Film Review – The Founder (2017)
by Nick Kush · Published January 22, 2017 · Updated September 14, 2017
It's late at night and you want some cheap, fattening food to fuel your stomach after a night filled with questionable decisions. Where do you go? Possibly McDonald's! But as you eat that burger with questionable meat inside it at 2 a.m., have you ever wondered how McDonald's came to be? If so, The Founder may be the movie for you! The following review of said movie will be spoiler free so you can enjoy the movie for yourself.
The Founder is directed by John Lee Hancock and stars Michael Keaton as the mogul Ray Kroc as well as Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as Dick and Mac McDonald.
We follow Ray Kroc as an over the hill man in his fifties who is struggling as a salesman in Illinois who meets two brothers (Dick and Mac) that run a burger joint in Southern California. Kroc sees potential in this new speedy system for a franchise opportunity with the McDonald brothers. However, the McDonald brothers quickly learn that they may have made a mistake by letting Ray Kroc have a piece of the pie.
image via iTunes Movie Trailers
It's no secret that McDonald's is one of the biggest franchises in the world today. It's reach is felt in countries like the United States to lesser known countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina. If any company deserves to have a movie made about how it came to be, that company is probably McDonald's. Whether you like it or not, McDonald's was a game changer for capitalism in America, and Ray Kroc was at the center of all of it.
And what better man to put at the center of a movie than Michael Keaton? Similar to Matthew McConaughey's McConaissance, we've had a little "Keatonssance" the past couple years as we've seen him in Birdman and Spotlight in back to back years and we'll see him again in 2017 as the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming. We've loved him for years, and it's really nice to see him in good movies once again.
image via The Athena Cinema
However, while Michael Keaton shines as Ray Croc, The Founder, as a whole, falters.
Let's start out with the positives. The acting, led by Michael Keaton, is pretty spot on all across the board. A couple standouts in supporting roles were both Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the McDonald brothers. They had a really nice sense of brotherhood together while also being able to receive a lot of sympathy later in the movie for what they deal with in Ray Kroc. But, for better or for worse (and I'll explain why later), Michael Keaton is the star of this movie. He's very dynamic onscreen to the point where, even if he's doing some pretty despicable things to people, you're still intrigued by him. It's undoubtedly fascinating to see how the food empire was built through his actions. I wouldn't be surprised if an Oscar nomination came his way.
image via MoviePilot
What I Didn't Liked
However, and I'm most likely in the minority when it comes to this movie (evident by the 82% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but The Founder falters from a fatally flawed story construction. The movie sets up with Ray Kroc as our main character. We first see him struggling to make a living selling contraptions to restaurants which gets us all behind him to start since he's so down on his luck. However, as the story proceeds, Kroc gets progressively worse as a character, chasing younger, married women while ripping off two genuinely nice characters in order to succeed, all the while acting like a jerk. How are we supposed to root for an nonredeemable character? What type of message does that send?
image via Australian Financial Review
We've seen an attempts before to follow a generally less than upstanding leading character in a movie. The Wolf of Wall Street with Jordan Belfort is a great example. He is definitely likable despite his flaws, but Belfort eventually gets his comeuppance for his fatal flaws and spends years in jail after years of success and later learns from his wrongdoings and attempts to help others.
However, Ray Kroc has no arc other than becoming more and more ruthless and even despicable at times. Failing to give the audience a central character that is mostly likable can really detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. I'm not preaching for movies to have perfect characters at the center of the drama, but they need to have characters that have some redeeming qualities in them so that they can be forgiven for their less than stellar actions.
image via SONGS Publishing Music
Like I mentioned before, the story of McDonald's should definitely be told, but I believe that The Founder would have been much more compelling as a story told from the viewpoint of the McDonald brothers so that we have someone to root for in an ultimately tragic story. We would also be able to appreciate Michael Keaton's performance much more in a true villain role.
image via Abu Dhabi
The Founder is solidly acted, nicely shot, but unfortunately not as engaging as it should be. The Founder gets a C. My opinion will definitely be in the minority, so if you feel compelled to learn more about the development of McDonald's then by all means go see this movie.
Thanks so much for reading! Have you seen The Founder? Comment down below with your thoughts!
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to like, share, and subscribe!
What should I discuss next? Whether it's old or new, the choice is up to you!
Tags: McDonald'sMichael KeatonMovie ReviewsMoviesOscar MoviesThe Founder
Nick Kush
A current young professional in the greater D.C. area, Nick founded MovieBabble in October of 2016 and hasn't look back since! Nick is also a member of the Internet Film Critics Society and the Washington DC Film Critics Association. You can follow Nick on Twitter @nkush42
Next story Star Wars: Episode VIII Titled 'The Last Jedi'
Previous story Film Review – xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)
Nice review. I've done so myself 🙂
https://moviesformysoul.com/the-founder/
Birdman serving you a Big Mac
thefilm.blog says:
You're not alone – I was surprised by the high RT rating! It's decent, but not great
MovieBabble says:
A lot of people I've talked to about it felt very "meh" as well. I guess the rotten tomatoes score comes from it being well made from a directing/acting stand point
apynchofmadness says:
Great review !
But can we really question Kroc's character sketch given the fact that it was inspired by a real-life persona ? Also, the movie does give a lot to learn right ?
Im totally fine with his portrayal by Michael Keaton, but, in my opinion, the construction of the movie made it so you should root for him as he's being a terrible person which didn't work well for me
lamontage says:
I'm going to check this out. McDonald's is surely an intriguing story of how it came to form. I've never thought twice who the founders were and it's almost blasphemy considering how much dotage I have for the plain old cheeseburger.
Lol there's certainly enough food montages to make your stomach growl!
stevejdonahue says:
Considering the whole point of the McDonald brothers is that they stayed the same and never changed, making them the focus of the story would have been really boring. The movie needed to follow Ray Kroc for anything to actually happen. Definitely agree that the brothers are better and more likable characters than Kroc, but people would've complained about the movie being boring if we made them the main focus.
I also don't know if I would consider having an unlikable lead character as a fatal flaw, even if the character doesn't get his "comeuppance".
I won't argue with you disagreeing! Like I said in the review,I'm definitely in the minority when it comes to this movie.
Lol, well if you decide to disagree with me, and have some very valid points to bring up, you won't hurt my feelings!
Great review! I'm still surprised there was a story to tell here but I have to say, it does sound interesting. I'm looking forward to giving it a watch 🙂
Despite my mixed review for it, I still think it's a fascinating story to be told!
mountaintopmoments says:
The Girl on the Train. That was my favorite book of all time. But the movie was slightly disappointing. But I would watch it again.
criticaloptimistblog says:
Not sure why, but I really want to see this movie. Maybe I'm just hungry.
Lol it does make you hungry with all the cooking montages!
Leave a Comment Below!	Cancel reply
Why 'The Last Crusade' is Still the Best Indiana Jones Movie
'In The Tall Grass' Starts Spooktober Off Nicely
The Critics' Choice Nominations are Revealed as 'Frozen II' and 'Knives Out' Continue to Dominate
Scope (2019) | MovieBabble Theater
'Clear and Present Danger' is the Best Tom Clancy Movie PERIOD
30 Years Since 'When Harry Met Sally': Can Men and Women Ever be Friends?


Our Favorite Nintendo E3 Booths, and the Best Deals on the eShop - NVC 512
Welcome to Nintendo Voice Chat! Since there's no E3 happening this year, the NVC crew is here to take a trip down memory lane to discuss Nintendo's E3 booths from the last decade. Then, hear the best picks from the huge Switch eShop sale that's happening now. Plus, stick around to hear about more Nintendo accounts getting hacked, Zach's updated thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and more. Finally, it's your questions answered on another round of Question Block.
