text:
The Forever Years
Calendar Page
Free Charts & Other Printables
Meet our Guest Writers
Meet the Editors/ Main Contributors
Music about "the forever years"
Schools in a Spin: Teachers, parents debate use of fidget spinners in classrooms, by Allison Slater Tate
May 17, 2017 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
A friend who lives in a different state recently asked me if my children had "fidget spinners" yet. I had never heard of a fidget spinner, so she showed me a picture of the palm-sized gadgets and told me that supposedly, they could help some kids focus while they play with them.
The next day, my 14-year-old son wandered into my bedroom to ask me a question, and I noticed something in his hand. "What's that?" I asked him. "My fidget spinner," he said casually. "I bought it on Amazon a few weeks ago."
Two things became apparent: I no longer know everything my child is buying for himself on Amazon, and fidget spinners are officially a thing. And they are: Mandy Wideman, a mother of three in Alabama, told TODAY Parents, "They're huge here in Birmingham! I just drove to two stores tonight to look for them. One had sold out and the other one said they had sold over 200 today and over 2500 in the last week!"
Amy Fortenberry / Amy Fortenberry Florida mom Amy Fortenberry says of fidget spinners, "What's started out as a focus or attention device for children with ADHD has become a fad and a craze. Bottle flipping is so 2016!"
Soon, my own children were begging for more fidget spinners in various colors, one of my children's teachers began keeping a supply of them in her desk to hand out to kids who could benefit from using them in class, and articles began popping up all over my Facebook feed, most notably a first-person essay in Working Mother by Christina Bolusi Zawacki entitled, "I'm a Teacher, and Trust Me When I Say That Fidget Spinners Are the Effing Worst."
It seems that fidget spinners — which some teens are also making themselves in their garages out of bicycle chains or on 3-D printers — are the new slime-making or bottle-flipping craze, dividing parents and teachers as to whether they are good or bad for kids and their classroom environments. Some parents believe children with ADHD benefit from having a fidget spinner (or a related item, such as a fidget cube or tactile putty) in class with them, but because they can cause classroom distractions, some schools are instituting bans.
(To read more of this article, please follow the link below…)
http://www.today.com/parents/teachers-parents-debate-if-fidget-spinners-belong-school-t111077?cid=eml_tpp_20170508
Increased levels of fluoride in drinking water linked to higher ADHD rates, by Gabriela Motroc
October 6, 2015 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
New research shows there is a strong connection between increased levels of fluoride in drinking water and the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the United States.
The study titled Exposure to fluoridated water and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prevalence among children and adolescents in the United States: an ecological association study published earlier this year in the journal Environmental Health discovered that a one per cent increase in artificial fluoridation prevalence in 1992 was linked to roughly 67,000 to 131,000 extra ADHD diagnoses from 2003 to 2011. The research went back to fluoridation in 1992, emphasizing the harmful effects which exist some two decades later.
The team of researchers analysed information from the U.S. National Survey of Children's Health related to children aged between four gathered over several years. A couple of months after the study was released the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they would reduce the amount of fluoride in drinking water; the recommended range is currently of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams.
According to the study, U.S. states with a higher portion of artificially fluoridated water had a higher prevalence of ADHD. The link held up across six years examined. One of the study's authors, Ashley Malin of York University, Toronto with expertise in Clinical Psychology emphasized the importance of wealth in this equation. "Wealth is important to take into account because the poor are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD," Newsweek cited Malin as saying.
Multiple studies have indicated that children with moderate and severe fluorosis score lower on measure of IQ and cognitive skills. A 2010 report by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 41 per cent of American youths aged between 12 and 15 had some form of fluorosis. There have been roughly 40 studies showing that children born in regions where water has elevated levels of fluoride have lower-than-normal IQs.
A recent small study of fewer than 1,000 people in New Zealand concluded that water fluoridation did not decrease IQ. However, only a small percentage of the people involved in the research actually lived their entire lives in areas without fluoridation and even less did not use fluoride toothpaste, which may have limited the validity and relevance of the findings.
