Adult learners are busy and want a flexible learning mode that everyone involved can participate at a time, and for a duration, that suits his or her schedules. Hence, we are introducing Blended Learning Mode and Online Learning Mode for our 7 professional certification programmes including CFP.
In simple words, it is Face-to-Face workshop plus online learning support. If you are staying in Klang Valley, this is the recommended learning mode for you.
2. What is Online Learning?
This is 100% online learning via e-learning platform 24 hours x 7 days. There is no traveling from home or work, and you can study at home or wherever you are and whenever you want it. Course materials are available online, even lecture videos, interactive online quizzes, and online discussion with facilitators and fellow classmates are also accessible online.
The Online Learning mode is most suitable for those who cannot attend the face-to-face workshop, especially those who stay in other parts of Malaysia outside Klang Valley.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Online Learning?
Flexibility: learning at your own pace. Cut down or eliminate travel time. However, you still need to keep up with the course schedule in order to be well prepared for the examination at the end of the semester.
Accessibility: learning anywhere, anytime. Cut down or eliminate travel time. Busy working professionals can work around work, family and other activities.
Helps build self-knowledge and self-confidence and encourages student responsibility.
Learners with low motivation and bad study habits can easily fall behind.
You may feel isolated from classmates and instructors, usually have to work alone.
Potential for less networking opportunities.
4. What are the major differences in these two learning modes, especially on course fee, course schedule, examination and other course requirements?
Course Fee: for CFP course, the course fees of Blended Learning mode and Online Learning mode are the same.
As there are live streaming and recorded lecture video, the main difference is the Online Learning students are not physically available in the classroom, but he/she can still attend the lectures at the same time as other students. They are also welcome to attend the face-to-face workshop if they are able to make themselves available with no extra charge.
Course Schedule & Examination: same as the Blended Learning Mode, online learning students are required to strictly follow the course schedule if you plan to sit for the examination at the end of the semester.
Online Quizzes: our past year mock exam papers have been converted into online interactive quizzes for all our CFP students.
Recorded Lecture Videos and Live Streaming: these are also make available for all CFP students.
Electronic Equipment: All CFP students are required to have access to personal computer or laptop, and or tablet, smart phone and Internet connection.
5. How to enrol for CFP Online Learning programme?
All procedures are same as Blended Learning, except that when filing in your KMDC CFP Application Form, remember to tick "Online Learning" above your signature.
A1. What is Financial Planning?
Financial Planning is the process of meeting your life goals through the proper management of your finances. These goals may include buying a home, saving for your child's education, starting a business or planning for comfortable retirement.
A2. What is the role of a Financial Planner?
A financial planner is someone who uses the financial planning process to draw-up a plan with an objective to meet your life goals. The planner takes a "big picture" view of your financial situation and make financial planning recommendations that are right for you. He takes into consideration all of your needs – budgeting, saving, taxes, investments, insurance and retirement planning. He can also work with you on a single financial issue but within the context of your overall financial situation.
This makes the financial planner different more comprehensive in his approach than other financial advisors who may be trained only on specific areas of your financial needs.
A3. What is the Financial Planning Process?
The financial planner should explain clearly or document the services to be provided to you and define both his and your responsibilities. The planner should explain fully how he will be paid and by whom. You and the planner should agree on how long the professional relationship should last and on how decisions will be made.
The financial planner should analyse your information to assess your current situation and determine what you must do to meet your goals. Depending on what services you have asked for, this could include analysing your assets, liabilities, cash flow, current insurance coverage, investments and tax strategies.
The financial planner should offer financial planning recommendations that address your goals, based on the information you provide. The planner should go through the recommendations with you to help you understand them to help you make informed decisions. The planner should also listen to your concerns and revise the recommendations accordingly.
You and the planner should agree on how the recommendations will be carried out. The planner may carry out the recommendations or serve as your "coach", coordinating the whole process with you and your other professionals like your lawyers or stockbrokers.
You and the planner should agree on who will monitor your progress towards your goals. If the planner is in charge of the process, he should report to you on a time basis mutually agreed upon to review your situation and adjust the recommendations, if needed, to complement the changes in your life.
A4. What are Practice Standards?
Practice Standards were developed to help CFP practitioners better understand and implement the financial planning process. These standards also explain what is expected of a CFP practitioner and are to be adhered to when providing financial planning advice.
A5. What are the 4E's?
Once a candidate has completed the Education requirement, he can enroll for the Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess the candidate's ability to apply the theoretical knowledge he has acquired to financial planning situations in an integrated format, thereby assuring the public that the candidate has acquired the level of competency required for practice.
In addition to having to complete the financial planning education and examination requirements, a candidate is required to show evidence of having worked in a financial planning-related position for a period of at least three years before or after the successful completion of the Certification Examination.
Once a candidate has completed the above 3 E's and prior to certification, he is required to disclose past or pending litigation or agency proceedings and to acknowledge the right of FPAM to enforce its Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
Only when the candidate has fulfilled his ethics requirement, is he entitled to be a full fledge CFP licensee.
A6. What is it about the CFP Mark that distinguishes it from other financial planning qualifications?
The CFP mark identifies individuals who have met the education, examination, experience and ethics requirements established by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB). FPSB owns the CFP Mark outside the United States and licenses qualified individuals to use this mark and refer themselves as "CFP Licensees". The CFP designation is an internationally recognised mark for the highest level of competence in financial planning.
Financial Planning Association of Malaysia – FPAM, is the marks licensing authority in Malaysia in line with the international standards.
A7. What is the difference between a Certified Financial Planning Practitioner and the other kinds of financial advisors?
A CFP Practitioner follows certain standards – called Practice Standards – when providing financial planning advice. Practice Standards describe the process you should reasonably expect a financial planner to use during a financial planning engagement. These standards are based on the six-step Financial Planning Process, documented by the Financial Planning Standards Board through their research on the "Job Analysis" of what a financial planner is expected to be.
A8. What motivates people to pursue CFP Certification? How does this program benefit them?
Those seeking the CFP designation have tended to be generalists that may specialize in one or more specific areas: estate planning, retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and insurance planning, and tax planning. Those holding the CFP designation have typically found employment with the financial planning firms, insurance companies, banks, unit trusts, and accounting firms.
CFP programme is regarded as better prepared individuals in the following areas: overall financial advisory services to individuals and families, advice on insurance planning, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning and investment planning. In short, the CFP designation is perceived as a generalist designation that provides the best preparation for comprehensive personal financial planning.
B1. What is the minimum entry requirement needed to take up the CFP Certification Programme?
CFP Entry Requirement: a bachelor's degree (any discipline) OR if without a degree but have at least 5 years of relevant work experience, can opt for sitting for PLRA – Prior Learning Recognition Assessment. Once passed, you will eligible to join the CFP programme. Candidates are only allowed to register for the PLRA assessment 2 times and there must be a break of 6 months between the attempts.
B2. How many CFP modules do I need to complete and what are they?
CFP Module 1 provides you an overview of Financial Planning industry and related topics; then Module 2 and Module 3 will provide you with in-depth knowledge of various financial planning topics; and the final module, Module 4, you will learn how to construct financial plan and professional responsibilities.
B3. Can I study all four CFP modules in one go? Any prerequisite?
Stage 1: CFP Module 1 is the prerequisite of Stage 2 (Module 2-3) and once you passed Module 1 examination, you can move on to Stage 2.
Stage 2: study CFP Module 2 and Module 3 which are in-depth study in these specific topics: Insurance and Estate Planning (Module 2), Investment and Retirement Planning (Module 3). You can take these 2 modules in one semester and sit for the 2 examinations in the one exam sitting (no worries, the exam timetable are well planned and will not crash with each other); or take one module at a time in any sequence. Once you passed these 2 modules in Stage 2, then you are eligible to move on to Stage 3.
Stage 3: study CFP Module 4. You are expected to have adequate knowledge in risk management and Insurance, taxation, investment, retirement and estate planning; and now you will study how to construct financial plan and learn about professional responsibilities. Please take note that Taxation Module becomes optional but highly recommended.
B4. Do you have to pass just one module to earn the CFP mark or several modules over a period of time?
You have to pass all the 4 modules in order to become a Certified member. However, exemptions are granted to individuals who have certain academic qualifications.
B5. Is there a time frame to complete each module?
There is no fixed time frame and the examinations are conducted once every 6 months, usually in June and December.
B6. Is there a time frame to complete all the 4 modules?
There is no fixed time frame. CFP Modules 1 to 3 must be completed before you are eligible to attempt Module 4. A candidate can attempt Modules 2 and Module 3 in any sequence.
B7. What is the shortest time frame to complete all the CFP 4 modules?
The shortest time frame required is 12 months.
B8. If I fail a module, is there a re-sit and what is the time frame for a re-sit?
You will have to re-register for the module that you failed in. You can register for the next available examination sitting. It is better to resume your study as soon as possible when the memory is still fresh.
B9. If I have to re-sit a module, do I pay just the exam fees or the do I need to pay the course fees as well?
If you need to re-sit a module, you are required to register for the next examination and pay the exam fees. KMDC charges a small refresher course fee @RM53 per day (RM424 for a 8-day workshop to RM477 for a 9-day workshop only) for re-sit/repeat.If you wish to attend additional revision classes.
B10. Can I do the 4 modules with a period of rest in between modules?
B11. Do I entitled to any exemption(s) if I am a graduate/member of a professional body/RFP holder?
Yes, probably. FPAM has recognized that certain professional qualifications cover some components in financial planning and have decided to waive certain modules for eligible members. You may be granted modular exemption(s); or Challenge Status – skip CFP Module 1 to Module 3 and go straight to Module 4.
B12. How to apply for CFP Modular Exemption or Challenge Status?
Do I qualified for modular exemption?
Do I qualified for Challenge Status?
You are required to submit the relevant forms and documents to FPAM, accompanied by an Application for Trade Member Form together with payment (if you are not already a member), as FPAM will only grant approval to its members.
All certificates and academic transcripts must be certified. Working experience from present employer must be written using the employer's letterhead. If you are seeking for exemptions for Module 1 or Challenge Status, you must apply at least one month before the registration for any examination and not together with the examination registration form.
B13. How do I know whether my application is successful?
Upon approval, FPAM will allocate you a reference number to quote when you subsequently register for the examination. If your application is disapproved, FPAM will return you the whole set of documents.
B14. If I were granted Challenge Status, is there a time limit on when I must pass the Module 4 examination?
CFP Challenge Status candidates are given 3 exam sittings to complete their Module 4 exam. Failing which they are required to enroll for the full CFP Certification Programme.
B15. When are the CFP examinations held?
The examinations are held twice a year, usually in mid June and mid December. There are special examiantion sittings for Module 1 which usually be held in March or April and Spetember or October. This is to allow CFP students to fast track their study.
B16. What is the format of the examinations for CFP certification?
CFP Module 1 to 3 consists of 75 multiple choice questions each to be completed in 3 hours.
Module 4 comprises of 2 papers. Paper 1 is a 60 multiple choice questions paper to be completed in 3 hours and Paper 2 is an essay styled case study question paper to be completed in 3 hours. Both the papers would be conducted on different day.
B17. Where are the CFP examination held?
B18. When is the CFP examination registration closing date?
There are two main exam sittings per year; in mid June and mid December. The closing date for examination registration is usually about 8 weeks from the examination date. Check here for examination information.
B19. How much is the CFP Examination Fee?
That depends on whether you are attached to FPAM's Charter member or Corporate member or none. Charter and corporate member are corporations that support FPAM in the development of the financial industry.
To check if your employer is the Charter or Corporate member of FPAM, Click HERE.
B20. Can I withdraw from EPF to pay for CFP education? Or Can my company make HRDF claim if they sponsor my study?
Yes. Your CFP tuition fee and examination fee are now eligible for EPF withdrawal, provided you are a member of EPF and at least a diploma holder.
As for HRDF, if your company contributes to HRDF (Human Resource Development Fund), and sponsor your CFP study, then the company is eligible to make HRDF claim.
B21. Is CFP fee tax deductible?
No at the moment, only membership fees are eligible for claiming tax deduction.
B22. Is CFP certification programme recognised and popular in Malaysia and other countries/regions?
Yes, besides Malaysia, CFP is widely recognized in 26 countries and regions: USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Singapore, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, France, South Korea, Brazil, Austria, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Ireland, Israel, Columbia, Brazil, Turkey and the Netherlands.
As of end of 2018, there are over 181,360 CFP certified practitioners worldwide and the number is growing. In Malaysia, CFP certification programme has becoming more and more popular. The Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM) currently has 2,287 certified practitioners.
Majority of Malaysia's CFP holders are mainly from financial industry: about 65% of them are attached to banks, unit trust, insurance, financial advisory and stock broking companies, with another 18% are accountants. About 16% of CFP holders in Malaysia are from non financial corporations.
B23. I am an Accountant. What are the benefits for me if I were to pursue CFP qualification?
The CFP qualification is very popular with accountants in Malaysia. In fact about 16% of total CFP members are accountants. This is the largest among all professions. Members of professional accounting bodies like MIA, CIMA, ACCA, ASCPA, AIA are exempted from the first 3 modules of the certification exams. They only have to sit for Module 4, the last paper.
Accountants normally do well for the paper as their background in accounting & finance gives them the analytical skill that is so vital for the exams. Their background also enables them to grasp the concepts easily.
Financial planning is an added value service that they can provide to their clients. Most of them already provide accounting, tax or audit services to their clients. Financial Planning would be an extra service that they can provide.
They already have an existing client base to tap on should they want to expand their business. These clients already have a rapport and business relationship with them and the trust is already there. Unlike others who need to build a client base, accountants already have an existing one.
The CFP qualification is recognized worldwide. Accounting is one of the professions most in demand worldwide and accountants are very mobile. Having a globally recognized qualification gives them an added advantage.
Accountants provide many value added services. Financial planning is one of them and it is one of the fastest growing professions worldwide.
The CFP qualification is also a qualification to enter the financial services sector for those who wish to switch profession. For those who wish to enhance their career and climb the corporate ladder, the CFP is one of the most recognized qualifications. Most of the financial institutions in Malaysia are Charter members of FPAM and send their employees to undergo the CFP course.
B24. What are Continuing Education (CE) requirements that I have to fulfill?
Certified members must complete 30 hours of Continuing Education (CE) every two years in order to renew their CFP licence. It is mandatory that certified members must devote 2 CE hours to update himself/herself on the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
Associate members must complete 20 hours of CE every two years.
Excess credits acquired in one reporting period cannot be carried over to another reporting period.
Random audits will be conducted to ensure that Certified and Associate members fulfill their continuing education requirement.
Members selected for the CE audits will be required to complete the CE report and submit proof of CE activities participation.
Certified and Associates members are therefore required to keep supporting documentation in the event they are audited or to show proof of attendance.
C1. How do I register for the CFP Certification programme?
You may download forms from this download page; or email KMDC: start@kmdc.com.my; or call us: 012-3989030 (Whatsapp), 03-5565 0799/0798 (during office hours).
1. Applicants can download KMDC Application Form HERE and submit it to us together with your other documents (e.g. certified transcripts, business card or company's letter).
3. For your convenience sake, you may fax to us your forms and documents to 03-5565 0799/0798. For payments, just fill up the authorise column on KMDC Application Form and FPAM Trade Member Application Form to authorise KMDC to charge your tuition fee and FOR FPAM to charge your membership fee respectively.
For detail information on how to enrol and make payments for CFP course, please click HERE.
C2. Have the CFP Education Providers, including KMDC, been approved by the relevant authorities?
