My Chicago Rant

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Ben Goldman
http://www.articlesbase.com/video-articles/quotcreate-videos-on-sitequot-tool–the-unbelievable-truth-697079.html

The Grand Theatre of the Liceu was built at the proposal of the Liceu Filharmònico-Dramàtic Barcelonès. Joaquim de Gispert, a member and director of the institution, got the allowance of the lands of the former Trinity Convent in the Rambla, where construction of the theatre began in 1844, under the direction of the architect Francesc d’Assís Soler, who was replaced a year later by Josep Oriol Mestres and Miquel Garriga i Roca. The Gran Teatre del Liceu was inaugurated in 1848.

Founded in 1847 on Barcelona’s La Rambla, the Gran Teatre del Liceu is an opera house that has kept hold of its role as a culture and arts centre throughout its history and one that represents one of the symbols of the city. Today, it is a publicly-owned theatre – by the Catalan Regional Government, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministry of Culture – under the administration of the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu, which, besides the above institutions, incorporates the Patronage Committee and the old Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu.

The Gran Teatre del Liceu stands in the central part of Barcelona’s bustling Rambla, the emblematic promenade of the Old Quarter, which has retained its leading role and colorful personality over the years.

Of the traditional building, the part of the central façade on La Rambla, the main vestibule with the staircases and the Hall of Mirrors were saved from the 1994 fire and are maintained just as they were. The authentic imitation of the main hall and the stage, which had been completely destroyed by the fire, has allowed a number of changes and improvements. The main hall of the first building, explicitly inspired by Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, is laid out as a horseshoe with stalls and five levels. Seating capacity is 2,292, one of the largest opera houses in Europe. The boxes – with small box foyers – are in the proscenium, around the stalls and the amphitheatre, which have three rows of seats in the front.

The good acoustics of the Liceu’s hall was due to an adequate judgment of its geometry, now reproduced, and the average reverberation time of between 1.3 and 1.5 seconds is the optimum for hearing the human voice. The new hall has retained and improved these ideal conditions with a number of corrections.

This monument to Belle Epoque is one of the grandest theaters in the world. It was designed by the Catalan architect Josep Oriol Mestves. The Theatre of the Liceu is the Barcelona’s opera house, one of the best in Spain. It was built in the XIX Century with private shareholders, being a good bourgeois place to meet each other. Every type of performance, from musical galas, operas and ballets to rowdy carnival dances, are held in this theater. At present, it is a publicly-owned theatre – by the Catalan Regional Government, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministry of Culture – under the administration of the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu. It has retained its role as a culture and arts centre throughout its history and one that represents one of the symbols of the city.

Anil Gupta
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/theatre-lovers-enjooooy-51642.html

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Dan Kazinsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/article-marketing-articles/website-content-creator-software–unbelievable-technique-696892.html

There are many characteristics about Rochester, MN that make it unique. A number of different factors add to this uniqueness, including the city flag, the number and type of people that make up the city, and the city’s economy. Each piece adds to the overall whole that is Rochester.

The city flag for Rochester was designed in 1980. A competition was held with nearly 200 entries to be judged by the citizen flag selection committee. Laurie A. Muir, a student of fine arts at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, submitted the winning design. The Rochester City Council selected the design for the official city flag at a meeting on June 16, 1980. The original Minnesota flag had a blue background, and as a reference to that, Muir gave Rochester’s design a royal blue background. The main design exists in a white circle in the center of the background. The flag includes a city landscape, representing the main industry of Rochester by showing the main building of the Mayo Clinic as well as the Plummer Building. The computer-styled font on the flag represents another major employer, IBM. A blue lake is shown in the foreground to represent Silver Lake, an artificial lake in Rochester used to cool the power plant. Silver Lake does not freeze during the winter because of the power plant, which causes numerous Canada geese to stay in Rochester year round. The geese have become such a part of the city that they are included on the flag as well. Three Canada geese appear flying over the city in the image. The image from the flag is used in a number of different logos in various renditions throughout the city.

