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Residents Left Behind as L.A. Stadium Project Surges Ahead
Inglewood had fallen on hard times, but then plans for a massive sports and entertainment complex came along. While the city’s future is poised to change dramatically, the development is also displacing residents.
April 20, 2019, 1pm PDT | Camille Fink
Phillip Kalantzis Cope
Angel Jennings writes about Inglewood, California, the location of a new NFL stadium and entertainment district. The city in southwest Los Angeles County has a long history as a black middle-class enclave, but social and economic changes starting in the 1970s resulted in a city in severe decline struggling with major fiscal challenges.
The situation in Inglewood has changed significantly in recent years with the arrival of the new stadium and related development, plans for a basketball arena that are taking shape, and spillover from the region’s technology sector. "But now that Inglewood is on the come up, longtime residents and city officials face a different challenge: Many who have weathered decades of hardship no longer can afford to live there and are being left out of the economic renaissance," says Jennings.
Housing prices are soaring in a city where three-quarters of residents are renters and the majority of the population is black and Latino. The result has been a flood of major rent increases and evictions that are displacing longtime residents. Uplift Inglewood, a tenants’ rights group, is suing to halt the arena project, and the city council last month approved a 45-day moratorium to cap rent increases and stop evictions.
But activists say the city is not doing enough to help Inglewood’s most vulnerable residents as the city’s economic tides change. "The temporary cap was a win for Uplift Inglewood, which continues to apply pressure to City Hall. It also is taking the fight to Sacramento, pushing for an anti-price-gouging bill," notes Jennings.
One of California’s last black enclaves threatened by Inglewood’s stadium deal
Published on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles Times
Community / Economic Development
Social / Demographics
NFL Stadium
Low-Income Renters
NBA Arena
Entertainment Districts
Tenants Rights
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SKI CLUB GB SEEKS NEW CEO - James Cove, PlanetSKI Editor
Sunday August 20, 2017 - Email this article to a friend
Following the unexpected death of Frank McCusker The Club is searching for a new chief executive. The person will have a full inbox.
The Ski Club is the oldest snowsports club in the UK and it claims to be the largest in the world.
It was founded in 1903 and has 28,000 members.
Its claimed purpose is "to promote and protect safe, enjoyable and inspiring snowsports experiences for anyone who loves snow."
This summer its CEO, 55-year old Frank McCusker, died while on a cycling weekend in England.
We reported on his death at the time and looked back at his legacy.
CEO OF SKI CLUB GB DIES
RIP FRANK McCUSKER
Frank McCusker
Now The Club is advertising for his replacement and using the executive recruitment firm, Warren Partners.
"The Ski Club is seeking a new CEO to lead and drive the Club forward, in a way which will build upon the successes achieved thus far and the fundamental values upon which the Club is based," says the job application details.
"Looking ahead the Club is ambitious to continue to raise its profile both in the UK and internationally. It is seeking to appoint a bold, dynamic leader to shape and execute the next stage of its growth, whilst bringing a consistent voice to snow sports across the UK.
"Candidates are likely to have developed their expertise in leisure, retail, hospitality and/or subscription led businesses with particular strengths around data, CRM, content, digital transformation and a track record of commercial revenue growth."
See here for further details.
Rather surprisingly there is no mention that an interest or knowledge of skiing and snowboarding is sought.
Or a background in the industry.
This has surprised some that it is not a requirement and perhaps shows the way forward for the club and its thinking.
Frank McCusker came from outside the tight-knit world of the UK snowsports industry when he was appointed in May 2012.
SKI CLUB GB APPOINTS NEW CEO
By his own admission he was a recreational skier only rather than a passionate enthusiast, and it seems the Club is after someone from the same mould.
There will be much on his or her plate.
The Club has sold its HQ and Club House, The White House in Wimbledon, but currently it has not found a suitable replacement building.
There has been some contention among a group of members as they regard it as selling off the family silver.
SKI CLUB HQ IS SOLD
In addition it is involved in a long-running and costly legal dispute about its Leading Service in France. It is currently banned.
SKI CLUB GB LOSES APPEAL
Ski Club of Great Britain
The UK snowsports industry also faces a challenging time ahead not least with the unknowns about Brexit which could have a major influence on the future.
HOW SAFE IS YOUR SKI HOLIDAY?
SAVE THE SEASONAIRE
The Club is also in a transition phase with its current chairman, Rob Crowder, stepping down in November.
The CEO job will place the person at the centre of the UK snowsports community with its many challanges and opportunities to shape the future.
"The Ski Club is highly influential, having affiliations with over 2000 organisations, and working very closely with other sporting bodies in the UK and overseas. The ability to communicate effectively at all levels, develop lasting partnerships and manage complex stakeholder communities will therefore be critical, as will a genuine interest in setting an inspiring vision for the future of UK snow sports," ends the job application description.
The person will also be required to build on the Club's recent claimed successes.
These include the introduction of ski insurance packages, a dedicated student website and membership package and the acquisition of Mountain Tracks, a niche tour operator.
The Club claims that all have enhanced the Club's offerings and generated new streams of revenue.
Ski Club leaders in training
The editor of PlanetSKI, James Cove, is a past director of the Ski Club and council member, a Leader/Rep and former member of the Club. He also helped launch SkiTV and was briefly content editor of its web site in 2008.
See here for the main PlanetSKI news page with all the latest stories from the mountains.
For the Spirit of the Mountains - PlanetSKI: No1 for ski news
ATHLETES NEED TO BE GIVEN GREATER VOICE (Friday July 19, 2019)
INGHAMS UP FOR 2 BRITISH TRAVEL AWARDS (Tuesday July 16, 2019)
FRENCH SKI RESORTS WORRIED OVER BREXIT (Friday July 12, 2019)
BREXIT SKI WORRIES DEEPEN IN FRANCE (Wednesday July 10, 2019)
SKI AMIS CHALET COMPANY TAKEN OVER (Friday July 5, 2019)
RECORD BREAKING WINTER IN THE USA (Friday June 14, 2019)
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The First Image of General Greivous in Star Wars Battlefront II Supposedly Leaks
Aidan SimondsThursday, October 11, 2018
Star Wars fans knew the cyborg Dark Jedi General Grievous was coming to Star Wars Battlefront II. He was revealed as part of DICE and EA’s planned roadmap for its post-launch updates for the game. Grievous is set to release later in October 2018, however, fans may have gotten an early peek at his in-game appearance.
An internet sleuther from (where else?) Reddit leaked the image, showing Grievous in all of his four-armed glory. Check it out here:
Leaked image of General Grievous in Battlefront 2 from r/StarWarsLeaks
Yep, it sure looks like General Grievous, all right. If this is a legit image, it definitely shows how graphically impressive Star Wars Battlefront II is (which we already knew). It could even be said that Grievous in Battlefront II looks better than Grievous from the Star Wars films!
We’ll get a better look at Grievous in action when he gets added to the game later in the month. There is the question of how his four lightsabers will affect game balance, but surely DICE has a solution for that in mind.
Grievous isn’t the only character set to be added to Star Wars Battlefront II. The following month, November 2018, will see Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi joining the shooter. That month will also see the addition of Geonosis, which was a focal point during the Clone Wars. 2019 will see the addition of a “non-linear” sandbox mode.
[Source: Reddit]
Tags: DICE, EA, Star Wars, Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Battlefront II
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Bleached Sneak Up on You with Their Brand of Power Pop
Bleached's Don't You Think You've Had Enough? is a summer record with big sing-along power pop songs that deliver.
Chris Conaton
The Schramms Look Back on "New England" (premiere + interview)
Smart, sophisticated songs from the Schramms populate new their LP, Omnidirectional, the group's first album in a decade. Hear "New England" now.
"I Wanna Be Someone Else": The Lemonheads' Transformative Adventures in Cover Versions
By way of Charles Manson, Suzanne Vega, Gram Parsons, and, yes, Simon and Garfunkel, the Lemonheads once utilized cover songs to reinvent themselves and spark brilliantly infectious guitar-pop originals. And they will again. One day. Perhaps.
Adam Mason
Berwanger Delivers Anthem for the Lonely, "Friday Night" (premiere)
Former member the Anniversary, emo veteran Josh Berwanger dishes up an irresistible power pop single that will have you raising your hands and singing along.
Bar/None Records Deliver Important Entries Expanding Alex Chilton's Legacy and Catalog
The exploration of Alex Chilton's recording career and legacy is expanded by Bar/None Records' dual release of From Memphis to New Orleans and Songs from Robin Hood Lane.
Richard Driver
Coming Out in Weird Ways: Sotto Voce's New Album is a Beautifully Twisted Pop Gem
Considering it's all the work of one person, Sotto Voce's Safety is surprisingly ambitious, and Ryan Gabos' musical chops seem to fly in the face of what sounds like the lack of a proper recording studio.
No Win Shows Off Big Hooks and Big Guitars on 'Downey'
If you can tell the difference between indie rock, power pop, and pop punk you will likely enjoy No Win's Downey.
The Happys Showcase Their High-Energy Rock 'n' Roll on "Cut the Rope" (premiere)
Recovery, rebuilding, reclaiming and the fight for personal independence at the core of the energetic new single "Cut the Rope" from Bay Area quartet, the Happys.
The Stanleys Will Hook Listeners with "Everybody Dance" (premiere)
Australian power poppers, the Stanleys' latest single is accompanied by a hoverboard-centric music video that perfectly captures its fun-loving, infectious nature.
Cabana Wear Is Power Pop for Life's Middle Act
At a time when some of the progenitors of this style of rock music are hitting walls creatively, a regional super-group comes along to show how relevant this sound can be.
Thomas Britt
Teenage Fanclub - "Everything Is Falling Apart" (Singles Going Steady)
Teenage Fanclub create an impeccably boss Velvet Underground groove with "Everything Is Falling Apart".
PopMatters Staff
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Remarkable Regrettes Are Coming for You, Too (premiere)
If this poppin' fresh power-pop punk quartet led by Lydia Night is heading to your town during the Advanced Placement Tour in December, then run, don't walk, to the concert venue. You won't regret it.
Michael Bialas
The Posies Finally Land the One That Got Away with 'Amazing Disgrace'
The Posies released the definitive noise-pop album while everyone was still mourning the death of grunge.
Ian Rushbury
Fastball Issues Expanded Edition of Classic 1998 Album, Including Early Version of "Fire Escape" (premiere + interview)
Twenty years on Fastball's All the Pain Money Can Buy remains strong. The trio's Tony Scalzo looks back on chart success and the inevitable hard times that followed.
The Safes Pay Tribute to Juliana Hatfield Via New Single, Video, "Universal Heartbeat" (premiere)
Teaming with Material Issue and Steve Albini, the Safes deliver a loving tribute to one of alternative rock's great voices, Juliana Hatfield.
Valley Lodge Goes Full '70s Jean Jacket With "Come Back to Bed" (premiere + interview)
Valley Lodge's catchy as fire "Go" serves as the theme to HBO's Last Week With John Oliver, but "Come Back to Bed" might out-catch even that. New LP arrives October 12 and comedian/band member Dave Hill explains it all.
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Stranglers Podcast
Portland has done on-air work for shows broadcast on:
General On-Camera Hosting Reel
Natural Health Hosting Reel
Television Host
Whether she’s conducting a live satellite interview with Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs or a woman with breast cancer … whether she’s on location helping to install a kitchen sink, receiving an energy healing treatment, or assisting in the preparation of a delicious dish, Portland brings genuine curiosity to every subject, a willingness to get her hands dirty, sensitivity to her guests, and the ability not only to ask good questions but to listen closely to answers.
She’s hosted a variety of programs: health, magazine travel, live talk shows, home improvement, infomercials, job recruitment, and business. She’s the creator and host of the national talk show, What’s the Alternative?, on the former Veria Living TV, the host of To Your Health on NetTV, the host and creator of a four-part YouTube series called Headlines, Health, and Healing, and has been an alternative medicine contributor on WGBH’s Greater Boston. Her on-camera hosting and reporting work has also been featured on the Comcast Network, PBS, Discovery Home & Leisure, Oxygen, New England Cable News, Vermont Public Television, WZMY-TV, Wisdom Television, and more.
Clips from To Your Health on NetTV
What’s the Alternative? Promo, Veria Living TV
As the creator and executive producer of To Your Health, a new talk show series on NetTV, I auditioned a lot of people for the host role. Once I met Portland, I knew immediately that this was the person I was looking for. She has a natural, likable, believable on-air presence, and connects well with the camera as well as with her guests. She is an excellent listener, always shows up prepared, knows her subject matter, and is a consummate professional … an absolute joy and pleasure to work with.
Margaret “Peggy” Kim
Creator and Executive Producer, To Your Health
Creator, Host, Executive Producer
Her special interest in health and wellness led Portland to create and host What’s the Alternative?, a national talk show of 52 half-hours about natural ways to heal the body and mind on the former Veria Living TV.
On What’s the Alternative?, Portland explored topics like functional medicine with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Mark Hyman, herbal medicine and menopause with accomplished herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, EMDR with renowned trauma researcher Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Network Spinal Analysis with founder Dr. Donny Epstein, stress management with humorist Loretta LaRoche, building balanced families with parenting expert Mimi Doe, the DORE Program with psychiatrist and ADD expert Dr. Edward Hallowell, nutritional supplements with naturopathic doctor Alan Logan, writing and chronic illness with Chilmark Writing Workshop founder Nancy Slonim Aronie, iridology with Dr. David J. Pesek, and more.
Portland combined the very difficult roles of content producer and talent on What’s The Alternative?, a series of 52 shows she created and produced with National Boston. She was always thoroughly prepared. Her interview style is genuine, engaging, and always leaves the viewer with terrific insight. She’s a wonderful talent and an excellent producer.
Dan Cronin
Account Director, National Boston
Iridology, What’s the Alternative?, Veria Living TV
Clips from What’s the Alternative?, Season 1, Veria Living TV
Headlines, Health, & Healing Clips:
A Healthy Alternative to Soda
Equine-Assisted Therapy
TRE: Tension- & Trauma-Releasing Exercises
Qigong for Depression
Interviewing Tom Leopold, ‘Seinfeld’ writer, on To Your Health in New York City
Hosting/Executive Producing What’s the Alternative? in Boston
Veria Living TV
Hosting/Producing Headlines, Health & Healing in Los Angeles
Shooting at the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens in Los Angeles
Hosting To Your Health, New York City
Shooting at Dragon Herbs, Beverly Hills, CA
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15+ Ways to Share the Gift of Boating
By the Editors of Power & Motoryacht
Yacht Controller (www.yachtcontroller.com) is a wireless remote that aids in docking by allowing a captain to walk around onboard, dealing with mooring lines and fenders, while simultaneously maintaining control of his main engines and thrusters. There’s no question it makes docking easier for all sorts of folks. Anthony Valiente, sales manager for Yacht Controller, has an illustrative story. “I ran into an older guy at the Ft. Lauderdale show three years ago,” he says, “and he had put his 56-foot Neptunus up for sale because he and his wife could no longer dock the boat. She was having trouble grabbing the lines and he has a prosthetic arm, so you could imagine it would be tough. We pitched the Yacht Controller to him as a way to extend his boating career. He liked the idea, so we installed it for him, and to this day he is still boating. He found he could dock the boat easily!”
Thruster Power
Generation Next!
Look Ma! No Hands!
Bottom Paint—the Next New Thing
See in the Dark
Slow Your Roll
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Home › Live
MIPRO ACT finds favour with UK dance group
UK: Chicane's sound engineer, Tim Peeling, has been using MIPRO's ACT digital wireless radio system, reports David Davies. Peeling discovered the system through UK hire company Concert Sound, and first employed it for shows in the UK and Romania earlier this year.
PSNEurope staff ⋅ Oct 20, 2009
UK: Chicane’s sound engineer, Tim Peeling, has been using MIPRO’s ACT digital wireless radio system, reports David Davies. Peeling discovered the system through UK hire company Concert Sound, and first employed it for shows in the UK and Romania earlier this year.
Chicane vocalist Tash Andrews’ “very breathy” vocals provided a particular test for the system.
“She was on ears and was very happy very quickly,” noted Peeling. “Also tonally: is she comfortable with what’s coming back in? She was, which was good as it can often be a bit of a struggle with the artist. What works for a FOH engineer doesn’t necessarily always work for an artist at the same time in the same way. Handling noise was very low and the feedback rejection was excellent.”
Peeling went on to praise the system’s design and battery life, and highlighted the receiver’s option of either analogue or digital output to interface with any mixing console.
“We’re really interested in trying the digital out because probably 70% of the time the musical issues are on stage so it makes sense to use as few A/Ds and D/As as possible,” he said. “It’s nice to have the ability to program everything on the receiver’s front panel and then just sync the transmitter with it.”
MIPRO ACT is available through Fuzion plc, whose communications manager, Josie Barker, tells PSN-e: “MIPRO’s ACT-82 digital system has been well-received by users across the industry, with several systems already implemented and more out on demo. With the forthcoming frequency spectrum change users are becoming more astute when purchasing; the ACT-82 has been specifically designed to accommodate these changes, making it an increasingly popular choice.”
Web » www.fuzion.co.uk
UK Live Music Group announces new chair
Behringer’s Music Group to acquire TC Group
Roland Systems Group hosts UK training days
MIPRO ACT-818/828, ACT-80T/H
TC Group announces creation of TC Group International
UK Post & Services’ audio working group inspires new film/TV web resource
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Book Project
Internship Director
Talks & Grants
Rachel A. Blumenthal
Assistant Professor of English at Indiana University Kokomo (Ph.D., Northwestern University)
Pharmacie Centrale de France et Maison Droguerie Menier. A professor teaching pharmacy to students in mid-16th century Paris; representing a calendar advertising products of the Pharmacie Centrale de France. Colour lithograph, after 1889. Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY
I aim to inspire students with the transformative power of the humanities by emphasizing the cultural, sociological, and political stakes of every assignment. My philosophy of teaching envisions a dual role for students to engage as both participants and leaders within the classroom and in public humanities forums. For example, in my capacity as Faculty Advisor of the IU Kokomo English Club, I mentored students through a semester-long, non-credit independent study of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. Along the way, I helped them organize and facilitate a public humanities program (view recording here) supported by an Indiana Humanities Quantum Leap Grant at the Frankfort Community Public Library on the legacy of Shelley’s novel in American popular culture. My students convened a two-hour panel discussion for a community audience of over 100 members. My commitment to facilitating engaged humanities initiatives like this one is informed by my prior work as Programming Fellow for the Chicago Humanities Festival. As the sole Programming Fellow, I helped coordinate graduate seminars, instructor workshops, performances, and public lectures by scholars of American studies and literature.
My emphasis on the affective, structural, and political dimensions of literature yields an interdisciplinary classroom. When I teach gender theory and feminism, for example, I invite students to develop their own clusters of critical terms to help them unpack contemporary gender issues as they variously apply to protest movements, politics, media, and literature. One student proposed thinking critically about “healing masculinity” as a necessary corrective to toxic masculinity; this proposal led to a productive discussion of reparative masculinity as it has variously been anticipated or theorized by feminist philosophers, literary authors, and the Queer Eye Netflix series. My students left that class buzzing with the radical possibilities rendered newly legible by the cultural history and philosophy of gender.
When students model inquiry-based learning for each other, they practice leadership and teamwork skills; they also learn to appreciate diverse approaches to specific issues. I help foster these experiences in the classroom by asking students to collaboratively produce multimedia materials. In my nineteenth-century American literature seminar, for example, my students present their research projects in visually rich PechaKucha format, undertaking interdisciplinary exploration ranging from the fascicle and manuscript history of Emily Dickinson’s self-published poetry, to the foundational writings of American Transcendentalism and their connection to the Hudson River School landscape painters, to the material culture of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852). Art history and material culture are touchstone fields of my interdisciplinary humanities pedagogy; in 2015 I helped the IU Kokomo Library acquire the ArtStor database to facilitate digital research in the arts and humanities.
In addition to my medical humanities seminar on gender studies, women’s literature, and the history of psychology, called “Disturbed Minds,” I teach a range of courses that cross disciplinary boundaries and integrate theoretical frameworks. These courses include “Captivity” (on the transatlantic literary tradition of kidnapped hostages who have lived to tell their tales); “American Gothic” (on the aesthetic and historical dimensions of the genre); and “Nature/Nurture” (an ecopoetics course that explores the role of environmentalism in poetic discourses on race, class, gender, regionalism, and nationalism). Through interdisciplinary learning, my students develop individualized research plans and discover diverse points of contact with the literary, social, and political contexts they inhabit as critical thinkers and authors of cultural change.
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You are here:Features
Reducing leakage
As the HFC phase-down starts to bite, the Institute is relaunching its successful anti-leakage campaign REAL Zero. Secretary Miriam Rodway reports
The Institute of Refrigeration is relaunching its REAL Zero initiative following the recent changes to the F-Gas Regulations and in anticipation of future restrictions on availability of HFC refrigerant in Europe.
The recent legislative changes – and inevitable rises in the cost of higher-GWP refrigerant – mean that over the next few years, there will be an increasing need for equipment operators to further improve containment of HFCs by adopting best practice.
The IOR’s REAL (Refrigerant Emissions and Leakage) Zero initiative was originally developed in 2009, based on practical investigations carried out on a number of existing sites and systems, to identify the main causes of refrigerant leakage.
It led to the publication of a series of Guidance Notes for Technicians covering good practice in leak detection and identifying common leakage points, as well as specific guides for end-users, contractors and designers.
REAL Zero, which was widely adopted by UK industry, was then turned into a European e-learning programme that became known as REAL Skills Europe.
The e-learning programme offered an opportunity to add input to the materials from a wider range of specialists in various European countries.
As part of the current revision of REAL Zero the REAL Skills e-learning is also in the process of being updated.
It will become a free-access resource for use by the whole industry from October this year.
Both REAL Zero and REAL Skills offer downloads of refrigerant use and emissions monitoring tools, reporting templates and supporting guides and booklets.
The Institute is currently accepting advance registration for the updated e-learning course.
It will also be offering an optional assessment for learners, and anyone who passes this can apply for an IOR e-learning CPD Certificate for a fee of £30.
Anyone who wants to find out more about the e-learning programme and how the material has been updated can join one of the free introductory webinars being held on the dates below.
Those who cannot join the webinar on a particular date should still register, as IOR will be recording the sessions, allowing people to log in and participate after the events.
The webinars will be held on:
Pre-register for the e-learning or sign up for the webinars at www.realzero.org.uk.
REAL Alternatives
For those who want to know more about low-GWP alternative refrigerants as potential replacements for HFCs (or HCFCs), the IOR also has developed a free e-learning programme entitled REAL Alternatives.
REAL Alternatives is designed to be used as ‘blended learning’ – which means that the Institute is encouraging training providers and employers to develop their own practical courses based on the materials, or to integrate the guidance into existing courses.
The e-learning provides the theoretical knowledge to back up practical training and experience and can also be used by individuals as a self-study course.
The programme covers Carbon Dioxide, Hydrocarbon, Ammonia and ‘mildly flammable’ HFO and R32 refrigerants. Eight different online modules are currently available at www.realalternatives.eu.
Again, an optional assessment and CPD certification service is due to be launched in October.
The REAL Alternatives and REAL Skills e-learning programmes were originally developed with co-funding from the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and support from range of European partners.
Over 500 individuals have registered with the REAL Alternatives self-study course since it was launched in March 2015. It has gained the support of European associations such as European contractors’ association AREA and the International Institute of Refrigeration.
The Institute has suggested that this material could be used to provide ‘information’ on alternative refrigerants to technicians, a requirement of the 2014 F-Gas Regulations, which has yet to be clarified byfeat the EU.
REAL Alternatives is available in several European languages alongside English – namely French, Polish, Dutch and Italian. A number of additional EU countries have also expressed an interest in translating the materials into their own language.
18 July 2019Neil Merrett
Campaign group says amendments for bringing forward equipment bans under F-Gas would not realistically happen until 2022 review, yet UK could take a more immediate stand on heat pumps
EFCTC warns EU F-Gas reputation at stake from black-market HFCs
17 April 2019Neil Merrett
Committee has praised recent publication of EIA findings into illegal refrigerant trade for highlighting scale of enforcement work now required
World Refrigeration Day lands with industry awareness push
26 June 2019Neil Merrett
Education, innovation and attempts to tackle limited awareness of the vital role cooling currently plays in global society and industry are major themes of inaugural WRD campaign
Mexichem launches illegal refrigerant awareness campaign
Manufacturer hopes to raise awareness of threats to industry from illegal refrigerant products in line with broader industry efforts to crackdown on black-market HFCs
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Taxpayers ‘let down by delay and climbing costs of Crossrail’
Arriva sues government for £200m over rejected East Midlands bid
Ambitious transport plans unveiled for Sheffield region
Grayling indicates support for Keith Williams
Keith Williams rules out Network Rail as franchise controller
Posted 23rd April 2019 | 4 Comments
Report says Crossrail warnings were ‘watered down’
MPs ‘alarmed’ over Crossrail delays
Complexity and skills shortage still hampering Crossrail
Londoners will be ‘hugely disappointed’ by new Crossrail delay
No confidence about Crossrail date, admits Mayor
Accusations mount in Crossrail dispute
Crossrail storm, as London Mayor is accused of ‘incompetence’
Derailed: getting Crossrail back on track (London Assembly) (pdf)
Railnews Ltd is not responsible for the content of external sites.
UPDATED 13.20
A NEW report from the London Assembly is accusing London transport commissioner Mike Brown of ‘watering down’ the information about potential Crossrail delays which was given to the Mayor, and questions whether he should keep his job.
Transport for London has denied the allegations.
The report, ’Derailed: getting Crossrail back on track’, analyses what went wrong, and why the launch of services between Paddington and Whitechapel under central London has been pushed back to a ‘mystery date’ which has yet to be announced.
The core service, to be known as the Elizabeth Line, should have begun in December 2018 but has been repeatedly delayed. It has now been suggested that a launch may not be possible before 2021.
The report also finds that ‘significant concerns’ raised by an independent reviewer as early as January 2018 were ‘largely ignored’, that the ‘desire to achieve the completion date overpowered any professional and critical assessment of risk’, and that the Crossrail Executive did not have the skills required at the later stages of the project to assess and understand the risks as they became apparent.
The other recommendations in the report are that the Mayor should strengthen his control over Transport for London, so that he is effectively kept up to date about the progress of schemes, and that Crossrail and similar future projects should have systems that ‘encourage transparency, openness and a sense of accountability on all levels’
The chair of the Assembly’s transport committee Caroline Pidgeon said: ‘It is a complete tragedy that one of the most highly anticipated engineering projects the world has ever seen has found itself in a mess of overspending, mismanagement and an embarrassingly long delay. Crossrail was supposed to be the beacon of modern 21st century engineering but its name is now tarnished with shame in the eyes of the London taxpayer, who will have to foot the bill until its completion.
‘The inability of senior figures in the project to push past their obsession with a December 2018 launch date is one of the main reasons why their dream did not become a reality. As a result, thousands of people who have invested in areas around Crossrail stations or those with small businesses have had to deal with longer commutes and major revenue losses.
‘It is shameful that nobody at a senior level is willing to take responsibility for the failure of the project thus far. Crossrail’s former chairman, Sir Terry Morgan stepped down, however, the evidence suggests that TfL Commissioner, Mike Brown, was at the centre of decisions to dilute important information sent to the Mayor.
‘Crossrail will provide immeasurable benefits to London, once launched but vital lessons must be learned by the Mayor, TfL and Crossrail so we all can bring this sorry chapter of the project’s journey to a close.’
TfL said: ‘It is clear that the responsibility for the delay to the Crossrail project lies with the former management of Crossrail Ltd. It is entirely incorrect to suggest the Transport Commissioner, or anyone at TfL, kept any information from the Mayor.
‘The Commissioner works to ensure that the Mayor is kept informed of everything going on in transport in London and to ensure the information he receives is clear, consistent and accurate.
‘As the Commissioner made clear to the Transport Committee, it would not have been right to allow material to go to the Mayor that was incorrect or inconsistent with information that the management of Crossrail Ltd themselves were presenting to TfL and the Mayor in regular face to face meetings.
‘Everyone involved is fully focused on opening the Elizabeth Line as soon as possible.’
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Jez Milton, Manchester
Comparisons with HS2 are as clueless as they are predictable. HS2 is simple relative to Crossrail. Three types of signalling won't be required for a start. Xrail was/is uniquely challenging in terms of 'getting things to work' should have been reviewed/updated when the tunnelling was successfully completed with updating of the programme and timeline of remaining 'fitting out' works. Lesson learnt, hopefully, but irrelevant to HS2, which is a new mainline high speed railway providing desperately needed additional capacity.
Andrew Gwilt, Benfleet Essex
Will Crossrail be completed in mid 2020 as it’s been extended which was suppose to be completed before the end of this year. Or will it extend until 2021 if there was more improvements to be done before the whole project is completed.
And TfL to announce that the Elizabeth Line is opened and Class 345 trains are now in service and stations in Central London also to be officially opened with millions of people expected to use the Elizabeth Line. With the proposal of extending the Elizabeth Line from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet at a later date.
Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
It should be remembered that the December 2018 opening date has been on hoardings at stations ever since the Crossrail project began a decade ago and takes no notice of construction delays let alone getting systems like signalling which barely existed when Crossrail began working properly.
Anyone who uses Crossrail Stations could see how the project was behind by looking at stations like Whitechapel where they have still now finished the Underground/ Overground part let alone Crossrail and it's still a work site !
Sadiq Khan was his own worst enemy as on becoming Mayor he failed to vista sites along the route and find out for himself the state of progress, something former Mayor Ken Livingstone would have done and kept up o date with.
As for the future it seems TFL are still keen to open the whole project from Abbeywood to Paddington in one go but perhaps they should do what happened with the Victoria Line which opened in 3 stages and open this route in stages e.g Abbeywood to Canary Wharf, then onward to Liverpool Street then to Paddington.
The lesson for HS2 is not to keep going on about 2026 !
Chris Jones-Bridger, Buckley Flintshire
That the Crossrail project has been seriously derailed is in no doubt. However given it's critical path had a very publicly declared delivery date perhaps a little more substance is required explaining the engineering & operational reasons behind that failure? The public embarrassment & shame of the big beast personalities only tells us so much.
Several billion pounds extra of public funds have also had to be committed to completing the project. Under political pressure budget cutbacks were made to the project. Did these play a part in hampering it's completion, the overrun only exposing over optimism on behalf of the project managers in appeasing their political masters?
Equally important while public money has been pledged to the completion of the project it is being delivered through contracts with a variety construction contractors and sub contractors as well as established railway equipment suppliers. Surely in our highly contractualised world there should be penalty clauses to be activated in order to reclaim financial redress for the missed deadlines. For the public purse to underwrite all the risk sets a very bad example.
As HS2 work is in it's mobilisation phase the additional cost of completing Crossrail will certainly add ammunition to it's critics especially if hard cash is being diverted to the completion of the later. More importantly the lessons learnt from Crossrail missing it's opening need to be urgently fed into HS2 to ensure it's critical path analysis is robust.
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Traction & Rolling Stock, Passenger, Europe
DSB to order electric locomotives
DENMARK: Meeting on August 23, DSB’s Board of Directors approved proposals to purchase 26 electric locomotives for regional passenger services on Sjaelland. The locomotives are intended to replace the Class ME diesels that currently power the double-deck push-pull trainsets on services from København to Ringsted and Helsingør, as well as the line to Kalundborg which is currently being electrified.
Tenders are to be invited in the autumn of 2016, with the aim of having the first locomotives in service from the beginning of 2020. DSB says it is looking for ‘standard’ locomotives which are ‘well-tested in operation’. As well as improving operational reliability, replacing diesel locos by electric will bring environmental benefits.
‘The acquisition of electric locomotives is the first step in a process which will provide DSB with modern electric rolling stock to meet the future transport challenges”, said CEO Flemming Jensen. Thanks to a ‘satisfactory’ financial position backed by a long-term transport contract with the government, DSB expects to finance the new locomotives without government support. It also says it is ‘well prepared for the acquisition of the future electric train sets’.
According to DSB’s Chairman Peter Schütze, the new locos will also reduce DSB’s dependency on the unreliable IC2 and IC4 DMUs, allowing the operator to ‘to plan a controlled phase-out’ of these units once enough of the national network has been electrified.
31 May 2019 - Crown Prince inaugurates København – Ringsted line
03 Sep 2018 - DSB calls tenders for hauled stock
13 Mar 2018 - DSB selects Siemens to supply electric locomotives
01 Feb 2018 - Inter-city EMU procurement approved
23 Jun 2017 - DSB finds buyer for AnsaldoBreda IC2 DMUs
16 Dec 2016 - DSB sets IC4 withdrawal date to close an ‘unhappy chapter’
27 May 2015 - DSB seeks locomotive procurement consultant
26 Feb 2015 - ‘Healthy DSB’ objectives achieved in 2014
26 Aug 2014 - DSB sets out long-term rolling stock requirements
CRRC launches Indian joint venture
Amtrak awards Northeast Corridor high speed train contract
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Still Here After All These Years!
The Only Hope for Us
Ava: Different Like Everyone Else
Older Child Adoption Older Parent Adoption Bulgaria Ethiopia
0 Comments 5 Stars (32 Ratings)
Written by Melissa Fay Greene on 05 May 2011
Yep, we're still here after all these years!
This is my twenty-first year in elementary school. For twenty-one consecutive years I have carried in cup-cakes, enclosed checks, and provided emergency phone numbers. I have staple-gunned and I have hot-glued. I have rented band instruments. I have given standing ovations, volunteered at the school library, and stood in the cafeteria line as the servers dropped balls of Thanksgiving-flavored foods from ice-scream scoops onto my wet tray. My husband and I have clapped with pride at a child's graduation in May and returned in August with a different child for Registration Day in the "cafetorium." Where else can you find a deal like a PTA membership? For five dollars, you're in, and urged to accept the presidency! Where else are adults so thrilled to see your children? "Did you have a great summer!?" cry the beaming teachers, and your child shyly leans into your side and confesses that yes, it was a great one.
The friends with whom we raised our oldest three (now in their twenties) are enjoying their empty nest years. They have warm memories of long-ago kindergarteners dressed as puppies, swinging their arms and dancing on stage in winter musicals. They recall the night the fourth-grade band attacked "Au Clair de La Lune" with shiny cheap instruments for the first time, honking and bleating like a pen of panicked farm animals. They remember the gift-wrap sale and the Fun Run. For them, as for most of our generation (we're in our fifties), it happened a long time ago.
My husband Don Samuel, a hefty, grey-bearded criminal defense attorney, and I have lingered here longer than most. We pushed beyond our biologically-reproductive years into adoption. To our children by birth: Molly, Seth, Lee, and Lily (born in 1981, ‘84, ‘88, ‘92), we added five school-age children, four from Ethiopia and one from Bulgaria: Fisseha, Daniel, Jesse, Helen, and Yosef (born in ‘94, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, ‘97). While the parents our age graduated, Donny and I, like the big dim-witted students of yore, hunched over small desks at the rear of the classroom, have been held back, forced to repeat grades with people a lot younger.
There is a gravitational pull around a grade school in autumn. Donny and I have not yet broken free of the annual rotation. Like outmoded satellites we still circle, rattling in close again each rusty fall. For us, wrapping paper is available right now; the Fun Run is coming up; and last night I fitted Yosef in my satin quilted vest and my widest belt to make him into a courtier for the school musical, Cinderella.
All this lends a knowledgeable perspective. For example: I can state with some confidence that the school musicals repeat once every five years. Because this is our fourth Cinderella. And only one of our nine children ever got a speaking part.
At the start of the adoptions, when the presence of Bulgarian Romani and Ethiopian children still felt a little surprising, Donny referred to their end of the upstairs hall as "the international concourse." If one child was complaining and another one piped up, Donny said: "Oh, great. Another country heard from." In July 2007, the eleven of us flew on a plane together for the first time (because two Ethiopian brothers, Daniel and Yosef, 13 and 10, had joined the family two weeks earlier). At the Delta check-in desk, eight minutes into our first public appearance, a stranger approached and said, "Excuse me? Miss? I think one of your students dropped a mitten."
Mitten? I thought. In July in Atlanta? Later it hit me: One of your students. In-flight, a middle-aged African-American businessman leaned across the aisle to ask our son Lee, "What’s the name of your organization?"
Lee said, "Um . . . the Greene-Samuel family?"
Disembarking from the plane, the businessman tapped Donny on the shoulder and said, "I’d like to shake your hand."
At baggage claim in Santa Fe, a frail elderly white couple from our flight made their way towards me on walkers. "May we ask you a question?" said the old woman in a quavering voice. "Are you a scout leader? Because we were always very involved in scouting."
This book is the story of the creation of a family. It began in the usual way: a woman, a man, some babies. But then it took off in a modern direction, roping in a few older children from far-distant countries. In retrospect I see that Donny and I have steered by the light of what brings us joy, what makes us laugh, and what feels right and true. Those instincts have served us well. The journey has not always been easy. Sometimes, I wondered if we'd taken on too much weight, if we were at risk of capsizing.
In shaky times, I've thought, Did we do a wrong thing? Did we take on too many? Are we at risk of capsizing? What do the experts say? But we and the children all seem to be thriving. Each arrival a surprise and a miracle; each child, whether home-made or foreign-born, a revelation, a treasure. It seems we were right to trust love, laughter, and happiness.
The older four joined the family at conception and birth, while the younger five arrived at older ages and not in birth-order: Jesse at four-and-a-half in 1999; Helen (a year younger than Jesse) at five-and-a-half in 2002; Fisseha (a year older than Jesse) at age ten in 2004; Daniel and Yosef at thirteen and ten (a year older and two years younger than Jesse) in 2007. This book is about the joy of living with these children: learning to ride the wake of wrong turns, near-collisions, stalls, rivalries, and self-doubts without despairing or ever giving up on a child; and about the thrill of hanging on for the ride when first one, then another, then another happens upon the spark of something great that may give shape and meaning to the rest of his or her life. With us, the bonds of love and commitment coexist with the bonds of DNA; and middle-aged parents and young adult children step foot into a backyard Neverland of ongoing childhood.
Everyone wants a happy family, but some parents fear they don't have the knack for it. We tilt anxiously above our children, examining them from every angle, consulting experts, and reading how-to books about increasing their popularity and enhancing their odds of getting into the expensive university of their choice. We're afraid to steer by the light of what makes us laugh, of what makes us feel good. Yet most of today's adults grew up happily enough while our parents were otherwise engaged. Concerned with work and mortgages, our mothers and fathers didn't know the word "parenting," didn't give a damn if we had "self-esteem," and didn't regard us, their offspring, as their most important achievements. They mainly wanted a little peace and quiet.
Like many modern parents, I have invested a lot of energy in non-emergencies over the years; I tried to fix problems when it was a child's right to try to set things straight by himself or herself. I dashed onto the field when I should have stood on the sidelines. I over-empathized with transient disappointments when I should have invoked the big picture, the bright future. I validated when I should have pooh-poohed. For example, when Seth was seven, he woke me one night by suddenly appearing at my bedside, wide-eyed and pale.
"What if I’m buried alive?" he whispered.
I should have asked: "What on earth were you reading last night?"
I should have said: "Don’t be ridiculous. Go back to bed"
I might have said: "If you ever wake me up again with anything this moronic, you’re grounded."
Instead, ever the empathetic mother, I propped myself on one elbow and, thinking of Edgar Allen Poe, nodded and sagely replied, "That’s a very important consideration. Some very famous writers have wrestled with that issue."
When I looked back at Seth by the light of the digital numbers on my clock radio, the look on his face was now that of the character in the Eduard Munch painting, "The Scream." Many nights over the next few weeks he startled me awake at a god-awful hour to elaborate upon his concerns, while I groggily invented, and swore to install, safeguards, including an in-casket walkie-talkie, an underground TV camera, an all-glass casket, and an "Eject!" button. Donny was out of town for a trial and Seth was wearing me out. As I heard him creep down the hall towards me one night, I sensed that my empathy had ended. He leaned over in the dark, to make sure I was awake, and then whispered: "What if the dirt they shovel onto the coffin clogs up the walkie-talkie?"
That was it. No more attachment-parenting nurturing mothering murmurs were coming from THIS mother, not at this hour of the night. It was time to react more like my father.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" I shrieked, "Can’t you ever have a HAPPY thought?!!"
Startled, my skinny curly-topped little boy turned and trotted away confusedly.
He returned a few minutes later with a trembling smile.
"WHAT?" I snarled.
"I had a happy thought," he timidly offered.
"WHAT IS IT??"
"Why would anyone want to bury me alive? I'm just a little kid."
And that was the end of it.
Like many modern parents, I've helped too much with homework. I've engaged with science fair projects as if they were assigned to me. "Oh no, another science fair project??" I groan when the teacher’s memo comes home, glancing at my calendar to see when I'll have time to get it done.
Lee, in sixth grade, brought home an assignment so far over his head that I sent him to bed and took over. The teacher, wanting to offer accelerated work to top students, had gotten hold of somebody's old college exam. Essays by two French 18th century Enlightenment philosophers were presented, excerpted from Montesquieu's "Persian Letters" and Voltaire's "Letters on England." The questions included:
"Summarize Montesquieu’s critique of Louis XIV."
"Which aspects of the English political regime appealed to Voltaire?"
"Discuss Voltaire’s characterization of the mercantile character of English society vs. the feudal character of French society."
I sat up well into the night, working on my answers and fielding calls from Lee's friends. "Hi, Josh," I said, picking up the phone around 11:30. "No, Lee’s asleep. But what did you get for, 'How does Montesquieu show that self-interest can overawe justice in human affairs?'"
A few days later, Lee came running down the hill from school waving his graded homework. "Mom!" he yelled from the stop sign across the street. "You got a 74!"
And I have worried too much, sometimes about the right things and sometimes about stupid things. When Seth was 16, there was a party, a bad party, the kind of party you remember fondly from your youth and begin to dread the moment your first baby is born: parents out of town, under-age drinking, pot-smoking, music blasting, drunk boys hooting at passing cars, and neighbors calling the police. The scandal swept the 10th grade.
Seth missed it. He had been upstairs in his room that Saturday night, reading science fiction and playing trombone. As the news of the party tore through the high school community, I, like all the tenth-grade parents, felt very concerned. I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I didn't want to get to the bottom of why these young people were already experimenting with substance abuse. I wanted to get to the bottom of why, while young men of his generation courted arrest, my child was upstairs reading. "So, did you hear the police came to Scott's party Saturday night?" I asked.
"Yeah, well, that was obvious. I knew that would happen. That's why I didn't go" he said. "You were invited?" I asked happily, my chief concern laid to rest.
Donny and I feel most alive, most thickly in the cumbersome richness of life, with children underfoot. The things we like to do, we would just as soon do with children. Is travel really worth undertaking if it involves fewer than two taxis to the airport, three airport luggage carts with children riding and waving on top of them, a rental van and a hall's length of motel rooms? Can sleep be as sweet as when it is wrested from those who would interrupt it? I love the Atlanta Symphony, but it's a sixth-grade band that moves me to tears when the children play the C-scale together for the first time.
Of course we have careers, friends, functions to attend, holiday parties to dress up for. But, by the mid-1980s, we noticed that our favorite part of social events was dressing up for them while small children bounded in and out of the room in excitement. I remembered, from childhood, the sense of anticipation kindled by shower steam wafting into the parents' bedroom at night, mixing with the golden scent of aftershave and the astringent odor of black shoe polish, while a mother sits on the bed in satin under-things pulling on sheer stockings, and the father requires a small girl's help to insert his gold cufflinks. Compared to this build-up, this breathless anticipation of the exclusive and bejeweled affair the children think we're going to, the actual party feels a little anticlimactic. When we reach our destination, at the summit of the long brick walkway across an expensively-maintained green lawn, and the massive door opens to us, and we're swept into the champagne-colored candle-lit rooms, no one gasps: "You both look so beautiful!" We circulate, chuckle with friends, nibble canapés, remember a funny thing that happened years ago, and return home before the children are all asleep so we can be greeted like global celebrities. The children peek down from the top of the stairs. "Are they really home?? Is it really them?" and then slide and leap into our arms while I remove from my purse the chocolate meringue puffs and key-lime shortbread cookies I've wrapped in cocktail napkins and smuggled out of the party for them.
Donny and I loved these times and wanted them to continue. When the clock started to run down on the home team, we brought in ringers. We figured out how to stay in the game.
Love this preview? Read the full, hilarious account of Melissa and Donny's experience raising 9 children by ordering today. No Biking in the House Without a Helmet
When the Child in the Picture is Finally Home: 3 Post Adoption Tips
Why Did My Birth Mom Give Me Up?
Waiting Child Photo Unites Many Families
Older Parent Adoption
Leap of Faith: When are You Too Old to Adopt?
When Friends Become Family
Why it Feels Like My Life has Just Begun at 51
Chasing Elusive Dreams: My Adoption Journey
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These GOP incumbents may be ‘political toast’ in 2020 if they don’t break with Trump now: conservative columnist
In a column in the Washington Post, conservative Jennifer Rubin warned Republican incumbents they may lose re-election in 2020 if they don’t make a public break with Donald Trump before it’s too late.
According to the columnist, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) heads a list of endangered GOP incumbents if the polls are any indication.
“Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has always pitched herself as a pro-choice moderate, has nosedived in the polls since voting to pass Trump’s tax plan and to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh,” Rubin writes, adding, “From a 67 percent/27 percent favorable/unfavorable rating in the first quarter of 2017, she has sunk to 52 percent/39 percent. She’s 25 net points underwater with Democrats.”
Speaking with Rubin, NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue explained that Collins has only herself to blame, explaining Collins’ “slide in popularity is a problem of her own making. Instead of [using] the Kavanaugh moment to cap a career of commitment to women, she chose to cover for a corrupt president, a breach of the trust of voters who won’t forget in 2020.”
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) faces a similar dilemma in his state which is not a Trump stronghold to begin with.
“[Gardener] who won in 2014 by presenting himself as an advocate for women (e.g. stressing access to over-the-counter contraception). In 2017, he started with a 49/30 favorable margin. Now he is at 35/35,” Rubin reported. “If a favorable rating below 50 percent is warning sign for an incumbent, Gardner already has a three-alarm fire on his hands. Provided Democrats run a minimally successful presidential race, he’s very likely political toast.”
Rubin also notes that Trump fatigue is dragging down candidates in conservative states where re-election should be a breeze writing, “Go down the list of 2020 GOP incumbents on the ballot, and you see a similar pattern. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has slid from a 39/30 approval/disapproval split to 34/33; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tumbled from 44/47 to 36/50; and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) fell from 47/37 to 40/37. These politicians’ Trump sycophancy could well cost them their seats.”
According to the columnist, candidates who are in tough races have two choices: continue to back Trump and go down on flames, or risk his wrath and shore up support from the voters who are fleeing them.
“All these Republicans will oppose any effort to impeach Trump (leaving them with a President Pence) and will doggedly support him for reelection, when they instead could have any other Republican — one whose tax plan was not a bust, who didn’t engage in obstructionist behavior and continue to lie about it, who isn’t slavishly devoted to tyrants and who evidences again and again that he is unfit for the job,” she lectured. “No, instead of any other Republican, they want to run with Trump at the top of the ticket. Go figure.”
Calling Republicans “craven” for standing by and trashing their party, Rubin wrote their political obituaries: “They tried trading their honor for political security and now have neither.”
Trump adviser Stephen Miller avoiding press and outsiders as president ramps up racist rhetoric: report
According to a report from the Daily Beast, senior advisor for policy to Donald Trump, Stephen Miller is becoming more reclusive at the White House at the same time that the president is ramping up his hateful rhetoric against immigrants -- a topic on which the controversial Miller has the president's ear.
With the Beast noting, "Over the years, the 33-year-old senior policy adviser to the president has become virtually synonymous with the draconian immigration measures of the administration. He was a driving force behind the president’s brutal family-separation policy, one of the architects of Trump’s 'Muslim travel ban,' constantly agitates against legal immigration levels and refugees, and serves as the top White House speechwriter," the report states that Miller is rarely seen or heard from lately.
Trump defends fans who chanted ‘send her back’ and tells Ilhan Omar she’s ‘lucky to be where she is’
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Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
The Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH and The Reach Group GmbH control capacity utilisation by an automated availability check with the aid of a feed-based integration of product priorities and thus increases sales by 20% as well as conversion rate by 20 % and capacity utilisation by 26 %.
Across Europe, travel company Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH rents out family-friendly glamping sites (glamping = glamorous camping) and holiday homes. The company exemplifies extraordinary customer service and is known to carefully select its travel destinations. Users describe the booking process as straightforward, fast and safe.
As a result of a Google AdWords campaign, Vacanceselect had been generating new bookings on a daily basis. Especially the most popular campsites had been fully booked very quickly. Other camping sites were left with zero bookings. What the campaigns were lacking was information in real-time on which camping sites had free capacities and which did not. In addition to that, the lack of booking information prevented achieving an even utilisation of all camping sites.
Two objectives should be achieved: Firstly keywords should only be bookable, when the respective camping sites had free capacities. Secondly all campsites should be equally utilised. These two objectives should be achieved by an automated availability check with the aid of a feed-based integration of product priorities.
For this purpose Vacanceselect assigns priories on the basis of campsite-capacities. The higher the number of generated bookings of a specific camping site, the lower its priority.
There are many ideas and requirements in our daily business. Through expert advice and outstanding technical realisation The Reach Group ensures the success of our SEA campaigns. The integration of camping site-priorities has increased the utilisation of our camping sites as well as the turnover enormously.
Klaus Schneider, Managing Director Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
Vacanceselect stores information on the respective priorities in a data feed. To automatically and in real-time retrieve the relevant information from the data feed, The Reach Group developed a software solution in the form of a feed tool.
On the basis of the information provided by the data feed, the feed tool helped create labels on keyword-level in Google AdWords. Classic bid management tools do not allow such definitions of labels with corresponding priorities.
Automated AdWords rules help us access label-information and check whether or not the current position of the ad corresponds with its priority. When a high-priority keyword is not placed accordingly, the automated AdWords rule will raise the bid. Likewise, for low-priority keywords, the bid will either be lowered or the ads will simply not be displayed.
Finally the solution described above could be implemented within only a few days. This approach made sure keywords were only bookable when the respective camping sites, too, were bookable. Moreover we achieved the goal of equally utilising all camping sites. Following these adjustments capacity utilisation could be increased by 26 % as well as the conversion rate by 20%.
About Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
Establishment in 1984 by Loek van de Loo
International travel agent under the umbrella of the Vacanceselect International AG
www.vacanceselect.com/de/
Advertisement of camping sites only when available
Even utilisation of all camping sites
Creating labels on the basis of capacities and linking these with automated AdWords rules.
Booking of camping sites solely when there were free capacities
Turnover: +20 %
Conversion rate: +20 %
Capacity utilization: +26 %
SEMY Award 2016 for best SEA-Campaign
www.semyawards.com
Download PDF Back to customers
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The transition from primary to secondary – making communication count
Going into secondary school is a major milestone, not just for the child who is moving school but for the whole family. It’s not just pupils but parents too who can feel a little out of their comfort zone when …
Posted by Toby Lester | 1 week ago
Going into secondary school is a major milestone, not just for the child who is moving school but for the whole family. It’s not just pupils but parents too who can feel a little out of their comfort zone when making the transition between primary and secondary. It’s a major change for everyone.
Not knowing how it all works can make for an anxious time, as the familiar routines are replaced by a new set of rules and procedures.
New classrooms, teachers, friends, homework requirements, ways of travelling to school and the move from the familiar to the unknown can make for an exciting, yet challenging time. In fact, a report by the World Bank identifies the transition to secondary school as one of five important life stage transitions for young people.
Quite rightly, the focus for most schools during the transition period is helping parents prepare their children so they can adjust to their new environment, by giving them as much information as possible.
But flooding parents with too much information can risk overwhelming them, so they switch off from your updates. Too little, and you risk them feeling uncertain and unconnected. It’s crucial at this important time to strike the right balance and put in place the right communication processes from the outset that will help establish the important bridge between home and school, making the whole process less stressful.
So, what information do parents need to help support their children make a seamless transition?
Messaging that matters
It’s widely accepted that involving parents in their children’s education is a powerful motivator of pupil performance. Pupils do better when their families are informed and engaged as they are much better equipped to support them throughout their education journey. Ensuring your messages hit home will play a crucial part in keeping parents connected and onboard.
Using targeted, specific messages will ensure parents know when they receive an email from the school, it will be relevant and needs opening, not forwarding on to the junk folder. Simply pressing ‘Send’ won’t necessarily mean your message will effectively land with parents or carers and get the parental action you might be seeking.
The rule to remember here to get it right is the three Rs – target the right parents, with the right information, at the right time.
Parents new to the school need information that will help guide them through new systems and procedures. They need to know how to contact form tutors or how to book slots at parents’ evening, for example.
Simplify your systems
As the saying goes, ‘less is more.’ This certainly can be applied to multiple school communication systems – having too many could reduce engagement, rather than encourage it. Parents can be confused if the school operates too many systems, as they might not know where to find the information they need.
According to a recent survey carried out by ParentMail, 62% of schools believe using two or more systems to communicate with parents can lead to reduced communication effectiveness. Despite this, 45% admitted to operating more than one parental communication system.
Think about investing in a system that enables you to manage all school information in one place – emails, forms, collecting payments and booking appointments for parents’ evenings. Reducing your communication channels will not only help reduce the workload for staff; it can also save money.
A true test
Not sure if you have the balance right or have chosen the best means of communicating with parents? Ask for feedback! Why not consider sending out a short survey to parents to find out their preferences for things like the timing of newsletters and if they are feeling in the loop or not.
Good communication speaks volumes
Making the transition from primary to secondary is a milestone for both pupils and parents and is the perfect time to harness and capture the enthusiasm of this engaged audience, securing their support for years to come.
As nervous pupils pose for the obligatory first-day photo with hesitant smiles and oversized blazers, now is the time to let parents know how and when you will be contacting them throughout the year. Implementing the right communication processes from day one will establish an important bridge between home and school helping parents to feel reassured knowing there are clear lines of communication in place.
If you’d like to invest in a communications system you can trust, with multiple applications on one platform and a free mobile app, ensuring you reach parents instantly, get in touch with the ParentMail team today.
Drama-free dinner times
Breakfast is still widely considered to be the most important meal of the day, setting children up for a day of learning and fun. Today, a rising number of health-conscious schools and parents are keen to ensure children receive a …
Posted by Rebecca Knight | 1 week ago
Breakfast is still widely considered to be the most important meal of the day, setting children up for a day of learning and fun. Today, a rising number of health-conscious schools and parents are keen to ensure children receive a healthy meal at lunch time, too, with fresh choices available to all students.
Often, when the bell rings for lunch time, hungry students are eager to eat quickly before heading outside for some much-needed play time. The choice of what they eat is often in the hands of mums and dads. Whether it’s a packed lunch or hot meal from the school canteen, parents want to stay on top of their child’s diet both at home and in school.
School food matters
Only 8% of secondary school aged children in the UK are getting their five-a-day. Almost one in five children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, with the number rising to one in three when they start secondary school. In fact, by 2020, it’s estimated that half of all children will be overweight or obese. The health risks relating to obesity are well known, resulting in not only significant physical health risks, but mental health issues, too.
The Department for Education’s School Food Plan lays out guidance for providing nutritious meals and options throughout the school day. There’s an increasing emphasis on creating a positive environment in which children can eat and relax with friends, enjoy appetising meals and learn about cooking nutritious food. We’re seeing a cultural change taking place at lunchtime, both in and outside of the kitchen.
Stronger together – schools and parents
While healthy options are a huge step in the right direction, the importance of parental engagement when it comes to children’s diet also can’t be underestimated. In years past, parents were often unaware of what children were eating at dinner time; today, more schools than ever are offering parents an insight into their child’s meals.
When it comes to healthy eating, parents are a child’s main role-model. Parents have a large influence over what children eat at home, and the environment in which meals are prepared and eaten. While they may not prepare their child’s lunch boxes every day, it is still very important that they know what their child is eating in the school canteen.
Placing the responsibility of dinner selections into parents’ hands is a great way of assuring them that their child has eaten a healthy lunch. Parents are able to plan meals to complement school dinners and make selections according to dietary requirements. When schools and parents work together, it’s easier to develop a culture and ethos around nutritious choices in which children benefit both mentally and physically.
Good habits start in the (school) kitchen
Instilling the importance of making good food choices from a young age is a sure-fire way of starting children off on a road to good health. A nutritious, balanced diet also means children are more likely to feel energised and motivated to learn. In the classroom, a room of well-fed attentive children provides a much happier, serene learning environment in which all students can thrive.
Engaging with parents regularly and emphasising the importance of selecting their children’s dinner choices encourages good habits at home, too. For some households, access to a wide range of fresh and healthy food isn’t always available. Unfortunately, for some children, a nutritious school lunch may be the only proper meal they receive each day.
The stigma around free school meals can make lunch time an anxious experience for students. Some parents claiming FSM for their children may also feel uncomfortable when dealing with their school, building barriers rather than bridges around an important period of a student’s school day. Creating a supportive, discreet environment in which students claiming FSM can collect their dinner and eat happily is very important; maintaining positive and regular communications with hard-to-reach parents is equally as important. When parents feel supported by schools, students feel the benefits of strong home/school partnerships.
Practical steps to dinner time
Collecting dinner choices and managing parent payments is an unavoidable and time-consuming task. Fighting spiralling dinner money debt is an ongoing battle for schools across the UK. Add missing menu choices and managing suppliers into the mix, and schools are often left with unnecessary waste in the kitchen.
It’s clear that schools need a reliable, cost-efficient system which simplifies lunch times in the kitchen while supporting busy parents at home. Our new advance bookings functionality does just that.
Advance bookings from +Pay allows parents to make selections and pay for dinner items immediately or in advance, via a balance. Schools can set payment deadlines and request bookings and payments early, enabling kitchen staff to manage suppliers and reduce waste.
Our new functionality relieves stress in the office by streamlining what was once an on-going tricky task. With simple online bookings and payments, staff are no longer left chasing money and dinner choices from parents; instead, they simply set up menu items (or use saved menus for recurring options), send out to parents and collect online responses quickly and easily. Automated reminders notify parents who are yet to make their selections, without the need for staff to manually contact parents. For parents not online, manual payments can be added to the system, ensuring all parents and students benefit from organised payments and meal choices.
For parents, selecting menu options and topping up balances is quick and easy. With our free mobile app, parents can manage school communications on-the-go with just a few clicks. Our online payments system offers a range of payment methods to suit everyone, including PayPal, debit and credit card and PayPoint. Parents can see an overview of how much they have paid, for which items and over what time period. They can also view how much is owed and where money has been spent, providing a transparent view of their child’s dinner choices.
Make the most of innovative technology to support hassle-free dinner times for staff and students with advance bookings. To find out more, book a free demo or get in touch.
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School’s (almost) out for summer
There are just a few weeks left before schools break up for summer (pause for cheers and applause). As classrooms wind down in anticipation of a well-deserved break, teachers seek out activities to do with classes which feel that little …
Posted by Heidi Riley | 1 week ago
There are just a few weeks left before schools break up for summer (pause for cheers and applause). As classrooms wind down in anticipation of a well-deserved break, teachers seek out activities to do with classes which feel that little bit – well, easier!
We’ve gathered a few fun ideas to serve as inspiration for tired-out teachers everywhere – enjoy!
Plan a picnic
Make the most of Britain’s fleeting summer and get outside with your class to enjoy a picnic. Children can bring along their own packed lunches, or you could even prepare some food together in advance. And, to give it that all important educational spin, a picnic serves as a great opportunity to learn about healthy eating and seasonal ingredients.
Class quizzes
Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned quiz? Set students the task of creating questions and pick your favourites to add a competitive edge to your classroom. For a music quiz, this could involve putting together a summer playlist and challenging children to listen to different music genres. Run a vote for favourite team names and award prizes for category winners!
Get sporty
Chances are, your sports day is fast approaching, so hit the sports field to get in some last minute practice!
It’s the end of term and we’re all feeling a little tired. Even if they don’t seem it, students will likely appreciate a little downtime with a good book. If the sun is kind enough to show its’ face, head outdoors with some good books and enjoy a quiet hour in the shade.
Do something creative
Whether it’s unstructured arts and crafts, creative writing, music or cooking, let their imaginations run wild. Encourage your class to write a summer-themed poem, short story or even to build a sandy beach or miniature garden. Maybe get your hands dirty and plant some sunflower seeds together, a great way to learn about photosynthesis and the life-cycle of plants.
Allow younger students to bring along their favourite game or toy for a whole day of show-and-tell fun! Avoid lost property box havoc by recommending children bring just one thing each.
From the whole team at ParentMail, we hope you enjoy your last few weeks of term and wish you all a super chilled summer break!
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Early Years education – the building blocks to success
According to a recent survey, when it comes to academic achievement, choosing a nursery could be more important than a choice of secondary school. Researchers recently found that the contribution of a school to variation in pupil attainment is ‘relatively …
Posted by Heidi Riley | 2 weeks ago
According to a recent survey, when it comes to academic achievement, choosing a nursery could be more important than a choice of secondary school.
Researchers recently found that the contribution of a school to variation in pupil attainment is ‘relatively small’; the impact of what parents may consider to be a ‘good’ secondary school (based on GCSE results and Ofsted results, for example) adds only a small amount of extra value over a ‘bad’ secondary school. Between 2003 and 2016, researchers looked at data from approximately 3,000 secondary schools and found the difference in attainment linked to schools is below 10% of the total variance between children.
In fact, the survey found that while there is some impact on children’s academic achievement through some school initiatives, there is ‘most scope’ to do this outside of school, through parental engagement and good quality early years education.
David Wilkinson, a principal research associate at UCL and one of the report’s authors, stated: “Overall, while some school-led initiatives may have a part to play in attainment levels, it is likely that parental investments in children’s education and early years interventions could have significantly more influence on pupil attainment.”
Early childhood education has a lasting impact on children’s long-term academic success, according to research. Early years learning builds the foundation for later education, all the way through to the end of secondary school. For parents, it is easy to see why choosing their child’s nursery is such a big decision!
Sue Atkins explored the impact of parental engagement during a child’s time in nursery in a recent blog. Research found that parental involvement had a significant impact on children’s home learning environments and, in most cases, improved their academic progress.
With parents on the hunt for their perfect nursery, a focus on parental engagement is a sure fire way to stand out against competitors. Strong communications (be it newsletters, regular updates, messages or event invitations) assure mums and dads that they will be kept up to date with their child’s time in your care. Parents also continue your team’s great work at home; sharing information about what their child did that day or particularly enjoyed is a fantastic way of supporting a child’s progress before school.
A free mobile App adds extra value to your nursery setting. With ParentMail, mums and dads can go about their day with confidence, knowing that your nursery can reach them at any time. Nursery-branded messages and emails reach parents instantly, giving your nursery an extra special and professional touch.
While parent communications may have been a burden on your busy team until now, our communications platform takes the weight off your shoulders with flexible scheduling. Prepare your news and messages in advance to automatically send at a pre-set time and date – it’s that easy! You can also sort children into groups (classes, age groups, events etc) allowing you to send communications out to the appropriate parents with ease.
Choose a communications platform that supports not only your children but your business, too, with ParentMail. Get in touch to arrange a free demo to take a look around today.
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Langstone Junior School save over £9000 with ParentMail
The team at Langstone Junior School are self-confessed ParentMail ambassadors, having saved over £9,000 this academic year! Langstone Juniors are a busy school with an even busier office team, with more than 330 students. Thanks to the help of ParentMail’s …
Posted by James Laver | 2 weeks ago
The team at Langstone Junior School are self-confessed ParentMail ambassadors, having saved over £9,000 this academic year!
Langstone Juniors are a busy school with an even busier office team, with more than 330 students. Thanks to the help of ParentMail’s Messaging and Parents’ Evening Manager solutions, the school are excelling at all things parental engagement and reaping the rewards as a result.
“As a team, we wanted to make the most of ParentMail and everything it had to offer. I started from the beginning with the platform and learned everything there is to know to make it work for our school. Today, we wouldn’t be without it!” says Lorraine Reeves, Administrator.
“The results speak for themselves. This academic year alone, after staff time, paper and print, we’ve saved over £9,000. Before ParentMail we relied on photocopying and paper for our parent communications which was very expensive and inefficient. Schools can’t rely on children to pass along school newsletters and forms, and we can’t always rely on busy mums and dads to respond. ParentMail has made a huge difference to our parental engagement.”
“100% of parents are signed up to ParentMail which means that we can be confident that every single parent is receiving the important news and information they need. What’s more, nearly 90% of parents are using the free mobile App. We encourage parents to use the App at every opportunity. It makes staying in touch with the school so convenient for them – whether they’re at home or work, no one is without their mobile phone these days!”
“The reporting system is incredibly helpful. On occasion, parents may claim not to have been told about certain things. When this happens, we can simply check our report to see whether they received a particular message and even whether they opened it. When it comes to sending out parents’ evening invites, we have easy access to data which tells us how many parents have booked appointments and who is yet to respond to the invitation. I can then send out reminder messages to prompt parents into booking.”
“Parents’ Evening Manager is a huge time saver. The amount of time we’ve saved and the support we’re able to give to teachers now is fantastic; it’s no longer their responsibility to chase students and parents to book appointments. Instead, it’s down to parents to book. We send out a message in advance to let them know when appointments will be available and then watch bookings come in – it’s so easy!”
“There are so many ways to save time with ParentMail. The templates are very helpful. ParentMail has a selection of default templates ready to go but we’ve also built our own, and everything can be branded with our school letterhead. We run a variety of after-school clubs and arrange lots of trips and events; we have groups set up for all of these things, enabling us to share the appropriate information with the right parents – all of these handy tools save our team time, every day.”
“We don’t often need help with ParentMail but on the rare occasions that we do, we can rely on Live Chat. The Support team are very professional and friendly and any issues are resolved very quickly. Phone support is also really helpful. I’m always very impressed with the Support team when I contact them.”
“We’ve just signed up for four more years with ParentMail. Their flexible subscriptions are too good to miss and I wouldn’t be without the system today. Any schools looking into ParentMail as a solution to save time, engage with parents and save money, I would say yes, without a doubt – ParentMail is for you!”
If saving time and money are at the top of your agenda from September, get in touch now to book a free demo with ParentMail.
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Ah, the school run. No matter how early it starts or how well it’s planned, somehow, it ends with a mad rush out the door. After school, the clock is still against us. The average nine-to-five day and long hours …
Ah, the school run. No matter how early it starts or how well it’s planned, somehow, it ends with a mad rush out the door. After school, the clock is still against us. The average nine-to-five day and long hours often conflict with school pick-ups, leaving many parents seeking additional childcare support.
It’s no surprise that school runs and after-school pick-ups leave many parents feeling stressed. The number of mothers to children of toddler age returning to full-time work is on the rise, having increased by over 10% from 1997 to 2017. Furthermore, the employment rate of fathers with children aged three or four is over 93%. Modern family life is busier than ever. Mums and dads are juggling the school run, childcare and long working hours on a daily basis.
The benefits of a healthy breakfast are well known. However, for some busy families, squeezing in time to eat and drink in the morning is difficult. Equally, after-school clubs offer a cost-efficient, safe and reliable service to parents unable to collect children at pick-up time. Wraparound care is fast becoming a need-to-have, rather than a nice-to-have, for reasons beyond simply providing healthy breakfasts for children.
Research shows that children who attend extra-curricular classes benefit in a number of areas. From improved social skills to new-found confidence, after-school clubs offer more than just a safe place to stay after school.
Children who frequently take part in after school activities are more likely to show higher levels of attention and participation in class. They are also less likely to develop behavioural problems.
Breakfast and after-school classes provide children with the opportunity to engage in new interests and take part in activities otherwise unavailable to them at home or in school. The opportunity to pursue new skills in music, sport or art, over video games, television or social media can only be a good thing for young people. Who knows, they might even get homework done on time!
Given the opportunity, most parents would prefer to spend as much time with their children as possible. However, work often interrupts family life. For this reason, breakfast clubs and after-school activities provide a safe, reliable, and affordable alternative for childcare, enabling parents to pursue careers and get to work on time!
Knowing children have received a healthy breakfast and are safe at school is obviously reassuring for busy mums and dads. When it comes to after-school clubs, many parents would prefer to know their child is happily involved in some kind of extracurricular activity than in another form of childcare.
In the UK, childminders cost approximately £5 an hour and babysitters can cost upwards of £9 an hour, on average. Two hours a day, five days a week; after-school care soon adds up, making after-school clubs preferable to many parents. For children, too, spending time with schoolmates and taking part in sports and activities makes for a far more enjoyable afternoon!
In the classroom, research found that children who eat breakfast are twice as likely to perform well in tests and assessments than those who start learning on an empty stomach. Children who attend after-school clubs develop better attention spans and confidence, making them more likely to take part in class. Behaviour in students who regularly participate in extracurricular activities is thought to improve, too.
Homework clubs provide children with a quiet environment to complete work, with access to computers, Wi-Fi and additional support – important educational tools, which may be unavailable to some children at home.
Parents who feel supported by wraparound care services are more likely to build stronger relationships with school staff. And, when parents and schools work together, students benefit in the long-run.
For schools, managing wraparound care can apply extra pressure to busy school teams., The planning and organisation required goes above and beyond that of day-to-day school operations. We have received regular feedback from schools suggesting that a new level of functionality for wraparound care management would help them better plan for breakfast and after school clubs. For this reason, we’re very pleased to announce the release of our new advance bookings functionality.
Advance bookings
Advance bookings is our new feature that supports schools to better plan and cater for pupil lunch choices, breakfast and after-school club bookings, by allowing parents to make selections, book places and pay immediately, or in advance via a balance.
The flexible functionality enables schools to set payment deadlines and request bookings and payments early. This helps kitchen teams manage suppliers and reduce waste.
When parents book attendance and pay for selected items, the system updates automatically – particularly helpful for clubs with limited spaces. For parents who need to book their child’s attendance onto part of a session only, the system ensures spaces remain available for the corresponding part of the club.
For busy parents, ParentMail’s free mobile app makes managing their children’s account quick and convenient. Menus and payment details are clear and concise. This provides parents with an overview of how much they have paid, for items over a period of time. Parents can see how much is owed and where money has been spent, reducing parent debt in the long-run.
Automated reminders notify parents who are yet to make their selections, without the school office having to manually send alerts. For parents who are not online, manual payments can be added to the system.
We’ve built our new advance bookings functionality in response to the changing needs of schools and the challenges facing the education sector today. We’re dedicated to growing with schools and have supported their transition into the digital world since 2001. To find out more about new advance bookings, book a free demo and get in touch.
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Toddle In Private Day Nursery save time and money with ParentMail
The team at Toddle In Private Day Nursery have enjoyed a huge improvement in their parental engagement with the help of ParentMail. With over 100 children in their care and as many busy parents, Toddle In’s communications were floundering. “Before …
The team at Toddle In Private Day Nursery have enjoyed a huge improvement in their parental engagement with the help of ParentMail.
With over 100 children in their care and as many busy parents, Toddle In’s communications were floundering.
“Before ParentMail, our monthly newsletter was a real chore.” Says Karli Booth, Nursery Manager. “Often, we’d have a load of copies left over which hadn’t been collected and, for those parents who did take them home, we knew they weren’t reading it; parents would complain that they’d missed information or hadn’t been told about things. It was clear that a paper newsletter wasn’t the right way of sharing information. It took hours to write and print and the print costs were also high. In the end, we stopped using them altogether.”
Busy mums and dads are rarely without their mobile phones. When it came to sharing important information and news, online messaging was the clear choice.
“It’s been just a few months since we launched ParentMail. We already have more than 90% of parents signed up and over 60% are using the free mobile App. The reporting system even tells us who has read messages and who hasn’t. We have a very small number of parents for whom English is a second language; these parents prefer a paper copy and ParentMail makes it really easy to print out paper versions. Nobody misses out on news and information anymore.”
“We used to use text messaging for urgent information, but we always struggled with the character limit. With ParentMail, we can share as much information as we need to. As Nursery Manager, I also receive a lot of information for external services. For example, as summer approaches, I recently received an email regarding school readiness. In the past, I would print the attachments out and stick them up on the notice board, but they’d often be forgotten or ignored. Now, I can forward the relevant information to parents with PDF attachments.”
“I also love the scheduling assistant. I include details of upcoming events in the monthly newsletter, but it’s helpful to remind parents a few days before. For graduation and photograph day, I recently scheduled a couple of text message reminders in the run up to the event. I don’t have to remember to text parents in time any more, which used to be really tricky when I was busy with so many other things. Instead, I can get all my communications prepared well in advance and get on with the day job, knowing everything is sorted.”
“For staff, we don’t have to spend time chasing parents or tracking down responses to forms. In the past, if we ever needed parents to complete a form or provide feedback, for example, we’d print out over 100 forms and hand write names on all of them. It was time-consuming and expensive. Now we can attach the form to an email and track the responses as they’re returned. Parents have the option to print it out and return by hand, if that’s what they prefer.”
“The platform itself is easy to navigate and straight-forward. My Deputy-Manager also uses the basics and we both find it helpful and user-friendly. There have been no complaints from parents, either. In fact, our parental engagement has really improved, which is important for the children in our care, so we’re very happy.”
“We’re always busy and ParentMail is supporting us to save time every day. I’d recommend ParentMail to any nursery looking to save time, reduce print and paper costs and stay in touch with parents!”
Are you looking to upgrade your nursery communications? Then get in touch! Our flexible system offers a range of cost-effective solutions guaranteed to save your busy team time and money.
St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School are proving the benefits of fantastic parental engagement with the help of ParentMail’s full suite of applications! “We use it all day, every day.” Says PA to Headteacher, Elaine Warren. “We decided as a …
St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School are proving the benefits of fantastic parental engagement with the help of ParentMail’s full suite of applications!
“We use it all day, every day.” Says PA to Headteacher, Elaine Warren. “We decided as a team that if we were going to introduce ParentMail in the school office, we were going to utilise all of the solutions available to support our parent communications. We’re definitely feeling the benefits now!”
Easy parents’ evening management!
For their busy team, Parents’ Evening Manager stands out as a favourite. “When you add up all the hours we’d usually spend arranging timetables and managing parent responses, we’ve easily saved a day’s work planning parents’ evening. Previously, we planned the event with paper appointment slips. As and when slips were returned to the office, we’d have to set aside hours to manage appointments. With ParentMail, the whole process is paperless. We also used to spend a lot of time chasing missing forms, so the reminders are very helpful for prompting parents yet to respond.”
Keeping in touch with parents
For day to day parent communications, the school are saving money by utilising messaging and email over text; “We save text messages for the few parents we know who prefer that method, so we know our communications reach all parents and no one is missed out. With ParentMail messaging, we aren’t limited to the number of characters we can use and parents receive messages instantly.”
“Most of our parents are using the free parent App to manage school communications. Parents are never far away from their phones, so the App is great for ensuring parents receive important information quickly and reliably. With summer just around the corner, we’re encouraging new parents to register their accounts and install the App before children start in September.”
“We have groups set up to manage communications by class and year group, and we send a variety of information to parents; newsletters, fliers for the PTA, surveys and questionnaires… We recently used it as a voting system to elect new parent governors – it’s a great way of improving parent communication.”
Easy form collection
“When it comes to forms, I love that we don’t have to produce our own reports; ParentMail does it all for us. We save templates for communications we’ll use again in the future, and can make any amends we need to. We run a variety of after-school clubs, trips and extra-curricular activities. Collecting parent permissions is very convenient with ParentMail. I can see the responses coming in and can send reminders if I need to. It’s a great time saver.”
Going cashless
“We’re really pleased with +Pay. We’re practically cashless as almost all parents pay for school items with +Pay. Our bursar is really pleased with the payment reports; they clearly tell us everything we need to know, making it easy to stay on top of finances.”
“Live Chat is helpful and the training was great. We’ve learned everything else as we go along! Even the staff members who were a little wary of taking on an online system have been won over by ParentMail. We’d recommend the platform to any school considering it – it’s such a flexible system and can do so much for schools.”
Join St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School in upgrading your parent communications strategy with ParentMail’s premium suite.
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Parental engagement as a force for good – tackling school exclusions
With the subject of off-rolling raising concerns across the country, Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, recently called on school leaders to reduce exclusions. While protocol states that exclusion should only ever be a last resort, the number of permanent and fixed …
With the subject of off-rolling raising concerns across the country, Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, recently called on school leaders to reduce exclusions.
While protocol states that exclusion should only ever be a last resort, the number of permanent and fixed term exclusions continues to rise. The Timpson Review found that 78% of expelled pupils either had special educational needs (SEN), were eligible for free school meals (FSM) or were “in need”. In addition, more than 80% of parents of permanently excluded children said they received inadequate support in finding an alternative place for their child.
The reasons behind exclusions are numerous, with the most common including persistent disruptive behaviour, aggression against staff and students, verbal abuse and bullying. In such cases, schools often have little choice but to remove a student. However, studies have explored alternative preventative action to intercept poor behaviour before exclusion is reached.
A 2008 Ofsted study on Good Practice in Re-Engaging Disaffected and Reluctant Students in Secondary Schools investigated the ways in which 29 secondary schools (a total of 32,987 students) managed the behaviour of disengaged students – approximately 13% of the student population. Disaffection was defined as displaying one or more of the following: regular non-compliance, regular disruption leading to recurrent entries in school’s incident logs, recurring fixed term exclusions as well as absence of 20% or more of the school year.
Schools were successful in re-engaging 78% of disaffected students. Schools trialled a number of methods in supporting pupils, including sharing their commitment to helping students succeed with students and their families; communication with parents was considered a highly effective method in re-engaging distant pupils.
Communicating school news and information with parents is important in developing productive relationships. When it comes to managing behavioural issues and academic concerns, however, working closely with parents is also vitally important; once excluded, research finds that only 1% of excluded children go onto achieve five GCSEs. The risks of exclusion are well known. As such, it falls on schools and parents to work together in seeking the appropriate solution.
Research proves that disaffected students often benefit from robust monitoring of academic, personal and social progress. Working closely with parents to share observations ensures a consistent approach in supporting the student both at home and in school. When parents are included in their child’s education, teachers often feel supported in the classroom and are better placed to work with students in areas requiring further attention. For students, an extra level of support between parents and school staff can make a huge difference.
Busy parents and rising student populations can make crossing the home/school divide difficult for staff and teachers. The benefits of a socially inclusive platform in bridging the gap are proven. With a mobile App, parents can access school information and messages from home, work and at a time convenient for them. Flexible communications allow schools to manage communications on a student by student basis, as well as for whole classes and year groups.
At ParentMail, we know the numerous benefits of socially inclusive EdTech designed to meet the challenges of today’s education sector. Bridging the gap between home and school for the benefit of students has been at the heart of our technology since day one! If you’re a school looking to improve parent communications, get in touch today to find out how we can help.
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Summer roll-up made easy
As the summer term comes to a close, school staff are busy saying goodbye to their 2019 leavers and preparing for new starters. Summer events, exam season and the usual end-of-year wrap up makes the last few weeks in the …
Posted by Heidi Riley | 1 month ago
As the summer term comes to a close, school staff are busy saying goodbye to their 2019 leavers and preparing for new starters. Summer events, exam season and the usual end-of-year wrap up makes the last few weeks in the run-up to the summer holiday a busy time for office teams. That’s why our summer roll-up process is designed to be anything but complicated!
For those moments where you could use a helping hand, our Support team are never far away. No matter how big or small your question or query, there’s a convenient way to get in touch with us; here’s how we can help your school this summer!
Our knowledgeable and friendly Support team are available via Live Chat to provide the help you need in moments. In fact, even during our busiest times of the year, on average, our team will respond to customer queries in no longer than 90 seconds – they’re so speedy, we think they should wear capes!
Simply share your question with a friendly advisor and they’ll be happy to guide you through the roll-up process or lend a hand if you encounter any difficulties, freeing you up to get on with your day.
Check out our Help Site
We’re regularly updating and improving our school help site for your benefit. Finding advice and instructions is easy with the handy search function powered by Google; simply type in a question or keyword and an answer is at your fingertips in seconds!
Our helpful videos demonstrate easy-to-follow guidance on many processes. The Help Site also offers a range of step-by-step instructions for carrying out your roll-up, from start to finish, for a variety of MIS. You can access the help site within your ParentMail account – simply click ‘Help’.
Our on-site training is handy at any time of the year, but particularly for your summer roll up! Book a half or full day on-site session and a ParentMail expert will stop by to deliver training tailored to your needs. We can walk you through your summer roll-up, train up new staff and provide a refresher in any areas or processes that would be helpful for you – simply let us know what you need, and we’ll design a session to meet your needs.
We’ll call you
For those moments where you’d rather pick up the phone, simply arrange for a member of the team to call you back. To keep things clear and simple, we can remotely access your ParentMail platform during the call, guiding you through the roll-up process and answering any questions you might have as we go along.
During one of the busiest times of the year, we’re here to help. Email us at feedback@parentmail.co.uk to arrange a phone call with a support advisor or for support with any questions or queries you might have, or register your interest for on-site training. We’re waiting to hear from you!
Introducing our new and improved School Help Site
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new School Help Site, now live and ready to answer any questions...
IRIS Education Summer Roadshow details and agenda
The IRIS Education Summer Roadshow is almost here! Starting from the 26th of June and taking place at three locations...
It’s been over three years since we began our partnership with world-wide payments provider, PayPal. To this day, it remains a match made in heaven! Since launch, we’re proud to have enabled millions of parents to pay for school dinners …
Posted by Rebecca Knight | 1 month ago
It’s been over three years since we began our partnership with world-wide payments provider, PayPal. To this day, it remains a match made in heaven!
Since launch, we’re proud to have enabled millions of parents to pay for school dinners and other school items in a matter of seconds. Cashless payments are the method of choice for schools across the country and, as the first school payments provider on the market leading the way by offering PayPal, +Pay is continuing to lead the way with flexible parent-payment-friendly EdTech!
At home, online payments are fast becoming the consumer’s favourite payments method. Purchasing everyday items on the web or via apps is quick and easy, and can be far cheaper than withdrawing cash.
Understandably, parents now expect that same level of security and convenience when it comes to paying for school items. Since our integration with PayPal in 2015, thousands of schools have recognised the importance of providing parents with a straightforward, secure way to purchase uniform, pay for locker rentals, top up dinner money and more, and made the switch to +Pay!
Over 20 million consumers use PayPal every year. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that it remains the method of choice for millions of parents when it comes to purchasing school items through our free mobile app. The numbers speak for themselves; during the first 12 months of PayPal’s integration with +Pay in 2015, nearly 30,000 transactions were made through PayPal. This number has soared in the years since, and during the past 12 months alone, more than 1,640,000 PayPal transactions were processed for school items.
We endeavour to bridge the gap between everyday technology and school life with safe, secure and trusted online school payments.
With our free mobile App, handy low-balance reminders and push notifications help parents stay on top of school payments from the comfort of home or whilst on the go. Flexible payment options, including PayPal, mean busy mums and dads can top up in seconds; with over 99.6% scheduled up time in 2018, +Pay is a platform both parents and schools can rely on. Convenience, ease-of-use and social inclusivity remains at the heart of our technology, just as it did at the start of our +Pay journey.
When parents are given the right tools for the job, schools are better placed to manage budgets, reduce waste and make dinner-money debt history. Switching is easy – find out how +Pay could support huge cost savings for your school, get in touch today.
70% of parents think a mobile app makes it easier to pay!
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Five reasons to go cashless
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Exam season is a time of worry and stress for all involved – students, parents and teachers. It’s crucial that schools communicate and support families during this time so that there can be a strong network for children. In the …
Posted by Sue Atkins | 1 month ago
Exam season is a time of worry and stress for all involved – students, parents and teachers. It’s crucial that schools communicate and support families during this time so that there can be a strong network for children.
In the video below, Sue Atkins looks at some top tips for ensuring a stress-free revision period! These include allowing yourself to fail occasionally, ensuring you get lots of rest in-between revision, structuring the information you need to retain and practicing answering exam questions, getting outside in the fresh air and much, much more!
A system like ParentMail allows schools to send regular communications to parents, ensuring they are kept in the loop on upcoming exams and sharing revision tips. For students who need specific help, the system allows schools to contact individual or groups of parents with ease. Attachments can also be sent home, and can be delivered straight into the hands of parents with our free handy mobile App!
Get in touch to find out how ParentMail can help your school with stress-free parent communications to support students.
The IRIS Education Summer Roadshow is almost here! Starting from the 26th of June and taking place at three locations across the UK, this is your opportunity to learn how the IRIS family of products can help your school or …
The IRIS Education Summer Roadshow is almost here! Starting from the 26th of June and taking place at three locations across the UK, this is your opportunity to learn how the IRIS family of products can help your school or MAT and to meet the team behind PS Financials, ParentMail, Truancy Call, BioStore and PS Assets.
The schedule is jam-packed with new product launches, software updates, and the opportunity to speak to our team about the challenges your schools are facing.
At our last event, 100% of attendees said they would recommend it to their colleagues!
If you’re interested in joining us, register your interest now to reserve a spot.
https://psfinancials.com/iris-edu-roadshow/
9.00 – Registration & refreshments
9.20 – Introduction
Welcome and IRIS Education update.
9.45 – Why are parents so hard to engage?
