Daily Archives: May 4, 2017

While oil and gas is rebounding, offshore jobs remain hard to find – Houston Chronicle

Posted: May 4, 2017 at 3:40 pm

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

Tarek Ghazi, is photographed at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC 2017) Thursday, May 4, 2017, in Houston. Tarek, who was laid off in November after the offshore job market hasn't recovered as fast as the onshore shale industry, is one of many highly trained professionals still looking for work.

Tarek Ghazi, is photographed at the Offshore Technology Conference...

Erin Donlon came to the Offshore Technology Conference for the first time this week, immersing himself in the world of deepwater drilling a world that, until recently, he was sure he'd want to enter himself.

The pay was great and the work seemed exciting, so when Donlon arrived at Maine Maritime Academy as the oil boom accelerated in 2013, he set his sights on oil rigs. Now, with the industry still shaking off the worst bust in 30 years, he considers himself fortunate that he's not graduating until December, hoping that more opportunities open offshore.

"Once we had the [oil] recession, I thought, 'That's going to be interesting,'" said Donlon, 23, one of a handful students selected to attend OTC this year from his school in Castine, Maine. "A lot of people graduating this month, they're like, 'What can I do?'"

That sense of guarded optimism was common among job seekers at OTC this year, as the oil industry's prospects have brightened somewhat, but not enough to lead to widespread hiring that would recover the more than 200,000 jobs cut in the United States after prices began their plunge at the end of 2014, according to the Labor Department.

Only about 30,000 of those jobs have come back since the market bottomed last year, concentrated onshore in areas where oil and gas are cheaper to extract, particularly West Texas' Permian Basin and increasingly the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas.

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Renewed hiring has largely bypassed the offshore sector. Anthony Caridi, an oil and gas recruiter with the Houston firm QTSI, offered a grim assessment of the situation for those still looking for work.

"Anything drilling is a no-go," he says. "Offshore is even more of a no-go."

Another year of job help

This marked the second year in which OTC tried to support displaced workers with networking events and workshops to help people polish their LinkedIn profiles and interviewing skills. A session Monday filled to capacity, with some people looking to change jobs, recent graduates hoping to score their first positions and many others trying to get back on their feet.

At a roundtable discussion about resume writing, human resources professional Metha Vasquez coached attendees on how to characterize jobs they might have taken outside their fields after a layoff: As "other experience" at the bottom of the page, with "relevant experience" at the top.

"I don't want you to be discouraged by this," Vasquez said. "A lot of people have been unemployed for a long time, and they're working at Walmart. That's not their career, they're paying the bills, that's okay."

Another table focused on setting up consulting businesses. Companies cut mostly early-career employees during the national recession from 2007 to 2009, but the oil bust fell hardest on those with many years of experience who were too young to retire.

Those older workers have the skills to win contracts with companies that might have hiring freezes in place, but still need to get certain projects done, according to Susan Howes, vice president of engineering at Subsurface Consultants and Associates of Houston. Her company puts together teams of technical professionals like geologists and petroleum engineers working as independent contractors to complete short-term projects for oil and gas companies.

She was flooded with resumes during the bust, and most of those workers are still around.

"I wouldn't say that the pool of applicants has contracted," Howes says. "There are still companies that are going through reductions in force, and there are people who are still looking, they've been looking for a while."

That pool includes Tarek Ghazi, a geologist with 40 years of experience, 20 spent at ConocoPhillips before working for several other companies. He was laid off from a small reservoir data firm last November, and has had a few interviews since.

But he remains philosophical about the experience, which he knows is inevitable in the boom-and-bust cycles of oil and gas.

"I would never get discouraged, because that is the nature of the industry," he says. For that reason, he's careful not to get too excited about hints of a recovery. "I don't know if it is a real uptick, or a bunch of self-reinforcing rumors."

Ghazi and others take solace in the company of others who've found themselves in between jobs, with new organizations like the Society of Petroleum Engineers' Members in Transition group and the Houston-centric Pay it Forward Networking Program, which coordinates tours and training sessions with energy companies to help people maintain their skills and make connections. Those support communities help ease the burden of unemployment, by making people realize they're not alone and the layoff wasn't their fault.

Still, they can't create jobs that don't exist. Case in point: In late March, SPE held a career fair with 350 job seekers and 15 employers. A month later, according to organizers, the companies have reported filling only two positions with people who attended the event.

Shifting needs

Drilling companies are mostly waiting on oil prices to rise before shifting back into gear. But for unemployed energy workers, a recovery in production may not get them their jobs back.

That's because companies are re-evaluating which jobs they need, and which can be replaced by automation. Among them: rig maintenance, which can be accomplished by robots piloted by operators onshore.