In the 2000 census, the population of Rochester included 85,806 people, 34,116 households, and 21,493 families. The population today is recognized to be well over 100,000 however. The racial makeup of the city includes 88.7% white, 4.3% African American, 6.3% Asian, 3.0% Hispanic, and 4.4% from a variety of other races. The average household size in town was 2.43 and the average family was slightly higher at 3.06. The number of residents in each age category was spread out among the different groups, with no more than 30% in each of the 5 categories. The median age of the population was 34 years of age. Median income for a household was $49,090, and $60,754 for a family. The per capita income for the city was $24,811.

The economy of Rochester is formed mainly by the Mayo Clinic. The Clinic employs almost a third of the city’s population and draws over 2 million visitors each year. The Clinic’s facilities, along with hotels, restaurants, and stores, make up most of the downtown area. Other care providers are also significant employers of the population. Another major employer is IBM. Rochester is one of IBM’s most important manufacturing centers. Technology and medicine are not the only influences on the economy. The agriculture nature of the region also plays a large role, with a Seneca Foods processing plant and multiple dairy producers being active in the area.

These three characteristics of Rochester are just a small part of what makes the city unique. There are countless other items that one could discuss, but experience is worth much more than words. The only way to truly get a taste of the uniqueness and charm of Rochester, MN is to plan a visit and experience the city in person.

George Wellington
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/rochester-mn-flag-demographics-and-economics-746042.html

If you can spare five minutes to read this because you’re looking for information on a solar photovoltaic training guide, get set to be “enlightened”! You will learn a simple but very effective method to start taking advantage of enough free energy to keep your entire household running, as well as earning cash for it. Don’t you believe me? It won’t hurt to hear me out – check out the following facts.

What is the purpose of giving money to the electric company every month when there is equipment readily available which will bring you free solar energy, easy to build, easy to install, and quick to provide benefits? I’m please to report that it’s not costly; it was out of reach for many people once upon a time, but not anymore.

You may be wondering how i found all this out. The truth is, i was once in your situation, and was looking for more info about a solar photovoltaic training guide and i heard about the fact that there is a huge following for solar technology both here and abroad; loads of people had already gotten set up with a simple device that lets them create their own home power supply through solar technology, with almost no effort. As i delved a bit deeper into the subject, i learned that this can become a reality with an extremely, almost unbelievable budget we can all afford (who can’t afford to save money?). Fortunately, recent gains in the solar power arena have given us all a technique that enables us to tap into an earth-friendly energy source as sure as the sun will shine.

Maybe you’ve just heard about a solar photovoltaic training guide, and want to learn more, but do a little more research and verify the facts – with this method, you will have an infinite free supply of electricity, and you’ll no longer have to rely on the services of an expensive power company for your family’s energy needs. I found out that it’s commonplace to actually get paid by the electric company in your region for all extra power that you create. One last point and most important one – by generating your own energy the final reward is that you’ll be helping to improve the planet for all of its inhabitants.

Jason Gilford
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/solar-photovoltaic-training-guide-an-unbelievable-secret–1228982.html

Leeds is a fun city that is full of wonderful cultural and historical sites, which are great fun to look around. over 100,000 people visit the city to work in the city centre every single day and 1000s more visit the city to shop, dine out or just to enjoy the range of attractions Leeds has on offer.

many industries have contributed to Leeds’ wealth, but the city is particularly renowned for its clothes trade. There are {six} renowned names associated with the city, which include Thomas Chippendale who began making his renowned furniture there, and Michael Marks – of marks & spencers – who opened his first Penny Bazaar there in 1884.

in addition to this, it is also home to the historical Kirkgate Market. The market is Europe’s {1six} biggest indoor market after Leicester and is open six days a week. There are over 400 stalls inside the market and a further 200 outside. It attracts over 100 thousand visitors every week.

Kirkgate Market first opened in 1822 as an open air market and the first covered sections were built between 1850 and 1875. Unfortunately, much of the building, except the Vicar Lane frontage, was destroyed in a 1975 fire. however, the Market was refurbished in the early 1990s and after this, Kirkgate Market was upgraded from a Grade II to a Grade I listed building.

From the high fashion found in the Victoria Quarter to the excellent designer shops of The Light and the independent boutiques of the shopping arcades, Leeds gives visitors many wonderful shopping opportunities. Whether you are looking for a new outfit or even an amazing birthday gift, you are sure to find it in this playful city.

