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Asian Gay Men Encouraged To Participate In Major Sexual Health Survey
ACON, NSW's leading HIV organisation, is calling on Asian gay men and men who have sex with men in NSW to participate in vital research into their sexual health and wellbeing.
The Gay Asian Men's Survey 2021 (GAMS) aims to collect responses from gay, bisexual and queer men (cis and trans) with an Asian background, on a range of issues including HIV and sexual health, sexual practices, relationships and other behaviours. Data collected from the survey will inform programs that improve the health and wellbeing of Asian men in LGBTQ communities.
ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill said the landmark survey provides important insights on key sexual health issues affecting the Asian gay male community.
"As we observe declines in rates of HIV transmission and other improvements in sexual health generally across men in our communities, these are unfortunately not being reflected as well amongst overseas-born gay men, particularly from Asian backgrounds," Parkhill said.
"We know that from NSW Health HIV data over the past few years that men in our communities with an Asian background continue to face barriers to appropriate HIV prevention messaging, treatment and care.
"Previous experiences of criminalisation, fear of disclosure, visa precariousness, Medicare ineligibility, experiences of racism and isolation, and of course language barriers, all impact on someone's ability to negotiate safe sex and access testing and treatment options."
With a strong focus on culture, race and migration, this year's GAMS aims to gather information from men with an Asian background on HIV and sexual health, as well as their behaviours on HIV and STI testing, and HIV treatment.
"The data collected from this survey will help us and our community research partners in identifying key priorities, and in the development of community-led and community-focused HIV responses," Parkhill added.
"Over the years, ACON has been able to engage with and develop close relationships with Asian men in our communities through our HIV prevention and testing campaigns and services that deliver culturally appropriate messages, while our peer education programs continue to see very high engagement.
"But we know that more needs to be done to enhance our understanding, so we urge Asian men to participate in this survey; it will allow us to continue tailoring and delivering effective and culturally appropriate HIV and sexual health resources and programs."
GAMS is for men (cis and trans) aged 18 years or above, who have had sex with other men in the past five years, are currently living in NSW, and self-identify as having an Asian background.
The survey will be conducted online and is available in four languages including English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional) and Thai. Complete the survey for a chance to win one of ten $100 Visa gift cards.
GAMS 2021 is funded by the Blood-Borne Viruses & STI Research, Intervention and Strategic Evaluation Program (BRISE), and supported by the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Gay Men's Action Group, which consists of ACON, UNSW Sydney's Centre for Social Research in Health, Metro Sydney-based Local Health Districts, and the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service.
To access GAMS 2021, go to www.gayams.org.au.
For more information please contact: David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications
David Alexander published this page in Latest News 2021-05-13 13:10:46 +1000


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Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States
Steven S. Coughlin, Wendy H. Katz, Donald R. Mattison
Objectives. A survey of US schools of public health was undertaken in 1996 and 1997 to obtain a general picture of public health ethics curricula. Methods. An explanatory letter with a list of questions for discussion was sent to the deans of the accredited US schools of public health. The deans were asked that at least 1 individual at their school who 'is most knowledgeable about ethics curricula' review the list of questions and complete an ethics survey contact form. Results. Ethics instruction was required for all students at only 1 (4%) of the 24 schools surveyed, while 7 schools required ethics instruction for some students. Two of the schools had no ethics courses. Ethics instruction was required for all MPH students at 9 (38%) of the schools and for all doctoral students at 4 (17%) of the schools. Most of the schools (19 of 24, or 79%) offered short courses, seminar series, or invited lectures on ethical topics, and 23 (96%) included lectures on ethics topics in other courses such as health law. Conclusions. Training programs at US schools of public health vary greatly in how much attention is given to ethics instruction. Model curricula in public health ethics should be developed to help fill this gap.
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
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Coughlin, S. S., Katz, W. H., & Mattison, D. R. (1999). Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States. American journal of public health, 89(5), 768-770. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States. / Coughlin, Steven S.; Katz, Wendy H.; Mattison, Donald R.
In: American journal of public health, Vol. 89, No. 5, 05.1999, p. 768-770.
Coughlin, SS, Katz, WH & Mattison, DR 1999, 'Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States', American journal of public health, vol. 89, no. 5, pp. 768-770. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
Coughlin SS, Katz WH, Mattison DR. Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States. American journal of public health. 1999 May;89(5):768-770. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
Coughlin, Steven S. ; Katz, Wendy H. ; Mattison, Donald R. / Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States. In: American journal of public health. 1999 ; Vol. 89, No. 5. pp. 768-770.
@article{32055eba4d32441590df76f4d2d5b689,
title = "Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States",
abstract = "Objectives. A survey of US schools of public health was undertaken in 1996 and 1997 to obtain a general picture of public health ethics curricula. Methods. An explanatory letter with a list of questions for discussion was sent to the deans of the accredited US schools of public health. The deans were asked that at least 1 individual at their school who 'is most knowledgeable about ethics curricula' review the list of questions and complete an ethics survey contact form. Results. Ethics instruction was required for all students at only 1 (4%) of the 24 schools surveyed, while 7 schools required ethics instruction for some students. Two of the schools had no ethics courses. Ethics instruction was required for all MPH students at 9 (38%) of the schools and for all doctoral students at 4 (17%) of the schools. Most of the schools (19 of 24, or 79%) offered short courses, seminar series, or invited lectures on ethical topics, and 23 (96%) included lectures on ethics topics in other courses such as health law. Conclusions. Training programs at US schools of public health vary greatly in how much attention is given to ethics instruction. Model curricula in public health ethics should be developed to help fill this gap.",
author = "Coughlin, {Steven S.} and Katz, {Wendy H.} and Mattison, {Donald R.}",
doi = "10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768",
journal = "American Journal of Public Health",
publisher = "American Public Health Association Inc.",
T1 - Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States
AU - Coughlin, Steven S.
AU - Katz, Wendy H.
AU - Mattison, Donald R.
N2 - Objectives. A survey of US schools of public health was undertaken in 1996 and 1997 to obtain a general picture of public health ethics curricula. Methods. An explanatory letter with a list of questions for discussion was sent to the deans of the accredited US schools of public health. The deans were asked that at least 1 individual at their school who 'is most knowledgeable about ethics curricula' review the list of questions and complete an ethics survey contact form. Results. Ethics instruction was required for all students at only 1 (4%) of the 24 schools surveyed, while 7 schools required ethics instruction for some students. Two of the schools had no ethics courses. Ethics instruction was required for all MPH students at 9 (38%) of the schools and for all doctoral students at 4 (17%) of the schools. Most of the schools (19 of 24, or 79%) offered short courses, seminar series, or invited lectures on ethical topics, and 23 (96%) included lectures on ethics topics in other courses such as health law. Conclusions. Training programs at US schools of public health vary greatly in how much attention is given to ethics instruction. Model curricula in public health ethics should be developed to help fill this gap.
AB - Objectives. A survey of US schools of public health was undertaken in 1996 and 1997 to obtain a general picture of public health ethics curricula. Methods. An explanatory letter with a list of questions for discussion was sent to the deans of the accredited US schools of public health. The deans were asked that at least 1 individual at their school who 'is most knowledgeable about ethics curricula' review the list of questions and complete an ethics survey contact form. Results. Ethics instruction was required for all students at only 1 (4%) of the 24 schools surveyed, while 7 schools required ethics instruction for some students. Two of the schools had no ethics courses. Ethics instruction was required for all MPH students at 9 (38%) of the schools and for all doctoral students at 4 (17%) of the schools. Most of the schools (19 of 24, or 79%) offered short courses, seminar series, or invited lectures on ethical topics, and 23 (96%) included lectures on ethics topics in other courses such as health law. Conclusions. Training programs at US schools of public health vary greatly in how much attention is given to ethics instruction. Model curricula in public health ethics should be developed to help fill this gap.
U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.89.5.768
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Axis goes to (Bicol) Access! - Orthopaedic International, Inc.
Axis goes to (Bicol) Access!
NAGA CITY, BICOL - Axis Knee System Training and Workshop was held at Bicol Access Health Centrum in Naga City, Camarines Sur last September 24-25. The two-day training and workshop was facilitated by course instructors, Dr. Ilustre I. Guloy, Jr. and Dr. Geraldo A. Herrera. Seven orthopedic surgeons and 4 registered nurses attended the said workshop.
OII is hoping to train more doctors around the country to allow more local general orthopedic surgeons to conduct knee replacements without undergoing the usual one-year fellowship training.


