We observe Europe unraveling under a perfect storm of mass Third-World migration, catastrophic demographics, and chronic economic stagnation, echoing the continent’s historical cycles of decline before major ruptures.Since 2015, over 10 million predominantly low-skilled migrants (mostly young Muslim males from MENA and sub-Saharan Africa) have entered the EU, driven by Merkel’s open-door policy and ongoing Mediterranean routes. Native birth rates hover at 1.3–1.6 children per woman (replacement = 2.1), while the median age in Germany, Italy, and Spain now exceeds 45–48 and is heading toward 55 by 2050.
.
By 2040, Germany will have more people over 70 than under 20. Pension and healthcare systems built for a 1960s worker-to-retiree ratio of 6:1 now face 2:1 and are sliding toward 1:1, requiring either crushing tax hikes or benefit cuts neither voters nor politicians will accept.Economic growth has averaged <1% annually for a decade in the eurozone core. Deindustrialization (energy prices tripled after Russia sanctions and Nord Stream loss), regulatory strangulation, and the need to subsidize both a swelling non-working migrant underclass and a ballooning elderly native population have choked investment.
“Grief” Anna | Anna Ancher (1859 – 1935)
Welfare states that once absorbed modest immigration now hemorrhage funds while social cohesion collapses amid rising crime, no-go zones, and parallel societies.Europe is aging out, filling the gap with incompatible human capital, and running out of money to paper over the contradictions. History says this combination ends in tears, usually violent ones.
The Flying Tigers, officially the First American Volunteer Group (AVG), were American pilots led by Claire Lee Chennault, formed in 1941 to aid China against Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Equipped with Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, they were tasked with defending Chinese skies and supply lines. However, the Flying Tigers did not directly stop the Rape of Nanking, which occurred from December 1937 to January 1938, as they were not yet formed.
By the time they saw combat on December 20, 1941, after Pearl Harbor, Nanjing had already fallen. Their role was significant later, defending key areas like Kunming and the Burma Road, disrupting Japanese air operations, and boosting Chinese morale. With only 62 combat-ready pilots, they destroyed 296 Japanese aircraft, but their impact came post-Nanjing, aiding China’s broader resistance against Japanese aggression.
The Degree Course in Viticulture and Enology has the main objective of training oenological technicians with adequate skills to establish and manage wineries, enhancing both the agricultural product and the wine derived from it. This objective is pursued by providing, first, adequate basic scientific and cultural knowledge, based on mathematical, physical, chemical and biological sciences and, subsequently, professionalizing skills in the wine sector, aimed at developing operational skills of an agro-technological and managerial nature as well as framing the production activity from a historical, geographical, economic and environmental point of view….[Click image]
The Oxford Union Debating Society, founded in 1823, is one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies, affiliated with the University of Oxford. It has hosted numerous influential speakers and debates, including historical figures like Winston Churchill and Malcolm X. Over the years, it has played a vital role in shaping public discourse and fostering critical thinking among students. The society’s iconic debating chamber and rich tradition of lively debates have made it an enduring institution in the world of debate and public speaking.
“In an era of cancellation and defenestration we sometimes forget that we both cannot go on like this and that we have been here before. We know this because our greatest writers and artists have addressed this question in their own times.
When Roger [Scrouton] was going through his own battle with the shallows I often thought of Shakespeare’s rarely performed but great play Timon of Athens. Timon has the whole world before him. He is surrounded by friends and admirers. He is generous to all. Yet he falls on hard times and when he does absolutely everybody deserts him. He is left with nothing and nobody, and risks being filled with despair and rage. It does not help that he is shadowed by the cynical philosopher Apemantus, who has warned him that just such a desertion might occur.”
“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” / Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros (18th Century)
Today at 15:00 UTC explore best practice literature for outdoor events in cross-cutting fashion; refreshing our understanding about how we make such events in academic settings safe, sustainable and successful. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
“View of the Colosseum” 1747 Giovanni Paolo Panini
Play is the making of civilization—how one plays the game
more to the point than whether the game is won or lost.
The purpose of this standard is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard health, safety and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability and safety to life and property relative to the construction, alteration, repair, operation and maintenance of new and existing temporary and permanent bench bleacher, folding and telescopic seating and grandstands. This standard is intended for adoption by government agencies and organizations setting model codes to achieve uniformity in technical design criteria in building codes and other regulations.
