Useful hand exercises for us crafters!

Hi  readers,

I am a regular reader of Debi's Nordic Needle newsletter, where she writes about various kinds of needlework, with lots of pictures of new designs, magazines and supplies.  She is also generous enough to add a tasty recipe at the end of each newsletter!

This time, I found this article on the human hand, and how we crafters wear out our wrists, and how we can take care of them, very interesting and informative.  I thought I would share it with you all. Hope you all find this article very educative.  If you are interested in subscribing to her newsletter yourself, click on the links at the end of this newsletter.

March 11, 2013

Well, I never imagined that I would do a newsletter talking about anatomy. However, by the end of last weekend my right hand was killing me. I have noticed it is happening more often, and surely it can't be due to the fact I have another birthday coming up and I am on the other side of the 50 hill??? (Picture me pouting--Debi)
Okay, back on track! I decided to find out if there is something I can do about my hand. What I found out was very interesting and I thought I would share it with you this week. According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, our hands are very complicated machines. Each hand is made up of approximately 29 bones, 29 major joints, at least 123 ligaments, 34 muscles, and 48 nerves.
When people talk about hand and wrist pain, the symptoms often point to arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Let me explain the difference and then show you some ways that we might be able to relieve some of the stress and pain.

To better understand why our hands hurt, let's look at how our hand works. The bones are connected at a joint and held together with a ligament, which works like a rubber band keeping everything together. To keep the bones from grinding against each other, they are covered with a padding called cartilage. Just like many machines, the joint needs some lubrication. So, the joint is surrounded by a capsule filled with fluid. When things go wrong, our hands hurt. Arthritis is one of those things, which is inflammation of the joints. The causes are varied, including trauma, infection, degenerative issues, and even autoimmune diseases. There are actually over 100 medical conditions associated with arthritis. I bet you didn't know that arthritis is the main cause of disability for those fifty-five years and older. However, there are many forms of arthritis that impact young people.

Here are two of the more common types of arthritis:
Osteoarthritis concerns the cartilage, which begins to wear away. It reminds me of my car brakes when the pads wear down. When I apply the brakes, they scream and squeal. It's because the parts are rubbing together. In our hands the tendons and ligaments get stretched and over time the bones may actually start to rub against each other. The symptoms get worse over time. The joint is painful and may be tender. Your joint loses its flexibility and you may develop bone spurs with a grating sensation. Hands, knees, hips and spine are the most likely areas to get osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis concerns the fluid capsule, which becomes inflamed. This type of arthritis can lead to deformity. Ladies, it affects us more often than mean and is most common when we are between 40 and 60 years old. Often the joints are painful and stiff first thing in the morning. Most people have several areas affected all at the same time, beginning with the smaller joints. Often you will see bumps appear around the joints. This is a progressive disease often moving from the hands and wrists or ankles and feet to the hip, neck, shoulders, and even into the jaw.

My big question was whether exercise helps or hurts the condition. For arthritis, inactivity can actually make it worse because joints become stiffer and your muscles get weaker, which can impact your entire well being. In fact, if you remain physically active you are most likely to live longer and be able to function better during the day and sleep better at night. The pain is often caused by muscle spasms around the joint. At home, a heating pad can help relax the muscles and thus reduce the pain.

A BIT OF TRIVIA: According to WebMD "Knuckle "cracking" has not been shown to be harmful or beneficial. More specifically, knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis. Joint "cracking" can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint, such as when knuckles are "cracked." This is not harmful. "Cracking" sounds can also be heard if tendons snap over tissues because of minor adjustments in their gliding paths. This can occur with aging as muscle mass and action change." However, WebMD does go on to say if there is pain or discomfort with the cracking, you need to see your doctor.

How does arthritis differ from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome involves the nerve that runs from your palm into your forearm. This nerve is the median nerve and is responsible for the feeling in the palm side of your thumb and first three fingers. The little finger is not impacted by this nerve. The tunnel is really a narrow passage of bones and ligaments at the base of your hand that the median nerve and tendon goes through. When something happens to that passage or tendons swell, it decreases the size of the tunnel and compresses the nerves. Depending on the severity you might have a little pain or your hand and wrist may be completely numb. It's important to note that this is a problem with pressure on the nerve. You could have pain in your wrist due to an injury to the muscle like a sprain or a fracture to the wrist. Those conditions can lead to swelling which may aggravate the nerve as well.

Carpal tunnel syndrome usually impacts your dominate hand first. You may not even notice symptoms at first. As the condition continues you may get a tingling or itching in your palm. You are likely to notice it more when you first wake up because of the way your wrists are flexed when you sleep. Then symptoms will begin to occur during the day. Your thumb is an indicator of possible trouble. If your thumb doesn't function well, like picking up small things, or can't distinguish between cold and hot, then you should see a doctor.

I was under the impression that it was caused by repetitive motion. However, it can also be associated with hypothyroidism, an overactive pituitary gland, or fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause. Women are more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than men. It is possible that repetitive jobs can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. However, assembly line workers are three times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than those who work on the computer all day.

Keeping our Hands Healthy

Let's look at a few things we can do to make our stitching time more enjoyable.

Foremost is paying attention to where you are stitching and watching your posture. This is a big problem for me. I love to stitch while sitting on my couch. However, the cushion is really too wide for me to sit comfortably for long. If I sit clear to the back of the couch, my legs don't dangle right, cutting off my circulation and causing cramps. If I sit towards the edge, I need to put a solid cushion behind my back to keep me from slouching. Then my next problem is I sit in that position for a long time. To help remedy this situation, I bought a cheap kitchen timer that I set for no more than 30 minutes. When it goes off, I get up and take a short break. HINT: I found when the timer went off I would take one more stitch, then another stitch, and then I had to finish this little area…..ending up stitching another 30 minutes or so. I moved the timer across the room, so I have to get up to turn it off!

What if we think of our hands in an athletic sense? A 5K course is 3.1 miles long. An average walker will take about 45 minutes to finish the course. That walker is not going to start the 5K without warming up first. I know you are saying that it is not the same thing as stitching. However, do you remember how many muscles there were in our hands? I know I stitch at least 45 minutes at a time. So shouldn't I be warming up my stitching muscles as well? There is something to be said about building up hand strength and endurance as well, but that sounds like a topic for a later day.

One of the best warm up routines I found was from a booklet written by Frederikka T. Payne called Pain Prevention Exercises for Knitters published in 1996. She recommends filling a bucket or basin of water with as hot of water as you can comfortably stand. You want to be able to put your arm in up to your elbow if possible. You start by relaxing your hand and letting it soak for two minutes. Next repeat the first two exercises ten times. Stretch your fingers wide and hold for a count of 5. Then bend your fingertips down and hold for a count of 5. Then push your stretch further by repeating the next two exercises ten times also. Stretch your fingers wide and hold for a count of 5. Make a first and hold for a count of five. Here are the three hand positions: open, fingertips down, fist.
Here are a couple of other exercises that you can do before, during, and after your stitching session.
Wrist Stretch: Place your hands in a praying position at chest level with your fingers closed. Then raise your elbows up so they are parallel to the ground. While your hands and elbows are in this position slowly spread your fingers apart, keeping your palms together and then close them again. Repeat this five times.
Wrist Flex: Extend your arm out and bend your hand up. With your other hand, gently bend your wrist back to give it a little stretch. Change hands.
Wrist drop: Just like your thread sometimes your wrists need to "unwind". Let your arms drop to your sides and gently shake your hands. Slowly rotate your hands in a clockwise circle, then reverse directions.
A pair of special gloves can gently support and massage your hands while you stitch. Nordic Needle sells two brands, each in small, medium, and large sizes.
After a session of stitching, pamper your hands with some lotion and a light massage.
Nordic Needle now sells a wonderful Shea Butter Lotion in three scents, Herb Blossom, Lemon Verbena, Grapefruit, in two sizes, 2 oz and 16.9 oz. Roz loves this lotion!
My pain is in the middle of the back of my right hand. I found this wonder website showing how to release wrist trigger points and other sore spots on your hand.  It involves massaging the muscles of the forearm. Boy, when I first tried this technique, those muscles along my forearm were extremely sore. I think keeping up this massage technique will help my painful hand. I have also used the new Spring Chicken Muscle Rub (6618) to help soothe the pain.

The lesson I learned is that I take my hands for granted. In fact, I abuse them for hours while stitching or typing. With just a little TLC, they will be happier longer….and maybe I can get a few more inches done on my UFO's!!! Later this year, I plan to do a newsletter on how to prepare your body for stitching. So if you have any tips about posture, back and hand exercises, please let me know!

