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Holidays and sick pay
Andrew Fishleigh
As case law develops in this complex area of employment law, Andrew Fishleigh provides an update on the tricky issues relating to holiday allowances and sick pay.
The calculation of an employee's holiday entitlement and sick pay rights should be straight-forward, but the reality is somewhat different. The statutory legal position is derived from the European Working Time Directive, the UK's implementation of this under the Working Time Regulations and countless cases which have come before the European Court of Justice and the English Courts.
Entitlement to holiday under each set of regulations is decided on different legal bases. For example, there is no requirement to carry forward holiday entitlement under the European Working Time Directive, but there is under the Working Time Regulations.
Many employers are surprised to learn of the potential liabilities which can accrue during a lengthy period of sick leave for a member of staff, but there are steps which can be taken to alleviate the damage.
Andrew Fishleigh answers a number of the most common questions in this troublesome area of employment law.
What happens where a worker falls sick during a holiday?
He or she is entitled to accrued holiday, and the remainder of their holiday would be taken as sick leave.
What happens where a worker goes sick shortly before he or she is due to take leave?
They have the right to take leave at another time as, according tothe European Court, the main purpose of leave is to allow the worker to take holiday and not to recuperate from illness.
Does holiday entitlement accrue during periods of sickness, when leave is not taken?
Yes, if holiday cannot be taken during sickness it must be allowed later. Workers cannot be forced to take holidays during sick leave and they are allowed to choose to take holidays after they return to work. One of the leading cases,Stringer v HM Revenue & Customs,determinedin the European Court of Justice that workers on sick leave have the right to accrued paid holiday while they are off sick, even if for lengthy periods of a year or more.
Is notice of intended holiday needed by the employee?
No notice is required according to the English Court of Appeal in a case called Larner but this decision conflicts with Working Time Regulations so confusion reigns.
For how long can holiday entitlement during sickness be carried over?
The position is not completely clear, but in the absence of contractual policies or collective agreements, it is likely that there is no limit. In practice, under the Working Time Regulations the entitlement to carry over leave may be limited to 12 months.
Can payments in lieu of holiday be made during employment?
This is not allowed, whether in respect of sick or healthy employees, as the purpose of annual leave is to allow the employee time for relaxation away from work.
Does exhaustion of contractual sick pay or statutory sick pay affect holiday entitlement?
No, the holiday entitlement is stand alone and is not affected by exhaustion of those sickness rights.
What happens on termination of employment?
Whether a worker has accrued holiday entitlement or not, untaken holiday leave must be paid at the normal rate of pay calculated on the basis of 260 working days in the year when holiday could be taken and not 365 days.
What happens in the case of long-term sickness over 12 months?
One area of potentially huge liability is the long term absentee worker who seeks payment of untaken holidays on termination, or one who seeks leave rights on return to work. The decided cases have shown that limitation of liability is possible, by operating a policy or collective agreement which caps the carry over to a period in excess of 12 months. A collective agreement limiting carry over to 15 months was allowed by the court, whereas a period of 9 months (less than the 12 months holiday reference period) was not allowed. Limiting a carry over period to (say) 15 or 18 months will prevent a claim for several years' accrued holiday rights in a long term illness absence.
Is there an impact on permanent health insurance (PHI)?
A decision of the European Court of Justice inSchultz – Hoff,giving workers on long term sick leave holiday carry over rights, will also affect employers who have PHI policies in place. This is because under the terms of most policies the lump sum holiday accrued pay will not be covered. So where employees are receiving PHI, employers should take legal advice regarding any early termination (but be careful as to potential claims for breach of contract). Again employers should consider the alternative and potentially easier and cheaper option of capping carry over rights under the terms of a company holiday policy.
The law is not satisfactory at present with areas of uncertainty abounding.
The Government has indicated that the Working Time Regulations will be amended but this may take time and wholesale changes to company handbooks and policies are not recommended in the meantime.


NIV 1 They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. NIV 1 They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.
NIV 1 They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.


It is undeniable that receiving a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be frightening, daunting and sometimes overwhelming for a person. Nevertheless, it is not just the disease severity that can determine the outcome for the person, but also their psychological coping strategies. The notion that our coping strategies can overcome external circumstances is not a new concept. For example, the Greek philosopher Epictetus (A.D. c. 55 – 135) is quoted as saying "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them" as well as "We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them." Whilst there is no doubt that being told you have Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) is scary, it is important to know there are things you can do psychologically to overcome them.
People often talk about the "mind-body" connection but what do they mean by this? What they mean is that the health of your body can affect the health of your mind and vice versa. We know that IBD can increase your risk for impaired mental health because people with IBD are more likely to be anxious or depressed than people without IBD. What is also interesting is that those experiencing psychological stress, anxiety and depression often seem to say that they have flares of their IBD around times of stress. Some scientific literature supports the notion that IBD is more likely to flare around times of stress although it is unclear whether IBD causes the stress or if the stress causes the IBD; some research has shown that stressful life events do not precede flares and so there is a high likelihood they coincide as opposed to stress causing IBD flares. Nevertheless, if a person also has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a functional bowel disorder, on top of their IBD, stress is highly likely to play a role in their bowel symptoms. This is because IBS is known to be linked with stress; of note is that the IBS and IBD combination is not uncommon. The link between IBS and stress suggests that improvements in bowel symptoms from stress reduction are more due to functional improvement in bowel function and less due to reduction of IBD inflammation per se. The other factor to bear in mind is stress can cause us to act in unhealthy ways. For example, stressed people may smoke, eat poorly, and forget to take their medication because they are stressed. It is much easier to behave healthily when there is not chaos going on around us. Therefore stress reduction techniques can be useful because they can help us cut out the behaviours that worsen our IBD (especially medication non-adherence).
It's important to remember that stress is relative to us as individuals. Our ideas of stress differ from one to another and so do our coping mechanisms. Overall, stress reduction will certainly not make IBD worse and may improve the IBD patient's disease journey in some cases. Therefore, stress reduction techniques like yoga, meditation, or even a beach holiday are certainly worth trying!
WHAT EFFECT CAN IBD HAVE ON PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE?
CAN TENSION AND ANXIETY CAUSE IBD?
The short answer to this question is "No." IBD is a physical disease caused by physical processes and it has never been convincingly demonstrated that anxious or depressed people are more likely to be diagnosed with IBD. Nevertheless, having anxiety or depression with your IBD probably does not help with the disease journey once IBD is diagnosed. Therefore, it is best to have depression or anxiety treated if you have one of them with your IBD.
Original generation time 1.1364 seconds.


Date/Culture: Roman, 2nd century CE.
Lucius Valerius Sabinus, son of Lucius, from Flavium Noviodunum; he lived 40 years.
He served 16 years in the Second Praetorian Cohort "Pia Vindex Severiana" of Gaianus.
This inscription is an epitaph of a soldier who served in the Praetorian Guard (the bodyguard of the emperor). It opens with an invocation to the spirits of the dead, the Manes. This text shows an engraver's error at the end of line 1; the Roman number "XI" appears here suggesting that Lucius Valerius died at the age of 11. This cannot be true as the inscription claims that he served in the military for 16 years. The error was likely meant to read "XL" (forty), rather than "XI" (eleven).
Valerius was from Flavium Noviodunum, a town in modern-day Slovenia. He served in the second cohort of the Praetorians. Roman units often had individual names, and this one was named "Pious defender." The term Severiana indicates that the unit was formed under the emperor Septimius Severus who ruled from 193-211 CE. The tomb was dedicated by the deceased's brother Lucius Valerius Victorinus who was also his heir.
The inscription is dated to the late second, early third century CE. It was found near the Via Ostiensis that connected the city of Rome to its port Ostia. Even though Valerius was from the province Pannonia, he was buried in Rome where he had served and died.
H.L. Wilson, "Latin Inscriptions at the Johns Hopkins University III," American Journal of Philology 30 (1909), 153-170, 159-60.


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Lawrence & Holloman is a Canadian black comedy film, directed by Matthew Kowalchuk and released in 2013. Adapted from the theatrical play of the same name by Morris Panych, the film stars Daniel Arnold as Holloman, an unhappy and pessimistic department store credit collector who is preparing to commit suicide when he meets brash salesman Lawrence (Ben Cotton), only for Lawrence to begin experiencing a string of bad luck that tests his eternal optimism.

The cast also includes Katharine Isabelle, Amy Matysio, Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout, Medina Hahn and Christine Willes.

The film premiered at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival, where Kowalchuk won the award for Best BC Emerging Filmmaker, before going into commercial release in 2014.

Critical response
Christine Ziemba of Paste negatively reviewed the film, writing that "Lawrence & Holloman strives for a mixture of the classic odd-coupling Planes, Trains and Automobiles (sadly without as much heart or dynamic performances exemplified by John Candy and Steve Martin) and Waiting for Godot. The existential component derives from the script's source material—a two-hander stage play by Morris Panych—with Arnold and Kowalchuk developing and embellishing grisly scenes that occur offstage in the play for the film version. And, aside from a few daydream/fantasy sequences, Lawrence & Holloman still retains an air of theatricality, which tonally doesn't translate well to the screen. The questions the film posits about fate and destiny and whether they can be changed by disposition are intriguing, but the one-note nature of the leading characters distracts from any subtler, and therefore more rewarding, character development. Mostly played at full tilt, Lawrence's unbridled optimism comes off as more cloying than comical, and Holloman's transformation from suicidal collection agent to sadist is unconvincing."