"A lot of companies are looking at what the alternative might be to just plain rehiring," says Rachel Everaard, who leads the oil and gas human resources team for the consulting firm EY. "Certainly you're not going to replace all drillers with remote operations next year, but you'll start to see them hire fewer and fewer, as they start to do things differently."

For now, the sluggish recovery hasn't dashed the hopes of young workers still hoping to break into the industry. Donlon, the Maine Maritime student, will graduate with a Coast Guard Unlimited license, allowing him to pilot ships, and he'd like to put it to work in oil exploration.

Even if renewable energy and increasing fuel efficiency cuts into demand for some petroleum products, Donlon expects that other products, such as petrochemicals, will keep the oil and gas industry vibrant.

"The oil industry pretty much runs everything and 'I'd like to be part of something where I can have an impact," said Donlon. "It's a waiting game, for now. There's definitely hope."

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While oil and gas is rebounding, offshore jobs remain hard to find - Houston Chronicle

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Arctic offshore energy discussion must include all the facts – Washington Examiner

Posted: at 3:40 pm

The Executive Order opening up areas of the Continental Shelf to oil and gas development announced by the White House on Friday has provoked a predictable storm of outrage from environmental groups.

At the heart of the opposition is the question of whether to allow industry access to the significant resources which lie under the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in the Arctic. For ENGOs the issue is a critical one, an unbreakable shibboleth. Accordingly, every possible argument against development has been deployed.

Unfortunately, many of these fail to acknowledge a number of realities, and thus only tell half the story about the challenges and opportunities that come with offshore energy development in America's far north.

The justification most frequently given is that industry simply isn't interested in the Arctic. While there certainly was a decrease in activity after Shell withdrew from the region in 2015, there's been a spate of movement since. In the last six months Eni submitted a development proposal to the Bureau of Ocean Management, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation acquired 21 leases in the Beaufort, Caelus Energy announced a world class oil discovery and the State of Alaska held an "outstanding" leasing round.

Ultimately the most accurate barometer of appetite is the fact that industry has been calling for this for over a year. Among others, those efforts include a seven figure advertising campaign by a coalition of Alaskan and national organizations to publicly voice their support for offshore energy development.

One of the key arguments that campaign attempted to articulate is that Arctic offshore energy isn't a short-term play; building out the infrastructure needed to safely develop resources will take time, likely over a decade. That point hits on the second main charge against Arctic energy that the region lacks the facilities to safely extract oil resources.

Again there is some truth in the claim, the Arctic is infrastructure poor. But the position is a circular argument, a self-fulfilling prophecy, which ignores the point that the oil and gas industry is effectively the only source of major investment in the region. Without it, there is little prospect that the ports, roads and airports that local communities need will built, and the region will be condemned to a future as some kind of wilderness themed eco-park, bereft of the economy that those in the lower 48 take for granted.

That unavoidable fact is reflected in the attitudes of many of the people who live in the Arctic. Too often environmental groups talk about the need to protect subsistence hunting traditions of Native groups, while simultaneously ignoring their views.

There are undoubtedly some on the North Slope who are opposed to oil and gas activity in Arctic waters, but evidence would suggest that a majority are in favor. In 2016 an Arctic Energy Center survey found that 72% of Native respondents are supportive, a statistic that is substantiated by the testimony of numerous community leaders.

Finally opponents have attacked Arctic energy on the basis of commercial viability, claiming that it doesn't make sense in the current price environment and thus, that holding lease sales is a costly and unnecessary irrelevance. Once again there's some truth in this argument; clearly with the price of crude hovering around $50, offshore energy is a difficult proposition.

But again the key point here is the length of time involved. By the time Arctic resources become available in the mid to late 2020's it's difficult, if not impossible, to predict where the oil price will be (though it's worth noting the Energy Information Agency forecasts global demand will grow strongly). At that point Arctic offshore plays may make sense financially. And in the meantime, as Secretary Zinke noted, leases sales could provide an important source of revenue for the government.

Energy development in the Arctic is not without its challenges, and it's important that we have a full and frank discussion about how to address them. But that conversation should include all of the facts and not just those that are convenient.

Oliver Williams is a spokesperson for the Arctic Energy Center.

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Offshore clampdown yields 13.6m as deadline loomed – Irish Times

Posted: at 3:40 pm

The initial deadline for voluntary disclosures to Revenue was last May 1st, it was then extended

The Revenue Commissioners have clawed back 13.6 million from taxpayers who have made voluntary disclosures of offshore sources of income since last October.

That is according to Minister for Finance Michael Noonan who confirmed that, to April 26th, Revenue had received 532 disclosures relating to offshore matters resulting in payments to Revenue of 13.6 million. He said that 12 of those disclosures, giving rise to payments of 231,543, were received between October 11th last year the day before the budget in which a clampdown on offshore income was announced and the enactment of the Finance Act 2016 on December 25th.

