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La Salle Academy is dedicated to providing a Christ-Centered Academic Education for children. La Salle believes in the God-given dignity of all individuals. With Jesus as the example, students learn more about human dignity and respect for all life. Through dedicated teachers as role models, students learn to appreciate both similarities and differences in each other. In addition, they learn more about the rich tradition of our Catholic faith and what it means to be a Christian. La Salle students experience a variety of instructional activities, incorporating ongoing technology to enhance learning. In addition, La Salle is academically competitive. In mathematics junior high students participate in Mathcounts which is held at Alvernia College. La Salle Academy is proud to offer an enrichment program for those students in Grades 3-8 who qualify. La Salle’s Enrichment Program, LEP, provides enrichment opportunities without the student having to leave the school. Enrichment activities can be carried over into the classroom and shared with other students. Students’ interests guide the activities to make this an enjoyable, challenging, and educational experience. Students qualify for the enrichment program through an evaluation process. The process involves parental permission, teacher input about classroom performance, and intelligence testing administered by the school psychologist. La Salle Academy offers remediation in reading instruction for students in kindergarten through fourth grades. These services are provided through the Berks County Intermediate Unit. Limited adaptations and modifications can be provided on an individual basis when necessary. Parents of students requiring these services meet with the Instructional Support Team, consisting of the parent, teacher, principal, and school psychologist to determine how to best meet the needs of the child.

http://www.lsabear.com/special-programs.html

Breast Implants... Should I? I've always wanted bigger breasts but never really thought about it seriously. I always said that if I were to get breast implants, I'd wait until after I had kids. So now I've had my kids, who were both breastfed, and now that I'm totally lacking in the breast department, it's time to give it some serious thought. Pros: you can wear a bikini with confidence, you'll fill out your tops better, you'll have more shape and confidence. Cons: cost, having to go through surgery. Hmmm! I'm sure there are more pros and cons, I just can't be bothered typing them in. I guess I've already made the decision to get them done, my only major hurdle now is money, finding a good surgeon and actually setting up a consultation. The reason why I want them done is because I breastfed my first son for two years and four months, and my second son is turning two at the end of June and I'm still breastfeeding him. Suffice to say, my boobs are somewhat non-existent. I'm very self concious of the fact that I no longer have a bust. Push up bras are my best friend. But there are certain tops I have that no matter what, you still look as flat as a surf board. I know my confidence will improve a great deal if I had a chest to speak of! I'm very envious of girls who have a nice bust. I believe that I deserve to feel confident, so I will be getting mine done. I just need to do my research and get my hands on some cash. Although I must admit, cash won't really be a problem as my bf said he'd pay for them (lucky me)! But I will pay him back, so I'll need to eventually get a job. But for now, my focus is on finding a good surgeon and getting the process started. It has been a very long time since my last update, I can't even remember when it was... or what it was about! Ever since I got my iPhone I just stopped using my laptop, which meant I couldn't do posts. Well, technically I could but I couldn't be bothered setting it up to blog via email. Not much has changed, except for adding to my closet. I used to buy inexpensive knits which looked nice but didn't last very long, now I've discovered new brands that will last me many seasons. I've gotten several Tommy Hilfiger knits which I love. I've gotten a few Guess tops (my fav brand) and a Gant hoodie which is actually mens, but I love hoodies and it was the one I wanted so I didn't let that stop me from getting it. Also I got a pair of G-Star boots which I can't wait to wear. They're black and super comfy. The weather just needs to get colder for me to be able to wear it. I've been so lazy in the looks department lately. I go out without bothering with make up and I can't remember the last time I styled my hair. I've just been wearing it in a bun everyday! I think this needs to change, because I'm feeling super frumpy and while I hate going out without getting done up, I do it anyway because I'm so lazy! Must get motivated to get hot again! Anyway I want to talk about something I'm considering, breast implants. But I think I'll do that in it's own post because I have a lot to say on the subject. Watch out for it next!

http://www.makeupdownunder.com/2010/04/

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Cymru has opened for business in Broughton, Wales, with the aim of being a catalyst for growth and jobs in Deeside, across North Wales and the wider cross-border and Northern Powerhouse region. The centre will look to provide businesses with a new level of research and development opportunities and support. It will enable businesses to access advanced technologies, helping them to drive improvements in productivity, performance and quality. The AMRC was officially opened by First Minister Mark Drakeford and Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates on yesterday (28 November). Drakeford said: “This is a world-class facility, which will be a key driver in bringing the latest research, technology and skills to Deeside and the wider North Wales region. Situated in the Deeside Enterprise Zone, it will focus on advanced manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, automotive, nuclear and food.The region has a strong manufacturing base and AMRC Cymru will build on this, driving research and expertise across the supply chain. Backed by £20m from Welsh Government, and managed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the centre will also aim to spark economic growth by developing innovation, commercialisation and the development of a new generation of skills. The centre will operate a 2,000 square metre open access research area. Airbus will be the first major tenant and will have a platform to develop its next-generation wing technologies aligned to its Wing of Tomorrow programme, which is part of a global Airbus investment in research and innovation. Colin Sirett, University of Sheffield AMRC CEO, described AMRC Cymru as a landmark moment for both Wales and the UK. “We share the Welsh government’s ambition and vision to spark growth and productivity for the area and are very proud of this new addition to the University of Sheffield AMRC’s stable of world-class facilities, which will be a beacon for innovation and advanced manufacturing in Wales and the Northern Powerhouse,” Sirett said. AMRC Cymru was designed and project managed by Arup and the construction was carried out by Galliford Try.

http://www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk/news/world-class-facility-amrc-cymru-opens

The recognition and popularity of replica watches, like those in https://luxuryreplica.to, have increased males and females. Replica watches are simply replications of the luxurious watch models. At first glance, they may look real and authentic. But these watches are made by various corporations in the luxurious brands. Moreover, they’re offered at a more inexpensive price. But are replicas legal or illegal? Counterfeits are basically products that are very much alike to other products, which infringes on the product mark or trademark of the brand. Usually, these are vended online, on street corner as well as through back-alley merchants. Counterfeit products and goods are illegal. Knockoffs are products that bear resemblance to another product, however aren’t precisely identical. They could be purchased online as well as in stores, frequently from reputable brands or retailers which are sold at an amount that is cheaper than the original product of inspiration. It isn’t illegal; however, it could be disputed in court by the original brand where the design inspiration was drawn. A replica is a comparatively new word created by counterfeiters to advertise and market their items online. It is unlawful when a replica is exactly similar to the trademarks of the product. But if a product resembles a design but not exactly identical, it is comparable to a knockoff. The dangers of purchasing counterfeit items aren’t at all times apparent. There are impacts on the economy, legal repercussions, as well as risks on health and safety that are crucial for you to recognize prior to making a purchase. Every year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) takes hold of every type of products from across the globe that are counterfeits. Counterfeiters intend to make money by creating fake or phony versions of the most recent and trending products the moment they reach the market. Every time a counterfeited product is bought, a legit company or business loses returns. This also means lost profits as well as jobs in the U.S. over time. It is unlawful to buy goods that are counterfeits as it supports felonious activities like money laundering. Entering them into the U.S. is also illegal and might bring about criminal or civil penalties. Counterfeiters aren’t concerned about the wellbeing and welfare of consumers. Numerous counterfeit goods are of less quality and class and could bring about injuries. Pharmaceuticals, personal care, and consumer electronics are the top products being counterfeited that presents health and safety risks.

http://www.markfieldmp.com/impacts-and-legal-implications-of-counterfeit-goods

Some of my best friends are artists. Or rather… some of my best friends are really good artists who can draw and doodle at the drop of a #4 Red Sable brush. Some of them are also pro artists and even exhibit and regularly sell their own paintings. I wish…The only time I sold a work of art was by accident when I painted a portrait of my sister which made her look like a long-nosed dinosaur with huge scary eyes and hair covered in pink custard. Very ‘Jackson Pollock’ I thought, although my sister was not impressed. A graphics illustrator from Leeds bought it for twenty quid and used it as inspiration for his next horror cartoon magazine. If you turn to page 12 of “Shazzam Monster Animator Monthly (January 2014)” you will see why my sister was so upset. Apologies for scaring the living daylights out of any of your children. When proper artists paint a watercolour of—say—the River Axe at sunset, it looks great. It looks like it’s supposed to look—i.e. a river, a rowing boat, reed beds, a bird or two and a beautiful evening sky. My attempt at the same scene resembles a splodge of blue and orange with blurry black bits (supposed to be ducks) and in place of a boat, there’s something that looks very like a dead vulture poking out of the water. My arty endeavours over the years leave quite a bit to be desired and rather more to be imagined, but I keep trying. I used to be part of an art class run by one of my good friends (she’s a seriously good artist and can even tell you the exact shade of yellow of the inside of a daffodil—Cadmium Yellow Pigment 37, in case you were wondering). I kept going for years without ever achieving even a minor masterpiece but, as she told me, “I must keep experimenting”. One of my so-called experiments was an oil painting of Sutton Bingham reservoir. It wasn’t too bad but I got bored with it one rainy afternoon and in a mood of complete frustration I added a German submarine to the foreground which failed to improve it. Probably the only reason I kept going to art was because I was the only man in her art class. It was much more interesting to sit and experiment with pencils and brushes when surrounded by attractive ladies. To be a good artist, it helps if you’re a little weird. Picasso carried a real gun around and if you asked him about his art, he’d pull it out and threaten to shoot you. Salvador Dali kept a pet ocelot and stole the pens of all fans who asked him for autographs, while Michelangelo may have painted the Sistine Chapel, but he was a right stinker… he never bathed and only rarely changed his clothes. Despite a lifetime of painting ballet dancers and young ladies combing their hair, Edgar Degas was a dedicated misogynist who hated all women. He preferred racehorses apparently. Perhaps I’d be a better artist if I too cultivated a few weird behaviours like wearing a pair of underpants on my head or walking a live lobster around Bridport. On the other hand, I first have to choose the medium: watercolour or acrylics? Today, it’ll be acrylics because water colours are too difficult since you can’t erase a brush stroke if you don’t like what you’ve done. Next, what type of paper? This means going through all my pads of paper—white, grey, dark red or buff yellow paper, or maybe acrylic canvas board? Some of them I’ve never ever used, but I like to have them there just in case. It’s strangely comforting. Then I can start to get ready. Firstly, I remove last week’s brushes from the cold cup of coffee, rinse them thoroughly and then dry them for no particular reason particularly as I’m about to wet them again. Repeat this rinsing and drying routine. Then I sit down, pour a fresh coffee (because the last one had traces of Burnt Sienna in it) and spend ten minutes contemplating. This is a very important moment artistically. I have to allow time to relax and let the image of what I intend to try and paint sink inside my brain… Deep breathing to help bring on the “inner me” etc. Then I remove an orange from the ‘Still Life Arrangement’ and eat it. Finally, I draw a couple of lines (horizon or something) and then dabble a few round blobs of green paint to give the impression of some grapes. Then I make them too big and turn them into apples. My still life of ‘an orange with a bunch of grapes’ looks OK but it’s somehow missing something important. Ah yes… the orange. That’s why I lack the patience to ever become a great artist. I’m sure you get the picture. Or rather, in this case, you don’t.

http://www.marshwoodvale.com/laterally-speaking/2019/05/arts-and-crafts/

The country is facing daunting challenges. The local economic fundamentals are deteriorating. The international outlook marked by the uncertainties resulting from the Brexit deadlock, trade wars provoked by Donald Trump against China and other countries as well as tightening financial conditions in the US and other countries is grim. Global growth prospects have therefore been downgraded. Thus, the World Bank has cut its estimate for global growth in 2019 to 2.9 percent and forecast an average growth of 2.8 percent in 2020-21, underlining that downside risks have become more acute. The lower world growth forecasts will adversely affect our exports which have been the cornerstone of our prosperity over the years as well as further worsen the balance of trade situation. World trade liberalization, new rules governing international trade accords and the financial services sector which brought changes to the double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) between India and Mauritius with capital gains tax charged at full domestic tax rates as from 1 April 2019 as well as stricter OECD, EU and regional norms of compliance have ushered a much more competitive ball game and forced economic actors to operate outside their comfort zone. Since some time now, sugar and textile exports have been facing tougher competition and dire market conditions. Sugar producers have been incurring recurrent losses and are on a tenuous lifeline of revenue support since the 2014 crop. The use of tens of thousands of foreign workers in the textile sector has also provided it with a lifeline for a certain period. However, a number of textile mills have closed down or delocalized in low-cost countries such as Madagascar, India and Bangladesh so as to remain competitive and profitable. In order to restructure and reposition the economy, a broad range of principally services-based new sectors such as financial services, Information and Communications technology (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing, healthcare, tertiary education as well as ocean economy and aqua-culture, film, media and creative industries, etc., have been opened to diversify and provide a new impetus to the development of the economy against the backdrop of faltering traditional sectors. However, despite the broad diversification of the economy, growth has been stunted, fluctuating under successive governments between 3.5% and 3.8% during the 2012-2018 period. Disappointingly, the contribution of major new sectors such as the ICT and the financial services sectors to Gross Value Added have both declined during the 2015-2018 period. Is the private sector out of its depths in this more innovative and competitive ball game? In order to generate high value addition all these new sectors require pointed expertise and well-honed technical skills in these specialized fields as well as the transfer of technology through strategic partnerships, foreign investment and the induction of foreign experts. In contrast, owing to extremely generous incentives and handsome exemptions from the payment of a wide range of taxes including land conversion tax, income tax and duties granted by government representing billions of Rupees of forfeited state revenue, the economy is instead inordinately skewed towards property development and smart cities projects by promoters endowed with substantial land assets in prime locations. From advertisements put up by estate agents on the internet luxury villas are selling ‘as from Euros 700, 000 to above Euros 2.56 million’ (Rs 27 million to Rs 100 million). Apart from being very lucrative for the handful of promoters and hiking real estate values in the country out of reach of mainstream Mauritius, can government spell out the real benefits of such schemes for the country at large? We can no longer continue to bury our heads in the sand. It is evident that persisting with the same economic model which has failed the country for more than a decade is not a viable option. The country will not be able to escape the middle income trap to become a high income economy if certain fundamental and necessary conditions are not met forthwith. These essential conditions include, above all, a new political class and a rejigged government establishment top brass having the talent, intellect, competence and strategic thinking acumen to help chart an innovative growth path towards a high income economy for the benefit of all. They also include an innovative private sector but more importantly the induction of foreign investors having the expertise, skills and required professional cadres capable of urgently moving up the value chain of the various new services sectors of the economy so as to offer more remunerative higher value added products to the market. The necessary conditions also include a high standard of good governance, strict adherence to the cardinal principles of meritocracy, transparency and accountability at all levels and an end to nepotism, cronyism and political interference in the management of the government administrative machinery, state institutions and state companies. The country is at a crossroads. Our idea of Mauritius and our loftiest ambitions as a nation cannot be realized by the current crop of politicians and their appalling standard of governance. The country has already lost nearly a decade stuck in the doldrums of a subpar growth performance. This cannot go on. We need to jettison a toxic system and culture of governance which have profoundly impaired the country. Tremendous damage has already been done to the quality and managerial acumen of the government establishment, state institutions and companies through decried government interference and cronyism. We need to reverse the trend forthwith and rebuild. How can the Prime Minister repeatedly tom tom about government performance when under the watch of a cohort of political appointees, prime companies such as the State Commercial Bank (SBM) and Air Mauritius where the State is a major shareholder have ineptly landed themselves in dire financial difficulties? The SBM has had to make impairment provisions of some Rs 3.6 billion to cover risky exposure on loans granted which have halved its profit and adversely affected shareholders. It is not only necessary for those responsible for such a lack of banking prudence and ineptitude to be made accountable but to also forthwith stop the decried practice of appointing political nominees of every ilk all over and to rigorously ensure that state companies and institutions are solely manned and managed by seasoned professionals of the highest caliber. Beyond the blame game opposing politicians, the country cannot afford costly blunders by successive governments such as the billions of public funds which have had to be used to repair a leaking Midlands dam or cases of reckless litigation with diverse parties exposing the country to billions of Rupees in damages such as in the case of the fuel transportation contract with Betamax. Similarly, piling and ground improvements works required in the light of the results of geological tests obtained in May 2018 have hiked the cost of Rs 3.9 billion earmarked to build a multisport complex at Côte-d’Or which was to be used for the Indian Ocean Island Games scheduled from 19- 28 July 2019. Owing to the risk that the Côte-d’Or complex will not be completed in time for the Games, government had decided as a fall back to upgrade and renovate 17 sporting facilities at a cost of an additional Rs 500 million which means a double whammy on already strapped public funds. Allegations of various wrongdoings have also caused the resignation of some 10 ministers of the present government. The people and the country can no longer put up with such a poor record of governance by successive governments and politicians. There is also no place for politicians who doggedly pander to and thrive on identity politics through the Trojan Horse of proportional representation. Despite the rhetoric about government performance, the core problems such as increasing inequality, inclusiveness and equal opportunities, undeterred drug trafficking which puts at risk the youth of the country, poor governance and lack of accountability, the crime level and the deterioration of moral values, nepotism and cronyism, etc., afflicting the country remain unresolved. This deplorable state of affairs in the country is untenable. The status quo is not an option. The onus is therefore collectively on all of us to put our house in order. As a nation we have the potential to do far better than presently provided we urgently get our act together. This necessarily means dumping ineptitude and re-establishing meritocracy within the government Establishment and state institutions and companies. This also means re-engineering the economy through the induction of innovative new economic operators and foreign investors capable of maximizing value addition in the services sectors and through high end industries to transform the country into a high income economy. It above all means choosing and combining the synergies and intellect of a new breed of talented new politicians with the strategic thinking and management acumen of the government top brass and heads of state institutions with the business savviness of enterprising new economic operators and foreign investors to generate significantly higher levels of prosperity in the country for the benefit of all. We have no option but to choose and unswervingly field our top team for country and people. There are no shortcuts to success. Time is running out. We need to act decisively now.

http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/mrinal-roy-property-development-smart-cities-middle-income-trap-ict-financial-services-sector-midlands-dam-betamax-indian-ocean-island-games-inequality-inclusiveness-equal-opportunities-st/

This last weekend, I had the opportunity to skirt and pick through some Jacob fleece that a neighbor said I could split with her if I helped with the processing! Major score! (Thanks Deb!) Jacob sheep have a medium-fine fleece with no outer coat and are usually spotted. They are also unusual in that they have two sets of horns - one set arching from the top of the head, and the other swirling around their ears. All sorts of romantic stories trace this particular breed back to the Biblical flock of Jacob when he worked for his father-in-law (Genesis 30). Other stories trace the breed back to a flock which was washed ashore from a ship wreck during the reign of Elizabeth I and the attempted attack on the Spanish Armada. Though I don't know the validity of these stories, most modern flocks are traced back to England, where they have been established for many centuries. You can learn more about Jacob sheep on the breeders website: http://www.jsba.org/. Here I am, skirting and picking away! The three fleeces I am working on with my neighbor were given to us for free by a woman who inherited them when she bought a house. Unfortunately they were kept in wood chips, so there was plenty of picking to go. The color variations on these sheep were incredible. Deb and I decided to process the wool all together and we are thinking the roving will come back a nice heathery color. I thought it would be more brown, but Deb thinks it will be more gray. We'll see! Such suspense! Regardless, I do love wool!

http://www.mhfiber.com/blog/skirtingafleece

The Second World War and the Cold War were immense and existential security challenges posed to Americans and our allies in the middle of the 20th century. Members of the so-called “Greatest Generation” prevailed against incredibly daunting odds, successfully building and adapting our military forces to the task of global industrial age conflict. Today, the grandchildren of that generation are carrying on the tradition of service, facing a far more diverse set of security concerns. At the same time, the progress of the Information Age has sped up the conduct of warfare. These trends have yielded an exceedingly challenging set of circumstances as the US seeks to defend its interests and security around the globe. Yet our processes, organizations, tasks, and doctrine governing the US armed forces have largely not evolved sufficiently to meet these challenges. Our military services must learn how to rapidly adapt themselves to leverage new technology, foster innovative concepts of operations, and shape their structural and cultural barriers in order to enable the diffusion of new ideas. Congress can play a vital role in accomplishing this task by embracing the opportunity to carry out significant military reforms and re-look the roles and missions of the US armed services in depth for the first time since the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act. Our national security enterprise will suffer if we do not embrace this opportunity, and continue down the path of an industrial age status quo.

http://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/single-post/2016/03/01/Beyond-Goldwater-Nichols-Roles-And-Missions-Of-The-Armed-Services-In-The-21st-Century

Ever so often something happens that makes the decision that I made to end things with Aiden's other parent sting a little. Just a little though. Don't get me wrong, I never regret the decision. But I do think about the impact it has on Aiden. Because it does have a huge impact on him. A couple days ago the sting came during a conversation between Aiden and me. Aiden: "My dad plays football." That's the sentence I used when [my teacher] asked me to think of a sentence with the word 'plays'. Me: That sentence works fine. Aiden: Well... I don't have a dad. But I said that sentence anyway. Enter the sting. I tried to search for the words to respond to Aiden. But nothing seemed to suffice. I thought about making a joke about it. But I couldn't think of a witty response fast enough. I thought about proclaiming to Aiden that, although he hasn't seen him in a long time, he does, in fact, have a dad. But I didn't want to dismiss his thoughts and feelings. I thought and thought, but I couldn't muster up a response to Aiden's comment. I stared at him as he searched my face for a response. But I just stood there, frozen. I've written about this before. I've thought about this before. Countless times. I've felt sorry about this before -- sorry that I didn't pick a better parenting partner to help me raise Aiden; sorry that Aiden doesn't get to call someone "daddy" everyday; sorry that Aiden doesn't have the security in a father that he deserves. Just... sorry. But I can't let myself go down that road. It's a downward spiral that's ineffective. These are the cards that Aiden and I have been dealt. The only thing I can do is make peace with the situation, move forward, rock this single mom thing out, and show Aiden that life is about making the best of what you have. Eventually, I pulled myself together, smiled, and said, "You have me." With confidence and with reassurance. Because he does have me. You did the right thing. And you do so many good things with Aiden, that I'm sure he knows how much you love him. That sting gets me from time to time as well. *sigh* but you are fabulous mommy! :) <3 hugs to you both! As single moms, when moments like these happen it can be hard. But be honest with your son and tell him he does have a dad. He's just not with the family. And it's OK. Continue to support your son and do all the wonderful things you do with him. Keep doing what you're doing, I think you're amazing! I think you gave him the perfect reply. maybe "dad" will come around one day. until then, you are more than enough mommy+! You're right. Aiden does have you and you are doing a fabulous job at raising him as a single parent! It sucks that his father has chosen to not be a responsible parent, but you're your part and that's all that you can do is reassure him that you have his back always. I feel that sting, too sometimes. My daughter who is 5 is starting to become more aware and make comments. She's been asking a lot of questions lately too that I really don't have the answers to. Like "why didn't my daddy call or see me on my birthday?" What do you even say to that?! I wish we weren't in this situation but all I can do is my best and be the best mommy I can be for her.

http://www.mommydelicious.com/2013/11/he-has-me.html

Monopoly rules can sometimes be the subject of a little bit of debate, because a lot of people play with variant rules, like putting $500 and all taxes in the middle, and then awarding that money to anyone who lands on Free Parking. But that's not part of the official Monopoly rules; that's just a house rule that folks use sometime. And there's nothing wrong with that. But here's the scoop on the official Monopoly game rules. Five of the $1, $5, and $10 bills. Six $20 bills. Two of the $50, $100, and $500 bills. The rest of the money, and all of the property, is considered property of the bank. The players determine who goes first by rolling the two dice. High roll gets to go first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table, each person taking a turn. The first action on each person's turn is to roll two dice and move their token a number of spaces equal to what they've rolled. If a player rolls doubles, that player immediately gets a second turn. If a player rolls doubles three times in a row, the token is automatically sent to jail. If a player lands on a property that isn't owned by another player, that player can buy the property from the bank for the amount listed on the board. If the player lands on a property that isn't owned by another play, and chooses not to buy it, the other players have the option of buying it via an auction. If a player lands on a property that is owned by another player, the player who owns the property collects rent. The amount of the rent differs from property to property and is indicated on the title deed for the property. Chance and Community Chest spaces allow the player to draw a card from one of those corresponding decks. The player then follows the instructions on the card. Player can also buy houses and hotels to place on properties, which increase the amount of rent another player will owe if they land on a property. Players can buy, sell, and trade properties between each other too. Play ends when one player has bankrupted all the other players. In the event that a player owes rent to another player and cannot pay, the player is bankrupted and must give all his property to the other player. And there you have it. Those are the official Monopoly rules.

http://www.monopoly-man.com/rules/

Sir Alex Ferguson: The name of the game is winning. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed a crucial victory in the race for the Premier League title as Manchester United held on to defeat Liverpool 2-1 to stay seven points clear. The Red Devils piled the pressure on neighbours City by hanging on for three points against the Reds, although the Citizens later responded with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. A relieved Ferguson said after seeing his side won for the tenth time out of 11 at Old Trafford in the league this season: "I would have taken that score before the game. "Some of our defending after that (Liverpool scored) was a bit erratic and even desperate at times, but we managed to get through it. "The name of the game is winning. There are moments where you have to defend, today was one of them." United are now 3/10 to win the title race, with City 10/3, while Chelsea are 2/7 to top the table at the end of the season if the Manchester clubs were excluded. Meanwhile, City boss Roberto Mancini remains confident that his side can make up the seven-point gap to rivals United, following their 2-0 win in North London. The Citizens were eight points adrift of the Red Devils at one point last season, but eventually took the title on goal difference. Mancini said: "United are a really strong team, but the season is long. It's important for us to be there, close with them, and we will arrive the moment they lose points. "We have the derby on April 6 and we need to arrive there five or four points behind, it is okay."

