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Your Local Station – Across The Nation!
DO YOU have fond memories of a local or even national Non-BBC radio station that we haven't got listed here? Can you say a couple of words about the character of its output that doesn't just involve listing presenters and dates or waffling on about 'airchecks' (whatever they are exactly)?
If so, then please do exactly that in the comments below; even Radio Cream hasn't heard every station in existence, so this is where YOUR memories come in… and if they're good enough, you'll get a namecheck (and not an 'aircheck') in the eventual entry!
Related Items:faded car window stickers, impenetrable boasts about how 'the music sounds better right here', requests for "Jenny listening in Stockport there", some half-arsed 'shock jock' that about three people in your class were addicted to, the 'Love Zone'
Robert Minto
I remember listening to Radio Clyde when Richard Park was still there, before he became the boss at Capital Radio.
Another DJ, I enjoyed listening to was Tom Bell on Forth AM, 1548.
They were the days.
essex radio which i remember most for the mr wishmore windows and doors jingle song played constantly,so much so that my mum phoned up mr wishmore to obtain a vinyl record floppy of the song.
essex radios first song was wired for sound by cliff,thats when i knew radio 1 was for me and essex for my mum.
also remember timbo in first years of bbc essex and rushing home from school to listen to his jingles and also plugging star trekkin by the firm every day which i loved,ahh memories 🙂
also loved listening to ceaser the geezer at invicta under the bedclothes finishing at 1am.no wonder i didnt do well at school,i couldnt stay awake.
The station of chocie for me in my student days in Newcastle in the 1980's had to be Metro Radio, the original home of James Whale's Night Owls phone-in program and the genius that was Alan Robson – initially at the weekends with his rock show on a Saturday and the Bridges show on the Sunday, but later taking over from Alan Bessant after his stint as James Whale's replacement ended.
I've never found a radio station since that met my tastes as well as that station did…
Lee James Turnock
Northants 96.6 – the Hot FM!
WGMS – the World's Greatest Music Station (no hyperbole there, then).
KCBC – Kettering and Coventry Broadcasting Corporation.
Nick O. Teen
Just adding to Mike's post above: Metro Radio memories:
The great James Whale – Nightowls was essential listening in the late '70s (once Peely had finished, of course). It was often said that Mr Whale was the North-East's biggest cult – I said CULT! – and he's still going strong, on LBC 97.3 in London. I live a long way from Newcastle now, and Alan Robson is still doing Nightowls, though when I last listened in over the 'net, the subject under discussion was slang names for the penis. Dumbing down? Naaahh!
Bill Steel's Breakfast Show – featuring a voice who'd call out "Divven't be silly man!" in the middle of records (eg the end of the talky bit in Neil Sedaka's 'Oh Carol' when Neil says 'I will surely die'…);
Paddy Macdee – the type of radio DJ lampooned by Steve Wright's Dave Doubledecks character in the 80s..every 's' sound came out as 'sh', so you'd hear "that'sh a shuper shound, ishn't it?";
Jeff Brown – the original Saturday night rock show presenter, who introduced me to Motorhead, ELP, Thin Lizzy, and many more. As a 14-year-old, I visited the Metro studio, and met Jeff. He was the music librarian at Metro.
Glenn A
I remember Metro with great affection, particularly Alan Robson on Nightowls and also in the seventies they syndicated part of Kenny Everett's show from Capital Radio. It regularly wiped the floor with Radio Newcastle, which was dominated by Frank Wappat and his thirties records, and rivalled Radio 1 for most popular station in the North East.
Everyone in Northampton can sing the Mann Egerton car showrooms jingle (YES, YES YOU CAAAAAN).
Also Manchester in 1989 had the very groovy Sunrise Radio, with a 'personal problems' section hosted by the two younger gimps from 808 State.
We used to listen to James Whale when he was on Aire FM in Leeds in the 80's and ring in with various hilarious characters. (well we thought so!)
The Haj
I listened to Radio Clyde's medium wave service, the catchy named Clyde 2 (jingle – Clyde tooooo) during the summer months when I had a student job doing deliveries round Glasgow. Basically it was 50s, 60s and 70s records, which was quite good in a Heartbeat sort of way, but the main reason was the decent traffic reports, which you didn't get on other stations (yes, Radio Scotland, I'M looking at YOU).
I did some work experience in an office where the radio was always on Key 103. Quite good to listen to, I could always get the Top 10 At 10 after a couple of songs, even if the standard playlist was limited.
Later I used to listen to Smooth FM before it became more national. It's mix of soul / blues & current music was very good.
TrevL
Very interesting reading the Metro Radio posts. The Sunday night 'Bridges' slot ran from 11PM until the close down (remember that?) just after the 1AM news.
The whole idea of the show was to 'bridge' the gap between all of the other styles of music played. This would bring in many artists such as Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Earth and Fire, Tomita, to name just a few, and was a great platform for electronic music and 'Progressive Rock'.
Originally, the show was presented by John Coulson, but following an accident, which I believe involved a charity parachute jump, John ended up in hospital, and sadly, never returned to the show.
At that point Jeff Brown, who had been presenting the Saturday Night Rock Show, stepped in and took the reins.
Both the Saturday Night Rock Show, and Bridges became essential listening, especially for teens. Unfortunately a lot of us were quite dead on a Monday morning, due to the lateness of these shows.
The Saturday Night Rock Show hosted by Jeff Brown, included a specific Heavy Metal slot, which started off as the 'Hot and Heavy Half Hour'. This became so popular that it became the 'Hot and Heavy Hour', and I think could have taken over the entire 3 hour show, if allowed to.
AlexTheEngineer-Ipswich
Surprised to see no mention of Laser 558, Radio Caroline (which took over 558 for a bit after the MV Communicator had left, and started sounding a bit less like "your Dad's pirate station ;)" or (as your cover more recent times) the myriad of Band II (FM) pirates from the 1980s onwards.
In that time I lived in Reading (near West London) so could pick up a lot of the more powerful London pirates like LWR, Green Apple Radio (though that was nearer Slough); also moved back to SE London (my birthplace) briefly during early 90s and ended up myself being a DJ on a small pirate on the same block as the better known house/rave station Fantasy FM…
Moved to East Anglia in 2006 where since 2012 I help out the local community radio station ICR-FM which has a lot of former FM pirate DJs…
Glenn Aylett
CFM Radio in Cumbria in its 1993 to 1999 incarnation, they'd play anything from heavy metal to classical music( it was modelled on the original generation of ILR stations). However, highlight of the week was the Sunday phone in with the Reverend Mike Charlton, who used to tell boring or ranting callers to p!"3 off and had regulars such as Pippa The Stripper( a CB radio enthusiast and apparently former stripper), Gareth the Gob( Thatcherite loon who still pops up in local papers) and Jeremy from Carlisle( who had an opinion on eveything). Excellent stuff for its time, but like most other ILR stations went bland in the noughties.
My favourite station was Red Rose Radio 1982-1990 on 301metres medium wave 999kHz AM (one thousand on your dial) from a directional 850watt transmitter at Longton Marsh near Preston and 97.3Mhz VHF/FM stereo from a 2kW omnidirectional aerial at Winter Hill near Bolton. It started off 18h a day 6am-12midnight expanding to 19h a day 6am-1am then 20h a day 6am-2am before throwing down the gauntlet and embracing 24h operation altogether. It was a nice radio station with good presenters, nice local ads, and informative enjoyable news sports and feature programmes plus plenty of music and lots of good times.
When it became Red Rose Rock FM 97.4 and Red Rose Gold 999 AM it was the end of good local radio as Lancashire knew it-a bad way to go indeed.
I would never have sold the station to Transworld Communications and nor would I have floated Red Rose Radio on the stock market as a PLC either for greed and gluttony of money and investment, I would have kept it going as Red Rose Radio 301 and kept the staff on and pulled it out of the IBA's control.
BungoBilly
Another Metro Radio memory for me, on top of those already mentioned, was the football coverage. In my era, Graham Courtney (now Talksport) hosted, Charles Harrison commentated on Newcastle or Sunderland away games and Bob Crosby was reporting at either Roker Park or St James' Park.
I have memories of my older brother dragging me away from Roker Park just before full-time so we could beat the traffic and inevitably hearing Charles Harrison scream "Drama at Roker, Bob Crosby", who would then describe Sunderlad's injury time equaliser/winner that we had missed. Come to think of it, that proably didn't happen that often!
Charles Harrison gained some national press attention in the early 90s (I think) when his house was broken into while he was on air commentating on a Sunderland away game. It was even mentioned on 'Have I Got News for You', along with a witty Angus Deayton comment about Sunderland's awful away form!
And the Metro Sport theme tune was absoultely brilliant!
BBC Radio Newcastle in the eighties was everything Metro wasn't: pop records would be grudgingly played among parish pump gossip( Ramblers Assocation meetings seemed to be popular), Frank Wappat and his 78 records and religious programmes dominated weekends, and no one under 40 would go near the station because of this. Also Metro was on air for 24 hours a day in stereo, Newcastle was 12 hours a day in mono. I wasn't suprised when Metro used to have double the audience of Newcastle, half of them were probably escaping from Frank Wappat's Sounds of the 30s.
Joanne Gray
Radio Tees (later TFM after the switch from medium wave) was a big part of my early childhood in the 70s. This was several years before the spectacle of TVAM, so the Breakfast Show with "Me" Mark Page strained out of our battered old battery operated set that was held together with electricians tape. We were regaled with hilarious tales of Dennis of the Boro (Mr Page's fictional and rather thick mate) and a single was released of their version of Convoy, entitled "Dennis and his CB". A sad day when " Me" Mark Page got the gig at Radio One – on Teesside, he was a well-known and well-loved local celebrity; to Radio One bosses, colleagues and listeners, he was nothing special and his national radio career petered out rather quickly. I'd love to know what he's up to now as he was a big part of my childhood mornings.
XTRA AM in the West Midlands, the medium wave golden oldies station created when Mercia and BRMB became FM only and chart based. This was where I heard Noddy Holder start his radio career presenting seventies hits.
Also when Metro became Metro FM, its medium wave frequency became Great North Radio. Its main claim to fame for me was, while most other people in Whitley Bay were cheering on England in the 1990 World Cup semi final, I was sitting in the garden with my dad, a fellow non fan, listening to a rock and roll show on GNR.
My local station for a time was BBC Radio Carlisle, a poverty stricken outfit broadcasting 8 hours a day from two studios in an office block shared with the tax office and a driving test centre. Its main claim to fame was it discovered Richard Madeley, who spent his formative years discussing the price of sheep and doing OBs from the Cockermouth Show.
Radio Carlisle, Cumbria after 1982, has long since abandoned its broom cupboard and now broadcasts 18 hours a day from its swanky offices opposite Carlisle Castle. You can even walk into reception now and get a free car sticker and a photo of Val Armstrong, the station's best known presenter.
I know this is supposed to be about ILR, but in many parts of the country until well into the eighties, the only local station was a BBC one. In my case, for a time, it was Radio Carlisle, who really did try hard on a very limited budget and limited hours. I do remember being in the family car in 1977, and we had Carlisle on for traffic reports, and they were doing a play about the end of World War Two and how they celebrated it in Carlisle. Using local actors, it was actually quite interesting to hear.
Yes they did discuss the price of sheep a lot and fell walking, but this is what a lot of listeners wanted and needed in a rural area.
Mall, The