Join us as we explore what good home-school communication looks like and how schools can create strong relationships with parents while reclaiming their precious time.
10.30 – ‘Teacher shortage’ or ‘short-sightedness’?
Learn how to leverage present-day technology to identify, attract and keep the best of a shrinking teacher resource, and look towards the future of education staff management.
11.00 – Refreshment Break
11.15 – Product Update for PS Financials
The latest PS Financials product updates and an overview of connectivity and collaboration in FY20 – session also includes how to make the most of your assets with PS Assets.
12.00 – ‘Large intake in September? More students doesn’t have to mean more work.’
The number of secondary school students continues to climb, stretching school resources. Learn how to take the pressure off by empowering teachers and students to manage their own school lives.
12.45 – ‘Card, cheque, or… Cashless?’
Cheques and cash are outdated, as today’s parents migrate to digital payment options. Join Jonny Ross as he outlines the benefits of cashless technology and how to hit the ground running.
13.30 – Lunch & Networking
14.30 – Event close
It’s time to remind parents about sunhats and sunscreen, which can mean only one thing – summer is here and your nursery calendar is jam-packed with exciting events. Teddy bear picnics, parent meetings, graduations – there’s a lot to think …
It’s time to remind parents about sunhats and sunscreen, which can mean only one thing – summer is here and your nursery calendar is jam-packed with exciting events. Teddy bear picnics, parent meetings, graduations – there’s a lot to think about, plenty to plan for and so much to enjoy! With beaming parents keen to make the most of every second of their children’s fun-filled events, parental engagement is a top priority.
Busy nurseries need a cost-effective platform to take the pressure off parent communications. However, it’s not just about sharing newsletters and updates; your parental engagement strategy could do so much more to support you and your busy business. Here’s how…
Parent data
With reliable, accurate data at your fingertips, staying in touch with parents becomes far easier; but where do you keep it? Unless you’re a formula wizard, spreadsheets can prove inflexible and tricky to navigate; paper files are even harder to manage, not to mention a big security risk. When it comes to data protection, mobile address books raise concerns, too, and sending text messages en masse is impersonal and expensive. Organised data empowers your nursery communications to reach 100% of the right parents, 100% of the time.
Storing parent contact information with ParentMail provides total peace of mind that your data is secure, accessible and organised. ParentMail syncs seamlessly with your MIS and ensures parent data is up to date and correct. You can sort children by class and age group, amend contact information with ease and add additional carer details as required (i.e. for grandparents or other family members). With data organised appropriately, your communications can be tailored for particular classes and contact lists; assigning mailing lists for your messages is simple, giving you the freedom to select primary or secondary contacts, classes, year groups or even individual parents. ParentMail provides a fail-safe, flexible platform which makes managing data easy.
Staying in touch
Morning, noon and night, your hands (and head) are busy with events, activities and errands, making planning parent communications hard work – where do you find the time? While we can’t write your newsletters for you, we do understand the challenges and practicalities of producing timely, proactive communications. Imagine knowing that your parent communications are prepared for the next week, month or term – ParentMail makes that possible so that you can get on with the day job.
When you find a free hour to sit down with your laptop, ParentMail supports you with a super user-friendly platform to manage an end-to-end parental engagement strategy. With handy time-saving templates, Online Form building and solutions to plan events with ease, your communications become proactive, professional and reliable. When it comes to sending communications, simply choose the appropriate mailing list (maybe the Butterfly class have outdoor play scheduled, or it’s a friendly reminder about the graduation ceremony) and schedule the message for the appropriate time and date. You can even attach photographs for those super special moments, an extra feature which parents love.
Mums and dads receive all news and updates with our free parent App. That means busy on-the-go parents receive important communications instantly and can check in with the latest nursery goings-on at a time convenient for them. For those who prefer a traditional method, ParentMail make it easy to supply paper copies of all communications, ensuring every parent is reached and no one is left out. Built with both parents and nurseries in mind, our App makes managing nursery life easy for mums and dads so that you receive a great response.
How is it going?
With communications under control and parent data at its best, it’s important to track how well your news and messages are performing. Maybe parents didn’t respond well to your reminder for fees or failed to show up for the teddy bear picnic; our platform has it covered with simple reporting to detail which emails have reached recipients and which have been, or are yet to be, opened. This is particularly helpful for items which are time specific. For parents yet to respond, simply send a reminder or prompt parents to check their inbox and contact details in the App.
Strong relationships between your nursery and parents are vitally important, not only for the children in your care. Word of mouth goes a long way when it comes to managing your reputation and a focus on communications could set your brand apart from the rest. Most importantly, our reliable, easy-to-use platform supports you every day to save time and protect budgets. ParentMail communications solutions are super cost-effective, delivering a five-star service at an affordable price. We’d love to show you around and share solutions to your parental engagement problems, so get in touch – we’re waiting from you!
Early Years – communicating with parents is the key to success
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Breaking down parental engagement barriers with EdTech
For many families, the prospect of crossing the school threshold is a terrifying one. Though many schools may spend a...
You asked, and we listened! We’re very excited to share with you that our new Advance Bookings functionality is soon to be released. The update includes a number of helpful benefits to drive efficiency, protect school budgets and make life …
Posted by Heidi Riley | 2 months ago
You asked, and we listened! We’re very excited to share with you that our new Advance Bookings functionality is soon to be released. The update includes a number of helpful benefits to drive efficiency, protect school budgets and make life easier for parents.
We’ve listened to your feedback to understand the challenges schools face when it comes to dinner and club selections, parent responses and payments. From this summer, parents will be able to select and pay for items in advance. This means you can better plan and cater for school dinner choices, breakfast and after-school clubs, vastly reducing unnecessary waste and parent debt.
Support suppliers and diminish debt
Advance Bookings help both schools and parents to plan ahead and manage payments in plenty of time. New payment and menu items are entirely flexible, so schools can determine specific options, including date ranges, meal choices and item prices. The new functionality enables schools to set deadlines and request payments and selections in advance to manage supplier costs and budgets.
Grab and go menus and prompting parents
Custom templates can be saved for later use, cutting out the need to build recurring menus. Customised notifications can be configured to notify parents of new items, ensuring schools receive selections and payments quickly and efficiently – all online!
Schools also have the choice to make particular options mandatory; no more missing options, paper dinner registers or clunky spreadsheets to manually update and check.
To help schools manage parent debt, schools can choose to offer a pre-pay option or a pay-as-you-go option.
For pre-pay, the parent ‘pre-loads’ their account balance. They can then select their menu or club bookings, and the school uses the pre-loaded account balance as payment for their selection. This option allows for a debt threshold to be applied to accounts, and administrators can configure and manage the debt amounts on an account-by-account basis.
The pay-as-you-go option also lets parents select meals or book clubs in advance; as the selections are made, the system totals the amount due, and payment is made immediately in the +Pay checkout.
Selections on-the-go
For busy parents, the free ParentMail app makes managing their child’s accounts quick and convenient.
Menus and payments are concise and clear, so parents can see exactly how much they have paid, for what items and over what period of time. Parents can see what they owe, and where their money has been spent, without fear of their account balance running out or accidentally falling into debt.
Automated reminders notify parents who still need to make their selections, without schools needing to manually send alerts. For parents who are not online, manual payments can be added to the system in the school office to keep all money in the appropriate account and all children using the same system.
Responsive, flexible functionality
This innovative new functionality enables flexible club and event management, too. For clubs with limited spaces, for example, the system updates automatically when parents book their child’s attendance and pay for their selected items. This ensures no awkward overbookings. However, for parents who want their child to attend just part of a session, the system takes this into account and ensures spaces remain available for the corresponding part of the club.
Advance Bookings functionality is expected for release this summer – keep an eye out for more information!
Do you want to streamline and improve payments in your school? If it’s a flexible and accessible parental engagement system you’re looking for, we’ve got the answer! Get in touch to arrange a free demo or to register your interest in our Advance Bookings release.
How important is parental engagement in Early Years?
Parental involvement in your nursery helps parents to become interested and understand what’s going on behind all of their child’s activities, empowering them to support their children and continue the good work you do every day.
Posted by Sue Atkins | 2 months ago
Why do you need to have engaged parents in your nursery setting? Apart from the crucial role engaged parents play in your Ofsted inspection, the number one reason, of course, is that it’s good for the children!
And that’s not all; parental engagement is the surest way to gain good feedback on the running of your nursery, as honest and open communication is what drives you to keep improving.
Happy, up-to-date parents better understand the work you do and can see the essential role you play in the differences you make. As a business, it is happy parents who make or break your reputation, and they are the quickest route to more referrals, improved numbers as well as continued revenue.
Research Highlights the Benefits of Parental Involvement in Home Learning
Eighteen schools across Greater Manchester took part in PEN’s Engaging Parents Effectively Project, which prioritised disadvantaged three and four-year-olds and those eligible for the Early Years Pupil Premium.
Nursery staff were trained to work closely with parents to support them in helping their children to learn. They found that parental involvement had a significant effect on the children’s home learning environment and, in most cases, it also improved their academic progress.
Under the trial, staff in intervention schools were trained in the Home Learning Project and delivered the ‘intervention’ to families over the course of an academic year. Parents were invited to attend two to four workshops per term and were provided with take-home activities and Play Club bags related to maths, phonics and other aspects of the EYFS.
Parents and teachers measured children’s outcomes before and after the programme.
In terms of the impact on staff, the analysis revealed that 94% of staff reported they had gained more confidence and skills in working with parents through the training and implementing the project.
Most schools thought that the intervention had a positive effect on the children’s progress in the EYFS profile outcomes. According to the evaluation, at one particular school, Claremont Primary School, 70% of the children involved in the project made accelerated progress in teacher-assessed reading, as well as speaking compared with the year group as a whole.
Staff also reported that their relaxed, informal, hands-on workshops helped to build good relationships among parents, as well as between parents and staff, leading to some parents supporting each other to do the activities.
Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust and the Education Endowment Foundation, said, “We know that the attainment gap between the richest and the poorest pupils begins before they’ve even started school. Tackling this gap early on is critical to breaking the cycle of disadvantage and improving social mobility.”
Does your nursery have a mobile app for parents?
Engaging nursery parents in the real world through informal, fun workshops has been shown to really improve parental engagement and children’s academic progress. Engaging parents with a familiar and convenient platform, such as a mobile App, further strengthens relationships, ensuring powerful communications that add real value to your nursery setting.
Today’s tech-savvy parents are accustomed to accessing all of their information at the press of a button. In fact, many millennials are likely to consult apps and the web for parenting advice even before reaching out to friends or family members! For this reason, innovative, user-friendly technology such as ParentMail is a sure-fire way to deliver important information quickly and reliably, ensuring you reach all parents, all the time! Get in touch today to find out more!
Until recently, whiteboards were blank canvases written on in dry-wipe marker. Now, they have several thousand times more computing power than the Apollo mission that first put man on the moon. This shift in consumer and education technology has happened …
Posted by Geoff Jones | 2 months ago
Until recently, whiteboards were blank canvases written on in dry-wipe marker. Now, they have several thousand times more computing power than the Apollo mission that first put man on the moon.
This shift in consumer and education technology has happened in just over half a century; tech changes at such a rapid pace that if you don’t make a concerted effort, you may struggle to keep pace. Every day, new tools are developed for an ever-evolving education landscape.
While EdTech isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of education, it’s undeniable that technology is driving the UK education scene, and the DfE are adopting a tech-led strategy. School processes and even teaching best practice must adapt with it if they want to keep up.
Simply put, EdTech changes the way your back office works and can help your parental engagement to take off – but only if you know how to get the most out of it.
Technology isn’t magic
If we aren’t preparing school staff how best to use these new tech approaches, we are setting them up to fail. Office staff have a host of responsibilities that can be streamlined with a software-led approach, but only if everybody adopts them with a unified approach.
Technology offers fantastic tools, but these are only as effective as their use allows; they aren’t magic! Users need to be guided in the use of these new technologies to ensure they’re cost-effective; unused software sitting neglected in the back of your intranet is a sunk cost that isn’t providing any value.
Learning to spacewalk
The staff operating these new software packages are undertaking the EdTech equivalent of the first spacewalk. School administrative technologies are a relatively new innovation, and office staff members are efficiency cosmonauts.
Imagine if a teacher couldn’t use an interactive whiteboard pen. How would they teach a class? In the same way, your office staff need to understand modern computing and software applications to get the most out of them.
EdTech training is a necessity to avoid any ‘Houston, we have a problem’ moments.
Training tackles the growing pains of innovation
EdTech paves the way for exciting new innovations – like the interactive whiteboard, which revolutionised the way teachers approach whole-class learning and discussion. However, bringing this technology into the everyday classroom was not without its difficulties.
Training helps staff avoid the worst of the growing pains of these new technologies. Changes are inevitable, but costly mistakes (like writing today’s maths sums in semi-permanent marker on an interactive board) can be avoided with the appropriate training.
EdTech exists beyond teacher training
EdTech training even goes one step further than teacher training. It not only enables teachers to teach better: it also hands schools the tools they need to save schools money. In the current funding crisis, this is needed more now than ever. For example, when used effectively, ParentMail’s home-school messaging feature saves schools thousands of pounds every year.
Modern teaching staff can also shoulder heavy administrative burdens that they could do without. EdTech automation and solutions can offer overworked teachers and back-office staff some sorely needed respite.
Driving efficiencies
EdTech training can drive efficiencies at every level of your school, from the frontlines to the office, and the time and cost savings are more than worth it.
Nowadays, training must be flexible and on-site to fit around busy work schedules. That’s why we design our ParentMail training courses to match the exact needs of each school, helping schools drive parental engagement, save time and money, and avoid growing pains. If you’d like to talk to us about ParentMail training for your school, register your interest here.
Stop by a cash point today and you’re likely to be confronted with a message informing you, ‘this machine charges for cash withdrawals’. The accompanying price tag can range from a minimum of 95p to an eye-watering £5; today’s high …
Stop by a cash point today and you’re likely to be confronted with a message informing you, ‘this machine charges for cash withdrawals’. The accompanying price tag can range from a minimum of 95p to an eye-watering £5; today’s high fee to access your own cash.
Pricey cash withdrawals are on the rise. According to consumer group Which?, nearly 1,700 charge machines were launched between January and March 2019. And, as free cash machines disappear from our high streets, so too, do bank branches; the UK has lost nearly two-thirds of its bank and building society branches over the past 30 years. However, in light of closures and a decline in free cash, consumers and businesses aren’t grinding to a halt. Instead, we’re welcoming a new cashless era with open arms, smartphones in hand.
The online bank
Today, 22 million people across the UK are using mobile banking apps to manage their accounts, and, by 2023, this number is expected to rise to 35 million – a huge 60% of all current account holders.
With the likes of contemporary online-only banks as Monzo entering the market, banks are placing greater emphasis on user-friendly, reliable apps and a convenient mobile banking experience. In fact, even online banking trends are changing to reflect our preference to smartphone tech; this year, mobile banking is expected to surpass internet banking as the most popular digital channel.
The bank of mum and dad
Most tech-savvy millennial parents keep a close eye on the digital purse-strings. Stopping by cash points and finding loose change for dinner money isn’t on the to-do list for the busy school drop-off.
Mobile apps provide a new level of convenience for busy mums and dads, enabling them to easily check finances while out and about. When it comes to security, too, mobile banking offers privacy settings and fingerprint logins. The dangers of ATM fraud are well known, and even inputting our pin in public can prove risky.
Today, we don’t think twice before paying for every day and extravagant items via mobile apps – holidays, travel fares, clothing and the weekly shop. As a result, parents are fast coming to expect the same level of ease and reliability for school payments and dinner money.
The solution for secondary schools
Convenience, reliability, security – these same cash-related issues spread as far as the school office. Every year, secondary schools process thousands of pounds for dinners, uniforms, clubs, trips and more, and the associated problems can be a real headache for staff; busy teams spend hours chasing, processing and banking money. Cash kept on-site results in security risks, and cash-related costs are high, particularly for schools relying on paper communications to contact parents. Lunch money debt is a regular hot topic in the media, with schools shouldering the burden of over-due dinner payments.
Fortunately, online payments are bridging the gap between home and school when it comes to finances. +Pay utilises a user-friendly platform and free mobile app to meet the needs of both schools and parents with innovative, convenient, cashless technology.
With Advance Booking functionality on its way, parents will soon be able to make selections and pay for items in advance, enabling schools to efficiently manage suppliers, reducing waste and debt. Multiple registers functionality collects payments for dinner, afterschool and breakfast clubs, with payments landing straight in the school bank account. Low-balance reminders and push notifications alert parents to payments that are due, allowing them to pay in seconds using a variety of flexible methods, including PayPal, debit/credit card and PayPoint.
+Pay delivers informative payment reports and integrates seamlessly with your school’s MIS. Our dedicated +Pay Support Team is on hand to offer help, if and when you need it. Whether you’re introducing online payments for the first time or switching provider, launching +Pay is easy; the online, automated process means no printed letters and codes.
We’ve designed the +Pay platform with secondary schools in mind; no stress, no complicated implementation process and no unhappy parents. The era of cash payments is quickly coming to a close, and for schools, the benefits are huge. Get in touch to find out more about +Pay and or book a free demo here.
Meet the brains behind our school App
In today’s tech-savvy world, many of us rarely go a day without relying on handy Apps to chat with friends...
Easy, dependable dinner payments with +Pay
A number of schools have recently hit the headlines as outraged parents complain their children have gone without a hot...
In today’s tech-savvy world, many of us rarely go a day without relying on handy Apps to chat with friends and family, post on social media, check our bank balance or transfer money, book a taxi and carry out all …
Posted by Rebecca Jackson | 2 months ago
In today’s tech-savvy world, many of us rarely go a day without relying on handy Apps to chat with friends and family, post on social media, check our bank balance or transfer money, book a taxi and carry out all sorts of other routine tasks. It’s easy to forget the teams behind these Apps, working hard to develop new and innovative ways to enhance the user experience.
The ParentMail App is used by millions of busy parents to manage school life every day and we often hear from people that it makes receiving school communications so much easier! We want to shine a light on the brains behind our brilliant free parent App and learn a little more about the thought and work that goes into developing one of the education sector’s most popular parental engagement solutions.
Introducing ParentMail’s Front-End Developer, Richard Shergold!
How long have you worked at ParentMail and what does a front-end developer do?
I have worked at ParentMail as a Front-End Developer for nearly two years.
Front-end development generally involves working with coding languages such as JavaScript, HTML and CSS to create web applications that run on desktop and mobile browsers. My role with ParentMail is slightly different from that of a traditional front-end developer; the ParentMail application not only has to work in browsers but also as applications available to download from the Apple and Android App stores.
We have recently built a new version of the application to give us greater flexibility in delivering updates and improvements across all these platforms. This new version has been developed using the Ionic and Angular web frameworks.
What does a normal day look like for you?
I work remotely from home in West Sussex so I’m lucky that my day never begins with a commute – other than a very short walk to my office at the back of my garden! I usually try to start work at half past seven in the morning, which is also the time that most of my colleagues in the Development team arrive into the office; we are all early birds!
What I do on an average day depends on the current project we’re working on and what phase of that project we’re in. Most of the time, I am writing and testing code, but I also regularly have meetings with the Development team and other business colleagues at the ParentMail Head Office to discuss new requirements for the application.
If the initial phase of the project has finished and requirements have been signed off then I will be busy making the required changes to the App, sometimes working with other members of the Development team. After the testing process, the changes are released to our testing team. The ParentMail application needs to work across multiple platforms – all the major desktop and mobile browsers, as well as the range of iOS and Android devices – so both the development and testing processes can be quite challenging!
How does the development roadmap for the App take form?
We listen very carefully to feedback from parents and schools and also keep an eye on the market to see what innovations and developments are taking place. All feedback, whether positive or negative, is very useful to us. To ensure quality, we prioritise certain areas of development at a time. For example, currently, we are working on delivering Advanced Bookings functionality into the App which will allow parents to book and pay for their children’s dinners and club attendances in advance. This development will include a number of system enhancements to support schools and parents, and the release is fast approaching, so keep an eye out for it!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Everything changes so fast in Information Technology, particularly the skills and technologies required for App development. As developers, we have to keep learning, otherwise, the industry speeds ahead and it’s so easy to fall behind. I love this aspect of the job, the fact that I am probably learning more now than I have ever learned in my life! Every day is a school day (which is quite appropriate for a ParentMail employee)!
This results in the other part of the job I love, the challenge of developing and enhancing the ParentMail App to be even more useful for parents and schools.
Can you tell us an example of a challenge you’ll (regularly) encounter as ParentMail’s Front-End Developer?
The biggest challenge for me is making sure that the code I write is going to work across all of the platforms that we support. As I say, that’s several desktop browsers and a large number of mobile devices. It’s very frustrating when something will work for 99% of users but could prove problematic for the remaining 1%!
What does the future look like for the App?
The challenge over the last year has been to get the new version of the application built so that we are in a position to better deliver regular updates. We have achieved this now and I am looking forward to our team being able to deliver some fantastic enhancements and updates to the application for all our parents to enjoy!
ParentMail is bridging the home/school gap with industry-leading technology! If you’re a school looking to improve parental engagement, we’re sure to have the solution for you – get in touch to find out more.
A new study published in the European Economic Review (volume 111) has revealed the real impact of parent-teacher meetings. Asad Islam reported on a randomised experiment in rural Bangladeshi schools, communities which usually see little engagement between parents and educators. …
A new study published in the European Economic Review (volume 111) has revealed the real impact of parent-teacher meetings.
Asad Islam reported on a randomised experiment in rural Bangladeshi schools, communities which usually see little engagement between parents and educators. With the introduction of regular parent-teacher meetings, student attainment dramatically increased, suggesting the very real benefits of parental engagement. During the two-year intervention, children in years 4 and 5 learned roughly double across all subjects, including English, Maths and Science.
The experiment also changed teaching methods, with teachers utilising visual aids and real-world examples to teach concepts, rather than sticking to textbook learning. At home, parents and siblings became more involved in the homework process and students were more likely to receive private tutoring in areas requiring a little more attention. Students were motivated to spend increased time studying – confidence around exams grew and so, too, did their ambitions.
Breaking home/school barriers
While parent-teacher meetings are a long-term tradition in the UK, rising student populations and teacher-workload can make planning and preparing for evenings difficult. For this reason (and many others) monthly or very regular meetings are impractical for UK schools and parents. Both teachers and office staff are balancing their own heavy workloads, making it difficult to squeeze in time to plan appropriately, and today’s busy parents find it hard to fit appointments into their already booked-up calendars. In fact, even encouraging some mums and dads to commit to occasional appointments and respond to invitations can prove difficult! As in Islam’s investigation, a lack of confidence in approaching schools is often prevalent in ‘unengaged’ parents. Unfortunately, often this can be misinterpreted by schools as disinterest on the parents’ part. However, as proven in the study, once a parent is involved in their child’s education, their confidence around the school environment grows – so, too, does home/school engagement and students benefit as a result.
On the rare occasions in which parents and teachers do get the chance to discuss student progress, it’s important that both parties get the most out of the meeting and parents feel encouraged to come back next term. Parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity to break down barriers and improve relationships with the parent community. For this reason, it is very important to make the experience a positive one. This means preparing staff and parents with all the information they need to ensure the evening is beneficial. For some parents, even finding their way to the right classroom can be a daunting experience. The devil is in the detail and utilising all the tools at your disposal can support your team in preparing a successful evening from start to finish.
Building parent/teacher partnerships
Parents’ Evening Manager makes booking appointments easy for parents, resulting in a great response for schools. Cutting out pupil post with the free ParentMail app and push notifications enables busy parents to respond to invitations on-the-go and at a time convenient for them. The flexible platform gives schools the option to allow parents to include notes when booking, enabling teachers to plan in advance. Schools can also provide parents with extra detail and information, such as instructions on where to go upon arrival and guidance on what to expect on the night. As such, parents feel prepared and confident to meet with teachers and appointments run smoothly.
In the office, staff are organised and able to report on timetables with ease. The platform syncs with SIMS and other MIS, enabling easy class and subject selection; appointments can be easily amended and deleted, and reminders can be re-sent to parents yet to respond.
Parents’ Evening Manager is supporting thousands of primary and secondary schools to plan smooth and seamless parents’ meetings. Get in touch to find out more and to book a free demo!
Parents’ Evening directors, we salute you
Snowed under with the daily tasks of keeping a busy school running, you know better than we do how hard...
Saving your teachers from endless email onslaught and white bears
Parents are invested in their children’s education, and they’re going to ask teachers questions. That’s something that can’t and shouldn’t be avoided. However, when teachers are flooded by emails and messages from enthusiastic parents, this can lead to unhealthy out-of-work …
Parents are invested in their children’s education, and they’re going to ask teachers questions. That’s something that can’t and shouldn’t be avoided. However, when teachers are flooded by emails and messages from enthusiastic parents, this can lead to unhealthy out-of-work practices and a poor work-life balance.
Prior to outlining his new EdTech strategy at the Schools and Academies show, Education Secretary Damian Hinds argued for the need to ditch email culture to cut school workload. Educators need a solution to the issue of email overload, and the DfE is aware of this, but the problem isn’t always easy to diagnose. Technology isn’t the cause of the problem — the problem is that teachers’ email inbox is a white bear.
Your Email Inbox is a White Bear
Modern technology is capable of fantastic things, but it also forces you to be connected at all times. Switching off your phone or email inbox is a big no-no — besides, the second your phone buzzes or your computer pings, you just have to check it. In fact, just by trying to tune out an overenthusiastic parent, teachers cause themselves to think about them more often.
So why can’t teachers switch off and escape from school once they leave the classroom?
Try to pose for yourself this task: not to think of a polar bear, and you will see that the cursed thing will come to mind every minute.
This is known as the white bear problem, or “ironic rebound”. The more you try to suppress a thought, the harder your subconscious works to make you think of it. If you try not to think of a white bear, for instance, it’s impossible not to.
This can give your email inbox an irresistible lure, and it’s a major cause of stress and anxiety. You don’t know if that message that just pinged into your inbox is important, and it’s gnawing away at your mind, much like the white bear that you shouldn’t have been thinking of. The more you try to resist thinking about it, the more present and threatening it becomes.
Solutions to Always-On Availability
Teachers already have enough stressors in their life, but email anxiety doesn’t have to be one of them. Rather than bringing their work home with them overnight, teachers should leave it at the school gate (marking excluded).
So how do we scare away the white bears?
The Usual “Solution”
Rather than replying to incoming emails as soon as they arrive, teachers can instead drop them into one of several different inbox folders. If emails are marked as urgent, they can be replied to as soon as possible — but not necessarily straight away.
This is a great way to stay on top of the flood of emails, but it doesn’t solve the white bear problem — it just delays it.
Your social media accounts are a great point of contact for parents. Not only can you answer their questions directly, but you may find that the school community and other parents will help each other. This makes it optional for staff to join in the conversation, and their inboxes remain clean — not a white bear in sight.
A healthy school community has trickle-down benefits through every level of the school. It’s proven that strong home-school links and parental engagement have a direct positive influence on student attainment.
However, despite its benefits, you can’t rely on social media messaging to contact parents. What happens if they don’t see an important post in time?
Anti-White-Bear Technology
If you provide parents with all the information they need when they need it using anti-white-bear technology, parents won’t have as many queries for your teachers.
ParentMail is a white bear killer. It’s a one-way home-school communication app designed to prevent teachers from being bombarded with messages from parents. It makes it easy to provide parents with all the information they need, so there shouldn’t be a need to contact teachers for information.
Rather than sending home letters en masse, staff can send personalised messages to individual parents, so the information is fully relevant to them and instantly delivered where they need it most — their mobile phones and devices. Your school can even save money by sending push notifications instead of text messages, and you can cut down on the stacks of letters that would ordinarily need to be printed.
One-Way Communication
When teachers need instant responses from parents, they can gather information using ParentMail forms — again, without sacrificing anybody’s inbox. Capture exactly the information you need without having to read through endless emails, saving everybody time.
The forms module works within ParentMail, so all the important information you need is kept in a single easily accessible location.
You can even avoid the inevitable avalanche of parents’ evening questions with ParentMail’s Parents’ Evening Manager. Parents’ evening appointments are short-lived, and it’s important that both parent and teacher discuss everything that needs to be said in this time. By leaving questions for teachers ahead of time directly on the app, parents will get all the information they need from the meeting and will be much less likely to contact the school further down the line.
Schools have found great timesaving and organisational benefits to Parents’ Evening Manager, as it removes the student from the process — parents are contacted directly to book a slot.
If you’re interested in saving your teaching staff from email overload and improving your home-school communication, you can visit our website to find out more about ParentMail’s anti-white-bear technology:
https://www.parentmail.co.uk/services/messaging/
Picture this! Our EdTech school-leader infographic
We recently conducted a survey to investigate current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. Over 450 school leaders from primary, secondary schools and academies across the country took part to share their thoughts and feedback …
Posted by James Laver | 3 months ago
We recently conducted a survey to investigate current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. Over 450 school leaders from primary, secondary schools and academies across the country took part to share their thoughts and feedback on EdTech solutions (not just ParentMail!), making the results particularly interesting.
With schools of all shapes and sizes facing their own challenges, from increasing student populations to tightening budgets and rising workloads, it is clear that parental engagement is more important today than ever before. We’re excited to see how schools are utilising EdTech to help tackle daily tasks and support staff, students and parents. Read part one and part two of the results and download our handy infographic to find out how your school compares.
To find out more about our innovative EdTech solutions, from parent communications to cashless payments, get in touch.
What role does technology play in the school office? Part 1
We recently conducted a survey to investigate current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. We received...
School leaders talk school communications! Part 2
We recently posted part one of our findings from our survey, which investigated current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school...
Technology beyond the classroom: ParentMail and the DfE EdTech strategy
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, took to the stage at the London Schools and Academies Show earlier this month to reveal...
It’s no surprise that engaged parents who feel well informed and involved are likely to develop a stronger bond with their childcare provider. For example, private nurseries with excellent communication will benefit from enthusiastic testimonials and word of mouth referrals. …
It’s no surprise that engaged parents who feel well informed and involved are likely to develop a stronger bond with their childcare provider. For example, private nurseries with excellent communication will benefit from enthusiastic testimonials and word of mouth referrals. This, in turn, will help influence the reputation that nurseries can develop locally. This is known as ‘Parents as Partners’.
Satisfied, happy parents are more likely to raise issues sooner and come directly into the setting rather than tell others, which means nurseries have the opportunity to put things right as soon as possible. Professional, effective communication between parents and the setting can play a significant role in the overall performance of the setting and a child’s development.
Opportunities to enhance communication with parents
There are many ways that a setting can engage and involve parents through communication. It is important to remember that some parents are less well represented than others in early years settings.
These include fathers, parents who live apart from their children, and working parents. This may mean that different strategies are needed for involving them and that consultation is necessary to find out what works best. So, it is important that information should be provided in ways that are accessible to parents with basic skills, specific needs or for those where English is an additional language, for example.
Embracing Technology
Face-to-face communication is always a good way to interact, particularly with parents of young children, as this builds rapport and reassurance through simple meetings – this may include talking and sharing worries, news and day to day titbits with their child’s key person. Real 1-2-1 meetings and low key ‘keeping in touch events’ will always be important to the communication process for parents of young children.
This personal touch will go a long way in easing transitions and smoothing the process. Parents of young children may not be used to ‘letting them go’ and this may be a major milestone for them, so they will really want to get to know, on a personal level, the people responsible for their children’s wellbeing and learning; it builds trust. Communication builds bridges, not walls, between home and their child’s setting, and should never be underestimated.
Running informal coffee mornings, meet and greet drop-ins and having informal workshops in child development all help to build rapport and parental engagement in a relaxed and convivial way.
Written communication such as letters home and newsletters have always been popular and the standard way of communicating between home to help to keep parents informed and involved. However, letters consistently get lost in bags or discarded very easily by young children and so embracing a digital platform to engage, in real-time, during and after school hours is a great way of keeping parents engaged and informed.
In recent years, nursery websites have become the ‘go to’ place for reliable information. Embracing alternative electronic forms of communication is a really easy and flexible way of keeping in contact with parents, as this allows more frequent and flexible interaction and communication. This level of communication can only strengthen the relationship between parents and staff.
The new generation of Apps and technology enables information to be captured and monitored quickly and closely, allowing parents to access information about their children’s progress and development when and where they want, either online or via their mobile.
This not only cuts down on time and administration for everyone involved but allows contact to be much more frequent, relevant, current and instant.
Streamlining communication has become easier and more mobile. Creating digital communities, working together for the benefit of each child, elevates Early Years settings to a new level of communication previously unobtainable, enhancing the learning and experience for parents, teachers and children.
To find out how ParentMail can support your nursery with innovative online communications, get in touch or click here to find out more.
Centralised communications for Sunbeams Day Nurseries
Two times national award winning Sunbeams Day Nurseries, based in Harrogate and Leeds are now using ParentMail to improve parental...
If your school is seeking a faster, more reliable method of collecting payments, a commitment to cashless is the solution for you. Still unsure? Here are the top five reasons why thousands of UK schools are choosing online platforms for …
If your school is seeking a faster, more reliable method of collecting payments, a commitment to cashless is the solution for you. Still unsure? Here are the top five reasons why thousands of UK schools are choosing online platforms for efficient, parent-friendly school payments.
School budget
With dinner money debt and parent arrears raising concerns in schools across the country, a cashless catering and payment system is increasingly becoming a ‘need to have’ rather than a ‘nice to have’ to protect school budgets.
Whether it’s dinner money top ups, payments for school trips, uniform, after-school clubs or more, online payments keep things super convenient for parents – and when payments are simple for parents, schools feel the benefit! +Pay provides automatic low-balance and payment-due reminders, helping to keep parent arrears in check. The platform also offers multiple registers for after-school and breakfast clubs, and weekly settlement reports make managing budgets and reconciliation easy.
With some of the lowest transaction and subscription costs on the market, +Pay helps schools of all sizes achieve substantial savings.
Supporting the millennial parent
From managing finances with personal banking to ordering the weekly shop from the comfort of home, the modern-day parent is making the most of modern technology to save time on daily admin tasks and chores – and who can blame them? Between balancing childcare, work and errands, parents are eager to take advantage of handy shortcuts to keep life simple. As a result of busy routines, relying on parents for cash payments is impractical. A recent survey by Merchant Machine evidences the dramatic rise of card payments over cash; to guarantee an improved response to payments, it’s up to your school to give parents the right tools for the job!
With +Pay, parents can manage payments with the free ParentMail App while out and about and on the go. For extra convenience, +Pay saves payment details, enabling easy payments in seconds. Again, push notifications serve as handy reminders to pay during their busy day.It’s clear why cashless payments are a favourite with parents; in fact, market research suggests that the vast majority of parents prefer to pay for school items via a secure online platform, with a huge 89% stating they prefer cashless systems!
Social inclusivity
Unfortunately, the stigma associated with free school meals and other costly school items can prove difficult for some students. However, taking the cash out of payments can support a reduction in bullying and extortion on school grounds.
+Pay provides parents with a variety of payment options, including credit and debit cards, Amex, cash via PayPoint and PayPal; in fact, +Pay are the only online payments provider to offer PayPal as an option – a proven favourite with parents! Advancements in technology mean that children can now pay for their school dinners with ID Cards, fobs and even their fingerprint, so the need to bring cash in to school is completely abolished, and parents can be confident money is being spent on the right items.
With +Pay, parents can manage payments for all their children, across different schools, through their ParentMail account. Plus, the ability to access their account on the App, a tablet or web browser helps ParentMail fit into the lives of parents
With rising student populations and increasing pressure to evidence efficiency, administrative tasks can take up vital time for office teams. Collecting, managing and banking cash payments can take hours, not to mention the tricky and time-consuming tasks of tracking parent arrears and chasing overdue money.
Technology is supporting schools like never before, automating administrative tasks, improving security and reducing room for human error. +Pay was designed with the needs of schools in mind; the system syncs seamlessly with SIMS and other MIS, allowing you the flexibility to manage registers with ease.
This last one is simple; reducing cash on school grounds is the safest way to operate and an online system stores student and parent data far more securely than paper records. It also cannot be denied that students often aren’t the most reliable carriers of cash!
2018 saw over 99% uptime for +Pay, providing parents with a reliable service, whenever they needed it. And, should you ever need us, our dedicated and friendly +Pay Support Team are on hand to provide any help you might need!
Hundreds of schools made the change to +Pay last year and haven’t looked back, with many switching from the market leader in search of reliable and professional service. It’s time to join the cashless revolution! Get in touch to find out more
Casterton College switch to +Pay and are thrilled with the results!
Casterton College in Rutland is in the top 100 schools of the UK. With a growing student population, the academy...
Dinner money top up revolutionised at Leicester Grammar School Trust!
With over 1200 students ranging from the ages 3 to 18, Leicester Grammar School Trust now manages all parent communications...
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, took to the stage at the London Schools and Academies Show earlier this month to reveal details of a new strategy for education technology. The Department’s continued focus on the vital role of technology in schools …
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, took to the stage at the London Schools and Academies Show earlier this month to reveal details of a new strategy for education technology.
The Department’s continued focus on the vital role of technology in schools demonstrates their recognition of the pressures increasing across the sector. Speaking of the variety of educational institutions across our country, Damian Hinds acknowledged such versatility as one of the education system’s ‘greatest strengths’. From local authority-maintained schools to faith schools and grammars, “all make an invaluable contribution to their communities and to young people.”
However, today, UK schools of all shapes and sizes face a range of unique challenges. While the Secretary spoke of the power of the MAT model (directly referencing the recent successes of a few, evidenced by improvements in Ofsted results) all schools continue to struggle under the weight of increasing student populations, budget cuts and poor staff retention. As such, the Education Secretary’s speech quickly progressed from praising school leaders for their successes, to discussing how the government intend to support these same leaders in tackling challenges on the front-line.
As other sectors continue to embrace the benefits of technology, schools often struggle in making the most of EdTech to truly support their staff and student populations. In fact, as stated by the Secretary, some school leaders refer to instances in which technology served only to cause more complications than the product promised to confront. Rather than be deterred, Mr Hinds spoke of the importance of not being ‘left behind’, stating, “(..) we owe it to all our young people to grasp the technology nettle.”
While technology plays a truly impressive role in the classroom, transforming learning experiences and inspiring young minds, EdTech is seeping beyond the classroom walls with tailor-made solutions for the office team. There are a number of areas of improvement for which technology can play a vital role in school administration. In his speech, the Secretary discussed behaviour management, referring to the number of valuable hours invested in tricky, manual processes, from information collection, data input to parent communications.
Fortunately, technology is streamlining processes and supporting staff like never before. For example, while workload remains a primary reason for the revolving door of teachers abandoning the profession at an unprecedented rate, online tools seek to lift the burden of parent communications from teacher’s shoulders. At ParentMail, our technology is designed and developed with the unique needs of schools in mind. And, as schools consider the challenges awaiting them in the future, we look for ways to support you in meeting these head-on.
Administration, parental engagement, workforce flexibility – just a few of the areas acknowledged by Damian Hinds in which our technology is serving to support thousands of schools across the country. Digital communications platforms such as our Online Forms, Messaging and Parents’ Evening Manager modules are bridging the home/school gap and supporting school staff with huge time and cost savings.
It is hard to believe that, only a few years ago, we still relied on pupil post to keep parents up to date with the latest school news. Our online platform and free parent App not only encourage parents to actively engage with their child’s education but serves to improve efficiency in the school office, reduce paper, print and postage costs, as well as improving data security. With thousands of schools realising the benefits of paperless and cashless processes, our online payments platform, +Pay, is paving the way for simple, parent-friendly payments for dinner money, school trips, club fees and more.
We realise the importance of unified, consolidated systems, enabling office staff to manage everything from day-to-day communications to school trips to payments from just one platform, reducing supplier costs and improving security. Social inclusivity remains at the heart of our technology, enabling schools to engage with hard to reach, busy parents at a time, and in a way, that suits them. When systems are simplified in school, so, too, are processes easier for parents. Our mobile App enables mums and dads to manage communications for multiple children, across different schools, from just one account, improving responses when it matters most.
Rather than ‘grasping the technology nettle’, we support schools to embrace pain-free and powerful EdTech to support staff, students and parents. To find out how ParentMail can help your school to streamline processes and protect the school budget whilst improving parental engagement, get in touch today.
The EdTech revolution happening outside of the classroom
Last month Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, challenged the tech industry to launch an edtech revolution for schools, colleges and universities across...
Excellent communication with parents in Early Years is key to the success of any nursery business and there have never been more ways to keep parents in the loop. The importance of communication with parents in the EYFS strives to …
Excellent communication with parents in Early Years is key to the success of any nursery business and there have never been more ways to keep parents in the loop.
The importance of communication with parents in the EYFS strives to provide a good working ‘partnership’ between practitioners and parents. It states that key workers should build ‘relationships’ with parents, keep them up-to-date with their child’s progress, respond to observations that they share, involve them in assessments and support them to guide their child’s development at home.
Children attending nursery used to be commonly associated with parents being able to go to work. In more recent years it has become more about children developing social skills, preparing for school and growing and flourishing in a nurturing environment. This has meant that communication with parents is not only necessary, but essential.
Effective, regular, transparent communication is at the heart of any personal or professional relationship. In fact, it will make all the difference to a parent of a child in an Early Years setting. It will reassure, inform and build long term parental engagement.
Considering your communications strategy
Parents need to be made aware of general policies, quality standards, general updates, news and announcements and the philosophy that underpins the setting. As well as the bigger picture of policies, procedures and child protection, however, parents also need to know the day to day organisation of their child’s day and what happens if there is an accident or if their child becomes ill.
Being transparent, open, specific, clear and quick to respond pre-empts misunderstandings, dissatisfaction and complaints from parents. It’s also important to consider that one size doesn’t always fit all and this needs to be factored into a setting’s communication strategy, as working parents have very busy different schedules and commitments.
It’s also about being sensitive and recognising and working to overcome potential barriers to communication such as language differences, low literacy levels or lack of parental confidence, and becoming familiar with the needs of each individual family.
Early Year’s parental engagement
During these vital early years, it is crucial that nurseries are able to break down any boundaries between parents early on – the relationship benefits children in many ways:
Parents know their child best
Parents can be encouraged to discuss issues, talk about any concerns and get advice from Key Workers/Support Staff that have a broad & deep knowledge of child development as well as professional experience.
Parents can be engaged in the learning process. Evidence suggests that joint working benefits children, who learn and develop better, by having the support of both their child care provider as well as their carer or parent.
Effective communication makes transitions throughout the setting smoother.
It paves the way for open feedback where parents feel comfortable raising concerns with their childcare provider, knowing it will be heard and addressed in a comfortable & safe environment.
It can help keep children safe. Open communication helps with safeguarding and child protection as parents and carers feel safe enough to talk about any problems they may have especially at home.
As more nurseries recognise the importance of parental engagement, many are turning to technology to help them keep in regular contact with parents at a low cost, reaching working parents in a way that suits them, improving their relationships and reputation as a result. If you work in an Early Years setting and would like to know how a system like ParentMail could help, get in touch today or call us on 01733 595959.
Take control of your nursery finances
Professional and passionate staff, happy children and fantastic facilities – your front of house is under control, but how about...
We recently posted part one of our findings from our survey, which investigated current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. Below we continue to share our findings with you so that you can see how …
We recently posted part one of our findings from our survey, which investigated current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. Below we continue to share our findings with you so that you can see how your school compares!
We asked respondents to tell us about all the software they use, from all suppliers, so the results aren’t only about ParentMail, providing valuable insight into all parental engagement platforms and ed-tech in general.
Implementing new systems
What is key to the success of the implementation of a new software system? According to your responses, there are a number of equally important factors when it comes to a successful launch! The four most important things were: strong and positive parent adoptions; good preparation; a detailed launch plan and clear and easy to follow training, as chosen by 78% of respondents. Service provider support and staff engagement followed closely behind these.
What do you look for in a new parental engagement system?
This is a very important question for the ParentMail team; we want to know what is important to your school when it comes to introducing a new system. Coming top were good customer service, at 84%, and low price, at 78%. Understandably, company reputation was also important to our respondents, with 45% stating reputation is important and 44% agreeing that other schools using the service is key.
Following the October 2018 budget announcement, there has been much criticism from school leaders regarding the government’s promise to provide an additional £10,000 per primary school and £50,000 per secondary school, to “buy the little extras they need.”
Primary schools, secondary schools and academies across the country are struggling with understaffing, rising student populations and increased workload, and we recognise that the pressure on schools cannot be underestimated.
Responses to our survey speak overwhelmingly of the role of technology in supporting schools in a number of areas. Not only does technology in the school office serve to encourage parental engagement for the benefit of staff and students, but it is also key in enabling schools to go cashless and paperless, improving security, protecting school reputation and supporting staff in the school office.
ParentMail solutions are supporting thousands of primary, secondary schools, academies and Multi-Academy Trusts to engage with parents, reliably and professionally, every day. From collecting payments and permissions to circulating the school newsletter and managing parents’ evening, our modular system meets individual challenges head-on, all from a single user-friendly platform. Whilst strong parental engagement remains a top priority in the development of our solutions, school staff also benefit from streamlined, simplified processes, as well as huge time and cost savings. Our technology is designed with both schools and parents in mind – we make things easy for parents so that schools receive a great response.
If you are already using ParentMail and would like to find out more about the other services which could benefit your school, or if you’re looking to implement a brand-new parental engagement system, get in touch with the ParentMail team and start to improve efficiency, reduce costs and work smarter within your school. Call 01733 595959 to speak to our specialist team or email info@parentmail.co.uk
Communications at the click of a button
In this day and age, a reliable, compatible mobile App is fast becoming a ‘need to have’ rather than just a ‘nice to have’ for primary and secondary schools! With technology reducing our reliance on paper and pupil post, thousands of …
In this day and age, a reliable, compatible mobile App is fast becoming a ‘need to have’ rather than just a ‘nice to have’ for primary and secondary schools!
With technology reducing our reliance on paper and pupil post, thousands of schools are making the most of free mobile Apps to stay in touch with busy parents. Whether it’s invitations to events and parents’ meetings, handy reminders for upcoming payments or circulating the school newsletter, sharing information on student education has never been easier and parents have never been more engaged!
In our latest video, Sue Atkins discusses how simple but innovative technology is paving the way for stress-free paperless communications for schools and parents.
Are you ready to take the leap to next-level online communications? Contact us today to find out more about ParentMail and our free mobile App for parents!
WhatsApp – Pros, cons and managing it for your school
Instant messaging service, WhatsApp, has become an integral part of staying in touch with friends and family for adults across...
Are mobile apps the future of school communications?
The humble mobile app has transformed numerous aspects of our daily lives. From booking a flight to transferring money, booking...
So, you’re planning the next school trip. Teachers have confirmed the destination and now it’s up to your capable and highly organised office team to manage all the details, from staff to students to parents. When done right, school trips …
So, you’re planning the next school trip. Teachers have confirmed the destination and now it’s up to your capable and highly organised office team to manage all the details, from staff to students to parents. When done right, school trips run (fairly!) smoothly, especially once all of the tricky planning is out of the way. However, that part is easier said than done – fortunately, we have the tools to take the stress out of school trips!
Tripping over paper?
Usually, the first priority is to confirm the number of students attending. Once you know this, you can move onto planning other aspects of the trip, such as costs, food and transport. Finalising this number can be tricky, especially when relying on pupil post to communicate with parents.
Enter school trip solution number one! Our Online Forms platform is a speedy and convenient way of gathering parent consent and permissions. This should be your first port of call for an initial communication with parents. Setting up forms is super quick and easy, allowing you to share all the details of the trip (date, time, location etc.) whilst providing parents with a convenient way of responding within deadline. Once the form is set up, click ‘send’ and watch your parent permissions roll in!
The versatile system enables you to request more than just trip consents; in advance of longer trips or holidays abroad, many schools utilise digital forms to confirm parent contact details, dietary and medical information. Push notifications encourage parents to respond quickly and, for those who don’t, you can send a helpful nudge to prompt them when needed. With no more paper floating around between home, the classroom and school office, student data is safe, secure and easily analysed at a moment’s notice. A real benefit here is that parents receive the form through our free mobile App, which means it’s delivered straight to their hand, allowing them to read and respond in minutes.
“We usually see 50% of parents responding to a form within the first hour and this goes up to 100% within 24 hours – probably because it’s delivered to them instantly and they can complete it in just a few taps!” Brookside Primary School
Fielding parent payments
Now you know who’s coming, it’s time to request and collect payments. It’s no secret – cash payments are clunky, inconvenient and time-consuming. Encouraging parents to get money into school on time can be difficult, and once cash is on school grounds, it doesn’t necessarily reach the office. But, there’s a solution to keep things simple for parents, students and your office team; enter field trip solution number two; you’re already paperless, so keep it cashless, too, with online payments!
+Pay is the fastest-growing online payments system in the UK. Thousands of primary and secondary schools are collecting online payments for school dinners, after school clubs, uniform and other school items every day, making it the perfect solution for managing money for your next school trip. +Pay is designed with parents in mind, making it easy for them to pay on the go with PayPal, credit and debit card, Amex and PayPoint. They can pay in instalments, spread out over time (ideal for more expensive trips abroad), and receive reminders when payments are due. The flexible system integrates seamlessly with year, form and teaching groups for easy pupil selection, making admin and trip management stress-free and easy. What’s more, with all finances collected in one system, maintaining your school budget is straightforward and accurate!
“Parents receive an alert when the money is due and payments come through quickly as a result, meaning we don’t have to chase students for overdue payments.” Casterton College
Information shared with parents – check!
Payments, permissions and data collected – check!
Staff feeling cool, calm and collected – check!
With ParentMail, planning school trips doesn’t have to be a time-consuming, complicated task. Feel the freedom of paperless, cashless solutions for your next venture out of the classroom! Get in touch to find out more and book a demo.
The challenges of organising Parents’ Evening
With school now in full swing, routines are established, children are settled in their new classes – and so the...
The eight-school Multi Academy Company set out on a mission to go cashless to reduce school debt and support parents with easy online payments!
It’s not just staff at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Coventry who are feeling the benefits of +Pay; parents are thrilled to be making easy, cashless payments, too! Part of Romero Catholic Academy, the eight-school Multi Academy Company set out on a mission to go cashless to reduce school debt and support parents with easy online payments and are thrilled with the results.
“Before +Pay, we struggled with dinner money debt” Says Lisa Harding, Office Manager at Sacred Heart. “When they were in arrears, we would remind parents to send children with a packed lunch, but pupils would still turn up without and we would always provide a meal for them. The school is responsible for dinner money debt, at the end of the day, and it was only increasing. We had a lot of foot-fall in the school office, too, with parents queuing out the door waiting to pay, particularly at the end of term. Dealing with cash payments and parents could take up hours of staff time every day, time that we could ill-afford! Admin tasks were stressful and time-consuming, numbers were often wrong in the kitchen, resulting in waste – cashless really was the only way forward!”
“We were already using ParentMail for home/school communications, so we were excited to try +Pay.” Says Marie Taggart, Administrator at the school. “With parents already using the ParentMail App to manage Parents’ Evening, messaging and Online Forms, most parents were pleased to be able to manage payments through the App, too.”
School staff worked very hard to support parents during the introduction of +Pay: “We communicated with parents, providing information, answers and guidance early on; we focused on sharing the benefits of the system with them and the uptake was great! We had an iPad set up to provide support in the school office. A small number were understandably wary of a new payments platform and some had concerns around security. However, the system is so flexible, we could work with these parents and provide barcodes, so all payments still went through ParentMail.”
Reaping the rewards
“Now the system is fully embedded in school, the benefits have been numerous.” Says Lisa. “With students preselecting their dinner choices, the kitchen can plan ahead, reducing waste and related costs. We don’t spend hours every day processing, counting or chasing parents for cash. It has hugely improved our productivity in the office. For parents, low balance reminders are really helpful. They can top up in the ParentMail App on the go and at a moment’s notice.”
“We were really pleased with the training and onboarding process. The ParentMail Support Team are always happy to help and our Account Manager has supported us every step of the way. It’s been great being able to support and rely on other schools in our Academy too. When we need help from ParentMail, Live Chat is very helpful – practically any queries are solved very quickly.
“We measure the success of +Pay by parent uptake and feedback, which has been fantastic. What’s more, when we log into the system every day, we can see how much money we are saving. We delivered the support parents needed at the beginning and are reaping the rewards now!”
“+Pay is a lot safer than banking lots of cash and we now have very few cash collections across all of our schools. The platform is reliable and secure and the implementation has been plain sailing – we would never go back. Would we recommend +Pay to other schools? Absolutely! It may seem like a big change and appear be a huge challenge initially, but don’t be put off; going cashless with ParentMail is absolutely worth it and parents love it, too!”
Join Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and thousands of schools across the country enjoying the endless benefits of +Pay! Get in touch to find out more and to book a free a demo
Kesgrave and ParentMail partner to deliver first-class parental engagement!
With over 1800 students and 99% of parents registered on ParentMail, Kesgrave High School collect on average £15,000 online each...
What’s more convenient than cashless?
In our latest video, Sue Atkins discusses why cashless payments are so much easier for busy parents on the go!
Posted by Martin Temple | 4 months ago
Very few of us have cash to hand these days; whether we’re paying for our morning coffee or costly train tickets, contactless debit and credit cards make things so much easier! These days, most of us now expect to be able to pay for things without having to dig through our purse and find loose change!
That’s why schools who are going cashless, and allowing parents to pay for school items such as school dinners, trips and uniform on a mobile app, are seeing the benefits!
Making quick, cashless payments through your phone makes life so much easier for all involved. Parents can make payments instantly and receive automatic reminders when their dinner money balance is running low.
Parenting expert, Sue Atkins, knows all about the frustrations of scratching around for loose change and cash on busy school mornings. In her latest video (see below!) Sue discusses why cashless payments are so much easier for busy parents on the go.
For parents, +Pay is convenient, easy to use and reliable; parents can access and top up their accounts when they need to most, even at the busiest times. Our socially-inclusive platform allows parents to top-up with credit/debit card, PayPal, PayPoint and AMEX, offering a solution for everybody.
Are you ready to go cashless? Contact us today to find out more about +Pay and our free mobile app for parents!
We recently conducted a survey to investigate current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement. We received a great response, with over 450 schools taking part and telling us about their school communications. As leaders in …
We recently conducted a survey to investigate current trends, attitudes and behaviours in school communications technology and parental engagement.
We received a great response, with over 450 schools taking part and telling us about their school communications. As leaders in the ed-tech industry, it’s important that we stay up to date on the latest trends in technology and parental engagement, and we wanted to share our findings so that you can see how your school compares to others!
Of the 457 school leaders who responded, 57% worked in primary schools, 20% for an academy trust and 15% in secondary schools. We also heard from staff working for nurseries and clubs.
We asked respondents to tell us about all the software they use, from different suppliers, so the results aren’t only about ParentMail. This provides a valuable insight into all parental engagement platforms and ed-tech in general.
Technology in the school office
It is evident that email and text platforms are a priority for most schools, with 82% of respondents utilising an email and text system to communicate with parents every day. Also on the up are online payments systems, with 60% using a cashless platform to collect parent payments for school dinners and other school items.
Almost 90% of respondents stated they are satisfied with their communications system and almost 80% were satisfied with their online payments system, which means these systems are meeting the needs of both schools and parents.
Schools are clearly prioritising parental engagement, which is great news! Experience tells us that when schools prioritise a strong school/parent relationship, students benefit in the long run, and communication is key!
How does technology support schools?
We know the priority for most schools utilising an online communications system is to improve parental engagement, and almost 90% of respondents stated they use online systems to improve communications with parents; 67% referred to getting more parents engaged. Modern technology supports social inclusivity, with online platforms enabling schools to keep in touch with hard-to-reach parents like never before.
However, with increasing demands on schools to demonstrate efficiency and savings, we recognise the important role of technology in streamlining processes and saving time in the office. Technology is clearly supporting schools to be more efficient, with 69% of schools benefiting from reduced workload as a result of parental engagement systems, and 75% utilising software to improve efficiency in school. 60% of respondents stated they look to online systems to save money.
What technology are schools using?
Technology can play lots of different roles in schools, whether that’s collecting payments, sending important news straight to parent’s hands, gathering online forms and permissions or arranging parents’ meetings. With so many different systems, we asked you how many suppliers you use to perform different tasks; 56% of respondents use just one system, 27% use two and 18% use three systems or more.
With multiple suppliers providing different systems in the school, parents are using the same number of systems to stay on top of school information at home. 62% of respondents believe using multiple systems would reduce the effectiveness of school communications. Experience also tells us that streamlining processes in the school office can protect the school budget, too.
Over 70% of respondents stated they regularly look into new methods of communication for their parents. 40% of schools who don’t invest time into looking at alternative systems refer to a lack of resource in implementing new methods.
Interesting stuff – thank you to everyone who took the time to take part! If you’d like to discuss how your school could use technology to improve your parental engagement, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Are we becoming tired of the text?
It’s strange to think that, only 10 years ago, we still relied on the occasional paper newsletter to communicate with...
School apps are becoming increasingly popular from early years through to secondary as a way of encouraging parents to invest their time into their child’s school life when it is most convenient for them.
The humble mobile app has transformed numerous aspects of our daily lives. From booking a flight to transferring money, booking an Uber, to the freedom to chat with people from all over the world in seconds, to gaming apps that keep us entertained ‘on the go’ on trains, tubes and in waiting rooms.
We live in a busy world that never sleeps, switches off or stops, and habits and expectations have changed drastically in the last 5-10 years, so to harness this phone-friendly lifestyle, schools need to adapt to be able to harness the way in which we all communicate.
By embracing these changes towards the ‘24/7 always-connected’ and ‘on-the-go’ world in which we now live, schools can connect with parents in ways they could only have dreamed about 20 years ago.
Technology has already impacted education and learning in remarkable ways. Children have the world literally at their fingertips. Not only is endless information available to download, stream or interact with at the click of a button, but the ways in which children and young people are able to learn is changing all the time. From games that teach kids how to touch-type, to videos that teach phonics, the internet and advances in computer software, they’ve all enabled a new generation to embrace and explore interactive learning.
The next step for schools is to embrace mobile apps as a way to engage parents in the way that they like to be engaged with. Mobile school apps provide schools with simple streamlined ways to communicate with parents via interactive tools that they are comfortable & familiar with – and it’s a cheaper option than traditional paper methods and restrictive SMS!
The need to juggle the commitments of so many different aspects of family life is an ongoing struggle for parents and with often a lack of time for conversations at the school gate, and a host of forgotten or missed events throughout the school term, schools need to engage with parents in a way that works. By shrinking all of these aspects down into an easy-to-use school mobile app, not only is the communication process with parents simplified, but it can actually improve parent/student engagement with the school and build community and trust. Schools can even have the app set up so it reflects the school’s branding and ethos making everyone feel part of a team..
Increasingly Popular
School apps are becoming increasingly popular from early years through to primary and secondary schools as a way of encouraging parents to invest their time into their child’s school life when it is most convenient for them. It feels like a more personalised, intimate and individual connection and better communication with parents means better support for the child and better outcomes.
School mobile apps can bring together weekly calendar updates, new school uniform lists, important school news and current school policies to the latest Ofsted Report, for example, in a fast and simple single place, which is useful for busy parents.
In the past, admin staff have spent considerable time checking and updating parent email addresses and mobile numbers, but when parents use the school app, if mobile numbers or email addresses are changed, the app keeps parents connected making life easier for everyone. What’s more, it’s very easy for parents to update their own details within their account.
So, whether it’s last minute panic about the dates of the upcoming Teddy Bear’s Picnic, or an early morning worry about whether parents’ evening starts at 6.30 or 7pm, it means children will stop getting told off for forgetting important messages from school, less clutter on the fridge and a more relaxed atmosphere all round.
For more information on the ParentMail App, call us on 01733 595959 or simply fill in an enquiry form and we’ll be in touch.
What’s up with WhatsApp?
Last month a Mumsnet thread hit the headlines when a post referring to the different types of mum found in...
In this day and age, a reliable, compatible mobile App is fast becoming a ‘need to have’ rather than just...
It’s strange to think that, only 10 years ago, we still relied on the occasional paper newsletter to communicate with parents. Today, there are numerous methods of sharing important news and information with mums and dads; for schools, new technology …
It’s strange to think that, only 10 years ago, we still relied on the occasional paper newsletter to communicate with parents. Today, there are numerous methods of sharing important news and information with mums and dads; for schools, new technology is bridging the gap between school and home like never before!
Over the years, ParentMail has observed the world of EdTech expand and evolve; we’ve seen habits change both at home and in the school office. One particular platform which has seen a dramatic transition is SMS. In 2012, over 160 billion text messages were sent in the UK; year on year, this number has steadily declined, with almost half the number sent in 2017, at just over 80 billion. In the wake of the SMS decline, in-App notifications are fast taking the place of the humble text message, and it’s easy to see why.
How many text messages are too many? When it comes to school messages, we think there should be a limit. Push notifications offer flexibility unrivalled by the outdated SMS. Text messages can be intrusive, causing parents to feel the need to respond instantly. On the other hand, smartphone users are accustomed to push-notifications appearing on their screen; in App notifications don’t require an immediate reaction, serving as a handy reminder to new information, instead.
For most school communications, not all messages are considered critical or require an instant response. Often, messages are alerting parents to news, payments due, bookings to be made etc. Whilst these messages are important, they are rarely categorised as urgent and, for this reason, push notifications are ideal, helping to build a reliable and constructive relationship between parents and school. For those messages that are considered urgent, parents are still notified and can react accordingly.
Apps allow the user to amend notifications to suit their own preferences. Text message notifications are either switched on or off, which simply isn’t practical. With an App custom-built for school communications, parents can make the most of flexible notifications and set them as appropriate.
Reached your limit?
With an average 160-character limit (including spaces!), SMS rarely offers the flexibility to share truly informative messages with parents. Text messaging is also a poor platform for sending additional media, such as pictures, forms or invitations. As a result, school messages are often short and impersonal and can fail to build a sense of confidence in parents. Add to this the huge cost of sending hundreds, if not thousands, of text messages every term, schools simply aren’t getting enough for their money.
School communications should be professional, helpful and, importantly, represent your school’s brand and values. When parents use just one App to manage all school communications, they immediately associate those notifications with your school and know they can trust the information they receive. This means parents are more likely to pick up messages quickly and respond as required. Without character limitations, schools can provide parents with all the necessary information for the subject at hand, from sharing photos from recent school trips, requesting consent, permissions and feedback with forms, or supporting parents to make online payments, quickly and easily. This level of flexibility builds a stronger relationship between home and school, ensuring parents feel informed about important news and information regarding their child.
School communications shouldn’t put your school budget on the back foot. ParentMail is designed with school’s needs in mind! Our flexible subscriptions allow you to plan your finances accordingly, with no unwelcome surprises in the form of extra costs. Make the most of the latest technology to improve parental engagement and impress your parents – you’ll never look back! Find out more and book a free demo today.
When parents and schools have a strong relationship, teachers experience the positive effects in the classroom and are empowered to support their students.
Schools across the country are feeling the strain of the teacher retention crisis. In London, more than four out of ten teachers are quitting the profession within five years of qualifying. This is a major concern for secondary schools, with pupil numbers set to increase by a huge 540,000 (19%) by 2025, as the swell of primary school students since 2010 make their way up to secondary education. Secondary schools now have a shortfall of 30,000 classroom teachers, and 20% of teacher training vacancies remain unfilled.
Educators are entering and leaving the teaching profession at a fast rate, enforcing a ‘just passing through’ culture. According to the DfE, there are three spikes in every academic year in which teachers leave schools; during the spring term in March, the end of the school year in August and, just passed us, the close of the Autumn term in December. With the pressure of budget cuts, rating tables and demands for efficiency, teacher retention is an additional unwelcome issue for schools already feeling the strain.
Many teachers make no secret of their reasons for leaving the profession behind, voicing major issues concerning work/life balance. However, it is also clear that a positive and supportive working culture can play an important role in a school’s retention. In fact, many teachers refer to a lack of support from school leaders as a primary reason for their seeking teaching roles else-where. Most teachers, when asked why they entered the profession in the first place, are likely to refer to educating and supporting young people – this doesn’t mean they don’t need the support of their peers, too!
There is a clear link between school reputation and staff retention; when a school is supported by their community and parents, staff feel encouraged and supported in their roles as a result. We know that parental engagement goes a long way in a students’ education, and parents can support teachers every day by staying up to date with the latest school news, attending parents’ evening, events or responding to forms. When parents and schools have a strong relationship, teachers experience the positive effects in the classroom and are empowered to support their students.
Experience tells us that most parents want to be involved in their child’s education; it’s up to the school to provide the tools they need to do so!
A strong parent communication system goes a long way in building that important link between school and home. If you are already using ParentMail and would like to find out more about the other services which could benefit your school, or if you’re looking to implement a brand-new parental engagement system, get in touch with the ParentMail team and start to improve efficiency, reduce costs and work smarter within your school. Call 01733 595959 to speak to our specialist team or email info@parentmail.co.uk.
ParentMail ensures 100% parental engagement at Wistow CE Primary School
Emails and Texts, Parents’ Evening Manager and Online Form Collection ensure 100% parental engagement at Wistow CE Primary School! Wistow Primary...
Professional and passionate staff, happy children and fantastic facilities – your front of house is under control, but how about those time-consuming finances? When it comes to managing nursery finance, there’s a lot to take into account. Chances are, your …
Professional and passionate staff, happy children and fantastic facilities – your front of house is under control, but how about those time-consuming finances?
When it comes to managing nursery finance, there’s a lot to take into account. Chances are, your nursery collects a wide variety of payments, from attendance fees, breakfast and lunch costs, additional money for trips and even late payment fees. For busy parents, remembering to withdraw cash for ad-hoc payments can be tricky, leading to arrears and potentially debts for your nursery, too.
On average, a nursery could collect hundreds of pounds in cash from parents every week. Keeping large amounts of money on site isn’t ideal, not only due to the security risks. It can take hours to collect, count, process and bank cash and cheques, time that could be better spent doing what you do best – looking after children!
Thousands of nurseries are making the most of paperless communications to engage with parents every day. Digital communication platforms are a fantastic way of saving time and money for your business, and parents love being kept up to date with the latest news from their nursery with a convenient mobile App. With technology proving to be an invaluable parental engagement tool for nursery communications, why should payments be any different?
+Pay provides a sustainable and reliable finance solution for small, large and multi-site nurseries. With online payments, parents no longer need to remember to withdraw cash. Instead, thanks to handy notifications and reminders, they simply log in and pay through the free ParentMail App – the same App they use to manage your nursery communications! Completely socially inclusive, parents can pay via PayPal, credit and debit card, AMEX and PayPoint. More than one parent can access the same account for one child, as well as managing multiple children from one account.
Setting up payment items in the office is quick and simple. With so many different payments to collect, the versatile, user-friendly platform offers daily, weekly and monthly settlement reports, making it easy to manage accounts and keep parent arrears in check. Childcare vouchers can be manually added into the system, effectively managing subscriptions and ensuring accounts are consistent and in balance. +Pay puts the tools into parent’s hands to stay on top of their payments, reducing arrears and debt and cash on nursery grounds – it’s a winner for everyone!
Our flexible platform comes with flexible pricing, too! ParentMail offer subscriptions to suit your nursery’s needs, whether you’re running a small set-up or operating across multiple sites. Our +Pay team will work with you to understand your needs and offer a solution to suit you. Set-up is quick, easy and won’t interfere with the day-to-day running of your nursery and our expert Support Team are on hand to offer help when you need it most.
More nurseries than ever are making the most of ParentMail to share news, request data, collect payments and more, every day. Providing parents with a convenient, free mobile App to stay on top of payments adds that extra special touch to your business to make you stand out against the crowd. Take control of your payments with ParentMail! Get in touch today!
A hot topic amongst parents and teachers is homework. It can often be a divisive issue, especially if there is a lot coming home but little communication about it sent to parents. Across social media, many parents often complain about the …
A hot topic amongst parents and teachers is homework. It can often be a divisive issue, especially if there is a lot coming home but little communication about it sent to parents. Across social media, many parents often complain about the amount of homework coming home, with many suggesting they think it’s unnecessary.
Successful schools recognise that it’s important to keep a dialogue open so that everyone understands that homework is part of the larger picture – of an independent lifelong learner. For this reason, communicating with parents is vital to ensure they are on side and checking work is completed.
Here are some ideas to keep in mind around communicating with parents about homework:
Set expectations early. As much as possible, keep parents in the loop about how much homework their children can generally expect, per week. Obviously, this is going to vary from child to child – not to mention throughout the year – but even rough guidelines can be helpful to reduce misunderstandings and supports busy parents to plan their weekly schedules.
Explain why homework is necessary. It is helpful for parents to understand how much homework is expected of their children and why. As educators, schools understand that sometimes the learning process has to extend beyond the school day. This isn’t always as clear to students or parents, so it is worth taking the time to point this aspect out to caregivers.
Help parents help with homework. Some parents look back on their school days with dread and unhappy experiences. Many experience daily battles with their children to ‘get homework done.’ So, it is helpful to explain that children need a quiet, dedicated space at home to get on with their work, with good lighting, and minimal distractions (from younger brothers and sisters, mobiles phones etc), and that leaving everything until the last minute is often a recipe for disaster. It’s important that parents try their hardest to provide the right environment for homework to get done.
Tell parents (politely) to not get overinvolved. We’ve all seen parents get too involved in homework, sometimes to the extent of doing entire projects all by themselves! This is often a rather keen parent whose good intentions have gone overboard. It’s helpful to clearly explain to parents the difference between facilitating their child’s homework which is a good thing, and doing it for them!
Use technology to help parents keep track of homework. Sending details of homework to parents digitally means they can keep track of what’s being worked on and allows them to refer back to it, should they need to.
Using school communication software is perfect for keeping parents up to date with homework as it makes it simple, quick and easy to keep them in the loop and reaches parents instantly. What’s more, with a mobile app, it means parents can store all their important school information in one place, helping them keep on top of everything!
Whether it’s a message in the weekly newsletter or a specific message dedicated to homework, many schools are using ParentMail to keep in regular contact with parents about the work coming home and the importance of it. If you’d like to discuss how your school or academy could use ParentMail to keep in touch with parents, contact us today by emailing info@parentmail.co.uk or give us a call on 01733 595959.
Top Tips for productive parents’ evening appointments!
Parents’ evening is a very important part of the relationship that parents develop with the school and their child’s teacher,...
Snowed under with the daily tasks of keeping a busy school running, you know better than we do how hard it can be squeezing in plans for Parents’ Evening. But where some teams are chasing down appointment slips, printing out …
Snowed under with the daily tasks of keeping a busy school running, you know better than we do how hard it can be squeezing in plans for Parents’ Evening. But where some teams are chasing down appointment slips, printing out letters and updating schedules, others simply click a button and watch the appointments fly in – this could be you!
If the mention of your next Parents’ Evening fills you with dread, set aside the spreadsheets and print outs and dare to dream of completely paperless parents’ meetings…
Your office isn’t buried under piles of appointment slips and printed letters. The team behind these vital plans aren’t rushed off their feet making last minute plans or squeezing in extra appointments. Instead, thanks to Parents’ Evening Manager, invitations were circulated to parents via the free ParentMail App weeks ago. You’ve avoided the frustrations of double-booked appointments, cancellations and confusion by pre-setting appointment durations using the flexible scheduling system. Parents are free to book meetings that fit their busy schedules, quickly and efficiently. With just a few clicks, your team can view an up-to-date report of meetings for every teacher – and appointments are coming in fast!
Planning the evening was easy and stress-free and, thanks to your attention to detail, the night itself is sure to run smoothly, too. Parents arrive on the night prepared with the information they need to find teachers and classrooms, and they could even include notes when booking appointments. As a result, teachers are equipped with the detail they need to discuss important subjects and answer questions for every student.
Following one of the most successful Parents’ Evenings your school has enjoyed in a long time, feedback from both staff and parents is positive. In the past, despite your best efforts and communications, parents often failed to book appointments and teachers missed the opportunity to discuss student’s progress. This time, attendance was at an all-time high!
Parents’ Evening is by far one of the most important, busiest events in the school calendar, and some may say you made it look easy; the truth is, thanks to your fantastic organisation skills and the decision to make the most of Parents’ Evening Manager, it was!
If the prospect of a pain-free, paperless Parents’ Evening appeals to your busy office team, get in touch to find out more about Parents’ Evening Manager by ParentMail.
Less paper, less waste, less expense
Tighter budgets see a call for efficiency and an ‘all hands-on-deck’ approach to searching out cost-cutting opportunities. In the hunt...
Ed-technically superior software
Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, has challenged school leaders to take advantage of modern technology in and outside of the classroom to reduce teacher’s responsibilities. Acknowledging workload as a common reason for teachers leaving the profession, Mr Hinds stated that innovative …
Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, has challenged school leaders to take advantage of modern technology in and outside of the classroom to reduce teacher’s responsibilities.
Acknowledging workload as a common reason for teachers leaving the profession, Mr Hinds stated that innovative technology in the classroom has resulted in both challenges and opportunities: “Education is one of the few sectors where technology has been associated with an increase in workload rather than the reverse.”
On the one hand, technology is making it easier for parents and schools to stay in touch, which is great news! However, common tech-platforms such as email, text and direct messaging Apps are resulting in more pressure on teachers who find themselves spending hours replying to parent responses, questions and queries; time that could be better spent on what they do best – teaching!
At ParentMail, we believe that rather than interfering with routine, parent communications should support schools. With nearly 20 years’ experience, our technology is developed to save schools time and money, whilst improving parental engagement for the benefit of students, staff and parents.
Our system is designed specifically for the school office, providing tailor-made solutions to deliver communications for every occasion. From straight-forward messaging to digital forms, office staff are completely in control of parent communications, managing responses from one platform and alleviating pressure and supporting teachers in the classroom.
The free ParentMail App supports parents to stay up-to-date with all the latest school news, without labouring your school with hundreds of responses and questions in return. For trip consents, dinner selections or any communications requiring a reply, our flexible Online Forms solution allows staff to build forms to enable easy management of responses.
Streamlining communications in the school office means staff can work efficiently, cutting out paper (and paper related costs!) while saving hours of time on admin tasks. Organised parent communications support teachers, too, particularly when it comes to Parents’ Evening. Rather than giving the responsibility of appointment booking to students, who are liable to either lose or purposely avoid certain meetings, Parents’ Evening Manager puts the power into parent’s hands, allowing them to book convenient appointments to fit their busy schedule, saving hours of time and confusion in the school office. The flexible platform also allows parents to include notes, enabling teachers to plan for each meeting accordingly.
Don’t let technology be a hindrance for your school. Make the most of tailor-made software specifically designed for the education sector and take control of your parent communications. Whatever your needs, ParentMail offers a solution for you, whether that’s simple messaging, cashless payments, data and consent collection or event planning. Get in touch to arrange a free demonstration today.
App-solutely brilliant – our mobile app has been updated!
The free ParentMail mobile App is used by over 2.5 million parents to stay in touch with schools every day,...
The free ParentMail mobile App is used by over 2.5 million parents to stay in touch with schools every day, from the comfort of home, at work or while out and about! Over the years, it’s been through some major …
Posted by Scott Thompson | 5 months ago
The free ParentMail mobile App is used by over 2.5 million parents to stay in touch with schools every day, from the comfort of home, at work or while out and about!
Over the years, it’s been through some major changes, as our Development team have stayed ahead of the latest EdTech innovations in order to bridge the home/school gap.
We caught up with Richard Shergold, Front-End Developer at ParentMail, to talk about the latest App developments.
“Our recent update is really important as it allows us to deliver fixes and make improvements to the mobile App more regularly. The team are always looking at feedback from users and have recently made several improvements to the App to make it even easier to use.”
“For example, one of the latest updates is the ability to mark items, such as messages, in bulk, rather than one at a time. We’ve also updated the way the App handles attachments and made a few handy changes to the App appearance, making it easier to navigate and manage school communications.”
“Our roadmap for 2019 holds even more exciting new developments, including Amex card payments and several other handy updates.”
Are you making the most of the ParentMail App?
Our free mobile App is by far the most convenient way to stay in touch with your school, supporting parents to make cashless payments, book appointments, respond to forms and more:
Dependable dinner money – Online cashless payments make topping up dinner money quick and easy, with just a few taps, thanks to handy low-balance reminders
Online Forms – Paper letters and forms are easily lost or forgotten at the bottom of school bags; digital forms are super convenient, making it easy to respond instantly
Online Payments – Trips, uniforms, clubs and more – pay for them all via the handy App, via credit/debit card, PayPal, PayPoint, PayCash or Amex (via desktop)
Parents’ Evening Manager – Booking convenient meetings to fit around busy schedules is quick and easy via the App
Feedback from parents is really valuable to us! Here are a few reviews that made our day…
“I think its brilliant how we can stay in touch with school so regularly and know what’s happening straight away instead of having to wait for school letters at the end of the day or week.” – Becky Hawkins – 5 stars
“The app is really easy to access and up to date, good layout and easy to navigate through the app.” – Ranj K – 5 stars
“Straightforward way to keep up with school communication and respond to forms without the hassle of them being misplaced. I enjoy using this app.” – Parent – 4 stars
“I love ParentMail! Makes school life much easier! Our school is new to it and it’s already much more useful!” – Parent – 5 stars
“It is great for keeping up with what is happening at my daughter’s school, when I am out & about & not by the laptop.” – Sarah Young – 5 stars
Share your feedback about the ParentMail App, – we’d love to hear from you!
Have you downloaded the ParentMail App yet? If not, visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store today and search “ParentMail”.
If you’re a school looking to streamline communications and improve parental engagement, get in touch to find out how ParentMail can support you!
Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, has challenged school leaders to take advantage of modern technology in and outside of the classroom...
A number of schools have recently hit the headlines as outraged parents complain their children have gone without a hot meal due to a lack of credit on their cashless dinner accounts. In Wales, school councils have argued in defence, …
A number of schools have recently hit the headlines as outraged parents complain their children have gone without a hot meal due to a lack of credit on their cashless dinner accounts. In Wales, school councils have argued in defence, stating they have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards dinner money debt in order to protect school budgets when parents fail to pay.
For many busy parents, topping up dinner money is just one small task, easily forgotten, on a long to-do list. However, when it’s schools hitting the press for turning children away without lunch, it falls on school leaders to seek out a solution. Low-balance reminders give parents a handy nudge to top up dinner accounts before lunch time, ensuring their child enjoys a hot meal and schools avoid unnecessary dinner debt.
More and more schools are choosing online payments systems in a bid to go cashless, for good reason! No money on school grounds results in less time spent handling and banking cash. However, finding the right platform for your school is important, so before you make any decisions or renew your contract, read on to find out more about the fastest growing cashless payment system in the UK…
Introducing +Pay!
+Pay, by ParentMail, offers some of the lowest transaction costs on the market, proven to save primary and secondary schools thousands of pounds every year. Our flexible platform manages not only dinner accounts but offers multiple registers for breakfast and after-school clubs, too!
For parents, +Pay is convenient, easy to use and reliable; parents can access and top up their accounts when they need to most, even at the busiest times. The socially-inclusive platform allows parents to top-up with credit/debit card, PayPal, PayPoint and AMEX, offering a solution for everybody.
Alternative cashless payment systems lack the flexibility offered by +Pay. Our top-up reminders are free for parents, informing them instantly when their balance goes below a pre-set amount. Parents can simply log in to the handy mobile app and top-up – they can even manage accounts for more than one child and view what has been purchased. Schools can also send out handy reminders to parents yet to top-up, protecting the school budget and ensuring accounts are ready for lunchtime!
It’s not just the +Pay platform that offers flexibility; ParentMail offers subscription costs to suit any school’s needs and budget, from primary and secondary schools to multi-academy trusts and colleges. Set-up is quick, easy and won’t interfere with the day-to-day running of your school. The system integrates with all major cashless catering systems and our team of +Pay experts are on hand to offer support when you need it most.
Last year, more than 700 schools chose +Pay as their online payments platform; of these, more than 300 left the market-leading provider in search of more features and a parent-friendly service – make the move to +Pay and never look back! Get in touch to have a chat about your cashless catering needs on 01733 595961.
The benefits of breakfast clubs – ParentMail’s top picks!
Last month, Children and Families Minister, Nadhim Zahawi announced that thousands more children across the country were receiving a healthy...
School dinner money debt is on the rise
The BBC recently reported on the astonishing debts accumulated by Welsh schools as a result of unpaid school dinner money....
For many families, the prospect of crossing the school threshold is a terrifying one. Though many schools may spend a lot of time and energy on events or activities for parents, the reality is that every school has those “hard …
For many families, the prospect of crossing the school threshold is a terrifying one. Though many schools may spend a lot of time and energy on events or activities for parents, the reality is that every school has those “hard to reach” parents and there are many barriers in the way that stop parents feeling connected with what is going on in school.
One key area that I feel can begin the process of breaking down barriers and building bridges to communication and community, is through the school office, as it can be instrumental in fostering a positive connection among families and educators. It can be a consistent source of engagement providing current, reliable, and useful information.
Many school offices across the country now use technology to communicate home various things to parents, realising that the more they engage parents with what’s going on, the better the outcome for students. Online communication has really helped bridge this relationship and many schools now send home messages, online forms, allow parents to book parents’ evening appointments and even request payments – allowing parents to pay with ease on their mobile phone or computer.
Previously, having to come into the school office to make payments, for example, would add stress to parents and administrative staff’s already busy day, so the beauty of using technology is that parents no longer have to cope with scrambling around looking for cash or cheques, or worry about coming into the school office to make payments for lunch, uniforms or trips, as an online system helps parents and admin staff communicate quickly, easily & more efficiently.
A system like ParentMail helps parents build a better relationship with the school office, without having to worry about physically coming into the building. For those parents who don’t feel comfortable coming into the office, or don’t have the time to do so, which is often the case, technology has broken down the barriers and allowed regular communication, helping these parents feel more connected with what is going on in school.
Watch Sue discuss this further in the video below…
To find out more about ParentMail and the range of applications that can help you improve parental engagement, simply visit the website, email info@parentmail.co.uk or call 01733 595959.
Five ways to change up your parental engagement usage
Parental engagement solutions make everyday office tasks quick, simple and cost-effective. Thousands of schools across the UK now collect dinner money, permission forms and share information about school events online, saving both time and money and improving relationships with parents …
Posted by Rebecca Knight | 6 months ago
Parental engagement solutions make everyday office tasks quick, simple and cost-effective. Thousands of schools across the UK now collect dinner money, permission forms and share information about school events online, saving both time and money and improving relationships with parents as a result.
We regularly receive feedback from schools who use ParentMail in a variety of ways to keep parents engaged with what’s going on in school, to help further enhance pupils’ education journey. Below we’ve shared with you some of the ways primary schools are utilising ParentMail:
Share homework tips with parents
Homework is important in a child’s education and good habits can help throughout their school journey. Parents play a big part in encouraging this in their children, but some see it as more of a “pain” than a useful tool to help further improve their child’s understanding of the subject. Why not use ParentMail to get them on side, sending tips such as setting up a specific homework-friendly space and being available to offer help and support. These tips on the BBC website are great to share with parents.
Organise paper-free parents’ evenings
Lost forms, double-booked appointments and long waiting times lead to a parents’ evening headache for school teachers, office staff and parents. If parents have more than one child at a school, or more than one teacher to see, it can be a challenge to arrange appointment times accordingly. Parents’ Evening Manager puts parents in charge of booking appointments and removes the need for children to be involved in the process.
Use forms to keep pupil information up to date
Keeping data for children’s health requirements, next-of-kin information or anything else the school might need to know is essential for happy pupils and parents. ParentMail can make this easy in 2019, with Online Forms. Rather than chasing paper forms that can get lost between the classroom and home, online forms allow parents to respond quickly and with the ease of doing so from their smartphone! Plus, it won’t cost your school anything in printing costs, so you can request information updates as often as you see fit!
Remind parents about the importance of reading at home
Extensive research supports the claim that children who read regularly at home achieve more than those who don’t. We know that parents are busy, juggling work and family life. However, reminding them of the importance of reading with their child is crucial. Book Trust has some great tips here; why not use ParentMail to share these tips with parents?
Share information about key dates
You may talk to pupils regularly about school open days, open days to secondary schools and school fetes. Now, ParentMail makes it easy to share this information with parents, and subsequently can help their children organise their time and arrange their own diaries, too.
How have you been using ParentMail to stay in touch with parents ? We’d love to hear about them via Twitter!
If you’re looking to adopt a parental engagement system that handles online payments, forms, parents’ evening and more, get in touch here or book a free demo.
100% response rate to forms from parents within 48 hours
After years of spending many hours preparing paper communications, hundreds of pounds each year on paper and photocopying to find...
When it comes to planning Parents’ Evening, staff at St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School were used to all the usual stresses and strains; piles of paper cluttering the school office, lost or missing appointment slips, chasing up parent …
When it comes to planning Parents’ Evening, staff at St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School were used to all the usual stresses and strains; piles of paper cluttering the school office, lost or missing appointment slips, chasing up parent responses – the list goes on!
With 250 students, the school office would typically send home two letters per student in the run-up to parents’ evening – that’s 500 sheets of paper for one event! In their mission to go paperless this year, the school turned to Parents’ Evening Manager to take the paper out of parents’ evening.
