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This spring, a patron needed to take several crucial career-related exams online but her home computer wasn't working. For several days, she came to the library to use one of our computers to take her exams. After her exams had been completed, our staff noticed that we were seeing both the patron and her daughter much more frequently at the library.
In a very thoughtful letter to our director, the patron wrote, "Your staff welcomed me, made me feel comfortable and extended my computer time as they were able to. They facilitated my study in the most comfortable and efficient way. I so much loved my experience at the Freeport Community Library that I now come often after school with my daughter. She does her homework and I catch up on my reading."
And as we recently found out from the patron, the completion of the online exams helped her get a great job in her field! We celebrated her success and are thrilled that the hours of her new position will still permit her to come to the library with her daughter on a regular basis.
A 4th grader named Elizabeth came into the library recently with her mom to find books on seahorses. Raymond Village Library is a small library and our collection is not large. Here is where MARVEL came in handy!
I showed them some databases appropriate for Elizabeth's age. They were Searchasaurus, and the Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. I also encouraged them to take a look at some of the other databases included in Marvel for future reference. Elizabeth and her mom were very pleased.
A woman came in to the library in need of a job. She used the public access computer at the to do her resume and asked me to look it over. She was so appreciative for access to the computer and the help with her resume she gave me a big hug before she left.
Two small business entrepreneurs come with their laptops on a regular basis to use the free wi-fi at the library and I know appreciate having access to that service at the library.
My goal each day is that people leave the library not only satisfied but delighted and having access to a safe and comfortable space where access to technology and information is easily accessible is extremely important.
Let me count the ways..Remember walking to the library as a kid…biking…strapping the books to the handlebars…exploring dark corners with books that hadn't been read recently…finding treasures…the librarian that was always there and knew my name and my card # by heart…who knew the family even though at the time we were summer people…my kids climbing the same stools to reach the library counter…and discovering the joy of reading…the library…a priceless treasure!
In the past few years the Farmington Public Library has acquired 9 laptop computers through 2 grants. We have been using the computers with our videoconferencing equipment and Learning Express to teach computers skills to seniors.
We keep the classes informal and limit the number of attendees to 6 people. The class is called Tech Time and is advertised as a "bring any question" session. We've taught people how to use email and Facebook and even mouse skills. They bring in church projects, digital photos and their Ipads.
We always make sure everyone knows they can come back in to see a staff member who will help them with their technology questions. This has been a wonderful opportunity to make seniors more comfortable with technology. Our library could not have done this without the Gates Foundation and the computers and training we received through the BTOP grant.
A woman has been coming into our new library building and using one of the public access computers for over a year now. She learned how to apply for jobs on-line and developed word processing and file management skills with considerable help from the library staff for the first few months but after that, she was flying solo. She estimates she applied for thousands of jobs. Last week, she came in to give and get a hug because she was hired for a job and she was thrilled. At a tough time in her life, she persisted in learning what she needed to do in today's job market and succeeded! It was just as satisfying for us as it was for her.
Deadlines and large files are daily challenges in the world of a video producer. I deal with clients all over the country and I need to send them large video files of edits as they are created. While it is easy and relatively cheap to arrange for an internet connection that has reasonable download speeds, it is next to impossible to get upload throughput short of FiberOptics. However, Rockport Public Library has 12 times the upload speed that I have and it is definitely worth the effort to drive over and utilize their bandwidth. Even if I let the upload go all night from my house, there are almost always glitches that render it moot by the morning. A few minutes at the library (or parked nearby during the closed hours) allows for me to keep on schedule. Whether it is 400 MB or 2 Gigabytes it is always so much easier to upload at the Library. Colleagues all over the state are now utilizing this wonderful service when I point out the solution to their own uploading challenges. A big "thank you" to the Libraries, the Librarians, directors, and the infrastructure that allows this life-line to my clients.
Recently, we were vividly reminded as to how important and vital a public library is to its community with its technological accessibility.
An older woman who had long been able to find work in low-paying jobs was faced with a life crisis: newly unemployed, she had solidly hit a brick wall with no way to move past it. Filing for unemployment, or applying for jobs that previously needed only a paper application now meant doing so online. She needed to write a resume, (which she had never done), which also required computer access. She could not afford a computer, could not access the Internet, and without that ability, could not move forward in her situation. She didn't know how to use a mouse, never had e-mail, and had no idea where to find Google. However, she did know where she could find help for that. She came to us.
It took time that day, but we helped her create her first resume and her first e-mail account, which she was proud of. We showed her how to find jobs, and how to apply for them online. For her, the playing field became leveled. She's one of many we see daily--was provided the means to be able to begin moving forward by our library's having Internet access and patron computers.
A patron asked for help revising her resume. She was working at one of our public computers and obviously very frustrated. She had e-mailed herself her old resume in the body of an e-mail and could not understand why she couldn't edit it in the email.
I showed her how to copy and paste the body of the resume into a Word document, and after seeing that she knew little about Word, spent time with her showing her the basics of using Microsoft Word.
As I worked with her on her resume I could see that she was a highly trained R.N. and obviously very bright. It occurred to me that she probably only filled out online forms and reports at the hospital and did very little document creation. So many adults have learned only the computer skills that they need to do their jobs. They depend on their public library for help with digital literacy.
This patron left with a nice-looking resume. I hope she got the job she was applying for!
There is a woman who comes in to keep up on research in her field. While here she has produced letters and flyers as marketing materials for her self-employed business.
We also serve as a proctoring site for exams and assessments for several online academic institutions, for people who are trying to increase their qualifications for various jobs.
For the past two years, a library patron who works in the medical field has come to the library with help to access online training modules and exams that are required to keep her job. This patron is not comfortable with computers and needs a lot of hands-on assistance, but each year with a lot of help she passes her exams and keeps her job.
Another regular computer user uses the library computers several times a week and recently told me that we were more help than the local Maine Job Center. Last week, she needed help to navigate the transition from job gateways to specific applications and assistance uploading required documents needed for job applications.
We help multiple patrons a week who wish to access e-books on loan through the state-wide system. Last weekend three of our reference staff members spent a couple hours helping a gentleman with an older computer and a Kobo set up both to download and transfer e-books for a cross-country trip that he and his wife were taking.
Today I saw two of our older patrons who do not want to deal with the expense and technological hurdles of Internet access at home. Both gentleman are still working and access professional resources as well as keeping in touch with family members and friends on library computers.
East Blue Hill, Maine is one of those small towns in the State which nearly doubles in population size in the summer. Because year-round WiFi to the summer cottage isn't cost effective or the stay is only for a short internship with the organic farmer, the little library becomes a popular place - inside and out!
Last Summer one gal brought her beach chair and sun tan lotion and set up on the porch to fill out graduate application forms; one lady who lives on Fifth Avenue in New York sat on the steps checking her email; more than one "captain of industry" came inside and checked on his stocks and bonds or business back home. Numerous others simply drove up and used the WiFi from their cars.
I learned only last week that several individuals and home businesses within connection reach of the library, rely on our WiFi for their professional work. Right now there are 28 young people in the town 14 and under. As their needs for computer access grow, this library will be able to accommodate them if we continue to have an affordable e-rate with Federal support.
About a year ago, a senior citizen called to see if we had a computer that she could use. I told her to come on in and we would get her set up. I happened to be at the desk when she came in and she was probably in her early 80's. She fearfully looked at the computer and admitted she had never even used one before.
I asked her what she wanted to do. She told me that her granddaughter had just had a baby and was living at a military base in Alaska. She would never have a chance to meet this new infant, but her granddaughter had put up pictures out on a website (though I cannot recall which one). I pulled up the website and she just started crying she was so excited to "meet" this new baby.
I hooked her up with our technology librarian who gave her some quick Internet lessons. She came in a few months later to inform me that she now just needed a wireless connection because she has purchased a laptop.
I patronize a circle of libraries in Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Bucksport, Belfast as well as Castine. While Castine is my preferred place to spend time on-line, the others are available to me when and if I'm in town. The need is essential because I do not have internet at home, and the reason is because I have been unemployed for months. My financial situation is further aggravated by having graduate school debt.
"A library is very important for me in doing a job search or research on the computer. If there is an article I need to find in a newspaper, or book I can easily find it.."
"I left home for two years to serve a mission and this is the only way I have contact with my family."
"The library offers a quiet place to read and offers computer services that I could not otherwise afford."
"I don't have internet at home, and the librarians show me how to use the computer."
The Simpson Memorial Library gets its internet through the Maine State Library Network, and we do e-rate for the phone.