http://www.mybetgambling.com/blog/121-alex-ferguson

I found this interesting news from MSNBC on 27th October 2011. Many wealthy Chinese pregnant mothers fly to the U.S. like California and New York a few months before their dues, just to give birth to their newborn child and get the U.S. citizenship automatically before flying back to China. Many of these wealthy Chinese families do not have the intention to live in the U.S. after their children born. "The hefty price where a wealthy mother could spend at least US$30,000 for every newborn child in the U.S. (which includes lodging, air tickets and medical bills) is worth it, according to these women, because it paves the way for easy access to American public schools, universities and jobs as the children get older and green cards for the whole family once the child turns 21," according to http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/28/8511587-born-in-the-usa-birth-tourists-get-instant-us-citizenship-for-their-newborns. China doesn't practice dual citizenship. If the baby gets the U.S.citizenship because she/he born in the U.S., how does this child going to get a China citizenship. It's impossible to live in China for more than 1 month or 1 year without visa, if the child does not have a China citizenship. That doesn't make sense to me. How does this wealthy parents going to hide from the Chinese authority? The parents have the China citizenship while the child has the U.S.citizenship. If the child doesn't have the China citizenship, she/he doesn't have hukou (residency permit) to attend public schools and stay permanently in China for his/her career. Also, these wealthy Chinese parents don't realise about the Double Taxation for the American citizens especially when the child holds the American citizenship. It's going to make the child to be more difficult in his/her life when she/he grows up. In today's world, it's called talents globalisation where many professionals settle and work in foreign countries instead at their home countries due to jobs demand and benefits offered. If this child works in overseas (foreign countries) but holds the U.S. citizenship, she/he has to declare all of his/her income earnings, assets and banks accounts in overseas countries and the U.S. for the income taxes. The child has to contribute the income tax in foreign countries (where she/he works) as well as to the U.S. (because of the citizenship). Swiss banks accounts helps many wealthy people to escape from declaring their actual income taxes in their countries. Now, the Swiss Banks are working closely with the U.S. government to release the list of the American clients who have Swiss banks accounts for U.S. tax evasion. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse. Switzerland, the biggest haven for offshore wealth, wants an end to new U.S. probes while preserving its decades-old tradition of bank secrecy, the people said. The U.S. seeks data on Americans who have dodged U.S. taxes and a pledge by Swiss banks to stop helping such clients, according to the people. Swiss banks will probably settle a sweeping U.S. probe of offshore tax evasion by paying billions of dollars and handing over names of thousands of Americans who have secret accounts, according to two people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Swiss officials are concluding negotiations on a civil settlement amid U.S. criminal probes of 11 financial institutions, including Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN), suspected of helping American clients hide money from the Internal Revenue Service, according to five people with knowledge of the talks who declined to speak publicly because they are confidential. Switzerland, the biggest haven for offshore wealth, wants an end to new U.S. probes while preserving its decades-old tradition of bank secrecy, the people said. The U.S. seeks data on Americans who have dodged U.S. taxes and a pledge by Swiss banks to stop helping such clients, according to the people. The Swiss reached accords this year with Germany and the U.K. on untaxed assets. The Swiss government seeks to outline a final accord for the Foreign Affairs Committee of its Parliament’s upper house on Nov. 10, according to a person familiar with the matter. The number of banks that will pay to resolve the U.S. negotiations may extend beyond the 11 under criminal investigation, the people said. Under accords this year with Germany and the U.K. on untaxed assets, the identity of clients remained secret. The U.S. insists that the Swiss disclose client account data, and the banks may end up handing over data on 5,000 to 10,000 accounts, the people said. A final determination hasn’t been made, they said. The U.S. Justice Department also may bring criminal charges or civil enforcement actions against any of the 11 financial institutions. They could avoid prosecution by separately paying fines, admitting wrongdoing and disclosing data, the people said. On Aug. 30, the Justice Department requested statistical data from the 11 about their U.S. accounts, which the U.S. has received and is analyzing, the people said. Credit Suisse, the second-biggest Swiss bank, said July 15 that it was a target of U.S. prosecutors. On July 21, seven Credit Suisse bankers were indicted on a charge of conspiring to help U.S. clients evade taxes through secret accounts. The group of 11 also includes HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), the biggest European bank, Basler Kantonalbank, Wegelin & Co., Zuercher Kantonalbank, and Julius Baer Group Ltd. (BAER), the people said. Three Israeli banks -- Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM (LUMI), Bank Hapoalim BM (POLI), and Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank Ltd. (MZTF) -- are on the list, as well as Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG and an asset manager, NZB AG, according to the people. The U.S. crackdown against offshore tax evasion has led to charges against UBS AG (UBSN), the largest Swiss bank; at least 21 foreign bankers, advisers and attorneys; and at least 36 U.S. taxpayers. UBS, which isn’t one of the 11 banks now under scrutiny, avoided prosecution in 2009 by paying $780 million, admitting it fostered tax evasion and handing over details on 250 secret accounts. It later disclosed another 4,450 accounts. UBS made 10.75 billion francs ($12.1 billion) in revenue in the U.S. in 2010, or 34 percent of the group’s total. Credit Suisse made 12.84 billion francs in revenue in the Americas in 2010, or 41 percent of the total. HSBC’s Swiss private bank andJulius Baer declined to disclose information on revenue from U.S. clients. A spokesman for HSBC in Geneva declined to comment on the settlement talks. Credit Suisse rose 3.3 percent to 24.64 Swiss francs in Zurich. Baer rose 1.3 percent to 35.14 francs. Basler Kantonalbank was unchanged and Liechtensteinische Landesbank fell 3.2 percent. Urs Rohner, chairman of Credit Suisse, last month told newspaper NZZ am Sonntag that the bank has transferred statistical data sought by the U.S. Marc Dosch, a spokesman for the Zurich-based bank, declined to comment further. Basler Kantonalbank (BSKP) spokesman Michael Buess said it also gave such data to the U.S. After a U.S. indictment of two Julius Baer bankers this month, the bank said it “is one of a number of Swiss financial institutions supporting the ongoing tax negotiations between the U.S. and Switzerland” and is cooperating with the U.S. probe. Spokesman Martin Somogyi declined to comment further. Youval Dichovski, Zurich-based head of internal audit at Bank Leumi Switzerland Ltd., said the bank is cooperating. Cyrill Sele, a Vaduz, Liechtenstein-based spokesman forLiechtensteinische Landesbank AG (LLB), said it sent statistical data to the U.S. A man who answered the phone Oct. 20 at NZB said it is closing and has only a few employees. Zuercher Kantonalbank spokesman Urs Ackermann said the bank was informed in September of the U.S. investigation. A spokesman for Mizrahi Bank had no immediate comment. The UBS turnover of 4,450 names, in the face of Swiss laws barring most disclosures of client data, set a precedent for the current talks. The U.S. agreed to submit a request for specific accounts under a 1996 tax treaty and a follow-up agreement in 2003. Under that accord, Swiss bank secrecy doesn’t protect accounts if the owner engaged in “tax fraud or the like,”which is a narrower definition of tax evasion than U.S. law provides. The Swiss directed UBS to turn over accounts to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration for review before handing them to the IRS. Negotiators are determining how to apply the 1996 tax treaty and one adopted in 2009 that still needs ratification by the U.S. Senate, the people said. The Swiss agreed in March 2009 to meet international standards to avoid being blacklisted as a tax haven by theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The London-based Tax Justice Network this month ranked Switzerland at the top of its financial secrecy index. “This is a big issue for these banks,” said C. Evan Stewart, an attorney at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP in New York, who isn’t involved in the settlement talks. The IRS has said 30,000 U.S. taxpayers with offshore accounts avoided prosecution since 2009 by entering a limited amnesty program, paying back taxes and saying who helped them hide their accounts from authorities. Hundreds of taxpayers in the program have given information to prosecutors that have helped them build criminal cases against bankers and advisers. “The DOJ and IRS are casting a wide net as they try to identify Americans guilty of offshore tax evasion,” said Aaron D. Schumacher, a Geneva-based wealth planning attorney, with Withers LLP. Attorney Robert Katzberg, who represents clients in criminal tax cases, said U.S. taxpayers with Swiss accounts don’t understand that the IRS and Justice Department will get a trove of new data on secret accounts. “There are thousands of Americans, who are the functional equivalent of residents of New Orleans on the eve of Hurricane Katrina, who have no idea that Katrina is about to happen,”said Katzberg, of Kaplan & Katzberg in New York. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| Craig Stirling at |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| Frank Connelly at |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: 九皇爺; pinyin: Jiǔhuángyé; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is very popular among the Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, and also the Riau Islands. Based on this year's Chinese calendar, Nine Emperor Gods festival started on 26th September 2011 and lasted for nine days. A carnival-like atmosphere to welcome the spirits of nine emperors from the heaven to the earth who are worshiped as one deity known as Mazu, the Taoist goddess of the sea and queen of heaven, who represents health, wealth and prosperity. The most interesting is, it will often rain during the nine days of this festival. The belief is that the deities, who are said to spend their entire time at sea with the exception of these nine days, bring the rain and cleanse the area for their arrival. During the festival, devotees will observe a strict vegetarian diet for some or all of the nine days to cleanse and purify their bodies. 26th Sept 2011: The arrival of Nine Emperor Gods at Morib Beach, Malaysia. The devotees dressed in white and carried the chariot to pick up the spirits of the gods from the sea. Throughout the nine days of festival, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests can be heard while praying. Most devotees and prayers will stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals and recite continuous chanting of prayers with incense and candles. To increase the mood of the festival, there are numerous of dragon and lion dances at the temple as well as the lighted floats parade takes place around the neighbourhood in Malaysia. Apart from that, Malaysia and Thailand hold the biggest Nine Emperor Gods event annually, they do not only welcome the nine emperor gods but the devotees invite the spirits of gods to possess their bodies before performing rituals such as walking on the fire and piercing their cheek and bodies with spears. There are some devotees who are able to walk along the broken glasses or climb on the steps of sharp blades. Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2011 at Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The festival is led by dragon and lion dances and the parade. (Viewers discretion is advised!!!) Spiritual experience: Trances and piercing ritual through the cheek in Penang, Malaysia. On the last day of the festival, the temple organised a fire walking ceremony for the devotees to cleanse away their bad luck at a temple in Ipoh, Malaysia. Here is the latest news from Bloomberg which highlights on the Occupy Wall Street protestors who voice out their anger against their high student loans debt. Some of these degree graduates are frustrated that they aren't able to find jobs for months due to poor economic crisis in the U.S. They are also worry about their living expenses which make them more difficult to support their families and children due to their high accumulated student loans debt (including interest rates). Studying degree courses in colleges/universities in the U.S. is getting very expensive. The tuition fee is currently at US$50,000 per year (which does not include your personal expenses, accommodation, books, medical insurance etc.). The tuition fee will keep rising each year due to increasing numbers of the Americans, Chinese and foreign students applying to study in public and private universities in the United States. According to http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/us/2011-07/25/content_12972772.htm, the tuition fee for University of California Los Angeles will likely to increase by 32% by 2012. Currently 18.5% Chinese foreign students are studying in U.S. universities. By Ben Steverman - Oct 21, 2011 4:21 PM PT . William Prince, of Rosenberg, Texas, knows just how inescapable student loans can be. The 52-year-old father of two started paying off $51,000 in college debt 15 years ago and now owes $57,000. "I don't expect to pay these loans off in my lifetime," he says. Prince, a criminal justice major who works in private security, had to defer payments during three bouts of unemployment, and the accumulated interest left him deeper in debt. Americans now owe about $950 billion in student loans — more than their total credit-card debt. The weight of those IOUs is a frequent refrain for Occupy Wall Street protestors and their online supporters. On the "We Are the 99 Percent" Tumblr blog, which features hundreds of pictures of people holding handwritten signs describing their desperate financial situations, student loan concerns exceed those about children, unemployment, and health care, according to an analysis by Mike Konczal, a fellow with the nonprofit Roosevelt Institute. Desperation may have something to do with that outcry. Two out of five Americans with federal student debt can't make monthly payments and either defer, default or are delinquent, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb.com, a free scholarship-matching service, and FinAid.org, a source of student financial aid information. Although the laws are gradually changing, student debtors' odds are still grim. The best means they have of one day growing free of those debts is to know the system. There are very few ways to reduce or renegotiate education debt; unlike credit-card debt, few can do this via bankruptcy. "There has been a steady erosion in rights for student loan borrowers," says Deanne Loonin, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. Activists and some congressional Democrats argue that Congress should again allow borrowers to discharge student debts in normal bankruptcy — a right lost in a 2005 law. They also ask for better supervision and limits on debt collection. Such improvements could be years away, if they ever take place. For federally backed loans, the situation is better, though still far from perfect. The government can seize wages, tax refunds, earned income tax credits and even Social Security. One of Loonin’s clients, an 84-year-old man, once took out a student loan for a relative; the payments now amount to about 40 percent of his Social Security checks, leaving him with a bit more than $750 each month. The federal government is taking steps that could make the debt burden more manageable. A provision in the 2010 health-care reform law pushed private lenders out of the business of issuing federally guaranteed loans. The 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law puts the new Consumer Financial Protection Board in charge of collecting better data and regulating private student lenders. The new agency also is planning to launch an online tool — a "student debt assistant" — to help debtors learn more about their options. One option introduced in 2009 is income-based repayment. It allows borrowers to repay federal loans as a percentage of the prior year's adjusted gross income, capped at 15 percent. (If a borrower's circumstance changes from the prior year, he or she can request recalculation.) Under so-called IBR, all federal loans are forgiven after 25 years — 10 years for those in nonprofit or public service jobs. A 2010 change in the law means that for borrowing that begins in 2014, payments are capped at 10 percent of income and all debts are forgiven after 20 years. Because no payments are required on income below 150 percent of the poverty line, income-based repayment is helpful for such borrowers as 28-year-old Jennifer Sandella. She earns so little that she doesn’t need to pay anything on her $45,000 in graduate school loans. For a single person, 150 percent of the poverty line is $16,335; for a family of three, it's $27,795. Two years after the program was introduced, few borrowers know about IBR. Only about 1 percent of federal borrowers — out of the 10 percent who could benefit — are enrolled, Kantrowitz estimates. The U.S. Department of Education has been offering information about IBR on its website, through customer-service representatives, and to students when they exit school. It now plans to contact current borrowers to inform them about the program, says spokeswoman Sara Gast. The program has drawbacks. Persons with private loans, such as Prince, aren’t eligible. And any unpaid interest is added to debt until loans are eventually forgiven. "I'm still accruing interest at a phenomenal rate," Sandella says. If she never manages to pay her loans off and her debt is forgiven after the 25-year mark, the amount forgiven will be taxed as income, perhaps triggering a big bill from the IRS. Those with private loans have little leverage when negotiating with their lenders. Student loans can be forgiven in bankruptcy only if debtors take lenders to court and prove an “undue hardship” — a legal step taken by merely 0.1 percent of eligible debtors. Of those, about half got relief, according to a 2011 analysis by Harvard Law student Jason Iuliano. The Consumer Bankers Association, which represents private lenders, said in a statement: “Banks work with borrowers experiencing financial hardship on private student loans” by, for example, allowing borrowers to temporarily suspend payments. The best way to avoid being trapped by debt is to restrain it from the start. Students need to "shop around for schools to limit how much they need to borrow,” says Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access & Success, a nonprofit advocacy organization that runs the Project on Student Debt. Regulators and colleges could do much more to steer young students toward more manageable debt loads, she says. “Inadequate information and aggressive marketing tactics can have an effect on people,” Asher adds, noting that many students take on private loans even though they are eligible for less-risky federal loans. Dependent students can borrow up to $5,500 in federal loans as college freshmen, while their parents can borrow up to the total cost of attendance, minus other aid. Colleges are required to provide counseling to student borrowers when they exit school. They "are always looking for ways to do it better," says Terry Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education. But it's not clear how much of that counseling sinks in. Says Hartle: "I'm afraid an awful lot of college students only learn how much they've borrowed when they begin repayment." The real objectives of Occupy protestors against the global banking system. So, how did the Financial Crisis happen in the USA? A simple graphic explanation on credit crisis happened since the greedy U.S. banks take greater risks to sell subprime mortgage loans to nonqualified homeowners. The bankers also sell the mortgages to other investors as Collaterized Debt Obligation (CDO) with higher costs and interests. This means that a homeowner with subprime mortgage loan, pay his/her loan to bank without knowing that his/her mortgage loan has been sold to many parties such as other investors. When the homeowner can't settle the loans due to higher interest rates, foreclosure takes place. When there are too many foreclosure happened, the housing fall below the market price. 3) Higher unemployment rate than being reported as 9.8% in the U.S. The government announced the unemployment rate in the United States is 9.8% for the past few months in 2011 but we believe that the actual of the unemployment rate could be higher, may be closer to 20%, or 30 million Americans without a job. Those measured are those who had a job before, are actively looking for work and are immediately available for work. More people are retrenched each time but jobs aren't available in the market. Updated: In today's news dated 20th October 2011 on Los Angeles Times, Chinese leaders are getting concern with the Occupy Wall Street which would influence the Chinese people to voice out their frustration against the Chinese government. Thus, the Chinese government has begun to control and censor news related to Occupy Wall Street protest on the media and internet in China. So, are we heading to double dip recession soon? I think we might be suffer for another recession. Nobody can predict the future of the economy. Since after Greece declared on debt problem, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, and Spain begin to request for bail out due to their debt crisis as well. The Citigroup chief economist warned that the global banking system would collapse if the Eurozone leaders fail to curb the debt crisis. So, where does the U.S. education system go wrong? When we look at this recent infographic as below, which compares the education spending and performance of the United States versus 11 selected countries. It is obviously clear that the U.S. spends the most in education but ranks at 9th in Science and 10th in Math performance. How about the rest of 11 countries? How do they manage to maintain the top performance with lower education spending than the U.S.? Generally, we believe that, when we spend a lot on education, we will expect a good return (results) in performance. So, why doesn't the U.S. education reflect as being the top performance in the world from the huge investment by the government? 1. Teachers are secured with 10 years contracts upon probation. None of the teachers can be retrenched when they are underperformed. It's quite surprising to me after watching the documentary, Waiting for Superman, which was directed by Davis Guggenheim. When teachers are guaranteed for their jobs for 10 years, they will not be motivated to work hard. To perform well or not, they are secured with monthly paycheck. Moreover, all the American teachers are protected by Teachers Union which is impossible for the government to amend this policy. In many countries, teachers are hired by the governments and they will be accessed by the head of the schools and head of the departments yearly in order to improve the teachers' teaching performances which will eventually help to improve students' education. 2. Unequal education system, standard and policy. 3. The U.S. culture which emphasizes more on sports than academics. The culture in the United States is very different from other parts of the world. American children are taught to emphasize and excel in sports performance so that they can enroll to good schools and colleges. In other words, if they are good and have outstanding records in athletics but underachieve in academics, they are still be able to get into good schools and colleges. As such, many of the American children don't regard their education as seriously important as their sports in determining their future. Regrets tend to happen when they aren't able to find jobs due to lack of requirements. However, it's different culture in Asia regions where the academics and extracurricular activities to be considered as crucial entries to good schools and colleges. On top of that, European and Asian students have an extra advantage than the American students in languages. The European and Asian students are taught to learn other languages, besides English in schools, which will enhance children with better future. 4. American students choose the subjects and courses which are not related to Maths and Science. Shanghai, China participated for the first time in PISA 2009 and ranked at the top scoring in literacy, Maths and Science among the participating countries. In this video, PISA shares how the government raises the education standards by getting strong-performing schools to help weaker ones in Shanghai, China. ABC World News: A wake-up call for the U.S. in the education after the shocking truth from the 2009 PISA results when the U.S. is being defeated to the top 5 ranking from the Asia countries and Finland in literacy, Maths and Science. When it comes to international results, Finland's schools score consistently at the top. The BBC travels to Helsinki to find out the secret of the Finland' education success. Therefore, parents and teachers play very important roles in providing strong supports, encouragement and educating children to the right path in education. Children can't see the future by themselves without the guidance from the parents and teachers. You may begin to wonder how big influence of Korean Wave is to the world. According to the news coverage by Monocle on Bloomberg, the Korean Wave or it's also known as Hallyu is the biggest economy contribution to South Korea after the popular Korean brands exporter such as Samsung, Hyundai, LG etc. Another report from Wikipedia stated that Korean culture exports are predicted to reach up to $3.8 billion in revenue in 2011, a 14% increase from the previous year. Monocle on Bloomberg highlighted that "In the global soft power stakes, Korea's pop music industry is the country's most potent weapon." Bernie Cho, head of the DFSB Kollective, an agency that assists Korean artists with marketing and branding, commented, "It's not just about the numbers, but where we're getting those numbers. The top three kpop blog sites and fan sites in English, they generate more web traffic than Korean music portals, in Korea itself." Korean male celebrities are the highest-paid actors outside of Hollywood. According to South Korean media, Winter Sonata star Bae Yong Joon is now charging US$5million a film, the highest in Asia. At least nine other Korean male stars earn more than US$10million a year. Apart from that, Money Today's enterprise team also compiled data and created a ranking list of exactly how much top Korean celebrities earn through Commercial Films (CF) deals by categorizing them into three classes (A to C) which range from US$9,000 to over US$200,000. This CF earning does not include earnings from their filming fees, albums and concerts. The full chart was categorized into three classes, A to C, which contained the earnings of just under 1,000 singers, actors, idols and sports stars. The data was from one single year, and was provided by advertising agencies whose main jobs were to hire celebrities for corporate CFs. “Class A” consisted of celebrities who earned over $400,000 USD; “Class B” consisted of those who earned between $178,000 USD and $400,000 USD; meanwhile, “Class C” was for stars who earned under $178,000 USD. Analyzing both males and females together, only 69 of out 869 celebrities (7.9%) were categorized in “Class A”, while 60% of the celebrities were classed under “Class C”. Stars that were categorized under “Class A” include Jung Ji Hoon, Won Bin, Jang Dong Gun, Ahn Sung Gi, Kim Tae Hee, Moon Geun Young and Kim Tae Hee. Only ten celebrities aged over 40 were grouped in “Class A”; the remaining celebrities were in their 30s and 20s respectively. Finally, a total of 10 idol groups were calculated to be earning over $400,000 USD. Check out the full ranked list down below! Note: We perceive that these top celebrities earn a lot from the list above but majority of their earning incomes go directly to their management companies. All the Korean celebrities are signed under slavery contracts for more than 10 years with the management companies in order to pay off their training, investments spent by the companies etc. Some female celebrities are not allowed to date within 5 years. Korean Wave emerged in popularity with its Korean dramas and k-pop in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and other Asian countries in 1999. Since then, Korean Wave begins to rise and create the niche markets for Asia, Europe and the North America regions through popular social media sites like Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr, Twitter, DramaFever, Crunchyroll and Hulu. In the recent news, the Hallyu wave is shaking up in North Korea as well. The residents in North Korea are still forbidden from receiving overseas broadcast channels thus, they smuggle DVDs and CDs illegally from South Korea. Even the government in South Korea acknowledges the impact of Korean Wave to their tourism industry. Tourism to South Korea has reported a drastic increases since the Hallyu. From 2003 to 2004, tourism increased from 2.8 million to 3.7 million foreign visitors. In 2007, 6.4 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it the 36th most visited country in the world and it's expected to exceed 8.5 million in 2010, as reported by Wikipedia. Most of the tourists come from Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO) has implemented a tourism marketing strategy which promotes the popular destinations and culture through various entertainment shows, drama clips by using famous Korean celebrities (Hallyu stars) as PR ambassadors to Asia and the world. Visit Korea 2010 Haru campaign : An unforgettable day with 10 Hallyu stars in Korea. On the other hand, KOTRA hosted an event to seek ways to help local makers of game, animation, characters and other contents to venture into the overseas markets. During the event, Digitrove in the United States and Ace Adworks of South Korea agreed to jointly produce "SHOW" a 3D animation program, in line with the biggest popularity and influence of Korean Wave (Hallyu) from its diversity of the cultural content to the global market. World-renowned production companies have also showed some great interests in South Korea's musicals, animations and other contents, adding that they highly regard Korean content. Nothing is impossible in China. You can find anything which you won't be expected for. In the recent news, there is a new local fast food outlet called Obama Fried Chicken (OFC) which adopts similar font and colour of the popular fast food chain outlet, KFC. This is an interesting article about being the American citizenship which I believe, many people aren't aware that you must contribute your federal income tax in the United States while you are working in overseas (foreign countries). This means that you have to contribute DOUBLE TAXATION in a foreign country and the U.S. Federal Income Tax. So, think wisely when you apply for the citizenship for yourself and your children because the U.S. government makes it more difficult for the Americans to give up their citizenship. The textbook I used in law school on federal income taxation began by noting that “the history of taxation may be written largely in terms of martial episodes.” So it was when Rothschilds financed the Napoleonic wars; so it is today as America strives to extricate itself from the colossal debt engendered by its wars. The taxation that inevitably follows conflicts is not a new phenomenon. But is there a limit to a modern state’s power to tax? The conventional answer is, “probably not” — as long as government does not flagrantly discriminate, its power to tax is extensive. Yet in one aspect the United States has expanded the power far beyond limits fixed by other nations, and the question of whether it has violated international law in doing so should be raised. Let us consider the hypothetical case of a person born in France of American and French parents. He grew up in Paris where he began his working life; he has never visited the United States and does not have a U.S. passport. He has never attempted to derive benefits from the U.S. government. For all intents and purposes he is only a French national, save that his mother registered him at the U.S. Consulate when he was born (although he would have American nationality even if she had not). He now earns a substantial amount of money and pays French taxes, but he does not file a U.S. income tax return. The Internal Revenue Service discovers his existence and asks him to file a tax return. He refuses. The I.R.S. then assesses a huge income tax on him and invokes the cooperation provisions of the U.S.-France double taxation treaty. Those provisions require the French government to assist the United States in collecting its taxes. The man tells the court that it is not in the public interest to tax solely on the basis of citizenship. He says he has no contact with the United States, that he acquired American citizenship involuntarily and that he cannot give it up without first paying the taxes that he is contesting. Basing the power to tax on citizenship alone, he tells the court, violates customary international law, as shown by the fact that no other first-world country taxes on the basis of citizenship. Indeed only one other nation out of the world’s 194 states does so. The remaining 192 impose an income tax only on those who reside within their territory or on those whose income is derived from within their territory. While an increasing number of Americans living abroad are trying to give up their citizenship, the U.S. government makes it difficult to do so. In the first half of the 20th century the United States regularly expatriated citizens who did not want to give up their nationality. But later in the 20th century it shifted to the other extreme: it made it very hard to do so. A person can only give up American citizenship before a consular officer. He must fill out a ream of papers and answer many questions. Finally, his attempt to shed his nationality will only succeed if he can show that he has paid U.S. taxes. Only then will he receive a loss-of-citizenship certificate confirming that he is no longer subject to U.S. taxes. So, to get back to our hypothetical French-American, the French courts presumably would be bound by the terms of the French-American double taxation treaty to assist the I.R.S. in collecting the tax that it imposed on him. But how would the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg rule? The answer to that question awaits a brave American citizen willing to file a test case while aware of the risk that he could become a sacrificial lamb. Ronald Sokolis an attorney qualified to practice law in the United States and France. He is the author of “Justice After Darwin,” “Federal Habeas Corpus” and other books and articles, and lectures annually on “What is Justice” at Imperial College, London. A version of this op-ed appeared in print on October 7, 2011, in The International Herald Tribune with the headline: For Tax Purposes, We Are All Americans.

http://www.mycharminggirl.com/2011/10/

I'm getting my bag ready for my trip to Milwaukee or Minnesota tomorrow. Now that I know some stuff about Milwaukee and/or Minnesota, I'm pretty excited. Here's what I've learned so far... Milwaukee may be near Canada. We are still unclear as to whether or not Canada is a state. Milwaukee has many drinking establishments and cheese. I'm not sure if you can actually drink cheese at said drinking establishments. There is water. There is an art museum and, therefore, "culture". I think the art museum just houses the city's beer can collection. Milwaukee is clearly not the Morman place because it has booze and caffeine and its not warm enough to ride a bike year round. Milwaukee has brown sauce. Nobody really knows what brown sauce is but I'm told that people put it on their dogs. I am assuming that this means hot dogs, but, given the part of the country that we're talking about, that may be an incorrect assumption. Milwaukee Ale House is THE place to go for booze, cheese and brown sauce. FabuLeslie wants to marry her cheese. Don't judge. Frankly, I think that she and her cheese will have to settle for a civil union. Milwaukee = phallic meat, cheese and beer in elf cups. Fabulous! I'm ready! On a completely unrelated note... I have been totally delinquent in thanking somebody. Elle over at "A" for Effort ("B" for Blog) graciously tried to give me an award a week or so ago. I'm not really an award-y person, but I love Elle for doing it anyway and for saying that she was still cool if I didn't 'do' awards. Thanks Elle! Go check her out. She's way sweet and has some very interesting stories to tell. On another completely unrelated note... C Bellabell has come up with an really interesting idea. She has started a blog called "Dawn to Dusk: a day in the life". The concept of this blog is for you to submit an accounting of one day in your life. Through this site, you will be able to live a day in somebody else's shoes, somebody in a different culture, in a different income level, with a different job, with kids, without kids, and so on. Given the breadth of bloggers and blogger experiences out there, I think this idea is fantastic and I can't wait to see how it develops. For guidelines and instructions on how to submit, go to Dawn to Dusk. And to top it all off, Cbella is donating all profits to Habitat for Humanity. See you in Milwaukee...or Minnesota! While you're there, if you want, you can get on a high-speed ferry which will take you across Lake Michigan...where you can meet yours truly! Just a thought. If nothing else, you can just go to the beach in Milwaukee and wave to me across the water. That will probably do. I've been to Wisconsin, it's a lot like Michigan, but cheesier. Thanks for the bloggy shout-out, Jane! I will have to invite you to the ceremony when I marry cheese. Be it civil or otherwise. The phallic meat thing is too much. When I lived in Las Vegas, I didn't have a blog yet, but I did have fantasies of being a writer (I've had those all my life. I know. My fantasies are kinda lame.). Anyway, in Las Vegas, when I was in grad school, I used to say to my grad school buddies that I wanted to write a book about all the phallic symbols in Las Vegas. If you're reading this, go ahead, steal my idea. I dare you. As much as I want to write this book, I'd love to buy the book too. It's all for the sake of the product, ya know? It's not about the process. Or me. Oh wait... I'm confused. It would seem I have attention problems even without the caffeine. All I wanted to say was there are lots of phallic symbols in Las Vegas too, and at least there, you can gamble and see shows, and you might not get intestinal distress from the phallic symbols. Well, at least most of them. Thanks for the shout out even though you don't do the award thing. You're awesome! You never know when you meet new blogger friends, what is "safe" to talk about and what is not. Whew. And yes, I've always wondered about that, why is meat always so damn phallic shaped? If anyone is bound to have phallic cheese, it would be Milwaukee. Snap a pic if you find some. I know you arent an award kind of gal.but you have to come see my last post! I think youll like it! That part of the country used to be the only place you could find Vernor's ginger ale. Maybe you will be lucky. Considering my almost dysfunctional love for cheesy hot dogs, I might have to visit this weiner wonderland. See how I made that all sound dirty? Thanks for the nod on Dawn to Dusk. I got started with an entry from Italy this morning! You said booze? I like Milwaukee! Booze makes everything great... so Milwaukee would be just great!!! You should work for the Wisconsin tourist board. I was totally sold at phallic meats and cheese. Love the blog, hope you dont mind, I added it to my blog roll.

http://www.mylifeasjane.com/2010/05/super-excited-about-putting-brown-sauce.html

Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, which was a popular holiday resort during the early 19th century. The town is a popular destination for water sports, with clubs for ailing, rowing and yachting. There’s also clubs for hockey, cricket and football. There’s only one tennis club in Herne Bay. However it offers a superb year round programme for all ages and abilities. So if you’re looking to play more tennis, there’s never been a better time to grab your racket!

http://www.mytennislife.co.uk/location/herne-bay-tennis-clubs/

The National Youth Foundation works with educators and community leaders to identify students to participate in our Youth Writing Workshop. With six to eight writing workshops, students learn to process of working in teams to research, develop, write, edit, illustrate and publish an original book. The creative process of working in teams helps provide a natural environment to practice editing, teamwork and communication skills necessary for future success. All students involved earn a sense of pride and accomplishment from development and publication of their culturally enriching team book. The books are published in hard copy and donated to local public libraries.

http://www.nationalyouthfoundation.org/youth-writing-workshop/

EDITORIAL: This attempted imposition of contentious and discredited Church concepts on the Amazon by Europeans and North Americans is nothing less than theological colonialism. In an interview on Oct. 7 with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Cardinal Robert Sarah deplored the effort by some in the Church to use the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazon Region as a laboratory to profoundly alter Catholicism. The African cardinal was referencing some of the central synodal themes of discussion, such as ordination of married men, “ordained” women’s ministries and a radical interpretation of inculturation and syncretism. “These points touch the structure of the universal Church,” said Cardinal Sarah (whose new book the Register reviewed). This attempted imposition of contentious and discredited Church concepts on the Amazon by Europeans and North Americans can be characterized in another way — as theological colonialism. Underway within the synod halls, as well as outside that gathering, are thinly veiled efforts to enshrine their ideological agendas in one impoverished region of the world, allegedly out of necessity, and then, as Cardinal Sarah noted, to export them across the universal Church. Concerns over the problematic instrumentum laboris were dismissed by the synod’s general secretary, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldiserri, who reminded the gathered press Oct. 3 before the synod began that the document bears no magisterial weight. That was followed at the very opening of the international gathering by Pope Francis’ Oct. 7 declaration that the instrumentum must be seen as “a martyr text” that must be destroyed for the synod to do its work. All of that would have been more reassuring had the Holy Father not been followed a few minutes later by the official he appointed to guide the proceedings, 85-year-old Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes. The former Vatican official gave an opening address in which he bluntly put forward the viri probati (ordination to the priesthood of married “men of proven virtue”) as a topic to be discussed. He was followed, at synod press conferences throughout the opening week, by various bishops who advocated for the ordination of married men and women deacons. Emblematic of this persistent effort to further theological colonialism and shape public opinion was Bishop Emeritus Erwin Kräutler, former bishop of Xingu, Brazil, who is believed to be the main author of the instrumentum laboris and has long been an advocate for an end to clerical celibacy. He went on to promote the idea of women deacons, arguing, “We need concrete solutions, and so I’m thinking of the female diaconate.” He later admitted to the Register that he would like to see women eventually ordained as priests and that the synod “may be a step” to achieve that goal. All of this was discussed despite the fact that Pope Francis has stated categorically on multiple occasions that the ordination of women is a closed door. Nevertheless, projects warned about by Cardinal Sarah and others have been going for some time. Catholic groups, some operating under the aegis of the German bishops, have been funding social justice and aid projects in the Amazon for many years. For example, the most prominent group in organizing and running the synod, the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), describes its primary purpose as advocating for the rights and dignity of indigenous peoples in the Amazon. It is closely supported by the region’s bishops’ conferences, and Cardinal Hummes is its president. But it also collaborates closely with the German bishops’ Latin American relief organization, Adveniat, which provided in 2016 alone 3.2 million euros to sponsor various projects in the Amazon. A second German aid organization under the German bishops, Misereor, gave more than 52 million euros to finance 337 projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. Both Adveniat and Misereor have organized events highlighting Amazonian spirituality throughout the synod, along with CIDSE, a network of European and North American Catholic social-justice organizations headquartered in Brussels. This close financial connection raises alarm because at the precise moment the Pan-Amazonian synodal process is underway, the German Church is pushing forward, despite the public opposition of senior Vatican officials, with its own “synodal path” that similarly intends to discuss possible changes in the areas of clerical celibacy, ordained ministries for women, and the Church’s teachings regarding sexual morality. This simultaneous timing surely is no mere coincidence. Also, as the Register reported on Oct. 17, the Ford Foundation — which has a long record of funding groups that promote abortion, gender ideology and “LGBT” advocacy — has granted millions of dollars of funds to the Brazilian bishops’ Missionary Council for Indigenous Peoples (CIMI) and to two other organizations that, like CIMI, are members of REPAM and therefore participating actively in the Pan-Amazon synodal process. There are other voices speaking out in the Paul VI synod hall, calling for a thorough renewal of the zeal for evangelization and creative solutions in fostering vocations that do not also demand the abandonment of the Church’s ancient tradition of the discipline of celibacy or the rejection of Church teaching on the ordination of women. They are joined by some of the most prominent leaders in the Church, such as Cardinal Sarah, Cardinal Peter Turkson, the prefect for the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect for the Congregation for Bishops, who has written a new book exhorting clerical celibacy. Cardinal Sarah understands well the dangers of theological colonialism. In his interview with Corriere della Sera, he warned that if there truly is an effort to use the synod to turn the Church in the Amazon into a laboratory, “this is dishonest and misleading.” He also gave clarity for how all Catholics should react to any abuse of the Gospel, especially in parts of the world most in need of evangelization.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/amazon-synod-dont-impose-old-agendas-on-the-new-world

While we may be well aware that carrying a little extra fat may not be good for our health, we rarely hear of any positive benefits. Now researchers from University of California, Berkeley are suggesting that having a little extra padding may help to protect us from developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. So far, the findings have only been observed in nematode worms and human cells grown in a petri dish, but the researchers believe that these results have far reaching implications. The one thing that all neurodegenerative diseases have in common is that they are caused by an accumulation of abnormal proteins. These proteins collect in or between the brain cells to form tangles or plaques, and it’s these plaques that cause the damage that results in mental decline and early death. The researchers from Berkeley made their unusual discovery after they observed that their nematode C. elegans worms, that had been engineered to mimic Huntington’s disease, started to grow fat. Intrigued, they found that this was due to an increase in the production of a specific type of lipid, known as ceramide, that stopped the formation of the proteins that go on to produce the plaques. Furthermore, they discovered that this fat was needed to turn on the genes that protected the worms from Huntington’s disease, thus revealing a pathway that could possibly be used to develop a treatment for the disease. More excitingly, the team also found that this was also the case for cultured human cells, with both the worm cells and human cells being almost completely protected from the plaques associated with Huntington’s disease. They then went on to treat the worms and the human cells with a drug that prevented the cell from storing the ceramide, and observed the same protective effect. The lead researcher has now begun further experiments to determine whether this drug can be used to formulate new treatments.

http://www.neuro-news.co.uk/news/why-carrying-a-little-extra-fat-may-help-protect-against-neurodegenerative-diseases/

North Korea has revised a law to help the isolated country expand railway cargo cooperation with foreign countries and attract investment, a report said Wednesday. According to the report by the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), Pyongyang changed its international railroad cargo law in December 2011 that regulates contracts, damage claims, fares, restrictions and dispute settlements. The North had created its first railway law in 1987, but this revision marks the first related to cooperation with foreign countries, it said. “The changes in particular are noteworthy because it outlines investment protection and pledges that the government will legally uphold the rights of investors and their interests,” the transportation institute said. Pyongyang will take administrative and legal actions against people who obstruct international rail traffic, and promises to take disputes that cannot be settled through negotiations to court or through a binding arbitration process, it added. The think tank, meanwhile, said that the changes were primarily made to transform the port of Rajin near the Chinese and Russian borders into a regional logistics hub. Last month the North announced the reopening of a railway service linking Rajin with the Russian city of Khasan. Work on the railway line took five years to complete. In addition to the railway law, KOTI said Pyongyang has shown interest in attracting foreign investors who will carry out so-called built-operate-transfer contracts, aimed at modernizing the country’s dilapidated infrastructure. “The move by the North to emphasize profitability reflects signs that the country is becoming more open to the outside world compared to the past,” said Chang Yong-seok, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University. He said such changes aim to entice much needed foreign investment by offering actual profits. Read more about the Rason -Russia railway project here. North Korea’s unserviced external debt will make it difficult for the country and its partners to implement plans for special economic zones, it has been pointed out. North Korea, which defaulted on its external debt decades ago, needs to recover its sovereign credit rating through repayment or rescheduling, but has not shown any intention of doing so. “North Korea has been pushing for foreign capital via investment symposiums and talks, as well as the enactment of appropriate trade legislation. But the truly vital concern they should deal with is the building of trust to improve their battered image, one that is often associated with massive outstanding sovereign debt,” a second economic expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed. All joint ventures require a North Korean business partner. However, many previous JV agreements have seen the North Korean side not service its financial obligations properly. This makes it harder every time Pyongyang makes a new attempt to attract foreign capital. North Korea imported 386 high-end Swiss watches this year, it has been revealed. According to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, mechanical and digital watches with a combined value of US$76,000 were purchased by the North in 2013. This figure represents a 50% decrease from 2012. “North Korea purchases a very small number of watches, as the domestic market for watches is small,” Head of the Economy and Statistics Department at the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry Philippe Pegoraro told Radio Free Asia on the 24th. Some North Korea watchers have questioned if the reduced import volume reflects worsening economic conditions. North Korea imported approximately 2000 Swiss watches in 2005, but this figure dropped precipitously to 26 the following year as a result of United Nations economic sanctions initiated in response to the North’s nuclear test. Imports have been on the rise since 2007, with 450 watches imported in 2008, 660 in 2009 and 590 in 2011. Kim Jong Eun is known to engage in “gift politics” by presenting watches and other luxury items in exchange for loyalty. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Wednesday that it plans to give US$7.15 million worth of aid to North Korea in 2014, up 7.8 percent from this year. The organization also said in its updated 2012-15 long-term report that it will allocate $7.96 million for 2015 to help the communist country. The report showed that the IFRC set aside $6.63 million to help the impoverished country this year, up from $4.40 million spent in 2012. It said money will be spent on improving public health, sanitation and infrastructure to help the North upgrade its ability to cope with natural disasters. The report added that Red Cross aims to help around 350,000 North Koreans who are vulnerable to disasters and poverty. The IFRC, meanwhile, speculated that there were over 3.13 million North Koreans who were displaced form their homes, with 147 having lost their lives due to various natural disasters last year. The North was hard hit by torrential rains and Typhoon Bolaven in the summer of 2012.

http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2013/10/

Persons who suffer from diabetes have an increased risk of other health problems caused by high blood glucose levels. Without proper preventative care, those with diabetes can suffer from serious problems that affect the teeth and gums. Daily care and regular dental exams can help. Periodontal disease is an oral health problem commonly experienced by those who suffer from diabetes. The first stage is commonly known as gingivitis. Bacteria and plaque that form along the teeth and gums can irritate and infect gum tissue. This leads to bleeding from the gums, frequently from brushing or flossing. Left untreated, gingivitis leads to periodontitis. Bacteria get deeper under the gum leading to pockets, decay of teeth roots, and even degradation of bone and surrounding tissues. While dry mouth can occur with nearly anyone at one point or another, it occurs more frequently in those with diabetes. Saliva helps keep the mouth cleaner. Without enough saliva, additional bacteria and plaque can settle on the surface of the teeth. Dry mouth also leads to an increase of a fungal infection called thrush. It is important to see a qualified dentist to determine appropriate ways to keep saliva flowing for good oral health. It is important to maintain twice a year exams with our dentist in North Hollywood for proper recommendations on oral health care if you suffer from diabetes in order to reduce the risks of developing serious health problems that can occur in the mouth.

http://www.nohodentalgroup.com/dental-problems-caused-by-high-blood-sugar.html

I swear to you, we're alive... Yes, I know it's been a while, over two months maybe even pushing three. Which is a bummer. But I swear to you we're alive! And big things are in the works, well at least big things are in the pre-production works. So here's a run down of everything that we have been working on during our absence. 1. Well, the Kickstarter was un-succesful. I have to believe it's due to a couple of things, one being us not being able to keep up with the up dates as promised. There was just so much involved that we had not planned on, or that we just didn't think would take up as much time as it did. So, that was our bad. The second, well it's kind of us again, we tried to go too big too quick. With the way that we set it up this was going to be a HUGE undertaking, and the prizes (er... rewards? incentives? fat loots?) were going to take up more time then actually drawing and coloring the comic. Which would have meant that we would have been scrambling to get each issue out to our lovely supporters, and the quality probably would not have been there. This doesn't mean that we won't be trying again... oh no, we'll be back. Just this next time we will be better prepared and further ahead of the game when we start. 2. Danielle was in an ART SHOW! YAY! Through the company that we work for she was able to show some of her pieces at the historic Flat Iron art building here in Chicago. While it wasn't a show just for her I still can't be more proud of her. She had a short amount of time and was able to come up with some new pieces that were absolutely amazing! Once we are able to we will get pictures of those works up on the site. 3.PRINTS! Yes that's right, we will have prints soon. We're going to start with some of the more "popular" ones like the one of Othello and Oliver, Harley Quinn, a few of Danielle's untitled pieces, and a new piece featuring our cat and mouse duo tentatively titled "This is my Cat, there are many like him, but this one is mine." (wow, that title may get cut down...drastically) We are getting quotes from different printers but hopefully these guys should run from ten dollars to twenty, depending on the size and all that fun stuff. 4.Finally, we're busily creating an online comic strip to tie into "Tails from Out There!" The purpose of this strip is to fill in the backstory of our heroes and to try and bring in more readers. We're planning on releasing them every week and then possibly twice a week if the work load isn't too much and we're able to produce them in the quality that we want. At the same time we are working on the actual comic book, which may seem crazy but it has to be done. Once the book is out the comic will be the filler for in between "issues", we're still trying to figure out how we would like to release the comic whether it be in trade paperback or what but hopefully that will come to us as we go. I apologize for the length of this post, there has been a lot of stuff going on in our lives and I didn't want people to think that we had given up on this since our Kickstarter didn't happen. I promise we are creating new art, and that we will be on here more often. The support that we got through our KS campaign and through FB has been incredible, we won't let you down and hopefully the best has yet to come. In the mean time, here's an image (unfinished) that I created trying to flesh out what Othello would look like as a younger mouse. In this picture he is geared up to go mine sniffing. Would you like to know more? Then stay tuned because this is only the beginning!

http://www.ofmiceandmadness.com/blog-o-rama/i-swear-to-you-were-alive

If a debt is compromising your budget beyond the account, renegotiating it may be a good decision, but you need to pay attention to some important points. We always talk: getting rid of the most expensive debts should be the priority of those who seek to keep finances up to date. And a simple action that can optimize this process is to renegotiate debts with creditors. In addition to giving consumers more peace of mind, debt renegotiation can also generate savings at the end of the process. What is her updated value? What fees apply? How many installments are left? Having these answers on the tip of your tongue – and duly noted in your financial spreadsheet – is critical to start thinking about trading. In this step, it is also worth reading the contract you signed with the lender. If you don’t have one yet, it’s time to run after it. The money to settle them needs to go somewhere, and no matter how renegotiated, you will still have a continued commitment to your income for some time. List all of your fixed income and expenses, and do a forecasting exercise to consider everything you need for the coming months. Then yes, you are able to meet with the lender to review how the debt will be repaid. Run installment payment simulations, divide more often, check the first installment payment deadline, ask about the cash discount. And ask for a deadline to think. Yes. You can and should take the time to consider possible scenarios before hitting the hammer, no matter how much the lender pressures. This is an opportunity to calmly consider the proposal and also consider alternatives, such as hiring new credit to pay off debt. If your lender’s proposal is not as good as expected, you may consider hiring a new credit to pay off this more expensive debt. It may seem contradictory if you get into debt again during the time of renegotiation, but if this new debt has lower interest rates than the lender’s proposal, it may be more advantageous. Especially if the offer of the first lender considers a good discount for the repayment of the debt. Take, for example, the interest rate on unsecured personal loans, one of the most common loans here in Brazil. In July, the average interest rate of this type of credit was 8.33% among the 64 financial institutions observed by the Cream Bank of Brazil. In the same period, the Real Estate Credit could be contracted with an interest rate of 1.22%, plus the correction of the IPCA.

http://www.ohalloranco.com/2019/11/28/what-to-consider-when-renegotiating-a-debt/

Gemmill played 43 times and scored 8 goals for Scotland. He captained the national side on no fewer than 22 occasions. Gemmill's most celebrated moment was his goal against the Netherlands in a Group D fixture at the 1978 World Cup. Scotland needed to win the game by three goals to qualify for the next stage of the tournament, having had very poor results in their first two games. With his team leading 2–1 in the 68th minute, Gemmill scored a goal which was described by The Scotsman as follows: In 68 minutes, however, Scotland went 3–1 up when Archie Gemmill scored one of the great goals of this World Cup so far. The little midfield player homed in on goal, played a magnificent one-two with Dalglish, then sprinted into the box and thumped a glorious goal past Jongbloed to revive all the hopes which had died the death this past fortnight. It was an extraordinary goal and an extraordinary moment. Suddenly Scotland were dreaming of glory again”. The goal has been translated into song, dance (Archie Gemmill's solo effort against Holland in the 1978 World Cup finals will be celebrated in a modern dance sequence performed by 200 children at Hampden Park, in Glasgow. The dancers will recreate Gemmill's feints, his turns, his composed finish and the celebratory punch of the air as he sees the ball hit the net) as well as its mention in the movie Trainspotting, in which characters Tommy and Lizzie make love while watching a homemade porno film, only to see it has been replaced with a football tape called "100 Great Goals" which features Gemmill's strike. At the same time, Renton (Ewan McGregor), who had switched the tapes in their cases and borrowed Tommy and Lizzie's tape, says after climaxing during sex, "I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!" Gemmill first saw Trainspotting on a club outing with Rotherham, and his reaction was: "I got absolutely slaughtered by the lads... to be fair I was a bit embarrassed by it." Unfortunately for Scotland, three minutes later Johnny Rep scored for the Netherlands, and the game ended 3–2, denying Scotland a spot in the second round. Rep’s effort was deflected off Gemmill’s outstretched leg and flew past Alan Rough’s dive. Nonetheless, Gemmill's goal is regularly rated as amongst the greatest goals ever scored in the World Cup.

http://www.oldschoolpanini.com/2013/02/the-archie-gemmills-goal.html

Megan by Mary Hooper - During a Personal Development lesson that was talks about female reproduction, periods, the pill, and how it all works out, the teacher says something that will change 15-year-old Megan’s life. Of course, it is possible be pregnant and still have periods. From that point on, everything changes for Megan, because she finds out she’s five months pregnant. How did this happen? What is she going to do? What will the father say? What will her Mum say? This book is pretty good! It focuses mainly on Megan and how she’s thinking and feeling, and what she’s going to do, and less so on what happens to her physically, but it was good! You have no idea how often I wanted to slap her Mum. Reading this book as a 22-year-old, I wanted to give Megan a hug and knock her Mum’s lights out, but if I had read this book at 15, or maybe younger, it would probably have scared me. It could work that young readers may decide to be extra careful because they wouldn’t want their mothers talking to and treating them like that. It was awful. Claire, Megan’s best friend, also needs a slap. She enjoyed the drama of it all, and didn’t think enough about Megan’s feelings. It was because of her that everyone at school found out and treated her so horribly. She kept pestering Megan about what she was going to do, and had she told her Mum, she just wasn’t helping at all. I liked how we got to read the conversations with the social worker, Susie. Through those conversations, everything was explained bout what Megan’s options were; keeping the baby or having it adopted, and what either choice would mean for her as she is 15. Not only does Megan get this information, but so does the young adult reader. I thought it was clever. I think it would have been better if there was more on what happened at antenatal classes and doctors appointments. It would have been cool to see how Megan reacted on seeing her first scan, and all these other things. However, Megan’s feelings on being pregnant were brilliantly portrayed. "I’d have given anything to have my own room. I really needed it now; I felt the need to pace about, to shout, rock backwards and forwards and generally cry, yell and make a fuss about what happened to me. And another part of me wanted to get right inside myself and be quiet, try and sort things out in my head." There were no sex scenes in the book, as it happened before the book started, but it’s a pretty good story that deals with an outcome of unprotected sex. Over all, Megan is a pretty good book, and maybe good as an introduction to the topic for younger readers. I liked it. As a reader: Mary Hooper always brings characters completely to life for me, and the gentle humour that comes from the believable relationships and situations her characters experience is a delight to read. As a parent: I think this is a great series that really puts the reader in the shoes of a teenage mother. I don't think it reads as a cautionary tale, but I suppose that element is there as a side-effect of the subject matter. It's down-to-earth and realistic as well as being a good story that will interest a lot of girls. As a writer: I am in awe of Mary Hooper's characterisation and storytelling skills. I read this book (and the rest of the series) when it was first released, and it's good to see it being re-released now. I really enjoyed reading your great review, Jo - thanks! Thanks for the review... I really hope that people don't try to scare kids into thinking that their parents will treat them badly if they do something... seems like the wrong way (to me!) to go about communicating the desired information. I'm interested to know the outcome of the pregnancy - and maybe compare with the film Juno, which I found disturbing - a tale of two abandoned kids abandoning their child, wrapped up as a feel-good comedy. The next two books follow the outcome of the pregnancy, and the parents do become more supportive. In fact, I'd forgotten about the mother's initial bad reaction until I read this review! I think Mary Hooper creates strong, realistic characters and the mother is one of them. Shesten & Kay - I kept having to put the book down when the mother was being mean. "Bad reaction" is a bit of an understatement. Oh she was such a cow! Really didn't like her. Keren - I think Megan deals with teenage pregnancy a lot better than Juno. I really don't like that movie, I do not understand how they can take something so important, and turn it into something funny, where Juno doesn't really care. It's awful. 15 and Prgenant was a much better film that all girls should watch, with a very young Kirsten Dunst. That was a brilliant film! Luisa - I'm looking forward to reading the other novels in the series, but I cannot stand her mother. I'm glad you said she gets better, because.. ohh, I want to wring her neck! Thank you for an excellent review. I'm going to catch up on everyone of your blog posts for SiTL today. I don't know whether I agree on the parents being unsupportive. It may make people hesitate about getting help from their parents. However, I think it does try to counteract this by showing how the teenagers can receive support. It sounds like a good read with an underlying message of support to those who are pregnant. I haven't read the book but it sounds interesting. It was quite a good book, I enjoyed it! An interview with Mary Hooper goes live tomorrow, where she talks about how there is no message behind the books. But I guess people can interpret books in their own way. Ooooh, it sounds like it chould be interesting. In my opinion, I think there are messages behind certain books. Some are quite subtle to avoid seeming preachy. We're all entitled to our own opinions and I look forward to reading the interview.

