Well I never! My blog is five years old this week! Time certainly flies when you're having fun.
Ha! Pretty scary eh?! If only they were casting for Village of the Damned that day, I could have bagged myself a starring role….
Sorry, I digress… I have fond memories of writing my very first post, which featured a lovely, but stiff-as-a-board Colette Sencha top. I may not have got much wear out of it (the higher than average neckline always made me feel like I was being slowly strangled), but it taught me a lot about sewing, fitting and, above all, fabric choice!
Having a blog isn't just about making things and taking photos. It's also about interacting with the sewing community and for me, that's been by far the best thing that's happened since I started writing it. I've learnt lots about sewing during my first five years and I still have a long way to go. More importantly, I've met some of the kindest, most talented and generous people ever. And the funniest… I've been on some meet-ups where I haven't stopped laughing the entire time! In short, sewing and writing a blog have made me very happy and kept me sane - you can't ask for more really!
I'm sure you're aware by now that Girl Charlee recently set up a UK branch and have been spreading the word about their awesome knit fabrics throughout the land. They contacted me a while back to see if I'd like to try out something from their range and I was more than happy to oblige!
They have a really interesting selection to choose from, including some lovely ponte de roma knits and cotton jerseys. I finally settled on two of their cotton jersey gingham prints in Paloma Grey and Classic Blue. I chose gingham as it's midway between a solid colour and a busy pattern, plus it's a nice change from stripes. My original inspiration was this picture of a simple Diane Von Furstenberg top from my Gingham Pinterest board, not the matching shorts though!
I decided to pair the fabric with the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes top, which Tilly very kindly gifted me when it was first released.
The fabric is a nice quality cotton T-shirt fabric from the Modern Air Collection. It has 25% stretch and good recovery and the cotton content gives it a bit of stability so it doesn't misbehave and curl up all over the place. It's also quite wide (142cm), so I only needed a metre to make the top.
I chose the plain neckline and arm options - I thought the ruched neckline would get a bit lost amidst all that gingham and ruched arms are just not really my style. Based on reviewer feedback on the tight fit of this pattern, I cut a size 5 all over, which is one size larger than I'd usually sew for a TATB pattern. This was deliberate - the Agnes top is designed to be very close fitting but I didn't want mine to turn out absolutely skin tight and look like a leotard! The fit wasn't bad, but I needed to make a few tweaks to the hips and shoulders, next time I'll grade down to a size 4 in both those areas. Once I'd cut the fabric out, it only took me one episode of Desert Island Discs to sew it up on the overlocker. I then changed to my regular sewing machine and finished the neckband, sleeves and hem with a double needle. I took 2cms off the length of the full length sleeves (T-Rex arms) and that was it!
But let's back peddle a bit, at the beginning of this post I mentioned that I'd received two gingham prints - grey and royal blue - so what did I do with the grey? Well I actually had the same intention for the grey gingham, which was to make an Agnes top. At the eleventh hour though, I rashly decided to abandon my original plan and make an Agnes dress instead (with 1.5m I had just enough fabric). I used this tutorial from Tilly's blog to make it, but used the half circle skirt from the Lady Skater dress instead of the gathered rectangle from the tutorial.
Alas, once I'd sewn it up, I realised it was very much a summer dress - I think this was because of the colour. I chose the grey because it looked like charcoal grey on the website, whereas in reality it has a much lighter tone, more like a dove grey. And when seen as a whole dress (rather than a top), it was just far too light and summery to wear in autumn. So I've decided to save it for next summer instead - I haven't finished the hem and the arms yet, so I may well end up making it short sleeved. For what it's worth, the Classic Blue gingham is exactly the colour as it appears on the website - a bright, royal blue.
So I did get two garments out of my fabric in the end: one to wear now and one to save for next summer. I really like the top - it's already proving useful in this in-between weather. It's a close fit, but still comfortable and the cotton jersey feels lovely to wear. I've worn it a few times already - with jeans (see above) and with a cardigan and red denim skirt.
If you'd like to try out some Girl Charlee fabric of your own then you're in luck as they're very generously offering one winner two metres of their choice of fabric! Hoorah! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me which Girl Charlee fabric you'd choose if you're the winner. The full range can be found in their online shop here. The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Sunday 4th October. The winner will be chosen at random. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're the winner.
British Sewing Awards 2015 - vote for me!
Exciting news alert….Handmade Jane has been nominated in the Best Sewing Blog category of the British Sewing Awards 2015!! Whaaaaaat??!! Yes, I couldn't believe it either!
The competition is fierce in the Best Sewing Blog category, so I'm not expecting miracles, I'm just delighted to have been nominated. But, if you enjoy reading my blog and would like to cast a vote my way, then I'll love you forever! You can vote online here or via the button in the sidebar. There will also be voting forms in the November and December issues of Sew Magazine, who run the awards.
I promise faithfully not to spam you with voting requests ten times a day - I'm terribly British like that! After today I won't mention it, (well maybe a tiny reminder in December!) If you do take the trouble to vote - thank you very much in advance.
And what a fab weekend it was! On Friday I went along to the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court - this is on my side of London, so an easy one for me to get to. I was delighted to hook up with Jenny from Cashmerette and her lovely mum almost as soon as I walked through the door and we were joined a bit later by Rachel from House of Pinheiro. Look at the ridiculous differences in height - remind me to take a box to stand on next time!
I really should have booked into a workshop or gone to see a demonstration, instead I spent most of my time eating, drinking tea and chatting, I have no regrets. I still managed to pick up some lovely pieces of fabric from the fabulous shopping village. All of them are very summery and totally inappropriate for winter sewing - I'm sensible like that!
The top piece is a length of vintage gingham from Simply Vintage Designs. This stand was a complete treasure trove and I spent ages rummaging around.
The other two fabrics are vintage chambrays from the Fabric Godmother which I can't wait to sew into cool, summery shirts. Despite drooling over her fabrics for years, I'd never actually met Josie from Fabric Godmother in person, so it was lovely to have a quick chat with her.
I might have to make a direct copy of her Linden sweatshirt!
My pledge for next year is to arrive super early and have a thorough look round the stands before I get distracted! It's probably just as well I didn't have more time this year as there were some seriously talented makers exhibiting.
The fun didn't stop there though. On Sunday I legged it over to Islington with Winnie from Scruffy Badger Time to attend a one day Trouser Fitting course at Ray Stitch. Ah I'd been looking forward to this course for ages and it didn't disappoint. It was based on the same principles as the pattern cutting weekend I blogged about here, where we made bodice and skirt blocks based on our measurements. Our teacher - Alice Prier - is extremely knowledgeable about pattern cutting and was a great advert for the course in her perfectly fitted trousers! She'd also brought along several pairs of her own trousers to show different ways of finishing waistbands etc. This gave me lots of ideas for trouser construction, my favourite being the hidden elastic waistband!
…and smiling, yay they look like trousers!
The aim of the course is to create a basic trouser block that can then be used on its own and/or as a starting point to adapt other trouser patterns. After taking measurements, working out our front and back pattern pieces and sewing them in calico, in no time at all we each had a pair of trousers to try on.
I don't have any photos of my own toile (I'm useless, sorry!), but I can tell you that the fit wasn't too bad at all for a first attempt. I had to take a wedge out of the back thigh as there was a bit of excess fabric, and add an extra wedge to the top of my back piece to accommodate the curves around my 'ahem' arse area. The trouser block was for quite a straight leg so I also made amendments to the pattern for a narrower fit as that's the style I think works best on me. I'll be making my first trousers using my new block very soon and I promise to take lots of photos this time.
Have you seen the September issue of Love Sewing? If you have, you may have noticed a rather splendid looking tutorial for a Tooth Fairy Cushion - by ME!!! I'm so excited to see my work featured in such a great sewing magazine!
I first posted about these cushions here when I started selling my work at craft fairs. Since then I've received countless emails from readers asking if I can put together a tutorial, so that's what I've done! There's limited space in magazines to print every single step-by-step photograph, so this is a good opportunity to include a few extra ones here on the blog.
These little cushions were always a best seller at craft fairs - they're an ideal gift for both boys and girls and make great keepsakes.
Tooth fairy cushions are the perfect place for children to keep their teeth safe until the fairy pays a visit! Once the precious tooth is safely stored in the front pocket, they can be hung from a bedpost or door handle. This makes it much easier for the fairy to retrieve the tooth and leave a reward without waking the child!
*Fabrics used are Periwinkle Fairies and Dig It, both by Michael Miller and available from Sew Scrumptious Fabrics.
The front and back pieces don't have to be exactly the same design. Just make sure that on the front piece, there's an obvious space or gap in the middle of the design for the pocket.
1.We'll start by making the pocket. With the right side facing you, fold the top edge of the pocket square to the outside by about 0.7cm and press. Using a 0.5cm seam allowance, sew down one edge, across the bottom and up the opposite side (don't sew across the top).
2. Snip off the top and bottom corners to reduce bulk.
Turn the top edge of the pocket right side out then fold the sides and bottoms inwards using the stitching line as a guide.
They should naturally turn in because of the stitching. Press well.
3. Position the pocket in the middle of the front piece and pin in place.
Sew down one side of the pocket, across the bottom and up the other side, keeping very close to the edge. I find it's best to use a smaller stitch length. Back stitch securely at each end.
4. Fold the ribbon in half and place on the top edge of the front piece, about halfway across.
With right sides together, place the back piece face down on top (if you're using a directional print, make sure both pieces are facing in the same direction!) Pin round the edges so that the ribbon is sandwiched between the fabric.
Using a 0.5cm seam allowance, start about 3cm in from the bottom corner and sew all the way round until you're the same distance from the other corner. Make sure the looped end of the ribbon is out of the way! Back stitch at each end.
5. Snip the corners diagonally then turn the square the right way round, through the gap you've just left.
Use a chopstick or similar to poke out the corners, then iron the seam down across the gap so that it's straight. Give the whole cushion a good press.
6. Stuff the cushion until it's nice and plump, don't forget to stuff the corners too.
Now all you need to do is sew the gap closed, keeping close to the edge and backstitching at each end.
You now have a perfect little tooth fairy cushion!


