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The kindest moments of 2020 as voted for by the public
There have been moments of brilliance in this dark year
Neil ShawNetwork Content Editor
Captain Sir Tom Moore, at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. This year saw heroes emerge all over the UK as the coronavirus pandemic prompted all sorts of creative efforts to help those in need.
2020 has been a tough year, however it has shown that facing hardships can bring out the best in people.
Gala Bingo and its partner, kindness charity, 52 Lives , surveyed the nation to see which acts of kindness this year have warmed people's hearts the most.
Here are the top 10 kindest acts of 2020, as voted by the public:
CaptainSirTom walking for the NHS
Taking the most votes by far, Captain Sir Tom – the centenarian WW2 veteran who raised money for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden – truly captured the hearts of the nation. A perfect example of how one small act can make a huge difference, by the time he had finished walking, he'd raised over £32 million. Captain Sir Tom was knighted by the Queen in July, an honour that could not be more deserved.
Marcus Rashford's Free School Meals campaign
After teaming up with poverty and food waste charity, FareShare, to deliver meals to 3m children in Greater Manchester during the first UK lockdown, the footballer campaigned for children to receive free school meals during the summer and Christmas holidays, resulting in two government U-turns. In the summer, he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list for his work to end child poverty.
Map shows some of funniest place names in UK you could visit in 2021
Matt Hancock to address the nation live on Monday evening
Neighbours shopping for one another
Whether due to shielding, quarantine, or any other reason, many people have found themselves unable to get to the shops this year due to the pandemic. This brought out the kindness in friends, family and neighbours all over the country who opted to shop for people who couldn't go themselves.
Teachers delivering food to pupils in need during the first lockdown
Demonstrating local generosity, teachers across the UK went above and beyond in looking after their pupils by delivering food to children in their classes that needed it. Just another example of how the pandemic brought out the everyday heroes in our communities.
Deliveroothanking NHS workers with500,000 free meals
It wasn't just individuals who showed generosity during the pandemic, but companies too. Online takeaway platform, Deliveroo, sent out half a million free meals to NHS workers to say thank you for their heroic efforts during the pandemic.
Clap for Carers
Another way to say thank you to NHS heroes was the Thursday Clap for Carers, started by Annemarie Plas. When she suggested it, she had no idea how popular this small gesture would become, but the weekly tradition took the nation by storm for 10 weeks of lockdown, bringing the community together in support of NHS workers and carers.
Businesses donating free school meals after the government ended free school meals
When the government initially refused to provide free school meals during the holidays; restaurants, cafes, takeaways and other businesses up and down the UK generously offered free meals to children that need them. Thankfully, the government eventually decided to fund the school meals, but in between, it was local businesses who generously stepped in to fill the need.
Gmail and Google apps appear to be down for users across UK
Matt Hancock to give live update on coronavirus today
Care home staff arranging video calls for families
For people staying in care homes away from friends and family, lockdown was particularly difficult as visits were not allowed. In addition to the heroic job they do at providing health care, many care home workers went above and beyond by helping elderly or disabled residents who struggled with technology to arrange zoom calls with their loved ones.
Joe Wicks PE classes
While children were out of school in lockdown, fitness coach, Joe Wicks, stepped up to the plate and offered live PE classes on his YouTube channel every day for 18 weeks! While aimed at children, the classes were a runaway success with adults too as they offered a way to keep fit in the house and let off some energy during lockdown.
Joe Wicks 24-hour PE session for Children in Need - raising £2.5m
Joe Wicks was also responsible for the UK's 10th favourite act of kindness which was partaking in a marathon 24-hour PE session for Children in Need and raising a whopping £2.5 million for the charity.
Karina Adrian, Head of Brand Marketing at GalaBingo.com, commented: "It goes without saying that 2020 has been completely different to what any of us were expecting. There have been a lot of challenges for so many of us, so it's heartening to see all the kind things that people have done for each other this year, from raising money for charity to supporting the vulnerable in our communities.
"Our charity partner, 52 Lives, would never be able to accomplish any of the life-changing work that they do without the kindness and generosity of the British public, and recently these traits have been on show more than ever before. We want to say a huge thank you."
52 Lives aims to change a person's life every week by spreading kindness and generosity. Since their partnership began in 2016, GalaBingo.com has raised over £460,000 for the charity.


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Affordable Housing Policies sounds nice to anyone who is looking for a home, but it is really that nice?
Love, family, shelter, or even the familiar scent. In fact, a consistent message from the government since the 1920s is that homeownership is the "American Dream." This has been the motivation behind many federal policies to promote homeownership.
Quality housing might not mean the stereotypical three bedroom house in the suburbs. It may mean not a great quality apartment, but we, the Americans, believe it is important and that is what those rental assistance programs are designed to do.
The sharp rise of the housing industry was contributed to regulators, in both the Clinton and Bush administrations, enforcers of reduced lending standards, that were essential to the growth of homeownership and the housing bubble. Despite the government's good intentions, economic policies often have secondary effects: the bubble led to the great recession of 2008.
Photo Taken By Areeba Khan.
The government used these strict banking regulations to tighten up the market so there would be less risk. The problem then is that the banks can not find "qualified" borrowers to loan the money to.
"Since the economy started to recover, the government finally raised interest rates last year for the first time since 2009," Cassady said, "and that sent a signal into the market that the government is anticipating inflation. Housing prices are rising because of people's expectations; people expect the prices are going to go up." Thus, individuals or companies jump into the market, compete for houses, and drive the prices even higher.
For the mid-class citizens, the motivation of moving into a house from an apartment has decreased over the years due to rising house prices. To aid the middle class and lower class, the government gave assistance towards both house buying and renting.
"There are three main rental assistance programs around the general St. Louis area," said Glossenger. The first housing assistance is through section 8 vouchers, or the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV). This form of assistance is a rental assistance program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program allows low-income families, elderly and disabled households to find affordable housing in the private market and receive assistance in paying their monthly rent.
Enacted as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the second program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which are tax credits for real-estate developers who want to rebuild relevant buildings or construct new housing for low-income housing. It now gives states the equivalent of nearly $8 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as of 2007, this program has placed in service over 31,000 projects comprising 1.8 million housing units.
Mortgage housing tax deduction is one of the homeowner assistance programs. This is when a taxpayer buys a house, and that taxpayer is paying money on the mortgage, he or she can deduct the interest paid on the mortgage from their tax liability.
"The only people who usually take that deduction are people who have a large enough income that they are itemizing their taxes," Glossenger said. "Those people usually have income more than $120 thousand a year, have a mortgage, and they can deduct the interest that they are paying the bank off of their taxes." In total, this is a fairly large tax deduction in terms of reducing tax liability.
"When I said there is $40 billion that goes to the renters with all three methods of the housing assistance, the mortgage housing tax deduction alone in a year costs the US government about 60 to 70 billion dollars," Glossenger said.
There is a second housing assistance for homeowners as well, the real-estate tax deduction. However, though not intended, it benefits people who have higher tax properties and tax bills.
"People in Clayton, for example, take advantage of this. The idea is that you pay property taxes on your home, and you can deduct that from your federal income taxes," Glossenger said.
Those two deductions are to aid citizens who own homes and generally the wealthier. "You do not own a home unless you are wealthy," said Glossenger.
The housing tax deductions are designed to encourage people to buy houses. However, they benefit people who are usually in the top half of the population.
In fact, one thing the economists have learned from the recent financial crisis is that pushing into homeownership households who should not be homeowners can lead to disastrous results; the American Dream can end up being the American Nightmare.
The rental assistance like Section 8 Vouchers often times concentrate poverty. The programs concentrate poverty by saying people who want housing assistance need to live in this area, according to Glossenger.
Scott Susin of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also concludes in his research that public housing tenants live in census tracts with poverty rates 8.8 percentage points higher than in the absence of assistance, tenants in HUD-subsidized privately-owned projects live in tracts with poverty rates 2.6 percentage points higher and voucher recipients live in tracts with poverty rates 2.3 percentage points lower.
"Due to neighborhood opposition, projects are rarely built in the best neighborhoods or indeed in any neighborhood with more attractive housing." Stated in a research of Edgar O. Olsen from University of Virginia and Jeffrey E. Zabel from Tufts University. The property values of these housing projects are lower because of people's biases. The people living around the area see the residents supported by the programs as poor and illiterate, and move out of the area, leaving only the similar people in the area.
The residents within the rental assistance program also can face hardship because of the assistance. "Low-income households spend excessive fractions of their incomes on housing rather than those they live inadequate housing," Olsen stated. Because the assistance program pushed the low-income family into housing that is higher than their spending level, although there is support for the programs, their spending would be largely depended on the housing.
"Consider the possibility that these people would rather spend less on other goods than to live in worse housing or neighborhoods or at less convenient locations." Olsen stated in his research, "Since the only negative consequence of spending a high fraction of income on housing is low consumption of other goods, some people who make this argument might be saying that these low-income households undervalue other goods relative to housing." Although the housing of the low-income families is in a better status, the standard of living, including housing, education, quality of life, would decrease because of the overspending on housing.
These rental assistance programs do only simply just influence the communities but also impact government spending and the whole economy in a negative way. Although the $40 billion spent on public housing and section 8 represents a fairly small amount of the US government budget of $3.8 trillion, the $40 billion has a greater impact on the economy than $40 billion because of the multiplier effect. "When money injected into the economy like loans from the bank and government funded projects," Cassady explained, "the money does not just circulate through the system once, but over and over again until the income is all leaked out of the system via savings with each additional new round of spending." Depending on the size of the multiplier, the amount of money injected can have a greater impact on the economy than its initial value.
This can be shown from a more recent study by Scott Susin of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that concludes the housing voucher program has increased rents of low-quality housing by an average of 16 percent. This does not only affect only affect the people supported by the low housing programs, but the increment also impacted the whole housing market from bottom to top and raised housing prices.


