We provide all aspects of local property maintenance for residential properties and homes.
Whether it is decorating a room, tiling a floor, a new staircase, hanging a door, installing new lighting, fitting a radiator or building a wardrobe to fit a difficult space or repairs to wooden doors and windows. All our tradesmen, such as electricians, joiners, carpenters and plumbers are qualified and ensure your property project is completed on time to a very high standard.
Our quotes are very competitive and tailored to your exact requirements. We can supply all the materials and professionally complete your work with minimal inconvienence with special consideration to your home and provide an excellent level of service.
Our property maintenance services cover the Oxford, Aylesbury and High Wycombe area including the local towns and villages such as Thame, Wheatley, Haddenham, Chinnor and Long Crendon.
Please give us a call on 01844 279519 or email us at info@windmill-services.co.uk for a free quotation.
A lot of work was put into design and supplied imported tiles. The finished area was top quality and affords a discussion point for visitors.
Thank you very much for the quality of work carried out. We are really pleased would not hesitate to recommend you and your company to anyone who is interested in having work done.
Many thanks for work carried out at both our home and at the local Methodist church. We would be happy to recommend you to friends and we would certainly use you again.
Excellent job rebuilding garden wall and repointing chimney stack. Very pleased with their whole approach to the job. They did exactly as requested on time and with no problems. Working site thoroughly cleaned and tidied up when finished. Job well done. Would definitely recommend Windmill Services.
"Just wanted to say thank you to all for doing such an excellent and well managed job. Really appreciated the care taken in keeping everything clean and tidy and completing everything to such a high standard. Please pass on our thanks to everyone".
"David and his team were polite, courteous and a pleasure to deal with. When putting our quote together they listened to our requirements and designed and styled the bathroom exactly as we wanted. Their pricing was very competitive and we are very happy with the eventual outcome. Installed to a high standard, the bathroom looks fantastic. I would happily recommend Windmill Services to anyone that asked."
I was very impressed with the team at Windmill Services. The project was managed well (and on time) and the people I met were professional and friendly. Best of all the quality of the work was superb. I would definitely recommend this company and I will be using them again.
Windmill property services have undertaken a number of cottage refurbishments and general property maintenance jobs on the Nether Winchendon Estate, on behalf of the Spencer Bernard family. All work has been carried out to a high standard and we have received an excellent service throughout all of the projects that they have been instructed on.
Cheerful, polite and purposeful people who listen carefully to what you want and get on with it efficiently and professionally; they often even refuse tea!
Communication to and from the firm is excellent; you always know what is happening and when.
Competitive pricing and a fine job! Full marks for Windmill Services!


On behalf of the Berks County Latino Chamber of Commerce, we have decided not to host this year's Three Kings Gala. Instead, we would like to take the time to reflect and to listen to all of our members and what matters to them in order to ensure that our members receive all of the resources and the support they need in order to make their business STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL.
2019 STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL is our theme for all Latino businesses.
Strong and successful will be our focus for all of our members, both new and existing.
Strong and successful for economic growth and prosperity.
Strong and successful for our community and the creation of wealth.
2019 will be a year of action.
Stay tuned for a networking event coming in January 2019. We will make more information available as we have it.


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I'm not touching ITM Power shares with a 10-foot pole
ITMPF
Zaven Boyrazian
Tired or stressed businessman sitting on the walkway in panic digital stock market crash financial background
2021 was not kind to the shares of ITM Power (LSE:ITM). And so far, 2022 hasn't been much of an improvement. Over the last 12 months, the penny stock has tumbled by nearly 50%. What's going on? And why am I steering clear of this business? Let's explore.
Encouraging progress versus disappointing returns
As a quick reminder, ITM Power is a designer and manufacturer of electrolyser machines. These pieces of equipment can extract hydrogen from water without creating emissions. It's a significantly greener approach to acquiring the element versus the traditional route of using fossil fuels.
Given the demand for hydrogen is expected to grow 10 times by 2050, the company certainly sounds like an excellent place to invest for explosive long-term gains. And it may not even take that long for bets to play out. While revenue for 2021 came in at a relatively tiny £4.3m, analyst forecasts for 2022 and 2023 are £22.8m and £65m, respectively.
Looking at the group's contracted backlog, these estimates certainly sound plausible to me. And this explosive growth potential is primarily what pushed ITM Power shares to a new all-time high of 724p in January last year. But today, the stock is trading around 349p. So, what happened?
Taking a closer look at the numbers
As encouraging as the order backlog seems, I have some reservations. Firstly, a growing backlog is only a positive sign that the company can fulfil the orders. Let's assume that's the case with ITM Power. Looking at the latest figures published in December, the company has £591m worth of orders. However, £557m of that isn't set in stone as these contracts are still being negotiated with only £198m in late stages talks.
That's certainly nothing to scoff at. But it seems some investors may have been getting ahead of themselves. At its peak, shares of ITM Power had a market capitalisation of around £4.4bn. Today it's closer to £2.2bn, but that still places the current price-to-sales (P/S) ratio at 511 times!
Assuming the 2023 revenue forecast is accurate, the forward P/S ratio comes in at a more reasonable 33 times. And to me, that suggests investors are pricing ITM Power shares on expectations rather than fundamentals.
So, what happens if the company fails to live up to these expectations? Well, we already know because that's what happened in 2021. Full-year revenue missed analyst forecasts by a tiny £700k, but it still sent its share price plummeting.
Final thoughts on ITM Power shares
Seeing this level of volatility in a company with an exceptionally lofty valuation is hardly surprising. And I wouldn't be surprised to see shares of ITM Power continue to fall if further targets are missed even by a relatively insignificant amount.
Personally, that's not the sort of risk I'm interested in adding to my portfolio. Yes, there is a lot of growth potential here. But I believe other, less risky, investment opportunities could be far more lucrative.
The post I'm not touching ITM Power shares with a 10-foot pole appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.
5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50
A Top Growth Share From The Motley Fool UK
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Inflation Is Coming
5 Top Shares For The Green Revolution
The Next Potential 'Monster' IPO Stock
Zaven Boyrazian has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
Motley Fool UK 2022
Simply Wall St.
We're Not Very Worried About ITM Power's (LON:ITM) Cash Burn Rate
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining...
Here's an e-commerce stock I prefer to Amazon shares
Amazon shares have dipped recently, and many believe that this is an ideal time to buy. But Stuart Blair thinks this high-growth e-commerce stock is better. The post Here's an e-commerce stock I prefer to Amazon shares appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.
'I'm not getting through the month': five Britons on the cost of living crisis
'I'm not getting through the month': five Britons on the cost of living crisis. People who are feeling the pinch explain how their expenses are stacking up