MET Orchestra Assistant Principal Violist Milan Milisavljević spent his 2013 mid-season break teaching music in Port-au-Prince, Haiti -- where he learned just as much as he taught.
I have always been interested in teaching and education. The joy of relaying knowledge and sharing something lasting and meaningful with a student has always inspired and fascinated me.
I have been teaching for years, giving masterclasses at schools across the United States and coaching at the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland, alongside other members of the MET Orchestra. In addition, I received a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in viola from Rice University several years ago, having written my dissertation while I was already at the Met. A DMA is primarily obtained by performers who aspire to teach at the university level. The memories of my teachers on both violin and viola, and the wisdom they shared, still resonate strongly in my mind, and I aspire to do the same for younger generations of musicians.
That is why I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer at the Sainte-Trinité School of Music in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. My longtime friend and fellow violist, Enrique Márquez, told me about his work with the Music Education for Social Development Agency Group (MESDA), a Harvard-based nonprofit organization he helped found that is devoted to music education. MESDA offers after-school orchestra programs for at-risk youth in Mexico, Haiti, and Venezuela, and I was so deeply touched by his stories of the students' enthusiasm that I immediately volunteered my services.
The Met's punishing schedule allows for almost no time off between early September and late May, and so I knew that finding time to participate would be problematic. The only possibility was our annual mid-season vacation week, a guaranteed time off we badly need after many weeks of intense, full-on mental and physical effort. By February, I was already exhausted, but once I arranged for that week off, I immediately called Enrique and committed. One month later, in March 2013, I departed on a flight from New York to Port-au-Prince on a seven-day educational mission.
The Met's Assistant Principal Viola, Milan Milisavljević (center, rear), with some of the MESDA faculty and the school's students.
There were seven of us working with MESDA on this trip. Emi was a Juilliard-trained flutist and educator, Céline was a graduate student in clarinet at Boston University, and Lee Ann and Andrea were undergraduates at Harvard, who in addition to their many talents, played the cello and bassoon, respectively. Enrique and I were to teach violin and viola, and a journalism student came along, as well, to shoot documentary footage. We all arrived within days of one another, and were lucky the school had a donated SUV to ferry us between our school and the housing, which were many miles apart. And it was on to teaching right away.
The uniformed schoolchildren who greeted us were smiling, instruments in hand. The violins they had at their disposal were donated low-grade factory instruments, shared between multiple students. To make matters worse, the strings on the instruments were, for the most part, years old and unable to produce an adequate sound. Strings, I realized, were a luxury item; after all, how could the school afford a new set of strings several times a year for each instrument when an entry-level set costs more than the average monthly wage in Haiti? Classical music is an expensive proposition, and that was all the more obvious here, in the Western hemisphere's poorest country. I had come from the most sophisticated music-making environment only hours before, but here was dealing with the very basics of music training and education.
Signs of devastation in Haiti are everywhere. Here, MESDA founder Enrique Márquez visits one the of school's destroyed buildings with a student.
The great earthquake of 2010 killed 160,000 people in Haiti and destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings in and around Port-au-Prince. In 2013, the consequences were still visible everywhere. The shacks the school used as classrooms, while spacious and airy, had no glass windows and almost no electric lighting; meanwhile, the school itself had no good pianos or wind instruments. Some of the rubble around the school (in fact, around a lot of the city) had not yet been cleared. We had to find corners in the schoolyard, or a corner in the hall - really, any place without too much noise around us - and just teach right then and there.
The outdoors served as a classroom most of the time.
We taught all day, for three to four hours both in the mornings and afternoons, giving individual lessons and sectionals (i.e., rehearsals held for separate orchestra sections before they play with the full ensemble). Occasionally, we were asked to teach an extra lesson to an especially eager student, and we happily obliged. Not only did we teach the students, but we also worked with some of the teachers, none of whom had studied music beyond high school. In addition, I gave a well-received lecture in French to the students' parents, about how to motivate their children to practice consistently at home -- an age-old, universal predicament!
We could only devote about thirty minutes to each student, and did our best to find solutions to the technical problems we were seeing. Interestingly, despite their shabby instruments, most violin students produced a nice, warm tone. Their sound went hand in hand with my firm belief that a strong inner musical voice will transcend equipment and its limitations, whatever they may be. It was just one of many reminders of the metaphysical in our line of work, and a heartwarming reminder of the kids' talent.
teachers. Students could be seen practicing almost anywhere.
It was obvious we could not turn things around in seven days, but we did our best to impart knowledge and enthusiasm. Everyone tried hard, and we felt like our efforts were deeply appreciated on all levels. Father David César did his best to make our stay more enjoyable, generously taking us out on the town on several occasions. We also had the assistance and friendship of two young American music teachers who had already been working at the Sainte Trinité School of Music throughout the school year, as part of an unrelated community service program. They had almost become locals, with their fluent Creole and intimate knowledge of Port-au-Prince.
We stayed in the housing of the Anglican church with which the School of Music is affiliated, next to the live-in custodian and his family, who shared their simple food with us. There was no hot water, and the water we had was unsuitable for drinking. Electricity went in and out a few times, and the water supply suffered from interruptions as well -- and we were in one of Port-au-Prince's nicer neighborhoods. But we had camaraderie and a sense of mission. When we wanted a break, we sneaked out in groups for a snack or a drink at nearby establishments catering to foreign NGOs operating in Haiti. This, in addition to the church's wireless internet, greatly improved our daily lives.
Milan performing with the Sainte-Trinité Philharmonic Orchestra.
I had the honor to be invited to perform with the Sainte-Trinité Philharmonic Orchestra, the only regularly performing orchestra in Haiti, consisting of the school's students and other musicians. We performed at a monastery near the city, which seemed to be on a different planet. French-Canadian nuns operated a gorgeous campus there, with impeccably tended gardens and charming architecture. In addition to several concertos performed by student soloists, Enrique and I performed Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 by J.S. Bach, and I played a concerto for viola and strings by Henri Casadesus in the style of G. F. Händel -- a little played, but lovely piece of music. My dear colleagues, Michael Ouzounian, Principal Viola of the MET Orchestra, and Rosemary Summers, an Assistant Librarian (now retired), offered invaluable assistance in helping to prepare the sheet music for my performance on short notice. Michael also gave me some sheet music to donate to the school once he heard of my trip.
Our trip ended all too soon, and it was time for me to go back to New York. It had been a grueling and overwhelming week, and I felt bewildered by everything I had seen and experienced. I staggered onto my return flight with serious food poisoning and without my wallet (which had been stolen during one of our nights out), and yet, I was profoundly sad to leave. New York was cold and snowy, and the difference between the place I had just left and the place I called home could not have been more jarring.
Despite my illness, I attempted to return to work at the Met the next day, and found everything to be sterile and incomprehensibly foreign. As I walked around my home, I would suddenly start crying, beset by memories and many unanswered questions. The powerlessness I felt was hard to deal with. The scope of problems in Haiti was overpowering, and what we did to help was just a drop in the bucket. I could not help but wonder what the lives were like of the people I had met. Although I did not know for sure, it was not hard to imagine the tremendous hardships most of them must have been through. And yet, the children showed up every morning on time, in their freshly pressed school uniforms, and eagerly played Bach, Telemann, and Mozart. If anything was perfectly clear to me at that point, it was that whatever cards you're dealt, that's what life is really about: to persevere, to keep trying.
For information about MESDA and how to donate, contact Enrique Márquez, Founder and CEO, at enrique_marquez@mail.harvard.edu.