(Read more at the following link…)
http://www.australiannationalreview.com/increased-levels-fluoride-drinking-water-linked-higher-adhd-rates/?inf_contact_key=6678a66ec5c4d11d89cc40bd09107f431315e75e9976f21b8a4d6c62eb0213a7
Dyspraxia, A Parent's Perspective, by Tania Broadley
June 22, 2015 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
I have four children, all girls. Katie is 10, Emma 6 and my younger twin girls, Jamie and Alyssa, have just turned four. Three of my girls have dyspraxia. Emma also has ADHD. Jamie does not have dyspraxia. [For more information about ADHD, attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, see The Forever Years post at the following link: https://theforeveryears.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/understanding-kids-with-adhd-an-interview-with-a-mother-who-knows/ ]
Dyspraxia is one of many "hidden" special needs. It is a neurological (brain and nerves) disorder in which messages from the brain to the muscles are disrupted, thus effecting physical and gross motor skills– movement and co-ordination. Early intervention with occupational therapy, physical therapies and sometimes speech therapy help children with dyspraxia to reach their potential. [Source: Medical Questions and Answers, Australian Women's Weekly, New Zealand Edition, February 2014].
Bringing up children with unique needs is mentally, physically and emotionally draining for me. On the good days it can be very rewarding. I feel a real sense of achievement when I overcome challenges. Katie was diagnosed as having dyspraxia at the age of five and Emma at about four years old. Alyssa is under Vera Hayward [Children's Support Programme] and at this stage her dyspraxia seems to be mild. I did not realise that Emma had dyspraxia until I was pregnant with the twins!
Some days can be overwhelming, juggling four girls, hospital appointments, dyspraxia and ADHD. Other days I feel relaxed and confident.
My husband and I used to avoid a lot of social gatherings with the girls, because we found it too stressful and we felt judged because of their behaviour (like outbursts of temper). Meeting other parents in similar situations to ours has given us the confidence to go back out on family social outings again. It is also very comforting to know that there are other families out there with multiple (twins, triplets or more) children and unique needs, like ours.
Our girls are a true blessing to my husband and I. I look forward to seeing what journey they each take in life. They have made me a stronger, more confident mother and I'm so very proud of them all.
Thanks to Tania Broadley for sharing her family's story with "The Forever Years".
Some Further Information about Dyspraxia…
Developmental Dyspraxia (also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder and the Clumsy Child Syndrome) is a neurologically based disorder of the processes involved in "praxis" or the planning of movement to achieve a predetermined idea or purpose, which may affect the acquisition of new skills and the execution of those already learned. More specifically, it is a disorder of praxis, or the process of "ideation" (forming an idea of using a known movement to achieve a planned purpose), motor planning (planning the action needed to achieve the idea) and execution (carrying out the planned movement).
Dyspraxia may affect any or all areas of development– physical, intellectual, emotional, social, language and sensory– and may impair the normal process of learning, thus it is also a learning difficulty. It is not a unitary disorder (like measles or chicken pox, where all those affected share a common set of symptoms) and affects each person in different ways at different ages and stages of development and to different degrees. It is inconsistent, in that it may affect the child one day, but not the next– as if information is sometimes put away "in the wrong drawer".
Dyspraxia is a "hidden handicap" as, under normal circumstances, children with dyspraxia may appear no different from their peers, until new skills are tried or known ones are taken out of context, which is when difficulties may become apparent.
In many affected children, dyspraxia occurs with or as part of other neurological conditions, so defining common symptoms may be confusing. Therefore a diagnosis, naming the disorder is often very difficult and sometimes the closest may be "shows some dyspraxic tendencies". A major international, multi-disciplinary conference on dyspraxia was held here in Aotearoa/ New Zealand in 1997, making it easier for parents to find a professional who is confident in making a diagnosis. If you think that your child exhibits some or all of the symptoms of dyspraxia, talk with your GP or peadiatrition about your concerns.
The following is information for teachers and others interecting with children with dyspraxia to be aware of…
Related Links/ Information
New Zealand Dyspraxia Support Group: http://www.dyspraxia.org.nz/
Australian Dyspraxia Support Foundation: http://www.dyspraxiaaustralia.com.au/support-group
Dyspraxia USA, resources: http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/resources/
Dyspraxia Foundation, UK (has some great film clips about living with dyspraxia for adults and for kids: http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/
Dyspraxia Association of Ireland: http://www.dyspraxia.ie/
Facebook Support Page for families: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DYSPRAXIA-Families-Support-group/115023848519242
"If You Look for the Goodness in Your Children, Good Things Will Happen", by Linda Petersen
May 11, 2015 May 14, 2015 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
After marrying young and giving birth to a son who was legally blind (and who went on to earn a PhD on full scholarship), Linda Petersen and her husband adopted four more special needs children and fostered many others. This book is the story of their journey.
Raising 5 Kids With Disabilities and Remaining Sane Blog
My dear friends and readers,
Please excuse this commercial interruption of your regular reading.