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Our county's diverse ecological regions create a range of mosquito sources. The District regularly surveys more than 10,000 acres of marshland along the waterfront, acres of irrigated farmland in the eastern county and numerous ponds, creeks and residential sources countywide in an effort to control the species of mosquitoes currently in existence while also on the lookout for the potential arrival of new and invasive mosquito species. The county is also home to many insects that resemble mosquitoes.
Upon request for service, the District will inspect your property for mosquito problems and provide advice on controlling their populations.
With 23 different kinds of mosquitoes that inhabit a variety of water sources, it's important that the homeowner or caller provide our District employee with a mosquito sample that can be identified to determine its possible source, however we will still be able to provide service without a one (results may be limited without a sample). Simply swat a mosquito and save it or tape it to a piece of paper for the District employee.
The District also appreciates Contra Costa county residents doing their part to protect public health by reporting non-maintained swimming pools (pools that are not chlorinated or filtered). Residents can submit swimming pool reports anonymously by phone (925) 685-9301 or online.
Zika Virus: Questions Answered
Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (also known as yellow fever mosquitoes) and by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes (also known as Asian tiger mosquitoes). These mosquitoes are not native to California. However, since 2011 they have been detected in several California counties. READ MORE.
New and Invasive Mosquito Species
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus have the potential to transmit several viruses, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. None of these viruses are currently known to be transmitted within California, but thousands of people are infected with these viruses in other parts of the world, including in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. READ MORE.
Should We Worry About West Nile Virus?
West Nile virus is dangerous. It arrived into Contra Costa County in 2004, a mere five years after it first entered the Western Hemisphere into New York in 1999. It's now endemic - established and ingrained into our environment. READ MORE.
Adult Mosquito Control
Adult mosquito control (spraying) to control adult mosquitoes only occurs after surveillance and testing indicate either the presence of West Nile virus in an area, or if the number of mosquitoes exceeds the public health threshold. The majority of our mosquito control is completed when the mosquitoes are in the water in their larval form. We spray for adult mosquitoes when our surveillance data meets the criteria to perform this action. We encourage residents to sign up and receive free email notifications that include adult mosquito control schedules, interactive maps, product information, and more.
Insects That Resemble Mosquitoes
Contra Costa County is home to twenty three species of mosquitoes. There are also several types of insects located throughout the county that many people perceive as a mosquito, but actually are different species of insects. READ MORE.
West Nile Virus Mosquitoes of Contra Costa County
Out of the 23 species of mosquitoes found in Contra Costa County, two species are known transmitters of West Nile Virus. READ MORE.
The Western Tree Hole Mosquito
The Western tree hole mosquito (Aedes sierrensis) receives its name because the immature stages of this mosquito species are frequently found in water contained in rot-holes of trees. READ MORE.
The Mosquito Life Cycle
Mosquitoes have four life stages; egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The first three stages require standing water for their development. The female mosquito lays her eggs either individually or in clusters, which is called an egg raft. READ MORE.
How to Mosquito-Proof Your Backyard
Mosquitoes need very little water to lay eggs and produce hundreds, thousands, even millions of mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes can acquire diseases such as West Nile virus, which is present in Contra Costa County. Dump out standing water and prevent mosquito production. READ MORE.
Mosquito Diseases
Some species of mosquitoese are involved in the transmission of important disease-causing agents (pathogens). In Califonria, these diseases include encephalitis viruses, malaria, and dog heartworm. READ MORE.
Mosquito Surveillance and Trapping
The goal of our surveillance program is to prevent mosquito problems before they happen. We monitor mosquito populations throughout the county by regularly inspecting all bodies of water known to harbor mosquito larvae. READ MORE.
Our mosquito control program is based on the principle of Integrated Vector Management (IVM). It is most effective to control the larval stages since they are concentrated in a smaller area and cannot fly away. READ MORE.
West Nile virus is a viral disease of birds that is transmitted from bird to bird by way of a mosquito bite. It can occasionally cause meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord). READ MORE.
23 Mosquito Species of Contra Costa County
That's right. Contra Costa County is home to a variety of mosquito species that vary regarding flight range, habitat, biting behavior, and potential carrier/transmitter of disease. READ MORE.
Why Do We Use Adulticides?
It is generally agreed by mosquito control experts that controlling larval mosquitoes while they are still restricted to their aquatic habitat is the most effective way to reduce adult mosquito populations and therefore reduce the risk of disease. READ MORE.
Where Do Mosquitoes Go in Winter?
Mosquitoes are usually thought of as a summer phenomenon, like barbecues or days at the beach. But have you ever wondered what happens to them during the "off season"? The answer may be more complicated than you think. READ MORE.
How YOU Can Protect Yourself
Protect yourself from mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit by practicing the District's "7 D's of mosquito prevention." READ MORE.


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Tenants/Evictions Assistance
***Has COVID-19 impacted your ability to pay your rent and are now facing eviction or are being threatened with an eviction? Please review the Tenant's/Evictions assistance tab for information on possible assistance. ***
Benton County Superior Courthouse
In abundance of caution and with concern for maintaining the safety and health of the public and our employees, Benton Franklin Legal Aid will be limiting operation hours as a precautionary measure to slow the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)
We are closed to walk-ins & curbside pick up. Legal Aid Staff will be working primarily remotely. We will be available by email and phone only from 9am to 2pm Monday through Thursday at (509) 221-1824. Please click the "contact information" tab found above for more information.
Franklin County Superior Courthouse
Proudly Serving Benton & Franklin County
The Benton-Franklin Legal Aid Society will provide legal assistance to Qualified Low-Income individuals who would otherwise be denied access to the Justice system because of the inability to pay for the cost of counsel.
The Benton Franklin Legal Aid program may be able to assist with the following:
Family Law
Debtor-Creditor
Social Security/ Disability
Wills/Power of Attorneys
Disclaimer
The Information contained in this web site and its associated web pages is meant to provide legal information, not legal advice. It is our goal to provide information that will help the general public, we cannot provide Legal Opinions.
Due to the rapidly changing nature of the information on the internet pages, the Benton Franklin Legal Aid Office cannot insure 100% accuracy. The data is provided for informational purposes only and may not have been updated on the date you view it. The Benton Franklin Legal Aid Program assumes no liability for any legal consequences arising out of any information on these pages.


The acrylic single delivers some of the sharpest chatter and clucks you'll ever hear, and made top-five in the world live duck calling championships.
It sounds like an optimal plan on the surface, it is anything but, Cluck said.
Many of soldiers had no previous experience operating the computer systems used by the Paladins," Cluck said.
Master the cluck, make it sound good, then add the speed.
Cluck said: "We have spent the last 10 years without the sea in SEAL.
Accented by a hex nut band around the center, the call has a short barrel and short insert so you can work it with one or two hands and produce equally appealing honks, clucks, moans and comeback calls.
Cluck acknowledged that more technological innovation will be needed, but one problem for SOCOM is that traditional military research programs take years to reach fruition.
Overhead, early rising mallards made the soft "dug-a, dug-a, dug-a" chuckle and "ka, ka, kuk" clucks.
I've never been a big fan of hypnosis -- possibly because of the subliminal influence of a ``Flintstones'' episode where the good people of Bedrock are called upon to cluck like chickens.
This is the first assignment of morning-ness and evening-ness to specific cells," comments cluck researcher William J.
He wasn't out of cluck completely - the Flying Squad didn't coop him up overnight.
The film is for all ages, with broad comedy and exciting action-adventure sequences, featuring an all-star cast, voiced by Zach Braff as Chicken Little, Joan Cusack as Abby Mallard, Steve Zahn as Runt of the Litter, Garry Marshall as Buck Cluck and Don Knotts as the irrepressible mayor of Oakey Oaks.


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WSBK: Davies and Giugliano Remain with Ducati for 2016
superbike jerez jonathan rea chaz davies michele pirro tom sykes davide giugliano
The Aruba.it Ducati World Superbike squad is to remain unchanged for the 2016 season. Today, Ducati announced that they will be retaining Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano as their riders for next year, making it three seasons in a row the Ducati line up has remained the same. The announcement is...
wSBK Press Release: After two of the most unpredictable Superpole sessions of the season, Tom Sykes will start tomorrow's two 21-lap races at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" from Pole Position. The Kawasaki rider powered to the top spot, claiming a new outright circuit best lap of...
With two rounds and four races remaining, Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea clinched the 2016 WSBK Championship with a fourth place in the first leg at Jerez, Spain, yesterday. The Championship was Rea's first, and in only his first season with the Kawasaki factory team following six years on...
The Kawasaki World Superbike line up will remained unchanged for the next two years. On Monday morning, the Kawasaki Racing Team announced they had signed Tom Sykes to another two-year contract for WorldSBK. Sykes will line up alongside Jonathan Rea in 2017 and 2018, as he has for this season...
Tom Sykes, determined to reaffirm his leadership role at Kawasaki, rode his ZX10-R to a new lap record at Misano World Circuity on Satutrday, grabbing pole position with a lap of 1:34.214. That's six-tenths of second quicker than last year's Superpole time. His performance was perfect, but the...
Ducati's Davide Giugliano has topped the opening day's Jerez World Superbike test timesheets with a laptime only four-tenths slower than Eugene Laverty's pole time from last season. The Roman went round in a 1'41.056 to be a little less than half a second clear of team-mate Chaz Davies. The...
A week after the eni FIM World Superbike Championship season finale at Jerez, several riders and teams came back to the Spanish track to continue their work for 2014 pre-season work. The two-day test held yesterday and today was also first chance of seeing some riders with their new bikes and...
As the world of motorcycle racing has gone mad with speculation over who is to replace Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha, and by extension, either Maverick Viñales at Suzuki or Dani Pedrosa at Honda, focus has also turned on the World Superbike paddock. There has been much talk of which riders could make...


This is the second flan recipe I'm posting on my blog… and for good reason. This flan recipe you can make in the crockpot. It's so easy!
Get ready for some slow cooker caramel flan. It's a hit! Watch this short video to see how easy it is.
Mix together the sweetened condensed milk, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
In the ramekins, pour a little bit of caramel sauce in the bottom, then use a spoon to spread it along the sides.
Pour the milk, egg, and vanilla mixture in the ramekins.
Cover the bottom of the crockpot with about 1/2 of water.
Gently place the ramekins in the crockpot.
Bake the flan on high for two hours.
After two hours, cool the flan in the refrigerator for another two hours.
Use a knife to loosen the edge of the flan on the edges of the ramekin.
Flip the ramekin upside down on a plate.
Enjoy your slow cooker caramel flan!
Aren't crockpot desserts the best?!