C3. Is KDU Management Development Centre (KMDC) one of the education providers approved by FPAM to conduct the CFP program?
Yes. In fact, we are now the leading CFP education provider in Malaysia with highest market share and we are always the top performer in CFP examination.
C4. Do the CFP Education Providers charge the same for the CFP course?
The approach of the independent Education Providers in providing the CFP course may differ slightly, depending on their methodology and course materials but in compliance with the syllabus determined by FPAM. The fees for the courses are set by the Education Providers within the range approved by FPAM.
For KMDC CFP Fee, please read Question C6 below or click HERE.
C5a. Who entitled to special discounted rate? Do you offer special rate for those working in the financial institutions and students?
Yes, KMDC offers corporate rate for all staff that attached to any financial institutions, e.g. banks, unit trust, insurance, financial advisory, financial service providers. They will enjoy a saving of about RM100-RM150 per module. For seniors above 51 and youth 23 & below, they will enjoy a discount of RM300 per module. Do read Question C6 below.
C5b. Is there any financial support for CFP student? Am I eligible to withdraw EPF for CFP study?
There are 3 possible ways to get some funding to finance your study.
FPAM Sponsorship Programme: click HERE to download the application procedures.
C6. How much is the course fee if I were to take CFP programme with KMDC?
C7. What is KMDC's refund policy if I decide to discontinue a module?
All fees paid are NOT refundable unless the course does not commence or the candidate's application is rejected by KMDC. Once the course commenced, the course fee is considered fully consumed. Withdrawals: All withdrawals must be in writing at least 5 working days prior to the commencement date for full refund, administrative charge of RM212 will apply. Once the course has commenced, if candidate wishes to withdraw, he/she must write in within 10 working days from the commencement date of the course, only 50% of course fee will be refunded less administrative charge of RM212. Strictly no refund for 'No Show' or withdrawal after 10 working days from the commencement date.
C8. Does KMDC offer any part-time CFP course?
KMDC offers CFP programme as part-time course only. That is, most CFP classes are conducted during weekends. Only a few classes are offered during weekdays when a minimum number of participants are met.
C9. If I want to take up full time study in CFP, would that be possible?
Possible. Just enrolled in several CFP modules in one semester. If you enrolled in 3-4 CFP modules in a semester, your study load is equivalent to full time study in colleges or universities. However, as mentioned earlier, most CFP classes are conducted on weekends.
C10. Do you offer evening CFP classes?
Currently, KMDC does not offer any evening class in KL or PJ. We do not recommend evening class as the traffic situation in the city will most likely makes you late for class; furthermore, most people find it tough to pay attention in class after a hectic day of work.
C11. Can I study CFP course with KMDC outside the Klang Valley?
Yes, we have coordinators in a few major cities towns and cities across Malaysia and we do offer outstation classes on demand.
C12. Is it compulsory to attend CFP lectures/workshops? Can I just purchase your CFP materials and do my self study?
Yes, it is compulsory to attend CFP workshop. There is no distance learning mode or self study mode. In compliance with the FPAM requirements of 60 contact hours, KMDC provide at least 48 and up to 63 hours of face-to-face lectures/workshops/and revision sessions.
C13. When do I need to register for CFP course?
There are two semesters per year. For first semester, CFP classes commence from February after Chinese New Year and end in early June just before the June Examination. For the second semester, CFP classes start in July till early December. December examination will usually be held in mid December. Please check KMDC CFP Timetable and register for your desired CFP class(es) at least one week before the commencement date stated in the KMDC CFP timetable.
C14. Is KMDC CFP Timetable flexible enough to suit my busy lifestyle?
KMDC's delivery strategy allows FLEXIBILITY to you in view of your hectic working schedules. We offer Saturday, Sunday and weekday sessions. For each module, there will be 3 to 8 intakes per semester. Some intakes will commence early while some will commence in the middle of the semester, and the last intakes will start just about 2 months before the examination. Thus, you do have many choices.
However we recommend that you enroll and start early in order to accommodate the demands of your personal and professional lives. In addition, you can now sit for a few modules simultaneously and is still able to manage each module comfortably following the recommended study schedule.
C15. What kind of learning support and materials will be given to me by KMDC?
KMDC offers 8-9 full days face-to-face CFP workshops including revision seminar for each module. Besides that, we provide free training workshop on "Financial Calculator and Time Value of Money". For study materials, we provide you KMDC CFP manuals, lecture notes, online learning portal with sample exam papers (soft copy) and online materials. KMDC also organizes financial planning seminars regularly for our CFP learning community and the public.
C16. How does KMDC ensure that I can pass my CFP examination?
KMDC provides you with extra hours of face-to-face workshops – from 2015 onwards, up to 72 hours for CFP Module 2-4, and up to 64 hours for Module 1 – compare with FPAM's requirement of 60 contact hours per module. We provide normal lectures/workshops, mock exam and revision seminars, extra free training sessions on financial calculator and time value of money, and online learning portal, Schoology.com, loaded with thousand of mock exam and review questions and other course materials. Each CFP learning members will also be given a few sets of sample exam papers in advance. Our CFP timetable is so flexible that you have many choices – and able to repeat all the sessions for a small fee or replace the session(s) that you missed for free. Read Question C19 for details.
The best of all — we have a team of highly qualified facilitators who are industry practitioners and well liked by our CFP learning community.
KMDC has built up its reputation as CFP education provider that provides high quality education with value-added service. Our CFP examination results also speaks for itself – we are always the top performer with highest pass rate. Do check HERE for KMDC past CFP examination results and awards.
C17. What is the duration for each CFP module?
Based on a 18-week semester with the common expectation that you would spend between seven to ten hours per week studying and preparing for your CFP course. You may take a longer or shorter period to complete each module.
For example, your CFP Module 2 class commences in late February, and there are 9 full day sessions to attend. Thus, you will likely to complete the module in about 9 weeks depending on the CFP Schedule.
C18. How to complete all four CFP modules in 1 year?
Join the early intake of CFP programme in either Semester 1 or 2, go for the special exam sitting for Module 1 in March or September; then enrol for Module 2 and 3 in the second intake at the same semester, and sit for June or December examination for both modules. In the next semester, provided you passed all the examinations, take on Module 4 in your 3rd exam sitting.
Remember: do enroll early as early birds do get to enjoy a lot more privileges.
C19. I do not want to rush to complete my CFP course in 1 year, but, if I do one module at a time, it will take 2 years to complete. That is a bit too long for me. What is your recommendation?
We recommend that you study CFP Module 1 in your first exam sitting, then take on CFP Module 2 & 3 in your second exam sitting, and Module 4 in your 3rd exam sitting. Thus, you will be able to complete all four modules in 1.5 years.
C20. Suppose I am unable to cope with the workload and the study load or sit for the CFP exam, can I defer my exam sitting?
Yes, you can just attend the classes and need not register for the coming examination but enroll for the next exam sitting instead. Please do inform us your intention in wiring.
C21. I understand KMDC does offer opportunities for CFP learning members to repeat/re-sit for CFP sessions for a small fee. Please elaborate.
Yes, we do offer opportunities for our CFP learning members to repeat or re-sit or sit in for their CFP sessions.
Repeat – KMDC CFP learning members who signed up for the early intake of CFP session, for example, Mr. Tan enrolled for Module 4 early intake which starts in February. He will complete his Module 4 in late March, and wants to repeat Module 4 with another facilitator in the coming April intake. As long as the seats are available (some CFP classes do fill up fast), he can do so by enrolling himself into this April intake of Module 4 and pay a small administrative fee to KMDC. In this way, he learns more and better prepared for the coming examination.
Another example, Cik Norila enrolled for Module 1 and will sit for CFP Module 1 examination in June; at the same time, she enrolled and paid for Module 2 and Module 3 tuition fee as well – her intention is to only attend the CFP Module 2 & Module 3 workshops and will only sit for the exams of these two modules next round in December. She can repeat Module 2 & Module 3 in the coming semester and this time, she only requires to pay a small fee, we call it Refresher course fee, for each module in order to attend the workshop for the second time. As for the exam fee, She of course has to pay her exam fees to FPAM.
Re-sit – Normally refers to learning members that failed his or her CFP examination previously and want to re-sit for the same module in the next semester. A small administrative fee applies – this is to cover the costs of refreshments and lecture notes.
The course fee for Resits and Repeats mentioned above varies, it depends on which option you choose. Option 1: RM424 only for 8-day of classes inclusive of lecture notes and online quizzes. Option 2: RM477 only for 9 day of classes which included 1-Day exam revision seminar, lecture notes, sample exam papers and refreshments. CFP course manual is excluded as the learning members should already been given one copy of course manual the first time he or she enrolled for that particular CFP module previously.
Refresher Course – for KMDC CFP alumni who have completed his/her CFP course and fully certified, and yet they want to come back for refresher course. They only need to pay RM424 for 8 day of normal sessions.
C22. I have completed CFP course years ago and I would like to update myself – does KMDC offer any refresher course?
Yes, we do. If you are a CFP holder and KMDC alumnus, and wish to do a refresher course (any CFP modules), you can enrol with us – each module will cost only a fraction of the full tuition fee, i.e. at RM424 per module for 8-day workshop.
C23. I was with other CFP education provider and completed a few CFP modules, and now I have decided to join KMDC, can I?
Of course, you are welcome to join KMDC CFP courses. Talk to our staff to see if you are entitled to any special offers.
C24. I failed my CFP module while with other education provider, can I take advantage of your refresher course to repeat the module that I failed?
Yes, you can repeat the failed module with us provided you signed up and make payment for at least one new CFP module with us.
C25. I plan to migrate to Australia, is CFP qualification recognised there? Should I complete my CFP course here in Malaysia before moving there?
Yes, CFP is recognised in Australia. It is advisable that you complete your CFP course here in Malaysia first then complete a top exam in Australia. Also do check with the Australian authority (www.fpa.asn.au) from time to time for latest updates on the conversion process. In Australia, the minimum entry requirement for CFP is a bachelor degree.
C26. I plan to migrate to Australia in 6 months time and I have only completed CFP Modules 1 & 2. I only have time to complete another 1 module, i.e. Modules 3. I understand that I am not eligible to sit for Module 4 examination before I have passed Modules 1-3. Please advice.
Sign up and attend all remaining modules, i.e. Modules 3 and 4. Sit for Modules 3 examination in the here in Malaysia – you still have time to do that. Then, when you go over to Australia, do your own revision and prepare for Module 4 examination. Provided you have passed Modules 3, register and come back to Malaysia for Module 4 examination.
C27. I will be leaving for Singapore to work, and I have completed only 3 CFP modules, can I continue to study CFP there?
You will have to complete your CFP course in Malaysia. If you have done 3 CFP modules here and want to continue it in other country like Singapore, you will be required to start all over again. However, if you have completed your CFP course here in Malaysia, you will then do a conversion examination there in Singapore. Perhaps, you should consider signing up for our weekend CFP classes and come back to attend classes and examination in Malaysia.
Please check with the Singapore authority (www.fpas.org.sg) for latest updates on the conversion process.
C28. What is KMDC and which is the largest Financial Planning education provider in Malaysia?
KDU Management Development Centre Sdn. Bhd. – KMDC, is an education provider and training provider for working professionals and corporate in Malaysia. It is a subsidiary of PAramount Corporation and sister company of KDU University College and Sri KDU Smart School. KMDC has since 2003, providing CFP Certification course to the public. Though we are not the pioneer and in fact a late comer in CFP education, we manage to achieve the Number 1 Market Leader position since 2008. KMDC's market share is still on the rise. In Klang Valley and Penang, we have over 75% market share (2012 June) and in whole Malaysia, 55%. This information is based on the statistics provided by FPAM as of June 2012.
C29. May I know KMDC CFP Examination results?
Yes, we are very transparent about our examination results. KMDC is also proud to announce that we constantly achieve high pass rate for CFP examination. For a consecutive of 10 examinations in the past 5 years, KMDC has achieved an average of 84% pass rate. We are also the top award winner – in 2011, out of 13 FPAM CFP Award, KMDC wins 12.
For more information on CFP examination results and awards, please click this link.
C30. Does KMDC offer any other courses/programmes besides CFP ?
C31. Where is KMDC Business Office and learning centre located?
KMDC Office is located at Level 3, Admin. Block, KDU University College Campus, Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. All classes are conducted at this new campus as well. For enquiry, please go to "Enquiry and Admissions" Lounge, ground floor of KDU Glenmarie Campus.
D1. What are the different types of FPAM's membership available?
FPAM membership consists of individuals and companies who practice or support the financial planning profession respectively. As a professional association, FPAM requires its members to abide by a Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
To protect the consumer and thereby instilling public confidence in its certified licencees, FPAM will investigate formal complaints through a Review and Disciplinary System.
This category of members are corporations that support the development of the financial planning industry.
Invited corporations with interest in financial planning.
Certified Members CFP are individuals who have earned the CFP certification. The have passed the certification examinations after completing the CFP Course provided by approved Education Providers.
They have also acquired three years' relevant experience and agreed to abide by the Professional Standards and Code of Ethics.
The CFP qualification is an internationally recognised mark and symbolises the highest level of professionalism in financial planning.
Associate members are individuals who have earned the AFPM certification. They have shown technical competency by completing the AFPM course provided by approved Education Providers. They also need to abide by the Professional Standards and Code of Ethics.
Trade members are individuals who undertake to pursue the CFP and AFPM courses provided by approved Education Providers.
An Associate member is someone who has completed the Foundation In Financial Planning module (CFP Module 1) and registered as an Associate member of FPAM. He or she understands the 6-step financial planning process and is able to explain the process to clients and provide clients with only segmented plans but would not be competent enough to write a comprehensive financial plan. He or she agrees to abide by the FPAM Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities.
A Certified member is someone who has completed the CFP certification course and after meeting the 4E requirements of certification (Education, Examination, Experience and Ethics) is awarded the CFP Mark, the highest standard in financial planning. A Certified member is able to take the clients through the 6- step process of financial planning and write and execute a comprehensive financial plans for his or her clients as well as monitor the status / progress of the implementation of the clients' plans. He or she would have at least 3 years of relevant experience and agree to abide by the FPAM Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities.
D3. What can a CFP do that an AFP(M) cannot do?
An AFPM licensee is one who is trained and is competent to recommend the full range of financial products to match the needs of his clients. He/she understands the financial planning process. He/she is able to explain the process to clients and provide clients with only segmented plans but would not be competent enough to write comprehensive financial plans.
A CFP licensee would be able to do all that an AFPM licensee can do plus write and execute comprehensive financial plans for his/her clients, as well as monitor the status of the clients' plans.
D4. Who are FPAM's Charter Members?
FPAM's Charter Members are corporate members of FPAM who contribute and support the development of the financial planning industry in Malaysia.
If you are employed by any of FPAM's Charter Members, you are entitled to the Charter Member's employees' rate for examination registration fees. Click on the link here to check for the Charter members of FPAM.
D5. Can an individual apply to be a FPAM's Charter Member?
No. Only institutions can apply to be Charter members.
D6. What does the Re-certification process entail?
Once certified, a CFP practitioner is required to maintain technical competence and fulfill ethical obligations. Every two years, he must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education to keep abreast of current developments in the financial planning profession in order to better serve his clients. Two of the 30 hours are to be spent studying or discussing FPAM's Professional Code of Ethics and Practice Standards.
In addition to the biennial continuing education requirement, every CFP practitioner must also voluntarily disclose any public, civil, criminal or disciplinary actions that may have been taken against him in the past two years as part of the continuing Re-certification process.
D7. What additional support does FPAM provide to its members?
FPAM has a comprehensive web site which students can access for updated information on the latest developments in financial planning. There are also links to the web sites of other financial planning bodies worldwide.
There is also a mini library at FPAM's premises with reference materials and books on financial planning for use by its members.
D8. What is so special about the Mark?
The mark identifies individuals who have met education, examination, experience and ethics requirements established by the Financial Planner Standard Board (FPSB). The designation is an internationally recognised mark for the highest level of competence in financial planning.
D9. When do I qualified for the Mark?
You will earn your Certificate once you have completed and pass all four (4) modules with 3 years of relevant Financial Planning work experience.
D10. What do you mean by "relevant Financial Planning work experience"?
D11. Is it true that a licensee can have his license revoked?
D12. I have passed Module 4, how to apply to be fully certified financial planner?
Certified acceptance Letter and Certificate will be sending to your correspondence address via registered mail in ONE month from the date of the application.


