text:
Meeting of the Parliament 29/03/2017
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Meeting of the Parliament 29 March 2017
Agenda: Portfolio Question Time, Education, SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group Memorandum of Understanding, Business Motion, Parliamentary Bureau Motions, Decision Time, Rotary Clubs (Champions of Change Awards)
Portfolio Question Time
SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group Memorandum of Understanding
Business Motion
Parliamentary Bureau Motions
Rotary Clubs (Champions of Change Awards)
Independence Referendum (Assessment of Support)
1. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of public support for a second referendum on Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. (S5O-00828)
The Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe (Michael Russell)
The current Scottish Government was elected last year with the largest ever constituency vote since the beginning of devolution on a clear manifesto pledge that
"the Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold another referendum ... if there is a significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014, such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will."
That specific "material change" is now taking place. We believe that the people of Scotland should have the final choice over their future once the terms of Brexit are clear.
I take it from that answer that the Government has carried out no assessment of public attitudes on this matter since the Brexit referendum on 23 June. Has the minister considered the opinion poll evidence, which Professor John Curtice summed up in a blog on 2 March? That evidence is that Scottish voters are overwhelmingly opposed to a second independence referendum before the final outcome of Brexit negotiations is clear. Does the minister agree that the priority for the Scottish Government for the next two years should be to protect Scotland's vital interests in those negotiations and to secure the repatriation of powers over devolved areas from Brussels to Holyrood rather than to promote a further referendum that the Scottish people do not want?
Michael Russell
Those two objectives are not mutually contradictory, of course. Indeed, this very day, I received a letter from David Davis that looks forward to working together on some of the issues that lie ahead. Lewis Macdonald is wrong about that matter and about the opinion poll evidence, which shows a split of about 50:50 in those circumstances. Very clear indications of public support are often available in the opinion polls. I draw attention to the opinion polls that show that the Labour Party is in third place in Scotland. That is an indication of the public support for Lewis Macdonald, his point of view and the Labour Party.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I assume that Mr Russell has inadvertently confused my question about support for holding a referendum with a different question about support for independence. Will he correct the record at this point?
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
That is not a point of order, Mr Macdonald, but I am sure that the point has been noted by the minister.
Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Does the minister think that it is a little bit hypocritical for both of the main Opposition parties to tell us to spend parliamentary time discussing health and education and then, at the very first opportunity, to use portfolio question time to talk about independence?
That is an acute point, as ever, from Gillian Martin, and I have to make the point, of course, that the Scottish Government will—[Laughter.]
It is all very amusing, but I call for order, please.
It is quite clear that some people are easily amused.
The Government uses its parliamentary time to further the interests of Scotland in many different ways. That is shown by its record of achievement over the past 10 years, which is considerable and growing. I know that that makes Opposition parties uncomfortable, but the Scottish National Party has been efficient and effective in government, and it will continue to be so. The leader of the Opposition—whoever the Opposition is these days; there seems to be only a united Opposition—and, indeed, the Prime Minister should get back to their day jobs and start to concentrate on the real issues that face Scotland, such as being dragged out of Europe against our will.
Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con)
If I may ask a supplementary question about the constitution in portfolio question time on the constitution, it has been said that
"To propose another referendum in the next parliament without strong evidence that a significant number of those who voted No have changed their minds would be wrong and we won't do it";
"If I, the SNP, those who believe in independence, can't shift opinion from September 2014, we won't earn the right to ask the question again".
Both of those statements are direct quotations from the First Minister. Was she wrong? If she was not wrong, why have ministers changed their minds?
The member knows very well that the manifesto on which the First Minister, I and everyone on this side of the chamber stood—I read it out in my original answer, to which the member was clearly not listening—says:
"the Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold another referendum ... if there is a significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014 such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will."
The member has clearly seen what has been taking place today. He has clearly seen the attitude of the Prime Minister. In all those circumstances, that manifesto commitment has been fulfilled and will be followed.
Secondly, I make the point that it is a dangerous position for any Opposition to believe that it can veto a majority in the Parliament that is based on a manifesto commitment. That is not democracy, and those who choose to depart from that cannot, by definition, be democrats.
Local Government Budgets (South Scotland)
2. Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that reductions to local government budgets will have a negative impact on local services in South Scotland. (S5O-00829)
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution (Derek Mackay)
Scotland's local authorities will have an extra £383 million to support local services in 2017-18, which represents an increase of 3.7 per cent compared to this year. That should have a positive impact on local services all over Scotland, including South Scotland.
Claudia Beamish
The sorts of cuts to our services that are coming from the Scottish Government are mind-boggling, frankly. The Scottish Government has cut hundreds of millions of pounds from local services since 2011. What assessment has been done of the impact on third sector organisations whose funding has been reduced as a result of budget cuts? In my region, the Lanarkshire carers centre has approached me about its funding position.
The Minister for Employability and Training (Jamie Hepburn)
It has approached me too, and North Lanarkshire Council is freezing the council tax when it has been asking to increase it.
The carers centre has great concerns, actually. Perhaps the minister would like to hear the question.
Order. Minister, speak through the chair, please.
NHS Lanarkshire, which is a contributor to the centre, has confirmed to me that it is unable to continue to top up the centre's funding, as it has previously done. Funding for 2016-17 will be honoured, but the situation beyond that is uncertain. In addition, as Scottish Government money in relation to carers is announced on an annual basis, long-term planning is challenging. Similar issues have been raised by Borders Voluntary Care Voice. What assessment has been done of the impact of Scottish Government cuts on local services, and particularly on the third sector?
Derek Mackay
I tried to make the point to Claudia Beamish, and for the benefit of the chamber, too, that we have actually increased the resources for local services. I have checked all the local authorities in the South Scotland region in relation to the point that I have made about local services, which includes the issue of health and social care integration. Each one of the local authorities that I have examined will have an increase in its total funding—I say that separating out health and social care.
I see that Claudia Beamish is shaking her head, so I will give the figures for each council. Dumfries and Galloway Council will have an increase of 4.1 per cent; East Ayrshire Council will have an increase of 4.9 per cent; East Lothian Council will have an increase of 5.3 per cent; Midlothian Council will have an increase of 4.2 per cent; Scottish Borders Council will have an increase of 5 per cent; South Ayrshire Council will have an increase of 3.8 per cent; and South Lanarkshire Council will have an increase of 2.7 per cent.
How those resources are spent is a matter for local choice. However, the budget has approved specific sums to tackle, for example, attainment. In relation to the third sector, I have gone out of my way to try to protect third sector functions and budgets through the course of the budget.
Of course, there will be analysis of the impacts of our spending decisions. However, I ask members to reflect once again on the fact that we have increased—with the help of the support and co-operation of the Greens—the total resource that is available to local government in what was quite a challenging settlement.
I acknowledge the partnership arrangements that we have. No local authority rejected the financial settlement that I gave to it. I worked constructively with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which recognised the movement on the part of the Government. Alongside all that, local authorities had the ability to raise the council tax by up to 3 per cent. Some chose to do that and others did not. Perhaps Claudia Beamish could ask some local authorities why they did not choose to increase the council tax in order to invest in exactly the kind of services that Claudia Beamish says she is concerned about.
Rachael Hamilton (South Scotland) (Con)
The south of Scotland is crying out for funds to improve its roads. Recently, I wrote to Scottish Borders Council and was told:
"there is a long list of identified projects, many of which are classed as high priority ... Unfortunately, over recent years, the priorities from other sectors ... have meant a significant downturn in the number of road improvements being undertaken."
The situation has been exacerbated by reducing revenue budgets and a deteriorating asset base that leads to an increasingly high percentage of investment going on maintaining the existing asset rather than on improvements. When will the Scottish Government adequately support our local authorities to improve our local roads?
I point out to the member that the Government increased the provision in the Scottish budget for roads maintenance while the Conservatives voted against the budget, so it is rich for the Conservatives to say that. It is at least with some credibility—maybe not in the case of every local authority—that the Labour Party can argue that it wanted extra investment in public services, because it proposed to put up all levels of tax, including basic-rate tax. That is not a choice that we made, but it is at least with some credibility that the Labour Party can say that it wanted to invest those increased taxes in more public services. However, the Conservatives proposed tax cuts for the rich—the richest individuals and businesses and the richest in terms of house values and the land and buildings transaction tax. Therefore the Tories cannot speak with any credibility when they call for extra resources to be put into local services, especially when they opposed the increased budgets that the Government proposed—particularly for maintenance and investment, which Rachael Hamilton asked me about.
Glasgow City Council (Budget Allocations Assessment)
3. Johann Lamont (Glasgow) (Lab)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the local government budget allocation to Glasgow City Council since 2007. (S5O-00830)
All of Scotland's 32 local authorities have received their fair formula share of the funds that are provided through the annual local government finance settlement, as agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. Glasgow City Council will continue to receive the highest level of local government funding per head of all wholly mainland Scottish councils in 2017-18.
Johann Lamont
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. The cabinet secretary is, of course, aware that his Government has cut Glasgow's budget by £377 million since 2007. Does he recognise the important work of Glasgow's Labour council in doing its best to protect front-line services, leading the way in supporting childcare and apprenticeships, and making Glasgow a leading centre for business, tourism and sport? Does the cabinet secretary further acknowledge the critical role of Glasgow to the economy of Scotland? In that circumstance, does he therefore regret the opportunities that are being lost, the families who are unsupported and the economy benefit that is being lost directly through his Government's choice? That is the price that is to be paid by every Glaswegian for the cabinet secretary's choice to cut, rather than to fund, services.
I will begin by acknowledging some of those points. Some of the actions that have been identified I welcome, as Glasgow City Council addresses key issues in the city. I would welcome any administration's focus on such issues. There are areas in which there has been good partnership working between the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council. I was also signatory, on behalf of the Government, to the Glasgow city region deal proposition. There are many areas on which we have been able to work in partnership with the council. We have not found agreement in every area, but we have in many areas together undertaken partnership and shared endeavour—not least in respect of deprivation, inequality and the need for further economic development and partnership.
It would be wrong to suggest that the overall spending power of Glasgow City Council has decreased. Again, as a consequence of the budget, Glasgow City Council's overall increase in spending power to support local authority services in 2017-18 will amount to more than £45 million, which is a 3.3 per cent increase. [Interruption.] I hear Johann Lamont complaining about the settlement, but I say gently that it is a matter for local authorities if they want to suggest changes to the distribution formula. I am open to discussion on that via the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