Janet Smith of The Georgia Straight was more positive, writing that "Like the play, the film is less about what happens—not a lot once the role reversal shifts into gear—and more about questions like: is our happiness directly related to our outlook on life? And more importantly, are stupid people happier? In the final act, the film goes truly dark, getting its closest to creating Panych's stylized, existential world—one more akin to that of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead than to the rest of the movie's deadpan Office Space vibe. For those who like their comedy served nihilistically black, this is where they'll reap the biggest rewards. For those who prefer to keep on the sunny side? Maybe spend your summer day elsewhere."

Awards
The film won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Feature Film at the 15th Canadian Comedy Awards in 2014. The film was also nominated for Best Direction in a Feature (Kowalchuk), Best Writing in a Feature (Kowalchuk, Arnold) and Best Male Performance in a Feature (Cotton).

It received nine Leo Award nominations in 2014, including Best Film, Best Actor (2: Cotton, Arnold), Best Supporting Actress (Isabelle), Best Direction, Best Screenwriting, Best Picture Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Casting.

References

External links

2013 films
2013 comedy films
Canadian black comedy films
Canadian independent films
Films shot in Vancouver
Films set in Vancouver
Films based on Canadian plays
2013 directorial debut films
English-language Canadian films
2010s Canadian films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Action Crime Drama Military/War Mystery Thriller
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities. Rounding out the team are Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective whose instincts in the field are unparalleled and whose quick wit and humorous take on life make him a team favorite; the youthful and energetic forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose sharp mind matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes; Caitlin Todd, an ex-Secret Service Agent; and Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field; Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties. Add to my shows
Sound Off 17x13
After a body is found at an unmanned aerial vehicle testing site, the NCIS team must determine if the death was murder or an accident. Also, Palmer carefully interviews medical examiner assistant candidates.
Flight Plan 17x12
The NCIS team investigates an F-18 crash and the subsequent disappearance of the pilot who operated the aircraft. Also, McGee reluctantly discusses a very personal decision with his teammates.
In the Wind 17x11
Gibbs must face the reality of his actions after he assists Ziva with "the one thing" she said she would need to take care of before returning to her family.
The North Pole 17x10
Gibbs and the team assist Ziva with "the one thing" she said she would need to take care of before returning to her family.
IRL 17x09
The NCIS team investigates a petty officer's murder that was live-streamed on a popular gaming app. Also, Gibbs watches his 11-year-old neighbor, Phineas, when his mom must leave on a last-minute trip.
Musical Chairs 17x08
The NCIS team investigates the murder of a musician in the Navy's most elite band that performs at diplomatic events around the world.
No Vacancy 17x07
While investigating a Marine's murder, the NCIS team uncovers a labyrinth of live-streaming spy cameras hidden in the rooms of a Virginia motel.
Institutionalized 17x06
After a petty officer's son is found murdered at his "welcome home from prison" party, evidence suggests Kasie's lifelong best friend, Dante Brown, is the suspect.
Wide Awake 17x05
NCIS investigates Marine Corporal Laney Alimonte after evidence suggests she murdered her neighbor while being treated for insomnia by a hypnotherapist. Also, Gibbs befriends his new neighbors after the 9-year-old's baseball crashes through his window.
Someone Else's Shoes 17x04
The NCIS team links a bizarre crime scene at Arlington National Cemetery to a string of attacks on homeless veterans. Also, Vance orders McGee, Bishop and Torres to complete hours of evidence garage cleanup duty for withholding information.
Going Mobile 17x03
After the body of a Marine Lieutenant is found hidden under an 18-wheeler, the NCIS team tracks the vehicle's previous locations to pinpoint the crime scene and suspect. Also, Sloane encourages the team to sit down and talk about Ziva's recent reappearance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2018) — Visitors to the Kentucky Arts Council's three-day Kentucky Crafted Market will be treated to the sounds of 19 of the best and most diverse musical acts in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Stage adds a music festival atmosphere to the annual event that features nearly 200 Kentucky Crafted artists during The Market's public hours March 2-4 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. The 19 music acts, hailing from all over the Commonwealth, will perform in the South Wing A Atrium outside the exhibit hall at the Exposition Center. Musicians from the performing groups will sell merchandise and meet fans following their respective performances.
The singing and songwriting duo Heath & Molly, made up of Heath and Molly Eric of Rumsey, are veteran performers on The Kentucky Stage. Molly Eric said she and Heath always return to The Kentucky Stage because the audience is so receptive to new and original music.
As touring and recording musicians, the duo does not often get to listen to other acts, so when they are not on stage at The Market, they enjoy getting to be music fans for a few hours.
American Sign Language interpreters will be provided for all Kentucky Stage performances.
Juggernaut Jug Band, 6 p.m.
Appalatin & Zoe Speaks, 7 p.m.
The Misty Mountain String Band, 3 p.m.
Phourist and the Photons, 5 p.m.
Rick Oldfield & Curnie Lee Wilson Band, 2 p.m.
Small Time Napoleon, 3 p.m.
Heath & Molly, 4 p.m.
March 3, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
March 4, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 purchased online, but access to the Kentucky Stage is free. Seniors, active duty military with identification and state employees with identification will receive a $2 discount at the door. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Tickets for Friday's hours are $5.
For more information on The Kentucky Crafted Market, visit the arts council website.