http://www.onceuponabookcase.co.uk/2009/07/review-megan-by-mary-hooper.html

This is an excellent example of the seven-gill cow shark Notorhynchus primigenius from the Neogene of North Carolina. Notorhynchus primigenius is a member of the Order Hexanchiformes, Family Hexanchidae. Notorynchus is a genus of seven-gill shark that evolved in the Late Cretaceous through the present day. The aeven-gill shark is a large (3-4 meters in length) inhabits shallow (1-135 meters), temperate coastal continental waters. Hexanchiformes is the order consisting of the most primitive types of sharks, and numbering just six extant species. Fossil sharks that were apparently very similar to modern seven-gill species are known from Jurassic specimens. Hexanchiform sharks have only one dorsal fin, either six or seven gill slits, and no nictitating membrane in the eyes. Cow sharks, or the Hexanchidae, are a family of sharks characterized by an additional pair or pairs of gill slits. There are currently known to be four species in three genera, Heptranchias, Hexanchus, and Notorynchus. Cow sharks are considered the most primitive of all the sharks, as their skeletons resemble those of ancient extinct forms, with few modern adaptations. Their excretory and digestive systems are also unspecialized, suggesting that they may resemble those of primitive shark ancestors. Their most distinctive feature, however, is the presence of a sixth, and, in two genera, a seventh, gill slit, in contrast to the five found in all other sharks. They range from 1.4 meters (4.6 ft) to over 5.5 meters (18 ft) in adult body length. Cow sharks are ovovivparous, with the mother retaining the egg-cases in her body until they hatch. They feed on relatively large fish of all kinds, including other sharks, as well as on crustaceans and carrion. This tooth measures approximately 1 inch long.

http://www.onlythebestfossils.com/north-carolina.html

OPIRG Stands for Ontario Public Interest Research Group. OPIRG-Windsor is a non-profit student-run organization involved in research, education and action on social and environmental issues in order to create a better world. We provide a collaborative non-hierarchical non-authoritative platform for students to come together, learn, share, brainstorm, and take action on issues relating to social and environmental justice on campus and off campus. The term “Public Interest Group” has been loosely defined to mean a group which tries to influence government policy. The addition of “Research” means that OPIRG values education and discussion as an integral part of activism. OPIRG is an activist centre for research, education, training and action for social and environmental justice. Our office is a positive place where campus and community activists come together and connect to share skills and information, access resources and support, and deepen our political analysis. We know that environmental degradation and social injustice are complex and interconnected issues that are the product of systems of domination and hierarchy. We expose and challenge the structures and institutions which perpetuate colonization, imperialism, capitalism, patriarchy, and other forms of inequity. We stand in solidarity with people around the world who are resisting social and economic oppression. We recognize that there are many ways to initiate and support grassroots radical change, and that our strength as an organization lies in the diversity of our experiences, approaches and tactics. In order to be as effective and inclusive as we can in our activism we operate without hierarchy and uphold the core values of anti-oppression and consensus. We mobilize through a wide variety of methods such as research, creating awareness, lobbying, media, training, protest, and direct action. We are volunteer driven and rely on the creativity and dedication of our members.

http://www.opirgwindsor.org/our-pirg/

Bookworm Adventures, developed and published by PopCap Games. One of the more popular board games is Scrabble. People can’t seem to get enough of making words out of random letters, as organized tournaments have cropped up around the world. And, with a lot of board games, you would imagine that it would make for a good computer game. The Bookworm series has been around for a while, mainly as one of those browser games, but also in a downloadable deluxe form. In Bookworm Adventures, Lex (the book worm, not the Superman villain, although maybe they are related) travels through the worlds of famous books, defeating enemies with his word handling skills. How will the RPG elements of Bookworm Adventures combine with the classic word game? The visuals of Bookworm Adventures are pretty much what you’d expect for a word game, although they are more interesting than previous titles in the series. The game is rendered in 2-D, but the battle area, which depicts Lex and his current foe against a sometimes dynamic background, looks pretty good. The characters are animated enough and the comments they say (through bubbles) are funny most of the time. The game features all of the special graphical effects you would expect for a game such as this. None of the in-game text is voiced (except for the main menu), but the rest of the sound is good enough. I will say that Lex saying “don’t leave me” when you press on quit always makes me a little sad. The effects are fitting to the game and the background music is good as well. Bookworm Adventures is what you would expect for a higher-end word puzzle game, and its polished graphics and sound won’t disappoint. Like all of the other Bookworm games, Bookworm Adventures involves making words from a set of letters. In this game, you are given 16 letters at a time and must make words from them, like a more robust version of Scrabble. In previous versions, you had to connect letters on a large grid, but the smaller grid and more flexible mechanics fit the game much better. The primary mode of the game involves battling literary foes from three major books. The better your words are, the more damage you cause. You are not limited in the amount of time you have (unless you pick the Arena mode, which is unlocked later in the game), just the amount of words you need to defeat the enemies, as they cause Lex damage each turn as well. During your adventure, you are given an opportunity to play some mini-games to earn extra prizes. These are also unlocked and available from the main menu eventually. The mini-games are a nice departure from the main quest, and include making as many words out of a set of letters, or guessing a five-letter word like the game show Lingo (it always looks easier on TV). Obviously the mini-games don’t stand on their own, but they are a nice addition to the game. In order to flesh out the game and make it more interesting, Bookworm Adventures introduces a number of RPG-like elements to the game. When you defeat a boss (at the end of each chapter), you will receive an object that will grant some sort of bonus, like increased protection or better attacks for using certain letters. You can only carry three items at a time, you so have to pick which three will give you the best chance of winning. Later in the game, it’s a hard decision to make once you have collected an impressive set of prizes. You will also gain experience points, which will increase your health, attack, or defense. These are really given at fixed intervals, so it’s not as flexible as you might think. Each enemy you encounter usually has some special attacks other than just eliminating your health, such as locking tiles from use or poisoning Lex (to cause constant damage). There can be a bit of strategy involved in combating your current enemy’s strengths, such as saving certain words for the next enemy, but really if you spell long words you’ll do just fine. Spelling longer words will also grant some gem tiles, which will give some sort of secondary attack to your enemy (freezing, fire, poison) if you use them in a word. Potions are also available to Lex, which will restore health or cure any lasting attacks. While Bookworm Adventures won’t likely convert new people to word puzzles, it is one of the best (and possibly the best) game in its genre. The extras in the game make Bookworm Adventures feel more complete in addition to adding some interest to the gameplay. I feel much more compelled to play this game than other word games I have encountered. The RPG elements don’t feel tacked on as a cheap selling point: rather, they are an integral part of the game. Most importantly, the game is fun to play if you are interested in word games. Each chapter seems to last about one round too long, however, but this is a minor problem among a large number of successes in the title. The game is initially easy, but it becomes more difficult as you move along, requiring the use of longer words to stay alive. The penalty for dying is not too severe, as you are able to start over at the same chapter. You lose all of your potions, but you can complete any mini-games in the book again, so you can easily earn them back. I can’t imagine any word game surpassing Bookworm Adventures and still stay true to the genre. The combination of effective gameplay, a number of extras, and a decent story makes Bookworm Adventures a perfect game for the wordsmiths of the world. History Channel Civil War: A Nation Divided Review...

http://www.outofeight.info/2007/02/bookworm-adventures-review.html

In-House Home Financing: A Good Alternative to Pag-IBIG Housing Loan? This article is a little bit off-topic considering that many of you are coming to this website mainly to know more about the programs of the Pag-IBIG Fund especially the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan. But please bear with us because this article could become a life saver to the other visitors who are not members of the Pag-IBIG Fund or those who are denied a Pag-IBIG Housing Loan. We have consistently mentioned this in replies to comments from site visitors: a loan application offers no guarantee of approval. And if Pag-IBIG Financing may not be the best for you, please take note that there are other alternative home financing options that you can use. In this article, we’ll elaborate further on the topic of In-House Financing – a Home Financing Scheme that you can use without ever becoming a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund. When you buy a house and take on a mortgage loan to finance it, here’s what normally happens. You pay a reservation fee. You pay the down payment or equity ( e.g. 20% of the selling price) either in one spot payment or in series of installments of up to one year or so depending on your arrangement with the seller. Note: the reservation fee could be part of the down payment also. The down payment goes to the developer’s account. You apply for a housing loan (e.g., 80% of the selling price) from a third-party lending institution like the Pag-IBIG Fund or a Bank. Your Loan is approved. Well, ideally that should be the case. The Lender (Pag-IBIG or Bank) takes your Title, which serves as collateral for the loan, and sends the money (or proceeds of the loan) to the developer or the seller. And you live happily ever after… in the house. That is, you take possession of the property and at the same time, you amortize on your loan. What Is An In-House Financing? It is a Home Financing Program offered by the real estate dealer (usually the developer) to their buyers who want to buy a house in a series of instalment payments without resorting to third-party financial institutions. Ever noticed that we mentioned the third-party lending institution in Step #3 above? With In-House Financing, there is no more third-party involved. In other words, the transaction is just between you and the developer … no one else. Question: Is In-House Financing good for you as a real estate buyer? Answer: Ideally, it should make things less complicated on your part – and the seller’s side, too. But, in reality, the answer could be yes and no. We cite below the pros and cons of using the In-House Financing Scheme. It’s quite simple and straight forward since you will be dealing only with one company. The document requirements may be minimal. Some will not even bother you with too much document details on your financial capabilities. This may be the only option for people who for some reasons can’t get a loan from the bank or other financial institution. The interest rate is way up higher than what the market offers, sometimes even double market figure. The down payment could be bigger than would normally be required if you use bank or pag-IBIG Financing. Only Short-Term Financing. The developer is wise enough to minimize the risk of having you as a client. Pag-IBIG Financing Insider’s Tip: The simplicity of using the In-House Financing Scheme comes with a steep price tag. The only reason you should take it is in when you are sure you will be denied a housing loan from a lending company. And, ironic as it may seem, real estate sellers would rather want that you take on a mortgage loan from a bank or Pag-IBIG than avail of the In-House Financing. “In-House Home Financing: A Good Alternative to Pag-IBIG Housing Loan?” is written by Carlos Velasco. Real Estate Loan is indeed the most popular service available to the Pag-IBIG Fund Members. In terms of the interest rate, it is very competitive (in many cases even lower) compared to the other mortgage loan financing alternatives in the Philippines. (The other Real Estate Financing alternatives will be discussed in the succeeding paragraphs) Another great advantage is the longer payment term of up to 30 years. If you have not yet stumbled on it from the other articles, here are some uses of the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan. Looking at that, it’s hard to imagine how an eligible Pag-IBIG Member should not take advantage of this benefit. Go for it if you have the chance. But then again, to even qualify for the loan, a member should at least meet the minimum requirements listed below. Must be a member for at least 2 years and has contributed at least 24 months. Take note: no more one-time payment of the 24 months contribution this time. Must not be more than 65 years old at the time of loan application. Must not be more than 70 years old at the date of loan maturity. Must have NO outstanding Pag-IBIG Housing Loan either as principal or as co-borrower. Must have NO outstanding Pag-IBIG Multiple-Purpose Loan in arrears at the time of application. And most importantly, must not have a previous Housing Loan that was foreclosed, cancelled, bought back or subjected to dacion en pago. For some becoming a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund is already too much of a hassle. There are membership dues to remember; seminars to attend to when applying for a housing loan; the difficulty in sending the monthly dues, etc. Some members have been inactive for a number of years already. Still others are not even eligible for Pag-IBIG Housing Loan. The first big daddy of Real Estate Financing in the Philippines is, of course, The Bank. They offer a variety of Home Financing Products that you can choose from. Professional Service – How cool is it if your banker treats you like a King? I can tell you don’t get that kind of professional attention in Pag-IBIG. Interest Rate – The lower, the better for you. Payment Method – As painless as possible especially if you are working overseas. Check for the Internet Banking feature. Tip: When you approach a loan officer, you may want to do away with that expensive Clive Christian Perfume. It will be to your advantage if you wear something that smells like money instead. I hope you know what I mean by that. This one is very simple. There are only two parties involved: you, the buyer and the seller, which is usually the Real Estate Developer. If you are constructing a house, the developer acts as if it were The Bank. It finances the home construction and you, in turn, pay directly to the developer. Like the Bank Financing, In-House Financing almost always requires that you put a down payment (20% of the selling price or so) and amortize the balance for a given term. This Financing Scheme also bears an interest. The series of monthly amortizations will reflect your payment for the principal amount borrowed plus the interests. The primary advantage of In-House Financing is its simplicity. The primary downside, however, is the stiff interest rate that goes with it. At the time of this writing, the going interest rate of many In-House Financing Schemes is in the range of 18% to 21% per annum. Compare that with the going interest rate the banks are charging, which is in the range of 8% to 12%, and you will be in for the shock of your life. When it comes to Home Financing, simplicity can be very expensive. “Pag-IBIG Housing Loan Alternatives” is written by Carlos Velasco.

http://www.pagibigfinancing.com/articles/tag/in-house-financing/

Impact:Peace is a new initiative based out of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice aimed at leveraging evidence-based approaches to reducing global violence levels. Impact:Peace has a commitment to, “Build a dynamic, agile evidence infrastructure to accelerate and amplify the most promising change processes in the peacebuilding field, whenever and wherever they happen.” Rachel Locke is the Director of Impact:Peace. She recently spoke to VantagePoints about the Impact:Peace mission toward reducing violence across the world, expanding the peacebuilding knowledge base, and realizing Sustainable Development Goal 16. Impact:Peace is a new initiative aimed at reducing global violence and supporting greater peace. What are some areas you are focusing on as you advance Impact:Peace? How will Impact:Peace innovate on how violent trends are viewed, treated, and then ultimately solved? What we’re focused on primarily is what we call ‘high potential change processes.’ Issue areas that have a lot of energy around them, that we see as culminating in a significant positive change in peacebuilding, violence prevention, conflict mitigation, and impact on the ground. While we need to be continuously investing in more and better evidence, our existing research, evidence, and knowledge is quite robust. But just having that knowledge isn’t enough. We are working to connect knowledge and evidence directly to the advocates, shapes and influencers who are driving change processes. In so doing we hope to accelerate those processes, making them, ultimately, more effective. One key message is that violence is preventable. We have solid evidence that shows that we can prevent violence before it happens—that we can reduce it once it’s broken out. We can change the trajectory of violence, and this is true across various different forms of violence. This is true in what we call the group or gang violence space. This is true in the conflict violence space. This is true when it comes to violence against women and children. There’s just so much knowledge that exists with regard to what drives violence and therefore the key points of entry to intervene. Changing the way that violence is understood has to do with changing a fundamental idea that many people in the world have, which is that violence is a fundamental aspect of the human condition. We would disagree with that. Conflict may be part of the human condition, differences of opinion may be part of the human condition. In fact, the space where people disagree is often the space where creativity flourishes. However, we do not believe the violence associated with conflict and dispute is inevitable. Nor should it be considered as such. We have seen the effectiveness of interventions in reducing and reversing trends in violence. A core innovation is just trying to change that narrative. The vast majority of resources that are put into responding to conflict and violence is exactly that, it’s put into responses. It’s not it put into prevention. We’re really trying to shift that and put much more emphasis on the prevention aspect. Sustainable Development Goal 16 focuses on “Peace, justice, and strong institutions,” which is a particularly challenging goal. Why has it not received the same attention as the other Sustainable Development Goals? That is a messy topic unto itself, there are a lot of different opinions. Goal 16 was the most challenging to incorporate into the SDG Agenda and negotiations on its inclusion went down to the wire. Much of the pushback had to do with the fact that Goal 16 is fundamentally political in nature, and there was fear that including components of peace and justice was a means through which to securitize a development agenda. Concurrently there was an appreciation that development without peace is no development at all. I also think one of the challenges has to do with what I said in response to the first question, which is that we don’t have the consistency of messaging on the effectiveness of strategies that are out there already. Large philanthropists, large donors, tend to feel much more secure in knowing that dollars are spent on health investments, or malaria treatment, or providing textbooks for schools. There is a much easier input-output relationship or at least simplified messages that generate attention and resources even if the challenges are not so simple (i.e. more textbooks don’t automatically mean better educated children or greater education equity). Those of us working on conflict and violence have not perfected these clear and consistent messages. In part, that’s because this is a very messy space. It is very political, and it’s not easily quantified. We have really big data gaps, particularly in some parts of the world. People pay for what they can measure. But we are working on it; significant efforts are going into improving data and this will, I think increase awareness and attention to the scale and scope of violence in the world today. The Sustainable Development Agenda and Goal 16 in particular is helping push this conversation, animating more investment in measurement, in how we communicate. It’s a huge opportunity. In your opinion, what will it take to realize SDG 16? First and foremost it’s going to take knowing that we can make progress. It’s also going to take the political will to really understand some of the major gaps, and how to reframe and rethink very structural issues within society. In the justice realm for example, there’s been work demonstrating massive justice gaps. The number of people who don’t have access to justice—the fundamental provision of justice within communities—is the majority of the world’s population. That’s a call to action. Not just justice for the few, justice for an elite few, but really reframing what we should be thinking about when we think about access to justice. Countries and cities and jurisdictions have to decide that they are making a commitment. That is true whether we’re talking about justice, or whether we’re talking about preventing conflict or violence, or whether we’re talking about creating institutions that are more inclusive and less exclusive. There is a political challenge here. That’s part of what is animating Peace in Our Cities (see next section) – generating political leadership. Another thing we need is resources. We need much more significant investment. Violence and conflict prevention receives a paltry percentage of overall foreign assistance. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, only 2% of total Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to fragile contexts goes into conflict prevention. What does this mean? In those countries at highest risk of violence a near negligible amount of ODA is being spent on reinforcing aspects of society that can prevent conflict and reinforce resilience. This can be compared to doctors performing costly emergency surgery rather than investing in a strong primary healthcare system that keeps people and communities healthy and productive. There is somehow this idea that we can invest extremely small sums of money and see massive reversals in conflict and violence trends. People don’t expect that in the health sector. I don’t know why people should expect that when it comes to building peace. There needs to be a seriousness of purpose, and seriousness about investing in saving lives and supporting peaceful societies. Impact:Peace, alongside +Peace and the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at NYU, is co-facilitating the Peace in Our Cities campaign which launched on the International Day of Peace this year. Peace in Our Cities is focused on reducing violence by 50 percent by 2030 in cities across the world. What can we learn from focusing on urban violence that might not be readily apparent to stakeholders such as mayors and other jurisdictional authorities? We have lots of examples of cities that have massively reduced their violence levels. I’m thinking about Medellin. I’m thinking about Ciudad Juarez. Those were cities that were labeled as having the highest homicide rates in the world at some point. We have Oakland, California which achieved a 50 percent reduction. We have examples from all over the world, of cities that have effectively done the work of reducing and preventing urban violence. Another thing we can learn from focusing on urban violence is that singular approaches are never sufficient. Much of the evidence from the urban violence space reinforces that it’s about a balance of interventions that includes the justice sector, the right kind of law enforcement, balanced with real action at the community level and prioritizing the voice of those most affected, balanced with investments to improve relationships between people and their government. There’s solid evidence that demonstrates quite clearly that where people do not see their law enforcement institutions as legitimate you tend to have higher levels of violence. When you have a better relationship there, you have lower levels of violence. When it comes to conflict within countries, low levels of legitimacy between people and their government is typically a risk factor for violence. We’re talking about similar issues, just in different ways and with different language. Often when there’s an uptick in violence you hear politicians, and frankly constituents, calling for heavy-handed law enforcement response. You see that in a number of places, including Mano Duro approaches in Central America. You also see that in the US, and in many other places where people tend to think the only way to respond to violence is through “tough on crime” police or militarized response. The evidence says these approaches are not most effective; but feelings are not always based on facts. But I would add that Mayors and other municipal actors are typically very aware of these dynamics as they are at the forefront of many of today’s presentations of violence. Many mayors are motivated to take steps to make their cities safe for all – this is what the mayors who have joined Peace in Our Cities are demonstrating. Very often it’s more a matter of spreading knowledge of positive practice, generating sufficient resources and investing them wisely, and building coalitions of partners than it is a matter of a lack of urgency or imperative. There’s a lot of conflicting information regarding the current levels of violence in the world. How will Impact:Peace develop a strategy that will support evidence-based outcomes in managing violence? People think about lethality and they think about conflict zones. They don’t think about countries and places with very high levels of violence that exist outside of conflict. For example, many people don’t realize that Brazil and Mexico constitute two of the most lethal countries in the world. If we’re going to be talking about evidence-based solutions to address violence, we have to start with knowing—where is the violence, and what’s the kind of violence that we’re talking about? One of the strategies is really just pushing that knowledge out, not just to policymakers and experts, which is certainly part of what we’ve been doing. It’s also getting people really animated by the fact that we have many of the tools to effectively address violence, whether that be urban or community violence, conflict violence, violence against women or children. We don’t have magic and nothing works all the time, but we have a huge resource base of knowledge; we need to act on it. I spend a lot of my time sort of connecting the dots, talking to various policymaker, experts, academics, practitioners, and asking, “Have you seen the latest research on this?” Very often, frankly, they haven’t. That’s not their fault, that was true of me when I was a policy maker. There is a lot of material being produced and knowledge being generated – that’s a good thing! Getting it to the right people, in the right way at the right time, that has to matter more. Doing the work of curating and deploying knowledge – that’s our goal. To do that is both an art and a science. Understanding narratives that people best respond to, understanding the right timing to deploy information, taking advantage of media cycles, taking advantage of moments on the calendar, partnering with the right people who serve as influencers or multipliers. That’s all part of our strategy. What will it take for a global shift from response to prevention in solving the issue of violence? Proving that we can prevent violence. That’s a big part of it. I also think really listening to the voices of youth and women is of particular importance and urgency. There’s been a lot of work done under a framing of empowerment. Empowering women, empowering youth. This is important, but there’s been far less investment in ensuring that their voices are heard. That’s a different thing. There needs to be far more accountability placed on those unwilling – historically and currently – to listen. There’s a lot of evidence about how different forms of violence are increasingly overlapping. You have contexts where you have criminal groups operating. You have the vestiges of political conflict. You have high levels of interpersonal violence and violence within the home. We need to pull from effective programming in the conflict space, the interpersonal violence space, the group violence space. But also we need to see how specific individuals, communities and governing systems are often impacted by more than one type of violence concurrently and, indeed, how they influence one another. There’s a lot of work that’s being done to figure out what to do in those environments. At the same time, there’s also a consistent finding, which shows that the societies that are more gender-equal tend to have lower levels of violence across the board. Increasing equality across the genders could be one of those key areas of investments. I also believe there needs to be greater appreciation for the evidence that demonstrates that militarized responses to violence is not typically most effective, nor cost-efficient nor life-saving. Militarized approaches also have substantial knock-on effects that undermine more resilient and peaceful societies in the long-term. There continues to be an overly heavy reliance on militarized responses. A shift in that thinking and that narrative is also required. Finally, it’s past time that we start acknowledging the need for substantial resource investments; we can do something here, but we can’t do it with peanuts. Only one percent of global philanthropic goes towards peace, which begs the question: Why is there no Gates Foundation for building peace? Sustainably reducing violence and building peace requires a careful balance of necessary elements. Are there examples of successful peace-building initiatives that have inspired your approach to Impact:Peace? I think it’s often important to go back to fundamentals, which is a basic imperative to work with key people and more people. Core peace-building work of breaking down barriers, increasing trust, reinforcing common humanity, particularly when there’s been historic tensions or animosity, this is essential. Also essential is focusing on key people. That includes key policymakers, politicians, leaders who are making decisions about where to make financial investments, who are mobilizing others towards violence or towards non-violence. This also includes leaders making decisions about weapons. After the Christchurch attack in New Zealand, decisions were made within a day to implement sensible gun regulations. We saw this in Australia years ago as well. Focusing on those vested with the power to make changes is also essential. This requires a horizontal and vertical approach. Where you see those two things come together, is where you see the reduction in violence in the near term that’s sustained in the long term. It’s important to acknowledge that very often expert communities operate at cross purposes, with some more focused on ‘stabilization’ or bringing violence down in the very near term while others are more focused on long term processes and addressing ‘root causes.’ I think it’s incumbent upon us to bring these communities together. We need to bring violence down today and we need to keep it down tomorrow. We need to think about what is needed to help us do both these things at the same time. Stabilization and long-term prevention – when done right – can reinforce one another by increasing faith within particular communities that the government is taking the violence seriously while respecting human rights and community priorities. When done wrong it can reinforce negative relationships, making prevention harder in the long term. Bringing these communities together will not happen overnight, but there are signals that there is increasing communication, which we just need to deepen. What concerns you most about the world today? What brings you hope? The things that concern me most about the world include an increasing isolationism. We see it at the individual level and at the national level. I think that there’s sort of an irony in the fact that the world has become much more and more globalized, yet a reaction to that globalization, coupled with technology and social media, is that people are retreating and countries are retreating. We see this with the significant rise in authoritarian regimes around the world. I think we see this in very high levels of suicide around the world—a sense of isolation. We see this in patterns of recruitment of people joining violent movements. Whether we’re talking about extremist groups, or gangs, or right-wing militias, or otherwise, members often cite a sense of marginalization and isolation as part of their motivation. This extends to a retreat from our multilateral systems. These systems – the UN, the EU, NATO – may have prevented a World War III. They’ve helped to prevent escalations of violence in many parts of the world. They’re essential to managing how states work together. Retreating from these systems gives me a lot of concern. What brings me hope? What brings me hope is that in the face of all of the tragedy and awful stuff that happens, our trajectory of human history, from the perspective of violence—in generational terms, I’m not talking year-to-year—continues to decrease. We have gotten less violent, safer, healthier (recent data on U.S. decline in life expectancy not-withstanding). I think that’s something to take really seriously. Humanity is going to have tragedies—and the fact is that we recover, we move forward, we improve, we extend those improvements to other aspects of our lives, to new areas, new locations. I think that that gives me hope. That has got to give you hope. No Replies to "Impact:Peace is Reducing Violence Through High Impact Peacebuilding"

http://www.pass-usa.net/high-impact-peace-building

Your PPI Compensation Claim – Would You Know What to Do If…? Claiming compensation after being mis-sold PPI can, sometimes, be a straightforward process. You tell the bank why you believe it was mis-sold to you, the bank considers your case and if they agree that PPI was mis-sold, they will compensate you accordingly. In other cases, the arguments for and against mi-selling are more complex. This may mean a longer resolution time and more effort to resolve the case. And this is why in some cases, having a company like Payment Protection Scotland on your side is a worthwhile move on your part. Would you know what to do in the following circumstances? … the bank said you didn’t have a claim because you don’t have PPI? Not so common these days but a few years ago when the PPI compensation flood gates were opened, banks tried to save face and profits by telling people that they either didn’t have PPI, they didn’t know if they had sold PPI to customers or not or that they had PPI but were not due compensation. You can check in other ways if PPI was added to or was part of a financial product. Call our team and they will tell you how. … the bank said you are not entitled to your money back because PPI was a suitable product and was not mis-sold? In some cases – but rarely – PPI was a suitable product BUT, suitability and mis-selling are two different things. It may have been suitable but you were told that shopping around for a better product at a cheaper price was not an option – this is mis-selling. In most cases, as we said PPI was NOT suitable mainly because the terms and conditions of the policy were not adequately explained. And it was mis-sold too. … you were sent a letter by a financial company you have never heard of inviting you to make a claim for mis-sold PPI? This is a sensitive one. Some companies do contact people and lead them into thinking that they have a claim for PPI compensation. When people contact them, this is not the case. Marketing tactics such as these are suspect. BUT, some financial companies and/or their products are sold to other companies. Quite often, as customers, we are not aware of the name of the bigger parent financial company and so it can look a bit suspect when we receive a letter saying we are entitled to compensation and to make a claim. Contact the team at Payment Protection Scotland to check the validity of the company name and for more ideas on how to proceed with your PPI compensation claim.

http://www.paymentprotectionscotland.co.uk/payment-protection-scotland-blog/your-ppi-compensation-claim-would-you-know-what-to-do-if/

Is Too Much Homework Bad for Kids' Health? Maybe students are right to complain about too much homework. A Stanford researcher has found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance, and alienation from society. How much is too much homework? According to the study, more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive. Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education, has found that too much homework has negative effects on well-being and behavior. What's more, the negative effects can extend to students' lives outside of school, including family, friends, and other activities. "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," says Pope. Learn More About Teens and Mental Illness » More Homework Can Cause Physical Problems 'Pointless' Homework. 24 Game-Based Sites That Make Studying More Fun. BenchPrep:If you need to study for the GMAT, GRE, MCAT, or just biology and accounting, you’ll find some help through BenchPrep. Students who visit the site can take study courses in a wide range of subjects as well as work through flashcards. In the coming months, the site plans to add additional games and leaderboards to encourage studying and to make the whole process of test prep a little less painful.Smarterer: Smarterer won’t necessarily help you study, but it will help you to pinpoint the areas where you need to focus your studying. Through the site, students can take a wide range of short tests that assess their knowledge of just about everything, from Twitter to basic algebra. The tests reveal a knowledge score and areas of weakness, and students can come back and retest to track what they’ve learned.Course Hero: Through Course Hero, students can get a whole lot of help with studying. The Results Are In: How Technology Affects Student Learning. Many of us take technology for granted, whipping out a tablet to write a quick email or pulling out a smartphone to look up driving directions. Even in the classroom, technology is more and more common: many rooms have LED projectors and document cameras, and an increasing number of schools give teachers the option of a SMART Board or personal student devices. With the push to get computers in the classroom, it’s wise to stop for a moment and assess the effects of this technology. There are certainly downsides, such as potentially shorter attention spans and a huge rise in cyber-bullying. On the other hand, if we look at the academic realm, students are making significant gains as a result of computers and mobile devices. The following are some of the key advantages technology imparts to 21st century learners. Increased Motivation and Engagement The U.S. More Willingness to Participate Technology can often bring shy learners out of their shells. By Danielle Restuccia. How much does a chromebook cost. Why a New Jersey school district decided giving laptops to students is a terrible idea. Inside Hoboken’s combined junior-senior high school is a storage closet. Behind the locked door, mothballed laptop computers are strewn among brown cardboard boxes. Others are stacked one atop another amid other computer detritus. Dozens more are stored on mobile computer carts, many of them on their last legs. That’s all that remains from a failed experiment to assign every student a laptop in this northern New Jersey suburb of New York City. It began five years ago with an unexpected windfall of stimulus money from Washington, D.C., and good intentions to help the districts’ students, the majority of whom are under or near the poverty line, keep up with their wealthier peers. “We had the money to buy them, but maybe not the best implementation,” said Mark Toback, the current superintendent of Hoboken School District. Despite tight budgets, superintendents and principals around the country are cobbling together whatever dollars they can to buy more computers for their classrooms. Some Schools Urge Students to Bring Their Own Technology.

http://www.pearltrees.com/paytondishman

For the past several months, we've been dealing with behavioral issues on top of Peter's cystic fibrosis -- defiance, extreme distractibility, difficulty making transitions between activities, and lashing out in anger. Peter's always been a high energy child, but this past year, things have reached a point where we suspect Peter may suffer from some neurological or behavioral disorder. Although not directly related to CF, Peter's behavior problems may be exacerbated by the treatments (which he doesn't always like doing) and possibly a side effect of the medication he takes. At our CF clinic three months ago, Peter broke into a full-blown rage in front of his doctors. Yeah, nice. So, we've been on the diagnosis path again -- trying to rule out possible causes of Peter's behavior. His GI doctor took him off of Reglan and lowered his dose of Periactin to see if it helped. Three months later -- his behavior hasn't really improved and he's lost weight, so back up on the Periactin (it helps increase appetite).Our ENT had mentioned how large Peter's tonsils were, so we wondered if that might be affecting his sleep, and therefore, his behavior. So, our pulmonologist ordered a sleep study. The sleep study found that he had mild obstructive sleep apnea, but nothing requiring intervention. My next task was finding a child psychologist, but couldn't find anyone that the pediatrician, the CF social worker, or my therapist had recommended and who accepted our insurance. So, I finally went with a psychology practice from our insurance network. We had an initial consultation, and he's scheduled for a three-hour test/evaluation at the beginning of August. (That was the earliest date that worked with our schedule.) My hope is to have a treatment plan/behavioral interventions in place before Peter starts Georgia PreK in the fall. Yikes! That is coming up fast. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to educate myself about how to best handle things with Peter. I've been working with my mom, the director of a child development resource center, who has great suggestions for handling him. I've also been doing a lot of reading on the subject. I really enjoyed Raising Your Spirited Child . It put such a positive spin on the challenges of raising a more energetic/intense child, but it didn't go far enough in explaining how to correct behavior. I'm in the middle of another book a friend recommended, The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child . It's research-based and uses good behavioral practices, but it's also going to take time and energy to implement. And that's when I'm done reading the book. As if one person with a chronic disease wasn't enough, we are also dealing with with my husband's clinical depression. (I'm reading a book on that as well.) So life is a bit more complicated than usual. I've stopped many of the volunteer and social activities I was previously involved in, as well as slowed down on my photography work. My family (and my own well-being to deal with these chronic illnesses) remains my biggest priority. So I've really focused on taking care of myself, exercising, eating right, and reaching out for education and support for those I love. It's a lot like my life was when Peter was first diagnosed with CF -- all of our morning and evening time devoted to treatments, practice, and learning while trying to cram in daily household maintenance and summer activities in between. I'm hoping that by the fall, we'll get back into a more regular routine and have some answers to our psychological concerns. Thank you Mandy. It's been tough lately, but I'm pretty resilient. I just feel like we're back to square one again and we have a lot of work to do. You've always impressed me with your strength and resilience as long as I have known you. Family issues, especially with immediate family, can be tougher than just about anything, especially when it's medical that affects mood or behavior. I'm hoping you can find some good answers and solutions. Wishing you the best of luck and help from heaven for all this. Love ya! Desiree -- Thank you for your encouragement. You would think one little boy wouldn't be all that tough to handle, but I guess the Lord knew he would be a lot so gave him to me first before I had anymore :) Hope you and your boys are doing well. Deborah -- Thank you for that encouraging remark. Yes, I think that facing things head on is my way. We all have our struggles, though. And I'm encouraged by the fact that as much of a trial this is, we are being proactive about it and there will eventually be some answers. Marchet - I just love you. You retain your eternal perspective even when it is hard to see thru the day.

http://www.peterspavementpounders.org/2011/07/on-diagnosis-path-again.html

There are approximately 11.1 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows. Of those 11.1 million, over 4.1 million are women with close to 18% of them being Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women. Furthermore, based on the 2011 American Community Survey (ACS), 51.1% or 20.6 million of our Foreign-Born population (naturalized or non-citizens) are women. So, why does this matter? Because the face of an immigrant - as portrayed by the media and conservatives - is a man. A Latino man to be exact. Unfortunately, it is this generalization that can force immigrant women to suffer the most if left out of the current immigration debate. There are two common means of applying for status in the United States - employment-based visas and family-based visas. Over the past few months, we’ve heard the Gang of Eight discuss raising the amount of H-1B employment-based visas, a visa program specifically for high-skilled and high-tech workers. The current limit for H-1B visas is 65,000 per year and the hope is to double that amount. Even though the logic seems sound - increase the amount of high-skilled workers in hopes of increasing our country’s innovation - we need to realize that doing so diminishes the value of a woman’s worth. As Professor Karen Panetta from Tufts University shared, “How many women get H-1B visas?” Not many, considering nearly 85% of all H-1B visas are given to men. What’s more difficult, the Gang of Eight is proposing undocumented and probationary immigrants to show proof of employment in order to apply for a green card and permanent residence. But by thinking ‘proof of employment’ is a relatively easy ask proves how detached from reality the Gang of Eight are. A majority of immigrant women are employed in informal or unverifiable professions, for example working as domestic workers or caring for their own children and homes. Over 1.8 million US workers are domestic workers and almost all of them are women and/or foreign-born. Their duties range from looking after our children, providing for our sick and elderly, and taking care of our homes. While ‘women’s work’ may not be considered high-skilled or high-tech, it is still a critical part of our economy. It frees up the time and attention of other workers, essentially changing the way working-class America, well, works. One can spend hours ‘talking’ about the invisible immigrant woman. There are stories of family reunification taking way too long, of immigrant women unable to receive healthcare benefits, and of abusive partners using immigration status against women to keep them silent. None of these stories are being included in the immigration debate. In fact, every proposal given to us by the Gang of Eight leaves the voices of 4.1 million women behind. Mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends being shoved aside by gender-biased, discriminatory plans. If we want to expand the civil rights of all 11.1 million undocumented, their stories need to be included. So when you drink your wine and talk with your friends and suddenly find yourselves discussing immigration, think of the immigrant woman. She’s there in the shadows, waiting for someone like you to advocate for her.