The initial deadline for voluntary disclosures was last Monday, May 1st, but this was extended by Revenue to 5.30pm on Thursday.

In his written Dil reply to Social Democrats Deputy Roisn Shortall on the issue, Mr Noonan stated: A full analysis of disclosures received will be undertaken by Revenue after the deadline for receiving them has passed, and information about them and the related payments received will be made available when that work has been completed.

He said anyone who had not come forward faced strong action from the tax authorities.

I am advised also that cases will be investigated with a view to prosecution where the facts and circumstances warrant such a course of action, he said.

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Braid: Another high-seas shakedown from B.C.’s Christy Clark – Calgary Herald

Posted: at 3:40 pm

Late in her B.C. re-election campaign, Christy Clark is acting more like a pirate than a premier.

She stands in the bow of the coastal ship, cutlass in hand, extracting booty from any Alberta treasurethat entersthose waters.

Clarks Liberal crew stalled and squeezedthe Kinder Morgan pipeline for years. She got $1 billion out of it for B.C., along with many other concessions.

Despite that piratical precedent, nobody expected her sneak attack on thermal coal. Clark says that if Ottawa doesnt ban exports from B.C. ports, she will use provincial law to impose a $70 per tonne carbon price.

This isaimed at U.S. shipments, she says, as retaliation for new import duties on softwood lumber. If her promise wins votes from coastal climate advocates, so much the better.

But the impact on Alberta would be severe up to 2,000 jobs gone, by one estimate, and nearly $300 million a year in lost revenue, because the coal would simply be too expensive to ship to Asia.

And the pain for B.C.? Virtually zero, because that province does not produce thermal coal. Such a coincidence.

Clarks dangerous pattern is to block interprovincial trade and access to tidewater when its convenient for her.

Her latest stunt is not just unconstitutional, but a violation of the New West Partnership trade pact signed by B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The firstrule of that deal is: Each Party shall ensure that its measures do not operate to restrict or impair trade between, among or through the territory of the Parties

Clark doesnt appear to care about such little things. The lumber duties hurt Alberta workers and companies as much as B.C.s, but her response brings a further attack on Alberta.

Clark infuriates Premier Rachel Notleys New Democrats, now more than ever.

But Notley swallowed hard and ordered her staffers not to campaign for John Horgans B.C. NDP, because he opposes the pipeline. Clarks Liberals with an eye on that $1 billion at least dont stand in the way.

Notley is now forced to defend thermal coal, hardly her favourite energy product, while pointing out the essential goofiness of Clarks action.

Quite frankly, its not good for Alberta, Notley said. But I also dont know that this will get very far because Im not convinced that the ability actually exists within the provincial government.

Technically, shes right. Clark proposes to tax a product thats neither produced nor consumed in her province. By that standard, Alberta could tax B.C. wine on the way to Toronto, or natural gas crossing the province by pipeline.

The whole idea looks laughable. Clark simply doesnt have the authority.

But thats what Albertans said in 2012 when she marched into Calgary with a list of conditions, including money, for the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Shemade that work by exploiting environmental activism and federal inaction.

Now she offers the coal tax as a detailed campaign promise. If the Liberals win, she has to go through with it.

The B.C. election is complex and very close, with the Liberals and NDP nearly tied, and the Greens running a strong third.

Even Alberta PC Leader Jason Kenney has been caught up. At a dinner in B.C. recently, he urged people to support Clark.

Notley needled him for that on Wednesday when she talked about the coal tax.

People who support that idea or support people proposing that idea ought to think about where their loyalties lie because, quite frankly, its not good for Alberta, she said.

Calgary-Shaw MLA Graham Sucha added: Why is Jason Kenney campaigning in B.C., when he should be in Alberta fighting for jobs?

Kenney says he was asked to give a speech where he did endorseClarks Liberals. And hes not apologizing now.

I dont agree with a tax on an export like this coal tax at all, but theres still no question the B.C. Liberals would be far better for Albertas economy than the NDP ever would, he said.

Many politicians just want this B.C. election over with. Especially the Albertans.

Don Braids column appears regularly in the Herald

dbraid@postmedia.com

Twitter/DonBraid

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How to create your own country – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 3:39 pm

DAVID WHITELY

Last updated12:55, May 4 2017

John Mokrzycki

Prince Leonard Casley and his late wife Princess Shirley of Hutt River Province.

In January, it was the end of an era for the Australian continent's other country. His Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt River, the self-declared nation near Geraldton in Western Australia, decided to abdicate due to ill health, passing the baton on to his son, Prince Graeme.

