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How Two Years of Pandemic Disruption Could Shake Up the Debate Over Standardized Testing
By Evie Blad — March 05, 2021 9 min read
patat/iStock/Getty
The week the U.S. Department of Education told states it wouldn't issue blanket waivers from mandated annual assessments, the creators of a national guide instructing parents on how to opt their children out of the standardized tests reported a spike in web traffic to the site.
"Parents are hopping mad," said Bob Schaeffer, the interim executive director of FairTest, an organization that promotes testing opt outs and created the guide. "If schools don't cancel the tests, parents will."
Advocates for testing — including civil rights organizations, a vocal group of lawmakers, and some educational leaders concerned about equity —say such suggestions may be overblown. But, after states cancelled tests entirely in 2020, some of those same advocates fear that two consecutive years of disruption in state testing—be it through opt outs, modifications, or complete cancellations — could amount to the country taking its foot off the gas in its commitment to broad assessments.
"What I fear is we just don't know enough right now," said Cheryl Oldham, vice president of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has advocated for federal testing mandates. "We just won't know the implications of this year for a while."
Although President Joe Biden criticized high-stakes testing as a candidate, one of his Education Department's first acts was to leave the tests in place, even as many testing opponents argued that an unprecedented year of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic gave a good reason to cancel them.
In addition to concerns about the reliability of scores for tests given during the pandemic, schools will face a host of logistical challenges, like deciding how to test remote learners, finding off-site space that allows for greater social distancing, and finding adults to supervise testing at a time when staffing is already a challenge.
Testing supporters were heartened when the Education Department said in its Feb. 22 guidance that states must conduct tests this year. But the guidance provides a lot of wiggle room, allowing states to bypass requirements that they use the scores to rate schools, to delay when they are administered, and to forgo the requirement that 95 percent of students participate, a change that could open the door for more opt outs.
States are still sketching out their response to the department's directive. While some have committed to conducting full assessments in person, others have said they will need to make changes to address the realities of the pandemic.
Those changes could leave a big hole in the data states use to track schools' performance over time and become talking points in debates about the future of testing, those testing supporters have said.
And some critics of testing hope they are right.
An alliance in support of assessment
Congress reaffirmed its commitment to test-based accountability when it passed the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 after years of debate. The federal education law maintained many of the testing mandates that were the hallmarks of its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act.
Under ESSA, states have to test students in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. They also have to break down the resulting test scores to track results for targeted populations, like English-language learners, various racial groups, and students from low-income families.
Critics of NCLB had argued that it led schools to place too much emphasis on tests and to use their results in punitive ways. Under ESSA, lawmakers aimed to address those concerns by giving states more flexibility in how scores are used and by allowing them to limit the amount of time schools spend testing. They also created a program to pilot new innovative assessments.
But an alliance that included civil rights groups, business organizations, and prominent congressional Democrats successfully pushed for Congress to reject more-dramatic changes to testing mandates when it passed ESSA.
Broad annual data are necessary to ensure schools are serving all students adequately, they insisted. And standardized tests offer consistency that other forms of feedback, like teacher observations and classroom assignments, may lack, they said.
I just think we have a moral responsibility to understand how all of our students are doing, where we are falling short...
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington
And, as the Biden administration considered how to handle testing this year, many of those groups and lawmakers revived the same arguments. They insisted that, after fits and starts of in-person instruction and a full-year of remote learning in some areas, many parents will find value in gauging what subjects their children mastered and where they may need more help. And the data may be necessary to help direct federal aid, including an additional $128 billion in K-12 relief, much of it targeted to responding to the effects of interrupted learning time, they've said.
"I just think we have a moral responsibility to understand how all of our students are doing, where we are falling short, and we have to use data to make sure that we are doing the right thing and sending the dollars to where they are needed the most," U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate education committee, told Education Week in December. "That's called education equity."
But in a sign of splits within the Democratic Party about education policy, newer members of Congress, like Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut and Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, both former educators, have said it doesn't make sense to conduct tests this year.
Hayes, asked in late February if she thought the Biden administration's decision not to grant blanket waivers from standardized tests undercut its other efforts to assist schools, spoke extensively about how tests wouldn't help students or educators, and wouldn't capture the real impact of COVID-19.
Hayes shares that viewpoint with national teachers' unions and some Republicans. They include Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking member of the Senate education committee, who called upon U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to cancel the tests during Cardona's confirmation hearing.
How much flexibility should there be from testing requirements?
As states sketch out their responses to the federal directive, it remains unclear exactly how much flexibility the Education Department will allow.
While some states have committed to carrying on with testing plans, leaders in some places, including the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, have said they will push forward with requests to cancel the tests entirely.
Groups that support test-based accountability have acknowledged the unusual circumstances created by the health crisis, but they've also urged states to do as much as is practical to conduct assessments.
"In our minds, the right thing is you've got to make every effort to test as many kids as possible," said Oldham, of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "In this year, of all years. Are you kidding me? This is a time when we absolutely have to know."
Testing experts like Andrew Ho, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, have said there are ways to present this year's test scores that would add helpful context for the public.
But testing critics have organized campaigns to urge states to push for as much flexibility as possible, including full waivers. They've also called on states to pause state-level accountability efforts, like use of reading test scores to determine if students should be promoted beyond the 3rd grade.
Opt-out advocates have urged mass disruption of state tests over the last decade, citing concerns about how high-stakes tests are conducted and how their scores are used to rate schools and educators. And they've reported a fresh surge of concern this year about testing during the pandemic.
It's unclear how many students will sit out this year. In a February parent poll conducted by the National PTA, 52 percent of respondents said they favored end-of-year testing, and 60 percent said they are worried their child is behind and want more information on where their child is academically.
But signs point to pockets of opt-out interest in some areas. And, if enough students sit out, it could amount to a de facto test cancellation, especially if the population of students who do participate doesn't mirror the demographics of the student body as a whole, some testing experts have warned.
New York City's departing Chancellor Richard Carranza encouraged parents to consider opt outs at a Feb. 25 news conference, and said the school system would make them aware of their rights.
"We do not want to impose additional trauma on students that have already been traumatized," said Carranza, who has since announced plans to resign at the end of March.
And, if new converts to the opt-out movement engage with activist organizations and join their email lists, they may play a more active role in debates over testing in the future, said Oren Pizmony-Levy, a professor of international and comparative education at Columbia University who has studied the opt-out movement.
"Once you change a habit, once you challenge something that is taken for granted, you all of a sudden start to question this behavior," he said.
Congress has not expressed any appetite to reauthorize ESSA or to rethink its testing requirements in the near term, but Pizmony-Levy cites past research that found that people who engage with opt-out movements are more likely to contact their congressional representatives when conversations about education policy occur.
Is there a middle path in the testing debate?
Some veterans of the testing debate suggest that two years of disruption will lead parents, policymakers, and educators to tackle exactly what standardized state assessments should look like and how they are used.
"If we don't [take] this year as an opportunity to think about how we want to make our system better, we really are missing the boat on this one," said Chris Minnich, the CEO of NWEA, a nonprofit organization that helps develop assessments. Minnich was also the executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers when ESSA was enacted.
In response to the federal guidance, some states have suggested they will delay testing until the fall. Officials in New Mexico have requested permission to test a representative sample of students this year, an idea that has been floated in broader policy discussions in the past. In South Carolina, officials have asked to use formative assessments conducted throughout the school year in place of a year-end, summative test.
That's an idea NWEA has promoted, working with states like Georgia through ESSA's innovative assessment pilot. But reverse engineering such an approach—by deciding on the back end to use those incremental tests for year-end results—could be imperfect, Minnich said.
Some critics of what Minnich calls "through-year assessments" say formative and summative assessments serve distinct purposes that should not be mingled. But they acknowledge that states' creative efforts this year may provide talking points for future discussions.
"It introduces the next chapter in an ongoing discussion of the proper type of assessment, the proper function of assessment, and ultimately how that benefits students," said David DeSchryver, the senior vice president of Whiteboard Advisors, an education consulting firm. "How does that information support equitable educational opportunities?"
Standardized Testing Department of Education Resistance to Testing
A version of this article appeared in the March 10, 2021 edition of Education Week as Pandemic Revives Debates on High-Stakes Tests
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Four key questions to consider about how the pairing of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NWEA might affect educators.
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This Spotlight will help you examine updated testing guidance from the U.S. Dept. of Ed, analyze college-placement test scores, and more.
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Assessment Letter to the Editor Grading for Growth Through Competency-Based Education
Competency-based education can better prepare today's children for tomorrow's challenges, writes this letter to the editor.


