Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare malignant pediatric renal neoplasm with a heterogeneous histological appearance which often results in misdiagnosis. There are no specific immunohistochemical markers which can help in differentiating CCSK from other pediatric renal neoplasms. Recently Cyclin D1 has been investigated as a possible marker in this regard. In this study, we aim to determine the usefulness of Cyclin D1 in differentiating between CCSK and other pediatric renal neoplasms and to compare our results with those of recently published studies.
A total of 48 cases of CCSK, Wilms tumor (WT), renal rhabdoid tumor, mesoblastic nephroma, renal Ewing sarcoma and neuroblastoma were included in the study. All cases were stained with cyclin D1. Extent of Cyclin D1 staining was graded according to percentage of positive tumor cells as diffuse (> 70%), focal (5 to 70%), and negative (< 5%). Intensity of Cyclin D1 staining was graded as strong or 3+, moderate or 2+ and weak or 1 + .
Most or all cases of CCSK, neuroblastoma and renal Ewing sarcoma demonstrated diffuse and strong positivity for Cyclin D1. Most cases of Wilms tumor (epithelial component) also demonstrated diffuse and often strong positivity for Cyclin D1. In most cases of WT, blastemal component was negative.
Cyclin D1 is a sensitive but not specific immunohistochemical marker for CCSK and many other pediatric renal malignant neoplasms as well as for neuroblastoma. Hence, careful examination of histological features is important in reaching an accurate diagnosis in CCSKs. However, Cyclin D1 is very helpful in distinguishing between blastema-rich WT and CCSK.
Clear cell sarcoma of kidney (CCSK) is an uncommon mesenchymal renal tumor of uncertain histogenesis which comprises approximately 3 to 4% of malignant pediatric renal neoplasms. It occurs in young children and mean age at diagnosis is approximately 36 months. It is more common in males (male to female ratio is 2:1), is centered in the renal medulla and is almost always unifocal. It is usually circumscribed but unencapsulated with a tan, soft cut surface and most tumors are quite large in size. On histological examination, classic CCSK is characterized by nests or cords of epithelioid cells with round to oval nuclei. Myxoid pools and thin and regularly branching fibrovascular septa separate the cords of tumor cells [1–6].
However, CCSK is very heterogeneous and diverse in histological appearance and a number of variant histological patterns may be seen. It has a propensity to metastasize to bone, and "bone metastasizing renal tumor of childhood" is one of its synonyms . In the past, its prognosis was poor but since the addition of doxorubicin to chemotherapeutic protocols (previously comprising vincristine and dactinomycin) secondary to the results of the first three National Wilms Tumor Study (NWTS) trials, survival has increased from 20 to 70%. All patients with CCSK, regardless of stage, are now treated with doxorubicin. Brain metastases have now become more common than bone metastases [2, 5, 8, 9]. Approximately 10% of CCSKs demonstrate a rearranging chromosomal translocation i.e. t(10,17) (q22;p13) resulting in YWHAE-FAM22- NUTM2B/E gene fusion which is also seen in high grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. Recently, CCSK has also been shown to consistently demonstrate BCOR gene abnormalities including exon 15 internal tandem duplications and BCOR-CCNB3 gene fusion which distinguish it from other pediatric renal tumors. Metastases can occur as late as ten years after initial diagnosis. Owing to the essential role of doxorubicin in the therapy of CCSK, it is imperative that pathologists identify it accurately. Failure to do so can prevent a child from getting optimal chemotherapy [10–18].
Owing to its marked histological heterogeneity, CCSK can be mimicked by a number of malignant pediatric renal and extrarenal neoplasms including blastema-rich Wilms Tumor (WT), mesoblastic nephroma, neuroblastoma etc. It is often difficult to diagnose CCSK from these tumors on morphology alone [3, 5]. Until recently, there were no specific immunohistochemical markers that reliably distinguished CCSK from other pediatric renal neoplasms . Thus, it was sometimes difficult to diagnose CCSK accurately (in spite of the therapeutic and prognostic importance of an accurate diagnosis). Molecular tests for detecting BCOR gene abnormalities are not available especially in developing countries such as ours. Recently, a number of studies have suggested that immunohistochemical stain Cyclin D1 is useful in distinguishing CCSK from some pediatric renal neoplasms [3, 5, 19]. More importantly, recent studies suggest that BCOR immunohistochemistry appear to be highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of CCSK based on the recently identified BCOR gene abnormalities. BCOR immunohistochemistry appears to be more specific than Cyclin D1 [14, 15].
The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of Cyclin D1 in distinguishing CCSK from other pediatric renal neoplasms and to see whether our findings match those in other recently published studies.
The surgical pathology files of the Section of Histopathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital and cases were submitted from French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children were searched for cases of CCSK, WT (nephroblastoma), renal rhabdoid tumor (RT), congenital mesoblastic nephroma, Ewing sarcoma of kidney as well as retroperitoneal neuroblastoma reported over a ten year period i.e. January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. A total of 48 cases were included in the study. These included 19 cases of CCSK, 9 cases of WT and 4 cases each of renal RT, Mesoblastic nephroma and Ewing sarcoma. In addition, 8 cases of neuroblastoma were also included. Although neuroblastomas are not renal tumors but are retroperitoneal like the former and occur in the same age group as pediatric renal tumors. Due to these features they need to be distinguished from pediatric renal tumor. Hence, they were included in the study.
All cases were reviewed by the two principal authors (NU and ZA). A number of immunohistochemical markers including Vimentin (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antivimentin, clone V9, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Antismooth muscle actin (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antismooth muscle actin, clone 1A4, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), S100 protein (Flex Polyclonal Mouse Anti-S100, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), CD99 (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Anti human CD99, clone V9, clone 12E7,ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), WT1 (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman, Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) protein, clone 6F-H2–7, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Neurofilament (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman neurofilament protein, clone 2F11, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), CD56 (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman CD56, clone 1223C3, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Synaptophysin (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman synaptophysin, clone DAKO SYNAP, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Desmin (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman desmin, clone D33, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Cytokeratin AE1/AE3 (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman cytokeratin, clone AE1/AE3, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark), Epithelial membrane antigen (Flex Monoclonal Mouse Antihuman epithelial membrane antigen, clone E29, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark) were performed in different cases at the time of initial reporting and were reviewed by the authors. Cyclin D1 (Flex Monoclonal Rabbit Antihuman Cyclin D1, clone EP12, ready to use, DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark) was retrospectively performed in all 48 cases. The staining for Cyclin D1 was performed on DAKO automated immunostainer. The antibody was optimized using Ventana DAB detection kit (Ventana Medical Systems) and standard quality control procedures were performed. Cyclin D1 staining was performed following heat induced antigen retrieval using ER2 antigen retrieval buffer. Cases of mantle cell lymphoma were used as positive control. Negative controls were also used. For the purpose of study, extent of Cyclin D1 staining was graded according to percentage of positive tumor cells as diffuse (> 70%), focal (> 5 to 70%) or negative (< 5%); intensity of staining was graded as strong or 3+ (nuclear intensity similar to that of mantle cell lymphoma control), moderate or 2+ (definite nuclear staining weaker than 3+ but easily identifiable at × 40 magnification) and weak or 1+ (nuclear staining identifiable only at high power magnification). This scale for extent and grading was based on that used in two studies published in 2015 [3, 5]. All cyclin D1 stained slides were also reviewed by the two principal authors (NU and ZA). All data was analyzed in SPSS software version 19.
A total of 48 cases were included in the study. These included 19 cases of CCSK, 9 cases of WT and 4 cases each of renal RT, Mesoblastic nephroma and Ewing sarcoma. In addition, 8 cases of neuroblastoma were also included.
Patients with CCSK ranged in ages from 1 to 29 years with means and median age of 5.5 and 3 years respectively. Of the 19 patients, 13 (68.4%) were males while 6 (31.6%) were females. Tumor was located in left and right kidney in 8 cases each. In 3 cases, laterality was not known. Tumor size ranged from 8 cm to 14.5 cm with mean tumor size of 11 cm in greatest dimension.
All 19 cases of CCSK demonstrated reactivity for Cyclin D1. In 13 cases (68.4%), intensity of staining was 3+, in 4 cases (21%), intensity was 2+, while in 2 cases (10.5%), it was 1+. Extent of staining ranged from 5 to 90% with average extent of staining being 54.5% (Fig. 1A,B). Extent of staining was 60% in 11 cases (57.9%), 50% in 3 cases (15.8%) and 90% in 1 case (5.3%). The clinical details as well as details of Cyclin D1 staining intensity and extent as well as details of other immunohistochemical markers are shown in Table 1.
Of the 9 patients with WT, 6 (66.7%) were females, while 3 (33.3%) were males. Ages ranged from 2.5 to 7 years. Mean and median ages were 4.5 and 4 years respectively. In 6 patients (66.7%), tumor was located in the left kidney while in 3 (33.3%), tumor was located in the right kidney. Tumor size was available in 8 out 9 cases and ranged from 7.5 to 17.4 cm in largest dimension with mean tumor size of 11.5 cm.
Out of 9 cases of renal WT, 2 did not show any epithelial component and tumor was composed entirely of blastema and stromal components (biphasic). In these 2 cases, Cyclin D1 was negative in both components in 1 case, and showed weak positivity in blastemal component in the other case. The remaining 7 cases showed strong (3+) positivity in the epithelial component (tubules), while blastemal component was negative in all cases. Extent of staining ranged from 5 to 70%. Average extent of staining was 37.5% (Fig. 2 A,B). The details are shown in Table 2.
Ages of the 4 patients with congenital mesoblastic nephroma ranged from 15 days to 2 months. Out of 4 patients, 3 (75%) were males while 1 (25%) was female. Tumor was located in right kidney in 3 cases (75%) and left kidney in 1 case (25%). Tumor size ranged from 7 to 9 cm with mean size of 8 cm in largest dimension.
Out of 4 cases of congenital mesoblastic nephroma, 3 were cellular type and 1 was of mixed type and all demonstrated reactivity for Cyclin D1. Intensity of staining was 3+ in all 4 cases. Extent of staining ranged from 10 to 50% and average extent of Cyclin D1 staining was 30% (Fig. 2C, D). Anti-smooth muscle actin was performed in in 3 cases and was positive in all 3 cases.
Patients with renal RT ranged from 1 year to 14 years in age with mean and median age of 4 and 1.5 years respectively. Of the 4 patients, 3 (75%) were males and 1 (25%) was female. Tumor was located in left kidney in 2 cases (66.7%) and in right kidney in 1 case (33.3%). Tumor laterality was not known in 3 cases. Tumor size ranged from 7 cm to 9 cm in maximum dimension. Mean tumor size was 7.5 cm.
Out of 4 cases of renal RT, 3 (75%) demonstrated reactivity for Cyclin D1, intensity of staining was 2+ in all 3 cases while extent of staining ranged from 10 to 30%. Average extent of staining was 20%. Vimentin was positive in all 4 cases. EMA was performed in 3 cases and was positive in all 3. All 4 cases showed loss of INI 1.
The ages of 4 patients with renal Ewing sarcoma ranged from 2 to 36 years with mean and median age of 20 and 35 years respectively. Of the 4 patients, 2(50%) were males and 2 (50%) were females. Of the 4 cases, 3 were located in the right kidney (75%) while 1 (25%) was located in the left kidney (25%). Tumor size ranged from 2.5 to 17 cm in largest dimension. Mean tumor size was 11.7 cm.
Out of the 4 cases of renal Ewing sarcoma, 3 (75%) demonstrated staining for Cyclin D1. Of these 3 cases, intensity of staining was 3+ in 2 cases (66.7%) and 2+ in 1 case (33.3%). Extent of staining ranged from 10 to 30%. Average extent of Cyclin D1 staining was 16.7% (Fig. 3A,B). CD99 was positive in all 4 cases.
We also included 8 cases of neurobastomas in our study. These 8 patients ranged from 0.9 to 25 years in age. Mean and median ages were 9 and 6 years respectively. Of the 8 patients, 5 (62.5%) were females while 3 (37.5%) were males.
Out of 8 cases of neuroblastoma in our series, 8(88.9%) demonstrated intense 3+ reactivity for Cyclin D1. Extent of Cyclin D1 staining ranged from 5 to 70%. Average extent of staining was 37.5% (Fig. 3 C, D). The details of Cyclin D1 staining are shown in Table 3.
All 19 cases of CCSK in our study demonstrated positivity for Cyclin D1 which was very intense (3+) in over 68% of cases and moderately intense (2+) in 21%. Thus over 89% cases showed moderate to marked intensity. Average extent of staining was almost 55%. These findings were indicative of diffuse and strong nuclear positivity for Cyclin D1 in the large majority of CCSK and were similar to the findings in other recent studies by Aw et al. (3) and Mirkovic et al.  which also showed moderate to severely intense diffuse positivity for Cyclin D1 in 7 out of 8 cases and all 14 cases respectively. These results demonstrate that Cyclin D1 is a very sensitive marker for CCSK.
All 4 cases of congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) in our study showed markedly intense (3+) focal to diffuse staining for Cyclin D1. All 11 cases of CMN in Mirkovic et al's study showed focal (4 cases) to diffuse (17 cases) moderate to severely intense Cyclin D1 staining . This shows that Cyclin D1 is not useful in distinguishing between CCSK and CMN. CMN has distinct morphologic features with uniform fascicles of spindle cells that help in differentiating it from CCSK . Molecular methods can also help (the cellular form of CMN can mimic CCSK morphologically but its distinct translocation can be identified by PCR) .
Similarly, 7 out of 9 cases of WT in our study demonstrated intense 3+ staining for Cyclin D1 in their epithelial component with average extent of staining of almost 40%. All 4 cases of NB in Mirkovic et al.'s study also demonstrated diffuse moderate to strong nuclear staining for Cyclin D1 . Thus, Cyclin D1 is verye useful in distinguishing between CCSK and WT in cases in which blastema predominates (blastema-rich WT), as Cyclin D1 will highlight the epithelial component. Since the prognosis and therapy of CCSK and WT are different, it is important to distinguish between the two and incidentally the most difficult morphologic distinction in the differential diagnosis of CCSK is blastema-rich WT .
Of the 4 cases of renal Ewing sarcoma in our series, 3 (75%) demonstrated focal to diffuse staining for Cyclin D1 which was very intense in 2 cases. All 5 cases of renal Ewing sarcoma in the study by Mirkovic et al.  showed focal (1 case) to diffuse (4 cases) staining of variable intensity for Cyclin D1. Thus Cyclin D1 cannot reliably distinguish between CCSK and Ewing sarcoma. The latter however has a distinct morphologic appearance and a specific translocation i.e. t(11,22) seen in about 85% of cases which can help in distinguishing it from CCSK .
Of the 4 cases of renal RT in our study, 3 (75%) showed moderately intense staining for Cyclin D1 which ranged in extent from 10 to 50% with average extent of staining of 30%. This finding is in contrast to the results in the study by Mirkovic et al. . Of the 4 cases of RT in their study, 2 were negative, while the other 2 showed focal sparse nuclear staining for Cyclin D1. Both Mirkovic et al.  and Aw et al.  believe that Cyclin D1 is useful in differentiating CCSK from renal RT but our findings indicate otherwise. However, number of cases of renal RT in our study was very small to derive any definite conclusions. In equivocal cases, the loss of nuclear positivity for INI 1 immunohistochemical marker in RT can be helpful in differentiating it from CCSK . All 4 cases of RT in our study showed loss of INI 1.
All 8 cases of neuroblastoma in our study demonstrated intense 3+ staining for Cyclin D1 which ranged in extent from as low as 5% to as high as 90%. In fact, 6 out of 8 cases (75%) showed diffuse 3+ positivity which ranged in extent between 70 and 90%. This finding is similar to the findings by Mirkovic et al.  and Aw et al.  and confirms their results that Cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry cannot be used to reliably distinguish CCSK from Neuroblastoma.
As discussed by both Mirkovic et al.  and Aw et al. , Cyclin D1 is negative or shows only rare or sparse nuclear positivity in the diffuse blastematous and stromal components of WT while epithelial component may show strong and diffuse nuclear positivity or may even be negative. In our study, 7 out of 9 cases of WT demonstrated intense (3+) Cyclin D1 positivity in the epithelial component and extent of staining averaged around 40%. Cyclin D1 is thus helpful in differentiating CCSK from blastema-dominant WT which mimics CCSK morphologically. Although Cyclin D1 is positive in both CCSK and the epithelial component of WT, the two can usually be differentiated from each other by their morphological features which are distinct. Thus our findings, in relation to Cyclin D1 positivity in WT were similar.
Cyclin D1 is a sensitive but not specific immunohistochemical marker for CCSK and many other pediatric renal malignant neoplasms as well as for neuroblastoma. Hence, careful examination of histological features is important in reaching an accurate diagnosis in CCSKs. Cyclin D1 however is very helpful in distinguishing between CCSK and blastema-rich WT which is arguably the most difficult morphologic distinction in the differential diagnosis of CCSK. Our results were similar to two other recently published studies [3, 5]. However, the small number of cases is a limitation of our study. Larger studies are recommended in order to verify and validate these results.
NU and ZA performed the histological and immunohistochemical evaluation, literature review and drafted the manuscript; KM and AA helped to collect data; JA-B participated with the corresponding, reviewing, editing the drafted manuscript as per journal policy, and submission of the article. All authors participated in the design of the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
It is declared that all authors have no conflict of interest.
All procedures performed on patient tumor samples in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institute Ethics Committee of Aga Khan University and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.


