism - particularly when technology enters the conversation. According to Papert and Harel (1991), many educators may never progress past a simple definition of constructionism as "learning-by-making." In the first chapter of their book Constructionism, they warn that many readers will end their definition with that concept rather than recognize that learning occurs when students construct artifacts that represent their knowledge structures. In and of itself, making does not constitute constructionism - it requires the deeper learning associated with the constructivist theories.
In many ways, the irony of the conversations that we had during that workshop, as well as the argument presented in this post, is that learning is inherently linked to language. According to psychologist Lev Vygotsky, humans form their perceptions of the world through social interactions. In his book Mind in Society, Vygotsky (1978) describes how children initially "talk to think" as a way to create an opportunity to process new ideas. Over time, they progress to using speech to plan deliberate responses before using it to control their own behavior. Ultimately, language supports both interpersonal and intrapersonal communication as speech becomes the tool through which people engage and learn with others.
In other words, learning cannot occur without language as it exists as the tool for constructing knowledge and understanding. My group from a few weeks ago made an incredibly important point -- we need to stop with all of the EduSpeak. However, I would also argue that we need to bring back the language of pedagogy and develop a deeper conception of how theory drives strategy to inspire student learning.
Papert, S. and Harel, I. (1991). Constructionism. Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Harvard University Press.


Will ‘cabinets in the basement’ be the next big thing?
BT is trumpeting a new test which will see it install broadband in some really hard-to-reach locations: the middle of cities. Well, provided it can get into the building in the first place.
It seems there are some places where it’s impossible to put a cabinet in the street, and that means slow broadband for domestic and small business users.
While the press release says “BT to pilot new technology in City of London”, it’s actually old technology. This is putting the cabinet that would have gone in the street into the basements of buildings. Except it’s not a cabinet but a rack.
It’s less innovation and more negotiation, and what makes it worth noting is that BT is prepared to square things with landlords for a rack which lets other ISPs use the installation in the same way as they would if it were in the street.
Within the building it’s plain old copper, but then this is precisely the kind of application which is being targeted at G.fast.
The trial is taking place in two City of London buildings from next month: 225 homes in the Middlesex Street Estate and around 50 SMEs based at 65 London Wall will have access to download speeds of up to 80Mbps from more than 130 different service providers for the first time.
“City centre locations present unique challenges when it comes to upgrading consumer broadband. For example, there is less room for us to install a fibre cabinet on the pavement, and it is often harder to get permission to close roads to do the work. We also need to secure permission from multiple landlords to run new cables across their land and properties."


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Stung by its poor performances in Punjab and Goa Assembly polls, the AAP has changed its strategy of directly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has decided to focus on "positive campaign" as it faces litmus test in the MCD municipal polls.
A party leader said the AAP will resort to what it did during the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls-- a "positive campaign".
"We are adopting the same strategy used by the party before 2015 assembly polls in which we went to people convincing about the positive work done during our 49-day government.
"We have seen the outcome of a positive campaign in the 2015 Assembly polls and will continue to do that for the MCD polls," said a senior party leader.
Another reason behind not targeting Modi in the MCD polls is the massive victory the BJP scored in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Delhi has a sizable voter population that belongs to the two states.
The AAP leader said attacking Modi directly during the MCD polls campaign may backfire.
In the recent Assembly election in Punjab, AAP could win 20 of 117 seats, while drew a blank in 40-member Goa Assembly.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, AAP's strategy revolved around attacking Modi. Kejriwal himself unsuccessfully contested against Modi from Varanasi.
The party fared badly in the polls failing to win even a single seat in its home turf in Delhi.
The AAP then changed its strategy during the Assembly polls and focused on the works it it did during its 49-day rule. However, its attack on the BJP continued, with barbs on Modi. The AAP won 67 out of 70 seats in the Assembly polls.
In its MCD campaign, the party is rarely highlight the two years of tussle between the AAP govt and the Lt Governor and "the Centre not allowing the Delhi government to work".
The thrust remains on subsidies on electricity and water, "internationally acclaimed" mohalla clinics and the "revolution" in the education sector.
In the last fortnight, the party exercised a lot of restraint and did not attack Modi even when Lt Governor Anil Baijal ordered recovery of Rs 97 cr spent on advertisements.
When the PWD department of the Delhi government asked the AAP to vacate its office immediately, all the attack was on the BJP and there wasn't a single word against Modi.
In his rallies too, Kejriwal has been vehemently attacking the BJP, but not Modi.
For instance, during a rally at Matiala in west Delhi and Nangloi in north-west Delhi last week, the CM talked about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and BJP-led MCDs' "inability" to deal with problem of sanitation in the city.
"Don't vote for the BJP. They can't even remain true to their Prime Minister," Kejriwal said.
He also referred to the CBI raid on office of his former principal secretary Rajendra Kumar in the Delhi Secretariat and case registered against PWD Minister Satyendar Jain. Again there was no reference to Modi.
After the raid on Kumar's office in December 2015, Kejriwal had invited criticism for accusing the PM of staging the raid and calling him a "coward" and a "psychopath".
A sample analysis of Kejriwal tweets, who has over 11 million followers second only to Modi, post Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll results speaks volumes on this.
From March 4 to 10-- the week leading up to the results on March 11-- Kejriwal tweeted and retweeted 181 tweets.
Of these, 49 had reference to Modi, almost all bashing him, 22 of were attacking the BJP and the RSS while 88 tweets were eulogising the work done by the Delhi government. Rest were general tweets.
From March 11-17, the week after the results, Kejriwal hasn't sent out even one tweet attacking Modi, but his sporadic attack on the BJP remains.
The attack this time was on the Election Commission over alleged tampering of Electronic Voting Machines.
Interestingly, Kejriwal, who is known for using tweets to put his message across, did not tweet for two days during this period.
But will the "restraint" last long?
"Every election has a different strategy. Taking Modi head on is an integral part of party's strategy. It may have been altered for this MCD polls, but not for too long," the AAP leader said.