Today's Irish Times has an article about urban foxes in Ireland. Interesting, both because we have urban foxes in Canberra, and also because foxes are also an introduced species in Ireland – they only got the the Emerald Isle in the 1800's, introduced by the Anglo-Irish landowning class so they could have something else to kill – much as happened in Australia.
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• Jasmine Camacho Quinn wins historic Olympic title for Puerto Rico
Tokyo Olympic Games athletics day report:
Jasmine Camacho Quinn became the first-ever Puerto Rican track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal by claiming the women's 100m hurdles final in 12.37. Camacho Quinn had set the Olympic record by clocking 12.26 in the semifinal on Sunday.
World record-holder Kendra Harrison won the silver medal in 12.52 beating Megan Tapper from Jamaica (12.55). Tobi Amusan from Nigeria repeated his fourth place from the 2019 World Championships in 12.60. Nadine Visser took fifth place in 12.73 edging Devynne Charlton from the Bahamas by 0.01.
Camacho Quinn was aiming to break the world record, but she clipped the ninth hurdle and stumbled across the finish line. She bounced back from the disappointment of missing the final at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she hit a hurdle and crashed out in the semifinals. She has become the second Olympic gold medallist from Puerto Rico in any sport after Monica Puig clinched the women's singles tennis title.
Jasmine Camacho Quinn: "I did it. Everything happens for a reason. I came through with my first gold medal. Puerto Rico is such a small country, but this will give little kids hope, and I am glad I am the person who does that. This year had its ups and downs. My coach came all the way from Ireland to coach me. I really do appreciate that. It's been a rollercoaster since I became a professional athlete. Anything is possible and everybody here has been training hard for this moment. Honestly, I think all of us should be awarded for this. It's been a hard year, but I am really thankful".
Results athletics/track and field Tokyo Olympics
Men's long jump final:
Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece claimed the Olympic gold medal in the men's long jump with 8.41m in the sixth round beating Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarria on countback in a thrilling competition.
Maykel Massò from Cuba took the early lead with 8.21m in the first round. Echevarria started his competition with 8.09m and took the lead in the third round to jump 8.41m. Tentoglou was sitting in third place with 8.11m in the opening round until the fourth round. Ju'Vaughn Harrison sailed out to 8.15m to move into bronze medal position. Eusebio Caceres from Spain jumped 8.18m to take third place.
Tentoglou, who was ranked fourth until the final jump, saved his best for last to match the young Cuban jumper in the sixth attempt with 8.41, taking the win on countback.
Tentoglou won a thrilling competition thanks to his second-best jump of 8.15m. Echevarria produced a second-best jump of 8.09m. Maykel Massò won the bronze medal with 8.21m.
Tentoglou set the world seasonal best of 8.60m last May in a local meeting.
Miltiadis Tentoglou: "What an incredible competition. What an incredible jump. I wasn't able to get it right at the start, but in the end, I managed to pull something out to get a medal"
Juan Miguel Echevarria: " It's not what I expected, but it's a very welcome prize. It was a spectacular competition. I hope everyone enjoyed it".
Ju'Vaughn Harrison finished fifth with 8.15m one day after finishing sixth in the high jump with 2.33m. The world under 20 champion Yuki Hashioka leapt to 8.10m to beat Thobias Montler from Sweden.
Women's 5000 metres:
Sifan Hassan won the first Olympic gold medal of her career in 14:36.79 ahead of Hellen Obiri from Kenya (14:38.36) and Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia (14:38.87). Hassan, who is aiming at a historic triple win in the 1500, 5000m and 10000m, has become the first Dutch woman to take an Olympic medal in a long-distance competition.
Hassan launched her kick down the back straight and took the lead with 250 metres to go.
Agnes Tirop from Kenya finished fourth with 14:39.62 ahead of Ejgayehu Taye (14:41.24).
Nadia Battocletti finished seventh in 14:46.29 becoming the second-fastest Italian runner in history behind Roberta Brunet, who won the Olympic 5000m bronze medal in 1996.
Hassan returned to the track just 12 hours after falling to the track in the 1500m heats in the morning session. The Dutch runner was able to get up and caught up with the leading pack before taking the win in her heat in 4:05.17. Reigning Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon cruised through to a comfortable win in 4.:01.40, setting the fastest ever heat time.
Sifan Hassan: "I can't believe it. I used all my energy this morning and I was tired. I could not believe what happened. I felt terrible after the 1500m fall and I never thought I was going to be Olympic champion. I was so scared I was not going to do it".
Men's 3000m steeplechase:
Soufiane El Bakkali won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 3000 metres steeplechase in 8:08.91 ending an Olympic gold medal drought for Morocco. El Bakkali finished fourth in his previous appearance at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and won two world medals (silver in London 2017 and bronze in Doha 2019).
El Bakkali has become the first Olympic athletics gold medallist from Morocco since Hicham El Guerrouj scored the 1500m and 5000m double at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
The Moroccan steeplechaser has become the first non-Kenyan olympic champion since 1980. Kenya had won this event at all but two Olympic Games since 1968. These were the two editions Kenya boycotted. El Bakkali won the Wanda Diamond League in Florence in 8:08.54 and improved his 1500m PB to 3:31.95 in Doha earlier this year.
Lemecha Girma from Ethiopia finished second in 8:10.38 ahead of Benjamin Kigen from Kenya (8:11.45). Getnet Wale clocked 8:14.97 to take fourth place ahead of Yemane Haileselassie from Eritrea (8:15.34). Matt Hughes improved on his 10th by taking sixth place in 8:16.03. Japanese record holder Ryuji Miura crossed the finish line in seventh place with 8:16.90.
Soufiane El Bakkali: "I am so used to seeing Kenyans win, it's a big accomplishment for me. I have been aiming for this for years and this was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning the prize in front of the Kenyans. I have been thinking about being more confident, working on my self-confidence and also trusting that I can win. I have tried so many times to compare myself with the Kenyans and Ethiopians to see whether I could reach this gold".
Women's discus throw:
Valarie Allman threw to 68.98m in the opening round to become the first US athletics gold medallist at this edition of the Olympic Games. Kristin Pudenz from Germany moved into silver medal with a PB of 66.86m in the fifth round to beat Yaimé Perez from Cuba, who claimed bronze with 65.72m. Sandra Perkovic, who was aiming to become the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals in an individual athletics event, finished fourth with 65.01m. The competition was suspended for 57 minutes due to heavy rain.
Valarie Allman: "I am so honoured that this has been the first gold medal for the US in Tokyo. I could not be happier or more proud. I am still waiting for my feet to touch the ground."
Women's 400m hurdles semifinal:
Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad won the first semifinal with 53.30 in rainy conditions beating Janieve Russell (54.10) and Paulien Cockuyt, who set the Belgian record with 54.57.
World record holder Sydney McLaughlin clocked the fastest time of the three semifinals with 53.03. Gianna Woodruff from Puerto Rico broke the national record with 54.22 beating Anna Ryzhikova by 0.01.
European 400m indoor record Femke Bol from the Netherlands won the third semifinal with 53.91 beating NCAA champion Anna Cockrell (54.17) and Viktoriya Tkachuk (54.25).
Men's 400 metres semifinals:
Former Olympic champion Kirani James from Grenada won the first heat with 43.88 edging world silver medallist Anthony Zambrano, who broke the 44 seconds barrier for the first time in his career with 43.93. Liemarvin Bonevacia set the Dutch record with 44.62.
Michael Cherry claimed the win in the second semifinal with 44.44 beating Christopher Taylor (44.92). Reigning world champion Steven Gardiner took the win in the third semifinal with 44.14 holding off US Trials winner Michael Norman (44.52) and Isaac Makwala (44.59). Olympic champion Wayde Van Niekerk did not get through to the final with his third place in 45.14.
Women's 200 metres semifinal:
Double 100m Olympic champion Elaine Thompson Herah won the second semifinal equalling her PB with 21.66. The Jamaican star clocked this time when she won the world silver medal in Beijing 2015. Christine Mboma from Namibia set two worlds under 20 records with 22.11 in the heats and 21.97 in the semifinal. Mboma held off this year's US Trials champion Gabby Thomas (22.01).
Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce won the first semifinal with 22.13 beating Beatrice Masilingi from Namibia, who improved her PB to 22.40.
Marie Josée Ta Lou claimed the third semifinal with her seasonal best of 22.11 beating Shaunae Miller Uibo by 0.03. Mujinga Kambundji equalled her own Swiss record clocking 22.26 twice in the heats and in the semifinal.
Women's pole vault qualifying round:
Sandi Morris broke her pole as she made an attempt at 4.55m and picked a hip injury. Fifteen vaulters cleared 4.55m to advance to the final. The list of qualifiers included defending champion Katerina Stefanidi, world champion Anzhelika Sidorova, this year's US Trials champion Katie Nageotte and 2015 world champion Yarisley Silva.
Men's hammer throw qualifying round:
Wojciech Nowicki led the qualifying round with 79.78m. Four-time world champion Pawel Fajdek from Poland got through to his first Olympic final with 76.46m. This year's US Trials Rudy Winkler qualified for the final with the second-best throw with 78.81m.
Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics Qualifying Standards
World Athletics announces qualifying standards for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen takes 1500m, Sifan Hassan wins second gold in Tokyo
Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m gold setting a new Olympic and European record with 3:28.32, Sifan Hassan won the 10000m to claim her second gold in Tokyo.
Miller Uibo defends 400m title, Felix wins 10th Olympic medal
Athletics day 8 Tokyo Olympic Games: Shaunae Miller Uibo defended her 400m title title while Alyson Felix won her 10th Olympic medal by taking third.
Ryan Crouser narrowly misses shot put world record
Ryan Crouser successfully defended his Olympic title with the greatest series in the shot put history.
Sydney McLaughlin breaks World record to win gold in the 400m hurdles in Tokyo
The USA's Sydney McLaughlin broke the World record with an amazing run of 51.46 seconds to win the gold medal in the 400m hurdles final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Warholm obliterates 400m hurdles world record with 45.94 to win Olympic gold
Karsten Warholm obliterated his own 400m hurdles World record with an unbelievable run of 45.94 seconds to win the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo on Tuesday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Newsweek reported that Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker and political activist, updated her Twitter profile last week to say that she is the "First Partner" of California.
Siebel Newsom is known for being a fierce feminist who directed the 2011 documentary Miss Representation, which attacked the limited way women have been portrayed in film and in the media. She then started the nonprofit group the Representation Project, which strives to inspire "individuals and communities to create a world free of limiting stereotypes and social injustices." She is the second wife of Governor Newsom, who was previously married to former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, the current girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr.
After changing her Twitter profile to say "First Partner, Siebel Newsom tweeted about what this title means to her.
That's all well and good, but how is it offensive to refer to the wife of the governor as First Lady? Would we not refer to the husband of a female governor as First Man? This just goes to show that in the eyes of the left, stating someone's gender in any way is no longer acceptable. They're worried some would be offended if a man identified as a man, and a woman identified as a woman. We would not be surprised at all if soon enough, the title of First Lady is banned by a future Democratic president and we end up having to call his wife "First Partner" as well.
Frankly, being a liberal today seems exhausting. Doesn't getting offended by every little thing become tiresome after awhile?
Regardless of what she writes in her Twitter profile, it should still be okay to call other wives of governors FIRST LADY until further notice!