http://www.powerpacplus.org/the_immigrant_woman_invisible_and_being_left_behind

Lugano, Switzerland, January 31, 2019 – Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care products, today announces that it will support a Preceptorship program for supportive and palliative care, developed by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The Chair of the event will be Dr Karin Jordan who, since 2010, has been Associate Professor of Medical Oncology and Supportive Care in the Department of Oncology/Hematology at the University Hospital, Halle, who changed position in 2017 and is now working at the University of Heidelberg. The Co-Chair will be Dr Florian Strasser MD, Associate Professor in the Clinic Oncology/Hematology at the Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Head of Oncological Palliative Medicine at Cantonal Hospital St Gallen, Switzerland, where he is responsible for the clinical and research activities in Palliative Oncology and in Geriatric Oncology. He is also substantially involved in Geriatric Oncology, Supportive Care and Cancer Rehabilitation for both in- and out-patients in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event is expected to be attended by physician members of ESMO from around the world. These educational programs aim to provide high quality and ‘state of the art’ lectures with a focus on interactive learning, including formal presentations and interaction between leading experts and attendees presenting clinical cases.

http://www.ptcommunity.com/wire/helsinn-provides-educational-grant-esmo-s-preceptorship-supportive-and-palliative-care

People on the autism spectrum vary enormously from each other but they all have impaired communication skills of one kind or another. Those communication skills include verbal skills (such as speaking and listening) and non-verbal skills (such as making eye contact). However some people on the autism spectrum claim that, rather than having poor communication skills, they have different communication skills and that people without autism need to learn how to communicate using those skills.

http://www.researchautism.net/autism-issues/core-symptoms-of-autism/social-communication-and-autism

Decide to establish, by these statutes, a network called: “Network of foundations and research institutions to promote a culture of peace in Africa” and hereinafter referred to as “Network”. Section 1: A network entitled “Network of foundations and research institutions for the promotion of a culture of peace in Africa” shall be established, abbreviated “REFICA”. Section 2: Network aims to coordinate the activities of foundations and research institutions to ensure a common understanding and common practices and the pooling of resources and means of action. Section 3: The Network should work towards the development and implementation of joint programs, to the implementation of the Luanda Action Plan as well as the African Union 2063 Agenda, the Inter-sectoral Program of UNESCO Culture of Peace, in the post 2015 development agenda. Section 4: The Network headquarter is based in Yamoussoukro (Republic of Ivory Coast). Section 5: The emblem of the Network is a logo composed of: a map of Africa, consisting of the word peace in various African languages, and an open hand on a green background. Section 6: With the exception of the founding members whose list is attached to these statutes, the network is composed of active members, supporting members and honorary members. Active members shall be legal entities adhering to the present statutes, fulfill their dues and participate in the activities of the Network. Sustaining members are individuals or legal persons who through their financial assistance and special materials contribute to the functioning of the Network. Honorary members shall be individuals or legal persons who have rendered outstanding service to the network. Section 7: The network membership shall take effect after the signing of the Constitutive act by the legal representative of the foundation or research institution and payment of the annual fee the amount of which is determined by the General Assembly. Section 8: Membership shall be lost by resignation or expulsion approved by the General Assembly. Section 9: The bodies of the Network are the General Assembly, the Executive Board and the Permanent Secretariat. Section 10: The General Assembly (GA) consists of all members of the Network. Each member shall have one vote to be cast by his legal representative or by a person duly authorized by him. Section 11: The General Assembly meets once every two years in regular session convened by the Board or when requested by two-thirds of the member associations. It may meet in extraordinary session whenever necessary and under the conditions laid down in the Rules of Procedure. Revising the statutes and rules of procedure. Section 13: The Executive Board is the governing and executive body of the network. It shall meet twice a year in ordinary session. It is composed of 20 members elected for four (04) years by the General Assembly, in the accordance of the Rules of Procedure. Ensuring the regular implementation of the budget. Section 15: The Permanent Secretariat in collaboration with the Executive Board shall participate in the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly, and of the administrative tasks necessary for the proper functioning of the network. It should facilitate networking, exchange of information and experiences. Section 16: It is composed of a permanent executive secretary and two deputies elected by the General Assembly and representing the active members of the Network. All other income, including income from its activities and sponsorship from companies and individuals and deemed admissible by the General Assembly. Section 18: Projects conducted within the Network receiving funding will be monitored and managed by the foundation or research institution that submitted the query. Section 19: Any dispute which may arise between the Network members in the activities thereof shall be settled amicably by the General Assembly. Section 20: The rules of procedures shall set out modalities for the implementation of these statutes. Section 21: The dissolution of the Network is pronounced by decision of the General Assembly, constituted of a two thirds majority votes from present members.

http://www.reseaupaix.org/en/statutes/

Florida State. Arguably one of Louisville’s biggest rivals, especially since joining the ACC. If both teams have done what the preseason predictions said, this game would be highly-touted, perhaps even during primetime. Unfortunately, neither have. Both teams are having a down-year, Louisville because of defense, and FSU offense. The game will still be on ESPN, and is at noon. FSU’s dual-threat QB Deondre Francois went down with a patellar injury week one against Alabama. FSU’s offense hasn’t been the same. The Seminoles average 18.2 points per game, the majority coming from kicker Ricky Aguayo’s 41 points. Their leading touchdown scorer is WR Auden Tate, with five. Only two touchdowns have been on the ground, six from the air. They’re also turnover prone, with six interceptions and seven fumbles (three lost) in five games so far. Their defense, on the other hand, is good. The Seminoles have not allowed more than 27 points in any contest thus far, and only allow 20.8 points per game. FSU has the 21st rushing defense, and 59th passing. They’ve recorded nine sacks so far. They’ve made three interceptions. Despite the four losses, they’ve kept the ball in the offense’s hand; the offense averages 32:03 time of possession. Derwin James and Matthew Thomas lead the team in tackles, with 29 and 27, respectively. This game comes down to a great offense against a great defense. Something will have to give. With the game being on the road, and against a team out for revenge in a humiliating way, this will be the toughest game left on the schedule. Last week proved that Louisville can lose any game on the schedule, including FSU. I see this game going two ways. The first, is Louisville goes on the road, and blows out Florida State. Jackson finds holes in their defense, and maintains the 38.1 ppg average, at least. Since Florida State has a down offense, Louisville’s defense prevails, learning from the mistakes of last week. The second, is a shootout. The game is on the road; and Doak Campbell Stadium is a tough place to play. The last time Louisville was there, the Cards allowed 35 points in the second half to lose 41-21. Louisville’s defense again surrenders over 35 points to a dismal offense, and the offense does what it has almost every game. Like Han Solo once said, I have a bad feeling about this. Florida State doesn’t surrender many losses to Louisville. In fact, they’ve only surrendered three; and never back-to-back. Louisville also has only won once in Tallahassee, in 1952. The series history, in combination with Louisville’s current defensive shortfalls, just spells a long game for Louisville football. But hey, I’ve been wrong before.

http://www.rivercitycards.com/week-8-louisville-at-florida-state-preview-prediction.html

While in the U.S. Marine Corp, Todd gained a wealth of knowledge in military law. As a Judge Advocate, he oversaw and conducted criminal and civil investigations; drafted policy and opinion letters on government ethics and standards of conduct; and conducted legal review of requests for information under the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Later, as head of the Claims and Investigations Section of the Civil Law Office, Todd handled criminal and civil investigations, as well as claims brought by and against the United States and the U.S. Marine Corps under various Federal Claims Acts, including the Federal Tort Claims Act. During his final year of active duty he served as a Trial Counsel, where he prosecuted over 120 criminal cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice before his honorable discharge in July 2003.

http://www.romanolawgroup.com/our-attorneys/todd-a-romano

The Presbytery of San Jose, part of the Synod of the Pacific, is located in northern California and serves 32 congregations located in four counties (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey and San Benito). Our churches serve over 4,400 members. Called by God as a governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbytery of San Jose exists to serve and be a resource for the health and growth of the Presbyterian congregations within our four counties. To build a diverse community unified by the unique gifts of the Holy Spirit for the great work of the church. We call upon God’s grace and help to fulfill this vision. The Monarch butterfly, simple and gentle; bold and beautiful, is the symbol of the Presbytery of San Jose. To us, the monarch butterfly represents transformation, resurrection, and the beauty and amazing complexity of God’s creation. Santa Cruz and the Monterey peninsula are within our Presbytery and the winter home of the migrating Monarchs.

http://www.sanjosepby.org/about-us/

Scientists are finding more and more proof of the remarkable way our emotions can affect our immune system. For nearly three centuries, the idea that our emotions could impact our physical health remained scientific taboo. The evidence that emotions affect wellness has grown year after year, and it's become a scientific certainty. Good feelings, scientists now know, have healing effects on the body, and researchers studying everything from the flu to HIV continue to find eye-opening evidence that a person's mind-set can influence their immunity and the rate at which they heal from injuries and illness. Have you ever noticed that you usually get colds a few days after a setback or bad experience in your life? It is well documented that people have more heart attacks on Monday mornings (when the work week begins) than any other day of the week, and that death rates peak during the days after Christmas for Christians and after Chinese New Year for the Chinese. Since these are times of high emotion, one way or another, it seems clear that emotions correlate with the state of people’s health and illness. Major diseases, cancer and even accidents have been similarly linked to emotional reactions. The source of disease is any challenge that the body is unable to cope with, whether it is a harmful substance or a bad feeling. Disease is a manifestation of an unstable process, a pattern of disharmonious relationships. When defenses are weakened and resources exhausted, a multiplicity of factors conspire to permit illness. The adage, “The man is not sick because he has an illness, but has an illness because he is sick”, aptly expresses this view. Long before scientists began shedding light on how our minds and bodies interact, an intuitive understanding of this dialogue between the body and emotions emerged and permeated our vocabulary. We use “feeling sick” as a grab-bag term for both the sensory symptoms — fever, fatigue, nausea — and the psychological malaise, of emotions like sadness and apathy. No researcher has done more to illuminate the invisible threads that weave mind and body together than Dr. Esther Sternberg. Her groundbreaking work on the link between the central nervous system and the immune system, exploring how immune molecules made in the blood can trigger brain function that profoundly affects our emotions. It has revolutionized our understanding of the integrated being we call a human self. In The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions, Sternberg examines the interplay of our emotions and our physical health. Feelings of pleasure and well-being have a positive effect. They indicate that you are thriving and your immune system responds by working at peak efficiency. The feeling of exultation that follows successfully dealing with a challenge actually energizes your immune system. The opposite of pleasure and well-being is hopelessness. Just as animals separated from the herd often quickly die from disease, humans who feel chronic hopelessness are extremely vulnerable to disease and even cancer. Experiments have shown that your immune system is significantly weakened by helpless reactions to stress. "When it comes to our health," says Martin Seligman, PhD, (an expert in the field of positive psychology and author of Flourish), "there are essentially four things under our control: the decision not to smoke, a commitment to exercise, the quality of our diet, and our level of optimism. And optimism is at least as beneficial as the others." Scientists don't yet fully understand the biological mechanisms at work, but they know that negative feelings like stress, sadness, and worry cause a spike in the hormone cortisol, which in turn suppresses the immune system. Why do optimists live longer? How does happiness improve immune function? Why do stress and depression slow healing and the immune defense against cancer? Neuropeptides are a category of specialized proteins. Neuropeptides and their receptors are substrates of emotions, and they are in constant communication with the immune system, the mechanism through which health and disease are created. Neuropeptides received attention since their discovery by Candace Pert in the 1970’s and raised the legitimacy of mind-body research and understanding. This was because these messengers of emotions were discovered throughout the body, not just in the brain as previously thought. Many of these, such as endorphins, are directly associated with emotions. Each of your immune cells have receptors for all of these chemical messengers. They are in two-way communications with your brain but in particular with your limbic (emotional) system, where 85-95% of the receptors are concentrated. Neuropeptides create the experience of moods, pain and pleasure and are found in every part of our bodies. They are believed to facilitate an intimate communication between the immune system and our emotions. If our body is experiencing sensations like tightness in the chest or an upset stomach, it is not just because our brains signal the stress alert. We actually feel the stress and pleasurable emotions throughout our bodies. One important part of the body's immune system is the natural killer cells. These amazing fighting units have the ability to recognize and selectively kill both cancer cells and virus-infected cells. Experimenters have actually measured variations in natural killer cell activity based on interactions between stress and attitude. Natural killer blood cells work to destroy tumor cells, diseased tissue or invading viruses, bacteria etc. The levels of natural killer blood cells are considered indicative of immune strength. Psychological stress reduces our natural killer cells and can increase disease severity. Stressed medical students tested on the day of their exams showed significantly lowered immune markers including lowered natural killer blood cells. Lack of social bonding also impacts the levels of these cells as was shown in a study that observed that lonely medical students had lower levels of natural killer cell activity than socially active students. Oxytocin, is a hormone released during emotional bonding, sexual intimacy, as well as during childbirth and in preparation for breast feeding. Scientists think it supports maternal behaviors as well as social recognition, trust, and bonding. It also regulates blood pressure, body temperature, wound healing and even relief from pain. So we only get to receive the full benefits of this beautiful hormone when we are celebrating love in one of its many forms. Cortisol is a hormone that is excreted during stress. Along with adrenaline, it plays an important part of the "fight or flight" response, helping prepare the body for emergency action. Too much cortisol for too long contributes to high blood pressure, reduced mental performance, blood sugar problems, thyroid suppression, "bad" cholesterol build up and increased abdominal fat. Grief suppresses immune health. A study of bereaved spouses showed that they had elevated cortisol and decreased natural killer cell production. Grief, separation, heartbreak and divorce have also been proven to increase cortisol secretions. Interestingly, the body can not decipher true threats from threats that are imagined. Our body will respond with cortisol and other toxic biochemical stress reactions in a similar manner whether we are worrying and imagining a danger or stressful event or actually experiencing it. This is a strong point to consider when choosing our thoughts! Immunoglobin A is a specialized protein called an antibody that is produced by white blood cells to battle foreign pathogens such as bacteria. It supports the immune system of the mucous membranes and is the bodies most prolific and important anti body. Similar to natural killer blood cells, the more Immunoglobin A measured through the blood, the stronger immune function is. Studies show that when we are calm and happy, this chemical is at it's highest levels and when we are frightened or angry, it is reduced. In Norman Cousin’s Anatomy of an Illness, he writes about how he cured himself of a terminal illness. What he was suggesting from his experience was that state of mind, thoughts and feelings, all of which were completely ignored by the medical model, did in fact play a major role in his recovery. He postulated that laughter had triggered a release of endorphins, which, elevated his mood and somehow brought about a total remission of his disease. Research has showed that the immune system can be altered by conscious intervention, such as guided imagery, biofeedback training, etc. What does this mean for the treatment of major diseases and illnesses? The idea that emotions are linked to cancer has been around for a while. It has been shown that immune systems are stronger and tumors smaller for those in touch with their emotions. Since emotional expression is tied to a specific flow of peptides in the body, chronic suppression of emotions results in a disturbance of the physical, emotional network. Many psychologists have interpreted depression as suppressed anger. Freud described depression as “anger redirected against oneself”. We now know what this looks like at a cellular level. Let’s consider cancer as an example. It is a fact that we all have a number of tiny cancerous tumors growing in our bodies. The part of the immune system that is responsible for the destruction of these errant cells consists of those natural killer cells, whose job it is to attack these tumors, destroy them and rid the body of any growth. But, what happens when the flow of peptides is disrupted? Can we learn to consciously intervene to make sure our natural killer cells keep doing their job? Can being in touch with our emotions allow the flow of the peptides that direct these killer cells? Is emotional health important to physical health? And, if so, what is emotional health? These questions need to be addressed as we better understand the links between the physical and emotional body!

http://www.santellihealingcenter.com/articles/chemistry-of-emotions

Please join us this Sunday 2nd July for the 8th annual SARI and UNHCR World Refugee Day Fair Play Cup. The 7-a-side tournament features teams drawn from refugee and community groups, direct provision centres, NGOs and members of the media. Over 160 players from a host of different countries including Syria, Angola, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2016 there were 65.3 million refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people in the world. Each year on June 20th the United Nations, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and countless civic groups around the world host World Refugee Day (WRD) events to draw attention to the millions of refugees and internally displaced people worldwide who have been forced to leave their homes due to war, conflict, persecution or natural disaster. This year SARI and UNHCR decided to delay the WRD Fair Play Cup until after the end of Ramadan.

http://www.sari.ie/new-newsitem-7/

Lake Tahoe is home to a marvelous collection of flora and fauna but how many of us know what we are actually seeing? When I first started putting out bird feeders years ago, I remember saying to myself, “Look at all those birds!” Before long I realized that there were actually several different species of bird dining at my bird feeders and I could not name them. Out came the binoculars and the bird book and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve learned to identify several birds both by sight and by listening to the songs and calls. This past month I had the good fortune to spot two birds that I’ve never seen before and these I will share with you today. The Western Tanager is a black and yellow bird with a red head, and sports white wing bars. This is the breeding male. The female Tanager is duller, mostly greenish-yellow with a grayish back and wings and less noticeable white wing bars. This bird is abundant around Lake Tahoe but surprisingly hard to spot, given his bright colors. Probably the best indication that you’re in the presence of a Western Tanager is by knowing his song. Western Tanagers eat fruits and insects and mainly forage in foliage, which is why you must look up to see them. They nest in large, mature trees, at points greater than 10 feet off the ground. Bring your binoculars! I heard him long before I saw him. Another bird I heard for a month or so before I found him was the warbler. Around the beginning of June I began noticing a song that I did not recognize and I could not find the bird making the sound. I carry a digital recorder with me on my walks and record bird song that I hear, hoping that eventually I’ll be able to identify the bird. One day I was able to spot him! A distinct bird, he was gray and white with bright spots of yellow. My trusty bird book pointed me to the Audubon’s Warbler and I confirmed the identification by his song. This pretty bird dwells in open coniferous forests in the summer, foraging for insects in the outer tree canopies. They build a cup nest in a tree and lay 4-5 eggs. In the winter, they often travel in large flocks, eating berries in warmer climates than Lake Tahoe. It would be truly magical to see a large flock of these stunning birds. A good field guide is essential to being able to identify the birds that you see. I refer to “A Field Guide to Western Birds”, Roger Tory Peterson, sponsored by the National Audubon Society. There are also apps for your smart phone. Find the link to this app: “Audubon Birds: A Field Guide to North American Birds” on natureshare.com. You can post your own sightings on natureshare.com, a site which isn’t limited to birds, but where you can find trees, insects, fish, butterflies, flowers and more. Share your love of nature with many other nature enthusiasts and reap the benefits of the combined expertise of people from all over the country. Another indispensable tool is a small digital recorder I carry with me in a little pouch whenever I’m outside. Leaving home without it is a sure way to hear that song you’ve never heard before! The recorder I use is the Sony ICD-PX820. I chose this model because I can transfer my recordings to the computer, making sharing with others much easier. It’s not much larger than a pack of gum and costs less than $80. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in inspiring the sleuth in you and fueled a desire to know more so grab your binoculars and let’s get birding!

http://www.saveourplanetearth.com/Western-Tanager-and-Audubon-s-Warbler.html

SayWhatNews: Good morning Ladies of SKYY. Thanks for sitting down and speaking with SayWhatNews. Tell us who are the Ladies of SKYY. When did you realize that you had the gift of song and were able to harmonize with each other? SKYY: BOTH OUR MOM AND OUR DAD HAD BEAUTIFUL VOICES, AND ALWAYS SANG SONGS AROUND THE HOUSE. MOMMY WAS A FAN OF PEARL BAILEY, AND DAD A FAN OF ARTHUR PRYSOCK. MY DAD ALWAYS PLAYED MUSIC IN THE HOUSE AND WE WERE ALWAYS SINGING. WE PROBABLY DIDN’T REALIZE THAT WE COULD HARMONIZE UNTIL WE ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL AND STARTED TO RECEIVE FORMAL TRAINING. SayWhatNews: So what type professional training helped tune your craft? SKYY: OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WAS RECEIVED FROM OUR CHORAL TEACHER AT FDR HIGH SCHOOL, IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, MRS. ANTOINETTE LIND. SHE LED THE MIXED AND GIRLS CHORUSES. SHE DEMANDED EXCELLENCE AND TAUGHT US HOW TO USE OUR VOICES PROFESSIONALLY. SHE TAUGHT US HOW TO BREATHE PROPERLY AND HOW TO PRONOUNCE WORDS PROPERLY. WE LEARNED HOW TO SING ALL TYPES OF MUSIC - POPULAR, JAZZ, AND CLASSICAL (IN GERMAN AND ITALIAN). EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT USING OUR VOICES CORRECTLY, WE LEARNED FROM HER. SayWhatNews: Fast forward to 1976. Tell us how the group SKYY became to be? SKYY: THERE WERE ORIGINALLY FOUR WOMEN IN OUR GROUP, AND WE WERE KNOWN AS THE SOUNDS OF SOUL. WE MET RANDY MULLER AT THE MISS BLACK AMERICA NEW YORK STATE PAGEANT IN 1971 AND STARTED WORKING AS AN OPENING ACT FOR BRASS CONSTRUCTION. WHEN THEY GOT THEIR FIRST RECORD DEAL IT NO LONGER MADE SENSE FOR US TO SING WITH THEM, SO RANDY INTRODUCED US TO SOLOMON ROBERTS, JR. SOLOMON ALREADY WORKED WITH ANIBAL (BOOCHE) SIERRA (GUITARIST), AND DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER A DIFFERENT KIND OF BAND. EVENTUALLY THE FOURTH FEMALE DECIDED TO PURSUE RAISING A FAMILY, AND SO THE DUNNING SISTERS WERE LEFT WITH SOLOMON AND ANIBAL SIERRA. WE PERFORMED AT LOCAL COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS, BUT WHEN WE STARTED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT RECORDING AND GOING PROFESSIONAL, GERALD LEBON (BASS) AND TOMMY MCCONNELL (DRUMS) JOINED THE BAND. WHEN WE WERE READY TO RECORD OUR FIRST ALBUM, LARRY GREENBERG (KEYBOARDS) JOINED THE BAND TO FORM WHAT ULTIMATELY BECAME SKYY. SayWhatNews: How did you come up with the name SKYY and does it have a meaning? SKYY: WHEN WE CAME OUT IN THE 70’S, THE SPACE THEME WAS REALLY BIG IN MOVIES AND TELEVISION, AND IT HAD AN INFLUENCE ON WHY WE CHOSE THE NAME. WE WANTED TO SELECT A NAME THAT REFLECTED DIFFERENT MOODS, AND THE NAME SKYY JUST MADE SENSE. WE ADDED THE EXTRA Y TO MAKE IT MORE UNIQUE. SayWhatNews: In 1979 SKYY was signed to its first record label Salsoul Records. How was the group discovered? SKYY: WELL, RANDY MULLER AND SOLOMON ROBERTS RECORDED ALL OF THE TRACKS FOR THE FIRST ALBUM AND SHOPPED IT AROUND TO DIFFERENT RECORD LABELS. SOME OF THE LABELS WANTED JUST THE GIRLS, SOME WANTED JUST THE BAND, BUT SALSOUL LISTENED TO THE MUSIC AND REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT SOUND. WE COMBINED FUNKY GUITAR LICKS AND BASS LINES WITH THE SMOOTH SOUND OF THE LADIES SINGING. THEY SAW SOMETHING IN US THAT NO OTHER LABEL DID, AND THEY BROUGHT US ON BOARD WITH THEIR RECORD LABEL. SayWhatNews: Over the years SKYY has had several hit records like “High”, “Here to You” and “Skyyzoo”, but the one song that became the groups signature song was “Call Me”. What was the inspiration for writing this smash hit? SKYY: RANDY MULLER WAS THE WRITER OF THAT SONG. WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, I WAS A BIT PENSIVE ABOUT SINGING IT BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, IT IS JUST BLATANTLY STEALING A FRIEND’S MAN, WHICH I WOULD NEVER CONDONE. BUT IN LISTENING TO IT, THE SONG HAD A ‘SLICE OF LIFE’ CONTENT, AND A LIGHT-HEARTED FEEL TO IT, AND I JUST WENT WITH IT. SayWhatNews: Well, its evident that fans weren’t too upset with the content because “Call Me” was such a huge hit that it went Gold and the album “SKYYLINE” went Gold. So how did the group feel about its great success? SKYY: WE WERE ABSOLUTELY TAKEN BY SURPRISE. WE HAD RECORDED FOUR ALBUMS BEFORE THAT, AND HAD NOT YET ACHIEVED THAT KIND OF SUCCESS. I REMEMBER THAT I FIRST HEARD IT ON THE RADIO SITTING IN MY BLACK AND RED CHEVY IMPALA, AND MY SISTERS AND I WERE SCREAMING OUT THE WINDOW, “THAT’S US”! PEOPLE, OF COURSE, THOUGHT WE WERE CRAZY! THE SONG WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT SOUL TRAIN CALLED US TO BE ON THE SHOW SHORTLY AFTER THE SONG WAS RELEASED. APPEARING ON SOUL TRAIN WAS THE MARKER FOR EVERY GROUP’S SUCCESS, AND TO HAVE BEEN CALLED BY THEM TO COME ON THE SHOW WAS A GREAT HONOR. THE SUCCESS OF THAT SONG AND THAT ALBUM HAPPENED SO QUICKLY, I DON’T THINK OUR FEET TOUCHED THE GROUND UNTIL AFTER THE BIG TOUR WITH KOOL & THE GANG ALMOST 14 MONTHS LATER. SayWhatNews: Now that had to be a great tour with Kool & The Gang. Now, in 1985 Salsoul Records ended its operation and SKYY then moved to Capital Records in 1986. How did Capital Records end up being the groups new home? SKYY: I AM REALLY NOT SURE HOW THAT HAPPENED. WE WERE SO DISAPPOINTED BY THE LOSS OF OUR SALSOUL FAMILY, AND SO VERY ANXIOUS TO FIND A HOME SO THAT WE COULD KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. I BELIEVE RANDY MAY HAVE HAD SOME CONNECTIONS THAT GOT US THROUGH THE CAPITOL DOOR. SayWhatNews: The group was part of the Capital Records family for a brief time. Why did SKYY leave the label? SKYY: I DON’T THINK WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE STYLISTICALLY, BUT AS OUR PRODUCERS, RANDY AND SOLOMON WERE MOSTLY IN CHARGE OF THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS. SayWhatNews: In 1989 SKYY re-emerged at Atlantic Records and recorded two albums, “Start of a Romance” and “Nearer to You”. Now even with continued success with 2 singles “Start of a Romance” and “Real Love” both reaching the #1 spot on Billboards R&B Singles Chart, the group left another record label. What happened? SKYY: BY THAT TIME, THE AUDIENCES MUSICAL PREFERENCES STARTED TO CHANGE. HIP HOP AND RAP MUSIC BEGAN TO EMERGE, AND A NEW GENERATION OF LISTENERS BEGAN TO PURCHASE RECORDS. THE BANDS NOW STARTED TO MOVE OVER FOR THE 3 MAN RAP GROUPS AND THE 4 MAN VOCAL HARMONY GROUPS. WE HAD A 13 YEAR RUN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND IT WAS JUST NOW TIME FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOLKS TO TAKE OVER. SayWhatNews: Now, with image being the driving force of the music industry did the ladies of SKYY ever have to deal with image issues with the record labels? If so, what happened and how did you handle it? SKYY: WE NEVER HAD AN IMAGE PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE DID NOT BECOME SOME OTHER CHARACTER ON STAGE. WE REMAINED TRUE TO OURSELVES. WE ALWAYS PORTRAYED OURSELVES AS THE DOWN-TO-EARTH, BROOKLYN GIRLS THAT WE REALLY WERE. IN THE BEGINNING, THE SPACE THEME WAS PREVALENT, AND SO OUR COSTUMES REFLECTED THAT. AS TIME MOVED ON, WE BROUGHT IN STYLISTS TO GIVE US A MORE MODERN, APPROPRIATE IMAGE. HOWEVER, DURING OUR ERA OF MUSIC, THERE WAS NO NEED TO BE HALF-NAKED IN THE VIDEOS AND ON STAGE, BECAUSE OUR MUSIC SPOKE FOR AND SOLD OUR RECORDS, NOT OUR BODIES. WE ALWAYS MAINTAINED RESPECT FOR OURSELVES, AND REPRESENTED OUR UPBRINGING IN A RESPECTFUL WAY! SayWhatNews: Exactly, real music lovers want real talent and not just some half dressed image on stage dancing. Thinking back on your career, is their any artists or producers you would have loved to have worked with? SKYY: IT’S FUNNY, BUT I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO SOLOMON, RANDY AND TO TOM MCCONNEL, WHO WROTE AND PRODUCED OUR MUSIC. THEIR MUSICAL STYLE IS WHAT GAVE US OUR SIGNATURE SOUND, AND I DON’T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT WE DID IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN OR PRODUCED OUR MUSIC. I MUST SAY THOUGH, THAT SINCE WE HAVE BEEN PERFORMING AS LADIES OF SKYY, WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MANY ARTISTS THAT WE WERE BIG FANS OF. RECENTLY, WE HAVE WORKED WITH GLENN JONES, HOWARD HEWITT, AND THE WHISPERS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST THRILL OF OUR RECENT MUSICAL CAREER. SayWhatNews: With the high-demand of “Old School” music from the fans, the Ladies of SKYY decided to come back and tour around the world. So, why did you decide to give touring a rest in 1991 when you were entertaining fans all over: in Germany, Italy, Holland, Japan, Africa and in the Bahamas? SKYY: WHEN OUR RECORD DEAL WITH ATLANTIC ENDED, WE WERE ALL VERY DISAPPOINTED. WE FELT THAT WE HAD A LITTLE MORE MUSIC IN US, BUT, AGAIN, THE STYLE OF MUSIC THAT WAS POPULAR BEGAN TO CHANGE. WE COULD NOT SELL OUT OUR STYLE AND TRY TO SING MUSIC OTHER THAN WHAT WE HAD ALWAYS BEEN DOING. SO, WHEN THE DEAL WITH ATLANTIC ENDED, WE JUST DECIDED TO GIVE IT A REST. WE HAD SPENT 13 YEARS OF OUR LIVES ENGULFED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF FAMILY LIFE. MY SISTERS’ TWO CHILDREN WERE STAYING WITH OUR PARENTS, AND THEY DECIDED TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN HOME TO RAISE THEM THEMSELVES. THE REST OF US WENT ON THE DEVELOP OUR FAMILY LIVES IN A WAY THAT WE HAD MISSED OUT ON FOR SO MANY YEARS. IT WAS A PAINFUL DECISION AT FIRST, BUT I THINK WE ALL WILL AGREE THAT WE MISSED OUT ON SEEING OUR CHILDREN GROW UP, AND SPENDING QUALITY TIMES WITH OUR HUSBANDS AND WIVES! SayWhatNews: 25 years later the hit song “Call Me” continues to be a favorite on the Old School R&B radio and even was added to the movie soundtrack for the hit film Beauty Shop starring Queen Latifah. Why do you believe the song has transcended time and remained a fan favorite? SKYY: AGAIN, IT TELLS THE STORY OF A SLICE OF REAL LIFE. IF A PERSON HAS NOT GONE THROUGH SUCH A SCENARIO, THEY MOST CERTAINLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS. WHEN A SONG TELLS A GOOD STORY, IT IS MEMORABLE, AND CALL ME REALLY DIDN’T MEAN ANY HARM TO ANYONE...IT IS JUST TELLING IT LIKE IT IS. SayWhatNews: In 2007 the Ladies of SKYY attempted to beat the Guinness World Record-TM for the “largest Kazoo ensemble” at the Apollo Theater playing to your song “Skyyzoo”. Why did you guys decide to do this and did you beat the record? SKYY: WE DECIDED TO DO IT BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN! THE SONG SKYZOO IS A REAL CROWD PLEASER. PLAYING THE KAZOO DOESN’T TAKE ANY SPECIAL SKILL OTHER THAN BEING ABLE TO HUM. IT IS SUCH AN EASY INSTRUMENT TO PLAY, ANYONE CAN PLAY IT. SO WE DECIDED THAT SINCE WE WOULD BE PERFORMING TO A LARGE GROUP AT THE HARLEM SUMMERSTAGE CONCERT SERIES SPONSORED BY THE APOLLO THEATER, WE SHOULD TAKE A SHOT AT TRYING TO CREATE THE LARGEST KAZOO ENSEMBLE. WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED IF GUINNESS(TM) HAD NOT POSTED A NEW RECORD THE WEEK BEFORE OUR RECORD ATTEMPT. WE WERE TRYING TO BEAT 2,400, AND SOMEONE POSTED A RECORD OF 2,700. WE DID NOT SUCCEED, BUT WE, AND THE PEOPLE OF THE GREAT COMMUNITY OF HARLEM, SURE HAD A LOT OF FUN TRYING!!! SayWhatNews: Tell us about Lady SKYY Productions and its mission. LADYSKYY PRODUCTIONS IS MY PERSONAL OPERATING COMPANY. I HAVE PRODUCED SOME OPEN MIC SHOWCASES, CRAB FEASTS, AND SKI TRIPS, AND HAVE ASSISTED MY HUSBAND, AUSTIN, IN THE PRODUCTION OF FASHION SHOWS. I ALSO WORK AS A MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES AT RECITALS AND AT WEDDINGS, AND PERFORM SOLO FOR VARIOUS EVENTS ALSO. SayWhatNews: What’s next in the future for the Ladies of SKYY?

http://www.saywhatnews.com/ladiesofskyy.html

Traveling to any place around the world means spending a lot of money on various things such as accommodation, food, travel and many other things. Although these things are necessary, it’s not compulsory that you only get these amenities after spending a ton of money. What if we told you can save a lot of money while getting almost the same experience. We all know France is a beautiful place but also expensive at the same time. While some people like to live a lavish life while traveling to these places, not all can afford this due to various financial reasons. Thus to help you enthusiastic travelers save some money while at the same time get a wonderful experience out of the trip, here are the best ways to save money while traveling to France in 2019. We all know that France has a rich heritage and their culture is among the best in the world. If you are traveling to France make sure to visit it between the months of October to March as the first Sunday of these months the entry for the museums are free and during any other month the charges may go up to anywhere near 26 EU. The only downside of this is that the crowd which arrives due to the free entry is a lot. France is extremely popular for its cleanliness and the excellent railway lines which connect to all the major cities. Taking advantage of this and traveling using trains rather than hiring private cabs can undoubtedly save you a lot of money while at the same time provide you a new and unforgettable experience. If you are on a budget and love to travel all the time, then choosing hostels to live can be extremely good for you. At hostels, you can find various new people and even the private hostel rooms don’t generally cost much per night as the generally accepted price for a private hostel room per night is around €50. And while you are staying at a hostel why not use the bars at these places as they generally are cheaper and also have various “Happy hour” offers during all times of the year. France is a city with a lot of beautiful places to visit. While some might cost you, not all have “Pay and visit policy.” There are many places in France where a person can visit for free without worrying about their wallet. Some of the notable places to visit for free are Musée d’Art Moderne, Maison de Balzac, Maison de Victor Hugo and even most churches and parks like the Jardin du Luxembourg, The Musée Carnavalet, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Fragonard Perfume Museum. The best way to lose money while visiting any place is to spend it eating at the attraction or places to visit locations. As the locals know that tourists are ready to spend a ton of money to get a good experience out of their visit, thus they might charge a little higher. Instead of this walk a little away from these big attractions and check out the local delis and carts as they can offer you better authentic food for a lesser price thus saving you money and at the same time offering you better-tasting food.

http://www.scapamap.org/the-best-ways-to-save-money-while-traveling-to-france-in-2019/

A new study out of the University of Cincinnati is a unique examination into whether public policy on the minimum wage can affect the crime rate. The study finds that, contrary to conventional belief, increasing the minimum wage will not lower violent crime or property crime. Derek Cohen, an analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation and PhD candidate from the nationally top-ranked University of Cincinnati criminal justice program, along with Jay Kennedy, also a doctoral candidate in the UC criminal justice program, and Scott Dannemiller, a UC senior and undergraduate research assistant in the criminal justice program, will present their findings on Nov. 21, at the American Society of Criminology’s 69th annual meeting in Atlanta. The researchers studied official U.S. crime data and economic data from 1977 to 2012 to compare violent crime and property crime rates among states that abided only by the federal minimum wage standards, and the 18 states that had raised their minimum wage requirement at one time or another above the federal mandate. The minimum wage data came from the U.S. Department of Labor. Researchers also reviewed data from the Consumer Price Index, while state crime data was pulled from the F.B.I.’s Unified Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which holds statistics from law enforcement agencies around the nation. The researchers were examining the effect on property and crime rates in regard to changes in minimum wage and the Consumer Price Index. Introducing the Consumer Price Index into the analysis factored in purchasing power — comparing ability to buy goods with what was coming home in a paycheck. “We were looking at whether we could see a crime trend that moved over time in regard to what we call ‘shocks,’ changes in policy,” explains Cohen. “These shocks impart change, so if there’s a trend, the rate-of-change-of-crime should increase or decrease, but ultimately, among the 18 states that had raised the minimum wage, there was no significant change — in this speculation — a drop, in violent crime and property crime. If raising the minimum wage is meant to impart a change in crime rates, we should have seen a more pronounced deterrent from crime.” Among the other states that adhered to just the federal minimum wage-set salary, the researchers saw the same pattern. There was no discernible effect for any sort of minimum wage policy, says Cohen.

http://www.scenacriminis.com/forensic-sciences/multilevel-study-finds-no-link-between-minimum-wage-crime-rates/

Paul's time in Philippi wasn't exactly a vacation at the beach or a walk in the park. You can read all the details in Acts 16, but among other things, he had to deal with a heckler, he and his friends got beaten up, and he was even thrown in jail. Yet, in Philippians 1:3, Paul wrote that he was thankful every time he remembered the people who lived in Philippi. Was he thankful for all the bad times? (not that he shouldn't be as God helps us grown in difficult circumstances) Actually, verses 4-5 clue us in as to why he was grateful. always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Paul was grateful for the good times. He had warm memories of partnering with the Philippians to see the Gospel spread throughout their time. He was thankful for the support they had given as He proclaimed the truth. GRATEFUL PEOPLE HAVE SELECTIVE MEMORIES. You can choose which memories you dwell on. Only you can decide which story from the past you will play on repeat in your mind. If you choose to focus on the worst of times and the worst of people, you'll be depressed, bitter, and tough to live with. If you choose to focus on the blessings and the blessed people, you'll be grateful, hopeful, and a joy to be around. What will you put on your memory playlist today?

http://www.sermonleftovers.com/2019/09/grateful-people-have-selective-memories.html