However, today is a day of exits, so I remind the Labour Party that Glasgow City Council's Labour administration walked away from COSLA. Surely it is in the interests of all the people of the city for the council to participate in COSLA, which negotiates with Government on matters including finance, the budget, the settlement and distribution thereof. I therefore encourage the Labour Party to think very deeply about its position, as we approach local government elections, and about local government being—to be frank—stronger if all 32 local authorities are willing to engage with us in partnership.
Once again, I say that Glasgow City Council's settlement has increased, that we have strong partnership working on areas of joint endeavour, and that the city region deal is all about economic development. I encourage the Labour Party to think about its engagement with COSLA going forward, so that we can have further discussions about distribution.
Finally, I say again that, just as the Tories opposed increased investment in roads maintenance and then called for more, the Labour Party asked for increased investment in attainment—which is really important for education and tackling the attainment gap in Glasgow—but voted against it when push came to shove at stage 3 of the Budget (Scotland) Bill.
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
When I look at the per capita budget allocations, and take away the three island authorities, I see that the three—[Interruption.] I will carry on if Johann Lamont will allow me to.
I see that the three authorities with the greatest shares per head are Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council and West Dunbartonshire Council. That strikes me as being a good thing, because the authorities in the west of Scotland have great needs. Will the Government commit to continuing to fund such needy authorities well, as it has been doing?
It is important to recognise that there are different elements of local government funding, which is complex in nature. Fundamentally, the needs-based assessment is a feature that has been agreed with local government through COSLA. It distributes funding on the basis of need, which is why local authorities such as Glasgow are at the upper end in terms of resource. It is important to tackle need and ensure that level of redistribution.
The Labour Party is not consistent on the issue. In Aberdeen City Council, the Labour finance convener, Willie Young, says that Aberdeen has been ripped off and that its money has been sent to places like Glasgow. In Glasgow, the Labour Party says that its money has been sent elsewhere. In truth, the formula is, although it may not be perfect, the best that we have. I am willing to engage with local authorities, but I believe in using a needs-based assessment to ensure that resources are directed on the basis of need.
4. Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
To ask the Scottish Government how its national digital strategy will impact on the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency. (S5O-00831)
The document "Realising Scotland's full potential in a digital world: A Digital Strategy for Scotland", which was published on 22 March, is a strategy for all of Scotland that aims to build a vibrant, inclusive and outward-looking nation with a successful digital economy, comprehensive access to connectivity and an education system that is focused on digital skills.
Clare Adamson
Motherwell and Wishaw faces unique post-industrial challenges. However, we have a wonderful college in New College Lanarkshire, and we have one of the biggest brownfield sites in Europe. What investment potential does the cabinet secretary envisage for Motherwell and Wishaw under the new strategy?
The digital strategy covers a number of areas including skills, connectivity and the potential for growth in employment. On a physical level, we have ambitious targets for meeting the connectivity challenge. In areas of deprivation and dereliction, the digital strategy should tie up with other strategies and initiatives, including the vacant and derelict land fund, to bring together the softer interventions that we are making through actual physical structure. There are resources available to North Lanarkshire Council to enable it to invest in those sites, and I commend the work that New College Lanarkshire is doing. Education, the potential that exists with regard to skills, and the new funding that was announced as part of the strategy should all come together to help areas such as Clare Adamson's constituency.
Digital Scotland (Investment)
5. Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP)
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution's recent announcement of £15.6 million being reinvested back into the digital Scotland programme. (S5O-00832)
An additional 17,000 homes and businesses across 27 local authorities will benefit from fibre broadband as a result of the £15.6 million gainshare investment that is being made through the digital Scotland contract that covers the rest-of-Scotland region. That is in addition to the £2.2 million of gainshare funding that was announced last year by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which will deliver fibre broadband connectivity to an additional 1,800 premises across the Highlands and Islands.
Graeme Dey
When announcing the additional funding, the cabinet secretary said that it would focus in particular on maximising the number of premises that have access to speeds of greater than 24 megabits per second, with funding being targeted at areas—including Angus—that have the lowest-speed coverage. Are there any specific plans as yet for my Angus South constituency? Is the Scottish Government prepared to work in collaboration with Angus Council on that?
Yes—I believe that there is potential to do that. We have set ambitious targets that include 100 per cent coverage of homes and businesses by 2021, and we are very much on track to achieve the milestones within that target.
The particular initiative to which Graeme Dey referred should benefit an additional 500 premises in Angus, and it should ensure that we roll out superfast broadband to meet that particular challenge. It will increase superfast broadband coverage in Angus to 91.2 per cent by the end of the digital Scotland roll-out, after which we will move to the much more ambitious target of 100 per cent coverage.
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Can the cabinet secretary clarify a point about the additional funding? Is not it the case that the money is actually the result of a clawback clause in the contract with BT, rather than its being new additional money that is being provided by the Scottish Government?
I did not say that it was Scottish Government money. I made it clear in my original announcement that it is part of the contract with BT, and that where BT has been involved in an area and hits certain targets, money is provided and then released, and that there is then dialogue about how it will be distributed.
I am highlighting how that is benefiting communities that otherwise would not have that connectivity. I welcome the approach and the intervention, and I have tried to raise awareness of it. I appreciate members asking questions about it, and I encourage members who are interested to look at the website www.scotlandsuperfast.com. To put the matter in context, I say that that is just one of our many interventions to meet our target of 100 per cent coverage by the end of this session of Parliament. I fully accept that new technologies and different ways of procuring services will be needed in order to reach that ambitious target—and it is just one target.
I have never pretended that the money was Scottish Government money, although there is Scottish Government involvement in the contracts, as I am happy to confirm to Jamie Greene.
Coatbridge and Chryston (Jobs and Economy)
1. Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the economy and create jobs in Coatbridge and Chryston. (S5O-00838)
The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy (Paul Wheelhouse)
Our enterprise and skills agencies are working to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth across Scotland, including in towns such as Coatbridge and Chryston, by promoting Scotland as an attractive place for business and innovation and through our substantial investment in infrastructure, regeneration, skills, internationalisation and business support. The Scottish Investment Bank has also directly supported eight investment projects in North Lanarkshire, while Scottish Enterprise currently account-manages 167 companies in the local authority area, and BioCity at Newhouse was designated as a life sciences enterprise area in April 2016.
The competitiveness of Coatbridge and Chryston as a business location will be enhanced by the £500 million upgrade to the M8, M73 and M74, which will reduce traffic congestion. The Scottish Government has also delivered a highly competitive business environment with a reduced poundage on business rates. Premises with a rateable value under £15,000 will now qualify for 100 per cent business rates relief through the small business bonus policy, and those with a rateable value between £15,000 and £18,000 will benefit from a 25 per cent discount on rates.
Fulton MacGregor
Coatbridge town centre has suffered multiple setbacks recently, including the closure of two banks, the proposed closure of the Department for Work and Pensions processing unit and major fires in some of the empty buildings. People are rightly concerned about the future of their main street. Having hosted a well-attended public meeting recently, I am in the process of establishing a steering group, involving residents and businesses, to create and implement a plan to improve the town centre. Would the minister be willing to meet the steering group to discuss how the Scottish Government can support the regeneration of Coatbridge town centre and create more jobs locally?
Paul Wheelhouse
On the latter point, I would certainly be happy to meet Mr MacGregor's constituents to discuss how we can support regeneration in the community. I commend the efforts that I have seen elsewhere in Scotland where similar initiatives are taking a grass-roots approach to developing a vision for communities and have been very successful not only in developing a plan that the local authority can take forward but in helping to support subsequent funding applications for good causes to the lottery and other bodies to support local projects. I will provide Mr MacGregor with further detail about those initiatives.
The Government has also taken forward the town centre first principle with local government, trying to encourage public authorities, when making investment decisions or securing private sector investment in town centres, to identify whether the town centre is the best location first, and to look at peripheral areas only thereafter, to try to drive more footfall into our town centres and to support local businesses. I am happy to meet the member and his constituents and to provide further details.
Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
The minister will be aware of representations that I have made to save the jobs at the Tannoy factory in Coatbridge. The GMB union, the workforce and Scottish Enterprise have been actively working to secure those jobs for Lanarkshire, but too often they have been kept in the dark by the owner of the factory, based in the Philippines. Despite their valiant efforts, many of the workers are facing redundancy at the end of this week. Even at this stage, I ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work himself to make personal, direct contact with and representations to the owner of the company in Manila.
I assure Mr Leonard that I, on behalf of the Government, have been actively involved in looking at the Tannoy case, as has the cabinet secretary. Obviously we are very concerned about the loss of any jobs. I can reassure the member that the company has been engaging with the Government and with Scottish Enterprise on proposals to develop new capacity in relation to a specific project, the details of which I am not at liberty to disclose, and that we are hopeful that some jobs will be retained in the area.
I can investigate the matter of communication with the trade union. Obviously, that is not entirely within our gift, but we will certainly encourage the company, if we can, to engage with the trade union. Clearly, we want to ensure that those who are affected are kept informed of what is happening.
I reassure the member that encouraging discussions are taking place on retaining some employment in the area.
Music Industry (Economic Contribution)
2. Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
I refer members to my entry in the register of interests and to my professional background in music.
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic contribution of the music industry. (S5O-00839)
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work (Keith Brown)
The music industry in Scotland is a key part of our thriving creative industries sector. Scottish Government growth sector statistics show that, in 2014, the music industry in Scotland had a turnover of £27.9 million and a gross value added of £15.5 million. Moreover, UK Music's report "Wish You Were Here 2016" showed that music festivals and live concerts attracted 928,000 music tourists to Scotland in 2015. Those visitors generated £295 million for the local economy and helped to sustain 3,230 full-time jobs across the nation.
Tom Arthur
The overwhelming majority of musicians are self-employed, and the emerging phenomena of the precariat and the gig economy are conditions long known to people operating in music. In light of the cabinet secretary's answer, does he agree that it is vital that we continue to nurture musical talent in Scotland and to provide the support and mentoring that are needed to encourage young people to pursue a career in the growing and ever more exciting music industries?
Keith Brown
I agree with the member. It is true that we have to make more of the contribution that the creative arts make to the economy—we need to increase that contribution and recognise the current contribution. It is important that we support people to learn music and to pursue musical careers. We do that through the youth music initiative, which since 2007 has received funding of £109 million and is delivered by Creative Scotland. The youth music initiative provides a range of music-making opportunities for young people of all ages. It gives them a chance to try new music-making activities in their area to begin their musical journey or to build on their existing experiences. Earlier this month, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs spoke at a Scottish music industry day at the University of Glasgow to promote career opportunities in the industry.
Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con)
We should be rightly proud of new and emerging talent such as my constituents the Ayoub Sisters, who were recently nominated for the Young Scot award and who will perform in Parliament later this year. They have some great songs, and they are well worth a listen. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to support a broad range of musical talent and genres in order to help to grow the economy?
I look forward to the performance that the member refers to, which I am sure will be excellent. On other support that the Scottish Government can provide, we have the regularly funded music portfolio. Our thinking has been framed by a 10-year plan, the music sector review and the music companion piece. I agree with Maurice Golden that there is some huge talent that we should support. I have to say that, in my household, I actively support a budding musician—and he takes a lot of support; although, to be fair, he also works part time at Asda to help to sustain himself.
Ireland has a very vibrant live music scene and, in recent years, I have seen—I do not know whether Maurice Golden agrees—much more of that taking place in Scotland. It is to be encouraged, and perhaps the best way that we can encourage it is by each of us attending events and supporting the artists who are involved in them.
Economic Support (Dingwall)
3. David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Dingwall's economy. (S5O-00840)
Dingwall is in Highlands and Islands Enterprise's inner Moray Firth area and businesses and communities in Dingwall can access the full range of support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Since 2013, HIE has invested around £1 million in companies in the Dingwall area to support 219 full-time-equivalent jobs and to safeguard 106 full-time-equivalent jobs in a range of sectors. Over the same period, HIE has also provided a £2.46 million research and development grant and £90,000 of SMART: Scotland support for Inside Biometrics, which is a Dingwall-based company.
The minister will be familiar with the award-winning Inside Biometrics facility in Dingwall, which is developing its innovative KEYA Smart product, which will be life changing for people with diabetes. The company is looking to expand production capacity, which might create a substantial number of new jobs, and it is looking for further advice, guidance and assistance from the Scottish Government for that major and significant expansion. Will the minister agree to meet me to help to bring the project to fruition?
I recognise that Dave Stewart takes a strong interest in this issue. Inside Biometrics is account-managed by HIE, which is closely engaged with it and has provided financial and advisory assistance to support it to grow its business. I recognise that Inside Biometrics is an excellent, award-winning company. HIE has already provided it with a £2.5 million research and development grant, which I mentioned in my original answer.
I am aware that Inside Biometrics has plans to expand its operations in Scotland. Indeed, I was contacted by Selly Saini, the owner, following the life sciences awards to which Dave Stewart referred, at which the company was an award winner. Officials at HIE remain closely engaged with the company to explore every option and to help to support its growth.
I visited the company last year and was hugely impressed by its technology, and I have accepted an invitation to meet its representatives in the near future to discuss how the Scottish Government can continue to support the company with its development plans. I am, of course, happy to meet Mr Stewart to discuss anything that he suggests we can help the company with.
4. Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Fraser of Allander Institute Economic Commentary, which warns that indicators of Scottish consumer confidence are more negative than for the United Kingdom as whole. (S5O-00841)
The latest Fraser of Allander Institute Economic Commentary provides a timely update on the Scottish economy. The report shows that, as Brian Whittle said, consumer sentiment has weakened in Scotland, but it has also weakened in the United Kingdom since the European Union referendum. The findings highlight the risks to Scotland's economic outlook following the EU referendum as heightened uncertainty and rising inflation are forecast to weigh on household incomes and consumption. By far the biggest threat to Scotland's economy is a hard Brexit, which, according to the Fraser of Allander institute, threatens to cost our economy around £11 billion a year by 2030 and to cost the country 80,000 jobs over a decade.
Brian Whittle
Perhaps the cabinet secretary can explain why the Scottish economy is lagging behind the UK economy on a range of economic indicators. We have lower employment, higher inactivity, lower consumer confidence, lower annual pay growth, lower productivity and lower growth in gross domestic product. Why is Scotland falling behind under the party that claimed to be "stronger for Scotland"? I wonder whether something is distracting the Government from the day job.
The member will of course be aware of the impact of the price of oil on the Scottish economy and the fact that it would have a disproportionate effect on the Scottish economy as opposed to the wider UK economy. The member asked what my response is. My response is to go out and try to attract more jobs, because that is very important for the Scottish economy. I saw that 300 new jobs in digital solutions and risk management were announced today by Genpact for its new European centre in Glasgow following a contribution by Scottish Enterprise. It is extremely important that we try to attract more such jobs; indeed, that is part of my job title.
The member mentioned different economic indicators. There are other indicators that tell a different story. We in Scotland have the second-lowest level of youth unemployment in Europe; only Germany has a better outcome. We also have very good numbers on female employment, and the same unemployment rate, despite the oil impact, as the rest of the UK. That shows real progress.
The member mentioned confidence. Today's edition of The Times mentions the Scottish technology industry survey, in which 78 per cent of respondents said that they were optimistic or very optimistic for this year. We should try, difficult though it might be, to accentuate the positive and see the things that we are doing well. Of course we should note the challenges, but we should try to do more of what we are doing well. That is the best response that we can have to the economic challenges that Brexit presents for us.
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
Being part of the UK has not done much for Scottish national self-confidence over generations. Can the cabinet secretary tell us what the impact of the alleged union dividend has been on Scotland, given that since 1900 we have had the lowest rate of population growth of any country on earth?
I would tell Kenneth Gibson that if I was able to identify a union dividend, but I am afraid that I cannot see a union dividend. More than that, there is the price of the union, if we think about the huge recession that we went through, which was caused by failures of the banking and financial system under the UK. Of course there were global elements to that, but there is no question but that the regulation of the banking system was inept and it was crucial that the UK looked after that.
The consequences of that recession for Scotland, by which I mean individuals and companies in Scotland, were huge. The UK has to accept its share of the responsibility, as I am accepting the Scottish Government's share of the responsibility for the condition of the Scottish economy. After all, it was a Conservative MSP who said that the UK still holds all the major levers of the Scottish economy, so the UK has to take responsibility for that.
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Is it not the truth that the same Fraser of Allander report noted that
"a second independence referendum is likely to act as a further headwind for many businesses and potential investors"?
Is it not also the truth that the UK market is worth four times that of Europe to the Scottish economy, so the impact of independence has the potential to be much greater than that of leaving the European Union?
It is true to say that the Fraser of Allander institute identifies and quantifies the effects of a hard Brexit as the loss of £11 billion a year by 2030 and of 80,000 jobs over a decade. It is interesting that Jackie Baillie decided not to mention that when the report that she cites, and the institute that she refers to, says that those will be the impacts. There has not been a word from Labour about those huge impacts on the Scottish economy.
On the recession that we have just come through, it was the Scottish Government's actions in investing in public infrastructure works that helped to mitigate the worst effects and helped us to recover more quickly. [Interruption.]
Jackie Baillie
He is choking on his words.
Those actions are important to sustaining the economy and it would be useful if members could acknowledge that. It would also be useful if the Labour Party could acknowledge the serious effect of Brexit—£11 billion a year and 80,000 jobs—which it has failed to do on many occasions up to now.
Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
The cabinet secretary asked about the union dividend. I point him to the Scottish Government's own Government expenditure and revenue Scotland numbers that last year showed a £15 billion union dividend.
The Fraser of Allander institute highlights that, since the SNP came to power, Scotland's economy has grown by an average of 0.7 per cent per year during the past 10 years. That is less than a third of Scotland's long-term economic growth. That underperformance is nothing to do with oil and nothing to do with Brexit. Does the cabinet secretary think that such underperformance over 10 years of SNP Government is acceptable?
I can imagine businesses outwith the chamber listening to someone who is talking about economics say that the rate of growth in Scotland has got nothing to do with oil. They must wonder how we even start to respond to a point like that.
It is quite obvious to me that there is not the basic understanding of the Scottish economy implicit in the question. It is also true that I did not raise the issue of the union dividend; somebody else raised it and I responded to that point in the way that I did.
It is important to make sure that we do the right things through the economy. Martin Gilbert of Aberdeen Asset Management said that we should look through the fog to see where the opportunities are.
I will just mention the 300 new jobs that are coming to Glasgow, which received not a word of joy or congratulations from any of the Opposition parties. They have also not said a word about the increased confidence in the Scottish technology industry survey. Those are important for Scotland. As I have said many times, we have to recognise the challenges of productivity, internationalisation and exports. I recognise those challenges and am trying to take action to address them. Surely some of the Opposition parties could acknowledge the strengths of the Scottish economy, even if it is just to encourage them, so that we can all get the benefit of increased economy activity in Scotland.
Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (LD)
The minister said that he could not identify any union dividend. Could he identify a union dividend—in his case in the Royal Marines and, in my case, the Army—for the protection of the whole of the United Kingdom together? Does he accept that there is a union dividend in our approach to defence?
It is sort of related, cabinet secretary. Briefly, please.
Once again, I just cannot understand the lack of information or experience. If we look at the defence footprint of Scotland in recent years—
Mike Rumbles
Oh for goodness' sake!
Well, maybe Mr Rumbles does not think that it is relevant. We have seen regiments on front-line service being merged, people being handed their P45 when they are on active service, basing cuts, and reducing numbers in Scotland. The member would know that if he talked to the local authorities that are trying to wrestle with the latest round of basing cuts, such as those at Fort George, or Glencorse, a barracks that has had millions of pounds of investment but is going to be closed.
The lack of knowledge in Mike Rumbles's question shows that he has no understanding of defence activities in Scotland. Before he asks another question like that, perhaps he should do a bit of homework.
Scottish Investment Bank (Meetings)
5. Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Scottish Investment Bank. (S5O-00842)
The Scottish Investment Bank is a division of Scottish Enterprise; officials from the Scottish Government met representatives of the Scottish Investment Bank on Monday 20 March.
Richard Leonard
What guidance has the Scottish Government issued to the Scottish Investment Bank on requirements that need to be satisfied for lending to companies or taking out equity stakes in companies regarding its stated goal of inclusive growth, and thus good trade union and industrial relations, the standard of employment contracts and the gender pay gap?
The Scottish Investment Bank, as I have said, is an arm of Scottish Enterprise and it is fully apprised of the ambitions and standards that the Scottish Government would like to see encouraged. The Scottish Investment Bank has invested £52.4 million in 133 Scottish companies, helped companies to leverage £277 million of private investment and invested £12.2 million in 13 small and medium-sized enterprises through the Scottish loan fund, which is available to start-up, early stage and expanding businesses. The aims of the Scottish Government on the gender pay gap and inclusive growth, where everybody gets a chance to share in the opportunities for growth, are embedded in the work that Scottish Enterprise does and it is well aware of the Scottish Government's standards and conditions in those regards.
Thank you. I apologise to the members who waited patiently and whom we did not reach.
Back to Official Report: what was said in Parliament