Treasure of Big Totem - The Narrative is another point and click adventure game developed by Esklavos. "As a request of the fans of the serie, here I bring you Treasure of Big Totem - the narrative. This narrative attempts to explain the story from the biginning to the end, but briefly and playable. The dialogues are sometimes lengthy, so you are able to skip it with the mouse button. It also explains what happened in the end."
I'm sorry that's the end of Big Totem, but I bet Fredrico Rutenburg has an equally cool series coming up.


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Cow town no more? Only one Denver steakhouse makes national top 50 list
The venerable room at 1000 Osage St. ranks 49th on the list, but what about Elway's, Guard and Grace and other spots?
Updated: 12/03/2015 02:35:47 PM MST
Chef Bob Wiltshire at Morton's Steakhouse on Tuesday. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)
Denver's venerable Buckhorn Exchange has made the list of the nation's top 50 steakhouses that was just published by The Daily Meal, a food and lifestyle website.
While that should make the restaurant happy (not to mention the ghost of Buffalo Bill Cody, who famously drank his signature rye whiskey-and-apple juice at the spot at 1000 Osage St.), other Mile High beef emporiums were snubbed.
The Buckhorn Exchange, 1000 Osage Street in Denver on Monday, February 15, 2011. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
No mention of Elway's, with two locations peddling prime cuts of steer (or the also football-related Shanahan's). Ditto for Troy Guard's Guard and Grace, which curates and cooks an array of high-end steaks. And despite its highly regarded "sugar steak," Bastien's on East Colfax Avenue was ignored, too.
PHOTOS: Tour Denver's top steakhouses
The Buckhorn itself barely made the cut, ranked 49th between Oliver's Prime in Los Angeles and Taste of Texas in Houston.
Judging from the release, it doesn't appear that much original research went into the rankings. The Daily Meal says it started with a list of 200 national steakhouses, excluding chains such as The Capital Grille and Morton's, culled from pre-existing rankings in print and online. They also took suggestions from chefs and restaurateurs.
"We also considered the overall steakhouse experience," Dan Myers, a senior editor at The Daily Meal, said in an email. "No matter the setting, the service must be top-notch, the attention to detail should be spot-on, and diners should feel compelled to sit back in their chair after their meal, pleasantly stuffed and content in the knowledge that they just ate one heck of a steak."
No word on whether bonus points were awarded for the restaurant's taxidermy quota, though if that were the case, the hundreds of game animal trophy heads on the Buckhorn's walls should have pushed the restaurant to the top of the list.
Some might argue that Denver needs more steakhouse publicity like American politics needs another posturing gasbag.
But here's our beef: Denver sits in the heart of cattle country. If the swells on the coasts are going to rib us for being a cowtown, at least give us props for steaks.
For the record, 12 of The Daily Meal's top 50 steakhouses were in the West, 12 are in the South, 10 are in the Midwest, nine are in the Southwest and seven are in the Northeast. New York City and Las Vegas share top honors with six apiece.
The No. 1 steakhouse on the list? Cut in Beverly Hills, followed by Keens in New York City.
The complete list of steakhouses can be found at thedailymeal.com.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or @williamporterdp


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23.11.2005 Health
Sekyere West Health Insurance Scheme suffers a setback
Mampong-Ashanti (Ash), Nov. 23, GNA - The scheduled kick-off date for the Sekyere West District Health Insurance Scheme has suffered a setback because frontline health personnel in the area are ill prepared for the exercise.
The scheme was originally billed to take-off by the end of November but has to be pushed forward to early December in view of the apparent gaps in requisite knowledge and skills of health workers as key implementing partners.
The District Claims Manager, Mr Felix Donkor in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday said a mock implementation trial to assess the preparedness of health personnel to support the documentation process of the system revealed that most of them lacked basic record entry skills.
He said the Management and Boa rd of the Scheme had thus decided to delay its implementation in order to organise record keeping refresher courses for some categories of facility-based health workers in the District.
Mr Donkor said: "All is set for the scheme to begin, once management and key partners are convinced that the health facilities are prepared to come on board."
The Medical Superintendent of the Mampong Government Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Ahiable said it was important for health workers to be properly trained on the various processes of record keeping to ensure that the scheme did not run into problems.
He said the Hospital would work closely with the administrators of the scheme to train the workers for the timely take-off of the scheme and urged the people to register.


