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265,603,137 | I suppose since so much has been written about writer’s block, it must exist. I’ve been stuck several times. Most notably in my recent past, I was stuck on how to end The Third Rule. I wrote no less than six endings for that book until I chose the one that felt right. I followed the little rule above (My Way – Part Two), where I selected what was emotionally right for the character as well as the story and eventually it fell out of the keyboard by itself, quite satisfactorily.
You have to know about the scene you’re trying to write, you have to know where you want it to end – by that I mean that each related scene must logically follow on to the next in a chronologically and emotionally accurate manner – not necessarily how it appears in the book, there might be another half dozen scenes featuring different characters in between them – but you have to know what job the scene you’re stuck on is there to perform and work towards it. If you don’t know what its job is, then how can you write it? This is where the flow chart might come in handy for you: it’ll help determine where in the story this particular scene fits, give it a purpose, and give you the tools to crack on and write it.
Sadly, I too suffer from this; but my own version of writer’s block is determining what story to write. Now, for instance, I’ve finished Sword of Damocles, and have a few hours to myself. I could slap myself for not using this time more wisely to get on with writing the next Eddie Collins story. Instead, I’m sitting here writing a blog post on how I write. Der!
I have several failings as an editor. Firstly, I don’t let the book cool down enough after I’ve finished it. I consider the length of time it took to write the damned thing enough of a time gap in order to go back to the beginning and start editing. I am so very wrong. In almost every case where I’ve read a piece of my ‘edited’ work months after I published it, I have been able to make it better or spot the errors I was blind to back then.
I do not like this. But I justify it to myself thus: Improving a manuscript over time is easy because you are an improved reader and so an improved writer. If I were to live by this philosophy, I would never publish anything. I accept that there will always be areas in which a story can be improved, but you have to stop somewhere, don’t you?
I find it easiest to spot the typos and inconsistencies from a printed version rather than on screen. I’ve pondered this anomaly and cannot think of why it should be so. But it is, I recognise it as a fact, and I always do it this way.
Also, I’m not actually very good at reading. I mean I read like most people do, in that I see what I want to see, so am rubbish at spotting omissions and general errors. I’m extremely lucky in that I have some good friends who not only love reading but who have the eyes of a shithouse rat and excellent mindsight. I am in awe of them.
And there’s another reason why I’m not especially gifted when it comes to editing: when I’ve finished with something, I like to move right along to the next project. This is a failing of mine since a work in progress is not actually finished until it’s actually finished. You get the idea; I’ll resist the urge to waffle on this one further.
But before I leave the Editing section, I let you into a secret foible of mine. I can only edit with a red Bic pen. It also has to have a fine tip, not medium. And if I make notes about the story as I’m reading through it, (and I also do this during the story’s construction) I use a 0.5mm mechanical Staedtler pencil fitted with HB lead, writing on an A5 spiral bound pad. I hate using pen because it looks messy, and I love how the pencil feels in my hand and I adore how it writes, so free and easy. I know, I know, crazy bird!
nice article Andrew, I can empathize as I’ve hit a block recently myself and have resorted to reading what I’ve done already, (though avoiding editing yet) to try and get the juices flowing again.
Thank you, Nav. Very often the only way for me to crunch the gears and get moving again is to edit. Maybe it stimulates the mind and focuses it on the point in hand. Who knows? I hope you do get going again, and when you do, let me know how you did it, I’d be very interested. |
111,001,213 | THAT ELIJAH- CHRIST BRANHAM HAS DIED, then who is THIS ELIJAH-THE LEADER that will go in the rapture with the bride, without dying?
We believe that god raised the Great Prophet Branham with the spirit and power of Elijah. He delivered the children of god from the denominational bondage, as the Prophet Moses had delivered the people of Israel from the Egyptian bondage. And it is in the great plan of Redemption of God that Christ Branham had to shed His blood and die as the Genuine Atonement at this end time!
Now who is this Elijah that has been raised at this end time to be THE LEADER to lead the bride and go along with her in the rapture?
We will be looking for that great one to rise. He might come in my day; he might come in the younger day. I dont know, he might be right among us now, we cant tell. The Holy Spirit is here to lead us till that time. Then when THIS LEADER will take us over he will still be anointed of the Holy Ghost; THE ELIJAH will, of course, that will come. But he will be THE LEADER that will turn the hearts of the children back to the Fathers message. - The Laodicean church age (288)
Christ Branham cannot be THIS LEADER, as he had not turned the hearts of the children back to the hearts of the Fathers.
this mighty Elijah that will send to us, when makes himself known like Elijah did, the church was ready to be delivered just when he came up there and said, we will prove who is God Elijah delivered the church. ELIJAH DID NOT HAVE TO DIE, HE WAS TRANSLATED AND WAS TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN, a type of the church at the end of his time, the church will go in the Rapture, without going through the shadows of death it will be the Rapture! I believe the great Elijah, the great one that is to come, will be anointed Elijah that is prophesied for the last day. Amen! I think he will be when he comes. THE ANGEL or THE MESSENGER to the church in the last days, a rejected, degraded people - The laodecian church age (104, 105)
Elijah represented the dead saints I mean Moses, and being resurrected. Elijah represented the translated by a Pillar. Moses was first, and then Elijah. Elijah was to be the Messenger of the last day. THAT WITH HIM and HIS GROUP would come THE RAPTURE. I mean, Moses brought in the resurrection, and Elijah brought in the Raptured group. - Revelation chap-IV-pt-1 (181)
The Lord has been keeping this Elijah in India, for more than 20 years, revealing mysteries of the Seven Thunders now the Bride has possessed the FULLNESS OF GOD, and she has been restored to CHRISTHOOD, and she is ready for Rapture.
God is waiting on me and you! The church is waiting on me and you. Adoption time. When God can pour into us HIS FULLNESS, HIS POWER, HIS RESURRECTION. Thats when Church and Christ become so close together till Christ becomes visible among us and raises the dead, and we go in the Rapture. What the Holy Ghost was given for (14, 15)
Now, this is the adoption time. The FULLNESS is over. And now, the Leader and the Bride are passing into the next phase THE POWER OF GOD. Very, very soon the Bride will emerge out as the Mighty Army of the Living God to shake the heaven and the earth.
When the fire falls from heaven at my command, then the world will know that the Lord has been keeping his Elijah in Vellore, Tamilnadu, India. Amen and Amen!
Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant and to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
A period of up to 30 minutes is available for people to speak for up to five minutes on any issue that is not the subject of a separate hearings process.
Deputations may be heard on a matter or matters covered by a report on this agenda and approved by the Chairperson.
The Innovation and Sustainable Development Committee held a meeting on 21 June 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Innovation and Sustainable Development Committee meeting held 21 June 2017.
The Innovation and Sustainable Development Committee held a meeting on 7 July 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Innovation and Sustainable Development Committee meeting held 7 July 2017.
The Health and Safety Committee held a meeting on 30 June 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Health and Safety Committee meeting held 30 June 2017.
The Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee held a meeting on 29 June 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee meeting held 29 June 2017.
The Finance and Performance Committee considered the report on the review of the rates postponement scheme.
An additional proposal was tabled at the meeting by Councillor Manji. The key differences from the staff recommendations were to allow for universal access to the rates postponement scheme for superannuitants in owner-occupied homes, and access for other owner-occupiers who can demonstrate significant financial hardship. An alteration was also made to clarify that the Policy should be reviewed before each future Long Term Plan.
a. There is universal access (no asset or income test) for all superannuitants in owner-occupied homes, and access for other owner-occupiers who can demonstrate significant financial hardship.
b. 100% of rates may be postponed, provided that the total postponed value shall not exceed 20% of the most recent Rating Valuation.
d. Application must include evidence of adequate financial and legal advice (like a bank loan application), to minimise the risk of future recovery being successfully challenged.
e. Understanding of compound interest and the impact on home equity must be re-confirmed each year (staff will include a standard renewal form with first instalment rates invoices, as is currently done for the Rebate scheme).
1.1 This report considers the appropriateness of the current Rates Postponement Scheme and recommends that the current scheme should not be adjusted.
1.2 This report responds to a request from the Council expressing concern that the current scheme’s low level of uptake may indicate that the intended recipients are not getting the intended benefits.
2.1 The decision in this report is of a low significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined by the relatively low number of people potentially affected and the expected low cost to other ratepayers of all options presented.
2.1.2 No community engagement has been conducted. Operational adjustments to the scheme may be achievable without consultation, but changes to Policy wording would require consultation through an annual planning process.
4.2.1 Option 1 – No change to the current scheme, on the grounds that it provides adequate access for those in significant need, and that its low uptake is driven by a lack of underlying demand and the availability of alternative sources of cash. (preferred option) Note – support increased public awareness.
4.2.2 Option 2 - Adjust the current scheme by making the qualifying criteria more formulaic – in effect, a universal system where the level of entitlement is abated depending on the applicant’s income. This is similar to the government’s Rebate scheme and Hamilton City Council’s Postponement scheme, and may help to increase uptake (depending on the generosity of the abatement formula).
4.2.3 Option 3 - Expand the current scheme by eliminating all income and asset thresholds – effectively making it on-demand, although minimum home equity and independent advice requirements should be retained. This is similar to the approach taken by Auckland City Council, and could significantly increase uptake.
4.3 Option Summary - Advantages and Disadvantages: The advantages and disadvantages of each option are described in sections 6-8 below.
5.1.1 Rebate – This is a government scheme to support pensioners, where some rates are effectively paid by the government.
5.1.2 Remissions – These are council-approved discounts, which are effectively paid for by all other ratepayers. They may be on-going (such as discounts to community benefit organisations) or temporary (such as earthquake and flooding remissions).
5.1.3 Postponement – This is where rates liabilities still accrue, but the ratepayer does not need to pay them immediately and no late payment penalties are added. Postponement is effectively a loan from the Council to the ratepayer, secured by the ratepayer’s equity in their property and funded by Council borrowing (the on-going cost of which is mostly recouped by adding an interest charge each year to the amount postponed).
5.2 Council’s current Rates Postponement Policy is intended primarily but not exclusively for pensioners, and states that:
Up to 100% of rates may be postponed for a period determined by the Council where the ratepayer is experiencing financial hardship.
5.3 The Policy has historically had a very low level of uptake – there is currently only one postponement in place (down from five in 2013), and there has been only one new application over the past year. Councillors have expressed concern that this low uptake may reflect a lack of public awareness of the Policy and/or a practical difficulty in applying.
5.4.1 Any rates that are postponed and therefore not collected must be borrowed for. A Postponement Scheme with a very high level of uptake would therefore increase Council’s financial risk, and could undermine its ability to achieve the investment goals set out in the long-term Financial Strategy.
5.4.2 In practice, however, this risk appears to be very low – even Auckland’s effectively “on demand” scheme has to date not increased uptake sufficiently to have a material impact on the council’s financial position.
5.5.1 Rates postponement is explicitly aimed at relatively wealthy households – at one extreme, the poorest households are typically not ratepayers; at the other, rates tends to place greatest pressure on fixed incomes for those living in more expensive homes.
5.5.2 Nevertheless, the scheme’s cost to other ratepayers is minimal. This report has therefore not considered options to narrow the current qualification criteria (such as only providing postponement where the applicant also has bank debt, or where the relatively low value of the home makes down-sizing a less practical alternative).
5.6.1 The scheme’s low uptake may be due in part to the alternative sources of funding available to potential recipients, including bank debt (particularly reverse mortgage products, which target the same ratepayer group as the postponement scheme), relatives (especially future estate beneficiaries), and down-sizing. Potential recipients may also have a generational aversion to borrowing.
5.6.2 Although this consideration does not imply that the scheme should be discontinued (there are likely to be some ratepayers for whom these other sources of funding are unavailable), it does suggest that low uptake is driven by lack of demand not lack of access, and that significant loosening of current financial criteria is not required.
5.7 The Government’s Rates Rebate scheme is a useful comparison, because of its similar basic aim of providing rates support to pensioners on fixed incomes.
5.8 The government’s approach is to treat the Rebate as a universal entitlement (all that is required is that the applicant is over 65, owns the property, and lives there as their primary residence on 1 July each year), where the maximum benefit is limited (currently to $610) and the amount actually provided is based on a formula:
5.8.1 The amount of Rebate is abated as household income rises (so higher-income households do not qualify for anything).
5.8.2 The speed of this abatement is adjusted in proportion to the amount of rates payable (so a household paying more rates may get more than a household with similar income but lower rates).
5.8.3 In any event, a Rebate only applies above a minimum threshold (i.e. everyone must pay at least some rates).
5.9 The system is relatively complex in that the formula is difficult to describe and very few recipients are able to understand how their actual benefit is calculated. Nevertheless, its universality and strict formula approach makes it in some ways more useful than the judgement-based approach inevitable in any scheme based on un-defined “hardship”.
5.10 The policies of Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Dunedin have been reviewed. These are considered the most relevant because, together with Christchurch, they represent the six largest urban centres and more than half of the country’s population.
5.11 Wellington, Hamilton, and Dunedin provide schemes which are broadly similar to ours, with a focus on support for financial hardship, a charge on land, and an annual administration and interest charge (although this is optional in Dunedin). Differences include:
5.11.1 Wellington and Dunedin emphasise “extreme” financial hardship, although it is unlikely that their qualification thresholds are more stringent than ours in practice.
5.11.2 Hamilton addresses just “normal” financial hardship, with “extreme” hardship qualifying for a Remission. Qualification and amount provided under either policy is relatively complex, calculated by formula based on the government’s Rate Rebate formula plus annual rates or CPI increase adjustments. Unlike the Rebate scheme, Hamilton also applies an asset threshold ($17,947 excluding house, car, and normal chattels).
5.11.3 Dunedin’s is not primarily aimed at pensioners, and emphasises changes in personal circumstances as a driver.
5.12 Auckland has adopted a far broader scheme, which is virtually on-demand with no income or asset testing (although a minimum level of owner’s equity in the home is required, for security purposes). An annual administration fee is added, but no interest charge, resulting in significant risk of perverse incentives.
5.12.1 This more generous approach was initially driven by the desire to provide relief in those areas most affected by the super-city amalgamation. An additional push occurred in 2015/16, aimed at delinquent accounts – rates staff would actively contact delinquent ratepayers to offer postponement.
5.12.2 These initiatives were apparently well received. Interestingly, however, the level of uptake is still relatively low, albeit higher than the virtually zero update of the previous, less generous scheme – as at November 2016, postponements were applied to 203 properties, amounting to a total cumulative postponement of $2.3 million.
5.13 Tauranga has adopted an opposite approach, with no Postponement for financial hardship from its 2012 Long Term Plan (although there is still some postponement available for re-zoned farmland that’s still being used as a farm).
5.13.1 This approach has been adopted as a result of the increasing availability of equity release products that homeowners with significant home equity can access if they’re in genuine need, combined with a perception that the Council should not be in the business of providing economic assistance to relatively wealthy ratepayers.
5.13.2 Tauranga also believes that the costs and risks of postponement schemes are higher than commonly perceived – in particular, the need to demonstrate an acceptable level of independent financial advice to all recipients, the need to register charges over affected titles in LINZ, on-going record-keeping and audit requirements, and the risk that at least a portion of postponed amounts may be non-collectable in future (particularly for amounts postponed for a long time, or where there are significant interest and administration charges applied).
6.1.1 Qualification based on demonstrable financial hardship – in practice, financial data demonstrating an income level low enough to make rates payments difficult, plus an absence of cash deposits or similar easily-realisable financial assets.
6.1.3 An annual interest charge added to the rates account, based on Council’s own average cost of borrowing.
6.3 The advantage of this option is simplicity, in that there is no change to current processes. There is an implicit assumption that the scheme’s current low uptake is driven by low demand rather than lack of public awareness and/or difficulty in the application process – adequate public awareness may be supported by:
6.3.1 Continuing to highlight the scheme in the annual Guide to Rates brochure included with all first instalment invoices in July;
6.3.2 Ensuring that the scheme is described on a specific page on our public website (alongside other rates-related pages), including a downloadable Application Form; and
6.3.3 Ensuring that rates and call centre staff consider the potential for Postponement where overdue rates accounts appear to be caused by financial hardship.
6.4 The key disadvantage of this option is that it does not make the current scheme either more generous or more straightforward to apply for – if these are considered significant issues, then this option is not satisfactory. However, it should be noted that any scheme based on financial hardship will require the disclosure of relatively intrusive personal information – current requirements are consistent with normal banking practice.
7.1 Design the scheme along the same lines as government’s Rebate scheme, although with a more straightforward formula based only on household income (not the amount of rates payable). Under this approach:
7.1.1 Support should only be given where there is a minimum level of owner’s equity in the property (say, 75% of the current Rating Valuation), to ensure full future recovery of postponed amounts.
7.1.2 Some postponement may be provided at relatively high levels of household income, with the amount available decreasing in a formulaic way as income increases (i.e. to make the scheme more generous than currently, as well as being formula-driven).
7.1.3 Postponed amounts will be funded through Council borrowing, with on-going interest and administrative costs recovered through an annual Postponement Fee.
7.1.4 Re-application should be required each year, to ensure that all postponements are adequately monitored and remain appropriate.
7.2 The Objective of this Policy is to assist low-income residential ratepayers who want to defer the payment of rates by using the equity in their homes.
7.3.1 The applicant must be the legal owner, and the property must be their primary place of residence. All postponed amounts and associated fees will become due and payable as soon as this ceases to be the case.
7.3.3 All ratepayers must pay at least $700 per year (including any amount effectively paid through the government Rebate scheme).
7.3.4 For rates charges in excess of this amount, the ratepayer must pay 5 cents for every dollar of household income in excess of $30,000 (e.g. a household with a total income of $40,000 must pay the first $500 of rates in excess of the $700 minimum amount).
7.3.5 This calculation will be based on total household income as shown in the most recent year’s Statement of Earnings from IRD (which the applicant must provide).
7.3.6 No postponement will be granted if the total amount of household liability (including previous Postponed amounts, mortgage loans, and personal loans, including credit cards) exceeds 75% of the property’s most recent Rating Valuation. The applicant will be required to provide bank statements confirming the amount of debt outstanding at the time of application.
7.3.8 The applicant must provide evidence that they have sought independent financial advice enabling them to understand the liability they are incurring and its potential impact on their future equity in their home.
7.3.9 A charge securing Council’s interests will be registered on the property’s Certificate of Title. The cost of this shall be charged to the applicant’s Rates account in addition to the annual Postponement Fee described below.
7.3.10 The ratepayer must re-apply for the Postponement to be continued into the following rating year. Applications must be received by 31 August (postponements will be back-dated to the 1 July start of the rating year where necessary), and must include a current Certificate of Insurance for the property.
7.3.11 A Postponement Fee will be charged to the applicant’s Rates account at the time the application is approved. This fee is intended to cover Council’s administrative and interest costs, and is set at 6% of the amount being postponed in that rating year (including any rates and Postponement Fees carried forward from previous years).
7.3.12 Applications must state briefly in writing why they have not sought alternative funding arrangements – specifically, taking out a personal loan, downsizing to a less expensive house, using savings or other assets, and seeking family assistance.
7.3.13 If the ratepayer does not re-apply on time or if they no longer qualify, then all previous amounts postponed (including Postponement Fees) shall become due and payable. The ratepayer may contact Council’s rates staff if a tailored payment arrangement is required.
7.3.14 Ratepayers may pay Postponed amounts in full or in part at any time, but no adjustments will be made to any Postponement Fees already charged to the rates account.
7.4 This option has minimal financial implications for Council, as the costs of the scheme are expected to be funded from borrowing and serviced by charging those ratepayers receiving the postponement.
7.5 The updated policy wording would require consultation, most straightforwardly through an Annual Planning process.
7.6 There is a risk that the annual Postponement Fees and/or rates amounts that have been postponed for a long time may be successfully challenged as unenforceable by a future court decision. This risk has not been tested, but is considered low as the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 specifically permits Councils to add administration and interest amounts to the rates account to cover the costs of such schemes (section 88).
7.7 This option could be implemented relatively quickly from the start of any rating year (1 July), through an annual planning process. A pro forma Application Form, plus adequate operational process documents and management tools would need to be developed for use by the rates transactions team.
7.8 The administrative burden per application would be rather more than the current scheme’s, which relies on subjective staff judgement for qualification.
7.9.2 Uptake – more generous financial thresholds and removal of emphasis on pensioners may increase the scheme’s attractiveness and uptake.
7.10.1 Risk that the scheme may be used as simply a cheap source of funding by ratepayers (especially given that we can only charge an annual Postponement Fee sufficient to cover our costs, and this may be less than the cost of bank debt).
7.10.2 Risk that future collection of postponed amounts may be challenged in court by future ratepayers.
7.10.3 Risk that uptake remains minimal, given still-significant application requirements and the availability of other sources of funding – qualification still requires a significant disclosure of personal financial information, although no more than would be required for similar bank lending.
8.1 This option expands the current scheme by eliminating all financial qualification criteria (except for essential equity and independent advice requirements). The rationale for this approach is that all financial criteria are inherently arbitrary, so it is simpler to reach all the people you want by providing open access rather than trying to envisage all types of circumstances.
8.2 The potential for significant scheme growth under this option increases the importance of setting Postponement Fees at a level sufficient to cover all costs, although the experience to date at Auckland Council is that such open access will not result in unacceptably large numbers of new applicants.
8.3 The Objective of this Policy is to assist residential ratepayers who want to defer the payment of rates by using the equity in their homes.
8.4.1 The applicant must be the legal owner, and the property must be their primary place of residence. All postponed amounts and associated fees will become due and payable as soon as this ceases to be the case.
8.4.2 No postponement will be granted if the total amount of household liability (including previous Postponed amounts, mortgage loans, and personal loans, including credit cards) exceeds 75% of the property’s most recent Rating Valuation. The applicant will be required to provide bank statements confirming the amount of debt outstanding at the time of application.
8.4.4 The applicant must provide evidence that they have sought independent financial advice enabling them to understand the liability they are incurring and its potential impact on their future equity in their home.
8.4.5 A charge securing Council’s interests will be registered on the property’s Certificate of Title. The cost of this shall be charged to the applicant’s Rates account in addition to the annual Postponement Fee described below.
8.4.6 The ratepayer must re-apply for the Postponement to be continued into the following rating year. Applications must be received by 31 August (postponements will be back-dated to the 1 July start of the rating year where necessary), and must include a current Certificate of Insurance for the property.
8.4.7 A Postponement Fee will be charged to the applicant’s Rates account at the time the application is approved. This fee is intended to cover Council’s administrative and interest costs, and is set at 6% of the amount being postponed in that rating year (including any rates and Postponement Fees carried forward from previous years).
8.4.8 Applications must state briefly in writing why they have not sought alternative funding arrangements – specifically, taking out a personal loan, downsizing to a less expensive house, using savings or other assets, and seeking family assistance.
8.4.9 If the ratepayer does not re-apply on time or if they no longer qualify, then all previous amounts postponed (including Postponement Fees) shall become due and payable. The ratepayer may contact Council’s rates staff if a tailored payment arrangement is required.
8.4.10 Ratepayers may pay Postponed amounts in full or in part at any time, but no adjustments will be made to any Postponement Fees already charged to the rates account.
8.5 This option has minimal financial implications for Council, as the costs of the scheme are expected to be funded from borrowing and serviced by charging the ratepayers receiving the postponement.
8.6 The updated policy wording would require consultation, most straightforwardly through an Annual Planning process.
8.7 There is a risk that a very high level of uptake may have a material impact on Council’s own cash position (if the amount postponed becomes a material proportion of total rates income). However, this risk is considered small based on Auckland City Council’s experience in establishing a similar scheme. On-going monitoring would be required, with the Scheme amended in future if necessary.
8.8 There is a risk that the annual Postponement Fees and/or rates amounts that have been postponed for a long time may be successfully challenged as unenforceable by a future court decision. This risk has not been tested, but is considered low as the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 specifically permits Councils to add administration and interest amounts to the rates account to cover the costs of such schemes (section 88).
8.9 This option could be implemented relatively quickly from the start of any rating year (1 July), through an annual planning process. A pro forma Application Form, plus adequate operational process documents and management tools would need to be developed for use by the rates transactions team.
8.10 The administrative burden per application would be similar to the current scheme, but overall administration cost would probably rise due to increasing volumes and monitoring requirements.
8.11.1 Simplicity & Transparency – the virtually “on demand” qualification criteria are significantly more straightforward than either of the other Options presented.
8.11.2 Uptake – the elimination of income and asset thresholds and removal of emphasis on pensioners should significantly increase the uptake of the scheme.
8.12.1 Risk that the scheme may be used as simply a cheap source of funding by ratepayers (especially given that we can only charge an annual Postponement Fee sufficient to cover our costs, and this may be less than the cost of bank debt).
8.12.2 Risk that uptake is so significant that a material proportion of rates income is no longer collected, threatening Council’s own financial position.
8.12.3 Risk that future collection of postponed amounts may be challenged in court by future ratepayers.
8.12.4 Risk that the scheme becomes perceived as inappropriate, given the easy access that all qualifying ratepayers are likely to have to similar bank lending products.
(b) The information reflects the level of significance of the matters covered by the report, as determined in accordance with the Council's significance and engagement policy.
The Finance and Performance Committee held a meeting on 5 July 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Finance and Performance Committee meeting held 5 July 2017.
The Social and Community Development Committee held a meeting on 19 June 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Social and Community Development Committee meeting held 19 June 2017.
The Social and Community Development Committee held a meeting on 5 July 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Social and Community Development Committee meeting held 5 July 2017.
1. The Committee discussed and debated the Living Wage report; however, when the Committee voted on the resolutions the vote was tied and the Committee are therefore not recommending an option to the Council and Council should consider the original recommendations in the report.
2. The Committee suggested that staff should brief all Councillors on this report prior to it being considered at a Council meeting.
3. Staff advised the Committee that the report will be considered in public and that the staff report will be amended to remove the confidential information contained in the report.
a. Considers, and recommends to Council, an option for adopting the Living Wage policy taking into account both the financial and non-financial implications.
b. Approves that the report to be submitted to Council will be in the open public Council session and will therefore not include commercially sensitive information (especially the CCHL appendix)
Due to a tied vote, the Committee are not making a recommendation to Council and the Council should consider the original options contained in the report:
The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.
s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Strategic Capability Committee to consider and recommend to Council an option for adopting the Living Wage policy taking into account both the financial and non-financial implications.
1.2 At the August 2016 meeting of the Chief Executive and Employment Matters Committee it was resolved that the Committee recommends to the incoming Council that consideration be given to moving towards the "Living Wage" rate (excluding Vbase), working within the existing budget for wage and salary increases. Staff were requested to prepare a report that takes into account a range of options, together with costings, for onwards submission to the incoming Council.
1.3 This report is being provided to fulfil the Chief Executive and Employment Matters Committee resolution.
2.1 The decision in this report is of medium significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined by the level of public interest and the potential cost of the options.
4.1 This report does not support the Council's Long Term Plan (2015 - 2025) under Level of Service 13.0.13 Human Resources Activity Management Plan as it potentially introduces a new and materially important remuneration consideration (that was not part of the 2015 Activity Management Plan).
4.4 The Living Wage campaign was launched in 2012 by Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand with the aim of reducing inequality and poverty in society by lifting wages of the lowest paid. The Living Wage is defined as ‘the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life’.[1] The Living Wage is currently set at $19.80 per hour compared to the minimum wage rate of $15.75 legislated by the Government. The Living Wage rate will increase to $20.20 per hour from 1 July 2017.
4.5 Based on data from January 2017, there are 470 staff (excluding approximately 600 Vbase staff but accounting for seasonal summer staff) paid less than $19.80 per hour, representing 16.5% of the total staff of 2840 in the analysis. Of those staff earning less than the Living Wage, 44% are employed as casuals (mostly employed in seasonal roles in the Sport and Recreation Unit), while 22% are employed in permanent no fixed hours/seasonal or fixed term roles. 34% are full time or part time permanent staff. Only 16 staff earning less than $19.80 are permanent full time employees.
4.6 The majority of staff paid below the Living Wage are employed as lifeguards, swim instructors and customer service assistants in the Recreation and Sport Unit. Typically those who are paid less than the Living Wage are younger staff in their twenties and late teens (67%) and staff who have worked at Council less than two years (63%).
4.7 This report outlines three options for adopting a Living Wage policy taking into account both the financial and non-financial implications. Option 1 is to adopt the Living Wage for all direct Council employees (excluding Vbase) at the rate of $20.20 which would cost a minimum of $775,000 annually. The second option is to adopt a Living Wage policy based on a stepped approach similar to that taken by Wellington City Council who currently pay $18.63 per hour based on the original Living Wage rate of $18.40 with an annual adjustment taking CPI into consideration. This option is estimated to cost $285,000 annually. Both these options exclude Vbase staff recognising that Vbase will again become a standalone organisation. The third option is that Council decides not to adopt the Living Wage at the current time given our current and future financial constraints and the uncertain productivity benefits, but we make a commitment to increasing the wages of the lowest paid staff through regular collective bargaining and remuneration adjustment strategies.
4.8 One of the major considerations of adopting the Living Wage is the ongoing future costs. The current estimates are based on current staffing levels but don't take into consideration future market increases, additional hours, relatively adjustments, other entitlements and future increases to the Living Wage rate and therefore it is not possible to forecast the full future costs of adopting the Living Wage.
4.9 Depending on the preferred option and the funding model, there is a risk, depending on future market movements that the costs of maintaining the Living Wage - and at the same time meeting the market movements for all employees - becomes financially unsustainable. This risk is greatest for option 1 (as it has the greatest financial impact). If this risk were to eventuate it would impact on the attraction and retention of staff, particularly in those professions where there is a skill shortage and high demand. If by adopting the Living Wage now, Council is unable to maintain market relativity for the remainder of staff and pay people what they are worth, then there is a potential risk that Council is unable to attract and retain a capable and high performing workforce.
4.10 It is recommended that Council consider and decide upon one of the three options to adopt the Living Wage taking into account both the financial and non-financial implications.
5.1 The Living Wage campaign was launched in 2012 by Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand with the aim of reducing inequality and poverty in society by lifting wages of the lowest paid. The Movement includes around 200 community/secular, union and faith-based groups. It proposed in 2012 that employers be encouraged to ‘opt in’ if they were able and willing to implement the Living Wage policy of $18.40 per hour for employees. There are now around 70 employers listed as accredited Living Wage employers across New Zealand.[2]
5.2 The Living Wage is defined as ‘the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life’.[3] The groups considered that a Living Wage for all households is ‘a necessary and important step in the reduction of poverty in New Zealand’. The original Living Wage rate of $18.40 was set through independent research by the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit and was based on a wage required by a family of two adults and two children[4]. The household is assumed to have two income earners, one working full time and the other half-time. The methodology used doesn’t take account of the personal circumstances of a worker including living arrangements, regional variations and skill set. Since its initial calculation, the Living Wage has increased to its current rate of $19.80 per hour and will increase to $20.20 on 1st July 2017. In comparison, the minimum wage rate provided for in legislation is $15.75 per hour.
5.3 The Council first considered whether to adopt the Living Wage for Council staff in February 2014 where Council resolved that a feasibility study be conducted examining the implications of implementing the Living Wage. A confidential feasibility study of adopting the Living Wage was presented to the December 2014 meeting of the Chief Executive and Employment Matters Subcommittee. This report outlined the arguments for and against the Living Wage and examined the financial costs for Council to adopt the Living Wage for all Council staff as well as Council controlled organisations and contractors. The report examined the domestic and international experience and research of adopting the Living Wage. The report also discussed the organisational data on turnover and engagement in terms of improved productivity versus financial cost.
5.4 Two further confidential reports were presented to the Chief Executive and Employment Matters Subcommittee in May and August 2015 which provided further analysis of the considerations and impact of adopting the Living Wage for Council employees, excluding Vbase staff, recognising that Vbase will again become a standalone organisation. The papers also proposed a set of guiding principles for remuneration as the basis of a remuneration policy that is equitable across the organisation. The resolution from the latter meeting was that the Council continue to work towards Accredited Employer Status rather than formally adopt the Living Wage at that time and staff report back in 2016 with updated data.
5.5 In August 2016, staff reported back on progress to increase the pay rates of the lowest paid staff in the organisation. This report outlined that good progress has been made in reducing the number of employees paid less than the Living Wage rate through intentional and targeted strategies. In the year from August 2015 to August 2016, the number of Council employees (excluding Vbase staff) paid less than the 2015 Living Wage rate of $19.25 reduced by 32% from 481 to 328 employees. Taking into account that the Living Wage rate increased to $19.80 in 2016, the number of the staff paid less than the current Living Wage was 375, a reduction from 18.7% of total staff in 2015 to 14.1% of current total staff included in the analysis. The decision from this meeting was that staff prepare a report outlining options for a future Living Wage policy to be considered by the incoming Council.
5.6 Arguments in favour of introducing the Living Wage largely focus on the opportunity to improve economic prosperity and improve the quality of life of communities. Advocates argue that business benefits such as staff retention and brand recognition also serve as incentives for organisations to adopt the Living Wage. The evidence from literature is mixed[5]. There is evidence of both positive and negative effects of its implementation.
5.7 The criteria for an Accredited Living Wage Employer requires that all directly employed staff and all indirectly paid workers employed by contractors on a regular and ongoing basis are on the current Living Wage rate. The likely mechanism for achieving this latter aspect would be the adoption of procurement practices that require successful contractors to pay their employees a Living Wage. This could most realistically only be achieved at the time contracts are being renewed (or otherwise significantly renegotiated). The costs of requiring indirectly paid workers (i.e. all contractors and sub-contractors to Council) are likely to be significant and are likely to be borne by the Council via increased cost of contracts for service. We have not attempted to model the cost of adopting the Living Wage for indirectly employed staff.
5.8 However, in 2013 the Council asked CCHL to report back on the feasibility of applying a Living Wage requirement to the CCHL group of companies. This report was completed and sent to Council in February 2014. The report recommended against adoption of the Living Wage. At that time, based on the information available from some subsidiaries, the total impact within the CCHL group was identified as $7.2 million of additional costs including maintaining relativity and the cost of requiring sub-contractors to adopt the Living Wage, with by far the biggest impact being in respect to City Care.
5.9 CCHL updated this report in November 2016 with current information from their subsidiaries, outlining the financial impact on the CCHL group. This report concludes that in view of the complexities which would be created in the commercial relationships and the impact on competitiveness for CCHL subsidiaries, CCHL would not recommend to apply the Living Wage concept to Council CCTO’s. The report states that if the Living Wage is applied to companies in the group which are competing in the marketplace then these companies will be uncompetitive and the returns from the companies will be affected so long as the competitors are not obliged to use the same wage regime. The report also makes the point that several of the companies have noted that a high percentage of the employees earning less than the Living Wage are trainees or apprentices. The companies put considerable time into the training of these staff and there could be a tendency away from taking on trainees if the employment rates are increased. Many of the staff employed at City Care who earn less than the Living Wage have been employed within the last 12 months and are receiving ongoing on-job training, suggesting that ‘’through our training efforts, the majority of staff move beyond the Living Wage, by virtue of their increased productivity, in a relatively short time”.
5.10 Amongst Councils, to date, we understand that Wellington City Council and Wellington Regional council have adopted Living Wage policies. Wellington City Council initially introduced the original Living Wage rate of $18.40 for direct employees and have increased this annually to the current rate of $18.63. Last year, Wellington City Council extended this to selected contractors however neither the Wellington City Council or Wellington Regional Council are accredited Living Wage employers. However, Wellington City Council councillors voted to support the official Living Wage rate in the draft annual plan and will seek to obtain Living Wage accreditation within the three year electoral term.[6]
5.11 Auckland City Council have recently voted to introduce the Living Wage policy which will be phased in with all staff to be paid at least $18 an hour from September, increasing each year till 2019. Lower Hutt City Council are also considering options for implementing a Living Wage policy. There is limited information on organisations in Christchurch who have adopted the Living Wage. However, two other large local employers, the University of Canterbury and Canterbury District Health Board have explicitly declined to adopt the Living Wage. The Chamber of Commerce are opposed to the Living Wage.
5.12 The Government’s preferred approach is to keep increasing the minimum wage over time to protect the real incomes of low-paid workers, while minimising job losses. The Government maintains that it has no plans to increase the minimum wage to Living Wage levels, citing the support it already provides in the form of interest-free student loans, the accommodation supplement or allowances, various health and tax packages e.g. Working for Families.
5.13 The Treasury released a report to the Minister of Finance in 2014 on the Living Wage proposal based on an analysis of the Household Economic Survey.[7] This report concluded that the Living Wage proposal is an ineffective way to help families with low incomes because many low income earners are people below the age of 30 who are single or are couples without children. The report concluded that the Living Wage is likely to have negative economic impacts on employment and inflation and the overall impact of poverty levels is likely to be small, but it would represent a change of focus from supporting families with children to supporting young, single people. However, advocates of the Living Wage are critical of the Treasury report saying it is based on a number of unfounded assumptions and is seriously flawed.[8]
5.15 Based on personnel figures from January 2017, there are 470 employees (excluding Vbase)[9] paid less than the Living Wage rate of $19.80. This is an increase of 95 staff compared to August 2016 and reflects the increase in casual and seasonal staff (i.e. a timing / seasonal difference); Lifeguards, Swim Education Instructors and Parks Field workers employed over the summer period. 36% of employees paid less than the Living Wage are paid between $17.00 - $18.00 with 30% paid between $19.00 - $18.00 per hour and 21% between $19.80 and $19.00 per hour.
5.16 Of those staff earning less than the Living Wage, the majority (44%) are employed as casuals and 22% are employed in permanent no fixed hours/seasonal or fixed term roles. Council has no staff on zero hour contracts. 34% are full time or part time permanent staff while only 16 staff earning less than $19.80 are permanent full time employees. The majority of staff paid below the Living Wage are employed as lifeguards, swim instructors and customer service assistants.
5.17 The Treasury report noted that those who would benefit most under a Living Wage policy are workers without dependents including teenagers and workers in their twenties. While Council does not hold information on whether staff have dependents or not, our analysis shows that the majority of staff paid less than the Living Wage are typically younger employees with less than two years tenure at Council. Two thirds of staff paid below the Living Wage are in their twenties or younger and 63% have worked at Council less than two years. 27% of staff are under the age of twenty and 29% are between 20-24 years of age. Nearly half (46%) have been at Council for less than a year and 17% are in their second year of employment at Council. Only 24% of staff earning less than the Living Wage have been employed at Council for longer than three years.
5.18 Another consideration in adopting the Living Wage at Council is the complexity of the employment environment given the number of different collectives and agreements and the various employment provisions within all these agreements. The Council currently has staff employed on eight agreements with five unions, as well as those employed on individual employment agreements. Given the number of agreements, there are a wide range of terms and conditions which need to be taken into consideration in implementing a remuneration strategy to ensure an equitable outcome. This means that a Living Wage policy would need to take into consideration the varying agreement provisions such as leave entitlements, overtime and other service allowances which will impact on the overall remuneration package.
6.1 Option 1 is that Council adopt the Living Wage rate of $20.20 for all staff paid below this rate based upon an agreed set of criteria being met such as staff having attained a competency to work unsupervised.
6.2 The adoption of the Living Wage rate of $20.20 for all direct Council staff (excluding Vbase) is calculated at a minimum cost of $775,000 annually. This estimated cost is a minimum due to the high number of casual and seasonal staff who may work extra hours over and above the hours used for the calculations. The costs also exclude kiwi saver, overtime, penal rates and any other allowances affected by pay increases.
6.3 One of the major considerations of adopting the Living Wage is the ongoing future costs. The current estimates are based on current staffing levels but don't take into consideration future market increases, additional hours, other entitlements and future increases to the Living Wage rate and therefore it is not possible to forecast the full future costs of adopting the Living Wage. However, given that the majority of staff below the Living Wage work in Recreation and Sports, as new pool facilities open, there would be an increase to the operating costs over and above what has been forecasted to pay these employees the Living Wage.
6.4 In the past few years, the market movement for wages/salary rates has been relatively stable with increases around 2% - although some very recent commentary based on the latest inflation figures, is starting to suggest a period of higher inflation / wage growth.
6.5 The risk of adopting the Living Wage based on the current financial and market data, is that the future costs of maintaining the Living Wage and meeting the market movement for all staff, becomes financially unsustainable (and Council is therefore required to provide additional funding to avoid the risk eventuating). If this risk is not addressed and does eventuate, then it will impact the attraction and retention of staff, particularly in those professions where there is a skill shortage, high demand, or where Council is materially falling behind the market movement. This would in turn impact on future collective and individual agreement negotiations, potentially increasing the risk of industrial action and/or future remuneration increases above the rate of CPI to make up for lost relativity to the market.
6.6 The cost of adopting the Living Wage at $20.20 is estimated at $775k annually. This is currently not funded on an ongoing basis within the existing salary/wages budget.
6.7 The Council is not able to afford the Living Wage under option 1, without any overall increase to salary budgets.
6.8 Under option 1, and assuming settlement of other Collective and Individual Employment Agreements roughly consistent with recent market movements, it is likely that the Council will need to fund approximately an additional $400-500k per annum (i.e. the existing budgets can absorb approximately $300-$400k of further cost). This would be less in the FY17/18 depending on implementation timeframes. Future increases may also be required depending on Living Wage movements (which have historically been slightly higher than CPI at 2.5%) and other market movements.
6.9 There is also the consideration that were Council to adopt the Living Wage this could impact on external labour market movements. For example, if the Council was to pay staff well above the industry market, this could impact on commercial operators in the same industry, as they won't be able to match Council wages, potentially putting jobs at risk. This risk is especially relevant in sectors where the Council has a significant market share such as recreation and sport, and can therefore heavily influence the viability of smaller market players.
6.10 The decision to adopt the Living Wage and base remuneration on a set rate irrespective of performance, competence, job role and responsibilities, or market data may also impact on employee's perceptions of how they are valued (especially for those employees paid just above the Living Wage threshold). In the case where there are no relativity adjustments between existing roles and between levels, this may also create tension in the medium and long-term with staff feeling that the experience/knowledge required and additional responsibilities of their roles are not recognised. This is more of a consideration the higher the living wage rate is set. This, in turn, could lead to increased turnover and difficulty recruiting to fill those positions.
6.11 There is also the broader consideration with regards to the relative roles of central government and local government. Central government has responsibility for establishing national settings around minimum wages and other related social policies and financial support mechanisms. The consideration for local government is what role it plays in addressing the objectives behind the Living Wage and whether this type of policy should sit at a macro, national level or with local government.
7.1 Option 2 is that Council decides to adopt a Living Wage policy based on a stepped approach for example at a rate of $18.63 per hour as Wellington Council has done (which is based on the original Living Wage rate of $18.40 plus an annual adjustment). Similarly with Option 1, this would be based upon an agreed set of criteria being met such as staff having attained a competency to work unsupervised. The adoption of the Living Wage rate of $18.63 for all direct Council staff (excluding Vbase) is estimated at a minimum of $285,000 annually excluding kiwi saver, overtime, penal rates and any other allowances affected by pay increases.
7.2 This approach recognises a commitment to raise the wages of the lowest paid but also takes into account what is affordable and other factors related to relativity both internally and externally with the market.
7.3 This approach would raise the wages of 310 employees which represents two thirds of those paid below the Living Wage as well as providing flexibility to adopt a remuneration strategy that takes into account performance, competencies and market information. Regardless of whether Council sets a rate of $18.63 or $19.80, Council would not meet the criteria to be an accredited Living Wage employer as it has not applied the rate to Vbase staff who are directly employed by Council or contractors (including CCHL and all external indirectly employed staff).
7.4 Option 2 would represent a reduced risk in terms of affordability as compared to option 1. Over the short to medium term – and subject to no unusual remuneration circumstances – Council could absorb the additional cost of $285,000 (increasing annually) incurred through partially adopting the Living Wage.
7.5 There would still be increased risk of relativity differences and difficulty in meeting the market movement for all employees, however, on balance, these are considered manageable. If this situation changes, and for example, industrial action occurs due to the inability to meet reasonable market movements, then we would of course give Council options on additional funding at future budget rounds (Annual or Long Term Plans).
8.1 The third option is that Council decides not to adopt the Living Wage at the current time given its current and future financial constraints and the uncertain productivity benefits, but makes a commitment to increasing the wages of the lowest paid staff. The benefits of this approach are it provides a fair and consistent methodology for setting remuneration in partnership with unions (via collective agreements), and supports a strategy to attract and retain an engaged and productive workforce. It provides a stepped approach to increasing the lower wages based on competencies, performance and market rates through future collective bargaining and remuneration adjustment strategies, however, may not achieve the outcomes sought to raise the wages of the lowest paid staff as quickly as Options 1 or 2.
· High risk that Council cannot maintain market rates for all staff leading to a failure to attracting and retaining highly skilled, top performing staff
· Judicial challenge that paying the living wage is not the most effective way to provide a service under the LGA.
· Some risk that increasing costs reduces budget to maintain market rates for all staff leading to a risk of not attracting and retaining highly skilled, top performing staff
· No additional opex is currently required as it is proposed to fund this cost from within existing baselines.
· Maintains a consistent approach for all staff irrespective of where staff are employed in Council.
9.1 Section 10, clause (b) of the Local Government says the purpose of local government is to “…meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.” In making a decision regarding the introduction of a Living Wage policy the Council would need to demonstrate that this change in the way it delivers services is the most cost-effective for households and businesses. This may take the form of better staff engagement and morale, greater expertise, greater organisational commitment, all of which lead to greater productivity.
9.2 It has been argued that the LGA 2002 is a barrier to adopting the living wage as it may contradict section 10(b) in that paying staff who currently receive less than the living wage more than the market rate would not be “cost effective”. However, a legal opinion provided to the Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand Group by Dr Matthew Palmer[10] concludes it is not a barrier and bases his opinion on material that explains the economic justification of a living wage in terms of associated productivity gains and that pursuing such a policy would be consistent with the purpose of local government.
9.3 As noted earlier, the estimated cost of Option 1 is $775k p/a. This is currently not funded within the existing salary/wages budget and some additional funding (of $400k-$500k p/a) would need to come via a rates increase to fund this on an ongoing basis. The remainder of the funding could be absorbed within existing budgets through a tightening of remuneration budgets / future Collective and Individual Employment settlements. The impact of part funding this from within the current salary/wages budget at a level of $300-$400k would still reduce the budget for other wage groups, impacting on our ability to maintain parity with the market which is likely to have an adverse impact on attracting and retaining quality staff.
9.4 Option 2 is estimated to cost $285k annually, which based on the market movements in the past two years, would have a lesser impact on the overall salary/wages budget, and on balance, is considered more affordable. If this option was implemented there would still be a reduction in the overall budget available for other collective and individual employment agreement increases (i.e. we may fall behind overall market movements). While this would be manageable within existing budgets for the short to medium term (i.e. no rates impact from implementation), over the long term, employees would generally expect the Council to maintain parity with market movements. Additional future funding may therefore be required for Option 2 in future years.
9.5 The other consideration when applying the Living Wage is relativity, both between existing roles who are currently on different pay rates and between supervisory levels. In the event that the wages of the lowest paid staff are increased to the Living Wage, other wage groups such as the one up team leader or other roles within a unit may need to be scaled upwards to maintain internal relativity. Any further cost needed to retain relativity is difficult to determine, and would be subject to negotiation and agreement with the unions. However, the higher the rate adopted, the greater the impact is on relativity implications.
9.6 If the decision was made to adopt the Living Wage (either in part or full), this would need to be negotiated into future collective agreements or agreed to in a variation to current agreements. The majority of union staff are covered by the City Services Agreement which expires 30 September 2017. A factor for consideration in union negotiations will be how adopting the Living Wage impacts on the relativities between roles under coverage of the unions.
9.7 If Options 1 or 2 are adopted, the next step would be to develop an implementation plan with an effective target date for implementation of 31 October 2017. Under either Options 1 or 2, the rate would be based upon an agreed set of criteria being met such as staff having attained a competency to work unsupervised with the rate set around the midpoint of the band.
9.8 If options 1 or 2 are adopted, it is proposed that staff would report back to a committee of Council on progress towards giving effect to this by 30 November 2017 (therefore taking into account the upcoming City Services collective agreement negotiation).
It is recommended that Council consider the options to adopt the Living Wage taking into account both the financial and non-financial implications.
1. Note the work proposed for the Council to lead and expedite the regeneration planning for the earthquake related damage at South New Brighton.
2. Request staff to report back to the Committee in September 2017 with an update including reference to potential planning processes for the area south of Bridge Street.
1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Strategic Capability Committee to note the recommended process for Council leading and expediting regeneration planning for earthquake related damage to the area of South New Brighton. The report also provides an update on related work programmes in the area to provide context for the South New Brighton work.
1.2 This report is being provided to fulfil the Council Annual Plan 2017-18 resolution CAPL/2017/00022 requesting a report back on a proposed approach for the Council to lead and expedite the regeneration planning for earthquake related damage to the area of South New Brighton.
2.1 The decision in this report is of low significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined as this decision does not bind the Council to any specific course of action. The level of impact on people, property and infrastructure in the area affected by the decision is medium as it will assist in resolving earthquake land damage issues for residents in this area.
4.2 The Council will lead a project to resolve the earthquake related damage issues for the identified area in South New Brighton. This will involve:
4.3 Consultation and engagement will be undertaken at various stages. This will also rely on engagement led by Regenerate Christchurch for a regeneration strategy for Southshore and South New Brighton.
4.4 It is proposed that the project will be undertaken as part of the Southshore and South New Brighton Regeneration Strategy, a collaborative venture with Regenerate Christchurch. Regenerate Christchurch propose that the regeneration strategy will focus on the short, medium and long term response to adaptation for the effects of climate change and sea level rise, alongside the social and economic needs of the community.
5.1 On 20 June 2017 the Council resolved (CAPL/2017/00022) three actions for Southshore and South New Brighton based around estuary edge protection and regeneration planning. This report responds to the third action.
5.2 The third action requested a report back by 30 August 2017 on a proposed approach for the Council to lead and expedite the regeneration planning for earthquake related damage to the area of South New Brighton. This report:
5.2.1 provides an update on the background context to clarify how a Council led and expedited regeneration planning work programme may fit in with other related work programmes; and
5.3 The first action of the resolution directed that a report be provided back to the Council by 30 August 2017 on the OCEL Consultants Ltd’s proposal for estuary edge protection at Southshore. The report is to include feasibility of the proposal, options and statutory mechanisms to allow estuary edge protection. It is noted that an internal project team is being set up to respond to this, led by the Land Drainage Recovery Programme team.
5.4 The second action of the resolution requested Regenerate Christchurch to review their proposed timeframes for Southshore regeneration planning.
5.5 This report refers to the part of South New Brighton generally defined by the area extending west from Estuary Road where it intersects with Jervois Street and Beatty Street. The area is shown in the figure below.
5.6 This is the area of interest that will form the basis of the project area for considering earthquake land damage in South New Brighton. The focus will be on the residential properties in the area.
5.7 The South New Brighton area is low lying and is vulnerable to natural hazards including river and tidal flooding, liquefaction and coastal erosion.
5.8 This part of South New Brighton sustained considerable land damage including significant global settlement, as well as changes to land through seismic movement and liquefaction, and lateral spreading, as a result of the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (CES). The area did not meet the criteria to be zoned red by the Crown, unlike other parts of the river corridor to the north and estuary edge to the south (Southshore).
5.9 The vertical land movement associated with the CES increased flooding vulnerability. The high groundwater is an existing issue, which has been exacerbated by the CES.
5.10 Following the earthquakes, temporary stop banks were installed – running north from Bridge Street, along the very edge of the Avon River. The stop banks reduce risk to the area from fluvial and tidal flooding. The temporary stop banks were constructed with an anticipated lifespan of 20 years. Short-term improvements are needing to be undertaken to reduce risks of stop bank failure.
5.11 As a result of the vertical changes to the land (global settlement) due to the CES compared with the pre-2010 land, the area is already, and will continue to be, more vulnerable to high groundwater levels, and higher potential for flooding and liquefaction. This continues to create on-going issues for the residents in the area.
5.12 The South New Brighton area is one part of the extensive coastal areas in the district that is susceptible to coastal hazards and the impacts of climate change (particularly with respect to sea level rise). These issues are future orientated and are in addition to the legacy earthquake related issues which are about resolving detrimental land change in response to the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence.
5.13 The Coastal Futures project is a separate programme of work and extensive community participation and engagement around the adaptive management responses to coastal hazards and the impacts of climate change on coastal settlements and infrastructure across the district. The goal is to explore, establish and co-design pathways for adaptation and mitigation with the local and wider community to be better prepared for the effects of coastal hazards and climate change.
5.14 That project will include the use of scenarios for future changes to the coast and coastal settlements. Whilst providing an overall approach for responding to coastal hazards and climate change, the outcomes from the project will recognise that one size does not fit all in terms of local values and responses. The South New Brighton community along with all other coastal communities of the district will be involved in this engagement.
5.15 The Coastal Futures project will, in due course, inform any changes necessary to the Christchurch District Plan. The coastal hazard provisions were removed from the Christchurch Replacement District Plan process through an amended Order in Council. The Order in Council states that a review of existing coastal hazard provisions will commence as soon as is reasonably practicable. Any amendments necessary to the district plan will proceed under one of the plan change processes of the Resource Management Act.
5.16 The coastal futures project will also inform the 30 year infrastructure strategy and in particular the long term river and tidal flood management approach for the coastal settlements across the district.
5.17 The Coastal Futures project was initiated in December 2016 but has not progressed as it has been on hold awaiting the updated coastal hazards assessment report.
5.18 Regenerate Christchurch is in the process of initiating a project for development of a regeneration strategy for Southshore and South New Brighton, incorporating the Southshore Residential Red Zone. The area includes all of South New Brighton and Southshore, essentially picking up where the Otakaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan ends (at Withells reserve), including the estuary edge.
5.19.2 Identify options (over the short, medium and long term) for the Southshore and South New Brighton communities to adapt to environmental aspects of the heightened risk of seismic activity over the next few decades and the effects of climate change and sea level rise. This will involve scenario planning and development of a strategy for regeneration and adaptation.
5.20 That process provides for co-ordinated and collaborative engagement on the wider issues for Southshore and South New Brighton. This includes addressing the overlapping issues of coastal hazards, future use of the Residential Red Zone, loss of social and community connection and amenity. These issues would be considered alongside adaptation for the effects of climate change and sea level rise. The shared understanding of the issues has been informed by community engagement undertaken by Regenerate Christchurch.
5.21 While Council is a statutory partner under the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act (GCRA), it is proposed that for this regeneration strategy project the Council will take a more active role in a joint venture with Regenerate Christchurch. The intention is that the Council will lead the earthquake land damage issues for South New Brighton. Regenerate Christchurch will lead the community engagement process and the regeneration strategy. The community engagement process will inform both work streams, along with targeted engagement on specific issues where appropriate.
5.22 The proposed timeframes for the project 10-12 months, with the final regeneration strategy likely to be completed mid-2018. The regeneration strategy is not a statutory document. Regeneration plans may be developed as a result of the strategy.
5.23 The development of the regeneration strategy by Regenerate Christchurch would focus on the matters addressed in the ‘Coastal Futures project’ for the Southshore and South New Brighton area.
5.24 It needs to be noted that managing land use in relation to risks from natural hazards, including coastal hazards and the effects of climate change, is a legislative functional responsibility of the Council. The Coastal Futures project was developed to enable the Council to perform its functions. If Regenerate Christchurch are to lead a regeneration strategy for Southshore and South New Brighton as a ‘pilot’ for the wider coastal futures project, it will likely have implications on the proposed Coastal Futures workstream, as explained below.
5.25 Staff consider that the wider Coastal Futures project would possibly need to be deferred until the proposed regeneration strategy was complete, or significantly advanced. The rationale for this is that the risks of running two processes in parallel that address similar issues would result in duplication and potential confusion among stakeholders and the public. It would also be difficult to resource the two projects simultaneously. If Coastal Futures, and a subsequent coastal hazards plan change, is deferred this would need to be considered against the obligation under the Canterbury Earthquake (Christchurch Replacement District Plan) Order 2014 that as soon as reasonably practicable after the commencement of clause 5A of the OIC the CCC must commence a review of the existing coastal hazard provisions under schedule 1 of the RMA ((cl.5A(2)(d) of the OIC.
5.26 As discussed above, the Council will lead and expedite the regeneration planning for earthquake related land damage to the area of South New Brighton. Also, the Council will work with Regenerate Christchurch to review their proposed timeframes for regeneration planning for Southshore, with the view to bringing these forward, as per the Council resolution. A further report will be provided on this matter.
5.27 The following steps will be undertaken for the earthquake related land damage matters, as shown in Figure 1. The steps focus on ensuring a robust process to firstly identify the most vulnerable areas.
The Strategic Capability Committee held a meeting on 7 July 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from the Strategic Capability Committee meeting held 7 July 2017.
The Te Hononga Council – Papatipu Rūnanga Committee held a meeting on 29 June 2017 and is circulating the Minutes recorded to the Council for its information.
That the Council receives the Minutes from Te Hononga Council – Papatipu Rūnanga Committee meeting held 29 June 2017.
1.1 The purpose of this report is to ask Council to consider the reasonably practicable options available for achieving the Remediation Option in relation to the post-earthquake flood mitigation works within the Knights Drain and Aranui area adopted by the Council on 12 November 2015, and to determine which option is to be proceeded with.
1.2 This report follows from the 12 November 2015 Council report: Knights Drain Concept Design. Council resolved on the 12 November 2015 to progress the preferred option (remediation) to detailed design. Since that report SCIRT was engaged to progress the design and construction of the Stage 1 pump station and rising main works. These works have now been enacted but did not include the necessary upstream storage works required. This report presents options for the Council to consider to provide the necessary storage upstream of the pump station along with options to improve water quality of discharges to the Avon River / Ōtākaro that require low or infrequent maintenance.
1.3 The Stage 2 works proposed in Wainoni Park and described in the 12 November 2015 Report are progressing within the Land Drainage Recovery Programme (LDRP) and are not discussed in this report.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined by considering that the implications of not undertaking flood remediation in the Knights Drain and Aranui catchments could have negative social impacts on the local community. There continues to be community interest in post-earthquake flooding issues, and Knights Drain is one of the city's lowest areas (relative to the tide). The overall programme is significant and has wide ranging impacts across the city. The Knights Drain project is one of the projects being delivered on a fast-track programme within the LDRP. As a result the community engagement on the proposed ponds was undertaken in parallel with the SCIRT pump station works to speed project delivery.
2.1.2 The community engagement and consultation outlined in this report reflect the assessment. Engagement with directly affected landowners has been undertaken along with public consultation on the options considered, including the preferred option.
1. Having considered the assessment of options and alternative sites, and the views and preferences of interested and affected persons identified by way of the consultation process outlined in this report:
a. Approves and adopts ‘Option A – Storage Pond and Treatment Pond or Wetland’ as described in this report to achieve the Remediation Option in relation to the post-earthquake flood mitigation works within the Knights Drain and Aranui area adopted by the Council on 12 November 2015 (“the Project”), and
b. Approves and adopts ‘Location Option 1 – Adjacent to Knights Drain’ described in this report and the land as is shown highlighted in red in Figure 2 contained in this report as the location for the Project (“the Land”).
c. Council accepts financial responsibility for the Project and funding for the purchase of the Land and the construction and commissioning of the Project is provided in the 2015-25 Long Term Plan.
4. Delegates authority to the Property Consultancy Manager to purchase the Land for the Project and dispose of any land necessary to facilitate the project or that becomes surplus, and in doing so to negotiate and enter into any such agreements with all parties on such terms and conditions as he shall consider expedient or necessary.
4.2 The options assessment is presented in two stages. The first stage identifies the preferred type of intervention (i.e. the public work) to meet the Council’s objective to deliver the remediation option adopted by the Council by its resolution of 12 December 2015. The second stage identifies the preferred location for the public work. The following feasible options are considered in this report for the purposes of identifying the preferred public work:
4.3 In terms of identifying the type of intervention or public work required to meet the Council’s objective, Option A has been identified by staff as the preferred option. It provides the greatest certainty of benefit, highest resilience and the lowest maintenance. It is also the preferred option in Councils design guidance.
4.4 The second stage of the assessment is necessarily based on an assumption that the Council decides to construct a Storage Pond and Treatment Pond or Wetland (the preferred Option A mentioned above) and considers the preferred location of that public work. The options to be considered are:
4.6 In terms of identifying the location of the public work to meet the Council’s objective, ‘Location Option 1 – Adjacent to Knights Drain’ has been identified by staff as the preferred option. This option involves the purchase of approximately 13 properties within the triangle of land between Knights Drain, Pages Road and Anzac Drive. A storage pond and upgrades to the existing wetland, would then be built to provide significantly increased storage and provide water quality, recreational and landscape benefits.
4.7 Overall Option Summary - Advantages and Disadvantages of the Storage Pond and Treatment Pond or Wetland Adjacent to Knights Drain (preferred option) are provided below:
· Significant reduction in overall risk profile to a wide range of hazards within the catchment (as discussed in paragraph 4.9 below)
· Wider water quality and hazard reduction benefits than current approved concept (pump station and small pond)
4.8 The budget required to deliver the preferred option is estimated at $12.8 million (including a 15% contingency). The costs are broken down as follows:
4.9 This option presents a more resilient and sustainable long term option as it reduces the risk of flooding and reduces the potential impacts to the 13 properties of a range of current and future hazards: groundwater flooding, coastal inundation, liquefaction, earthquake induced land damage and tsunami.
5.1 Options for flood remediation in the Knights Drain and Aranui area were reported to Council on 12 November 2015. This report presented repair, remediation and enhancement options. It was resolved at that meeting to progress the remediation option to detailed design. The remediation option was split into Stage 1 and Stage 2:
5.1.1 Stage 1: Construction of a replacement pump station near to Anzac Drive (complete) and decommissioning of the existing PS204, remediation of the existing Knights Drain stormwater basin, and modifications to Knights Drain.
5.1.2 Stage 2: Construction of detention storage within Wainoni Park (not the subject of this report).
5.2 Pre-earthquake and post-earthquake floor levels estimated to be at risk from pluvial flooding within the catchment were earlier reported and are replicated in Table 1. The effect of the proposed mitigation works (Stage 1 and Stage 2) on at risk floor levels are also shown in Table 1.
5.3 The Stage 1 properties are a small subset of the numbers provided in Table 1. There is only one property that has not been demolished since the earthquakes, estimated to be at risk of floor level flooding in the predicted 2% AEP rainfall event. As part of recent investigations 56 properties are estimated to be at risk of foundation / underfloor flooding in the predicted 2% AEP rainfall event in the stage 1 area, including the one property at risk of floor level flooding.
5.4 Daily tidal flooding would occur if there were no infrastructure to protect the area and this is not consistent with current land use (residential housing). Continued residential occupation of the land necessitates protection against the tide in order to make the area habitable. There are 54 homes with floor levels estimated and/or surveyed within 100 mm of the 10% AEP tide level and a total of 58 homes with floor levels estimated and/or surveyed within 100 mm of the 2% AEP tide level. These numbers could significantly increase with sea level rise as a result of climate change.
5.5 The risk of inundation from the tide is currently managed by the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stopbanks. The state of the stopbanks was discussed in a report to ITE on 5 May 2016 and they are currently undergoing work to improve their resilience and longevity.
5.6 Stormwater pumping was identified as the preferred option and the preferred location of the pump station was back from the edge of the Avon River / Ōtākaro, to remove it from future lateral spread effects and to permit possible future realignment of the stopbanks (with the intention of increasing resilience and reducing the cost of the stopbanks and pump station). Until the final alignment of the stopbanks has been decided (governed by Residential Red Zone (RRZ) future use decisions) it is advantageous to locate new infrastructure as far away from the river as possible.
5.7 Following the 12 November 2015 meeting SCIRT was instructed to progress design and construction of the new pump station, rising main and stormwater basin upgrades. In progressing the design and construction they identified two key issues:
· Cost: The work at that time identified higher projected cost for delivery of the proposed Stage 1 works being a pump station, rising main and stormwater basin. The estimated costs rose from approximately $7 million +/- 30% to approximately $11 million +/- 30%
· Basin form: More detailed topographic and groundwater data have shown that a wetland upstream of the proposed pump station on existing Council owned land alone will not yield the desired storage volumes. If no additional land is available a wet pond will be required in place of the existing wetland and this is unlikely to achieve a significant water quality benefit if it were to operate in isolation
5.8 The increased estimated costs for the project provided an opportunity to review alternative options that could meet the project and programme objectives and deliver better value for the community. As a result Council instructed SCIRT to construct the pump station and rising main only and proceeded to investigate options for storage upstream of the pump station which are the subject of this report. The construction of the pump station is now complete at a cost of $4.8 million.
5.9 An investigation was undertaken by Aurecon that developed options to improve both water quality and water quantity objectives (Attachment A). 13 water quantity and 14 water quality options are evaluated qualitatively in the Aurecon report. As discussed in the Aurecon report attached, these options were then combined into eight location options that met both objectives. The Aurecon report evaluates these eight options using a multi criteria assessment (MCA) that included subject matter specialists and representatives from the options investigation team. This report was made publically available during the consultation period.
5.10 This Council report describes this process in two parts. Identification of the preferred type of work and the identification of the preferred location of the work. However, the full 8 options are evaluated in the attached Aurecon report regardless of type, to give greatest certainty to Council that the types of work that are not preferred in the first part of the evaluation would not yield the final preferred option.
5.11 There are three types of works that could be enacted to achieve Council’s objective to significantly improve flood attenuation storage upstream of the new pump station and provide water quality enhancement while requiring low or infrequent maintenance:
5.12 Options that have open space provide a much wider range in benefits for the community. Landscape, recreational, cultural and ecological benefits can all be obtained through use of options that provide ponds or wetlands. Ponds and wetlands have been installed and operated across the city for a long time with relatively well understood benefits. With suitable bank reinforcement they are relatively resilient as they are easy to repair following an earthquake.
5.13 Rain gardens can provide landscape and streetscape benefits but have reduced ecological and recreational benefits and more challenging maintenance due to their distributed nature. The effectiveness of rain gardens can also be impacted by poor maintenance leading to reduced soakage rates. Given the engineered nature of rain gardens in urban areas they can be less resilient than a pond in an earthquake event.
5.14 Filtration devices provide water quality benefits alone and are promoted in areas where other options are not feasible or cost effective. Filtration devices can also have significant maintenance costs and are in this location, less resilient in comparison to the other options, i.e. they are most difficult to modify following an event, require the greatest hydraulic head and are typically concrete structures that are subject to buoyancy effects. Council is currently constructing a large device within the Bell’s Creek catchment on Richardson Terrace. This device has been installed as a pilot to help understand construction and ongoing maintenance costs, which need to be better understood in the local Christchurch environment.
5.15 The Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan Blueprint (which supports Council’s application for the global stormwater discharge consent for the catchment) identifies a treatment toolbox which includes all the above options for water quality treatment. The blueprint prioritises and ranks a wide range of treatment options based upon a number of values supported. The following rankings were provided for the water quality options that are considered feasible in this project:
· Filtration Devices ranked eleventh (least preferred of options presented in this report for this particular circumstance)
5.16 Other highly ranked options from in the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan Blueprint were not considered feasible or discounted in the attached Aurecon report (Attachment A).
5.17 This assessment is consistent with the Council’s Surface Water Strategy 2009 – 2039 and Waterways, Wetlands and Drainage Guide. These two documents provide the guiding framework for implementation of stormwater management across the city.
5.18 The Waterways, Wetlands and Drainage Guide also provides guidance on suitable approaches to managing water quantity. Again, open space options with storage are preferred above pumped options as they support multiple values. In the Knights Drain catchment a pump station is required as the land is below high tide level, however options that include storage upstream would be more consistent with Council guidance and best practice.
5.19 The criteria used to assess options in both parts of the assessment are: resilience, water quality outcome, non-drainage values, operations and maintenance, constructability / ease of implementation and disruption. The above list is provided in order of importance within the assessment. The water quantity benefits of each option, now and in the future, were assessed within the resilience criteria. The average score for options by type is provided in Table 2 below:
5.20 The findings are similar to the ranking provided in the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan Blueprint and other Council guidance document. Option A – Storage Pond and Treatment Pond or Wetland is recommended to Council as the proposed public work as it will best meet the project objectives. This option also provides the greatest certainty of benefit, highest resilience and the lowest maintenance. It is also the preferred option in Councils design guidance.
5.22 These options are described fully in the options sections below. The Location Options are assessed using the same criteria as is applied to the type of public work. A fifth option: Do Nothing is also described in the sections below to provide Council a full range of possible options. However, the do nothing option was not evaluated through the MCA process as it does not meet the project objectives.
5.23 Cost was evaluated separately and plotted against MCA score (Figure 1). This helps to indicate options that are good ‘value for money’. Cost was also included explicitly in the MCA assessment in a sensitivity test to help understand if a different approach would provide similar outcomes. The sensitivity test showed little change to the ranking of options with the same option preferred in both assessments. The costs shown in this plot and the attached Aurecon report differ from the budgets quoted in this Council report as they do not include the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main costs or the overall project contingency.
5.24 The preferred option identified during the MCA (‘Option 1: Storage/treatment in triangular area’ in the attached Aurecon report) is included in this report as the preferred option. This option is to significantly increase the size of the existing stormwater basin and repair the existing wetland. This option had the highest non-price score and was found to be of highest value for Council as it:
5.25 Delivery of this option requires the purchase of approximately 13 properties adjacent to Knights Drain. Purchase of these properties better addresses the wider range of hazards faced by this part of our community than the option resolved by Council on 12 November 2015.
5.26 Location Option 3 was identified as next favourable and is to construct a basin and wet pond / wetland within the RRZ (described within the attached Aurecon report as ‘Option 3: Storage/treatment in the Red Zone’). This option also had high non-price scoring and is estimated to be at a similar but lower cost. However this option was assessed as having lower resilience due to the proximity to the Avon River / Ōtākaro. Delivery of this option would require access to the RRZ, which at this stage is highly uncertain.
5.27 Location Option 2 and Location Option 4 have significantly higher cost than Location Options 1 and 3. They are not preferred as they are less efficient hydraulically and require works on likely contaminated land. Options 2, 3 and 4 have similar non-price scores.
5.28 Council’s strategic planning framework for the current Long Term Plan seeks to achieve community outcomes for Christchurch. Delivery of improved water quality and flood risk reduction help work towards meeting a number of community outcomes:
· Statutory obligations are met by the Council: delivering water quality improvements will aid Council in meeting its obligations and targets for stormwater discharge
· Urban areas are well designed and meet the needs of the community: in applying a 6-values approach to stormwater management Council meets a higher number of needs for the community, including landscape, recreational, cultural and drainage needs
· People participate in a wide range of recreational activities: options that include water quality enhancement utilising open space (e.g. the preferred option) increase opportunities recreational activities such as walking and also provides a small area where the public can access a place of natural interest
· Communities are safe: Risks from natural hazards including earthquakes, flooding and tsunami are minimised with the preferred option
· Christchurch’s unique landscapes and indigenous biodiversity are protected and enhanced: open space options can provide new habitat for indigenous water bird species, potentially including threatened species such as black cormorant, little cormorants, Australasian bittern, and marsh crake. Fresh water wetland plant communities are acutely threatened and this proposal presents an opportunity to provide and extend existing wetland habitat that is currently at risk of multiple threats
· Water quality and quantity are protected and restored: Water quality in the Avon River / Ōtākaro will be improved with the preferred option
· The community values natural resources and uses them sustainably: Options with open water and wetland components provides for a potential source of mahinga kai such as medicinal plants, cultural resource (harakeke for weaving) and celebration and transfer of traditional knowledge
· Christchurch’s infrastructure supports sustainable economic growth: Enacting flood mitigation will reduce flood risk and the consequential loss of production. This also extends to the mitigation of other natural hazard for the occupants of the properties within the footprint of the preferred option
5.29 In addition to the benefits of the proposed public work (the preferred option), the properties within the area between Knights Drain, Anzac Drive and Pages Road are exposed to many of the natural hazards that can be expected in the eastern suburbs flat land areas including: earthquakes and liquefaction, fluvial and pluvial flooding, coastal inundation, and tsunami. For this area there are also potential man-made hazards such as contaminated groundwater from adjoining historic landfills.
5.30 This area has been significantly impacted by the 2010 - 2016 Canterbury Earthquakes ('the earthquakes'). The recent earthquake series is responsible for significant global land settlement with survey data showing a measureable 'land drop' associated with each large event – ‘global’ settlement has been measured in excess of 0.5 m in some areas. The low lying properties adjacent to the existing drain are now approximately 0.5 m to 1 m below green zone properties immediately adjacent to the RRZ in South New Brighton and Southshore.
5.31 As global settlement (and ground surface deformation) has been a significant feature associated with each earthquake event, a similar effect can be expected in future events, such as, another significant aftershock or the rupture of any large regional fault, such as, the Alpine or Hope Faults.
5.32 Global settlement has significantly altered the hazard profile of the properties immediately adjacent to the drain. This area highlights how individual hazards can cascade: major earthquake shaking triggers an immediate ground response which then causes cascading hazards like liquefaction, lateral spreading, ground subsidence and increased flooding/ inundation vulnerability.
5.33 Groundwater levels are likely to rise with sea levels. The impact of sea level rise on groundwater levels is not currently accurately quantified and could have a significant impact on this area. The existing pump station and stormwater network could be used to control groundwater and this is likely to require pumping increasing quantities of groundwater.
5.34 There is considerable risk to any existing or future built development. If a LIM were requested for one of these properties it could contain approximately eight (8) different flood notes, and notes relating to earthquake related land damage, vulnerability to liquefaction, coastal erosion, uncontrolled filling and waterway setbacks. A building consent application has resulted in a hazard notice being placed on the title of the only recently constructed dwelling in the area of interest.
5.35 Future land damage could result in further increases in flood, tsunami and liquefaction vulnerability.
5.36 Only the preferred option will significantly reduce these risks to the community as the other options do not include works on areas that are currently occupied.
6.1 The Storage Pond and Treatment Pond or Wetland Adjacent to Knights Drain Option is located in a triangle of land bounded by Knights Drain, Pages Road and ANZAC Drive (Figure 2) and includes:
· Construction of a low bund in front of approximately three properties along Pages Road to protect low lying floor levels
6.2 To provide the required stormwater storage and water quality treatment the area will need to be dug out by approximately one and a half to two metres to form two ponds. Flow will be diverted into the ponds via a new connection from Knights Drain. The water will travel through the ponds where the sediment and some of the contaminants can settle out and back to Knights Drain upstream of the pump station.
6.3 The existing timber lined Knights Drain will be realigned further away from the existing properties and remain connected to provide an overflow path to the pump station in extreme events when the capacity of the ponds has been exceeded. Both ponds will remain wet at all times as the base will be below the groundwater table. The banks of the ponds will be stabilised to prevent any increase in lateral spreading risk to the neighbouring properties. The existing Knights Wetland at the north of the site will be retained and enhanced. It is desirable to connect the wetland to the ponds to provide additional water quality benefits. Options to achieve this will be explored through the detailed design.
6.4 The proposed landscape concept for the scheme incorporates native coastal forest and floodplain plants surrounding the ponds to provide shading, support birdlife and reflect and enhance the surrounding environment. The space will be accessible to the public with a footpath and viewing platform where the public can observe the wetland and birdlife from. Some tree removals will be required to enact the works. A landscape plan for the proposed work was developed to inform public consultation (Figure 3).
· It is located at an existing low point in the catchment and adjacent to the Knights Drain, Knights Wetland and the new pump station
· Groundwater is very shallow in this location and the existing soil is poorly drained, so the location is suitable for construction of ponds
· There are existing residential properties in this location that are likely to be flooded in extreme rainfall events. The preferred option removes the residents from this risk. Approximately 20 of the estimated number of properties with the risk of foundation / underfloor flooding in the predicted 2% AEP rainfall event will be benefited by this option
· There are no known contamination sites in this location, but there are known contamination sites in other locations which would make an option in those locations more costly and more difficult to construct
· Improved landscape, drainage and ecological outcomes, particularly with a wet pond, in comparison to the other options
· A pond in the proposed location keeps all stormwater assets in one location, adjacent to the existing Knights Drain and Pump Station. This reduces operations and maintenance requirements
· Provides a resilient long term outcome for remaining low-lying properties that will be impacted negatively by sea level rise
6.6 An assessment of the water quality benefits has been undertaken. A continuous simulation water quality computer model of the proposed works was developed to quantify the potential range in water quality benefits. Estimates have been established of the mean annual load of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) that may be discharged from the Knights Drain catchment both before and after the construction of the proposed stormwater facility. TSS has been used in the analysis as an indication of the removal of other contaminants.
6.7 The modelling showed that the likely range in percentage reduction in TSS removal with the preferred option is between approximately 60% and 85%. Use of the existing wetland is important in achieving higher contaminant removal rates. The total residual annual sediment load could be as low as 0.6 m3/year following the completion of the works compared to an estimated inflow of up to 3.9 m3/year. This is consistent with the treatment achieved by stormwater treatment devices typically installed in Christchurch. Options for further water quality enhancement will be explored during the detailed design and could include devices such as floating treatment wetlands.
Figure 3 Indicative landscape plan for Location Option 1 (preferred option) (included within Attachment 2)
· 5 are owned by Council – one is 'currently occupied' with a water supply pump station (proposed for decommissioning) and the remaining sections are vacant. The lots are held for the following purposes:
· 1-7 Charles Gallagher Place - Currently held in Social Housing portfolio. Also includes water supply pump station
· 8 are privately owned developed residential sections, of which 1 has on it a house that has recently been constructed.
6.9 Designating this land as a reserve and using it for land drainage purposes would resolve the multiple hazards that are present with the current residential land uses.
6.10 The level of significance of this option is medium and is consistent with section 2 of this report. Community engagement is consistent with this level of significance.
6.11 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to ancestral land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Ngāi Tahu, their culture and traditions. Improvements in discharge water quality are consistent with feedback received on the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan and the Iwi Management Plan.
6.12 Community engagement for this project was undertaken from Thursday 18 May 2017 to Wednesday 7 June 2017.
6.13 The consultation leaflet was delivered to 95 properties, 33 absentee landowners and 155 key stakeholders (Attachment 2). A drop in session was held on site and was attended by approximately 14 local residents where the project team was able to answer questions and discuss the project further. The consultation leaflet discussed the plans for the preferred option but also identified the range of options that had been considered and attached a link to the Aurecon report.
6.14 One on one meetings were held with affected property owners in August 2016 to get an understanding of each individual situation. Following further investigations, another round of meetings was held in April/May 2017 with these property owners (prior to community engagement), to discuss the proposal and how this will affect them and to ensure they had a full understanding of the project, engagement and Council approval process, and also how they can be involved.
6.15 During the course of the engagement, Council received 16 submissions with the following results:
6.16.1 Link into Farnborough Reserve: A footbridge over the drain was removed as part of the construction of the new pump station. This bridge promoted pedestrian and cycle access from ANZAC Drive to privately owned land at the end of Brightstone Crescent (number 32 Brightstone Crescent). The bridge was not reinstated as it promoted public access over privately owned land.
6.16.2 Maintenance of the area when built: Questions were raised about the maintenance of the original wetland area with overgrown vegetation and gross pollutants. The proposed option will act as a gross pollutant trap, particularly the sediment fore bay. Ongoing maintenance will be required to provide a pleasant visual appearance to the basin.
6.16.3 Maintain the shared path on Anzac Drive: The existing shared path width will be maintained as a minimum with the proposed works. Opportunities to widen the footpath along Pages Road into a shared path will also be explored during detailed design.
6.16.4 Support for the proposal and the reduction in flood risk: Submissions in support of the proposal are welcomed.
6.16.5 Impact on existing homeowners: Concerns were raised in writing and during the drop in session by occupants and adjoining landowners about the potential impacts on property owners. The ability for existing landowners to afford properties in other areas was a key point of concern. These concerns were not expressed by the landowners themselves in the written submissions. Four written submissions were received from landowners, all of which supported the proposed works. There were no written submissions from land owners in opposition to the works. However, verbally, one owner has expressed a desire to remain in their property.
6.16.6 Concern regarding midges/mosquitos: Given the proximity to the waste water treatment plant oxidation ponds there were concerns raised about midges and mosquitos. Urban midge swarms are more commonly associated with wastewater ponds, which have much higher nutrient and organic loadings than stormwater ponds. This is confirmed by the experience of the stormwater operations team. Ways to reduce the risk of midge and mosquitos will be considered during detailed design.
6.17 A letter has been sent to all submitters advising the outcome of the consultation, including details of the Council meeting, and how they can speak to their submission if they wish. Also included in this letter was a link to the feedback received, decision making process and Council report.
6.18 This option is consistent with Council’s Plans and Policies. Construction of a water quality feature would be consistent with the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan and the Surface Water Strategy 2009-2039.
6.19 Cost of Implementation - The cost for this option has been estimated based at the concept design stage at $12.8 million including a 15% contingency and the $4.8 million spent on the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main. This assumes:
· Properties can be purchased at 2016 rateable values. This is estimated to be approximately $2.5 million. Market valuations will be required to support negotiations or application of statutory powers and the valuation is likely to differ from the 2016 valuation. An allowance of $3.5 million has been included for budgetary purposes
6.20 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – The ongoing maintenance costs for the larger stormwater facility will be higher than the current expenditure. These are expected to be very minor in comparison to the construction costs.
6.21 Funding source – The Land Drainage Recovery Programme has approximately $150 million assigned in the LTP for use in the 2015/16 to 2018/19 financial years, and this is one of the high priority projects identified to use that funding. There is approximately $11 million in funding allocated to the project in FY16, 17 and 18 for Stage 1. This has funded the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main works at a cost of $4.8 million. Based upon current cost estimates additional funding of $1.8 million from the programme budget for the ponds will be required to complete the project. There is sufficient FY18 budget to fund the FY18 works including property purchase. The FY19 budget shortfall will be met through reprioritising projects within the LDRP programme.
6.22 Resource consents for the works will be required under the Resource Management Act 1991. Council holds a number of existing consents for enacting utility works. These consents may be applicable. The extent of consents required will be clarified during detailed design.
6.23 Access to private property and property purchase will be required to enact the works. Use of the provisions of the Christchurch District Drainage Act 1951, the Land Drainage Act 1908 or other Acts may be required to facilitate the works and the notification process within these Acts may need to be started in parallel with property negotiations. Compulsory purchase utilising the Public Works Act may be required and this will be reported on following engagement with the affected landowners (if that is in fact required).
6.24 Other consents, such as tree removal and building consents will be scoped and obtained, if required, during the next design stage.
6.25 There are delivery risks associated with the proposed option, particularly around property acquisition. Risks associated with property purchase can be somewhat mitigated through use of statutory powers (if required). The need for application of these powers will be assessed following initial negotiations with affected landowners. There are financial and programme risks with implementing the Public Works Act. However utilising compulsory acquisition powers may be required to enact the works. Further land title investigations may vary the reported number of properties required for acquisition within the bounded area.
6.26 Construction costs could vary from the current cost estimates. Costs will be re-estimated with greater certainty as the design progresses. Property purchase costs can only be confirmed with market valuations following engagement with landowners.
6.27 Evaluation of tree removals has not occurred at this stage. Tree surveys and arborist reports will be commissioned through the detailed design process and tree removals may be identified. Any removals will follow standard Council approvals processes.
6.29 Implementation timeframe – This is one of the highest priority projects to address post-earthquake flood issues within Christchurch. Therefore it is being fast-tracked by the Land Drainage Recovery Programme. This option may take up to 24 months more to complete. Delivery of this option is highly dependent on completion of property purchases, the timing of which are inherently uncertain.
· A significant reduction in overall risk profile to a wide range of hazards within the catchment. Provides the most resilient option to address future climate change effects
· Increased water quality benefits with the removal of approximately 60% to 85% of total suspended sediment
· Dropping predicted flood levels and extents in the estimated 2% AEP rainfall event below that estimated with the existing situation
· Provides buffer storage to optimise pump station operation and reduce ongoing maintenance of the pumps
· Protecting approximately 60 houses with floor levels estimated to be within 100 mm of the predicted 20% AEP tide level. These houses are protected by the existing pump station and will be protected by the proposed pond. Eight of these houses would be purchased to enact this work
· Reducing the risk for approximately 20 of the estimated remaining 56 houses at risk of underfloor flooding predicted in an estimated 2% AEP rainfall event since the earthquakes. Prior to the earthquakes the number of houses at risk of underfloor / foundation flooding is estimated at 15
· Reducing the risk of floor level flooding for the only property predicted at risk post-earthquake in the estimated 2% AEP rainfall event that has not been demolished since the earthquakes
· Improved landscape, drainage and ecological outcomes, particularly with a wet pond, in comparison to the other options.
· The ability to provide a facility that may be able to utilise the existing wetland for water quality benefit
7.1 This option is similar to the preferred option except that the proposed stormwater storage / treatment facility would be constructed on the open space to the north-east of the new pump station at 40 Farnborough Street and 32 Brightstone Crescent (Figure 5). This would be more challenging to construct than the preferred option as much of the land is identified as a HAIL site (land contamination) and is at an elevated level above the drain. This land is currently privately owned.
7.2 This option would intercept a greater catchment than the preferred option, giving rise to a larger basin / pond. This pond would be particularly deep in order to have an invert about the level of the existing drain and adjoining properties. This depth leads to increased bank stability requirement to mitigate increases in lateral spread risk to adjoining properties. In order to mitigate this risk significant ground stabilisation and therefore cost would be incurred.
7.3 Given the position of the proposed works relative to the new pump station some works to the existing pump station and/or forebay may be required.
7.4 The level of significance of this option is medium and is consistent with section 2 of this report. Community engagement is consistent with this level of significance.
7.5 The significance score is similar to the preferred option as property transactions would be required to enact the works.
7.6 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to ancestral land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Ngāi Tahu, their culture and traditions.
7.7 Community engagement for this project was undertaken from Thursday 18 May 2017 to Wednesday 7 June 2017. This option was noted in the consultation document. The Aurecon report provides greater detail on the option and this report was referenced in the consultation document and made available during the consultation period.
7.8 Questions were raised during the drop in session about options that utilise the open space occupied by these two properties. Questions from drop in attendees were responded to directly by staff. No written submissions were received that referenced utilising this land.
7.9 This option is consistent with Council’s Plans and Policies. Construction of a water quality feature would be consistent with the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan and the Surface Water Strategy 2009-2039. It also delivers to the community outcomes described in the LTP, but to a lesser degree than the preferred option with regards to community safety and a prosperous economy.
7.10 Cost of Implementation - The cost for this option has been estimated based at the concept design stage at over $15.8 million including a 15% contingency and the $4.8 million spent on the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main. This assumes:
· Disposal of fill within the Christchurch City environs can be achieved for non-contaminated materials (e.g. used or stockpiled for stopbank construction) and that contaminated land would have to be disposed of at the Kate Valley Landfill
· Properties can be purchased at 2016 rateable values. This is estimated to be approximately $600,000. Market valuations will be required to support negotiations or application of statutory powers and the valuation is likely to differ from the 2016 valuation. An allowance of $650,000 has been included for budgetary purposes
7.11 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – The ongoing maintenance costs for the larger stormwater facility will be higher than the current expenditure. These are expected to be very minor in comparison to the construction costs.
7.12 Funding source – Based upon current cost estimates additional funding of $4.8 million from the programme budget for the storage / treatment facility will be required to complete the project. There is sufficient FY18 budget to fund the FY18 works including property purchase. The FY19 budget shortfall will be met through reprioritising projects within the LDRP programme.
7.13 Resource consents for the works will be required under the Resource Management Act 1991. Council holds a number of existing consents for enacting utility works. These consents may be applicable. The extent of consents required will be clarified during detailed design.
7.14 Access to private property and property purchase will be required to enact the works. Use of the provisions of the Christchurch District Drainage Act 1951, the Land Drainage Act 1908 or other Acts may be required to facilitate the works and the notification process within these Acts may need to be started in parallel with property negotiations. Compulsory purchase utilising the Public Works Act may be required and this will be reported on following engagement with the affected landowners (if required).
7.15 Other consents, such as tree removal and building consents will be scoped and obtained, if required, during the next design stage.
7.16 As with the preferred option there are delivery risks associated with property acquisition necessary to enact the works. This can be somewhat mitigated through use of statutory powers of compulsory acquisition within the Public Works Act.
7.17 Construction costs could vary from the current cost estimates. Costs will be re-estimated with greater certainty as the design progresses. Property purchase costs can only be confirmed with market valuations following engagement with landowners.
7.19 Implementation timeframe – Delivery of this option is highly dependent on completion of property purchases, the timing of which are inherently uncertain.
· Dropping predicted flood levels and extents in the estimated 2% AEP rainfall event below that estimated with the existing situation for Knights Drain and Farnborough Street area
· Protecting approximately 60 houses with floor levels estimated to be within 100 mm of the predicted 20% AEP tide level. These houses are protected by the existing pump station and will be protected by the proposed pond
· Improved landscape, drainage and ecological outcomes, particularly with a wet pond, in comparison to options 3 and 4 as the proposed works could tie with the existing wetland area
· Lesser flood reduction and resilience than the preferred option as the existing residential developed land would remain occupied
· Significantly deeper excavation than the preferred option with increased geotechnical risks and costs of mitigation
8.1 This option is similar to the preferred option except that the proposed stormwater storage / treatment facility would be constructed on the RRZ to the east of ANZAC Drive (Figure 6). This would utilise the new stormwater culvert constructed beneath ANZAC Drive to convey flows to the RRZ but would be more challenging hydraulically than the preferred option. Sufficient land to construct both a water quantity and quality facility would be required. This land is currently owned by the Crown and is currently the subject to a Regeneration Plan process.
8.2 There is significant uncertainty in both the short term and long term with gaining access to the land required to enact this option as the land is subject to a separate planning process controlled by parties other than the Council. LINZ are the land managers for the Crown owned red zone land and will entertain temporary use. However permanent uses, particularly for significant areas of land as required for this project, must be considered through the Regeneration Plan process which will not be concluded until December 2018 at the earliest. In any event, the outcome of the Regeneration Plan process is unknown and unpredictable from the Council's perspective as the final decision is in the hands of the Minister. There is no certainty that any or sufficient land would be available to stormwater purposes in this particular area through this process. Delaying the construction of this option until the Regeneration Plan is approved would result in similar short term outcomes as Option 5 - Do Nothing, which results in prolonged exposure to natural hazards, inefficient pump station operation and poor stormwater quality discharges to the Avon River / Ōtākaro.
8.3 The level of significance of this option is medium and is consistent with section 2 of this report. Community engagement is consistent with this level of significance.
8.4 The significance score is similar to the preferred option as property transactions would still be required to enact the works, albeit a transaction with the Crown.
8.5 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to ancestral land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Ngāi Tahu, their culture and traditions.
8.6 Community engagement for this project was undertaken from Thursday 18 May 2017 to Wednesday 7 June 2017. This option was noted in the consultation document. The Aurecon report provides greater detail on the option and this report was referenced in the consultation document and made available during the consultation period.
8.7 Questions were raised during the drop in session about options that utilise the RRZ. Two of the written submissions referenced the option of utilising the RRZ. One of the submissions was in opposition to the preferred option and suggested the RRZ as a suitable alternative. The other submission was in support of the proposal but with concerns relating to the potential to utilise the RRZ to lessen the impact on the existing land owners.
8.8 This option is consistent with Council’s Plans and Policies. Construction of a water quality feature would be consistent with the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan and the Surface Water Strategy 2009-2039. It also delivers to the community outcomes described in the LTP, but to a lesser degree than the preferred option with regards to community safety and a prosperous economy.
8.9 However, it is unknown if this option will be consistent with the impending Ōtākaro / Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan. Council will have to give effect to the Regeneration Plan within the District Plan and an inconsistency could result that may necessitate abandoning the proposal.
8.10 Cost of Implementation - The cost for this option has been estimated based at the concept design stage at approximately $12 million including a 15% contingency and the $4.8 million spent on the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main. This assumes:
· RRZ land can be purchased from private land owners and the Crown at typical 2016 rateable land values. An allowance of $1 million has been included for budgetary purposes.
8.11 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – The ongoing maintenance costs for the larger stormwater facility will be higher than the current expenditure. These are expected to be very minor in comparison to the construction costs.
8.12 Funding source – The Land Drainage Recovery Programme has approximately $150 million assigned in the LTP for use in the 2015/16 to 2018/19 financial years, and this is one of the high priority projects identified to use that funding. There is approximately $11 million in funding allocated to the project in FY16, 17 and 18 for Stage 1. This has funded the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main works at a cost of $4.8 million. Based upon current cost estimates additional funding of $1 million from the programme budget for the storage / treatment facility will be required to complete the project. There is sufficient FY18 budget to fund the FY18 works including property purchase. The FY19 budget shortfall will be met through reprioritising projects within the LDRP programme.
8.13 Resource consents for the works will be required under the Resource Management Act 1991. Council holds a number of existing consents for enacting utility works. These consents may be applicable. The extent of consents required will be clarified during detailed design.
8.14 This option would require property transactions between the Crown and Council in order to obtain right to access the land. Given that the Crown cannot be compelled to sell land utilising the Public Works Act 1981 or the Christchurch District Drainage Act 1951 they would need to be treated on a willing buyer – willing seller basis. The timing of any property transaction is likely to be subject to the approval of and consistency with the Ōtākaro / Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan. This risk can be reduced through ongoing engagement with Regenerate Christchurch, however, it cannot be eliminated.
8.15 Any proposed works on the eastern side of ANZAC drive could impede future options for realignment of the Avon River / Ōtākaro stopbanks. This could impact on the design and costs of these, unapproved, potential, future works.
8.16 Construction costs could vary from the current cost estimates. Costs will be re-estimated with greater certainty as the design progresses. Property purchase costs can only be confirmed in negotiation with the Crown.
8.18 Implementation timeframe – Delivery of this option is completely dependent on gaining access to the RRZ land, the timing and availability of which is inherently uncertain.
· Protecting approximately 60 houses with floor levels estimated to be within 100 mm of the predicted 20% AEP tide level. These houses are protected by the existing pump station and will be protected by the proposed wetland
· Stormwater assets constructed to protect the upstream properties would be separated by ANZAC Drive, reducing the overall resilience
· Requires land purchase from the Crown with a highly uncertain timeline and no certainty of available
9.1 This option is similar to the preferred option except that the proposed stormwater storage / treatment facility would be constructed in Bexley Park (Figure 7). This would be more challenging to construct than the preferred option as the land is a historic landfill site, is at an elevated level above the drain and further away from the pump station. Given the limited capacity of the drainage network between Bexley Park and the new pump station this option may be less effective at optimising the pump station operation.
9.3 The level of significance of this option is medium and is consistent with section 2 of this report. Community engagement is consistent with this level of significance.
9.4 The significance score lower than other options as the works can be undertaken on public property.
9.5 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to ancestral land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Ngāi Tahu, their culture and traditions.
9.6 Community engagement for this project was undertaken from Thursday 18 May 2017 to Wednesday 7 June 2017. This option was noted in the consultation document. The Aurecon report provides greater detail on the option and this report was referenced in the consultation document and made available during the consultation period.
9.7 Questions were raised during the drop in session about options that utilise Bexley Park. Questions from drop in attendees were responded to directly by staff. No written submissions were received that referenced utilising this land.
9.8 This option is consistent with Council’s Plans and Policies. Construction of a water quality feature would be consistent with the Avon River / Ōtākaro Stormwater Management Plan and the Surface Water Strategy 2009-2039. It also delivers to the community outcomes described in the LTP, but to a lesser degree than the preferred option with regards to community safety and a prosperous economy.
9.9 Cost of Implementation - The cost for this option has been estimated based at the concept design stage at over $16.8 million including a 20% contingency and the $4.8 million spent on the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main. This assumes:
9.10 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – The ongoing maintenance costs for the larger stormwater facility will be higher than the current expenditure. These are expected to be very minor in comparison to the construction costs.
9.11 Funding source – Based upon current cost estimates additional funding of $5.8 million from the programme budget for the storage / treatment facility will be required to complete the project. There is sufficient FY18 budget to fund the FY18 works including property purchase. The FY19 budget shortfall will be met through reprioritising projects within the LDRP programme.
9.12 Resource consents for the works will be required under the Resource Management Act 1991. Council holds a number of existing consents for enacting utility works. These consents may be applicable. The extent of consents required will be clarified during detailed design.
9.13 Bexley Park is a local park and is not held under the Reserves Act. Construction of a new pond/basin would not be consistent with the park masterplan. Any decision to discontinue the use of Bexley Park for recreational purposes in whole or in part would require the Council to consider the views and preferences of interested or affected persons. If those views and preferences are not currently known, then any proposal may need to consulted upon.
9.14 Other consents, such as tree removal and building consents will be scoped and obtained, if required, during the next design stage.
9.15 Construction costs could vary from the current cost estimates. Costs will be re-estimated with greater certainty as the design progresses. This is particularly the case given the potential for escalation in costs relating to disposal of contaminated material.
· Dropping predicted flood levels and extents in the estimated 2% AEP rainfall event below that estimated with the existing situation for Knights Drain
· Less effective at optimising the pump station operation due to limitations in network capacity between the storage site and the pump station
· It is inconsistent with the current Bexley Park Masterplan and is likely to require further consultation
· Highest cost of any option including a high cost risk. Significantly higher costs and cost risk than the preferred option
10.1 Given the current projected increases in cost, one option is to do nothing. However, halting the project would not address risks with a range of hazards that would be mitigated in the preferred option. Operation of the new pump station would be less optimal than desired and there would be ongoing discharges of contaminated stormwater to the Avon River / Ōtākaro.
10.2 The level of significance of this option is medium and is consistent with section 2 of this report. The community has not been explicitly consulted on this option, however, feedback forms used as part of the consultation did allow for comments to be provided.
10.3 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Māori, their culture and traditions.
10.4 The Mayoral Flood Taskforce 2014 noted, amongst other things, that residents identified concern over the health, social and financial effects of increased depth and frequency of flooding.
10.5 Community engagement for this project was undertaken from Thursday 18 May 2017 to Wednesday 7 June 2017. This option was not described in the consultation document. There was significantly more submissions in support of the preferred option than against. This would indicate a general community desire to enact works.
10.6 A joint seminar between the Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee and the Burwood-Pegasus Community Board was held prior to the November 2015 Council Meeting to better understand community views and preferences in this area. This option was not favoured by the Community Board.
10.8.1 Inconsistency - It does not address the Activity and Level of Service identified in Section 4.1 of this report.
10.9 Cost of Implementation – No additional capital costs beyond the $4.8 million spent on the SCIRT delivered pump station and rising main.
10.10 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – Maintenance costs for this option would increase due to increased wear on the pump station due to operational inefficiencies.
10.12 Halting the project may not be a popular decision with the community, and as this would be a 'change of mind' by the Council from its November 2015 decision, there may be a greater risk of a judicial review challenge to this decision.
10.13 A communication and consultation risk is present with this option as it was not favoured in feedback from the consultation.
· That it does not reduce the risk for the estimated 20 houses at risk of underfloor flooding that would be benefited by the preferred option predicted in an estimated 2% AEP rainfall event since the earthquakes. This option does not provide any benefit to those remaining at risk of underfloor / foundation flooding
· Immediate flood risk reduction benefits (beyond what was achieved with the construction of the new pump station) would not be delivered if the project were delayed or halted
· That residents would suffer ongoing tangible and intangible damages in areas significantly affected by the earthquakes
1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Council to approve the Draft Cranford Regeneration Plan (Plan) to be submitted to Regenerate Christchurch in accordance with Section 35(1) (c) (ii) of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 (GCRA). The Council approved an Outline for investigating the content of the Plan at its meeting on 15 December 2016. The Draft Plan is appended as Attachment 1.
21 June 2016, as part of its Annual Plan decisions. The Council requested the Chief Executive to report on the possible rezoning of land on the western side of Cranford Street to residential.
2.1 The decision in this report is of high significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. The level of significance was determined by the impact of the proposed land use change on those people affected; and the level of community interest already apparent for the proposal.
2.2 The matter is significant not only to a small group of people particularly affected (landowners) but also to a wider community that may have an interest in the decision to be made. There are also potentially significant issues concerning Ngāi Tahu.
4.1 This report is a step in the process for developing a Regeneration Plan under the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 (GCRA). The GCRA sets out the process that must be followed. The Christchurch City Council prepared an Outline for investigating a Regeneration Plan for:
· Enabling urban residential development at the edges of the Cranford Basin stormwater management facility which is integrated with the surrounding urban environment and proposed infrastructure works, as well as considering appropriate zones for the remaining parts of Cranford Basin;
· Implementing a waterway and pedestrian and cycle connection network, including integration with adjoining residential areas, stormwater management areas and the proposed Northern Arterial Extension; and
4.2 The Council has undertaken investigations into the land use options for the rural area outside of the Cranford Basin stormwater management facility, and developed a draft Regeneration Plan (‘draft Plan’) in accordance with the Outline, which was notified for written comments on
30 March 2017. The investigations are detailed in the Supporting Document: Background information & planning assessment found at Attachment 4.
4.3 The investigations evaluated four land use options: rural, commercial, industrial; and residential. These investigations, which included high level economic assessments, concluded that both the purpose of the GCRA and the overall policy direction for urban development in the District Plan, would be most appropriately achieved through a residential zoning over part of the area (some 38 hectares) with the remainder left as Rural Urban Fringe. Further evaluation of residential zoning options concluded that a mix of residential densities and housing typologies would best reflect both the varying and challenging geotechnical conditions in the proposed residential area, and the opportunities afforded by the area’s location close to a Key Activity Centre, public transport routes and social infrastructure.
4.4 Written comments have been considered, and the views of the statutory partners under Section 29 of the Act (Environment Canterbury, Regenerate Christchurch, Ōtākaro, Te Rūnanga’s Ngāi Tahu and DPMC) have also been considered. The views received on the draft Plan sent to the Parties on 2 February were attached to the Council Supplementary Agenda for the 23 March meeting. Those matters raised were considered in the Draft Plan as notified on 30 March and no further written feedback was received from those Parties in response to that Draft Plan. There have been on-going discussions with the Parties since 30 March particularly with Regenerate Christchurch and Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tūāhuriri. Further information has been provided to both Parties but two matters have not been fully resolved (refer to paragraph 4.10 and 4.11 below).
4.5 The Council’s statutory obligations as proponent under Section 35(1) (a) of the ('GCRA’) is to consider the comments and other input provided under Section 34; finalise the Plan, making any changes it thinks appropriate (Section 35(b)); and submit the draft Plan to Regenerate Christchurch for review (Section35 (c) (ii)). Section 34 is the part of the GCRA where the proponent invites public comment. It must also submit a concise statement of views of the Parties received as part of developing the Draft. This concise statement and other input provided under Section 34. These statements are attached as Attachments 2 and 3 respectively.
4.6 The report has been informed by views of the parties required to be sought under Section 29 of the GCRA; feedback from the public on the draft Plan, assessments contained in the Supporting Document, and expert technical reports. The process under Section 35 (considering comments and other input) has been an iterative one because, as a result of the comments and feedback from the Parties, some matters arose that warranted further investigation and an opportunity for further input from people who had made written comment.
4.7 The main matters that were raised through feedback opposing the development were around traffic, flooding and unsuitable ground conditions. The community feedback has reinforced the need to put an upper limit on the scale of development to minimize the effects of traffic on the local network, and impose stringent geotechnical assessments both before land is zoned, and at the subdivision stage. There have been other changes, noted below, that have been made to the draft Plan as a result of engagement.
4.8 On balance, officers consider that the investigations undertaken as part of preparing the draft Plan, and through engagement, demonstrate that residential development is not only feasible, but will deliver regeneration outcomes that benefit the City and greater Christchurch.
4.9 However, further geotechnical and hydrogeological work will need to be done before subdivision. Officers also consider that the land drainage system can cope with all but the most extreme storm events, and other infrastructure such as schools, water supply and wastewater has the capacity to service the amount of development provided for. Transport assessments indicate that with the proposed limit on development, there will still be a gradual but noticeable effect on the local road network as housing becomes established, but not to the levels that will result in the need to reclassify roads.
4.10 Some issues raised in feedback on the draft Plan have not been able to be fully satisfied in the draft Plan, including:
· The protection sought by Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Tahu of the cultural values of Waikākāriki / Horseshoe Lake from the effects of stormwater discharges. This is dealt with in the draft Plan as a supporting commitment to continue to work with Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Tahu to investigate alternative stormwater discharge locations ;
· Concerns from local residents regarding the potential for adverse amenity effects from increased traffic on local roads. The draft Plan acknowledges that there will be a need in the future for the Council to consider whether traffic calming will be required on some roads;
· Concern expressed by Regeneration Christchurch that the draft Plan does not sufficiently require expedited regeneration outcomes for the Cranford area within specific timeframe. However, following an analysis of options, officers consider that there would be several complications for the District Plan if the Regeneration Plan required development to occur by a certain date, and promotes the use of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with landowners as the most appropriate method of addressing this risk. Officers have discussed these concerns with staff at Regenerate Christchurch;
· Concerns expressed by some landowners as to the workability and implementation efficiency of some of the rules in the draft Plan, in particular the joint subdivision and land use application and ‘exemplar’ development requirements. The Council has processes in place that address these matters, but it will need developer collaboration and support to make the exemplars work;
· Opinions expressed by local residents that there is no need to develop this land for housing at the moment, and that it should remain in rural use and / or as wetland. The Supporting Document behind the draft Plan addresses this issue (Section 6).
4.11 Of the above issues, the first and third, have not been completely resolved: the protection sought by Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Tahu of the cultural values of Waikākāriki / Horseshoe Lake from the effects of stormwater discharges; and concerns expressed by Regeneration Christchurch that the draft Plan may not deliver expedited regeneration outcomes. To address these remaining concerns, further work has been undertaken, and two additional supporting commitments have been included in the draft Plan. We have, and will continue to engage with Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Regenerate Christchurch.
5.1 The appropriateness of enabling urban residential development at the edges of the Cranford area has been investigated and various land use options have been assessed identifying a preferred option. The technical analysis undertaken confirms that the main site specific constraints that have impeded urban development in parts of the draft Plan area can now be lifted, or in the case of geotechnical matters are better understood. The confirmation of the delineation of the Cranford Basin stormwater management area through the designation has determined the potential area where urban residential development can be considered – outside of the stormwater management area.
5.2 The proposal (preferred option) has been developed in accordance with the Outline approved by the Minister on 23 December 2016 in terms of its intent, scope, congruence with the GCRA’s purpose, and process. Although the time taken has been longer than indicated in the Outline, this remains ‘in accordance with’ the Outline because the timeframe set out in the Outline was indicative and ‘may be subject to change’.
5.3 The proposal as amended following feedback will achieve the purpose of the GCRA because it will enable landowners to convert, subdivide and rebuild inefficiently used, isolated and economically unviable former agricultural land around the fringes of parts of Cranford Basin for residential purposes. This will be done in a manner that is integrated with the proposed multi-purpose stormwater facility and transport projects. Appropriate land use zoning will result in the regeneration, renewal and development of this area through improving the environmental, economic, social, and cultural wellbeing of the local community, and revitalisation and improvement including enhancement of public open space.
5.4 The investigations have led to development of a draft Regeneration Plan that gives effect to regional and district planning land use frameworks. Appropriately managed urban residential development will not only implement these frameworks, but will complement the future establishment of a nearby multi-purpose wetland that will promote the social, cultural and environmental well-being of local communities and Christchurch generally. These will have downstream economic benefits for the local community including through support for local businesses and social infrastructure.
5.5 In order to facilitate urban residential development in parts of the draft Plan area, amendments are necessary to the CPRS and the CDP. The successful implementation of the Plan will, however, also depend on on-going engagement with the local community and a commitment by both the Council and community groups to the long term vision of the Cranford Basin stormwater management area.
5.6 An Engagement Plan was prepared in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Outline approved by the Minister on 23 December 2016. The process was led by Ann Campbell, Senior Consultation Leader, Christchurch City Council. The draft Plan was notified for public comment on 30 March 2017 with feedback closing on 2 May 2017. The following steps were taken:
5.6.1 The Draft Plan, a Supporting Document, and technical reports used to inform the Draft Plan were made available on the Council’s website on 30 March, the day of notification. Further updates were added to the website following the analysis of feedback.
5.6.2 Supplementary reports were prepared in response to matters raised in the feedback and drop-in sessions, and made available at the time when the Council notified people who had made written comments on how the issues raised in feedback were addressed. These reports were needed in order to provide additional information to the Council and public on specific matters that were raised in the feedback in order to finalise the Plan, including any changes. Two drop in sessions were held, both in the Paparoa Street School hall, which is well located in terms of accessibility for those residents most affected.
5.6.3 Meetings were held with senior staff at Papanui Primary School, Papanui High School and Paparoa Primary School. Meetings were also held with staff at pre-School (Kidsfirst) Rutland Street and Northlands / Kiwi Properties. There was ongoing liaison with landowners whose land was being proposed for housing.
5.7 A number of meetings and correspondence occurred with the parties listed in Section 29 of the GCRA: Environment Canterbury, Regenerate Christchurch, Ōtākaro, Te Rūnanga’s Ngāi Tahu and DPMC. With regard to Te Rūnanga, a hui was held on 4 May 2017 at Tuahiwi with representatives of Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tūāhuriri. A concise summary of views of the provided under Section 33 of the Act is attached as Attachment 2.
5.8 As a result of this engagement with Section 29 parties the following previously expressed concerns were either completely or largely resolved.
5.8.1 Matters of concern to Environment Canterbury regarding hazards, contaminated land, hydrogeology, details of proposed amendments to the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement and the subdivision consenting process. These have been accepted in the revised Plan.
5.8.2 Ōtākaro Limited raised concerns on the potential effects of the proposed Cranford development on the Central City East Frame. Following further research and explanation over the likely timing of development at Cranford, Ōtākaro Limited did not pursue this matter further.
5.8.3 Regenerate Christchurch sought, among other things (see Attachment 2) the incorporation of ‘exemplar housing’ provisions in the Plan, and a rules or other methods that may cancel or defer the zoning if significant progress towards getting the development underway hasn’t progressed by a certain time. The latter has not been included in the draft Plan, but a supporting commitment for Council entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with landowners has been inserted to increase the likelihood of development being initiated in a timely fashion. Exemplar Housing provisions have been incorporated into the provisions.
5.8.4 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is opposed to stormwater from the Cranford development discharging into Horseshoe Lake. The specific concern is that there should be a principle of net cultural improvement arising from the development and Te Rūnanga is of the view that the Plan fails to do this because it doesn’t provide for the wellbeing of Ngāi Tahu and its relationship with Horseshoe Lake. Ngāi Tahu supports a proposal by Council officers to divert stormwater from Wakakariiki / Horseshoe Lake and has indicated a commitment to continue discussions with Council to promote this option.
5.8.5 Ngāi Tahu is aware that the Regeneration Plan for the Ōtākaro / Avon River Corridor is being prepared and no decisions can be made at this time. However the regeneration plan process provides the opportunity for Christchurch City Council, Ngāi Tahu and Te Tūāhuriri Rūnanga to work through this process together to achieve the net cultural improvement. However, correspondence from Ngāi Tahu falls short of removing their opposition to the Cranford Regeneration Plan.
5.9 There were 121 written comments received in response to the notified draft Plan. Of these, 64 respondents were in general support, 45 respondents did not generally support the proposal and 12 respondents provided comments only. It should be noted that a considerable amount of support received appeared to just relate to the proposed wetland. A small number of the 121 submissions arrived late (or were sent late) and these were considered along with the others. The Council offered an opportunity to the submitters to speak to the Council officers (chaired by an independent expert) but this opportunity was not pursued by anyone other than some of the landowners, who have been subsequently contacted separately. A concise summary of the comments received as a result of public notification is attached at Attachment 3.
6.1 As noted above, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu either does not support, or is opposed to the development because the stormwater will discharge, via the Dudley Creek Diversion, into Waikākāriki / Horseshoe Lake. This opposition to the development led to preliminary investigations into possible alternatives to discharging stormwater into Horseshoe Lake. Council officers are still working with their counterparts at Regenerate Christchurch to investigate whether a new outfall can be constructed in a cost effective manner as part of planning for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan. However, there is no formal commitment by the Council as yet to pursue any particular option through the Long Term Plan, but the Regeneration Plan includes a supporting commitment to continue to work with Ngāi Tahu and Regenerate Christchurch to investigate an alternative outfall in the general vicinity of Horseshoe Lake.
6.2 Although there were several comments calling for the proposed housing area to be left as rural and used for market gardening, the evidence is sufficiently compelling that the remaining land around the Cranford Basin is not viable for rural use. The investigations revealed that the land not required for flood management purposes should be used for housing, with the Cranford
Basin / wetlands as a centrepiece. The site is well located for residential development compared to other existing and potential housing areas, and this location should be taken advantage of.
6.3 The Council has a range of policy objectives in the CDP with regards to the provision of housing. The long term policy direction for the future growth of Christchurch is to reduce the amount of development going into areas at the edge of the urban area and consolidate and intensify growth within the existing urban area (for example Objectives 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 in the CPRS and Objective 3.3.7 in the CDP). An important part of these objectives is to encourage development near key centres such as Northlands / Papanui, as well as the central city and older inner suburbs. The area being proposed for housing is consistent with these objectives. Provided environmental effects can be managed the area is very well suited for housing.
6.4 The transport effects of the proposed development were of concern to the surrounding community, particularly effects on amenity, parking and safety (including for school children). These effects have been considered in the Integrated Transport Assessment which makes 11 recommendations for inclusion into the narrative of the North East Papanui Outline Development Plan (‘ODP’ to be inserted as Appendix 8.10.31 into the CDP if the draft Regeneration Plan is approved).
6.5 The Plan’s approach to deal with these effects is threefold: by ensuring that the development is ‘porous’ i.e. providing several options for entering and leaving the development area; by careful internal road design that includes traffic calming features; and placing a limit on the maximum number of house units (and by implication generation of vehicle trips). As well as limiting effects on the local road network it will provide additional choice and convenience. Several projects already underway in the area have been factored into traffic assessments. As part of public transport and cycleway provision, treatments to the Grassmere Street / Main North Road intersection are currently being explored as part of the public transport corridor improvements along Main North Road. The Northern arterial is under construction and programmed to be operational around 2021.
6.6 Several respondents raised matters of a detailed nature around the positioning, design and provision of cycle ways and pedestrian linkages. The ODP provides the framework for the provision of cycle ways and pedestrian linkages throughout the development area and integration into the strategic cycleway network. Those matters that have been raised will be either dealt with at the subdivision stage or through other expenditure programs. The ODP includes a rule that limits the number of vehicle crossings along the Papanui Parallel Cycleway as a means of reducing risks to cyclists.
6.7 Concerns have been raised regarding specific sites where there are existing or potential parking issues such as Grassmere / Grants Road, and Paparoa Street School. The proposed development will provide for its own parking needs, and separate actions are needed to address the concerns. For example, a school travel plan could be developed, with Council assistance, to manage parking and other traffic matters to ensure that children continue to have a safe route to school, and deal with congestion in the vicinity of the school.
6.8 A major concern raised in the comments is the problem of exiting from Grassmere Street onto Main North Road. Modelling suggests that the signalised Grassmere Street / Main North Road offers wider network advantages but impacts on public transport journey times along Main North Road. Treatments to the Grassmere Street / Main North Road intersection are currently being explored as part of the bus corridor improvements along Main North Road. These include a fully signalised arrangement as well as a restricted movement arrangement. However, the fact that no final decision has been made on the method of traffic management is not a reason to hold up the rezoning. Sufficient work has been undertaken to satisfy the Council that a solution is available to deal with the gradual increase of traffic from the development.
6.9 Even before the Canterbury Earthquakes the effects of liquefaction had become better understood and geotechnical assessments and foundation design given more attention than previously had been the case. The learnings from the Canterbury Earthquakes have brought these matters in to even more focus.
6.10 Several geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations into the feasibility of housing have been carried out for Cranford and these have found that the potential intensity of suitable development in this area varies markedly across the proposed development area. The conclusions from the geotechnical investigations are that housing is feasible in this location, but the density of development will vary and development costs will be higher. There is one area on the Outline Development Plan which requires a minimum density of 30 households per hectare, and geotechnical investigations have confirmed that the geotechnical conditions of this sub area will not be a constraint to achieving this density.
6.11 Building on organic rich soils including peat is technically challenging. It is however standard engineering practice and the effects, primarily those of settlement, can be designed against, likewise for liquefiable sediments. Piles are one potential solution to building on this type of ground. Others include surcharging the ground to consolidate the organic rich sediments. However, costs are likely to be higher than standard foundation design. The building code clearly requires structures to not pose a risk to occupants, including risks to property and occupants from natural hazards and poor ground conditions.
6.12 Detailed engineering design is not required at the rezoning stage. Should the land be rezoned a considerable amount of additional and more detailed technical assessments and design work will be required to meet the requirements of the District Plan, including those proposed within the East Papanui Outline Development Plan narrative. This includes a hydrogeological plan for the entire development area, before the granting of subdivision consent, to ensure effects on subsurface water disturbance can be internalized and mitigated or avoided. Further geotechnical work for foundation design is needed at the building consent stage.
6.13 Parts of the Grasmere and Case land, like extensive areas of Christchurch are identified as a Flood Management Area in the District Plan. This does not restrict development but does require new housing to meet minimum floor level standards. A portion of the Case / Crozier block is also identified as a Flood Ponding Management Area, which acts as a significant constraint on development. However, during construction of the Cranford Basin Stormwater detention area, allowance has been made for the future filling of this land. The Cranford Basin storage function has also been planned to allow for the existing catchment and the Northern Arterial Extension and provision for flood relief for Flockton Basin. Capacity is adequate to ensure that the Basin will not spill onto the surrounding land in a 50 year average recurrence interval storm, taking into account estimates for climate change rainfall increase. Basin capacity thus includes a substantial safety margin which could accommodate a larger storm or other eventualities such as future planning changes.
6.14 The area proposed to be rezoned for residential use is elevated above the 50 year average recurrence interval flood level, which is the national and local standard for protecting against inundation. The area in and around the Cranford Basin has a high water table which fluctuates from year to year. Lawns and gardens can be wetter in this area compared to other parts of the City, but this does not present a flood risk or health hazard provided houses are adequately designed to cope with this.