“Like all schools, we’d try and give parents plenty of time to book appointments,” says Admin Support, Bethany Schofield. “We’d send out a form asking parents to pick an hour that that would suit them for their appointments, before trying to put together a schedule that suited everyone. There was a lot of back and forth between parents, staff and teachers. We’re a busy school and our parents are busy people; we wanted a system that would save us all time, whilst reducing our reliance on paper.”
A teacher at the school recently used Parents’ Evening Manager to book an appointment for their own child and realised the huge potential for St Thomas of Canterbury Primary School.
“When I looked into the system, I realised it offered all the flexibility we needed and would make the process easier for everyone involved – so we decided to give it a go! Setting up the evening was really easy. We prefer to keep the slots short and were able to pre-set the appointment lengths and block out times for particular teachers if needed. We particularly like how quick and easy it is to print out lists of appointments so that we can see at a glance how the evening is looking.”
“Parents love being able to book slots to fit around their busy schedules. We haven’t had any negative feedback and bookings came in really quickly! Recently, I was talking to a parent on the phone and she asked me to stay on the line while she booked her appointment, expecting it to be a tricky process – but she booked a slot in seconds, without any help from me!”
“In the office, we’re trying to go digital as much as possible; we know that online processes make things easier, faster and cheaper. We’re no longer sending home paper letters and use a cashless dinner payments system. The response from parents has been very positive. I would definitely recommend Parents’ Evening Manager to other schools. It’s a simple, smooth, time-saving process for staff and parents. We’re looking forward to using it for our next Parents’ Evening already!”
Get in touch today to find out more about Parents’ Evening Manager or to book a free online demo.
Paperless parents’ evening booked in less than 24 hours for Whiteabbey
Within 48 hours of launching ParentMail in Whiteabbey Primary School, 80% of parents were able to receive messages, make payments,...
You know better than we do that running a nursery is a busy and time-consuming business! Whilst chatting to parents during the morning drop-off might seem the most convenient way of sharing the latest nursery news, it isn’t the most …
You know better than we do that running a nursery is a busy and time-consuming business! Whilst chatting to parents during the morning drop-off might seem the most convenient way of sharing the latest nursery news, it isn’t the most efficient or organised method of parental engagement.
For many reasons, a strong partnership between your nursery and parents is vital. We all know nursery is a key stage in a child’s development and, understandably, parents expect to be kept up to date on the time their child spends in your care. Whether that’s what they ate for lunch, what time they took their nap or the activities they enjoyed that day, it is up to you to keep parents updated on this all-important information – and there’s a lot of it to share!
Word of mouth and reputation go a long way when it comes to parents choosing their child’s nursery. Strong communications could be key to impressing new parents – in fact, a focus on parental engagement could be your greatest asset! Fantastic facilities and staff paired with regular, reliable and helpful communications are sure to make you stand out against your competitors.
Take your nursery online
The thought of adding newsletters, updates and parents’ meetings onto your already long to-do list may be enough to make you give up before you’ve even started, but don’t worry! In today’s technology-driven world, placing more emphasis on communication doesn’t necessarily mean more hard work or extra cost.
Ask most parents and they are likely to choose digital communications over piles of paper letters, and when it comes to data security, digital documents are the safer choice. You collect such a huge amount of data, from health and safety information, contact details, dinner selections and parent feedback that storing this information in a secure online database will greatly improve the way you use information – from making accessing and updating information easy for staff to reducing your reliance on paper in the office.
Alongside communications, how much time do you spend managing payments? Cash and cheques take up a lot of time to collect, bank and process. Online payments reduce the amount of cash on nursery grounds, improving security where it’s needed most. Cashless payments are also far more convenient for parents, ensuring your nursery receives payments on time, every time. For nurseries operating over multiple sites, a central system from which all payments and data is collected, and all news, forms and emails are sent can save time, improve efficiency and ensure consistency.
Happy parents, happy nursery, happy children!
More nurseries than ever are making the most of ParentMail to share news, request data, collect payments, plan meetings and more, every day. Providing parents with a convenient, free mobile App to stay in touch with their child’s nursery adds that extra special touch to your business to make you stand out against the crowd.
Take control of your parent communications with ParentMail! Get in touch today to arrange a free demo to see how our flexible, modular system can meet your needs today.
Parent / School Communications – 22 Years On
The time has come for schools to reach out to parents using the technology they live with every day. Sue Atkins investigates…
As we have previously touched on, the 1997 White Paper ‘Excellence in Schools’ highlighted the importance of parent / school relationships and acknowledged that – “Parents play a crucial role in helping their children learn. Family learning is a powerful tool for reaching some of the most disadvantaged in our society, helping build strong local communities and widening participation in learning.”
In January 2010, BECTA published a report which stated “The support and involvement of families can make a crucial difference to learners’ success. Technology offers practical, effective ways to engage families, keeping them in touch with a learner’s progress and encouraging learning beyond the classroom.!
It touched on some key facts and figures relating to social grades and access to internet at home, but the key findings we will look at today relate to the section ‘Communicate better with online reporting.’
‘Every school in England is now expected to offer online access to information for parents to support their children’s progress: all secondary schools by September 2010, and primary schools by 2012.’
Here are some key facts and figures from this report:
80% of parents say they see the benefit of regular parent-school contact
60% of teachers think that parents believe their job stops at the school gate
58% of school leaders believe ICT has improved the school’s ability to involve parents in their children’s attendance.
48% of teaching staff say ‘invisible’ parents lack the confidence to approach them to discuss their child
67% of parents would like schools to use technologies such as text messaging and the internet to communicate with them more often
8% of parents surveyed in 2008 were kept informed through online reporting
So, 22 years on, how has parent / school communications evolved?
There is a wide range of school communication software on the market, and there is no doubt that it can support school-home engagements with the wide range of features they offer. Access to software can be via a website or in some cases, via a mobile App, providing more flexibility for the parent to stay in touch.
We know that parental engagement is a powerful factor in driving pupil progress right from early years education through to post-16 study. However, research shows that the nature of engagement changes over the course of a child’s school journey, which is why schools need a clearly defined strategy to determine how parental engagement will be led and carried out.
ParentMail bringing schools and parents closer together
Many schools encounter barriers to parental engagement, so by using a system that puts information directly into the hands of parents and tailoring their communications to meet the needs of their communities, schools are finding ways to break down these barriers and help parents support their child.
There will always be parents who are harder to reach, and technology has a part to play in engaging this group. Some schools are focusing on sending out positive messages about pupils to their parents which helps to counter negativity and builds fruitful dialogues – building bridges not walls between home and school.
Today, schools are embracing technology to communicate with parents, and email, text messages and mobile apps are all part of the toolkit. Schools need to ensure they get the most from these tools so that messages can be sent out quickly without adding to staff workload.
Parental engagement has moved on from the days when the annual report and parents’ evening were the only point of reference. The time has come for schools to reach out to parents using the technology they live with every day, so they can build up a positive working relationship to support pupils through the school years.
ParentMail provides schools with the technology they need to communicate with parents, all through one platform. If you’d like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by reaching us on 01733 595959 or email info@parentmail.co.uk
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new School Help Site, now live and ready to answer any questions you may have about using ParentMail! The new site includes lots of improvements which make finding guidance and instructions easier …
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new School Help Site, now live and ready to answer any questions you may have about using ParentMail! The new site includes lots of improvements which make finding guidance and instructions easier than ever before.
Finding answers has never been easier
Powered by Google, the new search function instantly finds the answer to your question! You can search for an answer by typing in a keyword or question to quickly find the information you need to complete the task at hand.
In addition to step-by-step instructions, our new range of videos provide easy-to-follow guidance for completing a variety of tasks, from registering parents and creating invoices to downloading reports and editing user permissions.
Keep an eye out for system updates
We include news and details of our latest system updates on the school help site so that you can make the most of new enhancements and functionality. Notes on our latest update (our biggest release yet!) are available on the help site now, including details on updates to Online Forms, improved payment functionality and lots of handy fixes! We always take feedback and requests from schools into account when updating the ParentMail system and our latest release includes many updates that you specifically asked for – take a look at the notes to find out more!
We want to hear what you think of our new help site. Click the ‘We need your feedback’ button at the bottom of the homepage to let us know of any additional improvements we can make or FAQs you’d like us to add.
A look back at the year just gone…
As we welcome in the New Year, we’re taking the opportunity to look back over the year just gone, our biggest and best year yet! 2018 saw us welcome hundreds of new primary, secondary schools, nurseries and Academies to the …
Posted by Alex Joyce | 6 months ago
As we welcome in the New Year, we’re taking the opportunity to look back over the year just gone, our biggest and best year yet!
2018 saw us welcome hundreds of new primary, secondary schools, nurseries and Academies to the ParentMail fold; we sent more messages, emails and online forms than ever before, supporting schools across the country to improve parental engagement and save time and money.
During 2018, we supported schools to send over:
18 million texts
285 million emails
5 million Online Forms
We also processed over 4 million orders for trips, events and other School Shop items!
The past 12 months also saw schools planning almost 9,000 parents’ evenings; you were also busy arranging almost 3,600 events!
2018 saw us celebrate 2.5 million App downloads; that’s 2.5 million parents using the free ParentMail App to stay up to date with school news, book appointments, respond to forms and make payments, all from one account!
As we continue to support schools to go paperless with the very best in EdTech, we know how important it is to stay ahead with the latest innovations in software and technology, which is why we’re working hard on new functionality to help make life easier for schools and parents. Last year saw us update the free ParentMail App for both Android and iOS, making lots of handy improvements to make it even easier for parents to keep on top of school communications. We also released our biggest system update yet, which was jam-packed with improvements, new functionality and handy fixes, many of which were specifically requested by our schools.
Following our biggest and best year yet, our New Year’s Resolution for 2019 is the same as always – to continue supporting schools to improve parental engagement with innovative software and exciting new developments. What’s yours?
IRIS Software Group acquires BioStore
IRIS Software Group, the UK’s business critical software provider has announced the acquisition of BioStore LTD
IRIS Software Group, the UK’s business critical software provider has announced the acquisition of BioStore LTD, a principle provider of identity management and cashless catering solutions to UK schools and businesses.
BioStore’s identity management and cashless catering solutions are used by over 3,000 UK schools and sixth form colleges to improve and streamline access control and how catering services are delivered. The acquisition further extends the IRIS education software portfolio and its ability to deliver a step-change in school efficiency – a prime objective of many Academy and Academy Trusts.
BioStore will sit within the IRIS Education Division which includes PS Financials financial management; Results Squared asset management and communications; ParentMail online payment and parent engagement, and The Contact Group which includes the prominent messaging apps, Looked After Call and Truancy Call.
Over 11,000 education organisations use IRIS solutions, which provide essential software to 60% of UK academies and 82% of large multi-academy Trusts. IRIS also connects schools with over four million parents and guardians and sends over 300 million messages each year from schools to parents and guardians, helping to keep them informed and process payments for dinner money and other school items.
Kevin Dady, CEO of IRIS Software Group says, “BioStore has developed some game-changing technology for the education sector and I’m delighted to welcome the business to IRIS. Our mission is to help all education establishments become more efficient and productive by reducing administration and delivering services that benefit schools, colleges, students and parents. This acquisition is yet another step in helping us achieve this goal.”
Nigel Walker, managing director of BioStore says, “BioStore is a leader in providing innovative identity management and cashless catering solutions to schools and businesses for many years. We’re delighted to be part of IRIS Software Group where we can create even tighter integrations between our respective award-winning portfolios and innovate further. Together with IRIS we can offer schools and businesses an end to end solution, which creates value by making budgets go further.”
Tighter budgets see a call for efficiency and an ‘all hands-on-deck’ approach to searching out cost-cutting opportunities. In the hunt for financial savings, however, it’s important to remember that, often, it’s the small changes that deliver big results. It is …
Tighter budgets see a call for efficiency and an ‘all hands-on-deck’ approach to searching out cost-cutting opportunities. In the hunt for financial savings, however, it’s important to remember that, often, it’s the small changes that deliver big results.
It is estimated that the average secondary school pupil produces 22kg of waste a year, with primary school pupils more than doubling that at 45kg. Much of this waste is paper and card; today, one million sheets of paper are being used per school, per year; on average, schools can spend up to £60,000 on photocopying annually! With pupils still relying on books and pens in the classroom, school leaders are questioning: what are the true costs and implications of paper in schools?
Taking a step back from paper can be tricky! A wide-spread movement towards modern technology in the classroom appears far off. Children still complete exams on paper and handwriting remains an important step in every child’s education. While it may be difficult to reduce reliance on traditional methods in the classroom, a move towards paperless-office environments may be easier (and more beneficial!) than you think.
An online system such as ParentMail supports your team to take the easy step towards a paperless environment – and it’s a step well worth taking! A commitment to going paperless results in both time and financial savings; your school could save up to £65,000 a year on print alone, not to mention the additional paper and postage costs.
Without paper letters, forms and registers to manage, manual admin tasks are replaced by efficient, reliable and simple online processes. Paperless-school staff don’t need to invest valuable time in chasing trip and dinner payments; instead, parents can make timely, cashless payments through our mobile App, reducing dinner debt and eliminating any need for cash on school grounds. From the same online account, parents receive notifications about parents’ evening, school trips and clubs, and can complete and return school forms at a time convenient for them. Paperless schools also enjoy the benefits of having important information at their fingertips, with access to customisable reports and data to support student learning.
By removing paper-based obstacles from daily tasks, your school can streamline processes, protect important data and achieve amazing cost savings. Equally, empower parents to engage with your school with a convenient, socially inclusive platform and watch home/school partnerships go from strength to strength!
Paperless schools never look back! Get in touch to find out how ParentMail can support your school to save time and money this new year. Call the team on 01733 595959 or email info@parentmail.co.uk.
Forms, forms and more forms…
With September upon us, schools are now busy collecting and managing all new starter data - from students, to staff,...
In this video, Sue Atkins – parenting expert and ex-Headteacher – gives her views on how parental engagement software can keep communication between school and parent clear, whilst keeping all data safe.
Instant messaging service, WhatsApp, has become an integral part of staying in touch with friends and family for adults across the UK. Many parents also use WhatsApp groups to share information about their child’s school with other parents.
Earlier this year, we wrote an article on our blog, What’s up with WhatsApp? after a Mumsnet thread hit the headlines when a post referring to the different types of mum found in ‘every’ school WhatsApp group struck a chord with parents across the country.
Parents were quick to state that the WhatsApp group created at the beginning of the school year is a handy way of staying up to date with the latest classroom news. However, the sheer quantity of messages sent by the 20+ parents all part of the same group can be quite overwhelming and ‘fear of missing out’ often warrants us incapable of turning notifications to silent.
Sometimes WhatsApp groups for parents may not share accurate information, and details about children may be shared with little thought for privacy. In this video, Sue Atkins – parenting expert and ex- deputy head – gives her views on how parental engagement software can keep communication between school and parent clear, whilst keeping all data safe.
If you want to find our more about ParentMail’s communication applications, and what else it can do to help your office staff save time and money, get in touch on info@parentmail.co.uk or give the team a call on 01733 595959.
Christmas is hectic, but technology can make life easier!
Watch our video to see why parenting expert Sue Atkins recommends using technology in school to help make life just a little bit easier for parents around Christmas!
Christmas can be a very busy time for parents, particularly with all the extra events going on in school! The run up to the school nativity or end of year performance can include lots of rehearsals, not to mention booking and paying for tickets, choosing seats and making sure they know the correct dates and times for everything that is going on!
Technology can help make life just that bit easier!
With the ParentMail mobile app, for example, parents can receive messages instantly straight to their phone, including last minute changes or reminders. What’s more, they can manage events, make online payments and even complete forms all from one account, making a hectic time of year easier for parents to manage.
Watch our video below to see why parenting expert Sue Atkins recommends using technology in school to help make life just a little bit easier for parents.
Last month, Children and Families Minister, Nadhim Zahawi announced that thousands more children across the country were receiving a healthy and nutritious breakfast at school breakfast clubs. In part, this is thanks to a government-funded programme worth nearly £26 million. …
Last month, Children and Families Minister, Nadhim Zahawi announced that thousands more children across the country were receiving a healthy and nutritious breakfast at school breakfast clubs. In part, this is thanks to a government-funded programme worth nearly £26 million.
Here are some of our favourite ways breakfast clubs can benefit children, parents and schools.
Breakfast clubs improve school performance
Research shows that a good breakfast can help improve children’s reading, writing and maths performance. KidsHealth.org reports that breakfasts high in protein and fibre, and low in sugar, helps to boost children’s attention span, concentration and memory, essential for good performance at school.
Affordable and safe pre-school childcare
Parents are increasingly busy juggling childcare with working, often having to opt for pre- and post-school care. Breakfast clubs offer them some respite, both financially, and from the chaos of the morning school run. On average, breakfast clubs in England cost just £1.68 per day to attend. Moreover, about a quarter of breakfast clubs are completely free for all children to attend!
Time to socialise, or get active
Many schools use their breakfast club to get children moving. The Daily Mile is a relatively new initiative to get children running or jogging one mile every day. Who knows, the next Mo Farah might be hidden amongst your breakfast club! For other schools, children can play board games, draw or colour, or use computers to research and complete their homework.
Better attendance and behaviour
By reducing the stress of the morning routine for families and children, breakfast clubs can help improve behaviour and attendance. Children have up to an hour before school starts so they can relax, play, eat, exercise and socialise, all without the rush of getting to school. In this article from the Guardian, Sam Bailey, Headteacher of the Forest Academy in Barnsley, said “Pupil behaviour has improved dramatically and attitudes to learning are the best they have ever been.”
ParentMail helps schools successfully run breakfast clubs
Thanks to our brand-new multiple registers feature, schools with our +Pay (online payments) package can now easily set up additional registers. This lets them track registrations and payments for breakfast clubs, alongside other registers, such as school dinners and after-school clubs. Therefore, administrative work is reduced, too. The feature also allows for multiple running balances, which helps reduce arrears with low-balance reminders for parents.
This is one of our most-requested improvements!
For existing online payments users, you can add new registers from the Registers tab in ParentMail. If you’re not a ParentMail user, but want to know more about Multiple Registers and other applications that can help improve parental engagement and online payments management, give the team a call on 01733 595959 or email info@parentmail.co.uk.
Staff at Abbey Catholic Primary School have been on a campaign to register parents to ParentMail and their efforts have received a fantastic response, with 99% of parents using ParentMail to stay up to date on school communications and payments, every day!
Since September, Abbey Catholic Primary School have been on a campaign to register parents to ParentMail and their efforts have received a fantastic response!
As ParentMail Co-ordinator, Deputy Headteacher, Joe McTernan, has worked closely with the staff team to make the most of their complete ParentMail package to improve parental engagement.
In a recent survey, 87% of our customers agreed that the key to the success of a new communications system is strong parent uptake. Since the launch of ParentMail a few months ago, Abbey Catholic Primary School saw parent registration increase slowly; following a campaign to get all parents registered, today 99% of parents are signed up and 80% are using the App!
The school is committed to adopting a paperless environment and ParentMail has been key to achieving this. They now send out all newsletters, competition and club communications via ParentMail, making it very important for parents to register. Although ‘playground chatter’ has been key, the team made the most of a recent parents’ evening to help parents make the most of the ParentMail App.
“We had our first parents’ evening since the introduction of ParentMail and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to answer any questions parents had about using their accounts.” Says Deputy Headteacher, Joe. “So, I was coronated with the title of ‘ParentMail King’ for the evening, complete with paper crown! I was on hand to answer questions and have a chat. Most parents who stopped by to ask questions just needed some support to get used to using their account. I mainly dealt with teething problems, but I also sat with two of the three families yet to register with ParentMail and helped them to set up their accounts there and then! It was a great idea and a huge success.”
The primary school also have a great social media presence and tweeted about their ‘ParentMail king’ during the evening to let parents know that support was available if they needed it – another brilliant way of sharing news and improving parental engagement!
“Although we’re at the end of our ParentMail roll-up now, we’ve worked hard to get to this point and made it a priority since September to get parents registered on the system.” Says Joe. “We have played hardball with a few parents who weren’t signing up. For example, we chose not to send paper copies of communications home with students. Instead, we sent a message to parents to let them know that there was a letter in the school office for them to collect. This worked really well, as our office staff took the opportunity to encourage parents to download the App and many families registered with ParentMail as a result. It’s far more convenient for them – sometimes people just need that extra push to give something new a go!”
Parents at Abbey Catholic Primary School can now manage communications with ease and stay up to date with school news, events, competitions and payments, which supports school staff as a result! In particular, organising PE and after-school clubs has been far smoother and easier for everyone involved, with all parents responding to forms and event information quickly and efficiently online. And, should parents ever have a question about using their account, they know help is at hand at the school!
Deputy Headteacher and ‘ParentMail King’, Joe McTernan, ready to answer questions and give advice on parents’ evening!
If you’re a school looking to improve parental engagement get in touch today! Call us on 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk.
George Stephenson High School gets creative!
With 1298 students, George Stephenson High School has been using ParentMail to communicate with parents since 2012, but recently came...
Parental engagement – a strategy for success
We talk about the importance of parental engagement a lot. The term has become a ‘buzzword’ in our offices and...
Parents’ evening is a very important part of the relationship that parents develop with the school and their child’s teacher, whether it is their first experience, or they have attended before.
Here are a few pointers to how parents may be feeling and how you can ensure that the meeting is productive, for the child, for parents and also for the school.
Children can be rather uncommunicative about their life at school, which can be frustrating for parents, so for them, this is a great chance to get to know their child’s teacher and learn more about how their time is spent in class, what they are studying, how they are progressing and if they need any extra support at home.
There can be a lot that parents want to cover in their ten-minute slot and some will come prepared with all of the questions that they want to ask, whereas others will wait to be led by the teacher, but there is no doubt that they are expecting a ‘full picture’ of the progress their child is making and also any challenges they are facing.
Remember also that parents want to be reassured that their child is important and is being cared for and engaged with during lessons. There is nothing worse than being a parent sitting with a teacher and wondering if this teacher has spent time in getting to know your child. A good pointer is to have some of the child’s work to hand for the parents to review and some prepared notes on what they have achieved – i.e. a celebration, and then where needed, to discuss the focus on where their child needs more support and how they can help.
Parents generally want to be involved in their child’s education, to ensure that they have the best chances and to be ‘part of the process’ and to develop a positive relationship with their child’s teacher or teachers.
Depending on the parent’s own experience with school, they may feel intimidated and it is the teacher’s role to put them at ease and start to build on the foundations of the relationship between school and home. They will be looking for guidance and how they can support their child, so although time is limited, a top tip is to have a prepared plan that they can take away, highlighting the areas of focus where they can support; not only will this help them to become involved in their child’s schooling but will also provide a point of reference for the next meeting, so progress can be charted and further plans can be developed.
It is also essential to remember that this is a two-way conversation and that parents may have their own concerns about the child’s school life that they want to share with you, whether this is related to the actual school work or other aspects, such as their relationships with other children and staff, this is important to them, so ensure that facts are established if they have concerns and actions are agreed and followed up.
Parents’ Evening Manager allows school to manage parents’ evening with ease, and even has the functionality to allow parents to leave notes in advance of their appointment. With this, teachers can run off their appointments the day before and quickly see what each parent would like to discuss, ensuring both parties feel organised ahead of the appointment.
For more information on Parents’ Evening Manager, email info@parentmail.co.uk or call us on 01733 595959.
Thousands of schools are using +Pay every day to collect cashless dinner money payments and are enjoying reduced dinner money debt as a result.
The BBC recently reported on the astonishing debts accumulated by Welsh schools as a result of unpaid school dinner money. It’s a common problem for thousands of primary and secondary schools across the country, and figures show dinner money related debts are on the rise.
The BBC found that at the end of last year parents in Wales owed more than £400,000* in unpaid school dinner debts; in seven Welsh authorities, the debt has increased by a staggering 90% in just five years.
What do parents say about dinner money debt?
We took to social media to see what parents had to say about increasing school dinner money debts and the feedback was very interesting –
“Often the debt is over £1000 owed and considering the younger years get free school meals I think it’s outrageous.”
“Our school displays the debt in the weekly newsletter/website. It’s low at the minute, about £600, but it is creeping up…”
“It’s not a case of “can’t pay, won’t pay” just an easy mistake of not drawing cash out on Sunday night, how many people actually carry cash these days…”
“Maybe if all schools could accept standing orders or online payments it would make parents lives easier and less stress on school chasing dinner money debt.”
“Ours is done through ParentMail; so, so easy and you can see exactly what they chosen and what time.”
The cause of dinner money debt is different for all schools and parents. A number of parents on social media argued of the inconvenience of having to find cash and coins every week, stating that they rarely have cause to withdraw cash these days. For this reason, many parents spoke in favour of online systems, stating cashless school payments are far more convenient for everyone involved.
However, even with online payment systems, with busy lives, parents can still occasionally forget to top up their child’s dinner account because many online payment providers do not provide the functionality to send automatic alerts to parents when it’s time to top up – some systems even require parents to pay extra for this service!
Not only does +Pay support schools to become cashless, our Online Payments system also allows schools to input a low dinner money balance limit; when a student’s dinner money reaches the pre-selected amount, their parent automatically receives a handy alert to top up, even if that’s just half an hour before dinner time!
+Pay works for schools with or without cashless catering systems and saves hours of time in the school office; no more clunky cash payments to process or reminders to be sent out to parents! The socially inclusive platform allows parents to pay via whichever method suits them, be that credit or debit card, PayPoint or PayCash.
Thousands of schools are using +Pay every day to collect cashless dinner money payments and are enjoying reduced dinner money debt as a result. With 97%** of adults now accessing the internet on-the-go from their mobile phone, online payments are the way to go!
To find out more about +Pay, call 01733 59599 or email info@parentmail.co.uk.
https://www.parentmail.co.uk/services/online-payments/dinner-money
*https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45895567
https://bit.ly/2nw9rcy
Budget 2018 – What you need to know
This week, the chancellor delivered his 2018 Budget in which he announced an extra £400 million capital funding for schools this year, effective immediately.
This money will amount to a pay out of roughly £10,000 per primary school, and £50,000 per secondary school.
However, the extra cash injection cannot be used for revenue outlay, such as staff salaries, and can only be spent on capital projects, for example purchasing sports and technology equipment, or building maintenance.
Every year, the Budget sparks conversations and debates across industries, and this year has been no different. Whilst many in the education sector argue that this capital investment is not enough, Jonathan Simons, Education policy commentator and former government adviser, suggests that any extra funding into schools is a ‘good announcement’.
Funding of UK schools and education continues to be a hot topic, both across the teaching profession and in Whitehall.
Limited staff numbers, both in classrooms and the office, puts pressure on school operations. With increasing regulations and more reporting and paperwork to complete, along with increased pupil numbers, teachers’ to-do lists are continually increasing.
Many schools are looking to technology to help ease staff workload, improve efficiency and maximise return on investment, choosing ParentMail to increase parental engagement. ParentMail allows schools to send messages, collect forms, collect payments, organise events and organise parents’ evening digitally. This saves staff time printing and distributing forms to pupils, eliminates the risk of lost communications, and can save schools thousands of pounds per year on resources like paper, postage and printing toner and make school budgets go further.
School is now in full swing, and so the next big milestone is Parents’ Evening and organising it successfully is no mean feat!
With school now in full swing, routines are established, children are settled in their new classes – and so the next big milestone is Parents’ Evening and organising it successfully is no mean feat!
Parents’ Evenings are an extremely important event in the school calendar, as they provide the opportunity for parents to speak with teachers to get an insight into how their child/children are progressing, whilst for the teachers it is an opportunity to strengthen the parental relationship with the school and to develop their support in a child’s learning.
For the school staff, it is a huge task to ensure that all the parents are informed of the date(s), which provides them with the opportunity for booking a convenient slot with their child’s teacher. We all live in a busy, hectic world so juggling diaries can be complicated and stressful.
Then there are the logistics to consider; is it best for the meetings to take place in the child’s classroom or in a larger space such as the school hall or gym? All of this can be further complicated when parents have more than one child at the school, as appointments will need to be coordinated; further complications can arise when the parents are separated, and both parents want separate appointments.
Further support is needed from the office staff in supporting the teachers in collating reports, records and other documentation that they need for each meeting.
With regular communications with parents, they should all be aware of the date, and hopefully, have organised their personal diaries to attend. However, inevitably there will always be a case where this information has been overlooked by the parents, they have prior commitments or may have just forgotten! This then falls to the school staff to assist with organising alternative dates/times for the important meeting.
Traditionally, letters inviting parents to make appointments were sent home with the pupils which were then (hopefully) returned to the school via the same channel with the parent’s availability to attend to be processed and an appointment allocated. In some schools this is still the case, but as school communications evolve, online methods and booking systems are being introduced to ease the burden.
Whichever method your school uses, there is no doubt that the organisation and logistics still mainly fall under the School Administrators to ensure that everything is in order, all the small details are considered and that the event runs smoothly.
Are you making plans for Parents’ Evening? Parents’ Evening Manager could save your school hours of time, as well as ensuring a smooth and organised event! Email enquire@parentmail.co.uk or call us on 01733 595959 to find out more.
Getting it right from the start for schools and parents
Parenting expert, author and TV presenter, Sue Atkins, has 22 years experience in the teaching profession making her an expert on...
“We needed a more robust, reliable system; looking into alternatives, ParentMail stood out for its suite of applications.”
Posted by Jessica Brierley | 9 months ago
Casterton College in Rutland is in the top 100 schools of the UK. With a growing student population, the academy places great emphasis on not only academic achievement but the care and support of every student throughout their school journey.
As such, the staff team recognise the importance of parental engagement. With the introduction of ParentMail at the start of the new school year, staff are pleased to have a huge 92% of families already signed up and using ParentMail to manage school communications and payments. They are also thrilled with the valuable time and cost savings the system is helping the team to achieve!
Until this year, the school had been using an alternative online payments solution which, five years after its introduction, was unable to deliver the extra demands and functionality required to support the school. With the aim of being completely cashless, the team found that the service offered to parents was quite poor in terms of functionality; there was no parent application or payment reminders available and the website was difficult to use from a mobile device, causing a bad experience for parents trying to top up dinner money.
Parents also needed to pay extra to receive automated low dinner money reminders. In the office, staff also found the service hard to use. What should have made daily tasks easier actually caused more issues. The reports were unclear, resulting in staff investing extra time reformatting data. Overall, the school required a more professional service for both internal use and parents.
Director of Finance, Tina Green, was a great supporter of ParentMail before it was introduced to the school office. She has been using ParentMail as a parent to manage school communications for a number of years and knows firsthand the benefits ParentMail can have for parents, students and schools.
“We needed a more robust, reliable system; looking into alternatives, ParentMail stood out for its suite of applications. We use +Pay, Online Forms, Email and messaging; utilising multiple systems from one provider has resulted in great cost savings. We’re a small and very busy team so managing payments and parent communications through one system is incredibly efficient. We want to be a paperless, cashless school and ParentMail enables us to achieve this.”
“We are thrilled with the amount of time we’re saving on a daily basis and we’ve only been using the system for a few months. We can already see how ParentMail will support us over the next year. Almost all the parents are paying for school dinners with +Pay; we’ve set up payments for locker rentals, trips and revision guides, and all have been a huge success. Setting up payment items is user-friendly and fast; parents receive an alert when a payment is due and payments come through quickly as a result, meaning we don’t have to chase students for overdue payments. We particularly like the payment reports we receive; they’re clear, reliable and easy to analyse.”
“This year we welcomed a large year seven group to the school. Many parents were already using ParentMail from primary school so onboarding them to our ParentMail system was straight-forward for both staff and parents. And for those parents new to the system, the SIMS auto-link made it quick and easy! The system was set up before the start of term, so parents were able to purchase items in advance of their child’s first day. We were used to a manual onboarding system before ParentMail and it took days – with ParentMail, it was easy!”
“Feedback from parents has been great. Once they’re registered, they’re pleased with how easy it is to perform all the tasks required from them; from topping up dinner money, purchasing study guides to filling in and returning forms, parent communications have never been stronger.”
If you’re a school looking for a way to simplify and streamline your communications or introduce Online Payments, ParentMail could be the answer. Get in touch today through email (enquire@parentmail.co.uk) or call us on 01733 595959 and we’ll be more than happy to discuss further!
Top tips for parental engagement success!
It’s the start of a new school year, meaning there’s a lot of information to send out and share with parents. How you decide you will be communicating with the pupil’s families is a matter of preference. Traditionally, letters were …
Posted by Rebecca Jackson | 10 months ago
It’s the start of a new school year, meaning there’s a lot of information to send out and share with parents. How you decide you will be communicating with the pupil’s families is a matter of preference. Traditionally, letters were sent home with the pupil with the expectation that these would be passed on by the pupil to the parent. However, this method has been seen as a weak link and often leads to many parents discovering out of date letters shoved at the bottom of school bags.
With the development of technology, we have seen the introduction of social media groups such as closed Facebook groups, WhatsApp chat groups etc, for information to be shared between schools and parents. This method is fine for general information, but not ideal for specific information regarding a child or for a parent to communicate any questions or concerns about their child.
So what is the solution?
Here are a few of my top hints and tips for managing school communications, sure to support your staff team, parents and students in the long run!
Starting out from the beginning: Establish with the parent how they would like to receive information about their child, school events, news and updates. Not all parents are ‘tech-savvy’ so you may still have to resort to posting out direct mailers to some of them.
Explain what you will be sending: Be clear on the types of communications parents can expect and the frequency – i.e. if there is a parent’s evening coming up, how they can book an appointment with their child’s teacher/teachers to discuss their progress.
Gathering information: You are required to hold an increasing amount of information on a child aside from their academic progress – i.e. medical information, details of home life that may affect their performance in school, who are the regular carers and if communications need to be sent separately in the case of divorced parents. Ensure that you clearly explain that this information is required to support the child and who it will be shared with, that parents have the right to view what is being held in their child’s records and how they can apply to see this and the process.
Provide information: Ensure that you provide details of how the parents can contact the school, who they can speak to, the times that this person is available and how they can make appointments with the various staff who look after their child etc.
Child’s schoolwork: Are you able to provide regular updates to parents on their children’s studies? For example, what are the subjects their children are studying, how parents can help and become involved in supporting these? Evidence supports that children are more engaged and successful in their studies with strong parental partnerships between the school and home.
Progress reports: Can you provide regular progress reports – i.e. homework handed in or outstanding, spelling test results, feedback from the child’s key teacher/worker so that parents are fully informed of their child’s progress and can celebrate successes or address areas of concern rather than wait for a Parents’ Evening to be provided with this information.
School events: Send out timely information on school events, term dates, inset days and regular reminders so that the parents are fully aware of everything that is happening in school.
Celebrating success: Does your school have a scheme where children are given awards for good work, behaviour or attendance? It could be an idea to include these ‘Rolls of Excellence’ report in any communications, but if sending photographs, please ensure that you have consent from the parent if their child is featured.
Parenting expert, author and TV presenter, Sue Atkins, has 22 years experience in the teaching profession making her an expert on all things parental engagement! We are thrilled to join forces with Sue to share best practice on school/parent communications.
Parenting expert, author and TV presenter, Sue Atkins, has 22 years experience in the teaching profession making her an expert on all things parental engagement! In this blog, Sue discusses the importance of starting the year off right in terms of …
Posted by Sue Atkins | 10 months ago
Parenting expert, author and TV presenter, Sue Atkins, has 22 years experience in the teaching profession making her an expert on all things parental engagement! In this blog, Sue discusses the importance of starting the year off right in terms of school communications and building a relationship between the school and parents from day one of the new school term…
Well that’s it – the long hot Summer holidays are officially over and September has seen thousands of young children stepping through the school gates, many for the first time, in their pristine shiny new shoes, slightly oversized new school uniforms and clutching their brand-new pencil cases.
It is an exciting day for some children, looking forward to seeing their old friends after a long summer and starting the new academic year with all it’s exciting new possibilities and experiences.
For parents, it can be a time of mixed emotions and concerns; these cover a wide range, for example, wondering how their child will cope in their new environment if they are starting a new school, will their child make friends, how they will get on with the school work, who are their new teachers, how will they find out how their child is progressing etc. Establishing an open and informative line of communication between the school and home is essential at this stage and it will be the foundation of a strong relationship for the rest of the year.
Evidence supports that the more involved parents are in their child’s education, the better the pupil performs at school. Parents are the first teachers and role models that a child has and there have been many papers written by academics about the way a child’s classroom performance and academic achievements are significantly influenced by the extent to which parents become involved in school life and the interest they take in their child’s education.
So right from the start of the academic year, it is the role of the office staff to establish a regular and reliable stream of communication and sharing of information. It is a busy time in the office, as all of the personal data of the pupils, their families and also staff must be collated accurately to form the confidential records that will support the essential and varied administrative tasks throughout the year. With the introduction of GDPR in May 2018, there is also the added pressures that the collection and storing of this data is compliant and only available to those who need access in order to carry out their role.
The Government first set out a strategy for securing parental engagement in a White Paper, ‘Excellence in Schools’ which was published in 1997. This paper suggested that there are three key aspects to improving a school-home relationship:
Providing parents with information
Giving parents a voice
Encouraging parental partnerships with schools
The publication of the annual Ofsted Report in 2016 saw a great deal of importance placed on effective communication between the school and home, with examples of poor and good communication, and while the following excerpt may not relate to the age group in your school, the keyword is partnerships – it is a clear implication that the best schools communicate regularly with parents…
“Highly effective partnerships with parents mean that the parents are clear about their child’s strengths, next steps and progress towards being ready for school.”
There have been a number of strategies and policies devised over the years since the publishing of ‘Excellence in Schools’ to bridge the gap between schools and pupil’s families to create an inclusive community to share information, but there is no doubt that the real success of any relationship is down to regular communications and updates.
What type of communication?
It would be easy to fall into the trap of sending out information on school initiatives, up and coming dates and events, but in order to engage with families, it is essential that clear and concise information is provided in relation to how and who to communicate with in regard to the individual child; parents want to know that their child is important to the school and they are therefore more interested in news relating to specific individuals, accompanied by the more general notices.
Start of the school year
At the start of the school year, it is essential that the first communications layout in detail how the school will be communicating with the parent throughout the year – i.e. how often this will be, what form it will take and stressing that information and questions from the parents to the school will be valued.
Many parents, especially as a child moves into secondary education, have real concerns that they will not be aware of what is happening in the school and what their child is encountering; according to a recent claim by Scottish Tory Leader, Ruth Davidson that only seven per cent of schools provide parents with the required information and parents are being left ‘in the dark’ about what happens inside their children’s schools
If you can get it right from the start, plan your communications to the parents and the form that they will take, then you are on the right road to building the essential bridge and supporting the teachers, staff, pupils and families within your school.
[Source: TES 13 September 2018: https://www.tes.com/news/parents-dark-about-what-happens-school]
We talk about the importance of parental engagement a lot. The term has become a ‘buzzword’ in our offices and in schools across the country. When ParentMail first came into being over 15 years ago, parental engagement was the priority, …
Posted by Geoff Jones | 10 months ago
We talk about the importance of parental engagement a lot. The term has become a ‘buzzword’ in our offices and in schools across the country. When ParentMail first came into being over 15 years ago, parental engagement was the priority, sitting at the heart of our technology and ambitions. To this day, the subject remains the driving force behind our brand and a hot topic of discussion in the education sector.
Just a few weeks ago, Education Secretary Damien Hinds called for an “educational revolution” [1], in part to reduce the burden of, and time spent on, ‘non-teaching’ tasks. Those daily tasks carried out in the school office, from data collection and management to parent payment processing, take up hours of time every day as well as having a direct impact on the school budget.
Pressure on schools, be it primary, secondary or Multi-Academy Trust, increases every year. Under scrutiny to evidence and improve efficiencies, maintain a good reputation and Ofsted rating, as well as staying ahead in the league tables with student academic success takes time, planning and prioritisation. These key aspects of every educational organisation often rely heavily on resource in terms of time, people and budget. Pressure in the education sector shows no sign of slowing; forecasts indicate that by the year 2027, secondary school pupil numbers are expected to rise by almost 15% [2]. That means there will be over 400,000 more pupils in England’s state schools than today. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers states the figures present a challenge, stating that schools are being asked to do so much more now than they were a decade ago. As pupil numbers increase, so too does the daily pressure on school management.
With such pressure we can become distracted from the topic of parental engagement. Attention strays to other issues; the upcoming Ofsted inspection, the ever-busier school calendar, GDPR, staffing and recruitment, suppliers and upcoming exams, to name a few. Every school holds their student’s academic achievement as their highest priority and school staff invest their days in supporting pupils to succeed; parental engagement, then, needs to remain a persistent topic of discussion. Rather than a time-consuming hindrance, engaging parents in their child’s schooling should be considered a beacon of support for teachers, staff and students
All parents as partners
A 2011 government review [3] investigated best practice in parental engagement. Research evidenced that not only do children perform better when parents are involved in their schooling, but also placed emphasis on the fact that schools that ‘improve and sustain improvement engage the community and build strong links with parents. Where schools build positive relationships with parents (…) evidence of sustained school improvement can be found.’ The benefits go beyond GCSE and A Level grades.
When it comes to parental engagement, the subject of social inclusivity is never far behind. Even for those schools with an effective and successful communications plan in place, there will be a segment of the parent community who it is almost impossible to engage with. Whether their responses to letters and forms are scarce or they fail to make an appearance on parents’ evening, engaging with these parents is an ongoing and difficult task. However, they cannot be allowed to fall by the wayside; evidence from Ofsted suggests that a critical element of learning and teaching is the relationship between the teacher, parent and student. Every parent deserves the right to be involved in their child’s learning, regardless of boundaries, be it availability, language barriers or more. As such, schools are tasked with thinking outside the box to identify the best methods of engaging with all parents.
Communications methods should be scrutinised to ensure they don’t contribute to the difficulty in building parent/school relationships. Traditional methods of school communications need to be reconsidered. Whether it’s print, paper and postage costs, missing pupil-post, data protection or environmental concerns, the number of schools fast realising the countless problems associated with paper communications is on the rise. In its place, where do we turn?
The tech revolution
According to the ‘Review of best practice in parental engagement’, ‘Information and communication technology ICT can contribute to improved parental engagement by providing a convenient means for parents to access up-to-date information about their child’s learning.’ The paper school newsletter which occasionally finds its way into the hands of parents can be out of date within days. Technology offers a reliable, timely alternative and supports a more flexible arrangement for busy staff and modern parents.
Becta 2008 [4] identified a number of ways in which ICT can improve parental engagement by enabling new channels of communication between parents and schools. Benefits included allowing parents to be more involved, better methods of capturing information and supporting flexible working methods for staff. However, at the time of this study, the Office of National Statistics reported that only 73% of households in the UK had internet access. Back to the subject of social inclusivity, almost 10 years ago ICT and technology in the school raised as many questions at it answered.
Fast forward to 2018 and the numbers speak for themselves. According to the Office of National Statistics statistical bulletin on Internet Access: 2018 [5], 9 out of 10 households now have internet access. Daily internet use in adults has increased from 25% in 2006 to 86% today. Mobile phones and smartphones remain the most popular device to access the internet with 97% of adults aged between 24 to 34 accessing the internet ‘on the go’. With parents performing most tasks from the device in their hands (internet banking, booking train tickets, arranging grocery deliveries etc) why would they expect any different when it comes to school communications?
Evidence tells us that adults want to use familiar technology (i.e. their smartphones) to perform daily tasks; it is convenient, easy and reliable. Our years of experience tells us that when parents are provided with a user-friendly and convenient method of managing school communications, schools receive a better response; before you know it, parental engagement is on the up, parent responses increase and student academic success is improving as a result.
These technology-driven successes aren’t only restricted to the classroom. With GDPR now in place, schools have a greater responsibility for protecting data. Loose-leaf filing systems and paper forms propose risk, as well as headaches when trying to keep information updated. A digital system from which multiple staff can manage data collection, consent forms, school dinner money and payments reduces the time spent on manual tasks and implements consistency – not to mention the comfort of knowing data is safe and secure.
The start of a new school year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your school communications, parental engagement and objectives for the year ahead. With pressure on the education sector increasing, technology should no longer be considered an unnecessary or inconvenient expense. Instead, consider the opportunities tech in the office offers and the successes it can bring for your staff, parents and students.
Our modular range of applications is being utilised by thousands of schools across the country who are enjoying the benefits of improved parental engagement alongside welcome time and cost savings. We are proud leaders in the EdTech community and the provider of the UK’s favourite parental engagement system. We want to support more schools to make the most of modern technology – find out how we can help you.
To find out more about how ParentMail can support parental engagement at your school, enquire on our website, call us on 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk for more information.
[1] – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/07/uk-schools-silicon-valley-tech-industry-urged-foster-education-revolution
[2] – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-44809258
[3] – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/182508/DFE-RR156.pdf
[4] – http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1549/1/becta_2008_htssanalysis_report.pdf
[5] – https://bit.ly/2nw9rcy
Last month a Mumsnet thread hit the headlines when a post referring to the different types of mum found in ‘every’ school WhatsApp group struck a chord with parents across the country. Ranging from ‘the wind-up merchant’ to ‘the informer’ …
Last month a Mumsnet thread hit the headlines when a post referring to the different types of mum found in ‘every’ school WhatsApp group struck a chord with parents across the country.
Ranging from ‘the wind-up merchant’ to ‘the informer’ to ‘the school can do no wrong brigade’, the mum invited others to add their own characters that she may have missed; and other mums were quick to follow up with their own suggestions!
It seems the school WhatsApp group is a source of information and frustration in equal measure for many parents. Parents are quick to state that the WhatsApp group created at the beginning of the school year is a handy way of staying up to date with the latest classroom news. However, the sheer quantity of messages sent by the 20+ parents all part of the same group can be quite overwhelming and ‘fear of missing out’ often warrants us incapable of turning notifications to silent.
For schools, the parent WhatsApp group can result in inaccurate information circulated quickly to a large number of parents. Classroom politics leak through the school gates and into the digital world where staff have little to no control over the content shared. For those teachers who use WhatsApp to communicate with parents, there can be serious privacy issues (i.e. messages intended for one parent mistakenly sent to another or to a group).
Of course, WhatsApp groups are a particularly handy source of news and information for those parents unable to socialise with fellow mums and dads in the school playground. However, it is easy to forget those parents without access to new technology. These are the parents who miss out on the news and information that many parents take for granted.
Social inclusivity has been at the heart of ParentMail’s technology since we started up over 17 years ago. We recognise the benefits of modern technology for schools, however, we ensure those parents who prefer a traditional method of communication have the same access to school news and information as those parents using our free App. No parent is forgotten or left out because we believe every parent deserves to be kept up to date with their child’s education.
With ParentMail, schools can send news and information without fear of privacy breaches, knowing their data is up to date and protected. Digital communications warrant loose pieces of paper and hardcopy consent forms redundant; online forms and responses are easily received, analysed, managed and stored.
And, of course, schools have total control over the information circulated. No fear of Chinese whispers interfering or editing important school-related messages. Whether it’s term dates, school closures, after-school-club cancellations or trip payments, the information is wholly in the hands of school staff, ensuring parents receive only accurate information and can respond appropriately.
When it comes to parental engagement, ParentMail ensures quality, consistent and reliable school communications that both schools and parents can rely on. Let’s keep WhatsApp groups for birthday parties and leave school communications to the experts!
To find out more about how ParentMail can improve parental engagement at your school, call us on 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk for more information.
GDPR – Are you ready?
Whether your school is a primary or secondary school, nursery, academy or part of a multi-academy trust, the General Data...
Leading the way in GDPR compliance
We understand the importance of protecting the data of your parents, students and staff. That’s why the ParentMail team have...
Social inclusivity at the heart of technology!
In this mornings’ news, it was revealed that 85% of all adults now have a smartphone and in today’s environment...
Schools and Social Media
Schools often have a love/hate relationship with Social Media, some refusing to consider using it and banning access to it...
Last month Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, challenged the tech industry to launch an edtech revolution for schools, colleges and universities across the UK. EdTech has an increasingly valuable place in the classroom; 3D technology is quite literally bringing lessons to life …
Posted by Alex Joyce | 11 months ago
Last month Education Secretary, Damien Hinds, challenged the tech industry to launch an edtech revolution for schools, colleges and universities across the UK.
EdTech has an increasingly valuable place in the classroom; 3D technology is quite literally bringing lessons to life and coding is becoming a prevalent lesson for students of all ages, whilst encouraging inclusion and opening eyes to the possibilities of the industry. With only a minority of schools able to fully embrace these technologies today, however, it may take some time before the opportunity to embed state-of-the-art EdTech in the classroom is available to the majority of schools across the UK.
But tech doesn’t only deliver benefits to students inside the classroom. One of the five opportunities discussed by the Education Secretary was the important role of technology in reducing time spent on non-teaching related tasks and teacher workload.
Since the earliest days of ParentMail, we have recognised and evidenced the important role that EdTech plays outside of the classroom. Investment in technology in the school office serves to encourage parental engagement and improve student academic outcomes as a result.
While technology continues to evolve outside of the school gates, parent habits are changing. Alongside the evolution of technology, schools are under increasing pressure to demonstrate efficiencies and save money at every turn. Protecting the school budget remains a priority for schools across the country this September, so how does cost efficiency and investment in EdTech fit together?
With the new school year nearly upon us, now begins the task of onboarding new students, communicating term dates, planning parents’ evening and updating student, parent and teacher data. Gone are the days when these tasks took hours of time to plan, implement and manage. Thousands of schools are making the most of modern technology with ParentMail, saving time and money whilst performing day-to-day admin tasks and enjoying the huge benefits of improved parent responses as a result. Whether circulating the school newsletter, requesting updated parent contact details, collecting school dinner payments or arranging parents meetings – Multi-Academy Trusts, Primary and Secondary schools across the country are saving time and money with digital communications and managing important data safely and efficiently like never before!
Last month we released our innovative and improved Android App to the Google Play Store. With the help of feedback from parent testers, we have improved the user experience to ensure schools continue to receive a great response to their communications. We’ve also very recently completed our annual Customer Satisfaction Survey, gathering feedback from schools to continue the improvement of our software and services for your benefit. We’re proud to be the UK’s leading parental engagement system; our commitment to staying on top of the latest EdTech trends whilst listening to customer feedback ensures our product will continue to support schools in building fantastic parent/school relationships for years to come.
Since 2001, ParentMail have been investing in technology for the benefit of thousands of schools across the UK. To find out more about how our software could support parental engagement in your school, email enquire@parentmail.co.uk or call us on 01733 595959.
Instant messaging is fast replacing the humble text message
Just over 25 years ago, 1992 marked an era which saw the world of internet technology boom! Just one year...
Introducing our innovated Android App
We are delighted to announce our new and improved Android App! Experience tells us that when parents are happy with their...
With September upon us, schools are now busy collecting and managing all new starter data – from students, to staff, to parents! With paper-based communications, the cost of print, paper and sometimes postage can be surprisingly high, not to mention …
Posted by Geoff Jones | 1 year ago
With September upon us, schools are now busy collecting and managing all new starter data – from students, to staff, to parents! With paper-based communications, the cost of print, paper and sometimes postage can be surprisingly high, not to mention time-consuming and cumbersome to manage when letters and forms are returned.
So why not manage it electronically with our Online Form collection App?
Building your online form is easy with ParentMail. Whether you’re collecting trip consents, meal selections, parent surveys, data, student medical information or more, you can create your own from scratch or choose from our collection of ready-built forms. Our Forms App provides total flexibility in terms of formatting and managing responses; you can set an expiry date for your form and even set automatic reminders to encourage parents to complete and return it by the deadline.
Once you’ve created your form, simply click send… and watch the responses arrive!
Parents receive a notification and can complete the form via the free ParentMail App on a mobile, tablet or desktop. For parents who prefer a traditional option, a paper copy can be generated.
Monitoring responses is easy – you can download reports and CSV files, send out messages to all respondents, as well as those who haven’t responded, and more.
Our Online Forms App is proven to improve parent responses for our customers. Since introducing the App, Hemingbrough Community Primary have gone from receiving a trickle of responses to more than 60% of parents now completing and responding the very same day. Many of the forms now receive a 100% response rate within 48 hours!
Business Manager, Sarah Read, said, “We send dinner menus each week, permissions for photographs or walking home, club forms and more, and usually within minutes of them being sent we see the responses coming back in. Now that we’ve allowed parents to complete forms on their smartphone, the turnaround time is quicker than ever before!”
With GDPR now in force, our Online Forms App provides peace of mind that parent data is safe and secure, for both your school and your parents.
Streamline your communications in time for September! To find out more about how ParentMail can improve parental engagement at your school, call us on 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk for more information.
“Staggering” response to school forms at St Paulinus RC Primary School
St Paulinus RC Primary School had been used to just a few per cent of parents replying to questions and...
Become a greener school with ParentMail
Many schools regularly raise awareness of global environmental issues and try to promote living “greener lives” to their students. From...
Experience tells us that when parents are happy with their ParentMail experience, schools receive a great response to their communications. So over the past few months, we have been working hard to improve our Android App!
Posted by Alex Joyce | 1 year ago
We are delighted to announce our new and improved Android App!
Experience tells us that when parents are happy with their ParentMail experience, Primary and Secondary schools, and MATS, receive a great response to their communications. So over the past few months, we have been working hard to improve our Android App!
We invited parents to download and try out our Beta app and to feedback to us about their experiences. Thank you to all the parents who took part in our Beta test! Over 2000 parents downloaded the app and sent their feedback to us, and our developers took all the comments and suggestions into account in order to innovate and enhance the application for your benefit!
We’re very excited to announce that our new and improved Android App is now available to download in the Google Play Store! To download the App, go to the Google Play Store and search ‘ParentMail’ and click ‘Install’ or ‘Update’ to start using the new and improved App!
Our new and improved app includes many enhancements sure to improve a parent’s experience on Android devices –
Login details will now be saved, allowing easy access to the account with just a few taps
Improved notifications
A ‘Select all’ button has been added for the email, SMS and Online Forms folders, allowing the user to easily mark all items as read/unread with just one action
There’s a new ‘Unread’ folder, where the user can find all your unread items in one place
Email attachments will open in an appropriate application available on the device
When entering a pin, the numbers are no longer visible, ensuring better security and privacy
We’ve made a number of improvements to our Online Payments application, enabling parents to make quick and easy payments with just a few taps.
…and much more! For full details of the improvements made to our Android App, please visit the School Help Site.
Schools, encourage your parents to download the new and improved Android App! Simply visit the Google Play Store, search ‘ParentMail’ and select to either install or download the App!
We hope you’re as pleased with the new App as we are!
ParentMail makes the most of modern technology, supporting thousands of schools to save time and money, and ensuring students benefit from improved parental engagement. To find out more or to book a free demonstration of ParentMail, simply email info@parentmail.co.uk
Behind the scenes at ParentMail: App developers (Part 1)
As we celebrate over half a million downloads of our mobile App, we met with our App developers to find...
Celebrating 1 Million App Downloads!
Over 1 million parents across the UK are loving the convenience of ParentMail’s mobile App, using it to pick up...
We understand the importance of protecting the data of your parents, students and staff. That’s why the ParentMail team have been working hard to lead the way in GDPR compliance!
Over the past few months, we have implemented a number of system updates and enhanced our services where necessary so that your school can be confident in our compliance with the new regulations.
Although your school were already legally obliged to keep data safe and secure (whether that’s staff and student information, paper files or an electronic database) the GDPR mean your school now has even greater responsibility for protecting data.
The enhancements and updates we have put in place supports you in this task, protecting your organisational reputation and helping you to comply with the new regulations. Schools and businesses who are not GDPR compliant could see fines of up to 4% of their turnover or €20 million imposed from the Information Commissioners Office, not to mention the impact on Ofsted ratings.
So, what have we been doing? Visit our School Help Site, System Updates page (accessed through your ParentMail account, ‘Help’ > ‘School Help’ menu option) to learn all about the system updates and enhancements we have released to support your school in complying with the GDPR.
ParentMail GDPR documentation
ParentMail’s GDPR statement is available on our retail site – www.parentmail.co.uk/gdpr
This page includes a library of resources to support ParentMail’s GDPR compliance:
IRIS Software group Security policy
ParentMail Data protection statement
ParentMail GDPR and Data protection overview
ParentMail Data Processing Agreement
New technology is hot on the heels of the humble text with the growing market of instant messaging services; our Messaging App gives schools the best combination of flexibility and functionality.
Just over 25 years ago, 1992 marked an era which saw the world of internet technology boom! Just one year after the Internet Browser was created, and two years after the World Wide Web put a face to the internet we recognise today, 1992 saw the rise of another communication technology which we are all familiar with; the text message!
New technology is hot on the heels of the humble text with the growing market of instant messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. In fact, in 2015, WhatsApp founder Jan Kroum reported that the application handled more than 30 billion messages a day – that’s a huge 10.95 trillion a year! As instant messaging rates increase, the number of text messages sent is rapidly decreasing; in the UK, text messaging declined by almost 5% from 2012-2013.
Habits are changing at home and in work
Instant messaging apps allow us to send messages and media for free, without character limitations. Such flexibility has resulted in lots of people opting to use these applications over text messaging every day. When you need to send school or club information out to hundreds of parents, text messaging can also be very expensive. Print and paper costs are also a costly alternative, and pupil post is often unreliable.
Our Messaging App gives schools the best combination of flexibility and functionality. ParentMail offer a modular range of services, allowing you to add applications as and when your needs change. Our system links with your school’s MIS, keeping data in sync and, unlike many other school communication systems, we offer a free parent app, ensuring your messages reach parents instantly and reliably, even if their contact details change.
Smart and safe
Research finds that four out of five UK adults have a smart phone. More than 2.5 million parents in the UK are benefiting from the ParentMail app every day, receiving important school messages instantly and engaging with their school like never before. With recent cyber-crime and phishing scandals impacting schools across the UK, the security benefits offered by ParentMail for both your school and parents are huge, too. When parents receive communications through the ParentMail App, they know to ignore any suspicious emails appearing in their inbox purporting to be from your school.
You can do more with our messaging app than you think –
Email your school newsletter in seconds
Send a text to tell parents an after-school club is cancelled
Quickly inform parents about school closures
Create templates for messages used regularly, saving admin time
Send messages to individuals, a group or all parents
View a history of messages sent and received and analyse the results of who has opened your messages with our handy reporting suite
Print paper copies of communications for unregistered parents – ParentMail value social inclusivity and believe every parent has the right to stay up to date with their school, whether they have online access or not!
ParentMail make the most of modern technology, supporting thousands of schools to save time and money, and ensuring students benefit from improved parental engagement. To find out more or to book a free demonstration of ParentMail, simply email info@parentmail.co.uk
The death of text messages
Text messaging has been a valuable way for schools to communicate with parents, proving an effective, reliable way to reach...
Do your school communications reflect the changing habits of parents?
Parent habits are changing. No longer are parents digging through school bags to discover out of date, crumpled newsletters; receiving...
Switch to ParentMail and reap the benefits, says John Hanson School!
From a dinner money and restricted trip money collection system to improving parental engagement; John Hanson switched to ParentMail in...
Sell more with your own Online School Shop
Support student learning and strengthen your school brand with an Online School Shop!
Pens, pencils, uniform and backpacks; items that support student learning and strengthen your school brand!
All of these items are available to buy from your school shop, but do you sell as much as you would like?
Our Online School Shop is the perfect solution for selling your school products! Parents can browse and buy all the traditional school items available at the click of a button; total flexibility allows parents to order from the comfort of their own home or while out and about, thanks to the free ParentMail app!
When an order is processed, your staff team are automatically alerted, allowing you to gather the items to pass onto the student or parent. Our handy reporting suite allows you to track orders and keep an eye on stock levels, and fulfilment tracking provides a complete electronic trail for easier record keeping.
The flexible service makes it easy to import your shop items and allows you to assign size options and stock quantities to limit the number that any one parent can order of a particular item.
No more time-consuming paperwork or clunky cash payments!
We all recognise the issues caused by cash in schools; everything from bullying and extortion, to lost change or money misspent. So cut out the cash with an online shop; parents can pay for items online by card, PayPal or PayPoint, reducing the amount of cash in school and saving your team hours of time usually spent collecting, counting and banking money.
Introduce your own Online Shop in advance of summer and make it easy for parents to order all the school items students need for the school year ahead!
The School Shop is free to use with our Online Payments package. It’s no surprise that more and more school are switching to ParentMail when it comes to improving parental engagement and going cashless!
Would you like to know about our Online Payments application? Get in touch today by calling 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk and we’ll get a free demonstration booked in!
Whether your school is a primary or secondary school, nursery, academy or part of a multi-academy trust, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply to you from 25 May 2018.
Posted by Martin Temple | 1 year ago
This means that the way you manage data and information within your school will likely need to change. Although your school is already legally obliged to keep data safe and secure (whether that’s staff and student information, paper files or an electronic database) the GDPR will mean your school has greater responsibility for protecting data.
GDPR replaces the current Data Protection Act and ensuring a good understanding of these regulations across school staff is very important for ongoing compliance. Schools and businesses who are not GDPR compliant could see fines of up to 4% of their turnover or €20 million imposed from the Information Commissioners Office, not to mention the impact on Ofsted ratings.
Here are a few things to consider when it comes to GDPR and your school –
You must be able to evidence that your Data Processors hold the minimum competencies and accreditations; for more information on these, click here
Ensure the appropriate people in your team understand GDPR and the implications the new legislation has. Consider introducing a Data Protection Officer, someone who is responsible for data protection compliance and communicating information about GDPR
Conduct an audit of the information you currently hold in school; document the information held for both staff and students, detail where it is held, who has access to it and where it came from
Develop and communicate procedures on how to respond appropriately to a data breach; these procedures should include processes for detecting, reporting and investigating a data breach
Review your current privacy policy and make any necessary changes in line with the GDPR
Review and document policies for gathering, maintaining, communicating (electronically) and deleting student data
Consider how you will gain and maintain parental/guardian consent for any changes made to current policies as a result of implementing GDPR
Consider when to start implementing Privacy Impact Assessments in your school
Implement an e-safety policy to ensure your staff understand what needs to be done to be compliant with GDPR, as well as keeping your school safe against phishing attacks,
More information for preparing for the GDPR can be found here.
Preparing for the new GDPR is key; it’s always better to be safe than sorry! By considering the implications of the new regulations in advance of 25th May, you can be confident that your school are safe from any nasty fines or reputational damage.
If you would like to know more about ParentMail, contact us today on 01733 595959 or email enquire@parentmail.co.uk.
How important is security in your school?
Cyber security has never been more important than in today's digital world. Only a few weeks ago, The Telegraph reported...
Schools tell us their plans for 2017/18
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IRIS Software Group acquires Contact Group
IRIS Software Group, the UK’s business critical software provider is today announcing the acquisition of Contact Group, a leading provider of parental engagement and truancy management software to UK schools. The acquisition extends IRIS’ education portfolio providing solutions to manage …
IRIS Software Group, the UK’s business critical software provider is today announcing the acquisition of Contact Group, a leading provider of parental engagement and truancy management software to UK schools. The acquisition extends IRIS’ education portfolio providing solutions to manage all aspects of school finance, including income, assets and communications.
Contact Group’s multi-award-winning parent engagement software is used by 2,000 UK schools, nurseries and sixth form colleges to help improve school-home communications.
The acquisition further extends the IRIS education software portfolio and its ability to deliver a step-change in school efficiency – a prime objective of many Academy and Academy Trusts. The Contact Group will be integrated into IRIS’ Education Division which includes PS Financials financial management, Results Squared asset management and communications, and ParentMail online payment and parent engagement.
The IRIS Education Division now provides solutions for nearly 11,000 schools, over 60% of UK Academies and 82% of large Multi-Academy Trusts.
Kevin Dady, CEO of IRIS Software Group says, “I’m delighted to welcome such a successful business to IRIS Software Group and extend the breadth and depth of software services we offer schools. Our mission is to become the leading partner in school management, helping deliver the best possible outcomes for children by maximising value from facilities. This acquisition is another key step in helping us achieve this goal.”
James Harrison, managing director of Contact Group, says, “IRIS Software Group has brought together best-in-breed school software providers and Contact Group is delighted to be part of its Education Division. Schools are under increasing financial pressure and as more become academies or join Trusts, they need to ensure they make the most out of all budgets. IRIS’ Education Division is extremely well placed to deliver exceptional, high value services.”
IRIS Software Group Acquires ParentMail
UK business critical software provider, IRIS Software Group, has announced the acquisition of school communication and payment collection software provider,...
Our founder leaves and takes a look back
After 16 years at ParentMail, our founder and CEO Paul Hughes will be leaving early 2018 to begin new adventures...
Helping you to increase parent uptake with ParentMail
The more parents registered with ParentMail, the more your school will benefit from reduced admin time, print costs and more. It can seem like quite a daunting task to get all of your parents registered but we are here to help make the process easier.
Feel the benefits of 100% parent uptake with ParentMail!
Just a few months ago, we released an update to your ParentMail dashboard which included lots of handy new information and functionality – but are you making the most of it?
Your ParentMail dashboard includes lots of handy information and functionality to help encourage parents to register so you can start feeling the benefits of improved parental engagement. If you haven’t explored this area of your dashboard, read on to learn more!
The ‘Your Stats’ section of your dashboard shows a breakdown of your parent uptake with ParentMail, including how many families have a ParentMail account, how many families are using the ParentMail app and how many families are receiving email and SMS communications.
You should aim to see all green bars here – this would mean that you are highly engaged with your parents! But if not, don’t worry, there’s help available so you can identify and target unregistered parents; just click ‘Improve your Stats’ to get started!
Although you may have already sent letters home to encourage parents to register with ParentMail, we all know what can happen to pupil post! It doesn’t hurt to resend these letters if you are struggling with parent uptake – remember you can also use the content of the letters to send emails if you would prefer.
You can download letter templates from the ‘Boost Registration’ section of your dashboard. Simply select the letter and click ‘Download Letter’.
Check your data
Did you know that the Rejected Records Report will list the information which has not been imported into your ParentMail account? For guidance on how to run this report, download the Rejected Records Guide.
There are three reports available to help with data maintenance and parent recruitment –
Parents with Missing Contact Information – This report shows all parents, which child they are linked to and whether or not you have a mobile number or email address for them – this report is particularly useful if you are looking to fill gaps in contact information!
Parent Connection Status Report – This report will show all parents and their account status. This can be used to identify a list of parents who would benefit from another registration invitation.
Paper Copy Families – This is as simple as it sounds! The report will show all students who will receive paper copy communications rather than emails, and the reason why.
Resend Verification Messages
This is a really easy way to resend verification messages, either by email or text, to prompt your parents to register.
Remember, the ParentMail School Help Site includes step-by-step guidance on the parent registration process which you can send to your parents for extra help.
Making the most of ParentMail
These tools are available to help increase the uptake of your parents with ParentMail. When your parents are registered with ParentMail, you can truly make the most of your applications and benefit from improved parental engagement!
If you are a school looking to improve parental engagement, get in touch to learn how ParentMail can help you. To find out more or to book a free demonstration of ParentMail, simply email info@parentmail.co.uk!
Top Tips: Parent uptake on ParentMail
Many of our schools have over 95% of parents registered and regularly using ParentMail; we’ve spoken to some to find...
Top Tips: How to engage your parents
Research has shown that when parents get involved with what their children are doing in school, academic results improve as...
Introducing Rob Brown, Operations Manager at ParentMail
Introducing ParentMail’s Operations Manager, Rob Brown – a name we’re sure many of you are familiar with! We sat down with Rob to chat about his role as Operations Manager…
A huge 90% of our customers say they are happy with their customer support experience, but we’re sure a few wonder who they are talking to when they seek the help of our agents. Introducing ParentMail’s Operations Manager, Rob Brown – a name we’re sure many of you are familiar with!
We sat down with Rob to chat about his role as Operations Manager…
How long have you been with ParentMail?
“I joined ParentMail just over 3 years ago as a telephone trainer and quickly moved into a Team Leader role, in which I was responsible for managing a project moving schools from our legacy systems on to the current ParentMail service. Today, I am Operations Manager, managing the ParentMail Support Team. I am responsible for all post-sale customer engagement; I love my role because I’m passionate about helping schools develop a strong relationship with their parent community by using ParentMail.”
Tell us a little about what you do?
“My day to day workload varies hugely, as I am not only responsible for customer support. I also work closely with our Development Team to prioritise system enhancements based on the knowledge I have gained speaking to customers; we always aim to ensure the services we deliver are consistent with what customers need. In addition, I am the company’s Data Protection Officer meaning I am the first point of contact for all things data protection. I am currently highly involved in the new GDPR scheduled for May 2018. Being a Manager at ParentMail doesn’t mean that you don’t get your hands dirty! I am very much on the front lines when it comes to our customers’ needs – building strong relationships with customers is very important to me.”
What values do you prioritise and encourage in your team?
“I train my team to seek first to understand the customers’ needs before attempting to provide a solution. It might be that there is a simple way we can provide support to what initially seems like a very complex issue. My team are also keen to seek out any opportunities to develop their own skillsets and add further value to the business.”
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“The people I work with at ParentMail are the most passionate, hard-working team I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They adapt to change without argument and thrive off of challenging situations, viewing them as a chance to learn something new and expand their comfort zone.”
Outside of work, what do you get up to?
“I have recently become a new dad and I am quickly beginning to understand the challenges (but also the joy!) of being a parent. Between ParentMail and my new family there’s not much time left for me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am a keen foodie fan and have in the past been known for my gaming skills (reaching number 1 in the UK on Halo some years ago!)”
Thank you, Rob, for taking the time from your busy role to chat with us!
Should you require any support, our team are waiting to help!
Live Chat can be accessed from your ParentMail account. Simply click the ‘Help’ button, located on the right-hand side of the top navigation bar, followed by ‘Live Chat’, and you are just a few moments away from talking to a friendly Support Advisor!
Should you experience any issues accessing Live Chat, please visit click here.
Help is at hand in under 60 seconds with our Live Chat support service
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The development team: Behind the scenes of ParentMail
Over ten years ago ParentMail was formed by 2 parents, who were constantly frustrated with the experience of letters from...
Parent habits are changing. No longer are parents digging through school bags to discover out of date, crumpled newsletters; receiving a poor response to your school communications is a thing of the past, too! Times are changing and ParentMail are leading the way with innovative services to improve parental engagement.
Parent habits are changing. No longer are parents digging through school bags to discover out of date, crumpled newsletters; receiving a poor response to your school communications is a thing of the past, too!
Before the era of smartphones, text messaging allowed schools to send important messages directly into the hands of parents. However, with the introduction of smarter mobile technology schools are realising there are limitations with text messaging; texts are limited by character restrictions meaning often one isn’t enough! Not to mention that texts can’t include attachments, resulting in print and paper costs.
Times are changing and ParentMail are leading the way with innovative services to improve parental engagement.
With three times as many smartphones in the world than computers, it isn’t surprising that the majority of parents use their mobile phones to receive and respond to school communications. In fact, more than 1.2 million parents use ParentMail’s app to engage with their school every day!
In place of limited and expensive text messaging, digital communications such as instant messaging, email, online payments and
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Redondo softball team works together to beat…
Redondo softball team works together to beat two-time league champ PV
By Tony Ciniglio | tciniglio@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: April 16, 2011 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 29, 2017 at 11:00 am
» MORE PHOTOS
The boxscore isn’t going to be overly impressive. No stats are going to jump out.
But the sum of the parts in Redondo’s 6-3 Bay League softball victory Friday afternoon at Palos Verdes speaks volumes.
Redondo (10-7, 2-0) is starting to feel and play like a Bay League title contender for the first time since back-to-back league crowns in 2007 and 2008.
“We have the talent like we did in ’07 and ’08, but the chemistry is much better with this group,” Coach Jennifer Dessert said.
Redondo pitcher Brett Aspel (7-5) worked around 10 hits and two errors, limiting the damage against a potent lineup.
Although it had just four hits, Redondo took advantage of a staggering five Palos Verdes errors for five unearned runs.
“The errors, we’ve got to stop with that,” Palos Verdes pitcher Alex Whittemore (5-5) said. “This game was really frustrating, but we can definitely come back and win the league. We have the talent for it.”
Two-time defending league champion Palos Verdes (9-8, 1-1) limped into the game having lost three starters in the last week due to injuries.
Catcher Sofia Johantgen sustained an ankle injury and is out 3-5 weeks. Right fielder Raylani James broke her toe at home, and even Purdue-bound pitcher Whittemore has a wrist injury that prevents her from going to the plate.
The injuries forced shortstop Haley Schenasi from shortstop to catcher, weakening an already suspect defense. Sure enough, two errors were committed at shortstop and two in right field.
“You can’t win a ballgame when you have five errors and leave nine on base,” Palos Verdes coach Cassie Morales said. “We’re not using the injuries as a cop-out either. This is who we are at this point, and I don’t know when it will be different.”
Aspel had given up three runs and seven hits in the first three innings, but struck out Molly Warren to escape bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning.
From that point, Aspel and catcher Jessie Cotton worked well together, allowing no runs and just three hits the rest of the way.
“After that strikeout, I felt more in charge,” Aspel said. “I really tried to push it at that point.”
Aspel had plenty of defensive help.
Shortstop Cindy Zamudio made a nice over-the-shoulder catch on a MacKenzie Tilles’ shallow pop-up in the third.
Left fielder Jen Stevens made a sliding catch to rob Tilles of possible extra bases to end a threat in the fourth.
Second baseman Katrina Cohen made a nice backhand play and flip to Zamudio at shortstop for a force-out in the seventh.
“Even when some of the balls were a little skeptical, our defense stepped up and helped a lot,” said Cotton, who calls her own pitches. “Our team has meshed together perfectly. No matter where you put anybody, everyone contributes.”
tony.ciniglio@dailybreeze.com
Tony Ciniglio
Tony Ciniglio covers high school sports for the Los Angeles Daily News.
Follow Tony Ciniglio @
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High School Football: Redlands East Valley’s…
High School Football: Redlands East Valley’s Kylie Fitts rescinds commitment to USC
By Ed Castro | Ed.Castro@inlandnewspapers.com |
PUBLISHED: January 8, 2013 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 29, 2017 at 10:01 am
REDLANDS – Kylie Fitts is again one of Southern California’s most eligible football recruits, this after deciding on Monday to de-commit from USC.
Fitts was unavailable for comment, but did send out two tweets regarding his decision, saying “I have officially withdrawn my commitment to USC. Im just letting Jesus lead me and I will follow his path for me! God Bless.”
He graduated early from Redlands East Valley High School and was just days away from beginning the orientation process when USC informed Fitts that they preferred he join the program in June, REV football coach Kurt Bruich said.
REV coach Kurt Bruich said Fitts played in Saturday’s Army All-American Game and was told by USC representatives everything was going as planned.
But all that changed.
“They called on Monday when he was buying things for his dorm room and said he couldn’t come in early,” Bruich said. “He had to come in at June.”
Fitts then sat down with family and friends and decided to once again make himself available in the recruiting process.
“It happened that at that point he figured his loyalty to the school was not the same as the school’s loyalty was to him,” Bruich said.
Bruich added, “Rumors that USC dropped him, that just isn’t the case. They just told him if he was going to come in, it had to be in June.”
Later Tuesday night, Fitts tweeted: “With everything that has occurred I want people to know SC is one of the nations top programs and has one of the nations best coaching staff.”
Suiting up in a USC uniform was a lifelong dream for Fitts, Bruich said.
“As long as he can remember he wanted to be a USC Trojan,” Bruich said. “He worked hard to accomplish that goal. He did everything that he was supposed to do.”
Bruich said Fitts was disappointed and felt betrayed.
“I told him he should not feel that way in the recruitment process,” Bruich said. “He should feel beloved and the commitment from the school, not resentment and betrayal. Then he called coach (Lane) Kiffin and decommitted.”
Fitts was heavily recruited before he committed to USC.
Photos: CatCon World’s largest cat-centric culture event in Pasadena
Ed Castro
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My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Pt. 10)
November 5, 2017 by Dave Armstrong
My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Pt. 10) November 5, 2017 Dave Armstrong
Part Ten: Thomas Howard & Liturgy, My New Catholic Apologetics Career, and the Long-Awaited Fulfillment of My Calling (1990-1991)
This is the ten-part story of my complete religious history, from nominal Methodism (1958-1967), to the occult and practical atheism (1968-1976), through evangelical Protestantism, counter-cult, pro-life, evangelistic, and apologetics work (1977-1990), and finally on to the fullness of the Catholic faith in 1991. It is found complete (75 pages) in my 2013 book, Catholic Converts and Conversion.
See All Ten Parts:
Part One: Nominal Methodism, Occult, and the Seeds of a Serious Christian Commitment (1958 – early 1970s)
Part Two: Nature Mysticism, Romanticism, Bible Movies, and the “Great Depression” (1968-1977)
Part Three: Evangelical “Born-Again” (?) Experience, More Lukewarmness, and Personal Revival (1977-1982)
Part Four: Apologetics, Abundant Evangelical Blessings, and Protestant Evangelistic Campus Ministry (1983-1989)
Part Five: Collapse of My Protestant Ministry: Disillusionment and the End of One Chapter of My Life, But with Faith Intact (1985-1989)
Part Six: Pro-Life Rescue Movement, Letter to Karl Keating, My Ecumenical Gatherings, & the First “Domino”: Contraception (1988-1990)
Part Seven: Ecclesiology (the Church), the “Protestant Myth” of Church History, and My Vehement Opposition to Catholic Infallibility (1990)
Part Eight: Bombshell and Paradigm Shift: Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1990)
Part Nine: The Slow But Inevitable Paradigm Shift, Fr. John A. Hardon, and Another View of the “Reformation” (1990)
Thomas Howard, Liturgy, and the Final Surrender
Shortly before I became totally convinced, I read a book called Evangelical is Not Enough, by Thomas Howard. He’s a fabulous writer, and in my opinion, the stylistic successor to C. S. Lewis. He showed how the Catholic Mass had a quality that transcended time and space. This wonderful book gave me a feel for the usefulness and preferability of liturgy, which up till that time I had virtually no experience with, or that much love for, because I was “evangelical low church.”
At this point, it became, in my opinion, an intellectual and moral duty to abandon Protestantism in its evangelical guise. It was still not easy. Old habits and perceptions die hard, but I refused to let mere feelings and biases interfere with the wondrous process of illumination that overpowered me by God’s grace. I waited expectantly for just one last impetus to fully surrender myself.
At the end, in most converts’ experience, an icy fear sets in, similar to the cold feet of pre-marriage jitters. In an instant, this final obstacle vanished, and a tangible “emotional and theological peace” prevailed.
The unpredictable course of conversion came to an end on December 6, 1990, a little more than a month after completing the Essay, while I was reading Cardinal Newman’s meditation on “Hope in God the Creator” and in a moment decisively realized that I was no longer offering any intellectual or theological resistance to the Catholic Church. I quietly gave up what little remaining emotional resistance to conversion was left in me, and realized that I had now entered the door of the Catholic Church (and therefore, historic Christendom) for good.
This peace and certitude in faith has never departed, for now more than 22 years. I’ve never had the slightest desire or inclination to look back. All during that time, I have always – without exception – become more convinced, as I keep defending the Catholic faith and observing how weak or nonexistent the opposing arguments are.
Explaining to Protestant Friends: Advent of Catholic Apologetics
Right after my conversion, I worked through the various “distinctively Catholic” doctrines: to find as much biblical support as I could find. Having been a Protestant apologist for the previous nine years, it was only natural for me to start sharing with Protestant friends the reasons for why I thought Catholic doctrines could be defended from the Bible (our great common ground).
These initial papers eventually became my first book: A Biblical Defense of Catholicism. They were done on a typewriter for a year and a half or so, before I had a computer, and five years before I was on the Internet. They weren’t intended to be chapters of a book at first. But as time went on, my Catholic friends started urging me to try to get the collection of separate papers published as a book.
The first draft (a much longer, 750-page version) was done by 1994. I then decided to greatly shorten it and add references to the new Catechism, and this draft (the present 297-page book) was completed by May 1996. The original title was The Credibility of Catholicism: A Scriptural and Historical Apologetic. All of this occurred before I ever had my own website.
The subject matter of my first book has been the leading theme or specialty of my subsequent apologetics career: “biblical evidence for Catholicism” (as my blog is called): trying to explain (mostly) to Protestants in terms they can understand, mostly from the Bible, that Catholicism is the fullness of Christian truth and the one true, visible, apostolic, institutional Church, specially guided by the Holy Spirit and granted by God the gift of infallibility.
After five years of trying to get the book published, I put it out on my own; then in 2003, I made a last-ditch effort to contact a few more publishers, and Todd Aglialoro, the editor at Sophia Institute Press (now with Catholic Answers) was kind enough to agree to accept the manuscript. It had taken seven years (after several frustrating, usually unexplained rejections from publishers) to get it “officially” published.
Sophia has subsequently published four more of my books. In 2002, Our Sunday Visitor had published The Catholic Answer Bible, with 44 of my own one-page apologetics inserts.
I met Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas at the Defending the Faith conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1992, and gave him some of my earliest research papers on Martin Luther. This led to my first published Catholic article: “The Real Martin Luther,” in his magazine, The Catholic Answer (Jan/Feb 1993).
In September of that year my conversion story appeared in This Rock (Karl Keating’s magazine). In a somewhat different form it was published in the bestseller Surprised by Truth (edited by Patrick Madrid) in 1994.
The next step was to get on the Internet: the new technology that was to literally make my career as an apologist possible. My friends and fellow apologists Steve Ray and Gary Michuta were strongly urging me to do so, saying how much I would love it.
I first went online in March 1996, and frequented the Religion Forum of Compuserve and participated in some religious group discussion lists. I began my website in February 1997. In 1998 it received the Catholic Website of the Year award from Patrick Madrid’s Envoy Magazine. My renewed vocation as a Catholic apologist was rapidly taking shape.
A blog followed in 2004: eventually incorporating all of my old website articles. The next phase was Facebook and Twitter. I started utilizing both in January 2011. I’ve also appeared on Catholic radio over twenty times, starting in 1997, but have consistently turned down public speaking, because I feel it is not my gift, and that it’s best left to people who are highly skilled at it (and motivated to do so). Writing and speaking are very different arts. My emphasis has always been on back-and-forth dialogue, anyway, and that’s quite different from delivering a lecture. It’s not my style at all.
Fulfilling My Vocation Twenty Years After I Discerned It
I settled into a delivery career (payroll) all through the 90s, while doing active Internet apologetics as well, after 1996. When the delivery company I worked for went out of business in December 2001, two weeks after the birth of my daughter and fourth child, I made an appeal on my website (having few other options) to see if people thought I should do full-time apologetics.
They did, and I have been doing that ever since, with an income from book royalties, donations, and additional part-time work as necessary. I’ve definitely “paid my dues” in many ways, but it’s a great life, doing what I passionately love. I truly wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As I mentioned before, I had waited twenty years from knowing that I was called to apologetics, in 1981, to being able to devote myself to it full-time once again: twelve years after my Protestant campus ministry had collapsed. I’ve still had my struggles, and have taken on four part-time supplementary jobs since 2001. The current bad economy is again making it very tough for me.
Yet I’ve never ceased these past eleven years in putting in full-time hours doing apologetics. I’ve definitely learned a lot about perseverance and patience, but like anyone else, I have many areas where I fall short in the spiritual life, and a long, long way to go.
The Goals and Blessings of Apologetics
My primary motivation as an apologist is to educate Catholics to be confident in their beliefs, by knowing what they are in the first place, understanding them, and comprehending the reasoning behind them: why they believe what they believe. But the apologist can’t compel anyone to be persuaded. That is ultimately the job of the Holy Spirit and grace. Mostly we try to remove roadblocks, or take out objections, to make the way clear for a change of mind and allegiance.
The more I engage in Catholic apologetics, the more I’m convinced that Catholicism is the fullness of Christian truth. This is the unique blessing that apologetics gives. I know that I know that I know that Catholicism is true, and I’m always interested in learning more about theological and spiritual truth, and sharing what I have found with others: all by the grace of God.
I feel to the core of my soul and being what St. Paul expressed: “woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16), and I’m compelled to follow St. Peter’s admonition: “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). I won’t stop doing so till I drop!
Photo credit: 8 February 1991: the day I was received into the Church, and that Judy returned to it; with Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J.
Conversion and Converts
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"Faith and Works": Unbiblical, Semi-Pelagian Terminology?
November 6, 2017 Is Catholicism Christian or Not? (vs. James White): Pt. 1
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Audio/
Speakers/
Tim Gideon M-Audio BX5 Carbon The M-Audio BX5 Carbon studio monitor speakers deliver accurate, dependable audio in an affordable price range.
M-Audio BX5 Carbon
By Tim Gideon
June 13, 2014 11:02AM EST
Accurate audio performance with a focus on the midrange. Clear, robust bass presence. Acoustic space switch adjusts sound signature for placement closer to walls.
High-mids are slightly dampened. Volume knobs are hard to adjust precisely.
The M-Audio BX5 Carbon studio monitor speakers deliver accurate, dependable audio in an affordable price range.