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Redhack announces election software as its next target
Nisan Su Aras ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
With regard to the upcoming elections, Redhack will 'take the necessary steps to ensure a fair election,' a group representative told the Hürriyet Daily News. DHA photo
Redhack, the highly secretive hacker organization that has launched numerous cyber-attacks against official Turkish institutions, has identified the Computer Supported Central Voter Registry System (SEÇSİS), the official computer software program used in elections, as its next big target.
The group says it will "take the necessary steps to ensure a fair election," a Redhack representative told the Hürriyet Daily News.
"There are elections which will appear before us, and we have decided to take the necessary steps at least to have a fair election," the representative said.
"In the name of having a fair election and supervising this freak system called SEÇSİS, we have announced and will continue to announce who must be given the shoulder through social media, by giving support to IT experts and civil initiatives," he added.
However, Redhack stressed that it would not be intervening in SEÇSİS in terms of altering the election results, as this would only play into the government's hand. "We care more about supporting those who are experts on IT, digital information platforms and electronic infrastructure throughout the election process," the group added.
Redhack is composed of 12 core members, and decides on which online targets to attack based on its ideology, which it defines as "Marxist/Leninist."
"Our sole criterion is to select the institutions that cause events that hurt the public conscience; in other words, the institutions and capital groups that determine the oppressing attitude of the current system. Attaining the information, sharing this information and questioning the system by taking the public good into account are decisive in target selection," the representative explained to the HDN.
'Private Kalı did not leak Reyhanlı documents'
Redhack also denied any affiliation with Private Utku Kalı, who is currently being tried on terror charges for leaking intelligence documents on the Reyhanlı attack, in which 53 people were killed in Hatay province in late May. Redhack published these sensational whistle-blowing documents, indicating that a possible attack by al-Nusra was notified to the authorities in advance, but was not averted.
"We are not acquainted with Utku, he has never had any connection or contact with us," Redhack said, while arguing that he was declared a "scapegoat."
"Utku was rendered dependent on medical support due to heavy pressure, naked torture, and the inability to give a meaning [for the leaks] because of his innocence," it added.
Classified info flows after Gezi
Redhack increasingly came under the spotlight during the recent Gezi protests, and confirmed to the HDN that there had been a significant increase in information and documents sent to them after the Gezi incidents started.
"Without a doubt, almost every day tens of people get into contact saying they wish there was something they could do," Redhack said.
Redhack had previously not accepted information from outside the organization, but it had a change of heart after seeing the "manipulations of the media, the pressure on media laborers and disinformation tools."
It described its position during the Gezi protests as "information spreading." "We ensured that the messages of other components could spread to a wider mass. All this caused us to become quite prominent," it said.
The group has become more well known on an international level too, after Jeremy Hammond, a hacker/activist controversially imprisoned for publicizing the internal files of private spying agency Stratfor through Wikileaks, sent a letter to them saying "I like your attitude, brothers. I love you. Please keep on, sail strong."
Redhack was most notably involved in cyber-attacks against the websites of the Finance and Interior Ministries, the Religious Affairs Directorate and, most recently, that of the police department. It has also published e-mail exchanges between public and business figures, Reyhanlı intelligence files, and the telephone numbers of deputies and chiefs of police.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In classical general relativity, singularity is considered as the inevitable outcome of a gravitational collapse. In this talk, I will discuss gravitational collapse using the semi-classical Schrödinger functional formalism. We have investigated the end stages of a quantum gravitational collapse and have found that due to quantum mechanical effects, the dynamical equation that governs the time evolution of the system becomes non-local and removes the singularity. Further, we examined the radiation emitted during the gravitational collapse with respect to both asymptotic and infalling observers and found that the emitted radiation is non-thermal with significant correlations among the emitted particles. Our work is likely to have implications in the resolution of the information loss paradox.


My Great Island Curried Chicken Salad Plate has a definite tropical spring break vibe with a tumble of colorful mixed fruit anchored by a big scoop of curried chicken salad (made with coconut and macadamia nuts.) It's paradise!
Pull up a fork for #6 in my Main Course Salad Challenge, (which has been extended through April!) where I'm sharing a hearty main course salad every Wednesday to inspire you to go green once a week this season, and hopefully beyond.
A burst of spring weather inspired this light bright dinner. Serve this fruity main course salad with a glass of Pelegrino, a Long Island iced tea, or a nice Sauvignon Blanc. After you've finished snapping pics of it put away your phone and dig in, you won't be disappointed. The beauty of the colors and textures translates directly to great flavors ~ it's a wonderful meal.
This salad is based on one I have every time I visit my Dad in Florida. If you've been following this blog for any length of time you might know I go down regularly, and always come back with wonderful recipe ideas, usually with a tropical flair.
My favorite lunch spot overlooks the ocean, and we always sit outside so we can watch the flocks of pelicans glide by and maybe even catch some spinner sharks leaping out of the water. They serve a plate like this with a choice of chicken, tuna, or egg salad. You can even have small scoops of all three, if you want. That's surrounded by a jewel toned wreath of ripe fruit and it's utterly spectacular. In Florida they garnish it with an orchid, so of course I did too!
Today I made my copy cat version with a curried chicken salad studded with apples, raisins, coconut, and macadamia nuts, which really ups the 'island' factor.
The mix of perfectly ripe colorful fruit can only be described as decadently healthy ~ it's an over the top feast for the senses.
Choose yours according to what's in season and best in your area. I used melons, pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya, grapes, berries, and citrus segments. The main thing is that it be wonderful and fresh.
Fruit should be ripe. That's a no brainer. If you're unsure, ask the produce manager, they know. Or buy from your local farmers market.
Purchase your fruit a few days in advance if there is any doubt about the ripeness. Let it sit out on the counter until needed.
Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces, when possible.
Go for a variety of shapes, some cubes, some balls, some slices. Keep berries whole when possible.
Don't cut your fruit too far in advance, fruit starts to degrade almost immediately. Melons and citrus do a little better in advance.
A squeeze of fresh lime wakes up the flavors.
If you don't want to buy whole melons or a whole pineapple you can sometimes find good quality ripe fruit ready cut in your produce section.
My Great Island Salad Plate is made with a tumble of colorful mixed fruit anchored by a big scoop of curried chicken salad with coconut and macadamia nuts.
Don't cut the fruit too far in advance. You can make the chicken salad up to a day in advance.
Make a large salad to serve more, just double or triple the chicken salad and arrange it all on a large platter.
For a vegetarian option use cottage cheese, tabbouleh, or couscous instead of chicken salad.
I am a great fan of your site and yummy recipes, but I don't know if it's just me, or if others are coming upon the same problem with your site that I have. Sadly, I am unable to Pin your recipes. Might you check to see if there is an issue on your end that can rectify this problem? I am eager to be able to once again have the ability to Pin your wonderful recipes?! Thank you for taking the time to check out this issue.
Hey Wendy ~ I'm not sure what's causing your problem, I can pin from my site, there are pin buttons on the side of the site, and also on each image. What browser are you on?
What a beautiful presentation! My husband is going to love this because he loves his salads loaded with fruit!
Wowsers! This looks delicious! So Tropical and great for a Summer dinner! Totally saving this one!
What a delicious and beautiful salad! I could eat this for any meal of the day, and who wouldn't! So refreshing and healthy. PINNED!
Thanks Tricia ~ I don't eat nearly enough fresh fruit, and this salad has inspired me!!