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« A Guide to Introduced Measures and Other Markups
"Accomplishments" in Congress »
A Guide to Voting on the House Floor
There are four types of votes that occur in the House of Representatives. They are voice, division, yea and nay, and record votes. A voice vote refers to members calling out 'yea' or 'nay' whenever a question is put in the House. The Speaker will determine the outcome of the vote by the volume of each response. In some instances, the Speaker can say a variation on a voice vote, which means that the question is adopted.
photo credit: Jens Rost
A division vote may be demanded by any member after a voice vote has been taken. First, the members in favor will stand and be counted. Next, those opposed will stand and be counted. A division vote will show only vote total and will not provide a record of how individual members voted on the question.
Under automatic yea and nay votes, a member may choose to "object on the ground that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present." The actual vote can then be determined for the presence of a quorum as well as the outcome of that particular pending question.
A record vote will be taken if 1/5 of quorum, which is 44 members, stand and support the request. Just as in the case with a yea and nay vote, a record vote will be taken by the electronic voting system.
Both voice votes and division votes will be taken in the Committee of the Whole. In order to obtain a record vote, 25 members must support the request of a member for a record vote. If there are fewer than 100 members present, which is the minimum number required for a quorum of the Committee of the Whole, a member may choose to demand a record vote.
The minimum amount of time for a record vote or quorum call is 15 minutes. This applies to both the House and the Committee of the Whole. The Speaker does have the authority to postpone and then cluster certain votes as well as to reduce the time to five minutes after an initial 15 minute vote. Cluster voting allows for sequential recorded votes on a series of measures or amendments that the House has completed debating at an earlier time. The Speaker retains the option of reducing the minimum amount of time for the second and subsequent votes in series of five minutes each.
To learn more about how Congress works, consider these courses sponsored by TheCapitol.Net: Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process, Advanced Legislative Strategies, or Capitol Hill Workshop.
Reference: Congressional Deskbook, by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider, Section 8.130 House Floor: Voting
For detailed information about the legislative process, see these resources from TheCapitol.Net:
Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider
Live courses in Washington, DC:
Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress
Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process
Advanced Legislative Strategies
Capitol Hill Workshop
Capitol Learning Audio Courses:
Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking, A Nine Course Series
Congressional Committees and Party Leadership: Who Controls the Congressional Agenda
House Rules Committee: Gatekeeper to the Floor
Understanding the Path of Legislation
Guide to Scheduling and Privilege on the House Floor
Congressional Operations Briefing and Seminar: Capitol Hill Workshop – How Congress Works, in Washington, DC
Appointment and Confirmation of Federal Judges
Differences between the House and the Senate
Congress: Informal Groups, Caucuses, and Congressional Member Organizations (CMO)
Tags: Cluster voting, Committee of the Whole, congressional deskbook, division vote, House, House of Representatives, quorum, record vote, Voice Vote, yea and nay, yeas and nays
Posted 2011/03/01, 5:57 am · Category: Government