Daniel Mills is a Vermont-based author of weird/horror fiction. Revenants, his first novel, was published in February 2011 by Chomu Press and later selected by Booklist as one of the Top 10 Historical Novels of 2011. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies, including Black Static, Shadows & Tall Trees, A Season in Carcosa, Fungi, The Grimscribe’s Puppets, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 23. His latest book is The Lord Came at Twilight from Dark Renaissance. Follow Daniel at his website and on Goodreads. Fandom is changing. Recent dust-ups within the SFWA have sparked a number of important conversations concerning systemic racism and misogyny within the world of science fiction & fantasy. The horror community, it seems, has fared little better, despite the success of events like Women in Horror Month, which has helped to bring some well-deserved publicity to the newest generation of female horror writers. It’s a terrific event, and a necessary one, but nonetheless regrettable because it is necessary. Certainly the work of female authors has been every bit as fundamental to the development of the modern weird/horror story as that of their male counterparts. To suggest otherwise is, frankly, laughable. But of course all things are not equal, meaning that many of our finest horror writers, past and present, remain unacknowledged. Yes, there is misogyny in horror, as in any other community, but lately I have come to believe that the marginalization of women writers within the horror genre has less to do with institutional prejudice (though, again, this is not absent) and more to do with a prevailing lack of interest in the genre’s roots. This ignorance extends not only to the horror’s female practitioners but to its Golden Age of roughly 1880 to 1930. During this time, the ghost story form was perfected and the modern weird/horror story born out of it. This was the period in which many of the genre’s greatest writers produced their finest works: Vernon Lee’s Hauntings (1890), MR James’ Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1905), Arthur Machen’s The Hill of Dreams (1907), William Hope Hodgson’s The House on the Borderland (1908), Oliver Onions’ Widdershins (1911), May Sinclair’s Uncanny Stories (1923), and so on. And yet for many readers, writers, and would-be list-makers, an awareness of the horror genre begins with Bradbury and Matheson and ends in the present day with only a few token nods to Poe and Lovecraft or Shelley and Jackson-that is, if they remember to include any women at all. These are important figures, yes, but the history of the genre is far richer than this kind of tokenism might lead you to believe. So here are five short masterpieces you may not have read (stories that were influential on my own writing), penned by the women of horror’s Golden Age. As horror stories, they have rarely been equaled, never eclipsed, and their beauty and power remains as striking now as in the years in which they were written. Enduring love. While traveling in Italy, a Polish academic finds himself beguiled by the story of one Medea da Carpi, a long-dead seductress with some similarities to Lucrezia Borgia. Like MR James, Lee understands that the appeal of the ghost story is one and the same with that of our shared history and the hold it exerts upon us. Viewed in this light, the story becomes even more poignant given the century that has elapsed since it was written. The Victorian era has vanished into history, as has Lee herself, though she returns to us through her work as a kind of ghost, as fascinating and complex in her own right as Medea da Carpi. This short story by the now forgotten D’Arcy first appeared in the infamous Yellow Book. It relates the experience of a family in mourning who pay a visit to the titular villa in the south of France. They are searching for a holiday rental but soon find themselves afflicted by inexplicable feelings of dread. In the end, the family departs the Villa Lucienne without closure or resolution, and the reader-like the family-is left only with fragments: the faint impression of an annihilating terror or of a sorrow too deep for words. This marvelously efficient story, scarcely 2,000 words in length, builds to a breathless climax then ends it all with a single shattering sentence. Also notable is the story’s obvious gay subtext, characteristic of many ghost stories penned during the period wherein repressed emotion reveals itself via supernatural means. In this tale, “two young esquires… riding from Canterbury” are forced to take shelter in the house of a poor old woman. By coincidence the woman is preparing the corpse of an old acquaintance and former romantic rival for burial. The funeral, we learn, is to take place that very night. All of Bowen’s ghost stories are terrific and worth seeking out, but this is perhaps the most memorable. Without question it is her nastiest story and by some distance the nastiest tale on this list. The ending is brutal-shocking even by today’s standards. Sinclair is best known today as a reviewer and early critic of the imagist and modernist movements, but her supernatural fiction ranks among the very best we have, ranging in tone from the gently ironic to the simply harrowing. “Where Their Fire is Not Quenched” belongs to the latter category. The narrative traces the course of its protagonist’s lifetime, ending with her descent into hell. This particular story was a favorite of Borges and one of only a handful of perfect short stories in English. Unforgettable. I blush to admit I had never heard of any of these ladies, let alone their stories. But I know them now, and I thank you for sharing.

http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/06/guest-post-daniel-mills-on-5-short-masterpieces-by-the-women-of-horrors-golden-age/

If the 1970s were the golden years of telefantasy for me, the 1980s were a bit of a disappointment, with many of my favourite series going into decline or disappearing off the air altogether, and very few decent new sci-fi series stepping up to take their place. My favourite TV series, Doctor Who, after the glory decade of the 1970s with Pertwee and Baker in the role, was now on the slide. After Tom Baker left in 1981, the series began to go into decline, and following Peter Davison’s departure in 1984, Doctor Who rapidly degenerated into a pathetic parody of its former self, sliding towards its final demise in 1989. As a hardcore Doctor Who fan, I was NOT a happy bunny from 1981 onwards. The early 1980s also saw a few of my other favourite telefantasy series wrap up – Sapphire and Steel, Blake’s 7, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Battlestar Galactica/Galactica 1980. With the exception of V and the remake of The Twilight Zone, the period from 1982-1987 was pretty crap, filled with bland, silly, formulaic US series such as Knight Rider, Airwolf, Automan and The Greatest American Hero. It wasn’t until 1987, and the first appearance of Star Trek: The Next Generation, that the Eighties started getting interesting for me again, at least as far as telefantasy is concerned. With both Quantum Leap and Alien Nation appearing in 1989, at least the end of the decade had three decent sci-fi series that I liked on the air at the same time. As the 1980s moved into the 1990s, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Star Trek: Voyager were pretty dominant in the US telefantasy world, each with an impressive seven-year run (Quantum Leap was the only other decent sci-fi series on the air at that time). TNG and DS9 were favourites of mine, but once DS9 ended, my love of new Star Trek started to wane drastically, as Voyager was the only Trek left on the air, and I didn’t rate it highly at all. I’d been a hardcore Star Trek fan since the original series, and Voyager was the first Trek that I actually really disliked, to such an extent that I never even bothered following it on a weekly basis. I thought the scripts were really lame, excessively based around and padded out with treknobabble nonsense, and most of the characters were less likeable and less well defined than those in earlier Trek series. There were very few truly stand-out episodes in the entire seven-year run, and the only real redeeming features were the holodoc’s sarcasm and 7 of 9, who was absolute heaven on the eyes. Aside from Quantum Leap, the only real competition Trek had in the early 1990s was when both Babylon 5 (my favourite 1990s sci-fi series) and the X-Files burst upon the world in 1993. This was a complete game-changer, as the X-Files, in particular, rocketed to the top of the popularity charts. Star Trek (of ANY kind) was now no longer top dog among telefantasy shows. And by the mid-to-late 1990s, it was no longer even in second or third place, as the three really big telefantasy successes of that era, in terms of popularity, were the X-Files, Stargate SG1 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I really like both the X-Files and Stargate, although I’d agree with the common criticism that they both might’ve gone on a bit too long and run out of steam in their last few seasons. I watched the X-Files religiously when it was on TV, but for some totally unfathomable reason, and despite the fact that it became a big favourite with me when I watched it on DVD a few years later, Stargate SG1 never registered with me at all back in the day. I have absolutely no recollection of ever seeing it on TV back in the Nineties. Buffy (and its spin-off Angel) never really did much for me although it was extremely popular. I did watch the occasional episode whenever it was on, and I thought it was okay, but I’m not really a big vampire or zombie fan, more of a time travel, space adventure kinda guy. Two other very popular series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess also weren’t what you’d call huge favourites of mine, as I’m also not big into fantasy either. I thought they were both ridiculously silly and formulaic, and I could take them or leave them, only watching the odd episode when nothing else was on. The second half of the Nineties also gave us the new version of The Outer Limits, which ran for seven years. I quite liked this one, although some episodes were better than others. But in my opinion it was, overall, never as good as the original classic 1960s series, and I was really surprised that it actually made it to seven seasons. On the downside, there were a few Nineties telefantasy series that I liked which unfortunately never got a fair crack of the whip, and ended well before their time. The ones that I recall (there were quite a few others, but these were favourites of mine) were Babylon 5: Crusade, which was cancelled after only thirteen episodes, Dark Skies, Space: Above and Beyond and American Gothic, all of which got axed at the end of their first season, and Chris Carter’s Millennium, which also suffered a premature end, although it, at least, made it to three seasons. Even Babylon 5 itself, although it did make it to the end of the fifth and final season, had its last two seasons totally messed up by network interference and cancellations. Unfortunately, telefantasy series are very expensive to produce, compared to mainstream TV programming. During the 1990s, US and UK television networks seem to become much more inclined to quickly cancel even relatively successful series, if viewing figures weren’t good right from the outset, or so much as dipped slightly. For every Buffy, Stargate or X-Files, there were many other potentially classic telefantasy series that were cut short or never even got off the ground, while crap US and UK sitcoms, soaps and reality TV shows seemed to breed like rabbits.

http://www.sfuniverse.org/tag/babylon-5/

A Maspeth family is furious with the Center for Animal Care and Control who found, then accidentally euthanized their beloved family pet, Cookie. Monica Ceballos said her mothers pit bull-mix was a member of her family for over nine years and didn't deserve to die. "It's really a nightmare," she said. Cookie was an incredible dog. And, I want to know what happened." Cookie escaped from the family's 52nd Avenue home on Saturday, April 20th, while they were away on vacation. Cookie had made a habit of running away in the past, prompting the family to install a tiny microchip in the dog, so that she could always be reunited, if lost, with her owners. Two days later the Ceballos travelled to the CACC's Brooklyn shelter, where Cookle was being housed, expecting a happy family reunion. However, when they arrived, they learned that a tragic mistake had been made and that Cookie had been put to sleep. She said the agency has three fail-safe mechanisms in place for when a lost dog is found. CACC employees are instructed to check for the animal's kennel card, look for any identification or a microchip and to pull up the animal's file on its computer system. However, Meyer said the person responsible for following these procedures failed to perform his duties. A 20-year employee of the city-funded agency, he has since been terminated. "We deeply regret this incident," Meyer said. "We have a system in place, but if people don't do what is needed to be done..." However an apology and a terminated employee does little to relieve the anger of the Ceballos family, which has spent the past two weeks in mourning. "I'm in pain," Ceballos said. "I have headaches. And, I am angry." The family, which is still considering filing a lawsuit, asked the CACC to pay for the cost of burying Cookie -- a request the agency has agreed to. They also offered the family a new dog -- an idea which they flatly rejected. Ceballos said the most difficult part of this experience has been explaining to the family's young nieces and nephews why they can no longer play with Cookie. "They just don't understand." The family is harshly critical of the number of animals that enter the CACC, which has developed a reputation every year for rushing to euthanize animals because it to house them all. "They run the center like a business," They need a cage, so they kill for space." She believes that Cookie should have been kept in a separate area away from all other animals whose owners have yet to be located. Meyer disputes that logic and and maintains that their system works when applied correctly. "We are so careful," Meyer said, noting that cases such as Cookie's are "very infrequent. The system worked the last time that the dog was here and I'm very sorry that it didn't work this time." However, some local animal activists question the CACC's sincerity. Regina Massaro, a dog rescuer who founded Roxy's Sanctuary in Maspeth, is a frequent critic of the CACC and its methods of animal treatment, saying that the shelter's only purpose is to euthanize animals. "People don't realize just how dangerous it is when an animal goes to the CACC," Massaro sald. "They have serious issues that need to be addressed." City regulations state that any animal found loose, which is turned over to the CACC must be kept for 10 days [SRAC note: NYC is exempted from this State law and is allowed just 2 days] to give its owner sufficient time to contact the shelter. However, animals surrendered by their owner can be euthanized immediately, regardless of their health or age. According to recent statistics, 50,000 animals enter the city's shelter system each year. Approximately 80 percent are eventually euthanized. CACC officials have long argued that their hands are tied because of an overwhelming number of animals that enter the system every year and the lack of space or funding to house them all. City legislators passed a law over two years ago ordering that the CACC build a full-service shelter in every borough. However, little movement has been made by city officials to enforce the mandate. In fact, the Queens transfer point only reopened its doors last month. They had been closed for over six months due to budgetary constraints. And, if the mayor's new $500 million contingency budget cut plan goes into effect, the Queens site, which is now open only two days a week, could be back on the chopping block. Massaro said that this most recent incident should serve as a wake-up call to Mayor Michacl Bloomberg, who should appoint a watchdog agency to look over the CACC's activities. "Someone needs to see what's going on over there. They need a complete overhaul bccause something like this never should have happened." However, no amount of reform will ever repair the hurt in a family torn apart by a tragic mistake. "It's not fair," Ceballos said. "I really loved that dog. Since she couldn't speak for herself, I need to be the voice for Cookie."

http://www.shelterreform.org/family-outraged-after-acc-finds-then-kills-beloved-pet.html

Flying to New York City! As I sit on my couch with my hot tea in hand... bundled in a cozy pair of leggings, baggy t-shirt and fluffy socks I can't quite get my right footing on where to start. How do I process that the week we so diligently looked forward too, has passed? If this were last week I would be sitting on my couch checking my list over and over to make sure that I had packed everything. Thinking about the fact that I would be flying to New York City in less than 24 hours. I would be boarding a plane, going through security and praying that my bag was under the 30 lb. limit. Let me start by saying that awhile ago, when I had first started blogging, I had a bucket list, one that had grown so large I had to move it to a Pinterest board. But... on this list was the great #8, a trip to New York City to eat at the one and only Gray's Papaya. So long before my beloved 24 birthday would arrive, my mom came over for dinner and decided to let me in on the secret that we were going to New York City, we did not have a full agenda, but we did have an idea. I could not have been more excited. So as my mom arrived, with my hat, bag and overly large purse in hand... we left for the Big Apple and MY FIRST REAL PLANE! It was an incredible feeling, especially after the first big... mini, bottle of wine. We watched Maury, chewed gum that had since lost it's taste and listened to the $3.00 headphones that were pink and blue (brought to you by Virgin Airlines). Who knew that the mile high club could be something different, this plane was a literal club, with the fancy lights, musical performances and booze. What could be better? That's right... the destination, the 1,370 miles that were just traveled and the whole reason we packed our bags and joined the plane ride in the first place. It was beautiful. Though we could only see the lights of the city beaming up at us from a far, we knew it was going to be magical. We stepped off the plane and away we went to hail our first, and what would turn out to be our only (until we returned to the airport), cab. Thick accents, unique? fashion statements and cigarette smoke... but I was in heaven. It was a whirlwind getting to the hotel, checking in and freshening up; but before we knew it... we were in a booth off 55th Street at McGee's Irish Pub (the How I Met your Mother bar)! We ate, we drank and we discussed. We then found our way around Times Square, stopping in to Hershey's store and looking at the many places that filled Time's Sqaure and finally stumbled upon Top of The Rock, though it was beautiful and a once of a lifetime experience, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREPARED, this was about a 60-ish degree night with lots of walking but at the tippity top of a building, you will be much, much colder... take my word for it! Needless to say, the first night... WAS A SUCCESS! With the whole view of our week mapped out via plane and rooftop we were on a mission. Stay tuned to see where we went next! Have you been to New York? What was your favorite part?

http://www.sincerelyshelbi.com/2014/11/new-york-state-of-mind-part-i.html

For all the blood, sweat and tears that go into making an album, the typical 30-50 minutes of finished material hardly represents the hours, weeks and sometimes years that go into the project. This morning, we listened to some semi-finalized mixes from our album. This process is always equally one part satisfying, one part terrifying and one part strange. The Tyrannosaurus guitar sounds and mammoth drum beats squeezed into a little file, that goes into a little black machine, through a cable and out speakers. Six people’s thoughts, feelings and emotions, (in this case) documented over a year long period, is now tied up in a pretty 42 minute bow. Albums are funny because they’re snapshots. Sometimes they’re family photos, everyone lined up in perfect order, complacent smiles and clean outfits. But sometimes you catch the family in a fight, hair’s being pulled, their sweaters are stained and the kids are crying. A record is only a sampler of what a band can produce. And like language, it’s inherently limiting. Like trying to pour your heart out into a postcard-sized letter. There has to come a point where you tell yourself that it’ s done. I’ll miss the time in which the record was made. When you’re in the process of making one, it’s the catalyst for everything (“that idea will go on the record” “we’ll tour when the record comes out” “We have to find a great artist for the album art”) and I’m sure I’ll miss the ever-present push to get stuff done for the release date. But as the date approaches, it becomes more of a burden, picking apart every last microscopic detail, until you’re splitting sand. That’s something I won’t miss for sure. So as soon as I can come to terms with the finite-ness of the mixes, I have to come to terms with now releasing this record into the world. Whether the ‘drop’ of the record reverberates on a micro-scale, or to Grand Canyon echo-type proportions, you can never know. But at least I know I can go from what I’m sure this guy feels like sometimes, to having a much wider and less ‘tunnel vision’ view of our work. That is until the next record….

http://www.singinglamb.ca/the-feelings-i-will-and-wont-miss-the-contradictions-of-finishing-a-record/

The Beauty Within.. I just adore photographing the blossoming beauty of an expectant mother, although uncomfortable, she is glowing, she has an aura about her, she should be so in love with her body right now, it holds a child, a living, moving child that will need and want her love and nurturing for the rest of its life. In just a few weeks this child will be born, and will become a huge part of her life, extending her family, this child will be a son or daughter, a grandchild, a cousin, a nephew or niece, a great grand child, adding to the generations before them, a new story is beginning. Who and what this child will become has a lot to do with the history before they arrived, the lessons taught by parents and grandparents to be passed on to this new child, add to this the amazing inventions that are to come in this child's lifetime. It just astounds me.

http://www.smilebaby.co.nz/smile-blog

The phrase “outside influences” caught my attention as I meditated this morning, reminding me how the beliefs and actions of others sometimes influence me. My thoughts shifted to being conflicted about much of what I see happening in the world today. There are days when I feel so strongly about what I believe that I set my sights on saving the world. And then I read or observe something that makes me think I am such an insignificant part of the human race that there is nothing I can do to make a difference. Thankfully, I have progressed far enough on my journey to recognize that I prefer to get positive and stay positive about my role as a human being, even when I am in a funk about the world. I crave the sense of purpose I feel when I am writing and sharing what I have learned. I elevate myself above the funk when I seek out information on what others are doing so that I can be inspired to stay the course. Today I write about being conflicted because I believe that our thoughts are the driving force in our lives. When we catch ourselves thinking about what we can’t do, we have to switch our thoughts to what we have already done and what we are capable of doing. We have to look for those times when we did something that made us feel like our voice or our actions counted for something, for those times when we felt good about our contribution to the world. We can also depend on family and friends to bolster our confidence. Most of us have people in our lives who continually remind us that we are blessed to have opportunities to help and support each other. Whether with family members or our inner circle of friends, it is in those microcosm relationships that we learn to love and be loved, to support and be supported. It is a natural process that, despite detours and some broken connections, we cherish and protect. As I think about the microcosm of my own family, I am reminded of the importance of tradition. My mother started one when my five siblings and I were children. It didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing on any given day. Unless we had a scheduled activity or a job, we were expected to be at the dinner table at 6:30 every night. It was her way of gathering her family together to discuss the day and be supportive of each other. My husband and I worked opposite schedules for many years and we continued that tradition of coming together at 6:30 every night for dinner with our children. When my kids were teenagers, we expanded the tradition to include their friends who were present at dinner time. Sometimes these friends were just at the house for some shared activity. Other times they didn’t come from a home environment where they could count on a home cooked meal and learned about support in the midst of our microcosm. My daughters are grown women now, but we still come together once a week to share a meal, catch up and check in on each. If we miss a week and there is a potential for us to miss a second week, one of my daughters always takes the lead to figure out where we can fit in an hour or two for this tradition. Why? Because we value the unconditional love that we all give and receive in our family, even when we tease and pick on each other in loving ways. It warms my heart to see my daughters carrying on the traditions my mother taught me and her mother taught her. I acknowledge that we don’t live in a Hollywood scripted world, but when I get discouraged about the state of the world and feel that I cannot make a difference, I bring myself back on track by looking at the microcosm of the family. Why? Because I recognize that this microcosm exists in every culture. We don’t learn to love. We are born to love. We learn to hate. We learn to judge. We learn to isolate. We learn to protect invisible borders for the sake of loyalty that is learned and earned at the expense of our natural propensity for loving our fellow human beings. Our personal relationships prove that it is possible to love and get mad and love again; to be hurt and forgive and love again. And if we can do this in our families, we can do this as members of humanity. We can set aside that which we have learned, that which goes against our natural tendencies to love and support each other. We can find our way to forming communities that are modeled upon the premise of the family. On those days when I feel conflicted, I sometimes think I am perhaps too optimistic about what we human beings are capable of. But, as soon as I read an article about some random act of kindness and an unsolicited tear wells up from the heartstring that is activated in my chest, I realize that we have control over how we choose to direct our thoughts and our actions. If we are living our lives as we are hardwired to behave, we will find our way to empathy, compassion and love for our fellow human beings. And when we find our way to this common ground, we embrace our purpose as human beings. I may be conflicted about my role sometimes, but I have come back to this common sense understanding so many times in my life, that I know without a doubt that this is where we all belong. And, when I set aside fear and feeling overwhelmed and helpless, I realize that I am not conflicted at all. Note: After many failed attempts at meditation, I decided to take the advice of music mogul, Russell Simmons who wrote Success Through Stillness. He suggests setting a timer for twenty minutes and sitting still regardless of distracting thoughts. I wrote after each session to create this thirty-day blog series.

http://www.sourceimperative.com/30-day-meditation-series-26-on-being-conflicted/

Excavations at Nemea III - The Coins by Knapp, R. C. & Mac Isaac, J. D. Since 1974 the University of California at Berkeley has been sponsoring extensive excavations at the Panhellenic athletic festival center of ancient Nemea in the modern Greek province of Korinthia. With its well-documented excavation and clear historical context, the site offers an excellent opportunity for investigation and analysis. This volume, the third in a series of publications on Nemea, is a detailed presentation of the more than three thousand legible coins from all over the ancient world that have been unearthed there. The coins, which are mostly bronze but show an unusually high proportion of silver, reflect the periods of greatest activity at the site - the late Archaic and Early Classical, the Early Hellenistic, the Early Christian, and the Byzantine. More than a compendium of data, the study breaks new ground with its analysis and contextualization of numismatic evidence in an archaeological setting.

http://www.spinkbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60_63&product_id=326

I vote for #15..........they're all gorgeous! #4 is beautiful and I vote for that one. Recorded! Thank you! I loved #4..... they are all beautiful.....very clever ideas.... I vote for #15, but love them all! My vote is for no. 16. I just love the repurposing aspect of it. You can tell that the owner is a quilter. They are all so beautiful. They are all beautiful but I particularly like #1! What great colours and you can see the hand of the maker! Not allowed! Sorry... no 1 and 2 are excluded from the voting! If I can't vote for #1 then my next choice would be #3! I vote for number 1 . nos 1& 2 are excluded from the vote... sorry... They are all beautiful but number 9 gets my vote ! I will vote for number 15!

http://www.spruceitupquilting.com/p/ornaments.html

The pupil premium is a government initiative that provides additional funding to publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. The personal circumstances of some children can have a detrimental impact on their achievement, pupil premium is used to support disadvantaged pupils and try to ensure they have the same life chances as their peers.

http://www.st-lukes.oldham.sch.uk/163-2/

Stewardship is about being grateful for and responsible with the gifts we each receive from God. The Episcopal Church sees stewardship as more than simply contributing money to the church; it’s also about contributing time and talents, and volunteering for ministry and mission. It’s about reaching out to build relationships from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity. Of course the church needs financial resources to keep its doors open. Doors that provide access to a place to gather for worship, study, prayer, healing and fellowship. Does “the church” need a building to exist? No, of course not. But despite the complications it’s good to have a central place to come together to prepare ourselves for ministry and to foster the ministries God has deemed appropriate for us.

http://www.stpetersmountainlakes.org/planned-giving.html

In this type of chromatography, a stationary phase contains solid adsorbent while the mobile phase contains the liquid or mixture of compounds. For the chromatographic separations, the adsorbent is placed in vertical glass column and the mixture is flow down through the column in the mobile phase. The gravitational force or external pressure is used to pass the liquid through the column. It gives highly effective results in isolating the desired compounds from a mixture. The adsorbents such as Silica gel and alumina are commonly used for column chromatography. These adsorbents are used in different mesh sizes which are selected based on the complexity of the mixture, water content present in it as well as on the molecules of the desired compound. The size of the adsorbent affects the flow of solvent through the column. It means that adsorbent with higher mesh size is used for flash chromatography where solvent flow down the column using positive air pressure, while the adsorbent with lower mesh size is suitable for gravity chromatography where gravity helps the solvent to flow down the column. The colored separated compounds simply indicate the successful chromatography procedure. This way, the process of separation of the compounds from the mixture can easily be monitored. But, if the compounds that need to be separated remain colorless, it would be difficult to indicate whether you have obtained the desired compounds or not. In those situations, small fractions of eluent are put together successively in the columns. The composition of each fraction is analyzed by thin layer chromatography to find out if the separation process is successful. Swambe Chemicals offers range of adsorbents used for column chromatography to meet the demands of research labs and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Our supplied adsorbents ensure to provide highly positive outcome for chromatographic separations and are also suitable for range of applications.

http://www.swambe.com/chromatography_adsorbents.html

The military justice system is in dire need of a complete overhaul! After reading the article from my previous blog post and revisiting older ones in my archives relating to military corruption, I wanted to share an excerpt from my memoir “Broken Silence”, to give more insight to the blatant injustices that are being committed against active duty service members, after reporting their bosses’ involvement in criminal activity. Whether the injustices are sexually motivated, racially motivated or senior officers abuse their authority simply because “they can”, is a matter that requires more than a Congressional debate. For the past year Congress has heard dozens of testimonies from victims who reported being raped or sexually assaulted while serving in the military. Not only was this a violation of the veteran’s civil rights, it was a clear violation of their human rights. The 1964 Civil Rights Act, as amended, prohibits sexual discrimination, racial discrimination and whistle blower retaliation in the workplace. Unfortunately the 1965, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which grants the defense secretary executive authority to manage the DoD’s equal employment opportunity program, further extending this authority to senior military officials to investigate and cover-up their own criminal activity, thus failing to uphold service member’s Constitutional rights. When a senior officer choses to violate his military code of honor, he also chooses to violate his moral code of honor, which further questions his loyalty to our country?! In his book: “Audacity of Hope”, thoughts on reclaiming the American dream”, President Obama discusses his thoughts on our Constitution; Senate procedures, separation of powers, judicial nominations and rules of Constitutional interpretation by stating: “Not only because the procedural rules of our government help define the results-on everything from whether the government can regulate polluters to whether government can tap your phone-but because they define our democracy just as much as elections. Our system of self-governance is an intricate affair; it is through that system, and by respecting that system, that we give shape to our values and shared commitments." Unfortunately this is not a shared sentiment for those who are appointed by the military’s Judge Advocate General to uphold a service member’s Constitutional rights under the uniformed code of military justice (UCMJ). It’s just that, a code, like some sort of secret society code. I’d spent my entire adult life growing up in the Navy and was forced to learn life’s lessons on my own. For nearly two decades I was committed to helping others. It was instinctive in my personal character. I’d gained many pearls of wisdoms by learning how to combat ill-treatment, and I was determined to mentor other minority officer’s on how to properly exercise their rights under the Constitution while serving in the military. Throughout American history there have been too many lives sacrificed while fighting for racial equality. This was to allow equal protection under the law for blacks, women and “others” who are considered minorities. Due to the military’s internal “iron clad” self-governing justice system, active duty service members are often barred, harassed and subsequently punished for attempting to exercise their Constitutional rights. Recent studies have shown thousands of victims have come forward, claiming to have been raped, sexually assaulted or experienced other forms of workplace abuse while serving in the military. This further proves: “When a service member attempts to report a violation of their Constitutional rights each level of their chain of command, leading up to the highest office of the defense secretary, will band together to initiate damage control, rather than afford a veteran equal justice. The hypocrisy of this reality is that an enlisted service member will be the first to sacrifice his life to protect the very same Constitution he is denied. Similar to the Navy’s tail hook scandal, top brass will go to great lengths to avoid a full blown Congressional inquiry, federal investigation or media blitz. Nowadays, abused veterans are left feeling traumatized and have been abandoned by the military. While trying to transition to reestablish what was once a normal life, veterans are experiencing severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are isolating themselves away from their immediate families. Homeless rates and suicide rates for military veterans have risen drastically since the Post 9/11 war. While still in uniform, traumatized victims seldom have access to anyone they can trust that will offer neutral advocacy support without fear of becoming a victim themselves. The likelihood of a command conducting an inquiry into a victim’s complaints, at the very least an impartial investigation, is slim to none, especially if it involves a senior member within the victim’s chain of command”…. Last month Marine Corps Times reported – “Maj. James Weirick had seen enough. In March, after months of observing how the Marine Corps was prosecuting eight Marines implicated in war-zone controversy, he sent a six-page complaint to the Pentagon’s investigative agency alleging a variety of malfeasance by the service’s top general and his senior advisers. The major, a staff judge advocate in Quantico, Va., assigned to the cases, urged the Defense Department inspector general to investigate how the Corps was handling its cases stemming from a video showing four scout snipers urinating on dead insurgents in Afghanistan. He alleges Commandant Gen. Jim Amos, or others working on his behalf, sought to ensure harsh punishment for the Marines facing charges and suppress evidence. To Weirick, this raised questions about the fairness of these legal proceedings. His complaint also noted that it appeared Amos exhibited preferential treatment toward one of the officers in the scout snipers’ unit: then-Maj. James B. Conway, the son of Amos’ predecessor as commandant, retired Gen. James T. Conway. During the battalion’s deployment, the younger Conway served as executive officer for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The complaint specifically names Amos and five other senior officials: Gen. Joseph Dunford, who was assistant commandant until becoming the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan this year; Maj. Gen. Vaughn Ary, the staff judge advocate to the commandant and director of the Judge Advocate Division at Marine Corps Headquarters; Col. Joseph Bowe, Amos’ deputy staff judge advocate; and civilian legal advisers Robert Hogue and Peter Delorier. These explosive accusations have received attention in national media, on Capitol Hill and throughout the Defense Department. They’ve also made life difficult for Weirick and Col. Jesse Gruter, his direct supervisor during most of the last year. Both allege they’ve come under fire from senior Marine officials as a result of Weirick’s complaint, according to emails and other documents obtained by Marine Corps Times as part of a months-long investigation into the allegations surrounding the commandant." President's men: Barack Obama with Secret Service agents. Pogo.org reports --"It was a story that made international headlines: 13 Secret Service agents hired prostitutes on a booze-filled night during a presidential trip to Cartagena, Colombia. The incident, which took place in April, 2012, prompted an internal investigation. Recent allegations, though, suggest that the inspector general (IG) in charge intentionally withheld information from his public report and delayed the release of his findings until after the 2012 election. According to an article published in The Washington Times, a Senate panel including Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) initiated the probe after they received complaints from whistleblowers. Reportedly, Charles Edwards, the acting IG at the Department of Homeland Security, was “susceptible to political pressure” during his investigation from John Sandweg, the former general counsel for the Homeland Security Secretary. In a letter to Edwards dated June 27, 2013, Senators McCaskill and Johnson write that they “have been alerted by numerous whistleblowers to allegations of misconduct and abuse.” The accusations include that he “shared confidential whistleblower information with agency officials” and “used administrative leave to penalize employees who questioned or brought attention to [his] actions and instructions.” Edwards, in response, denies any wrongdoing and says the probe may get in the way of his job. In The Washington Times article, James Carafano, senior defense and homeland security fellow with the Heritage Foundation, says an even larger concern raised by this case is the degree to which inspector generals may be susceptible to political pressure. Part of our system of liberty is creating mechanisms to sort out wrongdoing. This is the canary in the mine shaft, and if investigators become politically susceptible, the system is failing. It's like judges making up their own laws. POGO also reported on the concerning number of IG vacancies in its report, Where Are All the Watchdogs? The page points out that many important IG positions– like Edwards’–are held by acting or interim officers who may lack independence and effectiveness." “Failure to achieve these reforms would be a further tragedy to an already sorrowful history of inattention and ineptitude concerning military sexual assault,” [retired Brig. Gen. Loree] Sutton added. "Sorrowful history of inattention and ineptitude," "historic lack of sincerity." Those are some strong words, but accurate ones. All three get to the heart of the need for change: The military has been told many times to prevent and respond to sexual assault more effectively and to stop retaliation against the victims of crimes. That hasn't happened, completely undercutting the claims that no, for real, seriously, this time things will be different. Tell the U.S. Senate to take action against sexual assault in the military by passing Sen. Gillibrand’s Military Justice Improvement Act. Pogo.org reports -- "In a sad coincidence, the day a contractor employee named Aaron Alexis killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard was the day the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) released an audit report slamming security screening at U.S. Navy installations. News accounts of the Navy Yard tragedy have focused on just one finding in the DoD IG report: that in recent years a total of 52 convicted felons were given access to Navy installations. While we understand the mainstream media’s fondness for quick and simple numbers, the public should also be made aware of the report’s other astonishing findings. DoD IG reviewed the Navy Commercial Access Control System (NCACS), a process used to screen and register contractors and suppliers seeking unescorted access to Navy installations and facilities." Navy Times reports — “A little more than 24 hours after an IT contractor shot a dozen workers at the Washington Navy Yard, the company’s CEO told the Navy secretary he had the experience to help improve military security. The email from The Experts chief Thomas Hoshko, which included descriptions of his background and expertise, stunned some Navy leaders in the wake of the shootings Monday that left 13 people dead, including the gunman, former Navy reservist Aaron Alexis. The correspondence also fueled concern about what defense officials believe may have been failures by the company to alert the military about Alexis’ apparent mental health problems. Food for thought: It’s appalling how defense contractors view tragedy as an opportunity to generate more business. (CBS News) Veterans by the tens of thousands have come home from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries suffered on the battlefield. Many of them seek treatment at Veterans Affairs hospitals. Now a CBS News investigation has found that some veterans are dying of accidental overdoses of narcotic painkillers at a much higher rate than the general population -- and some VA doctors are speaking out. Food for thought: Military doctors and VA doctors have been over medicating veterans for decades, as long as you numb a person’s senses from feeling pain, you can get more physical use out of them. This method also allows for major corporations to profit from years of ongoing war. Instead of paying disabled veterans more compensation benefits for their injuries the VA would rather overdose them with "drug interacting" medications. They figured as long as they are giving the veteran what they want (pain meds) the veteran would not demand to be compensated for his injuries. This is why the military does not thoroughly inform veterans of their eligibility for disability compensation prior to discharging the member from active duty service. The problem with over medicating a person with too many drugs is that the drugs will eventually begin to interact with one another, causing adverse side effects to major organs which oftentimes leads to death. In the end, the pharmaceutical industry has made a huge profit from the Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs who will continue to allow for over medicating our veterans. Meanwhile, this puts the pharmaceutical industry in a more lucrative position to donate more money to our lawmakers (Congress) campaign funds who are obviously not too concerned for the overall health and welfare of our veterans. Navy Times reports -- A Navy commander, a Naval criminal investigator and a defense contractor have been charged with conspiracy in a bribery scheme to gain millions in international port contracts, federal prosecutors said. Leonard Francis was arrested this week in San Diego, Cmdr. Michael Misiewicz was arrested in Colorado, and NCIS Supervisory Special Agent John Beliveau II was arrested in Virginia, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday night. Each faces up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery. An email seeking comment from an NCIS spokesman wasn’t immediately returned Tuesday evening. Francis, a Malaysian national who lives in Singapore, is the president and CEO of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., which has had “husbanding” contracts for Navy ships at ports worldwide for 25 years. The contracts — one of which was worth up to $125 million — involve providing services for ships and submarines in port, such as providing tugboats, security and transportation, paying customs fees, supplying food, fuel and water, and removing trash. Prosecutors contend that Francis conspired to bribe the other men with luxury travel, prostitutes and gifts in exchange for information that allowed him to overcharge on port contracts by millions of dollars. An email message to th seeking comment was not immediately returned Tuesday night. Misiewicz is assigned to U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. However, he previously was deputy operations officer for the commander of the 7th Fleet. Documents filed in San Diego federal court contend that in 2011, Misiewicz provided Francis with confidential ship movements and helped arrange to have some 7th Fleet ships moved to certain Asian ports that were considered more lucrative and where the company faced less scrutiny for potential fraud. In one case, according to an affidavit filed by a federal investigator, Misiewicz worked to have the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sent to the port in Laem Chabang, Thailand, where during a 2012 visit the Navy was overbilled $500,000 for port services. Prosecutors contend Beliveau provided Francis with information about an NCIS investigation into alleged overcharging by his company. Food for thought: There are many more crooks in our Navy, they just haven't gotten caught! Medicaldaily.com reports -- "A Dutch health official is demanding tighter regulations on sugar, calling it “the most dangerous drug of the times.” Paulvan der Velpen, head of Amsterdam’s health services, believes that products containing sugar should be held to the same standards as products containing alcohol and tobacco. The proposed safety measures include warning labels, special taxes, and legal limits in processed foods. Previous research indicates that sugar does not induce the satiety of other foods. Whereas an appetite for other fat, other carbohydrates, and protein eventually wears off, an appetite for sugar only perpetuates itself. Van der Velpen argues that for this reason, it should be treated as an extremely addictive substance. “Whoever uses sugar wants more and more, even when they are no longer hungry. Give someone eggs and he'll stop eating at any given time. Give him cookies and he eats on even though his stomach is painful,” he explained. "Sugar is actually a form of addiction. It's just as hard to get rid of the urge for sweet foods as of smoking. “Thereby diets only work temporarily. Addiction therapy is better," he said. To prevent food companies from exploiting the addictive capacity of sugar, Van der Velpen recommends that lawmakers impose harsh restrictions. In addition, he believes the nation would benefit from warning labels similar to those on cigarette packs. He hopes that these measures will help citizens realize that the saccharine substance actually poses a threat to public health, The Telegraph reported. “Health insurers should have to finance addiction therapy for their obese clients,” he added. “Schools would no longer be allowed to sell sweets and soft drinks. Producers of sports drinks that are bursting with sugar should be sued over misleading advertising, and so on." A year ago the Washington Post published a quote from President Obama while addressing the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, speaking out against violence towards the Islamic faith. Fast forward… A year later he’s deciding to wage war (commit violence) against Syria?! I don’t get it?! Either you are for violence (war) or against it, plain and simple! Jonathan Ferrell is seen in an undated photo provided by Florida A&M University. Ferrell, 24, was shot and killed Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, by North Carolina police officer Randall Kerrick after a wreck in Charlotte, N.C. Ferrell was unarmed. Police called the Ferrell and Kerrick's initial encounter "appropriate and lawful. But in their statement late Saturday, they said "the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive" and "Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter." Police said Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter. thegrio.com reports -- "A North Carolina police officer accused of shooting and killing an unarmed man who had apparently been in an automobile wreck was scheduled to appear in court Monday to face a voluntary manslaughter charge. Jonathan A. Ferrell, 24, a former Florida A&M University football player, was killed early Saturday. He had sought help at a nearby house, according to a statement from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. A woman answered the door and, when she didn’t recognize the man, called 911. Officers responding to the breaking and entering call found Ferrell nearby. Ferrell ran toward the officers, who tried to stop him with a Taser. Police said he continued to run toward them when officer Randall Kerrick fired his gun, hitting Ferrell several times. Ferrell died at the scene. FAMU Interim Athletic Director Michael Smith said Ferrell played the safety position for the school’s football team during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In describing the accident, Police Chief Rodney Monroe has said Ferrell was driving a vehicle that crashed into trees off a northeast Charlotte road early Saturday, and the wreck was so severe he would have had to climb out of the back window to escape. Monroe said he did not know what caused the crash and did not say whether Ferrell suffered injuries. Ferrell apparently walked about a half-mile to the nearest house and was “banging on the door viciously” to attract attention, Monroe said. Thinking it was her husband coming home late from work, the woman who lives there opened the door. When she saw Ferrell, she shut it and called police about 2:30 a.m., Monroe said. Monroe said he didn’t think the unarmed Ferrell made threats or tried to rob the woman." Navy Times reports — "A former Navy man opened fire Monday at the Washington Navy Yard, leaving at least 13 people dead, including the gunman. It was the deadliest shooting rampage at a U.S.-based military installation since Maj. Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others in 2009 at Fort Hood in Texas." July 21, 2013: Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. Tech. Sgt. Matthew Hullman dies following a shooting incident. April 2013: Fort Knox, Ky. Lloyd Gibert, a civilian employer at a Fort Knox parking lot, was shot to death outside the post's Army Human Resources Command building. Sgt. Marquinta E. Jacobs, was arrested in the killing. March 21, 2013: Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Corp. Jacob Wooley, 23, of Guntown, Miss., is killed by Sgt. Eusebio Lopez, 25, of Pacifica, Calif., military officials said. Lopez also shoots Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata, 19, of Oakley, Calif., to death before he kills himself. June 4, 2012: Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha, Neb. Zachari Johnson, 21, of Lincoln, dies at an Omaha hospital after being shot by an Air Force security contractor. Authorities say Johnson was shot when he crashed a car through a base entrance. Air Force officials have said the guard followed procedure when he shot Johnson. Sept. 18, 2011: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Lance Corporal Daryl Adams, 22, an avionics technician is shot and wounded in Yuma. The shooting is accidental and the suspect is also a local Marine. May 19, 2010: MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla. The FBI says military veteran Ronald J. Bullock, 61, of Hanson, Mass. is fatally shot by one of its agents at MacDill Air Force Base. The FBI says Bullock was involved in an altercation at the campground that led to a pursuit by base police. When the FBI agent confronted him, Bullock pulled a knife and the agent shot him. Feb.22, 2010: Luke Air Force Base, Glendale, Ariz. Gabriel Aguilera, 19, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and unlawful flight from law enforcement. Aguilera drove a stolen car into Luke Air Force Base, which resulted in the fatal shooting of his 16-year-old passenger. Dec. 11, 2009: Near Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Airman 1st Class Corey Hernandez, 21, fatally shoots Senior Airman Michael Garvia, 23, of San Benito, Texax in a game of "trust." Hernandez is later sentenced to five years of confinement and given a dishonorable discharge. Nov. 5, 2009: Fort Hood Army Base, Fort Hood, Texas. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Nadal Hasan, 39, was convicted in August 2013 for killing 13 people and wounding more than 30. Oct. 13, 2005: Fort Campbell, Ky. Pvt. Nicholas D. Mikel, 21, is accused of firing shots into a group of soldiers; no one is injured. Mikel is later sentenced to 25 years in jail. Voice of San Diego recently reported --"Tara Jones, who leads the National Women Veterans Association of America, made a dramatic about-face during the sexual harassment scandal that took down Bob Filner’s mayorship. She went from leading a group set to celebrate Filner’s life work at a big fundraiser to publicly calling for his resignation, and selling “Please Resign!” T-shirts on the organization’s website. But in actively working to oust one man from his job, Jones may have stepped outside the bounds of her own as the leader of a tax-exempt charity. A La Mesa-based grant-writing firm has severed ties with the NWVAA and filed three complaints with the California attorney general’s office, including one alleging that the veterans group violated federal law by engaging in overtly political acts aimed at removing Filner from office. The Internal Revenue Code prohibits 501(c)(3) nonprofits from participating in efforts to elect or defeat a candidate for public office. In a recall election, Filner would have been a candidate for his own office. Nationaljournal.com recently reported -- "There was a time when Rep. Barbara Lee was accused of treason and got so many death threats for her antiwar politics she needed around-the-clock police protection. Now, a decade and two unpopular wars later, the congresswoman who cast the only vote against the war in Afghanistan has moved from the fringe to the forefront, becoming a preeminent voice in the president's own party against his effort to bomb Syria. Lee is an influential member of both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus—two groups President Obama desperately needs on his side. Inside Congress, she has helped spearhead the lobbying effort against a Syria strike, and she was among the more prominent members of the CPC briefed by the White House last week. "They've been very persuasive about the intelligence and the fact that we must do something," she told The Washington Post's Greg Sargent. What was less persuasive, she said, was the idea that the only option right now is a military option. "I'm not a pacifist," Lee told National Journal in an interview. "I think we need to hold those accountable for any types of crimes against humanity, weapons of mass destruction, chemical attacks on our country. This is a given. We've got to do that. But you also have to understand what you're doing and the context." The story of how Lee emerged as one of Congress's most powerful antiwar voices on Syria is one that's well told by numbers. In 2001 when she voted against the use of force in Afghanistan, she acted alone. In 2003, when she sponsored legislation to repeal the congressional authorization of war in Iraq, herlegislation received 72 votes. In August of 2013, a demand that Obama seek authorization from Congress before taking any action against Syria garnered the support of more than 150 lawmakers and from both sides of the political aisle." Food for thought: It was announced yesterday that President Obama nominated Congresswoman Barbara Lee to be Representative to the United Nations. In a recent press release she stated, "It will be my goal as Representative to the U.N. to help foster stronger ties, deeper bonds, and increase commitment to the vision of the United Nations: a better world for all." Congratulations on her appointment!! Upon celebration of my re-birth. MSNBC recently reported –“The female midshipman at the center of a case against three former Naval Academy football players has filed a lawsuit asking the Superintendent of the Naval Academy to recuse himself from deciding whether the case goes to court martial, arguing he is too biased to make the decision. The issue of whether commanders can fairly adjudicate sexual assault cases, and whether concern for their own careers and those of their subordinates overrides concern for victims of sexual violence, has been at the heart of the Congressional debate over how to reform the military’s approach to such cases. New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wants to take cases out of the military chain of command, while Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill has proposed reforms that would not take that step. Food for thought: Once again, proof of how senior military officials will dishonor their oath of office to protect their reputation and careers instead of adhering to a moral code and preserving the laws of our country. And they call themselves an officer and a gentleman!?

