O is winning with Miles recruits.
That is a good point. E is doing a helluva job.
furduknfish, xlnsports and shane0911 like this.
Yep. Helluva job. 10th place SEC, right behind Vandy.
furduknfish, uscvball and lsu-i-like like this.
MikeInLa, furduknfish, LSUpride123 and 1 other person like this.
Nick Saban was 8-4 followed by a 10-3 sugar bowl win.
Oeaux clearly is the victor here going 9-4 followed by a 10-3 victory over the 2017 champs.
Where did you get these numbers from? They aren't accurate.
Saban was 7-6 in year one, 12-2 in year two. 19 wins over a span of 27 games and no Sugar Bowl win. Year two marked an undefeated regular season with two losses in the SECCG and the bowl game. .
They are 100% accurate gump.
Leave Alabama for a day and you might learn some things.
Let's table this and re-evaluate in 5 years. Only then can we judge.
Saban also lost to Iowa in a bowl game his last year.
Another infamous no call by the refs against a Louisiana team.


Paralegal Internship, What Happens During a Paralegal Internship?
Paralegals are supportive legal professionals who assist attorneys in many different areas. Because paralegal work is so important to the everyday operations of a law office, many top law firms prefer to hire paralegals who already possess some degree of legal experience. In order to gain the experience that law offices prize so highly, a good deal of aspiring paralegals choose to complete a paralegal internship.
Participating in a paralegal internship is one of the best ways for potential paralegals to gain real word experience and to learn how a law office functions. If you're thinking about taking part in a paralegal internship, you should learn more about what the entail and why they're important.
What Happens During a Paralegal Internship?
During the course of your paralegal internship, you will work in a law firm alongside both lawyers and certified paralegals. By performing common paralegal work, you will master the most important tasks related to the profession and learn how law offices operates on a day to day basis. Typical tasks you might be requested to perform during your internship can include assisting with legal research, client interviews and writing legal documents.
The benefit of a paralegal internship is that it gives you practical experience in the field. While your paralegal degree work may have covered legal concepts and paralegal duties, you won't be able to fully understand the profession without real-world experience.
The obstacle that many aspiring paralegals run into is being able to find a paralegal internship. If you've never tried to take part in an internship before, you may not know where to look or how to be accepted into a program. Fortunately, there are many avenues for you to find a paralegal internship.
The most common way for you to find an internship is through the course of your degree. If your paralegal studies degree requires you to complete an internship before graduation, they will often provide a list of local law firms that accept paralegal interns and how you can apply.
If your degree does not require an internship, there are a few ways that you can find a program. First, you can cold call attorneys in your area. If you make enough calls, you will eventually find a firm willing to take you on. Second, do an internet search. Many law firms will list their internship opportunities online and may even allow you to apply over the internet.
Do I Need to Complete an Internship?
Although completing a paralegal internship is not necessarily a requirement for working as a paralegal, it can be advantageous to your career. As mentioned, law firms prioritize paralegals that have work experience, and if you don't complete an internship, you may lose out to an applicant who has. In addition, an internship will better prepare you for a paralegal career and will increase your likelihood of success.
If you're serious about become a professional paralegal, you must complete a paralegal internship. Completion of an internship will improve your chances of being hired by a top law firm and will give you the skills most important for working as a paralegal.


Bravo for your gusto,energy and time to address our president in the manner you did. You ought to have cautioned the successor whoever it may be that the 'IMPEACHMENT' clause in our constitution is not there for nothing lest our 11th parliament shall water down just like the 10th parliament assaulted and mutilated the 'Integrity & Leadership' Chapter.
You did great Bro' Omwenga.
Asante ndugu Ahmed; I'll certainly make the point about the impeachment provision in a future blog.


Digital asset management provides a simple, convenient way to store, manage, search for and share data. These digital databases are perfect not only for media files such as videos and music, but also as repositories for fonts and labels.
Digitally store and manage data.
Digital asset management is a content management system for storing and managing all types of digital data. Media such as videos, images and audio files are common, as well as frequently used text modules. In addition to importing and exporting files, these systems often let you convert file formats as well. You can also archive files and supplement them with metadata. A convenient search feature then allows you to quickly locate files in the database by name or meta-criteria. Digital asset management systems can also be made available to external service providers to facilitate sharing.
Digital asset management for labels.
The more prominent a brand, the greater its value, and brand recognition is a key factor in boosting your popularity. One way to further your company's brand is through distinctive labels. But to ensure that all labels produced are consistent, your printers must be able to access the same templates. Digital asset management software will transmit whichever template you choose to the right printer—some even begin the printing process automatically. Certain programs also let you integrate labelling requirements. Discover the various features and possibilities of digital asset management for your business.
Whether you're developing your corporate brand or putting together a highly professional project, it's important to use consistent fonts and designs throughout. As a result, these components should be accessible to any employee who might need them. Use a font manager, for instance, to create digital fonts and send them to your project team members. When they need a specific font later on, they can easily search for it using the corresponding feature. We offer a large selection of software at bechtle.com to facilitate efficient, transparent digital asset management. Discover which one is right for you.


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Audio Flashback: Democrats Said No Snow Proved Global Warming
RUSH: Did you see it snowed in Rome? 'Rare Snowfall in Rome as Cold Snap Grips Italy.' This is the biggest snowfall since 1986. I happened to be there during that snowfall. It was a listener trip when I was working at KFBK in Sacramento. We had a cheap travel agent that booked us in some dormitory of some nearby college, and we got over there, 14 inches of snow when we woke up the first day, and it was just freezing, cold as it could be. I saw that today and wasn't it just earlier this week when we were talking about global warming getting a real blow with all these snowstorms on the East Coast, the pro-global warming people said, 'Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I mean, look, there's no snow and it's not even below 50 degrees up there for the winter Olympics.'
'Snow, rain, and fog may replace gold, silver, and bronze this weekend at Whistler Mountain, site of the Alpine skiing events at the 2010 Winter Games. Olympic meteorologists at the venue predict inclement weather through Sunday, making it increasingly likely that the men's downhill on Saturday and the women's super combined on Sunday could be delayed,' because of a blizzard. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Also, you know, it is amazing to watch, it really is amazing to watch all of these pro-global warming people who admit that it's all a political issue, trying to tell us that warm air creates more snow. So NewsBusters went out and compared temperatures during these recent snowstorms to the seasonal norms. In Washington, the normal average temperature December 18th and 19th is 39 degrees. The actual average temperature on those two days was 30 and 26 when they had some snow. February 5th and 6th, normal temperature, 36. The actual temperatures, 34 and 27. And February 10th, the average temperature is 37, it was 25, the actual temperature on that day.
So the temperatures are not warmer, causing all of this snow, ladies and gentlemen. And it's hilarious for me to watch all this. Global warming, they say, causes more snow, right? Well, then global cooling would cause less snow? I mean, different ways of saying the same thing, right? As one who is possessed with a tremendous amount of logic and critical thinking capability that would have to be true. But when there is less snow, the alarmists say that's because of global warming. When there is more snow, they say it's because of global warming. Now, you cannot have it both ways, otherwise you're contradicting yourself and proving that all you are is on a political mission. Now, we've heard from all the experts, all the members of Congress, all the experts in the media telling us that these record snowfalls are just proof of global warming. Well, let's go back to the audio sound bites. We have about seven of them here. March 21st, 2002, from the Senate floor. Not enough snow was falling back then and Robert Byrd said this proved global warming.
BYRD 2002: We need a climate change strategy badly. Look at the kind of winter we've had here in Washington. One snow, three inches? What can we expect for the spring and summer seasons? What's going to happen to our crops, our livestock, our economy? This is serious. I've lived a long time, 84 years. Something's going wrong out there. I don't need a scientist to tell me that. We had better do something about it.
RUSH: You gotta listen to this, folks. These are Democrats complaining global warming proved by no snow. No snow in Washington, 2002, proves global warming. Yesterday and the day before, all of this snow in Washington proves global warming. They both can't be right. Here's Barbara Boxer, October 29th, 2007, on the Senate floor.
BOXER 2007: He also remarked that the most optimistic climate models for the second half of this century suggest that 30 to 70% of the snow pack will disappear. Now, no wonder we have people visiting our offices who are just already hurting from the recreation industry in this nation. They see what's happening. They see the handwriting on the wall. We have to act.
RUSH: The ski industry was visiting her office. By the way, do you know why we have Presidents Day? The ski industry. The ski industry lobbied for a three-day holiday during the height of ski season in February so that's one of the reasons why there's a Presidents Day. So almost three years ago, well, two and a half years ago, Barbara Boxer worried, not enough snow, ski industry complaining, global warming. Snowmobile association upset, too. April 22nd, 2008, in Washington, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, on the Senate floor.
KLOBUCHAR 2008: I heard it from the head of our snowmobile association who testified at a forum that I had with our governor on climate change in January because they've seen decreasing snow levels. I hear about it from ice fishermen because they have seen that it takes longer for the ice to freeze and they can't put their fish house out.
RUSH: Oh, man, global warming as recently as 2007 because there's no ice and there's no snow. Now we have record snows and it proves global warming. Barbara Boxer, March 19th, 2009, environment public works economy hearing.
BOXER 2009: Looking at the United States of America, the IPCC clearly warned that unchecked global warming will lead to reduced snow pack in the western mountains, critically reducing access to water, which is our lifeblood.
RUSH: Lack of snow could threaten the water supply, lack of snow due to global warming. Di Fi, same theme, June 21st, 2005, on the Senate floor.
FEINSTEIN 2005: The Sierra Nevada snow pack is the largest source of water. The snow pack equals about half the storage capacity of all of California's man-made reservoirs. By the end of the century, the shrinking of the snow pack will eliminate the water source for 16 million people.
RUSH: Are you catching this, folks? This is out and out BS. These are full-fledged lies brought about by a political allegiance to a leftist scam and hoax called global warming. We may have snow in all 50 states by the time this weekend is over. In fact, it did snow in northern Florida. I think at an Air Force Base. They're getting 12 inches of global warming in Montgomery, Alabama. Twelve inches of global warming in Alabama! It's 'cause of global warming, ladies and gentlemen. And yet two years ago, five years ago, three years ago, the lack of snow was due to global warming. I'm playing all these just to illustrate for you that these people have no idea what they're talking about. They're simply pushing a political agenda. Barbara Boxer again, October 29th, 2007, Senate floor.
BOXER 2007: The potential consequences will be devastating for our families in the future and for the world. Now we're seeing the early warning signs. People can come down to this floor and say whatever they want. We've seen melting of snow, we have seen melting of permafrost, increased temperatures, warming of lakes, rivers, oceans, changes in the seasons.
RUSH: We've seen none of that. We haven't seen any changes in the seasons! Twenty-five years ago, 14 inches of snow, 26 years ago in Rome, it's happened again. Is that a trend? Is it an anomaly or is it just nature? Could it just be nature? Jay Inslee, representative, Democrat, Washington, on the House floor, ski industry again.
INSLEE 2005: The ski industry in the Cascade Mountains in Washington essentially was shut down this year. My son's on ski patrol and he worked for three days this year, there was no snow. And having no snow is consistent with what the models will predict will become a significant problem for us in the future.
RUSH: That's July 20th, 2005, no snow, global warming, oh, the models are telling us huge problems. Now record snowfalls, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, it's global warming. They cannot have it both ways. You can't say when there's less snow that's global warming and when there's more snow than normal that's global warming. They're trying to but it will not pass the smell test.
RUSH: Very seriously, ladies and gentlemen, this global warming hoax, this climate change stuff borders on criminal corruption, criminal political corruption. You think of all of the billions that have been spent ostensibly to protect things and people from global warming, and it's all been a scam, nothing more than a huge transfer of wealth. It is a giant scam. It is political corruption, what has happened. It's funny to listen to these people make fools of themselves and I love doing it, and it's not very hard. Just play their own words. I just got a note from a good friend: 'Way to go, Rush, very smooth. You made 'em look foolish.' I replied: 'Easy. They are.' But they're also dangerous. This is political criminal corruption, what is happening here, and just as they have ensnared the media to provide all kinds of propaganda for all the other political corruption that comes from liberalism, the Democrat Party, et al, they're doing it in global warming as well. Think of the money that need not have been spent on any of this. It's getting crazier and crazier.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
BP Whiting Refinery discharges waste into Lake Michigan
The company told the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that it discharged more than 8,900 pounds of total suspended solids Monday.
BP Whiting Refinery discharges waste into Lake Michigan The company told the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that it discharged more than 8,900 pounds of total suspended solids Monday. Check out this story on IndyStar.com: http://indy.st/2aTqgtJ
Associated Press, @ap Published 1:41 p.m. ET Aug. 4, 2016
BP oil refinery in Whiting, Ind. on Thursday, July 12, 2007.(Photo: Chicago Tribune)
WHITING, Ind. - An operational issue has caused BP's large northern Indiana refinery near the southern shore of Lake Michigan to discharge about five times more industrial waste into the lake than allowed.
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that the refinery has been dealing with the problem at its wastewater treatment plant since Friday.
The company told the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that it discharged more than 8,900 pounds of total suspended solids Monday. It's allowed to discharge nearly 5,700 pounds per day.
BP discovered in another test Tuesday that the total suspended solids discharged rose to more than 26,600 pounds.
BP spokesman Michael Abendhoff says the discharge involved wastewater solids, not hydrocarbons. He says the company is working to return the refinery to normal operations as soon as possible.
Read or Share this story: http://indy.st/2aTqgtJ