My book, with an actual cover and pages with WORDS on them in between, has just been published!!!
The Apple Tree: Raising 5 Kids With Disabilities and Remaining Sane
Authored by Linda Petersen
(Review by Dawn Raffel from Readers Digest:)
Her story begins not with her children but with her own childhood spent traveling the country in the backseat of her parents' car (her perpetually restless dad had post-traumatic stress disorder from WWII), often with very little money and few provisions. Where someone else might have seen deprivation and isolation, Petersen viewed her unusual childhood with a sense of wonder and gratitude. After marrying young and giving birth to a son who was legally blind (and who went on to earn a PhD on full scholarship), Petersen and her husband adopted four more special needs children…
Discover "Relax Kids", an interview with Danielle Culling, a "Relaxed Kids" Coach
May 6, 2015 May 10, 2015 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
By Kirsteen McLay-Knopp
Relax Kids is a movement started by Marneta Viegas, a children's entertainer in the United Kingdom. Over her 13 years working in this occupation, she noticed an increasing number of children being unable to sit still whilst attending her performances. Since she had been practising mindfulness herself from the age of 10, Viegas hit upon the idea of turning fairy stories into CDs for kids and then creating a seven step programme of children's exercises, starting with high activity, then working through to those involving stretching and relaxation. Thus "Relax Kids" was born in 2001. Since then the programme has expanded and is now being used in over 30 countries.
I recently spoke with Danielle Culling, a "Relax Kids" coach in Dunedin, New Zealand.
"Relax Kids" is fairly new to Aotearoa/ New Zealand," Danielle says. "There are only three of us trained as instructors here. It would be great to have more! The Southern District Health Board are interested in promoting Relax Kids. Basically the programme involves a series of 'visualisations' using stories based on nature settings and fairy stories. The aim of this is to take children to a calm and happy place and help them to manage their feelings, including increasing concentration and reducing anxiety".
Danielle says that there are different levels of Relax Kids programmes for children of different ages, ranging from under 5 year olds (Little Star Classes) to those aimed at teenagers. The courses can also benefit adults. "Several schools have become interested in Relax Kids," she says, "and some have started to use the CDs and books on a daily basis. With the older kids we do what we call "chill skills" and also keep diaries so that they can begin to monitor their own moods and mood changes. Relating moods to their physical symptoms is important too: for example, noticing that when you're angry you can feel it in your stomach or in the clenching of your fists. Focusing on the physical area of stress in the body can be a good first step in releasing anger in a non-harmful way."
Training for those who wish to do Relax Kids Coaching will start to happen in Aotearoa/ New Zealand several times a year, around the country, Danielle says. (For those not in New Zealand, google your nearerst Relax Kids centre).
"Relax Kids can be particularly helpful for kids with ADHD or anxiety disorders," Danielle says. "Amongst other things there is a "21 Day plan" for habit change (which is believed to take about 21 days). The 21 day plan is a free, downloadable document for both parents and teachers. It is available at www.relaxkids.com/freepack and there are lots of other free downloads available on the website too. As well as this, one on one instruction can be offered to families who wish to participate together in their home."
"Relax Kids is not affiliated with any religion. Some have called it 'brainwashing through meditation', which is not the case at all. It's about slowing down: the world we live in is so often fast paced and frantic, certainly in a way that was never the case in previous generations. This can be overwhelming for us all and kids can find it particularly difficult to cope with, especially when it is in combination with other stressful factors. 'Mindfulness' means to be present with ourselves and aware of what is going on. Benefits include increased motivation and confidence, better sleeping patterns, as well as an improvement in empathy and concentration."
Danielle Culling (Relax Kids Instructor) with her daughter Alba (3)
Newspaper Article about Danielle Culling and Relax Kids:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/331160/schools-showing-interest-childrens-relaxation-programme
http://www.relaxkids.com/UK/Homepage
Also see the Relax Kids Facebook Page 🙂
Understanding Kids with ADHD… an interview with a mother who knows…
March 10, 2015 March 11, 2015 / kirsteenelaine	/ Leave a comment
…an interview with a mother who knows…
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a complex mental health disorder that can affect a child's success in school and interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, the symptoms of ADHD vary and are sometimes difficult to recognize. I recently interviewed Cheryl*, a mother of three whose eldest son Thomas* age seven, was diagnosed as having ADHD last year.
What are the main identifying behavioural markers for a child with ADHD?