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Remembering: Yia "The Bull" Mua
I may have been the last to have taken a glimpse into the eyes of an iconic Hmong megastar. I started the tête-à-tête with Yia "The Bull" Mua to only discover, in my dismay, the ominous condition that has overwhelmed him for the last several months. Though in his state of condition, he was much obliged in starting a dialogue with me, and excited that we may reach our goal in getting through with the interview. However, I was never able to complete the full interview, although he completed the initial queries, afterward, I was never able to get a hold of him to complete the full questionnaire. It wasn't until a few months later—something that I most feared—hearing of his death on the Fresno Hmong Radio stations and confirming my doubts on a YouTube video from his widow and nephew.
Though I never knew him on a personal level, I am forever rendered speechless in saying that I have had a chance to talk to Mr. Mua, in euphemism, before his passing. He was his humble self on every occasion. I know he will be plastered forever young! And he will be remembered forever young!
He had a fiery ambition to excel in everything that he puts his hands on. He aspired to be more than just a fighter, a thespian of the arts, an educator, a friend, a son, a brother, a husband, and a father; he's inspired us all to follow our dream unorthodox to what our parents' believes in—doctors and lawyers. He taught us to follow our hearts no matter the stakes so high, but to always press on and follow our dreams.
Here are the last of his words before I loss contact with him.
Jerry: You've been this iconic Hmong figure for so long now. You're known simply as Yia Mua or the alias ostentatious "The Bull," but what many people don't know is your initial flight to stardom as a kickboxing champ, as well as many who are now familiar with you as an aspiring Hmong movie star. Give us a quick run down of what you've done in your lifetime, so we can inspire others to follow your footsteps.
Yia: I have been in half a dozen or so film since retiring as a fighter. I've been in lead roles in movies and commercials, and here are the films, commercial, and music:
Mob Saib Vim Hlub —— Lead Character —— Four Stars Entertainment
Kaub Nhuj —— Lead Character —— Bi-Vision Production
Hlub Ti Ntuj, Txuj Ti Txaj —— Lead Character —— TwinStars Entertainment
High Voltage —— Lead Character —— Voltage Production
Green Hornet (2000) —— Stunt-man —— Universal Studios
Daim Duab/The Picture —— Co-Lead Wiseguys —— Production
Finding Hope Now (2010) —— Asian Gang Enforcer —— Sony Pictures
I-Phone Pocket Ninja Villain Blare Media
3-2 Play Rapper Aero Dynamix
I gained popularity in my professional career as a Muaythai Kickboxer.
Professional Muaythai Kickboxing Champion
Ring Name: The Bull
Pro Record: 32 wins- 2 losses
Titles: 5X Muaythai Kickboxing Champion
Notable fights:
World Extreme Cagefighting Halloween Fury 2 Super fight Aired on HDNET
World Extreme Cagefighting 9 (WEC) Super fight Aired on HDNET
ISKA Strikeforce Championship fight Aired on ESPN2
Escrima (Filipino Martial Arts) Brown Belt
Here are other educational accomplishments:
– A.S. graduate at Fresno City College
– B.S. E-Business at University of Phoenix
– MBA Technology Management
Jerry: Here, I want you to tell your life's tales of growing up in an imperfect world of nicks and bruises, and what obstacles you've overcome in life, and what further goals you'd like to accomplish?
Yia: As a kid, I was the only boy in the family. My parents didn't really want me to do anything that would hurt me. I remembered this one time in 3rd grade I was beaten up by a kid in class. My parents' close friend, Bob Smith, who studied Wing Tsung asked my parents if he could put me in a Kemscrimadoh (Filipino Martial Arts) class. Bob Smith offered to pay for it. I trained there for 4 years. After training there my family moved to Fresno, CA. I started back in martial arts studying Sanshou and Chinese kickboxing at John Cho's Kung Fu School. I grew up in one of the worst time in our Hmong youth history. Gang violence and the peer pressure to join a gang were high. This was during the time of 1989-1995. Almost everyone I knew was in a gang, dead, and/or locked up. I kept myself busy playing sports at school and training kickboxing. I remember an incident. I had three friends who wanted to go and visit their girlfriends. The problem was no one had a car. They asked me to go with them but I declined. They stole a car and drove to see their girlfriends. The police tried to make a stop but they took off on a high speed chase. The car rolled over and 2 of the 3 friends died on the spot.
Some of the biggest obstacle I encounter was from people who didn't believe that I could be someone. I've always told myself that I was going to make a change in our community and I think I did a little of that.
My future goals are to open a Muaythai Kickboxing Center called "The Bull Pen." This place will be for people of all ages. Ages 4-8 will be called "Little Nak Muay"; from ages 9-14 years old will be called "Phaj Ej"' and from 15-Adult will be called "Nak Muay". My mission is to create awareness related to Health issues that Hmong people has, such as, gout, hypertension, Heart Disease, Diabetes, cancer, and other health related issues. Not only awareness for health, but also to provide a safe haven for Hmong youth teaching them discipline and determination by having monthly competitions. The gym will provide training for recreational students, amateur fighters, and professional level fighters.
Jerry: What kind of legacy would you like to leave behind–I'm not talking about the tangible stuff, but the things intangible to the touch that you'd like to be remembered by?
Yia: The biggest legacy that I want Hmong people to get out of this is that we can do it. It doesn't matter the disadvantages we have, if we put our minds to it we can accomplish anything in life. Know that we will face obstacles in the roads ahead and it will be rough, but we can overcome it.
Here's a quote that I would like to share:
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
–- Napoleon Hill, "Think and Grow Rich" –-
You will be missed! Should you have any question(s) in relations to this article please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
R.I.P Yia "The Bull" Mua – From the Hmoodle Family.
The good always die young, R.I.P brother. You'll be missed.
For sure!
Stacy Yang
check out the vid – interview HIM!!!
jerry thao
interview who?
dao chong
I am a very big fan of Yia The Bull Mua.
I knew him back in the days when Yia
just started with his kickboxing sport.
I lost all of his movies that he
because of moving to new houses.
Do you know of any of the production
phone numbers that I could call and
buy his movies? I have been searching
for the numbers, but couldn't get
anywhere or find it .If you have any news
please email to me via [email protected]
JerryThao
I'll try my best to locate any information to pass along to you.
FilipinaHeart
rest in peace my lovely cousin…..its been 3 months now…i still can't accept the fact that your gone….misss you sooo much my dear cousin……
ching kue
Where'd you get your sources on his win/loss record regarding the article on Yia The Bull Mua? Aside from information obtained from the interview.
It was provided by Yia "The Bull" Mua before he passed away.


In a world of right and wrong, in which we are free spirits, it would be foolish to ask Christians never to criticise. But think of the occasions when Jesus criticised; they were very few, always timely, and he never crushed a bruised reed. He always affirmed the people who lacked it. Criticism should only be made on rare occasions, as a last resort, in a kindly spirit, after prayer and thought, to the person concerned, and only if it is both true and necessary.
The easiest sin to commit is to criticise a brother, calling him a fool. We are usually cautious about accusing a brother of a major sin; we feel we must have sufficient evidence before making such an accusation. But to accuse a brother of doing something stupid hardly seems to matter. So we lightly toss off such critical remarks.
Yet such criticism can wound deeply. It can stay with a person for years after the person who uttered it has forgotten about it. This is because so many people lack a sense of self-worth, and fear failure. So a critical remark can destroy their confidence completely, discouraging them so much that they may never again attempt the task that was criticised.
So we must be far more vigilant against committing this easy sin than against the more obvious and serious sins.
Pelagius. To an elderly friend.