Himachal Pradesh is located in the northern part of India, which is also known as "Devbhumi", as it's regarded as the Land of the Gods. It is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north and is spread over 21,495 sq mi. The glorious hill station is widely popular for its breathtaking natural beauty and topographic diversity. It has all the ingredients of a perfect holiday destination. The snow covered mountains, dense green forests, meadows, and deep-down valleys as well as Shimla, Dalhousie, Mandi, Chamba, Manali, Chail etc. are many other attractions are ultimate holiday destinations.
On your arrival at Delhi International Airport, our representative will transfer you to the hotel. After having your lunch you will visit the Birla Temple, Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, India Gate in the evening Akshardham Temple .Over Night stay at Hotel.
After having your breakfast you will proceed to your onwards journey by road to Shimla. On arrival, check-in the hotel in Shimla. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure. Later, after having the dinner, overnight stay at the hotel.
After the breakfast, your will proceed to sightseeing tour. You will visit Kufri, which is located at an altitude of 2500 meters and is just 2 hours drive away from Shimla. Later in the afternoon, visit Vice Regal Lodge and walk down the Mall Road. In the evening, after having the dinner, settle down for the overnight stay at the hotel.
After the breakfast, depart to Manali, a picture perfect hill station at an altitude of 1929mtrs. On arrival, check-in the hotel. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure strolling through the Manali market. In the evening, after the dinner, overnight stay at the hotel.
After having the breakfast, proceed for a full day sightseeing tour of Manali, visiting the 450 years old temple dedicated to Hadimba Devi, Jagatsukh, and Vashist kund. Visit the Tibetan Monastery and the handicraft centre and walk to the nearby picturesque village of Vashist known for its hot sulphur springs. In the evening, after a delicious dinner, settle down for a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
After having the breakfast, you will visit the Solang Valley and the Rohtang Pass nestled in the snow peaked mountains. Rohtang pass is 51 km away from Manali and is located at an altitude of 3978 meters. In the evening, after a delectable dinner, settle down for a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
After the breakfast you will proceed to Chandigarh. On your arrival, check-in the hotel and spend the rest of the evening at leisure cover local sightseeing. Later, after dinner, enjoy a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Early in the morning, after the breakfast, you will be driven to Delhi airport. The wonderful trip to the mountains of Himachal end here with a bag full of memories to look back upon with relish and Nostalgia.
Return economy class airfare from ex Melbourne, Australia to Delhi, India including prepaid taxes.


After Thanksgiving we had 2 back to back weeks with family!
Travis' mom came the Friday after Thanksgiving, we made a thanksgiving chicken and all the trimmings for her and we explored parts of California we had never been too. We visited Pinnacles National Park and had a great time hiking and climbing through caves, we drove up to Jamestown, Sonora and Murphy's California, and we also went to The Presidio in San Fransisco and had dinner at Tacolicious! Not long after I took her back to the airport I was again in Sacramento retrieving my mom and dad!
San Fransisco Mug, only took going to 3 Starbucks to find!
When my parents were here we decided to go back to The Presidio on a Saturday when more items were open. We visited Fort Point, The Golden Gate and mom and I went on a hunt for a San Fransisco Starbucks Mug. The weather was perfect and we all had fun being tourists. As fun as it was to go and do a lot with Travis' mom, we spent half our time with my parents chilling at our apartment, watching football, putting up decorations and cooking. We did visit Yosemite on Monday, and tried out a new trail towards a Sequoia Grove. The map said it was a one mile hike, what it didn't tell us was it was a one mile hike down hill. Although the mile back to the car was hard, it was an awesome experience. We saw Yosemite falls, lots of mule deer and some amazing trees. I think next time we will take mom and dad to the Redwoods, those were amazing!
We truly loved having our families come spend time with us! Asher for sure loved all the extra attention and the toys (thanks mom and dad)!


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Q: Resolve my domain with a CDN IP I'm not a routing expert. But what I know: It can be a really big topic. So, I'm currently thinking about geo-load balancing and how I can provide it. You can use Route 53 to create GeoDNS lookups. And this is fine and good. But I think about CDNs. I have only two location, while CDNs have tons of locations. Why not resolving my domain www.example.com with one of these CDNs IPs directly? My frontend is static. The dynamic stuff is created by Javascript. So, is it possible to resolve my domain example.com directly with the nearest CDN IP?