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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
There's a dog on the album cover. Why did he or she have to get dragged into this? Look at them all. You suspect that, away from the camera, they make The Wicker Man look like a fucking Richard Curtis film. My guess is that the dog is casting a confused and frightened glance to the right following repeated - and failed - attempts to get the photographer to notice that the dog was constantly blinking twice, in a desperate attempt to be free of the clutches of these farm-dwelling lunatics and their weekly ritual sacrifices. Anyway, on to the music. I'd have rather spent 49 minutes listening to the dog playing with a squeaky toy, or maybe munching on some kibble. Prime cut: Nightfall. Yes, the last one. I made it through. It's the one track that suggests that the band don't usually make scarecrows out of human carcasses.
Such a fun and brilliant album. First time I had heard any of it, but hugely enjoyable from start to finish. Not a record done by half measures - the band throw everything at every song. It occasionally sounds a bit too busy, but it's hard to begrudge them making the absolute most of every single number. And not one track without something interesting going on. Tempted to give this a 4, what with it being new to me, but sod it.
To Pimp A Butterfly
Generally don't know anything like enough about the genre to properly appreciate the album, but not my bag. Good to listen to something different though. Stand-out tracks: King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, i.
One of the soundtracks to my school years and must be one of my most-listened to albums ever. And it still sounds phenomenal. Not a single weak track. Highlights: Soma, Mayonaise, Geek USA, and every single thing that Jimmy Chamberlin does.
Hotel California is a great tune, and Wasted Time has a pretty chord progression. Victim of Love not too bad. But as whole, it's just so fucking _naff_... Just like Queen, too often this album sounded like fodder for talent show contestants to cover, but in this case all sugary and faux-emotive. Horrid. Was a relief to get to the end. Bonus stars: Enjoyment: 0.5/2 for the tunes above Quality: 0.5/2, ditto 2*, which feels generous.
Better than the 'elevator music' promised by public reviews. Jazz noodlings not my thing, but the funkier elements are pretty good. Stars: 1/2 for enjoyment, incl the title track 1/2 for quality - sounded original and well played
Shame about this being put forward as an 'edgy' choice for Friday. I know it's a classic, with plenty of decent tracks. But it's hard to enjoy - especially the first half. The bass playing sounded much better than I had noticed before.
I remember buying this way back when, and was quite excited when this came up. For starters, White Winter Hymnal is a belter. But playing it again, it all sounds so kooky and hip and folksy. You soon get this uneasy feeling that this album enabled Mumford & Sons, which makes it hard to forgive. I have no idea what Fleet Foxes are really like, but it's too easy to imagine them as a bunch of city-dwellers who put on a tweed waistcoat and then pretend they've spent the day threshing wheat. The highlights aside, the folksiness was downright tiresome.
People of a certain age might remember those keyboards that, in addition to the usual 88 keys, had a dizzying array of buttons on the giant panel above the keyboard itself. Whenever I sat down to practice, I would end up just pissing about with all the buttons, instead of actually playing the sodding thing. Every conceivable sound was there (3 options for a timpani!), along with a range of different rhythms and beats, and a feature called 'Automatic' that just spat out something pre-recorded. And it all sounded absolutely dreadful. Which is why I don't get how such an acclaimed record can sound, for way too much of it, like someone playing around with one of those keyboards in an effort to find the tinniest synth sound, before bashing away with reckless abandon. Even the famous tracks were quite grating in that respect. And then, out of nowhere, some actual songs: Lady Cab Driver and International Lover are great. As for the rest of it, I'll have to take people's word for it that it's as much of an accomplishment as it's said to be.
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
The unfamiliar band name and mildly terrifying artwork led me to expect the worst, but this was great. Has a slightly eccentric and psychedelic bent, but never inaccessible. Feels like it spans about 20 years. Always something interesting going on. Prime cuts: You'll Have to Go Sideways, Old Pervert, Underwater Moonlight
Superunknown
Tough one. I had the highest of hopes, but too often it sounded like a messy assault of noise and screaming. I'm sometimes down with that, but not this time. Whenever they hit on a melody, it sounded great, but that only came to fore towards the second half of the album. Interesting rhythmically throughout, and without sounding like 7/8 tosspots. Suspect this one will grow on me when I give it another chance, so I'll round up from 3 and a half. Prime cuts: Head Down, Black Hole Sun, 4th of July, Let Me Drown.
I remember having this in the car when it came out on CD. When It popped up today, I couldn't remember a single track, and now I know why. Perhaps when it was first released, it offered a nice counterpoint to the talent show era: gritty, bluesy, stripped back and quite retro. Fast forward 12 years, and it just sounds a bit empty and repetitive: too many songs built around simple riffs and that aren't taken anywhere. But when they break that formula on Unknown Brother, it sounds fantastic: lots of melody and a couple of filthy chord changes. But that's the only track I did actually remember from all those years ago. Prime cuts: Unknown Brother, Ten Cent Pistol.
I really wanted to like this - the idea of a group of German oddball electronica pioneers doing an album celebrating a railway service is just ace. Evidently a hugely influential album, but had no fun listening to it at all. Prime cut: Showroom Dummies
Evidently an impressive accomplishment, but no joy in hearing it. Full of textures in search of a melody. Lots of glimpses that Twigs sings beautifully but her voice is too often lost in a mess of… I'm not sure what to call it. It just sounds so overdone. Ultimately R&B, in its modern form, just ain't my thing. Prime cut: Two Weeks
The first track aside, it's perfectly listenable. I just don't think I'll ever get into jazz. Prime cut: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are.
Electric Light Orchestra
Pink Flag
Unlistenable.
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
Conflicted about this one. It sounded gorgeous at first, but very tired by the end. Soothing without sounding like certain recent purveyors of piano-led soft rock: this album is much more interesting. Another one that could span several decades. Shades of Roy Orbison (sort of) and Johnny Cash and much else that you wouldn't expect from someone active during the Britpop era. I'll play tracks from this again, but perhaps not the full album. Prime cuts: Coles Corner, Born Under a Bad Sign
Listened to clips from most of the songs and that was enough. I can imagine this being popular with people who enjoy tearfully masturbating to the Hostel movies.
Have resigned myself to the fact that I just hate punk. And I think I hate it more having listened to this. A lot of the playing sounded pretty good, especially from the rhythm section, but I didn't come close to remotely enjoying one single track.
Not much to say - just full of bangers. Of its time, but what a time that was. Prime cuts: Don't Look Back in Anger, She's Electric, Champagne Supernova.
KIWANUKA
The most underwhelming start to what proved to be a fantastic album. From Piano Joint onwards, there's barely a bad moment and lots of brilliant ones. Won't lie, slightly struggling to describe what I enjoyed about it. Of all the albums we've had so far, this one most had me stop what I was doing to listen to what was going on. The second listen was as rewarding as I hoped. A keeper. Prime cuts: Piano Joint x2, Hero x2, Final Days, Light Offcuts: You Ain't The Problem
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
Heard this in a thoroughly shit mood but I suspect I just don't like psychedelia... the constant spacey guitar sound, the messy vocals, the superfluous noises going on in the background, the lot. If I knew more about music production I'd be able to describe it all better, but it's roughly along the lines of everyone being recorded in an echo-y room, from 20 yards away, with the drummer in the next postcode. I had never heard this album before, but it sounded like something I had already heard a 1000 times. And not in a good way. Mostly horrid, but quite listenable in places. Prime cut: Reverberation.
Sounded like an album that every middle class family had in their CD rack. Great voice, but the music lacks any sort of welly. Prime cut: I Can't Stand The Rain
Close To The Edge