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Q: Initialize Map Is there a way to initialize a Map<String, Integer> without using put method ?
I saw that for initalize a Map<String, String> :
private Map<String, String> myMap = new Map<String, String>('a' => 'John', 'b' => 'Mike', 'c' => 'Eddy');

But this doesn't work with my map.

A: Simply change the parentheses to braces (and change the values to integers).
Before:
private Map<String, String> myMap
  = new Map<String, String>('a' => 'John', 'b' => 'Mike', 'c' => 'Eddy');

After:
private Map<String, Integer> myMap
  = new Map<String, Integer>{'a' => 1, 'b' => 2, 'c' => 3};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Here's a notice from the Yahoo mead group that I'm taking the liberty of cross-posting here. This sounds like a great event for anybody able to attend.
Texas just a few miles east of the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
of food, music, games and homebrew!
It Yourself in Spring Texas.
include meads, ciders, wines and liqueurs.
entry and details about the competition including judging.
We would love to see entries from all over the country.


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Yale Strom
Artist in Residence Yale Strom is in production on his tenth documentary film, "Recordially Yours: The Life and Music of Lou Curtiss." His previous film, "American Socialist: The Life and Times Eugene Victor Debs", was released in 2018 and is distributed by First Run Features. Strom also is writing and editing a chapter in "Our Musical World (Vision and Vibrations International 2020) about the relationship between klezmer and Roma music in Eastern Europe. His sixteenth recording "Yale Strom's Broken Consort: Shimmering Lights" came out in October (2018) on the ARC Music UK label. Strom arranged and wrote original Khanuka songs from Morocco to Poland to Israel to Turkey and beyond. Along with his regular bandmates, Strom's consort includes world renowned musicians Amos Hoffman (oud-guitar), David Wallace (viola) and Sara Caswell (violin). The band performed in 2019 at the Intermezzo Klezmer Festival in Furth, Germany. This year, Strom was commissioned by the San Diego Ballet to compose a piece for the poetry "Song of Songs." Strom has been invited by the Jewish Museum of Prague to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution this November of 2019. His photo exhibition "Fragments: Jewish Life in Eastern Europe 1981-2007" will be exhibited, and Strom will screen his first film, "At the Crossroads: Jewish Life in Eastern Europe Today" (1990) and perform in the famed Maisel Synagogue. Lastly Strom along with Elizabeth Schwartz recorded the Yiddish song "Raisins and Almonds" for the new children's illustrated book Raisins and Almonds by Susan Tarcov (pub. Kar-Ben 2019) and Strom is working on a radio-audio drama "Prisoner 9653: Eugene Victor Debs" with award-winning director Sue Zizza that will premiere in 2020.
Visit his website for more inforamtion.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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March 4, 2021 Shawn Humphrey
"Why do you still wear that?" my wife asks.
She eyes (not without a bit of loving dismissiveness) the gold-plated number 32 dangling from the metal chain looped around my neck. I was wearing it when we met in college. But back then it was dangling from a gold-plated chain. I'm not sure she liked it then either. After college, I took it off, put it away and didn't give it a second thought. However, about a decade ago, I rediscovered it in a tiny jewelry box, in a container, in our attic. And, I had this uncontrollable urge to wear it again. The gold-plated chain was nowhere to be found. So, I strung it on the dime-store metal chain I found in the same container and looped it around my neck. I've been wearing it since.
She thinks I'm reliving my glory days. Number 32 was my football number. But I'm not. Seriously, I'm not. I was a good football player. Good enough to play Division III college football. But not great. And, it's not like there's a bunch of touchdowns for me to remember. I played on defense my entire career (starting in fourth grade).
Well, there was one touchdown…
It's fall. It's Friday night. And, it's the start of high school football in Ohio. I'm a senior. We're at home. We're down. And, it's the fourth quarter. But we have the ball and we're driving. I'm on the sideline standing next to Coach Haag. Confusion breaks out in the offensive huddle. The play clock is ticking away to zero. Jesse Koeling (our quarterback) yells to the sideline "We're a player down!" Coach Haag shoves me onto the field and yells "Get out there!" I hustle out onto the field, step up to the line and take the slot position. I'm a wide receiver wearing extra wide linebacker-like shoulder pads and a neck ring. I don't know what to do. I don't even know the play. Jesse gets under center, eyes the defense, calls out an audible (which I do not understand) and says "Hut!". He receives the snap and takes a three-step drop. I run straight down the field. That's all I know what to do. The defense busts through our offensive line. Jesse scrambles left, then right, then left again. I keep running straight. Jesse's comes within the reach of one, then two and then three defensive players. I keep running straight. I'm twenty (maybe thirty) yards down field when Jesse flings the football. It's a Hail Mary. The safety and a cornerback start converging on me. So, I look up. The ball is in its downward arc. It's coming to me. To me?! The safety jumps for it. The cornerback jumps for it. I don't. I keep running straight. The ball bounces off the safety. It bounces off the cornerback. And, then it bounces into my hands. I catch it! And, I keep running straight all the way to the end zone!
That was my only touchdown. It was awesome!
But that's not why I still wear a gold-plated number 32 around my neck.
We humans. When we're born, we're asked to participate in time. We're pulled out of the mystery and deposited into history. So, we build things. We build families, friendships, homes, communities, cultures, governments and on and on. But, given that we are just one infinitesimal piece of the current iteration of all things, our participation in time, as we move through it, is primarily one of letting go and making room for what's next. What we build and who we love will not last. We're born into a swirl of churning impermanence. Being alive. Being vitally alive means being heat-achingly aware of our collective impermanence and still finding the wherewithal to keep on building, while simultaneously (and graciously) letting go and making way for what's next. That's our task until we're pulled back into the mystery. And, you know what, wearing a gold-plated number 32 around my neck kind of makes that task less taxing.
I wore the number 32 when I started playing football in fourth grade. I wore the number 32 while playing football in middle school and high school. And, when I was being recruited to play in college, Coach Carr called me up and said "One of our seniors is giving up the number 32 so that you can wear it." So, I went to Earlham. And, I wore it there.
The number 32 is a reassuring source of constancy in my life. At the start of each day, when I ritually bow my head and loop the chain around my neck and feel the morning-coolness of metal against my skin, I'm reminded of the thresholds I've crossed, the trials I've endured and the costly promises I made that committed me to a particular way of life. That gold-plated number 32 sits under my shirt and atop my xiphoid process. And, when I reach for it (which I have the occasion to do) and hold it between the folds of my shirt, I feel time. It pulls me out of the immediacy of my context, enlarges my consideration of all things, and helps me become a more gracious participant in time.
The other day, when we were in the truck, my gold-plated number 32 came up again in conversation. And, my wife gently ribbed me with another "Why do you still wear that?"
I just smiled.
Then my son asked "When do I get that?"
I took a long hard look at him on the back bench via the rearview mirror and feverishly wiped clear my mind's mantel full of moments to remember (with both arms) and set that moment right in the center.
He wears #32 in soccer.