There is no way this little library could provide internet for our patrons. We do not have the funds to pay for it. E-rate and MSLN internet help us to keep the doors open.
A young couple from Germany desperately needed to get in touch with a parent who was recovering from surgery that occurred while they were in the United States. They were able to get in touch with relatives and learn of his condition.
A person from England was so grateful to be able to Facetime with an elderly parent after having been off the grid for a number of days.
Appalachian Trail travelers have been able to make contact with the world after their treks.
Countless users have used the internet to confirm flight reservations, etc.
During the long snowy winter months our townspeople are able to connect effortlessly and quickly to download titles. Many of our residents have dial-up. Also a less costly connection with DSL is only available if you live within three miles of the switching station.
The Cherryfield Public Library would not be able to offer half of its services without the Internet Connection we receive through the E-Rate Program. Thanks to the Fiber Optic Internet service that we have obtained through the Maine School and Library Network (MSLN) we can offer our patrons a wide variety of services and run our business as it needs to be in today's world of "Cloud" Technology.
Cherryfield is a small rural town with a population of around 1200 citizens. The library is a private non-profit organization which runs on two endowment accounts and the generosity of patron donations. If not for the Internet connection we get from E-Rate through the MSLN we simply would not have Internet in our building; the expense would be far more than our budget would allow.
Our library is the only location in our area to offer 24/7 non-password protected Wireless Internet Service. We find that many travelling employees (Home Health Care, Delivery Drivers, etc.) use our WiFi at all hours to file reports and update directions amongst other things. We have the highest speed connection in the area. We find many people will use our connection for computer software updates or downloads because it would take them hours at home whereas they can accomplish the same task in mere minutes here. Our computers are always full during tax season as more and more forms and services are available only online.
The connection has allowed us to provide various computer classes for both the general public as well as our large senior community. Many of our senior students would not be able to use their computers if not for the help they receive at the Library.
We were proud to be the first library in our area to partner with the Smithsonian Museums for Interactive Video Conference Programs. Without our High Speed Internet there is no way we would even have a Tandberg Video Conferencing Device, never mind use it for such fabulous programming. The connection has also allowed us to use our Tandberg to connect with other library programs throughout the state for programs such as Lawyers in Libraries and informational sessions for small business with the IRS.
Because of our Internet connection we were able to participate in an automation grant which allowed us to catalog our Library for the first time in its 174 year history and use a Cloud Program (LibraryWorld) for Automation.
All-in-all our little library would not exist in today's day and age without the support of E-Rate and the Internet connection it provides. We have been dubbed "The Little Library that Could" but without E-Rate, we couldn't!
I live in Washington County where there are ample reasons for e-rate to continue and be affordable.
1) The county, like much of Maine, is very rural (in our case, 33,000 people for a county the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined). People are few and they are spread out. My nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile up the road. Technology is essential for such environments to reduce isolation, increase social contact and ensure safety.
2) There are many elderly people in rural Maine who are not computer savvy and/or do not have the funds to buy a personal computer. Having free access is essential. Folks need access as well as technical support both of which are in libraries.
3) There are no sites other than libraries where folks can have public access. We have no internet cafes or other places where computers are available.
4) Libraries in rural areas are notoriously poor. Libraries rely on limited municipal funding and significant fundraising activities to keep the doors open on even a part-time basis with volunteers and poorly paid part-time employees.
5) Having computers in libraries has created a synergy that has been exciting. Folks who might not read books, come into libraries to use computers and are exposed to the various resources of the libraries. In turn, folks who do read books, come into libraries and are exposed to computers. I volunteer in my local library and see this happen all the time. The library is a real community center in a small town.
6) In the day when we are all experiencing everything being cut, it would be great to keep something going that has created tremendous access to technology in rural areas.
A local pharmaceutical representative uses the Library's Internet connection to take a tests for re-certification every few months. He has to answer forty-five questions in fifty-five minutes and each question has to be submitted, which can use valuable seconds if the connection is slow. He states that he has much less stress during the test knowing that the Library's Internet is high-speed and reliable.
A number of years ago a woman, who didn't have Internet access at home, got her MBA using, for the most part, the Library's public access computers. Since receiving her degree she has opened a financial services business in town and next month she will present a program at the Library during Money Smart week.
About a year and a half ago the mother of a local high school student lost her job. One of many ways she saved money was to discontinue home Internet service. Both she and her daughter used the Library's Internet nearly every day; she applying for work and her daughter doing homework. After about a year she got a job, but Internet access still isn't in her budget, so when she needs to get online she is at the Library. Her daughter is walking into the Library right now as she does most days after school. Our high school loans all high school students iPads and Internet connectivity is essential for assignments as well as corresponding with teachers.
In most of the Unorganized Territory of Trescott, there is no internet access available whatsoever (with the exception of dial-up, which is not recognized by many newer computers). Everyone--students, adults, area visitors--must leave the area to find unsecured (available) access.
Most often, this means coming into Lubec (the nearest town) to the Lubec Memorial Library, not only for Internet access, but to print any documents from the Internet. This service is essential to our students and residents. Elimination of funding would render it impossible for our small Community Library to continue offering free internet access to those who most need it.
On February 8 2013, the Friday at the start of the blizzard, the Paris Public Library was open for several hours. Understandably, given the forecast and the falling snow, we did not expect to be very busy.
Between 10 and Noon, we had two people come into borrow books. During the same time though, we had all 9 public desktop computers and all four public laptops being used, with other people waiting (and some leaving). All these people were on the Internet, utilizing the MSLN connection, for their various purposes. They all needed access to computers and the Internet enough to come out in some increasingly challenging weather.
I know this seems hard to believe, especially for an area like Mount Desert Island, but there are some parts of our community that can not get Internet service and there are also many families who can not afford computers.
Our public access computers are in constant use. Some patrons use them for entertainment, like Facebook and email, but others use them to search for jobs, services, and research. Still others bring in their own laptops, though we have three for lending. We often have students taking online classes or tests from our Library or patrons needing help with a resume, not only formatting it but also emailing it.
A large part of what we do here is help patrons navigate the Internet; now so much is only available online and those that do not have easy access to the digital world really rely on us. If we had to pay for the quality of Internet service we offer we would not be able to offer much of anything else. Our high-speed connection is invaluable to the library and its patrons.
The federally-funded e-rate program has been a huge blessing to our library. In our rural, mountainous part of the state, internet (or even cell phone) access is very spotty. For many of our patrons, the Rangeley Library is the only place that they can gain internet access. Many people come in regularly to check their email accounts or to look up information online. At this time of year, it is the only place that some people can file their federal and state taxes.
Even for people who live where internet service is available, some of them just cannot afford a computer and internet fees. The library acts as the "great equalizer" for many of our poorer citizens, bridging the digital divide between them and the more affluent.
And finally, the Rangeley Library's ability to provide internet access to our patrons helps the economy of the Rangeley Lakes region, and the economy of the state of Maine. Our area is heavily dependent on tourism, and we have many people who come for extended periods of time, continuing to work via the internet at the library. There are people who are literally here every day of their stay, sometimes all summer long. Our library acts as their office while on vacation. If this service were not available, many tourists would not be able to stay as long because they would not be able to leave their places of business for such extensive periods.
I sincerely hope that the federal e-rate program will continue. It has been a great benefit to the Rangeley Library and I am sure to many other libraries as well.
I thought it pertinent to relate a recent story from our library in Brewer. Recently we experienced a local hardware store closing after more than 6 years in business. The 19 workers who had been employed by this store for an average of 15 years each began the arduous task of finding new employment. One such person was a sixty-year-old woman with a high school education. The local career center had sent her to our library to learn basic computer skills, create a resume, search and apply for jobs. Without our library MSLN connection the bulk of these tasks would be impossible.
We assisted her with her software skills, create a resume and begin the job search. She is now enrolled in a network that assists people older than 55 find employment and gain the needed confidence to retrain for a new career. She visits us several times a week to keep up with her new found skills.
The federal e-rate program which funds more than 70% of the MSLN is crucial in our continued work to assist unemployed people in our community. The current budget crisis on every level directly impacts so much of what we can accomplish within our libraries. I know our library would not be able to afford the connectivity we have without the federal e-rate program.
This is just one example of the dozens we could offer up. Children, workers, students and people from all walks of life come to Maine libraries daily. They visit not only for the books and programs but for the community and connectivity we offer. Thank you for your continued support.