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Kim Chance is an English teacher from Alabama, currently residing in Michigan with her husband and three children. Kim is also a YouTuber who loves connecting with other writers. She posts videos at www.youtube.com/kimchance1 and is the creator of the #Chance2Connect chat on Twitter. When not writing, Kim enjoys spending time with her family and two crazy dogs, binge-watching Netflix, fangirling over books, and making death-by-cheese casseroles. Keeper is her first Young Adult novel. You can visit her at kimchance.com.


text:
Q: Java Jung draw ovals i am using jung (java) try to draw circles to the Background. I dont get any output and wondering  why it is not working.
Iam using PreRenderPaintable and PostRenderPaintable but still get no results.
        vv.addPreRenderPaintable(new VisualizationViewer.Paintable() {

        public void paint(Graphics g)
        {
               System.out.println("PRE RENDER");
               System.out.println("vv.getComponentCount()= " + vv.getComponentCount());

            Graphics2D      g2d         = (Graphics2D)g;
            AffineTransform oldXform    = g2d.getTransform();
            AffineTransform lat         = vv.getRenderContext().getMultiLayerTransformer().getTransformer(Layer.LAYOUT).getTransform();
            AffineTransform vat         = vv.getRenderContext().getMultiLayerTransformer().getTransformer(Layer.VIEW).getTransform();
            AffineTransform at          = new AffineTransform();
            at.concatenate(g2d.getTransform());
            at.concatenate(vat);
            at.concatenate(lat);
            g2d.setTransform(at);

            g.drawOval(100, 100, 150, 150);

            g.drawString("adsadd", 200, 200);

            g2d.setTransform(oldXform);
        }

        public boolean useTransform() { return false; }
    });

vv.addPostRenderPaintable(new VisualizationViewer.Paintable()
    {
        public void paint(Graphics g)
        {
            System.out.println("POST RENDER");
            System.out.println("vv.getComponentCount()= " + vv.getComponentCount());
            Component comp = vv.getComponent(0);
            System.out.println(comp);
            System.out.println(comp.getClass());

            g.drawString("adasasdsadasdsadsadasdasdsadd", 300, 300);
        }

        public boolean useTransform()
        {
            return false;
        }
    });

A: The Problem was not setting the color of the output.
For Example:
  g.setFont(font);
  Color oldColor = g.getColor();
  g.setColor(Color.lightGray);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
10 minutes with Erica McDonald
Interviews with Photographers	December 13, 2011 11:42 am
When did you first know that you wanted to be a photographer?
When she was about three years old, my older sister was photographed on Easter day. All the photos from the little shoot were placed together in an album, in sequence, showing how things progressed: girl with hat on, coat off, coat over the shoulder, next to the tree but not touching it, then leaning against the tree, and so on. Most families have photos like this, but I was only about five when I found the album, and it was an awakening for me about the nature of time and the power of the visual record, as well as the possibility of a singular voice presenting that record. The photos allowed me to see my older sister in real time as one younger than myself. Because I was already older than she was in the photos and no such document existed of me, they also made me understand that what is undocumented remains undocumented. Sounds a bit heady for a young kid, but at the time it was a natural, and profound realization.
My grandmother lovingly kept the Polaroid filled with film, and I started photographing the people and animals and things around me with this new awareness. I also orchestrated some self-portraits that I thought revealed something about who I was. It was never that I wanted to be a photographer as much as I wanted to preserve something; it seemed wrong not do so. There was a second little epiphany in high school, when I saw one of Walker Evans' perfectly alive photos of a church, and that closed the deal.
Fourth of July, Maine - Erica McDonald
Hugo at Home, Park Slope, New York - Erica McDonald
Amusement, Maine - Erica McDonald
Who are some photographers that inspire you today?
The classic greats still do it for me – Bruce Davidson, Robert Frank, Eugene Richards, Susan Meiselas, Garry Winogrand, also Penn and Avedon and Hujar, Arbus, Levitt, all of them. And Koudelka, of course Koudelka. But just recently I have been seeking inspiration from photographers who are masters of color and light, like Joel Meyerowitz.
How long did you spend photographing OWS?
I started the 25th of September, a week after it started, but it took awhile to figure out what I wanted to try to do there. The first two days I brought three formats of cameras with me and I spent a lot of time trying to get a handle on the people and place. My first thought was medium format portraits, my second was to just do protest dogs, but I figured the first would be too obvious coming from me and the second though fun, was too reductive. There were photographers who came in for just a day or two and made strong work, but I didn't have that in me – I needed to become part of the fabric of the place. In the end I did two distinct essays, one on the general goings-on (link here) and one inside the homemade shelter (link here) at Zuccotti Park. Because the conditions spanning the two essays (crowded but with an often stagnant vibe alternating with high emotions, occasional suspicion, tight spaces inside tents and extreme darkness, physical limitations from police, other photographers all around) were so different from what I have worked in before, there was nothing easy for me about shooting OWS. My solution was to take it on like a self-taught workshop and to try new approaches.
Occupy Wall Street, Protest March - Erica McDonald
Occupy Wall Street, Zucotti Park - Erica McDonald
Occupy Wall Street, November 17th, Day of Action - Erica McDonald
Occupy Wall Street, Broadway Zucotti Park- Erica McDonald
Camp Vamp - I am here because I am homeless and simply being here proves why the issues around Wall Street need to be worked out. - Erica McDonald
Camp France - I came to raise awareness that our system does not work. - Erica McDonald
Camp Crow's Nest - B.A. in English Lit, no money, no job, so I am here. - Erica McDonald
Camp Zugg Island - (I am here because my mama and papa are here) - Erica McDonald
If you could go back 10 years what advice would you give yourself?
Ten years ago I was in a self-imposed hiatus from shooting because of a promise I had made myself. Essentially I wouldn't allow myself to shoot until I could do so without mental chatter. I think I did the right thing with this exercise, but at that point this had already gone on for some time. I probably would tell myself to get on with it already, but there wasn't a lot of pressure to do so because at the time I was thinking of photography as a vocation and not a career. It blows me away how kids today are able to focus on a path and follow it toward an actual destination aka career. I was a meanderer and though I don't regret that creatively, career-wise it would have been nice to have set out on a course earlier.
What else are you up to?
I've been teaching a bit and am working on something called DEVELOP to provide resources for the enrichment of the photojournalism, fine art and documentary photography community. Much is still in the works, like an online research library, but right now there are two video channels that are live under the name DEVELOP Tube, one on Vimeo link here) and one on YouTube (link here) . I am also co-curating an upcoming exhibit and acting as an occasional editor and consultant.
Any words of wisdom for the up and comers?
Find something to shoot that is meaningful to you; eventually try shooting a longterm piece. Be authentic. Embrace the photobook, galleries, prints, lectures, workshops, but teach yourself as well. Connect with other photographers, learn from them and help others when you are able. Don't expect to work until you have found your voice, and then be a pleasure to work with but stand up for your rights if need be. Understand your photo lineage but don't limit yourself to one visual approach. Be a realist but tune out the doomsday speak and create your own way if there isn't another way in. Forget about competing against others and focus on your own work.
(Erica is based in New York. See more of her work, here.)
← previous TIME picks their top 10 of 2011
next → getting the spirit

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Vanessa Valdez brings a wealth of enthusiasm and commitment to the service of employees and customers. Experienced in retail sales and service specialties, Vanessa lends her charisma and focus to making timely, ideal-fit placements for candidates and clients alike.
RaShon is a seasoned recruiter in the professional services industry with nearly 10 years of experience. His expertise in mid- to executive-level placements spans a variety of vertical markets and industries, including: oil/gas, manufacturing, accounting and finance. RaShon has a strong track record of successful direct-hire and contract placements of top professionals. Hailing from a military family, RaShon has lived in dozens of communities throughout the U.S., enabling him to quickly assimilate to new environments, assess business cultures and deliver the ideal candidate for his clients.
With 15 years of experience, Rosemarie Ardire is expert in industrial staffing and client support. She leads the local team, providing creative solutions to customers and expert support to team members as they deliver outstanding talent to area clients.
Put some power behind your job search. Rely on Spherion to help you find the best jobs in Visalia!