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November 30, 2017 February 9, 2018 Leave a comment
December meeting features research on pinyon-juniper
The December meeting will be about collaborative watershed research projects in areas of pinyon pine and juniper and what has been learned about the effects of tree encroachment and removal treatments on understory vegetation, soil moisture, and watershed hydrology. Devon Snyder, Rangeland Ecologist with the University of Nevada, Reno will be presenting the results of her research.
In rangelands in many areas of the western United States, pinyon pine and juniper have increased in extent in the last 100+ years because of major changes in land management, subsequent altered fire regimes, and a changing climate. Pinyon and juniper have primarily expanded into sagebrush rangelands. As trees infill and canopies close, there is an increase in canopy fuel loads and a reduction in understory vegetation that was historically dominated by shrubs and grass species. Treatment of these areas to restore ecological function has become a priority for many land managers. Tree removal treatments like hand cutting, mastication, and chaining have been typically used to reduce the risks of severe fire and improve habitat for sage-grouse, but not much is known about the effects of these trees and subsequent treatments on hydrological processes. She will present on our collaborative watershed research projects located in central Nevada, designed to understand the effects of tree encroachment and removal treatments on understory vegetation, soil moisture, and watershed hydrology.
Devon Snyder is a Rangeland Ecologist working at the University of Nevada, Reno in the College of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences. While she originally hails from the northeast and graduated from the University of Vermont, she has been working on northern Nevada rangelands for almost seven years and now calls Reno home. Devon worked for Great Basin Institute when she first moved to Nevada and while there, managed the Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring program for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. From that position she transitioned to a rangeland ecology research lab at UNR. Devon's work has allowed her to travel extensively in Nevada, exploring rangelands and interacting with agencies, non-profits, and private landowners. She now focuses on disturbance ecology and management of Great Basin ecosystems, particularly in sagebrush and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
We will also be continuing the discussion on the advisability of forming a 501c(3) (non-profit) entity to make it easier to attract funding and complete projects.
There will be no meeting in January, but the February meeting is scheduled for Tuesday February 6th at 6:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park.


ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)-- The mother of 4 drowning victims spent the 7 year anniversary of the tragedy with family and friends.
Edris Griffin lost one daughter and three sons to the waters of the Meramec River in 2006.
Dana Johnson was 13, Damon Johnson was 17, Ryan Mason was 14 and Bryant Barnes was 10. They were part of a church group outing at Castlewood State Park when they wandered into the water.
"We have good days and bad days," said Griffin.
She gathered family and friends inside her north St. Louis house to celebrate the life they still have. She credits her faith and the support from loved ones for staying strong.
Relatives lit candles shortly after 9pm to remember the victims and to remember that life goes on. Earlier in the day they wrote messages on balloons filled with helium and released them.
"Enjoy each other while you're together because you never know," said Leslie Griffin, Edris' husband.
Bryana Barnes was 10 years old when her siblings drowned. She started to tear up as she wished she could have spent more time with her brothers and sister before they drowned.
Edris Griffin has a hard time comprehending some of the senseless violence she sees on the news.
She would also like to see more warnings signs along the Meramec River to keep swimmers out.


It's the first day of Spring. YAS.
What's better than a bottle of really good merlot? Repurposing its cork into something really beautiful and functional, that's what. My lovely friends at Ninety+ Cellars sent me a few bottles of the good stuff, and it was the perfect opportunity to do a DIY with the corks. I'll have to admit; I took quite a few wine breaks while making this planter but I promise you that it's a very quick and simple DIY.
Want to make a hanging planter of your own? Read on for the tutorial, but make sure to check out Ninety+ Cellars and their story first!
step one: using a small knife, carve out a small burrow in each of the corks. This part will hold the airplane so be aware of the size of your air plants. Be careful with the knife! Pro tip: the cork is easier to carve if you soak it in water first.
step two: decorate the cork with gold paint according to what's your style – have fun with it!
step three: poke the jewelry wire through the cork longways. Leave about an inch and a half of wire on each side of the cork. Pushing it through requires a bit of patience, but it's easier if your wire is less "bendy".
step four: line the corks up on a flat surface. On each side, use the yarn to string the 3 copper wires together. For the most secure planter, tie a knot around the copper wire then bend a little bit of wire over the knot.
Leave some extra string on one end of the "ladder" to use for hanging it up.
step five: glue an air plant to the bottom side (facing down) of each cork. Make sure it's dry and the plants are secure before you you hang it up.
P.S. I know I'm going to get many questions about this, so yes, it's fine to glue the air plants as long as it's not with a toxic glue (school glue is your best option). Air plants don't need much attention to survive just a little bit of…you guessed it…air.
step six: hang up your planter in a window or above your bed!
As promised, it's a very simple tutorial that even the least crafty person can follow. It also helps your creativity to have some vino on hand while working – still testing this theory. Thanks so much for reading and look out for a cocktail recipe featuring rosé from Ninety+ cellars that will have you going "yaaaaas".
Thanks Brenda. I'd love to see how it turned out for you!


Choose from GT Omega Racing EVO XL Office Chairs, Ginx Edition, MASTER XL Office Chairs, PRO Office Chairs, PRO XL Office Chairs, Sidemen Edition or SPORT Office Chairs at a very good price.
The Pro Racing Office Chair encompasses a unique body hugging style which offers fantastic back support straight out of the box. Pair that with the included headrest and lumbar support cushions and you have a chair which provides maximum support.


ALPHARETTA, GA – November 29, 2016 – Two Roads Hospitality (Two Roads), a unique lifestyle and independent hotel management company, is expanding its use of The Rainmaker Group's revintel business intelligence platform portfolio-wide for increased insights into strategic data, following the merger between Destination and Commune Hotels in January 2016. The recent merger, and the rebranding to Two Roads Hospitality, created an opportunity for the newly combined organization to implement a comprehensive business intelligence platform across its whole portfolio.
Prior to the merger, Commune Hotels had replaced its own proprietary in-house system with revintel, and had been using the platform successfully for more than a year. Due to this success, the Two Roads management team chose to expand implementation of revintel to its Destination properties, creating a comprehensive portfolio-wide data source. Two Roads' decision to expand implementation of revintel was also heavily influenced by the ease with which the platform uncovers key property, market, brand and portfolio-wide trends, providing critical insights early in the booking cycle and much more.
A highly intuitive platform, revintel handles all of the complexity in mining data sets for the user, providing Two Roads with deep insights that are critical to improving day-to-day revenue management needs. It allows for segmented data reports to be pulled at any time, creating fluidity in decision-making and processes across the company's multiple locations and brands. All revenue-generating team members are able to efficiently navigate through the data on their own, cutting out the need to gather data and freeing them to focus on critical decisions affecting sales and revenue opportunities.


Yep – everybody's faves? Tune in to hear Andréa talk about what happens in the body when we inject certain foods. This isn't a lecture telling you what to think – it's empowering critical inquiry: learning how to think about today's issues. Lecture given on day 35 of a fast.