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MUSIC REVIEW BY Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
Pianist Darrell Grant showcases some of neo-bop's strengths on this ambitious two-disc set from Origin Records. Looking back to the bop era for inspiration, Grant also astutely mixes in classical elements, folk themes, flirts with light R&B, and walks surely and boldly into pop territory, all through a bop lens from the vantage point of the 21st century. Working with guitarists Bill Frisell and Adam Rogers, saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibist Joe Locke, drummer Brian Blade, and bassist John Patitucci, Grant balances trio, quartet, and quintet settings with a handful of vocal pieces (Grant sounds a bit like a slightly cautious Keb' Mo' when he sings, which is actually kind of endearing) into a loosely constructed suite that rose out of Grant's close study of the cultural and political struggles in South Africa. Adding to the recurrent themes of hope and freedom that emerge here are several spoken word samples from the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, John Kennedy, and Franklin D. Roosevelt that are carefully woven into the sequence at key points. That it all works is a testament to Grant's ability to balance accessibility with purpose, and Truth and Reconciliation, although it has a theme and several urgent points to make, never sounds like a treatise and avoids pretension somehow, even though it includes two versions of Sting's "King of Pain." Grant also visits Dizzy Gillespie's "Algo Bueno" here, along with Betty Carter's "Tight" (one of the best single tracks on Truth and Reconciliation, along with the sweeping "Blues for the Masters"), Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight," and a surprisingly effective treatment of Sheryl Crow's "I Shall Believe." Grant has constructed an approach to jazz and bop that is capable of being all things to all camps while still pursing his own creative and personal exploration, and this balancing act over what can be incredibly thin ice is a pretty impressive achievement. Grant is inquisitive, likeable, and skilled, and so is Truth and Reconciliation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Creating iOS plist based on another I'm very new to iOS development and am having an issue.  I have a plist that contains a lot of information for a bunch of different animals.  The plist is an array of dictionaries, and each dictionary is an animal.  Each dictionary has a key called "type", which is the type of animal (cat, dog, bird, etc).  I want my application to first display a table view that lists all of the possible types.    When the user selects the type, they will then go to another table view that lists all of the animals of that selected type.  They can then select that specific animal and another view will be displayed that has all the detailed information about that specific animal.