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The student news site of Head-Royce School

Affinity Groups at The School

Zack Mintz and Leah Stuart

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During a typical thursday lunch, you may walk into a variety of rooms (Mr. Scott’s, Dr. Bradley’s or Ms. V’s) to find India club hosting a club meeting. India club meetings are often centered around discussion about culture, Indian centered organizations, and relevant topics surrounding being Indian-American.

Q: What is your name and grade, and what do you identify as?

A: My name is Anjali Dhawan, I am in 11th grade and I identify as an Indian in the Head-Royce Community.

Q: Are you in ___ (why or why not)?

A: I am in India Club, and am leading the club this year. It has been a great group of students that have gotten together and created a safe space for discussions and to talk about an issues we see fit.

Q: What are your favorite things about India Club ?

A: I think my favorite thing about India Club is that even though we are a small group of students, we still find a way to have meaningful discussions. Along with these discussions, it is great to be able to host events throughout the school to share our culture with the community and be a presence throughout the year. In the club, there is a balance of students who identify as Indian and those who do not, and I think this is something I like about the club as it bring different perspectives to issues centralized on a specific race, which always calls for interesting discussions.

Q: How many people belong to India Club?

A: In India Club there are around 10 students and Ms. V as our faculty advisor as well as a strong leader of the club.

Q: What are India Club’s goals, both long and short term?

A: India Club’s short term goals for the year have been to get more involved in the community, something we were able to do with our Diwali and Holi presentations for both the lower and middle schoolers. Our long term goal is to be an expanding affinity group and to be have a stronger presence at school. Another goal of ours is to form better relations with other affinity groups and to collaborate together for events to spread the love we all have for our specific group.

Q: What has been your experience at head royce?

A: At Head-Royce, my experience for a long time has been to hide my culture and I never really found a safe way to be open about it. I do think once I reached high school and found out that India Club was a thing, I jumped to the idea of being able to have a safe space that I can go to talk and share my problems. I think this affinity group during my freshman year was what really got me comfortable to share and express my culture. It is something I still struggle with today, but there are always new obstacles we face at school and what matters most is that I have a group of people I can always turn to for help.

Q: What is your opinion of affinity groups at head royce?

A: Affinity groups are not-but should be-highly recognized in the Head Royce community, especially because of its ability to make students comfortable with talking and sharing their ideas and feelings without being silenced in the a classroom. Some of the larger affinity groups have a larger presence in the community and I do think the rest of our affinity groups are trying to get out in the community and have us be known as well. There are many dedicated individuals trying to better the inclusion and diversity at the school through their work with their affinity groups and it is important to recognize the work and efforts we all put in to have functioning clubs that are a safe place, but a place where we lean into discomfort at times to have meaningful discussion.

Q: Why do you think people go or don’t go to affinity group meetings?

A: I think people do not go to affinity groups for a variety of reasons. One may be that they are not comfortable with that specific group setting. They might also be embarrassed with sharing their ideas on certain topics pertaining to their identity, and it is hard to get people to come out to these clubs.

Q: Why do people join affinity groups with which they don’t identify?

A: I think people join affinity groups that they don’t identify with because it gives them new perspectives to different things in the world. I think they also join the club because it is something they want to be a part of and have an outlet to share their ideas, which might differ from the rest of the group.

Q: What are affinity groups’ spaces and funds, and are they adequate?

A: We make our own funds and it gets us through the year. We usually end up contributing some of our personal money to have the club function, and we are managing our own money. For spaces, we see what room is available in the beginning of the year and what day no clubs are using it, and we claim it as our own.

Q: Why are some Affinity groups shrinking?

A: I think they are shrinking because underclassmen are nervous about joining these groups because it can be intimidating. Upperclassmen do lose interest in going to a club that takes up time from their lunches. Also, it is a possibility that students are not always open to the idea of sharing that aspect of their lives with others and that can affect their participation.

Over the course of a few weeks, I, Zack Mintz, spent time with the affinity groups in the Upper School. Specifically, I met with India Club, Asia Club, Black Student Union (BSU), and Latinos Unidos. Since this project focuses on race, we felt it was necessary to explore how these groups function.

       Based on what I heard, there are a few reasons why students choose not to attend affinity groups. One reason is a lack of knowledge about what affinity groups are and are for. While some students view affinity groups as just a place for support, they in reality offer much more. When I walked into each meeting, it was like entering a new community. I saw members of separate grades who I had never seen interact laughing and joking with one another like close friends. The dynamic between teacher and student blurred; if not for the difference in age, one could have assumed each club’s’ members were homologous based on how they treated one another.

       Many students in the Upper School have the notion that affinity groups exist solely for those who identify with the clubs. This belief is reflected in the demographics of each group’s members; it is rare to find students in meetings who don’t identify racially with the club (although there is crossover for students in these groups who attend multiple affinity groups). While these clubs do function as safe spaces to address and discuss issues and incidents, both personal and general, that affect or have affected members, there is much to be learned by going to these meetings. A huge part of what holds these clubs together is culture. Each club has its own foods, customs, and events that anyone can enjoy regardless of their race.

       I never participated in affinity groups during my four years at the School, and I regret that I didn’t. Though I am Jewish, I was not interested in J-Club because I “didn’t think I needed it,” it being support i.e. the only thing I thought affinity groups offered. Looking back, I could have used the time with other Jews. I have faced a relatively small but significant amount of anti-semitism throughout middle and high school, and I think I could have benefitted from attending J-Club’s meetings, at least a little bit. Moreover, I wish I had gone to other clubs. Each affinity group is so well-knit and intellectual. They discuss real issues and function not too dissimilarly from classes. Instead of expressing individual concerns, students who attend clubs with which they don’t identify can learn in depth about a culture different from theirs and empathize with its members when appropriate and possible. I encourage students who do not go to affinity groups to go to at least one meeting; it’s worth one lunch period, and you just might really enjoy it.

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The student news site of Head-Royce School
Affinity Groups at The School


Caleb, Stage II, Affect regulation and Attachment, Family

Matthew, Stage V, Risk mitigation, Affect regulation

Questions and action steps offered by the clinicians:

Has he established supportive friendships since starting treatment?

Samantha, Stage III, Conflict resolution and healthy sexuality, Family

Questions to consider:

Albert, Stage II, Family, Affect Regulation

Questions to consider:

Rashawn, Stage II, Crisis at school, Trauma

Questions to consider:

Is the school and the teacher aware of Rashawn’s safety plan?

Does Rashawn recognize when his emotions are escalating?

Inside a Room of Secret Agents at Children's Hope Alliance

The LCSW’s (licensed clinical social workers), QP’s (qualified professionals), and LMFT’s (licensed marriage and family  therapists) are the staff members on the ground with our clients who have caused sexual harm. These TASK (Treatment Alternatives for Sexualized Kids) agents are less known to the rest of the world but celebrity to our kids and the communities impacted by their actions. They meet clients at school, over a basketball game, or with a mouthful of McDonald’s fries. Neither traffic, round-a-about Charlotte city routes, backcountry western Carolina roads, and unlisted addresses prevent them from spending time with the clients’ families. Trashcans, Jenga blocks, and snack packs are their weapons of choice to teach concepts like the difference between consent, compliance, coercion, and cooperation. TTFOFLA(two-three-four-or-five letter acronyms)is their language of choice:

TF-CBT: trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy

SA: substance abuse

CFT: child and family therapy

PCP: person-centered plan

DSS: Department of Social Services

DJJ: Department of Juvenile Justice

They encounter stories about clients stealing dirty underwear, experiencing daily emotional abuse, and getting into fights at school. And yet, our TASK staff find ways to laugh and continue to serve kids another day. As a result, our teenage clients and their families trust the agents who jump right into the mess of their real lives. In the short few months since joining the TASK and CHA (Children’s Hope Alliance) team, this physics major has watched people bring hope to hurting children and families when the world can’t always be explained with formulas and algorithms.

An update on our project

The TASK team has been working hard to establish a manual that reflects the diverse experiences of our staff from Charlotte to Guilford. Staffing and time with the kids allow us to watch the TASK model in action. Data collection is underway as we determine what TASK elements are most effective and efficient in bringing change to the lives of our clients’ and families. We are developing research procedures and structures to produce relevant and rigorous results. Those will be presented to our field and related subfields which include child psychology, sexual abuse, trauma care, child development, and juvenile delinquency.  The more research we do, the more excited we are about TASK and its potential to reach others who have caused sexual harm.

Justice is not so simply dealt out: walking with kids who cause sexual harm

My name is Grace Watt. As I transition into my new job, which I will describe later, I have had to ask some complicated and emotionally distressing questions.  The following essay is part of an ongoing, maturing conversation with myself as I process what I am learning and how I might more effectively respond to the issue of sexual offense. This essay contains heavy and unsettling material; humility, an open mind, and hope are a good tools to tackle it all…

Let me begin with a thought experiment:

  1. Think about the worst thing you have ever done to someone.
  2. Go find someone in the room with you right now and tell them about that event.
  3. Have them ask you more specific questions about that experience. Specifically, have them ask you questions about your selfish underlying motives and the way your actions affected everyone around you.
  4. Now, role play the situation; except I want you to take the role of the person you hurt. In that way, you can more fully explore the consequences of your actions and how you made that other person feel.
  5. Only one more step! I want you to take that event, a brief description of the worst thing you have ever done to someone, and put it at the very top of your resume. Be ready to provide full disclosure to all future employers and friends and family about why that situation happened.