I have a woman who has been coming into our library to apply for jobs for many months now. She is middle-aged with grown children and is an intelligent person. When she first came in to the library she had worked as a bank teller and said that she just needed a computer to apply on-line and that she knew how to use the computer. She was confident that is would take her a week or two to get a new job. The current job-seeking environment was a huge shock to her.
It turned out that her computer skills were minimal and she needed lots of hands-on help and encouragement to apply to jobs on-line. She learned how to attach her resume to an application, how to use the office document software and she also learned that she wasn't going to get a job fast. We helped her on-the-fly and she has been very grateful.
She is still looking for work and she tells me when she has an interview and how things are going. She has many more computer skills now than when she started, largely self-taught with some special help to get her started. She now uses the library as a place to recreate as well and has brought other members of her family in to use the computers. I hope any day now she will come in and tell me she has a job.
MSLN, because it provides connectivity to public libraries in Maine, makes it possible for FoML (Friends of Maine Libraries) to make good use of the database provided by MSL to spread the word to libraries throughout the state in a cost efficient manner. The MSL public library directory contains the email direct link to every library which gives us the power to keep all libraries, not just our members, informed about who we are and what we do. It is a vehicle for us to get the word out about our services and our grant program that directly supports libraries. We do not have the funds to do paper mailings to everyone.


The term 'self assessment' is proving to be one of the great misnomers of all time. Many taxpayers struggle to understand the complex tax returns and complete them correctly. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tax payers are hit with penalties for late returns. And if you leave the tax calculations to the Inland Revenue, are you sure that they will get it right? The National Audit office reports that more than a million taxpayers are paying the wrong amount because of blunders by the taxman – and the number is rising.
We can act as your agent, dealing directly with the Inland Revenue on your behalf and, should you be selected for a self assessment enquiry, act for you at any meetings. Enquiries are not only stressful, they can be expensive. We offer an insured scheme to cover your professional costs in any tax enquiry, so you won't have to worry about the fees.


Looking for deals in Chongming?
Located in Chongming, Kaiyuan Manju • Shanghai Changxing Island Country Park offers a garden.
Hanting Hotel Shanghai Chongming Bayi Road offers accommodations in Chongming. Each room at this hotel is air conditioned and is fitted with a TV. You will find a kettle in the room.
Located in Chongming, Motel Shanghai Chongming Bayi Road Pedestrian Street has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi. All rooms feature a TV with cable channels and a private bathroom.
Only accepting mainland Chinese citizens, GreenTree Inn Shanghai Changxing Island Yuansha Business Hotel is located in Shanghai.
Hyatt Regency Chongming is located on Chongming Island, overlooking the East China Sea and adjacent to Dongtan Wetland Park. Very good location, hotel staffed are friendly.
Accepting only Mainland Chinese citizens, GreenTree Inn Shanghai Chongming Nanmen Express Hotel is located a 10-minute drive from Nanmen Bus Station and Nanmengang Port.


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March 10, 2017 Next
NAD C 368 Out Performs in Home Theater HiFi Review
"To say that I am impressed with the features and performance that the NAD C 368 offers at this price point is an understatement," says Yongki Go in his Secrets of Home Theater and High-Fidelity review of NAD's latest amplifier. Covering everything from design, features and set up, Go's review is both thorough and complimentary.
Beginning with the C 368's exterior, Go quickly moves to the amp's inner workings. "…the C 368 may be mistaken as a conventional integrated amplifier. On closer inspection, however, it proves to be much more." Go highlights the C 368's ability to serve as a DAC for a variety of digital sources, as well as being equipped with a separate headphone amplifier. Go then discusses the benefits of adding NAD's BluOS MDC module, which creates the possibility of having a wireless high-resolution multi-room music system. "The NAD C 368 with BluOS upgrade is a feature-laden high-value product that does everything it is intended to do very well, embracing especially hi-res network music streaming to its fullest."
Go's testing of the C 368 marked his first exposure to MQA® music, which he states ultimately helped make him a believer of the revolutionary end-to-end Master Quality Authenticated technology. "It was my first exposure to MQA streaming and the C 368/BluOS conveyed convincingly the superiority of this high-resolution streaming format to make a believer out of me. That by itself is worthy of a separate accolade to NAD."
While Go praises many of the C 368's features, it is ultimately the amp's performance that wins him over. "Not only is the C 368 loaded with features, but also a strong all-around sonic performer with high bit-rates processing capable of accommodating current state-of-the-art high-definition music streaming, further elevating its performance."
Read the full Secrets of Home Theater and High-Fidelity review here
First NAD D 3020 Review from HiFidelity September 10, 2013 D 3020 Amp Uncovered in Stereophile Review October 28, 2013 Five Stars for New NAD Masters Amplifier Combo April 22, 2015 NAD D 7050 Awarded 2014 Product of the Year January 9, 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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HomeFeaturedExisting Protections Fall Short for Mandated Child Abuse Reporters
Existing Protections Fall Short for Mandated Child Abuse Reporters
December 28, 2016 Franne Sippel Featured, Opinion 6
In 2001, graduate assistant Mike McQueary followed Penn State protocol when, after witnessing retired football coach Jerry Sandusky molesting a boy in a locker room shower, he told Coach Joe Paterno and two other superiors what he saw. As a mandated reporter, McQueary was required by law to report suspected child abuse.
After the story came to light in 2011, McQueary – then assistant football coach – faced brutal retaliation: defamation by Penn State, suspension from his coaching duties, and his contract was not renewed. He told The Inquirer that "his ties to the case have cost him his livelihood, marriage, and career."
McQueary was awarded millions in a lawsuit against Penn State and an additional $5 million in a whistle-blower suit. His experience is not an isolated event, and the vast majority of mandatory reporters are not made financially whole for the experience. A few examples of bad outcomes for people who performed their legal mandate to report child abuse:
Psychologist Jim Singer lost his license to practice.
Psychologist Mike Gillum received death threats and lost his job.
Carolyn Huff, a licensed nurse psychotherapist has been fighting her Board of Nursing for almost five years for due process.
Psychologist Michael Tilus was issued a letter of reprimand, transferred, and his scheduled promotion was rescinded until the New York Times covered his story.
Despite current laws meant to protect mandatory reporters of child abuse, the above is just a small sample of documented cases of retaliation where immunity protections were insufficient.
Recent court cases where mandated reporters have been retaliated against have resulted in two amicus briefs, demonstrating the unity of professional organizations in supporting mandatory reporters.
Schott V. Wenk
The court concluded that a Columbus, Ohio, school administrator, a mandatory reporter who suspected and reported sexual child abuse by the child's father, could be held liable and not protected under the immunity law. The student's parents, who alleged the administrator was retaliating against them due to a dispute over their daughter's Individual Education Plan, sued the administrator. The court ruled that a person who is the subject of a mandatory report (in this case, the father), may bring a legal proceeding against the reporter, alleging retaliation.
Jones v. Wang
G.J., an infant, sustained skull and rib fractures while in his parents' care (the Joneses). The story his mother gave was medically inconsistent with his injuries. Radiologists suspected child abuse, which was consistent with medical literature. Consequently, Dr. Claudia Wang, medical director of UCLA Suspected Child Abuse and Negligence Team, reasonably suspected child abuse at the hands of his parents and believed he would be in further danger if released from the hospital. Dr. Wang reported the suspected abuse and asked a social worker to place a hold on the infant.
The baby was hospitalized for two days for further evaluation and safety. (Dr. Wang recommended hospitalization and his mother agreed, though the majority found a factual dispute about whether the mother's consent was voluntary.) During the infant's stay, the infant had a sitter in his room, wore a tracking bracelet, and could be with his parents. Based upon the child spending two days in the hospital, the parents sued Dr. Wang claiming their child was unreasonably seized. The district court denied Dr. Wang's motion for summary judgment and a divided panel affirmed.
Dr. Wang's recommendation coincided with best practices (which requires hospitalization if necessary to protect an injured child from abuse) and with medical ethics (which only permits patient discharge into a safe environment), but on appeal, the majority found it was a clearly established violation of the law and denied immunity to Dr. Wang. Amici argued that many doctors refuse to consult or report on child abuse cases due to fear of getting sued by parents and urged a strengthening of immunity protections.
Recognizing the loopholes in reporting immunity, the Secretary of Health and Human Services made recommendations to Congress for strengthening immunity in child maltreatment cases.
Retaliation against mandated reporters takes many forms: defamation, harassment, job loss and loss of parental custody, just to name a few. And it happens for various reasons, including the prevention of lawsuits against government agencies, to protect the image and brand of an institution or person, and because federal oversight of immunity protections is nonexistent.