Timecodes!
00:01:42 Nintendo's best E3 booth from the last decade
00:15:00 The summer eShop sale!
00:24:44 More news
Knight Squad, out now, $14.99
Ancestors Legacy, 6/11, $39.99
Project Warlock, 6/11, $14.99
House Flipper, 6/12, $24.99
Casey: DDR
Peer: Xenoblade Chronicles, Clubhouse Games, Bioshock
Zach: Xenoblade Chronicles
IGN stands in solidarity with the Black community and condemns racism. If you want to help support the Black Lives Matter movement, we recommend donating directly to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.


Selectați limba
Welcome to the European AI Alliance platform!
The AI Alliance acts as a multi-stakeholder forum engaged in a broad and open discussion of all aspects of AI development and its impact on the economy and society.
By sharing your materials and views here, you are directly contributing to the European debate on AI, and thus helping the European Commission to inform its policymaking.
Under the section "Blog", you can find information on the Commission's work on AI. Your feedback will be solicited by experts or officials of the European Commission.
Under the section "Forum", you can raise AI-related topics and engage in open-ended peer discussions with other members of the European AI Alliance.
Under the section "Documents", a collection of public documents on AI can be found. These concern documents published by the European Commission or the Member States, as well as documents published by third countries and international organizations.
The "Open library", is a repository of all types of reports, papers, and other interesting documents on Artificial Intelligence which members of the European AI Alliance can add in order to share these with other members. You can either upload a document or share its link. Don't forget to mention the correct source!
Finally, the section "Events", provides an overview of the upcoming meetings and events on AI. These can be closed events, open events, or webinars. You are able to add relevant events on AI, however, the platform moderators will ensure their relevance to the Alliance.
We are happy to welcome you to the European AI Alliance and look forward to discussing Europe & AI with you!
PS. Please be aware that there is an up to 30 min delay in publishing your contributions on the platform due to secure hosting procedures and performance optimisation issues.
Acest site este administrat de Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
Semnalați o problemă
Site-ul Comisiei Europene
Resurse pentru parteneri
Modulele cookie
Nu mai arăta din nou OK


GHE artist Amy Speace was on Judy Collins' Wildflower Records label during my tenture at GHE, and NPR has compared her to a young Lucinda Williams. "Amy Speace channels the classics," writes Billboard Magazine of her latest release "That Kind Of Girl". Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the record as "grace over drama"
As an associate manager at Grassy Hill Entertainment I planned and facilitated the career development of our small but mighty roster.
Under my care we grew our audience from 150 to 8,000+. I personally designed and implemented digital and direct marketing campaigns at a time when the industry was changing incredibly rapidly.
I booked shows, updated and maintained our databases, and produced our company presence at industry events like SXSW and Folk Alliance. I was the point person for tour dates, and I road-managed 12-city tour of UK with a suitcase full of CDs. As a result I now know how to drive stick on the "wrong" side of the road.
POWERUP: Getting it done!
GHE roster member and Richie Havens sideman, Walter Parks
The Wildflower Records showcase at SXSW featuring Amy Speace


FEMKE Magazine
FEMKE Store
Watch Moscow Apartment sing live, at Burdock
Femke Magazine, Volume 1: New Voices
Profile: I, Tanya
Musician, artist and, now, author Tanya Tagaq is using this moment to both use and protect her voice.
By Amber Nasrulla
– originally published in Femke Magazine, Volume 1: New Voices, Fall/Winter 2018
Today, when I meet Tanya Tagaq, the world's most famous throat singer, she's dressed like a 1950s housewife. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she's wearing an A-line black and green patterned dress. She says hello in her familiar-from-TV-interviews whisper/coo — call it a "whiscoo."
It's hours before her outdoor performance at the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival and she's at a picnic table backstage with violinist Jesse Zubot, her long-time producer, and Jean Martin, a percussionist and long-time collaborator. On social media, she calls them "brothers." Singer Mari Boine, a renowned representative of the Arctic Sámi tradition from the Finnish-Norwegian border, is also there. The Tagaq-Boine performance will "celebrate the circumpolar region of our world," notes the festival's program guide.
It's muggy, and when the sky rips open we all dash to a dressing room trailer. I speak to Zubot and Martin while Tagaq stretches out on a sofa. "I'm sitting here because it's raining outside," she says. "I'm trying not to talk. It's not my interview." (We're scheduled to chat the next day.) A large diamond on her ring finger glitters as she scrolls through Twitter and Instagram. "I got a Tweet from a guy who wants an apology. If I was PMS-ing, I would have to think hard about what I want to say to him." The conversation was about a not-guilty verdict for a military reservist from Hamilton in the fatal shooting of Jon Styres, an unarmed First Nations man.
Tagaq, who is from Iqaluktuutiaq (Cambridge Bay) — population, approximately 1,700 — a remote Inuit town in Nunavut, says what she wants to the press and on social media. The 43-year-old Inuk activist and mother of two girls frequently highlights Inuit rights, the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the horrors of colonization. To wit, an early-July Tweet from Tagaq: "Stop telling me to quit eating meat. Stop calling me a murderer. Leave Inuit alone. Give the land back. It's stolen. Poverty is forced. PSA."
She has used her voice — physically and metaphorically — right from the start of her career, when she reinvented the genre of throat singing. Traditionally a vocal game between two women, throat singing is performed solo by Tagaq and in an experimental style blending electronic, classical, punk and rock music. For someone so vocal with her opinions, her music is the opposite. She rarely includes lyrics, and yet her albums convey volumes through songs like "Rape Me" and "Fracking."
The Guardian in the U.K. describes Tagaq as "the polar punk who makes Björk sound tame." Her album Animism won the 2014 Polaris Music Prize, beating out both Drake and Arcade Fire and, by all accounts, she is thrilled that Animism won as Spiritual Recording of the Year in 2015 at the Western Canadian Music Awards. To date, she has released five albums and collaborated with numerous artists, like Buffy Sainte-Marie, July Talk and the Kronos Quartet.
I admire how Tagaq says what she feels and doesn't seem to fear repercussion. My own family immigrated to Canada from a colonized country and we tend to be polite even when mistreated because we're guests in this land. I yearn for Tagaq's strength. It will be a gift to observe her creativity up close. We're booked to chat about her first book, Split Tooth (Penguin Random House), due out later this month. I also want to talk about topics that are difficult but necessary to tackle, such as Indigenous rights — topics she has introduced to global audiences. I want to discuss the power of the female voice and what she wants to accomplish next.
In Split Tooth, her voice alternates between poetic and startlingly childlike. There are stories of abuse, drug use and teen pregnancy. Like an Annie Pootoogook drawing come to life, there is hunger, boredom and sex. This intimate book springs from dark experiences.
Tagaq is a natural storyteller, her observations sharp and funny as she illustrates her deep knowledge and abiding love of the land. In chapter 3 of Split Tooth, she writes: "The mosquito larvae swirl in their figure eights, hypnotizing and beautiful. A stark contrast to what they will be in a few days, when their metamorphosis turns them into the cyclone of bloodthirst. I am certain that if I ever had the opportunity to torture an enemy, they would find themselves naked on the tundra in mosquito season, with their hands tied behind their back." There are also mystical moments, such as when the northern lights descend. I won't share the ending except to say I sobbed when I read it. Split Tooth is not for young adults. I believe that Tagaq has the power to share her ideas through any artistic medium — book, song, social media, album or collaboration.
So, where will Tagaq go next? "Wherever she wants," says Steve Jordan, founder and executive director of the Polaris Music Prize. "She seems to inhabit so many lives in her recordings and performances that I could see her acting to great effect. She's really an example to everyone that just being your uncompromising self is the way to true artistic power. It can be a much more difficult journey, but the rewards are more lasting and fulfilling."