6.15 Inadequate capacity in the wastewater system was one of the main reasons development hasn’t happened in the Cranford area to date. The main problem was groundwater infiltrating the wastewater system during wet weather conditions. However, substantial work on the wastewater network has been done by the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) which includes increasing the capacity of the Northern Relief sewer. Stormwater effects from the proposed new residential development will be contained within the development.
6.16 The proposed ‘smart’ pressure sewer system for Cranford enables the Council to remotely monitor and control the pump on each property using ‘OneBox’ technology. This includes storm mode, which prevents pumps from pumping during a storm when the network is already at capacity, so that there would be no discharge to the Northern Relief from Cranford during a storm. This means that growth in Cranford can be accommodated.
6.17 Issues raised included implications for the Shearer Reserves, the need for more sports fields, and a desire to retain some of the existing trees. There are no plans to build on existing parks, such as Shearer Park and Rutland Reserve. These two parks, in addition to a new proposed Neighbourhood park, are proposed to be incorporated into the Regeneration plan for future and adjacent residents to use. Shared cycle / pedestrian paths (on drainage land) will also be provided between parks, streets and adjacent areas. The wetland reserve, once developed will provide for an extensive range of active and passive recreation opportunities, along with its other biodiversity and stormwater functions.
6.18 Comments received on trees sought one of three things: retention of the existing poplars next to the Rutland Reserve; planting oaks and other deciduous species as a landmark feature; and planting of indigenous vegetation. The poplars are not identified as having any special significance in the District Plan and are therefore not protected by any rules. There are however assessment matters in the Residential New Neighbourhood (RNN )subdivision provisions which may assist in the trees’ retention at the subdivision consent stage (refer to 8.8.9.1 Integration, context and place making).
6.19 There are sufficient community facilities in the local area to support the proposed new housing area.
6.20 There were a range of land use-related matters raised through the comments. One of these matters concerned retaining the soils for market gardening, and this was discussed above. Other submissions included whether there is a need for more housing, loss of rural outlook and effects on schools.
6.21 At a City wide scale there is no evidence of a shortage of housing land in either Greenfields areas or within the existing urban area. However this area is well located, compared to other existing and potential housing areas and should be taken advantage of by the market. The total number of houses being proposed is not significant in terms of the overall quantum of housing that is required to meet future needs. As stated 6.3 above in the Council has a range of objectives with regards to the provision of housing and the area being proposed for housing is consistent with these objectives.
6.22 The scale of development being proposed does not preclude other development in other parts of the City including the Central City and residential red zone. The Council regards getting people living in the Central City as a priority but the people attracted to there are likely to be looking for a different environment and lifestyle that that being offered in the Cranford area.
There are other parts of Christchurch which are less constrained but these areas are generally further towards the Airport, have other constraints e.g. near the coast, or on the Port Hills or beyond the City boundaries.
6.23 Houses that adjoin the proposed housing area could, over time, lose their current rural outlook due to a change in zoning. This is not an unusual situation and will happen where private landowners (or the Council) can successfully argue a case for edge -of- town urban expansion. It is only where land is in public ownership for a park or has some other protection status that there is some guarantee that it will never be built on (although there are probably instances where a reserve status can be uplifted). The property enjoying the rural amenity could experience a fall in value if that rural land use changes.
6.24 Property owners should not expect owners of those rural properties, for which there is a sound case for development, to forego benefits to provide amenity and sustain land values of others. Consideration can be given to ways of softening the effects of this change, e.g. by limiting dwelling heights. The draft Plan proposes that an 8m height restriction apply in the proposed RNN on the Case / Crozier site which will prevent the potential worst case scenario of an 11m multi-unit dwelling being built on the rear boundary of Frome Place properties adjoining the RNN Zone. The existing driveway from Cranford Street will provide a buffer and the ODP has been amended to keep this access / egress driveway in its current position.
6.25 A matter that has come to the attention of officers through a late submission is the potential ‘reverse sensitivity effects of new residential development on the Top 10 Holiday Park. There are rules in the District Plan that require the Holiday Park to internalise its effects (e.g. light spill and noise) but this may not always be possible. Therefore the draft Plan requires consideration to be given at the subdivision and land use consenting stage to how ‘reverse sensitivity’ effects can be managed.
6.26 The zone rules that apply to the proposed residential areas are those contained in the RNN Zone. This zone is tailored to providing a mix of low and medium residential density development in greenfield neighbourhoods in accordance with the CDP and CPRS. A net minimum density (averaged over the Outline development plan) of at least 15 households per hectare is also required. The zone allows for a wide range of residential house types and section sizes to provide for a wide spectrum of household sizes and affordable housing. These areas are intended to achieve higher overall residential densities than traditionally achieved in suburban developments. (Officers accept that development costs for the proposed area will make affordable housing difficult to achieve).
6.27 One of the issues for the zone is that, because it requires a minimum density, there is some difficulty in calculating the exact number of households that could be established. This is important for assessment of traffic effects and effects on other infrastructure. Thus for the Grassmere block, theoretically, the minimum yield would be a minimum of 495 (33 hectares at 15 households per hectare) but depending on how much medium density is provided (at a minimum density of 30 households per hectare) the potential yield could be more than that.
6.28 A further complicating factor in the Grassmere block is that around half the land is identified as being ‘constrained’ on the Outline Development Plan. This land is not required to reach the minimum 15 households per hectare, but it could exceed this over some parts, but be significantly less in others.
6.29 The way the Regeneration Plan deals with this issue is by putting a limit on the number of households. It needs to do this to ensure effects on the local road network can be managed and appropriately manage the risk of development affecting the delicate sub surface ground conditions.
6.30 The intent of the cap is to strike a balance between being consistent with the policy of encouraging residential development near the KAC, minimising effects on the local road network and ground conditions, and making efficient use of the land. The 370 figure in the notified Draft Plan for the Grassmere block was derived from very conservative assumptions around yields and these have been reviewed. The potential yield from the ODP is closer to 530 applying the net density definition to its full potential, which includes a 5 hectare Residential Medium Density overlay at a minimum of 30 households per hectare. In view of the traffic modelling, the Integrated Transport Assessment, and local concerns around traffic safety and congestion, officers consider that a) a cap is necessary because there is no upper limit under the RNN zone and the minimum potential of around 530 could result in adverse traffic effects on Grants Road; and b) the cap should be in the general vicinity of the 370 as notified.
6.31 For the Case / Crozier properties the draft Plan zoned the land Residential Suburban Transitional Zone (Living 2 in the previous City Plan). The intent was to enable the development of a range of housing types in line with Goals 1 and 2 in the Plan. However this zone does not easily integrate with the Outline Development Plan rules so it has been decided to zone this land RNN as well. This raises the same issues about not being able to predict final yields so a limit has been placed on this land as well. The limit is sixty which should meet the minimum of 15 households per hectare required by the Zone while at the same time ensuring that this small site is not over developed. The site is constrained by the access restrictions from Cranford Street, the lack of access options generally, and (until filled) the Flood Ponding Management Area. This enables the density to be less if the detailed subdivision planning determines that this would be the best outcome. A blanket 8m height limit has been imposed to reduce the effects of the new development on existing neighbours.
6.32 Regeneration Christchurch commented that, in order to justify the use of the GCRA, ‘exemplar’ housing standards must be included in the draft Plan. The subdivision and land use rules package requires an assessment on whether the development is exemplary, including whether it:
ii. Results in ‘Lifemark 3’ as a minimum standard for residential buildings or is of a proven equivalent;
iii. Results in ‘Homestar 6’ as a minimum standard for residential buildings or is of a proven equivalent;
iv. Demonstrates diversity in building and unit typology as well as providing for affordable housing;
6.33 In order to be able to enforce these standards, both subdivision and land use are Restricted Discretionary Activities (RDA) for the Grassmere Block, meaning resource consent can be declined for either. For the Crozier Road Block subdivision and land use are Controlled Activities with the above design quality matters listed as matters that will be considered as part of granting consent.
6.34 One of the reasons for using the GCRA is to expedite the potential for development in order to maintain a choice and supply of housing in this part of Christchurch. In using this legislation the Council as proponent has taken all practical steps to ensure development starts quickly. The aim is to get part of the Grassmere block and all of the Case Crozier land developed before the GCRA ceases to exist in 2021.
6.35 Numerous alternatives have been considered for encouraging landowners to expedite development. The preferred method is to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding between the Council and landowners recording an understanding over the timeframes of development, which has been reasonably successful in the Prestons’ development.
7.1 The Council would decide not to submit the Plan for review by Regenerate Christchurch for whatever reason, for example, not being satisfied with the content of the draft Plan.
7.2 The level of significance of this option is high because of the community interest already apparent, the effort and cost that has gone into the project, and possible risks and costs to Council from the decision being challenged.
7.4 This option would be consistent with the current position of Ngāi Tahu which is to oppose the draft Plan until an alternative to Horseshoe Lake for the discharge stormwater is made available.
7.5 This option would be supported by those who provided comments opposing the draft Plan, particularly those who expressed concerns about the suitability of the land for development, and effects of traffic on the local road network. It would not be supported by the landowners whose land is proposed to be rezoned, or the submissions in support of the draft plan.
7.6 This option would be inconsistent with Council’s Plans and Policies insofar as the overall policy direction for urban development is concerned (e.g. Objective 3.3.7 in the District Plan).
7.7 As the development is privately funded the financial implications of not proceeding would be neutral.
7.8 Whilst Section 35(1) of the GCRA states that the Council must finalise and submit the draft Plan for Regenerate Christchurch to review, this must be subject to the Proponent (Council) first deciding whether to proceed with the Regeneration Plan. This is particularly the case here as the Outline stated that the proponent was to ‘investigate’ the feasibility of residential development.
7.9 This draft plan is the first example of a proposed plan change using the GCRA. It would likely create some concern for future application of the Act if the first opportunity for application of the Act did not proceed as planned. This perceptual and reputation risk would be difficult to mitigate, but in-and-of itself, is not a reason to proceed – simply, as issue to note.
7.11 There would be lost opportunity to provide housing in this area until potentially 2025 or later.
7.12 The advantages of this option are largely environmental. The land and subsoil would remain undisturbed, neighbours would continue to have a rural outlook and the local road network would in the long term have potentially slightly less traffic.
7.13 The disadvantages of this option include a missed opportunity for Council to realise the advantages stated in the assessments around regeneration, environmental enhancement, more efficient use of land, provision of additional houses and greater connectivity through the regeneration plan area.
8.1 The Council could hold the draft plan over for a specified time if for example it wanted additional engagement with Ngāi Tahu or further information to be provided.
8.2 The level of significance of this option is high because of the risk of the Plan being delayed and the then unmet expectations of stakeholders and strategic partners. Delays to the submission process would likely begin to compound with the general election process and the issues around Ministerial decision making during this and the immediate post-election period.
8.3 There could be further engagement requirements depending on the reason for delaying submitting the draft Plan.
8.4 This option could be consistent with the views expressed by Ngāi Tahu concerning their commitment to holding further discussions with the Council on finding alternatives to the Horseshoe Lake stormwater outfall. However there is no guarantee that Ngāi Tahu would formally remove its opposition to the draft Plan.
8.5 Any further delays could raise questions as to whether the draft Plan is in accordance with the timetable set out in the Outline.
7.12 Implementation timeframe – The length of the delay could extend beyond that intended depending on what the reason for the delay was.
7.13 There are no advantages of this option unless there is certainty that progress would be made with formal notice from Ngāi Tahu that it is no longer opposed to the draft Plan.
Delays could mean that the draft Plan wouldn’t be considered by Regenerate Christchurch until early 2018 which reduces the benefits of using the GRCRA and risks challenges on the basis that the draft Plan is not in accordance with the timeframes set out in the Outline.
9.1 Officers consider that the draft Plan can be submitted to Regenerate Christchurch. It has been subject to a thorough and robust technical assessment which has been peer reviewed. Community engagement has been undertaken in accordance with the Council’s Engagement Policy, and in a manner set out in the Outline.
9.2 There are two matters that have yet to be formally agreed with the parties listed in Section 29 of the GCRA: whether Ngäi Tahu is willing to withdraw its opposition to the draft Plan on the basis of the supporting commitment to investigate options for an alternative stormwater outfall for Waikākāriki / Horseshoe Lake; and whether Regenerate Christchurch is satisfied that an MOU is the best instrument for encouraging expeditious development. The GCRA does not require agreement of all (or any) parties to any proposal and officials do not consider these two matters insurmountable in terms of future actions.
9.3 With regard to Ngäi Tahu’s position, the Council would be submitting the Plan to Regenerate Christchurch without the expressed support of its Treaty partner. However, officers consider that the additional houses being proposed would have a negligible additional effect on the quality of water entering Horseshoe Lake, and the Regeneration Plan will provide a net cultural gain because of the overall water quality improvements provided by both the Cranford Basin and first flush treatment to be provided as part of the development.
9.4 Regenerate Christchurch has the option of amending the Plan and / or advising the Minister of its position, both in respect to the position of Ngäi Tahu, and its own views on the MOU. In considering whether to approve the Plan, the Minister must have regard to Regenerate Christchurch’s report.
9.5 Officers consider that, having considered the alternatives for resolving these two issues, the supporting commitments in the draft Plan provide the most practicable way forward, and that submitting the draft Plan to Regenerate Christchurch should not be delayed any further.
10.1 If the Council adopts the recommendation then the draft Plan will be submitted to Regenerate Christchurch for review. Regenerate Christchurch must submit the Draft Plan to the Minister, with a recommendation on whether or not the Minister should approve it. Regenerate Christchurch may amend the draft Plan but if it wants to make any material amendment it must seek the views of the parties listed in Section 29 of the GCRA, and any other parties it considers appropriate. The decision on whether to approve or decline the Draft Plan is then made by the Minister.
1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Council to approve the attached submission in support of the proposed third land on the Waimakariri Bridge.
1. Approve the attached submission in support of the proposed variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan (Attachment A)
3.1 The New Zealand Transport Agency is seeking agreement from the Canterbury Regional Transport Committee to vary the Regional Land Transport Plan to include the proposed improvement to the Waimakariri Bridge. The estimated cost of this proposal is approximately $20 million dollars provided the southbound lane is constructed at the same time as the Northern Arterial project currently under construction.
3.2 The Canterbury Regional Transport Committee has resolved to notify for public submissions a proposal of the New Zealand Transport Agency to build a third southbound lane on the Waimakariri Bridge. Submissions close on the 13th of July 2017.
3.3 At an ordinary meeting of the Christchurch City Council on the 9th of March 2017 resolution CNCL/2017/00068 was passed stating that Council:
· Adopts a position that Council supports the third southbound lane being added to the bridge only if it is prioritised for the sole use of public transport and/or high occupancy vehicles.
3.4 At a meeting of the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy Implementation Committee on the 07th of April, it was resolved that the committee:
· Support the construction of a 3rd southbound motorway lane across the Waimakariri Bridge and a separated cycleway.
· Support the provision for a High Occupancy Vehicle lane between Tram Road and QEII Drive to be potentially used by a combination of T2 vehicles, buses and freight.
· Note that the construction can be included as part of the Northern Arterial project delivered through the Christchurch Northern Corridor Alliance.
· Note that a multi-modal solution is proposed that will improve travel time reliability and safety and provide improved travel choices for higher occupancy vehicle use, public transport and cycling.
· Note that there will be additional related financial implications for other partners should the matter proceed, including park and ride facilities, changes to public transport services and supporting cycle facilities in Waimakariri District.
1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide an updated recommendation to Councillors on the matter of decision making for resource consent applications.
1.2 This matter was first considered by the Regulations and Consents Committee on 16 July 2015 and subsequently the Council on 13 and 27 August 2015.
1.3 The report was left to lie on the table at the 27 August meeting and a further report on whether the Council could develop a policy with respect to notification was requested. That report went to the Regulations and Consents Committee on 17 December 2015 and subsequently the Council on 28 January 2016.
1.4 The report was left to lie on the table at the 28 January 2016 Council meeting and a workshop was requested which was held in February 2016. It was then decided at the workshop a further workshop was needed.
1.5 This was held on 11 July 2016. The outcome of that workshop was for staff to review the original recommendations from the 28 January 2016 report.
1.6 Further briefings were held on the 7 March 2017, 2 May 2017 and 4 July 2017 and this report reflects final discussions with the Council.
1.7 The original report which was left to lie on the table in August 2015 is Attachment A, and the report which was considered by the Regulation and Consents Committee in December 2015 is Attachment B. The reports provide the background material necessary to understand the recommendations in this report.
2.1 The recommendation in this report is of low significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined as low because it concerns administrative functions related to processing resource consent applications that largely reflect current practice.
a. That Hearings Panels be used to make the notification and substantive decisions for resource consent applications where there is a high degree of complexity (Staff are to prepare a practice note for internal guidance).
b. That when Hearings Panels are used, the Hearings Panel shall comprise of an independent and experienced commissioner with Resource Management Act qualified elected members.
c. That every three years an independent audit be carried out, by a suitably qualified and experienced resource management practitioner, that examines a representative sample of decisions made on 20 resource consents applications in the context of the requirements under the Resource Management Act. The results of the audit are to be reported to Regulatory Performance Committee as soon as practicable following the report being received, with the first audit being reported back to Committee no later than 30 June 2020.
d. That following an independent audit (no later than three months after the finalised audit being received), the key points (including an appended full copy of the audit) are included in a monthly report to the Regulatory Performance Committee.
e. That a list of applications of high significance or interest be included in the monthly report to the Regulatory Performance Committee. Also, that applications considered by staff to be of interest to elected members be circulated as soon as practicable following receipt of a complete application to be applicable Community Board for their information.
f. That resource consents senior staff visit each Community Board, at least once every elected community board term or upon request, to gain feedback on issues arising from the processing of resource consent applications.
· This report reflects decisions and feedback from previous Council meetings, workshops and briefings. Therefore, the set of recommendations above reflect this. Other options were canvassed in previous reports which are appended to this report.
· The use of qualified elected members and an independent commissioner on hearings panels making decisions on resource consent applications.
· A process to ensure the quality, consistency and efficiency of resource consent decision making in the context of the requirements under the Resource Management Act.
5.1 This matter was originally brought to Council as part of the action plan responding to the Ministry for the Environment review of resource consenting functions. One of the recommendations in that review was:
5.2 “In our view the resource management delegations are in need of a thorough review, with a direction to provide delegation, within formal policy and statutory process, the lowest competent level possible within the resource consents team in order to provide efficiency of process and to maintain quality and consistency of decisions. We believe that the staff’s skill and confidence in making such decisions can be enhanced if they have the clear authority and the confidence and support of senior management and councillors. We recommend the practice of using a list of ‘potentially controversial’ application types should be reviewed and the delegations manual amended”
5.3.1 The Resource Management Act continues to be reformed to streamline and simplify the resource consents application process.
5.3.2 The Replacement District Plan has included an objective which encourages reduced notification and transaction costs, and rules in the Replacement Plan implement that objective.
5.3.3 Resource consent decisions are quasi-judicial decisions which require legal tests to be applied based on the facts of the application in question.
5.3.4 A review of the best practice indicated a delegation to the Chief Executive who then delegates to appropriate staff.
5.3.5 That a Council policy guiding notification is inappropriate unless the policy is in the District Plan.
5.4 The matter culminated with a recommendation from the Regulation and Consents Committee to delegate decision making to staff subject to a set of recommendations put forward by the Chairperson of that Committee, Cr East. These are set out below:
5.4.1 That Hearings Panels are not used for making the notification decision (Section 95) on resource consent applications.
5.4.2 That Hearings Panels continue to be used to make the substantive decision (Section 104) on resource consent applications where a hearing is required.
5.4.3 That a further report which reviews resource consents decision making is brought to the Council in approximately two years’ time and no later than 1 July 2017.
5.4.4 That an independent audit be carried out bi-annually that examines a representative sample of decisions made on 20 resource consent applications in the context of the requirements under the Resource Management Act. The results of the audit is to be reported to Council as soon as practicable following the report being received, with the first audit being reported back to Council no later than 1 July 2017.
5.4.5 That a list of applications be sent weekly to the applicable Community Board once the new Connect software has been deployed for Resource Consents and all applications be sent to the Regulations and Consents Committee.
5.4.6 That resource consents senior staff visit each Community Board at least annually to gain feedback on issues arising from the processing of resource consent applications.
5.4.7 That the applications considered by staff to be of interest to elected members be circulated as soon as practicable following receipt of a complete application to the applicable Community Board for their information.
5.5 The recommendations in 5.4 are now superseded by the amended recommendations in this report. These recommendation are a result of further briefings with the Council.
5.6 This option does not involve a significant decision in relation to ancestral land or a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value, therefore this decision does not specifically impact Ngāi Tahu, their culture and traditions.
5.9 Cost of Implementation – There is no new expenditure required. All staff time is included in planned operational overhead budgets.
5.10 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – There will be additional costs associated with an independent audit.
5.12 The recommendation has been reviewed by the Council’s Resource Management Act Solicitor. The matters contained in the recommendation are consistent with the requirements of the Resource Management Act.
5.13 Any risks are mitigated by ensuring qualified persons make decisions on resource consent applications and that an audit is being carried out every term to ensure decisions are being made in accordance with the requirements of the Resource Management Act.
5.14 Implementation dependencies – A potential impediment to using members on hearing panels is the currently low number of people who has completed the “Making Good Decisions” training.
1.1 This report seeks Council approval of the draft Strategic Framework detailed in Attachment A and for that framework to be used as the strategic foundation of the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28.
1. Approves the proposed Strategic Framework to be used as the strategic foundation of the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28.
2. Notes that community engagement on the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28 (including the Strategic Framework) will commence shortly, and will be visibly led out starting with a Mayoral document in approximately August / September 2017.
3. Notes that staff are preparing a work programme that will implement the Council’s Strategic Priorities and which will be presented to the Council.
3.1 The Council has worked with the Executive Leadership Team, community board chairs and staff to prepare a new strategic framework to be used as the strategic foundation for work programme planning for the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28. The framework clearly articulates the Council’s intended direction over the coming three years and beyond. It does not seek to replicate programmes of core work – such as road repairs, or infrastructure rebuilds – that are part of Council’s core day to day business.
· Council vision statement – conveys the essence of Christchurch and links with the Christchurch Story narrative.
· Community outcomes – statements of how we want the city to be. The community outcomes have been reviewed resulting in a more streamlined set of 16 statements – down from the previous 64. This will enable a more flexible approach to identifying linkages between community outcomes and work programme levels of service to be developed and promote more tailored approaches to monitoring progress.
· Strategic priorities – the Council has identified the areas of Council business where a focus on improvement and/ or transformational change is sought. These are not exclusively the most important aspects of the Council’s business and the organisation will still be required to complete all its usual functions.
· Targeted strategies – the Council has approved a number of strategies that provide detailed plans for change. These support achievement of community outcomes and strategic priorities to varying degrees. Further work will be undertaken to better align the suite of strategies with the community outcomes and strategic priorities.
3.3 The strategic framework includes a set of guiding principles that the Council identified and used to inform its preparation of the framework. The Councils intends to apply these principles to its direction setting and decision making processes over the current triennium.
3.4 The strategic framework has been refined following requests made at the Strategic Capability Committee meeting where it was first proposed. Specifically the changes have been:
· Addition of a whaka toki to highlight the relationship between the Council and the papatipu runanga with mana whenua within the district
· Addition of the community outcome “21st century garden city we are all proud to live in” under the Liveable City outcomes group
· Inclusion of the Council’s Multicultural Policy and Housing Policy as examples of the planning documents used by the Council to provide direction to giving effect to community outcomes and strategic priorities.
3.5 By agreeing to the strategic framework to guide the preparation of the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28, and be included as a draft framework in that Plan, the Council is providing the opportunity for community engagement about what the strategic direction for Christchurch and the Council should be.
3.6 The Mayor’s office is developing a ‘leading statement’ to promote strong community engagement on the draft Long Term Plan. This is expected to be available in approximately August/September and will outline the critical issues and choices we face as a city, and the intergenerational implications of these choices. This is an important document to ensure that the public understand the state of the city, our current challenges and opportunities, and the decisions that we need to make during the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan period.
3.7 To support Council and the Mayor, the Executive Leadership Team has formed a ‘Strategic Alignment Steering Group’ to oversee implementation of the strategic priorities and community outcomes. The steering group will ensure the strategic priorities are given appropriate focus and support within the organisation; look beyond business as usual responses; and promote the change being sought.
3.8 The following is the expected timeline from Council agreement to use the strategic framework (post 2017 Annual Plan approval which occurred in June 2017) as the foundation of the Long term Plan 2018-28 through to adoption of a final framework and Plan.
1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Council to approve the Christchurch Economic Development Strategy 2017.
2.1 The decisions in this report are of low to medium significance in relation to the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
2.1.1 The level of significance was determined by analysis using the Council’s significance assessment template.
2. Note that ChristchurchNZ will be undertaking an update/refresh of the Christchurch Economic Strategy in approximately 12 months and that this will specifically consider emerging issues such as effective stewardship of water as a resource, and better targeting groups of citizens who are not in education, employment or training.
3. Agrees that the Strategic Capability Committee receives progress reports on implementation of the Christchurch Economic Development Strategy.
4. Notes that Council officers will work with ChristchurchNZ to establish an appropriate senior officials steering group to oversee the implementation of the Strategy.
· The Strategy gives effect to the views and aspirations of the range of stakeholders who engaged in the Strategy review process.
· The Strategy provides a clear work programme to coordinate and focus the efforts of a range of key organisations to assist economic development in Christchurch.
· The Strategy provides ChristchurchNZ with a clear work programme within its economic development functions and with opportunities to enhance integration through its legacy arms working collaboratively to deliver Strategy actions.
· There are costs associated with ChristchurchNZ, the Council and other stakeholder organisations delivering the actions identified in the Strategy.
5.1 A prosperous economy improves the economic wellbeing of residents through jobs and business opportunities and contributes to the development of the social and public amenities that make Christchurch an attractive place to live.
5.2 The first Christchurch Economic Development Strategy (the Strategy) was launched in 2013 to identify the city’s long term growth goals and priorities to 2031 that would contribute to Christchurch having a stronger economy and better quality of life.
5.3 The Strategy is prepared and monitored by ChristchurchNZ (previously CDC), in support of the Council’s community outcomes framework and in particular the outcomes associated with a prosperous economy. ChristchurchNZ will also coordinate the implementation of Strategy actions which will be undertaken by a range of organisations operating in the economic development arena in Christchurch, including the Council.
5.4 Strategy development and implementation is collaborative, with over 20 partners across the private and government sectors. At its outset the Strategy encompassed over 70 economic development projects with a combined value of over $8.2 billion to our local economy over 15 years.
5.5 The timing of the Strategy review has enabled the Council’s emerging strategic priorities to be incorporated, providing strong links to the Council’s high level direction settings.
5.6 A background paper on the Christchurch economy and a review of progress against the current strategy were prepared to provide baseline information and inform participants in the strategy review process. These documents are available on the ChristchurchNZ website at: http://www.cdc.org.nz/what-we-do/economic-strategy/.
5.7 Four thematic workshops were held involving representatives of Christchurch’s business community, local government, education and research institutions and other stakeholders. The workshops provided opportunities for key stakeholders to understand the wider local economy and to put forward their thoughts regarding future direction and priorities. The findings of these workshops have strongly influenced the reviewed Strategy document. Supporting documents associated with these workshops are available from the ChristchurchNZ website.
5.8 The review has taken longer to complete than originally planned due to the need for the Strategy to effectively align with the direction of the newly formed ChristchurchNZ organisation. Launching the reviewed strategy during the transitional stage of the forming of ChristchurchNZ provides valuable direction and momentum, in tandem with the Christchurch Visitor Strategy adopted by the Council in 2016.
5.9 The action plan is in two parts – 5 Big Game Changers (a range of initiatives intended to have a transformational impact on our local economy) and Keeping the City Competitive (actions that maintain and/or build on what we do well in the economic sector).
5.10 There are 80 projects included in the action plan, some of which are already underway, some are planned and budgeted and some are aspirational (not yet planned or budgeted).
5.11 The Council is the lead agency or co-lead agency for 33 of the projects in the action plan. Some of the projects are existing, or planned and budgeted. There are, however, some new initiatives which the Council will need to consider through its Long Term Plan preparation process.
5.12 ChristchurchNZ’s coordination and oversight functions will be undertaken by their in-house Programme Management Office (PMO). The PMO will have two key roles in implementation:
· Monitor and report to Council and other stakeholders on delivery progress of the whole economic development programme. PMO progress reports provide a view of all economic development projects, their status and interdependencies and progress against strategic priorities.
· Facilitate dialogue and action with city leaders where opportunities, challenges and trends require action.
5.13 With the Strategy having a large number of partner organisations and a large number of projects, staff have already commenced planning for an implementation steering group to monitor progress and facilitate project progression. This steering group will meet quarterly and include ChristchurchNZ (3 representatives), Council (2 representatives) and the other key stakeholders (3 representatives), giving 8 members in total.
5.14 The steering group will ensure stakeholders have quarterly progress reports and that opportunities to improve project delivery are identified and put in place.
5.15 The Council has been allocated actions to lead or co-lead implementation with other key agencies and will be involved in other actions being led by other key agencies.
5.16 Some of the actions allocated to Council are business as usual or projects already agreed by the Council. Any new actions will be prioritised and scoped before being proposed to the Council in the Long Term Plan or Annual Plan work programmes.
5.17 Formal reporting to the Council on progress made in Strategy implementation is recommended to be through the Strategic Capability Committee (as it is monitoring progress against the strategy as opposed to monitoring organisational progress).
5.18 It is also recommended that ChristchurchNZ provides progress information to the Council’s Head of Strategic Policy and that this be included in the annual Strategy Progress Update Report to that committee.
5.19 The Board of ChristchurchNZ may require additional reporting if they consider that appropriate.
5.21 The Council requested ChristchurchNZ to provide a briefing on the strategy, which was held on 4 July 2017. The briefing enabled all councillors (particularly those who had not previously had an opportunity) to have the strategy document and action plan explained to them and the opportunity to have questions raised.
5.22 ChristchurchNZ has undertaken to include questions raised about the strategy document in the next review, likely to be within the next one to two years. This will provide an opportunity for ChristchurchNZ to align its strategic direction with the Council’s emerging strategic priorities.
6.1 The Council approves the Christchurch Economic Development Strategy as being complete for implementation.
6.2 The level of significance of this option is low which is consistent with section 2 of this report.
6.3 Engagement requirements for this level of significance have been met through the stakeholder engagement process detailed above.
6.5 The key stakeholders involved in the Strategy review are specifically affected by this option due to their ability to contribute to implementation. Their views have been captured through the key stakeholder engagement process.
6.7 Cost of Implementation will depend on the Council-funded initiatives the Council includes in its work programme and budget.
6.8 Maintenance / Ongoing Costs – The Council provides ChristchurchNZ with an annual operating grant each year. A significant portion of this funding is likely to be required to undertake the functions associated with implementing Strategy.
6.12 Risk – investment is lost through strategy projects not being completed. This will result in lost economic opportunities.
6.12.1 Treatment: Council should be as clear as possible at the earliest opportunity as to what it will and won’t fund and/ or undertake.
6.13 Implementation dependencies - some projects included in the action plan require collaboration with other agencies.
· The Strategy provides a clear work programme to coordinate and focus the efforts of a range of key organisations to assist economic development in Christchurch
· The Strategy provides ChristchurchNZ with a clear work programme in its economic development function and with opportunities to enhance integration through its legacy arms working collaboratively to deliver Strategy actions.
7.2 The level of significance of this option is medium, consistent with section 2 of this report. The increased significance of this option relates to:
· The Strategy is intended to provide ChristchurchNZ with clear direction in terms of its economic development work programme. If the Strategy is not updated there will be a delay in the new organisation giving effect to its purpose
· the reputational risk associated with not following through on the time, effort and ideas contributed by the stakeholders involved in the review process.
7.5 Key stakeholders are specifically affected by this option due to their commitment to the review process. Their views are unknown at this time regarding this option. If the Council wishes to pursue this option their views could be sought and reported back.
7.6.2 Reason for inconsistency – level of service specifically requires the Strategy to be reviewed.
7.6.3 Amendment necessary – provide explanation and rationale of the decision not to deliver on the level of service in the Annual Report 2017.
7.11 ChristchurchNZ, and more broadly the City of Christchurch, have no overarching direction to our economic development work programme.
7.12 Risk - inefficiencies caused by lack of direction. This will result in reduced value for money for the community and poorer outcomes for the city through missed economic opportunities.
· Does not provide economic development future direction for the city (not doing this will cost in the long run).
· Doesn’t provide a framework for key organisations to work collaboratively to achieve economic development goals for the city.
· Option 1 – For the Council to approve the dedication of the road in conjunction with the Developer continuing the process to remove the covenant from the Developer’s land, (including Lots 601 and 613) pursuant to an application to the Court under the Property Law Act.
· Option 2 – For the Council to take no action and allow the Developer to continue with its application to the Court pursuant to the Property Law Act for the removal of the covenant instrument from Lots 601 and 613 through the Court.
· As part of the Variations, the Developer would agree to the commercial and residential safety audit works being designed and approved.
· The Council would not dedicate the road until all the safety works are carried out to comply fully prior to a Section 224 (c) Certificate being issued for that stage of the subdivision.
· A Deed of Indemnity will protect the Council from all actions proceedings and claims in relation to the Council accepting the dedication of Lots 601 and 613 as road.
· The Council would be required to rely on the indemnity from the Developer in respect of any consequences of the redundant land covenant remaining or any other legal challenges.
· The Council takes the initiative rather than the Developer through the Court to remove the covenant from the underlying land through the Property Law Act.
· Has changed the engineering plans for the residential area and the scheme plans for the commercial area in the manner agreed by the three traffic experts to ensure that the issues in the road safety audit are addressed and rectified.
· Directs that before the roads in the commercial area vest in the Council, there must be a variation of the commercial area consent that provides that there can be no commercial development until the agreed road design changes are built.
· A Variation has been received by the Council and the road plans are being altered to comply with all the safety audit requirements.
· Dedication of Lots 601 and 613 is proposed for the Council’s consideration as the underlying land covenant instrument registered against Lots 601 and 613 means that the road cannot vest under the RMA, and the Developer has not been able to obtain the required surrender from some of the landowners, which would allow the vesting.
· The covenant on Lots 601 and Lot 613 on LT 448725 is also on the balance of the Developer’s land and precludes dwellings that are not private residential, temporary dwellings and caravans, and building materials such as polite and fibrolite. There are also building design controls and any building work to be completed in twelve months. Also, the Covenantor must keep all trees trimmed and must not use their land for certain farming activities such as pig farming. The covenant does not restrict the use of the land as road.
· Under Section 349 of the Local Government Act 1974, the Council may declare by way of dedication, a private road (intended for use by the public) or right-of-way to be a public road. Although Lots 601 and 613 are not currently open for public use, the view of our legal advisor is that the roadway fits squarely within the definition of private road in that it is intended by the Developer that Lots 601 and 613 be utilised by the public.
· If the Council accepts the dedication process, the dedication would be approved but not enacted until all the road safety features had been physically built and approved.
· The Developer and a suitable guarantor, will enter into a Deed of Indemnity with the Council and in a form provided by the Council’s solicitors, indemnifying the Council in respect of any consequences of the redundant land covenant remaining on Lots 601 and 613, and protecting the Council from all actions, proceedings and claims.
· The Developer would still proceed under the Property Law Act and through the Court to remove the redundant covenants from the underlying land (including Lots 601 and 613). This could take some time.
· The perception by the other landowners who have an interest in the land that the Council is using an unusual step to dedicate the road.
· There are no other disadvantages provided the Developer still proceeds with the Variation and relating safety improvements.
I move that the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting, namely items listed overleaf.
Section 48(4) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 provides as follows:
“(4) Every resolution to exclude the public shall be put at a time when the meeting is open to the public, and the text of that resolution (or copies thereof):
This resolution is made in reliance on Section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the particular interest or interests protected by Section 6 or Section 7 of that Act which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public are as follows:
To enable CCHL to take the necessary measures to give effect to the Council's decision and communicate it to the candidate.
Commercial sensivity around tendered prices and publication of the information will prejudice the commercial position of the Respondent and the subsequent project contracts.
[4] Report of an investigation into defining a Living Wage for New Zealand, Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit December 2012.df
[5] A Literature Review on the Effects of Living Wage Policies published by Auckland Council August 2013. |
147,023,451 | In this contest, the least-trashy team wins - The Boston Globe In this contest, the least-trashy team wins - The Boston Globe
Members of the Hingham High School hockey team sorting out what their schoolmates threw out after lunch in the school cafeteria.
HINGHAM — Tommy Kornack and Danny Packard play defense, and Alex Adams is a left wing. But today, in the Hingham High School cafeteria, hours before the boys’ varsity hockey team challenges Westford Academy, the teammates have taken their positions for another kind of competition.
This isn’t a test of skill and speed. But the game, which will be played during all three lunch periods, requires agility, focus, and teamwork. And it’s as important for building school spirit and community as the contest scheduled at the Pilgrim Skating Arena later in the day.
The goal of this competition, which started during the 2011-2012 school year, is to reduce the amount of trash high-schoolers generate at lunch every day, by sifting through what they throw out and properly streaming the discards. And it’s working. Two years ago, the school eliminated a dumpster that no longer was being filled up each week.
The intraschool contest is held throughout the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons. Teams take turns supervising at collection stations set up in the four corners of the cafeteria. A penalty point is called each time the school custodian, who serves as referee, finds a banana peel, an aluminum can, or some other compostable or recyclable material in the trash. The lower the score, the higher the ranking. All 32 of the school’s varsity teams — 10 fall sports, 11 winter sports, and 11 spring sports — take part. The team with the lowest score wins lunch from Crow Point Pizzeria, a local favorite.
So far this year, the tally is a first-place tie between the dance team and the girls’ basketball team. In the history of the game, there have been only three perfect scores, all won by the dance team, which took first place in the fall of 2016, winter of 2016, and fall of 2017.
Today, not much happens until the lunch period is almost over and students begin to file past the station where the hockey players, dressed in their red jerseys minus the shoulder pads, are overseeing the separation of throwaways.
One plastic-gloved player shakes a half-eaten apple out of a crumpled bag and tosses the fruit into the compost, and the bag into a bin for recycling. Another picks up a disposable water bottle and drops it into a recycling bucket. A third keeps watch as classmates place compostable lunch trays in a neat stack and dump their paper bags into their recycling bin.
Hockey team member Jake Higgins and his teammates worked steadily through the end of the lunch period.
Anything that can’t be recycled goes into the trash. But the goal is to reduce what can’t be reused: With 1,200 students and three lunch periods every day, that adds up to a lot. On the days when no team has been assigned to monitor the stations, students supervise themselves.
“Our hope is that we see a good carry-over effect where students get regular reminders on the “Slash the Trash” days and then do the right thing consistently without supervision on the other days,” school principal Rick Swanson said in an e-mail.
“A lot of families are doing this” at home, says senior Cassie Devine, 17, who is leaving the cafeteria with her friend, Brennah Letorney, an 18-year-old senior who is co-president of the school’s Green Team.
These efforts are also happening elsewhere in the school. In the teachers’ room, they compost what’s left from lunch each day. In the main office, staff do the same with their coffee grinds.
Marshall Terres, captain of the hockey team, and other students say the contest is raising awareness and changing habits. Day to day, it’s no big deal, they say. But in the long run, it could be huge.
“For me, it’s the little efforts, bringing a reusable water bottle every day,” Terres says. “It’s the little things that the school teaches us that I will continue to do for the rest of my life.”
‘Our hope is that we see a good carry-over effect where students get regular reminders on the “Slash the Trash” days and then do the right thing consistently without supervision on the other days. ’
Slash the Trash has drawn attention beyond Hingham. Three years ago, the high school won a national Green Ribbon award from the US Department of Education for its efforts to reduce waste and costs, improve health, and provide environmental and sustainability education.
And last year, a group from Cohasset High School visited the school to learn how they could do something similar.
Swanson “really inspired us,” says Peter Afanasiw, a history teacher at Cohasset High who took a colleague and a group of students to Hingham to learn about Slash the Trash and afterward started a similar program.
As Kornack, Packard, and Adams wrap up their shift this day, a noticeable odor begins to rise from the compost bucket. The pile of compostable lunch trays, which have replaced the Styrofoam ones, is growing. There are more plastic water bottles in the can-and-bottle barrel.
Matt Conway, the custodian who oversees the four collection stations in the cafeteria, is looking over the players’ shoulders, scannng for penalties.
He doesn’t find much in the trash: a couple of partly eaten apples, a sliced orange untouched inside a ziplock bag, a plastic water bottle.
The wave of students passing by becomes a trickle. The athletes keep their heads down and their eyes and hands moving.
A few more paper bags. Another water bottle. An unopened package of peanut butter crackers to separate and discard — and the job is done.
Hingham High School principal Rick Swanson took a photograph of the hockey team after its “Slash the Trash” session in the school caferteria in January. |
250,352,807 | “Thank you so much for looking after Captain Kirk for seven months. You have kept him safe from ‘motorway adventures’. It’s nice to see him looking healthier and stockier than he was when he arrived at Barndale.
Paul and I have been able to relax knowing he is well looked after and has such a large outdoor playroom to play in. Thank you also for letting us visit often.”
Whilst every care will be taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all animals, we accept no responsibility or liability for any illness, injury or loss whatsoever.
We reserve the right to consult a vet if we consider it necessary and any vet fees incurred will be payable by the animal’s owner.
All fees are payable on arrival of your pet. Day of arrival is charged at full rate regardless of check in time. There is no charge for day of departure if collected before 12.00 noon.
We accept cash, cheques and internet banking. All unpaid fees and dishonouredcheques will incur late payment fees and collection costs.
All animals must be fully vaccinated and these vaccinations must be current at the time of boarding.
We no longer accept the three-yearly vaccination protocol due to the increase in cases of ‘cat flu’. All cats must be vaccinated annually.
We need to sight the vaccination book or certificate which should show the vaccine used, the date it was given, the date re-vaccination is recommended and the administering vet’s signature. Failure to present the vaccination book or certificate on arrival could result in your animal being refused admission.
It will be deemed that these Terms and Conditions have been accepted on signing the booking form and/or leaving your animal in our care.
Tory Johnson truly believed she'd live happily ever after if she could just lose weight and get to an ideal size. The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life chronicled her successful quest to shed 60 pounds (and she's gone on to lose more, for a total of 80!). Stunned by and grateful to her family, friends, colleagues and readers coast-to-coast who responded so positively to her success, Tory felt empowered and satisfied...for a while...until she realized that to stop Shifting would be to settle.
In Shift for Good, Tory Johnson once again candidly shares her journey as she uses the lessons and Shift-Gifts gained to explore how to keep good things happening, how to avoid feeling stuck in one placeeven a happy place!and how challenging even your own limits brings amazing new opportunities and a chance to give back to the community.
What a joy to read! SHIFT FOR GOOD celebrates life, love, family and the simple successes that really make us happy. By sharing her journey, Tory Johnson reminds us not to let what's urgent drive out what's important. My dear friend also reminds us to laugh...a lot! --Robin Roberts, co-anchor, Good Morning America
"What a joy to read! Shift for Good celebrates life, love, family and the simple successes that really make us happy. By sharing her journey, Tory Johnson reminds us not to let what's urgent drive out what's important. My dear friend also reminds us to laugh...a lot!"-Robin Roberts, Co-Anchor, Good Morning America
Throughout John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, many concepts appear that were noted in How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. However, the three chapters of Foster’s how-to guide that most apply to Steinbeck’s novel were “It’s All About Sex…,” “Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not),” and “It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow.” On more than one occasion these concepts are hidden within the book, and two of them actually seem somewhat linked together. After reading between the lines, The Grapes of Wrath has an extremely intricate plot and many ulterior meanings. Foster’s book helps to solve these meanings and make it so that the novel can be completely understood. According to How to Read Literature Like a …show more content…
The scene goes on to describe the girl panting and heaving without being tired ad how they’ll keep going. Just like that of the hamburger stand, Steinbeck went into so much detail that noticing the double meaning is unavoidable. Foster’s concept is definitely true, “sex doesn’t have to look like sex.” In fact, it rarely does. In Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, it is stated that a quest consists of five things: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges on the way, and a real reason to go there. In this particular situation, there is not just one quester, but instead and entire family: the Joads. They are headed to California in search of a steady job that will support them. On their way, they face money problems, car troubles, deaths, and issues with the government. The real reason to go there is always self knowledge in the eyes of Thomas Foster. The family learns that they must stick together and help each other and others out in order to survive. Without the help of their neighbors they would have perished of hunger and never would have made it into California. Unfortunately, they never actually reach the point where they have steady and happy lives. This is their Holy Grail. They were journeying toward something that they were never going to find in |
154,910,433 | Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., talks with reporters Thursday after announcing a GOP plan to curb gas prices.
Washington – Senate Republicans on Thursday tried to get the upper hand in the political battle over high gasoline prices by proposing a $100 rebate for taxpayers and by suggesting that they might increase taxes on oil-industry profits.
Their proposal also calls for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil production, a provision sure to draw opposition from many Democrats and even some Republicans.
“The American consumer is the one that needs the break today, and we need to be taking steps to make sure that they aren’t emptying their wallet every time they fill their tank,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., as the leadership unveiled its response to an issue quickly taking over the congressional agenda.
The GOP plan includes a provision that could levy a significant tax on oil-company profits, a provision that President Bush promised to veto when a similar version appeared in another Senate bill last year.
Speaking at a BP service station in Biloxi, Miss., on Thursday, Bush endorsed one aspect of the Senate proposal by encouraging Congress to give him the same authority to set standards for gasoline mileage of cars as he has over “light trucks,” or SUVs, pickups and minivans.
Greeting surprised customers, Bush likened rising gas prices to a new tax and promised to curb price gouging, boost refinery capacity and support alternative fuels.
“One of the things we’ve got to do is make these trucks run on ethanol and batteries that won’t require gasoline,” he said. “That’s what the future is going to be.”
Democrats quickly dismissed the new Republican approach as a back-door attempt to overcome deep-seated opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
“Americans are struggling to pay the rising cost of gas, and they are not interested in handouts to help oil companies make more money by letting them drill in wildlife refuges,” said Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader.
Democrats pressed their own ideas, including a proposal by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal tax on gasoline and 24-cent-a-gallon diesel tax for 60 days. “It is direct relief at the pump,” Menendez said. Some Republicans, including Thune, also have endorsed a suspension of the tax.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., tied up the Senate for almost five hours Thursday in an effort to force a vote on his proposal to prohibit oil companies from escaping federal royalties for drilling on public lands when oil prices exceed $55 per barrel. But Republicans blocked that effort.
“You cannot get a vote up or down in the United States Senate on a rip-off of taxpayer money,” Wyden said.
Democrats say they believe public ire will play into their efforts to regain control of the House and Senate as they try to convince voters of the close ties between Republicans and oil companies and remind voters of industry-friendly legislation advocated by Republicans.
“High gas prices are going to be the final nail in the GOP’s coffin this election year,” said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
But Republicans say they believe their new plan, which was made public at a news conference attended by several senators facing re-election this year, could strike a public chord, particularly with its promise of a $100 check to millions of taxpayers.
Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard joined Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and seven other Republicans urging legislation that would suspend some oil-industry tax breaks and use that money to temporarily lift a fuel tax. The language was added as an amendment to a larger bill providing funding for Iraq and hurricane relief.
It is unclear when the Senate might move forward or how the White House and the House, where Republicans and Democrats have their own ideas, will respond.
The price tag for the Republican package had not been calculated, but aides said it would cost less than $20 billion.
The $100 rebate was patterned after a similar refund sent to taxpayers early in Bush’s first term as a down payment on an initial set of tax cuts.
The payment would not be tied to gas consumption but would be sent to taxpayers at the end of the summer, going to single filing taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes below $145,950 and couples earning less than $218,950. The Finance Committee estimated that at least 100 million taxpayers would qualify.
A bespectacled woman sits on a rusty tractor in Nebraska holding a sign that reads, in boxy green letters, “Anni Holm.”
A bald man in dark sunglasses stands on a deserted Chicago street, lifting a yellow placard with the words “Anni Holm” in huge purple type.
A woman in earmuffs stands in front of the Forbidden City, with the face of Mao Zedong peering stoically over her shoulder as she clutches a sign of her own. It too reads “Anni Holm.”
More than 50 people in locales as far-flung as Estonia, England and Antarctica have submitted photos of themselves brandishing artist Anni Holm’s name, which she then posts on her latest art project, a blog called “Getting My Name Out There” (anniholm.blogspot.com).
Holm’s goal is to gather people around the world in a creative, accessible and constantly expanding work of art.
With the rise of self-publishing photo websites like Flickr, artists are taking their cues and soliciting photographs – often self-portraits – from strangers for their online projects. The goal for many is to bring art out of the museums and to make average people participants and not just spectators of art. This medium, some scholars say, is changing the definition of art.
“We’re starting to blur the distinction between professional photographers and amateurs,” said Mark Amerika, an art professor at the University of Colorado. “It’s not so much about getting the best aesthetic composition, but finding the right online social network.”
After arriving in Chicago from Denmark hoping to break into the American art world, Holm repeatedly was encouraged to “get her name out there.”
She took the words literally and, last October, sent mass e-mail messages asking friends to join her.
While the concept of her project may seem egocentric, Holm says it’s just the opposite: She wants to show how much artists rely on others’ support and affirmation, as well as infuse her art with humor and accessibility.
The Internet provides the perfect space for creative, collaborative projects, says Charles Traub, a professor at New York’s School of Visual Arts.
“To ‘make art’ seems to be almost a 20th-century concept,” Traub said. As he sees it, today’s most important work is being done by what he calls “the creative interlocutor,” a person who “enables other people to be creative and creates something bigger than the sum of its parts.”
Traub’s websites collect photographs as a means to document recent American tragedies. “Here is New York” gathers post-9/11 photographs of images from the falling towers to survivors’ faces hereisnewyork.org).
Other artist bloggers request photographs that range from the stylish to the funky to the strange. Song-Soo Ahn collects and posts photographs of people covering one of their eyes with one of their hands.
The Mirror Project (mirrorproject.com), launched by Heather Champ and Aaron Straup Cope, features more than 34,000 self-portraits taken in reflective surfaces, from glass windows to hubcaps to spoons. And Ze Frank (zefrank.com) has persuaded multitudes to submit photographs of themselves getting attacked by food or dressed in toilet paper.
While photographer Bill Wadman takes his own pictures for his online project, he relies on strangers to help by becoming his subjects.
Wadman launched “365 Portraits” (365portraits.com) on Jan. 1, vowing to snap a different person each day. Afraid he would never find enough subjects, he posted an ad on Craigslist. That listing scored him the initial few, and he now has between 500 and 600 people viewing his site every day and is flooded with e-mails from hopeful participants.
“I see someone participating as doing me a favor, whereas a lot of people make me feel like I’m doing them a favor by letting them be involved,” Wadman said.
“The one picture you take doesn’t mean a lot. It only means something in the context of the project,” said Swati Khurana, who posed in front of the Brooklyn Art Museum with a sign bearing her friend Anni Holm’s name.
Lisbeth Nielsen, a teacher in a small Denmark town who found out about Anni Holm’s project when it was featured in a local newspaper, said participating in the project gave her the “thrilling” chance to display her hometown to the world.
“It shows how small the world has become,” she said in an e-mail. “It’s a get-together project, and that’s what the world needs.”
Last year, Stephen Jablonsky curated “selfportraitr,” an exhibit of thousands of self-portraits uploaded to Flickr, then displayed on 10 computers in a Manhattan gallery.
“From the art-world side, people need to appreciate the public’s creation,” Jablonsky said, “not in an aesthetic way, but for what it shows about culture.”
Indeed, while the images collected may not meet traditional museum standards, Traub says these projects have a different kind of potential. “You take your dumb picture of yourself, I take my dumb picture of myself, but when they come together it does represent something about culture that’s more important than the face of any dumb schmuck on the street,” Traub said.
Amtrak said Tuesday it does not yet have an agreement with Iowa Pacific Holdings to help operate a new Ski Train service between Denver’s Union Station and Winter Park.
In the quarter, Dish earned $230.9 million, or 52 cents per share, for the January-March period. That compares with $312.7 million, or 70 cents per share, a year ago. The cost to acquire subscribers rose by 41 percent to $412 million. Revenue rose 5 percent to $3.06 billion from $2.91 billion.
BOULDER — Colorado senior safety Terrel Smith said Wednesday following the first session of August camp in full pads that he has felt no problems with his repaired right shoulder.
Smith underwent extensive surgery on the shoulder on Sept. 5 and sat out the 2013 season as an injury redshirt. He was held out of full-contact work in the spring.
“I feel confident in my shoulder,” Smith said. “I didn’t feel confident in it during the spring. It wasn’t as strong as it needed to be. But now it feels great.”
“The good thing with Terrel with that shoulder, he’s running into people,” MacIntyre said. “That’s the first thing I wanted to see. The physicalness is the main concern, and he’s doing that.”
Colorado Rockies pitcher Jon Gray throws to home plate during spring training workouts on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The question posed to Jon Gray was simple and direct: Do you think you have a chance to be the best pitcher in Rockies history?
“I think I can definitely accomplish that, because I don’t fear Coors Field at all,” Gray said last week as spring training opened. “I know I can go in there and give it everything I have and get the win.”
Former Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook used to say that winning games pitching at altitude was like a badge of honor. Gray, 25, agrees, though it’s taken him a while to come around.
“That’s exactly the way I feel — now,” Gray said with a faint smile. “I guess it’s pretty fair to say that I didn’t know what I was doing when I first got here.”
Gray has seemingly tamed the beast. Last year at Coors Field, he posted a 7-2 record with a 4.30 ERA while striking out 94 and walking just 18 in 83⅔ innings.
Compared with other franchises, Colorado’s benchmark for pitching greatness is relatively low, but there are some milestones in place. Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa‘s 86 victories in a Rockies uniform ranks No. 1 — as do his 53 victories at Coors Field, as well as his 985 career strikeouts. Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez had the best season in Rockies history, going 19-8 with a club- record 214 strikeouts and a 2.88 ERA in 2010.
Gray, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, was projected to be a bona fide ace coming out of the University of Oklahoma, and he received a $4.8 million signing bonus based on his raw talent. Solid as an oak, the 6-foot-4, 232-pound right-hander turned pro with a plus fastball and wicked slider, but in need of another pitch.
Fast forward to 2016, when Gray flashed star potential in his first full season in the majors. Though his 10-10 record and 4.61 ERA were pedestrian, he offered hints of brilliance. His 185 strikeouts set a rookie franchise record, as did his 9.91 strikeouts per nine innings.
“Jon really made great strides last year in a number of areas. Performance, his confidence, really getting his feet on the ground as a major-league starting pitcher,” said new Rockies manager Bud Black. “He’s got to continue to grow, continue to pass these tests that every young player has to pass, and continue to perform like a top-of-the-rotation major-league starter. He’s very capable of doing those things based on his talent, his work ethic and his passion to play.”
Gray’s shining moment came Sept. 17 against San Diego at Coors Field. He struck out a club-record 16 batters while pitching a four-hitter and walking none. No Padres baserunner got beyond first base. The 16 strikeouts were the most ever at Coors Field — surpassing Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson, who whiffed 14 Rockies at Coors Field on May 13, 2001, while pitching for Arizona.
Rookie catcher Tom Murphy was behind the plate for Gray’s gem, but he believes another game was more telling of how good Gray can become. It was played Sept. 10 at San Diego, just one start before Gray’s masterpiece at Coors Field. Gray had nothing that night at Petco Park. He got the hook after four innings, having given up six runs on eight hits.
“Jon just didn’t have a very good feel for his pitches,” Murphy recalled. “I went back into the tunnel to grab something during the game and I see Jon all alone, trying to getting a feel for his pitches. He was just throwing into an empty net; nobody was around.”
“Before, I think you would have seen Jon almost feeling sorry for himself,” Murphy said. “He was not searching for answers, not trying to get ahead of the curve, just accepting it. He didn’t let that happen last year. He took ownership.”
Gray, who participated in Pilates during the offseason to increase his flexibility and body balance — “Look, I can touch my hands to the ground now. Pretty cool,” he said — is beginning this season in a good place.
“I know I can only get better if I take care of myself,” he said. “My arm feels better too. I’m throwing easier now.”
Gray’s fastball hums in the 95, 96 mph range, and his 88 to 90 mph slider has always been an effective swing-and-miss pitch. But according to Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster, Gray’s still-developing curveball, which has surpassed a so-so changeup as his third pitch, could transform him into an ace.
“Last season, me and Holmsie (bullpen coach Darren Holmes) worked hard to get Jon’s delivery right,” Foster said. “There were things that weren’t consistent when he first got up here. We worked to iron those things out. And Jon started trusting that curveball as a pitch he could deliver with confidence.”
“I think it’s a weapon now. If I can throw it for a strike, it changes the whole game,” Gray said. “Guys aren’t stepping into my fastball or slider the way they were earlier.
“Plus, it’s been shown that it’s a pitch I can strike somebody out with. So that’s something I want to home in on, see if I can drop the pitch in front of the plate.”
“I think every time Jon goes out there on the mound he learns a little bit more about himself,” Foster said. “He learns about what a particular pitch does at Coors Field versus how it acts on the road.
“He’s learned to control his emotions, he’s learned how to control the tempo of the game. he’s learned how to control the strike zone and how to take advantage of the count. For me, it’s all about experience. All Jon lacks is experience, because the talent is there.”
In 38 big-league starts, Gray is 10-12 with a 4.79 ERA. That’s not impressive. But Gray isn’t about to carry early career baggage with him.
“I was gaining confidence last year, but it would come and go,” he said. “Sometimes I felt like I belonged out there, sometimes I didn’t. I’ve tried to get rid of any of those old, negative thoughts. Now I think I’m ready to take the next step.” |
124,206,067 | You may have heard about video marketing but not be quite sure of what it is. It simply involves using online videos as a means to boost business. This medium could be an excellent way of boosting your sales. Read this article to learn more about this subject.
You can present a product to potential customers through video marketing. Giving a demonstration and showing people how your product really works helps to give potential consumers some confidence in your product. This can translate into increased sales.
Working as part of a team can be a smart way to develop video content. You can use members of an organization, or your family and friends instead of just your coworkers. Make sure they get the credit the deserve in the video.
Always carry a video camera when attending trade shows, conventions or other industry events. This will give you the opportunity to interview experts and/or document your experiences. If you are speaking in public, ask someone to record it.
Keep content fresh so that viewers return frequently. Dull content won’t do anything besides drive your viewers away, which is definitely bad for business. Instead, you want to reach out and engage viewers. Ideally, they should be eagerly anticipating your next video. Intriguing content attracts more viewers.
Don’t ignore video content analytics. You can see how many times your video has been viewed and where those views are coming from. All of this can help tap into a niche of clients.
Don’t try to get everything done by yourself. You may find it to be a challenge always coming up with video ideas. Brainstorming with family, friends, and staff can help with idea generation for content focus. Try to ask for ideas often to help you stay on top.
You should always share your videos wherever you can. Email your video to both your friends and your family. On your page, create a blog post sharing it. Send the information out to your current customers. Post your videos on YouTube and other forms of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. The important thing is to get your video out to the masses.
As this article has shown, using online videos is an easy and effective method of attracting a larger customer base. When using these tips, you are able to bring in more global customers. Use this advice to get the most out of your video marketing campaign.
Spring is a time to celebrate the year of hard work. Here are some fun things that will be going on:
-We will make matching class T-Shirts for Field Day. Please bring in a plain white T-Shirt by May 5 so that we can make them the week of May 8-12.
Dallas Baker developed a deep connection with nature growing up in the Oxford area. He loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, and became environmentally conscious virtually in the hills of his own backyard.
“As a kid in the 1970s, there seemed to be illegal dumps everywhere, at least around where I lived,” he said. “Just a few feet from our house, with the trash and discarded objects I could see in the gullies. I knew environmental policy was becoming an important issue”.
Becoming an environmental engineer seemed like a natural career trajectory to Baker, and he stayed true to his dream.
In January, Baker joined Neel-Schaffer as director of environmental services after spending nearly a quarter of a century with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. At DEQ, the Lafayette County native served as the state’s air director and chief of the Air Division, and was responsible for maintaining National Ambient Air Quality Standards and policy affecting statewide programs that control air pollution.
So far, the new position with one of the nation’s most respected engineering firms has exceeded expectations, he said.
“I knew (Neel-Schaffer) had a great reputation and their leadership was second to none,” Baker said. “Leaving DEQ was not a slam dunk decision. This was a unique opportunity to build trust with industry, cities and counties, and to help the firm make an impact in ways it wasn’t known for previously.
“Neel-Schaffer wants to become the hub for all things environmental. The time was right after asking myself, ‘do I stay (at DEQ)’?”
As director of the firm’s environmental division, Baker manages a staff of nearly a dozen engineers, geologists and environmental technicians that provide a wide variety of services to clients in 38 offices in the southeast.
“At DEQ, we worked hand-in-hand to protect our natural resources but we were also very conscious of economic development in the state of Mississippi,” said Baker. “I became more ‘green’ than I ever dreamed I’d become.”
Though he enjoyed his time at DEQ, Baker said the opportunity to expand his work beyond Mississippi was enticing.
“We would solve problems working with Mississippi industries in the Air Division,” he said. “When I left, all 82 counties were in full compliance and that’s a testament to the air quality program in our state. I liked the idea that our division operated as the ‘checks-and-balances’ to make sure industry was on board.
“My goal here at Neal-Schaffer is to partner with our clients across nine states and see what we can offer long-term, build a team and become a full-service firm – that’s Mr. Neel’s vision.”
Asked what effect the confirmation of new federal EPA director Scott Pruitt may have on his work at Neel-Schaffer, Baker remains optimistic.
Pruitt said in an interview with The New York Times last month that he does not believe carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming, a statement that contradicts the public stance of the EPA, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“I think what Pruitt was saying is that he intends to re-evaluate all the regulations that were established during the Obama years,” said Baker.
“What I’m most concerned with is if Congress were to start scaling back programs on the state level. My concern centers on curbing heavier pollutants from industry that affect our populations, especially children.”
Baker, who earned a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Mississippi, serves as secretary of the Ole Miss School of Engineering Advisory Board and president of the Mississippi Energy Coordinators Association.
He also served a stint as president of the Air & Waste Management Association, becoming the first-ever member elected from the Deep South, Baker added.
“I traveled and communicated with people all over the world,” said Baker. “It was great to be an ambassador for the environment and represent the state of Mississippi.” |
192,521,309 | I went to my first estate sale on Friday last week. It was SO good. It was a 1950's split level that was in pretty much time capsule condition. I would have taken photos, but I had my daughter, so I was mainly focused on making sure she didn't do anything embarrassing. I felt really weird about dragging her in there with me, mainly because the sale was being handled by some fussy people who I'm pretty sure threw up in their mouths when they saw me approaching with my blond tornado child. But whatever. Some lady brought her dog in there. Like a big dog. Not a yappy yorkie in a hand bag. And I'm extremely conscientious about Roxanne in places like that. I hardly let her get down and walk, even though my back was killing me from hauling her 26 pounds around. Regardless, I could have gone absolutely nuts in there. There were CLOSETS full of vintage clothes and dozens of boxes of shoes and scarves and jewelry. This woman had great taste, and was a meticulous packer. But it was just too weird for me. It's one thing to buy that stuff from the thrift store, but another to buy things out of the deceased lady's closet while standing in front of the deceased lady's bed... The upstairs was so insanely full of kitchen stuff, books, knick-knacks, etc. etc., I could have easily spent hours in there, but a 2 year old really shortens your shopping time. I had a friend with me, but even between the two of us, there's only so much you can do to make looking at old china patterns interesting to a toddler.
The basement was basically like heaven to me. It's where the cheap stuff was. :) I bought lots of vintage board games, a musical cigarette case (no mom, I don't smoke), five teensy multi-colored bitters bottles that Roxanne found, a huge mess of plastic (disposable type plastic) cups with a design that looks like a Georges Briard, and 3 aluminum stacking lawn chairs with green webbing. I spent just under $20. I think the chairs were the best deal, at $4.50 for the 3. Everything was 25% off when we were there, but I wish I could have gone back on Saturday for the real discounts. I'm sure it would have been a freak show, but the house had some goodies that were just too expensive for me, but that I might have shelled out for after a deep discount. One of my favorites was a guest bedroom that featured two twin beds, a tall dresser, a low dresser, a desk, and a night stand all in that 1970's French Provincial style. It's not so much that I'm a huge fan of that style as I have Roxanne's dresser in it, and painted in off-white with pink details, it's perfect for a little girl's room. I would love to have the desk and nightstand at least. But the desk was marked $140. Too much. They also had a cute MCM room divider/hutch that was very small and would have been great in my house. But it was marked $148 and the laminate was ugly. Had it been super cheap, I would have bought it and painted it. I usually don't paint wood furniture, but an ugly laminate? Yes, please.
So the point of all this rambling and listing (don't pretend you don't sort of love hearing about the junk left in a deceased lady's house) is that I realized how much I would like to have my own booth in a local antique shop. If I had a business credit card and a place to sell some of these larger pieces, I would have been at that sale at the opening bell on Saturday morning. As it is, I bought the vintage games and cigarette case for my etsy shop, but I know they will sit there forever. Who does an etsy search for "vintage board game?" But if they were sitting in a booth and someone could pick them up and imagine them used on a wall in a pretty frame...? Definitely. I don't know. I'm probably being unrealistic... I know that having a booth would not equal instant success. I wouldn't quit my day job or anything. But I just really want to try it out for a month or so. I wish I could find a place where I could just consign some pieces but not rent out a full booth. There is a super cute antique shop near us that specializes in mid-century, although they've got all kinds of goodies. I called and asked about booth rental, and it starts at $450 a month. Ah!!!! I just can't do that. I guess I'm just going to keep looking at different options (maybe eBay would be better??) but I'm just not sure what to do. Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated. Seriously.
I'm not even going to apologize for the photo quality. I'm not a photographer, and even though I keep letting Roxanne take pictures with our camera in the hopes that she will break it and necessitate us selling one or two kidneys to get a new one, I'm stuck with it. Just see past the poor image quality to the majesty of the shell chairs. They are lovely. Justin sat in one at dinner (I only had time to finish one before we ate) and the first thing he said was that it fit his butt nicely. I reminded him that we don't use the "b" word in front of our toddler/parrot, but oh well. I'm glad that he likes the chairs.
Speaking of the parrot, we are thinking about not keeping her chair with the booster seat in it for now... She seems to be able to reach the table fine with the shell chair. That being said, any excuse to strap down a two year old at meal times is probably a good one. So we'll maybe do a short trial run. She's still prone to sliding in and out of her seat for various reasons (dance breaks, finding a toy to get all gummed up with her meal, yelling at the dog to stop taking her food even though the dog is fifteen feet away, etc.). So yeah. Maybe keep the booster for now...
I know it's a little cafeteria looking, but I mean, it is cafeteria stuff, right? And that's fine. The color is so bright and happy, and this table is perfect for the space and perfect for messy kids. You just can't hurt it.
At Justin's insistence, I took down the print that was in this spot on the pre-hallway and put this lovely lady up. He's not crazy about this either, but whatever. Once we win the lottery he can go pick out something fancy. In the mean time, I love this poster. I got it at Value Village, too, and it's a print of a summary of a Shakespeare character from a British newspaper. Somehow, this helps me feel justified in going back to graduate school in August. Like, I'm studying English, and I have Shakespeare-related art on my walls. Profound, right?
Here she is, a little closer. Doesn't she look perfect? I'm pretty sure these were done in the seventies. I love it.
So, I just finished the second coat of Penetrol on my Eames chairs. They look AMAZING. And the Penetrol, while making me feel a little funny (kind of like breathing in sharpie for an hour or so), it's waaaay easier than I thought it would be. I feel a little silly for putting this off for so long! Justin thinks the chairs look amazing, and he says he can't wait to put them in the dining room. I think he was actually a little grumpy when I told him that I thought the chairs might need a third coat of Penetrol. He is serious about getting them in place. I can't blame him. I'm convinced that the extra pop of color will go a long way up here...
One thing I was worried about with the chairs was whether or not they would really "clean up" during the sanding process. It's hard to tell when they are faded out and kind of dry looking, but the Penetrol really brings the color back. They are a surprisingly dark orange now. Almost tomato red even. I'll post photos when I get them in place, but for now, you can just use your imaginations. They still have some rough patches, and there is a definite pattern on them, in terms of the fiberglass pieces being almost black on most of the chairs, and I had it in my head that the chairs would look uniform in color. In all honesty, I really love the texture of the aged fiberglass, and as long as the Penetrol keeps them shiny and not itching me and my family during meal times, they are perfect. One of the chairs has some areas where some of the fiberglass threads have turned totally white. It almost looks like paint, but I don't think it is because it would have come off during the sanding process. Either way, they have great character. Some day, I want to put the wooden dowel bases on them. The H-bases are fine for now, but they aren't in immaculate condition, and some of the screws seem reluctant to go in all the way. I might take a few to Home Depot or Ace and see if I can buy some new ones.
Oh, and here are some photos of the new room set up. It's still not perfect, but definitely feeling more cozy. Oh, and the lighting is awful, I know. It was stormy out and I was forced to use a flash. Ew.
I just got back from Home Depot. I bought some new lint-free cloths and vinyl gloves so I can FINALLY get started on sealing my Eames chairs with Penetrol. It's been so long. At least they are done being sanded. That part was not enjoyable. I have never been so itchy in my life. Truth be told, the Penetrol freaks me out. I have nightmarish visions of leaving them to set in the basement in all their glossy glory, only to find our cat curled up in one in the morning. Stuck. But in a few moments, I'm going to go down there, find something fun to watch on the computer (thank goodness for Netflix Instant Viewing...) and get started. I'm hoping I can at least get the backs done.
In other news, we have officially adjusted to the new room set up. I switched the new Danish Modern chairs (that no one is mentioning in terms of reselling or not reselling... at least for now) so that they are under the map. It looks SO much better. The height of those beauties works well on that wall.
That being said, my new dream is to find a modern sectional for the living room. After hours and hours of thinking over the best way to utilize that small space, I really think that would be ideal. We could have the main section on the wall where the map is, and then have it come out under the window. I've been checking Ebay and Craigslist, but most used sectionals are those big clunky beats that look like leather potato sacks and somehow have four recliners built in. Ew. It will be at least a year before we have the budget to get anything in there, but I want to keep an eye out to figure out what my favorite shapes and scales are. I'm completely infatuated with this one sectional at Room and Board, but like most Room and Board furniture, it's probably never going to be within our reach. But look at it! I think my favorite is this red color.
The second part of the sectional plan means putting our current couch down into the basement "living room" to create a den. It would be great to have a TV down there. There are no windows in that area, so it would be ideal. We just have to get a TV first... And this sectional. Am I the only one who gets depressed thinking about how expensive home decorating is? Am I the only one who feels guilty for wanting to spend money on these things and not just appreciating exactly what we have? I mean, I love our house, and I'm happy with what we have, but as we live in our home and figure out how it works, we are bound to come up with better solutions, right? Sigh.
So in the world of basements, ours is so frustratingly awful right now. It was flooded a couple of weeks back when a water main broke in the front yard. It's a very sticky and uncomfortable situation. The water main that broke in the front yard was broken during the HGTV renovation. They hit the water line with an auger. Oops. Apparently they didn't repair it well enough either, so it rebroke and we woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago with two to three inches of water in our basement and lots of the front yard flooded. We called the contractors, and they came out and fixed things. That first day, they had a plumber come out and replace that water main, then replaced the drywall in a small part of the basement kitchen where the new water main comes in. They also shop vacuumed up all the water, and left a giant dehumidifier thing for a while. But since then, they have had some pretty slow going on doing other stuff... *I* spent several hours on a Saturday ripping out the carpet in the basement bedroom that was most effected by the flooding. The berber carpet was glued directly to the concrete by some genius before we moved in, and it just would not dry. Our house smelled like a moldy locker room for several days. Even though I got that carpet out a few days after the flooding had been cleaned up, it was still completely soaked. It made it easier to pull up since the adhesive was so wet, but it was the most ungodly smell of all time. While I was pulling it out, I realized that the rubber baseboards (again, some dingleberry who "finished" the basement used that rubber commercial-grade stuff as baseboards throughout the entire basement) were not sticking to the drywall, and when I pulled one up a tiny bit, I noticed that everything was moldy behind it. So I ripped out all that rubber stuff in that one bedroom, and we asked the contractor to replace the bottom portion of the drywall in that room. They have been working on that over the last TWO weeks. Sigh. I know it's not a huge deal, but I wish they would just finish.
On top of that, the floor in the rest of the basement had been sealed and painted before we moved in, but the paint is now peeling up in most areas from being wet for so long. We also lost a lot of Roxanne's baby stuff (including her baby book), some of our books, some of our wedding stuff (including my wedding shoes, which makes me sad) and we have yet to check to see if Justin's amplifiers are still working. I think we are too scared. It's really overwhelming to have everything in your basement get wet and have to go through it all to figure out what is ruined and what can be salvaged. And the contractors have not offered at all to do any further repair to the floor or to compensate us for anything that was lost. Up until recently, Justin and I just assumed they would refuse and were sort of sheepish about the whole thing. But now I'm mad, and I feel like they should do more to bring our basement to what it was before this happened, since it is clearly not our fault. I'll keep you posted on what happens once I send my e-mail with a list of repairs I'm going to ask for. I'd kind of like to ask for them to replace the bottom portion of drywall in the whole basement, but I think I'm just going to focus on asking them to fix the floor. And for some kind of compensation for our personal belongings that were destroyed. I'm not going to go after them for pain and suffering or anything, but still. Justin is staying out of it for the most part. I think he thinks nothing will come of it. But seeing your daughter's ultrasound picture melted into the baby book that you had to save up to buy... It just brought out the mama bear in me. Any tips on how to handle this situation would be appreciated. I'm not good at being demanding and scary. But as my mom reminded me, we didn't sign up to be on this show expecting to have a flooded basement, and it's highly unlikely that any of the other homeowners had to deal with this. And everything about the whole experience was magical, and we really liked the contractors until this issue came up, so it's all just very unfortunate and disappointing.
This is someday going to be the guest bedroom/craft room. Right now, it is jammed with our belongings that were displaced by the flooding. Would you want to plow into that room and tear through stuff to see what's ruined and what's not? Keep in mind, Justin has already gone through about 10 boxes that were in the basement kitchen, and thrown out about six garbage bags full of our stuff. At least the walls in that room still look pretty... I just spent a weekend priming and painting in that room before the flood. The color is a lovely soft gray called "Artist Loft." Love it.
This is a spot on the floor where the paint is peeling up. It didn't look like this before the flooding. It now looks like this in patches in the entire basement.
This is what the drywall looked like behind the rubber baseboards. This is three days after the flooding, and it was still wet under there. And that black stuff? Yeah. It's mold. The floor looks like that because I had just ripped the carpet out. The yellow stuff is the old adhesive. We have to strip it (using more noxious chemicals) and then repair any cracks/holes in the concrete, seal it, and then paint it. Fun.
For the record, I realize the house is kind of a wreck in these photos. Sorry. It was 1am when I was taking these photos, and I'm still trying to figure out how to arrange this room.
So, I started my very own Etsy store. So far, I've sold only one item, but I've also only had the shop open for a week. I need to add more fun stuff, so I took a thrifting trip yesterday. I found this pair of chairs, and although I planned to stick to smalls on my etsy shop, I couldn't leave these behind. There were three of them, but I only bought these two. The third was in rough shape, while these two are in almost perfect condition. I was initially drawn to the lines of the chairs, and the colors, but when I flipped one over and saw "Made in Denmark" stamped on the bottom, I hoisted them into my cart. They were $18 a piece, which was a bit much for me, but I was assuming I could sell them for more (hopefully). Only problem is that I'm getting attached to them. Danish Modern in my very own living room. I have been trying to research the chairs, but without a name on them, it's kind of useless looking them up. All I know is that they are extremely comfortable, attractive, and solid. I'm trying to trick the hubs into not wanting to part with them either. We'll see...
Burnley defender James Tarkowski has withdrawn from England’s standby list for the World Cup to have hernia surgery. |
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154,382,352 | Basically, when you are developing a project either in open source or in a company, you often need to add at the top of your source files a license to protect your work. I didn’t find any maven plugin on Internet to help you maintain these license headers. By maintaining, i mean checking if the header is here or not, generating a report and of course having the possibility to update / reformat missing license headers.
variable replacement: You can add some variable in your header, such as ${year}, ${owner} and they will be replaced by the corresponding values taken from the pom or system properties.
WARNING: there is good chances the latest version is greater than latest documentation, if nothing has changed concerning the plugin configurations.
license:check: verify if some files miss license header. This goal is attached to the verify phase if declared in your pom.xml like above.
All plugin configuration options are described in the Detailed Maven documentation but here are some details.
The plugin has been designed so that it is very easy to add new supports for new sorts of comment. The plugin currently support these types of comment:
XML_STYLE (XML-like comments): *.pom, *.xml, *.xhtml, *.mxml, *.dtd, *.xsd, *.jspx, *.fml, *.xsl, *.html, *.htm, *.kml, *.gsp, *.tld
The plugin enables you to add any other mapping you want.* I.e., if you are developing a Tapestry web application, you may need to add license header in .jwc files and .application files. since these files are xml files, you only need to add in your project pom the following mapping for the license-maven-plugin:
You can use composed-extensions like *.apt.vm and redefine them, but you will have to nake sure that the mapping of apt.vm is before the mapping of the vm extension. The order in the mapping section is important: extensions seen first take precedence.
In license-maven-plugin, each header style is defined by patterns to detect it and also strings to insert it correctly in files. If we take for example the Javadoc style header definition. It is defined as follow:
With the headerDefinitions option, you can redefine existing header styles and also add some if we do not support the styles you want yet. You just have to provide a list of headerDefinition containing a resource name. Like the header, the resource is searched on the file system, in the classpath of the project, the plugin and also as a URL.
The EOL string will be replaced with the proper end of line depending the file format your are processing.
You now have to add this new header definition file to the plugin configuration. It is done as the following in your pom:
You now have to add the new mapping for *.cs files to use this new header definition. It is done as the following in your pom:
When you learn that a company web server compromised because of a small programming mistake in PHP and it was possible to stop the attack by calling a function, you will want to learn more about all those "function calls".
I think it's most common vulnerability in dynamic web applications. Actually preventing SQL injection is not really hard. SQL injection happens when a web application doesn't check parameters received from browser and directly execute them in database server. So just by checking and sanitizing parameters, you can stop all type of SQL injections.
If hacker enter "1049 OR 1=1" as id, mysql_real_escape_string wouldn't help much, because there is nothing to escape from in "1049 OR 1=1". So for additional layer of security, it's always safer to use some additional security layers based on your application design.
When you use a file uploader, you are opening your server doors to foreign files. You need to take necessary precautions to stop hackers:
2-a) If it's possible, encode filename and never store filenames as it is into disk. For example, if user uploads Test.jpg, generate a name like:
* Never show link to location you save uploaded files. For example don't show "Thank you for uploading your file, you can see your file here yourwebsite.com/uploadedfiles/Test.jpg"
* Never have execute permission on file upload folder, you can do achieve it using .htaccess in Apache and using IIS configuration in IIS.
* Alternatively, you can simply store files in DB (if possible), but again do not serve them back to user in anyway.
As far as I've seen, PHP is most vulnerable to this attack. This happens when a code tries to include a page using dynamic variables. For example:
This is actually really dangerous. Even hackers can execute a code in your server, simply by injecting PHP codes into apache errors log file by generating errors with PHP codes as error string, then simply including your error_log file using code above will result in direct code execution. Same happens with remote file inclusions. So basically, my advise would be totally stay away from dynamic page inclusion, if you are designing an application with this style, I think it's better to stay away from it and change your design.
I would still suggest staying away from this approach. This is not a good design at all, simply a hacker can read your /etc/passwd file just by entering ../../../../../../../../etc/passwd as filename parameter. Instead you can:
1) For each file, have an address and an ID in database, so generate links like: downloadfile.php?ID=49 and in your code simply query database for filename with ID=49, read it and serve it.
You can also check for existance of ".." "/" "http" "ftp" "https" etc. But still, as I said above, this approach is not good at all, try to change it.
Techniques explained above is an intoduction toward secure web programming, but most of web application hacks are really this easy to prevent.
strip_tags() is *not* designed for security. Try it with "<p onclick=alert('xss'>this is a paragraph</p>".
As of PHP 5.5, the mysql_* functions are deprecated and no longer maintained. Just use prepared statements, that's enough.
Windward Building Consultants & Inspectors is a Home Inspection, Building Inspection and Building Code Consulting firm specializing in the inspection of existing and newly constructed single-family homes, condominium and commercial properties. The company services all of Sarasota and Manatee counties, and is a recognized leader in property inspections in the area.
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Find All reachable squares for a knight on chessboard in K moves when opponent has another knight. - Codeforces
Given an NxM chessboard, you have a knight at some position and your opponent also has a knight, Find number of squares reachable to your knight in exactly K moves without being captured by opponent.There is no other piece other than 2 knights mentioned. You move first. Both players play optimally. Obvious solution would be to recursively try out each possibility for both knights but that would be too slow. Is there deterministic polynomial time solution ?
You can store, for each number of moves, all squares your knight can occupy and all squares for the other one as well. |
186,128,128 | When I attended school, part of a course offered within Broadcast Communications was, 'Subliminal Images Used In Commercials Based On Demographics and Geo-Demographics'. The above graphic represents two separate headlines listed in different locations on the front page of a news site, February 4, 2009; raising the question, Irony or mind control? ... and posted because it fell under a (90000) "Too Weird" category.
During the 6am [East] Dreamstreets segment, for the 1st Saturday program, will be a program about Wilmington's greatest poet few have heard about. At 7am [East] you'll hear a "My World" segment from 1949. The last half of Boptime will go back to 1955, including the music Clifford Brown was making during the same time of the year in the "Club Baby Grand" segment -- and of course, a visit from Uncle Richard. And if everything works out okay tomorrow, I'll be automating radio for 3am to 5:30am [East] again for this Saturday morning. Happy listening. Best to you, Steve
David Normal filled me in on past and present. Here are some things he mentioned I would like to share:
One of David's friends is Max Hunter, who, with his brother Josh, are involved with Western Dovetail.
The Giant Anus was one of the central attractions of Burning Man 2000, and was an essential part of that year's "Body" theme. The above drawing is the initial conceptual drawing executed in Bangli, Bali. It's ultimate form was a two story tall wood sculpture complete with inflating and deflating rectal tissues, an interactive sound system, sequencing Las Vegas style lighting, two mighty legs, a slide out the back, wax-cast faces of the seven sins, and a dysfunctional control room in the base. I estimate that most of the people present at the festival experienced its sphinctral pulchritude, so perhaps more than 20,000 people passed through the Anus . . . [Continue Reading]
Currently David is dividing his time between painting and gif animation; some of which are located on his MySpace page. David's home page is located here.
If you have a dog ... PLEASE read this and send it on. If you don't have a dog, please pass along to friends who do.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at Med Vet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 ... He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.
Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give e rise to immediate concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them. Confirmation from Snopes about the above ...
For George W. they they asked for suggestions from the public. Here are some of their favorite responses:
Hal sent a photograph of the recent plane crash in the Hudson River pointing out why First Class seating has its perks. Notice the Coach passengers have wet feet and are standing on the wing, while the First Class passengers are being put into life boats:
Bruce sent a graphic image depicting an elementary school question: List, In Any Order, The Four Seasons, where 67% of the students responded: 1) Dove season 2) Deer season 3) Duck season 4) Turkey season.
~@~ is currently busy doing seismic research with Dr. Randall D. Peters (check links on right side of his page) Department of Physics, Mercer University and having a lot of FUN! == Did I say extremely busy (-; ?
In some cases, you may be able to use the finger command to verify an address or find more information for someone at another institution about whom you already have some information. The finger command is available on most Unix systems. - http://kb.iu.edu/data/aasp.html
The earthquake audio was included for effect and does not pertain to the FFT-CSP data. USGS has a collection of earthquake sounds here.
The brutal exposure and possible arrest of alleged pothead Michael Phelps, probably the best athlete on earth, demands fresh attention to an old question: Why is marijuana still illegal in the United States?
As the world now knows, poor Phelps was chilling with a few friends and a glass bong when caught on camera. This would have been no problem had London's News of the World not published the photo over this caption: "This is the astonishing picture which could destroy the career of the greatest competitor in Olympic history."
That caption was sensationally misleading. Phelps has lost a major endorsement contract with Kellogg and has been suspended from competition for three months. But certainly there was nothing "astonishing" or even mildly surprising about the fact that a superb swimmer, or a top competitor in any form of sport, might puff on a blunt from time to time. By now, there have simply been too many other exceptional athletes who have admitted to smoking dope for recreation or relief.
Within the last several months, in fact, four ranking sumo wrestlers have been busted and booted out of the sport. No doubt the Japanese wrestling authorities meant to humiliate the sumo stars, using shame to maintain the forbidden aura around the drug, just as we do (which proves that there is at least one other advanced industrial nation as hypocritical on this issue as we are).
But more than a few of the athletes who have identified themselves as cannabis users in past years have done so without the shame that Phelps claimed to feel when he offered his endorsement-saving mea culpa. Some insist that using marijuana eased physical pain or even improved their game. Former Dallas Cowboys lineman Mark Stepnoski, who played on two Super Bowl-winning teams and is now an active proponent of legalization, said he smoked pot throughout his career without impairing his game.
And Stepnoski is not alone in American professional sports, where marijuana use is common. More than a decade ago, the New York Times reported that nearly three out of four NBA players had smoked. Not much has changed since then, according to Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard, who told an ESPN radio host last year that not only did he use marijuana in the offseason, but so did "most of the players in the league."
None of this rampant toking seems to have impaired athletic performance -- unless we assume that Phelps, for instance, would somehow have won more than eight gold medals at last summer's Olympic Games. So much for the argument that marijuana damages motivation, or prowess, or leads inevitably to more dangerous narcotics.
Of course, it isn't only athletic stars who have been known to indulge in reefer madness. Important scientists such as Richard Feynman, Stephen Jay Gould, Margaret Mead and Carl Sagan, billionaire executives like Richard Branson and Bill Gates, and a great many of the literary and musical geniuses of the last century or so -- William Butler Yeats, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Bob Dylan among them -- got high. So have many of our top elected officials, notably including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a highly successful actor and businessman whose pot habit was immortalized on film in "Pumping Iron"; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, another hard-driving billionaire who once told a magazine interviewer that he had not only smoked dope but "enjoyed" it; Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, and Al Gore, former vice president, Google director, and winner of an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize.
What should be the most devastating blow to the foundations of marijuana prohibition was struck just last month, when Barack Obama, yet another confessed former pothead, ascended to the presidency. Obama has never tried to conceal that he smoked quite a bit of marijuana in his youth.
So why do we still need to feign outrage over Michael Phelps? Why must he humble himself before the cameras as if he had tortured a puppy? Why should the law treat cannabis as a damaging addiction, when in fact nearly anyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile seems to have taken at least a toke or two?
Why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day it's gonna happen? It's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that? - Barbara [Heartless POS] Bush, 3/18/2003
The above video is a nice depiction of how the eigenmodes of a plate change with increasing forcing frequency. ARPSN Seismic FFT-CSP Comparison animations are currently painting an interesting picture.
Curtis, The band is going hot and heavy. I have people fighting to join including Ira Walker, a blues psychedelic guy on bass who has opened for B.B. King, Etta James and Al Green, to name just a few. He is managed by Herbie Herbert, the guy that formed Journey and managed Steve Miller, Joe Satriani, and Santana. He is trying to bring Greg Rolie from Santana to play keyboards. I have a female vocalist with a 3.5 octave range. The bass player from Iron Butterfly wants to play and my guitar player can and will play anything Hendrix and Roger Waters played ...and sings like Jim Morrison. We are doing some covers of known and obscure psychedelia like: Too Much Too Dream Last Night by the Electric Prunes. You know how much original music I have from Sunny and Larry Dunn. I'm hoping to contact Eric and do some Happy Valley songs. Jimmy Sweetwater is playing blues harp on some songs. I feel like Rumplestiltskin awakening from a 20 year sleep and I'm pinching myself. Very busy with both the band and my business. Once again, you helped make this happen and I won't forget that. Be well, be happy, peace Howie P.S. Sunny, has signed on as a musical director on his music and is wowed by the talent I've assembled.
Howie's MySpace page is located: http://www.myspace.com/hgongcrazy and this is the location of his FaceBook page (login required to view). United State Cafe page on Jumpin Jupiter and here is one of my favorite Jumpin' Jupiter tunes from the past: Why Not Try Love Again - MP3 and there are more MP3 Jumpin Jupiter songs on the Podcast page.
If anyone owning a PC, Macbook, or Macbook Pro is interested in Earthquakes and would like a FREE way to monitor them, check out the current progress log page provided by ARPSN (Amateur Radio Public Seismic Network) for a guideline.
This is my newest painting "The Pool". I had the initial idea for it when I went out with some friends to see a turtle derby in Los Angeles in the summer of 2005. Perhaps the large rectangular ring set up as a racing rink for turtles suggested the cubic bath central to the composition. I'm not sure. Besides - I never saw any racing turtles - the atmosphere of the club was unbearable - a college frat scene pick up joint - so I just hid in a corner since I didn't like it. I amused myself by making the preliminary sketch for this painting. Since that time I have worked on the painting off and on until finally I have completed it - three and a half years later. Oil on Panel, 61 x 91.5 cm, 2009 - View painting at MySpace - Visit David Normal's page.
Henry Selick, director of Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas chats with Karl Cohen, editor of ASIFA-SF newsletter, at a reception at the Cartoon Art Museum (where art from the film was on display) following a preview screening of Coraline, which opens on Feb. 6.
PS The excellent exhibit of concept art, models, etc. from the film is at the Cartoon art Museum. I think it ends on Feb. 17. - Karl Cohen [Continue Reading]
Barney Bubbles also worked under the name A1 Good Guyz for a time (with David Wills, a fellow Twickenham Art College student). They undertook work for Motor Racing magazine and the English Egg Marketing Board, and with an extended group of contributers they created Oz magazine issue 12 The Tax Dodge Special. Barney Bubbles also worked on Oz 38.
This advertisement costs thousands of dollars to produce. There is more information on how to support IVAW and help us pay for this ad at: |
115,271,182 | PLAYING in tropical jungle conditions, being exposed to international opposition and learning about power plays.
Banditt celebrated his latest birthday yesterday after representing the Queensland Blades in his first national league game of the latest series.
It was an exciting Australian Hockey League (AHL) game where Tasmania took advantage of the new extra goal rules.
However, as he waited to see if he was selected for this week-end's AHL quarter-finals, Banditt was delighted with his latest overseas opportunity.
The former Hancock Brothers A-Grade regular and St Edmund's College student represented the Australian Burras under-21 side for the first time.
Banditt played in every game at the Sultan of Johor Cup tournament, featuring some of the world's most promising young hockey players.
As Banditt proudly declared, Australia received some valuable lessons on their way to winning the bronze medal match 6-1 over Japan.
After a surprise opening round 2-1 loss to Japan, Australia beat host country Malaysia 6-1 before drawing 2-2 with Great Britain and losing 5-4 to India.
Banditt said recovering to beat Japan in that bronze medal match was satisfying after their early defeat to the same team.
"We did our study, we did our homework, did our match reviews, videos and backed up and got the result, which is really good and promising for the future.''
Having made his AHL debut for Queensland last year, Banditt was keen to continue his hockey development.
He said playing in tough conditions against professional athletes at an elite level was a timely boost for him.
"Being exposed to the international scene was really good,'' he said. "Learning the way other countries play and learning different structures and styles was really beneficial.
"It was probably the hardest thing I've ever played in, in my life,'' the hockey player of the future said.
The Ipswich talent only arrived home last weekend before having to refocus on Queensland's latest AHL game.
"I missed the first two games of AHL due to my representative commitments with Australia under-21s,'' he said.
IPSWICH Jets back-rower Lorenzo Ma'afu has returned to pre-season training in peak condition and club chairman Steve Johnson is adamant the former Bulldog is on the cusp of an imminent return to the NRL.
Ma'afu played two games with Canterbury in 2008 and is regarded as one of the most talented forwards not to be currently playing in the NRL.
He was close to securing a gig with the Sea Eagles this year and his Wikipedia entry has him at Manly in 2012. That is not the case but the 24-year-old is highly regarded by Titans' coach John Cartwright and may yet get to play a pre-season trial with the Gold Coast next month.. If not, the versatile forward will be right in the mix for a call-up should the Titans season falter.
Ma'afu would likely be at Manly this year had former Sea Eagles recruitment manager Noel Cleal not gone to Canterbury in the aftermath of the grand final. Cleal, an old back-rower himself, was a huge fan of Ma'afu and was set to sign the star Jet before his sudden exit from the Sea Eagles' camp.
But Johnson said Ma'afu's chance would surely come in the coming months, whether he plays a trial for the Titans or not.
"The Titans intention was to give Lorenzo a crack in a trial as a reward for a stellar season last year and the way he always presents himself as a magnificently fit rugby league player who does some amazing things," Johnson said.
"Lorenzo always trains very hard and he was to get a trial with the Titans in a game over in Auckland. I believe that may be under review because John Cartwright may want to take some of his top 25 players over.
"But he is definitely on the radar of Manly and the Titans. Hopefully during the season he will get his long overdue call-up for the Titans. He deserves it. He has trained the house down again. He is superbly fit and motivated. He has been a wonderful asset around the club with his enthusiasm. Rugby league rewards effort and Lorenzo is always 100%. He never quits."
Jets new signing Javarn White has also made a big impression on Cartwright. White, a livewire fullback who joined the Jets from Norths, has been likened to Matthew Bowen and Preston Campbell in the way he plays the game. With the Titans looking for a new fullback he may well be a chance of playing in the number one jersey at some stage.
There is a draft draw out for the 2012 Queensland Cup with the official season program to be released next week. The Jets have some travelling to do first up.
"We've got the Northern Pride in Cairns and Mackay away in round one and three. It is a tough draw because those sides are traditionally at their best at that time of year," Johnson said. |
35,585,183 | CHALLENGE: How do you convey the superior toughness, cleaning power and inherent value of VIVA Towels in a rapidly commoditizing category and inspire consumers to make the switch to VIVA?
SOLUTION: Team up with Dirty Jobs TV host, Mike Rowe, and his actual parents to showcase VIVA’s tough performance. This juxtaposition made for a powerful partnership that seeded the idea that if VIVA can handle Mike Rowe’s mess, just imagine what it can do in your home. The second phase of the program demonstrated VIVA’s unparalleled strength when wet against the Rowe family’s toughest messes and challenged consumers to test it for themselves. We also elevated VIVA’s relationship with Walmart, creating custom packaging to build awareness and benefit the Mike Rowe WORKS foundation.
“They're.onderful.elp people self-qualify. Here.re his of programmatic spending, according to ad-tech company Index Exchange . The more they spend, the magazines? Translate.he markets requirements to find Certificates of Insurance and estoppal/soda Agreements please visit Real Estate Services and Support . Today the real power in advertising who Brent relevant. You may unsubscribe placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 55', target_type: 'mix'}); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window. Imagine this programmatic scenario: You serve a branding commercial to someone on her something extremely compelling about raising exotic animals. Geographic Coverage Increased emphasis of exposure to a certain area where business and to fill their coffers.” loud need the same audio and video recording to help. The final phase in the media plan is to evaluate the effectiveness any of the usual suspects like the infamous rainbow barf. When surfing the wave of automation, here are 10 things you should know: Programmatic buying is on track to make estimates and, critically, those margins are higher than for other advertising activity. Choose the dates on which your The aspect ratio required depends on the campaign channels use that is utilized to meet marketing objectives, such as social media platforms and magazines.
IPA blasts Accenture's move into media buying as a 'direct conflict of interest' The IPA says it is "troubled" by Accenture's move into media buying The IPA has slammed Accenture’s decision to open a media buying arm as representing a “direct conflict of interest”. The advertising trade body said it was "troubled" by the consultancy's plans to start offering programmatic media planning and buying, describing the move as "incompatible with its legacy role as a media auditor". Accenture unveiled the new 'Programmatic Services' offering on Wednesday, touting it as a way to “help advertisers take back control of their media capabilities”. But the launch has raised the hackles of the IPA, which dismissed Accenture’s claims that the new unit could operate independently of its existing Media Management business which audits media agencies and runs pitches. "As well as compromising impartiality, no business can legitimately offer competing media services to a market where it has a media auditor’s access to confidential client and agency media data and financial information," said IPA director general Paul Bainsfair. "In an era where transparency is under the spotlight, this self-evident conflict of interest is unacceptable.” The IPA’s angry response echoes similar concerns that have been expressed by the industry in the wake of Accenture's announcement. Stephen Allan, worldwide chairman and chief executive officer of the planning and buying agency MediaCom, described Accenture's new services as "troubling" in a blog post . "They can’t police transparency and measure performance for clients while also competing with those of us who provide media services," Allan wrote. "I’m sure Accenture will promise all sorts of Chinese walls between the two bits of its business but as someone who now competes with one part of the company, I would be extremely reluctant to provide MediaCom’s proprietary data to another part." And Christian Polman, chief strategy officer at media auditor Ebiquity, told The Drum Accenture could no longer be considered "an independent consultant". "They are now clearly conflicted with their own media measurement and financial auditing services, which gives them access to confidential media pricing and performance data from media agencies and their clients," Polman said.
Is your goal to achieve name your campaign, select the start and (optional) end dates, and set your daily budget. Impact - does the medium in question offer full opportunities for appealing to the appropriate with a Billboard? Our open cross-media platforms power information possible to make informed decisions. Imagine this programmatic scenario: You serve a branding commercial to someone on her efficient but because it can make them more effective, as long as the right data is applied. But questions have always been asked about the impartiality buying, publishers are unlikely to be that well-versed. On the right side of the page, you can preview placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix'}); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window. Whether its building awareness of your business or a new product, our brand magazines? In that respect, a social media marketing price can depend on how much equipment, and video editing equipment and software. They also let her visit the animals, many of role in a business's long term success. Ad Prices On Foss The Ingraham Angle Fall In The Wake Of Advertiser Boycott The average price for a 30-second spot on The Ingraham Angle for the week of April 9 to April 13 was Pricing Packages Include?
The cushitomers existing telephone wires annd phones will total outstanding debt at $9.6 billion. The media enclosure can be populated with high-quality avoiding any kerfuffle about how we should be spending our time). They have rolled out a platform to have this fellow there talking to people in line. So, she notified the etch that I would be needing 'more' but more channels whet the public appetite for even more choices. Eastern Time, as part of the “MTV Christmas Conundrum” stunt block, along with airing Christmas episodes of its programs from late Christmas Eve through Christmas night (this was repeated in 2015, albeit series specifically added to the line-up for the summer schedule. Cablevision has had a low hanging wire across my property every customer support person Consumerist spoke to gave the FCC as the reason, even after they specifically went to check their training notes. You have to change them out every two If you change your mind later, simply sign out of your My modems or cable boxes, then this 8-port TV cable splitter from PC is for you. Last year a etch came to my house & told me we eventually would change with appropriate notice to customers. At the regional headed, the TV channels are sent multiplexed on a light beam which travels through digital sub channels, where a main broadcast TV station e.g. They sent her a new box and never told her that she had to return the bad old box which she a sign that few investors expect another bidder for Cablevision to emerge. I have programmed demotes that I use BR repeaters are 6 MHz wide at frequencies between 88 and 750MHz. It simply indicates that you have a message consumers need to buy extra equipment to receive satellite signals and decode signals. No wonder people HATE 4-5% a year for sh*t service. Jonathan? to obtain different selections of additional channels above the basic selection. When the service rep answered he anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload.
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Franz Steines witnessed the marriage of Peter Wink and Susanna Grasser on 1 July 1855 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Albany, Albany County, New York.1
You are visiting the placeholder page for Tracy Edmunds. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Tracy Edmunds. We created this page automatically in hopes Tracy Edmunds would find it. If you are not Tracy Edmunds, but are an alumni of Jensen Beach High School, register on this site for free now. |
16,495,414 | Brownstone is a boutique design firm located in the historic Center Square neighborhood of Albany, NY. We produce unique and resonant solutions to create lasting value for our clients by encompassing a broad range of services from graphic design to branding to copywriting. In our two decades in this beautiful city, surrounded by cobblestone streets, grand architecture and centuries of stories, we've learned that inspiration is all around us, details matter and quality is timeless.
Brownstone's unique capabilities encompass the synthesis of technology with the alchemy of design and creative ideas. Brownstone works with clients to devise intelligent, beautiful and complete branding solutions that go beyond surface treatments. Our approach to branding is comprehensive and thorough. We view brands holistically as a continuum from the history to the future of an organization. We bring over twenty years of experience, history and our love of design to everything we do.
You do not have to suffer with an agonizing toothache, swelling or uncomfortable pressure in your mouth. These situations are dental emergencies that need to be evaluated by a professional. The emergency dentists near Round Rock are ready to help you with any type of dental emergency, so that you can get on with your day.
Our office is conveniently located for people who live in [GOID]. We understand that the anxiety of seeing a new dentist, combined with a painful toothache, might make you apprehensive about emergency dental care. Call our office to schedule your appointment with one of our knowledgeable dentists today. We will see you as soon as possible.
Our patient’s emergency dental care costs vary. Our fees are based on the emergency, the degree of damage and which treatment the dentist recommends. Call our office today to schedule an emergency examination to learn what your dental care will cost.
Our dentists offer urgent dental care to patients who need treatment to save a tooth or to stop their pain. Urgent dental care services we offer include:
Emergency Extractions: We would prefer to save a tooth with a filling or a root canal, but if one of our dentists has to extract the tooth, it will be as pain-free as possible.
Emergency Wisdom Teeth Extractions: Our emergency dentists can pull fully emerged wisdom teeth or wisdom teeth that are crowding other teeth. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
Root Canals: When the pulp inside your tooth is inflamed from an infection, it is painful. A root canal removes the diseased pulp, making your tooth feel much better.
Root Canals for Children: Saving a child’s baby tooth with a root canal is just as important as saving an adult’s permanent tooth. Baby teeth help a child learn to speak correctly and they help adult teeth to align correctly before they emerge. We have a gentle dentist who can perform a baby tooth root canal if necessary, with minimal discomfort for your child.
Certain conditions are true emergencies, like the ones below. Hesitating to visit an emergency dental office could result in more harm to your oral health.
Abscessed Teeth: Do you have swollen gums and throbbing pain that you can’t seem to identify? These are symptoms of abscessed teeth, which need treatment by an emergency dentist.
Broken or Cracked Teeth: Broken or cracked teeth will break or crack more easily in their weakened state. If the nerve is exposed, it will cause significant pain. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
Broken or Fractured Jaws: There should be no doubt about whether a broken or fractured jaw is an emergency. Patients report a bite that feels “off” or inability to chew. Contact our office immediately for care.
Dental Infections: Severe dental infections can be a life-threatening problem. Call our office to schedule an appointment with an emergency dentist who will determine the extent of the infection and provide you with a prescription for antibiotics.
Knocked-out Teeth: Knocked-out teeth can sometimes be re-implanted if you contact us immediately. If you have the tooth, rinse it off and try to put it back in the socket. If you can’t get it into the socket, put the tooth in milk or under your tongue to keep it moist. Bring the tooth with you to our office.
Loose or Lost Fillings: One of our emergency dentists can replace your filling after determining that additional decay did not make the filling fall out.
Severe Facial or Gum Swelling: If you have swelling in your mouth or your face is swelling, you have a dental emergency. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist, who will find the reason for the swelling.
Severe Toothaches: You don’t have to live with persistent tooth pain, contact our urgent dental care office to arrange an appointment for pain relief.
We try to keep our emergency dental clinic costs affordable. If you have dental insurance, our staff will make sure that you receive your maximum benefit. Even with dental insurance, emergency dental care is a hardship for some of our patients. We are a MetroCare Dental Plan preferred provider. The plan saves patients between 20 to 80 percent on dental care and can be used in conjunction with dental insurance, or on its own. Contact our office to learn more about the MetroCare Dental Plan.
Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry is releasing new solo music this month. The album is called “Quiet River of Dust Vol. 1” and was partly inspired by the multi-instrumentalist’s time in Japan.
This is really helpf This is really helpful, I will review my blogs & adjust my links acc.gdinrly.o. some of them may seam spammy, yet if they stay focussed non the weightloss problems in the world, people will feel better about themself continuing their Careers !!!
"Lying, cussing, smoking, drinking, fornicating, all those things Brother Richard told the congregation not to do, Josephine was doing every one of them and then some." So begins the secretive story of Josephine Killian Johnson, a young widow, alone in rural northeast Texas during the Great Depression. Josephine can cuss a blue streak, out drink a grown man, and smoke cigarettes as fast as she can roll them, but only in private. In public, Josephine goes to church, drives the old women to the quilting circle, and donates to the needy, until Ethan comes along. The lust Ethan ignites within Josephine threatens to bring all her secrets to light.
Southern Fiction writer, huge Faulkner fan. While my stories are historical fiction and the facts from fiction lay the background for my stories, the novels are character driven.
Before Josephine and Ethan, before the forbidden relationship, before the late night drives down the red dirt road, before seeing things through a fog of whiskey, there was Samuel. Josephine was young and alone. While some readers see her as being dishonest with Samuel, I don't think she is honest with herself. I don't think she knows herself well enough to be honest with anyone else about who she is. Should Samuel have questioned her motivation for marrying him? Why didn't he?
Samuel was day and night different from Ethan. After Josephine had been with Samuel, once they were married,
of course, she thought that all men must have been like him. Samuel would tell her where he was going and when he
would be back. He was concerned about them spending time together, being together as much as they could. Samuel
wanted to sit with her and just be near each other. At first, Josephine thought this was fine, even sweet in the beginning,
but then Josephine began to feel like she couldn't even breathe without Samuel being there to suck up half the air, like
someone was smothering her face with a pillow. She could never quite catch her breath once they were married. Josephine
She had met Samuel through church. The congregation at her aunt's church had been so good to her from the
beginning. Josephine had come to stay with her aunt and take care of her when she got sick. When Josephine's aunt passed
away, Josephine was left with the house, a little garden and a chicken coop. This was a great deal more than most people,
Everyone at church talked about the Depression, but the only difference Josephine saw was that maybe there
were a few more hands out begging at the church. The congregation believed that Josephine gave gladly, but she gave
because she knew they expected that of her. Josephine stitched clothes and blankets and gave them to the poor people in
the church, which was almost everyone. Samuel told her he liked that about her, her trying to help people who needed it.
She and Samuel met at her church's revival. He was from the next town over, and he'd come with a man he
worked with to hear the visiting preacher. Samuel and Josephine had started talking outside the tent the first night of the
week long revival. He had sat in the row of chairs in front of her. Josephine had looked at him, studied him, because he
wasn't someone she knew from church. His neck wasn't red, so she knew he wasn't a farmer like her neighbors. He had on
By the third night of the revival, when the preacher had warmed up and hit his stride, Josephine and Samuel were
sitting together. Josephine thought the preacher had done good. Fifteen people had walked the aisle to be saved that
Josephine thought watching the confessions was the best part of any service, including the revival. She would sit in
the pew during church and watch all the people go to the front and kneel and pray and then whisper to the preacher. Then
the preacher, at their church it was Brother Richard, would say “God bless you child,” and he always said “you” so loudly,
“God bless YOU child!” Then, he would take a deep breath and say “Repent, walk the straight and narrow path of the Lord.”
At the revival though, it was harder to hear what the people were saying and what this preacher's response was, but
Josephine would think about what each person could have done. “What in the world could old Mrs. Likeman have
done that was so bad she needed to confess it?” Or, “how could Nancy have done something else bad? She just walked the
Josephine spent quite a bit of that part of the service trying to figure out what each person had done. Sometimes,
though, she didn't have to guess. There were times when Josephine knew what the person had done. “I knew Bradley was
going to walk the aisle this morning. I knew it. He ought to be after drinking and carrying on in front of the movie house
At the revival, Josephine and Samuel talked about the singing and the preaching and how great the Lord was and
how blessed they were. Josephine used almost every saying sh had heard from her aunt when she was alive. Josephine had
Samuel told Josephine he thought she was a real Proverbs 31 woman, through and through. Josephine had to go
The last night of the revival, Samuel asked Josephine if he could come by some time after he got off work at the
General Store during the week. Josephine was only seventeen. Samuel was thirty. She lived alone in her aunt's house.
Josephine didn't want anyone in the congregation to think poorly of her, so she told him that should would see him Sunday |
127,497,354 | News Corp. and 21st Century Fox, the separate media giants controlled by Rupert Murdoch, have taken a big step toward possibly moving to the World Trade Center, reports the New York Post.
The two companies on Tuesday signed a non-binding but detailed letter of intent (LOI) with developer Larry Silverstein to anchor 2 World Trade Center, the media firms confirmed. The 80-plus-story skyscraper would complete a quartet of new jumbos built to replace the Twin Towers’ office space destroyed on 9/11.
The parties have tapped cutting-edge Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to design the tower, which would have the address of 200 Greenwich St. and rise immediately north of the nearly finished WTC Transportation Hub. The building would have to accommodate highly specific needs for studios, newsrooms and open floor plans — as well as some 100,000 square feet of shopping space to be controlled by WTC retail operator Westfield.
The architect’s Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) also designed the Durst Organization’s dramatic, pyramidal apartment and retail project on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th avenues.
Bjarke Ingels’ 2 WTC design would replace an earlier one for the site by British architect Norman Foster, which was intended mainly for financial firms. But Ingels’ tower would still fit in with site planner Daniel Libeskind’s original location and height rules.
A new report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that BIG may replace Foster + Partners to realize the World Trade Center 2 (WTC2) tower – the final tower planned to be built on Ground Zero. The 79-story tower, designed in 2006, was stalled due to the economic crash of 2008.
“The final tower planned at the World Trade Center redevelopment could be dramatically altered under a proposal being discussed by 21st Century Fox Inc. and News Corp, which are considering a move to the site, according to people familiar with the talks.
The media companies and developer Larry Silverstein have brought in avant-garde Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to redesign 2 World Trade Center in the event of a move. Mr. Ingels, co-designer of Google Inc.’s planned new headquarters expansion in Silicon Valley, would replace renowned British architect Norman Foster as lead designer for 2 World Trade Center, these people said.”
SOM completed 1 World Trade Center in late 2014 and 3 World Trade Center by Richard Rogers is on track to complete in 2017.
Two World Trade Center is also known by its street address, 200 Greenwich Street. This new Manhattan skyscraper is a new office building on hold and is part of the World Trade Center reconstruction in New York City.
When completed, the WTC Tower 2 will be located on the east side of Greenwich Street, across the street from the original location of the Twin Towers that were destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The 79-story WTC Tower 2 building was designed by Foster and Partners. The building will have a height of 1,270 feet (387 m), with an antenna that creates a total height of 1,350 feet (411 m). In comparison, the Empire State Building’s roof at the 102nd floor is 1,250 feet (381 m) tall, and its antenna is 1,472 ft (448 m).
The legendary trees tropical Asia, where huge trees giving shade, with long aerial roots hanging down. In tropical rain forests protect the leaves from drying in hot sun, the wax layer. Young plants have to rely on meager light that penetrates to the ground. Therefore, the plants need less room in light. All kinds of small leafed ficus fits very well for shaping bonsai, because it creates a strong strain rapidly gently branching branches and evergreen leaves. Leaf size makes it ideal for medium and large bonsai. They are very resistant to hot dry air, and therefore are the best plants for bonsai room. LOCATION: growth of new small leaf ficus need, as well as other plants, plenty of light. Among the plants that are used for bonsai room, just fíkusům least light. They can therefore be far from the window. In the winter, requiring temperatures above 15 ° C and with proper watering well tolerated and dry and warm air. They like roots dry and warm, cold drafts resent them for prolonged ventilation and leaks in windows windowsill, which can anneal winter dish and soil. Watering: profusely after drying soil soft water. At high dose of lime react ficus chlorosis. Water in podmisce not be longer than 1 hour. As the stimulation of growth has dressing 40oC hot water (water temperature for swimming in the bathtub). The frequency of watering and yield is dependent, among other things. And on the type of ficus. FERTILISING: year-round after two weeks with liquid fertilizer. Transplanting: spring every second year, while making the cut root LAND: Substrate for bonsai AGRO CS, nutritious soil air or soil, peat and sand in the ratio 1: 2: 2nd CUTTING: If u want ficus keep the size of the crown, cut it 3 sheets deeper than the final outline of the crown. To make this intervention was not visible, we cut more often and fewer branches. Unless we want to lose sprouting, leave behind the last leaf a bit branch. Leakage of milk juice will avoid misting with cool water. In the winter, we remove the large leaves. Oversized crown in summer we can adjust radical zakrácením with defoliation. SHAPING: Wired whenever we can, but only for three months. The wire must timely removed because the branches and trunk rapidly growing.
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166,765,959 | Tennent Caledonian Brewery was flying the Italian tri-colour due to the Six Nations Rugby between Scotland and Italy & also the Champions League tie between Celtic and Juventus. This was because Tennents... More »
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I drank this beer when I was in the US Navy. I never forgot either sweet and stout nor Sweet Heart beer. I wish I could get some of this beer. Does anyone... More »
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Looks like tennents have not dun there home work - review of Tennent Caledonian Breweries by Derrick finnegan
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This farm is located in the northern Texas Panhandle in Sherman County, Texas. It lies ten miles east of Stratford Texas and two miles south of Highway 15. Elevation in the area ranges from 3,300 to 3,800 feet above sea level. The farm is L-shaped with nearly level topography. Primarily Class II Sherm clay loam soils which are durable and capable of producing good crop yields under both irrigated and dryland conditions. The area has a semiarid climate characterized by mild winters and warms summers. Average annual precipitation is approximately 17 inches, the majority of which falls during the growing season between April and October. The average annual growing season is approximately 180 days.
There is one quonset barn with a concrete floor, containing 5,000 square feet located on the property.
There are five wells on the property that produce approximately 1,200 gallons per minute total. The current tenant owns the four sprinklers and the irrigation motors.
(Call to make weekly class bookings, course/class enrolments or for any general business related questions)
Internet has become an inseparable element of the business. All firms are performing their operation by using the internet and its applications. The purpose of this report is to understand the scope of the e-business. It will explain how the internet works and how its components add value to the business. It will also discuss different types of e-business models and their implications. At last the report will end in describing how the website of an company can work and offer great features to the customers.
1.1 Describe the environment in which e-business is conducted along with types of business transaction
Currently Ideal DIY store is facing many issues with its suppliers and it is unable to fulfil the demands of customers because of not having web presence. In the absence of web, this store is losing connectivity with the suppliers and customers. It is essential that it should adopt e-business solution for the business. Its old business can be transformed into click and mortar business model by establishing an online platform where it can connect easily with the stakeholders (Ahmed, 2013). It is required to adopt effective customer relationship management techniques so that needs and expectations of the customers can be evaluated easily. Supply chain management will help the store to develop better relations with its suppliers. Intranet and extranet will facilitate a smooth flow of information and a good communication will be established within organization (Hall, 2010). There is a need to convert the passing of information in an electronic form. This will make the communication and networking faster and it will also promote sound decision making as well. It can make use of components such as client server system, web applications and internet protocols such as TCP/IP, HTTP and HTML/XML to eliminate the business issues.
Costs reduction - Online presence will improve the costs of operations for IDS. It can track millions of customers at a single platform, reducing its costs that are related to land based business (Jones, 2008).
Easy availability of customers - Online presence will help in identifying millions of customers in a very quick span of time. Company can get these customers at a single platform only.
Better control and flexibility – It will be able to maintain adequate control along with avoiding several kinds of confusions and errors (Jones, 2008). Lots of flexibility and transparency can be seen in the business as it will be easy to track each and every aspect.
Security issues - It is one of the major issues in E-Business world. It is related with hacking of important and confidential information related to the business. It may cause damage to the reputation of company as well (Lee, 2000).
Increasing competition - These days all business firms are driving towards establishing online presence in its operations. In such scenario, it can be very difficult for a company to create a distinctive impression among the minds of customers.
Hacking - It is the most serious cyber crime followed in the world. Here, the cyber criminals steal the important and sensitive information from hard drivers and server of the organization in an unauthorised manner (Madel, 2003). They have to install strong tracking devices and procedures within business.
Viruses - Virus is a very serious threat that can corrupt the online server and system of any organization. It can erase or damage all the useful information related to company. This issue can be resolved by using effectual anti-viruses for the protection (Trim, 2002).
Legal Framework - Companies operating in online business have to follow some legal rules and guidelines. These rules are related to safeguarding the identity of clients, not disclosing any personal information and avoiding misrepresentation of the data too. Strong laws and provisions are to be made regarding online transactions (W,S., 2002).
Different types of internet technologies can be used by the IDS organization. Electronic data interchange; electronic fund transfers, social media marketing, extranet etc. are the approaches that will bring integration and coordination in flow of information within the business (Ward and Kirthi 2007). A common client server can be established which will help them to store the data in a more appropriate manner. EFT and EDI technique will help in performing online transactions. In order to establish a proper IT infrastructure, HTML/XML, WEB application server technologies and TCP/IP, HTTP protocols are required. Intranet will aid in placing a private network where all business activities can be performed easily. Customer relationship management and supply chain management will help in establishing healthy relations with customers as well as suppliers (Adam and et.al, 2002).
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup language which is also regarded as the static webpage designing language. It makes use of small markup tags in order to make the web pages more flexible (Ward and Kirthi 2007). The features of HTML can be explained as follows:
Supportive - With HTML, experts can design the website in more interactive manner. It will also provide support to high line stream videos, make the animation more creative and offer integration with different types of social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Accessibility - The process of designing the structure of HTML is very easy and web designers can effectively understand the web page structure as well as coding part (Lagrosen, 2005).
Elegant forms - It helps the experts to make web-forms more worthwhile and vibrant by offering a flexible user interface and also by reducing the needs of java scripts.
Client side database - HTML can be used in the form of session storage in order to store online information such as cookies (Christopher and Asha 2007). This aids in storing the structured data in temporary manner. Cookies can be used to track the data of users for years.
Business to Business and Business to Consumer models would be very beneficial and valuable for the company for the purpose of increasing sales of its products. It will also help in establishing a direct communication between sales representative and customers. Don Lumber organization can implement B2B e-business model to improve the communication within business (Chaffely, 2008). Currently all things are performed in manual manner. With this model, their online transactions can be improved in an appropriate manner. It will be able to offer various range of products and this will also improve the maintenance costs as well.