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HOME / ABOUT / NEWS /
Streamlining the Publication Process with the Magaro Peer Pre-Review Program
by Danielle Gottesman and Kate Bernhardt
Stephen Chaudoin of Harvard's Department of Government, lamenting the traditional academic journal publishing process—which can take years—notes that "you only get so many bites of the apple with journals." But Chaudoin is finding that IQSS's Magaro Peer Pre-Review Program, or PPR, is dramatically changing the calculus by improving papers before they are ever submitted to journals.
Chaudoin first used PPR in 2021 to bridge a gap in the publication process and improve the chances that his research would be disseminated. Within a few short weeks—the amount of time it took to receive his first round of feedback from a wider community of peers outside his immediate network—he quickly came to see the PPR process, as well as the program itself, as "a way to get well-positioned to be published" in a competitive space where "journals are having trouble getting reviewers."
"A review for the journal proper," he said, "has high stakes, [and] a decision has to be made on whether or not to publish. [The reviewers] are understandably more critical and focus on problems associated with publishing immediately." Unlike what Chaudoin had previously experienced with journals, the metrics for the Peer Pre-Review Program, he found, were structured on how to improve the work and retain its strengths, rather than whether it should be greenlit for publication.
"It can take a month alone just for a desk review [from a journal], where you're waiting, not getting your research out there," says Steven Worthington, director of the Data Science Services team and a lead scientist at IQSS. "This dance can take anywhere from two months to a year to get a first set of reviews, then six months to three years for the whole process. If you submit a paper and it takes six months to get feedback, it can take another six for the next round of reviews, versus [with PPR] two weeks and skipped rounds of reviews."
Few submissions, including those from top scholars, are accepted on the first round, and an author typically receives a journal rejection that lacks sufficient clarity on how to make the piece stronger or more apt to reach its intended audience. It may then be offered to another journal, but without thorough commentary from reviewers, the chance for improvement is limited. The developers of PPR saw an opportunity: could connecting scholars with peer reviewers before a paper is in its final form result in better papers, higher publication rates, and superior access to cutting-edge information across and potentially beyond academia?
"I don't think anyone has tried to do this or identified it as something that's missing from the current journal review process" says Steve Worthington. "Researchers want to know, Why go through this process, which adds an extra month to my overall time? The answer has always been: You can pick up on extra feedback in this review that will potentially save you many, many months and give you targeted feedback—even on grants—much earlier; in 30-35 days. The reviews are more constructive, more timely, and they can save you from rewriting essentially whole chunks or whole papers."
Prompt, Comprehensive Feedback
When peer pre-review participant Kosuke Imai joined Harvard as Professor of Government and of Statistics in 2018, he became one of the first researchers to take advantage of the Peer Pre-Review Program, by seeking help on a paper that addressed a subject that was fairly novel to him.
Kosuke Imai
"I wanted to get feedback from those who were more experienced in this subject before I sent the paper out to a journal—really, into the world," he said. Known for his work at Princeton and at Tokyo University, Imai specializes in algorithms as they apply to social science research. He and his team prepared a scientific paper to submit to a scholarly journal for review and, with hope, publication. Imai's goal was to provide a foundation upon which a comprehensive array of researchers could build.
Here is where Imai made use of the PPR Program. Normally, when a paper is sent to a journal, its author regards it as finished—meaning it contains polished, strong arguments and considerable evidence for its conclusions. The journal reviews it, then sends it out for peer review. Reviewers may then get held up by unclear language or data, which usually prompts a paper's return to the journal, followed by a likely rejection to its author(s). The option to make edits, if permitted, typically elicits an entirely new round of reviews, adding considerable time to the process. Professor Imai appreciated the prospect of obtaining prompt, quality input on his work and felt it would stand stronger with the kind of preliminary feedback the PPR program could provide. He set forth eagerly.
"I've used the PPR program five or six times now," says Imai. "Sometimes it only takes one round of comments and suggestions for revisions, but I've also had back-and-forth communication where someone reads a paper's second draft—or additional drafts. The mutual anonymity [makes] it possible for [reviewers] to feel comfortable criticizing the work, and I [get] timely feedback—within a month." With the additional perspective, Imai was able to rethink and revise until it was journal-ready.
Yuhua Wang
Professor of Government Yuhua Wang has used PPR multiple times, from gauging interest in a book manuscript, which he called "invaluable" to his revision process, to obtaining feedback prior to a journal submission. "I suggested some reviewers and got three back. They were helpful, detailed, and provided friendly, deeply constructive feedback. I made changes and resubmitted. For this particular journal," he said, "I am sure that the paper would have been rejected out of hand if I hadn't had [the pre-review]."
Seeing Opportunity in a Challenge
Chase Harrison
Chase Harrison, associate director of the Harvard Program on Survey Research and Senior Preceptor in Survey Methods in Harvard's Department of Government, was part of the IQSS team that created and launched the Peer Pre-Review Program. "Science is based on peer review," says Harrison, "but there's a big time lag between a working draft paper and one that can be published and cited. We wanted to offer faculty feedback that would improve their research."
Harrison and the IQSS team created and implemented the Peer Pre-Review Program to provide eligible scholars with a collaborative—and ideally more direct—route to publication. Since its launch in early 2019, more than 60 Harvard social scientists, from PhD graduates to senior and junior faculty, have benefited from the Peer Pre-Review program, impacting time-to-publication, quality of scientific research, and scholarly productivity—all of which constitute the program's primary objectives.
Steve Worthington feels that with continued momentum, the PPR Program could upend the existing journal model, to the benefit of research worldwide. Academics who have used PPR recognize it as a more linear path to getting published—one they have been seeking for decades—as well as a powerful shift in approach that is poised to influence the larger scientific community.
"Peer pre-reviewers are freer to give broader feedback," Chaudoin finds. "I get the impression that [they] can let themselves be more positive and balanced to say more about what they do and don't like, which is not otherwise the case. If the exact same person wrote [the] review for a top journal, it would likely have a different outcome."
While the program is still young, it has proven its value to the social science community with more than 60 reviews completed for researchers across several disciplines. PPR's unprecedented approach has demonstrated the potential to disrupt, in a critical way, the traditional method of scholarly publication. The advancement of social science lies at the heart of the Peer Pre-Review Program, serving IQSS's core mission of bringing together researchers across disciplines to develop strong, creative solutions to humanity's most challenging issues.
Steve Worthingon
"Researchers are already sending work to friends and colleagues in the field, but if you're early in your career," Worthington adds, "you don't necessarily have that network. [PPR] fills the gap between what senior faculty have and junior faculty do not. There's a huge added-value component, an unvarnished critique that helps put them at less reputational risk. Tenure packages can often rely on top tier publications, and journal reviews could become more like PPR—it's the ideal journal model from a researcher perspective." He adds that the hope is to keep PPR around in perpetuity and eventually see it serve as a pilot for other institutions.
"Every working paper I've got, I would think about sending to PPR," Chaudoin says. "My coauthors are either Harvard graduates, affiliates, or recent PhDs, and they are also on board. I can't think of anything I would change about the peer pre-review process, and my only advice is to use it."
You can find more information on the Alexander and Diviya Magaro Peer Pre-Review Program, including how to participate, at the PPR program page.
New R Package {clarify}: Software for Interpreting and Presenting Statistical Results
Save the Date: 2023 Dataverse Community Meeting
CGA releases Twitter Sentiment Geographical Index (TSGI)
OpenDP Library 0.6 is Now Available
Restructuring the Dataverse UI


Writing product descriptions for thousands of products in your online store is quite daunting, isn't it?
If you are not sure about how to do this yourself, you can get the help of AdZis team to do this for you. All you have to do is to create a staff account (with just product section enabled) for them. AdZis team will take care of the rest.


Tony Reichler was born in Venezuela and made Aliyah to Israsel by himself as part of the Naale"h Program in 2009, when he was only 16 years old. Once he completed his studies and served in the IDF in a significant position as combat soldier, Tony heard about Wings program and decided to join our family.
As part of our program, Tony received career and financial counseling to help him to integrate better in Israel, to fulfill himself and to maximize his potential.
According to Tony, this process allowed him to make a decision to begin studying international relations and he is currently a student at IDC )Interdisciplinary Center( in Herzliya.
Tony made Aliyah, out of his love for Israel and a desire to enlist in the IDF and contribute to the country –values on which he was raised at home. Tony's mother, who has a military career and is an officer with the Venezuelan military, instilled in him a desire to contribute to society, and as we learned from Tony, three months ago she was promoted to a rank of colonel.
"Today is an important day for us, the family, and particularly for mom. Today she becomes colonel in the Venezuelan military. I remember as a boy that you were a young officer full of drive and ambition, and I didn't understand why staying in the base on Saturdays and was missing at home, and I Know today it was to secure our future.


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A Conference of Space Cases
UFO Experts Suggest It's Time to Make Nice With E.T.s
by Greg Kitsock June 2nd, 1995 August 29th, 2020
Dennis Rohatyn, a philosophy professor at the University of San Diego, gets right to the point when he steps up to the podium at a conference titled "When Cosmic Cultures Meet": "P.T. Barnum said that there's a sucker born every minute. Today, he'd change that to nanosecond."
Rohatyn's stance as a skeptic of UFOs and the people who await them made him a curious choice for the conference, which landed at the Sheraton-Washington Hotel from May 26-28. He seems quite comfortable with his attendance, though.
"Since Jesus went among the sinners, why shouldn't I walk among the space cases?" he asks.
The stated mission of the event is to prepare humanity for contact with otherworldly visitors. Rohatyn takes delight in tweaking the true believers who have assembled for otherworldly homage. "I think the whole subject is a symbol and symptom of our angst. It tells us a lot about ourselves, not much about the universe," he says.
The audience endures Rohatyn's ribbing politely, but seems more engaged by Harvard psychiatry professor John Mack, who's drawn raised eyebrows from his colleagues for suggesting that UFO abduction tales be accepted at face value. Based on the accounts of about 100 alleged abductees—many of whom cite sexual molestation by E.T.s—Mack thinks the visitors are trying to create a hybrid human/extraterrestrial race.
Mathematician and author Dave Hunt lets some air out of Mack's balloon when his turn comes. He says it's remarkably presumptuous to think aliens would find earthlings interesting. "I don't even think we would make good pets for them," he sniffs.
As moderator, C.B. Scott Jones remains cosmically neutral. Jones is the president of the Falls Church, Va.-based Human Potential Foundation, which organized the conference. Previously, he worked for six years as special assistant to Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.), whom he says shares an interest in ESP, telepathy, and clairvoyance. Unable to convince the government to fund research into the paranormal, Jones turned to the private sector. Laurance Rockefeller, millionaire philanthropist and brother of Nelson, provided seed money for the foundation. Jones and Rockefeller decided their first big project would be to "see if they could reverse the policy of silence and secrecy on UFOs." Contact with extraterrestrial intelligence will have an impact on society—"8 to 10 on the Richter scale," insists Jones—which is why he wants to get people talking about it.
Altogether, 24 guest speakers show up to mull over the prospects of first contact, from philosophers to anthropologists to lawyers to psychologists to spiritualists. The conversation ricochets from a sober discussion on space law by Smithsonian legal counsel George Robinson to speculation on whether human beings can be reincarnated as space aliens. Unrepresented, however, are astronomers and other space scientists—a conspicuous omission, since these groups would seem to be the vanguard of E.T. research. In 1992, NASA kicked off Project SETI, which uses radio telescopes to scan the heavens for electromagnetic emanations that might be alien messages. Congress cut SETI's funding in 1993, but the program has limped along with private funding. Jones says he invited a number of SETI backers—including popular-science maven Carl Sagan—but they all sent their regrets.
Many of the attendees are unsurprised by the scientific apathy. They believe that mainstream science has missed the boat consistently. "Radio telescopes are a wonderful scenario for conservative scientists," says German UFOlogist Michael Hesemann, who believes the aliens are already among us. He predicts the Fox network will broadcast a filmed autopsy of a UFO pilot sometime this August.
Geobiologist Elisabet Sahtouris tosses forth the idea that UFOs come not from deep space but from other dimensions (she explains there are at least six others besides length, width, depth, and time). Native Andean peoples have known of E.T.s' existence for some time, she alleges. Her protegé, a Peruvian teen-ager named Puma Quispe Singona, says he wanted to re-enact a harvest ceremony to evoke these interdimensional "light beings." Unfortunately, the rite involves the chewing of coca leaves, which are a notoriously difficult item to sneak past Customs. Too bad—a little leafy euphoria might have added some sparkle to the assemblage at the Sheraton.
Zecharia Sitchin, author of the "Earth Chronicles" series, believes the conference should have been retitled "When Cosmic Cultures Met." Stitchin's theory is that 450,000 years ago, aliens touched down in the Persian Gulf and created mankind by merging their gametes with those of our knuckle-scraping hominid ancestors. Sitchin insists he has met the aliens, and they are us.
But the big questions looming over the gathering seems to be: Will the E.T.s be God or the devil? Will they share their technology with us and perhaps bring us spiritual enlightenment, or will they destroy our faith and our culture?
Anthropologist James Moore deduces that any species that develops long-range weapons must also develop altruism or wipe itself out. Advanced aliens, he concludes cautiously, will understand the value of making nice. His vision of alien/earthling interaction suggests the hope for campfire Kumbayas.
Although most every scenario of cosmic interaction gets a turn at the Sheraton, one of the attendees suggests that the reliance on academics leaves the proceedings short on firsthand data. "A lot of people said they would rather have heard more UFO abductees talk," says Maggie McIwaine, a clerk at the Quest Bookshop in Charlottesville, Va. It shouldn't be hard rounding a few up, since according to retired Air Force officer and UFO investigator James Ware, "at least 10 million Americans have been on alien vehicles, whether they know it or not."
Between sessions, I corner Ruth Montgomery, author of Aliens Among Us and numerous other books on the paranormal. If the visitors have such an important message for us, I ask, why reveal it secretly to random housewives and farmers and African medicine men, virtually guaranteeing that these individuals will be treated as lunatics by society-at-large? Why not just land on the Mall and wait for the CNN camera crew to drive up?
"There are a lot of evil and scared people in the world. They'd probably try to shoot them or incarcerate them," she answers calmly. "If they landed on the White House lawn, they would last about five seconds."