If you've always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. Get your scuba diving certification with the SSI Open Water Diver course – the world's most popular and widely recognized scuba course. Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the aquatic world through this course. Interested in reading the Open Water Manual, click here and read the first three chapters for FREE by setting up your FREE profile and going to the tab "My Training".
To enroll in a SSI Open Water Diver course (or Junior Open Water Diver course), you must be 10 years old or older. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required. Check this meidical form to see if you can take open water, after reading it call us if you have questions.
The SSI Open Water course is broken into three phases.
Phase 1 - This is completed by rewading the SSI material online. Follow this link to sign up and complete at your leisure. SSI Online sign up. Set up your profile, start reading the open water course. Complete your course work at our store.
Phase 2 - Pool Session: You will learn to master the skills you have read about in elearning. In this phase you will be provided a regulator, BCD, cylinder, weights and wetsuit to use in the pool. You will need to provide mask, fins, snorkel and boots that is scuba quality. We offer the different packages as well as you can mix and match a set. This phase is offerred in group lessons or private lessons.
Southern Indiana Scuba offers these phases seperately allowing for a more flexable schedule and additional cost savings for referrals.
You can enroll in the pool course by contacting us or stopping by the store or purchasing from our online store. Your PADI Instructor will schedule time with you to check your progress and make sure you understand important scuba diving information.
In the SSI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use your basic scuba gear, including a mask, snorkel, fins, and boots as well as our regulator, buoyancy control device and a cylinder.


text:
Jenny Frison Joins Bestselling Hit Series HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER with Brand New Cover Art
– Posted on December 1, 2022Posted in: Comic News, COMICS
Brand New Creative Team & Story! Discover What Happened to the Fan Favorite Butcher in January 2023
BOOM! Studios today revealed a stunning variant cover by fan favorite artist Jenny Frison (Wonder Woman) for the launch of a brand new story within the bestselling horror series, HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER. Set in the world of the Eisner Award-winning phenomenal hit series SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN, from the minds of award-winning writer James Tynion IV (The Department of Truth, The Nice House on the Lake) and co-creator Werther Dell'Edera (Razorblades), written by Tate Brombal (Behold, Behemoth), illustrated by highly acclaimed artist Antonio Fuso (Stargazer), colored by Miquel Muerto, and lettered by AndWorld Design, HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #11 sees the return of the fan favorite ex-hunter Jace Boucher as he embarks on a brand new mission to keep not only himself but his young charges alive in the face of a looming danger. Available in January 2023.
No longer the monster hunter he once was and unaware of Aaron's fate, Jace's new mission is to protect the orphans under his care. But one of these children may be in even worse danger than Jace knows, as a strange pair of eyes watches him from the woodland shadows… Can Jace lay down his overwhelming rage and guilt long enough to save them all from the terrifying threats that surround them?
HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #11 features main cover art by famed illustrators Mateus Manhanini (Wakanda) and co-creator Werther Dell'Edera with Miquel Muerto, as well as variant cover art by acclaimed artist Danny Luckert (Shock Shop), and more.
Something is Killing the Children is the bestselling Eisner Award and Ringo Award-winning hit series created by acclaimed comics writer James Tynion IV and illustrator Werther Dell'Edera. It has sold over one million copies worldwide, been nominated for the Harvey Awards, and garnered widespread critical acclaim. Readers and fans can find the first five volumes collecting the first twenty-five issues of the ongoing series in bookstores everywhere.
HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER is the newest release from BOOM! Studios' eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera; Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; We Only Find Them When They're Dead by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo; Eve by Victor LaValle and Jo Mi-Gyeong; The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Wynd by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Briar by Christopher Cantwell and Germán García; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; The Approach by Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley, and Jesus Hervas; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Behold, Behemoth by Tate Brombal and Nick Robles; Specs by David M. Booher and Chris Shehan; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; and the upcoming A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Mosely by Rob Guillory and Sam Lotfi; and Harrower by Justin Jordan and Brahm Revel. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and Magic from Jed McKay, Rich Douek, and Ig Guara.
Print copies of HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #11 will be available for sale on January 18, 2023 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle. Fans and readers can purchase copies of HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER VOL 1 SC, collecting the first five issues, wherever books are sold. HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER VOL 2 SC, collecting issues #6-10, will be available in local comic shops on December 28, 2022 and in bookstores everywhere on January 3, 2023.
For continuing news on SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
Tags: Antonio Fuso, BOOM! Studios, Comic Books, James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, Werther Dell'Edera


