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Law & Disorder —

When every student has a laptop, why run computer labs?

Only four freshmen showed up at the University of Virginia in 2007 without a …

What's the point of running a university computer lab when all the students bring laptops anyway? That's a question that schools have been asking themselves as computer ownership rates among incoming freshmen routinely top 90 percent. Schools like the University of Virginia have concluded that the time has come to dismantle the community computer labs and put that money to more productive uses.

According to the school's Information Technology & Communication department, 3,117 freshmen enrolled in 2007, and 3,113 of them owned their own computer. Nearly all of the machines were laptops, with 72 percent running Windows and 26 percent running Mac OS X (six hardy souls ran Linux).

Compared to a decade ago, the increase in student computing hardware is little short of amazing. In 1997, 74 percent of incoming freshmen owned computers, but only 16 percent of these machines were laptops. The Windows chokehold on operating systems looked complete, appearing on 93.4 percent of all machines and leaving only 6.6 percent for the Mac.

Source: University of Virginia

Given these numbers, the school began to suspect that its labs might not be necessary, even though usage remained high. When it surveyed the programs actually launched on lab computers in 2008, it found that 95 of the time students spent in the lab was spent running "free" software like Firefox, Internet Explorer, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or Microsoft Office (the school has a campus license for Office and students can install free $10 copies on their machines). Expensive but niche programs like SPSS—the bane of social science students everywhere—were used only 5 percent of the time.

With labs closing down, the university hopes to save some cash. School vice president James Hilton told The Chronicle of Higher Education that it cost about $300,000 to run the campus computer labs each year, but the amount that the school actually saves will depend on how much it costs to provide alternative access to things like community printers and niche software.

To make specialized software available to students, the school says it will "convene a community to jointly review potential software delivery solutions." Its ideas so far all appear to revolve around accessing specialized tools over the network, possibly through "software streaming" or some form of remote connection to dedicated machines.

The change also doesn't mean that the university gets to reclaim all that physical space from the labs. As the university's explanatory document notes, "ITC understands that students need collaborative space where they can bring their laptops and mobile devices to conduct group work, especially as the curriculum becomes increasingly team- and project-based."

As for supporting this hugely diverse range of hardware that students will schlep to campus, the mind boggles at the tech support nightmares that will soon plague the dreams of IT workers.

106 Reader Comments

  1. One "obvious" reason would be that not every college student a) has a laptop and b) brings it on campus with them. I always traveled as light as possible to classes when I was in school.

    ("Obligatory" disclosure - I'm a sysadmin for an academic department at a major university, and I am responsible for a few labs - about 50/50 public/instructional)
    3 posts | registered
  2. I have to wonder about those four students. Do they not have computers because they can't afford them, or because they're in some way opposed to or afraid or them. If it's the former, I hope there is some sort of campus computer-purchase aid program that will at least help get them a netbook.

    An utter lack of computer labs would be really disastrous, I should think. I mean, when your laptop goes down, what do you do in the time until you can get another one? Hopefully, they'll still run one or two small computer labs somewhere on campus. I remember being an undergraduate, and though I only had a multi-day computer failure on one occasion (hardware... anytime it was a software failure, I immediately squeed with glee at the receipt of a flimsy excuse to blow everything off and spend my evening fixing it.) The fact that there were more computer labs than restrooms saved my ass. I'm sure the less tech-savvy students will be confronting the prospect of downtime much more frequently.
    447 posts | registered
  3. Yea, I think kuoirad has the right idea. I had a laptop in college, but I really didn't feel like carrying it around everywhere. There were times for various reasons (such as time between classes) where I used the school computer lab. Add to that printing services and specialized software, and it makes sense to still have computer labs.
    Plus, computer break and having a lab allows students to still work.
    27 posts | registered
  4. ++ to what zealeus said, Not every student is an Arsian with a Windows Desktop, a Mac Mini and a netbook. If a student's primary machine breaks, (usually a laptop) what will they use? I know here at the University of Illinois our Instructional/housing labs are always usually at like, 50% to 75% of capacity.
    767 posts | registered
  5. It is not even a matter of whether the kids own laptops. I have a friend whose laptop is in California getting fixed, and she has spent the last two weeks doing all of her work in computer labs. What would she do if we just dropped the labs? I dont know.
    44 posts | registered
  6. There are several reasons. Not every student is going to have a laptop. Having access to a computer on campus is a benefit to those who have a desktop machine or can't carry their laptop all the time.

    Computers on campus may have different capabilities than those the students brought with them. When I was at MIT the computers on campus were more powerful and had larger screens than the computer I eventually bought. They ran UNIX and had access to different software. The lab can provide access to software applications so the students don't have to buy them. And, they can provide access to printers and hardware accessories. Not every student necessarily has a color printer, DVD burner, EPROM programmers, etc.

    I think the situation would be different for each school. If the labs are being used then the students find them beneficial. If they are sitting empty then they might as well be decommissioned and replaced by a student lounge with printers.
    1863 posts | registered
  7. As I write this from a university computer lab, I can't help but agree with kuoirad, zealeus, and jdpc_luke. I live off campus, so whn I come on campus for classes I have so many notebooks with me that it would just be ridiculous to carry my laptop around.

    The issue of niche software is really critical, however. I'm an engineering student and I get a lot of MATLAB assignments. My school has a software remote connection so I can actually access it from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, but I know that using it puts strain on the University's servers. In general, however, as laptops get lighter and smaller, it probably won't be a big deal to phase out computer labs.

    We all just play games on them anyway Smile
    109 posts | registered
  8. Computer labs for students who live on campus are simply print stations. I think we all recall the 'ole' email to yourself and print at lab' trick. Better printing solutions would definitely reduce the number computers needed on a campus (i.e qued, networked printers in each residence hall).

    Labs are only heavily used during exam week when everyone "gets away" by huddling over lab computers instead of the ones in their rooms.

    As mentioned above, commuters have the most need for computer labs on campus. The number of labs on a campus should be tied to commuter and laptop trends on campus.
    267 posts | registered
  9. I used to work at my college computer lab. I got paid minimum wage but still it was something to help ends meet. The lab was always full, and people usually needed help that they appreciated a lot.

    I think software has been mentioned but also those big printer for CAD run very expensive for students to afford.
    79 posts | registered
  10. The biggest reason to keep labs around is reliability. These days if I failed to turn in a project and claimed "my computer broke" the teacher would laugh at me and tell me I should have kept a backup and finished it in the lab. My brother (also in college) often has to use the lab if he managed to break his computer and I can't get it fixed remotely. If a university expects students to use computers for a task it behooves them to keep at least a few labs around as a backup for students who break their personal systems.

    Niche software is another good point. If software is only used 5% of the time, its perfect for a lab. That way you don't need to buy a copy of that niche software for each student, the ones who need it will visit the lab.

    On a side note, I still yell at people that complain about how much laptops weigh. It seems insane to me that one would complain about having to lug a backpack with books and a laptop a mile or two. Try going backpacking in the mountains for a few days, I promise you will have something new and heavier to complain about when you return.
    1354 posts | registered
  11. The main purpose of labs is to provide specialized software for students to use. Are we going to expect that all engineering students have to go out and buy AutoCAD or Microstation now? Those are cheap compared to some of the softwares used by other majors.
    2283 posts | registered
  12. My college provides all students with laptops as part of the tuition, but thats because it's mostly an engineering school and the computers have to be able to run some intensive programs, like SolidWorks. Also they get them for a good deal when they buy them all together, but they are specialized and powerful too.

    Another good thing about that was that the school could then provide support for the machines when they broke. Mine was getting fixed once a month if not once a week...
    496 posts | registered
  13. I think it's obvious as to how they will support all these different laptops, they'll do what they already do: tell you to go to Best Buy and have them look at it.

    My laptop is a HP dv2201 and I really do use it for assignments and papers. I also use computer labs, but only to sit in while using my own laptop. I'm actually typing this from a computer lab right now.
    2412 posts | registered
  14. I would think that the recent explosion of netbooks would help with some of this. Although I had a laptop in college, I didn't always bring it with me, mostly due to a faulty battery, but also because it was a somewhat massive desktop replacement laptop. It did the job just great, but nowadays, I want something small, compact and light. Netbooks would fill that niche extremely well, and I'm wishing they were available when I was in college. For the price I paid for my laptop back in '03 ($1200), I can now easily buy a netbook ($300) and a medium grade desktop ($900). Not to mention that the netbook is faster, has better battery life, and is a eighth of the weight.

    Computing is still leaping ahead in distances I can hardly comprehend, even as young as I am.

    As for computer labs, they were mostly used as a meeting/brainstorming area. For me as a CS student, it was nice to be able to congregate in an area that had all the software we needed preloaded. Yes, some of us had compilers and whatnot on their laptops (I did), but a large percentage of the students in the class didn't bother with that, and used the computer labs to do all their work.