It does not matter that there may have been a reason for your actions. Maybe your best friend was shot. Maybe your daddy beat your momma. Maybe you are just doing what your older brother’s friend taught you to do.

That was a sexual offense. You are a sexual offender. A danger to the public;  despised by society. You should not have a job. You cannot be at parks. When you travel, find routes that avoid all schools.  You are disgusting.

With these common responses to people labeled as “sex offenders,”  we should not wonder why it might be difficult for someone to admit to a sexual offense. If they admit they did something, will they find support? Or will they become something less than human with a one dimensional story?

What might be some barriers to changing harmful behavior? How do our natural stereotypes, preconceptions, and attitudes create another insurmountable obstacle for people already trying to tackle the daunting task of change?  Putting ourselves in the shoes of a person who has committed a sexual offense helps us imagine what it would be like if we were defined by the worst thing we’ve ever done; if we had to wonder whether our mistakes were so big that we’re never allowed to move on from them.

The answer is not to go easy on sexual offense. Sexual offense can cause long term and multifaceted damage to the victim; the goal is not to delegitimize the necessary and potentially arduous healing process for survivors of sexual harm.  If you are a survivor of sexual offense, efforts to help offenders should not take away your dignity or self-worth. My hope is that these two separate, but related conversations would prevent further harm and lead to full life for you as a past survivor and also for anyone who might be a past perpetrator.

In order to prevent a person from causing further sexual harm, we must patiently try to understand the dynamics behind minimization of offenses and the mechanisms that could motivate someone to change their behavior. Many people who commit sexual offense might stop hurting others and also avoid the ostracization from friends and family if they knew how to stop the thoughts and situations that can lead them to harming other people.  They might not know how to cope with life because few people beyond mental health professionals have more than a basic understanding of what causes a person to sexually harm others and what could help them change. People who know that they committed a sexual offense may believe there is no hope for love and acceptance if anyone else knew. They might be right until we can better respond and listen without reducing them to their offense.

People who cause sexual harm are not just sex offenders.  Yet, we don’t swing to the other extreme and remove all responsibility by blaming their action entirely on past abuse done to them. They are human and we are all a complicated mix of victim and perpetrator. We all cause harm to others and we ourselves are hurt by others. It would be much simpler if there was one evil person and one victim. Then we could just get rid of the evil person.

As I have spent the past two weeks learning about the development of the TASK Program (Treatment Alternatives for Sexualized Kids), it has become abundantly clear that justice is not so simply dealt out.  The stories and lives of these kids are complex.  When the mug or paparazzi shot of an adult sex offender flashes across the screen, that person is dehumanized and met with little compassion.  As the age of the offender drops below 18, we are often more willing to ask what extenuating circumstances might have led a child to commit an act.

My role at Children’s Hope Alliance

I am working with the TASK program at Children’s Hope Alliance. Children’s Hope Alliance offers a wide range of services beyond TASK including foster care, adoption, and outpatient therapeutic services throughout North Carolina. Since it’s founding date in 1891, CHA has provided hurting children and their families with a safe place to heal and have hope for the future.

TASK is a more recent addition to Children’s Hope Alliance that meets the particular treatment needs of youth who have committed offenses and require sexual harm specific treatment.  In it’s 10 years of existence, TASK has successfully reduced rates of reoffending and allowed kids to have a meaningful relationship with their community and their family. Because there are few effective programs available for this population, we are hoping to expand our program nationally and internationally.  In order to do that, we will demonstrate TASK’s effectiveness and validity by being identified as an evidence based practice. My job is to coordinate this effort and I have just completed my second week in this role.

The Impact Fellowship Program

This opportunity is part of the Impact Fellowship program offered through Davidson College that places it’s graduates in substantial roles at non-profit organizations. The program is allowing us a front row seat in dealing with questions of considerable complexity, urgency, and potential for significant systemic changes in society.  It has been humbling to see that our supervisors have confidence in us as demonstrated by the scope of our projects and our clearance and autonomy.  The daunting nature of this project could lead to anxiety and paralysis. However, I have a renewed sense of power and control in a role like this because I have tools to tackle a project of this scale. Davidson equipped me to problem solve by breaking down large goals, being relentless in finding the necessary resources, and leaning heavily on other people’s collaborative expertise. Instead of fear, the size of my project excites me because  I know it will have substantial and lasting impact.

This is the first taste at how Davidson prepared me to handle real world situations. At the time, I lacked confidence and security because I rarely felt finished and always was more aware of how I could improve than of what I had done well.  I became more convinced I could not handle nor had any control over the problems and tasks required of me.   Yet because I lost a sense of self-understanding and self-empowerment that worked for me as I child, I now have a clearer view  of a world greater than myself. I have increased capacity to understand problems beyond my limited personal experience and skillset. I am more aware of a rumbling, sturdy foundation under my feet, made up of the vast community of people addressing similar problems from different angles with different experiences and expertise.  I step without hesitancy into a battle bigger than myself because I understand that sustained strength must come outside of myself.  In order to face inconceivably difficult problems, I must find a source of inconceivable wonder and hope.

As I undertake this fellowship, I lean upon the resources, wisdom, and support of many others and with that, I am excited to share with you in this adventure.


Gallery of Examples

Please explore our gallery of excerpts from state-mandated informed consent to abortion materials.  We have highlighted those passages which are ‘medically inaccurate’.  A panel of experts in human anatomy determined these statements (as presented at the specified week of pregnancy) to be either scientifically incorrect or misleading in terms of biological development.  To view a state’s complete booklet or to find a comprehensive list of medically inaccurate statements for each state, please visit our state pages.


Brussels fails to hear Brexit message

At its extraordinary session of June 28, the European Parliament has issued a release on the UK referendum and its consequences. It says that they acknowledge British citizens’ will to quit and they wish to respect it – what else could they do, by the way?

As far as the future is concerned, they draw the conclusion that the EU must be made better and more democratic but the necessary restoration of member state sovereignty – the lack of which was the primary cause for the decision to leave – is not even referred to in the 16-paragraph document. Instead, they do offer the solution of a two-speed Union with a close cooperation among the core countries. Further, deeper integration and an underlying super-state agenda are implied by the will to strengthen economic and monetary union as well as a common foreign policy. The document rejects the concept of a flexible cooperation of all member states and wants to “utilize the potential lying in the Lisbon Treaty” and keep patching it to answer the so inevitable post-Brexit question: which way to go, European Union?

The European Parliament has failed to hear the message of Brexit and refuses to face the situation. This is the last chance for the European Union to abandon the Lisbon path of centralization and dictatorship so contrary to the will of the population and decide to construct a Europe of Nations instead of a Brussels-centred empire.

On behalf of Jobbik’s EP delegation: Zoltán Balczó


Yesterday, reports that a sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops would hit this year circulated all over the internet, sourced to a product page that went live on Amazon. reported on this apparent slip-up, as did other French websites, but they refused to pull the story when asked by Call of Duty publisher Activision.

That refusal resulted in Activision apparently cutting off's access to their titles and media events, effectively killing the site's ability to cover the biggest games publisher around.

Kotaku reached out to Gameblog editor Grégory Szriftgiser (known on the site by the nom de plume RaHaN) to get his account of how this story and its repercussions happened. What follows are Szriftgiser's answers to questions sent via e-mail.

Kotaku: How long has Gameblog been around? How long have you been covering video games?

Szriftgiser: is has been live for 5 years now. We created and funded the company ourselves a little before launch. "We", here, stands for several journalists including myself, who have been covering video games professionally for 15 years or more, first in print magazines like Joypad, Joystick, the French PlayStation Magazine Officiel or later Gaming. Some did TV and Radio as well, and some of us have been writing about games professionally for up to 20 years now.

Kotaku: Can you describe the sequence of events as they happened? How did you find out about Amazon's product page? When did your article go up?

Szriftgiser: The journalist who wrote the first newspiece—"Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 confirmed by Amazon "—Julien Chièze (who is one of the co-founders of the company with others and myself), originally spotted the info on Twitter.