Still figuring out how I feel about prog. This one had a few enjoyable moments, but they're lost in all the clever noodlings and whacky time signatures (which never feel out of place with eg Tool, FWIW). And I couldn't stand the empty sounding, high-pitched vocals. Not doubting the musicianship, but I preferred Rick Wakeman's work in the dictionary corner on Countdown.
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Vaguely interesting in places but for the most part horrific. Every track a slog to get through. The concept always sounded a bit wanky. At least I now know the music itself is no better. Prime cut: Double Bass
Manages to be both pedestrian and painful. Lots of chords, but almost no memorable melodies… the thin and samey vocals stand no chance against a monotonous wall of guitar. Appreciate the album was made in tragic circumstances, but independently of that, the band seem to take themselves incredibly seriously. Not very endearing nor fun to listen to. Prime cuts: A Design for Life (anthem), No Surface All Feeling (riff)
A really fun album! The first few tracks hint at what might be a full-on assault of 80s rock/metal. It would have tired pretty quickly were that the case, but the album takes lots of detours... the genre-shifting works a treat in that respect. Sails close to the edge in being too busy, but doesn't go over the top, and the playing is just fantastic throughout. Sounds like a band who are bloody good at what they do and are having a blast while they do that. Prime cut: Memories Can't Wait. Might be a cover, but so well done.
Fun House
Not surprised by all the accolades and the esteem in which it is held, but not much I actually enjoyed. Can't figure out why I hated the repetitiveness on much of the album, but why on Dirt it sounds sublime. Prime cut: Dirt. And what a cut that is too.
One of those albums that I had never heard but felt immediately familiar - too familiar. Massive critical acclaim, which tells me I'm missing something. No tracks I was desperate to skip; and none I wanted to play again.
Magnificent. Prime cuts: Good Times Bad Times, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, How Many More Times
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
Ghastly.
A strange listen and way better than expected. No love for the vocals but really liked the raw and repetitive music. Swear I can hear shades of this in certain 90s albums. Prime cut: Requiem
I've heard too little of this band, but will always judge them by their brilliant cover of I Put A Spell On You, which was filthy. Filthy this album sadly ain't. Lots of blues-country-rock that doesn't go as far as it might have. Come on CCR, enough with the radio hits! Prime cut: Sinister Purpose (cos filth)
Such high hopes as well. Every vocal track sounds identical. Some really great playing, but which sounds thin and tinny. Prime cuts: One, To Live Is To Die
I get that it's a classic, but I didn't enjoy one single moment.
I hate the Beach Boys and I hated this.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Not my thing and we all know about the guy himself, but as an album I didn't hate this at all.
Some great playing but goes on a bit (a lot). ELP-esque keyboard/organ noodlings especially grating. Sort of like Led Zep but without the sex or groove. Prime cut: Child in Time.
Urban Hymns
Christ does this go on a bit. Some great songs, but lots of toothless filler as well. Would have been a 3, but massively outstayed its welcome.
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Bit dated and a bit gobby, but gets better as it goes on. I didn't appreciate the context to it: despite it being their second album, Blur were far from being on the up at the time. Bit of a drag in places, but a few great tracks. Prime cuts: Star Shaped, Chemical World
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Very listenable, but also very forgettable. Really isn't bad, quite the opposite, but it just doesn't stick.
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Long ago, I knew someone who yakked on and on about his love for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. That someone was a horrible person, and I mostly found this to be a horrible album, so a few things have at least fallen into place. This might have earned a 3 if the producer had deleted all of Cave's vocal tracks... it's no coincidence that the most listenable songs are when he's joined by female guest vocalists, who bring some much needed balance. I can just about get why Nick Cave is regarded as some sort of creative genius, but it's just no fun to listen to.
All Directions
Banging album. Funky and filthy. Prime cuts: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing
This one defied all expectations set by the opening couple of tracks (much better on second listen), and proved to be a gorgeous album. As it progressed, it opened up into something more melodic, more vibrant, more interesting. Country base, with lots of toppings, adding up to a really solid set of pop songs. Lovely.
Some timeless singles, but the album hardly feels like a classic. Gospel Medley was lovely though.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A couple say they are at their wits' end after living in a rat-infested home for almost a year.
Cathy Blair and Danny Gore, 50, have spent the last three months living by candlelight after the rodents chewed through the electrics at their council house in Catbrook, Chipping Campden.
On one occasion, Ms Blair, 53, was horrified when they walked into the living room at the 1950s property and found a rat sitting on her sofa.
She says her airing cupboard 'stinks of dead rats' and she has seen another of the pests, 'as big as a cat', scurrying through her garden.
The couple are calling on Bromford housing association to rehouse them locally or sort the problem out once and for all.
"The conditions we are living in are absolutely horrendous," said Ms Blair.
"The electrics went on September 5 and the rats chewed through them. We have been spending £30 a week on candles, as we need the scented ones.
"The airing cupboard stinks of dead rats, everything in there is ruined.
"On one occasion I saw one of the rats on our sofa. It was sitting there looking at me."
The couple, who have two dogs, tried to catch it but it ran out of the back door.
A year ago this week, they signed the tenancy agreement for the house, as they wanted to be closer to their daughter Emma, 35, who lives in the pretty tourist town which welcomes thousands of visitors every year.
They first heard noises in the loft when they came round to do some decorating, but thought nothing of it as they had experienced birds going in and out of a previous home in Cheltenham.
But when they moved in last December, the problems really started.
Neither of them have any pictures of the rats, but Ms Blair says the electrician does.
"I could heard them banging around above me and the little ones screaming, they would keep me awake at night," said Ms Blair, who suffers from fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.
"The first guy who came out to investigate the problem screamed when he opened the loft. There they all were looking at him. I've seen one as big as a cat.
"We have had Orbis pest control out several times, bait has been put down and it did kill some of them. We are told they are living in the cavities.
"I think they got in when they pulled the conservatory down before we moved in and left holes in the walls. They have now been filled.
"It's vile here, it's a living hell. We shouldn't be in these conditions.
"With no light at this time of year downstairs, we can barely see beyond the end of our noses.
"The whole house needs to ripped apart. I wish we had never moved in."
Mr Gore told Gloucestershire Live they do not have a shower at the moment but fortunately the heating still works.
"There has been very little movement from the housing association to fix the problems," he said.
"We are just in despair. All insurance companies and solicitors, bar one, have no interest in it whatsoever.
"The smell is constant. We have got to have scented candles going all day long because of the stink.
"In the summer, I thought Cath was imagining it - she screamed, she called me in and said there was a rat on the sofa," he said.
"From September 5 we knew they were in the loft. We think they have gone from there to the cavities.
"All the people who have been here said we shouldn't be living in these conditions. We want them to find us alternative accommodation while they fix the issues."
The couple have refused to pay their rent for the past two months in protest at their situation.
Hazel O'Halloran, head of locality for Bromford, said: "It is the responsibility of all of our customers to deal with any pests in their own homes and this is part of their tenancy agreement with us.
"However, as a responsible landlord, we do take every customers personal circumstances into account and are working closely with Ms Blair to ensure these issues are resolved as soon as possible.
"This was reported to us in September and since then bait boxes have been laid by a specialist pest control company and we have also been out to board up any holes, with our contractors confirming that there has been no rat activity in the property or garden since at least October 30.