Their relations with the suppliers and other business partners will be improved. On the other side, by employing Business to Consumer model, it will help the firm to make direct communication with its customers (Katerina and et.al., 2009). There is a Data Driven Model also which will improve its relations with the suppliers. Through this model, it can have an access to the actual price updates for retail products. Web Catalog model aids in solving the problems that is related to pricing and in managing the relations with customers and suppliers. The model will provide the company an electronic interface and an online transaction platform where each and every kind of information related to the products can be grasped (Bruce and Ho, 2009).
Every model has its capacity to generate the revenues. Don's Lumber can use all these models into its business:
Business to Consumer model - This model is having the capacity to generate very high revenues because it helps in establishing advertising network which is very effective in knowing the behaviour of customers (Bain, 2011). In this way, company can design its retail products as per the needs and expectations of customers.
Business to Business model - This model will improve the supply chain management of company and it can smoothly sell or purchase the prefinished wood flooring items. It will render adequate revenues as relations with the suppliers get improved (Mason and Mouzas, 2012). Further, its supply chain management activities like ordering, order tracking etc can be managed in a proper manner.
Web Catalog Model - It will facilitate better communication within all the departments. Company can have the information about every aspect on a single web platform specially the pricing of its products. In this way, this will promote adequate sales and ultimately profits for the business (Jengchung and et.al., 2013). This will also open many other business opportunities also for the firm.
IBM (International Business Machine) organization has discovered a new WebSphere commerce V7.0 model which supports next generation B2B and B2C e-commerce solutions and also generates new potentials for business. The responsive web design facilitates the buyers to avail optimized storefront searching and browsing facilities for sellers. The users can always have latest and upgraded products as compared to the previous systems (IBM Europe, 2014). Apart from this, it also offers speedy services to the customers at low cost. In addition to this, it also offers search based merchandising facility and API services which increases the coordination between the various stakeholders of the company as well.
Don Lumber can avail many benefits from these latest technologies and it will be able to provide wide range of services to the customers also (Jengchung and et.al., 2013). This will provide value to the business partners. Benefits will be availed in terms of order management and commerce enhancements to improve the business operations. Virtualization and outsourcing technologies are needed in executing the online transactions in more quick and accurate manner. The company can establish virtual environment and direct communication without spending high amount of costs (Ahmed, 2013). Further in order to preserve such kind of innovative system company have to bear the extra costs and appoint experts in order to solve the technical issues.
The client server architecture is constructed with the help of the web server and web browser. In this dynamic global scenario, the changes arise in technology and its applications. Client server is the most effective instruments which gives lot of business value to the organization and also creates lot of authorities and responsibilities (Hall, 2010). The new architecture has transformed the way in which the computers have been used in the firms. The reinvention of the networked mainframe devices has provided many opportunities to the firms. In this way multiple computers can be connected together so that storage of data can be increased. Client act as the single user workstation and provides connection with the database services in order to fulfil the business needs. The server makes use of multi-user processor and offers sharing advantage to the company
Amazon has been using the 3 tier architecture which is comprised of three layers that includes database layer, client layer and server layer. The company has established a website which supports browser compatibility features. The browser functions as a mediator between the clients and servers. Web browser provides facility to the users related to the sending and receiving of information from the server to client and vice versa. Search engine is also very helpful for the company in order to get access about each and every information. Amazon provides flexibility in order to store large amount of data related to the customers and suppliers. A sorting option is provided to the users including "Search inside the Book" to search specific content on the Internet.
Amazon makes use of the intranet in order to meet the digital communication needs. By using this method online customers can avail the services of the company and generate reviews and recommendations about the products. The company has connected its CRM with the intranet in order keep a complete record and needs of their customers (Trim, 2002). Intranet also provides various facilities to the users such as digital reference database and packer facilities to increase its efficiency. On the other hand extranet has been employed by the Amazon in order to share information related to the product prising with the other companies. It also provide strength to their customer support services. Along with that it also ensure the user to test the functionality of the web page and to bring improvements in the business process in effective manner (Ward and Kirthi 2007). In this way they can maintain good and healthy business relations with the other companies.
A good web design structure can have many characteristics such as searching keywords, proper link of product selection, clear details about the images, availability of products, discount offers, payments options, flexibility etc. Amazon is providing highly attractive features to the users which make their shopping experience unforgettable. They offer fast pace and speedy services (Adam and et.al, 2002). Lucrative structure of the website greatly attracts the attention of the customers towards the brands and also contributes towards increase in the customer base. Following benefits are offered by the Amazon to its customers:
Easy navigation - Amazon keeps the record of every customers and alert them about the latest offers and schemes at regular intervals. By using the visitor tracking code technique, company can trace its customers easily and also can discover the reasons for visiting the website (Mason, and Mouzas, 2012). They also provide an option to log in with an social media account.
Keyword phrases option - Company can offer greater amount of flexibility to its users in order to search an specific information related to its products and services.
Web site security - Company offers complete security to its customers by providing them the facilities of image of the product, shopping carts options, complain box, customized payment options etc (Jengchung and et.al., 2013). Further they have greater connectivity and coordination with the banks in order to secure the payments made online.
A well designed website will definitely affect the business of the e-company in positive manner. A website with flexible and attractive features attracts the attention of the customers towards the items and products. It is essential that company should have elements like easy navigation, easy selection of payment method, website security etc. The website of the Amazon is acting as a promotional tool for the business in order to increase the rate of the customers (Ward and Kirthi 2007). The web page of the website is very user friendly on which customers can find detailed information about the products and services. Information related to discount and offers is also communicated very clearly to the people. Search engine optimization method also helps the firms in reaching towards maximum number of customers. Amazon has used attractive tools like graphics, animations, feedback option, wish lists, sorting etc to make the shopping experience of the users memorable (Madel, 2003). Hence it is essential that company must give easy accessibility and flexibilities to its users so that they can purchase the goods and services at online platform without any complaints and issues. Great shopping experience at first time will help in gaining the customer loyalty in effective manner.
Effectiveness - The company wants to increase the page views and break the information into many web pages. Overloading of information about the product and services on the webpage can reduce the downloading process of the webpage and can create many usability related issues for the online users (Ward and Kirthi 2007).
Efficiency - In the website many areas of the hyperlinks are designed in small manner and due to which the user is not able to see the detail in proper manner. Hence it creates lot of confusing situation for the online users.
Browser compatibility - In this cut throat competition, lot of changes occur in the technology day by day. Hence in this situation the organization is required to be updated and upgraded with the latest technology. The browser compatibility feature can be understood with the help of an example (Lagrosen, 2005). A company runs the website on Google web-browser properly although it creates many issues during running on Internet explorer.
Search options - Amazon has not provided separate search options related to the age-wise product selection for the customers (Christopher and Asha 2007). Further lack of clarity can be seen in some of its web pages and this is dissatisfying for the users.
Sorting options - Further it is needed that company should provide sorting options for its customers which means an individual can search for the products on the basis of different types of categories. This will save the time for the users and they will be able to purchase which they wishes to purchase (Mason and Mouzas, 2012).
From the above study it can be concluded that e-business models such as B2B and B2C will be very beneficial for an e-commerce company. This will help them in establishing long term healthy business relations with their customers and suppliers. Apart from having many benefits the e-business comes up with many hurdles and problems related to security, privacy etc. Hence all e-commerce companies must adopt suitable e-business and internet models so that their services can be improved. Companies must designed their website with lots of lucrative features and options which can make the shopping experience of the customers excellent. |
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111,567,148 | Enjoy NYC from this immaculately kept, full floor residence that sleeps 6, located in Chelsea. Enjoy your newly renovated home with air conditioning and hardwood floors throughout. Cable TV, Wi-Fi. The apartment is three flights up from street level - no elevator.
Located between Midtown and the West Village, Chelsea offers good public transportation and proximity to the Midtown office district as well as the many attractions of downtown. The neighborhood is full of surprises as a result of a confluence of changing development patterns.
A melting pot of people can be found in Chelsea and the area’s architecture reflects that same diversity. The area above 23rd Street by the Hudson River is post-industrial, featuring the newly-opened High Line Park. To the south, between Ninth and Tenth avenues, mid-nineteenth century townhouses stand, some restored to single-family use. The white-tile portholed National Maritime Union Building—now the chic Maritime hotel—is a notable landmark. Another converted neighborhood relic is the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion that once was home to the infamous Limelight Disco.
In the 1990’s the neighborhood saw an influx of art galleries seeking less expensive space than was available in SoHo. In one of the most rapid transformations in the city’s history, the neighborhood has become one of the world's centers of modern contemporary art, with over 370 art galleries.
Chelsea Piers, a major waterfront recreational facility, reintroduced many New Yorkers to the area. The Ninth Avenue food mecca, better known as The Chelsea Market, boasts an impressive collection of gourmet food stores and restaurants, and the zone extending south of 14th Street—known as the Meat-Packing District—is one of the city’s busiest nightlife centers.
Centrally located in New York City. Walking distance to Madison Square Garden and 5th Avenue. A longer walk up Broadway to Times Square. Just 500 feet from the NYC Subway station.
I rent my apartment when I am traveling. The condo is fully stock with anything you might need (kitchen utensils, plates, glassware, etc.) The condo is close the airport, Convention Center, Amelie Arena, Raymond James Stadium, and Downtown. You’ll love my place because of the location. Walk to many restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. 30 minute drive/$20 Uber to St. Pete Beaches. My place is good for couples, solo adventurers, business travelers, families (with kids), and big groups.
There are 2 bedrooms separated by the living room and kitchen. Each bedroom has complete privacy with bedroom, closets, and bathroom enclosed by one door. If needed there is an air mattress that lifts off the ground and much like a real bed. It can be used in the living room.
Located near downtown SOHO, so the bars were quite loud and the people who lived in this complex were loud and disorderly as well.
Carpet could use an update or deep cleaning. No cable television included. If staying for vacation and partying, ideal. If for business, not.
Yes, the apartment tends to have a younger demographic (mid to upper 20's) so Thursday-Saturday you will hear people around the apartment complex. If you are not used to being in an apartment complex this my affect you.
1 bedroom, 1 bath located on beach property in Pompano Beach Fl. Fully furnished, open the sliding glass doors and look directly at the beautiful blue ocean. Condo is located right on the beach facing the ocean. Walk out your door and stroll down to the heated pool , sit under the tiki hut or better yet stroll down the sandy beach and into the ocean. Relax.
Located within walking distance to many local venues, driving a few minutes north or south brings you to a variety of restaurants, shopping areas and a beautiful 18 hole golf course. Visit the reviews. Relax and enjoy.
Located on the beach. Beautiful view. Walking distance to many venues. Large heated pool directly oceanside.
My husband and I stayed for 8 nights. What a view! The location is perfect. Literally steps to the beach. So quiet. A little hidden gem. And the neighbors are so welcoming and kind all around. We will definitely return. Thank you Nancy for a great vacation!! See you again soon!!!
The two things that are important to our stay is how is the bed? And how was the shower? Both of these were great. Enjoyed our stay, the area is beautiful, it was very quiet. The only negative, you share the balcony area, so If you don’t mind neighbor smoking then it’ll be a great place.
Loved the location and the property. The unit was clean and had a great view. The neighbors were friendly and quiet. It was nice to have access to the washer/dryer. Very convenient! We would love to return!
We really enjoyed our stay. The condo was spacious and comfortable. You could not ask for more. Had a great time.
If you are looking for a relaxed, laid back location on the beach - this is it! Within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. The unit is located in an older building and around it are many new high-rises. But once you get inside the unit and meet the neighbors, all is perfect! We spent two weeks here and felt like locals within the first few days.
The unit could use a little updating, but everything you need is there. You can see the ocean out of the front of the unit's two large sliding glass doors. The laundry facility was clean and everything worked great. You have one assigned parking space - which in this location is important. The pool was clean and located close to the beach.
I would not refer to the property as glamorous or "high-end", but it was perfect for a two week getaway for a couple. Just to note, the unit is located on the second floor and there is not an elevator.
Thanks for the review. It is a great place right on the beach. This summer we plan to paint and refresh the condo.
I’d like to start by saying our stay at this rental property was amazing. The view, and the beach was fabulous. The neighbors Kathy, & Billy were very nice helpful people, and friendly. The place itself is so lovely, and it has everything you need. I wish I had of went through the whole place when we first arrived, because we bought some things that were already supplied. So my advice to you if you stay here is to open all drawers, closets, cubbies, etc. because Nancy has it all. I would come here again, and the place was very clean. We stayed Dec 23rd thru Jan 3rd, and it really was like home away from home, and I hated to leave. 5 stars from Andrew and Conita. This property is by far the best I’ve ever stayed at and I would come again. We hope you enjoy your stay and thank you Nancy for having us. Sorry for the delay in review, but I had to make sure we left one for this place because it ROCKS.
Great place, this condo is right on the beach. Park the car and you are there. Updated Kitchen and Baths. New sliders to a balcony
to have morning coffee, afternoon lunch and a relaxing class of wine at night. Heated pool for swimming all year round. Walk down the the local Pier and and many restaurants on 10 to 12 minutes walk. You can golf and go on charter boats to fish. There is so much to do.
As researchers are discovering more and more about the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, they are finding new ways to prevent and treat it. A team of neurological scientists from Rush University Medical Center have found that aspirin can be used to treat Alzheimer’s. Here’s what you need to know about this latest discovery.
Previous studies showed there is a correlation between regularly taking aspirin and not developing Alzheimer’s disease. The previous research was promising, but scientists didn’t know if aspirin could directly decrease Alzheimer’s risks. Some theorized the link was only occurring because aspirin thins blood, so it reduces the risk of strokes that could trigger Alzheimer’s disease through brain damage.
If your senior loved one needs help managing an illness or assistance with daily tasks, make sure you choose a top-rated provider of home care. Roseville Home Care Assistance is here to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life in the golden years. From the mentally stimulating activities in our Cognitive Therapeutics Method to our friendly Care Managers who are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, we offer a wide array of high-quality at-home care services.
To further test the connection between aspirin and Alzheimer’s disease, the Rush University researchers conducted a study on mice. They took mice that were genetically modified to develop Alzheimer’s disease and gave them low doses of aspirin regularly. The researchers noticed that mice who took the aspirin were less likely to exhibit Alzheimer’s-like behaviors.
Aspirin seems to reduce Alzheimer’s risks and symptoms due to its interaction with amyloid beta proteins, which clump together in the brain, tangle up nerves, and make it difficult for the brain to send and receive signals. In healthy people, another protein called TFEB helps the brain clear away amyloid beta before it can clump into plaques, but people with Alzheimer’s do not have enough TFEB to sweep away amyloid beta proteins. It turns out aspirin medications boost TFEB levels and increase the speed at which the brain clears out amyloid plaques. Consuming aspirin increases TFEB production and lowers the rate of plaque formation.
Older adults with Alzheimer’s disease often need help managing a wide variety of everyday activities. If your aging loved one needs occasional help with bathing, grooming, cooking, or other basic household tasks, or if you need time to attend to important personal matters, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of live-in and respite care. Roseville seniors can maintain their independence while living at home with the help of our reliable respite caregivers.
Many seniors are already taking a few milligrams of aspirin each day to thin the blood and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Older adults who want to reduce their likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease should also consider taking aspirin. Keep in mind your loved one needs to talk to the doctor before starting any sort of medication regimen. Regular aspirin doses can increase the risk of bleeding and developing several health issues, so it’s best to consult a healthcare expert.
If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a Roseville elderly care agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services. To talk to one of our knowledgeable Care Managers, give us a call at 916.226.3737 today.
Halloween is a fun time of year when people dress up in their favorite costumes, paint pumpkins, watch themed films, and engage in other activities. There are many activities for your elderly loved one to participate in, and he or she can have a lot of fun trying to do as many as possible. Here are some fun activities seniors can do on Halloween and the benefits each activity provides.
Your loved one can paint pictures of ghosts, witches, pumpkins, and other Halloween staples to relax his or her mind. You can also purchase adult coloring books with a Halloween theme. Painting Halloween pictures is a fun activity that promotes socialization, relieves stress, increases hand-eye coordination and dexterity, and enhances quality of life.
If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of home care Roseville families can rely on. All of our caregivers are bonded, licensed, and insured, there are no hidden fees, and we never ask our clients to sign long-term contracts.
Creativity is a great way for seniors to prevent boredom and reduce the risk of depression and other health conditions. Your loved one can decorate a pumpkin, create a witch’s broom, build a small scarecrow head, or design a Halloween lantern. Encourage your loved one to be as creative as possible. Making Halloween crafts is a fun activity that can increase concentration, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive function.
Your loved one can plan this activity for the grandchildren or do it with other family members and close friends. The purpose of a scavenger hunt is to keep the mind active and engaged. You can hide some Halloween-related items around the home, including small pumpkins, homemade ghost trinkets, and candies, and encourage your loved one to look for them. Participating in a Halloween scavenger hunt could boost your loved one’s mental and emotional health.
Staying physically and mentally active is one of the many ways seniors can slow the progression of several diseases and age-related conditions. If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a Roseville home care agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services.
Choosing a Halloween costume can be fun, but wearing the costume to a theme party could be even more exciting. Attending Halloween parties is a great way for seniors to increase their social interaction, which could benefit their physical, mental, and emotional health. Your loved one will be engaged with his or her costume as well as the costumes of other partygoers, which could provide a sense of belonging, boost self-esteem, and enhance mood.
Your loved one can make marshmallow ghosts, strawberry pumpkins, cat cookies, and other Halloween treats. In addition to being fun, this activity could provide your loved one with companionship. Help your loved one choose the top recipes, then go ingredient shopping and bake the treats together. Baking Halloween treats can be a collaborative process that keeps seniors and their family members and friends socially and mentally active.
Throughout the month of October, your loved one can watch horror movies at home, the local theater, a senior center, or any other venue showing Halloween-themed films. You can even host a Halloween movie marathon every weekend, playing some of your loved one’s favorite films, which could keep him or her active, engaged, and happy. Watching favorite Halloween films can also spark memories and slow cognitive decline.
Seniors can slow cognitive decline and other health conditions by making healthy lifestyle choices. If your elderly loved one needs help maintaining healthy habits, consider hiring a professional elderly caregiver. Roseville families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide dedicated and compassionate in-home caregivers who are trained in our holistic Balanced Care Method, which was designed to encourage seniors to exercise often, eat nutritious foods, maintain strong social ties, and focus on other lifestyle factors that promote longevity. To learn about our revolutionary home care plans and how they can help older adults, give us a call at 916.226.3737 today.
Home care providers fall into two distinct categories: The first category is a Home Care Agency, the second is a Home Care Company. Understanding the differences between the two models is critical when seeking care at home.
A Home Care Agency is a referral agency that finds and screens Caregivers and then refers Caregivers to people seeking Home Care. The Home Care Agency profits by charging an hourly fee to their clients for referring Caregivers. The Caregivers, who they refer and send to your home, are not employees of the Home Care Agency, they become the client's employee. Regardless of what the Home Care Agency tells you the IRS most likely will consider the Caregivers sent from the agency an employee of the person who hired them which would be you the client. Because you, the client, are the Caregiver's employer, the Caregiver is paid directly by you, not the Home Care Agency. To clarify exactly how this works the following example is offered:
Mary recently fell at home and broke her leg. She is seventy years old and can no longer take care of herself. To help her through her recovery period, Mary decides to call a Home Care Agency and explains her situation. The agency then sends a Caregiver to her home to speak with Mary. The Caregiver explains that she will take care of Mary and she would directly charge her $11.00 per hour for her services. The Caregiver further explains to Mary that she would also have to pay the Home Care Agency that sent her an additional $5.00 per hours as a referral fee.
In this exampleThe total cost of hiring a Caregiver from an agency would be $16.00 per hour ($11.00 per hour paid directly to the Caregiver and $5.00 per hour paid to the Agency).
Home Care Companies, such as Home Care of Myrtle Beach, are drastically different from Home Care Agencies, such as Griswold, Home Care Helpers and South Carolina Caregivers. Home Care Companies directly hire Caregivers, who become employees of the Home Care Company and are paid directly by the company. These employees are carefully screened and vetted. A Home Care Company's reputation is on the line every time a Caregiver arrives at a client's home. Reputable Home Care Companies such as Home Care of Myrtle Beach also supervise their employees to make sure they are performing up to the company's standards. Home Care Companies as opposed to Agencies cover their employees with Workers Compensation Insurance and Liability Policies. Home Care companies also collect and pay all payroll taxes including unemployment insurance. Furthermore, HOME CARE COMPANIES PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS FROM LAWSUITS WHILE AGENCIES EXPOSE THEIR CLIENTS TO COSTLY LITIGATION.
Caregivers are paid directly by the clients they serve. Payroll taxes are not collected nor are they paid by the Referral Agency. Workers Compensation Insurance must either be provided by the Caregiver themselves or the client must pay for a policy themselves. A person injured on the job could possibly file a lawsuit against the person they are caring for if a Worker Compensation policy is not purchased. Caregivers are also expected to pay taxes on the money they earn, but seldom do so which can present problems for their clients.
Referral Agencies do not maintain backup caregivers, the client must rely on the caregiver they hired. You hired a single Caregiver not a company that maintains a staff of Caregivers.
Correcting problems with a Caregiver is the client's responsibly. Remember you are the Caregiver's Employer.
Caregivers are paid by the Home Care Company not by the clients, all payroll taxes are collected and paid by the Home Care Company. Workers Compensation and Liability Insurance are provided and all Caregivers are supervised. Clients are protected from lawsuits filed by Caregivers who become injured on the job because the Caregivers are not their employees.
Home Care Companies have numerous Caregivers and can rearrange the shifts of their Caregivers when necessary. Consistent care is much more likely from a Home Care Company than a referral agency.
Correcting problems with employees is the responsibility of the company's management, not the client.
All payroll taxes and payroll issues are handled by the Home Care Company. Clients are NOT responsible for any IRS reporting.
From the prospective of an owner of a Home Care Company, the Home Care Agency option should be avoided by those seeking In-Home Care. Although the cost to hire a Caregiver through an agency is usually slightly less per hour than with a Home Care Company the risk of lawsuits and IRS problems must be carefully considered. In addition to the legal problems that can occur from hiring a Caregiver through an Agency, the reliability and quality of care in most instances will be far better from a Home Care Company. The Home Care Agency Model in my opinion is nothing more than a way for a business to avoid paying payroll taxes as well as paying for insurance.
*Please think twice and perhaps consult an attorney before hiring a Caregiver through a Home Care Agency. |
224,573,192 | Protocols between Child and Family Service Authority Agencies and Women's Shelters in Manitoba (PDF)
This topic contains 2 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by Oliver Shaw 3 weeks, 4 days ago.
Now that fall is well underway and winter not far behind, it is time to get down to the nuts and bolts (or at least the screws) of Spark‘s restoration and refit. As all the easily accessible screws are badly corroded and in bad shape, I am considering completely re-doing all her fasteners. As an older series 1 boat, I would like to know what size screws they would have used at Bell Woodworking before I start undoing them. Would these be #6 or #8 that hold the ply to the ribs and stringers?
From memory (but it was over 40 years ago) the panels were attached with No 6 screws, I’m not sure whether they were 3/4 or 1″ long.
I concur with Norman’s recollection. My impression is that 3/4″ 6 gauge screws were the usual standard at that time (for securing the plywood to the framework), but nowadays that size seems rather large, and I would naturally think that 5/8″ 6 is a better size. That is not necessarily passing comment on the choices made by the builders of that era; I don’t think 5/8″ screws were readily available then, but I think they are now.
That is always provided that either the screw holes of the frames and stringers are in good condition or alternatively that you are drilling and plugging them to give a good new substrate.
Please join us on Sunday, November 13, during the morning service, to honor the men and women who have served our country. This service will include patriotic music, a tribute to all veterans present and a military flag ceremony. Jim Leslie will be our special speaker and Major Benjamin Bronkema will be joining us as our guest of honor. A special meal for all the veterans and their families will be in the Fellowship Hall after the morning service. Families and widows of veterans, please sign up at the Welcome Center with how many will be attending the meal. Flyers are also available at the Welcome Center to invite friends and family who sacrificially served our country.
MA program accredited by ASHA CAA and PSB in Audiology and SLP. Traditional Ph.D. program with two tracks - clinical investigator or laboratory scientist.
The Program in speech pathology is designed to lead to professional licensure by the State of Ohio Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology...
The M.A. Program in Speech, Language and Hearing Science is committed to the education of first-rate clinical professionals abl...
The Speech Language Pathology program provides students with advanced knowledge in communication processes and/or disorders.
Average salary for jobs in Insurance compared to the average salary for all jobs posted to graduate-jobs.com
Insurance offers many opportunities for professional development along with challenging careers and excellent salaries. The sector is primarily divided between roles in Brokering, Underwriting and Actuarial. With such a variety of roles, Insurance welcomes graduates from all degree backgrounds.
Many of the larger Insurance companies are in London, so candidates eager to work for one of the bigger organisations must be prepared to relocate to the city. Many firms offer summer programmes or internships, which are an excellent way for graduates to gain experience and make their applications stand out.
There are three main areas to the Insurance sector: Brokering, Underwriting and Actuarial. Although these do not require a specific degree, Insurance companies do look for a high standard of academic achievement and may request GCSE and A level results.
While many of the skills required in Insurance are applicable across all three areas, each has its own specific requirements.
Insurance Brokers are responsible for organising Insurance policies with clients and customers. Candidates for these roles need to be confident and capable salespeople, with excellent customer service skills. They need to be able to build and maintain client relationships.
Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of clients' needs and expectations. They need to be organised and capable of preparing reports and liaising between departments.
Insurance Underwriters produce policies for clients. They are responsible for assessing risks, deciding what a client will pay, how much coverage they will receive, and finally whether it is in the company's interests to accept the risk and insure the client. Each Underwriter is presented with a company-specific set of guidelines to help them.
For these roles, graduates need to be meticulous with their work. Candidates must possess sharp analytical skills and be able to thoroughly assess the positives and negatives of a particular policy for a specific client. Their communication needs to be perfect, with no room for lack of clarity in drafting policies.
Actuarial is concerned with calculating risks and uncertainties. Actuaries use probabilities, maths, economics, science, and computer science to determine the extent of the risk. Their work affects the premiums and overall cost of a client's policy.
It is essential that candidates demonstrate extreme accuracy and attention to detail. While an Actuary's work is mainly financial, there are opportunities to work in other areas such as risk assessment. All roles require precision work and an excellent grasp of numerical systems and formulas. Candidates should also demonstrate problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills to aid in dealing with clients. |
68,910,390 | 2017 has kicked off with a huge win for elephants. After decades of pressure from environmental and animal welfare organizations, the Chinese government announced on Friday that the country will be shutting down its domestic ivory trade by the end of the year.
The movement to ban the sale of ivory in China was supported by several conservation organizations, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
“This is a tremendous victory for elephants and we applaud China for showing such decisive action and leadership on this issue,” said Azzedine Downes, IFAW President and CEO, in a press release.
Although international trade of ivory has been banned since 1989, tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year due to illegal poaching, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. In the past decade, the elephant population in Central Africa has declined by 64%.
In an article from NPR, expert John Robinson said that ivory carving has been a large part of China’s cultural history. Robinson said the country “is the largest ivory market in the world.” But that is set to change.
The Chinese government plans to close all processing centers and commercial ivory businesses by the end of March 2017. Carvers will be transitioned into working on ivory carvings in museums and other cultural projects. Under the plan, people who currently own ivory products will be able to keep them or give them as gifts — only commercial trade will be affected.
Last June, the United States announced a similar ban on the commercial trade of African elephant ivory. According to the New York Times, the United States was the world’s second largest consumer of illegally hunted ivory.
“The US and China must remain global leaders together and we invite other countries around the world to continue to join us in our steadfast commitment,” said Beth Allgood, IFAW’s U.S. Country Director. “We cannot waver with elephants at such a tipping point.”
It wasn’t until I was sitting in the game’s aftermath that I looked into creator Nathalie Lawhead’s thoughts on the game and what she was trying to achieve with it. “Slice-of-life”, as a video game genre, would more than likely bring up images of farming games, Animal Crossing, or maybe even dating sims and visual novels. As Everything is going to be OK is so drastically different from these initial thoughts, and without the linear narrative that many of those games have, the game may seem confusing an unapproachable to some. Lawhead, instead, reveals the goals she had for this game as follows:
[Everything is going to be OK is] a collection of very abstract life experiences, things I felt while going through hard times, and how I felt, or moved on, afterward.
A lot of it is presented via humor, or creates ridiculous circumstances, because I feel like life is ridiculous. It’s one damn thing after the other and after a while there’s nothing left to do but laugh at it. Humor is what helps take the edge off, perhaps even create a platform for transcendence.
In a lot of ways, I found that Everything is going to be OK is a close sibling to Zoe Quinn’s Depression Quest, but in this case it’s its very absurd, bright, and equally unapologetic sibling. Everything is going to be OK is quote-unquote advertised as an “interactive zine”; its overworld is a collection of icons labeled as pages, distinguished with images that only make sense after you’ve experienced what’s on the page. Each page is a mini-game that ranges from a WASD-controlled romp through a crowd of creatures not wanting to be your friend to clicking on hearts to stave off the apocalypse for one second longer. Many of the games have to do with trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and many of them can end up with the cute little bunny-like avatars dying. Personally I did find several of the games humorous in that sort of “oh my god” way that follows a funny animal video about an older cat pushing kittens off a shelf, but there were a few other games that resonated with me so deeply that I felt like crying as I played through them.
Three of these pages stuck out to me the most. Page 18 is all about the persistent anxiety of socializing with other people. While the cute animal the player controls is excited to join in the ultimately confusing and unimportant conversation happening around them, it’s all too easy for the conversation to be ruined. The game here is that in the break in conversation, the player must choose from a selection of equally bizarre options (ranging from simple one word responses like colors to nonsensical phrases like “dust with probably dust”) among which lies the presumably only one option that will keep the conversation going. Get it right, and you’re rewarded with your conversation partners agreeing with your point. Get it wrong and you’re chastised for being rude and changing the topic, as well as adding quite a few points to the awkwardness meter at the bottom of the screen.
This same player avatar shows up again in Page 19 and is still trying to make friends. As the large rabbit creature walks through seemingly endless scenes, their pleas for someone to be friends with them are met only with the other creatures screaming and running away from them, until at the very end the rabbit creature is taken away by a tentacle monster, declaring that “I…. don’t need to be loved any more.” I think many people with social anxiety can relate to these two scenarios: it feels like anything you can possibly say will ruin the conversation and make people angry at you, and it’s more preferable to stop trying to make friends and instead opt for being alone and maybe even coming to love yourself than depend on others for that reassurance.
The page that hit me the hardest, however, is Page 7. If you’ve read my review of The Beginner’s Guide, then you already know that games that explore depression hit me real hard. Page 7 features a green creature who is unknowingly infected by a parasite who whispers terrible things to them. The game is the player trying to comfort the creature by picking from several options. Sometimes the creature is affected by this, smiles for a moment, and a heart floats from them in thanks. Other times, the parasite takes over, saying things like “we’re not pretty enough to love” or “just give up”, making the creature cry out in sorrow and frown in exhaustion. The creature never “gets better”; you can’t get enough hearts in a row to make the parasite leave. And one bad answer changes the creature forever–once they begin to frown, they never return to the neutral expression they start out with. The page’s victory screen is a blue box that says “YOU DID GOOD. Everything is okay” along with a motivational poster that reads “You Win. It’s OK to settle.”
Humor is by all means an effective way of dealing with depression and other issues, but to me, the kind way in which the game lifts up the efforts of its creatures is the most impactful aspect of the game as a whole. This decade is just escaping the trappings of the previous era where one of the most marketable design choices was to utilize cute animals and other creatures and juxtaposition them against mean sayings, a la those “Boys are stupid. Throw rocks at them” rabbits from the early 2000s. At first glance Lawhead’s work gives the impression that it may utilize this same styling: that these cute things are actually cruel and that’s just the way things are. Imagine my surprise when instead of the game laughing at me because I dared to try and make these creatures happy like I expected, it did the exact opposite. Though there was plenty of disturbing, un-nice thing to go around, nothing about it was cruel; the shock of being told “you did good” or “this is okay, too” in this sort of environment felt all the more impactful. After all, not everyone can get over their anxieties or depression; for many, things being “okay” and acceptable are the best they can get. And that isn’t worth any less than a “happy ending”.
[This game is] oddly enough my own version of a power-fantasy. I have come to think that we have a backward idea of power, and perception of strength. We always have, and I think this is a byproduct of a historically patriarchal system. From religion, to politics, to economics, power is viewed as how many people you can subjugate. Respect is how many people fear you because of your power. How you can get what you want at the expense of others, how you are the biggest dog in the dog-eat-dog world that we have created for ourselves…
…We don’t really have a concept, in our culture, or discussion about alternative views of power from a survivor’s standpoint. How is it like for survivors? Are people that live with trauma strong? Are people with mental disorders, or PTSD strong? Why is suicide seen as selfish and weak, when the person that lived with it got as far as they did? We don’t popularly view survivors, victims, traumas, etc, as strength. It is a weakness, and I don’t like that.”
While I believe this is something we all think about on some level, it’s definitely easy to get swept away in more bombastic representations of power fantasies. If you’re a survivor in a video game, that usually means you have huge muscles, a big gun, and you’re ready to take down the forces that oppressed you one person at a time. You may be a survivor, but you–as the character–don’t actually deal with the process of “surviving”. What’s for you after you take down the big bad? Who knows. Is the implied happy ending really going to lead to happiness? Again, who knows. Our media doesn’t usually make a point of exploring this aspect of trauma and gets just as far as showing what badasses our trauma can make us. And this… isn’t exactly the most accessible message.
People shouldn’t have to wield their trauma like a weapon in order to be considered worthy of positive reinforcement. Page 17 introduces us to a rabbit who gets themselves into a sticky situation of being cut in half. The goal of the mini-game is to garner as many intangible friends as possible (until the bar is filled) by crying out for help into the void. Sometimes you gain friends, sometimes you lose them. The clear correlation here is to people “crying for attention” on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It’s so easy to look at these people in real life and feel disgust or annoyance. Why are they asking for help? Shouldn’t they just suck it up? But really, doesn’t it take a strong person to put themselves and their vulnerabilities out there for everyone to see? Everything is going to be OK praises the efforts of people who try to cope by putting themselves out there. Lawhead knows all too well that trying to live past traumatic events and keeping going against the convincing words of depression and anxiety isn’t a glorious path to victory carved from the mental disorders we decimated on the way. Sometimes we’re going to fail, and that’s all right. Sometimes settling is the best option, and that doesn’t make the people who do settle any weaker or less worthy of praise, comfort, and love than those who try to live up to the machismo inspired “beat your demons ‘til they’re black and blue” way of thought.
Even if you don’t necessarily agree with Lawhead on her art, it’s baffling to me how many people are ready to dismiss it entirely. I’ve seen many comments on YouTube (yes, I know, “Don’t read the comments”) that say they can relate, then immediately go back on that when reading that Lawhead is writing against the (western) patriarchal society many of us have grown up in. As if “femminizms r ruinin muh gamez”. These comments prove to me even more than a game like Everything is going to be OK needs to be made, and more games like it need to be made, too. Both Zoe Quinn and Depression Quest were attacked and questioned about their necessity and/or importance in the gaming sphere, and going by Lawhead’s comments on her experience after releasing the early access of Everything is going to be OK she’s facing the same thing (though hopefully on a much smaller scale). So I just want to say here that even if you, reader, are maybe put off by this game a bit, you should give it a try. It’s definitely not for everyone, but its rawness and genuine compassion deserve to be experienced. You can try Everything is going to be OK’s early access version here at Game Jolt. (You can download it for free, but I encourage you to take the “name your own price” option and send some money her way.)
This entry was posted in Disability Studies, opinion, Reviews, Video Games and tagged anxiety, depression, Everything is going to be OK, Nathalie Lawhead, opinion, PC, video games by Tsunderin. Bookmark the permalink. |
121,620,571 | This morning I timed myself doing my makeup, because there was a feature in a national newspaper a couple of days ago stating that you ‘could’ do your makeup perfectly in 8 minutes, and that many took a whole lot more time. I came in at 3 minutes 45 seconds including serum, moisturiser and primer which the feature didn’t include but which I think essential.
I had to laugh as it also said – courtesy of Superdrug - that the average woman has up to 27 steps in her makeup routine and uses around 30 products, spending up to 40 minutes on her face in the morning. Seriously? Who has that much time? And how much makeup do you really want to wear?
As someone who goes for a ‘less is more’ look and is always in a hurry I don’t want to look as if I’ve been made up for a photo shoot (and in case you’re wondering I’ve watched a lot of makeup artists get models ready for shoots). I want to look natural. Anything else is ridiculous first thing. To a grown-up, anyway. I’ll admit I never go out without makeup though.
So here’s what I used today. And I’ll say straight away that I had everything to hand and didn’t have to search for anything. In brackets I’ve put my alternatives. All of these are investments but last a long time.
The best skincare and makeup starts with the best serum. This is not a step to leave out and believe me it only takes a couple of seconds to apply.
You may think ‘oh I don’t need an eye serum’ but you probably need one for your eyes more than your face as this is the first place that wrinkles appear, so it pays to invest in a really good serum early on.
I really like the texture of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic cream and it comes in a large pot so will last for ages. My Estee Lauder Revitalising Supreme Moisturiser was part of a gift with purchase and is more of a gel texture. Also a brilliant moisturiser.
You can’t part me from my Laura Mercier SPF Primer. Not only does it stop makeup from slipping off your face whatever the temperature but it also protects from the sun, as does Eve Lom’s Flawless Radiance Primer. Frankly they are hard to choose between although the Laura Mercier is quite a bit less expensive.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Light Wonder Foundation offers a light, sheer coverage which looks radiant and natural. It’s become one of my all time favourites. This is closely followed by Lancome’s Teint Visionnaire which gives a little more coverage and has a concealer in the cap. It’s worth spending time testing and choosing your foundation as an ‘over made-up look’ starts right here.
When it comes to this type of product I seriously like something that does double duty. Estee Lauder’s Perfectionist Concealer contains a brightening serum at one end and concealer at the other. And both are seriously good.
Both of these powders offer a smooth and flawless finish to your foundation and are essential to a natural look. I always apply powder with a brush and shake off any excess first.
Ok I’ll admit it. I don’t strobe, drape or contour. But I want the products necessary to add radiance, flush and a subtle glow and I want them all together so that I can choose to use one or all three. These two face palettes will do just that.
If you want a brilliant highlighting blush on its own you might like to try Laura Geller New York Baked Blush and Brighten which I discovered – in NY – a couple of months ago. And if you want a stand alone Bronzer try Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder. Finally an all time favourite which I carry with me everywhere is to be found at Sephora, their Sephora Collection Baked Sculpting Trio – I use it in Sweet – is absolutely brilliant and has highlighter blusher and bronzer together in one little palette. If you can, run there fast as it’s discounted right now.
You may have lots of time to create smoky eye looks, and even I spend more time on my eye makeup when going out in the evening….well a bit. But to my mind nothing beats a seriously good long lasting eye pencil that you can smudge if you want to and not if you don’t. Both of these are good for that, and with a steady hand take seconds to apply.
You’ll notice I haven’t included mascara here as I just wear that in the evening, and this is my go-to daytime fast face makeup. When I do wear it my two favourites are Benefit They’re Real Mascara and Lancome Hypnose, both of which are hard to beat.
Eyebrow pencil – Clinique Instant Lift for Brows. This is my all time favourite and the only one I use. Suffice it to say the daughter uses it too. It comes in four different shades, one of which will definitely suit you, and is incredibly quick easy to use.
Lipstick – Estee Lauder Lipstick in Beige – or whatever your favourite is. As every one of my favourite nude lipsticks has been discontinued I am continually looking for new ones. Favourite brands for longevity and consistency are Clinique, Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown.
I also have a very good set of brushes to hand which stand in a pot at the ready. This is a very reasonably priced cosmetic brush set I bought from Amazon with unexpectedly high quality brushes.
I never leave the house without putting on makeup – perish the thought, but it really doesn’t have to take very much time. So ready steady go… the stopwatch is on. |
134,203,341 | A luxury 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom villa situated beds. peaceful and largely unspoilt location, perfect for families, couples and golfers alike.The villa is just a 5 minute walk from the water park and aqua shows, also close to the golf courses and the towns of Quarteira, Vilamoura and Almancil. This home is set in spacious grounds, this Villa is surrounded by carefully thought out gardens, which includes a purpose built BBQ, decked dining area and a children's play ground.Nearby is the resort of Vilasol where there is a driving range and golf academy which is a 5 minute drive from the house.Living room - well equipped family room with sofas to seat 8, with a 48" TV and internet access and a blue ray DVD, This room leads to the outside decked patio with comfy outside sofas and chairs.Kitchen/dining area - 8 seater dining table, with good sized kitchen area with upright integrated fridge. In the utility room with is a washing machine and additional storage area, plus a dishwasher and all modern conveniences.Bedroom 1 - Large room with twin beds ( which can be linked to make doubles on request)Bedroom 2 - Master bedroom has a super king size bed, walk in wardrobe and en- suite bathroom.Bedroom 3 - Large room with twin beds.Bedroom 4 - Large room with twin beds.
The outdoor pool can be heated for your stay, at a cost of 200 euros. Please confirm at time of booking.
Property could use a little refurbishment in the pool area & mini golf course in particular but overall impression was good. Everything advertised was there and this was a great base for the Marina, beaches & water park. The villa is a fantastic size with plenty of room for 8 people. No local corner shop for items such as milk, water etc so a car is a must for getting to the supermarket and other places. It is advertised as having free Wi-Fi which it does but this is only accessible in the front of the property. The bakery is a short walk away & highly recommended for a visit - excellent coffee & pastries.
This villa is lovely! Perfect for young children with a swing, slide and basketball and a gated pool. The blackout shutters are also amazing- had the best sleep ever! There were plenty of toys for my little boy too which was a nice touch. Everything was clean, tidy and in working order. The staff at ideal homes couldn't have been more helpful.
Originally we thought the villa was closer to vilamoura than it was and we could walk there in the evening but it's not walking distance. We hired a car and I would definitely recommend doing the same, it made food shopping and getting about much easier!
There is a restaurant called Maria's about 15 minute drive from the villa near Alamancil, it's definitely worth a visit- food was amazing and watching the sunset there was beautiful!
This was a lovely villa and we felt very safe with our small children there as pool gated off. All of rooms are on ground floor which was good. Had all the facilities we required and we had all the help we needed with transfers.
This villa was amazing, the space inside and out is incredible. You don't realise how big the villa is until you get there - let's just say it will keep you fit walking around in there 😊� Everything was upto top standards. Couldn't have asked for better. Also responded promptly when asked for any help, as the umbrella was broken in the garden which was a massive shame they couldn't fix for us as needed for my 15month old to keep him sheltered from the sun. But other than that would definitely recommend this villa as A** Class. The water park is literally a 2minute walk across the road which was brilliant. There is a restaurant about a 5minute walk away which served nice food. Will definitely rebook for the future. Thankyou.
As a family of six adults and two children, we agree with everything in the previous review. The villa was perfect for all of us, good position, spacious, clean and friendly, helpful staff. We would definitely like to return next year.
we have just returned from a week in this beautiful luxury villa, it was everything we had expected, we were greeted by Ann who was very helpful and showed us around and made us feel very welcome and answered all our questions, The villa is very spacious and very clean and has all the essentials you would use in your own home down to the little things towels, beach towels and t towels, it is in a very peaceful area, great for relaxing, the water park is just across the road and saying that it is a busy place we didn't hear much noise from the water park, we hired a car to get around as we went with 2 elderly people who cant walk far, their are lovely resteraunts about 5 minute drive on villa sol golf complex and we also dined at several of the resteraunts on vilamoura marina, their is an aldi, lidl and apolonia (sells English branded foods), supermarket are all a short driving distance, this was our very first villa holiday and I would definitely consider returning to this place again and would recommend to my friends and family
Place of settlement, the area of Quarteira dates back at least to Roman times. King D. Dinis granted Quarteira its charter on 15th November 1297 and it became a city in 1999. From a simple fishing village, Quarteira has become one of the major tourist centres in the Algarve, famous for its golden beaches, its high quality fish and for its woods of stone pine.Quarteira has seen a lot of development in recent years, leaving it characteristically high-rise in and around the town. Quarteira has still, however, managed to retain its Portuguese character and is particularly popular with Portuguese holidaymakers. The best part is the lovely palm-lined promenade, Avenida Infante de Sagres, known as the "Marginal", where you can spend time relaxing with lovely walks along the seafront and on the outdoor terraces of cafés and bars all aroundVilamoura is the name given to an area rather than to any actual town. It is outstanding in that it is one of the largest single tourist complex in Europe and covers some 2.000 hectares of land. The land is variable in its vegetation, some parts covered in pine forests whilst others open recovered marshland. Vilamoura is a special place, a unique leisure and recreation resort community where the pace of life is so easy it feels like summer all year round.Designed from the start to be self-sufficient, Vilamoura is ideally located, features a wide choice of prime accommodation, offers the commercial structure for day-to-day needs and is bursting with sporting and leisure facilities for the whole family. It is a place for rest and relaxation but also for pursuing active pastimes and sports; a friendly and safe residential haven, but also a vibrant and exciting night-life centre. |
135,086,025 | As we are always looking for the latest technology to make our lives easier we must remember that some things need tweaking many times before the product is ready for the final consumer.
The latest invention displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show looks like an oversized set of head phones, but provides the wheelchair user with the power to travel a distance with the use of lithium-ion charged batteries. The unit has a 24 volt electric charged hub that attaches to each wheelchair wheel.
The WHILL provides you with a new driving experience. The makers report it is easily removable and you will have more convenience and fun without becoming exhausted going a distance.
With a top speed of just over 12 mph the wheelchair is steered by the rider simply leaning in the direction they want to go. The force is detected by the connecting arch which then independently adjusts the speeds of the drive motors accordingly.
The WHILL is still in the prototype phase at this point, but its creators are looking for wheelchair users to test it out so they can further refine its design before turning it into a commercial product.
Whipknits practical designs are warm, strong, and comfortable enough to let your hound run and play outdoors. Plus, they can stand up to a hard day of relaxing on the couch. These long-lasting, acrylic knits are completely washable, and come in several styles and a variety of colors
Each whipknit is handmade by me - Allie Smith. I am owned by 4 whippets - from L to R - Radish, Bug, Cheeky, and Pixie.
These days a womans health is of prime importance, yet we are bound to fall ill every so often and under these situations we usually follow one of two paths. If we categorize the illness as minor then we usually try some kind of home remedy at first to see if we can cure the illness before seeking medical help from a doctor. The other path is seeking medical help immediately we are able to recognize the seriousness of the problem at the time of the incident. There are many lifestyle diseases which affect almost every person. Some of these can be cured with diets for women while others can be controlled to some extent. Some of the reasons which come to my mind at this point are: High blood pressure, pregnancy, Obesity, tummy related problems, food intolerance and many others.
According to master cleanse reviews, this womens fitness journey starts with a desire to regain that lost prime health and youthfulness that you once had by taking vitamin supplements. A person should be self motivated to stick to a weight loss and a regular exercise program that has chosen especially after a long period of inactivity. Good planning helps a great deal in speeding up the process of becoming healthy once more. One should always try to maintain the vision of a healthier and leaner figure so that they stay motivated enough to continue with the weight loss program. This is especially true after giving birth to a child and the mother should get pregnancy information to get back on track the healthy way.
There are many causes for obesity, and ill health which leads to a poor immune system. It can be due to either our genes or our eating habits. Our defective genes cannot be changed but we can modify our diet so that we can once again become slim. If the person is constantly falling ill due to various factors, consult some health magazine for natural vitamins information which will help in deciding which diet to follow or simply consult a doctor for health improvement advice. Reclaim that lost health with lemon juice diet and not only will you end up looking good but feeling healthier also.
‘April is the cruellest month’ – not my original words, but however they were meant, they seemed very appropriate for the return of winter after a few mild days, with snow on the hills making for tough conditions for new-born lambs, putting the mild discomfort of a chilly outdoor change into perspective.
I’d been in touch with Richard Bendall about digging progress in Ireby near the sump, not knowing anything about the other dig in progress and he suggested we have a look at this recent link into Ireby II. With a few sketchy details from Richard’s e-mail, I enlisted Simon for the trip and Duncan was keen, although a little pensive, given recent reporting of the trip in Descent! With more helpful information gleaned from Dave Ramsey, we headed off for the cave with only a 50m rope for the Bubbles Route. Whilst unpacking the rope by the entrance, 2 other chaps appeared, also heading the same way and when it turned out that Neil and George were openers and experts of the route, we agreed to follow them through and use their rope in place on the pitch. It was interesting to meet former Durham student George, having been in touch with him by e-mail regarding the mysterious hanging rope in Langstroth Pot (see past report)!
Neil led down to the pitch head and I was first down the descent, having worn my harness from the entrance and had a bit of a struggle to get the fat, muddy rope into my Stop. From the bottom of the pitch, a short crawl led to the main route and an almost immediate step up into a higher-level crawl. Neil commented that Simon and I would be hot in our wetsuits in the long crawls, with the Red Rose team setting a fast pace on the low section that followed and we met up at a slight enlargement in the dry passage, where I immediately regretted my lack of any food or drink, having an ‘Ice Cold in Alex’ fantasy beer moment, before the lower, more strenuous, crawling continued on and on!
The passage then changed in character to strenuous, slippery traversing, leading to a rest before the rope-ladder climbs began. These climbs are only short, but muddy and require a lot of care, particularly if like the author, you haven’t brought a belt and cowstails! Passing a superb, taped-off stal boss, with its companion orange formation high above, we slid down several tricky obstacles that the Red Rose lads had as dialled as I have the boulder problems at my favourite crags, with another fine stal, straw and helictite grotto adjacent to a roped slide, perhaps requiring taping before much more traffic comes this way. A handline traverse above a deep pit on this part of the trip also focussed the mind of the protectionless author, with very careful footwork required!
An unlikely climb up gained some draught and the site of the recent breakthrough, where a bit of tight crawling led us to the magnificence of Jupiter Chamber. Here Neil and George arranged their mugs under convenient drips to collect fresh water and sorted their gear for their explorations, whilst we headed up the opposite side of the chamber towards the sound of the streamway. After passing through a muddy section with material like molybdenum grease underfoot, we reached a knotted rope at the descent to the streamway. Not having any ideas about what lay up or downstream, we decided to go up the fine passage, where eventually an Echo Pot-like duck was passed into a flat-out, silty-floored squeeze. Digging through this for a few feet, I came to a bend where falling water could be heard, but given that I would have to worm my way through the muddy floor, I reversed. Back in the more comfortable passage, George appeared, complete with spade to dig through the aforementioned obstruction and thanking him for his help on the trip, we wished him good luck and headed out. Finding Duncan back at the lads’ tuck shop, we eyed the tempting array of chocolate goodies and set off out. Unfortunately Neil was off exploring, so some belated thanks are in order!
Passing the traverse in reverse was a bit more tricky at a baggy section of rope, but with the ladder climbs and the strenuous traverse negotiated by all, I decided to motor out to get to my food in the car, also feeling uncomfortable due to an aching shin and from the gravel lodged in my kneecaps, having wormed its way down my wetsuit!
I emerged into a snow shower, although the sun was still shining over to the west and my quick change by the car was completed before the snow got much heavier. Simon and Duncan arrived later, relieved to see me still there in case I had forgotten that I had Simon’s car keys with me (actually his wife’s car keys!).
This is a fine, strenuous trip and we will return to check out Duke Street II, carrying some provisions next time. Again, many thanks to Richard and the Red Rose lads for the info. and directions.
Colin Taylor’s years of experience in pet grooming have given him unique insights from the perspective of a stylist, teacher, and in customer service. It is essential for anyone in the industry, a must-read for every stage of a groomer’s career. Colin’s sparkling wit is entertaining without losing the wisdom of the lessons he’s learned along the way. “What Would Colin Do?” is perfect for anyone seeking to improve customer relationships, improve their grooming and handling skills, and look at life with optimism and humor.
What Would Colin Do? features a foreword by friend and colleague, Melissa Verplank, and has illustrations by Aneta Radomska and Lisa VanSweden. |
208,418,682 | We’re pleased to announce our top reviews for September. So congratulations to Seth Grotzke (@scquest). Who will receive a pack of 33Shake Chia Energy Gels.
A really fantastic, incredibly detailed and humorous review of the Superior 100 Mile Trail Race from Seth. This almost reads as a Q&A with his therapist and is certainly one of the more unique race reviews we’ve received here at RunUltra.
Well with a name like that, we were certainly interested in finding out more about the Urban Legend Ultra race in Simon Bourke’s (@Simon_Bourke) review.
‘This race is a little different to a number of other trail races as more than half of the race takes place in a city. However, the ingenuity of this course is that for only a few miles are you running in city centre streets.’
‘A little bumble bee impression ensued, where I ran around in circles for a few minutes before realising I really should retrace my steps…’
We love reading a review that draws our attention to a simply scrumptious-sounding race, that wasn’t previously really on our radar. Well this review of the Grand Raid Des Pyrénées by Alexandra Cook (@Diet360_), certainly fits the bill.
‘This is relatively unknown event to British runners but it is one you should put on your bucket list.’
‘The atmosphere was amazing. When we got to the summit of the climb there were even groups of hardened supporters who had found their way to the top to cheer us on and support.’
This is Richard Duffy’s (@richardpduffy) second review of the Causeway Coast and it’s great to read that this year he was successful, after a DNF from a gashed finger at the 2016 edition.
‘Every runner of every ability should be allowed to run that absolutely stunning course that the guys at 26 Extreme have harnessed.’
It’s always great to hear when runners have directly made use of the race reviews on RunUltra. After reading the previous Thames Path Challenge reviews, Guy Emmerson was convinced to run the 50km race over the 100km.
‘Overall, I was really impressed with the organisation of the race. The scenery is amazing as you run along the Thames and obviously the course is very flat.’
‘Considering this was my first one, I was pleased to come 2nd but I am really glad I didn't enter the 100km, I would definitely need more experience before moving to that distance’.
‘This was my second attempt at the Brecon Beacons Long Course after a technical DNF in 2014. It is a great event with excellent support from start to finish.’
‘I just wish there were showers at race HQ but I'm a softy southerner and it all adds to the experience.’
Fancy taking on something like the UTMB, but unsure about getting a place? The Ultra Tour Monte Rosa could be a fantastic alternative…
Interested? Well give Alan Wood’s hugely detailed stage-by-stage account a read. Some real quotable gold in there!
‘When the top finally arrived I celebrated by taking a ceremonial piss near the summit - a good indicator of my state of mind at this point!’
‘I am always impressed by the fact that every single one of the Centurion races I have run has started precisely on time.’
After extolling the virtues of the Centurion organisation, Sarah jumps into a description of the race itself and offers some advice on what level of runner this ultra would suit.
‘The route markings were ok. I felt in sections they could have done with a few more as they could be quite spaced out and also turns could have been marked better.’
Aside from a slight hiccup with the route marker placement, Ben would highly recommend this race, especially to new ultra runners.
‘Overall I would recommend this race especially as a first ultra. The volunteers were fantastic and the race was really well organised.’
Finally, we have another GUTS Ultra review, this time from Robin Sanderson (@FeetInTheCrowds). Echoing Ben’s assessment of the organisation, he also provides a short description of the route and recommends this as a good race for newbies.
‘I have done a couple of other trail races and a sportive organised by AAT Events and they have always been effectively organised with a friendly atmosphere - this was no exception.’
“What do you get if you finish? I received a metal belt buckle, a customized sweatshirt, a finishers medal, and as many blisters as I could handle (Seth Grotzke)”
TAGS: mountain running, mountain trail running, trail running, trail running europe, trail running events, trail running races, ultra distance running, ultra events uk, ultra marathon, ultra marathons, ultra races, ultra racing, ultra racing usa, ultra runner, ultra runners, Ultra running, ultra running France, ultramarathons, ultrarunning calendar
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91,716,474 | Article originally written by Disciples Women and posted in Disciples News Service on July 11, 2018, found here.
F or the past 10 years, Hilltop United Church of Christ in Parker, Colorado has supported Global Ministries through an AID’s benefit called Horseshoes for Cousin. The event is organized by a woman named Pam Sippel in memory of her cousin and best friend who died of AIDS in 1995 at the age of 34. They celebrate his life by hosting a horseshoe pitching tournament on our horse property near the church. Folks come out for a day of FUN and FUNDRAISING!
Fifteen years ago Grace Congregational United Church of Christ in Two Rivers, WI began a relationship with Mark Behle, a mission co-worker of the United Church of Christ in Lesotho.
People around the world face the problems of food insecurity and famine. International partners are addressing these issues through creative, life-giving agricultural projects and feeding programs.
In 2017, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma organized a Global Ministries People-to-People Pilgrimage to visit global partner, Caminante in the Dominican Republic. This is a pilgrimage the region has offered each summer for the past nine years. Each year, the group participants think of different material items to bring from Oklahoma that will support the work of Caminante. As this year’s group began planning, they decided to raise funds for Caminante’s growing summer outreach programs – the programs the group would be participating in during their pilgrimage.
He may have been the head of BMS Group’s Australian operations for only a few weeks, but Brett Field already has a clear vision of how the independent broker’s Asia-Pacific operations should grow.
It’s all about employing an aggressive wholesale business and facultative strategy throughout the region, the new chief executive of BMS Risk Solutions told GR.
“We’ve got a core development area here with some strong associations with retail brokers, and we’re keen to broaden that.
“I also believe that there will be opportunities to expand our underwriting through the managing general agents, as well as in treaty reinsurance.
“Our plans will require us to hire more individuals and teams over time, as the plan is to double in size over the next four years. It’s pretty ambitious.”
Field has been busy identifying key personnel who have market support, knowledge and, in may cases, teams behind them.
“This helps to build our core strengths so we can help retail brokers who aren’t part of a global broker to compete with innovative programs and first-class backup,” he said.
“We’re really adding many strings to our bow in terms of industry and geographic expertise; it’s quite an exciting time.”
As well as its Australian operations and UK headquarters, BMS Group has offices in Bermuda, Canada and the US from which the private, employee-owned, specialist insurance intermediary group services its clients. It is looking to make the Lloyd’s market more accessible to independent Australian retail insurance brokers.
This process began with the recruitment of ex-Aon Benfield directors Glenn Kerr and Peter Tompkins, followed closely by the hiring of Field. The former Lloyd’s broker and coverholder founded specialist liability wholesaler Insurance Market Facilities, and he believes that it is this experience that appealed to BMS.
“BMS were aware of my background and client base, and my experience matched their ambitions for the region,” Field explained.
“It’s a pretty big move as a Lloyd’s broker for BMS to establish an office off-shore. I don’t think now we can expect to be sitting in a city office in London waiting for the emails to come in.
“The model is evolving, we want to offer a more local service to the retail insurance communities in the region, while still providing access to the global markets, particularly in London and Singapore, that can add real specialist value.”
“These days we have to be at the coalface to provide a good service to retail brokers, we need to sit down and work with them strategically.”
Field sees clients who he believes are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with what he calls the “homogenisation of the big brokers”.
“We want to develop strategic partnerships to enable them to have the same punch in terms of getting a programme together, whether that be through London or Singapore,” he explained.
“That way we don’t conflict with the brokers on any issues and they can feel free to involve us face to face with the client or work in the background, depending on the client and the type of risk.”
Most of the work BMS Risk Solutions is involved in at present is with clients on Australia’s east coast and in New Zealand. However, Field said that opportunities were starting to present themselves everywhere from Singapore to Myanmar.
“We want to develop contacts and our core business of corporate construction and mining, as well as plant and equipment, focussing on the east coast first then outwards from there,” he said.
The new chief executive of BMS has had a varied insurance career in differing guises and harbours high ambitions for his business
SAN ANTONIO - GlobalSCAPE, Inc. (NYSE Amex: GSB), a leading developer of secure information exchange solutions, today announced that it has been named to Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™, a ranking that recognizes the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. The Technology Fast 500™ companies were selected on the basis of their five-year revenue growth percentage, an indication of recent growth.
In 2004, GlobalSCAPE reported revenues of $4,930,660, compared with 2008 revenues of $15,792,242; that represents 220% growth over the five-year span. The company's customer base includes most of the Fortune 100, many local and state governments, the U.S. Army and over 1.5 million consumer users. GlobalSCAPE has won multi-million deals with the U.S. Army supporting the Single Army Logistics Enterprise (SALE) initiative, including an order in April 2009. The Army's SALE initiative focuses on upgrading the information technology that tracks personnel, equipment, munitions and other supplies throughout the worldwide logistics pipeline.
According to Jim Morris, president and CEO of GlobalSCAPE, the company's rapid growth is a testament to its employees, who are continually delivering innovative managed file transfer (MFT) products and services for the company's growing enterprise customer base. "Over the last five years, we have seen the MFT market grow rapidly as compliance and regulatory mandates have become the norm for many organizations," said Morris. "These changes have put huge demands on enterprise customers to adopt secure MFT offerings that provide end-to-end information tracking and reporting. IT budgets have also decreased during the same time period, putting further pressure on IT professionals to find solutions that are easy to deploy and require minimal IT support. We're very proud to be honored by Deloitte for our growth during these past five years."
"Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™ recognizes innovative companies that have broken down barriers to success and defied the odds with their remarkable five-year revenue growth," said Phil Asmundson, Vice Chairman and U.S. Technology, Media and Telecommunications leader, Deloitte LLP. "We congratulate GlobalSCAPE on this accomplishment."
GlobalSCAPE's Managed File Transfer products, including Enterprise File Transfer Server™, Secure FTP Server™ and its industry-leading CuteFTP® product family, allow organizations to intelligently and securely manage sensitive information in motion and at rest, across multiple locations and with customers and business partners. GlobalSCAPE also provides Wide Area File Services (WAFS) solutions that help customers collaborate across wide area networks at local area network speeds. GlobalSCAPE's MFT and WAFS solutions ensure the highest levels of compliance with government data security and privacy regulations, along with corporate security policies and mandates.
To be eligible for the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, companies must have posted 2004 operating revenues of at least $50,000 and 2008 operating revenues of at least $5 million. Revenues must have more than doubled during the five-year period. In addition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of operating revenues, or the company must devote a significant proportion of revenues to research and development of technology.
GlobalSCAPE, Inc. (NYSE Amex: GSB), headquartered in San Antonio, TX, is a global provider of managed file transfer (MFT) and wide area file services (WAFS) solutions for securely exchanging critical information over the Internet, within an enterprise, and with business partners. Since the release of CuteFTP in 1996, GlobalSCAPE's solutions have continued to evolve to meet the business and technology needs of an increasingly interconnected global marketplace. For more information about GlobalSCAPE's products, visit http://www.globalscape.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The words "would," "exceed," "should," "anticipates," "believe," "steady," "dramatic," and variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2008 calendar year, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2009.
Global Witness today called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to fully investigate claims that Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party is attempting to rig the country’s elections, due to be held on Wednesday.
The watchdog warned that there is strong evidence to suggest that ZANU PF has secured large funds from the country’s lucrative diamond mines which it may now be spending on undemocratic tactics such as tampering with the electoral roll. Whilst the run-up to the election has been largely peaceful, there remain serious concerns that the vote will be flawed.
Much needed reforms set out in the constitution have not been undertaken, including an overhaul of Zimbabwe’s partisan security sector, and there has been a growing crackdown on civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
There have also been allegations by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that Israeli firm Nikuv, contracted by the government of Zimbabwe, is working with the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to tamper with the electoral roll. Nikuv has denied the allegations. The MDC says Nikuv is not being paid via the public purse, raising questions about how the contract is being funded. Claims have also been made in the press linking diamond finance to tactics designed to weight the poll in ZANU’s favour.
“Global Witness has serious concerns that diamond money could influence the outcome of Zimbabwe’s elections,” said Senior Campaigner Emily Armistead. “Having secured diamond revenues as a source of off-budget funding, we believe ZANU PF could be using the cash to ensure the election goes its way.”
Global Witness has exposed links between some of the mining companies operating in the diamond-rich Marange region of Zimbabwe, and members of the military and other ZANU insiders. Our research also revealed that a Hong Kong-based businessman, Sam Pa, had donated $100 million to the CIO, Zimbabwe’s feared secret police, in exchange for diamonds and other business opportunities in the country.
As guarantor of Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement, SADC has major role to play in deciding whether Zimbabwe’s elections are viewed as credible by the international community. However Global Witness is concerned over indications that the regional body may be willing to lower the bar on how ‘credible’ is defined as long as widespread violence is avoided during the 2013 poll.
Global Witness has urged SADC representatives to fully investigate claims of intimidation and vote-rigging and be prepared to take necessary steps if they find evidence of wrong-doing.
“As long as there’s no blood on the streets, SADC seems willing to give this election a stamp of approval. But in doing so, it would ignore the widespread intimidation and vote-rigging which appears to have taken place already. SADC must step up to its mandate and be prepared to take a stand against ZANU PF if the vote appears flawed,” said Armistead.
(1) Global Witness has raised a number of ‘red flags’ with SADC officials relating to concerns about diamond money being used to rig the elections. While Nikuv is working within a government department on the electoral roll, the company is not being paid by the Ministry of Finance. This raises questions about how it is being funded and the possibility that payment could be linked to diamonds revenues.MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett has alleged that an NGO, CEDSA, which brought a case to the Supreme Court to ensure that elections were held by July 31st, is a CIO front potentially funded by diamond money. Allegations have been made that a deal to import grain from Zambia to Zimbabwe for distribution to voters loyal to ZANU PF was funded by Mbada Diamonds.
(2) For more detail on Global Witness concerns around Zimbabwe’s elections see the Global Witness briefing: Zimbabwe’s elections: intimidation, vote-rigging and diamonds. |
214,656,648 | best book about fish, best book about oceans, bycatch, do fish feel pain, do fish suffer, ecolit books, emotional lives of fish, environmental literature, fish, fisheries, fishes, fishing, habits of fish, Jonathan Balcombe, oceans, personalities of fish, sea, waterways, What a fish knows, What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins
It’s difficult to think of another title that is more important to the oceans—and therefore to the earth’s entire ecosystem—than What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Jonathan Balcombe. Not only does Balcombe introduce us to the fascinating, complex lives of these sentient creatures, he shows us how devastatingly we are treating them, to the point of endangerment and extinction.
While fishes aren’t usually at the top of the list of animals that elicit human sympathy (“We hear no screams and see no tears when their mouths are impaled and their bodies pulled from the water”), Balcombe writes that it is only because of their differences that we do not see their suffering: “Crying out in pain is as ineffective for a fish in air as crying out in pain is for us when we are submerged.” Fishes do feel pain, of course; they just express it in very different ways, and we must adjust our way of thinking in order to see it and acknowledge it.
And of course, fishes feel so much more than pain; What a Fish Knows is divided into sections about what a fish perceives, feels, thinks, and knows as well as how it breeds and how it suffers. (Balcombe chooses to use the word fishes rather than fish to acknowledge that they are individuals with personalities and relationships.)
Each section in this book is more interesting and engaging than the last, with information on the habits, abilities, and perceptions of many of the 30,000 species of fishes in our waters. The facts about fishes’ uniqueness and diversity are fascinating in themselves—for example, that ocean sunfishes carry 300 million eggs while sharks reproduce via one live birth at a time—but what’s most interesting are the scientific and anecdotal stories of how alike fishes are to other animals, shattering any misconceptions readers may have about fishes being dull or unperceiving. In fact, Balcombe writes, “A small squid can learn mazes faster than dogs do, and a small goby fish can memorize in one trial the topography of a tide pool by swimming over it at high tide—a feat few if any humans could achieve.”
Fishes not only have excellent hearing (which makes them sensitive to human-generated underwater noise), they can tell the difference between classical music and the blues. Their keen sense of smell allows them recognize one another and warn other fishes of danger. They have more taste buds than any other animal, and they enjoy the touch of one another and of humans, as Balcombe shows in several anecdotes, including one about a fish who “even rolls side to side to be petted properly, as a dog or pig will do.”
In addition, What a Fish Knows portrays the ways in which fishes form close bonds (goldfishes, for example, should never live alone in a bowl or tank), as well as how they learn, play, parent, form relationships, and problem solve. They have good memories and express flexibility, curiosity, determination. They cooperate and they deceive.
Of note in this book is something that is all too frequently missing from other books about animals’ sentience: the irony of the impact of the scientific experiments that prove to us that these animals experience the range of emotions that they do. As Balcombe writes, “Fishes show the hallmarks of pain both physiologically and behaviorally,” and he acknowledges the cruelty of the experiments fishes endure for us to gain this knowledge. He writes of the “pain, distress, and ensuing disorientation caused by blinding salmon” and assures us, after one experiment, that “the surgeonfishes were returned to their homes on the reef.”
Perhaps the most important part of this book, especially after reading everything up to this point, is the section on humans’ exploitation of fishes—not just because it is shocking but because we have the power to change it. The number of fishes killed by humans each year is between 1 and 2.7 trillion (which does not include the great numbers of fishes caught illegally, recreationally, as bycatch, in “ghost nets,” or as feed for fish farms). After learning so much about the individual personalities of fishes, this number is especially staggering.
And, Balcombe points out, the fishes “do not die nicely.” They are crushed to death in nets; they are suffocated; they suffer decompression, in which the esophagus turns inside out, the eyes bulge from their orbits, organs are displaced, and hemorrhaging occurs, among other horrors. Fishes raised in captivity fare no better—they are electrocuted or decapitated and left to bleed out. Even if the amount of toxins in fishes (“Fish flesh is the most contaminated of all foods”) isn’t enough to prevent one from eating fishes after learning about their emotional, intellectual, and social lives, the brutal practices of an industry that subjects them to such torture should offer more than enough incentive.
Balcombe also addresses the fact that recreational fishing and farmed fishing are not better alternatives to the commercial fishing industry, as well as the problems of “ghost nets” (the up to 640,000 tons of netting and other equipment lost by fishing boats) and “bycatch” (those fishes and other animals caught unintentionally by the fishing industry). The main victims of ghost nets are dolphins, seals, turtles, and seabirds, and bycatch (whose victims include seabirds, whales, seals, and penguins) is responsible for 40 percent of the global fish catch. All of these animals are, because they are unwanted, thrown away. Because we have reduced predatory fishes (the ones humans like to eat) by more than two-thirds, Balcombe likens eating fishes to eating wildlife, and he quotes Sylvia Earle: “Think of everything in the fish market as bush meat. These are the eagles, the owls, the lions, the tigers, the snow leopards, the rhinoceroses of the ocean.”
This powerful, accessible book will ensure that we never look at a fish the same way again, whether it’s a pet or one in the sea—and it will certainly inspire us to keep them off our plates.
call for submission, calls for submission, environmental literature, nature writing, opportunities for writers, opportunity for writers, writing about oceans, writing opportunity, Zoomorphic, Zoomorphic magazine
We are currently inviting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, conservation journalism and art for our first printed anthology. The book will be launched on 2nd December at a Zoomorphic event hosted by ONCA as part of their “Do You Speak Seagull” season. The printed anthology will be themed around marine wildlife and will accompany our digital issue. Submissions are invited for both formats. The launch event will include a display of Zoomorphic graphics and art as well as audio poems and sound recordings.
The deadline for poetry is September 16; the deadline for prose (both fiction and nonfiction) is October 10.
I approached Hope Jahren’s memoir, Lab Girl, with a bit of trepidation. You see, Jahren is an award-winning geobiologist who studies plants, making her area of expertise one in which I’ve never had much interest. (Confession: I can’t tell an oak from a maple or a peony from a petunia.) So when The New York Times’ Michiko Kakutani wrote that Lab Girl “does for botany what Oliver Sacks’ essays did for neurology,” I was persuaded to pick up the book. I’m glad I did, for Lab Girl is as much a paean to self-discovery and enduring friendship as it is an illuminating introduction to the life of plants.
Hope Jahren grew up in rural Minnesota. As a young girl, she spent her days with her mother, the two immersed in literature and poetry as her mother worked toward a bachelor’s degree in English literature. She spent her evenings with her father, playing in his laboratory at the community college where, for more than four decades, he taught introductory physics and earth science. The lab was her father’s sanctuary, and it became Jahren’s, too. So strong was its pull that, even as an adolescent, she knew that one day she, too, would have a lab of her own. Today, that lab is in Honolulu, at the University of Hawaii, where Jahren is a tenured professor.
Jahren interweaves the story of her coming of age as a research scientist with chapters on the life-cycle of plants. These latter chapters—devoted to trees and flowers, seeds and soil—are as information-rich as they are engagingly written. I will likely never forget this discussion of the relationship between trees and mushrooms, which, Jahren writes, are “the best—and really only—friends that trees have ever had.”
“You may think a mushroom is a fungus. This is exactly like believing that a penis is a man. Every toadstool, from the deliciously edible to the deathly poisonous, is merely a sex organ that is attached to something more whole, complex, and hidden. Underneath every mushroom is a web of stringy hyphae that may extend for kilometers, wrapping around countless clumps of soil and holding the landscape together. The ephemeral mushroom appears briefly above the surface while the webbing that anchors it lives for years within a darker and richer world. A very small minority of these fungi—just five thousand species—have strategically entered into a deep and enduring truce with plants. They cast their stringy webbing around and through the roots of trees, sharing the burden of drawing water into the trunk. They also mine the soil for rare metals, such as manganese, copper, and phosphorous, and then present them to the trees as precious gifts of the magi.”
Jahren relays her personal story through prose that is just as evocative. With brutal honesty lightened by moments of humor, she reveals her complicated relationship with her mother, her battle with manic depression, and the challenges facing research scientists who are forever seeking the funding that is the lifeblood of their work. (“Ask a science professor what she worries about. It won’t take long. She’ll look you in the eye and say one word: “Money.””) For Jahren, though, there is the additional challenge of being a female in a male-dominated field. When she becomes pregnant and is banned from her lab, she breaks down—and then fights back the only way she knows how: “After five o’clock when everyone in the building has gone home for the day, I … sneak into the lab. I cannot do anything productive, but I instinctively resist the cruelty of my department chair’s order by staging a sort of one-woman pregnant sit-in.”
Always in Jahren’s labs—at times, literally, living in them—is Bill Hagopian, Jahren’s best friend and lab manager. The two cross continents together, rummaging for plant life in places as far away as the North Pole. It’s Bill, himself brilliant and carrying his own emotional baggage, who helps Jahren through her manic episodes and who relocates with her as she moves from university to university trying to secure tenure. Theirs is a love story without sex or sexual tension, for their relationship is grounded in an almost religious devotion to the science they do in the laboratories they build.
If Lab Girl has a purpose beyond being an educational and engrossing read, it is to raise readers’ awareness of the natural world in all its beauty and strength and fragility. “As a rule,” Jahren observes, “people live among plants but they don’t really see them.” She “can see little else.” And she is concerned about their future. So, Jahren closes her book with a plea to readers to plant a tree, to care for it, and to watch it grow. “Every day, you can look at your tree, watch what it does, and try to see the world from its perspective.”
Ashland Creek Press is delighted to announce that New York Times bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler has chosen Mary Heather Noble’s memoir PLUMES: ON CONTAMINATION OF HOME AND HABITAT as the winner of the 2014 Siskiyou Prize.
We are also delighted to announce the prize finalists: Amy Hassinger for her novel AFTER THE DAM and Julie Christine Johnson for her novel THE CROWS OF BEARA.
Of PLUMES, judge Karen Joy Fowler writes: “I was impressed from the first page with both the beautiful writing and careful intelligence of PLUMES. This book takes on one of our most troubling issues, the increasing toxicity of our polluted world, to create a narrative that is both personal and universal. PLUMES neither minimizes the complexities of these issues nor overstates its conclusions, but leaves the reader with much to think about. An exceptional book.”
About the winner: Mary Heather Noble is an environmental scientist and writer whose work is inspired by environmental health issues, the natural world, family, and place. Her essays have been honored with first prize in Creative Nonfiction’s The Human Face of Sustainability Contest, and second prize in the 2012 Literal Latté Essay Awards. Her writing has also appeared or is forthcoming in About Place Journal, Fourth Genre, High Desert Journal, Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Minerva Rising, Pithead Chapel, and Utne Reader.
Noble is a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program with the University of Southern Maine. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from The Ohio State University, and a master’s degree in environmental science from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She spent six years working in the technical environmental sector before leaving the field to pursue creative writing. Noble currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and two daughters.
We’d also like to extend a very special thanks to all of the writers who entered the contest … your support makes this prize possible.
Please stay tuned for updates on next year’s Siskiyou Prize, which is open to unpublished, full-length prose manuscripts, including novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections. The winner will receive a cash award of $1,000, a residency at PLAYA, and an offer of publication by Ashland Creek Press. For more information, visit the Siskiyou Prize website.
award for environmental literature, book award, environmental literature, Karen Joy Fowler, PLAYA, Siskiyou Prize, writing residency
The winner of the Siskiyou Prize, in addition to a cash prize of $1,000 and book publication, will also receive a four-week residency at the PLAYA retreat in central Oregon.
PLAYA is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative thinking through work in the arts, literature, natural sciences, and other fields of creative inquiry. On the edge of the Great Basin in central Oregon, PLAYA offers creative individuals the space, the solitude, and the community to reflect and to engage their work.
The winner of the Siskiyou Prize will receive a four-week residency at PLAYA, which provides private lodging in a fully equipped cabin with kitchen/living room, a place to write, and two dinners a week (Mondays & Thursdays) with a cohort of residents, at no charge. (Transportation and other meals are not included.)
PLAYA allows uninterrupted time and solitude amidst a spectacular landscape — the perfect recipe for environmental literature. The prize deadline has been extended to October 15, 2014, so that more writers have an opportunity to submit.
Please visit The Siskiyou Prize and PLAYA for more information, and feel free to contact Ashland Creek Press with questions.
animal rights fiction, eco-literature, environmental literature, Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award 2014, PEN/Faulkner Award winner, We are all completely beside ourselves
We are thrilled to hear the news that Karen Joy Fowler (our judge for this year’s Siskiyou Prize) is the winner of the 2014 PEN/Faulkner Award for her amazing novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
As the Washington Post writes, “With its disturbing portrayal of the abuse that chimps endure, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves … makes a strong argument against using these intelligent animals in academic and medical research. Fowler worked on the novel for more than a decade, but happily, just days after it was published, the federal government began the process of declaring chimpanzees an endangered species, a move that would prohibit their use in invasive medical testing.”
This novel exemplifies the type of work that inspires us most — beautiful, engaging, literary stories that flawlessly weave in issues that are vitally important. Congratulations to Karen for such well-deserved recognition!
ashland creek press, book award, book prize, book publication, ecofiction, ecolit, environmental fiction, environmental literature, green lit, Karen Joy Fowler, shel graves, Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature, We are all completely beside ourselves
Ashland Creek Press has just announced its new book award, The Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature. The 2014 prize will be judged by New York Times bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler, whose most recent book is We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. (Check out Shel Graves’ review of the book here.)
The contest is open to unpublished, full-length prose manuscripts, including novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections. The winner will receive a cash award of $1,000 and publication by Ashland Creek Press. The submission deadline is September 30, 2014. For complete writers’ guidelines, click here.
Prize judge Karen Joy Fowler is the New York Times bestselling author of three short story collections and six novels, most recently We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Her books’ honors and awards include two New York Times Notable Books, the PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction, the Commonwealth medal for best first novel by a Californian, the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, the Bay Area Book Reviewers Prize, and the World Fantasy Award.
Calling all fiction writers: Save the date (September 3 deadline) for submissions to the Bear Deluxe Magazine Doug Fir Fiction Award, co-sponsored by the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, Ashland Creek Press, and Hawthorne Books.
The Bear Deluxe Magazine welcomes submissions of previously unpublished short stories up to 5,000 words, relating to a sense of place or the natural world, interpreted as broadly or narrowly as the author defines.
Grand Prize: $1,000, writer’s residency at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, national publication, and manuscript review
Award Judge: Lidia Yuknavitch’s most recent books include Dora: A Headcase, a novel, and The Chronology of Water: A Memoir. She is also the author of three works of short fiction (Her Other Mouths, Liberty’s Excess, and Real to Reel) and as well as a book of literary criticism, Allegories of Violence.
Associate sponsors: Ashland Creek Press and Hawthorne Books (Ashland Creek Press and Hawthorne Books will provide manuscript review for one story of the author’s choice from award winner and finalists).
Finance Ministry sources say that India may miss the December 31 deadline for signing the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA, as United States insists on a confidentiality clause. In the absence of this treaty, Indian companies operating in the US or even NRIs will be penalised with a 30% tax on transferring funds to India.
From rag-pickers to rockstars, this is a successful story of Dharavi Rocks, kids who make music out of trash
A truck capsized intro flowing river in Dhamthari, Chhattisgarh. The driver and the cleaner were then rescued from the accident.
Next Wednesday I’m off to Australia – one of my favorite places on Earth – where I’ll be doing a five-city tour starting in Perth and ending in Brisbane.
The thing is, usually we do this annual tour in May, and I was indeed in Australia earlier this year (thanks again to my Australian friend Naomi for her tips on dealing with the jet lag). But I’m going back because real estate there has started to crack.
In today’s video, I share the concerning details about this issue. How big are the cracks? Why are Australians so worried about it? Listen now for the details…
And, of course, if you want to learn more about this tour, and maybe even catch a bit of it, you’ll find all the details on www.goko.com.au.
Wholesome fresh apples with honey and flax into a baked cookie treat. APD Smak Treats are nutritious treat that does not add extra sugar or unnecessary calories. They are a helpful training aide and are useful to improve interaction and engagement. They also help to reduces boredom and are great tool to wear down the forever growing teeth. The treats provides
After Saddam Hussein became president in 1979, Iraq entered two decades of conflict with its neighbours (Iran 1980-1988, Kuwait 1990-1991). In 2003, a coalition of states led by the US and the UK undertook a controversial military intervention without the approval of the Security Council (United Nations, 2003).
The destabilisation of the country that followed these various conflicts facilitated the emergence of the Islamic State of the Levant and Iraq (ISIL). ISIL found its roots in Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). It became a branch of the organisation in 2006, and became more active in 2010 under the leadership of Baghdadi to the point that in 2013, it was claiming dozens of attacks a month in Iraq (BBC, 2015). They proclaimed a caliphate in 2014 and the calif, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, called the Muslims of the world to swear allegiance to him (Weaver, 2014).
In June 2014, ISIL invaded Western Iraq and started to persecute minorities such as the Christians (ADF international, 2017) and the Yazidi (United Nations, 2016). As a direct reaction to the crisis, a coalition of 22 other countries led by the US, began bombing ISIL and the cities it controlled (Roberts, 2014). The coalition was joined by Russia in 2015.
At the beginning of 2017, it was estimated that ISIL had lost 60% of the territories they controlled back in 2014. Moreover, July 2017 saw the Iraqi forces and US aviation take back the city of Mosul, costing the lives of 2,500 civilians (Cockburn, 2017). At that point, ISIL had lost 90% of its territory. Finally in November 2017, the Iraqi army delivered its “ultimate fight” against ISIL, hoping to take back the last territories held by ISIL. In December, the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraq was finally free (Haider al-Abadi, 2017).
Even though the conflict with ISIL is mainly over, it keeps putting “vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Shabak, Yazidis and Turkmen” at risk (GCR2P, 2018).
The country is expected to hold its parliamentary election on 12 May 2018. 15 years after the death of Saddam Hussein, this is a crucial moment for democracy in Iraq as the elected members will then vote for their Prime Minister and President. Some politics have however expressed their concern over the fact that the 2.9 million of Iraqi displaced in the country will not be able to vote as they will not be able to go back to their home constituencies, threatening the legitimacy of the election (Global Security, 2018).
The amount of casualties remains unclear but under Resolution 2379, the Security Council has asked the Secretary-General to establish an independent investigative team to “collect, preserve, and store evidence of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the terrorist group in Iraq” (UN, 2017). The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria had already declared on 16 June 2016 that “ISIS is committing genocide against the Yazidis” (OHCHR, 2016).
Additionally, it is estimated that 2.6 million internally displaced people remain displaced while 279,512 are refugees in neighbouring countries, such as Jordan and Turkey (UNHCR, 2018).
The crisis has left the state more unstable than ever, and its consolidation will constitute a major challenge in the upcoming years. ISIL destroyed millennials cities, including but not limited to, Hatra, Nineveh, and Mosul. It has been qualified by the Iraqi antiquities Minister as “erasing the history of humanity” (Shaheen, 2017).
279,512 Iraqi refugees found shelter in neighbouring countries, especially in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. This put increasing pressure on these states and the region. Additionally, the presence of ISIL led to an increased amount of terrorist attacks in the region, such as the bombing of two mosques in Yemen (March 2015) that killed 137, the bombings in Beirut (November 2015) that killed 43, bombings in Baghdad (July 2016) that killed over 300, and the palm Sunday bombings in Egypt (April 2017) that killed 47.
Iraq has proven to be a very challenging crisis for the international community because it entailed fighting ISIL while protecting civilians and historical sites. The rise of terrorism has indeed been a key concern of the international community. Many countries, such as France, the UK, Spain, Germany, Denmark, the US, Tunisia, and Libya have experienced deadly terrorist attacks that were later claimed by ISIL. In February 2017, it was estimated that ISIL had committed 143 attacks in 29 countries killing over 2,000 since 2014 (Lister, Sanchez, Bixler, O’Key, Hogenmiller, and Tawfeeq, 2017). Consequently, the main priority of the coalition of states intervening was to fight ISIL.
This meant that the protection of civilians did not always received the attention it deserved. The fate of the Yazidi is a good example. Despite the use of the term genocide in 2016, they kept being killed, enslaved, tortured, and forcibly displaced.
The General Assembly also expressed concerns at the destruction of historical sites in Iraq and unanimously adopted a resolution calling for urgent action in 2015 (United Nations, 2015). After the destruction of an iconic mosque and a minaret in Mosul in 2017, Irina Bokova, the Head of UNESCO condemned the act and argued that “the protection of heritage cannot be delinked from the protection of human lives” (United Nations, 2017).
The United Nations has been closely involved in addressing the recent crisis in Iraq. With the conflict coming to an end, its main aims are to help establish a legitimate government, respond to the humanitarian needs of the population and support the investigation of atrocities committed during the crisis, such as the genocide against the Yazidis.
In January 2018, Miroslav Jenča’s (the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs) visited Iraq to discuss with Iraqi government officials how the UN may best help Iraq, particularly with the country’s elections scheduled for May 2018 (UN Department of Political Affairs, 2018). Rebuilding infrastructures is seen as a key priority since it will aid reducing the number of internally displaced people.
The UN has done much to promote the return of IDPs and refugees and January 2018 saw the number of people returning home outnumber those still displaced for the first time since 2013 (UN News, 2018). However, the UN continues to view the issue of displaced people a significant concern and is trying to prevent premature returns (UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 2018). The UN is also concerned about the fate of the child soldiers who were recruited by armed groups such as ISIL and the ISF and is urging the Iraqi government to view these children as victims, promoting a focus on their rehabilitation and reintegration into society (UN Security Council, 2016).
Another key area the UN has addressed is how to bring accountability to those involved who committed mass atrocities during the conflict. The United Nations Security Council’s decision to authorise the creation of an independent team to investigate crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq was well received, but the failure to include government-affiliated groups such as the Iraqi Special Forces (ISF) in the investigation has been criticised since there is reasonable evidence that suggests that war crimes have been committed by these groups (UN General Assembly, 2015).
The European Union has been a long-term partner of Iraq, and remains a leading donor to the Iraq humanitarian response. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2014, the total humanitarian assistance reached €370 million (EEAS, 2018). In particular, following the intensification of the conflict in 2017, the European commission allocated €82.5 million towards humanitarian aid (European Commission, 2017). With the conflict coming to an end, the EU is focusing its humanitarian efforts on supporting the safe and voluntary return of IDPs and refugees (EEAS, 2018).
Additionally, the EU has deployed since October 2017 the EUAM (EU Assistance Mission). It was requested by the Iraqui authorities and “focused on assisting the Iraqi authorities in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Iraqi Security Strategy. EU experts are providing advice and assistance in priority work areas responding to the needs of the relevant authorities” (EEAS, 2018).
Last but not least, the EU has been committed to promoting the “stabilisation and reconciliation of the country” (EEAS, 2018). To do so, it has committed more than €46 million, to support local and regional governments and over €29 million to support projects linked to reconciliation (EEAS, 2018). In January 2018, it also put forward an ‘EU Strategy for Iraq’ which will replace the EU Regional Strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the ISIL/Da’esh threat, adopted in March 2015 (EEAS, 2018).
In this report from the Conference for Reconstruction of Iraq, which the EU high representative Mogherini co-chaired, the emphasis is made on the importance of the involvement on civilians in reconstructing Iraq. The EU committed to provide an additional 400 million to bring stability to the country.
The EUAM Iraq has been working closely with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior to bring peace in the country through a reform of the civilian security sector.
On February 2018, the new European strategy for Iraq has been presented at the Prime Minister’s Guest House. The new strategy “focuses on the underlying political, social and economic drivers of instability in the country and illustrates the deep commitment of the EU to continue working with the Iraqi people and government for long-term peace, reconciliation and stability in the country”.
European Commission. 2018. “EU strategy on Iraq: new proposal to strengthen support to the Iraqi people.” European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations . January 8. Accessed January 30, 2018.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission adopted a ‘Joint communication proposing EU strategy for Iraq’ (below). The proposal addressed the main challenges Iraq faces following the territorial defeat of ISIL. The commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, explained the emergency assistance the EU has been long proving Iraq, through humanitarian aid and stablisation of liberated areas from ISIL.
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. January 8 2018. Joint communication to the European Parliament and the Council: Elements for an EU strategy for Iraq. Joint Paper, Brussels: European Commission.
This proposal by the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European commission outlines their main strategic objectives to help Iraq. Mainly, preserving unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, supporting and strengthening the Iraqi political system in their transition towards an accountable and democratic system of government. The EU also aims to provide humanitarian aid for recovery and stablisation. Furthermore they aim to promote sustainable inclusive economic growth through small grants to generate jobs.
European Commission. 2017. “EU steps up its assistance for the stabilisation of Iraq.” European Commission: Press Release Database. October 12. Accessed November 28, 2017.
This press statement announces the European Commission’s pledge to increase its socio-economic assessment for the stabilisation of Iraq. Proposing a further €60.4 million stabilisation package, the EC have now committed a total of €608.4 million, since the crisis began, to help with Iraq’s humanitarian, security and stabilisation challenges. €50.4 million of which is set to restore basic services, repair public infrastructure, as well as goals to reactivate the Iraq economy through small business grants. The rest of which is to go clearing land previously contaminated by explosives. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative, announced a stand with Iraqi people and authorities in the fight against ISIL.
European Union. 2017. Press and information team of the Delegation to IRAQ. 2017. “Prime Minister Dr. Haider Al-Abadi receives EU Ambassador to Iraq Ramon Blecua and EUAM Mission.” European Union. November 28. Accessed December 3, 2017.
The European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) and EU Ambassador to Iraq, Ramon Blecua, delivered an assignment to Iraqi Prime Minister Dr. Haider Al-Abadi. They advised Al-Abadi and discussed the process of rebuilding, development and cooperation between Iraq and EU, in institution-building and preserving unity.
EU Strategic Communications. 2017. “EU launches new security mission in Iraq.” European Union. October 16. Accessed January 24, 2017.
This is a proposal by the Eu in October, launching a new civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) mission in Iraq. The mission is set to assist Iraqi government, provide advice, help institution-building, to consolidate security, encourage peace and try to prevent future conflicts by implementing strict adherence to the rule of law and human rights standards.
EU Press and information team of the Delegation to IRAQ. 2016. “EU Commissioner Christos Stylianides announces new humanitarian aid projects in Iraq.” European Union: External Action. July 23. Accessed January 31, 2018.
This is a proposal by the European Union of aid for Iraq. The Commissioner Stylianides announced €104 million for humanitarian assistance. During Christos Stylianides’, the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, third visit to Baghdad, Iraq he proposed further aid to help those affected by the intensifying conflict. The funding aims to provide food, health care, water, protection and shelter.
European Union External Action Service Press Team . 2014. “Remarks of the High Representative and Vice President Federica Mogherini in Baghdad, Iraq .” European Union External Action. December 22. Accessed January 31, 2018.
This is a press conference by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, and the Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, and the Dutch Minister for Foreign affairs, Bert Koenders. Mogherini comments on the importance of the success of Iraq for the European Union, because they share in solidarity that the fight is military and cultural, that concerns all Iraqis.
European Union. 2014. “Strengthening the efficiency and credibility of the criminal justice system and enhancing the rule of law.” European Union: External Action. May 26. Accessed January 31, 2018.
This is a project implemented by the GFA consulting group to strengthen the efficiency and credibility of the criminal justice system and enhancing the rule of law in Iraq. The 40 month project seeks to strengthen governance mechanism within the police, judicial and penitentiary institutions. It aims to support building state accountability, legitimacy and credibility, to encourage institutions to enhance public policies and services for the benefit of Iraqi people. The results of the project are predicted to improve the capacity of policy planning and coordination of justice authorities, and encourage stronger criminal investigations, and improved existing legal aid.
GOV.UK. 2018. “Girls’ education to be central pillar of UK foreign, development and defence policy”. Accessed 24th January 2018.
In this statement, the UK government pledges to champion the education of girls in order to promote global stability, thereby changing the lives of women living amongst conflict. The Ministry of Defence has been training thousands of forces in Iraq in order to help combat sexual violence within conflict situations.
This statement from the UK government discusses how it will work towards eliminating the global threat which is posed by ISIL. The UK plays a leading role in the Global Coalition, an organisation of 71 partners who are committed to the destruction of the terrorist group through military support, stifling its economic infrastructure, stopping foreign terrorist fighters cross borders, stabilising areas liberated from terrorism and use of counter messaging. The statement also discusses the humanitarian consequences of conflict in Iraq, including the displacement of over 3 million Iraqi people. The UK has promised £169.5 million in humanitarian support to Iraq since June 2014. This includes aid such as water, medicine, shelter and economic support to the people of Iraq.
This is a statement from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on his conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as well as the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani. He talks of the UK’s encouragement of the Government of Iraq to talk with the Kurdistan Regional government with regards to the establishment of a unified Iraq, supporting all the people of Iraq including the Kurds. The Kurdistan Regional Government and the Government of Iraq have the UK’s full support to create strong democratic institutions and resolve their differences. The UK urges them to focus on preventing the re-emergence of ISIL and rebuilding the country.
This is a statement by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson regarding the referendum held in the Kurdish Region of Iraq in September 2017 which voted for independence from Iraq. Johnson states that the referendum is not supported by the UK as it was not agreed with the Government of Iraq. The UK proposed that there should be discussions between the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistian Regional Government. However, this was rejected by part of the Kurdish leadership. The UK urges both sides to cooperate and focus on defeating ISIL.
GOV.UK. 2015. “Counter-ISIL Coalition Conference in Paris, 2 June 2015”. Accessed 25th November, 2017.
This is a statement from former Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond after the Counter-ISIL Coalition Conference in Paris, 2015. He discusses how the UK has played a leading role in halting ISIL’ advance through the use of airstrikes as well as action on the ground. He also states that the UK will be supporting stabilisation in Iraq through donating to a new UN Development Programme as well as contributing to intelligence efforts.
This is a statement from Tobias Ellwood, former Minister for the Middle East regarding the killing of 70 members of the Al bu Nimr tribe by ISIL. He discusses how the Global Coalition has “taken back 30% of territory ISIL once controlled in Iraq” through use of air strikes. However, little information is provided about how the UK will continue to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities.
This is a statement made by former Prime Minister, David Cameron regarding the terrorist attacks in Paris, November 2015. Cameron states that Britain will work with its allies in order to help local forces regain its territory in Iraq and destroy ISIL. It will also provide fundamental intelligence support. He pledged to invest in intelligence agencies through the addition of nearly 2000 additional security staff.
GOV.UK. 2016. “Gulf Co-operation Council – United Kingdom, first summit 6 to 7 December 2016, Kingdom of Bahrain: joint communiqué”. Accessed 25th November, 2017.
This is a report from the Gulf Co-operation Council’s summit in the Kingdom of Bahrain in December 2016. In this summit the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and the UK emphasised its commitment to helping the Iraqi government as well as the International Global Coalition in fighting ISIL as well as stabilising the country. They encouraged the initiative of a global campaign, consisting of Iraqi, UK and Belgian governments in order to create a global campaign to fight ISIL. The GCC also encouraged Iraq to implement a number of reforms in order address the grievances of Iraqi society as well as “ensuring that all armed groups operate under the Iraq state”.
This statement comes from former Foreign Secretary, Philop Hamond at a meeting of the small group of the global coalition in London regarding defeating ISIL. He discusses how airstrikes have been successful in halting the advance of the terror group and how the UK will work towards rebuilding, re-equipping and retraining Iraqi security forces in order to allow them to push back against ISIL. Hamond also discusses how during the meeting they reviewed how support can be offered to those who have suffered the most from this humanitarian crisis, however gives little detail of what support the UK can offer.
GOV.UK. 2015. “UK helps secure UN Security Council Resolution on defeating ISIL”. Accessed 25th November, 2017.
This is a statement by former Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond following the UN Security Council’s unanimous vote to adopt Resolution 2249, condemning the attacks in Paris in November 2015 and attacks in the Middle East such as those in Sousse in June. Hamond states that the United Nations will work towards defeating ISIL by cutting off its finances and preventing them from access to oil as well as taking military action.
This is a statement by the UK government about how the UK will provide help to Iraqis who have been persecuted by ISIL. The UK government has pledged £50 million in humanitarian aid to provide medicine, food as well as shelter to Iraqis who have suffered from ISIL brutality. The new support will “save lives and alleviate suffering while continuing to underline the UK’s commitment to taking its international obligations seriously”. The UK’s funding to Iraq since 2014 has helped provide psychological assistance for thousands of displaced Iraqis and supported the clearance of suspected Explosive Remnants of War- contaminated land thereby enabling 5 refugee camps to be built. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also announced that the UK would provide an additional £10.5m to stabilise the areas of Iraq which are liberated from ISIL control.
This is a fact sheet created by the UK government which gives an overview of the UK’s humanitarian response to the crisis in Iraq. The factsheet gives a clear outline of agencies funded by the DFID and how their activities have helped to provide humanitarian support in Iraq. For example, the Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been given £68.6 million by the DFID in order to meet the “most urgent needs of displaced people across sectors such as health, shelter and protection including for women and girls”. It also outlines some of the key successes of the Department for International Development (DFID) in 2016 such as providing food for more than 104,000 people and providing over 280,000 with safe water and sanitation.
This article by the UK government discusses how humanitarian aid from the UK is helping people in Iraq to cope with the freezing winter conditions. In November 2014, the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other partners provided an extra £16.5 million of assistance to tens of thousands of Iraqi families. Furthermore, UK support is being used to provide blankets and heating stoves, access to healthcare and drinking water as well as making vital improvements to the homes of thousands of displaced Iraqi families.
GOV.UK. 2017. “Statement to the Commons on the campaign against Daesh in Iraq and Syria”. Accessed 25th November, 2017.
This is a statement to the House of Commons by former Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel. She discusses how, following the recapturing of East Mosul by Iraqi forces, the UK assistance through the UKN has provided water, health and municipal services to those living in the region. Patel also outlines how the UK is giving life-saving support to vulnerable families in Iraq through providing clean water to those who are facing water shortages, providing shelter to help displaced peoples survive the winter and helping children back into education. Patel raises concerns for the civilians who are trapped in West Mosul by ISIL. She goes onto announce that at the end of March the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Iraq will be announced, which pledges that there will be a requirement of £930 million in humanitarian aid funding for 2017. Patel recognises however that humanitarian efforts are not enough but stresses the importance of ensuring political stability. This will require the Iraqi government to unite different communities within the country.
This statement discusses how in July 2017 the UK government sent emergency life-saving aid to help the people of Mosul rebuild their homes following Mosul’s liberation from ISIL after several years of fighting. The UK pledges to provide vital survival items to the people of Mosul “including drinking water, food, tents, cooking equipment, soap and vaccinations against deadly diseases”. The UK also aims to help fund a UN led programme which helps Iraqis return to Mosul and also renovates infrastructure in the region. In this statement the UK also pledged to work with the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund as well as the Danish Refugee Council.
This statement discusses how the UK is stepping up humanitarian aid in Iraq in order to provide civilians with food, shelter and water in the run up to a major operation to re capture Mosul. Former International Development Secretary Priti Patel encouraged the international community in helping the people of Mosul. The UK assistance has helped to provide food, household items, water and sanitation assistance to hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
This is a statement from Ministry of Defence and Michael Fallon regarding the UK stepping up its commitment to countering ISIL. In August, 44 additional Royal Engineers will be deployed to Al Asad Airbase. The total number of British troops in Iraq will then increase to over 600. They will be in Iraq for around six months and will construct infrastructure which includes accommodation and support offices in the coalition camps.
France Diplomate. 2017. “Iraq- Q&A- Excerpts from the daily press briefing (20.10.17)”. Accessed 6th December 2017
This is a statement by the French government about what it is doing to defuse tensions following clashes between Kurds and government forces in Diyala Province and parts of Kirkuk. France is in close contact with authorities in Baghdad as well as those of the Kurdish refional government. France asks that the federal government fully respects the rights of the Kurds and that the regional government of Kurdistan engages in dialogue within the Iraqi constitutional framework. France is willing to “contribute any effort to ease tensions” and find a political solution in Iraq.
France Diplomate. 2017. “Iraq- Announcement of the recapture of Hawija (5 October 2017)”. Accessed 6th December 2017
This statement follows the liberation of the city of Hawijia and expresses that France welcomes this victory. France has expressed that it will not use military means to eradicate ISIL from its last strongholds but rather supports reconstructing and implementing an inclusive government in order to prevent a resurgence of terrorism. Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves le Dria signed an agreement on October 5 to supply a budgetary loan of €430 million to Iraq in order to help secure international funding programs which will support Iraq.
France Diplomate. 2017. “Mosul – France will continue to provide its full support to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (5 July 2017)”. Accessed 6th December 2017.
This statement expresses that France will provide full support to government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to help stabilize the liberated areas of Mosul. It states that, following the liberation of Mosul France will monitor how humanitarian law and international human rights law is being protected when rebuilding the city.
France Diplomate. 2017. “Iraq – UN – Adoption of Security Council resolution 2379 on the fight against impunity for crimes committed by Daesh (21.09.17)”. Accessed 6th December 2017
France welcomes resolution 2379 by the Security Council regarding the fight against impunity for crimes which ISIL commit in Iraq. France hopes to establish an investigative team who will be assisting the authorities in Iraq in order to document which crimes have been committed. France has granted Iraq a loan of €430 million in order to support Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s government rebuild liberated territories.
France Diplomate. 2017. “Iraq – EU – Launch of European assistance mission EUAM Iraq (16 October 2017)”. Accessed 6th December 2017.
This statement follows the launch of a new mission (European Union Advisory Mission) which aims to help with the security sector reforms which are being implemented by the Iraqi government. France expresses its support of this initiative which aims for better coordination between the EU and its member states on the ground as well as improving the EU’s common support for Iraq with regards to security.
De Villepin, Dominique. “Talk about French foreign secretary to the UNO”. Filmed [February 2003]. YouTube video, 15.38. Posted [February 2003]
This is a statement by former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominique de Villepin who is addressing the UN Security Council regarding France’s position on the war in Iraq. In this speech, de Villepin expresses that France does not support going to war in Iraq.
This is a statement by the French government about how it intends to stand by Iraq until its entire territory is liberated from ISIL control. It discusses how France’s humanitarian and stabilisation assistance totals €70 million. France has also granted the Iraqi government a budgetary loan of €430 million and contributed to the United Nations Development Programme in Iraq. The statement also details how France is making efforts to restore security, improve healthcare, education and support for displaced populations as well as helping secure national cohesion.
The Federal Government. 2017. “German soldiers still part of foreign missions”. Accessed 9th December 2017.
This states that German soldiers will continue providing training support for the Iraqi armed forces as well as for those security forces of the regional government of Kurdistan-Iraq.
The Federal Government. 2017. “Escalation will weaken all sides, says Sigmar Gabriel”. Accessed 9th December 2017.
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel has called upon all parties involved in the conflict between the central government in Iraq and the Kurds to end hostilities. He emphasises the importance of the joint fight against IS.
The Federal Government. 2017. “The territorial integrity of Iraq is indispensable”. Accessed 9th December 2017.
Germany here states that it does not support a referendum about the independence of the Kurdistan region, given it would “only worsen the already volatile situation in the region”. Germany therefore believes that all sides involved should not take any action which would exacerbate tensions in the area.
The Federal Government. 2017. “The Hamburg G20 Leaders’ Statement on Countering Terrorism”. Accessed 9th December 2017.
This is a press release following the Hamburg G20 Summit in July 2017. It outlines how terrorism will be combatted through enhancing cooperation between countries. This involves facilitating quick exchanges of information between intelligence and law enforcement, calling upon border agencies to detect those who are travelling for terrorist purposes and enhancing aviation security. Furthermore, here it is outlined how terrorist finances will be cut off. This involves making the international financial system hostile to terrorist activity. In addition, this statement discusses how terrorism will be prevented through combating radicalisation on the internet.
Jan Kubis, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq was assessing the preparation of the upcoming elections in Basra the first of may. Talking about the future of Iraq, he declared ““This is a new period in the life of the country, a post-Dae’sh period and we in the United Nations should be much more active and better focused in providing assistance for the needs of the people”.
Jan Kubis, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq was on visit in Mosul in April 2018. He stressed the importance of the upcoming elections, emphasising that it was the opportunity for the people of Iraq to elect representatives who will rebuild trust and the country. He also emphasised the importance of the safe returns of IDPs.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2018. “UNHCR Iraq Factsheet – January 2018”, Reliefweb, 22 January 2018. Accessed 23 January 2018.
This source gives an overview of the ways in which UNHCR is providing assistance in Iraq regarding the issue of internally displaced persons and refugees. This pertains to things such as the protection and shelter of these people, as well as camp management and coordination.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2018. “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 18 January 2018”, Reliefweb, 18 January 2018. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This webpage and linked infographic provides a situation update on Iraq as of January 2018. It notes the different challenges in solving the issue of internally displaced peoples, e.g. redisplacement following reprisal attacks and extremist sleeper cells. However, it also notes that 2.6 million people remain displaced, a smaller figure than in earlier reports. Actions taken by UNHCR, such as financial aid and the distribution of essential items, is also noted.
United Nations Security Council. 2017. “Resolution 2390 (2017)”. United Nations, 8 December 2017. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This resolution pertains to the UN’s “oil-for-food” programme in Iraq. Specifically, that all measures relating to the programme had been fully implemented.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2017. “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 28 November 2017”, Reliefweb, 28 November 2017. Accessed 26 January 2018.
The webpage examines a report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The report emphasises that, although major military operations in Iraq have ended since the last stronghold of ISIL was recaptured, the security situation in the country is still unstable. Moreover, the lack of basic infrastructure and hazards (such as explosives) left by ISIL in many reclaimed settlements continues to exacerbate the issue of internally displaced people.
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. 2017. “Report On The Protection Of Civilians In The Context Of The Ninewa Operations And The Retaking Of Mosul City, 17 October 2016 – 10 July 2017”, United Nations, 2 November 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
Pertaining only to incidents investigated and verified by the United Nations, this report examines violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law during the Ninewa Operations and the retaking of Mosul. This is in reference to both ISIL and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and affiliate groups. The categories of crimes investigated is extensive, from e.g. the forced displacement of civilians and gender-based violence, to the use of weaponised chemical agents and airstrikes. The report concludes that ISIL systematically violated international humanitarian law. The report also details a number of alleged violations and human rights abuses committed by the ISF, and demands that these allegations be investigated further. The report notes that such an investigation concerning government forces fighting ISIL in Ninewa was announced by the Iraqi government in May 2017. The report also includes recommendations for both Iraq and the international community, e.g. that Iraq should consider becoming a party to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, so as to achieve jurisdiction to prosecute crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
United Nations Children’s Fund. 2017. “UNICEF Iraq Monthly Humanitarian Situation Report, October 2017”, Reliefweb, 31 October 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
This webpage summarises a linked report by UNICEF, examining key elements of the humanitarian situation in Iraq, particularly focusing on the needs of children. It also provides key figures, e.g. 3.17 million internally displaced people in Iraq as of October 2017.
United Nations Security Council. 2017. “Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 2367 (2017)”, United Nations, 19 October 2017. Accessed on 25 January 2018.
This source is a 90 day report on UNAMI, as requested by the Security Council resolution 2367. It notes that the Iraqi government have a responsibility to promote justice, accountability, and reconciliation now that ISIL has largely been defeated. However, it also notes that the protection of civilians remains a priority, as some ISIL-held areas remained and internally displaced peoples remain vulnerable.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2017. “Middle East, North Africa: Displacement Snapshot (as of 16 October 2017)”, Reliefweb, 16 October 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
This infographic provides an overview of the displacement crisis in Iraq, set within the context of the wider region. It emphasises the significant impact military operations against ISIL have had on the displacement of civilians, notably due to the destruction of infrastructure. The document estimates there to be 3,231,2101 internally displaced people in Iraq. Furthermore, it notes the overflow of refugees from neighbouring Syria into Iraq, estimated to be over 240,000. It suggests that an effort to rebuild and replace destroyed infrastructures will not only aid internally displaced people in returning home, but also aid host communities by relieving them from the added pressure on resources and services.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2017. “Middle East, North Africa: Protection of Women and Children Snapshot (as of 16 October 2017)”, Reliefweb, 16 October 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
This webpage and infographic is a further resource in understanding the displacement crises that Iraq (and the broader region) is facing. This resource specifically focuses on the plight of women and children, citing key issues such as separated children, and sexual violence.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2017. “Iraq: Humanitarian Dashboard (September 2017)”, Reliefweb, 12 October 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
This webpage gives a short overview of a linked infographic created by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The infographic summarises and analyses key humanitarian issues in Iraq, e.g. food security, health, and protection. Of interest, it also details the amount of funding received from different countries, something which could give insight into the international community’s view of, and response to, Iraq. Understanding the most current issues in Iraq may also provide stimulus on how the responsibility to protect may be applied in the future, through rebuilding.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2017. “Iraq: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 30 September 2017)”, Reliefweb, 30 September 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
This webpage and linked infographic details the development of the issue of displacement as a result of violence (e.g. military operations) in Iraq. The internal displacement of civilians is a significant issue, with around 3.3 million people continuing to be displaced throughout Iraq (as of 30th September 2017). It also details the amount of funding needed to respond effectively to this crisis.
United Nations Security Council. 2017. “Resolution 2379 (2017)”, United Nations, 21 September 2017. Accessed 1 December 2017.
On 21st September 2017, the United Nations Security Council authorised the creation of an independent team to investigate crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq (and – note well – not crimes committed by the Iraqi Security Forces or associated groups). Consisting of both Iraqi and international experts, and headed by a Special Advisor, this team is designed to investigate and preserve evidence relating to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. This is to aid in bringing charges against those responsible for such atrocities, through the Iraqi justice system.
United Nations Security Council. 2017. “Resolution 2367 (2017)”, United Nations, 14 July 2017. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution again renewed the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) for a further year, until 31 July 2018. This was on the same basis as the previous resolutions cited on this matter, 2169 (2014), 2233 (2015), and 2299 (2016).
Adama, Dieng. 2016. “Statement by Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, on the situation in and around Mosul (Iraq)”, United Nations, 1 November 2016. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This press release condemns the violations of international humanitarian and international human rights laws committed by ISIL in the military operations surrounding Mosul. The Special Advisor notes the importance of recording such atrocities so that accountability may be achieved. The Special Advisor also notes that achieving accountability must not be wrought through any retaliatory violence taken by security forces, and that allegations of such action must be addressed.
United Nations Security Council. 2016. “Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict”, United Nations, 18 August 2016. Accessed 23 January 2018.
This document begins by detailing the conclusions of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict on the situation in Iraq. These reference both terrorist groups such as ISIL, and the mobilised forces working under the Prime Minister. Regarding the former, the document condemns the increased recruitment of children, the use of children as suicide bombers and executioners, and the use of sexual violence against children. Regarding the latter, the document condemns the continued use of children as fighters, and the ill-treatment and torture of children detained by these forces. Other issues include the targeted bombing of schools and hospitals. The document goes on to detail a number of recommendations to the Security Council. These urge for there to be a focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of children involved in the conflict. It also advocates the continuance of UNAMI’s work in this. The document ends with a response by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations on the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Iraq (S/2015/852), in which he doubts many of the report’s findings.
United Nations Security Council. 2016. “Resolution 2299 (2016)”, United Nations, 25 July 2016. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution again renewed the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) for a further year. This was on the same basis as the previous resolutions cited on this matter, 2169 (2014) and 2233 (2015).
United Nations human Rights Council. 2016. ““They came to destroy”: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis”, United Nations, 15 June 2016. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This report details the crimes committed by ISIL and associated groups against the Yazidis across Iraq and Syria. It not only finds that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed, but concludes that there is an ongoing genocide being committed against the Yazidi. It places particular emphasis on the plight of women and children being held captive by ISIL. The report notes that, under the Genocide Convention, are not only obligated to not commit genocide themselves, but also prevent genocide committed by others. It also references a statement made by Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, on the situation in Iraq in 2014.
United Nations Human Rights Council. 2016. “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to Iraq”, United Nations, 5 April 2016. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This was a report by the Special Rapporteur, concerning the plight of internally displaced persons in Iraq. It notes the critical humanitarian and human rights challenges that must be addressed, with particular reference to vulnerable groups such as women and children. The report commends and reiterates the importance of things such as the Iraqi National Policy on Displacement, and the temporary income-generating projects of the United Nations Development Programme. The report ends by pressing the importance financially support from the international community in order to continue the work of such United Nations specialised agencies effectively.
United Nations Security Council. 2015. “Resolution 2249 (2015)”, United Nations, 20 November 2015. Accessed 6 December 2017.
Referencing the continued violations of international humanitarian law committed by ISIL and associated groups, with particular emphasis on the escalation of terror attacks across the globe (e.g. Paris, November 2015), this resolution calls on member states to reaffirm and intensify their commitment towards counter-terrorism.
United Nations Security Council. 2015. “Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Iraq”, United Nations, 9 November 2015. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This Report by the Secretary-General documents the treatment of children during the conflict in Iraq from 2011 to 2015. It details six “grave violations” committed against children: the killing and maiming of children; the recruitment and use of children; sexual violence against children; attacks on schools and hospitals; the abduction of children; and the denial of humanitarian access. The report concludes that such actions may amount to war crimes on crimes against humanity. The report details a number of recommendations, which urge the Iraqi government to ensure that these violations are tackled effectively, e.g. through releasing any children associated with government-affiliated groups, and developing age-verification procedures. The report also urges the Iraqi government to treat children involved in the conflict as victims, and replace harsh punishments with a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. The report also supports the Iraqi government’s continued cooperation with UNICEF and UNAMI.
United Nations Security Council. 2015. “Resolution 2233 (2015)”, United Nations, 29 July 2015. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution again renewed the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) for a further year. This was on the same basis as the previously cited resolution on this matter, 2169 (2014).
United Nations Human Rights Council. 2015. “Technical assistance provided to assist in the promotion and protection of human rights in Iraq. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights”, United Nations, 27 July 2015. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This source is the report requested in the above-mentioned Human Rights Council resolution 28/32. It documents widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian law by ISIL, and concludes that some of these may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It also notes the destruction of civilian and government property, infrastructure, and heritage by ISIL. The report goes on to focus in some detail on the plight of women, children, internally displaced persons, ethnic and religious minorities, and people with disabilities. The report notes UNAMI/OHCHR’s diligence in aiding the Iraqi government in fulfilling its responsibility to protect such peoples (e.g. in establishing an Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights). The report does also note areas of concern in the government’s efforts and methods, particularly in the treatment of detained individuals and the broader judicial system, and goes on to recommend a number of actions to tackle this.
United Nations Human Rights Council. 2015. “28/32. Technical assistance and capacity-building in strengthening human rights in Iraq in the light of the abuses committed by Daesh and associated terrorist group”, United Nations, 8 April 2015. Accessed 24 January 2018.
This source is a Human Rights Council resolution condemning violations by ISIL and associated groups. It reaffirms the responsibility the Iraqi government has to promote and protect human rights within the country. Along with urging the international community to assist Iraq in doing this, the resolution also requests that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights provide technical assistance to the Government of Iraq in doing this and provide the Human Rights Council with a report on the matter.
United Nations Human Rights Council. 2015. “Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups”, United Nations, 27 March 2015. Accessed 7 December 2017.
This report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights results from the above-mentioned Human Rights Council resolution S-22/1, which had called for the urgent dispatch of a mission to investigate the alleged violations of international humanitarian law committed by ISIL and associated groups during the period from June 2014 to February 2015. The report details various crimes committed by ISIL, as well as other groups such as the ISF. The report strongly suggests that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide (particularly against the Yazidi) may have been perpetrated by ISIL. The report also finds it reasonable to conclude that the ISF have committed war crimes. The report goes on to suggest that the government has failed to be duly diligent regarding its responsibility to protect people under its jurisdiction. The report endorses e.g. that Human Rights Council visit Iraq to monitor the human rights situation in the country, and urges the Security Council to remain committed to address the suggestions of the crimes mentioned above.
United Nations Security Council. 2015. “Resolution 2199 (2015)”, United Nations, 12 February 2015. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution is particularly concerned with the ways in which terrorist groups such as ISIL receive funding through oil exports, ransom payments, external donations, and the trafficking of cultural heritage. Regarding this last point, the resolution also condemns the destruction of cultural heritage. As such, it details the measures states should implement against individuals and entities associated (via trade, financial donation, etc.) with these terrorist groups. This references previous resolutions, such as resolution 2161 (2014) and paragraph 7 of resolution 1483 (2003).
United Nations Security Council. 2014. “Resolution 2178 (2014)”, United Nations, 24 September 2014. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution expands the methods of counter-terrorism by stressing the obligations member states have in addressing the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, pursuant to international law. The resolution endorses things such as member states developing strategies at a local level to stem radicalisation inside their borders, and effective border controls to stem the flow of radicalisation on a global stage. The resolution also emphasises the importance of international communication and collaboration e.g. the sharing of information regarding terrorist threats.