The Hutt River Principality, born from farmer Leonard Casley's disgust at wheat quotas imposed by the Australian government, isone of the world's most famous micronations. The Australian government has never accepted the secession, and no other country in the world has formally recognised it, but Hutt River gamely plays at being independent. There are several other tiny pseudo-states around the planet, established with varying degrees of success.

But say if you were given billions of dollars and wanted to set up your own independent state, how would you go about it? Well, it seems there are a few possible models

Hutt River Province claims to have seceded from Australia after a row over low wheat production quotas in 1970.

THE BIR TAWIL MODEL

The obvious option is to rock up in some land that hasn't been claimed by anybody else. The major issue with this, of course, is that there are no major bits of land not claimed by anybody else. Except for Bir Tawil.

This unloved pocket between Egypt and Sudan is a result of a squabble between two nations over the neighbouring Hala'ib Triangle, which is far more valuable.

Essentially, to claim Bir Tawil would be admitting that the old map putting the Hala'ib Triangle in the rival neighbour was correct. And neither Sudan nor Egypt wishes to give up its claim on the Hala'ib Triangle.

In 2014, however, American farmer Jeremiah Heaton visited and planted his self-designed flag in the ground. The initial aim was so that his daughter could be a princess, but now he wants his "Kingdom of North Sudan" (kingdomsudan.org) to be used for scientific advancement.

The goals are lofty. "The Kingdom of North Sudan has been established as a living laboratory and testing ground for the agricultural and energy conservation ideas of tomorrow," says the king's website. "North Sudan is the only Nation on Earth solely dedicated to unlocking new scientific tools that improve humanity's ability to overcome with the negative impacts of climate change."

Of course, getting recognition from elsewhere may be the issue here

Read more: *Australia's self-professed prince is about to step down in Hutt River Province *An island to yourselves, rent-free - there must be a catch, right?

THE MARIE BYRD LAND MODEL

Glaciers and rock outcrops in Marie Byrd Land seen from NASA's DC-8 aircraft in 2011. Photo: Wikicommons

The other unclaimed major pieces of land are in Antarctica, and the biggest of these is Marie Byrd Land. However, the Antarctic Treaty System sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve with no military activity. Article 4 of the initial treaty states "the treaty does not recognise, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force". And the 46 signatories that don't claim any part of Antarctica don't recognise the claims of those who do.

This is not a perfect system. If, for example, a nihilistic America-centred US president started to rip up international treaties, Marie Byrd Land could be up for grabs to anyone with enough will and a large enough army.

THE LIBERLAND MODEL

If you can't find unclaimed territory, you can find disputed territory. And there are a few parcels along the river Danube that Croatia and Serbia squabble over. In 2015, Czech right wing libertarian Vt Jedlicka decided to take one of them. His supposed territory which he has called Liberland measures seven square kilometres and is largely forest.

What happens next depends largely on what Croatia and Serbia do. Croatia has been blocking access to it, and arresting activists for illegal border crossings to and from Croatia.

THE SAN MARINO MODEL

Look at a map, and San Marino is an absolutely ridiculous state. It's entirely surrounded by Italy, and dates back to the era before nation states took over from loosely-controlled empires. As Garibaldi was uniting Italy, San Marino offered sanctuary to those in favour of unification being persecuted elsewhere. And, in gratitude, San Marino was allowed to stay independent.

Liechtenstein and Monaco have similar tales of hanging on while larger empires collapsed. The tactics are simple get the land, then get lucky as history unfurls around you. The problem is that you may have to wait hundreds of years for the dastardly plan to take effect.

THE SEALAND MODEL

In 1967, Paddy Roy Bates and his associates took over an abandoned anti-aircraft gun platform in the North Sea. He declared it independent and started issuing passports. It is still in the hands of his family today.

However, since then, the UK has expanded its territorial waters, so that it now includes Sealand. So the UK definitely doesn't recognise Sealand's independence, although the Bates family still insists on it.

Since 1994, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has stated "Artificial islands, installations and structures do not possess the status of islands. They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf." And, realistically, anyone trying anything similar would have their claim swiftly taken over by an existing power, claiming it was part of their continental shelf.

THE SEAMOUNT MODEL

There may be a loophole, though, largely based around what the hazy definition an artificial island is. The ocean is full of seamounts mountains (largely but not exclusively extinct volcanoes) that are presently covered by water. What if the sea levels dropped and they were exposed? Or if a volcano erupted, creating an island?

The former's not likely given global sea levels are rising, and previous examples of the latter have all happened close to existing landmasses. But what about putting landfill on top of a seamount that's in international waters? Well, even if it did work legally, it'd require a superhuman engineering feat, largely because most of the ocean in international waters is really, really deep.

Finding a feasible option and thisphenomenally geeky discussion on Quoraidentifies one 200 metresbelow the surface east of Oman would be tough. And that's before the practicalities of building it, then getting recognition as a sovereign state.