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - Senior 1B Trey Croom helped lead the NC Wesleyan Baseball team to a conference series win over Greensboro College 7-2 in Rocky Mount Sunday.
He crushed a third inning three-run home run to left field to give the Bishops a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish. It was his 2nd home run of the season and of the week as he finished 2 for 4 on the day.
DH Jackson Murray drove in the next run for the Bishops in the 5th on an error by the Pride to give Wesleyan a 4-1 lead while senior CF Cedrick Kornegay then increased the advantage to four runs with his sacrifice fly in the 6th. Senior catcher Brandon Wheat then followed that with an RBI single to make it 6-1.
Wesleyan would finish their scoring with another RBI single, this time from senior LF Logan Andrews in the 7th inning. Wesleyan had four players with multi-hit games as part of their 13-hit attack including a 3 for 5 day from junior 2B Brad Pennington while Wheat, Croom, and Andrews all recorded two hits apiece. Kornegay and Andrews also hit doubles as well on the day.
Sophomore pitcher Drew Tubb led the Bishops on the mound as he threw 5 and 1/3 innings allowing just one run on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts to get the win improving to 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA. Sophomore reliever KEvin Williams also threw 2 and 2/3 innings in solid relief of Tubb allowing just 2 hits and one run with 2 Ks while senior Nate Gardner also pitched a scoreless ninth.
NC Wesleyan improves to 12-6 overall and 5-3 in the conference with the series win while Greensboro falls to 3-11 and 3-5 in the conference.
The Bishops return to action on Tuesday afternoon at Noon to host non-conference foe Maine-Presque Isle in a weekday doubleheader.


New research released today shows the traditional Australian dream of home ownership is becoming harder to achieve and Australians are having to evolve their expectations and their approach to adapt.
Mortgage Choice and CoreData's new Evolving Great Australian Dream 2018 whitepaper reveals 86.2% of Australians say it is increasingly difficult for people to achieve the traditional Australian dream of buying a free-standing house.
The study also reveals a deep cultural connection to property and financial security, however nine in 10 prospective buyers said they feel it's hard to get into the property market due to high property prices.
Affordability continues to be the key trigger for purchase. As such, Australians are adjusting their expectations, with seven in 10 Australians believing there is a need to reimagine a 'new' Australian dream that is more in line with reality.
Susan Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Mortgage Choice said, "Owning a property has long been a cornerstone of the Great Australian Dream. However, with the growth in house prices, especially in metropolitan areas, the dream is evolving to encompass options beyond the traditional freestanding home on a quarter-acre block".
This year we saw shifting attitudes toward living in apartments, with 62% Australians saying an apartment doesn't carry the same sense of home and permanency as a free-standing house (versus 75% in 2017).
"Over the last few years, we have seen a surge in the number of people embracing apartment living, especially in metro centres where significant lifestyle upgrades such as pools and gyms are on offer," said Ms Mitchell.
"But while many Australians are happy with apartment living, the data continues to suggest others are only choosing apartments because they believe they can't yet afford the traditional dream of a free-standing home".
The whitepaper also revealed Australians are willing to compromise, with 89% saying they would move to a more affordable suburb; or move to a smaller property (77%).
Other ways Australians say they are securing property is by paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (31%) and enlisting a guarantor (5%) for their home loan.
Ms Mitchell said the biggest hurdle home buyers face is saving a sufficient deposit that amounts to 20% of the purchase price, and this has been made even harder by strong property prices, which have outpaced wage growth over recent years.
"To put the challenge into perspective, today Australians need to save and sacrifice for many years to put down a deposit of $100,000 to secure a median priced home valued at $556,384. Not to mention the additional costs typically associated with property purchase such as stamp duty and legal fees".
For buyers with less than a 20% deposit, the whitepaper provides insights on purchasing strategies such as Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) or engaging a guarantor.
"LMI is a fairly small expense in the overall cost of purchasing a home and it does have the benefit of helping a buyer purchase a home with a smaller deposit, thereby allowing them to get onto the property ladder sooner rather than later.
"The whitepaper also reveals that some (4.9%) purchasers are successfully engaging guarantors to purchase. Bucking the trend are home buyers aged 29 years and below, of which 21.8% had someone go guarantor on their mortgage," said Ms Mitchell.
Our study also asked Australians about the impact of rising interest rates predicted for 2019.
"While the official cash rate has remained on hold for almost two years, borrowers and prospective buyers should not take the current low-rate environment for granted.
"The RBA may have the official cash rate on hold but we are increasingly seeing lenders make small out of cycle rate increases due to a mix of factors including wholesale funding costs, macroprudential regulation changes and tightened lending policies".
In fact, the whitepaper revealed that 28% of Australians saw a mortgage broker first when they purchased a home or investment property (up from 16% in 2017).
Younger Australians increased foot traffic to brokers by 30% this year with 44% of 25-45 year olds consulting a mortgage broker first when buying a property.
"In an increasingly complex lending environment, more home buyers are seeking the expertise of professional mortgage brokers first when they purchase a home or investment property, and this is likely to grow," Ms Mitchell concluded.


I always have a great time at WLTX! Thanks for joining us this morning to chat about packing kids lunch and making over the lunch box! Below are a few of the tips I shared and the products I love to make lunch time fun. They are affiliate links. Doesn't change your price one bit and helps fund my coffee habit.
Pick an evening or two each week to cut up all your produce and divide food into lunch size portions.
Instead of 2-3 big things, try offering 5-7 smaller servings and mixing it up. Two baby carrot sticks is still a few bites of vegetables.
YUMBOX (Neptune Blue) Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids – I love the YumBox Bento Lunch Box for the smaller serving sizes, cooler stickers for each food group, and lid that seals it all in nice and snuck.
Fit & Fresh Lunch on the Go Set with Ice Pack, 3 Reusable Portion Control Containers, BPA-Free, Microwave/Dishwasher Safe Lunch Box – The Fit & Fresh Lunch on the Go Set is great for slightly larger serving sizes and sandwiches.
And the great feature to the Fit & Fresh products are the snap in ice packs that fit snuggly in the lids of many containers, including their version of the kid's bento box. Extra bonus points that you can purchase extra to keep in the freezer.
What's your favorite lunch box and lunch packing tip?
3 Simple Words: Daily. Meals. Plan.