The results of such retaliation may be devastating. Consider the impact of many mandatory reporters reading about what happened to McQueary. The outcome may be a decrease in child abuse reporting for fear of retaliation, leading to further abuse and deaths.
Since the Penn State scandal, several states have passed laws aimed at punishing mandated reporters who fail to report child abuse, as well as laws that widen the universe of people who are deemed mandated reporters. But few, if any, legislators are pursuing changes to enforce protections for mandatory reporters who report child abuse.
Consequently, since no entity in any state investigates instances of retaliation, mandatory reporters are forced to defend themselves and their reputations, often at a huge personal, financial, and emotional expense. Other than hiring a lawyer, there is nowhere for the mandatory reporter to report retaliation or access guidance, support, or resources.
In 1974, the federal government passed the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA, which provided minimum national standards states must meet to qualify for federal funding. To motivate mandatory reporters to report abuse, CAPTA requires all states to have "provisions for immunity from prosecution under State and local laws and regulations for individuals making good faith reports." All states have granted criminal and civil immunity to mandatory reporters acting in good faith.
However, federal oversight of CAPTA is grossly insufficient. Neither the individual states nor the federal government ensure that immunity laws are followed. This leaves mandatory reporters who are retaliated against with the devastating realization that the laws meant to protect them are meaningless.
Solving this problem means first, we, as a society, have to acknowledge that we have one. Though the media has covered individual cases of retaliation, no one has investigated the issue and connected the dots. No mandatory reporter should have to go through what Mike McQueary experienced for simply adhering to his legal mandate to report child abuse.
Mandatory reporters are the voice for abused and neglected children. Let us do everything we can to allow their voices to be heard.
Franne Sippel, EdD is a licensed psychologist in private practice. She has worked in the field of mental health since 1989. Much of her experience has been working with sexually abused children and adolescents.
Franne Sippel
mandated reporter
mandatory reporter
Mike McQueary
UCLA Suspected Child Abuse and Negligence Team
Colorado Clinic Rewrites Book on Primary Medical Care by Asking Patients about Childhood Adversity
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Miriam Yarde, Former Foster Youth Battling Kidney Disease, Scheduled for Life-Saving Transplant
May 20, 2019 John Kelly Child Welfare, Foster Care, News, Top Stories Comments Off on Miriam Yarde, Former Foster Youth Battling Kidney Disease, Scheduled for Life-Saving Transplant
Last March, Miriam Yarde desperately needed a transplant. The 24-year-old University of California graduate, who spent much of her childhood in foster care, suffers from a rare condition that would have taken her life absent […]
Foster Care: There's an App for That
September 2, 2015 Lisa Martine Jenkins Child Welfare, Featured, News 2
"Community" is not a word typically used to describe the outcomes of today's technology-obsessed world. Despite new forms of communication, hours spent staring at screen are generally not conducive to forming bonds with one's neighbor. […]
Journaling: A Tremendous Tool for Foster Parents
November 20, 2015 Jim Kenny Child Welfare Comments Off on Journaling: A Tremendous Tool for Foster Parents
The strongest material you can have in advocating for your foster child is a well-documented daily journal. Keeping a daily journal assists you when reporting to the child welfare department or advocating for your foster […]
Jessica Mitzel says:
And his article was debunked as well. This article stands true. I fully support Franne Sippel.
Franne Halma Sippel says:
Wexler debunked..https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/opinion/response-claim-call-minimal-accountability-child-welfare/25077
Truth is experience. The only people protected are the ones whoose income depends on removing and placing children in foster care. No investigation needed; in fact, false allegations are prominent.
Jim Singer says:
Franne deserves praise for her excellent article!
State Police confirmed that CYS/CPS still did not open a case or assign a case number, to protect the child or investigate abuser! Police summary confirmed ". . . . Violations (by government) of the Crimes code . . . . exist."
Please note documents linked to news articles.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/14/1313785/–Mandated-Reporters-Fear-Retaliation-and-Their-Fear-is-Legitimate-Tom-Ridge#
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/pennsylvania-has-lowest-reporting-child-abuse-us-group-says
Alan Guttman says:
What an outstanding
piece!! Yes, the states that don't follow through on providing immunity for
mandated reporters don't understand how this undermines their child abuse
reporting laws. And clearly do not connect the dots: that failing to provide
immunity for reporters puts all children at risk and puts already abused
children at additional risk.
Legally Kidnapped says:
There is plenty of protection for the reporters who lie.


text:
import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
import { getState } from 'common/selectors';

export const UI_DOMAIN = 'quizInfo';
export const selectInfo = getState(UI_DOMAIN);
export const selectInfoOpen = createSelector(selectInfo, getState('isOpen', false));
export const selectInfoDisabled = createSelector(selectInfo, getState('isDisabled', true));
export const selectInfoDetailLevel = createSelector(selectInfo, getState('detailLevel', 0));

export default selectInfo;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The Walking Dead: See the Lego version of Negan's brutal kill scene
Warning: it's just as gory and just as brutal as the original
By Eleanor Bley Griffiths
Friday, 28th October 2016 at 9:30 am
Lego figures may be made of plastic but they can bleed a surprising amount. That's the takeaway lesson from a new Lego recreation of the horrific scene from The Walking Dead when – spoiler alert – Negan bludgeons Abraham and Glenn to death.
Viewers finally found out who was killed by the villain's barbed-wire baseball bat, and now YouTuber and animator kristo499 has faithfully recreated the sequence from the opening of the season seven using stop motion. The video apparently "took forever to make" – and we can believe it.
The climactic scene sees new villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) destroy Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) while the rest of the group watch in absolute horror and shock, powerless to stop him.
Fans of the show were expecting one death, but the double murder – with Glenn's pregnant wife Maggie looking on – was a whole new level for the zombie drama.
Watching the carnage takes a strong stomach, even in Lego form.
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It was really great to meet you all on Saturday, and to hear about your degrees, skills, and ideas. The aim of the conference was to generate the beginnings of creative ideas related to your chosen project/context/setting. We made some good progress in dividing into sub teams with different areas of focus, and I enjoyed hearing your ideas and what you believe you can bring to the project.
It is now critical that some further developmental/ideation work happens between this conference and the next one, therefore I would recommend that you visit Elizabeth Gaskell's House as a group, or on your own, and make some time to chat with House Manager Sally (sally@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk) who is available until the 17th of December, and then after Christmas. When you visit the house consider the existing educational resources from a child's perspective, and really get a feel for the educational possibilities of the location.
I know that a number of you are considering drama/role play themes to your projects, so it would be good to investigate playful/dramatic learning further to consider what areas are pedagogically useful and exciting. The work of the Games Research Network may be useful in this, and finding out about 'LARP' https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/english/games-research-network/.
Now is also a critical time to develop and play with your blogs are relevant, so that we can share ongoing activity as a team, and give you feedback on progress. So get Blogging, and send in the links!


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Rawrrzone Lifestyle : A look into B.A.L Cosmetics Co. & Their CEO Roberta Lampley aka Venomiss
IvyProductionsNYC
The music industry let alone the hip-hop scene is a highly competitive place, since the rise of the genre in the 1970s women have had to work twice as hard to make a dynasty. We have seen Nikki Minaj, Meg The Stallion, Eve, Missy Elliot and more make contributions to the industry and produce amazing products. However, the media does not do enough to highlight females in the hip-hop industry. Allow us to re-introduce to you to Roberta Lampley aka Venomiss.
We were introduced to Venomiss back in 2018 after the release of her project No Favors , No Regrets, No Apologies where we learned how deadly her pen really was. What we didn't know was there was another side to the International performer. In the height of the pandemic, Lampley didn't lay in wait for the world to open up to make a difference she started right away with a dream and a pallette. B.A.L Cosmetics was born within the first half of the pandemic with one goal in mind to amplify their mission "Women do not come in just 3 colors, shapes and sizes." The brand was created for the modern women to empower them to turn off the responsibilities and turn on the fire inside them to work on their confidence and their love for themselves.
With over 10,000 hits on their website and two years Lampley and B.A.L Cosmetics have become a household name creating an army of #BoldBabes . Bold Babes are the women who have been positively impacted by the brand and its mission. Women everywhere have been using the phrase #boldbabes in order to show off their glow and the positive feelings the brand has given to them. Some notable #Boldbabes include Dr. Casay Vaughn of Franchise TV and Radio , Jasmine Sanders, and more.