If you do not like shopping, you will be happy to know that Leeds has plenty more places of interest. These include the very interesting leeds city museum & the henry moore institute, which caters to the arty visitor. alternatively, you could visit one of the city’s fabulous parks or even the stunning mandela gardens, which are located in the heart of the city.

These good looking gardens were constructed to commemorate the year 2000 at a cost of £12 million & were funded by leeds council & the Millennium Commission. The gardens won a prize at the 2004 Chelsea Flower Show, although they were damaged this year due to a huge water fight that was organised on the social networking site, Facebook.

In addition to exciting shopping and culture, Leeds also boasts fantastic night life. From elite wine bars and rustic pubs to gay bars and unforgettable clubs, the city really boasts something for everyone.

If you would rather have an early evening, you’ll be happy to learn that the city also boasts some exciting luxury hotels, which include the radisson sas hotel. These hotels offer a real treat, so you cannot fail to get a exciting sleep and a great breakfast.

So, whether you are visiting Leeds for a lively evening out, a glam shopping trip or even a cultured weekend away, you’ll be spoilt for choice by the vast variety of wonderful things to do. For further information on things to do in Leeds & the areas nearby, just telephone the local tourism information board.

You will find Leeds easy to get to by car, bus, coach & train. trains run from Leeds Railway Station, also called Leeds City, to central london, Southampton, Bournemouth, Plymouth, Birmingham, Leicester, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool & plenty of other locations throughout the UK.

Haley Softie
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/shopping-culture-and-clubs-a-tourist-guide-to-leeds-433834.html

Have you ever been asked, “How can you possibly do what you do?” I have been asked that question scores of times. Friends, colleagues and even family members will say. “How on earth can you ask people for money?” “It’s easy,” I reply, when you believe in the cause.” Last fall at their annual meeting, Funeral Service Foundation (FSF) trustees went through an important exercise in planning. Trustees began to hone in on priorities for our grants program.

This is an exercise that they will continue to go through as our funds grow and our grant making capabilities build. And it is an exciting productive time. It is a time when trustees can discuss how to make a difference in funeral service and on behalf of funeral service. Acting within the framework of the foundation’s four-point mission-career and profession development, the support of profession, public awareness and education, and improving children lives-the trustees began discussing what was particularly troubling or concerning to funeral service. In the area of “improving children’s lives,” FSF choose teen suicide prevention as one of the foundation’s interest areas. As our chair, Chris Barrott of Aurora casket, said “Funeral Directors in particular know how devastating the suicide of a young person can be.” No further comment needed. Researching the topic of teen suicide prevention led me to uncover some compelling facts. More than 20 percent of high-school students surveyed in 2001 had considered attempting suicide during the previous year.

As the priorities of our country’s public-health system have shifted, making suicide prevention goal 1.1 of the 2003 President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, it is time to get to the bottom of what is troubling our youth and, as a first step, to identify those who might be at risk. Early this summer, based on last fall’s decision, FSF trustees selected the Teen Screen Program of Columbia University as the recipient of this year’s Children’s Fund award. Teen Screen needs our help. A handful of private foundations have supported this effort. Teen Screen receives no government funding and, importantly, no support from pharmaceutical companies. I am proud to see funeral service contribute to working on a critical cause on a nation level.

The selection of Teen Screen as the 2005 Children’s Fund grantee was a careful process overseen by committee and board members of FSF. Children’s Fund recipients are highly credible national children’s organizations focused on alleviating pain or conflict, currently supported by a national organization with interests similar to or that complement the interests of FSF, and with the ability of opportunity to publicly acknowledge the funeral service community. “The supporters of the Funeral Service Foundation have a unique insight into the suffering that undiagnosed mental illness can cause a family that losses a loved one to suicide,” responded Laurie Flynn, director of Teen Screen. “We are touched by your interest in helping to prevent youth suicides through screenings and happy to partner with you to share knowledge about the importance of early identification of mental disorders. “ The goal of the Columbia University Teen Screen Program is to ensure that all parents are offered the opportunity for their teens to receive a voluntary mental health check up.

