Author: Serkadis

Google Wave generated a great deal of hype before being made available to a larger number of users last year, but, as more people got to play around with it, the anticipation veined and was replaced mostly by disappointment. Still, the tool has some potential and Google is still working hard on bringing out the best in it. Now, it’s got a brand-new, v. 2.0, Robots… (read more)

Think of your wardrobe as a well-stocked fridge: From it, you only need a few basic ingredients to throw together a great combo. In fact, there are only six articles of clothing that you really must own because of their versatility. Mix and match and accessorize properly, and the same elements will work equally well at the beach and dog run as they do at the office or a funeral (or both if you’re having a bad day). Here, the list.

White Button-down Shirt
“The white shirt is the most flexible piece of clothing you will ever own,” says Massimo Bizzocchi, menswear importer and owner of the eponymous downtown Manhattan boutique. Wear it with shorts and jeans for a more casual look, with chinos and a tie for work attire and with a dark suit to a formal event. For a traditional look, stick to 100 percent cotton broadcloth; for modern, try stretch cotton with a slightly slimmer fit.

Dark Rinse Jeans
“Dark denim jeans are considered the new standby,” says Bizzocchi. You can wear them with everything from a tailored jacket to a T-shirt and sneakers. “I like APC New Standard,” says Steven Taffel, owner and proprietor of Leffot, a high-end men’s clothing store in Manhattan. “They’re a crisp denim, and they don’t have any stitching on the back pockets. Paired with a white shirt, you have a blank canvas that you can accessorize with pretty much anything.”

Cashmere V-neck Sweater
You can wear this classic under a suit, with a pair of jeans — with pretty much anything. “And if it gets too warm,” says Bizzocchi, “just take it off and wear it draped around your neck on top of your blazer.” If you’re only going to buy one, choose a neutral color like black, brown or charcoal. If you invest in a second, pick a bright color like green or pink that highlights one of your best traits (i.e., If you have blue eyes, go for bright blue).

Navy Blazer
This jacket always looks great, whether you wear it with jeans or dress slacks. “Just lose the brass buttons,” says Taffel. “The buttons should always be dark.” And make sure to get the right fit — you don’t want a lot of extra fabric through the body. The general rule is that if you can fit your arm in between the jacket and your chest, you have too much fabric and need to get it taken in.

Solid Dark Suit
“You need to have one of these regardless if you wear it to work or not,” says Taffel. “These days you could need it for a job interview, a wedding or a funeral.” A solid dark color (black, navy or charcoal gray) offers more flexibility in dressing up and down. Wear it on its own for a formal event and dress it down by pairing the jacket with jeans and a T-shirt. If you buy more than one, Bizzocchi recommends experimenting with browns. “A dark charcoal brown suit in a lightweight fabric has a lot of personality,” he says, “and it shows you have confidence.”

Stylish Sneakers
If you’d wear them to the gym or the basketball court, they do not go with jeans and a nice shirt on a Saturday night. Instead, go for something plain and simple that doesn’t read “gym.” Guess, Bally, Coach and Puma all make classic shoes that bridge the divide between athletic and fashion, and they read casual or dressy depending on the rest of your outfit (shorts, jeans or dark suit pants). “If I’m not in my boat shoes I wear a pair of Adidas white and blue Rod Laver sneakers,” says Taffel. “Sneakers have a life of their own.”

Jessica Lothstein is a former fashion journalist at Best Life magazine. She has written profiles on such designers as Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani and Michael Bastian.

Related posts:

1. 10 Style Tips Every Man Should Know
2. 10 More Style Tips Every Man Should Know
3. The World’s Most Expensive Men’s Suit

Heritage Key (Ann Wuyts)

With photos.

A French archaeological team digging at Saqqara has discovered the burial chamber of 6th Dynasty Queen Behenu, wife of either Pepi I or Pepi II. The burial chamber was revealed while the team was cleaning the sand from Behenu’s pyramid in the area of el-Shawaf in South Saqqara, west of the pyramid of King Pepi I.

The burial chamber uncovered by the French mission is badly damaged, apart from two inner walls which contain engraved Pyramid Texts. Those texts were widely used in royal tombs – carved on walls as well as sarcophagi – during the 5th and 6th Dynasties (circa 2465-2150BC).

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Ritonavir tablets have been approved, and are apparently now in pharmacies.  The capsules will also remain available for the foreseeable future.

However, I haven’t switched anyone over from the capsules yet, and neither has anyone else in our practice.