Montessori Language Academy's faculty is led by the school founder and director, Yoko Avramov. Known to her students as Yoko-Sensei, Yoko is a winner of the prestigious Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award for 2001, a Golden Apple Award Finalist in 2000, and an inductee into the Kohl Academy of Outstanding Educators. In 2011, she was awarded as the Alumna of the Year by Concordia University, in River Forest. She also serves as a presenter for the Seton Montessori Institute (SMI) in Clarendon Hills. Her monthly column "Mama, Mitetene「ママみててね」" appears in the Japanese community information site, "Angle info".
A native of Kyoto, Japan, Yoko holds an American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood Education. She earned her B.A. in English Literature from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, and a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois.
A native of Morocco, Narjis Benkhraba holds associate degrees in both English Language and Literature from Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco. Narjis is fluent in English, French and Arabic. As a mom of two multilingual children, Narjis shares many of the joys and challenges as MLA parents. Narjis also assists Yoko with administrative work.
Narjis has completed her certification for Credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in Summer 2008.
A native of Tokyo Japan, Chiaki Kawamura graduated the Tokyo School of Business where she studied the Program for Executive Assistant. Chiaki has completed certification for credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in 2011. As a parent of a bilingual child, Chiaki helps MLA families with resourceful information about local public schools.
A native of Japan, Kaori Mincer holds a B.A. in English Literature from Seijo University in Tokyo, Japan and an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Kaori has a bilingual background and is fluent in both English and Japanese. As a parent of a bilingual middle school daughter who is a graduate of MLA, she enjoys the growth of current students. Kaori completed her certification for Credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in 2012. Based on her experience as a parent, Kaori is knowledgeable of Oak Park district 97 schools.
Vianey Vazquez joined MLA as an English class teacher in 2015. She has brought over 20 years of teaching experience to enrich English class. Vianey also teaches an elective Spanish class once a week. She obtained credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in 1999.
Denisse joined MLA as an English class assistant in 2013. She has experience working in a foreign language immersion Montessori classroom. Children love Denisse's happy care-free nature in the classroom. Denisse has obtained credentials from American Montessori Society for Early Childhood Education in 2018. Denisse is fluent in both Spanish and English.
Miwa joined MLA as a Japanese class assistant in 2015. A native of Osaka, Japan, Miwa Bolick holds a B.A. in Sociology from Maryville University, St. Louis, MO and A.A. in English from Sacred Heart Junior College in Japan. Miwa is a mother of a girl who goes to a public Montessori elementary school. As a resident of Chicago, also as a parent of CPS (Chicago Public School) student, she can share knowledge of public schools system. Miwa has completed her certification for Credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in 2018.
A native of Japan, Rika Buck holds B.A. in business and commerce from Aichi Gakuen University, Japan. Rika is a parent of a bilingual elementary school son who is a graduate of MLA, and currently a student at a Montessori elementary school. Rika completed a paraprofessional course at Seton Montessori Institute in 2016.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Quarantine Conversations
Ray-Mel Cornelius
Zhaira Costiniano A majority of your work is inspired by location, whether that be scenes on the road, at Lake Tahoe, or Dallas's very own Oak Cliff neighborhood. Now that we are in quarantine, has that affected your work in any way? Do yourself creating domestic inspired pieces?
Ray-Mel Cornelius Not really. Most of my work is more reflection than in the moment, meaning I don't really respond to events as they happen. If any of this turns up in a piece it will be later after I have percolated on it a bit. But current events, whether political or social, generally aren't a part of my oeuvre.
Photo of the artist, Ray-Mel Cornelius
Moonflower with Haiku, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 × 36 in
Before all of this came down I had started a relatively large painting of a mockingbird that will include a hand lettered haiku in the same vein as some of my paintings in last year's show, "SuperNature." It continues my current interest in portraying my vision of nature. I have to deal with all of the quarantine issues in real life so I use painting as something to take me out of it, rather than as something to keep me in the mindset. And my work is more about subjects that are perpetual and this is a temporary circumstance. At least I hope it is.
ZC That's very interesting. What drew you to include poetry into your newer works?
RMC I started writing haikus in my sketchbook during a two week hiatus in New Mexico. I think haikus are observations, often of nature, like my paintings mostly are.
I sometimes try things to take a painting beyond a simple record of what I have seen or thought about, not that there's anything wrong with that. Sometimes that works out and sometimes it doesn't. I decided to add the haikus as a written commentary on the painting or its subject. With those pieces I have the main subject, then the background begins as a sort of expressionist polychrome underpainting that's then painted over with a single color, with some parts of the underpainting still visible or only partly obscured by the overpainting. I use a liquid masking agent to letter the haiku before the overpainting. After that I peel the masking agent to reveal lettering. I don't usually work with a lot of spontaneity and this process adds some of that.
ZC Your work also explores folklore and Americana. Did growing up around a ranch influence that?
RMC in a couple of ways, yes. I didn't really take to the farm/ranch life but it was an unavoidable everyday reality. So part of my escape was in my head. I read a lot and was drawn to mythology, science fiction and fantasy.
Artist's home studio
Giant Movie Monster on a Small Canvas 2, Acrylic on canvas, 10 x 8 in
Some of my paintings have explored those subjects through personal interpretations that no one would probably pick up on and some, such as three of the paintings in "SuperNature", one depicting Godzilla, one of King Kong and one of a flying saucer, may be more recognizable.
While I was "in" the "cowboy life" I wasn't "of" it so I had a detached look at the culture. When I was a teenager there was a sharp divide between the cowboys, who dressed and acted the part, and the hippies, who did likewise. I wasn't in either of those groups although my sympathies were with the hippies. But I understood that real cowboys have always been just guys trying to make a living with survival being their primary concern. For a while, during the Bush administration, I made some paintings that recontextualized the image of the cowboy as a being one with nature instead of at odds with it. I didn't like the way Bush was considered a "cowboy" with his lust for war and destruction for the sake of profit and I wanted another view of that mythos.
ZC Going back to your past, you did not start off as a painter, correct? A past in illustration I believe...can you explain the transition from doing commercial work to where you are now?
RMC From as early as I can remember I used drawing as a form of self-expression and it was media art, such as book and magazine illustrations, that was the first example of how to put that impulse to practical, for lack of a more romantic term, use. My first ambition was to be an illustrator and so that's what I studied in college. I became equally interested in the concepts of fine art, but it was always a major kick in seeing an image I created on a book cover or in a magazine or newspaper, especially when my name was credited.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, acrylic on paper and canvas, 16 x 20 in
In the long run, practical though that was, it became less and less satisfying to be making work that was only a response to another form of communication. So, I started to exclusively make paintings that were of interest to me.
Sometimes my work is described as "illustrative" in appearance, and that's not always intended as a compliment. I think I understand the origin of that, whether it's considered positive or critical. The work is usually considered "tight", a word I'm not crazy about, rather than "loose" or more physically expressive. I believe that I would have worked the same way had I pursued a fine art practice from the beginning because it's just the way I work. I'm analytical and I plan ahead what I'm going to do, which as I said before takes a lot of spontaneity out of the process. On the other hand, I'm not a fanatic about that. For example I don't recreate color studies so those choices are usually in the moment.
Shop Window 3, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, 7 × 5 × 1 1/2 in
ZC Your solo exhibition "Every Day" back in 2017 stepped away from your usual nature driven work, and instead explored the Oak Cliff neighborhood. You've lived there for 29 years now, and I believed it showed in your paintings... almost as if the whole show was a love letter to the neighborhood. What sparked you to do the series, and what does the neighborhood mean to you?
RMC My landscape and wildlife paintings are usually of places that, while not exactly "exotic", aren't in my every day experience. I live in the city, in this neighborhood, and that's what I see more than anything else. I felt like it was time to make paintings based on that experience.
Since I moved back to Dallas in the early 1980s I have lived in three different neighborhoods, Oak Lawn, East Dallas and Oak Cliff. I have said that what Austin is (or was) to Texas Oak Cliff is to Dallas. It's not like any other part of the city, both in physical appearance and overall vibe. Since we moved into this area in late 1990 it has become the only place in Dallas we would want to live. The diversity of the population and the amount of creativity appeal to us.
ZC Did the buildings you choose to paint have any significance to you, or simply landmarks of your everyday commute?
RMC They were literally what I saw every, or almost every, day. At least one of them was of more interest beyond that, such as "Boarding House", which was rented by Lee Harvey Oswald. But most were more interesting to me based on the architecture or some eccentric element, such as "Sister Hope."
Ravens Pharmacy, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10 in
Ro2 Art | 214.803.9575 | 1501 S. Ervay St., Dallas, Texas 75215
Ro2 Art DOWNTOWN | 110 N Akard St., Dallas, Texas 75201
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 12 - 5 PM


Atanu Mukherjee, president of global metals and energy consultant, MN Dastur & Co, said in a phone interview that the merger is good news for the European steel market. "It increases concentration in Europe and the JV will enjoy better pricing power with 23-24% of the market share. "The joint entity will have an opportunity to wean out sick capacity and make the JV a leaner and meaner entity, that can compete in a market suffering from US tariffs," he added.


Set up by the owner 23 years ago he is now looking to retire and is offering someone the chance to take over a flourishing business with very high returns.
The sale includes the leasehold rights to 4 prime location shop units in prime touristic locations near to the cathedral in Palma. The businesses are open all year round, except for shop holiday period closures and are particularly busy throughout the summer months with the city filling up with visitors of all nationalities. They also benefit from tens of thousands of cruise ship visitors who flood into the city every week. In total there are 6 members of staff all well trained and experienced in sales.
The price includes approximately 250,000 Euros of stock. The owner is willing to discuss financing the right purchaser over a period of time for half of the purchase price.
Not for the faint hearted but certainly for someone looking to earn lots of money! This is an opportunity to take over a chain of prime location shops in the centre of Palma in an area where retail space is highly sought after and rarely available.
I am interested in the following property b3579.


Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim, and Macy Gray have teamed up to record the song "Cell Block Tango (He Had It Comin')" for the soundtrack to the upcoming film "Chicago." The Miramax Films production of the Broadway musical stars Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Latifah. The film arrives Dec. 27 in select U.S. cities; the soundtrack is due Jan. 14 from Epic.
The soundtrack will also feature a new song, "Love Is a Crime," from Anastacia, plus two score pieces from Danny Elfman. The rest of the album features original cast recordings with vocals by Gere, Zeta-Jones, and Zellweger of such show favorites as "Roxie," "Razzle Dazzle," and "Mister Cellophane." Zeta-Jones and Zellweger team up for "I Move On," a new song by John Kander and Fred Ebb written expressly for the film that will run over the end credits. A single is still being determined, according to a spokesperson.
Janet Jackson will not be involved in the project, contrary to earlier plans.