Shimmer like the star you truly are with our multi Golden Eclipse Necklace. Delicately hand-crafted from 14kt yellow gold mirror-polished discs which shine and reflect the light, our precious discs stud our trademark Beluga Chain. Can be worn to two adjustable lengths to create both a necklace and a choker.


I am conducting a community survey, both for personal reasons and for a graduate course project. For the community side, I am interested in determining the level of support people in my area have for a community garden( flower, vegetable or other). However, tying it into the requirements of the course I need to dig deeper and ask a "comparative question". I don't have that "nailed down" yet. I would like to use the scales 3, 6, and 7 from the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (Milfont & Duckitt, 2010) to further examine environmental attitudes within the community. Scale 3, Environmental movement activism examines a person's readiness to actively support organized action for environmental protection. Scale 6 Environmental threat rates the level of belief that the environment is fragile and easily damages by human activity. Scale 7 Altering nature, looks at an individual's belief that humans should and do have the right to change or alter nature to satisfy human objectives.
The 3 attitude ratings use Likert scale questions ranging from 1-7, as used in the original paper. The community garden question would result in Likert-type questions.
I am toying with a question similar to "What's the relationship between interest in a community garden and scores on the Altering nature scale?" Not very comparative though. Maybe, Do people who feel the X-city needs a community score higher on the EAI scales than people who don't? Hmm.
I'm also trying to determine if a 2 way ANOVA is the appropriate measure for this study or if I could get by comparing 2 t-test trials with the data, but I have a feeling I won't know this until I have the test question identified.
Please feel free to offer any statistical analysis help, or to offer suggestions for improvement on the question. Thank you!
I imagine the data could be compared in a format similar to this below.
Psycology of a long time marijuana smoker!


In the past, cocktail Weddings have been seen as the 'poor sister' to a sit-down dinner, but over the last few years, cocktail Weddings have seen a resurgence among Wedding couples – and for good reason! Not only do modern-day cocktail Weddings ensure that no guest leaves hungry, but they can also be so much more fun than a formal 3-course meal.
To get the low down, we spoke with Grand Pacific Group's SophieRose Wachtel who has noticed a spike in the number of trendy Brides or Grooms booking their cocktail Wedding at Watsons Bay's waterfront venue, Dunbar House – and here's why.
Cocktail Weddings allow couples to stretch their guest list just that little bit further, because venues can hold more people when you choose this type of function. Sophie explains, "Many Brides come to Dunbar House and fall in love with the venue as soon as they enter the antique-mirrored hallway. If they decide on a cocktail function, they aren't limited to just 110 guests, instead they can amp up their guest list to 150." That's bound to keep the parents happy!
If you want to be quirky and creative with your menu, you can't go past a cocktail Wedding! "From mini tacos to interactive food stations, such as an Oyster Bar on ice with a live shucker, cocktail Weddings are the perfect way to keep guests happy with a variety of delicious options. Bite-sized morsels can also be served on unique platters like dry ice blocks or banana leaves and people can help themselves when they are ready to eat throughout the evening," says Sophie.
If you want a Wedding that is more relaxed and will have your guests chatting and dancing all night long, you've got to investigate cocktail-style receptions. "Because guests continually circle the room at cocktail Weddings, you'll see more people mingling and it gives the Bride and Groom more one-on-one time with each and every guest," Sophie explains.
DUNBAR HOUSE from Soda Films on Vimeo.
No Wedding is complete without a whole 'lotta dance-floor action and if you love to boogie, a cocktail Wedding is ideal. Sophie reveals that because of the format of a cocktail-style reception, it leaves more time in your schedule for music and dancing.
Ask any past Bride and she'll tell you that one of the most stressful and time-consuming parts of planning her Wedding is finalising the seating chart. Save yourself the anxiety (and the grey hairs) and go for a cocktail Wedding which requires absolutely no chart!
If your priority is to give your guests the highest quality food and beverages, but you're not sure your budget will allow you to, opt for a cocktail Wedding! The money you save on not having to print menus and hire centrepieces can be spent on giving your guests the best meal they've ever had.
Sophie explains that by choosing a canape-style reception, you have the opportunity to incorporate a signature cocktail into your Wedding! Sophie explains, "From a Blushing Bride (Bellini) to a Mint to Be (Mint Mojito) or even a free-standing bar, cocktail Weddings mean that cocktails can be a feature part of your Big Day." Where do we sign up?!
Located on the shore of Watsons Bay, Dunbar House is an elegant, yet understated backdrop for your dream Wedding. Ceremonies can be held on the lower lawn, under the fig tree overlooking Sydney Harbour before guests move to the outdoor terrace for cocktails, with the reception finishing in the exquisite main room.