I suppose the best way to approach this is that when a user selects the "type" of animal, a new plist will be generated containing the directory entries from the original plist that have a "type" key that matches what the user selects.  How can I implement this?  Would this logic be in the viewDidLoad method for the second table view?  Once the plist is created that contains only the animals of interest, the cellForRowAtIndexPath method would display the list of animals?

Thanks for any assistance!

David

A: First: You shouldn't generate any new plists in this situation... If you want to store a list of dictionaries based on a query of your data, it should go into an NSMutableDictionary/NSDictionary. Before creating each table, you should construct one of these dictionaries with the filtered data, and pass it to the table as the data source.
Second: I'd try using a database instead of a plist to make your queries a little easier to manage.
Third: Normalize your data as much as possible, hence, have a database table (or plist if you go that route) of "animal types," and a db table/plist of "animals" ... then reference the animal's type by id, instead of by name. If you change that name in the future, you'll have a hell of a time trying to find every occurrence. In addition, it's less buggy that way; one accidental misspelling will leave you wondering why one animal is causing an error and the others aren't.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Ahh the cost of meds...and breath.
So I broke down today in a non-breathing fit hacking up my lungs and called the doctor's office barely being able to speak and hoped they'd fit me in.
Alas they did and I forced myself up rinsed myself off and went to the doctor. I had to inhale into one of those steamy medicated respirators for five minutes, get a whole lot of prescriptions tossed at me 'the kitchen sink', as my doctor called it, including a mega-antibiotic and a third inhaler. $130 big bucks later, I should be on the road to recovery.
Simply annoyed because I feel that the paper trail I've left of the countless respiratory infections I get in single year should be a red flag to someone to look into what's going on...but its just a band-aid fix always. Remember folks we have to be our own heroes in this life.
So you remember when you were young and had a doctor or dentist appointment that hurt and you got a gift afterwards as a treat?? Well My hub and I do that for each-other and so I got some presents today!
my sorry your sick gifts from my hub!
Feel Better Ms. Diaz!! Those look like some pretty cool magazines though, so hopefully it will help cheer you up!
illness is such a frustrating thing, I had a throat and double ear infection twice last month and each day is just wishing to wake up a tiny bit better but I kept getting sicker had to change my meds twice before I recuperated. I'm glad that you're finally feeling better .


Traditionally, the resources necessary to refine, recycle gold, safely and effectively, have been available only to large scale jewelers and precious metal miners, refiners--seldom to small or medium-scale refineries and jewelry businesses, and never to individuals interested in buying scrap gold to turn it into a precious keepsake. That's all changed, though, thanks to Gold Refining Systems, Inc., a company devoted to helping jewelers and refiners of all sizes to refine, recover gold safely, efficiently, and with ease.
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Gold Refining Systems not only makes the gold refining, reclaiming process easy, but also clean and safe. By using our Safe Gold Refining Technology products, the jeweler or refiner eliminates the production of toxic fumes. Nothing like Aqua Regia, Miller process, inquarting - parting process, with large quantities of toxic fumes produced, toxic gases, boiling acids.
For jewelers, we even offer a system that automatically removes stones from old pieces of jewelry, leaving clean, usable gemstones and requiring minimal time and effort.
The gold refining systems we offer are cutting edge, and, unlike anything else on the market, they offer an effective alternative to commonplace refining processes like Miller, Wohlwill, Aqua Regia, and inquarting-parting. Our electrolytic machines take what is typically multi-step process dangerous process and turn it into a single-step procedure that can be done quickly, easily, and without the presence of dangerous or irritating fumes. Smelt your low karat gold, place in to the system, wash refined 24K gold, use it.
To learn more about our self-managing system and how it can benefit your work as a refiner or a jeweler call Gold Refining Systems, Inc. today for more information!
Gold Refining Systems, Inc., is an innovative Company devoted to helping gold miners, prospectors, jewelers and refiners of all sizes to refine gold, silver and other precious metals safely, efficiently, and with ease. Our Company is establishing higher standards in precious metal refining industry for safety, pollution control and efficiency. Gold Refining Systems, Inc, products are based on Company developed and owned technologies. All our products meet "No Gold is Lost" criteria. Company "Safe Gold Refining" technology is providing refiners with safety and confidence not existing before.
Copyright Gold Refining Systems. All Rights Reserved. eCommerce Software by 3dcart.