Nursery franchise UK Nowhere to be found!
The page in question (well a section of the site) has been optimised for UK, however, as they do have a sister site in the UAE, it mentions those areas too. The pages I have been working on are now ranking reasonably well to say there is a long way to go, but for long tailed keywords NOT including anything to do with the UK.
There are no naughty backlinks with the anchor text to do with the UK, the server is hosted in the UK, it is a .co.uk URL (no geotagging but I would like to know if this is of any use with this type of URL, everything says no, but it cant harm can it?) - is it possible Google due to bad practices in the past have slapped a penalty on the specific keyword area?
One oddity I did notice, you have <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> listed in the page source which i believe should be en_GB for a UK specific website.
Oh thank you for that! I had instructed for code errors to be rectified but this one seems to have slipped the net with them. I will assume however this would not cause the blanket ban on the word UK though should it?
Nope, that wouldn't cause a blanket penalty on the term. Just didn't have the time that ImWaqas had to go over things in-depth but wanted to at least point that out since I had the chance. Take a look at all the things ImWaqas stated to help fix your major site issues.
If I understand it, you are pointing to http://www.kids-academy.co.uk and trying to compare it with http://www.kids-academy.ae/.
You need to work harder on both sites to make them recover real time. Feel free to ask if any question!
Thanks for that! Very detailed and much appreciated.
Manual link removal began last month with little luck (no replies / email bounce backs) disavow was issued at the same time but who knows when that would happen! I know the links are a major issue but it is very much a waiting game.
Good thinking about the UK links, they have spent a lot of time developing the UAE but I am taking the linking strategy slow due to the issues.
Social media is also underway, we have just started the UAE campaign and will be on to the UK next week so, hopefully see some movement there too soon.
There is also a blog on the UK site which is updated usually twice a week, but I feel there are cross issues with that too which I will be looking into. But the fresh content is there weekly.
Nursery franchise UAE was in reference to the .co.uk site which within Google.co.uk is page 1, not for the .ae site which is why I wondered about the initial question.
Seems we are doing all we can so far!
Try to remove manually and disavow which you could't remove! This certainly takes time. Even after removal and disavow, it will take some time to get things going!
Try local UK Links. Starting with Top UK directories like Yell, Yelp & others, you can move to few guest posts possibly! No Money Anchor Text :-) Just a reminder!
Social Media is going to help in big time! Use Hash tags to get real time shares & like of pages!
Ok with content but try to make it more frequent!


Puffy Mattress is a popular supplier and also seller of memory foam mattresses. Under this promotional offer, consumers are enabled to take the mattress house for a 101 evening long FREE test. As the test period runs out unsatisfied customers will be able to return their mattress for a full return.
Apart from being good in quality, mattresses from Puffy are shipped totally free to your door. The Puffy is an internet based shop, and that is why their products come at an affordable cost. Acquiring a Puffy Mattress is as simple as sending out an e-mail.
The Puffy as its discussed on their website is using handcrafted bed mattress. Well, in this age of automation it is quite difficult to locate authentic hand-crafted cushions, as well as that is why our company believe Puffy is a great option. The feature-rich handmade mattresses they are using had tremendous benefits and also a certain side over various other bed mattress which are made via automated processes.
The Puffy Mattress is made to do its job regardless of its host surface area. Speaking you consider anything like level amerisleep financing optionsframes, box springtimes, flexible frameworks, slats or also the flooring. Your cushion is going to generate exact same outcomes until as well as unless you won't make a decision to come up with something from routines like gardens or open rooms.
Another wonderful attribute of their items is the unification of that firm core assistance and also cooling down cloud which makes the cushion qualified for adjusting each factor of your body flawlessly, allowing you neglect you assume that you are on a mattress. As much as the air conditioning mechanism of Puffy' s bed mattress is worried, they have their very own copyrighted innovation recognized as the cooling cloud( tm).
Puffy claims that their amerisleep financing options bed mattress has some one-of-a-kind features which keep sleepers back aligned while dealing with the pressure points by removing them. It refers that better and also audio sleep can bring a really favorable effect on your overall psychological and also physiological health and wellness as well as well-being.
The bears ensure for their bed mattress as long as a customer has it. Well, Puffy' s we can not consider it as good as an orthopedic bed mattress however still, it has a tendency to help you to cope with pressure point related problems as well as undue discomforts.
Much like lots of various other services the Puffy is operating with an effectively developed CSR task. Annually the business spends a certain share of its revenue to get beds for the children in need. They, do it by donating to several youngsters sanctuaries. Thus, preferring Puffy while trying to find a spending plan bed mattress could make you join a really noble cause.
Think it or otherwise, purchasing puffy is as very easy as sending an email. Browse through to their internet site, select a cushion dimension, pay online and also that's all. The procedure of purchasing a bed mattress is not that basic on various other on the internet stores. They have integration with virtually all the significant economic instruments for settlement handling.
Puffy is a self-adjusting cushion, and it will certainly obtain accustomed to your requirements within an hour or two – this includes it an exceptional option for consumers from numerous backgrounds and also age groups.
The Puffy have a strong group of experts active in r & d tasks. Perhaps this is the factor behind that high learning contour this bed mattress manufacturer is adhering to.
Puffy Mattress is a prominent supplier and seller of memory foam bed mattress. Under this promotional deal, consumers are permitted to take the cushion home for a 101 evening long FREE trial. As the trial period runs out dissatisfied consumers will certainly be able to return their mattress for a complete return.
Apart from being good in top quality, cushions from Puffy are delivered free to your door. The Puffy is a net based shop, as well as that is why their items come at a practical cost. Purchasing a Puffy Mattress is as easy as sending an email.
The Puffy as its pointed out on their web site is providing handcrafted cushions. Well, in this age of industrialization it is rather difficult to find authentic handmade cushions, as well as that is why we think Puffy is a great choice. The feature-rich handmade cushions they are supplying had remarkable advantages and a definite side over various other bed mattress which are manufactured with automated procedures.
The Puffy Mattress is created to do its task despite its host surface area. Talking you think about anything like level amerisleep financing optionsframeworks, box springs, adjustable frames, slats or also the flooring. Your bed mattress is mosting likely to create very same outcomes until as well as unless you won't determine ahead up with something from regimens like yards or open rooms.
Another excellent feature of their products is the consolidation of that firm core assistance and cooling cloud which makes the bed mattress qualified for adapting each point of your body completely, letting you neglect you think that you are on a cushion. As far as the air conditioning system of Puffy' s cushions is concerned, they have their very own trademarked modern technology recognized as the cooling cloud( tm).
Puffy insurance claims that their amerisleep financing options bed mattress has some distinct functions which maintain sleepers back aligned while managing the pressure factors by eliminating them. It is a matter of the truth that much better as well as audio sleep can bring a really favorable effect on your overall mental and physical health and wellness and health and wellbeing.
The bears assure for their bed mattress as long as a customer owns it. Well, Puffy' s we can not consider it as great as an orthopedic cushion however still, it has a tendency to assist you to deal with stress point related issues as well as unnecessary discomforts.
Much like numerous various other services the Puffy is operating with a quite possibly developed CSR job. Every year the business invests a specific share of its earnings to buy beds for the kids in demand. They, do it by donating to numerous kids sanctuaries. Therefore, favoring Puffy while looking for a budget bed mattress can make you join a really noble reason.
Think it or not, purchasing puffy is as simple as sending out an email. Visit to their website, choose a mattress dimension, pay online which's all. The process of ordering a mattress is not that straightforward on numerous other online shops. They have integration with practically all the significant monetary tools for settlement handling.
Puffy is a self-adjusting cushion, and it will obtain accustomed to your needs within a hr or so – this showcases it a superb selection for consumers from different backgrounds and also age.
The Puffy have a strong team of experts active in r & d activities. Perhaps this is the reason behind that high knowing contour this bed mattress maker is adhering to.
Puffy Mattress is a renowned supplier amerisleep financing options and also seller of memory foam mattresses. The Puffy is an USA-based business, and all of their items are manufactured right here. Whereas, the foam which they utilize in their products is certified by CertiPUR-US. Those who are not prepared to get then try could choose Puffy' s FREE 101 NIGHT SLEEP TRIAL. Under this promotional deal, consumers are allowed to take the bed mattress residence for a 101 evening long FREE test. As the trial period expires unhappy customers will be able to return their cushion for a complete return.
Apart from being good in top quality, mattresses from Puffy are shipped free to your door. The Puffy is a net based store, as well as that is why their products come at a reasonable price. Purchasing a Puffy Mattress is as basic as sending out an email.
The Puffy as its discussed on their site is supplying handcrafted cushions. Well, in this age of industrialization it is quite tough to find real hand-made bed mattress, and also that is why our team believe Puffy is a great selection. The feature-rich handmade bed mattress they are offering included remarkable benefits and a definite edge over various other mattresses which are manufactured via automated processes.
The Puffy Mattress is created to do its job no matter its host surface. Talking you take into consideration anything like flat amerisleep financing optionsframeworks, box springs, adjustable frameworks, slats or perhaps the flooring. Your bed mattress is mosting likely to generate exact same outcomes up until as well as unless you will not determine to come up with something out of regimens like yards or open areas.
Another terrific function of their products is the consolidation of that firm core support and cooling cloud makings the cushion qualified for adjusting each factor of your body completely, allowing you neglect you assume that you get on a cushion. Regarding the cooling system of Puffy' s cushions is worried, they have their very own copyrighted technology referred to as the air conditioning cloud( tm). The cooling cloud works specifically. On the one hand, it presses heat out of your cushion while on the other hand, its cloud gel layer aids you in maintaining your body temperature at an optimum level.
Puffy cases that their amerisleep financing options bed mattress has some unique functions which maintain sleepers spine aligned while dealing with the stress points by eliminating them. It is a matter of the fact that better and sound rest can bring a really positive impact on your general mental and also physical health as well as health and wellbeing.
The bears assure for their mattress as long as a customer possesses it. Well, Puffy' s we could not consider it as good as an orthopedic bed mattress but still, it often tends to aid you to deal with pressure point related problems and also excessive discomforts.
Simply like lots of various other businesses the Puffy is operating with an extremely well designed CSR job. Therefore, favoring Puffy while looking for a budget plan cushion could make you sign up with a really honorable cause.
Think it or otherwise, purchasing puffy is as easy as sending out an email. Log on to their internet site, choose a mattress dimension, pay online which's all. The process of ordering a bed mattress is not that basic on numerous other on-line stores. Actually, they have assimilation with nearly all the significant monetary instruments for repayment handling.
Puffy is a self-adjusting mattress, and it will get accustomed to your requirements within a hr or two – this includes it a superb option for customers from different backgrounds and also age.
The Puffy have a solid group of professionals active in r & d tasks. Probably this is the reason behind that steep learning contour this cushion manufacturer is following.