    If you were going to get rid of computer labs, you'd have to be much more strict about getting software out to students, making sure that it ran on whatever hardware the students would be using, providing niche software to those students that were stuck using it (Matlab/Maple/The aforementioned social studies proggy) at low cost, etc. The cost would be comparable, but if you trained incoming students that they were going to be responsible for most of their own hardware costs, you may end up sparking a revolution where people would actually take more care of their own machines(pet peeve #28: installing a USB printer for someone else...honestly, it's not hard).

    The time is near, but as for completely wiping out computer labs, it isn't going to happen until you train everybody to carry their laptops charged and ready to go at all times.
    1249 posts | registered
  15. Having every student have a laptop can also improve the efficiency of courses that require them. If the number of students without them are few, they can just start a program to loan out laptops for a modest fee. They can sell the outdated ones, or buy used ones off the students.
    2 posts | registered
  16. While i do bring my laptop on campus, I dont want to use it for every class, there are some, like math, where a good spiral is to be used. but the bigger thing is i have so many classes that i dont want to carry a charger or extra battery around just to make it through the day when in my off time i can go to the lab.

    My tuition is used to let students print off as much as they want in labs for free. So i take advantage of that; and some homework in down time,
    319 posts | registered
  17. All I can think about is the many hours burned on our VAX terminals playing a derivative of MUD 1. The lab was always dominated by people playing the game instead of working on homework or what have you. That said, I don't think Crysis or CoD4 runs on a lab workstation computer so we're probably a bit safer now. My terminal in my dorm room was used more than the one's in the computer lab. Computer labs were for games and therefore were not necessary.

    Now, a set of computers in the Library is not a bad idea. The atmosphere of the Library makes it perfect for using a computer to get productive work done instead of playing games.
    2440 posts | registered
  18. quote:
    The fact that there were more computer labs than restrooms saved my ass.
    I'd dispute this on a biological basis. Admittedly, a lot of computer labs are shit, but that's not the point.
    1207 posts | registered
  19. This is just pinching penny and somewhere penny wise pound foolish, considering $300k to provide access for a whole student body for UV of 21,057 means basically $14.24 per student per year.

    How does removing labs everyone have access to improve the quality of the education for students there? Different programs have different needs. I still remember how dirty our undergrad electrical engineering computer labs got. Due to people having to do all nighters to finish their RF course homework (designing antennas and simulating them takes a lot of time) and ordering in food and leaving the trash in the garbage and sometimes on the floor if it overflows. These computer labs are also great places for people to meet for group work.

    Also they didn't seem to have consider how many of these computer owning people actually own a portable computer. While a desktop is fine and dandy for playing games at home it's worse then useless if you have to meet people for work on campus. And like others have mention how do you know if the computers they own meet their computing needs?

    If they do stop providing public access computers then I think the study body at this University is rather passive. For only 14.24 per year I am sure they'd rather have access to computers on campus then not.
    606 posts | registered
  20. Being an engineering student, I have my reservations about running the software we use on our computers on my lowly laptop. Trying to run simulations or 3d modelling on my computer (bought for email and word-processing, essentially) would be an exercise in patience, perhaps even futility.

    I suppose this would work for many arts students, though.
    56 posts | registered
  21. I have to agree with others here. Getting rid of labs means getting rid of access to all the specialized software and the hardware configurations necessary to use them that are essential to several disciplines. It also means that students who find themselves without a personal computer for whatever reason are going to struggle to complete assignments and keep up with coursework. What will end up happening is that individual departments will have to spend more money funding their own labs to take up the slack.
    25201 posts | registered
  22. At my school, as far as I know there's no school-wide computer lab. Every student is required to buy a laptop their freshman year. (Everyone has to get the same one, which makes repairs easy because most of the time they can be done on-site.) They're beefy machines with graphics cards meant to handle CAD and such. I know there are a few rooms with computer in them on campus, but those are for certain classes which require specialized equipment. The closest thing we have to a public computer lab are the two labs in the computer science department that has docking stations hooked up to keyboards, mice, and sweet 24" displays, plus one Mac Pro and one Windows box with all of the obscure software that people might need to go to a lab for in each. It works out pretty well.
    120 posts | registered
  23. Considering the amount of niche software used on every campus it would force every incoming freshman to dual boot Windows and OSX. That to me is hardly an optimal solution both financially and technically.

    That sort of scenario was a routine occurrence for me in college. Once class would require students to use software that only worked on Windows. So all of the Apple folks had to figure out how to dual-boot windows. Some classes would use Apple specific software. For that I had to go to the Mac computer lab.

    Other than that though, who actually wants to drag around their laptop everyday to class. Even a 4lb notebook gets heavy at some point.
    113 posts | registered
  24. Pah! Spoiled kids.

    When I was a student back in the 80s, we had computer labs with terminals connecting to a central VAX. 20 of our alloted 45 minutes lab time would be spent pressing RETURN hoping for a session to become available so we could log in. And if you mistyped your username or password you could kiss the rest of the lab time goodbye.

    This is nothing to do with the story, but I'm practicing being crotchety.
    342 posts | registered
  25. The labs also offer free computer support tho those in need.
    3149 posts | registered
  26. First of all, it's silly for a school to take action on this based on one survey.

    What about the kids next year who can't afford laptops? Frankly, the tuition rates and fees for public colleges are high enough. They shouldn't be trying to push the fees off to the already strapped-for-cash students, who may have to cut their food budget to get a computer than can run autocad or mathematica well.
    77 posts | registered
  27. Rashind, Zealous ++
    550 posts | registered
  28. Apparently this school does not offer engineering degrees.
    275 posts | registered
  29. ++ to jdpc_luke

    I attend the Uni of Illinois and I can't speak for the other labs, but at least at the main undergraduate library, 80-90% of the machines are being used during peak hours, especially for group work.

    I'm not completely opposed to the idea of this, but shutting down _all_ labs is a stupid idea, especially for those underprivileged students who are already getting destroyed by loans.
    28 posts | registered
  30. quote:

    On a side note, I still yell at people that complain about how much laptops weigh. It seems insane to me that one would complain about having to lug a backpack with books and a laptop a mile or two. Try going backpacking in the mountains for a few days, I promise you will have something new and heavier to complain about when you return.

    Please compare the backpack that you carry in the mountains to the typical notebook/laptop bag that students have these days. Your backpack is probably a hard frame with a canvas carry bag of some form attached. Its shoulder straps are probably adjustable in several places for load balancing and comfort, and it most likely includes a well padded lower back protector and hip strap.

    The typical laptop bag is a modded student knapsack with a partition to hold a laptop. The straps are minimally adjustable and there is most likely not a hip strap.

    In addition to a 6-8lb laptop, you have a power brick, textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc,etc adnauseum. This can quickly add up to more than 30-40lbs.

    On your 2 mountain trip do you really carry this much solo?
    2876 posts | registered
  31. not to mention the day you forget your power cord.
    2110 posts | registered
  32. C'mon guys, the resolution to your objections doesn't take rocket science to figure out.

    1) What about access to specialized software?: Remote access (trivially easy and widely used in corporate environments) or deeply discounted licenses, just like with MS products.

    2) But my laptop is too heavy!: Your own dumb fault. Nobody forced you to buy a 17" or 15" laptop that weighs more than some people's children. < 4lb laptops have existed for quite some time now. And don't start crying about having to deal with a 14" or smaller screen; external LCDs are dirt cheap nowadays, so buy one and stick it on your dorm desk, and use it when you're there.

    3) My laptop broke, now what?: Get it fixed. Maybe before buying a laptop, you should consider what you'll have to do if it breaks. Having to ship your laptop to, say, California, just to get it repaired, and deal with a 2-week (or longer) turnaround time is just stupid. At least one major OEM offers next business day on-site service. I mean hell, if you depended on your car to get to work or school, would you want to have to ship it across the country to get it fixed if it broke? Of course not. Also, stop buying bottom-of-the-barrel Acer garbage. Have you never heard the saying, "You get what you paid for"? And in the meantime, you probably know a computer geek who has a spare machine you can borrow. Who's your geek? Whichever guy (or girl) you bring your laptop to every time you get a virus off Limewire. As always, your geek will accept baked goods or sexual favors to fix whatever you've done this time.

    4) "I'm poor!: I'm guessing there's probably some sort of scholarship/bursary program to help with your poorness. After all, you managed to pay tuition to get in here, right? Laptops are no longer multi-thousand-dollar products, so if you can pay tuition, a decent laptop isn't going to represent much of a hardship.

    5) I have a Mac that can't run the programs I need!: Should've thought of that before you bought a toy instead of a real computer. At least these days you've got Parallels and Boot Camp. Go to Best Buy or your nearest computer geek and get them to install Windows on your shiny little Macbook. Now you'll be able to install software without having to wonder if it's compatible with your OS! This goes for you wankers with Linux, too, but you at least are usually aware that you're intentionally making things difficult on yourselves.