M-Audio's BX line of studio monitors has had several iterations so far, with the latest edition of the speaker lineup dubbed Carbon. The M-Audio BX5 Carbon is the 5-inch-woofer model of the line (the BX6 Carbon and BX8 Carbon have 6- and 8-inch woofers, respectively). At $149.99 for a single speaker and $299.98 for a pair, the BX5 Carbon offers affordable, dependable monitoring for both professional and home studios alike. If you're looking for an accurate, powerful studio monitor pair in this price range, read on. If you just want an excellent pair of desktop or bookshelf speakers for listening to music and not necessarily engineering it, you might find the smaller Audioengine 2+ and its USB and RCA connections a bit more useful.
Audioengine 2+
JBL Series 3 LSR305
The black-and-metallic front panel of the BX5 Carbon houses a 1-inch silk dome tweeter above a 5-inch woven Kevlar woofer. A blue LED light between the two drivers indicates when the speakers are powered up. Each speaker is self-powered and bi-amplified with Class A/B amps sending 40 watts to the woofer and 30 watts to the tweeter.
The back panel is ported to allow for better movement of the drivers. The panel holds a 1/4-inch TRS input and an XLR input, but no RCA input. Fortunately, most studio applications don't need RCA inputs, so this is a minor omission. The power cable connects just below the Power switch, and an additional switch to select between 115V and 230V sources. The speakers are also fused, providing a helpful barrier should you accidentally run a too-powerful signal through them. Each speaker ships with its own power cable.
You can select Flat, -2dB, or -4dB response with the Acoustic Space switch, which cuts frequencies at 200Hz and below. We tested our speaker pair using the Flat settings, but the -2dB or -4dB settings are useful if your speakers are placed close to a wall.
The volume knob is next to this switch, and unfortunately it lacks any click-stops. This means not only do you have set each speaker's volume by sight, but you have to hope that the knob stays in place. Generally speaking, there's no reason it wouldn't, but if the knob were bumped slightly, the lack of a click stop could cause it to move and throw off the balance of your speakers. There's also no way to properly gauge speaker-to-speaker volume other than with your eyes and ears. It may seem like nitpicking, but precision tools need precise settings, and the only way to guarantee precise speaker-to-speaker volume balance here is to set both knobs to maximum level (which can be a dangerous decision if you're dealing with unknown incoming volume levels).
On tracks with intense sub-bass presence, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the BX5 Carbon delivers laudable bass response; you don't miss out on any of the extremely deep lows, but nothing is particularly boosted, either. Tracks like this can begin to distort at absolute top volumes on the speakers, but such levels are insanely loud and not really usable for mixing. There's no distortion to speak of at reasonable-to-quite loud volumes, and the BX5 Carbons deliver a flat-response style sound signature that gives the lows, mids, and highs each a fair share of the stage.
On Bill Callahan's "Drover," his baritone vocals are delivered with a focus on the low-mids complimented by a pleasant treble presence. Unlike bass-boosted speaker systems, the BX5 Carbon does not add any deep low-end to the mix, so the drums do not sound overpowering or unnatural as they often do with heavily boosted speakers. The guitar strumming and the treble edge of Callahan's voice don't cut through the mix quite as much as they do on a heavily sculpted pair of speakers, and everything seems to be given equal time. Some mixers might wish for a bit more presence in the high-mids, however; at times, his vocals sound more rich than crisp, but never muddy.
Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild" also demonstrates the sound signature's less intense high-mid presence. The kick drum loop's attack is less sharp and cutting through the BX5 Carbon than it typically is, but the sustain of the hits gets plenty of low and low-mid presence. The sub-bass synth hits on this track are not delivered with the intensity you'll hear on a bass-boosted system, but they still pack a punch. The sub-bass range is generally subtle, while the mid-to-high raspy overtones of the synth hits have more of a presence in the mix.
Classical tracks, like the opening scene of John Adams' "The Gospel According to the Other Mary," sound about as pure and flat as it gets. The track gets no added high-mid sculpting or much bass boosting; the higher register strings, brass, and vocals command the spotlight, but never sound overly sculpted or boosted.
The most important characteristic of a studio monitor is accuracy, and the BX5 Carbon doesn't disappoint. No two models are going to sound exactly alike, though, and even with its accuracy the BX5 Carbon differs from other similarly priced models we've tested. The more expensive Editors' Choice KRK Rokit 6 G3 seems to be a bit more rich in the lows and offers more overall balance than the BX5 Carbon, while the JBL Series 3 LSR305 has a bit more focus on the high-mids and highs. And while not specifically studio monitors, the Audioengine 2+ and Audioengine 5+ both provide accurate audio in a small bookshelf speaker design. If you often find studio monitors a bit too crisp and focused on the high-mids, the excellent M-Audio BX5 Carbon tends to tone down that range slightly and might be just the studio pair for you.
Bottom Line: The M-Audio BX5 Carbon studio monitor speakers deliver accurate, dependable audio in an affordable price range.
Other Avid Speakers
M-Audio Studiophile DX4
Creative Sound Blaster Roar SB20
Bayan Audio Soundbook X3
Tim Gideon Contributing Editor, Audio
Contributing Editor Tim Gideon has been writing for PCMag since 2006. He specializes in reviewing audio products, and is obsessed with headphones, speakers, and recording gear.
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International bidder enters the race to acquire Wiggle
By Tiffany Holland, Gemma Goldfingle2011-11-18T07:00:00+00:00
Deadline for second-round bids for cycles etailer nears, but 2012 flotation could still be on the cards.
Cycles etailer Wiggle has attracted international interest, as Swedish private equity firm EQT enters the bidding race to acquire the retailer.
EQT – which has investments in Northern and Eastern Europe, Asia and the US – has joined bidders Bridgepoint and Advent in entering second-round bids.
There has been speculation that Warburg Pincus is also in the running, while further parties are also believed to be interested.
The deadline for second-round bids for Wiggle, which has been valued at £200m, is November 25, although this could be extended to November 28. It is hoped a decision on a preferred bidder will be made in December, although the process could take longer.
Wiggle is also considering an IPO as part of a dual-track process. The retailer is understood to be meeting next week with investment bank UBS, which is thought to have been hired to manage the potential flotation. Any IPO will not kick off until the first half of 2012.
One source close to the situation told Retail Week that the current macro-economic environment would make a float challenging. The source said: “Because of Europe people are feeling very nervous about investing in new businesses.”
However, the source added that Wiggle was committed to the dual-track process: “Although the sale process is well-advanced, it does not mean the IPO is off. Interested parties would have to submit a deal that is strong enough to accept, which would then stop the flotation.”
Etailer The Hut scrapped plans to float this year because of difficult economic conditions. It is believed it had planned to float in the autumn, and Numis, Barclays Capital and Altium were poised to be appointed to handle the process in July.
Wiggle is seen as an attractive prospect for investors. It has enjoyed continued strong growth as it benefits from the increased popularity in cycling and a growing international business.
In the year to January 31, the etailer posted record EBITDA, up from £7.5m to £10.5m, while turnover soared 55% to £86.8m.
Isis Equity Partners acquired a 42% stake in the retailer for £12.3m in 2006.
Click here for Retail Week Knowledge Bank’s Wiggle profile
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World Crises News
February 27, 2007 / 4:05 PM / 12 years ago
Sudan rejects ICC jurisdiction, says one suspect held
(Adds reaction from rebels, former rebels, paragraph 8-12)
By Aziz El-Kaissouni
KHARTOUM, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Sudan said on Tuesday the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction to try its citizens for crimes in Darfur, and said one of the two ICC suspects named has been in custody in Khartoum for months.
Sudan’s justice minister, speaking shortly after the ICC named the first two suspects it wants tried for war crimes in Darfur, also dismissed the court’s evidence as lies concocted by those fighting the state.
"The court has no jurisdiction to try any Sudanese for any alleged crimes," Justice Minister Mohamed Ali al-Mardi told a news conference in Khartoum.
"(Our) stance is not limited to those who fight on the government’s side but applies to all Sudanese, including those who still bear arms and fight the government. They are Sudanese, and we will not let them be tried by any court outside Sudan."
ICC prosecutors asked pre-trial judges on Tuesday to issue summonses for the first two Darfur war crimes suspects: former interior minister of state Ahmed Haroun and militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb.
In a 94-page filing, ICC prosecutors accused the two of criminal responsibility related to 51 counts of alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 2003 and 2004.
Experts say some 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million others driven from homes in Darfur since the conflict flared in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government, charging it with neglect. Khartoum says 9,000 people have died.
"All the evidence the prosecutor referred to is lies given to him by people who bear arms against the state, bear arms against citizens and kill innocent citizens in Darfur," Mardi said.
A spokesman for the former rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), the only rebel faction to sign a May peace accord with the government, described the ICC move as "historic" for Darfur.
"This process of bringing the people who perpetrated crimes in Darfur to justice ... is a historic moment for us and for our families in Darfur," said Al-Tayyib Khamis.
He added that if the ICC charged any SLM commanders with crimes, the movement would hand them over for trial immediately.
But the commander of one the largest non-signatory rebel factions said while the ICC announcement was an important step, the two names were "a drop in the ocean".
"They were executives, but there are more people who planned ... genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur, and the blood of Darfur cannot have been spilled in vain," said Jar el-Neby, commander of a breakaway arm of the SLM.
ICC suspect Haroun is currently Sudan’s minister of state for humanitarian affairs. Prosecutors said Kushayb was a Janjaweed militia commander who led attacks on towns and villages where dozens of people were killed.
Mardi said both of the men had already been questioned by Khartoum, and Kushayb has been in Sudanese custody since November on suspicion of violating Sudanese laws and was under investigation for actions in Darfur.
But Mardi denied that Kushayb was part of the pro-government Janjaweed, which U.N. and African Union observers blame for the worst atrocities in Darfur.
"Ali Kushayb, along with two other individuals, was sent for trial. ... He was detained as a suspect, questioned, his statements were evaluated and witness statements recorded, and then the decision was taken to refer him to court," Mardi said.
Sudanese media have reported Khartoum would try a number of people next week, including military personnel and paramilitary troops, for alleged involvement in attacks in Darfur.
But Mardi said there was no basis to charge Haroun, based on Haroun’s statements and witness testimony. Haroun’s office said he was in Jordan for medical treatment, but would return to Sudan shortly.
The ICC is only supposed to prosecute when national courts are unwilling or unable to act. Rights groups say Sudan’s own investigations in Darfur have been largely for show.
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Arrested Greek Citizen Denies Karimova's Uzbek Torture Claim
A former associate of the Uzbek president's eldest daughter, Gulnara Karimova, has reportedly denied her claims that he was tortured while in custody.
Tracking Central Asians' Trails To Jihad In Syria
Syria has become a magnet for foreign jihadists seeking to wage holy war. RFE/RL correspondents Ron Synovitz and Elenora Beishenbek take a closer look at how an increasing number of Central Asians are being radicalized and recruited to fight there.
Transparency International Says Corruption Rampant In CIS
Transparency International is warning that the abuse of power, secret dealings, and bribery within the public sector continue to "ravage" countries around the world, including in the former Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.
Karimova Slams Sister On Twitter
The Uzbek president's daughter Gulnara Karimova has again used Twitter to launch a personal attack against her younger sister, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva.
SCO Heads Meet In Tashkent
The heads of governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered in the Uzbek capital to discuss energy and other areas of mutual cooperation.
TeliaSonera Executives Sacked After Probe
Swedish-Finnish telecom operator TeliaSonera has dismissed its chief financial officer and three other senior executives amid an ongoing investigation into the transactions and agreements made over the past years by the company and partners in Eurasia.
Turkmen, Uzbek Leaders To Meet
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has started a two-day official visit to neighboring Uzbekistan.
UN Slams Uzbekistan On Torture
A key UN rights body has called on Uzbekistan to end its "systematic" use of torture and its persecution of human rights activists.
Gulnara Karimova's Twitter Account Disabled
The Twitter account of Uzbek presidential daughter Gulnara Karimova has been disabled, stoking more speculation about the glamorous "Googoosha" and her seeming fall from grace.
Samarkand Resident Sentenced For Propagating Shi'ite Islam
The chairman of the Samarkand branch of the Uzbekistan-Iran Friendship Society has been sentenced for propagating Shi'ite Islam.
Uzbeks Qualify For 2015 Asian Cup
Uzbekistan's national soccer team clinched a dramatic late victory to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup.
Uzbek Motorists Running On Empty, Again
Uzbekistan is suffering from yet another gasoline drought. What's behind the crisis? RFE/RL correspondent Farruh Yusupov reports.
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EU Reassures Balkans On Entry
At a meeting in Sarajevo with officials from the western Balkan states, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to the region, while underscoring the need for each of them to continue along the path of reform.
Balkan Leaders Urge EU Expansion
The presidents of Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro have met in Sarajevo to pledge better relations among themselves and advance their membership bids for the European Union.
UN 'Civilizations' Forum In Brazil Hopes To Reframe Debate Over Global Culture, Politics
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations will host its third-annual forum in Rio de Janeiro from May 27-29. The conference, titled "Bridging Cultures, Building Peace," will be attended by high-level dignitaries including President Lula da Silva of Brazil, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Montenegro Aluminum Plant Invaded
Hundreds of disgruntled workers have taken over an administrative building at Montenegro's Podgorica Aluminum Plant (KAP) to protest the planned layoff of dozens of workers.
Montenegrin Firms' Debts Burden Economy
Montenegro's central bank says that most of the country's businesses are in such a poor financial state that only a handful of the country's 15,000 companies would qualify for a loan.
Is Former Yugoslavia Stuck On The Sand Dune Of History?
Former British diplomat Charles Crawford says it's time to reorganize the confusing set of authorities and policies dealing with Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia.
Montenegrin Honored For Refusing To Deport Muslims
A former Montenegrin policeman has been chosen to receive an award for his refusal to participate in the deportation of Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian war.
Montenegro, Kosovo Establish Relations
The Montenegrin government said in a statement today that diplomatic relations were established by exchange of letters of the respective foreign ministers.
Top EU Official Draws Line Between Enlargement, Neighborhood Policies
At a confirmation hearing in Brussels, the EU's enlargement and neighborhood policy commissioner-in-waiting today gave strong backing to the EU's existing commitments to welcome the western Balkan countries and Turkey, but stopped short of endorsing the membership hopes of Ukraine and other eastern neighbors.
Serbia To Apply For EU Membership
Serbia will formally apply for European Union membership today and take a major step in its efforts to turn its back on the war, poverty and international isolation of the 1990s.
EU Set To Lift Visas For Three Balkan States
The European Union will allow visa-free travel inside the 27-country bloc for Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro from December 19, but keep restrictions on Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, EU ministers have agreed.
Serbian President Awaits EU Signal On Membership Bid
Serbia will probably apply next month for eventual European Union membership, but will first wait for a green light from Brussels to proceed, the country's president said.
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Wednesday 31 December 2014
Serb Foreign Minister Says Ukraine War Echoes Balkan Conflict
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says the conflict in Ukraine reminds him of what happened in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Speaking ahead of Serbia assuming the presidency of OSCE, he said Serbia would use its experience from that time to act as a mediator in Ukraine.
Serbia Hopes To Play Ukraine Role
Serbia's foreign minister says the crisis in Ukraine is "proof of how fragile European security is."
Serb Speaker Says No Russia Sanctions
The speaker of Serbia's parliament has promised Russia that the Balkan nation will never impose sanctions on Moscow.
Russia: Not Putting Pressure On Serbia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected Western accusations that Moscow is trying to increase Serbia's dependence on Russia and push it away from the European Union.
Serbs Cut Ribbon On Chinese-Built Bridge Over Danube
The Chinese and Serbian prime ministers have opened a new multimillion-euro bridge over the Danube in Belgrade, described as the first major Chinese-built infrastructure project in Europe.
China Looks To Up Investment In E. Europe
China says it will create a new investment fund of $3 billion targeting Central and Eastern Europe, seeking to strengthen its presence in the region.
Chinese PM In Serbia
Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has arrived in Serbia for a summit with leaders from 16 Central and Eastern European countries.
Kosovo Gets Full IOC Membership
Kosovo has been granted full membership in the International Olympic Committee in a move that will allow its first Olympics appearance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
EU: South Stream OK If Follows Rules
The European Commission's new energy chief says that Russia could revive the South Stream natural-gas pipeline project if it follows EU rules.
Arrests In Bosnia, Serbia Over Massacre
A media report says police in Serbia and Bosnia have arrested 15 people in connection with a massacre during the conflict in the Balkans.
Transparency Study Shows Corruption Widespread In Ex-Soviet States, Balkans
A new study by the antigraft group Transparency International (TI) suggests that corruption remains rampant across much of the former Soviet Union and the Balkans.
End Of South Stream: Winners & Losers
Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 1 announced that Russia was abandoning plans for the South Stream natural gas pipeline meant to supply energy directly to Europe without transit through Ukraine. Who are the winners and losers if Putin makes good on his word?
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SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Police and Court Reports
— Suspicious activity was reported in the area of state Route 172 and Lowmiller Road at 7:53 a.m. Monday. Deputies checked the area, but did not find anyone matching the description given.
— A resident on Oakdale Avenue, Yellow Creek Township, reported at 4:20 a.m. Tuesday someone was walking around the house. Deputies checked around the house, but were unable to locate anyone.
— A state Route 45, Elkun Township, man reported at 4:14 p.m. Monday he attempted to purchase a car on eBay Motors’ website. He provided the seller seven eBay gift cards totaling $2,650. He determined it was a scam and eBay asked him to file a police report.
LISBON — A July 25 preliminary hearing was set in county Municipal Court for Joshua A. Sutton, 37, Teegarden ...
Salem woman pleads guilty in meth lab case
LISBON — Lori A. Whitman, 40, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, pleaded guilty in Common Pleas Court to attempted ...
ELECTION FILINGS
Six more people have filed candidacy petitions for run for non-partisan office in the Nov. 5 general ...
51 indictments issued
LISBON — The Common Pleas Court grand jury issued 51 indictments this week, including one superseding indictment ...
PERRY TWP. — A woman in the 200 block of Apple Street reported at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday that a black vehicle ...
— Deputies were asked to check on people at a Grant Street, Center Township, home at 1:13 p.m. Wednesday after a ...
ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES
West Branch schools to restore 2-tier busing
On the calendar this week
Board eyes system to check water meters from office
Columbiana County Fair to feature KOI Drag Racing, Grand Illusions
Pete’s Place
Births/Birthdays
Copyright © Salem News | https://www.salemnews.net | 161 North Lincoln, Salem, OH 44460 | | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company
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* Africa
* Innovation
* Technology
* Non-profit
* Nairobi
The winner of the Innovator of the Year Award is announced
Aid & International Development Forum is delighted to announce the winner of the Innovator of the Year Award at the Aid and Development Africa Summit.
By: Aid and International Development Forum
* Nairobi - Nairobi - Kenya
* Awards
NAIROBI, Kenya - Feb. 28, 2018 - PRLog -- 2 Aid & International Development Forum is delighted to announce the winner of the Innovator of the Year Award at the Aid and Development Africa Summit.
The innovator of the year award celebrates individuals as well as teams who have introduced game-changing initiatives, created research or inventions that have made an impact on the humanitarian aid and development sectors in Africa over the past year. The aim is to recognise individuals for their inspiring leadership, forward-thinking, creative problem-solving and implementation of innovative programmes that have helped drive Africa's progress towards Sustainable Development Goals.
The award recognises equity, inclusion and poverty alleviation; with affordability, feasibility, and acceptability being key, as well as the impact among intended users.
The winner, Apps and Girls Foundation, has been awarded the 2018 Innovator of the Year Award at the 3rd Annual Aid & Development Africa Summit.
They were chosen because of their role in teaching girls technology and entrepreneurship skills and encouraging them to find digital solutions to the problems they face in their communities.
A Tanzanian registered social enterprise, Apps and Girls seek to bridge the tech gender gap by providing quality coding training (web programming, mobile app development game development and robotics) and entrepreneurship skills to girls in secondary schools via coding clubs, and to university level students at academic institutions.
Apps and Girls also organises holiday events such as hackathons, bootcamps, and competitions and provides internships opportunities. Apps and Girls provides high class mentorship (from local and international mentors) to girls to create tech startups, connect them with jobs and internships. They also offer a 3 year incubation to emerging young female TECH entrepreneurs and use the network to promote their work to customers, partners and potential funding opportunities.
Founder of Apps and Girls Foundation Carolyne Ekyarisiima commented:
"Thank you Aid & International Development Forum for recognising our work [of] empowering girls in Africa with coding and Entrepreneurship skills"
The panel of judges included:
Karin Kallander, Senior Research Advisor, Malaria Consortium
Ademola Olajide, Resident Representative, UNFPA
Charles Gerhardt, International Project Manager, Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccine,and Health Supply Chain Management;
Alexandra Brown, Product Manager, Aid & International Development Forum.
About Aid & International Development Forum:
The Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF) strives to be a catalyst of cross-sector collaboration and innovation in humanitarian and development sectors by bringing together governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental agencies, national and international NGOs, development banks, investors and the private sector.
AIDF brings together key humanitarian and development practitioners, influencers, investors, thought leaders, policy makers and entrepreneurs. Our events and insights are based on comprehensive research and contributions from world leading experts including government ministers, FAO, UNESCAP, WFP, Asia Development Bank, UN OCHA, World Vision, UNOPS, USAID, GIZ, Red Cross, World Bank and many others. http://www.aidforum.org
Press enquiries: madeleineg@aidforum.org
Madeleine Giles
***@aidforum.org
: ***@aidforum.org
: Africa, Innovation, Technology
: Non-profit
: Nairobi - Nairobi - Kenya
: Awards
Aid & International Development Forum News
The winner of the CSA Project of the Year Award is announced
Nominations are now open for the Asia Innovator of the Year Award 2018!
Nominations are now open for the Project of the Year Showcase and Award
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Saints To Hire Darren Rizzi
February 11th, 2019 at 11:09am CST by Zach Links
One of the league’s most respected special teams coaches is headed to New Orleans. The Saints have hired former Dolphins ST coordinator Darren Rizzi, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has officially announced Rizzi’s hiring.
This week, the Saints chose to move on from their previous special teams staff, which was headed by veteran guru Mike Westhoff. Rizzi will now step in after courting interest from multiple clubs around the league, including the the Bills, Jets, Lions, Packers, and Vikings.
In addition to serving as the Dolphins’ ST coordinator, Rizzi also carried the title of Assistant Head Coach. After the firing of Adam Gase, the Dolphins interviewed Rizzi for the job. When Rizzi didn’t get the gig, he resolved to move on.
The Saints’ dismissal of Westhoff was surprising to many, including Westhoff himself. In 2017, Westhoff’s first year with the team, the Saints’ ST unit improved from 25th in the league to 14th, per Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings. In 2018, they ranked second overall.
Darren Rizzi
2 comments on “Saints To Hire Darren Rizzi”
giantboy99 • 5 months ago
Perhaps a return to the Jets…they could use all the help they can get.
Tankittothelimit • 5 months ago
The Pack will never be a serious contender as long as Mark Murphy has his wallet sewn shut
Latest On Lions’ Slay, Harrison
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ALEC Exposed, for 24 Hours
Submitted by PRWatch Editors on February 2, 2012 - 10:08am
A guest post by Nick Surgey from Common Cause, originally posted on Common Blog.
When Florida Rep. Rachel Burgin (R- 56) introduced a bill in November calling on the federal government to reduce taxes for corporations (HM 685), she made an embarrassing mistake.
Rep. Burgin was introducing a bill she had received from the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council. A bill written by the Tax Foundation, corporate members of ALEC's "Tax and Fiscal Policy task force" and a group founded and funded by major corporate interests, including the billionaire Koch brothers.
All ALEC model resolutions contain a boilerplate paragraph, describing ALEC's adherence to free market principles and limited government. When legislators introduce one of ALEC's bills, they normally remove this paragraph. Sometimes (but only sometimes) legislators will make some slight alterations to an ALEC model bill, perhaps to include something specific to them or to their state. Rep. Burgin didn't do that. Instead she introduced a bill that was the same as the model word-for-word, forgetting even to remove the paragraph naming ALEC and describing its principles.
As a Texas Governor might say; "Oops!"
The next day, Rep. Burgin quickly withdrew the bill hoping that no one had noticed and then re-introduced it 24-hours later, with a new bill number (HM 717), but now without the problematic paragraph. Nobody seems to have noticed until now.
With some justification, you might ask why this really matters: even if this bill passed it wouldn't force Congress to act. However, I think it matters because the states play a very significant role in setting the national agenda. Corporations know this, which is why they frequently use ALEC to secretly introduce their model bills, creating the impression of widespread popular uproar in the state houses. In recent years they have used this mechanism for both attacks on the EPA's regulation of greenhouse gases (ALEC bill introduced in 22 states) and in pushing back against the Affordable Care Act (ALEC bill introduced in 44 states).
It also matters because the question of whether corporations should pay more or less in tax is an issue that gets to the heart of politics in America. Common Cause board chair Robert Reich writes about this tension between corporate influence and America's economic trajectory in an op-ed published in the Chicago Tribune.
Rep. Burgin's (revised) bill to reduce corporate taxes has already been voted out of the Federal Affairs Subcommittee, and is due to have a hearing in the State Affairs Committee soon. Only one external voice was heard at the subcommittee hearing, a lobbyist from the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), a lobby group who themselves have links to ALEC. AIF is now run by notorious ex-Congressman and Florida Speaker Tom Feeney, who not only was caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal, but was once named one of the "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress" by the organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
It matters who writes our laws and it matters who stands to benefit from them. When these are the very same entity, then we as citizens should have the right to know this.
PRWatch Editors
The author listed as "PRwatch Editors" is for reports attributable to CMD's editors or guest authors.
Comcast Is Latest Telecommunications Company to Drop ALEC
ALEC Teams up with Anti-LGBT Alliance Defending Freedom to Promote So-Called "Campus Free Speech" Bills
That Grifty Thing Stephen Moore Did With Herman Cain -- and the Koch Brothers' Blessing
ALEC's Washington State Chair Discussed Violence, Surveillance Against Constituents
Wisconsin Ethics Human Rights ALEC Exposed Right Wing Journalism U.S. Government Science Politics Economy Secrecy U.S. Congress Public Relations Environment Corporations Media Iraq Activism Health Marketing Lobbying International War / Peace Democracy Propaganda
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Queen of Earth
Led by a searing performance from Elisabeth Moss, Queen of Earth is a demanding -- and ultimately rewarding -- addition to writer-director Alex Ross Perry's impressive filmography.
Total Count: 81
Queen of Earth Ratings & Reviews Explanation
Queen of Earth Videos
Queen of Earth: Trailer 1
Queen of Earth Photos
Catherine has entered a particularly dark period in her life: her father, a famous artist whose affairs she managed, has recently died, and on the heels of his death she's dumped by her boyfriend James. Looking to recuperate, Catherine heads out to her best friend Virginia's lake house for some much needed relaxation. However, once Catherine arrives relaxation proves impossible to find, as she is overcome with memories of time spent at the same house with James the year before. As Catherine reaches out to Virginia with attempts at connection, Virginia begins spending increasing amounts of time with a local love interest, Rich, and fissures in the relationship between the two women begin to appear, sending Catherine into a downward spiral of delusion and madness.
Drama, Mystery & Suspense
Alex Ross Perry
Aug 26, 2015 limited
as Catherine
as Ginny
as Rich
Kentucker Audley
as James
as Michelle
Keith Poulson
as Keith
Craig Butta
as Groundskeeper
Daniel April
as Warlock
Paul Chamberlain
as Dragon
as Party Guest
Mia Heiligenstein
Elisabeth Arndt
Katherine Fleming
Morgan Skrabalak
Lily Garrison
Adam Piotrowicz
News & Interviews for Queen of Earth
No Escape Is Tense but Problematic
Critic Reviews for Queen of Earth
All Critics (81) | Top Critics (19) | DVD (1)
It's a one-note drama of simmering resentment. That note is sustained with impressive conviction.
Jun 30, 2016 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
A lifetime pass for Perry - anything he makes from here on in will be of interest.
David Jenkins
If you're gonna go hard to the closeup, you're gonna want to work with a face like Elisabeth Moss's.
Sep 25, 2015 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Matthew Lickona
"Queen of Earth" isn't a laugh riot, not by a long shot. But it is a good movie, and a fascinating study of descent.
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
Perry's movie may not be easy to watch, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
Sep 10, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Molly Eichel
Writer-director Alex Ross Perry conjures such a strong atmosphere around his characters -- and Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston are so powerful in the leads --that one gets sucked into their emotional conflict.
Sep 3, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Ben Sachs
If only Perry's direction had been as brave as the performances, Queen of Earth would be unmissable.
Rachel Brook
Queen of Earth is a rather curious take on paranoia, and how personal it can be. Two astounding performances make it worthwhile. [Full review in Spanish].
Federico Furzan
Cinelipsis
Puts mumblecore millennials in a different context, and it suddenly all makes sense: these movies are about the despair of self-absorption and the emotional violence inflicted by spoiled brats.
Aug 29, 2018 | Full Review…
Pat Padua
he tale of a fractured female friendship and an unravelling mind, this psychological thriller is a very different kettle of sardines from Listen Up Philip, but it still boasts Perry's razor sharp dialogue skills.
Alison Rowat
The Herald (Scotland)
[Director Alex Ross Perry] explores the downside of privilege with a rare precision.
Feb 15, 2018 | Full Review…
Gay City News
Friendships, love, psychological breakdowns, depression, pettiness; it's all here
Dec 2, 2017 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Robert Kojder
Flickering Myth
View All Critic Reviews (81)
Audience Reviews for Queen of Earth
Elizabeth Moss puts in a terrific performance in this mature psychological drama about bitterness, resentment and narcissism, a film that is especially intelligent when it make us participate in the thoughts and feelings of its two characters, even if it is also a bit elusive.
Carlos M Super Reviewer
A character piece. Shades of Persona and Repulsion. A little too ambiguous and meandering for my taste. I was hoping there would be a thrilling conclusion but was let down. The super 16 looks great and there are some cool shots, though the visuals are not outstanding. Dialogue vacillates between subdued and on-the-nose. Kate Moss overdoes it at times. The soundtrack is grating and overused; it would have been great if its use was reduced by about 80%. Watch Repulsion instead.
_kelly . Super Reviewer
I'm not convinced that this is the brilliant psychological portrait everyone seems to think it is, but Moss gives one hell of a performance.
Alec B Super Reviewer
I sure hope that this ends up being a short review, because I'm tired and I've got another movie to review after this one, one that I'm doing later today as I don't want to stay up for any longer than I need to. Let's just get one thing out of the way right now, I know I've always been a bit of a snob when it comes to Best Actress/Actor Oscar nomination because, to me, a great performance in a shitty movie doesn't count. Which is why, as great as Helen Mirren was in The Queen, I felt that the Oscar was undeserved because the film was so ridiculously boring. But, and this is one of the few exceptions I'll make for this, but if Elizabeth Moss does not get an Oscar nomination for this movie then there is no justice in the film world. I've always thought that Elizabeth Moss was an incredibly talented actress but, in my opinion, this film establishes her as one of the best in the world at this moment. I'm not saying that she wasn't before this movie, but this film, for those who see it that are unfamiliar with Elizabeth's talents, it will open their eyes to how incredibly talented this woman really is. The film is a psychological thriller and it's one that's definitely gonna be tough to digest for some people. It's not that the content is as disturbing as, say, Lars Von Trier's Antichrist, though Catherine's descent into madness as her world collapses all around her might be disturbing to some, but the film just isn't easy to watch. It's not particularly inviting and the characters, pretty much everyone, can be insufferable. There's also this one scene where Cat and Ginny have a conversation about their fucked up past relationships that does go on for a long time without any actual cuts so, those who are really impatient, will feel like this has gone on for longer than it actually does. But, honestly, it's a scene that is to the absolute benefit of the film, as uninviting as it all may sound. Catherine is a character who has lived in a bubble her entire life, this is even said in the film, and once that bubble popped, with her father's death and her boyfriend dumping her, she simply didn't know how to function. The issues are exacerbated when she starts reliving memories of the year prior, in the same lake house, with her boyfriend and her best friend. So that, and the fact that she lived under her father's shadow, as an artist, for her entire adult life have Catherine a little mentally unstable. Watching Elizabeth Moss completely become this character is, honestly, a little unnerving, but it's completely fascinating to watch her go down this whole of depression and mental instability. While I thought the script was strong, I just don't think that it would've been the same without Elizabeth Moss and, to a lesser extent, Katherine Waterson, who plays Ginny. I almost feel bad completely ignoring Ms. Waterson, because she really is excellent as well, but Elizabeth Moss is gonna get most of the attention, which would be well-deserved. I'd like to recommend this, but it's just one of those movies that a lot people simply won't like. For my money, however, I thought this was a really damn good movie thanks to one of the best performances I've seen this year from Elizabeth Moss.
Jesse O Super Reviewer
Queen of Earth Quotes
Catherine: I feel sick, I feel messed up.
Catherine: Who the hell are you?
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Merkel demands clarity on NSA’s role in Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a government statement intended to be about the upcoming Vilnius' Eastern Partnership Summit during a session of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag in Berlin, November 18, 2013. However, the topics of NSA surveillance and Edward Snowden were pervasive throughout the session (Reuters / Thomas Peter) © Reuters
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded that Washington give Germany clarity over the future of the NSA in the country, stating that the practice had put transatlantic ties “to the test.” “The allegations are grave,” she said.
Merkel kicked off the session by tackling the controversial issue of the US tapping her personal phone calls and the “millions” of associated NSA data intrusions on German soil. She labeled the clarification as “the basis for the creation of a new transatlantic confidence,” speaking in the Bundestag on Monday.
Merkel continued to state that “therefore also the negotiations for a free trade agreement are presently, without doubt, being put to the test,” adding that “new confidence must be built” in the future.
“The silence means there are all sorts of conspiracy theories,” added Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich.
The Bundestag address was intended chiefly to address EU relations with eastern European states – specifically Ukraine. Germany and Ukraine have arranged to sign a deal towards the end of November, in what would be seen as a major step for Ukraine to enter the bloc. However, Elmar Brok, chair of the EU's Committee on Foreign Affairs has told Deutsche Welt that without the release of Yulia Tymoshenko for medical treatment there wouldn’t be an agreement.
However, the speakers focused predominantly on German relations with America, the role of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, and whether he should be offered asylum in Germany.
Revelations that Merkel’s phone may have been tapped by the NSA emerged in October. A German poll conducted within the last two weeks indicated that Germans’ confidence in the US as a trustworthy partner has plummeted following the NSA scandal.
Edward Snowden, who exposed America’s spying on its allies, is considered a hero by 60 percent of the population, according to a survey conducted by public broadcaster ARD and Die Welt daily.
As Merkel made her speech, protesters gathered outside the Bundestag, many of whom were there to demand that Edward Snowden be granted asylum in Germany.
They have handed a petition to the chairman of the relevant parliamentary group, with over 150,000 signatures in support of their demand. They say Snowden should be welcome on German soil after his actions.
Shortly afterwards in the Bundestag session, opposition leader, Dr Gregor Gysi, called for Snowden to be given the Nobel Peace Prize, declaring that “he earned it.” Gysi also lambasted Merkel’s timid stance towards the US, stating that: “Moral cowardice is no good basis for friendship.”
The Green Party’s Hans-Christian Ströbele, who met with Snowden in Russia contributed to a New York Times editorial on Sunday, saying that “Without him, Ms. Merkel would still be a target for monitoring… We Germans owe Mr Snowden thanks and appreciation — and a safe and permanent residence in Germany.”
“Why should the NSA tell the truth to the German government when they repeatedly tell lies to their own Congress?" asked Social Democratic Party politician, Thomas Oppermann.
German NDR public broadcaster and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Friday that US agencies have managed to run global anti-terrorism programs – including tortures, kidnappings and drone strikes from German bases. The US still has some 30,000 troops stationed in the country. Additional concern was generated last week when it emerged that US intelligence agents could conduct arrests at German airports.
"An American intelligence contract firm, which works for US NSA and planned kidnapping flights for the CIA, still receives contracts worth millions from the German government," the NDR 'Panorama' investigation stated.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman, Mareike Kutt later told reporters that they "are not allowed to make decisions regarding sovereign measures in Germany, such as arrests."
Trends:NSA
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Indonesia recalls its Australian ambassador alleging phone-taps on President Yudhoyono
Germany wants to charge US-based former SS commander ‘Wolf’ with murder
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Slots Themes »
Buffalo slot games
For a fact, the Buffalo slot machine was initially popular in a myriad of land-based casinos over a decade ago, in 2006, before it penetrated the online market in 2012, courtesy of Aristocrat (a renowned gaming software developer). As such, it incorporates graphics which match illustrations of magazine quality, in addition to replacing the older pay lines and the times wager-per-line gambling system, with the highly innovative Extra Reel Power System, which we shall discuss. Hence, the new system serves as an upgrade from the once famous 243-way Wheel Power gambling model, to the current one, which offers 1024 ways of winning.
Additionally, the imagery in the game comes from the wildlife library of North America, with the titular creature being the American Bison that is synonymous with Buffalos, alongside others which run the gamut from the Puma, Bald Eagle, and Elk.
18 slots
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Thundering Buffalo
Very Big Goats
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Buffet Bonanza
Jungle Bucks
Lion’s Roar
Blazin’ Buffalo
Buffalo Bucks Slot
Return of the Rudolph
Bull Mystery
The Terms of Engagement in Playing Buffalo Slots Online
As you know, this machine comprises of five wheels, four rows, and 1024 ways of scoring some monetary rewards, as mentioned earlier. What is more is that all prizes pay from the from the leftmost to the rightmost reel, and in multiples of the wagers per wheel, except for the Scatter rewards whose pay occurs in any combination, and are multiples of the total stake level.
Pay Lines – As opposed to using pay lines, this casino game utilizes the Reel Power Gambling model from Aristocrat, as highlighted earlier. It entails players purchasing positions in the five by four tile gaming region, in five levels. Thus, the first four levels buy the first to the fourth reels, beginning from the left-hand side of the screen, not to mention all positions on the third row. The wagers then occur on an ‘every wheel’ basis, as opposed to ‘per line,’ as is the case in plethoras of slot machines. Moreover, every reel has a unique gambling multiplier.
The Wild – The ‘Sunset’ icon symbolizes the game’s Wild, which means that it has the capability of substituting all other images, minus the Scatter symbol. However, it only features on the second, third, and fourth wheel, whereby the glistening and setting of the sun on any of the tiles, automatically triggers a winning sequence.
The Scatter – It is the Gold Liberty Coin on which participants may stumble upon, as they delight in the thrill. Acquiring three or more of these coins instantly triggers the Free Spins The Scatter has a payout of twenty, ten and two times your stake level for accumulating five, four, and two in a row.
Other Icons in the Buffalo Slots Online Machine
As you relish in the excitement which comes with this game that is quite popular among plethoras of UK players among others, you will realize that not only is the Buffalo the most profitable icon, but it is also the only stacked one. Hence, up to five of these images may land on any of the wheels, with a reward of 300, 100, fifty, and ten times your bet, for attaining three, four, five and two, consecutively. Upon the formation of winning sequences, the tiles become animated as they depict a buffalo charging towards you.
The Eagle and the Puma are the second most rewarding images which pay up to 150 times your gamble for accumulating five on the reels.
For gathering five wolves or elks, participants trigger a multiplier of 120 times.
The remaining images are the poker cards, whereby five Aces, Q’s (Queens), K’s (Kings), Tens, Nines, and J’s bear a gift of 100 times a gambler’s bet per wheel.
Getting Started in the Gameplay of the Free Buffalo Slots
For starters, the location of the game’s controls is just below the wheels, which maintains the simplicity of the user interface. As you continue playing, you will see a transparent message above the wheels, containing information on your progress, as well as some encouragement, which carves an ear-to-ear grin on your face and gives you a sense of bemusement to keep pushing on, regardless of the outcome. It is shortly after, that another message appears, indicating the multiples of profitable sequences, tallies on a myriad of winning patterns, and the payment structure.
Secondly, an array of rewarding sequences could mean one of four things; there is:
An icon either in the third position of the first reel.
A symbol in the second position of the second wheel.
A Wild in the third position of the second wheel.
An image in the third position of the third reel.
Therefore, this forms the same pattern of three tiles, in four different ways, and hence, the machine reports an ‘X2’ for that combination. Additionally, the position of the controls is on a relatively transparent dashboard, situated near the bottom of the screen, and comprises of the real money wins, an ‘Autoplay’ button, total stake level, cost of the wheels, and the wager on each.
The ‘Cost of the Reels’ button not only constitutes a multiplier display section but also two widgets, namely the ‘green minus’ as well as the ‘green plus,’ for decreasing and increasing the number of wheels to buy. With that said, purchasing one, two, three, four and five wheels results in the multiplication of your wager by one, five, ten twenty, and forty, which is quite lucrative.
The highest stake level for this game that requires no download is $100, upon pinning down five activated wheels. Moreover, the ‘Win’ icon outputs the amount of bankroll which participants scored in their last round, or ‘Free Games’ offer.
The green ‘Start’ widget releases one paid round during the activation of the ‘Total Betting Value,’ and after a short delay, it then turns into a vibrant orange color, thereby permitting the interruption of the rotating turns.
There are instances when the game is in ‘Turbo,’ which means, if either one or a myriad of Scatter images crop up on the screen, you automatically have the ability to stop the third, fourth and fifth reels with a Coin. Hence, this, in turn, triggers the promotional round. It is also worth noting that accumulating three, four, or five Scatters results in eight, fifteen and twenty Free Spins.
Next to the ‘Play and Stop’ buttons, is an ‘Autoplay’ feature which regulates the number of additional spins that players can purchase. Furthermore, these extra ‘turns’ rotate endlessly, until you click on ‘Stop.’
Lastly, there is a utility board at the bottom of the screen which contains a depiction of your available cash balance, including any recent deposits, to the far left of your screen. Moreover, to the far right, there is a small window which permits players to make adjustments on the sound effects (turn them on or off), and the spinning button (the space bar), and so much more!
All in all, with the Scatters, Wilds, and multiplier rewards of up to twenty-seven times, not to mention the opportunity of accumulating as much as twenty free rounds which players can re-trigger, it is hard not to see why the popularity of this once land-based Aristocrat casino game is skyrocketing by the day. Furthermore, it exudes compatibility with not only desktops and PCs, but also a broad range of Android as well as Apple, smartphones, and tablets.
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Your searched for '"Charlie Parker" "Lorenz Hart"'
Composer: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Artist: Charlie Parker, Lorenz Hart
Parker's Mood
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Charlie Parker
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Charlie Byrd, Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Braff, Rodgers & Hart
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Rodgers & Hart, Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Braff, Charlie Byrd
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Charlie Byrd, Rodgers & Hart, Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Braff
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Ruby Braff, Rodgers & Hart, Charlie Byrd, Sammy Davis Jr.
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Braff, Charlie Byrd, Rodgers & Hart
Composer: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Artist: Rodgers & Hart, Frank Sinatra, Lorenz Hart
I Wish I Were In Love Again
Composer: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Artist: Rodgers & Hart, Lorenz Hart
Back Home Blues
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Charlie Parker, Paul Smith Trio
Shawnuff
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie
Composer: Charlie Parker, Don Raye, Gene DePaul, Artist: Charlie Parker
Composer: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Artist: Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Parker
Composer: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Artist: Charlie Parker
Composer: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Artist: Charlie Parker
Yardbird Suite
Au Privave
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Paul Smith Trio, Charlie Parker
Relaxin' At The Camarillo
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Tommy Flanagan, Charlie Parker
Composer: Charlie Parker, Artist: Stan Getz, Charlie Parker
Composer: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Artist: Lorenz Hart, Judy Niemack, Rodgers & Hart
Instrumentation: Solo instrument, Primary Instrument: Horn in F, Parts available: none
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
Composer: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Artist: Lorenz Hart, Dave Brubeck
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12 August 2018 / CYBERSEC
Got Your Exam Results? Rewards Await You If You Choose To Get Into Cybersecurity
With the cybersecurity sector crying out for new talent, demand for cybersecurity professionals has never been higher. With teenagers up and down the country receiving their exam results, now is the perfect time for them to get into the industry. The government is strongly pushing for more talent to join the sector and you should take advantage of that and the rewards.
Why Choose Cyber?
With teenagers being the most tech-savvy generation in history it’s a no-brainer for businesses to tap into this pool of talent.
Plentiful Opportunities
With competition in other industries being fierce, the cybersecurity sector continues to struggle with a large skill gap, which for anyone who is considering entering the industry can result in excellent benefits as organizations compete to attract and keep the best talent.
Excellent Rewards
If you get into the cyber industry you can expect to earn well above the national median average pre-tax income of around £22,400.
According to CW jobs, the average salary for cybersecurity jobs in the UK is currently around £72,500. With there being so much competition between organizations for skilled cyber professionals and with the skill gap continuing to be a problem this figure is likely to continue to rise.
Hackers and cyber-crime aren’t going anywhere not with more and more businesses doing the bulk of their trade online. The need for security professionals isn’t going to go away anytime soon so you can be assured that demand for your skills will remain for many years to come.
Being part of one the newest sectors in existence is exciting as you are at the forefront of change. Every day promises something new and with the cyber threat constantly evolving, you always need to be learning. Red teaming could see you (legally) infiltrating an organization to test its security or, as an incident response team member, you could be sent to all sorts of places to help mitigate security breaches and potentially track down criminals. A penetration tester literally gets paid to break stuff!
“Cybersecurity is exciting because there are so many areas of it you can fall into and you do not have to be a programming computer nerd to get into the field. However, it helps progress your career if you have an understanding of the technical stuff and do the non-technical. These are rare skills in our industry and not everyone can do both. Technical people tend to think in 0 and 1s and struggle with high-level concepts whereas non-tech types struggle with the 0 and 1s. In short, it’s an area ideally suited for both types of people,” says Sachin Bhatt Head of Incident Management at XQ Cyber.
What qualifications do you need?
A good starting point is to do a 4-year bachelor’s degree in subjects including computer science, computer programming or computer engineering. Math and English are also important skills to have.
Check out this handy Cyber Skills roadmap - https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-skills-roadmap
Get CyberSavvy
Check out these useful Links -
https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/cybersecurity-training
https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/blog/how-to-start-your-career-in-cyber-security/
https://www.cybersecuritychallenge.org.uk/careers
https://xqcyber.com/careers
Getting work placements at established cybersecurity companies is also an excellent way of getting hands-on experience as well as learning from the pros already working in the field.
XQ Cyber will be doing its part by taking on apprentices that will work with and learn from our team of experts. Hopefully, they’ll have a blast and choose a future career in cyber. Get in touch here.
Main Image Credit : The awesome piece of artwork used to head this article is called 'Uncle Sam' and it was created by graphic designer Ricky Normandeau.
Matthew Olney
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GPS and RFID come together with MicroTRAK GPS acquisition
category: RFID
MicroTRAK GPS, a provider of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) wireless location services will acquire Fibergrations LLC, a privately held Nashville, Tennessee, company that provides end-to-end Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integration solutions and hardware, RFID Reader Portals and warehouse management consultants.
The acquisition “creates a collaborative platform to develop the first world-class, end-to-end solutions combining RFID and GPS technologies to provide unmatched tracking capabilities for future supply chain applications,” according to a press release.
We can only imagine the possibilities with this new super-tracking combination of tech parts. Read more:
MicroTRAK GPS Signs Agreement To Acquire Fibergrations LLC
MicroTRAK GPS (OTC: MIOK), a provider of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) wireless location services and products that track and recover valuable mobile assets, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fibergrations LLC, a privately held corporation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Fibergrations is a leading global provider of end-to-end Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integration solutions and hardware, RFID Reader Portals and warehouse management consultants.
This acquisition creates a collaborative platform to develop the first world-class, end-to-end solutions combining RFID and GPS technologies to provide unmatched tracking capabilities for future supply chain applications. Fibergrations will merge its software and hardware applications with MicroTRAK GPS to support the joint development of new products that can impact multiple industries. In addition, Fibergrations brings new opportunities with leading Fortune 500 customers that will become part of MicroTRAK GPS’ Advanced Technology portfolio. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of MicroTRAK GPS’ 2006 fiscal year. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“The merging of Fibergrations and MicroTRAK GPS results in unmatched experience and innovation as we look forward to pioneering this new market,” said Mike Beedles, president of Fibergrations.
MicroTRAK’s President, Jerry Grisafi, says, “RFID enhances our GPS offerings and provides a complete end-to-end solution for tracking capabilities. “With the purchase of Fibergrations it gives us a platform in which to launch our new division, MicroTRAK RFID into a marketplace that has been waiting for a complete technology package that tracks, locates and reports critical assets and product information.
“With our combined resources and strengths, we are well positioned for continued innovation and growth in an entirely new market. We believe the powerful combination of these two companies will benefit our shareholders, our customers and our employees,” said Jerry Grisaffi, MicroTRAK GPS founder and chief executive officer. “The ability to ‘Real Time’ track a vehicle and its contents from pick up to delivery is a valuable business tool. Having access to the exact location of an entire shipment can provide better planning, adherence to standards and timely relocation of misplaced or missing shipments. By combining RFID and GPS, the two most powerful tracking technologies available today, it gives us a winning combination in the emerging world of real-time visibility.”
About Fibergrations LLC
Founded in 2004, Fibergrations provides supply chain management expertise in software development, deployment and integrated RFID implementations in the Food, Manufacturing, Logistics, Retail, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare industries. The company is also a leader in Portal Product Development, with patent pending RFID Reader Portals which provide the ultimate protection for RFID equipment used in the manufacturing and distribution center environments and patent pending hardware that enhances the readability of RFID tags from greater distances.
About MicroTRAK GPS
MicroTRAK GPS, an operating subsidiary of MicroTRAK, Inc. is a leading provider of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology and products that utilize in-vehicle hardware and wireless location services. Based in Dallas, Texas, MicroTRAK GPS has combined the ubiquitous coverage of GPS with the nationwide cellular network and 24/7 automated web and telephone accessibility to provide real-time wireless location and tracking, emergency assistance, stolen vehicle recovery and many other personal and fleet management purposes.
Quake finalizes acquisition of ODIN... RFID Acquisition of The Day: Idente... ID Systems wins TSA grant to integr...
Tags: Law Enforcement, Logistics, RFID and RTLS, Tags and Posters
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Access Hall Areas event at St Edmund Hall
Home / News / Access Hall Areas event at St Edmund Hall
The inaugural Access Hall Areas is now only a month away, as we prepare to open up Teddy Hall to the wider Oxfordshire community over the first May bank holiday weekend on Saturday 4 May (11am-5pm) and Sunday 5 May (2pm-6pm). All are welcome to join us for this free, family-friendly event!
We have an exciting schedule of activities taking place across the College site, which will include tours of areas not normally open to the public – including up the Library Tower and down into the Crypt – and a varied group of speakers drawn from our academics and postgraduate students who will give engaging 10 minute presentations on their research as part of the Teddy Talks programme.
Members of the public will be invited to get involved with hands-on activities ranging from turning copper pennies into brass, carrying out mini explosions and having a go at using a medieval printing press. On top of this we will have musical and dramatic performances from members of the student body, and a creative writing workshop run by our former Writer in Residence, successful author Linda Davies.
We are also lucky to have an interactive talk on ‘Maths v. Sport’ scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 12:45pm from Dr Tom Crawford, College Lecturer in Mathematics. Alongside his teaching commitments, Tom works closely with the outreach team at Teddy Hall and regularly gives talks in schools and universities across the UK. His award-winning website tomrocksmaths.com hosts videos, podcasts, puzzles and articles that aim to make maths entertaining and understandable to all, so will be a great addition to the theme of inclusivity promoted by this event!
More about Access Hall Areas
We are looking for volunteers and performers from all parts of the College community to be involved on the day. If you would like to showcase your research, run an interactive stall for visitors, take part in a musical or dramatic performance, lead tours of the College, help with set-up and decoration, or volunteer to help out in any other way during the day then we would like to hear from you!
For further information or to register your interest, please contact blanche.delany@seh.ox.ac.uk
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Filters: Author is Gorry Fairhurst [Clear All Filters]
A. M. Mandalari, A. Lutu, A. Custura, a. s. Khatouni, Ö. Alay, M. Bagnulo, V. Bajbai, A. Brunström, J. Ott, m. mellia et al. Experience: Implications of Roaming in Europe In Proceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. New Delhi, India: ACM, 2018.
N. Khademi, G. Armitage, M. Welzl, S. Zander, G. Fairhurst and D. Ros. Alternative Backoff: Achieving Low Latency and High Throughput with ECN and AQM In IFIP Networking. IFIP, 2017.
N. Khademi, D. Ros, M. Welzl, Z. Bozakov, A. Brunström, G. Fairhurst, K. Grinnemo, D. A. Hayes, P. Hurtig, T. Jones et al. "NEAT: A Platform- and Protocol-Independent Internet Transport API." IEEE Communications Magazine 55, no. 6 (2017): 46-54.
N. Kuhn, D. Ros, A. B. Bagayoko, C. Kulatunga, G. Fairhurst and N. Khademi. "Operating ranges, tunability and performance of CoDel and PIE." Computer Communications 103 (2017): 74-82.
I. R. Learmonth, A. Lutu, G. Fairhurst, D. Ros and Ö. Alay. Path Transparency Measurements from the Mobile Edge with PATHspider In IEEE/IFIP Mobile Network Measurements Workshop, Edited by m. mellia, E. Halepovic and D. Malone. IEEE, 2017.
B. Briscoe, A. Petlund, I. Ahmed, G. Fairhurst, A. Brunström and D. Ros. AQM for ISPs - decision maker video. RITE website: Reducing Internet Transport Latency, 2016.
G. Papastergiou, G. Fairhurst, D. Ros, A. Brunström, K. Grinnemo, P. Hurtig, N. Khademi, M. Tüxen, M. Welzl, D. Damjanovic et al. "De-ossifying the Internet transport layer: A survey and future perspectives." IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials (2016).
K. Grinnemo, T. Jones, G. Fairhurst, D. Ros, A. Brunström and P. Hurtig. NEAT – A New, Evolutive API and Transport-Layer Architecture for the Internet. 12th Swedish National Computer Networking Workshop (SNCNW 2016), Sundsvall, Sweden, June 1-2, 2016, 2016.
K. Grinnemo, T. Jones, G. Fairhurst, D. Ros, A. Brunström and P. Hurtig. Towards a Flexible Internet Transport Layer Architecture In IEEE LANMAN. IEEE, 2016.
lanman_2016-accepted-version.pdf (248.54 KB)
N. Khademi, M. Welzl, G. Armitage, C. Kulatunga, D. Ros, G. Fairhurst, S. Gjessing and S. Zander. Alternative Backoff: Achieving Low Latency and High Throughput with ECN and AQM. Melbourne, Australia: Centre for Advanced Internet Architectures (CAIA), Swinburne University of Technology, 2015.
C. Kulatunga, N. Kuhn, G. Fairhurst and D. Ros. Tackling Bufferbloat in Capacity-limited Networks In Proceedings of EuCNC 2015. Paris, 2015.
S. Nazir, Z. Hossain, R. Secchi, M. Broadbent, A. Petlund and G. Fairhurst. Performance Evaluation of Congestion Window Validation for DASH Transport In Proceeding of the 24th ACM Workshop on Network and Operating Systems Support for Digital Audio and Video, Edited by W. T. Ooi. ACM, 2014.
Simula.simula.2810.pdf (497.79 KB)
B. Briscoe, A. Brunström, A. Petlund, D. A. Hayes, D. Ros, I. Tsang, S. Gjessing, G. Fairhurst, C. Griwodz and M. Welzl. "Reducing Internet Latency: A Survey of Techniques and their Merits." IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials 18, no. 3 (2014): 2149-2196.
latency_preprint.pdf (4.86 MB)
B. Briscoe, A. Brunström, D. Ros, A. Petlund, I. Tsang, S. Gjessing and G. Fairhurst. A Survey of Latency Reducing Techniques and their Merits In Proc. ISOC Workshop on Reducing Internet Latency., 2013.
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The Shopify Partner Program 2.0 — A Partnership You Can Build On
by Anastasia Philopoulos
Shopify News
You invest in us, we invest back.
It’s a simple standard, but crafting mutually beneficial partnerships has long guided the Shopify Partner Program.
And with 500,000 merchants on Shopify alone, and many predicting freelancers will make up 50 percent of the American labor force by 2020, the opportunity to build a successful digital business has never been more prevalent.
Today, we’re helping you take advantage of this growing opportunity with the launch of the Shopify Partner Program 2.0 — a reimagined partner program that prioritizes long-term investment back into you, our partners.
Not only have we launched a new look and feel to the program, but we’re also introducing new features, and doubling down on providing you all the tools, resources, care, and support you need on your journey to success.
If your goal is to start or expand your business, enhance the quality of your clients, or simply make more money, we’re here to help you get there.
Read on to get the full details on what the new and improved Shopify Partner Program means for you.
Not Yet a Shopify Partner?
Working with Shopify is your opportunity to provide clients with the customized commerce experiences they need today, and tomorrow. By becoming a Shopify Partner, you’ll receive revenue opportunities and educational resources that will empower the growth of your business. Now is the time to take control of your business’s future.
Help others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams by living your own.
Our new partner program focuses on creating more opportunities to build a digital business in the entrepreneurial space, and empowers you to do the work you love.
Shopify Partners 2.0 includes:
Onboarding — We’ve refreshed our onboarding process to help you get up and running faster. When you sign up as a Shopify Partner, we’ll walk you through everything you need to be successful, step by step, with opportunities to earn additional privileges along the way.
Improved Priority Partner Support — Leverage Shopify’s award-winning priority partner support to delight your clients and reduce turnaround times on your projects. Our partner-trained army of Shopify Gurus are available 24/7. As a Shopify Partner, your questions are bumped to the top of our support queue, allowing you to quickly resolve client requests before, during, and after your project launch. Learn more.
Revamped Shopify Experts Program — We’ve updated the Shopify Experts Program with new perks, resources, and rewards to help you take your business to the next level. Learn more.
A new look and feel — The Shopify Partner Program website has been completely refreshed, and highlights all the benefits and rewards of working with Shopify. In addition, we highlight three Shopify Partners — Bold Commerce, Mote, and Ethercycle — who embody what success with Shopify means.
While the Shopify Partner Program 2.0 includes new and exciting features, there are many important initiatives and tools we’ve recently released that are aimed entirely at bolstering your success as a Shopify Partner.
Shopify Partner Academy — Shopify Partner Academy is a collection of courses, study guides, and exams that will help you and your team develop critical commerce skills, test your knowledge, and demonstrate your expertise as a Shopify Partner. These courses will help you understand the scope of the Shopify product and the foundations of a successful and sustainable business. Learn more.
New Partner Dashboard — Your Partner Dashboard is the best place to keep in sync with the apps, themes, and stores that you're building with Shopify. You can use it to track the stores you're developing or managing for clients; revenue, installs, and other data for the apps, payment gateways, or themes you've published; affiliate referrals; and payment schedules for your referrals and bounties. Learn more.
Collaborator Accounts — Collaborator Accounts allow you to request access to a client’s Shopify store directly from your Partner Dashboard. These accounts provide a simpler and safer way for you to gain access to, and work on, your clients’ existing Shopify stores. Learn more.
Commerce Awards 2017 — We wanted to celebrate Shopify Partners and Developers across the globe. With 16 categories, expert judges, and VIP prizes, the Commerce Awards are the perfect place to showcase your best commerce builds and experiences. Our judges sorted through an amazing number of excellent submissions to choose the 2017 winners. Be sure to keep a look out for next year's competition. Learn more.
A Day With Shopify 2017 — This conference offers a full day of Shopify Partner-specific networking and programming. With five stops across five countries, A Day with Shopify is an invaluable event that can help you become a more successful Shopify Partner. Attend presentations curated by Shopify, and brought to you by fellow Shopify Partners. Learn more.
Unite 2018 — As a proud Canadian company, we’re bringing Unite 2018 home. Experience our northern hospitality in Canada’s largest city of Toronto. Stay tuned for dates and venue details in the weeks to follow. Get event announcements and VIP ticket pricing by subscribing on the Unite website. Learn more.
In addition to all the tools, educational resources, and events launched this year, we have lots planned for the future of the Shopify Partner Program. We’re heavily investing in education, and Training Camp is just the start — get ready for a slew of fresh training and education focused on helping you grow both your technical prowess and business know-how.
Additionally, we want to make getting your digital business off the ground easier than ever, and what’s integral to a business? Clients! We’ll soon be rolling out a new initiative exclusively for our top Shopify Partners that will help you get more leads and prospective clients. Stay tuned...
Wait till you see what’s next
Shopify has always worked overtime to deliver on features and services to help Shopify merchants grow their businesses. Now, more than ever, we’re heavily investing in tools and resources designed specifically to help Shopify Partners succeed.
This is your opportunity to build the business you’ve always dreamed of. The Shopify Partner Program will be cheering you along from the sidelines, every step of the way.
Anastasia is the Content Marketing Lead with Shopify's App & Partner Platform. She’s a former journalist and freelancer, and loves chocolate stout beer.
Follow @aphilopo
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Shop Ireland » DVD » Eurovision Song Contest 2018 [DVD] [Region 1] [NTSC]
Eurovision Song Contest 2018 [DVD] [Region 1] [NTSC]
Publisher: VARIOUS
Media: DVD
Various Artists - Eurovision Song Contest 2019 [DVD]
Eurovision Song Contest Tel Aviv 2019
Eurovision Song Contest 2017 [DVD]
Eurovision Song Contest Lisbon 2018
Eurovision Song Contest Stockholm 2016 [DVD]
Doctor Who - The Collection - Season 23 [Blu-ray] [2019]
Doctor Who - The Faceless Ones [Blu-ray] [2020]
Eurovision! A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest: 2013 - Malmö [DVD]
Eurovision Song Contest: 2017 - Kiev [Blu-ray]
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UGA Baseball
Schunk earns John Olerud two-way Player of the Year Award
ATHENS, GA – University of Georgia All-American Aaron Schunk has been named the 2019 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year,...
Schunk and Hancock named All-Americans
Eight Bulldogs selected in 2019 MLB Draft
Georgia beats No. 30 USC, clinches tournament spot
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Georgia defeated No. 30 South Carolina 6-3 Thursday at Founders Park to clinch a spot in next week’s...
By UGA Sports Communications
Georgia completes sweep of Tech
ATLANTA, Ga. – Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 8-7 Tuesday to complete a season sweep in front of a crowd of 23,737...
Bulldogs to battle Missouri at SunTrust Park
ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia and Missouri will conclude their SEC baseball series Saturday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the first...
Georgia selected for nine games in SEC TV package
ATHENS, Ga. – The 2017 television schedule for Georgia baseball has been finalized after the Southeastern Conference announced its schedule Wednesday....
Georgia baseball signs nine for 2018 season
ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin announced Tuesday that nine student-athletes have signed with UGA. They...
Georgia baseball announces 2017 schedule
ATHENS – The Georgia Bulldogs will have 33 home games in 2017, featuring Southeastern Conference series with Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi...
Bulldogs recruiting class ranked 4th nationally
Perfect Game USA (PG) has ranked Georgia’s incoming baseball recruiting class No. 4 nationally. The top five schools in the Class...
Georgia baseball signee Justin Glover shows promise after performance in GHSA Playoffs
Georgia’s baseball program may have a weakness in terms of pitching, but that may be soon to change as the Bulldogs...
By Brandon Sudge
UGA student deaths receive outpouring of reaction and support
On Wednesday night, the Athens community began to mourn and overcome an adverse time as four University of Georgia students were...
Poor pitching proves victim yet again as Georgia is swept by Texas A&M
Georgia’s baseball season has performed below the expectations placed upon them this season. A big part of that has been the...
Stephen Wrenn to return to lineup for Georgia
Georgia looked very impressive throughout their opening series against Georgia Southern, and now things will only begin to improve as star...
Georgia claims series victory over Georgia Southern
Freshman pitcher Kevin Smith (1-0) tossed seven innings of one-run ball to lead Georgia (2-1) to a 5-1 victory and a...
3 observations from Georgia’s season opening win over Georgia Southern
The Georgia Bulldogs kicked off their season at Foley Field in grand fashion, beating Georgia Southern 4-1. The optimism was certainly justified...
Scott Stricklin looks to have success in third season
Spring is in the air and baseball season is here. Georgia is soon to begin their third season under head coach Scott...
Robert Tyler, Stephen Wrenn named preseason All-Americans
University of Georgia juniors Robert Tyler and Stephen Wrenn have been named third team preseason All-Americans, according to the publication Baseball...
Georgia selected for 10 games in SEC TV package
The 2016 television schedule for Georgia Bulldog baseball has been finalized after the Southeastern Conference announced its TV schedule Thursday. Georgia...
Georgia baseball signs 14 for 2017 season
ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin announced Wednesday that 14 student-athletes have signed national letters-of-intent with UGA. They will join...
A Q&A with UGA baseball signee Justin Glover
The Georgia Bulldogs will bring in an elite pitcher for their 2016 class. Justin Glover, out of Buford High School (Buford,...
Georgia announces 2016 baseball schedule
The Georgia Bulldogs will have 34 home games in 2016, featuring Southeastern Conference series with Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina...
Tentative 2016 UGA baseball schedule released
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team is set to open the 2016 season at home against Georgia Southern, according to a tentative...
By Kevin Kelley
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Apr 9, 2013 | 6:58PM
Aug 25, 2011 | 5:03PM
Apr 26, 2011 | 9:45AM
Dec 27, 2010 | 1:53AM
Sep 13, 2010 | 5:05PM
Matt Dodge
You'll Never Guess What the NFL's Greatest Play of All Time Is...
By John Fennelly | Apr 9, 2013 | 6:58PM
http://snygiants.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/screen-shot-2011-07-04-at-1-53-23-pm.png
That's right. Philadelphia PR DeSean Jackson's game-winning punt return against the Giants on December 19, 2010 has been voted The Greatest Play in NFL History by NFL.com's readers. This ultimate insult of a play beat out 49ers QB Steve Young's TD scramble vs the Vikings in 1988.
Like all Giant fans, this play will be lodged in my brain for the rest of my life. It was a play that never should have happened, as we all know. I was in the press box that day and what really burned my @$$ was having to endure some members of the Philly media, who were jumping up and down like a gaggle of grade school girls at a Justin Bieber concert. What a disgrace.
Tags: DeSean Jackson, Giants-Eagles, Matt Dodge, New York Giants, NFL, NFL'a Greatest Plays, Philadelphia Eagles
Final Roster Predictions Version 1
By snygiants1 | Aug 25, 2011 | 5:03PM
OK?well as long as no one was injured in the last ten minutes, I think I?m ready to unveil my final roster projection for 2011. We still have two preseason contests to go, but right around now is when the decisions start to become clear. So let?s jump right in with QB.
QB Keeping 2: In 2011, NFL teams now have the luxury of dressing 46 players on game day. This essentially means that the 3rd string QB is no longer an ?emergency option.? The Giants have chosen to forgo the 3rd QB all together since 2008, and I?m not so sure that changes this season. Obviously Eli is the number 1, but he heads up a current corps of 4 talented signal callers.
David Carr (first pick ever of the Houston Texans in 2002) is my favorite to win the job, and not just because he is less expensive than the other veteran alternative. Yes he is about 2 million cheaper than Sage Rosenfels, but he is also equally talented and more versatile. Quite frankly, I expected him to win the starting job in San Francisco last year and I still think he will be a starter again in this league before he retires. Rosenfels may also be trade bait for another CB (more later).
Tags: 2011 New York Giants, Aaron Ross, Adrian Tracy, Andre Brown, Antrel Rolle, Bear Pascoe, DJ Ware, Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, jimmy kennedy, Linval Joseph, mark herzlich, Matt Dodge, New York Giants, Terrell Thomas, Tyler Sash, Victor Cruz
Giants' Mock Nightmare Draft
By snygiants1 | Apr 26, 2011 | 9:45AM
The opposite of my mock dream drafts: a combination of poor draft strategy, players I would not like to see taken and poor value picks, all somewhere within the realm of possibility.
Round 1: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Only dynamic running backs who can transform an offense should be taken in the first round.? Take a look around the NFL.? How many of the top running backs are as slow as Ingram?? People in the Ingram camp talk about how he?s a smart, determined, powerful runner.? That?s fine, but he?s not someone I?d want to take in the first round.? There are always running backs available later in the draft that will have as much of an impact.? But there are still some people who argue that the Giants should consider Ingram.
Tags: Allen Reisner, Casey Matthews, Courtney Smith, DeMarcus Love, giants, mark ingram, Matt Dodge, mock draft, New York Giants, NFL, orlando franklin, Pat Devlin
In or Out? A Look Ahead to the New Year
By snygiants1 | Dec 27, 2010 | 1:53AM
After an embarrassing two weeks, the New York Giants are very likely only 6 days away from beginning preparations for 2011. With the new year approaching, I thought it would be smart to go through some of the current members of the organization whose futures with the club are either hot button issues or otherwise in doubt. The piece is a long one and it is broken up into three sections: Out/On The Bubble/ In. As always feel free to let GFB know what you think.
OutHC Tom Coughlin: While ragging on Coughlin has been an overused go-to option for writers and pundits league wide lately, the blade is swinging ever closer to his neck after yesterday?s loss. There is an argument for keeping him of course. His tenure thus far in New York has been an upgrade from a bleak stretch of time in the team?s history that spanned from 1992 through 2003. After a rebuilding period in 2004, Coughlin fielded an overall competitive squad from 2005 through 2008 and obviously brought New York an impressive Super Bowl win. But things have not been quite the same for the Giants since jumping out to an 11-1 start in 2008. Following up a Super Bowl run with 3 months of utterly dominant football, the Giants stumbled at home against Philadelphia that season and ultimately lost to the Eagles again in their first appearance of the playoffs. 2009 saw a 5-0 start turn into a 3-5 finish and 2010 saw a historical single game collapse, an unspeakable rash of turnovers, and an overall failure to execute on special teams. Coughlin, who is historically quite reliable when it comes to challenges, blew the Giants final challenge of yesterday?s game on an obvious unfavorable ruling and thus was unable to protest against at a late Eli interception on a key drive that was clearly caught out of bounds.
Tags: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Devin Thomas, Domenik Hixon, Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Keith Bulluck, Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Mathias Kiwanuka, Matt Dodge, New York Giants, Ramses Barden, Steve Smith, Tom Coughlin, Victor Cruz
Time Running Out For Dodge?
By snygiants1 | Sep 13, 2010 | 5:05PM
P Matt Dodge's ability has been questioned all summer.
Can he get off a nice punt? Yes. Can he do it consistently? No.
The struggling rookie out of ECU did manage to find consistency yesterday. Unfortunately, he was consistently awful.
Tags: Jeff Feagles, Matt Dodge, New York Giants
Giants' New Punters Anything But Conventional
By Johnfen | Apr 29, 2010 | 8:08AM
Bond, Dodge Don't Fit Normal Prototype
Jeff Feagles is leaving the NFL this week, closing out an illustrious career that spanned over two decades.? The 44-year-old wunderkind, who has been the Giants punter for the past seven seasons has decided to finally pack it in giving way to two very interesting, unconventional prospects.
The first is Aussie-rules footballer Jy Bond, who can kick with both legs.? The other is 7th round draft pick Matt Dodge, who lifts weights with the lineman.
Bond has very little football experience.? He had a cup of coffee with the Miami Dolphins and has worked out with fellow countryman and San Diego Chargers punter, Darren Bennett.
Tags: Matt Dodge, New York Giants, New York Giants News
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Carville Melts Down: ASSERTS FBI, GOP, and KGB in CAHOOTS
Democratic strategist calls reopened Clinton probe an 'attack' on American democracy in MSNBC tantrum
Edmund Kozak
Famed Democratic strategist James Carville may be the first Clinton surrogate to have officially lost his mind over the FBI’s decision to reopen its investigation into Clinton’s private email server.
In an appearance on MSNBC on Monday, Carville relentlessly — and repeatedly — attacked the FBI’s decision to reopen the investigation, asserting it is part of a conspiracy to subvert American democracy.
“The House Republicans and the KGB are trying to influence our democracy.”
“This is in effect an attempt to hijack an election,” Carville claimed. “It’s unprecedented … the House Republicans and the KGB are trying to influence our democracy,” he said.
Apparently the fact that the Soviet security agency was disbanded in 1991 does not preclude its involvement in this vast, anti-Clinton, FBI-organized conspiracy, according to Carville. Poor Carville was clearly apoplectic at the news of Comey’s announcement, describing it as an assault or attack on American democracy multiple times.
He was also adamant about who was responsible. “Comey was acting in concert and coordination with the House Republicans,” Carville said. “We also have the extraordinary case of the KGB being involved in this race and selectively leaking things from the Clinton campaign that they hacked,” he added.
Carville was very upset that Comey's announcement thrust Clinton's behavior back into the spotlight. "It would seem to me that the FBI shouldn't be getting rolled by the House Republicans, that's what happened here — there's nothing else that's going on — and in the meantime … democracy is under assault by the KGB," he said. "To me that's something we ought to be talking about."
Unfortunately for Carville, fanciful tales about time-traveling Soviet spies and an FBI in the GOP's pocket certainly make for interesting entertainment — but they pale in importance to the real-life stories of Clinton's brazen lawlessness.
When the MSNBC anchor dared raise the fact that Democrats were praising Comey only a few months ago when he announced the FBI's decision not to recommend indictment, Carville went into a stuttering, sputtering fit.
"When the facts change I change my mind," Carville said. "Why are you defending this, why are you sitting here as American democracy is under assault?" he asked.
"This is an unprecedented event that was done on behalf of the House Republicans," Carville repeated. "And as we know the KGB is all over this election and this is what we are talking about? We ought to be talking about [how] our democracy is under assault right now and what we are going to do about it, not [what somebody said in July] about James Comey."
Source>http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/carville-melts-asserts-fbi-gop-kgb-cahoots/
Controversial Dem OPERATIVE 'Close' to Clinton Campaign Boss
A Democratic operative who bragged about getting orders from Hillary Clinton to execute a bizarre stunt aimed at Donald Trump and was linked to a covert operation to incite the Republican presidential nominee’s supporters was “close” to Clinton’s campaign manager, according to an email released Sunday by WikiLeaks – despite the campaign’s denial of any “relationship” with the consultant.
Democracy Partners co-founder Mike Lux made the eyebrow-raising assertion in a Dec. 17, 2015 email to Center for American Progress leader Neera Tanden. The message, found in a trove hacked from Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s account and posted by WikiLeaks, refers to an alleged connection between Democracy Partners head Robert Creamer and Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook.
“Just wanted to pass along this note I sent to Bob Creamer, who as you may know is consulting for the DNC and is close to Robby Mook,” Lux wrote in a note about outreach to grassroots progressives.
DEM OPERATIVES LOSE JOBS AFTER UNDERCOVER VIDEO COMMENTS
Mook previously denied any ties between the Clinton campaign and Creamer after undercover video surfaced appearing to tie Creamer to schemes to incite brawls at Trump rallies and illegally bus voters to polling stations.
“These individuals no longer have any relationship with the DNC. They’ve never had a relationship with the Clinton campaign,” Mook said on CNN on Oct. 23. “And my understanding is that the events that are referenced happened in February of last year, they did not have a contract with the DNC until June. But putting all that aside, this was again, a video that was leaked out for the purpose of damaging the campaign.”
But Lux’s email would appear to call most of that statement into question. Mook stated Democracy Partners didn’t “have a contract with the DNC until June [2016],” though Lux clearly asserts Creamer is “consulting for the DNC” as of December 2015. Lux’s characterization of Mook and Creamer as “close,” and Creamer’s own boast in one video of getting a directive from Clinton, also raise questions about Mook’s response.
Asked about any relationship between Creamer and Mook, Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin told FoxNews.com in an email that the Clinton camp was not authenticating individual emails from the Podesta hack. Instead, Caplin blasted Trump for not standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government many intelligence analysts blame for the email theft.
Creamer earlier this month said he was “stepping back” from efforts to elect Clinton as the Democratic presidential nominee following the release of the undercover, edited Project Veritas video in which a Democracy Partners subcontractor appeared to describe a push to incite Trump supporters to violence. Another video emerged last week that showed Creamer twice bragging that Clinton personally approved plans to place Donald Duck-suited activists at Trump rallies.
Amid separate reports finding Creamer made hundreds of White House visits, the email released Sunday provided yet another link between the highest levels of the Democratic Party and the operative.
The GOP quickly posted to its website the text of the email alongside Mook’s recent denial. Trump has referenced the Project Veritas videos on the campaign trail and during the third presidential debate.
“I was wondering what happened with my rally in Chicago and other rallies where we had such violence,” Trump said during the Oct. 19 debate. “[Clinton’s] the one, and [President] Obama, that caused the violence. They hired people, they paid them $1,500, and they’re on tape saying, be violent, cause fights, do bad things.”
The DNC and Clinton campaign have steadfastly disavowed the actions discussed in the videos, produced by controversial conservative activist James O’Keefe.
“While Project Veritas has been known to offer misleading video out of context, some of the language and tactics referenced in the video are troubling even as a theory or proposal never executed,” Clinton campaign spokesman Zac Petkanas said earlier this month.
Source>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/31/controversial-dem-operative-close-to-clinton-campaign-boss-email-claims.html
If Hillary Were HONEST She Would Have Outed Brazile
Trump: I’d Get ‘Electric Chair’ for Cheating on Debates Like Hillary
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Republican nominee Donald Trump told an audience of roughly 8,000 cheering fans that if he had cheated in presidential debates the way rival Hillary Clinton had, he would be sent to the “electric chair.”
Trump was commenting on the revelation by Wikileaks on Monday that CNN commentator Donna Brazile, who is now the chair of the Democratic National Committee, had been caught again passing debate questions from the network to the Clinton campaign during the Democratic primary.
Brazile had been exposed earlier doing the same — passing a question to the Clinton campaign in advance of a town hall debate against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
At the time, Brazile was not yet DNC chair, but was a regular CNN contributor.
CNN fired Brazile on Monday, releasing a statement: ““We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor.”
Trump noted that Brazile was not the core issue — “I don’t care” about her, he said. Rather, he argued, Hillary Clinton should have reported Brazile the first time she tried to pass debate questions to her.
Trump also talked about cheating at the polls, telling supporters that the only way to overcome voter fraud would be to vote by the “millions.”
He cited 1.8 million dead people on the country’s voter rolls, and 2.75 million who are registered in more than one state. (The statistics appear to be based on a Pew Research Center study.)
Trump challenged journalists in the room to ask Hillary Clinton why she had not reported Brazile after being provided with the debate questions.
Source>http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/10/31/trump-id-get-electric-chair-cheating-debates-like-hillary/
“THE DAM IS ABOUT TO BREAK” ON HILLARY
Voters abandoning establishment candidate in droves
According to former Jimmy Carter pollster Pat Caddell, Hillary Clinton is hemorrhaging support as a result of the FBI announcement and we could see a repeat of the 1980 election when anti-establishment candidate Ronald Reagan won in a landslide.
Caddell drew comparisons to the 1980 presidential race, which was close right up until the final days before the electorate abandoned Carter and rallied around the anti-establishment candidate, leading to Reagan taking victory in a landslide.
Caddell noted that Carter’s entire campaign had been built around portraying Reagan as unqualified and “dangerous,” in a similar vein to how Clinton has demonized Trump.
Caddell explained that the polling between Reagan and Carter was close up until the final weekend when “the dam broke” and Reagan shot ahead by ten points.
Stating that he had been looking at the data regarding unfavorability ratings for both Clinton and Trump, Caddell noted that since Friday, large numbers of voters had been structurally “moving against the status quo – the incumbent who is essentially Hillary Clinton.”
As an ABC News poll found, Hillary’s unfavorability rating just hit its highest ever mark.
Caddell said that the latest information regarding the FBI re-opening its investigation into Hillary’s email scandal was the “popper” that “could open up significantly before it’s over,” meaning it would be the decisive factor that enables Trump to defeat Hillary.
Source>http://www.infowars.com/pollster-the-dam-is-about-to-break-on-hillary/
New Email Shows DNC Chair Gave Hillary Debate Question
Another leaked email has emerged showing Democratic National Committee boss and former CNN contributor Donna Brazile sharing a debate question in advance with the Hillary Clinton campaign -- despite Brazile's persistent claims to the contrary.
CNN announced in a statement soon after the email became public Monday that Brazile had tendered her resignation and the network accepted it on Oct. 14, days after the controversy over Brazile tipping off the Clinton campaign initially broke.
According to documents released Monday by WikiLeaks, Brazile sent Clinton Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri an email titled, “One of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash,” the night before the March 6 CNN primary debate in Flint, Mich.
“Her family has lead poison and she will ask what, if anything, will Hillary do as president to help the ppl of Flint,” Brazile wrote.
BRAZILE DENIES RECEIVING QUESTION BEFORE MARCH TOWN HALL
The following night, Lee-Anne Walters, a mom whose twin boys stopped growing and whose daughter lost her hair during the Flint water contamination crisis, posed a question to both Clinton, the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, and her primary opponent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“After my family, the city of Flint and the children in D.C. were poisoned by lead, will you make a personal promise to me right now that, as president, in your first 100 days in office, you will make it a requirement that all public water systems must remove all lead service lines throughout the entire United States, and notification made to the — the citizens that have said service lines?” Walters asked.
Clinton responded with a lengthy answer that moderator Anderson Cooper had to twice interrupt in an attempt to keep to the agreed-upon time limit. Clinton’s remarks drew applause from the crowd, though she wound up ultimately losing the state’s primary to Sanders two days later.
The apparent email tip-off was included in the latest trove of messages hacked from Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s Gmail account and posted by WikiLeaks.
Brazile had been under fire over an earlier email chain appearing to show her tipping off the campaign before a town hall event later that same month. That exchange began with Brazile sending Palmieri the text of a question about the death penalty in an email with the subject line: “From time to time I get the questions in advance.”
After Palmieri responded, Brazile wrote back: “I’ll send a few more.”
Roland Martin asked the death penalty question verbatim the next night during a CNN town hall.
Brazile's role as a CNN contributor was suspended when she took over as interim DNC head in July, but on Oct. 14, in light of the email revelations, CNN said it accepted her full resignation.
✔@donnabrazile
Thank you @CNN. Honored to be a Democratic Strategist and commentator on the network. Godspeed to all my former colleagues.
11:56 AM - 31 Oct 2016
302302 Retweets
724724 likes
"We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor," the network said Monday in a statement.
Brazile on Monday tweeted a "thank you" to CNN and in a second tweet told the media to refer to an Oct. 11 statement she gave to Politico about the controversy.
“As a longtime political activist with deep ties to our party, I supported all of our candidates for president," Brazile's statement said. "I often shared my thoughts with each and every campaign, and any suggestions that indicate otherwise are simply untrue. As it pertains to the CNN Debates, I never had access to questions and would never have shared them with the candidates if I did."
Brazile, in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly on Oct. 19, again denied aiding Clinton during the primaries.
“Well, Kelly, since I play straight up and I play straight up with you, I did not receive any questions from CNN,” she said.
When Kelly pressed, Brazile said she was being persecuted and questioned the credibility of the hacked files.
“As a Christian woman, I understand persecution, but I will not sit here and be persecuted,” Brazile said. “Your information is totally false.”
Source>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/31/new-email-shows-dnc-boss-giving-clinton-camp-debate-question-in-advance.html
Reid's Claim That FBI Director BROKE Federal LAW is BS
As Matt reported over the weekend, since the announcement that the FBI is reopening its investigation of Clinton’s emails, James Comey is taking shots from all angles. Sen. Harry Reid even claimed that he’s violating federal law.
“I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act,” the Senate minority leader wrote in a letter to Comey. “Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law.”
The Hatch Act prohibits FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Reid said that by releasing this information, which he says is not conclusive or pertinent, Comey may have broken the law. Reid referenced a memo from Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates from March of this year that establishes all Justice Department employees, including Comey, are subject to the Hatch Act.
Reid accused Comey of having intent to aid one political party over the other in the election and called his behavior a "double standard" due to the fact that, as Reid claimed in the letter, Comey has information related to Donald Trump's dealings with Russia.
"I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public," Reid wrote in the letter. "And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information."
"By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicize it in the most negative light possible."
But Fox News anchor Brit Hume was quick to put to the accusation to rest, calling it “BS” in a tweet Sunday evening.
How can you tell the claim of a Hatch Act violation against Comey is bs? Harry Reid is making it. https://t.co/aqmtqTT5mR
— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 30, 2016
Sen. Tom Cotton appeared to agree.
Harry Reid is a disgrace to American politics, among worst men ever in Senate. He can't go soon enough, & many Democrats privately agree. https://t.co/4lCKx5pKi4
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) October 30, 2016
Reid is retiring at the end of his term.
Source>http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2016/10/31/brit-hume-slams-harry-reids-suggestion-that-fbi-director-broke-the-law-n2239314
Washington Examiner ENDORSES Trump...Republicans
Many people have heard of Ken Bone, the red-sweater-wearing undecided voter who stole the show at the second, town hall-style presidential debate. But few remember the question he asked. It was about the candidates' energy policies, and the balance they must strike between protecting the environment and keeping energy prices low and millions of energy workers employed. It's a question worth revisiting in these closing days of the campaign.