Home General How to befool investors – learn from Bahria Town?
How to befool investors – learn from Bahria Town?
Bahria Town is one of the most famous and a mega real estate development entities in Pakistan. Many a times, we have heard different tales of the involvement of Bahria Town in fraudulent practices that sometime seem true. For example, last week, Tahir Majid Khan, a victim of Bahria Town Awami Villa, Rawalpindi, scheme has shared his genuine grievances and the letter of the company that has shattered his dream of having a villa in Bahria Town in Rawalpindi. Tahir Majid Khan had paid many installments during the past 12 years for his Villa Apartment No. 221a, Sector VI, Street 12, (Registration No. 00019), first floor of the said housing scheme.
After making payment of instalments regularly during the past 12 years, he and his family were having dream of shifting to their Villa, but the Customer Support Center, Bahria Complex Phase-8, Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, showed the real face of their company and shattered their customer's hopes and dream through a recent letter, by giving Tahir Majid Khan options to surrender/merger Awami Villa, Rawalpindi.
Interesting to note is that the Bahria Town has clearly admitted in its letter that the company has failed to develop the Awami Villa project due to unavoidable circumstances that delayed its handing over to the owners because of the low price of villa (about 10,50,000/-). Bahria Town says that its management has given two options to the villa owners – option No. 1 _ Awami Villa files can be surrendered against open merger certificate (valid for the period of one year from the date of issuance) at the rate of Rs 15,00,000/- for Premier category and Rs 13,21,000/- for the standard category which can be merged into any project of Bahria Town Islamabad and Rawalpindi including Bahria Enclave, Garden City, Golf City and Phase I-VIII projects against all kinds of charges which are depicted in surcharge report (including extra land, NUC and Boulevard/corner charges, etc).
The Option No. 2 is that the bearer of open merger certificate of Rs 15,00,000/- may opt for one plot of 5-marla in Bahria Town Karachi between April 1 to May 15, 2018, against each merger certificate.
Moreover, Bahria Town says that 100% principal amount has to be paid before surrendering any file/registration of Awami villa except corner/boulevard charges, utility development charges and outstanding surcharge. Bahria Town, however, nowhere mentioned that if any owner of the villa wants to retain his/her Awami Villa, the management would facilitate it.
Now the questions that come in the minds of the investors are that after a lapse of 12 years, why Bahria Town is not willing to handover Awami Villa to their owners. According to experts, the current market of this villa is about Rs 5 million and Bahria Town is just offering Rs 1.5 million and what was the logic of offering bottom-line price to the allottees.
As Bahria Town has failed to fulfill its commitment of delivering Awami Villas to their owners, how could they trust this company anymore for fair deal in their future with this company? This is another important fear that is haunting the owners of the villas. Now where is image and the reputation of Bahria Town that believes in fulfilling the dreams of its customers?
It is no doubt, the company has delayed the completion and handing over of Awami Villas to their owners, but this should not be the excuse to get rid of the owners of Villas by offering them other options at throwaway price. If Chairman of Bahria Town Malik Riaz and the management of this mega real estate development believe in coming up to the expectations of their customers, they must deliver Awami Villas to their owners without using any excuse.
Unattended appeal of Sughra Bibi: Meanwhile, Sughra Bibi, a widow, is also waiting for support and reply from Chairman Bahria Town Malik Riaz and management for unblocking of her plot number BTKP-2972. In her letter to Bahria Town, Sughra Bibi, an uneducated woman and widow as well, purchased residential plot in 2015 measuring 500 square yards in Bahria Town, Karachi. Her plot had been blocked due to non-payment of dues to which she was not aware.
She had written a letter to Bahria Town Chairman and management, requesting them to unblock her plot and given her a chance to pay the outstanding dues. But no one from Bahria Town has bothered yet to respond to her letter. Malik Riaz is a renowned philanthropist and he can exempt the dues of the widow.


text:
Q: Does this JWT implementation prevent XSS and CSRF attacks while still giving me access to payloads? I'm implementing JWT authentication and authorization for my web app and could use some help on identifying holes in my approach. I've seen many approaches that simply say to set the access token as an httpOnly cookie, however, there are claims in my access token that my frontend needs access to. I came up with this approach to solve that.
On login, the user provides a username and password in exchange for a couple of items:

*

*A CSRF token

*The header and signature of the JWT access token

*The payload of the JWT access token

*A JWT refresh token

In my approach, all these items are set as cookies. The JWT refresh token and the header and signature of the JWT access token are all stored at httpOnly, secure cookies. The payload of the JWT access token is just stored as a regular old cookie so that my frontend has access to it (I'm not storing any personal/insecure information in this token).
For example, if my JWT access token is header.payload.signature, then I split my access token into header.signature and payload. These values are stored in their respective cookies.
Come time to make a request that requires authorization, my backend grabs all the JWT access token cookies, puts them back together, and then checks the signature.
Does this approach mitigate XSS and CSRF attacks while still providing secure access to the JWT payload?

A: It doesn't sound like this would work. Fundamentally, anything your code can access, so can attacker code. So, you don't want anything "my frontend has access to". The only combination that gives best coverage, as I see it:

*

*HttpOnly+Secure+SameSite cookies (Mozilla docs)

*Use CSRF tokens to protect POST/PUT/DELETE

*Content Security Policy to guard against injected scripts

Beyond that, simpler is better. Trying to roll a clever solution is recipe for bad things.