C.S. Lewis kept a journal, "A Grief Observed", of his feelings and thoughts after his wife died. Andre and I have on it audio and we listened to it a lot those first few weeks. I was so awestruck at how he knew exactly what I was feeling...and somehow he managed to put it to words, and to actually make it sound sensible, no less!
Now I have the book to actually hold in my hands. Sometimes I just weep when I read it...because it reminds me that I'm not alone, or crazy, or broken forever. Just knowing that someone else knows and understands gives me hope that someday, somehow I will escape this black hole.
"We were even told, 'Blessed are they that mourn,' and I accepted it. I've got nothing that I hadn't bargained for. Of course, it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination."
"Bridge-players tell me that there must be some money on the game 'or else people won't take it seriously.' Apparently it's like that. Your bid – for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity – will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing less will shake a man – or at any rate a man like me – out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself ."
"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief"
"I thought I trusted the rope until it mattered to me whether it would bear me. Now it matters and I find I didn't."
"Where is God? Go to him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double-bolting on the inside. After that, silence."
"Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."
"Sometimes it is hard not to say, "God forgive God.' Sometimes it is hard to say so much. But if our faith is true, He didn't. He crucified Him."
"I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache and about lying awake.' That's true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief."
"The more we believe that God hurts only to heal, the less we can believe that there is any use in begging for tenderness. A cruel man night be bribed-might grow tired of this vile sport-might have a temporary fit of mercy, as alcoholics have fits of sobriety. But suppose that what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are wholly good. The kinds and more conscientious he is, the more inexorably he will go on cutting. If he yielded to your entreaties, if he stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that point would have been useless. But is it credible that such extremities of torture should be necessary for us? Well, take your choice. The tortures occur. If they are unnecessary, then there is no God or a bad one. If there is a good God, then these tortures are necessary. For no even moderately good Being could possibly inflict or permit them if they weren't? Either way, we're for it. What do people mean when they say, "I am not afraid of God because I know He is good"? Have they never even been to a dentist?"
"Who still thinks there is some device (if only he could find it) which will make pain not to be pain. It doesn't really matter whether you grip the arms of the dentist's chair or let your hands lie in your lap. The drill drills on."
"I see people, as they approach me, trying to make up their minds whether they'll 'say something about it' or not. I hate if they do...and if they don't."
"It is hard to have patience with people who say 'There is no death' or 'Death doesn't matter.' There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as well say that birth doesn't matter."
"What pitiable cant to say, 'She will live forever in my memory!' Live? That is exactly what she won't do."
"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear... At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says...And no one ever told me about the laziness of grief."
"…there is a spread over everything a vague sense of wrongness, of something amiss... Will there come a time when I no longer ask why the world is like a mean street, because I shall take the squalor as normal? Does grief finally subside into boredom tinged by faint nausea."
"Did you know, dear, how much you took away with you when you left? You have stripped me even of my past, even of the things we never shared. I was wrong to say the stump was recovering from the pain of the amputation. I was deceived because it has so many ways to hurt me that I discover them only one by one."
"And grief still feels like fear. Perhaps, more strictly, like suspense. Or like waiting; just hanging about waiting for something to happen. It gives life a permanently provisional feeling. It doesn't seem worth starting anything. I can't settle down. I yawn, I fidget, I smoke too much. Up till this I always had too little time. Now there is nothing but time. Almost pure time, empty successiveness."
"God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down."
"Fate (or whatever it is) delights to produce a great capacity and then frustrate it."
"Didn't people dispute once whether the final vision of God was more an act of intelligence or of love? That is probably another of the nonsense questions."
"And so, perhaps, with God. I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can't give it: you are like the drowning man who can't be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear."
"Aren't all these notes the senseless writings of a man who won't accept the fact that there is nothing we can do with suffering except to suffer it?"
Thank you for sharing these Bethany.
I love CS Lewis...Mere Christianity spoke to me at a time when my faith was flagging. And I'm glad that he wrote something that now speaks to you.
I think I'll go pick up a copy.
There's nothing that has helped me more than to read stuff like that too. Knowing that I too am not crazy or broken for the things I feel from Trin's death. It doesn't take away the pain, but to have someone actually put in words just how you feel, and know that know exactly how you feel...that is priceless. I know how you feel, I understand it so well. So just know that I'm always here!
I think about you guys constantly. I am reading. I just don't have the words. Hugs and prayers.


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text:
Bird: Afghan students deserve equity — here's what California educators can do to aid new refugees in our schools
Lindsey Bird | December 16, 2021
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
I spent 17 years teaching immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking high school students from around the world in my hometown of Modesto. Though all too often it was violence, suffering, and war that brought them here, the joy and promise that radiated from my students spoke to the optimism and hope of the American Dream. In 2016, two girls from Afghanistan, Halima and Fatima, came into my classroom. While on paper they seemed to have everything in common, they could not have been more different.
Halima had a strong educational foundation, rivaling the skills and knowledge of top American teens, while Fatima had never experienced formal education. Halima came from a family of Tajik ethnicity, leading to generational access to education, wealth, and opportunity. Fatima was from the Hazara tribe, traditionally marginalized, oppressed, and often targets of ethnic cleansing during both the initial reign of the Taliban and the era of the National Unity Government. Halima had been exposed to English and was conversational. Fatima did not know how to hold a pencil or say hello. Halima had clear goals for her future that were dependent on her access to quality education. Fatima had never lived in a situation where education would have afforded her a different lot in life. While they came from the same country, spoke the same language, and were the same age when they arrived, what they needed from public education couldn't have been more opposite. What I learned from getting to know them as individuals did not just help me help them, it helped me become a more equity-minded educator for all my students.
I thought of Halima and Fatima often as I watched the government of Afghanistan return to the hands of the Taliban. Afghan refugees, including school-aged children, are coming to California; Modesto is once again one of the resettlement hubs. We cannot assume that every student arriving from Afghanistan has the same linguistic, academic, cultural, and social-emotional needs. If we do, we will miss the opportunity to deliver on the promise of public education to build self-reliant and contributing citizens who play an informed and active role in our society.
When students from Afghanistan arrive, it is vital that we get to know them as the unique individuals they are. Just like two children from the same household can have very different learning styles, so can students who hail from the same nation. Equity means meeting a student where they are and then providing them the support and tools necessary to graduate from the public school system with the literacy, numeracy, and self-confidence needed to have all college and career options at their fingertips. If we fail to consider every aspect of each unique student, such as age, educational experience, trauma, gender roles, ethnic identity within the Afghan culture, familial socio-economic and educational history, current self-identity and goals for the future, immigration experience and family dynamic, then we miss the opportunity to embrace and empower some truly amazing emerging Americans that have the potential to transform our communities, state, and country for the better.
The nuances of getting to know Afghan students is nothing new to veteran educators who have experience teaching native-born and immigrant students across the nation. These teachers know that the most vital ingredient in transformational education is relationships, where the classroom, campus, and educational system the student enters celebrates students like Halima and Fatima for the assets they bring to the table and fosters them to become a better version of themselves. Yet too often all we hear about is the surface data points, such as language status, gender, race, which give us little insight into what makes each student unique and who they actually are. In focusing on only demographic labels, we are missing opportunities for students to tell us directly or indirectly what they individually need to succeed. This is why we not only need institutions to gather the insights needed to help educators identify the needs of two Afghan girls like Halima and Fatima, but then provide the curriculum, educational pathways, wrap-around services, and systemic cultural competencies necessary to meet them where they are and provide them the skills to succeed.
When we know better, we should do better. We have an opportunity to welcome, embrace, educate, and empower the students from Afghanistan entering our school system daily. When we use equity at all levels of education, from policy to practice and from district priorities office to classroom pedagogy, we can ensure these students have first-generation access to fulfilling their American dream.
Lindsey Bird is Teacher Leadership Coach at Teach Plus California. She was previously the developer, instructor, and coordinator of the Language Institute, a specialized program serving immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking high school students in Modesto, California.


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'Feisty' Bobcat Burned in San Bernardino Wildfire Recovers, Now Set for Release
Animals AP News California News
'Feisty' Bobcat Burned in San Bernardino Wildfire Recovers, Now Set for Release
SAN DIEGO — A young bobcat that was badly burned in a Southern California wildfire will be released back into the wild, the San Diego Humane Society announced Tuesday.
The 7- to 9-month-old female was picked up on Tuesday from the group's Ramona Wildlife Center.
A state Department of Fish and Wildlife worker took her to an area outside the site of the fire that biologists say has "rich food and water sources," according to a humane society statement.
The blaze erupted in September near the small city of Yucaipa in San Bernardino County. It was sparked by a pyrotechnic device a couple used for a gender reveal party. The fire destroyed several homes and killed a firefighter in San Bernardino National Forest.
This Nov. 13, 2020 photo provided by the San Diego Humane Society shows a young bobcat at the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center in Ramona, Calif. The young bobcat that was badly burned in a Southern California wildfire has been returned to its native habitat and will be released back into the wild. The San Diego Humane Society says the 7- to 9-month-old female was picked up on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 from Ramona Wildlife Center and taken to an area near the site of the El Dorado Fire that has abundant food and water sources.(San Diego Humane Society via AP)
The bobcat was discovered on Oct. 13 by a woman walking her dogs. The emaciated cat was treated for burns, some of which were infected, and did so well that she doubled in size to more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms) in a month and made a full recovery in seven weeks, the humane society said.
"This is why we work so hard for every single patient who comes through our doors — so they can return to the wild and thrive in their natural habitat," Andy Blue, campus director at the Ramona Wildlife Center, said in a statement. "This little fighter went from emaciated with severe burns to becoming a feisty predator who will be able to fend for herself in nature. We are thrilled!"
Related Topics:bobcat
City Looks to Kick Parking Vendor to the Curb as it Seeks Tech Improvements
Pasadena Rejects LA County Ban, Allows Outdoor Dining to Continue
Who Won This Duel Between a Bobcat and a Rattlesnake?