From CSUN's Assistive Technology Conference we'll hear about Tap Systems wearable keyboard, and Tobii Dynavox speech generating devices. I'll tell you about how Project Fi gives you international data for a really low price and in theory with high speeds (stay tuned on how that works). Don't forget to send in audio recordings to Bart Busschots at podcasting@bartificer.net (Allister is all set). Bart is back for Security Bits. If you've been waiting for his interpretation of the Wikieleaks CIA hacking tools dump like I was, you'll enjoy this episode.


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SSP Advisory Board
Eliot-Hine
MacFarland
Wilson Feeder Pattern
Anacostia CWG
Bard DC
Coolidge and New North
Cardozo Feeder Pattern
DCPS School Planning
Dual Language Planning Updates
November 2, 2016 November 3, 2016 dcpsschoolplanningLeave a comment
Our DL engagement process is ongoing. Want to connect for an update or to share your thoughts? Contact DCPS.Planning@dc.gov or (202) 821-6557.
This school year, DCPS opened three new Dual Language programs at Houston ES, MacFarland MS, and Roosevelt HS, bringing the total number of English/Spanish programs in DCPS to 11. Through all our work engaging school communities over the past two years around dual language, we've heard demand from parents across the city for more language programming in DCPS. Some parents want more English/Spanish programs, some want a more equitable spread of programs across the city, others want to see new languages like Mandarin, French, or Arabic introduced.
Map of DCPS Dual Language Programs.
In the past, DCPS has generally opened new Dual Language (DL) programs one at a time, addressing needs and demand from school communities as they come. As you may notice in the map above, there is now a strong concentration of DL programs in Wards 1 and 4, an area there is also a high concentration of native Spanish speakers.
While opening in this cluster helps programs enroll a mix of native Spanish and native English speakers, it makes equity of access across the city difficult. Looking at the map above, if you're a student in Ward 8 or 5 you're looking at a lengthy commute if you're able to get into a DL program. Having programs clustered in Columbia Heights / Petworth also makes it challenging to offer convenient feeder patterns for schools outside that hub.
Our goal through this process is to engage a wide range of stakeholders across the city and develop a multi-year plan for dual language going forward. In particular, we want to address equity of access and complete feeder patterns (referenced above). We're talking with parents who have kids in DL, parents who don't, school leaders, staff, dual language experts, and community members and asking:
What's going well with dual language now? What do you like about it or find appealing?
What do you want to see change going forward?
How do you think DCPS should expand dual language?
One on one meetings or phone calls with 30 different parents and community members.
Larger community meetings at Takoma EC, Marie Reed ES, the Ward 5 Council on Education, Tubman ES, and the Ward 4 Education Alliance.
Conversations with dual language leaders and staff members at Oyster Adams, Tyler ES, CHEC, Powell, and Bancroft.
Looked at preliminary data on English Language Learner (ELL) and non-ELL performance in our dual language programs.
Spoke with a range of dual language researchers and other school districts and states across the country with successful DL programs.
What we've heard
Parents are interested in ways for their kids to learn another language. Many are excited about dual language specifically, but many are also open to alternative ways for students to learn a second language. This could include more intensive language study, or after school and summer programs.
Dual Language school leaders are bought into and excited about dual language, and want it to be available to more students across the city.
While parents are excited about language, there are reservations about adopting the program at their school because of what it would mean for the school culture and staff. Moving to DL often implies significant staff turnover to get the right number of bilingual educators.
Parents and staff want clear, logical feeder patterns so students can progress in dual language from elementary to middle to high school.
Parents, staff, and community members want students across the city to be able to access dual language programming more easily. They've pointed out the lack of DCPS programs in Wards 5 and 8 specifically.
Concerns about strand programs vs. whole school models. Some parents and community members feel strand programs can create divisions within one school community, while others feel it's important to offer the option of a non-DL program in their neighborhood school.
Interested in talking with us or want to schedule a larger meeting at your school community? You can always reach us at DCPS.Planning@dc.gov or (202) 821-6557, or feel free to join us at an upcoming meeting:
Oyster Adams Bilingual School (2801 Calvert St. NW) at 9am Friday, 11/4
Ward 8 Education Council house meeting – Monday, November 28th (Location TBD)
Miner Elementary School PTO – Monday, 12/5 at 6pm
Ward 7 Education Council (TBD)
UncategorizedBilingual, DCPS, Dual Language, Expansion, Immersion, Language, Spanish
DCPS Dual Language Planning
September 7, 2016 September 7, 2016 dcpsschoolplanningLeave a comment
Over the past two months, the DCPS Planning Team has been meeting with stakeholders to discuss dual language in DCPS and possible ways to expand programming in the future. We're meeting with parents, community members, school leaders, and dual language advocates to hear thoughts on what's working, what's not, and where DCPS should go next with dual language.
Last year we worked to open three new dual language programs at Roosevelt High School, MacFarland Middle School, and Houston Elementary School, making 11 total in DCPS. Still, we continue to hear demand from parents for more bilingual programs in more languages across the city. While we are not able to open a new dual language program at every school we hear support for it, our goal for this process is to develop a plan for expanding bilingual programming in a more systematic way over multiple years. This plan should lead to increased equity of access to dual language programs across the city and more complete feeder patterns, while taking into account the input of our stakeholders over the coming months.
We plan to continue engaging with folks over the coming months and develop some initial recommendations for next steps in late October/early November. Please see below for the presentation we used at a recent meeting with leaders of ward education concils, and as always, reach out to us with any questions or comments at DCPS.Planning@dc.gov.
UncategorizedBilingual, DCPS, Dual Language, Language, Planning
Dual Language Interview Series: Katarina Brito
July 13, 2016 July 13, 2016 dcpsschoolplanning1 Comment
In School Year 2016-2017, DCPS will have dual language at 11 schools with new programs at Houston Elementary School, MacFarland Middle School, and Roosevelt High School. We've heard a lot of interest from parents across the city about these programs, and will start sharing some information about plans to expand bilingual education at DCPS over the coming months.
We got to sit down with Katarina Brito, a Dual Language Developer in DCPS' Language Acquisition Division, to talk about dual-language in DCPS! Katarina got her start with us after teaching in California and now works to provide high-quality bilingual education to a growing number of DC Public School students.
School Planning: What do Dual Language programs look like at DCPS?
Katarina Brito: All of our programs are Spanish-English dual language programs; they're fifty-fifty models which mean that at least fifty percent of instruction is offered in the non-English language starting at kindergarten. Within the fifty-fifty model, there's another model that is known as "two-way immersion", where kids who speak both languages learn together in the classroom. There are also one-way programs, in which a majority of students speak English or the non-English language. In DCPS we have all of those models; Tyler Elementary has 90% English speaking kids and a few Spanish-speakers, Powell is 85% Spanish-speaking, and most of our other schools are a mix of Spanish- and English-dominant students – all with half of the instruction in English and half in Spanish.
One thing that's important to emphasize is that our dual-language schools, no matter the model, all have the same four goals: bilingualism (speaking fluently in two languages), biliteracy (reading and writing in two languages), academic achievement, and cultural competency. Those are our driving forces whenever we're making decisions. We ask ourselves, "How does this change that we're making bring us closer to meeting or exceeding our goals?"
Within our schools we have a lot of variety. For example, a school might switch the language of instruction by week, day, half-day, or even classroom. We have a set of non-negotiables which makes sure we have stability in place to meet our goals. In fact, we were just complimented in an article in New America, which highlighted how the dual-language programs at DCPS are particularly responsive to their communities, which calls attention to why we have so many models across the District.
School Planning: Is there data that supports dual-language education models?
Katarina pointed us to some research done on elementary and middle school students, which shows that dual-language programs can provide major benefits for native English-speakers and non-native English-speakers. English Language Learners (ELLs) in dual-language tend to have higher test-scores than students in English-Only programs, and English dominant students in dual-language programs tend to perform at or above the level of peers in English-only classrooms. Additionally, dual-language students show higher rates of self-esteem and self-confidence, drop out of school at lower rates, and experience a smaller achievement gap between English-learners and English dominant students.
Thomas and Collier research results: 40,000 ELLs, proficiency on standardized tests in English. The arrow indicates at about 6th grade, English Language Learners in two-way bilingual immersion begin to perform better academically than the 50th percentile of native English speakers.
School Planning: How have parents and communities responded to Dual-Language?
KB: They're hugely popular among both English Language Learners and English-dominant students. All of this information has come out on the benefits of bilingualism, and families, especially English-speaking families, are excited to immerse their children in such a program and to have their kids develop second-language proficiency.
We also have a sizable number of students who speak another language at home, like Vietnamese or Amharic, and they're participating in the dual-language program as well, so they're actually becoming trilingual.
School Planning: What are some of the biggest obstacles facing Dual-Language in DCPS?
KB: There are big obstacles, but there used to be huge obstacles. We've been able to find creative ways around staffing and now have no teaching vacancies in any of our schools. We've been able to make this possible through partnerships with foreign countries and recruiting from Puerto Rico and the rest of the US. DCPS is really building a name for itself, so people are coming to us after hearing about our programs. Materials are another issue because we're working within a system that is designed for English instruction, so there's a need to be creative to make sure we have appropriate and adequate materials in the non-English language.
Additionally, all of the DCPS Dual-Language schools have just been combined into one cluster, which means that they are grouped together and run by one superintendent. This means that all the DL schools can learn from each other, ask questions based on experience, and provide each other resources that they wouldn't have had otherwise. It's been really powerful.
School Planning: Are DL programs being piloted anywhere else in the country?
KB: Yes. There's a huge upswing of DL programs in the nation because of all the research and articles which have come out, proving the benefits of bilingualism. Places like Oregon, and North Carolina are on the cutting edge. In the state of Utah, the governor has committed to opening 100 dual language programs in the year and the state of Delaware is doing the same. California, Texas, and New Mexico all have strong programs as well. It's popping up everywhere.
School Planning: How do dual-language programs integrate "cultural competency" in schools?
KB: Last year was our first year to offer the Seal of Biliteracy award to high school students who can prove bilingualism and biliteracy. To get the Seal, students have to prove that they've taken coursework in English, taken coursework in the non-English language, and have evidence of a cultural competency activity. For example, one recipient did an internship in Mandarin, one student did volunteer work in a French-speaking country, and another went to baseball camp in the Dominican Republic.
The award serves as well-earned recognition for these students that have continued their bilingualism beyond their dual-language programs. It really shows that these programs can have an impact beyond the years students are enrolled in DL programs. We want to keep kids motivated to pursue their dual-language fluency.
School Planning: Is there anything else you'd like the DCPS community to know about dual language programs?
KB: In 2005, there were maybe 500 kids in DL and this year we have 3000 plus. There's a lot of talk about how there aren't enough programs out there, but we've expanded six-fold. We also didn't used to have early-childhood, we didn't used to have high school or middle school programs and now we have it from Pre-K through 12th grades. We've grown a great deal over the past ten years and are continuing to explore where we go from here.
UncategorizedBilingual, Dual Language, MacFarland
MacFarland and Roosevelt Community Cabinet Meeting Notes
July 11, 2016 July 11, 2016 dcpsschoolplanningLeave a comment
Both the Roosevelt and the MacFarland Community Cabinets met the last week of June to wrap up a school year's worth of work on their neighborhood schools. The Roosevelt Cabinet discussed a number of updates regarding school facilities, uniforms, and an introduction of new administrators. MacFarland Cabinet members discussed facility updates and weighed in on how MacFarland should brand and market itself as a neighborhood school with both dual language and comprehensive programs. It was especially helpful to have parent representatives from all DCPS elementary schools with both dual language and comprehensive tracks.
Principal James even closed us out with a nice little surprise! Much needed on an approximately one billion degree afternoon. Thank you to all our Cabinet members for a year of hard work — we can't wait to see what the next year holds for your neighborhood schools! Find the Roosevelt notes HERE, and MacFarland notes HERE.
.@RooseveltHSDC Community Cabinet members celebrating a year of hard work with some well earned ice cream! pic.twitter.com/hJ0J9YqwI5
— DCPS Planning (@DCPSPlanning) July 1, 2016
MacFarland, RooseveltBilingual, Community Cabinet, Dual Language, MacFarland, Roosevelt
Welcome to MacFarland, Mr. Sanders!
May 6, 2016 May 6, 2016 dcpsschoolplanningLeave a comment
MacFarland community members, we've got some exciting news on MacFarland leadership! As you may recall, Roosevelt Principal Aqueelha James will be Principal of MacFarland for the next two years with the support of a bilingual Assistant Principal. In early April DCPS asked a group of community members, parents, and MacFarland Community Cabinet members to meet the candidates for MacFarland AP and make a recommendation to the Chancellor. We're happy to announce today that the panel's recommendation, Mark Sanders, has accepted an offer to join MacFarland's leadership team!
Mr. Sanders has a ten year track record of success as a bilingual educator, starting out as a Spanish teacher and serving as Assistant Principal at McKinley Tech High School and Powell Elementary School. He has a Masters in Education from Harvard University's School Leadership Program and is a current Mary Jane Patterson Fellow at Woodson Senior High School.
The full announcement in English and Spanish is below. We'll be announcing opportunities to meet your new MacFarland leadership team soon. Stay tuned!
MacFarland Leadership Announcement
March 21, 2016 March 21, 2016 dcpsschoolplanningLeave a comment
Below is the letter announcing MacFarland Middle School's leadership structure from DCPS Chief of Schools John Davis. The full announcement was sent home to our feeder families last week; the key idea is that Roosevelt High School Planning Principal Aqueelha James will lead MacFarland during its first two years with the support of a bilingual, biliterate Assistant Principal with dual language expertise to oversee the day-to-day operations of the middle school. We're excited to start enrollment on April 1st!
MacFarlandBilingual, Dual Language, MacFarland
DCPS Planning Twitter
Bancroft ES
Banneker HS
Roosevelt STAY
Stevens CWG
Empowering Males High School
1200 First Street NE
DCPS.Planning@dc.gov


