"A comparative analysis of the political economies and ideologies underlying the emergence of the Palestinian Hamas and the Algerian FIS"

This paper examines the political-economy and cultural dynamics and discourses underlying the emergence of the Palestinian Hamas and the Algerian Islamic Salvation Front. Both movements emerged in the late 1980s as responses to continuing (neo) colonial conditions in their countries. I explore to what extent the various processes commonly referred to as “globalization,” both the world-wide economic transformations epitomized by post-fordism on the macro/system level and neo-liberal structural adjustment programs within countries, and—perhaps more important—its cultural dynamics contributed to the rise and power of both movements. I examine the socio-economic situation in Algeria and Palestine-Israel during the 1980s and link it to the politics developments in both countries. Next I review the events behind the founding of both movements and the main components of their ideologies and strategies. Finally I explore their arguments to determine whether the political-economic or cultural pressures unleashed by globalization were the determining factor in their emergence and ideological development. I conclude by comparing the two case studies to determine if there are common threads that can serve as the basis for a region-wide investigation of the role of globalization in the emergence and/or rise to social hegemony of Islamist movements in other MENA countries

Multidimensional Pareto optimization of touchscreen keyboards for speed, familiarity and improved spell checking

The paper presents a new optimization technique for keyboard layouts based on Pareto front optimization. We used this multifactorial technique to create two new touchscreen phone keyboard layouts based on three design metrics: minimizing finger travel distance in order to maximize text entry speed, a new metric to maximize the quality of spell correction quality by minimizing neighbouring key ambiguity, and maximizing familiarity through a similarity function with the standard Qwerty layout. The paper describes the optimization process and resulting layouts for a standard trapezoid shaped keyboard and a more rectangular layout. Fitts' law modelling shows a predicted 11% improvement in entry speed without taking into account the significantly improved error correction potential and the subsequent effect on speed. In initial user tests typing speed dropped from approx. 21wpm with Qwerty to 13wpm (64%) on first use of our layout but recovered to 18wpm (85%) within four short trial sessions, and was still improving. NASA TLX forms showed no significant difference on load between Qwerty and our new layout use in the fourth session. Together we believe this shows the new layouts are faster and can be quickly adopted by users

Doing Well and Doing Good: Pioneer Employers Discover Profits and Deliver Opportunity for Frontline Workers

A new study of business practices reveals powerful ways to create strategic and financial gains. Lower-wage workers, when supported by effective policies, boost productivity, quality, innovation, and revenues from new markets. In the process, the value added by frontline employees rises and they garner significant and sustained wage gains and career advancement. The successful formulas of these firms are models adoptable by thousands of similar businesses

Capillary wave dynamics on supported viscoelastic films: Single and double layers

We study the capillary wave dynamics of a single viscoelastic supported film and of a double layer of immiscible viscoelastic supported films. Using both simple scaling arguments and a continuum hydrodynamic theory, we investigate the effects of viscoelasticity and interfacial slip on the relaxation dynamics of these capillary waves. Our results account for the recent observation of a wavelength-independent decay rate for capillary waves in a supported polystyrene/brominated polystyrene double layer [X. Hu {\em et al.}, Phys. Rev. E {\bf 74}, 010602 (R) (2006)].Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

Intersectionality of ethno-cultural identities and construal of distant suffering outgroups

In this paper we explore how white Cathiolic men talk about the indirect dilemma of non-intervention for black ethnic outgroups. We illustrate how they mobilise global categorisation (all humanity) and use various forms of denial to deal with their non-involvement. Having analyzed representative fragments of their prejudice avoidance talk, we conclude with some observation about the strategic deployment of categories and denial forms as part of identity management talk. In contrast to quantitative research that oversimplifies the ingroup-outgroup distinction, we show how the status and outgroupness levels of the needy appear to be both flexible and intricate, which depends on the often-ignored intersecting cultural factors, like the respondents' and victims' ethnic, racial and religious identities

Getting Narrower at the Base: The American Curriculum After NCLB

Examines curriculum changes in elementary, middle, and high schools since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted, requiring regular testing in reading and math. Analyzes shifts in time allocations to four subjects, contributing factors, and implications

The Rise of Turkish Vikings: Heavy Metal in Turkey and the Globalization of the World's Most Outsider Music

A whole book on Turkish metal? Is there really that much to write about? At first glance, Turkish metal might not seem that much more interesting or unique than, say, Norwegian or Finnish metal. After all, Turkey has been an officially “secular” state for well over eighty years and undoubtedly the most secular and “Western” Muslim country. Despite the routine official European rejection of its place on the continent, European and American artists have long made Istanbul one of the most import..