The U.S. is now the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, despite President Obama's costly energy regulations. Hillary Clinton is campaigning for the presidency not by celebrating the shale extraction that has made us less dependent on energy from parts of the world hostile to America. Rather, she focuses on renewable energy, claiming that it can supply a third of electricity needs.
Where Obama talked about an "all of the above" energy policy, Clinton focuses on "clean energy" with a $60 billion Clean Energy Challenge aimed at expanding the role of renewables, such as wind and solar power.
She has pledged to cut oil consumption by a third and generate enough from renewable sources to power every home in the country. During a rally on Friday, she promised to make America "the clean energy superpower of the 21st century."
Clinton wants to build billions of dollars worth of solar panels, which fits the Democrats' record of blowing taxpayer money on energy boondoggles. Taxpayers got nothing from the $100 billion of their money that Obama squandered on wind and solar subsidies.
Clinton has stepped back from her support of fracking and now demands that it be more regulated. She admitted to the audience at a CNN "town hall" meeting that it was "going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."
Renewables are likely to become increasingly important, but fossil fuels will be central to a comprehensive energy policy for the foreseeable future. As Nicolette Nye of the National Ocean Industries Association recently wrote in a Washington Examiner op-ed, "by 2040 fossil fuels will still supply around 80 percent of energy needs globally."
Donald Trump has pledged to approve an expansion of the Keystone XL pipeline, lift moratoria on oil and gas production on federal lands and offshore drilling (87 percent of which Obama has put off limits) and revoke restrictions on new drilling technologies. Trump's plan would lift restrictions from shale drilling and other forms of energy. This would lift wages, revenues and economic activity generally.
The difference between the two main parties' energy policies is one of the best reasons voters should return Republican majorities in Congress on Nov. 8. The makeup of Congress after this election might decide whether America takes advantage or wastes its vast natural resources.
Source>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/vote-republican-to-keep-the-lights-on/article/2605921
FBI RACING Through Clinton Emails BEFORE Election Day
Jamie Schram, Daniel Halper and Bruce Golding
The FBI got a warrant to search Anthony Weiner’s laptop for new evidence in the Hillary Clinton email scandal, setting off a mad dash to try and finish the massive job before Election Day, law-enforcement sources told The Post Sunday.
Weiner shared the laptop computer with his now-estranged wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and the feds believe there are around 650,000 emails stored on it, with many from Abedin’s accounts, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“FBI agents are reviewing the emails as we speak,” one source told The Post.
Metadata found on Weiner’s laptop computer — seized as part of an investigation into his explicit, online relationship with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina — suggest it may hold thousands of emails sent to or from Clinton’s private server, sources said.
It was unclear how long the search would take, but an official briefed on the matter told The Post that the job would extend past Nov. 8, when the vast majority of Americans go to the polls.
“There are too many emails to sift through before the end of the election and that is why [the Department of Justice] was cautioning [FBI Director James Comey not to make the announcement,” the official said.
“The FBI won’t be able to look through them all and now they risk looking political.
“Many of these emails appear to be redundant. That’s to say that since Huma was on Hillary’s staff, she was apparently copied on a lot of them. Investigators have probably seen them before. Now will all of them be redundant? No, that won’t be the case for all of them,” the official added.
Agents have probable cause to search only those that relate to the Clinton probe, and they’re only expected to seize a portion of the huge cache, a law-enforcement source told The Post.
Hours earlier, Clinton opponent Donald Trump — who’s previously blasted Weiner as a “pervert” and a “major, major, major sleaze” over his sexting habit — publicly hailed the disgraced ex-pol for inadvertently reviving the FBI probe.
“We never thought we were going to say thank you to Anthony Weiner,” the Republican presidential nominee told thousands of cheering supporters at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
Trump crowed about Weiner’s potential new role in the Nov. 8 election as a new ABC/Washington Post poll showed him just 1 point behind his Democratic opponent, who held a 12-point lead in the same poll last Sunday.
The Abedin emails were discovered several weeks ago, with agents in New York alerting FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the bureau’s second-in-command, about their existence, sources told the Journal.
McCabe has recently come under fire from Republicans in Congress over the failed 2015 Senate candidacy of his wife, Dr. Jill McCabe, which got $467,500 in contributions from the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton loyalist.
Senior FBI officials decided that the agents investigating Weiner should further examine the metadata and report back, and a member of the Justice Department’s senior national-security staff asked for an update during a meeting early last week, according to the Journal.
Officials then realized no one had sought a warrant to examine the emails, and McCabe ordered that investigators figure out if the laptop’s contents could relate to the Clinton email probe — and they determined they might, The Journal said.
Amid the controversy over her emails, Abdedin abandoned the campaign trail and took a back-bench seat at Clinton’s headquarters in Brooklyn on Sunday while the candidate stumped for votes in the battleground state of Florida.
Meanwhile, Clinton campaign director Robby Mook revealed that Clinton — who on Friday demanded that the FBI “release all the information it has” from Weiner’s computer— hasn’t asked Abedin what’s in her emails.
But Mook refused to say why when pressed six times by anchor Chris Wallace, who at one point asked, “Why on earth wouldn’t Hillary Clinton say to her closest personal aide: Was there any stuff on your laptop, and what was it?”
“Chris, again, I appreciate your question because people want answers. There’s nothing about Huma Abedin in the letter that was sent out [on Friday by FBI Director Jim Comey],” Mook replied.
Source>http://nypost.com/2016/10/30/fbi-racing-to-sift-through-clinton-emails-before-election-day/
Now It's HILLARY vs. COMEY, With HYPOCRISY On Both Sides
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the FBI again investigating Hillary Clinton is the rather predictable partisan back-flips.
No sooner did we learn that James Comey had come up with new email evidence than Donald Trump—and some conservative commentators—came to a much more positive view of the FBI director. Before, he was running a “rigged” investigation and failing to do what any competent prosecutor would do, which was pursue criminal charges against Clinton.
Now he was a man of integrity standing up for truth, justice and the American way.
Meanwhile, the Clinton camp—and some liberal commentators—who had sung Comey’s praises when he declined to prosecute were now dismissing him as a partisan Bush administration hack throwing a monkey wrench into the campaign’s final stretch.
NYT columnist Paul Krugman: “If we don't hear more from Comey, we just have to conclude that he was trying to swing election. And *that* should be the story.”
For many of these folks, justice is served only when a law-enforcement official delivers the outcome you want.
The fact that the trail soon led to Anthony Weiner’s sexting of a teenage girl, as the New York Times was the first to report, just added to the surreal and quasi-comical nature of the whole extravaganza. Call it the Carlos Danger phase of the campaign.
As one pundit tweeted, the whole campaign seems to have come down to “Access Hollywood” and Weiner sexting.
Maybe Trump was on to something when he used to rail about how Weiner is a “pervert” and who knew whether his wife Huma Abedin, Hillary’s longtime confidant, was sharing classified information with him.
The media treated this like a bombshell, and rightly so, when it exploded on Friday afternoon. Even if it turns out to be a nothing-burger, it has utterly changed the media and political environment in a campaign in which Clinton seemed to be coasting.
But Comey was not “reopening” the original investigation, as NBC, the Washington Post, Politico and other outlets initially reported and then retracted. And as the story unfolded over the weekend, new details emerged that cast the Comey move in a less favorable light.
Comey apparently violated FBI policy against bringing a case or otherwise taking action against a politician in the 60 days before the election. I would give him a pass on that, since this case is so unique, but it does provide some pause.
The FBI chief said initially that the new evidence may not be “significant.” But Yahoo’s Mike Isikoff reported that the bureau, at the time, had not even reviewed the emails in question, lacking the requisite search warrant. So the emails could be a bunch of duplicates, and reports say they aren’t to or from Clinton.
Why, without knowing these critical facts, would Comey go public? The Post reported that he feared being blamed for a coverup if, after the election, the evidence turned out to be significant.
I can see why he had that concern, and he was in a no-win position. But that leaves him open to criticism that he bowed to pressure from within the bureau, or was more concerned with protecting his personal reputation than with interfering in a national election.
Clinton has decided to make Comey an issue, calling his move “unprecedented” and “disturbing.” Now she is is under the shadow of another FBI inquiry. Trump will be pounding away on this day after day. When I asked his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on “Media Buzz” whether the new emails could turn out to be nothing, she acknowledged that but added that the probe reminds people of Clinton corruption.
My initial thought was that Comey has a responsibility to provide more information before Election Day. Now it’s clear he doesn’t yet have the information. And every day Clinton runs against him is a day she’s not solely focusing on Donald Trump.
Source>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/31/fbi-shadow-now-its-clinton-vs-comey-with-hypocrisy-on-both-sides.html
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You are here: Home ∼ Arsenal dealt top-four blow by Everton
EPL, International, News, Soccer Tagged Arsenal, Everton, Phil Jagielka, Premier League
Arsenal dealt top-four blow by Everton
Arsenal’s bid to finish in the Premier League’s top four was dented on Sunday as Phil Jagielka’s early goal gave Everton a deserved 1-0 home win.
Unai Emery’s men could have leapfrogged Tottenham into third with a draw, but will now slide back to fifth if Chelsea secure a point or more at home to West Ham on Monday.
The defeat, their first in seven league games, was no less than deserved after a timid display that was punished when an unmarked Jagielka, in as a late replacement for the unwell Michael Keane, seized on a loose ball in the 10th minute, the 36-year-old tucking home as Arsenal’s defenders appealed in vain for offside.
The arrival of Aaron Ramsey at half-time led to an improved second-half showing, but the Toffees capably dealt with rare defensive concerns in rising to ninth.
Jagielka learned of his elevation to the XI shortly before kick-off, and was soon celebrating his first goal in two years, Lucas Digne’s long throw having broken kindly to him in the box.
That extended a shaky Arsenal’s season-long wait for an away clean sheet, and their defensive stocks took a further hit when Sokratis Papastathopoulos earned a booking that rules him out of games against Watford and Crystal Palace.
Ramsey, who battled a groin issue during the week, stepped off the bench at the interval and quickly increased Arsenal’s lean shot count.
Bernard, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison all fluffed good chances to double the home side’s advantage as the second half wore on, the latter especially culpable for a wayward finish with time to pick his spot.
The misses ultimately mattered little, though, as Marco Silva’s men held firm for a fifth clean sheet in six and a third consecutive victory.
What does it mean? Away days an ongoing annoyance for Arsenal
Sub-par performances away from home became a theme in the latter stages of Arsene Wenger’s long reign, and new Gunners boss Emery has had little success in rectifying the situation.
His team have now won just once in their past nine Premier League road trips, a record they will come to rue if Champions League qualification eludes them.
Calvert-Lewin a maturing leader of the line
Goals may still be rare for Calvert-Lewin, but the 22-year-old’s impact in general play continues to improve. He never let Arsenal’s defence relax and played a key role in Jagielka’s winner.
Elneny fails audition in an awkward midfield axis
With star man Ramsey deemed fit enough for a place on the bench only, Mohamed Elneny was drafted into Arsenal’s starting XI. He might not get many more opportunities, though.
The Egypt international lost possession eight times in his 45 minutes on the pitch, failed to register a tackle, and alongside Matteo Guendouzi was part of a midfield pairing that set the tone for a meek display.
Arsenal entertain Napoli in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday before a trip to Watford the following Monday.
Everton will look ahead with some relish to next Saturday’s trip to already-relegated Fulham.
Posted in EPL, International, News, Soccer Tagged Arsenal, Everton, Phil Jagielka, Premier League
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Colin in Tizz over Cue Card chances
Cue Card and Paddy Brennan winning at Haydock
Colin Tizzard says that winning the Gold Cup with Cue Card at Cheltenham on Friday would represent the pinnacle of his training career.
Tizzard reports his stable star as ‘happy as Larry’ as the 10-year-old bids to land the £1million National Hunt bonus prize put up by the Jockey Club for completing the hat-trick of the Betfair Chase, The King George and the Gold Cup.
“I’ve never seen Cue Card look so well, he is in brilliant shape,” said the dairy farmer turned trainer, who has enjoyed a golden season.
“I’m so proud of Cue Card, it is a fairytale really.
“I’m expecting a mighty run in the Gold Cup because he comes alive there.
“He just loves the place, having won three of his seven races at Cheltenham and only finishing out of the top four once.”
Tizzard says the two-and-a-half-month gap before Cheltenham has provided the perfect respite for Cue Card and has no doubts that the six-time Grade One winner, who is as short as 5-1, will stay the distance.
“Before, I used to think that he might stay, but now I know he will,” said Tizzard.
“He is a completely different horse – he looks like a thorough three mile chaser now.
“To see Cue Card win the King George at Kempton like he did was unbelievable really after he had sluiced up at Haydock Park in November.
“The bonus (£1 million) I thought was an impossible task but we are one win away now.
“To win the Gold Cup, though, would be the greatest moment of my career.”
Haydock Park general manager Jason Fildes said: “We are all willing Cue Card on because Haydock was where his amazing adventure began in November, winning the Betfair Chase.”
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November 10, 2017 Tim Lee *South Korean National Football Team 14
Shin Taeyong has his first win as national team manager as South Korea stunned Colombia 2-1 at Suwon World Cup Stadium. Son Heungmin had a brace, but there is praise to share all across the side as the senior team bounced back from a dismal October with a professional performance against the 13th-ranked side in the world.
Shin Taeyong had been keeping his cards close to his chest and no journalist really could guess what kind of line-up Korea was going to put out there. It was quite a surprising revelation indeed when the KFA reported that the side was trotting out in a 4-4-2 formation:
In defense, you would wonder what Shin Taeyong has against Kim Younggwon, who seemed like a more obvious fit for a top-choice central defence pairing, but the biggest head-scratcher was deploying usual wingback/winger Ko Yohan in central midfield alongside Ki Sungyeung. Of all the rumoured pairings that was not an obvious partner to the captain. We will see however that Shin got his tactics right on this night and that Ko was used to devastating effect. Also of interest is Son Heungmin making his KNT debut (?) as one of the two strikers – though let’s be honest, a pairing up top of Lee Jeonghyeop and Lee Keunho would have horrified us all, so in retrospect it made sense for this player pool and formation.
I know very little about Colombia, but based off of their previous lineups, the shape today was rather similar, a standard 4-2-3-1. There were some personnel changes, with Castellanos making his debut in goal, and Bacca starting on the bench in place of Zapata, but some familiar names including Davinson Sanches and James Rodriguez started.
First Half – Son Heungmin and Lee Keunho shine
Korea started the first half well, unbowed and unintimidated. Between two teams just trying to figure things out tactically and as a unit, Korea looked more assured and composed from the get-go. Strangely, Lee Keunho showed he was ready to play when making a couple of dangerous runs into the box after picking up the ball in wide spaces, and that led to the first chance of the game when he made space to whip a cross and the ball trickled out to Ko Yohan, who got a solid connection on a volley from the lip of the box, only to be denied well by the debutant Colombian netminder. This was just the 4th minute.
A few minutes later, Korea got their goal. After a Colombian hiccup in possession, Korea switched the play and aggressively countered, with Lee Keunho running the play – he tried to switch the flank to an open man, but the ball grazed Kwon’s chest and re-directed into the path of Son. Though entirely accidental and not ideal (Son was drawing CBs away from Lee Jaesung who was open), Son made the most of it, waiting on the ball for a couple seconds before at stand-still nutmegging his teammate Davinson Sanchez to score his first open-play goal for the national team in over a year, making the most by patiently finding a gap between 3 tepid centrebacks and a goalkeeper who came far out and was jumping around.
Korea continued to be relentless on the counter throughout the half. Go Yohan, the fullback-cum-central midfielder, reverted to his usual fullback form by sprinting steadily down the right channel before hitting a deep cross to Son Heungmin, who opted for an ambitious volley instead of taking it down. Selfish: yes. But it spoke of the confidence he had, and the composure that the team was playing with.
Colombia had their best chance of the half around the 30 minute mark, when Choi Chulsoon switched off and let Shanghai Shenhua’s Moreno slip into goal from a tight angle. Luckily, Moreno couldn’t pull of a good finish from such close range and tight angle. The other highlights were all Korea. Kwon Changhoon, Kim Jinsu having long range efforts; Lee Keunho’s header flashing just wide; and later Lee had a golden opportunity to end the frame 2-0 after running on to a good ball from Kwon, but quintessential Lee Keunho meant that the Gangwon forward could only comically fluff the opportunity.
Defensively, the side was composed, and going forward, aggressive and quick. A good half. 1-0 Korea.
Lee Keunho came off at halftime due to a knock – Lee Jeongheop came on (groans). Colombia also made a flurry of changes and actually brought in a couple more regulars, possibly to try and salvage the encounter. (I’m told Colombian media is as merciless and unrelenting as the Korean press).
Korea continued to grow in confidence in the second frame, demonstrating some really sweet passing manouevers, orchestrated by Ki, of course, in central midfield, all while using every inch of the pitch by using the fullbacks (the way Korea always does) to provide width. But for a good 15 minutes, neither side really created any chances, with both settling in and playing a fairly average phase of football. James’ free kick was handily collected by Kim Seunggyu, who hadn’t had much to do, and Kwon Changhoon’s shot from a recycled corner kick missed the mark.
In the 60th minute, Korea got an equally fortunate second goal, and it was signed Son Heungmin once again. Choi Chulsoon, who looked ready for the challenge tonight for perhaps the first time in a KNT shirt, surged into space and threaded an excellent ball to Son. The Spurs forward took the first touch with his right boot from about 25 years, and his second touch was a shot at goal. Castellanos’ spilled it, let’s be honest, and it really shouldn’t have gone in. But Son had his brace, Choi had probably his first national team assist. If you shoot 10 times from distance, maybe 1 will go in, and that’s what happened here.
Christian Zapata set the game up for grandstand finish with just over 15 minutes to play when the AC Milan centreback nodded home a James Rodriguez’ free kick to make it 2-1. It put a damper on the scoreline and was again caused by evitable defensive confusion, with Kim Seunggyu calling for the ball and not getting there, and the defensive line kind of looking at each other without fully following their man until the end.
But the Colombians again couldn’t create anything from open play, due to Korea’s organization and Colombia’s sloppiness, and only James’ free kick from 35 yards late in the match would threaten Kim Seunggyu’s net after the goal, with the ball swivelling wide and not worrying Kim too much.
Whereas Colombia had made a flurry of 6 substitutions throughout the match, Korea had only made 4, with Yeom Kihun and Koo Jacheol coming on with 8 minutes in regular time for Lee Jaesung and Ko Yohan. Koo shored up the midfield, while Yeom proved once again why he has the best left foot in the K League, with a sweet deep cross landing perfectly on the boot of former teammate Kwon Changhoon, whose volley just missed the frame. That Bluewings connection is still alive. And in the dwindling stages, Yeom had another chance from the top of the box to curl it in right his right boot, but he scuffed his chance and put it wide. Nonetheless, it was an effectual substitution that kept Korea on the front foot despite conceding, and this throughout the entirely of the remaining minutes.
Though it was only a small crowd of about 25,000 that came to brace Suwon’s cold, autumnal air, they roared at the final whistle, with Korea fully deserving their 2-1 victory. It was their 2nd win against Colombia, and now they boast a winning record against the South American mainstays, and their first win since March of this year against Syria. Son has his 5th career multi-goal game for the national team, and his first goals from open play since October 6th of last year. Ki Sungyeung registered his 96th cap in a national team shirt, and will likely get his century either before or during the FIFA World Cup. And Shin Taeyong has his first win as Korean national team boss. It was a good night.
Kim Seunggyu – 5.5 – Didn’t have much to do, in truth, but I wish he did more on that Colombian goal.
Kim Jinsu – 7.5 – Nice. Confident pair of efforts from long distance, dynamic going forward.
Kwon Kyungwon & Jang Hyunsoo – 7 – No complaints. Under more duress, maybe they will struggle, but they weren’t tested as much as they could have been tonight.
Choi Chulsoon – 7.5 – Best game in a KNT shirt from him for me. Got skinned once, but otherwise contributed to attack nicely while doing his job on the backend. Got to practice crossing though, which brings him down to a still generous 8.
Ki Sungyueng – 8 – Almost gave him a 9, if it wasn’t for the fact that he seems to have lost his man on the Colombia goal. We needed him back. Calmed the goal in his prototypical way, but also was the instigator of counter-attacks and aggressive switch-plays that only an apt passer like Ki can do. Found some good angles and pulled a few strings. Good.
Ko Yohan – 8 – Didn’t think he’d cope, but he shut down James. A few rash tackles and an early yellow, sure, but he gave Shin a reason to take him to Russia on that performance alone. Man-marked, rarely lost him, pushed him out of dangerous positions and prevented him from turning and running. Good job.
Lee Jaesung – 7 – Though in truth sometimes invisible, favorite moment of the game is when he slide tackled James Rodriguez to the roar of the crowd.
Kwon Changhoon – 7.5 – Kwon was good on his flank, collecting sloppy passes well and pushing forward aggressively with speed. Good things will come.
Lee Keunho – 8 – Almost a “what happened to the old Lee Keunho?” until he started wasting chances, but has done well and showed determination in a KNT shirt of late. Against the odds he might just be part of Shin’s squad to Russia with that form. Didn’t expect to see him beat players like that at his age.
Son Heungmin – 8 – A fortunate brace, and yeah, selfish at times, but sometimes you need a couple selfish players in a team. Dynamic, hard working. Hopefully this will boost him to a higher level in future games.
Lee Jeonghyeop – 6 – Nothing special, bad yellow.
Koo Jacheol – NA – Didn’t do enough to get rating.
Yeom Kihun – 7.5 – Instant impact… interesting.
Lee Changmin – NA – Garbage minutes.
There were some lucky bounces here and there, but the truth is, when you’re down for the count, sometimes you need a few lucky breaks. That luck, if unearned in modest amounts, was fully deserved in others, with Shin playing simple, opposition-adjusted tactics, star players seizing their roles with gusto, and the other, more underwhelming selections rising to the occasion and capitalizing on a sloppy Colombian opponent. It wasn’t a game for the history books, but it was a morale booster, and the players, coaching staff, media and fans alike needed one. Maybe we’re not as bad as we thought.
Next up is Serbia, on Tuesday at 6am in Ulsan. They’ve just beaten China 2-0. We’ll see if we can finish the season on a high note.
I’ve just posted a “notes” post on the home page, since this one was already quite long.
Road To Russia: The Colombia Preview (Not really) + TAVERN LIVE!
Wow! This was so much more than I expected. I hope Shin Tae yong sticks with the 4-4-2. They looked like Atletico Madrid today with their compact four man midfield and two strikers up top. Son definitely seems to be at his best when he can just focus on attacking. I would love to see Hwang Hee chan partner Son in this formation in the future.
The veteran (LKH) vs the youngster (HHC) that is the question…
LKH just doesn’t seem clinical enough. He has great work rate and his positioning seems pretty good too, but he doesn’t score enough goals. I think it’s better to pair Son with a more traditional striker who can hold the ball up and be a threat in the box because Son lacks these skills. If HHC isn’t available, Korea might want to pick Ji Dong Won or Suk Hyun Jun? Or maybe it’s better to start with hardworking veteran LKH who can lead by example and disrupt opponent’s attacks with his constant running.
Definitely happy the guys won! Don’t let it be fools’ gold though. Colombia are honestly struggling right now, and probably played lethargically due to jet lag. Still gotta fix some big issues.
But for confidence’s sake, a win is a win!
I’ve always been a Lee Keun Ho fan- for senior leadership sake, I vote he goes to Russia even if they never play him. Dude is a ball of energy- I imagine he’s a positive influence on the younger guys.
One other thing to consider is that most of the players from Colombia were young and inexperienced with international play (including the goalkeeper)- actually not sure why James played. It was definitely an “experimental” team. Again, good win, but let’s not get carried away. We were at home and basically had most of our best players on the pitch apart from Hwang Hee Chan.
Experimental lineup, absolutely – but a well-needed confidence boster and the discovery of a new shape that could be plausible for 2018 – I’m always down for that!
Also, Central/South Americans are racist. It isn’t like the U.S… the slant eyes gesture isn’t considered offensive to anyone there, and is basically a normal way to identify Asians.
And let’s be honest… athletes aren’t exactly the brightest/best cultural ambassadors as much as we want them to be.
Recently in the World Series, a guy from Cuba (Yuli Gurriel) did the slant eyes gesture towards a Japanese pitcher and it was broadcast on TV in the US. I doubt he even felt bad about it, and he wasn’t even really publicly shamed for it as much as he should have been. I seriously doubt FIFA will do anything about it (they should, but they need to figure out a way to crack down on racism towards all races)
Ki Sung-Yueng is back to his elite form: Check vid @ 3:27 / 4:58 / 5:15 / 7:19. Ki seems to have completely bounced back from his knee surgery earlier this year. He displayed confidence, control, & fluidity today.
This 9min highlight by “HEON honey” (link: https://youtu.be/9dQ02l7YlQI) is prob the best highlight vid available (HD w/ Korean commentary). & he made edits to show little flashes that were largely unnoticed for most highlight videos.
Kim Jin-Su (#3) & Choi Chul-soon (#2) were quite impactful. Lee Keun-Ho (#11) & Go Yo-Han (#14) created a handful of chances together.
It would be dreamy if we could play like this for the next 9 months 😀
It really helps to have your star players in good form. Son played well over the weekend and Ki has been able to start Swansea’s last couple games.
4-4-2, bring on Lee Seung Woo! He can sub in, the forwards will be doing a lot of running around.
While this was just one game I think it demonstrated that we need a healthy Ki to even have a shot at advancing past the group stage in Russia. If he’s not 100%, the KNT has no shot of getting more than 2 points.
Neither Son goal was particularly impressive. But it’s important for him to build his confidence on the national team. We see what a difference it makes when he’s playing for Spurs.
I think the best pairing with Son up front would be Hwang Hee Chan. Let’s hope he gets healthy soon. Also hoping that Suk Hyun Jun continues to build on his most recent performance with Troyes. It would be cool to see him get a shot too. He’s such a unique player, at least compared to other KNT players.
On a side note, what ever happened to Hong Jeong Ho? Also, guessing that Nam Tae Hee couldn’t get released by his club team?
Kevin Ku
Son’s first goal wasn’t impressive? He had 2 defenders on him with the goalie waiting and got off a shot between a pair of legs. It was a great individual effort I think.
Hong Jeongho was released by Jiangsu Suning back in July and he hasn’t played a game since. I think he’s unattached.
Idk about Nam Taehee, perhaps he was just not called up because STY didn’t call him up. As for the goal, I thought it was a good effort. It wasn’t aesthetically beautiful but it was no tap-in. And his second was a blunder, sure, but he got his shot away well with some good footwork. Positive signs.
First goal: it was a pretty heavy first touch and pretty lucky that so many players on the Colombia side just bungled the play. Obviously encouraging that he scored to begin with. I’m not going to split hairs over it because I’ll take two goals over nothing. But, against a better side, I’m not sure either goes in.
Shame about HJH. I wonder what happened. How does he end up without a club team…? He scored as recently as March for the KNT during WCQ.
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Ways of Thinking
Airbnb: It's Good to Be a Revolution
By Thorin McGee
Airbnb is having a moment. Not only has it put together impressive marketing campaigns with the likes of Audi and Sweden (yes, the country), the leader of the travel sharing economy is beating the giant travel sites online.
They say it's good to be king, but it may be better to be a revolution.
As reported by eMarketer, SimilarWeb's "US Travel Trends and Insights 2017" report found that Airbnb has passed Booking.com, Hotels.com, Marriott International and more in Q1 Web traffic.
Now, SimilarWeb attributes this success (in a separate case study) to Airbnb using its platform. eMarketer suggests that it's due to the rising spending power of Millennials (who they say are more comfortable "rolling the dice" on the kind of experience it offers).
I think those are both factors, but they miss the big picture: Airbnb isn't another hotel website or travel aggregator. It's a revolution, which lets it change the paradigm and break out compared to the other sites.
That's a real competitive advantage, and it's the heart of all Airbnb's marketing and brand.
eMarketer comes close to identifying that when they finger Millennials, but it's not that millennials are comfortable with a more crapshoot experience. In fact, much like Uber, Aribnb has built its brand by steadily using reviews to eliminate the crapshoot from its experience.
But Airbnb still does offer a revolutionary, kinda scary, experience. And all revolutions are built on young people converting to those new ways, becoming believers, and then evangelists who are willing to fight for the new way.
And if you think that sounds a bit like the customer journey, you're right! And that's really why Airbnb is starting to clobber the competition online. By being a revolution, a movement, it's become the most exciting travel option, the coolest travel option, and the travel option with the most loyalty behind it.
And nowhere is that better demonstrated than in the Audi and Sweden ads i mentioned at the beginning. Airbnb has other brands paying to be associated with it.
Hotels.com has Captain Obvious.
Even Captain Obvious can see Airbnb's revolution is a massive marketing win.
E T Thorin McGee Author's page Thorin McGee is editor-in-chief and content director of Target Marketing and oversees editorial direction and product development for the magazine, website and other channels.
Let the Marketplace Set the Rate on 'My Data'
How I Cut the Cord and Learned to Love OTT
Are Boomers Underserved by Digital Marketers?
Returns: The Final Frontier for E-Commerce
2 Ways to Target Ads to Hulu Binge Watchers
What Amazon Lowered in Customer Satisfaction Means
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Prosecutor accuses Argentine bishop close to pope of abuse
ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2016
In this photo, former Bishop of Oran Gustavo Zanchetta participates in negotiations with border workers in Oran, Salta, Argentina. The public prosecutor’s office in the Argentine province of Salta said today that a local prosecutor accused Bishop Zanchetta of “aggravated continuous sexual abuse committed by a minister of a religious cult.”
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina >> A bishop close to Pope Francis has been formally accused of sexually abusing seminarians, a public prosecutor’s office in Argentina said today.
The prosecutor’s office in the Argentine province of Salta said prosecutor Mónica Viazzi accused Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta of “aggravated continuous sexual abuse.”
This is the first time that a prosecutor has formally accused Zanchetta in his native Argentina.
Zanchetta resigned suddenly as bishop of the Argentine city of Oran in 2017. But Francis named him to a senior Vatican administration position a few months later.
The pope recently revealed in a TV interview that Zanchetta is now on canonical trial in a Vatican tribunal for inappropriate sexual behavior. The Vatican confirmed there were no accusations against Zanchetta regarding minors, suggesting the pope sent the case to the Vatican office that handles sex abuse of minors purely because of its experience in dealing with the issue in general.
The Associated Press and the Tribune of Salta have reported that the Vatican was aware of inappropriate sexual behavior by Zanchetta two years before he resigned. The Vatican insisted Zanchetta was facing governance problems at the time and that the first accusation of abuse came in late 2018.
The public prosecutor’s office said that the bishop declined to comment at a hearing on Thursday.
It also said that Zanchetta will undergo psychological tests on June 12 as part of the investigation. After hearing the local prosecutor, a judge ordered Zanchetta to remain in Argentina and stay away from the victims or their families.
The first accusations against Zanchetta were made in 2015 and involved nude selfies on his cellphone.
Francis acknowledged in the recent TV interview that he asked Zanchetta about the accusations but said he gave him the benefit of the doubt when he claimed his phone had been hacked.
A year later, documents show that Oran’s seminary rector was so concerned about Zanchetta’s behavior that he told the Vatican ambassador in a formal complaint that “urgent measures” were needed to protect his first-year students, since their introductory classes were held in Zanchetta’s residence.
The 2016 complaint, signed by the rector and two former vicar generals, listed Zanchetta’s problematic behavior with seminarians, including walking by their rooms at night, asking them for massages, going into their rooms to wake them up in the morning, sitting on their beds, inviting them to drink alcohol and having an “obsessive omnipresence” in the seminary that made the young men feel “asphyxiated.”
Francis didn’t refer to that 2016 complaint in his interview, but said as soon as he received a subsequent complaint he had Zanchetta resign.
He denied the senior administration position at the Vatican’s financial oversight office was a soft-landing, saying that a psychiatric analysis had determined Zanchetta had an aptitude for administration.
Police surround house for burglary, find deer instead
Ethiopian prime minister visits Sudan in bid to mediate crisis
South Korean dies from self-immolation near Japan’s embassy
Notre Dame far from safe enough for restoration work to begin
Netanyahu makes history as Israel’s longest-serving leader
How North Korea’s leader gets his luxury cars
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Firefighters respond to blaze south of Stayton
Fire south of Stayton destroys two RVs, a boat and the shop where they were stored.
Firefighters respond to blaze south of Stayton Fire south of Stayton destroys two RVs, a boat and the shop where they were stored. Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: http://stjr.nl/2ApyAus
Justin Much, Stayton Mail Published 12:14 p.m. PT Dec. 14, 2017
A fire south of Stayton destroyed a shop and two RVs and a boat that were stored at the site.(Photo: Courtesy of Stayton Fire District)
Two RVs and a boat were destroyed when a shop where they were stored burned to the ground Monday, Dec. 11.
Stayton Fire District reported that at 10:14 a.m. it received a call notifying of smoke and flames coming from a building off Mertz Drive, south of Stayton. A passerby who discovered the fire called 911 and also alerted the property owner.
Stayton Fire Assistant Chief Jay Alley said when units arrived they found the 48-by-60-foot building in flames. Additional crews arrived from Scio, Aumsville, Sublimity, Lyons, Jefferson, Santiam Ambulance and Marion County Fire District No. 1, while Silverton and Turner fire districts covered calls in the area.
Alley said there were no injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
More: Aumsville fire district names new board member, swears in chief
Read or Share this story: http://stjr.nl/2ApyAus
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Photo: Runner on the Towpath Trail
Botzum Trailhead
Address 2928 Riverview Rd.
*Parking lot managed by Cuyahoga Valley National Park; hours may vary.
Big Bend Trailhead
Memorial Parkway Trailhead
Address 499 Memorial Pkwy.
*Bike repair station available
Mustill Store Trailhead
Address 248 Ferndale St.
*Parking lot managed by the City of Akron; hours may vary.
Summit Lake Trailhead
Address 380 W. Crosier St.
Wilbeth Road Trailhead
Address 392 W. Wilbeth Rd.,
Manchester Road Trailhead
Address 2740 Manchester Rd.
Barberton Trailhead
Address 5 Fairview Ave.
Barberton, OH 44203
Wolf Creek Trailhead
Address 33 Snyder Ave.
Vanderhoof Road Trailhead
Address 2445 Vanderhoof Rd.
New Franklin, OH 44203
Franklin Trailhead
Address 2328 Center Rd.
Clinton Trailhead
Address 2749 North St.
Clinton, OH 44216
The Ohio & Erie Canal was a technological marvel. The inland waterway incorporated a series of sandstone locks that enabled boats to climb differences in elevation along the Continental Divide. The steepest section of the canal was between Akron and the Little Cuyahoga River. In a single mile, 15 locks, or "steps," were necessary to move the boats along. The canal boats, which were pulled by mules on the towpath, made it possible to ship goods from the Great Lakes (Lake Erie) to the Gulf of Mexico (via the Ohio and Mississippi rivers). Locally, the canal, which opened between Cleveland and Akron in 1827, can be directly credited with the growth of Akron. The city's population swelled thanks to the bustling activity surrounding the tight bundle of canal locks.
By 1880 the canal's significance was in decline due to the introduction of railroads. After the flood of 1913, less than 100 years after the canal opened, it was abandoned. For decades, the canal was largely forgotten about or ignored. The concept of restoring the towpath for use as a multipurpose trail began to emerge in the 1980s, and the first section of the Towpath Trail opened in 1993.
Fall on the Towpath
Towpath Trail in summer
Bridge view from the Towpath
Sunlight on the Towpath
Wooden Towpath section
Towpath in winter
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Get a free bottle of McDonald's Big Mac Special Sauce on Thursday
(Courtesy/McDonald's)
This freebie goes great with two all-beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
McDonald's is giving away 10,000 bottles of Big Mac Special Sauce on Thursday on a first come, first serve basis in a nationwide promotion. Visit participating locations between 3 and 6 p.m. by saying the secret code "There's a Big Mac for that" at participating restaurants, according to a news release.
The limited-edition bottles are numbered and say "We can't wait to show you what's next at McDonald's."
No word on what new menu items are in the works, but the bottled sauce giveaway follows the introduction of Mac Jr. and Grand Mac burgers, available in restaurants through March 20. The chain also reformulated its Chicken McNuggets and introduced All Day Breakfast menu items in 2015 to pump up sales and attract more diners.
Supplies are limited.
Click here to find a participating location.
Connect with me: "Like" Doreen's Deals on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter, Facebook and GooglePlus and sign up for my Freebie Friday newsletter.
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Surface and SurfaceProArtist.com turn 4
Where we've been and where we're going
Categoriesopinion
TagsMicrosoft, Surface Pro
The Surface Studio was my idea
Here was boring old Microsoft, the enterprise company, delivering a key insight: we are all creators.
TagsMicrosoft, Windows 10 Creators Update, Surface Studio
20 CommentsPost a comment
To see more of Hamilton Cline's sketches, visit https://www.instagram.com/bronkula/
Guy walks into a bar and is blown away by Sketchable art on a Surface Pro 4
This heart-warming tidbit comes to us today courtesy of WinBeta.org who uncovered a video encounter by Scott Cate and artist/instructor Hamilton Cline of the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
Cline was clearly having a good time experimenting with Sketchable (our favorite Windows Store app) on his i7/8 GB Surface Pro 4 when Cate recorded this impromptu 8-minute interview. Although it won't come as a surprise to most of you who use your Windows tablets and apps creatively, it's definitely worth your time to remind yourself just how awesome this platform can be.
The quality of Cline's work, the intuitive design of the app and the responsiveness of the tablet and pen all make a fairly compelling case for the creative user to dive in to the Windows 10 eco-system.
Walking by Hamilton Cline at Soma Eats in San Francisco, I noticed his drawing and I politely broke into his day with a few questions. He kindly agreed to an impromptu video. Enjoy! Cc/ @Bronkula
TagsWindows 10, Surface Pro 4, Sketchable, Hamilton Cline
SurfaceProArtist.com Turns Three!
And they said it wouldn't last...
Three years ago, I had some spare time on my hands and decided to start this blog to document my experiences with the first generation Surface Pro and answer the burning questions of what ran and what didn't on Microsoft's new hybrid tablet.
I remember describing the mission to someone at a tech show a few months later and I got the skeptical response, "Awfully niche isn't it?"
It's easy to overestimate the popularity of your personal preferences, but I was convinced there had to be others like me who cared about art and pen computing. The absolute lack of information anywhere else on the web may have been confirmation that the subject matter was narrow, but I chose to believe it was a rare opportunity to provide a public service.
Three years and four generations later, we're still plugging away. The Windows landscape is now littered with penabled convertible laptops and Surface Pro clones. And although the subject of pen computing still gets short shrift in most tech blogs and reviews, it at least gets a mention while many of you have contributed to the creative art conversation with your own reviews, tips and videos.
There's never been a better time to be a pen computing enthusiast or digital artist and I'm happy that SurfaceProArtist.com played its small role is spreading the word and building a community of like-minded users.
As I've written in the past, running this site is a huge loss maker and I'm unsure whether I can keep it updated much longer. But whatever the future brings, join me in savoring the great memories and conversations that have been sparked over the last three years.
Categoriesnews, opinion
TagsSurfaceProArtist.com
All Things (Re)Considered: my year in tech
Perhaps it's due to the overwhelming volume of gadgets I've got clattering around the SurfaceProArtist labs or just my advancing old age, but it's getting increasingly difficult to remember all the gear that I've reviewed and exactly when I reviewed it. Fortunately, despite the somewhat awkward design of the Squarespace template behind this site, everything I've ever posted here is only a keyword search away.
So as the year draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to revisit my last twelve months of reviews and see if my conclusions then have withstood the test of time.
In many cases, the time I invested while writing the review was about as much as I ended up spending with the device for the entire year, so I'll try to distinguish between the gear that I've really put through its paces and the stuff I only ever skimmed.
N-Trig DuoSensePen2 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/1/3/n-trig-now-selling-replacement-pens- The first of a couple of products on this list that disappeared shortly after their release, these replacement pens were N-Trig's first foray into standalone consumer products. It was nice to see an option in case your Surface Pro 3 or Sony VAIO pen went missing, but I didn't care for the short body. When Microsoft bought N-Trig's pen technology later in 2015, the pens vanished.
Monoprice 22" HD SmartTouch Drawing Display http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/1/10/review-new-monoprice-pen-display-puts-multi-touch-within-reach - This touch capable drawing display was Monoprice's second attempt to entire the Wacom - Huion - Yiynova fray, but it also disappeared unceremoniously shortly after release. I still use it occasionally, as its attached to my second desktop. It's really not a bad value and I hope that Monoprice and its anonymous Chinese suppliers take another stab at it in 2016. UPDATE 12/24/15: In the comments section below, reader Vachel Shannon informed me that the Smarttouch pen display has resurfaced on Monoprice's website. You can find it here: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=12077
Toshiba 8" Encore 2 Write http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/1/31/massive-guest-post-8-toshiba-encore-2-write-impressions - TabletPCReview member Precurve did a great job capturing the virtues of the 8-inch version of what was the best pen computing value of the year.
Lenovo Thinkpad Helix 2 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2014/11/28/keyboard-hinders-helix-2 -
I expected to love the Helix 2, but I didn't, thanks to its high pricetag and crappy keyboard. Had it been discounted a couple hundred bucks, I might feel otherwise. When the Ultrabook Pro keyboard was ultimately released, it cost a ridiculous $400.
HP Pro x2 612 G1 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/3/1/hp-pro-x2-612-g1-review - Because I reviewed it so closely to the pricey Helix 2, I probably ended up inflating my rating of this tablet. I admit I grade on a curve for lower cost devices, but there's something about this ugly duckling tablet that reminds me of the Surface Pro 1 that got this blog started. UPDATE 12/24/15 : Vachel Shannon also let me know that refurbished i5/8/256 HP Pro x2 612 G1s are on sale over at Woot! for only $399 until supplies last. This is an exceptional value. http://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-pro-x2-612-12-5-intel-i5-tablet-7?ref=cp_cnt_wp_2_9
Toshiba 10" Encore 2 Write http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/3/1/guest-post-10-toshiba-encore-2-write-review- I never got around to writing my own review of the TE2W, but Eric Merced did the honors here. The TE2W is the first Wacom ActiveES tablet I owned and it's an exceptional value.
Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/2/20/wacom-companion-2 - I'll admit I haven't gotten as much use out of the CC2 has I had imagined/hoped when I first purchased it. I'm spoiled by having so many other options at my disposal and I consider the CC2 too large and loud to use outside of the office. But performance is fantastic and it's still the one to buy if art is your foremost concern.
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/6/26/thinkpad-yoga-14-sneaks-into-best-buy- My credit cards were able to take a break during April and May, and they were taxed a little more lightly by this Best Buy-exclusive offer. The laptop is my daily driver at the office. I've changed out the slow 1TB HDD for a much more responsive 512 GB SSD. You won't need to make that additional expense if you purchase the latest model, which has been updated several times since I purchased it. The TPY14 offers the best price-performance ratio on the market. It's not a style champion, but the Skylake version is essentially an i5 dGPU Surface Book for half the price.
Lenovo Thinkpad Active Capacitive Pen http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/7/7/lenovos-elusive-thinkpad-active-capacitive-pen-arrives - The pen that accompanies Lenovo's Wacom ActiveES devices has since been rebranded as the Lenovo Thinkpad Pen Pro. But it remains a must-have for anyone buying one of the new penabled devices, as the bundled rechargeable pen is too small for serious artists.
VAIO Z Canvas http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/10/26/vaio-z-canvas-is-windows-tablet-performance-champ - I was a reluctant buyer but the performance of the VAIO Z Canvas really won me over. It's been discounted $500 in recent weeks and is really hard to pass up at that price.
Microsoft Surface Pen http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/11/5/man-sets-out-to-review-surface-book-settles-for-pen-instead - A must-have for any Surface Pro 3 or 4 owner. The new pen and softer nibs are a huge improvement over their predecessors.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/11/7/entry-level-surface-pro-4-is-the-only-ipad-pro-youll-ever-need - I purposely decided to review the low end m3 SP4 because I was looking for a fanless option. I love it and find I'm using my i5 SP3 less and less often. This is the perfect digital sketchbook Sorry Apple.
Miscrosoft Surface Book http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2015/12/5/surface-book-is-great-but-artists-should-stay-with-the-surface-pro - Early growing pains have almost been resolved. This is a beautiful prestige device, but I think it's a less than ideal form factor for digital artists.
Apple iPad Pro & Apple Pencil - Coming soon. Trying to take my time so I don't come off like an Apple hater or Microsoft fanboy.
So that's it. Funny doesn't seem like so many gadgets when you put them all on one page. I don't know how many I'll get to review in 2016. You guys were great the first couple of days I began my appeal for donations, but that's all died down now and revenue is no where near where it needs to be to pay for this site. So if you haven't yet, please consider a small contribution or click on as many ads as you can. Also, remember to begin your Amazon shopping sessions with a click on one of our Amazon links and we'll receive a small kickback.
So what was your favorite gadget of 2015? What are you most looking forward to in 2016? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Categoriesreviews, opinion
TagsN-Trig, DuoSensePen2, Toshiba, Encore 2 Write, Lenovo, Thinkpad Helix 2, Thinkpad Yoga 14, Monoprice, 22" HD SmartTouch Pen Display, ThinkPad Pen Pro, Active Capacitive Pen, HP, Pro x2 612, Wacom, Cintiq Companion 2, VAIO, Z Canvas, Microsoft, Surface Book, Surface Pen, Surface Pro 4
Dear Adobe, Your Mobile Apps are a Mess
Our favorite illustrator/humorist/tech reviewer Brad Colbow is back with what may be his best video yet.
After his M3 Surface Pro 4 let him down due to some stroke anomalies, Brad turned his attention to the new Apple iPad Pro. Without a Pencil available to test, he has instead surveyed the wide array of iOS apps, especially those from Adobe.
I'll let him tell you the rest, but I agree 100% with his observations.
Got my new iPad but it will be a few weeks before I get the pencil and can review it. In the mean time I'm checking out what apps are out there and here are my thoughts on what Adobe is bringing to the table.
TagsAdobe, iOS, iPad Pro, Apple
Guest post: Tablet Pro test drives Surface Pen, new nibs
EDITOR'S NOTE: Justice Frangipane is one of the co-developers of Tablet Pro, formerly TabletPCMouse. That utility is currently in beta 35 and coming along really nicely. We'll have an updated post soon.
By JUSTICE FRANGIPANE
I had looked forward to this event for a full year, waiting, anxiously awaiting. Would the Surface Pro 4 work for me as an artist? I should state that I am not a journalist, which will likely become evident in the next few paragraphs. I’m a software developer for a tool that’s built to enhance the tablet drawing experience. I am a tablet art geek to the core. I can site in a matter of seconds 15 different components that are needed for the Surface Pro 4 to meet my expectations as an artist and as a developer. But frankly, most artists don’t freak out over specs. So let’s get to the “goods”.
How does it feel? The answer my friends is “goods, very goods”
I have been fortunate enough to try out both the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book as drawing tools. As tools for graphic artists, they are the exact same machine so I will only refer to the Surface Pro 4 from here forward with the notion that both work the same for artists. The differences start to vary more when you consider the needs of motion/video graphics, and 3d modelers. How do they compare to the Wacom Standard or the standard set last generation with the Surface Pro 3? Initially, during my first use of the Surface Pro 4, I was immediately in love, head over heels,. If I could have snuck away on a romantic honeymoon with either device I would have. The friction of the pen to the screen was lovely, it has just the right amount of glide and traction to make it feel smooth and natural. The glassy pen feel of the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 are gone. Or at least that was my initial impression.
Pen tips - Not what I was expecting
I was handed a set of pen tips by the manager of the Microsoft Store. The tips all had familiar names to me. 2H - H - HB - B. I knew what I expected to feel. Soft with the B, Harder tip with the 2H. What I experienced was kind of a shock to me. I also was looking for a different line on the screen to show up. Lighter with the 2H, darker and softer with the B. But the lines were exactly the same. Perhaps in a different program with different settings I may have experienced more of the intended user experience. But they ended up feeling like the term “hardness” was being swapped for “frictionless”... B had the most traction and grip on the screen, it felt identical to me to the standard tip in the Surface Pro 4 pen. HB and H were similar to the Surface Pro 3 pen or Surface Pro 2 pen. 2H was very glassy. So how does that affect my opinion on the device for artists? Not at all. The standard tip is likely the only one that I plan on using (at the moment), but time will tell. Do the tips come with the pen? Microsoft, I would love to be able to get a little more info on the final shipping product. Bought separately the tips cost $10.
Screen Size and Thickness
The Surface Book screen is pretty large. 13.5 inches felt vast to me, especially coming from a Surface Pro 2. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as when it was detached it was very easy to hold. The combined weight of the keyboard and the tablet was more than most people will want to casually carry around. I’ve been told that the battery life of the Surface Book tablet (minus the keyboard) is around 3 hrs. While I haven’t been able to confirm this information it does sound reasonable and probable.
The Surface Pro 4 has a smaller footprint than the Surface Book and one that is identical to the Surface Pro 3. Below is an image of the Surface pro 2 - 4 with the Surface Book in the bottom right and Surface Pro 4 directly above it.
Tablet thickness can be seen below with the Surface Book being the closest in the shot.
Tracking - How does the tip line up?
The tracking on the device is one of the most stand out features. It was immaculate and accurate. Spot on. Corners we excellent and on point as well. It really does feel like a ball point pen on paper. This is not a surprise as the tracking on the Surface Pro 3 was also quite good.
Eraser - Why not?
Eraser users are a diminishing populace. This is I believe due to the extra time it takes to flip the pen around and use the eraser on the end, a feature which was missing on the Surface Pro 3. If you fancy an old school eraser feel... you are in luck. The eraser on the pen feels sticky and EXACTLY like you would expect. I kept looking for the little rubber eraser grunge that knocks off the end when you use a real eraser. If you are one of the few remaining eraser buffs on the planet you will likely be very satisfied.
Pressure sensitivity - Is 1024 levels enough to compete with the Wacom Cintiq professional standard?
This is a tricky topic as there is a few ways to address this issue as an artist. I’ve had tablets (about 8 in total) where I’ve had 256 levels of pressure sensitivity and it worked great. I’ve also had other tablets with more that worked far worse for a number of different reasons. Pressure sensitivity has not been a “make or break” aspect in my experience. Do I like that the new Surface Pro 4 has 1024? Yes. In testing have I been able to notice or use those levels? No.
While testing the two machines I was not able to test pressure sensitivity in photoshop. Different drawing programs use different api’s that handle pen tip pressure in different ways. I saw great range in line thickness in artrage, while corel painter 2016 (which was preinstalled on the Surface Pro 4) I was unable to see that variation likely due to my ignorance of that program.
Bugs and Buttons - Is it ready for primetime?
Not yet, during my tests on about 5 Surface Pro 4 and 1 Surface Book I found the majority to suffer from a pen issue that kept the pen tip down even while the tip was off the screen. This resulted in one line unintentionally being connected to next line and “drips” from the tip while drawing.
Does that concern me or alter my decision to buy one (most likely the Surface Book to allow for the addition of more intensive gaming)?
No. Microsoft has proven that they can get the N-trig tech to work on the Surface Pro 3. The machines I tested were pre release units that didn’t contain the full system specs of the final product. (the Surface Pro 4’s I tested had 4gb ram, 128 gb ssd and an i5 6300u processor, while the Surface Book I tested had 8gb of ram, 512gb ssd and also had an i5 6300u processor) neither option is available online.
The Surface Pro 4 pen does come with a side button, which may not be visible to most people. It is a single button (not two buttons like the Surface Pro 3).
I couldn’t find any way to customize the pen side button (a process I’m familiar with), this would be a welcome addition if it isn’t there yet. As most of us know, the pen does require a battery, it requires pairing to the device (extremely easy to do) and the battery is supposed to last 1 year.
Final thoughts?
If you are on the fence about getting a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book for digital art, go for it. Microsoft’s track record has improved year over year. They have bug fixed the units before and I believe that they will do so again. If you are needing a machine to work perfectly as soon as you open the box, this may not be the safest bet just yet.
Microsoft, my hat is off to you, stellar product, a few things to fix yet, but I can’t wait to get my Surface Book.
for more watch the video
TagsSurface Pen, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, nib assortment, TabletPCMouse, TabletPro, ArtRage Touch, Corel, Painter 2016
Winbeta.org went hands-on with SP4 and it was 'awesome'
The tech blog WinBeta.org sent artist Oliver Fuh to test a Surface Pro 4 and he wrote up an exhaustive post on his first impressions.
Rather than test with the default apps or Sketchable, Oliver was able to install the PaintTool SAI 2.0 beta. He captured the following video.
Check out http://WinBeta.org for more. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WinBetaDotOrg
The store staff also allowed him to test the new pen nibs and his findings are fascinating and somewhat disappointing.
2H – the thickest nib of the four, and it’s SUPER slick. The slipperiest drawing experience I’ve ever had on a digital display, and that says a lot, as most of them are pretty slippery. It also feels like the softest of the four. I’d love to use this for super fast sketching, or for drawing extremely long, flowing curves.
H – similar to 2H in slipperiness, but with a much thinner, even a bit harder tip. It feels much more conducive to precision drawing. It’s extremely faint, but I detect just a bit more resistance when drawing with this nib.
HB – I’m can’t exactly recall, but this might be the same as the standard nib that comes with the pen. I haven’t confirmed that for sure though. This feels very similar the standard pen nib, which has a strong, if even slightly rubbery, surface resistance. This, and the standard pen (if they’re not same thing) both feel great for standard note-taking and precision stroke drawing.
B – the most grippy of the four, but only slightly more so than HB/standard. Truth be told, I had a really hard time discerning the difference between this and HB .
You can find the full post over at WinBeta.org.
TagsSurface Pro 4, Paint Tool SAI, Surface Pen
Hands on with the VAIO Z Canvas
Pity poor VAIO. For over a year, the Japanese startup that bought up the remains of Sony's computing division has been plotting a splashy debut on the world stage by targeting creative users with an expensive, but high-powered graphics behemoth.
The company's first entry into the U.S. market, the Z Canvas was even selected to be an exclusive Signature PC offering at Microsoft Stores. And Monday, that $2199 tablet PC with 12.3-inch WQXGA+ 2560 x 1704 IPS touchscreen, true quad core Intel Core i7-4770HQ processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD finally went on sale and held its launch event here in the Century City Microsoft Store. With those specs, the Z Canvas was without a doubt the most powerful Windows 10 tablet on the market.
Then, only 24 hours later, Microsoft announced its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Tablet lines. And 24-hours after that, rather than owning the premium shelf space to itself, VAIO sits right next to demonstration units of the new Microsoft products: a little bit more expensive, two generations of processor behind, no longer the only N-Trig tablet offering 1,024 levels of pressure.
So is the Z Canvas still worth considering, especially given its premium price-tag that balloons up to $3099 for the 16GB/1TB model? I decided to check it out for myself and I'm sorry to report I have decidedly mixed feelings.
It's so unfair to base an opinion on a few minutes of scribbling with inappropriate software, but having no other option, I'd say my reaction to the pen performance is lukewarm. It wasn't bad by any means; it just didn't feel special. In fact, it felt familiar, bearing many of the niggling problems of other current generation N-Trig devices.
First the positive: the hardware buttons located at the top of the tablet (pictured below) for disabling touch and calling up on-screen keyboard shortcuts are amazing. The latter especially is an indication that VAIO has worked with and clearly understands the needs of artists. Rather than having to rely on third party artdocks or other hacks, the Z Canvas lets users configure their own shortcut overlays, customizable for each individual program.
Although not as useful as the Surface Pro's variable angle kickstand, I like the attractive Z Canvas mechanism that lets you smoothly adjust its angle with only one hand.
And the flared, rubber pen grip is a huge improvement over the cold aluminum cylinders of most DuoSense2 pens. If the pen is sold separately, I might pick one up to replace my Sony Active Pen, which I purchased for the VAIO Flip 15A.
I'm not a fan of the flat detached keyboard. I like that it covers the closed tablet like a clamshell, but the flat orientation doesn't lend itself to long typing sessions. However, perhaps VAIO was focusing on artists who only need to tap on shortcut keys as they work. The tablet is Bluetooth and continues to work while detached. No need to purchase a standalone keyboard.
The demo units at this store don't have Clip Studio Paint installed, even though I think that software is bundled with each device. I'm not a OneNote guy and Fresh Paint doesn't do anything for me, so I was able to get the helpful Microsoft Store staff to install Sketchable. The free version only includes one brush, but it was good enough to test.
I created an A4, 300 dpi canvas and started scribbling away. Response is good, but the cursor didn't ever line up with the pen tip. It always was behind and to the right of the tip until I physically came in contact with the screen. It's possible that my pen was setup for a left-handed user, but I never dug into the pen control panel to see if I could set the orientation.
Diagonal jitter is present in slowly drawn strokes. I think we just have to accept that this is a fact of life with all N-Trig devices. Speed up your strokes or use brush stabilization.
More of an issue is that when I drew a bunch of half circles, random ones would end up quantized (with straight line segments instead of a smooth curve). In the image below, notice how the third curve from the right is segmented. Also notice the very thin end to that curve, which is a typical N-Trig artifact.
Could it be a problem with the Sketchable app? Perhaps. I contacted the developers and let them know. But until someone here can test with more software, my recommendation is to proceed with caution.
The biggest advantage of the VAIO Z Canvas is its quad core processor. Although it's a Haswell generation CPU, it should still beat the dual core Skylake processors in the new Surfaces. Running real world tests with more than sketching programs is the only way to determine whether the speed difference is noticeable.
With its serious venting along the top and back of the tablet, the Z Canvas is probably loud too. Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell in the noisy mall setting of the Microsoft Store.
I don't know if I'll be able to do any further testing with the device. A couple of TabletPCReview members have purchased Canvases and I'll be scouring that site for their reviews. In the meantime, if any of you get hands on with the tablet, please leave your impressions below.
I want the new VAIO to succeed. They're clearly interested in catering almost exclusively to digital artists and that's worth a lot in a tech world where other OEMs don't even bother publicizing whether or not they are penabled.
TagsVAIO, Z Canvas, N-Trig
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Posts tagged gas tax
Was Lonegan’s defeat an inside job?
Well, at least Jay Webber won… and Seth Grossman.
Bob Hugin won’t totally have his way in wrapping the State’s Republican brand in a plain brown paper. He’s going to have a Reagan conservative and an eccentric libertarian to provide some color to the package – not to mention the incumbents, starting with the staunchly Pro-Life Chris Smith.
What Hugin won’t have is a genuine Trump-style populist bouncing around in the orchestra, stealing the stage of an election that he plainly believes he is paying for. Like Grossman, Steve Lonegan is decidedly his own article, but enough in the Trump mold to easily wear the costume.
McCann you say? The most baldly dishonest campaign in memory will now be set aside, and with it, all the Trumpian rhetoric. No, John McCann was not endorsed by President Trump, even though his campaign communications led you to believe he was. More on this later.
It is enough for now to compare the post-truth campaigning style of a certain southern political consultant to the rather insufficient counter-measures of the Lonegan team, whose messaging was done by a consultant shared with the Hugin team. Although completely false, McCann’s consultant had the discipline to dominate his candidate, confine him to those tasks of which he was capable, and to run the kind of sharp, focused, MESSAGE-driven campaign that we don’t often see here in New Jersey.
If McCann’s consultant survives the recent raid on his office by the FBI, the inquires by the United States Justice Department and such, he could become a formidable presence on the field in New Jersey. It takes a certain toughness to come up with a message so at variance with a candidate, to bully the candidate into silence, and then to brazenly run with it to victory.
Unfortunately, now the candidate will think the victory his… he will start to talk again. Like he did last week when, in an unguarded moment, he let slip his true feelings about abortion (he won’t vote for ANY Pro-Life legislation if elected to Congress) and guns (he opposes the NRA and supports universal background checks). Did the New Jersey Family Policy Council know this when its (c)4 lobbying arm was induced into doing an openly political mailer that buttered the Pro-Choice candidate but trashed the Pro-Lifer? Or did they know and did they not care? More on this later.
Not to worry though. John McCann has served his purpose. The candidate with the money lost (and now that candidate is a wounded, angry animal, sitting on a million dollar war chest). But John McCann is broke. He has eaten his seed corn. Don’t look for him to trouble Josh Gottheimer. And there might even be a reward in it for him. Another lucrative patronage job perhaps? He might end up a judge.
So the money that would have been spent in the 5th fighting off the visceral attacks of a Lonegan candidacy will now be heading… where? Which Democrat will be the beneficiary of yesterday… perhaps they will all share in a piece of it?
Among the other lessons learned…
The party potentates who opened the bottle of a Tony Ghee candidacy did so before its time. They gave the newcomer no time to breathe. It’s a solid vintage that will hopefully be available again.
And speaking of which. We learn from the former Wally Edge that Peter Murphy is about to assume the throne of the GOP in Passaic County – the place he occupied before a certain United States Attorney, named Chris Christie, sent him away. It’s a bad business – especially for Bob Hugin, who has made political corruption his ONLY issue. Lonegan’s polling showed Murphy’s support to be the strongest negative against McCann. More than 80 percent of Republicans were less likely to vote for a candidate who had his support… that’s REPUBLICANS. You would have hardly guessed it from Lonegan’s campaign communications, but there you have it.
Surprisingly enough, Lonegan did have coattails of a sort. In Sussex County, Lonegan-backed challengers to two incumbent Freeholders annihilated the incumbents. It is the first time in living memory that a ticket with two incumbents was defeated in Sussex County.
Dawn Fantasia is the principal at a charter school. Josh Hertzberg is an administrator with the ILA union. These are what Republican candidates look like in our populist era. Fantasia supported Senator Steve Oroho’s negotiations over the refinancing of the Transportation Trust Fund. She learned about it and patiently explained the details to others – and ended up cutting a radio spot to that end. People warned that it would hurt her politically, because the final deal raised the gas tax, while cutting or eliminating a host of taxes (including the estate tax) and providing property tax relief. Another lesson learned?
John McCann injected himself into the Freeholder race, on behalf of the incumbents, who supported him. He ran a radio spot that attacked Senator Oroho by name on the gas tax. Former Congressman Scott Garrett came out in support of the incumbents and ran a robo-call on their behalf. More lessons?
Lonegan won Sussex County, but by a much smaller margin – about 500 votes. Why the difference? Well, in Sussex, the Lonegan freeholder ticket had a strong message that they pursued relentlessly – and were quick and sharp with their counterattacks. The Lonegan campaign proper lacked this, especially the quick counterpunches. Fantasia and Hertzberg also had the full attentions of Kelly Hart, who had been “let go” by the Lonegan campaign in April. She had been field director for Sussex County.
Curiously enough though, when the dust settles after the General Election, the only big changes to the line-up of elected officials in CD05 will be the election of Lonegan’s running mates in Sussex County. Everyone else… McCann and all his running mates in Bergen and Passaic will have lost.
A few years ago, Ralph Nadar wrote a book called “Unstoppable” – in which he predicted the rise of populist movements on both the Left and the Right in response to the disconnect with the mainstream political parties. He suggested that Left and Right reformers had much in common and therefore, the basis of a genuine “resistance” movement.
How will this translate with Dr. Murray Sabrin on the Libertarian Party ticket for U.S. Senate is anyone’s guess, but there are Libertarian candidates in Districts 5 and 11, and a Constitution party in District 3. A Center-Left populist, Wendy Goetz, is also running in the 5th.
And finally, election night parties. The people you meet at such things are not average Republican voters. Many earn a living from politics – whether as a lobbyist or a vendor, a job holder or a consultant. They are in the business of politics – even those that just secure from it a certain status, as a member of a local government perhaps, or a school board.
That is not the case with 99 percent of Republican voters. All they get out of voting is the idea that they are checking the box for someone who thinks like they do. Most have a general idea of what the Republican Party stands for and that they stand for that too. That “general idea” is provided to them, largely, by the mainstream media. And yes, it includes the points that Republicans are Pro-Life and pro-Second Amendment.
New Jersey’s Republican political class needs to learn to live with this. Bring to a close their 40 years war with Reagan and their contempt for our base. Trying to pretend that you are something else or “a different kind of Republican” is not a message, it is a deflection. For all his money spent on advertising, Bob Hugin was able to convince just 52 percent of Republicans in Sussex County to vote for him. He will need to do a great deal better.
Let the political class make its money… but leave average GOP voters someone they can vote for.
Sadly, the party took a step back yesterday. They took away someone who meant something to a great many average Republicans – and they did so by telling voters that McCann was just a newer Lonegan, only more conservative, and that Donald Trump endorsed him. We all know that isn’t true.
And on that note, we begin the General Election.
Sussex County Watchdog June 6, 2018 Bob Hugin, CD05, Congressman Scott Garrett, Dawn Fantasia, John McCann, Josh Hertzberg, Senator Steve Oroho, Steve Lonegan, Sussex County, Sussex County Freeholders, Tony Ghee, gas tax
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Swaraag Flavours
About Swaraag
Swaraag is the sound of the music which does not limit itself to any specific genre. The band's music acumen creates a soothing blend of Indian (Folk & Sufi Fusion) and western music which can strike the chords of the heart of any music lover.
We are Swaraag - An indo Western Fusion Band!!!
Born in the majestic lands of the Rajasthan, Swaraag is a folk-fusion band hailing from Jaipur. The band brings forth the best of the traditional Rajasthani music amalgamated with modern instruments to create a mellifluous experience for the audience.
The talented band members have spread the magic of the traditional Rajasthani Music in many cities and shows (private and government) with equal success and are quickly becoming a household name and first choice for the show performances.
Today most of the bands are swayed by the popularity of rock and electronic music, Swaraag gives a unique touch to the music with its traditional instruments which sends the ‘Padharo Mare Desh’ message and reminds all the listeners about the warm and welcoming culture of the Rajasthan.
Arif Khan was a freelance musician, who used played ‘Zitar and Sitar’. The first bond of the band was formed in 2014 when the talented Arif Khan met with Pratap Singh in a concert. They both hit right away and after few more meetings and conversations, Arif was convinced with Pratap’s vision that folk music can be evolved to match the taste and expectations of the audiences and ever-changing interest of the listeners. And for the next 8 months, they experimented with the music with other talented musicians-- Wahid Khan on ‘tabla’ and ‘Idris Khan’ on guitar and successfully evolved the folk music out of its limited possibilities and exposed it to the countless possibilities of the modern day instruments.
Meanwhile, the time slipped away like sand from hands and by the end of 2014 the name ‘Swaraag- an Indo-Western fusion band’ was suggested by Pratap and everyone agreed to it. Soon the band started receiving the queries for corporate and wedding events and the day came when the band was introduced to the public with Asif Khan as a lead singer of our band including Sajid Khan on Drum, Hansraj on Khartal, Tashruf Ali on saxophone.
As the band gained popularity, requests started pouring in. The band took the challenge, worked hard, evolved its prowess and came up with new genres for the new generations namely Rajasthani Folk Fusion, Sufi Fusion, Instrumental Fusion, Bollywood Mashup and Gazal.
As the band gained the fame, suggestions for improvement also started pouring in. To meet expectations of the new fans, the team decided to add the octopad or keyboard in the band. But, Pratap’s vision to keep the band acoustic was clear so, rest of the members decided to play (whatever the music) directly via instruments and any electronic help (patches) was ruled out as an option. The band today perform live shows on instruments such as Zitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic drum, and tabla.
Swaraag's performance carries the soul of the folk and Sufi music which includes Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Punjabi Sufis. Apart from creating unbelievable instrumental fusions, Swaraag mesmerizes the audiences with their jamming sessions, which include the Indian Classical instruments and Western instruments.
About Arif Khan
Zitar Player
Some people love music, some people learn music, but Arif Khan from Sikar Gharan is a rare gem who was born with the music. During the early days of his childhood he showed the interest in playing Sitar and by the age of six, he started playing instruments. The love of playing sitar filled him and he was further groomed in the art by Ustad Mahmood Khan [father] who made Arif into Arif Khan as...
About Asif Khan
Lead Singer
The voice of Asif Khan is the voice of Swaraag. A talented singer of Sufi style and Rajasthani folk, he was trained by his father Ustad Mahmood Khan. Asif started showing his talents during the early years of his training and had his first show when he was merely six years old. Formally trained and groomed, his raw, powerful, and versatile voice is the signature style of the band.
His mellifluous voice is what the culture and tradition of Rajasthan are and his singing style reminds the audience of the late...
Sajid Khan
Due to his rhythmic ability, Sajid Khan started playing Tabla when he was mere 7-years old. As he grew older, his interests shifted towards drum and he a long chain of live shows begin. When he was 25....
Tasurf Ali
Tasruf Ali is the youngest trained saxophone and sarangi player among the band members. Apart from playing the saxophone, he also sings the chorus and supports the lead singer Asif Khan. Saxophone is one of the most.....
Reyshab Rozzer
Accousitc Guitar Player
Rishab is a young Guitar player in the band. He is not a Shakespeare but the melodies of his guitar speak to the souls of the audiences whether it is their first or the hundredth time. When he.....
Arif Khan
Khartal-Morchang Player
Arif Khan is an expert in playing Khartal - Morchang, which are Rajasthani instruments. As a trained player, he has done various international shows and has 20 years of experience in playing the instruments.....
Former Lead Guitarist
The best quality of Idris is, he plays every single chord with such a dedication as you will be mesmerised by his hold and perfection with minute details. If you’re looking to fix or mend your beloved....
Wahid Khan
Tabla Player
I belong to a musical family, And started learning tabla from my Dadu and Guru ‘Ustad Hidayat Khan’. At the age of 5. As the complete surrounding is of musician in our family it is easy for me to adapt to....
Morchang - Khartal
Though it is just two wooden pieces, But the magic created by them is spectacular. Hansraj has trained in this art from his father ‘Shivji Dholi’ who is known worldwide for his melodious folk singing, Also given..
Years of hard-earned success and fame have not changed his down-to-earth attitude. Even though he has become one of the finest guitar player and mesmerised audience across the globe. But he is....
Saif has won the hearts of the people through its beats, rhythm and exciting performances. He is also considered as one of the best Tabla Players from Sikar Gharana His interest in Tabla was aroused by Munir Khan.....
Pratap Singh Nirwan
It's been a long journey from designer, developer, travel magazine, event organizer and many more. But still there is one sound comes from my inner soul as something is missing. And there comes. ....
Giriraj Purohit
He is backbone of Swaraag, Often known as Detective Daya :) As he is very responsive to investigate the deal in the best possible manner. Though by education he is from commerce background, But has vast knowledge of........
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RedFestDXB
DESPITE ONLY BEING IN ITS THIRD YEAR, REDFEST HAS ALREADY MADE ITSELF A MAJOR PART OF THE UAE’S MUSIC FESTIVAL CALENDAR. TPMEA’S STE DURHAM RETURNED TO DUBAI’S MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE TO MEET THE CREW.
Initially put together collaboratively by Done Events and Virgin Radio, RedFestDXB was conceived as a hit music festival, designed to showcase the stars of the station’s current playlist.
The 2016 manifestation of the two-day music festival saw acts such as The Vamps, Steve Aoki, Rita Ora, Adam Lambert and DJ MistaJam play to thousands of adoring (and intimidatingly youthful) fans. As well as the main stage entertainment, the festival venue in Dubai Media City Amphitheatre offered numerous interactive installations, large food and beverage areas for bars and street food vendors, merchandised entertainment stands, and a fully serviced, elevated VIP grandstand.
Festival Promoter Thomas Ovesen, who was charged with booking the talent lineup, said: “This year we wanted to add more non-Virgin Radio playlist artists to add appeal to a wider audience. The festival introduced EDM talent to the festival for the first time in 2016 in the shape of Steve Aoki, a reflection of Ovesen’s compulsion to appeal to an older audience. He continued: “Having an event centred to this age group is both a strength and a weakness, Just adding EDM is not enough to expand the demographic, but it is certainly an interesting aspect.”
Due to its sloping width, the amphitheatre can comfortably host 12,000 guests in the ‘bowl’ area in front of the stage and use the rest of the space, with less in the way of sight lines, for food and beverage stands, second stages or activation zones. Although the first two years of RedFest boasted a second stage and promenade area for attractions such as retail and art exhibitions, 2016 saw the team adopt a more straightforward approach. Ovesen continued: “The focus this year was on the main stage rather than giving people too many choices. It represents a different view on festival experience, and something that allows the guests to make sure they catch their favourite stars on stage.”
Site Manager for Done Events, Robert Hodson, was backstage making sure all structural and logistical elements of the event went off without a hitch. According to Hodson, the key priority for the close-knit team at RedFest was to avoid cutting corners – to give the best show possible and ensure that all of the suppliers’ reputations remained just as strong after the gig. This has led to each year comprising of more or less the same core companies.
Al Laith were on-site to create some of the structural elements such as the necessary viewing and VIP platforms. Hodson said: “Everybody that comes to the event wants to see the show. We try and subscribe to this view and Al Laith are very good at being creative with the tiered systems we request.”
Keeping everything ticking over was Gulf Show Power, with which Hodson has a long and productive relationship. He said: “All their equipment is industry standard and they will help every end user, powering everything from food trucks to video screens.”
Although RedFest is a two-day event, Hodson said that he sees this as a bonus, rather than added workload: “It doesn’t cause any difficulty for us in terms of preparation time. I’d personally prefer to keep it up because it’s so soul destroying ripping something down when you spend so much time building it. I’d keep it up for longer if I could!”
BRINGING THE NOISE
Delta Sound supplied a complete audio package for the main stage, delivering 12 L-Acoustics K1 per side, three L-Acoustics K2 per side as downfill, and six K1 subwoofers per side flown behind the main array. It also supplied L-Acoustics 115XT speakers for stage monitoring in combination with L-Acoustics SB18 and SB28 subs, 16 L-Acoustics KARA as frontfill, and six K2 per side as outfill.
The complete system was powered by L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers, using LA Network Manager, and controlled by a DiGiC0 SD9 at FOH, with an additional pair of Avid Profile consoles. Another Profile was present at monitor world, as was a Waves-enabled SD5.
None of the touring productions brought their own audio equipment (with the exception of Adam Lambert). Delta Sound supplied in-ear requirements audio for the rest of the artists and RF. This package included 22 Sennheiser 2050 IEMs, eight Sennheiser G3’s, eight Sennheiser 2000 Series radio microphones and 16 Shure UR4D radio microphones. “Most of the gear was running at the same time, so RF was certainly a challenge,” commented Craig Harvey, Delta Sound Project manager. Delta Sound also supported the communication requirements of the event by providing 100 Motorola radios for crew and artists, as well as a Clearcom Freespeak system integrated into the shout system.
Delta Sound’s Al Woods said: “Most of the acts are pop or dance orientated so I made sure that the system has accentuated sub bass and low end. Generally I keep the system with as much available energy as possible to ensure maximum headroom. It sounded great, really punchy and very even. I feel its important to keep the dance vibe everywhere.
“From receiving the first band rider for each artist, we ensure that absolutely everything is advanced right down to the exact microphones, input lists, output patches and miscellaneous feeds (time code, intro music, VT). The artists’ engineers will have received all of this information and if things change it is sorted before arrival. It’s a lot of spread sheets and paperwork but it pays off in the end!”
“We had some long hours and early sound checks and mixed over 50% of the artists, both at monitors and FOH. Delta are super busy at the moment so there was no way of crew doing double shifts. We had a great result with lots of positive comments from the client, visiting artists and, most importantly, paying guests.”
The lighting and video brief from Done Events specified that the rig had to look ‘big’, so as not to become dwarfed by the substantial stage and IMAG screens. The amphitheatre is a regular haunt for PRG Gearhouse’s Head of Lighting, Damien Jackson, so he was well-prepared to deliver on the team’s great expectations. He said: “There wasn’t a great deal of design being led from the incoming bands as they seemed happy to work with a ‘festival rig’, so the design was down to me.
“Firstly, I wanted to split the big upstage LED screen. All too often we see a huge LED wall at the rear of the stage, so breaking it into multiple shapes and sizes offered something different.”
This served to use more of the space available, continuing the big look. Jackson continued: “I’ve always liked having fixtures at many different levels so splitting the screen offered opportunities to squeeze in fixtures all over the stage at various heights – a dynamic I felt offered more diverse looks over the two days of Redfest.”
Jackson was not obligated to overhaul his core lighting rig too much during the festival, bar the odd floor package alteration, and only had to deal with a handful of incoming LDs. While he had slightly more work to do from a video point of view, Jackson and his team had prepared from the influx of guest media servers.
He explained: “Over half of the acts brought their own so there was a lot of re-patching to do. We had identified this during pre-production, so we were able to draw up a detailed schematic and assign the correct number of signals in the correct locations – it was just a matter of keeping on top of it once we were on site.”
ALL GUNS BLAZING
Stage FX, part of the eclipse Group, was drafted in to take care of some of the weekend’s biggest moments.
The company was initially contacted to assist with some of headliner Steve Aoki’s specific requirements, providing a number of new Magic FX Stadium Shot Extremes and Co2 guns. Aoki himself even likes to get in on the action – firing the Co2 into the euphoric crowd at points during his set.
Stage FX also included on-site technical support for all the equipment being used so as to ensure health and safety precautions were followed to the letter.
Arran Hopkins, General Manager of Stage FX, commented: “In line with our commitment to health and safety, the usual procedures were taken including the use of our proven high quality European equipment, checks by our in-house HSE manager and safety briefing of the artist on the use of the handheld Co2 gun.”
These effects, combined with the already impressive production in place, contributed to make RedFest a resounding success – further cementing its place on the country’s growing portfolio of events.
Photos: Done Events
www.redfestdxb.com
www.doneevents.com
www.allaith.com
www.gulfshowpower.com
www.deltasound.uk
www.gearhouse-arabia.com
www.eclipse.ae
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12142 Patliputra - Mumbai LTT SF Express (PT) Route and Schedule
Patliputra - Mumbai LTT SF Express (PT)
Patliputra Junction/PPTA
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus/LTT
1A, 2A, 3A, SL
12142/ Patliputra - Mumbai LTT SF Express (PT) is one of the prominent train of Indian railways that runs between Patliputra Junction and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. The total distance covered by the train is 1686km and average speed of the train is 59km/hr Train departs from Source station at time and it reaches at Destination station at time. 12142/ Patliputra - Mumbai LTT SF Express (PT) has 13 stoppages. Train runs on following days (Daily) and consists of coaches – (1A, 2A, 3A, SL)
Patliputra Junction(PPTA)
Danapur(DNR)
Ara Junction(ARA)
Buxar(BXR)
Zamania(ZNA)
Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction(DDU)
Satna Junction(STA)
Jabalpur Junction(JBP)
Nasik Road(NK)
Kalyan Junction(KYN)
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus(LTT)
12142 Patliputra Junction 10:45 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus 15:15 Daily
16535/ Gol Gumbaz Express run from Mysuru Junction to Solapur. Depart time of and arrival time of 12:56. Train runs on following days (Daily)
16344/ Amritha Express (Via Palakkad Town) (PT) run from Madurai Junction to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Depart time of 15:20 and arrival time of 05:50. Train runs on following days (Daily)
16219/ Chamarajanagar - Tirupati Express run from CHAMARAJANAGAR to Tirupati Main. Depart time of and arrival time of 05:23. Train runs on following days (Daily)
16205/ Talaguppa - Mysuru Intercity Express run from Talguppa to Mysuru Junction. Depart time of and arrival time of 22:52. Train runs on following days (Daily)
15770/ Lumding - Alipur Duar InterCity Express (UnReserved) run from Lumding Junction to Alipur Duar Junction. Depart time of 15:10 and arrival time of 01:05. Train runs on following days (Daily)
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Papers of Harry S. TrumanStaff Member and Office Files:David D. Lloyd Files
Dates: 1945-1953
Administrative Assistant to the President, 1951-1953
The David D. Lloyd Files consist of correspondence, printed materials, speech drafts, and other items relating to Lloyd's service on the White House staff during President Harry S. Truman's administration.
Size: 12 linear feet, 8 linear inches (about 23,200 pages).
Copyright: Harry S. Truman donated his copyright interest in writings in these files to the United States government. Documents created by U.S. government officials in the course of their official duties are likewise in the public domain. Copyright interest in any other writings in these files is assumed to remain with the authors of the documents.
Processed by: Philip D. Lagerquist (1966), Jim Armistead (2012).
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
1911 (June 6)
Born, New York City
A.B., Harvard University
LL.B., Harvard Law School
Attorney, Resettlement Administration
Assistant Chief Counsel, Civil Liberties Subcommittee, U.S. Senate
1940 (October 19)
Married Charlotte Tuttle
Attorney with the Federal Communications Commission, the Office of Price Administration, and the Foreign Economic Administration
Legal Adviser, Mission for Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy, London
Director of Research and Legislation, Americans for Democratic Action
Member of the White House Staff
Administrative Assistant to the President
Executive Director, Harry S. Truman Library, Inc., and Assistant to Former President Truman
Vice President, Harry S. Truman Library Institute for National and International Affairs
Published Spend and Survive: The Intelligent Citizen's Guide to Public Spending
1962 (December 11)
Died, Alexandria, Virginia
The Files of David D. Lloyd relate to his service on the White House staff during the Harry S. Truman administration. The documents in the Lloyd Files are dated from 1945 to 1953. The folders in this collection are arranged alphabetically by title within two series, the Subject File and the Presidential Speech and Message File.
The first series, the Subject File, is largely comprised of letters and memoranda written by Lloyd from 1949 through 1952. The correspondence included relates to Lloyd's duties as a member of the White House staff, and includes references to President Truman's Point Four program, the Cold War, housing, immigration, rent control, and pending legislation in Congress. There are two signed thank-you letters addressed to Mr. Lloyd from President Harry S. Truman included in this series. One folder, "Korean Children's Choir," contains a booklet of photographs.
The second series, the Presidential Speech and Message File, is the larger of the two. This series includes press releases, handwritten notes, speech drafts written by Lloyd and others, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other items relating to Lloyd's service as a speechwriter on President Truman's White House staff. Some of the speech drafts include a wide array of doodles drawn by Lloyd on various subjects, both abstract and representational, as well as both handwritten and typed changes in many of the speech drafts. Several of these documents concern the 1948 and the 1952 election campaigns. Other documents in the series refer to immigration, General Douglas MacArthur, the Korean crisis, President Truman's Point Four Program, and Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. Some of the speeches were written for particular events such as Fourth of July celebrations and cornerstone layings. Also included are multiple Presidential State of the Union addresses, as well as President Truman's 1949 Inaugural Address.
Related collections at the Truman Library include the David D. Lloyd Papers which include information on Lloyd's work as an assistant to former President Truman from 1953 to 1962, as well as other aspects of his life and career.
SUBJECT FILE, 1945 - 1953
Letters and memoranda written by Lloyd from 1949 through 1952. Arranged alphabetically.
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH AND MESSAGE FILE, 1945 - 1953
Press releases, handwritten notes, speech drafts written by Lloyd and others, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other items relating to Lloyd's service on President Harry S. Truman's White House staff. Arranged alphabetically.
Atomic Energy Program
Big Four Meetings with the President
China Lobby [1 of 2]
CIO, Draft of President's Message to Declaration of Independence etc. (re: removal of from Library of Congress to National Archives)
Conflict of Interest Statute
Declaration of Independence, etc. (Re: Removal from the Library of Congress to National Archives)
Defense Mobilization
Disarmament (letter to Senator Flanders March 14, 1952)
Franco Letter (letter to Franco from President, July 23, 1952)
General Welfare Clause
German Contractual Agreements
German Hostilities Terminated
Governor's Conference
The Great Seal (suggestion by Maury Maverick for Great Seal Day Proclamation)
Harris, R.E.G.