On another front, Zubot reports on his work in the recording studio and how he's been incorporating hip hop and drum beats into the music. "We've been talking lately about getting into more repetitive grooves because that's actually very connected to a lot of throat singing. If you listen to the traditional [throat singing], it's very rhythmic."
When you watch Tagaq perform, you don't experience a typical rock 'n' roll show. But consider this. She was hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as "one of today's most electric, transfixing performers in any genre." In a phone call from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, her friend and fellow throat singer, Kathleen Merritt, describes being transfixed the first time she saw Tagaq perform at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. "Tanya tells a story and you are transported every time. It is different for everyone."
Here in Ottawa, at the start of her show, Tagaq tells the audience she is a creator, not an interpreter. Her band improvises because she likes the authenticity of each instant as time passes. That said, however, she says, "It might seem like we've argued for an hour." After a beat, she deadpans, "There are two exits." Laughter ripples through the crowd.
The set begins with Tagaq and Boine humming and Martin monitoring Tagaq's cues. He drums softly, and 10 minutes later he is bashing away. "It's like having a conversation with three people," Martin explains. "We leave space for the other person, acknowledge the other person, and we react to the other person. The performance is one piece of art."
Martin's drums and Zubot's violin produce melancholy sounds. Tagaq's voice susurates, soars and roars. It is audible fire. A woman seated nearby is in tears.
The next morning, I get a text from Tagaq's PR coordinator. Tagaq is "still playing catch-up" after her recent tour in Tasmania, I'm told, and my interview will have to wait "until she's had the necessary decompression she needs." A week later, the PR person alerts me to expect a Skype or phone interview when Tagaq arrives in Yellowknife. I don't hear from anyone again.
On Instagram, I see that Tagaq has posted photos of her family fishing, and in one of them she's grinning, clad in head-to-toe camouflage. Another picture shows ice spanning as far as the horizon. It's captioned: "There's no place like home."
Tagaq likes to communicate with fans through social media, and she's great at it, but she's also experimenting with older platforms. Later this year she'll release an audiobook of Split Tooth, reading and singing the passages herself. Indie label Six Shooter Records is also releasing a vinyl version.
It's disappointing that I didn't get the chance to have that anticipated great conversation, but still, I've begun to understand why Tagaq does what she does. As she writes in Split Tooth, "We are the land, same molecules, and same atoms. The land is our salvation…. Ice will crack, blood will flow. Sun in ice. Ice in lung."
Femke Lunchbag Reader - Giant by Aga Maksimowska, postage included
Femke Magazine - Fall/Winter 2018, sold on newsstands until February 28, 2019, postage included
More Femke Magazine, Volume 1: New Voices
From Moscow, With Love: Brighid Fry and Pascale Padilla, the sounds of Moscow Apartment
Q&A: Dominique Del Col, botanical alchemist and creator of Wildwood herbal products
Chering: Thoughts on the Dark Lady and how she came into our lives
Migration Story: Why novelist Aga Maksimowska revisits her Giant
Support publishing in Canada
Make a donation to FEMKE
© 2023 Femke Magazine
Femke Magazine is published in Canada
by Femke Magazine Inc.
Contact: hello@femkemagazine.com
hello@femkemagazine.com
Want to submit to Femke Magazine? Read this first! Click here to link to our guidelines


Fri, Mar 10, 2017 page1
Ministry mulls correctional facility reform
The Ministry of Justice yesterday said that it was considering changes to prison policies, especially those regarding inmates' families, to better rehabilitate prisoners and facilitate their reintegration into society after their release or parole.
The possible reforms include changes to prison facilities, making the parole process more transparent, introducing familial support, increasing the number of rehabilitation volunteers and helping inmates gain skill certificates, Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三).
Agency of Corrections Director Huang Chun-tang (黃俊棠) said overcrowding in prisons would be addressed by expansion projects for Taipei Prison, Taoyuan Prison, Second Yunlin Prison and Bade Prison in Taoyuan.
Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san yesterday smiles at a news conference at the Ministry of Justice in Taipei after he announced outlined the ministry's plans for prison reform.
Photo: Chien Lee-chung, Taipei Times
The expansions are to accommodate a total of 4,755 prisoners in 2.31m2 cells with individual beds, he said.
Taipei Prison has 51 cellblocks, each about 19m2 to 26m2, meaning that with 16 inmates per block, each prisoner has only 1.65m2 of space, Huang said.
The expansion projects aim to eliminate overcrowding in prisons for at least four years, Chiu said.
More volunteers would be sought to carry out and improve the efficiency of individual and group rehabilitation efforts, the Ministry of Justice said.
In an effort to maintain familial relations — a key component to aid the reintegration of inmates into society — the ministry is to launch a project in which prisoners record stories for their children aged six or younger, it said.
The recordings would be made available for inmates' family members and social welfare groups to help children cope with their fathers not being present, the ministry said, adding that the program would later be expanded to female inmates.
A number of academics and experts have been consulted in the drafting of new parole approval criteria, Chiu said.
The severity of the crime, the risk of an inmate repeating the offense and their attitude and performance during imprisonment are to be factors taken into consideration when parole applications are reviewed, he said.
The ministry said it is considering turning the current review method — in which victims and general members of the public are asked to review parole applications — into an alternative process, in which victims and social representatives would be asked to weigh in on applications via telephone or video conference.
The ministry is to allocate NT$70 million (US$2.3 million) annually to the corrections agency to have companies and organizations, such as Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團) or Rotary International, offer courses at the prison or at alternative locations, it said.
The courses would cover more than 26 specialties, including stacker operation, baking, carpentry, pottery, electrical wiring and digital drawing, to teach inmates skills they could use to find employment upon their release or parole, the ministry said.
Correctional facilities must not only render just punishment to those who have broken the law, but also proactively re-educate them and ensure their smooth reintegration into society, Chiu said.
PAPERS, PLEASE: A digital certificate or a printout would return one of three results: green for 'pass,' red for 'not passed' or yellow for 'to be determined,' the CECC said Starting today, people can download a Digital COVID-19 Certificate, with the government now requiring people at night clubs, karaoke bars and other businesses in "eight major special establishment categories" to be fully vaccinated and present a vaccination certificate. The eight categories include dance venues, massage parlors, hostess bars and saunas. Customers and service personnel at the venues have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, as they can neither avoid contact with people nor strictly observe distancing guidelines, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said. As such, both groups are required to be fully vaccinated, meaning that they must have had at least a
By Shelley Shan
PROTECTION: The New Taipei City mayor said a pass could cover stores, but not eateries, while Ko Wen-je said vaccinated people could be exempted from some rules Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) on Saturday proposed implementing a "COVID-19 pass" regulation that would allow only vaccinated people into certain areas. New Taipei City is planning to require a "COVID-19 pass" for entry to "vulnerable spaces" to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Hou said. Non-students entering elementary schools in New Taipei City are required to show their COVID-19 vaccination cards or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. This is for the protection of students under the age of 12, who are not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, city officials have said. The
LAWMAKERS RALLY: Beijing's unlegislated actions breach international and WTO trade rules, and affect the basic principles of the EU single market, the letter said A group of 41 EU lawmakers on Tuesday condemned China for its political and economic coercion of Lithuania, and called on leaders of the bloc to demonstrate solidarity with Vilnius. The letter was initiated by Slovakian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Miriam Lexmann, who is cochair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. "We, the undersigned members of the European Parliament, resolutely condemn political and economic coercion of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) against Lithuania," the letter said. The letter addressed European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and
By Lin Chia-nan
Slovenia to establish office in Taiwan
'GOOD FRIEND': The Slovenian prime minister said he had visited Taiwan four or five times, and that Taiwanese should have the right to determine their future The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed Slovenia's plan to establish a representative office in Taiwan, after Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa revealed the plan in an interview with Indian TV station Doordarshan on Monday. Taiwan is a democratic country that respects international democratic standards and international laws, the Slovenian prime minister said in the interview. Slovenia and Taiwan are working on "exchanging representatives," he said. "Of course, this will not be on the level of embassies. It will be on the same level as many of the EU member countries." "When I spoke with our businessmen who are trading with Taiwan, they


Home . Attorneys . Steve Elder
selder@elderbray.com
The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with Honors, 1990
University of Notre Dame, B.B.A. (Accounting), with Honors, 1986
Certified Public Accountant in Texas (inactive), 1994
Cox Smith Matthews -San Antonio (1990-2012) Shareholder (1997-2012) and Corporate Department Leader (2002-2011)
St. Mary's Adjunct Professor – "Mergers & Acquisitions", 2013
2012 Outstanding Lawyer in Corporate and Securities – San Antonio Business Journal
Elder Bray & Bankler Founding Shareholder – 2012
S.A. Scene, "San Antonio's Best Lawyers- Business and Corporate
Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law and Business Organizations (LLC's & Partnerships) in San Antonio – 2019
Steve's practice focuses on representing high-growth and well-established companies in the operation of their businesses, raising capital through private offerings and buying and selling companies and assets.