Murder. Spalding Superior Court. Before Judge Miller.
1. The evidence showed that Whatley entered Roy's Bait Shop in Griffin at about 8:45 p.m. on January 26, 1995. Whatley brandished a .32 caliber silver revolver and forced employee Tommy Bunn to lie face-down on the floor behind the counter. Whatley pressed the gun against Bunn's head and instructed the owner of the store, Ed Allen, to hand over the money in the cash register. Allen put money in a paper sack and placed the sack on the counter. Whatley moved to the front of the counter, retrieved the paper sack, and fired two shots. One shot struck Allen in the chest and pierced his left lung. Expert testimony established that this shot was fired from a distance of 18 inches. The second shot was fired at Bunn's head (Bunn was still lying prone behind the counter), but the bullet deflected off the counter top and missed. Whatley then exited the store.
Outside the store, Whatley encountered Ray Coursey, who was getting out of his car near the store's doorway. Whatley held his gun to Coursey's head, forced him back into the driver's seat of the car, and told him, "take me . . . where I want to go." Whatley got in the back seat. Although mortally wounded, Allen obtained a hidden .44 caliber handgun, rushed to the front of the store, and fired several shots at Whatley, who returned fire. After the exchange of gunfire, Allen collapsed and died from internal bleeding caused by the previously-inflicted gunshot wound. Whatley exited Coursey's car, dropped the paper sack after it tore open, and fled on foot. Coursey observed that Whatley was limping.
Coursey and Bunn told the officers who arrived on the scene that the assailant had used a silver revolver. One of the officers had taken a report the previous day from Franklin White, who said that his silver revolver was missing and he suspected that his cousin, Whatley, had taken it. The officers went to the house where Whatley was staying with a relative, and found him during a consent search. Whatley had a bullet wound in his leg that was still bleeding. Franklin White's .32 caliber silver revolver, determined by a firearms expert to be the murder weapon, was found under Whatley's mattress. The police also found a bloody pair of thermal underwear with a bullet hole in the leg, a bloody towel, and bloody boxer shorts in a trash can behind the house. Fibers on a .44 caliber bullet removed from Coursey's car were consistent with fibers from the thermal underwear, and DNA taken from blood on the fibers matched Whatley. A palm print on the paper sack dropped next to Coursey's car also matched Whatley. In the penalty phase, the state introduced evidence that Whatley was an escapee from a Washington D.C. halfway house, where he had been serving time for robbery.
The evidence was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find proof beyond a reasonable doubt of Whatley's guilt of malice murder, aggravated assault (two counts), armed robbery, motor vehicle hijacking, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U. S. 307 (99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560) (1979). The evidence was also sufficient to authorize the jury to find the statutory aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.; OCGA 17-10-35 (c) (2).
2. Whatley claims that the trial court erred by failing to excuse for cause three prospective jurors due to bias. The record shows that Whatley did not move to strike two of these prospective jurors for cause, and the trial court did not err by failing to excuse them sua sponte. Spencer v. State, 260 Ga. 640, 641 (1) (a) (398 SE2d 179) (1990). The third prospective juror admitted that he had "a little" racial prejudice (Whatley is African-American). This juror also stated that his prejudice would not prevent him from giving Whatley a fair trial, and that he could put aside Whatley's race in making his decisions in the case. " 'Before a juror can be disqualified for cause, it must be shown that an opinion held by the potential juror is so fixed and definite that the juror will be unable to set the opinion aside and decide the case based upon the evidence or the court's charge upon the evidence.' " Rower v. State, 219 Ga. App. 865, 868 (1) (466 SE2d 897) (1995), quoting Johnson v. State, 262 Ga. 652, 653 (2) (424 SE2d 271) (1993). The juror's responses showed that he was able to decide the case based upon the evidence, regardless of his admitted racial prejudice. Therefore, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to strike this juror for cause. See Rower, supra at 866-869 (1).
3. Whatley claims that three prospective jurors should have been excused for cause because they favored a death sentence. Whatley did not object to the qualification of two of these prospective jurors, and the trial court did not err by failing to excuse them sua sponte. Spencer, 260 Ga. at 641 (1). The third prospective juror stated that her brother had been killed in a convenience store by a robber, and that she believed that the death penalty should be given for a "wilful killing." However, she also explained that the murderer of her brother had been given a life sentence, which was fair because the murder had taken place during a robbery so it had not been "wilful." She further stated that she would listen to the evidence and consider mitigation evidence. Viewing her responses as a whole and giving deference to the trial court's decision, we conclude that the trial court did not err by finding that this juror's views would not substantially impair her duties as a juror in accordance with her instructions and oath. Wainwright v. Witt, 469 U. S. 412, 424 (II) (105 SC 844, 83 LE2d 841) (1985); Greene v. State, 268 Ga. 47, 48-50 (485 SE2d 741) (1997).
4. A prospective juror stated that she would vote with the other jurors if her views were in the minority. Whatley objected that this juror was too willing to surrender her beliefs to the majority. The trial court stated that the juror may not have understood the question, and elicited from the juror that she would not surrender to a majority if she believed that whatley was not guilty. The juror also stated that she would not surrender to a death-sentence majority if she believed that life without parole was the appropriate sentence. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding that this prospective juror was qualified. McClain v. State, 220 Ga. App. 474, 477 (6) (469 SE2d 756) (1996) (trial court's decision on a prospective juror's qualification not disturbed on appeal absent a manifest abuse of discretion).
5. Whatley complains that the state improperly asked prospective jurors on voir dire whether Whatley's relatively young age (28) would prevent them from returning a death sentence. Whatley did not object to this question, so this argument is waived on appeal. Earnest v. State, 262 Ga. 494, 495 (1) (422 SE2d 188) (1992).
6. Whatley argues that the state used scientific evidence that was inherently unreliable. However, the record shows that all of the state's experts who testified were properly qualified as expert witnesses by the trial court, and Whatley had no objection to any witness' qualification. Harper v. State, 249 Ga. 519, 533 (10) (292 SE2d 389) (1982). Furthermore, "[o]nce a procedure has been recognized in a substantial number of courts, a trial judge may judicially notice, without receiving evidence, that the procedure has been established with verifiable certainty, or that it rests upon the laws of nature." Harper, supra at 526 (1). The hair comparison, fiber comparison, fingerprint comparison, and ballistics evidence introduced in this case is not novel, and has been widely accepted in Georgia courts. In addition, Whatley did not object that any of the scientific evidence was unreliable, or that any testing procedure was improper. These issues are therefore waived on appeal. Harper, supra at 533 (10). The trial court did not make the DNA findings required by Caldwell v. State, 260 Ga. 278, 286-287 (1) (b) (393 SE2d 436) (1990), but Whatley did not object to the admission of the DNA evidence at trial and therefore cannot raise this error on appeal. Smith v. State, 265 Ga. 570, 571-572 (3) (459 SE2d 420) (1995).
7. Whatley complains that a photograph of the murder weapon was erroneously admitted into evidence. However, the actual murder weapon was admitted into evidence without objection, and the introduction of evidence that is cumulative of other evidence presented at trial does not constitute reversible error. See Beene v. State, 202 Ga. App. 857, 858 (2) (415 SE2d 545) (1992); Moon v. State, 199 Ga. App. 94, 97 (2) (404 SE2d 273) (1991).
8. The trial court did not err by allowing the state to introduce a photograph of the victim in life through the testimony of Tommy Bunn. "The general rule is that it is not error to admit a photograph of the victim while in life." Ledford v. State, 264 Ga. 60, 66 (14) (439 SE2d 917) (1994). Further, a family member did not make the identification since Bunn is not related to the victim. See id.
10. Whatley claims that the trial court's charge in the guilt-innocence phase contained many errors.
(a) The trial court charged the jury that Whatley was innocent until proven guilty. Whatley asserts that the trial court should have said "unless" instead of "until." This contention is without merit. Nash v. State, 225 Ga. App. 10, 11 (3) (482 SE2d 520) (1997); Mitchell v. State, 223 Ga. App. 319 (1) (477 SE2d 612) (1996).
(b) The trial court instructed the jury that if there is a conflict in the evidence, or a conflict between witnesses, "it is your duty to settle that conflict if you can without believing that any witness made a false statement or committed perjury. If you cannot do this, then it becomes your duty to believe that witness or those witnesses you think best entitled to belief." Whatley complains that this instruction told the jurors to presume that state witnesses were telling the truth. Although this Court has recommended that such a presumption-of-truthfulness charge not be used (Noggle v. State, 256 Ga. 383, 385-386 (4) (349 SE2d 175) (1986)), we have also held that the use of such a charge is not unconstitutional and does not constitute reversible error. Noggle, supra at 386; Baxter v. Kemp, 260 Ga. 184, 186 (5) (391 SE2d 754) (1990); see also Mitchell, 223 Ga. App. at 319 (2).
(c) Viewed as a whole, the trial court's charge on reasonable doubt was proper.
(d) Whatley complains about the trial court's charge on circumstantial evidence. The trial court, however, gave the exact charge on circumstantial evidence requested by Whatley. Even if the charge was incorrect, such invited error is not grounds for reversal. Barnes v. State, 269 Ga. 345, 356 (19) (496 SE2d 674) (1998).
(e) Whatley did not request several charges that he claims the trial court should have given to the jury. Absent a request, the failure to give these charges is not error. See, e.g., Mauldin v. State, 167 Ga. App. 789, 790-791 (4) (307 SE2d 689) (1983) (in the absence of a timely request, it is not error to fail to charge the jury that the defendant's failure to testify creates no presumption against him).
11. Whatley complains that the trial court erred by allowing the state in the sentencing phase to introduce evidence of two incidents as non-statutory aggravating circumstances, without pretrial notice. The first incident involved Whatley asking the police to return to him the money that he had stolen during the armed robbery. The second incident involved Whatley telling a jailer that he hoped that the transfer process from jail to prison did not take long because he was worried about missing the Super Bowl. All aspects of a defendant's crime, character, and attitude, including evidence of his lack of remorse, is admissible in the sentencing phase. See McMichen v. State, 265 Ga. 598, 607 (12) (458 SE2d 833) (1995). Further, although Whatley did not receive notice of these incidents until trial, the record shows that Whatley did not object to this evidence or to a lack of notice so this argument is waived on appeal. Earnest, 262 Ga. at 495 (1). The trial court is also not required to instruct the jury on a burden of proof for non-statutory aggravating circumstances. McClain v. State, 267 Ga. 378, 387 (8) (477 SE2d 814) (1996).