The program’s primary objective is to help young people and their parents through the early identification of mental health problems, such as depression. Parents of youth found to be at possible risk are notified and helped with identifying and connecting to local mental health services, where they can obtain further evaluation. No child is screened without parental consent. The results of the screening are confidential. Mental health screening can take place in any number of venues, including schools, clinics, doctors’ offices, juvenile justice facilities-in short, anywhere that a group of teens is present.

The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health recognized Teen Screen as a model program. Most importantly, mental health screening finds youth with depression and other emotional disorders before they fall behind in school, end up in serious trouble or, worst of all, end their lives. The Children’s Fund is supported by $100 gifts during an annual fall campaign. To kick-start this year’s fund drive, FSF will make its own promise to Children’s Fund donors. The first 50 donors of $100 to this year’s Children’s Fund will have their names prominently spotlighted during the 2005 NFDA Convention & Expo in Chicago, Illinois, and immediately highlighted on the FSF Website. Titled “50 Forward to 5,” details of the web based campaign can be found at www.funeralservicefoundation.org.

Joshua Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/cremation-tackling-teen-suicide-1207365.html

If you can spare five minutes to read this because you’re looking for information on a solar photovoltaic training guide, get set to be “enlightened”! You will learn a simple but very effective method to start taking advantage of enough free energy to keep your entire household running, as well as earning cash for it. Don’t you believe me? It won’t hurt to hear me out – check out the following facts.

What is the purpose of giving money to the electric company every month when there is equipment readily available which will bring you free solar energy, easy to build, easy to install, and quick to provide benefits? I’m please to report that it’s not costly; it was out of reach for many people once upon a time, but not anymore.

You may be wondering how i found all this out. The truth is, i was once in your situation, and was looking for more info about a solar photovoltaic training guide and i heard about the fact that there is a huge following for solar technology both here and abroad; loads of people had already gotten set up with a simple device that lets them create their own home power supply through solar technology, with almost no effort. As i delved a bit deeper into the subject, i learned that this can become a reality with an extremely, almost unbelievable budget we can all afford (who can’t afford to save money?). Fortunately, recent gains in the solar power arena have given us all a technique that enables us to tap into an earth-friendly energy source as sure as the sun will shine.

Maybe you’ve just heard about a solar photovoltaic training guide, and want to learn more, but do a little more research and verify the facts – with this method, you will have an infinite free supply of electricity, and you’ll no longer have to rely on the services of an expensive power company for your family’s energy needs. I found out that it’s commonplace to actually get paid by the electric company in your region for all extra power that you create. One last point and most important one – by generating your own energy the final reward is that you’ll be helping to improve the planet for all of its inhabitants.

Jason Gilford
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/solar-photovoltaic-training-guide-an-unbelievable-secret–1228982.html

Over a hundred and fifty years ago, after years of controversy and struggle, New Yorkers voted by a 6 to 1 margin to establish the Free Academy for the Poor Man’s Children. That trailblazer college removed the barrier of tuition for its first class of 149 college students and over the years has burgeoned into the City University of New York with 403,000 students and 20 colleges.

Achieving a free college was not easy. As early as 1805, concerned citizens had formed the Free Public Society to advocate free, nonsectarian schools in Manhattan. Organized labor joined the struggle to establish free universal education. Opponents of a free college claimed that “truly deserving” students could get scholarships to the two private colleges in the city. Townsend Harris, an outspoken advocate for public education, rejected “charity scholarships.” As the elected president of the Board of Education, he wrote, “Open the doors to all–let the children of the rich and the poor take their seats together, and know of no distinction save that of industry, good conduct and intellect.”

How had the tuition-free City University been transformed (along with other free public universities) into a tuition-paying system that the nonpartisan Education Trust recently described as the “Engines of Inequality”? The Trust also described the best public universities as having come to resemble “gated communities of higher education.”

The first president of the Free Academy, Horace Webster, championed educating “the children of the whole people.” Today’s presidents preside over decreasing numbers of poor and immigrant students. Those now attending these public colleges face mounting tuition and decreasing governmental grants, vie for scholarships, go into debt, depend on family assistance or interrupt or don’t complete their education.