Traveller.com.au

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This stunning Decatur Island cabin is the next best thing to owning a private island – Seattlemag

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When life gets too chaotic, demanding or just plain too much, its pleasant to daydream about escaping to a private island.

Though they dont own a private island per se, what Louise and Jonathan Franklin do have is pretty darn close: a getaway cabin on gorgeous and secluded Decatur Island (in the San Juan Islands, just east of Lopez Island). With limited access (no ferry transportation, restaurants or stores) and a population of fewer than 100, its the perfect antidote to urban living.

The Queen Annebased coupleshes an attorney, hes an associate dean at the University of Washington School of Lawmake monthly escapes to the cabin and extended trips over holidays and summer vacations, often joined by their kids, Noah, 18, and Camilla, 22. Theyve been visiting Decatur for years, thanks to friends who had a place there. We fell in love with the island, its natural beauty and quiet, says Jonathan. One day, we found ourselves talking about what we would do if we won the lottery. We agreed that we would love to have a cabin on Decatur. Soon after, it suddenly became a possibility, and we took the leap.

After the Franklins decided to invest in a vacation home, Jonathan began researching options and came across a standout Methow Valley cabin. They approached the designersEggleston Farkas Architectsto help them realize their vision, which included creating a dwelling that used space efficiently, offered areas where the family could spend time together and took existing surroundings into consideration. One big challenge for the project was receiving design approval from Decatur Northwest, an organization of island residents that oversees the protection of the islands wildlife and communally shared land from too much development. Requirements dictate minimizing the visual impact of buildings, and leaving the environment and character of the land as undisturbed as possible.

Photograph by Ed Sozinho The communal spaces, where the Franklin family (pictured here: Louise, Jonathan and Noah Franklin with friend Kevin Reeves of the AIA) can enjoy spending time together, are a favorite feature of their vacation cabin

As a result, very few fir trees and none of the madrona trees on the property were removed, and the footprint of the house was configured into the existing slope of the land. We fit the footprint between rocky outcroppings and with minimal tree removalfar less than was allowable, says Allan Farkas, lead architect on the project. The floor level was recessed so that the structure appears much more compact when one approaches, or passes by, from the north. Similarly, the roof slopes and folds down to the eastern side, to minimize its profile from the community paths and provide privacy to and from the living spaces.

Photograph by Ed Sozinho The Franklins have a ringside seat from which to watch the islands many creatures, including a herd of wild sheep. Roundups are held on the island to cull, shear and provide care for the sheepdescended from a herd set free on Decatur in the late 1800s

Exterior materials were chosen with an eye toward blending them in with the surroundings. We had collected materials from, and had a photo collage of, the site that we worked with. Natural stone, grasses and mosses, madrona bark and leaf colors all influenced the palette, says Farkas, who further achieved this natural fusion by staining the exposed structural lumber and installing the panel siding backward, with its coarse side facing out, to unite with the natural textures of the surroundings.

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The Fyre Festival debacle raises an important question: Why do rich people love islands so much? – Quartz

Posted: at 3:39 pm

Last week, the public was transfixed by the disastrous spectacle of the Fyre Festival. The music festivals organizers had billed it a luxurious getaway on an island in the Bahamas, featuring models, yachts, massages, a pig roast, and other Instagram-friendly sights. Instead, attendees found themselves stranded on an island without reliable sources of food, water, shelter, and other basic necessities.

Its hard to imagine an event that better showcases the duality of islands in the popular imagination. On one hand, people frequently imagine visits to islands as accessing a kind of paradisefrom the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, where wild horses roam and the full moon shines over a bioluminescent bay, to the whitewashed houses and electric-blue waters of Santorini. Historically, people have often associated islands with pilgrimage or spiritual travel, offering visitors an escape from their materialistic everyday lives that leads to fresh revelations. Christians flocked to the Scottish island of Iona to stay at its storied monastery in the early Middle Ages. In the 1800s, the marvelous isolation of the Galapagos Islands led Charles Darwin to create his theory of evolution.

But the idea that islands are places where one can find a personal utopia has a clear dark side, as evident in the violent history of colonialism. And islands in the popular imagination can also be places of loneliness and anarchyeven a metaphor for hell. The beauty of traveling to an island is the same thing that makes it terrifying: Once youre on it, you can feel quite far away from everything else.

For the rich, islands today hold particular appeal. With the advent of air travel, it is possible to dash off to St. Barts, Ibiza, or Bali for a quick jaunt without sacrificing the conveniences of mainland living. And of course, owning your own private island has emerged as an elite status symbola place where VIPs like Richard Branson and Leonardo DiCaprio can fashion worlds designed precisely to their liking.