Alloy coin of Apamaea with Philip I on the obverse and an ark scene on the reverse. © The Trustees of the British Museum.
The above coin is one of a series of exceptional coins from ancient Apamea, Phrygia. On the obverse we have a Greek inscription naming the emperor as Philip I (AD 244-249), and a bust of the emperor looking to the right wearing a laurel crown, cloak and cuirass. Philip, commonly known as Philip the Arab, was an emperor of Syrian origin, and he is best remembered to history for his sympathetic view of Christianity, and potential conversion, as discussed by Christian writers such as Eusebius, Jerome and Orosius. On the reverse we have an inscription naming the town of Apamea and the magistrate in charge of minting the coin. The reverse has four figures depicted: two of them are inside a box with NOE inscribed on it that seems to be floating on water, this box has two birds perching above it; the other two stand to the side of this box, and have their right hands raised in a gesture of prayer. Five coins of this type, with minimal variation, have been found, and are attributed to five emperors of the first half of the 3rd century: Septimius Severus (AD 192-211), Alexander Severus (AD 222-235), Gordian III (AD 238-244), Philip I (AD 244-249) and Trebonianus Gallus (AD 251-253). Before looking at what makes these coins so extraordinary, it is important to look at the city of Apamea, and what this might reveal about the coin itself.
Apamea, founded in the 3rd century BCE, was a centre for trade in ancient Phrygia, and acted as an important transit centre for merchants travelling to the east. Perhaps due to the city's economic significance, the city gained the epithet kibotos (chest) around the time of Strabo. The kibotoi were clearly significant for Apamea, as they appear on coins depicting Marsyas reclining in a cave, and in fact it is a kibotos that we find on the reverse of the coin type in question. Apamea also seems to have had a strong Jewish presence, as Josephus describes how the Seleucid king Antiochus III brought Babylonian Jews to Phrygia to serve as garrison soldiers, civil servants and royal administrators in the newly established city (Josephus, Antiquities, 12.3.4). This Jewish population was certainly still thriving in the 1st century BCE, as Cicero claims that a large sum of gold was confiscated from the Jews at Apamea as it was to be sent to the Temple in Jerusalem (Cicero, Pro Flaccus, 68); and we can assume that this prominent position was sustained under the Roman Empire. There was also a local tradition (The Sibylline Oracles, 1.320-40) that the nearby mountain was in fact Mount Ararat, the mountain on which Noah's ark came to rest (Genesis 8:4); a tradition that must have been formed by the Jewish population of the city.
On this coin, then, we find a celebration of this local tradition. This is made clear by the NOE inscription, which is the same spelling that the Septuagint Bible uses for Noah. Thus we find that the kibotos is Noah's ark, further tying the city into this episode from the Old Testament; the two figures inside are Noah and his wife during the flood, and the two figures on the outside are Noah and his wife praying to God after being saved. The two birds make this identification even more concrete; the one on the right is probably the raven that Noah sent out after 40 days, and the one on the left depicted holding some sort of branch, must be the dove sent out a week late that brought back an olive leaf to let Noah know the water had receded (Genesis 8:6-12). Many scholars have argued for a pagan reading of this coin instead, arguing it to be an allusion to one of the many other flood legends, such as Nannakos (Zenobius and the Suda), Philemon and Baucis (Ovid's Metamorphoses) or Priasos (Nonnos). Even more popular is identifying this coin as a representation of the flood of Deucalion. In this reading Deucalion and Pyrrha are the figures in the kibotos, and the bird a reference to the dove released from the ark (Plutarch, Moralia, 13.1). However, none of these readings take into account the specificity of one of the birds holding a branch, and all require us to ignore the NOE inscription. It is too simplistic to look at this as a binary choice between this being a representation of a pagan myth or the story of Noah. In all likelihood, the flood myth was viewed as a point of similarity between the Jewish and pagan world; pagans could be reminded of their own traditions upon viewing this coin. The reason that this coin explicitly refers to Noah, rather than more broadly evoking flood myths, was probably due to the local legend of Mt. Ararat, which gave the relatively new city some historical prestige, whereas other flood myths were not specific to Apamea itself. We also cannot ignore the possibility of a Christian community in Apamea being behind the imagery on this coin. This coin type comes into existence at the beginning of the 3rd century CE, just when the first Christian art is beginning to emerge. Additionally, it is interesting to note that both Maximinus Thrax and Decius, who both persecuted Christians, are absent from this coin type. Although there is no direct evidence for Christian involvement, this possibility cannot be entirely ignored.
This coin series is quite extraordinary as being one of the only coin types known to bear a biblical scene. Not only that, there are two scenes depicted in sequence- something common on sarcophagus art, but hardly ever found on coins. They show the possibility for the tolerant acceptance of a Judaeo-Christian myth in a pagan city under a pagan emperor. This coin may lead us to reassess our views on the local relationships between pagans, Jews and Christians in the pre-Constantinian empire. In Apamea, it seems the local community were united by the local legend of Mt Ararat than they were divided by the fact that this story came from a non-pagan source. Perhaps local Apameans were not as concerned with religious identity as we might assume, and instead had civic unity at the forefront of their minds.
This month's coin entry was written by Simon Collier, is a second year part-time MA student in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Warwick. His academic interests focus on the interaction between religions, specifically focussed on the reception of ancient paganism. He has previously written on topics such as blasphemous graffiti in Severan Rome, the reception of Hecate by William Blake and Neo-paganism, and colonial and post-colonial reactions to the origin of the Buddha image. His MA thesis is looking at the reception of Roman paganism in silent and epic cinema, and in what ways this is a continuation of ancient Christian views of paganism.


Sure Start Children's Centres are places where children under 5 years old and their families can receive seamless integrated services and information.
It is also where they can access help from a range of multi-disciplinary teams of professionals. These Centres are at the heart of the Government's strategy to deliver better outcomes for children and families.
Services and activities are delivered from Masbro Children's Centre, Edward Woods, Masbro Brook Green, Masbro Flora Gardens Children's Centre and Shepherds Bush Families Project and Children's Centre (SBFP & CC).
We also run a nursery at Masbro Children's Centre for children eligible for the 2 year offer of 15 hours free childcare.
Masbro Children's Centre is closed from 15th to 22nd April.
All Children's Centres will reopen Tuesday 23rd April.
Six settings have achieved the Healthy Early Years London First Steps Award and Masbro Children's Centre is one of the 6 settings in Hammersmith & Fulham to have achieved this. Masbro Children's Centre also previously achieved the Gold Award for Healthy Early Years. Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) is the Mayor's new award programme that aims to support London's 13,000+ early years childcare settings to boost the health, wellbeing and development of under-fives as they grow, play and learn.
ACTIVITIES TO LOOK OUT FOR!
Usually last Saturday of the month.
We offer advice on Breast Feeding.
Please phone Houraa to make an appointment or to have a chat.
An exciting interactive performance and workshop for children and their families.
The Masbro Children's Centre Outreach Workers provide practical and emotional support to parents and carers. If you would like advice or support you can either speak to a member of staff or contact Houraa on 020 7605 0800 to make an appointment, either in your home or at the centre.
The Bookstart Programme includes a FREE book pack – full of resources to share with your child/ren, making stories fun, whilst encouraging language development by learning new rhymes.
We distribute free women's and children's vitamins & Rose Vouchers (free fruit and vegetables for those who are eligible), to pregnant women and families with children under the age of four.
You can now register the birth of your child at the Masbro Children's Centre. It will also give you an opportunity to look at what is on offer for your child at the Centre and plugs you into local services at a time when every extra bit of help is vital.
Make the right choice – book your birth registration at Masbro today!
Masbro under Threes Nursery offers 15 hours free childcare to children who are 2 years old and eligible for the funding. The Nursery runs sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10.00 – 3.00pm (term time only).
The government is funding the places for two-year-olds from low income families who receive benefits. In order to be eligible, families must be resident in Hammersmith & Fulham and must also be in receipt of certain benefits. Please note: if you are entitled to Working Tax Credit, you will not be eligible for this funding.
It is important to book a crèche place before your session starts. We will be running settling-in sessions the week before courses begin to help your child make a good start in the crèche.
GOING BACK TO WORK, RETURNING TO STUDY, 0R NEED HELP WITH YOUR FINANCES?
Masbro Children's Centre works closely with local agencies and training providers to offer parents advice and information on training and returning to work.
The Family Information Service (FIS) provides information and advice on a range of services for children and young people aged 0 – 19 years old.
Jobcentre Plus provides resources to enable job-searchers to find work.
London Plus Credit Union Ltd provide a range of financial services to the community.
This is a free, face-to-face financial guidance service that offers information on personal finance.