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Video Music Awards 2008
To read the 2008 Video Music Awards recap, click on the following link:
https://espot.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/2008-mtv-video-music-awards-recap/
New York, NY – "And the MoonMan goes to!!!" Well, we don't know that yet but on Sunday, September 7th a few names you may hear when envelopes are opened and winners revealed are Britney, Mariah, Rihanna, Usher, Chris or Katy. Beginning on Friday, July 18th, MTV viewers began their contribution to the 2008 Video Music Awards by helping to decide this year's nominees for "Best Female Video" and Best Male Video" guaranteed to create an award show with the music they want to hear and see. As previously announced, MTV's 25th annual Video Music Awards will be hosted by comedian/actor Russell Brand and will air live and only one time in its original incarnation, on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 9PM (Live ET/Tape Delayed PT). Host, presenters and additional performers will be announced at a later date.
Artists nominated for the coveted MoonMan in the "Best Female Video" category include Britney Spears for her video "Piece of Me." Other talented ladies nominated in the "Best Female Video" category include the always fabulous diva Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Jordin Sparks and talented "girl kissing" newcomer Katy Perry. And now for the men…nominees for "Best Male Video" are Usher, Chris Brown, Flo Rida, T.I.. and Lil Wayne. Each Friday night at 8pm ET/PT on "FNMTV," two new categories will be announced and open for viewers to vote for their favorite artists and videos at vma.mtv.com or from their Verizon Wireless mobile phone by texting the name of the artist to 23882. Categories currently open for viewers voting are "Best Hip Hop Video and "Best Pop Video."
AND THE NOMINEES ARE…
BEST FEMALE VIDEO:
Britney Spears – "Piece of Me"
"Piece of Me"
Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Jordin Sparks – "No Air"
Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown
19/Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Chris Robinson
Katy Perry – "I Kissed A Girl"
Director: Kinga Burza
Mariah Carey – "Touch My Body"
"Touch My Body"
E=MC^2
Island Def Jam Music Group
Director: Brett Ratner
Rihanna – "Take a Bow"
"Take A Bow"
A Good Girl Gone Bad
SRP/Def Jam
Director: Anthony Mandler
BEST MALE VIDEO:
Lil Wayne – "Lollipop"
Lil Wayne featuring Static
Tha Carter III
Cash Money Records/Universal Motown
Director: Gil Green/D. Carter
Chris Brown – "With You"
Jive Records/Zomba
Director: Erik White/Chris Brown
Usher – "Love In This Club"
Usher featuring Young Jeezy
"Love In This Club"
Here I Stand
LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group
Director: The Brothers Strause
T.I. – "No Matter What"
"No Matter What"
Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records
Director: Self/James Lopez
Flo Rida – "Low"
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
Step Up 2 The Streets Original Soundtrack/ Mail On Sunday
Poe Boy Ent./Atlantic Records
Director: Bernard Gourley
Russell Brand has emerged as a genuine star of the silver screen. Making his feature film debut in 'Penelope' with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, and then onto the contemporary Ealing caper 'St Trinian's', and this year won rave reviews for his scene-stealing performances in Judd Apatow's 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. Apatow has cast him to play opposite Jonah Hill in his next feature 'Getting Him to the Greek,' filming in early 2009.
Official sponsors of "2008 VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS" are GM, Pepsi, TAG Body Spray, Taco Bell, Rhapsody and Verizon Wireless.
This year one lucky viewer will get the chance of a lifetime trip by joining "Do Good. Go to the VMAs." Think.MTV.com, MTV's online community for youth activism, is hooking up one young activist and shipping them off to Los Angeles to attend the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards alongside the biggest stars in the industry. From July 24th through August 22nd, all Think.MTV.com members who join the "Do Good. Go to the VMAs" group, at http://think.mtv.com/Groups/DoGoodGoToTheVMAs/, can enter to win two tickets to the VMAs on September 7, 2008 along with travel and hotel accommodations when MTV takes over Los Angeles for this year's show.
Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer, for the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards." Dave Sirulnick is Executive Producer. Chris Choun/Ish Entertainment is Co-Executive Producer. Jane Mun is Producer. Amy Doyle, Joanna Bomberg and Robin Katz are Music Talent Executives. Robin Reinhardt-Locke is Celebrity Talent Executive. Garrett English is Executive in Charge of Production.
Telescope is the Official Business Advisor of the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards" Nominee Voting period.
Click on photo to watch Pink help Pete Wentz announce this years 2008 VMAs Nominees for "Best Female Video."
FNMTV VMAs Nominees Voting Page: vma.mtv.com
MTV Press Center: www.mtvpress.com
Pete Wentz Announces "Best Male Video" Nominees: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1591550&vid=260859
Pink Announces "Best Female Video" Nominees:
2008 VMA Logo: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1591550&vid=260868
http://mtvpress.com/img/releases_downloadable_art/VMA08_logo_horizontal_ver2.jpg
from → Award Shows, MTV, MTV Video Music Awards, Music, Press Release, Video
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I'm Appearing With Rosemary's Baby Tomorrow Night!
He's all grown up now and working for the Tea Party.
I mean the movie, that classic 1968 Polanski horror fest starring Mia Farrow as the unwitting recipient of the devil seed from hell, thanks to being neighbors with that cute little Satan shill Ruthie Gordon.
Drag queen Hedda Lettuce is presenting the film at the Chelsea Clearview tomorrow night at 7 p.m., and as part of the ominous proceedings, I'll be on hand to be interviewed onstage by Ms. Lettuce and hawk my book one more time.
I guess Fork on the Left … is my very own devil's spawn.


As Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston left Fiji on Sunday, thousands of families were braced for the after effects, including searching for loved ones, returning to and in some cases rebuilding their homes and beginning the huge task of clean up and reconstruction.
The most devastating natural disaster to hit Fiji in recorded history left no one untouched. All parts of the country experienced strong winds, tidal surges, flooding, power cuts and/or water cuts. Everywhere, children were among the most vulnerable and affected.
UNICEF spoke to children and their families across the country to understand the impact of the Cyclone on their lives.
Lote's nephew was one of many Queen Victoria School boarders who walked from their school to the town of Nausori, after their dormitory and surrounding school buildings were ruined. "He is still in a state of shock," she says.
Jean Hutchinson Tikaram, a retired teacher, had to hide in a cupboard with her family while winds battered their home in Rakiraki, in the north of Viti Levu. "We were so scared.We could hear the winds howling and rain hammering on the roof," she says. Her daughter tweeted in the dark throughout the storm to keep communication lines open with friends and family outside Fiji.
In Fiji, UNICEF has for several years supported emergency preparedness and disaster response training for district health and education officers, including how to do rapid assessments and using mobile data. Last year, we facilitated child protection in emergencies training to the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation. These skills are now being put into practice in evacuation centres across the country.
UNICEF is working with partners and supportingthe government to help affected families, including those in evacuation centres in the hardest hit parts of Fiji, including Savusavu, Rakiraki, Ba, Lautoka, and Nadi.
Our support to the Government's cyclone response includes assessments, psychosocial activities for evacuated children, education in temporary learning spaces, and providing safe and clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
UNICEF has pre-positioned emergency supplies already in Fiji, which are being distributed, but urgently need more given the magnitude of the disaster in Fiji. We need financial support for freight and logistics, especially for the dispatch of supplies to Viti Levu and seriously affected outer islands, some of which are only accessible by boat.
After a natural disaster, many people's immediate reaction is to help by sending food, household supplies and clothing. However, it takes time to clear these items through customs, sort and then distribute them, meaning they reach families much later than anticipated or needed.
It is much more effective to donate cash to UNICEF and other relief organisations. UNICEF offices in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere have set up donation lines where you can send financial assistance. You can also donate online. Your assistance will fund the purchasing of supplies, as well as transport and distribution to affected communities.
Every child counts, and time is of the essence.