Townshend's was founded in April of 2006 in Portland, and has since become one of Oregon's largest purveyors of tea. Townshend's samples teas from all over the world, bringing a collection of "Everything Tea" to the Northwest. Townshend's offers over 100 varieties of tea, including all of the classics, a "Finest" list of rare teas, an "Apothecary" list of herbal medicinal blends, tea lattes and chai from scratch, bubble tea and its own house-brewed Brew Dr. Kombucha.
Townshend's teahouses offer a relaxing atmosphere with cozy couches, outdoor seating, free wireless Internet, local art displays on the walls and an exceptional selection of music. The company has nine retail locations: The Alberta Street Teahouse, Division Street Teahouse, Mississippi Avenue Teahouse, and Montavilla Teahouse in Portland, Oregon; the Bend Teahouse in Bend, Oregon; the Eugene Teahouse and University of Oregon EMU Tea Bar in Eugene, Oregon; the Bozeman Teahouse in Bozeman, Montana; and the Park City Teahouse in Park City, Utah. In addition to their teahouses, Townshend's also owns and operates Brew Dr. Kombucha and Thomas & Sons Distillery. For more information visit www.townshendstea.com, www.brewdrkombucha.com and www.thomasandsonsdistillery.com.
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The Townshend's brand uses these specific colors. Avoid using shades or tints of the colors at any time.
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Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren spar over how to handle Republicans
Joe Garofoli Dec. 12, 2019 Updated: Dec. 12, 2019 7:48 p.m.
Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren spar over how to handle...
1of2Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren during a candidates debate Sept. 12 in Houston.Photo: ROBYN BECK / AFP via Getty Images
2of2Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden is shown in Las Vegas Wednesday before his Palo Alto trip.Photo: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun
Former Vice President Joe Biden criticized Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday as unwilling to work with Republicans, a sign of how the Democratic presidential candidates are more directly confronting each other as the polls tighten.
"I read a speech by one of my — good person — one of my opponents, saying that 'you know, Biden says we're going to have to work with Republicans to get stuff passed,'" Biden said at a fundraiser in Palo Alto. "I thought, 'Well, OK — how are you going to do it, by executive order?'"
Without citing Warren by name, Biden continued, "This particular person said, 'He thinks he can actually unify the country. You can't unify the country.' Well, guys, if we can't unify the country you all ought to go home now, because nothing's going to happen except by executive order.
"And last time I knew it, a president is not allowed to say, 'This is how I'm changing the tax structure; this is how I'm changing the environment.' ... You need to actually get a consensus in the constitutional process," Biden said. "And we can unify the country."
By Dustin Gardiner
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Warren said Thursday in New Hampshire that "unlike some candidates for the Democratic nomination, I'm not betting my agenda on the naive hope that if Democrats adopt Republican critiques of progressive policies or make vague calls for unity, that somehow the wealthy and well connected will stand down."
Sniping among the candidates has intensified as Biden, Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., have clustered at the top of the polls in the the first two states to vote in 2020, Iowa and New Hampshire.
Warren and Sanders are also knotted at the top of the polls in California, which holds its primary March 3, with Biden and Buttigieg trailing.
Biden's Palo Alto event was held at the home of Sarah and Greg Sands. Greg Sands is the founder of the venture capital firm Costanoa Ventures.
It was one of three fundraisers Biden headlined Thursday in the Bay Area. After Palo Alto, he was scheduled to attend an evening event in San Francisco hosted by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her husband, financier Richard Blum. After that, he planned to star at another fundraiser in South San Francisco, hosted by attorney Joe Cotchett.
Biden has ramped up his fundraising recently — his campaign says he raised $15 million in October and November, equal to what he brought in from July through September.
Still, he trails his rivals. Biden raised $38 million from April through September, according the Federal Election Commission. That's fifth most among the Democratic candidates, and roughly half as much as the leader, Sanders, who unlike Biden does not hold private, high-dollar fundraisers.
A bigger problem for Biden is that he reported just $8 million cash on hand in the most recent federal fundraising report, far less than Sanders ($33 million), Warren ($25 million) and Buttigieg ($23 million).
Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicle's senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Joe Garofoli
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Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicle's senior political writer, covering national and state politics. He has worked at The Chronicle since 2000 and in Bay Area journalism since 1992, when he left the Milwaukee Journal. He is the host of "It's All Political," The Chronicle's political podcast. Catch it here: bit.ly/2LSAUjA
He has won numerous awards and covered everything from fashion to the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings to two Olympic Games to his own vasectomy — which he discussed on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" after being told he couldn't say the word "balls" on the air. He regularly appears on Bay Area radio and TV talking politics and is available to entertain at bar mitzvahs and First Communions. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud native of Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!
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When your TED talk on leadership has been viewed more times than speeches by Stephen Hawking, Steve Jobs and Sheryl Sandberg combined, you know you're on to something.
Based on his New York Times bestselling book Start With Why, the presentation by Simon Sinek advocated putting purpose, cause and belief at the heart of business. It has been viewed over 29 million times and resonated with leaders worldwide.
Now, the London-born author is focusing his attention on collaboration – specifically how the reluctance of entrepreneurs to share and delegate, to "let go", can damage business.
"It's perfectly understandable why you wouldn't want to let go," Sinek, 43, tells Director at the IoD in London. "It's completely yours, you started it, it's your baby. But that can only achieve a certain level of success. True scale has to involve other people.
"What great leaders are capable of doing is extracting their purpose, their cause, their belief, and finding those who believe what they believe so that those people will treat the business as if it's their own baby.
But while an unwillingness to share the workload is a trait common to many business founders, Sinek says putting this right should be a gradual process rather than an overnight change. "I don't think delegation and letting go is something you jump in the deep end with," he says.
"It's more like Wile E Coyote from the Road Runner cartoon with his fingernails in the sand, slowly sliding over the end of the cliff – there's absolute fear, there's this feeling of being dragged, the feeling that you don't want to go but slowly you eventually completely let go.
"Like any social relationship, it's about give and take," he continues. "It's like dating – you don't go on one date and get married. You certainly don't go on a first date and tell them all your secrets, it's a slow process.
One way business leaders can start to build the requisite mutual trust, he says, is by resisting the temptation to pretend they have all the answers and instead asking for help: "There's this weird confusion people have that if you're the leader you have to know all the answers and if you don't you have to pretend that you do," says Sinek.
"The challenge of pretending you know everything is quite simply you don't, so in itself it's inauthentic and disingenuous. Ironically, it makes you less trustworthy when you present yourself as knowing everything, because everyone knows you don't, right?
"The best leaders are the ones who give others a feeling that they're contributing, that they're lending their talents – ultimately that's what makes people feel connected to the business itself. Sir Richard Branson is famous for saying he didn't know how to read a P&L. Here's a guy who runs a multi-billion-pound organisation who says, 'I'm not really very good with the numbers.' That's amazing.
Allied to this, he adds, is providing training to empower the leaders within your business to perform better: "If people are good at their job, they'll be promoted, eventually to a position where they're responsible for the people who do the job they used to do.
"But often nobody shows an employee how to do that. Generally a company will give tonnes of training when someone comes on board, but little to no training when they are put in a position of leadership.
"I'll talk to CEOs and, when I ask them their priorities, they'll put their hands on their hips and say, 'My priority is my customer.' But you haven't talked to a customer in 15 years! Your responsibility is the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer!
Similarly, says Sinek, business owners should invest in their own leadership development if they're to maximise the potential of their people: "Your personality has nothing to do with how good a leader you are – you can be charming and wonderful and you can be a little bit bare bones and hard-knuckled – so long as it's who you truly are, it's fine.
"But what great leaders have in common is they never consider themselves an expert on leadership, they consider themselves students. They talk about it obsessively with each other, they read books, articles and magazines – you can't give them enough information.
Last but certainly not least, Simon Sinek – whose new book Together is Better offers leadership inspiration through an illustrated, fairy tale-like metaphorical story – urges business leaders to seek solace in their peers.
Books Start With Why, published in 2009, inspired Sinek's TED talk "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" which has been viewed 29 million times; Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't (2014) was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Today Simon Sinek has worked with organisations including Microsoft, Disney, Mars, KPMG, Pfizer and the US military. He is an adjunct member of the RAND Corporation think tank.


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Tags: Virus | Outbreak | Netherlands
Dutch ICU Boss Calls for Tough Lockdown to Rein in Virus
MIKE CORDER Wednesday, 24 November 2021 10:01 AM
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Social distancing became mandatory again across the Netherlands on Wednesday as coronavirus infections soared and the country's leading intensive care physician called for even tougher measures to rein in the pandemic.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that a press conference on coronavirus measures that had been scheduled for Dec. 3 has been moved forward to Friday.
"The picture is somber and worrying," De Jonge told reporters in The Hague.
The Netherlands is in the midst of a surge that has seen a string of new daily records for numbers of coronavirus infections in recent weeks. The country's public health institute last week recorded a 39% spike in infections and said hospital and intensive care unit admissions also rose.
"The turnaround that we want to — have to — see this week ... to ensure that pressure on the healthcare system doesn't get too high, has to come soon otherwise we will have to force it," De Jonge said.
The government has asked for advice from a panel of experts and "hopes to make decisions Friday," De Jonge said.
The head of the national association of intensive care units, Diederik Gommers, appealed Tuesday night for a tough lockdown, including closing schools, something the government has been keen to avoid.
Gommers told a committee of lawmakers that the country's hospitals are 10 days away from being so overburdened with COVID-19 patients that intensive care doctors will have to start making choices about which critically ill patients get care.
There are currently around 500 COVID-19 patients in Dutch ICUs, which have an overall capacity of 1,066, according to an organization that distributes patients between hospitals. Gommers said the number of beds could be scaled up to a maximum of 1,200 to 1,250 and that around 50 COVID-19 patients are entering ICUs each day.
He said that the government's target of 1,350 beds is out of reach because many ICU staff are currently off work, either sick or because they have children who tested positive and have to self isolate.
He said the only way to ease pressure on ICUs is "to ensure that the admissions go down very fast. And the fastest way of reducing (admissions) is tough measures and I think that means a strict lockdown. And that includes schools because I think if you don't close schools you don't stop infections."
Figures show that children aged from 5 to 11 years had the highest rates of infection over the last week in the Netherlands. The Netherlands and the rest of Europe are awaiting a decision from the European Union's drugs regulator on a request by Pfizer to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for elementary school-age children.
The Dutch government — which has been in caretaker mode amid drawn-out coalition talks since a March 17 election — put the nation in a partial lockdown from Nov. 13, ordering bars, restaurants and supermarkets to close at 8 p.m. Non-essential shops have to close at 6 p.m. and people were urged to work from home.
The government made social distancing mandatory Wednesday for everybody aged 18 years and over in locations where the country's COVID passes are not required. Social distancing — staying 1.5 meters from people not in one's family — was already strongly advised by the government. Making it mandatory means law enforcement officials can fine people who do not comply.
Social distancing became mandatory again across the Netherlands on Wednesday as coronavirus infections soared and the country's leading intensive care physician called for even tougher measures to rein in the pandemic.Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that a press...
Virus,Outbreak,Netherlands
Wednesday, 24 November 2021 10:01 AM