Some signs of ADHD include inattentiveness, lack of concentration and an inability to focus and stay focused or follow instructions. With my son Thomas, excitement is always over exaggerated. We also became concerned that, from about age four, he showed a complete lack of empathy. It was around this age that my husband and I and other members of our family began to sense that something was "not quite as it normally would be" with our son… we could see the differences between him and other children his age and also ways in which he was not at all like his two younger siblings, who are close to him in age.
How long did take for your son to be diagnosed as having ADHD?
It took 6-8 months to get Thomas' diagnosis– we were told it's never a quick thing. The experts want to be 100% certain before they tell a parent or carer, "yes, we have diagnosed your child as having ADHD." In the past, some children have been incorrectly diagnosed. This can lead to big problems for those opting to medicate, as the ADHD meds are quite specific to the condition.
What has been the biggest challenge since your son was diagnosed with ADHD?
The empathy thing bothered me. Other kids fight with their siblings, but Thomas was really unremorseful and inconsiderate of the feelings of his younger siblings or other children. He cried as a baby, but never really cried much past about 18 months old. I remember him crying over getting a bee sting and that's about it, I don't remember him crying many other times at all, not even if he fell over… I thought that was odd for a toddler.
I also remember that, from quite early on, Thomas would do what we call the "octopus run". It was basically a wild, crazy run which didn't stop and his arms would be swinging out everywhere like an octopus. He wouldn't ever sit down and play with toys… he couldn't seem to. (He was a kid with "added value"… I heard that from a lady in my ADHD support group). 🙂 But it was hard to take him out to other people's places or in public with him flailing around like that, especially when we had two younger children to watch too.
Is ADHD genetic?
Not enough research has been done yet to know for certain whether or not ADHD is an inherited trait. It's a bit similar to the case with asthmatic children, it's not known for certain what causes ADHD (or asthma).
Is ADHD more common in boys or girls?
Kids with ADHD tend to be predominantly boys, no one is quite sure why. There are definately girls out there with ADHD too. ADHD presents differently in different children and ADHD markers in girls are often (but not necessarily) a bit more muted than in boys.
What do you think life is like through the eyes of a child with ADHD?
You know how it is when you get flustered… like if several people are trying to get your attention all at once, so you can't take in what anyone is saying… well, that's what it's like for kids with ADHD all the time. Their brains are wired faster than most people's, so much so that they try to process everything very quickly and all at once, leading to overload. Some opt to medicate after a diagnosis.
How does having ADHD effect Thomas' behaviour now, at age seven, both at school and at home?
At school and at home both it is hard for him to pay attention. Thomas is "busy" all the time, probably the only "quieter" time he has is when he's asleep. He's also very unpredictable… you never know when he's going to be angry. As his Mum, I find it hard to get him to stop and hear what I'm saying, to "pull him back into focus." His teachers have also struggled with that. His concentration is now up to 3 minutes, which we're thrilled with, as prior to diagnosis it was only 3-5 seconds. I was actually delighted when Thomas was diagnosed… I know some people don't like to label their kids, but for me it meant we could move forward. Before the diagnosis I'd been blaming myself for his challenging behaviour. Afterwards I was able to link in to helpful resources so our family could relate better to Thomas… and vice versa.
We joined a local ADHD support group which has been an immeasurable help. The group organiser talked about teenagers with ADHD who use it as an excuse, saying things like "I'm unmanageable". I find it helpful that the ethos of the group is that "ADHD is not an excuse for bad behaviour. ADHD is a part of life." I like that: it gives power back to Thomas… his brain may process some things differently from those who do not have ADHD, but he is still responsible for his behaviour. He is receiving as much help as we are able to give him, he has an RTLB [Resource Teacher for Learning and Behaviour] at school, who spends time with Thomas' class teacher (so that she is up to speed with what it means to have ADHD), as well as with Thomas. A routine and structure have been put in place for him and we liaise with the RTLB so we can create similar patterns for Thomas at home. When he's at home, Thomas does need more supervision that the average kid, just to keep him on task. That can be hard when I have my two younger ones to think of as well.
At school part of Thomas' routine is being constantly reminded of what's coming up. One way of doing this is that his RTLB teacher has created a "visual timetable" with pictures of him doing particular activities like writing or eating lunch. If your concentration span is only three minutes, it can be easy to get off task. The visual timetable always has the three simple categories "Now, Next and Later", so Thomas always knows where he's at. Reading and writing are a constant struggle for Thomas. Since the diagnosis, we also have a health care worker come into our home for three hours a week to help Thomas with his homework.