    Nope, I've never dealt with dumb, whiny college kids, either as a college kid myself, or university support. Can't say I'm sad that those days are long over, either. And yeah, I'm sure there are niche cases where a lab of identical hardware is important, but the above list should cover about 98% of scenarios.
    7556 posts | registered
  33. Even with 100% student laptop ownership labs are important in a bunch of situations. Here are the first few I could think of.

    1) Sophisticated engineering software that netbooks cannot run
    2) Off-campus internet outages (I had one for two days during finals week)
    3) Beginning and end of terms when utilities have not connected/early disconnected internet in off-campus housing.
    4) Viruses on student laptops
    5) Lost or stolen laptops
    2 posts | registered
  34. My university is getting rid of the EE/CS computer labs and now requiring that all incoming freshman (at least with a CS/CE/EE major) have laptops. To be honest, most everyone hates the labs anyway since the machines are all a few years old and rather slow.

    But basically it comes down to cost, the college of engineering here made the decision not to refresh the hardware. A few machines will remain for students that need them.
    895 posts | registered
  35. So, I agree that general purpose computer labs are unnecessary in this day and age but universities should develop/keep high-end labs for specific uses/trades such as video, animation, CAD, etc. and provide high performance computing facilities.

    The need for these general purpose "computer" labs is decreasing as laptops are becoming ubiquitous as mobile phones. Like a phone, a young computer user will not think there is as big of a challenge with switching from PCs to Mac to Linux as someone over 30.

    The next challenge universities have to face is how to take advantage of the fact that users have laptops. Learning improves when students use laptops to reflect their learning in novel ways - movies, podcasts, and/or presentations.
    3 posts | registered
  36. "For the price I paid for my laptop back in '03 ($1200), I can now easily buy a netbook ($300) and a medium grade desktop ($900). Not to mention that the netbook is faster, has better battery life, and is a eighth of the weight."

    Damn right, and this is where things will move in the next few years. Many people get laptops so that they can browse/chat in the lounge, garden, etc, and a netbook can do that.

    As for getting rid of the computer labs - I could see them getting rid of a percentage of them, but surely they need to leave some there, for when students' computers break or go wrong, or to provide access to specialised expensive software, or printers, or the myriad other reasons that people might need to use them.

    Still, back in my day (1996) only about 50% of people had a computer, and only about 10% of them were attached to the network.
    820 posts | registered
  37. The last couple of years that I attended MSOE, they started a program requiring all new incoming students, regardless of major, to lease a laptop from the university (you get a hardware refresh after 2 years, and after the 4th year, the laptop is yours to keep). The computer and software was fully supported by the Campus Computer Services Dept. (CCLSD, we called it). If your computer broke, bring it in and they give you a loaner to use while yours is being repaired. All the laptops come pre-loaded with software required for your particular major plus MS Office and such. Mech. Eng. students got AutoCAD 2000 with Mechanical Desktop, for example.

    The goals of the program were to make sure all students coming in had a computer, which, in turn, enables the school to reduce the number of computer labs (note: not eliminate altogether). Ethernet connections were placed around various locations on campus for students to connect to the network without having to be in a traditional lab. This was back in the late 90's, so no wireless networking yet.

    The computer you got in the program was a big heavy Compaq. Weighed in at over 8 lbs just for the laptop. The messenger-style bag they gave you was big, bulky and heavy. Throw in the AC adapter and you're already looking at large bag weighing 10-12 lb by itself. That's like lugging a brick around all day. The bag had some room in there for a couple notebooks or maybe one textbook, but it usually wasn't enough to hold all the stuff you'd need for a day on campus unless it was a light class day, so you'd have another pack to carry the rest of your books, too. It wasn't uncommon for students to be carrying around 50 lbs of stuff between the laptop back and their backpack with their books. Hardly ideal. Hopefully it's better now that laptops are generally much lighter these days. The school does have lockers in a few places where you can drop off some of your stuff to help a bit, but you're not allowed to leave it there overnight.

    Being a Junior at the time the program was rolled out, we weren't required to lease a laptop, but I found that the students without them were kind of getting screwed. The reduction in number of labs ensured that those few remaining labs either had classes scheduled in them, or they were constantly operating at 100% capacity and you had to wait for a computer to open up before you could use one. My Senior year, I ended up leasing a laptop from the school, even though I didn't have to, because I was living off campus. I was only a couple blocks away, but it was still enough of an inconvenience that it was worth getting it.

    Basically, I think the required laptops are an okay idea, but the systems need to be chosen carefully. And I don't think it's a good idea to completely eliminate computer labs. It's not always convenient to carry a laptop, or even a netbook, around, especially for commuters that tend to carry more books at a time.
    3007 posts | registered
  38. Sure, I'll just install MATLAB, Autocad, Pro/E and the full Adobe suite on my computer. That won't financially ruin me.
    415 posts | registered
  39. I can see there wouldn't be as much need for general purpose labs, but computer science students should have labs full of servers they can have physical access to on top of remote access. I think universities are behind the curve when it comes to specialized education and helping students figure out what the hell to do with themselves once they get their degree.
    939 posts | registered

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Friday, March 7, 2008

Designer Interview: Ishita Ghosh

1) What is your personal name, business name, website, and location?

My name is Ishita Ghosh (I am from India; I came to the United States as a student some twenty years ago). My business name is gianani (named after a medieval lost city). My website is and I am currently living in Missouri.

Earrings made with ceramic artbeads by Gaea and bayong wood.

2) What kind of jewelry do you make? What types of materials do you prefer? What kind of artbeads do you use?

I make two completely different kinds of jewelry. On the one hand, I make one-of-a-kind earrings many of which are big and bold. My earrings are not meant to be mere accessories for necklaces. I make them to stand on their own. For the earrings I like creating contrasting textures and tones and to this end use a wide variety of materials including natural stones , wood, crystals, shells, copper, brass, niobium, and silver, especially Thai silver. I have a strong dislike for conventional valuation of materials as 'precious' or 'base' letting the design determine what is appropriate and often I cannot resist combining something conventionally deemed 'precious' with something deemed common or 'base' . In the last several years I have been strongly inspired by artbeads, especially ceramic artbeads. I use artist-made beads as focal beads and then use other beads to provide counterpoints. I am particular about every component of the earrings – I give as much attention to the pins and wires and the earwires as the beads in the designing process.

Besides earrings I make wood pendants with miniature paintings. For this I buy wood from hardware store or use fallen branches lying in the garden (the recent ice storm gifted me with a cart load of wood!). After the wood is cut to various sizes and shapes I seal the grains before applying a base coat of paint. I then paint the design (which I usually sketch beforehand) using acrylic paint and finish the piece with three coats of water-based non-toxic varnish to make the pendant durable and water-resistant. I am strongly drawn to abstract art and pre-historic art, especially cave and rock art and my pendants reflect these interests . I have also explored motifs from sub-Saharan African art and Australian aboriginal art. I haven't yet begun to offer these pendants on my website but plan to do so in the near future.

Earrings made with ceramic artbeads by Elaine Ray with gemstones and crystals.

3) How did you get into jewelry design? What are some of the important things you do for your business?

I got into jewelry design purely by accident. One month I was living my life with little interest in jewelry and the next month I was awake into the wee hours of the morning frantically making earrings! As a child I enjoyed handling beads and was passionate about painting and sketching but my love for history led me to academics and after finishing my doctoral work in history I taught for eight years at a South Carolina university. There, one fine Fall day in 2002 after a morning of teaching, as I checked my emails in my office I found that the university art department was offering a series of weekend art classes for the amateur, including one on beading. Beading? My mind, steeped in grading and classes, went into a time warp and I had flashes of myself as a child rummaging through my aunt's jewelry box, undoing and restringing her beautiful bead necklaces. Without a moment's hesitation I signed up for the class hoping to have some Saturday fun and little else – instead it changed my life. In those three Saturday classes I learned various techniques, including peyote stitches (which I regret to say I forgot almost immediately!) but earrings grabbed me by my whole being and for the last six years have held me hostage! I am serious – I have no choice, something within me just wants to make earrings. Why? I have no clue. All I know is I love making them with a passion and a certainty I have felt for little else in life. I left my university job a year and a half later and took up beading and art work as a full time vocation.
Two of the things I do for my business that I consider important are paying attention to the quality of my website and connecting with other bead artists.
Earrings made with ceramic artbeads by Clay River Designs and gemstones.

4) What is your workplace like and how do you work in your studio? What is a typical day like?