You can own this little piece of the world, Chris Krolow, host of HGTVs Island Hunters and the founder and CEO of Private Islands Inc., told The Atlantic in 2015. Its the closest you can get to having your own kingdom.

Since islands are surrounded by water, theyre inherently exclusivea geographic feature that may give the wealthy a feeling of control over their surroundings. And thanks to the availability of the internet, cell phones, and other modern communications, the very thing that made islands foreboding in the pasttheir isolationis now central to their appeal. Whereas societies once shipped prisoners off to islands as punishment, now the privileged choose to isolate themselves, expecting to be able to get back in touch (and back on the mainland) whenever they want. As Ben Myers wrote for the Guardian in 2011, now that nowhere in the world is beyond reach, the solitude of island living becomes a prized commodity.

Artists have also often long turned to islands for creative inspiration. For the 19th-century French painter Paul Gauguinwhose paintings have since been criticized for reflecting racist, sexist, and colonialist viewsTahiti offered an escape from his life in Europe, characterized by illness, poverty, and bureaucracy. Capri, off the Italian coast near Naples and a popular 19th-century stopover on the grand tours across Italy and Greece, has a long history of attracting artists, intellectuals and writers. In the 20th century, Capri became the hub for fashionable parties and social events where the rich and famous came together. The Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe made the island his new home; his Villa San Michele is still open to visitors today. Also among the expats of this island were lesbian women and gay men, for whom the more relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle represented an escape from the more conservative and even intolerant societies of northern and central Europe.

Fyre Festival played on these associations by promising access to models, musicians, and celebrities, with the underlying implication that a luxury getaway in the Bahamas was also a spiritual quest. Come, seek, for searching is the foundation of fortune, the festivals tagline promised. But islands do not exist solely for the pleasure of the traveleras the festival-goers were soon to find out.

The ABC series Lost, set on a remote tropical island, got a lot of mileage out of contrasting the islands picturesque setting with the death and danger faced by its band of airplane crash survivors. In the classic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, a group of children try to build a society on an uninhabited island and descend into chaos. The success of these stories testifies to the enduring appeal of Daniel Defoes archetypal novel Robinson Crusoe, about a man who finds himself on what at first seems to be a deserted island after a shipwreck, and confronts the challenge to figure out an entirely new life for himself under adverse circumstances.

Ive gone from paradise to purgatory while visiting an island myself. While vacationing in Dominica, the island between Guadeloupe and Martinique, I got lost in the jungle at night for about 12 hours, facing strong rainfall, no public transportation, and no easy way out. I managed to get away in the endby pure chance, I spotted a truck and managed to squeeze myself in the middle of a large group of banana plantation workers. The experience reminded me that, for an outsider, the reality of an island can be quite different from its place in ones imagination.

This ambivalence towards islands was captured magnificently by Judith Schalansky in her book Atlas of Remote Islands. The writer and designer collected historic and scientific events related to 50 islands she has never visited, and included them on intricately designed maps. Armchair travelers are left to wonder how often-incredible stories of voluntary and involuntary Swiss Family Robinsons could have happened on such tiny, topographical dots. Paging through the book is a reminder of an important rule of thumb: For travelers, many places appear most alluring when admired from a distance.

Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Benedict Option: Do We Need A Catholic Bubble in the Universal Church? – Patheos (blog)

