Clearly, strategic planning is no panacea. Strategic planning is simply a set of concepts, procedures, and tools designed to help leaders, managers, and planners think and act strategically. Used in wise and skillful ways by a “coalition of the willing,” strategic planning can help organizations focus on producing effective decisions and actions that further the organization’s mission, meet in mandates, and satisfy key stakeholders. But strategic planning is not a substitute for strategic thinking and acting. Only caring and committed people can do that. And when used thoughtlessly, strategic planning can actually drive out precisely the kind of strategic thought and action it is supposed to promote.

Furthermore, strategic planning is not a substitute for leadership. There is simply no substitute for leadership when it comes to using strategic planning to enhance organizational performance. At least some key decision makers and process champions must be committed to the strategic planning process, or any attempts to use it are bound to fail.

In addition, strategic planning is not synonymous with creating an organizational strategy. Organizational strategies have numerous sources, both planned and unplanned. Strategic planning is likely to result in statement of organizational intentions, but what is realized in practice will be some combination of what is intended and what emerges along the way. Strategic planning can help organizations develop and implement effective strategies, but they should also remain open to unforeseen opportunities. Too much attention to strategic planning and excessive reverence for strategic plans can build organizations to other unplanned and unexpected—yet incredibly useful—sources of information, insight, and action.

The discipline necessary for strategic planning can be of two sorts. The first harkens back to Latin root of the word “discipline,” emphasizing instruction, training, education, and learning. The second embodies later interpretations of the word, emphasizing order, control, and punishment. Emphasis should be placed on education and learning, although there clearly are occasions when imposing order, taking control, and enforcing appropriate sanctions are appropriate. Certainly, key leaders, managers, and planners can best use strategic planning as an educational and learning tool, to help them figure out what is really important and what should be done about it. Sometimes this means following a particular sequence of steps and preparing formal strategic plans, but not necessarily. The ultimate goal of strategic planning should not be a rigid adherence to a particular process or an instance on the production of plans. Instead, strategic planning should promote wise strategic thought and action on behalf of an organization and its key stakeholders. What steps to follow, in what sequence, and whether or not to prepare formal plans are subsidiary concerns.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

An organization will not begin the transformation until it is aware that the quality of the product or service must be improved. Awareness comes about when an organization loses market share or realizes that quality and productivity go hand in hand. It also occurs if TQM is mandated by the customer or if management realizes that TQM is a better way to run business and compete in domestic and world markets.

Automation or other productivity enhancements might not help a corporation if it is unable to market its product or service because the quality is poor. The Japanese learned this fact from practical experience. They could sell their products only at ridiculously low prices, and even then it was difficult to secure repeat sales. Until recently, corporations have not recognized the importance of quality. However, a new attitude has emerged—quality first among the equals of cost and service—the customer wants value.

Quality and productivity are not mutually exclusive. Improvements in quality can lead directly to increased productivity and other benefits. The improved quality results in improvement in productivity, capacity, and profit. Many quality improvement projects are achieved with the same workforce, same overhead, and no investment in new equipment.

More and more corporations are recognizing the importance and necessity of quality improvement if they are to survive domestic and world-wide competition. Quality improvement is not limited to the conformance of the product or service to specifications; it also involves the inherent quality in the design of the system. The prevention of the product, service, and process problems is a more desirable objective than taking corrective action after the product is manufactured or a service rendered.

TQM does not occur overnight; there are no quick remedies. It takes a long time to build the appropriate emphasis and techniques into the culture. Over-emphasis on short term results and profits must be set aside so long-term planning and constancy of purpose will prevail.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. Jan. 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry’s previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. Nov. 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. Apr. 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to #1 in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit #1 in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British #1. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggaeish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to #1 in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members – Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth and last new album, was released in July 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment. At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original line-up of Harry, Stein, Destri and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year.

Blondie All Music Guide Biography

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry’s previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit number one in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart-topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggae-ish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to number one in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members — Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth album, was released in May 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment.

At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original lineup of Harry, Stein, Destri, and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year. After more touring, this was followed by another studio set, The Curse of Blondie, in 2003, and a DVD of the Live by Request program from A&E was released in 2004. In 2006, Blondie celebrated their 30th anniversary with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision, a best-of collection that contained all their classic videos as well.