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Why do Russians make super long captions on Instagram?
A story by
Konstantin Kanin 4th Nov 19 4:43 pm
How long should a post be on social media, like Instagram?
"It depends" is the most thoughtful answer to such a question.
The studies on this topic only describe the average value in a diverse sample.
In practice, a research doesn't tell us what text size should be to engage our audience. It says only how the average content looks among several million posts, profiles from around the world, with different thematic categories and a different number of followers. That is, as the Russians say, the patients' average temperature in the hospital. It makes no sense.
But still, such research can motivate to think, to make experiments and further analysis. I had to point out, however, that conclusions should be drawn cautiously, with many factors taken into account.
Instagram, as many still believe, is a social network for viewers. After all there are photos, videos and stories.
But in a few countries, Instagram users have a different opinion, such as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. And I have reason to believe that this trend will soon become popular in the West.
So, Instagram users in Russia tend to write long texts. Sometimes they don't even fit into limit of 2000 characters. In general there are two ways how Russians deal with longer texts: they add another part in the comments section or make screenshots of their Notes and post them in photo carousel. And, most importantly, their followers engage with these texts — they comment and discuss, as on normal blogs.
READ: How Instagram giveaway may ruin your profile's organic reach and engagement rate
The social media content analytics tool Popsters.us have made a research and noticed a correlation between Instagram caption length and Engagement Rate — the longer the caption, the higher the engagement towards it.
Which countries have the longest captions?
Another social media tool Pandarank.com have analyzed 35 million posts worldwide and created a detailed infographic. On average the longest posts are made in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan (all using Russian language as their main):
Interestingly, as the number of followers increases, the average length of caption also does — from 307 characters among profiles of less than 1000 followers to 450 characters among profiles of 100K+.
Some examples of such profiles.
On the other hand, a similar analysis of Western profiles showed an inverse correlation. Firstly, in the United States, posts are on average about 2 times shorter than in Russia, and secondly, short posts generate more ER. The only exception are celebrities' profiles, which can generate a huge engagement without any descriptions:
So, is it worth writing long captions on Instagram? Yes, generally it makes sense.
READ: How to check an influencer for fake followers and likes?
But, as usual, the devil is in the detail. Before making a decision, it is necessary to figure out several issues:
What do you want to achieve in the long run? If you are a small business that urgently needs to increase revenues, it is not Instagram posts that will likely save your business.
If you're building a personal brand on Instagram, do you have expertise that you are able to consistently share?
What advantage of your texts does the user have? Are you sure he/she is not following you because of beautiful eyes and big discounts?
Not every business needs a blog, and not every business that needs a blog is able to consistently conduct it. However, those who know their target audience well and have the resources to create long content on Instagram certainly have a chance of success, as many examples from the Russian-speaking internet.
How to make money on VK?
How to make lead generation campaign on VK?
How to find Russian influencers on Instagram?
How does Instagram mass story viewing work?
How Instagram giveaway may ruin your profile's…
How nano and micro influencers can earn money by…
How Instagram giveaway may ruin your profile's organic reach and engagement rate


The sweet+sour+chilli combo is well loved, so why not with plantain? They are already sweet, so just add a bit of sour and chill and you've got dynamite bites!
As far as baked potatoes go, these delicious specimens rank very high. They look great and are so easy to customise to your palette! Have a look and give them a go!
Yes, I'm still around. August has been a quiet month for me. Oh I'm still cooking, experimenting and so on, just haven't been online very much. It has been quite nice actually. Sometimes there's just too much to see, and the more you consume, the more you want and before you know it your head is so full of clutter and you just can't think. So I guess you could say I've been clearing my head. How has your August been?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with adding a little veggie to your eggs!
This is one of my favourite ways to cook beans. Though I usually see it in other places with the kidney beans, I have used coconut in pretty much every type of bean that's been though my kitchen, even butter beans, and they were all delicious.
I wanted to call this post "tender deliciousness" because that is how I would describe this dish. It takes a while to cook but it is more than worth the wait. The up side is you can do something else while you're waiting.


That means hello in Hindi!
It seemed like a moment ago when I first touched down in India. I felt lost, apprehensive and within a few days, homesick. I thought to myself then, 3 months;13 weeks here is this God forsaken land. God help me! I counted down the days to when I would be back home. First, 1/90, then within a week 1/13 etc. In the beginning, it was tough. The weather was horrible, and I felt so alone.
But I was not alone. Of course there were my colleagues and my buddy from Singapore. But loneliness in this sense was missing the feeling of home, family, friends, church. Fortunately for me, I found solace in skype calls, facetime (technology is a wonderful thing), playing the guitar (thank God my buddy brought a guitar) and prayer. I kid you not about how I was feeling then. Immense forlornness is a terrible land. The weather was terrible (reached up to 50 degrees), communicating with the locals was terrible, the environment was terrible (just stink and rubbish everywhere). What else could I do, but to cuddle up in the office.
Things got better after awhile. I mustered the courage to explore my surroundings. Found a chapel in a convent where I attended weekly mass. Food here is actually quite boring. Imagine eating naan and chapati and briyani everyday! I miss Singapore food 😦 I soon stopped counting down the days, and tried to live the life; albeit normally boring.
The first week was spent out in the field at a place about a couple of hundred kilometers from my current working space. My place of lodging then was located beside this massive pool of dirty, stagnant water. Just that week, I had 41 mosquito bites on my left hand (not including the arms and legs). And this was after I had applied bouts and bouts of insect repellant and burned a few mosquito coil. Electricity was also a luxury then. I was basically sleeping in a room with still air at 40 degrees heat. Truth to be told, I couldn't sleep very well that week. So, in summery of the first week, there was no electricity in the night. I tried to sleep in 40 degrees heat without any fans/aircon etc, and my body was a mosquito feast.
During that week however, I was taken around on a motorcycle (Yes, i was the pillion rider) to see how the fundamentals of microfinance. I met with poor people, living in really simple and rural conditions. I won't use the word bad, because I think they managed their environment better than those others who actually live in the towns. You don't see heaps of uncleared rubbish in the rural areas, but you see them in towns. You don't experience begging and pickpocketing in the villages, but you experience them in the towns. You don't notice the smell of ammonia in villages, but the stench is overwhelming in these semi urban landscapes. I kid you not when I recount to you this: everyone pees everywhere there is a wall. Both man and woman. Such is the tragedy of urbanisation of a culture whose sole purpose of living is to be economically developed. Their disregard for proper sanitation and personal space abhors me. I sound so bitter. And I actually was.
I was bitter until the 4th week of my stay here actually. Its getting better, but there are especially some of their practices which irks me to the bone. Obviously heaps of rubbish is one of them. But as I have mentioned earlier and I will mention it again is that I absolutely hate their practice of peeing on every wall they see (like dogs!) and of their utter disregard for personal space. In the lifts; in the trains; on the roads, they like to squeeze. Even though there is no more space. Take for example, when I was in Delhi, taking their metro (MRT), there is a certain number of people allowed to sit on the seats, and this is clearly marked out my the grooves of the benches. But NO, they would not follow such simple suggestions. They would try to squeeze into whatever space that is remotely there. And the whole row of people sitting on the bench would have to make space for that bugger! And these are people carrying iPhones!!!!!
Alright back to week 4. Week 4 was the week I spend in Kolkata. I lost my first iPhone in week 3, when I realised that upon getting my SIM, my phone was nowhere to be found. I suspect that the visitors to the office took the lone phone on the table expecting it to be a door gift. Week 4, in Kolkata, was absolute disaster. But on hindsight, it appeared a valuable experience. Kolkata was a mess. A real mess. Urbanised with tall building? Yes. City filled with beggars? Yes. City filled with scumbags? Absolutely. Here at Kolkata, the place was humid beyond belief. I sweated buckets while walking in the streets. Here at Kolkata, my iPhone got stolen. Here at Kolkata, we got cheated by a Cab driver. Here at Kolkata, I showed that foreigners were not cash cows and not to be pushed over. I admit it wasn't that wise to be shouting at an indian cab driver and threatening him with police action. But I guess, it woke him up as it woke me up to my innate desire for things to be proper and systematic. Chaos is not an option. Amidst the bustling city, I found solace at the mother teresa's house. Comforting. But not for long. I got conned into buying milk powder for beggars whom I so convincingly told myself that I would not donate to. But oh well, life's not perfect, and before I knew it, I was back at Patna. And it sure beats Kolkata!
Work in Patna is actually quite relaxed. I just have to do reports and assignments, and recently, designing posters/banners/letterheads/brochures/newsletters/ID cards – you get the idea. I have rudimentary knowledge in programmes such as photoshop and fireworks and I was expected to to these things? What in the world?! Again everything in retrospect, and there is a lesson to be learnt. In this case, a skill though. I'm getting through work quite well, till now. Staring at the computer screen for long hours makes the eyes dry, and I just did that. Oh, yesterday too and the day before yesterday also.
I like Delhi, it was modern, and the roads did not stink too much of pee, although the same cannot be said for the small alleys. In my opinion, Delhi was really a good city with a blend of really old and really new. There were bazaars and markets in small alleys, there were skyscrapers gleaming in the sun. Food was pretty decent in Delhi, Kababs and all. And so was the connoisseur coffee. Its hard to find a city in India like Delhi. Truly worth the title of being the capital city of India.
Week 7 was a weekend to Varanasi. The oldest city in the world. The old city was a labyrinth of walkways along the Ganges river. Varanasi, even though we didnt do much there, was actually quite a welcoming place. We saw cremations along river and we learned to appreciate a little more of the Hindu people's culture. Varanasi also had plenty of little shops that we could indulge ourselves in. From the little food joints and clothing stalls that sold everything to the temples (TOO MANY OF THEM IN FACT, couldnt be bothered after like seeing one lol) and then to the famous blue lassi shop that all foreigners patronise. Lassi is a sweetened fresh yogurt beverage. The shop sold basically every single flavored lassi that one could think of. From sinful mix of pomegranates and nuts, to the more common mix of banana and mango, or to the prohibited mix of marijuana in the Lassi. Blue Lassi had it all. And let me tell you that it was Good.
It is week 8 wednesday night/thursday early morning now as I am writing this. I have 10 weeks in this internship, and then I am off to travel for 3 weeks. Let me whet your appetite on my travel plans for those 3 weeks. At the same time, this is an plea for you guys to continue keeping my safety in your prayers k! (please please please). On week 11, I am going to Darjeeling and Sikkim. Basically I will be there to sip Tea, look at mountains and maybe paraglide. After which, on the weekend, I will then go to new delhi, and take a plane flight up to Leh, which is the kashmir and ladakh region. If you have watched the movie "3 idiots,"and recollect the beautiful body of water shown at the last scene, it is there at Leh. Its called the Pangong Tso. I will spend a few days trekking and maybe paragliding and doing other adventurous stuff which is befitting of me (LOL), and then I will be back to Delhi, where I will catch a train to Jaisalmer. This boarders Pakistan. It basically has a desert and one of the oldest and most beautiful forts in the world. Will spend a night living like a nomad in the desert, just like those silk route travelers of old, and then I will be off to Mumbai via train!!!
Will spend 2 days in mumbai, and then fly back to delhi, to do some last minute shopping and then Home sweet home. I really want to go back to Singapore. I just hope that when I come back, I bring back not just good memories, but also with me, the spirit of adventure. I can't wait to see you guys again! You know I really miss home, but I guess, this time here is not just a time to seek fun and excitement, but also a time to learn more about oneself. God Bless!