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Readers ask: what sound does a zombie make?
1 Do zombies make noises?
2 Who made the zombie noises?
3 How would you describe a zombie?
4 Do zombies poop?
6 How people make sound effects for movies?
7 Why do they make horror movies?
8 What is a Zombies weakness?
9 What is the zombie virus?
10 When was the first zombie apocalypse?
Do zombies make noises?
It's widely accepted that zombies can 't speak because their limited brain function doesn't allow for complex thoughts. Pickman suggests that zombies are able to make noise for one simple reason: they breathe. He asserts that because a zombie is technically dead, it doesn't need to take in oxygen to continue "living".
Who made the zombie noises?
The line and its permutations originated in 1985's The Return of the Living Dead. Produced by Romero's former business partner John Russo and directed by Dan O'Bannon, Return diverged sharply from the Romero playbook by adding a heaping dash of black comedy and rock 'n' roll to the mix.
How would you describe a zombie?
A zombie is a legendary creature that is usually described as a human corpse risen from the dead. The body of a zombie often looks as though it is rotting. Zombies typically do not speak.
Do zombies poop?
No zombies do not poop. Their organs are dead. They keep on eating until it bursts from their stomachs or out their anuses.
How people make sound effects for movies?
Foley complements or replaces sound recorded on set at the time of the filming, known as field recording. The soundscape of most films uses a combination of both. A Foley artist is the person who creates this sound art. Foley artists use creativity to make viewers believe that the sound effects are actually real.
You might be interested: how to heal a zombie villager not working?
Why do they make horror movies?
We watch scary movies because they help us to release our anxiety and fears deep inside our conscious. The Greek Philosopher Aristotle introduced "catharsis," which is a process where we release our negative emotions by watching violent or scary movies. In other words, they help us to "purge" our aggressive emotions.
What is a Zombies weakness?
Weaknesses: The main weakness of zombies lies with their inability to move fast and their almost non existent reflexes'. Depending on the stage of decay, the skin, muscles, and tissue of zombies can be easily damaged.
What is the zombie virus?
For more than 30,000 years, a giant virus lay frozen in northern Russia. It's the largest virus ever discovered. And it's not frozen any more. Even after so many millennia in cold storage, the virus is still infectious. Scientists have named this so-called " zombie " virus Pithovirus sibericum.
When was the first zombie apocalypse?
Night was the first of six films in Romero's Living Dead series. Its first sequel, Dawn of the Dead, was released in 1978. George A. Romero and the modern zombie film (1968–1985)
Apocalyptic and post- apocalyptic fiction character
First appearance Night of the Living Dead (1968)
FAQ: how do i get zombie pigmen to stop attacking me?
Quick Answer: what is a zombie task linux?
FAQ: how long could you survive a zombie apocalypse?
Readers ask: when was rob zombie born?
FAQ: zombie halloween makeup how to?


Yiriman cultural bosses with Indigenous Governance Awards judges, Professor Mick Dodson and Gary Banks. Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia. Image, Wayne Quilliam.
This chapter will help you understand what governance is and why it's important. You'll find information about different kinds of governance—Indigenous, community and organisational.
Every society has different ways of governing and their own words to describe how they govern. The meaning of the English word 'governance' can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who defined it as the 'art of steering boats'.
The following definition captures the key aspects of governance.
Definition: It is useful to think of governance as being about how people choose to collectively organise themselves to manage their own affairs, share power and responsibilities, decide for themselves what kind of society they want for their future, and implement those decisions.
establish the most effective and legitimate arrangements for getting those things done.
Governance gives a nation, group, community or organisation the ways and means to achieve the things that matter to them.
Governance is not the same thing as 'government', 'management', 'corporate organisations', 'administration' or 'service delivery'. It's also more than just 'leadership'.
You can find plain English definitions for many of the 'power words' commonly used in 'governance talk' in the toolkit's Glossary. Just remember that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have their own concepts and languages for talking about their own governance, and sometimes the meanings of those are very different to Australian English.
1.0.2 Think about how footy is played—it's a bit like governance.
Thinking about how footy is played is a good way to think about governance. For every footy team, there are a lot of different things that need to be pulled together on the day if the team wants to play its best and win the match. It's the same for governance. You can use this worksheet to think about your governance and the roles of your governance team.
1.0.3 Why is it important?
The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) was a Finalist in Category A of the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards. Here CEO Adrian Carson highlights the wider significance of governance, identifying that "good governance is fundamental to good health".
Without governance, you won't achieve the things that really matter to you as a group.
relationships with external parties are negotiated.
Having effective and legitimate governance benefits families, communities and nations. It is a powerful predictor of success in economic and community development and in maximising self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For all these reasons, the importance of having a strong governance foundation is gaining ground. Rebuilding your governance is self-determination in action.
"If we are truly committed to the notion of self-determination, we cannot begin to pursue it without instruments of governance. If we do not have these structures, we cannot engage with government other than on an ad hoc, individual basis that leaves us vulnerable. We cannot engage in partnerships with business, we cannot benefit from the essential nature of our communal identity as Indigenous people. If we want to acquire native title and manage it for the benefit of our communities, this cannot be achieved without effective governance both during the process of acquisition and once the native title is acquired.
All societies and groups have governance.
You can see it at work in extended families, the smallest communities and the largest nations and states.
You can see it in the activities of informal groups such as the local night patrol, native title claimant groups, volunteer groups, artists' collectives and sporting teams.
It is present in organisations, schools, churches, health clinics and community stores, big businesses, banks, public service departments and mining companies.
Governments have their own forms of internal governance.
Governance is about power and authority: who has it (who 'calls the shots', making the important decisions and rules) and how those people with power are held accountable within their group.
Sometimes, governing power and authority is in the hands of a small group of people. Sometimes it is widely shared across a network. Sometimes, power is in the hands of outsiders.
Who is calling the shots in your governance system?
Effective self-governance means not only having genuine decision-making power, but also being able to practically exercise that authority and take the responsibility for it (i.e. being accountable).
how the people who make decisions will be held accountable.
Governance rules can be the unwritten laws, traditions and ways of behaving that people live by. They can also be written down in documents such as constitutions, by-laws, policies, regulations, business and strategic plans, and company rules.
If your governing rules are poorly understood, easily sabotaged by selfish interests or erratically enforced, the legitimacy of your governing power and authority will be severely undermined.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have always had valued roles and responsibilities in the governance of their families, clans, communities and nations. They are traditional landowners and transmitters of systems of knowledge.
This continues to be the case today. Senior women are often the bedrock of community and family wellbeing, which is all part and parcel of governance. And they are active in many leadership and governance roles.
Today, the number of women in important governing roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations, communities and organisations is growing.
Those organisations that deal only with women's issues or men's issues have boards and leadership that consist of women or men only. For most other organisations, especially those representing the wider interests of communities and nations, it's important to reflect their general membership and to have both men and women sharing leadership on the board, and among the staff and management of the organisation.
If you promote gender equity (fair representation of men and women) in decision-making and leadership roles, you will strengthen the governing capacity of both men and women, and draw on all the knowledge and experience in your group.
Encourage young women to become involved so that they bring their own strengths to governance and leadership.
You can use this resource to see what your organisation or community does to encourage women to participate in governance and then to think about what else you could do.
Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation was awarded First Place in Category A of the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards. Waltja directors are all community women. Here Chairperson April Martin talks about Waltja's governance processes and the strong women that are on their board.
The Yiriman Project was awarded First Place in the 2012 Indigenous Governance Awards. Yiriman Elder, Annie Milgin explains how the Project works with young people and how they involve young women.


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College Farm is the only farm site in Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet.  It currently trades as an equestrian and pet store. It is located in Regents Park Road, close to Henlys Corner on the North Circular Road. It has two residential roads running alongside it; Allandale Avenue and Fitzalan Road.

History
In 1868 George Barham, founder of Express Dairies, leased Sheephouse Farm, a property of about . In 1882/83 he had it rebuilt by Fredrick Chancellor as a model dairy farm, renaming it College Farm after the nearby Christ's College.

In 1898 College Farm was the scene of the "Finchley Murder", when the head cowman Thomas Webb was shot dead. The case was investigated by Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Henry Moore, but Thomas's killer was never identified.

By the 1900s the company believed that the farm was not viable as a real farm, so it was decided to adapt it to become a visitor attraction in 1909, buying out the lease on the property of the farm buildings, and retaining a few of the adjacent fields from the original estate.