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Home » Philosophy » Philosophy News and Events
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'The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment'
In 2008, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to possess a firearm that isn't connected to service in a militia for purposes such as self-defense in the home. It made the Washington, D.C. law banning handguns and requiring all lawfully owned rifles and shotguns be kept "unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock" unlawful.
'Is Abortion Permissible?' The Luther College Philosophy Society hosts debate Sept. 20
Demonstrating that political conflict in an organized and cordial arena can be a force for peace and reconciliation, the Luther College Philosophy Society is hosting a debate between Luther sophomores Ashalul Aden and Shannon Baker at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the Recital Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on Luther's campus.
Luther senior Pyzdrowski selected to research flood resilience during summer
Over the course of the last 10 years, Decorah and other communities across northeastern Iowa have experienced multiple floods characterized as 100-year floods. As the effects of climate change intensify, events like these are only expected to increase. Halina Pyzdrowski, Luther College senior of Minnetonka, Minnesota, is researching flood resilience in the Upper Iowa Watershed for her summer research project at the college.
Asking "why" leads Pema Lama from isolation to global education
Civility and Trusting God: Thoughts on Risk and Society
In the opening lecture of the 2016-17 Paideia Texts and Issues series, Storm Bailey, Luther College assistant professor of philosophy, will discuss what it could mean to trust God and how that trust could impact civility and society. The lecture, "Civility and Trusting God: Thoughts on Risk and Society," will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Recital Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus.
Luther sophomore Matias Velastegui accepted to prestigious London School of Economics
Matias Velastegui, Luther College sophomore from Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador, has been accepted to the London School of Economics for the 2016-17 school year.
Philosophy Colloquium: Robin James lectures on 'Monstrosity & Damage as Human Capital in "Gaga Feminism"'
Join Robin James in a discussion on the philosophy of contemporary musicians Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more in her talk, "Monstrosity & Damage as Human Capital in 'Gaga Feminism,'" at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall on the Luther College campus.
"The Myth of Sisyphus"
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Philosophy maintained by Kristin Bjerke. Page last updated on 12 January 2022.


