text:
War for Talent II: Seven Ways to Win
McKinsey Co. surveyed 6,900 senior executives and young managers from 56 companies to figure out the secrets of a smart plan to win the battle for great people.
By Fast Company 4 minute Read
Three years ago, Fast Company reported on a breakthrough study by McKinsey & Co. that described the "war for talent" in business and the high stakes associated with how senior executives fought that war. Last summer, McKinsey released a new report on the same theme, called "War for Talent 2000." The report, which takes another in-depth look at this critical issue, is a survey of 6,900 corporate officers, top executives, and midlevel gen-X managers in 56 companies. Here is an excerpt from the report on the seven "talent imperatives" that are essential for winning the war for talent.
1. Instill a talent mindset at all levels of the organization — beginning with senior management. A talent mindset is a deeply held belief that having high caliber people in the most value-creating jobs and having a strong bench are critical to achieving the aspirations of the company. The talent mindset must be reinforced with accountability for the strength of the talent pool at all levels…. A rigorous and candid review process is essential to identify high and low performers, outline individuals' strengths and weaknesses … and identify specific actions to address issues around under-performers.
2. Create "extreme" employee value propositions (EVPs) that deliver on your people's dreams — the EVP is the compelling reason why a talented person would want to work for your company. Crafted in the extreme, an EVP will enable a company to capture more than its fair share of talent. You will know that you've got the four elements of the EVP right when:
Great company: The company genuinely cares about its people and the people, in turn, truly care about the company. Trust and open communication are the fabric of each interaction. Each person is motivated by the company's mission and aspirations. There is an enormous pride in being associated with the company's success and each individual's role in it.
Great leaders: Great leaders really do treat people with trust and respect, and honor the intelligence of all who contribute to the institution. They manage to find the balance between giving people independence to accomplish great things and providing the guidance, or even the guidelines, to help them do it. Great leaders build the capacity to achieve results, knowing that they do this by unleashing the talents and work ethic of their people…. They know their people and understand their dreams.
Great job: Quite simply, people have got to like what they do and the people they do it with. A great job is demanding and stretching and full of content that the individual finds interesting and important. Much of feeling good about a job is the result of being valued for one's unique talents.
Attractive compensation: Today, money buys the house and the bacon, but it equally represents recognition and fairness. Talented people expect their contributions to be acknowledged and their compensation to reflect their impact.
3. Build a high-performance culture that combines a strong performance ethic with an open and trusting environment — company culture is a critical element of the EVP. One of the signal insights of this survey is that the combination of a strong performance ethic (the relentless desire to outcompete the competition) and an open and trusting environment achieves the greatest satisfaction with culture. The performance ethic, which some people misconstrue as a mean-spirited management approach, not only drives satisfaction with culture … it also drives financial performance.
4. Recruit great talent continuously — the most aggressive companies are always on the prowl for talent. They have a keen sense of who they are looking for, and they do their looking in new ways and in new places. They bring in talent at all levels of the organization, even senior levels.
5. Develop people to their full potential — every company leaves a tremendous amount of human potential untapped because its people are inadequately developed. Effectively conceived stretch jobs, coupled with informal feedback, coaching, and mentoring, are enormous developmental levers.
6. Make room for talent to grow — companies suffer an enormous cost by not acting on the negative influence of under-performers. Under-performers are unable to attract top talent, do not develop the people below them, block opportunities for those around them, undermine the morale of the group they lead, and ultimately cause better performers to leave the company. The biggest obstacle to action is human nature. Moving on under-performers, whether it's to a new position or out of the company, is both a difficult task and an obligation of leaders.
7. Focus on retaining high performers — companies must truly deliver on their EVP promises if they hope to retain talented people. Beyond the EVP, companies must demonstrate that they value and appreciate their people. Simply helping high-potential people feel connected and vital to the future of the business can be a powerful retention tactic. Let them know they are wanted!
A version of this article appeared in the January 2001 issue of Fast Company magazine.


NEC's new N-08B MID/phone has just been announced and it's ready to debut on the Japanese market, with few hopes of ever reaching the States and Europe. This unit runs Windows CE and features a 4.6 inch non-touchscreen display with a 854 x 480 pixel resolution.
There's also a full QWERTY keyboard among the specs, plus a trackpoint-style pointer, WiFi and 3G connectivity. A microSD card slot is in board too, as well as a 3.1 megapixel camera and a batter that should provide 350 minutes of talk time.
No info on the price, but we know that this baby is coming to NTT DoCoMo in August.


Hello freinds! Today I am honored to be guest designing for Inspired by Stamping !
Isn't this inspiration picture yummy??
When I printed off the inspiration photo, the brown ink looked lighter than this photo does now. Yikes! Well, I used kraft but sponged with Latte ink so hopefully this brown will do. I wanted to capture the beautiful roses, and I was thrilled to find some dp with little daisies on it as well, which fit the inspiration photo to a tee!
I used a Sweet Stamps image, colored with Copics. My sentiment is Hero Arts and cut with a Spellbinders Back to Basics Tag. My base is kraft and the designer paper is Loolah (Iron Orchids designs) from Hobby Lobby, and Memory Box Gossamer. The ribbon is May Arts silk and bakers twine.
Wouldn't you love to play along?
Rules of the challenge: Use the colors in the photo as your main colors. Upload your card/project to your blog or online gallery and leave a link to your project using the linky widget at the bottom of the IBSIC Blog post.
Thanks for stopping by and please stop by Inspired by Stamping and check out the awesome challenge!
Oh Grace this card is marvellous - love your colouring on the flowers, and the simple lay out of the card accentuates them.
Gorgeous card, Grace! I love the colors and the beautiful flowers! Happy Valentine's Day!
pretty design, lovely coloring and great papers, Beautiful!
Oh how absolutely stunning Grace!! I just love the flowers and all the pink!! Stunning layout!!
This is a beautiful card! The ribbon you used is just gorgeous!
What a beautiful card! LOVE your coloring of the beautiful Sweet Stamp image, a fav. of mine! Thanks for Guest Designing with us at IBS!
Beautifully done- your coloring is fb- love the Sweet Stamps image!
Absolutely stunning card... That is one of my very favorite Sweet Stamp images too... beautiful coloring . Great sample for IBSIC this week.
Love your design layout. Beautiful coloring on the SweetStamps Vertical Roses image.
Absolutely love your card and the beautiful Sweet Stamps image!!
Grace, I love that name *wink*. This card is so beautiful. I love how you colored your stamped image. So pretty. Thank you for playing along with us at IBSIC.
Stunning and then some! You are so amazing! So happy to see you as our guest this week!
Spectacular! I love how you colored the Vertical Roses, just beautiful!


IPC received an Environmental Achievement Award from the City of Gaithersburg!
Church of the Ascension will be hosting a workshop to learn about the challenge to our local watershed and how faith communities can help restore it.
To find out more and register Click HERE.
Join us on a bus tour of congregations in Gaithersburg where projects are installed on their grounds to care for local waters. For more details and to sign up for the bus tour Click HERE.
Join us for a spiritual walk in the park to learn about what's happening to our local watershed and the web of life that depends on it. For more details and to sign up for the walk Click HERE.
SHARE THIS FLYER of all these activities!
Looking for inspiration in deciding what projects are best for your congregation?


Radio has always been an underlying force in hip-hop culture and has played a major role in shaping hip-hop. The personalities of our most beloved hip-hop radio stations have been with us for years, putting us on to great music and the goings-on of the rap game. Take a look at our list of hip-hop's 10 biggest radio personalities and see how these huge names in radio hustled to get where they are today.


Honda's Impossible Dream launched December 2005 in the United Kingdom. It anchored the "Power of Dreams" campaign which also included a website with extensive information about the series of vintage Honda vehicles that were chosen to illustrate the dreams of the founder of Honda. It features an actor Simon Paisley Day singing, riding and driving across the scenic shorelines and roads of New Zealand, Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, and the Iguazu Falls in South America.


