Status of the second phase of the MAGIC telescope

The MAGIC 17m diameter Cherenkov telescope will be upgraded with a second telescope with advanced photon detectors and ultra fast readout within the year 2007. The sensitivity of MAGIC-II, the two telescope system, will be improved by a factor of 2. In addition the energy threshold will be reduced and the energy and angular resolution will be improved. The design, status and expected performance of MAGIC-II is presented here.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Merida, July 200

UNDERSTANDING SHIFTING LANGUAGES ON INDONESIAN TELEVISION: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL VALUE IN LATE CAPITALISM

The work of Bourdieu (1991), Hobsbawm (1990), Wallerstein (2004), and Bahktin (1981), among others, have become a cornerstone for understanding valuation processes attached to language as well as their relationships with political economy and processes of globalization in a period referred to as “late capitalism” (e.g. Blommaert, 2010; Goebel, 2010, In press; Heller, 2011; Heller & Duchene, 2012b). In this paper, I draw upon this work to offer an interpretation of the ongoing revaluation of languages in Indonesia, including the ideology of Indonesian as the language for doing unity in diversity. My empirical focus will primarily be material I have gathered from television in 2009. Central to my argument will be that as the Indonesian state has moved between centralized and decentralized regimes (often pushed by market forces) these processes have helped regiment multiple centres of normativity around language in Indonesia. With changing political and economic conditions in the early 1990’s local content became increasingly valued in the media. Some languages (and the ethnic groups associated with them) were increasingly commodified, as in the case of Si Doel (e.g. Loven, 2008; Sen & Hill, 2000). As it became clear that local content sinetron was a “sell well” genre, this genre was copied by many other producers of television content (Rachmah, 2006). At the same time, these market forces – and the decreasing influence of the state in determining how language was modelled on television – helped increase the social value of local languages and mixed languages (Goebel, In press). These processes effectively drove language change in the social domain of television

A Tribute to Judge Bo Vesterdorf

Judge Bo Vesterdorf retires this fall after serving as Judge on the Court of First Instance (“CFI”) since its inauguration on September 25, 1989, acting as its President for three successive terms since 1998. It is accordingly highly appropriate that the editors of the Fordham International Law Journal (“ILJ”) should dedicate this annual issue devoted to European Union (“EU”) law to Judge Vesterdorf as an eminent jurist who has significantly contributed to the development of the CFI\u27s jurisprudence, and also provided able pragmatic leadership as its presiding judge. The ILJ can be considered to act on behalf of the entire Fordham Law School community, which has greatly benefited from Judge Vesterdorf’s visits in past years

Dedication to Advocate General Francis Jacobs

This issue of the Fordham International Law Journal represents a solid tribute to the attainments of Francis Jacobs produced by a group of respected scholars. Some Articles present a serious analysis of his own opinions, while others review major current issues in the field. Altogether the authors join in expressing their highest respect for Francis Jacobs\u27 extraordinary contribution to the evolution of European Union law, and their expectation that he will continue to provide a valuable impetus to European Union studies as he returns to academic life

Court of Justice Oversight Over the European Central Bank: Delimiting the ECB\u27s Constitutional Autonomy and Independence in the OLAF Judgment

An article devoted to the European Court of Justice\u27s (“ECJ” or the “Court”) judicial review of the European Central Bank\u27s (“ECB”) level of constitutional autonomy and independence may seem a bit arcane in a book dedicated to honor Advocate General Francis Jacobs upon his retirement from the Court. The topic is, however, eminently suitable, because it highlights his influence in a case remote from the many fields of law in which his impact has been so marked-- e.g., free movement of goods, competition law, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, free movement of services and establishment rights, human rights protection, and taxation. This Article will first discuss the high importance of the principle of independence for the ECB in its control of monetary policy and the European currency, noting some aspects of the academic debate concerning the appropriate level of such independence. The first section also observes that a debate about the constitutional nature and autonomy of the ECB has become intertwined with the appraisal of its level of independence. The Article then reviews the EC Treaty\u27s attribution to the Court of jurisdiction within Monetary Union, including a power of judicial review of the ECB\u27s status, measures and decisions. The following section sets out the conflict between the Commission and the ECB in the OLAF case. The Article concentrates upon the text in Advocate General Jacob\u27s opinion and the Court\u27s judgment concerning the constitutional status of the ECB as an organ or body structured within the Community framework and concerning the scope of the ECB\u27s independence. The final section provides several reflections upon the ultimate impact of the judgment and opinion. The reflections stress the importance of the Court\u27s rejection of the ECB\u27s claim to virtual autonomy in constitutional terms and the related subjection of the ECB to the rule of law within the EC. The final commentary also considers the Court\u27s and especially Advocate General Jacobs\u27 demarcation of the functional nature of the ECB\u27s independence. Advocate General Jacobs\u27 discussion of the value and extent of democratic accountability of the ECB is also highlighted

Supranational? Federal? Intergovernmental? The Governmental Structure of the European Union After the Treaty of Lisbon

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the progressive augmentation of the supranational character of the governmental structure of the initial EEC, gradually evolving into the present European Union, particularly as a consequence of revisions to the constituent Treaties. Part I of this article presents the European Commission, the initial institution whose structure and operations have always been markedly supranational in character and which has always been dedicated to the promotion of supranational goals. Part II examines the Council of Ministers, the political institution that is intrinsically intergovernmental in character, but whose operational role in the adoption of legislation and policies took on significant supranational features in the late 1980s. Part Ill then describes the European Parliament, which can be properly characterized as a supranational, or indeed federal, institution after it began to be directly elected in 1979, and which strongly promotes a supranational agenda. Part IV presents the intrinsically intergovernmental nature of the European Council, and then examines the impact of the Lisbon Treaty, which marks the start of a shift to a partially supranational operational role for that highest political body