Steve has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, representing both private and public companies throughout the U.S. in buying and selling companies. He has also assisted clients in creating joint ventures and partnerships in numerous industries – including energy, healthcare, and telecommunications. Steve's securities practice includes private placement of equity securities for high-growth businesses and advising Fortune 100 clients on strategic equity investments in connection with commercial relationships. He has also assisted in the complicated division of personal and business assets between spouses. Steve's experience earned him top honors by the San Antonio Business Journal as the Outstanding Lawyer in Corporate & Securities in 2012.
Business Separations
Representation of technology company in multiple acquisitions and sales transactions ranging from $5M to $800M.
Counseled a public company in its $425M strategic acquisition of convenience stores and related fuel and food distribution businesses.
Represented a Fortune 500 media conglomerate in the sale and leaseback of approximately $400M of operating assets.
Advised a leading international media and entertainment company in its sale-leaseback transaction of tower properties.
Represented a leading international telecommunications company in its acquisition of a company with the technology to enable remote monitoring by homeowners of security, energy consumption, and digital media across multiple devices via a web interface.
Counseled two related emerging growth pharmaceutical companies in the equity sale to a strategic buyer in Australia. The transaction involved complex earn-out milestones valued at a combined $270M+ over nine years.
Representation of nation's third largest optical retailer in sale of the company to a non-profit insurance company.
Counseled nation's third largest optical retailer in multiple strategic acquisitions.
Advised a leading international elevator service company in acquisition of multiple strategic targets.
Represented a regional private equity fund in its acquisition of an environmental engineering firm.
Representation of a regional ambulance company in its joint venture with a national ambulance service provider to provide management services to hospital-based ambulance services.
Counseled the owner of a privately held aircraft interior refurbishing company in the sale of substantially all of its assets to a national leader in aircraft interior products.
Represented a leading international publicly-traded telecommunications company in a joint venture with an Israeli based company to provide satellite television in vehicles.
Advised a multinational publicly-traded energy company in connection with joint venture to acquire and process biomass feedstock into cellulosic biofuel.
Counseled a multinational publicly-traded energy company in the joint venture to build and operate an oil pipeline and related facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
Represented a regional ambulance company in its joint venture with a national ambulance service provider to provide management services to hospital-based ambulance services.
Business Separation
Represented a spouse in connection with significant division of community assets, including ownership interest in large energy firm.
Counseled an emerging growth electricity reliability service company through multiple rounds of debt and equity financings.
Advised a management buy-out group in raising equity to acquire San Antonio division of national homebuilding company.
Representation of a leading international telecommunications company in its equity investments in multiple new ventures


Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases
Mario Benito, Ramón Román, Garazi Ortiz, Antoni Casablancas, Gregorio Álvaro, Gloria Caminal, Gloria González*, Marina Guillén
Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering
Enginyeria de Bioprocessos i Biocatàlisi Aplicada. (ENG4BIO)
Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC)
Background: The feasibility of biochemical transformation processes is usually greatly dependent on biocatalysts cost. Therefore, immobilizing and reusing biocatalysts is an approach to be considered to bring biotransformations closer to industrial feasibility, since it does not only allow to reuse enzymes but can also improve their stability towards several reaction conditions. Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM) are well-described domains involved in substrate binding which have been already used as purification tags. Results: In this work, two different Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM3 and CBM9) have been successfully fused to an alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been produced in bench-scale reactor using an auxotrophic M15-derived E. coli strain, following a fed-batch strategy with antibiotic-free medium. Around 40 mg·g− 1 DCW of both fusion proteins were produced, with a specific activity of > 65 AU·mg− 1. Overexpressed proteins were bound to a low-cost and highly selective cellulosic support by one-step immobilization/purification process at > 98% yield, retaining about a 90% of initial activity. Finally, the same support was also used for protein purification, aiming to establish an alternative to metal affinity chromatography, by which CBM9 tag proved to be useful, with a recovery yield of > 97% and 5-fold increased purity grade. Conclusion: CBM domains were proved to be suitable for one-step immobilization/purification process, retaining almost total activity offered. However, purification process was only successful with CBM9.
Journal of Biological Engineering
Published - 28 Jun 2022
Carbohydrate-binding module
One-step immobilization/purification
Regenerated amorphous cellulose
10.1186/s13036-022-00295-8Licence: CC BY
https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/27ad3f56-1ae3-3c6b-84c9-e31065d9dc19/
Dive into the research topics of 'Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Purification Chemistry 100%
Immobilization Chemistry 100%
Copurification Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 83%
Carbohydrate Chemistry 66%
Carbohydrate-Binding Module Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 66%
Protein Chemistry 50%
Biocatalyst Chemistry 33%
Reaction Yield Chemistry 33%
Benito, M., Román, R., Ortiz, G., Casablancas, A., Álvaro, G., Caminal, G., González, G., & Guillén, M. (2022). Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases. Journal of Biological Engineering, 16(1), [16]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13036-022-00295-8
Benito, Mario ; Román, Ramón ; Ortiz, Garazi et al. / Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases. In: Journal of Biological Engineering. 2022 ; Vol. 16, No. 1.
@article{ec84ead535954b828655d5279061c480,
title = "Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases",
abstract = "Background: The feasibility of biochemical transformation processes is usually greatly dependent on biocatalysts cost. Therefore, immobilizing and reusing biocatalysts is an approach to be considered to bring biotransformations closer to industrial feasibility, since it does not only allow to reuse enzymes but can also improve their stability towards several reaction conditions. Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM) are well-described domains involved in substrate binding which have been already used as purification tags. Results: In this work, two different Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM3 and CBM9) have been successfully fused to an alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been produced in bench-scale reactor using an auxotrophic M15-derived E. coli strain, following a fed-batch strategy with antibiotic-free medium. Around 40 mg·g− 1 DCW of both fusion proteins were produced, with a specific activity of > 65 AU·mg− 1. Overexpressed proteins were bound to a low-cost and highly selective cellulosic support by one-step immobilization/purification process at > 98% yield, retaining about a 90% of initial activity. Finally, the same support was also used for protein purification, aiming to establish an alternative to metal affinity chromatography, by which CBM9 tag proved to be useful, with a recovery yield of > 97% and 5-fold increased purity grade. Conclusion: CBM domains were proved to be suitable for one-step immobilization/purification process, retaining almost total activity offered. However, purification process was only successful with CBM9.",
keywords = "Alcohol dehydrogenase, Carbohydrate-binding module, Escherichia coli, One-step immobilization/purification, Regenerated amorphous cellulose",
author = "Mario Benito and Ram{\'o}n Rom{\'a}n and Garazi Ortiz and Antoni Casablancas and Gregorio {\'A}lvaro and Gloria Caminal and Gloria Gonz{\'a}lez and Marina Guill{\'e}n",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",
journal = "Journal of Biological Engineering",
Benito, M, Román, R, Ortiz, G, Casablancas, A, Álvaro, G, Caminal, G, González, G & Guillén, M 2022, 'Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases', Journal of Biological Engineering, vol. 16, no. 1, 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13036-022-00295-8
Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases. / Benito, Mario; Román, Ramón; Ortiz, Garazi et al.