12. The trial court did not err by sustaining a state hearsay objection in the sentencing phase to the testimony of Whatley's cousin, Lorraine Goodman. Ms. Goodman began to testify on direct examination about what Whatley had told her concerning his relationship with his mother when he lived in Washington D.C. The state objected that this was hearsay, and the trial court sustained the objection. We find no error. The hearsay rule is not suspended in the sentencing phase, and Whatley made no proffer to enable us to determine if this potential mitigation testimony outweighed the harm from a violation of the hearsay rule. Davis v. State, 263 Ga. 5, 9 (14) (426 SE2d 844) (1993); Cobb v. State, 244 Ga. 344, 359 (28) (260 SE2d 60) (1979). In addition, the trial court's ruling was not harmful because Whatley testified extensively about his relationship with his mother.
14. Whatley complains that the jury was permitted to see him in shackles. 2 See Elledge v. Dugger, 823 F2d 1439, 1450-1451 (11th Cir. 1987) (sight of shackled defendant in sentencing phase prejudicial to defendant), modified 833 F2d 250. The record shows that Whatley wore leg shackles during the trial, but these shackles were not visible to the jury when he was seated at the defense table. The trial court ensured that the jury was not present when Whatley was moved in or out of the courtroom. However, in the penalty phase, Whatley was called to testify. The record shows that it was the prosecutor, in a bench conference, who voiced concerns over the jury seeing the defendant walk to the stand wearing leg shackles. The defense counsel replied to the prosecutor's comment, "[w]ell, he's convicted now," and the trial court permitted Whatley to take the stand with the jury present. " 'A party cannot during the trial ignore what he thinks to be an injustice, take his chance on a favorable verdict, and complain later.' [Cit.]" Dennard v. State, 263 Ga. 453, 456 (6) (435 SE2d 26) (1993). This contention is without merit.
15. Whatley claims that the state's closing argument in the penalty phase was improper. Whatley did not object to any portion of the state's argument so he can only prevail if the state's improper argument in reasonable probability changed the sentencing verdict. Hicks v. State, 256 Ga. 715, 730 (23) (352 SE2d 762) (1987).
(a) Whatley asserts that the state made several statements about the commission of the crimes that are unsupported by the facts in the record. The record reveals that these statements were proper inferences. See Morgan v. State, 267 Ga. 203 (1) (476 SE2d 747) (1996) (counsel on closing argument may draw from the evidence any reasonable and legitimate inference).
Remember Richard Speck, the man who around 1968 killed six nurses in Chicago? That man -- some of you may have seen it. They had him on video. He made a video while he was in jail, it was undercover. They found it after he died of natural causes, cause he didn't get the death penalty. They thought he deserved another chance. And on that film . . . he said, if people knew how much fun I was having, they would turn me loose.
"Analogizing a defendant or a defendant's case to [a] well-known defendant or case is permissible during argument if the analogy is supported by facts in evidence." Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 547, 555 (7) (a) (480 SE2d 583) (1997). In this case, there was no evidentiary basis for this analogy because no evidence was introduced about whether Whatley enjoyed prison. Compare Mize v. State, 269 Ga. 646, 653-654 (8) (501 SE2d 219) (1998) (Charles Manson analogy appropriate to argument that Mize was criminally responsible for murder based on his instructions to kill and his control over the shooter). There was also no evidence introduced about the obscure fact that Richard Speck enjoyed prison, or to support the state's other analogies. Therefore, the state's injection of extraneous, prejudicial information into its argument was improper. See Bell v. State, 263 Ga. 776, 777-778 (439 SE2d 480) (1994). We find, however, that these analogies were not so prejudicial as to overcome Whatley's procedural default. Hicks, supra.
(c) Because Whatley had been convicted of a malice murder committed while he was an escapee from a detention facility, it was a reasonable inference, and therefore a proper argument, that Whatley could harm or kill a prison guard during an escape attempt. See Pye v. State, 269 Ga. 779, 788 (19) (505 SE2d 4) (1998).
(d) Whatley cannot show sufficient prejudice to overcome his procedural default with regard to other arguments he asserts were improper. Hicks, supra.
16. After closing arguments in the penalty phase but before the trial court's charge, the jury foreman asked the trial court, "Could [life without parole] get commuted at a later date, parole, discharge due to crowded conditions, etcetera?" The trial court conferred with counsel for both parties. Defense counsel told the trial court that the court's charge answers the question. The trial court agreed and instructed the jury, "I cannot specifically answer that question because I don't know and nobody else knows what is going to occur in the future. Let me invite your attention to my charge of law." Whatley did not object to this response, but he now complains that the trial court failed to properly answer the jury's question about parole eligibility. It is well settled that a party cannot ignore an error at trial, take his chance on a favorable verdict, and later complain about the error on appeal. Dennard, 263 Ga. at 456 (6). A party also cannot complain about an alleged injustice that it invited. See Barnes, 269 Ga. at 356 (19). We find no error.
17. One of the statutory aggravating circumstances found by the jury is invalid. The state sought the death penalty for armed robbery and the jury found that "[t]he offense of . . . armed robbery . . . was committed while the [defendant] was engaged in the commission of another capital felony," to-wit: murder. OCGA 17-10-30 (b) (2). A death sentence cannot be imposed for armed robbery so this statutory aggravating circumstance must be vacated. See Jarrell, 234 Ga. at 424-425 (11). However, reversal of the death sentence is not required because the death sentence is based on other valid statutory aggravating circumstances. Jenkins v. State, 269 Ga. 282, 294 (23) (a) (498 SE2d 502) (1998); Wilson v. State, 250 Ga. 630, 638 (9) (300 SE2d 640) (1983).
18. The death sentence in this case was not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or other arbitrary factor. OCGA 17-10-35 (c) (1). The death sentence is also not excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendant. OCGA 17-10-35 (c) (3). The cases listed in the Appendix support the imposition of the death penalty in this case as they involve a deliberate murder during the commission of an armed robbery, or a murder committed by an escapee.
I fully concur with all that is said by the majority, except for its reasoning in Division 9.
Because Whatley failed to object to any portion of the State's closing argument in the guilt-innocence phase, I conclude that he has waived his right to assert error on appeal as to that phase of the trial. See Miller v. State, 267 Ga. 92 (2) (475 SE2d 610) (1996) (failure to timely object to improper closing argument precludes review of the argument on appeal). But, with regard to possible error in the state's closing argument that may affect the death sentence, a different standard applies: when no timely objection is interposed, the test for reversible error is if " 'there was a reasonable probability that the improper arguments changed the jury's exercise of discretion in choosing between life imprisonment or death.' " Hicks v. State, 256 Ga. 715, 730 (23) (352 SE2d 762) (1987), quoting Ford v. State, 255 Ga. 81, 94 (8) (I) (2) (335 SE2d 567) (1985). The "reasonable probability" standard is used by this Court to evaluate improper closing argument that was not objected to at trial because we have a duty under OCGA 17-10-35 (c) (1) to ensure that a sentence of death is not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or any other arbitrary factor. See Hicks, supra; Spivey v. State, 253 Ga. 187, 191 (4) (319 SE2d 420) (1984). Therefore, I find that the "reasonable probability" standard only applies to the effect an uncontested improper argument may have had on a resulting death sentence. See id. Thus, I must conclude that our previous death penalty cases which used the incorrect standard in the guilt-innocence phase were decided incorrectly to the extent that they utilized the "reasonable probability" standard, instead of waiver, to evaluate uncontested closing argument as it affects a defendant's convictions. See, e.g., Mize v. State, 269 Ga. 646, 653 (8) (501 SE2d 219) (1998); Barnes v. State, 269 Ga. 345, 356 (23) (496 SE2d 674) (1998); Sears v. State, 268 Ga. 759, 765 (15) (493 SE2d 180) (1997); Bishop v. State, 268 Ga. 286, 294 (14) (486 SE2d 887) (1997); Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 547, 555 (7) (480 SE2d 583) (1997); Bright v. State, 265 Ga. 265, 285 (19) (455 SE2d 37) (1995); Hittson v. State, 264 Ga. 682, 689 (13) (449 SE2d 586) (1994); Todd v. State, 261 Ga. 766, 767 (2) (a) (410 SE2d 725) (1991).
Applying the "reasonable probability" standard in this case to the effect that the state's guilt-innocence phase closing argument may have had on Whatley's death sentence, I would find no error sufficient to overcome Whatley's procedural default.
I am authorized to state that Justice Hunstein and Justice Carley join in this special concurrence.
Bishop v. State, 268 Ga. 286 (486 SE2d 887) (1997); Jones v. State, 267 Ga. 592 (481 SE2d 821) (1997); Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 547 (480 SE2d 583) (1997); McClain v. State, 267 Ga. 378 (477 SE2d 814) (1996); Crowe v. State, 265 Ga. 582 (458 SE2d 799) (1995); Mobley v. State, 265 Ga. 292 (455 SE2d 61) (1995); Christenson v. State, 262 Ga. 638 (423 SE2d 252) (1992); Meders v. State, 261 Ga. 806 (411 SE2d 491) (1992); Ferrell v. State, 261 Ga. 115 (401 SE2d 741) (1991); Stripling v. State, 261 Ga. 1 (401 SE2d 500) (1991); Isaacs v. State, 259 Ga. 717 (386 SE2d 316) (1989); Romine v. State, 256 Ga. 521 (350 SE2d 446) (1986); Cargill v. State, 255 Ga. 616 (340 SE2d 891) (1986); Ingram v. State, 253 Ga. 622 (323 SE2d 801) (1984).
William T. McBroom III, District Attorney, Daniel A. Hiatt, Richard A. Vandiver, Assistant District Attorneys, Thurbert E. Baker, Attorney General, Christopher L. Phillips, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.
1 The crimes were committed on January 26, 1995. On June 4, 1996, the grand jury indicted Whatley for malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault (two counts), armed robbery, motor vehicle hijacking, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The state filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty on July 3, 1996. The state nolle prossed the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Whatley's trial took place from January 6-16, 1997, and the jury acquitted him of felony murder and convicted him of all remaining counts. On January 16, 1997, the jury recommended death sentences for the murder and armed robbery, and the trial court sentenced Whatley to death for murder, life imprisonment for armed robbery, twenty years for each aggravated assault, twenty years for motor vehicle hijacking, and five years for possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, all sentences to be served consecutively. Whatley filed a motion for new trial on February 3, 1997, amended on April 23, 1998, which the trial court denied on April 23, 1998. The case was docketed on May 11, 1998, and Whatley filed his notice of appeal the following day. Oral argument took place on July 20, 1998.
2 Whatley does not complain that he was placed in shackles, only that the jury was permitted to see him that way.
Johnny B. Mostiler, for appellant.