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This spring, Ive been building a greenhouse and thinking about St. Thereses idea that we are all different types of flowers planted in Gods garden. Specifically, Ive been thinking about in relationship to the controversy that has grown up surrounding The Benedict Option and Christian isolationism. As humans we often have a tendency to think that only certain very specific types of personalities deserve to be cultivated and cared for and that certain types of pastoral care are fundamentally inappropriate because they would be really, really bad for ourselves, personally, and for the kinds of people that we happen to get along with. The fact that something which causes me terrible harm might actually be really good for other people can be bewildering, even enraging. How could something possibly be good when in my direct experience is has only ever been a cause of pain? Its a problem that you become keenly aware of when youre gardening and you have to answer questions like how acid do I want my soil to be? or what temperature should I maintain in the greenhouse? Whats good for one kind of plant can be literally deadly to another type. So you try to create a lot of different conditions using different techniques: cold frames for spinach and lettuce, sod-pots for cucurbates, direct-sow for peas and potatoes. Garlic gets planted in the fall, is expected to survive the winter and then put up sprouts well before the last frost date. Some kinds of peppers will never leave the greenhouse at all. Thereses idea of the human world as a garden is powerful because it draws attention to the fact that God actually values all of the very different kinds of people who populate His creation. He doesnt demand that we conform to a one-size-fits all program for spiritual success, because He didnt create us to be uniform. Some of us are roses. Some of us are dandelions. Some of us are venus fly traps. And thats okay. Now, heres where it gets sticky. Most Christians who are of a relatively progressive, liberal or sentimental disposition, love this kind of metaphor. The idea of a God who loves the wild diversity of human nature is highly appealingso long as it applies primarily to the types of people who thrive in a relatively liberal, progressive, sentimental climate. A lot of more conservative, dogmatic, rationalistic folks also like this metaphor (St. Therese is, after all, a doctor of the Church)provided it applies mainly to folks who thrive well in an environment defined by tradition, dogma and rationalism. None of us especially likes the idea of human diversity when it encroaches on our assumption that the world would be a better place for everyone if it were better for people like me. As humans, we all tend towards a certain kind of natural narcissism. Our subjective frame of reference is ultimately the only frame of reference that we have direct experience of, which means that when we look at other people were always seeing them, hearing them, understanding them in relation to ourselves.We assume that basically we can understand the hearts of others by scrutinizing our own hearts. And this holds true a lot of the time, because human beings really do have a lot in common. But it doesnt always hold true. This is where we run into problems. We have a tremendous amount of difficulty empathizing with people who fundamentally think, feel and desire differently from ourselves. For one thing, the Golden Rule can no longer be simply applied because what I would have others do unto me is not necessarily what others would have me to do unto them. For example, I prefer communication that is straightforward and direct, where nothing is inferred or implied. I have very little awareness of non-verbal social cues so when people express themselves in subtle polite ways it goes over my head and creates misunderstandings. When I encounter people who are behaving this way I cant tell what they are actually thinking, whether they like me, whether they are interested in what Im saying, or whether Im quickly exhausting their social patience and offending them unintentionally. For a long time I thought of these people as fake, dishonest or shallow. I thought it would be much better for everyone if people just said what they were thinking and talked their disagreements through in a rational way. But I noticed that a lot of people who were more socially competent than I was preferred the precise opposite. They perceived directness as blunt, too much honesty as rudeness, and they got deeply offended, sometimes even badly hurt, by hearing opinions that contradicted their beliefs or behaviours. To them, being upfront and clear about what you thought and why you thought it was often evidence of callousness, lack of compassion, even arrogance. If I treated them the way that I preferred to be treated, it caused them pain. They thrived under different conditions. Which brings us back to the greenhouse, and the Benedict Option. Ive seen a lot of hate poured out on the idea that Christians should seek out sheltered, intentional communities where they can live together, protected to some degree from the cultural elements that blow through the world. Some people see it is cowardly, others see it as unwelcoming. Surely, we are supposed to go through the world with open arms rather than seeking a sheltered existence inside a little Catholic bubble. But then I think of the cacti. The eggplants. The Bolivian Rainbow Peppers. Here, in my Canadian garden there are certain plants that cannot thrive outside of the greenhouse. They need to live a sheltered existence because the climate is not right for them. I could stick them out in the ground, and maybe they would eek out a semblance of a life for a season. Some of them would never fruit. Others would produce a poor harvest. But if I create a little artificial environment for them, regulate the temperature and the moisture and keep out the wind, then they can be very happy. If these plants had minds and personalities, Im sure that some of them would self-identify as hardy and robust. In New Mexico, a cactus is a truly imposing bit of vegetation. I imagine that it must be difficult, humiliating even, for such a creature to find itself hiding in a little clay pot, sheltered by plastic, wilting at the slightest gust of the Canadian winter. Im sure that if the cacti of Canada had access to social media and could form communities they would be full of theories about how the world was being destroyed by frost and snow and they would see greenhouses as a universal necessity until somehow the warmth enjoyed by their ancestors returned. And so it is with people. What we need to accept is that there is nothing inherently shameful about a Christian needing this kind of shelter. Some need it only for a short time, at the beginning of their faith formation. Others dont ever need it at all. But for some, it remains necessary throughout life because thats just the kind of person that they are. For some reason, God the gardener has decided that He is going to grow a cactus in Canada. Because He can. Because it delights Him to do so. Because He loves a diversity that is really much more radically diverse than even the most liberal among us would prefer.

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Five questions with incoming TC3 president – Ithaca Journal

Posted: at 3:38 pm

Matt Weinstein , mweinstein@ithacajournal.com | @SteinTime44 Published 1:24 p.m. ET May 4, 2017 | Updated 58 minutes ago

Orinthia Montague, incoming president at Tompkins Cortland Community College, discusses the concerns students have raised during her previous visit to the college. Matt Weinstein / staff video

Orinthia Montague poses for a photograph on Thursday at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Montague will be the school's fourth president and begins her new role on July 5.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)Buy Photo

Orinthia Montague gained plenty of experience working various roles in higher education for the past 18 years, and now she is ready to use that knowledge in her new role as president of Tompkins Cortland Community College.