Police are concerned for the welfare of 13-year-old Frankie Catton, who has been missing from Sompting since Sunday (August 23).
Sussex Police said Frankie was last seen by her mother at home in Sompting on Sunday afternoon (August 23) and she hasn’t been in touch with family or local friends since.
CCTV footage shows Frankie at Three Bridges railway station on Monday morning.
She is described as white, 5’7” and of slim build with long light brown hair. She was last seen wearing black jeans with ripped knees with a black crop top and black Adidas trainers.
PC Mark Green said: “We are concerned about Frankie because of her age.
“We believe she boarded a train at Three Bridges Station and alighted at Balcombe Station and she could still be in that area.
If you see Frankie or know where she has been email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 1603 23/8.


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You have what you think is a great idea for a women’s clothing store. You’re ready to move your dream from your heart and head to reality. Where do you start?
First define what kind of clothing you want to sell. Is it going to be high-end designer fashions, moderate-priced active wear or a combination of these? Who is your target consumer and where does she live?
For brick and mortar stores, location is critical. Find a location that your potential client can get to easily, that has parking and is an area that shoppers frequent with other clothing stores open. You’ll benefit from the foot traffic from competitors whose customers take notice of you.
“Most women do not want to make more than two turns off a highway,” said Diane Lloyde Roth, who has owned the retail boutique L'Armoire for 30 years.
The next step is to do a business plan. What are the fixed costs? What can you expect to pay for rent, payroll, insurance and utilities, for example? What are the variable ones: Inventory, shipping, paper goods, credit card charges? What do you need to sell monthly to cover your costs and what margins do you need to have to be running in the black? What is the amount that you need to put up to get the business going?
“Be realistic and know that you can lose it all,” Lloyde Roth said.
Determine your clothing and its look. Do you want a ladies’ suit business, casual or another type of apparel? How do you stack up against the competition? Are you too similar? Do your homework so you’ll know how you can get exclusives and find lines no one else has.
“You need to define your business so that it is special,” Lloyde Roth said.
Lloyde Roth advised new business owners to start thinking about local charities that have members that would be the target clientele, and host a benefit party for them. Plan now what local events you can generate gift certificates to, once you’re up and running.
Look within. Are you really ready to start a ladies’ garment shop? It’s about sacrifice, on just about every level imaginable. Be honest about your personal finances. If you’re deep in debt or have a poor credit history, creditors and investors will be hard pressed to overlook that fact. Assess whether you have family and friends who would be willing and able to put up financial support to get your business off the ground.
“Before you produce any inventory, my No. 1 piece of advice is to test the market,” said Shannon Lohr, founder of Market45.co, a marketplace for ethical and sustainable fashion, that started two years ago.
The most effective way to do that is by preselling.
“Rather than risk tens of thousands of dollars in inventory that could sit in your warehouse, store or basement without ever being sold, preselling allows you to test the viability of your idea,” she said.
Whether it's through your own e-commerce store or a crowdfunding platform like Kickstarter, you can introduce your product to potential customers and presell orders that finance your production run for you. This also mitigates the risk of taking out a business loan, using your own savings or asking family and friends for money. By preselling, you are either proving that there is a market fit for your product(s) or eliminating the financial risk of having a product that no one actually wants, Lohr said.
The biggest mistake she sees in the lead up to preselling is the entrepreneur not building up an audience before launching presale orders.
“I recommend a minimum of six months, and closer to a year, to build an email list, grow your social media following and create momentum around your impending launch date. Without building anticipation about your product in advance of asking people to buy it, you're setting yourself up to fail. So rather than wasting time pitching venture capitalists (most who want to see $1 million in sales or 1 million in Instagram followers), spend your time connecting with potential customers, building a brand and growing an audience,” Lohr said.
There’s another way to test the market too for a ladies’ garment business.
“Start selling your designs on platforms that already have audiences such as Etsy or Amazon. Once you have data that suggests which designs are your high sellers and are making profit, you can start your own Shopify store or site and start driving your own traffic for the highest profit margins possible,” said Stacy Caprio, founder of Accelerated Growth Marketing.
Hire an attorney to negotiate your lease andset up a corporation for you so your assets are protected, Lloyde Roth said. What’s important when it comes to your lease? Lloyde Roth advised to go for a long-term lease that is broken up into 3- or 5-year options with fixed increases. You also want an open-ended sublet clause. Sign the lease and start putting the space together. Remember money put into the interior never comes back and you can’t sell it.
“The best way to go is to paint and carpet and get inexpensive fixtures that look great. Then start making contacts with vendors for your inventory. Try and get terms from them,” Lloyde Roth said.
Make sure you have a good support system around you – friends, family and mentors.
“You’ll want to give up, but stick to your vision and mission and keep going," said Sandra Thelusmond, founder of CEO of Vibrate Higher.
Sheryl Nance-Nash is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance and business. She was a former reporter for Money Magazine. Her work has appeared in Newsday, The New York Times, Forbes.com, DailyFinance, TheFiscalTimes, DealNews, Corporate Secretary, ABCNews, RD.com, among others. She is based in New York.
D, Sheryl. "How to Start a Women's Clothing Retail Business." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-womens-clothing-retail-business-951.html. 10 December 2018.


Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas are the voices - and writers - behind the new NPR podcast for kids.
David Boraks reports on the new NPR podcast "Wow in the World." Listen to his full interview with Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas below.
WFAE's David Boraks interviews Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas of NPR's "Wow in the World" podcast.
There's a new podcast out from NPR, something the network has never done before - a children's program. It's called "Wow in the World" and it targets elementary school kids - and their parents.
Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas are the voices and writers behind "Wow in the World" - so named because it focuses on science, technology, and discovery. Raz says it’s the science behind the world around us - like looking up at the stars at night.
“But how many of us stop and think that we're looking at the past in real time, that the light that reaches us happened, you know, a thousand years ago, you know, stars that we can see with the naked eye. And children are so receptive to that wonder. And I think their grownups are, too, " he says.
Raz also hosts the "Ted Radio Hour" and "How I Built This" - two of NPR's most popular podcasts. Thomas hosts children's programs on Sirius XM Radio.
Thomas says the show targets elementary school kids ages about 5 to 12 – but not just the kids.
“We hope this will be something for families to listen to together, and to connect and engage with each other, in a way that they're sharing something, as opposed to, you know, the parents are doing one thing on their phone and the kids are in the backseat playing a video game on their tablets,” she says.
And they take it a step further, Thomas says - posting "conversation starters" on the podcast website to keep the conversation going.
The 20 to 25-minute episodes are fast-paced and filled with music and sound effects, for scenes like a trip into space, a rollercoaster ride or a lab experiment to figure out why shoes come untied.
That was the topic in a recent episode, where Raz describes a scientist jogging around the lab.
“So their colleague is running in circles around the science lab and the engineers are cheering her on and staring at her shoelaces?” Mindy asks.
NOT JUST FUN - IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!
There's an ulterior motive behind all the fun, says Raz.
Raz says the show draws ideas from the show from the latest scientific research papers, then turn it into a fun-filled podcast. "We basically take academic papers from journal articles and we translate them for children," Raz says.
The show is smart and silly - Thomas says it's something you might listen to in the car on a trip - or just the morning ride to school.


AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) - Amarillo police are searching for suspects after Caprock High School was broken into over the weekend.
According to a police news release, the suspects burglarized the school on Sunday, causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage inside multiple campus buildings.
Amarillo Crime Stoppers needs your help identifying two suspects who burglarized and vandalized Caprock High School in this week’s “Crime of the Week”. In the early morning of Sunday March 17th, these two suspects burglarized the school and caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to several buildings on the campus. If you have any information about this crime, call Amarillo Crime Stoppers at (806) 374-4400. You can see video of the crime and also submit a tip on-line at amapolice.org. Tips can also be submitted by using the free P3 tips app. If your anonymous tip leads to an arrest, you could get a reward of up to $1,000.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Amarillo Crime Stoppers at (806) 374-4400.
Information leading to an arrest could be met with a reward of up to $1,000.


January 16, 2019, 12:57 p.m.
Every year, more animals and plants are added to the Endangered Species list. Sadly, some are removed from the list because they've become extinct — animals like George, the last Hawaiian land-snail species, Achatinella apexfulva, who died on Jan. 1.
The Endangered Species Coalition is a national network of conservation, scientific and other organizations that work together to "safeguard and strengthen the Endangered Species Act." In honor of Endangered Species on May 17, the coalition is hosting its annual youth art contest to give kids a chance to show off their artistic skills and also recognize the importance of saving endangered species. In fact that’s last year’s grand prize-winning entry above, a hawksbill sea turtle created by Brandon Xie.
The contest is open to any students (including home-schooled students and those who are part of a youth art program) in kindergarten through 12th grade. Students can choose to draw a species from one of the following four groups: invertebrates, vertebrates, non-flowering plants and flowering plants.
From those groups, "students' artwork must depict a land or ocean-dwelling species that either lives in or migrates through the United States and its waters, or a plant/flower that is found in the United States, and has been placed on the threatened or endangered species list," the rules state on the website.
Concept: How well does the work relate to the endangered species theme?
Composition: How well do the elements of line and form work together?
Color: How does color enhance the artwork?
Expression: How imaginatively does the work convey an idea or emotion?
Students have until March 1 to submit their original artwork. A grand prize winner will be selected along with category winners for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.


"But they choose to invest in Taichung. We are finding places for them outside of the science park. A private industrial park, for instance, is to be built beside the science park. It has room for 20 factories ... All these signs are very encouraging.
"The department-store business in the city is also booming. It grew 8.5 percent over the past year -- five times the national average over the same period.
"Such development complies with my vision of an economic bloc in the central parts of the country. The economic bloc will center around Taichung City, with over 6 million people in the central region using Taichung as their business, cultural and leisure center," Hu said.
Asked about whether he would run for a second term, Hu said he has not made the decision yet.
"I am not the kind of political leader who always thinks about re-election immediately after my first term. If I think like them, I would get nothing accomplished," Hu said.
This story has been viewed 4198 times.


Abu Dhabi: Gulf Petrochem Group will invest $136.4 million (Dh500.89 million) to develop a 412,000 cubic metre storage terminal project in Fujairah in which Fujairah Petroleum Company (FPC) has signed an agreement with Gulf Petrochem to buy a 12 per cent stake, a senior executive of Gulf Petrochem said yesterday.
Sanjeev Sisaudia, Group Chief Executive for Gulf Petrochem, told Gulf News, "FPC will also invest as per the agreement". He didn't elaborate.
Gulf Petrochem recently signed an investment agreement with the Government of Fujairah subsidiary Fujairah Petroleum Company (FPC).
Gulf Petrochem's storage terminal is due for completion next September.
Ashok Goel, Chairman of Gulf Petrochem Group, said in a statement: "Participation of Fujairah Petroleum Company in our project underlines the importance of the storage terminal business as a tool for socio-economic progress in the emirate and across the region. Such strategic partnerships complement our aggressive growth plans and help us create new economic possibilities for the communities we serve. This agreement reaffirms the commitment and trust various stakeholders have in this project."
Headquartered in Hamriyah, Sharjah, Gulf Petrochem operates globally with offices in India, Singapore and Europe. The group recently opened a Dubai office in line with regional growth plans. Gulf Petrochem specialises in oil trading and bunkering, oil refining, grease manufacturing, oil storage terminals, bitumen manufacturing and shipping and logistics.
It operates a 60,000 cubic metre facility in Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah. Strategic location, lower risk and relatively less congestion are factors that have led to the emergence of Fujairah as the second-largest bunkering port in the world after Singapore and positioned it as a major maritime hub for the region's oil exports.
With the passage of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz being prone to risks due to geopolitical tensions, Fujairah sensed the opportunity well in time to transform itself into one of the world's top tanker refuelling and oil storage hubs.
The emirate's unique selling proposition is that location-wise it provides a direct access to the open sea — the Indian Ocean — for crude oil and oil product exports.
A 370-kilometre pipeline is expected to be commissioned soon which can carry around 1.5 million barrels per day of crude oil from Abu Dhabi's onshore Habshan field to Fujairah for export.
In addition, a proposed 200,000 barrel per day refinery scheduled to be commissioned by mid-2016 will allow Fujairah to become a major hub for oil and petroleum product exports, catering to the booming demand from Asia and other Middle East countries.