Would be interested in hearing how it’s going so far — best news would be that the tablets are both more convenient and have fewer side effects, but we know from the switch to Kaletra tablets that the latter might not occur.

(Which surprised me, I have to admit — thought the tablets would be better tolerated, but it was about the same.)

So … if you’ve switched patients to from the capsules to the tablets, comment away!

Now some people might think that two airline stewardesses fighting would be kind of hot in a twisted, mud wrestling kind of way. But when the fight happens on a plane, it’s not so hot for the passengers.

A recent flight from Rochester to Atlanta was forced to return to the gate when a fight broke out between two stewardesses. While Pinnacle Airlines, which operates the flight, said it was only a verbal disagreement, passengers on the plane describe the altercation as a fist fight. Nice.

So next time you’re on a plane, be nice to your flight attendant. You never know when she might take a swing at you.

photo credit: rbrwr

Related posts:

1. This Is Why Fat People Should Pay Double on Airlines

	Quick Spin: Driving an Amp Sky shows there’s real potential here It’s not perfect, but it is from Ohio.		Report: Cadillac Converj production program killed Apparently, your father’s Cadillac will be available for some time still.
	Daimler bonds with BYD for Chinese-market electric car Benz exec says, “we will be able to participate in the potential growth of electric mobility in China, currently the largest auto market of the world.”	Other news: NADA supports Senator Murkowski’s effort to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases Geneva 2010: Citroen Survolt bridges the divide Geneva 2010: The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept is sexy hybrid madness

AutoblogGreen for 03.03.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The tavern owners who came to a recent discussion at Oak Lawn’s village hall about video gaming said their patrons are tradesmen who don’t stop in as much as they used to for a few post-shift pops.

Video gaming would help fund a massive statewide capital bill that would put many tradespeople – and former tavern customers – back to work, they say. Everybody wins.

“If the state is going to legalize it, I can see no reason why the village shouldn’t let us legally add to our livelihoods,” said Roger Benson, owner of B.J. McMahon’s on 95th Street. “It would be silly for me not to take advantage of something that’s legal.”

Others who came to Monday’s forum passionately disapprove of video poker, calling it a “crack cocaine form of gambling.”

Jerry Prosapio, a Crestwood resident who said he overcame a crushing gambling habit, said “the thought that family restaurants that serve liquor can now add five video poker machines … is a very dangerous addition to their business.”

Pastor Philip Leo, of Calvin Christian Reform Church of Oak Lawn, said he didn’t want to make video gaming a polarizing political issue. He simply thinks communities that allow legalized video poker are breeding grounds for trouble, especially in a bad economy, so he’s against it.

“There’s a certain level of desperation, a level of hardship, that I haven’t seen in a very long time,” he said. “I don’t want that it in my community. I don’t want that in my Oak Lawn.”

At stake for Oak Lawn is an estimated $225,000 annually in tax revenue – sweet, reliable revenue – for a community that’s been hammered by the closing of car dealerships and sliding sales tax revenue.

Last year, the state Legislature legalized gambling terminals in taverns, restaurants and clubs, but allowed communities to prohibit the machines.

The state expected to reap some $287 million if 45,000 new video gaming machines were installed statewide, but has not yet implemented a plan to regulate them.

The prospects of possibly missing out on revenue – whether at the state and local levels or in local bars and restaurants – is what drew many tavern owners to Monday’s roundtable at village hall.

They also had other concerns, though they were hesitant to express at least one of them in public – if Oak Lawn prohibits legalized video gaming, the owners can kiss goodbye any profits from unregulated “For Amusement Only” machines in their establishments, which would be outlawed.

As for the legal machines, they’re each expected to bring in about $45,000 annually.

That revenue would be split thusly: 35 percent to the machine’s operator, 35 percent to the establishment’s owner, 25 percent to the state and 5 percent to the municipality.

The vast majority of revenue from video gaming across the state would be used for infrastructure improvements. A portion of the money would fall under the control of local governments.

Still unclear is whether Illinois would withhold funds to communities that ban video gaming.

A recent proposal that’s opposed by cities would slap a tax on communities and counties that bar video poker in an effort to make up revenue that would have been generated by the machines.

If they don’t repay the state, Illinois would deduct funds for other projects in their areas.

That measure still is under consideration in Springfield.

Of course, the $45,000 figure and any new revenue hinges on people actually plunking money into the machines, which would have a minimum bet of 5 cents and a maximum of $2 per play.