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SEVEN WONDERS BOOK 1: THE COLOSSUS RISES by Peter Lerangis
People & Things
"A high-octane mix of modern adventure and ancient secrets"
Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series
SEVEN WONDERS BOOK 5:
THE LEGEND OF THE RIFT
by Peter Lerangis
This story begins after King Uhla'ar kidnapped Aly and dragged her back through a rift in time. A giant, merciless behemoth guards the opening, and so Jack McKinley and his friends realize that rescuing Aly will be harder than they thought. Their only hope is to rush to the last of the Ancient Wonders and find the rest of the lost Loculi. This mission takes them to the Temple of Artemis to fend off a mighty army before heading off to the Lighthouse of Alexandria where they wind up in the belly of a beast. But before all is said and done, they must return to where it all began, to Atlantis, to save Aly, themselves…and the world.
Don't miss The Legend of the Rift, the epic conclusion in Peter Lerangis's New York Times bestselling series.
What are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Explore each of the Seven Wonders with our interactive map.
Journals: The Promise
Continue the adventures of Jack and his friends in Book 4: The Curse of the King!
Listen to Peter Lerangis!
Check out author Peter Lerangis talking about Seven Wonders in this podcast!
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Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. All Rights Reserved


Kolkata trams are the oldest and most reliable means of transportation of the city. It is like second home for daily commuters as they spend most of the time travelling to and fro their locations via Kolkata trams. The trams have also been the lucrative advertising site for brands that wish to reach masses through Kolkata Tram Branding. The trams are lifeline of the city and travel to distant locations taking the brand to target audience spread at different areas of the city. Kolkata tram branding is viable option for both new and old brands as people do not miss to notice ads that are placed on the medium of their daily travel.
Attracts dual attention of both the commuters and of the onlookers.
Brands can use travel time to engage the audience and interact with them.
Reinforces brand that let's your brand be ahead of other brands in the competitive market.
Can accommodate both traditional and modern ways of advertising such as full train wraps on the exterior and digital ads on the interiors of the train.
For an effective and result oriented Kolkata Tram branding hire an outdoor advertising such as MyHoardings. The company offers excellent outdoor advertising solutions at cost effective rates.


Use this Job Board to promote Green Campaign and Petitioning Jobs that are available around the country. If your local/state Green Party or Green campaign is looking to hire people, please send us the details.
If you're interested in volunteering or working for Green Party candidates send a resume and we'll pass it on.
The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) Job Board is a free-of-charge job posting service for Green Party Campaign jobs only. It is a place where Greens can share information and connect about Green Party Campaign jobs. GPUS makes no recommendations regarding potential employers or employees.
GPUS is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of employment. All hiring, scheduling, and compensation for job postings are handled directly between the job seeker and the employer.
GPUS does not perform background checks anyone applying for jobs, and we do not research the integrity of each organization or individual person who lists a job with us.
All are urged to perform due diligence when offering, applying for, or accepting employment by requesting from each other references or any additional information needed to establish qualifications and credentials so as to ensure an overall fit between employer and applicant.
GPUS will make every effort to keep this site current and to correct errors brought to our attention. However, GPUS is not involved in the actual transaction between employers and job seekers. We have little or no control over the quality, safety, or legality of the jobs or resumes posted, the truth or accuracy of the listings, the ability of employers to offer job opportunities to candidates, or the ability of candidates to fill job openings. As a result, there are risks, including but not limited to the risks of dealing with people acting under false pretenses. Accordingly, the information provided herein is provided "AS IS." By using this site, you agree to assume all risks associated with dealing with other users whom you come in contact with through information provided on this website.
GPUS, its employees, officers, and agents make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of the information provided by this website, and deny any expressed or implied warranties, guarantees, or representations of any kind as to the information contained in this website.
If you have a dispute with one or more users, you agree, by using this site, to release GPUS (including its employees, officers, and agents) from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential, direct and indirect) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of, or in any way connected with such disputes.


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Call for Support from Kofan people of Sinangoeto International Organizations:
Please add your organization to our letter demanding respectfor a court's decision and our collective rights
Our home, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, has been sold to gold miners by the Ecuadorian government without our consent. In the Western Amazon, at the foothills of the Andes, the State has divided the headwaters of our main river into 52 gold mining concessions covering more than 30,000 hectares. These concessions threaten our territory, the health of our people and that of thousands who live downstream, and expose this biodiversity hotspot to uncontrolled deforestation and contamination, accelerating the global climate crisis.
We are the Kofan people. Our rivers are our life. We fish in these rivers and our children bathe in them. The future of our families depends on having access to clean water and an intact rainforest. That's why we ask for your support.
Since January 2018, our community of Sinangoe has detected large diggers and water pumps on the banks of the Aguarico River, the main artery of our ancestral land and our main source of water and food. The Aguarico headwaters feed a part of the Amazon recognized by the Field Museum of Chicago as the most biodiverse place in Ecuador, where more than 3,725 species of plants, 650 species of birds and 50 species of mammals were detected during several inventories that also turned up new species and a high level of endemism. Allowing mining operations in this ecological gem would lead to profound and irreversible environmental and cultural damage.
Recognizing the great value of this area, for months our community led a territorial monitoring program and denounced the concessions to pressure the Ecuadorian government to mandate the cessation of operations, guarantee our rights and protect this precious place for the planet; but they did nothing. Due to the State's inaction, we decided to take our case to the court, denouncing several Ecuadorian Ministries. On July 27th, 2018, a provincial judge recognized that our right to free, prior and informed consent was violated, and prohibited all mining concessions in the headwaters of the Aguarico River. This is a great victory for our community, for the Amazon rainforest and the climate.
However, all the Ministries involved in the case appealed the sentence, and again we will have to go to court to request the protection of our territory, rights, water and lives. That's why we are asking for your organization's support.
We need the Judge to listen to our voice and that of organizations and people concerned about protecting a megadiverse territory: home to thousands of species, the birthplace of an important water basin and our ancestral home. Our struggle is for the right to prior consent, to water, to health, and the defense of the Amazon.
Please support us by adding your organization's name to the letter below, it will be sent to the Ecuadorian authorities in the coming weeks. #JusticeSinangoe.
Short Letter
(This letter will be sent in Spanish to the Ecuadorian authorities)
Letter from concerned organizations in support of the Kofan community of Sinangoe in the defense of their rights and the protection of the Aguarico headwaters, Ecuadorian Amazon
To the attention of:
President of the Republic of Ecuador
Judiciary Council
Minister of the Environment
Minister of Mines
SENAGUA
The headwaters of the Aguarico River, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the ancestral land of the Kofan people of Sinangoe and the location of Cayambe-Coca National Park, are recognized as the most biodiverse region in Ecuador. Biological studies and inventories in this area have evaluated the diversity of plants to 3,725 species, a mega-diverse environment with a high rate of endemism containing more than 650 species of birds, 50 species of mammals and more than 100 species of reptiles and amphibians [1] [2] [3]. This unique natural wealth also contains a large amount of carbon – with an average of more than 120 tons per hectare [1] – which would contribute significantly to the climate crisis if the rainforest was degraded or destroyed…
Read Full Letter
In addition to the ecological importance of the area, the headwaters of the Aguarico are also home to the Kofan community of Sinangoe, which has a unique and deep connection to the land and rivers, especially the Aguarico, the major artery of its ancestral territory and its main source of water and food. For its subsistence, the community of Sinangoe is dedicated to fishing, hunting and small-scale farming. As part of their right to self-determination recognized by the Ecuadorian Constitution and as a mechanism of territorial control, the community of Sinangoe has drawn up a law of their own regarding the use of their lands and has strengthened their ancestral system of territorial defense.
Beginning in 2017, and with greater intensity as of January 2018, the community detected, through its monitoring work, many miners, water pumps and large excavators on the riverbank and within the Aguarico River. New mining concessions, granted by the State without free, prior and informed consent, cover an area of at least 30,000 hectares, fragmented into 52 concessions [4]. Sinangoe filed many complaints with the authorities, indicating that activities they were not consulted about were causing serious damage to the territory and threatening their health from contamination. The community requested immediate response and sanctions from the government, but miners kept on destroying the banks of the Aguarico.
In the absence of a timely response from the authorities, Sinangoe took the case to court, denouncing several Ecuadorian Ministries. On July 27th, 2018, the Judge of the Multicompetent Judicial Unit of Gonzalo-Pizarro (Sucumbíos) recognized that Sinangoe's right to free, prior and informed consent had been violated, and prohibited all mining concessions in the headwaters of the Aguarico River.
The collective rights established in the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador in its article 57, numeral 7, recognize the right to free, prior and informed consent, within a reasonable timeframe. In the case of mining activities, the obligation to consult was established by the Constitutional Court and included in the Mining Law in 2010. In addition, according to Article 6 of ILO Convention 169, prior consultation is mandatory when carrying out a project or intervention that directly affects an indigenous or tribal people.
The presence of mining in the headwaters of the Aguarico River represents a threat to the health of the people of Sinangoe and thousands of people who live downstream, exposes this highly diverse primary forest to uncontrolled deforestation and accelerates the global climate crisis.
Our organization considers the headwaters of the Aguarico River of great importance that should be a national priority for conservation and that this area should be protected immediately. Finally, we believe that any mining exploration or exploitation project in the area should begin with a free and informed consultation process that guarantees and respects the corresponding international standards and the consent of the community of Sinangoe.
Our organization supports Sinangoe's struggle, congratulates the decision of the judge, and asks the Ecuadorian State to guarantee and respect the rights of the Kofan people and to protect their lives and culture, which are so closely linked to their megadiverse territory.
We thank you for your attention.
Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador. 2015. Natural heritage statistics: Data on forests, ecosystems, species, carbon and deforestation of continental Ecuador. http://suia.ambiente.gob.ec/documents/10179/346525/ESTADISTICAS+DE+PATRIMONIO+FINAL.pdf/b36fa0a7-0a63-4484-ab3e-e5c3732c284b
Pitman, N., D.K. Moskovits, W. S. Alverson, and / and R. Borman A. (eds.). 2002. Ecuador: Serranías Cofán-Bermejo, Sinangoe. Rapid Biological Inventories Report 3. Chicago, Illinois: The Field Museum.
MAE. Management plan for the Cayambe-Coca ecological reserve. 2009. Quito
ARCOM. 2018. Ecuador's mining cadastre. http://geo.controlminero.gob.ec:1026/geo_visor/
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Q: TF/Keras: ModelCheckpoint "period" and "save_best_only" If I use Keras callback ModelCheckpoint, and I put save_best_only = True and period=3, how will the model be saved? After 3 period it saves the best result from that 3 period, or it just saves the best one of all epochs?
Piece of code that I used:
mcp = tf.keras.callbacks.ModelCheckpoint("my_model.h5", monitor="val_accuracy",
                        save_best_only=True, period=3)