Hechler, Kenneth
Home Loan Bank Legislation
Home Rule for the District of Columbia
Housing, 1950 [1 of 2]
Housing, 1951 and 1952
Housing, Middle Income
Immigration (Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952)
Immigration Bills
Immigration (Celler Bill)
Immigration (Message to Congress - March 24, 1952)
Immigration - Letters and Memoranda re [1 of 4]
Immigration and Naturalization Service, President's Commission on [1 of 2]
Immigration: Veto of Immigration and Nationality Act H.R. 5678 [1 of 2]
Income, National 1949
India Grain Bill
India Grain Message
International Ladies Garment Workers Union, 1952
Korean Children's Choir [booklet with photographs]
Lanigan, Jim
Lobbying Investigation (Buchanan Committee)
Lobbyists, Joint Resolution re
Loeb, Jim
Loyalty of State Department Employees, Senate Subcommittee on (Tydings Committee)
McCarthy, Senator Joseph
Mutual Security Program
National Council of Churches
National Monetary Commission
Passport Division
Personal - Congratulatory Letters
Personal Correspondence
Powers of the President with Respect to the Disposition of the Armed Forces Overseas
Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe
Puerto Rico, President's Advisory Commission on the Relation of Federal Laws in Puerto Rico
Reclamation - Central Valley Project
Refugee Program - Arab-Palestine Program
Religious Freedom and the United Nations
Rent Control, 1950 [1 of 2]
Rent Control - Los Angeles
Rent Control - H.R. 2291 (1950)
Rockefeller Report (on Point Four)
Russian Peace Offer (Shvernick Letter of August 6, 1951)
Satellites' Armed Forces
"Scare Words" [1 of 2]
Speeches - 1st Western Trip - Pre-Campaign (1948)
Speeches - Western Trip (1950)
Steel [1 of 3]
Texas Delegation - 1952 Convention
Treaty Aliens - Draft Status
Treaty Guarantees - Violation of Peace
Voting - Soldier
Voting - Proposed Commission on
ADA Speech - May 17, 1952
Agriculture Honor Awards Ceremony - May 15, 1952
American Hospital Association Convention - September 16, 1952
American Legion Dedication Speech - August 14, 1951
American Newspaper Guild Speech - June 28, 1950
American Society of Newspaper Editors - April 20, 1950
AMVETS - April 18, 1952
Annapolis Speech (Naval Academy) - May 24, 1952
Apportionment Message to Congress - January 9, 1951
Archives Speech - December 15, 1952
Armed Forces Speech - May 18, 1951
Atomic Submarine Nautilus - June 14, 1952
Attlee-Truman Conference (Communiqué) - December 8, 1950
Attorney General's Conference on Law Enforcement Problems - February 15, 1950
Barron, Carter- Amphitheater Dedication - May 25, 1951
Better Business Bureaus - June 6, 1950
Bond Drive - September 3, 1951
Boy Scout Speech, June 30, 1950
Boyle, William M. - Kansas City Tribute to, September 29, 1949
Boyle, William M. - Material
Brotherhood Talk (National Conference of Christians and Jews), November 10, 1949
Budget Message, 1949
Budget, Radio Address on, July 13, 1949
Bull Shoals Dam, July 2, 1952
Chicago, Illinois Draft
Christmas Message, December 24, 1951
Christmas Tree Ceremony, December 24, 1952
Churchill-Truman Meeting, January, 7-8, 1952
C.I.O. Message (proposed), 1948
Citizenship Conference (National Conference on Citizenship), September 17, 1952
Civil Air Patrol Dinner, May 14, 1952
Civil Defense Conference, May 7, 1951
Civil Defense Film, October 31, 1951
Civil Service Speech, May 2, 1952
Clifford, Clark- Speech, October 20, 1951
Columbia Scholastic Press Association, March 15, 1952
Community Chest, September 30, 1951
Conference on Citizenship, National, May 17, 1951
Conference on Industrial Safety, March 23, 1949
Conference on Industrial Safety, June 3, 1950
Conference of Mayors, United States, March 21, 1949
Constitution Sealing Ceremony, September 17, 1951
Correspondence, July, 1952 - January, 1953
"Courier" Speech, March 4, 1952
Defense Production Act Amendments, Message on, 1951
Democratic Digest Letter, November, 1952
Democratic National Convention, July 26, 1952
Des Moines Speech, September 5, 1949
Detroit Speech, 250th Anniversary of, July 28, 1951
Disarmament Broadcast, November 7, 1951
District Court Cornerstone Laying, June 27, 1950
Dutch Carillon Speech, April 14, 1952
Election Speech, St. Louis, MO, November 4, 1950
Employ the Physically Handicapped Speech, August 9, 1950
Employ the Physically Handicapped Speech, August 17, 1951
Employ the Physically Handicapped Speech, September 4, 1952
"Farewell to the Nation," January 15, 1953
Federal Bar Association Speech, April 24, 1950
"File of the Facts"
Fireside Chat (Farewell Message), January 13, 1951
Food and Agriculture Organization, November 22, 1949
Foreign Aid Message, May 24, 1951 [1 of 2]
Foreign Ministers (of the American Republics) Meeting, March 23, 1951
Foreign Policy Speeches, 1945 and 1947
Four Chaplains, Dedication of the Chapel of the, February 3, 1951
Fourth of July Proclamation (Message) 175th Anniversary, July 4, 1951
Fourth of July Speech, July 4, 1951
Friendship International Airport, June 24, 1950
General Accounting Office (Cornerstone Laying) September 11, 1951
George Washington, Mason's statue of, February 22, 1950
Gomper's Square Dedication, October 27, 1951
Hebrew Congregation (Washington D.C.) Speech, November 16, 1952
Highway Safety Conference, June 2, 1949 and August 31, 1950
Highway Safety Conference, June 13, 1951
Howard University Commencement, June 13, 1950
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1949
Industrial College of the Armed Forces, December 16, 1952
Inflation Speech, June 14, 1951
Interior's Industry Advisory Council Meeting, May 9, 1951
Internal Security [1 of 3]
International Bank and Monetary Fund, September 10, 1951
Italian Horses (Equestrian Statues) Dedication, September 26, 1951
Japanese Treaty Speech, September 4, 1951
Jefferson - Jackson Day Dinner, 1946, 1947, and 1948
Jefferson - Jackson Day Dinner, February 24, 1949
Jefferson - Jackson Day Dinner, April 14, 1951
Jefferson - Jackson Day Dinner, March 29, 1952
Kfar Truman, May 26, 1952
Korean Peace Offers
Korean Speech, July 19, 1950
Korean Speech, September 1, 1950
Labor Day Speech, September 2, 1952
Lehman Plan (Endorsement of Governor Lehman for U.S. Senator) November 5, 1949
Liberty Bell Speech, Independence, MO, November 6, 1950
Lincoln Quotes
Little Rock Speech, June 11, 1949
MacArthur, General Douglas, Chronology and Documents
MacArthur, General Douglas, Firing, April 11, 1951
MacArthur, General Douglas, San Francisco Speech, October 17, 1950
Madison, Wisconsin Draft
Marshall, General George C., Tribute, June, 1949
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), April 1, 1949
Messages, Presidential (mimeographed copies) 1949 - 1950 [1 of 2]
Messages, Presidential (mimeographed copies) 1950 - 1951
Messages of the President, Miscellaneous, 1950
Miami Speech to the VFW, August 22, 1949
Mid - Century White House Conference on Children and Youth, December 5, 1950
Military Assistance, July 25, 1949
Military Surgeons Speech, November 19, 1952
Missouri Trip, President's, June 9 - 10, 1950
Mutual Security Message, March 6, 1952
Mutual Security Speech, March 6, 1952
National Institute of Health Clinical Center, June 22, 1951
NATO - Third Anniversary, April 4, 1952
Negro Women (National Council of), November 15, 1949
North Atlantic Pact, April 4, 1949
Notes, Daily [1 of 2]
One Great Hour
Philadelphia American Legion Speech, August 29, 1949
Philippine Treaty, August 30, 1951
Pittsburgh Speech (Allegheny County Free Fair), September 5, 1949
Platforms (Party)
Point IV [1 of 3]
Point IV Conference, April 8, 1952
Point IV Report, 1952
Postmasters Speech, September 17, 1951
Powers of the President Re: Troops Overseas (Drafts)
Presbyterian Church (Alexandria, VA) Cornerstone Laying, November 23, 1952
Presbyterian Church (Washington D.C.) Cornerstone Laying, April 3, 1952
Presidential Speech, Proposed
Raleigh (NC) Speech of Undersecretary James Webb, January 28, 1950
Red Cross Cornerstone Laying, October 24, 1951
Red Cross Speech, February 27, 1951
Remarks, Articles, Speeches (Other than Presidential)
Reserve Officers Speech, June 26, 1953
St. Paul (Minn.) Speech, November 3, 1949
San Francisco Luncheon Speech, September 4, 1951
Savings Bond Drive, May 16, 1949
Shriners Speech in Chicago, September 29, 1949 and Masonic Speech in St. Louis, July 20, 1949
Speech Drafts, Miscellaneous
Speech, Fiscal, October, 1948
Speech, Foreign Policy (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 1948
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, (mimeographed copies) [1 of 2]
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, Miscellaneous Drafts
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, Buffalo
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, Minnesota Speech
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, Pittsburgh Speech
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, Springfield, Illinois Speech
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, St. Louis Speech
Speeches, 1948 Campaign, St. Louis and Cleveland Speeches
Speech Materials
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Whistle Stop, July, 1952 (mimeographed Copies)
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Whistle Stop, September 1 - 2
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Whistle Stop, September 2 - October 1
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Whistle Stop, July 1 - November 1 [1 of 2]
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Whistle Stop, October 2 - 12
Speeches, 1952 [1948] Campaign, Whistle Stop, "Off the Cuff"
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Havre, Montana, September 30
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Hungry Horse, Montana, October 1
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Spokane, Washington, October 1
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Seattle, Washington, October 2
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Tacoma, Washington, October 2
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Klamath Falls, Oregon, October 3
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Oakland, California, October 4
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, San Francisco, California, October 4
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Colorado Springs, Colorado, October 7
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Jefferson City, Missouri, October 8
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Cleveland, Ohio, October 9
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Buffalo, New York, October 9
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Rochester, New York, October 10
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Albany, New York, October 10 and Denver, Colorado, October 7
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, New York, New York (Columbus Day) October 11
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Miscellaneous Data, Re: Western Trip
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, President's Whistle stops, October 15 - 19, (mimeographed copies)
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Lawrence, Massachusetts, October 17
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Boston, Massachusetts, October 17
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Providence, Rhode Island, October 18
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Brooklyn, New York, October 18
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Newark, New Jersey, October 21
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, October 21
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 21
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 22
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, President's Whistle stops, October 26 - November 3, (mimeographed copies)
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Gary, Indiana, October 27
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, St. Paul, Minnesota, October 28
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Hibbing, Minnesota, October 28
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Detroit, Michigan, October 30
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Toledo, Ohio, October 31
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Dayton, Ohio, October 31
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 31
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Terre Haute, Indiana, November 1
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, St. Louis, Missouri, November 1
Speeches, 1952 Campaign, Election Eve Speech, November 3
Speeches, Presidential, Presidential, 1949 and 1950, (mimeographed copies) [1 of 2]
Speeches, Presidential, Presidential, 1951 and 1952, (mimeographed copies)
Speeches, Presidential, December, 1952
State of the Union Message, January 5, 1949
State of the Union Message, January 8, 1951 [1 of 2]
Statement, President's, October 27, 1952
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech to National Association of Women Lawyers, September 15, 1950
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech at Mt. Holyoke College, October 20, 1950
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech before American Society of Travel Agents, November 3, 1950
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech at Vanderbilt University, January 29, 1951
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech at Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas, June 3, 1951
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speech to Veterans of Foreign Wars, Florida Department, June 15, 1951
Steelman, Dr. John R. - Speeches, 1952
Steel Strike Speech, April 8, 1952
Tax Message, February 2, 1951
35th Division Reunion, June 7, 1952
Tullahoma, Tennessee - Arnold Engineering Development Dedication, June 25, 1951
Union Station Speech - Dedication of USO Lounge, August 8, 1951
United Nations, October 24, 1950
United Nations Cornerstone Laying, October 24, 1949
United Nations Day, September 26, 1952
VA Voluntary Services Speech, May 21, 1952
Voting Record (House and Senate), 1949 - 1950
Wake Forest College, October 15, 1951
Washington Pilgrimage of American Churchmen, September 28, 1951
West Point Speech, May 20, 1952
Western Trip to Grand Coulee Dam, President Truman's, May 7 - 16, 1950
Westminster (Presbyterian) Church Cornerstone Laying, November 23, 1952
Williams' Letter Re: Presidential Salary, Senator
Wilson Speeches, Charles
Women's Day, Democratic, September 27, 1949
Women's National Democratic Club, November 20, 1951
Wright Memorial Dinner of the Aero Club of Washington, December 17, 1952
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Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan says 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' to face Lok Sabha Elections 2019 by itself
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan had earlier announced that his party would contest the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with like-minded parties.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan | Photo Credit: BCCL
Coimbatore: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Thursday said his Makkal Needhi Maiam would contest all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu on its own in the coming Lok Sabha polls, indicating a shift in its policy to forge alliances. "we are trying to serve good for the people with clean hands. We are trying to keep our hands clean by not allying with any of the Dravidian parties," the 64-year-old Haasan told reporters here.
Asked whether his party would contest all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry, he said, "yes, we have taken such a decision". Haasan had earlier announced that his party would contest the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with like-minded parties.
To a query on his two-day meeting with the district assembly constituency and area in-charges in Pollachi near Coimbatore, he said discussions centred around the areas that need to be focused ahead of the polls. Amid fanfare, Kamal Haasan had in February last year launched his political party.
Kamal Haasan's party Makkal Needhi Maiam to not contest Vellore by-polls
Kamal Haasan's party Makkal Needhi Maiam won’t contest the Vellore By-Polls. The elections in the constituency were countermanded due to a huge money distribution. Watch the video to know more!
Arvind Kejriwal meets PM Narendra Modi, congratulates him on victory in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections
National education policy draft row: Kamal Haasan rushes to actor Suriya's defence
Is the opposition divided over one nation one poll? | The Urban Debate With Faye D'Souza
इसे मरने का ऐलान समझा जाए, अगर मुझे कुछ हुआ: रोहित शेखर
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan says 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' to face Lok Sabha Elections 2019 by itself Description: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan had earlier announced that his party would contest the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with like-minded parties. Times Now
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UFO In Russia Confirmed By Local Authorities Shining Weird Lights 👽🌟⭐✨👽
Now this is one of them UFO sightings that we don't need to say anything other than this was confirmed by the local authorities in Ural'sk, Russia to the investigating team but totally denied it on a national and public level.
We've never seen anything quite like this Extraterrestrial behaviour or UFO activity before ever, have you? There's three main UFO's (2 Orbs and a Cigar shaped UFO) but then there's what looks like a fourth Orb but tiny compared to the other two darting back and forth to just one of the Orbs to the right of the screen.
It's very erie as there's lots of fog and it's dark. The light is darting around but mainly stays focused on the ground in front of the Cigar shaped UFO.
These are some still's from the video:
Here's the amazing video which I think is absolutely stunning, what do you think about this? It's contender for the best so far this year. There's no way that the budget would cover something this good of a video in rural Russia. There's to many things about this that makes me think this is real, it's hard to fool the UFO Magazine guys for one thing and if they say it's good well it's good enough for me.
Source Ufomagazine on Instagram.
Labels: cigar shape ufo in russia, real ufo in russia, Russia ufo, Russia ufo video, russian local authorities admit ufo, russian ufo sighting video, ufo magazine, ufo shining light, ufomagazine ufo, Ural'sk
Location: Ural'sk, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, 453742
The Tablet That Rolls Up Is out Of This World 👌👍😁🤳✔
Image credit/MgicScroll
This is the future of technology. It's the future that everyone knows is coming and this is one of them things that we all know innately that this is coming no matter what. It doesn't matter if you want it or not, it's here and I knew it was only a matter of time. It's exactly the same for hover cars. They WILL be a matter of fact, it's just a matter of time because every science fiction movie or TV show has a flying car.
It's one of them obvious science fiction themes that humans just can't seem to keep away from? One way or another someone will develop that hovering car just like I knew deep down that someone would develop the roll up phone/tablet/computer and would you know it, it's here.
This is the video I found about this amazing tablet that has a bendy screen or "rolling screen" and it's actually HD, phone camera etc. It's epic but if this is the first one, as with everything us humans invent - the first one is always the one that when we look back on it we say "wow, look how big that was" or it looks very primitive lol. It's just the way all technology. The first mobile cell phones looked ridiculously big but now look at them.
Will this one go down the same route of reinventing itself? Will it get smaller and better by design? Will it become a stand alone gadget or will it be swallowed up by a tech giant and buried or will it survive the inevitable and become a turning point in communications and social development and the way we interact with others or am I thinking way to much about it? Let us know what you think about this "roll up tablet" or bendy tablet.
Here's the research I found about the Rollable MagicScroll Tablet and it's awesome:
MagicScroll rollable tablet gives folding screens a controversial form-factor source Tech News.
Cell devices with rollable shows are accurate across the nook, nevertheless one group is taking some moderately old-college inspiration for the system a tablet may perchance doubtless exhaust the hide abilities. The MagicScroll is the handiwork of Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab, combining a cutting-edge 7.5-fade versatile repeat with the invent ingredient more equivalent to an old vogue scroll.
Regardless that numerous firms are identified to be working on versatile panels, and firms love Samsung are anticipated to ship folding devices per such abilities to market within the next 12-18 months, to this level there’s been much less discussion around what invent-ingredient they’ll adopt.
Samsung’s Galaxy X, as the upcoming instrument is extensively identified, is believed to be a clamshell, taking fair correct thing about the reality that a flexible hide may perchance doubtless very effectively be folded in half of without negative it.
An iPad That Fits Your Pocket: Introducing a Roll-up Tablet With Flexible Screen Real Estate.
Source Human Media Lab (MagicScroll).
YouTube channel Human Media Lab.
Labels: bendy cell phone, cell phone that has a roll up screen, lightweight cell phone with a new bendy screen, mobile phone with a bending screen, new gadget that screen bends, new roll tablet, roll up tablet
Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA
Original Gemini Capsule UFO Footage Caught On Camera 👽🌟⭐✨👽
Gemini's original 1965 video shows an orb ufo moving away from the left side to the top of the capsule footage before the pilot uses the propellers to move away from the object. This is some of the very first UFO encounters in space.
On another note, NASA has always and frustratingly denied any knowledge of Aliens or UFOs for that matter so it would not surprise me if they put out images with blatant disguises on the images like this one I expertly digitally remastered myself:
So here's the Gemini Video from 1965 in which the astronaut can clearly be see using the thruster's to get away from this "space anomaly" or in commoners language a UFO. There's many examples online of UFOs but some from the very early days of space exploration rarely get mentioned because I suppose people think that they're no longer any threat, relevant or basically of no importance but you'd be wrong!
All UFOs are relevant because they show a lineage, a tree of evolution and what "they" was using back then to the UFOs of today? In one of my other posts I actually said that if the UFOs look like they came from a specific decade like a 70's UFO or an 80's UFO then it's more than likely they're fake because Aliens do not have a fashion or style sense that mirror images our own therefore it's quite likely that if it look's like 1940s UFO, chances are it's man made. It makes sense to me that, what about you.
Image and video credit goes to NASA Gemini Mission and N.A.S.A. Space Kennedy Center plus also UFO Magazine Instagram.
Labels: Gemini, Gemini mission UFO caught on camera, Gemini UFO video, NASA Gemini Moon mission videoed a UFO in space, NASA lies, NASA ufo, nasa ufos, real Gemini photos of UFOs, The Gemini Moon capsule UFO
Another Dimensional Portal Stargate Opens Up In the Sky - Another 👽✨🌟💫👽
Another amazing dimensional portal has been filmed opened up in the sky of the Ukraine. This comes after just 2 days ago when we posted about another stargate portal that was filmed from a plane window by very scared people in the plane.
That video was absolutely terrifying for the people as they did not know what was going on and that thing was huge! When your that high up and the sky opens up to the side of you, imagine what that would be like.
This stargate is still huge, it's very confusing because nobody is actually sure what it is and also it's opened up right near you and your house, that has to be scary. This actually looks pretty similar to that other one we posted about which can be found here.
I am getting really concerned as to the frequency that these dimensional portals are been seen and filmed? Even though we don't really have any exact information on when these was filmed or videoed and photographed.
But the one thing we can agree on is that these are very scary, confusing and absolutely unusual. They could even be dimensional skygate, portals or even a tear in the fabric of reality itself?How do we know what these are for sure?
The image below was photographed from a plane window by really scared people. It looks just like the one above. It's amazing stuff and very unusual. Link to that post is here.
How do we get answers and who do we ask about these? If it was a tornado, weather anomaly or something unusual like that we could ask someone but who do we ask about these? That's a very weird video indeed but to see two of these things is very rare.
Source Ufosmagazine Instagram.
Posted, Edited And Beamed Up By UFO Sightings Footage on August 31, 2018
Labels: Another dimensional portal opens up in the sky, another stargate opens, CERN dimensional portal, cern portal, cern stargate, dimension portal, LHC, portal, round portal, stargate, stargate filmed in the sky
Alien Crafts In Our Solar System In NASA Images 👽🌟✨💫👽
The YouTube channel "TheRealJimmyRoberts1 and The Washington Times May 11th, 2001 - has got on to a really good and important subject that has given rise to lots of evidence of huge Space Crafts in our own solar system. The US government has been covering up extraterrestrial visits for more than 50 years.
They Are Here Huge Alien Craft In Our Solar System (Video).
More than 20 Air Force and FAA and Intelligence officers have come forward to back this claim up. Here's the video TheRealJimmyRoberts1 has given to the world and this is an amazing video to boot.
Apparently these 20 are a fraction of the 400 who came forward and are willing to testify under oath and Congress immunity. In other words they had nothing to lose and would do it no matter what! That's people we need to be listening to.
His video announces:
Strong pictorial evidence of alien spacecraft from the 1972 Apollo 16 Mission to the moon as well as from the Cassini probe images of Saturn's moons.
The analysis done for this video is really amazing stuff and I strongly suggest you go and have a look at TheRealJimmyRoberts1 YouTube channel as you (and me) can learn so, so much. His research is in depth and is second to none.
It's backed up by solid claims with facts and evidence so what more do you need? The images above are all NASA images, it begs belief why they couldn't do this analysis of their own images? Or, do they already know about them but hope nobody gets on to them.
Even Iapetus is supposed to be an intelligently made Space Craft because of the weird shape, it goes further than that you need to watch the video. It's amazing and eye opening.
Labels: aliens, best ufo images, moon, nasa, nasa ufos, ovni, ovnis, space crafts in our solar system, space UFOs, spaceships in our solar system, TheRealJimmyRoberts1, ufo, UFOs in our solar system, UFOs in our space
Amazing dimensional portal just open in the sky
Now as dimensional portals go, this one is stunning and all that! It has all the hallmarks of an "opening dimension" or as some call it, a dimensional rift. A tear in the fabric of reality itself or is it? It seem's to me that this is being held open because of the black ring on the bezel? This could be the effects of CERN or The Large Hadron Collider? By the way, that is not jet exhaust smoke!
Obviously (if your in the know) CERN has not taken any credit for any portals that have opened around the world, but as in the past they've come under scrutiny just because of the crazy, otherworldly experiments that they engage in! I'm talking recreating black holes, big bangs and yes their machine looks like an eye, it look's like a stargate for real.
The types of weird things that have gone on there like satanic rituals (prank) if you can believe that and because they're pushing the boundaries of what mankind can do, it draws a lot of conspiracy theories.
I mean c'mon, opening one reality inside of another reality is wacky by any standards and probably something they shouldn't be doing! I mean who polices them?
They should not be playing around or testing, experimenting and definitely not examining other realities this way or dimensions and alternative dimensions etc at all because one day, something crazy is going to come out of one of these dimensions in to this one through a doorway or stargate.
Call it whatever you want to but an ugly, demonic entity could and yes, it's totally possible especially if it's a representation of our fears then it could be nasty, horrible and our worst fears or nightmares come true.
That stargate in the video is probably real, by the sounds of the people in the plane something terrifying was happening that day on that plane journey? I'm just glad that I wasn't on that plane. Can you imagine seeing it, knowing what we know about CERN etc? It would be horrible.
Source JK Twitter.
Labels: CERN, cern portal, cern stargate, dimension, dimensional stargate, LHC portal, portal, real dimension portal, real portal seen from a plane window, real stargate, stargate filmed from a plane window
Man Spots Mysterious UFO Flashing In The Sky It Could Be A TR3B 👽✨👽✨
A passenger spots a strange flashing UFO in the sky above a car, the man says that the object is "doing something in the sky" as the mysterious shape lights up and then fades.
The guy capturing the video is in an excellent place to film this obvious UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) and even though it looks like a TR3B we can't be sure? There's a number of lights that are actually blinking, are they trying to communicate through lights because Earth uses a lot of lights to communicate. Fibre optics and we use lights in general. This is obviously an intelligent machine por craft and that's why I think it might be trying to communicate through lights, maybe.
It could be a UFO that has not been seen "as yet" and therefore this could be a genuine UFO in the truest sense of the word. Either way though this is an excellent example of what is been seen in the skies around the planet especially at night. We would like your thoughts on this one? Have you seen anything like this before and if you have please let us know about it, cheers. The video is below at the bottom.
Imagine if this craft or UFO wasn't using any lights? Imagine if this UFO is not being filmed by anyone? This Unidentified Flying Object would of gone unnoticed, unseen and definitely nobody would of filmed it so that beg's the question:
How many UFOs are going undetected around the world because all they have to do is turn their lights off and now they're invisible as they don't make a noise! That's some amazing technology even we are not aware of or using. A form of propulsion and hovering that uses energy without a noise. that is mind blowing.
The TR3B is a real craft that genuinely exists and we've actually posted on this aircraft before and the possible Alien/UFO roots it was possibly back engineered from. There is a lot of questions and rumours around this "real" aircraft. It is shrouded in strangeness and controversial mysteries and a possible cover up to say the least.
If there's ever been a contender for a TR3B or an Unidentified Flying object then this is quite possibly the "one"? It has all the hallmarks of an Alien craft and the thing is, it's changing it's shape right in front of the eyewitness.
So instead of interpreting the video or analysing the video after the event we have the guy filming it giving us a running commentary which is priceless because this eliminates some but not all doubts of what is actually taking place and to know it's changing shape is mind blowing.
It's this what is casting doubts in my mind as to the validity of this been a TR3B? I've never heard any reports that TR3B's actually shape shift or change shape? If you've heard or seen reports of this happening then please let us know through the comments here on the site. It's a great video and what a find. The link to our researched information is here on the Express.
Here's our link to our other post about the famous TR3B the original stealth aircraft that was back engineered from a UFO that crashed? Possibly... but the TR3B is real it has a patent.
Labels: back engineered ufo TR3B, stealth plane back engineered, TR-3b, tr3b, TR3b has a patent, tr3b stealth aircraft, tr3b ufo, ufo back engineered, ufo crash site, ufo filmed in the night sky, ufo in night sky
Shock Claim That The South African Meteorite Was Actually An Alien Cigar Spaceship 👽🌌🌍👽✨
According to many claims, the South African meteorite that recently crashed was, in fact, an alien spaceship and NASA is trying to false it front as a natural occurrence. A footage showing the South African meteorite known as ZLAF9B2 has gained a lot of online popularity.
On the video, you can see a fireball blasting off and reaching Earth with a vast speed. It finally explodes somewhere between Ottosdal and Hartbeesfontein, South Africa.
The ‘thing’ then falls on the ground close to a farm, however, no object was later retrieved. Due to these facts, conspiracists started speculating that the South African meteorite was actually a UFO that lost its direction.
Namely, Tyler Glockner, a UFO investigator who manages the YouTube channel ‘Secureteam10’, came up with another alternative theory regarding the strange event. His theory definitely doesn’t involve a meteorite.
According to him, NASA already knew about the space object nine hours before the event which is extremely weird. As we said before, no objects appeared on the site of the collision. Therefore, Glockner says, it was not a meteorite but rather another flying object. As per him, even animals started escaping out of the woods following the alleged alien contact.
The video became a hit and it has already drawn over 350,000 views. Observers from all over the world are commenting on this spectacular phenomenon. One said: “It looks like a cigar-shaped spacecraft plummeting.” Another added: “It looks like it has its own force field.”
Labels: Cigar UFO seen coming from space, cigar UFO seen in South Africa, fireball falls from the sky in South Africa, NASA meteorite 2018 LA is a UFO, South African Meteorite was actually a UFO, South African UFO
Location: South Africa
Alien In The Deep Ocean Trying To Communicate Through The Shape Of Its Body 👽🌌🌍👽
Well, I'm speechless because I've never seen anything like this one before! That is not a natural fish, squid or whatever it is? But after seeing the very odd and very deliberate attempt at communicating "shape or symbol" it made from its own body coming down to the submersible, well I'm speechless! It's creepy, it's Alien looking and it's terrifying.
Is this the species of deep ocean "octopus, squid" from space that scientists have been born about recently? It could be a bit of both or an offspring of them two? Scientists recently told the world that I think it was a octopus that they could of come from space and if it's true then that makes them Aliens in the truest form of the world! Also if it's trying to communicate then what the hell is going on! It's crazy, but that's what I saw how about you?
This video was taken by an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) at a depth of 3753 ft in the Indian Ocean within close proximity to a drill wellhead.
Near the end of the footage you can see the creature getting caught up in the output from the ROV thrusters. The video has not been altered and was taken off the East coast of Africa.
So if your diving in the Indian ocean, take care not to either provoke or make any sudden symbol like movements lol, it might just go after you especially if you inadvertently say something bad about his mother lol. But seriously is it me or is this absolutely spooky and very bizarre? It's got all the hallmarks of an Alien!
If there was ever an Alien game show for the contender for the most lookalike of an Alien etc this "thing" would win it hands down. it is even flashing lights so in fact it could be communicating in two ways? Body shapes and lights flashing and they're different color lights to boot.
Link to the Youtube channel CaptainJRD
Labels: alien, Alien fish, Alien in the ocean, aliens, deep sea Alien, indian ocean sea creature, real Alien in the deep ocean, rov films a sea creature, rov submersible videos sea monster, strange sea creature
Location: Indian Ocean
Archaeologists Explore A Rural Field In Kansas And A Lost City Emerges
This is a post that blows your mind because the last you'd expect to find in Kansas is a lost city, right. Well that's exactly what archaeologists found when searching through this amazing part of the US. Check out this spectacular research by dedicated archaeologists and students from Wichita State University.
Professor Donald Blakeslee in one of the pits being excavated in Arkansas City, Kan. Photo by: David Kelly / For The Times
After researching this and other amazing discoveries in the United States the obvious conclusion is that the US has lots more amazing discoveries to come. It seems likely that there's more cities, towns and definitely more treasure, artifacts and possibly parts of history which we can answer once and for all because that's the motivating factor for doing this type of stuff and that's filling in history.
Bringing back to life the past and give names to people unknown and answer the long ago mysteries with facts. mankind's history is always under the scrutiny of others but facts are well, facts and who can argue with facts. So here's the story: Check out their Twitter page here for up to date information here.
Of all the places to discover a lost city, this pleasing little community seems an unlikely candidate. There are no vine-covered temples or impenetrable jungles here just an old-fashioned downtown, a drug store that serves up root beer floats and rambling houses along shady brick lanes. Yet there’s always been something something just below the surface.
Locals have long scoured fields and river banks for arrowheads and bits of pottery, amassing huge collections. Then there were those murky tales of a sprawling city on the Great Plains and a chief who drank from a goblet of gold.
A few years ago, Donald Blakeslee, an anthropologist and archaeology professor at Wichita State University, began piecing things together. And what he’s found has spurred a rethinking of traditional views on the early settlement of the Midwest, while potentially filling a major gap in American history.
Using freshly translated documents written by the Spanish conquistadors more than 400 years ago and an array of high-tech equipment, Blakeslee located what he believes to be the lost city of Etzanoa, home to perhaps 20,000 people between 1450 and 1700. They lived in thatched, beehive-shaped houses that ran for at least five miles along the bluffs and banks of the Walnut and Arkansas rivers.
Blakeslee says the site is the second-largest ancient settlement in the country after Cahokia in Illinois. On a recent morning, Blakeslee supervised a group of Wichita State students excavating a series of rectangular pits in a local field. Jeremiah Perkins, 21, brushed dirt from a half-buried black pot. Others sifted soil over screened boxes, revealing arrowheads, pottery and stone scrapers used to thin buffalo hides. Blakeslee, 75, became intrigued by Etzanoa after scholars at UC Berkeley retranslated in 2013 the often muddled Spanish accounts of their forays into what is now Kansas.
The new versions were more cogent, precise and vivid. “I thought, ‘Wow, their eyewitness descriptions are so clear it’s like you were there.’ I wanted to see if the archaeology fit their descriptions,” he said. “Every single detail matched this place.”
Kacie Larsen of Wichita State University shakes dirt through a screened box to see what artifacts may emerge. David Kelly / For The Times Photo by: David Kelly / For The Times.
Labels: archaeologists find a lost city in Kansas, discover lost city, Kansas, Kansas lost city, lost city found in the US, Lost city in Arkansas, searching for a lost city, United States lost city
Location: Arkansas City, KS 67005, USA
Another Flying Saucer Discovered on Mars 👽✨🌍👀👽
There's many times that the Mars Curiosity Rover has come up trumps and this time it has uncovered a Flying Saucer. The Mars Rover has given us some fantastic views even breathtaking but for some they only want one thing, that's UFOs!
Image credit/Mars Curiosity Rover.
That's real conspiracies and tangible even in your face "undeniable evidence" and guy's, that's what we have here. We have a obvious looking UFO or to be more precise, it's a Flying Saucer of the ancient kind.
It looks .like it's millions of years old. It look's like kit was once embedded in the ground, embedded in the side of the hill and has come lose. It's not surprising that Mars experiences weird and even strange weather so land erosion is always going to happen. It's sandy, it has rocks of every description littering the surface of the Red Planet.
But this, this is a strange "Mars anomaly". There has been many, many anomalies discovered on Mars and there's been many denials by NASA over the years who say that all of the anomalies are explainable one way or another by natural means which is absolutely laughable. OK, explain this:
Image credit/NASA Mars Curiosity Rover.
So if that's not a petrified Flying Saucer then I'll eat my socks. If that's not intelligently made and of ancient origins I'll eat my underpants. I won't however eat a lemon as they're way to sour.
An online website has posted videos about this and they did a great job, this is a NASA image. It's a NASA Mars Curiosity Rover image and it's absolutely 100% proof of Aliens. Even if the Aliens don't exist now, they definitely existed at one stage because there's just to much evidence to say that they did as opposed to say that they didn't?
Like this for instance:
You see, there's just one of many examples of really strange anomalies on Mars and all of them was caught by NASA. So when you hear NASA whining on about the search for Aliens will continue, I automatically think "check your stuff" you've already got the evidence and you've already got the answers? but still they march on getting sand examples and looking for microbes or some tiny, tiny bacteria blah. It's there, it's behind you like in the pantomime? It is staring at them in the face almost.
The images that the Mars Rover has given the world over the years has been extraordinary and as a conspiracy theorist, they've given me a massive amount of belief and spiritual belief that we're not alone in the universe. I don't need NASA's seal of approval that these are real, because and get this, I have eyes! In this day and age that's all you need to get the answers your looking for.
An alleged skull found on the surface of Mars by UFO hunter Scott C Waring who has spent the last seven years reporting alleged UFO sightings on his website ufosightingsdaily.com
Labels: best ufo image from mars, life on mars, Mars flying saucer, mars has a real ufo, mars has alien life, mars rover, mars rover finds a ufo, martian flying saucer, nasa, nasa rover ufo, real ufo discovered on mars
History of Human Evolution Is Wrong By The Discovery Of 5.7 Million Yr-Old Footprints Fossil
Footprints showing static stance of one individual.
Many times UFO Sightings Footage has challenged the official timelines of humans and the so-called theories of mankind's evolution. USF is always looking for the best evidence and proof and that is always physical evidence. Physical evidence will always trump theories, that's just a matter of fact! We wouldn't put a probable forward because it's just a probable. So, it might be slow and it might be matter of fact, but it's not long winded and it's straight to the point which is what people want. Sort out the wording of it later.
Comparative Analysis was done and are Human.
The information we put forward is common sense. It's based in hard evidence "always" and not some scientists interpretation. Like this evidence here, it's hard evidence. It's absolutely not an assumption, it's the truth in the kind of way that can't be denied or brushed aside as it's literally set in stone! So, why is this not changing history?
Why are the very same history books on the very same shelves in the library? They haven't changed in decades! The amount of evidence out there that is being ignored by the establishment is shocking.
Tracks.
USF always finds this kind of stuff and you know what, it's amazing that it get's ignored by the mainstream media and government authorities? It does and it will probably always get ignored and I base that in the "fact" that it always gets ignored. It just does. It tells me that nobody has the ba**s to stand up for the truth and say look hold on a minuet here, there's proof here that contradicts the normal established theory and it should be changed in the history books? But then they look at who's theories they're going to be challenging and quite quickly they shy away from it. they lose all steam they had and think wow, I can't change this it's such and such.
The government is the exact same! No backbone. Call as it is, if it's proven to be wrong then stand up and say that is wrong! It's very sad and I think they call it "not in our interests" or "why make waves for myself" and the one which they all cower underneath is "they're scared to challenge another scientist".
Our interest in this was piqued when we saw this amazing image of footprints which looked like they where in the sand, but actually it's rock. So check out the research we did in to this amazing millions of years old human footprints will change history and if doesn't then you know there's someone who isn't challenging the establishment or doing his or her job (like that's anything new).
The coastal rocks at Trachilos, west of Kissamos Harbour in western Crete.
History of Human Evolution May Be Challenged by Discovery of 5.7 Million Yr-Old Footprints Fossil. The Miocene tetrapod footprints.
Here's a snapshot of what needs to be changed now we have this amazing factual discovery.
The tracks are approximately 5.7 million years old , at a time when previous research puts our ancestors in Africa, with feet similar to those of a monkey. Since the discovery of Australopithecus fossils in South and East Africa 60 years ago, the origin of the human lineage has been located in Africa. The most recent discoveries of fossils in the same region, including the emblematic Laetoli tracks of Tanzania, 3.7 million years old, showing human feet and vertical locomotion, have consolidated the idea that hominids (first members of the human lineage) ) originated only in Africa, and remained isolated there for several million years before Disperse to Europe and Asia.
Two tracked surfaces (A and B2) were found in a natural outcrop above the beach (N 35° 30.857′, E 023° 37.660′), close to the village of Trachilos, west of Kissamos (also known as Kastelli), in the Chania Prefecture of Crete.
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. Possible hominin footprints from the late Miocene (c. 5.7 Ma) of Crete?
Image credits all go to Proceedings Of the Geologists Association. Their website is here and the link to the actual published papers are here.
Labels: all ancient history is wrong, ancient history, ancient history is wrong, ancient timelines, history is wrong, history of mankind is wrong, human evolution, human timelines, mans history, timelines are wrong
Location: Kissamos 734 00, Greece
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A push boat and barge head downriver, right, past the Dank Silver, left, an oil & chemical tanker, which is moored just north of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in the Mississippi River Monday June 17, 2019, near Gramercy, La. The ship hit the safety barrier around one of the bridge supports of the Sunshine Bridge this past weekend. Note the Safety First slogan on the ship's bridge structure.
ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG
The Sunshine Bridge shows safety barrier damage, center, around a bridge support after the structure was hit by the Dank Silver, an oil & chemical tanker. High water is apparently to blame. Photo taken Monday June 17, 2019, near Donaldsonville, La.
The Dank Silver, an oil & chemical tanker, is moored just north of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in the Mississippi River Monday June 17, 2019, near Gramercy, La. The ship hit the safety barrier around one of the bridge supports of the Sunshine Bridge this past weekend. Note the Safety First slogan on the ship's bridge structure.
The USS Cairo pushboat motors downriver past the Sunshine Bridge which shows safety barrier damage, right, around a bridge support after the structure was hit by the Dank Silver, an oil & chemical tanker. High water is apparently to blame. Photo taken Monday June 17, 2019, near Donaldsonville, La.
The Sunshine Bridge shows safety barrier damage, on the right side, around a bridge support after the structure was hit by the Dank Silver, an oil & chemical tanker. High water is apparently to blame. Photo taken Monday June 17, 2019, near Donaldsonville, La.
Sunday's tanker crash into the Sunshine Bridge marks the 21st since the bridge opened in 1964
By DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
DONALDSONVILLE — The crash of a 600-foot-long tanker ship into the Sunshine Bridge on Sunday is at least the 21st time maritime traffic has hit the Mississippi River span since it was built in St. James Parish in the early 1960s.
On Sunday around 1:30 p.m., the Dank Silver, one of the Sultanate of Oman’s fleet of ocean-going vessels moving petroleum and other industrial products around the world, crashed into the protective fender system surrounding one of the huge concrete piers that support the steel bridge more than 120 feet in the air, state and federal officials said.
The southbound foreign-flagged ship, which was under control of a local river pilot at the time, was carrying gasoline out of Burnside and hit the pier for reasons that remain under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Dank Silver crash is only eight months removed from the Oct. 12 crash in which a crane barge was pushed into the bridge’s superstructure. That crash almost brought the bridge down, a state highway official testified last month before a federal investigative panel.
Ship and barge crashes with the support piers at the water level are far more common in the Sunshine Bridge’s history. In fact, 18 of the 21 known bridge crashes since the bridge was opened in 1964 involved one of the bridge’s lower support piers and other structures.
A 1998 analysis for the state highway department that looked at the then 12 known crashes found the Sunshine Bridge is not difficult to navigate but has a relatively narrow main span for maritime traffic to pass through, making the support piers and fenders vulnerable.
“The Sunshine Bridge has three piers in the river and a relatively short main navigation span of 825 feet, which mostly likely contributed to the large number of substructure hits," the report by consultant Modjeski and Masters found. “The relatively large percentage of accidents reported may also be due to the fact that even minor collisions could result in fender damage.”
The report noted the effects of increasing river traffic and called then for steps to mitigate that risk, including a kind of Coast Guard river traffic control system then under consideration.
The agency fully implemented that system from the mouth of the river to Port Hudson in late 2010, with the Sunshine Bridge marking the downstream boundary of a special control area for the Coast Guard system.
The crash on Sunday shut for two hours the two-thirds-of-a-mile-long span that links Convent on the east bank with Donaldsonville on the west bank and is used by commuters and commercial traffic from St. James and surrounding river parishes.
Coast Guard officials said Sunday's crash did not spill any of the gas into the river, but state highway officials already said this week that the fender system will have to be replaced at a cost to be determined.
Officials with the state Department of Transportation and Development plan to close one direction of traffic at a time briefly over four hours Thursday night to make further inspections of the damage. The intermittent closures are expected to last from 8 p.m. Thursday to midnight.
The tally of Sunshine Bridge maritime crashes, while not comprehensive, was calculated by The Advocate from the 1998 state crash analysis, a U.S. Coast Guard report of a 2006 crash that noted prior past crashes and recent testimony before the federal panel investigating the Oct. 12 crash.
The reports and testimony cover much of the bridge’s history, but not completely, and don’t account for crashes that may never have been reported to authorities.
Capt. Steve Hathorn, president of the New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association, said one of his organization’s specially licensed pilots designated to handle ocean-going traffic on the river between New Orleans and Baton Rouge was piloting the ship at the time of the crash.
While he said he could not speak to the specifics of the crash itself, he noted it happened during a time of extended high water on the Mississippi that he and other river pilots say can make travel more difficult as currents speed up.
“It pushes equipment and personnel to their limits,” Hathorn said.
But data collected from reports documenting past crashes suggest they may be just as likely in high water and as in low. Of the 21 known crashes, river levels could be documented for 16 of them, and, for those 16 crashes, the river levels ranged across a nearly even distribution, high and low.
Lt. Rachel Ault, spokeswoman for the Coast Guard, said Tuesday that her agency’s maritime casualty investigations focus on four factors: hardware, equipment on the boat, machinery, charts; software, such as safety management programs and other information; the surrounding environmental conditions; and “liveware,” the decision making of the crew.
“Every investigation will look into all of these factors to see if there was an issue with a specific factor or if there was a mismatch between two factors,” such as if someone misreads a map, she said in a statement.
An email to Oman Shipping Co., the manager of the Dank Silver that is based in Muscat, Oman, a Persian Gulf nation, was not returned by deadline Tuesday.
After the Oct. 12 crash, which remains under investigation by the Coast Guard and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Sunshine Bridge was shut for more than a month. Then it reopened partially for several months afterward as a state contractor made more than $6 million in repairs.
Even before Sunday’s crash, the bridge had remained under partial closures for previously scheduled maintenance work delayed by the October crash.
Watch: Tanker ship hits Sunshine Bridge, which has since reopened; see picture of damage
A tanker ship hit the Sunshine Bridge on Sunday afternoon, prompting a temporary closure of the span.
For additional travel information about the latest lane closures on the bridge, call 511 or visit 511la.org.
Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at http://www.dotd.la.gov/, by selecting MYDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.
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Germany to set up help desk for victims of abuse in creative industries
Announcement comes ahead of Berlin Film Festival which will have sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination in the performing arts as central theme
Catherine Hickley
12th February 2018 12:49 BST
German culture minister Monika Grütters will set up a help desk for abuse victims in the cultural sector Olaf Kosinsky / Wikimedia
In the wake of the worldwide #metoo campaign, German Culture Minister Monika Grütters pledged to fund and set up a help desk for victims of sexual abuse and harassment in the country’s creative industries.
“Those affected need a protected space where they can speak openly and seek advice anonymously, without needing to worry about negative consequences,” Grütters says. “An initiative like this shouldn’t fail because of a lack of funds.” The minister said she has already held initial talks with representatives of the film, dance, theatre and music industries.
Grütters’ comments came just before the start of the Berlin Film Festival (February 15-25), which has made sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination in the performing arts one of its central themes and is hosting a panel discussion on the subject on 19 February.
The most high-profile accusations of sexual harassment in Germany’s cultural world have focussed on the film and theatre director Dieter Wedel, who stepped down from his position as director of the Bad Hersfeld theatre festival in January while state prosecutors investigate. He has denied the allegations.
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Berlin museums appeal to US Supreme Court in dispute over €200m Guelph Treasure
Leipzig exhibition ousts artist with alt-right sympathies
Whiteness must undo itself to make way for the truly radical turn in contemporary culture
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Home > new music opera > BambinO / Last And First Men, Manchester International Festival
BambinO / Last And First Men, Manchester International Festival | reviews, news & interviews
BambinO / Last And First Men, Manchester International Festival
‘Opera for babies’ and a voice from 2,000 million years in the future
by Robert BealeFriday, 07 July 2017
Big Bird: Timothy Connor as Pulcino in 'BambinO'Both BambinO images by James Glossop
The Manchester International Festival – a biennale of new creative work – this year has a new artistic director in John McGrath, and there’s no large-scale new opera or prominent "classical" work, it would seem, other than Raymond Yiu’s song cycle, The World Was Once All Miracle, performed on Tuesday by Roderick Williams with the BBC Philharmonic. But the BBC Philharmonic also teamed up with Icelandic composer-photographer-creator Jóhann Jóhannsson for an ambitious premiere at the Bridgewater Hall, Last And First Men, that McGrath clearly sees as one of the festival’s most substantial offerings.
Meanwhile Scottish Opera, its composer-in-residence Lliam Paterson and director Phelim McDermott of theatre company Improbable, have brought BambinO, a new "opera for babies", running at various venues in Greater Manchester throughout the festival.
I saw it on its day out in Wigan. It’s a remarkably successful concept, as the 14 babies present with their mums and dads – adults usually have to bring a baby to be admitted, and I was one of few allowed to join them as observers – were absorbed from the gentle beginning, in which cellist Laura Sergeant and percussionist Stuart Semple joined solo singers Charlotte Hoather (pictured left) and Timothy Connor to invite them into a world of music, colour and imagination. At start and finish they make a vocal quartet along with instrumental sounds and birdsong effects, and by the end the babies are part of the show, as they pick up and examine the soft-toy bird models that create their own sound, too.
The piece has a traditional structure, with two acts and an "intermission" of alternative noises, and a story of mummy bird brooding on an egg which turns into another bird and finally flies away to make his own life in the world. It’s sung in Italian, mostly, which works because the words don’t matter – it’s the melodies, and the sounds of classically-trained voices used with mime and costume, that entrance.
The score is full of pastiche, incidentally, which is no criticism as it’s cleverly done and even takes a leaf from Mozart’s book when it comes to bird-like duetting – and the whole feel and presentation are those of 18th century music theatre, which when you think about it was probably the last period, Britten and Messiaen excepted, in which birdsong and art music were considered compatible aural experiences. So full marks to BambinO. Opera can work for babies, and maybe one day they’ll come to enjoy it as adults, too.
Back to Last And First Men. It was a multi-media show, with black and white movie film, pre-recorded narration (by Tilda Swinton), lighting effects (Stuart Bailes) and a music score which is part electronic, part live orchestra – Jóhannsson himself (pictured below by Jonathan Greetarson) performed with it on electronic organ – plus two soprano soloists, Else Torp and Kate Macoboy, all conducted by Daníel Bjarnason.
The film is haunting: it shows eerie shots of the strange, massive, abstract war memorials Tito had built in his power state Yugoslavia after the Second World War. There are just decaying monuments and empty sky – as if we have stumbled on the last relics of a lost mighty community apparently alien to ourselves. The narration makes it clear: we hear from Olaf Stapledon’s 1930 work of science futurism, Last And First Men, coming to us as a voice from 2,000 million years in the future when mankind has evolved to an 18th and last form and is living on Neptune, his sole refuge in the over-heating Solar System. And even there he knows that he is doomed.
It was as much a think-piece as a musical one. Indeed, the music score on its own would seem slow-moving and monotonous in the extreme, with multiple doublings of essentially bare textures. The important thing is that it joins with the film, the text, the lighting (and there are times when one or the other takes a rest and the remainder hold attention), to make its point. As Beecham more or less said, it’s not music people love, it’s the noise it makes. This audience loved it, as much as the babies loved BambinO.
The Manchester International Festival runs until 16 July
@RobertBealeMcr
It’s the melodies, and the sounds of classically-trained voices used with mime and costume, that entrance
Art: theartsdesk at Manchester International Festival 2013
theartsdesk in Reykjavík: Bright Nights, Dark Music Days
Bookworm Babies, Royal Festival Hall Ballroom
theartsdesk in Reykjavík: Nocturnes for Midsummer
Scottish Opera
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Cryptids, Creature Feature Friday
Creature Feature Friday: Man-Eating Trees
It’s time again for Creature Feature Friday, and we’re “branching” out to a really odd monstrosity… Man-Eating Trees! There are different types of man-eating trees, some well known by their own individual names, and others are hiding among their non-carnivorous counterparts until suddenly making their presence known by grabbing an unsuspecting snack. Below are 5 quick things to know about these deadly plants:
1) Firstly: The Madagascar Tree. Creepier and more murderous than Audrey II, The Madagascar Tree is a man-eating tree in (you guessed it) Madagascar! Originally reported as a newly discovered species in the New York World newspaper in 1874, this killer plant purportedly uses its many tendrils to strangle and consume victims, much like constricting snakes. The newspaper article stated that a botanist had observed the Mkodo tribe feed one of their own to the Tree as a sacrifice; however, according to the Museum of Hoaxes, the story of The Madagascar Tree was later revealed to be a hoax created by a New York World reporter. BUT, The Madagascar Tree is not a singular story...
2) Tales of carnivorous botanical anomalies have been noted in other countries, including the Ya-te-veo (meaning “I see you already” …yikes) in Central and South America, which also has tendrils that it uses to lure in human snacks. In some accounts, it also possesses one giant eyeball for creepin’ on its victims. The life force of Ya-te-veo is believed to come from evil witch doctor magic.
3) The tale of another vampiric vine was published in the September 1891 edition of Lucifer magazine, describing a plant in Nicaragua that natives called “the devil's snare.” The plant had the capability "to drain the blood of any living thing which comes within its death-dealing touch."
4) In India as recently as 2007, another arboreal monster was reportedly responsible for a cow-napping when it suddenly lowered its branches and plucked a wandering cow clear off the forest floor. Villagers from Padrame near Kokkoda claimed they beat the tree until it dropped the terrified cow. The villagers also shared that after grazing in the forest, many of their cows return home missing their tails. That’s generally not… normal.
5) The descriptions of man-eating trees vary from place to place. They can take the shape of flowering fruit trees, trees with short fat trunks and tendrils, the very tallest trees in a jungle, or short little bushes. In essence, with no known criteria for the creation of man-eating trees, any leafy greens could have the potential to turn Jeffrey Dahmer on you while you take an unsuspecting woodland stroll. Trust no shrub.
The moral of the story: Fight back against carnivorous vegetation; eat a salad, before a salad eats you. Happy Friday.
Tagged: man-eating trees, The Madagascar Tree, Ya-te-veo, cryptids, creature feature friday, monsters
Newer PostNEWS: Golden Asteroid is the Target of NASA and Space Miners
Older PostWhat's Your Creepy Cryptid Name?
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NJ Gov. Christie vetoes bill to protect unemployed job hunters
A bill that would have made it illegal for New Jersey companies to refuse to hire a job candidate because of his/her employment status is dead for now. Find out why after the jump…
Last week, New Jersey banned the box.
However, Bob Jordan at the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reports here that Governor Christie has put the kibosh on a bill that would essentially make “unemployment” a protected class, like race, religion, national origin and others protected under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
NJ employers may refuse to hire a job applicant because he/she is unemployed.
According to the Jordan article, a Christie spokesman described the bill (latest version here) as “completely unworkable.” In his veto message, Governor Christie agreed with lawmakers that NJ employers should be encourage to hire the best candidates, regardless of job history. However, the Governor felt that, because the current bill lacks an effective enforcement mechanism, it would not benefit job seekers. Rather, it would only serve to create “additional legal proceedings.”
And we can’t have that, can we?
(Please don’t take that last sentence literally. My career path literally depends on that).
Hey, folks, have I mentioned my Kickstarter campaign?
Hiring & Firing and New Jersey
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Published On: Sun, Oct 28th, 2018
Hometown News / Politics / Religion / US News | By The Dispatch
Thomas More Society’s Thomas Olp supports Trump administration’s stance on gender as ‘innately tied to one’s biological sex’
Breaking news that the Trump administration may be ready to adopt a uniform definition of gender based on biology and grounded in science, was well-received by the Thomas More Society, a national nonprofit law firm. This is of particular relevance in the Thomas More Society’s current cases Students and Parents for Privacy v. United States Department of Education, and Maday v. Township High School District 211. Both cases revolve around school district decisions that allowed a male high school student access to the girls’ locker room in Palatine, Illinois, a northwest Chicago suburb.
photo Marcus Werthmann
Thomas Olp, Vice President and Senior Counsel of the Thomas More Society, issued the following statement:
“Gender is not merely a social construct, but innately tied to one’s biological sex. The definition of sex as male or female is based in anatomy and physiology. If gender had no parameters tied to one’s biological sex, Congress would not bother to implement Title VII and Title IX, and laws promoting female-owned businesses would lose their rationale. At a time when activist groups are promoting gender fluidity, it makes good sense for the federal government to clarify long-held and normative definitions of sex and gender. Doing so will eliminate confusion, give clarity to service providers, and hopefully lessen the chaos caused by policies that seek to apply practices that disregard both law and science. Such policies do not ensure just and compassionate treatment of all human beings in our society, and tend to sacrifice persons’ reasonable expectations of privacy.”
ChicagoDonald Trumpgender identityIllinoissexThomas MoreThomas More SocietyThomas OlpTitle IXtransgender
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SA subsidizes graduate school test prep classes
April 27, 2017 Mike Powers
The Student Association will be paying for a portion of Graduate Record Examination prep courses for students this fall. The course will be run by Kaplan and participating students will pay between $300-500. (Annalee Bainnson/Assoc. Photo Editor)
The Student Association executive board announced a program on April 19 that will subsidize graduate school preparation classes during the 2017-18 school year.
The preparation classes will be subsidized with money from the mandatory student activity fees.
SA will be paying between $600-800 per student, according to Director of Academic Affairs Jesse Bennett. The average cost for a preparation exam course is between $1400-1600, and Bennett could get a discount, leaving each student to pay between $300-500.
“I think the students are really looking forward to it because they no longer have to pay $1400 for prep courses,” Bennett said.
The courses will be given through Kaplan Test Prep, according to Bennett. SA chose Kaplan partly because many students already take the test prep classes that they offer at Geneseo.
“They’re the most professional; they’ve done this many times, they’re also the easiest to access and they already run classes here that are not subsidized,” Bennett said. “Students are registering for the $1400 classes here and taking them so we’re getting them to give us a discount for the students and SA would be footing part of the bill for the students.”
The program will be directed toward the Graduate Record Examinations for its first year, because it is the test that is most commonly required by graduate schools. The GRE also received the highest response from students in a survey SA sent out, according to incoming SA President junior Kaitlin Pfundstein.
Outgoing SA Vice President senior Ashley Buttice detailed how the results to the SA feedback survey were generally positive.
Pfundstein said that she believes the program will make SA more appealing to those who do not interact as much with the student body.
“We thought it would be a good idea to reach out to students who don’t feel they get enough from the activity fees,” Pfundstein said.
Buttice said she also hopes that as an outcome of the test prep program, students will become more aware that the main point of SA is to advocate for students.
“I think we do a lot of good things with academic support,” Buttice said. “Hopefully, this makes it as easy and stress-free as possible so students can get to the next step of their lives.”
Pfundstein said she has heard only positive feedback from students regarding the new program.
“[Rising SA Director of Academic Affairs] Corey Wilkinson and [rising SA Public Relations Director] Barak Stokler are going to run a mass advertising campaign the first two weeks of school, where we’re hoping to target juniors and seniors,” Bennett said.
Communication major senior Lauren Ladeairous thinks this initiative will help students who are unsure of whether to take the class.
“I think it’s a great idea because with it being subsidized, it allows people to try the prep class,” she said. “Raising your grades is never a bad thing,”
French and international relations double major junior Allyson Schmelzer said that the fact that the test prep courses are being subsidized piques her interest in taking a course.
“$300 still is kind of a lot if you aren’t planning on taking the prep classes anyway,” she said. “It still makes you consider it.”
← Lavender ceremony improves recognition of LGBTQ+ studentsGeneseo Village Police proposes policy for interacting with undocumented residents →
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“Monsters at Work” Coming to Disney+ in 2020 from #D23
April 9, 2019 Featured, Main Street Mouse News, Movies No comments
Fans of Monsters Inc and Monsters University will be excited about this announcement from D23 today. Check out the details below!
There’s breaking news out of Monstropolis this morning. Disney+ has just revealed a monstrous lineup of actors who are lending their voices to Monsters At Work, the new animated series inspired by the world of Disney•Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning film Monsters, Inc. Billy Crystal and John Goodman will reprise their beloved characters, Mike and Sulley, when the series premieres on the streaming service in 2020.
The series for families picks up six months after the events of Monsters, Inc.The Monsters, Inc. power plant now harvests the laughter of children to fuel Monstropolis—after all, laughter does generate 10 times more energy than screams do. We’ll follow a new monster, Tylor Tuskmon (voiced by Superstore’s Ben Feldman), an enthusiastic and talented mechanic on the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT) who dreams of following in the footsteps of his idols—Mike and Sulley—and making his way up to the factory Laugh Floor as a Jokester.
Crystal and Goodman won’t be the only familiar voices we’ll hear. Keep an ear out for John Ratzenberger, who will be voicing Yeti and a new character, Bernard; Jennifer Tilly, reprising the role of Celia Mae; and Bob Peterson, who in Monsters At Work will voice Roze, twin sister to his original Monsters, Inc. character, Roz.
Monsters At Work also stars Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Val Little, Tylor’s lifelong BFF; Henry Winkler (Barry) as scatterbrained boss Fritz; Lucas Neff (Raising Hope) as an opportunistic plumber named Duncan; Alanna Ubach (Coco) as Cutter, a monster who always plays by the rules; Stephan Stanton (Star Wars Resistance) as Smitty and Needleman, the bumbling custodial team; and Aisha Tyler (Archer) will lend her voice to the role of Millie Tuskmon, Tylor’s mom.
The series, which is produced by Disney Television Animation, was developed by and is executive produced by Bobs Gannaway—a Disney animation veteran whose credits include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Planes: Fire and Rescue. Ferrell Barron (Planes: Fire & Rescue) produces, and Kat Good (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero) and Rob Gibbs (Monsters, Inc.) direct.
Stay tuned for more news about Monsters At Work as it’s announced. (Don’t worry—you’ll hear our joyous screams!) Like Roz, we’ll be watching. Always watching. Always.
D23, Disney, Monsters at Work, Monsters Inc.
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Illegal-alien Dumping Continues; Drone Found at Border
Written by R. Cort Kirkwood
Even as Immigration and Customs and Enforcement arrests and deports criminals illegal aliens, the Department of Homeland Security is releasing more illegals into the country — more than 1,000 per day.
That bad news from Breitbart.com includes this shocking figure: The Trump administration has dumped nearly a quarter-million illegals into the country since December. That’s almost one-third of the total that have arrived since the beginning of fiscal 2019 in October.
Meanwhile, the drug cartels are using drones to spy on border agents to help move dope, criminals, and illegals across the border.
Dumping Continues
On Tuesday, Breitbart reported that DHS dumped 8,500 illegals into the heartland from June 4 through June 11. “The federal data indicates that over the past eight days, more than 1,000 border crossers and illegal aliens were released every day into the interior of the U.S,” Breitbart reported.
Even worse is the total. Since late December, DHS has dumped 204,500 illegals into San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso, and San Antonio:
San Antonio, for example, has been forced to absorb nearly 80,000 border crossers and illegal aliens in less than six months. El Paso, similarly, has had to take in 72,500 border crossers and illegal aliens, while 37,000 have been dropped off in Phoenix and another 19,000 dropped off in San Diego.
President Trump vowed to stop the catch and release but has not done so. Instead, the administration has dumped 100 percent of so-called family units into the country, acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan has confessed.
Breitbart’s figure of 204,500 means that of the 676,315 illegals who crossed the border since October 1, 30 percent of that total are now free and roaming around American cities and towns.
One problem: Many of them are sick and diseased, as The New American has reported.
Frighteningly, among the horde at the border are illegals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, now suffering an outbreak of Ebola that has killed more than 1,000 people.
Drones on the Border
Highlighting the magnitude of the border crisis is the number of illegals arrested when Immigration and Customs Enforcement stages one of its “sweeps.”
In five days ending June 6, ICE arrested 140 illegals: 45 in Illinois, 13 in Indiana, 16 in Kansas, 43 in Kentucky, 12 in Missouri, and 11 in Wisconsin. Most, 133, came from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.
Reported ICE:
Nearly a third of the aliens arrested (42) by ICE deportation officers during this enforcement surge had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: assault, battery, domestic violence, cruelty, driving under the influence, drug possession, drug trafficking, fraud, identity theft, larceny, illegal re-entry after deportation, resisting officers, obstruction of justice, hit and run, and illegally possessing weapons.
Fifty-three of those arrested were immigration fugitives; 20 others illegally re-entered the United States after having been previously deported, which is a felony.
ICE has staged other such “sweeps” recently as well.
Problem is, illegals are flooding the country 100 times faster than ICE catches them for deportation. Last week, ICE caught 140 over five days, 28 per day. But about 2,800 entered each day, averaging the numbers back to October 1. And in May, however, when 144,278 illegals crossed the border, they arrived at a rate of more than 4,600 per day.
And 100 percent of those illegals who arrive with kids in “family units,” again, are released.
Those “families” are crossing with the help of smugglers who use drones to spy on the Border Patrol, as The New American reported in April.
One agent recently found a drone and explained how the smugglers operate to Daniel Horowitz of The Conservative Review:
“The cartel is investing in technology to guide groups to a stash house or to a ‘load driver’ waiting to pick them up,” said the agent, who feels that he and his colleagues are being outmaneuvered by the dangerous insurgent groups operating on both sides of the border.
“First, they started giving the illegals smart phones equipped with land navigation apps and map overlays, along with battery chargers and a compass. This cut out the need for a ‘guide.’ Now, with the use of drones, the cartel can see us for miles. They can direct the groups of illegals away from agents and have the load driver go to them or choose a different stash house. They were already at an advantage with the amount of U.S. citizen [smuggling scouts]. Now they can direct movement from above in a 360-degree view and pinpoint accuracy, even in the thick brush or dense sugar cane. There is nowhere an agent can approach the group without being seen.”
Photo: AP Images
More in this category: « Border Agents Getting Sick From Illegal Aliens, Worry About Contracting Ebola From African Illegals Do Congolese Illegals Crossing Border Carry Ebola? WHO Tracking Outbreak In Africa, Nearly 1,500 Dead »
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Southern Pines, NC (28387)
Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
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The tea room in the rear garden at Duncraig Manor. Abbi Overfelt/The Pilot
Caroline and Donald Naysmith at home in Duncraig Manor. Abbi Overfelt/The Pilot
The interior period furnishings were all locally-sourced. Abbi Overfelt/The Pilot
A heavily water-damaged interior corner of the home's dining room, before and after the restoration work. Abbi Overfelt/The Pilot
The rear terrace and koi pond at Duncraig Manor. Photograph courtesy of Caroline Naysmith.
Tim Sayer
To the Manor, Re-born in Southern Pines
Laura Douglass, Staff Writer
Laura Douglass
Duncraig Manor was designed by landscape architect Alfred Yeomans in 1928. Abbi Overfelt/The Pilot
The tiny tea room in the back garden was a surprise.
Forgotten nearly to time, it is one of the countless little details that has been preserved at Duncraig Manor, the newly restored 12,000-square-foot bed and breakfast inn in Southern Pines.
“We didn’t even know it was there. It was completely hidden,” said Caroline Naysmith, gazing down at the tea room from the second floor’s original leaded glass windows.
Together with her husband, Donald, she began restoring the 26-room English country-style cottage on East Connecticut Avenue over a year ago. The couple have plenty of professional experience turning around historic properties, but this would be their largest undertaking in terms of sheer size.
“We had never even been inside the house when we bought it. But we could see from the road it had good bones,” said Caroline. “Everything else you can replace.”
According to Moore County tax records, the Naysmiths paid $860,000 for the circa-1928 house and, according to their own estimates, they’ve poured another $1 million into renovations.
Come August, Duncraig Manor & Gardens will officially open for business.
A Home Fit for an Heiress
Built in the Grand Tudor style nearly 90 years ago, Duncraig is a story-book home with a checkered history. Inside the walls, there is a simple elegance of a bygone era.
Designed for entertaining, the house was built for Quaker Oats heiress Mrs. J.H. Andrews and her daughter, Helen Lohmann. They commissioned landscape architect Alred B. Yeomans to build their house in the Weymouth Heights community.
Yeoman was first called to Southern Pines by his uncle, Pennsylvania industrialist James Boyd, to help design gardens for his Weymouth estate. From there, he went on to guide the landscape, layout and design of homes throughout Southern Pines, including the Knollwood subdivisions, the Mount Hope Cemetery, and landscaping projects in Pinehurst.
The large two-story home on East Connecticut he built was later dubbed Duncraig Manor by its second owners, Dr. and Mrs. George Matheson, who had ties to Duncraig Castle in Scotland.
The property eventually passed into the hands of Constance Baker, of Stuart, Fla. She leased the property in the mid-1970s to the state for a pilot project to determine whether a family-like atmosphere in a group home would benefit emotionally disturbed children. Neighbors protested the use, and the town charged Baker with violating zoning laws. An eviction notice was served; however, a subsequent appeal upheld the facility’s right to stay in the neighborhood.
The group home ceased to exist several decades ago, and Duncraig Manor was returned to a private residence.
As part of the Southern Pines Historic District, the home was added to the Department of the Interior’s List of Historic Places in November of 1991.
However, the house had been deteriorating for the last 20 years as its upkeep became time-prohibitive for the previous owners.
When the Naysmiths came to Southern Pines to visit a friend, they drove by the house and it was love at first sight.
“I went up and knocked on the door to inquire about it,” Caroline said.
The restoration — more of a revival in fact — kicked into full gear in January 2018 and has touched every corner of the historic property.
“We are the original Chip and Joanna Gaines,” said Caroline, with a smile. “We find the worst house in the best neighborhood and make it wonderful.”
Her very first restoration project began in 1989, in St. Louis, Missouri, with the 1857 Larimore House and Barn. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Ownership was later transferred to a family member and it currently operates as Larimore Weddings.
That success was followed by restoring the Rockledge Country Inn, a 1913 greenstone mansion near Pikes Peak in Colorado, then later an 1857 farmhouse and vineyard in Washington, Missouri.
Donald retired early, allowing the couple to tackle their new project, the Alexander Homestead in Charlotte, together. They bought the severely dilapidated historic landmark, originally the home of Charlotte’s “First Family,” situated on a five-acre site and began its restoration in 2007. Work was completed in 2008 and included construction of a 2,800-square-foot Carriage House just a few steps from the historic residence.
More recently the Naysmiths purchased and restored the only remaining Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work camp in upstate New York. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2016, and the Naysmiths won a preservation award from the state of New York that same year.
Their work at Duncraig Manor has included major roof repairs and replacing all the gutters and downspouts. The exterior was freshened up and window panes replaced. Inside, the house has all new electrical and plumbing systems, new or refurbished floors and the home’s eight fireplaces will soon be converted to gas logs.
“We spent the first six months just getting the water drainage issues corrected,” she said, noting that all the doors, windows and fixtures were preserved wherever they existed.
The first floor features a grand hallway that leads to expansive gathering rooms overlooking the home’s formal and informal gardens and inground pool. The lower level of the home has been converted to a spa and informal spaces, while upstairs each bedroom has its own theme and unique decor.
In April 2018, the Southern Pines Town Council unanimously granted the couple’s application to permit a bed and breakfast inn and also a special home event venue on the property.
“We are focusing on the bed and breakfast for now. This house lends itself to that so well,” Caroline said.
Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks in the evening, plus access to the butler’s pantry for snacks, in addition to homemade cookies and a turndown service. In the morning, the Naysmiths will provide breakfast.
Reservations are being accepted now, in advance of the August 1 opening date.
For more information, visit duncraigmanorandgardens.com or call (910) 725-1084 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Duncraig Manor is located at 790 E. Connecticut Ave. in Southern Pines.
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US violated world's privacy with secret SWIFT checks
SWIFT breaks EU law to comply with US law
By Mark Ballard 28 Sep 2006 at 18:22
The US Treasury's Terrorist Finance Tracking programme had violated the privacy of up to 7,800 international financial institutions in its secret trawl through financial records held by the Belgian firm SWIFT.
The Belgian data protection registrar declared today that the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which handles financial transactions on behalf of banks and other financial institutions in G10 countries, had violated Belgian data protection law by complying with the US Treasury's secret investigation.
"SWIFT should have complied with its obligations under Belgian data protection law," said the opinion of the Belgian Commission de la Protection de la Vie Privee today.
The firm should have informed the Belgian authorities that it was handing its clients records over the the US, and it should have complied with rules regarding the transfer of its data to a foreign country, said the opinion.
It recognised the efforts SWIFT took to comply with the US subpoenas on its data. Pressured by the US to keep the violation secret, SWIFT took its own steps to protect the privacy of its clients' data as much as it could.
But this was not enough: "SWIFT made some substantial errors of judgement in complying with the American subpoenas," said the opinion.
"From the beginning, SWIFT should have been aware that the fundamental principles of European law were to be observed, apart from the enforcement of American law," it continued.
The US Treasury had demanded to examine SWIFT's records in a hunt for terrorist financiers after 9/11.
It had unlimited access to this data for an unspecified time. The opinion said that in order to protect the privacy of its client's data, SWIFT should have ensured that the US snooping of its records was proportionate, that they were only retained for a limited examination, that the investigation was transparent to the European authorities and so on.
Yet a spokeswoman for the Belgian data protection registrar said the office would not prosecute SWIFT. She could not say why, but the opinion gave a clue.
"SWIFT finds itself in a conflict situation between American and European law," it said.
SWIFT jumped on this concession. A statement attributed to the firm's CEO, Leonard Schrank, said: "The review has raised important issues about the balance between data privacy for consumer protection purposes and use of financial data for security and counter-terrorism purposes."
He called for the US and EU authorities to formulate an agreement that "reconciled data privacy protections with today's pressing security concerns."
The Belgian opinion was going to be adopted by the European Commission's Data Protection Supervisor and form the basis of opinions formed by the registrars of all 33 countries where campaigners Privacy International filed complaints about SWIFT's co-operation with the US programme.
The Belgian registrar said it was not in the remit of today's opinion to consider whether Belgium's financial institutions had also offended its data privacy laws. Some of them at least would have been aware of the US snooping through their membership of SWIFT's co-operative board. Central banks in all G10 countries were also privy to the investigation without telling the authorities. The European Parliament is considering on Wednesday whether the ECB should be implicated. The Register found this week that it was.®
Pregnancy and parenting club Bounty fined £400,000 for shady data sharing practices
Updated ICO says case involving 34.4 million records 'unprecedented'
Cop watchers to probe UK police sharing data on witnesses' migration status with Home Office
Handing over info on migration status deters crime reports, say rights groups
UK.gov told data-sharing plans need vendor buy-in
Think tank calls for open standards, interoperability
'Sharing of user data is routine, yet far from transparent' is not what you want to hear about medical apps. But 2019 is gonna 2019
Study finds Android software slinging deets all over the place
Years late to the SMB1-killing party, Samba finally dumps the unsafe file-sharing protocol version by default
Although you can still use it if you like the thrill of danger
Facebook Like, social sharing buttons on your website may land you in GDPR hot water if data goes a-wanderin'
Euro court mulls whether site operators should share compliance responsibility with info-slurping giants
SWIFT on security: Fresh anti-bank-fraud defenses now live
Worried about losing your payment data? Shake it off and use this
UK-EU infosec data sharing may not be KO'd by Brexit, reckons ENISA bod
Interview Ops director talks to El Reg about continential cybersecurity contrivances
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Man jailed on gun, drug charges after Lower Merion traffic stop
NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man was sent to jail on drug and weapons charges stemming from a traffic stop by police in Lower Merion.
Rashaan Jamall Frazier Jr., 22, of the 4100 block of North Broad Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½-to-23-months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number and possession with intent to deliver marijuana in connection with the Feb. 24, 2018, incident.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman also ordered Frazier to complete five years’ probation following parole, meaning Frazier will be under court supervision for about seven years. Frazier also must complete 100 hours of community service as a condition of the sentence and must undergo a psychological evaluation and comply with all recommendations for treatment.
The judge said Frazier is eligible for the jail’s work release program during his incarceration.
The investigation began about 12:26 a.m. Feb. 24, 2018, when Lower Merion police observed a Dodge Durango, operated by Frazier with an inoperable headlamp, traveling southbound on Hollow Road, approaching Conshohocken State Road, and initiated a traffic stop.
While speaking with Frazier, police “could smell the odor of fresh marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle’s passenger compartment,” according to the arrest affidavit filed by Lower Merion Police Officer Andrew Rook. When questioned by police, Frazier did not confirm nor deny the presence of marijuana inside the vehicle, court papers alleged.
Rashaan Jamall Frazier Jr., 22, of #Philly was sentenced in #MontcoPa #Court to 11½-to-23-months in jail; he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a firearm with altered serial number & possession with intent to deliver #marijuana in Feb. 2018 #LowerMerion incident.
— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) July 8, 2019
“Instead, Frazier said that he does not smoke marijuana and offered no further explanation,” Rook alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding police continued to question Frazier about the presence of marijuana in the vehicle. “Frazier sighed, hesitated, and then indicated that the marijuana was concealed in his groin area.”
Frazier subsequently handed police a small, clear bag containing marijuana and then identified a backpack that “seemed to have considerable weight,” police said. Inside the backpack police observed “a significant amount of individually packed items containing marijuana,” according to the criminal complaint.
During an additional search of the vehicle, police found a Taurus .40-caliber handgun that was loaded with a round in the chamber and six rounds in the inserted magazine, according to the criminal complaint. The serial number had been tampered with, police alleged.
“It had multiple scratch-like marks on top of the serial number in an attempt to conceal it,” Rook alleged, adding a records check determined the gun had been reported stolen in 2004 from a Philadelphia gun shop.
In court papers, prosecutors alleged Frazier possessed 368 grams of marijuana.
Lower Merion Crime
Gun Crimes
Six-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Hit by Golf Ball in Utah
WI:DAD OF 3YO KILLED IN ROAD RAGE SHOOTING SPEAKS
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Individualized Approach for Prostate Cancer Patients
By Eric Greco 13 Mar, 2018 News
Since the release of the 2012 screening recommendations for prostate cancer, the controversy surrounding PSA testing and prostate cancer treatment has erupted and has lacked a clear direction and concise strategy. We, as urologists, have done a poor job educating the public and primary care practitioners on this heterogeneous, complex disease – one that remains the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men and is the second leading cause of male cancer deaths, claiming the lives of over 26,000 men in 2016. Despite these statistics, many clinicians have lost confidence in PSA testing and are unclear of the significance of the test.
With the emergence of these newer blood and urine assays… we now have a clear-cut algorithmic approach in dealing with patients with elevated PSA and localized cancer.
In the last two years we have seen the emergence of blood and urine assays, radiologic studies, and genomic markers to better clarify the picture surrounding elevated PSA and prostate cancer management. In essence, we are individualizing the approach to each patient in an effort to reduce negative biopsies, identify lowrisk disease, and determine which cancers require a more aggressive approach. I would like to review in this article the current approach and utilization of these various tools for three distinct patient populations: Elevated PSA and previous negative biopsy, early-stage prostate cancer, and post-prostatectomy patients with high-risk features.
For patients with an elevated PSA and previous negative biopsy, we now have in our armamentarium 4Kscore test, prostate health index (PHI), prostate cancer antigen-3 (PCA3), and Confirm MDx. 4Kscore and PHI are blood assays. PCA3 is a urine assay, and Confirm MDx assesses methylation status in three biomarkers of a previous biopsy specimen to determine the risk of having prostate cancer on subsequent biopsy. The advantage of many of these tests is not in their diagnostic accuracy, but in their negative predictive value (NPV) – i.e., the power of the negative.
4K test and PHI both utilize a proprietary formula, utilizing PSA and free PSA, to predict the chance of harboring an intermediate or high-grade cancer; i.e., Gleason score greater than or equal to 7. Both combine the prostate exam and their formula and have been validated in clinical studies to reduce the number of biopsies by over 50%, without compromising diagnostic accuracy. Prostate biopsies are associated with potential morbidity (i.e., four percent risk of serious UTI), and the application of these tests will reduce potential harm, improve overall safety, and further reduce total healthcare costs. PCA3 is another adjunct test using patients with previous negative biopsy to help identify those who may be harboring an occult, clinically significant disease. PCA3 is a gene specific to prostate tissue and is expressed in 95% of prostate cancer specimens. The PCA3 is isolated from the urine following a thorough prostate exam. Two independent studies from the United States and Europe reported that a PCA3 cutoff score of less than 35 has a specificity of 72% for detecting prostate cancer, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 88%. The test is minimally invasive and helps with shared decision-making for patients and physicians considering repeat biopsy
Confirm MDx (MDx Health, Irvine, California) is a genetic biomarker applied to previous negative prostate biopsy tissue to determine the risk of harboring an occult cancer. The assay looks at the methylation status of three biomarkers that are involved in DNA repair, tumor cell invasion, and cell cycle control. The application and subsequent value of this test is that the overall NPV is 80%, which can potentially decrease subsequent biopsy rates by 64%. These outcomes have been validated in clinical utility studies involving 138 men from over five practices.
A more difficult decision than deciding “whom to biopsy” is the decision of “whom to treat.” At Urology of Central Pennsylvania, when we looked at our prostate cancer population over the last five years, we identified 30% of the patients to have low-grade cancer and were candidates for “active surveillance.” The question arises, how can we confirm this? With the introduction of both the Prolaris® score and Oncotype DX® (Genomic Prostate Score™, GPS), we can apply either of these to the biopsy specimen to determine the risk of gene expression. Both tests utilize a quantitative measure of RNA expression to help determine prostate tumor cell proliferation and, therefore, the risk of disease progression. Prolaris® score is based on a 46-gene expression with a cell cycle expression, whereas the Oncotype DX® GPS score consists of the 12 cancer-related genes involved in distinct biologic pathways. Both tests have been validated in clinical utility trials, are approved by Medicare, and have incorporated into NCCN guidelines for the management of very low-risk and low-risk prostate cancer. Furthermore, the application of either test can individualize each patient’s cancer and predicts favorable pathology that in turn can further increase confidence and treatment recommendations and reduce morbidity from unnecessary treatments.
The most difficult group, and the most important clinical group in whom to make a decision regarding treatment, is post-prostatectomy patients with pathologic T3 disease who are at risk for biochemical recurrence and metastasis. The subsequent treatment strategy includes post-prostatectomy radiation to the lower pelvic area, with or without hormonal manipulation and/or chemotherapy. Application of the Decipher® genomic classification score can assist in stratifying these patients beyond their pathologic stage. The Decipher® score uses an array of 22 RNA biomarkers related to cell proliferation, differentiation, androgen signaling, motility, and immune modulation. The Decipher® score can determine the five-year risk of metastases and the eight-year cumulative incidence for biochemical failure, and distant metastases in men receiving adjunct radiation therapy following prostatectomy. Clinical utility studies and outcomes have, once again, been validated for the Decipher® score as it has demonstrated a 98% negative predictive value for five-year metastasis-free survival, with low-risk scores despite adverse pathology. This subsequently leads to reduction in postoperative radiation, reduction in morbidity, improvement in quality of life, and overall lowering of healthcare costs.
The last thing I would like to comment on is the use and value of MRI in two of these three subgroups of patients; previous negative biopsy and early-stage disease. Advances in multiparametric (mp) mpMRI allows for high-quality visualization of the prostate for cancer detection. We have applied the use of MRI in elevated PSA patients for target-directed biopsies, and as a screening modality in active surveillance patients to monitor for disease progression. I have also used it in clinical T3 patients to determine if the cancer is amenable for clear surgical removal. The radiologist applies a PIRADS score to the MRI image reflective of the diffusion coefficient, and potential for prostate cancer. A low PI-RAD score of 1 or 2 has a negative predictive value of 80-90%, whereas a PI-RAD score of 4-5 has a positive predictive value of 75%. PI-RAD score of three remains equivocal and inconclusive. In my practice, the application of MRI has been very helpful in the elevated PSA population to not only reduce the incidence of repeat biopsy, but allowing me to target PI-RADS four and five lesions, and thereby increasing my accuracy. Furthermore, PI-RADS four and five lesions are more often associated with higher-grade cancers. Once again, we have added another tool that improves overall patient outcome and reduces morbidity and costs.
Over the last several years our strategic approach to patients with elevated PSA and prostate cancer has lacked a clear and concise approach. With the emergence of these newer blood and urine assays (4K score, PHI, and PCA3), multiparametric MRI, and genomic biomarkers (MDx, Prolaris®, Oncotype and Decipher), we now have a clear-cut algorithmic approach in dealing with patients with elevated PSA and localized cancer. Given the diverse nature of this disease and plethora of treatment options, these tests allow us to individualize the approach for each patient. Furthermore, it has enhanced the physician-patient relationship and decision-making process in order to reduce morbidity and improve outcomes and quality of life.
R. Scott Owens, MD, is a urologist practicing at Urology of Central PA.
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Alterion
Valucre Build your legacy
New Member Guide
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Valucre FAQ
Terrenus
Veluriyam
Genesaris
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Content in last day
Kingdoms of Renovatio
Quick, wash out the blood! [closed]
Reminder - we have clubs!
By supernal, June 3, 2018 in Alterion
izral
supernal 17,566
Jericho was as cautious as a radical vigilante set against a trafficking cartel had every right to be. Izral was a hub for Alterion's slave trade but it was only a spoke in the wheel; the so-called 'chattel' came from all over Alterion, all over Valucre, and required a vast network to keep those wheels turning. He anticipated dozens upon dozens of morally bankrupt, strongarm mercenaries that were good at shooting, slicing, and flinging spells all standing on one side – and opposite them just himself, with his sword Sally, a little knowhow, and too much rabid passion for his body to contain.
But, Jericho knew that so as the body fell without the head, the sword was nothing without the arm to move it. And that arm wouldn't do anyone any good if it came apart from his body. So he had to be cautious and careful, right up until the moment when it was just him and them all alone, and he could slit their throats in the dead of night one by one.
Fucking slavers.
He actually had a pretty sweet setup, as far as those things went. The sensors he had placed in the eyes of the banner, the one he had plastered onto the face of the building opposite the brothel before turning that hellmouth into a mound of rubble, those sensors were a honeypot. The question of 'when did that get there' was meant to draw attention, to not only let them know someone was watching but give them a bug to find so they think they're clean. There were another two like it, each more subtle than the last, and none so subtle as Jericho's capabilities actually went.
Even if they found his most sophisticated sensors, Jericho got most of the information he wanted after the first day of the stakeout. Within the first hours actually, when he was meeting with Middy and Will to let them know they had succeeded. Over the course of those three hours his remote sensors caught faces and snippet of conversations of the first people to touch down on the ex-brothel. It was a crew half a dozen strong; one was the capo, and one was the cleaner.
So now Jericho knew who to chase and who was chasing him.
Lacernella Rubra reacted to this
"I didn't cut off your hand to torture you."
They were in an abandoned warehouse in the bad part of town. The kind of place people went to do drugs or mug one another or torture people because there were very few people around to hear, and those that did weren't likely to care.
Jericho sat in a steel folding chair. He had a swollen eye and a busted lip. Before him a man swung aimlessly in neat little circles, shirtless, in torn slacks, with both of his eyes swollen shut and his torso painted in the blue-yellow rainbow of pain.
"I did it because you're a trained professional. I'm interrogating you. I can't have a cartel assassin with two functioning hands sitting around, plotting my downfall every time I turn around to take a piss. If I just broke your hand it'd heal and you'd come after me, we know that, because if you didn't then what good are you to the cartel? But this way you know I'll always have a hand up."
Jericho didn't smile at the pun but nodded in acknowledgement of it.
"Not to mention you're a piece of fucking scum that deserves to have his eyeballs scooped out and the sockets filled with coarse grain sand. I'm trying to show you I have a heart here, even for fucking scum, so that we can get on the same page sooner rather than later and make this as painless as it can get for everyone involved. Which isn't very painless, but we do what we can."