In: Journal of Biological Engineering, Vol. 16, No. 1, 16, 28.06.2022.
T1 - Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases
AU - Benito, Mario
AU - Román, Ramón
AU - Ortiz, Garazi
AU - Casablancas, Antoni
AU - Álvaro, Gregorio
AU - Caminal, Gloria
AU - González, Gloria
AU - Guillén, Marina
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).
N2 - Background: The feasibility of biochemical transformation processes is usually greatly dependent on biocatalysts cost. Therefore, immobilizing and reusing biocatalysts is an approach to be considered to bring biotransformations closer to industrial feasibility, since it does not only allow to reuse enzymes but can also improve their stability towards several reaction conditions. Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM) are well-described domains involved in substrate binding which have been already used as purification tags. Results: In this work, two different Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM3 and CBM9) have been successfully fused to an alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been produced in bench-scale reactor using an auxotrophic M15-derived E. coli strain, following a fed-batch strategy with antibiotic-free medium. Around 40 mg·g− 1 DCW of both fusion proteins were produced, with a specific activity of > 65 AU·mg− 1. Overexpressed proteins were bound to a low-cost and highly selective cellulosic support by one-step immobilization/purification process at > 98% yield, retaining about a 90% of initial activity. Finally, the same support was also used for protein purification, aiming to establish an alternative to metal affinity chromatography, by which CBM9 tag proved to be useful, with a recovery yield of > 97% and 5-fold increased purity grade. Conclusion: CBM domains were proved to be suitable for one-step immobilization/purification process, retaining almost total activity offered. However, purification process was only successful with CBM9.
AB - Background: The feasibility of biochemical transformation processes is usually greatly dependent on biocatalysts cost. Therefore, immobilizing and reusing biocatalysts is an approach to be considered to bring biotransformations closer to industrial feasibility, since it does not only allow to reuse enzymes but can also improve their stability towards several reaction conditions. Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM) are well-described domains involved in substrate binding which have been already used as purification tags. Results: In this work, two different Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM3 and CBM9) have been successfully fused to an alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been produced in bench-scale reactor using an auxotrophic M15-derived E. coli strain, following a fed-batch strategy with antibiotic-free medium. Around 40 mg·g− 1 DCW of both fusion proteins were produced, with a specific activity of > 65 AU·mg− 1. Overexpressed proteins were bound to a low-cost and highly selective cellulosic support by one-step immobilization/purification process at > 98% yield, retaining about a 90% of initial activity. Finally, the same support was also used for protein purification, aiming to establish an alternative to metal affinity chromatography, by which CBM9 tag proved to be useful, with a recovery yield of > 97% and 5-fold increased purity grade. Conclusion: CBM domains were proved to be suitable for one-step immobilization/purification process, retaining almost total activity offered. However, purification process was only successful with CBM9.
KW - Alcohol dehydrogenase
KW - Carbohydrate-binding module
KW - Escherichia coli
KW - One-step immobilization/purification
KW - Regenerated amorphous cellulose
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/27ad3f56-1ae3-3c6b-84c9-e31065d9dc19/
JO - Journal of Biological Engineering
JF - Journal of Biological Engineering
Benito M, Román R, Ortiz G, Casablancas A, Álvaro G, Caminal G et al. Cloning, expression, and one-step purification/immobilization of two carbohydrate-binding module-tagged alcohol dehydrogenases. Journal of Biological Engineering. 2022 Jun 28;16(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s13036-022-00295-8


Build Back Better: Business and Human Rights
Jose Augusto Caedo
© FNF Philippines
"The primary responsibility to respect human rights rests on states," said Focal Commissioner on Business and Human Rights of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, Commissioner Roberto Cadiz as he discussed the United Nation's Guiding Principles on BHR.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation Philippines hosted a parallel session on Business and Human Rights on Thursday, November 11, 2021, as part of the 59th Annual Conference of the Philippine Economic Society.
Four stories concerning human rights in business, written by four journalist scholars of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Southeast and East Asia Journalism Training Program were featured in this event.
Who peels your garlic: Inside Manila's informal economy
By Geela Garcia
In Metro Manila, all sorts of low-income jobs are springing up across the city. With the economy faltering during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Filipino people were forced to take up odd and low-paying jobs. One of these jobs is the garlic peelers of Baseco, women from a community with some of the worst living conditions known to the country. Geela Garcia covered the story, placing her focus on the life of Marites Arendain. Making a measly US$1.60 a day for a whole bag of garlic, she can hardly buy enough food to feed her family. With the smuggled products coming straight from the port area, this gray market is highly in demand because of the low labor cost amongst residents of Baseco.
While conditions in the Baseco area are not looking any more optimistic, Ms. Garcia was pleased to report that people expressed interest in helping after reading her article. With the powerful impact of her journalism, she exposes the deep and underlying problems on the darker side of Metropolitan Manila.
Singapore: A Solution to maid abuse?
By Rachel Genevieve Chia
Global migration is a modern-day trend that sees people move to new countries to pursue work, education, or a better life. In the case of Rachel Genevieve Chia's article, she tackles the striking reality of the job market in Singapore for young and aspiring workers. She sets her sights on Poe Ei San, a 25-year-old Burmese migrant looking to be a nurse in the bustling city of Singapore. Poe was unlucky to find a job as a nurse but then found work as a home cleaner.
The issue in Singapore is the rising number of abuse complaints by domestic helpers who work under households in the country. However, through formalizing domestic work as a job, Poe was able to receive benefits and a higher salary, thanks to the Singapore government's initiative. Ms. Chia's article garnered attention and hoped that people's lives could improve through government policies that protect workers and their rights.
Children of the deep: Child Labor in the Philippines has sunk even lower to uncharted depths
By Marielle Lucenio
COVID-19 has affected everyone but those under the poverty line significantly feel the effects. In the region of Camarines Norte, Philippines lies small-scale mining areas, which are reported to be frequented by child labor. Hooked up to a generator and an oxygen hose, children dive up to forty feet under the ground looking for gold. The darkness under the muddy water is a working condition that not even adults should be exposed to, but these children brave it to bring food home to their families.
Marielle Lucenio reports that an increasing number of children are entering this dangerous and illegal trade, and nothing much is being done to stop it. According to Ms. Lucenio, the pandemic has pushed back to zero anti-child labor efforts of national and local government, non-government organizations and communities. Through her article, she hopes to focus the lenses on this long fight against child labor.
New law on sexual harassment in the workplace in Vietnam: Significant but insufficient
By Trang Vu
In Vietnam, an Amended Labor Code including a clear definition of sexual harassment for the first time is a welcome step to protect women in the workplace from sexual harassment. However, Vietnamese companies are not mentally and technically ready to fully adopt the law. Trang Vu's article exposes the harsh realities of sexual harassment in the workplace.