A: What you describe is quite usual setup. On AWS, after you create CloudFront distribution, you will simply create ALIAS in your Route53 console:
www.example.com A ALIAS xyz123xyz.cloudfront.net

If you are using other CDN/DNS providers, you will create CNAME record:
www.example.com CNAME xyz456xyz.somecdn.net

A: It is possible to resolve your domain to only one CDN IP. And when we talk about CDN IP, it is usually virtual IP (Anycast IP) where it maps to different physical edge servers globally. Depending on where the request is coming from, that virtual IP will map to the edge server closest to the end user.
Take this domain www.cloudflare.com for example, it is on Cloudflare (http://www.whatsmycdn.com/?uri=www.cloudflare.com), and it is pointing to two Cloudflare virtual IPs for failover purpose I suppose.
dig www.cloudflare.com +short
198.41.215.162
198.41.214.162

Of course, pointing that domain to only one Cloudflare virtual IP is completely doable, although it is not desireable.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Home > unemployment > Top 13 Queens of Mass Layoff in the U.S.
Top 13 Queens of Mass Layoff in the U.S.
The year isn't over yet. More mass layoffs to come.
The most recent company to announce four-digit layoffs was Cisco on Wednesday with 5,500 people on its list. It followed numerous other announcements of mass layoffs this year – particularly in oil-and-gas, brick-and-mortar retail, and tech.
Since the oil bust began, there have been 195,000 job cuts in the US alone, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Of those, about 95,000 occurred in 2016. They were concentrated in just a few states, particularly Texas. And it's not over: there was a "resurgence" of 17,725 job cuts in July.
Tech announced about 55,000 layoffs so far this year, including Cisco. The sector is getting clobbered by a sea change in technology, the shift to mobile, and the downward spiral of the entire PC ecosystem. And retail announced nearly 44,000, not including Macy's still unspecified job cuts associated with shuttering 100 Macy's stores.
So 24/7 Wall St. interviewed John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray. And digging into additional data, it came up with its list of the biggest layoff announcements in 2016 so far – "so far" because the year isn't over yet.
Layoff announcements can cover the global workforce, as in Cisco's case. So not all of Cisco's 5,500 layoffs are likely to happen in the US. And they may not necessarily happen this year. These things can drag out. For example, retailers generally want to keep their stores open and fully staffed through the holiday selling season and not shut them down just before.
So here they are in reverse order of magnitude.
Macy's: 4,350 job cuts, plus. In early 2016, it announced about 3,000 cuts at its 770 stores, plus 1,350 back-office employees and customer service reps. Execs don't get laid off. But 165 got buyout packages. This does not include the jobs that will disappear when it shutters 100 stores in early 2017, after having shuttered 41 stores last year. Macy's, with its 157,900 employees, is getting clobbered by online retailers, and it's seriously shrinking.
Hancock Fabrics: 4,500 job cuts. A brick-and-mortar casualty. It first filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 2007 and emerged in 2008. In February this year, it filed again. But this time, reorganization failed. It is now liquidating its 250 stores, and everyone goes.
Microsoft: 4,700 job cuts. Having botched its entry into mobile, and being stuck in the middle of the downward spiral of the PC ecosystem, it has been trying to get into the "cloud" business, like everyone else. To restructure, it has been on a veritable layoff binge over the past couple of years. With its 114,000 employees, there's still some room left.
Cisco: 5,500 job cuts. Old tech, yes, but outside the PC ecosystem. Its router business is beset with competition from China. So it too wants to get into the "cloud." On Tuesday, with its stock trading at a nine-year high, it leaked that it would let go up to 14,000 workers, or nearly 20% of its workforce. On Wednesday, as part of its earnings report, it announced that it would lay off only 5,500. Suspicions immediately arose that the leak was undertaken to butter up the markets and keep the damage to a minimum.
National Oilwell Varco: 6,000 job cuts. After having already axed 13,445 employees in 2015, the oilfield services and equipment provider with about 50,000 employees will also close 200 facilities.
DuPont Pioneer: 6,000 job cuts, plus. This product of a merger between DuPont and Dow Chemical is now looking for the promised synergies and efficiencies. The initial step is for DuPont to cut $700 million in annual costs and 6,000 employees. DuPont has been shrinking its headcount for years. Back in 2011, it employed 61,600. At the end of 2015, it was down to 52,000. More job cuts are on the way to live up to the promise of a further $3 billion in savings.
Weatherford International: 8,000 job cuts. The oil field services company with 39,500 employees hopes to save $446 million per year.
Bank of America: 8,000 job cuts, plus. Another well-greased layoff machine. Last year it shoved 10,000 people out the door. With 213,000 employees, it too has some room left to please the analysts. Since the Financial Crisis, it shrank its consumer division by 32% to 68,400 employees as of Q1 this year. It said in June that the number of employees in this division will drop "to the low 60s" soon. So more layoff announcements this year.
Seagate Technology: 8,100 job cuts. With revenues in free fall, the disk drive maker with 45,500 employees is restructuring, again, to diversify its products and get the heck out of the downward spiral of the PC ecosystem. It's trying to get into – you guessed it – the "cloud." So a year ago, it bought cloud storage company Dot Hill Systems.
Schlumberger: 10,000 job cuts. The oilfield services company had already cut 24,000 jobs since late 2014, but it wasn't enough, and in January, with 95,000 people still on its payroll, and $1 billion in red ink, it announced another 10,000 layoffs, along with a good swig of financial engineering to make the results go down better.
What stands out among these announcements? They're company or industry specific: oil-and-gas, brick-and-mortar retail, and tech – all three of them deeply troubled. Well, OK, a bank too. Smaller companies in these and other sectors often lay their workers off quietly, and unless you're working there, or know some who is, you'll never hear about it.


If you'd like to make a colorful stuffed winter squash the centerpiece and main dish of your vegetarian Thanksgiving, choose a large, meaty pumpkin; Boston marrow squash; turban squash; hubbard squash; banana squash; or the pale blue-grey New Zealand squash, which is my favorite.
For a side dish, stuff hollowed-out halves of acorn, butternut, or buttercup squash, or even small pumpkins.
We pick our own chanterelle mushrooms in the forest near our house, but they are available in good produce stores, supermarkets and natural food stores. If you can't find them, use fresh shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, or even ordinary mushrooms (the brown ones have more flavor).
TO PRECOOK THE SQUASH: for the small squash, cut the them in half and scoop out the seeds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the squash halves cut-side-down in a shallow baking pan with ½ inch of hot water. Bake for 40 minutes, or just until tender.
TO MAKE THE STUFFING, bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. Wash the wild rice in a colander under running water. When the water boils, add the washed wild rice, bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 55 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, steam-fry the chanterelles, green onions, celery and onions in a large non-stick or lightly-oiled skillet until tender and slightly-browned. Add the cooked wild rice, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
Mound the stuffing into the large or small squash and place the squash in a shallow baking pan. (If there is any stuffing left over, place it around the squash.) Bake the small squash at 350F, covered, for 20 minutes, or the large squash for 45-60 minutes, covered. Serve hot with gravy.
In a heavy saucepan over high heat, whisk the yeast and flour together until it smells toasty. Off the heat, whisk in the water, soy sauce, salt and Kitchen Bouquet, if using. Stir constantly over high heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes. This can be made ahead and reheated.
MICROWAVE OPTION FOR GRAVY: In a 1½ qt. microwave-proof bowl, mix the flour and yeast. Toast this in the microwave on HI for 3 minutes, uncovered. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Whisk. Cover and cook again for 3 minutes on HIGH. Whisk. Or, make half the recipe in a 4-cup microwave-safe glass measuring container, and cook as above, but in 2 minute increments.
This bread is perfect for the holidays, when fresh cranberries are available. You can make it at other times of the year by substituting dried cranberries that have been soaked in warm water until soft.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour orange juice concentrate into a measuring cup that holds 2 cups or more. Add lemon juice and enough water to make 1½ cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add orange juice mixture and corn syrup. Stir to mix, then stir in walnuts, if using, and cranberries. Do not overmix. Spoon into two non-stick or vegetable oil sprayed loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack.
Place pecans in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, rice syrup, vanilla, ginger, and salt. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.
In a spice grinder, grind flaxseeds to a powder. Combine powdered flaxseeds, arrowroot, and soymilk with the maple syrup mixture, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Pour the liquid from the blender over the pecans. Mix well and pour into a prebaked pie shell. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the filling has firmed up. Let cool.


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Ringo Starr and Barry Gibb will receive Queen's knighthood
Former Beatle drummer, Ringo Starr and the only survivor of Bee Gees, Barry Gibb, start 2018 with the title of Sir (knight of the British Empire). The names of these two legendary, half-pop musicians stand out on the list of distinctions that Queen Elizabeth II gives for the new year, which also includes actor Hugh Laurie, known to the public for the main character in the television series House.
Ringo & Maureen with Maurice Gibb in Monaco
Outstanding figures from the world of arts, science, sport or British politics, along with anonymous citizens working for their community, complete a list of 1,123 honored royal honors. But among all of them, the main protagonist of this edition was Richard Starkey (real name of Ringo Starr), whose appointment as Sir "was due to him long ago", in the words of the famous composer Tim Rice.
Read what Ringo said:
"It's a pleasure to be recognized for my music and also for my charity work," the 77-year-old now Sir, two decades after teammate Paul McCartney. On the occasion of this distinction, the musician will return to Buckingham Palace for the first time since 1965, when the Fab Four received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at the height of their success. Four years later, John Lennon returned the medal to protest against British support for the US intervention in Vietnam.
The future Sir Ringo was considered not only to have been part of a mythical band – dissolved in 1970 – but also because of his involvement in the fight against AIDS, against poverty and social exclusion.
Starr was the last to join the famous quartet and the member whose star least shone before Lennon's genius, McCartney's personality and George Harrison's enigma. But without him the Beatles would never have been the Beatles, as Sir Paul pointed out in his New Year message: "Congratulations to the best drummer and best colleague."
Barry Gibb
Another great figure of popular music, the composer, singer and now Sir Barry Gibb, transformed the distinction granted by the sovereign in homage to the two brothers – Maurice and Robin, already dead – with which it founded the Bee Gees. Gibb, 71, was the lead singer of a family band that rocked the 1970s music scene with his album Saturday Night Fever and which, over the course of his career, sold more than 45 million albums.
Among the most popular names on the list are Hugh Laurie and veteran James Cosmo (known to viewers for the role of Jeor Mormont in the series Game of Thrones). Darcey Bussell – a dancer who is the juror of the British version of Strictly Come Dancing – was named Dame (the lady of the Empire), and Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg – who for five years was the government's number two – was given the title Sir, what makes of his wife, the Spanish Miriam González Durante, the Lady.
Related Topics:barry gibb, bee gees, CLASSIC ROCK, Featured, pop rock, ringo starr, the beatles
Former Iron Maiden keyboardist releases song in band's honor
See James Hetfield net worth, lifestyle, family, house and cars