One of my favourite resources from the group we joined was the book All Dogs Have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann. I particularly like this book because it is aimed at the children who have ADHD, to help them understand and take responsibility for their own behaviour… and it seemed to resonate with Thomas from the moment I gave it to him.
The book talks about how ADHD kids often have a "special interest" which can help them maintain focus and create opportunities for praise and encouragement. Thomas' passion at the moment is Lego. The Pediatrician told us not to take Thomas' Lego away as a form of discipline (which we had done before), but that other methods like quiet time were more effective. Thomas also needs instant rewards or praise when things have gone well and if we want to encourage more positive behaviour in the future. We can't just tell him that we'll take him out somewhere nice "in the weekend", he'll have completely forgotten the whole thing by then.
I guess it's about "channeling him" into positive activities he's passionate about and making his energy a plus. Thomas is still quite impulsive, if he sees something which interests him (like a cat, he loves cats), even if it's on the other side of a busy street, he'll run across without thinking about any possible consequences. I know lots of people will say, "My child doesn't focus, my child would run out into traffic like that," but this is constant, it's part of a typical day for us.
Thomas struggles to remember things and makes the same mistakes over and over again. He laughed when he saw the dog in the book that does that and I laughed too. Now there's a shared understanding of the behaviour in our family.
I've learned what works and what doesn't work with Thomas now. One of the most basic things is that, when I'm giving him instructions, he needs to be totally focused on what I'm saying. If he hasn't "got my eyes" (I mean if he isn't focused and looking at my eyes), he won't hear what I'm saying. That's not because he's malicious, it's part of the ADHD… it's who he is.
Through our support group, we have met a number of teenagers and adults with ADHD. I found that helpful, particularly seeing how, with the right help and strategies, these people have been able to manage their lives. The young adults, I noticed, are past doing things like "the octopus run"… I think some of the hyperactivity mellows with age. But they still speak very quickly and "fiddle"… one young woman had some beads she was playing with, which seemed to help keep her focused and grounded during group discussions.
Aside from the book you've mentioned already, and your group, what other resources have been useful to you?
I've learned a lot from other books and also from the Internet… some useful links are listed below. Another book I've found useful is 123 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan. 123 Magic is a general parenting book and helpful for anyone, but there's also a lot in there specifically about ADHD, as one of the editors has a child with ADHD.
Does ADHD mix well with computers?
In general, it's not thought to be good for children with ADHD to spend time on strategy and fighting-type computer games. I know with Thomas, he'll see something like that just once and then act it out EXACTLY for the next week or so. Again, many parents may comment here that this is what their non-ADHD child does, but with Thomas it's all the time, just seeing a game like that once will ignite "fireworks" in his brain and he will "be" the game for days afterwards. If Thomas gets on an "energy high" like this it requires high energy from me to focus him on the real world. He's like having twins when he's in this kind of phase. I don't believe in banning kids from computers all together though, they are part of the world we now live in. In Thomas' case we just have to be selective in what he does on the computer: "learning" type games seem to help him come to grips with things taught at school, they're definately a better option for him.
Do certain foods effect Thomas' ADHD at all? Did you make any changes to his diet after the diagnosis?
It'll be different for each child, but we learned early on that we can't give Thomas fizzy drinks… not at all. He's quite unmanageable until they come out of his system. Anything with too much sugar isn't great. Of course it goes through his system and he settles down again afterwards, but it's a very unpleasant experience for anyone having to deal with him in the couple of hours before this happens.
How does ADHD effect Thomas' friendships with other children?
Although he's seven, Thomas' behaviour is in many respects similar to that of a three year old. He's well known but not well liked at school and he doesn't very often get invited to play at friends' houses. Boys Thomas' age seem to like things like sword fights, board games and dress ups. Thomas is behaviourally still at the "parallel play" stage many three year olds are at. Rather than the activities I've mentioned above, Thomas will prefer something like playing with cars on his own. This can isolate him from his peers.
He does have one friend at school, but they have a kind of "love/hate" relationship. His friend is on the autistic spectrum and, like Thomas, can have very erratic behaviour. I personally believe both boys need a teacher aid all the time, but there aren't the resources available for this. Anyway, I think Thomas definately tends to gravitate towards other "special needs" kids.
What advice would you give to a parent or carer who suspects their child may have ADHD?