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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety June 20, 2017 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
Sessions isn't making America safer. He might be making it more dangerous
Published: Jun 28, 2017, 3:32 pm • Updated: Jun 28, 2017, 3:32 pm
By Inimai Chettiar and Ames C. Grawert, Special To The Washington Post
Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions stripped federal prosecutors of their traditional discretion to fit the punishment to the crime, directing them instead to seek the maximum penalty possible in all criminal cases. Last weekend in The Washington Post, Sessions defended this abrupt shift as necessary to confront the specter of rising crime, claiming "violent crime surged" while "the federal government softened its approach to drug enforcement."
Don't believe it. Between 2009 and 2014, crime fell to its lowest level in a generation, even while prosecutors pared back their use of strict federal penalties. Sessions's new policy will reverse that progress. While it may fill our prisons, it won't "make America safe again."
First, let's set the record straight. The attorney general's new order replaced an August 2013 memo from former Attorney General Eric Holder, which asked prosecutors to avoid triggering harsh federal "mandatory minimum" sentences in some minor drug cases. Far from the lawless free-for-all that Sessions describes in his column – "prosecutors were required to leave out objective facts to achieve sentences lighter than required by law," he claimed – Holder's policy was a modest attempt to pare back draconian sentencing laws. It specifically excluded repeat and violent offenders, as well as defendants linked to "large-scale drug trafficking organizations." Under Holder, those defendants continued to face the harshest penalties available.
Nonetheless, Sessions argues this initiative led prosecutors to soften enforcement of federal drug laws, causing crime to increase. That doesn't square with reality. As Sessions's column acknowledges, drug prosecutions and sentence lengths were already falling by the time of Holder's 2013 order, and there's no evidence Holder exaggerated that trend. (The Justice Department's prosecution of the most serious drug offenders actually increased on his watch.) Nor did Holder's approach correspond to an increase in crime. Instead, overall crime also fell from 2009 to 2014, when the national murder rate reached its lowest point in decades. It's true that murder rates rose slightly in 2015, but this was highly concentrated: Almost half the increase in big-city murders occurred in Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Data from 2016 shows a similar trend, with Chicago causing 55 percent of the total increase in urban murders. These isolated upticks in no way signal a national crime wave. If federal policy was to blame, we'd expect broad, national increases – not these isolated changes.
Massachusetts proposes option to expunge marijuana possession records
NFL uses its muscle to endorse criminal justice legislation
In spite of Jeff Sessions, criminal justice reform still moving forward
Over 5% of all arrests in U.S. are for weed
Former acting AG Sally Yates: Sessions' drug policy unjust, dangerous
Rethinking mandatory minimums did not jeopardize public safety, but instead produced something remarkable: For the first time in 40 years, crime and incarceration fell in tandem. By 2016, the number of federal prisoners dropped by more than 10 percent from its 2013 peak. And mandatory minimum use fell by nearly 30 percent between 2013 and 2016. That's welcome news in a country that still disproportionately incarcerates its citizens, especially people of color.
Unfortunately, Sessions is all but certain to reverse this progress. With U.S. attorneys now required to throw the book at all defendants, whether their prosecutors like it or not, mandatory minimum usage will almost certainly tick back up, dragging the prison population up along with it. In February, Sessions expanded the use of private prisons, grimly alluding to the "future needs of the federal correctional system." For Sessions, expanding mass incarceration seems to be a feature of the system, not a bug.
Lower-level offenders – the type of nonviolent drug users spared under Holder – are poised to bear the brunt of this expansion. Justice Department officials have hinted for months they're planning a crackdown on marijuana, even in states where the drug is legal.
"From a legal and scientific perspective," Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein told a Senate committee last week, "marijuana is an unlawful drug." And Sessions privately asked Congress to relax a restriction blocking him from using taxpayer money to prosecute legal marijuana use in states like Colorado and California.
Police chiefs agree that forcing law enforcement to spend their time on low-level drug crimes may actually be counterproductive. First, more time arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating nonviolent offenders means less time combating violent crime . From a public safety perspective, would you rather have Chicago police arresting shoplifters, or putting a stop to the city's spiraling murder rate? Second, prison makes people who have committed a minor offense more likely to commit a violent crime upon release , while leaving underlying problems, like drug addiction, unaddressed. Prison also saddles anyone who passes through it with a lifetime of consequences, making it harder for formerly incarcerated people to find a job or even housing after release. That may make returning to crime more attractive . All of this suggests that we should use prison sparingly – not as the one-size-fits-all solution favored by Sessions.
For anyone concerned about the fairness of our justice system, this is a true crisis. But the attorney general can only use (or abuse) the power Congress gives him. And there are a few ways lawmakers can rein Sessions in.
One option is to revive and pass sentencing reform. With Sessions out of Congress, the bill might have an easier route. Or lawmakers could give judges broader discretion to impose lighter sentences on a case-by-case basis. That's the goal of the Justice Safety Valve Act, recently introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.
To be sure, in some cases, such as particularly serious and violent crime, incarceration and longer sentences may be warranted. And some cities, like Chicago, are seeing a troubling increase in violence.
But Sessions's directive goes far beyond reason and risks reigniting the same, misguided "war on drugs" that brought the nation's criminal justice system to this crisis point, without doing anything to enhance public safety. Sessions's arguments to the contrary should be dismissed for what they are: more of the Trump administration's standard mix of half-truths and innuendo.
Chettiar is director of the Justice Program and Grawert is the John L. Neu justice counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law.
Topics: drug arrests, Jeff Sessions, mandatory sentences, sentencing, sentencing reform


Food outlet availability, deprivation and obesity in a multi-ethnic sample of pregnant women in Bradford, UK.
Fraser LK, Edwards KL, Tominitz M, Clarke GP, Hill AJ.
The obesogenic environment model would suggest that increased availability or access to energy dense foods which are high in saturated fat may be related to obesity. The association between food outlet location, deprivation, weight status and ethnicity was analysed using individual level data on a sample of 1198 pregnant women in the UK Born in Bradford cohort using geographic information systems (GIS) methodology. In the non South Asian group 24% were obese as were 17% of the South Asian group (BMI > 30). Food outlet identification methods revealed 886 outlets that were allocated into 5 categories of food shops. More than 95% of all participants lived within 500 m of a fast food outlet. Women in higher areas of deprivation had greater access to fast food outlets and to other forms of food shops. Contrary to hypotheses, there was a negative association between BMI and fast food outlet density in close (250 m) proximity in the South Asian group. Overall, these women had greater access to all food stores including fast foodoutlets compared to the non South Asian group. The stronger association between area level deprivation and fast food density than with area level deprivation and obesity argues for more detailed accounts of the obesogenic environment that include measures of individual behaviour.


My Journey: Transforming Dreams Into Actions is the life story of India's eleventh President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who started off as an insignificant little boy Rameswaram, but ended up becoming the President of the country, besides being a brilliant scientist as well. The book portrays the struggle that Dr. Kalam had to endure, as he climbed the ladder of success in life.
He speaks at length about each and every individual who impacted his life, during his formative years as a child and even when he was a young adult. He speaks about those who were the closest to him, such as his father, who loved God deeply. He also talks about his mother and her kindness. Apart from his parents, he speaks about his mentors, who molded his thoughts and directed his actions.


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Qualcomm and CONNECT Honor Innovative Wireless Organizations in San Diego
Event Recognizes San Diego's Rich History in Wireless Achievement
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, together with CONNECT, one of the nation's most successful regional economic development programs for high technology and life science innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs, today announced the 10 San Diego wireless companies honored at the Qualcomm Tribute to San Diego Innovators event, which took place on September 23.
Selected from a diverse group of regional enterprises, these 10 innovative organizations will be inducted into the Qualcomm Ambassador Program, a partner recognition initiative designed to honor organizations that are pioneering new ways to deliver on the promise of advanced wireless technologies. Each of the Ambassadors has demonstrated exceptionally creative use of mobile technologies to transform the way people do business and the way consumers interact with the world. This year's honorees are recognized for developing and implementing creative wireless solutions that are impacting a wide range of sectors, including mobile entertainment, healthcare and public safety.
This year's Ambassadors include:
· Axiom xCell - accelerator of mobile content by porting and testing catalog titles for top publishers
· CardioNet - world's leading supplier of mobile cardiac monitoring services via 3G-enabled biosensors
· DriveCam - inventor of groundbreaking Driver Management System that promotes road safety via 3G video monitoring
· eMbience - innovator of the "Brand Builder" platform; its recent and notable successes include Virgin Mobile India's launch of eMbience-based services.
· Hands-On Mobile - leading publisher of mobile lifestyle, games and personalization products, including the blockbuster hit Guitar Hero III Mobile
· IntelliDOT - leading provider of wireless handheld, barcode point-of-care solutions that connect to any healthcare information system to improve patient safety and nurse workflow
· Intercasting - developer of award-winning ANTHEM platform, which is enabling a whole new level of social networking applications for mobile devices
· Jitterbug by GreatCall - creator of the perfectly simple cell phones and services for senior citizens
· The San Diego Police Department - honored for its efforts to improve public safety via award-winning smartphone deployment
· Vocel's The Pill Phone - developer of a medication reminder application based on best-selling Pill Phone Book
"The Ambassadors stand out for their successes in implementing and developing wireless applications that enhance our day-to-day lives," said Jeff Jacobs, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Qualcomm. "Qualcomm is proud to enable a dynamic and competitive mobile marketplace through the use of its technology. Together with CONNECT, we are pleased to recognize these organizations for the positive impact they are making for both enterprises and consumers."
"San Diego has a rich heritage as a hotbed of technology innovation, particularly in the wireless space," said Duane Roth, chief executive officer, CONNECT. "The region continues to spur new wireless applications that are cutting-edge and beneficial for people around the world. The 2008 Ambassadors have earned special recognition among their peers, and we celebrate their outstanding achievements."
For more information on the Qualcomm Ambassador Program and this year's honorees, please visit www.qualcomm.com/news/partners/index.html.
CONNECT is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 and dedicated to creating and sustaining the growth of innovative technology and life science businesses in San Diego. Each year CONNECT mobilizes more than 2,000 volunteers to collaborate in mentoring, coaching, teaching, advising and evaluating more than 1,000 companies. CONNECT provides support to the region's innovation economy through personalized assistance and financing, accelerating the learning curve, innovation programs, cluster acceleration, recognition and networking and policy and advocacy. The organization operates 26 programs that deliver more than 300 events a year including: Springboard, Venture RoundTable, Frontiers in Science and Technology, FrameWorks, CEO Strategy Forum and Connect with CONNECT; affiliate programs with The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT), Tech Coast Angels (TCA), MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF), and Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance; and its awards and recognition programs, Hall of Fame, and The Most Innovative Products (MIP) Awards.
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500 company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.