I converted the extra bedroom in our rental house into my studio, which is packed to the hilt with stuff arranged on shelves (that my husband who loves to work with wood, built for me) and where I work at a table whose height can be adjusted. I have chronic muscle tension so the correct height of the table and chair is crucial. I do the design sketches for the pendants away from the studio, usually while sitting in the living room or in the garden. For both the earrings and the wood pendants I use the same table. This causes me to juggle a bit – moving my bead board and tools away to make way for paints, water, and wood. In addition to the studio we use the basement as well where my husband (according to my specifications) cuts and drills holes into the wood pieces while I do the sanding.

Miniature paintings on wood pendants -- Rock Art Series

While I am quite methodical in my designing process of the pendants, for the earrings I am quite the opposite. Designs for earrings begin to form somewhere deep within me for days as I go about my life, and I periodically come to the bead board and place a bead here and there or play with beads. I don't feel that I am in control of this process – it's almost as if the beads know what to do and they come together on their own. Only when the designs begin to acquire a sense of solidity do I sit down at the table and for the next two or three days work non-stop (totally losing any sense of time) and make eight or nine earrings. I know the design is right when I feel a tug in my guts and in my heart – and I know the design is incomplete or not quite right when I don't feel any such pull. I cannot wish a design into existence, it sort of “comes” to me. I love this organic raw energy that courses through my being during the creative process but it makes custom designing almost impossible.

A typical day doesn't really exist for me although I find myself always doing something related to beading, painting, or the business side of things even when I am away from the studio. I read constantly, for instance, about new painting or beading techniques, about pre-historic art, about new beads, about the history of beads (which never ceases to fascinate me). I tinker with the website, take photos of my earrings, think of new promotional materials, do web search for bead artists and so on. So a typical day inside and outside of the studio involves some of these activities.

Earrings made with ceramic artbeads by Earthenwood Studio with dyed mother of pearl discs and crystals.

5) How do you stay inspired and motivated?

Motivation has not been an issue as I generally feel motivated. As for inspiration – imagination, life, nature, travel, art all play a role (one of my first pairs of earrings was inspired by a Mondrian painting). But I would have to say that the main source of inspiration for my bead jewelry is the beads themselves – the unending variety of natural stones never fail to make my heart flutter and the absolute stunning creations of bead artists never fail to make me gasp. I spend quite a bit of time at the internet browsing through the works of glass, ceramic, metal, and fabric bead artists and always feel energized and deeply moved by their creativity. When I use artbeads I feel touched by the energy that the artists brought into their creations. Its tremendous! The fabulous Art Bead Scene blog has further opened up for me channels of communication with other designers and bead artists.

Earrings made with ceramic artbeads by Chinook Jewelry Design and crystal pearls.

6) What kind of art beads do you look for? Is there a bead you wish an artist would make for you?

I love ceramic artbeads – I love handmade ceramic. My kitchen is full of plates and bowls bought from ceramic artists. So it was only a matter of time that I began to wonder whether anyone makes ceramic beads. While four years ago I had considerable difficulty in tracking down ceramic artbeads I am delighted that these days I am finding an increasing number of ceramic bead artists whose work I celebrate not only by incorporating their beads into my designs but also by crediting them on my website. The 'Keramik' collection, which is the largest collection on my website, is devoted to designs made with ceramic artbeads and I am always looking for new ceramic bead artists .I am also drawn to glass artbeads and to the beautiful pewter work of Green Girl Studio.

Is there a bead that I wish from an artist? I am usually so awed by the artistry of artbeads that I don't stop to consider the question. However, I have noticed that often the more spectacular beads in an artist's collection (this includes ceramic and glass artists) are understandably somewhat large, intended perhaps as a focal bead for a necklace or pendant. As I make earrings I have been unable to use such beads (I usually do not use beads exceeding 1.25 inch dimension) and would be eternally grateful if bead artists would consider making similar beads in smaller sizes.

Miniature paintings on wood pendants -- Rock Art and Abstract Series.

7) What beady plans do you have for the future? Do you have new designs or ideas you will be exploring soon?

Well, I am intrigued by the possibility of incorporating fiber – felt and silk beads -- into my earring designs. I certainly plan to continue using ceramic artbeads and explore the work of those ceramic artists whose beads I haven't used yet. I also want to foray into other types of artbeads, especially glass artbeads. These days I have this strong urge to make single earrings – so that is bound to happen in the near future. Over the last years I have been asked many times what type of jewelry will go best with my earrings. When I have offered that perhaps a chunky (but not matching) bracelet would work best I am asked instantly 'so do you make any'? Having said 'sorry,no' for the umpteenth time I asked myself 'why ever not'! So there is some bracelet making in the future for me although I have to wait for the designs to start swirling on their own. And, I will be expanding my work on the wood pendants – exploring new motifs, looking into buying wood from sustainable forests, preparing to debut the pendants at art shows, exploring stringing possibilities for the pendants and so on.

8) If you have a discount code you would like to give our readers, please list it here, including the expiration date.

Please visit my website and mention this interview to take a 10% discount on your total purchase.This offer is valid until December 31, 2008.

Happy beading and bead making everyone and thank you Melanie and the Art Bead Scene blog for your interest in my work.

1 comment:

Claudia said...

I love the green ones...

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Saturday, September 7, 2013

OsteoArthritis and ways to Manage OsteoArthritis in Your canine friend

OsteoArthritis, a nondescript degenerative disease common within humans, can also be acquired by your dog. This may cause a variety of discomfort for your canine companion and reduce his well being, including the time and fun activities that you'll spend together. Although OsteoArthritis is certainly progressive disease, which means and also get worst, basic techniques, early detection and pain management assist to your dog cope with his illness and live a completely life.

Basic Facts

The material cartilage, which is located at the end of your dog's bones, there exists a protection. When this cartilage deteriorates, the bone truly exposed. The nerve being, which are highly tentative, collide against each a number of other, which cause the joints traditional casino sore and inflamed consequently causing pain in every movement. New bones may also develop around the synovial, which cause more distress. This is the defect called OsteoArthritis. This often results in the wear and tear that normally develops becoming dog ages. Other causes can and is attributed to existing conditions like for example hip and elbow dysplasia.

Signs and Symptoms as well as when OsteoArthritis

Dogs can't vocalize the actual things they feel. Although they have the same way of recognizing issues like humans, they can't exactly make you aware that their hips hurt in the event you play fetch or connected with knees get stiff when they climb along the stairs. Instead, they endure it possibly they can, and subtle changes cannot be easily noticed, but observing modifications to your dog's physical wellbeing may also help in early Treatment associated with disease. His muscles will become visibly smaller as they will put more ability on the limbs aren't affected. This muscle blowing, in turn, will also alter his gait and the way he walks. His behavior will also change using pain, becoming inactive and reluctant in stepping into physical activities.

Treatment with Deramaxx

Although there is no known cure for the disease other than joint upgraded, pain management can cut its effects. Deramaxx a great NSAID or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that assists relieve pain and drop inflammation. Having less pain will encourage the person to get back upon his feet. Owners should also monitor the weight of the dog regarding inactivity and obesity will further can damage affected joints. Prescription Deramaxx (Deracoxib) to acquire a dogs directly targets Arthritis hurt. Deramaxx is the first to opt for coxib-class NSAID approved by the FDA for veterinary ingest. It inhibits COX-2 while many sparing COX-1. Deramaxx obtainable convenient tablets for all-day Arthritis relief. Deramaxx requires a pharmaceutical drug. This will be a really wonderful Treatment for your dog and assurance for you.

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YOU ARE HERE: Burbank HomeCollections

Airport authority, Smarte Carte make a deal

Rental business that's been hurt by baggage fees gets some help at Bob Hope.

April 26, 2011|By Bill Kisliuk,
  • Travelers pass the Smartecarte machine outside Terminal B at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. (Raul Roa/Staff Photographer)
Travelers pass the Smartecarte machine outside Terminal…

Baggage fees are a boost to airline revenues, but they are unraveling the business of another airport staple — Smarte Cartes.

Bob Hope Airport officials agreed last week to slash the concession fee they charge Smarte Carte, which rents luggage carts from racks by the terminals, by more than 80%. Business is tanking as airline luggage fees of $25 to $35 per checked bag spur travelers to pack lighter, Smarte Carte officials told the airport.

In response to the revenue decline, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority has agreed to eliminate Smarte Carte’s annual $57,000 rental fee in exchange for 10% of the company’s receipts. The change is forecast to save the company more than $47,000 next year.

“Smarte Carte has seen a real fall-off with the business they are doing here,” Denis Carvill, the airport’s director of contracts and properties, told the authority.

Representatives for Minnesota-based Smarte Carte, which provides carts at 150 airports around the country and hosts cell-phone charging stations, did not return calls seeking comment. But airport officials reported that Smarte Carte revenues are off 25% to 30% around the nation, and as much as 40% at Bob Hope Airport.

Jack Penning, an aviation market analyst with Oregon-based Sixel Consulting Group, said ancillary aviation businesses need to rethink their strategies as airlines impose new fees and travelers adapt.