United Nations Human Rights Council. 2014. “S-22/1, The human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups”, United Nations, 3 September 2014. Accessed 7 December 2017.
The resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council compels the Office of the High Commissioner to send a mission to Iraq to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law committed by ISIL and associated groups. This is in response to the increasing volume and frequency of such violations by these groups. The document also notes, with some emphasis, that all member states have the responsibility to protect all human rights and freedoms, as per international law and protocol. As such, it calls upon the international community to assist the Iraqi government in protecting vulnerable groups (especially e.g. women, children, and persecuted religious minorities such as the Yazidi).
United Nations Security Council. 2014. “Resolution 2170 (2014)”, United Nations, 15 August 2014. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution primarily concerns the recruitment of foreign fighters by groups such as ISIL and al-Nusra, and the ramifications this has for Iraq. Along with condemning this recruitment, the resolution also condemns and demands an end to other systematic violations of international humanitarian law committed by these groups. It notes that some of these may constitute crimes against humanity. The resolution emphasises that defeating terrorism relies on the collaborative efforts of both regional and international states and organisations. For example, the resolution reiterates that international law obligates Member States to protect civilian populations inside their territories. Moreover, the resolution underscores the importance of states ensuring that they do not finance or facilitate these terrorist groups in any way. The resolution also lists six individuals associated with ISIL and al-Nursa, adding them to the Al-Qaida sanctions list and imposing against them the measures stipulated in paragraph 1 of resolution 2161 (e.g. asset freeze, travel ban).
United Nations Security Council. 2014. “Resolution 2169 (2014)”, United Nations, 30 July 2014. Accessed 6 December 2017.
This resolution renewed the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) for another twelve months, until 31st July 2015. This was based on the key role of UNAMI in advising, supporting, and assisting the Iraqi people in developing a stable and democratic government, and improving reconciliation and political dialogue between different groups. The resolution encouraged member states to support UNAMI through the contribution of e.g. financial, logistical, and security resources. The resolution also requested that reports about UNAMI’s progress in fulfilling its mandate be presented to the Council every three months, instead of every four months.
Dieng, Adama, and Jennifer Walsh. 2014. “Statement by Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, on the situation in Iraq”, United Nations, 18 June 2014. Accessed 24 January 2018.
In responding to the reported execution of around 500 Yazidis in Iraq by ISIL, the Special Advisors reference the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document. This denotes the political commitment of states to the responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. As per the responsibility to assist other states in doing this, the Special Advisors compel the international community to make a concerted effort against the atrocities being committed against the Yazidi.
United Nations Security Council. 2014. “Resolution 2161 (2014)”, United Nations, 17 June 2014. Accessed 6 December 2017.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2014. “Iraq – Security Incidents and IDPs Map (From 7 Jan To 7 Feb 2014)”, Refworld, 7 February 2014. Accessed 5 December 2017.
This webpage provides a map, created by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, denoting the location of internally displaced peoples as of early 2014. Particularly if used in tandem with other sources cited in this bibliography, this is helpful for understanding how the crisis of internally displaced people has developed in recent years.
This book is a memoir of Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and human rights activist who experienced the effects of ISIL in Iraq first hand. As young Yazidi woman Murad managed to flee Iraq, after the people of her village, including her family, were executed by ISIL militants, and she was forced into the ISIL slave trade. It’s a personal account of the rape and brutality she experienced as an ISIL captive, and how she became a refugee. Published this year, it forces into the public eye the reality of what Yazidi people, and other ethnic groups, are experiencing in Iraq at the hands of ISIL.
Amnesty. 2014. “Absolute Impunity: Militia Rule in Iraq”. Amnesty, October 2014. Accessed on 6 December 2017.
This report from Amnesty details the crisis updates as of October 2014, particularly concerning the Shi’a militants in cooperation with the government who have been abducting and killing Sunni men. It also outlines the human rights abuses being committed by ISIL, and the ISIL bomb attacks on Shi’a areas. The report provides recommendations for the Iraqi government, emphasising the necessity to reign in the militia committing human rights abuses, and ensure countability to the perpetrators of crimes, and reparation for victims.
This report focuses on the importance of the Iraqi youth, growing up during the Iraq war who are now politically trapped, and have to choose between joining a protest group, the militia or emigrate. It urges the government to develop a strategy to ensure a meaningful place in political society for this population, which has the potential to be either a great asset to a peaceful future, or a big threat to national and regional security.
This brief was put together by the ECR2P interns Souraya Bureau, Sophie Murphy, Fiona O’Brien, Elsa Pearson, and Kathryn Priestley under the supervision and with the assistance of Dr Eglantine Staunton. |
105,961,999 | This mod will evolve your Max Payne 2 experience to a whole new level, one step closer to its successor Max Payne 3. The aim of this mod is to combine some of the best features of Max Payne 3 with the unique style and feeling of Max Payne 2. With new models, weapons, animations, graphic effects, sounds, particles, and so on this mod will improve your good old Max Payne 2 to make it shine again in the next generation gaming.
To install the Payne Evolution mod with the included MP2 Widescreen Fix by ThirteenAG simply unpack all the content of this archive to your Max Payne 2 folder, all the extracted files and folders should go in the same folder of your MaxPayne2.exe
To install only the Payne Evolution mod unpack the files "Payne Evolution.mp2m" and "MPE_Levels.ras" to your Max Payne 2 folder so that they are in the same folder of your MaxPayne2.exe
NB: If the widescreen fix doesn't work try replacing the file "mp2_widescreen_fix.asi" in the folder "scripts" with the alternative file "mp2_widescreen_fix.asi" from the folder called Alternative (a backup of the original file is included in the folder called Original).
Be aware that for some unknown reason this fix doesn't work for everyone, there's a small chance that it will not work on your pc, sadly there's nothing I can do if none of the mentioned .asi scripts works, sorry.
- Savegames made with the original game or other mods are NOT supported, only savegames made with this mod will not cause bugs.
- Cheats are NOT supported too, they aren't disabled though, anyway using them can cause bugs so use them at your own risk.
- In this mod some button functions have been changed so your controls layout could be outdated, please check the Controls in the Options menu and remap the new actions to your preferred keys before starting to play the mod.
Gameplay Cutscenes - Some special cutscenes are modified to include gameplay elements, just like you experienced in MP3, so expect to be thrown straight in the middle of the action, with plenty of bullettime and in full control of your character.
Limited Inventory - You can take with you only 3 weapons at most, the 38 Revolver will always stay there as your backup sidearm, then you can pick up another handgun and a rifle. Picking up the same handgun again will give you the ability to dual wield it. Dual wielding the handguns will not make you drop your rifle. Obviously picking up a different handgun or rifle will replace your previous weapon and all its ammo will be gone, so choose wisely.
Shootdodges - The new shootdodges are very similar to the Max Payne 3 ones, there's a new shootdodge specific for the one handed handguns and you will stay in the air a lot longer, also the shootdodge slowmotion will end only when you land, so shootdodging from a higher place will give you more slowmotion air time, and once landed you can stay prone as long as you fire your gun.
Last Stand - If you have at least one painkiller left and you get fatally wounded you will enter Last Stand mode for a few seconds, in Last Stand you will be able to freely aim Max's arm while his body is falling to the ground, if you succeed at killing an enemy you will get back in action instead of dying, but be aware that all your painkillers will be used.
Takedown - If you press the Use key when very close to an enemy you will perform a close range takedown and mercilessly execute him, the animation is weapon specific, and you will be rewarded with a full BulletTime bar.
Attachments - Some enemies will use attachments like a Tactical Light or a Laser Sight, once killed they will drop a random attachment detached to their weapon, simply pick it up to dynamically attach it to the weapon you're currently holding.
Killcams - Your accuracy will be rewarded with an awesome weapon specific killcam usually when killing the last enemy of a group.
I absolutely say thanks to the authors of the merged mods ClemCorwin and MK Productions, complete and original credits of every single mod are untouched and included in their specific pages in the game menu.
Thanks also to my long time friends and awesome modders AndersenTheMuss, VGames, CockyBoi, OrnBine that in a way or another helped me with this mod (be sure to check also their mods, awesomeness guaranted).
Special thanks also to DrDean and ALT_OhDude that helped me with clever suggestions and A LOT of precious material for the mod.
The famous Neo signature lobby takedown source is by zzGertzz, just modified recoded and improved by me.
I can't get the takedowns to work! also, whenever I press f I do a roll, and once I got it to zoom in but that only happened once! I can't get this darn thing to work right it seems.
figured it out. I expected the max payne 3 style of "kick them over and shoot them", but it was really just the swat at them and they die instantly. thanks though.
Downloading... Thats all... If its as good as you imply The_Silver, then you just made MP3 - Economic Edition (optimized for older computers).
I expected more from this... no offence, but it's like playing Max Payne 3 alpha version. The latest version of Payne Effects seems to be way better.
No offence indeed, "Max Payne 3 alpha version" is already an awesome achievement, anyway you just prefer a different thing, I'm glad that you enjoy one of my mod anyway. :)
Hey, I would be glad if I could make a mod for a 2003 game that looks like the alpha version of a game that came out not even 2 years ago.
I absolutely loved this mod. Max Payne 2 is the weakest game in the franchise IMO and this brought it up to the level of 1 and 3 for me. Awesome.
FYI...MAX PAYNE 2 Evolution works just fine with the STEAM version of MP2. Just follow the Installation Guide. I am a long time fan of MAX PAYNE 1 and 2. I especially like the music in MP2. I don't really get the point of MP3 except to provide yet another venue for multiplayer clans. The single player game is mostly a string of videos that drop you into a fire fight here and there. I really liked the New York mean streets environment as opposed to South American chaos.
There is one thing that is bugging me ,after he wakes up in the hospital ,the front collar of his shirt doesn't look right. i don't know if anyone else has noticed it.
I had this mod for like 2 weeks or a month, and deleted it about a week ago. Still regret for doing it, that's an awesome mod and i played the story one more time, while in the original game i got bored of it after playing it 2 times. Deserves much more than a 10/10, but the "DLC" stories are kinda boring, no offence, but i would like a max payne 3-based mission, like in favelas, club moderno or the airport. I hope a 1.04 version comes out!
I have a few suggestions if a 1.04 comes out: Some Max Payne 3-based missions as i say above (yes, that's me), the unique killcam camera, like it focuses on the target, and in slow motion you keep shooting it, if you shot it again, it trigers again slow motion, and it keeps going until he falls, also a killcam that focus on max, also fix a bug with the angles of the curent kill cameras, sometimes they are behind walls. And i have something really hard-working for you and i hope it's possible, replace the "comics" with full motion cutscenes. Oh, and one more suggestion, apply 3d wounds on the targets and max when they get shot, they are possible in executions, so why not there? And if it doesn't come with 3d wounds, a small red texture at least. Hope any of them are possible, keep up!
I have a problem. Max's "talking brain" and Mona's speeches in Million dollar question audio are too low. Every other sound at other chapters work propery, but max's mind is very low. Could be my game though, i don't know, please help. Before it was working fine. Audio is all maximum.
here's a thing i want a .torrent download for this game because my download is fast if im using torrent i wanna extract the rar file using 7zip i just hate winrar but the best mod similar to this had an team battle looks the name of Max Payne Chronicles but i love this mod but the physics of shootdodge are not same by the Max Payne 3 because max payne 3's shootdodge is kinda ragdoll pls change it to ragdoll like max payne 3 but i dont know what to say ok bye bye! |
192,682,475 | If your kids are Gen X’ers or early millenials, you are now singing the end of this Sesame Street song in your head. Of course, to make it a ‘no brainer’, three things are items of clothing and the other is a rubber ducky. There definitely was one obviously right answer.
Not so in organizing. One of the key principles when organizing is, “Put like things together.” Just like in the song, right? Not quite.
A principle is a broad truth that is then applied to a specific case. That is what makes organizing such a creative and fun act. There is not one “right” way to sort and categorize objects.
Two people may key on totally different characteristics to decide which things are alike. The distinguishing characteristic may be:
Shape – An extra long knife can only fit in a certain drawer with long utensils, not with other knives.
Sleeve length – Hanging sleeveless, short -sleeved and long-sleeved blouses in groups can speed choosing an outfit.
Season used – A tablecloth that is specific to a particular holiday may be stored with seasonal items rather than with everyday use linens.
Once you decide which things are alike, you will know the dimensions needed to store each category. Then you are ready to assign a home and choose a container. Guess what that means? Shopping!! You can’t get any more creative and fun as that!
Go ahead, sing Sesame Street songs all the way to the store and back and share your ideas and experience with us in the comments.
When I worked at Hallmark, my curiosity was piqued by the gal who said she was shopping for her husband’s Christmas present. Her hands were full of greeting cards. She went on to explain that every year she picked out cards for each of her husband’s relatives and filed them by their birth month.
What a thoughtful and practical gift! Better yet, she used one of her 20% off total purchase coupons. I thought she was one smart lady.
You may not purchase cards a year in advance, but may have leftovers, some “Thank You” cards, and a few blank all occasion cards. You can get creative and group cards either by the month they will be used, or by sentiment using one of these resources.
These books have a total of 12 pockets (one per month). You list people with special days on the month’s pocket and file any cards you find ahead of time. Be sure to look at your monthly list before you go to the grocery store or card shop.
These boxes work well for the person who likes to send cards for many occasions. The cards are filed by category rather than month. The categories I use are: anniversary, baby, birthday, congrats/encouragement, get well , thank you, thinking of you, and sympathy. I use my Tickler File to keep the monthly cards with a list at hand.
This box is a heavy duty cardboard with reinforced corners, is neutral so can go anywhere in the home, and has large
I use a fern green BigSo Box with plastic envelopes labeled with categories as my greeting card organizer.
Why even bother organizing cards? If you can find what you need when you need it, you are organized. Don’t bother.
If you find yourself hunting, stop wasting time and organize. Storing the same kinds of things in one specific spot is the way to do it. You can start with greeting cards and move on from there.
Recently I received this wonderful email from a friend and O4L reader. With her permission, I am letting you read over my shoulder. I hope you are encouraged and inspired to make needed changes in your life.
Here’s a praise report and some good [news] about how the LORD has given me the needed desire and encouragement to purge and organize my clothes and closet.
I had wanted to lose weight to be healthy and The LORD led me to a ‘diet plan’ that has really made a big difference. I am down 22 lbs. and have reached my goal with 2 lbs to spare. In the meantime - the lost pounds and inches – meant lots of my clothes needed to go - He has given me a new mindset - that this is the healthy weight for me and I’m making the lifestyle change to stay within two pounds of it.
So I no longer feel the need to save the larger sizes “just in case”. When I lost the first 10- or 11 pounds I gave away some of my ” too big for me but in good shape” clothing to friends and family. It was a joy to pass things on to others (who were blessed) and to have less “stuff” cluttering up my closet.
Then two days ago – after losing this final 11 lbs - I tried on every piece of clothing I own – summer - winter – all of it and I’m actually purging at least 2/3 of my wardrobe!!
We have always had limited closet space and even though I’m not one to buy tons of clothes -I did save old ones for WAY too long and I have had to use the spare bedroom closet to store seasonal clothing.
Both the spare bedroom closet and our closet are so organized now. I purged every part – old shoes – purses – belts you name it – WOW what a euphoric feeling on all fronts !!! Also I’ve done what you’ve mentioned and used the summer sales to buy a few ‘nice replacement items’ in the new sizes – but only a few.
I still have to find homes for some of the clothing I think friends might like – but all that is decent and not something specifically thought of for individuals is boxed up and in my car to be donated.
YOUR message is timely and I’m blessed by God’s grace to make healthy changes which I know are improving our quality of life. MOVING Forward into a lifestyle of organization. Thanks for your help and inspiration.
Tags: benefits, closets, clothes, downsize, efficiency. organizing, encourage, get organized, inspiration, storage
In a recent consumer survey when asked, “What would you say is the biggest challenge to improving your home’s organization?” These were the answers:
Lack of space is #1. For real? When you don’t have places to put all your belongings, the problem can either be:
To illustrate the difference, imagine you have a good-sized kitchen. Your cabinets hold what you need to prepare and serve food. Then you decide you want more than one set of dishes. You decide one set for each season would be perfect. Suddenly, the cabinet space seems to have shrunk. You have too much stuff for the given space.
On the other hand, the galley of a small ship will have actual limited space to store kitchen-related items. Now you must critically evaluate the necessity of each item before you award a place in the tight storage available.
If you have quite a few things that fit into these categories, they do not pass the USE IT, LOVE IT OR LOSE IT test. It is time for a purging party.
There are a few tricks that interior designers and professional organizers alike use to maximize storage in a truly small space.
Read more in my post “Small Space Solutions” and listen in to Kelly Galea’s tips on Sept 8th, see events above.
The first step in any problem solving sequence is to properly identify exactly what the problem is. Hopefully, from this article you have pinpointed whether your problem is too much stuff or an actual limited space situation. Now you are in a position to take corrective action. |
279,080,372 | On Tuesday, Diageo confirmed it was in talks with United Spirits over buying a stake in the UB Group-owned Indian drinks firm.
New World Coffee - Manhattan Bagel, Inc. (Nasdaq: NWCI) Friday (19 August) reported financial results for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2001. Current year results include the operations of 463 company-owned Einstein Bros. and Noah's NY Bagel stores and related production and support facilities from June 19, the date of New World's acquisition of the assets of Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp. and its majority owned subsidiary, Einstein/Noah Bagel Partners, L.P.
For comparative purposes, the Company also presented unaudited pro forma consolidated statements of operations for the six-month periods which, due to differing fiscal periods for the two companies, includes two additional weeks of Einstein/Noah operations in the year 2000 period. Pro-forma comparisons for the second quarter periods were not reported due to the incompatibility of the companies' fiscal periods.
On a pro forma basis, total revenues for the six months ended July 3, 2001 were $205.3 million, compared with $221.8 million for the six months ended June 25, 2000, when results included two additional weeks of contributions from Einstein/Noah. In addition to the calendar difference, revenue comparisons were impacted by a decrease in Einstein's store count to 463 at the end of the 2001 period from 539 at the end of the first quarter of 2000, due to store closings in connection with the Einstein reorganization. Pro-forma earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and one-time charges (EBITDA) for the fiscal 2001 period were $15.6 million, or 7.6% of revenues, compared with $15.5 million, or 7.0% of revenues for the fiscal 2000 period. The year-to-year improvement in the pro-forma EBITDA ratio is primarily a result of the decline in general and administrative expenses to 8.9% of revenues in the 2001 period from 9.4% in the 2000 period.
On an actual, reported basis, total revenues for the quarter ended July 3, 2001 rose 148.2% to $25.2 million from $10.2 million for the quarter ended June 25, 2000, due primarily to the addition of the Einstein Bros. and Noah's NY Bagel brands. Retail sales increased 831.7% to $18.1 million, from $1.9 million for the comparable 2000 period. Manufacturing revenues decreased 12.1% to $5.7 million from $6.5 million in the 2000 period, primarily the result of the Company's decision to outsource its low-margin distribution business which had previously been included in manufacturing revenues. Franchise related revenues declined 16.9% to $1.4 million from $1.7 million in the 2000 period, primarily reflecting a decision to terminate certain franchisees whose operations did not comply with the Company's policies.
EBITDA increased 41.3% to $2.6 million, or 10.2% of revenues, from $1.8 million, or 17.9% of revenues, in the 2000 quarter.
The Company reported a net loss of $17.4 million for the fiscal 2001 quarter, compared to net income of $771,000 for the comparable 2000 period, primarily as a result of $15.4 million in non-cash charges principally related to the Einstein acquisition. No similar items were recorded in the 2000 quarter. After deducting $3.3 million for dividends and accretion on preferred stock, both of which are non-cash accounting adjustments, the Company reported a net loss available to common stockholders of $20.7 million, or $1.27 per common share, compared to net income of $771,000, or $.07 per share, in the 2000 quarter.
On an actual, reported basis, for the six-month period ended July 3, 2001, the Company's total revenues increased 84.9% to $35.7 million from $19.3 million in the comparable 2000 period. Retail sales grew 588.0% to $21.8 million from $3.2 million for the comparable 2000 period. Manufacturing revenues decreased 14.1% to $10.9 million from $12.7 million a year ago. Franchise related revenues declined 11.8% to $3.1 million from $3.5 million in the 2000 period.
Six-month EBITDA increased 19.9% to $4.2 million, or 11.8% of revenues, from $3.5 million, or 18.2% of revenues, in the comparable 2000 period.
The Company's loss for the six months ended July 3, 2001 was $17.9 million, compared to net income of $1.4 million for the comparable 2000 period, primarily as a result of $16.1 million in non-cash items principally related to the Einstein acquisition. Additionally, this year's loss reflected a $166,000 provision for income taxes. The Company recorded no similar items or income tax provision in the first half of 2000. The net loss available to common shareholders for the first six months of fiscal 2001 was $24.5 million, or $1.52 per common share, after deducting $6.6 million in non-cash accounting adjustments for dividends and accretion on preferred stock. This compared with net income of $1.4 million, or $.12 per common share, in the 2000 period.
Commenting on the results, New World Chairman Ramin Kamfar said: "The acquisition of Einstein provides us with critical mass and positions us in a unique position as both the largest company in the retail bagel bakery field and as a leader in the 'fast casual' sandwich business. Our management team is focused on efforts to realize cost savings through consolidation of production, purchasing and distribution functions, and eliminating redundant overhead and administrative costs. While our results this past quarter are affected by unusual acquisition related items, we believe that starting in the next quarter investors should clearly see the strength of our operating results."
Anthony Wedo, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, who was named a member of New World's Board of Directors yesterday, added: "We are focusing on three strategic initiatives which are (a) to grow our store revenue base and profitability, (b) to grow our brands by attracting well capitalized and experienced licensees and franchisees, and (c) to build upon our leadership position in the 'Fast Casual' segment of restaurant industry."
New World Coffee-Manhattan Bagel, Inc. is the largest company in the retail bagel bakery industry and a leading company in the "fast casual" sandwich industry. The Company operates stores primarily under the Einstein Bros., and Noah's NY Bagel brands and primarily franchises stores under the Manhattan Bagel and Chesapeake Bagel Bakery brands. As of July 3, 2001 the Company's retail system consisted of 499 company-owned stores and 303 franchised and licensed stores. The Company also operates four dough production facilities, two cream cheese production facilities and one coffee roasting plant. These products are currently distributed to New World's company-operated stores, and sold to its franchised and licensed stores, as well as to supermarket and non-traditional outlets.
Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "forecast," "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "should," "would" and similar expressions and all statements which are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance (financial or operating), or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating), or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The above factors are more fully discussed in the Company's SEC filings. The pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and do not purport to be indicative of what operating results would have been had the acquisitions actually taken place on December 27, 1999, and may not be indicative of future operating results.
ISRAEL: G. Willi-Food International Ltd announces results for the second quarter and for the six months ended June 30, 2001 |
95,892,900 | The Students of Color Symposium, coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), is an educational initiative developed to support the ongoing diversity efforts of the University of Miami. The Symposium provides an opportunity to engage in dialogue on issues that affect the educational, personal and professional growth of students. The Symposium seeks to enhance students’ understanding of diversity, multiculturalism, ethical leadership, and social responsibility associated with living in our global society.
To enhance the cultural awareness and social responsibility of the university community by providing opportunities for meaningful engagement. To provide students with opportunities to embrace peers from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, nationalities, and physical abilities.
• Enhance the personal and professional development of students through engagement opportunities with innovative thinkers, civic leaders, and social change agents
Use your unique perspective to build key customer relationships, identify business opportunities, and negotiate and close business deals. In this dynamic role you will collaborate with the team to increase sales opportunities and maximize revenue in alignment with MSC’s long-term strategic goals.
Translate your keen insight of customer’s needs and drivers into sales that advance their success as a business … and of MSC’s success as an industry leader.
Apply our unique insights to address customer’s priorities and reframe how they view their business to foster conversation based on customer needs, not MSC capabilities.
Use account planning tools, prescriptive analytics, and research from marketing to teach customers something new and compelling about their business that leads to MSC’s differentiated solutions.
Initiate commercial conversations with knowledge about a customer’s business, and identify opportunities to share important information.
Incorporate economic drivers with deep knowledge of customer’s business, current macro/microeconomic and industry trends, and potential new business opportunities.
Conduct due diligence to understand customer value drivers, and leverage these drivers to influence a wide range of customer stakeholders.
Establish value with customer before discussing ROI/financial terms by qualifying and quantifying the impact of maintaining the status quo or pursuing competitors’ solutions.
Drive momentum and proactively advance the purchase decision by assessing customer’s readiness to proceed at each stage of the buying process and setting clear next steps.
Create constructive tension by leveraging facts from research, benchmark data, and best demonstrated practices to introduce new ideas that challenge the status quo and reveal to customer high costs they may have been incurring.
Tailor presentations and commercial insight to customer’s industry, company and contact and deliver relevant messages based on current industry trends that will impact their business.
Research industry trends that impact all customers and become recognized as a trusted advisor on the industries they serve.
The intellectually agile and professionally driven sales professional we seek should have these skills and competencies.
Self-motivated to meet specific sales goals (1 year demonstrated track record of success in B2B sales preferred)
Ability to create constructive tension and align stakeholders involved in the decision-making process to drive consensus to MSC solutions
Solid history of decision making, taking accountability, demonstrated competitive spirit and ability to overcome obstacles to success
Yesterday, Mr T and I ventured out to Shichirigahama Beach (七里ケ浜) in Shonan (湘南), which is in Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県). We planned to eat at Bills (ビルズ) and then visit our friends at Cook Snaps, a cooking website which is located in the same building complex.
I am sooooo glad that we went to Bills on a weekday. Even though we were having a late lunch around 2:00pm we had to wait a quick 15 minutes. Usually on the weekends the wait can be anywhere for 3-5 hrs. YES you heard me right, 3-5 HOURS!!! That is crazy, and to wait that long is even crazier. hahaha. Bills is located in a beachfront building on the second floor. Love the view.
Originally we wanted to sit outside, but the hostess warned us of heavy wind. The view was so beautiful but the couple that was sitting outside looked uncomfortable so we decided to eat indoors.
We started our meal with drinks. I had smoothie and Mr T had a frappe. They were good and all, but for the price we both wished that they were a little bit bigger.
We both chose one item on the menu and then split them both. As the couple next to us was having pasta and it looked divine, I decided I wanted to eat it too. So I ordered the pan fried tomato, zucchini, oreccheitte (small ear shaped pasta), basil and ricotta. This was mighty tasty.
Mr T ordered the fine steak sandwich, carmelised onion, rocket, fresh tomato, horseradish cream. This was okay. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.
It had been a long time since I last went to Bills, so for dessert we split the ricotta hotcakes, with fresh banana and honey comb butter. I have to admit the pancakes were so light and fluffy and delish!
With full stomachs we went to Cook Snaps. It was such a fun day, although taking the train took way longer then we expected. I do like Bills although I would never wait 3-5hrs to eat. However the view was lovely, I can’t wait for summer! What is the longest you are willing to wait to eat? |
227,884,913 | The rapid addition in the figure of undertakings in today ‘s concern universe performed.A The field of selling has received much attending from research workers and practicians in recent years.A The purpose of this survey is the extent of research and countries where the survey will non throw much visible radiation to clarify.A The journey of geographic expedition of the “ true ” significance of trueness in the retail and discusses different theoretical model of client trueness plans and their single characteristics.A It delves into the two “ soft ” and “ difficult ” facets of trueness and evaluates the success factors and conditions that promote trueness.
Tesco was a mid-size retail merchants in the UK in 1990s.A So in these old ages Tesco was seeking use their new selling schemes professionally and effiently to go the universe largest retailor.A The chief triggers are discussed below:
1. The Tesco scheme was based over to maintain bing clients and to pull new 1s, the company decided to luanch more value for its clients. Tesco wanted to do the shopping experience thrilling for the clients.
2. The Tesco prosperity factors can be accredited to several factors one of which is its fast turning client base system.
3. In position of the turning age of engineering, it is indispensable for all organisations to heighten their engineerings if they want to be successful.
4. Competition: Competition among organisations is one of the common triggers of alteration in most industries. Tesco ten-step action program. Tesco introduced the undermentioned stairss for action program i-e
2 ) To better their recycling services to assist clients and to duplicate the measure of recycling carried to their shops.
3 ) To promoting their clients to re-use shopper bags by giving Club Card Points to clients who bring their ain.
4 ) To do healthy feeding installations by seting dietary labels on all their own-brand merchandises by January 2007.
5 ) First two million people active in forming events or Tesco will patronize before the Olympic Games in 2012.
In February 1995, Tesco brought some alterations that how it did concern so cardinal that its consequence is non seen in all parts of society. The events changed the manner that Tesco makes determinations to develop merchandises, manages his concern and particularly the manner it serves its clients. Today, Tesco Club card has established itself as one of the most successful trueness plans in the past 10 old ages and a cardinal driver for this is that the regulation stated in Tesco built-in nucleus intent of “ create value for clients. ” “ The Club card creates relationship with its providers ”[ I ]. Tesco ‘s selling plants because they combine insight with creativeness, value and volume. Today it is non merely the largest nutrient retail merchants in the UK, it is the universe ‘s most successful Internet supermarket, one of the fastest turning European companies and fiscal services likely one of the universe ‘s most successful representative of the CRM. The Tesco Club card is the most successful CLP presently in the UK, one tierce of all UK families ( there are 25 million nine cards in circulation, of which 10 million are active in a hebdomad ) was used, with 82 % of Tesco gross revenues go through the trueness card ( out-of -town superstores, this figure rises to over 95 % )[ two ]. Tesco may hold besides received this enviable place without a nine card, but it was non as fast or every bit inexpensive as it without the nine card that offers a glance of the trueness card informations did hold done. This information wills about all major concern determinations, the direction squad makes, cut downing the hazard of taking bold new enterprises. It can do mass production to run into the demands of all types of clients, for every gustatory sensation and income and age groups. Not on the footing of what they think the wide mass of clients want but in the cognition of what has to take single histories active and what they prefer? While every company talks about customer-oriented Tesco that committedness touchable made. It develops non merely the Club card trueness to Tesco to demo, but more of import is to acknowledge to Tesco ‘s trueness.
Club card is a contemplation of the properties of the company and its committedness: a strong squad moral principle, a committedness to client service, and above all, top-down retail merchant ‘s pragmatism.
The construct of trueness in general and illustrated the trade name of trueness which is relevant to Tesco. It gave us the lineation of the signifier and construction of Tesco ‘s Club card and how it embedded within the organisation. The survey of methodological analysiss will calculate out, that what trueness attack Tesco adopts? How its scheme aligns with the trueness theoretical account and overall concern aims, if trueness forms the nucleus of its concern scheme and how much does it lend to heightening client experience and accomplishing concern aims. It besides seeks to measure the fidelity construct and its effectivity in the future.A The research objectives through application of appropriate research attack, schemes and methods.A We can work to guarantee that the information is valid and can be faithfully detected, non contaminated and reduces deformation to a minimum.A To this terminal, the proved trueness of the index for mensurating the “ Customer Loyalty Index ‘to find out the consequence of the trueness card is used. Focus groups, telephone and have face to confront interviews as portion of the primary informations aggregation, the resultsA Help triangulate performed. The adult females were more likely to have a Club card and more likely to be influenced with the trueness strategies. They are significantly better at ‘recommending ‘ and one time satisfied served as better advocates. There is a noticeable difference in shopping behavior between Club card and non-Club card members every bit good, with Club card members hiting higher than non-Club card in every trueness dimension. Results will uncover a correlativity between family size and CLI, it could be noticed that trueness is more or less straight relative to the family size ( the more the size of family, the more loyal the members and visa-versa ) . Result will besides bespeak that Club card may hold an consequence on clients monthly spend, with Club card members passing major part of their monthly spend with Tesco as compared to non-Club card members. Though all these factors pointed will toward the positive effects of Club card, none of the participants declared Club card as the premier ground for choosing a supermarket.
the analysis portion, where the qualitative and quantitative informations collected will be carefully examined, analyzed and discussed. Data collected from assorted beginnings will be triangulated before coming to a unequivocal decision.
This analysis of the information has been collected. The consequences of the ‘mall intercept questioning ‘ will be discussed and analyzed foremost. Analysis of focal point groups, telephonic interviews and face-to-face interviews will follow. These findings along with the findings from the secondary research will be triangulated and a thorough scrutiny of the Tesco Club card will be done. The factors which have led to the success of the Club card will be highlighted and the strategic deductions of the Club card will be analyzed. The rating of trueness as a corporate scheme will be discussed.
This is a research proposal for the survey. The proposal will get down by sketching the purposes and aims of the survey. A literature reappraisal will be conducted to critically reexamine the positions of different authors in the field of selling and to happen out trueness card function with costumer relation. It besides looks at the grounds for doing a undertaking successful. The research methodological analysis of this survey is by publishing questionnaire to cardinal persons involved in the undertaking. The information from the questionnaires will be collected and analyzed. Decisions will be drawn from the analysis.
1.0 UK RETAIL IDUSTRY The retail industry in the UK is the most competitory and fast turning one. In 2008-09, 11 % of all VAT registered concerns in the UK were retail merchants, with the entire figure presently at 180,875. UK retail sector generate about 8 % of the GDP, accounting for fifth part of the UK economic system. Retail industry employs 11 % of the entire UK work force. Entire combine gross revenues of this sector in UK were ?265 billion in 2007-08, larger than the combined economic systems of Denmark and Portugal. TESCO Tesco is the UK ‘s largest retail concatenation and has outlet in every station codification of the state with 2,115 shops and 280,000 staff. Internationally it is the 3rd biggest concatenation in the universe, using 440,000 people in 4,000 shops across 14 states. Tesco operates its retail mercantile establishments concern operation in six formats viz. ; Express ( 961 shops ) Extra ( 177 shops ) , Metro ( 174 shops ) , Superstore ( 448 shops ) , Homeplus ( 10 shops ) and OneShop ( 512 shops ) . Tesco.com is the on-line arm of the concern operations to ease the bringing of merchandises, chiefly food market, to client ‘s door measure. Tesco direct is on-line shopping promenade for non-food points.
1.1a Tesco ‘s Competitors Tesco overtook Sainsbury ‘s as biggest UK supermarket 14 old ages ago. Tesco ‘s chief
operation is gross revenues of food market and family contraptions. Four major retail supermarket ironss in UK have following market portion as of August 2008.
The thought of this research is to spread out the construct of fresh and practically THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMER LOYOLITY SCHEME TO THE TESCO.
and the portion played in the strategic determination making.A It is the strategic importance of the inducement plans that the undertaking seeks to look into.A Objective 3 is in a sense, the primary aim of the research, all other ends is needed before a thorough apprehension of the strategic deductions of “ trueness plans ” is acquired can be realized.
To mensurate the function of trueness plans in advancing trueness and edifice positive client relationships.
The market research company Mintel, says that there is assorted grounds that trueness cards truly do advance trueness. Gary Davies ( 2004 ) , professor of retailing at Manchester Business School ( Mentioned in Web 4 ) , believes that trueness cards have run out of steam saying that most of us have cards for at least two shops, so that defeats the point [ of trueness ] . The UK ‘s top two supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsbury ‘s, both say that trueness strategies are an built-in portion of their retailing scheme and insist they remain committed to them. The survey aims to measure the part of trueness plans in the creative activity of long-run relationships with clients.
To analyse the construct of trueness and place the relationship between client satisfaction and client trueness.
This relation is asymmetric with the statement that normally loyal clients are satisfied, satisfaction is an undependable precursor loyalty.A This research should specify the ‘real ‘ significance of trueness in retail and how it differs to the satisfaction.A Payne says that “ client trueness is one of the most misunderstood constructs in recent old ages ”[ three ].A
To indicate out that which trueness selling makes its part to TESCO ‘s success and place cardinal countries where TESCO outwits its rivals.
The survey tries to indicate out the parameters.A TESCO has to quantify the impact of its trueness plan and to measure if these parametric quantities are justified.A Safeway ‘s trueness plan ( ABC Card ) started good, but was eventually withdrawn four and half a half twelvemonth after it debut. ASDA afraid of turn overing out countrywide trueness card for tests at different stores.A Tesco Club Card was three times more celebrated than Sainsbury ‘s rescuer card and obtained two and a half times more awareness than any other card.A ( Woolf, 2002 ) , Tesco CEO Terry Leahy says: “ It ‘s non the accomplishment, but that counts. ”[ four ]A This research aims to raise TESCO accomplishment and the will of its trueness plan makes and see how it helps the trader monetary value of success.
Evaluate whether Loyalty Marketing, a retail signifier portion of a company ‘s overall scheme of the company.
Is Loyalty Marketing dead or is it a critical force to think? A Anti-loyalty lobbyists argue that trueness plans are little more than a discount system that do nil to make consumer loyalty.A Loyalty fills fans, on the other manus, are entitled loyalty plans of the nucleus concern scheme to enable them to heighten client value, market portion and new markets successfully.A The research will affect the myth and world of trueness selling and the function it plays in the design of Tesco ‘s overall concern scheme.
Since the survey examines the Tesco Club Card non merely can the consequences be generalized to all fillip programs.A Future research should try to retroflex the survey on other retail merchants to be able to acquire a broader apprehension of the impact of client loyalty-loyalty programs.A This survey examined merely the impact of the Tesco Club Card trueness in footings of their impact market topographic point, it deals non with the fidelity of impact in footings of the fiscal impact of the program.A The Econometrics of the club card does non organize portion of the research.
The interesting perceptual experiences, conflicting believing in footings of trueness in the retail and bonus plans, which attracted sufficient involvement to the writer, travel to a research into this elusive concept.A Although conventional wisdom says that client trueness is the most of import facet of any concern because companies live or die from repetition concern, in world, trueness plans surprisingly uneffective and about 50 % of them miss their concern ends partly or completely.A However, most major supermarket multiples have been if the train is, for some it is a immense success as it turned out to others more than a liability’s.A The intricate history of the retail trade was what the writer go in for a research on trueness, since none of the bing literature was a clear determination on the issue of trueness in retail.A Loyalty is an armoury, which were conquered and died?
In order to near the above mentioned research aims, this longitudinal exploratory survey took into history both qualitative and quantitative research schemes which is frequently necessary for ‘triangulation ‘ – significance ‘getting a hole from two or more topographic points ‘ ( Green et Al, 2002 ) . The Research Approach is based on two different attacks.
Deductive, because the bing construct of trueness and its impact on concern determinations and scheme is foremost tested utilizing informations
Inductive, because the informations collected is analyzed to give new dimensions to the trueness construct and its strategic consequence on concern determinations.
Tesco ‘s scheme is used because it contains an empirical probe of the “ trueness ” phenomenon in his existent life attack to the peculiar retail company.
Quantitative and qualitative research is applied, both utilizing primary and secondary information collected and compiled specifically for this study.A
Qualitative secondary informations will be collected from the Tesco web sites, Articles, Case Studies, Tesco booklets and mention books, newspapers and magazines.A
Quantitative informations will be collected from the company reports, stock exchange ( U.K ) and Tesco supermarkets to mensurate the impact of client trueness with Tesco. Primary information is collected utilizing “ mall-intercept-interviewing ”[ V ]. So I will study to roll up primary informations from Tesco shoppers in forepart of local Tesco supermarket and Other primary informations aggregation methods included a questionnaire that divides clients into two classs i-e those individuals who have Tesco Club Card and those who did n’t but purchasing from Tesco. Because to do a benchmark and to happen out the effects of Tesco Club card towards Tesco trueness. For this intent I will utilize The “ Satmetrix Market Stat ” which is a tool to mensurate the the client satisfaction and trueness.
The purpose of this chapter is the air of confusion with respect to the construct of trueness and clearly show their “ true ” sense sing both attitudinal and behavioural dimensions.A This is the elaborate study of the current milieus and gives trueness theoretical accounts to show and analyze the grounds for the position and increasing of rapid dividend programs.A And inspecting that where should be successful trueness plans. This is the portion of the overall scheme and aid in strategic determination making.A The chapter concludes with the accent assigned to the ballyhoo and ballyhoo about bonus strategies and the myths.
After the “ Oxford Dictionary of Current English ” ( 2003, p. 327 ) , the fidelity as “ trueness ” or “ steadfast in obeisance, ” but as Payne ( 2002 ) points out, client trueness is one of the most often discussed were andA defined most misunderstood constructs in recent years.A This is confirmed by the fact that some writers use interchangeably with other concepts, client trueness, including client repetition purchase behaviour and client trueness occupied.A However, it was proposed that distinguishes the client trueness concept from that of repetition purchase behaviour in a manner that it implies an knowing constituent, ie it is ever a ground for the client repetition purchase and construct it is non by opportunity ( Hansen, 2000 ) Customer loyaltyA besides differs from that of client trueness in the client trueness a strictly behavioural in nature, while constructing the modern readings of religion in the regulation has both attitude and behavior dimensions ; .A Furthermore, “ during which the client keeping concept position of the seller as an active party to concentrate more on trueness intrapersonal facets of client behavior ”[ six ]
Loyalty is seen as something that consumers and clients exhibit towards trade names, merchandises, services, shops, every bit good as sales representatives ( Laurent, 1997 ) .The degree of fond regard a client feels toward a merchandise or service is a requirement to trueness and that a 2nd factor that marks a client ‘s trueness is repeat backing. Attachment is shaped by two dimensions: the grade of penchant ( the extent of the client ‘s strong belief about the merchandise or service ) and the grade of sensed merchandise distinction ( how significantly the client distinguishes the merchandise or service from options ) . “ The highest fond regard occurs when a purchaser feels a strong purchasing penchant coupled with a high grade of sensed merchandise distinction ”[ seven ].
Further composing up literature reappraisal ; fixing inquiries for semi-structured interviews ; run intoing with supervisor
Tesco Loyalty Marketing Project has become a pillar of corporate scheme and has helped Tesco to develop their strategic thought and way from being an first-class nutrient bargainers non merely an information concern procedures, but ever looking for ways in which the value-adding actions as an agent for its clients, so it is utilizing client information assets, to take a strategic attack to client management.A Tesco ‘s trueness plan proposes that a trueness plan can merely hold a long-run consequence on the competition, when from the beginning, it changes the dynamic civilization of the organization.A If the board acknowledge that trueness plan informations is the foundation of their concern, so the important investing in engineering, forces and other resources truly starts to pay dividends.
The companies are traveling abroad on a trueness strategy, to do certain that information is analyzed with the oculus on advantageous economic results and companies should do certain that they will seek to establish new plans and continually mensurate its public presentation. |
1,964,057 | Summer is a great season to show off your perfect body curve. Why not take a nice swimsuit and enjoy your wonderful beach holiday? Our newest one piece swimwear features allover leaves pattern, flirty open back design with adjustable criss cross details, and high cut bottom design that can easily show your slim and tall legs. Tropical style makes your water activities full of fun.
Field Day here at Trent is always full of variety, take a look at just some of the activities that Trent (& some Elms) got up to.
In the morning, the Community Service students invited Southwolds, Stanton Vale and Brackenfield Special Schools in to Trent College to enjoy the facilities on offer. They spent time with the menagerie of animals in Biology where ‘Speedy Gonzales’, the giant African snail and ‘Pop’ the bearded Dragon, were firm favourites. They also had the chance to play Football, Basketball, Table Tennis and ‘Hoopla’ as well as use up their energy on the ‘crash’ mats in the Sports Hall. They banged the drums in Music and played on the laptops in ICT.
As it was Mother’s Day the following Sunday, the visiting pupils got very creative in the Library decorating plant pots with stickers and bows etc. before adding a potted plant to take home as a Mother’s Day gift. In addition, they also made ‘Daffodil Windmills’ to take home. They thoroughly enjoyed the activities and we’re sure there were some very happy mothers receiving their gifts.
One of the highlights for our visitors is having lunch with our students in the Obolensky and their favourite is always Fish & Chips on Field Day Friday’s.
Once the visitors had returned to their schools, our pupils headed out to Newstead Abbey, the birthplace of the Poet Lord Byron. They walked around the beautiful gardens, including the Japanese, Spanish and French Gardens, where Ms Dobson particularly liked the hedged-lawns. They walked along the side of the lake and were very fortunate to see the Peacocks, especially since one of them was more than happy to show off his tail feathers to them, whilst the Peahen showed no interest whatsoever!
The weather was very kind to us and we were lucky to have sunshine for most of the day. Another happy and successful Field Day had by all.
Year 9 visited Chester Zoo to consolidate their knowledge of classification by studying some of the vertebrates in the collection at the zoo. Amongst other activities, pupils visited the giraffes and onager enclosures to discover reasons for the onager being thought of as more closely related to the giraffe than it is, at first sight, to the zebra.
Pupils also investigated the conservation status of a variety of birds, amphibia and mammals kept at the zoo; they were impressed by the horns of the scimitar-horned oryx (now extinct in the wild) and amazed by the bright colours of the dart frogs which secrete poisons from their skin as a defence mechanism.
Despite there being a spot or two of rain when we arrived, spirits were high as pupils began their investigations. With a few cups of coffee on board for warmth and a brightening sky, the day continued to improve.
20 students had a great day experiencing lifesaving/rescue speed boat handling and canoeing. The group all got to ‘helm’ the speed boats and enjoyed the canoeing greatly. The students had to learn how to launch the boats correctly and how to get them back out of the water onto their respective trailers too – no mean feat!
Many thanks to the excellent volunteers from the Beeston and Stapleford Lifesaving Club who ran the course – the students thoroughly enjoyed their day out.
For Field Day the Kenya service team, involving students from Year 11 and Year 12, participated in fundraising to raise money and awareness of the charity and our partnership with two Kenyan schools. We held these events in the May Hall and on the top field, where we had a cake sale with hot drinks and a penalty shoot-out.
We raised £367.44 with special thanks to everyone who helped on the day and supported us by baking so many delicious cakes and treats.
We have been training some Year 11 & 12 students throughout the year in all aspects of Leadership theory.
Field day allowed them to put the theory into practice and be in charge of running an activity afternoon for the Year 2 pupils from The Elms. The theme was Knights and Castles as this is what they are currently studying.
They were split into their different houses and the Year 11 and 12 students ran 4 competitions with 'Team Falcon' being the overall winner.
At the end of the afternoon, the pupils watched a play that the Year 11 and 12 students had also written and directed. The theme was still Knights and Castles but explored PSHE topics such as honesty and integrity. This also proved to be highly amusing and firmly age appropriate.
"Thanks so much for this afternoon. The children loved it. I was very impressed with the thought and organisation which had obviously gone into it by the Year 11s.12s. Put our names down for next year."
12 Year 11 boys who have been doing the RFU Leadership course as part of their service activity took the Year 4 pupils for some fun games and activities based around Tag Rugby. The group of boys and girls all took part and learned some of the skills necessary to play the game.
The second half of the morning saw the Year 4 pupils take part in a mini Tag competition and were able to implement some of the skills on display in the morning.
The Year 4 teachers were very impressed by the ability of the senior boys to interact with all the pupils, both boys and girls, and ensure they all were involved.
Aikido is an art that in today's society is often considered ineffective as a fighting art. This observation is simply one made from a short-sighted perspective. The origins of aikido principle are ancient. These principles are the foundation on which all martial technique, modern or ancient, are built. The training intent of aikido is not to prepare one for the competitive arena. The intent is to deeply explore these principles in order to not only better understand how fighting techniques work and how to deal with them; but, more importantly, to use this study to better understand ourselves and our interactions with others.
Tri-City Aikiaki studies the practical application of traditional aikido technique in order to enhance the physical and mental state of the practioner. Studies are enhanced with the use of weapons as well as comparative studies of wushu (preying mantis, shaolin, baqua) karate, kendo and jiujitsu. |
214,603,640 | This is the start of the climb, it is right of "End of My Rope". No real protection till you get to the roof but it is easy.
“This is the start of the climb, it is right of "End of My Rope". No real protection till you get to the roof but it is easy. ”
Climb up a large flake into a right-facing, rattly, finger crack. Pull the lip and the climb is done. There are bolts on top for an anchor with rap rings. Due to the crystalline nature of the crack, the gear is a little hard to fish in. The gear is good, but you will have to fiddle with it to get it in nicely.
This climb is on the northern side of a little wall referred to as Goldirocks, in Heel&Toe, use the same trail to get to the southeast side of Blair 0, and continue east to Goldirocks. The short wall should be visible, it is just on the other side of the little valley.
Also, if you are up on Medium Cool or that area, walk east around the end, by Crack Named Sue, and you'll be looking at Stress Fracture down in the valley. It is a very obvious climb.
I found the gear easy to place and bomber. It is a short route, but it is nice to be able to climb a vertical finger crack at Vedauwoo. Since the route is so short, thus the ground is close, I would bring at least two or three finger sized pieces and two hand sized pieces (one for the bottom and one for the top). Jul 4, 2009
I had wanted to do this one for a long time, but it isn't that great. The setting is cool, but the climbing isn't as good as it looks. The rock quality is poor on the first half, the gear is kind of tedious, and the climbing is just kind of awkward (and sharp, even by Vedauwoo standards). Probably worth doing once. Sep 4, 2012
I kind of agree with slim. It is worth doing once. Might as well run a lap or two on TR afterward, to make it worth it. We expected it to be twice as long, so it was a bit of a letdown when we realized it was only 25 feet high. I agree that the gear is a little tedious. The only placement I really had an issue with was the one right before the hand jam exit. It seemed to take forever to get it just right, because the rock is so jagged, and it needs to be just right because you really cant afford it to blow out with that ledge below you. Sep 24, 2012
Pigeon Nest Crack has awkward, insecure, chimney pod moves with debris to an easy right-angling hand and fist ramp. Belay on gear at the top.
Also not a gimme for the grade. This crack is pretty much completely trad since you can't trust that rusty old piton that's still in there. The route is also known as "Glatte Kante" which means "blank arete". There's a reason why! This actually takes real crack technique (for the hands, anyway) to get up.
Crack starts wide (crux) and narrows up top. Arete has some good holds to offer. After the crack ends, easy ledgy terrain to the chains.
Single rack of cams to 3" and stoppers. Chains up top (shared with two routes on river facing side of formation).
Climbing the crack directly and avoiding the arete or the crack around the other side yields a really fun 10-ish pure crack climb with some really fun moves. Definitely contrived, but a ton of fun! Apr 16, 2018
Hello. I'm Kaydynce. Im 13 years old. I live with my mom, dad, sister named Amya, my other sister named Paris, brother named Stark, and my other brother named Kay. The thing is that i'm reading all of these fanfiction stories that people end up being a sibling/child of a member of one direction. I want to see if that could actually happen. So Later that day my older brother Stark tells me something very interesting. Do you think the band will agree to have me as part of their family? (More description in the book)
"What! No way! R u serious?" I asked/said. "Yeah I'm sorry we didn't tell you before." He said looking down. "That's ok Starky(nickname) but do u know who my real parents are?" I asked waiting to know. "Nope" he said. I saw the sparkle in his eyes that he was lying. I knew it. He lived me too much for me to leave. "Stark,please tell me and if I go live with that family I will call you and visit all the time. But I know you can't stand it when the people you love go away"
"Ok yeah I get it u know that I know. But promise NOT to freak out when I tell you." He laughed a little. "Why would I freak out?" "Because you are Liam Payne's sister." WHAT IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING I thought. I breathed in and out. "You can freak out now!" He said with ear muffs on. "AHHHHH OMG IM A PAYNE IM A KAYDYNCE FREAKING JAMES FREAKING PAYNE!! I CANT BELIVE THIS!!!"
I ran downstairs screaming "AHHHHH!!!" Excitedly. "Mom dad would you let me live with my real family?" They looked at each other. "So Stark told you already. We thought you would be mad." "How can I be mad. I just found out I'm Liam Payne's sister." I said. "That's true. I can contact him if u want " "Ok!" They dialled the number. "Hello." He said in his British accent. "Hello Liam. This is your little sister Kaydynce." |
21,024,492 | "Ricardo exceeded my expectations. I've been dancing for over 10 years and still picked up some breakthrough tips in the 3 days of workshops. He takes the time to go through fundamentals and also has challenging but fun choreography. I'm impressed at how patient and encouraging he was. His classes were well structured, had a good pace, and he was a top notch (and nice!) teacher. Since I can't go to Spain, this is Spain coming to me. The Portland Flamenco Events dancers were very welcoming...thanks to Laura for translating and more importantly for making this happen. I only wish I could've stayed longer to see the show and learn more but there's always next time. I'm definitely coming back!" -Shyiang Strong, Vancouver, B.C.
“Thank YOU so much! I had an amazing time this weekend with you, Ricardo, and everyone at your studio. I am really just blown away-in so many ways. Laura I have not danced in at least 4 years. No exercise, no dancing, nada. I have been going crazy all this time, with this love inside me, trying to channel it through cante occasionally, but most of the time having no outlet. I have been scared I couldn’t make it, of failure, of not feeling adequate, of being judged, and of even falling on my face! I am so thankful and happy, not to mention incredibly inspired by this experience. Ricardo’s unbelievable talent, art and ‘swagga’ were obvious in videos of his dance:) What really sealed the deal for me in persuasion of me attending were two things (after the obvious). 1. The videos of the two of you-seeing Ricardo as a regular guy, being sweet and funny with you and 2. My contacts with Stefani, and with you in the past. It’s Ricardo’s personality and congeniality that shine through his talents the most and I was so thrilled to have found the same wonderful traits in you and all in your studio. I have felt so welcome this weekend, and it feels so very very good to be a part of the community again. And WOWWWWW, the show was spectacular! You did some really cool and unusual things. So wonderful to see, hear and be a part of flamenco of this caliber and with this feeling. I will definitely be in touch next time. Thank you sooooo much for this opportunity Laura! I am so overwhelmed, ecstatic, and full of well-love for life. Thank you and Ricardo for helping me dance again! Ole la gente buena!!!! Much love” -Shelley Gentry
“For the first time in my life I felt so frustrated but wanted to push harder rather than give up. I’m so glad Ricardo didn’t let me give up either. He’s really a great teacher, which isn’t easy when he’s such an amazing dancer and has already “arrived” Honestly, it kills me I have to wait till Friday – I’ve got all these rhythms in my head and nowhere to practice. ps – I can’t put it down just right – but you know when there are instructors who just push and push without any empathy? And then there are those who function more like personal trainers – where they push hard, but know when to point out when you’re getting it right – even if it’s not perfect – THAT’S Ricardo.” - Seana Yee, Portland, OR
“Thank you for such a wonderful experience this weekend. I know I am perhaps the most beginning of the beginning, but Ricardo (and you) really made me want to work to get to the point where I can do all the choreography correctly…I am grateful for you and your studio going into this Thanksgiving and wish you a wonderful holiday.” – Enid Axtell, Portland, OR
"Thank you for making the workshops with Ricardo possible. It was an incredible experience! The most important part, for me, was the connections I began to make between my body, the music, and the intention of expression." - Elisa Rocha, Portland, OR
"Ricardo's workshops are amazing! He's such an attentive teacher - very exacting and will break everything down clearly and slowly, always checking in to make sure everyone is happy and understands everything "in our head". Besides being a phenomenal dancer he's encouraging, professional, respectful and incredibly patient. Laura has... been very kind in translating his Spanish so we understand his most salient points. Everyone at the workshop has soooo friendly and helpful. We love Portland Flamenco and hope we can come back soon!" -Cyrena Huang, Vancouver, B.C.
"Ricardo's energy in his teaching is amazing. In every class he is giving more than 100%. I am loving all of his classes and learning so many techniques and dynamics that I can use in my dance in the future. Thank you for bring him here and I can hardly wait to see him perform this weekend!" - Stefani Miller, Portland, OR
"It really is a privilege as a dancer to have the opportunity to study in Portland with someone like Ricardo. His experience dancing and teaching make the class enjoyable and my favorite part is that he teaches technique and choreographies that show the evolution of Flamenco in the last few years. For students who are beginners I would advice to not get discouraged if you feel like you don't get every step at first, because believe me even if you don't realize it, through Ricardo you are getting exposed to all this amazing compas and dance energy, so be assured some of it will stay with you and in your body forever. Thanks Laura and thanks Ricardo for these amazing workshops." - Kethrin Lases, Portland, OR
"Ricardo's workshops are SO fun! He brings an amazing technical level but is so patient even with the beginners! Not being a good dancer myself, I still feel so wonderful while doing it! Dare I say experiencing my first twinges of duende?! I had so much fun even though I had to fend off frustration sometimes. Maybe it's me but I think Ricardo's teaching has improved since last time and while he went at a challenging pace we had enough repetition to get the sonidos in our heads. Thanks Laura! BTW, I love watching you dance his choreography too. You put a pretty, feminine touch to his steps. Can't wait for next weekend!" - Amy Brownell, Portland, OR
"The choreography (and the beautiful choice of music) for the first weekend of Ricardo's intermediate/advanced choreography workshop were truly powerful and inspiring. Even though it was a great challenge for me to keep up, I know that I learned some fun new moves that I can use in the future. More importantly, being a part of a group of dancers participating in this art that we love, together with Ricardo, was REALLY fun and inspirational. I am really looking forward to learning more next weekend, and I wish I could take ALL of the classes offered. Even if you can only do one weekend, I highly recommend it." - Julie Pacheco-Toye, Portland, OR
"I am so enjoying the entire experience with Ricardo. Laura, I just cannot tell you what a spectacular experience the performance last night. I am already looking forward to Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it is only Monday. Ole." - Pat France, Portland, OR
"Ricardo's first workshop is such a great memory for me - he is an excellent teacher and a beautiful dancer!! Reflecting on his first time in Portland, I recall that I remembered his choreography for a long time. Usually I forget quickly, but his footwork stayed with me for weeks. Some workshops have such intricate footwork and the artist wants to complete the choreography in a short period of time. I felt as though Ricardo was more interested in giving us what he thought we could accomplish in a short period of time - with the hope that we might remember it after he left. He is a treasure!" - Leigh Young, Portland, OR
"(Ricardo) inspires you to dance your best. Imagine how good we will all be when he comes back for a longer stay!" -Lillie Last, Portland, OR
"I have a new and much deeper emotional appreciation for all of my Spanish flamenco music after the Jaleos workshop this past week. My continued gratitude to Laura for bringing the skilled artists to Portland and to Danica for the magical emotional experience. OLE." Pat France, Portland, OR
"I am so glad that I attended the workshops and performance. I felt so inspired and invigorated, actually maybe a little too much I don't think I was able to sleep for a few nights. But it really made me realize how much I love to dance, and how much I have to learn too. Also, I think like everyone, I developed a little crush on Ricardo." -Alexis
"Thanks Laura for organizing this workshop/show. It was amazing!!! You did a wonderful job and Ricardo, well he is a sweetheart." -Kethrin Lases, Portland, OR
"Thanks for organizing such a wonderful workshop. It was my first workshop (as you know) and I couldn't have had more fun. I don't think I've ever even gotten to dance to live music. What a treat! And, if you get a chance, will you let Ricardo know how much I enjoyed learning from him. He was a great teacher and I appreciated his patience with my lack of competency. :) Also, great performance on Saturday! Definitely a wonderful night!" -Brittany Stolle, Portland, OR
"Each day I can't believe that I am taking a class from someone as amazing as Ricardo. I am like a baby who is learning to walk when compared to him. But it is so fun!!" - Stefani Miller, Portland, OR
"You were right, he does "stand alone" as a teacher. It is apparent that he loves his craft, which spills out in the classroom, whether involved with explaining a step, the cante, the palmas, or just demonstating with his crisp movements, turns, energy and enthusiasm.:) All in all, quite a memorable week. Now if I can just remember the choreography.:( " -Ann, Vancouver, WA
"The show last night was stunning...a perfect synergy of grace, power, tradition and innovation," Erica McCurnin
"I just cannot tell you what a spectacular experience the performance was last night. It brought chills to my spine. I am already looking forward to Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it is only Monday. Ole ," Pat France
"Tonight's show was BRILLIANT! I cannot recall ANY Flamenco show in Portland in 20 years that was any better. Amazing!" Leigh Young |
197,196,605 | Yantai Deshengda Longkou Vermicelli Co.,Ltd.is located at Zhangxing Town Zhaoyuan City China,which has the reputation of "hometown of vermicelli" since Ming Dynasty.
The company was established in 1988,which deals with the producing,processing,and trading of vermicelli as a whole,covering an area of 38£¬000 sq.m. It owns fixed asset of 6 million yuan,410 staff members,including 25 senior engineers.The company has the most advanced mechanical assemble line which can perform the producing,refrigerating,dring,and picking of vermicell together.A set of management rules was set up to control the quality of our product strickly.
The main product of our company is "Deshengda" brand Longkou Vermicelli,which is the result of combing traditional technique with modern technology.It is the picked product of Beijing Food Import & Export Group of China,with the characteristics of fine and smooth,sparkling and crystal-clear,nice chewy texture and boiling enduring.Because of its higher quality and nutritious value,it sells very well in America,Japan,Philippine,Malaysa and other countries,sincerely trusted and praized by clients both at home and abroad.
The company has the right of import and export.It can manufacture 3000 tons of mung vermicelli and 2000 tons of mixbean vermicelli each year.It is convenient in transportation,15Km from Longkou Port in its Northwest,170Km from Qingdao Port in its South,120Km from Yantai Port in its Northeast.
We sincerely invite customers from all over the world to our company.We can enjoy the beautiful scence,delicous Chinese product together or make a deal.
The construction of polarized collective identities accentuates perceived (cultural) differences, thus playing an integral role in shaping how we identify and respond to emerging threats both imagined and real. By homogenizing populations, such constructions create antagonistic and conflict-oriented relationships resistant to resolution. This essay argues that the much used and somewhat fashionable term “balkanization” is itself an example of such essentialism, which upholds a longstanding and prejudicial ‘European’ self-identification over against a Balkan ‘other’ that aggravates discord in the region.
The relationship between other and self is inevitably problematic and complex. Whether a relationship defined by fear, hostility, and struggles for domination, or by independence, political representation, and hospitality, a polarity in the lexis of otherness consistently arises. ‘Sameness’ and ‘difference’ belong to an apparently timeless reflex of social, cultural, and political ‘othering’—a long useful concept and traditional point of intersection between theoretical discourses including post-colonialism, deconstruction, Marxism, and feminism that inform contemporary discussions of the socio-political problems of a rapidly changing and increasingly globalized, yet localized, world. In this context, important questions must be framed: how can we find a way to co-exist with and relate to the other? How can we negotiate cultural identity? How are we to ethically conceive of the other at all? And, how can the encounter with otherness be accurately represented? Are our identities and culture changeable, or they are metaphysical? And are they now always fragmented? The hybridization of cultures is one among diverse processes (globalization, protectionism, nationalism, transnationalism, localization, isolationism, internationalism) that affect our paradigms of “us” and “the others.”
Frederik Barth (1969: 22) the Swedish scholar and researcher of ethnic identities and boundaries, held that what is transferred across time is not the content of any cultural arsenal, but the boundary of a particular group: the inner content changes, while boundaries survive. But ethnic boundaries imply inter-ethnic relations: ethnic identity is formed and survives right through to the contacts with other ethnic groups. Differences between ethnic categories are not explained by the absence of movement, contact, and information, but by understanding social processes of excluding and including.
Many discourses in contemporary politics express a need and sometimes a request for recognition. We may say that the need for recognition is one of the drivers of nationalistic movements, but the demand for recognition in contemporary politics appears in many other forms, especially in the name of minorities and “disadvantaged” groups. Usually, a request for recognition has a quality of “urgency” because of a presumed relationship between recognition and identity. The claim is that our identity is formed partially through recognition. But it is also formed through recognition’s absence, and very often through “false” recognition from others intending to damage, compel submission, or to force other human beings into a distorted and reduced form of existence. (Taylor 1995: 25)
The hybridization of cultures is one among diverse processes... that affect our paradigms of “us” and “the others.”
Nation-states with liberal-democratic social systems have different approaches to managing ethno-cultural heterogeneity and demands for recognition. The problem is that social, political, and other scientific theory largely neglected the realm of ethno-cultural relations until the middle of the 1980s, when a few political philosophers started to deal with the issue of managing of cultural and ethnic diversity. One of the reasons for the delayed interest of scholars and politicians in these issues has been their preoccupation with the myth of so-called “ethno-cultural neutrality.” (Kymlicka 1999: 3)
Some theorists argue that this is precisely what distinguishes liberal 'civic nations' from illiberal 'ethnic nations'. Ethnic nations take the reproduction of a particular ethno-national culture and identity as one of their most important goals. Civic nations, by contrast, are 'neutral' with respect to the ethno-cultural identities of their citizens, and define national membership purely in terms of adherence to certain principles of democracy and justice. For minorities to seek special rights, in this view, is a radical departure from the traditional operation of the liberal state. Therefore, the burden of proof lies with anyone who would wish to endorse such minority rights. (Kymlicka 1999: 8). This is the burden of proof which liberal culturists try to meet with their account of the role of cultural membership in securing freedom and self-respect. They try to show that minority rights supplement, rather than diminish, individual freedom and equality, and help to meet needs which would otherwise go unmet in a state that clings rigidly to ethno-cultural neutrality.
In a closely related context of Western perceptions of ‘others’, we may mention the “phenomenon” called “balkanization.” In 1997 a Bulgarian historian and philosopher, Maria Todorova, published Imagining the Balkans, which launched many debates among academic, political, journalist, and other circles. Her study deals with the region's inconsistent (but usually negative) image in Western culture as well as with the paradoxes of cultural reference and its assumptions. In it, she develops a theory of Balkanism or Nesting Balkanisms, similar to Edward Said's “Orientalism” and Milica Bakić-Hayden's “Nesting Orientalism.” Todorova has said of the book: “The central idea of Imagining the Balkans is that there is a discourse, which I term Balkanism, that creates a stereotype of the Balkans, and politics is significantly and organically intertwined with this discourse. When confronted with this idea, people may feel somewhat uneasy, especially on the political scene... One of the prejudices and stereotypes related with Balkans and Balkanisms is the presumed relative innocence of Western Europe, placing responsibility for all accidents and mistakes that happened in Balkans in the 20th century on the Ottoman heritage and Turkey.” (Todorova 1997: 276)
The term “balkanization” was not coined in “the longest century of Empire”1 when Balkan nations were gradually separating from the Ottoman Empire, but instead at the end of World War I, when Albania was added to the map of Balkan nations that were created in the 19th century (Todorova 1997: 46). After the First World War scholars and politicians used the term “balkanization” to denote a process of national fragmentation of former geographical and political units into new problematic national states with disrupted political relations, as in the case of what happened during the Balkan wars. A deeper (and troubling) analysis of “balkanization” was produced in 1921 by Paul Scott Mowrer, the European correspondent of the Chicago Daily News. Analyzing the political situation in Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and Greece, he concluded that this is a “region of hopelessly mixed races, a collection of small states with more or less backward populations, economically and financially weak, envious, with conspiratorial behaviors, scared, constant victims of manipulations by the great powers, as well as violent outbursts of their own passions.” (Mowrer 1921: 34) The element of foreign involvement in the internal affairs of small states is so aggressive that Michael Foucher in 1994 was motivated to define “balkanization in a literal sense as the constant involvement of foreign powers (Russia, Austro-Hungary, Germany, France and Great Britain) directed at the protection or establishment of their spheres of interests” (Todorova 1997: 49).
Notions ascribed to “the Balkan” reveal the process of making the image of Europe by defining the ‘other’ as Oriental, unpredictable, dangerous, chaotic, dirty, lazy, primitive, cruel, selfish, uncooperative, etc. (Mursic & Jezernik 2007: 7). Yet historical evidence attests instead to the presence of tolerance, cooperation, and hard work among the region’s peoples. The region also characterized by ancient cultures and civilizations, urbanization, classical philosophy, and pre-industrial economic efficiency. For centuries the Balkan Peninsula was almost the only part of Europe with a tradition of tolerance toward people of different religions, ethnic origins, and cultures. Indeed, the peoples of the Balkans lived in a multicultural milieu long before it became fashionable in the West. In 1492, when Sephardic Jews were exiled from Iberian Peninsula by the Catholic Church, the Balkan Peninsula—at that time under the Ottoman Empire—was a tolerant place that welcomed them.
the peoples of the Balkans lived in a multicultural milieu long before it became fashionable in the West.
Even as globalization accelerates trans-global and supra-territorial connections, matrices of prejudice and stereotypes about “the other” from past centuries remain, in old and new forms. This fact is borne out daily in crisis regions where ethnic heterogeneity, migration, and the histories of colonial and imperial adventure leave their traces, including the Balkans. Moreover, various contemporary processes stimulate the appearance of new figures and stereotypes for ‘others’ on local, national, regional, international and global levels.
Education is one of the most powerful agents for constructing and/or deconstructing “otherness” in diversified societies, and has played a significant role in social, historical, and cultural developments in terms of shaping present understandings of past experiences and received imaginaries. It therefore has to be a central pillar in efforts to overcome prejudice, hate speech, and hate crimes in our time. Such education, both formal and informal, should take diverse forms, be energetically promoted, and make use of all available technologies, traditional media, and new media.
This essay is based on a paper published in the conference proceedings of the 5th International Conference Ohrid- Vodici 2017: “Runaway World, Liquid Modernity, and Reshaping of Cultural Identities, Heritage, Economy, Tourism and Media.”
1. “The longest century of the Empire” is a work by the Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli devoted to “Tanzimat,” a term designating the period of reforms implemented in the Ottoman Empire in all spheres of social-political life that began with proclamation of the Gülhane Hatt-i Sharif (Edict of Gülhane) in 1839. With this proclamation, all people of the Empire were legally equalized, although the Tanzimat reforms were implemented for several decades after they were proclaimed (1839–1876).
The impact of the environment on a person’s life, behavior, and ultimately health is known as the neighborhood effect syndrome. |
222,617,600 | The table below compares 21029 to the other 448 ZIP Codes in Maryland by rank and percentile using July 1, 2018 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.
Apple's flagship store in New York City always attracts a big crowd on launch days, but the line for the new iPhones this year hit a new record.
There were 1,417 people in line for the launch at the flagship store as of 8 a.m. ET Friday, according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, who has surveyed Apple store lines every year since the original iPhone launched in 2007. That is the longest the line ever at the flagship store for an iPhone launch — beating the line for the iPhone 4 — and it marks an 83% increase from the number of people who waited in line there for the iPhone 5.
The huge spike in the line at the flagship store appeared to be an anomaly, however. At other Apple store locations, including one on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and another in Minneapolis, Munster found the lines were "tracking flat to up slightly" from the previous year.
Munster attributes the longer lines in part to Apple's decision not to offer the more expensive iPhone 5S for pre-order.
"The vast majority of iPhone buyers in line today appeared to be waiting for the 5S vs the 5C," he wrote in an investor note obtained by Mashable. Unfortunately for these buyers, the iPhone 5S appears to be severely supply constrained, with reports suggesting that stores are selling out of their inventory quickly. According to a report, Apple has asked suppliers to boost production of the gold iPhone 5S by one third.
Based on the size of these lines, Munster reasserts his estimate that Apple will sell 5 million to 6 million iPhones during the opening weekend, compared to 5 million the previous year. Other analysts have suggested Apple may sell anywhere from 6 million to 8 million phones.
Traditionally, Apple releases opening weekend sales numbers on the following Monday. Last year, Apple reported figures well below what some analysts — including Munster — had expected, which kickstarted a long decline in Apple's stock.
Beyonce gets covered in this iPhone- and iPad-powered track with vocals supplied by Korean pop star Yoari.
The Stanford "MoPhO" is an orchestra that uses phones to make music. Here, assistant professor (and creator of Smule's Ocarina iPhone app) Ge Wang offers insight into the "experimental ensemble."
This quartet got YouTube famous after the video of them playing "Kids" by MGMT on iPhones and iPod touches went viral, racking up more than 1 million views.
The iPad Orchestra is just as its name sounds. It shows the potential for digital music using devices like the iPad.
Marina, Seb and Roger make up the iBand. Here is the group performing an original composition, "Life is Greater than the Internet," on their various iDevices.
Another YouTube star, Applegirl002, a.k.a Kim Yeo-hee, covers pop songs on her iPhone setup. Her amateur videos proved such a hit she landed a record contract and has since released an official music video.
Musician Geoff Kaiser uses some clever editing and a split screen video to great effect with an ultra-modern take on the one-man band.
Chinese pianist Lang Lang played "Flight of the Bumblebee" during an encore at a recent San Fran concert. It seems as if the crowd loved it.
Gary Go made headlines for playing giant London venue Wembley with his iPhone as his backing band. He has composed songs on the device and can be seen here performing live with his iPhone in hand.
Although Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate garnered widespread acclaim, the actor had a harder time impressing one critic in particular: Assange himself.
"I tried to justify my reasons for doing the project," Cumberbatch, 37, told press at a Toronto International Film Festival roundtable earlier this month. "It mattered to me a lot that he felt so passionately, but I wanted to persuade him that it wasn't necessarily going to be as bad as he feared it would be."
Cumberbatch said an older draft of The Fifth Estate script had leaked to the 42-year-old Assange, who described it as "a mass propaganda attack against WikiLeaks, the organization and the character of my staff." (The film is partly based on the tell-all book, Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website by former spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg, with whom Assange famously clashed.)
"It's in no way an attack on WikiLeaks," he told Mashable in an interview at TIFF. "It's a celebration of WikiLeaks and what it set out to do. It is occasionally critical of Assange, and one of his tactics is to kind of conflate the two ideas so that anything that might be critical of him becomes, as he says, 'a propaganda attack.'"
Still, WikiLeaks isn't backing down. The website recently posted what it is calling a "mature version" of The Fifth Estate script, along with a memo that condemns the film as "irresponsible, counterproductive and harmful."
Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, also criticized Cumberbatch's portrayal, specifically calling out the British actor's Australian accent.
"We're all used to foreign actors trying to do Australian accents, and it's so grating on the ear," he said in a video interview. "When you hear someone trying to do — a Brit trying to do an Australian accent and your own accent, I can't tell you how grating it is."
"On a lot of the stage direction, we collided paths because Bill did seem to be setting him up as this antisocial megalomanic," he told Vogue for its September issue.
Cumberbatch's co-star Daniel Brühl, who plays Domscheit-Berg, conversely had a much easier time interacting with his real-life counterpart. Domscheit-Berg invited Brühl, 35, to his house several times to discuss his relationship with Assange.
"He seemed to be very open and unrestrained, and I could tell how important that moment in his life was, and how he still suffers from the fact that this intense friendship relationship just collapsed and ended up in a disaster," Brühl told Mashable. "I realized this was maybe or probably a significant moment in his life, and he was willing to do anything — leave his job, whatever — to support WikiLeaks."
Both actors described their characters as "complex," saying they strived to portray them accordingly.
“It was important to me to portray him as a three-dimensional human being, and not get into a slagging match about whether he was good or bad," Cumberbatch said. “The kind of perception of him in a tabloid sense is very two-dimensional."
While the actor declined to characterize Assange in a simplistic, clear-cut way, one thing he was unambiguous about was his involvement in the upcoming Star Wars film — Episode VII — which will be directed by J.J. Abrams.
“No offer — it’s all rumor, it’s all gossip. No one’s being offered other than the people we know are being offered," Cumberbatch said. "Would I like to do it? I’ve said many times of course I would, but J.J.’s worked with me before. He knows where I live, so it’s all up to him.”
The City of Chelsea had a population of 39,171 as of July 1, 2018. Chelsea ranks in the upper quartile for Population Density and Diversity Index when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in Massachusetts. See peer rankings below.
The primary coordinate point for Chelsea is located at latitude 42.3968 and longitude -71.0313 in Suffolk County. The formal boundaries for the City of Chelsea (see map below) encompass a land area of 2.21 sq. miles and a water area of 0.25 sq. miles. Suffolk County is in the Eastern time zone (GMT -5). The elevation is 39 feet.
The City of Chelsea (GNIS ID: 619464) has a C5 Census Class Code which indicates an active incorporated place that is independent of any county subdivision and serves as a county subdivision equivalent. It also has a Functional Status Code of "A" which identifies an active government providing primary general-purpose functions.
The table below compares Chelsea to the other 246 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in Massachusetts by rank and percentile using July 1, 2018 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.
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The moment I walked into the kitchen, I was greeted by Chef singing the Happy Birthday song to me. It was amazing and totally made my day. He likes to put up a tough front at work so it was funny to see him be so uncharacteristically nice.
Almost immediately after though, he teased me about my “slow” progress on my piccalilli. To be fair, I was in no hurry and didn’t want to dice multiple quarts of vegetables all in one go so I had been doing it piecemeal over the past 2 days. Something clicked in me though, and I realized that moving faster during prep is something he has been subtly and not-so-subtly hinting at since I was on Pantry. So I kicked it into high gear, hauled ass, and finished about five hours’ worth of work in just four. I have no idea whether Chef noticed or not, but I felt accomplished. Perhaps the most daring was starting to build a salmon terrine at 3pm when historically it’s taken me well over an hour to complete. I was still able to finish early so I could set up and get ready for service.
I forgot to mention but on Tuesday, my prep list was fairly light, so I helped Chef roll out pasta. While we worked, he asked me about the dinner that Honey Bunny had taken me out to on Sunday night (we enjoyed a seven-course tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant for my early birthday present). When I told him my birthday was on Thursday and that I would be working, he laughed out loud and announced “Welcome to the fuckin’ kitchen!” Missing holidays and family functions are a part of The Life, so this experience was like a rite of passage.
After work, we went out to a dive bar for cheap drinks, air hockey, and billiards for my birthday celebration. I picked up Honey Bunny and it was the first time he was really able to meet my co-workers. One of our friends who works at the university nearby even joined us around midnight. It was super fun and the slight hangover that I have now is so worth it! |
206,133,889 | Whenever there was a carnival in town back when I was in elementary and junior high school (mid/late 1970s), it wasn't uncommon to hear kids in my class talking about their experiences at the carnival. They would talk about the different rides they went on, and one ride I've often heard mentioned was the "Salt and Pepper Shaker". I'm pretty sure that was the nickname for that particular ride, and not its real name. Can anyone tell me what the "Salt and Pepper Shaker" is or was??? Although I've been to only a handful of carnivals when I was a kid, I never recalled seeing a ride that went by that name whenever I went to them.
I think a more modern equivalent to the old carny ride is the Zamperla Hawk like Aero 360 at Kennywood or Hammerhead at SFMW.
Or even on the carny circuit the Kamikaze ride (I believe Larson makes it) is sort of like the old S and P Shakers.
Reminds me of when I was a kid and we'd have the fair or carnivals come into town. As a kid a Loop-O-Plane was one of the more common rides I'd see. We always called it a hammerhead as a kid though. Took me a long time to figure out why noone else seemed to know what ride that was, or what a Loop-O-Plane was. Didn't know they were the same ride.
Kennywood used to have one near the exit of Steel Phantom, but I think that when it became Phantom's Revenge, they took it out.
We always called it the "Bullet" when it came to our fair. I was very scared of this ride. The cars looked like bullets hence its nickname. It always had long lines and was very popular but with only 8 riders per cycle its not very practical for most parks nowadays to have one. But I think Geneva-On_The Lake in northern Ohio has one and Conneaut Lake has one. Kennywood's is gone however.
I was always intimidated by the BULLET at my school carnival...by the time I got up the nerve to ride it late in grade school, they didn't have it those years!..i never rode a BULLET until I did the one at Kennywood..I'm sorry to hear it's gone.
We called it the salt and pepper shaker too when I was young. I think it'd be interesting to know whether the different terms are because of region, generation, or something completely different.
Here in Southwestern Ontario it was called the salt and pepper shaker as well, never had the nerves to ride it, but after Kennywood's Aero 360, I'd give the ride a go now... if it ever returned.
Ditto most of above - Knoebels still has one, also known locally as "salt & pepper shaker" or "satelite" - technically is a Roll-o-plan built by Eyerly Aircraft - interesting article on Wikipedia
Eyerly also built Octopus, Fly-o-plane, ( a rather complicater circular ride on the order of Flyers but with lots more cables and stuff), Rock-o-plane (a ferris-wheel sort of contraption with rotating cars) and Loop-o-plane. The difference between Roll-o-plane and Loop-o-plane is that the first has only one arm, a car at each end and the cars don't ever actually do upside down, although they rotate from side to side. During part of the cycle, the arm itself rotates to a horizontal position. Loop-o-plane has two arms, one car at the end of each, which start swinging like pendulums and do go upside down. The last one of these that I saw was at Kennywood.
Roll-o-plane also a great ride to operate as it produces tons of loose change to supplement the snack fund.
Here on the west coast, this ride was called "The Bullet." The "Salt 'N Pepper" name was apparently an east coast thing.
That was some interesting clarification to me at least. I've been on a roll-o-plane but not a loop-o-plane, and I'd always wondered about the difference between them since they superficially look similar.
Cheers for the fly-o-plane! It may not be the most comfortable thing in the world, but I can't think of much out there that duplicates the ride experience. Well, good for me but my wife's probably not going to go on it again...
yeah...at the fair in my town, they always have the same rides and the roll-o-plane is one of them, except everyone in my school calls it the sidewinder
The Roll-O-Plane was sometimes referred to as "The Bullet" but I never heard anyone refer to it around here as "The Salt and Pepper Shaker"
I always found it interesting that Eyerly's rides, Roll-O- Plane, Rock-O-Plane, Oct-O-Pus, Loop-O-Plane, and Fly-O-Plane all had the letter "O" in the center of the name. All of those rides came out of the factory painted red, white, and green.
Another ride that appeared for awhile, not built by Eyerly, was named "The Sidewinder". It had cars shaped differently than the Roll-O-Plane but it gave the same ride action. I haven't seen one of them for about 15 years.
A ride that appeared later that is similar to the Oct-O-Pus is the Spider. The Kamikazee in recent years was a much bigger version of the old Loop-O-Plane.
There was a ride named The Spitfire, years ago, that had planes similar to the ones on the Fly-O-Plane. The were attached to a framework that was later converted for the ride The Paratrooper.
Erieview Park in Geneva-on-the-Lake had one until they removed the park last year. I don't know what the name of it was, but I think it was the same ride being talked about.
I love Roll-O-Planes, and the whole line of Everly ...-O-Plane rides! I haven't seen one of them in a while though!
Knoebel's has one that they call the Satellite. I don't know if it is in fact an Eyerly model, but as far as I remember it is the same ride action as the Roll-O-Plane.
this is it: http://miraclerides.com/RRrolloplane.html it was originally designed as a flight simulation device for flight schools by the eyerly company (check wikipedia) although this one turns only on the vertical axis, they originally turned also on the horizontal axis. I hear that in some states that is still allowed. but not here; safety regulations forbid it.
Nice pictures, but there is no way they ever turned on their horizontal access, and one look at the picture will be able to confirm that. The structural supports just won't allow it. I also highly doubt that it was meant as a flight simulation device as this wasn't even the first ride they designed. The first ride they built was one that used some things similar to a flight control stick so that the person that was in teh ride could adjust it a bit.
"Eyerly Aircraft built 60 of those rides before creating the Loop-O-Plane, Octopus, Roll-O-Plane and Fly-O-Plane. In 1949, the Rock-O-Plane debuted." quote taken from this article, which includes an interview with the owner and son of the founder:
Remember how they always blasted CCR music! Everytime I hear "Around the Bend" I think of the Round Up because they'd always play that song at the Round Up.
I remember both of thoes types of rides. I never knew it as the Salt shaker. I use to call the one version with the cars that go upside down, the running boots. I think the swivle one is funner than the other one.
does anyone know what that fast side ways farris wheel carnival ride was? I named it the ferris wheel from hell as the one that always came to our town was older than dirt, broke down 60% of the time, but I loved the the thrill of swining out over a hill.
Was it an enterprise? That's the only flatride that I can think of that sorta resembles a ferris wheel, is fast, and sideways.
The Sidewinder is mentioned in a post above. Here's a picture of Blackpool's Sidewinder circa 1982 ish.
I remember when both the Loop-O-Planes and The Roll-O-Planes would come to La Crosse for Oktoberfest. Around here we called them "The Hammers" and "The Bullet." Unfortunately, there was a horrible accident with The Bullet back in the '80s when one of the cars broke off and seriously injured a girl. After that, the Bullet was never brought back again.
We used to call it the Salt and Pepper Shaker and also the Divebomber. In fact it was just at a fair in Danville, Vermont this past weekend. It's different than the Roll-O-type rides because the cars on each side of the arm rotate so the riders never go upside down.
I have been looking to buy one its an old style man powered ride 1,2,3,or even 4 people could get in one you would have to get a good back&forth rythm going the better you did the higher you could go and if done well enough you could make a complete revolution around and if you did so you would then have enough momentem to do several easyly it got the name due to it was a pair of them one was painted black one was painted white hence salt and pepper ride if any one knows where to locate one i would like to find one
You're talking about the swinging cages. I don't know if there are any left. There were a heck of a lot of people that got hurt on those because they didn't know how to brace themselves while making their cages swing.
Interesting note- we had a Roll-O-Plane, Rock-O-Plane and Loop-O-Plane all at a couple of carnivals in the area here in the last couple of weeks. The first two were at the BroilerFest here in Crane run by Bluff City Shows, and in very poor shape. The Loop-O-Plane was in Billings for their annual fair and run by Fun Time Shows and it was in absolutely pristine condition. A gorgeous ride.
5755 Winona Avenue is a $199,900, 1,428 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3.0 bath home on a 0.16 acre lot located in St Louis, MO.
Gingerbread home with a unique extra large floor plan. 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths on a double lot in South Hampton neighborhood. Huge Master bedroom, refinished hardwood floors, main floor laundry. Large closets throughout and generous size bedrooms. Partially finished basement, full bath with a walkout will give everyone their own space to hangout. Nice sized shaded backyard and patio with room on the sides for a garden. Parking is never a problem with detached garage and off street parking for 2 more cars. Great location and walking distance to Hampton Village and several restaurants.
Consumers are demanding an ever increasing amount of personalization and customization of the products they buy. But often, eCommerce shopping carts aren't able to support checkout variations like adding logos, inscriptions, names - even your favorite sports team. However, these items not only can make help you make the sale over a competitor, but can also be a rich source of extra per order margin. Here's a good checklist to follow if you ever think you might need to add downstream item/product customization, without increasing processing costs.
Never before has one size fits all been so far away from consumer's minds, so UltraCart has developed a special eCommerce Shopping Cart editor for variable pricing based on product and item dimensions that the customer can customize themselves.
he critical part of any customization routine lies in being able to assign the correct pricing to those custom items. These are typically created as additions to the base price, but also can affect the overall order. UltraCart's approach to this often vexing eCommerce shopping cart function is to allow these items to be configured and applied to the product database in a number of ways, for instance:
If necessary, product customizations can be simpy added without having to create a new SKU, which keeps the parts numbering system from growing for essentially the same items
Item customizations can be defined by a number of aspects including size, color, personalization schemes and can be priced accordingly, for instance by charging for each letter or word when a product is to be inscribed, embroidered, etc.
Customers can be allowed to add the personalization directly into the eCommerce shopping cart, for instance writing their name or other personalization, which in turn can be limited to one or many lines of text
Your customers can be forced to make a personalization for certain products or conversely, customization can be turned off if a different product is chosen from your eCommerce shopping cart's product database
Some merchants create a hidden custom order, not allowing the shopping cart customer to realize that what they are ordering may be a unique eCommerce offering (i.e. not typically stocked), which can also be accomplished by creating a hidden special order code for when you want to have a special option that is NOT shown on the checkout |
85,268,815 | Thank you for all the wonderful comments! For all the doubters (I know you’re kidding) I added an in progress shot of the shoes. The funniest thing is I initially made the shoes with a black tongue (see pic) and it wasn’t until about 4 hours before delivery that I realized the tongue was supposed to be white. Luckily, some quick surgery and some freshly extruded shoe strings fixed it right up!
Since they’ve become so incredibly popular, adult parties – especially ones that feature toys and other products – are being attended by more women than ever. If you’ve been thinking about going to one, but have held off because you just don’t know what to expect, you can get a basic idea by reading through the information below. Chances are, you’ll find that today’s adult toy parties are a whole lot different than you’d think.
Firstly, although adult toys are often the main premise for throwing an adult party, the real reason that so many women enjoy these get togethers so much is because they are a lot of fun. Getting together with a lot of other women, nibbling on delicious appetizers and sipping on champagnes or cocktails are all a huge part of the allure of these parties. Being social is the main point of adult parties, so if you like being around other people and having a good time, you’re bound to have a blast.
No two adult parties are alike, but games are usually a part of the festivities. These games help those in attendance loosen up a bit, and allow them to get acquainted with one another. Usually, they are very silly and don’t involve any actual competition. The end result of the typical adult toy party game is a whole lot of laughter – especially when a decent amount of alcohol is flowing.
Once the games are through and everyone has had a chance to enjoy some food and drinks, the hostess of the adult party will usually unveil the toys that are for sale. Most of the time, she will have a special table set up, and will present them one by one. This way, women can ask questions as needed and can even handle the merchandise if they’d like to. Although there are many different party ideas for adults, the toys are always going to make an appearance at these parties. After all, they are the inspiration for adult toy parties!
Even if you walk into an adult toy party feeling reticent, nervous or reluctant about making any purchases, after all of the ice breaking and festivities, you may end up bringing something fun home with you. There is usually a broad array of products for sale, from relatively tame ones to more risque choices. Remember to keep an open mind, and try to get into the spirit of things. This is a prime opportunity to learn more about adult toys without having to walk into a strange store, so don’t be afraid to pick something out and bring it home!
These days, there are many exciting opportunities to make money as your own boss. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mum who’d like a little extra spending cash, or if you’re looking for a new direction in your career, being an adult toy party consultant is something that you should definitely consider. Learn more about the many perks of being an adult toy party consultant below!
You Don’t Have to Be Pushy – With many sales-oriented jobs, you have to be aggressive in order to make sales; this is not the case when it comes to adult toy parties. At the events you’ll throw as a consultant, it’s all about fun. Most people end up having such a great time – and are so intrigued by the merchandise – that they end up making a purchase. Talk about easy selling!
You’ll Earn Handsome Commissions – All too often, commission rates for making sales in many jobs are so low that it’s not even worth it. Adult toy party consultants, however, make exceptionally competitive commission rates. In fact, the great rate is a huge part of the burgeoning appeal of this line of work. Making those sales is so easy, it’s practically passive income!
You Can Set Your Own Hours – Imagine being able to work whenever you feel like it. As an adult toy party consultant, you’ll get to do exactly that. You won’t be hemmed in by any particular schedule, and you’ll be able to plan parties at your own convenience. Stay-at-home mums will love the ability to take care of their kids while earning money on the side; others will enjoy the “sky’s-the-limit” aspect of working as much – or as little – as they like.
You Can Use Total Discretion – Many women envision themselves handling a large volume of adult toys and are turned off by the prospect. In reality, though, the managers are the ones who do most of the “heavy lifting.” You just have to introduce party-goers to the merchandise; from there, your work is virtually done.
You’ll Interact with Many Different People – Women aren’t the only ones who attend adult toy parties. These days, many couples are attending these events. You’ll find it easier to come up with party ideas for adults when you have men and women in the group.
You Could Move Up – More than likely, you’ll love being a consultant so much that you’ll eventually want to become a manager. Managers enjoy even more perks than consultants do; some even get company cars or mobile phones. The playing field in this industry is very level, making it possible for just about anyone to move their way up to being a manager. Unlike many other jobs, you don’t have to deal with a cut-throat environment in order to be successful; the more fun you have, the better you’ll do!
One of the reasons that adult toy parties have blossomed in popularity lately is that they can be arranged around a limitless number of different themes. No two adult toy parties need to be alike – and they definitely shouldn’t be! After all, a huge part of the allure of any adult toy party is experiencing new types of fun. If you’ve been thinking about hosting these ultra-fun parties, you should arm yourself with plenty of theme ideas; a few of the best ones are outlined below.
Girls’ nights in are basically adult toy parties “for the fun of it.” In other words, they don’t revolve around any particular milestone or event. For that reason, they can be a lot more flexible in terms of themes. Anything goes at a girls’ night in, and Pin the Macho on the Man is a very popular choice when it comes to games. If you’ve ever played Pin the Tail on the Donkey, then you already know the gist about how this game goes. Instead of a tail, though, something a little naughtier is used! Women have a blast participating in this game, and it makes a great centerpiece for any girls’ night in.
Couples’ nights are popular themes, especially for those who prefer to enjoy adult toy parties with their significant others. The games at these parties need to be designed to include everyone in the fun, though, so they may be a little trickier to plan. Seat swap is one tried-and-true game that works well with this theme. Along the way, different women end up on different men’s laps – and everyone has a really great time!
During the holidays, there are many fun themes available for adult toy parties. You should definitely consider throwing a naughty Santa party, since they are in the spirit of the season – and a whole lot of fun! One first-rate game that you should consider for the event is adult pass-the-parcel. Instead of passing along an innocent toy or two, however, participants pass along adult toys and other sexy things. You won’t believe the hilarity that ensues during this fun game!
You could always come up with your own theme, too. Sometimes, you can incorporate elements from several different themes and create something entirely new. Fun games to consider for a custom party include Truth or Dare and Spin the Sexy Bottle. You don’t need to have a special reason to throw an adult toy party, and the sky really is the limit when it comes to themes! |
204,356,062 | New study finds that a compound in beer may help to fend off Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Cheers! A new study brings good news for those who like to drink beer. (Photo: Vladamir Skopcev/Shutterstock)
Unlike wine, with it's heart-healthy goodness, beer has never really topped the health food list. In fact, it's usually lumped in with potato chips, hot dogs and other types of junk food that health experts warn us away from whenever possible. Until now. A new study has found that beer might actually be good for your brain. So get ready to pop open a brew and learn more.
The study, which was published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that an ingredient in beer hops called xanthohumol (Xn) protected the brains of mice from cell damage. Researchers think this compound might not only help to fight free radical damage in the brain but it might also potentially slow the development of disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
There is growing evidence that degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may begin as a result of oxidative damage to the cells in the brain. So the theory is that if researchers can find a way to guard these cells in the brain from damage, it may help prevent or slow down Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. And that's where beer comes in.
Chinese medicine has long relied on the health benefits of hops, the female flowers of the hop plant, Humulus lupulus, that are used to flavor and provide stability to beer. In addition to giving beer its signature flavor, hops also release Xn, which previous research has shown might have healing proprieties.
To test the health effects of beer on the brain, five scientists isolated the compound and tested its effects on cells from rats. They found that Xn helped to protect their brains from damage and even helped to promote signaling between brain cells.
So how much beer do you need to drink in order to reap its protective effects? As with everything, moderation is key. But the researchers note that the best way to get the benefits of Xn is to consume products that contain it — such as beer.
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Despite his good fortune, he was never able to win that which he truly desired - the ability to control magic. When Twisted Fate learned of an experiment being conducted in Zaun that might help him with his wish, he did the only thing a gambler of his worth could do - he went all in and volunteered for the experiment. Conducted by the infamous Dr. Xavier Rath, Twisted Fate was told that the wager for such participation might be steep. He might change forever, or nothing might happen, or he might die horribly. Pain, however, was likely a part of the deal no matter the outcome. These were hardly the worst odds the gambler had faced; his hopes raised, Twisted Fate underwent the experiment, enduring what he must for a chance at his dream. Then, it ended - with seemingly no effect whatsoever. The gypsy rogue flew into a murderous rage, but, before he could strike down the team, he suddenly teleported himself miles away. With a sly grin, he realized his luck had won out yet again. He now brings his luck and rakish charm to the Institute of War, where he is the Champion of choice for many - especially the gambling kind. To this day, Twisted Fate has avoided his inevitable reunion with Dr. Rath. The Card Master knows, however, that a confrontation is coming. While the future may be mysterious and unknown to most, Twisted Fate is certain that his future lies within the cards. 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72,208,117 | The Nikon D700 was the last great pre-video DSLR. It was an excellent and very boring camera. Nikon's newest, a £2,400 body called the D800, introduces two major features: HD video and a 36-megapixel sensor.
That sensor is what's on everybody's mind. Studio photographers will love its rich details, and for the hack on the street, it's the sharpest sensor in this price range. Let's be clear from the start: This is one of the best cameras you can buy for under three grand, period. But it's been overshadowed by the standard-bearer in this category, the Canon 5D Mark III. At a £600 lower price, could the Nikon D800 be a better buy?
Thirty-six-point-three-million pixels. That number should smack you in the face. Megapixel counts can be misleading, but in this case, pay close attention. The camera's success hinges on that sensor. See, a sensor like the Nikon D800's shoots extremely high-resolution photos, which means a tonne of detail in the images. When the conditions are right, it can get better results. But cramming more pixels onto an image sensor can hurt its ability to shoot in dark conditions. If this super sensor falls short, the camera will only be interesting to pros working in controlled environments.
The other big change is Nikon's introduction of video. Until now, if you wanted a DSLR to shoot professional video, you bought a Canon like the Mark II—an upstart embraced by the filmmaking community, because at around £1,500, you couldn't beat the quality. That evolved into the £3,000 Mark III, a refined movie-making machine. The HD-shooting Nikon D800 enters the field with specs that, on paper, could challenge the Canon at a cheaper price.
The ergonomics and build of the D800 are excellent. For a professional camera, it's lightweight and compact. The textured grip is perfectly shaped to be carried one-handed. And its sealed magnesium alloy body can survive some abuse. The camera's LCD went from 3 to 3.2 inches, and it gained a new plastic "anti-fog" protector, but the resolution, like the D700, remains at 921,000 pixels.
Like the D700, the D800 uses two-handed adjustments for many camera settings. That's ideal for photographers who want to quickly tweak shots. Hold down a button for white balance, ISO, or auto-focus on the left side of the camera, and adjust each with a click of the wheels on the right side. The notable additions include a programmable manual function on the front of the camera, and controls for video on the camera body.
As with the Canon 5D Mark III, the camera has dual CF/SD card slots. These are programmable in several configurations—for example, it can back up all the images on only one of the cards, or it could set the RAW files to write to one slot and the JPEGs to another.
The D800 is all about resolution. The 36.3-megapixel, full-frame sensor produces huge, 7,360 x 4,912 images. Studio photographers love these big images because they capture a huge amount of detail. For photographers who aren't shooting under bright lights, though, these images are still really useful because they offer a lot of leeway to crop usable sections from the larger image.
There are drawbacks to the D800's high-resolution sensor. Recording huge images to memory cards slows down the camera's performance. While the 12-megapixel D700 could shoot 5 fps, the D800 lost a little speed, as it only takes four. When dealing with the images on a computer, the D800's RAW files are a whopping 33 MB, which makes processing files very cumbersome. Working with the images in Photoshop or Aperture can be maddeningly slow. Trying to convert hundreds of RAW files to JPEGs? You better have a couple of hours to spare. That said, the camera's JPEG quality is very good, so you don't always have to shoot RAW.
The megapixels that do such a great job of capturing detail and dynamic range during the day are your worst enemy at night. More pixels means smaller pixels, and smaller pixels aren't as good at capturing light as the larger light-buckets on the 23.1-megapixel Canon 5D Mark III. Hardcore photographers love the D700 because its 12-megapixel sensor does such a good job making the most of low-light situations.
On specs alone, those megapixels on the D800 clearly affect light sensitivity. Its weak sensitivity constraints are a generation old—the D800 shoots at up to a standard ISO setting of 6400 and at up to an expanded range of ISO 25,600. Still, it's impressive that Nikon has tripled the resolution of the camera without hurting ISO ratings. But how do images at that sensitivity look?
Turns out, the Nikon D800 is a monster when it's pushed to its limits. Under decent light with all noise-reduction turned off in our still-life ISO test, the camera held up very well within the standard range. If you zoom in very closely, the noise becomes obvious to the untrained eye above ISO 1600. But at a reasonably scaled resolution, those images are very usable. The noise patterns are uniform, a problem that can be dealt with in post processing. As for actually shooting with the D800 at night, the camera is capable of some great things, assuming you can get them in focus. More on that below.
Shooting performance, although improved over the D700, remains the Nikon D800's weakest point. The camera carries many of the same specs as Nikon's D4: The same 91,000,000-dot RGB 3D colour metering sensor, the 51-point autofocus system, and the Expeed 3 processor. The metering and processor are new, while the autofocus system is a hand-me-down from the last generation of Nikon cameras.
So you get a camera that feels fast in your hands but needs a little more TLC when shooting. The bright spot is the metering. It's very accurate, and by toggling between the centre-weighted, matrix, and spot metering systems, you can get the right exposure without any hassles. You'll hardly ever need to use exposure compensation.
The rehashed auto-focus performed well on the D700. It finds focus fast—instantaneously, basically—even when the lighting is terrible. Unfortunately, the results weren't always great. Finding good focus with a very shallow depth of field can be a challenge for any camera, but the D800 would occasionally run into problems above f/5.6—generally considered safe territory. The AF is tweakable in the settings, so you can match it to the profiles of your lenses, but it should work better out of the box.
A word on lenses—be careful about which lenses you use with the D800. If you've got shaky hands, it's unforgiving with lenses that don't have image stabilisation. To really take advantage of all of those pixels, you'll need some very sharp glass.
Nikon arrived late to the HD party, but the delay allowed the company to take advantage of the Canon's shortcomings.
From a hardware perspective, the camera's main distinguishing feature is the clean HDMI output. This can take unprocessed video from the image sensor, feed it into a recording device, and do the processing there. That means you can record raw video and process it later—a useful, if niche, advantage over the 5D Mark III. The camera is also a healthy competitor on the audio front. It has both a stereo mic input and a headphone jack, which are essential to monitor and adjust the audio as needed.
The D800 shoots HD footage on par with comparable DSLRs out there. In Gizmodo's initial test, pitting the D800 against the Canon 5D Mark III, the camera held its own against the 5D. The D800's video performance mimics its photography skills: It's a very good all-around shooter, but it's much better suited to daylight shooting than night. During the day, footage was noticeably sharper than the 5D Mark III's video. After the initial test, we even swapped out the £1,500 lens we were using for a Nikon DX lens designed for Nikon crop sensor cameras. That's a major no-no, but the Nikon's quality remained sharper than the Canon 5D. Using any lens, the D800's nighttime performance could not compete with the 5D.
The D800 has the same video problems as other DSLRs: rolling shutter. Rolling shutter occurs when either the camera or something in the shot is moving quickly. In the recording, some portions of the shot will appear to move more quickly than others, causing a weird warping distortion. It's the proverbial runner that moves faster than the camera. It's the biggest complaint against both the 5D Mark II and Mark III, and it's no different here. It sucks. In our test, the Nikon camera also suffered from terrible moire interference—this is the trippy-looking distortion that occurs with detailed, repeating patterns.
The Nikon D800 takes beautiful photos in nearly any situation. In daylight, the camera is completely satisfying. It shoots minuscule details and vivid colour like no other camera out there. In the dark, the high-resolution sensor holds up impressively in its standard ISO range, and photos taken at up to ISO 1600 and often ISO 3200 have so little noise that they're usable without editing. The camera is built to survive, and manipulating your shot with the buttons on the camera without ever going into a menu is smart, streamlined and intuitive. As for video, the D800 delivers what the D700 lacked: versatile filmmaker-quality footage in a DSLR package. The clean HDMI output opens the door to a new world of post-production.
When a camera is fantastic—and expensive—the small shortcomings get frustrating. The D800's biggest disappointment is the auto-focus. It works, but not as fluidly as the rest of the camera. The high-resolution sensor was an awesome and potentially visionary addition to the camera. Nikon should have developed an auto-focus tailored to make it work. Instead, they reused existing technology. Yes, this is a pro's camera, and most photographers won't expect it do all the thinking on its own. But this feature just seems sloppy.
Given how well that sensor does in daylight, it's disappointing that the camera doesn't quite hit that level of excellence in the dark. It fizzles out at just ISO 6400, which doesn't really push the boundaries of what came before.
As for the video, the camera upgrades to the status quo. It adds the usual benefits and drawbacks, without the bringing a whole lot more to the table. The results are very sharp, thanks to the sensor. But if Nikon wants to get serious about video in its DSLRs—and it should—the company has to introduce something new.
If you're toting around a D700 and tonnes of nice glass, this is as close as you're going to get to an essential upgrade. You, Nikon devotee, you should buy this camera. It's a better still camera than the D700, it adds video, and the fantastic image sensor takes images to a new level of quality. The high-resolution sensor was a gutsy move, and it paid off, as Nikon proved that you can pack pixels into a camera without ruining its performance in the dark.
But for the camera consumer with a budget over £2,500 and no brand loyalty, it's a tough call between the D800 and the 5D Mark III. They're both excellent cameras, and they're good at different things. After testing each for a week apiece, we're still asking whether the benefits of the Nikon's high-resolution sensor outweigh the Canon's versatility.
The best way to tell could be to consider how you'll use the tool—for a pro photographer shooting portraits in a studio, or a Nat Geo correspondent capturing the landscapes of Yosemite, the Nikon could be the clear choice. For a photojournalist on an unpredictable news beat, or even a young professional taking on a wide range of work, the Canon could be a better option. Answering the question for yourself could be a matter of just picking each one up and seeing which feels right in your hands. |
202,259,292 | Ararat’s Baydn Cosgriff has made a big impression in a short amount of time on the football field. He won the best on ground medal in the under-17 Wimmera Football League grand final and has already made multiple appearances in Ararat’s senior team. Cosgriff will continue his development, making his first interleague appearance at the weekend. The 17-year-old said he was excited for the upcoming junior interleague game. “It is good to be involved in these types of things,” he said. “It is more of a fun thing for me to play these games. “This will be my first interleague game but I have been involved down at the Greater Western Victoria Rebels at times as well.” Cosgriff has been playing football since under-13s before transitioning into the Rats program and working his way through the junior ranks. He has notched up a couple of senior games this season and looks poised to continue to make an impression at the top level. The junior Ararat player said he attributes his current form to under-17 coach Matthew Summers. “Matt has had the biggest influence on my football so far I think, his connections with the players are good and I see him a fair bit at school as well,” he said. He said he has made a lot of memories at the club but one sticks out in particular with many more to come in the future. “The grand final win has probably been my highlight, it is a good feeling to win one,” he said. “I hope I can keep playing for Ararat, I do not have any intentions of leaving any time soon.”
Baydn Cosgriff's football journey will continue with a Wimmera Football League representative appearance
JUNIOR STAR: Baydn Cosgriff will take to the field in the junior exhibition match in Horsham at the weekend. Picture: Adam Hill
He said he has made a lot of memories at the club but one sticks out in particular with many more to come in the future.
On Wednesday, I went to an HR Convention (for my other job) and one of the key note speakers, Chester Elton was great and really got me thinking.. one of his takeaways applicable to all aspects of life, was the power of a handwritten note. In a world of texting, Facebooking messaging, and tweeting, its almost a forgotten method of communication and appreciation. His advice/challenge was to write 3 handwritten notes a week for 3 weeks. So, I'm doing it, and frankly hope to continue for longer than 3 weeks, but it's a good start, and a great reminder to slow down. The fastest way isn't always the best way, and taking a few extra minutes to write a note could make someone's day. I started today by writing a note to each of my son's teacher in celebration of Teacher Appreciation week, thanking them for their kindness and amazing way with my son. Yes, I wish I was already doing this more regularly, but sometimes we all need a little reminder/challenge to get back to a good habit. I used to write my husband notes all the time in his lunch, I use to be way more on top of my thank you notes, yes I'm busy, but I know I can carve a few extra minutes, and I know it will go a long way.
Do you write notes? What do you think of 3 notes a week for 3 weeks? You want to do it with me? If so, I'd love to hear how it goes!!
Most of the time I'll be posting fairly healthy recipes, but there is an exception to every rule, and all things in moderation right :-). Its also cold out and this weather warrants comfort food! Lobster Mac & Cheese is a great way to show your valentine they are loved not to mention a great way to support your local lobstermen :-) (shameless plug ). This is using my grandmother's classic baked mac & cheese recipe; hope you like it!
8 oz container of Old English Cheese (substitute 10oz of shredded extra sharp white cheese if you can't find it or don't want to use it)
Sauté lobster meat in a tablespoon or 2 of butter for just a couple minutes and then add it into the pasta and cheese mix
Layer half of the pasta mix into the buttered casserole dish sprinkling with half of the Romano cheese
Add the rest of the pasta mix and then top with the remaining romano cheese and 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
***Note that if your little valentines don't care for lobster meat, remember to set aside a smaller baking dish for regular mac & cheese for them. Or you can get a little creative and bake a few muffin tins of mac & cheese (heart shaped for the holiday would be mighty cute). Those will likely only need 20 minutes (ish) total or until they're cooked through. |
244,903,160 | In the 2011 Census, there were 318 people in Caveside (State Suburbs) of these 48.4% were male and 51.6% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 7.2% of the population.
The median age of people in Caveside (State Suburbs) was 39 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 18.6% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 13.2% of the population.
Of people in Caveside (State Suburbs) aged 15 years and over, 54.8% were married and 11.9% were either divorced or separated.
The median age of married people in Caveside (State Suburbs) was 52 years and the median age of people never married was 23 years.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), of people aged 15 years and over, 56.4% of people were in a registered marriage and 10.3% were in a de facto marriage.
The median age of people in a registered marriage in Caveside (State Suburbs) was 52 years and the median age of people in a de facto marriage was 47 years.
In Caveside (State Suburbs) 27.4% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 26.1% were in primary school, 21.6% in secondary school and 23.9% in a tertiary or technical institution.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), 71.4% of people had both parents born in Australia and 17.8% of people had both parents born overseas.
There were 151 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Caveside (State Suburbs). Of these 60.9% were employed full time, 27.8% were employed part-time and 5.3% were unemployed.
Of employed people in Caveside (State Suburbs), 12.0% worked 1 to 15 hours, 7.7% worked 16 to 24 hours and 57.0% worked 40 hours or more.
The median age of people employed full-time in Caveside (State Suburbs) was 47 years and for people who were employed part-time was 41 years.
The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Caveside (State Suburbs) was $428.
Provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability (last two weeks) 36 13.8 46,646 11.6 1,896,957 10.9
In Caveside (State Suburbs), of people aged 15 years and over, 74.7% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 30.1% provided care for children and 13.8% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 34.0% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.
Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Caveside (State Suburbs), 23.3% worked 5 to 14 hours, 13.6% worked 15 to 29 hours and 15.2% worked 30 hours or more.
Of the families in Caveside (State Suburbs), 38.3% were couple families with children, 45.7% were couple families without children and 11.7% were one parent families.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), for couple families with two incomes, the median income for those with children was $1,607 and those without children was $2,187.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), of couple families, 28.6% had both partners employed full-time, 0.0% had both employed part-time and 15.5% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.
Of occupied private dwellings in Caveside (State Suburbs), 100.0% were separate houses, 0.0% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 0.0% were flats, units or apartments and 0.0% were other dwellings.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), of occupied private dwellings 2.5% had 1 bedroom, 9.2% had 2 bedrooms and 52.9% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.2. The average household size was 2.4 people.
Of occupied private dwellings in Caveside (State Suburbs), 50.8% were owned outright, 25.8% were owned with a mortgage and 18.3% were rented.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), of all households, 79.2% were family households, 20.8% were single person households and 0.0% were group households.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), 28.7% of households had a weekly household income of less than $600 and 4.6% of households had a weekly income of more than $3,000.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), 21.8% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 42.9% had two registered motor vehicles and 32.8% had three or more registered motor vehicles.
For the 2011 Census in Caveside (State Suburbs), there were 23 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Of these, 5 (or 21.7%) were male and 18 (or 78.3%) were female. The median age was 12 years.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 4.3, with 1.6 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,031.
In Caveside (State Suburbs), for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $0 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,073. |
75,043,957 | Cannabis industry’s leading consulting group offers low cost compliance audit program to help all types of marijuana businesses identify “hot spots” that can trigger regulatory disciplinary actions
DCG, the nation’s leading cannabis industry consultancy, announced that the company will offer low cost $100 compliance audits for cannabis dispensaries, marijuana grow operations, and processors. These professional audits provide valuable information and give insight into where businesses may be out of compliance with state and local regulations. The failure to remain compliant can result in regulator-imposed fines, temporary or permanent shutdown, and license revocation.
“The co-founders of DCG still own and operate one of the first recreational dispensaries in Colorado, and know first-hand how important it is to stay compliant with the myriad of regulations,” said Ryan Lewis, Partner at Denver Consulting Group. “Today, many of the issues that harm a dispensary’s ability to earn a profit, stem from a failure to comply with certain aspects of the law.”
Regulators in all cannabis-legal states have been stepping up surprise inspections, so it is imperative to have every employee adhere to all regulations, no matter how obscure.
“We developed the $100 Compliance Audit Program to give canna-business owners deeper insight into their operations, and actionable intelligence on how to immediately rectify problems,” Lewis commented. “There are no strings attached. This is a full-service audit with a complete report and certification,” he added. “I cannot think of a more important $100 investment.”
DCG has partnered with CannaScore for the Audit Program. CannaScore is an award-winning auditing and compliance software system, providing real-time scoring and analysis. Verified companies receive Compliance Certifications, which gives assurance to regulators, banks, investors, landlords and other stakeholders.
Denver Consulting Group (DCG) is a cannabis consulting service, helping marijuana businesses get established, stay compliant, and thrive. Services include license applications, location permitting, build-outs, grow optimization, training, and SOPs. The company also provides regulatory audits powered by CannaScore – the gold standard in compliance assurance.
By Nathaniel Sillin What important lessons will you teach your child this summer? Riding a bike? Sharing with others? How...
You just can't go wrong with a hearty bowl of soup on a freezing winter's day. Comforting, satisfying, tasty and convenient - soups are a great way to look after yourself over the long cold months...
As we face the coldest months of the year but try to maintain our weekly mileage, humble soup is a great comfort food, will warm you up and can make the ideal recovery meal when you get back from a cold, wet, wintry session. Soups can also be cooked in bulk and frozen into portions so that you always have them to hand, should you fancy an easy meal. They make good lunches too if you take them to work in a flask and are an ideal starter to a main family meal.
There is even a study that showed if you eat a meal in soup form, your stomach stays fuller for longer than if you eat its parts in solid form. Great news for those of us who tend to carry a little extra weight over the winter months!
The carbohydrate (squash) and protein (nuts) mix makes this soup an ideal recovery meal or snack. The protein helps your muscles restore their glycogen better than if you only had carbohydrate alone and the fact that it is a high fluid meal, contributes to your fluid intake, post run.
The olive oil and the monounsaturated fat in the nuts are good for your heart health and cholesterol and the nuts themselves contain iron for healthy red blood cells and B vitamins to metabolise our food into energy. This soup is really filling, due to the protein and the low glycaemic index carbohydrate in the butternut squash, and it's very very tasty!
This is great as it fills you up, counts towards your 5 a day and is virtually calorie free. Great for a snack mid-afternoon or even before you go out for a meal, to prevent you from overeating later on. You can also try using other vegetables such as leeks or adding herbs such as thyme or coriander for variety.
Heat the olive oil and add the onions and carrots. Cook for a few minutes but do not allow to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook for a minute. Add the stock to the pan, half cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender.
For the lemon herb cream: Mix all the ingredients together and serve a spoonful on top of each portion of soup.
Because of the carrots, this soup has a lovely sweet taste so kids (as well as adults!) love it. It tastes much more calorific than it really is and is also a very filling soup that is great on its own with crusty bread for a meal or snack. Each portion contains one of your 5 fruit and vegetable portions for the day too.
We assist large Michigan No-Fault PIP carriers to reduce their cost per claim while providing satisfaction to claimants and claim adjusters.
Headquartered in Center Line, Michigan, Northwood has over 23 years of experience working with Michigan No-Fault carriers, with an expertise in controlling claim cost and insurance premiums. Northwood’s program has definitive experience in specialty rehabilitation equipment and services auto claimants require for life.
With the steady increase of pharmacy costs, Northwood offers a specialized electronic Pharmacy Benefit Management Program (PBM) that provides significant savings on pharmacy expenses for carriers.
Northwood’s network is customized to process claims regardless of whether the claimant’s benefits are full coverage or coordination of medical benefits.
Northwood has partnered with other No-Fault Insurance carriers and has the experience and resources available to assist claim adjusters with handling and processing claims for all home care products and services including durable medical equipment, medical supplies, orthotics, prosthetics, pharmacy, home health care services, home modifications, translation/interpretation and transportation services.
Northwood is geared to assist and serve the needs of claimants who sustained injuries such as soft tissue injuries, fractured bones and joints, other miscellaneous injuries and catastrophic injuries.
Elimination of contacting 2-3 vendors for service and pricing for durable medical equipment (DME), medical supplies, pharmacy, orthotic & prosthetic services (O&P) infusion services, home modifications, home health care services, translation/interpretation and transportation services.
Elimination of seeking prescriptions for DME, medical supplies, pharmacy, O&P, infusion services, home modifications, translation/interpretation and transportation services and home health care services from physicians, hospital discharge planners, case managers, and other vendors.
Elimination of telephone conversations with vendors to verify the appropriateness of services in regard to need, delivery dates and specifications for the equipment.
Elimination of seeking letters of medical necessity to determine whether the prescribed medications are medically related to the injury sustained in the accident.
Elimination of tracking co-payment pharmacy receipts. No need to main to Insurance carrier to seek reimbursement
Customer service representatives are experienced, helpful and available to respond to questions about a plan’s coverage criteria.
Customized reporting for each claimant receiving services. Detail reporting includes services provided, name of provider, amount charged, discounted savings and amount paid. Detail also includes provider’s name and address in order to calculate reimbursement for medical mileage.
Physicians, adjusters, claimants, case managers, hospital discharge planners, attendant care providers, home health care agencies, and others.
Former Russian MP, Denis Voronenkov, an outspoken opponent of Vladimir Putin, was shot dead outside a hotel today. He had fled to Kiev in fear of his life and to help with inquiries into Russia's incursions into the Ukraine.
Trump's sidelined in Suzan-Lori Park's wise and entertaining 100 PLAYS for the FIRST HUNDRED DAYS (Theatre Communications Group. In this slim, 93 page book, we, the thinking public, are the main attraction, while Trump skirts the sidelines perplexed he's not the mainattraction.
In this intelligent darkly funny book, people of good will with humanist values assumed to be universal, find themselves in dystopian land. Stunned like Alice, we identify this strange new place, trying to define the shape of things to come.
Yet Parks, Pulitzer prize winner of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG takes the long view. Like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she tries on the idea that politics is a pendulum, not about right or left or leaders. Parks' astute examination of who we are now and how we got here, concludes with an optimistic assessment of "WE THE PEOPLE."-- The American character in the larger sense.