Kent Custer joined the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System (DPFP) as Chief Investment Officer in July 2018. Prior to DPFP Mr. Custer was Chief Investment Officer of the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Trust Fund from December 2011 through June 2018. Earlier roles include Senior Investment Officer at the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System and Investment Analyst at A.G. Edwards. Mr. Custer started his career as a submarine officer in the United States Navy. He received his BA from Southern Illinois University and his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.


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Home » Rain tames Crooked Stick in first round of BMW Championship
Rain tames Crooked Stick in first round of BMW Championship
September 9, 2016 | Associated Press
Keywords Carmel / Crooked Stick / Golf / Hamilton County / Pro Sports / Regional News / Sports Business / Sports Venues
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Storms and heavy rain caused a 3-1/2-hour delay and changed Crooked Stick Golf Club's greens from fast and firm to soft and accessible Thursday during the first round of the BMW Championship in Carmel.
The delay meant that just under half the 69-man field finished the round. The first round was to resume at 8 a.m. Friday, with more bad weather in the forecast.
Roberto Castro was just as good before the rain as he was after the storms cleared at Crooked Stick, running off eight birdies until a bogey on his last hole for a 7-under 65 and the temporary lead.
Brian Harman got right back into gear. He was in position to potentially lock up his spot in the Tour Championship until closing with a 77 from the final group at the TPC Boston on Monday. He opened with a 66, with an eagle on the par-5 15th hole and no bogeys on his card.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson was within one shot of the lead until he sent his drive into the lake to the right of the 18th fairway and made bogey, giving him a 67 along with Jason Dufner.
Among those still on the course, Chris Kirk was at 5 under at the turn, while Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey and Adam Scott were at 4 under on the back nine. Casey had the 54-hole lead last week at the TPC Boston.
Castro went to Georgia Tech and still lives in Atlanta, about 15 minutes from East Lake. That's the destination for everyone in the field trying to get into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup and advance to the Tour Championship for a shot at the $10 million bonus.
Castro, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, made it to the Tour Championship in 2013 with a pair of top 10s in the playoffs.
"I told myself the last two weeks really to play like I had nothing to lose, and to make a bunch of birdies is a good way to start," Castro said. "Sure, it's a hometown tournament for me. It's the hardest one to get to, unfortunately, but it's still a great tournament. I would love to be back."
Castro had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine, including a chip-in on the 14th hole.
He is at No. 53 in the FedEx Cup and likely would need to finish fourth at Crooked Stick to have a chance.
The BMW Championship is back at Crooked Stick for the first time since 2012, when Rory McIlroy won on a rain-softened course. This time, it was blazing hot during the pro-am Wednesday and players had a look at how tough it could play — at least until the rain.
Jason Day played a wedge out of the rough on the second hole, landed it some 30 feet short of the pin and watched it race across the green and into thick rough. After the delay, it was an entirely different golf course. Patrick Reed, who is leading the FedEx Cup, hit a short iron out of dense rough that plopped down 12 feet from the cup.
The course could be attacked, and that's what the players did.
McIlroy, coming off a victory at the TPC Boston, was at 3 under through 10 holes. Jordan Spieth was at 2 under, both birdies on par 5s on the front nine.
But it was another struggle for Rickie Fowler, bidding for a Ryder Cup captain's pick. After squandering a chance to make the U.S. team at The Barclays, Fowler was in the middle of the pack at the Deutsche Bank Championship and opened the BMW Championship with a 75.
Bubba Watson, also hopeful of a pick, was 1 under through 13 holes. He followed three straight birdies with three straight bogeys on the front nine.
Day, meanwhile, is set for the Tour Championship and assured of being in the top five in the FedEx Cup, meaning he would only have to win at East Lake to claim the cup and its lucrative bonus. The Australian looked out of sorts after the rain delay, however, missing fairways, missing greens and missing putts. The frustration mounted on the 16th green when he flipped his ball into the water after his third bogey on the back nine.
Day's biggest putt came on the next hole, however, a birdie from 25 feet that he struck before Reed could even mark his ball. It stopped his slide, sure. But it allowed him to head over to the 18th tee and hit his shot to make sure that his group finished before the horn sounded to stop play.
DIVOTS: Dustin Johnson switched to a square-faced mallet putt like the one Jason Day uses. … Brooks Koepka, who is No. 30 in the FedEx Cup, was 3 under through 14 holes when play was stopped. … British Open champion Henrik Stenson is the only player missing from Crooked Stick. He wanted two weeks off to rest his right knee and be fresh for the Ryder Cup.


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Liberace's Former Lover Reacts To Behind The Candelabra
Entertainment 6:48 AM PDT, June 10, 2013 - Inside Edition
6:48 AM PDT, June 10, 2013 - Inside Edition
Liberace's lover, Scott Thorson is speaking for the first time since the airing of Behind The Candelabra on HBO. In the movie he is played by Matt Damon.
INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent asked Thorson, "What did you think of Matt Damon's protrayal of you?"
Thorson said, "I think Matt did an excellent job. I'm just delighted. I think he hit it right on target, and what a great body, huh?"
"Is that what you were built like?" asked Trent.
"At one time, yes," said Thorson.
Thorson's life today is a lot different from his time with Liberace. He was just released from a Reno, Nevada jail where he was awaiting sentencing for burglary and identity theft.
The movie, which was HBO's highest-rated movie premiere in nine years, tells the story of the love affair between Thorson, then 16, and Liberace, who was 64 when they met.
Liberace lavished gifts on his boy toy. Today, Thorson is 54 years old and he still wears much of the jewelry Liberace gave him.
Thorson pointed out a watch, saying, "That watch is about a pound of gold and diamonds."
Trent noted, "You must be wearing tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry?"
"Yes, absolutely," he replied.
The movie depicts Liberace's bizarre demand that Thorson get cosmetic surgery to look like him.
"You do look just like Liberace," said Trent.
"Well, thank you," said Thorson.
Thorson went ahead with the surgery and to this day, bears a striking resemblance to the flamboyant performer.
Thorson shows us on his face, "I had the cheekbones raised. Then I had the nose done, the chin implant and the dimple he wanted."
Thorson got out of jail just 10 days ago. Who bailed him out? Of all people, Dennis Hoff, the owner of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch Brothel in Nevada. He said he felt sorry for Thorson after hearing he was suffering from Stage 2 cancer.
Hoff told INSIDE EDITION, "The madame saw the show, Behind The Candelabra. Loved it. The next day came to me crying and said, 'We've got to help this man.' "
Now, with the release of the movie, all of Thorson's secrets are out for good.
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Montana Girl, 10, Sends Sweet Letter to Officer Crushed by Capitol Mob


2Vegetable and Ornamental. Dept., Fac. Of Agric. Damietta Univ., Damietta, Egypt.
There has been a rising demand for nanotechnology-based products in recent years, particularly in agriculture application. In this effort, the phytotoxicity and stimulatory effects of graphite and silica Nanoparticles (NPs) on seed germination, yield characteristics, chemical conformation and root anatomical characteristics of (Pimpinella anisum L.) cv. anise were studied. Seeds were soaked in six concentrations of the two NPs (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 ppm) for 24 hrs to investigate germination under laboratory conditions. The same concentrations were used soaking and foliar application in the open field. The results displayed that silica NPs improved seed germination traits as comparing graphite NPs. Silica NPs at 20 and 40 ppm, showed the highest germination parameters for anise seeds. The increasing in germination % reached to 21.88%. Meanwhile, 80ppm silica NPs enhanced the seeds yield fed.-1 by 64.8%, Number of umbels by 50%, root diameter plant-1, epidermis thickness and cortex thickness. Silica NPs (60ppm) increased biochemical characteristic. Otherwise, graphite NPs (80ppm) enhanced volatile oil% and root vascular cylinder thickness. In general, there was a considerable response by anise seeds to graphite and silica nanosized presenting the possibility of a new methodology to overcome problems with seed germination and increasing the oil percent in some plant species, mostly medicinal plants.