By the 1930s the residue of the farm was surrounded by houses, and was open to the public, with tea rooms and an exhibition of objects related to the dairy industry. In the 1950s and 1960s cows were grazed and milked on the site by Express Dairies. In 1973 Express Dairies left the site, and the dairy museum was broken up.

In 1974 the Department of the Environment purchased the estate with the intention of giving it to the London Borough of Barnet in exchange for open land at Henlys Corner intended for a flyover, which was never built. The farm was leased by Chris and Jane Ower, who ran it as a popular local attraction from 1980 until February 2001, when the site had to be closed because of restrictions caused by the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Chris Ower, with the support of some local residents and friends of the farm, set up the College Farm Trust in 2004 with the intention of re-establishing the farm as a visitor centre. The Trust now owns the whole site and is working to raise the funds to reopen to the public. However, the trust was removed from the Charity Commission register on 1 February 2018 as it was not operating.

College Farm is a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It also has a silo which is a Grade II listed building.

See also

 Nature reserves in Barnet

References

Further reading

Nature reserves in the London Borough of Barnet
Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Barnet
City farms in London
Finchley

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Dubów – dawna gmina wiejska istniejąca w latach 1926–1954 w woj. lubelskim. Siedzibą gminy był Dubów.

Gmina Dubów powstała 22 stycznia 1926 roku w powiecie bialskim, w woj. lubelskim z zachodniej części zniesionej gminy Lubienka oraz z odległej ekskawy gminy Swory na granicy gmin Lubienka i Sitnik (obejmującej kolonię Grabarkę z lasem sworskim) i składała się z 10 wsi: Bielany, Burwin, Dubów, Janówka, Krasówka, Korczówka, Michałówka, Młyniec, Wola Dubowska, Wólka Korczowska. Podczas okupacji gmina należała do dystryktu lubelskiego (w Generalnym Gubernatorstwie).

Według stanu z dnia 1 lipca 1952 roku gmina Dubów składała się z 10 gromad. Jednostka została zniesiona 29 września 1954 roku wraz z reformą wprowadzającą gromady w miejsce gmin. Z obszaru gminy utworzono Gromadzkie Rady Narodowe w Burwinie i Dubowie. Po reaktywowaniu gmin z dniem 1 stycznia 1973 roku gminy Dubów nie przywrócono.

Poniższa tabela przedstawia uproszczony schemat częstych zmian dwóch podstawowych jednostek: południowo-wschodniej i północno-zachodniej, nie posiadających fizycznej łączności ze sobą przez obszar miasta Łomazy (przekształconego w 1870 w gminę Łomazy).

Przypisy

Dubów


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Home / Title III / Previous Activities / Office of Development
Office of Development2018-05-22T09:28:53-05:00
Enhancement of the Office of Development to Improve
Contributions from Alumni and the Private Sector
As a public university, approximately 33 percent of Prairie View A&M University's total funding comes from the State of Texas. Subsequently, there is a need for the university to develop methodologies and train staff to seek external sources of funds to support the teaching, research and service mission of the university.
The Title III funded activity to enhance the Office of Development had three goals:
Goal 1: To identify and locate graduates and private donors who would contribute to the university
Goal 2: To establish a University Development Council to identify college/department development needs and help find ways to address the needs
Goal 3: To increase alumni and private sectors' awareness of services provided by the Office of Alumni Relations
Activity Outcomes and Impact
Title III funding supported revision of the university's website and provided alumni access to screens to update their contact information. Over 12,000 files were updated and added to the database. Once alumni contact information was updated, the database was used to identify prospective donors and provide the base for a capital campaign needed to enhance the university's access to funds in support of teaching, research, and service.
Enhancement of the development office came at a time when the university needed to raise $12,000,000 in order to take advantage of matching funds made available by the State. The Title III activity is primarily responsible for the increased support the university received from alumni and the private sector.
Since January 2003, the university received over $24,000,000 in cash gifts, pledges, state and private matching funds, and in-kind gifts. Approximately 7% (1,036) of the gifts to the campaign were from alumni. Of the 1,036 alumni donors, seventy-nine percent were first-time donors to Prairie View A&M University (see figure 1). The number of alumni giving to the capital campaign increased from 80 in 2003 to 1,036 in 2007 (see figure 2). First-time donors gave an average of $935 to the campaign. In addition to the increase in individual alumni donations, the number of alumni organizations contributing to the university's capital campaign increased from five to 25 (see figure 3).
Much of the success of the project to enhance the Office of Development came from the investment made in training personnel. The director of development, associate director of development, grants writer, prospect researcher, director of alumni relations, and the specialist in alumni affairs received training that enhanced their job performance. These enhancements included, but were not limited to, fund-raising strategies, enhanced computer skills, planning recognition events, planning fund-raising events, and communicating with potential donors.


Once the conversation about budget problems centered around other people. Recent college graduates do have some adjustment challenges with their paycheck, but they are not the only ones that have difficulty with domestic finances. Middle-aged employees are facing budget problems as well. It might seem strange, seeing as how these are people who worked with family allocations for decades, but their financial wellness is a matter of grave concern.
Employees who are in their late forties and older want to prepare for retirement. It is not always easy to do that because of certain issues which they must face.
The Mortgage. While it is less than it was earlier, the balance on the mortgage still has to be paid, and a fair amount of money goes out every month.
College Loans. Parents will help their children pay for college. Many assume college debts which require sizable payments over a span of years.
Care for Older Parents. Mom and Dad may still be alive and they are in their eighties. The middle-aged employees feel a responsibility to care for parents, and it is commendable, but parent care related expenses are also what takes away from retirement savings.
The costs make it tough to save for the golden years. Older employees have dealt with family budgets for years, but the expenses incurred are challenging and often high. Anxiety over financial wellness is going to dominate their thoughts. An employer is doing them a major favor in offering some assistance. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a financial wellness program that also addresses the needs of middle-aged employees.
Seeking budget advice can be a humbling experience. Middle-aged people have managed domestic funds, but things such as college loans are entirely new payments. They do not want to appear to be clueless, but they may not know how to approach doing a revised budget. Countrywide understands this and our counselors are not going to be lecturing anyone. Our people know that new challenges arise in budgets as the years go by. They will take a look at the existing financial condition and make suggestions on how to spread the cash in a revised budget. Money is allocated and reallocated to cover everything. This includes savings for retirement. The process is not painful, and the objective is to improve financial wellness. Plan members discover ways to handle the new debts they never thought of before. Being able to get this kind of assistance can increase their sense of loyalty to their employer.
Organizations want to help their employees, but the benefits have to be inclusive. No one single group should be beneficiaries of service. Countrywide has worked with all kinds of employers since 1987, and we believe that an employer knows the workforce better than we do. It is why we allow client organizations to decide what benefit options are going to be part of the financial wellness plan. In this manner, middle-aged employees and those who are recent college graduates can take advantage of the benefit. What we do is make sure that administration is quick, and no one has to wait. We also insist on good people skills from our counselors. Budgeting is a touchy issue and only those who understand the emotions will be working with Countrywide plan members. It is a combination of efficient service and courtesy that makes our benefits stand out from the crowd.
The expenses a middle-aged employee confronts can be overwhelming, but problems like this are easy to solve. The countrywide financial wellness plan helps these hard-working people restructure their budgets to include covering all expenses, and allowing them to save a little bit for their retirement years. All of our options are meant to provide vital assistance. We encourage decision-makers and human resources directors to contact us about what we have to offer.