This title is on the standing agenda of our Sport, Olahraga (Indonesian), رياضة (Arabic), colloquia. You are welcomed to join us any day at with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
At the April International Code Council Group A Hearings there were three candidate code changes related to the safety standard of care for athletic venues:
These concepts will likely be coordinated with another ICC regulatory product —ICC 300 – Standard on Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, and Grandstands — covered here previously. ICC 300 is a separate document but some of the safety concepts track through both.
The ICC Public Comment Hearings on Group A comments in Richmond Virginia ended a few days ago (CLICK HERE). The balloting is being processed by the appropriate committee and will be released soon. For the moment, we are happy to walk through the proposed changes – that will become part of the 2021 International Building Code — any day at 11 AM Eastern time. We will walk through all athletic and recreation enterprise codes and standards on Friday, November 2nd, 11 AM Eastern time. For access to either teleconference, click on the LIVE Link at the upper right corner of our home page.
Issue: [15-283]
Category: Athletics & Recreation, Architectural, Public Safety
Contact: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Jack Janveja
The International Code Council has launched a new revision cycle for its consensus document — ICC 300 – Standard on Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, and Grandstands. The purpose of the effort is the development of appropriate, reasonable, and enforceable model health and safety provisions for new and existing installations of all types of bleachers and bleacher-type seating, including fixed and folding bleachers for indoor, outdoor, temporary, and permanent installations. Such provisions would serve as a model for adoption and use by enforcement agencies at all levels of government in the interest of national uniformity.
Comments are due December 4th. The document is free. You may obtain an electronic copy from: https://www.iccsafe.org/codes-techsupport/standards/is-ble/. Comments may be sent to Edward Wirtschoreck, (888) 422-7233, ewirtschoreck@iccsafe with copy to psa@ansi.org)
* With some authority, we can claim that without Standards Michigan, many education industry trade associations would not be as involved in asserting the interest of facility managers in global consensus standards development processes. See ABOUT.
May Balls are typically organized by committees of students from the hosting college, who plan and coordinate various aspects of the event, including the theme, decorations, catering, entertainment, and ticket sales.
The proceeds from May Balls go towards charitable causes or to support college funds. The event provides an opportunity for students to celebrate the end of the academic year, socialize with peers, alumni, and guests, and create lasting memories of their time at Cambridge.
A laboratory fume hood is a specialized ventilated enclosure designed to safely contain and remove hazardous chemical fumes, vapors, dust, and aerosols generated during experiments. It consists of a cabinet-like structure with a movable sash window at the front, internal baffles, and a powerful exhaust fan that continuously draws air inward at a controlled velocity (typically 0.3–0.5 m/s). Contaminated air is ducted outside or passed through filters before release, while clean air flows in to create a protective barrier between the user and the hazardous materials.
Today at the usual hour we refresh our understanding of the best practice literature. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
School Educational Laboratories. In secondary and undergraduate teaching labs, fume hoods enable safe demonstration of core experiments involving acids, bases, or organic reactions. They protect students—who often have limited experience—from accidental exposure while building practical skills. They also reduce odors and airborne contaminants, creating a healthier learning environment and allowing more complex experiments to be included in curricula. In resource-limited schools, even basic fume hoods dramatically lower accident risks and support compliance with safety regulations.
University Research. In advanced research settings, fume hoods are critical for handling toxic, flammable, corrosive, or volatile substances (e.g., organic solvents, carcinogens, or reactive gases). They protect researchers from inhalation exposure, prevent laboratory fires or explosions, and maintain experiment integrity by minimizing cross-contamination. Regulatory standards like OSHA and ASHRAE require their use for many procedures. Without fume hoods, high-level chemical synthesis, nanomaterials research, or analytical chemistry would pose unacceptable health and safety risks, halting scientific progress.
These documents emphasize common themes like checking airflow before use, keeping work ≥6 inches inside the sash, minimizing clutter, proper sash positioning, and never using a malfunctioning hood.
A significant amount of research in the United States is conducted in research universities — over $70 billion annually, according to the National Science Foundation (LEARN MORE HERE). Unlike private industry, where facilities can be located away from population centers, many campus laboratories are located in dense populated areas because researchers enjoy their work in a lively campus setting. Keeping these facilities safe and sustainable is challenging anywhere but especially so in a setting where education and research takes place in close proximity.