http://www.syneedapenland.net/2013/09/

As we are all by now painfully aware, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) did not make a transit stop in the US when he set off on an eight-day state visit to South and Central America. This was because the options offered by the Bush administration for a stopover were deemed unacceptable. Both the terms of the US offer and Chen's rejection of it came as a major surprise. But what is even more surprising is the pleasure that some spectators at home seem to be getting out of this most unfortunate and humiliating event. The US offer of transit stops in Anchorage, Alaska, or Honolulu, Hawaii, amounted to a slap in the face. While both are lovely cities, they are not part of the US mainland, nor are they considered political or economic centers. And even in these outlying cities, Chen was only given permission for a five-hour stopover, ruling out the possibility of the president conducting any meaningful meetings -- which was the real motivation for transiting in the US to begin with. Contrary to what Chen's critics would have us believe, these transit stops are not just photo and sightseeing opportunities funded by the taxpayers. Rather, they are invaluable and increasingly rare opportunities for the government to strengthen ties with Taiwanese-American groups and members of the US Congress who are friendly to Taiwan -- people who have the power to sway US policy in this nation's favor. When it became clear that the stopovers offered by the Bush administration would not serve this purpose, and that they might even damage Taiwan's image, Chen made a calculated and rational decision to cut his losses and skip them altogether. Although Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) opined that the US had made a decision to appease China at a time when it needed that country's assistance on Iran's nuclear enrichment program, the fighting in Darfur and North Korea's nuclear ambitions, no one can say with certainty why the US offered Chen the low-level reception that it did. But the Bush administration had its reasons, and that is the reality of international politics. And it is hard to believe that Chen, as a seasoned politician, would take the episode personally and react emotionally. In spite of what China and its yes-men in Taiwan would have the world believe, Chen is the president of this country. The reception accorded to him by another government is therefore a direct reflection on the standing of this nation. So, while Chen should not take this incident personally, we should. Taiwanese should feel saddened and humiliated that the president's humble request for transit stops that would allow him to speak to like-minded figures in the US were rejected. Under the circumstances, it is baffling that some people have seen this incident as a cause for celebration. It is also pathetic that so many are reading so much into what has happened -- from speculation on changes in the US-Taiwan relationship, to talk of the Presidential Office retaliating by refusing to purchase arms from the US, among other ridiculous rumors.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/05/10/2003307180

The price for the order shall be as stated on your order form. You agree to pay the full price to Teisen Deg in accordance with the order form after the details are checked and agreed by you. We reserve the right to increase our product prices without prior notice in line with any significant rises in production costs, but will make every attempt to avoid doing so. Teisen Deg is pleased to be able to provide afternoon tea packages and cake receptions which include the hire of vintage china hire and accessories. Following the event, the china will need to be washed, dried and repackaged (in its original packaging) by the customer. Due to the delicate nature of the china, it cannot be washed in a dishwasher. Please see below for details of set-up, if required. Set up charges for afternoon tea/cake receptions are calculated at 5% of the total cost of your order. We endeavour to inspect all of our china to ensure that it is safe and suitable for your event. Upon receipt of your order please check the items as listed on your order form and notify us of any problems at this point. If we do not hear from you on the day of delivery/collection we will conclude that all items received are suitable and in good order. Collection/return times will be agreed on the day you receive your order. We would appreciate customers’ honesty in the reporting of any damages on return. Missing or broken items will be charged at replacement cost. The goods remain the property of Teisen Deg during the hire period. Orders for celebration cakes and afternoon teas require a deposit of 50% of the total cost. Please note that all deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. All deposits become due when the order has been placed and details checked and agreed by you. All orders are deemed to have been accepted only when the deposit has been paid. Payment can be made in cash, BACS transfer, or by cheque payable to Mrs J Brown. Cheques will require a 7 day clearing period. The date for final payment(s) will be as stated on your order form. In the event that any payment is subsequently declined, the order will not be completed or released until alternative arrangements have been agreed and payment is made in full. Subsequent completion of the order will be subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. The Company accepts no responsibility for any loss howsoever caused or for non-delivery under these circumstances. The customer will be responsible for the payment of any additional charges which have been incurred as a result of payment failure. Your order is very important to us. Please take the time to check your copy of the order form carefully and let us know within three days if changes are needed. It is your responsibility to advise the Company of any alterations to the original order. The Company reserves the right to increase a quoted fee in the event that the Customer requests a variation to the work agreed. Whilst every effort will be made to assist Customers, please note that late changes cannot always be guaranteed. From time to time certain materials for our celebration cakes may become obsolete or no longer be available from our suppliers, for example, pre-manufactured items or ribbon colours. This is totally out of our control; however we will endeavour to re-design a cake to reflect this as closely as possible to the original design using replacement products. In all cases we will try to contact you to advise you of any such changes, however the Company reserves the right to replace these with components of equal or better quality without consultation. Your order may be collected at a pre-arranged time. A signature is required upon collection confirming that you have received your order in good condition and as specified. We cannot accept responsibility for orders collected and delivered by a third party. All delivery times are subject to availability. If you have a specific delivery date, please specify this when placing your order. We will do our best to accommodate your requirements. Mileage is charged at 50p per mile for a round trip from the Company’s base at CF14 3NU. Delivery to locations outside of Cardiff are at our discretion. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that you have given us correct delivery information, and that someone is available to receive your order. A signature will be required for the receipt of the order upon delivery. If the recipient is not in, the order will be returned to the Company who will contact you to arrange an alternative delivery time for which an additional charge will be payable to the Customer. The Company accepts no responsibility for any loss or consequential loss incurred by the Customer as a result, for example, a wedding without a wedding cake. Should you require your order to be delivered, where possible the Company will deliver and set up as agreed and will want to ensure that it is displayed at its best. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have provided the Company with the set-up details and arrangements made with the venue for the location and display of your order. The Company cannot be held responsible for the location of the order at the venue. Please ensure, therefore, that the display location is level, stable and strong enough to hold your cake(s). Please also remember that cakes covered in chocolate and buttercream can melt in warm conditions such as inside a marquee on a hot summer’s day, or when set up in direct sunlight. Once your order has been delivered, set up, and signed for, the Company is unable to accept responsibility for any interference with or damage to it thereafter. If an order is to be delivered and set up by the Company, a signature will be required from your venue management confirming the it has been received and set up in good condition. A photograph will be taken prior to departure by the Company to verify that it has been set up and left in good condition. Cancellations for celebration cakes, cake receptions and afternoon tea must be made in writing, at least 28 days before your event and, as already stated, your deposit will be forfeited. For all other orders, full payment is required if cancellation is within 10 days of the delivery date; prior to this a refund of any monies paid, less deposit, will be made. By signing the Customer Order Form the Customer agrees that the Company is the sole designer and owner of the final cake design; the Customer has no ownership rights over any cake design. We reserve the right to use any image of a Customer’s cake made by the Company to feature on our Website and social media pages after the delivery date, unless previously agreed in writing between the Customer and the Company. Please note cakes with sponge tiers/smaller cakes may not be completed until the day prior to or the day of the celebration to ensure the cakes are as fresh as possible. Please pre-arrange viewings of any celebration cakes ordered. The Company accepts no responsibility for any omissions or errors on such if they are not viewed by the Customer prior to your special event. Please be aware that whilst your chosen cake may not be made with nuts or a nut product, it will be prepared in a kitchen where nut products may be used in other cakes and fillings. Raw materials used may not be free from dairy, wheat or gluten. Allergy information is provided with all orders. Where applicable, food which requires refrigeration will be clearly labelled, and must be stored in the refrigerator at or below 8ºC. Once the food is removed from refrigeration it must be consumed within two hours. The Company reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice.

http://www.teisendeg.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

This vigilant flycatcher was sitting on eggs in a wooded area just off Meadow Lake, BC. The pair of birds were taking care of their territory with very little sound,. As a rule of thumb and part of ethical birding, it is important not to leave room so as not to disturb the bird off its nest. With my optical lens I was able to get a nice shot but not disturb this very good parent to be.

http://www.thebirdblogger.com/western-wood-pewee---meadow-lake-bc.html

Fikos (b. 1987) was born in Athens, Greece. In 2000 he starts working as a graffiti artist while at the same time he began studying Byzantine painting under watchful eyes of George Kordis, who is undoubtedly one of the most important representatives of the revival of the icon. The two of them also collaborated for several years, creating murals in Orthodox churches all over the world. During all that time, the young artist was learning from his teacher but was also developing his own unique style. With previous experience in graffiti, his transfer from ‘ordinary’ street art to creating large-scale murals came as a natural progression. He has created murals in many parts of the world with the most famous being the one in Kiev, Ukraine titled Earth and Sky. 46 meters in height, it became the world’s largest mural in the history of Byzantine Painting and the highest artwork in the history of Greek art since ancient years. Fikos has also participated in numerous exhibitions and street festivals worldwide and has earned several awards. His unique ‘Contemporary Byzantine Painting’ style is what makes him stand out and what intrigues him.

http://www.theeditgallery.com/fikos/

All those august organizations have rejected the NAEP achievement levels because the process is confusing to the people who try to set the levels and because the results are inconsistent: Children can't answer questions they should be able to and can answer questions they shouldn't be able to. The levels also give what the National Academy of Sciences called "unreasonable" results, including the fact that only 29 percent of U.S. fourth-graders were considered proficient or better by NAEP, yet America ranked third among 26 participating nations. Other evidence is easy to come by. In 2000, 2.7 percent of American high school seniors scored 3 or better -- the score at which colleges begin to grant credit for the course -- on Advanced Placement calculus. Almost 8 percent of seniors (including those who did not take the test) scored above 600 on the math SAT; nearly a quarter (24 percent) of those who took it scored over 600. Yet NAEP said that only 1.5 percent of the nation's seniors reached its "advanced" level. So why does the government continue to report such misleading information? The "Leaders and Laggards" report illustrates why: The numbers are useful as scare techniques. If you can batter people into believing the schools are in awful shape, you can make them anxious about their future -- and you can control them.

http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com/2010/05/jim-horn-resurrects-gerald-bracey.html

"We really pulled out all the stops this month," said Dan Harrison, Senior Vice President, Emerging Networks, NBC Universal Cable. "We have some of Hollywood's biggest box-office draws, and even a few Oscar winners on Sleuth this month. I am proud of the variety of programming we are offering." Along with the popular MURDER MONDAYS, ACTION WEDNESDAYS and WEEKEND STAKEOUT, Sleuth is offering BANDIT THURSDAYS (8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET). Brian Bloom hits the road as the legendary "Bandit" every Thursday night in November. Bandit joins super-model Kathy Ireland for "Beauty and the Bandit" on November 8. Then meet Bandit's "Silver Angel" on November 15 and "Bandit Goes Country" on November 29. On Sunday, November 18, Sleuth presents ROCKFORD FILES' MOST WANTED from 1-6 p.m. (ET). Jim Rockford (James Garner) comes to the aid of many current classic television and film stars in a five-hour marathon. First, James Woods guest stars at 1 p.m. (ET) followed by the original BIONIC WOMAN, Lindsay Wagner, in the two-hour ROCKFORD FILES pilot at 2 p.m. (ET). SIMON & SIMON'S Gerald McRaney shows up at 4 p.m. and director Rob Reiner starts trouble at 5 p.m. (ET). Thanksgiving Day marks the beginning of COMEDY STAR WEEKEND from Thursday November 22 through Sunday, November 25, as Sleuth adds some laughs to the mystery on Thanksgiving weekend. There is no shortage of star power with Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Ted Danson, Bruce Willis, Paul Giamatti, Christian Slater, Matt Dillon and Michael Douglas on duty, as well as many "Saturday Night Live" alumni such as Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Chris Rock and Ben Stiller. Even former child stars Drew Barrymore, Barry Williams and Neil Patrick Harris join in the celebration. Enjoy the turkey in front of the television on Thursday, November 22 with Stallone in STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT at 12 noon and 6 p.m. (ET) along with Sam Rockwell and Paul Giamatti in SAFE MEN at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (ET). Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks follow in DRAGNET at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET), and Jim Belushi is back in action with K-9: P.I. at 12 midnight (ET). Catch an early appearance of Julia Roberts in the classic series MIAMI VICE at 2 a.m. (ET). On Friday, November 23, Bruce Willis has a star-making role in MIAMI VICE at 7 p.m., 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. (ET), then K-9: P.I. returns at 8 p.m. (ET). Eddie Murphy follows in the role that helped make him a movie star in ANOTHER 48 HRS. at 11 p.m. (ET). Ted Danson first met his "Three Men and a Baby" co-star Tom Selleck in MAGNUM, P.I. at 1a.m. (ET). Christian Slater and Emmy Award winner Jeremy Piven do VERY BAD THINGS as the Comedy Star Weekend continues on Saturday, November 24 at 2 p.m. (ET). Jim Belushi calls K-911 at 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. (ET). Neil Patrick Harris gets dramatic in HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET at 6 p.m. (ET) while Danson & Selleck team up again in MAGNUM, P.I. at 7 p.m. (ET). Matt Dillon and Michael Douglas spend ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S at 8 p.m. (ET). Finally, a very young Ben Stiller has a run-in with MIAMI VICE at 10 p.m. (ET). Relax on Sunday, November 25 with British comedian Steve Coogan in THE PAROLE OFFICER at 2 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. (ET). Before the "Brady Bunch", Barry Williams celebrated Christmas on the classic series DRAGNET at 4 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. (ET). Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts reveal the secrets of game-show legend Chuck Barris in CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND at 4:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. (ET). Paul Giamatti is interrogated on HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET at 7 p.m. (ET) then Aykroyd & Hanks work the weekend in the film version DRAGNET at 8 p.m. (ET). Chris Rock has the last word in MIAMI VICE with James Brown at 10 p.m. (ET). In between all the comedy action, Sleuth presents FOOTBALL FRIDAY on Friday, November 23 from 12 noon-7 p.m. (ET). America's top sleuths are just trying to enjoy the game when trouble brews on Thanksgiving weekend. MAGNUM, P.I. starts off the excitement at 12 noon and 6 p.m. (ET) then Joe Friday keeps getting interrupted from the game in DRAGNET at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (ET). Terrorists announce a TWO-MINUTE WARNING at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Charlton Heston, David Janssen and Jack Klugman star in this extended version containing footage not seen in theaters. Finally, guest Rob Reiner drags Rockford into the minor leagues in THE ROCKFORD FILES at 5 p.m. (ET). This month's features are: Incident at Deception Ridge, Murder Between Friends, Traffic: The Miniseries and Our Mother's Murder. This month's features are: Rollercoaster, Clay Pigeons, Timecop, Red Skies and The Assassination File.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2007/11/06/sleuth-turns-up-the-star-power-and-brings-in-the-laughs-this-november--25931/20071106sleuth01/

Competent Korean cop drama sequel-of-sorts. As if trying to keep up with the Korean sense of humour and social conventions wasn't enough, director Kang Woo-suk apparently likes to mince with minds of his own accord too. Another Public Enemy, follow-up (but not a sequel) to 2002's Public Enemy, shares the same lead actor (Sol Kyung-gu) playing a character with the same name as in his earlier role, but who is not the same Detective Kang as in that movie. Confused? No need really. Another Public Enemy is it's own beast, and as well as dancing to the tune of an entirely new song it shares little of the same style or ambience as it's predecessor. This time Kyung-gu's Kang Chul-joong is a prosecutor for the Seoul District Attorney's Office, and rather than the bumbling-yet-effective character of the last movie he this time portrays a man who is humble, generally reserved and efficient at his job. A brief opening flashback shows a young Kang at school, slowly nurturing a hatred for the privileged few rich kids whose parents see to it that their youngsters escape the harsh punishment frequently doled out to the rest of the pupils. Unable to accept that simply having money means a few rich citizens should be treated differently to the many, Kang has grown up to transpose this hatred onto his job of hunting criminals seemingly operating above the law. To this end his enquiries bring to his attention the dealings of an old classmate, Han Sang-woo (Jung Joon-ho). Heir to the Myung-sun Foundation, Han's father has died and his brother is in a coma after a car crash, but it isn't until one of the Foundation's directors suggests all this might not be accidental that the police begin to show an interest in the apparent misappropriation of certain company funds. It isn't long before Kang figures that Han is channeling money from a children's golf initiative with the intention of moving to the US, and piece by piece he begins to collect the evidence required to build his case. However, with time running out Kang is frustrated to say the least that Han's involvement with the higher echelons of the Seoul police are effectively shielding him from active investigation, jeopardising his investigation and ultimately both his own life and that of his men. So the stage is set for another unorthodox approach to police work, albeit this time focusing on the bureaucracy of business prosecution rather than the brute force dealings of the Seoul underworld. Indeed it's this shift in focus which is responsible for Another Public Enemy's altogether more sedate pace. Whereas the previous movie's protagonist divided his investigation fairly evenly between sitting at a desk and kicking the shit out of his suspects, here Kang finds himself unraveling far more red tape without the aid of casual violence, the net result of which means this feels far more like an extended episode of TV's Prime Suspect than a candidate for Asia Extreme status. This is not to say that APE as I shall now refer to it is not enjoyable, simply that it struggles to fill it's running time without the kinetic energy of it's forebear. At almost two and a half hours Kang Woo-suk finds he has his hands full with, well, not very much really and several areas of the film feel a little too languishing for this reviewer's liking. Still, it's to the credit of it's two leads that APE still manages to hold an audience's attention for such a considerable time span, with both Kyung-gu and Joon-ho pulling off their roles with some considerable skill. Viewers of the original Public Enemy will find it hard to recognise Sol Kyung-gu as a much more mildly-mannered law man. Wether or not it's just my imagination I can't say, but the actor looks and feels older than the two-and-a-bit years between the two movies would otherwise suggest, and this Kang is most definitely a different beast. A picture of quiet, pent-up anger, Kang is an utterly believable character of virtue operating in a field that both resists him yet compels him to drive on. His compassion for his men and slowly crumbling dedication to procedure as he gradually teeters on the edge of his tether make for compelling viewing , stretched or otherwise, and as in the first movie Kyung-gu is without doubt the first and foremost reason for watching. This is not to say that Jung Joon-ho doesn't keep up his end of the bargain; far from it. While I find reports of the movie's DOP going on record to say his performance actually made the camera shake a little hard to swallow he is nonetheless incredibly convincing as a monster so cold and heartless that he'd sooner see his family dead than give up his dream of escaping Korea a rich man. It's just unfortunate that APE's plodding pace doesn't share the intensity of it's two leads. It's appreciable that Kang Woo-suk is offering his leads enough slack to play out their characters convincingly, but with so little focus on peripheral characters and far less levity than it's predecessor there's just too much heavy slack that gradually threatens to drown the whole movie. As hard as it's two main characters work to shoulder the burden, Another Public Enemy ends up feeling more like a competently written, consummately acted TV special than a supposedly cutting-edge example of modern Asian filmmaking. By no means a failure there is merely disappointment that, given the talent involved, a tighter leash wasn't kept on proceedings. As a result of this and nothing more I'm afraid we've dropped a mark. I award this movie 3 out of 5 Units We Use.

http://www.theoneliner.com/film514.html

PCS holds personal and confidential information about its customers, board members, employees, employment applicants and suppliers. All individuals have a right to privacy and PCS is bound by the Data Protection Act 1998. This policy is concerned with the storage, processing and accessibility of all personal information held by PCS. It outlines the position of PCS with regard to the nature of data to be held, the fair and lawful processing of such data, and deals with issues relating to the confidentiality of information and its availability to our customers. PCS welcomes the objectives of Data Protection legislation, recognising that personal information is confidential and that unauthorised disclosure may constitute a breach of contract and an offence under the Data Protection Act. IMPLEMENTATION The Senior Management team (SMT) of PCS is responsible for implementation of this Policy. Individuals may request a copy of information held upon them by PCS, and can seek its amendment / erasure if this is inaccurate or no longer required. The procedure for dealing with such requests is set out in the “Access to Personal Information Procedure”.. It is the responsibility of all staff and board members to maintain confidentiality as set out within this policy. A breach of confidentiality is a serious offence. Staff and Managers will receive appropriate training on the provisions and implementation of Data Protection Legislation. It is the responsibility of all staff to inform a senior manager when they are made aware of a breach of confidentiality. The senior manager is then responsible for taking appropriate action when they are made aware of such a breach. Requests from third parties for such access shall only be considered where these are made in accordance with the process specified in the “Access to Personal Information Procedure”. It is the responsibility of the Board to ensure that implementation of the Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy is monitored. PCS shall ensure that it has a named Data Controller, who will offer advice to employees, board members and customers on the implementation of this Policy.

http://www.thepcsgroup.co.uk/ConfidentialityAndDataProtectionPolicy2018.aspx

Ahead of the release of SPECTRE this month, the Bond Reloaded series takes a look back at each film in the iconic James Bond franchise. This time, Daniel Craig shields M from a face from her past in Skyfall. The Bond franchise was, yet again, in dire straits after Quantum of Solace came out in 2008. Financial difficulties were ravaging studio MGM and these put the latest Bond movie on hiatus for the entirety of 2010. Fortunately, Eon already had American Beauty director Sam Mendes in place to direct the saga’s next film, with Daniel Craig returning to the lead role for the third time. In 2011, production resumed in earnest and Skyfall was born. Given that the franchise had almost entirely reinvented itself with Casino Royale only six years earlier, it was remarkable to see that Skyfall was yet another completely different beast. For the first time ever, there was no real evil plot on the scale of world domination – just a madman turning his ire towards MI6 and, specifically, Judi Dench’s M in her final appearance. Skyfall is an exquisitely written Bond movie and probably the franchise’s high watermark outside of the classic Goldfinger. It was Bond as drama more than high-octane thriller, but aided by terrific performances, well-done action scenes and one of the best villains in the history of the franchise. Skyfall opens with the kind of sequence that has become a pre-credits classic – the apparent death of 007. This time around, it’s a poorly aimed gunshot from fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) that puts an end to Bond, leading into Adele’s distinctly Shirley Bassey-esque theme song. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bond isn’t dead and soon returns to the fold after a cyber-terror attack targets MI6. Via an encounter with mysterious Severine (Bérénice Marlohe), Bond finds himself meeting Silva (Javier Bardem) – a former agent with a serious grudge against M. Right from the pre-credits chase, which is perhaps the best Bond opening to date, the approach of Skyfall is clear. This is the rugged, blunt instrument agent who we saw in Casino Royale, rather than the glossy action man of Quantum of Solace. Mendes brought a real world sensibility to Bond with this film, whilst calmly nodding to the past in the franchise’s 50th anniversary year and assembling a new generation of MI6 staff, with Harris becoming iconic secretary Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw appearing as a brand new incarnation of Q. "All this jumping and fighting – it’s exhausting. Relax." Skyfall is incredibly brave in that it is not structured at all like a Bond film after its halfway point. Initially, the globe-trotting action and breadcrumb trail of clues is vintage 007, but then Silva is apprehended on his private island and a curveball is thrown. The rest of the film sees Bond on the run as he tries to protect M from Silva’s complex and devilishly intelligent plan. It’s an interesting change in dynamic that bears real dramatic fruit. The shift in narrative style also slows down the pace, which was absolutely breakneck in Casino Royale, but here gives the more personal story the necessary breathing room. Judi Dench and Daniel Craig make the absolute best of that breathing room, delivering the two best dramatic performances in the history of the Bond franchise, particularly as M succumbs to her death on the floor of a Scottish chapel. It’s in that moment that the icy relationship between 007 and his boss pays off in an outpouring of, not quite emotion, but overwhelming respect. It’s fitting that the most popular M ever should get a proper, on screen send-off and Mendes’ risk pays dividends in allowing the film a more solemn finale than the usual romp in a field. Pursuing Dench across the UK with ruthless forward planning, Javier Bardem is a genuinely hissable villain. Silva’s cyber-terrorism gives him an interesting angle, but even more intriguing is the homo-erotic dimension to his relationship with Bond. Silva is not only Bond’s equal, but someone who flies in direct opposition to his hyper-masculine perception of the spy game. On top of this, Silva has a classic Bond villain feel, aided by his grotesque true appearance and the sense of his always being one step ahead. Bardem’s performance is maniacal in calm and measured style, particularly in the final, fiery assault on Bond’s ancestral home. The secondary plotline of Skyfall sees MI6 itself threatened, following the accidental leak of the secret identities of dozens of agents embedded in criminal organisations worldwide. This, in a topical evocation of the Leveson Inquiry, pits Dench’s M in a battle of wits against her own government, forced to prove the value of her work in a modern age. If what we know thus far about Andrew Scott’s C in SPECTRE is anything to go on, the notion of MI6’s place in the world will continue to be a major theme of the Craig era. Mendes puts together an intense array of action sequences for Bond to face, including a fistfight in a Shanghai casino which brings Craig face to face with a fearsome komodo dragon. The final assault on Skyfall sees Bond stripped of his innovative gadgetry and relying solely on improvised weaponry and his own wits to protect M. It’s a tremendous sequence, shot beautifully by ace DOP Roger Deakins, that sees Craig’s Bond at his best and Bardem on villainous form. "Well, I like to do some things the old-fashioned way." Alongside working as a dramatic action film in its own right, Skyfall does a solid job of assembling the new MI6 staff like an Ikea flat-pack. Naomie Harris proves to be a flirtatious and interesting Moneypenny, given a modicum more depth than simply being in love with Bond. Meanwhile, Ben Whishaw is one of the film’s standout performers as the new Q, bringing a youth to the role that meshes nicely with a more technologically aware era. His initial exchange with Bond is one of great wit and a battle of old versus new, showcasing these two men as the intellectual equals they have always been. By the time the credits roll on Skyfall, a whole new MI6 has been established, ready for Bond to embark on its second 50 years as a definitive series in the canon of British cinema. It’s remarkable what the film manages to achieve in terms of planning for the future and nodding to the past, as well as delivering an efficient and wildly entertaining action movie. With Sam Mendes back in the director’s chair for SPECTRE, there could be yet another Bond hit on the cards. Arriving at a premiere attended by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in November 2012, Skyfall almost immediately became the biggest financial hit in Bond history. It eventually made its way to in excess of $1bn at the worldwide box office, including being the first film to make more than £100m in the UK alone. At the time of writing, Skyfall remains the thirteenth highest grossing film of all time globally. Reviews for Skyfall were overwhelmingly positive. Roger Ebert gave the film the perfect four stars, calling it “invigorating” and praising it for being “a full-blooded, joyous, intelligent celebration of a beloved cultural icon”. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter dubbed the film a “fresh blend” of an old vintage, whilst Kim Newman in Empire Magazine lauded the film as being everything audiences could want from a Bond in the 21st century. Even the more negative stances on the film were wrapped up in generally laudatory reviews. Xan Brooks, writing in The Guardian, said that the film “allows sentimentality to cloud its judgment” and criticised its “touchy-feely indulgence”. Daniel Krupa, over at IGN, was critical of some of the supporting performances, singling out Harris’ “awkward” Moneypenny for having very little chemistry with Daniel Craig. "I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pyjamas, before my first cup of Earl Grey, than you can do in a year." Reinvigorating the Bond franchise with a shot of adrenaline to its heart, Skyfall is one of the best British movies of recent years. It marries elaborate action sequences and a contemporary take on supervillainy with an intense, character-based drama that brings Bond firmly into the modern era. SPECTRE has a lot to live up to, but with the Mendes/Craig duo at its heart, it’s tough to see how it could fail. That’s the end of the Bond Reloaded series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. See you in the cinema for SPECTRE. What do you think of Skyfall? Did Daniel Craig produce his best turn as Bond? Let me know in the comments section. You can read my look back at Quantum of Solace here and find other Bond Reloaded articles here. I’ve loved these looks at all the Bond films. Thanks for writing them all! Many thanks! I’ve really enjoyed writing them, so I’m glad to hear that they’ve gone down well.

http://www.thepopcornmuncher.com/2015/10/26/bond-reloaded-skyfall-2012/

Moët & Chandon unveils its holiday-season bottle designed in homage to the perennial refinement of the French “art of living.” The elegantly festive and highly symbolic limited-edition bottle aptly titled “Tribute to French Art-de-Vivre” takes champagne lovers on an enchanting journey through the legacy of the House as it decodes the secrets of what true connoisseurs will appreciate as French excellence in the art of living, generous hosting and joyful celebration. France is admired all over the world for its “art-of-living,” a combination of values deeply embedded in French culture that celebrate a taste for refinement, a perfected know-how, a signature style, a special attention to detail, a glamorous allure, and rare elegance in the art of generous hosting. This holiday season, Moet & Chandon whose own heritage is anchored in the same values, unlocks the secrets of that quintessentially French art-of-living with its new “Tribute to French Art-de-Vivre” that tastefully captures that rich yet intangible French patrimony. Tribute to French Art-de-Vivre showcases a décor that brings together treasured French landmarks and some of the cherished symbols with a special significance to Moët & Chandon. The centerpiece of the bottle’s decor is the Orangerie, the heart of an architectural ensemble inspired by the Versailles palace and built in Epernay by Jean-Remy Moët in the early 1800s. Symbol of the hosting heritage of Moët & Chandon, its classical grandeur evokes the distinctive style with which the House, throughout its history, has received illustrious guests, deploying its art of elegant hosting on par with its delectable champagnes. The champagne pyramid, a signature symbol of the House, is also showcased prominently to represent Moët & Chandon’s unparalleled know-how in the art of celebration, known as its “savoir-fête.” The image of stacked glasses overflowing with champagne evokes the House’s overflowing generosity and its tradition of bringing cascading bubbles to the world’s most glamorous festivities. The majesty of the Arc de Triomphe, a symbol of Paris and French grandeur built in 1806 by Napoleon, ties in Moët & Chandon’s own historical relationship with the Emperor. Frequently hosted by Jean-Remy Moët as he stopped in Epernay on his way to battle, Napoleon faithful patronage gave its name to the flagship champagne of the House, Moët Impérial. The Eiffel Tower, eternal symbol of French luxury, evokes with its graceful silhouette, the Universal Exposition of 1889 which saw the birth of that timeless icon in the City of Lights as a monument to French craftsmanship, at a time when Moët & Chandon’s wines were served to the new world’s elites. “‘With Tribute to French Art-de-Vivre,’ Moët & Chandon ushers in the holiday season with an exclusive invitation to the world’s champagne lovers to add a touch of refinement à la française to year-end celebrations,” says Nathalie Normand, International Director of Marketing and Communications for Moët & Chandon. Tribute to French Art-de-Vivre is a brilliant ode to the sparkling champagne that fills the bottle, Moët Impérial, named in homage to the Emperor. The signature expression of the House style, Moët Impérial brings together an accomplished assemblage of the three main grape varieties of Champagne and the ancestral winemaking tradition that has made the global success of the Maison. Blended in the image of Champagne itself, Moët Impérial is structured with a slight dominance of Pinot Noir, textured by Meunier and enhanced by the freshness of Chardonnay.