Our article was posted at 1:05 p.m. French time (that's CET). Activision first tried to call me at 2:16 p.m., but I couldn't answer, then sent an email (subject : "Pulling of a newspiece - URGENT") to both Julien and myself at 2:24 p.m., asking to "please take down the newspiece now", that "Activision didn't make any announcement", that "Amazon took upon themselves to publish this information without consulting [Activision]" and that it was "asked as a favor". I returned the phone call at 2:30 p.m., during which Activision asked the same thing, as a favor, insisting that this was a very serious matter to them for internal reasons they couldn't elaborate on and that the other major web outlets had already taken down their piece.

I explained that I couldn't do this and why (mainly, that Activision didn't have any right to intervene in our editorial, that it was newsworthy to us, that our job was first and foremost to inform our readers, that the newspiece didn't argue that it was anything official on Activision's end, and was correctly phrased to reflect it, notably, with the question mark), at which point Activision argued that they were disappointed - they asked that we please consider it "with all the consequences this could lead to". I agreed to do so, told them I would get back to them later to give them my final decision. They were unreachable for the rest of the afternoon. After business hours, I had a short text conversation in which I re-stated that we wouldn't pull the article, and asked if we should consider ourselves blacklisted as a result. It was around 8:30 p.m., and Activision answered we would resume the conversation by phone the next morning.

The newspiece stayed online untouched during the night.

Kotaku: Was there any other additional detail on the Amazon page about Black Ops 2?

Szriftgiser: There was no additional detail on the Amazon page other than the title "Call of Duty : Black Ops 2" and a pre-order price at 69,99 euros.

Kotaku: What was the tone of the call from Activision?
Szriftgiser: The call(s) from Activision were professional, as we've been working together for 15 years. It was several phone calls as explained above. At no point did those calls sound "angry" on either side of the conversation, but I would say that Activision's spokesperson was rather agitated and preoccupied, obviously.

Kotaku: What did they say to you? Were you calm in your reactions? What was their justification for making these demands of you?

We made it clear that such pressures were unacceptable.

Szriftgiser: See above. Again, there were no insults or angry talk or anything at any point, the conversation was obviously tense, but professional. Their justification for making these demands remains unclear, other than it was a serious issue for them, and that it was, it seems, putting people in difficult positions (though I don't know at this point if they were meaning people at Activision or Amazon).

Kotaku: Did you speak to anyone from the sites who took down their coverage? Why do you think they capitulated, if that's what happened?

Szriftgiser: Regarding, with whom I haven't had any contacts regarding this whatsoever, I don't know what their exact position is. All I know, from my discussions with Activision, is that they were contacted in the same way we were, and agreed to take down their piece.

Regarding, I also know from the discussions with Activision that they were contacted and subsequently took down their article. I didn't speak with until after we posted the article "Activision blacklists Gameblog". I then had a written conversation on a wider angle about our views on the work, in which JVN argued they pulled the piece, after being asked to do so, because they couldn't verify the info first-hand, and additionally that they didn't consider the info to be important.

It is important to understand that we talked about those sites pulling up their articles (and proved it with screenshots) in order to clearly establish that there was pressure put on several outlets by Activision, and not just us ; that we were not making this story up. It was important to us, as well, that we made it clear that such pressures were unacceptable, and we hope that this event will help everyone in refusing those pressures. Obviously, we regret this course of events, but we had no other choice than to proceed as I explained.

Kotaku: Were you a fan of Call of Duty? Are you still? If Black Ops 2 winds up being this year's CoD game, will you buy it?

Szriftgiser: I am a fan of Call of Duty (as my reviews of the previous games in the series show). I remain a fan of Call of Duty. I will buy Black Ops 2 if it turns out to be this year's CoD (but at this point, I think we're all pretty sure it's going to be), and would buy it as well if it was something else. Most definitely, we will buy it in order to be able to review it, as we know we will not be invited to any official event related to this game, or any other Activision game for that matter.

Kotaku has asked Activision for comment on Gameblog's supposed blacklisting and will be happy to include their comment if they provide any.

UPDATE: Activision's responded to Kotaku regarding this matter with the following statement:

Activision doesn't blacklist journalists. We believe this was a misunderstanding and are working towards a resolution.


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Culinary Schools in Texas

Texas, known as the ‘Lone Star state’, is the second largest state in the US and has the second highest Gross State Product (GSP) of any state in the country. It is one of the fastest growing states in the country and is home to a number of large corporations.

Culinary Arts is the study of food and nutrition. The field, also known as ‘cookery’, trains individuals to become proficient in the preparation of food items. The training goes beyond teaching them about how to make food that tastes good as it also teaches them ways to present food that is pleasing to the eye.
There are many Culinary Schools in Texas that offer a number of educational programs to get you into the culinary industry. The Culinary Colleges in Texas offer degrees ranging from Associates to Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Culinary Arts. These degree programs teach students how to prepare meals in addition to giving them knowledge on the nutritional details of food.
Once you have completed a degree from one of the many Culinary Schools in TX, you can work in a number of positions in the food and services industry. Some of the positions you could work in include restaurant managers, food chefs, food critics and food managers. The average salary for culinary arts majors starts at $55,000 per annum.

What to do with Culinary arts degree in Texas

Related Occupation US Employment Texas Employment
Chefs and Head Cooks 115,000 6,700
Food Preparation Workers  808,000 52,460
Food Service Managers 321,000 27,330
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria 409,000 29,280
Cooks, Private Household 7,000  300

With a degree in culinary arts, you can apply for various positions such as cook, food service manager, head cook and chef. While some of these positions may only require a degree in culinary arts, others may require work experience as well.

How much you can make with Culinary arts degree in Texas?

how much you can make with culinary degree in texas

In Texas, in 2013, chefs and head cooks earned a median annual income of $40,600. Food service managers earned $47,800 for the same year.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Employment per thousand jobs

Location quotient

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

California 16600.111.2618.1337720
Florida 11300.141.6817.9737370
Illinois 9600.161.9217.937240
Texas 7600.070.7816.6234570
New York 6500.070.8520.1241840

The salary figures mentioned above are taken from Click Here
Frequently Asked Question(s)

Q:Explain a little about bachelor degree in culinary arts offered at culinary schools in Texas?

A:The bachelor degree in culinary arts is a four year program. The program provides two fold knowledge to students, where on one hand they gain practical experience and on the other hand they equip themselves with al theoretical knowledge related to culinary arts. The program allows students to focus on one area for specialization such as hospitality management or beverage management. Other basic courses that are included in the program are introduction to culinary arts, restaurant management, nutrition, baking, and many more.

Q:Best Culinary Schools in Texas have been accredited by which association?

A:Culinary Schools in Texas are accredited by the American Culinary Federation. This association was established in 1929 and is the largest professional chef's organization in the country. It is also known as the authority on cooking in America and is dedicated to certifying culinarians through higher education and apprenticeship programs.

Q:Do culinary art schools in Texas offer the same course content as schools in other states?

A:No two colleges provide exactly the same program and content. Though, there are many similarities and most colleges will provide with the basic principles/ foundation skills required. Also, if a program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation, there will be minimum standard of education that the colleges have to provide.

Q:Can you tell me the general requirements for admission in culinary schools in Houston Texas?

A:Those who opt for culinary schools are generally ones that have a passion for cooking and that is all that is needed in most of the culinary colleges and culinary schools in Houston Texas. There are no former credentials required for culinary classes, but if you want to excel in this field it can require formal training that is offered by many cooking schools in Houston Texas.

Q:By graduating from culinary colleges in Texas, what kind of careers can I pursue?

A:Culinary colleges in Texas offer a range of culinary degrees. Students can acquire cooking skills and knowledge through such programs and prepare for a great career in the food industry. Restaurant manager, chef, baker, beverage manager, executive chef, and food writer are among a few of the major job positions you can look forward to.

Q:What subjects will I be studying in culinary arts schools in Texas?

A:Culinary arts schools in Texas offer number of courses and degree programs in culinary arts. There are specialized programs in specific areas like pastry making, baking, Italian, Mexican, continental foods, dessert specialization and others. The subjects also vary accordingly. The subjects can be checked on the website of these schools ad a program can be chosen accordingly.

Q:What are the factors to look for to find best culinary colleges in USA?

A:When looking for the best culinary colleges in USA you need to check the accreditation of the institute to check if it offers quality education. Find out the curriculum it offers and the practical training it gives. You must compare the course with different culinary programs to see that you are making the right pick.

Q:I want to get into colleges in Texas that offer culinary arts programs. But I am not too sure about the admission criteria. Can you tell me?

A:The admission criteria for culinary arts programs will basically vary from school to school. If you plan to enroll in a bachelor level degree, you must have a high school diploma. On the other hand, for admission in a graduate level degree, completing your bachelor degree is necessary. Other requirements may include a letter of recommendation.

Q:Can I be a chef with a Master from Culinary Schools in TX?

A:Yes, you can aspire to be. With a degree from culinary schools in TX, you can be a chef with proper training. Chefs and head cooks are responsible for overseeing food preparation at food service locations such as restaurants and cafes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chefs and head cooks had an annual median pay of $42,480 and the expected job growth from 2012 to 2022 is 5%.