BB NOTE: Here is an interesting editorial by American author, Orson Scott Card (who's own works pre-date Harry Potter but carry significant similarities). He is coming from a literary point of view, which has been the point of view until the lawyers at Warner Brothers came along and saw an opportunity.
We've posted some of our own thoughts at Shell Cottage. There are also interesting editorials written by Jeopardy Champion, Ken Jennings here that is worth checking out. Who knew he had a blog? And yes, we had Bjo Trimble's Star Trek Concordance too. We also have a massive one (that just went to paperback with new additions) on Bob Dylan that we read for fun. That one comes with a CD version as well.
Can you believe that J.K. Rowling is suing a small publisher because she claims their 10,000-copy edition of The Harry Potter Lexicon, a book about Rowling's hugely successful novel series, is just a "rearrangement" of her own material.
Rowling "feels like her words were stolen," said lawyer Dan Shallman.
Well, heck, I feel like the plot of my novel Ender's Game was stolen by J.K. Rowling.
This paragraph lists only the most prominent similarities between Ender's Game and the Harry Potter series. My book was published in England many years before Rowling began writing about Harry Potter. Rowling was known to be reading widely in speculative fiction during the era after the publication of my book.
The difference between us is that I actually make enough money from Ender's Game to be content, without having to try to punish other people whose creativity might have been inspired by something I wrote.
It's true that we writers borrow words from each other – but we're supposed to admit it and not pretend we're original when we're not. I took the word ansible from Ursula K. LeGuin, and have always said so. Rowling, however, denies everything.
If Steven Vander Ark, the author of Lexicon, had written fiction that he claimed was original, when it was actually a rearrangement of ideas taken from the Harry Potter books, then she'd have a case.
But Lexicon is intended only as a reference book for people who have already paid for their copies of Rowling's books. Even though the book is not scholarly, it certainly falls within the realm of scholarly comment.
Rowling's hypocrisy is so thick I can hardly breathe: Prior to the publication of each novel, there were books about them that were no more intrusive than Lexicon. I contributed to one of them, and there was no complaint about it from Rowling or her publishers because they knew perfectly well that these fan/scholar ancillary publications were great publicity and actually boosted sales.
Of course, she doesn't claim that it's the Lexicon that is harming her "creative work" (who's she borrowing from this time?); it's the lawsuit itself! And since she chose to bring the suit, whose fault is it? If she had left Vander Ark alone to publish his little book and make his little bit of money, she wouldn't be distracted from her next novel.
Seventeen years? What a crock. Apparently she includes in that total the timeframe in which she was reading – and borrowing from – the work of other writers.
On the stand, though, Rowling's chief complaint seems to be that she would do a better job of annotating and encyclopedizing her own series.
Nothing prevents her from doing exactly that – annotating and explaining her own novels. Do you think that if there were a Harry Potter Annotated by the Author, Vander Ark's book would interfere with her sales in any way?
This frivolous lawsuit puts at serious risk the entire tradition of commentary on fiction. Any student writing a paper about the Harry Potter books, any scholarly treatise about it, will certainly do everything she's complaining about.
In other words, she already had made personal use of Vander Ark's work and found it valuable. Even if it has shortcomings, she found it useful.
That means that Vander Ark created something original and useful – he added value to the product. If Rowling wants to claim that it interferes with her creativity now, she should have made that complaint back when she was using it – and giving Vander Ark an award for his website back in 2004.
Now, of course, she regrets "bitterly" having given the award.
Now she is suing somebody who has devoted years to promoting her work and making no money from his efforts – which actually helped her make some of her bazillions of dollars.
Talent does not excuse Rowling's ingratitude, her vanity, her greed, her bullying of the little guy, and her pathetic claims of emotional distress.
1. Publication of Lexicon will go on without any problem or prejudice, because it clearly falls within the copyright law's provision for scholarly work, commentary and review.
2. Rowling will be forced to pay Steven Vander Ark's legal fees, since her suit was utterly without merit from the start.
It's like her stupid, self-serving claim that Dumbledore was gay. She wants credit for being very up-to-date and politically correct – but she didn't have the guts to put that supposed "fact" into the actual novels, knowing that it might hurt sales.
What a pretentious, puffed-up coward. When I have a gay character in my fiction, I say so right in the book. I don't wait until after it has had all its initial sales to mention it.
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It's a spectacularly frivolous, mean-spirited suit which she deserves to lose and almost certainly will loose. The notion that Vander Ark's work will in any way cut into her own profits (like she needs them) in the event that she cobbles together (or perhaps has cobbled together for her) her own Potter concordance, is ludicrous. My guess is that her agents and publishers were the prime movers.
Gee! J. K. Rowling volunteering as a metaphor for the once substantial Episcopal Church in this current ugly phase of its existence (if you are willing to stretch your imagination only a little as much as she did in her creative pursuits). Similes abound. None pretty for TEc.
I'm not as passionate about this issue as the writer of this piece — but these two paragraphs were so so true and hit home:****************It's like her stupid, self-serving claim that Dumbledore was gay. She wants credit for being very up-to-date and politically correct – but she didn't have the guts to put that supposed "fact" into the actual novels, knowing that it might hurt sales.What a pretentious, puffed-up coward. When I have a gay character in my fiction, I say so right in the book. I don't wait until after it has had all its initial sales to mention it.


