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13 Jul 15 Sympa List Management Software Upgrade

We are experiencing blocking of outbound email from Sympa because of inadvertent passage of actual spam. The upgrade to Sympa includes enhancements for managing email which should reduce the possibility of Spam.  After implementation, we must request review by our Spam detection provider to remove the outbound block.

We have 72,533 unique users that are members of active lists (with the majority being members of more than one list) and 88 gigabytes of archives. Sympa processes approximately 100 emails per minute.

We are using this upgrade to bring our list processing practices in line with current best practices. Passwords for the web interface must be reset – after the upgrade users must perform password recovery.  We will validate list subscribers.  The method has yet to be determined.  We are developing a communication about these changes.

We estimate it will take today and tomorrow to perform the upgrade and hope to have everything back online by EOB on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.

08 Jul 15 ALA Sympa List Management Problem

We have identified a problem with our Sympa email list management system caused by inadvertent passage of actual spam.  At this time, only some of our lists are affected.  Our vendor for spam protection is bouncing all outbound email messages from these affected lists.  Bounced messages do not unsubscribe users. Messages are not being queued for later delivery, but they are going to the list’s archive.  The archived messages can be found by visiting (the “List of lists:), finding the list, and clicking on archives.

We have determined we must upgrade our Sympa email list management software to the latest release to fix this problem and gain better control for spam detection.  We are developing a plan to upgrade Sympa and hope to perform the upgrade sometime next week.  Unfortunately this means that messages sent to the affected mailing lists will not be sent out to subscribers until the upgrade is completed.

17 Jun 15 Technology Infrastructure Plans

ALA Information Technology & Telecommunications made significant changes in its strategic roadmap in mid-2015, in response to changes in the IT environment, to member survey responses (early FY2015) and to continuing constraints – and demands – on ALA’s budget.

Plans for the remainder of FY2015

  1. Continue the Implementation of the New E-Commerce System for Membership Dues and Donations
    This project will make it easier for members to join and renew and will offer new opportunities for fundraising. This project is scheduled for completion in November 2015.
  2. Choose a New eLearning E-Commerce Platform
    In collaboration with ALA Publishing, ITTS and an (internal) eLearning Task Force are exploring an E-Commerce module for ALA continuing education to unify ALA’s online learning opportunities in one place in one shopping cart.
  3. Replace ALA Connect and profile management with a hosted community software service
    In FY2015, ITTS, working with a team representing various parts of the Association, released an RFP to select new community software to replace ALA Connect, with implementation scheduled in FY2016. This has been an area of significant market change during the past six years and the changes being made to these platforms facilitate faster implementation of new features, improve the interface, allow more flexibility for units wanting to customize groups, increase membership marketing opportunities, and offer potential new revenue streams. Mobile apps may also be available when the new site goes live. Completion of the merging of iMIS /Connect member profile information in FY2015 facilitated the transition.
  4. Begin Implementation of a mobile-friendly, responsive/redesigned theme for the ALA and Division/Unit Websites
    ITTS will implement a responsive theme on the ALA website, including significant home-page changes, that will better display across different types of mobile devices. 10% of total ALA website traffic is now coming from mobile devices – and that number is expected to grow rapidly. A responsive theme will also enable implementation of mobile apps in the next 1-2 years.
  5. Improvements to Website Search Engine
    ITTS will be working with a consultant to improve search results on the ALA website.
  6. Implement a Disaster Recovery plan using Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
    After investigating options for updating our Disaster Recovery plans, we’ve narrowed the choice to two vendors. We will select a vendor and begin implementation in late FY2015 and continue into FY2016. This will allow us to back up our virtual servers in the cloud for disaster recovery so that external versions can be turned on when a service fails. This will allow faster restoration of services in case of an emergency.
  7. Improvements to Grant Reporting
    ALA ITTS will continue to work with staff and consultants to improve monthly and life-to-date grant reporting access. The creation of these new reports will allow our grant managers to have better access and assist in the management and monitoring of grant resources.

Plans for FY16

  1. Complete the Implementation of the new E-Commerce system for membership dues and donations (November 2015)
  2. Complete the Implementation of a New eLearning E-commerce System (FY2016)
  3. Replace ALA Connect and profile management with a hosted community software service (October 2015)
  4. Complete the Implementation of a mobile-friendly, responsive/redesigned theme for the ALA and Division/Unit Websites (FY2016)
  5. Upgrade or replace ALA’s Moodle Courseware Software
    We will investigate options for replacing ALA’s Moodle platform used for ALA e-courses with an externally-hosted software platform to increase support for leadership development.
  6. Migrate staff to Microsoft Office 365
    Now that we’re on Windows 7, we plan to move staff to the cloud-based Office 365 service to make remote access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook available through any web browser. The software and email archives will be hosted by Microsoft, which will make document storage, software maintenance, and access to Outlook archives much easier.
  7. Replace helpdesk software
    For similar reasons, we’ll be migrating to a cloud-based helpdesk solution. This will allow all staff from any location to submit and track help requests via a web browser. The software will be maintained and upgraded by the provider and will allow ITTS staff to better manage helpdesk tickets from anywhere.
  8.  Upgrade ALA’s Financial Systems
    We will perform necessary upgrades to stay current with software releases/improvements.

Plans for FY17 and beyond

  1. Implement mobile apps for the site
    This will allow members and the public to access information and services through a set of mobile applications, including current membership information, express membership renewals, and our most popular web pages.
  2. Move to web-based iMIS access
    Now that we’re on iMIS 20, we can begin migrating all staff to the web-based portal for access so that they can search for and update iMIS information from anywhere. This will reduce the load on our Citrix server and reduce the amount of software maintenance and upgrades required on desktops.
  3. Move and/or migrate to new software for the Website and division/unit Websites
    We will explore options for moving and/or replacing the software used to maintain the website into the cloud where it will be maintained by an outside provider. This will reduce the amount of staff time spent on upgrades and security patches.
  4. Move staff who require less robust desktops to Chromebooks
    Once we’ve migrated staff to using Office 365 online and web-based iMIS, we’ll determine which, if any, users can be moved from desktops to Chromebooks in order to save on software maintenance and hardware costs. This would enable users requiring only cloud-based services to have a notebook computer that can easily be replaced in the event of a hardware malfunction and reduce the time spent on rolling out software applications and maintaining them on ALA desktops and laptops.
  5. Assess our remote application platform
    We’ll investigate possible solutions to replace Citrix for remote access to remaining in-house applications.
  6. Investigate external hosting solutions for our Financial Applications
    Moving all parts of the financial system to an external host will allow all staff to access it remotely, outsource maintenance of the hardware infrastructure, and accelerate software upgrades.
  7.  Reassess Shibboleth to determine appropriate solution
    We will investigate alternate solutions that might replace our single sign-on technology for all of our web-based resources.
  8. Implement Improved Executive Data Access
    This project would improve analysis of our existing membership and financial data. Once executive management has decided which metrics should be measured, we can configure and implement iDashboard to provide an executive dashboard, reporting tools, sophisticated charts and grids, pivot tables, decomposition trends, perspective views, performance maps, and key performance indicator measures.
  9.  Reassess our iMIS Membership System
    We’ll explore other possible Association Management System (AMS) solutions used for managing member and customer information and how much it would cost to migrate to a different system.

05 Jun 15 ITTS News Meeting – May 20, 2015

  1. Responsive Design for (Louise)

    The most recent version of the prototype for the new responsive design is available online.This project is for a responsive theme redesign that will be applied to all microsites, thus affecting all division and round table sites. While divisions will continue to have their own branding and color schemes, they too will be converted to the responsive, accessible theme as part of this project, and will also have various homepage layout options. The responsive theme resizes to the device in use, and will ensure that our pages are not downgraded in search results for being mobile-unfriendly.

    The prototype design work was developed by the Homepage/Responsive Theme Redesign Task Force of the Web Management Group; the latter has reviewed the Midwinter usability tests and provided feedback that was incorporated into this most recent version. The prototype was implemented by Sean Bires of ITTS using Axure, and was designed using the Google Material Design guidelines. The graphic details of the prototype are not necessarily the finals; nor are the menu item dropdowns complete. This is a testing formative prototype subject to change, not a final version. If you share the links to the prototype with others, please ensure that they are aware of these caveats.

    We intend to further test the most recent version of the prototype at Annual. Visit it on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. It should resize to your device’s screen. You can also resize it to review the mobile look on your desktop by making your browser window narrow. Due to limitations of the prototyping software, the slide carousel does not respond to gestural swiping. Use the arrows, instead. Click (or tap) on menus and utility icons to see your options.

    The content pane options on the homepage are mostly intended to use feeds to update, although the I am ALA member success story feature may be manually updated.

    Here’s a page level mockup without working menus, as they are time consuming to create.

    One thing we’re looking at is the Masonry module, which would allow drag and drop options for site owners to use when positioning blocks and pods of content. At this time, we’re not sure yet how what’s in the “Featured Content” block will be decided. We’re also in the process of doing a website inventory to determine what will go in the “Related Sites” menu.

    Once the design is approved, we’ll issue an RFP to implement it. The target date for implementation is before the end of the current fiscal year (August 31st) with a rolling implementation down to division and microsites.

    Please review and share any questions or concerns with me directly ( by the end of next week and copy the

    Homepage/Responsive Redesign Task Force: Jan Carmichael, Rebecca Gerber, Louise Gruenberg, Jen Habley, Dan Kaplan

    Web Management Group: Adam Eisgrau, Louise Gruenberg, Steven Hofmann, Ron Jankowski, Mary Mackay, Mari Merola, Sherri Vanyek

    Question: Will the search engine remain the same?
    Louise: Yes, we’ll still use Solr for search, but we’re going to work with a consultant to improve how it retrieves results.