PU degree 2nd sem practical timetable 2017 palamuru university :Palamuru university officials has been revealed PU degree 2nd sem practical exam notification for the session 2017. Palamuru university degree 2nd sem practicals starts from 1st May 2017 for Regular candidates of B.A/B.Com (General)/ B.Com. (Computers)/B.Sc. Semester I (Backlog) here we are updated PU degree 2nd sem practical timetable 2017.
The Practical Examination schedule of B.A/B.Com/B.Sc. (CBCS) Semester-II May, 2017 as follows.It is hereby notified to all the eligible Regular candidates of B.A/B.Com (General)/ B.Com. (Computers)/B.Sc. Semester I (Backlog) and Semester- II (Regular) May 2017, as follows.
To make arrangements to conduct the Practical Examinations notifying the exact dates of examinations to the concerned candidates.
To conduct the Practical Examination on the basis of Nominal Rolls submitted by the Principal or on the basis of Hall Ticket of the candidate.
To send the Answer Scripts, immediately, but not later than 09-05-2017 along with the 'D' forms and the award list in duplicate in the same bundle.


As a woman working in the field of e-communications and technology, I am always giddy when surveys highlight the growing presence of women on the Web. Back in July, we learned how women are contributing to and advancing the collaborative Web. And we're always spreading the word about geeky girl stuff. Now, a recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicates that adolescent girls are finding their groove online as well. The report shows that "teenage girls are more likely than boys to have engaged in creating most kinds of online content." Blogs, specifically, are their venue of choice with 35 percent of teenage girls having created a blog compared to only 20 percent of boys. Although boys post more video content online than girls, the survey indicates that "content creation is not just about sharing creative output," but initiating and participating in discussions generated by the content they create. While girls are more likely to post photos online than boys are, it seems that they "do not simply plaster their creative endeavors on the Web for anyone to view" as many limit access to friends. The report not only indicates the impact of social media on gender, but also on socio-economic status as well. Teenagers from single-parent households are more likely to start a blog than teenagers living with married parents. In addition, those in lower-income houses are more likely to blog than those in families with higher-income brackets. As we enter 2008 we can use these findings to understand how to better communicate with the adolescent lot (it isn't by email), as well as to hone and encourage their participation in online social media. From parents to educators to those of us who work to develop and design these online technologies, we long for access into their complex brains. Rather than censoring or limiting their access to social media, we must accept that the use of social media is gaining "a greater foothold in teen life as they embrace the conversational nature of interactive online media."


text:
Месджеде-Солейман – Бендер-Махшахр – газопровід, споруджений для постачання заводу азотної хімії в іранській провінції Хузестан.

У середині 1960-х років в районі Месджеде-Солейман з кількох свердловин отримали вільний (неасоційований) природний газ. Цей ресурс вирішили використати для створення потужного заводу добрив, котрий почав роботу e 1970-му поблизу розташованого на узбережжі Перської затоки Бендер-Махшахру (індустріальна зона Бендер-Імам). Доправлення туди газу організували за допомогою трубопроводу довжиною 170 км, діаметром 500 мм та робочим тиском 8 МПа (можливо відзначити, що це був другий за часом спорудження іранський газопровід після проекту Гечсаран – Мервдешт).

Пропускна здатність трубопроводу становить біля 5 млн м3 на добу, при цьому видобутий в Месджеде-Солейман ресурс містить дуже велику частку домішок – 25% сірководню та 10% двоокису вуглецю. При цьому на родовищі розташована лише установка дегідрації, котра приймає газ з семи свердловин (віддалені від установки на 0,5 – 16 км) та провадить його осушку, тоді як основна підготовка провадиться вже у Бендер-Імамі на заводі Razi Petrochemical. Таким чином, по трубопроводу транспортується суміш газів з великим вмістом агресивного сірководню.

Примітки

Месджед

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text:
health sciences library, faculty of medicine, memorial university of newfoundland (17)
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(42879 results)
Number 153, Newsletter - Association of Canadian Map Libraries
Association of Canadian Map Libraries; Association des cartotheques canadiennes; Map collections--Canada--Periodicals; Cartography--Periodicals;
Western Star (Corner Brook, N.L.), 1946-05-03
Canadian newspapers--Newfoundland and Labrador--Corner Brook--20th century
The Western Star began publication on Newfoundland's west coast on 4 April 1900, appearing weekly with brief semiweekly periods up to 1952, when it became a daily. The current collection contains 21 April 1900 - 31 December 1952.
Classical Views, vol. 32, no. 03 (1988)
Classical philology--Periodicals Classical civilization--Periodicals Classical antiquities--Periodicals
Mouseion (the current title of the journal of the Classical Association of Canada) aims to be a distinctively comprehensive Canadian journal of Classical Studies, publishing articles and reviews in both French and English. The journal is published...


Electronic music and vocal techniques collide in 'Black Coffee's Human Orchestra', a unique film which sees South African DJ and producer Black Coffee lead a 40-strong group of African vocalists to create a voice-only recreation of his best known electronic track, 'Rock My World'. Black Coffee features in the film which is being premiered globally with Hypebeast.com and will also appear in a major South African mixed media ad campaign, implemented to communicate Ballantine's global brand mantra, 'Stay True, Leave An Impression'.
Each film in the series, which can be seen here, captures the lives of unique individuals as they perform creative and artistic experiments centred around their passions, philosophies and talent.
The 'Stay True Stories' campaign, produced by M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment London and M&C Saatchi London, is intended to drive deep and targeted consumer engagement around the world. Social media channels will be utilised to drive engagement with the film, with a substantial online media campaign managed by Vizeum. In addition, Black Coffee will participate in a series of media interviews to support the campaign, including with the campaign's media partner Hypebeast.com, the world's leading cultural trends site.
'Black Coffee's Human Orchestra', shot in and around Johannesburg (Soweto and Maboneng), illustrates Back Coffee's of continuous experimentation with music. The film opens with his own back-story and beliefs around life, music and creation, before we see him assemble a group of individual and talented vocalists from across Africa. The climax of the film is an experiment which defines Black Coffee's ambition as an artist; an impressive deconstruction of 'Rock My World' using only the vocal abilities of his 40-strong group.
Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine's, commented: "The Stay True Stories series is proving to be a multi layered and effective way of communicating what Ballantine's stands for globally, in a way that is both entertaining and unique. Through extensive collaboration with the protagonists of the films, we have ensured that they are rooted in our global brand positioning of 'Stay True, Leave An Impression', inspiring consumers to do just that. Whilst the campaign is, from a global perspective, mostly digitally focussed, extending our association with Black Coffee into advertising in South Africa will serve to make even more impact in such a key market for us going forwards."
Black Coffee commented: "Musical experimentation and its power to bring people together is why I do what I do. When Ballantine's asked me what my dream experiment would be, I wanted to set us the challenge to do something unique. To see the group of vocalists we put together from throughout Africa with each playing their own part, producing the final recreation of 'Rock My World' was an amazingly satisfying moment."


Buzzwars linked up with Atlanta based DJ, GuyATL and talked Artist etiquette. GuyATL talks about what an artist should do when he's doing a show. Guy ATL took to Instagram earlier in the year to post a checklist on what artists should do to have a flawless set during a song. Check out the full interview below.