text:
North SJ Valley:
Why Harder, other valley reps are asking EPA for close review of delta water plan
Modesto Bee
Political leaders from the valley are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to closely scrutinize new water quality standards proposed for the San Joaquin-Sacramento delta.
Mayor at odds with Modesto's $2.6 million offer to settle medical insurance claims
Modesto is moving forward with its plan to try to settle millions of dollars of city employees' unpaid medical claims under the assumption that medical providers will accept one-third of what they are owed.
Central SJ Valley:
Special election to fill vacant Fresno City Council seat set for August
Nathan Alonzo has lined up the support of Fresno's political establishment in his run for the District 4 city council seat. Paul Caprioglio currently holds the seat but will term out next year. Alonzo has the support of Caprioglio, along with Fresno's mayor, police chief, and sheriff.
McEwen: Brandau and Bredefeld Deserve to be Read the Riot Act
GV Wire
If anyone deserves a big-league butt-chewing from the fictional Col. Nathan Jessup, it's the north Fresno councilmen who find themselves buffeted by the city's newly liberal political winds.
South SJ Valley:
EDITORIAL: Congressman TJ Cox did not disclose some business interests as required. That's troubling
Fresno Bee
What the people of the 21st District need most is for Cox to avoid these bothersome paperwork errors that call his competence into question.
Harsh exchange with Democrat lands a California Republican in the Capitol 'dog house'
The cramped corner office dubbed "the dog house" is now home to a Republican who offended the top Democrat in the California Assembly. During a March 27 education hearing, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Granite Bay, lashed out over a Democratic proposal to prevent Teach for America members from working in the state's poorest schools.
Judge orders California to open voter registration at welfare offices, student aid centers
A judge has ordered California elections officials to expand voter registration throughout the state to county welfare offices and student financial aid centers.
Mendoca: Through 'inclusive capitalism,' California leads from the front
Some pundits and skeptics are questioning whether California can sustain its job-creation success. They're asking whether businesses are suddenly moving out of state and dooming the "California Dream." Nonsense.
EDITORIAL: Should Sacramento toughen the rules on who may run for president?
Since the 2016 election, more than two dozen states, including California, have considered adding another requirement for those who want to be included on the 2020 presidential primary ballot: They must disclose their federal tax returns.
Senate Republicans alter chamber rules to fast-track some Trump nominees
Senate Republicans approved a rare change in the chamber's rules slashing the debate time for many of President Trump's nominees, putting them on a fast-track.
Republicans trigger 'nuclear option' to speed Trump nominees Politico
Senate GOP Invokes 'Nuclear Option' to Change Rules by Simple Majority Wall Street Journal
Why we should care that the Senate will debate less Roll Call
House Democrats authorize subpoenas for Mueller report
House Democrats have authorized subpoenas for the full Mueller report and underlying materials, unsatisfied with Attorney General Barr's plans for a redacted report.
House opens fight for full Mueller report on Trump, Russia Visalia Times Delta
Trump claims he wasn't seeking pre-election health care vote
President Donald Trump is now suggesting he never wanted Congress to vote to replace the Affordable Care Act until after the 2020 election.
Poll: Majority of voters don't trust Trump on health care Politico
Key House Democrat Formally Asks For Trump's Tax Returns
Capital Public Radio
Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked the IRS commissioner for six years of President Trump's personal tax returns, as well as returns for some of his businesses.
House Democrats seek six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns Los Angeles Times
Kirstjen Nielsen has hung on as Homeland Security secretary, but at what price?
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen put down her pen, stood up and hugged the officials from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, thanking them for their work on what she hailed as a "historic" pact to target unauthorized migration.
Trump Likely to Announce Plans for Summit With China's Xi on Thursday
President Trump may announce plans for a summit with China's President Xi Jinping on Thursday when he meets with the country's vice premier, signaling that contentious trade talks between the two countries may be nearing conclusion.
For U.S. Business, Trump's China Deal Can't Come Soon Enough Bloomberg
House Democrats make habit of voting on legislation that doesn't change any laws
House Democrats are forming a nonbinding habit. For four legislative weeks in a row, the new majority has held votes on resolutions that do not carry the force of law and are designed simply to send a message.
EDITORIAL: The White House should come clean on security clearances
Of course it is difficult not to savor the irony in a White House whistleblower's claim that the Trump administration improperly granted security clearances to more than two dozen individuals.
Elections 2020:
Joe Biden says, 'I get it,' after women accuse him of inappropriate touching
Former Vice President Joe Biden responded on Wednesday to the extensive criticism he's faced after several women accused him of making them uncomfortable.
Joe Biden wants to be mindful about personal space? Get him a hula hoop Los Angeles Times
Trump mocks Biden over allegations of inappropriate touching Los Angeles Times
Biden's story is not a #MeToo case — but it is about respect San Francisco Chronicle
Biden Says He Will Be 'Much More Mindful' of Personal Space After Women's Accusations Wall Street Journal
'I get it': Joe Biden, accused of inappropriate physical contact by multiple women, says he will change his behavior Washington Post
PolitiFact Checks Statements By Democrats On The 2020 Campaign Trail
PolitiFact California reporter Chris Nichols checks statements by Senator Kamala Harris and editor Angie Holan checks statements by former Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke.
The Democrats need a candidate who speaks to Springsteen voters
With Sherrod Brown out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, a crucial question arises: Who will be the Bruce Springsteen candidate?
Kamala Harris' mortgage meltdown record under scrutiny
Sen. Kamala Harris points to how she wrestled $20 billion from banks as California attorney general during the housing meltdown.
Does the 'content of their character' still matter in the 2020 race?
What cannot be disputed is a simple message stripped down — that in life, character matters. It is a message that is aspirational, something to live by and pass on to the next generations.
Progressivism Is Radicalizing the Democratic Party
Liberals wondering why conservatives who worry about Trump don't join the Democrats should consider what is happening on their own side of the aisle.
Millions of Facebook accounts found on Amazon cloud servers
More than 540 million Facebook records — including users' comments, likes, account names and more — were left exposed by a third-party company on an Amazon cloud-computing server.
Bill Unveiled to Give Local News Outlets More Power to Counter Google, Facebook
A top House Democrat and Republican introduced legislation on Wednesday designed to give local news publishers a boost in negotiating with much larger tech platforms like Google and Facebook.
YouTube Executives Ignored Warnings, Let Toxic Videos Run Rampant
Proposals to change recommendations and curb conspiracies were sacrificed for engagement, staff say.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, April 7, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Countdown to the 2020 Census" – Guests: Secretary of State Alex Padilla; Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Meyers, the Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, April 7, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: "Census & Immigration: Distinctly Different Issues Intersect" – Guests: Laura Hill, PPIC: Taryn Luna, the Sacramento Bee; Dan Walters, CALmatters; Secretary of State Alex Padilla: Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Myers, the Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: "Tren de alta velocidad… atorado en trafico?" – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, Jefe de Relaciones Publicas de las Oficina de la Auditora Estatal. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Gallo is buying 34 wine and spirit brands you've heard of — for $1.7 billion
E.&J. Gallo Winery has 34 new wine and spirit brands to its name after reaching a $1.7 billion deal to purchase properties from its rival Constellation Brands.
Chickens, other poultry banned from September's Kern County Fair
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Fair has canceled this September's poultry show and live poultry exhibits on the advice of California State Veterinarian Annette Jones. An outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease has had a devastating effect on poultry and poultry producers across the state, she said.
Pork industry to gain power over inspections
The Trump administration plans to shift much of the power and responsibility for food safety inspections in hog plants to the pork industry as early as May, cutting the number of federal inspectors by about 40% and replacing them with plant employees.
Holy Guacamole: Would America Really 'Run Out Of Avocados' If Trump Closes The Border?
Given Trump's repeated threats to close the border and America's avocado obsession, PolitiFact California decided the time was ripe for a fact check.
Bipartisan bill to protect legal cannabis businesses introduced
A bipartisan bill protecting state laws regulating marijuana use from the federal government was re-introduced on Thursday in the House and Senate.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Out of the car, Siri. California urged to ban even hands-free cellphone use for drivers
California already busts drivers for holding their phones behind the wheel – but it got a call Wednesday to become the first state to ban even hands-free use of electronic devices by motorists.
California considers tougher standards for drivers who drink
In California, two drinks may soon be too much for most of us if lawmakers and drunk driving victims get their way. They've proposed a bill in California's State Assembly called Liam's Law. It would impose a stricter legal alcohol limit on drivers, from .08 to .05.
Lower The DUI Level To 0.05 Percent? Two California Lawmakers Propose Change To Combat Drunk Driving. Capital Public Radio
Driver complacency driving up auto theft rate in Modesto
With the city's auto theft rate ranking in the top 10 nationally for more than a decade, including the No. 1 spot several times, the Modesto Police Department looked at the causes of the crime and found that nearly a quarter of them were preventable.
Voters get say on bail, judges urge reform
Visalia Times Delta
California's no cash bail law is on hold until the November 2020 election. But, leaders in criminal justice plan to move forward with reforms to the state's pretrial detention system.
Gavin Newsom could be ahead of the curve on the death penalty
Gov. Gavin Newsom's decision last month to declare a moratorium on the death penalty in California drew instant complaints that he was tromping on the will of the people who voted down a ban on capital punishment in 2016.
Golden State Killer deserves death, but Newsom's moratorium may save him Sacramento Bee
A Closer Look at Women's Arrest Rates
A recent PPIC report found that while arrest rates declined for both men and women, they dropped significantly more for men than for women (57% and 13%, respectively) between 1980 and 2016.
House Democrats Seek to Expand Domestic-Violence Bill
House Democrats' effort to prevent domestic abusers from possessing guns has roiled debate over a landmark domestic-violence bill that typically secures bipartisan support.
Public Safety:
You can now send a text for help to 9-1-1 in Visalia
Visalia police launched a new way to reach 9-1-1 in emergencies. If you're in a position where you need help, but can't make a phone call, you can now send a text to 9-1-1.
Sales soar after ban on ammunition magazines ruled 'unconstitutional'
Gun stores are eagerly welcoming back California customers after the state's nearly twenty-year ban on certain ammunition magazines was declared unconstitutional.
California Seeks to Turn Magazine Ban Back On Guns
New protection for SJ deputies
Stockton Record
The Sheriff's Office unveiled 20 of its "Helus shields" on Wednesday — a stark contrast from the current hard ballistic shields already in use by the sergeant unit.
Why California's proposed law on deadly police force isn't as tough as it seems
In the aftermath of several controversial police shootings in California, activists and victims' families have hoped their anguish would lead to action. They have protested, pleaded and lobbied for a law that would clear long-standing hurdles to criminal prosecution in some cases.
Human Trafficking In Fresno: A Huge Problem And Hard To Prosecute
Last week, Fresno Mayor Lee Brand introduced a new initiative aimed at combating a huge problem here in the Valley: Human trafficking. The initiative brings together city government, law enforcement, and aid organizations, many of which have been addressing trafficking for years.
Pregnant prison guards say California forces them to choose: Their jobs or their babies
California state correctional officers who become pregnant face a difficult choice, according to a newly filed class action lawsuit.
California's juvenile reform plan must lead to wider changes and true justice