The descendants of the early opponents of free education for qualified students have found clever ways of whittling away these early achievements. In 1950, when I was a junior, City College imposed a $3 dollar Student Activity Fee. Though it was for student activities and rather small, many students saw the camel sticking its nose into the tent. But the politicians wanting to end 125 years of tuition-free colleges for city residents wisely avoided a single coup de grâce that could have destroyed their political careers. They deserve credit for the deceptive and rationalizing ways they dismantled a free university.

In 1961, Albany passed a bill eliminating the “mandate” for free tuition, but they didn’t impose tuition. The second blow came eleven years later, in 1972, when a tuition structure was established. Again, the politicians still did not actually institute tuition. That came in 1976, during the city’s budget crisis when state officials, in return for helping to fund the senior colleges, arm-twisted the City Board of Education into imposing tuition. Of course the politicians promised that federal, state and other financial aid would not deprive poor students of an education. But over the years that promise has been cynically whittled away by increasing tuition, diminishing sources for and amounts of student aid funds and relying on private donors. The disastrous effects that discourage low income and minority students from attending and graduating college is documented in many studies, the most recent the Education Trust report, which as I mentioned, calls public colleges the “Engines of Inequality.” State and City politicians rescinded what had been mandated by a citizen vote. I still wonder at the legitimacy–morally if not legally–at not having had New York City residents again vote on whether they wanted to maintain a tuition-free system.

Mention should be made of the Open Enrollment Program, whose expense had been used as one reason to charge tuition. Initiated in 1970, the program allowed the entrance into the four year colleges of all city high school students who had an average of at least 80% or were in the top 50% if their class. The community colleges would accept all the others. The program had broad support (e.g., the United Federation of Teachers, the Central Labor Council, the Public Education Association, the CUNY senate.) It benefited not only minority students; many white working class youngsters who didn’t consider attending college enrolled. At the time I was on the faculty of Lehman College wshere I helped train the counselors who worked with these conscientious and hardworking students. While the program was expensive and had shortcomings, it enriched the lives of many.

Another reason for charging tuition was the fiscal problems that New York City was experiencing at the time. While I believe that the politicians should not have sacrificed a free university in the first place, it certainly should have been reinstated once the financial crisis was over.

To digress on a personal note, my brother and I, children of immigrants, were able to attend a free City College. Like so many others coming from working class families, I worked after school and summers to earn money for books, transportation and personal expenses. I remember the corridor in the basement of the Main Building where students sold the previous semester’s textbooks to purchase the new ones. Yet I was better off than others who had to work full time and attended part time or evening school.

As an alumnus of both the Bronx High School of Science and City College, I attended a luncheon to raise college tuition money for selected Science students. I had the opportunity to ask the college’s President, Gregory Williams, an outstanding educator, that while I joined with others in contributing to this fund, I was concerned about the many other students who also needed financial assistance. They were not necessarily “stars” but were capable and worthy of attending City College. Afterwards, he wrote that he realized tuition places “challenges and hardships on our students” and that he appreciated my “desire that City College once again offer free tuition.” But “such a plan,” he added, “is not practical in the current political and economic climate.”

While I agree with President Williams about the current political climate, I am hopeful that it is changing. We are the richest country on the planet, yet the government pays only a third of public college costs while other industrialized countries pay so much more. Only recently did I discover that there are those carrying on the struggle started two centuries ago. These include the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY, the Collective Bargaining Congress of the American Association of University Professors, as well as other university groups and unions. Several labor leaders have set up a web site where one can obtain more information (Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute at www.freehighered.org). While opponents of a free university cite its expense, those benefiting from a free university education have, because of their increased earning power, repaid many times over in taxes the cost of their education, with enough to help other students as well. I know that is true for me, having paid taxes for over fifty years. I am not completely certain that I would have become a psychologist if there was not a free City College of New York, which at that time also enabled me to take my first graduate psychology courses.

Hopefully, civic-minded citizens will again raise the early 19th century banner for free universal education to qualified New York City students. And there assuredly will be the leaders like Townsend Harris, who will again arouse our citizens to restore what was established by a public referendum.

Jacob Jaffe
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/from-quotopen-doorsquot-to-quotengines-of-inequalityquot-92745.html