The college's Board of Trustees selected Montague to succeed retiring President Carl E. Haynes following a national search, which was narrowed down to three finalists in March. Montague has been serving as vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Montague's appointment is effective July 5, which allows for a transition before Haynes retirement on Aug. 31.

We spoke to Montague about her accomplishments, goals and the "culture of love" she is striving to create within the Ithaca City School District.

Q: How excited are you to start your new position and what was the reaction to the news by your current employer?

A: Very excited. I would start tomorrow if I could but I need to give notice and do my due diligence with my current institution for that handoff. Nothing but good from Normandale. Theyve supported me in this journey. Its recognizing growth for individuals. Whether its to attain a presidency, attain a certificate or degree, whatever it is, thats what Ive gotten from my institution. Theyre very supportive of me and dont want me to go. My president did text me last night, hes like Oh I cant believe youre leaving me but congratulations. Now I have another set of colleagues that I can draw upon and use knowledge and skills. Its another way for people to be connected across our nation.

Q: You have had success at your current university in increasing enrollment. What is the key to addressing the issue?

A: There is no one specific fix for increasing enrollment, but I will say that I have been very intentional at my current institution connecting to the community. Figuring out what their needs are, figuring out ways to connect to students, different populations of students and understanding what drives them. We ask what their goals are, what they need from us as a college. Whether its to get their certificate, diploma, or get some retooling for their current job, its figuring out that mix and having an environment where people feel, Yeah, this is where I belong. Whether its a group connection or one-on-one individual connection, thats the piece that draws people in and keeps them.

Orinthia Montague, incoming president at Tompkins Cortland Community College, discusses the concerns students have raised during her previous visit to the college.(Photo: Matt Weinstein / staff photo)

Q: Have you had a chance to talk to students, and what issues have they talked about?

A: I talked to students during my time here in the forums. Childcare space was a concern for some of them but thats being addressed and were moving forward on that. Easy win right there. The students brought up making Tompkins Cortland known as a destination rather than just another option. Marketing and branding our institution as a place you want to come to first and I think thats very important, the spirit of the community. So that was very eye-opening to hear that from the students. Thats their belief and thats what Im going to do when Im here.

Q: How important is diversity, among staff and students?

A: Extremely important to me. I always stressed as my additional title of Chief Diversity Officer at my institution, diversity is just not what we can see its not simply race, perceived gender, socioeconomic status. It is everything someone brings with them to that table and so its our lived experiences and recognizing that those who are different from us are very much similar as well. Its very important and that is what holds communities together.

Budget deficit and projected gap could mean TC3 layoffs

TC3 names its next president

Q: Any comparisons between Normandale and Tompkins Cortland?

A: Welcoming of the folks, very open. Eager to move forward as an institution and as a community. Every place Ive stopped and talked to people on the way, theyre always willing to engage. Thats a little bit better than where Im coming from. In Minnesota, everyone grew up there and its like a where did you go to high school? thing. I think here, its kind of a melting pot of everyone coming in whether its to go to college or to work in the area and thats a different kind of diversity that is brought forward.

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Rochelle Moose honored for Adopt-A-Highway program – Rochelle News Leader

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ROCHELLE The Rochelle Moose Family Center was recently honored by Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn for their 20 years of service with the Adopt-A-Highway program. To commemorate the occasion, and to honor all Adopt-A-Highway groups, a redbud tree was planted on the campus of the Illinois Dept. of Transportation headquarters in Springfield. The idea for the Moose Lodge Adopt-A-Highway came from member Al Crumbacher who applied back in November of 1996. The Moose Lodge is responsible for a section of IL Route 251 from IL Route 38 to Twombly Road. Another Moose member, Paul Bearrows, has also been a part of the cleanup crew since the beginning. First impressions are important, and every year millions of visitors get their first glimpse of Illinois as they drive along our highways, Blankenhorn said. Our Adopt-A-Highway volunteers give hours of personal time and effort to ensure Illinois roads are well-kept and free of hazardous items. Their commitment is inspiring, meaningful and truly valued. Litter is more than just blight on the landscape. It is costly to clean up, impacts quality of life and economic development, and eventually ends up in waterways. As states look for alternative ways to keep roadways safe while facing budget cuts, the volunteers of the Adopt-A-Highway program are vital to helping achieve this goal. Weve got some really dedicated groups in District 2, said Illinois Dept. of Transportation District 2 Adopt-A-Highway coordinator, Ken Tressel. Theyve made a real difference in our communities. Whether intentional or accidental, litter begins with the individual. The most littered item is cigarette butts, followed by food and candy wrappers and loose paper. We are very grateful for the invaluable contributions made by the Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, concluded Tressel. To learn more about the Adopt-A-Highway program, visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/about-idot/employment-opportunities/community-involvement/index.

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