But is it just the products that make the bold babe, or is it the motto?
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The magic behind this is the thought and dedication that Lampley has put into each product. With the motto there are more than three shapes and sizes the same with color. She has taken the time with her customers and developed lashes, foundation, palettes and lipsticks that compliment women of every color and size. Speaking from experience, we never seen a CEO that will take the time to help figure out what foundation will be right for the client, or even dedicate time and products to collaborate with other businesses. The magic of the brand is all Lampley, she has put the needs of her clients before her own. Even in her darkest she still continues to help empower other women. Not only that she continues to innovate the brand not only by making products that are safe for us to wear, but respect the values and restrictions and of course any allergies. The lip products are halal certified and vegan friendly. For those who do not know what that is A Halal certified product means that the product is permissible or acceptable in accordance with Islamic law. The lip products also contain vitamin E for lip conditioning and softening and their skin and body products contain natural ingredients giving the consumer the ultimate experience.
With B.A.L Cosmetics Co. is reaching their two year Brandiversary it only is appropriate for us to give Roberta Aka Venomiss the roses she deserves. The industry needs more women like her to continue empowering women to love themselves instead of tearing it down.
Here's how you can support Bal Cosmetics
Shop Products at www.balcosmetics.com
Related Topics:#IndieMusic448 WorldwideAtlantaBusinessfeatFEATUREDHip Hophip hop artistInstagramnew york hip hopnorth carolinaOnthescenenyStyle
Dom 2 Timez Ft. Benny The Butcher – KINGDOM3 (EP)
(Audio) Banks 1433 – "Lane Switch" @banks1433
Decatur, GA native but resides in OKC, Oklahoma rap artist Gh0ul is back with his new single "2 Min Feast." The new single shows his versatility with lyrics and his flow. The beat is produced by a dope rising producer Bobby Revenue, from Oklahoma. He's trying to put OKC on the map for music from a city where not many artists are from. Gh0ul was born and raised in the 90s' and he has a very distinct dirty south flow with dope lyrics. Gh0ul has worked with DJ Smallz, DJ Blak Boy, and has released multiple projects. He released his 1st studio album "Listen Here" on Oct. 22,2022. You can stream the project at https://songwhip.com/dagh0ul/listen-here.
Mia Ayana's new single, Alive, is a powerful testimony of resilience and hope. With her captivating voice and soulful lyrics, Mia brings listeners on an emotional journey as she sings about finding the courage to open her heart to love again despite being let down time and time again.
The song features tender guitar strings with uplifting soundscapes and is sure to touch the hearts of all who listen. Alive captures Mia's newfound strength as she sings of learning to trust again and start living life to the fullest. A rebirth of her confidence and individuality, Mia Ayana is Alive and ready to share her story with the world. Alive is the first single from Mia's new EP titled Beautiful, which drops on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. on February 3.
"Alive is a reminder that no matter how many times love knocks you down, it can be the very thing to save you in the end," says Mia. "This is an ode to self-love and understanding that it's ok to be vulnerable. It's a journey we all take, one of learning to trust and accept love again."
Mia Ayana's newest single is a must-listen for anyone looking to reignite their own hopes and dreams. Enriched with powerful emotion, Alive is a refreshing track that will inspire and uplift. Anyone who has ever experienced love's greatest joys and sorrows can relate to this song and Mia's story.
With this single, Mia Ayana proves her undeniable talent as a singer/songwriter with immense potential. Her captivating melodies and honest lyrics create an inspiring story that resonates with all. It is a must-listen for anyone looking to feel empowered and inspired by music.
Listen to Alive now on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and YouTube Music by visiting https://linktr.ee/miaayana___.
Soulja Boy and HoodTrophy Bino release the "LA County" single. The single chronicles Soulja Boy and Bino's history together as the two artists met while serving time and soon bonded over a shared love of music. "LA County" compares bleak images of jail with vibrant snapshots of life after each artist's release. The beats on the track are melodic, airy, and atmospheric, offering depth to the memories Soulja Boy and Bino describe.
After befriending Soulja Boy over a bag of hot cheetos during their time spent locked up, it didn't take long for the two musicians to become natural collaborators. After Bino's release, Soulja Boy signed him with his Stacks On Deck Money Gang (S.O.D.M.G.) label where "LA County" was soon released.


What do you sense is the importance of this event in Jesus's life and story?
If you have been water-baptized, what did that mean to you?
As a participant in the non-water-baptizing Quaker tradition: in what way do you experience or have you experienced baptism?


text:
5 things to think of before downsizing
Doug Dickson, manager of Cottonwood Manor seniors co-op, has seen hundreds of people make the transition from big homes to apartments. Here are his tips.
Plan downsizing with these tips from Cottonwood Manor.
1. Plan for the far future
You don't want to downsize twice. That cute cottage with the garden might look ideal now after a big family home, but you may not be able to cope with stairs and weeding in 10 or 15 years. There's also the fact that you may not be able to make a quick move if your circumstances change – the waitlists at Cottonwood Manor are at least six months.
2. It might be emotional – but it might not
It's a big change to leave the home where you've raised your family, so you can expect to feel sad, but Dickson says that's not always the case. "I've been surprised many times when people have moved to Cottonwood and left a house that they've lived in for 40 years or more. They come with the attitude that they want to make the most of it – they're happy to be here," he says.
3. Size matters
Downsizing is all well and good, but no one wants to live in a shoebox. "The good news is that our apartments are bigger than most – our one-bedroom places are at least 790 sq ft, in comparison to some newer builds where the apartments are just 500 sq ft," says Dickson. There are also two-bedroom suites of up to 1,300 sq ft, and everyone has a balcony or patio. Each suite comes with a storage locker too that can accommodate larger furniture that you want to store, deep freezes or rarely used items.
4. Think about what's nearby
Every apartment at Cottonwood is allocated a parking space, though there's a waitlist for underground parking, but everything you need – grocery store, coffee shops, and even McArthur Island – is walking distance away.
5. Consider the things you like to do
Make sure you find a new home where you able to do the things you want to do, whether that's enjoying nature, or taking an exercise or special interest class at North Shore Community Centre. "You don't stop being yourself, just because you've retired," says Dickson.
Cottonwood Manor is at 730 Cottonwood Avenue. For more information, visit Cottonwoodmanor.ca, email info@cottonwoodmanor.ca or phone 250-376-4777.
More StandOUT
Proud volunteers provide 'people-power' for Ribfest and other community events
Generous donation helps families find a home
SPONSORED: There's a new way to house hunt in the Okanagan region


The US Department of Justice said Friday that tech giant Apple must cut ties with the five publishers with which it was found guilty of running an e-book price-fixing scheme.
Last month, a US district court in New York found Apple guilty of conspiring with publishers to fix book prices for readers using its iPad and iPhone devices.
On Friday, Justice Department officials submitted to the court a plan for Apple to cut its existing ties to the publishers and to make it easier for its rivals to sell books on its platforms.
"Under the department's proposed order, Apple's illegal conduct will cease and Apple and its senior executives will be prevented from conspiring to thwart competition in the future," assistant attorney general Bill Baer said.
The proposed settlement would see Apple end its agreements with five US-based publishers: Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan Penguin and Simon and Schuster.
The tech firm would promise not to enter new contracts with the five to limit price competition for five years, and would allow other e-book retailers to sell their products on iPad and iPhone apps for two years.
Apple would also be ordered to pay the salary of an external monitor to confirm its compliance with anti-trust laws.


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The role the bushy-tailed eastern gray squirrel plays in the ecosystem
Suzannah Smith Miles
Charleston Magazine Staff
Ansley Engwall
Learn more about this familiar Carolina native
They are the most visible wild creatures in our midst, frequently seen scrambling up oaks, chattering from tree limbs, and raiding our bird feeders. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is one of the most familiar rodents around. Spotted on city blocks and in our suburban backyards, they stay busy from dawn to dusk finding and burying food. Find out more about this native critter and its importance to the ecosystem
NATIVE SPECIES - The name "Sciurus" is a combination of the Greek words, skia, meaning "shadow," and oura, meaning "tail"—in other words, a squirrel sitting in the shadow of its tail. Carolinensis refers to Carolina, where the presence of this prolific species was first recorded in the early 1700s.
TREE HUGGER - Squirrels are as nimble in trees as they are on the ground. They build large, round nests called "dreys" out of dry leaves and twigs in the forks or hollows of trees and insulate them with moss, grass, and feathers. They also have the remarkable ability to climb down a tree headfirst—possible because the mammal can rotate its back feet so that its claws, pointing backward, can grip the tree bark.