CALGARY, AB -- Calgary Flames general manager Jay Feaster and assistant GM John Weisbrod have been relieved of their duties effective immediately, the team announced Thursday.
Brian Burke, the team's president of hockey operations, addressed the moves at an afternoon press conference at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
"I'm frustrated like all our fans with our inability to hold leads," Burke said.
He said there would be no further moves in the front office and the team's coach, Bob Hartley, and his staff would finish out the year. Burke also said that he will not take over the GM duties and will only sere in that role until a replacement is found. He also said he has already reached out to one unnamed candidate and received permission to interview him.
Burke also said Thursday he would like the Flames to play a different style in the future.
"I like teams that bang. I don't like the way we play," Burke said, adding that he wants to see more hostility and truculence.
The Flames play host to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Feaster joined the Flames in June 2010 as assistant general manager. He was named acting general manager on Dec. 28, 2010 and on May 16, 2011 was named the general manager of the team. He won the Stanley Cup as the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
Burke joined the Flames this fall, named to the role of president of hockey operations. The appointment came almost nine months to the day after he was dismissed as general manager by the Toronto Maple Leafs, a position he held for five years. Burke also served as a GM with the Anaheim Ducks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, the Vancouver Canucks and the Hartford Whalers.


:) ISPs: Customers lucky enough to have Verizon's FIOS gave it the highest ISP score, 8.6 out of 10.
:( ISPs: DSL providers score generally lower than cable, despite needing fewer repairs.
:) Cell-phone providers: US Cellular is the top contract provider with our readers, scoring 7.8 out of 10.
:) Digital cameras: Canon is not only an overall Readers' Choice, it earned the Reader's Choice in all camera subcategories.
:) MP3 Players: Apple dominates with the highest market share and overall score.
:( Network routers: Cisco dropped over a full point to 7.9, losings its Readers' Choice, while its Linksys division remains steady with 8.1.
Yes, our readers can hear you now. Verizon Wireless lost its spot at the top of the contract providers to "super-regional" US Cellular, which went up a half point to 7.8 out of 10, despite serving only 26 states. But Verizon Wireless did gain a tenth of a point overall, as well as the high score in pay-as-you-go cellular services for its INpulse brand, with a score of 7.5. Virgin Mobile, last year's winner, shares the Readers' Choice spotlight with the same score.
In the area of pay-as-you-go, every provider's score increased a bit, which might be a sign that contracts aren't the way to go. But the contract players are up a bit as well, except for Sprint and Nextel (basically one company, anyway). Missing this year altogether: Qwest and SunCom.
iPhone owners passionately love their devices. In its first year on the survey, the Apple iPhone scored a stunning 9.1 out of 10 from our readers, beating the ratings that every other phone, from every carrier, in nearly every category, has received in the three years we've been including cell phones. The iPhone's 9.6 scores in music and video playback might have been expected, but its 8.2 for call quality (a score significantly better than average), another 8.2 for coverage, and an 8.0 for earpiece volume show that it's not just the i our readers like. They love the phone, too.
In the case of other devices, our readers seem to have settled into slightly cranky resignation. Almost all brands on nearly every carrier rated scores between 7.0 and 7.5 overall, with differentiations coming feature by feature. Check out our online charts for full details.
In our survey, we didn't distinguish between "smartphones"generally more expensive and more complex, in essence little pocket computersand voice-oriented "feature phones." So we'll try to do that here. For folks who don't want an iPhone, here's how phones on all the national carriers stacked up.
If you're lucky enough to be in a state serviced by US Cellular, you'd be foolish not to consider it for yourself.
Skip the monthly contract and you still get superior coverage with Verizon, or opt for Virgin's equally impressive plans.
There's a huge drop in satisfaction between iPhone owners, BlackBerry owners (in second place), and everyone else. All other manufacturers were tightly bunched together. Among them, if you have to pick a feature phone on AT&T, our readers like Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Nokia's phones seem better at Web browsing, whereas Sony Ericsson's devices are louder and make better music players. LG-branded feature phones fared worst, but not by much, and they made a big jump forward from last yearmoving from a 6.5 overall rating to a 7.0. That's probably because AT&T has shuffled off some poorly performing old LG GSM models in exchange for much-better-quality 3G phones.
As always, Sanyo came out head and shoulders above Sprint's feature-phone crowd by triumphing in all the "talking" categories: coverage, call quality, volume, and such. Sanyo phones were also considerably more reliable than other manufacturers, needing tech support and repairs less often than any other Sprint phone. Palm, the only smartphone manufacturer on our survey, fell from grace this year, dropping from 8.1 to 7.4possibly because 39 percent of our readers' phones needed tech support and 26 percent needed repairs.
BlackBerry smartphones took the lead over T-Mobile's house-brand Windows Mobile phones (made by HTC) seemingly thanks to the 'Berrys' awesome e-mailthough the Windows Mobile devices actually scored better on all the voice-oriented subcategories, in reliability and as PDAs. Our readers like Nokia's feature phones and dislike those from Samsung. But, frankly, you might want to get one of those T-Mobile-branded smartphones just to talk on, as they led all the manufacturers of T-Mobile phones in call quality.


After the passage of Proposition 13, Howard Jarvis became even more popular with average citizens. He would joke that overnight he went from being regarded as a “nut” by the political elites to being seen as a “savior” for millions of California homeowners.
Visitors to Howard’s office would praise him for coming up with Proposition 13 just when it was so desperately needed. But Howard would just smile and point out that he had been working on property tax reform for 16 years.
Howard was tenacious and a big believer in the power of people when they combined together to make change. When speaking to groups he would hold up his hand with his fingers extended and say that while separately they were weak, united they were strong and he would form his hand into a fist. Some will remember seeing the photo of Howard holding up his fist on the cover of Time Magazine.
However, Howard understood that it was necessary to start small. His first taxpayer group meeting was attended by only twenty ordinary citizens — no celebrities, no politicians — just regular folks concerned that if the trend of ever escalating property taxes continued, they would lose their homes.
Although Howard passed in 1986, his spirit lives on in thousands of Californians who give of their time and energy to push for more economical and efficient government. To remind the public of these unsung heroes, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association annually presents the Taxfighter of the Year Award.
This year’s recipient is Ourania Riddle, a 30 year member of the Solano County Taxpayers Association, who witnessed the unelected State Water Resources Control Board running roughshod over the rights of taxpayers in her hometown of Dixon, and decided to take action. Her lobbying helped to assure passage of a state law that would allow Dixon to comply with water regulations and avoid penalties of $10,000 a day.
When the city determined a major water rate increase was in order, Ourania and her friends succeeded in gathering enough signatures to place a measure on the ballot to rescind the increase. Although a Court subsequently ruled that the taxpayers’ effort to use the power of initiative was invalid, Ourania and her cohorts succeeded in changing state law and putting Dixon officials on notice that its taxpayers are organized and are carefully watching costs.
Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association — California’s largest grass-roots taxpayer organization dedicated to the protection of Proposition 13 and the advancement of taxpayers’ rights.