Download Registration Form or register online below.
Kevin McDaniel, CPC CLP: Kevin McDaniel is the Chief Strategist with WindRiver Strategies (www.windriverstrategies.net), an Executive Coaching and Leadership Development firm in Atlanta. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and has trained with multiple coaching institutes including the International Association of Coaches (IAC), the Glasser Institute, Resource Realizations, the Strategic Learning Alliance, Emergenetics and is a member of the International Association of Coaches, the International Coach Federation and the Society of Human Resource Management.
He has spoken to over 400,000 people worldwide from Nairobi to Eastern Europe and coast to coast in the United States. His company has provided Executive Coaching, Leadership Development and Team Training Services for the Medical Group Managers Association (MGMA), American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM), the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic, the Oschner & Infirmary Healthcare Systems, Ashley Furniture, ERA Realty, Hilton, Miller Coors and others.
Before starting WindRiver Strategies, Kevin worked in healthcare as Executive Director with EthosPartners Healthcare and Navigant Consulting where he oversaw sales, client services and operations for the Business Intelligence Division.


The Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability (FIFES) project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has concluded a three-day work planning session workshop at Shark's Entertainment Incorporated at Airfield-Sinkor.
According to a press release from FIFES, the work-session workshop, under the theme "Plan, Target, Implement, Impact and Achieve ran from September 19-21, 2018."FIFES, which is a five-year activity project, is funded by the United (USAID) and implemented by ACDI/VOCA. This year's annual work planning exercise brought together stakeholders, beneficiaries, implementing partners, and the donor agency to build consensus on new annual targets and design implementation mechanisms while tracking impacts and reporting accordingly.
According to FIFES Chief of Party Glenn A. Lines, "It is a great opportunity to see each of you in person and to thank you personally for leaving your busy schedules, especially those of you who have travelled to Monrovia from remote places such as Tappita, Sanniquellie, and Grand Bassa to join FIFES, your fellow community forest management and governance representatives, and other stakeholders for this workshop,".
He added that since the beginning of the FIFES project, the Community Forest Management Body members, the Executive Committee representatives, and Community Assembly members, have all been strategic partners in the joint implementation of FIFES' forest-based enterprise development and community forest management activities.
In response, the stakeholders' representative, Peterson Meantuo, said they are delighted to be in attendance at the FIFES work planning event.
He pledged their full cooperation and promised on behalf of not only the Gba Community Forest, for which he serves as secretary, but also all the 11 community forests under the FIFES project and community residents and stakeholders present to take ownership of important FIFES supported activities.
The event brought together more than 60 representatives from the Community Forest Management Body, Executive Committee, Community Assembly, enterprise groups, and Women Owning Resources Together groups of the 11 community forests as well as USAID, the Environmental Protection Agency, Forestry Development Authority, Community Forestry Working Group, and FIFES staff.
The FIFES project is aligned with USAID/Liberia's Country Development Corporation Strategy. Its overall goal is to help rural farmers and forest-dependent communities to develop forest-based enterprises in ways that reduce threats to biodiversity and combat deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.
FIFES aims to increase inclusive, sustainable economic opportunities for local community and forest stakeholders, while building the capacity of local institutions to effectively implement national policies, promote better management, and integrate gender equity and youth opportunities within the 11 community forests in Nimba and Grand Bassa counties.
The project supports four community forest governance and management structures in Northern Nimba County (Sanniquellie area) as well as five in Southern Nimba County (Tapitta area), and two in Grand Bassa County (Buchanan area).


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The City of Abbotsford is planning to install two new bus shelters each year at priority locations. (City of Abbotsford photo)
Abbotsford council approves $50K to provide two new bus shelters each year
Funding to come from charges paid by developers per housing unit
Vikki Hopes
Abbotsford council has approved a program to provide $50,000 per year for the supply and installation of new bus shelters.
A staff report presented to council on Dec. 12 indicates that the project will install two new shelters each year on priority routes.
The funding will come from the Community Benefit Contribution that the city receives from each unit of development that is constructed in the city and which is designated for transit improvements.
The city currently collects $225 per unit or per 100-square-metre area, and the fund currently has $1.03 million, according to the report.
The report states that the city has a total of 535 bus stops, of which 327 have benches, 41 have shelters and 167 have neither.
"Many of the 167 bus stops without benches of shelters are that way due to minimal ridership or frontage space constraints," it states.
ALSO SEE: City of Abbotsford seeks federal funding for Montrose transit exchange
The city has a contract with a company that supplies and installs the benches – which include advertising – at no charge. The company pays the city $35 per bench each month, amounting to total gross annual revenue of around $137,000.
Of the 41 transit shelters, 35 are under contract with a different outdoor advertising company, which supplies and installs the shelters at no charge and pays the city a flat rate of $2,500 per month.
Of the remaining six shelters, two are owned by the city – at the McCallum Road park-and-ride and on South Fraser Way across from city hall – and four are owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
One more city shelter is planned by the end of December on King Road, just east of McCallum Road.
The staff report states that the existing city shelters were acquired through the annual BC Transit Shelter Program, which covers 80 per cent of the cost, with the remainder covered by the city's operating budget.
ALSO SEE: Virtual celebration marks opening of new transit depot in Abbotsford
"This program is new and the city is averaging one new shelter per year this way, and therefore this slow rollout is of concern to us if we are to increase our sustainable transportation objective of 25 per cent by the time the city reaches a population of 200,000 residents," the report states.
It says that as the transit demand increases, so will the need "to accommodate patrons' comfort along the routes."
Priority for new shelters will go to the bus stops with the highest use.
In addition to the installation costs, the annual cost for maintenance of the shelters is estimated to be $20,000 through existing funding.
Abbotsford City HallBreaking NewsTransitTransportation
'Potentially dangerous': Arctic front bringing icy winds, freezing rain to much of B.C.
Canada Post service moves from red to yellow in Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland
New trial ordered for Port Moody man convicted of dangerous driving causing death