CHITTER-CHATTER - Squirrels communicate by flicking their tails, as well as with a variety of chatters and guttural calls. Tail-flicking and the "qua-a-a" call warn of danger; the purring "muk-muk" sound is used by females during courting and by mothers with their kits. Communication varies by location. In noisy cities, they rely on visual signals, while in quiet wooded areas, they are more vocal.
EASY BREEDING - Does mate twice a year (early spring and mid-summer) and couple with multiple bucks each season. After 40 to 45 days, the doe bears an average litter of two or three kits, which are born hairless and with their eyes shut. The female solely cares for the babies until they are weaned, about 10 weeks later. While some squirrels in captivity have lived as long as 20 years, the average life expectancy for a suburban squirrel is two to six years.
SAVINGS PLAN - These scatter-hoarders bury food in small caches for later recovery. A single squirrel can hide several thousand caches each season. They have a highly accurate memory and use landmarks and their sense of smell to find the stored food. They're also clever; if another squirrel is watching, they go through the motions of digging and covering, but scamper away with the food still in their mouths. The rodents eat seeds, nuts, and acorns, as well as tree bark and tree buds. Gnawing on bones, antlers, and turtle shells adds minerals to their diet. The process of burying food plays an important role in the forest ecosystem by helping disperse tree seeds.
BUSY, BUSY - The rodents are crepuscular, which means they're usually more active during early mornings and late afternoons, avoiding the midday heat. They do not hibernate and are active year-round. Predators include hawks, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, cats, snakes, owls, dogs, and humans.
So Charleston
Learn the history behind the Holy City's church steeples
Charleston is famous for its multi-steepled skyline and with some 400 houses of worship on the peninsula alone, one can see how Charleston earned the nickname the "Holy City."
Follow the colorful life of the roseate spoonbill
Why the once rare birds are increasingly being spotted in Charleston
Face your Fears and Take A Closer Look at the Giant Banana Spider
Oh, what tangled webs they weave—huge, remarkably intricate nets that can be as large as six feet across. Strong enough to catch an unwary bird or bat, they can also bring a shriek to the unsuspecting passerby who gets caught in the sticky silk.
Huguenot Church
Since 1687, the French Protestants known as Huguenots and their descendants have worshipped at the corner of Church...
Explorer John Lawson—who visited South Carolina in 1700—gives an apt introduction to Aix sponsa, whose...
Hiberian Hall
On March 18, 1839, the Irish organization known as the Hibernian Society laid the first cornerstone for a new hall...
Shrimp Trawler
From Edisto and Beaufort to McClellanville and Georgetown, each morning during shrimp season the air fills with the...
Lowcountry Allées, the Picture-perfect Promenade
Avenues of oaks and their deep-rooted history in Charleston
Anywhere sharks have swum, their teeth are sure to be found. And Lowcountry rivers and beaches provide bountiful...
What started out as informal races in the late1700s between oar-powered plantation boats carrying crops to town...
Atlantic Ghost Crab
Ghost crabs scuttle across the sand faster than you can say Ocypode quadrata, the scientific name for this...
Gossypium has been spun as "the fabric of our lives" for good reason. Scientists have discovered evidence of cotton...
Gulf Fritillary
Brightly striped and spotted in orange and black, the colorful Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) is a familiar...


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Petition to stop the Theatre Royal axing the Pantomime with this cast
The Berwick Kaler pantomimes have been part of many family's traditions for decades. We as a family have been going for more than 20 years and this is the same for many family's in and around York and for many who come from outside of York It has come to light in recent days that the management of York Theatre Royal are looking to move their pantomime in a new direction away from the Berwick Kaler tomfoolery and the cast that has been bringing tears of laughter on that stage for years. Nothi
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এমডি/এমএস রেসিডেন্সি প্রোগ্রাম সংস্কারের দাবিতে গণস্বাক্ষর অভিযান
বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিব মেডিকেল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধীনে পরিচালিত এমডি/এমএস রেসিডেন্সি প্রোগ্রাম সংস্কারের দাবি বাস্তবায়ন করা কয়েকটি কারণে দুরূহ। প্রথমত, এটি চিকিৎসকদের অভ্যন্তরীণ বিষয়, সুতরাং অন্যান্য পেশাজীবীদের পক্ষে এটির গুরুত্ব অনুধাবন করা সহজ নয়। বর্তমানে নানা কারণে রাষ্ট্রযন্ত্র থেকে শুরু করে সাধারণ জনগণ, সবার কাছে চিকিৎসকদের ভাবমূর্তি নেতিবাচক। তার ফলে গণমাধ্যমও চিকিৎসকদের নেতিবাচক দিকগুলো প্রকাশের ক্ষেত্রে যতটা আগ্রহ দেখায়, তাদের দাবি আদায় বা অধিকার বাস্তবায়নের ক্ষেত্রে ততটা আগ্রহ দেখায় না। দ
Shut down Mclaren Circus, South Africa
Mclaren circus uses animals such as lions, snakes, tigers, camels and many more. These animals should not be used as entertainment and these animals deserve to have a better life and be free from that horrible business. The animals deserve to be respected and to be free to live in the wild instead of cages for peoples entertainment. THIS NEEDS TO STOP.
Ban Fireworks-South Africa
Due to many animals been harmed and stressed during the New Year's Eve celebrations as well as any other excuse they use to set off fireworks, we need to do more to ban fireworks. A heavy fine should be given if caught in possession or letting off fireworks.
30 days 897 870
Show your support to Billy Booze nightclub in their fight for night opening allowance
This is a digital signature collection where you can easily and quickly show your support and love for the soon to be 10-year-old bar and nightclub Billy Booze in their fight to get renewed night time opening appropriation . A night appropriation, the club right now may not be awarded, which means Billy Booze have to close every night at midnight. That will ultimately mean the death of the club. There are many of us who will be extremely sad if this happens. The Copenhagen Board of appropriation
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To force City Power to solve the electricity problems in the affected areas with immediate effect.
We, as the community, cannot handle the lack of service, incompetence and amount of unplanned power outages, that we are victims of, from City Power anymore. The areas mainly affected are as follows: Wilgeheuwel Strubensvalley Amorosa Little Falls Ruimsig Willowbrook Weltevreden Park Radiokop Allen's nek Honeydew Honeydew Grove These areas have been the victims of City Power's incompetence for far too long. Since August 2018 these areas have been without power (Unplanned) upwards of 80 times, c
Awards Nomination for Rafael Serrallet
I am nominating Maestro Rafael Serrallet for the awards listed below because he has dedicated his life so far to representing Spain and Spanish culture through music, all over the world. He is not only a very talented musician, he has played more than 1,000 concerts, travelling the globe many times over, and has received accolades and awards to prove it. But, he is much more than that. As a Spanish classical guitarist, a teacher, a choral conductor, a polyglot and a person of high academic qu
FIX COMET CORNER TRAFFIC
THE ROAD JUNCTION BETWEEN THE A259 AND YAPTON ROAD, KNOWN LOCALLY AS COMET CORNER, IS CONJESTED AND DANGEROUS. BOTH RIGHT HAND TURNS, WEST TO LITTLEHAMPTON AND EAST TO CHICHESTER ARE FRAUGHT WITH DANGER. THE DAILY TRAFFIC DELAYS ARE ENDLESS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MIDDLETON-ON-SEA, ELMER AND YAPTON IN ADDITION TO BUSES, TAXIS AND DELIVERY DRIVERS. THE 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT THROUGH THIS AREA IS CONSTANTLY IGNORED BY CARS AND MORE DANGEROUSLY HUGE LORRIES. WEST SUSSEX COUNCIL RECENTLY MADE MODIFICATION
Refunds of Orkambi in Poland - medicine for Cystic fibrosis
National Health Fund Office: 02-390 Warszawa ul. Grójecka 186 Office of President of National Health Fund Elżbieta Zahaczewska-Wyroba p.o. Dyrektora Gabinetu Prezesa Social Communication Office Sylwia Wądrzyk-Bularz p.o. Dyrektora Biura Komunikacji Społecznej, Spokesperson for the Department of Health Care BenefitsWojciech Zawalski Director of Department of Health Care Benefits Ministry of Health Minister of Health Mr. Lukasz Szumowski Miodowa 15 00-952 Warszawa Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe
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Ariana Grande Store : improve your services !