While both men and women prefer to stay silent instead of speaking out against their superiors and potentially losing their jobs, this article by Ms. Vu sparks a discussion and hopes to trigger an action within the public and private sector.
At this point you will find an external content that complements the content. You can display it with one click.


WikiEN-l November 2011
----- 2023 ----- January 2023 ----- 2022 ----- December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 ----- 2021 ----- December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 ----- 2020 ----- December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 ----- 2019 ----- December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 ----- 2018 ----- December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 ----- 2017 ----- December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 ----- 2016 ----- December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 ----- 2015 ----- December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 ----- 2014 ----- December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 ----- 2013 ----- December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 ----- 2012 ----- December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 ----- 2011 ----- December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 ----- 2010 ----- December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 ----- 2009 ----- December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 ----- 2008 ----- December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 ----- 2007 ----- December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 ----- 2006 ----- December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 ----- 2005 ----- December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 ----- 2004 ----- December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 ----- 2003 ----- December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 ----- 2002 ----- December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 ----- 2001 ----- December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001
wikien-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Linkage bloat
by Carcharoth
Is there any chance for progress to be made on this? I recently ran into this problem again at a featured article candidate I was reviewing. It is has a very worthy 'National Historic Landmarks' set of templates at the bottom, but unfortunately this leads to massive template linkage bloat. Of the over 100 articles that link to this article, I estimate that only three links are from within the text of other articles - the rest are from the templates. If I had been able to see at a glance that this article was linked from two other articles, I would have been able to make a suggestion to link back to those articles, and maybe link from other articles. As it was, I was unable to do this and this caused some problems (which it is best not to go into here). So is there anyway to encourage or help with whatever needs to be done here? Carcharoth On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 4:10 AM, David Goodman <dggenwp(a)gmail.com> wrote: > agreed. The footer templates are the biggest source of linkage bloat. > the templates are useful, and we need some way of keeping track of > what should be in them when we add or delete articles, but they make > working with what links here for any practical purpose extremely > difficult. They'd be much more helpful if they were separated. > > On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 9:52 PM, Carcharoth <carcharothwp(a)googlemail.com> wrote: >> On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 1:34 AM, Tim Starling <tstarling(a)wikimedia.org> wrote: >>> On 07/02/11 10:56, Carcharoth wrote: >>>> On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 10:19 PM, Magnus Manske >>>> <magnusmanske(a)googlemail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Many of these links are due to templates, which I can do little about. >>>> >>>> Can *anyone*, even in principle, do something about that? It really >>>> bugs me that the "what links here" function doesn't distinguish >>>> between links arising from templates (often not directly relevant) and >>>> links directly from the article wiki-text. If the answer is something >>>> to do with parsers, please do explain! >>> >>> Yes, it's possible. It was necessary to register links from templates >>> in the pagelinks table so that when a page is deleted or created, the >>> HTML caches can be updated so that the link colour will change. With a >>> schema change and some parser work, it would be possible to flag such >>> links so that they are optional in "what links here". >> >> That would be wonderful. It might even get me to create a bugzilla >> account to vote for a bug if there is one open on this...(of course, >> one problem is still that some templates are relevant to article >> content and some are not - the ones that generate distracting links >> are the navigational ones that tend to be at the bottom of pages, the >> footer templates - and I'm not sure if infobox links would count as >> template links or not - they are generated from parsing of a template >> parameter, but don't appear in the template itself, unlike the footer >> navboxes). >> >> [In case anyone is confused, an example is the massive footer >> templates that can lead to Nobel prize winners decades apart linking >> to each other, or diverse topics within a broad area linking to each >> other, though only through templates and not in the text. Oh, and some >> links appear in both footer templates, infoboxes, and the article >> 'text'. Not sure how that is handled.] >> >> Carcharoth >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WikiEN-l mailing list >> WikiEN-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l >> > -- > David Goodman > > DGG at the enWP > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DGG > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:DGG > > _______________________________________________ > WikiEN-l mailing list > WikiEN-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l >
Deployed today: a new way to respond to feedback from other editors
by Steven Walling
Hi everyone, I wanted to point English Wikipedians to a cool update for the experimental Feedback Dashboard, and invite you all to try it out and come to our IRC office hours this weekend about it. The full details on the Village Pump: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:VPT#New_functionality_for_our_first… As far as I am aware, this is the first time that there is a single place on-wiki where you can see new editor feedback appear in real time, filter it based on sentiment, and respond without leaving the page. If you find it interesting, please join our taskforce on this, WP:RESPONSE. Thanks, -- Steven Walling Community Organizer at Wikimedia Foundation wikimediafoundation.org
British library online newspaper archive
by Bod Notbod
Hullo, The British Library has put 4 million pages of 19th century newspapers online: http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Press-Releases/Murder-mania-and-a-leech-powered… http://www1.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ You can try a search and click view which, in my case, gave me a page of the subscription fees. Two day, one month and one year packages are available. Bodnotbod
British newspaper archive
May be of interest: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15924466 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ Carcharoth
Why Wikipedia Is Important.
by Marc Riddell
Without knowledge, myths are born. With myths, fear is born. With fear, intolerance is born. With intolerance, ignorance is born. With ignorance, nothing is born. MR
Fwd: [Foundation-l] Google Knol is closing
by David Gerard
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: emijrp <emijrp(a)gmail.com> Date: 23 November 2011 12:20 Subject: [Foundation-l] Google Knol is closing To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, Research into Wikimedia content and communities <wiki-research-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, wikiteam-discuss(a)googlegroups.com Dear all; Knol, the Google project described as a rival to Wikipedia, is closing on April 2012. There are many links to Knol from Wikipedia[3] and some of them are free. Lot of content will be lost. People interested on saving Knol content can join to Archive Team[4] on #archiveteam channel on Efnet. Regards, emijrp [1] http://knol.google.com/k [2] http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-spring-cleaning-out-of-season.h… [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALinkSearch&target=http… [4] http://archiveteam.org/index.php?title=Knol _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
Knol is dead (2007-2012); Re: 2 years & 9 months later, Re: 6 months later: Knol update
by Gwern Branwen
On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 9:56 PM, Gwern Branwen <gwern0(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Yes, it was pretty abrupt. See Jason Scott on this issue and how it > wasn't even announced but buried in some obscure Yahoo documentation > entry. Google to its credit didn't bury the death notice in help, but they didn't exactly highlight it: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-spring-cleaning-out-of-season.h… > Knol—We launched Knol in 2007 to help improve web content by enabling experts to collaborate on in-depth articles. In order to continue this work, we've been working with Solvitor and Crowd Favorite to create Annotum, an open-source scholarly authoring and publishing platform based on WordPress. Knol will work as usual until April 30, 2012, and you can download your knols to a file and/or migrate them to WordPress.com. From May 1 through October 1, 2012, knols will no longer be viewable, but can be downloaded and exported. After that time, Knol content will no longer be accessible. That's surprisingly harsh - when I looked through past shut-downs ( http://www.gwern.net/Wikipedia%20and%20Knol#knol-death-watch ), Google seemed to usually preserve *public* material as static files. But in this case, they seem to be saying the Knol content will be completely purged off their servers. (Which is a good lesson that Jason Scott would also appreciate, anyway, about trusting the cloud with your content. Not that trusting your content to Wikipedia is much better, from the long-term point of view.) -- gwern http://www.gwern.net