The baggage number needs to be checked automatically during baggage self-check-in. A fast airline baggage counting method is proposed in this paper using image segmentation based on height map which is projected by scanned baggage 3D point cloud. There is height drop in actual edge of baggage so that it can be detected by the edge detection operator. And then closed edge chains are formed from edge lines that is linked by morphological processing. Finally, the number of connected regions segmented by closed chains is taken as the baggage number. Multi-bag experiment that is performed on the condition of different placement modes proves the validity of the method.


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Posted on October 28, 2017 November 29, 2017 by Susan K. Hagen
a time to work and a time to wonder
I've been attending a number of presentations and workshops at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens lately. As I would expect is true for many of you, one of my favorite gardens there is the Japanese Garden. After a preview of the BBG's fall plant sale one afternoon, I went to the garden, camera in hand, intent on focusing on how the garden plays with shapes of trees, shades of green, and size of foliage. Most gardeners are familiar with the hallmarks of Japanese garden design: the call for water, for bridges, gently curving paths, for stone lanterns, for places of repose, and often for the Shinto inspired torii gate marking the entrance to the garden and a transition into a sacred space. These are not gardens of kaleidoscopic surprise; they are places of harmonious juxtaposition of nature's own artifacts, trees and shrubs, stone and sand, wood and water. Their colors are the colors of earth tones and the delicate blossom shades of flowering cherry, peony, camellia, azalea, chrysanthemum, hydrangea, and anemone like those in bloom that day.
Opened in 1967 by the Japanese Ambassador to the United State, the garden has the traditionally expected features, a seven waterfalls stream with stone and wooden bridges, a lake with koi, varieties of Japanese maples, a bonsai house, a tea house and other cultural pavilions in its seven and one-half acres.
But it also has that feature I went to the garden looking for—that wonderful combination of foliage color, shape, and size in harmonious juxtaposition. The best example I can offer of this is the garden's tall Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) with a lawn of rice paper plants (Tetrapanax papyrifer) at its feet and a Ginkgo biloba tree, positioned to its left in this photo. The difference in leaf contour and color for all three is stunning. From the feather-like opposite arrangement of foliage along the stem of the Dawn Redwood to the graceful fan-like structure of the Ginkgo leaf, to the huge dinner-plate size of the deeply cut palmate rice paper plant leaf, this arrangement is a summer range of greens waiting for red and gold in the fall.
This combination of plants is as interesting in its similarities as in its differences, though. Each is in its own way singular. Both the Dawn Redwood and the Gingko date from the Mesozoic era. The Dawn Redwood is the last living species of Metasequoia glyptostroboides and the Gingko is the sole survivor of the division Ginkgophyta. Both are called "living fossils." The rice paper plant is the only extant species in the genus Tetrapanax.
There were other contrasts in bark, branching patterns, and color palette in the garden that caught my eye, but what stopped me short and caught my breath had no plant in it at all. It was the Karasansui, or dry landscape garden, within the Japanese Garden. The seemingly solidity of the stone garden with its monochromatic greys and off-whites stood in sharp contrast to the reds, golds, and green I had been viewing. A placard provides a little background on the garden style, claiming it to be "most likely an adaption of Chinese Stone Gardens" and "intended to bring about a calming influence to those who view it." And as I viewed it I realized that it was not monochromatic. Rather, it was
constantly shifting in color as the sun went behind and emerged from clouds, as the wind moved the branches of trees whose shadows skirted across the raked gravel. And, with each shift in sun and shadow the garden was anything but static. I could see seas, and islands, and mountains breaking through clouds. I could see rivers, and waves, and rhythms of movement and time. All of this was wonderful and "Zen," whatever we Westerners mean by that. What struck me most, though, was the last line of that informational placard:
"As with all gardens, this garden is to be viewed and enjoyed."
"As with all gardens. . .." All of a sudden, I became a very self-conscious and guilty gardener. I labor in my garden; however, I rarely take the time to muse over the fruits of that labor. Certainly, this is not for lack of places to relax and think. Seating in the garden is a given. As Lorraine Harrison notes in How to Read Gardens, "Rare is the garden that contains no shady seat or bench from which to enjoy a prospect."* I have the requisite benches and chairs strategically positioned for good views and for pleasant repose. But I don't sit on them. I look at my garden. I think about it. I think about what might be planted, pruned, moved, or missing. I think about its beauty. My intent is to create beauty. But I do not often think about what it leads me to think about.
The difference between that placard and my practice was well stated in an article in Garden Guides by Carol Wallace. Drawing a distinction between our gardens and the Zen or contemplation garden with its minimalist, abstract design intended to encourage "one to look deeper and complete the picture in one's own mind," she concludes, "Not so the typical western garden. There we have plants in abundance. The area that is designated as water is really wet and the only raking we do has a purpose – to eliminate all the clutter that nature and the neighbors have left blowing about to annoy us. We can go sit in the garden looking for inner peace, but we are more likely to find a few weeds that need pulling, and a lot of deadheading and other chores that will nag at us until we give up thoughts of contemplation and get to work."
I believe that with a little more contemplation there is another post waiting to be written on this difference. In the meantime, though, I will take time in BBG's Japanese Garden to watch turtles sunning themselves in Long Life Lake and imagine koi swimming through the clouds to play among the trees.
*Harrison, Lorraine. How to Read Gardens. Bloomsbury, London, rpt. 2015.
© Susan K. Hagen and After Eden, 2017
4 Replies to "a time to work and a time to wonder"
easterntrekker says:
Makes want to go there.
phoenixraay says:
Beautiful post. And those turtles in that last picture are so cute!!
Bill Nicholas says:
There is a beautiful Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio, and my graduation from Trinity was held there in 1964.
http://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/Parks-Facilities/All-Parks-Facilities/Parks-Facilities-Details/ArtMID/14820/ArticleID/2912/Japanese-Tea-Garden
Mary Kendall says:
A lovely posting with a lot to think about. I love to meditate in a garden of most any sort–simply to sit mindfully and aware of just being there, listening to the leaves and breeze and birds, smelling whatever is in bloom or what might pass in the wind, feeling the softness of some leaves or the roughness of bark. What a beautiful Japanese garden this is. You are very lucky to be able to visit when you like. By the way, your line, "…imagine koi swimming through the clouds to play among the trees" makes me wonder if you have a poet inside you waiting to write. 🙂
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From David Bowie to Johnny Cash: The 10 best covers of Bruce Springsteen
Fri 18th Jun 2021 17.00 BST
"The best music, you can seek some shelter in it momentarily, but it's essentially there to provide you something to face the world with." — Bruce Springsteen
You don't get the nickname of 'The Boss' for no reason, and Bruce Springsteen has spent a lifetime in the spotlight delivering rock and roll jams to gain his accolade. Leader of the E Street Band, Springsteen, has always managed to operate as a wholly singular entity. Though on the face of it, his work could be seen as a little too dad rock to be enjoyed across decades and generations, the honest authenticity of the songwriter has meant he traverses each with consummate ease and a smile on his face.
Springsteen's canon is bigger and better than anything you'd expect. A performer whose shows routinely go one for over three hours is bound to have a few jams in his back pocket and, next to his red flag, you'll find a whole host of incredible songs in the Boss' Levi's. While we could wax lyrically about the impressive work of Springsteen, perhaps the easiest way to show his widespread influence is by looking at the plethora of talent who have turned to his work as the perfect vehicle for their own expression.
Over 20 studio albums, Springsteen has left no stone unturned and provided a searing group of works that not only outline his own life but acts as a chronicle of the American people too. The American Dream wasn't something Bruce Springsteen could easily obtain. So, through his extensive musical career, he wielded his songwriting prowess which acted as a weapon to carve his own. His New Jersey, working-class roots enhance every bit of his much-revered brand of lyrical storytelling. For music fans everywhere, Bruce created the real voice of Heartland America.
It may have been a long time since Springsteen stepped onto the stage for the first time and brought his Bob Dylan-effected folk-rock to the masses but, in that time, it feels as though The Boss has become ubiquitous with the music scene, as inextricable as the air we breathe. However, what's more, important is that he is still as vital as that oxygen, still as potent and purposeful too.
To write a classic pop song is one thing, but to write a pop song that artists can connect with for the rest of their lives, that they can assimilate into their own artistic expression, is something only a performer like Bruce Springsteen can achieve. Usual rules apply (no artist or song enters twice), and below, you can find our favourite Bruce Springsteen covers of all time.
10 best covers of Bruce Springsteen:
'I'm On Fire' – Bat for Lashes
Natasha Khan and Bat For Lashes is a unique proposition. They may have made their name in the indie explosion of the '00s, but the singer has quickly ascertained a role of the serial siren. She provides, without fail, a vocal that will give you chills and, when given Springsteen's classic 'I'm On Fire', she excels once more.
Subtly changing the song lyrics is one thing but managing to transform a Springsteen song into something that feels entirely original is what sets Khan and co apart. Springsteen's song is one of his finest, and it is enriched by this standout performance.
'Atlantic City' – The Band
Written in isolation, Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska is one of his most adored. The record is not exactly radio-friendly thanks to the myriad of dark themes and can sometimes put people off but, given Springsteen's classic 'Atlantic City', The Band don't make a single mistake with this one.
The Band naturally changes the song's pace and instead lean on an accordion to drive this cover forward. Levon Helm takes the vocals and pushes the lyrics to their natural dark conclusion, even if the music is oddly upbeat for the content. Springsteen's original suggests that Atlantic City only holds nightmares for its visitors while The Band dreams of better times.
'Johnny 99' – Johnny Cash
There's a clear affinity between Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen. The two artists are rightly seen as the lifeblood of Americana and Cash has taken on a number of The Boss' songs over the years. But his version of 'Johnny 99' is perhaps the finest of them all.
Written and recorded by Springsteen in 1982, Johnny Cash took the track and not only included it on his 69th album but even titled the record after the song. Released in 1983, Cash turns the song on its head and makes it his own. It's perfect fodder for Cash as he tells the story of a tragic inmate and once again excels when he has to transfer the emotions of others into his own words.
'Drive All Night' – Eddie Vedder & Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard is a little known singer that is often bypassed in the pantheon of performers. He made his biggest splash opening up for Eddie Vedder during the Pearl Jam singer's run of shows. If crowds decided to wait at the bar until Vedder got to the stage, they would have missed an awe-inspiring performance.
Vedder would often join Hansard on stage during his performance for a duet on this classic Springsteen number. 'Drive All Night' is so well delivered on this live showing that the duo even took it into the studio to record, accompanied by the son of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Jake.
'Dancing in the Dark' – Hot Chip
'Dancing in the Dark' is a song from Springsteen's canon that has been covered numerous times. Therefore, the competition for this spot on our list was rife, it even included Springsteen's ultimate hero, Bob Dylan. However, there is simply no denying that Hot Chip's cover of the track is pure bliss.
Released in 2015, the cover soon became a part of Hot Chip's live set and is a guaranteed party-starter wherever you happen to be. Of course, being Hot Chip, the cover isn't a simple one. It drags the song into the 21st century and delivers a computerised reason to ask Courtney Cox to dance. When LCD Soundsystem drifts in around the five-minute mark, things kick up a notch. Pure brilliance.
'I'm Goin' Down' – Vampire Weekend
Some artists have a habit of making songs – whoever has written them -sound like they're straight from their own album. One of those artists is Vampire Weekend. Catching the clip below, we see a stripped back Ezra Koenig and Co. deliver a gentle and gorgeous cover of Springsteen's 'I'm Goin' Down'.
A casual tambourine, a delicate piano, and Koenig's always sumptuous vocals mean this song is from the grimy Americana it started out as. Springsteen's version is pure rock, but Vampire Weekend turn the track into a 1960's ditty. Allowing the melody to take the spotlight, Vampire Weekend simply float along with it.
'It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City' – David Bowie
David Bowie's interstellar otherworldliness and Bruce Springsteen's rather more straight-laced blue-collared ways might seem like two pretty disparate creative realms, but their paths have crossed more than a few times. Throughout this interlinking relationship, there has been a healthy stem of mutual admiration.
For instance, in 1979 for a BBC Radio Show, Bowie picked out 'Saint In The City' as one of his favourite songs of all time, and upon the Starman's tragic passing in 2016, Springsteen announced: "Over here on E Street, we're feeling the great loss of David Bowie. David was a visionary artist and an early supporter of our music. Always changing and ahead of the curve, he was an artist whose excellence you aspired to. He will be sorely missed."
He covered that song during his lifetime and offered a supremely swashbuckling account of it. It's a perfect combination of style, substance and the ultimate power couple.
'Brilliant Disguise' – Elvis Costello
After Born in the U.S.A. confirmed Springsteen as the biggest musical act in the world, Springsteen did what any credible artist would do in that situation and tried to get as far away from the chart-topping album as he possibly could. The follow-up album, Tunnel of Love, was about as far as Springsteen could jump in one leap. The best moment on the understated album is a sheer love song that needs no extra dissection — 'Brilliant Disguises' sounds like Springsteen channelling Roy Orbison and expressing himself more personally than ever before.
It makes it a perfect choice for the esteemed performer Elvis Costello when he grabbed a tune to cover for Light of Day, the Springsteen tribute album. Springsteen has covered Costello too, so there's a degree of mutual admiration. But, more importantly, Costello delivers a sumptuous cover.
'American Skin (41 Shots) – Mary J Blige & Kendrick Lamar
There's something entirely arresting about Springsteen's 'American Skin (41 Shots)'. It not only captures the tragedy of the time but feels as pertinent today as ever. The song, written about the all-too-common spurt of police shootings, is enough to bring tears to your eyes and action to your hearts. But it gets kicked up a notch when performed by Mary J Blige.
First sang for Hilary Clinton in 2016, Blige eventually went on to recruit Kendrick Lamar to provide a stellar verse for the song. Sadly, despite being leaked on a few occasions, the track was never given the release it deserved. In fact, it's been removed from almost every channel around. Instead, we have to cobble together the two pieces below. The remarkable thing is, even in doing some YouTube sewing, the song still feels like a groundbreaking moment.
'Downbound Train' – Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile is a dab hand when it comes to covers. A dedicated music lover as well as maker, Vile has often lent his unique guitar sound and vocal to another's song. Given Springsteen's wonderful 'Downbound Train', he delivers another classic. Taken from Springsteen's seminal album Born in the U.S.A., the track has been endlessly covered, but Vile's takes the accolade as the best.
Vile, naturally, takes the song back to the very dirt it was born from. Filled with fuzzy guitars and Vile's natural vocal drawl, the song feels perhaps even more pertinent than before. There's a rawness to Vile's version that gets under your skin and remains lodged in your brain. It's a beautiful piece and a wonderful tribute to The Boss.