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Evan Lee
Evan Lee, VP for Strategy and Modernization at ICF
Evan Lee has been serving as ICF's vice president for strategy and modernization since October 2018, responsible for the digital transformation plans and efforts of the company's public sector customers.
He is tasked with overseeing the development of federal growth strategy that uses the organization's technological capabilities and market experience to provide services and platforms to clients, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In his recent opinion piece, he said the U.S. inspectors general must carry out an "oversight toolkit" of technologies to help monitor the government's COVID-19 initiatives.
In particular, the IG offices in charge of managing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds must deploy the toolkit to accelerate IT implementation to enhance collaboration, he wrote.
According to Lee, the toolkit must enable the recently established Pandemic Response Accountability Committee and Special Treasury IG to speed up fraud detection, improve the management of reporting information, advance technology reusability and promote transparency.
He noted that while the Office of the Inspector General supported the deployment of new technologies such as predictive analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, the OIG offices with the latest digital capabilities must share the infrastructure, platforms and application code across the federal government to establish foundational services.
Before joining ICF, Lee was the chief technology officer at the Health and Human Services-OIG for over two years. He was responsible for helping the agency use industry IT practices and emerging technologies to improve capabilities in countering fraud in and misuse of the organization's $1.3T assets.
During his tenure, he led a team that focused on establishing digital service, executing federal mandates for IT modernization, data accountability and transparency and developing a modern workforce, the company said.
Earlier, Lee served as vice president for technology at PeopleClues, a startup that specializes in enhancing personality, cognitive and attitude assessments for hiring, training and employee development.
He graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and holds a master's degree in IT management from Capella University.
Posted on December 1, 2020 by Rene Mallari
Category: Executive Profiles
Tags: Department of Homeland Security Evan Lee Executive Profiles George Mason University Health and Human Services ICF information technology IT Modernization strategy
Five VPs Leading Strategy in GovCon Companies
Nadia Short, GD Mission Systems' VP for Strategy, Business Development
John DuBois, VP of Digital Operations at NTT DATA Services
Tom Frana, President, CEO and Chairman of ViON
Patrick Regan, Data Networks CEO, President


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Căldură mare este o schiță scrisă de Ion Luca Caragiale în 1899.

Numele străzilor din opera "Caldură Mare" de Ion Luca Caragiale,și anume: "Pacienții" și "Sapienții", reprezintă răbdare și înțelepciune; o nota comica deoarece "Domnul" nu este deloc înțelept și nu are răbdare deloc fiindcă e grăbit, nu dă dovadă deoarece nu știe pe cine caută și s-a angajat într-o afacere pe care nu poate să o ducă pană la sfârșit. Nu e deloc deștept și nu e deloc descurcăreț deoarece întreabă trecătorii dar el e ferm convins că el are dreptate; insultele pe care le folosește nu sunt decât o autocaracterizare, pe când "feciorul", care stă pe strada "Pacienții" dă dovadă de răbdare în momentul în care îi ascultă domnului "discursul". Comunicarea dintre cei doi nu se realizează deoarece cuvintele nu au același înțeles pentru ambii vorbitori de unde denota și comicul operei.
Incultura, prostia este amplificată și de cadrul în care se desfășoară acțiunea care arde sub un soare dogoritor.

Operele lui Ion Luca Caragiale

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Through Salsbruket, this very small city of the municipality of Nærøy, river Oplø finds its way to the ocean. In lower parts of the river, you can discover a real exciting salmon fishing.
NB! Please remember ebb and flow!


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Q: Wordpress login through facebook not working properly I am trying to login via Facebook into a wordpress site. I used all the keys correctly and followed the steps as per facebook post. But i get the same message. I even updated the URI to white-listed.

URL blocked: This redirect failed because the redirect URI is not white-listed in the app's client OAuth settings. Make sure that the client and web OAuth logins are on and add all your app domains as valid OAuth redirect URIs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Port St. Lucie man indicted on weapons charges
MIAMI – A Port St. Lucie man was indicted on charges related to the illegal exportation of firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition. The indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami and Brazil; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, the Brazilian Federal Police, the Brazilian Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Brazilian Customs Service.
Frederik Barbieri, 36, of Ft. Pierce, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, one count of delivering firearms to a contract carrier without notification, that shipment contained firearms, one count of smuggling firearms and fire accessories from the United States to Brazil and one count of exporting firearms and firearms accessories without a license.
According to court documents, Barbieri entered into a conspiracy to illegally export firearms to Brazil without a license, which lasted from May 2013 to June 2017. Barbieri and his co-conspirators purchased firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition, obliterated the serial numbers and concealed the weapons, the accessories and the ammunition in different packages.
Barbieri and his co-conspirators would then ship the packages to Brazil, where Barbieri and his co-conspirators would sell such firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition at a profit. It is further alleged that on May 26, Barbieri shipped a package concealing firearms and firearms accessories to Brazil without obtaining a license to export those items and without notifying the contract carrier that the package contained firearms.
If convicted, Barbieri faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years on Counts 1 and 2, a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years on Count 3, and a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years on Count 4.
An indictment is only an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