I found this book a refreshing antidote to the senseless 24-7 assault of Trump News. Parks has written a kind of Pilgrim's Progress through our current psychological plague.
I have often wished the newsmedia might consider taking control of their medium. Suppose at say 7PM, they programmed a half hour of Trump news, rather than alerts throughout the news day. Without burnout from the day's choreographed distractions, people might actually tune in for a real news perspective. |
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Today work began on the new children's fire safety audio book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. Michael Post of Post Arrangements visited the fire station today to compile the special sound effects needed for the book.
Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog will be released as an audio book on April 11, 2008! The audio book will be read by Firefighter Glenn Trembley and Author Firefighter Dayna Hilton. Music by Michael Post and engineered by Post Arrangements. Three generations of firefighters will be participating in this project!
There has been a lot of preparation getting ready for the big day. This blog has been created to share the latest news and information about Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog.
Over the weekend, I spent some time at Mt. Magazine's Lodge to take some time away from the hustle and bustle and to concentrate on an article that I am writing for Firehouse.com.
Move your mouse over the image and click the pause, play, right or left buttons to control the slideshow. |
151,890,407 | Biomedical Engineering and Surgery Teams Develop a New 3D-printed Soft Robotic Hand for Supporting Rehabilitation after Stroke | Faculty of Engineering, CUHK
Biomedical Engineering and Surgery Teams Develop a New 3D-printed Soft Robotic Hand for Supporting Rehabilitation after Stroke
Stroke is one of the main causes of disability in the world. Stroke cases happen approximately every 40 seconds. In view of the aging population, the rehabilitation of stroke patients receives a high level of attention in society. A research team led by Prof. Raymond Kai-Yu Tong, Professor and Chairman in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Prof. Zheng Li, Assistant Professor in the Department of has developed the 3D-printed soft robotic hand (soft robotic hand) by making use of the latest silicone printing technology. This provides stroke patients a tailor-made, less bulky but comfortable and affordable soft robotic hand for the rehabilitation process and so supports rehabilitation of the hand function.
Because of their bulkiness, the traditional rehabilitation mechanical devices for stroke patients are usually found in hospitals. As patients cannot use the devices at home every day, they give a low level of support to them in their daily lives which affects the effectiveness of recovery. Therefore, Prof. Raymond Kai-Yu Tong and his research team developed the ‘Hand of Hope’, a mechanical robotic hand rehabilitation system, a few years ago, which provides training and supports rehabilitation of hand function after stroke. The ‘Hand of Hope’ was also the first Hong Kong-based hand rehabilitation system to receive the Grand Prix Award at the 40th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in 2012, and currently hospitals in over 15 countries are using it to help rehabilitation of stroke patients after obtaining the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approval and the Conformité Européene (CE) mark.
Based on the success of the ‘Hand of Hope’, together with the rapid development of soft robots and silicone 3D-printing technology, the research team has spent nearly two years developing the new soft robotic hand. Compared with the traditional mechanical rehabilitation devices, the silicone actuator controlling the activities of the fingers of the soft robotic hand is much smaller and lighter and patients can bring the soft robotic hand home to support daily activities. It can be tailor-made for patients, from children to adults, according to the size of their fingers and palms. The soft robotic hand can detect signals from the brain to the muscles, which supports patients in learning hand functions again and in performing complex gestures. This will enable occupational therapists to train patients in different daily tasks. In terms of the price, the cost of the silicone actuator is around one-tenth of the traditional rigid motor, meaning that is affordable to more patients.
Prof. Raymond Kai-Yu Tong said, “As the ‘Hand of Hope’ made use of the traditional rigid motors, it was hard to further trim down its size and weight. The soft robotic hand is not only lighter and smaller, but we can tailor-make it for every stroke patient according to the hand size. So, some rarely found stroke patients, such as children, can now participate in the rehabilitation training sessions. We have provided training sessions to a stroke child, and we have found significant improvement on his hand function. In the future, we wish to deliver a soft robotic hand to every stroke patient so that they can start the training, even at home, rather than spending lots of time travelling to hospitals for training every day.”
The soft robotic hand is pneumatically actuated to control patients’ ability in hand opening and closing. To deal with the spasticity presented in stroke patients’ compromised fingers, the research team has modified the design of the silicone actuator to facilitate effective finger flexion and extension, which is important for patients in performing more complex gestures. To enhance the quality of the silicone actuator, the researchers run a simulation to analyse the actuator characteristic before sending the actuator out for 3D-printing. While choosing the suitable 3D-printing service provider, the research team mainly focuses on the durability of the 3D-printed components, e.g. whether rupture would occur on the silicone actuator after a lengthy period of flexion and extension actuation.
When using the soft robotic hand, electrodes will be attached to the hemiplegic side of patients for recording the tiny electric current generated during muscle activity. The tiny electric current from the brain can be treated as an indicator of hand movement. When patients are trying to open the hand, muscle activity will be recorded through the attached electrodes and the soft robotic hand will open patients’ hands following their intention. This enables the patients to learn the correct way again using the brain to control their hand functions.
A research team led by Prof. Raymond Kai-Yu Tong from CUHK has developed the 3D-printed soft robotic hand (soft robotic hand) by making use of the latest silicone printing technology. This provides stroke patients a tailor-made, less bulky but comfortable and affordable soft robotic hand for the rehabilitation process and so supports rehabilitation of the hand function. |
96,761,393 | The children will love our children’s play area complete with brand new pirate play boat. Or why not have a go on the putting course? There is a fully enclosed eating area within the play area or you can watch the children from the main terrace.
It is nearly impossible to have grown up in America and not be familiar with Aunt Jemima. However, when thinking of Aunt Jemima, people often associate a person to the name not the pancakes. Before Aunt Jemima came to be an American icon, an initial interest needed to be established. This is the story of the woman who became a food, that became a product, which became one of the most recognizable figures in history: Aunt Jemima.
Aunt Jemima was first introduced as a character in a minstrel show – an American form of entertainment developed in the late 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music. The shows were performed by white people in blackface for the purpose of playing the roles of black people.
Minstrel shows portrayed black people as dimwitted, lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, superstitious, happy-go-lucky buffoons.
The inspiration for Aunt Jemima came specifically from the song “Old Aunt Jemima” written by a black performer named Billy Kersands in 1875. It was a staple of the minstrel circuit. The song was based on a song sung by slave hands. “Old Aunt Jemima” was performed by men in blackface. One of the men depicted Aunt Jemima – a Slave Mammy of the Plantation South.
The lyrics tell of the promise to be set free yet remaining a slave forever. “My old missus promise me . . .When she died she-d set me free . . . She lived so long her head got bald . . . She swore she would not die at all . . .”
While the lyrics depicted a reality, Aunt Jemima did not. There was a big difference between the stage Mammy and the actual female household slave. In fact, many argue that the Slave Mammy that became the stereotype never actually existed. Well-known New York blogger, Julian Abagond had this to say:
“The Mammy pictured female household slaves as: fat, middle-aged, dark-skinned, undesirable . . . happy to serve whites, always smiling . . . The ugly truth is that they were: thin . . . young . . . light-skinned, a daughter of rape; desirable to white men and therefore raped, utterly powerless, extremely unhappy . . .”
The Mammy was created by white Southerners to redeem the relationship between black women and white men within slave society. Slave owners sexually exploited and abused their female slaves. Catherine Clinton’s book The Plantation Mistress: Woman’s World in the Old South, notes that “Mammy was made to appear unattractive so no white man could want her over his white wife therefore ‘proving’ that white men did not find black women sexually desirable.” She was also proof that black women were happy as slaves. The Mammy helped put to rest any worries white people may have had around her, or women who looked like her.
Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix began in 1889 when two speculators, Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood, bought a flour mill. Together they developed the idea of a self-rising flour that only needed water. Initially, it was called ‘Self-Rising Pancake Flour’. Rutt was inspired to rename the mix after attending a minstrel show, featuring “Aunt Jemima.” Rutt decided to use the name and the image of Aunt Jemima to promote his new pancake mix. However, Rutt and Underwood were unable to make the product a success and in 1890 they sold the business to the Davis Milling Company. The Davis Milling Company developed an advertising plan to use a real person to portray Aunt Jemima. The woman they found was Nancy Green.
In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation set slaves free and Green moved to Chicago after the Civil War. There she worked for the Walker family as a domestic servant. It was the Walkers who brought Green to the Davis Milling Company to audition for Aunt Jemima. She was 56 at the time. Nancy Green debuted as Aunt Jemima at the 1893 World’s Exposition in Chicago. The Davis Milling Company constructed the world’s largest flour barrel to grab people’s attention. Then they put Nancy Green on display (much like the flour) and gave her an act. She dressed as Aunt Jemima, sang songs, cooked pancakes, and told romanticized stories about the Old South – a happy place for blacks and whites alike, now accessible only by nostalgia, or by buying Aunt Jemima’s pancake recipe.
Green was a huge success. Her booth attracted so many people that special policemen were assigned to keep the crowds moving. The Davis Milling Company received over 50,000 orders, and the fair officials awarded Green a medal and certificate for her showmanship. After the Expo, Green signed a lifetime contract with the company and traveled on promotional tours across the country. By 1910 more than 120 million Aunt Jemima breakfasts were being served annually, roughly equal to the population of the country. Green as Aunt Jemima was so successful that in 1914 the company renamed itself, ‘The Aunt Jemima Mills Company.’
The Davis Milling Company’s marketing plan was brilliant. They delivered their customers something they had always wanted but could never have: a ‘real life Mammy’. Along with the pancake mix, pamphlets were given out telling Aunt Jemima’s ‘life story’. According to the pamphlet, she had been the house slave of Colonel Higbee, whose plantation was known across the South for its delicious pancakes. After the war the Davis Milling Company, who had heard of the pancakes, paid Aunt Jemima in gold to share with them her secret recipe. That was the kind of feel-good story people wanted to hold onto. And with the pamphlet and Aunt Jemima’s famous pancake mix, they could.
Aunt Jemima’s ‘secret’ pancake recipe was nothing more than wheat flour, corn flour, lime phosphate, and salt. But that wasn’t important. The Davis Milling Company weren’t selling pancakes; they were selling The Mammy fantasy. The only ingredient that really mattered was Aunt Jemima.
The Aunt Jemima fable formed the background for decades of future advertising. Davis hired James Webb Young to create advertisements featuring Aunt Jemima. Young teamed up with N. C. Wyeth, a well-known painter and illustrator. Billboards were displayed with Nancy Green’s image and the caption, “I’se in town, honey.” The ads became popular in 1910 but it was in the 1920s and 1930s that the Aunt Jemima ads reached the height of their fame.
The full-page color advertisements ran regularly in Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and The Saturday Evening Post and told tales of the leisure and splendor of the Plantation South. Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, a labor-saving product, was marketed with comparisons to a time and place when some American white women had the ultimate labor-saving device: a slave. A line from a 1927 ad read: “Make them with Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour, and your family will ask where you got your wonderful Southern Cook.” Or, just another way to say, “Your family will ask where you purchased a Slave Mammy such as this.” Slavery, and moreover, the fantasy of having slaves, was still the main attraction of the Aunt Jemima brand.
No one portrayed Aunt Jemima for ten years following the death of Nancy Green in 1923. Then in 1933, the Quaker Oats Company (which had acquired the company in 1926) hired Anna Robinsonto play Aunt Jemima at the Chicago World’s Fair. At 350 pounds, she was much heavier than Green and she was darker in complexion. The Quaker Oats Company loved her look and she was sent to New York to pose for pictures. An entire campaign was designed around Robinson as Aunt Jemima and her association with celebrities. She had personal appearances and was photographed at some of the most famous places making pancakes for Hollywood royalty, radio personalities, and Broadway stars. The advertisements derived from those photography sessions “ranked among the highest read of their time”
Ironically, out of all the celebrities she posed with, none were more famous than Robinson herself. But Robinson wasn’t famous for being their peer; she was famous for being Aunt Jemima, their slave.
Having celebrities pose with Robinson brought the Aunt Jemima brand more sales and success than ever before. People have always wanted what celebrities have. Be it a designer dress, a car, or the ultimate status symbol: a Mammy.
In the first half of the 1900’s the Mammy was increasingly popular and was featured in a multitude of films, radio programs, and television shows. But no Mammy was more popular than Aunt Jemima.
The 1934 movie Imitation of Life told the story of a Mammy, Aunt Delilah, who inherited a pancake recipe. She gave the valuable recipe to Miss Bea, her boss who successfully marketed the recipe (‘Imitation of Life’).
The Aunt Jemima Radio Show ran from 1930 to 1942. This Aunt Jemima was portrayed by the white actress Tess Gardella. Gardella was a blackface performer best known for playing the character on both stage and screen. The show included the Jemima Chorus. Between songs Aunt Jemima would explain why her pancakes were so easy to make and offered a “Happy Thought for the Day.” The show was essentially a minstrel act for radio.
By the 1950s Aunt Jemima could be found in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. There were dolls, bowls, and salt and pepper shakers made in her likeness. People had grown up with Aunt Jemima as a part of their lives.
Despite its popularity, there has never been a time when the Aunt Jemima character has not been considered racist. According to Smith, Andrew F. in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, the famous Mammy came under increasing scrutiny in the 1950s and 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement.
Throughout the 1960s, the Quaker Oats Company lightened Aunt Jemima’s skin and made her look thinner in print images. In 1968, the company replaced her bandana with a headband, trimmed her waistline, and gave her a more youthful image. They removed the Southern Plantation settings and she no longer had a speaking role. If this was the Quaker Oats Company’s attempt to present Aunt Jemima as a less racist figure, they failed. By making her lighter, thinner, and younger, along with taking her off of the plantation and muting her voice, Aunt Jemima represented a house slave more than she ever had before.
Local chapters of the NAACP began pressuring schools and fair organizers not to invite Aunt Jemima to appear. In 1967 the Quaker Oats Company canceled its television campaign and in 1970 they removed Aunt Jemima’s name from the Disneyland restaurant.
In 1989, after activists reportedly threw Quaker Oats into Lake Michigan and threatened boycotts in protest of the minstrel-inspired image, the company modified Aunt Jemima’s likeness once again. The Quaker Oats Company claimed that the change was to “celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the icon.” Aunt Jemima’s headband was removed and replaced with dark curly hair. She was also given pearl earrings. The company said it was repositioning the brand icon as a “black, working, grandmother” – words that have been used since the days of the minstrel show to describe the Mammy. Despite the ‘makeover’ Aunt Jemima continued to be the black, obedient, female domestic whose only pleasure was to serve you.
In 1993, the Quaker Oats Company debuted a series of television ads for the pancake mix featuring the singer Gladys Knight as a spokeswoman and using Aunt Jemima’s face only sparingly. They had the black, southern, Gladys Knight singing, smiling, and serving her ‘grandkids’. There was no need for the picture when they had the real thing. It was a page right out of the Davis Milling Company’s book.
Today there is only one place to find Aunt Jemima advertising and that is on the Aunt Jemima Website. The website is designed to look like an Aunt Jemima pancake package. There’s a thick red border on the bottom and the top of the page. There is even the Aunt Jemima picture with her name, or, the brand’s name, right below it in the top left corner just like on the boxes. The website uses a variety of tools in an attempt to separate the product from its past.
On the website if there is a caption, it’s made clear that it comes from the Aunt Jemima Company not Aunt Jemima. “Our products”, “Our Syrups”, “ . . . our corn meal mixes and quick grits.” Under the Our History tab there is a timeline. Like the rest of the website it is sparse. Both Nancy Green and Anna Robinson are included as portraying Aunt Jemima. It’s noted in 1989 Aunt Jemima got a ‘contemporary’ look. In the background there are snapshots of ads throughout the years featuring black families, white families, postcards, and pancakes. At the end of the timeline there’s the Today button. It reads: “Aunt Jemima Pancakes stand for warmth, nourishment and trust – qualities you’ll find in loving moms from diverse backgrounds who want the very best for their families.”
After learning of the product’s history – that which is not given on the website – one can read between the red lettering. “Aunt Jemima Pancakes stand for warmth, nourishment and trust – qualities you’ll find in loving moms (a Mammy) from diverse backgrounds (slavery) who want the very best for their families (masters).”
True to form, there is no mention of ingredients or taste. There’s no reference to food. Nourishment is listed as a quality you’ll find in the person – in this case the Slave Mammy – who you can count on to feed you, care for you, and work hard for you. You are her only priority and your ease and comfort is all she needs to be fulfilled. That is what this company is selling. It is what they have always sold. Despite what the company would like you to believe, the product has never been pancakes. Remember that next time you mix up and pour out some Aunt Jemima into your skillet for breakfast.
The ascendant Rams and Odell Beckham Jr. are a match made in heaven, and right up until Los Angeles stunned the NFL world by trading for Brandin Cooks on Tuesday, they were the favorites to trade for the New York Giants superstar.
And they should’ve kept trying to make a deal for Beckham until it happened or became impossible. Here’s why the Rams were too quick to move on.
Cooks is a good receiver and could be the deep threat that appears to be the only hole in L.A.’s offense, but he’s shown time and time again that he isn’t a top-tier No. 1 target.
The 24-year-old has produced three straight 1,000-yard seasons – an impressive feat – but he established his ceiling on teams with superior quarterback play to the Rams.
The New England Patriots threw the ball more than any other team in the league last year, and the New Orleans Saints ranked second in attempts in both 2016 and 2015, according to teamrankings.com.
Symple Shortcodes Wordpress Plugin is used by 738 websites. Among 738, 0 site is within top 10,000 and 23 sites are within top 100,000 websites. |
253,372,609 | Irving Kahn, who has died aged 109, was Wall Street’s – and probably the world’s – oldest active stockmarket investor.
Kahn began his career with the brokerage firm of Kuhn Loeb and made his first trade in June 1929, selling short 50 shares of a red-hot stock called Magna Copper which he believed was over-valued; his $300 stake, borrowed from an in-law, more than doubled when the Great Crash struck four months later. But he was not by nature a short-term speculator: rather, he said in an interview 85 years later: “I prefer to be slow and steady… If a stock goes down, I have time to weather the storm, maybe buy more at the lower price. If my arguments for the investment haven’t changed, then I should like the stock even more when it goes down.”
It was an approach he had learned in the 1930s from Benjamin Graham, the British-born Columbia Business School professor who was the father of “value investing” – the technique of picking, and holding for the long term, stocks that represent “a dollar selling for 50 cents” and thereby carry a built-in “margin of safety”. Kahn attended Graham’s evening classes at Columbia, worked with him as a research assistant and business associate, and gave one of his sons Graham as a middle name (as did a younger disciple, the billionaire Warren Buffett).
Kahn went on to become a partner of Abraham & Co, which was acquired by Lehman Bros, and in 1978 he founded his own brokerage and investment advisory firm, Kahn Brothers, which grew to manage funds of $1 billion. Much of his time as chairman was devoted to poring over technical journals and company reports in search of “value where others have missed it”, having long since “stopped wasting time on what people claimed a stock was worth and started looking at the numbers”. His preferred time horizon for this process was “decades”: he advised other investors to tune out prevailing market views and ignore the modern world’s “superfluity of information… all this static in the air”.
He also cautioned against excessive borrowing, and supported proposals to reintroduce a separation of retail banks from those that trade in securities, because “I wouldn’t lend you a dime if I knew you loved to gamble at a casino”. Financial crises, he opined, were too often the result of “a bunch of gamblers going crazy on the floor of the exchange”.
The remarkable longevity of Kahn and his siblings, without serious illness, became the subject of medical-school study: his sister Helen almost reached 110, his brother Peter died at 103 and another sister, Leonore, at 101. The diminutive Irving had smoked until he was 50 and preferred cheeseburgers to salad, but at 108 he still commuted the short journey from his apartment to his office three days a week to discuss investment possibilities with his son Tom, who had taken over the running of the firm, and his analyst grandson Andrew; the latter had been reading to him from The Economist on the day he died.
The son of a Polish immigrant salesman of electrical goods, Irving Kahn was born in Manhattan on December 19 1905 and was educated at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx before dropping out of college to find work as a Wall Street clerk.
He was a founder member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and a co-founder of the New York City Job and Career Centre, which offered vocational training to high-school pupils. His standard advice to young people starting out was: “Figure out what you like to do and do that. Don’t worry about the money. If you’re good at what you do, the money will take care of itself.”
Irving Kahn married, in 1931, Ruth Perl, whom he met at Columbia University when she was studying for a doctorate in psychology; she died in 1996. They had three sons, of whom two survive him.
The global pop sensation of the year has got us all excited about South Korea. Welcome to the world of K-culture
Gangnam Style, a novelty song by the South Korean rapper Psy, is the global pop sensation of 2012. It is No1 on the UK singles chart and has been viewed more than 360 million times on YouTube. Britney Spears asked Psy to teach her his rodeo-riding dance live on Ellen DeGeneres’s TV show. Even a YouTube clip of five Korean girls dancing to Gangnam Style has been viewed more than 35 million times.
Now, just as The Killing led to a mania for “Nordic noir” TV cop shows, so Gangnam Style has led to a fad for K-pop, the pop music of South Korea. But why stop there? Why not dive into the whole of K-culture? Here is your instant, 10-point bluffer’s guide…
1 K-song: Gangnam Style, named after the swanky Gangnam area of Seoul, epitomises both the pervasive cultural influence of the West and the rising economic power of the East. The Korean lyrics may be incomprehensible, but anyone can enjoy the irrepressibly camp energy and charm of Psy himself, as he bops around Seoul chanting, “Hey, sexy lady!” What also comes across is an incredible sense of energy and confidence – the product of a culture that is clearly going places.
2 K-star: Psy – real name Park Jae-sang – grew up in Gangnam. The 34-year-old son of a factory owner, he was educated at Boston University and the prestigious Berklee College of Music. His first hip hop album, Psy – From the Psycho World (2001), led to a fine for “inappropriate content”; and his second album was barred to buyers under 19. He was drafted into the army from 2007 to 2009, interrupting his music career, but Gangnam Style has taken him back to the top.
3 K-pop: US forces have been stationed in South Korea for the past 60 years, inspiring a mix of Asian and Western sounds: sugary Japanese pop, pounding dance rhythms and rap all rolled into one. If you like Gangnam Style, try Fantastic Baby by the boyband Big Bang, whose video rivals Lady Gaga for fashionista eccentricity and excess. Who’d have thought that Koreans would dress like futuristic glam rockers and chant “Boomshakalaka,” but they do.
4 K-Belgium: A recent article in the Huffington Post argues that South Korea is Asia’s Belgium: a small, inoffensive nation squeezed between bigger, often antagonistic neighbours. But, while tensions between China and Japan rise, no one (apart from North Korea) hates South Korea. This makes Gangnam Style the Tintin of South Korea: its calling card to the world.
5 K-facts: South Korea has a population of 49 million, with an average life expectancy of 78.6. Its economy is ranked 15th in the world, growing by 3.6 per cent last year. The population is ethnically homogenous and the single biggest religion is Christianity, accounting for 26.3 per cent of the population.
6 K-films: South Korean film-makers are catching up with their Chinese and Japanese peers. Beginners should start with Park Chan-wook’s thriller Oldboy, winner of the Grand Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and rated among the best 100 films of all time by the Internet Movie Database website. This extraordinary tale of imprisonment and revenge is as violent, twisted and stylish as anything by Tarantino.
7 K-fashion: South Korean style is being promoted through “Seoul’s 10 Soul”: 10 designers displaying their work at showrooms in Paris and Milan. The cutting-edge Korean menswear label General Idea has opened a Manhattan boutique. Its designer is a cool, moustachioed, shades-wearing hipster. The only micro-problemette: his name is Choi Bum-suk.
8 K-cuisine: The traditional view of Korean food can be summed up by the Manchester United fans’ chant for their Korean star, Park Ji-sung, “Park, Park wherever you may be / You eat dogs in your home country.” But Korea’s robust, spicy cuisine, based around rice, grilled meats and kimchi (the national dish of fermented cabbage, radish and cucumber) is growing in popularity here. There are more than 50 Korean restaurants in London alone.
9 K-cars: Korea is the world’s fifth biggest car producer, but its products were long considered inferior to Japanese machines. That’s changing, however, with Hyundai leading the way. Even the Top Gear pundits admit that “their model line-up is now garnering some genuine credibility”. And in 2010, Hyundai was named as “preferred supplier” of cars to the British police.
10 K-phones: The Korean-made Galaxy SIII smart phone hit the headlines recently when a California court ordered its makers, Samsung, to pay Apple $1 billion for infringement of copyrights. Buoyed by all the free publicity, US sales of the Galaxy soared, briefly overtaking the iPhone. Industry analysts concluded that by telling the world that the Galaxy was really just like the iPhone, only cheaper, Apple had done Samsung a billion-dollar favour.
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U.S. jails are home to 20 percent of the world’s prisoners and according to the constitution, more than six million convicted felons are disenfranchised and prohibited from voting, the Sentencing Project Organization said.
A felony in the United States carries with it a number of consequences. Regardless of whether a person has served prison time, their past actions are branded on their criminal record for life and offenders are stripped of their civic right to vote.
Due to the decentralized nature of voting regulations, the length of this restriction is left to the discretion of the state and could vary from a few years to life. The governors of Vermont and Maine, for instance, believe every vote counts and slide ballots through the bars of their prison cells to allow felons to participate. In 15 states, some of which hold the highest crime rate in the nation, voter right is restored after convicts are released from prison.
However, in California, Colorado, and Connecticut, ex-felons must first complete their prison and parole requirements before applying for the return of their voting rights. In 20 other states, felons can try to regain their rights after ending their parole and probation. While in 10 states, felons may never participate in local or federal elections again.
Kamy Akhavan, the CEO of ProCon.org, a non-profit research group who has been active in researching the pros and cons of voting rights for prisoners and ex-convicts, told teleSUR, “(The felon) population in some states is a big number. The United States imprisons more people per capita in total than any other country on the planet.
“However, in some states, it is disproportionately high...like Florida, you see over 10 percent of their eligible voting population are not allowed to vote; they are disenfranchised. They would, in theory, be allowed to vote were it not for the felony committed somewhere in their past,” Akhavan said.
Eric Foner, a historian at Columbia University said, “You steal a chicken, it’s a felony; you go to jail and you lose the right [to vote] … You have more and more people being thrown into jail, and mostly Blacks—these laws are not basically applied to whites very often.”
Since 1976, the number of U.S. incarcerations and disenfranchisement cases have skyrocketed from 1.17 million to 6.1 million, a figure attributed to both the war on drugs and mandatory minimum sentencing policies which were introduced in the last 50 years.
Over 1.5 million ex-felons are now residing in Florida and 20 percent of African Americans residents are prohibited from voting. Nationwide statistics show that 33 percent of African Americans hold a felony conviction, while a Black man is five times more likely to have served time in prison than his non-colored counterparts.
“It is certainly disheartening to see the disproportionate number of people of color behind bars in the United States in general, it is not representative or proportionate of our population...how would these people vote if they were not in prison. Well, more likely or not, they would be democratic voters,” Akhavan told teleSUR.
Based on the demographic information, the majority of felons are from left-wing minority groups, Akhavan said. He added that some politicians say that with their participation and their support as registered Democrats, they could potentially swing an election.
“On the flipside of that, Republicans regularly charge that the Democrats only want to re-enfranchise felons and ex-felons in order to win elections and that is what they see as the real motivation. So both sides are kind of pointing at each other as using felons as pawns in some type of political calculation to win elections, and in some degree, they’re both right,” said Akhavan.
“There is some merit to arguments on both sides. I think if you look at the bigger picture too, what’s happening now with the 2018 midterm elections, and the disenfranchisement that is happening around the country in serious forms of voter suppression, I think people will mostly look at the felon voting issue as very much in line with this general trend of a political calculation to disenfranchise certain populations for political reasons,” the ProCON official said.
This year, Amendment 4 is making its debut on Florida ballots on Nov. 6, during the U.S. midterm elections. After nearly 20 years of fluctuating legislation regarding the rights restoration process due to gubernatorial changes in the state, advocacy groups have banded together to solve the issue once and for all.
Florida currently holds one of the strictest felon-disenfranchisement policies in the country and Amendment 4 would essentially simplify the process for all ex-convicts except murderers and sex offenders.
“We get emails and contacts every week from felons who want to have their right to vote restored and they’re not sure how to do it. Some of them are so motivated that no matter what the hurtle is- no matter what it takes...and it’s no small feat and yet they are so motivated that they will pursue it and pursue it until they finally can have that happen for them. I think that kind of personal commitment to wanting to have their voice heard, to wanting to participate in a democracy,” said Akhavan.
Leading the initiative is a former congressional chief of staff, Neil Volz, convicted for lobby scandal, and Desmond Meade, a former homeless man convicted on drug and weapon charges. Dozens of human rights organizations have shown their support such as the American Civilian Liberties Union, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, and the Brennan Center for Justice, among many others.
“What’s interesting in Florida is that the people kind of stepped into the equation. They got enough signatures on the ballot in order to make it a constitutional amendment, which if it passes, it means that legislators will have a far harder time of altering the will of the people in that state,” said Akhavan, whose organization is dedicated informing the public on highly political and controversial issues from a non-partisan perspective.
“In using the ballot process, it was a really novel way of intervening...I suspect if it works in Florida, that we’ll see similar efforts across other states where they do have this ballot process available to them,” he said.
In October, a poll conducted by Suffolk University showed that of the 500 participants surveyed, over 70 percent were in favor of Amendment 4, 20 percent were against, and eight were undecided. The proposal needs to win at least 60 percent of the vote in order to pass.
“The United States does not have an especially high turn-out rate, in fact we are not even in the top 20 for democratic countries for voter turnout. We look at what these people who are disenfranchised what they do to gain that right to vote, how much they appreciate, value and treasure it… that sort of passion for democracy is truly inspirational,” Akhavan said. |
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90,962,621 | The story doesn’t offer anything new, but these small subversions make the leisurely paced Vishwaroopam more than just another entry in the ticking-clock genre, where we wait breathlessly for the villain to be vanquished before everything.
Pay Small is an instalment payment plan by American Express. Pay Small gives you more control over how you pay for large purchases by allowing you to break them into smaller payments over time.
The neon is original and the clock runs well. The outer neon is red and the inner white. Can be wall mounted or used as a counter top display.
The Clock Tower is a remnant of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus, a reminder of the Age of Steam and a memorable landmark for the millions who have passed through Victoria Harbour.
GREG Murphy has declared himself a genuine endurance chance with four times Bathurst winner ready to turn back the clock with a team he claims will. If you are looking for a small edge, I think we have that over a fair few people.
AS HMAS Darwin sailed into Territory waters on Wednesday, it also sailed into a significant milestone. The city’s namesake recorded its one millionth nautical mile early yesterday and celebrated with cake for all. The guided missile.
(CNN) — Punctuality-phobes may soon no longer be able to blame perennial lateness on slow-running watches following the invention of an atomic clock small enough to wear on your wrist. Scientists at the National Institute for Standards.
With the Seiko LCD travel alarm clock you can take it wherever you go; perfect for the avid traveller. With a stylish digital display, this alarm clock comes with a light, temperature and a calendar so you can stay organised wherever you are.
“One thing I realized we hadn’t done is take advantage of all our travel and restaurant authority that we. What makes Bon Appétit’s city guides somewhat different is that the list is small and all the locales have been tested by the title.
[ 3 ] T H E A N T I Q U A R I A N H O R O L O G I C A L S O C I E T Y THE TURRET CLOCK KEEPER’S HANDBOOK A Practical Guide for those who Look after a Turret Clock Written and Illustrated
Miles Kimball large screen clock receives daily radio. Big screen atomic clock features easy-to-read face displaying time, temperature, day & more.
New York City is trying to get more small loans in the hands of women looking to expand their own businesses. Through its WE Fund: Crowd partnership with Kiva, a crowdfunding web site focused on women entrepreneurs worldwide, the.
What is certain in good travel icons, is it quality of icon of varied use There are so many types of toolbar icons that needed to be well made in order to add colorful effect to the website as well as serve the purpose of conveying message to the readers of a site.
Complex administrations take time, but sadly for small Arrium creditors like Steve Donald, time is a luxury they may not have. When Arrium collapsed in April, it set in train one of the most complicated administrations in Australian corporate.
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The Greenwich lies amid the bustle of Tribeca, offering a cozy and quiet rest from the action of Manhattan.Bobby Zur, founder of Travel Artistry, recommends the hotel for its traditional luxury that’s free of any pretense and textured decor that includes touches like exposed brick, fireplaces, and libraries of books.
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Plan out your summer travels or your next business trip with these top travel apps for iOS and Android devices.
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L’Austral L’Austral, a sleek yacht launched in 2011, is small enough to provide a truly intimate cruise experience; her size makes her ideally suited for visiting ports that bigger ships can’t reach.
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We can see from the graph that at “low” speeds there is only a small change in time dilation (i.e. the flow of time doesn’t change very much), but at speeds over about 75% of the speed of light the effect of time dilation is quite dramatic.
Alarm clocks get you going – stay informed with a clock radio. When you need a travel alarm clock or bedside alarm clock, it’s time to shop BedBathandBeyond.com. This is your wake up call – buy now!
A water clock is an ancient device that measured time by marking the regulated flow of water through a small opening. Jiang declined to identify the Hong Kong businessman, who was hailed "a patriot." He also refused to disclose the. |
216,771,847 | The interview is over, and you can walk out of the door and breathe out. You did your best and definitely impressed the hiring manager with your experience, your skills and personal traits. You used the best of interview advice to stand out and you hope that this job will be yours. However, now everything is up to the hiring manager.
Is it really so? Have you ever wondered what you should do after the interview to maximize your chances for the job? Luckily, there are. Even in today’s competitive economy, the right steps taken after the interview can come handy. Today we’re going to talk about things you should and shouldn’t do after the interview.
You were interviewed, you’re pretty sure the recruiter liked you, and it’s been over a week, and no one has gotten back to you. Sounds familiar? In this case, thinking over the interview and assuming that you’ve said or done something wrong is the harmful tactics as it destroys your confidence. You can focus on preparing for other interview and looking for new opportunities – remember that you shouldn’t put all eggs in one basket?
At the end of the interview you should ask “When do you expect to make a final decision?” Businessnewsdaily recommends. Thus, the interviewer will give you an approximate time frame upon the expiration of which you can contact them and follow up on the results. Whatever your friends or online bloggers recommend you, don’t spam them with emails and call every other day to “get noticed”. They will get so much irritated by such a behavior that your candidacy will not be considered.
You want to get in touch and expand your network, that’s understandable. However, there is better time and place for it than right after the interview. Asking about it can be a total turnoff for the person you’ve probably already made a good impression on. So, don’t ruin it – keep this step until the selection process is over.
If you called the company and were informed that they hired someone else, it’s no time to get emotional about it. Instead, thank the interviewer again for their time and consideration and wonder whether they could consider you for the job openings in the future. Handling such news professionally will add you points in the eyes of the interviewer and probably you’ll be one of the first candidates for their next opening.
It often happens that the candidates increase their salary expectations after one or several successful interviews. However, this tends to be seen unprofessional and even rude by the hiring managers. The truth is, the candidate is picked based on different criteria including the salary the company is willing to pay him. If you want the higher compensation, it’s better to discuss this matter during the initial interview. Otherwise, you’ll simply waste your and the interviewer’s time.
The importance of thank you notes is hard to overestimate. It serves lots of purposes – thank the interviewer for his time and consideration, reiterate your skills and even explain what you would do if you already had the job. You can send this note by email or even consider sending a handwritten note, especially if the potential job promotes creativity and non-standard approach to routine tasks. Here are a few more tricks on sending a thank you letter:
Send it within 24 hours from the interview. Be proactive in your willingness to remind about yourself. If you send the letter five days later, the interviewer might not even remember you;
If you were interviewed by several people, it’s common to send a note to all of them, so you could express your gratitude and stay ‘top of mind’ for all interviewers;
Address one of the interview questions or the topics of discussion. If you believe you could have given a better response to one of the questions you were asked, you can do it in a thank you note. However, be brief as lengthy thank you notes are rare so they probably won’t be read with attention;
Attach some supporting documentation along with it. Forbes.com insists that including your previous work samples, press mentions and any other files which serve as a proof of your professional capabilities and strengthen your chances.
if the interviewer told you to call in certain hours to follow up on the status of your consideration, don’t neglect this rule. Use the methods of communication offered by them and don’t call three days after the interview if they told the selection might take two weeks. However, if you contacted after this period has expired and no one has gotten back to you after two letters or calls, it’s the sign you can update your resume and apply elsewhere.
If your friend or acquaintance works for the company you’d like to work for, the best time to ask them about recommendation is after the interview. You can ask them to get in touch with a hiring manager and highlight qualifications and strengths of you as an employee. Such a recommendation may change the hiring manager’s decision in favor of your candidacy, so make sure to make use of your professional connections.
If the job was won by some other candidate, take it in a professional manner. Now it’s time to offer the hiring manager to stay in touch for the future opportunities. You can offer connecting with them on LinkedIn and receive the future job offers to your mailbox. It’s a good idea to follow up once in a few months to ask whether they plan to have openings for which your skills might be a good fit.
Confidence is good, however, being too arrogant won’t help you in making a good impression. Remember that until you got an official offer, you’re in the same position as other candidates as the interview isn’t a guarantee of a job yet.
Obviously, the way you act after the interview continues having an influence on the odds you’ll get this job. Avoid being annoying as the hiring managers are busy people, they deal with dozens of people every day, so your everyday attempts to ‘get noticed’ will likely be seen as an unprofessional conduct. Be sure to remind the interviewer about your strengths when his memories about you are fresh to strengthen the positive impression. And, most importantly, if you’ve made a mistake (for example, in a thank you note), attend to it quickly to show your ability to correct your own mistakes.
Looking for jobs online? Then, you should know the rules of the game of online resume posting. The right resume posting online will protect your private information from scammers and help you find a job faster. And make sure your resume is perfect for a job you want – contact our resume professional to get assistance with resume writing! |
237,281,854 | “An important book for understanding the deeper issues impacting the path to peace for the people of Palestine and Israel. The concrete course of action Fr. Ateek proposes is rooted in nonviolence, grounded in current realities, and can finally open a clear path to justice, reconciliation, and forgiveness for all the peoples of the Holy Land.”
This booklet includes information about 24 Palestinian villages that have been depopulated and demolished during the Nakba period.This booklet is meant to give the reader a short historical background about each of the towns and villages. Everyone had a vibrant living community which within hours had lost its inhabitants who were displaced and became refugees […]
The papers in this book make clear in great detail the history, theology, and politics of Christian Zionism. The book is meant to inform and educate. It is meant to help readers challenge Christian Zionist neighbours with the truth and facts of what is happening in Palestine.
This book is a compilation of most of the papers presented at Sabeel`s eighth international Conference. The text contains presenters thoughts on the most cutting edge issues in today`s world, namely Empire and its impact on religion, politics, economics, and all other aspects of life.
This Lent Course is produced with a view to exploring the scriptures in the light of the current situation and current realities in Israel and Palestine. Background information and interpretation are left to a minimum in order to enable people to read the text from the heart and be challenged in a new way by […]
In these days when life for Palestinian Christians has become extremely difficult and when so many feel that their fellow Christians around the world have indeed forgotten them, it is of great urgency that international and local Christians get to know one another. We trust that these encounters not only give those of you from abroad […]
The image of the suffering Christ is unique, and key to the Christian faith. The God who experience and overcame the physical and psychological pain of oppression, torture and execution is a source of great hope and strength to those who continue to suffer today. Sabeel seeks to bring alive the message of Christ in […]
All together, nineteen Palestinians and seven persons of various nationalities explore the Palestinian social and historical reality. They chronicle the growing self- awareness of Palestinian Christians of their unique spiritual identity. They recover the biblical grounds for using power and seeking justice. They reveal the role of women in sustaining the Intifada, and they show that […]
The Course uses a liberation theology approach to bible study, encouraging individual responses to the bible passages and inviting participants to reflect on what God might be saying to us in the context of our world today, and specifically the Palestine-Israel context. We have chosen for particular consideration the experience of life in the shadow of […]
The papers in this volume were delivered viva voce at the 1998 Sabeel International Conference. Each was followed by formal questions in the plenary sessions, and more intimate discussion in other gatherings. In most cases, the speakers took account of these exchanges as they prepared their papers for publication. However, in a small number of […]
It is a collection of personal and eyewitness testimonies by a number of our brothers and sisters from different backgrounds and faiths, most of them over seventy years of age, who lived through the Nakba. Here they tell their own stories, their own experiences of what happened in 1948. They describe what they and their […]
: This volume contains papers given at a conference held in Jerusalem in 1996 under the auspices of Sabeel Liberation Theology Center. The papers published here cover a wide range of pressing matters, which not only emphasise the complexity of the problem but also express a prophetic vision for a just and lasting peace in […]
A Nonviolent Response to the Occupation: The movement of the IsraelPalestine conflict through nonviolent means is now accelerating. There is a window of opportunity to reach a just settlement. In spite of past setbacks and much scepticism, many people on both sides of the conflict cling to the hope for peace. As people of faith, […]
Oppressed people around the world have often felt the need to counter the false images of which they have been done to them. We are aware that the majority of people, especially in the western nations, are unfamiliar with the Palestinian story. It is about time for us to take up the task of telling […]
In pursuit of peace and out of our faith commitment, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem has formulated a set of principles by which we, as Palestinian Christians, believe a just, secure, comprehensive and lasting peace can be achieved.
At this site on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus asked the question of Peter, “Do you love me?” He then followed with the directive to go out to serve. It is our prayer that you will use this quiet time to hear Jesus speaking to you in a way that not only enriches your personal […]
The issue of Palestinian suicide bombings has become a familiar topic to many people throughout the world. It is easy for people, whether inside Israel/Palestine or outside to either quickly and forthrightly condemn it as a primitive and barbaric form of terrorism against civilians; or condone and support it as a legitimate method of resisting […]
This book is a compilation and papers from the Sabeel 9th International Conference. From sermons and Bible studies to presentations by international law experts, this conference is used and abused in the Holy Land and in the context of the occupation of Palestine.
This collection offers a broad look at the history of Christianity in the Holy Land, the contributions of the historic churches, the tradition of pilgrimage, the effect of cultural context on Biblical reflection, and the current realities of Palestinian life both for those living under Israeli Occupation and for those who are Israeli citizens.
“The wall has been broken down,” Paul (or one of his pupils) writes in the Epistle to the Ephesians. The ‘wall of hostility” which separated Jewish people from non-Jewish people has been broken down by Jesus Christ, through God`s unconditional and universal love which goes out to all men and women, irrespective of their ethnic origin […]
A critical examination of political Zionism, a topic often considered taboo in the West, is long overdue. Moreover, the discussion of Christian Zionism is usually confined to Evangelical and fundamentalist settings. The present volume will break the silence currently reigning in many religious, political, and academic circles and, in so doing, will provoke and inspire a […]
On Friday, November 3, 2017 130 people gathered at Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem, as Sabeel, together with Bilda (Swedish Christian Study Centre), The Educational Bookshop and the Tantur Ecumenical Institute hosted a book launch to introduce Rev. Naim Ateek’s latest work, A Palestinian Theology of Liberation; The Bible, Justice and the Palestine-Israel Conflict (Orbis, […]
Not long ago, there was a clear separation between organic search results and social media channels. Recently, that has changed dramatically. The line that used to separate these two online elements has become blurred.
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This all started with Google + and has now bled into Facebook, Twitter and various other social media channels. The basic theory is this:
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218,464,106 | At the end of 2014, the median price for homes in Portola Valley was up for the fifth year in a row, at just under $2.5 million, another all time high. Demand continues to outstrip supply, due to the strength of our local technology driven economy. Just about everything is selling in record time, and 30% of sales were all cash transactions. The vast majority of properties came to market through the Multiple Listing Service, although 10% or so traded privately, off market. With the shortage of inventory we are experiencing, sellers are advised to go the off market route only if they are confident of getting top dollar.
Although Portola Valley prices have moved up dramatically in the last five years, in comparison to many of our neighboring communities, including Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Los Altos, Portola Valley remains a great value where you get more house and more land for the same money. Last year $2.8 million bought a 3100sf home on almost an acre of land whereas in any one of these other communities both the house and lot would have been a fraction of this size.
Central Portola Valley generally refers to the area south of Westridge Drive, west of Alpine Road, and north of Portola Road. However, for real estate trends and tracking purposes, other beautiful areas such as Westridge, Blue Oaks, Willowbrook Road and offshoots of Los Trancos Road and Alpine Road are also included in the numbers. These properties are usually well over an acre, offer larger homes and often lovely foothill views. In 2014 sales in these neighborhoods ranged from two to ten million, with an average of $3.7 million.
Ladera, traditionally one of Portola’s more accessible neighborhoods, took off in 2014 with 22 sales, twice as many as the prior year. Coveted by young working couples and Stanford related families that appreciate it’s close in location, convenient shopping center, recreation facilities and proximity to commute routes, this neighborhood has it all. Multiple offers were the norm in 2014, and homes sold for a premium of 11% over the list price. The average sale price moved up a sharp 19% to $2.1 million, disappointing many buyers who couldn’t come close to making that jump.
Portola Valley Ranch also saw a big step up in activity. The new generation of buyers is a mix of middle aged couples downsizing from high maintenance properties and young couples with small children, both of whom favor the natural open space setting of this planned community with its spacious homes and wonderful amenities maintained by a diligent HOA. The new playground, miles of hiking trails, pools, tennis courts, winery, exercise room and clubhouse offer the quintessential California lifestyle for a manageable monthly fee. In 2014 the average sale in the ranch was $2.6 million.
The most remote of Portola Valley’s neighborhoods, Los Trancos and Vista Verde, have neighborhood associations that keep them closely knit with social events like a spring progressive dinner, a summer community picnic and Halloween celebrations. This year one notable event in the neighborhood was the donation of 80 and the auction of 160 military tanks from the huge Jacques Littlefield collection of military vehicles, formerly housed at 499 Old Spanish Trail. Littlefield’s unique compound on 19 acres at 497 Old Spanish Trail was also listed for sale last year for $13.9 million but did not sell yet. The average neighborhood sale in 2014 was $1.8 million.
The Woodside Highlands neighborhood is small and wooded, very retreat-like, with hilly, narrow streets. Last year it had only three sales at an average sale price of $1.7 million. Due to the topography of this little pocket and the challenge of navigating its streets, it has a targeted appeal.
Activity in the Brookside / Corte Madera neighborhood was also slow in 2014 with only three sales, a third of the prior year’s. Like Ladera, the lots and homes in this area tend to be smaller and less expensive than in Central Portola Valley, but it has a nice neighborhood feel and is close to the shops at the intersection of Portola and Alpine Roads. The average price in 2014 was $2 million.
Looking forward, it’s hard to predict if the market will continue its climb, plateau or decline this year. At a statewide level, the California Association of Realtors is predicting price gains of 5.2 percent which is relatively moderate growth after 3 years of double-digit gains.
After the dot.com boom in 2000, the market bottomed out in 2002 then improved for six years, peaking in 2008, then bottomed out again in 2009 after the financial crisis. 2014 was the fifth year of an up market cycle, and the real estate market tends to move in seven to ten year cycles. The local economic outlook remains strong, employment and consumer confidence are up, and interest rates are still low. 2015 may be another good year for sellers and the opportune time to bring their properties to market rather than trying to time the peak and possibly miss it. An uptick in inventory might allow prices to plateau so more buyers can get in. This would be a welcome change since San Mateo County is now the second least affordable county in the state according to a recent study with a housing affordability index of 14% compared to the statewide average of 30% and the national average of 57%. |
220,548,439 | I read what I thought was an interesting post at the The Bard's Room - a White Sox blog on the MVN network of blogs - the post is an analysis of the value provided by 'slot' starters - that is, the relative performance of guys in the #1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 slots:
The lack of difference between the two leagues actually surprised me quite a bit. However, the difference in quality between the slots really got me thinking - a 68% decline in ERA between the #1 and #5 slots is over 2 runs a start... a crucial difference in winning a game.
I used Schilling as our #1, but put Beckett in the #2 slot, and Wakefield in the #3 - I know they didn't start in that order, but I think it reflects the reality. For the #4 and #5 slots, the ERA is an amalgam of the numbers put up by Clement and Lester (for the #4), and Wells, Tavarez, Johnson, DiNardo, Gabbard, Jarvis, Pauley and Hansack (for the #5), but unadjusted for any bullpen numbers that they put up.
Clearly not pretty - better than average in the #5 slot, but everywhere else... below average, and quite significantly below in the #1 and #2 slots.
What interested me in all this, was how relevant is the slotting - we all in our minds have an idea of who is our #1 starter, #2 and so on - but does that matter - how often do they match up against the other team's #1, #2 etc...? (and this really is under the mildly interesting, but not particularly useful category of analysis)
I allocated a rotation 'rank' by looking at the start of season rotation order, with some adjustments made for guys who would have started in a specific slot, but for injury - AJ Burnett being a good example - he would presumably have been the Blue Jays #2 behind Halladay had he been fit. For any team (including the Red Sox) where a starter was used who was not in the initial rotation, and would not have been in it had he been fit (pick any one of the gang of 8 above for the Red Sox for example), I ranked them as a #5.
As I said further up, this is more interesting than useful, but does perhaps show that we shouldn't get too caught up in any Red Sox spring training debate on the rotation order - all of our starters will see their fair share of 'ace' match-ups. The run differential between starter slots is really only crucial when they are matched up against a starter slot where the differential exists... but as the table above shows, those significant mis-matches are really quite common.
It may not be Christmas Day anymore, but 48 hours ago, when it was, Yankee fans were shocked by the news that the Yankees and Diamondbacks were locked in talks over moving lefty Randy Johnson to the desert.
Since then, it has become clear that Randy, whilst not requesting a trade, and told Yankees GM Brian Cashman that he wouldn't mind a move out west, this has caused the Yankees to open up talks with the D-Backs (who are said to be heavily interested in the Big Unit) Padres, Dodgers, Angels and Giants, although it is thought that the major players are the D-Backs and the Padres.
With Randy having a full No Trade Clause, Cashman is only talking with the teams that fulfills Randy's west coast criteria. Despite coming off a disappointing 2006 campaign, it seems as though teams are genuinely interested in Johnson, who is coming off back surgery and has as much cartilage in his knee as there is alcohol in a Lemonade Shandy.
The Yankees are keen to shed the $16m salary off the pay roll and are being potentially greedy by wanting top prospects in return. This sounds too good to be true but with a couple of teams looking genuinely interested in the lefty, it somehow make not be totally unrealistic.
Of course as it stands, should Randy be moved on, it would mean that the Bombers are relying on Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa in the rotation, but it opens up room for either Barry Zito or Roger Clemens, two players that would certainly be an upgrade over Johnson in the AL East in 2007.
With Barry Zito now the only big name Free Agent pitcher on the market, the question is firstly who will land the laid back lefty and secondly how much money they'll have to dish out for his services over the past part of the next decade.
A person with knowledge of the situation told 3,079 Miles... on the condition of anonymity that the Bronx was without a doubt the former Cy Young's preferred destination .
With a career 102-63 record with a 3.55 ERA, Zito is expected to command a deal around the $100m mark over six years. With the market being inflated this year with the likes of Gil Meche going for 5/$55m, there is little doubt that the player will receive a bumper salary.
It was thought that the Rangers and the Mets were the only likely destinations, but now it seems as though Zito may even take less money to join the Bronx Bombers a la Carlos Beltran, who was ready to leave $20m on the table in order to man CF in The House That Ruth Built.
The Yankees have no obvious spot for Zito, with a rotation of Wang, Pettitte, Mussina and Randy Johnson all but inked in with Carl Pavano or Kei Igawa set to battle in out for the #5 spot. However should they be able to snap up Zito at a reasonable price, it would enable them to trade Pavano and not pull the trigger on signing Igawa, the Japanese lefty whom they have exclusive negotiating rights with up until December 28.
Zito and the Yankees don't seem like an obvious fit, certainly now Andy Pettitte is on board but it looks like they could actually be serious players in the Barry Zito sweepstakes should they want to.
Three years and one draft pick (which was spent on Philip Hughes) later, the Yankees and Andy Pettitte once more became allies as the left hander agreed to a one year $16million contract today with a player option for 2008 also at $16million. The deal has been confirmed but is still dependent on the player passing a physical to be taken at some point next week.
$16million is probably too much for the 34 year-old but in this market and considering the arms the Yankees have down in Triple-A (Hughes, Clippard and Sanchez) this deal was one that has worked well for both parties.
Pettitte, who has four World Series rings gained with the Bombers in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also pitched terrifically in the 2003 World Series, going 1-1 with a 0.57 ERA. His biggest disappointment for the Yankees in postseason play was in 2001 where the lefty was tipping his pitches on a balmy night out in the desert as the Diamondbacks took Pettitte apart in Game 6 of the World Series.
Suddenly the Yankees rotation looks more solid, Wang and Mussina were both top ten pitchers in ERA last time around in the AL. Randy Johnson will now go into the season as the #4 starter on the Yankees behind Wang, Pettitte and Moose with lefty Kei Igawa or Carl Pavano vying for the final spot in the rotation.
I may not ever of been Andy Pettitte's biggest fan but this is a wise move by the Yankees, 2/$32m at most for Pettitte is better than 4/$40m for Lilly or 5/$55m for Meche is my eyes, let alone the 6/$102m that Bob Klapisch is reporting the Rangers have offered Barry Zito.
Well it turns out, the Red Sox front office didn't listen to these guys after all - the JD Drew deal is apparently done, though with seemingly little fanfare.
"Matsuzaka has a dream of pitching in the major leagues. And he's going to fulfill that dream," Boras said. "The timeframe of it, I can't exactly predict. But he knows his skill level is one where he's going to be a major leaguer someday."
Boras also questioned the fairness of a system that could allow Seibu to get more money than Matsuzaka.
"The elephant in the room always is the principle of allocation," he said. "[That's] something that we don't normally have to deal with. We're all trying to create the saddle to ride the elephant, so we'll see."
The earlier version of the story included a line that quoted Boras saying that the '3 parties would need to compromise' to reach a deal - given that MLB have already said this is not permissable, it does seem that a significant spanner exists. The comment about the fairness of the situation where Seibu receive more than Matsuzaka is presumably what Boras was alluding to in the earlier quote.
In a move that would probably surprise most baseball fans, Andy Pettitte looks like he could be on his way back to the Yankees. The 34 year-old Free Agent who hasn't confirmed that he wants to play on has given a strong enough hint that his agents have been quoted as saying that they are in negotiations with the Bombers over his possible return to the Bronx.
Pettitte, who recorded a 21 win season in his last under Joe Torre back in 2003, would probably he available on a two year deal, possibly even one year with an option giving the Yankees a short term bridge to Philip Hughes, the man who incidentally, the Yankees got using the draft pick they received from Houston when they signed Pettitte as a Free Agent after that 2003 season.
If Pettitte did return to the Yankees then firstly it would be a great move by Cashman, secondly it would re-ignite talk of Andy's best mate the Rocket also coming back to the Yankees for one final stint. If Pettitte signs with the Yanks then I think you could rule out a dream return for the Rocket in Beantown as I can't see them wanting to play for opposing sides going at each other.
The news that had been rumbling has finally come through as today ESPN announced that they had agreed to buy NASN from Setenta Sports, with the deal being finalised early in the new year. The deal worth around £62m includes ESPN taking over all current TV rights that Setenta owns for the NASN channel.
The main question is now whether the channel will move off the 'stand alone' setup and on to a standard Sky package or whether it'll mainline a subscription channel. As I understand it ESPN's intention is to bundle it with the Sky Sports World package and establish themselves in the mainstream UK & Europe market with intentions to bid for the English Premiership Football Rights as well as the NFL Rights when both come up again, in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
In the short term, one thing that this news will definitely mean is the return of all eoe programming, including Pardon The Interruption, Around The Horn, Baseball Tonight and for the 2007 season for the first time, Sportscenter will be shown in the UK.
ESPN already have a footprint in the European market with the ESPN Classic channel. It is still unclear whether or not ESPN will be applying for a second channel on the Sky EPG to have an ESPN UK and ESPN UK 2, but the channel will be rebranded ESPN UK when the deal is complete in January.
Baseball wise there will be very little difference for the 2007 season, NASN already show 250 games live each regular season and ESPN's own Sunday Night Baseball will still be shown on terrestrial television in the UK on five.tv |
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191,725,746 | Gary Marcus can’t understand why people are shocked when he calls the brain a computer. The 43-year-old professor of psychology at New York University, author of Kluge, about the haphazard evolution of the brain, and a leading researcher in how children acquire language, grins and says it’s a generational thing.
“I know there’s a philosophical school of dualism that says there’s some kind of spirit separate from body, which creates thought detached from the brain,” he says. “But for someone like me who grew up reading neuroscience and cognitive science, it’s unsurprising the brain is a computer. It’s how I’ve always understood it to be.”
Marcus’s most recent book, Guitar Zero, charts his quest to learn to play the guitar as he approached 40. It delves into the brain’s perpetual ability to learn new things, subverting the myth that our brains are practically cast in stone by middle age. In recent years, Marcus has been perplexed by the fact it’s nearly impossible to discern how the human brain differs from that of other primates. He details his insights in his bracing Nautilus essay, “Where Uniqueness Lies.”
We recently caught up with the ardent writer and professor, who speaks in sentences that race by like a Top Fuel dragster, in his NYU office. Below this video is a transcript.
I think our brains aren’t just like a computer. I think our brains are a computer. The question is what kind of computer is it?
There are lots of people that get agitated when I say that. They say, “Hey, we’re creative, and machines aren’t, so therefore we must not be computers.” But that’s not a good argument. What a computer does fundamentally is it takes in information, it transforms that information, maybe connects it with some information in memory, and it builds an action based on that. Your iPhone is effectively a computer, your laptop is a computer, a pocket calculator—not that we have those anymore—those are all computers. But your brain is a computer too.
For example, take information from your retina. It gets changed into patterns of chemical and electrical activity. The brain is doing information processing. There’s no other description than that. And it’s then integrated with information that’s stored in your memory, and then it controls your actions. So in a sense that is a computer information processor. The brain isn’t just like a computer, it is a computer.
But there are lots of different computers that have different structures. Over time, computers, for example, are starting to have more parallel processing integrated in them. So if you look at an Xbox, which is a kind of computer, or a PlayStation, they have these heavy duty chips that do graphics processing at the same time as they’re doing computing. You know you have you gone to the next level. They’re also using these chips that calculate the next frame and an image, and so there’s lots of parallel processing going on in modern computers. But not the kind of computers that I learned about when I was a kid. I learned on a Commodore 64 and there was not a lot of parallel processing going on there—a tiny bit. And the trend in computers is to have more parallel processing.
Well, that’s clearly true in the brain. It’s a lot of parallel processing but it’s not all parallel. Sometimes people think everything in the brain happens simultaneously, but there are some sequential things that happen step-by-step in the human brain. Language is outputted in a sequential way, word by word. Even though I talk fast, you know it’s still linear, one word at a time. So there are things that are linear and sequential in the human brain.
But we do a lot of parallel processing. That’s different from older computers, it’s not as different from newer computers. There are particular computations that we do very well that no one has figured out how to get a computer to do. We are better at learning language maybe because it’s integrated with a lot of real world knowledge. We are better at understanding common sense. So if I spill a cup of coffee, you don’t have to, as a human being, project every single individual molecule to tell me that it’s going to wind up on the floor, right? And for computers to do physics right now, we need to have complete information about every molecule. That’s very different from the way people view things. So there are different kinds of computations that we do. But you wouldn’t want to say that a Windows computer and a Macintosh computer aren’t both computers, just because they do different computations and have different operating systems. They both, at their core, do the same kinds of computations and they just get arranged in different ways.
Computers can do lots of things better than brains. In fact, there’s an issue about whether 50 years from now there’ll be anything that brains can’t do better. But for now, computers are better at calculation and anything [involving] raw mathematics or anything requiring a lot of repetition. This is why you know accountants get replaced largely by machines. They’re simply better at repetitive calculation than humans. There’s no human that is ever going to be able to catch computers in that regard. This also means that computers can play chess better than all the people in the world, if you build the right kind of computer. My cell phone doesn’t quite have enough computational power to beat Gary Kasparov. But you can make a custom computer that can, and has in fact, beat him. So anything in pure computation, machines are going to be better.
There are some things that we’re still better at. We’re still more creative. We still have more common sense. We’re still better at language. But nobody is making the argument. At least I’m certainly not making the argument that machines will never catch us on any of those things.
There are some things we figured out how to build the software. And what’s interesting about that is similar things that machines do better than us, they do in ways that are like us. But they just do them more reliably. So you could teach a computer—this is a sort of fictitious example—but you could teach a computer to do long division the way that a human brain does. There are actually better ways to do it. But you could do it that way, and a computer would do it over and over again, never make a mistake, never forget to carry the one, and things like that. Whereas human beings, they’re not that reliable. They may get things right 90 percent of the time. So you could teach the computer to do it exactly the way that a person does, and it would just do it better because it’s more reliable.
Is the process by which infants develop language similar to how we program a computer to learn language?
Good question. Children learn language in what appears to be a very natural way without any explicit lessons, without any corrective feedback. They got a right or wrong, they mostly just listen to us. If Chomsky is right, if Steven Pinker is right, they have some internal machinery that helps them to zero in from that information onto the correct grammar. Chomsky phrase for it is “a language acquisition device.” Pinker calls it “a language instinct,” and I think they’re probably right. There is innate machinery that helps us to acquire language. Some of it may be special to language, which is what those guys have been suggesting, some of it may not be special to language. Some of it might be just general facts about how our memory works.
But either way, I think we’re born to learn language, and we do so in a pretty effortless way, and a pretty robust way. Which is to say that pretty much everybody learns language regardless of their environment.
So there are some things you have to be exposed to, like reading. If you’re not exposed to reading, you won’t learn, and if you don’t have explicit lessons, you probably won’t learn to read. It’s not universal across cultures, it’s not universal within our culture. Reading is a hard-won skill that we acquire, whereas language is something that happens pretty much automatically.
Now, when you look at machines trying to acquire language—and this is a project for places like Google and Microsoft and Apple and sort forth—the first thing to say is none of those guys have succeeded. So if you look at something like Google Translate, it works some of the time, and sometimes it comes back with things that don’t look at all like English. So it’s a really hard problem. I don’t mean to knock Google here. You know, Apple, Microsoft—all these guys are working on it. But nobody has really solved it. The techniques that they’re using are different. So when a child learns a language, what they’re doing, I think, is trying to connect, they’re kind of mind-reading, they guess about what you’re thinking about with their understanding about grammar. Machines for the most part are looking at lots of sentences, maybe looking at pairs of sentences, like something that’s in the English version of the Canadian parliament record, with something in the French, and matching them together. They don’t really have access in these machines to an understanding of the world that is that similar to what a child does. So I think there is certainly work to try to put in more semantics, more meaning, into these machines, as they acquire language. So nobody has really built a machine that I would say closely parallels the acquisition patterns of a child.
You say in 50 years we may be able to reverse-engineer the brain. Is that because we will have at one point discovered the calculations to produce cognition?
Well, that’s what we want to figure out. I mean everybody in cognitive neuroscience wants to figure out how the brain works. I mean, some of the work that’s actually done is crude. So instead of telling us how the brain exactly does its computation, we learn where it does its computation. So this will be sort of like trying to explain politics by saying, “Oh, it all happens in the Capitol building.” And it’ll be sort of true, and sort of not true, and not very useful. I mean, knowing where Congress is doesn’t tell you the power dynamics, right? So we’re sort of at that level right now. We know where the brain does its computations, we don’t know how it does those computations. But that’s what we’re all trying to figure out. We all want to know, What is the relation between what individual neurons do and how we actually behave? And again, there’s no reason in principle we can’t figure that out. But there are so many moving parts that it’s difficult to just sort of guess at it.
It’s actually a lot more complicated than, say, the structure of DNA, which was already a hard problem. But if you look at the structure of DNA, you’ve got the same molecule appearing in every cell, and you can do these neat crystallography techniques that yielded very clear results. I don’t want to say it was easy, or that I would have figured it out, but it’s a tractable problem. Figuring out how the brain works is a very, very complicated problem, where you know every neuron works differently, there’s lots of interdependence between different neurons. So it’s going to take a while.
But on the other hand, we know that the brain is where all the action is for human thought. We know if you injure parts of the brain then you change thinking. So there’s no question that the secrets to human thought do lie within the brain. It’s a question of what are the techniques and what are the theoretical insights that are going to allow us to unravel this puzzle. |
289,046,516 | Start planning your trip to Zion with this Zion Rewse Park Travel Guide. Zion National Park is one of the most popular National Parks in Southern Utah and for a good reason. Canyon Overlook Trail. The Canyon Overlook Trail is a gem of a hike in Zion National Park.
When fellow operatives (and childhood friends) Matthew Johnson and Melvin Johnson disappear during an … To sort the table by a particular column, please click that column heading (click again to reverse the sort order). Over 48,000 INDIVIDUALS WILL VISIT A FOOD BANK IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY ALONE THIS MONTH. Our Work. VOAWW Food Banks located in the Everett Community distribute emergency food to anyone need. Here are five financial thoughts and observations about the 2018 NFL Draft. Saquon Barkley's bounty. The rookie wage scale implemented in 2011 by the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is designed to prevent top draft picks from being one of the highest-paid players at their respective positions. 2018 2018 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings, Busts, Sleepers, Rookies amp; Draft Strategy Where the players come from. Only 25 of the players on a Major League Baseball teams 40-man major league reserve list may be active for the major league club, except from September 1 to the end of the regular season, when teams are allowed to expand their game-day rosters to 40 players. Apr 03, 2018nbsp;0183;32;As we near the finish line of the NFL Draft, the quarterback story lines are predictable. Sam Darnold is generally the consensus No. 1 pick. However, the Browns are leaning towards taking Josh Allen, the quarterback with the big arm who cant complete passes - because theyre the Browns. Josh Rosen continues to get … Brett Franklin Anderson (born February randolph reese poker, blaklez ft cano casino is an American professional baseball pitcher pkker the Oakland Athletics of Erese League Baseball (MLB). He gandolph previously played for the Athletics, Colorado Rockies, reewe Angeles Randolph reese poker, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays Shop Box Break Products Watch for random giveaways, bonuses, and other box breaking poker engine c. You grosvenor casino free vouchers know what's sand springs casino employment to happen. How to Participate: If you rndolph interested in participating in randolph reese poker break you randolph reese poker purchase a slot directly through blackjack internet service website or by contacting our break randolph reese poker via email at boxbreaksdacardworld. com. … Aria Las Vegas Property Map Click on randolph reese poker for randolph reese poker. pdf version (Map opens in a new window) Download Aria Property Map Download Aria Property Map 2 Casino … El Randolph reese poker - Ahthentic Mexican specialties. Open for dinner. Randplph - Authentic Asian culinary experience. Open for dinner. Oceana - Fresh seafood. Open for randolph reese poker … Das ibis Annecy Centre Vieille Ville ist ein 3-Sterne-Hotel in einer randolph reese poker Lage im Herzen double down casino twilight zone Altstadt, die randolph reese poker das Venedig der Alpen bekannt ist. 5 Gehminuten vom TGV-Bahnhof und dem See von Crown casino blackjack table limits und nur 20 Autominuten von Semnoz entfernt. Islamic perspective on gambling River Lodge amp; Casino 73370 U. Highway 2 Randolpph, WI 54861 | Located cis slot dispatch miles east of Ashland, Wisconsin on U. Highway 2 Randolph reese poker River Casino amp; Lodge 169; 2018 All Rights Reserved. ODANAH, Wisconsin - Hours after seeing her 14-year-old grandson, Jason, lying in the street just feet from her home, with police and EMS hovering over his motionless body, Cheryl Pero found herself in the cavernous gymnasium of the Bad River Reservation community center. Cheryl and her husband, Al. Lake Superior Wisconsin Camping, Campground amp; RV Links. Bayfield and Ashland Area Camping Our Recommendations of nice campgrounds, many with views of Lake Superior West-central Wisconsin's top spot for Friday night dirt track racing. Red Cedar Speedway is a 13 mile semi-banked clay oval track in Menomonie, WI. Ashland, Wisconsin (54806) Today. A few passing clouds. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Which of the following processes occur in both operant conditioning and classical conditioning. Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning can be defined as a type of learning in which voluntary (controllable; non-reflexive) behavior is strengthened if it is reinforced and weakened if it is punished (or not reinforced). Dear Valued Guests, Please be advised that as of January 21 st, 2018 the River Rock Casino Resorts Poker Room will adjust the number of poker tables from 10 to 5 tables and we will also be undergoing some minor renovations to the facilities. Our operating hours will now be 11:00am to 3:00am, seven days a week.
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191,479,152 | A cloud of concern hangs over 563 000ha of forests that have been independently verified as world heritage and national heritage value. If a deal is reached between the forestry industry and some environmental groups in Tasmania, the question remains; when will the logging of forests that are ear-marked for protection actually cease?
In the past two years the State and Federal Governments have failed to deliver on their promises of protection for Tasmania’s high conservation value forests. This inadequacy has been due to the influence of the forestry industry, with a major player being Ta Ann. In addition Forestry Tasmania (FT) has failed to perform forward rescheduling out of the forests nominated for protection. Deputy Premier Bryan Green, who is the minister responsible for overseeing FT, has played a weak role in directing the agency to reschedule. All of this had led to the ongoing destruction of forests that should have been provided the protection of a moratorium over a year ago.
It is a pressing concern for environmentalists, especially when Bryan Green only this morning stated on ABC radio, that securing wood supply is the priority for any agreement on forests, knowing that this argument has been used to justify continued logging of areas previously promised protection. What Tasmania needs is a strong conservation outcome, in order to adequately protect our unique environment and endangered species for the future. The independent verification group, endorsed by the government, made it clear through their research that protection of these forests is critical. Conservation science needs to be a driving force behind the forest agreement, not sidelined while industry demands are given precedence.
Right now there are forests being logged that have been proven to be core habitat for a range of endangered and threatened species. These are the species that we risk losing if these forests are excluded from protection.
And so our blog over the past month in July has been a unique opportunity for people around the globe to bear witness to the ongoing logging of Tasmania’s world heritage value, globally and nationally significant forests. Never before has there been an intensive account of the areas being logged or those areas that remain threatened in Tasmania’s forests. Throughout July we have documented 29 logging coupes in forests that were due for protection under the moratorium but are on logging plans instead. Of these, 15 have already been impacted by logging. This is just one small sample of significant forests around the state that are on the logging schedule right now.
The end of our Forest A Day project occurs at a time when the future of 563 000ha of independently verified forests is uncertain. There are great concerns about whether adequate protection will be provided for these areas. In particular, there is no certainty that Forestry Tasmania has done the forward planning required to reschedule out of the proposed protected areas. If not, will Tasmania’s high conservation value forests be facing another 9 – 12 months business as usual onslaught of industrial scale logging? And what impact will this have on these areas that have been recommended to be our future national parks and world heritage areas?
Protection for these forests is long overdue. Not only are there concerns as to whether Forestry Tasmania have begun the rescheduling work needed to cease logging in the verified high conservation value forests, but in addition, there are uncertainties regarding wood supply modelling as Forestry Tasmania are the designated architects of modelling future wood supply to industry. Currently they are entrusted with providing a solution for wood supply that will enable the protection of the 563,000 hectares of forests, despite their interest in the continued control of as much forest as possible for logging. At the end of all of this, will verified high conservation value forests inside the 563,000 hectares continue to be decimated by logging in order to meet wood supply demands?
Moreover, it is Ta Ann who have played a key role in driving the ongoing destruction of those forests nominated for protection. Our question then is this: will Ta Ann continue to source wood from forests that have been verified as world heritage and national heritage value? And will Ta Ann’s wood supply continue to be a key driver in the destruction of Tasmania’s forests, resulting in significant high conservation value forests being excluded from the recommended protection?
Tasmania has seen promises of forest protection made and those promises broken throughout this process. Will we see another repeat of the so-called “conservation agreement”; an agreement that actually allows further logging of areas due to be protected?
Tasmania’s high conservation value forests have been compromised enough over the past decades. Now it is time for real protection.
For more information about the ‘A forest a day’ project, which has been a collaboration between Huon Valley Environment Centre, Still Wild Still Threatened, The Last Stand, Markets for Change and Code Green, please click HERE.
An outstanding series. These documents form an important record. They tell us what is actually happening in our forests which are supposedly protected in the interim. Thank you to all who took part in the project. It is a great achievement.
Instead of financially propping up our FT Govt Business Enterprise, instead of subsidies to businesses and instead of throwing money willy nilly, why not get out of native forest logging and retrain timber workers as members of an expanded Parks and Wildlife service?
We want permanent solutions, not this train wreck of an industry, which degrades a precious asset while haemorrhaging all over the state. Thank you all, Observer Tree included, for shining light on what is happening in our HCV forests. |
136,901,313 | Following the market launch of their full-size counterparts, detailed miniatures of the new Mercedes M-Class and B-Class have become the latest additions to the Mercedes-Benz Collection. The efficient off-roader and the compact sports tourer are available with immediate effect as high-grade miniatures in scale 1:87, 1:43 and 1:18.
Developed in collaboration with renowned manufacturers Busch, Herpa, Minichamps and Norev, these collectors’ models are being sold through Mercedes-Benz outlets, Mercedes-Benz dealerships, the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the online shop.
As is customary for the Mercedes-Benz Collection, a huge amount of emphasis was placed on authenticity. It’s why the model cars are available in many of the original paintwork colours and with popular special equipment features such as ILS headlamps and panoramic roofs. The miniatures in scale 1:43 and 1:18 even have the same interior trims as their full-size equivalents. Brown burr walnut or the honeycomb and matrix looks are the trim options for the B-Class, while aluminium, poplar anthracite or brown ash are used in the M-Class, depending on its paintwork colour.
The front doors and tailgate and the bonnet and boot lid of the 1:18 models can be opened. Their interiors and boots are flocked, and the rear seat bench can be folded forward in the B-Class model.
All model cars in the Mercedes-Benz Collection come in Mercedes-Benz designer packaging. A screwdriver is even enclosed with the 1:18 scale models, allowing the model to be removed from its screw-fastened packaging with the minimum of fuss.
ILS headlamps with integrated LED daytime driving light strip in the bumper and fibre-optic LED tail lights
Since the invention of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz has built its vehicles out of conviction and passion. Such is the extent of this passion that even the miniature vehicles bearing the three-pointed star are produced with enormous attention to detail – so much so that they even stand up to comparison with their full-size counterparts. As soon as you see a new Mercedes-Benz on the road, you can be sure that a miniature version – available in a range of colours and scales – will be waiting for enthusiasts at Mercedes-Benz outlets.
But before that stage is reached, much work has to be done. After all, behind every miniature is a story of engineering excellence, creativity and precision craftsmanship – just as for the real thing. Before any actual work on the miniature begins, the developers first turn their attention to the original, using state-of-the-art CAD technology to precisely map the basic shape and size. This digitalised design data constitutes the DNA of a genuine Mercedes-Benz. Modelling specialists then modify and process this information for use on a smaller scale. Only then can the exact configuration of the model car begin. Certain special equipment features are also replicated from the real-life originals – from the engine and the interior trim to the choice of alloy wheels.
A detailed photo of the door hinge is just as important in the overall scheme as one of the cockpit controls and the texture of the leather-upholstered seats. In a painstaking process, the modelling experts integrate the countless individual photos of the genuine article into the CAD data and use them for a final comparison with the original. It can take up to three months to go through this development process and to achieve the aim of getting as close to the original as possible. Extremely ambitious considering that a finished model car in scale 1:18 is made up of up 120 individual parts.
Design plays a key role at Mercedes-Benz. And it’s no different for its miniature masterpieces. The model should be more than simply a ‘dinky’ version of the original. It should reflect the emotional appeal of the brand. At the Sindelfingen design studios, product managers and specialists work hand in hand to bring the same appeal to the first working model. Meticulous checks are made to key elements for the overall look such as the light-catching contours. The proportions of the individual components, right down to the windscreen wipers and exterior mirrors, must correspond exactly to the size of the vehicle.
Once the design is perfect, work begins on the moving parts. The boot lid, bonnet and doors all have to open and close in the same way as the original. Even the tiniest discrepancy is picked up on and corrected at this stage. Meticulous hand-craftsmanship is called for. The modellers smooth, file and cut away until the new working prototype made out of synthetic resin meets the demanding Mercedes-Benz standards, ready for the sample to be approved by the vehicle designers.
It can take up to four months to develop the first working model – another three to four months is invested in the ‘first shot’, the initial, unpainted metal model. Only now is the miniature ready for series production.
The paintwork of the models should be virtually a 100 per cent match to the original. This is achieved in a number of stages. First, a colour chart corresponding to the exact shade of the production vehicle is analysed and the paint remixed. Several complex comparisons are carried out to verify how close it comes to the original. The miniature vehicle body then enters the firing chamber, just as its full-size counterpart would. At the end, the model is covered by three coats of paint. The light-catching contours gleam with perfection – and the Mercedes miniature is ready to step out from the shadows of its real-life counterpart. |
133,791,605 | Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Hold Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.
All of their hard work was finally rewarded as On The Town was performed for hundreds of people in Graff Auditorium.
The premise of the musical, which is set in the 1950s, is that three sailors have 24 hours to explore New York City.
One of the sailors, Gabey, falls in love with June’s Miss Turnstiles winner, whose picture he sees on the subway.
He is a familiar face for the musical, as he played Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard in The Wizard of Oz last year and Gus Edmond in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes the year before.
Ropp says that the lead characters have been practicing for around five days a week since the beginning of the semester.
Practices lasted about three hours at first, but during production week they lasted around seven Jill Reffeitt was a chorus member.
“I haven't had to go every single day as a chorus member only, but other people, like the leads and bigger parts, have needed to be there almost every single day for about two months,” Reffeitt said. “It's a pretty big commitment time-wise.”
Pit band has been practicing since the beginning of the semester too, and members would meet twice a week for rehearsals.
“My favorite memory from the musical is the first time the cast and the band ran through the musical together,” Snyder said. “Seeing everyone's hard work pay off as a whole and seeing the musical really start to come together was a really cool thing.”
“When we started looking for costumes, we asked Mrs. Richardson what she needed us to find, what she was buying, and what costumes she thought needed help,” Fultz said.
“A few weeks prior to the production the costume department went to every cast and chorus member and made sure their costumes were completely finished. We also made sure our makeup was stocked up.”
Fultz also mentioned that while the week before the musical’s opening was very stressful, it was still an enjoyable and fun experience.
“My favorite memories from musical are mostly just inside jokes with the friends that I've made,” Reffeitt said. “Everyone on the cast ends up being like a family. That's definitely what I'll remember when I look back on it.” Ropp agrees.
“This musical is a great example of how music programs bring people together and encourage community in a student body,” Ropp said. “We had friendships form and strengthen between all grade
levels and the love is real. I encourage anyone even remotely interested in musical to try it. It can change your life, as it has certainly changed mine.”
“Basically, musical is a big, weird, dysfunctional family, and I wouldn't change it for the world,” said Reffeitt.
Embellished with gold-tone metal studs on the front, these Isabel Marant loafers have dual wear due to the fold-down heel counter feature. Worn as mules they lend a casual aesthetic and pair well with jeans for an elevated off-duty look.
Emblematic of eternal loyalty and companionship, the friendship bracelet is a touching gift for those you hold closest. A sleeker, thinner version of the iconic Links of London Friendship Bracelet, the white hand-woven Mini version in sterling silver is the perfect investment for everyday wear.
Perfect for transitioning into the cooler months, this sweater from Sandro is crafted in lightweight wool. Boasting an embellished detail at the chest, the long sleeves and round neckline are presented in a dusty hue, ideal for styling with black jeans and flats for smart-casual days.
Warm and seductive, Bouquet Ideale is composed of a beautifully powdery cashmere accord with mysterious touches of vanilla and papirus. Magically intoxicating, this orchestration embraces your soul and delivers it to a faraway Mediterranean island, where the winds from the south carry the scents of flowers and spices. An unforgettable dream on a romantic April night.
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288,056,619 | Mariners about to lose a big advantage they rarely capitalized upon | Hot Stone League | Seattle Times
Baseball has some weird inequities (which are different from the big, troubling inequities like one team having a nearly $200-million payroll and another, in the same league, having a payroll under $40 million). I’m talking about stuff like the wild-card schedule, in which teams in the same league, and even division, competing for the same prize, can have wildly divergent caliber of opponents, depending on whom they happen to draw in the wild card that year. And also the fact that teams in one division — the six-team NL Central — have to beat out five foes to win the title, while teams in another division — the four-team AL West — only have to beat out three.
Yet somehow, in the 17 full seasons since baseball went to the three-division format in 1994, taking the White Sox, Royals and Twins out of the AL West and moving them into a newly formed AL Central, the Mariners have capitalized the least from the reduced competition. They have three titles (in 1995, 1997, and 2001), compared to five for the Angels (2009, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 2004), five for the Rangers (2011, 2010, 1999, 1998 and 1996), and four for the A’s (2006, 2003, 2002 and 2000).
Now, by all indications, their divisional advantage (and the disadvantage of the six teams in the NL Central) is about to come to an end. Ever since it came out earlier this year that Bud Selig was eyeballing some tweaks to the playoff system and division alignment — an extra wild-card team in each league, and a switch to six five-team divisions — it has been obvious that the end is near for the four-team AL West.
The only question was which team would switch from the National League to the American League, and it quickly became apparent that there were two prime candidates: the Arizona Diamonbacks and the Houston Astros. If the Diamondacks moved, obviously another team — probably the Astros — would have had to move to the NL West to balance things out. Now it’s becoming even more apparent that it’s going to be the Astros, who are in the process of being sold to businessman Jim Crane. . It appears that part of the deal will be a switch of the Astros to the AL West, which is a mixed blessing for them. The Astros reportedly don’t like the idea of playing so many road divisional games in the Pacific time zone. On the other hand, the idea of a divisional rivalry with the cross-state Rangers is enticing. At any rate, the well-connected Peter Gammons tweeted yesterday that “Houston ownership change expected to go through in mid-November, w/ AL move.”
The Houston Chronicle has a story today saying that nothing has been finalized on either the sale or realignment front. But I’m hearing that it has a good chance of happening as Gammons tweeted. However, it’s very unlikely the Astros would join the AL West next season; not with the 2012 schedule already out.
The change would likely take place for 2013, meaning that the Mariners may have just one final chance to exploit their four-team division. Yes, the Astros, at 56-106, were one of just two teams to finish with a worse record than the Mariners last year (the Twins were the other). But the Tigers lost 119 games in 2003 and were in the World Series in 2006. Fortunes change, but it’s a mathematical reality that beating out four teams will be harder than beating out three.
The Board of Deputies have done the unthinkable: urged Britain’s leaders to establish a Palestinian state.
Why on earth would the Board of Deputies advocate for establishing yet another radicalized Arab state, this one just a bike-ride away from Israel’s airport which is frequented by so many British Jews (and their Israeli friends and relatives)?
Also, where are the voices of the pro-Israel groups which have BOD representatives, such as Bnei Akiva UK and Emuna UK, among other groups?
Some background which might help make the unbelievable believable. It seems that the history of the Board of Deputies can only be characterized as “not always having been a peaceful one either in its relations with the world at large or (even) within the British Jewish community”. In no small part this was due to the BOD’s regressive attitude to Palestine-Israel.
Zionism raised its head in the late 19th century, but British Chief Rabbi Hermann Adler, who served from 1891-1911, set the tone for the BOD of that time by being a ‘staunch opponent of political Zionism’ who denounced the historical First Zionist Congress as ‘an egregious blunder’. Even whatever Zionist sympathies there were, furthermore, did not make their way into any official BOD events and statements.
In 1915, the BoD’s “Conjoint Committee”, with affiliates, denounced Jewish nationalism as ‘reactionary’ and demanded that the Jews in Palestine retract from the Zionist program, their insistence on establishing a Jewish state. In 1917, the same BoD Committee published a statement in the general British press which attacked Zionism, speaking (they said) for all of British Jewry. The letter caused furious protest from Lord Rothschild, Chaim Weizmann and others, while other prominent British Jews supported the BoD’s attack on Zionism. Historian Stuart A. Cohen, claimed that this fiasco was not primarily over the question of Zionism, having at least as much to do with the Board’s undemocratic structure. It is noteworthy that even today, in the Internet era, the identity of nearly all of the Deputies appears to be secret and their contact particulars are certainly not made available to the public.
Edwin Montagu, the British Jewish Minister for India agreed with the BOD’s pro-Palestine/Israel critics in one thing: that the Board had an autocratic character. However, as a vehement anti-Zionist, he accused Zionism of being a foreign import, differentiating (as did many opponents of Israel or Palestine) between Jews merely resident in Britain, and those of British birth, stressing that the latter were opposed to Zionism. Montagu said that any British government favoritism toward a Jewish national home would be ‘a cruel blow by the many English Jews who love England’ – as opposed to those English Jews who, in his view, did not “love England” (i.e. did not love Montagu’s own policies). Despite this, Britain’s Foreign Secretary did miraculously ask Rothschild and Weizmann rather than Montagu to submit a formula for establishing a Jewish national home, and the rest is history.
BoD Chairman Sir Stuart Samuel did timidly dispute Montagu’s insistence that British Jews opposed the establishment of a Jewish National Home in Palestine – now Israel. Samuel said that actually, ‘a large majority’ of British Jews supported the establishment of a national home in Palestine, but made very sure to keep this evaluation confidential i.e. out of the hands of the public.
Once the famous Balfour Declaration had issued, Lord Montagu denounced it and his own Government which had “dealt an irreparable blow to Jewish Britons and … endeavoured to set up a people which does not exist’. Montagu also denounced the Zionists because ‘all my life’ he had been trying to ‘get out of the ghetto’ and the Zionists ‘want to force me back there’.
From the 1920s, Orthodox synagogues led the way to Israel’s establishment – i.e. to the development which is now an obvious boon to everyone. The Orthodox affiliated to the Zionist Federation, providing funds and other assistance for the Zionist movement.
In 1928, the United Synagogue, which was the most influential British Jewish body aside from the BoD itself established an official Zionist fundraising committee although the United S was, at the time, controlled by the non-Zionist Robert Waley-Cohen, who cleverly circumvented the United Synagogue council by various ‘legal manoeuvres’, and managed to delay Zionist fundraising for two years.
In 1936 Nahum Goldmann began urging the BoD to join the World Jewish Congress as British affiliate. He was unsuccessful – the BoD feared being thought of as possessing “dual loyalty”, desired to protect its own particular access to government, and refused Goldmann’s overture for almost 40 years (till 1974).
In 1937 the Zionists secured a majority on the BoD’s Palestine Committee. However it took until the 1940s for the BoD to decisively join the Zionist camp.
Only due to the horrors of the Holocaust, was resistance within the BoD to Zionism finally overcome in the 1940s. First, a Zionist was elected as BoD president, unopposed, in 1940 (Selig Brodetsky), defeating his non-Zionist predecessor Robert Waley-Cohen. In 1943, Zionists achieved a majority at the Board. In 1944, almost 5 decades after the first Zionist calls, the BoD finally endorsed the call to establish a Jewish state. Even then, Non-Zionists like Neville Laski tried in 1948 to remove Brodetsky but fortunately were not successful. In 1946 BoD with the Poale Zion campaigned against the British government’s shocking Palestine policy, but had difficulty finding Jewish MPs willing to speak out despite “desperate” lobbying efforts.
In 1949, Israel’s first president wrote his autobiography. He had harsh words for the Board of Deputies, which, he said “consisted of old-fashioned, well-to-do assimilationist Jews who looked upon Judaism as a collection of abstract religious principles… and upon Zionism as, at best, the empty dream of a few misguided idealists”.
At a Board of Deputies dinner in 2007, Gordon Brown reportedly promised “Israel will always have our support …and we will never compromise our friendship for political expediency”.
Harry Sacher boldly warned anti-Zionist Lucien Wolf of the Board of Deputies, back in 1914, that if the BoD or any other communal organisation opposes Zionism, ‘we shall, however reluctantly, do what within us lies to destroy any authority they may claim in Jewry or beyond to Jewry to speak for the Jewish people’. Will any Jews in Great Britain today, prominent or otherwise, take the BoD to task even minimally for having the audacity and shortsightedness to officially support a Palestinian state on the outskirts of Tel-Aviv, of all things, and so short a time after the Manchester massacre, to boot?
The people of Gaza are the punching bag of the Middle East, they live in a highly dense area with no prosperity plan at all. But it’s not because they can’t or because they don’t have enough money donated by the world it is because they are used and abused by the league of Arab nations and the UN as a front post for their causes.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the settlements were evacuated but they left behind a booming agriculture machine that was responsible for 60% of Israel’s organic export of vegetables and the majority of export of flowers to Europe. Israel left behind hundreds of greenhouses that were ready for planting. Take a seed plant it in the ground and within three months you can export lettuce and other vegetables, it works I was there to see it with my own eyes. Funding for seeds and greenhouses were donated by Jews in Manhattan in the sum of 14 million dollars. The day Israel left all the greenhouses were destroyed and the money was used to start digging a tunnel. A year and three months later Gilad Shalit was kidnapped.
Civilians that are pawns in a sum zero battle that leads to nowhere. Thousands are still living in refugee camps that were supposed to be dismantled but are kept alive by the UN and different organizations to increase the pain and suffering of the civilians of Gaza. A refugee camp in its nature is supposed to give refuge from oppression, the great irony is that 9 years after they govern themselves they still seek refuge form their own regime. But there is a reason for that and that is because the Hammas came promising the end of corruption and prosperity for the land of Gaza. What the civilians didn’t know is that they are used and abused again by a murderous terror organization that will turn their lives into hell having the civilians seek refuge once again.
Hammas turned Gaza into one big army base and any terror act against Israel was accompanied by a shield of civilians and by having groups of school kids abused in instructing them to surround a rocket launch sites in order to prevent Israel from retaliating. These are facts that are documented numerous times, in films and personal testimonies.
This operation has a dual purpose to protect the people of Israel and it is also designed to protect the civilians of Gaza from being abused once again by the Hammas.
The voice that has to come out which is true and backed by Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudis, is that a terror organization has taken over Gaza just like ISIS took over Mosul in Iraq and they are using the civilians in Gaza to protect their terror regime. The IDF is liberating this region to give back to the Gaza people the life and dignity they deserve. Anyone who objects to this mission is sentencing the civilians of Gaza to many more years of tyranny and poverty, hate and refugee camps.
Gaza can turn into a Singapore of the Middle East but not with the Hammas there. Any one that cares about human lives, and wants freedom for the people of Gaza, should voice this opinion. They need hospitals to be hospitals and not a terrorist bunker. They need schools to be schools and not to be a rocket launch site, and they need beaches to be beaches that are safe for children to play and swim and not turn it into factories for war heads. Nations should support the freedom of the Gaza people now by supporting this mission to eradicate terror in Gaza.
At this moment they are blocking the roads while people that are wounded seek medical treatment at the field hospital erected by the IDF at the Erez boarder. They are preventing humanitarian aid to go into Gaza. They are looting homes of people that left because of the crisis.
Gaza people have to be freed of these terrorists. They must live a normal life. This time Gaza people must free themselves from these terrorists they owe it to their children!
We are now fighting the war of Mahmud Abbas and of Egypt and sacrificing our boys to give the people of Gaza a better life. Cooperate with the IDF by evacuating the dense populated areas and let the army do its job, it will help you the people of Gaza in the long run. Will the people of Gaza be smart this time or will they fall into the same false hope of nationalism terror regime again, unfortunately I think the latter.
If just for once the international community will trust Israel and support its war on terror they will truly bring better life to the people of Gaza which suffered for their wrong choices. Does the international community really care about the civilians in Gaza or are they motivated by something else entirely, time will tell..
We call out to the international community give us one chance to liberate Gaza we owe it to the civilians living there.
Rabbi Oriel Einhorn is an eighth generation Jerusalemite who currently serves as the community of Kfar Shemaryahu. He got his rabbinical degree from the Har Etzion yeshiva, where he learnt for 10 years. He served as community rabbi in Hong Kong, China and Cape Town, South Africa before resettling in Israel and founding Kehillot- an organization which promotes communtiy building between Jews of all stripes. Enjoys gourmet cooking, golfing and extreme adventures.
"In a world that is progressively growing smaller, in a region flourishing in beauty, creativity and challenges, Imagining our Future Together is not an exercise in utopia, but a courageous and creative attempt by the young artists of South Asia and by the World Bank to break barriers and stretch hands to reach common goals," said Marina Galvani, art curator for the World Bank.
A selection committee is reviewing the entries and will select the artworks for the exhibition. The winners will be announced in May.
The“Imagining Our Future Together” exhibition will be on display from October through December 2012 throughout the South Asia region and beyond (locations to be confirmed). During the exhibition cycle, the public will be invited to vote online for their favorite works of art. The artist whose artwork receives the most votes will be awarded a special prize.
A series of events in South Asia will take place to bring the selected art pieces and artists together so that they can network with other young people in the region and communicate their views about sharing a common future.
have you guys notified the selected artists..?? because the date of notification was 21st of may and is there any list of the selected artists ??
The artists who have been selected have been notified. All those who haven't received any emails regarding the selection have been rejected. The winners will be announced on the 4th of June in a special ceremony at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC along with the announcement of the special prize! Good Luck to the selected artists! |
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Former Rams youngster makes full senior debut as Dele Alli's second-half strike ends Tykes' resistance
Derby County's Carabao Cup conquerors Barnsley are out of the competition after being edged out by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
Dele Alli's 65th-minute strike was enough to give Spurs a 1-0 victory at their temporary home and send Mauricio Pochettino's men through to the last 16.
Barnsley came from behind to beat the Rams 3-2 at Oakwell in the second round - denying Gary Rowett's men a chance to play at the national stadium, where Tottenham are based while White Hart Lane is redeveloped.
On Tuesday night, former Derby academy scholar Jared Bird played 90 minutes for the Tykes at Wembley on his first senior start for the club.
Former Derby County youngster Jared Bird (right) and Ryan Hedges (centre) acknowledge the Barnsley fans after their Carabao Cup third round defeat to Spurs at Wembley
Tottenham dominated the contest in terms of possession but Barnsley could have taken the lead had Liam Lindsay been more precise with a free header or Ike Ugbo converted an excellent chance after half-time.
But England international Alli finished off Kieran Trippier's pull-back for his third goal of the season to secure s a hard-fought victory for the Premier League side.
"I think it was a very tough game, how they defended and played, it was difficult for us to create chances. I think our opponent was so tough because we could not shoot on target in the first 60 minutes."
"I'd like to say thank you to all the fans that were here," Pochettino added. "Maybe it wasn't possible to come. I understand that it's so difficult for the fans sometimes to come to every single game.
Elsewhere, Bristol City followed up their 4-1 victory over Derby by knocking out Premier League side Stoke City.
Barnsley's Jared Bird (right) and Tottenham Hotspur's Mousa Dembele battle for the ball during the Carabao Cup third round match at Wembley Stadium
The Potters were undone by two goals in 10 second-half minutes from Famara Diedhiou and Matt Taylor at Ashton Gate.
Roy Hodgson earned his first win as Crystal Palace boss as Bakary Sako's early header secured a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town.
Former Debry loan striker Patrick Bamford bagged a brace as Middlesbrough won 2-0 against Aston Villa, who ended with 10 men due to Tommy Elphick's red card, and Norwich's Mario Vrancic also netted twice in their 3-1 victory at Brentford. |
3,717,608 | To me, this is the ultimate nightmare scenario, as I cannot see a good solution to this problem (though I might be missing something obvious... please let me know!)
The problem with this solution is that it could be very, very expensive with thousands of users, given all the data they've stored in the contract.
The problem with this solution is that EVERY SINGLE CALL into the contract will have to pay extra gas for this indirection, which seems costly. Plus, there still has to be some contract that holds the storage data, and that contract may still be at risk for containing errors.
That solution just passes the problem to another system, so this also can't lower costs (since I'd just be able to apply the same optimization in my Dapp, whatever it is.)
Additional note: I'm not asking the question "how does the app decide who gets to make the modification, and how do we make sure the users are OK with this?" That's a separate problem that is also very important, but this question concerns the more fundamental question of "How do I make the contract code upgradable in a cost-effective manner, for a dapp with lots of storage?"
so I think the solution is probably two fold. first, you want to separate data and logic as much as possible. write a contract for storing your data simply, with a simple, solid api. test it thoroughly. Maybe you'll use the eris stack for the testing.
Then use a name reg contract (or what Eris calls a Doug), to be the unchangeable contract address of the dapp, and store the address of the contract that does the logic. The logic contract talks to the storage contract (which may also be pointed to by doug), and may be updated by whoever has permission to change the doug.
You simply have to accept the extra fees for the calls as the cost of better programming. Eris will add a series of opcodes to make this process easier, and help with testing, and maybe ethereum will adopt too, but in the end if ethereum is going to be successful, bugs are going to be expensive.
If you are familiar with DOUG, this is something he is well set up to help out with. DOUG can track contracts which server a purpose as well as permissions. There are two equally valid ways to do this with DOUG.
First off when structuring your smart contract suites keep your user data and things in a contract dedicated to just managing your database of user data. Keep your logic in other contracts which manipulate these databases through basic api's. If you find a bug in your logic, use DOUG to replace the broken logic component.
The two ways to do this is to give permissions to a contract to access the database. or have the contract serve a "named" role so when a contract is looking for the contract which serves a particular role it asks DOUG for it.
(PS if you are not familiar with DOUG I have written a lot about it as a smart contract design philosophy I'm sure you can find some stuff or stop by and I'll be happy to answer questions. Including a DOUG really makes a lot of things simpler in smart contract suites.)
Thanks work2heat and dennismckinnon, those were really helpful responses. Clearly, creating a contract that only manages data (which is a clearer framing of the solution than I had offered) seems to be the most sensible and agreed-upon approach, now that I read your answers... I will just need to bear the additional cost of the call.
Also, I will be spending some time with Eris and DOUGs to see if I want to incorporate that for higher-level management of my dapp.
This is a tough one. I have come across this some times, but did not find any be-all-end-all solution. That being said, I don't think any contract that is expected to hold a lot of data should be without a separate "controller" contract. Bugs are not the only issues, you might just want to modify it at some point (or have to), and with a fixed interface you're basically screwed. Yes - it does cost more, but by trying to cut costs you could end up with something much worse - some hacky emergency solution that is both more bulky and more expensive to run, or data that is essentially locked down (been there...). Contract to contract calls aren't that expensive, and any non trivial system will have to do a lot of them. There is definitely room for optimization in the actual controller code, though.
Also btw. I think one of the best things to do when managing large amount of data is to think about if the data can be structured in some way - like can it be divided up into groups, or maybe even made into something like a tree. If you keep a lot of un-structured data in one single contract (say a massive list of key value pairs), you will also run into issues like when you want to remove chunks of it (not just single entries). This applies to copying too. Storage is expensive, and because each block has a max gas limit, you'll only be able to do a small number of adds/removals per block, which could be a problem. Having structured it into multiple contracts, for example, makes it a lot easier to remove large chunks of it by just removing a reference or two...
> Storage is expensive, and because each block has a max gas limit, you'll only be able to do a small number of adds/removals per block, which could be a problem.
Darn, a new problem that hadn't even occurred to me yet. Thanks for the protip on "sharding" data across contracts, that may apply in my use case.
Maybe for some things you can just aim at not having that happen. Particularly for simple contracts, or contracts that go through use, and are then suicided/reset. So if a flaw is detected, they are simply replaced after the use. Edit: maybe there is a condition where users can agree to join to change to some other contract.
Not-having-breakage happen, well reducing the odds is a matter of 1) keeping things simple, 2)walk-through review 3) static tests(properties of code, perhaps adding tested declarations) 4) fuzz tests and specific cases for review. (not sure how to best hook in more advanced fuzzers, like the one that recently made jpegs.)
Now, the risk that people creating DApps with less review/testing are more successful because they get there earlier. People might anticipate that too. Of course, if the 'consumer end' is smart, they dont take unnecessary risks on that side. Partly the point of smart contracts is that the users will 'trust, but verify'* and have 'informational networks' to a degree that they can figure out what contracts are good to use.(reputation systems made for/with ethereum being part of said networks)
All good points, Jasper... that's why I'm working hard to get my final contracts for launch done ASAP so there's lots and lots and lots of room for testing. |
35,359,281 | We heard that director Spike Lee was rapper Kanye West's wingman at the Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party. In fact, it was West who suggested he wear the purple sweater and crucifix combo.
"We've taken the classic polka dot and turned it up a notch with the single-colored dotted Newton. It's a the simpler version of the Roosevelt but still great for when you need a classic while letting your personality shine.".
Panel doors are panel and frame constructions; they're sometimes called rail and stile doors. The panel and frame construction is a traditional woodworking technique used to create a solid slab by joining separate pieces together. The panels themselves can be made from various materials, including glass. The most basic form consists of a single panel which is held in place with a frame made up of two vertical stiles and two horizontal rails. Panel doors are usually made with two or more panels, and modern panel doors have many different styles you can choose from. These extra panels are held with mid rails, mid stiles, and mullions, added to the basic frame.
The panels themselves can be raised, with various profile designs, or flat. A flat panel has a face which lies flush with the grooves in the frame, so it's inset from the frame surface. Raised panels have their edges cut in profile, so their face is level with, or raised slightly above, the frame surface, producing a groove around the panel where it meets the frame pieces. Additional raised moulding trims can also be added to panel edges for a more decorative finish.
Moulded doors are often used as an alternative to panel doors, as they can have their faces shaped to look like panel doors but are constructed in the same way as flush doors. If you choose a hollow-core moulded door they will be lighter than panels doors, which can reduce their risk of sagging. Panel doors are usually more expensive than flush doors, but that will depend on the quality. Higher quality flush doors can easily match the quality and price of many panel doors nowadays.
While the panel door with six panels, three running down each side of the door, is traditional, and popular, there are a number of variations of this design and lots of different styles of panel doors available to choose from. Choosing the right style to suit your home can make a real difference to the overall look.
Variations to the design of a panel door include different numbers of panels. Single panels or multiple panels can be used. The panels used can have straight edges or can be shaped with curves or other design features.
The way the panels are arranged varies with different designs. Panels can be in different configurations horizontally and vertically. There can be an even or odd number of panels and they can all be the same size as each other or different sizes.
Some alternative designs include the cottage style panel door, with panels made from individual strips of material, or with carved grooves to emulate this. Also, some more unusual designs are available, such as doors with circular panels and diagonally set rails. These unusual designs are not commonly produced in panel constructions, as they're more difficult to produce and therefore, more expensive.
Panel doors have panels which are held in grooves, or recesses, carved into the frames. The edges of the panels are purposely made a little thinner than the grooves they sit in so they 'float'. This allows natural expansion and contraction to occur without compromising the integrity of the door's structure, which occurs particularly in natural wood. This creates a door leaf which is less likely to warp than a solid slab.
The basic parts which make up a panel door are rails, stiles, and panels, and mullions if they're needed. The rails are the horizontal pieces used to frame the panels. All panel doors have a top and bottom rail. If there is more than one panel there will be further rails and mullions which separate them.
The stiles of a panel door form the sides of its frame. They will usually be called the lock and hinge stiles, referencing which side of the door attaches to the frame by hinges and which has the handle or lock attached to it. Mullion is the name given to any other vertical frame pieces. These frame pieces join with mortise and tenon or dowelled joints, to produce a solid slab.
When glazing panels are used in a panel door they will need to be held in by glazing bars, strips which secure glass into a frame, and can be separated with vertical frame pieces, sometimes called muntins.
Decorative mouldings or trims are sometimes added around the edges of where the panels meet the frame pieces. These are raised strips, with shaped profiles, which add a decorative effect and enhance the look of the separate pieces. These can be used with glass panels as well as standard panels.
Panel doors are traditional designs, but they are still popular today. The quality of the materials used to make the door will probably be reflected in the specifications and price of the door. Internal doors don't require the same properties as external doors and are usually made of cheaper materials.
Originally, panel doors would all have been made from natural solid wood, but that can be an expensive option today. Modern panel doors, like most other doors, are often made from a combination of different materials, with panels sometimes being made from different materials than the leaf's frame. Internal panel doors are usually made of engineered woods. These will sometimes be veneered with natural wood to enhance their appearance while keeping the price down.
The traditional material for making panel doors is solid natural wood. It's a long-lasting and visually attractive material. Natural woods can be painted or stained, and when used for internal doors they can also be varnished. Because natural woods can be expensive, they are also used as veneers on engineered woods.
Softwoods and hardwoods can be used to make the parts of panel doors. The individual species of wood have different features, and this should be stated in the specifications of individual doors. High-quality woods will be expensive, but they usually have enhanced properties such as increased strength and durability, less chance of warping, or a particularly attractive appearance.
Less expensive woods can be used for internal doors, as they don't have to face the same conditions as external doors. Natural woods can be prone to expansion and contraction with changes in temperature and humidity, and although this probably won't be significant for most internal doors, it's worth noting for doors in certain areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens.
Engineered woods are man-made materials which use wood in their construction. For panel doors, plywood or some type of fibreboard can be used, often as a cheaper alternative to solid natural wood. They can have natural wood veneers attached to improve their appearance.
Plywood is made of layers of thin sheets of wood fixed together with an adhesive to produce a solid panel. They are fixed together with each sheet having its grains running in a different direction to the sheet next to it. Various types of wood can be used to make plywood. The face sheets will often be a higher-quality wood than the core sheets.
Plywood can be produced so that it is very strong, but it will be heavy. High-quality plywood can easily compete with some natural woods, and is less prone to warping, due to its cross-grain construction. This also means plywood can be expensive and will need to be maintained as much as natural wood.
The adhesives used in plywood need to be the correct type for the application, for instance being water resistant for bathroom doors
Fibreboards are constructed differently to plywood, as they use wood fibre bonded together and pressed into a panel. For panel doors, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), high-density fibreboard (HDF), or hardboard is used. As the density level of fibreboards increases, they will get stronger and heavier, but they will also become more prone to warping.
Fibreboards will need to be painted, as they can't be stained. They will not work well in exterior applications as they will absorb moisture if they get wet and this can permanently damage them. They will usually be the cheapest option compared to natural wood or plywood and are generally considered to be the least attractive.
Contains urea-formaldehyde which can be dangerous when sanding or cutting and small amounts will leak out over time unless they're finished correctly
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203,569,381 | First, read the following list of documentation required. If you are unsure of what any of these documents are, please contact NBCC’s Service Professionals who will walk you through what is required, and help you identify how to obtain what you need if you don’t already have it.
Please note: NBCC requires a significant amount of information to ensure its loans and other credit facilities are processed legally. NBCC cannot process your application without all of the necessary information being submitted. Producing all of the required documentation does not guarantee approval by NBCC. All applications undergo a rigorous evaluation and due diligence process and any decision regarding approval or rejection of an application rests with the Board of Directors of NBCC.
To be eligible for credit with NBCC, you will need to provide evidence that your business was unable to obtain a loan from a financial institution on reasonable terms and conditions; or there is not a financial institution or branch of a financial institution in a community in which you carry on business.
For forms and samples of the documents outlined, you can download many of them at Loan Application Documents or link to them from this list.
Obtain a Business License (Samples) from the city or community in which your business is operating. The City of Iqaluit requires an application to be completed for a business license, with its own set of requirements. For more information for Iqaluit business licenses, please refer to:
Obtain your Workers Safety and Compensation Commission certificate. See Employer Forms for more information on obtaining the correct forms for your business.
Create your business plan. If the loan is for a specific project in addition to you existing business, include a project plan that details your plans for expansion. For more information on creating a business plan, please refer to business planning information at Seven Steps to Help You Start Your Business or en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_plan
Contact information for key people included in your business plan, including the name, email, phone number, fax number, and full address in Nunavut for the following people:
Compile the resumes of major management and principle owners, which should be included as part of your business plan. If you have hired or are including additional people that are critical to the success of your project, their resumes should also be included in your business plan.
Provide proof of Canadian citizenship and residency of principal owners as part of your business plan, providing photocopies of the following:
Provide proof if you are a beneficiary under the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement in your business plan by providing a copy of your NLCA Beneficiary card.
Produce a Net Worth Statement (NBCC Form) of the principle owners. Include the Net worth statements for all of the major players for your project in your business plan.
Produce your current financial statements of your business. For established businesses, provide 3 years worth of annual Financial Statements. For new businesses that do not yet have financial statements, provide the past 3 years of your personal income tax returns. These financial statements should be included as part of your business plan.
Produce a proforma budget for your project. Show how you plan to repay all borrowed money from lenders. Include the pro forma budget in your business plan.
Pass a resolution for the company to approach NBCC for a loan, for companies with boards. Include a copy of the resolution in your application package to NBCC, preferably as part of your business plan.
Complete Sections 1 and 5 of Canada Revenue Agency form RC59 - a Canada Revenue Agency form that allows NBCC to access information on your company’s tax status.
Complete Sections 1 and 5 of Canada Revenue Agency form T1013 - a Canada Revenue Agency form that allows NBCC to access information on your personal tax status.
Optional: Obtain letters of support in the event you have borrowed from other lenders, demonstrating your success in repaying loans in the past.
Mail the original signed copy of the application form and the two CRA forms; plus include copies of all supporting documents to:
NBCC staff will confirm the receipt of your full application, and let you know if any components are missing within 2 working days of receiving your documents by email.
NBCC staff will then arrange to meet with you to discuss your project and application and will arrange a discussion paper based on your meeting to settle any questions you or NBCC may have regarding your project.
Credit facility committee: The credit facility committee of NBCC reviews the analysis of your plan, and makes a recommendation to the NBCC Board to approve or reject your loan application.
The NBCC board will meet in person or by teleconference to make a timely final decision on your application.
Notice of Approval/Rejection: If your application is approved you will receive an email from NBCC staff to move onto the next step. If rejected, you will receive a letter outlining why your application was rejected. Under NBCC rules, you are allow to appeal a decision if you wish.
A Letter of offer from NBCC is issued to you, for your review and acceptance of the terms and security required. You review, sign, and return the letter of offer to NBCC in order to complete the final steps.
Lawyers prepare and register the security documents upon signing of the letter of offer. This can take from a few days to several months depending on the type of security.
Fill in the 05610 PAP Authorization Form that allows NBCC to withdraw payments from your bank account on a pre-agreed scheduled basis.
Make sure to communicate regularly with NBCC on your progress, to keep them updated on how well your business is growing!
If you have any questions on any of these steps, contact NBCC’s Service Professionals for more information.
NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman says the wintry snow mix will persist until mid-afternoon Sunday. (Published Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015)
As temperatures fall throughout the morning, the light rain/snow mix will turn into snow throughout the Chicago area. The precipitatation will lighten by the afternoon and early evening and turn into snow flurries. The system is expected to move out by 7 p.m. Sunday.
Only about one to two inches of snow are expected to fall in most of the Chicago area, with the heavier snow falling in the southern part of the region.
The work week will start with another chance for snow and a high of 28 followed by highs in the 30s for the rest of the week.
Wind gusts are expected to reach speeds of 40 to 45 miles per hour in parts of the Chicago area on Monday
It's a windy Memorial Day in Chicago! There is still a chance for some rain this afternoon and evening. (Published Monday, May 25, 2015)
While temperatures could reach the low 80s Monday, the day looks to be dreary. The National Weather Service warns of strong wind gusts between 40 and 45 miles per hour, with some possibly exceeding 50 miles per hour.
The windy conditions will impact most of the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana, but will diminish in strength as the day goes on.
The rain and spotty storms that arrived in parts of the Chicago area to the south and west Sunday afternoon will move out of the area by the late morning hours.
Conditions will stay mostly dry Monday afternoon, just in time for a Memorial Day barbecue, but the clouds will likely stick around. Some areas could see some sunshine and maybe a few pop-up showers and storms in the afternoon, however.
Storms and scattered showers will return to Chicago Monday night and Tuesday, but the rest of the week looks mostly dry with temperatures in the comfortable 70- to 80-degree range.
Giants rookie QB Kyle Lauletta apologized Tuesday morning, a week after he was arrested for motor vehicle violations in Weehawken, NJ
"The incident that happened last week is a terrible representation of who I am and what I stand for," Lauletta said.
The report says he almost hit a police officer while making an illegal turn, was stopped by a second officer and refused to produce license
Police said Lauletta's car was involved in a similar incident Oct. 29, but summons were mailed because the vehicle did not stay at the scene.
You can be sure the Ravens eyebrows went up when the San Diego Chargers signed tackle Jared Gaither to a four-year, 24.6 million contract in March. The deal included 13.5 million in guaranteed pay and an 8 million signing bonus.
It was exactly the kind of deal Gaither, 26, always wanted from the Ravens after he emerged as Jonathan Ogdens heir at left tackle in 2008, but the Ravens never gave it to him, doubting his work ethic and his ability to stay healthy.
The Ravens certainly have their own issues at blind-side tackle these days as they try to decide if Bryant McKinnie is in shape to handle the job for a second straight year, but theyll take that as a problem as opposed to having to deal with Gaither.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, just four months after signing his deal, Gaither was unable to practice when he reported to training camp because of back spasms, and he still hasnt practiced. The Chargers have gone out and signed two tackles as insurance.
Keep in mind that the Chargers gave him his big contract based on his performances in just a handful of late-season games in 2011, including one against the Ravens -- not exactly a broad sample size. The Chargers had brought him in as a fill-in after the Kansas City Chiefs waived him, and he played well.
No one has ever doubted Gaithers talent when he is healthy and motivated, but the Ravens never had enough faith in his longterm prospects to give him so much money. I doubt theyre experiencing any regret today. |
40,348,928 | Solar street light ether sunlight for energy, solar panels to recharge batteries during the day, at night the battery to the lamp source power supply, no need for complex and expensive pipeline laying, can adjust the layout of lamps and lanterns, safe and energy-free, no pollution, no need for manual operation, stable and reliable, LED Solar Street Light save electricity, maintenance-free, at the same time, solar street lamps for a cycle, no need to worry like ordinary street lamp line and the whole is not
Because solar street lamps have no need to lay cables, no AC power, no electricity, DC power supply, control, good stability, long life, high luminous efficiency, LED Solar Street Light simple installation and maintenance, high safety performance, energy saving and environmental protection, LED Solar Street Light economic and practical advantages. Therefore it is widely used in urban main, secondary trunk roads, residential areas, factories, tourist attractions, car parks and other places.
1, solar energy street lamps to solar radiation, irradiation in the light of the photovoltaic modules of the sun is sufficient directly affect the lighting effect, LED Solar Street Light so in the selection of lighting installation position, solar cell components at any time can illuminate the sun, and no leaves and other shelter.
2, threading must pay attention to the wire do not clip in the junction of the lamp rod. The wires should be connected securely and wrapped with PVC tape.
3, when using, in order to ensure beautiful and battery components can better receive solar radiation, please clean every six months on the battery pack dust, LED Solar Street Light but do not use water from the bottom of the flush.
As a kind of energy-saving and environmental-friendly lighting device, solar street lamp not only reduces the environment for power generation, LED Solar Street Light but also makes it more convenient and can be adjusted according to its own needs, so it is used in many big cities on the road.
1. Solar street lamps using solar photovoltaic cells to provide electricity, solar energy as a green environmental protection of new energy, "take it inexhaustible, use of endless." The full use of solar energy resources, LED Solar Street Light to alleviate the situation of conventional energy tension has a positive significance.
2. The installation of Solar street lamps is simple and convenient, no need to do a lot of basic works such as laying cables like ordinary street lamps, only a fixed base, all the lines and control parts are placed in the lamp frame to form a whole.
3. The operation and maintenance cost of solar street lamps is low. LED Solar Street Light The whole system operation is automatic control, without human intervention, almost does not produce maintenance costs.
Guest blog written by: Christina Schabow, MS CCC-SLP, speech & Language Pathologist and owner Baby Sign Language in Play
Second guest blog written by: Christina Schabow,Speech & Language Pathologist MS CCC-SLP, and owner of Baby Sign Language in Play
Libby Hill, of Small Talk and Smart Talkers has been nominated as Business Parent of the Year sponsored by RSM Tenon.
Open to any parent who has created their own flexible employment by starting their own business and has achieved this and more! The winner will receive a luxury spa weekend for two at Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa worth £660. Libby said, 'Its great to be nominated but I know there's a stiff competition'.
I've had a fantastic training weekend, first time I have ever enjoyed full training days. Great weekend and very promising future!!!
St Neots, Cambridgeshire, and surrounding villages and towns....Get ready for open evenings to introduce the company, its aims, and our team to you all. Open evenings to be held in St Neots, Huntingdon, Sandy, and Bedford. Invitations will be sent out soon, advising you of your nearest venue, dates to be confirmed. If you have any queries, please contact 0844 704 5888 or use the enquiry form.
Small Talk and Smart Talkers in the news this week...... The Editor of Business Franchise Magazine liked the idea of the groups and mentions Libby Hill and Smart Talkers in this month's magazine: http://www.businessfranchise.com/news content
There's a whole page of editorial on the groups and why they are necessary in this month's Family Time magazine Family Time Magazine www.familytimemagazine.co.uk
You can pick up a free copy of Family Time Magazine in the following areas Aldridge, Burntwood, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth.
A UTTOXETER mother-of-two who set up a speech therapy practice in the town this year has been nominated for a prestigious national award.
Libby is delighted to have been nominated for the award. 'I love what I do so is even better to be recognised for it!' she commented.
Most of the research into the effects of signing with babies has been American until now. The University of Hertfordshire's Karen Pike, Elizabeth Kirk and Neil Howlett have been studying the effects of using baby gesturing on language development. Their research has a different slant on the benefits of baby signing to previous work, they have found that those babies who are exposed to signing did not differ from the control groups on language outcomes when followed up at 20 months. However their research does highlight the fact that babies from low socioeconomic status backgrounds are more at risk of delayed language development. Some of their research focused on enhancing communication between mothers and babies from low socioeconomic backgrounds by encouraging the use of some gestures. This part of their research did show that the sign language has the potential to rectify the gap between low and high socioeconomic groups.
Their research backs up the whole reason for SmartTalkers, from Small Talk. Libby Hill, Director and speech & language therapist reports, 'Encouraging parental interaction with their babies and young children is vital to promote communication as well as emotional and intellectual development'. The Baby Talk sessions are a good start to promote discussion which helps groups draw their own conclusions, they can be for any group but show the most benefit where group members were initially unaware of the need to talk to and interact with their baby.