What will be the shape of the new corporation—the company that survives and thrives on the difficult path to the twenty-first century? Will it be a flattened pyramid, a networked cluster, a hollowed-out donut, or possibly even a shamrock?

These and other nonhierarchical possibilities stimulate a great deal of interesting speculation. The art of organization design is at a significant crossroads. Many of its old truisms are coming under fire, and few new proven ones have emerged to replace them. But at least some sense of direction for the new corporation is apparent: It will be a business with few walls. Its structure will minimize barriers between staff thinkers  and line doers, between functions and divisions, and between the company and the outside world.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, Lectures, Line of Sight

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are well and enjoying life.

One of the greatest assets we have is a movement is our young people.  As I look across the state it amazes me how talented and gifted our young people are.  As a Senior Pastor, I know how important it is to be investing and encouraging our young people to become all that God has called them to become.

How great it is to see a young person emerge into a young leader.  I’m sure that you work hard as a minister to see this emergence in your own church, and we  (ACC) as a State want to do all we can to assist you in this process.

EMERGE is a one day leadership intensive for all young people that want to grow and develop their leadership potential.  This day will benefit individuals from Year 10 all the way through to 30ish.  It’s a day for young people who are called to or simply have a heart for youth, worship, kids, pastoral or administration or any other area of ministry.

This year’s speakers are Ps Alun Davies, Ps Corey Turner, Ps Paul Kellock and myself.

Please find the details below, if you have any questions please contact Ps Vivien McDonald on 03.9240.6000 or email: vivien.mcdonald@enjoychurch.com.au

Don’t miss this opportunity to send your young people to what will be a great day with other young leaders from around the state.  With 4 great speakers, morning tea and lunch provided, for only $40 this is a day not to be missed.

What: Development Day for Emerging & Young Leaders

When: Saturday 21^st November, 9.30am – 3.30pm

Where: Enjoy Church, 2263 Princess Highway, Mulgrave, Vic. 3170

Who: Year 10 – 30ish

How: www.accvic.com.au/emerge09

Cost: $40

If under 18 years of age, a parental release form needs to be completed – available from www.accvic.com.au/emerge09

Barbara Wagner always loved a good fondue. Dried meats, toasted breads, succulent chunks of pork, slices of roast duck: she enjoyed dipping things. Taking foodstuffs in her pudgy fingers, she would renew them in a  baptism of melted cheese, cackle wildly as they emerged, and set them aside to cool. She would arrange them in a pyramid, cube or some other madly popular shape, going for the aesthetic affect of a towering establishment of curdled milk, referred to it quietly as her nativity scene of deliciousness. Seeing as how she never had guests, the creations would often get eaten by her rottweiler puppy, Turner, who in turn suffered from loathsome bouts of eye-watering gas.

Her holidays were often marked by the silence of lonely years now normalized. The coffee pot more often than not could be heard hissing its woebegone cries from the innards of the lime-green kitchen. The subtle humming of the small burner under the earthenware pot of melted cheese was like the respiration of a baby, the stalwart humming of a carpenter, the calming presence of the silent elder. It’s reverberations imbued every object in the house with a sense of pastoral continuity, grassy highlands on roaming hills, endless sighs of relief in the open lands of forever.

She dipped with fervent regard for the task at hand, practicing metallurgy with product of moo. The downward dipping motion, curled fingers backwards towards her palm, the extended index finger and thumb, the light grip touching the object to the melted mass, the release and the sigh of relief. It was in, it had been placed mindfully, it would remain for two minutes, no more, no less, soak up the milky characteristics and mix them with its own. Then the quick movements to the tray of pronged fondue forks on the right, picking up just the right one that speaks and says, “It is my turn. I am ready to dive in, to prong. I am ready to live.” The gleam of the polished silver, the ebony handle tight within her grip, she sails it downwards into the murky waters below, fishes the food item out with a perfected hooking motion, gasps every time it emerges anew. “You are beautiful,” she tells it. “You have started the day as a piece of salami and now, you are a work of art. Bravo, dear marbled sausage!” She would place it carefully amongst other dipped items, lean back in her worn, oak rocking chair and smile at a job well done.

“To fondue,” she would think to herself, “is an act of God.”

It’s been far too long since I have posted here.  Several weeks of being in limbo, infiltrated by a flu virus (I call it the IMFU2 virus!).  Felt like I was visiting the Land of the Recently Deceased. 

It’s time to emerge from the viral infusion, the cellular confusion, the dimensional diffusion.

- – - – - – -

I recently obtained an amazing Oracle deck, the Devas of Creation, self-published by Cilla Conway.  (Cilla is also the artist of the Intuitive Tarot, one of my favorite Tarot decks.)  The Devas of Creation is a 72 card deck depicting the emanation of the Divine in its infinite expression and expanson, from the Void to the Cosmos, from the Big Bang to the Fundamental Elements to the Microcosm, and back again.

This deck best speaks to me through one-card selections and meditation.  Near the end of my viral bout, I performed a reading on the topic of “Recover”, and the card that surfaced was the Deva of Emergence.

Deva of Emergence

The Deva of Emergence rises from the tempering fires, shining with incandescent expression.  This is a flare of creative release, the  joy of being and doing and Now!

Cilla Conway provides a wonderful query and challenge from the Devas of Creation booklet:

“What do you love doing more than anything else?
How often do you allow yourself to experience this activity, and the joy that accompanies it?  If you have not experienced that joy recently, you are preventing it.  So what underlying messages do you have that stop you?”

It’s time to emerge from the limbo of excuses and someday.  It is time to be, Now!

eMerge is a fashion trade show for emerging & upcoming brands to showcase their collections to the best boutiques & retailers.
YD&HS will definitely be in the building for this one, we just received the e-mail invite today so were getting ready for this..if your going to be anywhere near Miami,FL in April come through, check us out & after party with us.

for more info on eMERGE click here.

Итак к примеру начали мы установку gentoo по всем известному мануалу. Собрали: загрузчик, ядро и собственно дошли до того момента когда еще ничего лишнего со времени чистого stage-3 не добавлено однако минимально достаточная система уже загружается и работает.

Дальше начинаются душевные терзания. “Ах чтож теперь делать?” или “Как бы вот поставить вот то а потом вдруг оно мне не понравится?” Так вот на данном этапе избавление от душевных терзаний принесет чтение вот этого довольно скучного документа /usr/portage/sys-apps/portage/ChangeLog

Тут надо сделать лирическое отступление.

В portage есть ebuild, meta ebuild. Первые просто ebuild собирают одну программу/библиотеку. А вторые meta ebuild сами не устанавливают в систему ровным счетом ничего. Однако meta ebuild используется в тех случаях когда нужно поставить множество простых ebuild объединенных некой сущностью.

Ну к примеру app-misc/mc поставит программу mc а вот kde-base/kde-meta вытянет и установит все “стандартные” ebuild-ы для KDE. Иными словами meta ebuild это такой хитрый ebuild для сборки множеств/наборов ebuild.

Тут конец лирического отступления.

Так вот если внимательно читать документ /usr/portage/sys-apps/portage/ChangeLog то можно заметить много раз повторяющееся выражение package set. Так вот если в нескольких словах то package set это решение для человека раздираемого душевными страданиями из второго абзаца.

Напомню он поставил stage-3 собрал загрузчик и ядро. У него уже все заработало но дальше он сомневается что именно он хочет gnome/kde. В общем сомнений и причин душевных терзаний можно придумать множество. Объединяет их одно – желание каким либо образом иметь возможность откатить систему до того счастливого момента когда стоял stage-3, загрузчик и ядро.

Предполагаем что на данный момент установлен stage-3, загрузчик и ядро в общем минимальная рабочая система. В командах все банально:

emerge eix; #если еще нет...
eix-update;
mkdir /etc/portage/sets/
eix -Ic --only-names >> /etc/portage/sets/core

После такого шаманства в системе появится файлик /etc/portage/sets/core со списком всех установленных приложений. А вот с точки зрения portage мы создали package set под названием @core.

Команда

emerge --list-sets

покажет доступные package set`s в системе.

Но stage-3+grub+kernel обычно собирают ради DM/WM. И следущий этап это x11-base/xorg-server и x11-base/xorg-x11. Какой бы DM/WM вы не выбрали xorg все равно нужен. xorg это следущая основная точка бекапа. xorg собирается достаточно долго для того чтобы вы сами придумали как сделать package set для иксов. Важно понять одно USE флаги влияю на зависимости. Изменение USE флагов поменяет зависимости и не забывайте что package set это обычный текстовой файлик, который автоматически никто за вас переделывать не будет.

Ну к примеру второй этап с USE флагами для иксов определились… Тут можно сделать

emerge x11-base/xorg-x11 x11-base/xorg-server -pv >> ~/some-file

И за время пока иксы будут собираться вы успеете в любимом текстовом редакторе привести файл ~/some-file к виду /etc/portage/sets/core

А можно дождаться окончания сборки иксов а потом повторить

eix -Ic --only-names >> /etc/portage/sets/some-file

а затем diff-ом создать /etc/portage/sets/X в который войдет все что было в /etc/portage/sets/some-file за исключением /etc/portage/sets/core
Вот появилась необходимость и man diff почитать

Ладно предположим вы разобрались и с этим. Зачем нужны были package set и как они облегчат жизнь человеку?

emerge @core #пересоберет все из core
emerge @X #пересобирет все из xorg

Предположим в один прекрасный день человек решил что xorg вовсе ему не нужен

emerge @X --unmerge #прощайте иксы... 

И у человека осталось stage-3+grub+kernel.

Конечно package set не исключительно единственно правильный способ. package set это удобное добавление к стандартным средствам. И кроме того package set не отменяет необходимости в

emerge --depclean
revdep-rebuild

И прочих вещах. Однако при использовании package set чистить систему будет гораздо проще после удаления иксов по команде emerge @X –unmerge.

If you’re updating your Gentoo system less frequently, then emerge takes usually a lot of time. During the compilation portage prints some important infos into the console. To not miss them you could read the logs or you can let ssmtp send you an email every time a package compilation is finished. To do this add the following code to your /etc/make.conf:

PORTAGE_ELOG_SYSTEM="save mail"
PORTAGE_ELOG_CLASSES="warn error log info"
PORTAGE_ELOG_MAILURI="email@example.com /usr/sbin/ssmtp"
PORTAGE_ELOG_MAILFROM="email@example.com"
PORTAGE_ELOG_MAILSUBJECT="The package \${PACKAGE} was successfully compiled on your computer"

Now portage will send all warn, error, log and info messages to email@example.com. If not done so far, you should probably emerge and configure ssmtp first:

ilja@ilja ~ $ emerge -av ssmtp

ilja@ilja ~ $ cat /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf
root=email@example.com
mailhub=smtp.example.com:465
rewriteDomain=mail.example.com
hostname=smtp.example.com
FromLineOverride=YES
UseTLS=YES
AuthUser=email@example.com
AuthPass=MySecretPassword

Here is an example email sent by portage:

Subject: The package app-admin/conky-1.6.1 was successfully compiled on your computer
From: email@example.com
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:06:17 +0200
To: email@example.com

INFO: prepare
Applying conky-1.6.1-stdio.patch ...

LOG: postinst
You can find the sample configuration file at
/etc/conky/conky.conf.  To customize it, copy
/etc/conky/conky.conf to ~/.conkyrc and edit
it to your liking.

For more info on Conky's new features,
please look at the README and ChangeLog:
/usr/share/doc/conky-1.6.1/README.bz2
/usr/share/doc/conky-1.6.1/ChangeLog.bz2
There are also pretty html docs available
on Conky's site or in /usr/share/doc/conky-1.6.1

Also see http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/conky-howto.xml

Vim syntax highlighting for conkyrc now enabled with
USE=vim-syntax, for Nano with USE=nano-syntax

With the conference season over, it seems party leaders have done nothing to unsettle international confidence. The credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service, in an interview with Reuters on Monday, indicated that past 3 weeks of political posturing had reinforced Britain’s triple-A rating.

As the 175-billion-pound rescue package by the Bank of England feeds into the economy, Britain is beginning to emerge from the steepest recession in decades.

While analysts believe the Bank is close to withdrawing quantitative easing (QE) opinion is divided over exactly when. Gordon Brown, speaking to a business audience this week showed he was wary of reducing QE too soon. Then again he would say that with a general election looming.

Meanwhile the stimulus package continues to feed through to house price recovery.

The latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors survey for England and Wales released on Tuesday showed house prices rising at their fastest rate since the credit crunch began more than two years ago.

22 percent more RICS surveyors reported rises than falls in the last quarter, the highest reading since the credit crunch began.

This reinforces recent reports by the major mortgage lenders showing the falls of last year are being reversed by record low interest rates and a continuing tight supply of property for sale.

The RICS survey showed demand continues to outstrip supply in the real estate market, helping the key forward indicator ratio of sales versus inventory to rise for a ninth consecutive month to its highest level since December 2007. Unsurprisingly the majority of surveyors questioned expected the current upward trend to continue through the next quarter.

View Property in England

View overseas property for sale

Emerge - I want to work in Education, but I don’t know how
Wednesday 28^th October, 6.30 – 8.30pm

The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London, W1F 7LW
Bookings via www.emergelondon.org.uk

Emerge is hosting its first event of 2009/10 with The Photographers’ Gallery. Entitled ‘I want to work in Education, but I don’t know how’ it is intended as a first stop for artists to get to grips with how their practice could connect with, and be supported by a variety of approaches to working within Education.The evening will be informal and driven by practical exercises. Emma Hart, an artist working with video and live art actions, has worked with Camden Arts Centre and Whitechapel Gallery and exhibited as part of the ICA’s 0-60 season. Hart will lead a hands on session looking at keeping your practice at the core of your work as an educator.

Artists will be encouraged to devise their own responses and ideas for the current exhibition and offer up their outcomes for review by a panel including Janice McLaren, Head of Education and Projects at The Photographers’ Gallery as well as artists working in education and representatives from related organisations.The evening is intended to be stimulating, but above all, useful. There will be opportunities to showcase your own project and ask for help from our network of artists.

Admission £5, to include refreshments.
For more information and to book please visit – www.emergelondon.org.uk

New U.S. home sales posted a tepid 0.7 percent increase last month, missing Wall Street expectations and providing more evidence that the housing market recovery remains tentative.

The Commerce Department said Friday sales inched up to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 429,000 from a downwardly revised 426,000 in July. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a pace of 440,000.

While it was the fifth straight increase and the strongest report in 11 months, sales were 4.3 percent lower than the same month last year. Sales have risen 30 percent from the bottom in January, but are off about 70 percent from the peak of four years ago.

The report was the second straight disappointing sign for the U.S. housing market, which is struggling to emerge from the most severe bust in generations. On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors said sales of previously occupied homes, which make up the bulk of the market, dipped 2.7 percent last month.

Builders continue to make severe cuts in prices to attract buyers. The median sales price of $195,200 was off 11.7 percent from $221,000 a year earlier, and 9.5 percent below July’s level of $215,600. That was the largest monthly drop on records dating to 1963.

There were 262,000 new homes for sale at the end of August, down more than 3 percent from July and the lowest in nearly 17 years. At the current sales pace, that represents 7.3 months of supply — the smallest amount since early 2007. The decline means builders have scaled back construction to the point where supply and demand are coming into balance.

Buyers, meanwhile, are rushing to take advantage of a federal tax credit that covers 10 percent of the home price, or up to $8,000 for first-time owners. Home sales must be completed by the end of November for buyers to qualify. Builders and real estate agents are pressing Congress for that credit to be extended.

Sales varied dramatically around the country. The best performance was in the West, where sales rose more than 12 percent, and the worst was in the Northeast, where sales sank more than 16 percent. They were unchanged in the South, and down nearly 6 percent in the Midwest.

Meanwhile, major builder KB Home posted a smaller third-quarter loss of $66 million on Friday as it reduced costs and said new home orders increased. Still, the results missed analysts’ expectations.

Copyright Associated Press, Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UPDATED OCT 9

EXTORTION CHARGES ARRAIGNMENT

David Letterman left his home one day to find himself into a whole heap of trouble, lol.  Yeah, i said heap, but back to the story. Outside his home, A man was waiting with a letter and documents.  Mind you it was only 6am as the man, Robert Halderman (Resides in Norwalk, Connecticut), approached Letterman with a full script of how he could ruin his reputation.  He demanded to meet at 8am and Letterman agreed with his attorney.  At the meeting, he demanded 2 million dollars to remain quiet on the story.