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Home > Information Hub > News and Events > Press Releases
Here you can find the press releases issued by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company.
Cheques are starting to clear by the end of the next weekday (October 2017)
Phased roll-out of faster cheque clearing system begins today.
The new system reduces cheque clearing times from 'six weekdays' to the 'end of the next weekday'.
New Figures Reveal Increased Awareness Of Cheque Imaging (27 July 2017)
New market research commissioned by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company (C&CCC) has found that increasing numbers of bank and building society customers are aware of the forthcoming introduction of the image-based cheque clearing system.
Details announced for the introduction of a faster, industry-wide, image-based cheque clearing system (22 March 2017)
The Cheque and Credit Clearing Company has today announced details of the launch of an industry-wide image-based cheque clearing system that will speed up cheque processing significantly for customers across the UK.
Cheque and Credit Clearing Company appoints a new Chief Executive Officer (5 January 2017)
The Cheque and Credit Clearing Company (C&CCC) has announced the appointment of James Radford as its new Chief Executive Officer, with effect from Tuesday 3 January 2017.
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Cheque and Credit Clearing Company appoints a new independent director
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The artist Julie Roberts laughs. "I'm like Snow White," she jokes. We are sitting in a suburban garden in Carlisle with her dog Shiner, and the former stray cat Black, who she befriended when she was on a scholarship at the British School in Rome (he was Nero back then.) The latest addition to her menagerie is a juvenile blackbird she has nicknamed Chicken which seems to be semi-tame and is bathing in a dish of water beside us as we talk.
This rather extraordinary scene is not Roberts' home but her studio.
Inside, everything is rigorous discipline. In laboratory conditions of cleanliness Roberts is finishing three new works, part of a major exhibition at the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh, one of the sure highlights of the Edinburgh Art Festival.
That exhibition is called Child. The 46-year-old Roberts' new paintings and drawings - rigorously constructed and highly stylised works reminiscent of children's books or instruction manuals - are drawn from historic archives on subjects that document children under duress, estranged from conventional family life or displaced by circumstances.
They include many images drawn from a mid-century world of Barnardo's children's homes, of evacuees and children in foster care. When Roberts talks about these works she does so with particular tenderness. She shows me a work called Human Material, an image of a boy in a bath, from a photograph probably taken to demonstrate that the institutions that cared for children had high standards of hygiene.
"There's something very wrong about this painting," she says. "And it's not the way it's painted. It's this little boy in this very austere institutional bathroom, washing his own body and there should be a mum there doing it. It's quite a sad little painting, just him and a little bit of carbolic soap."
These placid images in mute colours, which often feature domestic details such as flowered wallpaper or textiles, are testaments to hidden lives. They are historic images but clear signals to a modern world that is superficially obsessed with the welfare of children, but which often fails to listen directly to them.
The paintings are about the fundamental oddness of these situations - the dormitories, the little people in uniforms, the posed photographs of children at prayer - but also about the paradoxical survival of the children who have been through them. They do not condemn the social care system, they acknowledge its necessity, but they also call on us to look directly at the constrained lives of children adrift within its history.
This dynamic is important, because in confronting images of children apart from their families, Roberts' art is also privately addressing the brief spells she and her three siblings spent in foster care and children's homes more than 40 years ago before being reunited with her family in Fflint, North Wales.
It's a period of which, because of her youth, Roberts has few clear memories but which it seems she has been gradually creeping towards in her work. She reminds me of the actor Samantha Morton, herself a product of the care system. Like Morton, Roberts has never been defined by her background but has brought a complexity and depth to her work that is in some part drawn from her life experience.
Roberts maintains close contact - "bonds of love" - with her siblings and her long-separated parents, despite the difficulties arising from her father's alcoholism that took her into care. She is able to draw on extraordinary reservoirs of knowledge and emotion when she chooses and she has the artistic bravery that comes from being a bit of an outsider.
When she first went to art school in Wrexham, followed later by Glasgow School of Art, the transformation was instant. "As soon as I walked through the door I never had a day off, I felt like it had walked into my real world for the first time, it just clicked for me."
Today she has work in major museum collections the world over, and a strong following in America, where she shows with the New York gallerist Sean Kelly, but she lives and works away from the apparent centre of things, in ordered and simple domesticity.
In part, such quiet conditions might be essential as since the mid-1990s she has trained her forensic eye over some of the most difficult and dark of subjects: death, violence, and the historic constraint of women's bodies by systems such as medicine and psychiatry. Her unique attribute was to combine the eye and skills of a very traditional painter with the research-orientated mindset of a conceptual artist.
Her work has been, by turns, outraged, chillingly forensic, a call to justice and an unflinching confrontation with inequality. "It doesn't come from ideology," she explains, "it comes from the pit inside of me, somewhere in my soul. I've always felt strongly about justice, about talking about when something isn't right. If I had a nine-to-five job I would probably be a campaigner. Will I ever get to paint landscapes? I don't know. Maybe one day I'll feel I've earned the right to a landscape or a pure abstract painting"
These images of children are gentler in tone and technically far more complex than some of her earlier keynote works; they are the works of a mature painter who has learned to acknowledge both her artistic and emotional resilience."My childhood gave me this resilience," she says now. "I work really hard and every piece of work I do I think this painting has to be the best I've ever made."