Unscientific survey about Wikipedia of external yet closely related website's users (n=2235)
by Jorgenev
I had bigger plans for this, but they might not materialize, so for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jorgenev/research/Wikipedia_subreddit_use…
Invitation to join a new taskforce
Hi everyone, I just wanted to invite anyone interested to join an informal taskforce for responding to comments/questions left by new editors on the experimental Feedback Dashboard (Special:FeedbackDashboard). You can sign up and see some documentation at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Feedback_Dashboard This feature is still very much a work in progress. In the meantime, I really feel excited about the potential to respond to folks needing help. I've done a few hours of patrolling and I know others have also jumped in and started to leave talk pages messages for these newbies already. I find it fun to try and find the new editors who are working hard to "get it", but need a little helping hand. Actively using the dashboard will also help uncover any bugs that need addressing. Using it also helps inform the tech team at the WMF about new functionality it needs to really work well. So don't be shy about using the talk page, please. Let me or Maryana know if you have any questions. (I've signed up for the taskforce with my non-staff account, so I'll be patrolling as well.) -- Steven Walling Community Organizer at Wikimedia Foundation wikimediafoundation.org P.S. I've left some suggestions for a system of response etc. on the wiki page. These are just suggestions, not marching orders or an edict from the Foundation. ;-)
Fwd: Please test multi-file selection
by Erik Moeller
Hi folks, we'd appreciate additional testers for the new multi-file selection feature of UploadWizard. Please see link below for more details. This affects every Wikipedian who uploads freely licensed media files, so I thought I'd post it here as well :) Cheers, Erik ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Erik Moeller <erik(a)wikimedia.org> Date: Fri, Nov 4, 2011 at 5:15 PM Subject: Please test multi-file selection To: commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Multi-file selection, perhaps the single most requested feature for UploadWizard, is now ready for testing on a staging wiki. Please see Neil's announcement here: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump#Multi-file_selection… I'm really excited about this, as it's the first step to making large uploads a lot more manageable without the use of third party tools like Commonist. Other improvements in the next release that you can test now will include a better licensing workflow, including support for custom wikitext licenses, and automatic extraction of file-embedded geographic coordinates and display of those coordinates using a template. -- Erik Möller VP of Engineering and Product Development, Wikimedia Foundation Support Free Knowledge: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate -- Erik Möller VP of Engineering and Product Development, Wikimedia Foundation Support Free Knowledge: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Jump to page: 1 2


ARION1
Download Full Case Study
Protective transportation of ARION1
Engineered by the University of Liverpool Velocipede Team (ULV Team), a team of sixteen Master's Degree Engineering students designed and built ARION1, a human powered bicycle, which has broken the British Land Speed Record. This remarkable achievement took place in September 2015 at a location called Battle Mountain in the Nevada Desert. Whilst competing with several other international teams for the world land speed record, the ULV Team broke the existing British Land Speed record by 8mph setting a new record of 83 mph.
The time trial extends over 5 miles but it is only the final 200 metres where the speed is measured. The cyclist has to skilfully build up speed and momentum to reach optimum performance with precise timing. Vehicles are not allowed in front of the bicycle, punching a hole into the oncoming air and turbulence – it is about design, strength, endurance and skill.
The ULV Team, which was established in 2013, is the first British University to attempt the land speed record and their success has served only to fuel their appetite to further their achievement. In 2016 they will be competing with female and male cyclists in ARION2.
ARION1 is a carbon fibre monocoque structure, using standard bicycle parts that is human powered. It's 2.7 metres long, weighs just 30 kilogrammes and is described as "invaluable" by the ULV Team who have spent thousands of hours outside of studying to; develop, build, project manage, recruit, test and retest ARION1 until they designed the final competitive product.
Having spent so many man hours in design, test and development to arrive at the optimum product, the ULV Team needed to ensure secure and safe transport of ARION1 from Liverpool to the Nevada desert – a round trip of some 10,000 miles. All in the knowledge that it is only the final 200 metres of a speed trap that really counts!
In addition, the ULV Team needed to transport three of their recumbent training bikes and tools all of which needed to arrive in good condition and working order – critical to the whole programme.
With so much resting on the capability to deliver a bicycle intact of achieving in excess of 83 mph, no detail was left unturned in producing the final ProCase.
For more information visit http://ulvteam.co.uk/ and to read about the Land Speed Record attempt, including a high speed crash, visit http://ulvteam.co.uk/battle-mountain-round-up
The ARION1 ProCase was manufactured from 9mm top-grade Finnish birch plywood, laminated with a non-reflective and abrasive-resistant black vulcanised fibre. All edges were covered with angle protectors fitted with nickel-plated machine driven steel rivets. Heavy duty, recessed butterfly corners and handles were fitted together with zinc-plated knuckle ball corners to ensure maximum protection for the equipment.
The case was split into sections so it could be opened long ways, providing easy access to spares, tools and of course to ARION1. Case sections were fitted with a secondary removable floor plate, secured with quick release fasteners, under which was stored spare cycle parts, tools and accessories.
Read more on ProCase
Valentino Rossi Racing Bike
Approached by Global Logistics in May 2011, CP Cases were asked to quote for a case for the Ducati Racing Bike which Valentino Rossi rides.
Stryker ProCases
Stryker needs a system to allow surgeons to access the full suite of parts required for an operation.
SONY Sonaps
A solution was required that could protect the equipment during transit and then become the mobile studio on deployment.


Students for Sensible Drug Policy announces $50,000 match campaign
Washington D.C. – 12/12/2018 /AxisWire/ On December 5th, the 85th anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition in the U.S., Students for Sensible Drug Policyannounced a match campaign to raise $50,000 before the end of the year. All gifts are being matched until they reach $50,000 by Green Lion Partnersand 4Front, both longtime SSDP supporters who are also Esteemed Trustees, their most substantial and prominent supporters.
"It's imperative for companies in the cannabis industry to be involved in social advocacy. This is an industry that was built on the backs of advocates, and there are still people in jail for the same thing on which many people are profiting. SSDP does tremendous work combating the drug war, and their ability to mobilize young people for the cause is incredible and remarkably impactful. They're a resourceful organization that transparently puts every dollar donated to efficient and effective use. We encourage those inside and outside of the cannabis industry to get engaged and involved as much as possible." Jeffrey M. Zucker; Co-Founder, President; Green Lion Partners.
SSDP uses grassroots organizing strategies and centers young voices in the growing conversation about cannabis legalization and broader drug policy reforms. They have been working to reform cannabis laws since 1998 and celebrated their 20th anniversary this year.
"Students for Sensible Drug Policy is quite literally the ground game for the movement to end the War on Drugs. They not only change laws that save lives, the organization trains and cultivates the next generation of reform leaders and provides an educated and motivated workforce for the emerging cannabis industry. Anyone who cares about ending cannabis prohibition or has an interest in marijuana business should make a donation to this great organization. 4Front is proud to match your donation and support SSDP's important work." Kris Krane; Co-Founder, President; 4Front.
This fall, SSDP members placed nearly 13,000 phone calls to educate voters in states voting on cannabis reform measures in the midterm elections.
They are currently active on 379 campuses in 33 countries worldwide.
About Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact of drug misuse on our communities, but who also know that the "War on Drugs" is failing our generation and our society.
SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future. SSDP does this while fighting back against counterproductive policies – in particular, those that directly harm students and youth.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy's 5000 members advocate for replacing the disastrous War on Drugs with policies rooted in evidence, compassion, and justice.
Media Contact: Zane Bader
zane@nisonco.com
Students for Sensible Drug Policy


Monday's York-Adams high school sports scoreboard, postponements: Live updates
Phillips-Hill offering satellite office hours
State Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York Township, announced March satellite office hours at the Hopewell Township building and Citizens Volunteer Fire Co., according to a news release.