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History / History-Naval / Sailing ships, their history and development as illustrated by the collection of ship models in the Science Museum by Science Museum
Book Title: Sailing ships, their history and development as illustrated by the collection of ship models in the Science Museum
Author: Science Museum
ISBN: MW0053711
Publisher: H. M.'s Stationery Office
Year Published: 1948 and 1959
Description: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1948 and 1959: Part One, Historical Notes, 1959 reprint of the 1932 first edition: Part Two, Catalogue of Exhibits with Descriptive Notes, 1948. Part One: green card cover: approximately 6 x 9.5 inches tall: 95 pages including index: black and white photographic illustrations, diagrams and drawings. Contents:� Illustrations. Introduction. Early Ships of the Mediterranean Littoral. The vessels of Greece and Rome. Early Craft of North-Eastern Europe. The English One-Masted Ships. The Introduction of the Three-Masted Ship. Ships under Elizabeth and the Stuarts. Men-of-War in the 18th Century. Merchant Ships in the 18th Century. The Last 50 Years of the Sailing Warship 1800 � 1850. The Evolution and Decline of the Clipper Ship. Bibliography. Index. Part Two: cream card cover: approximately 6 x 9.5 inches tall: 120 pages including index: black and white illustrations, diagrams and charts. Contents: � Early Ships, up to the Middle of the 15th Century. The Introduction of the Three- Masted Ships under Elizabeth and the Stuarts. Men-of-War in the 18th Century. Merchant Ships in the 18th Century. Prisoner-Of-War Models. The Last 50 Years of the Sailing Warship. The Evolution and Decline of the Clipper Ship. Condition: cover edges slightly rubbed: overall clean and good
Condition: See Above
Mary Ward Books is an independent online bookstore specialising in second hand, out of print books and used books such as Sailing ships, their history and development as illustrated by the collection of ship models in the Science Museum by Science Museum. We offer a book search facility and secure payments via PayPal and Nochex.
Mary Ward Books is based in East Anglia, United Kingdom. We were established in 1997 and have been selling books online since 2002. We ship worldwide, please click here to see our shipping charges for Sailing ships, their history and development as illustrated by the collection of ship models in the Science Museum by Science Museum.
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Beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme can now access their social cash grant electronically through e-zwich platform.
This forms part of a nationwide enrollment exercise for all LEAP beneficiaries onto the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPPS) Electronic – Payment (E-Payment) platform from 10th to 24th March, 2016 in all LEAP districts nationwide.
The enrollment exercise is aimed at capturing the biometric data of beneficiaries to facilitate cash grant transfer electronically.
The LEAP programme is cash transfer being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection ( MOGCSP), aimed at reducing poverty by increasing consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extreme poor and vulnerable households, elderly persons 65 years and above without any support and severely disabled persons without any productive capacity and recently, the extremely poor pregnant women and children under 2 years old.
Addressing the media during the registration exercise at Sege in the Ada West District on Thursday, Mr Thomas Boateng Quaison, Head, Monitoring and Evaluation, LEAP Project, said beneficiaries would be migrated onto the e-zwich platform where they would have greater control over the management of their funds as they would decide when to access their funds.
Mr Quaison encouraged beneficiaries to register their caregivers, who would continue to access the funds for the household even at a time when the beneficiary is dead.
Hon. Christian Otuteye, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sege, expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for making his constituents in the Ada West District beneficiaries of LEAP, which, according to him, has led to some improvements in the livelihoods of the aged.
Hon. Otuteye urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the cash grants they would receive and if possible support others who were yet to be captured on the LEAP program.
He pleaded with the Ministry to extend the programme to people in the neighbouring communities to improve their livelihoods.
The biometric registration will cover a total of 675 LEAP beneficiaries in Sege.


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Defence of the Constitutions of Government
Item#: 113115 price:$14,000.00
"LIBERTY AND THE LAWS DEPEND ENTIRELY ON A SEPARATION OF [POWERS]": IMPORTANT 1787 FIRST EDITION OF JOHN ADAMS' DEFENCE OF THE CONSTITUTIONS, A FOUNDATIONAL TEXT IN CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
ADAMS, John. A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America. London: Printed for C. Dilly, 1787. Octavo, contemporary full speckled calf rebacked, red morocco spine label. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $14,000.
First edition of Adams' important work on a constitutional separation of powers, his reasoned yet impassioned "rendition of the case for checks and balances in government" (McCullough).
While acting as America's minister in Great Britain, John Adams "felt an urgency like that of 1776. Great events were taking place at home… A constitutional convention was in the offing, and as he had been impelled in 1776 to write his Thoughts on Government, so Adams plunged ahead now, books piled about him, his pen scratching away until all hours… By early January 1787, Adams had rushed the first installment of his effort to a London printer. Titled A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America… copies were sent off at once to the United States and to Jefferson in Paris" (McCullough, 374). On its receipt, Jefferson replied, "I have read your book with infinite satisfaction and improvement. It will do great good in America. Its learning and its good sense will, I hope, make it an institute for our politicians, old as well as young" (Sowerby, 3004). "Adams' Defence was an expanded, more erudite rendition of the case for checks and balances in government that he had championed in his Thoughts on Government (1776)… The people of America now had 'the best opportunity and the greatest trust in their hands' that Providence ever ordained to so small a number since Adam and Eve" (McCullough, 75). First edition. American reprints appeared the same year in New York and Philadelphia (See Evans 20176, 20177). The following year Adams wrote a second and third volume, and the entire work was issued in London in 1788 under a slightly expanded title. Howes A60. Sabin 233. See Harvard Law Catalogue I:13. 18th-century bookplate of Aaron Putnam of Medford, Massachusetts. Putnam served as a regimental surgeon from 1775 to 1777 during the Revolutionary War.
Scattered foxing to text. A handsome copy of this important work.
Autograph letter. WITH: Oration Delivered at Plymouth
John ADAMS | John Quincy ADAMS
Constitution of the State of Massachusetts
MASSACHUSETTS | George WASHINGTON | John ADAMS
ADAMS, John >


How to draw gryphons, step by step, fantasy, with our FREE online drawing tutorials!
Well as you can see you found yourself on the Gryphon category page. This is not only a great page to be on, it is also a great way to learn about the history of the Gryphon. There are many drawing lessons on how to draw different types of Gryphons. Did you know that the word Gryphon is spelled in a total of three different ways? Yup, its true. There is three different ways that someone can spell that word. The different ways you can spell it is; Gryphen, Griffen, or Gryphon. Neat huh? Well anyways, as you know this mythical creature has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. There are many different ways to draw a Gryphon and here at DragoArt.com we will give you the proper drawing lessons on how to become a successful artist with this particular creature. I love fantasy mythology which is why I take pride in the work that I submit here on this top rated site. I know when you come to DragoArt to learn how to draw fantasy creatures you will stay for a while because there is so many category's and tutorials to choose from. There is over 600 hundred online drawing lessons to choose from and all of them are high quality. If you have any request remember that you can join the forum and leave them there. Hey why not introduce yourself while your there as well. It is a great way to meet other artist just like you.


Mattel-ownedFisher-Price is offering refunds and vouchers for all Rock 'n Play Sleepers as part of a massiverecall citing infant deaths.
Fisher-Price will pay full refunds to customers who purchased a Rock 'n Play Sleeper within the last six months. Customers with older sleepers will get a voucher to redeem for a new Fisher-Price product.
Fisher-Price is offering refunds for all Rock 'n Play Sleepers as part of a massive recall following reports of infant deaths tied to the products.
The company, which is owned by Mattel, will pay full refunds to anyone who purchased the Rock 'n Play within the last six months, according to a recall notice that was issued on Friday.
"If you own a Rock 'n Play Sleeper, discontinue use of the item immediately," Fisher-Price said in the recall notice.
Disassemble the Rock 'n Play Sleeper and ship two small parts of the sleeper — called hubs — using the prepaid mailing label.
Customers should include their original purchase receipt with their return. If you do'nt have the receipt, write the month and year of purchase on one of the hubs.
Fisher-Price said the voucher amount for sleepers purchased more than six months ago would be based on the purchase date and the product's suggested retail price.


Finding accurate and up to date electrical diagrams for your Milan FWD isn't always easy.
With ALLDATA's Online manuals, you get thorough electrical diagrams as well as repair info, factory part numbers, and labor times and much more. We are the industry's leading source of online factory Diagnostic and Repair Information used by 200,000+ automotive technicians everyday. We offer both one-year and five-year subscriptions for our Milan FWD manual. Additional vehicle subscriptions are also available at savings of over 30%.


My love for photography began in high school when my Grandpa bought me my first SLR camera, and I was hooked. After several years of teaching Photoshop and photo editing, I decided to get back into actually taking photographs and purchased my first DSLR camera. Check out my images below. All are available for purchase. E-mail me with your purchase interests.


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via Queers at the End of the World
Franny Choi on How Poetry Can Help Us Experience the Future We Want
The Queers at the End of the World Podcast Talks Apocalypse and Poetry
By Queers at the End of the World
Queers at the End of the World is a thoughtful, nerdy, and very queer conversation on the apocalypse. We discuss classic and contemporary novels, poetry, comics, games, tv-shows, and films that help us understand our dystopian moment—and imagine what could come next.
Franny Choi joins us on Queers at the End of the World to talk about her upcoming book, The World Keeps Ending, and The World Goes On, full of magnificent poems on apocalypse, grief, and branching paths at the scale of the planet and the personal. Join us for a conversation with one of the artists we most admire, as we careen from chosen family to apocalyptic histories to snails in drag to femme bots, to poetry as a way of experiencing the futures we want to bring into being.
Subscribe now to Queers at the End of the World on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts!
Franny ChoiLit Hub RadiopodcastsQueers at the End of the WorldThe World Keeps Ending and The World Goes On
Queers at the End of the World
Queers at the End of the World is a thoughtful, nerdy, and very queer conversation on the apocalypse. On the podcast, we discuss classic and contemporary novels, poetry, comics, games, tv-shows, and films that help us understand our dystopian moment - and imagine what could come next.
How Pollsters Got the 2016 Election So Wrong, And What They Learned From Their Mistakes
Stumbling Into Empathy on the Way to Dick Jokes: A Conversation with Leyna Krow
Two days after the 2016 election, the New York Times published a story titled "How Data Failed Us in Calling an Election."...