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genes occur on chromosome , Biology

In Drosophila, these genes occur on chromosome 4.

H - wild type (normal)     h - hairy

F - wild type                   f - frizzled

E - wild type                  e - vestigial

The cross HFE  x  hfe   yielded the following:

    Hfe         hfe

HFE - 393    HFe - 28

h f e - 409   h f E- 30

H f e - 58    H f E -  1

h F E - 80    h F e -   1

a. (2 pts.)  Which group in the progeny represents double cross-overs?  Parental types?

b. (1 pt.)  What is the correct gene order?

c. (7 pts.)  Compute for the distance between genes and draw the linkage map.

d. (2 pts.)  Compute for coefficient of coincidence and interference.

Posted Date: 2/16/2013 6:28:37 AM | Location : United States

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Tillerson meets top Russian diplomat after new US sanctions

The top American and Russian diplomats are meeting for the first time since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law a package of new sanctions targeting Moscow.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (sir-GAY' lahv-RAWF') are sitting down in Manila, Philippines, on the sidelines of a regional gathering. The two diplomats smiled and exchanged pleasantries but made no substantive remarks as journalists were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting.

Tillerson and Lavrov ignored a shouted question about how the new sanctions might affect their discussions.

Trump and Tillerson opposed the sanctions package that Congress passed to make it harder for Trump to ever ease penalties on Russia. Trump ultimately signed the bill last week, but called it "seriously flawed."


Original paper

Ventifacts in the Mecsek region (SW Hungary) - climatic interpretation and tectonic implications

Sebe, Krisztina

The paper examines aeolian erosion in the SW Pannonian Basin, in the southern part of the European Pleistocene periglacial belt. In contrast to more northerly regions, where ventifacts and wind-sculpted landforms abound, only scarce signs of wind erosion have been reported here so far and this has been explained by the wind shadow effect of the Eastern Alps. Ventifacts mapped recently at numerous sites in the southern foreland of the Mecsek Mts. challenge this view. Together with some wind-blown sands they prove that conditions necessary for aeolian erosional processes were present in the Pleistocene and refer to areally widespread wind erosion. Multiple ventifact levels in the stratigraphic column and weakly developed ventifact morphologies indicate recurring but short wind erosion periods. The geometry of a reconstructed ventifact horizon indicates increasing elevation difference between the mountains and the foreland as well as intensifying valley incision in the late Quaternary, referring to ongoing vertical tectonic movements. The low number of ventifacts found does not necessarily prove a lack of aeolian erosion, it can also result from the inappropriateness of lithologies for ventifaction as well as from continuous erosion and burial due to tectonically induced increase in relief.

ventifactpleistoceneaeolian erosionmecsek mtstectonics


You have questions, I have answers. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to contact me!

What is a doula?

What areas do you serve?

 I serve any home birth within a 40 mile radius of Lilburn, Ga. I attend births at Dekalb Medical, North Fulton, Gwinnett Medical, Atlanta Medical, Piedmont, Northside and Emory Hospital.

I am a DONA certified birth doula, and holds a certificate as a Hypnobabies®Childbirth Hypnosis-Doula and Stillbirthday Birth and Bereavement Doula.

What is a Hypnobabies® childbirth Hypno-Doula?

A Hypnobabies® Childbirth Hypno-Doula is a doula who has been trained as a doula, and then taken the necessary steps to receive specialized training from Hypnobabies® in order to learn how to assist the Hypnobabies® mom and birth partner who are interesting in birthing their baby using hypnosis techniques learned through the Hypnobabies® Childbirth class or Hypnobabies® Home Study kit.  The Hypnobabies® techniques prepare a woman to have a comfortable and relaxing birth and introduces you to a new way of viewing your childbirth experience. A woman who give birth using Hypnobabies® is able to have an easier and more comfortable childbirth, she is are able to relax and focus on her hypnosis throughout her birthing time.  Please contact me for more information, or to find a Hypnobabies® childbirth class near you!

Why do I need a doula if I will have a labor and delivery nurse?

The labor and delivery nurse is a great resource to have around when you are having your baby. However, the labor and delivery nurse has other clinical duties to perform, paperwork, as well as other patients to attend to. These other duties limits the amount of time the nurse can stay with you. A doula provides continuous care through nursing staff changes and only has the mother's emotional and physical needs in mind, suggesting ways to progress in labor and addressing any issues that may arise.

Do you only attend drug free births or home births?

No, I have been trained to support you and your partner through the delivery of your baby and immediate postpartum recovery period.  Whether you are scheduled for a cesarean, have chosen to deliver in a hospital with pain medication or you have chosen a water birth at home, I am here to support you in the decisions you have made where ever that may take you.

What is the difference between a birth doula and a postpartum doula?

A birth doula accompanies a woman in childbirth and helps her through the delivery of her baby. The birth doula also offers support in the immediate postpartum recovery period. You will have had access to the birth doula prior to delivery and may have met a few times to discuss your options and birth wishes. A postpartum doula helps you makes the transition into parenthood at home by offering assistance with newborn care, breastfeeding support, soothing techniques and more. A postpartum doula may be hired for a few days up to several weeks after you bring your baby home.

Will my insurance company cover a doula?

Not likely, some insurance companies will reimburse the cost of doula care. Please talk with your health insurance provider. There are forms available to submit if this is an option for you.  If you have a flexible spending account used for non-covered medical expenses, doula care may be considered an appropriate expense for reimbursement from a pretax / health savings account.

What are your fees, and do you accept credit cards?

Standard Doula Package is $850.00, Hypnobabies Doula package is $900.00. I require a $400.00 deposit to retain my services and reserve your due date. To learn more about my fees you can click here, and for your convenience you may purchase packages from my website! All major credit cards are accepted (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Debit cards and Discover).


…looking forward, from cambodia to iraq…

…only death and destruction (and profits)…

A post that continues to attract attention. A cautionary tale for the still credulous in the age of the blog and alternative media.

John Pilger examines US foreign policy, a policy rooted in violence, that should bring to mind that saying, ‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’. Indeed, in From Pol Pot to ISIS   he captures in his unique way, and communicates clearly the stark reality of US foreign policy, a reality that many have sensed but were unable to articulate as well.

Pilger points to one inescapable truth that most in the West, especially in the US, want to seem unaware of,

[bold added for emphasis]

Of course, the US had dropped, to put it mildly, not a few bombs on tiny Laos. (And when did Laos attack the US?). But though we look back to understand now and the future, we follow the exhortation of the US President to his citizens, but ‘look forward’ from the frame of reference of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

So on to how mindless destructiveness, malevolence can spawn the same or worse in the surviving victims and friends. Pilger observes,

ISIS has a similar past and present. By most scholarly measure, Bush and Blair’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 led to the deaths of some 700,000 people — in a country that had no history of jihadism. The Kurds had done territorial and political deals; Sunni and Shia had class and sectarian differences, but they were at peace; intermarriage was common. Three years before the invasion, I drove the length of Iraq without fear. On the way I met people proud, above all, to be Iraqis, the heirs of a civilization that seemed, for them, a presence.

Bush and Blair blew all this to bits. Iraq is now a nest of jihadism. Al-Qaeda — like Pol Pot’s “jihadists” — seized the opportunity provided by the onslaught of Shock and Awe and the civil war that followed. ..

[bold added for emphasis]

What makes matters worse, unpromising (for the West) is that this IS lot is more than mindful of the history (and humiliation) of the Middle East at the hands of the imperial powers. And that silly US exhortation to only ‘look forward’ has a way of being upended as each passing moment yields further disaster, with the call of the ruling class for ever more violence and death (and profits).

Pilger lays out carefully the evidence that the corporate MSM has always studiously ignored – indeed that MSM stands complicit or acquiescent. The evidence of genocide abounds, from the recent past and before, and memories are triggered with each misadventure. It then remains baffling that the US with its ‘coalition of the willing’ should continue to ignore the ultimate costs to its and their own societies. A peaceful, stable world seems to be anathema to the nostalgic designs of the West? A permanent war against non-Western, in particular Islamic, civilisation?

Yes, this Pilger offering should dispel any lingering romantic illusions.

…’…in blood stepped in so far…returning were as tedious as go o’er…’?…


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Blog Archives

Weekend Art Project

While skimming through Pinterest recently, my daughter and I came across a project that looked fun and inexpensive so we thought we’d give it a try. It utilizes heavy art paper, a lot of crayons, white glue, scrap paper, and painter’s tape. 12715686_10153753304735660_3061785048652222276_n

Start the project by applying a thick layer of glue where you want the crayons positioned, then set the crayons into the glue. It will take several hours for this to dry, so just lay it flat for a while (we let it sit overnight).