1) Sequencing according to Can-Do Tasks: This is something we have been working on this year in our second year class, choosing a particular language function and topic, such as expressing an opinion by writing a letter explaining the importance of language education, or by participating in a discussion of appropriate use of social media for different age groups. While this is certainly an improvement over following the textbook, it does present challenges, particularly in terms of finding example texts to analyze for what students need to be able to do.
2) Choosing topics according to student interest: So far, our topics have more or less followed the text book, which we basically just use as a source for texts now. However, some of these texts (like describing the history of an Egyptian newspaper) are just not that interesting to our students. If the language function is explaining your opinion, what is it our students want to explain their opinions on? This year, we asked them for examples at the end of the semester that hopefully we can incorporate into our tasks next year. Asking them for topics also reveals interesting information about their own language ideologies, which brings me to my next point.
3) Meta-linguistic activities: Just as teachers need to think about how their language ideologies inform classroom practices, so do students! In fact, I would argue that many of the topics I've been discussing on this blog (social practices, native speaker norms, folk linguistic theories) are also relevant for students, who come to language classes with their own ideologies of how languages work and their implications for learning. These are rarely explicitly addressed in the classroom (in my experience) but if we want students to make intentional sociolinguistic choices, or even understand why these choices are important, addressing what we think language is and the relationships between social and linguistic practices is important.
4) Intercultural Reflection: As I mention in my post on nation-state ideologies of language, I think there is too often a focus in language classes on cultural products and practices of a "target culture" that is then imagined as distinct from the "home culture". Following on translanguaging pedagogy's notion of performative competence, I would rather focus on how culture is performed and negotiated in intercultural encounters rather than what is "authentic" in an imagined "target culture". While it is necessary to be aware of different cultural practices, it is also the case that cultures change over time, learners are not necessarily expected to follow certain cultural practices, and members of a particular culture may also be interested in intercultural interactions to try new practices. Furthermore, developing a greater understanding of how culture is negotiated can help students in new intercultural situations, give them new insights on intercultural situations within national borders, and also help them see the potential to change cultural practices in their own culture that they dislike. So far, we have focused on culture assignments that help students see diversity in "Arab culture" rather than imagine it as monolithic and separate from U.S. culture, and start with a "What is culture?" assignment. However, it is clear that like language, students come to class with ideologies of what culture is, and I think we could be more explicit in our development of their critical intercultural reflection abilities. Another summer project, ideas for implementation welcome!
But what language? With regards to points three and four, a common concern in beginning classes is the time "taken away" from the target language if these are done in English, or the impossibility of doing these in the target language. Yet I would argue that following translanguaging pedagogy, this is not a binary choice—there can be examples in the target language and reflection in English, or in mixed language, and this mix can change over time and according to context and student identities. So the question is not what language we're doing these activities in, but how we're using all of our linguistic resources to develop new language and intercultural skills.
Overall the challenge is of course in the details of implementing these practices, but I think that is also what makes it interesting. If you're a language teacher, have you implemented any of these practices? How or what advice do you have?
1) Language learning occurs through repeated performance of language functions. In contrast to formal linguistics, there is no internal language learning mechanism, but simply repeated exposure to language in a social function. This appears to me to be in many ways similar to usage-based approaches of language acquisition, although I'm sure there are nuances I am unfamiliar with here. The key to learning is contextualized use of the language in social functions, rather than learning individual vocabulary items or grammatical concepts.
2) Linguistic elements cannot be taught separately from social functions. This principle places pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and grammatical features, as well as vocabulary, all at the same level, rather than viewing pragmatic and sociolinguistic features as extra or advanced, or calling for a buildup from vocabulary, to grammar, to pragmatics and sociolinguistics. The implication of this is that it is essential to address all linguistic features from the earliest stages of language learning, rather than focusing on vocabulary and grammar in beginning classes, and pragmatic and sociolinguistic features in advanced ones.
3) The social function, rather than specific linguistic features, are the primary goal of language learning. Similar to the point above, the goal of a lesson, curriculum, or unit is the ability to perform certain functions in the language, something that fits in well with the "Can-Do Statements" developed by organizations such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and the Common European Framework of Reference. It is worth noting that depending on the context, certain language functions do not require complete grammatical accuracy. If I want to rent an apartment, and ask for a شقة كبير instead of a شقة كبيرة ,missing the gender agreement, I will probably still get the apartment. On the other hand, if I'm presenting at an academic conference, failing to perform gender agreement could make the audience take my message less seriously. In both situations, the emphasis is on what is necessary to do the social function, rather than the linguistic elements themselves.
In my experience, despite the introduction of Can-Do Statements by ACTFL in 2013, functional theories of language are rarely the basis of language pedagogy in the United States, it is much more common to see formal or folk linguistic theories of language informing pedagogy. One exception is work on genre-based approaches to pedagogy, which I personally find quite appealing, and this is why I am working to use them our curriculum. Yet again, I think the most important thing is to be aware of what our theories of language are, and if these are the theories and ideologies we want to perpetuate. Once we decide this, we can examine the extent to which our classroom practice reflects and perpetuates various ideologies, and decide what changes we need to make.
The term formal theories of language usually refers to linguistic theories that stem from the work of Noam Chomsky on Universal Grammar, or the idea that there is an innate language mechanism in humans that allows us to learn and use language. These theories are are also referred to as generative grammar, and are prominent in linguistic research in the United States. As a results, they have informed a great deal of research on second language acquisition, as well as theories of teaching. When the folk linguistic theories of language learning I discussed previously are contrasted with linguistic theories, these linguistic theories are most often formal theories. From my perspective, there are three main implications for taking an approach to language learning and teaching informed by formal theories of language, and I discuss these below.
1) Language learning occurs through the innate language learning mechanism (generative grammar). Essentially, formal theories say that when we are exposed to language, it is processed by this mechanism, and if there is enough exposure, we will acquire it. The implications for language teaching are that explicit instruction in grammar or other linguistic features does not lead to acquisition of these features. Rather, the only way they can be acquired is through extensive exposure. While some adherents of formal theories would conclude that this means there is no role for the language classroom or instruction, I think it is more common to focus on how the classroom can maximize exposure to the language to enable processing by the language learning mechanism. This is the source of methods such as comprehensible input, based on the work of Stephen Krashen. This is also the reasoning behind claims that adult language acquisition is not that different from child language acquisition.
2) Language as an object of study can be separated from examples of humans using language. This aspect of formal theories is primarily what distinguishes them from functional theories of language, which I'll discuss in a future post. The implication of this is that language has meaning outside of a particular social context, and for this reason an awareness of sociolinguistic or pragmatic features of language is considered additional to an awareness of sounds or grammatical features. The implication for language teaching is that sociolinguistic or pragmatic awareness is considered an "advanced", or "extra" skill, while the knowledge of sounds, vocabulary, or grammar is considered to be more basic.
3) Language as an object of study can be meaningfully broken down into component parts. The implication of this point has more to do with the assessment of learning than learning itself—as noted in point one, following formal theories of language would not support the explicit teaching of these formal parts separately. However, based on my understanding at least, examining component parts of language, such as vocabulary or grammatical features, can be used to assess the extent to which someone has acquired these features, and thus make claims about their overall proficiency. A secondary implication is that there is a particular standard (usually that of the monolingual native speaker stemming from the nationalist ideology) against which use of these features can be compared.
In my experience, like folk linguistic theories or nation state ideologies, the implications of formal theories of language for language learning and teaching are commonly presented in workshops and trainings, but their connections to specific theories or ideologies of languages are rarely made explicit. In this way, we perpetuate certain theories of language through our language teaching practices without realizing it. Although I certainly have theories I prefer over others, the most important thing to me is being aware of the connection between our beliefs about language and the way we teach it, and aware that there are multiple theories and ideologies of language from which we can choose.
Last week, I described the nation state ideology of language, and its implications for language teaching. This week, I'm discussing folklinguistic theories of language, and their implications for language learning and teaching. Generally, "folklinguistic" theories, or the general population's beliefs about language, are contrasted with "linguistic" theories developed via the scientific study of language, or linguists beliefs about language. Frequently, these are in conflict. There are, of course, multiple linguistic theories, indicating that linguists don't necessarily agree on what language is either, and I'll discuss some of those as they relate to learning and teaching languages in upcoming posts. However, for the moment I'll focus on folk linguistic beliefs I come across in the field of language teaching that to the best of my knowledge are not supported by scientific theories of language.
1) We learn words, then we learn grammar, then we can put them together to talk/read/listen/write. This seems to be the way a lot of textbooks in particular are set up, with a vocabulary list, then some grammar description and exercises, then some reading or listening texts or speaking or writing activities, and probably a culture blurb thrown in somewhere. So in a sense, if language learning is viewed as doing well in class with this type of textbook, it does make sense to take this approach. The issue is that this approach doesn't transfer well to language learning outside of this particular textbook/classroom context, and this conflicts with the belief of most teachers (I think) that they are preparing students to eventually do things outside of the classroom. The basic problem is the lack of context—words, and words in grammatical sentences or phrases are always connected to something larger in the real world, and this is how linguistic theories would argue that we learn them.
2) I taught these words in chapter two but the students don't remember them, so we must need more vocabulary quizzes/activities. Related to the above, "chapter two" is not a meaningful context for vocabulary acquisition, although it could arguably gain some meaning in a classroom where there is a "chapter two unit" or "chapter two test". However, remembering that a word was in a list in this chapter isn't that likely to transfer to other meaningful contexts, like the writing assignment in chapter six.
3) We learned the past tense a year ago, but students are still making mistakes, so we need more grammar activities. Variations on this are things I hear A LOT. Essentially, I think this comes down to a belief that learning how to describe a grammatical feature should be sufficient for using it in the future. However, describing grammatical features, by for example filling out a chart of verb conjugations, is really more of a skill relevant to linguistics than actually using these features to do things with language, especially when it happens quickly. Although linguistic theories differ in their views of what it takes to acquire grammatical features in a way that they can be used spontaneously in speech, they seem to be united in the fact that it takes a lot of exposure to these features and a lot of time. One way I see this play out with the past tense in my classroom is that students seem to acquire the first person "ana" past tense form a lot more quickly than they do the other forms: probably because they are always talking about themselves, and most of the beginning videos in our textbook are characters talking about themselves! To remedy this (we're working on it!) we need more videos and activities that aren't just talking about oneself.
4) It's best to start with a neutral, standard variety because too much variation will confuse students. In Arabic, this is a never-ending argument, but of course all languages have what linguistics call sociolinguistic variation, or ways that people use linguistic elements to make social meaning, such as creating the formality of a situation, or indexing belong to a particular social group. Here, the problem is that the social meaning of this "neutral, standard" variety is rarely addressed. As I explained last week, it generally stems from the origin of the nation state, and was viewed as key to making speakers of other varieties come together into one nation. It also typically represents the language of the most powerful social group in a society, and marking the linguistic choices of this social group as "standard" or "correct" and the linguistic choices of other social groups as "non-standard" or "incorrect" allows for discrimination theoretically based on language that is in fact based on social categories such as race or class. There is also the case of diglossic languages like Arabic, where the "standard" variety is rarely used in many of the everyday situations targeted in beginning languages. So, yes, it would be overwhelming to teach every variant documented in a language, but this does not absolve us from addressing the social meaning of the variants we teach. In terms of confusion, we don't avoid teaching verb conjugations and other grammatical features (which as per point three above can certainly be confusing!) so student confusion should not be an excuse for avoiding teaching the social meanings of language. While I admit that I haven't figured out a fully satisfactory way to do this yet, my hope in the end is that if we become aware of the social meanings of language in those we learn, we can also become more aware of them in our own, and do our part to end pervasive linguistic discrimination.
There are certainly more folklinguistic theories of language that effect the way we learn and teach language, but these four are some of the ones I commonly hear from students, teachers, and people that learn I teach Arabic. In the upcoming weeks, I'll delve into what to types of linguistic theories, formal and functional, tell us about language and the implications of that for learning and teaching languages.
In my quest to make language and intercultural learning better, I sometimes feel that just when I start to understand one piece of the puzzle, I discover that the puzzle is in fact much larger than I thought. Recently, I have been researching ideologies of study abroad, which led me to think about ideologies for language learning, and just how much our beliefs about what language is influence how we teach it, and what we expect our students to do or know. Yet it is my impression that as teachers, we rarely think about what our ideologies of language are, we just take them for granted.
One ideology that pervades language teaching in the U.S. is that of the nation-state, or the idea that national boundaries are also linguistic and cultural boundaries. Indeed, the development of a standardized national language was key to the development of nation-states. Although this link between national boundaries and language clearly falls apart under close examination, its implications are pervasive in language classes.
How so? Well, the "target language" of the class is often a "neutral" variety or prestige national standard. In the classroom, this leads to a focus on making sure linguistic elements such as pronunciation or grammar conform to this variety. Success in language learning is getting as close as possible to the linguistic behavior of an imagined educated monolingual native speaker of the language, with "passing" as native, if only until a misplaced preposition or differently shaped vowel gives you away, leading to a sense of accomplishment. The nation state ideology of languages also assumes that the ideal language classroom is monolingual, with only the target language used by both teachers and students. Language pledges, where students pledge to use only the target language, are also part of this ideology. Finally, nation-states are frequently used to make cultural comparisons, equating variation in cultural practice to national boundaries.
These assumptions should be familiar to most U.S. language teachers, in fact they are generally considered among the "best practices" of language teaching. However, as we question the role we want nationalism and the nation-state to play in our lives, I think it is worth questioning the extent to which we want to reflect this ideology in our language classrooms. Prestige national standards are just as imaginary as the nation-state itself, and insisting on the "correctness" of these varieties perpetuates the ideology of the nation-state--is this what we want? This model also condemns language learners to a deficit model, as short of changing their parents or birthplace, they will never be native speakers. Do we want our vision of success in language learning to be based on the same criteria used to make judgements of citizenship? Furthermore, the language classroom is inherently a bilingual, if not multilingual environment, with the target language only one linguistic resource among many. Decades of research in sociolinguistics show that in multilingual environments, multilingual utterances are the norm, rather than the exception. Enforcing monolingualism, if it is even possible, doesn't prepare students to engage in multilingual settings. Finally, the nation-state vision of culture obscures cultural variation within national boundaries, cultural similarities across these boundaries, and the fact that cultures change over time.
Personally, I am not sure the nation-state and nationalism are ideologies I want to promote in my classroom, yet the pervasive nature of these ideologies in language teaching means that it is hard to change these practices. Teaching multiple varieties is seen as confusing to students, society at large will judge them on their "nativelikeness" regardless of what I do, allowing languages other than the target language will take away from time using the target language and at worst devolve into grammar lectures about the target language, and there's hardly time to discuss all the cultural variation among speakers of the target language. And yet, I am convinced there has to be a better way than our current, nationalistic, best practices. Applied linguists pursuing a "multilingual turn" have started to address this issue, though primarily in immersion and dual language contexts. I think the key is intentional thinking about what this re-envisioning looks like, and deliberately addressing these ideologies with our students. If success isn't "passing as native", what is it? How can we use all the available linguistic resources to learn the language we're studying? What does variation look like? What is culture, if not defined by national boundaries? Thus far, my attempts to resist the nation-state ideology of language in my classroom have been mostly limited to off-hand remarks about just saying the word in English and moving on when you get stuck, because that way you will use more Arabic in the end, or encouraging students to make cultural comparisons across generations, and not just nations. However, as we continue to develop our curriculum, I am thinking about including more assignments that deliberately address these issues, so that it is not just me, but my students thinking about the extent to which our ideologies of language influence classroom practice.