Lost packages, damaged items, incomplete orders, lack of national tracking outside of the USA, orders extremely delayed or cancelled, automated or copy-paste email answers : these are all the scenarios many of us experienced with the UMG (Universal Music Group). What you're doing is not professional. We spend our hard earned money in your store. We think we deserve to be treated with respect and that you need to fulfill your obligations. Once is bad luck, twice is sad coincidence, three times i
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Give us back the Artemis legacy of bow hunting
Fellow bow hunters, sign the petition to make bow hunt in Greece legal again! Throughout the 5 millennium history of the ancient Greeks until now, bow and arrows have always been linked to the survival of humans. The ancient hunting tradition of archery and the sporting achievements of archers in ancient Olympia are our legacy from our ancestors. But today, archery is outlawed. Why? Who has the right to deprive us of our ancient customs and of our grandparents' heritage?Nowadays, the only legal
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China's Unmatched Influence in Central Asia
Martha Brill Olcott
Summary: Beijing is emerging as the big winner in Central Asia, displacing Washington and Moscow while ensuring that engagement with countries in the region takes place on its terms.
China has come to displace both the United States and Russia as the great power with the most influence in Central Asia. Chinese President Xi Jinping just ran a ten-day victory lap through the region. Rarely has a leader of a major power accomplished so much in such a short time.
Xi's trip included state visits to four countries, an appearance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, and a stop in Moscow for the G20 meeting and bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The economic potential of the joint projects that were inaugurated, the bilateral and strategic partnerships that were signed, and the themes underscored in Xi's major addresses testify to China's importance in the region. By adopting policies that avoided the formal or even informal invoking of a "Great Game," China is emerging as the big winner, with successful engagement on its terms and only in issue areas relating to its direct national security.
Olcott is professor emerita at Colgate University, having taught political science there from 1974 to 2002. Prior to her work at the endowment, Olcott served as a special consultant to former secretary of state Lawrence Eagleburger.
@CarnegieRussia
This does not mean that either Russia or the United States has been fully displaced. But Beijing's strategy of developing investment projects that both sides find genuinely beneficial, and avoiding all discussions of domestic political affairs, has made it an increasingly more attractive foreign partner.
China's leaders seek to win over their Central Asian counterparts by demonstrating respect, offering generous trade and loan terms, and taking a hands-off approach to domestic issues. What Central Asian leaders find most appealing about this approach is that in contrast to Russia, China doesn't bind them into restrictive trade policies or seek to influence political outcomes from behind the scenes. China's way stands out from that of the United States as well. Unlike Washington, Beijing doesn't press Central Asian leaders to agree to a timetable and agenda for internal reforms.
The differences in approach are clear on the ground. No U.S. president has ever traveled to Central Asia. The last U.S. vice president to visit the region was Al Gore, who went to Kazakhstan in 1993, during the administration of Bill Clinton. Trips to the region by U.S. secretaries of state have been few and far between.
By contrast, in 1994 the then Chinese prime minister, Li Peng, took a tour of the region, and Jiang Zemin was the first Chinese president to travel to Central Asia, in 1996. Hu Jintao went as well. Most famously, Hu visited Turkmenistan in December 2009 to inaugurate a gas pipeline to China by opening a valve, an event in which the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan also participated.
The absence of high-level U.S. visits is not the result of distance—U.S. President Barack Obama has traveled to Afghanistan, which is roughly an hour's flight away from most Central Asian capitals. It is not because senior U.S. policymakers are simply too busy; as one Central Asian diplomat pointedly said to me, "it's not like the president of China isn't also a busy man."
U.S. leaders don't travel to the region because they are loath to "reward" the heads of these nondemocratic countries, especially because it would involve tangling with outspoken critics in Congress.
A Focus on Energy
Despite the distance, U.S. policymakers and their EU counterparts have long pressed for multiple pipelines to move Central Asian gas to European markets. Yet, it is China that made the Central Asian states' goal of market diversification a reality. Beijing funded the construction of a pipeline system across Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan that would supply China's energy needs.
While in Turkmenistan, Xi joined Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in pushing the button to start operations at the second-largest gas field in production in the world, Galkynysh (formerly known as South Yolotan). The project, led by the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC), is the first of such size to be developed without a "major" international oil company in the consortium, and there was a lot of initial skepticism in the oil industry that the CNPC group would not be able to successfully develop the field.
Turkmenistan now exports more gas to China than it sells to Russia's energy giant, Gazprom. The quantity is slated to go from 20 to 25 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in the near term and to reach 65 bcm by 2020. This latter figure is roughly what Turkmenistan used to export via Russia.
Some of this gas will be carried in a new pipeline, the construction of which is slated to begin in 2016. Simply labeled route "D," it will move gas through Uzbekistan into Kyrgyzstan and on to China. This will provide Kyrgyzstan with access to Turkmen gas, making the country less dependent upon higher-priced gas from long-term supplier Uzbekistan, and it could put China in a position to help bring about improvement in Kyrgyzstan's relations with Uzbekistan,. It could also transform Gazprom's role in the transportation of this energy source. The Russian company took over Kyrgyzstan's gas network in July with the promise of insuring that Bishkek has a stable and affordable supply.
While in Kazakhstan, Xi shored up another energy deal. President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Xi formally agreed to the CNPC's purchase of an 8.33 percent share of the giant Kashagan oil field, previously owned by ConocoPhillips. Kazakhstan exercised its rights of preemption to prevent the international consortium that holds the license to develop the field from selling that share to the Indian National Oil Company. The two leaders also inaugurated a new gas pipeline linking Kazakhstan's southwest and southeast, helping gasify the southern part of the country. The Beineu-Bozoi pipeline, originally supposed to come on line in 2014, will begin sending gas to China in 2015.
Energy featured in Xi's visit to Russia as well. The CNPC bought a 20 percent stake in independent Russian gas producer Novatek's liquefied natural gas project at Yamal. France's Total also holds a 20 percent stake in the $20 billion project.
Moscow likely feels some sense of urgency to get final agreement on a deal to sell East Siberian gas to China that has been under negotiation since 2006. While still short of a final deal and with no agreement on pricing, Russia and China reportedly reached a basic framework agreement on what would be a 38 bcm per year arrangement. Russia risks being shut out of China by its Central Asian neighbors if it doesn't agree on a pricing formula soon.
But a price agreement with China will also mean less-than-projected earnings from the gas sector. The Europeans want to diversify their suppliers away from Russia. The Chinese are buying Central Asian gas for roughly a third of the price Gazprom receives on the European market, and there is no reason for Beijing to pay a premium for Russian gas.
Trade and the New Silk Road Economic Belt
Helped in large part by the opening of the gas pipeline network, China is rapidly becoming the leading trade partner for all the Central Asian states. It trades an increasingly diversified selection of goods with these countries.
Even Uzbekistan, which was initially quite wary of doing business with the Chinese and restricted the access of Chinese businessmen by limiting the number of visas given to them, now welcomes Chinese investment. Today, China is Uzbekistan's second-largest trade partner and largest investor in Uzbekistan's transportation sector. Bilateral trade increased by 60 percent year-on-year during the first six months of 2013.
Some of this gain comes at the expense of trade with the EU. But Russia is the one feeling the pinch. It is pressing hard for Central Asian states to join its Customs Union with Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Beijing is determined to fight for its market share. Xi called for the creation of a Silk Road Economic Belt at an address made at the Kazakh-funded (though U.S.- and UK-led) Nazarbayev University in Astana. In a speech that invoked Zhang Qian, the Han dynasty envoy who first traveled the "silk road," and the nineteenth-century Kazakh nationalist Abai Kunanbaev, Xi defined Chinese policy in the region, both in style and in substance.
With Nazarbayev looking on at the English-language university that bears his name, the Chinese president invited 200 teachers and students to go to China in summer 2014. And Xi offered 30,000 Chinese government scholarships for SCO students over the next ten years as well as free study tours for an additional 10,000 students and teachers at Chinese-government-funded Confucius Institutes throughout Central Asia.
These offers were China's contribution to enhancing the understanding between peoples, the fifth and final point in a speech that began with the reference to China's Han envoy. Xi also called for bolstering policy communication and coordination to stimulate regional economic integration and offered China's support in enhancing transport connectivity from the Pacific to the Baltic Sea, promoting unimpeded trade, and improving monetary circulation. Trade promotion and enhanced monetary circulation are at the center of China's proposal that all trade within the region be handled through intraregional local currency convertibility.