One of the core documents for leading practice is ASHRAE 110 — Method of Testing Performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods. Keep in mind that in the emergent #SmartCampus a fume hood is part of an integrated system that not only includes environmental air systems but electrical, telecommunication, and fire safety systems.
ASHRAE 110 provides a starting point for assessing a wide variety of factors that influence the performance of laboratory fume hoods. The ability of a laboratory hood to provide protection for the user at the face of the hood is strongly influenced by the aerodynamic design of the hood, the method of operation of the hood, the stability of the exhaust ventilation system, the supply ventilation of the laboratory room, the work practices of the user, and other features of the laboratory in which it is installed. Therefore, there is a need for a test method that can be used to evaluate the performance including the influences of the laboratory arrangement and its ventilation system.
From the project prospectus:
Purpose. This standard specifies a quantitative and qualitative test method for evaluating fume containment of laboratory fume hoods.
Scope: his method of testing applies to conventional, bypass, auxiliary-air, and VAV laboratory fume hoods. (2) This method of testing is intended primarily for laboratory and factory testing but may also be used as an aid in evaluating installed performance.
The 2016 revision is the current version; made the following improvements to the 1995 edition:
• The test procedures now require digital collection of data rather than allowing manual data collection.
• Some modifications have been made to the test procedure. These modifications were made based on the experience of the committee members or to clarify statements in the 1995 edition of the standard.
• Informative Appendix A, which provides explanatory information, has been expanded.
• Informative Appendix B, a new nonmandatory section, provides guidance to anyone using the standard as a diagnostic tool in investigating the cause of poor hood performance.
ASHRAE has recently upgraded its public participation platform; available in the link below:
ASHRAE 110 is not a continuous maintenance document (that can change in 30 to 90 day intervals). We encourage our colleagues involved in university-affiliated research enterprises who have an idea, data and/or anecdotes to key in their idea, data or anecdote — particularly faculty and students. While we recognize that conformance professionals (i.e. “inspectors”) have a very informed point of view about safety; they may not place ideas for lower costs at the top of their agenda. It is a fine line we must hew in the education industry — respecting the experience and priorities of risk managers while at the same coming up with ideas that make laboratories safer, simpler, lower-cost and longer-lasting that may reduce their billable hours.
We find that environmental air safety goals often compete with fire safety goals and both compete with sustainability goals. Conversations about the optimal approach to converting to variable volume fume hood systems from constant flow are common:
As an ANSI accredited continuous-maintenance standards developer ASHRAE technical committees receive public comment at any time; though action on revising the standard must follow the accredited process. State level adaptations — with respect to technical specifics or compliance paths or both — are always possible. As explained elsewhere, Standards Michigan generally advocates for scalable, site specific solutions to laboratory safety system operation and maintenance, though we understand that enforcement and compliance interests prefer bright-line, single-point solutions that are easy to enforce.
All ASHRAE standards are on the agenda of our Mechanical Engineering teleconference. See our CALENDAR for our next conversation on this subject; open to everyone.
NSF Internationaldevelops a standard for one of the centerpiece safety technologies for a large revenue driver in research universities. The landing page for its biosafety cabinetry product, installation, operation and maintenance standard is linked below:
This Standard applies to Class II (laminar flow) biosafety cabinetry designed to minimize hazards inherent in work with agents assigned to biosafety levels 1, 2, 3, or 4. It also defines the tests that shall be passed by such cabinetry to meet this standard. NSF 49 includes basic requirements for the design, construction, and performance of biosafety cabinets that are intended to provide personnel, product, and environmental protection; reliable operation; durability and structural stability; cleanability; limitations on noise level; illumination; vibration; and motor/blower performance.
This equipment class is the centerpiece of many research laboratories and is a multidimensional risk aggregation so NSF 49 needs to move swiftly and is listed as an ANSI Continuous Maintenance product. You can track the action at the link below:
We maintain all NSF International titles on the agenda of our Laboratory and Risk teleconferences and, because NSF runs its standards suite continuously, most of its titles are on our Nota Bene teleconferences. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone
Issue: [13-118]
Category: Risk Management, Occupational Health and Safety
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Alan Rose, Mark Schaufele
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