“Increasing bag fees have not only caused more people to carry their bags onto the plane, but they’ve also forced people to pack lighter,” Penning said.

Travelers also have less need for curbside bag check, which is why airlines have added fees for the service, he added.

“There simply weren’t enough passengers using the service to justify the cost to the airline without an extra fee,” Penning said.

With air travel down from pre-recession highs, and fuel costs raising expenses for carriers, many airlines now charge $25 for one checked bag and $35 for a second checked bag.

Yet Carvill said Smarte Carte had reason to be hopeful in signing a five-year lease extension, which goes into effect next month.

Plans to build a $120-million transit hub for buses, rental cars and riders from the nearby Metrolink station will have many travelers walking hundreds of yards to and from Bob Hope Airport’s two terminals.

The airport plans to break ground on the transit hub this year and open it in late 2012.

“That really interested them going forward,” Carvill said.

Burbank Leader Articles Burbank Leader Articles


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Chicago Layoffs Hit Social Services Hard

July 02, 1985|By Ann Marie Lipinski.

Two students from Simpson Alternative School for pregnant girls reported to the school`s prenatal clinic Monday, complaining of nausea. Clerk Louise DiDomenico gave them soda crackers and warm words but could do nothing else.

Usually the girls, considered high-risk patients because of their age, would have been checked by the clinic`s nurse practitioner, but on Monday DiDomenico was pinch-hitting at the Lower West Side Neighborhood Health Center, where 13 employees had lost their jobs during the recent layoff of nearly 1,300 city workers.

``I hope they solve this soon because the girls we see at this clinic are girls who really need somebody,`` said DiDomenico, who spent much of Monday calling patients to cancel their appointments for this week at the clinic, 1321 S. Paulina St., which also contains the school. ``I`ve told all my girls to call me if anything serious develops, but we won`t be able to help them here. If I have to, I`ll get in a car myself and drive them to a hospital.``

As the layoffs took hold Monday, social service agencies around the city began cutting back services, passing on to the public the results of the dispute between the Washington administration and the city council`s majority bloc over how to spend $126.7 million in federal community development block grant funds.

Mayor Harold Washington on Monday called for a meeting with leaders of the council opposition to forge an agreement in the dispute. He invited majority bloc leaders Aldermen Edward Vrdolyak (10th) and Edward Burke (14th) to meet with him, his chief of staff and his budget director Tuesday morning. Dr. Lonnie Edwards, Department of Health commissioner, said the layoff of 198 workers from his agency forced him to suspend services at 6 of the city`s 37 health clinics and curtail services at the others.

``When our lead-poisoning clinic (3028 S. California Ave.) usually has 17 workers but is now operating with only 1, I consider that a crisis,`` Edwards said. ``We were already 500 cases behind in our lead-poisoning investigations.``

Roman Barabasz, administrator of the Uptown Neighborhood Health Center, 845 W. Wilson Ave., the city`s largest public health center, lost 28 of his 165 workers in the layoffs. On Monday, the center`s pharmacy was operating with only one of its three pharmacists. Its refugee clinic, where all of Chicago`s new refugees must report for a screening, was closed. Nonemergency dental care patients were being told to find care with private doctors.

``And tomorrow can only get worse,`` he said. ``We had prepared for today last week by canceling a lot of our patient appointments, but tomorrow the floodgates will be open again.``

``Can we relax yet?`` one of the clinic`s workers asked Barabasz as the worker punched out Monday afternoon. Translated, the question asked if there would be any more cutbacks.

``I think so,`` Barabasz said, ``but I don`t really know. It`s day by day.``

Though Chicago day-care centers had been threatened with closings and cutbacks, they were rescued for the time being by an agreement between the city`s Department of Human Services and the state to use $20 million of Illinois` corporate fund to keep the centers open through July 12.

If the federal block grant funds are not restored by the time that money runs out, Patricia Sharpe, executive director of Hull House Association, said her association`s five day-care centers will be closed.


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Girls hoops | Walsh helps push Marian past Trinity

January 15, 2013|By Bob Narang, Special to the Tribune
  • Trinity junior Lauren Prochaska, 5, tries to grab a rebound from Marian senior Megan Walsh.
Trinity junior Lauren Prochaska, 5, tries to grab a rebound from Marian senior Megan Walsh. (Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)

In the last eight days, Marian Catholic has proven it is ready for any kind of challenge against any style.

Playing their third top 10-ranked team since Jan. 8, the No. 4 Spartans added No. 7 Trinity to their list of victims with a 54-41 victory Tuesday in nonconference play.

"I feel everyone on our team provides something different and has their own unique ability that helps us win games," said Marian Catholic senior center Megan Walsh, who had a team-high 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against Trinity.

On Jan. 8, the Spartans (18-1) defeated then-No. 5 Joliet Catholic with tough defense on Nicole Ekhomu and Jasmine Lumpkin. They crushed then-No. 6 Marist on its home court on Saturday with a big scoring game from Ashton Millender.

Against Trinity, the Spartans used their superior size and interior depth for a 13-6 offensive rebound advantage and a 12-3 edge in second-chance points. The Blazers (14-3) turned into a one-dimensional team without any inside scoring. Trinity's lone second-chance output didn't come until Mary Dillon's 25-footer on its final possession.

"We knew to get the ball inside because they were small," Walsh said. "If we were double-teamed (inside), then we would kick it outside."

The Blazers stayed in the game by shooting 10-for-20 from the field in the first half, but the Spartans clamped down with an aggressive man-to-man defensive after halftime. Trinity shot 3-for-19 in the second half.

"We were using a lot of different defenses to keep their leading scorers (under control), but their other scorers stepped up," Trinity forward Shannon McGinnis said.

Player of the game: Megan Walsh, Marian Catholic, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks.

Key performers: Trinity — Taylor Nazon, 14 points, 2 steals; Shannon McGinnis, 9 points, 3 3-pointers. Marian Catholic — Kauai Bradley, 9 points, 7 rebounds; Ashton Millender, 9 points.


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Bostic brings lot to Bears table

Emery believes speedy linebacker can be asset at all 3 spots

April 26, 2013|Dan Pompei | On the NFL

Jon Bostic may never be all that Brian Urlacher was. Or all that Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus or Bill George were.

But the Bears, in the worst way, need him to be more than Dante Jones or Tom Hicks were.

It's true there are no meager expectations for Bears middle linebackers. But the second-round selection of Bostic in the NFL draft was about more than finding someone to grab the baton.

It was about the sustainability of what historically has been the identity of the Bears. If this team is going to continue to be a defensive power, which it has been pretty consistently since World War II, it needs Bostic to be a building block.

Bostic joins Shea McClellin and Stephen Paea as the only defensive players on the roster the Bears drafted in the first two rounds.

So Bostic not only has to replace Urlacher. He has to help carry on a tradition like no other.

Nineteen players who played primarily with the Bears and were defenders at least some of the time are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No other team has as many.

Bostic is the hope to bring the past to the future.

"I know they have a great tradition of linebackers," Bostic said. "They have linebackers for days. You could sit here and name plenty of them. I haven't played at this level before, so I know it's going to take a lot of work, a lot of studying to do (but) I'll be able to catch up to the speed of this game."

He can play three linebacker positions, general manager Phil Emery says, but we will call him a middle linebacker until further notice.

Bostic is known as a solid leader and a player who can run the defense.

"He's a guy who can line up others," Emery said. "We brought him in for a visit. We felt very good about his football aptitude and his ability to line everybody else up on the field."

That helped distinguish Bostic.

"It separated him from some others and obviously the more football-smart the players we bring in, the better we're going to be," he said. "That lends him toward flexibility as a football player and being able to (play multiple positions]."

Bostic was one of seven players the Bears had targeted in the second round. They mostly were targeting linebackers and cornerbacks, and there was a run on those positions. Five were taken in the round by the time the Bears' 50th selection came up.

Emery said three of the seven players were left, and the Bears had Bostic rated the highest.

Bostic probably won't replace Urlacher this year. It might be difficult for him to beat out veteran D.J. Williams. In fact, one of the reasons he appealed to the Bears is he is able to play all three linebacker positions as he learns.

But he better be starting by 2014.

Bostic has something in common with Bears' first-round pick Kyle Long. Both are exceptional athletes. Like Long, Bostic was the highest rated player in the Bears' athletic index score at his position.

Clearly, athleticism is a priority for the Bears in this draft.

Bostic, the son of a former Lions cornerback by the same name, is athletic enough to play on passing downs. He was a cornerback and safety in high school, and then thought he was going to be a weak-side linebacker at Florida. He has those kinds of movement skills at 245 pounds.

"This guy is very dynamic," Emery said.

Bostic also ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, which made him the fastest middle linebacker in the draft. In that regard, he is a little like Urlacher, who ran a 4.57 40 when he came out of New Mexico.

The Bears have to hope Bostic is like Urlacher in some other ways, too.

Twitter @danpompei


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Arnold Schwarzenegger in Talks to Star in 'Toxic Avenger' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE)

May 13, 2013|Rachel Abrams | Variety

Arnold Schwarzenegger is in talks to star in the new "Toxic Avenger," but he's no Toxie. He's in negotiations for another lead role in the reimagining of the 1980s cult pic.

International Film Trust, the sales outfit launched last week by Benaroya Pictures and Miscellaneous Entertainment, is pitchingÂ  Steve Pink's reboot of the campy 1984 action comedy in the run-up to Cannes. New project has been described as an action adventure geared toward mainstream auds.

Schwarzengegger is talks with the producers to star.Â  "Hot Tub Time Machine" helmer Pink and Daniel C. Mitchell penned the script while Elysium Films is attached to produce, along with Akiva Goldsman, Richard Saperstein, Charlie Corwin and Michael Benaroya.

Pic is one of several testosterone-laden projects targeted to appeal to older teens and adults at this year's market. Others include Sean Penn starrer "The Gunman" and "Candy Store" with Robert de Niro.

Troma Entertainment's Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman directed the original 1984 pic, which initially flopped before gaining cult popularity through midnight screenings. "Avenger" went on to spawn three sequels, a musical and a cartoon.

Story centers around Melvin Ferd III, a 98-pound weakling who gets transformed into a superhuman crime-fighting creature after falling into a vat of toxic waste.

Schwarzenegger has been keeping busy since his Governatorship ended in 2010. He most recently appeared in Lionsgate's "The Last Stand" and wrapped production on David Ayer's action thriller "Ten."

CAA and Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman and Goodman rep Schwarzenegger.

Arnold's U.S. Moneymakers:


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YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsSwimming

Lezak will be part of team

Four years after helping Phelps win relay gold, Lezak is sixth in 100 freestyle.

June 30, 2012|Bill Shaikin
  • Jason Lezak loosens up before a heat in the 100-meter freestyle on Friday in Omaha.
Jason Lezak loosens up before a heat in the 100-meter freestyle on Friday… (Al Bello / Getty Images )

OMAHA — Jason Lezak gave Michael Phelps a huge assist four years ago. Ryan Lochte gave Lezak a huge assist this time around, and Lezak parlayed his appreciation into a spot on his fourth consecutive U.S. Olympic team.

Lezak will forever be known as the swimmer whose incredible final leg of the 400 freestyle relay kept alive Phelps' dream to win eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

But history and sentiment count for nothing at the Olympic trials. Lezak won the final spot on this year's relay team, finishing sixth in the 100 freestyle Friday.

Lezak did not qualify for Friday's final until Lochte, with multiple tickets to London already punched, dropped out so he could conserve energy for other events. In the 2008 trials, Lezak finished second in the 100 free, in 48.05 seconds.

Nathan Adrian won the event on Friday in 48.10, with Cullen Jones second in 48.46 and Lezak sixth in 48.88.

"I felt terrible," said Lezak, who lives in Irvine. "This 36-year-old body felt run down."

Phelps welcomed Lezak's return to the relay.

"He's definitely somebody good to have on the team," Phelps said.

Lezak figures to swim the preliminary relay heat in London, then yield to a younger and faster swimmer. Then again, Lezak swam his Beijing leg in 46.06, almost two seconds faster than his personal best in the 100 free.

"He's Superman," Jones said. "You never know what he's going to do."

School spirit

Scott Weltz did not fall in love with UC Davis at first sight. All he could see off Interstate 80 was an In-N-Out Burger and a water tower, and he cringed at the thought of attending college there.

Weltz is the unlikeliest man to make the Olympic swim team. He won the 200 breaststroke Friday, four years after finishing 37th in the event.

He wore one UC Davis T-shirt on the awards podium, another to his news conference. He did swim for UC Davis after all, and he still trains there, but the shirt seemed incongruous because the school cut its men's swim team two years ago.

"I do it just so people remember," Weltz said. "We're a little more difficult to get rid of than they thought."

The J is silent

Breeja Larson said she has been amazed by the public recognition in the two days since her surprise victory in the women's 100 breaststroke.

"A lot of people pronounce my name as Bree-jah rather than Bree-yah," Larson said. "Having a lot of little girls pronounce my name right, I'm like, 'Sure, I'll sign your shirt.' "

Her name reflects her Swedish descent. Her parents considered Americanizing the spelling to Bria but decided it would be too close to Brian.

Larson, who grew up in Arizona and attends Texas A&M, said the silent J in her first name trips up most Americans.

"Mexican substitute teachers get it right," she said. "All the foreigners get it right."

The Olympians selected Friday in individual events: Adrian and Jones in the men's 100 free, Weltz and Clark Burckle in the men's 200 breaststroke; Cammille Adams and Kathleen Hersey in the women's 200 butterfly. ... Amanda Beard might swim the tiniest bit slower because she does not take off her wedding rings when she competes, but she removed them once and did not fare well. "I guess it's kind of like the baseball player thing," she said. "They're my good luck charm."

Los Angeles Times Articles


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YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsApparel Industry

Apparel Industry

May 14, 2013 | By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
NEW DELHI - Thousands gathered Tuesday in the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza garment factory complex in Bangladesh to pray for the 1,127 people who died in the world's worst apparel industry disaster. Pictures taken at the Islamic prayer ceremony on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital, showed a rescue worker in yellow headgear affixing a red flag in the ruins. Army personnel, who have been working around the clock for almost three weeks, ended their cleanup and recovery operation early Tuesday, handing responsibility to civil authorities.
July 17, 1993
Mayor Richard Riordan, showing that Los Angeles is "business-friendly," has persuaded at least one major company to stay here. Not bad, Mr. Mayor. This is especially good news for the city's downtown garment district. The decision by California Fashion Industries, maker of the Carole Little brand of women's clothing, will mean new investment and jobs. The company suffered $11 million in damage during last year's riots and was thinking of moving its operations, at Martin Luther King Jr.
September 3, 1995 | Joel Kotkin, Joel Kotkin, a contributing editor to Opinion, is a senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute and a public-policy fellow at Pepperdine University. He is also business-trends analyst at Fox TV
Long ignored and frequently disdained, the Southern California apparel industry has suddenly gained a notoriety it would happily forsake. Recurring reports about violence and labor-law abuses in the nether world of sewing contractors have bolstered claims that Los Angeles' top manufacturing industry is little more than a Third World sinkhole. The reports of near-slavery conditions at some sweatshops have even prompted officials to muse that the region would be better off without the industry.
Expanding current efforts to crack down on sweatshops in Southern California's garment industry, Labor Department officials and local manufacturers have agreed to set up a consortium to police working conditions. Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich is due to announce the details of the consortium, to be known as the Compliance Alliance, during a visit to the Los Angeles area Wednesday.
After 20 years in the mercurial surfwear business, it takes something special to impress Tom Noble. Something like the line of surf and casual wear that Irvine's Stussy Design unveiled at an apparel industry trade show here last weekend. Stussy's line, which incorporates plaids, stripes and denim, is "not (traditional) surfwear but it's what the customers want," said Noble, president of Newport Surf & Sport, a specialty store.
In the midst of a crisis with its largest loan ever, the Los Angeles Community Development Bank is turning to a new strategy to strengthen key industries instead of merely financing isolated and often-troubled inner-city companies. The shift in approach--unveiled last month--comes at a time when the federally funded bank's $10-million loan to a South Los Angeles dairy teeters on the brink of default.
December 4, 1994 | JAMES FLANIGAN
What better time than the Christmas shopping season to find surprises and possible investment bargains in the changing ways of the retail business and the defiantly vibrant apparel industry that puts clothing in the stores? The subject is especially timely in the wake of Congress' overwhelming approval of a new international trade agreement, because global trade supplies at least a third of the merchandise you see in stores. News of the season, first of all, is pretty good.
October 24, 1999 | Richard P. Appelbaum and Leonard I. Beerman, Richard P. Appelbaum is a sociology professor and director of the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research at UC-Santa Barbara. He is coauthor of "Behind the Label," about the L.A. apparel industry, to be published by the University of California Press. Leonard I. Beerman, rabbi at the Leo Baeck Temple, is co-chair of the L.A. Jewish Commission on Sweatshops
Los Angeles has the dubious distinction of being the sweatshop capital of the United States. While the apparel industry accounts for as much as 10% of the region's booming economy, its 140,000 workers labor under 19th-century conditions. Because manufacturers and retailers who design and sell clothing do not own the factories that make the clothing, they are able to maintain the fiction that these factories are independent contractors.
May 29, 2000
Your May 21 article on the relationship USC has with its neighbors couldn't be more off base. I am president of a small block club. We have directly benefited from USC's resources and generosity. The instances of USC's commitment to the community are too numerous to list, but I must name just a few that impacted us personally: 1. They provided students to teach and mentor in our after-school program. These students donated over 1,000 hours in five years. 2. USC provided speakers for several of our monthly meetings and demonstrations for the kids from karate to origami.
September 8, 1990
Once again the Los Angeles Times ("U.S. Textile Policy Is No Bargain," Editorials, Aug. 6) mounts the pulpit for a ritual bashing of the U.S. textile industry for doing nothing more than trying to stay in business and keep 2 million Americans employed. The study by William Cline that you cite is being flaunted by importing interests to protect their big mark-ups and heavy market penetration, which have little to do with keeping down consumer prices. This study is seriously flawed because it tells only part of the story.
Los Angeles Times Articles


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Kids Learn About Water While Wading At Park

July 18, 1985|The Morning Call

About 20 youngsters 6-8 years old got a chance to wade in the Bushkill Creek Saturday, and learn a lot about water and its importance.