A: JWT Token is used for authentication. Its generated and it is stored in the client and when it gets expired new token is issued.
CSRF can be of different types based on session based or request based.
I dont think JWT can replace CSRF,XSS

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Is it the season for iced tea yet? For the last month, I've been brewing over ice again. I love how easy it is. The three Brew Over Ice teas I've tried are Raspberry, Half and Half, and Southern Sweet. Since I've already reviewed the Southern Sweet, let's have a face-off between Raspberry and Half and Half.
I think Celestial Seasonings Sweet Raspberry Iced Tea is very good, but I know others who don't like it at all–my husband for instance. I think it mainly depends on whether you actually like raspberry flavor.
It has just the right amount of sweetness for me and a good amount of raspberry flavor (though I wouldn't mind a touch more). It's not as sweet as Southern Sweet Perfect Iced Tea, which I actually enjoy more on a regular basis.
My husband likes Half & Half Black Tea Lemonade and adds about a teaspoon of sugar to it (or more!). This is my least favorite of the three. I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about it. Maybe it's that it isn't sweet enough, or maybe it tastes a little artificial. Hmm…. I think I'm spoiled by the Black Tea Lemonade at Starbucks which has a much better flavor.
What iced teas have you tried? Or do you ever brew regular tea K-Cups over ice? I want to experiment with Bigelow Green Tea.


text:
Q: Conditional Expectation for Large Population This was another question on my past exam and I'm curious to kmow how to solve it.
Let there be a population of 100,000 and the chance of someone being infected with a certain disease is 0.000001.
Let X be the number of infected people.
Find:
1. E[X] (Equals 1)
2. E[X| One person is observed to be infected]
3. E[X|Two people are observed to be infected]


text:
**To get compliance information for your AWS Config rules**

The following command returns compliance information for each AWS Config rule that is violated by one or more AWS resources::

    aws configservice describe-compliance-by-config-rule --compliance-types NON_COMPLIANT

In the output, the value for each ``CappedCount`` attribute indicates how many resources do not comply with the related rule. For example, the following output indicates that 3 resources do not comply with the rule named ``InstanceTypesAreT2micro``.

Output::

    {
        "ComplianceByConfigRules": [
            {
                "Compliance": {
                    "ComplianceContributorCount": {
                        "CappedCount": 3,
                        "CapExceeded": false
                    },
                    "ComplianceType": "NON_COMPLIANT"
                },
                "ConfigRuleName": "InstanceTypesAreT2micro"
            },
            {
                "Compliance": {
                    "ComplianceContributorCount": {
                        "CappedCount": 10,
                        "CapExceeded": false
                    },
                    "ComplianceType": "NON_COMPLIANT"
                },
                "ConfigRuleName": "RequiredTagsForVolumes"
            }
        ]
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Career Education & Development
Detailed Event Calendar
Personnel Actions Calendar
SRI & ETTC
Bay Atlantic Symphony Featuring Lukáš Vondráček
Galloway, NJ– The Bay Atlantic Symphony will perform selections by Elgar, Grieg and Beethoven at the Stockton University Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18. A "Conversation with the Conductor" will be held in the L-Wing Art Gallery at 1:00 p.m.
Pieces to be performed are: Elgar's Salut d'amour, Grieg—Piano Concerto, Lukáš Vondráček, piano and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
Both "Greeting of Love" by Sir Edward Elgar and Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto concerto were utterances of romantic passion and dreamy lyricism. Queen Elisabeth Competition grand prize winner Lukáš Vondráček is a musical sensation. The dream expands for all humanity in Ludwig van Beethoven's transformation from desolation to triumph in Symphony No. 5.
Tickets are $33 and may be ordered online at stockton.edu/pac or by calling the Box Office at 609-652-9000. The Box Office is open Monday- Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 90 minutes before each performance.
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For patrons with special needs, the theater offers wheelchair accessible seating, large type programs and listening assistive devices. Please identify any needs you may have when making a reservation.
The Stockton Performing Arts Center, the Jersey Shore's Center for the Arts, is located on the campus of Stockton University, on Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway. Just 12 miles west of Atlantic City, the Center is easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway.
Suzé DiPietro
Manager of the Performing Arts Center
Galloway, N.J. 08205
Suzé.DiPietro @Stockton.edu
stockton.edu/pac
Tagged: MusicBay Atlantic SymphonyARHU2018PACPerforming Arts Center


text:
Researching English Bilingual Education
Home » Continuing professional development » Using multilingual approaches
Dr. Stephen Bax.
Edited by Philip Powell-Davies
The three reports published in this volume were commissioned within the research strand of the British Council Access English project.
They were prepared by Dr. Stephen Bax, following visits to Thailand, Indonesia and Korea in November and December 2009, during which the status of English Bilingual Education (EBE) in each country was investigated through a variety of data sources, including documentary data, school and classroom observations, and interviews with a range of stakeholders from the Ministry, schools and elsewhere.
The outcome is an overview of the current situation and a set of recommendations aimed at assisting the British Council and the Ministries of Education in each country in their efforts towards the further development and improvement of EBE initiatives in the region in the coming years.
The reports are part of an ongoing effort to understand rapidly changing situations in a variety of educational and social contexts. It is hoped that they make a small contribution to understanding these contexts better, but it is recognised from the outset that they cannot be fully comprehensive or complete, and will be greatly enhanced by future study and discussion of the issues.
This publication is free to download.
For further information about the Access English project visit www.britishcouncil.org/accessenglish
A B C D E I L M O P R S T U W
Dreams and Realities: Developing Countries and the English Language
English Bilingual Education Symposium: Collection of papers - Access English, Jakarta, June 2009
English language and medium of instruction in basic education in low- and middle-income countries: A British Council perspective
English reconceived: Raising teachers' awareness of English as a 'plurilithic' resource through an online course
Equal opportunity and diversity: The handbook for teachers of English
Identity in foreign language learning and teaching: why listening to our students' and teachers' voices really matters


text:
Q: Jquery / Wordpress "Show more" button static columns I have some content on a wordpress page, the content is static and I have made a grid of 2 columns and 6 rows which is currently showing on the page. I am trying to add a show more button that when clicked will show the next 2 columns in the list, then once its clicked again it will show the next 2 columns etc until there are no more columns.
My current problem is when the page loads it hides all the columns and then start showing one part of the column (e.g firs the flip image, then on second button click the text). I need it show all the data in each column as opposed to one part at a time.
update
https://jsfiddle.net/kenyboy9/4terL5a4/
I am currently using a number of shortcodes to create the columns and display data.
Ignore the $j selector as its part of the theme
Jquery
var itemsCount = 0,
itemsMax = $j('.leaders div').length;
$j('.leaders div').hide();

function showNextItems() {
var pagination = 4;

for (var i = itemsCount; i < (itemsCount + pagination); i++) {
    $j('.leaders div:eq(' + i + ')').show();
}

itemsCount += pagination;

if (itemsCount > itemsMax) {
    $j('#showMore').hide();
}
};

showNextItems();

$j('#showMore').on('click', function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
showNextItems();
});

HTML / WORDPRESS (i have only included 2 columns the rest are duplicates)

William Akerman

Ben Pietch

Bike Mechanic

 CEO Bike Mechanic Inc

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur

james Norton

Mechanic

Director

 CEO Norton Direct

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur

 Show More


text:
Singer Duffy Shares Horrific Story About Being and Raped and Held Captive for Days
Natasha Reda
Natasha Reda Published: February 25, 2020
Victor Fraile, Getty Images
Singer Duffy released a statement revealing the reason for her disappearance from the spotlight in the last decade, bravely sharing a horrific story about being "raped, drugged and held captive" for days.
For years, people have wondered where the Welsh pop star, known for her retro 2008 hit "Mercy," disappeared to. Now, she's finally letting fans know why she took a 10-year hiatus from music. In a lengthy Instagram post, she said she'll be sitting down for a candid interview in the coming weeks to share her story in detail.
"You can only imagine the amount of times I thought about writing this," Duffy began her post. "Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why. A journalist contacted me, he found a way to reach me and I told him everything this past summer. He was kind and it felt so amazing to finally speak."
"The truth is, and please trust me I am okay and safe now, I was raped and drugged and held captive over some days," she revealed. "Of course, I survived. The recovery took time. There's no light way to say it. But I can tell you in the last decade, the thousands and thousands of days I committed to wanting to feel the sunshine in my heart again, the sun does now shine."
Duffy also explained the ways in which the incident catapulted her career and why she didn't break her silence sooner.
"You wonder why I did not choose to use my voice to express my pain? I did not want to show the world the sadness in my eyes," she said. "I asked myself, how can I sing from the heart if it is broken? And slowly it un-broke."
"In the following weeks, I will be posting a spoken interview. If you have any questions I would like to answer them, in the spoken interview, if I can. I have a sacred love and sincere appreciation for your kindness over the years. You have been friends. I want to thank you for that," she concluded her message.
You can read Duffy's Instagram post in full, below:
Celebrities Who Had Scary Encounters With Fans
Source: Singer Duffy Shares Horrific Story About Being and Raped and Held Captive for Days
March For Blood: TSM El Paso & Vitalant Needs Your Help
CDC: Americans Should Prepare For 'Significant Disruption' to Their Lives From the Coronavirus
Casting Call Seeking A Variety of El Paso Actors
Billie Eilish Says She Cares About Justin Bieber 'More Than Anyone in Her Life'
Brides Planned Their Happily Ever After at The EP Bridal Showcase
These Are the Trucks Coming to Monster Jam in El Paso
Ash Wednesday Is This Week – Here's What The Church Says You Should Try To 'Give Up' For Lent
Mike And Tricia 'Technology Be Hard' [VIDEO]
37 Kids From Texas Have Gone Missing This Month


