A Venn diagram or set diagram is a diagram that shows all possible logical relations between a finite collection of sets.  Venn diagrams were conceived around 1880 by John Venn.  They are used to teach elementary set theory, as well as illustrate simple set relationships in probability, logic, statistics, linguistics and computer science.  See diagrams at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram 

The person who pays a fair price for something is likely to place far more value on it than the one who got the same item for nothing. 

Paraphrase from The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz 

Thomas Myles Steinbeck is a writer and the eldest son of Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck.  Steinbeck, who has written numerous screenplays, published his first book of short stories, Down to a Soundless Sea, in 2002.  His first novel, In the Shadow of the Cypress, was published in 2010.  In the fall of 2012, Thomas published, The Silver Lotus to excellent reviews.  He is currently writing his memoir.  Along with twenty-six of California’s most popular storytellers, Thom agreed to serve as a contributor to the My California project published by Angel City Press.  Each of the writers involved donated a story about their most beloved part of the state in an attempt to save the California Arts Council.  The book is now in its third printing and has successfully served its purpose.  http://www.thomassteinbeck.com/ 

hardscape  The part of a building's grounds consisting of structures, such as patios, retaining walls, and walkways, made with hard materials.  http://www.wordnik.com/words/hardscape 

A softscape is, simply put, the living parts of a landscape, in contrast with a hardscape, which composes the inanimate portions of landscaping and gardening.  The term is often used in landscaping jargon, with most gardeners preferring to just say “plants.”  http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-softscape.htm 

streetscape  1. a pictorial view of a street.  2.  an environment of streets:  The little park provides a tranquil refuge so uncharacteristic of the urban streetscape. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/streetscape 

Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed a royal tomb with treasures and mummified women from about 1,200 years ago.  The discovery north of Lima could shed new light on the Wari empire, which ruled in the Andes before the rise of the better-known Inca civilisation.  More than 60 skeletons were inside the tomb, including three Wari queens buried with gold and silver jewellery and brilliantly-painted ceramics.  Many mummified bodies were found sitting upright - indicating royalty.  The archaeologists say the tomb was found in El Castillo de Huarmey, about 280km (175 miles) north of Lima.  "We have found for the first time in Peruvian archaeological history, an imperial tomb of the Wari culture," co-director of the project Milosz Giersz was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.  "The contents of the chamber consisted of 63 human bodies, most of them women, wrapped in funerary bundles buried in the typical seated position, a native Wari pattern."  

"The fact that most of the skeletons were of women and the very rich grave goods, leads us to the interpretation that this was a tomb of the royal elite and that also changes our point of view on the position of the women in the Wari culture."  The archaeologists spent months secretly digging through the burial chambers amid fears that grave robbers would find out and loot the site.  The Wari civilization thrived from the 7th to 10th centuries AD, conquering all of what is now Peru before a mysterious and dramatic decline.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23092825

The State Role in Local Government Financial Distress

Within a two-week span in the summer of 2012, three California cities moved to file for bankruptcy protection.  By the end of the year, nine others had declared financial emergencies.  The state government offered no help, sticking to a long-standing tradition of leaving it up to local officials to fix their broken finances.  Rhode Island, by contrast, responded aggressively when Central Falls filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011.  State officials appointed a financial manager, called a receiver, to make sure the city could pay its bills by cutting spending, raising taxes, slashing employee retirement benefits, and paying investors on the bonds they bought.  The state’s action was a reason for Central Falls’ exit from bankruptcy last year after only 13 months, the shortest of several recent, high-profile municipal bankruptcies.  The difference between hands-off California and hands-on Rhode Island illustrates two sides of a discussion that is increasingly taking place in statehouses and city halls around the country because of cities’ particularly slow recovery from the Great Recession of 2007-09.  The question comes down to what role, if any, states should play in helping cities, towns, and counties recover from serious financial trouble—what officials generically call intervention.  Against this backdrop, The Pew Charitable Trusts conducted a study that examined the range of state involvement in local government finances, drawing on current literature, statutes, a survey of state officials, and interviews with government finance analysts.  It focused on identifying the characteristics of local financial distress, how those difficulties can escalate to state intervention or, in extreme cases, bankruptcy, and the relevant laws that states have in place.  The research also considered the history of state intervention in the financial practices of embattled cities, why it matters to states, and how their practices differ.  The findings are explored in detail in this report, but, briefly, Pew’s research shows:

•• Fewer than half of the states have laws allowing them to intervene in municipal finances.

•• Intervention practices vary among the 19 states that have such programs.

•• In most cases, states react to local government financial crises instead of trying to prevent them.

•• States intervene to protect their own financial standing and that of their other municipalities, to enhance economic growth, and to maintain public safety and health.

•• Among states that intervene, some are more aggressive about stepping in to help.

•• Local officials often resent state officials infringing on their right to govern their affairs.

Read the July 2013 60-page report by The Pew Charitable Trusts at:  http://www.pewstates.org//uploadedFiles/PCS_Assets/Report_images/The%20State%20Role%20in%20Local%20Government%20Financial%20Distress.pdf  Thanks, Julie