What China is effectively trying to do is reduce Russia's advantage with Customs Union states and effectively absorb the whole Customs Union into a single trading system without compromising the WTO commitments made by any of the countries. This policy would also undermine many of the aims of U.S. trade policy in the region, which is predicated on local currency convertibility to an internationally recognized standard (such as the dollar, euro, or a currency basket).
In virtually all important ways the SCO summit held in Bishkek on September 13 was an anticlimax on Xi's trip. The "Bishkek Declaration" signed at the summit clearly reflects Russia's current foreign policy priorities. Syria took center stage in what was intended to be a meeting that focused on Afghanistan. Kabul got scant mention save a note that national reconciliation in Afghanistan was a matter for the Afghan people and the government of their choosing.
None of this took the shine off Xi's accomplishments, and it may have made Putin feel less threatened. Chinese policy in Central Asia is advanced through its bilateral agreements. This makes it easy for Beijing's leaders to give Moscow space at the SCO or to even call for enhanced cooperation with Russia in the region, but they don't turn to Moscow for advice in formulating their bilateral initiatives.
Russia can no longer effectively counter China's economic ties with its Central Asian neighbors. And preoccupied with withdrawing from Afghanistan without destabilizing the region, the United States needs Beijing to help stimulate Central Asia's economic development. All of this leads to China coming out on top in the region.
Eurasia in Transition
HGAFFNEY
September 19, 20136:55 am
China has walking-around money. The U.S. does not. Even Russia does not, given their tight budget situation. The U.S. does not even have walking-around money for its own country. All the walking-around money is from Wall Street for Pacs to preserve the riches of the One Percent.
Gantal
September 19, 20134:40 pm
Ditto in Latin America and Africa. Yikes!
Gregory Kulacki
Thanks for a stimulating and informative article!
The Han Envoy's plans for peaceful cooperation with the region while pacifying the western borders internally is part of a plan since 100AD. It was repeated in the Tang period in 600AD, and subsequently under the Qing in 1700AD
The more I read about China, the more convinced I'm that China is actually the positive force that will guarantee peace.
Tuidang Movement - 145 million strong
September 20, 201311:05 am
The Chinese Communist Party is persecuting tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners, millions of Tibetans and Uyghars, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists and so on. It is severely oppressing legal activists like Gao Zhisheng along with other lawyers who are simply asking for the rule of law in China. In China, while there is a constitution, the Communist Party decides what is 'legal' and what is not, and it does so arbitrarily. The Chinese Communist Party works to preserve its own power, and will sacrifice everything else. It seems sophisticated. It has a lot of wealth. And it is gaining influence and power. You would be very, very mistaken to believe it will use that power for good.
I am not sure I disagree, but why do _you_ believe that China's expansion of its sphere of influence will be peaceful? Similar expansions by other societies rarely have been, everywhere and throughout history.
Javed Mir
--China's proposal that all trade within the region be handled through intraregional local currency convertibility-- This convertibility will not easily be acceptable to American policy makers since Chinese currency has not yet been upgraded to become part of SDRs of IMF. Naturally in this convertibility arrangement Chinese yuan will be in a controlling position.
The very long history of this is very sad. Olcott's, "Beijing's strategy of developing investment projects that both sides find genuinely beneficial, and avoiding all discussions of domestic political affairs, has made it an increasingly more attractive foreign partner.", is perceptive understatement.
ilyas mohsin
The old order is changing and China appears to be calling the shots now.
Nabeel Hussain
China is moving slowly gradually to the strong its position but USA will play its card of democracy in the region in the coming years which she played in Middle East and i would like to say that in future its gonna be a neo cold war between Russia ,China and USA over the question of Central Asian Resources.
musa123
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Q: Excel 2016 VBA Replace Error Failing Inconsistently I am trying to loop through worksheets and remove file location prefixes using the Worksheet.Cells.Replace method in an Auto_Open function in Excel 2016 32-bit.
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The line above will occasionally cause a Run-time error '13': Type mismatch. Other times, the macro will run smoothly.
Has anyone experienced this behavior? Is there a good solution? If not, how could I structure the code to try the Replace method again 4 times if it causes the error?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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How He Quit His Job & Traveled the World for a Year
"Thanks to your software I've paid off my student loans, saved tens of thousands of dollars, and built up enough of a safety net to pause my career and go on a multi-month, international trip."
Written by Shannon Marie | on July 14, 2017
Sam, 29, is a TV and new media producer living in Los Angeles.
A few years ago, he and a friend, Jenny, took a trip to Vietnam. Along the way, they met several other travelers who, to their astonishment, had actually paused their careers for months to accommodate longer-term adventures. A couple years later (and now a couple!) they decided it was time to plan their own adventure.
Flash-forward to July 2017, and they're preparing for a 12-month trip around the globe with cash they've saved by budgeting with YNAB.
Sam Is a Lot like You and Me
Pausing your career to travel for an entire year might not sound plausible, but stick with me. Sam is an ordinary human, prone to dropping cash on an impulse, just like the rest of us.
"I would always find a reason to NEED a new 150 dollar item. Sometimes it was a stereo, other times a new backpacking pack, but, a few days after they arrived in my apartment, a new The Wirecutter article would reveal that my life was unfulfilled without another new gadget. This got expensive and kept my student loans payments at the minimum. I would get frustrated about this consumption, but I didn't know how to break the cycle."
And this was in spite of his budget. Yep, Sam had a budget …
The only problem was, he treated it "more like a goal" and didn't feel like "going over" was a big deal (even though he'd done his homework!). Sam said, "I was lucky to understand the checklist of financial success right after college … Unfortunately, all those checkboxes require thousands of dollars to mark complete. YNAB showed me the path to completing them."
Why His Budget Finally Stuck
So, how did Sam finally commit to his budget? Short answer: he finally saw his financial picture from a long-term perspective and how the choices he makes now affect his future.
See, Sam had previously tried budgeting with Mint. He said, "Mint resets their budget tracker at the first of every month. No matter what happened the month before, the little bars go from a judgmental red to a gray that grants you the freedom to spend. This led to 12 cycles a year of spending, [then] realizing I was about to go over, and then feeling guilty and stressed when I missed my goals. I thought this was fine, because my 401K was still (slowly) going up, and I wasn't racking up credit card debt …
"YNAB broke this monthly cycle by allowing me to see the immediate effects of day-to-day spending and their impacts on my long-term goals. Overspending one month directly impacts the next. Through regular recording, budgeting and reconciling I interacted more regularly with my finances and the overspending became less frequent. If I wanted a new toy, I had to make it work with all my other responsibilities and goals."
By regularly interacting with his budget, Sam felt more aware, and therefore excited (win!), about his positive results.
"The [YNAB] method and the tool created immediate positive results, which made it easy to keep up with the habit … I've paid off my loans, thanks to my increased saving rate, and the other goals seem eventual, rather than aspirational."
Back to That Trip
When Jenny moved from Chicago to Los Angeles to live with Sam, they knew that traveling—now, not when they're older—was a must. That's when he introduced her to YNAB.
" … it was just as transformative for her as it was for me. YNAB allows us to speak the same language when we talk about money. Finding a cheaper supermarket lowered the grocery line item for both of us and moved us closer to seeing the world."
Together, they researched costs for their trip by reading travel blogs that broke down expenses for backpackers by country. Using those as rough estimates, they've extrapolated a travel budget, adding categories of their own for flights, ongoing expenses in the U.S. (insurance, storage, Spotify, etc.) and one-off costs (moving, vaccinations, gear). If you're interested in similar pursuits, Sam suggests checking out My Funky Travel.
By imagining their trip, Sam said it was a no-brainer to follow the budget, " … it was easy to limit spending, when one beer [at home equals] 7 beers in some southeast Asian countries."
YNAB Frame of Mind
Sam started using YNAB in February 2015. When he first wrote to us, he boldly declared that, second only to starting a relationship with one of his closest friends (Jenny!), "Starting to use YNAB has been the most positive change in my life in the last half decade.
"Since that time, I've doubled the amount of money in my retirement accounts. I've saved twenty thousand dollars for our round-the-world-trip and even more as a cushion. I also paid off the remains of my student loans. More importantly, I have a tool to continue saving in the years ahead."
Is a Budget for You?
Whether you've got globe-trotting aspirations, or slightly more domestic financial goals, a budget could bring a new sense of peace and stability to your life. Sam says, "[YNAB] allows you to plan towards long-term goals and deal with sudden expenses as they inevitably arise. A parking ticket still causes stress, but it's not debilitating."
If you'd like to share your budgeting goal, email me at [email protected]
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