A moment — and a miracle — that cemented TBN's destiny!
It happened back in the summer of 1974. I was twelve years old, and it may have been the first time I'd ever seen my mother cry off her mascara and fake eye lashes! Over the years my dad never grew tired of sharing this incredible, true story about the miracle that God performed on behalf of TBN, all because one man heard God's voiced and obeyed Him — at literally the very last moment.
I'll never forget the last time I heard my dad relate this powerful testimony. It was in Caesarea on the shores of the Sea of Galilee during his final trip to the Holy Land, and on the evening he transferred the mantle of anointing for leading TBN to Laurie and me. It was a very poignant moment for us as my father looked back over the many years of God's faithfulness.
Telling the story that night to our tour group of some 1,700 friends and partners, he recalled how, on that summer day nearly forty years earlier, he and my mom were set to close on the purchase of TBN's very first broadcast television station in Los Angeles. But in order to complete the transaction they had to have a total of $100,000 in the bank before 3:00 p.m. on the deadline day.
Well, at 2:30 p.m. that Friday, just thirty minutes before the looming deadline, they were still $35,000 short (it could just as well have been $1 million, my dad said), and my parents were face down on the floor in TBN's little office chapel, crying out to God for what appeared to be the impossible.
After what my father said seemed like an eternity of explanation, Scotty finally reached into his jacket, and with shaking hand pulled out a check which he handed over to my dad — for $35,000 to the penny!
As my father liked to tell the story, he quickly grabbed the check from Scotty's hand, and without even stopping to thank him (although he nearly kissed his feet in appreciation later on) he raced to the bank, arriving at 2:55 p.m — just five short minutes ahead of that all-important deadline.
Stepping up to the next available teller's window, my dad slammed the check for $35,000 down on the counter and declared: "This has to be in escrow today!" Thank God, the teller made it happen, and the rest is, as they say, history.
My dad and Scotty Scotvold (right) recall a miracle.
As followers of Jesus, each of us has experienced a life-defining moment when, in the "fulness of time," we felt the prompting of God's Holy Spirit and made the decision to invite Christ into our hearts. In that one minute, shame and despair were washed away as God's mercy and forgiveness rushed in to the void of our hearts.
Each day I live reminds me of how swiftly time passes, and how every minute matters in God's economy. That's why Jesus' Great Commission mandate to us — to take His message of salvation to the whole world — is so important right now. It's because to the God who loved and gave His only Son, every LIFE, every NATION, and every GENERATION matters!
It's also why our TBN "Every Minute Matters" outreach is so exciting to Laurie and me. Through this simple strategy partners and friends like you have the unique opportunity to sponsor a precious minute of TBN broadcast time — a minute that will literally touch individuals throughout the world with the incomparable message of hope and grace through Jesus.
It only takes a moment for a lost and dying person to turn to Jesus and be transformed for eternity. And just like Scotty Scotvold, each of us plays an important role in making that happen — through our prayers, through our personal witness, and through giving to outreaches that take God's love to those in need. Every minute matters!
Thanks for taking just a few of those minutes to watch the inspiring story below of Diamond Friedel, whose life was forever changed through TBN — and then joining us on our special Every Minute Matters website HERE to prayerfully consider how you can pour into the lives of millions across the earth by making an eternal investment in a minute or more of TBN broadcast time.


Christmas time is notorious for fattening habits. We eat too much of the wrong stuff and stop moving. Exercise plans disintegrate as the weather gets cold, and salads are replaced by comfort food. You don't have to give up all the Christmas parties and tasty treats to stay fit, but it will take some work and sacrifice. Use these ten ideas to stay fit this Christmas while still enjoying the holiday season.
If you feel full, you will be less likely to overindulge. Christmas parties are full of calorie-heavy, sugar-filled foods and drinks. If you fill up on vegetables and healthy proteins before you head out to dinner or to a party, you will be less likely to eat too much junk food. Don't stuff yourself before you leave. You still want to have some of the good stuff and enjoy yourself. Just don't get there hungry.
You might think skipping meals in between parties will keep the pounds off, but it will only lower your metabolism making it harder to burn off the junk food. Eat at least three meals a day. Five or six small meals are even better. Eat healthy snacks in between meals such as fruit, vegetables and hummus and nuts. The main rule you should remember when you are trying to get fit is never skip your breakfast. Skipping breakfast may trigger bad eating habits and it's really harmful to your health.
Don't let the cold or the busyness trick you into staying still. You have to move every day. Set up a schedule of exercise, and write it on your calendar. Cross off every day you complete, and try not to miss a day. Even if you just go for a walk, you will make a lot of progress. Walking is a great exercise that works your whole body and doesn't take a lot of time. If you don't feel like exercising outdoors, try to do a few indoor exercises each day, or at least do your morning exercises with your kids.
Numerous studies show that drinking alcohol can cause weight gain. Whether it's true or not, you should avoid drinking too much alcohol. It's very easy to drink a lot over the holidays, but drinks are packed with calories. A glass of red wine everyday isn't bad, but when you have a few drinks at every gathering, the weight will start to creep on. Stick with just one drink or none at all. You can make and bring your own calorie-free drinks, or opt for a glass of water.
"I want to stay fit" is not a good goal. It's a good idea, but you need something specific and concrete to stay on track over Christmas. Set goals such as "Lose 5 pounds", "Walk every day", "Take a new exercise class" or "Eat three vegetables daily". These are more specific, and you will know if you've attained them.
If you slip up, don't punish yourself by running ten miles or fasting for a day. Encourage yourself every day. When you do something good, celebrate. When you eat too much at a party, tell yourself you can do better next time. Punishment will only result in discouragement and not progress.
Remember I mentioned about alcohol? Put down the alcohol and drink eight glasses of water daily. Water will keep you hydrated, and it will flush out all the bad stuff you've been putting in your body. If there's only one healthy thing you do this Christmas, drink water!
Christmas parties and family dinners are the easiest places to overindulge. There are so many tasty meals, especially those that your mom makes. However, don't forget about your weight loss goal. Commit to only eating one small plate of food and one piece of dessert. Don't let people pressure you into eating food you don't want and don't need. Let everyone know about your goals well in advance.
Winter is a wonderful season. Many people complain about cold weather and lack of sun without noticing winter's beauty. Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you need to sit on the couch all the time. Go outside and enjoy winter weather and activities such as sledding, skiing, snowboarding or ice skating.
Christmas is full of heavy meats and side dishes, but don't forget your vegetables. Make them taste better with seasonings, but try to include a salad with lots of variety at every meal. Vegetables will make you feel fuller so that you don't eat too much of the bad stuff.
As they say, Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year. Don't let that fool you into losing your figure. Stay fit and healthy all year long. Also, don't starve yourself. Eat whatever you want, but make sure you do it in moderation. What are your secrets of staying fit during the holiday season?


want to be there for you as your life morphs and to always to provide you with individualized financial solutions, free from complicated lingo; and with investments that truly reflected your individual goals and tolerance for risk. We want to serve you and make doing business with us easy, in every way. We really do "Give a Hoot" if you achieve financial success. We believe a fee based compensations structure puts the advisor on the same side as you, our client. We encourage questions or concerns of any kind, as we believe that communication in good times and bad is essential not only to the success of your financial result, but also the overall building of trust in a relationship. Using the values of yesterday, we strive to meet your goals for today and tomorrow. It is our intent to ensure the money you have today will still be there and growing for tomorrow. "


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require 'base64'

module Vx
  module ServiceConnector
    class Bitbucket
      Files = Struct.new(:session, :repo) do

        def get(sha, path)
          begin
            re = session.get("api/1.0/repositories/#{repo.full_name}/src/#{sha}/#{path}")
            # TODO: check and remove source
            re && (re['source'] || re['data'])
          rescue RequestError => e
            $stderr.puts "ERROR: #{e.inspect}"
            nil
          end
        end

      end
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub