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One of the most common questions I get is, "Can I really make money taking surveys?" The short answer is, "Yes, you can." Keep in mind, you won't get rich. But you can certainly make some extra cash here and there that, in a month's time, can really add up.
But there are so many survey companies out there each with unique ways to earn — what works for one person, might not for another.Whether you want to supplement your income or just think it's about time to get paid to do the things you do anyway online, you can make money taking surveys.
Here's 15 different legitimate survey sites — join one or join them all — you're bound to find one that works for you.
Global Test Market has more than 4 million members in North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2014, they paid out more than $32 million in cash and rewards.
They partner with more than 200 companies and let you cash in points for gift codes, Paypal cash, or you can donate your points to charity! The amount per survey depends on demand and how long it is — surveys will pay up to $5 each.
If you're a bit of a gambler, you can choose to be paid with sweepstakes entries and possibly win some considerable cash prizes and other rewards. After you sign up, you're automatically entered into one of their $1,500 sweepstakes!
Inbox Dollars is kind of like Swagbucks — they operate under the idea that you should get paid for your daily online activities. There's a lot going on at InboxDollars (which also means a lot of ways to earn money). Your account will be credited for doing basic things like completing your profile to answering an online poll and even signing up for an offer.
Keep in mind, you don't have to sign up for offers or pay anything to use InboxDollars. However, let's say you were going to sign up for Lifelock identity theft protection program anyway, if you do it through InboxDollars, you'll get an extra $10.00. So, it may be worth checking their available offers before you sign up for a service or make an online purchase.
What makes InboxDollars unique is that they pay you to read emails. The more active you are, the more paid emails they'll send your way. You can make money taking surveys at InboxDollars, but you can earn even more with their various offers. As a bonus, you get $5 for signing up and gain access to exclusive money-saving coupons and deals. For every coupon you redeem, you get $0.10 from InboxDollars — how's that for stacking savings?
Ipsos i-Say rewards you for your loyalty — the more active you are, the more points you can earn. You can redeem earned points for gift cards and codes, Paypal cash, or a prepaid Visa card.
They also give you an opportunity to cash in your points for merchandise. So, if you have your eyes on a new handbag or toolset, you might be able to get it just from taking surveys.
You'll earn i-Say points for each survey you take and automatically be entered into a sweepstakes. You could win luxury prize packages and vacation getaways.
Toluna is like a social survey site. You get rewarded for taking surveys, but you can also create polls and share your opinion in spirited debates with fellow panelists.
It pays to be active and involved on Toluna. When you have a completed profile with a picture, you are entered into their monthly sweepstakes. You can even invite friends to join Toluna and earn points for each one that signs up.
Toluna will never ask you to take surveys that attempt to sell products to you, which is nice. However, some of their surveys are looking for a really narrow set of participants. This means you may answer a lot of questions only to find you don't qualify for the survey and won't receive any points. If you want to make money taking surveys and connect with like-minded people, Toluna may just be the place for you!
Every three months, Opinion Outpost gives one of its panelists $10,000. Every time you take a survey, you receive an entry into the sweepstakes! So, the more active you are, the better your odds are of winning that $10,000.
Opinion Outpost works with a lot of brands and companies you're already familiar with. You could take surveys for things like new package concepts, a business idea, or even a new movie.
When you join VIP Voice, your opinion and responses help influence brands. If you like entering online sweepstakes and love the thrill of auction sites, VIP Voice is probably the perfect survey site for you.
The points you earn can be used in BidLand and/or SweepLand. BidLand is where you go to win amazing prizes through exclusive auctions. SweepLand gives you the chance to win things like a Lake Tahoe Winter Vacation or a Deluxe Man Cave.
In addition to all the fun ways to earn and win, VIP Voice panelists get access to exclusive offers and discounts.
When it comes to taking interesting surveys, YouGov definitely takes the cake. They are a unique market research company that provides a live stream of what people are thinking — you could be part of that information supply when you join YouGov.
The process is simple: Sign up, YouGov will send you an email with a survey link, you click the link, answer some questions, and get rewarded. When you sign up, you get a bonus 2,000 points as a thank you.
That's it. A typical survey takes just five to seven minutes. YouGov even publishes many of the poll results that you've participated it — it's fun to see what others are thinking compared to your answers.
Plus, there's lots of opportunities to earn here for everything from product tests to focus groups. As a panelist, you'll even gain access to hundreds of local research facilities and opportunities in nearby cities.
You'll be paid each time you participate in a study. And you get to choose whether you want your cash via PayPal or check. Sign up and get access to paid studies now (and start earning!).
Getting started as a paid panelist at Product Report Card takes just five minutes. After that, you'll start receiving invites to earn in as little as 24 hours! You'll get paid for each survey you complete. How much you earn is up to you — the more you participate the more you'll earn.
Rewards range from cash to Amazon gift codes, and even free products you get to test and keep! Joining is easy and takes just a few minutes — get started today.
You know you're going to watch videos, play games, shop and clip coupons online, right? So, why not get paid to actually do these things?That's the whole point of EarningStation — get rewarded for everyday online activities. You get to choose how you earn and can redeem Station Dollars, like cash, for gift codes to some of your favorite stores.Sign up today and complete your profile and finally get paid for all the things you do online.
At Survey Junkie, you'll join the ranks of survey takers whose opinions are used to make a difference — literally. The studies and surveys you participate in are for big-name brands and businesses who genuinely care about consumers' opinions.
With more than 3,000,000 members (and growing), it's easy to see why Survey Junkie is popular among survey takers. I'm a fan because you get instant cash outs — no waiting weeks for payments to clear. When you're ready for Paypal cash or gift cards, you get it. It's that simple.
It really doesn't get much easier than this. When you sign up for the Smart Panel, you'll turn your computer or smartphone into a passive income machine.
Install the Smart App on your smartphone(s), tablet(s), and/or PCs. The Smart App runs in the background while anonymously and securely collecting statistical data about how you use those devices.As soon as you install the Smart App on all your devices, you can start earning rewards. You'll get $5 just for qualifying, $5 for every installed month after that, and a loyalty bonus every three months!
As an active Smart Panel member, you can make a difference and at the same time earn $110 in 12 months, $170 in 18 months, and $230 in 24 months, just for simply using your devices like you do every day.That's it. You'll never know that the app is installed on your phone. And before you know it, you'll have money waiting for you — easy-peasy.
Ready to share your opinion with some of your favorite brands? MySurvey is the place for you.
In 2014, they paid out more than $32 million (yes, million) to their survey takers. You can get your slice of the pie by signing up too. Not only is it a fun way to earn extra cash and rewards, but your opinion can help influence future products.
Who doesn't like to get gifts? Well when you join the NiceQuest Panel, you can reward yourself with gifts just by answering questions and sharing your opinion!
That's it. Whether you're looking for a toaster over, gift cards, balance bikes, activity tracker (or anything in between), sign up for NiceQuest to start earning. The 'shells' you accumulate can be redeemed for many cool gifts you can send to others or yourself (we won't tell).
I know there's no such thing as 'easy money,' but with PointClub, it doesn't get much easier! All you do is take surveys, get points, and redeem them for cash. That's it.
Because PointClub wants you to stay on board and start earning ASAP, they'll reward you with free $5.00 in points once you complete registration, getting you one step closer to redemption time!
Finally, we hope guys you find our list of "Want Money? 15 Sites You Can Use to Make Extra Money Right Now" very useful. If you really think we made some efforts then don't forget to appreciate our efforts in comments below and thanks for visiting.


The trip to Moscow to play CSKA has been somewhat spoilt so far with news coming out suggesting that the pitch will not be playable, Pellegrini himself has made his thoughts known on the issue and his opinion is that it should be postponed.
Obviously I am hoping that the pitch is playable and we can get the game out of the way, if it isn't ready then we have made the journey to Russia ahead of a league game against Chelsea for nothing. There are various sources reporting that the pitch is in a terrible condition, so it baffles me how it passed a UEFA inspection in the first place, typical incompetence on UEFA'S part again and it just so happens that an English side is involved in their bad decision, enough said.
Right, to the game, CSKA are the current champions of Russia so they are clearly a decent team, if you were to ask me if I was at all worried about playing them though, the answer would be no!
They just don't match up to us in the slightest, if you were to pick out any danger men in their team then you would look to the over rated Keisuke Honda and their star striker (in mediocre leagues) Seydou Doumbia who has just returned from injury. They have not won a league game since the 14th of September and have drawn 1 and lost 4 since then, we should paste these regardless of what condition the pitch is in.
As far as we're concerned, we have been in good form of late and things are looking promising again, our performance against West Ham was somewhat blown up in the media as something really special, in reality it wasn't in terms of what we are capable of, we are just better than them and we shown it by strolling through the game, we have so much more to offer yet.
I am really angry at the uncertainty surrounding the game tomorrow, the fact that we are probably going to have to play in poor conditions is not good enough, both CSKA and UEFA have made this the case and I am just hoping that the players will also feel incensed and take it out on them on the pitch.
Vincent Kompany (thigh) has not travelled to Moscow, Martin Demichelis and Jack Rodwell have also stayed at home as they continue to build up their match fitness after returning from knee and hamstring injuries respectively.
Seydou Doumbia returned from a hamstring injury for their last league game and is expected to be involved, Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev (knee) and Alan Dzagoev (hamstring) are doubts, while Latvian midfielder Aleksandrs Cauna (toe) is likely to miss out.
Possible Man City Line Up: Hart, Zabaleta, Garcia, Nastasic, Kolarov, Toure, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Negredo.
Possible CSKA Moscow Line Up: Akinfeev, Nababkin, A.Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov, Elm, Wernbloom, Tosic, Honda, Zuber, Doumbia.
My Prediction: CSKA Moscow 0 - 4 Man City.
Worth A bet: Toure scores the first goal in a 0 - 4 Man City win @ 155/1.


More than two thousand years ago Rome was ruled over by some kings called the Tarquins. As they were wicked men, the Roman people rose up against them, and drove them out of the city. The banished kings then went to Tuscany, where Lars Porsena took up their cause, and gathering an army together, went to help them force an entrance into Rome again.
The city could only be entered by crossing the river Tiber, and there was but one wooden bridge over which the army could pass. Then the leader of the Romans, who was called the Consul, cried out to his followers to destroy the bridge.


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Bridging Scientific Divides, As Early as the 1800s
Academy Librarian and President Nathaniel Lord Britton, in CoCo Ray, Puerto Rico. Britton participated in the Academy's Puerto Rico Survey, founded the Science Alliance in New York, went on to found the New York Botanical Garden, and made major contributions to science in the area of Caribbean flora.
We often hear talk about scientific silos—the high walls of discipline-specific knowledge—and the benefits of tearing them down. But did you know the Academy helped jump-start the conversation about bringing together diverse disciplines more than a century ago?
At the end of the 1800s, science was flourishing in New York City. Amateurs and specialists alike met in clubs and societies devoted to botany, geology and other scientific pursuits. But most of these groups were small, they generally didn't communicate much with each other, and they all struggled for financial support.
In 1891, leaders of the New York Academy of Sciences proposed a solution: a federation called the Science Alliance. This umbrella organization would publish a directory of the Members of all affiliated societies, issue a bulletin announcing meetings and public lectures, and act as a clearinghouse for the press on scientific activities in the city. Member groups could also save money by pooling the costs of printing and postage.
The idea had been brewing since 1887, when the Academy hosted the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This six-day event attracted thousands of attendees and put a spotlight on New York City as a hub of science. The meeting's success cemented the Academy's authority to convene scientific groups and institutions. Afterward, small scientific clubs struggling for security approached the Academy about arranging affiliations.
Nathaniel Lord Britton, the Academy's librarian and later President, had a bigger plan. In his view, uniting the city's small specialist societies, but still retaining their individual identities, would make science more visible in New York City and attract new Members for all. In 1891, the first groups came together to form the Scientific Alliance. In addition to the Academy, Member organizations included the New York Mineralogical Club, the Linnaean Society, the Torrey Botanical Club, the New York Microscopical Society, and the New York Mathematical Society. The New York section of the American Chemical Society and entomological societies from New York and Brooklyn joined soon after.
Britton was no stranger to the process of bringing people from across disciplines together, and he was not short on energy either. By age 31, he was already one of the most influential scientists in New York City, and in the midst of organizing the Scientific Alliance, he was also launching the New York Botanical Garden and teaching geology and botany at Columbia University. It didn't hurt that he was also well connected to many of the city's leading philanthropists at a time when cultural institutions like museums and concert halls proliferated.
Britton's vision for the Scientific Alliance was not just to bring these groups together, but also to build a cultural center to house them—a building where Member organizations could hold meetings and public lectures, and consult a consolidated science library. Despite appeals to private donors and city authorities, this piece of his plan was never realized.
Unfortunately, when ambitions for a building and library failed, the Scientific Alliance faltered as well. In 1907, the Academy merged with the Alliance, with Member organizations eventually becoming "Sections" of the Academy, some of which carry on to this day.
While Britton's idea wasn't quite realized as he initially hoped, the legacy of the Scientific Alliance remains strong at the Academy. We remain dedicated to bringing together extraordinary specialists from across the spectrum of science and from around the world, and are committed to looking beyond the silos of each discipline. In our experience, hosting conferences across topics and often at the cutting edge of new fields, we know well that some of the best ideas and the most important solutions to society's challenges arise when scientists work across boundaries.
Simon Baatz, "Consolidation and Cooperation," in Knowledge, Culture, and Science in the Metropolis: The New York Academy of Sciences, 1817-1970, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 584, pp. 139-176
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Messagebox without buttons in c# I am trying to handle exception in C#...suppose if the program writes to an output file it checks for if file already exists then it should display an error message.
I don't want to use MessageBox.Show() as it comes with an OK button.
    I want to use some kinda informational message where user doesnot have to click on any ok button.
    any suggestions???
Thank you

A: You might be looking for a Toast message that shows a notification, then disappears after a short time by itself.
An example for this is shown here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I just got a new program that brings me back to my childhood! It feels like Christmas and the joy of opening new presents under a tree! It's called Camtasia! I'm busy researching, creating, and editing a new 5 part video series. I like to research what I teach, taking in all of the nuances, constantly asking questions of contemporaries and scouring the internet finding the answers to why things do the things they do within the content of my curriculum. This leads me to a much deeper understanding of the material.
Next is write out a script. I got the two column [Vid Effects – Script] format idea from a Camtasia tutorial. I used to just write them out long hand back when I made the videos about space distances and age of old things. This makes much more sense. It gives me better leverage over what I'm planning to do before I do it. No doubt these videos are going to be much more organized, and sharper because of it!
The program itself is extremely powerful! It gives me nearly as much control over sound editing as Garage Band, I can stretch out the time or shorten a clip, make louder, softer, and fade out. It also gives me a great deal of control over images and videos! I remember years ago being amazed by a Power Point feature that allowed the user to move a picture around the page and "record" this movement so that you could include an object changing in your document. This feature is in Camtasia, only perhaps even stronger. You can use "animation" and move the arrow shaped icon onto the timeline, and you just go up to the canvas and adjust your object however you want and the program will record your every move. On playback it does what you want. If you watch the tutorials, it works exactly as shown! In Camtasia, you can also "record" what you do on your desktop. I used to use TechSmith's smaller program made specifically for this task called Jing, which then changed Jing Pro – then Snagit. Amazingly all of the features of Snagit seem to be incorporated in Camtasia. I've got a stylus that I sometimes use to draw, graph, or illustrate concepts, into another display program that I use at school. Some of this will be used in the series.
Surprisingly, there's a "green screen" feature, where, not only can you remove a color to provide a transparent background around the subject in an image, but you can also do this in a video! So, you can film yourself talking or presenting, and place yourself in front of a different backdrop. I'll be using this feature in several spots throughout the Motion Physics series. I realized pretty quickly that I'd need a new digital camcorder, so it should be arriving on Thursday this week. Another Christmas moment. Yay!
The only thing I have used to compare to this program is I Movie, which I've used and enjoyed for about 5 years. This program is a really big step up from my beloved tried and true Mac's genius. Thanks to The district for inviting the Google Summit this year to Monarch High, to TechSmith for presenting at the Summit where I got to see this program in action for the first time, and my principal for recognizing my enthusiasm and knowing that I'll put it to good use, thus buying my copy. Ultimately my students will get most of the benefit!
After seeing all of the video tutorials, taking notes, and reviewing several of them again, I noticed there was a way to save your favorite colors, thus creating a common color pallet. Pretty handy since I'm trying to make 5 videos that will need the same background, and color features throughout. Decided to make it with the same pallet as my website! Let's just keep it all similar! People that are familiar with my website will get it.
Figured out an intro sequence that will be included in each of the 5 videos. I'll use the first track from my own CD Animal Dreams as a common intro. BTW, I'll also use a music sequence that will sort of brand the ending of each video, like the old radio style. It's "Get your Samba off my Mambo" by Bushtic, a band I was in many years ago. It's really catchy, so it'll be a cool way to end each video. I got sick Friday night, and still my voice isn't ready to record the voice track. I'm going to do it all at once, so I've got to be firing on all cylinders! It's a long one! In the meantime, I went as far as I could go into the first video without the voice overlay. Here it is!
– Already added a new feature since these last video updates tonight. Added drop shadows to the characters and objects in the bat/ball sequences, and in the gravity/planet sequences.
– In keeping with the cartoonish flair for the illustrations, it makes more sense to have cartoon weights pushing down the character than those big arrows detracting from the main action of these sequences. So, I took out the arrows and put in weights. Found the pic online, changed color, made transparent background, added to the timeline, created all new animations. That took all of about 30 minutes!! I'm getting much more efficient! Time well spent on these flood days off! I think you'll agree, this is much better!
– You know how there's a lion's roar at the beginning of each movie made by Metro Goldwyn Mayer? Well, I took that concept, and made my little head on the bottom left of the intro do a roar. But used a sound clip of a seal roaring to add a little humor in the opening sequence.
– Made new script for Filming I need to do at school. There's more room and better lighting there for the green screen sequences, and I need to film two different experiments in operation.
– Yesterday the camera was delivered! It's a Sony HDR CX220. I think it'll suit my needs quite nicely. For the last few nights I couldn't get on the website for my normal nightly geek session, so I tweaked a few things on the Earth/Moon/Jupiter sequence. Got pictures of the Earth, Moon, and Jupiter that had greater pixel depth, so I could focus in with better quality, and added a little cartoon boing sound for the jumping on the moon. Made the signs smaller so they don't detract from the action, took out the math that really doesn't add to the idea of more gravity with a more massive planet.
– Since I wanted to play with my new camera, I tried to do a "green screen" pendulum in order to create a realistic swinging pendulum in the pendulum scene where the string doesn't have to be as long over the poles as over the equator to get the same period. Boy that was a dumb idea! Way too may shadows, even with three lights. That tutorial about green screen filming was right to warn you not to move for green screen shots. So, I resorted to going to an internet picture illustration. Made it swing with animation over the North pole, then the equator.
– Still can't record voice. So, with a looming deadline approaching, I've got to to use every spare minute productively. So, Went back to the "equatorwide" animation to get it working right. Added arrows to illustrate the greater length of a pendulum at equator to match the period swing at the pole. I'm proud of the timing of this animation. Time well spent!
– I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with that last one yet. I want the crowder image dropping the earth to jiggle, not just rock back and forth. I'm thinking what I might do is use the same animation, add a time track, squeeze it really tight, and re-paste it back in between segments.
I like them totally dry like this, since it gets stuck in with background music. On a side note, I used markers for the first time, since I don't know exactly when we'll record the string Freefall experiment. I left a space there that's exactly how long my voice covers that topic.
– Sunday night, after recording the voice track, amazingly I'm able to complete the majority of the first video! I put in track markers for the absent string drop segment. Still need to add my green screen intro sequence, something about mass and inertia at the very end, and rolling credits. Other than that, all other tracks are in there in a very close to finished form! Amazing how quick the work went since I had already done most of the illustration segments and previously downloaded most of the files I needed. So here it is in its 85% finished form!
Okay, I'm getting close! Here's the latest version, that includes several tweaks like a few background sound adjustments like the second time the globe gets dropped, since it moves slower, it makes sense that the sound it would make would be softer. There should be a shadow behind the Crowder in the airplane when it goes by. Took out the part about the earth getting protruded in the middle due to its spin. An unnecessary addition that didn't match the voice track and took away from attention to the details at hand. Also I added a segment about a real train taking off from start compared to a toy train to illustrate how inertia plays a role in how things with different masses are effected by gravity.
– I've done a great deal of micro-managing the movie in the past few days. On Wed. I had three of my Science Club kids film the string drop from the roof of the school. I have looked at two of them, and will probably use one of them. The sound of the washers hitting is actually audible enough to include in the final edit of the movie! I'm pleasantly surprised by that. Also, I've been working yet another animation of the falling washers, but it's proving to be really troublesome. I don't know if it will make it in the final edit. Fixed a few things, like the movement of the Crowder character after the second big ball drops – much quicker and more edgy. Switched colors on a few callouts from the red tone to the dark green. Added the word "inertia" on the second globe drop to better drive home the point. Had to use white shadowing for it to stand out on the globe's surface. Added Nasa's beep sounds to the space section. Tightened up the rolling credits at the end. Tomorrow I'm going to buy a cape and beard at the Halloween store for the green screen filming. Going to do that last bit of filming on Monday (Actually all the green screens for all 5 videos of the series in one session). Already have a student willing to do it after school Monday. I'd like to have all of the String drop section finished by this weekend. That leaves all of next week to finish the whole thing! Yay!
Got the cape and beard props yesterday at Boulder's biggest Halloween supplies store – "The Ritz". I'm psyched because now, not only am I ready to film all of the green screen parts to all 5 videos, but I've got a new Halloween costume! Fiddled and cajoled over the last two days, mostly with the missing string drop section. I think it's pretty much ready now.. Changed up a few callout colors and added a black hole that spins the Jupiter scene out and into the inertia/planet/8 ball drop sequence.
accelduetograv – almost complete form!
Submission Date! I just did the Green Screen for all the five videos today! Had the scripts. Got together all of the props. Kevin from Science club stayed after school, and helped film it! He really helped a bunch with many great suggestions! Yesterday I tried various rooms painted with different colors. Nice solids, but nothing worked! I think they may have been too shiny. Today I brought a forest green sheet from my guest bedroom and tacked it to a bulletin board. This worked perfectly! So, here it is folks in all its glory!
The Counselors took over my classroom with a lesson on study habits on Friday. So, I took this donation of time to get a start on the second one. Knowing that it was one of the smallest in the 5, it was dangling like bait to get a nice shine and ready to be submitted to Screen Champ Awards under the due date. This is Saturday night, and I've been working on this for two days. For a while I thought I'd risk a copyright question with a tune I really like by Lazaro Ros from Cuba, but thought the better of it. I ended up with a great 13 piece band called Kachimbo from Cuba and produced by David Peñalosa of Bembe records. He's one of my music teachers and friend of mine, so it's a much safer bet.. I think this piece fits better anyway! So love it!
Now working on the third video of the series – Force. So here's what I ended up for the intro sequence where I green screen a character – the Lord Emperor with a light saber. Took out the green background, then copied the track, and selected the red of the saber and inverted the remove a color effect. This removes everything but the red. Then paste that track over the top of the first one. Then, I adjust the color of the saber with Glow, and Color adjustment.
I got a pop-up green screen from CowboyStudio on Amazon. I'll use it from now on for my green screen needs. Easy up and down since it pops out really big then folds back into a third of its size with one swift move. I discovered a way to use my slate scribing onto the SMART board at school and get the video to my computer. I have to get the wmv file and upload it to youtube, then I can download it again as an m4v, which is what I need for editing. Then, I discovered that a nice alternative to the white board is to chroma-key out the white so that the writing hovers above the background. I kind of like that better than scribing straight onto white. Just one more video to go!!
This is it! the fifth and final video of the series! It's been a long, hard, and very educational road!


text:
Ex-Grab driver who ran over passenger's foot fined $4,000
Amir Hussain
·Senior Reporter
Chan Khuan Meng, who no longer drivers for Grab, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt by doing a negligent act. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
A private hire driver who moved his car off before his passenger was fully in the vehicle, causing her foot to be run over and suffer an ankle fracture, was fined $4,000 on Tuesday (8 January).
Former Grab driver Chan Khuan Meng, 69, was also banned from driving for one year.
He had earlier pleaded guilty at the State Courts to one charge of causing grievous hurt by doing a negligent act.
Victim was still boarding car
At about 11.20am on 26 May, Chan went to pick up Sridevi Balpanathan, 41, and two passengers Dipti and Kalavadee from the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Kalavadee entered the car's rear right door, while Dipti and Sridevi entered the car's rear left door.
After Kalavadee had closed her door, Chan started to move off. But Sridevi was not fully inside the car. She fell to the ground and the car's left rear tire ran over her foot.
Chan stopped the car and attended to the victim with the help of several passers-by. She was sent to hospital with a left ankle fracture and underwent surgery.
After four days in hospital, she was discharged with 18 days of medical leave. As a result of her injuries, the victim may experience long-term problems with her left ankle joint.
Atypical and unusual case: lawyer
Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Wei Yang had asked for the maximum fine of $5,000, along with an 18-month driving ban.
Chan's pro bono lawyer Russell Pereira sought a $2,500 fine and a 12-month ban, saying the case was very uncommon.
"Chan had moved his vehicle off after hearing the sound of a door being closed not realising that Ms Balpanathan was still boarding the vehicle from the left rear door. This was wholly due to a lapse in his concentration," he said.
The accident did not involve the flouting of traffic rules, dangerous driving or any collision, the lawyer added.
Chan is deeply remorseful for the accident and had rendered assistance to the victim. He also went to make a police report after the victim was sent to hospital and cooperated with the Traffic Police in their investigations.
The maximum penalty for causing grievous hurt by doing a negligent act to endanger human life or the personal safety of others is up to two years' jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
Other Singapore stories:
Man jailed 20 months for groping girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter
4 new funeral parlours to be launched over next decade: NEA
Motorcyclist jailed 4 weeks for causing death of pillion-riding girlfriend
Shell fined $400,000 for 2015 refinery fire that left 6 workers injured
Singapore and Malaysia take immediate suspension steps over Seletar Airport and Pasir Gudang
Tonga races to clear runway for volcano aid flights
Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.
The caretaker of the last Sikh temple in Kabul to regularly host open prayer surveys
Member of religious order charged over sex acts with boys in mid-2000s
The 66-year-old man was accused of committing sexual acts with teenage boys between 2005 and 2007.
Housewife Maira Tayyab has considered begging for money to feed her family in inflation-hit Pakistan, while shop owner Mohammad Hanif finds his thoughts turning to crime.
Young Chin Peng, 63; Adrian Chua Yong Han, 46;, and Chiau Chee Meng, 53, were each handed charges.


I think Ann Fleming's original letter to which this is a reply appears in The Letters of Ann Fleming, edited by Mark Amory, Collins Harvill, London, 1985, pp. 140–142.
A great 'Paddy' line about the rich !
I recommend Mary Lovell's Riviera Set for background on the various 30s society characters round the South of France and the Med: the Churchills, Mitfords, Onassis and many of the usual suspects.


"OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE '90s: ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES"
Budapest will be the venue of EDEN's seventh annual conference, and marks the return of EDEN to its beginning, when, in May 1990, shortly after the momentous political changes in Central and Eastern Europe, the Technical University of Budapest hosted the first pan-European meeting of distance educators. This meeting launched the Budapest Platform, which was EDEN's predecessor. During the 1990s, significant processes and changes have occurred in open and distance learning characterised by its expansion, diversification and the rapidly increasing recognition of ODL alongside mainstream education. International co-operation and the growing impact of advanced technology have also been key features in ODL. This conference in Budapest offers a possibility to summarise the considerable achievements of ODL in this decade, identify the main changes and trends, and look forward to future developments and objectives.


Would you like to win an onion?
Oh yes. I'd be in tears if I did.
I wish I wore a V neck as good as the guy in that picture.
Should a guy who is 40 years old go for women who are close to his age or try for younger women "say 20-28"?
Would you write someone online who refuses to give a last name?
Huh? What does this mean?
Why does the smell of bonfires make me feel alive?


text:
Malaysian team of two ready to roll in Florence
By Cycling News 21 September 2013
Riders to relish "opportunity of a lifetime"
The stage 4 podium (L-R): Fito Bakdo Prilanji (CCN Cycling Team), Sea Keong Loh (OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team) and Patria Rastra (Indonesia National Team) (Image credit: Sonoko Tanaka)
Liam Holohan defended his ninth place overall by beating Adiq Hussainie and Masakasu Ito (Image credit: Aaron Lee/Tour de Taiwan)
Malaysian road champion, Adiq Othman (Drapac Porsche), leans into a corner in Grovedale. (Image credit: Shane Goss)
Drapac Professional Cycling's Malaysian import Adiq Othman prepares himself for the fifth stage from Tapah to the top of Genting Highlands. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Malaysia will go into its UCI Road World Championship tilt next week as one of the underdogs after qualifying just two riders. Adiq Husainie Othman (Champion System) will be the country's sole starter for the U23 road race, and Loh Sea Keong (OCBC) will be flying the Malaysian flag during the elite road race. Although unkown names to casual cycling fans, both riders bring a respectable level of experience to their World Title bids with the pair boasting extensive European experience.
OCBC and search2retain/health to continue partnership
Malaysia's Loh Sea Keong signs for Argos-Shimano
"I've had good preparation for this task as I've had 10 to 15 one-day races in Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, mostly races on flat routes," Adiq told The New Straits Times from Belgium. "I heard that the World Championships course is hilly, so I have to see how the legs go on the day.
"I'm almost out of gas as I've done more than 100 races this year, but going to the World Championships gives me extra motivation to carry on. It will be my last race of the season."
Having begun his career in earnest with Australian team Drapac Cycling in 2010, Adiq made his way to the pro continental ranks after signing with Champion System in 2012. The U23 road race on Friday Semtember 27 will be Adiq's second attempt at the espoirs title. In Copenhagen in 2011, the 22-year-old finished just under two minutes behind eventual winner Arnaud Demare in 111th.
Sea Keong on top of the world
Having won an adoring following from home fans for regularly being one of the most aggressive riders during his home town race, the Tour de Langkawi, Sea Keong believes he may have to reign in his attacking ways if he wants to finish the Elite Mens Road Race on Sunday. Having failed to finish his first World Championship experience last year in Holland, simply surviving will take an even higher priority for the 26-year-old.
"The mission will, first, be to survive and complete the race. We will have to see what sort of opportunities the race provides," told The New Straights Times.
Having won stages at the UCI 2.2 Tours of Thailand, Singkarak, and at the Jelajah Malaysia –as well as claiming overall honours at the Malaysian race- Sea Keong is having the best season of his career with the Singaporean OCBC Cycling Team.
Sea Keong began his career in Europe racing for numerous seasons with the Marco Polo Cycling Team through its various iterations. He spent that time learning aside riders such as Leon van Bon, Jai Crawford and Fuyu-Li out of their base in Limburg. This lengthy apprenticeship -spent mainly on the Belgian kermesse circuit- has taught him how to hide in a peloton and how to suffer immensely, two skills he plans to utilise next weekend.
"I haven't had a look at the route yet, but I know it is hilly and it will be tough. This is like an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I am going there to ride my heart out till it's dry.
"I will give everything,"


text:
Archives for category: Disruption
Leonie Haimson on de Blasio's Education Record
January 10, 2022 //
Leonie Haimson assesses Bill de Blasio's record on education after eight years as Maor of New York City. He succeeded Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who served for 12 years and completely upended the schools, first, by getting the state legislature to give the mayor total control of the city's public schools, then by closing scores of schools and replacing them with hundreds of small schools and charter schools. De Blasio had served on a local school board and offered the hope of restoring stability and ending Bloomberg's era of constant disruption. (New York City has a two-term limit for its mayor but Bloomberg persuaded the City Council to make an exception for him and themselves).
Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, reviews de Blasio's record here.
She begins:
When he first ran for Mayor, Bill de Blasio portrayed himself as a leader who would make a host of progressive changes in our schools. He promised to be a far different leader than Michael Bloomberg, who had expanded high-stakes testing, proceeded to grade teachers and schools primarily via test scores, closed dozens of public schools displacing thousands of students, and helped charter schools expand in their place.
Bloomberg and his schools chancellors had done all this by ignoring community opposition, and despite any tangible evidence that this was the right way to improve education, particularly for disadvantaged students. Though Bloomberg had promised during his campaign to lower New York City schools' excessive class sizes, they increased sharply during his administration, and by the time he left office he said he would "double the class size" if he could, and that would be "a good deal for the students."
De Blasio said he would do things differently: to listen to and be responsive to parent and community concerns, de-emphasize test scores, and focus on improving public schools rather than providing space and funding to help charter schools expand. Instead of closing schools, he pledged to increase equity and strengthen learning conditions, including by lowering class sizes.
And yet his record on each of these issues was decidedly mixed. He did attain his primary goal in education – to provide universal, publicly-funded pre-kindergarten to every four-year-old, but in a manner that could have been better achieved, as will be discussed later.
There were some bright spots in the de Blasio record, including the Community Schools initiative, begun in the fall of 2014, in which schools partnered with community-based organizations to provide after-school programs, mental health supports, and other resources. By 2018, more than 200 community schools had been established. An independent study found that in these schools, there were lower rates of chronic absenteeism, more students graduating on time, and in elementary and middle schools, higher math scores and fewer disciplinary referrals.
Open the link to read the rest of this important article.
Categories Accountability, Bill de Blasio, Bloomberg, Michael, Charter Schools, Childhood, Pre-K, K, Closing schools, Disruption, Education Reform, New York City
This Is What Happened on January 6, 2021
January 6, 2022 //
Since there is now a deep partisan divide over what happened on January 6, it's helpful to remember that there is extensive video footage of the events. Some footage was taken by the media, some by video cameras installed in the Capitol, some by police body cameras, and some by the participants who wanted to have a record of what they did. Hundreds of arrests have been made of participants in the riot; many recorded their actions. Others were identified by friends, acquaintances, and family members who recognized faces in the video and reported them to the FBI.
Anyone who believes that nothing unusual happened in January 6 should watch these videos, as should anyone who believes the intruders were peaceful. They were not peaceful. They brutally beat officers of the law that day.
On January 6, our democracy was in peril. If the intruders had managed to capture Vice President Pence or Nancy Pelosi or any other members of Congress, there might have been political assassinations. I give Vice President Pence credit for refusing to turn the election over to Trump, as Trump wanted.
How close we came to a disaster. Imagine this mob beating, abusing, even murdering the leaders of Congress in public view. Thanks to the Capitol Police and other law officers, our nation was spared from such an atrocity.
This is the video that was shown at the first meeting—July 27, 2021– of the House Committee investigating the events of January 6. It lasts 5 minutes.
This is the Washington Post video, published on January 16, 2021. It was the first effort to provide an overall picture of what happened.
This is the New York Times' video, probably the fullest account available. It was released June 30, 2021. It lasts 40 minutes.
This video was released by CNN on December 24, 2021. It is new video footage taken by security cameras inside the Capitol. CNN wrote:
CNN)—The Justice Department this week released a three-hour video of a battle between rioters and the police at the US Capitol Building on January 6 where rioters brandished weapons, officers were viciously beaten, and a member of the mob died on Capitol steps. The assault on the Lower West Terrace was one of the most violent confrontations between Capitol Police and the crowd. Officers held the line until the building was cleared without letting rioters inside. Some officers have since said they did not know the Capitol had already been breached in other areas. The video, taken from a Capitol security camera, does not have sound. It starts as officers retreat, helping each other as they stumble inside and washing their eyes out with water from chemical spray. Rioters crowd in behind them, coordinate efforts to attack and push through in infamous moments that have haunted the public, and officers, ever since.
The Justice Department released the videos after CNN and other outlets sued for access. It is the longest video from the riot released by the government thus far.
January 6, 2021, was the day we almost lost our democracy. Those who say that nothing happened or that the crowd was peaceful should watch the videos.
January 6 was an insurrection, planned by scoundrels to overturn the election of Joe Biden and maintain a sore loser in power, a man who knows no history and never read the Constitution that he wanted to shred. Having failed, he has spent the past year doing his best to persuade the public that our system of elections is corrupt. Having failed to destroy democracy by mob violence, he now hopes to weaken Americans' belief in democracy itself. Trump has succeeded this far in destroying and corrupting the Republican Party, which repeats his lies and dutifully accepts his leadership. We cannot allow him or his lackeys to return to power.
Categories Accountability, Democracy, Disruption, Elections, Republicans, Trump
West Virginia: County Judge Temporarily Blocks Opening of New Charter Schools
December 21, 2021 //
After the inspiring teachers' strike in 2019, which closed every public school in the state, the billionaire Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia promised to veto any charter school legislation. He lied. The legislation passed, and the Governor signed it.
The state established a state charter board, which proceeded to award seven charters, mostly to a for-profit charter corporation that manages low-performing charters in Ohio.
But a county judge stopped the clock by issuing an injunction to halt the new charter schools.
A Kanawha County judge has temporarily blocked five public charter schools from opening in West Virginia.
Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey granted a preliminary injunction Monday sought by parents and education union members.
They filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jim Justice and leaders of the state Senate and House.
In the suit, the plaintiffs claim residents should be able to weigh in on any charter school established in their county.
They are challenging the authority of the Professional Charter Schools Board, a group that has its members appointed by the governor.
Last month, the board approved charter schools in Morgantown, Nitro and in Jefferson County, along with two online charter schools.
The judge outlined her logic in granting the temporary injunction.
"The plain language of Article 10, Section 12 of our state constitution provides that no independent school district or organization shall hereafter be created except with the consent of the school district or districts, out of which the same is created, expressed by a majority of the voters voting on the question," Bailey said.
One of the arguments in the lawsuit was that the transfer of the student – and the tax money that goes with that student – is the same thing as creating an independent school district, and there is a specific prohibition against that in the state constitution – unless there is a public vote.
The two parents bringing suit are members of the American Federation of Teachers union.
"It is unconstitutional to create a new school system within our current school system and that's what this bill seems to do," AFT-WV President Fred Albert said.
After some county school boards voted no to approving a charter school in their areas, lawmakers created the Professional Charter Schools Board, which could OK charter schools without a county school board's approval.
State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said the injunction is wrong because acts of the Legislature are presumed to be constitutional and because the parents should have sued the charter school board not the governor and legislators. He said he will seek relief from the state Supreme Court.
Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Corporate Reform, Disruption, Education Industry, Lies, School Choice, Teachers, Unions, West Virginia
Billionaire Bloomberg Will Give $750 Million to Expand Charter Schools
Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, announced yesterday that Bloomberg Philanthropies will spend $750 million to expand the charter school sector. Declaring that "the American public education system is tragically broken," Bloomberg pledged to add 150,000 seats in "high-quality charter schools" over five years, with the intention of "closing the achievement gap."
As mayor, Bloomberg had total control of the New York City public school system, which he reorganized and disrupted repeatedly. His first pick for chancellor of the schools was antitrust corporate lawyer Joel Klein, who distrusted experienced educators and turned to McKinsey and Goldman Sachs for advice. Bloomberg's second pick for chancellor was a magazine publisher with no experience in education; she lasted just 90 days.
Bloomberg apparently decided that he couldn't achieve sweeping change in the public schools, so he became a champion for outsourcing students to privately managed charter schools. As his press release shows, he continues to believe his own puffery. The NYC public schools continue to be plagued with crowded classrooms, while charter schools enjoy privileged status, such as co-locations inside public schools, depriving them of facilities, and rent in private spaces paid by the city.
Although the press release claims that Bloomberg's decision is based on "evidence," it completely ignores the large number of charter schools that close every year, the high attrition rates of charter students and teachers, and the multiple studies showing that charter schools are outperformed by public schools, except when the charters curate their enrollment to exclude students who are unlikely to succeed or conform.
One of the richest men in the world, Bloomberg loves market solutions to public problems. In his 12 years as mayor, he did not transform the public school system that he controlled. Evidently he has learned nothing about education in the eight years since he left office.
How does it help the 85-90% of students in public schools to invest in a privately run sector that, contrary to his claims, has not demonstrated success in closing the achievement gap and that poaches students and resources from public schools?
How will it "close the achievement gap" to spend $750 million to add 150,000 seats to the charter sector?
Categories Accountability, Bloomberg, Michael, Charter Schools, Corporate Reform, Disruption, Education Industry
Steve Nelson: The Campaign to Destroy Public Education
November 23, 2021 //
Steve Nelson, a retired educator, describes the calculated and underhanded effort to destroy public education, a ruse that proceeds by stealth and loaded language.
He begins:
The same fine folks who brought us the Critical Race Theory (CRT) scare tactic to win the Virginia gubernatorial election are now poised to bring our public education system to its knees and then put it out of its misery.
In an alarming New York Times column, Michelle Goldberg recounts an exchange with Christopher Rufo, the manipulative wizard behind the weaponizing of CRT for broad political purposes. Rufo gleefully admits that the CRT gambit, combined with widespread pandemic frustration, provides a perfect storm for completion of the decades-long conservative goal of weakening and effectively eliminating "government schools."
Conservatives have similarly weaponized the phrase "government schools" as an emotional trigger intended to disingenuously characterize public schools as institutional agents of a sinister plot to indoctrinate children into a socialist, anti-religion agenda that violates parental rights, freedom of choice and traditional values. That none of this is true is of no consequence to the likes of Rufo or other conservatives. An example of Rufo's propaganda landed on my desktop as I wrote this post, fresh from his Twitter account:
Language tip: school choice advocates should always say "scholarships" instead of "vouchers." It gives a connotation of opportunity and forces our opponents to take the unenviable position of denying scholarships to families and children.
This calculated campaign gives fresh energy to persistent efforts to divert billions of tax dollars into religious education, voucher schemes and charter schools. Despite all the claims made by charter advocates, study after study shows that public schools do as well or better than charters, even by the relatively meaningless metric of test scores.
The pandemic has turbocharged the school choice movement by also mobilizing anti-mask and anti-vaccine sentiments. In communities all through the nation, efforts to follow public health protocols have subjected school officials to attacks, up to and including death threats. The few school systems that have begun to offer vaccinations are under vicious attack for supposedly sacrificing innocent children to a government campaign to impose unproven medical treatments.
These falsehoods run in tandem with local and state elections for school boards and state legislatures. The evidence is rapidly mounting that this mandate for parental "rights" will spawn new voucher legislation and other school choice measures in unprecedented numbers. Dissatisfaction with pandemic online programs, mask policies and the myth of CRT training has already led to drops of 4-5% enrollment in New York City and other major public school systems. These students are migrating to the charter school of choice, Christian schools, or homeschooling, whichever is most consistent with the parents' "beliefs," whether rational, mythical or ignorant.
Inform yourself! Open the link and read the rest.
Categories Charter Schools, Democracy, Disruption, Education Reform, Privatization, Vouchers
Peter Greene: Ranking States by Their Hostility to Public Education
Peter Greene realized that supporters of public education have been lacking the very thing that catches the attention of the public and the media: reports backed by data. Especially reports that rank states as "the worst" and "the best."
Greene's Curmudgation Institute constructed rubrics to rate the states and developed the Public Education Hostility Index. He has created a website where he defines his methodogy and goes into detail about the rankings.
The #1 ranking, as the state most hostile to public education, is Florida.
The state least hostile to public education is Massachusetts.
Where does your state rank? Open the link and find out.
Categories Accountability, Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Corporate Reform, Corruption, Disruption, Education Reform, Florida, Funding, Massachusetts, Privatization, School Choice, Standardized Testing, Teachers and Teaching, Vouchers
National School Boards Association Bows to Pressure, Withdraws Complaint About Threats and Intimidation
October 27, 2021 //
A month ago, the National School Boards Association wrote a letter to President Biden, asking for help on behalf of local school boards that were under attack and subject to threats by groups angry about masking and critical race theory.
The letter said, in part,
America's public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) respectfully asks for federal law enforcement and other assistance to deal with the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation. Local school board members want to hear from their communities on important issues and that must be at the forefront of good school board governance and promotion of free speech. However, there also must be safeguards in place to protect public schools and dedicated education leaders as they do their jobs.
NSBA believes immediate assistance is required to protect our students, school board members, and educators who are susceptible to acts of violence affecting interstate commerce because of threats to their districts, families, and personal safety. As our school boards continue coronavirus recovery operations within their respective districts, they are also persevering against other challenges that could impede this progress in a number of communities. Coupled with attacks against school board members and educators for approving policies for masks to protect the health and safety of students and school employees, many public school officials are also facing physical threats because of propaganda purporting the false inclusion of critical race theory within classroom instruction and curricula.1 This propaganda continues despite the fact that critical race theory is not taught in public schools and remains a complex law school and graduate school subject well beyond the scope of a K-12 class…
As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.
Bianca Quilantan of Politico reported that the NSBA has now apologized for the letter and withdrawn it in response to the actions of a group called "Parents Defending Education."
About a month after the association sent its initial plea letter to the Biden administration, the NSBA has faced outrage on all sides — from its members, state attorneys general, lawmakers and parent advocacy groups. These critics say the involvement of the FBI in school board meetings would chill parents' free speech. "The NSBA seems more concerned about suppressing speech with which it disagrees than real threats of violence," more than a dozen attorneys general wrote.
— Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, a group "working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas," said her group has emailed 47 state school board associations for comment on the NSBA's Sept. 29 letter. Neily said 19 have distanced themselves from the group's letter, and many state school boards said they had not been made aware of the NSBA's request ahead of time.
— "On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter," a memo from NSBA's board to its members said. "There was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations."
Parents Defending Education is a rightwing group fighting "indoctrination" in the schools. Its president formerly worked at the Cato Institute and Independent Women's Forum.
Before the NSBA withdrew its letter, Anya Kamenetz of NPR wrote about the groups that have organized to harass local school boards. In several states and districts around the country, protestors have been disrupting school board meetings. They're opposed to mask policies. Vaccine mandates. LGBTQ rights. Sex education. Removing police from schools. Teaching about race and American history, or sometimes, anything called "diversity, equity and inclusion" or even "social-emotional learning."
So the shouting, screaming, and threats of violence at school board meetings will go on. Who will dare to stand up for civility and democracy? Who will want to run for their local school board?
Categories Disruption, Health
Maryland Creates "Shadow" State Education Department, But Why?
In this opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun, Kalman R. Hettleman describes the creation in Maryland of a new state agency that has the same functions as the Maryland State Department of Education and the power to override local control. This agency is supposed to guarantee "accountability," but it's limitless power leaves many unanswered questions.
A bombshell, with uncertain force, is about to land on school reform in Maryland. It's the startup in the next several weeks of the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) created under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. More than any other part of the blueprint, the AIB is a radical experiment in school governance — untested anywhere in the U.S. — with virtually limitless authority to make or break school reform for generations to come.
The AIB's super-muscle comes from its unambiguous power to fully govern public schools. This means it can usurp the functions of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and control local school policies.
As a member of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (known as the Kirwan Commission) that drafted the blueprint, I favored the concept of the AIB. I still do. But I recognized that opponents, though some were overwrought, had a point. The seven-member board, to be appointed by the governor from a list of nine persons just selected by the AIB nominating committee, could actually cause more bureaucracy and less accountability, unless it acts wisely.
Predictably, formidable political groups opposed such a drastic departure from current law and practice. The MSDE board, state superintendent and local school district boards and superintendents argued that they would be micromanaged; in the process, they said, local control — so sacrosanct for so long — would be emasculated.
In addition, Maryland just appointed a State Superintendent with impeccable reform credentials.
Read the article. If you understand why the state is creating a powerful new agency to run its schools, please let me know.
Categories Democracy, Disruption, Education Industry, Maryland
FBI Will Investigate Violent Threats Against Educators and School Boards
October 8, 2021 //
James Harvey, leader of the National Superintendents Roundtable, reported that federal authorities will investigate violent threats made against school personnel and school boards in response to mask mandates. Stories in the Washington Post and elsewhere have demonstrated that some of the groups harassing educators and school boards about masking and "critical race theory" are funded by the Koch Network and other rightwing foundations and are intended to sow chaos and discredit public schools.
AP picks up Roundtable report on superintendents quitting
The Roundtable's report on superintendents' stress amidst the pandemic has received widespread attention. The Associated Press picked up the press release describing the report, which was initially distributed by Cision (PR Newswire). Within 48 hours of the distribution of the press release, Cision estimated that it had been distributed to 84 major outlets with a potential viewing audience of 122 million people.
The outlets included Business Insider and AP, which in turn distributed the release to 963 different outlets, including C-SPAN, CBS News Radio, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Download the report at the link above. By all means share it with your colleagues and via your social media.
NSBA asks the Feds for help
It's unprecedented. In the last week, the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the group that represents school boards and school board members around the country, asked the White House for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats against school boards by citizens incensed about school pandemic policies, such as mask mandates. The association likened the vitriol experienced by some of its members to a form of domestic terrorism.
According to a story filed by Carolyn Thompson of the Associated Press, "The request by the National School Boards Association demonstrates the level of unruliness that has engulfed local education meetings across the country during the pandemic, with board members regularly confronted and threatened by angry protesters."
Justice Department to look into violent threats against school leaders
On October 4, Andrew Ujifusa of Education Week reportedthat the Justice Department agreed to have the FBI examine violent threats against school leaders, including board members and superintendents.
Ujifusa reports that the "FBI will work with federal attorneys, as well as state and local leaders, to discuss strategies for countering threats against teachers, principals, school board members and other educators.""In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice announced plans to create a federal task force to address 'the rise in criminal conduct towards school personnel,' " reported Ujifusa, "as school boards and other educators have faced anger and harassment in response to COVID-19 restrictions and other controversial issues in schools."
Categories Dark Money, Disruption, Koch Brothers
New Hampshire: Rabid Protestors Attack Democracy
It's happening across the nation: Angry anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers are undermining democracy, science, and civil society. They are disrupting school board meetings, town council meetings, any gathering where a loud minority can shout down elected officials.
What's happening in New Hampshire is emblematic of a frightening national trend. Garry Rayno of indepthnh.com writes here about the collapse of civility in the Granite State.
Anyone who follows politics in New Hampshire had to be disturbed by what happened at the Executive Council meeting last week at Saint Anselm College.
To have the workings of government halted by a small group of aggressive and vocal mobsters is new for New Hampshire and a sad day for state government.
The meeting was halted after Department of Health and Human Services employees felt threatened and left the building under State Police escort, not something that has happened in New Hampshire before.
The state has long been known as fiscally conservative, but socially moderate or tolerant. That has changed in recent years, largely over abortion or reproductive rights for women.
But what happened last week is far more than the erosion of the state's moderate views on social issues and that is also apparent in this year's legislative session, when bills passed that never would have in the past.
New Hampshire's political discourse can be heated and passionate, but it has always been essentially civil.
A new group of activists is creating foundational change to the political playing field.
The anarchistic outburst that halted the Executive Council meeting, was not the first and it surely will not be the last.
Traditional political philosophy is not the driving force for Free Staters, Libertarians, Rebuild NH or Liberty 603, individual freedom at all costs is and the consequences are monumental.
The goal of the uproar was ostensibly to prevent the Executive Council from approving $27 million in contracts to expand the state's lagging COVID-19 vaccination programs to protect more people from the virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic and government actions to stop its spread have been the target of the groups, some that even propose the state secede from the union.
This movement does not follow the usual political processes to achieve its goal, but instead uses intimidation, threats and other tactics best described as bullying.
What they want to achieve is minority rule, because the vast majority of the state's citizens do not agree with them.
The insurrectionists have had help along the way, as they have been allowed to drive the "Republican agenda" in the legislature and Gov. Chris Sununu, who was one of their main targets at the council meeting, tried to placate the near anarchists and signed a budget largely dictated by the Free Staters and Libertarians.
What happened at the Executive Council meeting was a significant victory for a couple hundred protesters who achieved far more than stopping the approval of a couple of contracts.
And that is the real problem New Hampshire faces going forward.
With about 50 law enforcement officers at the meeting, a number of particularly vocal, abrasive and threatening activists were allowed to "do their thing" to shut down the meeting and not one was arrested.
The next time there is no reason to stop going a little further and a little further.
Many of the same people picketed Sununu's Newfields home after he instigated a mask mandate, the last one in New England and the first to be rescinded.
Protests at the State House or where a governor is making an appearance are acceptable behavior, but a governor's or senator's or official's home has always been off limits, but not any more.
The anti-maskers planned to disrupt Sununu's outdoor inauguration ceremony in January, but Sununu cancelled the event.
Instead he was sworn in with few present at the State House and gave his inauguration speech remotely.
Several weeks ago, a public hearing on proposed rules for the state's vaccination registry had to be cancelled when the same groups turned out protestors and overflowed a hearing room in Concord.
And last month, they shouted down Republican legislative leaders at a press conference called to criticize President Biden's vaccine mandates. The protesters told GOP leaders they and the governor had not done enough to protect them.
At a press conference after the council meeting Sununu downplayed the council protest and said it was a few unruly aggressive actors who crossed the line and that there was passion on both sides.
That sounded similar to President Trump saying there are good people on both sides after white supremacists' violent protest in Charlottesville that claimed one life and injured many more.
And while Sununu, the Executive Council and state employees had a couple of dozen police to protect them, many school boards and selectmen do not and face the same aggressive behavior and unruly people objecting to whatever the boards decide.
People need to understand what the protesters and some politicians want. They want to stop the state from spending federal money on programs to increase vaccinations to stop the spread of COVID-19.
They do not want to be vaccinated, which is short-sighted in itself as they are willing to infect others for their "personal freedom," and they are trying to stop anyone else from being vaccinated.
It is not enough for them not to be vaccinated, they don't want you to be either and they don't want you to wear a mask.
That is not freedom, that is tyranny. And it is just as tyrannical as they claim Biden's mandates are.
While the state has fallen behind others in the percentage of citizens fully vaccinated, still almost 60 percent of the state's residents are showing at least that many people do not agree with the anti-vaccers and maskers.
What is happening with disruptions like the one at the Executive Council meeting and at school boards around the state is tribalism and not democracy. It is mob rule by intimidation and threats. How civilized is that?
The real target here is not masks and mandates, it is government and their hate for it or anyone they perceive to be telling them what to do.
Please open the link and read the rest of this important article.
Categories Citizenship, Democracy, Disruption, Insane


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McBride & District Public Library
Whistle Stop Gallery
Adventure Weekend
Loggers Bonspiel
RV Heritage Festival
Robson Valley Music Festival
McBride
Air Photos
McBride's Heritage Railway Station
McBride's Scale Model Solar System
McBride Peak
Robson Valley Community Centre-closed until further notice
Robson Valley Recreation Centre-closed until further notice
Koeneman Regional Park
Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Park
Ancient Cedar Forest
Salmon Spawning
Curling-closed until further notice
Hockey-closed until further notice
Skating-closed until further notice
Skiing / Snowshoeing
The Mighty Fraser River
McBride & District Chamber of Commerce
Northern BC Tourism
Village of McBride
Driving Sites
Dome Creek Access Road:
Located about 86km west of McBride. Turn north onto the Dome Creek access road at the Dome Creek Diner. The first 5km of this road is one of the nicest drives through an old-growth cedar/hemlock forest in the Robson Valley. A 4-wheel drive road leads through other very impressive old-growth cedar/hemlock stands beginning at the Dome Creek waste disposal site (the first left (west) off of the Dome Creek access road).
Walker Creek Forest Service Road:
Located about 71km west of McBride leaving Highway 16 to the north. The Walker Creek FSR has been heavily logged but one can still find stands of old-growth cedar/hemlock at 7km and between 10-20km along the road. There are also viewscapes of cedar/hemlock forests reaching up the mountain sides along this road. Watch for grizzly bear on the road and salmon at 22km.
Morkill Forest Service Road:
See Morkill Old-Growth Cedar Trail for directions. The first 25km of the Morkill FSR is an ecologically rich assemblage of old-growth cedar/hemlock, spruce/fir, and deciduous forests with high wildlife values and intact riparian zones. Viewscapes include old-growth cedar/hemlock forest, the Morkill River, and fabulous mountain scenes. Watch for moose, deer, black bear, raptors, and many aquatic species on oxbows and the Morkill River. Mountain goat and grizzly bear can be observed on the slopes to the north beginning at 12km.
Goat River Forest Service Road:
See Boulder Mountain Trail for location of Goat River FSR. Stands of old-growth cedar/hemlock are viewable close to the road between 2-4km and 5-14km. Panoramic viewscapes of old-growth cedar and hemlock are also seen from the road across the Goat River to the north.
West Twin Forest Service Road:
Located on the south side of Highway 16 about 68km west of McBride and 2km west of the Highway 16 bridge over West Twin Creek. The gravel road on the right (south) while heading east on Highway 16 travels through an old-growth cedar/hemlock stand containing large specimens from 2-5km. The West Twin area is a Protected Area Strategy candidate and although it has been 10% logged, it is hoped that with care and time the remaining forest and wildlife populations will reestablish healthy populations. Watch for grizzly bear, black bear, mountain goat, and caribou sign.
Lamco Road East/West:
The Lamco Road old-growth can be accessed from 2 different locations off Highway 16. The Lamco Road forms a horseshoe, crossing the West Twin Creek near the centre of the horseshoe (private property). The western section of the Lamco Road is accessed about 1km west of the West Twin Creek bridge. Large cedar, hemlock, and spruce are found along the road and on short walks into the forest and many species of birds and bats may be seen.
After crossing the West Twin Creek bridge while heading east on Highway 16, the eastern section of the Lamco Road will be the first gravel road on your left (north), about 2km past the bridge. Drive the first 2km of the Lamco Road from Highway 16 to see large cedar and two old-growth streams. An unusually large diversity of tree species are found along this road, accompanied by a large diversity of birds.


This is a preview of a new set of videos about game development topics that don't involve your game itself. I'll be covering things like creating a main menu, level editing and loading, saving player progress and more.
Unity Camera Controls, Part 3: Perspective Camera Zoom - Duration: 12 minutes.
Unity Camera Controls, Part 2: Mouse Controls - Duration: 16 minutes.