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Home Jon Sutz The America I See: A Valentine's Day Love Story
The America I See: A Valentine's Day Love Story
by Jon Sutz, Editor, SaveTheWest.com
In recent months, we've witnessed a seemingly endless spectacle of protests, which are based on criticizing America as a whole, or at least major parts of it. Protesters have accused America of being a repressive, unfair, racist, bigoted, violent, intolerant, greedy, hateful place. And, we've been told that the only way America can redeem itself is to adopt the practices of other cultures (all of which are non-capitalist; more on that later).
But are these accusations true?
"Social justice warriors," at war with the only socio-economic system that actually produces social justice.
No. These accusations are almost invariably made with no evidence, or are based on "proof" that is propped up atop flimsy data, if not demonstrable lies.
If we had a functional educational system, and if mainstream news organizations were dedicated to informing the general public of the vital issues facing us, nearly every twelve-year-old in America would know this.
The purpose of this essay is to explain why these accusations are not true, based on two recent experiences I had.
Soliciting at the entrance to a "big box store" for donations to an animal shelter
On a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, I volunteered with the local animal shelter here in Charlottesville, VA, to help it acquire the cleaning, pet-care, and office products it needs. My role was to greet visitors at the entrance of a membership-based big-box superstore, explain the event, hand them flyers containing the shelter's wish list, and notify them that there was a cart at the exit, where they could deposit the items they purchased for the shelter.
Over the course of the next several hours, I encountered several hundred shoppers, from all walks of life. Every skin color, shape, size and appearance you can imagine. Some shoppers were very poor, driving vehicles from the late 1960s that looked like they were about to fall apart. Others were driving big, shiny, new Mercedes and Audi sedans. Most were driving cars that fit in-between these extremes.
Were one to listen only to the throngs of protesters on our streets, they would think that all the shiny, expensive cars were driven by white people, and all the ugly, barely-functional old cars were driven by poor people of color. The reality, which I witnessed with my own eyes, over and over again, was often the exact opposite. A very significant portion of the most luxurious cars I saw were being driven by men and women of color, while the majority of the aged, weathered cars and trucks were driven by white people.
I saw quite a few mixed-race couples, generally white women with black men, but there was a steady stream of others, including what appeared to be Asians, Native Americans, Middle Eastern-appearing people, and every other. If America were indeed the racist, bigoted, intolerant place that the protesters (and certain influential "news" and Hollywood figures) say, such a slew of mixed-race couples would walk every step in fear — especially in a former slave state like Virginia. Yet there was no problem at all. People simply minded their own business, and often, said hello to one another.
Some of the patrons (again, white, black and brown) had pistols in openly-visible holsters on their belts. And yet there was no gunfire, (or acts of robbery).
Most people were in a hurry to get their shopping done, and were not interested in hearing what they might have speculated was a sales pitch of some kind, especially from someone like me, who pretty clearly was not accustomed to giving impromptu public pitches. But nearly all were polite, and most took the flyer I was handing out.
Many seemed to be interested in purchasing an item from the shelter's wish list, no matter how rich or poor they seemed to be, or what color they were. This impression was validated later, when I was told at the end of the event, that we had filled four big storage carts of desired items, the best result for this kind of event in the shelter's recent history. And it further validates a fact that not many people (or protesters) know: that Americans are the most charitable people on Earth, year after year.
Looking at what I witnessed from a higher perspective
Everything I described above was from was my ground-level perspective. Now, let's elevate our view to a bird's eye perspective. What we would see is people from all callings, backgrounds, races and ethnicities imaginable, peacefully and politely engaging in free-enterprise commerce, at one of the "big box stores" that the protesters love to vilify.
Why were all those people there? Because in their own, independent judgment, they felt that this store offered the best value for their money. And the store, eager to earn and retain their business, fulfilled this perception. People left the store, many with full shopping carts, often smiling.
Every one of them, regardless of background, was engaging in economic freedom — better known as capitalism — here, in the most vibrant, advanced capitalist market in the world. Something to keep in mind, the next time you see hysterical throngs of protesters on our streets, and at our schools, shrieking that capitalism must be destroyed, so that we might become a "fair" society.
And from a still higher perspective
Also, keep in mind that it was within this allegedly "unfair" system of economic freedom (capitalism) that an array of black Americans and immigrants of color, who started off with little or nothing, rose to the absolute pinnacle of wealth and accomplishment. Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Ben Carson, Chris Gardner ("The Pursuit of Happyness"), Justice Clarence Thomas, Condoleeza Rice, and countless other leaders of commerce, industry, science and the arts all started in poverty, but rose through their ability, drive, industriousness and resiliency.
In what other nation can anyone, of any color or background, rise from nothing to such heights, in the course of a few years, or decades? That is the America I love. That is the America that many Americans love — the land of endless opportunities. And sadly, that is the America that our protesters pretend doesn't exist, and shouldn't exist, because according to them, it is "unfair" that some (even people of color) should have so much, while others have so little.
My health club
The second experience I wish to share, that obliterates the protesters' narrative, is my observations when I visit the health club to which I belong.
Like the big-box store at which I volunteered, this club is attended by people across the racial, ethnic and economic spectrum. While not inexpensive, it provides superb value, offering an array of fitness equipment, an indoor aquatics center, and hundreds of exercise and wellness classes.
To visit this club on any day is to see much the same thing I witnessed at the big-box store. People of every color, shape, size and background, engaging in activities for pleasure and self-improvement, side-by-side. Almost always with enormous politeness and mutual encouragement.
But that fact alone is not why I include this experience here.
Not my health club. From here.
Rather, it is because of the females at this club, and I suspect, clubs like it across America. The ladies and girls I observe are as varied as anyone else; every color under the sun, young and old, slim and not, healthy and those struggling to get healthier.
They also dress in very different ways. Some wear long-leg, loose-fitting workout pants and frumpy tops. Others wear skin-hugging clothes that leave little to the imagination, as to the contours of their bodies. In the aquatics center this becomes even more pronounced, as more conservative, one-piece swimsuits of yesteryear give way to more skimpy two-piece versions.
With growing frequency, I am also seeing women in burqas, some very plain, others colorful and intricate.
And we all, men included, work out and enjoy ourselves, in peace, and politeness.
How many of these ladies and girls are aware of the preciousness and rarity of the freedom they take for granted?
How many are aware that America is the world's leading force in recognizing and protecting this freedom?
The significance of this observation is that in a huge swath of the world, such a mixture of females and males would not only be inconceivable, it would be legally or culturally forbidden, and the price for violating it could be horrific.
In those repressive, fundamentalist theocratic nations (nearly 50 in all), shariah — the totalitarian Islamist doctrine — dictates all aspects of life, politics and the economy. Females are forced to cover themselves from head to toe, and are forbidden to leave their homes without a male escort, or to interact in any way with any male who is not part of their clique or tribe. If they disobey or question these dictates, they are physically attacked, grotesquely disfigured, or murdered — often by their own families — in the most hideous ways imaginable. All of which is justified under the code of laws and customs that govern these nations (and which is now being exported into non-shariah nations of the world; more on that in a moment).
If you're not familiar with the documentary film, "The Honor Diaries," which features testimonies from the victims — and the perpetrators — here is an extended excerpt (full version is available on Amazon Prime Video, or on DVD):
It's not just these uber-repressive nations in which these horrors occur; they are now being exported to "civilized" nations as well, almost all of which are buckling under the pressure of political correctness
It should be noted that when I speak of this "huge swath" of nations, I am not speaking only about those repressive ones. Increasingly, I am talking about nations that boast of their "freedom" and "sophistication," but which are now facing skyrocketing incidents of rape, sexual assault, molestation and attacks on females of all ages — almost all of which are being perpetrated by refugees and immigrants from those repressive nations, due to their belief in shariah law.
Before you start calling me ugly names, consider:
France: An 8-year-old French girl was stabbed nearly to death by a Moroccan Muslim man, who also stabbed her older sisters and mother — because he alleged she was "scantily clad," and found it was indecent. In France.
Sweden: Until a few decades ago, Sweden was one of the safest nations in the world. Then, it began accepting a practically unlimited number of immigrants from the most repressive, fundamentalist Muslim nations on Earth. Since then, Sweden has become what law enforcement agencies now refer to as the "rape capital of the West." The Swedish government itself now estimates that 25% of women there will be raped, and as research in Norway confirms, almost all of these rapes there are being perpetrated by immigrants from Muslim nations.
Germany: Similar to Sweden, Germany has been importing millions of migrants from nations in which women and girls are essentially kept (or even traded) as slaves — and their rape rate is exploding. Rather than curtailing this phenomenon, German officials are urging citizens to modify their behavior to avoid problems. In one incident, the principal of a public high school instructed parents to have their daughters "cover up" their skin on their way to and from school. Why? Because a migrant housing center was opening next to the school, and they wanted to avoid "misunderstandings." In Germany.
Australia: After an explosion of migrant Muslims raping native Australian women and girls, officials and journalists asked the nation's top imam if he would help them put a stop to it. His responded by blaming the situation on the victims: the fact that non-Muslim females were in public, while being covered from head to toe: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside … without cover, and the cats come to eat it … whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat's? The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab [the headdress worn by some Muslim women], no problem would have occurred."
Fatema Alkasem: Age 14, pregnant, allowed to emigrate with the 24-year-old man she was forced to marry in Syria.
Throughout Europe: Amid the wave of refugees and migrants entering these free nations, a significant number of men, some elderly, are bringing with them one or more child brides, some as young as twelve-years-old, and the host governments are putting them all on welfare. And when taxpayers of those nations who believe girls should not be forced into marriage, those do not believe in polygamy, object to having to also pay to support them, they are called "racists," "Islamophobes" and "greedy."
What I think of, when I see the endless variety of women and girls, exercising and enjoying themselves, in freedom
As part of my occupation, I study these trends and their causes, and work to champion the cause of freedom — including for all females. See a major report I produced about the little known data concerning refugee crisis, here (special section regarding shariah and females in section 10):
Ten vital facts about the refugee crisis that every American should know
So when I work out in my health club, here in America, I occasionally find myself looking around me, with silent, joyful amazement. I also find myself wondering:
How many of the females I see, so comfortable in their own "zones," dressed the way they want, listening to music of their choice, enjoying life, are aware of how incredibly lucky they are to have been born here, instead of in any of the nations that systematically repress females just like them, according to shariah law?
How many are aware that in Saudi Arabia, women are sentenced in courts to be whipped for the "crime" of being raped?
Nehad Barkat, at age 17, after being rescued from ISIS rape slavery.
How many are aware of the young ladies know of Nehad Barkat, the beautiful 18-year-old Yazidi girl who was captured by ISIS at age 15, and held as a rape slave for 15 months — all because of their religious beliefs?
How many are aware of the estimated four thousand other Yazidi and Christian girls, some as young as nine years old, who are still held as rape slaves?
How many are aware of the hundreds of females who either committed suicide to stop the unspeakable agony that those monsters inflicted upon them, or were killed trying to escape?
How many are aware that Pakistan and Indonesia recently outlawed Valentine's Day, because it "spreads corrupt Western values"?
How many are aware of what is happening to girls and women around the world, even in "civilized" nations, not only because of such repressive ideologies, but because officials look the other way?
How could so few be aware of these facts? There is an answer. But to even discuss it, is to be called very nasty things — by the protesters, and their media enablers.
I would speculate that less than 1% of the females I observe are aware of these facts.
But how is this possible? How, Facebook-ized, Twitter-ized, 24-7 media-saturated world, in which a lion that was shot in Africa can capture the entire world's attention, and generate such outrage, almost instantaneously?
The answer: because it has become very impolite (politically incorrect) to say anything about it, lest one be smeared as a "racist," "Islamophobe," or "hater." Just as it has become impolite to question if we are doing enough to adequately screen refugees and immigrant applicants from these repressive nations — and even those coming from supposedly "free" nations.
So when I look around at my health club, it reminds me of how proud I am to live in a nation that respects these ladies' rights to live, dress and exercise as they want, in safety and comfort, in public, and to enjoy their lives, as they wish. As they decide what to wear, what music to listen to, which classes to take, without asking anyone for permission.
They also don't know because of those who claim to be "women's rights" advocates, but are in fact apologists for shariah, and its worst atrocities
Some of these females, particularly the young, we also unknowingly seduced by charlatans, supposed defenders of women's rights, who are actually apologists for shariah law, who claim that America and capitalism must be either destroyed or neutered, for "fairness" to reign.
One need look no further than the Orwellian spectacle of one of the most notorious apologists for shariah law, being selected to act as a top organizer and speaker, at the recent "March for Women." And who actually tried to get "The Honor Diaries" banned in the U.S.
To know the reality of these matters, is to know why I love America, and consider my greatest good fortune to have been born on these shores, and to live under the United States Constitution.
Are there ways in which we can improve America? Absolutely. And I'm ready to have a civil, evidence-based discussion about those things, anytime.
But make no mistake: the bulk of the protesters who we see screaming the loudest about how America is so unfair to women, and who are rioting, attacking police officers, and burning stores, are not out to improve America. They are at war with America. Rather than helping to improve and build on our freedoms, and the Constitution that enables them, they are at war with these things, and hysterically spread the most incendiary lies imaginable about America, often in collusion with the most powerful media entities in existence. Their ultimate aim, as they have openly stated, is to tear America down, and remake it into a nation in which they will rule over all, imposing their will on all of us, under the banner of "liberating" us.
It's them… or the truth. Only one will prevail.
Let us begin to tell the beautiful, magnificent story of America. Let us adopt Dr. Thomas Sowell's approach to hearing criticisms of freedom, and of America, which he routinely answers with, "As compared to what?" One cannot really appreciate what America has accomplished, of the virtues of our nation and of the freedoms that are our birthright, and of the civility, tolerance and diversity we enjoy, until they compare it to how people in other nations are now forced to live.
Let us begin to stand proudly for the one nation on Earth that says, in essence, "Live your life, your way, under the protection of our government, which (at least according to its original stated intent) exists only to protect these, your natural rights."
Let us begin to stand for, and with America.
This is the America I see, and the America I love, and for which I will fight until the end of my days.
This is also the America that Thomas Jefferson envisioned, which he described in the last letter he ever wrote, in which he described the Declaration of American Independence that he authored — and while acknowledging that his generation fell short of this vision, his hope that future Americans would work to fulfill it:
"[M]ay it be to the world what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self government. that form which we have substituted restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. all eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth that the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God."
God bless America. God bless freedom. God bless equal rights. God bless capitalism.
Honor Dairies
rape jihad
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LINZ has been making some changes and released some new aerial photography for Northland and other spots around the country. This was badly needed as the area was unusable.
The new scenery, captured between 2014 and 2016 looks like the images below. I've done some work in Photoshop, including digital errors and some fires with smoke. I've also removed glare as the photos seemed a bit washed out.
This will come out soon with a redo of the North island, which will have some improvements and won't require the conversion of JPGs to DDS. Torrents will be for regions, as the South Island is now.
That's great news. Fingers-crossed it will include Napier looking less like the Sahara desert. My guess is that the original material was done by the late Aerial Mapping, which is slightly odd because they were based at Hastings before collapsing, and had plenty of chances to catch the airfield while it was green. Any news on fixing the collapsed cliff just south of St Clair beach, Dunedin? Several houses are heading for the briny.
I have some older images that are more green. the more recent stuff looks like a drought.
That cliff is annoying, so it might be better to just remove the houses so they don't look so droopy!