Katy Perry cast a spell at the 2014 Grammy's on Sunday, Jan. 26.
The pop diva transformed Staples Center into an enchanted forest while performing her latest single "Dark Horse," which is currently No. 2 on the charts.
Juicy J emerged from the smoke to deliver his verse before the stage erupted in flames.
Watch the witchcraft come to life.


walki talkie is one of the best equipment available for two-way communication. It is aimed to provide basic communication over short-range distances. It provides clear and crisp talking experience even in the noisy environments like stadiums, movie sets, meetings etc.comes with Lithium ion battery and as per the Motorola's specification, it can give 11 hours of talk time. During the practical usage, the results are extreme closer and for those who need to talk a bit longer during their work like construction engineers, movie set managers, event organizers; this thing extremely helpful.
Similar to its outer look; it is muscular, durable and long lasting.
It gives high quality performance in the critical/noisy environments also.
This is extremely easy to use and it allows two-way communication.
If you have Motorola compatible software (which is generally given to buyers by Motorola) you can program this device.
Very light weight and easy to carry.
Because of its gripping design, it will not slip from your hand easily.
It suits for rough usage also.


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PP. Rtn. Vivek R. Prabhu
Additional Director
Vivek Prabhu, joined the Rotary movement in 1994. He is a very keen Rotarian and is often seen to be taking active part in all the activities of the club. He has served the club in various capacities starting from co-chairman in the first few years of joining and as Chairman of various committees almost every year after that. He served on the Board in various capacities, Joint Secretary, as Director-International Service several times, Sergeant–At-Arms, Secretary and as Vice President.
He has keen interest in serving the cause of mass education and vocational service. He also supports the cause of the physical and mentally challenged and the aged. The club magazine- The Rotator is another area of keen interest, topped off by fellowship both within the club and on the international level. He is passionate about raising funds for the Rotary Foundation and has been instrumental in convincing almost 100 members of the club to become PHFs and has earned a reputation a s an expert of Global Grant Management. He is a good team player and loves to work in a group and enthuses and encourages all round participation.
His lasting legacy as the President during the year 2018-19 is characterized by establishing a robust governance structure based on the six governing principles of POSITIVE ATTITUDE, INVOLVED PARTICIPATION, BETTER COMMUNICATION, EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION, DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGY and TOTAL TRANSPARENCY. These principles helped the club in effectively carrying out projects it had envisaged right in the beginning of the year in all the avenues of service.
Born in Udupi in 1956, Vivek had his early schooling in Bangalore and later passed out of the premium institution, Sainik School, Bijapur. A textile Engineer by qualification, he now heads a mid-sized family business/industry group called Priyafil Group, engaged in the manufacture of Synthetic Technical Textiles used in various applications ranging from agriculture, floriculture, aquaculture, household, automobile and bulk packaging. The groups' products are marketed all over India and exported to Europe, Middle East and the US. He also serves the industry's cause as the President of KMTMA and is an active member of other related industry and trade associations, such as AIFTMA, AIPMA, ITTA, KASSIA and FKCCI.
Vivek is married to Shalini, a doctorate in Kannada literature, who ably supports him in all his endeavours at home, office and as a Rotary Anne. She also serves as a regional panel member on the Central Film censor Board. They have three children, two daughters and a son. Their first-born Priyadarshini is a HR executive with the Pharma giant Eli Lilly and is married to Anirudha Nayak, a legal consultant. Their second daughter Yashaswini is a Post Graduate in Computer Science and is with Comcast as a Senior Software Developer. She is married to Ratan Kamath also an engineer and an executive with SIG group and are settled in Philadelphia, USA. Vivek's and Shalini's son Varun has a Masters in Strategic Design Management and works with GE Transportation in Chicago.
Other Volunteers
Rtn. Vincent P. Raj
Rtn.Girish Ramanathan
Rtn.Sanjay Udani
Rtn. GOWRI OZA
Rtn.Kalyani Talukder
Jt.Secretary
Rtn.Mangu Gautam
Rtn. Naveen Sridhara
Rtn. M.C. Dinesh
Director-Community Service
Rtn. S. Viswanathan
Director - Vocational Service
Rtn.Hemant Manay
Director - Youth Service
Rtn. Vish Iyer
Director - International Services
PP. Rtn.Ranga Rao V.S.
Rtn.Dr.Elizabeth Paramesh
Imm. Past President


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Lars Tvede
Successful investor in numerous start-ups
CoFounder at Supertrends Institute and Supertrends.
Published 17 books, including The Creative Society (2015) and Supertrends (2019)
Lars on the Future
The future will bring a tsunami of innovation, way beyond anything seen in the past. To surf it rather than drown in it, we need to use information tools and management techniques that are not common today.
Meet Lars
Author, entrepreneur & investor, has to a large extend built his success being a formidable analyst and major consumer of a steady stream of global information. Over the years, Lars has developed a clear vision by being very well versed in the patterns and laws that history continuously and repeatedly reveals to us. These patterns and laws constitute a fabulous dance which tells us a great deal about the future we are all rapidly moving into. Especially two of Lars' now 17 book publications, "The Creative Society" (2015) and "Supertrends" (2019) provides a beautiful insight into both the historical perspective and a future perspective on how our world and our conditions for conducting business develop.
One of the key characteristics about Lars is that he largely brings his insight into play through the start-up of new companies, where he is the lead investor, through structured private equity investments in other entrepreneurs' start-ups and through investments in the global, financial markets. These activities provide Lars with ongoing feedback and insights into how his analyses and conclusions work in relation the specific world we all find ourselves in.
In 2020, he started the companies Supertrends Institute and Supertrends, both in Switzerland. By the start of 2021 is starting a new investment fund in Switzerland – All this requires that you keep your finger on the pulse and can feel the rhythm.
At a time when we are all working to deal with change, innovation and adaptations through strategic planning and investment allocation, it is both helpful, deeply inspiring and enjoyable to hear Lars sharing his insights into innovation, new technologies, new business models, possible societal developments, investments and expected financial markets development.
Felsenstrasse 46
Email: hello@supertrendsinstitute.com
Company id: CHE-338.962.400


Not so fast, a Florida judge has told GEICO in its attempt to obtain tens of thousands of dollars worth of attorney's fees from collision repairers for lawsuits against insurers.
GEICO's Sept. 30 motion to penalize the plaintiffs for cases the insurer says were obvious nonstarters was premature considering appeals had just been announced, Middle District of Florida Judge Gregory Presnell ruled Thursday.
He dismissed GEICO's motion without prejudice, meaning the insurer can still try again.
GEICO is one of the few major insurers which has sought such penalties, filing for tens of thousands of dollars worth in several of the series of state cases consolidated before the Florida court.
"Plaintiff's insistence on pursuing claims that Plaintiff and its counsel knew – and conceded in public statements, filings and open court – would not survive a motion to dismiss was in bad faith, vexatious and wanton and Plaintiff lacked an objectively reasonable basis for pursuing these claims," GEICO wrote in a motion seeking more than $44,000 worth of fees in Concord v. State Farm (Missouri).
Besides Concord, Presnell dismissed similar requests Thursday for nearly $41,000 in Campbell v. State Farm (Kentucky), nearly $46,000 in Lee Pappas v. State Farm (Virginia) and more than $38,000 in Quality Auto Painting v. State Farm and nearly $39,000 in Ultimate v. State Farm (New Jersey).
But even though those shops are pursuing Eleventh Circuit appeals, it could be a difficult road ahead.
GEICO also sought attorney's fees in similar Sept. 30 filings related to cases in Washington (Haury's v. State Farm) and California (Pacific Coast v. State Farm). It wants nearly $42,000 from the Haury's shops and more than $38,000 from the Pacific Coast shops.
The shops in Haury's on Wednesday and Pacific Coast on Thursday accused GEICO of lying about the law and the facts in motions. They sought punishment in the form of sanctions on the insurer.
"With the Motion for Attorney's Fees, counsel for GEICO has continued its pattern and practice of knowingly and intentionally filing pleadings which violate the basic tenets of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," they wrote in Haury's. "The current motion, as well as prior pleadings, contains misrepresentations of fact and authority which constitute outright falsehoods.


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What apartments will $3,500 rent you in Brickell today?
888 Brickell Key Drive. | Photo: Zumper
Curious just how far your dollar goes in Brickell?
According to Walk Score, this Miami neighborhood is extremely walkable, is quite bikeable and boasts excellent transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Brickell is currently hovering around $2,050.
So, what might you expect to find if you've got $3,500/month earmarked for your rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper and Apartment Guide. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.)
888 Brickell Key Drive
Here's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo at 888 Brickell Key Drive. It's listed for $3,450/month for its 1,280 square feet.
Building amenities include garage parking, secured entry and a fitness center. You can also expect to see a walk-in closet in the condo. Good news for dog lovers: Pups are welcome.
1300 S. Miami Ave.
Located at 1300 S. Miami Ave., this two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo is listed for $3,500/month.
In the condo, you'll see a walk-in closet and a dishwasher. When it comes to building amenities, expect secured entry, assigned parking and on-site laundry. Pet lovers are in luck: Cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.
2333 Brickell Ave.
Next, there's this three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom apartment located at 2333 Brickell Ave. It's listed for $3,500/month.
In the penthouse apartment, the listing promises walk-in closets and a dishwasher. The building features garage parking and a fitness center. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.
485 Brickell Ave.
Finally, here's a studio apartment at 485 Brickell Ave. that's also going for $3,500/month.
The building boasts valet parking. Pets are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.