The program, sponsored by Jacobsburg State Park, north of Nazareth, informed kids not to take water for granted, especially in the current drought conditions. They discussed where water comes from before it pours out of the faucet.

And they got a chance to view up close some of the creatures which make the stream their home. Crayfish were the most popular with the children, according to Christine Peleszak, environmental interpretation technician at Jacobsburg, who conducted the program.

Snails got a special look, as did salamanders, minnows and aquatic insects. Coloration to match with stream bottom, as the snail's ability to stick to rocks, taught the youths the special adaptations that help the creatures live in the water.

Peleszak also discussed food chains - how small insects, fish and animals are eaten by larger creatures - all the way up to man. And pesticides and how they are affecting fish and animals and possibly man through the food chain was brought out.

The busy morning was concluded with a discussion of how man affects water with pollutants and building. They were given suggestions for conserving water at home by installing shower heads that use less water, turning off the faucet while brushing teeth and spending less time in the shower.

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text:
Swain School to host Holiday House Tour

November 29, 2012

The Swain School is announcing plans for their 43rd annual Holiday House Tour Boutique Dec. 4 and 5. This event serves as a fundraiser for the school.

Guests will have the opportunity to tour five distinctive homes, such as a hilltop home, designed with many Asian influences from its owners' travels, a family residence featuring various artistic pieces and styles, an Allentown Victorian home, renovated to combine the best of old and new, a residence that was influenced by the Versailles and containing 17 fireplaces and a family home, filled with art and handcrafted furniture.

Participants will have the choice of:

The Snowflake Express, Dec. 4, which includes a light catered supper and the choice of a VIP luxury coach or regular bus accommodations. Departure times of either 5:15 p.m. or 6:15 p.m. must be selected.

"Drive Yourself" Tour, Dec. 5, where participants have the option to include the luncheon or just take the tour.

Holiday Luncheon, Dec. 5, where participants may attend only the luncheon, served by the Class of 2013.

For information and tickets, visit http://www.swain.org.

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4 Incumbents And Naugle Top The Field In Lauderdale

March 13, 1985|By Helen Rojas, Staff Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE — Mayor Robert Dressler and three incumbent city commissioners were re-elected Tuesday, while Jim Naugle, a downtown businessman, defeated five challengers to fill out the five-member commission.

With ballots from all 76 precincts counted, Dressler collected the most votes to earn a second term as mayor. Second-place finisher Robert Cox will be vice mayor for a second consecutive term.

Commissioners John Rodstrom Jr. and Dick Mills finished third and fifth, respectively. Naugle, who lost a bid for the commission in 1980, finished fourth to take the open seat left vacant by retiring Commissioner Virginia Young.

``This feels real good,`` said Naugle, who has attended every commission meeting since his defeat. ``I think I paid my dues.`` Of the city`s 85,259 voters, 17,255, or 20.5 percent, went to the polls. That was double the disappointing 9.8 percent who voted in the primary election a month ago.

Dressler said he thinks the strong support enjoyed by the incumbents is an endorsement for the current city administration.

``I think that basically what the voters are saying is let`s keep the city moving the way it has been,`` Dressler said. ``But it`s always good to have some fresh blood.``

The losing candidates, in order of finish, were: Mike Curran, Leola McCoy, Rick Bruns, Beau Cummings and Larry Gore.

Despite strong campaigning by the challengers, the incumbents` advantages of name recognition and hefty campaign accounts seemed to pay off. Dressler raised $67,020, the most money ever for a Fort Lauderdale election, and the other successful candidates maintained substantial campaign accounts.

Candidate Beau Cummings, who raised only $6,610, was disappointed by his defeat.

``I`m a fighter, and you hate to lose,`` said Cummings, executive director of the L.A. Lee branch of the YMCA. ``But my commitment to this community remains the same.``

Sixth-place finisher Mike Curran, a former City Council member in Wilton Manors who lost a bid to the state Legislature, was nearly distraught in defeat.

``I don`t think I will run (for election) again,`` Curran said. ``I`ve enjoyed every part of this campaign except the part now -- the moment you find out you finished sixth.``

During their campaigns, all five victors agreed to rebuild and improve tourism on the city`s beach, promote the city`s downtown area and keep property taxes low.

Naugle said he intends to focus on improvements to the city`s northwest and southwest neighborhoods.

``Drive over to the northwest and see the conditions there,`` Naugle said. ``You wonder if we`ve been misplacing our priorities.``

All of the new commissioners will take office at 11 a.m. Tuesday during the commission`s regular meeting. At the same time, Young will retire after 15 years in office.

Dressler, 39, a lawyer, has been mayor for three years. Cox, 67, who said during the campaign that he wanted the mayor`s job, is a marina owner and 16- year veteran of the commission.

Rodstrom, 32, a stockbroker, will begin his second term in office. He raised the second-largest campaign chest, $40,863.

Mills, 56, had threatened to drop out of the race before Young announced her retirement. He has been in office for 12 years.

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Altered Book - Bombshell Style

Well those of you that know me in "Stamp-land" may not know that I love making altered books!!
So when the Bombshell Challenge by Ms. March was put up.....I was so excited!

The Challenge is called "Booty Log"
and you need to make some sort of altered book, journal, etc..

I decided that I needed a way to catalog my Bombshell I made an altered book catalog.

It is not done, but I wanted to share what I have done so far!!  Keep in mind the pages need a lot more coloring,
embellishments and work!

I started with a great book from the 1920s that had seen better days.
First step.... reinforce the sad spine (it is kind of like mine...hahaha)
Then I glued the pages together and painted the pages white.
One thing I like to do is look for words on the text that fit with what I am doing and make sure not to paint over them.  This book happened to work well!  I also left the pages with pictures.
The book was made into a movie in the 20s, and there are pictures from it.

I am waiting for the Bombshell Angel stamps set, and I will stamp the cover with the word "Bombshell" from that set.  It will read " Secrets of a Bombshell Addict "

So, here are some preliminary pics!!

  1. KAS!!!! This is FABULOUS! I had thought to do a Bombshell stamp catalog, but I certainly wouldn't have thought of THIS!!! WOW! Can't wait to see it once it's completed!

  2. Oh my my my . . . this stamp catalog you have created is just fab-u-lous! Love it!

  3. OOHH, Kas! This is fantastic. Love this idea.

  4. Wow, awesome work i love it. You are so talanted girl!!!

    Have great day!!!

  5. This is amazing. I love how the text is showing through here and there.

    Gorgeous work - must have taken you AGES to stamp and color it all.

    Well done.


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Who to tell and where to go in early pregnancy?
October 5, 2012 9:16 AM   Subscribe

Two linked questions about early pregnancy.

So I've just found out I'm five weeks pregnant (for the first time, as will become obvious), which I'm very happy about. But it's bringing up lots of new stuff which, as an inveterate planner, I'm finding hard to deal with.

1) planning to go places. I have the chance to go to a weekend conference soon, which will be good, but if all goes well I will be 8 weeks then and will be even more wiped out than I am now, and possibly vomiting everywhere. The trip is totally optional bit is something I wouldn't be able to do for a while with kids. I'm curious to hear the strategies others have adopted in similar circumstances.

2) who to tell? If I make it to the 12-week scan I'll go public. For the moment I've told my mother, and am tempted to tell my best friend. Other than that I'd rather keep it to myself & my husband but I share a small office with five guys who might notice if I start throwing up.
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (17 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
Plan to go on the conference. Most women don't vomit that much--honestly, although it sucks really really bad, it's kinda something you just put up with and work around, sort of like having a bad period. You won't be at 100%, but that doesn't mean you won't get anything out of the conference, either. Sit next to the door, keep something with you to smell in case something smells gross and little snacks to keep your stomach from being empty (which makes it worse), and you'll probably be fine. You might not even be the type to throw up at all.

Definitely tell your best friend. It's good to have support if you have a miscarriage. If the guys notice AND ask, maybe say something, but that's a bridge to cross when you get there.