Next, cut out a shape you’d like to have centered in the color splash (or several, or even none). It’s important to use painter’s tape because the hot blow dryer will not melt the adhesive (trust me, other types of tape failed). Tape around the edges of the shape, then trim it to shape and place on the canvas under the drip line.

With a blow dryer, melt the crayons and let the wax run down over the entire canvas. You’ll need to hover over a section until you get a good amount running down then aim the blow dryer to spread it out.

The wax will dry in a few minutes so when you’ve covered the canvas, peel up the taped-on shape while it is still wet. If you wait until it dries, it will tend to pop and crack off. Try using different color combinations and shapes and get creative!

Daily Prompt Writing: The Nomadic Life

From the Daily Prompt: Rolling Stone

If you could live a nomadic life, would you? Where would you go? How would you decide? What would life be like without a “home base”?”

This has always been a bit of a dream of mine, to live just to live, to enjoy experiences in life that aren’t possible within the constraints of a lease, a day job, shared custody and other limiting factors.  For a 40 year old who treasures new sights and experiences, meeting different people, photographing different areas and being immersed in different cultures, it must be said that I have gotten very few opportunities in life to do any of this.  The extent of my travels has been through the Carolinas, The Bahamas and Mexico.  All instances were limited by time and money and only left me wanting more.  To live as a nomad would still require some sort of stability – ironic, I know.  This means I would not want to live as a beggar but rather be able to earn a little money no matter where I went in order to remain self-sufficient (and fed!).  More than likely, I would take on some kind of art or craft and sell my talents at various events and festivals across the country, throughout the year. Part of those crafts could be hand-penned original inspirational poetry on parchment, ready to frame in someone’s study or bedroom.  Ideally, I would have a small RV in which I could keep my scant belongings and a bicycle to use for travel throughout the area of the moment.  I would of course need to remain tech savvy – Internet access would be vital as it is to nearly everyone today.  I would likely gather information on upcoming events and places to go from the web in order to keep short-term plans in order.  This would allow me to remain a wanderlust but one who would not be caught off guard by not having a place to park, sleep or sell crafts.  I wouldn’t say that there would be no “home base.”  I would have my RV – wherever it took me would be home.  The whole of the continental USA would be my home!  The beautiful thing about the Internet is that it brings people together no matter where they are, so losing touch with family and friends would not be an issue.  It would be a simple life, free of undue clutter, free of the feeling of being cooped up and held captive by societal constraints.  As a Sagittarius, this sort of nomadic life would be what my soul has always craved.  I am determined to one day see this to fruition.


As a teenager in the early 1960s, Bill Strickland saw his inner city Pittsburgh neighborhood declining; the economy faltered, local businesses shut down, and crime increased. He turned to the potter’s wheel for hope and inspiration. In 1968, Strickland sought to share his inspiration with neighborhood youth by founding the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG), an afterschool arts program for at-risk kids.

In 1972, he was asked to take over the Bidwell Training Center (BTC), an adult vocational training program in the same community. Strickland transformed Bidwell’s traditional job training programs by developing innovative partnerships with local corporations. For example, he worked with H.J. Heinz to develop a culinary arts program to train students to be sous chefs, and he teamed with American Express on a program that taught students how to become travel agents.

Together, MCG and BTC allowed Strickland to attack the problems plaguing his community from two different angles – using art to teach and engage at-risk youth, while providing vocational training for displaced adults, equipping them with marketable job skills. In 1987, he built a 62,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that houses both organizations and includes a jazz concert hall, classrooms, laboratories, and workshops.

Strickland’s vision for the synergies between two disparate programs, the entrepreneurial relationships he forged with the business community, and the first-class facilities he brought to an economically disadvantaged neighborhood were hailed as national models, and he was acclaimed as a new breed of “social entrepreneur,” receiving a MacArthur “genius award” in 1996. In 1998, he was recognized by the White House and also named a Kilby laureate for creating “a replicable model for enhancing the productivity of ‘at-risk’ youth using a unique experiential blend of fine arts, technology, and science.”

At that time, Strickland envisioned establishing 100 “franchises” across the country over 30 years. Yet, despite Strickland’s desire to see his innovations spread, the process has been difficult and slow. By 2003, Strickland had helped support serious efforts in several cities. A couple failed; one has been in progress for several years, but is not yet operational; another is just getting under way. Strickland has continued to innovate in Pittsburgh, but his “replicable model” has been very slow to reach new communities.1

Strickland’s experience illustrates an all too common challenge in the social sector: How can social entrepreneurs effectively scale their impact to reach the many people and communities that could benefit from their innovations? As policy expert and author Lisbeth Schorr observed: “We have learned to create the small exceptions that can change the lives of hundreds. But we have not learned how to make the exceptions the rule to change the lives of millions.”2 If we are serious about tackling social problems on a large scale, we need to develop more effective tools to address this challenge.

After several years of interviewing social entrepreneurs, foundation officers, and other experts on scale in the social sector,3 we have come to the conclusion that social entrepreneurs, foundation officers, and policymakers need to step back and take a more strategic and systematic approach to the question of how to spread social innovations. Too often, they frame the problem in terms of either “replication,” the diffusion and adoption of model social programs, or, more recently, “scaling up,” which commonly entails significant organizational growth and central coordination. While neither of these concepts is inherently ill-conceived, failure to place them within a broader strategic framework can blind social sector leaders to promising options and bias them toward a limited set of strategies. We hope to expand their conception of the possibilities by encouraging social entrepreneurs to consider different ways of both defining and spreading their innovations before determining whether and how to proceed. Our goal is to help them find the most promising strategies for achieving widespread and timely impact.

Defining an Innovation

It isn’t always obvious how social entrepreneurs should define their innovations to scale them most effectively. Take, for example, a learning center that has been exceptionally successful in teaching math to preschoolers. The potentially scalable innovation could be an organizational model for early childhood learning centers. Or possibly it’s programmatic – a powerful new math curriculum. Perhaps it’s a set of principles about how teachers, preschoolers, and parents interact. Before urging the creation of similar centers in other communities, the center leaders first need to think about how to define their social innovation for scale. What makes their approach distinctive? What is essential to their success? What internal or external factors play critical supporting roles? And what could possibly be changed without jeopardizing impact? If they think they have an innovation worth spreading, they must also consider how transferable it is. Will the core elements be as effective in different contexts? Are these elements easily communicated and understood? Are they reliant on rare skills or conditions? Asking these questions helps social entrepreneurs understand what is most effectively transferable and define their innovations for scale.

The preschool case illustrates the three most common forms for scaling social innovations that we have encountered. Some innovations spread as an organizational model – an overarching structure for mobilizing people and resources to serve a common purpose. Others spread in the form of a program – an integrated set of actions that serve a specific purpose. Finally, some innovations are framed in terms of principles – general guidelines and values about how to serve a given purpose. These forms are related and, in practice, the distinction between them often blurs. An organizational model commonly includes some program ideas. Programs are usually implemented by organizations, often requiring some organizational changes to run them effectively. And most principles have implications for how organizations or programs apply them. Yet, social entrepreneurs typically make a choice about how to package their innovations to spread them to new locations, and their choice tends to fall into one of these categories. They select a form or combination of forms and then decide how much detail is crucial for achieving success. A few examples should shed some light on the various possibilities.

Organization Lawyer Frederick Goff established the first community foundation in Cleveland in 1914. Aiming to create an organization that would be of permanent benefit to the community, Goff designed a new philanthropic intermediary that brought together the assets of individual donors under the control of community boards with direct knowledge of local charitable needs. By pooling resources, taking advantage of community expertise, and sharing overhead, this organizational model was an efficient alternative to traditional private foundations. Recognizing its potential value in any community, Goff traveled around the country to meet with community leaders and introduce them to the general concept of a community foundation. With local governance allowing for complete local autonomy and adaptation, Goff ’s efforts planted the seeds for the hundreds of community foundations that exist today as variations on his original model.4

Program Boot Camp for New Dads (BCND) was born in an Irvine, Calif., hospital in 1990. The concept was straightforward: “Veteran” father of four Greg Bishop trained “rookie” first-time dads, so that they would be more prepared fathers and gain confidence caring for their own babies. As concerns about fatherhood grew nationally, the workshops began to attract media attention, generating demand for similar programs in other communities. In response, Bishop designed a comprehensive program package to help hospitals, churches, military bases, and community organizations offer their own boot camps. For a onetime license fee, plus training costs, BCND now offers detailed guidelines for implementing a boot camp that cover everything from site and instructor selection to camera-ready print ads for marketing the program. BCND also provides training and certification for coaches, as well as a range of on-going support for program sites, including a Web site for sharing ideas. While not prescriptive, the program license package is highly specific and most sites follow it closely. This level of detail makes implementation easy for the local sponsors and helps assure the quality and success of the program, while still affording flexibility to adapt to local circumstances. Since its first replication in 1997 in North Dakota, BCND has spread to over 180 sites in 38 states and Japan. There are currently more than 300 coaches and 90,000 boot camp veterans.