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Chaka Fattah on Families & Children
Democratic Representative (PA-2)
Voted YES on four weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees.
Congressional Summary:Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave.
Rep. STEVE LYNCH (D, MA-9): This bill takes an important step toward improving the Federal Government's ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce by providing paid parental leave to Federal and Congressional employees for the birth, adoption or placement of a child for foster care, which is a benefit that is extended to many in the private sector in other industrialized countries.
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. DARRELL ISSA (R, CA-49): This bill sends the wrong message at the wrong time to working American taxpayers and families that are struggling in difficult times. Our economy is in crisis, and deficits are already soaring. This bill does not have one provision to say if you make $170,000 a year, why do we have to give you this benefit, because you have to choose between feeding your children and being with your children? Certainly not. There are no protections against, in fact, those who do not need this special benefit getting it. There are no safeguards at all. As a matter of fact, this bill envisions the $1 billion over 5 years, swelling to $4 billion over 10 years or more because, in fact, they believe it should be 8 weeks of special leave. Federal employees enjoy one of the highest levels of job security, without a doubt, anywhere in the United States. I would venture to say many of them the highest. More importantly, in good times and bad, they keep their jobs. Reference: Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act; Bill H.R.626 ; vote number 2009-H310 on Jun 4, 2009
Voted YES on establishing nationwide AMBER alert system for missing kids.
Vote to adopt the conference report on the bill that would assign a national coordinator for AMBER alerts. AMBER alerts is an alert system for missing children, make available additional protections for children and set stricter punishments for sex offenders. Two-time child sex offenders would be subjected to mandatory life sentence. The measure would make it a crime to pander visual illustrations of children as child pornography. It would increase maximum sentences for a number of specified crimes against children. It would also make it a crime to take a trip to foreign countries and engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. It also would enlarge law enforcement's wiretap and electronic surveillance abilities in investigations of child pornography. Reference: Child Abduction Prevention Act; Bill S 151 ; vote number 2003-127 on Apr 10, 2003
Voted NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years.
Vote to pass a bill that would reduce taxes for married people by $399.2 billion over 10 years by doubling the couples' deduction and the child tax credit. Among other provisions, the bill would allow married couples filing jointly to claim a standard deduction equal to the deduction they would receive filing singly. Reference: Bill sponsored by Weller, R-IL; Bill HR 6 ; vote number 2001-75 on Mar 29, 2001
Rated 23% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-Family-Value voting record.
Fattah scores 23% by the Christian Coalition on family issues
The Christian Coalition was founded in 1989 by Dr. Pat Robertson to give Christians a voice in government. We represent millions of people of faith and enable them to have a strong, unified voice in the conversation we call democracy.
Our Five-Fold Mission:
Represent the pro-family point of view before local councils, school boards, state legislatures, and Congress
Speak out in the public arena and in the media
Train leaders for effective social and political action
Inform pro-family voters about timely issues and legislation
Protest anti-Christian bigotry and defend the rights of people of faith.
Our ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position. Source: CC website 03n-CC on Dec 31, 2003
Call for a White House Conference on Children and Youth.
Fattah introduced calling for a White House Conference on Children and Youth
The White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act - Directs the President to call a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 to: (1) encourage improvements in each state and local child welfare system; and (2) develop recommendations for actions to implement express policy regarding federal, state, and local programs. The Congress finds the following:
In 2005 there were over 3,000,000 reports of child abuse and neglect, and only 60% of the children from the substantiated reports received follow-up services and 20% were placed in foster care as a result of an investigation.
Almost 500,000 children and youth were in foster care at the end of 2004 and nearly 800,000 spent at least some time in foster care throughout the year.
There is an over-representation of certain populations, including Native Americans and African-Americans, in the child welfare system.
The State courts make key decisions in the lives of children involved in the child welfare system, including decisions of whether children have been victims of child abuse, whether parental rights should be terminated, and whether children should be reunified with their families, adopted, or placed in other settings.
Source: Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act (S2771/HR5461) 08-S2771 on Mar 13, 2008
Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception.
Fattah signed H.R.1551&S.611
Authorizes grants to states for sex education programs, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that states are encouraged, although not required, to provide matching funds to receive such grants.
Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in delaying the initiation of sexual intercourse and other high-risk behaviors, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, and increasing contraceptive knowledge and behavior. Requires states receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the state's program by an external, independent entity. Source: Responsible Education About Life Act 09-HR1551 on Mar 17, 2009
More funding & services for victims of domestic violence.
Fattah co-sponsored Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act
Introduction by co-sponsor Sen. Kay Hagan (D,NC):
We have a serious responsibility to ensure that women and families are protected. The rates of violence and abuse in our country are astounding and totally unacceptable: domestic violence affects more than 12 million people each year. In my home state, 73 women and children are killed on average every year because of domestic violence.
Since 1994, the STOP Program has provided grants for services, training, officers, and prosecutors, and has transformed our criminal justice system and victim support services. And this bill includes the bipartisan SAFER Act, which helps fund audits of untested DNA evidence and reduces this backlog of rape kits. I ask you: What other victims in America have to identify the attacker before authorities will take action? None.Introduction by Sen. Chuck Grassley(R,IA):
I urge my Republican colleagues, as I will do, to support the motion to proceed. There has long been bipartisan support for the Violence Against Women Act. Too many women are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for 98% of what is contained in S. 47. [Since our negative vote last session], controversial provisions have been removed. The key stumbling block to enacting a bill at this time is the provision concerning Indian tribal courts. Negotiations are continuing, and compromises would allow the bill to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Introduction by Sen. Pat Leahy (D,VT):
Our bill will allow services to get to those in the LGBT community who have had trouble accessing services in the past. The rates of domestic and sexual violence in these communities are equal to or greater than those of the general population. We also have key improvements for immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence. Source: S.47/H.R.11 13-HR0011 on Jan 22, 2013
Six weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees.
Fattah co-sponsored H.R.532
Congressional Summary: Allows federal employees six administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with birth.
Supporters reasons for voting YEA: Rep. Maloney (D-NY): Since the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, individuals and their families have benefited from up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave to care for a new child, sick family member, or a loved one recovering from a serious health condition. This landmark law has been used 200 million times by men and women across the nation. FMLA provides unpaid leave, which means families must choose between foregoing a paycheck and caring for a loved one. Most families today no longer have a stay-at-home parent to care for a new child, and few can afford to go without pay for any length of time. This legislation that provides federal employees with 6 weeks of paid leave following the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child.
Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Washington Post, Jan. 26, 2015): The Office of Management and Budget has said that creating six weeks of paid parental leave would cost $250 million annually, a cost it said would be covered within agency budgets for salaries and expenses and would fit within discretionary funding caps.
Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Countable.us: "Argument Opposed"): Not all new parents that work for the federal government need 6 weeks of paid leave. This mandate would be costly and could reduce the productivity of federal organizations and congressional offices. Source: Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act 15_H532 on Jan 26, 2015
Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception.
Fattah signed Responsible Education About Life Act
To provide for the reduction of adolescent pregnancy, HIV rates, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Congress finds as follows:
Leading public health organizations stress the need for sexuality education that includes messages about abstinence and contraception.
A 2005 statement [to Congress] urged that 'Sexuality education should be non-judgmental & support parent-child communication & should not impose religious or ideological viewpoints upon students.'
[A Congressionally-sponsored] 2006 position paper that 'Efforts to promote abstinence should include information about concepts of healthy sexuality, sexual orientation & tolerance, personal responsibility, risks of HIV, access to reproductive health care, and benefits & risks of condoms & other contraceptive methods.'
8 in 10 Americans believe that sex education should promote abstinence and provide information about the effectiveness & benefits of contraception.
There is strong evidence that more comprehensive sex education can effectively help young people delay sexual initiation, even as it increases contraceptive use among sexually active youth.
There is no evidence that federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are effective in stopping or delaying teen sex.
Most young people have sex for the first time at about age 17, but do not marry until their late 20s. Hence young adults are at risk of unwanted pregnancy & STDs for nearly a decade.
[Congress requires that] Sex Education Programs should:
provide information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptive and barrier methods used as a means to prevent pregnancy; and to reduce the risk of contracting STDs, including HIV/AIDS;
encourage family communication between parent and child about sexuality;
teach young people how alcohol and drug use can affect responsible decisionmaking; and
do not teach or promote religion.
Source: S.611&HR1551 2009-S611 on Mar 17, 2009
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Millennial New World
Home company Google employees fought for their right to sue the company — and...
Google employees fought for their right to sue the company — and won
US workers are fighting for the right to sue their bosses, and some of them are winning.
On Thursday, Google became the latest company to end mandatory arbitration for employees, a common business practice that requires workers to take legal disputes to private arbitration — a quasi-legal forum with no judge, no jury, and nearly zero government oversight.
Under this process, workers are less likely to win their cases, and when they do win, they tend to get much less money than they would in court.
Google employees have been pressuring the tech company to end mandatory arbitration since November of last year, when 20,000 Google employees and contractors around the world walked off the job to protest the company's response to sexual harassment claims. Employees have also complained about sexism, racism, and a general lack of transparency within the company.