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Home > Featured Homepage Posts > REI to adjust pension portfolios based on age
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REI to adjust pension portfolios based on age
Jean-Paul PelosiMay 2, 2018 - 3.00pm
REI Super will use a new age-based strategy for pension members that splits their accounts across the fund's balanced and cash options in line with their age.
Members under 65, for example, will be invested 8 per cent in cash and 92 per cent in balanced, while those in the 65-74 bracket will have 10 per cent in cash and 90 per cent in balanced. In this way, REI can gradually increase members' exposure to cash and reduce their exposure to growth-style assets as they get older and their investment timeframe shortens.
This type of product has been more common in the accumulation phase of super; however, REI wants to ensure its pension phase members are sufficiently protected against inflation as they begin to draw down on their funds.
REI Super's chief executive, Mal Smith, says the aim is to help less-engaged members feel more confident about the value of their pension when markets fall.
"We know that in retirement someone who's 65 has 20 or 25 years of drawing down their pension payments and they need to guard against inflation risk," Smith says. "If they invest their entire balance too conservatively, as inflation takes off over the next couple of decades, they won't have an appropriate asset allocation.
"So, we're trying to make sure members keep the bulk of their retirement savings in a balanced or growth-style investment, with a proportion in cash."
Smith says many REI members are now moving out of the accumulation phase and this approach is in line with this transition.
Better protection
In REI's new investment mix, regular pension payments and partial lump-sum payments are initially made from the cash option and then from the balanced option, in the event the portion invested in cash is insufficient.
To ensure a minimum balance in the cash option is maintained, each member's account will be rebalanced annually in line with REI's age-based structure.
Smith says the calculations by age bracket are simply based on minimum allocated pension drawdown factors the Australian Taxation Office has set.
"For example, if you're a member under 65, you've got a minimum drawdown factor of 4 per cent of your balance per year," Smith explains. "What the 8 per cent cash represents [in this new product] is two years' with pension payments. The logic is that if equity markets fall, the area that members draw their pension from is that 8 per cent worth of cash that's capital protected.
"What we're trying to do is protect people's short-term capital drawdown needs and that scales up across the ages. Each of the cash options is, in effect, two years' worth of minimum pension payments."
Smith says that although the growth component of the portfolio is potentially affected by short-term negative movements in equity markets, REI expects most of those markets to have recovered within one or two years.
"So, you're keeping your long-term investment profile for 20 or 25 years intact but quarantining two years' worth of cash drawdowns in the cash bucket," he says. "We're effectively taking the profits each year out of that growth or balanced option and transferring them back into the cash capital-protected bucket."
Smith says the fund is also taking responsibility for the once-a-year rebalance of the portfolio, shifting the onus away from the member.
A new way forward
There are limitations to REI's new product, Smith acknowledges, but he says it should provide a stepping-stone from which the fund can make future enhancements, especially with regard to older members.
"We hope legislative uncertainty [around pension phase products] gets sorted out so the industry can create more products for people in this part of their retirement," Smith says. "In the meantime, this was designed to be a first step."
While new pension members of REI will default to this age-based investment mix, they can still mix and match as much they like. Existing pension members can also opt-in to the new product.
Having strong performance relative to the listed benchmark portfolio will be important for funds as the government's new test begins, Con Michalakis says.
Matthew SmithJanuary 18, 2021
Funds will need to think carefully about marketing and branding activities in light of the government's proposed best financial interest amendments which bans the use of member money for branding while adding oversight to marketing spending.
UNSW students have highlighted the tension between tailoring information to be more relevant with the desire for such information to be accessible at a low cost as part of a 'sandbox challenge' that has yielded some illuminating results.
David BellJanuary 18, 2021


SsangYong has taken great strides forward with its latest Korando, but is it enough to make people buy it? Jonathan Crouch reports on variant most will choose, the 149PS diesel all-wheel drive SE4.
The improved SsangYong Korando still isn't an obvious vehicle to wholeheartedly recommend in the small lifestyle SUV and Crossover sector. At first glance, while the company must be lauded for bringing the Korando soundly into the 21st century, it may still seem a notch or two behind identically-priced rivals in terms of sophistication and engineering. If you're looking for something inexpensive and a little different to the norm though, it might be worth a look. Especially in AWD 2.0-litre diesel SE4 form.
It's probably fair to say that the second generation SsangYong Korando we first saw in 2011 was the Korean brand's most competitive car ever. Even so, it never quite fulfilled its potential as a tough as old boots budget Land Rover rival. But it still might. We now have a substantially revised version with a more generic look, a quieter drive and a smarter interior. The result is probably worth a look if you're shopping in the Crossover or compact 4x4 sectors, particularly as prices start from around £15,000. Of course, there are other Korean choices already in this marketplace - Hyundai's ix35 and the Kia Sportage come to mind. So SsangYong must produce something a bit special to elbow them aside as well as pricing pitched to sell. This latest Korando aims to do just that and most will want it in the least expensive all wheel drive SE4 diesel guise we look at here.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the latest Korando is its choice of engine. Whereas SsangYongs of yore were powered by some rather superannuated Mercedes-Benz diesel powerplants, the Korean company has been more ambitious with this generation model and developed its own diesel unit. That it has done this against a financial background best described as chaotic is a miracle in itself. The engine is a 2.0-litre turbodiesel powerplant, offered at the top of the range with 175PS mated to a 6-speed auto gearbox. Here though, it puts out 149PS and works with a 6-speed manual to better suit those with an eye on their running costs. You can order it with or without 4WD. At idle, the 2.0-litre diesel is agreeably refined but extend it and it's a little noisy with a relatively narrow usable power band, the engine's best work being done between 2000 and 3,000rpm. Sixty from rest takes just under 10s on the way to around 111mph. This car has 360Nm of torque, which means that it can tug 2.0 tonnes. There's also an 80kg towbar limit. It is, in summary, the most powerful towing car in its class. Which will sell many people this car right off the bat, whatever its other attractions. These people will probably also want the Torque-On-Demand 4x4 system fitted to the SE4 variant we tested. It's one of those set-ups that is constantly able to shunt torque around to the wheel that has most grip so that power is always used efficiently. Unlike some of its rivals, this system also has a 'Lock' mode, selectable should you be on very loose or slippery surfaces or find yourself with your Korando somewhere you really shouldn't have ventured in the first place. Here, drive is allocated equally between front and rear wheels to give you the best possible chance of extricating yourself.
Normally I'm the first to rail against generic car styling, but in SsangYong's case, a big dose of generic was exactly what the doctor ordered. The Korando doesn't stand out in a crowd of compact SUVs and perhaps that's a good thing. Cover the badge on the front, and most people would probably think it was the latest Suzuki Grand Vitara or Toyota RAV4. Given the fact that the Korando undercuts these cars quite markedly, perhaps that's no bad thing. The styling has been tidied up a little in the latest version with a slimmed down, black mesh radiator grille, more contemporary headlights and a wider, low level air intake. The sleeker headlight units now include projection lamps and LED daytime running lights. At the rear, there are detail tweaks to the rear light cluster, which now includes LED lights for improved visibility. Inside, there's a redesigned dashboard featuring soft-touch materials and natural matt wood grain inserts. Plus there are larger cupholders and space to store mobile phones and sunglasses. As before, there are still a few scratchy plastics here and there but it all looks agreeably modern and it's hard to fault the basic ergonomics, something that all too often gets forgotten in the chase for ever flashier control systems. There's still loads of space on board too, with plenty of rear legroom and fold flat rear seats. The 486-litre luggage bay offers a respectable capacity for a car of this size and extends to 1,312-litres when the rear bench is folded.
Korando pricing starts at around £15,000, but if you want one with four-wheel drive, then you'll need to budget from around £16,500, the amount you'll pay for the SE4 variant we're looking at here. At this level, this car competes directly with fellow Korean models like Kia's Sportage and Hyundai's iX35 - but both of these cars are significantly pricier. Potential buyers might also be considering crossover 4x4s like the Skoda Yeti, a car which is gaining significant traction with the car buying public. So that outlines the scale of the challenge faced by the SsangYong Korando. How well equipped is it to march into that battleground? The Korando gets hill start control as standard (the brakes hold the car momentarily as you move off, without the need for the handbrake) though there is no hill-descent control function. This is a little odd for a car that proclaims its off-road ability, with SsangYong quoting approach, departure and breakover angles to underscore its all-terrain versatility. Otherwise the standard equipment list seems par for the course. The centre console now houses a Bluetooth-compatible audio system with USB and AUX-in sockets, while if you ascend the range, you get features such as heated leather seats, bigger alloys, privacy glass and an electric sunroof.
The 2.0-litre diesel might offer a prodigious peak power output but SsangYong has made a reasonable fist at keeping emissions and economy figures reasonable. Emissions for the 149PS version we're looking at here are pegged at 157g/km in 4WD form (147g/km in 2WD guise) which isn't at all bad for a vehicle of this size. Combined cycle fuel economy is a very creditable 45.6mpg in 4WD guise (47.1mpg in 2WD form). Where the Korando runs into trickier territory is in the matter of residual values. With its limited dealer network and UK brand unfamiliarity, there's no getting away from the fact that public awareness of this vehicle is virtually nil. That can only have a detrimental effect on residual values which will never be as punchy as big name vehicles like the Nissan Qashqai, the Skoda Yeti or the Toyota RAV4. Some recompense comes with modest insurance ratings (group 19 on the 1-50 scale).
It's hard to think of a car company that has come so far so quickly as SsangYong. This improved Korando is a useful step forward from its immediate predecessor but continues to feel like a work in progress. In certain regards such as styling, fuel economy, emissions, overtaking punch and rear passenger accommodation, the Korando is right up there with the best in class, especially now that its mechanical refinement and interior quality are so much better. Get the right price on one though and, especially if you tow or need this kind of car to occasionally to stray into the rough stuff, a Korando could be a good bet, especially in the SE4 4WD diesel guise we've looked at here. The list figures are certainly pitched to enable you to do that. Either way, it's from a brand that seems to be on the way up.