text:
CMH Foundation Executive Director Cowden appointed to 'Supercharge Charity'
Penny Cowden appointed to NANOE's 2018 Board of Governors
Penny Cowden, Executive Director of the Columbia Memorial Hospital Foundation
Washington D.C. – 08/22/2017 –The National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives (NANOE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Penny Cowden to NANOE's prestigious 2018 Board of Governors.
Cowden has been called upon to refine, improve, and strengthen New Guidelines for Tomorrow's Nonprofit (Second Edition) a new set of governing guidelines that supercharge nonprofit capacity-building.
NANOE National Director, Tracy Ebarb, shared, "Penny has joined a working group that will peer-review a new set of capacity-building guidelines rooted in principles of moral agency, stewardship, freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly, ethical practice, and transparency that supercharge charity. Penny is one of society's guardians who use their expertise to ensure everyone experiences a life worth living."
NANOE's Nominations Committee was co-chaired by Bishop Redfern II, Charlotte Berry, Kathleen Robinson & Tracy Ebarb. Nominees were suggested by members of AFP, CFRE, AHP, ASAE, CASE, United Way, National Development Institute, Nonprofit Associations, Industry Associations, and other local and national leaders.
Cowden is the executive director of the Columbia Memorial Hospital Foundation, in Astoria, Oregon. She began her career at Weyerhaeuser Company in marketing, communications and business development where she worked throughout the Northwest until transitioning to healthcare philanthropy in 1993. She has specialized in healthcare philanthropy for over twenty years holding executive positions at major health systems and institutions in Washington, Colorado, Virginia and Arizona.
NANOE is the nation's only unifying legislative body comprised of Governors nominated from all 50 United States who oversee the codification of guidelines that govern sound charitable practice.


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Glaucoma which damages the optic nerve due to increased pressure inside the eye. If left untreated, it can cause blindness. Early detection of glaucoma is crucial. If diagnosed with this condition patients are monitored using laser diagnostic imaging and computerized visual field analysis.
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Binocular vision occurs when each of your eyes forms its own image and transfers these images to the brain. Your brain fuses these two images into one. Healthy binocular vision produces important visual perceptual skills that are part of the normal human vision. For this to work correctly, your eyes must move together, be aligned, and produce the same size and shape of the image. When this does not happen correctly, it is difficult to seeclearly and often causes strain or headaches.
We also conduct a series of tests to assess the ability of your eye muscles. If there is a problem with your eye muscles, our vision therapy program will improve your vision.


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Holiday Movie PSA
No opera opportunities over the holiday, but I did manage to hit up some of the holiday season/Oscar bait offerings. Be advised:
1. Milk - OK. This is just so clearly the only legitimate contender for Best Picture. No, I haven't seen the old baby man Brad Pitt picture yet, but I kind of feel like I can still claim preemptive outrage that it is going to be considered serious competition. I read the Randy Shilts book in high school I think, and couldn't stop thinking about what an amazing big time movie biopic Harvey Milk would make if done properly, and lo these many years later, it has arrived. Milk is a deeply affecting and serious movie about history and politics and ideas and questions directly relevant to the moment, both Prop 8 and the prospects for a broader re-invigoration of a national politics about equality and civil rights (Rick Warren speed bump aside. WTF Obama???).
The depth of Sean Penn's portrayal of Harvey Milk is shocking. He does something infinitely harder than playing a hero or martyr: he demonstrates how people actually make politics out of relationships. How do you even start to figure out how to play that? His death at the end is devastating, not because you're mourning for the movement, but because you've grown so attached to his character.
Moreover, it is just an incredibly well made movie. Gus van Sant is able to totally avoid the usual pitfalls of the biopic that can make such movies feel like plodding chores. Nor does it have that annoying historical sheen. In the phrase of the Variety review, Milk fills "lived in". Also, the documentary footage is impeccably interspersed, used sparingly enough to avoid undermining the new footage.
Reading about it since seeing it, I feel like maybe there is some weird backlash against it (a suspicion compounded by the Golden Globes snubbing). Like it would be too perfect for Hollywood to give a movie about a gay political hero best picture given Prop 8 and Obama triumphalism. If so, that is some BULLSHIT. I have not had strong Best Picture preferences for a few years, but this year it will be a total travesty if the gimmicky Brad Pitt thing or Batman or Nazi Kate Winslet wins instead. Bah.
2. The Wrestler - This is a movie that keeps it real, folks, I mean--for reals real. But, it is important to note that it is not quite a "downer" movie in the way "Dancer in the Dark" was a downer movie. For one, it spends a lot of time creating this truly fascinating (and gross) backstage world of low rent professional wrestling, but not for cheap laughs. Rather it plays like one of those documentaries at once disturbed and intrigued by its subjects but firmly operating under the conceit that theirs is a deep world worth engaging. Second, Mickey Rourke's performance doesn't really allow it to become a downer, because his character is fundamentally good-natured and can take care of himself and never feels like a pawn of some sadistic omnipotent filmmaker, which is quite an achievement considering the scene with the staples. You don't pity him, per se, but sort of join him as he resigns himself to the fact that his luck has run out. So, still a downer, clearly, but as someone who doesn't have a lot of patience for the genre at large, I think this is different and better. He still shouldn't beat out Sean Penn, but I wouldn't be irate if it went down like that.
3. Slumdog Millionaire - As advertised, very satisfying and then some. It ends more neatly and fairytale-ish than it begins, which could be bothersome, but whatever. While the story and assemblage of actors playing the main roles at different ages are enchanting (except for the adult version of the girl, who was bland and too pretty), the Indian setting is the real entertainment, with nicely observed glimpses into slums as well as call centers. Clearly not Milk competition for Best Picture, but I hope it doesn't end up as a sort of Indian "Little Miss Sunshine" for 2008. This is much worthier.
Posted by Alex at 12/29/2008 04:23:00 PM 1 comment:
Tristan Bust
Well THAT was something of a lowpoint in my operagoing career, and on my first attempt to see T n' I live, no less. Serious weak sauce alert.
I spent the first act in the penalty box (thanks Delaware!) which was packed for some reason. Watson sounded nicht gut on the List Hall sound system. Like, actual cringe, muttering "Damn" under my breath, nails on a larynx unpleasant at some points.
I got up to my balc box for Act II and some tourist d-bag sitting in my seat says "What, you're just coming for the second act?" Dick. The good news about Act II was that Watson sounded perfectly fine in person. The bad news was that it was way, way boring. I would have thought Tristan could basically work under any circumstances, but I would have been wrong. It does not work when there is zero chemistry going on among the principals. I mean, when Konig Marke's monologue is the most exciting thing in the show, that's just not cool.
Now, I don't want to totally blame the principals. Watson certainly deserves the gratitude reserved for people willing to cover Wagner. That is some thankless shiz right there. And c'mon...it was the last perf in a run where the conductor was the biggest story, not to mention a Saturday night and snowing. Also, she was up there with Seiffert, who despite his nice sounding voice clearly could not act his way out of a plastic bag. (Exercise: Pretend you have just been run through with a broadsword. Does that make you happy, sad, or the same?)
Also: I know I'm the last person in the universe to get an opinion about this production, but does anyone else feel like the Met picked it up at IKEA? It's all soothing Nordic colors, competing faux wood veneers, modernish lines, and a bit cheap looking. Lest this production get in a show without one flub, you'll be glad to know the lift for the obelisk thing got caught or something when Melot is busting in during Act II and there was this sort of awkward section where no one knew where to look because Marke hadn't arrived from under the stage yet.
I was thinking about maybe not saying this in public, but oh well. I bailed on Act III. I wanted to just forget the whole business and go home and make plane tickets for Voigt/Forbis in Chicago next month. I just didn't want my first time to be like that, and I think we can all agree this was just the tip, right?
One night only...unfortunately the wrong one
Going up to NY to catch the last T u' I of the season tomorrow, but when Dalayman sicks out do I get the luxury cover? Of course not. I get L-dubs. Not like she is bad. But safe to say it is a serious non-event. I dunno. Maybe her Isolde is awesome and no one knows it and I will eat my hat.
Posted by Alex at 12/19/2008 11:32:00 AM 3 comments:


This program teaches participants the skills needed to start their own business.
It provides an excellent foundation for the start-up business owner, as well as the business owner or manager who wants to gain further understanding of some of the essential principles associated with owning and operating a start-up or on-going SME.
Brief list for our experience in capacity building projects related to startups and SME development.