The Long Beach Camerata Singers will perform “A Camerata Christmas,” on Dec. 17 at Los Altos United Methodist Church. Photo courtesy Camerata Singers.
Guest Conductor Matthew Martinez will lead the Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra in a Dec. 17-18 performance of holiday music.
Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra will perform the show “Baroque Christmas,” on Dec. 17 in Long Beach and Dec. 18 in downtown L.A. Photo courtesy Musica Angelica.
When it comes to revving up the holiday spirit with music, Long Beach is going into overdrive this weekend with three local musical powerhouses all putting on separate performances celebrating the season.
The Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra and the Long Beach Camerata Singers both head to different churches for their shows while the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra stays at home in the Beverly O’Neil Theatre for a performance that will take people back in time.
With so much music available, it’ll be hard to choose which show to catch, although it is possible to see all three.
So here’s what to expect at each holiday concert in Long Beach this weekend.
Expect a fast-paced afternoon of holiday classics when the 80-member choir puts on its first-ever holiday show with a little help from the Southern California Brass Consortium and the 60-member South Bay Children’s Choir.
“I think that presenting holiday concerts is a wonderful way to bring the whole community together, and nothing says Christmas like a choir,” said Robert Istad, the company’s artistic director.
“Ours is special because it’s a huge collaboration,” he said, referring to teaming with the Children’s Chorus and the Brass Consortium for the concert.
Contemporary American composers will be celebrated by the LBCCO at the 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 4 p.m. Dec. 18 holiday concerts.
The performances are happening at Grace First Presbyterian Church and will be led by guest conductor Matthew Martinez, who is the music director at Mesa Verde United Methodist Church.
“People can expect to see a concert with a really wide variety of Christmas music,” Martinez said.
The program will include works by contemporary American composers, including an inspiring piece by L.A. Master Chorale composer-in-residence Shawn Kirchner called “Behold New Joy” and an a capella piece called “Completing the Circle” by Los Angeles based composer Dale Trumbore.
“It’s a lovely a cappella piece that’s very reflective of the coming together that comes with Christmas,” Martinez said.
The night will end with an audience singalong.
The orchestra will be performing a festive night of music using authentic Baroque period instruments.
The Dec. 17 concert, which is described by the orchestra as “perfect for the yuletide celebration,” will feature a pair of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas oratorios.
“It may be the most festive music written, the most flamboyant music written in the Baroque period,” said Martin Haselböck, the rrchestra’s musical director.
The 7 p.m. performance at Beverly O’Neill Theater will include 28 musicians and 12 singers, which is a big group for a Baroque show.
“It’s really going to be a joyful evening, I would say,” Haselböck added.
There is an additional 7:30 p.m. performance of Baroque Christmas on Dec. 18 at the Zipper Hall, Colburn School of Music in downtown L.A.


The male peacock jumping spider must dance for his life. In order to woo a female and avoid being eaten, he performs an intricate dance using a brilliantly colored fan attached to his abdomen. If the female approves, he is allowed to mate. If not, he becomes her next meal.


Central banks purchased 118 tonnes in net gold in Q2 2014, representing a 28% year-over-year increase, according to The World Gold Council.
In May 2014, the European Central Bank and other European central banks signed the fourth Central Bank Gold Agreement (CBGA). The agreement says the central banks "currently do not have plans to sell significant amounts of gold," and that it will last for five years starting in the end of September 2014.
Country-wise, Russia saw a major increase in official reserves since February 2014, moving its place up two spots in the ranking.
Global official gold holdings totaled 31,812 tonnes as of August 2014, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council.
Business Insider identified the 10 countries with the largest gold reserves.
Note: CBGA refers to the Central Bank Gold Agreements. The first Agreement (CBGA 1) ran from Sept. 27, 1999, to Sept. 26, 2004. The second Agreement (CBGA 2) ran from Sept. 27, 2004, to Sept. 26, 2009. The third Agreement (CBGA 3) will run for five years from September 2009.
Gold imports by India are expected to decline for the third year, while the Indian central bank is monitoring the imports. In June, the Reserve Bank of India relaxed loan rules that banks can sanction against the pledging of gold "where the end use is not for agricultural purposes."
The government has been trying to deter people from purchasing the precious metal. Gold imports have been blamed for the nation's high current account deficit. India's central bank governor Raghuram Rajan has previously said the country can pay off its debt in gold.
A large portion of the Netherlands' gold reserves are held in the U.S., and some are held in Canada and the U.K. About 10% is expected to be held in Amsterdam. Earlier this year the Netherlands wanted to repatriate its gold.
In 2011, the Bank of Japan sold gold to pump ¥20 trillion into the economy to calm investors after the tsunami and nuclear disaster.
Twenty-four karat gold bars at the U.S. West Point Mint facility in West Point, New York, on June 5, 2013.
In July, the Swiss central bank reported a $17.7 billion half-year gain, partially because of recovering gold prices.
In 1997, proposals were announced to sell a portion of the country's gold reserves because they were no longer considered to be "necessary for monetary policy purposes," according to the World Gold Council. In May 2000 the country began selling 1,300 tonnes of what it considered to be surplus gold. Under CBGA1, 1,170 tonnes were sold, and 130 tones were sold under CBGA2. Switzerland has announced no plans to sell gold under CBGA 3.
China overtook India to be the world's largest gold consumer in 2013. Gold still accounts for a very small percentage of China's $3.7 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, compared with the international average of 10%. Building up gold reserves will be crucial to China as it moves to internationalize its currency, and hopes to make it a reserve currency, according to the Financial Times.
Russia has increased its gold holding since February 2014 and has eclipsed both Switzerland and China. In August, Russia's central bank has decided to buy up even more gold and diversify away from the dollar and the euro as a result of the economic sanctions by the West.
Russia's central bank gold holdings crossed the 1,000-tonne mark for the first time in Q3 2013.
France sold 572 tonnes of gold under CBGA 2, and outside of the agreement France transferred about 17 tonnes to the Bank for International Settlements in late 2004 as part of a purchase of BIS shares. France announced no plans for sales of gold reserves under CBGA 3.
Bank of France has said it won't sell gold reserves because it provides confidence and diversification and can absorb volatility in its balance sheet, Reuters reported.
Germany reduced its gold holdings in October. The Bundesbank sells 6 to 7 tonnes to the finance ministry every year. Germany sold gold under CBGA 1 and 2 for the purposes of minting commemorative gold coins. In the first year of CBGA3 (2008 — 2009), the Bundesbank sold approximately 6 tonnes, and it has sold 4.7 tonnes of gold since Sept. 7, 2011.
The U.S. had its largest gold reserves in volume terms in 1952, when reserves totaled 20,663 tonnes. Holdings first fell below the 10,000 mark in 1968.