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France: Is The Cost of Living Protest Movement About to Erupt?
Lisa Louis | 17 Oct 2022
Tens of thousands of people have protested in Paris against the high cost of living and for a more decisive fight against climate change. But is it the beginning of a wider movement against President Macron's policies?
On Sunday afternoon, thousands of protesters gathered at the Place de la Nation in northeastern Paris waving signs labeled "Stop Tax Evasion" and "I want a 52% Pay Rise Just Like the CEO of Total."
The demonstrators were hoping the march against rising living costs and government inaction on climate change would mark the beginning of a nationwide protest movement.
Some analysts also think it could be the start of something much bigger and more widespread.
"We want to fight against government policies — they only ever take away money from the poorest," one man wearing a denim jacket and a yellow scarf was yelling into a microphone from the cargo area of a small truck.
"Yes," the crowd in front of him replied.
"We will participate in every action to resist against these unfair policies," Vincent Gay, the man on the truck, told DW shortly after. The 46-year-old member of Attac, an NGO fighting for social and environmental justice, added that his group was in favor of higher salaries, freezing prices for certain basic goods and decisive action against climate change.
Left is hoping for a 'combination of forces'
Attac, just like numerous other NGOs, had joined a march organized by the so-called Nupes. The left-wing alliance, which first came together for French parliamentary elections earlier this year, includes far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), France's Socialist Party, the Greens and the Communist Party. Unions hadn't officially joined the march — although the crowd included some of their members.
Nupes was also asking to bring down the pension age from 62 to 60, and calling for a basic income for young people.
LFI's former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon was in the front row among the protesters. He told journalists that the march was the first day of a cycle of protests.
"You'll experience a week like no other — this will be the combination of all forces," he said.
Then, he declared the demonstration a success, saying there had been 140,000 participants. Police later put that number at roughly 30,000.
Strikes planned for Tuesday
Melenchon had been hinting at a strike planned for this Tuesday. Unions for teachers, employees of the energy sector and employees at railroad company SNCF and Parisian metro company RATP will all participate.
This comes after weekslong strikes at the majority of France's refineries that have led to higher fuel prices and shortages. Employees there have been asking for higher wages and better working conditions.
The government now fears the march, together with the upcoming strike day, could be the start of a month-long protest movement — especially as President Emmanuel Macron's team is working on a pension reform to increase the retirement age from 62 to up to 65.
Bruno Cautres, political scientist at the Paris-based Center for Political Research at Sciences Po University, thinks such a protest wave could indeed be in the offing.
"Today's march has attracted a considerable number of participants," he told DW.
'People feel system is unjust'
"That shows how deeply unjust many people feel our system is — also, as they realize some employees are paid a lot more than others," he added. "Paradoxically, the strikes at the refineries have highlighted that as certain employees will now receive bonuses of thousands of euros."
"It might well be that that was the final straw that has now incensed the people," Cautres opined.
Danielle Tartakowsky, a Paris-based historian specialized in protest movements, also speaks of a "difficult social climate."
"The number of 'offensive' strikes in companies has been multiplying — that means people don't strike 'defensively' to prevent cuts from happening; they strike to ask for higher salaries," she told DW.
"That's extraordinary!" she added.
And yet, according to Tartakowsky, it's difficult to say if this will lead to monthslong demonstrations like the ones carried out by the so-called yellow vests, who protested for more social justice starting in November 2018.
"You just can't know what will be the spark that triggers general strikes such as the ones in the 1960s and the 1990s," she said.
France doing better than other European economies
But Philippe Crevel, a Paris-based economist and founder of think tank Cercle de l'Epargne, points out that compared to certain other countries, France's economy isn't doing that badly.
"Inflation stands at 5.6% compared to an average 10% across Europe — also because the government has been capping electricity price rises for households and subsidizing fuel prices," he explained to DW.
He added that France's GDP was predicted to grow by up to 1% next year, whereas a recession was looming in neighboring countries such as Germany.
That's why Crevel thinks the protests are primarily politically motivated: "The Left and the unions want to take a stand against Macron, but I don't think they will manage to kick off a nationwide protest movement under these circumstances," he said.
Could other people learn from the French?
But Claudine Prioul begged to differ. She had traveled to Paris from the northwestern department of Mayenne with her husband Gerard and her friend Colette Paris. All three of them are 70 years old, retirees, members of left-wing union CGT and have been participating in demonstrations since they were in their twenties.
"We need to fundamentally change our political system so that market laws are no longer the decisive factor and the government finally does what the people want," Claudine Prioul told DW.
"I'm struggling more and more to get by with my pension of €1,510 ($1,469)," she noted.
Her husband, Gerard, added that citizens of other countries could learn a thing or two from the French and also take to the streets.
"We French always think we achieve nothing with our demonstrations," he said. "But if you compare our situation with that of other countries where no one protests, we have gained much more and lost fewer rights over the past decades."
Edited by: John Silk
Courtesy: DW
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text:
Ackord är enligt svensk rätt  en frivillig eller efter majoritetsbeslut sluten ekonomisk uppgörelse, i vissa fall stadfäst genom rättens beslut, mellan en fysisk eller juridisk person (eller dennes rättsinnehavare) å ena sidan och hans fordringsägare å andra, varigenom vissa eller samtliga för personen utestående fordringar slutligen regleras. Syftet med ackordet är att snabbt eller inom kort tid lösa en obeståndssituation.

Olika former och typer av ackord
Ackord kan vara
frivilligt ackord (underhandsackord), som är en helt frivillig uppgörelse mellan den som fordringar riktas (gäldenär) och en eller flera fordringsägare (borgenärer). Ackordet ingås i stort sett utan formkrav som ett vanligt avtal och lyder under allmänna avtalsrättsliga principer. Fordringar som tillkommer staten regleras i lag och kan inte omfatta skulder enligt studiestödslagen av 1973 respektive 1999. Företrädare för staten är ifråga om sådana fordringar i huvudsak förhindrad att anta förslag till ackord som inte kan anses som gynnsamma för staten.
offentligt ackord (tvångsackord) är ett förfarande där en kvalificerad majoritet av borgenärerna kan samtycka till ackord, som sedan fastställs att gälla för samtliga borgenärer, kända som okända, enligt konkurslagen respektive lagen om företagsrekonstruktion. Borgenärer med förmånsrätt enligt förmånsrättslagen förutsätts här få betalt fullt ut för sina fordringar.

Rättsverkningarna av beslut om skuldsanering enligt skuldsaneringslagen är sådana att samtliga en fysisk persons fordringar skrivs ner helt eller delvis oavsett samtycke från borgenärer efter en period av 5 år förutsatt att gäldenären följt en av rätten meddelad betalningsplan.

Dividendackord betyder att en fordran betalas med viss procentsats.
Moratorieackord betyder att gäldenären får anstånd med betalning.
Avvecklingsackord betyder att gäldenärens tillgångar överlämnas till borgenärerna som sedan likviderar dessa till täckande av fordringarna.