Principles By recruiting, training, and supporting outstanding educators to open and run high-performing public schools in underserved communities, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) is developing a network of schools that share a core set of general operating principles known as the Five Pillars. The first pillar, for example, is “High Expectations”:

KIPP schools have clearly defined and measurable high expectations for academic achievement and conduct that make no excuses based on the background of students. Students, parents, teachers, and staff create and reinforce a culture of achievement and support through a range of formal and informal rewards and consequences for academic performance and behavior.

While adherence to the pillars is measured by very specific expectations and goals, the principles themselves are general enough to allow for flexibility in how they are applied. According to KIPP’s 2002 business plan, “Rather than dictating how each of these schools should be operated, the Five Pillars serve as a framework that guides academic leadership and school culture to optimize student achievement. Each school is unique, reflecting the individuality of its community and the leadership style and education philosophy of its school leader. While every school has a culture of high expectations and a college preparatory focus, the Five Pillars are applied in various ways. For example, all KIPP schools require substantially more time [in class] and offer Saturday school, but their curricular offerings respond to divergent needs and interests.”5 Since 1994, the KIPP network of schools has grown from a program serving 50 fifthgraders in Houston to 32 public schools that reach over 4,000 students in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

It is important to keep in mind that while programs are typically more specific and principles more general, social entrepreneurs can define any form of innovation in very general or very specific terms. Innovations that are defined more generally often include fewer elements and less detail regarding implementation. They usually promote greater local autonomy, allowing more variability and flexibility in new locations. The most specific innovations are very prescriptive in nature, providing exact guidelines for potential adopters and often including numerous, detailed requirements for effective execution. It is not uncommon for scalable innovations to be defined in both general and specific terms; some elements may be very explicit and others more flexible. In thinking about how to define their innovations, social entrepreneurs should keep in mind Bridgespan Group co-founder and managing partner Jeffrey L. Bradach’s principle of “minimum critical specification” – aim to define the fewest elements possible to produce the desired impact.6 They can then ask whether defining any other elements generally or specifically would promote smoother implementation in new places by providing more than the bare essentials. The goal is to find a level of detail that is most effectively transferable.

Defining an innovation for scale is an iterative process. Some innovations may spread in multiple forms, and definitions may change to adapt to different circumstances or knowledge acquired as scaling efforts progress. Regardless, understanding the various forms an innovation can take should help social entrepreneurs determine what exactly it is that might be both worth spreading and effectively transferable to new locations.

Spreading the Impact

In addition to considering different ways of defining their innovations, social entrepreneurs should explore the various mechanisms for spreading their impact. Dissemination is actively providing information, and sometimes technical assistance, to others looking to bring an innovation to their community. Affiliation is a formal relationship defined by an ongoing agreement between two or more parties to be part of an identifiable network. Affiliate networks range from a loose coalition of organizations committed to the same goals, to tighter systems operating similar to business franchises. Affiliate agreements may have general or specific guidelines governing areas such as use of a common brand name, program content, funding responsibilities, and reporting requirements. Branching is the creation of local sites through one large organization, much like company- owned stores in the business world. Envision these mechanisms for spreading impact as a continuum, from dissemination to affiliation to branching, requiring an increasing degree of central coordination, and typically greater resources.

Dissemination This mechanism is the simplest and usually the least resource intensive, although the disseminating organization has little control over implementation in new locations. KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit fostering the development of safe, accessible play opportunities for kids, has utilized a dissemination strategy to dramatically extend its impact. In 1996, KaBOOM! joined forces with Home Depot and a local community to build its first playground in Washington, D.C. Since then, KaBOOM! has been directly involved in building or rehabilitating more than 600 playgrounds through its fee-for-service team build program, whereby companies pay KaBOOM! a fee to organize a daylong playground building event with company and community volunteers. However, if that were KaBOOM!’s only outlet, its impact would be limited by its capacity to oversee playground construction directly. KaBOOM! wanted to disseminate its approach more widely, and to this end, began offering a range of free or low-cost resources, from online tools and publications to training seminars and an annual KaBOOM! Playground Institute for those interested in building or rehabilitating local playgrounds. In this way, people can learn about the KaBOOM! program and benefit from its expertise, adapting and implementing the program locally, according to their needs. This “open source” approach has enabled the organization to spur others to build or rehabilitate playgrounds in thousands of communities both here and abroad, spreading KaBOOM!’s impact far beyond the 600-plus playgrounds it has been directly involved in building. “We give people access to enable them to use the model and independently replicate it,” explained Darell Hammond, co-founder and chief executive. “We feel that the best form of flattery is imitation; if people are inspired by our community build model, then through low-cost distribution, we can provide them with a recipe to use it.”7

Affiliation This approach offers the broadest range of possibilities. Consider the experience of Social Venture Partners (SVP), which began as a single organization in Seattle in 1997, and has grown into an international federation of 23 loosely affiliated organizations. Entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Paul Brainerd founded the original SVP in Seattle to engage individual philanthropists in donating their time, money, and expertise for partnerships with nonprofits. While not initially designed for replication, the organization’s model of engaged philanthropy attracted significant media attention and interest by other philanthropists who sought to establish SVP-like operations in their own communities. Initial replications occurred organically in places like Phoenix, Dallas, and Austin, Texas, with little formal involvement from SVP Seattle. As the number of independent organizations grew, a loose network was formed, bound together by the SVP name and a set of shared principles. Social Venture Partners International was created in 2001 to support and advance the local network and to build and maintain the SVP brand name. SVP International facilitates information exchange and sharing of “best practices,” allowing affiliates significant local autonomy. It protects the SVP brand through a licensing agreement, which allows affiliates to use the SVP name in exchange for adherence to shared mission and principles.8 At the other end of the spectrum is Dress for Success, an organization that provides donated suits to low-income women for job interviews and beginning employment. While this programmatic innovation is not very complex and should be relatively easy for others to implement in new communities, founder Nancy Lublin nonetheless decided upon a tightly controlled affiliation strategy. She felt brand consistency and awareness were critical to mobilizing resources for rapid expansion. Thus, every affiliate looks basically the same, operating the same well-defined programs through independently incorporated nonprofits that are members of the Dress for Success Worldwide network.9 Since dressing its first client in Harlem in 1996, Dress for Success has spread to more than 79 cities in the United States and abroad.

Branching This option offers the greatest potential for central coordination and generally requires the greatest investment of resources by the central organization. Branch structures are particularly attractive when successful implementation of the innovation depends on tight quality control, specific practices, knowledge that is not explicitly documented or readily communicated, and strong organizational cultures. However, branch organizations are not always highly centralized and can allow significant local autonomy. Take, for example, the Nature Conservancy, an Arlington, Va.-based environmental organization, with branch offices in all 50 states, the Virgin Islands, and 22 countries, from Australia to Venezuela. The Nature Conservancy’s growth in the last 50 years has hinged on an organizational model of decentralization. Former CEO John Sawhill’s “loose-tight” management philosophy meant granting local branches significant autonomy to foster organic growth, entrepreneurial activity, and dedicated local staff and volunteers. Yet he managed the organization’s overall strategy and values tightly to ensure that the conservancy as a whole was delivering on its mission – a philosophy embodied by Sawhill’s oft-used phrase “One Conservancy.”10 The branch structure, which allows the organization to be locally responsive while acting with a centrally coordinated conservation strategy, has helped the organization protect 116 million acres of valuable waters and lands worldwide.

Social entrepreneurs using any of these mechanisms may reach other communities through existing or newly created organizations, or both. While many innovations expand through organizations that already have an infrastructure and support base in place in the target communities, radical or disruptive innovations may be more successful with new organizations free of prior commitments, cultures, or clientele. Combining the possible mechanisms with the different forms for defining innovations yields numerous options that can form the core of a strategy for scaling social impact. Each will differ in the challenges it poses, and its potential to achieve widespread, timely impact. While some combinations might seem more intuitive, such as dissemination of principles or branching organizational models, we have seen virtually every combination during our research. Any combination is possible, and social entrepreneurs need to consider their options before settling on a specific strategy.

The “Five R’s”: Finding the Most Promising Strategy Faced with this wide range of options, how can social entrepreneurs find the path that is best for them? They can look to the Five R’s for guidance: Readiness, Receptivity, Resources, Risks, and Returns.