Police Chief Darren Pytel said the city took the “very rare” step of hiring an outside investigator because of allegations that police used excessive force and exhibited racial bias.
The McGinness investigation will look not only at the officers’ behavior but also at the department’s overall response, Pytel said.
The department on Wednesday released a dashcam video recording of the incident. The video provided by a citizen witness shows as many as 50 young people spilling into the slow lane of the roadway. When a gray minivan makes a U-turn and pulls next to the group of people, punches are thrown immediately as the doors open. Several men can be seen punching and kicking the plainclothes officers.
Alexander Reide Craver, 22, and Elijah James Williams, 19, both of West Sacramento, and Antwoine Rashadek Perry, 21, of Elk Grove were arrested for their part in the altercation.
Craver was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, assaulting a peace officer, felony obstruction of a peace officer and assault with a deadly weapon. Perry was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery and felony obstruction of a peace officer. Williams was arrested on suspicion of assault on a peace officer, aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony obstruction of a peace officer.
McGinness, who hosts a radio show on KFBK, said it was a “good decision” by the department and the city to release the video. The department is asking the public to watch the video to help identify witnesses. Police also are looking for additional video to help aid the investigation.
“Sometimes video evidence has a negligible value” because it doesn’t show the whole picture. In this case, when coupled with accounts of what happened, it “does have value,” McGinness said.
What happened after officers arrived and found a mass of people spilling onto a nearly gridlocked Russell Boulevard is the subject of some debate.
“Before the officers could act, the unmarked police vehicle was surrounded by a large hostile group and several subjects began to yell threats at the police officers in the car,” the news release states.
Witness Isabel Lynch, who attends Sierra College in Rocklin, said it was unclear – at least initially – if the men arriving in an unmarked vehicle were officers.
McGinness said he has seen some of the video and that the officers were wearing badges and one of the three was wearing a tactical vest.
Regardless of whether they were clearly identified, it’s still against the law to punch and kick anyone, McGinness said.
Editor’s note: This story was changed May 11 to note that the officers were in plainclothes.


CrimeCenter Software, a modern investigation management platform developed by law enforcement experts, will showcase its activity-based case management software at the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association’s Public Safety Expo on April 18 in Plantsville, Connecticut.
The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association’s 2019 Public Safety Exposition will take place on April 18, 2019 from 8:00 AM ET to 3:00 PM ET. The CPCA unites law enforcement agencies in the state, providing exhibitors the opportunity to showcase products and services designed to enhance public safety.
Learn more about the 2019 CPCA Public Safety Expo here.
CrimeCenter Software is a web-based investigative case management application built by law enforcement, for law enforcement. Accessible on any mobile or desktop device, CrimeCenter delivers intelligent investigation management and analytic capabilities which provides investigators with key information leading to conclusions that otherwise may not have been possible for both internal and criminal investigations. It exists to allow all agencies – small, medium or large – to function more effectively and better serve their communities. Headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, CrimeCenter Software is strategically located just west of New York City.
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Downtown San Diego plays host to a series of diverse attractions, including the San Diego Civic Theatre, the famed USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, the shop and restaurant-filled Seaport Village, the beach and Petco Park, home stadium for Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. After a day of exploring, visitors are bound to be hungry. Fortunately, the bustling region also features its fair share of high-end restaurants complete with full bars, as well as casual, family-friendly eateries.
Located in the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Taka serves 40 different types of sushi rolls, various sashimi and teriyaki-covered meats such as chicken and salmon. The upscale setting features hardwood floors, candlelight dining and outdoor patio seating.
Just 1 block from Petco Park, Jsix’s high-end interior includes sheer drapes, oversized windows, ornately detailed ceilings and stone slab floors. The menu features hearty items like bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins and wild mushroom ravioli. The restaurant also offers weekend brunch and kid’s menu.
Steps from Balboa Theatre and Horton Plaza mall, Dobson's Bar & Restaurant serves such typical California cuisine dishes as mushroom risotto and oven roasted salmon. The old-fashioned, yet chic setting includes French cabaret chairs, white linen covered tables, coat racks and chandeliers.
Cowboy Star is in downtown’s East Village neighborhood. The restaurant offers an upscale Old West setting, complete with full bar, fireplace, exposed wood beam ceilings, landscape photography and an attached butcher shop. Steakhouse fare includes lamb, pan seared sea bass and 12 oz. New York strips.
Based in Little Italy, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto opened its doors back in 1950. The Italian restaurant and deli features red and white checkered tablecloths, candlelight and Chianti bottles, hand decorated by past customers, hanging from the ceiling. While the restaurant just serves wine and beer, the menu includes a variety of pizzas, pastas and hot and cold sandwiches.
Top of the Market is located right upon the shores of the San Diego Bay. The seafood restaurant serves up such offerings as oysters Rockefeller, Maine lobster tail and linguini with spicy garlic tiger shrimp. The two-story setting features wood furnishings, patio dining and oversized windows which provide sweeping views of the water.
Located in downtown La Jolla, this restaurant is famous for its scratch cooking, home style food. As such, it sources its ingredients from local farms. The menu reflects this as it is ever changing with the seasons by serving the freshest foods.
Nobu, just two blocks from Petco Park, features an upscale setting complete with earth-tone colored silks, stone tiles and modern light fixtures, as well as dark leather booths and stools. Japanese cuisine includes such items as lobster with wasabi, eggplant miso and various sushi rolls.
Situated between the train station and Little Italy, Anthology offers an upscale setting complete with three levels, white leather booths and chairs, dark wood furnishings and sheer white curtains. The menu includes signature cocktails, small plate items and epicurean delights including grilled pork chops and mushroom pot pie.
Many of the best restaurants in San Diego can actually be found in hotels. It is both a local favorite as well as a favorite of chefs for its technically created creations. However, it manages to bring a uniquely California style and flavor at the same time.
Rendon, Leah. "The Top 10 Restaurants in Downtown San Diego." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/top-10-restaurants-downtown-san-diego-58059.html. 26 January 2018.