Företagsrekonstruktion
Ackordet förekommer vanligast i företagsrekonstruktioner, då mellan gäldenären, som är eller inom kort bedöms vara på obestånd och dennes samtliga enligt förmånsrättslagen ej prioriterade borgenärer. Gäldenären företräds av en rekonstruktör utsedd av rätten. Fordringsägarna är vid accept av ackordet beredda att avstå från delar av sina fordringar, ofta beroende på att de vid en konkurs skulle erhålla sämre utdelning eller därför att de efter en framgångsrik företagsrekonstruktion kan förvänta sig fortsatta affärer med gäldenären. För ackord krävs samtycke från en kvalificerad majoritet av borgenärerna.

Lagen om företagsrekonstruktion började gälla 1996. Syftet med lagstiftningen var att minska antalet konkurser och öka möjligheterna för företag på obestånd att fortsätta sin verksamhet.

Skatterättsliga effekter
Enligt rättspraxis är den redovisningsmässiga vinst som en näringsidkande gäldenär gör vid genomförandet av ett ackord skattefri (RÅ 1963 ref. 48). Kostnaderna för själva ackordets genomförande är till följd av detta på grund av den skatterättsliga reciprocitetsprincipen inte skattemässigt avdragsgilla.

Historik
I Sverige har ackord som binder ihop okänd borgenär och borgenär som inte själv samtycker och utan föregående konkurs varit möjligt sedan 1921. Möjligheterna för privatpersoner att nå ackordsuppgörelser kan sägas ha underlättats av 1994 års lag om skuldsanering. 1996 kom sedan företagsrekonstruktionslagen som innebär lättnader för näringsidkare i behov av ackordsuppgörelser. Borgenärers rätt har under senare år stärkts dels genom möjligheterna till företagsinteckning eller företagshypotek, införda på 1980-talet och genom att skattefordringar sedan 2004 inte längre har förmånsrätt i konkurs eller företagsrekonstruktion utan är gynnade enbart genom att det inte är möjligt att få återvinning av skattebetalningar.

Se även
 Ackordscentralen

Källor

Vidare läsning (lagar)
Ackordslag (1970:847) (upphävd)
Lag (1993:892) om ackord rörande statliga fordringar m.m. (upphävd)
Lag (1996:764) om företagsrekonstruktion
Förmånsrättslag (1970:979)
Lag (2007:324) om Skatteverkets hantering av vissa borgenärsuppgifter
Lag (1993:891) om indrivning av statliga fordringar m.m.
Konkurslag (1987:672)
Skuldsaneringslag (2016:675)
Utsökningsbalk (1981:774)
Förordning (1993:1138) om hantering av statliga fordringar

Externa länkar
 Ackordscentralen: Ackord

Obeståndsrätt
Företagsekonomi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sarah Kenney with a recipe for savory tartlets made with ricotta and pine nuts, plus a dreamy photo tour of Yvoire.
Growing up in southern Louisiana, figs were a pleasurable addition to childhood sweets. Figs are such a beautiful fruit. The deep purple hue is so captivating. The juicy centers are a surprising contrast to the outside with their gentle color palette and myriads of tiny woven seeds.
I've been seeing fig tartlet recipes quite a bit lately and thought I would indulge in these little beauties. Interestingly, the recipe that I followed is not really a sweet dessert tartlet. These could be considered more savory than sweet but there is a subtle sweetness. They are a delicious option to that could accompany a light salad.
The filling for this slightly savory tart consists of ricotta cheese, sugar, 1 egg, and pine nuts. The result was delicious, but different from a typical tartlet that I've had made with frangipane. The flavors are subtle but the depth of taste is quite satisfying.
We've finally been getting some relief from the sultry heat of the south. Afternoon showers of rain are a welcome sight to everyone here and certainly to the parched earth that is ready to drink up and quench its thirst. The kids and I often choose a documentary in the afternoons, snuggle into our comfy chairs, and listen to the patter of rain outside while learning about far away countries and cultures.
Speaking of far away places, we are dreaming again of whisking off to explore corners of the world. We have several places in mind but until those tickets are purchased, I'm going to stay "mum".
What pushed me to blog about recipes that I make at home was the experiences we had on a trip through Switzerland and France last fall. The trip was so incredible. The sights and food enjoyed were so overwhelming to my senses that I needed an outlet to share my experiences.
So today, I invite you to join me on a magical journey through an idyllic little village in France that was one of the many highlights of our trip. This journey begins in the petite little village of Yvoire, France.
We landed in Geneva, Switzerland, rented a car, and began driving east along the enchanting southern coastline of Lake Geneva. About 35 minutes later, we rolled into this jewel of a french village right on the border of France and Switzerland.
Adorable shops and quaint restaurants? Check, check, check!!
Patrick and I travelled to Yvoire when Madeleine was 1 year old. We literally stumbled upon this little village, got out of the car, put Madeleine in her little backpack, and walked quietly through the cobblestoned streets. We were young and in awe over the beauty of the village.
Last year, we celebrated our 20th anniversary. We vowed that someday we would return to Yvoire again. Here we were now with our teen children. Incredibly lovely and fortunate to share this experience with them.
Little did we know how many delightful villages, towering castles, and winding country roads we would experience on this incredible journey. This first stop in picturesque Yvoire was a dreamy appetizer to sights to come in the high mountains of Switzerland and then in the rolling hills of Provence.
The rocking of the boats on the water, the flowers tumbling out of seemingly every crevice, and the beauty of the massive stone buildings is truly post card perfect.
We walked up and down the narrow twisty stone paths, trying to dream of what it would be like to call this place home. Do the people who live here see this beauty? Do they take it for granted? Where do they dream of visiting?
Our hotel was snuggled among baskets of cascading flowers and vines hanging from every window. The inside was quaint and cozy with a huge stone fire place crackling away to warm up guests from the impending chill of the lake winds.
The kids went up to our rooms to relax and Patrick and I decided to soak it all in on the sweet terrance that opened up from the hotel restaurant and sip on lovely little cups of espresso.
"Can you believe we are back again in this enchanting village?" I asked Patrick, with my eyes misting over, and filled with thankfulness for this second experience here.
We walked, just the two of us, hand in hand through tiny paths and in and out of tiny shops. We were quiet. Yvoire is about soaking in the beauty and calm of this tucked away little village. We didn't need any words. We just walked and walked.
We had passed a tiny little pizza restaurant earlier and the smell enticed us to return. We picked up the kids from the inn. They were thrilled that their first meal was going to be – pizza!
The first few hours in Yvoire couldn't have been dreamier. The little pizza restaurant was warm and inviting. The doors were all open to the street as soft breezes swept through the village. The pizza was delicious – crispy crust and toppings flavored just right.
We opened our first demi bottle of heady French Bordeaux wine. A singing duo from Peru strolled by playing haunting tunes of Peruvian music. We sat back and just tried to take in all of this beautiful atmosphere.
A few minutes later, lost in our reverie (and a bit jet lagged), a young man comes bounding into our view right outside the restaurant (pictured above). He was quite animated and showing off these attachments he strapped to his legs that allowed him to spring high up in the air. What a sight!
This final photo below is the view right outside of our window at sunrise the next morning. Patrick and the kids were still sleeping. I could feel the wonderful chill in the morning air. I crept to the window, opened it wide and breathed in the morning sunrise. The vines clinging to the rooftops were tinged with hues of red and orange signaling the start of the fall season. Gorgeous.
Why do I love to travel so much? Sights, smells, and sounds that exist like in this tiny little hamlet of Yvoire are why. They beckon me to come and soak up their atmosphere of beauty, history, culture, and food.
Savory tartlets made with ricotta and pine nuts - adapted from Down Under Blog.
Prepare the short crust pastry and let it rest for an hour in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on dusted flour surface and press into tart pans.
Prick the bottom of the pastry.
In a bowl mix together egg, ricotta and sugar.
Add pine nuts and stir.
Pour equally batter in tart pans (3/4 filled).
Top with a half fig. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely golden on top.
Remove from oven, turn out from tart pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Sarah is an adventurous food photographer and writer who has moved six times with her family from the U.S. to Wales, Japan and back. They are affectionately known as "The Rolling Stones". She is a passionate chef who thinks that their experiences living in Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Missouri, Kansas, and now Texas culminate in shared meals and tales around the table as her family experiences each regions offerings of cuisine and culture. Texas is her current stop and good food and good times are a passion of this southern state. She writes about her foodie adventures in her blog "Snippets of Thyme".
I just bought some figs and was looking for a recipe to try. These tarts look so tasty. Love savory with just a hint of sweet.