At his inauguration, Gov. Newsom made a bold promise to tear down California's juvenile justice system and replace it with a smarter approach. What most Californians may not realize is that this is about more than teens and criminal justice.
Let States Jam Prison Cellphones
A narrow reading of a 1934 federal law allows inmates to commit more crimes. 'Reception is so bad . . . I'm trying to get over to Verizon, so that way every time, if it's in my pocket or whatever, your call's still gonna come in and I can hear you clearer."
Pack the Court? Putting a popular imprint on the federal judiciary
Today, Democratic politicians and others under a "pack the Court" banner advocate adding two or more seats to the Supreme Court to undo the slim five-justice Republican-appointee majority.
EDITORIAL: Why good move by Sheriff Dirkse needs to be followed with full transparency
This much is certain: Each of these recordings, and thousands more each day across the United States, encourage us to talk about law enforcement, what officers do and how it affects us. That's a good thing.
California eyes risk pool as it struggles with costly fires
Officials were struggling Wednesday to find ways for homeowners to afford insurance in fire-prone areas of California and for utilities to survive liability from devastating wildfires that threaten to worsen with climate change.
Federal Judge Imposes New Probation Terms On PG&E To Reduce Wildfire Risk
The utility company is already on probation for its felony conviction related to a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion.
PG&E shakes up leadership in deal brokered by hedge funds. Gov. Gavin Newsom isn't pleased Sacramento Bee
You don't have to live close to wildfires for them to kill you
For nearly two weeks last November, smoke from the Camp fire drained 150 miles down the Central Valley and out toward the sea, engulfing Sacramento and the whole Bay Area. San Francisco looked — and breathed — like New Delhi, the world's most polluted city.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Fresno Target stores join latest trend of shopping without leaving your car. Here's how
Target stores in Fresno and Clovis, California, have introduced a new feature from its app called Drive Up, a same day shopping service letting customers pick up purchases in the parking lot, like Walmart.
Walmart misled customers with oversized containers, California prosecutors say. Now it'll pay
California district attorneys, including Fresno, accused Walmart of misleading customers by packaging some health & beauty products in oversized containers. Now the discount retailer will pay a $495,000 settlement.
Walmart to pay $495,000 for selling products with misleading packaging abc30
Trump's economic advisers want to exempt commercial trade if he closes border
President Donald Trump has not yet decided about closing the southern border, but a top adviser has said he and others had serious concerns about the economic impact.
Few Winners, Many Losers From Trade Tariffs, IMF Study Finds Wall Street Journal
A surging economy makes the Democratic campaign to raise the minimum wage superfluous
The discussion may be superfluous, because so many major employers across the country are already raising wages and the paychecks of lower-income Americans are showing significant gains.
Telcom giants are coming to the Valley, and they're bringing 1,000 jobs
Kingsburg has been selected by T-Mobile and Sprint as the site for a new telephone call center that will eventually employ about 1,000 people.
T-Mobile tests customer service center in Kingsburg abc30
T-Mobile selects Kingsburg for call center, 1,000 Jobs Business Journal
Disney faces gender pay lawsuit, accused of paying women less than men
Two female employees sued Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday, alleging the company is violating the state's equal pay act and paying women less than men doing similar work.
2019 Job Killers – Advocacy
California Chamber of Commerce
The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual Job Killer list, which includes 24 bills that would harm California's economic growth and job creation should they become law.
Lawmakers Push New Retirement Legislation
Congress is making another push on legislation that could make it easier for small companies to offer 401(k) plans and for workers to guarantee themselves an annual income after they retire.
Think Ex-Felons Should Be Working? Then Give Them a Chance
These laws, which have existed for two decades, prohibit employers from asking job candidates about their criminal history until closer to the end of the hiring process rather than on the initial application.
K-12:
Slatic did not tell the truth about tussle. Did Fresno authorities take him at his word?
The Fresno County DA's Office, according to its own news release, said it could not charge district trustee Terry Slatic unless it could be proven that Slatic touched the 15-year-old in a harmful or offensive manner, and that Slatic did not act in self-defense.
Quail Lake Charter School earns 'Green Ribbon Schools Award'
Going green earned Quail Lake Charter School the "Green Ribbon Schools Award." The honor from the California Department of Education is given to schools that promote eating healthy, environmental literacy and resource conservation.
Administrators unveil new Reedley Middle College High School campus
Reedley Middle College High School finally has permanent classrooms and buildings to call its own. Administrators unveiled the new $9 million campus Wednesday during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
States sue Trump administration over school lunches
A group of states is suing the Trump administration over changes it made to school lunch nutrition standards initially championed by Michelle Obama.
Students to receive 5,000 books
Madera Tribune
The Walt Disney Company and the nonprofit company First Book recently launched a partnership with the local United Way to distribute 5,000 books to Valley students.
Will Oakland Teachers move to Madera?
Rumor has it that Madera's teachers and its school board are on the verge of settling their labor-negotiation differences. While neither the teachers' union nor the administration are saying much publicly, the word on the street is that they are about to reach an agreement on the current contract.
Westlands Water District announces scholarship application period for college-bound seniors
Hanford Sentinel
Westlands Water District is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for the District's annual scholarship program.
Lemoore, and county educators, employees clean up at annual Kings County Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony in Hanford
Lemoore Leader
Lemoore education, in a way, was one of the big winners at Tuesday night's Excellence in Education Awards ceremony held at Hanford's Civic Center. When all was said and done, Kings County's top administrator and employee both hail from Lemoore.
California Students Part Of Record Number Of Female Competitors In Contest To Design Energy-Efficient Vehicles
This year, nearly a quarter of the participants in Shell's Eco-Marathon identify as female, marking the largest proportion for the event to date.
Lack of effective state education data system holds students back
When Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed building a statewide data system to track students from pre-K through college and into the labor market, the empirical researcher in me said: "Finally."
Progressives Threaten to Destroy School Reform
Education scholars recently wrote that the school-reform movement is losing its mojo, not because it has run out of useful ideas but because it has become populated by progressives who prefer to prioritize anti-Trump "resistance."
Higher Ed:
Fresno City College is finally set to get a parking structure, but it may be a wait
Fresno City College is finally slated to get a new parking structure that will have up to 1,000 parking spaces and cost an estimated $15 million to build. The State Center Community College District board voted Tuesday evening to approve the project.
Suicide prevention exhibit coming to Stanislaus State, Modesto Junior College
Students' mental health is one of the primary health concerns at college campuses nationwide, said Megan Rowe, health education coordinator at Stanislaus State.
Fresno State to help grow STEM in Egypt
Fresno State will assist in creating a teacher education program focused on STEM education in Egypt. The design and implementation of this program comes as part of a $24.2 million award from the United States Agency for International Development.
Is science a red vs. blue issue? Fresno seminar to examine politics and journalism in science
Former Fresno Bee reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on April 9, 2019, during a seminar on science journalism at Fresno State.
Education Department rejects nearly all applicants for a student loan forgiveness program
Tens of thousands of public servants have applied to have their federal student loans forgiven through a temporary relief program run by the U.S. Education Department. Fewer than 300 have had success.
The Looming Danger for Dissident Professors
Dissenting from the powerful progressive currents on our nation's campuses can be very dangerous. Those who challenge the orthodox norms find little support among faculty, students, and administrators and can be severely punished socially and professionally.
EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court teaches the Academy of Art a lesson
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid to halt an employee case against the Academy of Art. Luckily, that provides a chance to scrutinize the school's enrollment practices.
Apprenticeships:
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
PG&E shakes up leadership in deal brokered by hedge funds. Gov. Gavin Newsom isn't pleased
PG&E on Wednesday appointed a new CEO and overhauled its board of directors in a move brokered by major hedge fund investors.
PG&E names new chief executive, board abc30
Troubled California utility names new chief executive, board Sacramento Bee
PG&E names Bill Johnson as CEO and overhauls its board Los Angeles Times
PG&E names utility industry veteran as new CEO, announces 10 new board members San Francisco Chronicle
Are you a Merced-area resident who gets power from MID? Your bill's going up
Merced Sun-Star
Customers who get their electricity from the Merced Irrigation District will soon see a 2 percent increase in their bill, officials with the water district announced. The increase is the first change to the rate since 2010 and MID said it was necessary to keep up with rising costs of operation.
Is the cost of your gasoline about to rise? Washington looks ready to talk about a tax hike
The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on — and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel.
We Checked President Trump's Dubious Claims on the Perils of Wind Power
More recently, in rallies and speeches, Mr. Trump has stepped up his attacks on wind turbines, suggesting that their noise can cause cancer (there's absolutely no evidence of this) and predicting power failures when the wind stops blowing (also not true).
What are states doing amid nation's second-largest measles outbreak?
The measles outbreaks in the U.S. this year — the 387 current reported cases in 15 states is already the second-largest figure in two decades — have highlighted the importance of fighting off the disease through immunization.
This brain scan changes how doctors treat Alzheimer's. Here's why it's so hard to get.
Researchers at the Alzheimer's Association and the University of California reported results of a new study Tuesday, showing that when doctors were able to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease using brain scans, they changed their patients' treatment in roughly two-thirds of the cases.
Bad Diets Are Responsible For More Deaths Than Smoking, Global Study Finds
Some 11 million deaths annually are linked to diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease, a study finds. Researchers say that makes diet the leading risk factor for deaths around the world.
Hepatitis C Not A Barrier For Organ Transplantation, Study Finds
Researchers found that antiviral drugs are effective in preventing transmission of the hepatitis C virus from donated hearts and lungs to recipients. The result could help reduce organ wait times.
One of us was a pain patient saved by opioids, the other was addicted to them. We both deserve a solution
With overdose deaths at record highs, many Americans believe that we have over-treated pain at the expense of those who became addicted to prescription opioids. Increasingly, the media and politicians all but deny that pain exists, highlighting the blight of addiction and doing precious little to address either.
California Surgeon General Launches Statewide Listening Tour Focused On Childhood Trauma
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California's first surgeon general, says some of the biggest public health risks facing the state stem from childhood trauma.
State surgeon general's prescription for a healthy Sacramento: Alleviating childhood trauma Sacramento Bee
Beyond the tampon tax: How far will California go to end "menstrual inequity"?
In California, menstrual equity means exempting period products from state sales tax and ensuring that tampons and pads are provided as freely as toilet paper in public schools and universities, government building and prisons.
CA baby sex surgery bill: LGBT groups support, doctors oppose
Who should get to decide what to do when a baby is born with atypical genitals? That's the question lawmakers are grappling with as they consider a measure that would ban doctors from performing genital-altering surgeries on infants unless deemed medically necessary.
Local law firm donates $10,000 to Bakersfield Homeless Center
A local law firm donated $10,000 to the Bakersfield Homeless Center Wednesday, in an effort to help combat the city's homeless crisis. The donation, made by Chain, Cohn, Stiles law firm, will go toward the center's job skills training program and street cleaning team in downtown Bakersfield.