A: First of all, according to documentation, period argument is deprecated in favor of save_freq argument (which if assigned to an int, it would consider number of seen batches and not the epochs). But for backwards compatibility, the period argument is still working.
But to find out the answer to your question, we need to inspect the source code for ModelCheckpoint callback. Actually, the best value of monitored metric seen so far is updated only if period epochs has passed (since the last checkpoint). And also. since the best metric value seen so far is compared with the monitored metric value of only current epoch, therefore we can conclude that only the best performing model in epochs period, 2*period, 3*period, etc. are compared and saved, and the performance of the model between those epochs is ignored.

A: Setting period=3 will attempt to save a model every 3 batches. If you want it to save at the end of every epoch, set period='epoch'.
If save_best_only=True it will check to see if the validation accuracy is higher this time than last time and only save that model. If the validation accuracy is not this high, it will not save the model.
Source: https://www.tensorflow.org/api_docs/python/tf/keras/callbacks/ModelCheckpoint#arguments_1


The Home Study Program (Home School) is designed for students whose parents are actively involved in their education.
Parents are responsible for the day-to-day instruction of their children under the guidance and support of a credentialed teacher.
High school students will also have access to subject area teachers in the core courses.
These teachers may assist in the assignment and evaluation of student work, are available for consultation and evaluation during the semester, and are responsible for the final examinations which must be proctored in all college prep core courses.
High school students may also take area classes from highly qualified instructors, enroll in community college classes, or take approved distance learning (web-based) courses.
Parent involvement is integral to student success in our program.
- continue support at home with education instruction/support in writing, research, mathematics, technology, reading, critical thinking, editing, Cornell note taking, organization, life skills, and time management skills.


JEE Mains exam is conducted for admission in undergraduate engineering and architectural courses.
JEE Mains consists of two test papers: JEE Mains Paper 1 for admission to engineering courses and JEE Mains Paper 2 for admission to architectural courses.
in the month of April every year.
Age Limit- Only those Candidates whose date of birth falls on or after October 01, 1992 are eligible for JEE Mains Paper 2.
In case of Scheduled Caste ( SC ), Scheduled Tribe ( ST ) and Persons with Disabilities ( PwD ) candidates, upper age limit is relaxable by five years.
Number Of Attempts - The Number Of Attempts which a candidate can avail at JEE Main B.Arch (Paper 2) shall be limited to three.


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Critic's Notebook
By Sasha Frere-Jones
Illustration by Daniel Hertzberg
I've seen the Pet Shop Boys three times, and I cannot recall ever seeing Chris Lowe move. Lowe is the non-singing, writing Boy; Neil Tennant is the writing and singing Boy; and neither member of the utterly brilliant dance-music duo is big on the overt. Their songs return again and again to a specific brand of immobility—the unchanging face that conceals a roiling heart. Tennant and Lowe are part of a great tradition of slipping intense emotions into an envelope of wit that runs straight from Oscar Wilde to Noel Coward to the Boys. But they are still a pop act, and they know that shows should be shows. For their tenth studio album, "Yes," they've mounted something called the Pandemonium tour, which involves dancers in primary colors, white cubes, and hats that would make Isabella Blow proud. Lowe claims that "Every night is Friday night" on this tour, which comes to Hammerstein Ballroom Sept. 1-2. In all the times I've seen the Pet Shop Boys, I've never been bored, not even a little. That would be a sin. ♦
Published in the print edition of the August 31, 2009, issue.
Sasha Frere-Jones worked at The New Yorker as a staff writer and pop-music critic for ten years, beginning in 2004.
More:Pet Shop BoysPop Music


This is pretty good.Has good graphics.Keeps you thinking.
I thought that this was a wonderful 2nd addition to the first Cradle of Rome. I found that it could be an easy play or a game with a bit more speed and concentration. It was very addictive to me, so much so that the 60 minutes were up too fast. This is certainly a keeper and plan on buying it!
The headline says it all. This game is a family-fun masterpiece. I play this game with my 3 year old and we have a blast taking turns. It has a very nice variety of games for all tastes. There are the more challenging games that I play and the great toddler-friendly games as well. My son loves to play para-sail and jungle jump.
I really enjoy this series and this is definitely the best of the three. I enjoy that the artifacts are still a part of the game and story. My family appreciates the different difficulty levels. The characters are cute and there is enough of a puzzle to many of the levels to get you thinking.
I tried it as a free game and loved it and bought it. It is unique, sort of an odd twist on the old mine sweeper game. I like the color and creating the mosaics. The only drawback I had was in the upper levels where I had a hard time making out a couple of numbers because they are small (but then again with my eyes that's not difficult, lol). It starts you off easy so that you get to know how to work the puzzles. If there is a second one to this game, I'll be getting it.


text:
Keeping Mountain Lion Kittens Safer
An early snow had painted northwest Wyoming completely white, making it beautiful, but treacherous. Navigating the slippery roads of the backcountry, we paused to look at footprints of a mountain lion we call F61. She had crossed the road and climbed toward the ridgeline. Just up the road, we found a houndsman's truck tucked up...
Top 25: Wild Birds with Spectacular Catches
This week we are allowed a unique insight into the lives of birds that hunt. When we think of birds hunting, we typically picture a raptor with ferocious talons and a sharp beak to tear apart prey. But in fact many birds will hunt opportunistically. In this week's Top 25 we feature a wide range...
Open season for wolves across the lower 48? Time and science will tell
By Carl Safina and Erica Cirino Currently the gray wolf is listed as an endangered species in all states where it exists, except Alaska, which is home to a much larger population. Across the lower 48 states, hunting of gray wolves is illegal, though federal agents kill wolves deemed a danger to human lives and...
Some states now advocate coexistence with–rather than killing of–coyotes
By Erica Cirino In an opinion piece for the Cape Cod Times earlier this month, Carl Safina and I wrote about coexisting with coyotes—as millions of people in fact do. We juxtaposed a Cape Cod coyote-killing contest against a San Francisco newspaper deliveryman who every morning gives a particular coyote their own paper. That coyote...
Finding Parallels Between Two Newly Independent Countries
National Geographic grantee Riley Arthur is documenting the Erased of Slovenia- 200,000 non-ethnic Slovenian residents who were not automatically granted citizenship after the country split from Yugoslavia in 1991. A decade later, the community is still fighting for documentation. These stories are about the Erased and the places they live. —- Expedition Journal: Izbrisani I...
Hunting is Not a Hot Topic: An Interview with Dereck and Beverly Joubert
I was in the middle of a profile interview with wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert for a prominent South African magazine. We were chatting about their incredible experiences in the Botswana wilderness and some of their current projects, including an upcoming National Geographic film called Game of Lions. I was keen to keep the...
Caught Giant Alligators Break Records; How Big Do Gators Get?
By Ker Than Two record-setting heavyweight alligators were killed by hunters in Mississippi this weekend, just three days into the start of the official gator hunting season. One animal, a male, was 13-feet and 6.5-inches (4.13 meters) long and weighed 727 pounds (330 kilograms). "When we finally got an arrow in him, it took us...
Young People Look to Old Ways of Hunting and Gathering
National Geographic Young Explorers Charu Jaiswal, Sarah Robert and Jenny Miller are embarking on a one-month expedition to Alaska documenting food scarcity and a revival of hunting and gathering among young people. Follow team's updates from the field on Explorers Journal. —— We are National Geographic Society's newest Young Explorers grantees and we're filming a...