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Bombardier uses VA One, vibro-acoustics simulation software, to simulate structure-borne noise transmission in trains
Vibro-Acoustics
Hybrid FE-SEA analysis is a real leap forward when it comes to acoustical modeling technologies and is likely to set the standard for industrial computational acoustics of large structures for the future. The innovative integration of FE and SEA methods within one model allows the user to solve problems that cannot be addressed by applying SEA or FE methods separately.
Ulf Orrenius
Senior Specialist Acoustics and Vibration/ Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is a global leader in the rail equipment manufacturing and servicing industry and serves a diversified customer base around the world. Its wide range of products includes passenger rail vehicles and total transit systems. It also manufactures locomotives, bogies, propulsion & controls and provides rail control solutions.
Reducing the noise and vibration inside the structure of a modern train to ensure high levels of interior passenger comfort is no easy task and requires detailed knowledge of the transmission paths. Bombardier Transportation decided to use ESI VA One software for their vibro-acoustic analysis.
One of the challenges in controlling the interior noise levels in vehicles like trains is identifying the main noise and vibration transmission paths
Traditionally Finite Elements (FE) and Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) methods are used to simulate the noise and vibration transmission paths in train structures. However, one problem that often arises is that it is not possible to create system level models of the mid and high frequency response of large structures using Finite Elements. SEA is computationally efficient and well suited to creating system level models of the high frequency response. However, creating detailed models of complex junctions and subsystems can sometimes be more difficult. The frequency range for which neither FE nor SEA models are applicable is fairly wide and often critical for practical design issues. Using separate software for different frequency ranges may also result in loss of time and difficult model management.
VA One gives Bombardier accurate predictions across a wider frequency range
The floor of a train provides a good barrier to the transmission of air and structure-borne noise and vibration. Floating floors are often used to reduce interior noise and vibration in rail vehicles. Bombardier therefore focused its initial modeling efforts on the vibration reduction across the floating floor of a double Decker train.
To overcome the modeling challenges, Bombardier chose the "Hybrid FE-SEA" module of VA One in their analysis. This module implements a unique method for rigorously coupling FE and SEA in the same analysis. The method offers enhanced prediction capabilities in terms of widened frequency range coverage and reduced calculation times.
FE and SEA components assembled into a Hybrid FE-SEA model of a double decker end section
The study demonstrated that VA One could accurately predict the transmission of vibration across a floating floor design. It also enabled Bombardier to identify the key physical parameters controlling the transmission across the floor and evaluate different isolation designs.
The next step in the study was to use VA One to create a more detailed system level model of a train structure. The analysis of the floor provided insights into the physical transmission paths and enabled the design of additional noise control treatments to be evaluated by simulation.
Finally, a series of design studies were performed to evaluate the radiation efficiencies of heavily damped floor panels using the Hybrid FE-SEA module of VA One. The results from the analysis compared well with measured test data.
Vibration level of inner floor
The success of Bombardier Transportation and ESI's project can be summed up as follows:
The Hybrid FE-SEA modeling in VA One improves prediction results as it:
Allows more detailed descriptions of complex junctions and components to be included in standard SEA models.
Extends the frequency range covered by simulation.
Enables system level models of large structures to be used for design.
Permits calculation of radiated acoustic power for arbitrarily excited/damped complex structures.
Through the project, Bombardier Transportation validated the results obtained from VA One against test and highlighted the benefits of using a Hybrid FE-SEA modeling approach. The use of VA One early in the design stage helps Bombardier Transportation find optimum design solutions without adding extra cost and weight. Bombardier also uses this method to evaluate noise control measures from aircraft panels produced by the Bombardier Aerospace division.
About Bombardier
With over 52,000 employees across two business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.
For more information about Bombardier
Contact us to replicate this success
About ESI Group
Founded in 1973, ESI Group is a leading innovator in Virtual Prototyping solutions and a global enabler of industrial transformation. Thanks to the company's unique know-how in the physics of materials, it has developed and refined, over the last 45 years, advanced simulation capabilities. Having identified gaps in the traditional approach to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), ESI has introduced a holistic methodology centered on industrial productivity and product performance throughout its entire lifecycle, i.e. Product Performance Lifecycle™, from engineering to manufacturing and in operation.
Present in more than 20 countries, and in major industrial sectors, ESI employs 1200 high level specialists. In 2019, its turnover was 146M€. ESI is headquartered in France and is listed on compartment B of Euronext Paris.
For further information, go to www.esi-group.com.
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I"m Kyle, or for something that will stick with you more, Kylydian. A composer, sound designer and video game lover out of Seattle, Washington. Through my work, I've learned that even though this is technically about me, I need to know about you first.
Do you have no idea how to communicate what you need in music?
Are you worried about having to micromanage music because music people simply don't listen?
Does the idea of pay per minute rates scare you?
Do you want to push boundaries to do something different?
If you answered yes to even one of those questions, read on because our time together is hopefully just beginning.
My philosophy as a composer isn't to work for you, it's to work with you. My job is to make your vision come alive, and sound really good. Oh, and to write some pretty cool music for you along the way.
What makes this difference though? How might I be different? Here's just a few things I do in my spare time to better myself for you.
Write personal projects, exploring my own ideas of music, and refining my art.
Research really good game music, finding out why it works at a philosophical and musical level.
Explain to you my methods, so that regardless who writes your music, you walk away a little bit smarter.
Push ideas to the public about the importance of heightening game music to the next level.
I'm always looking to refine my craft, so we can craft your vision.
A bit of background on myself. Graduating from Central Washington University with one degree in music education and another in classical saxophone, I turned from education to video game music, and haven't looked back. As I was classically trained for roughly 15 years, it wouldn't be a lie to say that classical is my favorite genre to write. But an extensive love and research of both world music and music history allows me to feel just as comfortable scoring sweeping symphonies as I do writing traditional Chinese music, dropping bass, or anything in-between.
I've been a requested composer for video games, concert music, college recitals, and experimental projects. Two of my pieces have been premiered at the NASA (That's the North American Saxophone Alliance…not to be confused with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration…) Region 1 Conference. Clients can vouch for my quick, efficient communication, breadth of music, and helping them to feel comfortable with musical ideas that have a hard time being articulated.
Not enough info? Here's a quick rundown.
Favorite Games: Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Mother 3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Overwatch. Final Fantasy XIV. Kid Icarus Uprising.
Video Game Composers: Koji Kondo. Nobuo Uematsu. Masayoshi Soken. Grant Kirkhope. Gareth Coker.
Classical Composers: David Maslanka. Timothy Mahr. Frederic Chopin. Antonin Dvorak.
Game Soundtracks: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nier Automata. Super Mario Galaxy. Mega Man 2. Final Fantasy XIV.
Game Music: Dire Dire Docks.
Food: Anything with raw fish.
Get all that? Too much?
Games and music are changing. Let's lead the charge together.


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Join us for the May meeting of our free Pet Parent's Group! Each month, different speakers will come in and talk about various topics relevant to pet owners. This month we welcome Dr. Katie Woodley from The Natural Pet Doctor. What is holistic medicine? How can this form of medicine help your pet? We will be diving into what exactly holistic medicine is and what this means for helping your pet live a natural life. Some of the topics we will cover include: What are the differences between Eastern and Western medicine, what is Chinese and western herbal medicine and how can some of the herbal formulas help your pets, acupuncture and its broad use, and finally provide you with some easy treatments you can implement for your pets at home right away to help them thrive in their health naturally! Please join us at our NEW LOCATION in the Shelley Room at Gryphon Games/Purple Cup Cafe in Fort Collins. RSVP is recommended as seating is limited, so reserve your seat today! This event is pet-friendly to well-behaved, leashed dogs. Please no outside food or drink - Purple Cup Cafe will be open to serve you!


A video grab of the incident.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The enthusiasm shown by a traffic cop on duty at Museum Junction in Thiruvananthapuram helped the city police arrest a notorious chain snatcher within hours after he snatched the gold chain of an aged woman on Wednesday.
The accused Sajeev, 28, of Chithra Nagar near Poojapura, allegedly snatched the gold chain off an elderly woman, Parvathy, of Kairal Garden colony at Thirumala on Wednesday around 10.30am. Parvathy was returning home after visiting a temple. The accused approached the women pretending to ask for an address and then snatched her chain and fled on his motorcycle.
The crime was captured by the surveillance cameras in the locality. Soon, the Control Room officials passed the identification details of the accused and the vehicle through a wireless communication system. Traffic cop Biju kumar was on duty at Museum junction when he received the message. He decided to scan the area and found out a motorcycle that shared similar identifications of the accused parked near Kanakakkunnu Palace, around two hours after the snatching was reported. He waited near the motorcycle and detained Sajeev when he returned to take the vehicle. He summoned the cops of Museum police station nearby, who took the accused under custody.
Meanwhile, the shadow cops turned up at the station and identified Sajeev as a habitual offender, who had committed a series of similar snatchings in the recent past. His modus was to target elderly women, who were too weak to resist his attacks. He was then taken to Poojapura police station, where he was arrested.
The police said that the Kairali Garden Residents Association had installed surveillance cameras under Operation Kaval Kannukal, a special initiative of former city police commissioner P Prakash.


Change is good. Especially when it means a great new location.
Happiness is Good for Business. Ours and Yours.
Limbo, Licensing Law, and a Long Rant.
The responsibility for raising the bar in real estate does not fall solely on NAR.
Fair warning. I feel very strongly about this topic, thus the following post reflects my own personal thoughts and feelings on the subject.
It is hard to believe that a year has passed since we put up the first BloomTree Realty sign. In August of last year, we opened our doors with a slate of new ideas for real estate, a lot of passion, and a huge list of goals to accomplish.
We have all heard the old saying; be careful what you wish for because you might actually receive it.
That is, they have joined a brokerage with a so-called 100% split and they have lived happily ever after… right? Now they truly are making as much money as possible and they are in total control of their own destiny… right?