“That’s somebody’s hard-earned dollar going down the chutes,” Trustee Tom Phelan (6th) said. “This is Oak Lawn. This isn’t millionaires’ row or Las Vegas.”

Read the original article from SouthTown Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Parents in Oak-Lawn Hometown School District 123 strongly criticized board members Tuesday night during a special meeting to reconsider the closing of Brandt School.

Amid a standing-room-only crowd, several parents denounced the school board for making the decision last week to close the school without first seeking public input.

“These cuts are not an option,” said Marie Craven, reading a statement on behalf of her adult daughter, Karen Craven, who could not attend the meeting. “I believe the meeting this evening is redeeming. I hope this evening represents the start of a new chapter for School District 123.”

Karen Craven, who has a daughter in the district, has filed a complaint with the state attorney general’s office, alleging the Feb. 22 school board meeting violated Illinois’ open meetings law.

Rob Loehr, the father of a fifth-grade student at Covington School, was highly critical of the board for failing to inform the community of plans to close Brandt, which houses the district’s science center and early childhood program.

“You showed contempt and utter disregard for the taxpayers,” Loehr told board members. “I hope in the future you’ll be more transparent. Everyone here works for us. We need to be included.”

Jean Attig, a parent at Sward School, said the board should have discussed publicly the proposal to close Brandt before voting on the issue.

“In my opinion, you have failed us,” Attig said.

The board had not voted on whether to reverse its decision on Brandt by the SouthtownStar deadline.

Elaine Barlos, president of the District 123 teachers union, commended the board for reconsidering the budget cuts, describing Tuesday night’s meeting as a “positive. They didn’t have to do this.”

The meeting was called after a week of mounting criticism from parents and teachers who said they were not given adequate notice of last week’s meeting or the plan to close the school.

Faced with a $1.5 million budget shortage, District 123 officials said the closing of Brandt, 8901 S. 52nd St., will save them from cutting more critical programs. Board members agreed that budget cuts are necessary for the district to avoid more drastic financial problems in a few years.

“We are well funded up until 2014,” board president Joe Sorrentino said.

“The need to cut is real, in my mind,” board member Richard Mason said. “This is not a one-year problem.”

The parents’ comments were followed by a lengthy discussion of the district’s finances, including other potential program cuts the board could consider in lieu of closing Brandt School.

Read the original article from SouthTown Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Village officials in Oak Lawn invoked the recent tragic fire inside a Cicero apartment building that killed seven people as a reminder that overcrowding can cause danger and confusion during emergencies.

Landlord Mike Slinkman, who was on the receiving end of that reminder, thinks their timing is suspect.

Slinkman and his brother Mark filed a federal lawsuit against Oak Lawn last month, alleging that several village officials conspired to make false and malicious claims against them and their Colonial Court Apartments complex, located at 93rd Street and Harlem Avenue.

They came to a recent village board meeting with complaints that the village wouldn’t accept remaining payments for a business license fee because of a paperwork issue stemming from a rental property ordinance, which places certain limits on the number of tenants who can live in a rental property.

The ordinance also mandates that tenants must give the village the names of everyone sharing a unit before moving in.

Slinkman said the village already has a list containing the majority of Colonial Court’s tenants in its files, and making him jump through another hoop is “the height of silliness.”

Trustees Alex Olejniczak (2nd) and Bob Streit (3rd) – both named in the Slinkmans’ lawsuit – responded to the claim and defended the requirement.

“If you don’t have tenants registered … you can’t prevent problems,” Olejniczak said.

Both trustees cited the fatal fire, which erupted in an overcrowded Cicero apartment building, as a worst-case scenario for keeping spotty records of tenants.

Streit said Cicero firefighters were unaware of how many people were in the building as it burned, making it harder for authorities to organize an emergency response.

The reference left Slinkman stewing.

“That’s disgusting,” he said, walking out of the village auditorium mid-meeting. “This is disgusting to bring up these people’s tragedy.”

Slinkman said he’s been deeply involved in that fire’s aftermath and has worked with a Berwyn agency to help one of the families affected by the fire.

That family will be staying in one of Slinkman’s buildings in Stickney, he said.

“This ordinance has nothing to do with seven people dying in this tragedy,” he said.

But some at village hall see Slinkman’s outburst differently.

Trustees have said Slinkman is a nuisance who’s seeking attention, and that his behavior at the Feb. 23 board meeting was yet another way to grab it.

At that meeting, Trustee Tom Duhig (4th) even invoked Shakespeare’s Macbeth, likening Slinkman to a candle, saying “Out, out, brief candle.”

As for Slinkman, he said he was merely reacting to what he views as the latest jab from the village in a feud that stretches back to last fall.

Read the original article from SouthTown Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Businesses see slight improvement in Southland economy, but don’t expect it to come roaring back soon

You’ve crafted dozens of cover letters, neurotically fine-tuned the resume.If you’re unemployed, or underemployed, an undercurrent of hope has run through the months, even year, you’ve job hunted. One day, companies will hire again, you say.

The good news? It’s clear the Southland’s economy hit rock bottom and is on a slow road back to health.

Labriola Baking Company employee Juan Lopez pulls ciabatta bread off a conveyor belt at the companys bakery in Alsip. The company’s president, Rich Labriola, said he hasn’t seen many signs the economy is improving.

(Joseph P. Meier/SouthtownStar)

But the bad news is employers still are too vulnerable to begin spending the money on hiring new employees when they’re not sure they have enough of a demand to sustain a larger work force, and they’re wary of potential dips in the economy.

And no one is in the mood to go through more layoffs that plagued much of the last two years.

For now, they’re paying their slim staffs overtime or using temporary employment services to fill spikes in business.

“Things are still very flat,” said Thomas Hall, past chair of the Southland Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president and director of commercial banking with Mokena-based First National Bank. “It takes a while before (employers) are confident enough to add to their payroll on a permanent basis. That typically means seeing a full year of improvement before adding.”

The economy hasn’t rebounded to the point where businesses are forecasting a successful 2010. Still looming is the sluggish housing market, despite government incentives and low prices.

But the silver lining could be that to the degree the economy fell, there’s no where for business to go but up.

It just may take a while.

Hall cited broad weaknesses still in manufacturing and distribution arenas – many of the jobs Southlanders relied on – but said signs point toward growth as prices of steel have grown, indicating demand is up.

“We don’t anticipate seeing any real move to increase headcount till later in the year,” he said.

Most Southland employers echoed his prediction: 2010 would see slow progression, but next year is poised to be the rebound year.

“We’re still feeling it, feeling some of the pain,” said David Wexler, owner of The Little Guys Home Electronics in Glenwood. “But people are walking through the door buying stuff and before, they weren’t even walking through the door.”

What Wexler has seen is a pickup in people upgrading their current home entertainment systems, as opposed to outfitting new houses. That side of his business has increased 20 to 25 percent compared with two years ago.

Before hiring, though, employers say they need to see several back-to-back quarters of improvement on their books.

“We feel we’re right-sized now,” said Mary Fote, the vice president of administration for University Park-based Bimba Manufacturing, which manufactures cylinders that allow other companies to automate their production.

The company employs 390 people, down about 19 percent since January 2009. Bimba used a combination of layoffs and not filling openings caused by retirements, Fote said.

“No company wants to face another reduction in force in the near future,” she said. “Things might not pick up as much as we thought.”

Business remains stalled for Ace Hardware’s paint division in Matteson. It saw a poor fourth quarter at the close of 2009 and sales have not improved so far this year, Jack Wickham, the division’s director, said.

“When people buy a new home the first thing they always do is paint some rooms, and that’s good for us,” he said. “I just think it has to do with we dropped so far in the housing market, an increase now doesn’t really equate to a big spike in volume.”

Wickham expects it will take three to four years before the business builds back to levels it operated at in 2006 and 2007.

Ace’s only bright spot has been in exterior paints, which haven’t necessarily grown in sales but also haven’t dropped.

“People are more interested in protecting their home (from the elements) rather than beautifying,” Wickham said.

Restaurants, in particular medium- to high-end ones, still haven’t seen much improvement, said Rich Labriola, president of the Labriola Baking Company. It supplies wholesale bread and pastries to restaurants from Indianapolis to Milwaukee.

“I think there’s a difference between things being a little better and what everyone’s talking about – turning the corner,” he said.

For restaurants, the price of commodities has made as much, if not more, of an impact on business that just a drop in diners, Labriola said.

When prices rose during the recession, restaurants ate those costs, unable to pass them along to patrons. As a result, Labriola has seen a drop in sales to posh restaurants.

“Costs have come down to be more manageable,” he said. “Not really that (restaurant) sales have taken off, costs have gone down.”

Labriola has had more patrons at its cafe in Oakbrook Terrace, where prices, hovering around $10 per dish, are more palatable to budget-conscious diners.

“The higher the check average, really, the more it’s a struggle to keep getting people through the doors,” Labriola said.

Some fields, such as retail and health care, have continued growing during the Great Recession, contrasting what most other industries have seen.

It’s why the experts tell the jobless all the old cliches: think outside the box, look to different or emerging fields, such as the green movement.

An upcoming job fair at Moraine Valley Community College’s Job Resource Center has many of the same employers it sees every year – 30 at last count – signed up in search of new workers.

Center Director Pamela Payne would not name them but said they are offering salaried, part-time, hourly, and opportunities with benefits and without.

“If you’re looking in manufacturing, there might not be (jobs),” she said. “Sometimes you can’t always align the job with the industry. If you’re an accountant, have you ever considered higher education or doing accounting in health care?”

JOBLESS ON THE RISE

Local jobless rates, not seasonally adjusted, for Southland communities as tracked by Illinois Department of Employment Security.

DECEMBER 2009 2008 2007

Chicago Heights 18.3 13.4 9.4

Evergreen Park 11.7 7.7 5.0

Homer Glen 8.9 5.3 3.8

Oak Forest 10.7 6.6 4.5

Oak Lawn 10.9 7.1 4.7

Orland Park 8.4 5.4 3.8

Park Forest 11.5 7.7 5.7

Tinley Park 8.9 5.7 3.7

Chicago metro area 4.9 6.9 10.6

MIXED OUTLOOK

Chicago-area businesses say the worst of the Great Recession is over, but they’re not yet ready to begin hiring, according to a survey by the Management Association of Illinois.

62

Percent of employers who expect staffing levels to remain unchanged this year.

17

Percent that expect to hire more employees.

12

Percent that will cut their work force through layoffs or attrition.

46

Percent of businesses that think the economy is getting better.

61

Percent that expect their company’s performance to be better this year than in 2009.

Read the original article from SouthTown Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Ridership on Orland Park’s Dial-A-Ride buses has dropped since the village reduced service and raised fares at the start of the new year.

To help close a budget shortfall for the 2010 fiscal year, the village made cuts to the Dial-A-Ride program, eliminating weekend service and changing the fare schedule to $4 for all riders unless they are disabled.

Disabled riders who show a reduced fare card from the Regional Transportation Authority or a disabled identity card from the Illinois secretary of state’s office pay $2.

The majority of the program’s riders are seniors or the disabled who must call 24 hours in advance to schedule a ride. Rides are scheduled on a first-come, first- served basis.

In January of 2009 there were 1,274 one-way weekday trips and 191 one-way Saturday trips recorded. Last month, 938 weekday one-way trips were recorded, a ridership decline of 36 percent.

Village manager Paul Grimes and Trustee Ed Schussler, finance chairman, said the decline is what officials anticipated.

“We factored a 33 percent reduction in ridership as we are operating one-third less bus capacity,” Grimes said. “Moreover, with the fare increase, we budgeted for an additional 10 percent fall off in ridership. In sum, the January numbers are consistent with what we expected.”

Schussler said that while ridership is down, so is feedback.

A proposal to eliminate the service drew substantial opposition late last year.

“I’ve received no feedback, positive or negative,” Schussler said. “Things seem to be operating fine with the reduced schedule.”

Mayor Dan McLaughlin, who said he hasn’t received any phone calls on the service, agreed.

“I would consider it means the program is still providing service to people in need,” he said.

But Schussler said some riders, who are disabled, have grumbled because they need to show identification.

David Hutter whose 31-year-old disabled son takes the bus four days a week to a job at the Sportsplex, said they opted for the ID from the secretary of state’s office.

“It was the best way to go,” he said.

The RTA card required too much paperwork and it didn’t come in time, he said.

Hutter said the fare increase is a hardship on some riders who, like his son, do not make much money.

But aside from that he has no complaints.

The service provides his son and others with a sense of independence, a very important aspect of the program, he said.

Despite the reduction in service, Hutter said his son has had no trouble scheduling rides when he needs them.

“It’s been great,” Hutter said. “They pick him up at home and drop him off.”

While Orland Park’s ridership is down, the Orland Township Senior Transportation Program has seen a spike in the number of riders who sign up for free rides.

Betty Fugger, Orland Township’s senior transportation coordinator, said the township’s service accommodates seniors 55 and older. But it doesn’t have the capacity to help those seniors who use wheelchairs.

While medical appointments are the township’s main focus, rides to the bank, beauty parlor and senior luncheons are also given.

She said she sees more riders who used the village’s Dial-A-Ride program calling the township to schedule rides.

Last month, the township gave 991 one-way rides to seniors, up from 941 rides given in January 2009, Fugger said.

“They can get a better deal with us,” she said. “It’s all about the money.”

Read the original article from SouthTown Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Facebook has decided that its 400 million or so users deserve to see a little more of their friends or even of themselves. Quite literally. New photos uploaded to Facebook will now be precisely 116 pixels wider, as the size limit increased from 604 to 720 pixels, an almost 20-percent increase if you want to have clear metric. The move has been known for a while no… (read more)

Prefer sa raman optimist si intr-o dispozitie buna in majoritatea timpului.In momentele in care starea asta nu-mi reuseste, soarta/viata imi da motive sa-mi revin.
Iata un exemplu : Primesc un mail cu subiectul : “Ofer bani”. Interesant,mi-am zis…merita aprofundat subiectul ! (mai ales pe criza)
Incep sa citesc :

“Buna ziua.
Am foarte multi bani si nu stiu ce sa fac cu ei.
As cumpara niste fiare vechi… credeti ca aveti de vanzare asa ceva ?

Daca da, sunati-ma la 0762-884-652 sa va umplu de bani.
Atentie, nu ofer banii mei decat persoanelor care sunt la o distanta de maxim 30km de bucuresti.
Accept orice tip de metale cum ar fi ( fier, alama, aluminium, cupru, otel, fonta, plumb… si asa mai departe ).

Nu accept metale pretioase
Viorel ma numesc ( in cazul in care intreaba cineva ).”

In concluzie, il cheama Viorel, are foarte multi bani de dat, nu are ce face cu ei si vrea sa ii dea in schimbul unor metale. Eventual poate aveti un fier si il dati de cap !

Trimite si prietenilor:

No related posts.

We had discussed earlier this year just how damages should be figured out (and if they should be available at all) for bogus DMCA takedowns. The law, technically, says that there can be punishment, but it’s rare to see a case ever get that far. In the ongoing Lenz v. Universal Music, however, (about the video takedown of a child dancing to less than 30 seconds of a Prince song), the judge has ruled that damages are available, but at the same time limited how those damages might be calculated. So, there’s some good, in that filing bogus DMCA takedowns can lead to damages, but the amounts are likely to be so small in most cases as to be meaningless. Compare this, of course, with the statutory damages given to those who infringe on copyrights — starting at $750 for sharing a single item and going way up from there. How is that equitable? Basically, the incentive is quite strong for copyright holders to continue to file DMCA’s willy-nilly, knowing that the threat of errors is mostly minimal, even as the impact is to silence one’s free speech — which should be seen as a bigger issue than interfering with someone’s business model.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Speculating on how much money Facebook makes is almost as popular as speculating on when Twitter will start bringing in the cash. We heard several numbers last year and, as the time passed, those numbers increased. The latest estimates coming from the Inside Facebook blog are higher yet again and put the social network’s revenue at above $600 million for… (read more)

The President makes a soggy stop upon the “Broder Ride” (‘ride the Mild Broder!’*) at the Village Amusement Park engaged:

President Obama has sent a letter to congressional leaders outlining four GOP ideas from last week’s health care summit that he’s amenable to including in the reform bill.

The ideas were all rather minor and some were very petty (they were, after all Republican ideas), but there they were, a sop and grist for the mill and something for the mythical bipartisan pony to neigh about.

And how’d it go? — like you needed to ask:

…no Republicans are likely to vote for the Democratic reforms, regardless of which GOP ideas are added to the legislation. The unsurprising GOP reaction to Obama’s letter can be summed up in three words: Scrap the bills.

Ah, the thee-ate-er — a performance piece. About as entertaining as Sarah Palin doing stand up.

*I’m sorry, I know many of you were too grossed out to continue reading beyond this point.

Oxfam is the largest retailer of second-hand books in Europe, and we couldn’t do it without dedicated volunteers. One of them is Andy Barnes, who recently set himself the ambitious goal of reading at least one book from every country in the world. Here he gives us a very different perspective on quake-stricken Haiti.

One of the nice things about my global reading challenge is that it often causes me to look at a particular country in a new way. Some places tend to be presented very one-dimensionally in the media and Haiti is a prime example. Even before the recent disaster, the word “Haiti” always seems to be followed by, “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere”, as if this was its official title. Unfortunately, you can now add “disaster zone” to that stock phrase. But my reading has introduced me to a very different Haiti.

I added the Caribbean island to my reading list a couple of years ago (it was country number 112, for anyone keeping score). It was part of an online book group where we invited readers to find anything they could by Haitian writers. This proved a very rewarding experience and we unearthed some really interesting fiction.

I read Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain. Roumain was a socialist who violently opposed colonial influence in Haiti and wanted to create a new nationalism that was based on the African roots of its people, as opposed to the French origins of their former owners. Written in 1944, Masters of the Dew is a socialist-realist novel that follows the story of Manuel, who is returning to his Haitian village after years in Cuba, to find it poor, starving and feuding. He tries to unite the village to build a canal so that it can farm prosperously and harmoniously once more but finds that old hatreds, religious beliefs and scheming landlords block his path.

The story was Roumain’s way of showing his fellow Haitians how religious and ethnic rivalries can be exploited to create divisions between people and keep them living in poverty. Despite being slightly heavy-handed in its political preaching, it was a book I really enjoyed. I found out a lot about how African influences have affected Haitian culture, religion and language.

Other readers in the group read books by writers such as Jacques Stephen Alexis, Paulette Poujol Oriol and Lilas Desquiron, all of which are currently out of print but can still be found with a little persistence. The most popular writer was Edwidge Danticat, an American-Haitian who writes about the expat experience and important moments in Haitian history. I know we have had some of her books pass through the Oxfam shop and she is still writing. They are well worth keeping an eye out for.

The Haiti these writers introduced me to was a much deeper, richer and varied place than the simple stereotype we sometimes see on TV. The search for identity seemed to be a recurring theme, which is understandable given Haiti’s beginnings as a former slave colony that successfully rebelled against its masters, its distinctly Creole culture and religion (combined with European and American influences) and its often violent history. The country’s past is punctuated with shocking events, such as a massacre of up to 30,000 Haitians in the Dominican Republic and the reintroduction of a form of slavery in the early 20th Century. Perhaps this history of turmoil and disaster explains why Haiti has produced so many good writers.

My global challenge has given me a new perspective on many places that only appear in our media in times of crisis. Haiti may still be “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere” and it is undeniably a disaster zone at the moment but it is good to remember that it is also a vibrant country with a long history and fascinating culture, whose citizens are capable of producing some wonderful literature. Check out some of the writers I’ve mentioned and you’ll see what I mean.

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Elizabeth Cotton has called the Sankey Hi-Rise apartments home for 2 1/2 years.

She enjoys cooking for her neighbors and chatting with friends in the halls. She describes the 14-story building as a wonderful place to live.

Like all the residents at Sankey, however, Cotton knows there are changes on the horizon. The towers, both about 40 years old, have started to deteriorate, and the Springfield Housing Authority plans to tear them down. The hi-rise buildings would be replaced by a smaller facility with larger apartments.

For Cotton and the other people who call Sankey home, it will be the end of an era.

“I love this area out here,” said Cotton, 49. “I’ve lived on this side of town a lot of my life. It’s peaceful to me. I hope that most of the people I’ve met at Sankey and become friends with can all come back to the same place. That’s the only thing I worry about – that most aren’t going to come back.”

The building at 415 W. Allen St. was completed in 1968. Its twin at 401 W. Allen St. opened in 1971.

Over the years, the housing authority has had an ongoing problem with water leaks in both towers, and bricks are starting to get loose in spots.

No one lives in the building at 415 W. Allen St., which was damaged by fire about 18 months ago. About 108 people live at the building at 401 W. Allen.

No danger

Jackie Newman, executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority, said the remaining residents aren’t in any danger, but the housing authority wants to act before problems becomes more serious.

There is no timetable, but it could be three years or more before the buildings are torn down.

Jonell Hansen, 47, who has lived at Sankey for 4 1/2 years, said she would like to see the federal government designate more money for housing.

“If they (federal officials) would give housing the money that is due them, to help keep these places up, they wouldn’t be having to tear this place down,” Hansen said.

With so many people living at Sankey, there are bound to be a few personality clashes.

Most of the people at the building, however, aren’t looking for any trouble, said Traci Jostes, 50.