Steve King only acknowledges the existence of things he has personally experienced.
Congressman King says he’s not aware of any young victims like that. “Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter,” he said.
Because Congressman King has not, to paraphrase The Simpsons, spent his entire life in a cave on Mars with his eyes shut and his fingers in his ears, he is surely aware that adults have impregnated young girls. The key to interpreting his statement, then, appears to be the “brought to me in any personal way” part. But why should it matter to King whether he has personally known a 12-year-old who was impregnated by her father? We don’t personally know anyone who’s ever been attacked by a bear, yet we are aware that people have been attacked by bears.


A Georgetown man, upset over what he claimed was damage caused by a contracting crew, ended up in jail after he began a fight.
The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office had received a report of a fight between the homeowner, 50-year-old Joseph Ainsworth of the 200 block of Buck Grandstaff Road, and members of the crew that was trimming trees along power lines, reads a release.
When Deputy Amy Laborde arrived, she was told that Ainsworth had approached the crew while on a horse and had accused them of damaging a tire. Someone with the crew called and alerted their supervisor about the complaint, but Ainsworth then decided to get off his horse, it reads.
He "began a fight with one of the workers, eventually hitting one of them with an iron pipe," it continues. "He then called his wife to bring him a gun."
Ainsworth was arrested and booked into the Grant Parish Detention Center. He was charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault and three counts of disturbing the peace.


“One day there will be a book called ‘The Collected Legal Works of Gawker Media,'” said Gaby Darbyshire, the company’s 39-year-old COO and head lawyer.
It was a recent Thursday afternoon, and Ms. Darbyshire was sitting on a couch in her loft in Little Italy. She pulled out her laptop and showed The Observer an email from a screenwriter who was upset that Jezebel, a Web site that is part of the Gawker stable, had posted a small excerpt of a script from his forthcoming movie. He wanted the excerpt removed-exactly the sort of email Ms. Darbyshire receives roughly once per working day.
Or, in other words, she’s the person who has to go in and defend Gawker’s rowdy band of pirates when someone believes they have crossed the line.
Virtually all editors who have worked with the site agree that she’s very good at her very busy job, which is not just limited to being the head counsel. She is a sort of everywoman at Gawker, wearing hats that include overseeing law, finance, business development, the 401(k) deals, HR issues, maternity leave policy (which, as a testament to Gawker growing bigger and bigger, now needs to be drafted)-almost anything that is money-related and doesn’t deal with editorial or advertising.
“I’m the glue,” said Ms. Darbyshire.
“Gawker wouldn’t function without her,” said Mr. Denton.
And Mr. Denton might not function quite the same way without her. While Mr. Denton has been the very public face for the media company he started in 2002, she has been the relatively unnoticed consigliere by his side. Ms. Darbyshire said that Gawker writers have referred to the two of them as the mommy and daddy at the company. She’s known Mr. Denton for almost 20 years, they’ve been roommates several times over and she has been intimately familiar with his business ventures for more than a decade.
“She has the institutional knowledge of the place, and of Nick as well, that makes her voice really important,” said Lockhart Steele, the former editorial director of Gawker Media, who founded Curbed.
“I don’t know if people realize how much history we’ve got,” said Ms. Darbyshire. “We’re not like most people working in a company. I will say things to him that no people would dream of saying to their boss. Yes, he’s my boss, but I don’t think of him as my boss.


Outstanding INVESTMENT Opportunity on Busy US 31 in Franklin on 5.7 Acre Lot. "Desperation Depot" Bar & Grill along w MOTEL (8 units) & 2story Home (duplex). Property generates over $100,000/year in rent. Owner selling only because of relocating out-of-state. Motel Units are remodeled and in great shape. Laundry onsite. Bar w/ Apartment Above & Has New Siding & Roof. Motel w/ New Wiring/Plumbing & New Roof. Leases are renewing in November, 2018. Bar lessor pays $1600/month. $165 x 4 units/week - $175 x 4 units/week. Owner Pays Utilities. Great highway visibility and location.


BAMENDA, Cameroon: Children kidnapped by gunmen in western Cameroon said their captors had warned them not to go back to school, recounting their ordeal as parents on Thursday packed up belongings from a boarding school now being shuttered.Kidnappers freed about 80 school children and a driver in west Cameroon on Wednesday, but kept hold of a principal and one teacher, two days after snatching them in a school raid.
The armed men had seized the kids on Monday in Bamenda - a green city nestled in the hills of western Cameroon and hub of the country's troubled English-speaking region.
"It was around 3 a.m. in the morning. We were still sleeping, then we heard people shouting, some other people, some men, came and broke our door. They told us: 'come out'. They were all dressed in black," a 13-year-old boy told Reuters TV, recounting his ordeal. He declined to be identified.
"When they set us free, they said we should tell the other schools that they should stop, so no one goes to school," he said.
"I am really, really worried," a mother of one of the children said, before packing her boy's things into a car. "I know his education is not guaranteed because of the security (situation) ... because I am not sure for his safety."
Cameroon's linguistic divide is a legacy of World War One, after which the former German colony in central Africa was carved up between allies France and Britain.