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Home / Civil Law / Supreme Court Re-Examines Vicarious Liability
Supreme Court Re-Examines Vicarious Liability
zelst
Vicarious Liability Definition
Holding a person or entity responsible for the harm/damages caused by someone else. In an employment sense, vicarious liability is the liability assigned to an employer or other principle for their employee's acts performed during employment.
What sort of relationship has to exist between an individual and a Defendant before the Defendant can be made vicariously liable for the conduct of that individual? And what is the connection between that relationship and the wrongdoer's act or default (such as to make it just that the Defendant should be held legally responsible to the claimant for the consequences of the wrongdoer's conduct)?
A relationship other than employment is in principle capable of giving rise to vicarious liability provided that certain conditions are met and there is nothing wrong with the traditional close connection test if properly employed, held the supreme court in (1) Cox v Ministry of Justice and (2) Mohamud v WM Morrison Supermarkets plc.
Cox v Ministry of Justice
Mrs Cox was working as a catering manager at Swansea Prison, when a prisoner working in the kitchen accidentally dropped a bag of rice on her, causing injury. She brought proceedings against the Ministry of Justice on the basis that the prison service, one of its many executive agencies, was vicarious liable. The prisoner was not an employee but was required to work in the prison; he had been specifically selected to work in the kitchen and his work was carried out under the direction of the prison staff. Therefore his work formed part of the operation of the prison providing meals for his fellow prisoners.
Mohamud v VM Morrison Supermarkets plc
In 2008, Mr Mohamud stopped at a petrol station; he was on his way to London and wanted to print some documents on a USB stick. He enquired at a kiosk to see if they could help. The petrol station was part of the Morrisons Supermarkets and their employee, Mr Kahn was behind the counter. Mr Khan was rude to Mr Mohamud and ordered him off the premises with a torrent of threatening and racist abuse. Mr Mohamud returned to his car and Mr Kahn followed him. Mr Khan opened the passenger door and punched Mr Mohamud on the head, and when Mr Mohamud went out to close the door, Mr Kahn continued to assault him.
In Cox, the Court held that a relationship other than employment is in principle capable of giving rise to vicarious liability provided that certain conditions are met. First, harm must be wrongfully done by a person who carries on activities as an integral part of the business or operation carried on by the Defendant for its benefit and second, the risk of a wrongful act being committed must be caused by the Defendant assigning activities to the person in question.
In Mohamud, the Court traced the history of the development of the law of vicarious liability and concluded that there is nothing wrong with the close connection test properly applied. In a case such as this, the Court is to ask itself two questions:
1. What field of activities was entrusted by the employee or was the nature of the job;
2. Was there sufficient connection between the field of activities carried out by the employee for it to be just for the employer to be responsibility.
In this case, the violence was a re-enforcement of Mr Kahn's order to leave the premises which was sufficiently connected to the job assigned to him that the employer should be held responsible for.
The implications of this go beyond prisons as the Supreme Court has now accepted that vicarious liability can arise where there is no contract of employment but where activities are undertaken that are integral to the business. This approach may be relevant in the context of many modern work places where workers may be part of the work force but without having a contract of employment with it.


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Els Premis ESLAND són una cerimònia anual de lliurament de premis a la creació de continguts d'Espanya, Amèrica Llatina i Andorra, organitzada pel YouTuber i el streamer espanyol David Cánovas Martínez "TheGrefg". Els guanyadors de cada premi són elegits per votació pública i entre els millors creadors de continguts de la comunitat hispanoparlant.

La primera edició va tenir lloc el 17 de gener del 2022 al Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, i es va retransmetre en directe a través del canal de Twitch del streamer. Amb més d'un milió seixanta mil espectadors, esdevingué la tercera retransmissió més vista de la plataforma.

"ESLAND" és un acrònim que fa referència a "Espanya", "Llatinoamèrica" i "Andorra".

Història
El 4 de desembre del 2021, The Grefg va anunciar l'arribada dels Premis Esland a través del seu compte de Twitter. Allà va detallar que tindrien lloc el 17 de gener de l'any següent, de 18:00 a 23:00 (CET). El guanyador de cada premi seria elegit per votació pública, a través del web, i els vots privats de "150 dels creadors de continguts més importants de la comunitat hispanoparlant".

L'esdeveniment va ser presentat pel mateix TheGrefg, que el va qualificar com "el projecte més important de la seva vida". D'altra banda, alguns mitjans ho van considerar "el Goya de Twitch" o "del món streamer".

TheGrefg va afirmar que en una suposada segona edició, l'Esland se celebraria a Llatinoamèrica per "tenir cobertura mundial. Serà el 29 de gener de 2023 a l'Auditori Nacional de Ciutat de Mèxic.

Polèmica
El 19 de gener del 2022 es va fer viral un clip del streamer Folagor, que mostrava el seu desacord amb els nominats a la categoria de "jugador de rol de l'any", qualificant-los de "puta merda". La polèmica es va estendre a Twitter amb un altre clip, en què deia que la streamer Biyin, nominada com a "streamer revelació", es va fer famosa "per ser la núvia d'AuronPlay", per la qual cosa no entenia la raó de la seva nominació. Després que altres streamers es pronunciessin sobre això, en una emissió, Folagor es va disculpar per les seves expressions, va explicar que el clip de Biyin estava "tret de context" i, encara mantenint la seva opinió, va subratllar que "haurien d'haver estat altres persones les nominades".

Referències

Premis d'Espanya

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Tag Archives: Integration
Syrian War Refugees Have 'No Place Anymore' as Turkey Pushes Them to Return Home
9. January 2019 harekact
Molly O'Toole covers the complexity of a life between displacement and return for Syrian refugees in Turkey for Newsweek. Collating stories of several Syrian interviewees, the article highlights the challenges regarding the flight to Turkey, living conditions with severe barriers to registration, education, work and health, as well as the expectations on resettlement despite the rising discourse of 'return':
Baraah Jajah, left, with her son Louai, 3, from Hama, Syria, at a tent camp in Reyhanli inhabited by Syrians, most of whom are agricultural workers. Photograph by Jodi Hilton
"The refugees face a no-win situation: If they return to Assad's Syria, they risk conscription, disappearance and sectarian retribution, as well as an utter lack of basic services and opportunity. If they stay in Turkey, they face chronic uncertainty and destitution, as domestic and international politics turn against them."
This article was originally published by Newsweek.
Anti-migrant violenceCriminalizationIntegrationMigrant LabourRegistration/ResidenceResettlementReturn/RepatriationSexual and Gender based ViolenceSyrian-Turkish borderSyrians
Born in Turkey: Syrian children face uncertain future in new homeland
Migrant kids born in Turkey is a crucial and growing topic. 385,431 babies born to Syrian parents in Turkey between April 2011 and November 2018, according to official statistics. As mentioned in the report below many problems and risks emerge in this area: such as the the discriminative treatment migrant mothers face that may turn violent and traumatic during the labour, not having access to public hospitals (being refused, or being charged high prices) and therefore having to give birth in improper conditions, having difficulties to register the kids, and to receive health-care, education and other social services later on.
Via MEE, Ayse Karabat
Almost half of the 3.5 million Syrians in Turkey are children, according to UNICEF (AFP)
ISTANBUL, Turkey – Sham's start in life was not easy.
"I was in labour. I was in pain, lying in the hospital bed, but the midwives did not help me," recalls her mother Kawthar Muhammet, a Syrian now living in Turkey who uses the Turkish spelling of her last name, Mohammed. "They said to me, 'You're fleeing war and having sex?' They called me names that I don't want to repeat. They abandoned me.
This article was originally published by MEE.
Children/YouthCitizenshipEducationGenderIntegrationRegistration/ResidenceSexual and Gender based ViolenceSyrians
"We are afraid"
Via taz gazete – An article reporting on the situation of Syrians in Izmir and growing racist tensions and attacks. Available in Turkish and German.
Foto: Sevda Aydın. Suriye'deki iç savaşın hemen başlarında en çok göç alan bölgelerden biri Basmane'ydi.
"Ceplerinde dolarlar var ama bedava çorba içiyorlar"
Büyük İskender, gördüğü bir rüyanın ardından insanların eskisinden dört kat mutlu yaşayacağını düşünerek Kadifekale'ye bir kent kurmaya karar verir. Kadifekale'de şimdilerde eskisinden dört kat daha mutsuz mülteciler yaşıyor.
"Wir haben Angst"
In İzmir leben 140.000 Syrer*innen. Viele Einheimische sehen sie als Gäste, die irgendwann wieder zurückkehren sollen – manche greifen die Geflüchteten an.
This articles were originally published by taz gazette.
Anti-migrant violenceIntegrationMigrant LabourRacismSyrians
European Court of Auditors' (ECA) report critical on the spending of 3 billion Euros from EU on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey
As part of the EU-Turkey-Deal the EU offered a payment of 3 billion Euros until 2018. The way the budget is used has always been criticized, particularly because of the lack of transparency and efficiency in distributing the aids in a fair manner for those in need, both by the refugees and the actors in the field. Now in its final report even the EU's ECA criticizes the distribution of the budget, stating that a large amount of it has been wasted due to a lack of efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore it clarifies that for a big amount of the EU-money it is unknown what it actually was spent on.
Once more it becomes clear that while in the context of the EU-Turkey-Deal the sealing of the European border to Turkey is effectively enforced, the promised support for the refugees in Turkey does often not reach them.
EU unable to fully trace €1bn spent on refugees in Turkey
Via euobserver – The EU is unable to verify with certainty how over €1bn of European taxpayer money was spent on Syrian refugees in Turkey because of Ankara's data protection laws.
This article was originally published by euobserver.
Striking Audit Results by the EU's ECA
Via AIMS Turkey – The EU's European Court of Auditors (ECA) released their final report on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey yesterday. A short summary of the 63-page report, which contains quite astounding observations regarding the implementation of the EU-funded projects toward refugees in Turkey has been compiled by Y. Emre Küçükkaya and published by AIMS Turkey.
EU-Turkey dealIntegrationInternational OrganizationsSyrians
How Syrian artists are livening up Turkey's art scene
28. September 2018 harekact
Via Al-Monitor – Syrian artists who have come to Turkey found it difficult to find platforms to showcase their work, but this may be changing slowly. The drawing of a stylized lion's head dominates the small booth reserved for Arthere — a collective of Turkish and Syrian artists — at Contemporary Istanbul, the city's huge art fair that brings together dozens of galleries from New York to Tehran to Istanbul every September.
This article was originally published by Al-Monitor.
Culture/ArtsIntegrationSolidaritySyrians
UNHCR ANNOUNCES TO END REGISTRATION PROCESS IN TURKEY ON 10TH OF SEPTEMBER 2018
On 12th of September UNHCR Turkey informed on Twitter that it will end the registration process in Turkey on 10th of September 2018. Further information can be found on its homepage:
Via UNHCR – The Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), as the national authority entrusted by the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, is responsible for registering and processing international protection applications. UNHCR has provided support to DGMM during its formation process, including registration of international protection applicants and referral processes. This is to give notice that as of 10 September 2018, UNHCR will stop registering foreigners wishing to apply for international protection in Turkey. Continue reading UNHCR ANNOUNCES TO END REGISTRATION PROCESS IN TURKEY ON 10TH OF SEPTEMBER 2018 →
Directorate General of Migration ManagementIntegrationInternational Organizations
The banality of evil and the normalization of the discriminatory discourses against Syrians in Turkey
8. September 2018 harekact
Via Aysecan Terzioglu in Anthropology of the Contemporary Middle East and Central Eurasia 4(2): 34-47 – This article discusses the ways in which discriminatory political, social and cultural discourses and practices against the Syrian forced migrants affect the health of Syrians in Turkey. It also contends that though these discourses and practices stem from the current political environment, they are also related to complex and problematic interactions between Turkey and Arab countries in the past, particularly the clash between Arab and Turkish nationalisms. Continue reading The banality of evil and the normalization of the discriminatory discourses against Syrians in Turkey →
Anti-migrant violenceIntegrationMigrant LabourSolidaritySyrians
Turkey is selling a story about refugees, and the EU is buying it
Via Ahval News / Nurcan Baysal (from August 25)- Before the European Union and Turkey signed an agreement in 2016 to limit the number of Syrian refugees heading to Europe in return for aid to help those who had fled the war to Turkey, I was among a group of academics and activists who work on refugee issues in Turkey invited to Berlin to discuss the matter.
This article was first published at Ahval News
CampsChild LabourEU-Turkey dealIntegrationMigrant LabourSexual and Gender based ViolenceSyrians
A Faithful Alliance Between the Civil Society and the State: Actors and Mechanisms of Accommodating Syrian Refugees in Istanbul
A new paper by Didem Danış and Dilara Nazlı on the mechanism and actors involved in accommodating Syrian refugees in Istanbuls district Sultanbeyli was published:
Reception, hospitality and integration are certainly the main challenges of the contemporary world, particularly for countries like Turkey which hosts more than 3 million refugees from Syria. The aim of this article is to analyze the reception practices of civil society organizations and the nature of these bodies' relationship with state agencies by focusing on Sultanbeyli, a peripheral district of Istanbul. Based on a fieldwork conducted in this district, we present the functioning of various state and non‐state actors in order to uncover not only the role of NGOs, but also the nature of the relations between them and the state in terms of governance of refugee reception in Turkey. We thus argue that the reception of Syrian refugees is undertaken by a "faithful" alliance between the state and certain NGOs, a partnership where civil society assumes a supporting role to the state in refugee reception.
Continue to read the full paper
IntegrationSyrians
Syrian refugees find Turkey more welcoming than western Europe
Most of the 3.5m Syrians in Turkey can at least work, but the future is precarious
Via The Economist – GAZIANTEP | Returning to Turkey from Germany with four children in tow was not easy for Faisl Alakrch, a 36-year-old Syrian. He had to use a people-smuggler to retrace, in reverse, the route he had taken the year before. His younger brothers have remained in Germany and are studying at university, but he wanted to work, and complains that "I could not do anything there." Turkey, by contrast, has made it easy for him to operate. He was able to register a company and set up a café in Gaziantep, a city close to the Syrian border. He has now been invited to become a Turkish citizen. His six-year-old son speaks a mixture of German, Turkish and Arabic. Continue reading Syrian refugees find Turkey more welcoming than western Europe →
Anti-migrant violenceChild LabourIntegrationMigrant LabourSyrians


Is the fridge your first port of call when you arrive home from work? You deserve a delicious snack after a busy day at the office, right? Snacking does not bode well for our waistlines, though. But according to a new study, you can blame those "hunger hormones."
Researchers say that the evening hours are a risk factor for overeating.
Researchers have found that in the evening, we experience alterations in the levels of hormones that influence appetite, which may cause us to overeat.
Unsurprisingly, stress and a predisposition to binge eat were also found to increase hunger levels in the evening. But there may be answer to this problem: eat earlier in the day.
The study — conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, and the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City, NY — was recently published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The research included 32 adults, aged 18–50 years, who were overweight.
Around half of the participants had received a diagnosis of binge eating disorder, which is defined as episodes of uncontrollable eating that often lead to weight gain.
Each subject was asked to participate in two experiments. The first required the subjects to fast for 8 hours before receiving a "liquid meal," consisting of 608 calories, at 9 a.m.
For the second experiment, participants were again asked to fast for 8 hours, but this time, they consumed the liquid meal at 4 p.m.
Around 130 minutes after each meal, the participants all underwent a stress test. This required the subjects to place one hand in a bucket of cold water for 2 minutes, while their facial expressions were recorded.
Participants were offered a food and drink buffet, which consisted of pizza, cookies, chips, candy, and water, 30 minutes after the stress test began.
The researchers also took blood samples from the subjects, and these were monitored for levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol, as well as the "hunger hormones" ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY).
Researchers reveal how hunger could be controlled in the brain.
Subjects were also asked to report their levels of hunger and fullness prior to each experiment.
The overall aim of this research was to determine how the time of day affects appetite, and whether stress might play a role.
"Eating late in the day is common, and stress can induce eating," the researchers report. "Little is understood about how time of day and stress interact to affect appetite and thereby body weight. These may be particularly important influences in binge eaters, who tend to binge in the evening, and in response to stress."
Overall, prior to each experiment, participants reported greater hunger and lower fullness in the evening than in the morning.
Levels of ghrelin, which is the hormone that stimulates appetite, were found to be higher after consumption of the afternoon meal compared with the morning meal, while levels of PYY, which is a hormone that reduces appetite, were found to be lower in the evening.
Upon comparing adults with binge eating disorder with those without the condition, the team found that only adults with binge eating disorder experienced lower fullness in the evening following the afternoon meal.
Furthermore, subjects with binge eating disorder also had higher ghrelin levels in the evening, but lower ghrelin levels in the morning, compared with those who did not have binge eating disorder.
While buffet food intake was similar in both groups, the researchers note that subjects with binge eating disorder "reported greater loss of control and binge resemblance than those without."
Looking at the stress test results, the team found that — in both the morning and evening — all subjects experienced a gradual increase in cortisol and ghrelin levels, though levels of these hormones were higher in the afternoon.
They say that this finding suggests that stress may have greater influence on ghrelin in the evening than earlier in the day.
Taken together, the researchers believe that their study results indicate that we are more likely to overeat in the evening due to changes in our hunger hormones, and that stress and pre-existing binge eating may exacerbate the risk.
That said, first study author Susan Carnell, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, notes that there is something we can do to avoid succumbing to evening temptation.
"The good news is that having this knowledge, people could take steps to reduce their risk of overeating by eating earlier in the day, or finding alternative ways to deal with stress."


One worker died and two other workers at the Community Recycling and Resource Co. near Lamont, Calif., had to be taken to the hospital when they were exposed to toxic fumes on Oct. 12 while working in and around a drainage tunnel. Cal-OSHA is investigating not only the incident, but also the fact that the worker who died was a 16-year-old named Armando Ramirez.
Eyewitnesses said that Ramirez entered a cement drainage tunnel and was overcome by the fumes. A worker for a contractor on the site, A&B Harvesting, entered the hole to rescue Ramirez and also was overcome. He is listed in critical condition.
Firefighters, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, rescued the two men, who were 6-8 feet down the shaft. A third man also was transported to the hospital where he was treated and released. The man, an employee of Community Recycling, did not enter the hole but showed symptoms related to exposure to the fumes.
"Our preliminary readings off our field instruments are saying hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide," said Kern County Environmental Health spokesman Brian Pitts. "This is unfortunately almost a classic scenario where somebody may not recognize the dangers of going down into a [confined space] and a well-intentioned rescuer coming to their aid – not recognizing the dangers – and also going down."
Pitts said the levels of carbon monoxide in the tunnel were approximately 200 ppm, "about double what's immediately dangerous to life and health."
Pitts said his agency has had some issues with the facility in the past. Community Recycling takes in green waste, including food scraps, and turns it into compost. Environmental Health had concerns about the way material was being composted, but Pitts said the facility has been in compliance in recent years.
Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Patricia Ortiz said Cal/OSHA officials originally identified the 16-year-old worker as being 30 years old, but later realized he may have had a false ID. Cal/OSHA has made a referral to the Labor Commissioner's Office about the underage worker. The U.S. Department of Labor also has launched an investigation related to the 16-year-old working at the site.


This set carries all the usual Esci quality, but most of that is wasted on a very poor design. Esci had already produced several Napoleonic figure sets before turning to this, perhaps the most basic and obvious of all the possible subjects. While the Imperial Guard got all the glory, and the cavalry attracted the most attention, it was the ordinary line infantry that actually made all of Napoleon's victories possible, so it is remarkable that this set appears so late in the Esci catalogue.
The box labels this as Waterloo French infantry. Now Esci were very keen on labelling everything Napoleonic as 'Waterloo', taking it to ridiculous extremes by labelling Austrian infantry in this way, and again here it is inappropriate. By 1815 the French infantry wore a double-breasted short-tailed jacket or habit-veste rather than the coat with open lapels that was replaced from 1812 but seen on all these figures. There seems to be no evidence that the old style uniform was seen at Waterloo, so these figures really pre-date Napoleon's return from Elba. However even there a problem arises. The coat tails are short, as laid down by the 1812 regulations - the pre-1812 uniform had tails hanging to roughly knee level. So, the tails are appropriate for post 1812, and the rest of the coat is pre-1812 - these figures wear a uniform not worn by the line infantry at any time. However the short-tailed coat is reminiscent of that of the light infantry, and this coat was also worn by the Conscrits-Grenadiers of the Young Guard from 1809, though those troops had a long plume on their shako, and of course were not 'Line' infantry. In any case, most infantry at Waterloo wore greatcoats, so if they had been modelled with these then the figures could have been used for a much wider period.
The problems however go deeper than the coat, which would be bad enough by itself. Some of the figures have been given the combination bayonet and sabre frog which means they must be grenadiers (or possibly some voltigeurs). If this were so, however, then they would have plumes on their shakos. The majority do not have this sabre-briquet, or indeed anything else on the left hip, yet they all have the crossbelt over the right shoulder which supports precisely nothing. As fusiliers they should not have this belt, and have a bayonet on the other crossbelt, but having a crossbelt doing nothing just looks silly. There are two particular, and killer, problems with the drummer. One is he has been given the typical Esci miniature drum which looks ridiculous, and the other he is wears the same uniform as his comrades, when he should have the imperial livery by 1815. True there were variations in drummer apparel between some regiments, but none ever looked like this. The flag-bearer too has one inescapable problem - his flag is all wrong. First, it has the pre-1811 design when by Waterloo it should have the vertical tricolour, and second, at about 10 mm square it is noticeably too small, being about 72 cm each way when it should be at least 80. Another big problem which afflicts every pose is the gaiters, which here end above the knee when well before 1815 they were shortened to end below it.
On the plus side there are plenty of poses - the standard Esci 15. However it is regrettable that there are no less than five poses of men advancing carrying their muskets across their front, with only marginal differences between them, and this is not a particularly standard pose anyway. We do get all the necessities - officers, flag-bearer and drummer - and a healthy number of ordinary soldiers, although exactly what the second man in the top row is doing is hard to say; he would hardly be in square warding off cavalry while holding his musket in this strange way. In general though the poses are nicely animated.
The Esci standard of sculpting remained good from start to end, and these are typical. Lots of nice detail clearly sculpted, and very little flash anywhere (although as this is such an old set later releases may suffer more than the earlier ones). The faces are nice and the proportions good, so at the time these were a vast improvement on the only comparable set then available - that from Airfix. There is no assembly but the only pose that looks rather flat and contrived is the kneeling figure in the top row which we have already criticised.
Although something of a nightmare of confused historical details, the coats and the gaiters give these figure more of a feel of infantry from the period c.1806 to 1813, and certainly not for the Waterloo campaign. However some elements, such as the shako plates, actually are appropriate for that date, which makes it hard to say for what time frame these figures could be used. In the end poor research has marred what is otherwise a good and attractive set of infantry, Luckily much more accurate sets have since been made by several companies, yet these figures remain appealing and will doubtless still have their fans for many years yet.


This Friday some people will be so paralyzed with fear they simply won't get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. It's Friday the 13th, and they're freaked out.
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina.
Among other services, Dossey's organization counsels clients on how to overcome fear of Friday the 13th, a phobia that he estimates afflicts 17 to 21 million people in the United States.
When it comes to bad luck of any kind, Richard Wiseman—a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, England—found that people who consider themselves unlucky are more likely to believe in superstitions associated with bad luck.


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Q: How could i rename android studio package I have a problem - I am trying to rename the packages of my Android application with Android Studio, but it turns out that following the steps of other guides after giving refactor does not give me the option to rename the package.
Instead it gives me to rename the directory directly and I don't know what to do with that.
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