“The people are decent. If you treat like you want to be treated, they treat you that way,” Jostes said. “If you are nice and talk to them, they are nice and talk to you. If you are mean, obnoxious and fighting all the time, then that’s what you are going to get.”

Jostes, the resident council president, has lived at Sankey for about six years. She lives on the 11th floor with Cotton.

Over the years, Jostes has seen some of the structural problems firsthand.

“I was in two handicapped apartments in 415 (the building that is closed). Every time it rained, the apartments leaked. I’m in an electric wheelchair. I can’t be in water. That’s a problem,” Jostes said.

Friends look out for each other

While Jostes’ current apartment is handicapped accessible, it is on the 11th floor. When the fire alarm sounds, she is unable to use the elevator.

Jostes said she goes into her apartment and shuts her door when she hears the alarm. She has been told that if there is a fire, it would not be able to jump from apartment to apartment.

Newman said the SHA knows which apartments are occupied by people with mobility issues, and there are evacuation plans in place to take care of them if there is a fire.

In addition to the official plans, Jostes’ neighbors also look out for her.

When they have to evacuate for a fire alarm, Cotton said she checks on Jostes and then makes sure the fire department knows where Jostes can be found.

For Cotton, looking out for the people on her floor is second nature.

“I’m up early in the morning,” Cotton said. “I always check on my neighbor, Patricia, and Phil. I hear Traci (Jostes) when she comes out the door. I’ll say hi to her, and we’ll usually talk for a while. Every once in a while, her cat will run into my apartment.”

Cotton enjoys cooking and often shares with the neighbors.

“When I cook, everybody can smell the aroma in the hall and down to the tenth floor. I love to cook,” Cotton said.

Like Cotton, Jostes would like to return when the SHA rebuilds at the Sankey site. She likes the area because it’s centrally located.

“I rely on my mom, niece, friends and sister to run me around,” Jostes said. “They are all on the southwest side of town. This place is centrally located for me. I like this area.”

John Reynolds can be reached at 788-1524.

Sankey facts

*The Sankey Hi-Rises include two 14-story towers.

*The building at 415 W. Allen St. was opened in 1968, and the building at 401 W. Allen St. in 1971.

*Together, the buildings have about 215 units. The building at 415 W. Allen St. was closed about 18 months ago following a fire. About 108 people live in the building at 401 W. Allen St.

*The buildings were named after John E. Sankey, who served on the Springfield Housing Authority board for many decades.

Problems with leaks, brick facades led to demolition decision

Water leaks and potential trouble with the brick facade are two of the problems that led the Springfield Housing Authority to decide to demolish the Sankey Hi-Rises on West Allen Street.

Jackie Newman, executive director of the housing authority, said there is no immediate danger to residents living at the facility. Decisions are being made now, she said, so the process of replacing the towers can get under way before problems become serious.

“Let me make it clear. We are not afraid that the building is going to fall down tomorrow,” Newman said. “What we are attempting to do is to be pro-active versus waiting and experiencing what happened at the Major Byrd Hi-Rise, where the bricks started to fall.”

The housing authority tore down the Major Byrd Hi-Rise at 125 N. 13th St. in 2006, after it experienced structural problems including the collapse of a brick wall.

The Sankey buildings are similar to design to Major Byrd, so they could be susceptible to the same problem of brick facades tearing away from walls.

Some bricks at the Sankey buildings are starting to become loose, but the housing authority doesn’t expect any immediate problems.

“We want to make sure we don’t wait until the bricks fall before we do something about it,” Newman said.

The buildings also have experienced leaks.

“Anytime water gets into a building, it’s going to cause some semblance of deterioration,” Newman said.

New facility reflects changing philosophy

Springfield Housing Authority officials plan to replace the Sankey Hi-Rise complex with a smaller facility that has larger apartments.

The two Sankey towers are 14 stories tall. Combined, they have about 215 units.

Plans call for the new facility to be about five stories tall and have about 130 to 135 units.

The housing authority has a drawing of what a new facility might look like, but it is very preliminary, said Jackie Newman, director of the Springfield Housing Authority.

“Absolutely nothing is firm,” Newman said. “We wanted to give people a what-if – ‘This could look like this.’ This is a preliminary rendering of what a four- or five-story facility would look like versus a 14-floor facility.”

A smaller facility also would fit the changing philosophy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Back when (Sankey) was built, HUD believed in just the very basics, which is one of the reasons air conditioning wasn’t included. But, now, their position has changed,” Newman said.

Read the original article from The State Journal-Register.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services