Unity Camera Controls, Part 1: Core Functionality - Duration: 43 minutes.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 9: Avoiding Obstacles - Duration: 9 minutes, 44 seconds.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 8: Filtering Neighbors - Duration: 16 minutes.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 7: Keeping Agents on Screen - Duration: 7 minutes, 34 seconds.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 6: Composite Behavior Custom Editor - Duration: 32 minutes.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 5B: Steered Cohesion Behavior - Duration: 6 minutes, 56 seconds.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 5: Composite Behaviors - Duration: 9 minutes, 34 seconds.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 4: Core Flock Behaviors - Duration: 16 minutes.
Flocking Algorithm in Unity, Part 3: Iterating & Finding Neighbors - Duration: 11 minutes.
Better Jumping in Unity With Four Lines of Code - Duration: 12 minutes.
Saving Data in Unity: Custom Binary Files - Duration: 23 minutes.
Rendering a Launch Arc in Unity - Duration: 28 minutes.
Saving Data in Unity: ScriptableObjects - Duration: 23 minutes.
Saving Data in Unity: XML Files - Duration: 42 minutes.
Unity Point-and-Click Game Tutorial: Part 1 Scene Setup - Duration: 18 minutes.
Saving Data in Unity: PlayerPrefs - Duration: 10 minutes.
Procedural Mesh Tutorial, Part 1: Mesh Basics - Duration: 5 minutes, 4 seconds.
Procedural Mesh Tutorial, Part 2: Let's Make a Triangle! - Duration: 9 minutes, 26 seconds.
Unity Quick Tip: Camera Orbit Controls - Duration: 13 minutes.
Unity & MySQL Databases, Part 1: Setting Up - Duration: 17 minutes.
Unity Tutorial: Radial Menu (Part 1) from Board to Bits - Duration: 19 minutes.


Don't Run The Risk Of Being Underinsured?
Are you currently underinsured? "I don't know and why does it even matter?" could be your retort. The fact of the matter is that it's probably not something that keeps you up at night until the day you suffer a break in, at your house, and your insurer kicks up a fuss about paying 100% of your claim. It's at this point that you are going to be kicking yourself for not placing enough emphasis on the issue. But unfortunately, at this point, it's far too late.
Let's paint a quick picture: You are away for the weekend and when you get home on Sunday night you find that your place has been broken into and most of your stuff has been swiped. You are covered, right? So nothing to worry about, these types of things happen, you will just get onto your insurance company first thing in the morning.
08H00 rolls around the next morning and you are on the phone to your insurer. Claim is lodged and the next step involves the insurer sending out a claims assessor to finalize the claim.
The next day the assessor is at your place and having finalized his report, let's the insurer know that he believes your loss is R750 000.
But hold on a second, how much are you insured for in your policy schedule? You scratch around to find the document and the number attached to your household contents sum assured is R375 000. This, however, was the value of your household contents 5 years ago, when you took out your policy.
The value stated in your policy schedule is exactly 50% of what the assessor has determined the loss is. Is your insurer going to pay out the R750 000? No way Jose.
But, is your insurer even going to pay out the R375 000?
Well, the "now" is that you are underinsured and your insurer is going to apply "average". Because you are 50% underinsured, your insurer is only obliged to pay 50% of your claim.
Don't be one of thousands of South African's who underinsure their household contents only to learn the toughest lesson when it comes time to claim. Rather, complete an inventory of your household content (each year), determine an accurate value, make sure you insure your possessions/content for the right value and sleep easy at night.


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One distinguishing feature of primary night is the absence of straight-ticket voting, which is why certain races that seem winnable now simply aren't in the fall. Take Collin County, where straight-ticket ballots favored R's over D's on Election Day 2008 at a rate of 66 to 33 percent. A Democrat "has literally got to be Jesus Christ running against Judas or he loses," an analyst says.
by Reeve Hamilton March 2, 2010 5 AM
Caleb Bryant Miller
Save for the inevitable runoff here and there, voters will be greeted in November by a ballot that will largely take shape tonight. But they'll have an option available to them in the fall that they don't, or didn't, have today: They'll be able to vote the straight ticket — that is, they'll be able to vote for their preferred political party's entire slate of candidates with one punch of a button. Straight-ticket voting is significant because, in the words of Peck Young, the director of Austin Community College's Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, "it kind of decides who wins."
Statewide, straight-ticket voting makes up roughly half of the total — usually a bit more in presidential election years and a bit less in gubernatorial election years. "I would assume that this time, it will be no less than 45 percent and no more than 49," Young says. "That's a huge chunk of the vote." To appreciate how large, ponder this: In 2006, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell came in fourth in the non-straight-ticket vote, or swing vote, but his second-place finish in straight-ticket balloting was enough to pull him up to second place overall.
Historically, Republicans have a slight advantage. In 2008, even with the wind at the backs of the Democrats, straight-ticket voting favored the Republicans 50.28 to 48.99 percent, the smallest margin since the CPPPS began tracking statistics in 1998. The greatest margin was in 2004, when Republicans dominated by a spread of 57-43.
With statewide straight-ticket margins usually close, it's of lesser consequence in gubernatorial contests than it is down ballot. In Travis County in 2008, straight-ticket voting went 64 percent for Democrats, 34 percent for Republicans. "A Republican, if he's going to win in this county, he's got to carry the swing vote by about 75 to 25," Young says. "You've got to be running against Dracula." And in Collin County, where Republicans dominated at a rate of 66 to 33 percent, Young says a Democrat "has literally got to be Jesus Christ running against Judas or he loses."
Use of the straight ticket has been rapidly increasing in urban areas, which provide a majority of the vote. Nine counties — Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Fort Bend, El Paso, Collin, Tarrant and Denton — made up nearly 55 percent of the total statewide vote in 2008. "What you've got is people in these small counties who talk to each other," Young says, "and they care about who the hell the county judge is, and who they sheriff is, and they vote in those races. In urban areas, it's less personal and voters tend to vote brands."
To say that straight-ticket voting has affected Dee Margo's life is, in his words, "probably an understatement." The El Paso Republican, running this year to represent House District 78, blames an overwhelming turnout of Barack Obama supporters for his failed bid for the same seat in 2008. "Everything was predicated on the top of the ticket, and voting straight ticket for only the top of the ticket," he says.
Margo is a strong advocate for doing away with the practice, which is permitted in only 16 states. "Even if you want to vote all one party, I still think you ought to spend the extra 30 or 45 seconds it takes to go down and mark each ballot," he says. "No one party has a corner on the best candidates. Never has, never will."
The last two legislative sessions have seen a small push to eliminate the straight-ticket option. In 2007, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, introduced a bill to do just that and it got nowhere. In 2009, the measure received the support of other prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Wentworth managed to get the bill out of committee, but that's as far as it went. "Especially in Texas — as independent-minded as we are, with the spirit of independence we have in Texas — we ought to be voting for individuals," he says. Yet there are strong institutional forces against change, he says. "Both parties like it. Both parties wanted to keep it. It's not a partisan issue. They both believe that they're advantaged and benefit from the ability of voters to go in and unthinkingly pull the lever for their party."
He's right about their enthusiasm. "We encourage people to do it," says Republican Party of Texas spokesman Bryan Preston. "It helps everyone up and down the ballot, and it helps build the next generation of Republican leadership."
"Straight-ticket voting was a key element of our success in 2006 and 2008 and will continue to be part of the strategy to turn out base Democratic voters this November," says Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Kirsten Gray. "It's evident that Republicans agree our straight-ticket numbers will continue to rise, which is why they tried to change the rules."
Young is surprised that the people making a fuss mostly lean right. "Why would the Republicans want to do away with straight-ticket voting?" he says. "It's been doing them enormous good. The truth is, the Democrats should have been complainging about it."
Young, who was formerly a Democratic strategist, thinks the system's just fine as is. "Doing away with it is, I think, a bad thing, because it ignores modern politics," he says. "Modern politics is about modern advertising." He doesn't buy the line that these are unthinking voters. "Some of the people who vote straight ticket most reliably — I found in one study I did for a client — were literally guys who work for NASA. They weren't voting straight ticket out of ignorance — that was the brand they were in favor of as Republicans."
It's difficult to predict whom straight-ticket voting will favor in November, Young says. "I don't know what will happen to the brand names this time, because of the 'everybody's a jerk' feeling in the country."
For now, the debate continues. Wentworth, who sits on the CPPPS board, says he "probably will" try a third time to kill the option in the next session.
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