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Politics & International Studies
Journal Authors
St Antony's Series
Healey, D. (Ed), Payne, L. (Ed)
The St Antony's Series publishes studies of international affairs of contemporary interest to the scholarly community and a general yet informed readership. Contributors share a connection with St Antony's College, a world-renowned centre at the University of Oxford for research and teaching on global and regional issues. The series covers all parts of the world through both single-author monographs and edited volumes, and its titles come from a range of disciplines, including political science, history, and sociology. Over more than forty years, this partnership between St Antony's College and Palgrave Macmillan has produced about 300 publications.
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Latin American Politics 11 Remove
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Democracy 1
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Law and Policy in Latin America
Fortes, P. (Ed), Boratti, L. (Ed), Palacios Lleras, A. (Ed), Gerald Daly, T. (Ed) (2017)
This book offers a comprehensive introduction to law and policy responses to contemporary problems in Latin America, such as human rights violations, regulatory dilemmas, economic …
Available Formats: Hardcover eBook
Gender Politics in Brazil and Chile
Macaulay, F. (2006)
What impact do political parties have on women's political representation and on state gender policies? Does this vary at national and local levels? This study looks at the …
Available Formats: eBook Hardcover Softcover
Colombian Criminal Justice in Crisis
Restrepo, E. (2003)
Most people believe that criminal justice in Colombia is rife with impunity and corruption. Elvira María Restrepo delves beneath such beliefs to reveal a system driven at a …
Available Formats: Hardcover Softcover eBook
Privatization and Democracy in Argentina
Llanos, M. (2002)
A new appraisal of the relationship between the Presidency and Congress in Argentina over the first two decades of its democratic regime. Mariana Llanos uses the processes of …
Available Formats: eBook Hardcover
Social Policy Reform and Market Governance in Latin America
Haagh, L. (Ed), Helgø, C. (Ed) (2002)
This collection offers a critical analytical perspective and fresh empirical data on recent market-orientated social policy reforms in Latin America. The six case studies …
Towards Democratic Viability
Crabtree, J. (Ed), Whitehead, L. (Ed) (2001)
The book traces the twin processes of economic liberalization and political democratization in Bolivia since the 1980s, placing both in their historical context. By focusing on …
The Politics of Telecommunications In Mexico
Clifton, J. (2000)
This text argues that, instead of leading toward greater democratization, Mexico's policies of privatization in the 1980s were used for personal benefit, and to lubricate the …
Available Formats: eBook Softcover
New Right in Chile
Pollack, M. (1999)
The 1973 military coup gave previously peripheral elements of the right the opportunity to exercise almost unlimited political and economic power. However, with the return to …
Building Democracy in Brazil
Martínez-Lara, J. (1996)
Building Democracy in Brazil is an empirical analysis of the constitution-making process that Brazil underwent in the 1980s as it moved from an authoritarian military regime to a …
Available Formats: eBook
Moral Opposition to Authoritarian Rule in Chile, 1973-90
Lowden, P. (1996)
The book examines the political importance of moral opposition to authoritarian rule in Chile, 1973-90, as a challenge to the government's systematic human rights' violations. It …
Catholicism and Politics in Argentina, 1810-1960
Ivereigh, A. (1995)
A rare study of Catholicism in Latin-American politics prior to Vatican II, this work examines the role of Catholics and Catholic theology in the development of Argentine …
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The PolkaDoubts are the underground band that is leading the national craze to polka.
Hey, hey, we're the PolkaDoubts. People say we oom-pah around. But we're too busy dancing, to put anybody down.
Photos of our latest hijinks!
Polka Party website and invitation.
Photos from last year's party.


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La pêche continentale
Cadres politiques
Report of the Workshop to Develop an FAO Strategy for Assessing the State of Inland Capture Fishery Resources, Rome, 7–9 December 2011
Overview of inland fisheries
A Workshop was convened to develop a strategy to improve the state of information on the status of inland fisheries. Inland fisheries are a vital component in the livelihoods of people in many parts of the developed and developing world. Globally, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands cover a total area of about 7.8 million km2 and provide a rich environment for inland fisheries. The Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries observed that, "data and statistics on small-scale fisheries, especially in inland waters, were not always comprehensive, resulting in underestimating their economic, social and nutritional benefits and contribution to livelihoods and food security. The underestimation of the importance of inland fisheries can lead to policies and practices that further degrade resources and endanger food security". The marine capture fishery sector has, since 1974, reported on the state of major marine fish stocks. The percentage of marine fish stocks that are depleted, recovering, underexploited, moderately exploited, fully exploited and overexploited, along with their trends is extremely useful and widely cited in fishery, conservation and development literature. There is no equivalent information set for inland fisheries on which to make assessments. The Workshop identified several important differences between inland and marine capture fisheries that necessitate different approaches to the assessment of inland fisheries. A main difference is that the state of exploitation is usually the main driver determining the status in marine fisheries and is the principal indicator of management performance used by FAO for global assessment. The status of inland fisheries is also determined by rates of exploitation, but other influences that affect habitat quality and quantity can also be significant and often more important. Taking into account the special characteristics of inland fisheries, the Workshop identified ecosystem services provided by inland fisheries and some potential indicators and information that could be used for the assessment of inland capture fisheries. Indicators were identified for social and economic aspects of a fishery and for environmental and production aspects. Both aspects were judged important in the assessment of inland fisheries, and efforts were made to establish a composite indicator. The elements of a strategy to assess inland fisheries were not completely defined by the Workshop and further work was planned to determine the usefulness of the indicators and composite indicator.
URL link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i3046e/i3046e.pdf
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Background and Aim: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small noncoding RNA molecules that transcribed by RNA polymerase II. After biogenesis, these molecules act by incorporation into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). MiRNAs are involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cancer.
Recently several studies reported down regulation of mir-150 during erythropoesis. Since hemoglobin expression is valuable indicator of erythroid differentiation we evaluated the mir-150 downregulation effect on alpha chain expression by Quantitative RT-PCR.
Materials and Methods: K562cells were grown in RPMI1640 in standard condition. K562 cells were transfected by microRNA 150 Inhibitor using transfection kit .Mir-150 downregulation was confirmed by miRNA Real time PCR, followed by Q-RT-PCR to investigate the alpha chain expression changes.
Conclusion: Elevation of alpha chain expression in our study showed that mir-150 downregulation has a crucial role in erythroid differentiation and can introduce as a novel marker in alpha thalassemia. Further researches to find out the detail mechanism and miRNAs genes target could improve our knowledge about miRNAs potential in management of diseases and their applications in gene therapy and regenerative medicine.


Welcome to 17061 Grandview Dr! This cozy condo offers so much more than main floor living, that you need to see it to believe it! Main floor laundry and master with second bedroom option! 2 Full baths! Descend downstairs and be prepared to be awed! Another full bathroom and bedroom with large family room that enters into a entertainment area with a bar and walkout slider! This home is ready to entertain and welcome all who want to embrace it! WILL NOT LAST LONG! Check out our virtual tour at https://app.immoviewer.com/portal/tour/1318000?accessKey=5ca1 or schedule a private tour today!! HURRY WILL NOT LAST LONG!


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Home Economy With What We Saw in the Tech Space in 2016… 2017...
With What We Saw in the Tech Space in 2016… 2017 Should Be Mind Blowing
Ben Benoy
It's that time of year, when we stop to reflect on what 2016 had to offer. You'll most likely being seeing a lot of this kind of review in the days to come, so I'll start you off by looking back at the innovation that rocked the tech sector this year.
It should be no surprise that five of the seven most valuable companies in the world are technology companies.
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOGL), Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), and Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) are setting the pace for disruptive technology that we see, and often don't see, every day.
2016 was a banner year for these companies, not only for the disruptive technology they created, but for the technology development environments they produced. Mainly technology policy.
This year we saw Apple lobby hard for mobile device encryption and Amazon hit the government about drone regulations for product delivery.
Both of these industry juggernauts know that without one foot inside our nation's capital, their landscape growth is severely limited.
Apple has become a symbol of American innovation, but with wireless earbuds being the top innovation for 2016, hardware development options are looking bleaker every day.
Expect these top tech companies to double down on software and infrastructure innovation to support the burgeoning data problem we have now with On-Demand everything.
Thanks, Netflix!
Yes, with streaming movies, games, and TV shows, 3G wireless networks no longer make the cut. 4G-LTE wireless coverage is the only way to go. But these fast networks are only as good as the wired infrastructure backing them up.
Traditional tech service companies like Alphabet and Facebook are getting into the fiber infrastructure business to support their user's hunger for more services, wired or wireless.
Cellular wireless is cool, but satellite wireless is cooler since your wireless signal comes from space. To make space infrastructure more affordable, SpaceX tested reusable rockets for satellite payload delivery in 2016.
Yes, these bad boys land back at the same pad they were launched from, refuel, and are ready for the next delivery!
Elon Musk was so excited about this capability, he shared his grand plan for a million-strong Mars Colony. The only catch, at least a million people have to sign up to keep the tickets under $200,000 apiece. What a value!
Just in case you're planning on staying on Earth for a while, Alphabet (Google) launched a project to deliver affordable Wi-Fi to regions of the world that cannot support traditional cellular infrastructure.
It's called Project Loon, and involves high-altitude balloons that float in the stratosphere (11 miles in the sky) to deliver a 4G-LTE wireless network.
No matter what wireless infrastructure your devices connect to, expect a lot more device-to-device communication for automation in 2017.
The Internet of Things (IoT) revolution has come full circle, connecting almost any device imaginable to the Internet for automation and intelligence. Fitness and health trackers, home automation, and driverless cars are just a few sectors at the tip of the iceberg with this life-changing capability.
2016 saw the launch of Tesla's automated driving capability, but other auto manufacturers and tech companies are right on their heels. Even Uber, the world's largest taxi company that owns little to no cars, launched a self-driving On-Demand taxi fleet in Pittsburgh this year!
In healthcare, we saw leaps in genetically engineering immune cells to fight cancer, and artificial intelligence computers assist physicians with patient diagnosis.
Monsanto (NYSE: MON) dumped the agriculture industry on its head by taking the same gene editing techniques applied to live beings, and purchasing it for plant gene editing. The company hopes to develop plants that are more drought and disease resistant without cross splicing species.
In short, 2016 was the year that brought us that much closer to the future. All those technologies dreamed up for Star Wars, the Jetsons, Star Trek… they're not all just make believe anymore.
So, with all that in the rear-view mirror, what can we hope for in 2017? Really, anything in the realm of possibility (and imagination) is on the table. And we'll be here to give you the latest market insights on how to profit from these changes.
From my family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Ben Benoy is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and has been an active retail trader since 2006. He identifies investment opportunities based on key social media trends. He first identified the concept in 2008 and has since developed a tool for tracking investment "chatter" between social media users. His proprietary Social Media Stock Sentiment system has developed into a state-of-the-art platform that identifies and classifies chatter about stocks through algorithms and other indicators to forecast stock-price direction. Ben's track record speaks for itself — over the past 12 months, his system boasts a win rate of 82.2% on 112 stock trades.
Clash of the Titans: Amazon vs. the Fed
Economy	 July 16, 2019
How the Gov't Hides This Incredible Data
Come Back, Ross Perot!
What If Venezuela and Iran Can't Access Oil?
Why You Should Care About New Prime Minister of Greece
Economy	 July 9, 2019


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About Elizabeth Young-Collins
She's brilliant and funny. She writes and performs witty and wonderful shows and has been for more than 20 years. Who is she? A writer, a comédienne, professional singer, who will inspire and move you. If she doesn't, pinch yourself; you might be a robot.
My Tiers
Interest in Holiday Singer/Comedy
-Clip of Mother's Day concert
-Christmas O Holy Night vocal performance
-Clips of concert of Elizabeth singing La Vie en Rose in French
-Clip of show "Why Be Normal When You Really are Extraordinary" (extras not included anywhere else!)
-Six minute comedy skit.
-Funny videos on self-esteem, how to stay motivated and how to be OK when you're not doing anything at all AND
-How to take powerful action towards your goals!
-Ad-free content
Theatre Fans and Entertainment Agents
-Whole show of dramusicomedy The Betsy Patsy Show!! The professional video and additional content of shows 5 and 6.
-Full access Live Performances of "Patsy: A Lot o'Nerve" Concert with Liz singing 21 Patsy Cline hit songs with her 4-piece band, The Deccadents
-Clips of concerts of Elizabeth singing and performing in her show "Why Be Normal When You Really are Extraordinary" (extras not included anywhere else!)
-Six minute comedy skits.
-Funny videos on self-esteem, how to stay motivated and how to be OK when you're not doing anything at all
-Why people say Elizabeth is amazing and inspiring
She saved a cat from a burning building (true, she got help from the fireman)
Her last show, The Betsy-Patsy Show, was "deep, compelling, funny and left me wanting more" (review from audience members).
"Elizabeth wrote the script and performed The Betsy-Patsy Show from her own life showing courage, emotion and vulnerability; it moved and inspired me AND made me laugh.
"My husband and I are still talking about its impact (The Betsy-Patsy Show) and how we can relate to the message."
"My girlfriend's father was an alcoholic and she keeps saying how The Betsy-Patsy Show gave her hope that she can still have her dreams."
-Ad-free episodes
-Patron shout-out
Visit my WebsiteFor more information


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The Good Road is a 2013 Indian Gujarati-language drama film written and directed by Gyan Correa. It was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. The film won the award for Best Gujarati film at the 60th National Film Awards. It is told in a hyperlink format, where several stories are intertwined, with the center of the action being a highway in the rural lands of Gujarat near a town in Kutch. The film is the first Gujarati film ever selected to represent India at the Oscars.

Cast
 Shamji Dhana Kerasia as Pappu
 Sonali Kulkarni as Kiran
 Ajay Gehi as David
 Keval Katrodia as Aditya
 Poonam Kesar Singh as Poonam
 Priyank Upadhyay as Shaukat

Awards
The film won the Best Gujarati film award at the 60th National Film Awards for "capturing the flavor of the never-ending and undulating highways of the other India and its hidden facets." The film won the Best Feature Film Jury Award at the Indian Film Festival, Houston in October 2013.

Oscar selection
The film was selected out of 20 films initially submitted to the Film Federation of India for consideration for the Oscars. Ritesh Batra's film The Lunchbox was considered to be the frontrunner and certain lock for India's Oscar selection, with many critics unanimously praising it and voting for it to be the representative film. Director Karan Johar also put his support behind the film saying "All kinds of audience can connect with it and yet within the parameters of love story it is completely unusual.  You feel all the love in the world for the protagonists and the unusual  aspect of it is they haven't met."

However, the selection committee, which deliberated on 17 September 2013, unanimously decided that The Good Road was the perfect film to represent India. Head of the committee was award-winning filmmaker Gautam Ghose, who said, "This is a new film but The Good Road surprises as it shows the unknown India through the story of a boy who is lost and then found while his family is on a holiday trip to Kutch".

The Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time, Narendra Modi tweeted that he was proud that a Gujarati film was selected for the Oscars for the first time.

See also
 List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
 List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

External links

2013 films
2013 drama films
2010s drama road movies
2010s avant-garde and experimental films
2010s Gujarati-language films
Indian drama road movies
Indian avant-garde and experimental films
Indian drama road movies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Doncaster diabetes sufferer meets Prime Minster
A young Doncaster woman who has type 1 diabetes has been to Downing Street to raise awareness of her condition.
Friday, 17 March, 2017, 08:29
Lydia Parkhurst, aged 20, who has type 1 diabates. Lydia visted Downing Street to speak to fellow sufferer Prime Minister Theresa May to speak to her about the condition after meeting her at a charity event.
Lydia Parkhurst, aged 20, visited London after a personal invitation from Prime Minister Theresa May, who also lives with the autoimmune condition.
Lydia said: "I visited 10 Downing Street with my family and proudly stood in front of the famous door with my FreeStyle Libre on my arm and insulin pump on my back, being inspired to not let type 1 diabetes hold me back.
"We were invited personally by Prime Minister Theresa May when I chatted to her about her diabetes and how she managed the condition."
Lydia first met the Prime Minister at an event last year at an event held by JDRF, which is the leading global organization which is funding type 1 diabetes research.
Lydia, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in August 2009 at the age of 12, added: "Arriving at Downing Street with my JDRF banner and standing outside the front door where Theresa May resides was such a surreal experience.
"When you get diagnosed with type 1 you're often told that the condition doesn't stop you doing anything, (apart from being in the army or being an astronaut, but sometimes it's hard to actually believe this, especially when the person is normally a health care professional who usually doesn't live with diabetes.
"However standing there I felt a sense of pride. Whether you support the Conservative Party, the Labour Party or any other, Theresa May shows us that type 1 diabetes has not held her back."
She added that she was proud to share the experience with her family.
She said: "Being able to have this opportunity with my family was such a special experience. My Mum, Dad and sister, who have been there for me since day one helping carb count, attending hospital appointments and occasionally providing a shoulder to cry on were now stood beside me once again helping to spread the word about type 1 diabetes."
Upon arrival at Number 10, the family were given a tour and told about the history of the building.
Lydia,who is from Campall, said: "Heading towards the main staircase was impressive, with its yellow walls and black and white photos of all the past Prime Ministers - although David Cameron hasn't got his up there yet.
"The Cabinet Room was one of the most impressive rooms in Downing Street. We couldn't resist having a seat in the PM's seat where the Queen has also sat when she attended Cabinet."
For more information, please visit jdrf.org.uk or follow us on Twitter: @JDRFUK.


text:
namespace cv
{

using std::vector;

class ChessBoardGenerator
{
public:
    double sensorWidth;
    double sensorHeight;
    size_t squareEdgePointsNum;
    double min_cos;
    mutable double cov;
    Size patternSize;
    int rendererResolutionMultiplier;

    ChessBoardGenerator(const Size& patternSize = Size(8, 6));
    Mat operator()(const Mat& bg, const Mat& camMat, const Mat& distCoeffs, std::vector<Point2f>& corners) const;
    Mat operator()(const Mat& bg, const Mat& camMat, const Mat& distCoeffs, const Size2f& squareSize, std::vector<Point2f>& corners) const;
    Mat operator()(const Mat& bg, const Mat& camMat, const Mat& distCoeffs, const Size2f& squareSize, const Point3f& pos, std::vector<Point2f>& corners) const;
    Size cornersSize() const;

    mutable std::vector<Point3f> corners3d;
private:
    void generateEdge(const Point3f& p1, const Point3f& p2, std::vector<Point3f>& out) const;
    Mat generateChessBoard(const Mat& bg, const Mat& camMat, const Mat& distCoeffs,
        const Point3f& zero, const Point3f& pb1, const Point3f& pb2,
        float sqWidth, float sqHeight, const std::vector<Point3f>& whole, std::vector<Point2f>& corners) const;
    void generateBasis(Point3f& pb1, Point3f& pb2) const;

    Mat rvec, tvec;
};

}

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Why on earth did Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho drop Luke Shaw?
A penny for the thoughts of Luke Shaw as he sat on the bench at a Baltic Turf Moor this afternoon.
It is no secret that Shaw has had a difficult time since joining Manchester United. He was branded overweight by Louis van Gaal within weeks of joining the club in 2014 and the following season he snapped his leg in two places playing against PSV Eindhoven. When José Mourinho joined in with the public criticism of Shaw, it seemed there was no way the left-back would be a success at Old Trafford.
Mourinho's suggestion, towards the end of last season, that Shaw was not intelligent enough to perform effectively unless he received constant direction from the dugout, was particularly cutting.


Derwent Hill017687 72005work017687 75422faxBed & BreakfastDerwent Hill is in a world class location occupying a beautiful 28 acre estate bordered by the River Derwent overlooking Derwent Water. We are just one mile from Keswick where you will find shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants and a theatre. We are also just a few minutes walk from a hotel bar and restaurant, café and pub.
Derwent Hill has two adjoining facilities on the same site, offering a range of accommodation.
Our Training Centre offers 15 en-suite single/twin/double rooms complete with TV, wifi and complimentary tea and coffee. Our Education Centre has 8 private en-suite dormitories and 6 single/twin en-suite rooms. The whole centre can be booked out as a group or individually on selected dates. Please contact us to find out more.
During your bed and breakfast stay enjoy a comfortable night's sleep, followed by a full English breakfast, before venturing out to enjoy the wonderful English Lake District World Heritage Site. Your stay includes the use of a comfortable lounge with complimentary tea and coffee, so you can relax and unwind at the end of the day.
Derwent Hill is owned and operated by Sunderland City Council in a fantastic setting in the English Lake District – a National Heritage Site.
It was one of the first Local Authority Outdoor Education Centres in England and has been in operation since 1962. The centre has grown since then and we now provide a wide range of services, but our core purpose is still the same: to provide high quality residential outdoor education for the children and young people of Sunderland, which includes some of the most deprived areas in the country.
The income we generate from other work is used to keep down the costs of courses for schools and youth groups. We operate year-round and employ about 30 staff.
We look forward to welcoming you to Derwent Hill.
Derwent Hill sometimes limits bookings to 2 or more days.
Derwent Hill is in a world class location occupying a beautiful 28 acre estate bordered by the River Derwent overlooking Derwent Water. We are just one mile from Keswick where you will find shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants and a theatre. We are also just a few minutes walk from a hotel bar and restaurant, café and pub.
By Car: From M6 junction 40 at Penrith take the A66 west for 17 miles past Keswick to a large roundabout. Continue on the A66 and take the second turn left (signposted Grange, Portinscale). After 600m, turn left where the road swings sharply to the right. Derwent Hill is on the right after 100m, beyond the Derwentwater Hotel.
By Train and Bus- Keswick is served by hourly buses from rail stations at Penrith, Windermere and Workington. From Keswick you can walk or take a taxi – we can pick up groups by prior arrangement.
On Foot: Derwent Hill is 1 mile from Keswick. From the bus station, go left along the side of the supermarket to a mini-roundabout and turn left. After 300m turn left immediately after crossing the river, then turn right onto a surfaced footpath. Follow this across the fields to a lane, turn left and cross the footbridge. Derwent Hill's gate is 100m further on the left.


The greater the number of people present the less likely you are to help.
A two-year-old girl, Yue Yue, wandering in the street in a market in Foshan, China, was hit by a van. The driver stopped for a moment and continued on, rolling over the girl again with the van's rear wheels. Over the course of the next seven minutes, as she lay in the street bleeding, 17 passersby walked over and around her—one truck ran over her again—without helping.
Eventually a trash collector stopped to look after the girl and call an ambulance. Amongst those who ignored her were a cyclist and someone with their own child!
Thousands of pounds were donated to her family to help pay for treatment but Yue Yue died of brain and organ failure. Her injuries were too severe and the treatment had no effect. The parents have said that they will ensure all donations go to helping others (source).
People say the reason is they are too scared, blaming extortion attempts by people who have accused Good Samaritans of causing their injuries; and that they feared it was a scam and they may incur costs. Such as in the case of Peng Yu, who helped an injured elderly lady to hospital was then found by a court to be liable for some of her medical costs.
Another case – in which an elderly woman believed to have fallen in the road accused a man, Xu Yunhe, who stopped to help her, of hitting her with his car – also attracted considerable attention.
Friday, March 13, 1964, 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was returning home from work. As she approached her apartment entrance (in Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York), she was attacked and stabbed by a man later identified as Winston Moseley .
Startled, Mosley ran down an alley, got into his car, and backed up, ready to drive off. Lights had gone on in the nearby apartment building, but they went off again. Mosley got out of the car and again followed Genovese, who had reached the doorway of her apartment building, which was in the back of the building at 82-62 Austin Street. As she fell forward through the doorway, crying out, "I'm dying, I'm dying," Winston caught up with her, stabbed her again, and then raped her. A short time later, a neighbor, Greta Schwartz, who had called the police after receiving a phone call from another neighbor, ran down to the lobby and cradled Kitty in her lap until the paramedics arrived.
Despite Genovese's repeated calls for help, none of the dozen or so people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called police to report the incident. The attack first began at 3:20 AM, but it was not until 3:50 AM that someone first contacted police.
There were 38 witnesses that claimed they just thought it was a lovers quarrel.
Diffusion of responsibility – less blame. Can think someone else might be better at handling the situation. Someone else will help – so I don't need to.
Correct and socially acceptable ways – others aren't responding it must mean a response isn't required or appropriate.
In a series of classic studies, researchers Bibb Latane and John Darley (1969) in American Scientist, found that the amount of time it takes the participant to take action and seek help varies depending on how many other observers are in the room. In one experiment, subjects were placed in one of three treatment conditions: alone in a room, with two other participants or with two confederates who pretended to be normal participants.
I have no idea why I watched that, as I knew it would have the exact effect it has had. I feel physically sick. Just shows how completely messed up this world is becoming. It's a really scary place these days and there are often times I actually regret bringing children into it and question if I have made the right decision. I suppose we're extremely 'lucky' with the country we live in as there is so much worse out there. How could ANYONE walk past that? Let alone drive off if you hit her. Disgusting. Those images are going to stay with me for a long time.
I am sorry but no way I can watch that, I know what it will do to me and no way I am putting myself through that, I would however of stopped to help with out hesitating and faced any possible consequences later, but I am well aware that most others are not the same.
I was actually going to blog about something very similar a few days ago but I found I went off on a tangent and it ended up being more of a rant fest so I never published it.
I think a rant feat about it would be good. I'd like to think I'd definitely have helped. Poor girl.
I know this is an old post… But i remember seeing the video. I'm definitely a helper not an ignorer.
I've interveined when others walk past before. I clearly remember in kings square an older sibling had pushed a girl down, and was kicking her and calling for help. I swear the rest of the town had gone deaf and blind!!!
I ran towards the heap of curled up frightened girl "get off that girl" he replies "its fine, she's ONLY my sister". I, still running towards shout "you've no right to hit ANYONES sister" and he tries to drag her off by her hair and coat.
I got him off her, shouting and pulling. Offered the girl my hand, gave her a hug. I was well aware someone could accuse me of hurting this girl, but i did not care to be honest. After i'd removed the violent person and yelled for "parent of xxxx come here, or i'm taking her to the police station for her safety". A few yells of this and people suddenly started to take off their "blinkers". upsets me to think someone would ignore a child that is being attacked.


After 24 years, several multi-million dollar exhibits and countless animal encounters, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Director Steve Taylor plans to retire at the end of this year.
A native of California, Taylor grew up in Inglewood and began his zoo career as an animal keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo. He was director of the Sacramento Zoo before moving to Cleveland in 1989 to assume the leadership role of the Zoo here.
As director, Taylor shepherded the Zoo through five multi-million dollar projects, beginning with the RainForest in 1992 all the way up through the magnificent African Elephant Crossing in 2011. His expertise and knowledge of the zoo industry have benefited not just the Zoo's staff and the collection and programs they manage, but all Northeast Ohioans who truly have a world-class zoo of which they can be proud.
During his tenure, Taylor developed the Zoo's first Conservation and Science division which now includes a staff of nationally recognized scientists and researchers who contribute to the Zoo's critical conservation efforts.
In recent months Taylor oversaw the creation of the Zoo's new strategic and master plans which will help guide the Zoo over the next several years.
Taylor currently lives in Rocky River with his wife Sarah.
Northeast Ohio's most-visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with hours extended to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $12.25 per person, $8.25 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children younger than 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 90 and 480.


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Posted inESG
Political Crisis Or Environmental Concept: Mud Cracks With France Flag
French asset managers swept the board among the top ten climate-friendly equity funds at the CDP Europe Awards in Brussels on Tuesday.
The ranking is based on data from the climate rating for funds, Climetrics. The tool, developed by CDP and ISS-climate, measures the climate performance of a fund's stocks, its asset manager's governance of climate issues, and its investment policy, to help investors find funds well-positioned in the transition to a low carbon economy.
For the first time since its launch in 2017, Climetrics awarded European equity funds for outstanding climate performance. From hundreds of funds in the European equity category, the top 10 actively managed funds were chosen based on their underlying Climetrics score. The awarded funds stand out as generally investing in European companies which are well aligned with the transition to a low-carbon economy.
BNP and Candriam boosted
Asset managers BNP Paribas, Candriam and Mirova each have two funds among the 10 receiving a Climetrics Fund Award, while French asset managers received 7 of the 10 awards, underlining the leading role of French investors and asset managers in the transition to a low carbon economy.
Analysis of the top 10 company holdings for each of the award-winning funds shows that almost half of the funds' top holdings (46%) were scored A by CDP, with almost three quarters (73%) receiving either an A or B score.
CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) is a UK-based organisation supports companies and cities to disclose the environmental impact of major corporations. It holds the most comprehensive collection of self-reported environmental data in the world, with 7,000 companies disclosing in 2018.
Climetrics rates over 4,500 European funds every month representing about €3 trillion in fund investments.
Nico Fettes, Head of Climetrics at CDP, said: "Greater transparency in the fund industry is important for helping to move capital towards sustainable investments and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement."
ISS ESG is the responsible investment arm of Institutional Shareholder Services, a provider of environmental, social, and governance solutions for asset managers.
Maximilian Horster, head of ISS-climate, added: "Policy makers, civil society, and investors are collectively asking for more climate transparency of investment funds. The Climetrics rating assesses and awards funds that invest in companies that have made tangible commitments to align their business models with targets set forth under the Paris Accords."
Tagged: BNP Paribas, Candriam, CDP, Mirova
David Robinson is the editor of Expert Investor. He has 18 years' experience as a business journalist and editor. In the past he has written for the Guardian newspaper and The Telegraph, and worked as... More by David Robinson


As part of Delfino Madden's higher education practice, we provide counsel on regulations pertaining to human subjects research and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). We have been monitoring the 2018 Final Common Rule as it will simplify and modernize human subjects research regulations. The 2018 Final Common Rule was expected to come into effect on January 19, 2018, but the federal government has delayed the effective date to July 19, 2018. On April 20, 2018, several federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NPRM") to further delay the effective date to January 21, 2019. This NPRM also contemplates whether institutions should be permitted to implement certain provisions of the 2018 Final Common Rule in the interim. For more information, the Federal Register website contains the full NPRM and the comment period is open until May 21, 2018.


Just regular folks.: A week behind on posts.
cake looks yummy!!! are we still on for June 12th?
I was thinking the same thing about SATC2 until I heard the reviews. We don't have anything planned this weekend either, so I'm nervous, too. And, I want to avoid the crowds as much as possible, so I'm really limiting myself, hahaha. Love Edda's green m&m pjs!
@Nita - yes we are still on!
@amy - I don't like the crowds either, which means a lot of home time.. I really should just clean.


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GAME DAY: How Alabama's 2019 softball team was built
By Edwin StantonExecutive Sports Editor
Alabama vs. Texas
Schedule: Thursday 8 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 1 p.m. (if necessary)
Where: Rhoads Stadium
Records: Alabama 55-7, Texas 45-15
TV: ESPN
Radio: 93.3 FM
The story of the 2019 Alabama softball team begins where the 2018 season ended.
The Crimson Tide had just been blanked 6-0 by Washington in the Seattle Super Regional on May 20, ending its season.
Sitting in a hotel room some 2,500 miles from Tuscaloosa, head coach Patrick Murphy held one final meeting with the 2018 senior class and afterward walked them to the door and brought in the returning players.
Team 23 was already at work, planning for the future.
At the Team 23 meeting, Elissa Brown said it. She said, 'This senior class is going to bring us back.' And we bought into that," said Alabama first baseman/catcher Bailey Hemphill.
The Crimson Tide is back in a super regional this season, and this time it's not 2,500 miles away. Alabama, the No. 8 overall tournament seed, hosts Texas, the No. 9 overall seed, at Rhoads Stadium in a best-of-three series starting Thursday at 8 p.m. Game 2 is Friday at 8 p.m. and an if-necessary game is 1 p.m. Sunday.
This is the first time Alabama has hosted a super regional since 2016.
"We had to do some things different," Murphy said. "We didn't want to play on the road, once again. Two years doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but to us it was a huge deal. Especially since we've been to 11 World Series.
"The best path is from home to Oklahoma City."
Completing the puzzle
The path didn't look too promising at the onset. Alabama lost six seniors, including its ace pitcher and half the middle infield.
There were veterans returning in the four seniors: pitcher Courtney Gettins (P), utility player Caroline Hardy, starting catcher Reagan Dykes and starting left fielder Merris Schroder. There was also stability with outfielders Elissa Brown and Kaylee Tow. Hemphill was back, too.
The rest of the defense was a big concern. Pitching was an even bigger question mark.
The players knew it, too.
"Each class has a class dinner the first two weeks of school," Murphy said. "Seniors come to my house. A few days later the freshmen come over. Sophomores go to (pitching coach Stephanie VanBrakle-Prothro's) house and the juniors go to (assistant coach Alyson Habetz's) house.
"We have these class dinners with a small setting. We have an itinerary with things like role playing and team building. As classes get older it's more leadership driven. With the senior class we have about 12 questions we ask. We want to see if we are on the same wavelength. We asked them what will this team's biggest question mark be. We had eight answers — four players and four coaches. It was split down the middle. Four said pitching staff and four said the infield."
It was obvious positions needed to be filled and some inexperienced players were going to have to do it. Claire Jenkins played mostly third base last season but was moved to shortstop. Maddie Morgan, who started just 13 games last season, took over at third base.
"The other part of the puzzle — was Kaylee Tow going to stay in the outfield or were we going to move her to first to free up more catching time for Bailey?" Murphy said. "When KB (Sides) started to show she could do it, the pieces of the puzzle fit where she played right field, Tow played first and Skylar (Wallace) went to second base. That meant Bailey was more of a DP/catcher and Reagan was either catcher or DP. Then against Mississippi State, Tow got hurt and that moved Bailey to almost full time at first base."
The pitching dilemma took care of itself.
Alabama lost an ace in Alexis Osario, but gained an entire pitching staff. Alabama got big-time recruit Montana Fouts and also landed some big-time transfers including Krystal Goodman and Sarah Cornell.
Land of the rising Tide
One of the biggest issues with building a team is chemistry. Some teams have it and some don't, and it can make or break a team's season.
The Crimson Tide team was on board with that philosophy since that hotel meeting in Seattle. But it's one thing to say it and another to actually do it.
Alabama was put to the test early on an 11-day summer trip to Japan to play doubleheaders against New Zealand and Great Britain.
"We had three-a-day practices and we lifted weights before lunch," Murphy said. "We did that for eight days in a row. It was a long, hard eight days. Traveling together 13 hours on a plane, spending 12 days and nights with the team — you are either going to get along or it's going to be a long trip."
Murphy actually saw the beginning of something special with Team 23 in the days leading up to that Japan trip.
"When we came back from about a month and a half to start practicing for Japan, that's when it all started," Murphy said. "That's one of the biggest keys to the whole season — that week and a half of practices before we left for Tokyo. We kind of set the tone for the whole year. The freshman and the new kids got to see what we were all about and got to know me. It was a huge bonus for us."
The positions and pitching rotation were pretty much set, and the team's overall attitude was solid. With the season about to start, Alabama got some news.
They didn't take it well.
Coming off a 36-20 season and losing so many key starters was enough for Alabama to be picked to finish eighth in the Southeastern Conference.
Since that prediction in mid-February, Alabama has placed a huge No. 8 poster on the wall in the team's clubhouse.
That just fueled a Crimson Tide team that was already confident and eager to prove 2019 would be something special.
It started out very special.
Alabama won its first five games in Troy at the Trojan Classic, including a nine-run rally in the seventh to beat Murray State 16-0.
Alabama won all five games in the Hillenbrand Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, including a win over then-ninth-ranked Arizona.
The Tide came home to host the Bama Bash and Crimson Classic, winning all those games to race out to a 20-0 start. They won the next five, including a come-from-behind win against Missouri. Alabama trailed 7-0 early and fought back to win 14-8.
"I think with a young team if you get off to a good start, that confidence starts to build," Murphy said. "I've seen it at other teams at other programs. Sometimes with a hitter if they start out cold or slow, that could stick with you for an entire season.
"There were some games where it could have gone either way. Every time we would win, they really didn't settle or take a day off. They continued to work harder. That was the biggest takeaway for me was that you are 25-0 and could be satisfied, but it was really cool this group wasn't. One of the games down in Troy we got down 7-2 and scored 16 runs and won. Against Missouri we were down (7-0) and we looked godawful. But for the most part they played and responded like they should."
Alabama won 33 straight games and shot up to No. 3 in the rankings. The streak ended with a 4-3 loss at Texas A&M on a walk-off hit.
The streak was over, but the message was clear — Alabama was a contender and not to be taken lightly.
More motivation
Alabama swept LSU in the final regular-season series to lock up the SEC championship, its sixth overall and first since 2014. The Crimson Tide lost in the SEC Tournament to Florida but felt good about earning a top 8 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Then that pesky 8 showed up again.
Alabama gathered about the TV in the team clubhouse to watch the NCAA Softball Selection Show to find out where it would be seeded. The top four seeds were revealed and then, a stunner. Florida, which Alabama swept during the regular season and was seeded sixth in the SEC tourney, earned a No. 5 seed.
The No. 6 seed came up on the screen — no Alabama.
No. 7 was listed — no Alabama.
Alabama's name finally flashed on the screen at No. 8.
"It was a little surprising considering we had nine top-10 wins and one loss, and that was in the (SEC) championship on a neutral site," Murphy said that night. "I'm pretty sure it was our non-conference schedule. But when you take care of business in the conference and win it by four games and lead from start to finish, I thought that would carry a little more weight. Obviously not."
When the No. 8 seed was revealed, the No. 8 poster that was hung throughout the regular season went back up on the wall for the postseason.
"The number eight has been a motivational factor for us since the beginning of the season," Murphy said. "So what the hell? We might as well use it again."
Special team
Before the team gathered at the clubhouse for the NCAA selection show, Murphy asked his team to text him the answer to a simple question: What makes Team 23 special?
"I'm being honest, about 15 of the 19 answers were something along the lines of 'I've never been on a team where everyone is truly happy for everyone's success.' One of the pitchers wrote, 'We are not trying to be the number one pitcher, we are trying to be the number one team," Murphy said.
That attitude has been a driving force behind Alabama's success in 2019. It revealed itself during the Tuscaloosa Regional against Arizona State. With the game tied 4-4, Murphy sent pinch-hitter Caroline Hardy to the plate with the bases loaded. Hardy is not a starter and has been used sparingly this season. The senior got down in the count 0-2 but on the third pitch, smacked a three-run triple to center field to give Alabama the lead and the momentum.
"We talk about it all the time," Murphy said after the 7-4 win. "When it's your time, blessings will be bestowed upon you. (Hardy) has stuck with it all year — never complains, is the ultimate teammate. She would get robbed and we would say blessings are coming. And today she got them. Couldn't happen to a better kid.
"There is a word that describes our program. If you come into our clubhouse you will see it. It's mudita. It's a word that means having vicarious joy in someone else's success. If you and I are competing for the same shortstop position and I win the spot and I hit a home run to win the game. In mudita terms you are going to be the first one out of the dugout and at home plate celebrating with me. Opposite is envy and jealousy. To me those are the dirtiest words in a team sport. You don't want it anywhere near your clubhouse. If it creeps in, it could ruin a team. From the very beginning this team has had it. It's tough to get, but once you have true mudita, it's the coolest thing in the world."


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Archive for the ''37 Act counties' Category
Ruling challenges prevailing view of pension law
Three appeals court justices, citing the alarming view of critics that unaffordable public pensions are headed for the financial cliff, looked for a new way to allow a change in direction and found one.
In a ruling in a Marin County case last August that reformers called a "game changer," the panel weakened the "California rule" protecting the pensions of current workers. Most cost-cutting reforms have been limited to new hires, which can take decades to yield savings.
One reason unions asked the state Supreme Court to review the new ruling last month is that another three-justice panel, also from the first district appeals court, made an opposite ruling in a San Francisco case last year.
"Not only does the court of appeal opinion conflict with sixty years' worth of California Supreme Court precedent, it flies in the face of a decision by the same district court of appeal only a year ago," said the union appeal, arguing that "unanimity of decision" is needed on "vested pension rights doctrine."
The California rule stems from a state Supreme Court ruling in 1955 (Allen v. City of Long Beach) that the pension offered at hire becomes a vested right, protected by contract law, that can only be cut if offset by a comparable new benefit, erasing employer cost savings.
Pension cuts for current workers in the Marin and San Francisco cases were an attempt to curb employer pension costs that soared after heavy pension fund investment losses during the recession and financial crisis in 2008.
The ruling in the San Francisco case overturned most of a voter-approved cut in a supplemental COLA for pensions, citing the California rule that a pension cut must be offset by a new benefit. The state Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
The Marin ruling allows the county, with no offsetting new benefit, to impose "anti-spiking" state legislation enacted in 2012 that prevents current workers from continuing the previously authorized boosting of pensions with standby pay, call-back pay, and other things.
Some suggest the Marin ruling could lead to cuts in pensions current workers earned in the past, even though the ruling is "limited" and the case is about pensions earned in the future. Uncertainty about what could be cut is another reason unions want a high court review.
The California rule, adopted by courts in a dozen other states, is unusal for a number of reasons. Cuts in the pensions that will be earned by current workers in the future are allowed in the dwindling number of private-sector pensions.
Pensions are regarded as deferred salary. Government employers can cut salary, but under the California rule they cannot cut pension amounts current workers will earn in the future, unless there is a comparable new benefit.
"This interpretation is contrary to federal Contract Clause jurisprudence, which holds that prospective changes to a contract should not be considered unconstitutional impairments," argues Amy Monahan, a legal scholar.
Her 64-page paper, "Statutes as Contracts? The 'California Rule' and Its Impact on Public Pension Reform," is mentioned by reformers such as former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, who think cutting pensions not yet earned is the key to curbing runaway pension costs.
Monahan argues, according to an abstract of her article, that California courts have not explained the "basis" for the California rule and have "improperly infringed on legislative power" with "a rule that is inconsistent with both contract and economic theory."
The state Supreme Court ruling in the 1955 Allen v. Long Beach case gives little or no explanation of why cuts in pensions not yet earned by time on the job should be offset by a comparable new benefit. The main part of the ruling is a single sentence:
"To be sustained as reasonable, alterations of employees' pension rights must bear some material relation to the theory of a pension system and its successful operation, and changes in a pension plan which result in disadvantage to employees should be accompanied by comparable new advantages."
Monahan said the court "merely stated the new rule" and as support cited two appellate court rulings that mention the theory of a pension system and note that certain detrimental changes were offset by new advantages.
"It is unclear why the Allen court chose to make these appellate court observations part of a new rule regarding pension modification," Monahan said. "The Allen case is a bombshell."
The Marin ruling does not argue that the standard-setting Allen ruling is invalid but, like the San Francisco ruling, follows the common law procedure of citing previous rulings, intended to ensure that similar facts yield similar outcomes.
Still, even though the Marin and San Francisco rulings cite dozens of previous rulings, often not the same ones, following their presumably logical legal paths takes them to opposite conclusions.
Justice Richman
"There is no absolute requirement that elimination or reduction of an anticipated retirement benefit 'must' be counterbalanced by a 'comparable new benefit," said the Marin ruling written by Justice James Richman and concurred in by Justices J. Anthony Kline and Maria Miller.
"This diminution in the supplemental COLA cannot be sustained as reasonable because no comparable advantage was offered to pensioners or employees in return," said the San Francisco ruling written by Justice Henry Needham and concurred in by Presiding Justice Barbara Jones and Justice Mark Simons.
Justice Needham
The San Francisco ruling briefly notes that during the financial crisis the city pension fund plunged from 103 percent funded (market value) in 2008 to 72 percent a year later. A reform approved by 69 percent of voters in 2011 cut costs by limiting a supplemental COLA to years when the system was fully funded.
The supplement adding up to 3.5 percent to the standard cost-of-living adjustment for retirees of up to 2 percent, depending on inflation, had been awarded when pension fund investments during the previous year exceeded expected earnings, then 7.5 percent.
Skimming off "excess" earnings is questionable management, because the excess is needed to offset years with earnings shortfalls or losses. But the San Francisco pension system, which requires voter approval of pension increases, historically has been well funded.
Employers were given a contribution "holiday" from 1996 to 2004, making no payments into the pension fund, another example of questionable management. Measure C in 2011 was supported by all 11 county supervisors and business and labor groups.
A retiree suit to overturn the measure was called "the epitome of greed" by the president of the police union. A superior court ruling upheld the measure, concluding full funding was assumed when voters approved the supplement in 1996, then later increased the supplement and made it permanent.
The appeals court panel found no evidence that full funding had been a condition for the supplement. Following the California rule on vested rights, the panel said the supplement can't be cut for workers retiring after 1966, but "may" be cut for workers retiring before then.
Last July, the San Francisco retirement board, pointing to the permissive "may," restored the full supplement for those retiring before 1966. City Controller Ben Rosenfield sued the board for defying the will of voters.
Rosenfield told the San Francisco Chronicle a full supplement for 8,300 workers who retired before November 1966 will cost the city $200 million over the next five years. A superior court enjoined the board action last week.
The Marin ruling, making the case for cost reduction, begins with a look at the "emergence of the unfunded pension liability crisis." A number of national and state reports on the issue are mentioned in a "background" section.
"In the aftermath of the severe economic downturn of 2008-2009," said the ruling, "public attention across the nation began to focus on the alarming state of unfunded public pension liabilities."
(An annual Milliman actuaries report last week said the 100 largest U.S. public pension systems were on average only 70 percent funded as of June 30, with a debt or unfunded liability of $1.38 trillion.
(The giant California Public Employees Retirement System, which does not include the Marin and San Francisco systems, was an estimated 68 percent funded last June with an unfunded liability of $139 billion.)
The longest look in the Marin ruling background section is at a report by the Little Hoover Commission in 2011 warning that "aggressive reforms" are needed to prevent growing pension costs from reducing government services and forcing layoffs.
"To provide immediate savings of the scope needed, state and local governments must have the flexibility to alter future, unaccrued retirement benefits for current workers," the commission said in its top recommendation.
The Marin ruling cites a number of past court rulings that allowed cuts in the pensions of current workers to give the pension system the flexibility to adjust to changing conditions and preserve "reasonable" pensions in the future.
The previous rulings allowed increases in pension contributions, changes in retirement ages, repeals of COLAs, changes in required service years — even reduction of pensions in 1938 from two-thirds to one-half of salary.
Some public pension lawyers are alarmed by a comment in the Marin ruling on a 1967 appeals court ruling (Santin v. Cranston): "Until retirement, an employee's entitlement to a pension is subject to change short of actual destruction."
The Marin ruling said the 1955 Allen v. Long Beach ruling that said pension cuts "should" have a comparable new benefit was changed to "must" in a 1983 state Supreme Court ruling. But all Supreme Court rulings since then say "should" have a new benefit.
"It thus appears unlikely that the Supreme Court's use of 'must' in the 1983 (Allen v. Board of Administration) decision was intended to herald a fundamental doctrinal shift," the Marin ruling said, citing two rulings that "should" is advisory not compulsory.
In addition, the Marin ruling said the legislative cut in "spiking" gives Marin County employees a new benefit. Employee contributions that helped pay for the "spiking" provisions will no longer be deducted from their paychecks.
"Put simply, the new benefit is an increase in the employee's net monthly compensation," said the Marin ruling. "Put even more simply, it is more cash in hand every month."
A post on the Reason Foundation website by an Emory Law School professor who has studied the California rule, Alexander Volokh, reviews four related cases and suggests the Marin ruling may be reversed.
Volokh argues that some of the previous rulings showing flexibility in the California rule were based on "highly unusual historical circumstance" not present in the Marin case. He said an employee near retirement would only have "more cash in hand" for a short period.
Comparable new benefits were granted in some of the cases cited in the Marin ruling, Volokh said, and other cases refused to make an exception for fiscal emergencies, since they were the government's own fault and could be remedied by tax increases.
"Anthing can happen on appeal, but it wouldn't be surprising to see this decision reversed by the Supreme Court," Volokh said. The Supreme Court has at least 60 days to accept or reject the union appeal for a review of the Marin ruling, received Sept. 28.
Similar consolidated union suits against the Alameda, Contra Costa and Merced county pension systems have been briefed in appeals court but no date for oral arguments has been scheduled.
Reporter Ed Mendel covered the Capitol in Sacramento for nearly three decades, most recently for the San Diego Union-Tribune. More stories are at Calpensions.com. Posted 10 Oct 16
Posted in '37 Act counties, California rule, Reforms, San Francisco | 39 Comments »


I Am Here Now is a comprehensive guide to mindfulness. During menopause, you might find that you begin to have some mental health issues. Depression, anxiety, and stress are all normal parts of menopause, but they aren't always pleasant.
Mindfulness has been shown to help with mental health and is known to reduce stress and anxiety. This book provides a creative approach to mindfulness and allows you to explore it at your own pace.
"Mindfulness has been a good way for me to start reflecting on my own mood; it's a good tool in my toolkit."


Egypt's national handball team triumphed over Tunisia in the final match of the African Men's Handball Cup of Nations on Saturday, allowing it to emerge from the tournament with an unscathed winning streak.
While Egypt remained undefeated throughout the championship and previously managed to win matches with a wide margin, Saturday's match against Tunisia ended with a score of 21-19, giving Egypt a slim two-point winning margin.
This is the sixth time Egypt has won the African Handball Cup of Nations and the first time since 2008, with Algeria snagging the title in 2014 and Tunisia coming out on top in 2012 and 2010.
Saturday's victory has allowed Egypt to qualify for the summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to the 2017 World Men's Handball Championship in France.
Tunisia and Angola will also join Egypt at the World Championship, for which the top three teams from the African Cup automatically qualified. Angola beat Algeria 24-19 in a separate match on Thursday, placing them in third and fourth place in the African Cup, respectively.
The 22nd edition of the African Men's Handball Cup of Nations kicked off in Cairo on January 21 and is held on a bi-annual basis.


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Gun stocks reverse early gains after the Florida school shooting
Akin Oyedele
Gun stocks reversed early gains after the Florida school shooting.
Gun stocks tend to rise after mass shootings amid speculation that people may want to buy more firearms if they're worried about new regulations.
The shares of gun manufacturers are reversing earlier gains in trading Thursday after the deadliest mass shooting of the year.
At least 17 people died in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, the suspected gunman, was armed with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and "countless magazines," the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson, fell 2% after gaining as much as 4% in early trading, while Sturm, Ruger & Co. fell by nearly 1%. Olin Corporation, which makes ammunition, also fell 1%. They had closed up on Wednesday.
Gun stocks tend to rise after mass shootings because of speculation that people would want to buy firearms sooner rather than later before any new regulations are introduced.
But the Trump administration has not been a boom for gun companies. Sturm Ruger, for example, said demand was stronger than normal in 2016 likely because of election campaigning, but then tanked in 2017. Its third-quarter earnings per share fell in half from the prior year.
clusterstock death florida shooting gun control mass shooting moneygame-us


Worldchat, the international prepaid calling card company that enables South Africans to call their loved ones abroad cheaply from home, now also offers its users the flexibility of calling home (or anywhere else in the world) from a total of 20 different countries.
With exchange rates skyrocketing out of our favour, South Africans who are traveling abroad will be relieved to know that some things that they need to use while overseas can be paid for locally in the rands as they earn them. So, now when traveling, can keep in touch without breaking the bank.
Company MD, Chantal Elgie says that the company intends to expand further in 2009, increasing the usability of this homegrown product to many more countries.
Worldchat cards, bought in South African rands and always charged in South African rands and cents no matter where in the world you use them can now be used in Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA and of course here in South Africa.
In addition to locals and holidaymakers, business people are also seeing the benefits of buying Worldchat cards for use when traveling, as rather than using international roaming to call home or the office while abroad, they are now using hotel phones and public callboxes to call SA while away for R1.69/min tollfree or 79c/min when using our regular access numbers in each region (user pays local to this number). Compare this with the R17.95/min and upwards charged by Vodacom and the other cell providers when roaming internationally and calling home and the savings are enormous.
Worldchat cards can be purchased from approx 600 stockists in Johannesburg, Capetown and Durban, as well as online. For more details the company website: www.worldchat.co.za is packed with information and the helpline (0861468376) runs until 10pm 7 days a week.


India has thanked the governments of Nigeria and Benin for their help and support in recovering its oil tanker that went missing on the Gulf of Guinea with 22 Indians on board.
India's External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, on Tuesday said the tanker had been released.
Swaraj, who, on Monday, sought the assistance of the Nigerian Government in recovering the ship, shared the news of the release on her Twitter handle: @SushmaSwaraj.
"I am happy to inform that Merchant Ship Marine Express with 22 Indian nationals on board has been released," she tweeted.
In a later tweet, the minister further thanked the governments of Nigeria and Benin for their help and support.
The minister had earlier that she spoke with Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who "promised all help and assistance in locating the missing ship".
She added that a helpline was also set up.
The External Affairs Ministry had on February 3 announced that the vessel, Marine Express (oil tanker), owned by Mumbai-based Anglo Eastern shipping company, with 22 Indians on board, was "presumably missing off the coast of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea".
The ministry's spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, tweeted that the Indian mission in the Abuja was in contact with authorities in Nigeria and Benin and both countries had coordinated efforts to locate the missing vessel.


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Skills/Topics
English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice
Diane Belcher, Editor
The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is among the richest areas of second language research and practice because increasing globalization and changing technologies spawn new modes of intercultural connection and new occasions for second language use. English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice compasses this burgeoning field by presenting new research and commentary from some of the field's leading scholars.
This volume explores ESP from academic (secondary and tertiary), occupational (business, medical, and legal), and socio-cultural perspectives. Recurring motifs throughout the volume are the effects of globalization, English as a lingua franca, and the impact of migrant populations. One of the major questions this volume seeks to answer is, How can ESP instructors meet their own teacher knowledge needs? Also considered is, How have ESP practitioners succeeded in gaining control of the knowledge they need to address their students' needs?
What ESP Is and Can Be: An Introduction
Copyright © 2009, University of Michigan. All rights reserved.
New Directions in English for Specific Purposes Research
Disciplinary Discourses, Michigan Classics Ed.
Genre and Second Language Writing
Linking Literacies
The Oral-Literate Connection
DOI: 10.3998/mpub.770237
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312pp.
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English for specific purposes, second language writing, research articles, K-12 instruction, higher education, analysis, genre, writing for publication, English for academic purposes, English as a lingua franca, English for occupational purposes, English for sociocultural purposes, intertextuality, legal English, business English, community membership, citizenship, learner-centered language instruction, needs analysis, discourse communities, authentic materials, corpus linguistics
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Hello all! How was the weekend? I had a very productive one. I haven't been taking as much time as I should with my own blog because some opportunities to guest blog came up! It's actually been fun. This weekend I was asked to do my first guest vlog! I've never vlogged, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm actually really nervous because I have no idea what I'm doing! My guest vlog will appear on Five Foreign Friends Youtube channel tomorrow. I'll post a link here tomorrow so you all can check it out. We'll see how this turns out!
Have you all taken a look at your monthly submissions? Time to get the ball rolling if you haven't already! I've got the opportunities and today we've got some variety! GO!
To celebrate the awesome things going on in her life, Erinn is hosting a contest over at her blog, Something Else to Distract Me. She has some amazing prizes! She'll give away a total of three prizes: A $25 gift card to Amazon, A pre-order of Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, and a FULL manuscript critique! What are you waiting for? Get over there NOW!
The Writer Magazine is hosting their annual short story contest. First prize is $1,000, a free 10-week workshop with Gotham Writers' Workshop, Publication in The Writer and Writermag.com, and a one year subscription to The Writer. A second and third prize will also be awarded. Submissions should be no more than 2,000 words. The entry fee is $10 and the contest closes on April 30, 2011. Click the link below for official guidelines.
Guess what folks? This conference is free, free, FREE! The conference is supported by donations, the main donor being Dollar General. The purpose of the conference is to promote literacy statewide. There will be workshops on memoir writing, finding a literary agent, shaping scenes, writing a query letter, and using humor in writing. Writer's Digest's Chuck Sambuchino will present a workshop on Saturday titled, "How to Get Published: Professional Writing Practices and What Editors Want." The conference is open to anyone who would like to attend and requires no registration. The conference will take place on April 15 & 16, 2011. For more information about the conference visit their website.
Avon Books is seeking fiction in all romance genres of all lengths including, (but not limited to): historical, paranormal, contemporary, and erotica. They want stories of emotional complexity, written by authors with unique voices. For more information on how to submit, visit their website.
As always, The Black Fox Fiction Contest is still going on! We are also seeking flash fiction and poetry for weekly web features. Happy Writing!
Yes - the KY writers conference promises to be most awesome. All who can attend should!


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Quebec High School Students Can Have Proms & Grad Balls This July
They'll even be allowed to dance.
Lea Sabbah
@rosemounthighschool | Instagram
Quebec high schools will be able to host outdoor proms as of July 8, Premier François Legault confirmed in a press conference.
The premier said proms in Quebec will be permitted two weeks after June 24. That's when the majority of teenagers in the province are expected to have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Editor's Choice: Here's What You'll Be Able To Do When Montreal Becomes A Yellow Zone On Monday
Bonne nouvelle pour les finissants : les bals vont être permis à l'extérieur à partir du 8 juillet! Et en plus, c… https://t.co/Q1cORYaSIy
— François Legault (@François Legault) 1623187800.0
A maximum of 250 people will be permitted to attend each prom, and students will not need to wear masks or practice social distancing.
"From July 8, we could have outdoor dances, but with tents [...] That means all kinds of closeness [is] allowed," Legault said.
"Young people will be able to dance together and be less than one metre away. So we're doing a special without masks."
Renting a venue for a graduation ceremony or a prom will also be possible, but will be limited to occupancy rules.
HIGHLIGHT CARD (when necessary)


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Next admin to be guided by 20-year housing roadmap
A transition committee will assure continuity of the 20-year housing and urban development strategic plan and roadmap and will work with the next administration.
The multi-agency National Human Settlements Board approved the 20-year roadmap last year, officially called the National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan (NHUDSP).
The 20-year plan envisions better, greener and smarter human settlements and urban systems with banner projects aiming to create spaces, transform spaces into communities, make communities accessible and affordable, and empowering communities.
It also focuses on the critical groups who are in immediate need of housing, such as informal settler families.
"We already have created a transition committee once the new administration will designate new housing officials. Actually, we are now ready to transition. We can pass over all the projects and programs that we are doing and if they are amenable to continue with our programs and projects, it is now ready," Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said in a press conference at the Quezon City central office on Tuesday.
Del Rosario said the roadmap provides continuity for the next three administrations.
"Before we crafted this strategic plan, we consulted everybody, all stakeholders of the sector -- from housing developers, academe, and even the urban poor associations.
They are all included in the crafting of this cycle plan, kaya (so) we can say that the product of this is a combination of all sectors to ensure that we can have a strategic roadmap that would be adaptable to the needs of the people," del Rosario said.
He said the roadmap also involves short, medium, and long-term programs and projects.
During Monday's kickoff ceremony for DHSUD's third-year anniversary, del Rosario said from 2016 to 2021, the housing sector produced and financed more than 1.07 million housing units, the highest achievement by any administration in nearly 50 years.
"We consider shelter as a right of every Filipino family. We are not only building housing units but we are building sustainable communities. Never that you ever see a sub-standard housing unit under the Duterte administration. We set standards of best quality housing units," he said.
Source: PNA
DHSUD
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3 ways to reinvent affordable housing in a post-pandemic world


This reference guide details justice records held in Archives New Zealand's Christchurch office. This includes: criminal, civil and miscellaneous cases, bankruptcies and deceased estates, and divorce maintenance and family proceedings records.
This reference guide details government administered charitable aid and social welfare records held in Archives New Zealand's Christchurch office.
This reference guide details family history records held at Archives New Zealand's Christchurch office. It also covers a number of services offered to researchers.
This brochure details how Archives New Zealand's Christchurch office wishes archives to be cited in any publication or exhibition. This includes captions for images used in publications, exhibitions, and websites.


The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is operating under extended hours on Monday and Tuesday because one of its corpse flowers is in full bloom.
A blooming corpse flower is a rare event, they bloom on average once every six to 10 years. The corpse flower currently in bloom at the botanical gardens, named "Morty," last bloomed in 2014. At the time, the gardens saw a record attendance of more than 5,000 visitors in three days.
Blooms only last approximately 24 to 48 hours, and are accompanied by a strong, unpleasant odor.