With 45 years experience in the industry, starting his employment as a industrial sewing machine mechanic in the field of men's suits with Stafford Ellison and then having worked in the field of ladies wear, lingerie and jeans industry, taking on the role of production manager at Razzy Australia. With the knowledge of experienced gathered over these years, John decided to go into servicing machines with his own company Sew Perfect. Following this he spent a number of years as a specialist trouble shooting technician for Singer Australia, finally culminating in his becoming the distributor of Singer Nikko Japan caring for Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
Eventually this relationship opened new relationships with PFAFF Industrial Germany and was made Australian and New Zealand distributor for their welding products. Eventually the realization that having an exclusive distributor for PFAFF Industrial Sewing and Welding products, has now become a partnership providing the best in sewing and welding equipment for the modern manufacturer.
With many years in the industry, Jennifer is known for her straight forward advice. Jennifer handles the import and export of goods and oversees the accounts payable and receivable.


The humble staff canteen has been much maligned over the years, but a good canteen is a thing of beauty that can bring workers together and increase productivity. Is it time for us to rethink our attitudes about canteens?
Hellesdon High School canteen in 1992.
Workplace canteens don't only nourish the body, they nourish the mind and, if you think that sounds slightly pretentious, bear in mind a recent survey revealed that global companies who introduced or improved their canteens reported operating margins which shot up by four per cent– that's a lot of bang for your tuck.
While we all know that in reality there's no such thing as a free lunch, there are definitely benefits to offering staff a place to eat a hugely subsidised lunch or to make certain meals cost-free. Google is rumoured to have a 150ft rule meaning that no worker should be more than this distance away from a food outlet – I'd like to extend this policy to everyone, personally, especially if the food outlet was mine!
Richard Hughes EDP Norfolk Magazine summer 2016 recipes. Heritage tomato tart.
Canteens are a dying breed. In 1995, more than 80 per cent of large businesses boasted their own canteen, a figure which has been dropping steadily ever since (to 66 per cent in 2000, by 2010, 88 per cent of businesses with more than 1,000 workers had a canteen) as the traditional canteen makes way for a range of vending machines or, if you're lucky, a visiting sandwich van. Businesses are missing a trick. A great canteen is a thing of beauty.
Last year, an Oxford lecturer looked at the reasons why students decided to choose particular degree courses and found that the increase in tuition fees to £9,000 had turned students into consumers who were more interested in the university 'experience' than furthering their knowledge – top of their shopping list? How good the university canteen was.
Only last week we heard that Manchester United striker Alexis Sanchez eats alone at the club's canteen. It was reported that this was because the Chilean feels isolated and miserable, but who knows? It could just be that he's keen to enjoy the canteen experience free from distraction (I admit this is unlikely).
It's unfair to tarnish today's canteens with images that haunt us from our school days. Gone are the industrial banks of stainless steel tubs where gruff matrons stood as sentries ready to slop something indistinguishable on your plate – while the Mad Men-style two-martini executive lunches enjoyed in the 1950s are also a thing of the past. Today's canteens are a far brighter bet.
Yeo Valley's canteen began its life as a staff restaurant but everyone loved it – and its picturesque location – so much that the yoghurt manufacturer opened it to the public. You have to book to visit and the menu constantly changes to reflect the seasons. Workers pay a couple of quid for meals such as fish cakes, roasted cherry tomatoes, chervil hollandaise and pea shoot salad, visitors pay very little more.
At financial services company Morgan Stanley, there's a top class kitchen serving up high-quality food to the executives (think foie gras rather than baked potatoes) and Tricia Guild, the founder of Designers Guild, built a café at her company's headquarters where main courses such as lemon chicken soup with stellette pasta sell for £3.
On a local level, I have been working alongside staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital canteen since 2012. It not only caters for the staff who need fuel to carry on their hard work, but also for patients, their families and visitors. It's quite literally the busiest restaurant in the east.
At least 2,000 people visit the NNUH's restaurant daily and more than 7,000 staff work at the site. This month, the night kitchen reopened at the NNUH from 5pm to 1am to serve food for those on late shifts either at work, or as a visitor.
We have worked on schemes that see eligible patients given the opportunity to eat their meals away from their bedside with friends and family and staff and management work tirelessly to promote healthy eating – to this end there's a lively set of events held at the canteen which have included a Valentine's Day, a themed menu for Chinese New Year and Moroccan classics.
Next up will be Italian Favourites on April 10 and a host of events for National Vegetarian Week from May 14 to 20, including a cookery demonstration.
1. Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan assisted) /425F/Gas 7.
4. Scatter with shredded basil or thyme leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil just before serving.
1 A third of UK employees never leave their workplace after they arrive in the morning and more than half don't take their full lunch break with 69 per cent of people justifying skipping lunch on the basis that they have too much to do.
2 A study by the University of Queensland in 2013 revealed that people who took a lunch break with colleagues or friends reported feeling more relaxed and productive afterwards.
3 Almost half of workers aged between 16 and 24 take their full lunch break compared to 30% of those aged between 35 and 44.
4 A third of the UK's workforce eat the same lunch every day while the average worker has a repertoire of just three lunches on rotation.
5 The most popular sandwich for UK workers is filled with ham followed by cheese and then tuna mayonnaise.
6 According to a recent Deliveroo survey, British workers spend an average of 13 minutes a day talking about food.