text:
Ward Frederick Weakly [RG4249.AM]
HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG4249.AM: Ward Frederick Weakly, 1938-1985
Papers: 1955-1985
North Platte, Nebraska; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Denver, Colorado: Archaeologist
Size: 0.5 cu.ft.; 1 box
BACKGROUND NOTE
Ward F. Weakly, son of Harry E. and Ethel Weakly, was born in North Platte, Nebraska, on July 16, 1938. He attended public school in North Platte and, later Newell, South Dakota. Weakly received his B.A. (1960) and M.A. (1961) in Anthropology from the University of Nebraska. From 1961-1963 he served in the army. He received his PhD in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1968. His doctoral dissertation was entitled, "Tree-Ring Dating and Archaeology in South Dakota."
From 1967-1971 Weakly served as assistant professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Tulsa. From 1971 to 1974, he held the position of Research Associate in Dendrochronology at the University of Missouri. Weakly was involved in archaeological and dendrochronological research in many states and countries and his many papers and articles reflected that interest.
Dr. Weakly became the Bureau of Reclamation's Preservation Officer (Chief Archaeologist) in August 1974, working out of the Denver office. In this position, he assisted in developing programs and projects in compliance with federal laws and regulations related to archaeology, history, and cultural resources. Among the programs he guided were those associated with the New Melones, the Dolores, and the Central Arizona Projects. Ward Frederick Weakly died in 1985.
This collection consists of one box of manuscript material arranged in three series: 1) Correspondence, 1955-1985; 2) Ft. Gibson Project Materials, 1968-1972; and 3) Miscellany. This collection relates to the archaeological career and research of Dr. Ward F. Weakly.
The bulk of this collection consists of correspondence, 1955-1985, found in Series 1. Comprised of both incoming and outgoing letters, this series traces Weakly's education and career in the archaeology field. Letters from the 1950's and 1960's detail Weakly's educational and career goals. Later letters provide information on his publications and presentations, dendrochronological and archaeological research projects, and interest in preservation issues. During 1968 and 1969 Dr. Weakly maintained separate files for "business" and "personal" correspondence. His filing system was maintained during processing.
The Ft. Gibson Project materials of Series 2 include correspondence, budgets, plans and publicity information about an archaeological salvage operation headed by Dr. Weakly during the summers of 1968-1970. Conducted at the Ft. Gibson Reservoir in Oklahoma, the excavation project yielded thirty new prehistoric sites. The miscellany of Series 3 is comprised of biographical information on Weakly, book reviews written by Weakly, and applications.
Series 1 - Correspondence, 1955-1985
1968 (January-April): Business
1968 (May-July): Business
1968 (September-November): Business
1968 (December): Business
1968 (January-May): Personal
1968 (July-December and n.d.): Personal
1969 (May-September): Business
1969 (October-December): Business
1969 Personal
1970 (May-September)
1970 (October-December and n.d.)
1976-1980; 1985 and n.d.
Series 2 - Fort Gibson Project materials, 1968-1972
1968-May 1969
1969 (June)-1970 (April)
1970 (May-June)
1970 (July)-1972
Series 3 - Miscellany
Biographical information, book reviews, applications
Subject headings:
Fort Gibson Reservoir site (Oklahoma)
Oklahoma -- Antiquities
Weakly, Ward Frederick, 1938-1985
AIP/pmc 06-03-1988


Chloe ivory gloss bed with guest bed, the under bed can be used on either the left or the right side of the bedstead.
Serene Chloe ivory gloss bed with guest bed, the Chloe Metal Frame with underbed. Its feminine design sees heart shapes tessellated into the head and footboard to create a subtle. The trundle bed can easy pull out trundle it will transfers into 2 single frames.


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I ordered this beautiful pendant for my mom for Mothers Day. It is absolutely stunning. It shines and shimmers and looks beautiful around her neck. I would recommend this for anyones special woman.
Order placed on jan. 18, 2018. Received item ordered after that already and still have not received this one or heard anything on its whereabouts. Just says "processing" still. Very disappointed.
Am Loving The Dancing Heart Pendants!
I have the bigger heart shaped one in blue - it is gorgeous and the bling is great and a beautful blue. I got this one and it is smaller but I'm still loving it. Just fascinated and love these dancing heart pendants.And since it has the gold heart I have a nice pendant to wear with a gold necklace. Most everything I have bought is sterling silver. Beautiful dainty pendant and you won't be able to take your eyes off of the spinning heart.
I love this necklace. It was a last minute purchase for Christmas. I did not expect it to be as beautiful as it is. I just adore this necklace and it is my favorite present, this year!