As part of their demands, employees urged Google to stop forcing employees and contractors to sign arbitration agreements when they are hired. These clauses, which have become extremely common at US companies, make it impossible for workers to sue their bosses in court for sexual harassment, racial discrimination, wage theft and nearly anything else. About half of all (non-union) US workers in the private sector have signed one by now.
Last November, about a week after the global walkout, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company would drop forced arbitration for sexual harassment and assault claims.
Google employees said that was nice, but not enough.
They continued calling for the company to end the practice for all types of disputes, and wanted Pichai to extend the policy to contractors and temporary workers — who make up more than half of the company's workforce.
In December, employees formed Googlers for Ending Forced Arbitration, an unofficial group of tech workers advocating for similar policy changes in all workplaces. Google's decision this week to scrap its entire arbitration policy is the group's biggest victory yet.
"We commend the company in taking this step so that all its workers can access their civil rights through public court," the group of employees wrote in a Medium post published Thursday. They also expressed disappointment that the policy doesn't require contract companies that provide Google with thousands of workers to do the same.
"Make no mistake — the fight is not over," they added. "We started this year with a mission to eliminate forced arbitration for all workers, not just those within our four walls."
The latest policy change at Google shows that tech workers are willing to use their influence to reverse a decades-long trend that silences millions of American workers. And their success paves the way for tech workers at other Silicon Valley firms to demand the same.
Millions of workers can't sue their employers, and they probably don't know it
About 6 million American workers have given up their right to go to court just to earn a paycheck.
That's because these employees signed mandatory arbitration agreements, which are often buried in a stack of hiring documents that managers require new employees to sign. They usually have a legalese-laden name, such as "Alternative Dispute Resolution Agreement."
Chances are if you're reading this article and you work for a private company, you probably signed one too. About half of nonunionized workers at US companies are subject to these agreements — more than double the share in the early 2000s. America's most well-known companies, including Walmart, Starbucks, Macy's, Uber, Google, and McDonald's, now require all their workers, or some of them, to sign them. (Disclosure: Vox Media does too.)
The rise of mandatory arbitration has made it nearly impossible for workers to seek legal justice for wage theft, overtime violations, and job discrimination. This secretive system also has the potential to hamper the #MeToo movement.
Women are coming forward, often for the first time, with stories of widespread sexual harassment at work, only to discover that they've been shut out of the court system because they signed an arbitration agreement. The practice is particularly harmful to women and black employees, as they are more likely to be subjected to arbitration agreements because they make up a large share of workers in the industries that require arbitration the most: education and health care.
"What's really happening is that our judicial system is getting privatized," David Gottlieb, an employment attorney in New York who often represents workers in arbitration, told me last year. "It's being privatized in a way that really only favors one side, the employer."
But it's not just hospitals and universities that have gone this route. Silicon Valley tech companies are also fans of mandatory arbitration clauses. And in the wake of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that allows employers to prohibit class-action claims from workers in arbitration, companies have even more incentive to add arbitration clauses to their employment contracts.
Arbitration is stacked in favor of employers
The remarkable rise of mandatory arbitration in the workplace is the result of multiple Supreme Court rulings that have allowed businesses to expand its use.
Arbitration, which was once limited to contract disputes between businesses, now extends to legal disputes with consumers and employees. Companies argue that it's a quicker, less expensive forum to resolve employment conflicts, and that's true. But there are other incentives for businesses too: Private arbitration allows companies to hide misconduct that would otherwise be made public in court; arbitrators are much more likely than jurors to rule in favor of employers; and arbitrators are far less likely than jurors to give multimillion-dollar awards to workers when they find a company at fault for breaking the law.
Information about arbitration cases is scarce because they all take place outside the court system. But in 2015, California began requiring arbitration firms with clients in the state to publish limited data about all their cases in the United States.
A Vox analysis of the data published by the American Arbitration Association, the largest arbitration firm in the US, handling about 50 percent of all employment cases, showed that it handled 8,209 complaints filed by employees bound by mandatory arbitration agreements between 2013 and 2017. Data shows that arbitrators awarded monetary damages to the workers in only 1.8 percent of those cases. The vast majority — 78 percent — were settled through an unspecified mutual resolution.
Vox's Alvin Chang created this interactive tool for you to see if your employer requires workers to sign arbitration clauses. The data only includes companies that hired one of the four largest arbitration firms to handle disputes with employees subject to arbitration between 2013 and 2017. (If your company is not listed here, it's possible it still requires arbitration, but it might work with a different firm or didn't use arbitration during this time frame, as is the case with Vox Media. Ask your human resources department.)
The "heavy veil of secrecy" surrounding arbitration is one of biggest problems with the process, says Cynthia Estlund, an employment law professor at New York University.
"The private and contractual nature of arbitration makes it relatively easy for firms to prevent disclosure of just about anything concerning allegations, evidence, disposition, or settlement of the disputes, not just by parties but by the tribunals themselves. … That means that firms have less to worry about if they violate the law," she wrote in a white paper published in October 2017.
How arbitration works
The first thing to keep in mind is that no arbitration proceeding is the same, as there are essentially no rules that arbitrators have to follow under the law. That's because arbitration isn't bound by court rules and has nearly no legal oversight. The process can vary from one arbitration firm to another, or even from arbitrator to arbitrator.
"It's a bit like the Wild West," says David Lichter, a Florida arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
That said, the most well-known arbitration firms require their arbitrators to follow certain rules, which they make public, and they tend to have some things in common.
To see how arbitration is stacked against employees, it's important to understand how the process works. Let's use the example of two female workers who believe they were fired for reporting sexual harassment to human resources.
The first woman — let's call her Susan — was not asked to sign an arbitration agreement when she was hired. The other woman, Ana, was required to sign one.
Susan would first have to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency tasked with enforcing civil rights laws in the workplace. EEOC staff would attempt to mediate some sort of solution between Susan and her employer.
If they can't reach an agreement, the EEOC will investigate the facts of the case to see if there is enough evidence to show that Susan was the victim of sexual harassment and retaliation. If there is solid evidence, the EEOC lawyers will try to negotiate a settlement on her behalf. During this entire process, which usually takes six months, Susan can reject all the proposed solutions — at any point, she can ask the EEOC to give her permission to take her case to court. Sometimes EEOC lawyers will decide to sue the employer on the worker's behalf, though this happens in only a small percentage of complaints filed.
Now consider Ana's situation. She signed an arbitration agreement. She can still file a complaint with the EEOC, but it's almost pointless to do so because she signed the agreement, so she cannot sue. The only logical reason for Ana to file a complaint with the EEOC is in the hope that her case may be one of the very few complaints the commission decides to take to court on behalf of a worker or group of workers. (The EEOC is not restricted by arbitration agreements, so it can sue on behalf of workers who signed them.)
The only other option for Ana is to take her claim to arbitration. As in most arbitration agreements, the employer picks the arbitration firm that will hear the case, and will pay the cost to hire the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators — creating a potential conflict of interest. (This 2015 investigation by the New York Times describes the often cozy relationship between arbitrators and the companies that hire them.)
After filing the complaint with the arbitration firm, Ana's attorney and the lawyers representing her former boss are given a list of arbitrators to choose from. They are usually lawyers or former judges, but they don't need to have any legal training; there are no laws that regulate arbitration proceedings.
Then the two sides schedule a conference call with the arbitrator to discuss what laws may have been broken, what kinds of evidence will be allowed, how many witnesses each side can call, and the burden of proof that Maria needs to meet to prove that her employer illegally harassed and retaliated against her. The individual arbitrator makes the final decision on all of this.
In the court system, Susan would have months to collect evidence, could compel her boss to share certain documents, and could include as many depositions and witnesses as she would like. She would also be required to prove to a jury, by a preponderance of evidence, that her boss violated the law. She would need to show that the harassment was "severe or pervasive" enough to create a hostile work environment for her, and that complaining about the alleged harassment was a motivating factor in why she was fired.
None of that is guaranteed for Ana in arbitration. She will likely have a few weeks to gather evidence and will be limited to one or two witnesses and one or two depositions. She also can't force her employer to share evidence through a court subpoena, and the arbitrator can decide what standard of proof she has to meet — it could be a higher burden or a lower burden.
While Susan will probably go to public court hearings with her attorney, Ana will probably meet only once with everyone at her arbitration hearing. It will probably be in a hotel conference room, and lawyers from both sides will make opening and closing statements, just like a court trial. They will introduce evidence and witnesses, but unlike the court system, there is no jury weighing the evidence, just the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators.
Susan, in court, would wait for jurors to decide if she proved her case by a preponderance of evidence, and if so, what her award will be. Ana would go home and probably wait 30 to 60 days to find out the arbitrator's decision, and the potential award, by mail.
Ana's chances of winning her case in arbitration are much slimmer than Susan's in the court system.
There's a reason employers want to avoid a jury
If you ask employers why they require workers to use arbitration, they often say it's a faster and less expensive process than the courts. They're not wrong. But legal research, surveys, and employment attorneys point to the largest incentive of all: keeping employment claims from reaching a jury.
Juries are considered more sympathetic to workers' claims, and more willing to award millions of dollars in damages to workers in these cases. The threat of a high jury award also gives workers leverage in negotiating larger settlements because businesses want to avoid trial.
"Juries tend to be more generous than arbitrators, so keeping a case in the courts means a [worker] is more likely to get an award," Lichter, the arbitrator, told me.