Not only do aliens exist, but they're also pretty damn menacing.
Upcoming XCOM 2 twists the older games formula's: Instead of defending Earth from invaders, now you're trying to reclaim it from long-occupying extraterrestrial overlords. In a longer trailer, we see the variety of alien types — mechanized warriors, snake people, something with a horribly long tongue — that stand in your team's way of taking back our planet.
Just like previous XCOM titles, taking on the aliens gets easier when you start stealing their technology to use against them. This time, you hijack an enemy ship and use it as your roving command station for XCOM operations.
XCOM 2 is coming to PC, Mac and Linux on Feb. 5, 2016.


With her job-share partner, Lisa Tuffs, Sarah is Practice Lead of the Industry & Society Engagement Practice based in Australia supporting the region of South East Asia & Oceania. She is responsible for understanding customers' requirements for Information & Communications Technology-based transformation in industry sectors including Utilities, Safety & Security and Transport. Her role requires facilitating the development of innovative communication solutions to meet these customer needs, harnessing Ericsson's local and global expertise and technology leadership. She leads a team of Subject Matter Experts, Solution Architects and Engineers.
Prior to this Sarah held the role of General Manager for Strategic Marketing where she was accountable for the creation and implementation of Ericsson's strategic and tactical marketing plan, covering Ericsson's complete portfolio and set of customers across Australia & New Zealand. Over her career history Sarah has performed in a number of Marketing, Strategy, Sales, Business Development and Partner Management roles. She also has particular experience qualifying and developing new business areas and innovation initiatives, from business planning through to organizational capability establishment. Sarah has a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Management.


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64th BFI London Film Festival Diary – Day Eight: African Apocalypse, Ultraviolence Reviews
Liam Dunn October 20, 2020 4 min read
Day eight finds two documentaries made in 2020 exploring the spectre of colonialism and the far-reaching consequences still felt in the 21st century, Rob Lemkin's African Apocalypse and Ken Fero's Ultraviolence.
African Apocalypse
Joseph Conrad's hugely influential book Heart of Darkness examines the horrific violence inflicted on the country and people of the Congo by its Belgian colonial invaders. The story follows company man Marlow who must journey into the jungle to find and retrieve Mr. Kurtz, an ivory-trader who had gone mad with power. Published in 1899 it is undoubtedly a work of fiction, albeit one drawn from actual events. However, Rob Lemkin's fascinating documentary reveals that in the same year a French officer named Paul Voulet became a real-life Kurtz, when he cut a swathe through Niger on a campaign to "pacify" the local villages and secure territory for his homeland.
The film follows actor and activist Femi Nylander, born in England but of Nigerian heritage, who feels torn between two worlds. The colour of his skin always made him feel like an outsider, yet as a British citizen he feels guilty for being a beneficiary of colonialism. When he first read Heart of Darkness he naively thought Kurtz was an aberration, but as he learned more about colonialism in Africa he became more aware that people like Kurtz were the norm. Uncovering the story about Captain Paul Voulet, he decides to travel to his ancestral home of Niger in pursuit of Voulet and the legacy of his genocidal war against its people.
Lemkin and Nylander have created a captivating documentary that takes an up close and personal view of the utter devastation caused by the violence of colonialism. Even though Voulet's organised mass murders occurred over one hundred years ago, his presence is still felt in all the villages Nylander visits. Not only was the main road that connects the villages created by Voulet but the stories of his atrocities still live on in the hearts and minds of its citizens. The generational trauma can be felt so deeply, not just within the families whose relatives were killed, but in the very landscape itself, in a country deemed "the least developed in the world."
There is a moment in the documentary when Nylander's guides accuse him of not being moved by the tales of violence being recounted by the villagers because his face remains too passive. He assures them that he is horrified and devastated on the inside, but that he would try to be more open going forward. This sums up a fundamental shortcoming in the film's presentation. Despite the deeply personal stories and the connection between them and Nylander, the film feels one step removed, unable to draw the audience further into the emotional stakes of this moving and harrowing story.
It is a fascinating story nonetheless, and its parallels with Conrad's Heart of Darkness are astonishing. Nylander even uncovers that another French officer, Colonel Klobb, was sent to rein Voulet in, much like Marlow was sent after Kurtz. This development further suggests that the story created by Conrad was not an aberration, as Nylander originally thought, but very much the norm, a policy of genocide perpetrated throughout Africa and across the globe by white colonial forces. This is a policy that echoes across time and can still be felt by the descendants of its victims, through a system that still benefits from the horrors perpetuated in its name.
Director: Rob Lemkin
Cast: Femi Nylander, Amina Weira, Boubacar Assan Midal
Writers: Rob Lemkin, Matt McConaghy, Femi Nylander
This same legacy of violence begat by the policies of colonialism can be seen and felt in Ken Fero's raw and mournful documentary Ultraviolence. The film focuses on the history of violence perpetrated on Black people by the police in Britain. Offering a select group of cases of deaths in custody from the mid-2000s, Fero makes the case that a combination of racist police tactics and an indifferent justice system results in the continuing victimisation of Black communities across the United Kingdom.
Andrew F Peirce· November 18, 2019 ·5 min read
Little Monsters Review – A Bothersome Zombie Flick That I Just Can't Shake Off
Using archival news footage and interviews with family members of the victims, Fero levels a litany of charges against the police and the state in painful and painstaking detail. He also utilises the security camera footage of Black men being tortured and neglected by police, with one particularly shocking scene where a young man is left to die on the floor while officers ignore him. This raw, unfiltered approach is monumentally disturbing and, combined with the reactions of the victim's families, makes the human cost of the systemic injustice all too real.
Fero follows the families as they seek justice first through the criminal courts and then through an independent police inquiry panel and they never receive straight forward answers. None of the police are ever convicted (if at all charged) and it becomes crystal clear that the system is designed to marginalise Black communities and the police turn a blind eye to the actions of their own officers, both through a culture of thuggery and racism and an inability to face the truth of its own fallibility. This is a truth society can't bear to face on the whole, because if police officers can wantonly deal out their own form of justice on the streets, then what does law and order even mean?
Ultraviolence is an important film that endeavours to break the cycle of violence by dragging some of society's darkest truths into the light. Really it should be shown in schools to make young people aware of these injustices from an early age, but some of the grisly real-life footage may not make this possible. The documentary's style can also be a little alienating at times, with a lot of text being flashed on to the screen which sometimes interrupts our emotional reaction to what is happening on the screen, but the subject matter is so vital in its call for social progress that this documentary must be seen by as many people as possible.
Director: Ken Fero
Writer: Teriq Mehmood
64th BFI London Film FestivalAfrican ApocalypseBFI London Film FestivalBoubacar Assan MidalFemi NylanderKen FeroMatt McConaghyReviewRob LemkinUltraviolence
Liam Dunn
Liam Dunn is an Australian writer living in London since 2013 where he has written film criticism for many different British outlets, including Little White Lies. Liam loves all kinds of cinema, particularly world cinema, but it is with horror, sci-fi and Westerns where you can find his heart. He reckons Werner Herzog is the world's greatest living filmmaker and will fight anyone who says otherwise.
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