> > > > I do a checkout --depth=immediates.
> > > > So I see all repository stuff that I do not have as incoming changes.
> > > > svn_depth_unknown to the API.
> > > > depth=infininity.
> > > extract that bit from the update editor this week.
> > realize they just do not have the feature.
> ... that might be right. See if Vlad's r27258 fixes your problem, though?
I have run into a new variant of this problem.
boolean. I always run this with false to drive our Synchronize view.
We want to show all incoming changes. This has always worked well.
boolean). If I change it to depth=infinity then it works properly.
something different, then the command shows stuff that it shouldn't.
svn:externals if they are present.
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The Most Badass Classic Muscle Cars You'll Find Under $15,000 Today
December 29, 2020 January 11, 2021 Hootinanny
In the '60s and '70s, muscle cars ruled American streets. Today, these classic cars are usually rare to see in good operating condition and are usually sold for huge amount of money in auctions. They are often seen in the particular garages of rich collectors plus celebrities. But contrary to the initial presumption, not all classic muscle vehicles come with sky-high price tags .
With thorough research and maybe good bargaining skills, scoring many of the most badass classic muscle cars just for $15, 000 or lower is really a piece of cake. Here are just some of the best types we found online.
10 1966 Plymouth Valiant : $15, 000
via Orlando, florida Classic Cars
The Plymouth Valiant is an elegant car produced by Plymouth from 1963 to 1966. It came in 2 and four-door body styles that will both carried a dependable Slant Six engine.
via Barrett-Jackson
While many from the muscle cars back then were virtually guzzling fuel, the Plymouth Valiant became the go-to choice for individuals who seek the typical muscle car as well as performance but with fuel efficiency in your mind. If taken care of properly, these vehicles can live on for a long time. Used products of this model can start from $15, 000.
9 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger – $12, 000
via Mecum Online auctions
Once called the particular ugliest car of all time, the well-known Dodge Dart Swinger has had a rough period trying to make its mark of all time. This muscle car was in line with the successful Plymouth Valiant and even gives the same chassis. But because of its encouraging qualities, it didn't take really miss people to pick up on the scent of the good vehicle and so Dodge marketed nearly 4. 3 million Darts in a span of 14 many years.
via Mecum Auctions
While the Dodge Dart is one of the best first muscle tissue cars , some people prefer to rank it as an economy car due to how versatile it is. If you're searching for one, expect models to go about for $12, 000 or more.
RELATED: five Criminally Underrated Classic Dodges Over the Used Market (5 To Avoid In any way Costs)
8 1973 Ford Mustang — $15, 000
via Mustang Specs
Everyone knows what a Ford Mustang is. However, not everybody has had the opportunity to ride with the Mustangs that paved the way to the modern days. 1973 was the last year for this Mustang's body design before it carried a new style.
This pony included several engine options to offer including a capable 140 hp V8. It had been made available in three body designs namely a coupe, fastback, plus convertible. From an original MSRP associated with $2, 000 to $3, 500, these units now cost a small over $15, 000.
7 1974 Chevrolet Nova — $14, 000
via PJ's Auto World
If you're looking for something under the Chevy brand, then the 1974 Chevrolet Volkswagen is just about the most badass classic Chevrolet you can buy cheap utilized . It was produced in five decades and was discontinued and changed by the Citation in 1980.
via Lagniappe Magazine
The 1974 Chevy Nova came with the 194-cubic-inch 3. 2 L straight-six engine and originally cost $2, 919. These days, these can go for a few hundred thousand dollars especially if found from dealerships. But it isn't very difficult to find private sellers that market units in good condition for $14, 000 to $15, 000.
six 1974 Dodge Phone chrgr – $15, 000
through Hemmings Motor News
Everyone knows just how snazzy the particular newer Chargers are these days. Yet every car enthusiast knows that they have definitely had better days. The particular 1974 model, for example , had muscles written all over it.
through chromjuwelen. com
This boxy beauty came with a typical 225-cubic inch Slant Six energy mill while a V8 choice can be acquired for an extra 45 hewlett packard. It also came in several body designs but the two-door coupe variant included an original price of $3, 327. These days, used units in good condition might want to use as much as $15, 000
5 1977 Pontiac Trans Was – $9, 000
through YouTube
When folks talk about classic muscle cars, the particular Pontiac Trans Am is a title that simply can't be missed. The particular defunct brand has produced lots of vehicles in its hay day yet none can compete with the well-known reputation of the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. In fact , the car is so well-known that even Jay Leno has one in his garage which is why it's such a waste to find out these cars abandoned .
via Hemmings Motor Information
The original vehicle comes with a $5, 456 MSRP. Yet today, these can reach more than $500, 000 based on which model you buy and to buy it from. The good news is there are still private sellers who are ready to sell it for just over $9, 500.
ASSOCIATED: "Breaking Bad" Pontiac Aztek Will get 2020 Rendering With Epic Heisenberg Emblem
4 1978 Plymouth Duster — $11, 000
The particular Plymouth Duster was a product associated with another time that Plymouth made a decision to make one more car based on the Valiant. Though it was definitely smaller in size, the majority of the spaces that mattered in the Duster like the legroom, and headroom had been almost the same in the Valiant.
via Cars for Sale
This mini muscle car a new price tag of just over $5, 1000 which is why it's one of the best Plymouths that are unreasonably cheap . Customers could also pick between five engine choices including Slant Six and OF V8 power mills.
3 1973 Pontiac Lemans – $13, 000
via Barn Discovers
If you're searching for a fuel-efficient car with muscle underneath the hood, then you better keep looking. But if you don't mind a classic gas-guzzler taking large sips from your finances, then the 1973 Pontiac Lemans is among the greatest '70s muscle vehicles you can find for under $20, 000 .
Although some owners grumble about rust in used systems, there are some of them that may even need a complete resurrection . In case you have about $13, 000, you will absolutely bound to find one still in great, working condition. Some of the Lemans benefits include its head-turning looks, not surprisingly, reliability, and overall performance.
2 1970 Chrysler 300 : $14, 000
via CarGurus
The chrysler 300 was first introduced in 1955 with the convertible body being stopped in 1971. Though the more modern variations of this model come with competitive energy, the 1970 Chrysler 300 experienced two mean engine options which are sure to put up a fight.
via Pinterest
Automobile Catalog lists the 1970 Chrysler 300's top speed at a small over 120 mph. After fifty years, owners of used devices still find the Chrysler 300's efficiency dependable thanks to its firm speed, good handling and, reliable brake ability.
RELATED: Here's How Much A The chrysler Turbine Car Is Worth Today
1 1973 Plymouth Satellite – $14, 1000
via Barrett Jackson
The 1973 Plymouth Satellite started as a top cut for the company's Beldevere line. Yet unlike the muscle cars which were built a decade earlier, the concept of "muscle" was slowly starting to fade in the limelight. Plymouth, being wise, made a decision to lean the Satellite towards protection and luxury-focused parameters.
through Barrett Jackson
The car came with a 225-cubic in . six-cylinder engine capable of 110 horsepower. This was then paired with a three-speed manual transmission and came with an original $2, 867 MSRP. Today, decent utilized units can go for $14, 000.
NEXT: Detested Muscle Cars Now Worth A lot of money
A Look Back at the Ford 021C | HotCars
These Cars Are Great, But Nobody Wants Them | HotCars
Previous: Cervinis debuts new Stalker package for the 2010-2012 Ford Mustang
Next: GMSV May Bring Chevy Tahoe And Suburban To Australia


text:
Xiongbin Lu, Ph.D.
For leading contributions in developing nanoscale biomaterials to safely and effectively deliver drugs in targeted cancer therapy and precision medicine.
Dr. Xiongbin Lu Inducted into Medical and Biological Engineering Elite
Via AIMBE | March 28, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Xiongbin Lu, Ph.D., Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Vera Bradley Foundation Chair in Breast Cancer Innovation, Strategic Research Initiative Distinguished Investigator, School of Medicine, Indiana University, to its College of Fellows.
Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice, or education" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education."
Dr. Lu was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for "leading contributions in developing nanoscale biomaterials to safely and effectively deliver drugs in targeted cancer therapy and precision medicine."


April, Month of the Military Child, recognizes the unique sacrifices of the nearly 2 million children with a parent currently in the military as well as those of us who grew up on bases around the world. If your go-to fun facts include any of the following (I have lived in 9 different states! I went to 3 elementary schools! I was born in England!), you might be a military kid.
Pretty much every store I go into I ask, "Do you accept a military discount?" There's no way I'm not getting my 10% off, whether it's at Nordstrom or Cafe Rio.
Basically the military grocery store. No tax on products, but it's a huge, freezing warehouse-looking place.
I was born in Kansas (random, I know) moved to Georgia, then Maryland, then South Korea, dabbled in China, and moved to another spot in Maryland. Thrown in here have been countless cross-country road trips and flights to Italy and Puerto Rico. I guess that's what happens when your parents develop an affinity for traveling.
Seeing my father off to countless countries has definitely strengthened my appreciation for my family. Not only has missing my dad made me love him even more, but it has made me admire my mother when she balanced our rowdy household alone.
You know when you're in a new class and your teacher makes you play that "fun" ice-breaker where you tell a fun fact about yourself? And there's always someone near you saying, "Oh no! I don't have one." The only thing you worry about is choosing your fun fact: What should I say this time? "I lived in South Korea" or "I've climbed the Great Wall of China"? Decisions, decisions!
You know those homecoming videos that make everyone cry? Yeah, that was my childhood. I can't go the airport without thinking of the memories my family has there, whether it was seeing my dad off to Japan or welcoming him home from South Korea as we sprinted across the airport screaming.
If I had a nickel for every time one of my friends says to me, "Your dad scares me," I would be drowning in nickels. I mean, it doesn't help that I openly brag about the fact that my father can bench 340 pounds, but still.
Visiting Asian countries was a life-changing experience that revolutionized my perspective; it showed the diversity across cultures and helped broaden my global perspective as a whole. And my dad always brought home countless souvenirs, so the amount of beautiful Middle Eastern culture we showcase in our house is astonishing.
This is definitely the most important one to me. Regardless of anything else I am proud of, my father is definitely at the top of my list. I am incredibly grateful that he sacrificed so much of himself for my family and for our country.