A member of her staff will be at the Hopewell building, at 3336 Bridgeview Road in Stewartstown, 9 a.m.-noon March 9 and at the fire company, at 171 S. Market St. in Fawn Grove, 9 a.m.-noon March 23.
Phillips-Hill said it's important to offer this service because not everyone can easily reach her district office at 6872 Susquehanna Trail between Jacobus and Loganville.
Residents also can call Phillips-Hill's office at 717-428-9889 or 1-877-207-2272.


Posted inEducation, The Grade
Roundup: TFA Staff Cuts, New Pro Opt-Out NY Regent Head
by Alexander Russo March 22, 2016 January 8, 2022
Teach for America to cut national staff by 15 percent Washington Post: The two shake-ups will leave Teach for America with approximately 930 national staff members in fiscal year 2017, 410 fewer than it employed in fiscal year 2015, according to the organization. It's a staffing level that the organization expects will be sustainable even if there are fluctuations in the number of new corps members it is able to recruit. See also Atlantic, Teacher Beat.
Rosa, new head of New York education policy: As a parent, 'I would opt out' ChalkbeatNY: Rosa spoke about the need to retool the tests to rebuild trust with parents, and said that families have the right to choose what is best for their children. "If I was a parent and I was not on the Board of Regents, I would opt out at this time," Rosa told reporters Monday, shortly after she was elected chancellor of the Board of Regents.
Prospects for the Next President Keeping John B. King Jr. as Education Secretary PK12: On the Senate education committee, Sanders joined the rest of his Democratic colleagues by voting to advance King's nomination to the full Senate earlier this month. But he is listed as not voting in the full Senate on King's nomination. Generally speaking, if Sanders wins out, there's no reason to believe the unions would significantly alter their political strategy regarding King.
Alternative education program still in danger after budget restoration Boston Globe: "I always hated school, to be honest . . . but I had men that I could look up to and get knowledge from," Luis Aponte, now a student at Northeastern University, said of the Diploma Plus program in Charlestown.
Kansas Campuses Prepare For Guns In Classrooms NPR: A Kansas law will allow students to carry concealed weapons into their college classrooms, and many teachers aren't happy about it.
Pierre Omidyar helps fund education startup Tinkergarten BBJ: The startup specializes in outdoor early childhood education, helping educators lead activities for kids outside. The activities include "outsmart a leprechaun" and "celebrate the winter solstice." Tinkergarten said the company now has classes running across 14 states.
Donald Trump's War on Food
In "Featured"
Trump Sabotaged America's Recovery Even Before COVID-19 Began
What Motivates the Republican Party?
In "Books"
Alexander Russo
Alexander Russo is a freelance education writer who has created several long-running blogs such as the national news site This Week In Education, District 299 (about Chicago schools), and LA School Report. He can be reached on Twitter at @alexanderrusso, on Facebook, or directly at alexanderrusso@gmail.com.
More by Alexander Russo


Chemainus Festival of Murals Society | Archives for Peter Collum
All posts by Peter Collum
Author: Peter Collum
Busy May for Chemainus Murals Society
Hooray, hooray for the month of May, for that's when members of the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society come out to play! Perhaps 'play' isn't exactly the correct word, but the Society, which maintains, restores, and adds murals and artwork to the outdoor art gallery in Chemainus, has two free events planned to help celebrate… Read More
It's membership time in Chemainus folks
Mark your calendars folks, Chemainus Festival of Murals Society's annual general meeting is on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. The gathering will be held at the Best Western Chemainus. You must renew, or get a new membership, at least 30 days prior to the AGM to be eligible to vote. Dear Member: 2017… Read More
New Chemainus mural maps on sale
Chemainus, Canada's Mural Capital™, has new souvenir mural maps fresh off the press! The new maps prepared by the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society, went on sale Sept. 1. They have been produced in a more user-friendly booklet format, with a foldout map, and include all recent additions to the outdoor gallery, including the Society's… Read More
Chemainus Labyrinth coming this summer
Waterwheel labyrinth will alleviate stress By Peter W. Rusland Of The Courier CHEMAINUS – Cowichan's first public, meditative labyrinth should be ready for walking by summer, says Tom Andrews, president of the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society. Site preparation work, donated by Ken Stanton of Castle Cove Buildings, is ongoing on the unique 40-foot diameter… Read More
Spring-cleaning time in Chemainus
Wayne Gilmore, of I Can See Clearly Now, will start washing murals and sculptures on April 10, 2017, weather permitting. The Chemainus Festival of Murals Society appreciates your support and regrets any inconvenience that might occur.
Folks, it's that time of year
Dear Member: 2016 was a productive year for the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society. Members of the Board of Directors were active in many Society endeavours, as well as the continued preservation of 47 murals and numerous sculptures. This included, but was not limited to: – restoration of Memories of a Chinese Boy by Arthur Cheng;… Read More
Chemainus, we have a winner!
A Sandy Clark painting, come to life after many years in storage in Chemainus, Canada's Mural Capital™, has a name at last thanks to Tammy Montgomery. Her entry, Meadow Memories, fits the mural to a T, and was chosen from among 50 or so submissions to the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society's Name the Mural contest. And thanks… Read More
Mural names now official
After lengthy deliberation, the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society has released the official names of the three Emily Carr-inspired murals unveiled in Chemainus in late summer. They are as follows. KEEPER OF SECRETS – INSPIRED BY EMILY CARR MURAL EC3 Painted in 2016 by Cim MacDonald The raven is an important symbol in First Nations… Read More
Win a Tofino Getaway!
Like finding a masterpiece stashed in a closet, a Sandy Clark painting has come to life after many years in storage. Clark's painting depicts a teacher and students bathed in sunlight in a field outside their school. This mural/painting was commissioned by Marg and Al Johnson, prominent Chemainiacs and business owners. They owned the grocery store,… Read More
All hail The Curator!
Twenty years and counting – not quite a generation, but close to it – that's how long Cim MacDonald has been Curator of The Chemainus Festival of Murals Society. That's 20 years of hard work restoring, cleaning and maintaining the appearance of the over 40 murals in the Chemainus outdoor art collection. She helps maintain… Read More
Emily Carr would be proud
The Chemainus Outdoor Art Gallery grew by three murals this summer, as the town's new Emily Carr-inspired murals were unveiled Saturday to cheers from a small but enthusiastic crowd. The new murals are inspired by Emily Carr paintings and were commissioned by the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society as a continuation of the society's Emily Carr… Read More
Iconic Chemainus mural to be restored
World-renowned Vancouver artist Arthur Cheng will be returning to Chemainus, Canada's Mural Capital™, to do a complete restoration of his famed Memories Of A Chinese Boy mural, located on the south wall of the building housing Wing's Cafe, on Chemainus Road. Please drop by between Aug. 17 and 23 to say hello, and watch a master at work. Born… Read More
Chemainus murals in the news
A hearty thank you to Daphne Goode, of shawtv.ca, for her thoughtful piece on the Willow Street revitalization project in Chemainus, the Rainforest Arts Gallery and the Chemainus Festival of Murals restoration program. Watch it below…
What is behind the Shroud of Chemainus?
Join the fun on Saturday, Aug. 20, between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and help the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society and Anthem Properties celebrate the unveiling of three Emily Carr inspired murals in the lane between Utopia Bakery and Bonnie Martin Restaurant. The three new murals bring the number of pieces of art… Read More
2016 AGM highlights
BETTER LATE, THAN NEVER Happy Trails to Festival of Murals board members Lynne Landyo, and Mark DuMez, on their retirement from the board at the 2016 Annual General Meeting.
Lynne, co-owner of It's A Small World B&B, served as board secretary for many years. She served two separate stints on the board, starting in… Read More