I guess it bugged David Letterman f0r 3 weeks! Not to mention its a hefty blackmail bill to pay, which led to the on-air confession that he did, in fact, have sexual relations with his staff members.  Yes, another Clinton type scandal.  I think the audience took it as a joke at first and really never thought it was true until media plastered it everywhere, including me  Anyhow, Mr. Halderman was arrested for the blackmail, who is an employee of CBS for 48 Hours Mystery show.  He was arrested at his office off 57th street in Manhattan and arraign as of recently ( i got the facts from that court report ).

Now Letterman is battling the media in keeping this story from getting as far as Mr. Halderman threatened as multiple staff members are coming out the wood works to give their story.  I am updating pictures of these woman below, so have fun sharing them on Twitter. Stephanie Birkitt (Wake Forest Univ. Intern) is pictured below, she worked on the same show as Robert Halderman… after doing her intern in 1996 and graduating to return to NY in 1997.  Smh, doesn’t this seem like a big nasty love triange, where Halderman and Letterman slept with Ms. Birkitt. One media source reports she lived with Halderman and he stole her diary that detailed the encounters with Letterman. How is he gonna stalk letterman for a $2million extortion and have documents that included a little diary page being photocopied, com’on guys, recession isn’t that bad for rich folks! However, Halderman was divorced by his wife as she moved their 11yr old son to Colorado.  Maybe he lost his marbles, who knows?  Wow, this is getting deep, lol.

Did you know Letterman’s current wife was previously a staff worker too?  Take it easy and stay tuned to the nerd report on twitter trends.

Stephanie Birkitt was David Letterman's assistant and was the first woman identified as having a sexual affair with the late night host... NYdailynews.com

HERE IS STEPHANIE on THE SHOW!

click to Retweet

“I am surprised, mystified and stunned to hear these allegations against Halderman,” former CBS anchor Dan Rather told People magazine.

NEWS ARTICLES on David Letterman as of recent:

Antiframe designer, Daniel de Sousa Camacho, is featured in Emerge - the debut graphic design graduate showcase of the London Design Festival 2009

Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green Road
London E1 6LA

19-27 September 2009
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Admission free

www.thisisemerge.com

www.thisisemerge.com/profiles/daniel-camacho

www.dscamacho.com

Finally, finals are over, and the beginning of a new trimester awaits. It’s been a long time since I’ve logged in, and I undeniably miss this blog so much. Since there are no latest posts, my blog has been unvisited for a while. But enough with the rambling, I’m here to bring good news! Okay, I am exaggerating a little bit, but seriously this is good news.

The Celebration Church’s Youth Fellowship has prepared an original musical play, all written, directed, and produced by young people. In Emerge Teatro, we would like to showcase and focus on the astounding creativity and unique talents of the youth, used and harnessed, all for the Glory of  God. So without further ado, Emerge Teatro Presents,

“Time to turn your ‘light’ on.”

What if God gives you an assignment, would you be willing to finish it? What if this assignment is beyond your capability and capacity? And what if it goes beyond your comfort zone? Would you still be willing to do it for God? Let’s witness the journey of Aimee and how she undertakes an assignment beyond herself, knowing that God is with her to help her fulfill anything that the Lord requires of her. Now, it’s time to turn your “light” on!

Coming this September 20, 2009, Sunday, 10 o’clock in the morning at Tradehall (near Food Court), 2nd Flr., Starmall, Mandaluyong. Come and be blessed! With special participation of PSYaweh, dance troupe from the University of the East’s Department of Psychology.

For more than a century,

certain extraordinary

men and women have

worked in photography

with the unmistakable

authority of genius.

Each of them has

produced unforgettable

images, and not once

or twice, but again and

again, and often

throughout the change

and evolution of a lifetime. Each is like an eye which, once opened

on the universe, cannot be closed again. One after another, they

tell us of the curious, intense and vital experience of working in

photography, of its challenges, of the stages of growth it demands,

the sudden revelations it presents. From their testimony there

emerges a concept of photography as a medium that is very

different from the casual and rather stereotyped impressions

most of us have held till now.

Nancy Newhall

(1908 – 1974)

American Photography Critic

The following is a link to Nancy Newhall’s wiki page:

#mce_temp_url#