A MAN who fell under a train on a Hampshire heritage railway was unaware he was not meant to get off due to a faulty PA system in his carriage, an inquest heard.
Michael Kerry had arranged that trip on the Real Ale train on the Watercress Line.
The train, run by the Mid Hampshire Heritage Railway, known as the Watercress Line, did a double return journey from Alton to Alresford.
Winchester Coroner's Court heard that 62-year-old Mr Kerry, a systems electronics test engineer for BAE, had organised the trip for his wife Carol’s 60th birthday and the couple and friends were sitting in the same carriage.
Mrs Kerry told the court that their carriage’s PA system was not working which she discovered when she went to another part of the train.
As a result her husband, of Old Redbridge Road, Redbridge, Southampton, missed an announcement asking passengers not to leave the train at the second Alresford stop as it was running late.
The court heard that Mr Kerry left the train for a suspected toilet stop.
As it was pulling out of the station Mr Kerry ran to get onto the train while it was moving.
Despite shouts for him to stand clear by the guard and other people on the platform, he managed to open a door but lost his his footing and was dragged under the train.
The train was stopped by the guard using the emergency brake and the emergency services were called by signalman Peter Buckland.
Mr Kerry died at the scene.
Consultant pathologist at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, Dr Raid Al Talib, told the court that he concluded Mr Kerry died of multiple crush injuries as a result of the accident.
Alistair Fyfe worked as an inspector for the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, an independent body affiliated with the Department of Transport, at the time of the incident.
A jury returned a verdict that Mr Kerry died of multiple crush injuries and that his death on December 1, 2007, was accidental.
Coroner for central Hampshire, Grahame Short, extended his sympathy to Mr Kerry’s family.
The Watercress Line declined to discuss the death.


Some 17 years ago, when internet dating was popular but still kind of embarrassing to talk about, I interviewed an author who was particularly bullish on the practice. Millions of people, he said, have found gratifying relationships online. Were it not for the internet, they would probably never have met.
A lot of years have passed since then. Yet thanks to Joe Schwartz, an author of a 20-year-old dating advice book, “gratifying relationship” is still the term that sticks in my mind when contemplating the end-goal of internet dating tools.
Gratifying is a vague term, yet also uniquely accurate. It encompasses everything from the forever love of a soul mate to the temporary fix of a one-night stand. Romantics can talk about true love. Yet when it comes to the algorithm-and-swipe-driven world of online dating, it’s all about gratification.
It is with this in mind, coincident with the arrival of Valentine’s Day, that Crunchbase News is taking a look at the state of that most awkward of pairings: startups and the pursuit of finding a mate.
Before we go further, be forewarned: This article will do nothing to help you navigate the features of new dating platforms, fine-tune your profile or find your soul mate. It is written by someone whose core expertise is staring at startup funding data and coming up with trends.
So, if you’re OK with that, let’s proceed. We’ll start with the initial observation that while online dating is a vast and often very profitable industry, it isn’t a huge magnet for venture funding.
In 2018, for instance, venture investors put $127 million globally into 27 startups categorized by Crunchbase as dating-focused. While that’s not chump change, it’s certainly tiny compared to the more than $300 billion in global venture investment across all sectors last year.
In the chart below, we look at global venture investment in dating-focused startups over the past five years. The general finding is that round counts fluctuate moderately year-to-year, while investment totals fluctuate heavily. The latter is due to a handful of giant funding rounds for China-based startups.
While the U.S. is home to the majority of funded startups in the Crunchbase dating category, the bulk of investment has gone to China.
In 2018, for instance, nearly 80 percent of dating-related investment went to a single company, China-based Blued, a Grindr-style hookup app for gay men. In 2017, the bulk of capital went to Chinese mobile dating app Tantan, and in 2014, Beijing-based matchmaking site Baihe raised a staggering $250 million.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., we are seeing an assortment of startups raising smaller rounds, but no big disclosed financings in the past three years. In the chart below, we look at a few of the largest funding recipients.
Dating sites and apps have generated some solid exits in the past few years, as well as some less-stellar outcomes.
Mobile-focused matchmaking app Zoosk is one of the most heavily funded players in the space that has yet to generate an exit. The San Francisco company raised more than $60 million between 2008 and 2012, but had to withdraw a planned IPO in 2015 due to flagging market interest.
Startups without known venture funding, meanwhile, have managed to bring in some bigger outcomes. One standout in this category is Grindr, the geolocation-powered dating and hookup app for gay men. China-based tech firm Kunlun Group bought 60 percent of the West Hollywood-based company in 2016 for $93 million and reportedly paid around $150 million for the remaining stake a year ago. Another apparent success story is OkCupid, which sold to Match.com in 2011 for $50 million.
As for venture-backed companies, one of the earlier-funded startups in the online matchmaking space, eHarmony, did score an exit last fall with an acquisition by German media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE. But terms weren’t disclosed, making it difficult to gauge returns.
One startup VCs are assuredly happy they passed on is Ashley Madison, a site best known for targeting married people seeking affairs. A venture investor pitched by the company years ago told me its financials were quite impressive, but its focus area would not pass muster with firm investors or the VCs’ spouses.
With the spirit of Valentine’s Day in the air, it occurs that I should restate the obvious: Startup funding databases do not contain much about romantic love.
The Crunchbase data set produced no funded U.S. startups with “romantic” in their business descriptions. Just five used the word “romance” (of which one is a cold brew tea company).
We get it. Our cultural conceptions of romance are decidedly low-tech. We think of poetry, flowers, loaves of bread and jugs of wine. We do not think of algorithms and swipe-driven mobile platforms.
That kind of writing might turn off romantics, but shareholders love it. Shares of Match Group, whose portfolio includes Tinder, have more than tripled since Valentine’s Day 2017. Its current market cap is around $16 billion.
So, complain about the company’s dating products all you like. But it’s clear investors are having a gratifying relationship with Match. When it comes to startups, however, it appears they’re still mostly swiping left.