Families With Children Are Significantly More Likely to Live in Poverty in California Than in the Rest of the US
California Budget & Policy Center
Poverty is more prevalent among families with kids in California than in the rest of the US. In California, 18% of all families with kids and 20% of families with kids under age 6 have incomes below the poverty line – much higher than in the rest of the US.
Childhood Poverty: California's 'Moral Outrage' KQED
California's Behavioral Health Services Workforce Is Inadequate for Older Adults
Funding has not kept pace with an existing behavioral health workforce shortage crisis, the rapid growth of an aging population, and the historical lack of geriatric training in higher education for the helping professions.
Health-care costs for retirees climb to $285,000
Despite the hefty price tag, there's a piece of good news about retirees' health-care costs: They aren't rising as quickly as they were even a few years ago.
San Diego County sues US over asylum-seeking family releases
San Diego County sued Wednesday to overturn the Trump administration's cancellation of an immigration program because the move has led to the quick release of families after they cross the border without allowing time for travel arrangements.
Border Patrol's largest holding area — known to migrants as 'the kennel' — is overwhelmed
Overwhelmed by an influx of migrant families, the federal government's largest holding facility for people caught crossing the border illegally has run out of space and exhausted its budget.
Guatemalan boy who died in U.S. custody on Christmas Eve had the flu, autopsy finds
An autopsy report confirmed that an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy who died while in custody of the U.S. Border Patrol on Christmas Eve succumbed to a flu infection — one of two deaths of Central American children in December that raised concerns about the government's ability to care for minors at the southern border.
Central Americans need less violence, more development, and a safe place to stay Brookings
Trump's false claims about Mexico's immigration system
Trump says Mexico began to detain thousands of Central American migrants at its southern border only this week. Let's not beat around the bush here — that's totally false. They've been doing it for decades.
As lawmakers fret, Trump takes closure threat to border with 2020 in mind Roll Call
Short of Workers, U.S. Builders and Farmers Crave More Immigrants
As a tight labor market raises costs, employers say the need for low-wage help can't be met by the declining ranks of the native-born.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Subdivision going to the auction block
When Tulare County puts Lindsay Mission Estates up for sale in June in an online tax-recovery auction, the 36-acre former citrus grove will come with some of the pre-construction work done.
'Opportunity Zones' Spur New State Tax Incentives
Governors helped the U.S. Treasury Department choose nearly 9,000 economically distressed "opportunity zones" where people can get a tax break for investing in certain businesses and properties.
Visalia's birthplace may become high-rise apartments
A 150-year-old slice of Visalia history and iconic venue could soon find new life as a high-density senior housing project in the heart of downtown. City officials announced they intend to sell the Old Lumberyard site on Oak Avenue. The 1.54-acre lot was appraised at $1.2 million.
More money to fight homelessness could come California's way under this bipartisan plan
Congress is considering giving a $750 million bump in help to comprehensive programs to help the homeless, with agreement from both Democrats and Republicans that it's an innovative approach to a persistent issue.
Bipartisan Disapproval Over Trump Administration's Housing Program Cuts
Lawmakers told HUD Secretary Ben Carson Wednesday they're very unlikely to support the administration's budget plan to cut billions of dollars from housing and development programs.
Only rent control can keep Californians in their homes
State legislators recently introduced a package of three bills that would make huge strides toward alleviating this housing crisis and protecting families.
Opinion: 'Housing first' policy fails to consider needs of homeless women, children
Gov. Gavin Newsom is shifting control of the Juvenile Justice Division to the California Health and Human Services Agency, away from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with the goal to better identify and address early childhood trauma to prevent future incarceration.
EDITORIAL: A second court loss should tell Sacramento not to rob money from consumer fraud
A state appeals court ruled this week that California is wrong to hold on to $331 million from a nationwide bank settlement and use the the funds to pay off housing bonds.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Walters: A crackdown on misuse of taxpayer money?
As documented in this space on several occasions, local government officials throughout California have been thumbing their noses at a state law that prohibits them from using taxpayer funds for political campaigns.
Higher gas, diesel taxes being seriously discussed in Washington
McClatchy DC
Here's what you need to know about traffic and road work on Highway 41 this month
Sierra Star
Highway 41 near Fish Camp in Mariposa County will be under one-way traffic control for most of April due to an "emergency job," Caltrans announced.
State Route 41 roadway striping project begins, prompting lane closures Hanford Sentinel
Merced County voters approved a special tax to fix roads. So when will the roads get better?
Merced-area officials sang the praises this week of a half-cent sales tax that is beginning to fund transportation projects but it remains unclear how long residents will have to wait to see significant results.
Millions for Bakersfield road projects to become available each year after city finishes TRIP without bonds
Millions of dollars per year will soon become available for improvements to Bakersfield's roads as the Thomas Roads Improvement Program winds down.
DMV dysfunction prompts Newsom to ask for new workers
Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking $168 million to hire more than 1,100 new employees at the California Department of Motor Vehicles and make other changes to reduce long wait times at DMV offices.
A Revolution Sweeping Railroads Upends How America Moves Its Stuff
In the biggest change in decades, freight industry switches to system with fewer trains on tighter schedules.
To build the cities of the future, we must get out of our cars
The purpose of cities is to bring people together. In the 20th century, we blew them apart.
Final snow survey looks promising for Valley farmers
The survey dipstick plunged deep into the snow at Phillips Station at 109.5 inches on Tuesday. Statewide the snowpack is 162% of average after a series of spring storms that seemed never to stop.
Sierra Nevada snow survey results well above average Hanford Sentinel
Snow survey boosts runoff predictions Porterville Recorder
Water Rushes Down Oroville Dam's New Spillway For First Time Since 2017's Crisis
The California Department Of Water Resources used the dam's main spillway for the first time since the 2017 incident, which led to the evacuation of more than 180,000 people in Oroville and downstream.
Skelton: California tax to clean up toxic drinking water has lawmakers jumpy
The ghost of Josh Newman haunts the state Capitol, sending shivers through certain politicians' spines at the mere mention of the scary word "tax."
Chukchansi Park got quite a facelift. Here is what's new at Fresno Grizzlies games
Ready for a new and improved experience at Fresno Grizzlies games? The Triple-A baseball team's new ownership invested $3.4 million during the offseason toward improvements at Chukchansi Park, and it's all ready for public use come Thursday night's season opener.
Kearney Mansion is turning into the scene of 'The Great Gatsby' for this Saturday event
The Fresno Historical Society has arrived at its 100th year. To celebrate, the organization is throwing a Great Gatsby-themed centennial gala on April 6 at the Kearney Mansion west of Fresno, California.
Free food: Cake, burritos and more at Fresno, Clovis restaurants in April
Free cake. Now those are some sweet words. During April 2019 several big-name restaurants in the Fresno/Clovis area are offering free deals. They include the cake, a free burrito on National Burrito Day and tax-time deals.
Benefit concert will help raise money for Central Valley Honor Flight
Three country music singers will take the Tower Theatre stage to raise money for Vietnam veterans to go on the Central Valley Honor Flight.
Dogs' day out: Mega Adoption Event to offer adoptable animals, pet activities, more
The annual Mega Adoption Event, put on by the Make Kern No-Kill Coalition, is back for its third year at the Kern County Fairgrounds, but this year's event isn't just for people looking to adopt, but also for those who already have furry friends.
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False?
Do you really know what is fake news?
Support the Maddy Daily
Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California's most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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Home Gaming Activision Sues Call of Duty: Warzone Cheat Maker
Activision Sues Call of Duty: Warzone Cheat Maker
Activision has taken the company to court after catching tens of thousands of users utilizing EngineOwning's multiple hacks and cheats.
Activision has filed a court order against cheat provider EngineOwning, accusing them of supplying thousands of gamers with cheats and, above all, hurting their reputation and sales in an attempt to end Warzone hackers once and for all. Following the success of Blackout mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Call of Duty: Warzone was released in 2020 as a free-to-play battle royale spin-off of 2019's Modern Warfare. Despite the cheating and other bugs that still plague the game, Warzone remains a financial success. It continues to be supported by Activision every month, as the game has over 100 million players worldwide.
Since its release, Call of Duty's Battle Royale mode has been plagued by hackers, and the addition of cross-play has only made things worse for casual console gamers. As a result, Infinity Ward has recently implemented stringent anti-cheat measures, including banning over 600,000 hackers and prohibiting them from registering new accounts. Activision also introduced Richochet, a new anti-cheat system for Warzone and Vanguard that includes server-side tools to identify cheaters in the act. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped cheats and hackers from coming back and inventing new ways to spoil games for other players.
Also See: Netflix's Gaming Plans Seem To Include Original Games & Mobile Titles
Activision looks to be suing the source behind the game's most popular cheats as part of new anti-hacking measures. Activision filed a lawsuit in the Central District Court of California yesterday, alleging that cheat maker EngineOwning infringed on its copyright, violated its terms of service, and caused "irreparable damage to its goodwill and reputation," as well as hurting sales through the distribution of numerous hacks and cheats, according to Kotaku. The business also claims to have detected "tens of thousands" of cheaters utilizing EngineOwning, claiming that the exploits are inexpensive, undetectable, and continue to upset casual players.
While Activision continues to fight cheats, the instigators have started a new trend. Cheaters' usernames openly criticize Warzone's new anti-cheat system. Cheaters with usernames like "YesImHacking" and "NiceAnticheat," which can only be gained by utilizing various cheating programs, have been spotted all across Warzone, indicating that the new anti-cheat system may not be practical.
Also See: Rainbow Six Extraction Release Date Seemingly Confirmed In Updated Post
Since its release, the Warzone has proven to be the best experience for players returning to the massively multiplayer shooter franchise. However, players will not want to play a competitive game that is broken and frustrating due to hackers and cheaters. Hence it is in the studio's best interest to improve its anti-cheat system. In the future, further information concerning the lawsuit and the ongoing crisis with Warzone's cheats is expected.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox One S, and PC.
Source: Kotaku
Call of Duty updates
Warzone Cheat Maker
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Peter has been an ItechBrand reporter since July 2019. He previously covered tech Brand news in the United States from 2015 to 2017, before moving to San Francisco to write about cybersecurity. as well as over a decade of professional writing experience. He enjoys copious amounts of tea, board games, and football.
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We're Moving to 124 Clement Street!
After 6+ years at our little shop on 6th Avenue, we are SO EXCITED to announce that we will be moving to Clement Street next month! We've been looking for a larger space on Clement for years and finally found 124 Clement. On the north side of Clement Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, it's adjacent to Chapeau! and The Plough & Stars and on same block as the weekly Clement Street Farmers Market.
The new space is about 3 times larger than our current space! We'll continue to stock your favorite items, add more products from makers we already carry, as well as introduce new brands and practical items we currently don't have space for. We're especially thrilled to have more space to host pop-ups, workshops, and events. The space is still under renovation but our goal is to be open by the first weekend of April and have a Grand Opening Party on Saturday, April 21st with DJ Andy Cabic of Vetiver. This incredible photo from 1951 is courtesy of Western Neighborhoods.