Research shows that arbitrators can be biased toward employers who repeatedly pick them to handle their cases. This is known as the "repeat player effect," a term coined in 1997 by Lisa Blomgren Amsler, a public affairs professor at Indiana University Bloomington whose research showed that workers were nearly five times less likely to win their case if the arbitrator had handled past disputes involving her employer. Her research involved a small sample of cases, but later studies have backed up her claim.
Alexander Colvin, a labor relations researcher at Cornell University, published a research paper in 2011 that found another level of potential bias: Not only were arbitrators more likely to rule in favor of businesses that were repeat customers, they were also more likely to award less money to their clients' employees when they found the business at fault.
Colvin analyzed the outcome of 3,945 employment arbitration cases handled through the American Arbitration Association between 2003 and 2007. His research showed that workers were less likely to win in arbitration than in the court system, and in cases where they did win, their monetary awards tended to be smaller in arbitration.
For example, the median award amount for employees who won in arbitration was $36,500 during the time period that Colvin analyzed, but the median award for employees who won in court was about 10 times larger.
Lichter said there is an unspoken pressure for arbitrators to limit the size of awards for workers who were wronged. That's largely because most arbitrators get paid based on the hours and the number of cases they handle. If an arbitrator gives a large award against a company, it will impact his or her ability to get picked by businesses to arbitrate future cases, Lichter said. But many arbitrators ignore that unspoken pressure, he said, and do the best they can to decide cases fairly.
"At the end of the day, I have to make sure I can sleep at night," he said.
Arbitration has no oversight
While arbitration might seem similar to the court process, it's not really the same thing. Arbitrators are not required to be neutral, their opinions do not need to be written, and there are few options for appeal, argues Elizabeth Roma, an employment attorney.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the courts would only overturn an arbitrator's decision based on a "manifest disregard of the law," something most courts have interpreted as an intentional misapplication of the law. That means most federal appeals courts will only overturn an arbitrator's decision if it involved fraud, evident partiality, misconduct, or exceeding of powers. There's no way for a worker like Ana to appeal an arbitrator's decision by arguing that it was an incorrect interpretation of the law and facts.
Arbitration is not at all like the court system, but the Supreme Court seems okay with that. The nation's highest court is largely responsible for the rise of this shadow court.
The Supreme Court unleashed arbitration on American workers
The widespread use of arbitration clauses in the workplace came after a crucial 2001 Supreme Court ruling involving sexual harassment.
In that case, Circuit City Stores Inc. v. Adams, a salesperson working at a California Circuit City store sued the company for sexual harassment. The employee, a man named Saint Clair Adams, said his co-workers harassed him because he was gay. But Adams, like all other Circuit City employees, had signed an agreement to resolve all disputes with the company through private arbitration. Circuit City argued in federal court that Adams had to move his claim to arbitration.
The judge sided with Adams, arguing that the Federal Arbitration Act — which allows businesses to resolve contract disputes through arbitration — has a provision excluding employment contracts. The ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
But Circuit City took the case to the Supreme Court, where the justices overturned the lower court's ruling, allowing businesses to extend arbitration to nearly all employment contracts.
The justices, in their 5-4 opinion, created a very narrow interpretation of the employment exclusion in the Federal Arbitration Act. It came down to this line of the act: "but nothing herein contained shall apply to contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce." The justices decided that this clause limited the exemption "to transportation workers." In other words, only workers in the transportation industry were exempt from these mandatory agreements; all other workers could be forced to take their claims to arbitration.
In May of this year the Supreme Court handed businesses another win in a 5-4 decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis. The Court said it's legal for US employers to prohibit workers from joining together to sue the company over discrimination, wage theft, and other workplace violations.
The opinion delivered by Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump's conservative pick to replace Antonin Scalia, involved three cases, in which workers who signed arbitration agreements tried to sue their employers as a group through the court system, as part of a class-action lawsuit, for alleged wage theft and overtime violations.
The workers' attorneys argued that the Federal Arbitration Act does not apply to class-action claims, because these lawsuits are protected under the National Labor Relations Act, which includes a provision protecting workers from an employer's attempt to interfere with "concerted activity" related to their "mutual aid or protection." The law has generally been applied related to efforts to unionize, but workers argue that filing a class-action lawsuit to improve their working conditions also fits into this category.
The Court's five conservative justices disagreed and ruled in favor of the businesses. In the majority opinion, Gorsuch wrote that federal labor law does not include protection for class-action claims:
The NLRA secures to employees rights to organize unions and bargain collectively, but it says nothing about how judges and arbitrators must try legal disputes that leave the workplace and enter the courtroom or arbitral forum.
Now workers who sign arbitration clauses with class-action waivers can only file claims individually through private arbitration. That means that a US worker's effort to seek legal justice, or to force a company to change working conditions, just got a lot harder.
The ruling could have a direct impact on the Chipotle workers who are suing for wage theft and female Google employees suing for sexual harassment. It also means other women working at Google, which is under investigation for claims of gender pay discrimination, may not be able to join together to sue the company — their best chance to change the company's pay practices. Google did not indicate if the decision to end forced arbitration means they will also scrap class-action waivers.
Mandatory arbitration is particularly bad for #MeToo and workers of color
When women began to come forward to describe rampant sexual harassment at companies like Fox News and the Weinstein Company, many realized that they could not seek legal justice in the courts because they had signed mandatory arbitration agreements.
Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson was one of them. She ended up suing Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, and they settled for an undisclosed amount. But Carlson could not sue Fox News for the company's role in allowing the sexual harassment to persist, and neither could dozens of other women who accused the media company of tolerating sexual harassment, had they decided they wanted to sue.
As more women speak up about sexual harassment in the workplace, many of them are pressuring members of Congress to restrict or abolish arbitration clauses from US workplaces.
In October 2017, Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) introduced the Mandatory Arbitration Transparency Act, which prohibits businesses from including a confidentiality clause in their arbitration agreements related to discrimination claims. In December of that year, a bipartisan group of senators and representatives introduced the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act, which exempts sexual harassment cases from required arbitration.
Then, in March 2018, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of Senate Democrats proposed an even better idea: Don't let businesses force employees and consumers to take their claims to arbitration. Their bill, the Arbitration Fairness Act, would let workers and consumers decide where to pursue their legal claims.
"Mandatory arbitration undermines the development of public law because there is inadequate transparency and inadequate judicial review of arbitrators' decisions," they wrote.
So far, Republican leaders in Congress have ignored these proposals.
However, Google employees say they are planning to lobby for a federal ban on forced arbitration this year.
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'I'M NOT A RACIST': Larson says he's 'grown' since suspension, seeks reinstatement
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson prepares for practice at the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Mike Dinovo /USA TODAY Sports
Driver Kyle Larson said in a television interview that he has "definitely grown more in these last six months than the 28 years I've been alive" — the time since he uttered a racist slur that got him suspended from NASCAR and fired from his racing team.
Larson used the word in a livestream broadcast of an iRacing event on April 12 and hasn't raced on the NASCAR Cup Series since. NBC Sports reported Friday that he has applied for reinstatement.
'I'M NOT A RACIST': Larson says he's 'grown' since suspension, seeks reinstatement Back to video
He addressed the issue in an interview that aired Friday on "CBS This Morning."
"I know deep down I'm not a racist," Larson, 28, said. "I said a racist word and I can fully understand why people would label me a racist."
Larson said he and his group of friends had used the word casually "as a greeting" and he was trying to speak with one of those friends on the livestream when it came out of his mouth.
"I didn't use it in a way to, you know, degrade or you know, insult anyone," Larson told CBS. "I know it's not my word to use. So, you know, I need to get it out of my vocabulary, and I have."
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Bachelor of Arts in Teaching foreigners Chinese as a Second Language, Jincheng College of Sichuan University.
Arista taught Chinese language and culture to students from kids to adults at Lollikids Montessori Pre-school and Mint Mandarin Interactive Training in Jakarta, Indonesia for two years. After that, she joined LIS in 2013 as a teaching assistant. She started to teach Chinese in LIS from 2015.Except doing the normal teaching tasks, she organises the yearly CNY Celebration Show with colleagues in Chinese Department.
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August Wilson's Two Trains Running
August Wilson
This Pulitzer Prize finalist, set in a cofee shop, is the 1960s chapter of August Wilson's
decade-by-decade saga of ordinary African Americans in the 20th century.
More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Finalist! 1992 Pulitzer Prize in Drama
Nominee: Four 1992 Tony Awards, including Best Play
August Wilson is the recipient of the 1986 Whiting Award for Drama.
Memphis Lee's coffee shop lies in Pittsburgh's Hill District, a neighborhood on the brink of economic development. The restaurant serves as a hangout for a host of regulars: a local intellectual, an elderly man who imparts the secrets of life as learned from a 322-year-old sage, an ex-con, a numbers runner, a laconic waitress who slashed her legs to keep men away, and a developmentally disabled man who was once cheated out of a ham. With Chekhovian obliqueness, the author reveals simple truths, hopes and dreams, creating a microcosm of an era and a community on the brink of change.
Two Trains Running premiered on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on April 13, 1992.
Role(s) for Black Actor(s)
Illness/Health
Black Experience
Large Stage
HAMBONE
Time Period 1960s
Setting Memphis Lee's restaurant in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, 1969.
Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
"Wilson's most delicate and mature work." – Time
"Wilson has written roles for actors to love, complete with riffs and full blown emotional arias." – New York Newsday
"The most comic of the Wilson cycle so far." – The Christian Science Monitor
"Wilson's most adventurous and honest attempt to reveal the intimate heart of history." – The New York Times
How Does Theatre Centered on the Black Experience Hold Up with Predominantly White Audiences?
Reginald L. Douglas
August Wilson (April 27, 1945 - October 2, 2005) authored Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II and Radio Golf. These works explore the heritage and experienc ...