From his pack Jericho procured an unassuming burlap pouch. The mouth gaped open as it rested in his hand and revealed a completely void interior. Then, in the next moment, the mouth filled with a spectral teal light which grew brighter and darker in hue with every passing seconds. From the mouth of the satchel issued forth the macabre melody of forlorn spirits, ghosts which Jericho had ripped from hosts he killed and now leashed to his purpose.
"I don't care about your boss right now. I want to know where the money's kept. The big money. How you pay OpEx."
Jericho had let the cartel assassin go, but only after cutting off his other hand. Those hands had done very evil things, Jericho told the nameless man. It wasn't fair that he gets to just wash his hands clean of the blood, and could then use those hands to pick flowers and touch a lover; it wasn't fair for all of the people he had killed, all of the people he had helped the cartel to kidnap and force into slavery.
So to that end Jericho let the man keep his life, but forced him to change his profession.
The cartel had already investigated the Brothers and Sisters cult-like organization peppered through the city offering help to the displaced slave labor of their now defunct brothel. By then half of the offices had already rolled up, leaving nothing behind but empty rentals in buildings; the other half had no information to squeeze. Everything was paid for by an LLC which had materialized out of thin air the night before and had already declared bankruptcy.
Camped on the roof of a steel mill a quarter of a mile from the cartel warehouse, Jericho fully understood that this stakeout would be different than the first. No remote sensors this time. After the brothel, the bugs he had laid out for them to pick up and breed a false sense of security, their hackles were up. Using magic near their warehouse was as good as sending up a signal flare. He was stuck using high-powered rangefinder binoculars, rangefinding so he could use the distance to tune the oversized parabolic microphone he had setup behind him and trained at the warehouse.
The stakeout had lasted two days. Two days all but motionless behind the bulk of a water tower on the building between himself and the warehouse. Two days eating canned food and pissing off the side of the building, recording every detail available to him; the number of workers, how many of them were armed, with what, the organization hierarchy based not only off of the spread of employees, but any discernable material wealth, such as luxury cars and fine suits.
At the start of the third day Jericho had enough information to put a plan together.
It came as no surprise to Jericho that the cartel moved more than just slaves. They trafficked metric tons of illicit drugs and overseas contraband as well, spreading their wares over the whole face of Alterion. It did not take long for Jericho to grasp that, so as the cartel was the large shadow behind the guise of the brothel, so there was something even larger behind the cartel which used the organized crime syndicate as a mask. He didn't know how high up the ladder of conspiracy went, only that to reach the top required that he step on each rung in its turn.
The cartel wanted to maintain business as usual. To do otherwise would cut into the profit margin, not to mention the appearance of weakness such deviation would present, true or not; being a criminal was a tough business to be in. So, for those first two days of his stakeout, the warehouse doubled down on on-site security, tripling their number of armed guards and increasing patrols, but when no attack came, they thought it better to reshuffle the shells.
That was when Jericho struck, as their accountant was charged with taking a small jewelry box filled with information-dense crystals to a more secure location; struck just the accountant's armed escort nosed their vehicle onto the main road which would lead them out of the industrial sector and into the mining district, notably vacant of traffic. A javelin punched through the windshield, missing every single one of them, embedding itself into the upholstery of the seat. Light emitting nodes peppered along the javelin's shaft lit up and projected hex runes all over the inside of the vehicle, triggering temporary blindness and insanity on the occupants.
They crashed into the concrete façade of a butcher's shop. Came upon the minor crash from the shade of an adjacent alley, liberated the armed guards of their arms, pillaged the accountant of the jewelry box as he ran his hands over his face while lamenting his lack of sight, smearing his face with the blood from his broken nose. Then Jericho left them, to go find a hovel in which he could hunker down to crack the crystals and review the information they contained.
With ledgers of accounts, inventories, and business proposals, Jericho would need to load up on a kit to burn it all down.
Jericho found himself in Minaiki, the village of tranquil glades.
Over the past . . . how long had it been anyway? Jericho estimated about a week had passed since he first touched foot to Alterion soil. Within his first day he had found a brothel in Izral – while he couldn't care less what consenting people did behind closed doors, he found himself rather irked by the notion that this brothel traded in slave labor. They kidnapped men and women, boys and girls really because it was easier to mold from youth, and forced them into the role of customer satisfaction.
Through that week Jericho has seen buildings destroyed, lives lost, lives reclaimed, and a complex array of pain and anguish, being himself no small merchant of death against the forces he had deemed morally reprehensible. He found it both curious and infuriating that all of this could take place in the 'free city' no less; a little too free if you were to ask his opinion, if it meant that one was free to squander another's happiness and wellbeing in such a manner.
So with all of that lurking just over his shoulder, Jericho experienced a bit of cognitive dissonance to now find himself in a land of sunlit meadows and smiling pedestrians. It didn't take him long to reconcile the two things, the dreams of one land against the nightmares of another just a few hundred miles removed, but the time it did take Jericho would not be time soon forgotten.
He was in Minaiki to find the means to fuel the engine of destruction he wished to build – fruit plucked from the grapevine told him that he could find a shop in Minaiki, at least for the time being, which offered a wide and varied array of material spell components and esoteric knowledge. He stood in front of it now, first knocking to announce his presence, then feeling a bit foolish when opening the door caused a bell to chime for exactly the same reason.
"Hello hello hello, customer in need."
@Lady Gilaen
Edited June 8, 2018 by supernal
Lady Gilaen 187
The shop bell sustained a gentle, high pitched knell as the door opened and then shut behind the newcomer. Its lovely, ringing voice called to the back of the store, the sound seeming to travel across the room before fading behind a curtained doorway beyond the clerk counter. Apart form his own voice echoing after the shop bell, the place was still and quiet, and apparently unsupervised. An ornate emblem of two intertwining W's were carved into the front of the counter; made of the same dark and polished wood as the shelves that lined the walls, and lettered in the same style as the writing on the front door. Welcome to Wandering Wares, it read.
The space itself was lit with a greenish artificial light emitted from hanging lamps that sort of dripped from the ceiling in an asymmetrical pattern. Apart from the circular window set into the door, there was no natural light to speak of, and no general sense of warmth at all. If there were any windows here, they were sufficiently hidden behind shelves stocked with books, bottles, and jars of things that if watched for too long would look right back. In fact, they were looking; little eyes in little jars staring at a form they didn't recognize from the moment he walked in. An entire gallon of preserved toads beamed up at him from a low shelf with foggy, sunken eyes while a taxidermy owl, eternally frozen in flight, had its sight trained on him as he moved about the shop. Even the books were watching, the lettering on some spines shifting to form new words from old titles. The clearly more sophisticated books formed whole new sentences on their spines to ask Who's This? and How May I Help You, Sir? while lesser tomes could only rearrange the formation of their titles (a copy of Wolfsbane -or- Monskhood? became so Who Man be? -forks -noodl in a desperate, if endearing attempt to communicate).
A moment can feel like hours in the wake of expectation and silence, but just when it seemed like there was no one to answer his call, the sound of the bell returned, passing overhead to reunite with its vessel, which shuddered before fading into a proper silence. “I'm very sorry about that,” came a slightly muted voice from behind the curtain at the back wall, “I didn't think anyone would come today, so I busied myself with other things.” A woman emerged from the back room, pushing the heavy curtain aside with one hand while the other held a stick that was weighed down on either side by what appeared to be human hands. Hands dipped in beeswax, to be more specific; each hung at either end of the dipping stick by a wick protruding from the middle and pointer fingers. The wax was still cooling when she set them on the counter, causing some of it to pool at the base..or wrist of each.
“Now then,” she said, adjusting her posture to meet his gaze, “How may I help you?” The light in the room, and the subsequent mood shifted with her presence, turning warm (and less ominous at least) as the unusual trinkets about the shelves settled into a passive state of comfort. The woman wore a long black dress with long sleeves that were rolled up to the elbow. The length and sweep of her skirt made her seem taller than she was (and she was already quite tall to begin with), but it was an otherwise plain dress; almost a uniform. She had a firm, even stare and strait black hair cut short to frame her features with somewhat sharp angles. Otherwise she was, from her face to her fingertips, entirely green. Spring green, in fact; fresh basil and parsley green that wasn't just a trick of the unusual lighting. She didn't smile or shift her expression to match the sincerity of her words; only looked on and waited patiently as he spoke, thinking in the back of her mind that there was something off about him...
She didn't think anyone would come today.
@supernal
Edited June 5, 2018 by Lady Gilaen
supernal, Fierach and Lacernella Rubra reacted to this
At the time of Enid's arrival into the common area of her shop, Jericho was bent at the waist, eye level with one of those little jars with dozens of little eyes – they were staring at him and he thought it only polite to stare back, not to mention satisfying to his overwhelming sense of curiosity. A keen eye coupled with a nimble mind would easily conclude that Jericho's comfort with these esoteric compounds sprang from familiarity. Namely before Enid there waited no mere dilettante, but an informed practitioner of the arcane arts.
It was the bell which grabbed his attention; snagged it, then lured it away from the jars and towards the counter, towards the curtain behind the counter, towards the person moving from one to the other and addressing him in turn. Jericho straightened his posture and approached the counter, running his thumbs up and down the length of the suspenders which held up his denim overalls, the powder blue mixing well with the pastel yellow shirt underneath.
"T'aint no problem at all miss. Wasn't much of a wait truth be told and there's plenty 'round here what can stimulate the imagination. Maybe think about leaving a catalog of your wares and services laying about, let a customer see what you got in store that ain't necessarily out for the world to poke and prod. But, who am I to say anything on the matter anyway, right?"
Jericho let a skein of silence unspool between them, allowing her to thank or accost him as she felt fit, and allowing himself a moment's reprieve to grant further study to the wax-dipped hands resting on the woman's countertop. The gradient of expression across the man's face was one of intrigue and fascination, completely void of even a trace of repulsion. As he spoke, Jericho's fixed eyeline and slightly furrowed brow made it clear that he was subjecting the thing to the deepest scrutiny.
"I'm looking to drop a hefty bit of coin. Or Notes, if you trade in the Alterion standard. I'm thinkin' before I hand you a laundry list of spell components and you start wonderin' just what I'm up to, I'll just tell it to you flat what I wanna do and you can let me know if you and your shop can help.
"I'm looking to let off a big time Evocation spell. Something that'll upset let's say four or so armored trucks? I want to leave the trucks intact; it'll be transporting living cargo and that cargo I don't want to get damaged, they're alive after all. But I want the trucks flipped or otherwise unable to escape.
"I'll also be needing one whammy of an Enchantment. I gotta be able to discretely target about eight or so people but let's call it an even dozen just in case they got someone riding with the cargo. I figure I'll only net half of 'em but better that than not at all. I'm thinkin' along the lines of a Hold or a Charm. Temporary insanity still makes 'em dangerous to me and to the cargo.
"So." Jericho concluded, for the first time removing his eyes from the wax-dipped hands so that he could search the woman's face for any betraying line of expression, anything which might give him a glimpse to the workings of her psyche.
"Whaddaya think?"
Lady Gilaen and Fierach reacted to this
Enid allowed that first string of silence to linger a bit while she assessed her potential patron. That off-kilter feeling he gave her made it feel like the floor was slanting very slowly beneath her feet. She opted to move over to the stool behind the counter when she did address him again. “A catalog would imply a different sort of service, I think. There are some items one must be in want of before they can be acquired.. if that makes sense. Regardless, if you are here, then I have what you need.” Her tone was meant to be reassuring, but whether or not it showed was hard to say.
The witch waited quietly through the man's pointed explanation of what he intended to do; her expression little more than a gentle mask of indifference. For one who had such particular wants (and who seemed quite comfortable with the arcane nature of her wares), he did not appear to know his actual needs as far as the items in question were concerned. Finding the right thing for the job would be a challenge, she thought. “Interesting..” Enid rifled about under the counter and brought out a pair of scissors to snip the wicks on her wax hands. As she did so, she continued, “It sounds as though there are many variables of uncertainty you must contend with. I will need a moment to consider this Evocation. What I can offer you now is a Hand of Glory.” She set the scissors aside and presented him with one of the hands, which had cooled and hardened by then. When lit, the Hand of Glory would incapacitate everyone but the holder the moment he walked over the threshold into, say, an occupied home, or a bank. It was a thief's tool made from the hands of a thief that came before, but it could almost certainly be appropriated for this task.
“Assuming you can catch one or more of these trucks in a hangar, you can simply light the wick and walk right in. This would, of course, leave your “cargo” as vulnerable as your targets. Now, if you knew who your targets were personally, or if you had something of theirs, I could modify these hands to affect them specifically...” she paused, thinking a moment as she picked up the second hand, “Well, ten of them, anyway. Since that does not appear to be the case, I have another suggestion.”
She tucked the hands under the table, then smoothed her dress as she stood upright. “Can I offer you some tea, Sir..” She lingered after the last word a moment, attempting to punctuate a question mark with a small hand gesture and a shrug. She hadn't asked his name, but it was not a habit of hers to do so. It occurred to her then that that was what seemed off about him: His name. She didn't know his proper name; she didn't care. But the kind of name she was looking for showed itself in a person's manner and general aura. A person with a hearty laugh and warm disposition might have a name like 'Jovial' or 'Labrador' while someone with a sly gaze and short temper might be 'Mink'. Yet, despite his clear and vivid personality, Enid could not discern such a name.
“The parlor is just through here.” she continued, leading the way through the curtain door as though running from her previous thought altogether, “Please, make yourself comfortable.” She wasn't allowing him much of a choice, was she?
The parlor was a dark space by design. It was accommodating, but cozy; made smaller by sweeping velvet curtains that swallowed even the smallest crack of light that dare attempt to beam through the windows. The wallpaper was old, too. Not garish exactly, though it was hard to tell for certain in the dim glow of a few shaded lamps, but noticeably dated. The upholstery was large, soft, and burgundy. And, over years of absorbing the smoke and scent of incense, smelled faintly of sage and something else. Cinnamon maybe?
This atmosphere was, of course, for show. The prospect of having one's fortune told carried with it a certain expectation, at least from the layman's perspective. To be frank, Enid thought the space looked like an old opium den, albeit a nice one (if such a thing ever existed). In fact she preferred the light of the afternoon sun spilling in with the breeze through an open window, but such warmth and illumination did not lend itself to the mysterious atmosphere she was aiming for. But while the whole set felt a little disingenuous at times, the trinkets, charms, and divinations were all quite real.
Edited June 13, 2018 by Lady Gilaen
Fierach and supernal reacted to this
He looked back at the Hand, his attention directed by Enid, and regarded the extremity as if for the first time. Jericho reached into the front pocket of his overalls while nodding in agreement, pulled free a small satchel, and placed it over the hand, flipping it upside down but leaving it on the counter. He made his intention clear to buy the item from her but didn't want to be accused as a thief himself, having seen how that class of person was dealt with by the witch opposite.
"My name's, Jericho." The minute pause revealed his hesitation. It put Jericho on edge to disclose even a sliver of his identity. Doing so established a vector back to him through the woman should criminals or the authorities, if there was even a difference between the two in Alterion, attempted vengeance for his putting them to task. It also presented a handle to the witch. A small one, but nonetheless a means for leverage which she might reach out and grasp should she end up petty or simply cruel.
These considerations gave Jericho reason to be cautious but did not change the fact that he needed her. Required her wares. The alternative would take too long and war against institutionalized slavery was not one he could win through attrition. It was too embedded into the local economy – too big to fail in that way.
"And I'd appreciate it if you never repeated my name to anyone else. Ever. Tell them I told you my name is Wind if someone asks. I just come and go as I please. I'd love some tea, thank you."
With mutual introductions concluded Jericho stepped through into Enid's parlor at her invitation. The moment he crossed through the threshold he stepped to one side, moving as if anticipating an attack and finding none. From her vantage behind him Enid couldn't see it but Jericho's eyes were electric with motion, probing the dim lighting of the parlor for any bulky objects which might hide an ambush, any signs of a spell-trap baited with trigger quivering in anticipation.
Finding no such sign, Jericho continued on and pressed his hand against the furniture, appreciating the plush and the comfort, but remained standing.
"How's that thing back there define threshold anyway?" He motioned with a thumb over his shoulder at the Hand of Glory still waiting for him on the counter, now obscured by the curtain.
"Or structure is probably a better word. If I can obstruct the road, stop the trucks moving, and then jimmy up four walls and a roof real quick like. Would that be enough to let the Hand work its magic?"
He waited a half-beat, just long enough for an answer to form in her mind, but not so long as to let her actually get it out. He didn't want to interrupt her.
"Is it usual, that you don't ask many questions about what a fella wants to use your wares for?"
Edited June 15, 2018 by supernal
Fierach and Lady Gilaen reacted to this
It should be made clear that Enid had acquired the human parts second-hand, so to speak. She was more inclined to make good use of valuable components that would otherwise go to waste than she was to seek them out deliberately; which is to say that the body attached to the hands had been long dead before she took them. If her guest thought otherwise.. well, that misconception worked in her favor (not that the truth was any less disconcerting).
He introduced himself and it gave her a moment's pause. She was turned away from him, but something about her posture, a subtle bristle, seemed to suggest that she felt defensive, maybe even a little offended about the introduction. “Apologies. I realize how that must have sounded,” she said, her shoulders relaxing, “but I was not asking for your name.” Not his proper one, anyway. As for the pseudonym, well.. If she had heard it, she was choosing to ignore it for now. After a pause she let out a long breath, not quite a sigh, and returned the favor. “I am Enid.”
She watched after him as he passed through the doorway, tilting her head quizzically at his apparent skittishness. It was almost enough to make her smile, though she did not. Not that she enjoyed his discomfort (she didn't... much), but the uncertainty that he postured about accepting her invitation sort of mirrored her uncertainty about him. Funny, that. She followed through the curtain door and passed him, gesturing to two large, soft chairs seated on either side of a round table. Enid stopped behind the far chair and turned to address him, noting that he had yet to sit down. She was poised to speak, but he beat her to it. Just as well, she thought. She was a gracious host, but not always a sociable one. She had only a moment to think about his question before another followed. She could feel a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and this time she allowed it to show.
“Is it usual for you to be so forthright with your secrets?” she leaned forward into the back of the large chair, resting on her elbows as she laced her fingers together and looked him over with a more critical gaze. “You were very direct about your plans when you described them to me just now. You gave me your name. Which, I suppose, could have been a lie, though I suspect not. You're making an effort to trust me, despite every instinct that tells you otherwise. Your actions speak well of you.
“Mind you, I do have many questions; about you and the uncertainty ahead of you. I find it quite exciting, to speak truth. But I need a different sort of clarity before I can know which questions to ask. For that I have Tasseography.” Enid stood upright at the word, her posture rising with a small swell of personal pride, “It's my specialty, actually. Now, do you have a preference for tea?” She was moving again, drifting into yet another room beyond an arched doorway (presumably the kitchen).
She returned a short while later with a serving tray, several small tins of leaves and herbs, and two jade green teacups and saucers (the kettle had yet to boil, thus remained in the kitchen). She placed them gingerly at the center of the table. “We were talking about thresholds before, yes?” she wasn't really asking so much as clarifying, “For most people a threshold is a door, but the definition is contingent on the person using the charm. It has its limits, but those can be stretched by someone with imagination, or an exceptional grasp of certain magics. One can, in theory, draw a circle to define their space, and simply step over the line to cross its threshold.” The witch illustrated her explanation by tracing an invisible circle on the surface of the table around the serving tray, then walking her fingers over the proposed line. “It would be very difficult,” she added (and that was putting it lightly), “but possible. Or plausible, anyway.”
supernal and Fierach reacted to this
"Is it usual for you to be so forthright with your secrets?"
Enid's line of inquiry appeared to have caught Jericho off-guard, or at least put him in a state of musing. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, evident signals of hard mental labor. More subtle signals were the slight gloss which filmed his eyes as he turned his vision inward, diving headlong into the realm of his innermost Self that he might mine his titanic unconscious mind for insight.
It was just as Enid rose to go and fetch a pot, and cups, and herbs for their tea that Jericho spoke; his voice came out soft but clear, laced as his words were with hard emotional edges, none of which were directed to his host.
"I don't have the time to be coy. I'm in the middle of a war and I have to sweep my enemy from the face of the earth before they have a chance to strike. Strike they will, and their arms are long, and their fists are heavy, but I will cut them off at the feet, and remove their heads while they kneel. The only way for this to end is with ruin, if not death."
Jericho's cadence was rhythmic, almost musical in utterance, almost mythical in structure, as if he spoke of some half-forgotten story written long ago. Near the end of his statement his brow had furrowed so deeply that it cast a small shadow over his eyes, partially hiding them, but then when properly concluded his expression smoothed to present an almost serene face to the world.
"I told you what I needed to do, but not where, or to whom . . . or why." Undeniably this last was the most critical of the string of questions, but also the one with which Jericho was the most open if asked.
"For the tea, my only real preference is that it's poison-free. Other than that I'm not very picky." He was no longer possessed with the spirit of his truest Self and so, now, could wait for Enid to do as marvelous hosts did and provide the offered refreshment.
Jericho made no move to veil his evident interest in what she was saying. As Enid spoke, he reached across the table into the figurative circle, paused momentarily as if waiting for a trap to spring, then took hold of a cup before sniffing at the tins. He settled on a fruit blend, and let the herbs wait in their jade chamber for the kettle to boil.
" . . . by someone with imagination, or an exceptional grasp of certain . . ."
"I have a bit of both." Jericho played at modesty, pointedly waiting for Enid to take up her own cup. "I'm familiar with truename magic, and as an extension of that, with symbolic flexibility. I prefer it to be difficult, truth be told. If the method was easy it's probably already been anticipated and planned against. Difficult is harder to see, harder to deal with.
"So ok. The Hand and a proper circumscription will take care of one-half the problem. What about the other half, so's I can stop the trucks dead?"
Lady Gilaen reacted to this
That dramatic shift in tone as Jericho spoke set Enid on edge all over again. Who was this man really? Did he stumble through her door by chance, or did he know the shop would be there when he wandered in? And why did she not know he was coming? She'd performed her usual reading with her morning tea, and it showed nothing, not even a hint of this clandestine meeting. She could have asked these things outright, but as her guest had openly surmised, it was not in her usual nature to do so. She wasn't trying to be coy exactly, she just did things in her own way and in her own time (often for her own curious purpose).
She was silent on the matter of where, to whom, and why he had set about planning this task. Either she was choosing to ignore it, or she didn't think it warranted much of a response. If it was so important to him that she know his intentions, he should have expressed them openly. Not that she didn't care what he was doing and why, but what truth could she hope to glean from his words alone? This was why she insisted upon this reading.
She watched his hesitation about the cup and the tins of herbs as she went about her explantation. His pointed interjection concerning his own capabilities was not unexpected. He'd shown that he was familiar, or at least very comfortable with her wares already. It was the mention of names, or naming magic rather, that caught her attention as she was sprinkling a pinch of mint and ceylon into her cup. Her own (apparently) particular rules about when and how and what names to use were a very different thing. But still, the topic caught her attention. “You don't seem very much like Wind to me.” she said, the thought interjecting on their conversation quite suddenly as she thought back to his proposed pseudonym, “It's too fickle. Reckless, even.” It was about then that the kettle whistled from the kitchen, signaling Enid's departure from the table.
She returned with a jade teapot to match the cups and filled them, guest first, then her own. The witch eased into the chair opposite her guest, giving more attention to her tea than him as she plucked up her cup and blew over the hot surface. It caused the leaves to swirl beneath the rising steam before sinking to the bottom. She took a brief sip and found that it was still too hot, then winced for just a moment as she set it back into the saucer to cool.
When he returned to the matter of the trucks she offered him a small shrug. “I suppose there are many things that would do the job, but were I in your position-” she reached out to one of the tins and tipped it over, causing the loose top and all of its contents to spill out into the table in a rough trajectory. The tin could have represented a tree, or a rock slide, or another vehicle; anything, really, so long as the point came across well enough. “I would block the road.”
supernal reacted to this
" . . . Reckless, even."
And then Enid rose to fetch the water for their tea. Jericho called out to her over his shoulder, an easy smile a new feature of his expression, and shaping the sound of his words with a lighthearted air.
"To be honest that's mainly the point. The last thing I want to do is give these people useful information."
When Enid returned and filled their cups, Jericho aped her motions; blew across the surface to cool it, to animate the tea leaves; sipped at it, also winced, and then put it down next to hers. He knew of the practice of reading tea leaves in the abstract, as a third-party, grasping at the underlying divination principles but failing in his knowledge of the particulars. Enid had already proved out her utility with the Hand, with her information, with their plan, and if this assisted her in some way, then the more the better for him.
Jericho's eyes fell onto the tumble of tea leaves. He leaned back in the chair, slumping down into the seat cushion, bringing his fingers together at their tips to form a steeple over whose peak he could observe the table from a bird's-eye.
"I'd need to do it twice. Once in front and once in the back, to keep them from backing out. I couldn't do it too far ahead of time either, or they would stop and send a vanguard to inspect, splitting and spreading my intended targets, maybe even putting the party that stays behind outside of whatever range I can summon with the Hand.
"If there are hills or buildings on their route, easy. If they take open roads across flat lands, much harder."
Jericho's intention was not the outright dismissal of Enid's proposition. It was tactically sound but, via purposeful design, Enid was working in a vacuum of information. Nonetheless she had managed to kindle a flame in him. Jericho sat upright and leaned over the table, arranging the lids of the tins in a line, and positioning them to one side of the still strewn leaves.
"So a tripwire. A delayed tripwire, combined into the circle I'll use to establish the threshold for the Hand. They’ll be boxed in, or circled in rather. The only way out will be up and that's where I'll be, dropping down on them with the Hand in tow and freezing them in place. Then I can handle the guards, so when the Hand goes out, the cargo can just walk out with me."
A pause, gravid with meaning.
"That's more than I can do alone, I think."
Enid leaned forward intently as she watched Jericho rearrange the pieces on their improvised war table. Whether or not either of them had intended it, they had transitioned from total strangers to co-conspirators inside of an hour (though the latter did not specifically negate the former). The witch would later reflect in hindsight that the shift felt so natural she might as well have been discussing afternoon plans with a friend over tea. In a way, she was, though the details around that sentiment were a bit more complicated.
She regarded him with an apprehensive nod as he expanded on her initial suggestion, hammering out the details as they loomed intently over what was, at this point, a very messy table. “You do not know their route?” she asked, tilting her head quizzically to one side, though her tone was quite flat. Upon consideration, she supposed one could know their intended route without knowing the specifics of its terrain. She continued, “Some things are not possible to divine. That said, I would ask you to focus your thoughts specifically on your targets while you drink your tea.” She led by example, taking up her cup once more and closing her eyes in a meditative gesture before taking a long sip of tea. One did not need to maintain this contemplative posture for the duration of their tea, but Enid chose to for this occasion.
When the witch was done with her tea, she opened her eyes and peered down into the jade vessel with a blank stare that shifted into a subtle wrinkle between her brows. She placed the cup down and regarded his plan with another slow nod. It was getting a bit complicated, but still well within the realm of possible.
“That's more than I can do alone, I think.”
She paused. “Yes, it is.”
Enid met his gaze and it looked as if she were searching for something; as though looking long enough in just the right place might reveal something she'd missed. Without another word she reached across the table with an open palm. She was ready to perform the reading.
If Jericho had ever formed a habit of telegraphing his emotions, he would have chewed his lip in thought. But since he never did, Jericho merely sat in Enid's chair, a blank expression dominating his face, eyes scintillating with the light of penetrating focus as his mind switchbacked through various scenarios and outcomes which branched from the limited options laid out before him.
Everything Enid had shown him, of her self and not simply of her wares, spoke of a person meaningfully engaged in his request. If she was not vested in what little she knew of his mission, that is if she even thought about his assault as a mission, then at the least he could say she comported herself like a consummate businesswoman. A professional through and through who had displayed no intention of interference and who had, to his knowledge, no connection to his targets – precisely why he had sought her out, so far removed from where he intended to strike.
"I do know their route." Jericho spoke as he again took up the cup. "I know all of their routes. They'll be winding through the countryside, moving from city to city. The terrain changes wildly depending on when I move on them, and now that I have a plan in mind, I have an idea of timing and location."
Now Jericho turned his eyes to the liquid in the teacup. It was neither still nor dark enough to throw back at him his reflection but the liquid's rippling movement provided Jericho with something of a mandala, a focal point through which he could direct the energies of his easily distracted, fickle, conscious mind.
He didn't think about his targets first, which is why he poised the cup near his mouth but did not yet drink. He had to get there through a circuitous route, to summon up the full depth and breadth of his emotions. He thought of the downtrodden and disenfranchised. Of sentient peoples subjugated, sold into slavery, made to perform acts beneath their dignity, forced into labor which ruined their bodies, to sacrifice the noble threads of who they were before a sinister alchemy transformed those threads into something which could not be salvaged.
Now he thought of the men and women who supported so sinister an engine of commerce. He thought of them in comfortable chairs, luxurious beds, ornate offices and plush homes. He thought of their fat wallets and fatter bank accounts, overflowing with precious metals and Alterion alchemical Notes. He thought of their joy, and how it traced back through an unbroken line to the collected pool of sorrow and suffering of a great mass of people.
He thought of the drivers he would be striking against. Were they evil? Not in the way of their overseers. They did not strategize, they did not plan beyond what was before them, they did not own the materials or the infrastructure, they did not coordinate back-alley deals with corrupt officials. But they moved product. These were the foot soldiers of a morally bankrupt war. The captain was a more valuable kill but they were also harder to get to, and though these men and women were simply doing their jobs, such ideological phrasing made poor shelter against Jericho's tempestuous sense of righteous justice. It was their job to move, and it was his job to move against them – their job to facilitate suffering, and his to pay them back their karmic balance.
And so with that burning in the depths of his mind Jericho drank slow, and drank deep. When done he placed the cup in Enid's hand and waited.
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Sensitive techniques for complex samples
The field of metabolomics is a key discipline in the study of the metabolism of living organisms in a wide range of conditions, including health and disease. The two main analytical techniques used for metabolomics include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS), both of which allow for the detection of many different metabolites. The major strengths of NMR [1] are precise quantitation and superior compound identification; however, a major weakness of the method is in its low sensitivity (metabolites must exceed 1µM).
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MS can typically detect in the femtomolar to attomolar range. Coupled to either gas chromatography (GC), ion chromatography (IC) or liquid chromatography (LC), MS can routinely analyze hundreds of compounds in a single sample and run, making it a very powerful and high-throughput process. With the advancement of high resolution accurate mass (HRAM) MS systems, as well as enhanced metabolite databases/libraries, metabolite identification has improved significantly.
Innovations in MS have also enabled metabolomics to emerge as its own field of study, and to complement genomics and proteomics (multiomics) as core technologies in academic and industrial research labs.
This overview outlines the role of mass spectrometry in the field of metabolomics and reviews MS methodology and instrumentation.
Introduction to mass spectrometry for metabolomics
What is mass spectrometry?
Mass spectrometry (MS) measures the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of ions to identify and quantify molecules in simple and complex mixtures. The development of high resolution accurate mass (HRAM) MS workflows with high throughput and quantitative capabilities has expanded the scope of what we know about the metabolites involved in different cellular and biological pathways; it has also enabled putative biomarker discovery in several related research areas.
How does a mass spectrometer function?
A mass spectrometer contains an ion source, a mass analyzer and an ion detector. The nature of these components varies based on the type of mass spectrometer, the type of data required, and the physical properties of the sample. Samples are introduced into the mass spectrometer in liquid or gas form and then vaporized and ionized by the ion source (e.g., ESI, APCI).
Once ionized, the ions can be accelerated through the remainder of the system. Electric and/or magnetic fields from mass analyzers deflect the paths of individual ions based on their mass and charge ratio (m/z). Commonly used mass analyzers include time-of-flight [TOF], orbitraps, quadrupoles and ion traps, and each type has specific characteristics. Mass analyzers can be used to separate all analytes in a sample during global (or full scan) analysis, or they can be used like a filter (e.g., quadrupole, ion trap) to deflect only specific ions towards the detector.
Ions then hit the detector. Most often, these detectors are electron multipliers or microchannel plates, and they emit a cascade of electrons when hit. This cascade is amplified or multiplied for improved sensitivity. The entire process occurs under extreme vacuum (10-6 to 10-8 torr) so that contaminating gases, neutral atoms and molecules, and non-sample ions are removed. Such contaminants can collide with sample ions and alter their paths, they can also result in non-specific reaction products.
Newer orbitrap analyzer technology [2] captures ions around a central spindle electrode and analyzes their m/z values as they move across the spindle with different harmonic oscillation frequencies. Orbitrap technology can achieve extremely high sensitivity and high resolution accurate mass (HRAM) of obtained mass spectra. Orbitrap HRAM has several advantages for metabolomics studies.
Mass spectrometers are connected to computers with integrated software that analyzes the ion detector data and produces spectra that organize the detected ions by their individual m/z values and relative abundance. These ions can then be compared with available databases and libraries to predict their molecular identities based on their m/z values.
Tandem mass spectrometry and MSn
In metabolomics, single MS or full scan data is used for relative quantitation (profiling) as well as for searching through MS databases such as METLIN for metabolite identities.
However, when additional data are required for specific ions, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and MSn are used. During these approaches, a sample is injected into the mass spectrometer, after which it is ionized, accelerated through and analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS1). Ions derived from the MS1 spectra are then selectively fragmented and analyzed through a second stage of mass spectrometry (MS2) to generate the spectra of the ion fragments.
This fragmentation occurs by a number of dissociation techniques. One method involves hitting the ions with a stream of inert gas, which is known as collision-induced dissociation (CID) or higher energy collision dissociation (HCD). Other methods of ion fragmentation include electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) and electron-capture dissociation (ECD).
These fragments are then separated based on their individual m/z ratios in a second round of MS; as a consequence, MS/MS or MS2 (i.e., tandem mass spectrometry) has been performed. Some instruments utilize a single mass analyzer for both rounds of MS while others combine multiple analyzers.
In metabolomics, MS/MS and MSn are commonly used to increase confidence during metabolite identification when searching through MS/MS mass spectral libraries. With more advanced MS systems, multiple sequential rounds of mass spectrometry (e.g., MS3) can be achieved, and these data can be analyzed with ion fragment tree data to achieve further structural elucidation.
Selective reaction monitoring (SRM)
SRM is the mass spectrometry approach of choice for routine quantitation of well characterized compounds. In this approach, MS/MS is typically used, and SRM experiments are employed using triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. Methods are developed to monitor compounds with a certain m/z and unique diagnostic ions specific to that compound for added confidence.
This approach allows compounds to be detected and quantified in complex matrices such as urine, plasma, blood and food, such samples are commonly analyzed in metabolomics experiments.
Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)
This new method for quantitation takes advantage of the HRAM MS/MS capabilities found in Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers. PRM provides high selectivity, sensitivity and throughput quantitation, along with confident targeted confirmation. This method is best suited to quantifying tens to hundreds of targeted metabolites in complex matrices.
In PRM, the third quadrupole of a triple quadrupole is substituted with an HRAM mass analyzer, such as an Orbitrap, to detect all target product ions in parallel using one, concerted high resolution mass analysis. One of the main advantages of this approach includes less method development as compared to SRM analysis.
[1] Nicholson J, Connelly J, Lindon J et al. (2002) Metabonomics: a platform for studying drug toxicity and gene function. Nat Rev Drug Discov 1(2):153–161. PubMed
[2] Hu Q, Noll RJ, Li H et al. (2005) The Orbitrap: a new mass spectrometer. J Mass Spectrom 40(4): 430–443. PubMed
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Hidden Harvest by Mark Coakley: review
By Peter EdwardsStaff Reporter
Tues., May 20, 2014timer4 min. read
The old Molson brewery near Barrie first seemed an unlikely hiding spot.
Tight against the six-lane Highway 400, the 140,000 square-foot landmark building sat in plain view of thousands of cottagers and skiers who passed by on weekends. It was just a short hop south of the Barrie police and Ontario Provincial Police headquarters, both of which were also visible from the same highway.
Only a few well-connected locals and criminal insiders knew what was going on inside the massive three-storey structure after Molson shut its plant down in August of 2000. New tenants who moved in included proprietors of an eco pond, fish tanks, palette, bottling, trucking and coffee distribution businesses and some craft breweries, as well as North America’s biggest marijuana grow op. The plant that once produced lager and ale was soon capable of producing four to five harvests a year of Northern Lights, M39, Purple Haze and Miracle pot.
When the operation was finally busted in January 2004, police found some 30,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $30-million. By comparison, an average residential grow house produces about 500 plants.
At first glance, the scale and location of the plant make it seem foolhardy. Upon further reflection, the public, up-front location for the pot enterprise makes perfect sense. The same requirements that once made that location desirable for Molson made it a prime spot for illegal pot growers.
Like the Molson administrators, the illegal pot growers needed easy access to transportation to market their potent product. As the pot growers saw things, the nearby police who drove past several times every day were no greater irritant than the spider mites that attacked their plants.
Lawyer Mark Coakley describes all this in Hidden Harvest, a thoroughly researched, entertaining book, although it sometimes meanders a bit, like a pothead talking politics at a party. This isn’t a life or death cliffhanger like Breaking Bad since the criminals never really had that much to loose. Theirs is a high reward, low risk business. Coakley tells a story that is real, sometimes humourous and very Canadian (no beer pun intended), right down to the Maple Leaf beer fridge for off-duty workers.
As Coakley notes, this wasn’t the first time local pot growers have dreamt big. There was another grow-up in the abandoned Molson factory at Bathurst and King St. W. Meanwhile, in Hamilton, a three-storey grow op was set up blocks from City Hall.
That said, the Barrie Molson plant was something big, even for blue-skying pot heads deep into their pipes.
It took nine months for a crew of skilled trades people from Quebec to equip it.
Holes were popped in the roof for ventilation.
Skilled electricians converted beer vats into hydroponic greenhouses. Industrial air conditioning was installed, as were security cameras. (The cameras seemed more aimed at the workers than on outside raiders.)
Special attention was taken to heat it. If the pipes froze and burst, they could spray water on electrical outlets and firefighters would show up.
Once this infrastructure was set up, mattresses were bought from Costco to create self-contained living quarters for as many as 50 workers at a time. Those live-in workers had access to televisions, showers, a fully-equipped kitchen and laundry rooms. Despite the conveniences, it had an odd, distinctive odour, alternating between coffee and pot.
It was finally busted by officers acting on a tip. Once inside, investigators had to poke about for some time in the labyrinth before they actually found the pot.
At the time of the bust, police estimated there were some 15,000 illegal marijuana grow operations in the province.
Investigators found the property was owned by Fercan Developments and its principle owner, millionaire Vince DeRosa. After a prolonged legal battle, DeRosa won his battle to keep the property after his lawyer Brian H. Greenspan successfully argued that DeRosa wasn’t aware of the activities of his tenants.
His brother Bob DeRosa wasn’t so fortunate. He pled guilty to pot production and transferring prohibited weapons charges, and got a five-year term. He also ran another building on Highway 11 in Oro Township where a second marijuana grow operation was located.
The book leaves the impression that the real moneymakers escaped prosecution while the farmers and maintenance workers who were charged were dealt with gently. I can’t help but wonder if there was an invisible hand of the late Vito Rizzuto involved. The Montreal mobster was active in drug operations in the Barrie region at the time.
Coakley describes crime that’s so large-scale and organized that it doesn’t quite feel like crime. The most memorable quote in Coakley’s book comes from Barrie Mayor Bob Hamilton who produced an inspired piece of boosterism when the operation was exposed. He joked to the media, sort of, that: “Even the bad guys realize Barrie is a great place to do business.”
Toronto Star reporter Peter Edwards is the author of 11 non-fiction books, seven books of which are on organized crime.
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Garcia, a redshirt sophomore who started three games in 2008 while sharing time with Chris Smelley, is the SEC's second-leading passer (237 yards a game) behind Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. He has completed 57 percent of his passes and is tied with Mallett for the conference lead with four 300-yard passing games.
Florida coach Urban Meyer, who sought out and complimented Garcia after the Gators' 24-14 win two weeks ago, said Garcia has a much better understanding of Spurrier's offense compared to last season.
"I felt like last year you could kind of rattle him with a change of coverages. This year I saw him do a much better job," Meyer said. "That's just experience. Obviously, he's going to be a fine player."
Playing behind what at times has been a makeshift offensive line, Garcia has taken some hits. He bruised his ribs in a win against Mississippi in September and limped around on a sore knee at the end of the Alabama game last month in Tuscaloosa.
But he has yet to miss a snap because of injury.
"He's a very tough guy. He has a lot of heart, and he never complains, even if he has to play 80 or 90 snaps," Gamecocks defensive end Cliff Matthews said. "There's been times when I thought he can't take no more. But every time he keeps getting back up."
"I don't think it's ever been an issue with Stephen that he lacked courage," said Todd Ellis, the ex-USC quarterback who is the team's play-by-play announcer.
But Spurrier said Garcia has brought much of the pain on himself.
"He's still gotta throw the ball away better. That's killed our running game, all the sacks we've taken," Spurrier said. "A lot of 'em he could've thrown away. I'd say half he could've thrown the ball away somewhere."
Realizing when to heave the ball four rows deep in the stands is part of the learning process for a player whose development was sidetracked by a couple of alcohol-related arrests early in his career.
Though Garcia, who will turn 22 in February, is about to begin his fourth year in the program, he missed all or most of his first two spring practices while suspended.
Garcia has a 7-7 record as a starter. With two years of eligibility remaining, Garcia is at a critical point in his career, according to Ellis.
"It is clear he can make every throw in the offense as good as anyone in the conference. And he's going to run better out of the pocket or on designed plays better than 10 of the 12 quarterbacks in the league," Ellis said.
What remains unclear is whether Garcia will invest the time and energy necessary to become a complete quarterback who can audible without assistance from the sideline, make the proper reads and deliver the ball to the right receiver.
"He needs to continue making the commitment to learn the game - learn how to play, learn how to audible and get out of a bad play and try to get into a good play," Spurrier said. "Just learn how to play. Take more time to study the game. He's doing much better, and he's got to continue striving to learn everything about playing quarterback."
If he does, Garcia could make a run at Ellis' career passing records - he is within 600 yards of Ellis' single-season mark of 3,206 yards - and carve out a spot in the school record books as the first quarterback to lead the Gamecocks to the SEC title game.
"I think he can do it," Matthews said. "He has the heart. He's a lot smarter, a lot (more) mature. It's just a matter of time."
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When Mike Locksley was hired in December as Maryland's head football coach _ the first black head coach in program history _ he knew the timing was perfect.
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Ham 'n dregs
West Ham fuming at Tottenham as they may not earn any money from Carabao Cup clash because it ‘costs £300,000 to open Wembley’
Teams competing in the cup competition are entitled to 45 per cent of the profits - but in this case there might not be any
By Andrew Dillon
29 Sep 2017, 9:57
Updated: 29 Sep 2017, 13:11
WEST HAM are fuming with Tottenham in a cash row ahead of next month’s Carabao Cup clash.
The Hammers are angry at being told they may not earn a penny from the Wembley match which could attract a crowd of around 50,000.
West Ham and Spurs is bound to be a fiery affair in the Carabao Cup clash at WembleyCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Slaven Bilic might not be a happy Hammer when he realises there will be no cash gained from the cup clashCredit: Rex Features
A West Ham source said: “They said we might get nothing from the gate as it costs £300,000 to open Wembley.”
Carabao Cup rules dictate the teams involved are entitled to a 45 per cent share of the proceeds with the rest going to a competition ‘pool’.
Spurs hosted Barnsley in the last round and the Championship side will not get a penny from the 23,926 attendance at the national stadium.
A Spurs spokesman said: “As another club renting a stadium, West Ham are aware and understanding of the costs involved for cup games and the difficulty in any profit being made for such fixtures.”
The volatile London derby in just over three weeks will likely be classed as Category C - with a high risk of crowd trouble given the intense rivalry between both sets of supporters.
Boardroom relations between the clubs have also been historically frosty as they went head-to-head with bids to take over the old Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Games - with West Ham clinching the deal.
West Hma fans might not to be too pleased to hear their club might not earn a penny from their clash against Spurs at WembleyCredit: Getty - Contributor
There are some animosity now off the field, as well as there undoubtedly will be on it between the two clubsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
SunSported reported yesterday (Thursday) how West Ham and Spurs have each been fined £20,000 for failing to control their players in the London derby earlier this month.
An injury-time bust-up marred Spurs' 3-2 Premier League win in Saturday's derby at the London Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino will no doubt be expecting a tough fiery clash - even in the Carabao CupCredit: EPA
The summer transfer window was one the craziest we have ever seen.
Take a look at the most profitable transfers of ALL time.
And here are the Premier League players whose wages made them the most expensive per minute played.
For all the latest FOOTBALL news, gossip and latest fixtures and results, visit our dedicated topic page
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GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks rise, dollar drops as Fed chair remarks boost rate-cut hopes
By April Joyner
NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - A broad index of world stock markets edged higher on Wednesday while the U.S. dollar fell as comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell bolstered expectations for an interest rate cut from the U.S. central bank this month.
MSCI's broadest index of world stocks rose 0.37%, with U.S. equities touching record highs following the release of prepared remarks for Powell's testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. The U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index briefly hit the 3,000 mark for the first time ever.
Powell said the Fed was ready to "act as appropriate" to sustain a decade-long U.S. economic expansion and pointed to economic risks including persistently weak inflation, slowing global growth and a downturn in business investment.
Minutes released from the Fed's June meeting struck a similar tone as Powell's testimony. Several of the central bank's policymakers said interest rates should come down to soften the blow of a U.S.-China trade war and to firm up inflation.
After Powell's remarks and the Fed's minutes, interest rate futures appeared to price in greater odds of an aggressive rate cut this month. Expectations for a 50-basis-point cut, which had nearly been snuffed out following stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data on Friday, jumped to 28.7%, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool.
"It's what the market wanted to hear," said J.J. Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade in Chicago. "Many people thought the jobs report - one data point - would all of a sudden change how the Fed was thinking. But the Fed tends to operate on trends, not data points."
Yields on short-dated U.S. Treasuries, which had ticked higher in recent sessions after Friday's stronger-than-expected employment data, fell on Powell's remarks. The two-year Treasury yield, a proxy for market sentiment about interest rate policy, was last 7.3 basis points lower at 1.8317%.
However, yields on 10-year and 30-year Treasuries moved higher to steepen the yield curve which had flattened over the past few sessions. Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes last fell 3/32 in price to yield 2.0665%, from 2.056% late on Tuesday.
Following Powell's remarks, the dollar fell against the euro and the yen. The dollar index, tracking the greenback against six major currencies, was last 0.40% lower.
The yen was last 0.39% stronger against the dollar at 108.42, while the euro rose 0.42% against the greenback to $1.1253.
"The easing of the dollar is a good thing overall," said Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at SunTrust Advisory Services in Atlanta. "That's a positive for international markets and for financial conditions."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 68.87 points, or 0.26%, to 26,852.36, the S&P 500 gained 11.04 points, or 0.37%, to 2,990.67 and the Nasdaq Composite added 46.30 points, or 0.57%, to 8,188.03.
In Europe, the STOXX 600 briefly turned positive following Powell's comments but ended 0.20% lower.
In commodity markets, oil prices surged as U.S. crude inventories shrank more than expected and as major producers evacuated rigs in the Gulf of Mexico before a storm.
Brent crude futures settled up $2.85, or 4.44%, to $67.01 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures settled up $2.60, or 4.5%, to $60.43 a barrel.
Spot gold added 1.2% to $1,414.19 an ounce as the dollar fell.
(Additional reporting by Kate Duguid, Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, Laila Kearney and Stephanie Kelly in New York, Trevor Hunnicutt and Howard Schneider in Washington and Marc Jones in London; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Sonya Hepinstall)
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks rise, dollar drops as Fed chair...
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IN BETWEEN – YOUTH LIVING UNDER THE SHARIA LAW
Banda Aceh, is an autonomous province in the north of Sumatra, and the only place in Indonesia – the country with the world’s largest Muslim population – where sharia law is currently implemented.
Aceh was the hardest-hit area by the 2004 tsunami where over 170,000 inhabitants tragically lost their lives. Many Acehnese viewed the disaster as punishment for their lack of devotion to God. Though Sharia law was only officially introduced in 2011, the cataclysm helped religious authorities to accelerate radicalization within the society.
Alcohol, gambling, not dressing according to Islamic code, premarital romance, and adultery are now outlawed and punishable by public flogging. A feared “Sharia police” team doles out warnings and passes transgressors on to the relevant authorities.
In March 2016, I spent 10 days with the youth of Banda Aceh, I explored unseen subcultures, and followed the lives of artists, musicians, dancers, skaters and surfers; documenting their efforts to find their own space in a conservative and closed society.
In between - living under the Sharia Law
February 25, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Devotees pray inside the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in central Banda Aceh. The mosque is one of the few buildings that survived the 2004 tsunami where +170,000 of Acehnese lost their lives. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 02, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). J. is a young university student who's struggling to find her sexual identity in such a conservative society. “I’m not sure if I can be defined as lesbian of bi-sexual - I am attracted to women by their beauty, intelligence but, I feel more secure to be protected by a man.” Hostility towards LGBT people is increasing in Indonesia. Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Saaduddin Djamal, recently instructed youths in villages to help identifying members of the LGBT community so that they can be helped and re-educated. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 02, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Nanda (17), Puja (17) and Chichi (18), three female members of the rap group Gram Audio Family, pose at the "Thanks to World Park". Nanda started to rap 3 years ago, she is studying at one of the local high schools, and she would like to become a fashion designer. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 26, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Dicky (26) shows one of his tattoos. Dicky is a young semi-pro skater who loves to practice with his friends in front of the Meshud Agung Al Makmur mosque. He lost all his family during the 2004 tsunami and sports a tattoo on his left arm with the date of the tragic event. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 1st, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). A young man, caught spending time alone with his girlfriend, is publicly caned in front of a large crowd in the court yard of a school. Alcohol, gambling, not dressing according to Islamic code, premarital romance, and adultery are outlawed and made punishable by public flogging. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Dekdi (21), one of the most talented b-boys in Banda Aceh, performs during a break dancing contest held at a skart park in Oleelheue. He recently won the Break Invasion 7 in Medan, one of the most important contests in Indonesia. Dekdi started dancing 7 years ago and he recently began teaching young break dancers. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Some of the members of Nanggroe Break Cypherz crew relax in a coffee bar. Young people in Banda Aceh don't have many places where they can hang out, and they normally meet in numerous cafes around the city. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 26, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Yudy (26) performs a rail trick in a skate park in front of the Meshud Agung Al Makmur mosque. Around 30 young people skate in Banda Aceh, among them there are 3 girls. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 03, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Ferry (23) and Syifa (20) paint a wall together with other members of their crew. Ferry likes visual arts and founded the crew 3 years ago. Islam has a complicated relationship with drawing, as for some people, to “illustrate creatures with souls” is considered forbidden. He thinks that most of the young people oppose the Sharia law. and is thinking of leaving Aceh in the near future as it’s not a good place for him. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 23, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Two young girls play with their smartphones before the beginning of prayer at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in central Banda Aceh. The mosque was one of the few buildings that survived the 2004 tsunami where +170,000 of Acehnese lost their lives. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 27, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Diva (17) practices break dancing under the supervision of Dekdi, one of the best b-boys in Banda Aceh. Diva is a high school student and started practicising break dancing 3-months ago. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Tya (26) learns how to paddle on a surf board in the water of Lho-nga beach in Lampuuk, a few km' outisde of Banda Aceh. She works at a car dealership and tries to come to the beach every day after work. She consideres Lho-nga the only place in Banda Aceh where she can be herself. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 1st, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). People watch a public caning ceremony in which 18 people are convicted and punished for "immoral acts" - including a young unmarried couple who were caught spending time alone together. Alcohol, gambling, not dressing according to Islamic code, premarital romance and adultery are outlawed and made punishable by public flogging. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 29, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Felicya (20) practices board tricks with her friends in a skate park in front of the Meshud Agung Al Makmur mosque. She started skating just 2-years ago and she would like to see more girls doing it. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 1st, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). The interior of one of the rooms used by a member of the Kommunitas Kanoot Pu- a collective of artists that live in an abandoned building that was damaged during the tsunami. The collective is composed of 15 members (4 women), among them are painters, illustrators, comic designers, writers, journalists and poets. Their aim is to give knowledge to people, teaching critical thinking. Much of their art has a strong social message. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 27, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Friends of Jakie (right) like to gather inside his bike shop to talk in central Banda Aceh. He's considered one of the best skater and surfer in town. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Kiki (center), one of the few b-girls in town, assists a break dancing contest organized at a skate park in Oleelheue. She works as a receptionist, but she’s studying to be a graphic designer and animator. She loves dancing and would like to participate in contests abroad. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Ryan (22) and Aulia (32), two of the local surfers, check the conditions of the waves at Lho-Nga, a beach located a few Km outside Banda Aceh. Ryan is studying economics and has been surfing for 14 years. He was living in Bali but decided to come back to finish his studies in Banda Aceh. He misses the waves and lifestyle of Bali, and is planning to leave again, as soon as he's finished with school. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 03, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). A young bride wearing a traditional Acehnese dress, gets married in the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in central Banda Aceh. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Some of the members of the Nanggroe Break Cypherz crew chat after a break dancing contest organized at a skate park in Oleelheue.© Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Local surfers get ready to enter the waters of Lho-Nga, a beach located a few Km outside of Banda Aceh, and one of the best surf spots in north Sumatra. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 29, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). A young woman visits the Tsunami museum. Aceh was the hardest-hit area by the 2004 tsunami where +170,000 of its habitants lost their lives in the tragic event. Many Acehnese viewed the disaster as punishment for their lack of devotion to God. Though the Sharia law was officially introduced in 2011, the cataclysmic event helped religious authorities bring a further radicalisation within the society. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 1st, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). One of the members of the Kommunitas Kanoot Pu, a collective of artists that live in an abandoned building that was damaged during the tsunami, collects water from a pit built in the courtyard. The collective is composed of 15 members (4 women), among them are painters, illustrators, comic designers, writers, journalists and poets. Their aim is to give knowledge to people, teaching critical thinking. Much of their art has a strong social message. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Dekdi (front) and his brother Nay (blue t-shirt) pray at the back of a cafe. Praying 5 times a day, is mandatory for muslims in Banda Aceh, and many cafes are equipped with prayer areas for the clients. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 02, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Kiki, one of the few b-girls in town, talks with Nay after a session of break dancing. Many young people consider Nay as a big brother. He's the owner of a barber shop, a restaurant, and is the founder of the biggest hip hop crew in Banda Aceh. He also designs t-shirts. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 29, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Young girls visit the Tsunami museum. Aceh was the hardest-hit area by the 2004 tsunami where +170,000 of its habitants lost their lives in the tragic event. Many Acehnese viewed the disaster as punishment for their lack of devotion to God. Though the Sharia law was officially introduced in 2011, the cataclysmic event helped religious authorities bring a further radicalisation within the society. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 28, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Dekdi (21), one of the most talented b-boys in Banda Aceh, smokes from a vaporizer. He recently won the Break Invasion 7 in Medan, one of the most important contests in Indonesia. Dekdi started dancing 7-years ago and he recently began teaching young break dancers. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 29, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). - Felicya (center) hangs with her friends at a skate park in front of the Meshud Agung Al Makmur mosque. She started skating just 2-years ago, and would like to see more girls doing it. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 03, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). Sofia and her friends enjoy their time together time at Lho-nga beach in Lampuuk, a few km outisde of Banda Aceh. It is considered as the “tsunami ground zero”. Sofia loves to go to the beach, as it’s the only place where she feels free from all the restraints of society. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
February 25, 2016 - Banda Aceh (Indonesia). A young woman sits outside the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in central Banda Aceh. The mosque was one of the few buildings that survived the 2004 tsunami where +170,000 of Acehnese lost their lives. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
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Discover the Central Valley
Fresno Art Scene
Home to an acclaimed museum and a busy creative community, Fresno is a unique destination for art lovers
Spend time in Fresno and you’ll quickly discover that this Central Valley city has a homegrown art scene independent of those in California’s larger metropolitan area.
With a history that dates to the late 1940s, the celebrated Fresno Art Museum (FAM) is the city’s most prominent cultural destination. Built in 1960, the museum building has nearly tripled in size over the years, and now serves as the impressive home for a collection that focuses on contemporary American art, modern and folk art from Mexico, and pre-Columbian ceramics—some as old as 2,500 years.
Among the most renowned works in the permanent collection is El dia de las flores, Xochimilco, a 1926 painting by Diego Rivera. Definitely check the schedule for an innovative line-up of special exhibitions. Recent events have included shows about iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (who was married to Rivera), California nature photography, and the works of legendary photographer Ansel Adams.
FAM partners with Arte Américas, another prominent Fresno arts institution. Focused on Latino arts and culture, from the traditional to the avant-garde, Arte Américas’ galleries include one that displays works from FAM’s collection. The centre hosts a variety of events, including Nights in the Plaza, a summer concert series held at La Plazita, its landscaped outdoor space.
Across the street in Fresno’s Cultural Arts District, Arte Américas recently unveiled a mural inspired by the works of Rivera and dedicated to Central Valley writers—among them, Fresno native son and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist William Saroyan.
For another way to experience Fresno’s creative vibe, on the first and third Thursday of every month, the Fresno Arts Council hosts ArtHop. The first Thursday event centres on downtown Fresno and the Tower District, where you can meet local artists, listen to live music and enjoy extended hours at museums and galleries. The third Thursday ArtHop event features venues in outlying parts of the city.
Haggin Museum
Top Bay Area Museums
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Fresno County Fruit Trail
Fresno / Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau
Fresno County Office of Tourism
Fresno Convention & Visitor’s Bureau – more things to do
Sacramento River Train
Best-Kept Secret: Solano County
Although it’s in the heart of California’s most productive agricultural region, Fresno is also a sophisticated city of gorgeous gardens and parks, with a vibrant creative community and one unforgettable (and underground) attraction you won’t find anywhere else.
Visit the Central Valley’s largest city and discover the exciting Tower District neighbourhood, with shopping, dining and a nightlife hotspot named for its centrepiece—a landmark, neon-lit Art Deco theatre that opened in 1939. Catch the cultural scene at its most dynamic during the twice-monthly open-art program, ArtHop, held in studio and gallery spaces downtown and in other parts of the city. The Fresno Art Museum is also a must, both for its beautifully displayed permanent collection of pre-Columbian artefacts and also its innovative exhibitions showcasing everything from children’s book illustrations to contemporary works from Mexico.
Along the San Joaquin River, 300-acre Woodward Park, the biggest in the city, truly has something for everyone: five miles of trails, an authentic Japanese garden and three playgrounds. Speaking of the kids, across town they’ll also love the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, where they can watch marine mammals frolic in Sea Lion Cove and see elephants, lions and giraffes in the recently opened African Adventure exhibit.
For an unforgettable only-in-Fresno experience, explore a subterranean living space at Forestiere Underground Gardens, a labyrinth of stone walls, tunnels and courtyards hand-dug by an Italian immigrant, who had decided that living underground was the best way to keep cool during the Central Valley’s hot summers.
For sports fans, there’s Pacific Coast League baseball at Chukchansi Stadium, home of the Fresno Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the teams at Fresno State University have earned one of the most avid followings of any college in the country (Bulldog alum Aaron Judge is a rising star with the New York Yankees).
At some point, be sure to get out into the farmland surrounding Fresno. In spring, drive or bike the 62-mile Blossom Trail, a loop lined by brilliantly blooming fruit and nut trees. During summer, the drive morphs into the Fresno County Fruit Trail, with produce stands overflowing with ripe seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Mark Crosse/Getty Images
Fresno County Blossom Trail
Explore this driving loop that bursts with flowers in the spring and fruit during summer
Spring tends to kick off early in Fresno County with a fast-and-frenzied spectacle of blooming fruit and nut trees. Starting in mid-February and lasting only about three weeks, the Fresno County Blossom Trail, made up of the county’s orchards, is festooned in rosy sprays of peach and nectarine petals, pink bouquets of apricot blossoms, and white blazes of almonds, plums, and apples. Drivers, bicyclists, and photographers can revel in the flowery glory on this colourful 62-mile loop southeast of Fresno.
Start your trip at Simonian Farms, a 1901 fruit stand run by the Simonian family for four generations. Its massive red barn encloses a model Western town complete with saloon, church, barber shop, and schoolhouse. Wander among their collection of vintage tractors, restored gasoline pumps, and antique balloon-tire bikes. (Look overhead—they’re suspended from the ceiling.) Before you leave, pick up a Blossom Trail driving map plus a few bags of French burnt peanuts and dried nectarines.
Driving clockwise, you’ll soon reach the Blossom Trail Cafe, where diners in cosy booths feast on pancakes and huevos rancheros. In tiny Centerville, stop at the Fruit Station for local honey and preserves. Or just keep heading east: The farther you go, the more vivid the scenery. When the photo gods are smiling, the snow-clad Sierra Nevada glows white in the background as golden yellow mustard blooms beneath the fruit tree canopy. (While searching for the perfect photo op, remember to park safely off the road and respect private property.)
Just beyond the tiny hamlet of Minkler, make a choice: Turn right on Frankwood Avenue or extend your loop through Orange Cove, following the neighbouring Orange Blossom Trail to white-flowered lemon and orange groves. (Roll down your car windows to sniff the unforgettable aroma of citrus flowers.) Heading south on Frankwood Avenue, stop at Cedar View Winery, an ideal photo stop with acres of almond, nectarine, and peach blossoms. While there, sample the vineyard’s tempranillo and learn about the rare Alicante Bouschet grape.
Either road will eventually lead you to Reedley, where your kids can ride a miniature steam train (yes, it’s real steam) around Hillcrest Farm’s peach and plum orchards. The owners design and build their own fanciful locomotives, train cars, and track.
Perfect timing is key to the Blossom Trail’s best petal-viewing, so check its website for daily updates. Wait too long and the trees’ flowers will have fluttered to the ground, soon to be replaced by a bounty of summer fruit. Indeed, if you miss the spring blossom season, try driving the same exact route from May to September, when it morphs into the Fresno County Fruit Trail. You’ll be able to stop at dozens of seasonal produce stands along the route.
Farm Stands & Farmers’ Markets
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D.C. Atty/Flickr
Fresno's Tower District
Stroll through a hip neighbourhood brimming with old-style charm and new surprises
Built up in the 1930s as a suburb accessible by Fresno’s (since retired) streetcars, the luminous Tower District is the city’s leading nightlife destination. The district is named for the neon-lit Tower Theatre, a 1939 Art Deco masterpiece and national historic landmark designed by S. Charles Lee, the architect of many of Hollywood’s most famous theatres. It’s now the 761-seat Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts, which hosts a busy line-up of local and national rock, jazz and comedy concerts, as well as film screenings. When you come for a show, give yourself time to take in such architectural details as the lobby’s bas-relief etched-glass panel depicting hunters and backlight-illuminated circular murals painted with fluorescent pigments.
For more live theatre, book a table at nearby Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater, home to the Good Company Players, a troupe that also stages productions a block away at the 2nd Space Theatre. Music fans should check the schedule at Strummer’s, a concert hall, restaurant, and club named for Joe Strummer, The Clash’s late frontman.
With all of the live performances, restaurants, art galleries, vintage clothing shops and record stores, this walkable district positively buzzes after dark. Less than a block from the Tower Theatre, dine at eclectic Veni Vidi Vici, a popular restaurant with a menu that incorporates Asian and Italian influences. Sequoia Brewing Company makes a great place to lounge pre- or post-show; try its China Peak Pilsner or a General Sherman IPA. And for more craft beer (plus classic arcade games!), head over to the bicycle-themed Spokeasy Public House.
Several times a year, special events turn the entire Tower District into a giant party. These include the celebrated Rogue Festival (the city’s annual fringe festival), the Fresno Film Festival and an annual Mardi Gras parade.
Tower District events calendar
The Rogue Festival
Maturango Museum
Warnors Center for the Performing Arts
A historic theatre in downtown Fresno is enjoying a magnificent second act
Grand movie theatres have always been great gathering places for their cities, and that’s certainly true of the spectacular Warnors Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Fresno. Originally a Pantages Theater that staged vaudeville shows, this 1928 landmark (it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places) now hosts an eclectic assortment of performances and community events.
According to the preservation organization Historic Fresno, the theatre blends a variety of architectural elements: Moorish Revival, Spanish and Italian Revival touches all add to the structure’s romantic, Old World look. There’s extensive use of terra cotta, and a tiered tower above the marquee rises to a lantern and cupola.
The Warnors was designed by B. Marcus Priteca, who served as the architect on all of the theatres owned and operated by the Pantages organization. But the Warnors remained under Pantages ownership for only a year before Warner Brothers purchased and renamed the building the Warner’s Theatre; Historic Fresno says it was renamed the Warnors Theatre in the 1960s.
Now the 2,100-seat Warnors Center is one of the most visually stunning spaces in the entire Central Valley, especially as light shows paint in vivid colours the elaborate interior, with its ornate, flattened dome. Come here for the centre’s classic film series, as well as concerts by the likes of Fresno’s own Audra McDonald, the six-time Tony Award-winning actress who has been honoured in four different acting categories.
Listen to the historic pipe organ, which has 1,035 pipes and 720 keys to replicate the sound of a full orchestra. Made by the Robert Morton Organ Company, the instrument once provided background music for silent films and is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world still used for performances at the original location.
Insider Tip: Take a free theatre tour during ArtHop events in downtown Fresno, the first and third Thursday of each month.
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Jen Siska
Tour Fresno’s remarkable subterranean world of gardens, fruit trees and courtyards
Beneath the surface of the Central Valley, a staggering network of subterranean tunnels, chambers, and grottos meanders for some 10 acres, hidden just beneath the surface. This underground maze is the handiwork of Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere. From 1906 to 1946, the visionary builder, using only shovels, picks and other hand tools, created this catacomb-like compound, allegedly as a cool subterranean retreat from the region’s soaring summer temperatures.
“He just kind of wanted to get out of the Fresno heat,” says Lyn Forestiere Kosewski, great niece of Baldassare and now owner of Forestiere Underground Gardens, which is open for fascinating tours nearly year-round. “He understood that it was cooler underground (from) the cellars back in Sicily.”
Far from a grim underground chamber, this is a subterranean home, with sky-lit rooms, a chapel, and even a fishing pond.
But this is no sombre collection of barren caves. Forestiere was building a home, and the hand-chiselled underground complex includes such seemingly incongruous touches as an underground fishing pond and a chapel. There are also open-air skylights, so that Forestiere’s collection of fruit trees and grape vines could thrive and bear fruit, even underground. It’s an ironic achievement, given that the young immigrant originally bought the parcel where the tunnels now hide as potential land to start a citrus empire, yet it proved to be all wrong for growing the lush groves Forestiere originally envisioned. So, with otherwise worthless land, he went down, using no plans other than the ideas in his head.
“Baldassare had to physically dig through this—three to five feet of sedimentary rock—not an easy task,” says Lyn Forestiere. “He got a lot of negativity from people who didn’t understand what he was doing.” According to historic reports, Forestiere once said that the visions he had for building his underground wonderland overwhelmed him. Seeing the results on a guided tour, you can’t help but be moved by the seemingly Herculean achievement of this humble Sicilian immigrant.
Insider tip: Forestiere Underground Gardens are closed December through February, and Monday and Tuesday of every week.
Explore Baldassare’s Mysterious Underground Garden in Fresno
Sometimes you have to go beneath the surface to find what you’re looking for. This was true for Baldassare Forestiere, who spent his life digging Fresno’s vast underground garden by hand.
Biography of Baldessare Forestiere
More things to do – Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau
Visit Central Valley
Fresno's Christmas Tree Lane
Watch the city glow with holiday spirit along Christmas Tree Lane
If Paris is ‘The City of Light’ then Fresno is the city of Christmas lights in December, thanks to the two miles of holiday decorations between Shields and Shaw Avenues along Van Ness Boulevard—better known as Christmas Tree Lane.
Every year, millions of bulbs glisten from 300 trees and 140 lavishly decorated homes in the Fig Garden neighbourhood. One of the country’s longest-running holiday spectaculars, the big light show at Christmas Tree Lane has been a Fresno tradition for more than 90 years. Other than a few notable times—during wartime restrictions in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbour and the energy crisis of 1973—Christmas Tree Lane has glowed brightly every year since 1920. But the tradition had a sombre beginning when a single tree was illuminated as a tribute to a child who had passed away.
While everyone dreams of a white Christmas, Christmas Tree Lane has gotten much greener in recent years. Yes, it takes a lot of electricity to illuminate all of those lights but thanks to improved efficiency and wiring, power use has plunged by nearly 50 percent in the last decade. More than 100,000 people come out to Christmas Tree Lane annually to marvel at the displays during a roughly three-week run that concludes on Christmas night.
Insider Tip: Check the website schedule for Walk Nights, when Van Ness Boulevard is closed to traffic.
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ee animals from Africa, Australia and the California coast at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo
With new naturalistic enclosures and roughly 200 species of animals, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo gives visitors up-close looks at wildlife from around the globe.
Spreading over 13 acres designed to re-create the plains and savannah landscape of Africa, the beautiful African Adventure is the Central Valley’s answer to a wildlife safari. Opened in 2015, the exhibit is like the continent in miniature.
Upon entering, you’ll see grazing wildebeests, with majestic elephants moving across the expanses in the distance. Two trails explore the exhibit: Take the Twiga Trail to not only see but also feed reticulated giraffes, the world’s tallest mammal. The second trail leads past a pride of lions lounging and playing atop boulders before it reaches an overlook for a closer view of elephants wallowing in a mud hole. And there are always surprises: You might spot cheetahs scrambling up their climbing tree, then gazing down at passers-by.
Once you’re out of Africa, travel to the land Down Under at the Roo Walkabout, another new environment that debuted in 2016. The exhibit is home to red kangaroos, emus (a flightless bird that stands more than six feet tall), and kookaburras, whose laughing calls inspired the song that kids have been singing around campfires for generations.
California gets plenty of love at the zoo too. Fresno may be more than 150 miles from Monterey County but Sea Lion Cove—inspired by the incomparable marine environment at Point Lobos, south of Carmel—is the next best thing to a day along the coast. As you watch the sea lions and harbour seals playing in the water (be sure to go nose-to-nose with them at Pacific Point View, a 35-foot subsurface window), you’ll catch whiffs of salt air and also see brown pelicans, a once endangered bird whose populations are recovering. Honoured with the Associations of Zoos & Aquariums’ prestigious Top Honour Exhibit Award in 2014, Sea Lion Cove also offers two Keeper Chats each day.
The zoo has even more animals, exhibits and kids’ play areas on the way for 2018–2019. A new African River exhibit will feature hippos—including an underwater viewing area—guenons (an African primate), and African birds.
Insider Tip: Starting in May, the zoo hosts Evenings on the Savannah, a series of summer events at African Adventure, with live music and special dinner entrées.
Fresno's Woodward Park
Head to this urban oasis in Fresno to play, work out, and escape into nature
Fresno’s Woodward Park is a classic, great city park, providing Fresno residents and visitors with a beautiful destination for exercise, cultural events and ways to reconnect with nature.
With a large lake, ponds and forested areas, including a redwood glen, this 300-acre urban oasis along the south bank of the San Joaquin River is the largest of Fresno’s 80 parks. Much of the parkland is the onetime estate of Ralph Woodward, the son of early Fresno civic leader and banker Oscar James Woodward.
The park is a place to be as active or relaxed as you want to be. Many families come out to Woodward Park for picnics and barbecues. There are two cross-country courses, one 5,000 meters and the other 10,000 meters, and trails at the park connect to the Lewis S. Eaton Trail System along the San Joaquin River Parkway. Woodward Park is also a birding hotspot thanks to its many species, including colourful wood ducks and even the occasional bald eagle.
Daredevil riders love to catch air and take on the banked corners at the Woodward Park BMX course, while mountain bikers of all levels can challenge themselves along the downhill and jumps at the Woodward Mountain Bike Skills Progression Park. Others come to Woodward for the more mellow pleasures of a round of 18 holes at the wooded and hilly Woodward Legacy Disc Golf Course.
Many locals also head to the park for concerts and performances at the 3,500-seat Rotary Amphitheatre, an intimate, open-air venue with both covered seating and lawn areas. The eclectic line-up of performers ranges from country to jazz to Latin.
Woodward Park’s most exotic destination is the tranquil Shinzen Japanese Garden. Retreat into a serene world that changes with the seasons, as camellias and ume trees (Japanese apricot) bloom in spring and the red leaves of maples put on a brilliant display during autumn. The authentically designed garden includes a teahouse made of Japanese red cedar and gorgeous spots to take in the Zen environment, such as the stone Double Moon Bridge, which looks out over a pond filled with brilliantly hued koi.
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Once that infamous California sunshine starts to dim for the night, you will find plenty of ways to keep the heat cranked up high. Theme parks go neon...
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Vanguard News Network Forum > Executive Summary > The Problem
Jews Admit They Control Hollywood
December 21st, 2008 #1
Harry Flash
Sexist Bastard
How Jewish is Hollywood?
A poll finds more Americans disagree with the statement that 'Jews control Hollywood.' But here's one Jew who doesn't.
I have never been so upset by a poll in my life. Only 22% of Americans now believe "the movie and television industries are pretty much run by Jews," down from nearly 50% in 1964. The Anti-Defamation League, which released the poll results last month, sees in these numbers a victory against stereotyping. Actually, it just shows how dumb America has gotten. Jews totally run Hollywood.
How deeply Jewish is Hollywood? When the studio chiefs took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago to demand that the Screen Actors Guild settle its contract, the open letter was signed by: News Corp. President Peter Chernin (Jewish), Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey (Jewish), Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger (Jewish), Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton (surprise, Dutch Jew), Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Meyer (Jewish), CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves (so Jewish his great uncle was the first prime minister of Israel), MGM Chairman Harry Sloan (Jewish) and NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker (mega-Jewish). If either of the Weinstein brothers had signed, this group would have not only the power to shut down all film production but to form a minyan with enough Fiji water on hand to fill a mikvah.
The person they were yelling at in that ad was SAG President Alan Rosenberg (take a guess). The scathing rebuttal to the ad was written by entertainment super-agent Ari Emanuel (Jew with Israeli parents) on the Huffington Post, which is owned by Arianna Huffington (not Jewish and has never worked in Hollywood.)
The Jews are so dominant, I had to scour the trades to come up with six Gentiles in high positions at entertainment companies. When I called them to talk about their incredible advancement, five of them refused to talk to me, apparently out of fear of insulting Jews. The sixth, AMC President Charlie Collier, turned out to be Jewish.
As a proud Jew, I want America to know about our accomplishment. Yes, we control Hollywood. Without us, you'd be flipping between "The 700 Club" and "Davey and Goliath" on TV all day.
So I've taken it upon myself to re-convince America that Jews run Hollywood by launching a public relations campaign, because that's what we do best. I'm weighing several slogans, including: "Hollywood: More Jewish than ever!"; "Hollywood: From the people who brought you the Bible"; and "Hollywood: If you enjoy TV and movies, then you probably like Jews after all."
I called ADL Chairman Abe Foxman, who was in Santiago, Chile, where, he told me to my dismay, he was not hunting Nazis. He dismissed my whole proposition, saying that the number of people who think Jews run Hollywood is still too high. The ADL poll, he pointed out, showed that 59% of Americans think Hollywood execs "do not share the religious and moral values of most Americans," and 43% think the entertainment industry is waging an organized campaign to "weaken the influence of religious values in this country."
That's a sinister canard, Foxman said. "It means they think Jews
meet at Canter's Deli on Friday mornings to decide what's best for the Jews." Foxman's argument made me rethink: I have to eat at Canter's more often.
"That's a very dangerous phrase, 'Jews control Hollywood.' What is true is that there are a lot of Jews in Hollywood," he said. Instead of "control," Foxman would prefer people say that many executives in the industry "happen to be Jewish," as in "all eight major film studios are run by men who happen to be Jewish."
But Foxman said he is proud of the accomplishments of American Jews. "I think Jews are disproportionately represented in the creative industry. They're disproportionate as lawyers and probably medicine here as well," he said. He argues that this does not mean that Jews make pro-Jewish movies any more than they do pro-Jewish surgery. Though other countries, I've noticed, aren't so big on circumcision.
I appreciate Foxman's concerns. And maybe my life spent in a New Jersey-New York/Bay Area-L.A. pro-Semitic cocoon has left me naive. But I don't care if Americans think we're running the news media, Hollywood, Wall Street or the government. I just care that we get to keep running them.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...2313474.column
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...while we're on the subject...
What Madoff investments reveal about Hollywood Jews
As financial losses resulting from the Madoff scheme continue to bleed throughout the country, two things have become clear: Jewish investors are acutely affected, and a few of them hail from Hollywood.
First we heard about Spielberg, then Katzenberg, then their longtime business manager Gerald Breslauer, who recommended investing with Madoff. Earlier today, the LA Times reported that screenwriter Eric Roth, who last week was nominated for a Golden Globe for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” lost his entire retirement savings. Those are the first few to fall, but the way this Ponzi pyramid is breaking down, there will likely be more.
Is it mere coincidence that the Hollywood players ensnared in the scheme are all Jewish?
If they’re from Hollywood, they’re not really Jewish, goes the stereotype. But the Madoff mess actually reveals something contrary to the prevailing belief that there’s nothing substantively Jewish in Hollywood (besides a bunch of Jewish names). It speaks to a foundational common thread, something sacred that is shared amongst members of a close-knit community; a community built on trust.
How else can you explain the kind of incestuous financial rings developed and sustained within the Hollywood Jewish community? Spielberg entrusts his net worth to his Jewish business manager; he shares said business manager with friend Jeffrey Katzenberg; and that very same manager trusts their sizable assets to another reputable Jew: Bernard Madoff. It could be argued that the entire entertainment industry operates this way; a tribalistic clan working together, sharing with each other and trusting one another.
What’s more Jewish than that?
http://www.jewishjournal.com/swindle...jews_20081217/
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Wallace Engineering
pk-12
300 East Brady
300 East Brady, a classic example of art deco industrial architecture constructed in 1937, was originally the home of Holloway Wire Rope. Located in the Tulsa Arts District, the structure was slated for demolition until it was purchased in 2006. The building was transformed into office and living space, preserving the both building and the industrial fabric of the neighborhood.
The building remains much of the original exterior appearance and the 4,800 square foot addition incorporates materials and detailing reflective of the Tulsa Arts District. The building provides 9,000 square foot of office space, housing 23 workstations, twelve offices, a kitchen, break room, two conference rooms and a creative “war room”. This addition also includes a 2,400 square foot second-floor, light-filled loft apartment for the building’s owner.
887 West Marietta Street NW, Suite G
9800 Pyramid Court, Suite 350
1741 McGee Street
410 North Walnut Avenue, Suite 200
123 North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
info@wallacesc.com
©2019 Wallace Engineering
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Rules And Remorse
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About Rules And Remorse
By Arturo Pérez-Reverte - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Source: XL Semanal
© 20th Century Fox Esp....
Some days ago I received an interesting letter from a reader which is still going round in my mind. Although the interest resides less in the specifics posed by the reader than in the vision of life and the world of which the letter is a reflection or a symptom. Having read the last adventure of Captain Alatriste, the informant - kind and affectionate - addresses a singular reproach to me: the lack of explicit remorse on the part of Alatriste after the death, in Venice, of several of his comrades in the course of a mission into which he led them. In short, the absence of an alatristean act of contrition. Of an expiatory grief of a public nature on the part of a third party and on the part of the reader himself, for the fate some of the men have suffered, old comrades in arms, those whom the captain jeopardized in the adventure. Not even an iota of pain for their loss, complains the reader. Devoid of any expression of guilt. The letter not only exhibits this reader's unease with Alatriste's apparent lack of scruples, but also implies an almost ideological feeling, a lament that the veteran soldier makes no show of certain ethical or moral values that from a current point of view would sound appropriate, like solidarity, compassion or remorse.
Because, to put it briefly, he doesn´t give a crap about the rules of what´s correct. Because he goes his own way and, [once] buddies [are] knocked off, I don´t give a damn. Better alive than dead. Period. Because, for example, he reacts like Aglae Masini [trans. note: a war correspondent] in Nicosia, in 1974, when in an intense shoot-out, I lay down on top of her to protect her like a tough guy - I was a young rookie who still was playing the hero. And she, ironic and wise, said: "Thanks, honey. You are right. If they have to kill one of us, it´s better that they kill you."
As far as Captain Alatriste is concerned, the key to understanding today why he behaves like that, or seems to, can be summarized in two details: a lot of time has passed and many things [have happened] since 1627 and he is a professional for whom violence and its complex ways are the tough bread of everyday [life]. Alatriste is trying to survive in hostile territory, fighting for his life and in such circumstances, tears prevent [you] from seeing clearly the best way to flee when things go awry. His comrades were in the [same] trade, and like him, knew the rules: stop kissing the hands of priests and tyrants; forget this ungrateful land that, for lack of water, must be watered with sweat; take up a sword [and] set off for America, Flanders, or Hell, and one of two things will happen: you'll make your fortune or die trying. In thirty years of tramping around dark alleys and battlefields, Diego Alatriste left behind enough bodies of friends and enemies, including the risk of including his own, that another dozen more don't make his heart beat faster, or make him waste a breath that he needs for survival. This in him is not indifference, but rather professional resignation. Assuming that the world in which you live and fight is a dangerous place, where being caught by the bull is the easiest thing in the world. Something that only idiots - lackwits, he would say - insist on ignoring. That, naturally, does not rule out pain. But pain flows through other channels. It doesn´t have to be melodramatic, or immediate. As with Márquez in Sarajevo, after those days of many bombs and many morgues when you would leave the sites with the soles of your boots leaving bloody tracks on the ground. He would put down the camera, squat with his back against a wall, light a cigarette and spend an hour motionless, staring into space. Arranging remorse.
The other point is the four hundred years that have passed. Literature is also coming out of ourselves to look with others' eyes, living lives that would be impossible [to live in] any other way. Understanding, seeing the difference between what we were and what we are now. Because of that, every time I type out an Alatriste adventure - the hired killer who has tortured, who scarred a woman's face - I try to get the reader to see the world not through today's anachronistic eyes, but rather as it was seen then: harsh, cruel, without NGOs or supportive little bows on lapels. When political correctness was carried by all of them, and not only by Alatriste, on the tip of their sword or the tip of their dick. A world impossible to judge by modern Western standards, because it´s still happening in many places on the planet. A life wasn´t even worth the iron or the rope that was used to take it away. Even if we insist on forgetting it, we weren´t always lovers of seals and dolphins; nor was an eight year old child expelled from school for fighting during recess, or accused of harassment for calling a teacher good-looking. For better or for worse, we were more realistic. More human. Less jackasses.
Last edited: 26 April 2012 11:14:49
© XL Semanal.
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Bedford Western Bypass – Northern Section The £16m northern section of the bypass involves the construction of a 2km single carriageway road with five associated roundabouts, three attenuation ponds and two main structures, one of which is an overbridge crossing the Midland Mainline Railway.
MHA awards £30m contract to AECOM and Waterman Midlands Highway Alliance awards £30-million contract to AECOM and Waterman
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Our multi-talented team is conscious of striking the right balance between the community’s needs for a new road with their concern for the local environment. We have dedicated land engineering and infrastructure teams, who provide detailed designs aimed at covering all stages of the scheme, delivering it on time and on budget. Our expertise is in developing an integrated strategy that optimises the opportunity for all concerned, while minimising the impact, both during construction and into the future.
Waterman has a proven track record in managing all types of road projects, from inception through to the final road markings being painted on the carriageway. Our focus throughout each and every scheme remains on helping to deliver the best designed roads, providing maximum value to the local communities. We have extensive experience of co-operating with local highway authorities throughout the UK, and have well established working partnerships with clients including West Midlands Highway Alliance, Midlands Highways Alliance, London Borough of Bexley, and Merseytravel.
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In short, at Waterman, we do all we can to ensure the success of every road project we are tasked with managing.
Bedford Western Bypass – Northern Section 14 September 2015
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Chris Welch, Regional Director for Waterman Infrastructure & Environment, will be talking about the dramatic transformation of Abbey Wood Station with ICE on Tuesday 14 May.
Waterman Wins Framework on Congestion-busting Highways Scheme 20 November 2018
Waterman’s Infrastructure & Environment team has been appointed by Bracknell Forest Council for the design of the A322 Downshire Way Widening Scheme.
Neil Humphrey, Chief Operating Officer Infrastructure & Enviroment Tel: +44 20 7928 7888 @Neil_Humphrey
Group Policies
Pickfords Wharf
Clink Street
SE1 9DG
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President Trump Threatens Emergency Declaration Ahead Of Border Visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress if he can’t reach a deal with Democrats to fund his promised border wall. He headed to the U.S.-Mexico border to draw further attention to his case after negotiations with lawmakers blew up.
The partial government shutdown dragged into a 20th day with hundreds of thousands of federal workers off the job or working without pay as the wall fight persisted.
President Trump AP Photo
Asked about a national emergency declaration, Trump said as he left the White House for Texas, “I’m not prepared to do that yet, but if I have to I will.” He contends such a declaration would allow him to direct the military to begin wall construction.