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Q: How to use count over 2d list in pandas I have a Dataframe like this:
df = pd.DataFrame({'text':['No thank you', 'They didnt respond me'],
                   'pred':['positive', 'negative'],
                   'score':["[[0, 0, 1], [1, 0, 2], [1, 0, 0]]", "[[], [0, 1, 0], [], []]"]
                   })

(Its a string but we can convert it to list this way from ast import literal_eval.   df["score"] = df["score"].apply(literal_eval))
which looks like this:
text,                  pred                 score
No thank you.          positive    [[0, 0, 1], [1, 0, 2], , [1, 0, 0]]]
They didn't respond me negative    [[], [0, 1, 0], [], []]

The score is a 2d list, in which the first element is for positive second element for negative and third element neutral.
What I want is if the pred=positive count the number of list in the score that are non zero and non empty. The same logic for negative and neutral.
So the result will look like this:
text,                  pred                 score                        count
No thank you.          positive    [[0, 0, 1], [1, 0, 2], [1, 0, 0]]]      2
They didn't respond me negative    [[], [0, 1, 0], [], []]                 1

because in the first row the pred=positive and two elements in the first position of score are non empty non zero, and the same applies to negative.
What I have done so far:
m_sum = {"positive": 0, "negative": 1, "neutral": 2}
df["count"] = df.apply(
    lambda x: count(v[m_sum[x["pred"]]] for v in x["score"] if v and v!=0),
    axis=1)

But cannot use count this way.
Thanks.

A: You can use sum() to count number of non-zero elements:
# if not converted already, convert the "score" column to list:
# from ast import literal_eval
# df["score"] = df["score"].apply(literal_eval)

m_sum = {"positive": 0, "negative": 1, "neutral": 2}

df["count"] = df.apply(
    lambda x: sum(v[m_sum[x["pred"]]] != 0 for v in x["score"] if v),
    axis=1,
)
print(df)

Prints:
                    text      pred                              score  count
0           No thank you  positive  [[0, 0, 1], [1, 0, 2], [1, 0, 0]]      2
1  They didnt respond me  negative            [[], [0, 1, 0], [], []]      1

A: Just replace '[]' by '[0, 0, 0]' and compute the sum and get the right column according 'pred' column:
get_cnt = lambda x: np.sum(ast.literal_eval(x['score']), axis=0)[m_sum[x['pred']]]

df['count'] = df.replace({'score': {r'\[\]': '[0, 0, 0]'}}, regex=True) \
                .apply(get_cnt, axis=1)

Output:
>>> df
                    text      pred                              score  count
0           No thank you  positive  [[0, 0, 1], [1, 0, 2], [1, 0, 0]]      2
1  They didnt respond me  negative            [[], [0, 1, 0], [], []]      1


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Treating Customers Fairly Policy
The Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) initiative is primarily based on the obligation set out in Principle 6 requiring a firm to pay due regard to the interests of its clients and treat them fairly. CIRCA5000 is fully committed to TCF and this Policy has been designed to demonstrate the application of TCF during the course of our day to day activities.
TCF is embedded throughout the FCA's Handbook and we support the TCF initiative and satisfy the FCA's six core consumer outcomes which explain what it wants TCF to achieve for consumers. These are:
Consumers can be confident they are dealing with firms where TCF is central to the corporate culture.
Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and targeted accordingly.
Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect and the associated service is both of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.
Our TCF Mission Statement
We will act with integrity in everything that we do and aim to be in partnership with our clients.
Our TCF Principles
Customers will be provided with clear information and kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
We will not give advice to our customers. Where they seek advice from us we will recommend that they seek independent financial advice from a regulated and qualified advisor.
Our level of service and product performance will meet the expectations of our customers as far as reasonably possible.
We will ensure that there is no barrier for customers to express their requests, concerns or complaints, and will always be responsive to them.
Products and services will be designed to meet the needs of clients albeit we do not give advice as to suitability.
Assessing and implementing our TCF Principles
All CIRCA5000's financial promotions and marketing literature are reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for the target audience and are presented in a clear, fair and not misleading manner.
Sales, Advice, Management
We ensure that our clients have ready access to Key Investor Documents both before during and after any transaction.
We classify all our clients correctly to ensure they are offered the appropriate level of protection. Investment and asset allocation decisions are regularly reviewed by the relevant committee.
Post-Sale Information and Support
CIRCA5000 strives to keep its clients informed at all times. Appropriate records are provided as required and on an ongoing basis. We have appropriate capacity and processing arrangements in place to ensure continuous support and no post-sale barriers.
CIRCA5000 has a number of policies and procedures that are relevant to the fair treatment of clients and also achieve adherence to FCA requirements, these are (this not an exhaustive list):
• Data Protection Policy
• Training and Competence Policy
• Complaint Handling Procedures
• Financial Promotions Procedures
CIRCA5000 produces MI in order to assess its performance against TCF principles. We ensure that MI is accurate, timely, consistent and relevant in order to assist the business in making informed decisions in the best interests of our clients. CIRCA5000 produces MI reports which are reviewed regularly by senior managers, directors and board members in various committee meetings.
Awareness/Training
CIRCA5000 ensures that all advisers and staff are familiar with the fundamental principles of TCF. In addition, where applicable, advisers and staff are trained in order to suitably advise on and efficiently explain and provide our products and services. We make sure that all of our advisers and staff achieve the necessary qualifications and training in order to carry out their job functions with the required competence level. We undertake regular monitoring and assessment of our advisers and staff so that we can be certain of their competence.
CIRCA5000 has a compliance team who is independent and regularly monitors all key areas of regulatory compliance including TCF.
CIRCA5000 operates a remuneration model that mitigates sales bias and rewards non-sales staff in a way that would not negatively impact the treatment of its clients.
CIRCA5000 aims to provide excellent customer service and complaint handling is a major component of its TCF measures. We deal with customer complaints fairly and objectively and attempt to put things right as quickly as possible, in accordance with the rules laid down by the FCA. All complaints are recorded and monitored by our compliance team and reported and analysed in company MI and committee meetings.
CIRCA5000's culture is and has been throughout the years in line with the outcomes stipulated by the FCA's TCF initiative. However, we frequently review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that TCF remains a crucial part of our business.
We ask our clients to provide us feedback, sometimes formally through customer surveys, so that we can improve our service. The information we collate from our clients can be reflected in company MI and reviewed by senior managers, directors and board members to help shape any strategic decisions.


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text:
Born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to Marcel and Martha Jéan-Pierre and his "second mother" Ann-Marie Jéan-Pierre, Dean Jéan-Pierre is the eldest of two children. He has a younger brother named Denny.
At age nine, the death of Mr. Jéan-Pierre's father made him look for a place of sanctuary. That place was found in his imagination, the world of books and the Frederiksted (V.I.)Public Library, where he was usually the first reader of the new Beverly Clearly, Hardy Boys or Encyclopedia Brown books.
When your passion speaks to your heart, resisting is not an option...
A gifted writer and storyteller, Mr. Jéan-Pierre stimulates the inner passions of his readers with a mixture of sensually erotic short stories and prose which is skillfully written to feed not only the body but also the mind. He believes that the mind is an underused sexual organ that, once stimulated, can be just as potent as the body. There is an intimate tenderness that he brings in his character portrayals not often expressed by men. Mr. Jéan-Pierre is able to express the vulnerabilities of the human physique when love and passion meet in the place of the heart. He brings a fresh new outlook and perspective on relationships from all gender perspectives in several urban markets.
Mr. Jéan-Pierre's first collection, "The Pussy Whispers," is a sensual erotic compilation of short stories written by a master to seduce his readers into his world with deep verbal penetrations. It will leave them craving for more of his cerebral erotica. Scheduled to be released in the winter of 2009, "The Pussy Whispers" will be the first of many full-length works of Mr. Jéan-Pierre''s fiction and poetry. His first novel is scheduled for release in 2010. Independently well-versed and traveled, Mr. Jéan-Pierre currently resides in Maryland.