http://www.thexquisitedge.com/celebrate-with-moet-chandon/

We’ve been down this road before. The Wall Street and Washington elite always tell us that this time will be different. The truth is these trade deals have ripped apart the fabric of our nation. We see the shuttered factories. We talk to the workers who lost everything, only to be told they should retrain in another field—but Congress has been slow to fund and authorize those programs. From NAFTA to CAFTA to Korea and now the TPP, these agreements have continually put profits over people. By driving down our wages, they make our economy weaker, not stronger. This blog originally appeared in aflcio.org on February 3, 2016. Reprinted with permission. We know how bad income inequality has gotten in the past few years in America, thanks largely to the work of economist Emmanuel Saez and his colleagues at University of California at Berkeley’s Center for Equitable Growth. But Saez’s latest paper finds that the share of the nation’s wealth going to the bottom 90 percent of Americans has declined to where it was in the 1940s, erasing decades of hard-won gains due to pro-worker, pro-middle-class economic policies. Meanwhile, the top 0.1 percent of Americans – the 160,000 families with net assets in excess of $20 million in 2012 – now hold 22 percent of the nation’s wealth, up from 7 percent in 1978. That monopolization of a large share of national wealth by an elite few hasn’t been seen since the late 1920s. The bottom 90 percent, by contrast, saw their wealth share fall from 35 percent in the mid-1980s to about 23 percent in 2012, the paper said. It was about 20 percent in the 1920s, it said. “Wealth concentration has increased particularly strongly during the Great Recession of 2008-2009 and in its aftermath,” the paper said. Largely because of the decline in housing prices, the share of wealth held by the bottom 90 percent fell more than 10 percent from the middle of 2007 to mid-2008. Afterward, real wealth continued declining at a rate of 0.6 percent a year on average through 2012, while it increased at a rate of almost 6 percent a year for the top 1 percent and almost 8 percent a year for the top 0.1 percent. How did this happen? “The share of wealth owned by the middle class has followed an inverted-U shape evolution,” the paper said. Middle-class households reached the apex of the upside-down “U” in the mid-1980s, driven by the accumulation of housing wealth and, more significantly, pensions. Since then, housing values for the bottom 90 percent as a share of total household wealth has fallen by as much as two-thirds, and most workers have IRAs or 401(k) defined contribution plans instead of pensions. And these households have significantly higher debt than they did in the 1980s. What can we do about it? The paper points out that it was New Deal policies of the 1930s that began reversing the effects of Gilded Age inequality in the 1930s, particularly “very progressive income and estate taxation” that made it difficult for the wealthy to accumulate large fortunes and pass them to their heirs. “The historical experience of the United States and other rich countries suggests that progressive taxation can powerfully affect income and wealth concentration,” the paper said. Other steps that can help include “access to quality and affordable education, health benefit cost controls, minimum wage policies, or, more generally, policies shifting bargaining power away from shareholders and management toward workers.” Finally, the paper suggests policies that “nudge” workers toward sound investment and savings vehicles and offer alternatives to short-term debt at high interest rates. The fact that a group of people equal to the population of Salem, Oregon controls as much of the nation’s wealth as 90 percent of the rest of the country speaks to the fundamental unfairness of our economy. It is a level of imbalance that is as unsustainable today as it was before the crashes of 1929 and 2008. It also stands as a dire warning that we cannot afford to elect more politicians whose policies of giving more relief to the wealthy and more pain to the working class would only make wealth inequality and, and economic inequity, even worse. This blog originally appeared in Ourfuture.org on October 20, 2014. Reprinted with permission. http://ourfuture.org/20141020/wealth-inequality-and-middle-class-decline-is-worse-that-we-think. About the Author: Isaiah J. Poole has been the editor of OurFuture.org since 2007. Previously he worked for 25 years in mainstream media, most recently at Congressional Quarterly, where he covered congressional leadership and tracked major bills through Congress. Most of his journalism experience has been in Washington as both a reporter and an editor on topics ranging from presidential politics to pop culture. His work has put him at the front lines of ideological battles between progressives and conservatives. He also served as a founding member of the Washington Association of Black Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. When I wrote the “The Audacity of Greed” in 2008, I had a chapter called “Vodka and Penises” which detailed a rather unique birthday party thrown in Sardinia, Italy, in 2000 by Tyko CEO Dennis Kozlowski in honor of his wife–it featured vodka spraying from the penis of a replica of Michelangelo’s David. Kozlowski, who eventually went to jail for stealing lots of company money including the funds to pay for this little soiree, flew seventy-five guests to the Hotel Cala di Volpe where the privileged invitees played golf and tennis, ate fine food, listened to a performance by the singer Jimmy Buffett (who was paid a fee of $250,000 to appear) and enjoyed a birthday cake in the shape of a woman’s breasts festooned with sparklers on top. It was a symbol of the greed and avarice coursing through American business. And it ain’t over–as Leon Black is happy to demonstrate. Let’s set the backdrop first: millions of Americans are without work, millions more can’t find decent paying work, we still are trying to dig out of a financial crisis caused largely by greed and avarice on Wall Street, we have the greatest divide between rich and poor in 100 years, and we are enduring a longer-term attack against the people by a bankrupt “free market” system that values a few CEOs over the rest of us. Mr. Black had his backyard transformed into a faux nightclub setting, constructing a wooden deck over his swimming pool and building a tent for Mr. John’s concert. After a buffet of crab cakes and steak, partygoers sat on couches with big puffy pillows. So, here is what is important to glean from this obscene affair, which underscores how we have been robbed–and how we will continue to be robbed in the future. In my most recent book, “It’s Not Raining, We’re Being Peed On,” I wrote about “carried interest”. Private equity firms get a special tax break—it’s called “carried interest”, Rather than being taxed at the top rate of 35 percent, the private equity fund managers like Black only pay 15 percent through a loophole called “carried interest.” To understand carried interest, you have to first understand how money managers get paid in the yacht-sailing, mansion-buying world of private equity. First, they receive a fee, which is a percentage of the funds they invest. This fee is usually in the range of two percent, and is taxed like your run-of-the-mill wage income. Second, and far more lucratively, money managers get a fee based on the performance of their fund—a fee in the range of 20 percent. It’s the second fee that is the so-called “carried interest”—and it’s how the money managers of private equity really rake in the big bucks that pay for their Picassos, yachts and mansions. In the normal world of taxable income (and let me say that nothing in the tax code is simple when it comes to schemes that allow people like Black to shelter their money), carried interest is taxed as investment income—at the capital gains level of 15 percent (much lower than the top wage income rate), even though most of these managers invest very little, if any, of their own money. Which is how Black can afford to throw obscene birthday parties. How “carried interest” continue to remain in place can be summed up, in large part, with two words: Chuck Schumer. Schumer has been one of Wall Street’s greatest defenders. And, while there have been calls to eliminate the “carried interest” bonanza, Schumer has blocked that effort time and again, and has also, most recently, flip-flopped on the absurd proposal to give corporate American a tax holiday on the profits companies have stashed over seas. I understand the movtivation: Wall Street is a huge honeypot for campaign contributions. That is Schumer’s obsession. But, keeping “carried interest” costs billions of dollars in money lost to our government’s treasury–money for schools, health care for seniors, research, and jobs. One final point on the private equity world. Even if the “carried interest” is eliminated, we need to keep another point in mind: private equity firms make their huge profits by buying up companies and stripping them of hundreds of thousands of workers in the name of “efficiency”. The longer-term economic crisis is, at heart, a hammering down of wages–which has led to deep despair among the people who can’t make ends meet. Private equity firms have been at the leading edge of feeding that disastrous economic system. Which is why we should care–and take notice–of the people who party and rub shoulders at these kinds of obscene events. They just do not care. Ultimately, for all the rhetoric, this is about the power and wealth of the business and political elite. It is not about us. Until we torch this system. *This blog originally appeared in Working Life on August 19, 2011.

http://www.todaysworkplace.org/tag/wealth/

Melbourne, Australia - Australia based business training facilities provider, Training Choice, sets it eye on the number one spot for training resource provider this year. The company plans to back its plans for success by guaranteeing more personalizes solutions for its business clients than its larger counterparts. Training Choice promises a more personalized approach towards providing businesses a budget friendly way to ensure that the intellectual resources are fully engaged in meeting their business objectives. The company hopes to maintain and grow its position as a leading training outsourcing organization for providing rollouts and facilities management services for organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. Mr Banna also adds how being a smaller business makes it convenient for the businesses that hire the expertise of the professionals at Training Choice to acquire flexible services. According to the spokesperson, services that are based on such a business model give the company’s experts the chance to provide more value to businesses especially those whose growth depends on an evolving economy, consumer demand and business practices. In addition to providing training rooms and seminar resources to global businesses, Training Choice also specializes in assuring efficiency in training processes, reducing the costs that are associated with it, and helping business clients maximize their infrastructure investments. Training Choice is a leading training outsourcing organization. The company specializes in providing resources such as seminar rooms, rollouts, training facilities and conference rooms for businesses that are based in Australia and other countries across the globe. In addition the company also specializes in providing its clients and business partners with the efficient training resources they need at lower rates than other services of the sort. This is possible through its vast network of training services, venues, logistical support, catering services and more.

http://www.trainingchoice.com.au/detailnews.php?news=Room%20Hire

Tutis Advisory Services' expertise on all pertinent immigration regulatory requirements, can aid our clients in their acquisition of an EU Cypriot Passport. Advise on financial criteria, application requirements and expected approval process. A thorough assessment of the applicant in order to establish the most effective way to meet the required criteria. Close Collaboration with the responsible Ministries. Continuous follow up on the status of the application with the relevant authorities. Provide applicant updates on the progress of the application. Assistance is on the issuance of Passports and Identity Cards once the application have been granted. Regulatory requirements for the acquisition of a Cypriot citizenship (passport). Applicants must purchase a residence in Cyprus, of at least €500,000,plus VAT. in addition to all other investments. If the purchase price of the permanent residence in Cyprus exceeds the amount of €500,000 plus VAT, then additional amount over €500,000 can be deducted from the initial €2 million requested amount of the investment . The applicant must retain the possession of the residence for life. The original application (M127) and all the required original documents are to be submitted at the Ministry of Interior. Along with the original application and documents, an additional photocopy of the application and all the documents should also be submitted. The applicant must be 30 years old and over with a clean criminal record which he/ she must provide from his/ her country of residence, and has no obligation to stay in Cyprus. The parents,spouse and children under 18 years of the applicant can apply simultaneously and do not need to meet the financial criteria. Children over the age of 18 up to 26 may also be granted Cypriot citizenship as long as they prove that they are students. The applicant upon receipt of the Citizenship can either renounce his existing citizenship or keep it. DISCLAIMER: The information in this note is not a legal advice.

http://www.tutisservices.com/Services/Individual-clients/Cyprus-Citizenship

The University of Chicago baseball and softball programs each had four former players named to their respective University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary teams, as released by the league. The University of Chicago baseball team finished off a three-game sweep of California Institute of Technology in its final home game on Sunday, as a late offensive breakthrough led the Maroons to an 11-3 victory over the Beavers.

http://www.uchicagobaseballcamps.com/news_arc.cfm?view=1&program_id=

A well established developer with over 30 years experience approached us with an amazing development opportunity in Tadworth, Surrey. The site had planning permission in place for a brand new detached home set in its own grounds of half an acre. The stunning property boasts six bedrooms, over three floors, a pool house, double garage and a generous driveway with access to south facing grounds at the rear. The house lies in the prestigious private Kingswood Estate, approximately 19 miles from Central London and with good links to Heathrow and Gatwick airport. Frustrated with the time taken to refinance through a traditional lender, the developer turned to Ultimate Capital for swift, transparent funding.

http://www.ultimatecapital.co.uk/portfolio/stunning-residential-development-tadworth-surrey/

News Weekly has been published continuously by the National Civic Council since 1941, and was originally called Freedom. The National Civic Council (NCC) is an organisation which seeks to shape public policy on cultural, family, social, political, economic and international issues of concern to Australia. The NCC has regional groups in many major cities and in regional areas across Australia. These groups meet regularly. The NCC has its National Office in Melbourne with state offices in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. The NCC's research and publishing role provides the vital intellectual backing to its supporters in the field. If you would like to donate to the support of the NCC go here. The Thomas More Centre, focusing on bio-ethical issues and formation of young people.

http://www.uxqrgt.tw/about.php

Hello everyone and welcome back! Today on the Vibe Shifting Show I’ve got part two of my interview with business coach Jessica Fearnley and we’re talking about why it’s so important to get clear on your own, personal definition of success and stop comparing yourself to anyone else. In today’s episode, Jessica also shares her most powerful tip for moving your dreams forward and creating success! If you missed last week’s episode, part one of my interview with Jessica, we discussed the impact of scarcity mindset issues on both health and business, and about breaking out of those issues (and the societal paradigm of fear that feeds them) by learning to celebrate your unique differences and walk your own path. You can catch that episode right here. Jessica: And so it is this idea of just accepting who you are as a person and what you’re like as a person. That has been massive for me. For whatever reason, I just have lower energy than a lot of people around me. I am quite an introvert anyway. And I’m kind of, if you do personality testing… it’s being really fascinating this year because I’ve been doing personality tests with my mastermind business group. We did one, kind of for one program that started in March, and we’ve just done another one this month because the program is restarted. And I actually am normally an extrovert, but went introverted in March, and now I’m back to being extrovert again. Which, I didn’t even realize that you could change that much. But I think different things go on in your kind of personality and your psyche at different times in your life. Jessica: So, really, it’s just important to have that understanding of yourself, that insight of who you are and what you’re like. And just be willing to set a pace of life that you can cope with. I think before I got ill, I was often looking around at other people and saying “they’re doing this, I should do it, too”, “they have this kind of career, I should it do it, too”. If you can get to a point where you just accept, do you know what? That career is great but I just, I don’t really want it because I don’t enjoy it and it doesn’t make me feel healthy. If you can get to that point where you just, you acknowledge that about yourself and you make peace with that, then you can start to make decisions that actually help you build the life that you need in order to really flourish. Nathalie: That I think is a critical point, what you were just talking about there. About realizing and accepting that you as an individual may be different from the other people around you. What you were saying there about I should be doing this because so-and-so is doing this and the other people are doing this, and this expert says I should do that, and that expert says we need to do this. And we get so tangled up in that. There was a quote, something that floated across my Pinterest feed way, way, way long ago. And it just… it made me feel awful. It was something along the lines of “you have exactly as many hours in the day as Einstein and Marie Curie and, like, Richard Branson”. It was just all these people, right? These super-successful people throughout history, and it just said you have the exact amount of time in your day as all these people, therefore you have no excuses for not being, you know, some famous awesome person. And it was predominantly males that were in this list, but Marie Curie was in there as well. And I just remember… it just made me feel awful because I had not accomplished anything that would stack up against the accomplishments of these other people. And you know, it’s right, we all have 24 hours in a day, and blah blah blah. But then I looked at this particular list, and I was looking at it and thinking, oh wait a minute. We may have the same amount of hours in the day but I don’t think any of the people on this list, most of these people either didn’t have children, or were definitely not the primary caregivers. Most of these people had help in their lives, in terms of, you know, cleaning or whatever. Nathalie: And I think a lot of people, we do this to ourselves, and I know there is a lot of… There are some very high level business experts that are out there in the entrepreneurial field right now. And some of them… there is one in particular that had young kids. I have two, she had three. And she was flitting all over the place doing all these really cool things, with her 7 figure business and stuff, and I’m like “what the heck am I doing wrong?”. I mean, I… the comparison! And then I realized, I saw another post that she put out, but she had… she has a personal chef. She even, at the very beginning, before she became famous for what she does, she had help in terms of family who were always there to look after her kids if she needed care. She had cleaners coming in to look after her house. And it was just like, OK. So if you’re in a situation where you don’t have any of that kind of help or assistance or back up, and you’re comparing yourself to somebody who did and does have all of that, you’ve got far more stringent demands on your time and your ability to do what you’re doing, than somebody like that has. So you can’t, it’s like apples and oranges. Nathalie: But you can’t expect yourself, or beat yourself up for not having gotten to where they’ve gotten when you haven’t had the resources to do that. Jessica: Definitely. And I think actually it goes beyond that as well, doesn’t it? Because I think there’s a certain narrative that says the only way to be successful in life is to be publicly, obviously, successful. To be well known, to be very wealthy. And actually, I don’t want those things for myself, I don’t want those things for my business. I want it to fulfill me personally and I want it to be successful because it is satisfying to build something which means something to people, and means something to me. But I think a really powerful part of just kind of… this whole not comparing yourself to others is just saying to yourself, do you know what? This is not a conveyor belt where you jump on at the beginning and then you pop out at the end exactly the same as someone else. Because we are all so unique from each other. Jessica: Well that’s the thing. And they’re living a celebrity life, and there’s so much scrutiny on them because of their social media accounts and stuff like that. And I don’t know. Personally, I don’t want to live my life through social media. I think you always have to remember that what you see on social media does not necessarily mean that everything is perfect behind the scenes all the time. You know, we all know that life is messy and stuff happens and things are complicated and difficult and painful and everyone has that. That’s universal to all humans. Jessica: Though actually, I think we like to kind of create this narrative of if I create the perfect business and I just keep building it bigger and bigger and bigger, I will get loads of money and I’ll be really happy, and social media will make me feel really happy. But social media is a dangerous thing. It can be dangerous to live our lives through Instagram because it can be so artificial. And it creates this kind of picture of the world where you think “Well, their life is perfect. Why does mine feel so messy?” And it’s exactly that comparison that’s the issue. Jessica: Right. Exactly. And instead of enjoying a moment with your family you’re then thinking “Oh, I’ll take a photo ’cause this would make a lovely Instagram shot.” And it’s just like, that is not what life is supposed to be like. And if we’re all looking at all these pictures so beautifully presented from other people’s lives. And if that photo actually makes someone else feel worse about themselves, I kind of, I don’t want to be perpetuating that in the way that I live my life. You know, that isn’t a positive thing because it just creates this really unhealthy cycle of other people kind of feeding off that misery that it causes them. Jessica: I read a statistic recently saying that mental health problems are on the up because of social media. And so often we go onto it because we’re bored and we want something to do and we come off it feeling completely rubbish. And I think scarcity and abundance plays a really big role in that because, so often, social media feeds the scarcity beliefs that we have. And it’s, you know, it’s like we were saying with watching the news, reading the news, it’s that same dynamic at work. It’s telling us something which we already feel to be true and it backs that up but it doesn’t do in a healthy way. It doesn’t make us feel better about ourselves. It makes us feel worse and that’s why I think you have to be really firm with yourself about this comparison stuff. Nathalie: There is so much psychology behind this. And I know there’s been a lot of research done in that field of social media and what it does to people. But you’re right. I think it definitely does feed into this comparison problem that so many people are dealing with in their lives. And it fuels that fear that people have that they just will never be able to live up to the standards that so many see as universal standards, but aren’t really. Stop Spectating and Start Doing! Jessica: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And I think… because of social media as well, so much of it is about silently watching what others are doing but not participating. Because it can be the endless scrolling through the news feed that can just be such a damaging thing for us. And instead of waiting and waiting until it feels like the right time, it feels like you got the absolute perfect offering for people, put something out now. Put something out that you’re ready to do. Put it out in a small way, but actually start doing and stop spectating. Jessica: I think that’s the most powerful thing I have found. For those times… because it happens to everyone, I think, who has an online business because there are so many other people out there doing similar things. If you just sit there and take it all in and feel rubbish about yourself and what you’re doing, that will not get you to the point where you can actually realize the vision of your business. Whereas I think if you can actually start putting your money on the table and saying “Right, I’m doing a launch. I’m putting a course out there, I’m putting a program out there, I am offering services, I’m doing it today.” That is so powerful. And I think that’s a really core thing about getting into this abundance mindset. Abundance is about doing, it is not about spectating. Nathalie: It reminds me of that quote about “it will never be the right time, you just have to make this the right time.” Something along those lines. Nathalie: About “stop waiting for the right time, seize the moment and make the right time”, basically. Jessica: Exactly. I think if you don’t feel like you’re about to throw yourself off a cliff, metaphorically, with what you’re doing in business then, you know, you’re not doing it right. Because that is what every… I’m sure you’ve been through this as well, Nathalie. I remember when I first set up my Facebook group I just felt like “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to do a Facebook group.” I just did it, you know. And I learned on the journey. And particularly with launches. My first launch was absolutely tiny, but I’m so glad that it was because I had stuff that I needed to learn at that small stage about what was required, from the tech side but also at the front end. There just so much that I had to learn. And I’m glad that I didn’t put myself in a situation where I was kind of having, you know, hundreds of people through the doors and not really knowing what to do. I think it’s perfect to just get out there and start practicing stuff and start making these mistakes. But actually be doing it in the here and now ,rather than just planning and then deciding not to and getting yourself all tied up in knots because you’re so busy looking at what other people are doing and feeling like you don’t measure up. I think when you can actually turn that into productive action, that’s when you just think well I don’t care what people think about my business because I love it and I’m doing it. Nathalie: Brilliant. I absolutely love that philosophy. Dip your toe in, test the waters, just get out there and get it… start working on it and revise as you go. Jessica: That’s the thing I always say to people. If it goes completely wrong and it’s a really small Level, no one will know because they didn’t see it. It’s when… I think when you’re doing something really high level and it completely flops, that’s when you stand to lose, but really at the beginning stages if you’re just in a place where you’re thinking “Oh I want to do a launch and I’ve never done one. Nathalie: Learn as you go. Jessica: Exactly. If it falls completely flat, then no one will know. Just do the next thing that’s after that, you know? I just think we waste so much time worrying and watching and just feeling inadequate, when actually you get to a point where you feel adequate for the job by just jumping in there. So just do it. Nathalie: Thank you so much for being with us today, Jessica. This has been so exciting having you here today and I’m so glad you made the time in your busy schedule to talk to us. Thank you. Jessica: Oh, thank you for having me. It’s been an absolute pleasure. Jessica Fearnley is a business coach who specializes in promoting work-life balance alongside business growth. She helps entrepreneurs and business owners who want to win back more of their time, effortlessly make more money, and work with better clients, all while reducing their stress levels and increasing their quality of life. Pick up Jessica’s free scarcity and abundance checklist, and connect with her on Facebook!

http://www.vibeshifting.com/the-danger-of-comparison/

Isn't there something special about being on a farm and seeing the a big old beautiful barn that has been well cared for or one that has been brought back to life? I love seeing these old barns that have been renovated and show the pride that comes along with farming. Take a look at this beautiful red barn with the American Flag waving proudly next to it. Even when you're driving down the road and you come upon a beautiful barn sitting on one of the Maryland Farms that is still operating, there's something special about it. You can imagine all the work that has went on there over the years. Everything the barn has been through and seen in it's lifetime. I'm especially intrigued when I see a big quilt painted on a barn that's sitting up on the farm. Not many will understand the pride that comes along with it. I still have several friends today who live on farms in Maryland. Some that are not in use any longer, but there are a good few who still operate their Maryland Farms that have been in their family for hundreds of years!! The same Farm and Barn above with the quilt and windmill seems to have taken on a heavenly glow in the picture below... There is something peaceful and heavenly about being out on the farm with nature anyway, but here it is really evident. Just look at this breathtaking picture and imagine yourself calling a farm in Maryland like this home. I know what you are thinking - you don't want to live in a barn, so where are the actual Farmhouses? Well, that's a great questions. There are old farmhouses that need a lot of work, there are old farmhouses that have already been renovated and brought back to their glory and then there are newer builds that are sitting pretty on beautiful farm land. As you will see below, these Farm Homes and Farmhouses come in all shapes and sizes. It's not a one size fits all scenario by any means. If you are thinking how much you love farmland and beautiful open space, but you aren't much for the old farmhouses and it doesn't matter if they are renovated or not, then the house below might be perfect for you. I call this more of a House on Farmland because it still gives you the beautiful Farm Land and the Big Old Barn in the back but you will have all the modern day comforts of a newer built home. What more could you ever ask for?? I know what more you could ask for.... Some actual Farm, Farmland and Farmhouse listings here in Maryland. If you click the link below, you will be taken right to them and you will see the most up to date list of Farms on the market here in Maryland. All of these listings will have a minimum of 10 Acres, but not all will be able to qualify as a Farm. Don't miss out and if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to Call or Text Vince at |||PHONE_NUMBER||| .

http://www.vinceknowshomes.com/blog/farmland-farmhouses-farm-homes-big-old-barns/

The digital divide is a fact. Many people with disabilities do not participate, or experience difficulties in fully participating, in the digital society. There are many factors that contribute to this situation, ranging from environmental factors (physical and cultural barriers) to person-related factors, such as lack of training or unfamiliarity with technology. The ENTELIS network aims to reduce the digital divide by fostering exchange of information and good practice, by networking all relevant stakeholders and by contributing to policy development. The seminar will address the entire range of factors within a holistic perspective. However, in investigating possible solutions, it will particularly focus on person-related factors: it will explore how actions and measures aimed at the person’s empowerment and digital skills development can improve participation and freedom of choice in the digital society. The pre-Seminar event (Wednesday 26 afternoon) will be targeted to the public-at-large, including policy-makers, journalists, non-governmental organisations, self-advocacy groups. Participation is free of charge. Registration is encouraged. The Seminar (Thursday 27, full day) will be mainly targeted to education and rehabilitation professionals, service providers, researchers and experts in information technology and assistive technology. It will include keynote speeches, selected contributions from the participants and parallel working groups. It will be organised in such a way to promote the maximum amount of information exchange, reciprocal learning, networking and project incubation. Fee: 150 Euro. Free of charge for ENTELIS partners and for members of AAATE, EASPD and EVBB. Registration is required.

http://www.vipi-project.eu/2014/07/seminar-supporting-the-development-of-digital-skills-of-persons-with-disabilities-of-all-ages-policies-strategies-and-tools/

The love story that everyone is missing during the course of the movie is actually a real one, it wasn't made up for the movie. Take a look and find out who the couple was. Jack and Rose are the couple people think of when they think of the Titanic.

http://www.vorply.com/movies-and-tv/list/you-must-have-watched-the-titanic-but-theres-no-way-youve-noticed-this-love-story-and-its-heartbreaking/1/

“Communication for All”, , affirms the centrality of communication – including mass, community and social media – in strengthening human dignity and in promoting democratic values and social justice. In particular, the principle of “Communication for All” restores voice and visibility to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in a spirit of genuine solidarity. The tagline has been translated into French and Spanish and now appears on the WACC website. One problem was making the language inclusive. While the English “All” clearly means everyone, in French and Spanish greater precision is needed. Therefore, the tagline in French reads “Communication pour toutes et tous” and in Spanish “Comunicación para todas y todos”. WACC’s previous tagline, “Taking sides”, was launched in 2003 at the start of its Global Studies Programme on “Communication for Reconciliation”. It was also a time when WACC was closely involved in preparations for civil society input to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). WACC continues to take sides by focusing on strengthening the public voices and participation of poor, marginalized, excluded and dispossessed people and communities in communication worldwide.

http://www.waccglobal.org/articles/wacc-redesigns-its-logo

The Farm Tour was Great! And, if you came by remember we are open on Fridays and Saturdays.

http://www.walkercenturyfarms.com/blog/archives/06-2012

The History of Merchants' Hill Baptist Church can be traced back to a meeting held in Bethany Prebyterian Church in 1874. At that time there was no Baptist Church between High Street, Abersychan and Crane Street, Pontypool, and although this made worship difficult enough for adult Baptists living in Pontnewynydd, the immediate concern of the meeting was for the children, who had to walk long distances to Sunday School. At a meeting it was decided to form a Baptist Sunday School at once. Among those present were Mr Henry Lewis, a member of High Street Baptist Church, Abersychan: Mr. Charles Vaughan, of Blaenavon: Mr John Scott, a confectioner, of Pontypool: and Mr. H. H. Haden. The first meetings of the Sunday School were in the only available room at the time- the "long room" over the Horse Shoe Inn. The Committee rented the room and the Sunday School flourished under Mr. Charles Vaughan, the first Superintendent. He was assisted by Mr. George Baker, the singing conductor, and the teachers, Mr John Scott, Mr Edmund Absalom and Mrs Wilson (mother of a former deacon, Mr. S. J. Wilson) who taught a Welsh Class. An interesting musical note is that the musical accompaniment was provided by a violin. In 1877 Mr.Henry Lewis offered the Committee the use of a dissused warehouse which he owned on Merchant's Hill and the Sunday School moved to these new quarters in the same year. This old room was perhaps uncomfortable and in some ways unsuitable, but it must surely hold an honoured place in the history of the Church. An old member described it thus:- "To get this building the scholars had to pass under an extremely dark archway, lighted only by a flight of well-worn steps. In spite of these discomforts the Sunday School continued to increase in membership." When we read the histories of other churches we generally find that a Sunday School grew out of the Church, but this is surely a case where the Church grew out of the Sunday School. Before long it was decided to hold preaching services on Sunday mornings and evenings in addition to the Sunday School in the afternoon. From these humble, yet inspiring beginnings, the first Baptist Church in Pontnewynydd was formed. Baptismal services were conducted in the Avon Llwyd, near the bridge where the water was deepest, (this was before the river was polluted). The services attracted great interest in the neighbourhood and on one occasion 600 people are said to have witnessed a baptism. The converts walked into the river, were baptized by immersion, and were then taken into neighbouring houses where they were able to change into dry clothes. Eventually it was decided to purchase a piece of land at the bottom of Merchants' Hill for £275 on which stood an old wool or flannel factory and it was on this site that the Chapel was built. After careful deliberation plans were drawn up and the building contract was given to Morgan and Evans, builders of Pontnewynydd for £1,200. In 1887 Memorial and Foundation stones were laid by representatives. The new building was completed in March 1888 and was opened for services on Sunday March 18th.

http://www.webster.uk.net/In-the-Community/Merchants-Hill-Baptist-Church/History.aspx

We again held two town hall meetings for our St. Louis adjunct faculty to provide updates on University and college/school developments, and to address questions and comments from our adjunct faculty. Approximately 40 adjunct faculty members from the St. Louis area attended the two sessions. These town hall meetings continue to be extremely helpful to us and yield invaluable insight regarding your experiences as a Webster University adjunct faculty member. In fact, we’ve listened and taken action on a number of issues you have brought to our attention during previous gatherings. We want you to succeed, as you play a critical role in our collaborative efforts to provide a world-class education to our students. To the extent we can take action on items of concern to our adjunct faculty, we have and will continue to do so. With these ideas in mind, we thought it would be a good idea to provide an overview of the topics covered during the recent meetings. Where appropriate, we’ve also provided links to additional information. Latest Updates (Home page) – Includes news/events of interest to adjunct faculty. The Adjunct Experience – Overview of workplace values and faculty governance. Adjunct Resources – Offers helpful information about the university, teaching resources and support, as well as adjunct benefits. FAQs – Provides a list of questions submitted by adjunct faculty and responses from the university. Ask a Question – Submit a question using the form provided. You may do so anonymously or by name. Sign Up To Receive Alerts – Receive an email when the site us updated. Adjunct Faculty Development Fund – Last Fall, 36 adjunct faculty applied for grants from the fund, which was announced and administered by the Provost’s office. Of those applications, 16 grants totaling $15,000 were awarded to adjunct faculty members representing all five schools and colleges, Webster Groves, domestic extended campuses, and online. These funds will be used to offset expenses for adjunct faculty professional development initiatives. Watch Webster Today for more details, or take a look at the Academic Affairs Policies and Guidelines Channel in Connections. Adjunct Faculty Overseas Teaching Opportunities – During 2016, 18 adjunct faculty members taught MBA courses in China, while six others taught courses at other international campuses. In addition, seven faculty members led international hybrid courses. Construction Progress – The parking garage addition is on schedule, and could open as soon as May, while the Interdisciplinary Science Building will be open for Fall 1 classes in August 2017. Space planning for the new building and the campus overall is currently underway. Hosting Woodrow Wilson Fellow – Eric Stange, who helped produce a documentary of Edgar Allen Poe, will be on campus during the week of March 6, 2017, lecturing and meeting with faculty and students. In addition, his film on Poe, “Edgar Allen Poe: Buried Alive” will be screened at the Winifred Moore Auditorium on Thursday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Questions and answers to follow. Media Academy – The school will again welcome noted newsman, Bob Dotson, and representatives from a number of national news organizations as it once again convenes its Media Academy. The event will be held on April 5-6. Details will follow. Adjunct Faculty Task Force – Chris Paar and Ravin Kodikara are heading this group, which is designed to facilitate communications with our adjunct faculty. Individual Department Meetings Underway – These meetings are being used as a vehicle for curriculum development and program assessments. Dedicated Office Space For Adjuncts – Webster Hall now has dedicated space available for adjunct faculty in Room 219. Contact |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| for access information. Annual Conference – With the theme of “Equity in Education: Creating Voice and Choice for Social Justice,” the School of Education is once again convening its conference on April 8, 2017 in the EAB. For details on speakers, seminars, and logistics, visit here. Website Enhancements – The school is actively reaching out to adjunct faculty for photos and bios to be placed on the school’s website. Adjunct Faculty Meetings – In the School of Education, meetings with adjunct faculty are taking place two times a semester by department. Adjunct Faculty Are A Vital Element of the Walker School – At the Walker School, there are 62 undergraduate and graduate programs within three departments: Management, Business, and Math and Computers. Between 184 and 240 adjunct faculty in St. Louis and a total of approximately 1,000 worldwide help staff these robust program offerings. Adjunct Faculty Task Force Results – The report from the task force is posted on the Walker School’s website, and include a list of 21 recommendations. You can take a look here. Monthly Coffee With the Deans – Attendance welcome. The gatherings have been instrumental in the changes made to some of the academic programs. Walker School Orientation – Approximately 125 attended the Walker School orientation at the beginning of the school year. Another session is planned for April 7, 2017. Adjunct Meetings – Adjunct faculty are actively involved in meetings concerning college and curriculum planning, and other key decisions. Conservatory Anniversary – The Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018! We will post details of celebration events as soon as we receive them. Research Across Disciplines – Efforts are ongoing to strengthen arts curriculum by incorporating the rigor of academic research. Finally, since we last met, we recently held a Town Hall meeting on the recent Executive Order on Immigration. Because this issue is one of concern to many of our faculty, students, and staff, we thought it would be of interest to you. Please visit here to see a video of the discussion, which was held on February 3, 2017, and featured immigration attorneys and school administrators. Once again, thanks to all who attended these town hall sessions. Dialogue among colleagues delivers better understanding, collaboration, and problem-solving. Whether you are talking to a department chair, a program coordinator, your dean, or to us, please engage and let us know your ideas and concerns. We want and value your feedback. It is essential as we execute our mission to educate our students so that they can become the global leaders of tomorrow.

http://www.websteradjunctinfo.org/News-Room/NewsId/135

Short Bio- Who is Max Joseph? If people have been watching the hit documentary television series, ‘Cat: The TV Show,' they certainly recognize this gorgeous personality, Max Joseph. In the show, Max brings forth the stories of numerous couples who have interacted exclusively through the internet but hasn’t readily mentioned much about his personal life in public. Max Joseph is a television host and filmmaker. He is famous for directing the feature film, ‘We Are Your Friends.' The popular Max Joseph bio is given below. Age- How old is Max Joseph? Max Joseph was born in New York City, New York on January 16, 1982, to the American family. In 2004, he completed his graduation from Brown University. At the age of 15, his hair started going gray. Max Joseph belongs to white ethnicity. He follows Jewish religion. He enjoys an attractive height that increases his personality. How much is Max’s Net worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Max Joseph net worth is estimated to be around $250 thousand dollars. Joseph collected the massive amount from his television appearance on ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ and the number of documentaries and films he directed. Likewise, his earnings from the commercials and other creative works also must have helped in enhancing his worth. In 2008, Max Joseph directed his first documentary ‘State of the Economy: Oil Addiction’. He has directed around a dozen films which include, ‘2 Years of DFA: Too Old To Be New’, ‘Garden of Eden,' ‘Let's Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates’, ‘Too New To Be Classic' and much more. Furthermore, he serves as the co-host and cinematographer of hit television show, ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ which declared from 2012. The show received him a nomination for Choice TV Personality: Male in Teen Choice Award 2014. He has directed and edited the commercials for Nike, Starbucks, Pepsi and Toyota Prius. Is Max from catfish married? Is he Gay? Very close bonding of Max Joseph and his co-host, Nev Schulman of ‘Catfish: The TV’ has always raised feeling about his sexuality. Besides, his shirtless hang out with Zac Efron on the beach for ‘We Are Your Families’ made the assumption regarding his gay preference stronger. Though, these gossips and suspicion don't seem to hold any truth as Max Joseph is a married man who has been fulfilling the familial responsibilities. As per starcasm.net, the director is happily married to Priscila Joseph, a gorgeous Brazilian fashion blogger. Currently, Max and his wife reside in California. They often visit different countries together for professional works and holidays. Besides that, the couple hasn’t mentioned the date and other information regarding the marriage. In the second blog post from August 2012, Priscila has mentioned Max as her husband. It makes us guaranteed that they have been together for a long time.

http://www.wikibiosalary.com/max-joseph-catfish-net-worth-age-married-wife-or-gay.html

Cutting edge techniques based on laser technologies have led to second-generation LiDAR systems, according to the experts at SgurrEnergy. The successful development of wind power projects requires reliable projections of the productivity and longevity of the assets being installed. The wind itself is a complex, variable, and intermittent resource, however, which introduces a high degree of uncertainty into any prediction. Recently, cutting edge techniques based on laser technology have been pioneered which tackle key contributions to this uncertainty. Project uncertainty can be broadly described using two categories. Typically, wind data are acquired from instruments on a met mast at a location somewhere on the project site and the conditions at other proposed wind turbine locations are approximated from these data using wind flow models which represent the influence of the terrain, obstacles, and other wind turbines on the flow. The uncertainty introduced by these approximations is an example of what might be termed “space-domain” uncertainty, which arises because our data obtained via measurements do not directly represent the full spatial extent of the wind power project, just the mast location. Another example of space-domain uncertainty is the extrapolation of measurements to heights above the top of the mast. “Time-domain” uncertainty occurs because our datasets do not directly represent the full life cycle of the project, but rather a short term measurement campaign of one or two years during which data have been acquired. This uncertainty can be reduced by comparing the short term data from the project site with data obtained over the same period at another reference site for which longer term data are available. The relationship between the sites established using the short term data is then applied to the long term data to form the basis of predictions of the resource available for exploitation over the life of the project. Progress in reducing time-domain uncertainty is slow and piecemeal, relying on the adoption of ever more sophisticated statistical and mathematical techniques to tease from the short term data information that can be applied to long term projections. However, dramatic reductions in space-domain uncertainty are now available as a result of LiDAR technology which enables significant improvement in our understanding of flow across the site in the space-domain. This is important since the level of uncertainty pertaining to a project determines the level of annual energy production that can be taken to be sufficiently reliable to service the debts raised to finance the project. For a few years now the limitation of masts, in terms of being restricted to a single location rather than acquiring data from multiple locations across the project site, has been mitigated to some extent by the adoption of first-generation remote sensing solutions. These have been seen as “virtual masts”—robust, compact, portable solutions that can be simply and easily deployed to locations of interest to acquire mast-like data using sonic or laser probes. In this way they remotely measure the wind at height, for example, to distinguish which of two differing model predictions most accurately represents reality. As a result the contribution to project uncertainty from the influence of the terrain can be reduced. More recently LiDARs, which use laser technology, have been seen as offering a greater degree of flexibility and accuracy than SoDARs, while at the same time SoDARs, which use sound pulses, do not represent the same expense. The laser beams used by LiDARs interact with the wind in such a way that a single beam does not provide a measurement of the wind speed; rather, the data from multiple beam orientations must be processed in combination to derive a wind velocity vector. If a single device is used to achieve these beam orientations by scanning the beam, then the beams necessarily diverge from the device and define a volume in space. One important consequence of this is that if the flow is not uniform, for example, as a result of the influence of complex terrain, the wind velocity will vary within this volume, exposing each individual beam to different velocities such that a single unambiguous wind velocity cannot be derived from the resulting measurements. This issue was one of the principal motivations for the development of the second-generation of LiDARs for wind power applications. First-generation LiDARs have a single degree of freedom. This limits the range of beam orientation they can use. Second-generation LiDARs have two degrees of freedom: both the azimuth and elevation angle of the beam can be adjusted, and so the beam can point anywhere unencumbered by restrictions and implement any pattern of beam orientations, or “scan geometry,” including the one most suitable for any given application. So whereas first-generation devices are limited to surveying the wind immediately above them like virtual masts, second-generation LiDARs can measure anywhere within the range of their laser. And whereas first-generation LiDARs must use models in complex terrain to approximate the non-uniformity of the flow within the volumes defined by their scan geometries so that they can adjust their measurements to compensate for it, second-generation LiDARs directly measure these inhomogeneities, and so do not compromise the priority of direct measurement over model approximation by adjusting any measurements. An example of a second-generation scan geometry is the arc scan. This involves varying the direction of the beam through a range of bearings, or azimuths, while maintaining a constant low elevation angle, close to horizontal, to measure the wind some distance from the device. Figure 1 shows an example of this. Laser beams are shown emitted from the device location to scan through a reference mast located 500 meters away. The wind speed time series measured over a two-week period by the mast and the second-generation LiDAR are compared in Figure 2, where the mast data is shown in blue and the LiDAR in green. Excellent agreement is observed. Indeed the arc scan measurements easily satisfy all published acceptance criteria for the performance of first-generation devices installed immediately adjacent to the mast, except in this instance the measurement has been made from a distance of 500 meters away using second-generation techniques. Comparison studies to determine the extent to which remote sensing devices replicate the capabilities of mast mounted anemometry will always be necessary as long as only mast mounted instruments can be assessed under controlled conditions in wind tunnels which have been inspected and certified as compliant with national standards, since this establishes the traceability of the accuracy of field measurements. Nevertheless, a mast only provides a single pixel of the more complete picture that represents flow across the entire project site. Second-generation instruments deliver this complete picture. Figure 3 shows a plan view of wind turbine wakes directly measured using a second-generation LiDAR that has scanned its beam across the site over the course of about one minute. Here we see the accuracy demonstrated above for an individual pixel by the arc scan extended to the visualisation of flow across an entire site. The complex nature of the wind has significant consequences beyond the predictability of power production. Some resources are relatively benign: the loads imposed on a hydro plant in the routinely inspected and maintained confines of a turbine hall are constant and predictable. In comparison, the loads the wind imposes on wind turbines, of which there are many more situated in locations that present access challenges, are much more severe. In comparison to other resources, the wind is constantly trying to break our machines. The urgency with which we must increase the sophistication of our assessments of the loads imposed by the wind on wind turbines is only rendered more intense by the creeping inadequacy of the models and methods we currently use which, while useful hitherto, are gross oversimplifications in relation to the conditions prevailing across the rotors of the larger machines now being developed and installed. The kind of detailed, precise, and accurate representation of flow across an entire site illustrated by Figure 3 contains critical information that is indispensable for the assessment of site suitability. Whereas Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of wind flow, a vertical cross-section can also provide useful insights. Figure 4 shows a wind shear anomaly known as a low level jet surveyed using this technique. The color scale shows the wind speed. High wind speeds are observed at one height while lower wind speeds are seen above and below it. The variation of wind speed with height can impose serious loads on a wind turbine. In this instance the low level jet was observed in a location in mid-plains U.S., where its diurnal evolution during the summer months results in a short period of 10 minute to half an hour during which turbine killing loads are imposed across the rotor. The low level jet rises and becomes more intense during the course of the morning and imposes its most extreme wind shear loads on the rotor and drive train as it passes the top tip of the rotor. The comprehensive investigation of this phenomenon has only been made possible by the advent of second-generation LiDAR. The silver bullet that dispenses with the issues that plague first-generation devices in complex terrain is the implementation of a convergent scan geometry. Rather than use beam orientations that diverge from a single device to define a volume within which flow inhomogeneity can be manifested, we can use multiple second-generation devices to direct our beam orientations to converge at a point. This is illustrated in Figure 5, where data are presented comparing measurements made using three LiDARS implementing a convergent scan geometry with a reference mast. At heights where more than one reference instrument is installed on the mast it is seen that the LiDAR measurement lies between the reference measurements; that is, the LiDAR agrees with the reference instruments better than the reference instruments agree with each other. The need to deliver the greatest reduction in project uncertainty for a given investment in data acquisition will continue to entail the operation of different kinds of instrument used in the manner that most effectively exploits their respective complementary strengths. The main cost of a mast is incurred during installation, and so these are most useful for acquiring a year or more of data. In addition they are well understood and so are good reference instruments to which other devices can be compared on site to verify their performance. SoDARs are relatively inexpensive and have low power consumption, and so they have an important role to play in any measurement campaign. In many instances when the cost-benefit of using a LiDAR in a virtual mast role to acquire a single pixel of data is analyzed, it is found that better value can be achieved using a real mast. Achieving optimal cost-benefit of LiDAR requires that it is used to do things that are difficult or impossible to achieve otherwise. In general the possibility of acquiring the complete picture as opposed to an individual pixel indicates we must ultimately dispense with the mast analogy to unlock the value of LiDAR. Only then can we realize the ambition to eliminate project uncertainty that arises due to our incomplete understanding of flow across the site, leaving only uncertainty due to the intrinsic variability of wind over time.

http://www.windsystemsmag.com/second-generation-lidar/

How do I Treat Knee Damage? X-rays might be used to determine the best treatment for knee damage. Minor knee injuries may benefit from taking a break and resting the knee. There are no instructions for treating knee damage that cover all types of injuries because many different things can go awry with the knee. Some of these are very serious and others are mild. Directions to treat a mildly injured knee will differ significantly from those suggestions to treat knee damage that may be more severe. The principal decision in addressing damage to the knee is determining if an injury needs a doctor’s care. Many injuries cannot be self-treated and require medical intervention. Those forms of knee damage that are less severe typically involve only mild pain and don’t show things like major swelling or significant bruising. People are able to easily bear weight on the knee, though it may be slightly uncomfortable to do so. With what may be minor knee damage, most people can adopt a wait and watch scenario that incorporates R.I.C.E. This acronym stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. The main goal is to stay off the knee as much as possible, and use ice for 15-20 minutes every three to four hours. Some people benefit from compression on the knee like a stretchy bandage. Finally, elevating the knee above the height of the heart or the head may prove useful too. This last is best accomplished by lying flat and placing the leg on several pillows. Should a day of the R.I.C.E. treatment prove unhelpful, or if pain and swelling suggest greater knee damage, the safest treatment is to see a doctor to determine cause of the damage. Sometimes ligaments in the knee become severely stretched or occasionally cartilage in the knee may tear and result in significant pain. Usually, knee damage that presents with symptoms like great pain, inability to bear weight on the knee, popping or clicking noises that results from a knee injury (and weren’t present before it), and significant swelling may suggest greater knee injury. When any of these symptoms are present, it is always important to see a doctor for diagnosis. Given the variety of injuries that may occur in the knee, treatment may not always be the same. Sometimes doctors will treat knee damage with several more days of the R.I.C.E. method, but they may verify this is the appropriate treatment with x-rays or other scans first. An injured knee could require stabilization too, and sometimes a physician recommends using a brace to keep the knee from moving too much. When tears in the meniscus (cartilage) occur, surgery could be necessary. If a knee has become dislocated, it needs to put back into place, and this also requires a doctor’s care. It’s clear that treating knee damage is highly dependent on knee injury and its severity. There is no “one size fits all” treatment to address all potential knee injuries. In almost all cases, except when only very minor pain is felt, the best treatment is to get medical help. Given the extraordinary importance of the knee to everyday activities, early treatment is favored so that recovery is quicker and more complete. What Causes Knee Clicking? What is Involved in Dislocated Knee Surgery? What are the Best Tips for Knee Injury Recovery? How do I Choose the Best Knee Ice Pack? What is an Iliotibial Band Injury? What is Knee Lock?

http://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-treat-knee-damage.htm

This web site is owned and operated by Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Cooperation and will be referred to as "We", "our" and "us" in this Terms of Use policy. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Policy of this web site ("the web site"), which is set out on this web site page. Using our web site When using this web site you agree to be legally bound by these terms and conditions as they may be modified and posted to our web site from time to time.

http://www.wmhsac.com/terms-of-use.aspx

The Office 2013 background is inextricably linked to your Microsoft account. This means that if you are not signed in, you won’t see the Office background. If you are signed in, the background is viewable in a variety of different places. When you first start Word 2013, for example, you can see the Office background in the top right corner. You can also see it in the top right of the ribbon. OK, it’s viewable in the top right of the workspace. To change the Office background, click the File tab > Account, and change the Office Background selector. If you decide that you don’t want a background at all, you can select the No Background option at the top. You can also change the Office Theme, but this has minimal effect. The choices on offer are White, Light Gray and Dark Gray. For all the difference changing the background and theme makes, you might be wondering why bother? I can’t answer that question. I just wouldn’t bother changing the background or theme.

http://www.word-2013-tutorials.com/change-the-office-background/

Marijuana is the most commonly used and tested for drug in the United States and other countries. The effects weed has on the user and detection time depend on its potency, which is associated with the amount of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) it contains. When you ask the question "How much time does pot stay in the body?", you need to consider the fact that there's no simple answer to the question. THC can stay in the system for as long as 3-90 days after smoking or being ingested orally. There are plenty of factors determining for how much time drug toxins stay in the system, such as your general health, your body weight, metabolic conversion, fluid taken, the degree of exposure to the drug toxin, etc. The speed at which weed leaves your body rests both on the speed of your metabolic process and on the half-life of THC. THC is estimated to have a half-life that varies from 1 to 10 days. It's impossible to find out what that half-life is, which means that it is very hard to use it to estimate how much time it will stay in your system. The type of test done can also have an impact upon if or not weed is detected. While urine drug tests are the most common, they are also the least accurate. Pot can still be detected in a urine test up to a month after the last administration. If you smoke it occasionally, it will stay in your system for up to 10 days. If you smoke marijuana regularly, it will remain in your system for as long as 45 days, and if you smoke pot constantly, it can remain in the system for as long as 90 days. Blood sample are a lot more accurate, though more pricey. Because THC is accumulated in the fat cells of the major organs, the chemical is slowly released over time into the blood stream, where it eventually passes through the liver, is cleansed, and then eliminated. And finally, hair tests. Hair contains a record of everything your system has been through while that hair was growing. Yet, testing of hair is very expensive and seldom done by employers.

http://www.wordpressblogdirectory.com/articles/article-147.htm

Search engines are the only way that users can get to the information they need from the seemingly infinite pages available on the Internet. Search engines need to be fast and accurate in producing results, so they are always on the cutting-edge of technology. The premise and theory behind search engines is pretty simple, they search the internet in various ways and then index what they find based on keywords and tags that the engine assigns to each page they index. As pages are scanned and scrutinized for data, the page moves around in the index in various ways. Also, whenever the page is updated or changed, the index of that page is altered accordingly. The engines search the Internet for keywords or phrases in the written content of each webpage on every site they find. An index, of the keywords and where to find them, is maintained with a central database. The users of the engine can use the keywords or a combination of the keywords to find specific pages in the index. All the indexed pages maintained in the central database are searched for the best keyword matches and the results are displayed to the user, based on that correlation. There are three basic types of search engine models. There are engines powered by robots (also called spiders or crawlers), engines powered by human submissions and a combination of the two methods. Most modern engines use the latter of the three types, as to keep the most efficient and open-ended index possible. The Crawlers or spiders are programs that read through an entire website, its meta tags (a HTML tag that can be used by the owner of the webpage to provide keywords and concepts) and follows through all the links in the website. Crawlers usually start their information gathering from a popular website and slowly spread out by following all the links provided on the website. All the information collected by the crawler is submitted to a central system where it is indexed accordingly. Crawlers periodically re-visit websites to update the information that they previously collected, so as to ensure website changes are taken into account in the index. In human submitted search engines, humans submit the information on a webpage. This is then indexed and cataloged based on their input and suggestion.This type of index is harder to maintain and without automation, it is becoming less used and reliable. This type of search engine index is quickly becoming obsolete and is being phased out. The marriage of the previous two methods is a lot more efficient and helpful, but it is dictated mainly by the robot automation. Humans can submit a page for indexing, but the robots have the final say on where it gets placed in the index. Depending on the factors used in ranking and how the algorithm works, the site may end up on page 1 or page 1000. Each different engine on the market will produce different results for any given keyword search. The reason why the results given by different search engines vary is because of the differences in the algorithms used by them. The algorithm that a search engine uses determines matches between the information provided by the indices and the words/phrases searched by the user. Some engines, for example, the Google search leaves out articles such as ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ while others like AltaVista, index every single word including irrelevant words found on a webpage. Different weights are assigned to the words based on whether they appear in the title, subheadings or the body of the page and the number of times a particular word appears in the webpage is stored. This extra information cataloging improves the efficiency of the search engines. The search engines found in the Internet have their own logic when it comes to assigning the ‘weights’. This also contributes to the differences found in the order and the lists of the results produced by the various search engines. Most search engines these days have been modeled to discourage the use of a keyword repeatedly on the webpage. This is known as keyword stuffing. When a user types in key word or phrase into the search engine, the catalog that stores the indices is searched and the speed at which the results are displayed depends purely on the algorithms used by the search engine providers. Search engines play an important role as most of the pages on the Internet do not have titles that are relevant to the subject and it is impossible to find a website just by typing in the address bar. Understanding how the search engines work is important to both searchers and website owners, hopefully this article has helped a few people to understand them better.

http://www.worldwebguys.com/how-the-search-engines-work/

According to WTHR, Bentley’s Pet Stuff has closed all of their locations in Indiana and Ohio. The last day in business was Sunday, March 10 and the company apologized for the short notice. It looks like there were two locations in the Indianapolis area, one near Castleton and the other in Broad Ripple. The following message was posted over the weekend on Facebook.

http://www.wzpl.com/2019/03/11/pet-store-suddenly-closes-all-stores-in-indiana-and-ohio/

Canada: Best before labels often confuse consumers: Harvard study. Many consumers are needlessly throwing out thousands of kilograms of food every year because they falsely believe that "best before" dates on food packages are an indication of food safety, a new study has found. Research published Wednesday by Harvard Law School and the Natural Resources Defense Council contends that the dates printed on packaged foods only serve to confuse consumers and compel many to throw out food that hasn't gone bad at all. Here in Canada, a report last year from the Value Chain Management Centre in Guelph, Ont., estimated that about $27 billion worth of food is wasted every year on its way to Canadian dinner tables. And about half of that waste occurs in the home. The authors of this latest study note that not only does wasted food cost consumers and the food industry money, it also wastes all the natural resources that are used to grow, process, distribute and store food. The problem of food waste has many causes, but the study authors say that one part problem is that there are no binding standards on best before date labelling. That leaves it to food manufacturers to decide on their own how to set best before dates and what kind of phrasing to use. Dana Gunders, a staff scientist with the NRDC's food and agriculture program, says the current food dating system "is not a system at all. It's a mess." And she says that mess is leading to perfectly good food going to waste. "Phrases like 'sell by', 'use by', and 'best before' are poorly regulated, misinterpreted and lead to a false confidence in food safety," she said in a statement. "It is time for a well-intended but wildly ineffective food date labelling system to get a makeover." As Gunders and her co-authors explain, there are two main categories of food date labelling: those intended to communicate to food retailers, and those for consumers. "Sell by" dates are for retailers to help with stock control, and are a suggestion about when the retailer should no longer sell products in order to ensure they still have good shelf life after consumers purchase them. They are not meant to indicate the food is bad on that date. "Best before" and "use by" dates, on the other hand, are intended for consumers. In Canada, the federal government requires best before dates on foods that will keep fresh for less than 90 days; they are not required on food with a longer shelf life. Manufacturers are free to add best before dates to these products, though. As the study authors point out, the dates on shelf-stable foods, like canned peaches, are often just a manufacturer's estimate of when the food will no longer be at "peak quality" - meaning it has the same texture and colour as when it left the processing facility, and not an indication of when the food will become unsafe. With few regulations on how these dates are determined, the study found that for the vast majority of food products, manufacturers are free to determine date shelf life according to their own methods. The result, say the authors, is confusion among consumers who assume the dates are actually expiry dates. Registered dietician Rosie Schwartz agrees with the study authors that what's needed in both the U.S. and Canada is a standardized labelling system that offers clear information. "I think this is a really important issue People are really confused by Best Before dates," she told CTVNews.ca. "We need to know: is that the date you've chosen because of safety, or because of quality and it's just not going to taste as great?... It has to be separated in terms of safety and quality because those are two different things." Confusion over best before dates are causing two problems, Schwartz believes: not only are shoppers needlessly throwing out food that's still safe to eat, they are also keeping foods they should throw out, because they are relying too strictly on the dates. Such dates apply only to unopened foods, Schwartz says. Once a product is opened, it usually needs to be eaten within a few days. But some consumers mistakenly believe products are good until their best before dates, even if they open them weeks before. The authors of this study recommend a solution for this problem: they'd like to see labels that offer an indication of shelf life after opening, using phrasing such as "Best within XX days of opening". Make "sell by" dates that are meant for retailers be invisible to the consumer. Only the dates that are useful to the consumer should be visible. Remove quality-based dates on non-perishable, shelf-stable products altogether and replace them with dates that indicate shelf life after opening. Use a more easily understandable date label system that uses consistent, unambiguous language and clearly differentiates between safety- and quality-based dates. Ensure date labels are clearly and predictably located on packages, similar to the "nutrition facts" panel. Employ more transparent methods for selecting dates: Create a set of best practices that manufacturers and retailers can use to determine date labels for products. Including "freeze by" dates, where applicable. Such labels would help raise consumer awareness of the benefits of freezing foods and the abundance of food products that can be successfully frozen in order to extend shelf life. Schwartz notes though that while improvements to Best Before dates are badly needed, consumers shouldn't fully rely on them. That's because the dates assume that food distributors and retailers have ensured they kept the foods at the right temperatures. Even milk with a best before date of three weeks from now can still go off if it's allowed to sit outside a refrigerator for too long. The vast majority of food poisonings are due to harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, entering foods, not from eating expired or spoiled foods. But Schwartz she doesn't agree with those who say that a little bit of mould isn't harmful. Schwartz notes that food mould can release a toxin called mycotoxins, and there's been "quite a bit of research" showing that these toxins can raised the risk for certain types of cancer, including liver cancer. Such moulds can travel through soft or liquid foods, bringing the toxins with them, which is why it's important to throw mouldy food out. With hard cheeses or hard produce such as an onion, it's safe to cut away the mould, she says, but that's not the case with softer foods. "A tomato with a little mould on it should be thrown out. A container of yogourt with mould should be tossed," she says. "If I see mould on any part of a bread, I throw the whole thing out." "A one-time exposure in a small amount is not going to make you sick, but the repeated exposure has been linked to cancer."

http://www.yasa.org/en/Sectiondet.aspx?id=8&id2=2194

In order to improve the availability of historical information on the main characteristics of the labour market, Istat releases historical public use files for the quarterly labour force survey from I quarter 1977 to III quarter 1992. It is worth highlighting that the survey was modified over time, in particular in 2004, when several changes were introduced concerning the technique, the methodology, and the data analysis point of view. For these reasons such files are not consistent with the historical public use files for the period 2008-2013 and with the mIcro.STAT files available since 2014.

http://www4.istat.it/en/archive/207108

河北快3预测计划The CSU is committed to safeguarding the privacy of all visitors to our websites and applications. This notice describes our privacy policy as it relates to the collection, protection, and disclosure of information resulting from the use of University websites and applications; both information that is collected automatically and information that is provided voluntarily. In particular, we do not redistribute or sell personal information collected through our website and applications. 河北快3预测计划The CSU complies with all applicable state and federal privacy statutes, including, but not limited to, the Information Practices Act, Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the California Public Records Act, the Integrated CSU Administrative Policy for Responsible Use, and associated Data Security Policies. 河北快3预测计划The CSU, by and through its academic research and administrative units, programs, and Auxiliaries, owns, controls, operates, and maintains, or maintains a contractual relationship with a number of websites and applications. This policy applies to these sites and applications. We collect personal information on individuals only as allowed by law. We limit the collection of personal information to what is relevant and necessary to accomplish a lawful purpose of the University. For example, we may need to know someone’s physical address, telephone number, or email address, among other things, to properly consider them for enrollment at our campus. Personal information, as defined in the Information Practices Act, is information that identifies or describes an individual including, but not limited to, name, Social Security number, physical description, home address, telephone number, education, financial matters, and medical or employment history. We do not collect home, business, or email addresses, or account information from persons who simply browse our Internet website. The University collects personal information about individuals through our website only if an individual provides such information to the University voluntarily through forms or surveys. The information that the University automatically collects includes the domain name or Internet Protocol address that relates to the machine used to access the University’s website, the type of browser and operating system used, the date and time that the website is visited, web pages displayed, and any forms that are uploaded. We use Google Analytics to help improve our website. The University uses Google Analytics to help understand how visitors interact with our website so that the site can be improved. to read Google’s security and privacy policies for Google Analytics. A visitor can choose not to have their data used by Google Analytics by downloading their . The University may use other data collection and analysis tools, providing they do not collect any form of Personally Identifiable Information (often referred to as PII). Please refer to ICSUAM 8025.00 for more specific information. We aggregate information from the above sources to help us improve our websites and applications by understanding how they are used and to maintain technical quality of systems and services. In addition, all web servers throughout the Internet collect basic details on connections in their server logs, including requesting IP addresses, resources requested, time of the request, and whether the request was successful. We may use session cookies in some areas of the website to improve the overall usability of the site. Cookies are small text files placed on your computer, often without the visitor’s knowledge, to identify their computer while visiting certain Internet sites. For example, cookies are used by some sites to greet visitors personally, to post a list of their favorite books to purchase, or to remember what they had in their shopping cart the last time they visited. On this website, a temporary cookie may be placed on a visitor’s computer when they visit certain pages. The session cookies are used to facilitate the interaction between visitors and the site. The cookies are not used to collect or store information about visitors and do not track visitors if/when they return to our website. The cookie is temporary and will be deleted when you exit your browser. Visitors can prevent cookies from being placed on their computers by accessing their browser’s preferences menu and deleting existing cookies. There are also commercial programs available to help manage cookies. Before taking such steps, users should be aware that some websites may not work properly if the placement of cookies is blocked. We use information security safeguards. We take reasonable precautions to protect the personal information collected or maintained by the University against loss, unauthorized access, and illegal use or disclosure. Such personal information is stored by the University, in secure locations. The University’s staff is trained in procedures for the management of personal information, including limitations on the release of information. Access to personal information is limited to those members of the University’s staff whose work requires such access. Confidential information is destroyed according to the University’s records retention schedule. The University conducts periodic reviews to ensure that proper information management policies and procedures are understood and followed. The University encourages all individuals to use appropriate safeguards to secure their computers and the information on those computers. 河北快3预测计划To access private data, websites and applications require user authentication. Once logged in, visitors may be asked to provide information such as name, email address, home address, birthday, student ID number, etc. While authenticated, visitors may also access and interact with private information, such as grades, enrollment, class activity, or other privileged information. Such information remains under the site visitor’s control and may only be shared through visitor’s direct action. CSU sites may provide tools to enable users to share information with others, but in no circumstance will any data be shared outside of the University and/or its contracted providers without users’ direct action and knowledge. 河北快3预测计划The University may use any automatically or voluntarily provided information, including visitors’ identify information, to tailor the content of web pages or other communications to your needs, interests, or role(s). The University’s websites and applications may include links to other websites and/or applications, or may display content from external services or providers. Except as part of formal business relationships between the University and service vendors, a link from a University site does not imply endorsement of a destination site. While the University strives to be a good steward of third-party embedded content, these third parties may have their own privacy policies. The University is not responsible for the privacy practices of these external third parties. For their own protection, visitors should review the privacy policy of any site linked from our website(s) or any site to which they provide personal information. Websites track users anonymously, using both first-party and third-party HTTP cookies to measure usage. These websites track visitors using first-party logging and reporting features as well as Google Analytics. In Google Chrome: Turn on the feature. In Firefox: Turn on the feature. Opt out via the . 河北快3预测计划This information is provided as a courtesy, and these features are not supported in any way by the University. To communicate with us about this policy, please contact the Information Security Team at |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| If you believe that your personal information has been released without consent, please contact the Information Security Team at [email protected].

http://wxbzjc.com/privacy/

This Monday, November 13th through Thursday, November 16th, Texas Tech's Department of Women's & Gender Studies will be hosting Women's Empowerment Week. "'WE Connect: Lift as You Climb' incorporates a number of departments and organizations offering a multitude of events. Opportunities include a mentorship dinner, spoken word performance, online and face-to-face forums and a pledge campaign." WE Connect: Resource Fair, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13); Student Union Building (SUB) Red Raider Lounge; A number of departments and student organizations will host this come-and-go fair for faculty, staff and students to find out more about how to get involved on campus. WE Connect: Women's Power Hour, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14); Table in the SUB across from Copy Mail; WGS hosts this come-and-go event. WE Connect: Mentor Dinner, 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14); Lubbock Women's Club, 2020 Broadway; Hosted by Risk Intervention & Safety Education (RISE), the Women's Leadership Initiative, the Gender Equity Council, PanHellenic and WGS. #IStillNeedTitleIX Online Discussion, 2-4 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 15); WGS will host an online discussion via Twitter regarding the 45th anniversary of Title IX. Follow along and participate using the hashtag or following @TTUWGS. Film Screening, 7 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 15); Chitwood/Weymouth Classroom; University Student Housing hosts a film screening of "The Mask You Live In." The film highlights the ways in which male-identified individuals can be allies for female empowerment, bringing attention to the ways in which sexism negatively impacts people of all genders, and discussing how everyone can move toward developing healthy gender identity and promoting "enlightened masculinity." Pizza and popcorn will be provided. "Spoken Word: Lift as You Climb", 6:30 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 16); SUB Barnes & Noble; The Women's Leadership Initiative hosts a spoken word event that includes different styles of poetry readings, prose monologues and other sketches. Weeklong events include a collection drive at Chitwood/Weymouth, inspiration boards at Chitwood and Horn/Knapp and an online pledge by "The Representation Project." For more information, you can call |||PHONE_NUMBER||| . 1025 KISS FM IS NOW ON AMAZON DEVICES!

https://1025kiss.com/womens-empowerment-week-to-be-held-at-texas-tech/

The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro said late last week that U.S. President Trump won’t implement a new tariff on Brazilian steel and aluminum imports as threatened earlier in December. A U.S. source confirmed to Reuters that the administration won’t be implementing the tariffs talked about by Trump earlier this month. Trump announced the possibility of tariffs on Brazil and Argentina during a Tweet on December 2, accusing the two countries of devaluing their currencies, a move that hurts U.S. farmers by making their agricultural commodities more expensive on the world market when compared to those from Brazil and Argentina. The U.S. had originally exempted steel and aluminum imports from Brazil and Argentina from the sweeping metal tariffs implemented in March of 2018.

https://1049maxcountry.com/agricultural/u-s-wont-implement-steel-aluminum-tariffs-on-brazil-imports/

Two things people should know: Gentlemen, don’t try to come between a woman and her horse. You’re always going to be third in that triage. Ladies, don’t give your man an ultimatum when it comes to the boat. Some things in life are truly sacrosanct – boat and horse ownership are two of them. Today, we’re talking boats. More divorces happen during the first few years of boat ownership than at any other time. This is because for many, a boat is more than just a boat. People get extremely emotional about that floating piece of plastic or metal. Somehow this object of adoration becomes a mistress, an enchantress, a goddess, an enslaver, an addiction, an extension of one’s soul. It devours one’s money and time, and in exchange, it tantalizes with the promise of adventure, excitement, escape, prestige, paradise, camaraderie and red sails in the sunset. We’re talking serious emotions here. In most relationships, one of the partners, usually the male, loves the boat far more than the other partner loves the boat. Perhaps the boat was there before the significant other came along. Perhaps the boat devoured years of the man’s time while he lovingly and painstakingly built his vessel of pleasure. Or, it could be that the couple enthusiastically bought the boat together, but one of them languishes in their adoration. The fact is, no matter what the circumstances of the boat’s arrival, make no mistake – the vessel is a third party in the relationship, and it’s a party that can, and often does, drive a wedge between two people. So, what is the secret to keeping your boat and spouse too? Here are a few simple suggestions gleaned from over thirty years of observing people struggle to keep their marriages and boats afloat. Don’t minimize your wife’s (significant other’s) fears. Recognize that anyone who has fears about setting off to sea, or across the straits, in a tiny craft is a very smart, logical person. If we’re going to be totally honest, it’s really kind of crazy to journey on a small vessel with no land in sight. It’s okay to be afraid…it shows good common sense. What you’re doing IS dangerous, for Pete’s sake. To help the fear issue, invest in boating classes and YOU STAY OUT OF THE CLASS. Teaching your wife/girlfriend to sail or power a boat is like trying to teach her to drive. Some things are just better left to experts or, at the least, total strangers. Encourage your “mate” to actively participate in running the boat. She should at least know how to do absolutely everything that you can do, whether that be raising sail, setting anchor, steering or charting courses. You’ll need her to be capable of handling that boat should something happen to you out in the middle of nowhere! Let her become the expert at something and I guarantee she’ll feel better. Along with this, make sure that your mate has the opportunity to participate in the planning of your excursions and in the purchasing of equipment and boat décor. It’s called ownership. Don’t just relegate her to the galley. Puleez do not yell. Raising one’s voice in an excitable moment or in a howling gale is one thing; that’s not the yelling I’m talking about. You know the difference, and so do the people on boats a mile away who hear you. It’s all in the tone and facial expression. Yelling is never acceptable. Take the time to communicate.Spending hours alone together is a great opportunity to talk…that means you say something too. Playing games while traveling, like Cribbage, Chess or Scrabble, can be a nice way to relieve tension and build a closer relationship. Have book discussions. Share your hopes, beliefs and dreams, and no, that’s not too touchy-feely. If you always must travel with an entourage of friends, you’re already in trouble. Don’t expect your mate to harness herself into a bucking bronco of a pounding vessel and prepare a three course meal. When you have to eat dinner out of the can, don’t complain. One of the fun times we had when traveling was to gamble almost every day to see who had to do the dishes or any other looming chore the next day. My husband even took up baking, something I find tedious and boring, and he produced mouth-watering, heavenly treats on a regular basis. At least once a day laugh, be playful and have fun. Sometimes we become so intense in our journey that we become tense. You don’t need to ha-ha your way around the world, but lighten up and you’ll probably see your mate brighten up. Ladies, don’t do your spouse a disservice by proclaiming your love of boating before you’re married, and then have an about face. The call of the sea is strong and mysterious. You may find its call is stronger than yours. Becky Coffield is the author of the award-winning sailing adventure, Life Was a Cabaret: A Tale of Two Fools, A Boat and a Big-A** Ocean as well as the award-winning suspense novel Northern Escape. Her newest release, One Pot Galley Gourmet is currently available at Captain’s Nautical Supply and on Amazon.com.

https://48north.com/2018/05/11/tbt-keeping-your-marriage-afloat/

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced its award-winning Gulfstream G600, the second aircraft in the company’s dynamic family of all-new ultra-long-range, large-cabin jets, has begun U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification field performance testing. The Gulfstream G500 earned FAA type certification and its production certificate on July 20. Customer deliveries of the aircraft will begin later this year. The longer-range G600, meanwhile, recently completed FAA certification for ice shapes and stall speeds testing. Since first flight, the five aircraft in the G600 flight-test program have accumulated more than 2,290 flight hours over more than 600 flights. The G600, which made its first flight on Dec. 17, 2016, can fly 6,500 nautical miles/12,038 kilometers at Mach 0.85 and 5,100 nm/9,445 km at Mach 0.90. The maximum operating speed for the aircraft is Mach 0.925. The aircraft’s all-new interior earned top honors in Private Jet Design at the 2018 International Yacht & Aviation Awards. Loading comments for ALL-NEW GULFSTREAM G600 MAKES STEADY PROGRESS TOWARD CERTIFICATION...

https://50skyshades.com/news/business-aviation/all-new-gulfstream-g600-makes-steady-progress-toward-certification

A man wanted for his involvement with a scheme to murder a Florida mayor was arrested in North Carolina Thursday, nearly 40 years after the crime. According to the FBI, William Claybourne Taylor has been living in Reidsville, N.C. under a false name. Special agents with the FBI Charlotte Division's Greensboro Resident Agency took Taylor into custody Thursday. Taylor, now 67, was wanted for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 8, 1977 murder of a former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) official and the attempted murder of the former Williston, Fla. mayor. According to the FBI, on the night of the murder, Taylor and his accomplice pulled alongside the victim's vehicle and shot and killed the INS official. The FBI said Taylor was trying to kill the former mayor. Taylor's accomplice is now deceased. Taylor was arrested in 1980 in Tennessee but was released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond to return to Ocala, Fla., where he was charged. FBI officials said Taylor never showed up in Ocala to surrender. "William Claybourne Taylor thought he could avoid taking responsibility for this horrible crime, but our agents continued an exhaustive search year after year," said Michelle S. Klimt with the FBI. "To echo the words of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, 'the FBI always gets its man.'" Taylor is being held in the Guilford County, N.C. Detention Center.

https://abc11.com/news/murder-suspect-captured-in-nc-after-nearly-40-years-/1447185/

Malia Obama, the 10-year-old daughter of President-elect Obama, plans to make herself right at home in the White House and has already called dibs on using Abraham Lincoln's desk for her homework. Obama, who will move his family into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on Jan. 20, said his oldest daughter came back from her tour of the White House with a plan. "She says, 'You know, Daddy, I've got an idea,'" Obama told ABC News' Barbara Walters during an exclusive interview. "She says, 'Well you know how sometimes I have these, you know, big papers that I have to write? If I've got an important paper, a history paper, I think I'm going to go in that room where Abraham Lincoln, where there's that thing where he signed it?" "You mean the Gettysburg Address?" Obama asked. "Yeah. I'm going to sit at that desk because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts," she told her father. "Hey, go ahead kid," Michelle Obama said with a laugh. Her father said Malia is "quite the historian" and is sure she will be using the desk. "That's her plan and she usually executes her plan," Obama said with a touch of paternal pride. The soon-to-be first kids were afraid that the White House wouldn't be a kid friendly, but those fears were dispelled after their visit, Michelle Obama told Walters. "Malia... said, 'You know, I thought this was was going to be an untouchable place. You know, the kind of place where you can't touch anything... But actually the White House is kind of homey,'" Michelle Obama said. Like any home, especially one anticipating getting a dog, there was some good natured banter about what kind of dog to get, with Obama objecting to any suggestion that they get a "yappy" little "girly" dog. He also wanted to be certain that his daughters are going to be willing to "scoop the poop" on the White House lawn. Obama told Walters that his promise of a dog for Malia and her 7-year-old sister Sasha has produced an avalanche of advice and dog pictures. "We're getting more advice about this than my economic policy," he said with a laugh. "No doubt about it." Obama got another suggestion during his sit-down with Walters, who suggested he get a dog like her Cha Cha, a small breed known as a Havanese. Obama was immediately skeptical. "But it's like a little yappy dog," the president-elect said. "Don't criticize," a laughing future first lady Michelle Obama urged. "It like sits in your lap and things?" Obama asked. "It sounds like a girly dog." His wife reminded Obama, "We're girls. We have a houseful of girls." Making an executive decision, Obama announced, "Well, we're going to have a big rambunctious dog of some kind." Like any potential dog owner, Obama fretted about who would walk the pooch and pick up after it. Acknowledging that Malia and Sasha are excited about the prospect of getting the pet, the soon-to-be First Dad said, "They're not excited enough to walk the dog, though." His wife insisted it would become the girls' job. Not just walk the dog, Obama insisted. "And scoop the poop. ... We don't want to litter the White House lawns. So they're going to have to do their job." The Obama girls are going to have other chores to do while living in the White House, including making their beds and cleaning their rooms. "That was the first thing I said to some of the [White House] staff when I did my visit," Michelle Obama told Walters. "Because of course, the girls, they're so good. I said, 'You know, we're going to have to set up some boundaries. Because they're going to need to be able to make their beds'" and clean their own rooms. Barack Obama said he was intent on having his children know they are special to their parents, "But they're not special, you know, in terms of having to do their homework or having to do chores." The hourlong interview with Walters touched on the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan and energy issues, but it became more casual when Michelle joined her husband. Obama joked that once he's president, "Hail to the Chief" will play every time he officially enters a room. "I've been trying to get Michelle to do the same thing," he said. "I saluted once," Michelle put in. They agreed on one thing: Michelle gets the last word. "When Momma's happy, everybody is happy," Obama explained. Obama is getting his way when he gets to the White House. He had considered replacing the White House bowling alley with a basketball court. "Well, it turns out there's a tennis court in the White House and I think the guys in charge say they maybe can put a couple of basketball hoops at either end," he said. In the next few weeks the Obamas will celebrate the last holidays in their own home. The girls believe in Santa, their parents said, and will write letters to Santa. Thanksgiving will be a big affair with 60 people, mostly Michelle's relatives, in Chicago. But she's not cooking this year. "Don't you think ... my husband ran for president ... that I should get an out on cooking something for dinner? Michelle Obama pleaded.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/President44/Story?id=6339711&page=2

Official accused of offering his adopted 5-year-old son for sex. June 26, 2009 -- A Duke University official has been charged in federal court with offering his 5-year-old adopted son up for sex. Frank Lombard, associate director of the Center for Health Policy, was arrested Wednesday in Raleigh, the FBI said. Lombard allegedly used the adult Internet service to conduct his video chats. According to an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, the Internet service indicated that Lombard's profile "stated he was interested in "perv fam fun," a reference to "incestuous child molestation." The service also told investigators that a customer service complaint had been sent to the company in January 2007. A customer who had chatted with Lombard complained to the company that Lombard said he was "into incest" and had adopted two African-American children, court records said. A Washington, D.C., police detective who was investigating the case set up undercover chats with someone matching Lombard's description during which the detective says he was invited to fly to Raleigh to have sex with the person's 5- year-old adopted child. In his affidavit, Det. Timothy Palchak wrote that he engaged in a chat with someone using the screen name "FL" who provided nude pictures of himself. The pictures matched Lombard's North Carolina driver's license photo, according to the affidavit. During the chats, according to the affidavit, "FL" told undercover investigators that he had himself molested his child, whom he adopted as an infant, and that he had allowed others to molest his child. "FL" stated that "the abuse of the child was easier when the child was too young to talk or know what was happening, but that he had drugged the child with Benadryl during the molestation," Palchak wrote in his affidavit. Two children were taken from Lombard's home and put into protective custody by the North Carolina Department of Social Services, an FBI statement said. Michael Schoenfeld, a Duke University spokesman, told ABC News that Lombard has been placed on unpaid leave and that the university is cooperating fully with the investigation. Lombard has been employed by Duke since 1999, Schoenfeld said. Appearing today in federal court in Durham, Lombard agreed to be transferred to Washington for a later court hearing. His lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

https://abcnews.go.com/News/story?id=7942546