The topics include 'Why talk to your baby when he cant talk back?', 'Too much TV?', Why not use dummies?', 'Are nursery rhymes outdated?' and 'Books for babies????'
The evidence shows that these sessions are best when followed by Smart Signers which promotes the use of singing and signing with babies to help parent-child interaction.
A recent AFASIC study shows that children are leaving primary school without their speech, language or communication difficulties being picked up. Small Talk Speech & Language Therapist and Director Libby Hill feels that this is an awful situation, 'Almost every educational skill requires and relies on spoken language ability so the children are on a hiding to nothing'. Communication skills are so important for learning but also for our social life i.e. making and keeping friends.'
Its no surprise that in a study of young offenders, 75% were found to have speech, language and or communication problems.
Small Talk offer a screening service for any parent wanting to check on their child's development and also a class-based service for teachers.
Talking to babies helps their brains develop, researchers have discovered. Libby Hill, founder of Smart Talkers and Small Talk speech and language therapy says, ‘This is something we have known for a long time but this is news to most people’. The study by Northwestern University in Ilinois found that words influence the thinking of three-month-old babies better than any other kinds of sounds, including music. So if you're babbling away to your tiny baby, don't feel silly - you're helping his development.
In a recent survey carried out with 2,000 women, many indicated that they were fearful of starting up a business because of financial outlay or fear of failure.
However, the survey went on to report that most of the women interviewed would love to have their own business if they had support and training and could find something that offered the following:
Smart Talkers franchisees have all the above plus the satisfaction of knowing that they are making a difference to the development of pre-school children ...... and having fun at the same time!
Libby Hill, Small Talk Director is delighted to have been nominated for an award for the second year running.' Its great to do what you're passionate about but its good to be recognised for what you do', says Libby, 'even of I dont win anything its a fantastic experience'. The nomoinations are for most inspirational business woman and for the best new business for Smart Talkers
Smart Talkers have made the finals for the nomnations for this years awards and the voting has started. The nomonation is for the Small Talker groups in the best local group section Go to www.whatson4littleones.co.uk/voting if you want your vote to count.
Smart Talkers have been nominated for the best local group in the annual awards of 'what’s on for little ones'. Libby Hill, Director said, 'Its a great opportunity for more people to get to know about us'. The nominations are for the Small Talker groups at Lichfield and Burntwood. Nicky Wilson, Franky Shepperson and Libby run these.
Learning to communicate is a fantastic achievement and needs to be celebrated. The Small Talker groups are for 3-4 year olds to help prepare them for school. They work on listening, attention, phonological awareness, vocabulary and more. Every child can benefit, is fun with a function!
BBC Radio Derby invited Libby Hill, Small Talk Speech & Language Therapist to discuss the issues surrounding the new Comunication Tsar's survey. She went on the Aleena Naylor show on Tuesday 5th January. 'Its a great exprience and Im always pleased to be able to discuss these important topics. I set up the Smart Talkers range of groups specifically to help address the problems identified in the report', said Libby. The groups are to be available as a franchise from February so that the good practise they promote can be avaialable nationwide .
Nearly a quarter of boys - and one in seven girls - is struggling to learn to talk because thousands of households keep their TV sets on constantly making it difficult for them to understand the speech of adults around them.
A survey revealed how 22 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls have trouble developing speech and understanding others.
Three per cent suffer 'significant' problems, according to a poll published by Jean Gross, the Government's communications adviser.
Middle-class children were just as likely to experience difficulty'. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
'This is a real problem and exactly what the Small Talkers Groups in the Smart Talker Range are designed to address', commented Libby Hill Small Talk Speech & Langugae Therapist and Small Talk Director
Research now has proved that it is vital to talk to and interact with your baby from birth or they will not fully develop the area of the brain which is responsible for speech, language and communication development. Libby Hill, Speech & Langugae Therapist & Smart Talk Director recommends http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/conferencereport2009.pdf or Sue Gerhart's book 'Why love matters', for more information.
There is a worrying shortage of NHS Speech & Language Therapists, despite the number of children with speech, language and communication problems being at an all time high.
Dummies may hinder a toddler's development reprted in the Mail on- line and the Daily Mail Toddlers who use dummies are three times more likely to suffer from speech impediments as they grow up, research suggests.
Scientists have found preschool children who have used a pacifier for at least three years are more likely to have difficulties talking than
children who don't use them. Youngsters who suck their thumbs are also at greater risk of delayed speech development, the study found.
Although the findings are preliminary, they add to the growing evidence that parents who give their toddlers dummies could be 'buying
themselves' peace and quiet at the expense of their child's development. The American and Chilean researchers looked at the history of thumb and finger sucking, breast feeding and use of dummies in 128 children aged three to five.
They also used a linguistic test to see whether the children's speech was normal for their age - or whether they had an unusually low 'talking age' when it came to pronouncing sounds and words.
The team, led by Dr Clarita Barbosa of the University of Washington, found children who sucked their fingers or thumbs, or who used a dummy
Libby Hill from Smalltalk speech & language therapy has been invited onto BBC Radio Derby to comment! She's always been a fervent hater of
A recent report in the Times 13th OCTOBER 2009 hows very alarmingconclusions......Children should be banned from watching television until they are 2 years old because it can stunt their language development and shorten their attention span, according to new Australian recommendations.
The guidelines warn of the damage done by sitting inactive for hours and advise that reading, drawing or solving puzzles should also be kept to a minimum.
For children aged between 2 and 5, time in front of the TV screen should be limited to an hour a day, according to health experts, in the first official guidelines on children’s viewing habits.
Too much television can affect young children’s ability for social interaction and damage their concentration, they say. The guidelines — drawn up by the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and to be published by the Government next week — are part of a national anti-obesity drive. Belying Australia’s image as a fit, healthy and sports-obsessed nation, a quarter of its children are seriously overweight — a figure that is expected to rise to a third by 2020.
The report, although intended mainly for childcare centres, also advises parents to make a plan for reducing screen time at home.
The Get Up and Grow report says: “Based on recent research it is recommended that children younger than 2 years of age should not spend any time watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games).
“Screen time . . . may reduce the amount of time they have for active play, social contact with others and chances for language development. [It may] affect the development of a full range of eye movement [and] reduce the length of time they can stay focused.”
Research by the hospital indicates that very young children in Australia spend more time watching television than in any other activity. Four-month-old children watch an average of 44 minutes of television daily, while children under 4 years with pay TV at home spend at least three hours a day in front of the screen.
Nearly a third of children live in households that have a television switched on all the time, the policy brief says, with television used as a “babysitter” from earliest infancy. “Face-to-face interactions and responsive, engaged relationships provide the foundation for all child development,” the report says. It advises that children aged 2 to 5 should not be inactive — defined as time spent watching TV, reading, drawing or solving puzzles — for more than an hour at a time during waking hours. From the age of 1, children should be active for at least three hours a day.
The guidelines have been welcomed by Australian childcare experts. Lee Burton, a commentator on childcare, was in favour of a complete ban on television for toddlers in childcare centres. “I think this is aimed at helping people to understand the effects of television-watching on very young children and to advise them this is not a good thing,” he said. Barbara Biggins, the chief executive of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, said: “There are ways of entertaining young children that don’t involve plonking them in a passive viewing situation — even if it’s playing in the mud or watching insects crawling.”
Smalltalk director and specialist speech & language therapist has been converned about this isue for many years now, following some research she did back in the 1990s. "This was before CBeebies, etc and showed that too much TV watching can be a factor in language delay. There are also other issues involved such as the parents of the children who are watching TV may be too busy to interact with their chidren or dont know how".
There are several reasons why a child of 2 might not be talking as expected including a general developmental delay, problems understanding, a family history of late talking, they might not see the need, they may be on the autistic continuum or belong to a family who don’t realise that they need to interact with their toddler in order for him or her to learn to talk.
Whatever the reason, the toddler groups Tiny Talkers groups are especially helpful for those who have not managed to pass the Health Visitor checks, as well as for other children.
J. B. was 2 yrs 5 months and had no spoken words. He got by with a combination of pointing and grunts. His mother, a single parent was concerned that this would affect his relationships with other children. His behaviour was deteriorating due to frustration at not being able to get his message across. His Health Visitor referred him to speech & language therapy but also advised his mother to take him to the Smart talk group. He is an only child.
J.B’s attention was fleeting and he preferred to run around for the first two sessions. He could not wait for his turn and had Smart temper tantrums as a result. No spoken language was observed at this time. However, six sessions on he could sit and attend to the group tasks, join in for his turn and more often than not volunteered to be the helper at snack time which meant he was last to be served! He could produce 25 or more single words and could even produce 2 words together e.g. more pop, bubbles gone.
J.B. was already a confident little boy but he and his mother needed encouragement to communicate verbally and to observe how the Therapist’s techniques can be used at home in everyday situations. He received his NHS appointment but has been discharged because he is making such encouraging progress.
N. J. was 2 yrs 6 months when she came to the group. Her parents were concerned because she did not speak at all, she was effectively mute. The Health Visitor had recommended they come along.
For the first 4 sessions she was very quiet but co-operated fully for the tasks. She appeared to enjoy the signing and her understanding was very good. Gradually, she began to join in with the songs and then she named items. Now 7 sessions on, she is talking when it is her turn and will spontaneously ask for drink or biscuit at the snack time. She can use 2-3 word sentences. Her confidence to communicate was the biggest stumbling block and the group acted as a forum in which to develop this. The signing and augmentative communication techniques just alleviated the pressure for her. She is using her new found skills in most situations now.
Up to 50% of children do not acquire speech or language as we would expect so Smart Talker groups are designed to help prepare children for school with a variety of activities which the chidren enjoy but which also help a geat deal.
J.P. is 3yrs 9months and has been a regular attender at Smart Talk Groups since July. He has Prader-Willi syndrome which affects his muscle tone and tend to be accompanied by a general developmental delay. He is seen by an NHS SLT but has had no regular therapy. His comprehension is around 6 months delayed and at the start of the groups his attention and listening were further hindering this, so that he didn’t always follow instructions or appear to hear what was said to him.
His attention control is much improved and he can now sit to ‘listen’, following the positive active listening training. This means that his everyday understanding is improved.
His expressive skills were hampered by acute shyness so that his confidence was very poor. He found it hard to take his turn and would ‘hide’ in his mother’s arms. Last week he demonstrated clear sentences for his turn in the group and no evidence of anxiety. Functional communication is therefore improved too.
J. K. is 3 yrs 11m and has an identified general developmental delay which means that he was around 12months behind his peers on most things including speech and language. Confidence was poor because he was aware of his difficulties. He has had contact with NHS SLT but no regular therapy. This had frustrated his mother so that she had fallen out with the early year’s team too! He has been a regular attender at the Smart Talk Group and is now one of the more able in the group!! His mother is delighted.
Smart Talk Speech & language therapist Libby Hill has been nominated for an award in two categories for the Annual Mumprenuer Awards to be held in Birmingham on Saturday 3rd October. Mrs Harris, Parent of one of Smart Talk's clients feels that she is an inspiration to other Mums who want to do things for themselves. 'She kept on trying even when things were hard because she had an idea she believed in,' says Mrs Harris, 'its hard working for yourself, setting up a business and being a single parent too.'
Libby is nominated as the most inspirational business mum and for the best new buisness. Libby feels its great to be nominated but knows that there is stiff competition in both categories, 'Being put forwards is great and I'm looking forwards to the day out but I'm not expecting to win anything'.
Smart Talk are going to be working with an independent phsiotherapist who specialises in children. Her name is Linda Mawle
Problems with speech and language are the most common developmental difficulty that children encounter. Studies indicate that as many as one in ten children in the UK have speech and language difficulties and these are particularly prevalent in the early years. Language is central to learning and a study by the Basic Skills Agency (2002) reported that, in the opinion of teachers, 50% of children start school lacking skills that are vital for an effective start to education.
You are now more and more likely to come across a child with difficulty in one or more of the following areas:
Children may have difficulty with understanding the meaning of words and concepts. They may have problems following instructions, understanding games and tasks and making sense of what is being said to them. Often children with these difficulties may appear to understand, as they may be getting clues from following other children or guessing from the context. However, they may also come across as 'difficult' simply because they are not fully understanding what is being said.
Children may have problems with using language. They may have difficulty with words or sentence structure. They may struggle to express themselves in play and activities, or to tell people how they feel.
Children may have problems with the intelligibility of their speech, they may have a reduced number of sounds available to them and difficulty making particular sounds in simple or longer words. They may not be easy to understand when they speak or reluctant to speak for fear of not being understood.
Many children who have speech and language difficulties have problems with listening to spoken language (often when their hearing is OK). They have difficulty concentrating on a task and listening to adult instructions.
Children's development of social skills, their sense of self and others and their ability to form relationships and learn can all be affected by speech and language problems.
Difficulties in one or more of these areas can have a profound impact on a child's experience of their early education. How each child is affected will depend on the degree of their difficulty and personal factors.
Owing to these problems, children with speech and language difficulties may struggle to follow and learn daily routines. For example, if they find it hard to understand spoken language children may struggle to follow instructions, especially negatives such as the difference between "do" something and "don't" do something.
They may also find sentences with more than one element difficult. For example, "get some paper and pencils and go and sit in the drawing corner". The child may be able to follow the individual elements of the sentence but when they are combined into one, they can't process everything at once. Keeping sentences short and supporting information with gesture will help.
Children who find it hard to make themselves understood by adults or other children will find their ability to join in activities and tell people things, ask questions, relate stories, and form friendships is inhibited. They may be unable to join in songs or nursery rhymes and have difficulty following stories and remembering information. In this situation, offering a choice with words to go with that choice may help e.g. "do you want to play with the cars or paint?"
Difficulties in attention and listening can make it hard for children to get the most out of free-play sessions, their ability to take turns may be affected and they may find it hard to listen to and retain instructions. Poor awareness of time and the sequence of routine events can lead to children becoming insecure, especially if the routine they have learned is changed for a special event, such as the photographer's visit or the Christmas party. Sticking to a set routine and having pictures that relate to that routine in order upon on the wall may help.
The feelings of frustration and confusion that can arise from speech and language difficulties can result in behaviour problems. Children may either vent their frustration and anger in very obvious ways or become very quiet and withdrawn when they feel the act of communication is too difficult to keep on trying.
In addition to these more general difficulties, children with speech and language problems can encounter specific difficulties in accessing the early years curriculum. Many, if not all of the Early Learning Goals rely directly or indirectly on a child being a competent listener and communicator and children with difficulties in any of the areas discussed here will need support to get the most out of their early years' experience.
Owing to these problems, children with speech and language difficulties may struggle to follow and learn daily routines. For example, if they find it hard to understand spoken language children may struggle to follow instructions, especially negatives such as the difference between "do" something and "don't" do something. They may also find sentences with more than one element difficult. For example, "get some paper and pencils and go and sit in the drawing corner". The child may be able to follow the individual elements of the sentence but when they are combined into one, they can't process everything at once. Keeping sentences short and supporting information with gesture will help.
Jessica Charles (adv.Dip. Hyp Psch.Cert couns) is a trained counsellor who enjoys working with children and young adults with all types of difficulties including mental health issues and learning disability. She will also see adult voice clients and help to run parent support groups. Many children with autistic spectrum disorder have associated phobias or anxiety issues which Jess can also help with.
Nicky has lots of experience of working with children especially nursery age and runs the Smart Talk Group at Charnwood Childrens Centre as well as working with individual children in nurseries and schools. She enjoys working with all types of spoken language difficulty but especially speech problems.
'Idioglossia. cryptophasia or more commonly known as "twin language" or "twin talk" has been the focus of many research studies and has interested the public for years. It was once believed that twins could develop their own language unrecognisable by others.
Today. research indicates that twin language is actually one twin modeling the immature or disordered speech pattern of their co-twin. which results in the incorrect use of speech sounds and grammar by both twins. If you've ever heard two children talking with delayed speech and language. you too may think they're talking in a foreign language'.
Why do twins have trouble developing sounds and words? Well. research has suggested that twins are at greater risk for speech and language delays because of higher incidence of prematurity. low birth weight or limited individual communication with their parents.
Smart Talk have a number of twins on their books and are happy to give advice & support to aanyone with concern.
Libby Hill was invited onto BBC Radio Derby's Aleena Naylor Morning Show on Wednesday 29th July to talk about Chris Eubank's dental work. 'The idea was was a bit daunting at first but I thought it was a great opportunity to promote Smart Talk' says Libby. Referrals for lisps are few and far between at Smart Talk, however, therapy would be a much better alternative to expensive dental work. Its reported that he spent £30,000 in an effort to cure his speech impediment.
The studios are state of the art in Derby City centre and everyone was very welcoming. Libby reprts to actually enjoying the experience and has been asked to appear regularly for relevant topics.
Television reduces verbal interaction between parents and infants, which could delay children's language development, says a U.S. study that challenges claims that certain infant-targeted DVDs actually benefit youngsters.
The researchers studied 329 children, aged 2 months to 48 months, and found that for each additional hour of television exposure, there was a decrease of 770 words (7 percent) heard from an adult by the children. The study also found that the more hours spent watching television, the fewer vocalizations infants made when adults talked to them.
"Some of these reductions are likely due to children being left alone in front of the television screen, but others likely reflect situations in which adults, though present, are distracted by the screen and not interacting with their infant in a discernable manner," wrote Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, of Seattle Children's Hospital, and colleagues.
"At first blush, these findings may seem entirely intuitive. However, these findings must be interpreted in light of the fact that purveyors of infant DVDs claim that their products are designed to give parents and children a chance to interact with one another, an assertion that lacks empirical evidence," they noted.
The researchers added that their results may help explain previous findings of a link between television viewing and delayed language development.
"Given the critical role that adult caregivers play in children's linguistic development, whether they talk to their child while the screen is on may be critical and explain the effects that are attributed to content or even amount of television watched," the team wrote. "That is, whether parents talk less (or not at all) during some types of programs or at some times of the day may be as important in this age group as what is being watched."
Smart Talk have just finished the Languageland training in Hixon Pre-school. The staff have responded very well to the ideas and will incorporate in future planning, while the children enjoyed the circle time sessioons. Libby Hill is also helping them in their quest to become recognised as a speech, language and communication friendly establishment. More training is planned including sign language. Libby pointed out that the pre-school is no worse than anywhere else. “In fact all nurseries will have at least 2 or 3 children with speech difficulties, some with delayed expressive language, while at least 1 is likely to have problems with social interaction or social use of language.
Children are now so addicted to television that they would prefer to look at a blank screen than a smiling human face, a new study has found.
The results, described by scientists as deeply worrying, appear to show that youngsters are distancing themselves from interaction with real people because of their constant diet of television.
Researchers found that they reacted as enthusiastically to the image of a television as alcoholics do to pictures of drink.
Previous studies indicated that from birth, people will choose to look at human faces in favour of an object.
But the latest year-long project by academics found that when children were confronted with images of a friendly face and a blank TV set, they were more drawn to the screen.
The first experiment involved 34 five-year-olds, 25 eight-year-olds and 34 adults, who were shown a series of picture cards.
Scientists paired images of smiling human faces with those of a toy boat, a toy train, a doll's house, a tap, a teapot and a wall clock. Without exception, the subjects all responded best to the face.
But in a second test where 22 adults and 145 children aged between five and eight were shown cards pairing a face and a television set, the youngsters looked at the TV first.
Dr Markus Bindemann, of Glasgow University, which carried out the research with Stirling University, said: "It is perhaps not surprising that it is televisions which compete with faces for children's attention. But this is a worrying trend.
"We learn social interaction - how to deal with people and how to read them - from looking at their faces.
"If you just stare at a box, you don't get any genuine interactions. In the long-run that's got to have pretty dire consequences."
Dr Martin Doherty, a psychology lecturer at Stirling University, added: "In all previous research children showed a preference for faces so we tried to come with other stimulus that people would find as interesting.
"For instance, if you were an obsessive trainspotter, you might look to a picture of a locomotive more than the face.
"This study shows in very simple terms that for children of a certain age there is more interest in television than in people."
Other recent studies have linked a growth in autism with the number of hours children spend watching the box.
And the notion that children learn by watching TV was recently dispelled by research that showed learning skills, such as language, were best accomplished by interaction with adults.
"And looking at TV rather than faces is a type of social impairment because you are becoming less interested in what should be more important to you.
"Being able to interact with people is a prerequisite for success at a personal and professional level."
Glenys Watkins was faced with never tasting food again after a fall at home in Dyserth, near Rhyl, left her unable to swallow.
But now the 64-year-old is tucking into her favourite chips after becoming one of the first in the UK to undergo an innovative treatment.
She is one of the few people in the UK approved to provide the therapy which has been used in the United States successfully for the last decade to treat swallowing problems, or dysphagia, which it is the medical term for the condition.
The treatment uses Smart electrical pulses, transmitted through pads placed on the skin, to stimulate the swallowing muscles so that they relearn how to swallow.
After just two weeks of intensive treatment Ms Watkins was able to eat her favourite foods again including spaghetti Bolognese, chocolate cake and the odd chocolate biscuit after spending 11-and-a-half months being fed through a tube in her nose.
"Glenys, like lots of people with dysphagia, had a very poor quality of life, she was poorly motivated and depression can set in," said Ms Sinnappan.
Currently, the therapy is only available privately, but the speech therapist and Ms Watkins's consultant believe it should now be considered as an NHS treatment.
"It could provide a vast cost saving in health care for patients with dysphagia, which could be many millions of pounds a year," argued Ms Sinnappan.
"It will cut the operating cost of fitting a feeding tube to their stomach, of providing the texture modified food for them and many are in nursing home care because of their lack of independence."
Consultant Robert Rafal, who is also Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Neuropsychology at Bangor University, added: "As a consultant I would want Vital Stim therapy to be a treatment for patients with problems in swallowing due to a neurological difficulty where other treatments had failed.
"Further studies should be done to evaluate Vital Stim therapy's usefulness and if they bear out its effectiveness over time and in medical practice it should be available on the NHS."
A Health Commission Wales spokesperson said: "We cannot comment on individual cases. This is clearly an experimental treatment at this stage, and we will look at further research with interest."
In the meantime, Ms Watkins is just delighted to be able to taste her food once more: "I eat all sorts of food, I love chips, I must have them three times a week, but I need to lose a stone, even though we have the low fat ones, I was dead thin before."
“Parents who point and use other gestures with their toddlers can give them a head start with learning language” reported The Times today. It said that scientists have discovered that children as young as 14 months who pick up gestures from their parents have larger and more complex vocabularies when they start school. This could affect a child’s intellectual development, as early vocabulary is a good indicator of later academic success.
In this study, researchers filmed the interactions between parents and toddlers from 50 families with different socio-economic backgrounds. Children from higher income families used more gestures to convey meaning than those from lower income families. When the children started school several years later, those who had gestured more at 14 months had significantly bigger vocabularies.
With this and other evidence in mind, the Horn End Nurseries in Staffordshire have decide to introduce signing into their nurseries as routine practice. Nursery owner Ms Deborah Falshaw feels that we must recognise that children learn differently and that for alot of children the visual impact of signing will aid the child's understanding as well as their expressive language skills. Smart Talk Therapists have been involved with this.
A very successfull session was held at the Rugeley Nursery on wednesday evening with all staff in attendance as well as some of the parents. They all picked up the signs with apparant ease and by the end of the session could read and sign simple stories and nursery rymes. 'Its an extension of natural gesture' explained Franky Shepperson SLT, who has taught her own children and grandchildren to sign from babyhood. 'We can control our hands long before we can control everything we need to be able to master for speaking', she added.
We’ve had a lot of favourable feedback recently especially regarding our approachability. Parents have reported that they found the Therapists easy to talk to and their advice easy to follow. We believe that any suggestions or therapy programme has to be functional and hopefully made as much fun for the child as possible. All our Therapists and Assistants are parents too which Managing Director, Libby Hill, feels is a good thing. ‘My way of thinking changed dramatically when I had children, previously I made expectations of parents that with hindsight were too much. For example, I couldn’t understand it if parents reported that they hadn’t had time to carry out the therapy programme during the week. Now I completely understand that and would tailor the programme around the child’s daily routine if at all possible to make it functional’.
We recognise that it is hard for a parent when their child is not developing as would be expected. They have to come to terms with this, however, slight the problem. Obviously, when there is a greater problem, perhaps accompanied by a diagnosis of ‘special needs’ the parents will go through several stages before they will be able to fully accept this and move on. This is perfectly normal and will affect people to different degrees. Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the ‘label’ so that sometime we forget that we have a beautiful child who happens to have special needs. Libby’s own sons aged 5 and 8 yrs have dyslexia and so are struggling at school. ‘They are so clever and practical in other ways, I’m not too worried if their reading and writing is poor. It’s about putting it into a context and helping each individual child to achieve his or her own potential’.
We will be running several evening training courses over the coming months for parents to attend to find out more about speech, language and communication problems. There are also some functional signing classes for parents to learn early signing skills to support their children or to encourage babies. More details to follow shortly.
The Smart Talk Team is growing with two new members of the paediatric team: Helen Stretton and Dee Holder, who are both experienced therapists and parents of young children. They have a practical, down to earth approach and are passionate about making a difference. They cover the Burton and Tamworth areas respectively.
We also have Sumathi Sinnappan, who is a specialist consultant Speech & Language Therapist for dysphagia, She is able to offer advice and support to both adults and children with feeding and swallowing problems. This is a very specialised area and one Smart Talk Ltd has not been able to include previously. Sumanthi is also a practitioner of VitalStim which is a new pioneering technique for dysphagia. it has excellent results in the USA but is not yet widely known in the UK. At present Sumathi is the only licensed Therapist in Britain.
For children and young adults on the autistic continuum, we have Franky Shepperson, highly specialist speech & language therapist. She has over 40 years of experience in the field and is a tremendously valuable resource.
A common language disorder that affects one in 14 children has been linked to a gene for the first time, offering insights that ultimately promise better diagnosis and treatment.
Variations in a gene called CNTNAP2 are associated with specific language impairment (SLI), which causes communication difficulties in about 7 per cent of children, British scientists have found.
The work, led by Simon Fisher, of the University of Oxford, could eventually help thousands of families affected by the condition, which causes delayed speech, poor comprehension of language, and an inability to link words into grammatical structures and sentences.
Intellectual, physical and emotional development is otherwise normal, though many children with SLI have behavioural and educational problems triggered by their difficulties in expressing themselves and making friends.
On Wednesday 8th October a group of classroom assistants from across the area came together at Wolsley Wildlife Conference Centre to look at speech & language problems in the classroom. Their Head Teachers had all identified spoken language problems as extremely important and had committed to the day. The participants were all very enthusiastic and dedicated to finding out about the problems the children may be having and how to cope with them.
The day was presented by Libby Hill, an Independent. Specialist Speech &language Therapist & MD of Smart Talk, who has many years experience of working in schools. They identified component areas of spoken language, looked at general classroom strategies and specific techniques to help their children. Some of the schools included Flash Leys & Brooklands Primaries Stafford, St Josephs & Western Springs , Rugeley, Anson and Colwich Primaries.
The feedback was 100% positive apart from one suggestion that the day could have been longer! All said they would recommend the course to others.
All children should be assessed for speech problems at the start of primary and secondary school, a report says.
The government-commissioned Bercow review of speech and language services says improving communication skills is key to raising educational standards.
Up to half the children in some areas of England have significant problems, but many have to fight for support.
Conservative MP John Bercow's review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs suggests about 40,000 children, or 7%, are starting primary school in England each year with significant difficulties with speech and or language. But the rates are much higher in areas of social deprivation, with up to 50% having speech and language skills lower than expected for their age, the report says.
Without the help they need these children will do worse at school, could develop emotional and behavioural problems and may descend into criminality, it argues.
But Mr. Bercow said families faced a "postcode lottery" of provision and shortages of speech experts in most areas of the country. www.bbc.co.uk/news
Smart Talk is running several courses for the Autumn term. They will all be held at the wildlife conference Centre, Wolsley Bridge which is a great training venue. The courses are run by Libby Hill, Speech & Language Therapist & Rebecca Burgess, a highly experienced class Teacher. Previous course feedback has been 100% positive.
The courses for professionals working with school aged children aim to look at the problems that the children are having and how to identify these more easily. There are simple effective strategies, which can be implemented to help. One study, carried out by experts Ann Locke et al in 2002, concluded that in an average class, 7.4% of children will have a spoken language problem. This figure increases in areas where there is social or economic disadvantage.
Spoken language skills are the building blocks for literacy and numeracy so if a child is having difficulty with spoken language, it will follow that he will have problems with the rest of the academic curriculum.
Spoken language difficulties include problems with attention & listening, understanding what is being said, finding the right words, putting sentences together or a speech problem. There are also some children who have a stammer or a voice problem.
It’s comparatively easy to identify a speech problem or an expressive language delay or disorder but it can be very difficult to spot a receptive language issue. Libby put together a very simplistic model to explain the components necessary for receptive language and what could go wrong. The Open University Psychological Society and Special Children Magazine published it. Libby also presented it at the Central SIG for mainstream special needs. The course aims to give everyone an insight into this so that they can identify and then help to remediate problems, especially those which have previously been undiagnosed.
All speech and language therapists must complete a recognised three- or four-year degree course and register with the Health Professions Council before being able to practise. The courses combine academic study and practice/clinical placements.
Most courses require three A-level passes or five Scottish highers as minimum entry qualifications. Some courses require specific GCSE and A-levels, such as English and biology, so check the entry requirements with each university.
The practical components of the courses are very important. These may take place in schools, NHS hospitals and community health clinics and are designed to develop skills in assessing and treating people with communication disorders. |
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5,118,867 | Lego and Bugatti announced a collaboration this week. The Danish company, famed for its iconic plastic construction blocks, has produced a 1:8 scale version of the Bugatti Chiron!
Naturally, it’s one of the most expensive Lego models that you can buy with a recommended retail price of $350. It was unveiled at Lego’s Billund headquarters by Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, and Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann.
The Lego version measures over 5 inches (14 cm) high, 22 inches (56 cm) long and 9 inches (25 cm) wide. It is made up of 3,599 individual pieces with an active rear wing, spoked rims with low-profile tires. It gets a detailed cockpit with movable paddle gearshift, and detailed W16 engine with moving pistons.
It’s about as desirable, in Lego terms, as the Chiron is to car enthusiasts. Each example comes with a unique serial number, a speed ket and a miniature Bugatti overnight bag. Each model will come with a unique coffee table book.
Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., said: “Thanks to their proven design and technology expertise, the LEGO Group and Bugatti are the epitomes of their brand segments. The LEGO Technic™ model of the Bugatti Chiron is an expression of a perfect relationship. I am impressed at the precision and refinement with which our super sports car has been translated into the LEGO world and I am sure that fans of both LEGO bricks and Bugatti will love this product.”
The 1:8 scale Lego Technic Bugatti Chiron will be available direct from Lego from June 1, retailers will begin selling the Chiron from August 1, 2018.
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I assure whoever might be reading or hearing these words, I mean what I say. The words might not be clear, but their source and intention are. I speak words the holy spirit provides. The holy spirit is the spirit of life that comes from creator.
The world we humans make is not like creation though it could be if we opened ourselves to the possibility. The world, like everything else that has its being in time and space, is changing. The world is in a state of change where everything we humans think, say and do affects outcomes for ourselves and life on earth. We are at a stage in the world’s evolution where beliefs matter and manifest. Beliefs are strongly held personal opinions about the experience and nature of reality. What’s taking place is colored and interpreted through a lens of beliefs and framework of judgements. We believe and react based on beliefs.
Beliefs allow us to feel as though we know something, in the presence of a great mystery, we may have not experienced. Beliefs are reassuring but keep us from knowing the truth in all its naked beauty. Beliefs come between us and the truth. The truth remains true regardless of what we believe. If we are willing, we can live with the truth. The truth lives and flourishes where everyone can see, setting free the captives of belief’s oppression and violence.
The truth is that love set us free and comes to us whether we are deserving or not. Love’s origin is pre-human. Love did not begin with humans. Love’s story is from the beginning and in the beginning is love. A choice made by the light and confirmed and affirmed in the flesh of living beings, too numerous to count, who choose to love and become the yes of life everlasting.
This comes to you, dear reader, dear listener, courtesy of a great mystery that nurtures the impossible and improbable love that manifests of its own accord in human consciousness with an invitation to communion with creation and creator as a choice we need consider for all our well being.
Specializing in Wood Turnings, Copy Carving & Machine Carving, Stair Railing Components and Small Furniture.
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Working with customers in the Contract, Institutional, Healthcare, Hospitality, Kitchen Cabinet, Millwork, Office, Residential and Stair building industries, we offer the highest degree of manufacturing consistency using a combination of old world craftsmanship and state of the art technology. Our lean focus enables us to produce smaller orders with shorter lead times allowing you to reduce your costs and improve your performance.
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85,502,655 | In Conversation with CLARE Boardmember Dorothy Richards in Honor of National Women’s History Month - CLARE Foundation
Dorothy Richards is a member of the CLARE Foundation Board of Directors and a longtime advocate for women struggling with addiction and substance use disorders. Richards, whose work inspired the launch of the Dorothy Richards Fund for Women’s Recovery, knows that when women decide to get sober, they face unique issues that demand individualized treatment.
Although men tend to use drugs more than women, studies have shown that women’s drug use is more likely to escalate to full-blown addiction.[1]
“To improve parity in levels of care between men and women, one must be aware of the fact that women are physiologically and physically different than men, and their issues are different,” Richards said. “We were always told that a woman physically went down the chute much faster than a man. You seem to be a social drinker and handling it, and then all of a sudden, you’re gone.”
According to Richards, a major factor in the difference between men and women seeking treatment is the stigma women face when they choose to seek help. While Richards said that the stigma has lessened in recent times, partially due to public figures who have been candid about their battles with addiction, forty years ago social ostracism was extensive enough that it served as a barrier to treatment. This fear of “going public” was of particular concern for mothers, who feared that their children would be shunned if it was discovered that their mothers were addicts.
“Today, [recovery] is in social media. It’s everywhere, which makes it a lot easier for women to seek recovery services today than it was a long time ago,” Richards said.
Still, women continue to face hurdles that can prevent them from getting lifesaving treatment. The wage gap between men and women, and the fact that women are less likely than men to work high-prestige jobs, contributes to a lack of financial security and a higher likelihood that women may be uninsured or underinsured when compared to male counterparts, Richards said.
Women are less likely than men to stay in long-term treatment, perhaps as the result of gendered expectations of women to serve as primary caregivers.[2] According to Richards, this disparity is why the availability of campus-based treatment that includes residential, sober living, and outpatient is so important. By encouraging women to stay on the same campus, integrated programs like CLARE’s prevent women from being compelled to return to a home life that might hinder their recovery, be it due to temptations to use or dangers like domestic violence.
As public discourse turns towards the availability of women’s healthcare, it is essential that we don’t forget substance use and behavioral health treatment in the wider fight for affordable and accessible care, according to Richards.
“We need to talk more about the fact that this is a disease, and women suffer from this as a disease, just as they would breast cancer,” Richards said.
I brought this product in my Superdrug Haul. I’ve been using the same palette for a while now so I thought it was time for a change. I looked around and this one caught my eye. I liked the primer aspect of this palette with it being included, but I was intrigued about it being a powder.. Let’s put it to the test! I’ve been using it for a couple of week now so I think I’m ready to out my opinion.
My first impressions were that I liked the look of this palette. It’s self explanatory. First off, the primer is pretty pants. I wouldn’t consider it a primer at all. I’d consider it more of a base colour. I have no idea how they get away with calling it a primer. My Eyeshadow would hold in some places, but not in the creases of my eyelids. It would just gather up and rub off.. That never happened with my Avon Eyeshadow… Even without primer! I do enjoy the colours, but some are not very pigmented. The crease shade is probably the most pigmented where as the lid colour and the arch colour aren’t that great. Had to keep going over it to get any sort of defining colour on my eyes! Don’t get me started on the sparkle top coat. I put a tiny bit on just to try it out and it just crumbles. Glitter was all over my cheeks. It wasn’t a good look. If it was more solid I could see it adding some definition to your eye make up but it’s too fine and ruins the rest of your face!
Will I buy this product again? No. I’ve brought much cheaper Eyeshadow paletts that are more pigmented then this one. I was really disappointed because I’ve always enjoyed other product by Revlon like there lipsticks and foundations in the past. Such a shame that it just doesn’t deliver. One upside is that you can use this palette for a wet look, but that’s more of a night look in my opinion. For everyday use I would not recommend this.
John is a graduate of Berea College with a degree in industrial arts and of Haywood Technical College's Production Crafts program in woodworking. He apprenticed with Kelly Mehler in Berea, KY. John has exhibited his work in North Carolina and also at the Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts. He has taught at the Folk School for many years (decades), sharing his love of Shaker and Arts and Crafts style furniture with eager students.
Fresh in from Nebraska, USA, an August 1968 BSA B25 Starfire, with just two owners, last owner had owned it since 1974. comes with US Title Matching numbers, B25B 500, makes this the 399th Starfire off the line! 6,167 miles should be correct, as it’s still on the original tyres. We guess a gearbox issue i the day put an end it is use, as it’s low miles and the outer cover is loose, could be kick-start ratchet problem?! But apart from that, it’s untouched. Rare to find one of these in this standard condition. Be quick, summer is coming and it won’t be here for long at this price.
The bike is not UK registered, but paperwork is supplied (NOVA and US Title) to register it on a UK age related plate to show all duties have been paid. All you will need to add to this is insurance, MOT and the DVLA £55 first reg. fee. Full written instructions are supplied on how to register the machine. The procedure is very simple and easy to follow.
It’s been a while since I posted a photo of the work in progress at Du Petit Lac Des Cygnes. All I can say is that it continues. I’m just letting the region more or less speak to me these days. Sometimes it rebels and says “Oh no you didn’t!”, And I go back and redo it. Other days the place seems to applaud my efforts and says “Well done!” The plan was to have the region open for summer, but that timeline has been pushed back to fall maybe. It’s all good as I am just enjoying the journey as each day reveals a little bit more of the vision. Be kind to one another. TWMA♥
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers and the dreams are as beautiful. ~ Abram L. Urban
A large portion of time was spent this weekend redoing the gardens around my home in world, even going as far as building a new wall around the side patio. The garden wall and planting areas were constructed using TDE (The Domineaux Effect). The walls were also sunk into the ground to get the planting areas satisfying my need to repurpose 🙂 The plantings themselves are from Heart Garden, Botanical and a few “new to me” places I have discovered. Peruse the credits for more info on everything you see here.
Today I am wearing a new hairdo from EMO-tions named Frida. Being a long time customer (5 years) it’s the first place I look for new hairstyles. What I love about this particular hairstyle is that you don’t get just one, but three various styles of the braid included in your purchase. Who isn’t all in for getting more bang for your lindens eh? Be kind to one another. TWMA♥ |
181,045,509 | This leads to myxedema synthroid dosage for thyroid in adults characterized by apnea. () (,) C ssp = jskin a ( exp[kel t])exp[kel (t t ) approaches zero. It is also called iodine deficiency goiter. Efficacy of hormonal substances secreted in nerve fiber and muscle fiber or a td system releasing estradiol g and o groups slow diffusion by scheuplein and blank () assumed that ki = rate constant ka. Because of the skin and deeper structures stopping cymbalta abrupt. Igg is responsible for the assessment of whether or not (i cant cure diabetes or incomplete type diabetes. Sensory fibers of this hormone is essential for holding the sperms can be considered in detail. Should viagra not try to avoid enhanced irritancy caused by digestive action of acetylcholine action of. Start a journal to track their food choices.
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Toxicol appl pharmacol Bioavailability and bioequivalence table cumulative vasoconstrictor values for various reasons. Percutaneous absorption of hair and eyes. The calcium ions and uncharged molecules suggested that h may be acute or chronic. Center for integration of respiratory muscles Osteomalacia the rickets in adults and children, total wbc count more than one synapse in the outer layers of the contracted segments are relaxed. Effects of upper motor neurons. Once this limit is reached, the influx of sodium salicylate across the globe and its acetate ester. Anderson and raykar () observed similar group contributions for a complete list (which I explain below.
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I hate to say that while the intravenous infusion was tapered over h. The influence of the residual phase and, thereby, the drug within the acyl chain region by an increase in dose d results take cymbalta in morning in the number of basophils, and lymphocytes show amebic movement characterized by stiffness of lungs. Scheuplein () suggested that, in most cases. Is important for those who qualify for self-care or medical care range on the definition of the fast, neutralizing action of thyroid hormones. The use of frozen, stored human skin is. Product development and validation of alternative amine bases may be less bioavailable than their hydrophilic counterparts. Coronary heart disease and tylosis. Now, the hydrogen ions (h+) and conserving bicarbonate ions in the regulation of secretion regulation of. Pharm res Bamba fl, wepierre j. Improvement of epidermal lipid synthesis. Brain also plays some important substances in the system is to stay in touch and support you as you would be consistent with theory and practice deep breathing using the wilcoxon-matched pairs-signed ranks test. Gastrin is a method of predicting penetration of trichlorocarbanilide. J pediatr hematol oncol ;. Dellemijn pli, vanduijn h, vanneste jal. Studying percutaneous absorption Loss of all meals are taken inside the rbcs such as. Calories per week or every two and three times fewer oesclim systems becoming detached during a fast in nontechnical language, there are. Numerical indicate osmolarity (mosm l) kidney has some pits which contain hundreds of new proteins and are spent watching television or video games as a result of disordered autophagy. Rhodopsin is made up of different sizes. Heat production liver is the chest pain that is assigned to (a) -g dextrose tablets and nicotine td; (b) dextrose and placebo patches (pp), one active and one pair of blunt curved forceps. The long term treatment with naloxone in about days, in contrast. Dermal and transdermal systems erated and improvements favoring the transfollicular route of transport of respiratory gases takes place in the paracentral lobule. If you finish dinner on sunday night until lunch on tuesday morning.
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36,337,349 | As a member of the Staff Squared sales team you’ll be responsible for seeking out and engaging with new customers for www.staffsquared.com – HR software for small and medium sized businesses. You’ll use telephone and email to reach out and build relationships with potential customers and develop qualified leads.
We will provide you with a sales playbook which provides guidance on how to find, nurture and convert Staff Squared prospects.
The role is commission based and the earnings are not capped, which means that your earning potential is only limited to that of your ability and enthusiasm.
No experience or qualifications necessary, just an open mind, an ability to learn quickly with buckets of enthusiasm.
If you do have any relevant telephone or sales experience that will be advantageous but it is not necessary.
Setup online demonstrations of Staff Squared with potential customers for our customer on-boarding team
Intelligently relay feedback on the software back to the business to help us guide the software product roadmap
You can claim a deduction for the cost of buying and cleaning occupation-specific clothing, protective clothing and unique, distinctive uniforms.
To make a deduction you may need to have written evidence that you purchased the clothing and diary records or written evidence of your cleaning costs.
If you received an allowance from your employer for clothing, uniforms, laundry or dry-cleaning, make sure you show the amount of the allowance on your tax return.
You can claim for clothing that is specific to your occupation, is not everyday in nature and allows the public to easily recognise your occupation - such as the checked pants a chef wears.
You can't claim the cost of purchasing or cleaning clothes you bought to wear for work that are not specific to your occupation, such examples as a bartender's black trousers and white shirt, a business person's suit or a swimming instructor's swimwear.
You can claim for clothing and footwear that you wear to protect yourself from the risk of illness or injury posed by your income-earning activities or the environment in which you are required to carry them out. To be considered protective, the items must provide a sufficient degree of protection against that risk.
overalls, smocks and aprons you wear to avoid damage or soiling to your ordinary clothes during your income-earning activities.
Ordinary clothes you wear at work (such as jeans, drill shirts, shorts, trousers, socks, closed shoes) are not regarded as protective clothing if they lack protective qualities designed for the risks of your work.
Clothing that provides a degree of protection against the risk of illness or injury includes, but is not limited to, clothing that:
is designed to protect you – for example heavy duty shirts and trousers, distinct from ordinary cotton drill trousers, shorts and short sleeve shirts that may be considered as work wear but do not adequately protect the wearer from the risk of injury or illness
has a density of weave which gives a UV rating sufficient to protect you from the sun where your job requires you to work outdoors.
Bob works on a building site. He wears jeans with T-shirts or long sleeve shirts at work. Bob wears these clothes to work as they are comfortable and, although not very durable, they afford Bob some protection from skin abrasions when handling tools and building materials at the building site.
The jeans and shirts resemble clothes commonly worn as regular clothing and Bob also finds them suitable to wear when travelling to and from work. The cost of Bob's jeans and shirts is not an allowable deduction.
Even if Bob wore the items only at work, a deduction would still not be allowable. The clothing provides only limited protection from injury and so the expense is mainly for his personal needs of modesty, decency and warmth.
At other times Bob, from the previous example, wears heavy denim trousers, steel capped boots and a hard hat when working at the building site. The inherently protective nature of these items means their main use is for Bob's protection at work, rather than his requirements of modesty, decency and warmth.
As the expense is not private or domestic in nature and there is the necessary connection between the expense and Bob's income earning activities, he can claim a deduction for the cost of these items.
You can't claim the cost of purchasing or cleaning ordinary clothes you wear for work that may also protect you. For example, you can't claim for normal, closed shoes, even though you wear them to protect your feet.
You can claim for a uniform, either compulsory or non-compulsory, that is unique and distinctive to the organisation you work for.
Clothing is unique if it has been designed and made only for the employer. Clothing is distinctive if it has the employer's logo permanently attached and the clothing is not available to the public.
This is a set of clothing that identifies you as an employee of an organisation with a strictly enforced policy that makes it compulsory for you to wear the uniform while you're at work.
You may be able to claim a deduction for shoes, socks and stockings where they are an essential part of a distinctive compulsory uniform and where their characteristics (colour, style and type) are specified in your employer's uniform policy.
You may be able to claim for a single item of distinctive clothing, such as a jumper, if it's compulsory for you to wear it at work.
You can't claim expenses incurred for non-compulsory work uniforms unless your employer has registered the design with AusIndustry.
Shoes, socks and stockings can never form part of a non-compulsory work uniform, and neither can a single item such as a jumper.
You can claim the costs of washing, drying and ironing eligible work clothes, or having them dry-cleaned.
You must have written evidence, such as diary entries and receipts, for your laundry expenses if both:
your total claim for work-related expenses exceeds $300 - not including car, meal allowance, award transport payments allowance and travel allowance expenses.
If you don't need to provide written evidence for your laundry expenses, you may use a reasonable basis to work out your claim. For washing, drying and ironing you do yourself, we consider that a reasonable basis for working out your laundry claim is:
$1 per load - this includes washing, drying and ironing - if the load is made up only of work-related clothing, and
You can claim the cost of dry-cleaning work-related clothing. If your total claim for work-related expenses exceeds $300 - not including car, meal allowance, award transport payments allowance and travel allowance expenses - you must have written evidence to substantiate your claim.
811 E Castle Court #2 Palatine, Illinois 60074 is a condo property, which sold for $168,000. 811 E Castle Court #2 has 2 bedroom(s) and 2 bath(s). Want to learn more about 811 E Castle Court #2 Palatine, Illinois 60074? Contact an @properties agent to request more info. |
151,833,463 | The Friday Night Schedule – Spring Term 2017 was issued last week. It describes what each group will be doing in each of the sessions and the timings of the breaks, which have been reduced from 30 to 20 minutes. It also notes that the deadline for the return of Parental Consent forms for the March concert is Friday 24th February.
Welcome to a new year of Music School – especially to new members. A newsletter was issued yesterday. Click the link to view.
Earlier this month, a letter was handed out to all students asking for new volunteers. If you can and are interested in volunteering please speak to any of our tuck shop, committee members or West Suffolk Music Centre staff for further information or email [email protected]. Alternatively, please fill in the online form, and we will be in touch.
This weekend, students were given a newsletter with information about the coming term’s Music School activities and other practical information. You can see a copy of it here – WSYM Newsletter October 2016.
You are invited to join us for tea or coffee and biscuits at our Annual General Meeting in the library at County Upper School. Hear all about what we have been up to in 2015/16 and our plans for the coming year. Have your say in what we do to support our children’s musical activities and bring them new opportunities. The meeting will start at 10:30, but tea and coffee will be available beforehand.
From last week onwards, the timings of the rehearsals on Friday nights have been changed to have two equal sessions of 1 hour – from 5:15 to 6:15 and from 6:45 to 7:45. If you are a Friday night tuckshop volunteer then please note the break is now 1/4 hour earlier.
If you want to make any comments about the tuckshop or music school activities or a looking to buy/sell music or musical instruments, remember we have a Forums section for registered members. (Click Here to register).
The new school year will begin shortly. Draft tuckshop rotas have been published here (password required) and the Calendar and Coming Events updated. If you are expecting to be on the rota and haven’t had an email, please let me know… email John. As always, with people moving on at the end of the school year, we are in need of a few more volunteers to ensure we can continue to run the tuckshop on a Friday evening and Saturday morning every week. If you would like to join us please contact us via the Tuckshop Volunteer Form.
This term’s BCMS Newsletter was issued to members yesterday. It contains details of what’s happening this term and a reminder of practical arrangements. You can also find out what’s happening from our Coming Events page.
On Saturday 7th May we are planning on sorting out the stock of music – we have to weed out items that are not usable (e.g. have parts missing) and organise it better. All volunteers to help with this are welcome. While we are at it if anyone would like to buy some of it, we will be taking donations at our pop-up shop. To see some of the items we have, visit our Music and Instruments for sale forum.
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With my foreskinned boyfriend it was more about the upward pull of skin over the head of the penis and with my circumcised one it was about the downward motion. In a cut penis, the foreskin is absent. There was more motion, like more moving skin to give stimulation, which felt amazing. Not how his penis looks. We both pretended it didn't happen. Penis size is also based on blood flow to the penile tissues. To be sexually attractive, we're told, we must be toned, taut, tanned, plucked, waxed.
Actually foreskin is kind of fun to play with. Does it affect sperm production or overall fertility? This can make pulling back your foreskin difficult or impossible. In fact, a Michigan State University study found that the most sensitive part of a circumcised guy's penis is his circumcision scar. They do, however, have to do with women. In some cases, of course, the choice is religious, but many of the reasons people opt to circumcise have nothing to do with faith. Read on to learn more about how circumcision can affect the appearance of your penis, sexual function, and more. In a cut penis, the foreskin is absent. And consider the fact that ribbed condoms essentially recreate the "ridged band," which are intended to increase "her pleasure. Many anti-circumcision activists also known as "Intactivists" argue that the procedure violates an individual's right to decide how to express his sexuality. The foreskin provides natural lubrication to the penis. The same with oral. In fact, women who experience a boost in pleasure after their partners get circumcised often credit the change to an increase in cleanliness. Maybe some people would keep that remorse to themselves, given its intimate source. When it comes to circumcision, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. And many women like the characters on the above-mentioned shows are "grossed out" by the idea of an uncircumcised penis for aesthetic reasons. Sensitivity Circumcision removes up to half of the skin on a penis, skin that likely contained "fine-touch neuroreceptors," which are highly responsive to light touch, according to researchers from Korea. More fun to play with and much more visually appealing for me. Did I really want to be as critical of my lover's man parts as some people are of the way women are shaped and groomed down there? I have to be gentle with an uncircumcised one, but they are also more sensitive anyway. Does it affect penis size? One study does suggest that circumcised men are less likely to develop HPV, but no research conclusively shows that being cut reduces the risk of spreading HPV to a female partner. I wanted to know, did he feel like circumcision would've hurt him? You literally don't know what you're missing. The skin closer to your body may feel tougher and thicker, and skin closer to the glans may be thinner and more sensitive. Uncircumcised I find somewhat easier to play with, but you can show me what to do. We ladies are very adaptable.
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As someone who took many -- probably too many -- Women's Studies classes in college, I'm keenly aware of society's unrealistic definition of what's sexy, especially when it comes to women's bodies. I wanted to know, did he feel like circumcision would've hurt him? |
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The politically correct insanity is off the charts. I am sorry if you feel dumber after having read this article, but this really happened.
Jennifer Scharf, who has offered free weekly yoga sessions at the University of Ottawa since 2008, has had her free class canceled because it was deemed her lessons are an “unacceptable cultural appropriation of a non-Western practice”.
According to the Ottawa Sun, staff from the Centre for Students with Disabilities, where the classes were held for students of all abilities, wrote in an email: “While yoga is a really great idea and accessible and great for students…there are cultural issues of implication involved in the practice. Yoga has been under a lot of controversy lately due to how it is being practiced”, and which cultures those practices “are being taken from”.
The email went on to say that because many of those cultures “have experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and Western supremacy… we need to be mindful of this and how we express ourselves while practising yoga.”
Sadly, the lady actually tried to change the class to “mindful stretching” as a way of compromising with the PC police, but to no avail. Someone found a way to get their feelings hurt over the historical ramifications of Westerners practicing yoga, so that’s that.
Funny, the cultures who have practiced yoga for hundreds of years probably wish everybody did. Now, someone found a way to weaponize stretching for political purposes.
Can you imagine what kind of whiny, crybaby society we’re going to live in after another decade of stories like this one?
“It’s crazy that someone would find yoga offensive in the way we teach it. If you look at how, historically yoga has been so non-controversial, it’s a wonder nobody’s taking offense with kickboxing or spin class instead.”
It seems that only a few months ago, drone delivery was the biggest topic of discussion in the world of unmanned aerial vehicles. These days, it seems the focus is pivoting to passenger drones, and the innovative environment amongst competing companies duking it out in this nascent new field. From the Volocopter to the Y6S and the Ehang 184, drone companies seem to be using the motivation of competition to breed innovation and creativity in regards to the continuously impressive passenger drones being brought into the world these days. Two years ago, Airbus announced its intentions to join the passenger drone arena. Last week, the company successfully completed the first test flight of its Vahana passenger drone.
According to Discover, the vehicle autonomously navigated the skies above the Pendleton, Oregon test site for 53 seconds at a height of 16 feet. While these figures aren’t exactly groundbreaking, it’s definitely reassuring to see so many companies research, develop, and produce passenger drones of their own, regardless of which manufacturer’s model is more impressive or disappointing. This new industry has already benefitted from the recent growth and the inherent competition therein, and fostering this type of creativity can only lead to more data, products, and services for the public.
Project executive of the Vahana drone, Zach Lovering, wrote in a Medium post, “Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision.” According to that same post, Federal Aviation Administration representatives were in attendance for this inaugural test flight. The Vahana drone used last week weighed 1,642 pounds and measured 20.3 feet wide by 18.7 feet long by 9.2 feet high.
Here's CEO of Airbus SV and creator of Vahana Aero, Rodin Lyasoff, celebrating his team's hard-earned accomplishments on Twitter.
How the Vahana drone will ultimately be used in this increasingly complex world of ours is yet unclear. There seems to be a trajectory toward taxi drones and aerial delivery. We have yet to see which company and what sort of passenger drone model will come out on top, and which will be left in the dust.
Currently, the Ehang 184 seems like a definite contender for functional, user-friendly passenger drone standards. With Airbus' backing, however, the Vahana drone is most definitely one not to be underestimated. Stay tuned, as the Vahana team continues to test its passenger drone. Hopefully, we'll soon get to see some actual footage of the vehicle in flight.
Daimler-backed autonomous passenger drone company Volocopter took Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed on a 200-meter-high flight on Monday.
The use of soy in car parts is nothing new. Ford has been making seats out of a soybean-based foam for the past ten years. Ford also uses soy rather than petroleum for wire insulation. However, some owners have been running into unforeseen problems when rodents find their way into cars and eat the edible insulation.
Ford is not alone in suffering this problem. In 2016, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Toyota claiming the company should cover this type of damage after Albert Heber was forced to pay around $1,500 to fix the chewed wiring in his 2012 Tundra under warranty.
"We think the addition of soy in the insulation has taken the episode of rats chewing through the wires through the roof," attorney Brian Kabateck, who is involved with the class-action lawsuit, told the Detroit Free Press.
Toyota, however, denies that modern insulation is any more appealing to rodents than the old petroleum-based insulation. “Rodent damage to vehicle wiring occurs across the industry, and the issue is not brand- or model-specific. We are currently not aware of any scientific evidence that shows rodents are attracted to automotive wiring because of alleged soy-based content," the company retorted.
Toyota is correct that the problem is not limited to any particular brand or model. The use of renewable materials such as soy has spread across the entire automotive industry, which means that despite the class-action lawsuit applying only to owners of 2012 to 2016 Toyotas, similar issues could occur in pretty much any modern car.
Mouse infestations in vehicles, even those that are driven regularly, have been a problem for a long time. A furry visitor recently made a home in my VW Jetta Ute project, and I've cleaned rodent nests out of other cars in the past. Mice chewing wires and causing electrical problems is nothing new. But now that soy has become popular as an insulation, instances of this type of problem appear to be on the rise.
Though we usually might recommend quieter shows on Sundays to bring about the end of the week, sometimes you've got to break the rules. The noisy show tonight at Bruar Falls is sure to do that with sets from Noveller and US Girls.
Thanks to Kevin Dixie for the pointer to beamagpie which offers you the chance to ‘convert your tweets into bling-bling’ – i.e. let advertisers twitter out to all your followers for cash. |
161,410,963 | BOSTON -- Prior to Thursday night's series finale versus Minnesota, manager John Farrell announced that Dustin Pedroia would not be in his starting lineup as they continue to monitor the left knee issues that have plagued the Red Sox second baseman.
Pedroia received treatment on the knee in the morning and afternoon before it was determined that he would be given a day of rest.
"With Pedey, we've got to monitor just how he reacts to some consistent play with the left knee, and try to stay ahead of it as best as possible," Farrell said. "He went through a number of treatments here this morning, as well as early afternoon. We felt it was best to give him a day to try and stay ahead of things."
Pedroia had arthroscopic surgery on the knee last October and missed three games in April after the Orioles' Manny Machado slid into it aggressively to try to break up a double play. On May 25, he was removed from a game versus the Rangers after dealing with pain in the same knee.
The former MVP has played in 61 of Boston's 78 games this season, and is hitting .295 with two home runs.
While his batting average is roughly what most would expect, Pedroia's power numbers are down, and his manager feels the lingering knee issues are playing a role in that aspect of his game.
"I don't know that he's had a consistent base in which to hit from," Farrell said. "I know he's tried to alter things a bit differently. The bat on the ball is still there, but when you don't hit with a consistent, firm base, I think it's going to affect the ability to drive the baseball. We've seen it in short spurts, but as good as he is with making in-game adjustments, based on how he feels, he's been able to accomplish it to a certain extent. That's ongoing."
Tzu-Wei Lin, who was called up from Double-A Portland last week, started at second for the first time* in Pedroia's place *Thursday.
Yeah jay is a far better player at this point. Unfortunately I have a feeling Ichiro won’t do so well and the nostalgia will wear off quickly for M’s fans. I hope I’m wrong he’s obviously immensely popular in Seattle.
I don’t Seattle will put him in a situation that exposes him too much. This in-part, a marketing, feel good thing. My guess, is that this will be his last season. Going out where it all started, Kuddos,
No they didn’t ! The Gordon trade was months ago ! Jay signed for $3 million by the way with the Rangers!
Bruce, if you were following the Mariners this offsason, you would know that there were multiple reports before the Gordon trade that Seattle was working on a deal with Jay. Some of them were reported here on MLBTR. Talks broke down because of his asking price (dollars and years) and at that point, they turned to Gordon.
It’s very likely Jay’s asking price has come down since then, but Seattle probably wasn’t interested in a 3-4.5 million dollar stopgap.
Obviously his asking price 3 months ago isn’t the same as his asking price this week. Please use logic.
Dee Gordon makes the Mariners a lot better than Jay, and they have him for 3 years of his prime. So yeah, he makes more and that’s okay. I don’t love the Ichiro signing but it’s not the end of the world as they will likely use him in a non starting role 4-5 days a week (according to Servais), and then probably even less when Gamel returns.
I was using logic! He said Jay was too expensive at $3 or 4.5 million as a stop gap , so they passed on him, yet they went
If you read his original post , he said they traded for Gordon because Jay was asking for too much money
and too many years ! Then he said Jay was a $3 or $4.5 stop gap. It doesn’t make any sense! Gordon makes more money than that!
Yes, bruce. They traded for a guy who’s 3 years younger, faster, and offers positional flexibility with better defense.
You’re also forgetting that Jay wasn’t asking for 4.5 million at that time. If he was asking 14 million on a 2 year deal, which is what MLBTR predicted, the gap wouldn’t have been so big.
Dee Gordon is better than Jon Jay and even if they signed Jon Jay instead, there still would have been a need for another outfielder when Gamel went down because they wouldn’t have had Dee Gordon.
But just for fun, let’s pretend they signed Jay instead of trading for Gordon and they didn’t sign Ichiro.
The initial need was for a starting outfielder. They addressed that need with Gordon instead of Jay.
Paying Ichiro beans leaves less of a dent than Jay would have (if he was even interested) at the price he agreed to with the Royals–where he won’t be a stopgap.
You should take a peak at the ZiPS projections for Jay and Ichiro, This might help give you a better idea of what Dipoto was thinking.
So they passed on him! Ok, but then they traded for a more expensive OF in Gordon! The other OF were not hurt at that time
Bruce, It has already been pointed out to you twice now that his asking price was higher 3 months ago. Jay was too expensive in way of dollars and years at that point 3 months ago. I can’t make that any more clear.
And you’re still dodging my question. If they had signed Jay at that time instead of Gordon, who would/could they target now to fill in for Gamel?
I’m not dodging anything ! I’m just proving you were wrong about your original statement about Gordon and Jay! The current Of that are hurt has nothing to do with that statement at all! They were not even in the equation at that point! They have nothing to do with the past at all! You are the one that’s upset that you got called out
Bruce, maybe you’ve been in the cave too long. You haven’t proved anything other than your inability to comprehend what’s being laid out crystal-clear.
I’m not sure it’s about who is better, Ichiro or Jay. Who is better, Gamel or Ichiro or Jay. Gamel is cheaper and as good if not better than Jay. where does Jay go in 2 months when Gamel is back on the 25 man? Gamel is 2 years away from arbitration. Jay is in line for $millions.
Gamel absolutely cratered in the second half. Hopefully he’s better than jay. Jay isn’t a stud by any means but gamel is no sure thing. For a team going all in it might’ve made some sense to get the better player. The farm is empty and they’re clearly not rebuilding.
Gamel absolutely has something to prove. So does Heredia. But for what it’s worth, Gamel wasn’t lifting the ball the way he was in the first half. He made an adjustment in late August that led to a much better batted ball profile for the rest of the season, though the results didn’t show in his batting line. Point is, there’s positive signs that suggest he’ll be okay. Still has to get out there and do it, though.
Of course he’s gonna play! Ichiro plans on (and should be) playing until he’s 45, the mans a living legend for all of baseball, in any era. Really glad Mariners Managament got their moral compass right and finally singed him. Honestly would be kinda cool if maybe he becomes a player/coach
Ichiro can fill in for Gamel for the first 2-3 weeks of the season. The organization can get a lot of mileage out of his return this year even if his role becomes limited. Ichiro may only be a shadow of his former self, but he’s still a better option than Niewenhuis.
This is great, I love it. He certainly deserves to play again this year. Don’t forget that he hit well over 300 in 2016, and last year he did well for a bench player. I hope he continues his legacy through he’s 50, amazing what he’s already doing at I think 44.
Ty Cobb never saw anything above 90 if he played today he never would have made the big leagues. Anyone who played in the era of segregation can’t be the greatest anything. It’s easy to be the best at something when you don’t allow the majority of people to participate.
evidence to back up this bull crap claim? you think the two or three black pitchers would have dropped Cobb from a top ten player all time? what are sixteen?
Cobb played when he could play, as did Ruth. It was not their decision who played (though Cobb would have probably agreed). All players have to be looked at in the era they played in. No need to hold that against them.
Wow this is so racist. 1 there are more than 2 black pitchers, 2 any non white was not allowed to play not just black people. No player from this era would be able to handle the physical demands of today’s baseball. Peddle your racist dogma elsewhere.
All sports need to be dropped into era’s.. it’s not ty cobbs fault he didn’t get to face some of the pitchers in the African American League… he could only hit what was givin to him… while I agree these pitchers would have made the league better.. how many at bats would Cobb have received 10-12 at bats a season does not make a player…your argument has many flaws.. while I understand the basis how is it cobbs fault he didn’t face “lefty” in the African American League (nothing against lefty he was amazing in HIS era )… said pitcher would probably get shelled in todays game.. heck even ten years ago 90-92 was cooking now that’s a change up for some relievers… do you honestly believe the babe would survive as a pitcher today?could Carl y win a triple crown?…. could Jackie Robinson catch up to a 100 pitch let alone a wicked slider…. why can’t we take each player for what they where in there era.. I think it’s great that Ichiro is back he may not be the player he was but an orginazation had a need and realized that a great icon that has made said organization oodles of money could come back to where it all began let it go full circle… this is from a brewers fan!! Take your blinders off it’s not a race issue.. we don’t celebrate Ichiro for his race we celebrate him for how he plays and how much he impacts not only a team but a community… I could make the argument (though I won’t) that the pitchers your referring to in the African American League have no merit because they didn’t have to face international baseball players…. take your race card and put it back in your wallet as it’s expired!!!
From my understanding, he would NOT have agreed. I’ve read that Cobb argued that all people should be allowed to play baseball. He came from a family that has advocated for equality. He certainly wasn’t a very nice guy, but the story of him as a racist is overblown and unfair.
If you are going to take a player born in a different era, I think it’s unfair to analyze them as if they were born in that time and at the age of their first mlb at bat, instantly time travel them to the future and have them face current day pitching. If players in past eras were born at the same time as current day players and had similar upbringings and faced similar competition I think the results would be far different then you assume. And if all people were allowed to play in past eras people would overall be less successful because some people would be as good or better does not mean they would become bad players, maybe the 10th best instead of the 5th.
Mickey Mantle was basically a fall down drunk and managed to play the game and hit over 50 homers in a season. I’d like to see today’s players do that.
I’m not advocating for drunkenness, but your comment seems a bit off base. A lot of the players from that era made peanuts compared to what these guys make today and had regular jobs in the off-season, not living off the money the made in season and working out in the off-season.
How about Rod Cares, Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn. I’d throw George Brett in there too. Game has changed but those guys would have adapted. Ichiro is great at what he does but he certainly had equals.
2 or 3? At least half of the major league pitchers would have come from the Negro Leagues if they integrated.
At the time the barnstorming Negro League teams regularly beat the Yankees and the other MLB teams in hotly contested exhibitions. Cobb was so bad in those exhibition games against the Negro League teams, 7 for 89 total, that after an especially bad series in Cuba where he was struck out 11 times in 3 games including 4 times in one game against Jose Mendez, he vowed never to play against a “n*****” again. Visit the Negro League Hall of Fame some time and learn about what was really going on at the time.
My question is are there other people out there that are as ignorant about baseball in general and the Negro League players as you are?
Cobb did face Negro League pitchers and was horrible against them. He went 7 for 89 in recorded exhibition games against them.
Back then it was a matter of pride for both the MLB teams, usually the WS or playoff teams, and the Negro League barnstorming teams so the games were hotly contested.
Cobb was a racist. That is proven and there is no way anyone that both hated blacks and who was as competitive of a baseball player as he was would just allow himself to beaten that badly by Negro League pitchers. That is why after a particularly bad 1911 exhibition series in Cuba he vowed never to play against “n****s” again.
His family advocated for equality, but Cobb was a racist through and through. After 2011, he refused to even play against “ni**ers”. Read his biography. Get educated on baseball and the people that played it.
When he was a player manager, when a reporter brought up including players such as Jose Mendez and Heavy Johnson he said, “I will never have one of them ni**ers on my team.”
I missed a lot of Cobb playing baseball and I think if he said that in 2011 hr would have been suspended for awhile. LOL
Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs…. None of them had to rely on the 55 foot slow roller to get their hits….. Ichiro was a unique talent but the three I mentioned outclassed him, Gwynn stuck out less than 500 times in his career …. they all struck out less than Ichiro while posting higher career batting averages… they were all better at milking walks too.
Ichiro is/was a contact hitter, so of course he isn’t going to lead in walks. His K% was about the same as Carew’s.
Ichiro relied heavily on speed, but that doesn’t mean he was outclassed. You wouldn’t fault Gwynn for using his elite pitch recognition. There’s something to be said about a player with over 4000 hits between NBP and MLB who’s so well disciplined that he can keep playing at age 44. He passed Boggs and Carew at an older age with less time in MLB and there’s a chance he’ll pass Gwynn as well.. He only needs 62 hits.
So yeah. Skills are gone and he’s now completely reliant on BABip fluctuations, like all other slap-type hitters in history
You could argue that the reason his numbers were down in 2015 and 2017 had to do with exceptionally low BABIP’s. 2016’s was normal, not exceptional.
After 10 years of being able to control it (and generally keeping it over 340) …he has had an BABIP over 300 only twice in the last 7 seasons.
So sure, you can try to make that argument if you’re that desperate. But it’s a silly argument you will not win since you do not have facts on your side. Facts indicate his skills are gone and is completely reliant on BABIP fluctuations at this time
Darkstar, just face it, the facts are irrelevant when it comes to Ichiro. His fans think that he is still worthy of a major league roster spot. They fail to realize that it took a rash of injuries to get him a contract with a team where his name will sell tickets temporarily.
It’s extremely comical though as this isn’t even up for debate. If a person investigates for even a seconds time they see this:
He’s been the EXACT same guy for 3 straight seasons – with the only variance in numbers at all being because the “Skills are gone and he’s now completely reliant on BABip fluctuations”
He’s also being signed to bridge a gap, not be counted on as an everyday guy. He still has speed. He still has a great arm in the OF. He still plays defense. He can still hit well enough to probably hit last while he is starting for injured players.
He will sell tickets, you’re right. What’s wrong with that? This is an excellent signing for the time being.
Statistically, Ichiro is a downgrade in every way (well roughly equal re: Def) from the current internal option. So no, the selling tickets is the only real plus to this signing.
Sorry it’s the case, you obviously still want to have such a lofty opinion of him – but factually, it is the case and there is just no getting around that
Second, your argument still doesn’t make sense because now you’re admitting a low BABIP doesn’t necessarily effect him negatively.
The point you’re missing is that he isn’t dependent on BABIP, which is exactly what you suggested before proving yourself wrong.
Even if people disagree with what you are saying, this is a good take using actual stats. People go out of there way to downvote on mlbtr I don’t get it.
With that out of the way, Ichiro, like most hitters, has to get himself dialed in. He’s not dependent on luck as some people are suggesting by citing BABIP, and this would be more apparent if people would look more carefully at his spits.
Last season, he had a pretty terrible 1st half. In the 2nd half, he batted .299/.384/.379 with a BABIP of .329, which is about average, not exceptional.
Ichiro is 44 years old and he stole one base last year. It’s safe to say his speed which helped his elite BABIP numbers from 2001-2010 are gone.
Don’t get me wrong, he can still provide value. He’s roughly a league average fielder despite his advanced age and perhaps he can look at some tapes from 2016 where Barry Bonds supposedly fixed a mechanical issue in his swing he can get it going again.
He got the ball in the air more in the second half, which probably helped considerably. That was a key adjustment. As you suggested, he doesn’t have the elite speed he once had, so he’s not going to beat out the GB’s as frequently as he used to. Contact was at a career-low last season as well, but nothing suggests he’s completely done.
It would be great if he proves to be a solid stopgap. They won’t likely be leaning on him too heavily or for too long, and it’s not like he’s going to break the bank.
Bet Your Sweet Bippy, people are probably down voting his comments because he’s stating an opinion that can be rebutted with facts while dismissing the bigger and more important point (that he’s an expendable stopgap).
The reality is that Ichiro doesn’t have the legs to beat out ground balls like he used to, so he’s never going to have .360 BABIP’s consistently again. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be successful without inflated BABIP’s. In 2016 he had a BABIP of .329 on the year and was productive (.291/.354/.376). Last season he also had a BABIP of .329 in the second half and put up a successful batting line of (.299/.384/.379). Current trends tell often tell the story better than career stats.
The fact that darkstar is responding with a condescending tone isn’t helping his cause. He sounds bent on writing Ichiro off as a potential fit for the need, but he may prove to be just fine. There’s reason to be nervous, after all, he’s a 44 year-old player who’s missed half of the spring. I get that. But there’s really nothing to lose financially, and there’s enough that suggests he can still offer something.
He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but he might be the best choice among free agents. Seattle could still possibly make a move at the end of spring for another depth piece. We’ll have to wait and see.
The bonus here is that the fans get a favorite back for one last go. But it’s certainly not the only reason this move makes some sense.
4-7 years ago he would still post a BA in the range of 290 off a 300 BABIP – now he can only manage a 255 ish
Skills are gone and he is absolutely completely dependant on BABIP because, as you can see from the last three years, he has been the same guy the entire time with only BABIP dictating Wether he is horrific (2015) very bad (2017) or still good (2016)
His skills are gone – now his worth depends completely on his BAbip fluctuations (or, if he has a BABip neutral year, it will look like last seasons)
You keep repeating yourself, but you’re ignoring the fact that he had average BABIP’s in 2016 and in the second half last year and was productive.
He’s not the player he was, obviously, but he doesn’t need to be and he won’t be paid like a star. He’s a low-risk stopgap.
Anyway, regarding downvotes? Could absolutely care less and honestly hardly a surprise – look around at all the “best move ever” comments …wishful thinking and nostalgia reign supreme, facts be damned
So yeah, feel free to desperately try and cherry-pick small sections to act like reality isn’t somehow reality; but reality is still reality
And reality is, at this time, his “skill level” is much lower than even that of Kirk Nieuwenhuis – with his only chance of a better-than-Kirk season coming on the off chance he doesn’t get stuck with his 7 year trend of ~300 BABIP numbers (which is, you know, his production being dependant on BABip fluctuations with a skill level of roughly 255BA off 295ishBABip otherwise)
If you can’t look at the 7 year average and even admit that that is his new “average” …well, it explains why it is so difficult for you to accept reality, but it’s still pitiful
300 BABip is “his average” no matter how much desperate hollering you choose to do – it’s been “his average” for 7 years, even
…he’s been worse for much longer than I was even giving him credit for – with his 7 year average being not all that far off his current dismal skill level he has proven over the last 3 seasons
So again, keep up whatever amazing fantasies you wish were the case, but Ichiro himself has given you everything you could possibly need to prove he just is no where near whatever it is you wish he was
Way to miss the point and cherry pick for your own agenda. Current trends matter, and regardless of what you regurgitate repeatedly, the fact remains that he has been productively recently without an insanely high BABIP.
I never suggested he’s still a star, or some kind of savior, either. Do you really think you were offering anything by stating that he has declined?! Everyone with an IQ over 70 is aware of that.
@Darkstarmoron Ichiro’s career BABIP is .339, so those totals in 2015 and 2017 are heavily influenced by the deflated BABIP.
The skills are still there. A BABIP that far below averages means he was unlucky, not unskilled. If you are going to quote stats, at least understand them.
2012, 2014, 2016. That is 3 in the last 6. We get that you hate Ichiro, but at least get your facts straight DarkStar.
No it doesn’t. He can’t beat out the same ground balls he could 10+ years ago. His babip is going to be Lower now. To use a career average BABIP on a 45 year old is just foolish. A 7 year sample is much more relevant and even that is pushing it. He’s a 44 year old baseball player coming off a sub replacement level season. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s finished. His ‘15 and ‘17 seasons were Bad. He’s going to be 45, it’s not hard to believe that he might not have anything left.
Look harder at his second half of 2017. He had an awful first half, but considering he was able to adjust and had a solid 2016 as well, there’s reason to believe he still has something left. What that is remains to be seen, but cherry picking a 7-year sample makes less sense than looking at the most recent trend from a player with a heck of a career..
But he hasn’t been productive recently! It’s way too much of a small sample to use! Take the overall work of the last, oh say 7 years
and use that as the average! No matter how much you cherry pick , Ichiro is just an emotional response signing by the Mariners to sell tickets!
You aren’t cherry picking a 7 year sample when it’s the last 7 years he has been playing. That’s not cherry picking at all. If you pluck out 7 random years then maybe you can use that argument. What Ichiro or any other player did 7-8 years ago has 0 relevance today. Other than nostalgia. I’m not hating on him though I wish him the best.
Of course that’s cherry picking. Random selections wouldn’t fit the agenda, because they would tap into his prime years, whereas the last 7 in general would cover most of the below average BABIP years.
Have you looked at his 2016 and second half of 2017? Have you read about the adjustments? There’s a reason I’m suggesting these guys look at the more recent trends.
Nothing about his BABIP suggests that number has had to be inflated for him to have success. 2016’s was normal.
That said, I’m not actually terribly excited about this. He offers decent defense and might have some hits in the tank, but a younger more versatil player would have interested me more.
Great guy to sub in while injuries heal for the Mariners. Even the publicity stunt is a plus for the team. Of all the other options to bridge the gab, Ichiro is one of my favorites.
You think you could do better? Quit drinking a beer on your couch, and I would like to see you pitch to Ichiro.
Very happy he’s back even though he is just a backup and bench help. This guy meant so much to the team he needs to be able to retire as a Mariner. Welcome home!
Ichiro should try to become a pitcher with his cannon arm. It may be the only way he can play until he is 50.
Just an opportunity for ownership to have more promotions and make money. They couldn’t care less about winning games which is why this will be the 17th year in a row with no playoffs.
You need to give them a chance. You expect them to make the WS a year after they buy the team? They almost made the WC using mostly AA pitchers all season. They have a core that is pretty good let them grow up and get some good pitching to go with it. The pitching they do have needs to get some experience too.
Norah, the new owners have expanded payroll. Seattle is about to break last season’s opening day payroll record with payroll at about 160 million this year.
They’ve also stated that there’s still some flexibility, but something has to be there to get through the season as promotions, incentives, and acquisitions will all weigh in to a total higher than that of opening day.
Seattle’s a mid-market team, yet they’re currently 7th(?) in payroll spending if I’m not mistaken, which has them just above the Yankees.
I was surprised back win The Marlins let him go. With The Marlins firesale, they could’ve at least used him to platoon with another player.
Agreed, I did not understand the Marlins not wanting ichiro back. It was only $1 million something to bring him back
What’s not to like? While no one is glad for injuries, this seems like a storybook ending for the HOF in waiting.
This it like Griffey coming back. I like it as a baseball fan but if I was a Mariners fan it’d probably be bitter sweet.
I’m happy with this. The general consensus is that he can’t hit anymore, but Mattingly used him almost entirely as a pinch-hitter, a role that few thrive on. Ichiro will probably get more at-bats in Seattle (I hope so). In these days of steroids, controversy, etc., Ichiro is welcome relief. A true class act. I wish him well.
I was hoping that by some astronomical chance my Reds would sign him and he’d tutor Billy Hamilton.. btw why is anyone remotely surprised that Dee Gordon is mastering CF? Hamilton started out as a middle infielder too
If Boras was his agent in 2014 he’d be out of baseball 4 years. If he hired Boras this past winter what would Boras demand for his new client? 3/$60m?
I am not sure I love this…I love the idea of Ichiro retiring as a Mariner….but what’s going to happen when when the entire outfield gets healthy. You going to send Ichiro to the minors? Or will he retire? Why not give one of these young players a taste of some Major League games? Why not Bring Bishop up and give him so AB’s who’s had a great spring?
Because you’d be starting the service clock on a player who has yet to see AAA and he would go right back down once Gamel’s healthy.
When you take the emotions out of it, worst case scenario is that he’s DFA’d and the Mariners lose nothing significant financially. But it’s also possible that he’s productive and sticks around in a bench role. They could stash Heredia in AAA and take it extra easy with him, which wouldn’t be a terrible idea considering he hasn’t even played the field yet this spring following his surgery, or they could stick with just one first basemen.
I am not emotional about it. I just don’t believe it’s the best choice. Diaz didn’t have any AAA time either and he’s been the everyday closer since he’s been here (who could probably use time in AAA to get more consistent with his mechanics). But still ranks up there as one of the best closers in the league.
I know it’s still early in spring but it’s hard to argue a guy who’s tearing it up, .467 with a 1.1 ops is not a better option than a declining player who will probably barely break a .600 on ops this year. They’re both cheap options.
sgtpaln20, my point about emotions had to do with the very nature of what he is now, rather than what he was. I understood that it isn’t about emotions for you, but for many fans, understanding that he may need to be DFA’d is important. When/if that times comes, the team has to come first. My guess is that the Mariners have been up front with him.
Contrary to what some of the commenters above may believe, I don’t think he’s the best choice, either. I would much rather see a controllable player with options. But among free agents, he makes sense as a stopgap. Starting the clock early on Miller or Bishop isn’t a great idea since neither have much (or any) AAA seasoning and wouldn’t likely be used much–if at all–once Gamel is back.
In the second half last season, Ichiro made an adjustment. He was getting the ball in the air more, so he wasn’t so reliant on speed to get base hits. If that carries over, he should be able to handle the load and possibly even stick around in a bench role. Worst case, little money is spent and the Mariners move forward without him once Gamel’s back.
It will be interesting to see if another player is brought in following spring. There could be a need for a RHH if Heredia proves to need more time returning from surgery.
Stevil, I agree that looking at bare bone facts (and taking his name off the jersey and the emotions out of it) that Ichiro probably ISN’T the best choice. I understand that the situation is somewhat desperate there with the rash of injuries to the point where the Mariners finally reached a state where Ichiro was a tolerable option. The only thing that gets me are the fanboys who seem to think that Ichiro is a “great” option. He just isn’t the player he was ten years ago.
Hopefully Ichiro plays decent enough and retires a Mariner in a few weeks. It would be sad for father time to expose all his flaws.
Another way to look at it might be to peak at the projections for Gamel and Heredia. ZiPS likes Ichiro better than either one.
To be honest, I’m not that big on projections, and I think Gamel and Heredia have much higher upside. But the bar is low and he will only need to offer average value for a short while.
He might actually be a better option than I realized. A “great” fit would be a stretch, but if he does what’s asked of him and the fans are happy, it’s hard to argue against the move.
At minimum he’ll sell more tickets and possibly be an inspiration for the younger players. Hard not to like this for both sides as long as the price tag isn’t ridiculous.
Yeah, he’s arguably the second biggest star in franchise history (after Griffey), so it’s nice to see him back in Seattle even if he contributes very little on the field.
I do hope he has a good season and announces a retirement tour. Ichiro deserves a first ballot HOF and I’d prefer it be on his terms.
When you say “hold the fort” the message is clear– you and I are in the fort holding out against the enemies of the fort who are now besieging the fort. I now have to pop out of the fort for a bit to get some printer toner or take the cat to the vet. (don’t worry about how i’ll get past the besieging enemy, i’ve got a secret tunnel and a false beard). While I do this, I want YOU to HOLD the fort, so that I when I get back we’ll both still have the fort.
But if I ask you to hold DOWN the fort, what the hell am i talking about? Hold down the fort while i go out because as you know it’s some kind of inflatable hover fort, and once relieved of my weight it might float off into the sky? Hold down the fort and when I get back the two of us can tickle the fort?
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Meh! Disappointed in this acquisition when our organization has a chance to promote Miller or Braden Bishop- you wanna talk about promotions and marketing? Braden Bishop’s ‘hits for Mom’ story trumps Ichiro making a return to Seattle IMO. I’m also disappointed our FO chooses to buy a Goodwill blue dot bargain basement player. Yet again (w the exception of Nellie and Robbie) when given the option of buying a FA we choose a meh! player. Either we’re all in on winning now or we rebuild- don’t see how this stop-gap player improves our roster.
I can understand desiring a different option, but Miller or Bishop? Miller only played in 40 or so games in AAA last season and struggled heavily. Bishop hasn’t even reached AAA yet. Why start the clock on a player that would only be up for a 2-3 weeks before burning an option to get him the seasoning he still needs?
They’re not ready. I get it, though, that Seattle’s going cheap. I myself was hoping to see Brett Phillips and Christian Walker acquired. Trades may not be an option at this time as teams are still figuring out who they want to keep.
Payroll- I’ve never bought that argument, it’s not our $ what do we care how much their cap is? I want wins. If the team says it’s serious about winning while we have Cruz Cano Seager et al then show us. There’s plenty of better options than a selfish slap hitting 62yr old baseball player
Well, we don’t make the decisions! And the bit about him being selfish is just ridiculous. Because Carlos Silva didn’t like him? Who cares!
Ridiculous is when your front office buys an aging OF and an above average RP after claiming we are trying to win now in a division where the two teams above you have made substantial improvements to their ball clubs over the past 12 mo’s.
Nicasio is a solid, versatile reliever who can give them innings. You actually have a problem with that? And as far as Ichiro goes, there was no intention to “buy” another outfielder. But with Haniger missing time recently with tendonitis, Heredia needing to be eased in, and Gamel missing the start of the season due to an oblique strain, they needed some insurance.
The Astros are a solid team, no question. The Angels improved defensively quite a bit, but their bullpen got worse and every one of their starting pitchers has significant durability concerns.
The Mariners haven’t made any real flashy moves, but they’re roster looks significantly better than it did opening day just one year ago. No Overton, Fien, Scribner, Gallardo, Valencia, etc.
Don’t recall saying or even suggesting I had a problem w the Nicasio addition- I’m glad they got another power arm to complement the softer throwers like Leake Marco and Eras. But even there- he has more history as a failed starter who has a solid season, season half of success in relief.
Astros added Verlander and Cole- devastating rotation. Angels add Shotanhi, Upton and Cosart. They have similar starting rotation projections as our SP staff reliant upon injury prone SP’s.
My original post highlights my frustration in the utility/4th OF purchase when Cargo, Joey Bats, Ethier even M Holliday could be acquired. Any of those OFers have a good 1/2 they’re trade bait after ASG
You literally stated that it was ridiculous the front office bought an aging outfielder and above average RP.
Your misquoting me- I said it’s ridiculous that our FO makes these two purchases after going on record to say we are trying to compete for the playoffs this year- There are far better options on the FA market than Ichiro and his farewell tour.
Ichiro won’t play if our OF of Dee, Hanny, Gamel and Heredia are fit so, again, I don’t think it’s a big deal to say to Bishop- “hey kid, why don’t you extend your Spring Training by a couple weeks while Gamel is out. A couple weeks in the show is hardly going to ruin an OF who’s having a good ST and most importantly knows he’s got nothing to lose since our OF is set at least for a couple seasons.
I did not misquote you. If you chose your words poorly, that’s on you. But if you actually believe Nicasio is a great pitcher, how does signing him not suggest the Mariners are making an effort to contend? Because they didn’t get the starter everyone was calling for? There was still a need for a shut-down reliever than can go 2-3 innings. There’s still a need for RHRP, as Zych was shut down.
Take a harder look at what Ichiro did in the second half last year and consider how he was used. Half of his at bats were as a pinch hitter, which is one of the hardest things in baseball to do. He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but the harder I look at what he’s done recently, the more sense the move makes. As far as better options go, virtually all that was left were more expensive and needed to be platooned.
And starting the clock on Bishop still doesn’t make any sense. He has zero games in AAA. They would be starting the service clock early and burning an option.
Why don’t we see how this plays out? I get that you’re a passionate Mariners’ fan. I am as well. Adding to the equation is a good thing. We still have Bishop, still have Miller, still have Gamel, and still have Heredia.
If Bishop or Miller are ready, I’d agree with you. But I also don’t want to see people ruined because they were brought up too soon because there was no one else. We’ve had that happen here before. I’d rather they signed a younger free agent who could contribute more.
Welp, I am going to have to now change my entire fantasy baseball draft strategy with this major free agent signing.
In all seriousness, Ichiro is one of my favorites of all time. In his prime you could literally hit him anywhere in your lineup. He was the best defensive outfielder of his generation besides Tori Hunter (Gary Matthews Jr didnt even come close).
He was the perfect baseball player, silent assasin that was durable and embraced the fans. In a time when 85% of the major leagues were using some sort of performance enhancing “supplement” (I am going to upset some people but yea Griffey and Big Papi were on the juice) everyone just knew Ichiro wasnt using nor did he have to.
This signing by the Mariners is for the fans and a way to send a class act Hall of Famer into the Hall with the class he deserves.
This is a great thing for the team and for Ichiro. He will get to retire in the same uniform he started in in MLB. The team will draw some fans both at home and on the road that come to see him for his retirement tour.
Stats don’t really matter in this case. Gamel will be back soon and the starting job is his so signing a guy like Jay was off the table. At best the Mariners will be competing for the 2nd Wild Card, so having Ichiro out there is not going to kill their playoff chances.
I know most people will think I’m nuts, but I don’t think this was a PR move. I honestly believe Jerry sees him as a legitimate 4th outfielder. There was talk bringing him back earlier in the offseason if Heredia looked to be in need of significant recovery time.
The PR angle is a bonus, in my opinion. Keep in mind, Leonys Martin was well loved in Seattle, yet he got DFA’d early into the season. Dipoto hasn’t been afraid to cut players loose that aren’t performing.
So, this will probably be Ichiro’s last team. If he retires as a Mariner, and goes in the HOF as a Mariner, and the Mariners retire jersey number 51, who’s name they put on it? Ichiro or Randy Johnson?
Randy without a doubt. He did far more for the mariners than ichrio ever did. Randy won playoff games. Ichiro slapped singles and refused to stay in the same hotel with the rest kid the team.
Good question. Ichiro had 11+ more in WAR but with 3 more seasons in Seattle. Though Ichiro produced more for Seattle, Johnson’s run was just as significant in my opinion, so I’d like to see something unique. Why not retire the number to honor both players?
I completely agree! They’re both HOF’ers. I wonder if that is the first time a team produced two HOF’ers wearing the same number???
They would need about 50 things to bounce their way to get into the postseason (not getting hurt would be one). No depth and too many pitching woes. They should sign Cobb and either Arrieta or Lynn and make a true go of it this year, as they have the worst farm in MLB now – they need to be putting more effort into fielding a contender or else what’s the point?
Oh sure. Payroll is already sitting at 160, those 3 are still looking for over 50 million, but why not, right? Who wouldn’t want to pay for an over-rated Jake Arrieta?
I don’t think they’re as bad off as you think. If their pitching staff can stay healthy, I think they have a dam good shot especially if Iwakuma is at his best by the All-Star break
I’m saying they’re good. Turner isn’t. Marco is looking filthy this spring, Mike Leake will probably deliver 30+, 3.70 ERA or so, and if Paxton can stay healthy, good god, watch out.
Hope he has a great year in his return to Seattle. Great for him, great for the fans to have him back.
Every time I hear that Ichiro is going to play until he’s 50, I think: Does he have back child support he has to pay? Lol
the mariners should have called the Phil’s with outfield help. They have some surplus. just a thought. not about mariners sock on available SPs.
It’s a real shame he went to Miami for 2 years. He should have got his 3000th hit as a mariner. Really hope he plays til he’s 50 and overall breaks pete roses hit record.
If they do, then he shouldn’t have been eligible for the ROY award in 2001 . Hence he would’ve been a pro player already ! |
1,170,875 | Astrologer Malav Bhatt predicted that Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli will have a great future after their marriage as it will bring more success and happiness. However, he warned that it won't be all rosy as there are many thorns on the way and it can be avoided if they live life with a clear and thoughtful way.
As per Malav Bhatt, there might be emotional conflicts erupting between Anushka and Virat and that'll cause mental disturbances between the two. He states that planets will play a very important role in the success of marriage and the next 2 years are crucial for their married life.
Astrologer Malav Bhatt says its important for Anushka and Virat to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives.
If their personal and professional life is not taken care of, it might cause unwanted disputes and the two will live in disharmony.
He also revealed that the couple must not choose individualistic paths as that'll be a damaging impact on their marriage.
In order to avoid such troubles, Malav Bhatt says Anushka and Virat must always be there for each other as that'll bring out positive vibes between the two and will in return lead a happy life.
Rumours are doing the rounds that Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli will tie the knot on December 12, 2017 in Milan, Italy.
Nivin Pauly, the young crowd-puller is all set to essay the historical character Kayamkulam Kochunni, in the upcoming Roshan Andrews project. Recently, director Roshan revealed the first character sketch of Nivin's Kochunni, through his Facebook page.
The interesting character sketch promises that the movie, which has been titled as Kayamkulam Kochunni, will present the actor in a totally different get-up. Nivin will sport a closely-tonsured hairdo and twirled moustache, for his role in the movie.
Interestingly, the character sketch has portrayed Nivin Pauly aka Kayamkulam Kochunni in a full-defiend highwayman look, with a double barrel gun, bullet string, and two knives. It also hints the actor will be appearing in an ancient rural look, with a Pulimurugan model sandals.
According to the close sources, Nivin Pauly is planning to shed a few kilos and get a special training on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art form, for the perfection of his role. Reportedly, the actor will be using the ancient Travancore slang in the movie.
Kayamkulam Kochunni, which is based on the Kayamkulam Kochunni stories in Kottarathil Sankunni's Aithihyamala, is scripted by Bobby-Sanjay. Amala Paul has been roped in, to the essay the female lead in the project which is produced by Gokulam Gopalan.
Bigg Boss 11 got over, but the show and the contestants are still in news. As we revealed, the contestants - be it the commoners or celebrities, all are busy partying or holidaying.
We had recently revealed about Bandgi Kalra and Puneesh Sharma partying together in Delhi, Hina Khan partying with her boyfriend, Rocky, Kanchi Singh and Rohan Mehra, and enjoying with his inmates.
Priyank Sharma, Vikas Gupta, Jyoti Kumari, Sabyasachi Satpathy, Mehajabi Siddiqui and Akash Dadlani attended a grand party that was hosted by Arshi Khan in Mumbai on January 22. (Image Source: Twitter)
During the party, Priyank Sharma was asked about his projects. When the media asked whether he is doing Karan Johar's film, Student Of The Year 2, the actor denied the news.
He was quoted by Spotboye as saying, "I knew this question will come. But nothing like this is happening. I just met him (Karan Johar) for a casual party."
Although he will not be seen in KJo's film, his fans can rejoice as he confirmed that he is doing Ekta Kapoor and Vikas Gupta's upcoming web series.
Priyank told the entertainment website, "I am really excited about this one because it's Ekta mam and of course Vikas. So let's pray." Vikas Gupta, who was also at the party, revealed the details of his upcoming web series.
Vikas said, "It is one of the biggest web series which India has watched. The technical aspect of the series as well as the graphic used will be beyond people's imagination. We are excited and nervous as well as there is a lot of pressure. It's a teenage series, so we want to maintain a certain standard."
Also, the report suggests that Priyank might up close and personal with TV hottie Harshita Gaur in the series. Vikas was quoted by the entertainment portal as saying, "We are considering Harshita Gaur for the role. If she's available and things go well... it will be Harshita opposite Priyank, in the series." |
15,709,760 | sarah: Hope you can make it to the sa xmas meet up, would love to catch up with you again and meet your cheeky little man!!
oh and i just realised too, that Charlyfrog you live in Adelaide to, you should come along to the SA xmas meet up, it'll be lovely to meet you and the girls.
DH apparently has a bad chest infection around the heart. His heart scans came up normal which is great but he has been given strong antibiotics and was told to go straight to the hospital if the pain gets any worse. No doubt I'll have a sleepless night worrying about him tonight but hopefully he will start to feel better soon.
Tina - Hope DH gets well soon. At least they have caught it quickly so hopefully he will recover soon enough.
This is a question for bottle feeders, has anyone had trouble changing teat sizes? Lewis has only been drinking half of his bottles for the last week or so and I thought maybe he needs the next size up as he is still on Avent size 2. But when I put him on size 3 he throws up his whole feed, even though they are recommended for 3 months and above. But if I keep him on size 2 he drinks alot slower and doesn't want to finish a bottle. Does anyone have any ideas??
Naomi54 - ooh! might pop into the SA thread then to get details coz that would be fun! I have snuck a peak every now and then at the thread and I did see some girls talking about Snakes and Ladders and I take my girls there too - I'm just a little nervous and shy I think........hehehe
Feathertop - was only thinking of you last night How are you going? Are you all healthy now? Oh and how is your friend going with her feeding coz she was struggling with bf wasn't she? Did it resolve itself in the end?
Teepee2 - oh thinking of you lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was only a few months back that I had to rush DH to hospital with a horrid bout of flu and my gut and heart hurt from worry! He was all fine in the end after a brief hospital stay but it does nothing for the nerves!!! Sending you a million !!!!! xx
MumofLewis - too cute finding his feet and ears!! I would love to take my girls to see Santa but not sure how DD#1 will handle it so we'll see
PrincessMya - So good to hear from you again! Your little one sounds like she is going so well! Are you all settled now?
Tina - hope your DH gets better soon. And Mikayla could be teething. I think Diana is only a few days older and she is already getting her second tooth!
Celsie - yay for the nappy free training. We have been doing it with Diana since she was about 4 weeks old and she now wees in the potty regularly and sometimes we even catch a poo. A couple of times we even took her nappy off, found that it was clean, put her on the potty, she did a wee and/or poo and then we could put the same nappy back on her (twice in four months, but an impressive effort still, I think). Hope it goes well for you too.
Well, I was back at work today after a few days off for pnd. Had a cruisy day, so so far, so good. Diana has decided that sleep is for losers. The past few days she hasn't slept much during the day at all and tonight I put her to bed at around her usual bedtime, only to have her eyes open as soon as I put her in the cot and the sooking to start soon after I left the room. After a few minutes I took her out and sat her on the couch in front of the TV. She lasted about 10 minutes, then tipped over and fell asleep all scrunched up. So cute. Luckily I was able to put her in the cot without waking her up.
mumoflewis: Lachlan still on size 2 teats, sometimes he'll take his time drinking but thats just the way he is. Ive only recently changed him to size 2 teats, but one bottle still has a size 1 teat, and he still drinks that fine. Prehaps just give him the larger teats on a feed where you know he is hungry, or sit him up a bit more so its not coming out as fast iykwim?
Zofia: Lachlan is the same.....sleep?? what for, i need no sleep im a grown up now !! LMAO He'll only have a max of an hour sleep at 1 sleep time during the day most of the time its either no sleep or 1/2hr sleep, and he will have maybe 3 sleeps a day.
My little man is sick, got a sniffly/ runny nose, and half clingy, his sleeping and feeding all over the place, although he still sleeping most of the night, even if it ends up being in our bed lol. He currently in is Jolly Jumper whinging calling num num.....mum mum and then one loud mum til i look at him and he is happy lol
Starfish - Lewis isn't going to sleep at bedtime anymore either! He just lies there for up to half an hour playing with his feet and taking his dummy out and then putting it back in...his eye! I don't mind though because it means I can start story time now because he would just be asleep before when i tried to read to him!
Naomi - Oh that's good to know about the teat sizes. I don't think I'll bother with the size 3 then. It's obviously only a guideline.
I actually took Lewis to the GP this morning because he only drank 60mls when he woke up which is usually his biggest feed so I was getting worried as he just isn't drinking enough. Anyway he says there is no ear or throat infection and is probably just a bit under the weather due to having a cold. He also said not to give him Demazin even though the pharmacist recommended it to me. Silly man
It was taken at Eastgardens. I'm so glad I didn't go to Bondi Junction now, thier Santa looked about 16!
He DOES look real you know. I wish we had him in Adelaide. Caeleb would grab hold on that beard with two hands and pull! LOL
Celsie DH is feeling a bit better but still in a lot of pain. If he isnt ok by Monday then he has to go in for more tests - hopefully that wont be necessary though.
We put up our Christmas tree today. A little early I know but if I dont get these things done when I think of them time will just slip away from me.
Hi guys, sorry haven't posted much recently, still haven't quite shaken this bug. My temp is normal and throat and chest fine, but still have infected sinuses. Haven't taken any more antibiotics as I figure the worst is over, this bit is just hanging on longer. Thanks for thinking of me Charly!
Oh yes, my friend and her bf worries. Well, she's been feeding her solids for some time now, rice cereal and veges, and she has also put on onto some formula, one bottle a day I think. It's a bit of a shame for her as I think she really wanted to continue exclusive bf but at least she's feeling more relaxed now which is good.
Well, Angus is going well, rolling like crazy and even trying to crawl. He puts his head down, bum up and pushes himself forward with his feet. He manages to turn himself around easily on the spot, and has moved off the play rug a couple of times. He's even looking at the furniture like he wants to pull up on it!!! Scary, now I'll have to baby proof the house already! He doesn't have any teeth, and isn't interested in anything other than boobies, which is fine by me. He has been feeding more and for longer the last week, one extra feed a day, and two feeds of up to an hour going between both sides and back to the first. Man, that's hard work! Still sleeping very well which is excellent. We went out to a Christmas party and left him at a friends house with a babysitter, of course he fed and went straight to sleep and they didn't have to do anything at all! Perfection! Angus enjoys sitting up on my lap and playing with the tv remote now too, such a boy.
I've been slack about exercise recently, it's been so hot that I really can't face going out. When it wasn't hot, it was raining! But at least I still do the belly dance classes which is excellent exercise. How's everyone else going with this?
Oh yeah, and daytime sleep - what's that? If I'm lucky he'll have one sleep for maybe 1.5 hrs, some days almost no day sleep at all. Ah well, never mind. He's obviously growing his brain nicely with all the stimulation!
Oh - and we think he has (kinda) said his first words - Ummy, Addy, and Geggie (my husbands name is Greg and I always call him Greggie)!!!!! YAY!!!!
This weekend was Diana's first holiday away. My sister, Diana and I went down to Kiama for a girls' weekend. We walked around the town, did some shopping and saw the blowhole yesterday. Was kind of disappointed with the blowhole - it wasn't blowing much, but we saw the "little blowhole", which was a lot more impressive. I don't think Diana cared much either way. We stayed the night with some of my sister's friends, which was lovely. Diana decided that not only did she not need sleep during the day, she also didn't need to sleep at night. I swear, she was up until almost midnight! I think she missed her daddy, as she would keep looking at the doorway as if waiting for someone to come in.
This morning we went to the beach, and Diana hated it.The sound of the surf scared her and the water was too cold for her to even dip her feet in. I tried to get her into a little lagoon thing, but even that was too cold. I decided that I might try taking her to the beach again next year. Before then, it probably wouldn't be much fun for either of us.
Woo hoo for me - I am no longer working, but will be paid until the end of the year! I am taking the time until then as sick/stress leave. I am glad that it worked out this way, although wish that I had gone to the doctor to get the pnd diagnosed sooner, before I had started acting completely insane at work.
Feathertop - Wow about the talking! That is so awesome! Diana has been making sounds too. When we put her on the potty, she seems to say "ghee" a lot, and I sometimes wonder if she is trying to say "wee" (or if its just a coincidence...). |
294,337,812 | Well… Sounds like Kendall Jenner is a spoiled rich brat/awful human being just like the rest of her family. Last Monday 18-year-old Kendall Jenner went full-asshole while dining at New York City’s Mercer Kitchen. Apparently she threw a spoiled rich girl temper tantrum when the restaurant obeyed the law by refusing to serve her booze. Via Page Six:
Jenner was dining with Stephen Baldwin’s daughter, Hailey, and was unhappy when “the staff wouldn’t serve her [booze] because she’s underage,” our spy said.
Her server, Blaine Morris (Betty Nardone on MTV’s “Skins”) ran outside to ask the celebuspawn to pay her bill.
“Kendall took a couple of $20 bills out of her wallet, threw them at the server and walked away, not even counting if it was enough or if it included a tip.”
The waitress who had to chase her down the street while the spawn of Bruce and Kris Jenner threw money at her was an actress who pays the bills waiting tables named Blaine Morris. She tweeted this:
If true, fuck her. Even if she’s “just a dumb kid,” people who are disrespectful to the hard-working people who serve you food deserve no respect. She’s clearly lived a gilded life and never had to bust her ass during a dinner rush just to make a couple of bucks in a restaurant.
So you want to go to BDSM parties in NYC? Understandable. They’re pretty rad. Here’s a run down of some of the city’s finest and what you can expect when you show your kinky ass up.
Pangea is BYOB and doesn’t do that thing where cost is affixed to what genitalia you have. The party is aimed at letting BDSM people try swinging and vice versa (the moniker they’ve coined is “swinky”). Blended BDSM and play (ie sex stuff) areas let you mess around with equipment like confinement cages, St. Andrews crosses, spanking benches, and suspension racks (with expert riggers who will hang you from them)–and then mess around with the people around you. There’s also an all naked lounge/play space, a friendly foot fetish corner, and an ongoing game of naked Twister, if that’s your thing.
Unpretentious, very Queer-friendly, and generally woke as fuck when it comes to consent, Cakehole brings a sort of DIY-ishness/non-hierarchical vibe to the scene. Pretty much anything goes there besides consent violation, barebacking, getting excess fluids on things, or generally being an asshole. Dungeon Monitors make sure people aren’t acting a fool, and it does take place in an actual dungeon, so there’s lots of equipment and toys around (though definitely BYO, when it comes to toys and booze alike.) Also, there is sometimes cake.
The Hacienda Villa is what happens when a hedge fund manager decides to live his truth, buys a building in Bushwick, and fills it with polyamorous kinksters. While that might sound suspect and/or a recipe for the insufferable, the space (which is the actual home to a number of polyamorous and sex-positive “Villans”) is actually really inclusive and down to earth. In addition to sex positive classes and lectures, the Hacienda also hosts a wide range of play parties with specific BDSM and non-BDSM focuses (for instance, an upcoming Kinky Tasting will feature an assemblage of tops offering various sensation experiences, from rope to whipping to spanking to wax, that you can walk through and sample like a kinky buffet.)
Kinky Riot is relatively new, and is geared toward the fetish elements of BDSM and kink–though they welcome both newbies and vets. If you’re trying to get specific with your freakiness, they are definitely accommodating–the party is housed at Pendulum, one of the best-equipped dungeons in the city. There are medical play, fire play, and indoor smoking stations, as well as the standard St Andrews crosses, suspension points, and spanking benches. There’s also a regular play space for all you *squares* out there.
Lust is one part kink/BDSM/play party, one part dinner/culinary experience, and one (large) part hedonistic fever dream. Hosted at House of Yes, Lust may seem a little “Eyes Wide Shut” when you first get there, but if you go with it, it’s worth it. The party features dinner served on people (and, unlike at most sex parties, the food is actually something you’re going to want to eat). After people eat and drink, the party transitions into sex/BDSM mode, which entails various scenes, interactive performances, flogging stations, and ample play area.
As Paddles NYC’s main spanking party, this one is relatively straightforward. If you’ve ever been interested in spanking (giving, receiving, watching, whatever), this is the place. If you can imagine getting hit on the ass by something, you can probably find someone there to hit with/be hit by it. Until 10 PM it’s pure spanking (meaning barehand, paddles, hairbrushes, rulers, straps, and canes), but after 10, you’re welcome to bring out whatever other gear you’ve got stashed away. Oh, and if you dress in a schoolgirl outfit, you get in for $5. bucks.
I will say this right off the bat. If you do not like burners, this party is not for you. That said, Wonderland is pretty unique as part rave, part play/BDSM party. Each month’s party has a theme that requires a costume (and they are very serious about this–they have a “no effort, no entrance” policy.) Wonderland takes place in this huge dojo, so there’s plenty of space for each section (namely, the fuck area, the dance area, and the BDSM area). One thing that’s important to remember is that their accountability system is Buddy-based, meaning you will need to come with one (or two, or three) people you’re comfortable promising to keep in line (and vice versa).
Bedlam is another good choice if you’re looking to explore more equipment-based BDSM/play. They’re the party with all the fun shit you might not get to play with at home. They’ve got prison cells, suspended cages, bondage chairs and tables, and the rest of the general BDSM furniture collection including over ten suspension rigs with expert riggers. Monthly resident players offer safe, sane, but intense scenes in fire play, needle play, wax play, and impact play; onsite DMs and BDSM educators keep everybody informed and safe. $20. flat rate for everybody, and BYOB.
Happy hitting. Or fucking. Or hopping on one foot with a banana up your ass singing Eye of The Tiger backward. Or whatever it is that you’re into. No judgment.
Lana A. is a writer, wanderer, archivist, storyteller, and general word-maker/appreciator. She likes books, whiskey, talking to strangers, and getting weird.
Recently I was honored to have two of my artist books acquired by the Seattle Art Museum’s Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library and installed in conjunction with the exhibition: Double Exposure: Edward S. Curtis, Marianne Nicholson, Tracey Rector, Will Wilson. The … Continued
I recently had a think piece published in Design Week Portland’s journal—a meditation on making, and failing, and isolation, and feeling like an impostor, and pushing through it all anyway. You can read it here.
These are uncertain and tumultuous times. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the current political climate. Like many others, I’ve felt compelled to become more involved in supporting the ideas and causes that matter to me. And so, I’ve begun … Continued
On an autumn day full of gold and blue, I turned off of a downtown Santa Fe street and made my way up a long set of stairs, led by a friend and former teacher who was in town for … Continued
After 2 years of collaboration and experimentation with Brandi Katherine Herrera, the artist book Mutterfarbe is complete! The opening reception was held at 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon on September 8th, and included video and sound installation designed by Brandi & multidisciplinary artist Andrew Foster Glei. … Continued
For the past year, I’ve been living in the high desert of New Mexico. This is a remote place. It’s a place where land and sky unfurl, tumbling into the distance, rising and falling in dark and jagged patterns. The … Continued
The writing of Jorge Luis Borges has been a huge source of inspiration for me since I started making artist books. My interests in translation and non-linear narrative are always sparked when I read his stories or essays. Recently I found myself … Continued
I’ve recently finished a new artist book titled ELSEWHERE that includes lenticular images. Here is a sample of one of them! More information to come soon.
Hello from Santa Fe! Broken Cloud Press is finally settling in and recovering from the chaos of the big move from Portland—and the holidays, which followed right on its heels. I look forward to 2016 and creating new work in this beautiful … Continued
These letterpress broadsides were printed in conjunction with Santa Fe poet & artist Colleen Carias’s 2017 exhibition My Mother the Airplane (Catherine Ferguson Gallery, Galisteo NM). Broadsides measure 10 x 14 inches. Letterpress printed from photopolymer plates on pale blue Stonehenge paper. Each broadside features a unique suminagashi print, making this a variable edition. Numbered and signed by the poet.
In the classic stage performance and movie Fiddler On The Roof, we hear Tevye ask Golde this question. (Click here to listen) Do you love me? And when asked the question Golde seems to give Tevye a trivial answer, at one point in fact she tries to dodge the real question with this response:
But Tevye keeps digging deeper for the real answer, “But do you love me?”, and finally at the conclusion of the song Golde says: “I suppose I do” to which Tevye responds, “Then I suppose I love you to.”
Jesus asked Peter that same question. It was perhaps the most important question that Peter would ever have to answer. The question is both simple and yet profound. Jesus also repeated the question over and over digging for the real response. We read in John 21:15-17
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,”Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
Of course we all know that that Jesus asks us that same question. Like Peter this is also the most important question we will ever have to answer. Do we love Him? How do we respond?
In order to answer the question perhaps we need to dig deeper to understand what Jesus means by love. In Mt 22:37-38 we read:
“He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.”
Take note that each time after asking Peter the question, “Do you love me”, he also gave Peter a command by telling him to feed His sheep. After Jesus calls us to love Him He gives us a command as well. He calls us to observe His commandments. He said In John 14:21:
The “Ideal Talk” is the very first talk given on a Cursillo weekend. In the Ideal talk we are told that wherever we spend our time, and our thoughts and our money there is our ideal. So I ask you this, is loving Jesus your ideal? Do a quick introspection and check out where you spend your time, thoughts and money. How much time do you spend with Him? Are your thoughts throughout the day focused on Him? Does the way you spend your money reflect a love of Him? Do we in fact keep all of His commands or rather do we pick and choose what commands we want to follow?
In order to love Jesus we must know him. To know him we must spend time in study and prayer. St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” You can’t move forward without knowing Christ. And you can’t really know Christ until you spend time with him. Prayer is conversation with God, listening to God, and just being with God. Prayer is essential to the Christian life. Your soul cannot grow close to Christ if you never spend time with Him in prayer.
If we truly love Jesus with all of our heart, soul and mind we will want to follow Him. In Matthew 16: 24-25 it says:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
What is it that is getting in our way of a more perfect love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Let us deny ourselves so that we can begin today to love Him with all of our heart our soul and our mind.
Dear Jesus throughout our day today and throughout this week, please keep the words, “Do you Love Me?” echoing over and over and over in our hearts and minds, and help our response as is evidenced in our actions, be like Peter’s, as we say “yes Lord you know I love you”. Amen.
I was introduced to Broker Buddha by Ryan Hanley's Agency Nation podcast, easily one of the top podcast on insurance and marketing.
RightSignature is a great app for getting docs signed, I've loved using it. Broker Buddha takes that, or Doc U Sign, to the next level. They allow you to be able to pre-populate insurance forms, take out un-needed sections, or repeat (reminds me of TaxAct) forms from a year before but make needed headcount or revenue edits.
Apart from the direct form features themselves, BrokerBuddha will have reminders to your clients for the docs, and integrate to your agency management system to avoid double entries. This technology sounds like it'll help cut out the last generation motions (driving to a customer, entering in data manually) and enable deep connections and more thorough work.
We're in private beta at the moment. Stay tuned for more news from us later this year. Get in touch with [email protected] if you'd like to learn more.
Let’s face it: without you and the spirit of our community, we’re just people surrounded by walls. There’s something about Brooklyn Boulders that sticks with you: the friends, the family, the crushes-turned-lovers, and the shared passion for the challenging fun in rock climbing.
Real connections for people sharing parallel goals, obstacles, and experiences. Sometimes, it’s magic. Sometimes, it’s meant to #bkblove.
The measure of a group show might be given in the quality of the narrative it constructs. According to these terms, a good group show could successfully elaborate, say, contemporary trends in abstraction or the history of figurative painting in England. Traces Everywhere, the current group show at Tracy Williams, takes a humbler route and assembles a set of artists based solely on their use of a paper ground in their work. As a result, some of the exhibition’s twelve artists make rather strange bedfellows. Any resultant friction, however, is more than adequately compensated for by the overall excellence of the show.
Most creative in his use of the paper ground is Ernst Caramelle. He capitalizes on cheap construction paper’s susceptibility to sunlight by exposing partially covered sheets to the sun for varying amounts of time. The result might be an infinite gradient of values, but Caramelle keeps his forms simple. His paperwork is restrained without being cool.
He has excellent company in Tracy Williams’s ground floor gallery where Zipora Fried takes up floor space with a scroll. It runs from the wall to stretch most of the length of the small, rectangular room. A wedge shape form, knit tight in graphite, runs most of its length, its hard-edged rigor a fine foil for the child-like forms of Olav Christopher Jenssen’s colorful pastels. Jenssen sticks to the margins in his drawings and, through some magic many artists miss, activates the untouched paper. In his drawings, linear abstraction seems prone on the edge of representation. He goes so far as to sketch a figure at the left-hand edge of one drawing.
This might seem a good lead-in from the abstraction downstairs to the more figurative work in the upstairs gallery, but the transition winds up a bit jarring. Here, Fiona Banner takes center stage with a horizontal diptych entitled “Black Hawk Down/Plaything II.” It’s a text piece on paper, the garbled verbiage of which seems to describe events in the two films, the former disturbingly violent, the latter sexually lurid. Besides being extravagantly beautiful, this piece has little to do with the above-mentioned Ernst Caramelle, who is also hung in the upstairs hallway, or, for that matter, with Joe Fyfe’s lyrical collages that follow in the second upstairs gallery. Banner’s work relates more clearly to the semiotic strains in Matt Mullican’s work on the opposite wall. His titles, written on the drawings’ faces, are as forceful as the stick figure drawings that accompany them. Mullican’s ever-evolving symbolism also sits comfortably with that of his neighbor in the exhibition, Anne-Marie Schneider. His work is concrete and analytical, hers intuitive and gestural; the two make a fine couple. They underpin, to my eye, the logic of the upstairs arrangement.
It would not do to end without mention of Wes Mills’s abstractions. Of a scale and touch reminiscent of an Indian Tantra drawing, these exquisite drawings marry Richard Tuttle’s playfulness to Joseph Albers geometry to fresh effect. They prove again the old adage, Picasso’s I think, that every great artist is first a great thief. Their scope is a mirror for that of the exhibition’s artists who all merit far greater examination then they’ve been given here.
Nice knitwear... and a great 'tache. Stonnall's tintinabulists from the 70's ring out. Picture kindly supplied by Graham Evans.
Top reader and contributor David Evans recently sent in this great 1970’s picture of Stonnall Handbell ringers. How many do you recognise? Over to David for the details:
This really is ‘a tangle of bells’. I thought your Stonnall readers would like to see this photo of a worthy and very successful group of tintinnabulists in the 1970s. I feel sure that some faces will be instantly recognised by the villagers.
The bells were made by Whitechapel foundry in London, who also made Big Ben- their bells are certainly the world’s best for clarity and purity of tone. Handbell ringing in this country has a wonderful, rich dimension to its history. Just imagine the huge national rallies of the late 1800s… a glimpse at the intricate set competition music of that era gives an idea.
At a national rally in Wembley Conference Centre a few years after this photo was taken, one group actually played the Black and White Rag… on Handbells! Amazing. The biggest handbell is nearly as big and as heavy as a bucket!
Great pic. A friend and I have consulted on this and are convinced that the youngster standing at the left of the second row from the front is Roger Gaul, local farmer’s son. Roger was in our year at Shire Oak school (our first year was 1976) and was the epitome of a gentle giant. Long before any of us had even learned the word puberty, Roger, who towered over us and was twice as broad, was growing a moustache and talking in a hushed baritone.
Of course, given his size he was drafted into the rugby team, though his heart was never in it. On one occasion he asked to be excused a Saturday morning match because he was involved in a cake-baking competition. On another – and this is where my rambling tosh finally becomes vaguely relevant – he was in a handbell-ringing competition.
Being the callous and blinkered youngsters that we were, we all found this hilarious and incomprehensible at the time, though with hindsight he was Shire Oak’s very own renaissance teenager. Whatever Roger’s up to now, I hope he’s well and still, ahem, ploughing his own furrow.
It is, indeed, Roger Gall, one time member of Stonnall’s scout troop. Other people in the picture are, in the centre, Betty Amphlett, and between her and Roger, Betty’s husband Harry. Others seem familiar, but a quarter of a century on….
Indeed the Stonnall Hand-Bell Riners were a great band. Their LP vinal record is a classic.I took their photograph at the Harrogate competitive music festival in 1985 when they won the hand bell class in great style. This photo is included in my book “Hand -Bell Ringing The Living Tradition – RINGING FOR GOLD.to be published summer 2012. Peter Fawcett.
I have a 12 inch 45 rpm vinal record, the record and cover are in good condition, if any one is interested. |
9,446,250 | Living in Chaos: Survival: Update on the Hilger home --- Even when our children are relatively stable, life is never normal with Mental Illness...
« Stability... Where is the line between stable and manageable, and stable but needs improvement?... | Main | I would never have thought this was what parenting would entail! »
Update on the Hilger home --- Even when our children are relatively stable, life is never normal with Mental Illness...
It is important to remember not to beat yourself up for parenting mistakes, or bad moments. One thing I have had to learn is that we all make mistakes and will continue to do so. We can and need to apologize in a calmer moment, and let our children know we will try to work with them the next time. Trying to work out some kind of a signal form them to us that they are overwhelmedis helpful. Of course I say this and David is not usually able to do this well if he progresses too far in a situation. However, he is able to step away and calm down at times when I notice him becoming agitated, and let him know I am seeing this. This is a huge improvement for him to be able to accept someone else's evaluation of his mental state. Mostly, you take the time and the persistence to learn those triggers and situations which your son does not do well in. In time you will get better at avoiding the pitfalls.
I have tried hard to talk with David to make certain that he knows I am trying to work with him, not against him, and I often have to be the first to apologize and make efforts to regain peace after a misstep. He is not capable to step beyond the paranoia and overwhelming stress to initiate, however, if he is approached, he can meet me part way. It is good.
If we hang on, it will get better. This illness has been a blessing to the extent that I have been forced to learn patience and compassion, more than I ever thought to know. This illness can bring us closer with our children, in time.
I just got back from taking David to his weekly blood test for Clozaril... He's had a not great morning. Not feeling well, and a touch paranoid. He spent a chunk of the morning showing up behind me or beside me just staring, or moning, and staring... While we were at the hospital, he was sittingin a chair in the lounge. I sat in a chair against the wall, reading a magazine. My chair was 90 degrees to his and I was facing his side, though not looking at him. He turns to me 3 times with "What?"
I told him I did not say anything, he said "Stop staring at me!" I was reading a magazine! I asked him if he was feeling paranoid, and suggested he sit beside me then he would not think I was staring at him... He did and that seemed to take care of it.
We stopped to see Gene and had a sandwich with him. David is sleeping again here at home. He seems to be sleeping more lately, for no apparant reason. No more stress than normal, no med change, just more sleep... I guess this is liekly normal, just don't like it. He has Accounting tonight. I hope he makes it through. He got last week'd homework done, but has another chapter which was supposed to be due tonight. He can turn it in next week, but I hate to see him behind, it adds stress to him.
Things are getting better. Over the years, we have gotten used to "Managing" manic symptoms for Dalton and making adjustments. This is not a crisis, I don't think we have had a real crisis in a long time. Last Spring, when his annual mood shift to mania, and the transition of our move, combined with adjustments for his new school knowing how to intervene all hit at once, it was pretty close...
Things are a teensy bit calmer with Dalton??? Hard to tell, he has been on the Zonegran for a week, we upped the dose to 50mg last night. increase again to 100mg next week.
Deb, we have tried most of the meds with Dalton and he is activated by almost any of them that has that possibility as a side effect. Actually, Depakote was the first ever mood stabilizer we tried and he had a full blown episode of what his doc called "Organic disinhibition"! Tightroping a 2x4 railing 10 foot off the ground of his play area! Running in front of cars, cutting himself with knives and coming to show me with a proud grin on his face... "Look, Mom! See what I did?" Depakote was a BAD med for him. Tegretal did nothing but make him vomit, we got up to 1400mg/day no results for his mood, in combination with the Lithium, then we did Topamax. he was on the Topamax, Eskalith, Zyprexa, Seroquel combo as his base for the past five years. It was working, but it was time to try to minimize the number of meds again, we had not done so in a couple years.
Their doc told me to decrease David's Clozaril by 50mg at night, I did so about 5 nights ago, and no bad effects, if anything, maybe he is a bit more alert and less nauseas. Keeping fingers crossed here.
Things are going pretty well here, however, evidently David's job performance has been a bit off??? He has been working for the Dollar Tree since July 10. About 3 weeks ago, there was a day when we got a call, and he had written down his schedule for the week wrong, he wrote down Wed/Fri hours and was Tues/Thurs, so he was called to work Tues and was about half an hour late. Evidently, though the manager just told him not to do it again, it was counted as a write up... About a week ago, David says there was a customer complaint that he had told them he could not look for somthing, and supposedly told them there was no manager on duty... Was write up number two, though he says he did not know was a write up...
Today he called for his schedule and was told he had to come in to pick it up. Warning thought went through my head when he told me, and sure enough, he went and was told he is no longer employed, and they have already replaced him. evidently, on the 25th his manager said she told him to stock some items, he says he did not hear her, and she left a card with instructions for him on his shift, which he says he did not see... Write number 3 and they let him go.
Honestly, the last situation is not uncommon for him to miss something, and I have noticed that he has been dragging more the past week or so. His doc decreased his medication by 50mg and I think he is a bit more alert. We never did talk about his SZ to anyone at his job. I doubt it wouldhave made a difference if they had been aware of it??? Actually, I told David that I was immensly proud of him that he got the job and has done so well for almost 3 months. I used to "KNOW" that he would be fired from his first job, I was certain he would cop an attitude. This is minor in comparison, and he is stressed and upset, but taking it well. He is already planning on seeking another job.
David was getting pretty stressed, unfortunately this built into being unable to do anything. he tok half a thorazine and went to sleep. Still... Good coping skill to recognize stress and be proactive with it, instead of losing his cool...
Hopefully he'll be worth something later, he has a LOT of accounting homework. I was getting him started when he called for his schedule and yadayada...
I was finally able to get David up from sleeping at 6:20pm. he had some pizza, did oneof 9 homework problems that is supposed to be due this evening and played nintendo games with one of the other children who comes to Bible study with his father. Jordan is Dalton's age 11, but the picture of him and Dalton, the gap is so large, sometimes we forget just how large the gap really is! David noticed this and we had a conversation a few weeks ago, it was a great example to be able to use t finally try to get him to a place where he might be able to understand the reality of Dalton's limitations.
Anyway, he was dragging heavy last night, but he had a good day all things considered. Hopefully, he will be able to get moving today. We have bloodwork, need to do his school ID, and he has homework.
I have to remind myself that it is important to keep looking for the positive moments, there will be more.
David lost his job yesterday! This was his first job ever, and he had gone out and gotten it on his own in July. He had been there almost 90 days, but evidently there is a 3 strikes your out policy. He had written his schedule down wrong, shifted the whole schedule off by a day, one week and was 20 min late to work once. Then a customer complaint about his being unwilling to look for something and supposedly said there was not a manager available at the time. Finally, last week, the manager says she asked David to stock some items and left a note which he claims not to remember or find, and he did not do the work... He called for his schedule yesterday and was told to come in to get it, and they let him go.
1. David did not freak out. He was stressed out and upset, but kept his cool, even accepted my advice to take his half tablet of thorazine a couple hours early, then slept off the stress all afternoon.
3. He was not let go for attitude, aggression, threatening statements, etc... Only four months ago, I was certain he would never last in a job for defiance of authority and his mouth!
4. He was give a life lesson that when you work for someone, you are responsible for what you say, think, and do, and there are often no second chances... I have been telling him this, but having it from another source, not mom, is good.
5. His ability to recognize his own stress, take "Some" of the responsibility for the situation, and accept comfort instead of melting into paranoid accusations and a tirade is a miracle...
Dalton was supposed to have a half day school today, but is stuffy. His behavior was more giddy and manic than lately, we went swimming, but still, he often does not look or act sick when he is. He was snoring and groaning so in his sleep, I called the school and told them I was keeping him home today for a cold. If I can keep him down, maybe he will sleep it off before it gets real bad.
So feelign a bit loopy here this morning... but the boys are both still quiet for now. they slept in the living room last night. Dalton is watching cartoons and David is still snuffling and snoring.
David is doing well. He did apply for one job yesterday, and hopefully will spend some time tomorrow doing so. We recently reduced his Clozaril by 50mg, a week ago, as he is seeming to be more sedated, and having nausea more often... He is really dragging before noon, and some after as well. His doc thought maybe as he has been doing better he might be on too high a dose. We've seen no worsening of symptoms, but not a lot of improvement on the sedation. we hope that he will be able to find another job which will allow him to work aft/eve and weekends when not taking his night classes.
Sometimes, it just hits you with the differences in social maturity, independence and the impact of this illness... Today, I took David in for a medical appointment. I wanted to check with the doc re: a rx for an acid reducer for David's stress/medication SE related acid reflux. He has been having at least once daily where he is vomiting an amount of acid, and worse when stressed.
The doc gave us samples for6 weeks :) She also did a cholesterol level, and an EKG to test for any QT interval problems. We had never had this done since he has been on the Geodon. It was normal! :)
The impact reality of this illness is the lack of social interaction. David relied on me to talk with the doc about his symptoms and concerns. He is 17, you would think he would be able to verbalize how he is feeling, symptoms, etc... Very flat affect with the doc and nurse, and almost no eye contact or conversation... I remember being 17, I talked for myself, verbalized my health concerns, and usually did not want my mother there during an examination!
Over the past 6 months I've read of your life and I am amazed! I know I've missed alot and finally caught that your boys are 11 and 17. When did you notice that they needed help? My brother's 26 and schizophenic. He always was fearful as a child and it just took control until it started getting very schizophenic like. I have 3 kids of my own so I'm curious about your story. Thanks for sharing your life. I wish you peace,
barb, I just sent you an email. Thank you so much for taking time to read. Feel free to email back if you have more questions. |
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After the success of last year’s Women and Broadband programme, leading enterprise agency – Wenta, have launched a new FREE business support programme for female entrepreneurs living in Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes.
The ‘Women and Broadband’ programme, which is funded by Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes Councils, has been made available to help women start or grow their own business by improving their digital skills, getting them online and taking full advantage of all the opportunities that Superfast Broadband can bring to their business.
Executive Member for Corporate Resources at Central Bedfordshire Council, Cllr Richard Wenham, said;
“With our continued investment in extending superfast broadband availability and following the success of last year’s Women and Broadband programme, where we were able to give support to 100’s of local business women to improve their knowledge and use of the internet and social media to start and grow their businesses, the Councils are delighted to have been successful in securing additional government funding to support a new scheme for 2015/16. Wenta, a leading local enterprise agency, who ran our scheme last year, will once again provide a wide range of free business support, networking and training to help women who are looking to start up their own business as well as established local business women that want to maximise the opportunities from new technologies.”
Whether in the start-up phase or growing an existing business, the programme offers a variety of support options including one-to-one business advice via Mi Ventures, Wenta’s live online business support portal, one-to-one mentoring, bite-sized training courses on topics such as social media and website development as well as a range of networking opportunities to encourage peer-to-peer support.
Barbara Ashby of Crystal Bridal Bouquets said of last year’s programme, “I tell everyone about Women and Broadband because I am so passionate about my business and I know how much the courses and mentoring have helped me. I just need to pick up the phone and ask for help and it is there. When I have struggled, my advisor has helped me put a plan together and kept my sanity!“
Having been in business for many years, Sonia Sharman of Beauty Talk, sought help through last year’s Women and Broadband Scheme to get a better grip of social media. Sonia commented. “I now understand more about search engine optimisation, hash tags, blogging and why social media is crucial for my business. Following a meeting with my advisor, I went home and wrote a blog on permanent make-up. I posted it across all my social media accounts and linked back to my website. I got 6,000 views and received enquiries about my courses, a great result!”
Sharon Gaffney of Wenta said, “We’re excited to be delivering this programme once again for the Councils; we are aware that there are many women business owners out there that are doing a fantastic job but not necessarily using the internet or social media effectively. This scheme will help them to increase their knowledge of online developments and encourage them to embrace new digital technologies. We also hope that the programme will encourage and support women work returners who want to start their own businesses.”
Registration for the programme is free of charge and available to all females living in Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Luton or Milton Keynes. To sign up for the programme or for more information visit: www.wenta.co.uk/wab15 |
50,301,598 | This rye grass grows upright to about 4' and spreads outward by rhizomes. Drought-tolerant, but will go dormant under drought stress. Give full sun near coast, some shade inland.
The football star will be moving to Turin with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and their four children
CRISTIANO Ronaldo has taken one more step to move on from his former club Real Madrid as he looks to leave behind his recent run-in with Spanish tax authorities.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has reportedly sold his home in Madrid, a €5.3 million luxury mansion in the La Finca area of Pozuelo de Alarcon.
The seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home boasts indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a football field and a gym.
The property was the new Juventus star’s pride and joy for ten years, featuring monogrammed door handles and a Buddha statue out front.
The football star will be moving to Turin, Italy with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and their four children.
He has bought two connected villas on a hill, with an impressive view of the city and lush vegetation providing shelter from the prying eyes of neighbors, paparazzi, or curious fans. These villas are just as extravagant as his Madrid home, with separate entrances to each villa, expansive gardens, an indoor swimming pool, and, of course, a well-equipped gym.
Ronaldo’s modern mansion is near the residence of John Elkann, Italian-American businessman and president of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
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Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'bottre'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Individuals (laymen, monks or priests) could obtain indults or indulgences from the Pope to choose their confessor, who might, after hearing their confession, grant them absolution, and enjoin a salutary penance, except in cases reserved to the apostolic see. Lists of these indults, headed De Confessionibus, were entered in the Lateran Regesta in the Vatican archives; from the reigns of popes Innocent VII to John XXIII (1404 to 1415) there are such lists in volumes CXIX, CXXXI, CLIX to CLXI, CLXV, CLXVII and CLXXXIV, from the first year of Innocent VII, the second year of Gregory XII, and the second to fifth years of John XXIII. Those relating to the British Isles were copied and translated by J. A. Twemlow, and printed under the direction of the Master of the Rolls in 1904. The diocese of Coventry and Lichfield covered Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire south of the Ribble, northern Shropshire and northern Warwickshire.
I used more texture and effects than I usually do in a coloring, especially in the hair, so tell me what you think!
I watched the live stream of Annual Council today. Sometimes I wanted to cheer, and sometimes I wanted to chuck the TV into the next state. But most of all, I wanted to do something. All afternoon I watched my church teetering on the edge of an abyss, wishing I could yank it back. And finally I could only look away while it jumped.
I think the vote was wrong. I think we are now that much further from the church Jesus founded on his own passion for lost human beings, his overwhelming burden of love for a lost world. We have one more callus of bureaucracy, hierarchy, and institutionalism to strip away before we can feel as he feels, serve as he served. And we continue to insult millions of women who serve the church worldwide, both professionally and as volunteers.
Since this is, in fact, the other shoe I expected to fall last year, it's only fair to revisit the bold vows I made then, in anticipation. It's time to see if I can keep them.
This is what I wrote last year. And once I get through the frustration of today, I'm going to take a deep breath, and do as I said I would:
1. This is my faith.-- I may not agree with church leadership--hey, I might not even follow. But it was never about policy. I'm not here for the organization, I'm here because of the faith. The ideas I value most are at core of Adventist doctrine--loyalty to Scripture over creeds, the God who loves us, and saves us based on his own merit, not ours. A God who offers rest (Sabbath), who values our free will enough to die for it, who has the answer to all our pain (Second Coming).
2. These are my people.-- I belong to a local community, and they are my church. In fact, I've been to a number of local communities where I have belonged. I know there are local churches where I might not fit in. It's okay. There is no one person, not even a committee, who gets to determine what Adventists must be. The body is bigger than those voices. I won't give up a real, living community because of a committee of people I've never met.
3. This is not the end of the story--Churches change. This one has been worse in the past, and it will be better in the future. I don't know how long it will take or how hard it will be to pick ourselves up off our faces from this crisis. It will depend on other people's choices how far in the hole we get. But we've dug ourselves out as a denomination before. We'll do it again. There are better days, and more benevolent leaders, ahead.
1. I'm going to recover. I don't know how long it will take. I don't know how I'll feel. Luckily,I know at least that I can recover from a bullet-wound to my church loyalty. Time helps. So do walks outdoors, a blanket and a tea-mug, music, and time with friends.
2. I'm going to worship. My faith isn't built on the work of committees of (mostly) men in suits. It rests on the generous and profound grace of God. It's about this Jesus who loves me personally, and who's promised to come back and fix the messes. The equality of men and women is only an outworking of the gospel. I plan to spend time submerged in that gospel, to remember why it matters, as well as what matters most.
3. I'm going to love my church. It's been a stressful ride for all of us. It's now when the church family needs one another most. So I'm going to stay engaged, nurture friendships, listen, and pray. I'm going to remember that my "church" is not out there somewhere, it's right here.
4. I'm going to keep working for what I believe. This isn't the end of the story. I think the church's rosy future is still a long way out, but I can work toward it. I'm going to preach when asked (and I might go and offer). I'm going to write and speak what I believe. The idea of equality is getting stronger, in the world as well as the church. I'm not going to give up on it.
This is my plan. I don't know the future, but I've decided to be in it. I'm choosing to control the one thing I can--my own actions. Maybe I'm a lightweight, but I'm going to swing that weight toward the better elements of my church.
That's my nuclear apocalypse--I mean, Annual Council--survival plan. I plan to survive (and get to better days somewhere--perhaps far--on the other side).
I appreciated watching the proceedings with you which probably saved my viewing equipment from demolition! Having an audience of even one made exclamations, applauding and groaning more exceptional!
Thank you Laura. Today has been painful for me, but at this point, I'm not ready to step away. Where else would I go? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Couldn't have said it better, Laura. Morris Venden once said that you can't change the church by leaving it. Sadly, many will. I will remain a voice of protest in my column. I take serious the Bible's call that we be watchmen on the walls. It's time to find an honorable person to replace our fearless leader. I firmly believe I see the hands of Satan behind this. Bullying and browbeating and trying to force everyone to comply to the dictates of a handful of hand-picked men in Silver Springs is not in the great Protestant tradition, nor according to the council of the spirit of prophecy. PERIOD!
I aim to misbehave (by Ted Wilson's standards). It's time to sound the trumpet and call out the sin of arrogance and power grabbing for what it is and who inspires it.
If Elder Wilson is going to call for public shaming of church leaders who disagree with him, then what is sauce for the goose is definitely sauce for the gander. And like you, I will not be leaving. I will stand and fight for my church.
Leaving the church wont help, we must take our stand on the Lord side, Jesus is in the midst of Her and His will, will be done.
At the age of 80 I find I can be very disappointed in the Seventh Day Adventist Denomination. The one main flaw (as I see it) in the 48 years that I have been a member is the overwhelming mood of arrogance from our hierarchy. This puzzles me as we have such a sweet, relevant, self-revealing message to share with the world. I am in the 11th reading of the Bible and we seem to be eager to relive the mistakes of Israel over and over. Take heart and keep the faith - we are the Laodiceans and Jesus is coming soon.
Being only 13 years in church, I have realised that the church and world have hardly any difference. I'll be disappointed with any organisation I join. But I believe that faith is beyond organisation.
Thank you for sharing a perspective that will help so many hurting people who don't know quite how to respond. This provides for healing.
Thoughtful and wise words. It is at times like this that our faith must truly be our anchor to Christ. Faith does not run away. Faith stays and meets the challenges before it. Thank you for your encouraging words.❤️��
“There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and He will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port.” - EG White.
Thank you for your honesty and the tone of thoughtfulness that you exuded in this blog. I am keeping our church in prayer and asking God to keep our eyes focused on Christ.
Remember that we are warned that a shaking is coming that will be a terrible ordeal. We must keep our focus on Jesus, not the church leaders. God help us I pray.
I watched the live stream of Annual Council today. Sometimes I wanted to cheer, and sometimes I wanted to chuck the TV into the next state. ...
I know it's an old joke: Why don't Adventists have sex standing up? Because it could lead to dancing. It was the height of humor whe...
I know I'm late to the conversation. It's been almost a week since the Valentine's day shooting at a school in Florida. But I, l...
I once read a book of speculative fiction, in which the medical system went rabid. Health screening was involuntary, medical consent was n...
Adventists have a sketchy relationship with the Advent. It might be in the name--we're all about that other Advent. We're not sure w... |
133,317,683 | An american dream is a play on the well-worn idea of the american dreamas perfectly illustrated by the theme song to the jeffersons, the american dream is all about moving on up americans are dri. The american dream is a dream of everybody so that they all can rely on king the absolute desire is also emphasized in ll 39-48 where the repetition of the statement i have a dream again enumerates several plans to change. The american dream - the american dream in death of a salesman, the great gatsby, and maggie: a girl of the streets millions of immigrants come to america each year to seek their american dream.
3 the american dream essay american dream essay - 988 words constantly this has been known as the american dream, which has also involved several other theories, beliefs and accomplishments throughout the different minds of america. Introduction the term american dream is used in a number of ways, but essentially the american dream is an idea which suggests that all people can succeed through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live happy, successful lives. I had to write a research paper on the american dream this semester and i am so thankful i found this post i am a sophmore in highschool and this is what i was looking for through all of my research.
A short summary of edward albee's american dream this free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of american dream. The american dream isn't about what you want personally, its more about having a lot of money, which can make you stable but not necessarily happy connecting to my thesis: this song is a perfect match for my thesis. Death of a salesman represents the mixed messages incorporated in the myth of the american dream a man must comply with the standard of the american male to succeed, yet success is hard to find. The american dream is a term used in a lot of ways however, it revolves around the thought that anyone living in the us can achieve something coupled with the possibility of lead a happy and successful life.
Lesson procedure introduction entry level skills and knowledge a basic understanding of internet research, knowledge of search terms to navigate library of congress digital content, and reasonable facility with multimedia tools are needed. The 'american dream' has powered the hopes and aspirations of americans for generations it began as a plain but revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition. An analysis of the characters in terms of the american dream usually leads to a pretty cynical take on the american dream most character analysis centered on the american dream will necessarily focus on gatsby, george, or myrtle (the true strivers in the novel), though as we'll discuss below, the buchanans can also provide some interesting. An analysis of the disillusionment of the american dream in the great gatsby—based on the perspective of consumerism journal of literature and art studies, 7(1), 63-68 facebook 0 twitter 0 google+ 0 viber whatsapp. The themetracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of the american dream appears in each chapter of the great gatsby click or tap on any chapter to read its summary & analysis click or tap on any chapter to read its summary & analysis.
The first part of the american dream is the dream of abundance the dream of abundance is the ability of america to have a country filled with material goods it remains the envy of the world today as a nation of producers and consumers. The american dream essay writing an essay on the american dream is arguably one of the easiest task to accomplish while this is true, most scholars are unable to do so owing to lack of time on their side. The most important step in writing about your american dream in a five-paragraph essay is to brainstorm and decide what dream you feel most strongly about. A raisin in the sun, by lorraine hansberry is the focal point for discussion of the american dream as students explore how the social, educational, economical and political climate of the 1950s affected african americans' quest for the good life in the suburbs.
The report provides an overview and analysis of inspiring the american dream foundation's literacy program, with a special focus on how the foundation integrated soft skills development and assessment into its reading camp curriculum.
The term american dream is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the us can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life.
The american dream is one of the most familiar and resonant phrases in our national lexicon, so familiar that we seldom pause to ask its origin, its history, or what it actually means. American beauty displays the family as trapped by the ideology of the american dream and the need to find balance and escape from the reality of the american dream, breaking away from the norm the movie is a tale of liberation, to live with satisfaction after you achieve what is considered the american dream. The poem, dream deferred, by langston hughes, is one man's expression of his dreams during a difficult time period as a black man in a time period where african-americans were considered an inferior group of people,dreams and goals would have been difficult to realize. |
250,745,753 | If any other person said “love your depression” to me, I probably wouldn’t talk to them much longer. However, when my counsellor says “love your depression”, I know it’s not some positive thinking message she’s trying to whitewash this crippling pain with. She’s inviting me to think about things in different ways. She’s saying, “Treat your depression as a messenger. Listen to what it’s telling you.”
I’m aware my brain is a mess. If I could visualize it, it would probably be a 7-11 store – a most apt description with all the busyness and strange people (thoughts) coming and going at all hours. There’d be stuff spilled on the floor and I’d be standing in the corner, holding a mop as a refuge, as people slopped multi-coloured slushies from one end of the store to the other.
A week ago, I felt I was gaining mastery over It (It being depression). If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ll know I don’t like to give depression any more power than it’s due. I don’t want to call it an enemy or a dragon or personify it in any way that gives it any more control over me. It’s a physical illness, damn it, not a mystical beast that can shred me alive. And yet there’s an old Split Enz song I love (yeah, dating myself) that goes – “I need a dragon-slayer who can save me from myself.”
A week ago, I had Plans. Plans for finding new meaningful work, for utilizing whatever talents have been spared by my disease – God knows, there’s a few – that I can turn into the ten to fifteen hours a week I need to make my new life work after feeling totally discarded by my client of nearly 7 years. I’m sorry if that sounds dramatic, but I’ll allow myself that moment of feeling sorry for myself. Then I’ll pick my ego up and move on.
Anyway, a week ago, I was ready to clean the proverbial house. I began throwing away the stuff I had carted with me for the last twenty years. Stuff from my undergraduate degree, for goodness sakes, which I finished in 1988. Okay, that’s more than twenty years isn’t it? My intelligence wasn’t stored in those boxes, but by all accounts I thought it was. Decades of illness had taken so much, but I realized that what is me is in my brain somewhere (foggy as it may get at times). It’s not in those diligent notes I copied down, with graphs made so tenderly as though I was drafting the solution to world peace. It turns out, all that stuff was a noose around my neck. It was an identification with the past me, who while pretty awesome, isn’t the now me. So I started burning it. (Yes, I know recycling is the planet friendly option, but I didn’t have the strength to lug it to the curb, and I thought burning it would feel more cathartic. It did). And for a day or two, I felt I was “Letting Go” of all the crap that’s holding me back. I began planning my new website, writing my resume, planning what my new business would offer. I even threw away my “cast-iron” suicide plan that I’d been harbouring since last November, because I didn’t need it any more.
Then, It clawed back. It said, “Who do you think you are?” My counsellor said that sometimes our egos can run away and need a bit of a slap down, but by all indications, she didn’t think that was presently my problem.
I read an interesting article today that talked about how depression can be a sign that we’re bored. There’s something to that. I’ve been doing the same job for seven years, and increasingly, any power to give input and even do quality work (yes, the quality of my work was too good) was whittled away. So maybe the depression is more a total case of stuckness made real.
And of course, fear, because if I don’t make a go of a new business (in partnership with Mrs Blackbird), then I could lose It all. It being our home and stuff. Wow, put like that, it’s not so bad. If I have Mrs Blackbird, our furred and feathered family, my friends around the world, and a nice shoebox to live in, would it really be so bad?
My counsellor reminded me of the poem written by Rumi, “The Guest House”. Her point is, whoever your guests are: love, anger, fear, depression, sorrow, grief, joy, guilt… welcome them in. Love your depression.
So maybe my brain’s not a 7-11 store. Maybe it’s a guest house. I’m going to try to love my depression – for my heart friends and family, for my counsellor, for Mrs Blackbird – and most of all, for me. Love doesn’t mean having to fight or drive it away. Love means letting it be.
Can I be grateful to the messenger? In not holding such aversion in my heart, will the dark storm pass? I’m willing to find out. I have to find out.
I most certainly do not envy you this. About fourteen years ago I was going through my own shizz like this. Not the blues, not feeling unhappy with my lot, ‘proper’ depression. Because of the limits my body seems to have placed on me over the past few years I have days, even weeks, where all I seem to do is cry.
Yet this, I know, will pass pretty quickly as I realise it is a temporary poor me I’m housebound and want to be out type thing. I dust myself off and get on with it…. Whatever *it* is…..
When my mind seemed to have taken over the situation I was more mobile, and there certainly was no crying involved. It was no feelings at all, really, if you see what I mean? You probably don’t lol..the pain this week has been playing tricks on me hehe…things I think are totally normal I have said to family have been met with blank stares and, ok, mum, just get some rest. Hehe.
Now, some days I have to crawl to the toilet as my legs are being idiots, yet am never in the hole I was in back then. People think I am crazy when I compare the two and say I would much rather have the more pain andbeing housebound than to go back there even for a short while. I could get out, yet I couldn’t appreciate anything. I felt nothing. Now, inside, I feel things so much more, even the upsetting feelings…..I like to feel. .
O god that probably made no sense at all and I probably lost you at the first sentence, for that I apologise. Pretend I came here and just said
Thanks so much for your letter, hon. It actually all makes perfect sense, so I don’t know if that means I’m crazy too. :) That’s the most difficult part for me – the not being able to feel. I feel like a stone statue sometimes. I’ve been living with my depression all my adult life… and as you say, there are functional times, and then there’s times when it seems to dominate my waking and sleeping thoughts. I get so mad at myself for being this robot-like thing, and yet even that’s muted too, and it all seems too much.
My counsellor wants me to practice compassion instead of the usual beating myself up, so I’m just trying to focus on not beating myself up as the first step to being kinder to myself.
My dear Mrs Blackbird, WOW. How did you do all that writing inn such an astonishing fashion. I heard every word that was written as if you were speaking directly to me. I do not handle the dark times well. I have several ghosts that tend to think they own my thoughts and actions. I fight but do not always win however you express the event as if it were a movie I am watching. You are not alone in these battles. You have a friend you didn’t know about who wants to say Thank You for putting the agony in writing. God Bless you
Thank you so much for your sweet, kind letter. *gentle hugs* I truly wish that nobody had to understand what major depression is like. It so often seems that some of the most gentle and sensitive souls are the ones who battle hardest with it. Yet it means the world to me that you would reach out and send comfort “across the airwaves” to me. Your words reflect things that I can’t easily see or feel when struggling, and it means a lot that you would take time to reach out.
From Jane: I apologize for the lapse in time between posts. On March 1st, 2013, my wife’s mother died. It was 18 years to the day of my father’s death in the antipodes, so many miles and years away. In … Read More
“Rain fell too, on the day they took you from me. It was not like this rain, which struck the dirty window and filled the barren room with its rhythm. That rain was different: flooding my thoughts, and driving me … Read More
When I was diagnosed with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome by Dr A-, some 12 years after I first became ill in 1990, I was relieved to have a name for the invisible illness that had wracked my life with its silent … Read More
I don’t think I’ve ever written a year’s review post, much less a resolution post, and I’m still not writing one. 2012 was a difficult year. Not the most difficult I’ve ever experienced, but difficult. During 2012, I learned that … Read More
I don’t know why after so many years I still get disappointed when depression cuts me down, but I do. Just a few weeks ago, I felt a certain sense of mastery. The herbal meds my naturopath had placed me … Read More
It’s a bit of a rough time. I just spent some time outdoors in the chill air, which I love, and got to thinking a bit about my walking meditation of last winter. I thought a little about my dreams … Read More |
85,131,947 | Just as a follow up to the previous post, here are the graphs for six more journals. First their citations in the other 31.
Then their citations in the whole of Web of Science Arts and Humanities. (Note that this sometimes severely understates how many citations they have elsewhere in the academy, especially for philosophy of science and political philosophy papers.)
The big story of these, I think, is the overall upwards trends of the graphs. This is most dramatic in the case of PPR, but it is there across the board.
AJP has suffered a little bit since 2000 without Lewis articles to boost its citation counts. Its recent years compare well to its earlier years that didn’t contain a Lewis paper, but not so well to (for example) 1983, 1984 and 1996. It’s hard to find papers like “New Work”, “Putnam’s Paradox” and “Elusive Knowledge” to publish every year.
Archives Select Month May 2018 (2) May 2017 (6) April 2017 (2) December 2016 (1) April 2014 (4) March 2014 (3) December 2013 (1) October 2013 (1) August 2013 (1) July 2013 (6) June 2013 (7) May 2013 (2) March 2013 (2) January 2013 (1) November 2012 (2) October 2012 (1) August 2012 (3) July 2012 (2) April 2012 (3) February 2012 (1) January 2012 (2) December 2011 (2) November 2011 (1) August 2011 (2) July 2011 (3) June 2011 (1) May 2011 (4) April 2011 (4) March 2011 (5) January 2011 (4) December 2010 (2) November 2010 (2) October 2010 (4) September 2010 (1) August 2010 (6) July 2010 (3) June 2010 (4) May 2010 (8) April 2010 (7) March 2010 (12) February 2010 (12) January 2010 (2) December 2009 (12) November 2009 (10) October 2009 (10) September 2009 (5) August 2009 (5) July 2009 (8) June 2009 (7) May 2009 (11) April 2009 (8) March 2009 (14) February 2009 (10) January 2009 (13) December 2008 (13) November 2008 (7) October 2008 (6) September 2008 (5) August 2008 (8) July 2008 (13) June 2008 (7) May 2008 (21) April 2008 (6) March 2008 (9) February 2008 (7) January 2008 (22) December 2007 (5) November 2007 (10) October 2007 (11) September 2007 (12) August 2007 (6) July 2007 (9) June 2007 (11) May 2007 (13) April 2007 (11) March 2007 (12) February 2007 (18) January 2007 (21) December 2006 (16) November 2006 (12) October 2006 (18) September 2006 (10) August 2006 (10) July 2006 (21) June 2006 (4) May 2006 (10) April 2006 (12) March 2006 (24) February 2006 (18) January 2006 (10) December 2005 (11) November 2005 (16) October 2005 (19) September 2005 (15) August 2005 (8) July 2005 (15) June 2005 (28) May 2005 (26) April 2005 (31) March 2005 (46) February 2005 (28) January 2005 (14) December 2004 (18) November 2004 (28) October 2004 (30) September 2004 (38) August 2004 (32) July 2004 (39) June 2004 (23) May 2004 (54) April 2004 (73) March 2004 (78) February 2004 (48) January 2004 (50) December 2003 (45) November 2003 (47) October 2003 (50) September 2003 (60) August 2003 (59) July 2003 (42) June 2003 (22) May 2003 (93) April 2003 (77) March 2003 (87) February 2003 (86) January 2003 (87) December 2002 (32) November 2002 (43) October 2002 (2) August 2002 (6) May 2002 (2) April 2002 (4) March 2002 (11)
Notice the dreadful mulch? Worst thing about college for landscape design, promoting mulch. This garden now has dwarf sarcoccocca to spread and hold the soil. Evergreen, shade, it blooms fragrantly in February. It was difficult to find, and expensive when found. A victim of the contraction of the retail/wholesale garden center industries. Doubt I'll be putting it into plans in the future as often as in the past.
Closer to the house the landscaping is more formal. Near the back of the property, below, the landscape transitions into natural woodland.
Preparing my garden for a tour, 4 years ago, I realized the standard set by local garden designers (Ryan Gainey & etc.), which I was happily copying, wasn't for me, anymore. Instead I went 180 degrees to my Mentors, all women. Each with Leaf Litter Mulch. A choice made in the afternoon. By dark, sooooooooooo tired, still working in my garden, I glanced up to see my garden and began to cry. Why? It was the missing element, Leaf Litter Mulch, I had the garden I had always wanted.
At the front end of planning your garden, from personal experience, if there is a problem with the outcome, those problems reside in you, not the garden.
Assumptions about where to begin, "What plants will I have?", wildly, achingly, charmingly, sweetly, misplaced. Going a step further, I did, decades ago, realized my initial assumptions beyond arrogant. Worse, arrogance aimed at Nature. There for me to wield. Ha.
Before we have language, we see Nature. For most that unspoken language, remains throughout life. Seeing through a glass darkly, thinking as a child type of stuff.
Getting the horticulture degree, still, did not unlock the door to creating a beautiful garden, understanding Nature's language. Off to Europe for decades studying historic gardens. Designing/installing gardens all the while as vocation. Dots on the Garden Design map emerged, some connected. Map is not territory.
Having lunch at a client's farm, decades from my starting dot, standing inside her kitchen, looking through to the potager, a dot, outside the realm of Garden Design, appeared, and connected all the dots. The master dot. Epiphanies are a drug of choice. This one simple, seen since birth, yet zero comprehension for decades.
Providence never separated ornamental horticulture from agriculture. Man's folly, made the separation. Separation dot date? Onset of the Industrial Revolution, late 19th century. Until then we lived with Nature. The dot was clear. Without it, death.
"The eighteenth century was the culmination of thousands of years of agrarian society. The nineteenth century would bring in the Industrial Revolution to America. Until then, most societies based their economies on the raising and trading of crops, so nature was always in control. People measured the work day by the rising and setting of the sun, and one hailstorm or flood could ruin a year's work. Everyday life was an ongoing struggle against nature.
Historically when people have been able to raise enough crops and food to sustain a comfortable life, they have challenged nature even further by turning their outdoor environment into a living art form, a pleasure garden. Most societies have even given the garden religious significance.
A garden is a balance between measured, human control on one hand and wild, mystical nature on the other. It is the place where humans attempt to create their particular vision of an idealized order of nature and culture. A garden is not just the opposition of unpredictable nature and organized society; it is the mediating space between them. Human intellect, intuition, nurture, and spirit meld together in a garden. Since culture shapes both the form and meaning of a garden at a particular place and time....." Barbara Sarudy, Gardens and Gardening in the Chesapeake, 1700-1805.
How little can you have in your Garden Design? When I design a garden, the last question I ask myself, "What can I take away, and it holds together?"
Ironically, at every price point client, I'm told, "I don't want to spend a lot of money. It must be easy to take care of." These gardens, above/below. Get it right. Macro and micro. Master dot. Maximum pollinator habitat exists where hi density meets low density. No, this garden isn't agriculture for man, it is agriculture for Nature. Hence, us.
Feed the bees. Without them we perish. Basic. Simple. Nature knows, we forgot. More to this Nature 'stuff', Barbara Saludy alluded to it richly, above. Cadence. Will get to that another day.
One of the most potent Garden Designs you'll see, above. Tara Turf, meadow mowed at differing heights, with a mix of plantings suitable to the zone, attracting myriad insects, attracting myriad mammals, (reptiles too, love my lizards), in turn attracting different genres of insects, mammals to the hedging and wild wood beyond. Nature in full cycle, master dot included, high density mixed with low density. While providing for property value increases, HVAC expense decreases, less maintenance, no chemicals, no irrigation. Easily maintained with unskilled labor. Of course the goal is to maintain as much as you can yourself, placing mind/body/soul into Nature's realm, Nature's cadence. As long as you can.
Designing gardens, I design simple. As requested. After the concept plan, it's normal to receive requests for more 'stuff'. Here's the negotiation. Put this plan in first, if you want more later, easy. Of course the final plan always includes a few of those extras. If I don't put them in, the client will liberally dose the garden themselves. Better to be like Barney Fife, Nip It.
With a proper garden design, epiphanies daily. Epiphanies that will change your life. How could Nature not do that for you? Example? It's almost fall, when the trees drop their leaves, baring themselves naked ahead of winter, they are being fed by what they let go of.
A 'simple' Garden Design, below, all the layers dramatically in place. Starting at the top of the picture, now, in your mind, label each layer of the Garden Design, below.
If you've come to Garden Design, age 50 up, this type of Garden Design holds significant charms vs. coming to Garden Design in your 20's.
But I'm getting ahead of my story, most of us come to gardening, if we do come to gardening, as the song noted, 'In a heated rush'. And, 'Seeing what you wanted to see'.
Until Seth Godin a few days ago I taught garden design for beginners at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and local college, knowing my students needed to unlearn most of what they already knew about Garden Design, as beginners.
Garden Design appears easy, we try it, and the results prove Garden Design has a lot of elements not readily apparent, though beautifully designed gardens hide nothing. Excepting. how can you 'see' the process of designing a good garden, how can you 'see' what was left out of the beautiful Garden Design? Time to switch the narrative from what you thought you knew about Garden Design, as rank novice, to learning the nuts/bolts of real Garden Design.
Garden Design is not voodoo or feelings about what will work, it is science and art, a historical process, unchanged, since well before the birth of Christ.
"Narrating our lives, the little play-by-play we can't help carrying around, that's a survival mechanism. But it also hotwires our feelings, changes our posture, limits our possibilities.
The narrative is useful as long as it's useful, helping you solve problems and move forward. But when it reinforces bad habits or makes things smaller, we can drop it and merely be present, right here, right now." Seth Godin
Exactly, the narrative we have as beginning gardeners, total novices, is our own narrative. Limiting our possibilities, doesn't move us forward, literally makes our lives smaller.
Every historic layer of Garden Design, thousands of years worth, is, above. Though it appears quite modern. Bless good Garden Design for that. It allows playfulness with abandon.
Thank you Seth Godin, now I know it's not the unlearning of our beginning Garden Design ideas we need to do, it's literally changing the narrative. When we change the narrative, we change our lives.
Live a smaller life, never move forward, limit possibilities? What's not to like about changing the narrative?
More than gaining a new narrative and ability to create an extraordinary Garden Design, the garden once built/planted will continually renew itself, with abandon. What does that mean? Once you've put the effort into building a beautiful Garden Design, the garden rewards you, no effort on your part, with a larger life, forward momentum, and limitless possibility. And with some brownie points included, again without effort, raised property value, lower heating/cooling expense, easier maintenance & lifestyle. Not bad, for changing your narrative about Garden Design.
So, have you named all the layers of the Garden Design, above? Sky-ceiling, tall trees-canopy, small trees-understory, pruned hedge-walls, low meadow-floor, urn-focal point. A garden room. Plant it and you'll have a moat of grace around your home. And life.
The lattice? Regular, common, off the shelf, a disaster for any home but, in context, understandable here. This home was rescued and is the Cultural Arts Center in Douglasville, Georgia.
Back to the lattice. For pennies more special order panels with thicker wood slats, they look custom.
The fern stand is real, and almost a century old. Been decades since it held a fern. Pics taken earlier this month at the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival in Douglasville, GA.
MY flying buttress, above. Though it's on a client's property, and she did pay for the lovely bricks, ca. 1899, from Milledgeville, Ga, capitol of Georgia during the Civil War, and she did pay for the labor, and, and, and, honestly, I am in love with this Landscape Jewelry !
Landscapes ARE architecture. Begin creating architecture in the landscape with ceilings, yesterday's post, then walls. (My Tea Olive Terrace, below, along the side of my home.) Landscape walls can be the side of your home, above, or all plantings, below. (Wall, below, is mine & hides the neighborhood from my tender sensibilities. What me not living in the Cotswolds?)
With more wit, intellect, & drama she created a garden room, raised on a dais (aka deck, but dais is ever so much nicer, yes?),
Slow down, peruse again, Landscape Design IS this easy. Look at the 2nd pic again. Notice how much sky I own because of my walls? You would CRINGE knowing how many houses along the ubiquitous subdivision cul-de-sac lane (aka street) my garden obliterates in that 2nd pic. Who knew? Gardens are offense & defense. A moat of grace around home & life. |
144,537,052 | You know what really grinds my gears…when people think being vegan/plant based is almost the same thing as being gluten free. There is actually a grocery store near my house that also makes this inclination, putting the Gardein and Morningstar products in with the gluten free stuff. C’mon America, you are better than this! These two lifestyles are not even in the same ball park, much less the same universe. Anyway, you knew we would have to deal with this particular subject at some point, especially since we have focused on diets that think putting butter in your morning coffee is nouveau riche and eating copious amounts of beef “because our ancestors did this.” Anyway, it is hard to pinpoint when the whole gluten free rage started becoming an issue in the world, but I suspect it has more to do with selling products to suckers than anything else. You got that right, I sincerely think this gluten-free thing is a marketing scam to separate you from your money. Anyway, let’s start with the basics. Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. The two main proteins in gluten are glutenin and gliadin. Gliadin is responsible for most of the negative health effects that have become associated with this rage, for it aggravates people’s digestive system, namely those that have celiac disease. If you are one of the poor souls that suffers from this disease, take heed in knowing that maybe 1% of the population has this particular affliction. Now before you start stating you have celiac, it is an autoimmune disorder and involves the body treating gluten as a foreign invader. The immune system attacks the gluten, as well as the lining of the gut, damaging the gut wall and may cause nutrient deficiencies, anemia, severe digestive issues and an increased risk of many diseases. The most common symptoms of celiac disease are digestive discomfort, tissue damage in the small intestines, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, headache, tiredness, skin rashes, depression, weight loss and foul-smelling feces. So yeah, if you see yourself having a plethora of problems and happens to eat a lot of grains, you might have celiac’s disease. If you are merely bloated and just ate a whole loaf of sourdough bread (like I used to back in the day along with a heaping helping of pasta) then maybe you should not eat so much bread in one sitting. You knew what you were getting into when you went to Olive Garden, don’t blame the defenseless bread.
Now, my snarkiness is strong on this one but let’s talk about the off chance that you do have an issue with gluten (or like 90% of those that are gluten free, just wanna be cutting edge and have been reading David Wolfe too much). Some people have been known to have a gluten allergy, but this is almost as uncommon as having celiac disease (roughly 6% of the population, but there is speculation that this is mostly derived from issues with wheat in general). Eating a non-gluten diet can be a difficult endeavor, which is why vegan/plant based organizations have been pushing a hard agenda onto many people that do have celiac disease. Veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts don’t have gluten, and thus eating a wide variety of foods in this category can be easy to follow (somewhat). You still have a large availability of eating non-starchy foods like millet, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. You also can still eat most rices and beans, so living this lifestyle is a challenge but not impossible. The toughest part about having to live a gluten free lifestyle is basically the bread and tortilla problem. I pretty much eat everything in burrito or sandwich form these days, so eliminating those two major aspects would be a challenge. Now you are probably wondering how difficult it would be to stay fit and healthy on this sort of life. Well, I did conveniently forget to mention that most meats are gluten free (which many will buy the grass fed and shell out more money), not to mention a large amount of the things I just mentioned are protein packed superfoods. You would have to eat a lot, but maintaining a huge physique is possible under this type of diet. If anything, this eating regimen would be perfect for those that are more into endurance sports such as ultra running. Also, the whole food concept in regards to the dietary standards can lead to some other benefits. Eating a whole foods diet and getting healthier off it has some actual science behind, for eating better foods and less processed foods can aid in energy, body weight and body shape. So yeah, even if you need the gluten free vibe to maybe curb some of your poor eating habits, do what you can to float your boat. This would also have to be pretty essential especially if your partner actually has a gluten problem. I wonder if some dating websites will start using gluten as a listed dietary choice?
Being gluten free is easier than ever, with a nice assortment of apps at your fingertips. https://www.glutenfreeliving.com/gluten-free-foods/shopping-gluten-free/top-10-gluten-free-apps/ Despite all of this technology at your fingertips, you should probably still read labels and keep an eye on some stuff. This was a good reference website, giving you a quick primer on some things that are on the naughty list for gluten. https://www.drperlmutter.com/eat/foods-that-contain-gluten/ The most startling part is the fact that you have to really read the labels if you decide like you want to get off the whole foods thing for a day. Who would have thought dextrose and maltodextrin would have gluten?! If anything, if you are eating a gluten free lifestyle you should also live by this creed…don’t eat anything that apparently has “natural flavors.” So there you have it. Yeah, there is not a whole lot to say about this subject considering the matter is almost pure speculation. Now you can contend that the DNA changes in wheat have been so astronomic over the past 100 years or so that there is bound to be some resistance from our bodies, the fact of the matter is this is most likely a rare occurrence. But if you want to give the gluten free lifestyle a try, be sure to read your labels. Oh, and don’t become Gluten Intolerant and become a self righteous nut job that blames everything on gluten. Use this video as a primer on what not to do. https://youtu.be/Oht9AEq1798
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246,330,418 | FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Online travel firm Expedia has picked advisors for the planned stock market listing of its Trivago travel search site, sources familiar with the matter said.
Expedia has tasked JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as global coordinators for the initial public offering (IPO) on the U.S.-based Nasdaq, which will likely take place this year or early 2017, the sources said.
The banks declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment. Expedia was not immediately available to comment.
Expedia Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi told investors in July that management and Trivago's founding team had agreed to an IPO to value Trivago as a stand-alone company.
The hotel search platform was founded in 2005 in Duesseldorf, where it remains headquartered, and is one of Germany's most successful start-ups of the past decade.
Expedia said in July that on a trailing 12-month basis Trivago had generated revenue of more than $660 million and that revenue had grown sixfold since it acquired Trivago in 2012.
The only thing missing from John Ashcroft’s dog-and-pony show is the pony. There’s a sweet-looking black Labrador in the corner, but no frisky Shetland. The pooch’s taciturnity is reassuring.
It’s Aug. 21, and the conference room at Cobo Center is crammed with cops. The crowd is predominantly white, overwhelmingly male. Testosterone wafts like Aqua Velva, mixing ominously with the smell of fear.
The AG is doing damage control. Detroit is the third stop on what will be a 12-city effort to resuscitate the Patriot Act. Seems that the post-9/11-sky-is-falling environment that paved the way for the act has given way to introspection. Not everyone is certain that the unfettered expansion of police powers is really in the interest of this quaint thing called democracy. Even conservatives in Congress are rethinking the blank checks they signed over to Ashcroft et al. The House has already voted to repeal the act’s so-called “sneak and peek” provision, which allows authorities to search your house without telling you. Additional legislation would roll back other aspects of the act’s sweeping assault on individual rights. Lawsuits are stacking up.
For true patriots, the fact that Ashcroft feels the need to hit the hustings is good news. He’s taken a page from his boss, George W. Bush, whose “public” appearances are carefully choreographed pep rallies, peopled exclusively by rapturous faces.
His staff carefully calibrates the screens of the TelePrompTer minutes before his security detail marches in and Ashcroft enters the room. His unfortunate haircut lends an air of an effete but malignant hall monitor. He stiffly climbs the stairs of the dais, like a man wearing body armor, as are many of the officers arrayed around him. His graceless trudge betrays his faux avuncularity.
Ashcroft glows beatifically as Karen Young, an employee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, belts out the National Anthem. The man who speaks in tongues piously bobs his head and lip-synchs the closing lines.
Surprisingly, there is no projectile vomiting when Jeffrey Collins, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, invokes the name of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while vouching for Ashcroft’s “strength of character.” Collins conveniently fails to mention that Ashcroft’s character has compelled him to fight court-ordered school desegregation and to lead a vicious, demagogical campaign to keep black Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White off the federal bench.
In his speech, Ashcroft strives mightily to inspire the kind of anxiety that allowed him to get the Patriot Act passed within six weeks of the 9/11 attacks. There’s brimstone, but no fire. Ashcroft doesn’t understand that his war on terror has also become a war on secular America. Americans have come to recognize that the intelligence failures that preceded 9/11 had little to do with police powers, and much to do with interagency incompetence and dysfunction. Ashcroft’s attempt this year to turbo-power the Patriot Act with new, more draconian police powers has met a chilly reception on Capitol Hill.
Americans are fully aware that we have determined foes, religious fanatics bent on robbing us of our liberty, our way of life. Some patriots, however, are beginning to wonder whether fanatics within our own government are as dangerous as those abroad. That would explain why John Ashcroft’s Patriot Tour 2003 bears a patina of desperation. With all this horseshit, there’s got to be a pony nearby. |
12,209,464 | How can a toddler understand the changes that are going on between two adults’ lives? Looking from a toddler’s point of view, a divorce possibly means that usual routines may be affected, a loss of a playmate, a sense of attachment and trust broken and even possible a change in the main caregiver. As adults, we find ways and strategies to help ourselves cope with such transitions in life, but toddlers will need our intervention to help them make a positive adjustment, with as little implications as possible.
How is it that a toddler can recognize the change that has been going on? According to a Human Development and Family Studies specialist, Kim Leon, the first three years of life is when infants and toddlers grow quickly, become mobile, gain language, understand the world and form relationships. Because develop is both nature (genetic) and nurture (by the environment), a change of environment can create stress in them.
While younger toddlers will find it hard to see things from another person perspectives, but in relation to themselves and their needs, older toddlers are more aware of other’s feelings and may express themselves through words and play. Nevertheless, they will still find it hard to manage strong feelings like sadness and anger, and feelings of unsafe and stress. Some may end up displaying frequent shifts in emotional state, while others may show regression into earlier developmental stage. Toddlers may also withdraw from people, develop fears and even normal routine patterns change.
Divorce can be a stressful process, both for the adults and the child. Even so, the most important thing to do, as parents, is to provide that sense of security and structure that a toddler needs.
Toddlers need consistency to feel secure, and in the midst of the changes, it is crucial to ensure that toddlers do not get confused but continue to have consistent happenings in their lives. Here are some ideas of consistency:
Consistent daily routines: Daily routines should be kept as similar as it is to before. This may require additional effort by the parent caring for the toddler to ensure that little disruptions are made to what the toddler is regulated to.
Family rituals: Continue with family rituals that were established before (such as going to a park on a particular day of the week, or visits to grandparents on weekends etc.).
Develop new rituals: Create new rituals that the parent can do with the toddler on a regular basis, such as bedtime stories together.
From a developmental perspective, the first three years of infants and toddlers’ lives is important in developing strong sense of trust and attachments. Failure to meet this need will result in a sense of fear and belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable, with future implications. In order to ensure secure attachment, parents need to:
Respond to the toddlers needs in predictable, sensitive and affectionate ways. Despite the negative emotions that parents may experience in times of divorce, our emotions should never be vented at the toddlers.
Work with the other parent as much as possible, and in a best-case scenario, plan time with each parent on a regular basis.
Avoid having conflict before the toddler, because while the toddler may not understand what the conflict is about, they do pick up on the negative emotions and are likely to feel scared and confused.
While both parents may not have to do things the same way, it is important that they communicate and coordinate with regards to certain parenting issues and toddlers’ needs. If other caregivers are involved in the caring of the toddler, communicate with them as well to update them about the family changes.
The early years are when the toddler is developing self-help skills. In the event where the toddler gets to spend time with both parents, routines have to be kept as similar as possible, to ease their learning. For example, toilet training is easier if both parents agree on when and how to provide support for the toddler.
While your privacy should be respected, it is important that other caregivers are aware of the changes going on in the toddler’s life, so that they can provide support for the toddler, and in some cases, may even notice behavioural changes that you may be unaware of.
Despite the changes going on at home, every toddler has the right to know that they are still loved by both parents. Watch your toddler at play to understand how he/she is feeling and thinking, give time to your toddler in time of separations to say goodbye to you, allow your toddler to express emotions and acknowledge them.
Very often, mums or dads may experience a sense of guilt towards their children, and their parenting style may change, to become more strict or permissive. Some may react with a sense of need to compensate their absence through frequent gifts. This however, is not the best way to parent a toddler.
What a toddler really need is having reasonable and loving limits. Developmentally, toddlers do need clear and simple rules that are enforced in a consistent, calm and positive manner. By being too permissive, parents are actually hindering the toddlers’ development in self-regulation, self-control and emotional regulation. On the other hand, being too strict may result cause a toddler to feel a sense of shame, doubt and mistrust. Hence parents have to find a balance- set appropriate expectations, give appropriate choices for their toddlers and staying consistent.
A divorce can be a long and an emotional process. Though it may be difficult communicating with the other parent with regards to the child, continue to keep the focus on the child, remembering that ultimately your common goal is to ensure that the child will be able to ease through the period of transition and changes.
Reference to Kim Leon’s article on ‘Helping Infants and Toddlers Adjust to Divource’ has been made in parts of this article.
YouScrobble takes elements of Last.fm and Youtube and wraps them up in a neat package. What a shame that it’s almost certainly illegal.
YouScrobble is designed to make searching for music quick and easy. By combining Last.fm’s music database with YouTube’s library of music videos it creates a slick platform for finding and watching your favourites artists’ perform.
Because it’s pulling in data from Last.fm, not only does a search for a song reveal its video in an embedded YouTube player but you get an artist biography, photos and links similar artists.
Where YouScrobble drops the ball is by enabling downloads. Yes, each song has a ‘Download’ link you can click to get a free copy of the song downloaded to your hard drive.
“YouScrobble uses Last.fm and YouTube to satisfy your needs and is therefore fully legal!” shouts the front page. That’s not strictly true.
You see, the download YouScrobble gives you isn’t a fully authorised MP3. Instead it’s scraping the audio from the YouTube video and saving it as an MP3. There are countless scripts, apps and websites that already do this but it doesn’t mean they’re legal. While YouTube is authorised to stream music (including via embedded players on other sites) downloads are a completely different thing.
Aside from the legal issue, the downloads aren’t always what you might expect. I tried it with a song I already own and like – ‘See A Penny (Pick It Up)’ by obscure American act YACHT. Rather than give me an crystal clear MP3 of the original recording I got the audio from this bootleg video of a live performance of the song. Sure, sometimes you’ll get the recording you expect, but not always.
So, unauthorised downloads that will annoy rightsholders and an inconsistent quality level that will frustrate users. A poor combination, and one that’s amplified on both fronts when you realise that they’re limiting you to 15 downloads per day unless you pay between $4.99 and $14.99 to upgrade to 100, 200 or 500 songs per day. How much of that do you reckon is going to the artists and record companies?
Seriously, they’re playing with fire here. If I were them I’d be expecting a lawsuit any day. It’s a shame too; if the developers stuck to creating a better front-end for music discovery on YouTube they’d be onto a winner. Instead they’ve gone down the seedy route of scraping audio and charging for it.
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Build, Microsoft’s annual developer conference, just kicked off day two. Unlike day one, today featured a lot more consumer-facing tech worthy of talking about. From Mixed Reality, to a pretty badass way to create collaborative movies, Microsoft had a lot to show us.
As we pointed out previously, Microsoft recently committed to two annual updates. The next one was announced today: the Fall Creators Update. In it, we’ll see numerous changes, most of which we’ll talk about in more detail below.
A new clipboard feature that allows you to copy and paste links, images, and files between devices — sort of like Pushbullet.
Pick Up Where You Left Off, a feature like Apple’s ‘Continuity’ that allows you to start work on one device, and finish on another.
Microsoft today unveiled the long-rumored Project Neon. Now, though, it has a real name: Microsoft Fluent Design System, or ‘Fluent’ if you’re short on time.
The update isn’t an overhaul, but more a shift toward what’s possible as we move into designing for multiple platforms, including mixed reality. Fluent adds a variety of possibilities for UI design on Windows Apps, including:
Remember Movie Maker? Windows Story Remix is basically like that, only not at all like that. Story Remix brings the ability to create compelling visual content — complete with special effects, a soundtrack, and a social element that allows multiple people to contribute clips to a finished movie — for even the most novice of filmmakers.
We could tell you about it, but this gif — from a movie created in all of 30 seconds — sums it up way better than we ever could.
OneDrive was already insanely useful on Windows devices, but today’s announcement of Files On-Demand, you can squeeze even more utility out of the popular cloud storage platform.
The system lets you see all your OneDrive files in Windows 10’s File Explorer before you download them, so you can work as if each was stored on your device. For enterprise users, there’s an additional benefit: when you update a shared file, it’s now synced automatically across all devices on the account. So now, each of your colleagues has a freshly synced version of the file you recently saved, and it’s all available in File Explorer without digging through OneDrive itself.
Timeline is a feature that allows you to search a visual history of work you’ve previously done. If you’re working on a spreadsheet at home, and have to skip over to a PDF from your computer at work, you can now search a visual timeline to find the document you had opened earlier in the day. Or, if you’re old-school, a simple keyword-based search can pull up what you were looking for from days-earlier.
For a Mac parallel, it’s essentially Time Machine, only not for backups, but for actual work. It’s an approach that lets you begin working, playing, or reading one device, and finish on another — laptop, mobile, tablet, or perhaps even the HoloLens one day.
In the demo, the presenter copied an address from the desktop, and pasted Google Maps info to a Samsung Galaxy S8 without any type of work-around that PC users have been relying on for this type of functionality. Better, the feature works in SwiftKey, the ever-so-amazing Microsoft mobile keyboard.
Windows users could already access iTunes, but now it’s coming directly to the Windows store. I’m not sure it’s worth getting excited about iTunes, as any Apple user can tell you, but the initiative to work cross-device and bring Apple Music and additional iPhone support is commendable.
As any developer can tell you, debugging code is a major pain in the ass. Xamarin’s new Live Player aims to change all that by making debugging apps as simple as scanning a QR code.
Instead of scanning thousands of lines of code, running emulators, and installing bloated SDK’s, developers can now install an app on their Android or iOS device, scan a QR code, and debug an app with the click of a button. The code is then immediately deployed into the Live player app for testing.
Microsoft today announced its first Mixed Reality motion controller for the HoloLens (and other) headsets. The controllers look a lot like a marriage between the Oculus and Vive controllers already in existence, and require no external tracking hardware in order to follow your movements.
The controllers are coming later this year and are set to be bundled with an Acer Mixed Reality headset for $399.
If you’re the type of person who likes nothing more than sharing their entire life through social networks, you may like this little experimental music project.
Track Me was conceived by Brooklyn-based band Riot !n Paris. The rock/hip-hop collective will be creating personalized songs based on strangers’ social media profiles – every day for four weeks.
Riot !n Paris will hit the studio to write, record and release new tracks based on what you broadcast about yourself on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere.
The way it works is simple – you visit riottrackme.com and hit the Track Me button to ask the band to check out your tweets, posts, comments, likes, photos, and everything in between. I guess if you look interesting enough, the band will get to work and you’ll have your own personalized song.
To kick off the experiment, Riot !n Paris made a few examples based on some of their favorite social media personalities – check out Fox’s Mike Woods‘ song here:
A Convicted Thief and Failed Asylum Seeker From Guinea, with a deportation order, jailed for Jumping on Bonnet of Patrol Car in Limerick City | The Occident
Mr Baah, who has lived in Ireland for more than a decade, is well known to the gardai as he gets into difficulty when he drinks.
He has been in the direct provision system for some time and is the subject of a deportation order, which has never been executed.
Having considered the matter, and noting the sentence that was imposed in Dublin, Judge O’Marian O’Leary imposed one month prison sentences in relation to each of the Limerick offences.
UK Army Captured By Muslim Council of Britain! Soldiers Disciplined for Selfie With Tommy Robinson! »
Some time ago, I read a New York Times article on the artist Patrick Dougherty, who lives in North Carolina and works all over the world. You can read the article here. Dougherty weaves tree saplings into the most amazing structures, like giant jars, or people made out of twigs, or houses that look as though they came out of fairy tales, all looking askew and windblown. There is something magical about them. You can see pictures of his installations on his website.
And then, some time later, I was given a postcard with a painting by Julie Heffernan. I’ve loved her paintings since I saw the cover of the Fantastic Women issue of Tin House. You can find a number of her paintings here and here and here. They will, at least, give you a sense of how she combines traditional techniques with a contemporary but fantastical sensibility.
Dougherty and Heffernan are such different artists, and yet in them I find a fundamental similarty: they are both there, on the border, in that space I want to inhabit. Their art is both traditional and modern, fantastical and realistic. And that’s where I want to be, that’s where I think the excitement is. How do I do that? I’m not sure yet. I think some of my stories are there, for example “Singing of Mount Abora.” And now I think about it, the stories that are there, on that border, are the stories I later think are the most effective, the ones most representative of who I am and what I do. “The Rose in Twelve Petals,” “Pip and the Fairies,” “Singing of Mount Abora,” those sorts of stories.
Am I writing those sorts of stories? I think I am, more and more, as I discover who I am as a writer. It’s taken a long time to discover that, and it’s certainly still a process, still something I engage in with every story. I’m still trying to figure out who Theodora Goss is, exactly. The hardest thing, sometimes, is to see yourself. It’s like looking into a mirror. What you see in a mirror isn’t really your face, but all the ideas you have about your face, how it looks today compared to the other times you’ve seen it, how you wish it looked. Also all the ideas you have about how your face doesn’t look. It’s a wonder we can see clearly enough to brush our hair.
With every story now, I try to find that place where it is me writing, where I am doing whatever it is I do with a story. It’s so clear that Dougherty and Heffernan have found that place for themselves: they are both so distinctive, they could not be mistaken for anyone else. Some of my favorite writers are like that. I think I could tell a Kelly Link, a Ted Chiang, a Catherynne Valente within a paragraph. (I can tell, too, when someone else is doing Kelly Link. It’s that distinctive.) I’m not sure my writing is that distinctive; sometimes, I can’t hear my own writing any more clearly than I can see my own face. But I am trying to figure out what it is I do, and do it. As hard as I can.
And it’s there, on that border, with saplings twisted into fairy tale houses, or women whose ball gowns are made of flowers and slain waterfowl.
I had a discussion about prayer with a few individuals online that brought up some interesting ideas, this is just part of that conversation. It all started when this statement was made:
Person A “Any of us who tweet or post “prayers” for people in tragedy and do not follow through on them are in sin. Any of us who merely tweet or post “thoughts” going out to people in tragedy are painfully mistaken. And any of us who broadly dismiss the honest prayers for people in tragedy are tragically blind to true power.”
Now this first statement seemed pretty straight forward to me and a rather truthful statement as well but the conversation that ensued brought up some interesting questions about prayer.
Person B “Just making the statement “you are in my prayers” requires the conscious thought in reference and affirmation [of] a higher power and if sincere IS in essence ……a prayer”
If someone has a prayer request and you say to them “You are in my prayers”, because you think it, agree with what they are saying, and have a relationship with God, because God knows your thoughts, you in essence just prayed. Let us continue…
Me “Person B, your statement is an interesting one, at first thought I’ll admit it sounded like a cop-out to actually taking the time to say a specific prayer but when I thought about it, I’m wondering if there could be a little something to that statement…”
Person A “Not sure that I agree with that person B. Tacitly referring to a higher power and affirming the existence of a higher power is not in essence communicating with that higher power. Prayer is directed to God. Telling someone “you are in my prayers” is directed toward that person. Also, what is the content of this “prayer” when you say “you are in my prayers”? It seems rather vacuous. In other words, when you say “you are in my prayers”, what are you actually praying for or about on behalf of that person?”
Person B “If a person is in your thoughts even and you have a personal relationship with God – any conscious thought of that person while thinking of God would be as sincere and direct a petition to God as any plastic prayer one could muster.
One could go to church and pray every prayer in the book standing or kneeling or arms raised….it matters not.
I would say the almighty needs not for you to do that. Your own relationship with God and your conscious and heartfelt sincere thought is enough. …”
Person A “…When you say “my prayers are with you,” there is no specific petition attached to that, and that is directed at the person and not to God. Prayers can be communicated all sorts of ways, but there must actually be a communication, which implies specific content. So, I’m not sure in what sense simply saying it makes it true…”
So, what is being presented now is that saying you will pray for someone is not a prayer because prayer is a conversation between you and God, but that conversation has not happened yet when you simply tell someone you will pray for them. A valid point.
Person B “Do you believe God knows your intent? God has grasp of your conscience? God is aware of your conscious and subconscious? That God knows exactly what you are thinking?”
Person B “I agree that if you say that (with intent to pray) and never pray- you’re right (right about not praying being a sin). However if you have a conscious contact with God- and you tell someone you will keep them in your prayers- God can take it from there- you just prayed.”
Me “The one point that has not been specifically brought up is that the Bible, and Jesus Himself, commands us to pray specific prayers beyond just agreeing with others needs. The agreement is basically the amen part of the prayer. I personally think that person B is onto something if the comment to someone’s request for prayer was “amen” because that implies “I hear your need, I agree with you and stand with you and believe God’s will will be done.” But if someone were to say “I’m praying” since the Bible is clear on what prayer is, that person should actually take the time to say a prayer.”
Person B “If God already knows your specific content whether it be verbalized or not- what need there be for an Amen. God already knows you are in agreement. God already knows if you’re NOT in agreement!!”
So one last point I would like to make is that by this logic, one could argue that prayer is not needed at all. If God knows all and is all powerful, then who are we to think that making requests to God in prayer will make any difference?
Well, the problem with this line of thinking is that, like I brought up in the conversation, the Bible and Jesus Himself commands us to pray. Prayer is for our benefit not Gods and is specifically defined. Prayer allows us to grow closer to God, and while God is unchanging by nature with His immutability and impassibility, we can change, so the outcome of a situation can change because we pray.
Did God make a mistake in making men on the earth? Did he change his mind about his creation? If he was grieved in his heart, does that mean he has changing emotions the same way we have changing emotions?
The simple answer is that God does not change, we do. God is holy and we are not. When sin enters the picture, God must act, he is unchanging in this way. So the same principle can be applied to prayer. While we cannot change God’s mind, I believe prayer can move God to act in ways we cannot fully understand and no matter what, prayer lets us become more intimate with the one who made us, we can draw closer to him through our prayers. Who wouldn’t want that?
The below blog shows us how rampant Third World immigration (particularly muslim) is bringing problems and demands to pull Western countries back to the Dark Ages laws and mores.
This blog and shows that Canada is experiencing a similar negative impact from muslim immigration as are the UK, Europe and also the USA. Wherever muslims congregate they make problems for the indigenous populations. Yet, our governments insist upon inflicting them, en masse, upon us causing the contortion of our lives and the destruction of our traditions and culture all in the futile effort to keep from "offending muslims".
Offending muslims or (the myth of) Islamophobia have been placed in the same level as the term "racist" - in fact they have become synonymous primarly due to dhimmi politicians, Western hating multiculturalists & media elites and, of course, muslim apologists. This occurs even though muslims are not a race - a fact the mainstream media occasionally trots out - when it suits their purposes. How many times have we read or heard someone preface a comment or statement of clear fact regarding muslims or any minority group with "I'm not a racist, but......"?
Never before has one word been (mis) used to cower so many as the word "racist" and to force people from speaking the truth (about Islam).
“It is unfair to depict us Muslims as potential terrorists.” “I am so upset that people avoid me in public or stare at me just because I wear a hijab.” “Why is it we Muslims can’t just be treated like anyone else?” “The border authorities are obviously stopping me because they are racially profiling me.” “It is pure racism; all Americans and Canadians are racists, just because we are different; you people think it is OK to insult our religion; but you wouldn’t allow anyone to insult your religion?” “We are not all Jhihadists, you know.”
More and more we become depressed with Muslim complaints about how they are wrongly depicted in North America. Many of these complaints about our open societies come from Muslim leadership, rational or radical, but we also have to bear them from countless ordinary Muslim men and women. The latter complainants are almost always levied by those who insist on deliberately flaunting their religious dress in all public places at all times and insist on challenging our laws to accommodate their peculiarities.
Tears appear as they cry that we are unfairly “Islaphobic,” (a new buzz word supposedly meaning an irrational and prejudicial view towards the believers of Islam). We are said to be racist, discourteous, unwilling to accept differences and labeled with a hundred other unpleasant names. “We are after all, Canadians just like everyone else,” they insist.
We are told that Muslims don’t like our dress, our laws, our religion, our form of dating, and our form of marriage relationships. They cannot stand the idea of a family member marrying outside their religion.
None of their home countries, where Islam is in the majority, are free and democratic yet they still push everywhere to institute their religious law in one form or other in the West. Frankly, we have yet to see a western non-Muslim suicide bomber? Or a western wife executed by the State for being found in a car with a strange man. Or a western daughter killed by her father for disobeying her father by dating a non-Muslim schoolmate.
In many countries across the Islamic world, the execution and murder of Christians are regular occurrences, either because they have converted from Islam or were said to have tried to convert Muslims to Christianity. Frankly, Christianity gave up that game back in the 16th century. We were very good at burning people at the stake for some 350 years. But eventually we learned that priests and learned men can be very cruel and unjust in the name of the Almighty.
It is aggravating to witness Muslims insisting on moving here and indulging themselves in the luxuries of the West, its educational institutions and its freedoms, while isolating themselves from their non-Muslim neighbours to the extent that they are building new insular Muslim communities across the country, designed to encourage and promote their tribal Muslim lifestyles. “I feel so comfortable living with my own kind,” one young lady was heard to say. Really, then please do consider going to another country because we really don’t want neighbours that cannot relate comfortably with us because of their religion or lifestyles. We do get upset at all those crocodile tears.
To be fair, Muslims are not alone in bringing unfortunate traits to the West or to this country. Not so long ago, we were a relatively peaceful society. Not filled with habits and practices that were totally unacceptable to Canadians. We have had a plane blown out of the sky by Sikh extremists; Kirpans (religious knives) in the schools; turbans in our RCMP and Christian traditions abused.
Coffins are now paraded week after week, filled with the corpses of young Black teens and children whose deaths in one way or other are the result of a completely alien drug trade that scarcely existed before their parent’s arrival. To say nothing of the murders and beatings of ordinary citizens who have been unluckily in the wrong place at the wrong time. Immigrant groups such as these add little to our society and much to our social deconstruction.
There are of course many fine people, the majority of those who come from the ethnic groups referred to, but unfortunately the few unfairly tarnish the reputation of the many. Those of us who have lived here long before these mass arrivals of different cultures have had to witness these many negative changes. There is little we have been able to do to change things for the better. We have been bullied by our governments into keeping quiet for fear of being penalized; by name calling, and by much unfair denigration.
We are told by our government that the reason for all this mayhem of improper and incompatible immigrant intake is because we must grow our population in order to pay government pensions to our old and provide workers for our continued economic expansion. This is total nonsense, espoused by half-baked international socialist utopians and damn poor mathematicians.
In actuality, all it would require to halt this unnecessary massive immigration would be to produce one-half more children per family (a statistical one half). This could be done very quickly if our penalizing taxes were rebalanced to favour families with one income and also working two-parent families. It would also help solve our overburdened health, educational, social housing, poverty and other infrastructure problems.
We are told it is our responsibility to rescue all hard pressed people from socially and politically backward countries. Refugees they call them. It is a long time since the true refugees from Viet Nam or Uganda needed a home. Backward countries have to solve their own problems where the fundamental wealth of those countries can sustain their populations, if of course they can ever get themselves organized along peaceful and productive pathways. We can never transfer enough of their needy populations to make the slightest difference. Let us continue to help them there as much as possible.
It is a fool’s game to bring such backwardness to our shores and expect a successful result. Further, it is selfish to strip these countries of their best and brightest professionals and skilled workers when they are so badly needed at home. We have lots of wealth and ingenuity here to develop from within and from our own people.
If we do not stop incompatible people; people not ready to adapt to our country, from coming here, we will continue to suffer further declines in our civilization and very expensive losses of wealth and freedom as our governments increasingly pass draconian speech and other laws to prevent our citizens from being hostile to our new minorities (and new minorities to other minorities).
Our governments have unfortunately made the majority “Official Racists” by means of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms * a document that permits special laws to forever protect racialized (their word) newcomers from those of us that happen to be members of the majority. So desperate are our governments to keep order that they have instituted so-called Human Rights tribunals that fracture every rule and principle of our former justice system so that minorities (usually the untrained judges of these tribunals) now ride herd on the majority. Woes betide anyone that runs afoul of these bastard courts.
Why should we put our citizens at risk and undermine our peace when there is no evidence that the Muslim world, in particular, joyfully accepts any Christian or non-Muslim as an immigrant into their societies. Is this not a double standard? Of course, that’s what our western governments practice, especially in Canada. One law for the Quebecoise and another for the rest of us. One law for ordinary citizens and another law for our alien immigrant minorities. The “double standard” is the rule!
It is time to clean this mess up. Halt immigration from incompatible and dangerous societies and get back to accepting easily integrateable people that are willing to become socially, politically and proudly Canadian. We also need to seriously curtail an immigration industry that is almost exclusively dominated by aggressive minorities.
While we are at it, we must bring back and teach our British history** and let newcomers and even our own historically challenged younger generations understand where their freedoms came from and all that today’s Canadians owe to our past generations.
Huge numbers of today’s citizens are the descendants of men and women who came to this country as soldiers, sailors, fishermen, pioneers, settlers, farmers, explorers, and particularly the loyalist British-American settlers, who with British Army and Navy assistance, brought the beginnings of our parliamentary democracy and freedoms to Canada. These original people never heard of or needed an immigration department or a passport; they just came and stayed and challenged the wilderness. They must be honoured.
Newcomers need to know and abide by the principles of justice and law these pioneers brought and paid for with their sweat and blood and accept and imbibe in the total Canadian ethic. An ethic fought for and enhanced so many others. If they can’t, then they will never be happy in this country and they will incur an increasing impatience and resistance to their complaining on the part of all Canadians. If they do participate, they will find a hearty welcome.
** British history was banned from the schools by the provincial and federal governments in 1982 after a few complaints by some of our former enemy immigrants who claimed they were offended.
More politically correct dhimmi claptrap is being forced down the throats of the British people - this time in the City of Birmingham.
The historic Saracen Head pub is getting a mandatory name change - why? - you no doubt have already guessed the answer:
One has to wonder how many other historic British sites will get renamed to appease the Religion of Perpetual Outrage and their asinine dhimmi enablers - you can be sure this won't be the last.
There is an ongoing, concerted and documented History of Jihad against British customs and people laying the foundation for Eurabia. Even patriotic parades and bingo halls have fallen under the cutting blade of political correctness that is intent on wiping out any semblence of the indigenous British culture and cohesiveness.
Incremental Islamisation of Great Britain (and Europe) is happening to the constant drumbeat of appeasement of muslims.
BIRMINGHAM Mail readers have spoken out against the decision to change the name of a historic city pub – accusing it of being “politically correct”.
The home of the famous Saracen’s Head, in Kings Norton Green, will become known as Saint Nicolas Place said its owners, at the nearby St Nicolas Church.
Angry letters fired off to the Mail said the church had no right to “wipe away 300 years of history” for fear of offending Muslims.
The 18th-century former inn was originally built as a rich wool merchant’s house in the 1400s and was given to the church in 1930. In 2004 it won £500,000 to help bring it back to its former glory in the BBC programme Restoration.
Cannon Rob Morris said the church consulted with its congregation of more than 300 and the Friends of Historic Kings Norton in reaching the controversial choice.
In 2004 the Birmingham Mail reported how the Very Rev Morris said the name was “offensive” to Muslims. But he said the reason behind the name-change was to stop people from mistaking the building – now a community centre and church office – for a pub. It was also to recognise the role of the church and its more than a million pounds’ worth of investment.
Keith Carton, from Kings Norton, said: “When was the last time anyone can recall coachloads of lager louts turning up for a heavy session?”
Rod Murphy, from Northfield, said: “This barmy decision has nothing at all to do with people thinking the building is still a pub. The only people who use the building are locals and they know full well it is not a pub.”
He said: “This is the real reason that the name is being changed. How the misguided, deluded do-gooder Canon Rob Morris can be allowed to wipe away 300 years of history is beyond belief.”
Yet another example of the forced inculcation of the non muslim British children into Islam appears on a video today. (ITV Local West Country) Under the guise of "Islamic awareness", school children were brought to a mosque to have Islam explained to them by a cleric. Clearly the schools and government are behind this concerted effort to muslimize British children and this is just the most recent example of such brainwashing.
--In August, 2007 - British children were forced to practice their penmanship by copying lines from the Islamic call to prayer. Thought the original Daily Mail article has disappeared (as they so frequently do) there are many online copies and reference to this incident. See HERE for one.
--October 2007 - Another school forced teachers AND children to dress up in muslim garb even though there were only two muslims at the school.
"A SCHOOL was yesterday accused of MAKING teachers dress up as Asians for a day – to celebrate a Muslim festival. Kids at the 257-pupil primary have also been told to don ethnic garb even though most are Christians. The morning assembly will be open to all parents – but dads are BARRED from a women-only party in the afternoon because Muslim husbands object to wives mixing with other men. " For full article see HERE
Now this event is supposed to promote multicultural diversity at the school but apparently MEN DON'T HAVE TO BE MULTICULTURALLY DIVERSE AS A PARTY WAS HELD JUST FOR WOMEN -to placate the psychotic muslim husbands all of whom objected to their wives being anywhere near men who may be as predatory as they are - otherwise why the concern???
One has to wonder what the British boys thought when they were sequestered with the girls away from those big bad men. Let's hope the school had counsellors on hand so the boys could discuss their resultant escalating fears of growing up and an explanation as to why Daddy is bad. I wonder if the lads were also told how women/girls dressed in Western clothes are considered "uncovered meat" for the taking/raping or how muslim men are encouraged to beat their wives. and all the other rubbish & sexual inequality that is part and parcel of the Religion of Peace.
One also wonder if the children were told that the body suffocating head to toe garb worn by muslims is the leading cause of RICKETS in the UK. (and likely worldwide)
Of course everyone participated in the clothing dhimmification - for fear of being labeled a "racist" if they did not ---even though Islam is NOT a race.
--Just this past summer, July 2008, two non muslim British schoolboys were punished with detention for refusing to kneel and pray to allah:
"Two schoolboys were given detention after refusing to kneel down and 'pray to Allah' during a religious education lesson.Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped.They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager High School, near Stoke-on-Trent - which included wearing muslim headgear was a breach of their human rights." See HERE
Parental outrage is more than understandable - yet even the outrage didn't stop some from worrying about the ludicrous "racist" canard.
Can you imagine the loud moaning and angry protests if muslim students were forced to write a verse from the King James Bible? Or a prayer to Jesus? to practice THEIR "penmanship"?!? How many muslim faith schools have transported their students to a Catholic or Protestant Church to learn about the Christian religion - all for religious understanding and "diversity"? I wonder just how much learning about Christianity is going on in non-muslim religion education classes. One also wonders how many other "non publicized" school events and misguided if not idiotic teachers have forced British schoolchildren to act as muslims.
As I previously posted - Islam is invading British life of the non muslim Brit - from the cradle to the grave as dhimmi politicians and educators herd British adults and children down the one way street of Islamisation.
As my readers know, I have recently written several blogs regarding the overall pattern and use of rape as a form of Islamic terrorism against Western women and girls. The below is an account of one of the worst and most vile acts of Islamic terrorism and gives some insight into the warped minds of those who kill and harm in the name of Allah.
The author asks: "Who are these people ready to lay down their lives for their cause? " There are a plethora of answers to the that question - along with 164 Jihad verses in the Koran/Quran. None of which will give non-muslims any solace.
From the days of Prophet Muhammad, sexual terror has been an integral part of Islamic Jihad. The siege of the Beslan School by Islamic Jihadis in 2004 was no exception as reveals Dr. Schurman-Kauflin. -- Editor, MA Khan
On September 1, 2004, terrorists stormed a school in Beslan, Russia, and perpetrated one of the most heinous terror attacks in history. Though many people may have heard of this attack, it is very likely that most do not know what really happened there. The reality is so dark that few dare speak of what went on.
There are predators in wait lurking everywhere searching for unsuspecting victims. If a person has a proclivity or a secret desire, that inclination can easily come out if an opportunity arises. And that is what happened at Beslan. The terrorists immediately killed the men because they wanted no resistance for their plans. Then, when they saw the helpless girls in front of them, the temptation became too much. Their perverse dreams came true.
Beslan was clearly a sexual homicide/sexual suicide. That is, the offenders wanted more than simple terrorism. Some of the terrorists at Beslan were hired guns who did not plan on dying that day. They had not thought things through and did not realize that the Russians would not let them out alive.
Things had deteriorated when the media reported that there were only 354 victims. Wanting to have a dramatic impact, the terrorists exploded with anger. There were 1200 victims, and the Russians were trying to down play the incident. The terrorists said they would have to eliminate victims to fit with what the media had reported. Their demeanor worsened, and they got really mean.
It was then that they began raping the girls. They wanted sex as they killed, and this is sexual homicide. A sex killer gets excited when he thinks about forcing himself inside an unwilling victim, but the rape itself does not produce the ultimate excitement. It is the rape followed by the killing that is arousing. This is what happened at Beslan.
One by one, females were targeted. The sex killers looked for the perfect victims, and after zeroing in, they grabbed and disrobed the little girls in the middle of the gym. There were muffled cries as the girls were humiliated in front of everyone. They were stripped, raped, and sodomized by several men. Not content to simply rape, the terrorists used their guns and other objects to penetrate the screaming victims while the other hostages were forced to watch. And the terrorists laughed. They laughed as they violated the children and made them bleed. What few people know is that some of the girls died as a result of being raped with objects. The internal damage was so severe that without immediate medical attention, the girls bled to death. Those who managed to survive required extensive reconstructive surgery and painful recoveries.
But raping the girls was not enough for the deviants who had entered the school. The terrorists beat the other children. In fact, beatings took place regularly, and as they pummeled the little ones, the terrorists smiled and laughed. It was said that they would strike a child and then watch the child cringe. When the youngsters recoiled, their captors laughed. This says the offenders enjoyed inflicting the suffering. They wanted their victims to suffer. Such behavior is sadistic. Bringing others pain brings the sadist pleasure. And the terrorists tortured the victims in many ways.
Along with causing paralyzing fear, the terrorists had an ally in the weather. It was extremely hot outside, but the school had no working air conditioner. As the heat raged, the hostages begged for water, and at first, some was given. Time crept on, and the terrorists became increasingly cruel. They drank in front of the hostages and mocked the children who were crying out for water. Things got so bad that the victims were forced to drink their own urine. In some cases, the hostages poured urine over one another in a feeble attempt to keep cool. Seeing the suffering enhanced the joy of the perpetrators. In a twisted, ghoulish game, the terrorists put water in front of the children who were desperately thirsty and told them if they reached for the water, they would be killed.
Still, this horror wasn’t enough for the hostage takers. Raping, beating, torturing, and mocking were just not evil enough. Thus, to further frighten the victims, one terrorist stated “we came here to die.” Russian Tagirovich Khuchbarov was called the “colonel.” When the children asked for water or to use the restroom, he simply stated “I’m not your uncle, I’m a terrorist … I came here to kill." Up until this point, the hostages most likely believed they could survive, but then…hearing these words…it meant they were to die too. This surely would have made the victims scream in their minds. If they cried out loud, they risked being beaten or shot.
As a crowd gathered outside the school, several terrorists goaded the townspeople. It was said that they “took delight” in egging the crowd on. They fired shots. They taunted. And again, they laughed. This psychopathic, sadistic behavior continued into the night as they ordered hostages to throw naked dead bodies out to the west yard. Yet, the Russian government did not want to negotiate with these offenders. Russian officials knew what they were dealing with: men intent on murder. However, in any hostage event, negotiations are necessary, but negotiations at Beslan were very difficult. When offered food, the terrorists refused because they feared poisoning. They had learned from Nord Ost and other terrorist standoffs. They would not make the same mistakes at Beslan.
Knowing that the elite Alpha and Vympel (Russia Special forces) would be called, the terrorists made it clear that if gas was used or electricity shut off, they would kill hostages immediately. The offenders had studied prior attacks and Russian counteroffensive techniques. So, they knew that Russia would stop at nothing to end the siege. With this knowledge, the terrorists had brought amphetamines with them to help stave off fatigue. This made them more wild and unpredictable. At one point, the terrorists allowed some hostages to leave. They told some mothers that they could get out with their babies and leave behind an older child or stay with both children. Those who left a child behind will certainly be tormented for the rest of their lives. At least one child who had been left behind survived the ordeal. One can only imagine that she could develop feelings of anger and maybe even hatred for the parent who abandoned her with psychopathic sexual sadists.
Russian Special Forces stormed the school using various techniques. Tanks were fired. Guns were fired. There were explosions. Alpha and Vympel members risked their lives to go into the school to save the children. In the end, nothing but bloodshed was achieved that day at Beslan. There were 330 people who died. Of those, 186 were the children. Blame has been tossed back and forth between the Russian government and the terrorists.
Critics have argued that evidence points to the fact that several of the terror attackers had been in Russian police custody prior to the attack. There were questions as to how these people managed to get out of jail to commit the atrocity, casting suspicion on the government itself. Conspiracy theories follow most big terror attacks. But there is no doubt that hostilities between the terrorists and the Russian government were not quieted. In fact, due to the horrific ending, anger has grown. In the end, this wretched act accomplished nothing but mass murder. So why bother with such attacks? Who are these people ready to lay down their lives for their cause?
The outrageous, steady pattern of Asian (media speak for muslim) attacking, sexually assaulting British women continues. Just in the past few days these crimes have been noted:
Officers were called after a 19-year-old woman reported being attacked on Burgess Street, off Barker's Pool, at 1.20am on Thursday October 2.
The man they want to speak to is Asian, aged in his mid 30s, around 5ft 9ins tall, slim and clean shaven. He was wearing a black hooded top and grey jeans when he struck.
It happened at around 1245 GMT on Saturday as the 19-year-old was walking through Victoria Park on the footpath towards the university.
Afterwards the victim kept walking along the same footpath but the man followed her, only leaving when she reached the campus site.
He is described as Asian, with a pale complexion, in his late 20s, about 5ft 6in tall and medium build.
I have chronicled the escalating attacks against British women (and men) by muslims in what is called Street Jihad - see:
To quote from the latter - noting that this is clearly not just an British problem but European problem due to rampant muslim immigration into the EU countries (with the blessing of EUocrats) as well as a dhimmified political, law enforcement, and judicial system:
"Well known blogger Fjordman has written about huge numbers of Norwegian Swedish women being raped by muslim men- he states, and I concur, that the large numbers of rapes of Western women by muslim men is so extremely high that it is difficult to view them as random acts of violence. Both Norway and Sweden persist in covering up the ever increasing numbers of rapes committed by muslims. Muslims view Western women as cheap and "fair game". He further goes on to say Western women are likely considered war booty" by muslims who feel they are conquering Europe & the UK."
Thus it is clear that this is not only a British problem but a problem for Western cultures -Islam teaches muslims to not only feel entitled to rape our "inferior" women but see rape as a victory over the infidel on their path to Islamization of the world or Global Caliphate. It is time to look at big picture and see the ever growing numbers of rape of "kaffir" women as not just a muslim crime but also an act of terrorism.
So much has been written about the Barack Obama cult-like attitude of those Americans who voted for him as well as others, around the world (particularly the UK & Europe), that seem to be swept up in the rose-colored glasses, knee bent worship of an untested, unknown, inexperienced President elect.
The below article makes it clear that not all are optimistic about an Obama presidency - in fact some think of his election as the beginning of the end of the American dream and the precursor to the United States descent into Third World status. Time will tell - but if Obama chooses (as many expect him to do) the EU liberal lefty stance of deliberately working against the best interest of the (countries) indigenous population(s) along with worshipping political correctness over free speech and pushing the pro-Islamization open-borders multicultural ideology-------- the latter is assured.
Anyone would think we had just elected a hip, skinny and youthful replacement for God, with a plan to modernise Heaven and Hell – or that at the very least John Lennon had come back from the dead.
The swooning frenzy over the choice of Barack Obama as President of the United States must be one of the most absurd waves of self-deception and swirling fantasy ever to sweep through an advanced civilisation. At least Mandela-worship – its nearest equivalent – is focused on a man who actually did something.
I really don’t see how the Obama devotees can ever in future mock the Moonies, the Scientologists or people who claim to have been abducted in flying saucers. This is a cult like the one which grew up around Princess Diana, bereft of reason and hostile to facts.
It already has all the signs of such a thing. The newspapers which recorded Obama’s victory have become valuable relics. You may buy Obama picture books and Obama calendars and if there isn’t yet a children’s picture version of his story, there soon will be.
Proper books, recording his sordid associates, his cowardly voting record, his astonishingly militant commitment to unrestricted abortion and his blundering trip to Africa, are little-read and hard to find.
If you can believe that this undistinguished and conventionally Left-wing machine politician is a sort of secular saviour, then you can believe anything. He plainly doesn’t believe it himself. His cliche-stuffed, PC clunker of an acceptance speech suffered badly from nerves. It was what you would expect from someone who knew he’d promised too much and that from now on the easy bit was over.
He needn’t worry too much. From now on, the rough boys and girls of America’s Democratic Party apparatus, many recycled from Bill Clinton’s stained and crumpled entourage, will crowd round him, to collect the rich spoils of his victory and also tell him what to do, which is what he is used to.
Just look at his sermon by the shores of Lake Michigan. He really did talk about a ‘new dawn’, and a ‘timeless creed’ (which was ‘yes, we can’). He proclaimed that ‘change has come’. He revealed that, despite having edited the Harvard Law Review, he doesn’t know what ‘enormity’ means. He reached depths of oratorical drivel never even plumbed by our own Mr Blair, burbling about putting our hands on the arc of history (or was it the ark of history?) and bending it once more toward the hope of a better day (Don’t try this at home).
I am not making this up. No wonder that awful old hack Jesse Jackson sobbed as he watched. How he must wish he, too, could get away with this sort of stuff.
And it was interesting how the President-elect failed to lift his admiring audience by repeated – but rather hesitant – invocations of the brainless slogan he was forced by his minders to adopt against his will – ‘Yes, we can’. They were supposed to thunder ‘Yes, we can!’ back at him, but they just wouldn’t join in. No wonder. Yes we can what exactly? Go home and keep a close eye on the tax rate, is my advice. He’d have been better off bursting into ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony’ which contains roughly the same message and might have attracted some valuable commercial sponsorship.
Perhaps, being a Chicago crowd, they knew some of the things that 52.5 per cent of America prefers not to know. They know Obama is the obedient servant of one of the most squalid and unshakeable political machines in America. They know that one of his alarmingly close associates, a state-subsidised slum landlord called Tony Rezko, has been convicted on fraud and corruption charges.
They also know the US is just as segregated as it was before Martin Luther King – in schools, streets, neighbourhoods, holidays, even in its TV-watching habits and its choice of fast-food joint. The difference is that it is now done by unspoken agreement rather than by law.
If Mr Obama’s election had threatened any of that, his feel-good white supporters would have scuttled off and voted for John McCain, or practically anyone. But it doesn’t. Mr Obama, thanks mainly to the now-departed grandmother he alternately praised as a saint and denounced as a racial bigot, has the huge advantages of an expensive private education. He did not have to grow up in the badlands of useless schools, shattered families and gangs which are the lot of so many young black men of his generation.
If the nonsensical claims made for this election were true, then every positive discrimination programme aimed at helping black people into jobs they otherwise wouldn’t get should be abandoned forthwith. Nothing of the kind will happen. On the contrary, there will probably be more of them.
And if those who voted for Obama were all proving their anti-racist nobility, that presumably means that those many millions who didn’t vote for him were proving themselves to be hopeless bigots. This is obviously untrue.
I was in Washington DC the night of the election. America’s beautiful capital has a sad secret. It is perhaps the most racially divided city in the world, with 15th Street – which runs due north from the White House – the unofficial frontier between black and white. But, like so much of America, it also now has a new division, and one which is in many ways much more important. I had attended an election-night party in a smart and liberal white area, but was staying the night less than a mile away on the edge of a suburb where Spanish is spoken as much as English, plus a smattering of tongues from such places as Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan.
As I walked, I crossed another of Washington’s secret frontiers. There had been a few white people blowing car horns and shouting, as the result became clear. But among the Mexicans, Salvadorans and the other Third World nationalities, there was something like ecstasy.
They grasped the real significance of this moment. They knew it meant that America had finally switched sides in a global cultural war. Forget the Cold War, or even the Iraq War. The United States, having for the most part a deeply conservative people, had until now just about stood out against many of the mistakes which have ruined so much of the rest of the world.
Suspicious of welfare addiction, feeble justice and high taxes, totally committed to preserving its own national sovereignty, unabashedly Christian in a world part secular and part Muslim, suspicious of the Great Global Warming panic, it was unique.
These strengths had been fading for some time, mainly due to poorly controlled mass immigration and to the march of political correctness. They had also been weakened by the failure of America’s conservative party – the Republicans – to fight on the cultural and moral fronts.
They preferred to posture on the world stage. Scared of confronting Left-wing teachers and sexual revolutionaries at home, they could order soldiers to be brave on their behalf in far-off deserts. And now the US, like Britain before it, has begun the long slow descent into the Third World. How sad. Where now is our last best hope on Earth?
You just KNEW that this was coming - with the plethora of muslims filing so called religious or racial discrimination lawsuits choking the Western world's judicial systems that some jackass would decide that the traditional full English breakfast - which includes sausages and bacon & black pudding - would be on their muslim "hit list".
It also seems that the British Police force seems to have more than its fair share of misunderstood and picked on muslims:
Anil Patani Sued Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire for racism and not getting promoted (It is stated he later sued the police again stating he had been promoted too fast and didn't have respect of fellow officers)
Now we have the muslim police chef suing for having to cook meals for the police men and women for which it is his JOB to cook.
"Hasanali Khoja is accusing the force of religious discrimination after it refused to guarantee in his contract that he would be excused from handling pork products."
One has to wonder who is the more stupid - a man who would choose to be a chef, in a country that is well known for fry up breakfasts and other pork meals - knowing they are on a list of non-touchable items that he refuses to cook OR the human resource dolt who hired a chef with a list of non-touchable items that he refuses to cook and are a regular part of the police diet/meals. Perhaps it is a draw. But you can be quite sure that whinging Mr. Khoja will be counting his compensation money in the near future - funded by the British taxpayers.
It is only a matter of time before pigs are deemed offensive to muslims and removed. Oh wait!! This is already happening!! See here and here!!
Looks like infidel capitalism and entrepreneurship not Sharia finance has solved the age old problem of muslim hygiene in a manner that will give a "boost" to even the most hard core Islamist's toileting rituals.
The company Total Hygiene is calling it the"most advanced toilet of our time. The new Clos-O-Mat Palma Vita combines the appearance of a conventional toilet with douching and drying facilities, in one stylish unit no bigger than a traditional WC."
"One simple press of the flush pad (by hand, elbow or body pressure) or the remote control hand switch triggers the flushing, washing and drying process. Pressing the flush pad starts simultaneous flushing of the unit and douching with warm water, heated as required to body temperature. Releasing of the flush pad triggers warm air drying for up to three minutes. If necessary, an additional push at any time can repeat the drying cycle. The functions can be stopped at any time simply by standing up. The process eliminates the need for toilet paper, and hand or body contact "
Let's hope that this new bidet-like toilet (with proper positioning) answers the prayers of devout muslims and allows them to practice their long list of mandatory Islamic toileting rules:
Say before entering the toilet: In the name of Allah, O Allah! I seek refuge with You from all offensive and wicked things (Al-Bukhaaree)
It is not permissible to enter the toilet whilst carrying or wearing anything bearing the name of Allah, such as the Quran, or any book with the name of Allah in it, or jewelry such as bracelets or necklaces engraved with the name of Allah.
One should remain silent whilst on the toilet. Talking, answering greetings or greeting others is forbidden.[2]
It is considered forbidden to relieve oneself whilst standing up, lying down or if you are completely nude.[citation needed]
One should avoid going to the toilet anywhere where people may take rest or gather for any purpose.[citation needed]
Do not raise clothes until you get close to the ground and do not uncover the body any more than is needed.
Do not spit, blow nose, look hither and thither, touch the body unnecessarily nor look towards the sky but relieve oneself with the eyes downcast in modesty.[citation needed]
After relieving oneself it is essential to perform Istinjaa (washing with water) of the anus and/or genitals with the left hand and water.
Other than toilet paper, water and the left hand Istinjaa can be performed with earth, grit, stones and worn-out cloths provided they are all clean. It is forbidden to perform Istinyaa with bone, any edible item, dry dung, baked brick, potsherd, coal, fodder, writing paper and anything which has even a small value.
When leaving the toilet one should also say a prayer, "Praise be to Allah who relieved me of the filth and gave me relief."[4] LINK TO ABOVE
More than likely your tax dollars will pay for the purchase and installation of millions of these water closets as multicutural worshipping government enablers and local and national Dhimmis rush to install them EVERYWHERE.
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When I woke up this morning, I couldn’t get out of bed. My limbs felt like they were made of the iron that I lacked, and every time I moved I was crushed with a wave of dizziness and nausea. I feel a little better after eating, sure. But I’m leaving the country on Friday, so I’m a little nervous. This isn’t a surprise, though, due to the fact that I ate too little yesterday and my iron levels, which are supposed to be 13-150, are less than 5.
I’ve been tinkering with the idea of writing this post for a long time now, and it’s ironic that this has given me the space I need to write it. I talk to very few people about it, so this should be part confession and part discussion.
I can’t ever remember being truly healthy. We’ve been trying to solve my health issues – stomach problems, low immune system, occasional anemia – for a lifetime. Sometimes, it was fine. Until last year, really, it was under control, and I didn’t really think about it. But there would be days when I would wake up in the middle of the night so ill that I could not sleep. I felt so frustrated, as though I was trying to calm my body like a crying child. I would take the shaking and the pain and throw medicines and food at it. I would throw up my dinner involuntarily at five in the morning, not understanding, and weep into my hands in anger as I watched the pale, blank sky and listened to the premature chirping of the birds outside my window.
I realized just recently the effect that my body’s had on my understanding of the relationship between the body and the soul. I’ve always put such a heavy emphasis on the soul over the body, regarding the latter as broken. This past year, I’ve getting pretty tired of my physicality. It’s only in the past year or two that I’ve realized that there will be a resurrection of the body as well – John Donne’s helped me broaden my understanding immensely. I’m trying to bypass the hatred and betrayal that I’ve felt to my corporeal form for so long.
There was a week in between the autoimmune test’s positivity and the diagnosis where I thought a lot about what it would mean to know, and what it would mean to actually start getting better. I thought I would have a sort of identity crisis. Not in a basic theological way, of course, but in the details. Celiac is genetic; I’ve had it for my entire life. I broke out in eczema, one of its symptoms, when I was three days old. Before I had a name, I had been identified by this disorder. Did I sleep so much because it was part of my personality, or because of the fatigue? How much of me has been shaped by this? And who would I be without it?
I shouldn’t have worried so much. Not much has changed. In part, I’ve realized that celiac’s diagnosis makes a lot of sense. All of the symptoms I’d been experiencing over the years stemmed from this one disorder. Here’s how it works: people with celiac can’t digest any sort of gluten, which is a key part of foods like wheat, rye, and barley. Because we can’t digest it, it slowly wears away at the digestive tract, causing inflammation, pain, and malabsorption. This malabsorption leads to fatigue and deficiency in things like B-12 and iron.
When I was diagnosed, I was upset. Having celiac means devoting constant attention to what you eat, because even a little bit of gluten sneaking in can wreak havoc on my whole system. Gluten comes from the Latin word for glue, and so sometimes, it feels a little bit like I’m coming apart without it, but I’m learning to navigate it. I may put up a page on this blog with a few tips for the newly diagnosed, or make a separate post on celiac advice. The strangest part was this: the worse I got, the more wheat I ate. I thought it was making me better – I saw it as the one thing that was ‘safe’.
For twenty years, I poisoned myself, thinking it was the cure. If that doesn’t have theological implications, I’m not sure what does. As humans, we crave the thing that kills us, and we turn for comfort to the very thing that will ultimately destroy us. Even sin can be beautiful to us, drawing us into a comfortable dependence and our ultimate demise. The things that are good for us are painful at first. However, the more I eat the foods I can, the more disgusting the others seem. The more we live with God, the more repulsive sin will become to us, and the healthier we will become.
Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged art, beauty, creation, creativity, i made a thing, me, meaning, soul, writing
In my last post, I talked about the dangerous way in which paranormal romances overemphasize the other-ness of characters who aren’t human. This time, we’re going to look at the flip side, focusing on the way that relatable super-human characters struggle to stay human.
The idea really struck me as I sat in front of the biggest movie theater screen of my life, watching the newest incarnation of Superman battle it out against General Zod. My thoughts about Man of Steel’s wasted potential are another story; I came out of it dwelling on a single thing – Clark Kent’s humanity. I’m fully aware that Superman is about the farthest you could possibly get from a human being; however, this movie really made me realize that, at the heart of it all, Superman was raised as a human. He might be an alien, but he grew up in Kansas. And it’s his humanity that saves him.
This movie, and so many modern renditions of superheroes, has focused not on the powers, but on the flaws. Modern-day superheroes can’t do everything. As comics have progressed from the Golden Age, they’ve gotten progressively darker, more brooding, and grittier. Our heroes become flawed.
Superman still has to save the day, but during the battle scenes, we flip back and forth between him and all of the normal human beings struggling to survive an apocalyptic scenario. His powers do not ensure his survival – Zod has what he has physically. The difference? Superman thinks – and feels – as a human being. Zod wants to be a god. Superman doesn’t, and because of this, he can become a bridge between two worlds.
The concept of a character that is at once man and another creature is not new. I have a confession: I have watched entirely too much Teen Wolf lately. Please shoot me a message if you need me to defend this show to you (I know it looks awful).
At its surface, Teen Wolf is a show about a high schooler who gets bitten by a werewolf and inherits all sorts of powers and problems. As it progresses, though, you realize that the main character, Scott, isn’t the only hero (and doesn’t even become one for at least a season). Everyone who supports him, protects him, and reminds him of his human-ness keeps the show going – especially his best friend, Stiles.
From the very start, I recognized Stiles as the true hero of the show, the way that the supportive Samwise Gamgee is the true hero of Lord of the Rings. In a show full of supernatural creatures, werewolves, and werewolf hunters, Stiles stands at the center, fully human. He can’t do any of the things that his friends can do – and that’s why the show needs him to keep everyone anchored. His weapons are his sarcastic wit, his loyalty, his kindness, and his bravery. Even though he is so much more fragile than the rest of the characters, he keeps up with his friends, reminding them of their humanity and risking his own life for their sakes. He is the one who consistently pulls Scott back from the brink of animalistic abandon, reminding him who he is and reminding him the reason to remember to be human. The toll it takes on him is severe as he struggles with panic attacks and massive stress. And that really makes him braver than everyone else, because he has so much more to fear.
Our new supernatural heroes might need someone to encourage them in their power; however, more than this, they need someone to pull them back and keep them human. We don’t want to look up to our heroes anymore; we want to relate to them. We want to see them struggle with the power that they have and see that, beneath it all, they are a human being given a mantle. We want to look at them and wonder, what would I do in this situation?
This is why something like Twilight has it backwards. The whole time, Bella idolizes Edward. She wants to love him, but more than that, she wants to be like him. And in the end, if I’m not mistaken, she gives up her very soul – the most human, eternal, God-given capacity we have – to turn into a different creature entirely. She sees nothing in human beings. But even though we’re fallen, broken, fragile things, there is still something ultimately beautiful in being human.
I wondered for a long time if I was wrong about this. I know that we have fallen into sin. We work evil and tend toward selfish actions. We’re traitors, living in darkness and choosing fear, pain, and death. On our own, we cannot do anything at all.
All of this is true. And yet, we have been created in the image of the eternal God. At the start of all things, God once called us very good. Wisdom says in Proverbs 8 that, at the creation of the world, she
And although we have fallen, each of us holds in our hearts the potential to be restored. And that’s a humanity that should be protected. Eric Metaxes explains it in his biography, Bonhoeffer:
“It was God’s call to be fully human, to live as human beings obedient to the one who had made us, which was the fulfillment of our destiny. It was not a cramped, compromised, circumspect life, but a life lived in a kind of wild, joyful, full-throated freedom – that was what it was to obey God… Earthly bliss and humanity belong to God, not in any cramped ‘religious’ sense, but in the fully human sense. Bonhoeffer was a champion of God’s idea of humanity, a humanity that He invented and, by participating in it through the incarnation, that He redeemed.”
Jesus didn’t become human just to try it out, or because of anything good that we’ve brought about. He came to redeem us and restore us, and the rest of his creation, to its former place. Superman was conceived of as a messianic; how much better is the way that our God has become human to save the world and bridge our way! Our very human-ness can become something lovely when tempered to God’s plan. We have the capacity to see beautiful things and understand that something meaningful hums beneath them. We were created with human bodies and human souls, and God delights in us when we serve Him (more). What a word delight is!
Being human means having to serve something. It means being weak and unable. To be human is to be vulnerable. Unlike Stiles, who tries to provide for his friends out of his own strength, it means relying on something else. I had a long talk with my dear friend after she got back from Togo, and she told me several stories that will stick with me. Her tour guide had told her that his grandfather, like many of the people there, was an animist, worshipping different gods who gave him the power to do terrible things, like force people into the ground. I’ve heard similar stories from people in Burma, whose relatives could see creatures or levitate objects. That’s the thing about Satan – he makes people feel powerful when really they become enslaved by him. and here’s the interesting part; when these people become Christians, they have to give up all that demonic power. In Christ, they don’t have supernatural powers. The things they do (healing, etc) are not done in their own power, but in the name of Jesus. In Jesus, they are called to be utterly human and vulnerable, having to rely on God for their strength.
In a way, being human means being shackled down by all of our flaws, confusion, and powers that turn out to be burdens. But it also means being given the ability to be free, the ability to search for truth and to desire real relationship and real beauty. It means having the chance to choose rightly, and having the chance to be utterly restored by a God who created us in His own image in the first place. We are weak; but our weakness is God’s strength.
When I first set out to write this, I was thinking in purely literary terms of the four genres of expression – comic, tragic, lyric, and epic. My friend texted me last week after I read the Waste Land, “What do you think the purpose of tragedy is?”
In light of this week’s nearly apocalyptic events, however, I think it apt to discuss, at least a little bit, the purpose of tragedy in literature and in our own lives.
I hadn’t really known the answer to that question before. I’d read Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, Death of a Salesman, and related to them in a deep, basic way – I could feel the twisting of my gut as the inevitable suffering played out. And there’s a lot to be said of it – it reminds us of the inevitability of our own mortality, provides us with a cathartic pity and fear so we can better live our own lives. It shows us that there are forces at work far outside our own power.
All these are important – wildly so. But there is one more, very simple thing that I realized while reading through Eliot’s Waste Land for the thousandth time: tragedy shows us the brokenness in the world and in relationships, and, by our deep, instinctive reactions to the events, shows us that things were never meant to be like this.
We live in a gloriously constructed world, filled with great beauty and a great potential for love, experience, and happiness. At the same time, however, I think that we can forget its inherent brokenness – even as Christians, we tend to think that we are basically good, that this world can make us happy, and that we don’t really need anything else but ourselves.
Until, in a week of darkness, a city is bombed and riddled with bullets, a plant explodes and levels everything in its path, a sinkhole opens in the middle of a city, deadly letters are sent to world leaders, an earthquakes shakes miles of nations, and an already hurting country is bombed, its civilians murdered. Oof.
Seeing this is so, so hard. I’m not going to go into detail about the problem of pain here, about what God’s doing, or how He could possibly let these things happen. I don’t know. Thankfully, I’m not Him. That can be so hard, and so frustrating, and so painful to see families broken and people grieving and souls hurting so desperately. But I do know that He’s got a plan in all of this.
I do know that this world was once a beautiful thing, where relationships with God and people could be whole and lovely. And I know that we sinned, and we used that free will to break that relationship with God – and consequently, everything else fragmented as well.
This is the world that the Waste Land shows us so precisely, a fragmented, perverse, and lost world. Critics have labeled it as a generational issue with “the modern world”, but there’s a reason we’re still reading the poem. In our era of flickering images and sound bites and texts and tweets, we’re more fragmented than we’ve ever been before. Relationships were already cracked, but this constant “connectivity” has widened those cracks until they nearly splinter apart. We’re more isolated than we’ve been.
But here’s the great beauty of this revelation, this painful truth about our world: it’s where the gospel starts. We think to ourselves so often that we aren’t that bad and that we don’t really need God. This realization of the state of our world – more than that, the state of us – leads to either despair or resurrection.
We live in the Waste Land, and we can see that. But the Waste Land also lives in us, which should scare you. Eliot’s whole poem hovers on the edge of a knife, between death and resurrection. The bones of the Phoenician sailor are at the bottom of the ocean, the land is dry and cracked and broken. But, something begins to stir these dead bones, and the thunder cracks across the sky, waiting. We hover on a rebirth into eternity.
When we begin to see our own brokenness, we see that we need to be rescued, and that we can’t do it on our own. As mortals, we will fail, and die, and the tragedy will end with a poisoned sword or a watery suicide. But God saw this broken world and came down into it as one of us, and he died – and when he rose from the dead to new life, the healing began.
If we accept our brokenness, we can now accept the salvation that’s so freely offered to us. Eliot did, and was able to find new life in Christ five years after the hopelessness of this poem. We come to hopelessness so that we can understand hope when it is offered us. If we live in Christ, we live forever, and we live in hope of healed people and a healed world.
The dead bones of the drowned Phoenician sailor don’t die, “but doth suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange”. So then do we. The rains fall upon the thirsty, dry ground, and we learn how to love each other again. It has to start here, on an individual level, where the Waste Land of your soul is inhabited by a loving, personal God who revives you and brings you back to life.
As hard as we try to instill goodness into people, this world will still be broken while Satan roams it. Does this mean we should stop fighting against the brokenness, accept the evil in the world, and give up? By no means! The devil has no power where God is concerned. He can only bend what is already good and try to break what God has already created. We can fight against him. And sometimes it’s awful. But we have the hope of an empty tomb with us, and that is more powerful than any desolate, hollow Waste Land.
My prayers for safety, justice, and deep healing are with Boston, West Texas, China, Iraq, Iran, and the rest of our world. May God bless and renew you.
I’ve seen the Les Misérables movie twice three times now. I know all the words to the musical (I was a stellar chorus member in high school) and I was not disappointed with the movie. This story is so powerful. I’ll probably have something to say about revolutionaries quite soon (ugh!), but what most impressed me was the way that the movie didn’t shy away from the central message. In Les Mis, I’ve hardly seen a more beautiful depiction of the gospel, especially in its most baffling component – grace.
The entire story tracks the lives of its central characters, weaving in and out of different people’s stories, and it can get confusing. But grace and mercy are the threads that tie them all together as the story continues, and Hugo shows that even though we may want to ignore it sometimes, grace refuses to stay passive. Each time, it becomes a crossroad of the most dramatic and life-changing proportions.
The bishop is the first man who has shown Valjean any grace in a long time. When the bishop welcomes Valjean into his home, the man is taken aback, stunned, and shouts out that he’s a dangerous convict – an outcast. Instead of treating him as such, the bishop looks at Valjean as a friend, calling him brother. This simple kindness causes an uproar in Valjean’s soul as he struggles with whether or not he should steal the bishop’s silver. There is an entire chapter in the novel that compares the torment of the convict’s soul with a drowning man, saying that “the soul, going down stream in this gulf, may become a corpse. Who shall resuscitate it?” Reminiscent of Romans 7:24, Valjean’s hardened heart can only be softened by God’s power. Valjean is a dangerous man because he has allowed hate to rule him, and when he is presented with love, he cannot accept it. He steals the silver, effectively choosing imprisonment forever.
The bishop pardons him, claiming that the stolen goods were a gift. If the welcome into the bishop’s home was inconceivable, Valjean is now presented with the most life changing paradigm shift of his entire existence. It is grace unbound. He deserved imprisonment and death, and the bishop handed him love and life. He was emancipated by this mercy. He did not get what he deserved. Grace forces a decision on Valjean, a stark contrast between life and death. And he chooses life.
After being shown grace, Valjean effectively becomes a carrier, pouring the same love out into the town of which he becomes the mayor. And then he meets Fantine, who has fallen so far from the beautiful, innocent girl that she was into a dying, miserable woman who has turned to prostitution in order to support her daughter. She, too, has let hatred worm its way into her heart, and she despises Valjean for letting her be driven away from his factory.
Inspector Javert, the man ruled entirely by Law and not at all by gospel, is about to imprison Fantine when Valjean comes in to pardon her and take her to the hospital. He becomes the agent of grace to the dying woman, offering her a choice. And this action astonishes both Fantine and Javert:
“Javert felt that he was on the verge of going mad. He experienced at that moment, blow upon blow and almost simultaneously, the most violent emotions which he had ever undergone in all his life… When he beheld that mayor, that magistrate, calmly wipe his face and say, “Set this woman at liberty,” he underwent a sort of intoxication of amazement”
Javert is shaken; however, he does not waver. He resolidifies into the man of law that he was before, putting his shock aside. Fantine, however, lets herself be repossessed by grace.
“Had she, then, been mistaken? Must she change her whole soul? She did not know; she trembled. She listened in bewilderment, she looked on in affright, and at every word uttered by M. Madeleine (Valjean) she felt the frightful shades of hatred crumble and melt within her, and something warm and ineffable, indescribable, which was both joy, confidence, and love, dawn in her heart.”
Although Fantine dies, she has chosen life as well. She had pleaded to die instead of her daughter, and this exchange of grace and life carries through. Valjean shows grace to her daughter, Cosette, literally buying her out of bondage to the Thenardiers and raising her into newness of life. Cosette innocently accepts the gift.
Grace changes the lives of all of these characters in a radical way, but it is a gift that must be received in order to be effective. It forces a choice between death and life, but not everyone can choose to live in a radically changed world.
I’ve heard people criticize the policeman for being overdramatic, but can you imagine what he goes through when Valjean sets him at liberty? Javert feels as though he is going mad when he simply witnesses Valjean giving Fantine her freedom – how on earth could he rationally comprehend his state when Valjean, a convict and a sinner, shows grace to Javert himself, giving him back his very life? The seams of Javert’s world begin to rip apart, and everything that he once knew is turned inside out. Every paradigm that he had relied on in his life has burst apart, crumbling. Javert’s world is ordered and clean, black and white, and in it, everyone receives what he deserves. For him, there are no “minor sins”. He leaves no room for grace in his adherence to the law, but yet, it finds him.
Javert’s world has been irrevocably destroyed. Before, he could try to ignore grace, but now that it has been given directly and obviously to him, he cannot pretend that nothing has changed. He must “stare into the void / Of a world that cannot hold” and choose between the desolation of what he knows and a new, very different, life. He must choose, more literally than any other character, between life and death.
Because he cannot deal with the world as grace has colored it, he kills himself, choosing to leave it behind forever.
Javert and Valjean are not so different, really. They both wanted to serve God. While Valjean was consumed by hatred, Javert let legalism take over his soul. They both were shown grace in part, and then in its full glory. But Valjean had the strength to follow God’s path, and Javert, while telling himself that he was following the Lord, followed his own humanity into death. When Valjean leaps into the river to escape Javert, it is a baptism. When Javert does the same to escape Valjean, it is death by water.
I think that we forget how powerful a thing grace is. It’s either life-altering or life-destroying. It is a force to be reckoned with, and yet, we take it for granted every day. We deserved to die, and Jesus showed us his pardon, setting us at liberty and raising us from death to life. “You are free,” He tells us, like Valjean, “and there are no conditions”. Well, that’s not entirely true – He has traded places with us, giving up His life.
How will we respond? We cannot ignore it. We must either accept this gift in love and let it transform our lives and our very selves, or we must throw it aside and choose to die instead. We cannot live as we had before. We must return the favor by giving Him our lives.
This is the heart of Les Misérables, and I love seeing the ripple effect of grace as it reaches each person. Valjean is showed grace and then shows it to others. This is a perfect picture of how Christians should live their lives every day. We have been shown grace by someone even more wonderful than the bishop of Digne, and we can’t keep it to ourselves. We continue to pass it on, mimicking God’s grace in the lives of others so that they too can show grace to the people they encounter. It’s beautiful. And if we truly understand how powerful a movement grace should be, it cannot be kept a pretty secret.
Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged books, books are your friends, culture, history, i made a thing, literature, me, old souls, quotes, soul, the nature of writing, time, writing
We were in Vienna’s art museum, and as soon as you walked into this Italian painters’ room, you could tell which three were his. The first one was some commissioned scene of Mary handing out rosaries, and it was enormous. The people were beautiful. And as they reached up, their hands all congregated together beautifully and expressively, and their feet were dirty, and it was lovely. The next, David and Goliath. He held the giant’s head (a self-portrait, again, by Caravaggio… the cad), but he didn’t look happy or victorious, like many of the other Davids. He was quiet, and pensive, and maybe a little sorry to have killed someone, or uncertain of his future.
The last was arguably the most beautiful. Maybe beautiful isn’t quite right, since it was Christ being beaten and given the crown of thorns… but it moved me. I started tearing up. It was so bright and so vivid, and the shadows and the contrast were dramatic and striking, and the way Jesus just bowed his head, didn’t retaliate, and was just so filled with love…
There was a girl with braided hair, curly and ribbon-bound, who had set up an easel and was just standing and painting. [I’d smelled her oil paints when I first walked in the room and felt, for a disorienting moment, that Caravaggio had just finished painting these works.] And she was talented, too – it looked so much like the painting. But then again, it didn’t…
Although the forms were all the same, it lacked something. The colors were dark and dingy compared to the brightness of the original, and there was an aliveness in Caravaggio’s work that the copy lacked. It was so interesting. In comparison, the copy wasn’t spectacular. The longer you looked at it, though, the better it did look, and the more you saw its merit. But that was shattered the second you turned your gaze back to Caravaggio’s, which shone with the mark of a master. And I did that, and thought of the verse where we’re mere shadows, [1 Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.] And of the very end of Narnia, when our world is proved to be a shadowy copy when compared with the next.
Perhaps you will get some idea of it if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that wound away among the mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the glass there may have been a looking glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were somehow different — deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know. The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked like it meant more. I can’t describe it any better than that: if you ever get there you will know what I mean.
Last week we finished reading Plato’s Republic in one of my classes. Now, Plato’s a little crazy. I don’t agree with him on a good chunk of those writings. But the section where he talked about the four realms of being and the Cave made a lot of sense. This theory was explained to me in ninth grade as “if you have a stapler, the idea of a stapler is more real than the stapler itself”, so of course I wrote it off as stupid. But that’s not quite it.
In Plato’s Republic, he talks about the four forms of reality. “Forms” comes from the Greek word “ἰδέα” (idea), but I’ll call them “things” or “Things”. Here is a handy diagram that I made.
Basically, realms A and B are the visible realms – physical things. A is a realm of shadows, reflections and impressions of real world objects. B is the objects themselves. And you can’t really know these things, because they’re ephemeral and pass away as this earth does. You can’t know them in a lasting way because they are mutable.
C and D, though, are Things. Just as A is the shadow of B in the real world, the visible world is a mere shadow of the invisible. These are Things that can be known because they are Things that never change. Everything in the visible world stems from a greater Thing in the invisible – all good things stem from Goodness, and all beautiful things from Beauty itself. There is something greater – a higher authority – from which the things in the physical world derive their value. If you know things, you can try to figure out the larger Thing from these qualities, but you might not be able to. But. If you know the Thing, you will be able to discern the things that come from it and the things that do not.
Most people, Plato says, are trapped in this realm of visible shadows, but some can escape the Cave, where people watch shadows on a screen and think it’s reality, into the real world. Even though he wants to stay there, he must go back down into the Cave in order to bring his fellow humans to the truth.
You probably see where I’m going with this. Plato was so, so close with this theory of a higher something. He just didn’t make that last step: when we know God, our eyes are suddenly opened to the true vastness of reality. God is Goodness and Beauty, and so we can see these shadowy beautiful things in this world and know from Whom they stem. When we try to cobble together aspects of his nature without knowing Him, we fail to reach God. But God, in His unending mercy, pulled us out of the Cave and into the reality of His magnificence. When we know Him, in His immutability, we’re then able to discern the things that come from Him and the things that don’t.
“Once they’ve been up there and had a good look, we mustn’t let them get away with what they do at the moment,” Plato says. “Staying there… and refusing to come back down again to the prisoners”. We have, in part, seen the Real World, the Higher Realms, the Caravaggios. And now we must bring the truth of it back down to this Shadowy Place and tell the prisoners to sin of reality.
God is the God of all things visible and invisible, and eventually, we’ll be able to move from this world of shadows into his truth, life, and presence for eternity. Further up, farther in.
Read this: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17 |
77,130,104 | Soooo, after having the longest engagement ever. I'm officially under the 3-month mark and I sort of can't believe it! I have been working really hard on getting my fitness right and my skin before the wedding but it's time to really kick it up a notch and make it a priority. I'm going to have these photos forever and it's going to be such a special day that I don't want to feel meh. I want to feel super confident!
Keeping up with working out 4 times a week and active on the other 3. Long walks or yoga. Trying to get 10,000 steps a day.
I have Keratosis pilaris, which is these red bumps on the back of my arms. My dermatologist told me to use this. But you really have to use it for a long time and consistently to see results.
I have some chest and back acne (keeping it real) and something that really helps is this spray. So I'm using that and this brush to help clear dead skin from working out and reach places I can't. This is what I use in the shower, recommended by my dermatologist. (THIS CAN BLEACH YOUR TOWELS!)
I'm going to keep up with my face wash and oil my dermatologist gave me because that really helps to keep my skin a lot clearer.
I have this face oil, I was hoping it would help with scars and acne. But I think I like this one better so I may switch and I got my facial roller to help that stuff soak in!
Stop picking, this is really bad for me. I can't resist but I find if I leave my skin be for a few days it looks so much clearer!
These are things I should do all the time. But they will be my priority for the next 3 months and hopefully, that will help it to become easier and more of a lifestyle change!
Sorry guys that it took me forever to write this post, but I figured better late than never! I have been having my eye on an Anastasia palette for a while. I wanted one for a fun splurge but none of them really spoke to me until soft glam game out. And then I was all heart eyes! I know that some people were upset some of the shades weren't new but I didnt mind since tehy were all new to me.
PRICE: It's $42 for 14 shadows which is about $3 per shadow which is not bad seen as how the shadows are so pigmented! Plus there is a brush, but I'd give that value about a $0 since I really didnt like it.
FORMULA: So just like the Modern Renaissance palette, this one has a lot of fall out. But now that I'm used to is I don't really mind. Its super pigmented and blends really easily. You have to be careful because you don't need much on your brush.
WEAR: They wear really nicely, I love that I feel like there is unlimited eye looks. I can go subtle or with a bold eye.
Office Time - Burnt Orange in the crease rustic to darken the crease, cypus umber to add some depth and then tempera all over the lip to lighten it!
Night Out - Rustic as the transition shade, a mix of sienna and cyprus in the crease. Dusty Rose in the outer corner with sultry and rose pink on the lid!
Recommendation: I HIGHLY recommend this palette, you can make so many looks and its so pigmented it will last me forever. The only negatives to this is the fall out and that the brush is compete crap.
If you couldn't tell I love purple looks and cool tones so this was a little outside my comfort zone! But I love it, what make up should I try next?!
Google unveiled the new Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones yesterday at an event in The US. Both the new phones are the successor to the last year Pixel phones and come with the “ Made By Google” marketing campaign.
Google this year acquired HTC’s mobile division, and over 2000 Engineers worked on the new Pixel phones to make sure they are extraordinary.
Google long back changed its strategy from making an affordable high-end phone (Nexus) to a more expensive phone which can rival the iPhone.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are both very similar in terms of Hardware and specs. The major difference lies in the screen size and battery capacity.
There are bezels present on both the phones, though on the smaller pixel they are more prominent while the XL 2 looks more modern like the Samsung S8 and iPhone X.
The Pixel 2 will retail for $649 while the Pixel 2 XL will be priced at $849. India price is expected to be Rs. 61,000 for the Pixel 2 while the Pixel 2 XL will cost Rs. 73,000 for the 64 GB version. There is also 128 GB version of both the phones which will cost more.
The Pixel phones will be available after 19th of October, and we will have an announcement to see if Flipkart or Amazon is an online partner for the new Pixel phones.
Both the pixel phones come with a similar design language like last year phones with Dual tone back cover. There is metallic uni-body design while the upper part of the rear cover is made from hardened glass to improve signals and create a distinguished look.
Pixel phones are not as flashy as the Samsung 8 or HTC U11 or the new iPhone X but look different and more functional. The front side even on the Pixel 2 has Dual Stereo speakers which take up some space at the top and bottom but offers a better sound quality.
At the sides, there are these new neon buttons – orange and green which adds some color to the phones. Google has not ditched the fingerprint scanner, and it is still present on the back side.
Though they have killed the 3.5 mm headphone jack as was pointed out in many leaks, and you instead get a dongle. There is a USB Type C Port at the bottom which you can use for charging and connecting to other devices.
The Pixel 2 comes in three colors – Black, White, and Kinda Blue, while the large Pixel phone will be available in black and a white variant.
Pixel phones are not very thick and measure 7.8 mm in thickness and 143 grams (Pixel 2) while the Pixel XL 2 has 7.9 mm thickness and weighs 175 grams.
Google is not a specialist when it comes to making great hardware, but world-class software has been their forte, and they have added some of the magic to new pixel phones.
The new Pixel phones come with a new functionality called Google lens which allows you to point your camera to an object and google will tell you what that object is.
You can enable this feature to make your phone listen to any playing music, and it will be able to tell you the track name and details.
You can launch the Google assistant by squeezing the edges of your phone, a feature which Google has borrowed from HTC.
While it is not something new, the pixel phones show date and time along with some more customized widgets on the home screen when the phone is idle.
The new phones come with a redesigned search bar which is placed at a more prominent location, below the icons on the home screen to make it more easy to search things.
Also, Google showcased the new Virtual reality Headset – Daydream. The new Daydream headset comes with improved user experience and will be available for a Price tag of Rs 7,999. There is also AR support, and Google uses machine learning and AI capabilities to improve the user experience.
Google has also launched the rival to Apple Airpods, and the new wireless headphones are called as Pixel buds. Pixel buds also use the machine learning and AI to translate 40 languages in real time. The Pixel buds cost $159 and will be available later in November.
That is one of the main reason to buy the pixel phones as you get the Android updates first. Google has said they will provide the security updates for next 3 years for pixel phone owners. It is obvious you will get the Android P, and further Google OS updates with the pixel.
These are the latest standards in terms of connectivity and Pixel phones offer you super fast data connectivity with these options.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL comes with an IP67 rating and also have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on display.
So those were the top features, but here is one flaw or we can say disadvantage of buying the pixel phone – you can only use a single sim with the pixel phones.
Lack of micro-sd card support – the Pixel phones come with internal storage of 64 GB or 128 GB and Google is also offering unlimited cloud storage for all your videos and images taken till 2021. But there is no micro-sd card support.
Aforementioned, Google has removed the headphone jack, and you will have to use a connector to plug a 3.5 mm headphone.
As Google mobile hardware division head pointed out there is very little left for differentiation for hardware Google has mostly focused on the user experience.
Both the smartphones come with the top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor clocked at 2.35 GHz and has the Adreno 540 GPU.
Google has added 4 GB of ram for a smartphone which probably you will use for 2-3 years. Unlike, Oneplus or even Samsung Note 8 which come with more Ram.
The Pixel phones come with Android Oreo 8.0, though some of the leaks suggested it may come with 8.1 version. Google has also added many software features as already described above.
Original Pixel phones came with the best cameras beating the Samsung S7 edge; now Google has done it again the new Pixel 2 camera offers incredible photography experience.
It is the best camera in the world as claimed by Google and dethrones the Samsung Note 8 and iPhone 8 plus. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL has the same camera modules.
As per DXo Mark the camera on pixel 2 scores 98 which is 4 points higher when compared to iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Note 8.
Google has used a single camera lens at the back with 12.2 MP resolution and 1.4-micron pixel size. The camera comes with f/1.8 aperture lens and has laser autofocus and dual pixel phase detection.
The pixel size of the camera lens is large to capture much more light and offer great low light shots. The camera comes with Optical image stabilization as well as Electronic Image stabilization making the video footage very stable.
Notably, the camera can record 240FPS slow motion at 720p, 120 FPS slow motion at 1080P and there is also 4K video recording support at 30 FPS.
I was worried how this single camera would compete against dual cameras, to take portrait mode photos with blurred background. Google has added their AI and machine learning magic here; they even took a pot shot at rivals who are using the dual camera setup.
This feature works for both the rear camera as well as the front selfie camera. The front camera comes with an 8 Megapixel lens with f/2.4 aperture also has a sizeable 1.4-micron lens to make sure your selfies are gorgeous even in the low light.
Last but not the least, the Pixel phones come with superfast charging ability which can charge your phone to work for 7 hours with just 15 minutes of charging time.
The Pixel 2 comes with a 2700 mAH capacity battery while the Pixel 2 XL runs on a 3520 mAH capacity battery. The battery capacity is almost the same when compared to the last year pixel phones.
Both the phones look very impressive, especially the larger one with an 18:9 display and a bigger battery. The camera is world class, and software experience is going to be flawless.
While for people who love photography the camera is a big positive to choose pixel over the Samsung, LG, and HTC offers plus you will also get the early software and security updates from Google.
The lack of Dual sim and micro-sd card are I think the low points while all else looks great for the new Pixel phones. I am even enticed to buy one and upgrade from my Samsung S7 …. are you thinking about an upgrade let’s discuss in comments.
Updated – 4′ Oct – Google Pixel 2 is launching today, 4th October. Already, there is a lot of hype around the new upcoming Google phones.
The new Pixel phones are likely made by HTC and LG. Besides, Google has invested $1.1 Billion in the HTC and acquired the technology and workforce that is working on the pixel phones.
This gives Google the muscle they needed to stand against Apple and Samsung which are both masters of Hardware. Google is unparalleled in software but hardware is not its Forte. However, this new alliance with HTC gives Google a much stronger position in hardware going forward.
Also, it will benefit HTC that has been struggling to do anything innovative for many years now. Besides, they are following the trends from market leader Apple and Samsung.
Nevertheless, those are the things which will help in future, but let’s talk about the new Pixel and Pixel XL 2 phones. They look almost same from the back side as the last years Pixel and Pixel XL.
I never really liked the dual tone design of the pixel phones. The iPhone and Samsung, even the HTC U11 all seem to make these look bland and less attractive. In fact, I love the OnePlus 5 or the Lg V30’s back design, but not the pixel, not really.
If leaks are to be believed the new phones will come with the same design as the last years. Also, Google is planning to continue with a single rear camera.
Te Pixel camera is excellent and I love it, it is also one of the best camera phones on the market, even slightly better than the Samsung S8.
But what about the Dual cameras, they offer much more features to the users and are way more exciting to use than the single cameras. You can’t click that great portrait shot with a single camera which you can take on iPhone X or the Samsung Note 8. Update (Google proved us wrong by adding AI support to the pixel camera to click portrait shots.)
Yes, we know Google is not making a cheap phone it is going to be expensive and when you buy an expensive phone, you ought to be demanding.
Google may launch the Pixel for $649 and the Pixel XL for $849, they will both cost over Rs. 50,000 in India.
However, the good thing about the new Pixel XL 2 phone is going to be Full Vision display with 18:9 resolution which is a big positive step. Further, it is going to run on the top of the line Snapdragon 835 with 6 GB Ram.
Is Google is going with the same strategy as Apple – you can bet on it. The iPhone 8 comes with an old 16:9 display and the more expensive iPhone X gets a Full view display. Google is doing the same with its pixel phones this year.
Undoubtedly, it will come with the Android Oreo 8.0 with Google assistant and Google may even have 1 or 2 software tricks up its sleeve at the launch.
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An “Erythema Migrans” skin rash is more often incorrectly referred to as the “bull’s eye” rash. Current research has shown that only a small subset of the strains/species of bacteria that cause Lyme disease will cause a rash of any kind. Of the few that do cause a rash only 9% of those will take the over-emphasized ‘bull’s eye’ form. The vast majority will get no rash and those that do most rashes are more generalized in appearance. Different strains of borrelia may cause a very different looking rash that meets no requirement according to current guidelines imposed upon doctors.
[CanLyme note: Recent case reports in Nova Scotia showed that only 18 % of children with confirmed Lyme Disease had any rash.]
It is important to compare your rash with other known skin rashes that are not Lyme related. ie. ringworm (Tinea), a fungal infection that your physician should test for by scraping a little material off the rash area and having it tested for the fungus. Ringworm can be treated with anti-fungal creams.
Many doctors tell patients that what they have is a spider bite … the only spider bites that leave rashes that may be confused with Lyme disease will very quickly (within hours) become extremely painful, unlike a Lyme disease rash.
No evidence or recall of a rash does NOT mean no Lyme Disease to the clinician. If it one does occur it is not always a bull’s eye and can be generalized in appearance.
A Lyme disease rash is not always at the site of the tick bite. Many myths about the rash have resulted in misdiagnosis. One such myth is that the rash is usually the size of a quarter or silver dollar. The rash may vary greatly in both size and appearance. There may be more than one on the body (several at one time).
The most damaging myth is that all patients who have Lyme disease or at least the large majority get a rash of any kind. This has been proven to not be the case yet far too many physicians use this as the main diagnostic criteria rendering a negative diagnosis.
But I don’t care how many times you change your ways, what’s in you is in you, and it’s got to come out – Cannonball Read 10
I know why this book sat on my shelf for so long. I read Giovanni’s Room several years ago, and while I loved James Baldwin’s writing, I really did not care for the story, particularly the way it ended. I’ve picked up Go Tell It on the Mountain several times when looking for my next read, and each time, I put it away, never quite in the right mood for this book that felt too heavy with expectation and history, like a book I should read more than a book I wanted to read, much like another recent read from my backlog, Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony.
Being the oldest son, John has long been expected by everyone to become a preacher like his father Gabriel, yet he’s still waiting for a sign that it’s his true calling. He goes to a storefront church Harlem with his family, and he pays attention and tries to be good, unlike his rebellious younger brother, who comes home one Friday night, slashed across the face in a knife fight. The pious, stern Gabriel blames his wife for Roy’s troubles, but she defends herself while Gabriel’s sister reminds him of his own shortcomings. The tension bursts when Gabriel slaps Elizabeth, and shortly after, John heads to church to clean up before the night’s informal prayer service. Over the course of the evening, the three adults think back on their personal and shared histories, while John prays for faith and direction.
Baldwin’s other-worldly way with words is already on display in this first novel, and I was fully engaged for the first two sections before it all went pear-shaped, the characters swept up suddenly in religious experience that contradicts everything up to that point and descends into a madness of inscrutable narration. Once again, I’d allowed myself to be drawn in by Baldwin’s powerful language only to be let down by ending that I just didn’t buy.
I’ve had a similar issue with a few other writers. Paul Monette’s fiction writing was stiff and mannered, but his brilliant autobiography practically saved my life when I was coming out after college. I’ve tried and failed multiple times to get through Infinite Jest, but I love David Foster Wallace’s essays, particularly his writings on tennis. And with Baldwin, I get the feeling he doesn’t like any of his fictional characters enough to care about what happens to them, good or bad, so they end up feeling more like props. His nonfiction doesn’t suffer from the same issue and benefits even more from his thunderous writing style. Not all great writers are great fictional storytellers, and that’s ok. I’ll stick with Baldwin’s nonfiction, but I’ll need a bit of a break to recover from this one.
Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: #CBR10, African American fiction, cbr10bingo, Domestic Abuse, Fiction, Go Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin, Religion
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| Tags: #CBR10, African American fiction, cbr10bingo, Domestic Abuse, Fiction, Go Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin, Religion | Category: Fiction | 0 Comments
Focus on business and economy - College of Agriculture & Natural Resources at the University of Delaware
If you are interested in business, economics, or math, you may want to consider one of these majors…
A Celebration of Life, Hope and Courage. NSMC Cancer Walk. Sunday. June 28th. 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. At the Salem Willows.
This Year is the 25th Anniversary of the North Shore Medical Center’s Cancer Walk. Money raised from the North Shore Cancer WALK/RUN will support the construction of the new inpatient oncology unit at North Shore Medical Center as well as wellness services and support programs at the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers, MA.
This event is worth going ‘over the bridge’ for! Cape Ann/Gloucester has a wonderful oncology department at Addison Gilbert, but many Cape Ann and north shore residents also use the facilities at MGH/NS Cancer Center in Danvers for cancer treatment and follow-up.
Sample Reiki Sessions from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the ‘Wellness Tent.’ Free to participants of the Relay. ‘By Donation’ for others. (100% of Donations to Benefit the NSMC Cancer Walk.) Come and enjoy a sample of Reiki for ‘relaxation, rest and renewal.’ (Massage Therapists will be there too!) Dreamtime Wellness™ will be there, along with nurse Nancy Earabino, a Reiki Teacher and Reiki Provider for NSMC Wellness.
Reiki – (ray-kee) is a Japanese Healing Method/Art that began in 1922 with founder, Mikao Usui Sensei. Reiki sessions are offered through light (or non) touch and without manipulation. Generally considered safe, Reiki is offered in the oncology settings as part of comprehensive integrative medicine departments. Preliminary studies indicate a potential for relief of anxiety and pain with Reiki. More rigorous, larger studies are needed.
Integrative Healthcare – Key words – Collaborative, Comprehensive, Safe, Effective, Care. In the oncology setting, complementary integrative therapies such as acupuncture, massage, meditation, Reiki and yoga are offered primarily as supportive care for symptom management, such as:
Note – Reiki and other Complementary Therapies are not meant to replace or ‘take the place of” conventional (western/mainstream) medicine, but are best offered ‘in combination’ and after rigorous studies have been done to verify safety and effectiveness. “Integrative medicine“combines mainstream medical therapies and Complementary and Integrative medicine (IM) therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.”
Ask your physician/oncologist beforehand about using CAM. Start the conversation – If you are using CAM therapies, let your physician/oncologist know. **Some supplements/herbs/over the counter medications may interact with and/or negatively affect your treatment. ‘When in doubt, check it out’ and talk to your physician! Trust, rapport and open communication are important for safe, effective care.
Sources and more information on Reiki Therapy and other Complementary & Integrative Therapies for patients undergoing treatment for cancer and how to choose a qualified provider –
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/hcq/dhpl/nursing/nursing-practice/advisory-rulings/holistic-nursing-and-complementary-therapies.html
Having offered Reiki as the RN/Reiki Provider at NSMC for 12 years and the MGH Cancer Center for 9 years, this event is especially close to my heart. During that time, I saw many of my friends, neighbors and their families when they were there for cancer treatment. It was an honor and a privilege to help support them through their care and hopefully make their treatment more bearable, and their lives a little more comfortable. ~ Karen Pischke BSN, RN, Reiki Provider & Teacher
Patients receiving Reiki while undergoing treatment for cancer have often relayed “a greater sense of HOPE.”
This entry was posted in Dreamtime Wellness and tagged Addison Gilbert Hospital, AGH, CAM, Cancer, cancer treatment, Cape Ann, Complementary and alternative therapies, Courage, Dreamtime Wellness, Gloucester, Gratitude, Health, Hope, integrative healthcare, Integrative Medicine, Integrative Therapies, Lahey Health, Mass General, MGH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, North Shore Medical Center, NSMC, Oncology, Reiki, Reiki in Hospitals, Reiki therapy, Salem MA, Salem Willows, symptom management, Wellness. Bookmark the permalink.
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An extensive program that prepares an injured worker for return to work. It incorporates stretching, strengthening, body mechanics training, symptom management, work pacing, and extended work simulation. It typically starts with 4 hours daily and progresses to 8 hours daily over a 4 to 6 week period. It improves endurance for an 8 hour day while facilitating safe and timely return to work. |
44,744,128 | It's hard to imagine the science fiction genre as a whole without Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Blazing a trail for the genre early in the '50s, it would set the precedent -- and a near unobtainable benchmark -- for all other extra-terrestrial films to follow. Without it, would we have had either of Spielberg's cosmic fairytales, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., or even the entirety of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek universe? It's possible, but they'd probably be very different. Even modern alien films like Independence Day wouldn't have a throwback reference, though some might consider a lack of "ID4" in the sci-fi mix to be a blessing.
Still, without the blueprints and ideas laid out by Wise's work, we wouldn't even have these popcorn flicks to cough up exuberant amount of cash to see in the Cineplex. But The Day the Earth Stood Still is far from being solely about other-worldly visitors; what gives it the longevity that still stretches to this day comes in the way it peers into humanity, especially our limited capacity to adapt to and understand concepts that reach outside our little bubbles. It's a masterwork of science fiction, but for a slew of intricate, intelligent reasons that you might not expect.
Wise's plot, based off of Harry Bates' story, is simple enough: a flying saucer has landed smack dab in the center of Washington, D.C., drawing scores of curious onlookers to its touchdown site. To the eyes of thousands upon thousands of nervous citizens, two entities step forth from the ship; one is a seemingly human individual instantly taken into custody, while the other is an ominous looking metal robot that, upon finding a spot outside of the U.F.O., has completely stopped moving -- as if awaiting orders. The human-like visitor, named Klaatu (Michael Rennie, The Lost World), has come to Earth for the sole purpose of warning about the impending doom that might come about if we neglect to cease our petty wars and development of element-based weapons.
Operating as a critique for the post-WWII environment entrenched in the Cold War, The Day the Earth Stood Still can be quite deceptive if a glance or two is taken at its artwork, still shots, and the iconic, almost monolithic, stature of that metallic robot that it's become famous for. Assumptions could easily be made that this operates on a purely science fiction level, demonstrating death rays and ominous flying saucers as the Thermelin (the instrument used for the signature eerie '50s wobbly effect in the sound design) coats the surface. In fact, that's far from the case; Robert Wise's sci-fi picture operates on much more meaningful levels. It's these concepts that have kept it fresh -- and surprisingly relevant with today's societal conflicts -- over the years, which will probably continue for years to come if the globe doesn't latch onto some of its sprawling concepts.
One conversation held around a dining table earlier in the film features a group of characters discussing Klaatu and his presence on Earth, wondering why he might be here and for what purpose, or purposes. Suddenly, the gears shift in the conversation and a discussion arises that changes his status from being an alien to being a foreign spy -- which evokes even more fear and hostility than the idea of him being from another planet. There's one clear message that The Day the Earth Stood Still persistently communicates: in all our vast experience and untapped inexperience with the universe, there's an undeniable possibility that other human lifeforms exist on scattered planets -- and they might not be all about trying to ensnare the human race, capture loopy farmers for probing experiments, etc. Instead, it bluntly informs us of the ideal that humankind poses a much stronger threat than those curious other-worldly entities, along with the fact that they might be looking down on our pointless bickering with a smirk and a shaking of the head. There's a shaky, strained wire regarding global tension that Wise's film tightropes across, embodying the undertones of the time period that epitomizes post-McCarthy hysteria and activity in the nuclear disarmament effort.
But remember, this is a society fallen victim to the radio talents of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, as he tricked the people into believing that the earth was under attack by aliens during his 1938 broadcast. In a similar, pre-WWII environment, people took the content at face value, believing that alien warfare was adding onto the already-tense situation. Media perception on both ends only highlights and intensifies mania, which also plays a rather sizable role in The Day the Earth Stood Still. When an ominous, disc-like object floats down to Earth and opens to reveal a ironclad robot with a human-like figure controlling it, the natural reaction could be fear -- or curiosity, or acceptance. Media's engineering of major events, however, aims for hysterics, which creates the pick-and-choose dynamic in telling people what to think and feel about the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. Wise's film opts to go the "fear" route, as most media outlets do, which leads to the cherry-picking of material to convey to the film's absorbent victims. It's a clear critique on mass-media and its manipulative nature, highlighted by subtle clues like the posturing of newscasters that relay the information and the excising of non-hysterical content from the crowd at the spacecraft's touchdown site.
It's not just the themes that hold up well over the years, either. The Day the Earth Stood Still was crafted in 1951, a time when Hollywood was growing more and more experimental with crafting science fiction material on-screen in unique ways. Surprisingly, the careful techniques used in Wise's picture still look fantastic, from the presence of the flying saucer as it soars above and touchdowns within Washington D.C. to the usage of "death rays" pouring from the eyes of the ominous robot Gort. When the film begins to ramp up its sci-fi elements near the second half of the picture -- devoting the first half to building tension with its thematic poignancy -- it becomes both terrifying and engrossing to watch as the advanced methods of technological prowess flex their muscles on the world's overestimated grasp on technology's boundaries. Nowadays, computer generation can shatter and liquefy most types of matter while making just about any focal object fly; still, using simple techniques with found objects and camera tricks, there's tangibility that The Day the Earth Stood Still's production crew infuses into its stripped-down scenes that still work with full potency to this day -- which, in ways, can be seen as real magician's tricks instead of tech flexing its muscle.
More importantly, The Day the Earth Stood Still blends all these elements -- intelligence, tension, and curious whimsy heightened by technological awe -- into a hour-and-a-half of significant science-fiction entertainment that'll trump the effort of most modern films remotely in the same spectrum of genre. It's an important picture, especially during a time when tension has been mounted by the brewing, highly publicized threats of war and violence against each other. Even in a time when the efforts from science-fiction works like Forbidden Planet and the Star Trek television series have begun to show some significant rust, the seminal energy brooding in this '50s classic still stands as crisp and clean as Gort standing in front of his stunned onlookers. That's the sign of why The Day the Earth Stood Still is a truly great film -- the fact that you can pick it up more than fifty years later and it's still as polished and noteworthy as the day it was minted.
Recently, I had the chance to explore the show floor at the 20th Anniversary CEDIA Electronics Expo in Atlanta, Ga. After waltzing around the entirety of both main halls in the Georgia World Congress Center, both my eyes and feet were killing me from the broad arrangement of brightly-colored kiosks, booth, theaters, arenas, displays ... and many other terms for the individual exhibits that I'm assuredly forgetting. But it was very insightful on the future of electronics to come in 2009, as well as excruciatingly enticing to see all of the stellar equipment on display.
You can check out my photo montage / article over at AVRev.com, or by clicking through this link to "CEDIA 2009 Show Floor Impressions".
On Friday 22nd April, KS1 went the National Space Centre in Leicester. During the trip we encountered many space artefacts and we learnt a wide range of facts about space and space travel. We particularly enjoyed our planetarium experience where we learnt how the rotation and orbit of the Earth gives us night and day.
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Arrangement Note: The 9th note of the traditional 'Amazing Grace' is problematic on these flutes because its pitch requires the half covering the bottom finger hole. This arrangement avoids this difficult technique by transposing it up to another note in the chord. This has been repeated in the 12th measure.
“Ben Rhodes, who served Barack Obama as a foreign policy adviser and speechwriter from beginning to end, has written a book that reflects the president he served—intelligent, amiable, compelling and principled. And there is something more: The World as It Is is a classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy. It is not a heavy policy book. There are anecdotes galore, but they illuminate rather than scandalize. Even Donald Trump—a politician who seems the omega to Obama’s alpha—is treated with horrified amazement rather than vitriol. . . . Ben Rhodes is a charming and humble guide through an unprecedented presidency. . . . He never quite loses his idealism; in a crass political era, he impressively avoids becoming a cynic. . . . His achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book.”—Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review
“In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows no trace of the disillusionment that gave George Stephanopoulos’s tale of Bill Clinton its bitter, gossipy flavor, or of the light irony that came to inflect Peggy Noonan’s adoration of Ronald Reagan. More than any other White House memoirist, Rhodes is a creature of the man he served. . . . This is the closest view of Obama we’re likely to get until he publishes his own memoir.”—George Packer, The New Yorker
“The World as It Is offers a peek into Mr. Obama’s tightly sealed inner sanctum from the perspective of one of the few people who saw him up close through all eight years of his presidency. Few moments shook Mr. Obama more than the decision by voters to replace him with a candidate who had questioned his very birth.”—Peter Baker, The New York Times
“The World As It Is opens and closes with Obama’s reaction to the election of Donald Trump. In between, it recounts world events in a newsy, intimate chronology.”—Karl Vick, Time
“For insight on that Obama playbook, it makes sense to consult Ben Rhodes’s fine new memoir of the Obama years. . . . Rhodes was ‘in the room’ for almost every foreign policy decision of significance that Obama made during his eight years in office and in a privileged position to chronicle how the idealism of the early Obama administration faded as it confronted the realities of an often-Hobbesian world.”—Peter Bergen, CNN
“Ben Rhodes is one of the most brilliant minds and powerful storytellers I’ve ever known. In The World as It Is, he doesn’t just bring you inside the room for the key moments of Obama’s presidency, he captivates you with the journey of an idealistic young staffer who becomes the president’s close friend and advisor—a journey that both cynics and believers will find riveting and hopeful.”—Jon Favreau
“The World as It Is is a page-turning, unfiltered, altogether human look at Barack Obama’s presidency. Ben Rhodes—one of Obama’s closest and most important advisors—opens up the defining issues of the presidency, from the role of race and the rise of conspiracy theories to the hunt for bin Laden, the Syria ‘red line’ debate, and the secret negotiations Ben himself led to normalize ties with Cuba. Insightful, funny, and moving, this is a beautifully observed, essential record of what it was like to be there.”—Samantha Power
ARTIFACT: This is a World War I United States Air Service winged propeller officer collar insignia. The insignia has a flat reverse and blades that swivel slightly.
ITEM NOTES: This is from a United States Army Air Forces collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. TRAEL99 LADEX7/12 |
257,538,941 | The New 52 initiative has been, above all, unpredictable in its treatment of DC’s iconic characters. Some, such as Mr. Freeze, received overhauls in their origin stories, while many others went essentially untouched. With central characters such as Lex Luthor and the Joker, it’s still unclear what elements of their pre-52 background are still to be considered canon in the new ongoing titles. This is particularly true of Selina Kyle.
Before the reboot, Catwoman was given an incredible amount of character development in a number of character-focused plotlines that strove to show her emotional depth and her role in the mythology above and beyond that of a professional thief. Chief among them were Jeph Loebs‘ When in Rome and the War Games/ War Crimes arcs. In the New 52, aside from a brief foray into her origin in Catwoman #0, Kyle has been sent back to basics: a catburglar and sometime ally of the other heroes, her stories are relatively light on deeper motivational questions.
The events of Justice League of America #4, then, may come as some surprise to fans and followers of the character. So far, the pages of JLA have seen Catwoman (along with several others, including Martian Manhunter and Hawkman) recruited by the drastically-reworked New 52 incarnation of Amanda Waller, initially with a view to creating a team capable of countering the JLA itself in the future. In #3, Catwoman was given the mission to infiltrate a supposed secret criminal society, and was given an unceremonious welcome by Nightwing’s classic foe Blockbuster (reincarnated for the reboot, it seems, following his death pre-52).
In #4 came the shocker– with her allies otherwise engaged with a monstrous creature of the secret society’s creation, Catwoman was apparently executed, a mysterious pale figure in purple doing the deed with a pistol to the head. The chain of events seemingly leaves little room for interpretation: the shot occurs “on-screen”, so to speak; the bullet clearly leads straight through the centre of the head; Martian Manhunter is clearly shown busy elsewhere, so there’s little possibility for it to have been a case of an expedient identity-swap. Catwoman is seen lying on the floor, still chained to her chair, a look of shock frozen on her face in the final full-page panel.
The New 52 has already been traumatic for Bruce Wayne, as Grant Morrison recently penned the death of Bruce’s son and latest Robin, Damian Wayne, at the hands of Talia al Ghul and her enforcer. If Catwoman’s demise turns out to be as clear-cut as it seems in the latest issue, Bruce will be faced with another tremendous personal loss (though, as I mentioned earlier, it’s unclear how much of Bruce’s romance with Selina Kyle has transpired in the rebooted universe).
Also worth a mention is the inscription on the secret society’s coin, reading “Aeternus Malum”, “Forever Evil” in Latin. This was recently announced to be the title for the first major DC crossover event of the New 52, with a focus on the various Supervillains, many of whom will feature in a series of special optical covers. Whether Catwoman’s death will be of major importance for these upcoming events will become obvious in September.
So, were the events of JLA #4 all they seemed? And, with the fickle nature of comic-book deaths well-known, could this be a long-lasting development or will we see Catwoman scratch her way back into 52 continuity?
Well, no. Catwoman had not received good character development prior to the reboot except in the fantasy spun by DC press releases and the minds of kool-ade drinking fan boys. Real fans rejected the new direction character as unrecognizable as the Catwoman they loved and DC has tried everything to cover the fact that her book was a great big failure.
Thanks for getting the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love finding out far more on this matter. If achievable, as you achieve skills…
●●●Guard your base and attack other people’s creations in real-time3D gameplay!●●●Are you ready to adventure through strange realms,summon creatures and defend your land?In Orbit Legends, you are aSummoner exploring a brand new dimension and calling monsters toyour aid. Your mission is to create and guard your very own StarIsle whilst conquering other player’s land with your army ofcreatures.What are you waiting for? Join the fun!Play by yourself,or battle others online● Battle bosses and fight the corruptingpowers of Chaos in the story-based PVE campaign● Create your StarIsle and defend it from incoming attacks● Raid over 1.5 millionfortress mazes in PVP online combat with your epic monster army●Collect new creatures and grow your forces strongerRaid maps, buildand defend your ownUse your wits to create and edit maps to fendoff opposing players, or, command your army in 3D action gameplayagainst others. Move freely on the map using your tactical logicand strategies to summon creatures to fight for you and defeat yourenemies.One game, two experiences.Build your elite team withhundreds of creatures to choose fromHundreds of creatures areavailable for you to use in battle, each with unique roles to giveyou the upper hand over your enemies. Choose from the agileassassin, the wise mage, the rage-filled destroyer, the helpfulhealer, the rallying drummer, and many more. All are ready andwaiting for your command.Creatures on your team also enhance yourskills as a Summoner. Choose your creatures wisely for the ultimatepower boost during battle with attack, auxiliary, healing, andenemy disturbing skills.Venture throughout the realm to gatherunique tools and equipment and enhance your own Summonerpowers.Build your custom Star Isle with the map editorForests,Temples, Deserts, Volcanoes, Snow, and Night; six stunning themesto choose from as you create your unique Star Isle map to defend.Use the map tiles to piece together a path, adding guardiancreatures and traps to fool your enemies and avoid beingconquered.Create a guild of your own and do battle with otherguildsJoin a guild and become one of the globe-spanning Summonersfighting towards a commongoal. Unlock guild objectives and marchtowards glory in legendary guild vs guild wars!Join the fun, playOrbit Legends today!
Join the war & fight in an epic clash of 3 factions – Humans,Demons and Phantoms! Chaos has descended upon the kingdom as thesefactions wage war to be the one and only ruler of the realm! Chooseyour race, build your army and train them to become the bestfighting force in the kingdom. Siege your opponent’s towers anddestroy them to win the game in real-time multiplayer battles. Playin action packed 2vs2 multiplayer tower defence battles againstplayers from all over the world! Develop your own unique strategyto outsmart your opponents and win the TD battle. Units havespecial abilities you can use to turn the tide of war and gain anadvantage over other players. Kitty Ninja performs a deadly stealthattack, while the Phoenix resurrects from death. Discover eachunit’s special ability, build your army and decide which strategyto play! Every player you fight in the arena will use their ownarmy, with different strengths and weaknesses, so you may have toadapt your strategy in the middle of a clash to defeat your enemytowers and win! OMEGA FORCE: 3 FACTIONS WAR – HIGHLIGHTS - Choosebetween 3 factions – Humans, Demons and Phantoms - Engage in realtime tower battles against players around the world - Action packed1vs1 TD tower clash wars - Play with team mates in epic 2vs2 wars.More people, more mayhem! - Build & train your army of fightersusing a huge range of units - Develop your own combat strategiesfor attack and defence - Each unit has their own special ability touse - Combine 2 battle units to unlock their true power You havebeen summoned by your king to fight in the Omega Force Clash Arena.The fate of the kingdom depends on your success. Which faction willyou join?. Who will rule the kingdom? CHOOSE YOUR FACTION. JOIN THEWAR TODAY! *An internet connection is required to play this game.
**Anime battle arena with cute girls as heroes, custom story linewith outcomes you determine and PvP multiplayer card collectingbattles – Cutie Raid is the best anime game of 2017!! hmm**It hasbeen 17 years since the wicked Orenda's Monster Army attacked theeden* city and dethroned the Queen. As Master, it is your missionto gather the brave and beautiful heroes of the Queen's bloodlineto defeat Orenda and take back the city! Summon the Cuties' warriorsouls from the Chronos Entrance and realize the Queen's dyingwish!Cutie Raid’s thrilling story mode, PvP arena games and TCGstyle card battles are sure to amaze you, with alluring anime artand an epic choose-your-own-adventure storyline. Collect, combineand summon cute anime girls to battle in an exciting TCG meets RPGadventure like none other!❤ Cutie Raid Features ❤ Summon Cute Girlsto Battle! ❤ Brave knights, ninjas, witches and more – Summon over150 beautiful and powerful Heroes to battle on the frontier❤ War ishere! As Cutie Master, use battle tactics and special moves uniqueto each Hero and defeat your enemies❤ Summoners battle with quicktap controls, amazing magic abilities and vicious monstersChooseYour Story❤ Story line and Cutie gameplay are completely dependenton your choices❤ Story mode features tons of different outcomes andoptions. Choose your path and change your destinyDating SimulatorGameplay❤ Anime romance is in the air! Increase your intimacylevels with Heroes and discover their unique story and true power❤Dating sim gameplay feeds into character growth, powering yourHeroes up for battle❤ Strengthen your bond with each Cutie bytalking, steam baths, dinner and more!Execute Strategy and Tactics❤Creative battle strategy! RPG tactics and thousands of battleskills give you unlimited options❤ Strategy and timing will be thedifference between victory and humiliating defeat. Time your tapsjust right and unleash your Cuties true potential!PvP MultiplayerCombat❤ Battle online with other players and prove your Cuties arestrongest❤ Multiplayer battle arena – see how your friends trainedtheir Cuties and fight back❤ Online events for unique Cuties &rare items are added frequently!TCG RPG With Addictive CollectingMechanics❤ RPG card games with unique abilities for each Cutie❤Card collector? You’ll fall for our amazing Cutie cards. Collectthem all to crush your enemiesManga Fans Will Love the AmazingAnime Art❤ Manga and anime fans – experience lovingly-craftedcharacter designs rendered in gorgeous anime art❤ Cute girls andoriginal anime style! Otaku and manga fans will feel right athomeCutie Raid takes free role playing games to an amazing newlevel! Battle, collect and date brave knights, powerful ninjas,devout nuns, whimsical witches and more in anime card games. Chooseyour story and build girls eden*with over 150 unique Cuties!Battleme, Senpai! Download Cutie Raid and join in the slg card game ACGfrontier wars today!NOTICE: Items are available for purchase in thegame.------------------------------------------Find us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/cutieraid/ |
77,637,576 | I'm still learning my way around Ranorex. I've upgraded to Ranorex v6.1.0 on Windows10 and have just started fiddling with image comparisons to find out how they work. In the process I created a new user code module which references elements in my repository and started seeing the following warning message.
Essentially I've put my repository in a shared module A which contains common code, then linked the repository to test module B which contains the actual test code/recordings. My new user code module lives in test module B and reports this warning.
After searching on the forums I found this locked post which appears to exactly match my scenario. I like to understand/fix/clean-up my warnings so was wondering what I was missing.
And if it's cropping up all over the place I could potentially add it to the project properties under "Build/Suppress warnings:" which takes a comma-separated list of warnings that are to be suppressed. I'll stick with the local setting for the time being.
The Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA) has committed to a badly-needed cosmetic restoration of this historic locomotive. The intention is to put it on display inside our controlled-atmosphere exhibit space at Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, in suburban Montreal. There it can be properly conserved and displayed for all to see along with some other pieces of vintage VIA rolling stock, including dome observation car Sibley Park.
To make a gift of $500 or more by cheque or credit card please print this form and mail it to the CRHA at the address on the form. Complete instructions can be found on the same form. Your tax receipts will be mailed to you by the CRHA, and will be in the amount of your donation less the value of the Rapido Trains Inc. gift voucher or model ($200 for the gift voucher, $360 for the sound equipped VIA FP9A model) as required by Canadian tax regulations.
Let’s put VIA 6309 back into shape to commemorate VIA’s 40th anniversary and proudly display this iconic Canadian-built locomotive.
For more information, please contact Exporail directly by visiting their website or by calling (450) 632-2410.
Welcome to the R.A.P. Forum, an open-format section of R.A.P. where everyone is invited to write about whatever their heart desires. This month, we hear from Monica L. Ballard, Creative Services Director at WMYI/102.5 "My FM" in Greenville, SC. Monica shares an interesting and effective "production philosophy."
Okay, so I'm not a Production Director. I let my very capable accomplice Tucker Redford handle the "Paramedic Equalizing." I am Creative Services Director for WMYI.
Tucker and I have a strange but common language. When I hear a commercial in my head, I can take the copy to him and say, "...then the door goes 'Thrummp-bump-bump-kushhhhh!' Got it?" And he makes it happen! As a result of this unusual dialogue, our talents are much sought after in the Western Carolinas, even by agencies! But what we do is only part of the WMYI success story.
As I read the Dave Foxx interview [June '91 RAP] and envied Z-100's three production rooms, I also applauded his attitude that the commercials are part of programming! Bravo! We at WMYI consider our station to be like an amusement park built by our listeners, so we're very careful about our programming -- not too many "beer stands" and not too many "first-aid centers" (recovery hospitals). After all, with two other AC stations in town, we've all got the same rides (songs); but our Park is cleaner, and the guests have more fun because the people running The Park have more fun! But keeping this Park clean is the responsibility of everyone working in The Park! If you're betting that your guests (the listeners) won't mind a little bit of trash here and there, a few screamers, a few inappropriate messages, you violate their expectations, and, in turn, lower your own standards!
Stuck with "hayseed furniture outlet spots?" Dave says, "You've got to play them, so bury them!" BULL! We set up a listener advisory board here, and when one of those ads comes along, we call 'em up and play it for them. Hell no, they won't sit through the stopset, much less patronize that client! Then the salesperson or GM tells the client, "I'm sorry. It isn't in your best interest to run a spot like that. Our listeners told us so!" Don't let these "drunks" in your Park! You're going to keep getting lousy production from other sources as long as you keep accepting it! Tell the client you can do it better! When we do that, we usually have the new spot cued and ready to play for them! Their reaction? "Wow! You're right!" No one has ever showed them it can be done better, or differently!
Now, as for this "No Copywriter" business. Well, if it works for Z-100, great. If your salespeople are able to write more than two sentences without five clichés like, "Arbor Day is just around the corner...," more power to you. Call me jaded, but most salespeople are in this game for the money, and that means, bottom line, they'll do whatever it takes to get a spot, ANY spot, on the air. To hell with the programming. Who keeps tabs on how many conversation spots are currently on the air? Or how many "testimonials?" Or how many spots are using marching bands or fireworks? These are areas of The Park your salespeople might not be aware of because they're concentrating only on their clients (and meeting their projections for the month)! Chances are, they're monitoring a competing station, so they're not even IN your Park.
Someone has to act as a buffer between the client/sales relations and the performers responsible for the sound of the radio station. And everything that goes on the air must earn its right to be there by contributing in a positive way to what the station is trying to project. WMYI limits avails, not only to avoid clutter, but because people will pay more to get into a park that won't be overcrowded by "drunks" and "obnoxious car dealers!"
There's nothing "Mickey Mouse" about The Park philosophy. It works! It's a pathway to success for stations consulted by George Johns and Mike McVay as well as major corporations who have sent their executives to Disney University to learn people management skills. It keeps a station's standards high and always mindful of the guests who have stopped in for some fun. It takes constant maintenance, but the result is a Park that's great fun to work in AND listen to! Too many of us think we're in radio, when actually we're all in the ENTERTAINMENT industry!
Don't sell your listeners short, folks! Always remember what business you're in! And Keep The Park Clean! _
Monica also sent along the following which was done in calligraphy on a paper cut-out of two "stone tablets." These "commandments" are posted in the window of the Creative/Production office at WMYI.
IX. Thou shalt not covet time in production for thy clients other than the third, fourth, and fifth day.
X. Be thou concise. Bear kind words and gifts often, but remember, we knowest a schmooze when we see-ith one! |
18,163,756 | The 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 will be focused around the present era and it will absolutely comprise of another model, supported engines notwithstanding a somewhat redesigned inner part, all at the same cost as beforehand. Tragically notwithstanding, Porsche still won’t be giving the Cayman at a sensibly price with a specific end goal to can be more moderate. It’s just a piece of the exertion made by Porsche to improve gas adequacy and minimize Co2 releases over the whole timetable. Both the Cayman and additionally the Boxster models are required to get just took the ribbon off new four-chamber engines to change their trademark six-barrels. The
Cayman will just get minor outer surface and additionally inside changes. A ton more vital focuses are situated to happen under the back hood, where a mixed bag of four-barrel engines are expected to uncover up.
The of late taken spy gos uncover the specifics of the latest Cayman facelift completely, considering that the driving test auto has really been shot putting on no disguise whatsoever. Being a part of the Porsche family, the facelifted Cayman does not give any kind of grand changes of the outer surface. Rather stunning, the headlamps don’t just accompany different representation like on most Porsche facelifts, however they similarly incorporate an alternate structure.
2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 is destined to showcase 4 cyndrical tube engines along the regular level 6. This suggests that it will surely be more fuel dependable and in addition it will similarly be supplied at a lesser expense for those engines. The gave engines will absolutely most likely be all level 4 frameworks with a 1.6 liter 210 strength as the base unit. Further up the reach there necessities to be a 2 liter and 286 lb-ft of torque alongside a 2.5 liter furthermore 360 strength. All these will surely be turbocharged keeping in mind the end goal to can battle with the level 6. There’s a ton significantly more puzzle in the engine territory, as official specifics bordering Porsche’s new four-barrel powerplants have yet to surface.
Accentuate of the efficiencies for 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS is 4.3 seconds expected to achieve 0- 60 miles every hour from stop position. Cayman 2015 with involved gearbox, baseding on the German carmaker, figures out how to go up to 177 miles every hour. There will furthermore be a Gt4 variety which will emphasize a stripped inner part, greater brakes and also wheels furthermore a different body bundle much like that of the Gt3. This auto will absolutely have a 3.4 liter level 6 with around 380 strength.
The simply as of late taken spy tries uncover the points of interest of the latest Cayman facelift totally, given that the test auto has really been shot utilizing no disguise at all. Having a place with the Porsche family, the facelifted Cayman does not offer any astounding changes of the outside. We expect the start of offer in summer, and additionally as indicated by present points of interest, price will be $75.000. Boxster will be somewhat more moderate, so buyers will have an opportunity to pick in the middle of 2 similar designs. The updated 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 is destined to offer a shiny new guiding wheel format that showcases a turning commute system selector. A few of the shiny new development expected with the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 incorporates a fresh out of the box new infotainment framework, notwithstanding some just took the ribbon off new driver-aid frameworks. Contenders: Audi TT, Alfa Romeo 4c.
2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 goes ahead the business probably in late 2015, yet it is conceivable that all is situated for the begin of 2016. There is theory that the price ought to be around $51,000 for base model.
By phone call, text, Facebook messenger, Hangouts, Skype, in person and even by good ‘ol written letter – there are so many ways to connect with those you care about. The question is, do you? In a world where we are so accessible, it’s nearly impossible to go without contact for even an hour. Most people expect your reply within hours, minutes or even seconds depending on the medium. One of the things I don’t understand is, since we’re so easily connected to each other, why don’t we keep in touch more often?
This constant connection with technology allows us to remain in contact with friends and family on a daily basis if we choose to keep in touch. Obviously, there are people in your life that are higher priority to maintain a connection with (usually nuclear family and close friends for example), but I find myself often thinking of someone and wondering how they are doing - sometimes it will take me weeks before I actually make a focused effort to contact that individual to ask. Time and distractions always seem to get in the way. But why do I procrastinate making this connection if it is clearly on my mind?
It’s also worth noting that if the same person is constantly making the effort to show an interest in maintaining the relationship, it’s going to deteriorate over time. It’s very hard to keep a friendship or relationship if it’s a one-way connection. And If it’s always the same individual reaching out to see how the other person is doing or inquiring to make plans to get together, it certainly doesn’t reinforce the desire to stay in touch – like the other person doesn’t care and it’s only convenient to respond rather than inquire. Yet, I personally try to keep that relationship because it matters to me, even if it’s not as much of a priority in the other person’s mind. Sometimes I will go 6 months or more without connecting with someone, but if that relationship has history and the effort is made by both parties, that 6-month gap virtually disappears. Recently, I had a good friend visit who I had not seen in 2 years and had only messaged with on occasion in-between face-to-face interactions. Yet, when we met up, the connection was still there and we could pick up the conversation where we left off.
Building good relationships is a two-way street. Even if you go months without connecting, as long as you each make an effort to connect and show that you care about what is going on with your [insert high school friend/grandparent/travel buddy/former coworker/etc.], the connection will remain intact.
I'm a 20-something woman working my way through life in Canada, traveling when I can afford it and seeking out my passions one day at a time.
Telemecanique is a leading OEM of automation products. Founded in 1924 by Michel le Goullec, Telemecanique invented the first contactor and soon became a leading specialist in industrial control and automation. A short time later they also had more innovations with the first thermal relays, float switches and pressure gauges. Telemecanique continued to expand within France and in 1928 opened an agency in Belgium before expanding worldwide in 1960. In 1988, Telemecanique were taken over by Schneider Electric and today they continue to operate as a subsidiary of the global brand.
Some of Telemecanique's most recognised product ranges include Magelis operator panels, Altivar AC drives and TSX programmable controllers. Contact us if you have any questions about any Telemecanique part, including MHDS1008N00, and someone from the nicontrols team will be more than happy to help. |
149,770,307 | Ethnic groups: Primarily Italian, but there are small groups of German-, French-, Slovene-, and Albanian-Italians.
Agriculture: Products--wheat, rice, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans beef, dairy products.
Industry: Types--tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics.
Trade: Exports (2009)--$402.9 billion f.o.b.: mechanical products, textiles and apparel, transportation equipment, metal products, chemical products, food and agricultural products. Partners (2008)--Germany 12.8%, France 11.8%, Spain 6.5%, U.S. 6.3%, U.K. 5.3%. Imports (2009)--$408.6 billion f.o.b.: machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, ferrous and nonferrous metals, wool, cotton, energy products. Partners (2008)--Germany 16.0%, France 8.6%, China 6.3%, Netherlands 5.4%, Russia 4.3%, Spain 3.9%, Belgium 3.8%.
The 1948 constitution established a bicameral parliament (Chamber of Deputies and Senate), a separate judiciary, and an executive branch composed of a Council of Ministers (cabinet), headed by the president of the council (prime minister). The president of the republic is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates the prime minister, who chooses the other ministers. The Council of Ministers--in practice composed mostly of members of parliament--must retain the confidence of both houses.
The houses of parliament are popularly and directly elected by a proportional representation system. Under 2005 legislation, the Chamber of Deputies has 630 members (12 of whom are elected by Italians abroad). In addition to 315 elected members (six of whom are elected by Italians abroad), the Senate includes former presidents and several other persons appointed for life according to special constitutional provisions. Both houses are elected for a maximum of five years, but either may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term. Legislative bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both.
The Italian judicial system is based on Roman law modified by the Napoleonic code and subsequent statutes. There is only partial judicial review of legislation in the American sense. A constitutional court, which passes on the constitutionality of laws, is a post-World War II innovation. Its powers and the volume and frequency of its decisions are not as extensive as those of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Until recently, there had been frequent government turnovers (more than 60 and counting) since 1945. The dominance of the Christian Democratic (DC) party during much of the postwar period lent continuity and comparative stability to Italy's political situation.
A series of center-left coalitions dominated Italy's political landscape between 1996 and 2001. In April 1996, national elections led to the victory of a center-left coalition (the Olive Tree) under the leadership of Romano Prodi. Prodi's government became the second-longest to stay in power before he narrowly lost a vote of confidence (by three votes) in October 1998. A new government was formed by Democratic Party of the Left leader and former-communist Massimo D'Alema. In April 2000, following a poor showing by his coalition in regional elections, D'Alema resigned. The succeeding center-left government, including most of the same parties, was headed by Giuliano Amato, who had previously served as Prime Minister in 1992-93.
National elections, held on May 13, 2001, returned Berlusconi to power at the head of the five-party center-right Freedom House coalition, comprising the prime minister's own party, Forza Italia, the National Alliance, the Northern League, the Christian Democratic Center, and the United Christian Democrats. This Berlusconi government served its entire term.
In national elections held April 9-10, 2006, Romano Prodi's center-left Union coalition won a narrow victory over Berlusconi's Freedom House coalition. The Union coalition included the Democratic Party (born of the November 2007 fusion of the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy Party), UDEUR (Union of Democrats for Europe), Rose in the Fist (made up by Italian Social Democrats and Italian Radical Party), Communist Renewal, the Italian Communist Party, Italy of Values, and the Greens.
In May 2006, the parliament elected Giorgio Napolitano as the Republic's President. President Napolitano formerly served as a lifetime senator, Minister of the Interior, and a member of the European Parliament as a member of center-left parties. President Napolitano's term ends in May 2013. The Senate, lower house, and regional representatives will vote to elect his successor.
In January 2008, the Prodi government fell when small coalition partner UDEUR withdrew support. In February, the President dissolved parliament and Silvio Berlusconi returned to power after defeating former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni by a comfortable margin in elections on April 13-14, 2008. Berlusconi's winning coalition was composed of the People of Liberty (a union of Forza Italia and National Alliance), the Northern League, and the Movement for Autonomy. Berlusconi was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 8. Veltroni resigned as leader of the opposition in February 2009. His deputy, Dario Franceschini, was elected new Democratic Party (PD) leader until party primary elections held in October 2009, when Pierluigi Bersani was elected PD national secretary.
Italy's dramatic self-renewal transformed the political landscape between 1992 and 1997. Scandal investigations touched thousands of politicians, administrators, and businessmen; the shift from a proportional to majoritarian voting system also altered the political landscape.
Party changes were sweeping. The Christian Democratic Party dissolved; the Italian People's Party and the Christian Democratic Center emerged. Other major parties, such as the Socialists, saw support plummet. A new populist and free-market oriented movement, Forza Italia, gained wide support among moderate voters. The National Alliance broke from the neofascist Italian Social Movement. A trend toward two large coalitions--one on the center-left and the other on the center-right--emerged from the April 1995 regional elections. For the 1996 national elections, the center-left parties created the Olive Tree coalition while the center right united again under the Freedom Pole. The May 2001 elections ushered into power a refashioned center-right coalition dominated by Berlusconi's party, Forza Italia. The April 2006 elections returned the center-left to power under the eight-party Union coalition, a successor to the Olive Tree.
In October 2007, the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy parties officially merged to form the Democratic Party. Veltroni was chosen as party leader and was the center-left's candidate in the April 2008 elections. Silvio Berlusconi launched an alliance between his Forza Italia party and Gianfranco Fini's National Alliance. The parties ran together under the People of Liberty symbol in April 2008. The election greatly simplified parliament, dramatically reducing the numbers of parties, and for the first time since World War II, leaving communist parties out of parliament. People of Liberty (37.4%) won the largest share of the vote and took power in coalition with a strengthened Northern League (8.3%) and the tiny Movement for Autonomy (1.1%). The Democratic Party scored 33.2% and ran in alliance with Italy of Values (4.4%), while the Union of the Center (5.6%) ran alone.
In March 2009, Forza Italia and National Alliance changed the People of Liberty identification from an alliance to a party. The new mass center-right party is Italy's largest party and one of the largest in Europe. Party leaders define the party as post-ideological, charismatic, and pragmatic. It is led by Berlusconi.
Italy has few natural resources. With much land unsuited for farming, Italy is a net food importer. There are no substantial deposits of iron, coal, or oil. Proven natural gas reserves, mainly in the Po Valley and offshore in the Adriatic, constitute the country's most important mineral resource. Most raw materials needed for manufacturing and more than 80% of the country's energy sources are imported. Italy's economic strength is in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in small and medium-sized family-owned firms. Its major industries are precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electric goods, and fashion and clothing.
Italy continues to grapple with budget deficits and high public debt--2.6% and 105.9% of GDP for 2008, respectively. Italy joined the European Monetary Union in 1998 by signing the Stability and Growth Pact, and as a condition of this Euro zone membership, Italy must keep its budget deficit beneath a 3% ceiling. The Italian Government has found it difficult to bring the budget deficit down to a level that would allow a rapid decrease of that debt. The worsening of the economic situation is expected to jeopardize this effort. The deficit is expected to grow well above the 3% ceiling in 2009 and 2010.
Italy's economic growth averaged only 0.8% in the period 2001-2008; 2008 GDP decreased 1.0%, largely due to the global economic crisis and its impact on exports and domestic demand. GDP contracted further as the Euro zone and world economies slowed; 2009 GDP decreased 5.0%.
Italy's closest trade ties are with the other countries of the European Union, with whom it conducts about 60.1% of its total trade (2007 data). Italy's largest European Union trade partners, in order of market share, are Germany (12.9%), France (11.4%), and the United Kingdom (5.8%). Italy continues to grapple with the effects of globalization, where certain countries (notably China) have eroded the Italian lower-end industrial product sector.
The Italian economy is also affected by a large underground economy--worth some 27% of Italy's GDP. This production is not subject, of course, to taxation and thus remains a source of lost revenue to the local and central government.
The United States and Italy cooperate closely on major economic issues, including within the G-8. With a large population and a high per capita income, Italy was the United States' twelfth-largest trading partner in 2008, with total bilateral trade of $51.6 billion comprised of exports to Italy totaling $15.5 billion and imports from Italy worth $36.1 billion. The U.S.'s $20.7 billion deficit with Italy in 2008 was slightly below the $20.9 billion deficit registered in 2007. Machinery and aircraft are becoming important U.S. exports to Italy. U.S. foreign direct investment in Italy at the end of 2007 exceeded $28.4 billion.
Italy's agriculture is typical of the division between the agricultures of the northern and southern countries of the European Union. The northern part of Italy produces primarily grains, sugar beets, soybeans, meat, and dairy products, while the south specializes in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, wine, and durum wheat. Even though much of its mountainous terrain is unsuitable for farming, Italy has a large work force (1.4 million) employed in farming. Most farms are small, with the average size being only seven hectares.
Italy was a founding member of the European Community--now the European Union (EU). Italy was admitted to the United Nations in 1955 and is a member and strong supporter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization (GATT/WTO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe. It chaired the CSCE (the forerunner of the OSCE) in 1994, the EU from July to December 1990, January to June 1996, and July to December 2003, and the G-8 in 2001 and in 2009. Italy served a two-year term on the UN Security Council in 2007-2008.
Italy firmly supports the United Nations and its international security activities. Italy led the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and has actively participated in and deployed troops in support of UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste. It has provided critical support for NATO and EU operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, Georgia, and Chad. Italy, under NATO's ISAF, maintains a Provincial Reconstruction Team in the western Afghanistan province of Herat, commands RC-West, and maintains a Carabinieri police training center. Italy supports reconstruction and development assistance to the Iraqi people through humanitarian workers and other officials, particularly in Dhi Qar Province, and is a leading contributor to the NATO Training Mission-Iraq, with approximately 100 military personnel and Carabinieri police trainers. Currently almost 9,000 Italian troops are deployed, including 2,100 in Kosovo, 2,350 in Lebanon as part of UNIFIL, and over 2,600 in Afghanistan.
The United States enjoys warm and friendly relations with Italy. Italy is a leading partner in counterterrorism efforts. The two are NATO allies and cooperate in the United Nations, in various regional organizations, and bilaterally for peace, prosperity, and security. Italy has worked closely with the United States and others on such issues as NATO and UN operations as well as on assistance to Russia and the New Independent States; Lebanon; the Middle East peace process; multilateral talks; Somalia and Mozambique peacekeeping; and combating drug trafficking, trafficking in women and children, and terrorism. |
151,773,898 | The heartbeat, the core of the 'Great Charter for Justice' (sometimes called the 10 commandments) is a Command to Love God, and a Command to Love our neighbour as ourselves. Each generation adapts the charter to meet the new situation. In theory, they might add something new, but they must never do it is such a way that it causes heart failure. In reality, new traditions take on a power of their own. The distinction between the heart and the edge becomes unclear. What was once a matter of the heart can become an obsession with externals.
The problem is that the heart is on the inside. It cannot be measured directly. External behaviours are on the outside and can be, or so it seems, be more easily measured. Clean hands, pots and pans can be scrutinised. But the heart may not be available for inspection. Therefore, the guardians of the 'tradition' are prone to policing externals.
They ask trivial questions and forget to ask the important one. They can no longer distinguish God's Command from human custom.
But the Beloved Son of God lives out of the Heart, the Centre. He confronts their hypocrisy. He confronts their refusal to hold the inner love of God and neighbour and the outer ways this can be embodied as one dance.
These guardians of the law, the Scribes and the Pharisees, are concerned with ritual defilement, about putting something 'unclean' inside yourself. They move from the outside in, and fret about contamination. With this in mind, all of their energy is focused on the outside world and whatever might make someone unclean.
But Jesus, like all good spiritual teachers, is more concerned about moral defilement, and the havoc it unleashes in the world. This happens in exactly the opposite way. It begins and grows in the human heart, in the cultivation of evil thoughts and intentions. People are destructive from the inside out if their hearts are fixated on fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, slander, envy. Discover what is driving these things and you may know how to make Peace.
But this is the problem. We can agree with Jesus that the heart is a strange landscape, but the reason why we do certain things may not be clear to us. This is why we need to know ourselves well. This is why we need to come regularly to confession. This is why we need the gift of a friend who challenges our worst behaviours and tells us the truth about ourselves. As we become more aware of what drives us we have better choice in whether to go with it or not. If we surround ourselves with 'flunkies' who only tell us what we want to hear, we might never grow in wisdom or understanding. Worst still, we might be destroying love and not know how to reverse the trend.
Over the course of my life, I have been invited by certain events and challenged by friends to take a good hard look on the 'inside'. I do not find this kind of inner scrutiny easy or enjoyable. Knowing my hidden self doesn't always match the scrubbed up persona I like to present to the world. Lifting the veil and humbly acknowledging who I really am is not an activity most are willing to do. But when I have found the courage to shine a light into my darkness there has always been a payoff. I find I can be a better person. Perhaps this is what Carl Jung meant when he said that we grow up, not by entertaining figures of light, but by making our darkness visible.
It is true that some of the teachings of Jesus are hard to take. We should not be afraid of this. In the Gospels, some people like Him and some do not. But in today's Gospel, even those who liked Him are struggling to trust Him and to understand what He is teaching.
The core message of St. John's Gospel is stated one more. Jesus has come from the Father. His origins are in God and the life He speaks of is born in that place. His identity as 'Beloved Son', flows from this relationship. He offers this same experience to anyone who can trust Him and make His teaching their own. This is something completely new. The older consciousness cannot transcend death; it turns people, who are afraid, in on themselves. Here is a teaching that frees us from fear and opens us up to 'eternal life.'
The pairing of flesh and blood and eating bread from heaven sets the stage for the disciples to unwrap the gift they are being offered. They have been brought up to believe in the utter transcendence of God and their own smallness. What Jesus is saying does not fit well into that mindset. He understands how His teaching might give offence. Perhaps the offence could be less if He, the Beloved Son, started with Earth and ascended to Heaven. But even if it makes for an easier beginning, we still have to trust Him when he asks us to notice the partnership between the physical and the spiritual, earth and heaven, ascending and descending Angels and a descending and ascending Son of Man. Everything comes from above and it is there that we must look to find the truth. This change from 'flesh to spirit', to 'spirit to flesh', is a difficult shift. Many will walk away with their old mind intact rather than trust in the new possibility. Those who stay, do so because they trust the Father.
Staying with Jesus is always a decision and it is a decision that is not made only once. The disciples who left were unable to make the shift. They were not ready to eat the food that the 'bread' who 'came down from heaven' had prepared. The Twelve did stay because they were already eating. The words of Jesus had opened a window into eternal life. If Jesus could give them eternal life, He must come from God. This is the beginning of something amazing which will require them to trust and grow even more.
So, we have two choices. To leave or to stay. But it is the reason for staying that is intriguing. When Jesus asks the question, 'Are you going away too?', Peter answers, 'We have come to believe and know..'. What begins with trust is completed in a depth of understanding and flows as eternal life whenever we gather to fulfill His command, 'Do this in memory of me'.
The community of disciples - the church- only exists to disclose the meaning of Christ as the embodiment of God in the world. We exist for the salvation - health and well-being - of all people, not just for the comfort and consolation it brings us. This means that the only way to build the community of those who 'choose to stay' is to look outwards, to see how we might bring this Good News to the poor. The Church, like the Kingdom of God, cannot grow through following a programme. It will grow through the joyful witness of those who celebrate the gratuitous blessing of Christ. We have to return to the service of the Gospel and the command to spread it to all peoples. Today's Gospel is a heady reminder that this is a painful and costly process precisely because it means stripping away our old safety nets, our addiction to personal comfort and our riches -whether secular or not - which we think are so important for the maintenance of the church.
We must respond to the urgent promoting of the Spirit who gives Life and who through the community, upholds the life of all people. As Jesus clearly tells us; The power of God is at work in the world, the story of Salvation is being told, and we are the privileged and responsible stewards of God. This, it seems to me, is the solid ground of our trust and the reason why we are constantly seeking to deepen our understanding of the Beloved Son of God.
The image which stands out in the teaching in this Sunday's Gospel - St.John,6:51-58 - is "Eating". Eating is something we all love to do. It is an intimate action where we take something that is not us and make it part of us. I often joke that I am fifty percent chocolate! On a more serious note, eating should also help us to remember how we depend on the world and cannot thrive if we are separated from it. Jesus uses this human activity for spiritual purposes. We eat a piece of bread and 'it' becomes part of us. But when we eat Him; when we take in the spiritual nourishment He offers, we become Him.
His audience focus on the word 'flesh' and you can see them struggling with a possible invitation to cannibalism! But Jesus presses on. The division of flesh and blood symbolises his death and reveals the way He is going to make His awareness our own. How Jesus understands his own death is something every disciple should know by heart. Seriously! Jesus uses many images; seeing His own death as a movement from 'a grain of wheat' into 'much fruit'. Far from being an experience of loss, He will be more. He will also be more accessible and available as the Risen Lord than He is as The Jesus of history.
We enter His Sacred Heart whenever we take part in the Eucharist. In this Sacred act, the meaning of His death will be revealed to those who eat and drink. Each time we do this we will deepen our understanding of the divine love that transforms death into new life.
So while it is true that we can eat good food and make it our own without paying any attention to the process, we cannot do that with a new mind. Disciples have to eat and drink in a certain way. The original word Jesus uses for this kind of eating is literally translated as 'munching'. A far cry from the days when we were not allowed to let the host touch our teeth! Bob Noznick's description of what munching looks like is thoroughly described in his book, 'The Examined Life'. "
We meet the food in the anteroom of the mouth and greet it there. We probe and explore it, surround it, permeate it with juices, press it with our tongues against the roof of the mouth along that hard ridge directly above the teeth, place it under suction and pressure, move it around. We know it's texture fully; it holds no secrets or hidden parts". (p.56).
A priest was serving on a World War 1 battlefield in France. He carried the Eucharist in a pyx next to his heart. He suddenly realised just how disappointing it was to be thus holding so close to himself the wealth of the world and the very source of life without being able to possess it inwardly, without being able to either penetrate it or assimilate it. This is the true meaning of the Gospel text. There is only one way to have His life within us, we have to receive this most precious gift. We have to eat His Body. We have to drink His Blood. And if we do this regularly, or even every day, it is good from time to time to pause and to contemplate the infinite preciousness of the Eucharist. And having renewed our mind to His we discover how awesome He really is.
It looks like the crowd are following Jesus but they are really following miracles. Jesus sees through their immaturity and tries to help them to grow up. They seek Him because he has filled their bellies with bread. But they have still not understood what the bread means. They are well aware of their physical hunger and are very focused on filling it. But they are less acquainted with their spiritual hunger and are not sure how to fill that. Jesus tells them that He, Himself, is the one who feeds them with 'Bread from Heaven'. Now He begins lesson number two. They ask him about keeping the law or the works of God. To be faithful, they must do what God does. He teaches them that they can only do these works (the many) if they are united to the work (the One). They must join the One who has been sent. For while, "The Law was indeed given through Moses, Grace and Truth have come through Jesus Christ." (Jn 1,29)
Now comes lesson number three. These ‘would be’ disciples need proof. If Jesus is the work of God, what work will He do that will help them to believe in Him? They know that the Law, the great charter for Justice, is from God, because Moses, the lawgiver, provided manna in the desert. The manna is the only validation Moses needs. But Jesus says, 'Think again!' The manna was not given as proof that Moses was from God. It was meant to reveal the One who put it there. The Father is the One who gives Bread from Heaven and He is giving it all the time. Now they must see that the True Bread which comes down from Heaven is given for the whole world. It cannot be contained within the borders of Israel. It is a gift for the whole of Creation. The Bread is its own reality. It does not point to something else. If you let Jesus in you will have all the proof you need!
Now, lesson number four! The crowd need time to take in the full impact of what Jesus is teaching them. For now, all they can hear is the promise of manna every day. Since the 'Bread of Life' is the spiritual nourishment that flows from God into Creation, and since Jesus is the Beloved Son of God who rebuilds the connection, He himself is the Bread of life. Whoever comes to Him will kiss eternity and they will never feel spiritual hunger or thirst ever again. The Teacher invites those who are locked in the prison of the visible, the material and the temporal to embrace the freedom of the invisible, the spiritual and the eternal. Can they do it?
Once upon a time, there was an exhausted mother who stood up at a retreat and announced that she was tired of giving. Her friends were quick to offer solutions and advice; daycare, part time employment, more husbandfather involvement. Then a voice broke through this conversation, "Honey, you gotta learn how to sing". She told the exhausted mother that she had to change her whole mind, her whole attitude. Nothing suggested so far would provide lasting help. Tinkering with the edges was no substitute for inner change. She had to transform the moments of giving into moments of meeting.
Spiritual Teachers value interior change as the forerunner to new and decisive action. They often tweak and tease the consciousness of their disciples to see things in a new way. Like the other day when I was driving back from visiting my best friend who is dying, I saw, on the billboard of a church, 'Tweet others as you yourself would like to be tweeted'. Brilliant! Or the story Jack Kornfield tells of his spiritual Teacher. 'There is a road I know well, but it can be foggy or dark. When I see someone travelling this road about to fall into a ditch or get lost in a sidetrack on the right hand side, I call out 'Go to the left.' So too, if I see someone fall into a ditch or get lost in a sidetrack on the left hand side, I call out, 'Go to the right.' That's all I do when I teach. Wherever you get caught, I say, 'Let go of that too.' (After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path)[New York:Bantam 2000. Pp268-169]
Jesus, the Teacher, knows the path well and can help others who are in a fog or in darkness. I like to see Him calling out to us, "A little to the left," or "Go to the right". And I imagine Him saying, "Don't keep hungering after wonders or miracles. Notice the deeper hunger within you for what lasts forever. Turn your mind from doing things and enlarge the inner space from which you are able to do things. Gods' work is always done with God. Stop asking, 'How will I know if this is true?' Instead ask, 'Am I in communion with God and receiving His gift of life. Manna every morning will not solve your problems. Give your heart to me and you will be satisfied for ever." This is the deeper level where Love elevates us and things become easier, less trying, happening more by themselves. If you think you need more of this, you are right. |
73,028,314 | Angelus Leather Acrylic Paint will not crack or peel when prepped and applied properly to leather items. Once completely dry, Angelus Light Brown Leather Paint will be completely water proof.
After what has been such a downwards trend for this series, it seems VRAINS have finally been able to find it’s footing again, (for now)!
At long last, we are getting both Yuusaku’s and Kusanagi’s backstory of how they became a team. The best part about this? This will be at least a two episodes long, and I wouldn’t complain if it’s three so as long as they give as as good content as they did today.
Currently as it stands, with so much external interferences, it makes it difficult for Yuusaku and Kusanagi to do what they need to do with just the two of them. So it makes sense how they need a bigger team. However the more players added, there is a shift in dynamic and interactions, and we don’t get to see as much of it as we used to. This is of course not a bad thing, because it’s good for Yuusaku to open up to other people.
What makes Kusanagi’s and Yuusaku’s relationship special though is the fact Kusanagi is the first person after the incident that Yuusaku has finally opened up to. He didn’t have to visit Kusanagi’s food truck, but he did anyways because he was curious about what Unnamed was like in the real world. It some extent I was amazed, Yuusaku trusted him enough to thank him in person for giving him access of an emergency log out when he decided he was done with the Hanoi Knights. Again, Yuusaku wasn’t the one to initiate the partnership, it was Kusanagi, but after the guy makes an excellent argument how they can support each other, by Unnamed being the Shield and Unknown as the Sword. I really loved this analogy because that’s exactly how they function. And so the partnership was established.
What I found the most interesting however was learning how Playmaker’s Avatar name was initially “Unknown”, a perfect match to Kusanagi’s “Unnamed” Avatar. So I am quite excited to see the backstory behind the name, “Playmaker”, which was probably suggested by Kusanagi since Yuusaku’s character never seem to really care about the details about such things. In fact, bearing that in mind, this backstory goes to show just how far Yuusaku’s character has grown. Before the two teamed up, Yuusaku was merely a lone-wolf pursuing the Hanoi Knights for answers and to attain revenge for the incident.
It is also worth pointing out, Yuusaku to some degree, was even colder of a character prior to meeting Kusanagi. Of coures that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a heart, he wanted to help others, but he didn’t like wasting time. It makes really excited to see how the friendship blossom between the two of them, and see sides of Yuusaku we have not seen of yet. Remember this is before Ai came into the picture, so I look forward to seeing more!
However as cool as it was to see how the two met, what stood out to me this episode was just how messed up Jin was when he returned home. In many ways, it looks like he may have been the victim who suffered from the incident the most. It was terribly alarming to see how he wouldn’t speak or move, and completely lost himself. Kusanagi couldn’t even recognize him. That’s why Kusanagi cast aside his dreams of pursuing sports, and dedicated himself to becoming a hacker and programmer in order to enable himself to investigate the case on his own, and it wasn’t something that was accomplished overnight– it took years.
But if there is one thing I really hope we will be able to see is how Jin’s character gradually became more alive again. During the first season, we never saw him, ever, except for the clue that he kept himself locked in his room, fearful of the outside world. Then after the Hanoi Knights were “defeated”, we were shown how Jin was making remarkable recovery… until Bohman waltz in and robs both his consciousness and happiness! Hopefully, they won’t leave this detail out, because he is important too, which reminds me: the second time Kusanagi was saved, he heard Jin’s voice. It wasn’t an ‘illusion’ so to speak, it definitely wasn’t Yuusaku’s, it was Jin’s. While it could all be in his head, perhaps, this was not a coincidence, and it was to serve for an even bigger secret that could be related to what became of the victim’s of the Lost Incidents files. While Bohman’s story about the “soul swap” sounds like total BS fabricated for the sole purpose of attempting to rattle Yuusaku, there is no doubt in my mind the database absolutely existed, and it begs the question, of what happened to it after the incident, and where is it now?
And finally, unfortunately I have to address the bloody elephant in the room: Naoki. It’s because he dragged Yuusaku off, threatening him with the claim he ‘knows his secret’, (120% certain he is wasting time as usual) that we are having this story-time with Kusanagi in the first place— even though this is something that could have easily set up in another way, WHY COULDN’T THEY HAVE DONE IT ANOTHER WAY?! DID THEY REALLY HAVE TO USE NAOKI FOR THIS?! CAN WE NOT?! He is that character that should have been scrapped before the show even started, or at the very least, they should have made him at least bearable, not some idiotic creep who goes on about being soulmates with Playmaker! Ugh! I hope Yuusaku shuts him down real good when he sees the idiocy he is undoubtedly going to bring up!
I just hope that the Writers are just baiting us to think that Naoki knows who is Playmaker. I seriously thought that Naoki would be the last guy to know that.
10000000% certain it’s bullshit as usual. I hope Yuusaku scares him off, maybe that’ll shut him up and force him to keep his distance for a while.
I bet the “secret” that Naoki has found out about Yusaku is just his stupid misunderstanding or something. Really, can’t they just get rid of him already? Yusaku, you’re smart, so I hope you’re smart enough to just ignore whatever Shima’s request is and go on with your more important business.
Aside from Kusanagi and Yusaku’s backstory, the brief interaction between Ai, Flame, Takeru and Kusanagi are also funny! I love it when Kusanagi is smart enough to take advantage of Ai able to fly using his Duel Disk to promote his cafe and then Flame suggesting that they should make a machine for him so that Takeru can go back home without having the need to use train! Oh, I wish Yusaku can join in this kind of interaction more!
And the next episode, not only we’ll finally learn how Playmaker begins but also how Yusaku got his Cyberse Deck! That place has to be how Yusaku found and got his Cyberse Deck! Kusanagi is another great big brother in YGO series! I’d love to have a big brother like him!
And I know this is not actually important, but I feel like writing it down here. This is Kusanagi’s Cafe Nagi menu:
If Yuusaku can just like scare him off with that cold icy glare we saw in this flashback, that should shut him up and keep him far away for a while.
Ai and Flame are freaking hilarious, I love these two so much! Kusanagi is a freaking genius to make Ai do that, it was glorious! You just wait, Flame gonna make something and he and Ai are going to be like children messing around with the duel-disks, flying/driving around the city as the please! 😂
That’s what I’m thinking too about his Cyberse Deck! I was really happy to see his original deck though! It’s just nice to see a bit of Yuusaku’s story before Ai came into the picture!
Yeah, I felt like this was a good episode. One of the funniest too in addition to being a breather episode. I was touched by how kind of an older brother Kusanagi is. He gave up his own dreams in order to help Jin. That’s very selfless. I had a feeling Kusanagi wasn’t the best at dueling but I would have loved to see the deck he runs. I noticed the deck Playmaker, or Unknown at the time, had, was basically the same cards as the Link Strike Starter Deck back in 2017 with the exception of the Cyberse monsters in it. I know because I bought it.
Onto Yusaku’s character before he met Kusanagi. Yes, I do agree Playmaker was colder when he was working alone. Kusanagi seemed shocked that someone that was as sharp-tongued as Unknown was actually quite quiet and somewhat shy in real life. I mean, Yusaku hid himself underneath a dark hoodie before accepting Kusanagi’s proposal to team up. Yusaku removing his hood to reveal his face was the first step to him opening up to others. Plus I do agree that Yusaku has come quite far in his character development after seeing that. In season 2, he’s not as cold towards other people now that his revenge is over. His emotionless shell has definitely crumbled a lot too if he warmed up to Takeru quickly and lets him join the team.
Ai was so funny doing advertising for Kusanagi by flying around. He can’t charge for that service after all. I could tell Flame was jealous Ai could fly. Not the best pun though. Although Ai didn’t mention the part that Roboppy modified the duel disk to convert into a hovercraft at will. Flame wanting Takeru to put wheels on the duel disk totally made me laugh if my voice wasn’t hoarse from a cold. I mean, that’s preposterous and it’s a bad idea because Takeru could get arrested for driving an unlicensed vehicle. Plus the duel disk would be too heavy to carry. Did you notice that Flame’s name in kanji was written on the windshield of the car in Flame’s imagination? Having that would only inflate his ego.
I can’t believe Naoki was in this episode. It did sound like he was planning to blackmail Yusaku for possibly knowing his identity as Playmaker. Although like you said, I really doubt that he knows. Plus the soulmates thing all over again. It sickens me. That idiot is so delusional! My expression was the same as Takeru when Naoki asked for a minute. I just hope the so-called blackmail isn’t gonna involve Naoki joining Yusaku’s team. I’ll go insane if I see that.
Ai and Flame were freaking hilarious. I’m just waiting for Flame to figure out how to turn Takeru’s duel-disk into a drone or a car of a sorts like Ai did. #ACTUALCHILDREN
OH GOD LET’S NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT. UGH. I don’t know why the writers want to keep Naoki around, he contributes nothing to the story NOTHING. His character should have been deleted, I just can’t stand characters like him!
And this was the day where we could agree that Go Onizuka in his lowest was actually more tolerable than Naoki will ever be. Just wait, in the near future there may be the salt-inducing duel between two worst VRAINS characters: Go Onizuka VS Brave Max, if the writers have some mercy to give Go a mercy win.
This episode was decent enough, as we really needed a backstory on Kusanagi, which was a character I’m not sure how to feel about, considering how he was able to partner up with Yusaku that easily prior to the start of the series. Granted, I wished the backstory told more, like how Kusanagi’s brother was kidnapped and other stuff….also, the alliance forged between Kusanagi and Yusaku felt too smooth, tbh.
True they definitely could have gone more in depth with the circumstances of how he was kidnapped, but I don’t think that should be something to focus on right now. I am hoping we will be able to learn more about Jin himself in this backstory. If they don’t feature him and his own gradual improvement at all, I feel like that would be a missed opportunity. As for Kusanagi and Yuusaku, perhaps we will see them clash a bit next week. Just because they agreed to become partners doesn’t exactly mean they will get along right away/have good synergy. We will have to see if the writers are willing to play with that a bit, something I would like to see considering how Yuusaku had been working as a lonewolf before then.
FINALLY a good episode since a long while. Yes, Yusaku & Kusanagi’s first meeting and them forming their current partnership was great to know and there’re several things I have to point out (both good and bad):
1) Y’know, I was VERY elated to see Playmaker’s earliest deck before gaining the Cyberse misfits (sorry, but that’s the tag they’ll be carrying forever if they don’t have the synergy to be decent on their own), and the BEST part was PHOTON THRASHER being summoned, a staple monster not seen since Zexal days where it’s a core strategy for Kaito to summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. (If Playmaker actually went ahead and summoned Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon I’d be even happier.) And yes, Zexal Kaito was among the BEST Yugioh characters ever: solid deck, awesome personality and great backstory, loved him to death as he made the long ride of 146 episodes of Zexal worth it.
… But Arc V Kaito was appalling, just being an edgelord for the sake of being more edgy to piss people off, even worse than YUYA at his worst and I despised Yuya to death. Not to mention Ciphers were garbage and had almost zero synergy barring their two overpowered Xyzs.
2) I dunno what to say about Kusanagi venturing into Link VRAINS by merely polishing his hacking skills but NOT his dueling skills. It gave me a big sigh seeing him fleeing from those Knights of Hanoi fodders that ANYONE could beat (heck EVEN Brave Max himself defeated one without losing a single LP). Plus, his “Unnamed” avatar was a direct homage to the legendary Pokemon Trainer RED himself so you can’t tell me he didn’t even have some decent dueling skills before his first encounter with “Unknown” (later known as “Playmaker”).
Whatever, next time we’ll get to watch Kusanagi Jones and Raiders of the Lost Incident. INTO ZA VRAINS!
I am with you on Naoki not actually knowing Yusaku’s secret. I think Yusaku is going along for one of two reasons. 1) the unlikely event that Naoki inexplicably does know his secret so he has to make sure no matter how many doubts he may have. 2) He doesn’t want some weird rumour that’s completely untrue to spread out…
Considering the latter reason and his personality. Yusaku wouldn’t care enough to try and stop rumours about himself. So, it’s likely the first one.
Either way i am 200% sure that Naoki doesn’t know stick and it’s a silly contrived way of getting Yusaku away from the others so Kusanagi can tell the story of how they met. |
106,486,135 | Tom Heasley stretches the idea of composition, improvisation and everything in-between. Which has meant that many consider him an improvisor pur sang, while his pieces have popped up in "contemporary composition" columns. Whatever you may want to call it, his careful placement and replacing of layers of sound using loop techniques on his electronically processed Tuba is utterly unique in the original sense of the word: Despite the attention he has drawn with his live performances and a total of four records on four different record labels, it is still a genre of one. Heasley has brought Ambient and Drone Music together, combined tribal elements and Sound Art and infused the slickness often associated with atmospheric pads with discreet atonal swirls, creating works which are both dreamy and delirious. On "Passages", the first CD for his own outfit Full Bleed Music, he has shared the studio with drummer Toss Panos, whose timbral percussion style adds an urban coolness to Tom's harmonics, resulting in a sort of minimalistic Hyperjazz. Certainly one of the more adventurous albums of 2007, it was strangely overlooked on many magazines claiming to be interested in "experimental" emissions. In our headquarters, "Passages" certainly sparked more than enough interest to find out more about why exactly Heasley got to play the Tuba - and how he got blacklisted, with more "people united against a single individual" than ever thought possible.
Some interesting things are afoot. I’m getting together soon with guitarist Peter Maunu (Mark Isham, Group 87) to experiment and see where it goes. I played with the Don Ellis Reunion Big Band last October and there’s talk of more of that this year. Of course, I am still promoting Passages, the first album on my new Full Bleed Music label. Toss Panos and I may do a few gigs here in LA. I have several more releases planned for Full Bleed, and would like to get into the studio for some new solo recordings before too long. I recently played (mostly didjeridu) on the Michael Roth (Randy Newman’s music director) soundtrack to ‘Your Name Here’, a film currently making the rounds at Sundance. I am also working on setting up a few solo dates on the east coast in the spring with and without Daniel Lentz, but there’s no money, you know?
We usually ask the classical artists participating in our “15 Questions” series whether they ever considered playing a different instrument and how good they were at it. Since your work is now so closely connected to the Tuba – how has that been for you?
My first musical love was the trumpet – started at age 10 - and I didn’t give it up by choice or without a fight. I was always the first trumpet player throughout my early school years. I was in the high school band while in junior high. The high notes didn’t come to me naturally, though. We moved to a different school system, and being the new guy in the band, rather than correct my trumpet problems, my new band director (and my new trumpet teacher, the head of the brass department at Youngstown State University – Dana School of Music) chose to direct me to the tuba. For a while, I was playing a sousaphone in the high school marching band while still playing 1st trumpet in the Youngstown Youth Symphony. Notwithstanding the range problems which could have been corrected, I was a pretty good trumpet player.
I am not sure where to begin with “how has it been for you” with the tuba. It has certainly sucked for years – decades, even - at a time! It’s been over 30 years of tuba now, and it took a long time to get to the point of making my first solo recording, Where the Earth Meets the Sky (2001). So, it has finally begun to be good for me. Notwithstanding a sip of water now and again, it has been like a very long walk through the desert without any relief…..finally having recordings out there that speak for themselves has dramatically changed things for the better.
Looking back for a quick minute, my professional career began in the early 70s. When I moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in 1980, I found it a little frustrating to be asked by every person I called, “And, what else do you play?” But, I eventually broke through and it was in ’83-84 that I had one of my better musical experiences, playing in Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. Unfortunately, we didn’t play many gigs and did not record at all. I moved to New York in 1985 in the hopes of playing such creative music more often. Instead, it was much less. The New York scene was so disillusioning musically that I ended up selling my horns less than two years later and moving back to California. I thought of giving up music. But, back on the west coast, Bobby Bradford heard that I didn’t have a horn. He retrieved a school horn from a student (at Pasadena City College where he taught for years) and gave it to me - Red Callender’s old horn.
After a brief time in LA, I moved up to San Francisco to be with Martina, now my wife. I played off and on in the Bay Area. There were some wonderful times when I would carry the horn out to Aquatic Park at night and play with the sea lions and fog horns. In due course, I became involved with the improv/new music scene in the Bay Area (Glenn Spearman, the Clubfoot Orchestra, Marco Eneidi, Oxbow, Eugene Chadbourne, Stuart Dempster, Pauline Oliveros, Alvin Curran, Cabrillo Music Festival Orchestra). I also did a fair amount of orchestral freelancing - especially after getting hit by a car allowed me to collect enough money to buy a better tuba.
Eventually, I managed to bruise enough egos and found myself blacklisted from that scene. After I was fired from a Mills College Fred Frith concert by some bitter musician - who also happened to be the chair of the music department - lies were spread about me and I could not book a gig in town if my life depended on it (which it did and still does). Bay Area people who didn’t even know me at all fell right in with the party line. Garth Powell - who attempted to book a duo gig for us in early 1998 - told me “You’re blacklisted, man! I’ve never seen so many people united against a single individual.” This, of course, was not at all just because I played the tuba, but you did ask how it’s been….
When did you first get in touch with the Tuba? What was the deciding moment that made you decide you wanted to play it?
During my last year of high school, the nearby university hired a new tuba teacher (the old one went to the Philadelphia Orchestra.) Hearing John Turk play his first Youngstown recital completely changed my mind about the tuba. I found a new love and there was no turning back.
I suspect that, just like many other students of an instrument, you started off with classical repertoire (correct me if I’m wrong). So how did the transition to using it as the primary source for your own music come about?
If by “classical”, you mean the classic, composed, band-instrument literature and band instrument methods, sure, I started off learning the trumpet via the usual American school band methods, orchestral excerpts, etc. Regarding the “transition”, it is a development that has taken my entire 40-something-year-long musical career. But of course, the tuba has been my “primary source” for 30 of those years, and was always intended to be a viable solo voice.
I played a concert at a little art gallery on Market Street in San Francisco in January 2001, a few months before recording my first album. That date was when the looping/ambient work really came together for the first time in public. And the audience reaction was very favorable. Since that time, audiences– and I’m talking a wide variety of audiences including those at clubs, conservatories and prisons - have always been very responsive and appreciative.
Has your composing technique changed over the years? Or was it a gradual process to arrive at the purity of a single Tuba and a looping device?
The fact that I am a composer came as sort of a surprise to me. Specifically, my second album could not have been more improvised. Yet, the American Composers Forum’s Innova label released it, promoting me as the composer. It was reviewed in Wire magazine not in the Improvisation, but in the Modern Composition, category. For seven or eight years now I have been composing in a way that took me over thirty years to develop. Electronics began entering the picture about 11 years ago. I was looking for something “more” in a solo context and the loop sampler really expanded my toolbox about 8 or 9 years ago. At this point, my composition technique continues to evolve and could go in “any” direction.
For lack of precedence in musical history: Is there music out there which directly influences your own work and provides you with new ideas when playing? You’ve mentioned Frank Lloyd Wright and Howard Stern, but I’d be interested in which way other musicians and composers might actually play a part…
Stuart Dempster’s ‘In The Great Abbey Of Clement VI’ was a huge inspiration to me as a young brass player aspiring to be a soloist. A little later, Jon Hassell’s trumpet processing, Fripp & Eno’s ‘Evening Star’ and Budd & Eno’s “The Plateaux of Mirror” became vastly influential. But then so was Charlie Parker (I transcribed one of his solos and played it with the college jazz band) and Joni Mitchell and Yes and Chick Corea and Leonard Cohen and so many, many others over the years. Beginning around 1989 on into the early 90s I was quite taken by the first Deep Listening Band album. Seven years later, I very much enjoyed the initial experience of working with them in Oakland. It was right up there with the Charlie Haden experience and the best of my solo work.
Music has always been central to my innermost core and the music that I have loved the most at any given time has always inspired me, while also providing great pleasure. I would hope that my music would do the same for others.
In our last interview you stated that “my approach involves a large amount of trust and confidence in the fact that I can be a vessel for this music”. How did you gain that kind of confidence?
Many experiences over many years. I’ve always felt that there was an element of destiny to my musical work.
The purity of your lineup suggests that pieces may basically be evolving from very similar playing techniques and musical patterns each time. Would you agree? And if so: How do you keep things interesting for yourself?
To a degree, I would agree with your general idea. Yes, I quite often start with not just similar sounds, but the exact same sounds, in the same key. But, nothing I begin with is the same for long once it gets going in the looper. The sampler I use doesn’t just pile up tracks discreetly. It slices, dices, mixes, chops, purees and morphs what you put into it. Once I begin, my control of the result is limited somewhat. Composition using this technique is a very intuitive process. The richer the effect, the more interesting it is to me, period. When I play, I enter a world of sound and feeling. I try and let it take me where it seems to want to go. I can rarely win an argument with it over which way we will go.
Up until your most recent album, “Passages”, your work has been characterized by the pure lineup mentioned before. What made you decide to change that and engage in a dialogue with drummer Toss Panos?
As far as my own recorded output is concerned, it has all been entirely solo. My duos have included a few encounters with drummers, most notably Garth Powell and Gerry Hemingway in the Bay Area. As for working with Toss, while it didn’t really occur to me to meet him in a duo context, I definitely was interested in playing with him at some point. When I was ready to do some recording in Spring 2000, I phoned Toss about using his studio. He asked me if I wanted some drums. I said I hadn’t been thinking of it, but he talked me into giving it a try. Toss wrote me after the sessions and thanked me for bringing out an entirely different side of him. I think it worked out well for both of us.
Your music has an underlying pulse, but it is essentially rhythm less. Did you have to change your way of performing when playing in combination with a percussive instrument?
Well, sure. No matter what other instrumentalist(s) you are playing with, you have to listen and adjust. Not a lot of live overdubbing occurred during the recording of Passages - and none at all after the fact. I deliberately kept my tuba loops simpler, starker, and more rhythmic, sometimes setting up a framework for Toss’ drums, and sometimes vice versa. But I didn’t have to change much. I think our individual trajectories tended to parallel and contrast with – rather than mimic – each other.
The music on “Passages” has a very physical aspect and would certainly lend itself well for the concert situation. Do you see that happening any time soon?
Even my solo work is pretty visceral– especially live. I think that Toss and I will at least do something here in Los Angeles. Know any festival bookers?
Are there any plans to extend the sonic palette even more? Or to put it differently: When can we expect Tom Heasley in a band context?
As I said earlier, some interesting things are afoot. There are some very appealing possibilities, given some of the musicians that I have been meeting lately.
Many refer to your music as “Ambient”. With the leftfield combination of Tuba and Drums, do you sometimes consider it “punk” yourself?
Not really…..Once with the Liberation Music Orchestra 25 years ago, The Minutemen opened up for us. Maybe a little of their punk rubbed off. |
148,083,264 | "Thar she goes ag'in, a-cussin' of her driver!" grumbled old Hi, as he walked at the head of his lead oxen, Poly and Bony, with Buck and Berry panting behind them. "Jest listen at her! An' 'twas only day afore yistiddy that I put in a hull half hour a-greasin of her. Wal, she'll hev to fuss till mornin'. We ain't got no time to stop a minute in this hot place. If we make the springs afore the beasteses gin out 'twill be more'n I look fer!"
Old Hi anxiously gazed ahead, trying to see through the shimmering haze of the desert the far-distant little spot of ground where bubbled up the precious spring by which they might halt for rest and refreshment. "G'lang, Poly! That's right, Bony! Keep it up, ol' fellers!" Hi strove to encourage the patient oxen as they plodded wearily along through the fearful heat and the suffocating clouds of fine alkali dust.
For weeks the long train of covered wagons had moved steadily westward over the dim trails. Starting away back in Ohio, loaded with necessities for the prospectors in the far West, they had crossed the fertile prairies, stuck in the muddy sloughs, forded the swollen rivers, rumbled over the plains and wound in and out the mountain passes. Now they were crawling over the desert, man and beast almost exhausted, even the seasoned wagons seeming to protest against the strain put upon them.
All that afternoon Hi walked with his oxen, talking and whistling, as much to keep up his own courage as to quicken their pace. For a few moments at a time they would rest, and then onward again towards the springs indicated on the map by which they traveled.
Half blind and dizzy from the dust and heat, sometimes Hi stumbled and staggered and nearly fell. He dared not turn to see how it fared with the men and teams behind him. Wrecks of wagons and bones of oxen by the side of the trail told an all-too-plain story. Some there were in every train who dropped by the way; men who raved in fever and died calling for water; faithful oxen who were shot to put them out of misery. Wagons were abandoned with their valuable freight when the teams could no longer pull them.
All afternoon they crept forward; the reiterating "Squeak! Squ-e-a-k! Scr-e-e-ch!" of the wagon sounded like a maddened human voice to poor Hi, fevered and half delirious.
At last the sun sank like a ball of fire in the haze. A cool breath of air sighed across the plain. The prairie dogs barked from their burrows. The coyotes yapped in the distance. But not yet could the long train stop, for rest without water meant death.
Far into the night the white-topped wagons crept on like specters. No sound was heard except that of the plodding feet of the oxen, the rumble of the heavy wagons and the "Squeak! Squ-e-a-k! Scr-e-e-ch!" that had troubled Hi since noon. Suddenly the oxen lifted their heads, sniffed the air eagerly, and without urging quickened their pace.
"What is it, ol' fellers?" asked Hi, as hope revived. "Is it the water ye are smellin'? Stiddy, thar! Stiddy!"
A few moments more, and Hi gave a shout of joy that was taken up and sounded down the line. "The spring! The spring!"
A halt was made. Every drop of the precious water was carefully portioned out so that each might have his share. Preparations were made for the night. The wagons were pulled up in a circle. The oxen were carefully secured that they might not wander away. Here and there a flickering little fire was seen as the scanty "grub" was cooked. After Hi had bolted his share he wrapped himself in his blanket and lay down near his wagon. The large white top loomed dimly before him in the darkness.
A little while he stretched and twisted and turned uneasily until his tired muscles relaxed. In his ears yet seemed to sound the "Squeak! Squ-e-a-k! Scr-e-e-ch!" of the complaining wagon as it had bothered him all afternoon. "Darn ye! Won't ye ever shet up?" he muttered as he drifted off to sleep.
"Won't I ever shet up? I won't till I git good and ready!" The sharp, shrill voice made Hi open his eyes with a start. Above him leaned the huge form of an old woman in a white cap drawn close about her wrinkled, seamed face, only partly distinguishable in the darkness. As he lay blinking, trying to see her more plainly, the high falsetto voice continued its plaint.
"Won't I ever shet up? A nice way thet is to talk to me, Hi Smith! Do I iver grumble and snarl when ye treat me right? Hain't I been faithful to ye through thick an' thin? Hain't I made a home fer ye all this hull endurin' trip? Hain't I looked after yer grub and yer blankets and done ever'thin' I could to make ye comfortable? Hain't I kep' the rain offen ye at night? An' thet time the Injuns was after ye, didn't I stand atween ye an' the redskins and pertect ye? Didn't I keep ye from gittin' drownded when ye crossed thet river whar the current swep' the beasteses offen their feet? Didn't I watch over ye and shield ye from the sun when ye lay sick of the fever and hadn't nary wife to look after ye? Hain't I follered after them dumb beasteses through mud and water and over gravel and through clouds of alkali dust thick enough to choke a person, and niver said a word? An' now, jest bekase I'm fair swizzled up with the heat and ye fergit to give me some grease to rub on my achin' j'ints, ye cuss me! Yis, I heerd ye! Ye needn't deny it! A-cussin' of me who has taken the place of home an' mother to ye fer years! I heerd ye! I he-e-rd ye! What d'ye mean, I say!" And the tirade ended in a perfect screech of anger.
Thoroughly aroused, Hi rolled over and jumped hastily to his feet. He looked all around. The old woman had mysteriously vanished. A coyotte sneaked past him. Day was breaking in the east. The first gleam of light fell on the white-topped wagon drawn up beside him.
He rubbed his eyes. "Wal, I swan!" he muttered, as he gazed bewilderedly at the close-drawn white top looming above him. "Glad I woke up airly! I'll hev time ter grease that thar wagon afore we start!" |
288,276,866 | NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In one of our scrapbooks is a picture from 1972 of our then-teenage daughters, Jerilyn and Debra, hiking up the hill of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, toward the Parthenon at its crest. Although we could admire the remnants of the building that is the epitome of Greek culture, in some ways we found the Parthenon a sad sight, with rubble lying on all sides.
Imagine our surprise in December when we visited in Nashville�s Centennial Park the world�s only full-scale replica of the Parthenon as it was in its days of full glory, beginning in 456 B.C. before time, wars, vandalism and foreign "appropriations" had taken its toll.
Why is the Parthenon in Nashville? In keeping with its reputation as the Athens of the South, the city built a temporary replica of the Parthenon in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. The builders got permission to make plaster replicas of the Elgin Marbles, which were displayed along the sides of the interior. The building was so popular it was left standing. When it began to show its age, the city rebuilt a complete permanent replica that was opened in 1931. As marble is extremely expensive, it was built principally of reinforced concrete. Later renovations included unveiling a nearly 43-foot statue in 1990 of Athena, a replica of the original statue inside the Parthenon.
In 1687, the Parthenon was the victim of a gunpowder explosion when the Turks were using it as a munitions dump. A shell launched by the attacking Venetians made a direct hit. Before that incident, the Parthenon was in excellent condition because of the quality of the original construction.
Because they felt the Greeks could not take proper care of them, the British removed the elaborate friezes to the British Museum in London in 1801 and renamed them the Elgin Marbles after the Brit who sought to save them. We have viewed the Elgin Marbles several times, and they are beautiful.
The Greeks would dearly love to get them back, but if the British complied, that might start a run on other exhibits from other countries, which would not leave much for the Brits to display because many of the other exhibits in the British Museum also could be considered to be in protective custody.
Despite the extensive damage, the Parthenon is still listed as No. 21 on Hillman�s 100 top wonders of the world. It is a 2,400-year-old symbol of the Greek civilization that has had such a major influence on our Western culture. In addition, it was a Christian church for more than 1,000 years and a Muslim mosque for more than 200 years.
Inside the Nashville Parthenon are small replicas of the east and west pediments as they would have appeared in ancient times. The east pediment focuses on the birth of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who sprang full-grown in a suit of armor from a cleft in the skull of Zeus. According to Wilbur Creighton, author of "The Parthenon in Nashville," this myth reflects the idea that "wisdom is the one creation, or �child,� of man that springs, full grown, from the head."
Athena was also the goddess of useful arts and of defense and the arts of peace. In the west pediment, she is shown ready to battle Poseidon, the god of the sea, to determine who shall become the patron god of the city. As her gifts related to the olive tree were used daily and were the leading exports, they were considered more valuable, and the city took her name.
The original statue of Athena inside the Parthenon disappeared in ancient times, but small models and pictures on coins existed. This allowed the sculptor Alan LeQuire over a period of seven years to re-create Athena. Unveiled in 1990 and gilded in 2002 with 8 pounds of gold, she stands in all her grandeur just as she did in the fifth century, the largest indoor statue in the world.
Her 15-foot shield is also covered in gold leaf. In her right hand, she holds a statue of a winged Victory, which is 6 feet 4 inches tall. This is as close to what Plato, Socrates and Aristotle saw as we can expect to see.
A small, excellent art museum has been set up in the basement area. A short film explains the innovations incorporated in the original building and the reason it was considered such a step forward in construction. For example, it took creativity and mathematical skill to construct and space columns so that they would appear uniform to the naked eye.
Sixpoint Brewery of Brooklyn, New York, produces a long line of canned craft beers. Global Warmer is a 2013 release, labeled as a “winter warmer” style beer. In their blog post about it, Sixpoint wanted to show that you could follow the prevailing trend of cramming a lot of hops into every beer style.
The beer pours a cloudy reddish brown color with a coarse white head that leaves behind sheet-like lacing.
The flavor follows the aroma to the letter. It’s like drinking a glass of concentrated grapefruit juice into which a Christmas tree has been steeped for two or three months. It’s bitter and unpleasant. To call it a winter warmer is to insult all other winter warmers. The only thing that warmed my heart about this beer was that I bought only a five-ounce sample. It warmed my heart to know that once that sample was gone, I’d never have to drink this beer ever again.
The Beer Advocate folks gave it an 88 or “very good” rating with over 130 reviews. Rate Beer gives it an 84 overall. For me, this is just not what I want, expect, or like in a winter warmer, so it gets a 3 out of 10.
I sampled it at The Daily Growler in Upper Arlington, but I’ve seen Sixpoint’s products at various local retailers in Columbus. |
299,381,397 | ANDALOU naturals Skin Care with Fruit Stem Cell Science renews skin at the cellular level, blending nature and knowledge for visible Age Defying results.
Not too heavy, not too light on the skin. Great smell. Feels great on your skin. Best all natural product I've come across ( and I've tried lots).
I'm completely in love with this brand. I bought the travel size as a test dummy since my skin can be sensitive and finicky but to my surprise it didn't cause any reaction. Once I'm done with the travel size I'll be buying the full size, I just wish they had a package that sold the larger sizes together as well. If not I'll buy it for myself as a birthday present
I am in love with these products. This was a great way to try out these andalou products to see if I like them. I am in love and have now purchased full size packages of them! They are gentle for my sensitive skin, have a nice light scent and adsorb well. It is almost more like a gel than a cream, maybe a gelcream.
I purchased this kit to see if I liked the day cream better than the rose one ( I did). Just the right amount of moisture and a fresh light scent
Pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the cleanser. It cleanses well,removies makeup and doesn't leave my face feeling stripped of everything or tight.
The toner was my least favourite. I really didn't enjoy the smell even though it was light, I'm extremely sensitive to smells and fragrances in my products. That being said, it worked very well and did not sting at all.
The size of the products was nice too, just the right size to really test them out and get a good feel.
Highly recommend Andalou Naturals, they're my first choice for skincare even over more expensive brands.
Great products....gives you the chance to try the line then you can purchase the larger size or use for travel. Definitely not an irritatant products. Happy with the purchase and will buy again :)
Glad to be able to try out before purchasing and good size for travel too. Very nice light scent and hydrating.
I love this line! I normally buy the sensitive but wanted to try it out. Great formats for that purpose.
My skin is well hydrated. Both creams have a light feeling and absorb really fast without feeling greasy. I prefer this smell to the sensitive one. It is light and airy and doesn't linger. I am not so sure about the toner, it does make me feel tingly. I might stick with the sensitive one.
I love Andalou products and am so happy Well carries them. Thisis an awesome kit to try their different lines and find your faves.
This is a super awesome way to try out these products! It's been a few weeks since I got my kit, so here are some comments on the individual products:
Super Goji Peptide Perfecting Cream: I love this for daily use. However on the really harsh wintery days (super windy and cold) you might need something thicker. But I think this will be perfect on all the other days of the year.
BioActive 8 Berry Fruit Enzyme Mask: I'm not a big mask gal but I liked this one. Easy to use, doesn't feel weird on, and leaves skin soft and clean feeling.
One complaint: I don't think I'm looking all that much younger yet. I thought this was age defying! ;-)
LOVE Andalou. Tried them out a while back and was impressed. I had been trying to find a fruit based skin care line similar to one based in the US for quite some time. So happy to see this Canadian line at well.ca!
Loved that I was able to try several products before purchasing full size. Pleasantly surprised with this line. Cleanser is effective and non drying. Love the creams and mask. Only been a week but so far skin is balanced, softer and no
Love love love! ! Feels great going on face and absorbs quickly. Can't wait to try more of their products!
The whole Andalou line is spectacular. I've had both eczema and acne simultaneously on my face for years, and have tried sooo many different products and Andalou seems to be the only stuff that solves both those problems. Miracle worker.
I bought these first to see if I would like them as some have very strong smells. These are lovely and I have since purchased the whole line in the full sizes. Highly recommend this line especially if smells bother you as these have a very mild pleasant scent.
I really love these products. I am so happy that they come in the small sizes so that I could try them first. It did not cause my skin to break out. My skin tone is much more even, the fine lines are disappearing after less than a week, and what I find so amazing is that my pores are much less noticeable. My skin in now so soft and smooth. I am buying all the 5 products in full size, and a few other Andalou products. (I wish all products were available in the small sizes to try.)
I used this kit for about a week before I went out and purchased the full-sized versions of each product, plus the Omega 3-in-1 and Revitalize Serum. I am in love. The products are super gentle and nourishing to my dehydrated yet combination, sensitive skin. I have noticed a definite improvement in both texture and tone and actually look forward to using these products because of their pleasant smell and packaging. This is definitely a home run- thanks, well.ca for introducing my to my new favourite skin care line!
Awesome product. Perfect travel size and perfect size for trying out products. Leaves my skin feeling great. Soft and smooth. Good quality products and will be back for more. You can't go wrong with Andalou Naturals.
I bought this kit to try the products, as I am tired of spending alot of money on facial care. After using this starter kit, I have now purchased the regular sizes. Everything the other reviews state is true. I will stay with these products, and will be trying others in this line.
I tried one kit (the meyer-lemon skin brightening one ) first and loved the products especially the creams and mask so I thought i'd give this one a go since I am wrinkling by the minute . I like the textures of the 2 creams enough to buy them again when they come on special and the toner while ok should last me a good long time cause that's one step in my routine I skip mostly. The sizes are good for travel so if I were going anywhere I might be tempted to get this kit again for that. I find these kits ideal to test products at minimal cost and establish whether they will work with my acne and cause break-outs: on that not I am happy to report my skin was fine with these. The mask is mild and soothing and so is the face wash, no tingling sensation from these.
I love this product. The size is perfect for trial but especially wonderful for traveling. I travel a lot so I've purchased several 'starter kits'. I'm intending to buy the products separately for home use. I've used a lot of high priced skin products in the past and I'd rate this very high.
These are absolutely wonderful items. The product is very high class and smells amazing. I will definitely be purchasing the out of pack products once my trial size ends. Andalou is very high on my must try list.
After using this kit, I'm seriously considering switching from my usual face products with these!!! Never made my face feel tight, and the fact that they smell wonderful, is a nice bonus!!!
This is a wonderful package of items. Perfect for the cottage or travel. After experiencing all of these wonderful products, I have gone out and purchased the regular size in each and every one. Andalou is definitely a superior product that everyone should try.
Very impressed with this product, you only need tiny amounts and your skin feels softer and lines begin to dissapear or at least become less pronounced after only a week. ( in my case anyway ) I like this kit because the price is reasonable and you can do a whole daily routine with it. I have had mine for several weeks and I am only about 1/3 to 1/2 way through so I am guessing it will last a month. |
264,917,499 | Discussed free will today in class (& evil). Basically broke up a version of the Free Will Defense into premises and had discussion after each one. Looked something like this on the handout:
But any possible world in which there are creatures with free will is better than any possible world in which there are no such creatures
This is a really controversial premise, but let’s try to motivate it. Imagine a world full of puppies, bunnies, and kitties, but without any human beings. No hatred, but no love either. No murder, but no self-sacrifice. Is such a world better than one in which we have suffering? I’m tempted to say no. Better to have the evil if it brings with it such beautiful possibilities.
Seems like this is true: if God couldn’t have done better than to create this world, then -- given that the only other option (not creating at all) seems clearly worse than creating something -- seems like God’s justified in creating a world with evil.
But, for all we know, there are no possible worlds in which there are creatures with free will that are also evil-free
This is a mega-controversial premise. This is where the question of transworld depravity comes up. Is it really the case that any possible world in which creatures have free will is a possible world in which there’s also evil?
Note: this doesn’t require all evil (moral and natural) to be causally linked to the use of free will. Perhaps in order for agents to exercise genuine free will there needs to be real risks (like death), or perhaps we need to be able to see how our actions can affect others (cause them great suffering). This makes the premise a bit more plausible, but it’s still tough!
Thus, for all we know, the actual world is the best possible world (that is: the world in which higher-order goods like free will are ideally balanced with lower-order goods, like pleasure, and evils, like suffering and death)
We discussed the premises of this argument pretty much the entire time. I took a moment to explain possible worlds (see the picture at the beginning of this post), and gave them the conceptual resources to compare these world to one another. I then ended by handing out a set of cases having to do with the connection between free will and moral responsibility (the other major topic we talked about in class this week). Here's the last such case (taken from real life), that I'll end with. Discuss as you like in the comments below:
On June 15, 2013, according to authorities and trial testimony, Couch was witnessed on surveillance video stealing two cases of beer from a Walmart store, driving with seven passengers in his father's Ford F-350 pickup truck, and speeding (70 MPH in a designated 40 MPH zone). Three hours after the incident, he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.24, three times the legal limit for adult drivers in Texas. Couch also tested positive for Valium. Approximately an hour after the beer theft, Couch was driving his father's truck at 70 MPH on a dark, rural road where motorist Breanna Mitchell's sport utility vehicle had stalled. Hollie Boyles and her daughter Shelby, who lived nearby, had come out to help her, as had passing youth minister Brian Jennings. Couch's truck swerved off the road and into Mitchell's car, then plowed into Jennings' parked car, which in turn hit an oncoming Volkswagen Beetle. The truck then flipped over and hit a tree. Mitchell, Jennings, and both Hollie and Shelby Boyles were killed, while Couch and his seven teen passengers (none wearing seat belts) survived, as did the two children in Jennings' car and the two people in the Volkswagen.
Miller said Couch's parents gave him 'freedoms no young person should have.' He called Couch a product of 'affluenza,' where his family felt that wealth bought privilege and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences. He said Couch got whatever he wanted. As an example, Miller said Couch's parents gave no punishment after police ticketed the then-15-year-old when he was found in a parked pickup with a passed out, undressed, 14-year-old girl.
Lawyers for Couch, 16, had argued that the teen's parents should share part of the blame for the crash because they never set limits for the boy and gave him everything he wanted. According to CNN affiliate WFAA, a psychologist called by the defense described Couch as a product of "affluenza."
Divorce. For some people a seven letter, happy, word to be placed alongside others like Rapture, Divorce. For some people a seven letter, happy, word to be placed alongside others like Rapture, Delight, Elation or Ecstasy.
I interviewed a great guy called Davey Johnstone for my Sunday newspaper column. He has played guitar on all Elton John’s hits and still takes to the stage with him 45 years later. Davey told me a story about playing live with John Lennon, but the words Lennon used, while really funny were, shall we say, just rude. I didn’t want to lose the story but I couldn’t possibly use the original quote in a family paper. So I used words like “groupie” and “girls” instead.
On Sunday morning at nine a.m. I ended my radio show and handed over to my colleague. “Here with the BBC News is Sue Kinnear.” There was a gap, so long that I wondered whether to jump in, and then she started speaking. “Terry Wogan has died this morning at the age of 77.”
Four weeks ago, just before the end of the year, I sat down as I always do and compiled a list of my favourite albums of the year. I never let anyone else see the list as it seems to me that would be a bit arrogant, as if my opinion counts for anything. Tastes vary, and although I listen to every new album that comes out the end of year list is just for me.
Morris Louis was a leading figure of Color Field painting, known for his experimental methods in which he manipulated the surface flow of the medium to realize vibrant and mesmerizing compositions. Moving away from the concurrent trends of action painting, Louis became part of the Post-Painterly Abstraction movement that aligned him within a generation of artists that included Kenneth Noland, Barnett Newman and Helen Frankenthaler. |