text:
CBD Global Sciences Resumes Trading After Filing of Financials
Global Sciences, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has executed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of 100% of Resinosa LLC, a CBD company located in Silver Cliff Colorado.
Resinosa has been in business in the CBD industry for over 6 years and is a vertically integrated company with expertise in hemp genetics, cloning, farming, harvesting, processing and manufacturing of finished products. Resinosa owns a commercial clean-room facility that is registered with the Food and Drug Administration, is certified under stringent current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standards and has been outfitted specifically for processing hemp and manufacturing health and wellness products such as food, dietary supplements and topical products. Resinosa is licensed as a Manufactured Food Facility with the Colorado Department of Health and the Environment and the City of Denver, Colorado for shelf stability of their products. Located in a low cost of living area, Silver Cliff presents a cost advantage when it comes to processing and manufacturing products.
With its current assets, Resinosa can conduct extraction and processing operations on hemp biomass to produce 1,320 kilos of full spectrum CBD oil per month. That amount of full spectrum oil can be formulated into an estimated retail value of $46,200,000.00* of finished products per month. Resinosa's primary business is supplying companies with branded CBD finished products, referred to as private label or white label. Their clients include companies specializing in medical grade products, pet and veterinary products, CBD cosmetic products, farmers with their own brands and companies who add CBD products to their existing businesses such as spas and biofeedback centers.
*Based on a 22-day work month, one eight-hour shift per day with current staff and equipment. Assumes finished product sold with an average MSRP of $70 at two grams of CBD per unit sold. This is strictly an example of current production ability.
Resinosa's CEO and founder Jeff Hays, holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona. The company's Vice President of Quality Control and General Counsel, Kathy Hays, is an attorney licensed in three states and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, and a B.S in Aerospace Engineering. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hays served in the U.S. Air Force – Jeff as a pilot and engineer and Kathy as a space launch expert.
Resinosa's Director of Operations, Jared Baker, holds a degree in Fire Safety from Oklahoma State University. The company's chemist, Rebecca Collins, holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Texas and has experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Their chef, Shane Dean, was professionally trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, AZ. Resinosa's Compliance Manager, Jimmie Faye Mowery, was trained in the pharmaceuticals industry and ran her own CBD products brand.
Brad Wyatt, CEO of Global Sciences shared "Throughout my many years in corporate and private company management I found it critical to surround myself with extremely smart and talented people. I've been able to get to know and respect the team that Resinosa brings to the table and am ecstatic to see them join the CBD Global family. This acquisition is strategic in nature and will dovetail nicely into the supply chain with Legacy Distribution Group. Giving CBD Global the ability to formulate and manufacturer both CBD and non-CBD products while having the ability to place new products directly into the market with points of distribution created by Legacy Distribution Group will prove advantageous to the Company and its shareholders. I am confident that the addition to our Company will prove wildly successful and I know they will hit the ground running! "


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then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.


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67 Quotes about Toxic People
Quotes about Toxic People – If you are looking for quotes about toxic people then you are at the right place because we have covered some of the best and most enthusiastic Toxic people Quotes, proverbs, sayings, and so much more.
You can face millions of negative people in your life that demotivates you can pull you down just alongside them and never let you get out of the box. These people cause negativity, selfishness, jealousy, and very tricky to deal with.
All you need to do is to unfollow the entire list of people that keeps on spreading negativity from being happy. You just grab a car, fill up the fuel and go far away from them to keep yourself protected from harm.
We bring some really gigantic and motivational quotes that help you boost positivity and ignore negativity in a way like never before.
67 really Inspiration and Exceptional Quotes About Toxic People
"We teach people how to treat us." – Phil
"Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family."
"People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely." — Hans F. Hasen
"The less you respond to negative people, the more powerful your life will become."
"It's so nice when toxic people stop talking to you. It's like the trash took itself out."
"Toxic people will make you feel like you're holding a grude. No, dude. That's a boundary."
"Beware of those around you who subtly sow the seeds of doubt." ― Wayne Gerard Trotman
"Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don't hesitate. " ― Mandy Hale
"Don't let toxic people infect you with the fear of giving and receiving one of the most powerful forces in this world… LOVE!"― Yvonne Pierre
You cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around."
"You create more space in your life when you turn your excess baggage to garbage." ― Chinonye J. Chidolue
"Don't let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out." — Robert Tew
"It's amazing how quickly things can turn around when you remove toxic people from your life." — Robert Tew
"While you can't control someone's negative behavior, you can control how long you participate in it." — Unknow
Pay no attention to toxic words. What people say is often a reflection of themselves, not you." ― Christian Baloga
"The wrong person will give you less than what you're worth but that doesn't mean that you have to accept it." — Sonya Parker
"If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome." — Michael Jordan
People who try to bring you down everyday aren't important in your life, so you better treat their opinions as such." – Terry Mark
"Life is short. Don't waste it with negative people who don't appreciate you. Keep them in your heart but keep them out of your life." — Unknown
"Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters." ― John Mark Green
"You lift your spirits by moving away from what upsets you. If the stove is hot, you can't ask how to touch it but be happy about it." ― Queen Tourmaline
"If it comes, let it come. If it goes, it's ok, let it go. Let things come and go. Stay calm, don't let anything disturb your peace, and carry on." ― Germany Kent
"When people pressure you to engage in negative decisions and actions, look at them boldly in the eyes and dare them to do good." ― Edmond Mbiaka
"If a negative viewer looks at you with an ugly fiendish eye, find a way and pluck off his eyes, or better still, protect your good image." ― Michael Bassey Johnson
"If a person finds negative people in his life, then he needs to mend his own nature than that of others, for his own basic grounding decides the level of acidic or toxicity surrounding him." — Anuj Somany
"We don't get to choose our family, but we can choose our friends. With courage, we can weed out narcissistic people. We can focus on those who do appreciate us, love us, and treat us with respect." ― Dana Arcuri
"My encouragement: delete the energy vampires from your life, clean out all complexity, build a team around you that frees you to fly, remove anything toxic, and cherish simplicity. Because that's where genius lives." — Robin S. Sharma
"No matter how much you love the person, you cannot change them. You may influence them; but at the end of the day, they must decide for themselves." — Robert E. Baines Jr.
"An entire sea of water can't sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to get inside you." — Goi Nasu
"As important as it is to learn how to deal with different kinds of people, truly toxic people will never be worth your time and energy – and they take a lot of each. Toxic people create unnecessary complexity, strife, and, worst of all, stress." — Travis Bradberry
"The best defence is to keep off the radar of negative people."― Steven Redhead
"If they do it often, it isn't a mistake; it's just their behavior." — Steve Maraboli
"Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positve, it will take their breath away."
"Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself." – Hussein Nishah
"Make a habit of shutting down conversations that aim to tear others down." — Unknown
"Let negative people live their negative lives with their negative minds."― Moosa Rahat
"You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people." — Joel Osteen
"Weeding out the harmful influences should become the norm not the exception." ― Carlos Wallace
"Handling toxic people is not an art, they will be the victim of their own toxicity" ― S. Jagadeesh Kumar
"There are people who break you down by just being them. They need not do anything. Dissociate" ― Malebo Sephodi
"When someone tells me 'no,' it doesn't mean I can't do it, it simply means I can't do it with them." — Karen E. Quinones Miller
"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." — Unknown
"Every day you must unlearn the ways that hold you back. You must rid yourself of negativity, so you can learn to fly." — Leon Brown
"There's folks you just don't need. You're better off without em. Your life is just a little better because they ain't in it." ― William Gay
"As you remove toxic people from your life, you free up space and emotional energy for positive, healthy relationships." ― John Mark Green
"Until you let go of all the toxic people in your life you will never be able to grow into your fullest potential. Let them go so you can grow." – DLQ
"Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny." — Steve Maraboli
"To be of good quality, you have to excuse yourself from the presence of shallow and callow minded individuals."― Michael Bassey Johnson
"Cutting people out of your life doesn't mean you hate them, it simply means you respect yourself. Not everyone is meant to stay." — Unknown
"Sometimes it's better to end something & try to start something new than imprison yourself in hoping for the impossible." – Karen Salmansohn
"If you walked away from a toxic, negative, abusive, one-sided, dead-end low vibrational relationship or friendship — you won." ― Lalah Delia
"I have found the best way to deal with a toxic person is to not respond in any other way than monotone voice and a businesslike manner." ― Jen Grice
"May you reach that level within, where you no longer allow your past or people with toxic intentions to negatively affect or condition you." ― Lalah Delia
"Surround yourself with positive people who believe in your dreams, encourage your ideas, support your ambitions, and bring out the best in you." — Roy Bennett
"Stay away from negative people. They drain your energy like vampires suck out human's blood. Hell. They're the real 'dementors'."― Riza Prasetyaningsih
"No one forces a person to be negative, and no one forces anyone to be positive. The choice is up to an individual and that person alone." — Byron Pulsifer
"You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles." — JoyBell C.
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too can become great." — Mark Twain
"Avoid negative people, for they are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self-esteem. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you!" – Auliq Ice
"Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself." — Deborah Reber
"Poisonous relationships can alter our perception. You can spend many years thinking you're worthless. But you're not worthless. You're underappreciated." — Steve Maraboli
"We all have those toxic people around us that make our lives miserable… The day we take them out from our lives, we will all become better people; including them…" ― Rodolfo Peon
These quotes help you grab some quality to the frustration and confusion in your life and you have to remove negativity in a single swipe of the button. You can take positive approaches to what they are doing and helps you get real motivation. In this way, negativity is removed from your lives and you become more optimistic.
One should have real positivity in his/her life and boost anyone with their ideas, imagination, and another sort of conversation. While on the other hand, it is pretty much difficult to find such people that spread poisonously. So just detect those people, filter them from your lives, and enjoy a healthy life with you and your family.
You can simply get motivation and enjoy everything in an encouragingly hard way. You can do share your desired quotes with your family and friends and let them stay strong and happy for the rest of their lives.
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John Thomson is the author of A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea. His stories have appeared in several literary magazines, including Collateral, Terrain, The Raven's Perch, and others. His story "Out of Good Ground" won Terrain's 2018 prize for fiction. He has worked as a government wildlife biologist and as a land steward for a nonprofit land trust in Northern California, where he and his wife live close to their two grown daughters.
When twelve-year-old Donovan Sanger is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Bix—an ex-con—and his Aunt Hattie, who is dying from lung cancer, he does not know what to expect. But before a week goes by, Donovan learns that his uncle's criminal past might be something he has not entirely left behind.