“So we’re either going to have a win, make a compromise —because I think a compromise is a win for everybody— or I will declare a national emergency,” he said.
It’s not clear what a compromise might entail. Trump says he won’t reopen the government without money for the wall. Democrats say they favor measures to bolster border security but oppose the long, impregnable walling that Trump envisions. He is asking $5.7 billion for wall construction.
Trump’s comments came a day after he walked out of a negotiating meeting with congressional leaders — “I said bye-bye,” he tweeted soon after — as efforts to reopen the government fell into deeper disarray. Affected federal workers face lost paychecks on Friday, and more people are touched every day by the rollback of government services.
In McAllen, Texas, Trump will visit a border patrol station for a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security and will get a briefing. But he has expressed his own doubts that his appearance and remarks will change any minds as he seeks money for the wall that’s been his signature promise since his presidential campaign.
McAllen is located in the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest part of the border for illegal border crossings.
Several hundred protesters were chanting and waving signs opposing a border wall next to the South Texas airport where Trump was set to arrive. Across the street, a smaller group of protesters shouted back, chanting, “Build that wall!”
Putting the standoff in personal terms, the president tweeted before leaving for Texas: “The Opposition Party & the Dems know we must have Strong Border Security, but don’t want to give ‘Trump’ another one of many wins!”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi fired back in a press conference Thursday, accusing the president of engaging in political games to fire up his base.
“I think the meeting was a set-up so he could walk out,” she said.
The White House meeting in the Situation Room ended after just 14 minutes. Democrats said they asked Trump to reopen the government but he told them if he did they wouldn’t give him money for the wall. Republicans said Trump posed a direct question to Pelosi: If he opened the government, would she fund the wall? She said no.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump slammed his hand on the table. But Trump, who handed out candy at the start of the meeting, disputed that characterization. He said he “didn’t smash the table” but “should have.”
One result was certain: The shutdown plunged into uncharted territory with no endgame in sight. On Saturday, Washington appears certain to set an ignominious record for the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history.
The Democrats see the idea of the long wall as ineffective and even immoral. Trump sees it as an absolute necessity to stop what he calls a crisis of illegal immigration, drug-smuggling and human trafficking at the border.
Trump also went to Capitol Hill Wednesday, seeking to soothe jittery Republican lawmakers. He left a Republican lunch boasting of “a very, very unified party,” but GOP senators have been publicly uneasy as the standoff ripples across the lives of Americans and interrupts the economy.
During the lunch, Trump discussed the possibility of a sweeping immigration compromise with Democrats to protect some immigrants from deportation but provided no clear strategy or timeline for resolving the standoff, according to senators in the private session.
GOP unity was tested when the House passed a bipartisan spending bill, 240-188, to reopen one shuttered department, Treasury, to ensure that tax refunds and other financial services continue. Eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting, defying the plea to stick with the White House.
There was growing concern about the toll the shutdown is taking on everyday Americans, including disruptions in payments to farmers and trouble for home buyers who are seeking government-backed mortgage loans — “serious stuff,” according to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Senate Republican.
Some Republicans were concerned about Trump’s talk of declaring a national emergency at the border, seeing that as unprecedented interference with the right of Congress to allocate funding except in the most dire circumstances.
“I prefer that we get this resolved the old-fashioned way,” Thune said.
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Colleen Long, Alan Fram, Deb Riechmann, and Zeke Miller in Washington and Nomaan Merchant in McAllen, Texas contributed to this report.
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WEB EXTRA: Chocolate egg surprise
by: Bill Shannon
Posted: Mar 14, 2019 / 05:35 PM EDT / Updated: Mar 14, 2019 / 05:35 PM EDT
How many chocolate eggs are there?
Chocolatier Hakan Martensson has us all ready for Easter. He shared this video on social media of him using a hammer to crack chocolate eggs.
Each time Martensson cracked one egg…another one appeared!
by Andy Mehalshick / Jul 19, 2019
KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) -- There's controversy and outrage in a Luzerne County school district regarding its tactics to collect delinquent lunch bills.
The Wyoming Valley West School District sent letters to parents who are behind on lunch payments for their children. It says they could face serious legal consequences, including having their children taken away and placed in foster care if they don't pay up.
by Bill Shannon / Jul 19, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The State Highway Patrol in Ohio and other members of the 6-State Trooper Project will be collaborating on education and enforcement of the Move Over law.
The patrol says the high-visibility enforcement begins Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and ends July 27, at 11:59 p.m. It will include Ohio troopers and state police from Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $2 million grant program to clean up the shorelines and waters of the Great Lakes.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler during an appearance Friday in Cleveland says the grants will be available to state and local governments, nonprofit groups and universities for cleanup programs.
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Unrest in Haiti, Supercon, Mango Mania And The Monarch Butterfly
By Riane Roldan • Jul 12, 2018
"Monarchs: Brown and Native Contemporary Artists in the Path of the Butterfly" explores immigration, assimilation and resilience.
ALEJANDRA MARTINEZ / WLRN
Franky Cruz created "Diptych from Vivarium Meconium" using butterly excrements.
The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami has a traveling exhibit featuring the works of 37 Native American and Latino artists.
Since last Friday, at least three people have died in Haiti in riots that left parts of the city burned and pillaged. The unrest is due to a massive increase in fuel prices. Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles joined Sundial to talk about how the International Monetary Fund and a Brazil loss during the World Cup intensified the protests.
Listen to today's show.
Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Star Wars and Pokemon: if you’re hanging around Fort Lauderdale the next few days, you're likely to see thousands of costumes. Supercon is in full swing starting today, and will continue throughout the weekend. Costumed characters are only part of the four-day event. There will also be hundreds of comic artists, comic book vendors, authors and celebrities. Supercon creator Mike Broder joined Sundial via Skype to talk about this year’s events, traffic and Supercon's eventual return to the Magic City.
Do you remember last year's @FloridaSupercon con? Traffic was a mess. This year organizers are promising that traffic won’t be as bad. pic.twitter.com/NAhOOTP5zx
— WLRN Sundial (@WLRNSundial) July 12, 2018
Mangoes: you either love them, or you hate them. Either way, they’re inescapable every summer in South Florida. Dr. Noris Ledesma is a South Florida-based mango expert. She’s written more than 30 academic journals and books on tropical fruits. Dr. Ledesma joined Sundial to share her knowledge and discuss her work in mango genetics.
Monarchs are known for their striking orange, black, and white wing markings. They're also known for their migration. They fly across borders, from Mexico to southern Canada and then back to Mexico, throughout the life cycle. Because of this migration pattern, this butterfly has widely been used within immigration communities as a symbol of migration and freedom. The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami has a traveling exhibit featuring the works of 37 Native American and Latino artists who are exploring and addressing the themes of immigration, assimilation and resilience. It's called "Monarchs: Brown and Native Contemporary Artists in the Path of the Butterfly." Franky Cruz, one of the artists in the exhibition, joined Sundial to talk about how the monarch inspired his work.
mango season
It's Time We Talk About The Dark Side Of Mango Season
By Daniel Rivero • Jun 20, 2018
Alexander Gonzalez / WLRN
One of the joys of living in South Florida around this otherwise horrid time of year is mango season. It's the juicy, refreshing antidote to looming clouds and the perennial beads of sweat that appear on your forehead everytime you walk out the front door.
Haitian-Americans In South Florida Reflect On Recent Riots In Haiti
By Nadege Green • Jul 12, 2018
Dieu Nalio Chery / Associated Press
What happens in Haiti is felt in South Florida.
Recent protests in Haiti over hikes in fuels costs caused many in the Haitian diaspora to reflect on the politics and stability of the island.
Photos: The Characters Of Magic City Comic Con
By Luis Hernandez • Jan 20, 2015
An hour before the opening of the inaugural Magic City Comic Con, hundreds of comic fans and cosplay enthusiasts were lined up around the Miami Airport Convention Center to find the latest deals on comic books, show off their costumes and meet their favorite artists.
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Planned Parenthood braces to be defunded in anticipation of Trump presidency
Concerned abortion debate will cut funding
By: Todd Walker
It has been a call by conservatives for years: Defund Planned Parenthood. Now that could be a very real scenario when the Trump administration takes office.
Planned Parenthood offices across the country are bracing for what happens to their patients if their federal funding gets cut off and the organization is removed from Medicaid.
Vicki Cowart is the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains which covers Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and southern Nevada.
She's no stranger to fighting for funding.
"Different state administrations have said 'oh there's lots of other providers.' There are not lots of other providers," Cowart said. "Planned Parenthood is in rural communities. Planned Parenthood sees people that nobody else wants to see."
The controversy stems from Planned Parenthood being an abortion provider.
The organization says abortions make up less than 10 percent of its services and it does not use federal funding to perform them.
Cowart says Planned Parenthood is ramping up its private fundraising efforts in anticipation of losing federal backing, but is also boosting its lobbying to try to fight the move.
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Sue Austin deep sea dives in a wheelchair
Robelen Bajar
News, Woman of Influence
deep sea diving in a wheelchair, Sue Austin, Tedtalk, TedxWomen, Woman
If she can do that, you can do anything!
Watch below or click here
When Sue Austin got a power chair 16 years ago, she felt a tremendous sense of freedom — yet others looked at her as though she had lost something. In her art, she aims to convey the spirit of wonder she feels wheeling through the world. Includes thrilling footage of an underwater wheelchair that lets her explore ocean beds, drifting through schools of fish, floating free in 360 degrees. (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)
In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability.
Austin is the founder and artistic director of Freewheeling, an initiative aiming to further the genre of Disability Arts. In 2012, she was asked to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad in Britain, a celebration of the arts leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The work she created for the event, called “Creating the Spectacle!,” is a groundbreaking series of live art and video works of an underwater wheelchair.
If she can deep sea dive in a wheelchair, you can do anything! What are you waiting for?
Why Trailblazing Female Entrepreneurs Need Flats Not Stilettos
Nene King: The Good, The Bad And WTF
Launceston is Australia’s #1 Family-Friendly City
Interviews with influential women
12 Inspirational Quotes That Moved You in 2012
Blogger Series: The World of Mrs Woog
An Interview With A Female Blacksmith
The Gender Pay Gap In Australia
The Ultimate Life Make-Over Event
Lupita Nyong’o: Beauty Was Something That I Just Had To Be
Blogger Series: The Lady Behind Lady Melbourne
Blogger Series: Designing Life with Interiors Addict
“I always demanded equality, because I know my worth regardless of my gender.”
The #1 Factor That Cripples Business Innovation And How To Unlock It
Why I’m Scared To Commit To My Business
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Where am I? > Home > Travel Insurance Quotes > Medical Travel Insurance > New tech will improve liver cancer recovery, research suggests
New tech will improve liver cancer recovery, research suggests
University of Edinburgh of doctors testing LiverMultiScan
New technology to provide detailed scans of patients could improve the recovery of people suffering with liver cancer, scientists have said.
According to researchers, the new LiverMultiScan will provide advanced imagery and can help doctors have a clearer picture of the organ, tumours or inflammation before carrying out surgery.
HepaT1ca - an NHS Foundation project by the University of Edinburgh and Hampshire Hospitals - created the technology, which act as detailed MRI scans and cost £1.1 million to develop.
Lead researcher Damian Mole, who is based at the University, said: "We believe that these techniques can measure liver health prior to surgery and therefore contribute to a more accurate assessment of surgical risk.
"Ultimately, we hope this enabling technology will significantly improve the safety of patients who undergo surgery."
A clearer picture
Each year in the UK around 1,600 operations are carried out in the treatment of liver tumours.
When removing cancerous cells from the liver, the surgeon needs to leave the liver intact so that it can continue to function and keep the patient alive.
The new system will give a clearer picture of the liver and the body, which should help prevent any surgical complications that arise from previously undetected health conditions, such as excessive fat, scar tissue or high iron content.
Surgery is deemed to be the most effective liver cancer treatment on offer. Anyone suffering from liver cancer can take out medical travel insurance for added peace of mind.
Improving post-operative failure rates
Poor liver health, including the effects of chronic liver disease, has been identified in previous research to be a key contributor to post-operation liver failure.
Myrddin Rees, of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The opportunity to extend surgery to more patients with primary and secondary tumours is thwarted by our inability to accurately quantify the function of the remaining liver.
"This is an exciting opportunity to fill this gap in our knowledge."
Smear test confusion 'puts women at risk' 28 February 2019 09:16
At least 10% of over-40s living with diabetes 27 February 2019 08:23
Prescription prices set to rise again 25 February 2019 08:48
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Psychiatrists say McCandless mom is mentally ill, but knew she was killing her kids
A verdict in the Laurel Schlemmer double-murder trial will be announced Thursday. The woman is accused of drowning her young sons in a bathtub.
Updated: 7:33 PM EST Mar 10, 2017
JOE MANDAK Associated Press
WEBVTT O MAKETHEIR CASE.>> THE GUIDELINES ARE, ARE THEYCAPABLE OR IN CAPABLE OF HAVINGTHE INTENT TO KILL.SO, THAT'S WHAT THE JUDGE HAS TODECIDE.REPORTER: WHAT WAS THE MENTALCONDITION OF THE WOMAN WHEN SHEDROWNED HER 3-YEAR-OLD SON LUKEAND 6-YEAR-OLD SON DANIEL IN THEBATHTUB OF THEIR MA CALENDAMCCAND L SS THE DOCTORS AGREEON A LOT, BOTH DIAGNOSED HERWITH SEVERE ANXIETY ANDDEPRESSION.A DEFENSE WITNESS PSYCHIATRISTQUESTIONED HER OVER A TOTAL OFTEN HOURS.HE SAYS HER MENTAL HEALTHTKPHREUPB EURBDIMINISHED HERCAPACITY TO FORM THE INTENT TOKILL BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGES SHEKNEW HE WAS KILLING THE BOYS,KNEW IT WAS WRONG AND THOUGHTTHEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF THATSHE WAS SENDING THEM TO HEAVEN.BOTH DOCTORS SAY SHE WRONGLYBELIEVED THE TWO BOYS HADDISABILITIES INCLUDING AUTISMREFUSING TO BELIEVE MEDICALTESTS SHOWING OTHERWISE AND SHEDIDN'T BELIEVE SHE COULD CAREFOR THEM.PROSECUTION WITNESS PSYCHIATRISTDR. BRUCE WRIGHT GOES FARTHER INHIS FINDINGS.HE SAYS DESPITE HER MENTALILLNESS AT THE TIME OF THEKILLINGS SHE HAD THE CAPACITY TOFORM HER INTENTIONS TO KILL ANDBE FULLY CONSCIOUS OF THEM.>> IT WAS A DELIBERATE ACT.
A Pennsylvania woman tried to be an "ideal Christian, loyal mother" but felt overwhelmed by her husband's desire for more children and his religious stance that they avoid birth control before she drowned their two youngest sons in a bathtub, a psychiatrist testified in her defense Friday. Dr. Robert Wettstein was the second and final witness called by the defense on Laurel Schlemmer's behalf and his testimony was critical to the case. Defense lawyer Michael Machen has acknowledged the 43-year-old McCandless woman's role in the deaths but is arguing she was mentally ill at the time. Judge Jeffrey Manning said he would issue a verdict next week. Schlemmer is accused of holding her sons, 6-year-old Daniel and 3-year-old Luke, face down in the water while she sat on them April 1, 2014. Luke died that day; Daniel died four days later. Wettstein and prosecution witness Dr. Bruce Wright agree that Schlemmer wasn't psychotic -- even though she was driven by the false notion that the two boys were autistic and that she could have been a better mother to their older brother, then 7, if the younger boys were "in heaven." But the psychiatrists disagree about the extent to which Schlemmer's depression and anxiety disorders affected her actions. Wright has testified that Schlemmer's mental problems diminished her capacity to conform her conduct to the law. But he said Schlemmer "had the capacity to form the specific intent to kill and was fully conscious of it." In his testimony Friday, Wettstein said that Schlemmer's ability to form the intent to kill was "significantly impaired" and "substantially diminished." Schlemmer suffered significant dissociation, meaning she lost touch with herself and functioned as though she was disconnected from her body, the defense expert said. Wettstein said people dissociate every day when they steer their cars on highways while they think about other things, but in Schlemmer's case it was severe. He said Schlemmer "became concerned that the two boys would never grow up normally," even though a battery of tests she had put them through showed no signs of autism. Schlemmer met her husband, Mark, on a Christian singles online dating site, and felt "pressured" to have more children, Wettstein testified. She also had three miscarriages, he said. She considered her younger sons, especially Daniel, to be "foreign" to her and her husband and not as easy to raise as their oldest boy, he said. Schlemmer has said she tried to kill Luke and Daniel a year earlier by tying their hands and feet with twine then backing over them with her car three times, only to later claim that was an accident, Wettstein said. Police and social workers came to the same conclusion and no charges were filed though Schlemmer told her husband days before the drownings that she wanted to confess to the earlier incident, Wettstein testified. Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini introduced evidence aimed at getting first-degree murder convictions, which would mean Schlemmer would face life in prison for each boy's death. The judge also could find her guilty of third-degree murder, which carries up to 40 years in prison; guilty but mentally ill; or not guilty.
PITTSBURGH —
A Pennsylvania woman tried to be an "ideal Christian, loyal mother" but felt overwhelmed by her husband's desire for more children and his religious stance that they avoid birth control before she drowned their two youngest sons in a bathtub, a psychiatrist testified in her defense Friday.
Dr. Robert Wettstein was the second and final witness called by the defense on Laurel Schlemmer's behalf and his testimony was critical to the case. Defense lawyer Michael Machen has acknowledged the 43-year-old McCandless woman's role in the deaths but is arguing she was mentally ill at the time.
Judge Jeffrey Manning said he would issue a verdict next week.
Schlemmer is accused of holding her sons, 6-year-old Daniel and 3-year-old Luke, face down in the water while she sat on them April 1, 2014. Luke died that day; Daniel died four days later.
Wettstein and prosecution witness Dr. Bruce Wright agree that Schlemmer wasn't psychotic -- even though she was driven by the false notion that the two boys were autistic and that she could have been a better mother to their older brother, then 7, if the younger boys were "in heaven."
But the psychiatrists disagree about the extent to which Schlemmer's depression and anxiety disorders affected her actions.
Wright has testified that Schlemmer's mental problems diminished her capacity to conform her conduct to the law. But he said Schlemmer "had the capacity to form the specific intent to kill and was fully conscious of it."
In his testimony Friday, Wettstein said that Schlemmer's ability to form the intent to kill was "significantly impaired" and "substantially diminished." Schlemmer suffered significant dissociation, meaning she lost touch with herself and functioned as though she was disconnected from her body, the defense expert said.
Husband of woman on trial in sons' drownings faces tough questioning on witness stand
Wettstein said people dissociate every day when they steer their cars on highways while they think about other things, but in Schlemmer's case it was severe.
He said Schlemmer "became concerned that the two boys would never grow up normally," even though a battery of tests she had put them through showed no signs of autism.
Schlemmer met her husband, Mark, on a Christian singles online dating site, and felt "pressured" to have more children, Wettstein testified. She also had three miscarriages, he said.
She considered her younger sons, especially Daniel, to be "foreign" to her and her husband and not as easy to raise as their oldest boy, he said.
Schlemmer has said she tried to kill Luke and Daniel a year earlier by tying their hands and feet with twine then backing over them with her car three times, only to later claim that was an accident, Wettstein said. Police and social workers came to the same conclusion and no charges were filed though Schlemmer told her husband days before the drownings that she wanted to confess to the earlier incident, Wettstein testified.
Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini introduced evidence aimed at getting first-degree murder convictions, which would mean Schlemmer would face life in prison for each boy's death.
The judge also could find her guilty of third-degree murder, which carries up to 40 years in prison; guilty but mentally ill; or not guilty.
'These crazy voices:' Video of McCandless mom's police interview played at drowning trial
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Report: Woman impaled by beach umbrella that got loose from sand
Updated: 7:29 AM EDT Jul 17, 2018
Getty Images SOURCE: Getty Images
Police say a London woman was impaled by a beach umbrella that had gotten loose from the sand on the New Jersey shore.The Asbury Park Press reports 67-year-old Margaret Reynolds was at Seaside Heights Monday afternoon when part of the umbrella pierced her right ankle and was driven completely through due to the “force of the wind.”Borough Police Chief Tommy Boyd says fire crews had to use a bolt cutter on the umbrella to free the woman and put her in an ambulance. She was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Authorities have not released further details on how the woman was injured.Her current condition has not been released.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. —
Police say a London woman was impaled by a beach umbrella that had gotten loose from the sand on the New Jersey shore.
The Asbury Park Press reports 67-year-old Margaret Reynolds was at Seaside Heights Monday afternoon when part of the umbrella pierced her right ankle and was driven completely through due to the “force of the wind.”
Official: Woman impaled in the chest by beach umbrella
Borough Police Chief Tommy Boyd says fire crews had to use a bolt cutter on the umbrella to free the woman and put her in an ambulance. She was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Authorities have not released further details on how the woman was injured.
Her current condition has not been released.
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2014 64 NISSAN MICRA 1.2 ACENTA 5d 79 BHP
FSH+NAV
DEPOSIT TAKEN
ABS with Brake Assist
Other Nissan cars in Bayford
Used Nissan Primera
Used Nissan Micra cars in Bayford
Compact and dependable, Nissan bills the Micra as the small car you can trust. With its nifty styling, punchy performance and compact dimensions, it thrives in the urban environment where narrow streets and tight parking spaces are the order of the day. Why not test drive one of the used Nissan Micra models for sale in Bayford right now by contacting a member of the showroom team at Xclusive Xports. You can view all of our latest offerings here on the website and then get in touch with any questions. Alternatively, head straight down to the forecourt and take a closer look at our full lineup of quality, affordable used cars in person.
Finance is available to UK residents aged 18 years or older, subject to status. Terms & Conditions apply. Indemnities may be required. Other finance offers may be available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. We work with a number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer you finance for your purchase, commission may be received. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers. Postal Address: Xclusive Xports, Ashendene Farm, White Stubbs Lane, Bayford, Hertfordshire SG13 8QA. Find contact details here.
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Call N Queen St
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Home » Eye Care Services » Presbyopia Diagnosis and Treatment
As we reach middle age, particularly after age 40, it is common to start to experience difficulty with reading and performing other tasks that require near vision. This is because with age, the lens of our eye becomes increasingly inflexible, making it harder to focus on close objects. This condition is called presbyopia and eventually it happens to everyone who reaches old age to some extent.
To avoid eyestrain, people with untreated presbyopia tend to hold books, magazines, newspapers, and menus at arm’s length in order to focus properly. Trying to performing tasks at close range can sometimes cause headaches, eye strain or fatigue in individuals who have developed this condition.
Causes of Presbyopia
During our youth, the lens of our eye and the muscles that control it are flexible and soft, allowing us to focus on close objects and shift focus from close to distant objects without difficulty. As the eye ages however, both the lens and the muscle fibers begin to harden, making near vision a greater challenge.
Presbyopia is a natural result of the aging process and not much can be done to prevent it. Its onset has nothing to do with whether you already have another vision impairment such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Everyone will notice some degree of loss of near vision focusing power as they age, although for some it will be more significant than others.
Symptoms and Signs of Presbyopia
Presbyopia is characterized by:
Difficulty focusing on small print
Blurred near vision
Experiencing eyestrain, fatigue or headaches when doing close work or reading
Needing to hold reading material or small objects at a distance to focus properly
Requiring brighter lighting when focusing on near objects
Presbyopia can be diagnosed in a comprehensive eye exam.
Treatment for Presbyopia By Our Optometrist in Lancaster, PA
There are a number of options available for treating presbyopia including corrective eyewear, contact lenses or surgery.
Reading glasses or “readers” are basically magnifying glasses that are worn when reading or doing close work that allow you focus on close objects.
Eyeglasses with bifocal or multifocal lenses such as progressive addition lenses or PALs are a common solution for those with presbyopia that also have refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism). Bifocals have lenses with two lens prescriptions; one area (usually the upper portion) for distance vision and the second area for near vision. Progressive addition lenses or PALs similarly provide lens power for both near and distance vision but rather than being divided into two hemispheres, they are made with a gradual transition of lens powers for viewing at different distances. Many individuals prefer PALs because unlike bifocals, they do not have a visible division line on the lens.
For individuals that prefer contact lenses to glasses, bifocal and multifocal lenses are also available in contact lenses in both soft and Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) varieties.
Multifocal contact lenses give you added freedom over glasses and they allow you to be able to view any direction – up, down and to the sides – with similar vision. People wearing progressive lenses in glasses on the other hand have to look over their glasses if they want to view upwards or into the distance.
Another option for those who prefer contact lenses is monovision. Monovision splits your distance and near vision between your eyes, using your dominant eye for distance vision and your non-dominant eye for near vision. Typically you will use single vision lenses in each eye however sometimes the dominant eye will use a single vision lens while a multifocal lens will be used in the other eye for intermediate and near vision. This is called modified monovision. Your eye doctor will perform a test to determine which type of lens is best suited for each eye and optimal vision.
There are surgical procedures also available for treatment of presbyopia including monovision LASIK eye surgery, conductive keratoplasty (CK), corneal inlays or onlays or a refractive lens exchange (RLE) which replaces the hardened lens in the eye with an intraocular lens (IOL) similar to cataract surgery.
Since it affects so much of the older population, much research and development is going into creating more and better options for presbyopes. Speak to your Lancaster eye doctor about the options that will work best for you.
Yealy Eye Care of Lancaster
1567 Fruitville Pike Suite 2
Yealy Eye Care of Lancaster – Queen Street
244 N Queen St, Fl 2
Email: contact@yealyeye.com
Yealy Eye Care of Lancaster - Located at 244 N Queen St, Fl 2, Lancaster, PA, 17603. Phone: 717-735-0746. https://www.yealyeyecare.com
Yealy Eye Care of Lancaster - Located at 1567 Fruitville Pike Suite 2, Lancaster, PA, 17601. Phone: 717-455-3746. https://www.yealyeyecare.com
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PhilBobTheFish
About PhilBobTheFish
Birthday June 15
Stafford, VA
Star Wars (of course), engineering, building, soccer
Order and Justice
JFarwell
Dark brimstone
TheLorelei
Haso
Imperial Stormtrooper ANH Stunt Build
PhilBobTheFish replied to Order and Justice's topic in ANH Build Threads
Aight so with I quick look at I'd say that the tops of the shoulder bells could be brought in closer to the chest and the thighs can be pulled up.
RS Vlog Build-A-Long ANH Stunt
PhilBobTheFish replied to hazamel's topic in ANH Build Threads
Also, if the return edge is uncomfortable, then take off some more, because nobody wants to troop and be pinched the whole time. But, if you want to keep the look of the return edge, then just remove the return on the back side of the armor.
I've seen a lot of people double joint the front of the shins to handle the stress of putting in on many repeated times. You could also try putting on the boots first, then opening the top of the shins enough to fit over the narrowest part of your ankle and sliding it up onto your shin. That would make it so you don't have to open all of it enough to fit over your entire shin, and would probably reduce stress.
Welcome to the forum and can't wait to see the build. RS is a very accurate and vetted set of armor, but might be a little harder to assemble because of its awkward construction. As other have said, keep doing research because no matter how much you think you know, there is always something that can be learned to improve your build and the experience. It would also make mistakes less likely to happen if your are certain about what you are trying to do. Also, do you plan on going for EIB or Centurion? RS armor is very fitting for such because of it's lineage and of you bought the strapping kit then you would have centurion level straps where they are needed. Just a little something to improve the overall look of your trooper and be proud of what you've done, but what ever you aspire towards is up to you and what you want from your set. Good luck on this whole process, and just enjoy the twisted ride that will likely ensue.
PhilBobTheFish started following RS Vlog Build-A-Long ANH Stunt, Imperial Stormtrooper ANH Stunt Build, TKNick8350 Anovos Armor to TK ESB and and 1 other May 24
Hello from Virginia
PhilBobTheFish replied to DarthCat's topic in New Member Introductions
Congrats on the build and will second all welcomes.
Warning about commercially available Stormtrooper Armor
PhilBobTheFish replied to Daetrin's topic in Getting Started - Read this First!
The most important thing is that you like your amor. So even if SDS is not the best objectively, as long as you're happy with what you have and think it looks good then that's what matters. You just might have to change stuff for approval and higher levels.
TKNick8350 Anovos Armor to TK ESB
PhilBobTheFish replied to TKNick8350's topic in ESB Build Threads
Although I don't have the IB strap kit, it looks good and seems like a good little package of straps and snaps. Some people get mr nostripes brackets than just by the other parts independently. You can also just by individual straps, snaps, velcro, and other things and just make the internal strap setup yourself.
TM is a fairly close color match to RS. Also, ESB armor is reused ANH, so the color would be pretty similar between the two.
Doopydoos. Praetorian blasters. Others.
Where, What and Whom To Avoid When Buying
PhilBobTheFish replied to RogueTrooper's topic in Getting Started - Read this First!
He is already on the list.
Even when I typed "mini", I was just thinking, "This is an exaggeration and is gonna be taken the wrong way. Oh well." I agree with everything you said.
The 501st only takes the accuracy on the outside of the Stormtrooper, not the inside. Only visible details and straps are put into the CRL, and slightly idealized to make joining an easier process. When people regard accuracy, most of the time they base it off of the projected view of their stormtrooper. That is one of the reasons there are different levels of approval, so people can build to the level of accuracy they wish to achieve and represent. Some examples of screen accurate things that are not typically common on 501st troopers are things like the rubber chemical gloves and brackets connecting the torso. Gloves are required for EIB and Centurion because they are visible on screen troopers, but not all Centurion troopers wear rubber gloves on troops because they are hot and impractical. Brackets are used by people who want thorough screen accuracy, but they aren't long term straps or durable so they aren't needed because they are not seen. When people regard the accuracy of the armor, they are usually talking about the armor. This is usually about accuracy in terms of dimensions in comparison to on screen armor, as well as the overall shape and appearance. So the most screen accurate armor would be smaller, as it was sized for mini british extras, but also retains a very similar appearance to the armkr on screen. Some armors are bigger, but are very similar in terms of shape, so they are still seen as accurate, just not as accurate.
If you check out the Vetted Armor Sellers list in the getting started page ( https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ ), it lists the armor sellers whose armor has been validated and good quality, and the sellers are reputable. Not all armors are at the same level of accuracy, and the differences are in the list. One of the major problems people have with SDS is that he has lied about his work and the origins of his armor. Also, it is not very accurate in terms of overall assembly and shape of armor. Once you look at screen used or very accurate armor enough, the many inaccuracies are very evident, just compare it to the CRL (https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TK_anh_stunt). To be approvable in the 501st, you have to accurately represent an original stormtrooper... to an extent. This doesn't mean you have to look like you walked off screen or are the same size as the originals (just look at aubmissions), but this is why there are levels past basic approval like EIB and Centurion. So as long as armor meets the basic requirements outlined in the CRL, the armor can be approved. In addition to meeting CRL standards, the armor also has to fit the wearer well and can't look out of place to be approved. So all in all, SDS can be approved if it meets the basic standards and fits you well, but more modifications would have to happen to reach higher levels of accuracy. This is part of the reason people build their armor feom kits instead of buying already completed armor. You get to choose armor based off of the level of accuracy you want to achieve, price you are willing to spend, and any other factors affecting you (like different size troopers buy different size armor). Building armor makes sure that the armoe is tailored to the builder and fits well and comfortably. The front of the belt is plastic and is riveted (I believe) to white canvas which wraps around and velcroes in the back. To reach basic approval, the back portion of the belt must be white canvas. In reference to you statement about color of armor, this varies and is taken in to account when people buy armor. Differences in color may be because of different material used by sellers for armor, but it is usually ABS. Some people prefer a cleaner look, and choose a brighter white set of armor, while others who like the screen accurate look choose a creamier, duller set. There are quite a few sellers that have an accurate color for their armor (TM for example), but in the end it is up to personal preference. If you are going for accuracy of assembly, armor, and color, as well as having the stormtrooper be completed already, then SDS is not one of the best choices for this. Check out the previously mentioned Vetted Sellers List and some people offer commisioned armor build. RS Prop Masters is one of the most (and arguably the most) accurate set of armor out their. It is cast from an original set of armor (what SDS claimsof their own, but has been proven false) and validated by the original sculptor of the armor (again, a claim that SDS made about themselves, but proven false) Brian Muir. It is one of the most accurate in terms of ABS color and assembly, and they offer completed armor sets built to the buyer's specifications. TM is a fan-sculpted armor set that is near identical to RS, but less of the beat up screen used look. It is also very accurate armor in terms of shape and color, and I believe they offer completed commisioned builds.
Shadow trooper armor
PhilBobTheFish replied to Ego Sum's topic in Hard Armor (General Discussion)
1.5 mm is more flexible (because it is thinner), while 2 mm would be slightly stronger. There would be that much of a difference. 2 mm would be slightly softer on sharp details because it is thicker. Just found this that could help:
Stormtrooper Oddities - What have you noticed?
PhilBobTheFish replied to gmrhodes13's topic in NCO Club (Off Topic)
Is he also Mr. No Stripes?
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Thanks to chiropractor, Glenville's Brent Hunter earns second PBA50 regional championship
Thanks to his chiropractor, Glenville's Brent Hunter recently earned his second PBA50 regional bowling championship.
Thanks to chiropractor, Glenville's Brent Hunter earns second PBA50 regional championship Thanks to his chiropractor, Glenville's Brent Hunter recently earned his second PBA50 regional bowling championship. Check out this story on yorkdispatch.com: https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/2018/11/05/thanks-chiropractor-glenvilles-hunter-earns-pba-50-regional-title/1892524002/
BARRY SPARKS, 717-505-5403/@ydsports Published 12:48 p.m. ET Nov. 5, 2018
Brent Hunter(Photo: SUBMITTED)
Glenville's Brent Hunter recently earned his second PBA50 East Regional bowling crown.
Three visits to a chiropractor helped Hunter overcome an arthritic left knee.
Hunter collected $1,500 for his win. He beat Lancaster's Rick Graham in the final, 232-187.
Bothersome knee pain almost kept Brent Hunter from competing in the PBA50 East Region Tournament at Pete Bryan's Bowling Center in Laurel, Delaware, late last month.
Three trips to a chiropractor in a week, however, paid off for the 58-year-old Glenville resident.
Before visiting the chiropractor, Hunter couldn't bend his arthritic left knee and he walked with an awkward gait.
After the visit, Hunter was relatively pain free, and he not only competed in the Professional Bowlers Association event, he captured his second PBA50 East Region title by defeating Lancaster 's Rick Graham, 232-187, in the championship match. Hunter also collected $1,500 for the victory in the tournament for bowlers 50 and older.
"My knee felt good during the competition," he said. "I've been bowling decently, and this is a big boost to my confidence."
First title came seven years ago in York: Hunter won his first PBA50 East Region title seven years ago in York. Adding a second title gives his first victory more credibility, he said.
"Sometimes, that first title is a fluke," the veteran right-hander said. "But, it means a lot when you add a second one. I think the second title is usually a little more difficult."
Road to the title: Hunter qualified 10th in the recent PBA50 East Region event. He advanced to the semifinals with best-of-three victories against Daryl Bower of Harrisburg and Terry Wiley of Vienna, Virginia. In the semifinals, he defeated Gary Faulkner of Norfolk, Virginia, 216-209.
Suburban Bowlerama teams get national honors
Graham advanced to the final by defeating 12-time PBA champ Danny Wiseman of Baltimore in the semifinals.
"Rick did me a favor by defeating Wiseman," said Hunter, who averaged 241 in match play. "Danny is always a tough competitor."
Title match was close until the end: Hunter said his 232-187 win over Graham was closer than the score indicates. The match was fairly close until Graham missed a spare in the eighth frame and then struggled in the 10th frame.
"I was relieved when the match was over," Hunter said. "It was definitely a good feeling. Needless to say, I was happy I could bowl relatively pain free."
If his knee holds up, Hunter plans to compete in the PBA50 East Region event at Frederick, Maryland, on Nov. 17-18.
This story was provided through the York County Bowling Proprietors Association.
Eastern York two-sport star chasing hoop dreams
Glen Rock loss allows Tigers to move into first
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Sridevi – the female Rajinikanth in Japan?
Youngisthan
Not since Rajinikanth has an Indian actor made the impact that Sridevi has in Japan — thanks to a preview and festival screening of her comeback film “English Vinglish”. What’s more, the film has not even been released there as yet!
Apparently, the theme of an Asian woman struggling with the English language has struck a universal chord in Japan. And the Japanese women, themselves driven to despair by the linguistic discrepancies of the diaspora, have embraced the film in a big way.
Now, they want to meet Sridevi before the film gets a Japanese release in December.
Speaking from Tokyo where he is currently visiting to launch the film, producer R. Balki said: “The response is terrific. Every Japanese women identifies with Sridevi. The Japanese love the film. Anyone and everyone who has seen it has connected immediately with the theme of linguistic barricading.”
On the evening of Sep 1, “English Vinglish” was screened in Tokyo’s Aichi Women’s Film Festival. Later, it will get an all-Japan commercial release.
“We are planning a very wide Japanese release. The distributors in Japan think this is the first Indian after the films of Rajinikanth that the Japanese will connect with in such a huge way,” Balki said in an excited tone.
He said the movie, directed by his wife Gauri Shinde, would get the biggest release ever in Japan for an Indian film.
“We are planning a major release here in Japan. It would be the biggest ever release in Japan for any Indian film,” he added.
Such is the demand in Japan to meet Sridevi that producer Eros Entertainment plan to take the actress to Tokyo and other cities later this year.
“The Japanese identify with all the linguistic insecurities of Sridevi’s character Shashi. If you cut away the spice and chillies in our food, we are exactly the same as the Japanese,” he said.
Balki says the demand to meet Sridevi in Japan is deafening.
“Gauri and Sridevi have become very popular here. The word on the film in Japan is very strong. Sridevi must come to Japan,” said the filmmaker.
– IANS
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Tag: Halo Laser East Lansing
How can I reduce fine lines and wrinkles?
If you have fine lines and wrinkles on your face, they can be a constant reminder of just how old you are. But you don’t have to live with these visible reminders, because there are treatments available that can minimize their appearance. But just how can you reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
It’s possible to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with laser skin resurfacing. Laser skin resurfacing uses laser energy to firm the skin and decrease the appearance of wrinkles.
The Halo laser by Sciton is one of the most efficient and advanced laser systems available. The Halo laser is a hybrid fractional laser that combines two types of laser energy, ablative and non-ablative, to create a powerful wrinkle-reducing solution.
How Halo treats fine lines and wrinkles
The ablative wavelength targets the skin’s upper layers and gently removes the damaged layers. At the same time, the non-ablative wavelength works below the surface in the deeper layers, creating microscopic zones of injury that stimulate the body’s healing process. The thermal injury remodels the treated skin and activates the production of new collagen, which makes the skin plumper and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
What to expect with Halo laser treatment
The Halo laser treatment is virtually painless, and takes about 20-30 minutes to perform. There may be some mild redness and swelling after treatment but this usually resolves after about 48 hours. Peeling may also occur, and typically lasts 5-7 days.
Are you interested in the Halo laser treatment? Search our directory to find a practice in your area.
If you are in the Okemos & East Lansing, MI areas, Ageless Beauty Center is our featured practice.
You can reach them at www.agelessbeautycenterokemos.com, or by calling (517) 245-0798.
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22 Best Trekking in Asia: Stunning Asian Treks and Adventures
If you are looking for some of the best treks in the world, search no further than Asia. Indeed, trekking in Asia will take through the Himalayas, deserts, jungle, traditional villages, and endangered wildlife. With so many options for trekking in Asia, here is a list of treks we put together with other fellow travel bloggers.
Cambodia Treks
India Treks
Indonesia Treks
Japan Treks
Kyrgyzstan Treks
Malaysia Treks
Mongolia Treks
Myanmar Treks
Nepal Treks
Philippines Treks
Vietnam Treks
Trekking in Cambodia
Chi Phat Ecotourism Project Trek
For an incredible hiking experience in Asia, you really can’t go past the Chi Phat community-based ecotourism project in Cambodia!
Nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Cardamom Mountains (also one of the last remaining wild elephant corridors in Asia), the community was once the last stronghold of the oppressive Khmer Rouge regime after soldiers hid in the mountains and wreaked havoc upon the local community for years after the war had ended. Their devastating impact left the community with little choice but to turn to illegal logging and poaching of the abundant wildlife (elephants, big cats, gibbons, and pangolin) to survive.
In 2007, the Wildlife Alliance co-launched a transformative project to assist the community in supporting themselves on ecotourism instead. Since then, Chi Phat has transformed into a thriving outdoor adventure paradise, with activities like jungle treks, waterfall, and cave exploring, kayak and bicycle tours.
Chi Phat – Cambodia. Photo: The Common Wanderer
We opted to do this 3-day, 2-night Cambodia trek, which took us deep into the Cardamom mountains. By day, we trekked through the thick, steamy jungle, by night we slept in hammocks under the stars. Our guides taught us how to track animals, spot local flora and fauna, drink water from vines, while our group chef cooked meals from vegetables sourced from the local forest. At around 6 hours each, the trekking days are long, and you’ll need to carry your clothes and hammock (your chefs will bring everything else).
Try to plan your visit for the cooler months as summer can be stiflingly hot. Getting to the community is a little tricky; a 4-hour bus ride from Phnom Penh, then a boat or moto-taxi ride to Chi Phat – but this trek is 110% worth it!
By Miranda from The Common Wanderer | Instagram | Facebook
Some of the best trekking places in India are naturally in the Himalaya foothills. From Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, and other fantastic regions, India offers so many hiking and trekking opportunities in diverse landscapes: jungle, deserts, glaciers, summits, and more.
Amarnath Trek / Jammu and Kashmir
Amarnath trekking is one of the challenging and challenging trekking zones in the country as it is a test of strength and endurance. The landscape surrounding the region is incredible covering some high altitude lakes and enchanting mountains of the Northern Himalayas.
Amarnath is popular in India due to the Ice shivling and the formation of the natural cave in the region. Every year pilgrims come from different corners of the world to seek blessings and pay homage to the Hindu deity. The cave is surrounded by mountains of the Northern Himalayas, and it is a thrill to watch everything close to nature. The shivling forms in June and July and lasts for a month or two after which it melts.
Amarnath – India. Photo: Travel Crusade
The trek begins from two areas, Baltal and Pahalgam. The trek from Baltal is a shorter one, around 12 miles (19 kilometers) but a steeper one considering ridges and rocks across the way. Amarnath cave is situated at an altitude of more than 18,000 ft above sea level. The trek from Pahalgam is a longer one around 28 miles (46 kilometers) considering the path and the distance required to convoy the circuit. If one wants a smooth road, then he or she should avail the Pahalgam route as mentioned earlier to avoid the high altitude slopes and sharp ridges and steep ascents of Baltal Amarnath route. The trek takes one day to complete from Baltal and four days from Pahalgam up and down if one covers one way by the helipad.
There are helicopter services available for people of all ages to reach the destination quickly. The charges of the helicopter ride from Neelgrath to Panchtarni is around 25 US$ (1,700 IDR) per passenger for one side, 50 US$ (3,400 IDR) for both. From Pahalgam to Panchtarni, it’s 43 US$ (2,950 IDR) one way, 86 US$ (5,900 IDR) both ways.
If you are traveling in a group, then you can quickly reach the destination by halting at one or 2 stops, but it would be advisable to carry a trekking guide if one is traveling solo to get extra aid and help during the entire coverage. Tents are available for a stay near the cave or even at Panchtarni, and there is free food arrangement made by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir during the tenure.
The advantage of seeing the ice shivling remains only for a month so it is required to know the exact dates as to when you can see the shivling. The charges are just that of transportation and there are no food costs during the entire journey. A permit is also required, and mandatory health check-up to check your fitness level and overall health structure. Once approved by the medical practitioner, it is easy to get the permit from the reservation office.
By Somnath from Travel Crusade | Facebook
Read about our India Adventures
Martha Valley Trek / Ladakh
From beautiful hairy yaks to peaks higher than 20,340 feet (6,200 meters) and a strong rooted Tibetan culture, the Markha Valley is the ideal Ladakh trekking option for travelers looking for real off the beaten track Himalayan landscape and interactions with Tibetan culture, as the inhabitants of Ladakh are culturally like the people in Tibet.
With an altitude of 17,060 feet (5,200 meters) and a total length of 60 miles (96 kilometers), the Markha Valley trek is the most popular trekking in Ladakh, a region located in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, northern India.
Kang Yaze, Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh – India. Photo: Against the Compass
The Ladakh trek takes around eight days, but the good thing is that you can start from the middle of it, which means that, if you want to do it in only four days, you will still get to see the most impressive part of the trek, which is during the last two days.
There are plenty of homestays along the way, so you do not need any camping equipment, as well as a guide, as the trail can be easily found by following the Markha Valley and asking local people for directions.
The best time to do the Markha trek would be from late spring to early autumn, as during the rest of the year, the mountains are covered by snow.
Regarding the cost, homestays typically cost around 15 US$ a night, including three meals. One way transportation to the beginning of the trek costs around 20-25 US$, which can be shared among other travelers.
By Joan from Against the Compass | Instagram | Facebook
Of course, in addition to being an incredibly beautiful region, Ladakh offers an infinite number of treks, with different levels of experience, physical endurance, difficulty, and costs.
Challenging Ladakh treks that require expedition-like stamina and preparations: Chadar Frozen River Trek, Stok Kangri Trek, Rupshu Valley Trek, Zanskar Trek…
Moderate Ladakh treks accessible to the regular outdoor enthusiasts: Sham Valley, Spituk-Stok Trek through the Hemis National Park, Padum-Darcha trek…
Indonesia Trekking
Mount Rinjani / Lombok
Mount Rinjani is a volcano situated on the Lombok island in Indonesia. The volcano is 12,226 feet (3,726 meters high and if you go with a guided group, it usually takes three days to reach the summit with the starting point from Senaru at 2,000 feet (600 meters).
Mount Rinjani is my hardest hike I have ever done so far! We had to ascent 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) on our first day, which was doable for me. But the hardest part was our third day which also was our last day, when we have to wake up at 2 am, climb the 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) up to the summit in the dark and then walk down the 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) to a small village where we took a bus back to our hotel. Walking down was so much harder on my knees!
Mount Rinjani, Lombok – Indonesia. Photo: Family Earth Trek
Even it was hard, call me a sadist, I enjoyed every moment of it! The landscape was fantastic and it motivated me to go further and higher up! We were in a group of about seven people with two guides and three porters who also cooked all the delicious local meals for us. Cleary, there are no luxury chalets up there so you will have a choice of sleeping in a tent…or under the millions of stars!
I recommend a hike to the summit of the Mount Rinjani to everybody who wants to push to the limit and gain a lifetime experience!
By Dada from Family Earth Trek
Mentawai Islands Trek / Sumatra
Located off the coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai islands offer a great variety of activities for the most adventurous. This wild place, wholly covered by thick rainforests, is home to one of the most remote and untouched tribes in all of Asia, the Mentawai. If you want to meet them, there is a trail that goes deep into the jungle, letting you visit some local houses. There are several options, even though the classic route usually takes between two and four days. There are not many uphills and downhills, so technically it is not a steep path. However, the jungle is extremely humid, rains are constant throughout the day, and mud is everywhere. The driest season goes from June to September, although heavy rain is possible anytime.
Mentawai People – Sumatra Indonesia. Photo: Travel Sauro
You´ll need a reliable guide to get access to the jungle and introduced to the Mentawai people. Your guide will help you get permission to sleep in the Mentawai houses and eat with the families. You don’t need special permits, just a guide to accompany you. Local guides typically charge around 30-40 US$ a day, including food, transport from Siberut and accommodation (part of the money goes to the community). During the hike, you’ll be walking about six hours a day; getting wet and covered in mud; sleeping in the local huts with Mentawai families and eating rice with chicken every day. It might sound like a tough experience, but I promise you: getting to know the Mentawai people was one of the most rewarding experiences of my time in South East Asia.
How to get there: there are a few cargo boats a week traveling from Padang (Sumatra) to Siberut (Mentawai), although the schedule is pretty inconsistent.
By Miguel from Travel Sauro | Facebook | Instagram
Find out about our Indonesia Adventures
Baliem Valley Trekking / Papua
The Baliem Valley sits deep in the mountains of Papua, on the Indonesian side of the New Guinea island, and is one of the most challenging treks we ever did. The valley is home to different Papuan tribes – the Yali, the Dani, and the Lani – still living traditional today. The Baliem Valley trek from Wanema to Angurruk and Yalimo Valley. Several trails head to Angurruk, from a 3-day trek over the Mount Elit’s infamously dangerous ladders, to an 8-day route going through Yogosem-Ballingama. This Baliem Valley trek is one of the most amazing trails we ever did, going through steep valleys, green and lush vegetations, traditional Papuan villages, and cloud-clogged peaks. This trek was also one of the most challenging ones, with slippery logs as stairs, moss-covered tree roots, knee-deep thick mud pools, crossing rivers, and going long distances without water.
We trekked this longer trail in June, which is the beginning of the trekking season (June to September). August is also a good month to go given the Baliem Valley Festival in Wamena, though it tends to be busier. The Baliem Valley is by no mean busy – we did not see any other trekker during our eight days on the trail.
Accommodation is somewhat limited in Wamena. While on the trail, you can stay in traditional men’s’ huts or allocated guesthouses if you are going through villages, However, several nights were spent in the jungle and used large tarps to built shelters for us and our guide and porter. There is limited food on the trail, so you need to bring your food. Depending on the villages, you might be able to buy some instant noodles, some vegetables, sugar, coffee, sweet potatoes, but do not count on it on the day you need them.
Baliem Valley Papua – Indonesia. Photo: Ze Wandering Frogs
The route treks one way, but most people fly for the return, using one of the occasional missionary jungle planes. You might have to wait for a few days for a flight to get you back. The whole distance of this southern route is about 40 miles (64 km), going from an elevation of 6,939 feet (2,115 m) to 11,903 feet (3,628 m). You need to secure your free Travel Permit “Surat Jalan” before you leave. While you can technically trek by yourself, we highly recommend a guide or porter that knows the road as there is no direction, several trails, and it would be easy to get lost in the jungle. Given the remoteness of the place and the challenges of the trail, the trail is better reserved for experienced trekkers in good shape. Overall costs for two people on a 7-day with food, a guide/porter, and lodging: 11 Million IDR for seven days (~830 US$ as of mid-2017). Why 7-day and not 8-day as scheduled? We had to cut our trail short due to the trail conditions. Check out how full post to find out our Baliem Valley trip and how to organize your trek to the Yalimo country. So for a unique experience, Baliem Valley is one of the best trekking Indonesia offers.
By Patricia & Bruno from Ze Wandering Frogs | Instagram | Facebook
Bukit Lawang Orangutan Trek / Sumatra
Bukit Lawang is a village located on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park. It’s been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 as well as being home to a variety of bird, plant and mammal species as well as the iconic Sumatran orangutan.
In 1973 two Swiss zoologists set up an Orang-utan rehabilitation center to care for Orangutans that had been caught up in Indonesia’s logging industry. Jungle trekking to see the Orang-utans can be done in a single day or up to a week if you have the time to go deeper into the jungle. I did the 2-day hike with overnight camping in the jungle in a tent. You will go with at least two guides who will give the briefing the night before departure. They will organize the park permits.
Orangutans in Bukit Lawang Jungle – Indonesia. Photo: Backpack Becki
The hike itself can be challenging, especially after rainfalls as the trails become muddy. Although we only walked about 10 miles (15 kilometers) over the two days, the paths undulate. Sometimes with steep inclines or through shallow rivers. If you’re after an up-close-and-personal animal experience then look out for small leeches in the rivers – I’ve done lots of jungle treks before, but this was the first time I got a few of the critters attached to me.
It’s not a high altitude area, but it is humid. Our camp was next to a river, which was perfect for washing off and relaxing a the end of the day. Aside from the Orang-utan, you will also see lots of Macaque and Thomas Leaf Monkey. Plenty of species of birds, insects, and plants. Rains fall all year round in Bukit Lawang (up to 160 inches / 4,000 mm of rain a year) October through to December are the wettest months and March through to August are generally a bit drier. Rains typically fall late afternoons and evenings.
By Becki from Backpack Becki | Facebook | Instagram
Gunung Lawu, Trek / Java
In Java, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to hiking. One of our favorite routes was at the peak of Gunung Lawu, an incredible stratovolcano that sees few international visitors.
To get to Lawu most people travel from Solo to Tawangmanggu by bus; here you can find good budget accommodation and supplies for the hike. From Tawangmanggu public buses run to base camps and should only take 30 minutes.
Two trails to the 10,711-feet (3,265-meter) summit are less than half-a-mile (1 km) apart: Cemero Kandang (7 miles/12 km route) and Cemero Sewu (5 miles/8 km route). We went with Kandang as we were told the road was more scenic and better marked. This trail should take a reasonably fit person 5-7 hours, and you will need to be moderately fit to make the hike (or have a lot of time!). Guides are not required as the trail is relatively easy to follow but if you want company, go on a weekend, and you’ll meet local students doing the hike. You don’t need to book or permits, only sign in at the rangers office and pay a small entry fee. From here it’s also possible to camp and rent hiking/camping gear.
Gunung Lawu – Indonesia. Photo: Veggie Vagabonds
The landscape is beautiful, zigzagging through the clouds up the side of the volcano. The first half is through dense woodlands, and afterward, the vegetation opens up to breathtaking views. There are huts near the summits selling teas and coffees and also lots of room to camp. Many hikers will hike during the day, camp the night and watch the sunrise before returning.
It gets very cold on top so make sure you bring thermals and a good quality sleeping bag. If you’re hiking during the night then bring a good headtorch and some kind of GPS is advised (even a phone app). The weather changes quickly so make sure you check the forecast before you go. It got very foggy when we hiked, and within 5 minutes we had little to no visibility.
By Joshua and Sarah from Veggie Vagabonds | Facebook | Twitter
Japan Trekking
Kumano Kodo Trail
The Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage in the remote, mountainous Kii Peninsula south of Osaka and Nagoya, Japan. Trekkers can walk through forests of conifer and red hinoki in the footsteps of priests and emperors of the distant past, who journeyed from afar to visit the region’s Shinto-Buddhist shrines.
The Kumano Kodo has various routes, with most people spending 2-4 days. The most popular is the Nakahechi route, which starts near Tanabe on the west coast of the peninsula and finishes at the Kumano Sanzan, three famous shrines, one of which overlooks Japan’s highest waterfall. The trails are not particularly challenging but do involve some long days and lots of up and down. The Kohechi route is a more intensive, four-day trek that links the mountain-top temple town of Koyasan with the Kumano Sanzan.
Waterfall on Kumano Kodo Trail – Japan. Photo: Nick Kembel
Most trekkers stay in the traditional minshuku (guesthouses) along the route. 8000-10,000 yen (70-90 US$) per person will get you a room in a traditional inn, some of which include gorgeous onsens, while it is also possible to find hostels as cheap as 2,600 yen (25 US$). You can get to the starting and ending point of the Nakahechi route by train from Osaka (2.5/4 hrs), but it is also possible to shorten your trek by busing to specific locations. No permits are required, and it’s easy to find the way.
April and May are perfect weather-wise and feature cherry blossoms, but are busiest. Autumn is also famous for its gorgeous colors. Summer can be a little hot 70-80°F (25-30°C) but lush and verdant. I chose to hike in winter, enjoying the trails mostly to myself, and this is the best time for soaking in the hot springs along the route! See my full article on the Kumano Kodo walk for more information.
By Nick from Nick Kembel | Instagram | Facebook
Mount Fuji Trekking
Climbing Mount Fuji is a challenge and is something that all Japanese do at least once in their life. The trek lasts two days and there are no straight roads, it’s all uphill, so it’s best to be prepared, but don’t require a guide.
The Yoshida Trail (which I recommend) starts at the Fuji-Subaru Line 5th Station and leads to the summit from the north side of Mt. Fuji. Have in mind that Mount Fuji is only open to hikers from 1 July to early September and the trail for ascent is different from the trail for the descent.
Climbing Mt Fuji – Japan. Photo by Mindful Travel By Sara
The best plan is starting in the morning and arriving for dinner at one of the mountain huts on the trail at the 8th Station (book in advance!). We stayed at the Goraikoukan hut (11,319 feet / 3,450 meters above sea level) and price including two meals is about USD 76.
At 2 am; you will be climbing to the summit in time for the sunrise. It is an unforgettable experience!
It’s very important that you bring enough water since from the 5th to the 7th Stations (about two and a half hours) you will not find water. I also recommend that you wear layers of clothing, since you can have heat until the 7th season, but then it’s really cold. And finally, it’s better if you carry a light on the head because when climbing to the summit at night, you can stumble along the road.
By Sara from Mindful Travel by Sara | Instagram | Facebook
Nakasendo Trail
This trail linked Kyoto and Tokyo during the Edo period and was used by tax collectors to get between the “post” towns. You’ll want to check this trail out between April and November as it passes through some high country and some parts of the trail may become impassable in the deep winter months.
Nakasendo Trail – Japan: Photo: ASocialNomad
The full trek will take you around three weeks. It’s 330 miles (530 kilometers) long, but one of the most picturesque parts of it is the day hike from Magome to Tsumago. Here you’ll find narrow streets with no cars or visible power lines.
You do not need a guide for undertaking the Nakasendo Trail, although culturally in Japan it is much more acceptable to prebook your accommodation. You’ll find hostels and hotels along the route. However, this trail is a perfect hiking route along which to stay in a traditional ryokan and fully experience Japanese culture. There are no trail fees and few crowds. Some of the trails are at higher altitudes, but this is pleasant hiking, not highly difficult. You’ll experience rolling hills and well-made trails. As the trail crisscrosses into small towns, there are opportunities to take time off the trail, stock up on supplies, or even jump on the train or the bus to the next “post” stop.
This age-old trail is a superb way to combine the experience of hiking in the Japanese countryside with the cultural aspects of visiting Japan. Be sure to build time into your schedule to experience a public or private onsen (hot spring) so sooth any aching muscles!
By Sarah & Nigel from ASocialNomad | Facebook | Twitter
Kyrgyzstan Trekking
Ala-Archa National Park
Ala-Archa National Park is a nature goldmine situated around 25 miles (40 kilometers) away from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The park is easily accessed by public transportation or even a taxi. While I picked the worst season to venture out to Ala-Archa (winter), I still got an excellent taste for what the park has to offer, and I am going to head back there in summer to do a multiple-day hike. The trails and hiking opportunities at Ala-Archa vary in difficulty, but there are trails for everyone.
Ala-Archa National Park – Kyrgyzstan. Photo: Megan C. Starr
The Park surrounds the tealish-blue Ala-Archa River which runs throughout the park. There are mountain climbing opportunities, skiing, waterfall hikes, and much more all in this area. Once you walk 8 miles (12 kilometers) to get inside the park, there are two trail options. The right one is easier and much shorter. The left one is difficult and will eventually lead you to Ak-Sai Glacier, where you will find the remains of an old Soviet base.
While you can comfortably hike these trails independently according to your skill, you can also join the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan and go in a group at an affordable price.
By Megan from Megan C. Starr | Facebook | Instagram
Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve
While this trek to Sary-Chelek Lake might not be as impressive as other treks on this list, the area is an interesting alternative for late season trekking, when the snow starts falling in Fall and make the temperatures below freezing in the winter.
Check our trekking report from this area of the Western Tian Shan Mountains, a trek easily organized from Osh.
Trekking in Malaysia
Mount Kinabalu Trek
Low’s Peak, the top of Mount Kinabalu, is the highest point in Borneo, Malaysia and one of the highest peaks in Southeast Asia at 13,451 feet (4101 meters) above sea level. The spectacular landscape ranges from tropical rainforest to subalpine near the summit. You can climb Mount Kinabalu without any special gear or training. It is a steep hike that involves the use of some guide ropes scrambling up and down the steepest parts. With an elevation gain of 7,312 feet (2,229 meters) it is quite a strenuous hike, but anyone of moderate fitness and good health should be able to complete it.
Mount Kinabalu – Borneo Malaysia. Photo: Stingy Nomads
There are several options for climbing Mt Kinabalu; the two day one night option, the three days two nights option and hiking Mount Kinabalu via Ferrata. The two-day one-night option is by far the most popular, I hiked Mount Kinabalu up and down in one day, but this is no longer allowed. The best months to climb Mt Kinabalu are February, March, and April the dry season. The worst time is October to January during monsoon season due to heavy rains.
The hike is very popular so to avoid disappointment book early, the two-day one night option can only be booked 30 days before the hike, the three days two nights option can be reserved further ahead. A guide is compulsory, but one guide can lead a group of up to six hikers. Accommodation is in a dormitory; bedding is provided; bring clothes for cold weather, thermals, and beanie. Sutera Sanctuary lodges are the cheapest, they own the accommodation on the mountain, and all companies will organize accommodation through them.
By Campbell & Alya from Stingy Nomads | Facebook | Instagram
Mongolia Trekking
Altai Mountains Trek
Located closed the borders of China and Russia, the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is located in the Altai mountains of Mongolia. Remote and pristine, the 8-day trek traversed the whole park. Going by the turquoise waters of glacier-fed rivers and lakes, snow-covered passes and high peaks, grazing grounds of Kazakh livestock in the summer, and just stunning landscape. The trail is about daily 12-mile (20-kilometer) per day, mostly flat, though the last few days go through the 10,348-feet (3,154-meter) Takalbai pass, up to the Potanin Glacier base camp at 10,000-foot (3,050-meter) elevation. The base camp is surrounded by tall peaks included Malchin Peak at 13,287 feet (4,050 meters).
You must have permits to travel – both for the park and for the border proximity, and you cannot trek alone, you must have a guide with you at all time. The cost was about 330 US$ for the two of us for eight days, including permit, guide, horse pack, and food. You can organize your Altai Tavan Bogd National Park trek by yourself, which we did with other fellow travelers, or book through a trekking agency in Olgii.
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park – Mongolia. Photo: Ze Wandering Frogs
The trail is not too hard, besides the last couple of days. You can also use a horse pack to carry most of your equipment and food. The city is the central hub in the western part of Mongolia, and the place where you will buy your food for your trek. If you trek with an agency, you don’t need to worry about accommodation, which can be in a tent or a traditional Mongolian Ger. If you organize by yourself, bring your tent, or offseason like we did end of September, bring your tent.
Trekking season is June to October, though it can get very cold and even snow as you get later in the year. September is, however, the month when the Golden Eagle Festival occurs so this is also a favorite time to travel to the Altai region.
Find out about our Mongolia Adventures
Myanmar Trekking
Kalaw to Inle Lake Trail
The Kalaw to Inle Lake route through Myanmar’s Shan State is one of the most rewarding treks in Southeast Asia.
It begins in the small hill town of Kalaw, where some local outfits organize group departures. It is possible to do the trek independently, but hiring a guide is highly recommended—least of all because homestays in Myanmar are tightly controlled, and villagers can get into hot water for hosting foreigners. There are at least four different routes to the Lake, depending on which company you travel with and how much time you have.
We opted for a three-day, two-night trek, which involved walking approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) over moderate terrain. Treks are priced per group, so the more people who sign on, the lower the cost. Groups typically average between four and six people, and you can expect to pay as little as 30 US$. The company will transport your luggage from Kalaw to your hotel in Inle Lake by car so that you can do the trek carrying a light pack only.
Kalaw to Inle Lake – Myanmar. Photo: Emily Lush
The walk itself is not strenuous but requires a moderate level of fitness. The most challenging aspect is the heat, especially when you’re walking through unshaded fields. You’ll pass through Shan villages—with an ample number of tea stops—step aside for trains (and buffalo), and see some genuinely magnificent valley landscapes. When we did the trek in 2015, we stayed the first night in a homestay and the second night in a newly constructed bungalow.
The highlight of the trek is the final day when you finally crest a wooded hill to get your first glimpse of the silvery Inle Lake. The trek concludes at the bottom of the lake, around Nampan, where you board a sampan and cruise up to Nyaungshwe.
By Emily from Wander-Lush | Instagram | Facebook
It comes to no surprise that Nepal is paradise when it comes to Himalaya trekking. So if you want to trek beautiful trails and admire massive snow-covered peaks, check these some of these best treks in Nepal for your next Himalaya adventure. Hiking in Nepal is a rewarding experience and should be on any trekking bucket list. So in your next Asia trip, make sure to trek Nepal.
Annapurna Circuit
Annapurna Circuit is one of the most scenic treks in the world. Due to its unique route, you will be able to experience numerous climate zones on the way. The classic Annapurna Circuit trek takes from 10 to 20 days depending on your itinerary and speed. There are also several side-treks that you can add (Tilicho lake, ice-lake, etc.).
The Annapurna Circuit trek is a beginner friendly trek. You can do it by yourself without a guide or potter. Moreover, you don’t need any special gear beyond personal clothes and belongings. The route is marked, and there are tea houses with food every 2-2.5 miles (3-4 kilometers).
Annapurna Circuit, Manang District – Nepal. Photo: My Trip Hack
To enter Annapurna Circuit, you need TIMS card and Annapurna Conservation Area Permit. They cost together 4,000 NPR (~40 US$) for pretty much everyone (SAARC countries may avail discounted prices). The overall cost of the trek itself depends on the season. While in low season you can manage on average in 10-12 US$ per day, during high-season the prices get more expensive, and it might come up to 20 US$/day on the low end.
Higher the altitude is, the more expensive are the costs and the more extra charges you get. The maximum elevation you will reach will be at Thorong La Pass at 17,769 feet (5,416 meters).
If you are thinking of doing this Annapurna trek, I recommend putting away all doubts! Annapurna trekking is one of the most life-changing experiences!
By Natalia from My Trip Hack | Facebook | Twitter
Trekking Annapurna Sanctuary is another option to the Circuit. Compared to the roughly 20-day 113-mile (180-km) Annapurna Circuit trekking, the Annapurna Sanctuary trek takes about seven days to cover the 40 miles (65 kilometers). Though the Circuit offers a more diverse landscape, one of the Sanctuary’s highlights is the 13,550-feet (4,069-meter) Annapurna Base Camp trek.
Two separate Everest Base Camps exit – the South Base Camp in Nepal at 17,598 feet (5,364 meters), and the North Base Camp in Tibet at 16,900 ft (5,150 meters). Some of the trails leading to the Mount Everest base camp on the Nepalese side got damaged by the 2015 earthquake and needed repair. The 12-day Everest base camp trekking is one of the most popular treks in Nepal. There are two seasons for Everest trekking: spring from mid-February to the end of May, and autumn from mid-September to the end of November.
Poon Hill
Nepal is hiking paradise, and the choice of trails is incredible. One of the best multi-day hikes to do in the country is that of the Poon Hill Circuit, which can take anything between 3 and six days. The hike is incredibly scenic, and at times quite challenging. The starting point is the small city of Nayapul, and from there the trail goes through the small mountain villages of Tirkhedunga, Ghorepani, Tadapani. The last village visited on the hike is Ghandruk, home to a lovely indigenous community that still follows a traditional way of life. From there, the trail leads back to Nayapul.
Ghorepani Poon Hill trekking crosses a variety of landscapes and climates, so sights vary from rice terraces to forest and alpine regions. The views of the Annapurna South throughout the hike are stunning. The highest point on the hike is 13,780 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level. It is a challenging hike in parts, as on some days the walk is a steady uphill, ascending from 4,920 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level to 9,500 feet (2,900 meters). On other days, there are several downhills which are equally hard on the knees and back. Depending on the season, there are high chances of rain and the terrain is muddy, with leeches along the way.
Poon Hill – Nepal. Photo: My Adventures Across The World
The best way to hike the Poon Hill Circuit is with an excellent tour company (Royal Mountain is one of the most reputable ones), which provides guides and porters. The company takes care of meals and books all accommodation, usually in rustic tea houses. Rooms are generally twin, the toilets and showers are outside. It is better to carry a sleeping bag as the beds have no linen. The overall cost of the hike is around 600 US$. The costs include airport transfers in Kathmandu, accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara, transportation to Nayapul and back, accommodation, meals, guides and porters throughout the hike.
A permit to walk the Poon Hill Circuit can be obtained in Nayapul.
By Claudia from My Adventures Across The World | Instagram | Facebook
Tamang Heritage Trail
The Tamang Heritage Trail is a one week trek in the region of Langtang, in Nepal. You’ve probably heard of Langtang since it was the most devasted area during the 2015 earthquake. However, it’s a rewarding off-the-beaten-path route that will immerse you in the Tamang culture.
The number of days in which you can do the trek depends on your level of fitness and also on how many days you have. It’s usually done in seven days, but you can also extend it to 10 days, making some trekking days shorter. It is not a challenging trek, it is instead a moderate one, but it will take you through some authentic villages and green scenery. Actually, the village of Gatlang is probably one of the most picturesque villages in the area.
Gatlang Village, Tamang Heritage Trail – Nepal. Photo: Our World To Wonder
To wholly enjoy the trek you should try and go during spring or autumn. Spring (March to May) is when the trees are filled with flowers, but autumn (September to November) is when the sky is clearer. We did the trek in the middle of October, and we had great skies and warm temperatures during the day.
Langtang trekking is not a high-altitude trek, most of the times you will trek at an altitude under 9,842 feet (3,000 meters), with all the villages lower than this. However, you will get an excellent viewpoint of snow-capped peaks at Nagthali, which is at around 10,826 feet (3,300 meters).
For the Tamang Heritage Trail, you do not necessarily need a guide, as the trails are relatively easy to find and the locals will always be there to help you. However, we chose to take a guide for this trek just because we wanted to learn more about the local culture. And make sure you get the permit for your Langtang Valley trekking (10 US$ per week per person).
So go ahead and start planning your Tamang Heritage trek!
By Andra from Our World To Wonder
Philippines Trekking
Mt. Amuyao Trekking
Mt. Amuyao in the Mountain District of the Philippines can be hiked up and down in a day with no problem for an in-shape hiker. However, making it a through-hike is much more fascinating. I stayed two nights in the village of Patyay and feasted on two kinds of frogs, the local vegetables, and packaged pasta.
Officially, a guide is required, but I declined and was made to sign a waiver. The through-hike can be done with one overnight in the tiny village of Patyay. Hiking time totals a day and a half. The hike uphill from Barlig to the top of Mt. Amuyao is challenging, due to the steepness. It takes around 4 hours for a tourist, including stops for photos. The rest of the hike is not especially steep or difficult.
Patyay village along the Mt. Amuyao – Philippines. Photo: Longest Bus Rides
There are two possible endpoints. The more popular end-point is Combolo, which is four to five hours from Patyay. However, I went to Mayoyao which is about four hours easy hiking from Patyay. You’ll spend your days hiking through the jungle with occasional views, and beautiful full views from the top of Mt. Amuyao. You’ll also enjoy the vista of rice paddies in Patyay village. The town of Mayoyao is popular thanks to its vast rice paddy system and easily accessible by public transportation.
Permits and fees 75 PHP (1.5 US$). The guide cost is 1,000 to 1,500 PHP (18-28 US$) per day. Guesthouses from Barlig to Mayoyao are less than 10 US$ per night. You can sleep on top of Mt. Amuyao, either camping or sleep in the building. Either way, bring your sleeping bag. Getting there from Bontoc, take a jeepney to Barlig. Coordinate with the Tourism Office in Barlig for your guide and permits. The office is next door to Sea World Inn, a nice little hotel.
By Jessica from Longest Bus Rides | Facebook | Instagram
SaPa Trekking
Trekking around SaPa in Northern Vietnam has become a part of many traveler’s itineraries, and for a good reason. In this Valley, you get beautiful scenery and cultural experience, with a chance to stay with a local family. The Valley is home to five different tribes, where the central town sits at 4,920 feet (1,500) meters elevation.
It doesn’t require a guide, and the trekking is relatively moderate. Even beginners with good health could finish the trek with the help of a local guide. The price per night including food, accommodation, and a local guide is approximately 25-50 US$. The price varies depending on what standard you require, and if you book the trip via a local guide or through an agency.
Sapa – Vietnam: Photo: Swedish Nomad
If you want to trek alone, that’s fine too as you can just follow the trails. You don’t need a permit.
The best season for scenic views is in August-September, but every season has its charm, so if you’re traveling to Vietnam in other periods of the year, don’t skip SaPa, it’s still worth it. It’s one of the best hikes in Vietnam. Just remember to check the temperature and bring warm enough clothes or layers.
By Alexander from Swedish Nomad
This list of destinations for trekking in Asia is by far complete, and we will be adding more trekking and trail options. From China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Laos, Thailand, to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, stay tuned for more mountain adventures. Looking for trekking adventures in Africa? Check our top Africa trekking adventures.
Top Trekking Adventures: Mountains in Africa
Papua Trekking: Meeting The Baliem Valley Papua Tribes
Gobi Desert Hiking: The Sand Dunes of the Khongoryn Els
36 Best Hikes in Europe for Long Distance Hiking Trails
A Face-to-Face with the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
Asia, Cambodia, Hiking & Trekking, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam
Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Trails
sohail
Stok Kangri Trek is one of the most beautiful treks in the Ladakh region.
So we heard! So many amazing treks in Asia, it’s hard to choose!
Rashmi and Chalukya
We visited Ladakh a few years back. We did a lot of biking, the views are incredible we are sure it must be an amazing experience hiking the Martha Valley. Amarnath Trek is on the list we are hoping to cross it from our bucket list sometime soon.
We have been planning on visiting Ladakh last year but had to change our travel plans and decided to stay kiteboarding in Sri Lanka! But still, want to go. We are in Pakistan right now, in the Hushe Valley which is right across Ladakh but on the Pakistan side. Mountains are so stunning!
Mel Butler
I just love trekking and hiking and it has become one of my favourite pass times. Oh my your post makes me want to put on my hiking boots and going trekking right now. You have so many amazing ideas that I want to do all of them especially the Altai Mountains Trek and the Kumano Kodo Trail. I have done the Everest Base Camp one and that is what got me into trekking.
Ah, the Everest Base Camp! You started with quite an impressive trek there, putting the bar quite high – literally and figuratively! The Altai mountains were stunning, and I can personally recommend it, a great mix of landscape and culture! What is your next trekking adventure?
Saskia van de Riet
Wow, the choice and the variety… too much to take in, in one go. I will save this, and come back a number of times 😉
Indeed, one trek at a time 🙂
Mei and Kerstin
We visited some countries in Asia, but didnt do much trekking (only a bit in Guilin, China), but would love to do that one day. Returning to Vietnam or Cambodia for some trekking would be cool. But we’ll probably go to Japan and the Philippines first. Thanks for this inspiring list! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed our trekking suggestions. Would love to explore some of the trails in the Philippines too, and Cambodia, and India, and… oh well, everywhere really 🙂 Safe travel!
Asia is truly magnificent and it has so much to offer for everyone, Patricia. Trekking in India is on my bucket list for a while now and I really hope to get to explore it. When would it be the best time of the year to do so?
It depends on where you want to trek, location and altitude. I would watch for the monsoon season, where heavy rains will be an issue. If you are headed to the Himalayas, trekking season is in general from late October to end of April. Ladakh is somewhat different, where it’s better trekked between May and September. Some treks like the Chadard Trek are done in winter: December, January, & February.
BhutanTravel
Hi Patricia, great in-depth article. This is one of the most detailed articles on trekking in Asia that I’ve ever seen. Great work. I understand that you cannot include every possible destination, but I hope you and your esteemed readers will consider Bhutan. It’s a great pristine country with amazing trekking journeys.
Bhutan should be included in this list too, for sure. We, unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to visit The Land of the Thunder Dragon yet but would love to in the future. We would be looking forward to writing about Bhutan!
Excellent collection of walks. I would love to do the SaPa Trekking one and the Lombok trek. Of course Everest would be cool too…grrrr so many wonderful hikes to do around the world!
Indeed, so many hikes in the world! Which one has been your preferred trek so far?
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NEW YORK, June 13, 2019—Deloitte today announced Deborah Golden, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP, as the new leader of its U.S. Cyber practice.
A respected authority on cyber issues to boards, industries and organizations, Golden specializes in collaborating with clients on cybersecurity, technology transformation, and privacy and governance solutions. She has held many leadership roles within Deloitte and for the past five years, Golden served as the government and public services (GPS) cyber leader, the GPS advisory market offering leader, and the GPS empowered well-being leader. Golden brings more than 25 years of experience pertaining to information technology spanning numerous industries with an in-depth focus on government and public services; life sciences and health care; and financial services.
“Cybersecurity is a top-of-mind strategic business issue for both boards and management across industry and government. Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory’s cyber practice helps organizations not only protect themselves from cyber-attacks, but also utilize a cyber strategy as a source of competitive advantage,” said John Peirson, chief executive officer for Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory and principal Deloitte & Touche LLP. “Deborah brings valued experience, perspective, and leadership to our practice and clients in navigating the complexity of a cyber everywhere reality.”
“I’m thrilled to take the reins of the largest and fastest growing cyber practice. We are at the forefront of helping clients to navigate the complexity around issues such as interconnectivity, data governance as both an asset and a liability, the shifting threat landscape and the future of detection and response — while at the same time managing enterprise risk and addressing the burgeoning cyber talent gap,” said Golden. “I’m confident that Deloitte’s cyber practice will continue to tackle these challenges at an exponential pace by evolving our practice and our people, through collaboration and innovation, to help our clients address — and more importantly advance — their objectives and missions.”
To achieve her aspirations, Golden will align Deloitte’s cyber practice, which has more than 4,200 cyber professionals, to its clients’ goals and expand the portfolio of high-impact solutions across a broad spectrum of complex issues. According to Golden, equally important to innovating in client delivery is evolving a better talent experience across each of the talent models delivering services today — and those needed in the future. Golden understands that diversity and inclusion are deliberate and purposeful. Golden’s approach is designed to create value for Deloitte’s clients and its professionals, while at the same time advancing the marketplace.
Deborah Golden succeeds Ed Powers, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP, who has led the U.S. cyber practice since 2013 and is now the offerings and services leader as part of executive leadership for the Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory business. Golden is positioned to accelerate the momentum of Deloitte’s cyber practice and lead the advancement of the breadth of cyber solutions and services. According to industry analysts, the global cybersecurity market is expected to grow to approximately a quarter of a trillion dollars ($251 billion) by 2023. Correlated to that statistic, Deloitte’s cyber practice continues to garner notable accolades. Gartner recently positioned Deloitte as the global leader, based on revenue, in security consulting services for the seventh consecutive year. Additionally, Deloitte also was named a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Global Cybersecurity Consulting Providers, Q2 2019, based on strategy and current offering, as well as a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Cybersecurity Incident Response Services, Q1 2019.
Based in Arlington, Virginia, Golden was instrumental in the creation of the new Deloitte Cybersphere; a state-of-the-art destination to help clients explore their most pressing cyber challenges. The Cybersphere offers a “Watch Floor” for 24/7 threat monitoring and reconnaissance to help clients detect and respond to threats in near real time, and a Cyber IoT Studio, where next-generation security is developed and tested., In addition, it features a client-centered “Core,” with labs that provide disruptive, interactive experiences to provide clients a forum to engage on the cyber topics impacting organizations, share information and identify ways to increases capability and confidence in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats.
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 5,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today’s marketplace — delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Our network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories serves four out of five Fortune Global 500® companies. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 286,000 people make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.
Nicole Hockin
Deborah Golden
Principal | Deloitte & Touche LLP
debgolden@deloitte.com
Deborah Golden, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP, is the US Cyber Risk Services leader for Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory. For the past six years, she has served as the Government & Public Servi... More
John Peirson
CEO | Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory
usrfajohnpeirson@deloitte.com
John Peirson is the chief executive officer of Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory. As CEO, John leads 14,000 professionals who help organizations navigate a variety of risks, embrace complexity, and... More
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Nicholas Bell
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
A young girl is sent to live with her estranged father and his girlfriend at their new home. The father, Alex has plans to spruce ...
Country: Mexico, Australia, USA
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Actor: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Jack Thompson, Garry McDonald, Alan Dale, Julia Blake, Bruce Gleeson, Eddie Ritchard, Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen, David Tocci, Lance Drisdale, Nicholas Bell, Libby Gott, James Mackay
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Chimera is a deadly virus that will bare a deathly death unless you are given the antidote. The creator of Chimera is murdered and the ...
Actor: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell, Mathew Wilkinson, Nicholas Bell, Cristina Brogeras, Kee Chan, Kim Fleming
John Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his memory and is wanted for a series of brutal and ...
Genre: Action, Mystery, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien, Ian Richardson, Bruce Spence, Colin Friels, John Bluthal, Mitchell Butel, Melissa George, Frank Gallacher, Ritchie Singer, Justin Monjo, Nicholas Bell
I, Frankenstein
Dr Victor Frankenstein dies frozen to death and the creature buries him at the cemetery of his family. However he is attacked by demons but ...
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Actor: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Bill Nighy, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Aden Young, Caitlin Stasey, Mahesh Jadu, Steve Mouzakis, Nicholas Bell, Deniz Akdeniz, Chris Pang, Kevin Grevioux, Bruce Spence
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Neri - the title character - is a young girl with an affinity for water, super-human strength, the ability to swim long distances, and super-human ...
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Family
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Jason and Brett eagerly await the return of Neri and Charlie-as does UBRI's Dr. Hellegren who wants to study just one of the returning humpback ...
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ReviewsXBLA ReviewsFeatured Reviews
Gotham City Impostors review (XBLA)
By Nathan Bowring • 7 years ago
Gotham City Impostors was developed by Monolith and was published by WB Games. It was released February 8, 2012 for 1200 MSP.
The Dark Knight has finally hit his stride in video games with the award-winning hits Arkham Asylum and, more recently, Arkham City. While these games offered amazing single-player experiences, both through revolutionary gameplay and engaging stories, they have also steered away from any multiplayer experience.
While Batman and Joker have been fighting in retail games, their crazed followers in Gotham City have brought the battle to XBLA. Gotham City Impostors trades Batarangs and dark atmosphere for guns and crazy humor. It’s easily comparable to Call of Duty or Team Fortress 2, but it has unique features that doesn’t make it feel like a copy. While matchmaking can be a pain, this six-on-six comedy shooter has some of the best action on XBLA.
Here’s what we liked:
So much customization – Gotham City Impostors has loads upon loads of customization options. Every time you level up you get a free unlock for a specific category, such as weapon or support item. You can choose anything in the given unlock category from the beginning of the game, giving the perfect opportunity to make a great class in the first few levels. After every game you also get costume coins, which you can save up to buy clothes to decorate your impostors. The possibilities are endless, and it won’t be long until you get your own perfect loadout.
Batman doesn’t kill, but impostors do – Using absurd weapons like a deep-freeze gun and a bear-stalker bow in a multiplayer playground sounds like anarchy, but it’s handled very well. The wide variety of weapons and and tight controls gives a solid class-based combat experience. The game has five maps, each designed very well to allow equal opportunity for any loadout. The wide selection of weapons make every shot count, and feel quite powerful to boot. The real game-changers are the mobility gadgets, including grappling hooks and glider rigs, which add a unique layer to the combat and are useful strategies for the objective-based modes.
Style – When you think of a Batman game, you don’t think of bright colors and sight gags. Costume pieces range from standard to absurd, such as cardboard boxes for masks and bunny slippers for shoes. Tutorials are given through black and white silent cartoons, equal parts helpful and charming. The few gameplay modes the game has are unique twists on common game types: why capture a flag when you can capture a battery that will turn your enemies into weaponless, slap-happy fools? This isn’t your normal Batman game, which makes it that much cooler.
Challenges – A light side of single player tops off the dish, giving you a chance to perfect your mobility skills across every map. Challenges require you to move to checkpoints and shoot targets in the fastest time possible, and even give XP rewards for good times. It’s not much, but it really helps you hone skills and get used to map layouts.
Here’s what we didn’t like:
Matchmaking issues – If you’re entering the matchmaking lobby, prepare to wait. Matchmaking can take a while, and being abruptly kicked out of a game due to server issues is common. The server may switch your team mid-game, even if it separates you from your party. Occasionally you’ll play a game type that wasn’t the lobby you were in, or the correct game loads with some glaring issues (no fumigation machines, gadgets won’t work, randomizing calling cards, etc.). Matchmaking can be a mess, and patience is mandatory if you want to enjoy the game.
Micro-transactions – The game’s Black Market lets you buy superficial items for your characters. While they do not affect the game, they do prevent players from working towards them and unlocking them in-game. There’s also XP boosts that last an hour, and a few mascots that can only be unlocked by purchase. Trading hard work for instant gratification feels like cheap tactic.
Gotham City Impostors is one of the most downright fun shooters available today. Matches are a blast to play, and the frequent unlocks lets you adjust your strategy every time you level up. There may not be enough content for some, and the matchmaking is borderline terrible, but the promise of free DLC and patches may ease the pain. Being Batman may be awesome, but being an impostor is so much fun.
Score: Buy It!
gotham city impostors monolith WB games
Nathan Bowring
I'm a software developer who enjoys gaming, and I know how cliche that sounds. I've been playing XBLA games for some time now, and I'm a huge fan of the price and creativity of these games. Writing about them is almost as fun as playing them. Almost.
Fez Cube Guide – Observatory Area
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Fez Cube Guide – Central Hub – 4, 8 and 16 Cube Doors (Zunu and Zu)
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