The initial exploration of scaling options begins and ends with considerations of readiness. First of all, is the innovation ready to be spread? There must be objective evidence of success that is not dependent on unique leadership or circumstances. Additionally, the driver of the scaling process must understand the innovation well enough to define it in a way that can be successfully transferred to other communities. What core elements of the innovation are critical to achieving the intended impact? If it is unclear, the innovation may not yet be ready to be spread or may just be ready for testing and refinement in a few select locations before promoting more widespread dissemination or adoption. But if the social entrepreneur feels fairly confident about the key drivers of the innovation’s success, the question is whether these core elements can be defined in a way that will be both effective and accepted in new locations.

This last question leads naturally into a consideration of receptivity – what strategy will best ensure that the innovation will be well-received in target communities? If an innovation is complex, represents a radical departure from accepted practice, threatens influential local parties, or clashes with dominant values or ideologies in different communities, it will likely be met with resistance. Locals may also resist adopting innovations if they are uncomfortable yielding ownership, control, or credit to outsiders. Are there reasons to anticipate resistance? If so, social entrepreneurs should generally favor strategies with less central coordination and less specifically defined innovations. Unfortunately, openness does not always translate into demand. Receptivity is also reflected in the demonstrated willingness locally to invest time, money, and energy to achieve the impact the innovation aims to create. Demand tends to be higher when key players in the community recognize an unmet need and perceive it as a priority. Without high local demand, it is extremely difficult to pursue dissemination and loose affiliation strategies effectively. When the need is high but demand is low, social entrepreneurs must find a path that does not require high levels of local investment or develop a strategy that increases demand. Beyond traditional marketing, local demand can be stimulated by positive media attention, favorable public policy, and even celebrity endorsements.

Assessing receptivity is an important starting point for thinking about resources. All scaling strategies, even the dissemination of principles, require incremental resources. Before committing to a specific strategy, social entrepreneurs should have a plausible resource plan in mind. What are the resource requirements for the strategies under consideration? Can the innovation be defined and spread in a way that reduces costs while preserving effectiveness? For instance, scaling through existing organizations or with the help of partners can lower costs. Once costs are understood, what are the opportunities to generate renewable and reliable revenue streams? Common approaches include charging fees to local sites for membership, training, technical assistance, licensing programs and materials, and other support services. If local demand is high enough, this approach may work. But it will only be successful if central organizations can deliver sufficient value and local sites can function effectively in implementing the innovation and attracting funds. If local demand is not high enough to cover all the costs of a particular strategy, including central activities, the gap must be filled. Foundation grants may be available to cover shortfalls for a few years, but it is risky to rely on them long term. More reliable longterm sources include building a large individual donor base or finding avenues to generate more earned income.

Social entrepreneurs must also consider risks to society and their organization. How likely is it that an innovation will be implemented incorrectly or will fail to achieve its intended impact? If this happens, what are the potential negative effects on the clients and communities being served? If the consequences are severe and the innovation is inherently difficult to execute correctly, central control through either branching or tight forms of affiliation will be more crucial. However, social entrepreneurs should recognize that risks to the central organization generally increase with these strategies since they often require greater investment of resources and more responsibility for local implementation. If failure occurs, branch and tight affiliate organizations will not only have wasted significant time, money, and resources, but their reputations and the credibility of their innovations will also suffer.

Once social entrepreneurs understand the risks associated with different strategies, they are ready to assess the potential returns – the scaling strategy’s bottom line. Impact is not just about serving more people and communities but about serving them well. What strategy will reach the most locations most effectively? While dissemination and loose affiliation strategies may reach more locations more quickly and at lower cost, these returns are only valuable if the innovation spreads in a form that delivers higher-quality services than already available. In some cases, greater coordination and slower expansion might be desirable to assure high-quality impact. Tighter affiliation and branching strategies can also enhance returns by improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Coordination may help to build a recognized brand, improve organizational learning, create more economies of scale, and transfer intangibles – such as culture and knowledge that is based on experience but difficult to communicate. These potential benefits may provide compelling support for tighter strategies, but an accurate picture of potential returns demands considering the costs of coordination, which generally requires more resources and takes longer. When the need is urgent and the risks are low, it may be wise to forgo the benefits of central coordination.

If at this point one or more scaling paths seem promising, then it is time to revisit readiness and consider organizational readiness. Spreading an innovation effectively requires skills quite different from those of local service delivery.11 Scaling can be a major investment of time, energy, and resources. Before settling on any particular strategy, social entrepreneurs must determine whether their organization, including their board, has the will and ability to develop the capabilities critical for executing a strategy successfully. If the organization is not ready, social entrepreneurs should consider ways to increase their organization’s readiness, create a new organization to support the scaling effort, or find an existing organization that might be able to effectively scale the innovation for them.

Learning How to Scale

Finding a strategy that aligns the R’s often involves a mixture of action, analysis, and refinement. It is an iterative process of learning and testing ideas. And as Dorothy Stoneman’s initial efforts to scale the job training and education program Youth- Build illustrate, developing a scaling strategy is anything but an armchair exercise.12

Stoneman was the executive director of a small public school in East Harlem, N.Y., in 1978 when she and a group of teenage students met to discuss how they could mobilize youth for positive change. They decided to rebuild an abandoned building in the neighborhood, working after school and on weekends. Soon after that project was under way, Stoneman was awarded a $250,000 grant to support a broad array of student-designed community projects. With Stoneman’s guidance, students developed seven diverse projects, collectively known as the Youth Action Program (YAP). According to Stoneman, all of the projects were “cutting edge,” inspired by the fresh perspective of the youth. But the Youth Action Restoration Crew, which had renovated an abandoned building, ultimately stood out as a particularly powerful experience for the youth and a highly visible improvement to the community. By 1983, as the crew was completing its first building, Stoneman was convinced that this innovative program was ready to spread beyond East Harlem.

She decided to focus on other New York City neighborhoods, and she set out to find a receptive audience and sufficient resources. At the time, Mayor Koch had unveiled a new program for disadvantaged workers to rehabilitate housing, and Stoneman thought she might be able to tap into this city funding stream to help spread her youth program. But she met resistance: City officials wanted to focus on adult employment, not afterschool youth programs. Undeterred, she and the youth leaders shared their idea with a number of other community-based organizations and found them highly receptive. Eventually, some 70 of these organizations joined with Stoneman to form a coalition to lobby the city government for $10 million for youth employment programs, including the replication of the Youth Action Restoration Crew.

They soon realized that in order to increase the demand among government officials, they would need to redefine their innovation to serve a need that was not already supported by public funds. So they drew up a proposal to transform the voluntary, afterschool leadership program for high school students into a comprehensive education and job training program for 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts who read below an eighth-grade level – a group not then being served by government- supported programs. As with the original restoration crew, a central part of the program was putting the dropouts to work building or refurbishing affordable housing. But this new program also included a classroom component, requiring trainees to spend half of their time working on academic and life skills, helping them work toward a GED or high school diploma. The innovation redesign worked. Between 1984 and 1990, the coalition raised a total of $80 million from the city for six different educational and job training models, serving 20,000 New York City youth.

Stoneman initially adopted a scaling strategy based largely on dissemination. She believed that getting the funds and general program concepts into the hands of community groups would be enough to have an impact. At its peak in 1986, nine nonprofit organizations were replicating the program, but by 1988, only three replication efforts remained in operation. Stoneman saw that, when implemented well, the new program design was having dramatic impact serving disadvantaged young adults. It was ready to scale nationally. But, she also saw that spreading the program through dissemination or even loose affiliation did not work well. From Stoneman’s perspective, the failures stemmed from a lack of training and technical assistance, coupled with the absence of a handbook from which organizations could learn. To reduce the risks of failure, a central organization would have to take responsibility for standard setting, quality control, training, technical assistance, and program development. This organization could significantly increase the returns by coordinating a national fundraising coalition and serving as a source of support for local affiliates. Neither YAP nor the New York coalition had the necessary skills, structure, or geographic focus to take on this central role. So, with no other organization ready to fill this need, Stoneman established YouthBuild USA, a nonprofit support center incorporated in 1990 to orchestrate the national replication of the renamed YouthBuild program.

YouthBuild has continued to adjust its scaling strategy to keep it aligned with the Five R’s. And the returns have been strong. The program that started with one project in East Harlem now has operations at some 200 sites in 44 states. More than 25,000 youth have built more than 10,000 units of low-income housing nationwide. Sixty percent of program participants “graduate” from YouthBuild, and 83 percent of these graduates move on to college or full-time jobs. The New York Times called the YouthBuild movement “a wellspring of reclamation,” and Stoneman has been recognized for her efforts with a MacArthur “genius award” and the Independent Sector’s annual John W. Gardner Leadership Award.

Not all scaling efforts have the same level of success as YouthBuild or many of the other examples highlighted in this article. However, chances for success increase if social entrepreneurs consider the full range of options, make thoughtful decisions about how to define their innovation, select a promising scaling mechanism, and continuously refine and adapt their strategy with the Five R’s in mind.

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