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Home > Vol 5, No 2 (2012) >	Slack
SAJBL 211
Compensation for research-related injury in South Africa: A critique of the good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines
C Slack, P Singh, A Strode, Z Essack
HIV/AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group, School of Applied Human Sciences, College of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
C Slack, BA, BA Hons, MA (Clinical Psychology)
Z Essack, BSocSc, BSocSc (Hons) MSocSc (Research Psychology)
School of Law, College of Law and Management Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg
P Singh, BCom, LLB, LLM
A Strode, BA, LLB, LLM
Corresponding author: C Slack (slackca@ukzn.ac.za)
This article examines the current South African Department of Health Good Clinical Practice (2006) guideline recommendations regarding compensation for harm incurred in clinical trials. It applies the case of a phase IIb HIV vaccine trial in South Africa, for which enrolments and vaccinations were suspended early, based on data from an international companion study that indicated no evidence of efficacy and greater susceptibility to HIV infection in a subgroup of vaccinees. The case application indicates certain substantive and procedural limitations within the South African Department of Health Good Clinical Practice (2006) guideline recommendations on compensation for harm, which should be re-considered in order to improve protections for trial participants.
S Afr J BL 2012;5(2):91-94. DOI: 10.7196/SAJBL.211
In October 2007, enrolments into and vaccinations for a South African phase IIb HIV vaccine trial (HVTN 503, or Phambili) were suspended, based on negative results from a companion study in the Americas (HVTN 502 or STEP). STEP results showed that the vaccine did not prevent HIV acquisition or ameliorate disease, and in fact indicated a trend towards increased infection in a subgroup of vaccinees.
Although, as far as the authors are aware, no claim for compensation was made by participants in the South African Phambili trial, this article explores the complexities that would have faced participants had they attempted such a claim in terms of the Department of Health (DoH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines of 2006.1 Using the Phambili trial as a case study, we are able to identify certain limitations of DoH GCP (2006) that might apply across a range of clinical trials.
The South African ethical-legal framework
South Africa has a comprehensive ethical-legal framework for regulating clinical trials.2 The framework creates a system of regulation through:
• a number of institutions that set the policy agenda, establish norms and standards and review individual studies
• ethical guidelines and, to a lesser extent, laws, which establish substantive and procedural norms for conducting research
• monitoring and enforcement mechanisms administered by statutory institutions such as the Medicines Control Council (MCC), research ethics committees (RECs), the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC), professional councils and the courts.
The framework deals with research-related injuries expressly through the DoH GCP (2006) guidelines. These guidelines set out the circumstances and requirements that must be met for participants to claim financial compensation for such injuries.
Delictual claims in South Africa are not the subject of this article, but harm from a research-related injury could also be classified as a delict. Participants are not precluded from claiming damages in terms of the civil law, though such claims would require plaintiffs to demonstrate negligence.
The STEP and Phambili HIV vaccine trials
Both the STEP and Phambili trials were phase IIb, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled HIV vaccine trials of the Merck adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector-based vaccine. Ad5 is a strain of the common cold used to deliver HIV genes made in a laboratory.
The STEP HIV vaccine trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Merck Ad5 vaccine. It enrolled 3 000 HIV-negative volunteers from different geographical areas in the Americas, Australia and the Caribbean who each received three doses of either the vaccine or a placebo. The vaccine contained a mix of Ad5 vectors carrying one of three different HIV genes – gag, pol, or nef. The inserts were from HIV clade B, matching the predominant clade circulating in the areas where the trials took place.3 The trial was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., which developed and supplied the candidate vaccine.4
Immunisations were stopped on 21 September 2007, after an interim analysis by the data safety monitoring board (DSMB) determined that the vaccine would not meet its efficacy endpoints. Subsequent analysis indicated a trend toward more HIV infections among a sub-set of vaccinees than among placebo recipients.
The HVTN 503 (Phambili) trial of the same candidate vaccine was conducted in South Africa and funded by grants from the NIAID to the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, as well as by Merck & Co., Inc. The South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) provided support to the clinical trial sites.5 This companion study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Merck vaccine and enrolled 801 participants prior to the suspension of enrolments.4 The Phambili study tested the vaccine in high-risk men and women in South Africa, and was intended as a test of the vaccine's potential for cross-clade protection.
Following the interim findings from the STEP study, immunisations and enrolments in the Phambili study were paused to allow for further analysis of the STEP data. Based on the additional review of this data, a separate, independent DSMB for the Phambili trial concluded that there was no basis for anticipating more favourable results in the South African clinical trial. Therefore, the Phambili oversight committee permanently suspended immunisations and enrolment in the study.4 This DSMB also noticed a trend towards increased HIV susceptibility in volunteers who had received the vaccine, although this was not statistically significant.
Increased susceptibility to HIV infection in the STEP and Phambili trials
There appears to be debate in the literature regarding the factors, or interaction between factors, that put STEP vaccinees at increased risk of HIV infection compared with unvaccinated volunteers.
Initial analyses of the STEP data showed a trend towards increased risk of HIV infection in Ad5-seropositive men and uncircumcised men.6 Further analyses only confirm that uncircumcised men who received the vaccine were at increased risk of HIV infection, but not that this risk increased for Ad5-seropositive participants who received it.7 Similarly it was argued that, while being an uncircumcised vaccinee was a risk factor on its own, Ad5 seropositivity is only a risk factor in conjunction with being uncircumcised and that 'pre-existing immunity to Ad5, in and of itself … does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of HIV infection.'8
Multivariate analyses have shown that these risk factors are not confounded by other demographic and risk variables measured at baseline. However, this does not rule out confounding variables that have not yet been measured, such as host genetic factors.9 In summary, it appears that all uncircumcised vaccinees were at increased risk for HIV infection, and that Ad5-seropositive vaccinees were not at increased risk for HIV unless they were also uncircumcised.
There has also been debate about the mechanism via which enhanced susceptibility among STEP vaccinees might have occurred. One explanation is that repeated administration of the Ad5 vector in uncircumcised men, or men who were both uncircumcised and Ad5-seropositive, 'might cause an as yet undefined effect on the immune response that leads to an increase in HIV acquisition'.8
Another hypothesis for increased susceptibility among uncircumcised men is that vaccine-induced T-cell responses rapidly travel from the injection site to the mucosal tissue of the foreskin, creating a permissible environment for HIV infection in the early months after vaccination.8 Furthermore, it was speculated that 'participants with high baseline Ad5 titres may generate an altered local immune response to rAd5 vaccine administration, and this may further enhance HIV infection of target cells in the genital tract tissue'.8
For the Phambili trial, HIV incidence was similar in the vaccine and placebo groups (34 HIV infections in vaccinees and 28 in placebo-recipients) and 58% of participants acquiring infection were female.5 The authors found no evidence of increased risk of HIV infection in vaccinated participants compared with participants receiving the placebo. In addition, they found no such evidence in Ad5-seropositive participants, nor in uncircumcised men.5 Therefore, in this trial, antibody titres against Ad5 did not correlate with increased HIV infection.7 Furthermore, circumcision status did not predict infection or modify the effect of treatment.5 The authors stated that early cessation of vaccination and unblinding of participants made it difficult to draw conclusions about the efficacy of the vaccine.
Compensation claims under DoH GCP (2006) guidelines
The DoH GCP (2006) guidelines require researchers and sponsors of clinical trials to take out comprehensive insurance against injury and damage that participants may experience as a result of the trials. These guidelines give direction on the payment of compensation (from the insurers) for research-related injury. The guidelines also provide that participants may have a claim if it can be shown that a trial product or procedure was administered that caused serious bodily injury of an enduring character that would not have occurred but for participation in the trial.
Accordingly, 3 requirements should be satisfied:
• conduct, i.e. an act or omission on behalf of the researchers or sponsors leading to a harm
• harm, i.e. serious bodily injury of an enduring nature arising from a trial product or procedure (there is no compensation for temporary pain or discomfort or for less serious or curable complaints)
• causation, i.e. that the harm would not have occurred but for trial participation, and that there is an unbroken link between the conduct and the harm caused. Participants are only required to prove that such harm occurred on the balance of probabilities.
Claims for compensation should be made to the sponsor via the investigator.
The DoH GCP (2006) guidelines take a strict liability approach by providing that there is no need to prove negligence on the part of researchers or sponsors. The guidelines specify that only damages for bodily injury may be claimed. It is submitted that this means participants could only claim for damages relating to their bodily injury such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, shortened life expectancy, and incidental costs.10
Participants may not profit from the wrongful acts of others, and therefore damages must aim at putting them in the same position they would have been in had they not suffered the wrong. Furthermore the quantum should be proportionate to the nature, severity and persistence of the injury, and should be consistent with the quantum of damages commonly awarded for similar injuries in terms of South African law on delict. Finally, the guidelines provide that where participants have contributed to their own harm, this should be taken into account (so-called 'contributory negligence').
Application to the Phambili case
While we argue that conduct exists that leads to potential harm, in the form of the act of administering the experimental vaccine to participants, demonstrating other elements in this case is a complex exercise. Some might argue that Phambili vaccine recipients experienced serious bodily injury in that they were at risk of enhanced susceptibility to HIV. However, it might be counter-argued that the trial data do not support this view as there are no statistically significant differences in HIV infections between vaccine recipients and placebo recipients. Even if this view was supported by data, enhancement may not endure (G Gray, personal communication) and therefore the injury may not be of an enduring nature as required by GCP (2006). It could also be argued that vaccine-recipients who experienced enhancement, and subsequently acquired HIV infection, suffered serious bodily harm of an enduring nature, satisfying the requirements in GCP (2006), and furthermore that a causal link existed between the conduct and the serious bodily injury, because 'but for' vaccination the enhancement would not have occurred
However, it might be counter-argued that trial data do not support this conclusion, as the difference in HIV infections between vaccine and placebo groups was not statistically significant (in other words, there are no reasons to believe that the results observed are not due to chance). Damages would be calculated according to costs incurred for participants' actual 'bodily injury' in the categories described above. It is possible that sponsors might argue for a reduction in damages based on 'contributory negligence', i.e., that trial participants who became HIV-infected contributed to their own harm by not implementing risk-reduction measures provided in the trial.
It is important to note that the issue of financial compensation for research-related injury should be viewed as distinct from two other ethical responsibilities in such trials. First, it is distinct from researchers' responsibility to provide a high standard of preventative measures to prevent participants contracting HIV.11 In the Phambili trial, these measures included the provision of counselling, condom promotion, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, the option of free medical male circumcision, and post-exposure prophylaxis for both sexual assault and high-risk sexual encounters.5 Second, the issue of compensation is also distinct from researchers' responsibility to ensure that HIV-related care needs identified in trials are addressed.12 , 13 , 14 In the Phambili trial these steps included intensive counselling, monitoring of CD4 and viral loads, and assisted referrals for care and treatment including anti-retroviral treatment (ART).5
Critique of the DoH GCP (2006) guidelines
Using the Phambili trial as a case study reveals a number of shortcomings of the DoH GCP (2006) guidelines. Key concerns that emerge include:
• The DoH GCP (2006) guidelines limit claims for harm to those of an 'enduring' nature. This is a narrow approach insofar as many harms that are serious might not endure, but this does not detract from their status as harms. The best time to take durability of harm in to account may be when determining quantum of damages.
• The guidelines exclude claims that are not for 'bodily' injury, which is out of step with modern approaches to providing damages for both physical and psychological harm.10 Our courts have consistently held that claims for psychological damages may be made (RAF v Sauls 2002 (2) SA 55(SCA)). Furthermore, they have dismissed arguments that such an approach opens the floodgates to thousands of claims by holding that the normal standards of delictual liability and onus of proof will ensure the parameters of liability are carefully drawn.15 In the Phambili trial, knowledge of enhanced susceptibility to HIV infection may have caused participants anxiety or stress, especially for participants with knowledge of increased risk who were unable to implement risk-mitigation steps because they were unable to negotiate safer sex with their partners.
The guidelines state that claims should be made to the sponsor via the investigator. We argue that this requires participants to make their first approach to parties who may not be neutral in relation to the pursuit of a claim. It also provides no institutional support to such claimants, e.g. by involving RECs whose mandate is to protect participants' rights and welfare. In addition, this stipulation provides no process for appeal or review, thus forcing unsuccessful applicants to rely on administrative or civil law if their claims fail.
Compensation for research-related harm is an important protection for trial participants,16 and it is commendable that South African authorities require investigators to obtain insurance to cover the cost of research-related injury.17 We submit that the South African DoH (GCP) 2006 guidelines could be strengthened by addressing certain substantive and procedural limitations. We recommend that these guidelines be amended to ensure:
• the term 'harm' is more broadly defined
• more detail is provided on a range of possible damages that may be claimed
• RECs are recommended as a party more appropriately placed to assist participants who have queries about compensation for research-related injury.
Acknowledgements and disclaimer. This paper was made possible by funding from the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI). Certain of the authors are members of the HIV AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group (HAVEG) which is funded by SAAVI. SAAVI also funds clinical trials of HIV vaccines. The views in this document are not necessarily the views of SAAVI. Many thanks to persons who have submitted comments on earlier versions of this paper, including Thomas Smit, Seema Shah and David McQuoid-Mason. Thanks also to Glenda Gray for comments on the background section of earlier drafts. The submission of comments does not necessarily reflect the agreement of these commentators with the position adopted in this paper.
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17. Heise L, Shapiro K, West Slevin, K. Mapping the standard of care at microbicide clinical trial sites. Washingon DC: Global Campaign for Microbicides, 2008. http://www.global-campaign.org/clientfiles/GCM_SOCreport_20080218.pdf (accessed 16 July 2008).
Accepted 15 August 2012.