1. backpack. everyone loves to have a new backpack and it's easier for mom if they carry their own stuff. my little guy got some definite swagger in his step when he put this cute owl backpack on, and now he won't take it off!
2. snacks. every day i pick my guys up from school and they look at me expectantly, hungrily. what did i bring for a snack? of course i bring them keenwah (cranberry cashew is their fave), but i also bring annie's organic pretzel bunnies and happy baby beet/banana/blueberry squeeze packs.
3. highlights puzzle books. you remember these? they were the high point of the doctor's office back in the day and yes, they're still around! they help my little ones practice matching, counting, and writing. and they help me get them to sit down and spend some quality time with mom.
4. bike trailer. this is our school bus!
5. frog and toad are friends. my only complaint is that there aren't more of these stories. we own them all and we've read them each about 50 times. they're great stories about friendship and have simple words perfect for learning how to read.
6. number flashcards. hours of fun for only $1! i had no idea how much they would love learning to count with these. they are also a great distraction in the midst of restaurant meltdowns.
Colin (left) makes a cameo eating i heart keenwah cashew cranberry! Evan (right) watches guard.


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Weekly Trade Review Round-Up: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and School Library Journal
We are thrilled to share reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal.
Publishers Weekly reviewed Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
An intriguing novel, and the focus on the heroic counsel of a woman that has national and international impacts will resonate in the present day.
Publishers Weekly reviewed Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
This is a top-notch, tricky whodunit.
Booklist reviewed Death Has Deep Roots by Michael Gilbert
Gilbert at his best, displaying both impressive psychological acuity and innovative plotting, combining courtroom drama with amateur sleuthing.
Kirkus reviewed How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace, Illustrated by Andy Elkerton
A joyful…celebration of Chinese New Year culture.
Library Journal reviewed Wish Upon a Cowboy by Jennie Marts
Readers of Marts's "Cowboys of Creedence" series (Caught Up in a Cowboy) will devour this latest installment, as will fans of both holiday and Western-themed romances.


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Go Home, Football. You're Drunk
October 5, 20202020-10-05T11:29:34+00:002020-10-12T20:20:04+00:00 Analysis No Comments
As part of my 'day job' I recently had to write an article about the most common scores in football. Unsurprisingly, 7-2 wasn't a score line that was all that high on the list of ones to look out for. It is therefore something of an odd quirk that, if you include pre-season matches, Liverpool have now been involved in three of them since the end of the last campaign. Sufficed to say that the 7-2 wins over Blackpool and Lincoln City were a lot more fun to watch than last night's absolute horror show. Perhaps the craziest thing about it was that we were actually pretty decent going forward, as long as Roberto Firmino wasn't involved. His brilliant ball for Mo Salah's second aside, everything he touched resulted in our attacks dying where they stood and Aston Villa getting on the front foot as a result. Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah both played relatively well, so we could easily have gone in level with the Villans if the ball had bounced for us as it did for them.
pic.twitter.com/67pELuSPC3
— Dave Will (@davewi11) October 4, 2020
That wasn't to be, of course, and the manager and his players have rightly taken a shed load of criticism in the hours since the full-time whistle. In many ways, I actually saw last night's result coming. Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect it to be against Aston Villa and I wasn't expecting it so soon after the season's commencement, but when speaking to a Villa supporting mate of mine yesterday afternoon I said that I thought it was going to be a campaign full of mad and unexpected results. Last weekend Manchester City lost 5-2 to Leicester City, only for the Foxes to lose 3-0 to West Ham this time around. Manchester United's 6-1 humbling at the hands of Tottenham came after the Red Devils had already lost at home to Crystal Palace. That Everton and Aston Villa are the only two teams unbeaten so far this season suggests that football is in a topsy-turvy place right now and I'm not exactly sure when it's going to get back on its feet.
No Crowds Means No Pressure
It's been only a few days since I published a piece on this site talking about how no supporters in the ground is actually fine from the point of view of those watching matches on television. Whilst I stand by what I wrote, it's also fair to say that it can't be a coincidence that the sheer number of mad games is coinciding with the lack of fans in stadiums. The chief reason, as far as I can see, is that no fans means no pressure. There are countless footballers we've seen over the years who were technically gifted but just couldn't hack doing it consistently in front of supporters. Stewart Downing is one that springs to mind immediately, having arrived at Liverpool with a decent reputation after managing to perform well for, ironically, Aston Villa, only to crumble when it came to trying to do it in front of the Kop. The lack of supporters means that players that might not have had the mental strength to cope in front of crowds now don't have those same fears.
This season is going to be weird as hell. About 5 (!) goals per game so far, some insane results. Almost no pre-season. Shortest season of all time. Covid still ever present. No fans.
If there's ever been an anomaly of a season in terms of conditions, this is the one.
— Viktor Fagerström (@ViktorFagerLFC) October 4, 2020
The lack of fans in the ground also means that players can take more chances than they would have done in the past. Shots that they wouldn't have taken on for fear of getting abuse from supporters can suddenly be attempted; passes that seemed too risky a year ago now seem like chances worth taking. There's also the fact that players that feed off the crowd don't have that impetus to keep them focussed. The bad news for Liverpool is that our team is one that the manager has built to feed off supporters, so the lack of them in stadiums means that he has to find a new way to inspire and motivate them. My main concern from last night is that none of the players seemed to be trying to inspire each other. If anyone doubted what Jordan Henderson offers as captain then surely those doubts must now have been all but erased. Virgil van Dijk is a better player than Hendo, but the former Sunderland man is a better captain than he'll ever be.
Normality Is A Long Way Off
There are so many things going on in the world right now that must be buzzing through the heads of football players every time they take to the pitch. More than anything else, the ever-present threat of Covid-19 simply can't be forgotten. If it wasn't already in the Liverpool players' minds then it will be after seeing a number of their colleagues come down with the virus in the past week or so. Not only will they be worried about how their fellow players are coping with getting Coronavirus, they must also be wondering if they'll get it too. How did Sadio Mané and Thiago Alcantara catch it when they will have been following the same protocols as everyone else? Might they get it next? Could they end up taking it home to their families? Whilst these thoughts aren't even remotely enough to excuse their performance against Aston Villa, they will be there constantly and will surely be causing them to be a couple of percent down from where they need to be.
Someone needs to check football's temperature, I think it's caught Covid and gone mad
— Paul Cope (@paul7cope) October 4, 2020
With supporters unlikely to be back in the grounds in significant numbers for at least a year or so, normality is a long way away from returning to the Premier League. The good news is that if I'm right then there'll be a significant number of equally weird results before the season is over and done with. The bad news is that there's no guarantee that Liverpool won't be on the receiving end of a few of them. The start to the season endured by Manchester City, the only team that many thought would be a genuine challenge to Liverpool's defence of the title, might have meant that Jürgen Klopp and his charges felt that this would be another cakewalk of a season. Yesterday's result proves that it's going to be anything but that and if they want to be champions again at the end of the campaign then they're going to have to up their game quite considerably. As a club, Klopp's Liverpool has proven that it does well when things are a bit mad. This might be the season that tests that theory to its fullest.
A Cup Run Would Do Liverpool The World Of Good
Can Liverpool Win The Title? I Think So & Here's Why
Don't Talk About Fate. It's Nonsense & Belittles These Players
Whatever Happens From Here, Liverpool Can Be Proud Of Their Season


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Guy Baughns is an insurance professional with We Insure Group with over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, which includes homeowners, motorcycle, boat, auto, and commercial. Since Georgia is such a major film hub it allows him to use his background as an award-winning film producer to provide insurance this market sector. Our goal is to be a resource for information, service, and value to the client. We do this by researching our vast array of insurance companies to find the right match of coverages and price. Prior to becoming a, We Insure franchise owner, Guy worked as an independent broker-dealer, life and health insurance agent. He has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and BS from Baruch College of the City University of New York. Guy spends his spare time networking with businesses and entrepreneurs. He volunteers his accounting, tax and finance background to assist non-profits to manage their organizations.


ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2018 / Today, MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE: XMG; OTCQB: MGXMF; Frankfurt: 1MG) announced significant progress made by its wholly-owned subsidiary ZincNyx Energy Solutions Inc., an energy storage company which has developed a next generation zinc-air fuel cell battery.
"This development is a further illustration of the flexibility of the ZincNyx system. Advances can be made to each component of the system without requiring simultaneous changes to the other components. In this case, the power generation capacity is increased without requiring simultaneous changes to the power regeneration capacity or the energy storage capacity."
Disclaimer: Please read the full disclaimer within the full research report as fundamental risks and conflicts of interest exist.