It all seems so slow and like nothing is under your control--and that's true--but the positive thing about that is that you don't have to worry because there's literally nothing you can do about most of this stuff.
posted by the young rope-rider at 9:24 AM on October 5, 2012 [7 favorites]

1) Go to the conference - just plan to take it easy if you need. If you can schedule "down time" for a nap in the afternoons, that is super.

2) You don't have to tell your office mates. Most women aren't throwing up all the time - you may just be a little queasy and no one will notice probably. It's totally up to you - but I did the "12 week go public" approach myself. Office mates might have been suspicious about my sipping a ginger ale for lunch - but it's not a huge deal.

posted by pantarei70 at 9:30 AM on October 5, 2012

I share a small office with five guys who might notice if I start throwing up.

I share a small office with twenty guys. I dyed my hair purple two weeks ago. Only one person has noticed.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that three or four extra trips to the bathroom per day aren't going to even make a blip on their radar.
posted by phunniemee at 9:39 AM on October 5, 2012 [38 favorites]

1) Proceed with life as normal, continue making plans. You don't know if you'll be puking 5 times an hour or completely have no morning sickness. You don't even know if you'll still be pregnant (sad but true, this is why people wait until 12 weeks to tell people). I went to a conference at 8 weeks and was tired but fine. I brought high-protein snacks and that helped a lot.

2) People I told before 12 weeks: my spouse (obv), my mom, and my boss. But I work in a very pregnancy-friendly place, so you need to decide what's right for you. Basically, only tell the people that you would feel comfortable talking about a miscarriage with if that happens. If office mates get suspicious, they get suspicious. One of my coworkers told me later that she knew. You can only do so much.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:41 AM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

My experience (and most people I know) is that you are more nauseated than nauseous in the first term: like, I felt like I was going to throw up a lot, but I didn't actually throw up more than a couple times. There's things you can do for feeling nauseated - my biggest was not letting my stomach get empty - so I didn't want to eat as much but I made sure I grazed on snacks every couple hours; you're most likely to throw up in the mornings because you've been sleeping all night and not eating.

You can also chew candied ginger; you can use "SeaBands" which are little stretchy bracelets with pressure points that sit on some acupressure spots on your wrist; you can chew papaya enzyme pills (my midwife recommended them to me - ask your care provider); you can use the "all-natural" Gravol/Dramamine (which is just ginger pills, but they work - protip for hangovers as well BTW).

Things more likely to set you off feeling nauseated will be strong smells and tight clothes - I hated anything touching my neck, it would make me harfy. You'll feel tired more - take naps, don't overdo it. Another issue is how sore and enlarged my breasts got right away - plan on buying new, more comfortable bras - that made a big difference for me.

I usually don't tell until I'm past the first term aside from my parents and my closest friends. It's not your co-workers' business, and especially if it's your first you probably won't show at all, so you can just play it off like an ongoing cold you can't shake or something if you have to. Good luck!
posted by flex at 9:43 AM on October 5, 2012

From recent, unpleasant experience: you will be tempted to tell everyone the news, because it's fantastic and happy and you want all your friends to share in the happiness with you. But when your OBGYN tells you that there's a high risk of spontaneous termination in the first 12 weeks, she is not kidding, and once you have shared the news with a fair number of people, it will propagate quickly. And if (god forbid) something does go wrong in the first trimester, you will have people inquiring about your pregnancy for the next 6 months. Some of those inquiries (while completely well-meaning) will come out of the blue and sideswipe you completely, ruining your day by forcing you to retell the story about the saddest thing that has ever happened to you.
posted by Mayor West at 10:20 AM on October 5, 2012 [6 favorites]

I would definitely tell best friend and other close people who would be understanding and supportive in the early days and if challenges occurred. Unless you end up having some extraordinary symptoms impacting your availability or interactions, I wouldn't tell co-workers I didn't already share a close relationship with.

Plan to go to the conference. Carry/pack emesis bags, candied ginger, stone wheat crackers, peppermints, a washcloth in a ziploc, and a portable oral care set, and be okay with potentially missing a couple of things. Some is better than none. Also, not all women throw up - while I had some serious nausea, it was always controlled with cracker nibbles and sips of water, and that's not unusual.

Really, enjoy whatever amount of this experience you get to have - don't live in dread of the potential of not getting to meet this spark in person. Just load it up with all the love and hope you have, so that no matter what happens, it has been given a full measure of affection and joy in its time with you.

posted by batmonkey at 10:27 AM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Everything flex said.

I didn't throw up once during my entire pregnancy. I felt pretty horrible in the afternoons in my first trimester, though. By five o'clock I was out of office like a shot, so I could go home and lie on the couch.

In early pregnancy I told my husband, my mom, and a couple close friends. Everyone else can wait. Also: even if your coworkers noticed something, they wouldn't dare bring it up.
posted by Specklet at 10:27 AM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

I never had a bit of illness, YMMV. Peppermints and B-12 may help as well, but check with your midwife. Congrats!!
posted by pearlybob at 10:46 AM on October 5, 2012

I threw up maybe twice over the course of both my pregnancies. It might not happen, so don't plan around it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:35 AM on October 5, 2012

Continue on with life as you normally would live it. You don't have to tell anyone, ever, about your pregnancy if you don't feel like it. I didn't tell my family until 12 weeks as I was paranoid. And then, I'd tell people as I saw them and I usually tried to tell special people in my life in person -- go out to dinner with friends and tell them then. Make a spa appointment with your best friend and tell her there, etc. It was a really fun process. Eventually, it got let out of the Facebook bag and then everyone knew! But, really, I think go slow. Don't assume you'll be barfy or you won't. Definitely go to the weekend away! I did a 30-mile bike tour at 15 weeks. At the end, I was super tired but it was so much fun and I have hardly been on my bike since so I'm glad I did it. I reserved the right to call off the ride at any time and I just took extra care to stay fed and hydrated and it was a blast.

posted by amanda at 11:42 AM on October 5, 2012

Just plan plenty of time to rest into your schedule, and bring some crackers wherever you go. You'll be fine. (And if you do end up puking everywhere, well, you can't really predict or control that.)

posted by chickenmagazine at 12:34 PM on October 5, 2012

Lots of good advice here. Definitely go to the conference. When I was in grad. school I became pregnant with my first, and grad. school policy was that you did NOT miss any classes. I just sat near the door, stuffed my bag full of saltine crackers, water and whatever other snacks helped, and while I felt rather crappy a lot of the time, I never once threw up at school (or at all, actually). Other things that have helped with nausea, especially when I've had to be somewhere: sugar-free chewing gum, GinGins (ginger candy that was very very helpful for me), sparkling water (unflavored). Don't let yourself get dehydrated, too hungry, or over-tired, because all of those things could make the nausea worse.

As far as telling people goes, I would definitely tell your best friend. I told a few close people early on in my last two pregnancies, and it was nice to have someone that I could vent to about nausea, exhaustion, etc. Also, I had a "threatened miscarriage" with my second, which scared me like crazy, and having a friend to talk to about it was very helpful.
posted by Happydaz at 1:24 PM on October 5, 2012

I have nightmare first trimesters, vomiting so hard I pee multiple times a day, radically weird food sensitivities and aversions, exhaustion like I'm being hit by a truck. In your shoes? I would absolutely go on that trip. If you feel like ass, you'll feel like ass whether you're there or at home, and you will get more out of being there and feeling like ass then you will out of being at home and feeling like ass.

In terms of you who'd tell: tell everyone whom you'd tell if you had a miscarriage. I've had 4, and the support of my community meant a lot to me with each one.
posted by KathrynT at 3:27 PM on October 5, 2012

As someone who's lost 5 pregnancies, I can easily answer your second question.

You tell the people who you would want to go to for support if you lost the baby (even though you probably won't). Because it's incredibly awkward to deliver the good news because you need their help with the bad, and because those are the people who are really in your inner circle anyway, so they should share your joy.

posted by nadise at 8:40 PM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

I had a conference at about 10 weeks, had pretty bad morning sickness and still went. Threw up til I peed after missing the final 10 minutes of the keynote but with supplies it was fine.

Most women are not terribly sick.

And I told the people I would need support from if I lost the pregnancy - my boss, my mum and my best friend. My partner told his brother.
posted by geek anachronism at 2:33 AM on October 6, 2012

nadise absolutely nails it. I lost a pregnancy recently at 9 weeks and my recovery has been greatly aided by my support network. Without the love of my friends and family I cannot imagine what emotional state I'd be in.

I also told my co-workers, but I work in a small business dominated by mothers. They too were a great help and comfort, especially when it came to light that a lot of them had gone through the same experiences when they started their families. They were also very supportive and understanding when I needed time off for various medical things related to the miscarriage.
posted by Jilder at 8:07 PM on October 6, 2012

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