  2. Ecommerce Update (Sherri)

    We signed a contract with a Drupal Commerce vendor in March, and now we’re currently in the discovery phase with our vendor and internal stakeholders. Work is currently being done on wireframes and then we’ll move to the design, with implementation beginning on June 5th. We hope to launch the new system for membership dues and donations the week of November 6th. Mary Ghikas is taking point on some of the discussions and is putting together a small group to work on the bigger decisions.

  3. ALA Connect RFP (Jenny)

    Working with a group of staff and members from the Website Advisory Committee, the RFP for a new Connect platform was issued on May 4th with responses due by May 26th. This group will read through the responses to select vendors to do a demo. We hope to select a new platform by the end of June so that we can start work in mid-July. We have an ambitious target date to go live in September, but that’s dependent in part on units providing the information we need to move forward. For example, we’ll be asking each unit to decide which of its groups and how much of their content should be migrated into the new system.

    Question: Will the conference scheduler be going away?
    Jenny: Yes, starting with Midwinter 2016, Conference Services will take over the conference website, scheduling tool, and mobile apps using a different platform. These services are currently hosted in Connect’s Drupal installation, which will be going away before Midwinter, so they have to be migrated to other services.

  4. Training (Sherri)

    Informz How To
    The first Informz remote classes were held this month, and will be offered monthly so remote offices as well as local staff who want refreshers can get in on the sessions via Adobe Connect.We are also working with Dan Kaplan and Mary Mackay to create Informz training videos for on-demand staff access on topics such as the Basics, Opt-out forms and links, and more.  The plan includes working with groups to help update Opt-out options on template footers as needed. Details on these and other upcoming classes are on the support site.

    Digital Library Help
    There is also a new Digital Library section on Support.  Clicking on the link reveals submenu items for tips on how to Search and/or request and item from the Library, using our new WorldCat.

    Where is the KM?
    Just a friendly reminder that we no longer have the KMS and most things can be found at under Staff Resources.  Your staff login will be required to see Conference Registration stats, HR Policies, and more.

    New iMIS Videos
    There is  a new iMIS page on support with over 20 TASK BASED videos, most of which are under a minute.  You can learn where to find data on records in the History and Detail tabs as well as refresh on the several ways of Finding a record, including options for creating an Ad Hoc Search.

  5. General Q&A

    Question: Where we are with the new grant cube in the accounting system?
    Sherri: We met with grant managers, accounting, and consultants to come up with a specifications document. We signed a contract this week in the hope that life-to-date grant reporting will be available in early June.

21 May 15 Awards & Grants Website Back in Service

All display, browse, search and edit functions on ALA Awards & Grants are back in service after the recent outage. Those who maintain awards should have complete access.

04 May 15 ALA RFP for a SaaS Community Platform

The American Library Association seeks a vendor to host its professional collaboration and networking site, ALA Connect, which supports 2,600+ groups and 64,000+ users. Currently built in Drupal, ALA Connect allows users to post content to groups, join open groups, add members as friends, participate in a mentor matching service, and post a volunteer opportunity. In terms of collaboration, group tools currently include discussion forums, collaborative documents, files, polls, text-based chats, and calendars.

Responses are due by Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at 9:00am CDT, and contact information is available in the document.

2015 ALA Connect RFP – American Library Association (324KB, PDF)

27 Apr 15 Investigating a New ALA Connect

ALA has decided to move ALA Connect from its current Drupal environment to an externally-hosted community platform. We’ve fast-tracked this project in the hope we can launch the new version this fall.

Important things to know as we move forward:

  • We are committed to maintaining the Connect service and importing all current Connect content into the new system.
  • ADA-compliance will continue to be at the top of our list of requirements.
  • We will replicate as much of the current functionality as makes sense and is possible, with the addition of new features such as member matching (find members who match my interests), group matching (find groups that match my interests), digital badges for member profiles, and more community-based features.
  • Non-ALA members will still be able to participate on the site, albeit with less access than ALA members, just like in the current Connect.

As we write a RFP for the new system and select a vendor, we’re including feedback throughout the process from both ALA staff and the ALA Website Advisory Committee (WAC). We’ll be posting the RFP and updates about our progress, so keep an eye on the ITTS News blog and the ALAConnect Twitter account.

27 Apr 15 Sympa restored

The issue has been resolved and Sympa mail is now being delivered. There is a large back log that is being processed, so there will be a delay delivering messages until the system gets caught up. No messages were lost during this time.

27 Apr 15 Sympa Outage

It appears that the email upgrade has caused some issues with Sympa. All Sympa mail is currently being deferred. Nothing has been lost, but they are not being delivered. We have reported the issue and are working with the involved vendors to resolve the situation.

06 Apr 15 ALA Connect down on April 7 for Shibboleth integration

On Tuesday, April 7th, ALA Connect will be down as we begin the process to implement ALA’s Shibboleth single sign-on integration. Because we’re also migrating user data from Connect to iMIS (our Association Management Software that stores all of our member data), it’s a more complex process than just changing the login, which is why it will take 24 hours to complete all of the steps.

Note that this also means the 2015 Annual Conference website will also be down during this same timeframe.

What does this mean for me?

  • For members, the authentication process won’t really change. However, when you log in to, if you then go to Connect, you’ll automatically be logged in there, and vice versa. In fact, this single sign-on process already works across all of ALA’s Shibboleth sites, including conference registration and when accessing conference recordings. We’re excited to add Connect and the conference schedulers to that list to make logins work better for you across all of our services.
  • Starting on Thursday, April 9th, everyone will use their username and password to log in to Connect. It’s been confusing for non-members to use a separate login, but luckily now everyone will log in the same way. Non-members will be able to use their existing login on the conference schedulers, too.
  • For staff, it means they can manage non-member participation on official ALA groups using only iMIS rosters, which will be a big help for them since they have to rely on ITTS staff to do that now.
  • Long-term, this is also the first step to combining Connect and profiles into one so that you can update all of your information in one place. This will happen later this month when the dust from the Shibboleth implementation settles.

So what exactly is going to happen?

Starting around 11am CDT on Tuesday, April 7th, Connect will be down while we begin the work. It will take several hours for the large amount of user data to synchronize into iMIS and make sure everything is working properly. Once we have the all clear, Connect will come back up on Wednesday, April 8th, probably around noon Central Time. We’ll then begin implementing Shibboleth, which will go live on Thursday, April 9th.

Your best bet to track our progress and get updates is by checking the @ALAConnect Twitter account, but you can also leave a comment/question here or email me (Jenny) at jlevine [at]

We’re confident everything will go well, but we’re still accepting your well wishes and crossed fingers. See you in Shibboleth soon!


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text:
dell's global site design dept. is growing - we have 2 ux architect positions open in round rock. msg me if you know anyone interested.

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I am a UX designer and am interested in the opportunities at Dell. Please view my resume and work samples at http://ramiyar.weebly.com

Thank you,

Thank you for the post. I am interested in this position. Please find my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=4031012

Have a great day.

Hi Ramiya and Alex,

I've forwarded your information to my managers.

I'm not sure what our current staffing needs are, but we are hiring in some areas of our UX department.

I'll let you know if I hear something.

P.S. If anyone else is interested in a position at Dell, I'll be happy to forward your information to the right people.

Thank you William.

Have a great day.

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Tuesday, 27 March, 2007

McCain’s Site Hacked?

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: McCain's MySpace Page Hacked.

In what is perhaps a new weapon in campaign digital media warfare, the MySpace page of presidential candidate Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., was hacked Tuesday.

"All I can say right now is that we're investigating," said Matt David, a spokesperson for McCain's 2008 White House bid.

Hacked? McCain was hotlinking to a photo on someone else's server. The owner of the other site simply changed the photo to this:

Hardly a "hack." The correct term is bandwidth theft by a presidential candidate.


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Friday, November 18, 2011

Operas and Echos

Heff and I

Kate and I

So as mentioned in my last post...I was off to the opera that night to support a friend who was in the chorus. Me and a couple of my girlfriends got dolled up in our prettiest dresses. What did I think of the opera? Well it was better than I expected. I was expecting constant soprano singing in a different language. But it was in ENGLISH and it had a few lines! And it was an Opera comedy even! I must admit it was a little hard to contain the giggles when the first verse was belted out by the first character, the maid. It was just such a sudden assault to the ears. It was more a nervous giggle I think. Any hoo. I can pop that on the list of things I've done in my life time. I think the next cultured thing I would like to try is attend a ballet. Have you ever been to one of those before? The NutCraker is playing in December at our local. Hehe "Nutcracker"... I always think of the men dancers in their tights...Somehow I don't think that's why its called that.

image from here
Yesterday I took Zak zak for his follow up ECHO appointment for his heart murmur. I was advised to have him be nil by mouth for 4 hours before hand because he would be sedated. I hate watching the kids be sedated and all dopey. I've only seen one other of my kids have it, but it had to be done. Or did it? I got there and they wanted to just give ago without the sedation. He had already been a monkey, and was petrified of being weighed or having his height done. So by the time we down to the radiology department, he wasn't even having a bar of sitting on the bed. Fortunately Hubby was in the department working and was able to lend his hand. In the end we just had to hold him down for the minute while the heart was quickly checked. Its times like these Im greatful to have trained as a nurse. The nurse*get the job done* in me completely overrides the *oh no! my kid is crying* mummy feeling. Or maybe I'm just heartless. Any ways we got the job done while he screamed the department down. The results show just a teeny little hole that is healing nicely. Thank you Lord!

What are you like with medical procedures when it comes to your kids?

Widge said...

Even though Im not a nurse, I'm so the same way. I used to lay my eldest on the floor and straddle my boy with his arms tucked under my legs while I had to give him his inhalers as a wee-un. Same goes when they're immunised, I hold them tight and still no nonsense approach. It's not really heartless cos we are doing it for their best, huh? ;)
So cool he's on the mend!!
Haha about the nutcracker ! Saw it as a kid and enjoyed it

PaisleyJade said...

So love that you went to the Opera!! Haha about Ballet! I've been to one before and it was not a pretty sight!!

So happy about Zak Zak's heart. I always cry when my kids get sedated, but always know it's worth it in the end. When it comes to injections and taking inhalers, I don't get tearful at all... just like Widge I want to get the job over with.

p.s. you are looking awesome in yoru dress!

kendylsPlace said...

I went to the ballet once and I don't know why but I was surprised there were no words! I felt annoyed I hadn't read up on my Peter Pan because I didn't know what was happening half the time and it was hard not to be distracted a little by the 'nutcracker' aspect of the show. It was a good experience all in all though! You gotta go! So pleased bubby's echo went well - lucky him having two nurse parents!

Arna said...

nah, I'm totally the same when it comes to medical procedures.... just get it over and done with.

Mind you, think I am vastly improved from seeing Aiden have so much done to him!

Meghan at MNM's said...

I'm an opera and ballet's definitely something I want to do in my life - yay you for giving it a go...

And yay for your little guy's heart too..the short term pain (of a deafened ear!) is definitely worth it to be able to get it done and get the good news after!

Penny said...

I'm like Meg, haven't been but would like to. Just to say I have.

Glad your little man's heart is healing. yay!


text:
Jack White to Headline TMR SXSW Showcase 3.16

Jack White will be headlining Third Man Records SXSW Texas Stand Off on Friday, March 16th at The Stage in Austin TX.

Joining him on the bill will be other TMR artists such as Karen Elson, Jon Reilly & Friends, Pujol, Reggie Watts, Lanie Lane and The Black Belles.

The show will be the last show in his sold out March run of dates that also includes stops in Chattanooga, Birmingham, Memphis and Tulsa.

TMR SXSW Showcase


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F1 Team Hit By Computer Virus, So Could You Hack Their Car?

Formula 1 team Marussia lost a day's worth of vital on-track testing after its servers were struck with a computer virus. So what would it take to hack their car?

Autosport reports that the trojan virus knocked the team out for its first day of Bahrain testing last week. Here's the whole quote that Marussia's team principal John Booth told Autosport.

It started off with the first disaster, which was a computer Trojan-type virus in the racks, which cost us the best part of the day.

Much to my dismay, this means that the car itself was not hit with a virus, which (as far as I can tell) would have been the first admitted example of a car being hacked outside of conspiracy theories or test circumstances.

So this leaves us with the question — could someone hack an F1 car?

F1 cars are regularly hooked up to computers for programming and analysis. This incident with Marussia was just a regular server virus that just so happened to hit an F1 team, but getting a virus into the car when it's in the pits certainly appears feasible.

What would be a real innovation would be if an F1 car could be hacked while it was on track. There's reason for teams to do it — a small counter-adjustment to fuel flow or any other of the car's many electronic systems could ruin a rival team's race. F1 teams are known for fighting dirty, and I wouldn't be surprised if car hacking happened in the sport.

It's not clear how, exactly, an F1 car would be hacked while on the move. F1 cars certainly transmit data back to the pits for every kind of digital function, now even including brake-by-wire systems. What I don't know about is how much data goes from the pits back to the car. All modifications to the car while it's on track are done by the driver, not from the pits. That's why you see such complicated steering wheels - they're the keyboards of the car.

If you have more insight in what it would take to hack an F1 car, please let us know below.

Photo Credit: Getty Images


text:
Ford, PML Flightlink Hauling Plug-in Hybrid F-150 Pickup To SEMA

PML and Ford have been palling around for a while now, most recently to develop the Volvo Recharge C30 concept » 10/24/08 4:10pm 10/24/08 4:10pm. Now they've gone in on an in-wheel electric drive plug-in hybrid concept coming to . The in-wheel motors are a clever brushed pancake design that act as a part of the wheel and not just another add-in part.…

Plug-In Hybrid Pickup To Get 100 MPG, Sticker Of Calvin Peeing On Our Foreign Oil Dependency

Motor maker Raser Technologies will team up with utility provider PG&E for a pickup truck that can get 100 MPG, according to the company's press release. The plug-in hybrid utilizes full battery power for the first 40 miles, then lets a gas-powered generator kick in enough juice for another 300 miles. Through the… » 7/23/08 10:20am 7/23/08 10:20am


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Hamas Says It Has Captured An Israeli Spy Dolphin Off The Coast Of Gaza

Reportedly a cetacean commando working for the Israeli Defense Forces was caught by Hamas operatives as it was making suspicious movements off the coast of Gaza. When Hamas combat divers (I had no idea they had such a thing) examined the dolphin spy, they said it was strapped with a camera, a monitoring device and an… » 8/19/15 7:47pm 8/19/15 7:47pm

Why Are Jordanian F-16s Suckling Gas From Israeli Tankers On Way To U.S.?

Foxtrot Alpha’s contacts in Europe have noticed some interesting movements heading west out of the Middle East. Apparently, five Israeli Air Force F-15C/Ds and five F-15Is, along with five Jordanian Air Fore F-16s, have been dragged across the Mediterranean to Lajes Field by Israeli Air Force KC-707 Tankers. The jets… » 8/13/15 2:31pm 8/13/15 2:31pm

Israel Gave Jordan 16 Cobra Attack Helicopters To Repel ISIS

There has been increasing talk about how the growing Islamic State could one day put Israel in its crosshairs. It is becoming more of an issue within the Mossad, and these worries are transforming into policy. Case in point: Israel gifted 16 AH-1 Cobra helicopter gunships to Jordan in an attempt forestall ISIS’… » 7/25/15 2:13pm 7/25/15 2:13pm

This Is Israel's Top Secret Guided Missile Launcher Disguised As A Tank

Israel is known for its... shall we say, “creativity” when it comes to warfare, and one of the oldest tricks in the book is hiding in plain sight. The Pereh, meaning “wild,” does just this by making itself look like a Merkava tank, but really it is a rolling guided missile arsenal ship that has been secret for over 30… » 7/21/15 4:49pm 7/21/15 4:49pm

Israeli Commandos Assassinated A Syrian General At His Own Party

Seven years ago, an Israeli Special Forces team near Tartus, Syria’s second largest city and a popular vacation spot, somehow managed to get near the house of a Syrian general while he was hosting a dinner party. They put bullets into his head and neck, and disappeared without a peep. Until now. » 7/15/15 2:48pm 7/15/15 2:48pm

The Amazing Saga Of How Israel Turned Its F-15s Into Multi-Role Bombers

When the F-15 was created, it was created to be a pure air-to-air fighter, with the philosophy of “not a pound for air-to-ground” guiding designers. So how did Israel end up turning their F-15s into deadly long-range multi-role strike aircraft well before the F-15E Strike Eagle became a reality? Here’s how. » 5/08/15 4:02pm 5/08/15 4:02pm

Why Exactly Is A Saudi Arabian Airliner At Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport?

In what is an unbelievably rare, if not unprecedented occasion, a Saudi Airlines Airbus A330 landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport today for technical reasons. The aircraft was empty, on a return trip from Brussels and it remains unclear if the stop was actually planned or part of an in-flight emergency. » 5/06/15 3:42pm 5/06/15 3:42pm

Woman Sets Car On Fire At Gas Station Due To Failed Cigarette Bumming

A Jerusalem woman who really, really wanted a smoke set a man and his car on fire when her request for a cigarette was denied. The incident was captured on a short but terrifying CCTV camera clip, and is a good reminder why not to both smoke at a gas station and be so maliciously stupid. » 4/29/15 3:46pm 4/29/15 3:46pm

Israeli AG Rules They Can't Kill Their Own Soldiers To Prevent Capture

One of the worst conundrums facing modern militaries engaged in asymmetrical warfare is what to do in the event that one of your soldiers was captured. For decades, the Israeli Defense Forces have relied on a still-classified and highly controversial method known as the "Hannibal Protocol." And now a large part of it… » 1/19/15 4:36pm 1/19/15 4:36pm

Hamas Warns It Will Attack Israeli Airport Within Hours

Following the deaths of his wife and child in an Israeli airstrike, Hamas leader Mohammed Deif has announced plans to attack Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, beginning on Thursday at 6:00AM local time (11:00PM EDT tonight). Reports across the web are saying rockets have already been fired at the airport, but are not… » 8/20/14 2:29pm 8/20/14 2:29pm

Watch An Active Protection System Destroy An RPG Fired At Israeli Tank

We have discussed Active Protection Systems many times before, but it is another thing seeing one work operationally. The video below depicts a Merkava IV tank being fired on in Gaza by an RPG, with Trophy intercepting and destroying the explosive projectile before it could plow through the tank's side armor. » 7/23/14 1:16pm 7/23/14 1:16pm

How Raw Data Can Explain A Big Part Of The Current Gaza Conflict

War is still raging in Gaza and Israel, and right now, it looks like it can only get worse as each attempted ceasefire begins and is promptly discarded. Scores are dying, many of them civilians. But how many are civilians? How can we find out? The answer we found is far different from the official one. » 7/22/14 8:02pm 7/22/14 8:02pm

Witness The Sheer Protective Power Of The Iron Dome From Way Too Close

Israel's Iron Dome system has proven effective so far, with only one casualty suffered, despite Hamas launching more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli civilian population centers. Most of what we've seen of Iron Dome has looked like little more than flashes in the sky, but up close it's incredible. » 7/15/14 7:18pm 7/15/14 7:18pm

Hamas Says This Is Video Of Their Armed Drone

Drones, especially ones with weapons attached, have traditionally been the purview of sophisticated state actors. They first really came to prominence through NATO use during the Balkan conflict, and have since been used by the US, Russia, Israel, and many others. And now Hamas says they have one, too. » 7/14/14 4:18pm 7/14/14 4:18pm

Israel's Controversial 'Roof Knocking' Tactic Caught On Video

Israel has used a tactic called "roof knocking" for a while, but it became more widely known since Operation Protective Edge began last week. In an attempt to reduce civilian casualties, it involves hitting a target with a low-yield weapon as a warning, just moments before obliterating it with a much larger weapon. » 7/13/14 2:31pm 7/13/14 2:31pm

What This Israeli Wedding Rocket Attack Tells Us About The Conflict

In response to relentless and indiscriminate Palestinian missile attacks over the past week, Israel looks poised to launch another operation against the Gaza Strip. We'll get into the numbers in just a bit, but this video, lasting less than a minute, can explain so much about the current situation. » 7/09/14 4:18pm 7/09/14 4:18pm

Israeli Commandos Find A Boatload Of Rockets Under Iranian Cement

Israel is well known for their maritime raiding capabilities, a common tactic used to interdict cargo, or personnel, aboard ships that the Mossad deems as a threat to the homeland, sometimes to a controversial degree. Yet there is little controversy about the validity of the Israeli Navy's mission yesterday, one that… » 3/06/14 5:16pm 3/06/14 5:16pm

A Cyber Attack Against Israel Shut Down An Entire Road Last Month

Hackers managed to infiltrate and shut down an enormous tunnel system in Israel last month, causing massive traffic jams for eight hours, according to the AP. Though their sources indicate that the attack didn't come from a state actor, this first strike opens up a whole new world of cyber warfare. » 10/27/13 9:24pm 10/27/13 9:24pm


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Tesla Will Run A ‘Public Beta’ For Model S Autopilot

Elon Musk hinted last week that the long-awaited and debatably delayed Autopilot feature is “coming soon.” During today’s call to discuss Tesla’s second quarter earnings, the topic came up again, and Musk seems to be hedging the roll-out with promises of a “public beta”, because that’s exactly the kind of thing you… » 8/05/15 9:00pm 8/05/15 9:00pm

The $75k Model S 70D Is The New Entry-Level Tesla

Tesla has been tweaking its Model S lineup continuously, nixing the lowest-spec model before it even went on sale, adding features, eliminating options, and eventually adding all-wheel-drive. Now there’s this: the new 70D, a replacement for the entry-level Model S that gets more range and adds a second motor. » 4/08/15 7:00am 4/08/15 7:00am

Tesla Is Finally Giving Us Sales Numbers, But Not The Ones We Want

For the first time, Tesla has broken out sales numbers from its quarterly financial statements, announcing that the automaker sold 10,030 cars in the first quarter of the year. That’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not going to solve Tesla’s real reporting problem: people trying to guesstimate monthly sales… » 4/03/15 12:25pm 4/03/15 12:25pm

Why Tesla's Plan To Eliminate 'Range Anxiety' Doesn't Matter

When I wrote up the review of the Tesla Model S P85D I omitted one important detail: range. It was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to see if people would freak about not including something that, in internal combustion cars, rarely gets mentioned. It didn't happen, and I think that's important, particularly given… » 3/19/15 2:00pm 3/19/15 2:00pm

Here Is Why Chevrolet Dealers Aren't Going To Be Like Tesla Stores

Normally when the dealerships versus Tesla debate props up, I'm on Elon's side. But a recent Forbes article that compares buying a Chevy Volt and a Tesla is not only an unfair, it's myopic. Chevy dealers aren't anything like Tesla stores, but that doesn't mean that Chevy are doing something wrong. » 3/16/15 5:11pm 3/16/15 5:11pm

Tesla Promises "Torque Sleep" For D Models, Higher Top Speed

When Tesla unveiled The D in October, Elon Musk promised a boost in range over the original rear-wheel drive model thanks to the ability of the dual-motor Model S to optimize output for maximum efficiency. It's called "torque sleep" and Tesla is promising to deliver the feature by the end of next month. » 12/30/14 3:15pm 12/30/14 3:15pm


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Advocates: Ramps poorly installed

July 25, 2008

Photo by Bill Allan The curb ramp recently reconstructed at the corner of Centre and Green streets, shown here just after it was made, is out of compliance with Massachusetts Architectural Access Board standards unless the City is prepared to raise the height of the street by 5 inches, according to the Disability Consortium, Inc. The groups says another 13 reconstructed ramps are also out of compliance for various reasons.

City: Contractor will have to make ramps meet accessibility standards

CENTRE/SOUTH ST.— Almost one-third of the new curb ramps installed this summer on Jamaica Plain’s main thoroughfare are not compliant with state standards, according to a recent survey by the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC).

If the city confirms that the 14 ramps are non-compliant they will have to be rebuilt at the contractor’s expense, Tim McCarthy of the City Public Works Department told the Gazette.

The standards, enforced by the state Architectural Access Board (AAB) are more stringent than those required under the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.

Of the 41 new curb ramps that have been installed, seven have steeper inclines than the 8.1 percent allowed under AAB standards, according to the DPC survey. Six of those seven also violate regulations by not coming down flush with the street.

Instead, those curb cut slopes reach into the street via asphalt bumps that, in some cases, extend into travel lanes on the street, another AAB violation.

At other crossings, the gap between the bottoms of curb ramps and the street surface are off by more than the half-inch allowed by law. Other transitions are slightly below street level, leading to water pooling and sediment buildup at the bottom of the curb ramps after rain.

David Harris of the DPC toured Centre and South streets with the Gazette on July 21, reviewing the violations.

“What they are being paid for and what they didn’t do is lower three pieces of curb a half-inch here,” Harris said, pointing out a curb ramp at the north corner of Child and South streets, where a portion of the curb rises an inch above street level.

“I am talking about this as if it is a piece of cake to do this, and there are some challenges, but you get experts and they are artists,” he said.

Roslindale-based contractors Fred Deroma and Sons are doing the sidewalk work. A different contractor is handling the street repaving.

“None [of the curb ramps] have been signed off on. The contractor is aware that…compliance has to be 100 percent,” McCarthy said.

The contractor will not be paid, he said, “unless we are in complete compliance when the process is buttoned up.”

McCarthy said he had not looked at the JP work and could not comment on specific violations cited by the DPC. He said contractors are waiting to do some work until utilities work is done on the streets.

During the walk with the Gazette, Harris for the first time took his level to sections of curb ramps on the east side of South Street between Hall and New Washington streets that had not been renovated in the course of the recent work. Five of the eight curb ramps measured have slopes steeper than 8.1 percent.

The curb ramps the city did not fix are also located in awkward places, about 10 feet away from the corners on the side streets off of South Street.

Harris said that placement was a “relic” of curb-cut design from “30 or 40 years ago.” He said he did not know what the logic behind that curb cut placement had been.

One drawback of the placement is that they are so far from the street corner, cars often park in front of them, he said.

In another interesting case, an incline that leads from the sidewalk to a driveway entrance for an apartment building near the corner of South and New Washington Streets, has a slope of 23.6 percent.

Because it is paved with concrete, it is hard to tell if that slope is considered a curb cut or part of the sidewalk, but either way it would likely be out of compliance. The maximum allowed slope for a sidewalk is 5 percent.

Citywide, the DPC has been monitoring city sidewalks and curb ramps for years, and a recent survey it conducted of 28 recently rebuilt sidewalks and curb ramps found that 44 percent were not in compliance.

The DPC presented its findings to Mayor Thomas Menino earlier this month. Last week, the Boston Herald reported that Menino plans to devote $15 million over the next five years to improving handicapped sidewalk access.

The DPC survey presented to the mayor did not include the work currently unde rway in JP. That more recent review came after DPC Executive Director Bill Allan, a JP resident, observed the work being done here, Harris said.

Both McCarthy and Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson from the mayor’s press office who sat in on the meeting between the DPC and the mayor, said they were unaware of the DPC’s review of the JP work.


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Home – Dr. James Nourse

Dr. Jim, as his clients call him, has been in private practice since 1980. From 1975 to 1980 he served as Staff Psychologist and director of Clinical Psychology Training at the Hampton, Virginia V.A. Medical Center and as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. Click here to learn more about Dr. Jim.

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Tag Archives: bosozoku

VIDEO: Badass women on badass bikes

The style of this video is precisely what was parodied so well by the recent Car Bros’ Secrets of Japan Revealed sketch, but once you get past the over-dramatized Sheriff John Bunnell narration, there’s still some good footage of badass women on badass bikes.

EVENTS: Showa Car Preservation Meeting

The Old Car Club of Tokyo recently held it’s 3rd annual Showa no Kurma wo Mamoru Tsudoi or “Preserving cars made in the Showa Era” meeting. This is a gathering for cars made during the Showa Era, which ended in 1989 according to the … Continue reading

ART CORNER: Bosozoku Cats and Kyuusha by San Mamiya

San Mamiya is a brilliant artist from Japan that operates mainly on Instagram. With an apparent fondness for old cars, bosozoku cats and the superdeformed style that populates manga, his illustrations exhibit a unique Nihon style that can probably be loosely described as Japanese Ed Roth.

EVENTS: Sunday morning at Daikoku Futo

Located right off the famed Wangan Bayshore Route in Yokohama, Daikoku Futo PA is a congress for car fiends. As die-hard fans of JDM-land know, representatives of any and every type of Japanese tuning subculture come together to appreciate the many facets of … Continue reading

EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 04 — Shakotan Sleds

The previous installment of our New Year Meeting coverage focused on originality. In Part 04, we travel to the opposite end of the spectrum. But among all of Japan’s customization styles, shakotan is perhaps the most appealing to JNCers. Translated as simply “low,” shakotan cars are … Continue reading

JNC‘s top stories of 2014

As we mentioned, 2014 was the Year of the JNC. As it draws to a close, let’s look back at the things that most interested JNCers over the last 365 days.

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VIDEO: Happy Doukoho Eve, Everyone!

On November 22, 1978, over 3000 bosozoku motorcycles and cars swarmed the streets of Tokyo, cruising, parading, revving and generally causing a ruckus. On the following day a new Japanese traffic law would require helmets for all motorcyclists. So a huge … Continue reading

EVENTS: 2014 SEMA, Part 02 — Bosozoku style comes to America

If there was one thing we learned from SEMA this year, it is that you must widebody all the things. From Beetles to Benzes, everything is being massively flared, often with bolt-on over-fenders, ducktail spoilers and turaichi shakotan stances. Bosozoku style has finally come to America.

VIDEO: “The Streets of Japan in 4K”

Speaking of tuning trends, the neon Lamborghinis are back, along with biker chicks, RWB Porsches, and a brief glimpse of bosozoku sleds. It’s the current state of Japanese car culture, as viewed through the lens of the mainstream west. Love or … Continue reading

EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09 — Editors’ Picks

Each year as part of our Japanese Classic Car Show coverage, we pick our favorites to highlight. We had six members of the JNC team at the show this year, plus one car that we voted on collectively to give the JNC Award. Here’s what we chose.

EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — Made in the 80s

While chrome-bumpered machines from the 60s and 70s are still the Japanese Classic Car Show’s core, urethane capped 80s cars are making their presence known in a big way. In this installment we look at iconic cars from the Reagan decade.

ART CORNER: The custom 1:24 models of Luis Aguilar, Part 01

We met Luis Aguilar at a local AE86 owner gathering and immediately had our brains melted by his astounding 1:24 scale plastic models. It wasn’t just his tremendous attention to detail that caught our eye, but his highly accurate adherence … Continue reading

ART CORNER: Ryuji Tsugihara’s Yoroshiku Mechadoc

There are countless manga devoted to the subject of cars, but rarely do they leap off their comic book pages into the world of anime. Any self-respecting JNCer knows a few, but before Initial D or Wangan Midnight, before even Shakotan Boogie, there … Continue reading

Happy Hatsuhinode from JNC!

In Japan it’s a new year’s tradition to wake up early, drive to the coast or the top of your nearest mountain, and watch hatsuhinode, the year’s first sunrise. Bosozoku take this seriously enough that police blockades are set up to … Continue reading

ART CORNER: Japanese Nostalgic Legos

Apparently, building JNCs out of Legos is a thing. After stumbling upon a Toyota Celica built by -Kyusha-, we fell down the rabbit hole and discovered an entire subculture of nostalgics made of plastic blocks. Here are some of our favorites.

KAIDO shirts now available in the JNC Shop

Our Kaido shirt that we did for this year’s JCCS was hugely popular and sold out at the show. It’s been a while but we finally made more so people who missed it at the event can get one, just … Continue reading

EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Mad Tuning Styles

The Japanese Classic Car Show showcases a wide variety of makes and models, but perhaps even more diversity can be found in the subject of this week’s QotW — the multitude of tuning styles. Not only are there differing genres … Continue reading

As long time readers know, it’s tradition for us to debut a new shirt at each JCCS. This year we’re paying homage to the rich car culture of Japan with the JNC Kaido shirt.

VIDEO: “I am bad till I die. Is there anything wrong with that?”

We in the west might think of bosozoku culture as part of “true” Japanese car culture where its extreme style and foreignness is unlikely to ever fully make the cross over to the west. The truth is, most true Japanese … Continue reading

MINICARS: Bosozoku Laurel wreaks havoc in 1970s Japan

Our friend LUXE37 has returned with another jaw-dropping stop-motion minicar chase comprised of high-end Tomicas. This time, A pair of bosozoku baddies wreak havoc on the means streets of  a 1970s Japanese town. When his partner in crime’s RX-3 is … Continue reading


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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Mukainada Station

Mukainada Station is the nearest station to the Mazda Museum if you are visiting this popular attraction just outside Hiroshima city.

Mukainada Station, Hiroshima.

Mukainada Station is just two stops south of Hiroshima Station on the Sanyo or Kure lines. Note that express trains do not stop here and you will need to catch a local. To reach the museum take the exit with the convenience store, walk straight until you get to the main road with the Matsuda Hospital on your right. The Mazda Museum is 50 meters to your right on the opposite side of the road.

Mukainada Station, Hiroshima.

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Friday, August 28, 2015

Iwami Seaside Park

The Japan Sea Coast is usually considered the best place to swim in Japan. The Pacific Coast is much more populated and industrialized with Japan's major cities dotting the seaside down from Tokyo to Yokohama, through Shizuoka, Nagoya and Osaka.

Iwami Seaside Park, Shimane.

The Echizen Coast in Fukui Prefecture has some wonderful beaches as has Shimane and the offshore Oki Islands.

One excellent place to enjoy white sands and warm water is Iwami Seaside Park, 5km of beach between Hamada to Gotsu. If you are not enjoying the swimming and snorkeling from the white sands head for Aquas near Hamada, the largest aquarium in western Honshu and Aquas Land, a vast playground/amusement park popular with families with children.

Iwami Seaside Park is also popular with people driving north from Hiroshima. Visitors can camp or rent cabins near the beach. From Hiroshima take the Sanyo then the Chugoku Expressway and exit at Hamada I.C. From here it is less than a 15-minute drive to the beach on National Highway 9.

Express buses from the Shinkansen Exit of Hiroshima Station run to Hamada.

Iwami Seaside Park

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Saturday, August 22, 2015

Japan News This Week 22 August 2015

Japan News. Japan protests Russian PM's visit to disputed island

Nagoya 112-yr-old man world’s oldest
The Japan News

Japan has so many super old people that it can’t afford to give them special sake cups anymore
The Washington Post

Japan’s economy shrinks

Team Jamaica get Japanese send-off
Jamaica Observer

Smuggling bid ends with Fukuoka hospital removing 400 cannabis balloons from man's stomach

Last Week's Japan News on the JapanVisitor blog

The number of confirmed deaths by murder in Japan has been, on the whole, falling over the past few years, with 699 deaths by murder in 2004 and 370 in 2013, according to a Japanese police report.
Heisei 25 no hanzai jousei ("The State of Crime in 2013")

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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Otani Honbyo

If you are in Kyoto mid-August during the Obon holiday period and are visiting the popular Kiyomizudera Temple in the south east corner of the city, try to make a short detour to see Otani Honbyo, a temple with adjoining graveyard that is lit with candles and lanterns at night during the Obon period. There are good views down over the city, especially at night.

Otani Honbyo, Obon, August, Kyoto, Japan.

Otani Honbyo contains the grave of Shinran (1173-1263), the founder of the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism along with around 15,000 other graves in this historic cremation and burial ground.

Otani Honbyo
6-514 Gojobashi Higashi

From Kyoto Station it takes about 20 minutes by bus to the Kiyomizu area. Take bus number #100 or #206 and get off at Kiyomizu-michi or Gojo-zaka. From Keihan Gojo Station it is a 20-minute walk. From Shijo-Kawaramachi, take the #207, #80, or #85 bus.

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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Japan News This Week August 15 2015

Japan News. Japan PM expresses 'utmost grief' over WW2 but no fresh apology

Volcanic alert raised for Sakurajima in Kagoshima
The Japan News

Japan emperor offers 'remorse' on WWII surrender anniversary
The Washington Post

Japan WW2 commemorations - in 60 seconds

Britain remembers VJ Day 70 years on
Daily Telegraph

Japan Statistics
Japan has perhaps up to 2 million Christians among its population of over 120 million. About half a million of Japan's Christians are Catholic. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has about 125,000 members in Japan, and the Salvation Army is very active in Japan.

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Friday, August 14, 2015

A Walk Around Kyushu Day 71 Mimasaka to Hizennagano

A Walk Around Kyushu
Day 71, Mimasaka to Hizennagano
Sunday March 23rd, 2014

Today I have a cluster of three pilgrimage temples to visit, one of them near the top of a mountain. It's the last day of basing myself in Sasebo and therefore being able to walk with just a light pack. I studied the map last night for the best route to take and ended up deciding that there is no way to avoid zigzagging and I should be able to end up at a station where I can get back to my hotel in Sasebo one more time.

Toko-ji Temple, Kyushu, Japan.

I take the first train out of Sasebo and go one station past Kamiarita where I finished yesterday. There is not a cloud in the sky. The first temple of the day, Toko-ji, number 67 on the pilgrimage, is just a few minutes walk south of the station. It's a small, rural temple with the only noticeable thing being row upon row of jizo statues in faded red bibs, most with a multicolor windmill.

Across the road is a very curious shrine. Built on a rise that is all exposed rock, a series of empty terraces have been carved into the rock in front of the shrine. A signboard explains that this was an area where some of the Heike settled after their defeat and a dance performed annually at the shrine was created by them. I head back to the station and carry on north. To my left some fairly high mountains loom.

The next temple is near the top. The road leading up to it is on the north side so I take the small road that hugs the base of the hills. When I get round to the road there is a big stone torii over a path that heads up the mountain. This would be the shortest route up, but most probably the steepest, whereas the road will be longer but less steep. I will come down the trail and go up the road. Part way up is a temple on the right but I decide to check it out on my way down.

It's quite a climb, but as I've noted before, easier than anticipated. When I arrive at the temple, Saikomitsuji, I am surprised to find it open with someone tidying up. The guide book said it was an unmanned temple but I guess that it being a Sunday in o-higan something will be going on. A torii and steps lead up the mountain to the shrine on top but I decide against the extra climb. I am already at more than 450 meters and that’s enough climbing for the day. I head down the mountain along the trail and it's great to be off the roads and walking through trees.

The trail hits the road at the small temple I passed on the way up and I cross the small bridge to check it out. There are lots of statues with bright flower offerings and a small building, but a path up the mountain lined with yet more statues beckons me. I really didn't want to do any more climbing, but I started to climb anyway. I am glad I did. The path ended at a cliff face with fantastic view down over the surrounding countryside and carved into the cliff a giant 7 meter high relief of Fudo Myo.

Relief statue of Fudo Myo, Kyushu.

Beneath the statue is a huge polished steel circular mirror that I am guessing is facing towards the rising sun. Quite impressive and completely unexpected. I head back and carry on down the trail through the forest. I reach the valley pretty quickly and head off towards the next temple.

Not far from the base of the mountain I come to a big shrine with a lot of activity. Men in suits and women in kimonos are milling around. This is Kurokami Shrine, or rather Lower Kurokami Shrine. The Upper Kurokami Shrine is the one on top of the mountain. The ceremony everyone is here for is a Shinto style wedding.

Many people believe this is a traditional and ancient ceremony but its actually very modern and is based on the royal weddings of Europe. A little further along the road and I pass by a supermarket where I am able to get some lunch. I find temple 68, Mudo-in, at the base of the hills not far off the main road. There is a nice Fudo statue and some strange, weathered komainu, but otherwise just another small, rural temple.

Mudo-in priest, Kyushu, Japan.

However it seems that the priest's family are visiting and I am invited to sit in the shade and enjoy a cool drink. The priest's daughter or daughter-in-law speaks good English and she fetches out a photo of the priest's brother, also a priest, meeting with the Pope. The old guy is very proud of it.

I head off north and cross over the hills to reach a river that runs eventually into the Matsuura River which empties into the sea at Karatsu which will be my destination tomorrow. I follow the rail line a couple of stations and by mid afternoon reach Nagano where I get on the train back to Sasebo. It's a beautiful day and I have a few hours left to do some exploring of shrines and temples in Sasebo.

Jake Davies

A Walk Around Kyushu Day 70

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Monday, August 10, 2015

More Kokeshi

In May of this year I visited Miyagi Prefecture and wrote a post here about the humble beginnings of my kokeshi collection. At the time of course I pretty much knew zilch about kokeshi - I simply liked the look of the craft. Since then, however, I have made the effort to educate myself. To that end I purchased two books dedicated to the art of kokeshi.

Kokeshi: From Tohoku With Love

Kokeshi: From Tohoku with Love by Manami Okazaki is concerned primarily with the production of kokeshi and contains interviews with twenty kokeshi craftspersons who live and work in the Tohoku region.

Kokeshi Book by Yousuke Jikuhara is a delightful pictorial filled with examples of the varying kokeshi styles. Although nearly all the text is Japanese, the artists' names are printed in English.

I found the most information about kokeshi on a blog called "Kokeshi Adventures." It is written by a kokeshi aficionado named John who has traveled across Japan visiting kokeshi artists, onsens, shops, and museums, and attending special kokeshi events.

Kokeshi Adventures Blog.

He has a real treasure trove of knowledge within his pages. If you are interested in this charming folk art, I recommend reading John's blog. And if you are visiting Japan this September of 2015, the biggest and longest-running kokeshi festival in Japan will be held at Naruko Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture on September 4th, 5th, and 6th.

More Kokeshi.

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Sunday, August 09, 2015

Japan News This Week 9 August 2015

Japan News.
Hiroshima: Japan remembers atomic bombing, 70 years on

Nakasone: Japan’s war in Asia simply aggression
The Japan News

Panel says Japan falls short on its World War II amends
Boston Globe

Japan's part-timers entering era of 1,000-yen wages
Nikkei Asian Review

Support for Japanese leader Abe drops after security bills
Yahoo News

Japan: gov't to send high level delegation to Iran

Centuries-old camphor holds Japan's biggest tree house

Last Week's Japan News on the JapanVisitor blog

Japan has possibly up to about 2.5 million Christians out of a population of about 127 million. About 500,000 of Japan's Christians are Catholics. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) has about 127,000 members. The Salvation Army is a pervasive presence in Japan with over 1,100 full-time employees.

Sources: Catholic Hierarchy.org　Wikipedia: Protestantism_in_Japan　mormonnewsroom.org

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Saturday, August 08, 2015

Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Anniversary 2015

長崎, 原子爆弾

Tomorrow, August 9th, is the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the second city in Japan after Hiroshima, three days earlier to be attacked and destroyed by a nuclear bomb dropped by the American Air Force during World War II.

Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Anniversary, Nagasaki.

The Nagasaki bomb effectively ended the Pacific War, which had begun with the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.

This year the anniversary has extra significance, not just as the 70th since the end of World War II, but also against a rising tide of nationalism within the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his LDP party.

There is unease among Japan's neighbors, namely South Korea and China, that Abe will not offer the standard statement of apology to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 14, the date Emperor Hirohito's decree to surrender was heard on the radio in Japan.

The day will be marked by solemn memorial services in Nagasaki, including an annual address by the Mayor of Nagasaki as he delivers a Peace Declaration to the World.

A solemn prayer is held at 11.02am, the exact time of the bombing and the mayor of Nagasaki will repeat his pleas for a nuclear-free Japan, against a backdrop of nuclear reactors being given permission to resume operation following the meltdown of a reactor in Fushima following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Friday, August 07, 2015

Settling down in Japanese: the verb sueru

The Japanese verb sueru 据える。
The Japanese verb sueru

If you've been in Japan for any length of time, you'll know how incredibly important the idea of home is to the Japanese. The idea of a permanent home is even built into Japan's administrative system by way of the koseki household registration. The koseki grounds each Japanese person in a family at a particular "home" address, with the actual addresses at which the often scattered members may live being considered provisional - until the day a family member marries and starts his own koseki somewhere else.

And foreigners who live in Japan are, first and foremost, seen as being "away from home." They must be "homesick" and are, by definition, unsettled (and quite often unsettling!)

In other words, "being at home," "rootedness," "being on one's own territory" are crucial concepts to the Japanese.

There's a word that expresses this sense of focus, attachment and groundedness: sueru ("soo-eh-roo"). Here we're going to look at a few uses of sueru in everyday Japanese.

sueru means, at its simplest, to put, set, place or lay in position. The example sentence in Jim Breen's WWJDIC dictionary goes:
chuo ni wa tsukue ga suerarete, akai kawabari no kaiten isu ga soete atta.
"A desk stood in the centre, with a red leather swivel chair."
Here the passive form of sueru, suerareru, is used, so a more literal translation would be:
"A desk was placed in the center, accompanied by a red leather swivel chair."

That's the basic meaning. Now let's look at some more colorful uses of sueru.

To fix your eye on someone is misueru 見据える, the mi being for "look" and the sueru standing for "fix."

To really glare at someone and stare them down is niramisueru 睨み据える, the nirami meaning "glare" and the sueru adding an additional, somewhat grim, "planted there to stay there" element to it.

Another combative use of sueru is in the phrase:
灸を据える kyuu o sueru
meaning "to rake over the coals, chastise, roast." Literally it describes the act of moxibustion, i.e., holding a burning moxa (or, kyu) to someone's skin, but it is used much more often in this figurative sense of "grilling" someone. The image here that springs to mind is of a torturer purposefully applying a red hot poker to a certain spot, the key idea being intentional placing, the same way as in branding cattle, for example..

To continue the violence, there is the word kirisueru 切り据える, literally "cut-and-place"—meaning to cut down an enemy (with one's sword), the sueru adding a sense of fatal intent and purposefulness to the act of cutting.

Yet, there are sueru things you can do for those you love and respect, as well. For example, if your boss graces you with a visit you would ボスと上座に据える bosu o kamiza ni sueru: sit the boss in the seat of honor. Here "sit" can be more literally translated as "place" or "ensconce."

Finally, there are quite a few sueru things you can do with various body parts!

To start with a very straightforward one: shiri (more usually coupled with the honorific o: o-shiri) means one's "backside," so shiri o sueru 尻を据える means to "plant your ass," i.e., sit down.

koshi means your back, and koshi o sueru 腰を据える means to settle down to doing something, putting all your energies into something (for the long haul). The image that comes to mind here is of the pose often encountered in socialist statuary, of the hero, one foot in front of the other, shoulders thrown back and all forward impetus coming from his lower back, which is planted there. A related meaning, is simply to settle down or ensconce yourself somewhere.

hara means belly, and hara o sueru 腹を据える means to make up your mind, commit yourself to a decision, set yourself to a course of action. This one doesn't work on the English speaker's mind so readily, but I guess once you've come to a decision you've lost sleep over and hummed and hahed for days over, you are then entitled to then stand there, hands on hips, and feel the full weight of your gut that now hangs there in a solid state of assuredness, given up at last, after all that tossing and turning, to the gravity of certainty.

kimo means liver and, as in the English "lily livered," the liver in Japanese is traditionally the seat of the will. So kimo o sueru 肝を据える, or to "put your liver into it" predictably means to prepare yourself for the worst and determinedly embark on a course of action.

Kimo o suete Nihongo o benkyo shiyo yo!

© JapanVisitor.com

Inside Track Japan For Kindle


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Past Event

Bill Savory and the Heroics of Sound, with Doug Pomeroy

When the NJMH acquired the Savory Collection in 2010, it was almost a Pyrrhic victory; many of most important items were in a terrible state of decomposition. Fabled sound engineer Doug Pomeroy agreed to come out of retirement to rescue these historic sounds from oblivion. Join us as Doug reveals some of the secrets of his trade – his passion for what he does promises to make this an unforgettable night; we’ll listen to before and after recordings to illustrate the points.

Check out this video from the New York Times with Doug Pomeroy discussing the Savory Collection:


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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Garage Storage: Making Good Use of Limited Space

garage storage system

Professional organizers have conferences, and I'm just back from one — which explains why blog posts have been light lately. The conference expo acquaints us with a number of neat products — and both this year and last, one of those products was the Monkey Bars garage storage system by Gorgeous Garage.

Comparison photos - Monkey Bars uses less space than other garage systems

The company claims that "Monkey Bars have 2 to 3 times more storage capacity than other garage systems" — and they do indeed have a number of clever ways of making the most of limited space.

storage racks for plastic bins

And let's look at a couple of other tools that could help you make the most of your space. I've seen many garages with stacks of bins — which makes it a real pain to get to the bottom bin. The Bin Warehouse would eliminate that problem.

Of course, the first question would be: Does it make sense to keep everything that's in those bins? But if the answer is yes, then storing them for easy access makes sense. The Bin Warehouse comes in two sizes, storing either 8 or 12 plastic bins, and there's also a file box version. You can find these products a number of places on the web, including Stacks and Stacks.

folding sawhorse

I was also pleased to learn about the Storehorse — a folding sawhorse from Crawford. Reviewer Chris Rodenius raved about these sawhorses, and the folding feature means they can be tucked away where others wouldn't fit.

Related Posts:
Garage Storage: Going Up
Garage Storage - For All Kinds of Stuff

JustGail said...

The Mondy Bars look very interesting. One possible drawback - in the comparison photo it looks like they store things deeper and closer together. I can say from experience that needing to take things down in order to get what you want or put it away leads to doom, at least in my house.

The sawhorse is nice - we have folding metal ones, and they have a few sharp edges. But they do fold down to aabout 6x6x30" size.

Jeri Dansky said...

JustGail, the Monkey Bars allow you to store things deeper and closer together, so if you need to save the space, you can. But you don't have to do that if you've got more space; the company's web site shows plenty of photos with things spaced out.

I totally agree that a less-compact version is easier to work with, on both the get-it-down and put-it-away side of things. Thanks for making that point for me!


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The Near-Taproot Fire

So I’m sitting at the coffee shop at 6:10, when a prayer request from one of the women at church comes across my desktop.  Something about a 3-alarm fire near 85th and Greenwood, and that my good friend Scott Nolte is being interviewed.   It takes a minute to register.  I go to KING 5 News’ website, and there’s a notice about the fire, along with a picture.

I called Anjie, and headed out.

Taproot is a kind of home to me, a place, an ensemble that has given me more opportunities to work than I deserve, and I have such great respect for their longevity, their resilience, and their mission.  Artistic Director Scott Nolte and I get burgers regularly, I go to church with Associate Artistic Director Karen Lund, her Taproot Scenic Designer/Tech Director husband Mark Lund, Costume Designer Sarah Gordon, and others that work there.   I’m just an actor, but I wanted to be there with and for them.

There were fire trucks everywhere, and the first thing I noticed as I approached the neighborhood was the smell of smoke.  I pulled into the Fred Meyer parking lot, called Scott, found out he was in the Gorditos parking lot across from the theatre, stepped over a couple of yellow-tape barriers, and found Scott, his wife Pam, and their actor-son Peter all standing there looking across at the space.

Pho Tic Tac, the Green Bean, and the other two restaurants to the east of Taproot were gutted, black holes in the side of the old brick building.  A water cannon high above 85th was pouring cascades of water onto the roofs, concentrating on an area close to Taproot.   Soon water could be seen dripping from the ceiling in the lower lobby, and we watched at one point as a firefighter took an axe to one of the walls in the upper lobby.   Insulation from the ceiling soon started appearing on the stairs and pretty soon it looked as if it had snowed in a couple of places.

The only flames I saw erupted at the eastern edge of the building, down near the Teriyaki place, a place where I’ve eaten countless times.   The firefighters’ response to those flames was calm and even, which made sense to me given the amount of water they were pouring onto the place.

Our quiet conversation touched on the small business owners whose livelihood had literally gone up in flames.   It’s a testament to the heart of Taproot that this seemed to be the major concern.   Another topic was where to perform three sold-out performances of Enchanted April.   It looked as if it was pretty certain that while the theatre itself had escaped the fire, there was sufficient damage to keep the play from happening in that space tonight and tomorrow.  (No official word has come at this hour, so if you’re reading this, and you have tickets, stay tuned.)   Concerns of next steps, figuring out logistics for a touring company performance for a school scheduled for the afternoon (all the props and costumes were in the basement, status unknown), memories of other crises that have been a part of the Taproot Theatre tapestry over the years…the talk was quiet, thoughtful, hopeful.   Perhaps Pam Nolte said it best as she talked to a friend.  Citing her usual realist approach to things, she said “In crisis, I’m an optimist.”

And there was prayer.  A prayer request is how I found out about the situation, and I would bet nearly as many people found out through prayer request channels as did through news channels.   God has been extremely faithful to this band of people over the 30 years of their existence, and their faith (and mine) is that He will continue to do so.

There was nothing to do, really, at that time of day, but stand and watch.  Eventually, gray light replaced the dark, and the gathered Taproot staff left the Bartell’s parking lot and headed to the Administrative offices down the street to come up with a game plan.  I had a sermon to finish up (I’m preaching Sunday–the new guy is out of town), so I headed to the car.  That’s when the rain started in earnest.

Say a prayer for the whole block.  Some have lost their livlihoods, and the Green Bean, a non-profit ministry/outreach, has lost its opportunity to provide a third-place for so many Greenwood patrons.   Greenwood has a lot going for it, and this now-gutted building was a part of it.

For a report from an earlier perspective, along with some video from the fire, see

Add yours →

  1. I’ll keep you and Scott and Pam and all of Taproot’s brave, passionate people in my prayers as this goes on. Thank you for your thoughtful writing here, which is so much more useful than the brief news reports.

  2. Thank you for sharing your feelings, Jeff. Our house burned when I was twelve. The whole town came to our aid (after they watched the fire). People who had “been there” were the most reassuring. Daddy’s faith kept us all calm. It was a turning point for us after enduring ten years of The Depression. My prayer is that God will use this set-back to increase the faith of all the Taproot troupe and bring more attendance than ever.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Fort that Jehu Built

This is the Fort that Jehu Built:
Union Fort was built on Jehu & Sarah Cox’s farm in 1849. View Photos Here | The battle of Union Fort occurred nearly 150 years later when their great-grandson Marion Cox joined with Union residents in an effort to preserve their adobe home. It was demolished & a replica built nearby & Marion Cox came to be known as the ‘Honorary Mayor of Union Fort.’
This is Their Legacy:
Marion invites you to help remember our pioneer heritage with a bronze monument of Jehu & Sarah. You can contribute to the
Jehu and Sarah Cox Memorial, a special project of The Community Foundation of Utah.

This is How You Can Help:
Donations are made to The Community Foundation of Utah
a registered charitable organization (EIN 74-3211770).

Photo Gallery

CLICK HERE to see images of the fort, the adobe home and the efforts to save it.


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Google, Wikipedia and More

I was talking about Wikipedia, and he launched into a rant about its failings. In particular, he complained about the several inaccuracies in an article about a topic with which he was deeply familiar.

“So,” I asked, “did you fix them?”

“No,” he responded, “I don’t have time for that kind of thing.”

Talk about not getting it. —Dan GillmorGoogle, Wikipedia and More (Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism, Etc.)

In this entry about Google’s recent interest in Wikimedia, Gillmor offers this anecdote about a Big University Professor.


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Answers to the “What should I buy?” Question, 2014 Edition

You’re a car guy [or girl]. Your mom,, aunt, uncle, neighbor, and cat (if you’re dealing with Toonces) seeks your advice on what car, truck, or SUV they should buy whether their budget is $1000 or $80,000. With your nose buried deep in issues of Hot Rod or GRM and your fingers constantly black from oil and grease, you’re naturally the expert.

After answering this question individually a few dozen times, I’ve decided to publish a master list of cars you should buy or avoid according to segment and budget.

-Late 90s and early 2000s Subarus — Head gaskets and cooling systems are a nightmare.
-Any Nissan with a CVT transmission — They’re awful to drive and costly to replace.
-2002+ Nissan Altima with the problematic 2.5L I4.
-1990-1994 Maxima with an automatic transmission.
-V6 Hondas and Acuras mated to a 5-speed automatic — Replacement costs are very high. If you insist on one, get an extended warranty
-Ford Fusion 2010-2012 — The Ford 6F35 automatic is troublesome. Most had this transmission, others had Aisin or Mazda units. Depends on engine choice.
-Any Dodge/Chrysler with the 2.7L V6
-Volkswagens with CVT transmissions
-Late 90s/early 2000s turbo “New Beetles” suffered from cooling system issues and oil sludge.
-Ford Taurus before 2008 — Automatic transmission issues.
-Certain late 90s/early 2000s Toyotas and Lexuses suffered from oil sludge. Supposedly, V6 engines were affected from ’97-’03.
-GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook — Transmissions and timing chains are prone to failure. Timing chain replacement requires removal of the engine.
-Mercury Mystique/Ford Contour — Automatic transmission problems.
-Dodge Caliber — Poor build quality and various suspension and powertrain issues.
-Volkswagen Touareg
-2014+ Mitsubishi Mirage — Terrible to drive, look at, or be in. An awful value for money. With massive depreciation, it could one day be the ultimate beater car. That day is not today.
-Smart cars — Ironically, only stupid people buy them.

-Porsche Boxster before 2003 — Intermediate shaft failures are costly.
-Mini Coopers with CVT transmissions
-Ford Mustang — 2011-2012 have problematic 6-speed manual transmissions.

-Any BMW with an SMG transmission
-2002-2008 E65 BMW 7-series
-Any Mercedes-Benz from the late 90s through 2007. Corporate quality control suffered tremendously. The S-class developed a reputation for rusting doors and wonky electrics. The SL’s suspension is a nightmare to service. The ML was a quality disaster. The rest of the lineup wasn’t much better.
-Saab 9-5s of certain years have oil sludge issues. A PCV update was released to address the problem.
-V6 Hondas and Acuras mated to a 5-speed automatic — Replacement costs are very high. If you insist on one, get an extended warranty
-Northstar-powered Cadillacs before 2005 — Head gaskets are costly to fix because the entire powertrain has to be removed from the bottom of the car. Expect a repair bill around $3000 at typical labor rates. This doesn’t stop me from buying them because I suffer from blind affection.
-Oldsmobile Auroras for the same reasons as above.
-Mazda Millenia — Parts costs are insane. Reliability is below average.
-Any Land Rover or Range Rover
-Audis with CVT transmissions

-Four-cylinder Mazdas from the early 90s to early 2000s with automatic transmissions.
-Infiniti QX4 — Major rust issues. Nissan Pathfinders of the same vintage had the same problem.
-Older Ford Explorers had transmission issues.
-Certain years of Powerstroke Diesel Ford pickups.
-GM trucks with Vortec 5.3L V8s — Piston slap issue.

-Ford Fusion 2005-2009
-4.6L Crown Victorias, Grand Marquis, and Town Cars
-2003+ Hyundai Elantras — They take a beating and last a long time if maintenance requirements (timing belt!) are followed.
-1993-2001 Nissan Altima
-1990+ Maxima with a manual transmission.
-Geo Prizm from the mid to late 90s — Cheaper than the Corolla with the same dependability and crummy driving experience.
-Mazda Protege 1.8L
-Mazda 3
-2014+ Mazda 6
-Honda Civic
-Four-cylinder Honda Accord
-2011+ Kia Optima
-Scion TC
-Toyota Matrix
-Oldsmobile Eighty Eight LSS — Has to be the supercharged LSS.
-Buick Regal GS — 1997-2005 supercharged.
-Buick Park Avenue

-Any Mazda Miata
-Toyota MR2 (except 2000-2002)
-Toyota Celica
-Nissan 240SX
-Nissan 350Z/370Z
-Ford Mustang GT (avoid ’11-’12 equipped with manual transmissions)

-Acura Integra
-Acura RSX
-Acura TL — Type-S ONLY because of the manual transmission.
-Cadillac Escalade — Except 2007 due to transmission issues. Except 5.3L due to piston slap. Except AWD due to diff chatter.
-2006-2011 Cadillac DTS
-E46 BMW 3-series
-Infiniti G35/G37
-Infiniti I30/I35
-Lexus LS400
-Lexus GS300/GS400 (300 preferred)
-Lexus SC400
-Lexus LX450 and LX470
-Lexus ES350
-Toyota Avalon

-Honda CRV
-Toyota 4Runner
-Toyota Land Cruiser
-Toyota FJ Cruiser
-Toyota Sequoia
-Jeep Cherokee 4.0L — ’98-’99 preferred. ’00-’01 had cylinder head issues.
-Jeep Wrangler (see above)
-Chevrolet/GMC T400 pickup trucks
-Chevrolet/GMC T400 full size SUVs
-First-generation Ford Expedition
-Nissan Frontier 4.0L
-Nissan XTerra 4.0L

Some cars, like the Lincoln LS, are prone to electrical and transmission issues but make up for their failings with beauty, comfort, and excellent driving dynamics. More expensive vehicles like the Jaguar XK are about passion rather than practicality and most Italian exotics have maintenance costs that would blow your mind. Those kinds of vehicles were omitted from both lists. If you’re asking me whether you should buy a 458 Italia or an Aventador, we need to hang out.

Feel free to add to the list in the comments below.

3 Responses to Answers to the “What should I buy?” Question, 2014 Edition

  1. Alfred says:

    Needles to say all these cars should be bought with the lowest mileage possible, otherwise …

  2. MinisterofDOOM says:

    A manual, VG30e-powered Maxima will outlast the Sun if you change the oil on occasion. They’re also a joy to drive, combining comfort with nice chassis dynamics in a way the Japanese have apparently forgotten over the past 20 years. The car weighs nothing so the 160hp is more than enough, and the VG’s exhaust note is quite nice to boot.

    There are extended warranties to cover SOME of the LS8′s more potentially nasty issues, which helps mitigate some of the end-user cost, but finding a 2nd gen under 100k miles (within the warranty) is getting tougher. A lot of the problems are driveway-correctable, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a pain in the butt.
    I would not recommend a 1st gen LS. The 2nd generation redesign dramatically improved just about every aspect of the car, and used prices are barely different between the two.

    I second the recommendation of the GS300 over the 400. Any V8 Lexus should be avoided due to Lexus’ unfortunate use of timing belts rather than chains. Unnecessary added maintenance.

  3. Ryan says:

    As for sporty cars to buy I would add the Honda Prelude w/o an automatic. The slapshift in the 5th Generation is garbage and prone to failure but the manuals are a joy to drive and the running costs are low. Also, the ’04+ Accord’s with V6′s have average reliability and don’t have the issues the ’98-’02 Accord V6′s did.

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text:
JWR Eric BreindelMona CharenLinda ChavezLeft, Right & Center
Robert ScheerDon FederRoger Simon
Left, Right & Center

Robert Scheer

Eric Breindel

Don Feder

Roger Simon

Mona Charen

Linda Chavez

Reader Response

Write to JWR

Jewish World Review / January 28, 1998 / 1 Shevat, 5758

Linda Chavez

Linda Chavez Clinton, Lewinsky, and Politics vs. principle

Patricia Ireland, Eleanor Smeal, Anita Hill, call your office. The most important sexual harassment case in U.S. history is unfolding in Washington, and the leaders of the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority and the National Women's Political Caucus are nowhere to be found. Monica Lewinsky, who has accused President Clinton of engaging her in a year-and-a-half long exploitive and demeaning sexual relationship, is very much in need of some sisterly support. But the paragons of feminist solidarity have remained mum. How different is their response this time than their quick embrace of Anita Hill, Paula Coughlin, the Navy lieutenant who blew the whistle on improper goings-on at the Tailgate convention, the 29 women who claimed former Sen. Bob Packwood tried to kiss or fondle them, and virtually every other group of women who ever accused a powerful boss of taking advantage of them?

But do Lewinsky's allegations point to sexual harassment? She hasn't suggested so to date, but she -- and other White House employees, too -- may well have a case if Lewinsky actually engaged in any sexual activity while she worked in the executive branch, even if the activity was consensual. The courts have consistently ruled that sexual harassment can occur even if the victim was not forced to participate in sexual activity against her will.

Many people think sexual harassment happens only when an employer tries to solicit sex in return for a job, a promotion or other favors in the workplace. But only 5 percent of all complaints filed with the Equal Opportunity Commission involve this type of quid pro quo sexual harassment. The other 95 percent of cases involve a so-called "hostile work environment," which can affect not only the female (or, as is increasingly the case, male) employee alleging unwanted sexual advances from a boss or co-worker but other employees who may be aware of sexual activity between a supervisor and his (or her) subordinate.

Let's look at what reportedly happened between Monica Lewinsky and the president: Lewinsky was a 21-year-old White House intern when she began visiting the Oval Office and, at some point, allegedly engaging in intimate sex acts with the president. During this period, she received a promotion to a paid position. If the president in any way hinted that Lewinsky's sexual favors would enhance her prospects of receiving a paid job, staying on at the White House or continuing to receive favored treatment, Lewinsky could claim sexual harassment.

Lewinsky also allegedly complained to her friend and co-worker Linda Tripp that the president was losing interest in her and may have been involved in sexual liaisons with other White House staffers after Lewinsky was transferred to the Pentagon. If she felt that her only way to get back into the White House was to continue to engage in sex acts with the president, she may now be able to claim harassment.

And Lewinsky isn't the only person who could allege sexual harassment in this case. Linda Tripp has already suggested she began taping her conversations with Lewinsky after the president's bellicose attorney, Robert Bennett, called Tripp a liar on national television when she reported having seen another woman, Kathleen E. Willey, emerge from the Oval Office with smeared lipstick and disheveled clothes. Tripp could argue that both this incident and the stories Lewinsky told her created a hostile work environment as well, both at the White House and as a Pentagon employee. She might also be able to show that she was moved out of her White House job in retaliation for what she knew about the Willey incident, which would constitute an even more serious sex discrimination offense than the harassment itself.

And what about those other interns who worked with Lewinsky -- or indeed anyone who worked at the White House when these alleged sexual acts took place? An intern or employee who was not given a job or promotion could claim that this sexualized environment substantially interfered with his or her own work performance, creating an intimidating or hostile work situation. Similar complaints, alleging far less egregious behavior, are filed all the time, leading to disciplinary action against the offender.

Early polls suggest that a substantial portion of the American public believe it's no one's business if the president had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. They seem to be forgetting that Bill Clinton is an employer, Monica Lewinsky was his employee and the alleged sexual activity occurred in the workplace.

Surely, the point hasn't escaped Ireland, Smeal and other feminists, however. You'd think they'd be lining up White House plaintiffs by the score. If Bill Clinton were a CEO, an Army drill sergeant or an assembly line foreman, the feminists would be out for blood. With everyone else in the nation talking about little else, feminist leaders' silence on this issue speaks volumes about their willingness to put politics before principle.

1/21/98: Movement on the Abortion Front
1/14/98: Clones, Courts, and Contradictions
1/7/98: Child custody or child endangerment?
12/31/97: Jerry Seinfeld, All-American
12/24/97: Affirmative alternatives: New initiatives for equal opportunity are out there
12/17/97: Opening a window of opportunity (a way out of bilingual education for California's Hispanic kids)

©1998, Creators Syndicate, Inc.