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An Inflammatory Response: Cardiovascular Complications of Pneumonia
Tori Rodriguez, MA, LPC, AHC
pneumonia xray
As a result of activating the inflammatory-immune system, pneumonia may trigger cardiovascular complications.
Each year, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) affects an estimated 5 to 6 million Americans and leads to 60,000 deaths.1 In addition to its respiratory effects, CAP and other acute infections can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular (CV) complications through various mechanisms. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2011 reported that 18% of patients with CAP developed CV complications within 30 days of CAP diagnosis, with higher rates found in hospitalized patients compared with outpatients.2
The strongest risk factor for CV complications in patients with pneumonia is pre-existing CVD, which is present in more than half of elderly patients hospitalized for CAP.3,4 The risk of developing CAP is up to 3 times greater in individuals with chronic CVD, especially heart failure, and those individuals with cerebrovascular disease have twice the risk for CAP.5
Although the precise mechanisms by which CAP may trigger CV complications have not been identified, it has been proposed that many CV complications result from the "interactions between demographic characteristics of the patients (eg, age, comorbid conditions, obesity, etc.), pneumonia severity and host reactions to the infection of the lower respiratory tract," wrote the authors of a recent review published in Respirology.2,6 "Once pneumonia is established, the host remains in a relative hypoxaemic state secondary to alveolar consolidation that affects the normal ventilation/perfusion…homeostasis."
The investigators described other processes that may influence the CAP-CV complications relationship, as follows:
Pneumonia is a proinflammatory disease characterized by elevated levels of circulating cytokines and chemokines that, in excess, may increase tissue damage.
Circulating endotoxin and bacterial pathogens can activate platelets, which may lead to a procoagulant state, and ultimately acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
The upregulation of the sympathetic nervous system during infection "leads to increased heart rate and vascular resistances that drop cardiac output and coronary perfusion of the heart."
The review further highlighted the following specific CV conditions and their roles in CV complications of pneumonia.
Studies have linked CAP with an elevated risk for ACS, with some findings showing twice the risk for myocardial infarction (MI) in the 7 days after respiratory infection.7 Researchers have hypothesized that "CAP patients could develop ACS secondary to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization."[6] Animal studies have demonstrated associations between Streptococcus pneumoniae infection and higher levels of local inflammation and activated macrophages, which indicate plaque instability.8
Chlamydophila pneumoniae, which is often found in patients with CAP and atypical pneumonia, has been implicated in the development of plaque instability, atheromas, and cardiotoxicity.9 In addition, thrombosis formation may induce CV complications in patients with pneumonia.10 "Thrombus could be generated locally due to a mechanical stimuli and exposure to tissue factors (eg, secondary to plaque rupture) or spontaneously in the bloodstream during procoagulant states," the authors of the Respirology article explained.
New or worsening heart arrhythmias represent the third most common CV complication in patients with CAP, with a reported incidence of 4.7%.2 Among other proposed mechanisms, recent findings suggest the possibility of a pathogen-specific pathway. In mice, S. pneumoniae reached the heart and generated microscopic lesions that were linked to high levels of troponin I and rhythm abnormalities.11
The risk for heart failure in patients with pneumonia is elevated after hospital admission and for up to 10 years postdischarge.2 Possible underlying mechanisms include persistent inflammation, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae as a potential mediator.
Although macrolide antibiotics may reduce overall mortality in patients with CAP, they may also pose a significant CV risk, as these agents have been associated with an increased risk for MI, sudden cardiac death, and ventricular tachyarrhythmias.12,13 The authors of the Respirology article recommended that "the use of fluoroquinolones or macrolides should be individualized and a careful assessment of the risks and benefits is crucial…for the appropriate antibiotic therapies in patients with CAP."[6]
Tori Rodriguez, MA, LPC, AHC,
Tori Rodriguez, MA, LPC, AHC, is an Atlanta-based journalist, licensed psychotherapist, and Ayurvedic health coach, creator of the body-positive wellness company Bettie Page Fitness, and author of 2 books – The Little Book of Bettie: Taking a Page from the Queen of Pinups and Bettie Page: The Lost Years. She holds a BS in psychology from Georgia State University and an MA in counseling psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. Tori has also managed a medical practice and was instrumental in developing Georgia's multispecialty telemedicine program. Photograph courtesy of Brooklyn Brat Images.
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Listed below is a collection of articles remembering Lees-McRae senior Carla Swart, who was tragically killed on January 19, 2011 while training in her native South Africa. Carla will be remembered as a fierce competitor, a loyal friend, and a model student-athlete.
During her career at Lees-McRae, Carla won a total of 19 individual and team national championships. She leaves behind a tremendous legacy as the most decorated rider in the history of collegiate cycling, as well as the only cyclist ever to capture at least one national title in each of the four cycling disciplines in the same season.
Team HTC-Highroad, which Carla recently joined on a professional contract, has established the Carla's Circle Foundation in her memory. Carla's Circle was created to help Carla's family and to help them continue Carla's interests. Direct deposits can be made on the Carla's Circle page, with all proceeds going to the Swart family.
Lees-McRae has also established the Carla Swart Memorial Scholarship in Carla's honor, which will be awarded annually to a female cyclist who demonstrates a love for the sport and exhibits great promise as a cyclist. Checks should be made out to Lees-McRae College (note Carla Swart Scholarship in the memo line) and mailed to the Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 128, Banner Elk, NC 28604. With questions about the scholarship, please contact Caroline Hart, vice president for advancement, at (828) 898-8777.


A B&B owner refused to rent the couple a room, saying homosexuals "defile the land."
Before the rule was enacted, health insurers often refused to cover expenses related to transitioning, calling them "cosmetic" or "experimental."
The owner said that letting a lesbian couple stay at her hotel would have "defiled the land."


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Walmart divests its Argentinian business to Grupo de Narváez
Multinational retail corporation Walmart has divested its Argentinian business to Latin American firm Grupo de Narváez.
Walmart Argentina started operating in 1995 and will continue to serve customers. Credit: Walmart Inc.
Under the agreement, Walmart will not retain an equity stake but will continue to support the business through transition services and sourcing agreements.
Financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed.
Walmart International president and chief executive officer Judith McKenna said: "We are very proud of our Argentina business and associates as they've led and shown resilience throughout this year serving customers when they needed them most.
''We are excited by the local retail expertise the new owners bring to this already strong business, and we believe this deal creates the right structure to help it truly flourish for many years."
Following the acquisition, Dolores Fernandez Lobbe will support the business through a transition period.
The company will continue to collaborate with suppliers under the new owners to support domestic suppliers and small businesses.
Grupo de Narváez has retail operations in Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay.
Grupo de Narváez CEO Fernando Minaudo said: "We are very proud and excited about this new investment. We share the same values: a customer-centric philosophy, focus on operational excellence and commitment to the communities in which we operate.
''The company's performance and dedication of its incredible associates through the Covid-19 pandemic have demonstrated the fundamental strength and resilience of the business, and we are thrilled to support the team, drive long-term growth and create new opportunities for associates and suppliers across Argentina."
In September, Walmart offered a majority stake in UK supermarket giant Asda to Euro Garages Group.


Stuck on a lengthy flight, how are you most likely to pass the time?
Which Avengers Infinity Stone Fits You?
Like the more cerebral Avengers Loki and Vision, you think before you act- though that doesn't mean that you never make mistakes. Remember to factor in your emotions!
Often underestimated, you have endless untapped potential. Many may find you hard to handle, but you are, at your core, a force for good.
Your creativity allows you to solve the unsolvable. Artistic and sensitive, you inspire great change all around you.
You value the bonds you have with others above all else- and you know the power of sacrifice. You are the type to treasure your loved ones.
Your boundless energy and optimism powers you through the toughest situations. Your inspiration fuels others, too.
You're a master of scheduling and order. Others marvel at your ability to get things done.


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Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Skin Therapy Body Lotion, 13.5 oz.
Made with COCOA BUTTER to naturally moisturize and VITAMIN E to help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and imperfections on the skin, giving a more even and toned appearance.
Light, whipped texture is easy to spread and melts smoothly into skin.
Provides luxurious moisture with a non-greasy feeling.
Ideal for indulging after bath or shower.
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Body butter is often made of shea butter. Those are my favorite. Coco butter is also good but a little too runny for me.
I replaced body butter with vasoline in the house. I use to use lotions for normal dry skin and vasoline for the super dry skin. Now I just use body butter for both.
Make sure you use it right after you take a shower so that moisture will get blocked in for the day (or night).