If you're ripping your hair out and need help the best thing, in my opinion, is to get a diagnosis, because help then follows. Groups are great, the one I go to is monthly and there are also Tuesday morning teas in our area for mothers of children with special needs. "Special needs…" that's a term I'm getting used to. Initially I didn't like the idea of calling Thomas a "special needs" child… but his needs are different to those of children who don't have ADHD, particularly in the classroom. I'm still learning as we continue on this journey with Thomas. Sometimes I wonder which behaviours of his are part of ADHD and which are just normal "kid behaviours". If the behaviour is related to him having ADHD, I then wonder to what degree I can modify it and slowly replace it with more "normal" behaviour. For example, if he's doing his "octopus run" and speeding wildly across the room, to what degree can I change that, particularly if it's part of his genetic makeup? If anyone out there has any ideas about these kinds of questions, particularly based on experience with ADHD kids, I'd love to hear from you!
*NOTE: Names have been changed to protect the privacy of Cheryl and her family. Many thanks to Cheryl for sharing her son Thomas' story with "The Forever Years".
http://www.childmind.org/en/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/home/
http://www.searchhomeremedy.com/brain-exercises-for-kids-with-adhd/
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/7-signs-adhd
http://www.123magic.com/
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/finding-an-assistive-technology/new-apps-for-kids-with-learning-and-attention-issues#slide-3
Advice for kids... and parents! Bonding with our babies and children Child Abuse Child Advocacy Child Poverty Child psychology Children's voice in society Children and Communication Children and Community Children and self expression Children of the World Child Sexual Abuse Connecting with your Child Creativity Culture and Kids Education Fun with our kids Health Health and Nutrition Inspiration Keeping kids Safe Kids' Emotional Intelligence Kindness Listening to our kids Memories with our Children Mental well-being Parenting/ Caring for Our Children Poverty Respect Self Esteem/ Self image
Follow The Forever Years on WordPress.com
Follow The Forever Years on Twitter
What's Happening for kids in Southern Sudan? By Kelly Mongomery
How the Housing Crisis is affecting Kiwi Kids: More than 250,000 New Zealand children living in poverty, new figures show
"Refugee" by Alan Gratz: A Book Review by Kirsteen McLay-Knopp
Autumnal Crafts to do with Kids, by Kirsteen McLay-Knopp
"The Half Mermaid" by Carol Krueger: Book Review by Kirsteen McLay-Knopp
kirsteenelaine on Autumnal Crafts to do with Kid…
kirsteenelaine on "The Dunedin Study…
kirsteenelaine on The Dunedin Study: The Vital I…
kirsteenelaine on Dunedin Study Findings: The Im…
"Bad behaviour"
"Guardians of Childhood"
"Mommy Wars"
"Orange Friday"
"Sexting" and online pornography and adolescents
"The Ruby Sceptre" by Kirsteen McLay-Knopp
A Child in Cambodia's "Killing Fields"
Acid Attacks on Women and Children
Adolescent Psychological Changes
Adoptive Breastfeeding
Advice for kids… and parents!
Anxiety in Kids
April Fool's Tricks with kids
Art with kids
Arts and Crafts with kids
Autumn Craft ideas for kids
Aware Parenting
Awareness of Nature in Kids
Babies and sleeping patterns
Babies starting solids
Behaviour Charts
Believing in Santa
Bilngual and multilingual kids
birth and neonatal care
Bonding with our babies and children
Breaking Cycles of Negative Parenting
Building Attachment through Play
Cambodian Orphanages
Care for new mothers
Charities supporting kids
Child Poverty in NZ
child rearing traditions
Child's experience of racism
ChildFund
Childhood fears
Children and Animals
Children and Communication
Children and Community
Children and Depression
Children and Dirt
Children and Food
Children and Grief
Children and History
Children and Natural Disasters
Children and self expression
Children and the law
Children and War
Children as Refugees
Children doing chores
Children in History
Children Interrupting
Children Learning to Swim
Children supporting Children
children's photos online
Children's Vestibular Systems
Children's voice in society
Chinese childrearing traditions
Christina Noble Foundation
Clean water for Kids
Connecting with your Child
Connection across generations
Connection between child abuse and animal abuse
Cost of Raising Kids
Culture and Kids
Cyclone Pam
Dads and Kids
Daffodil Day
Damage of institutional care to kids
Dental Experiences and Kids
Depression in kids
Dunedin Longitudinal Study
Early Childhood Education… ideas
Early signs of schitzophrenia
Educating children to be inclusive
Education for Girls
Effects of abuse on children
Effects of Chemical Weapons on Children
Effects of fluoride on children
Effects of Landmines on Children
Encouraging Independence
Encouraging Our Kids in Peace
Entertainment for Kids
Failed Adoption
Faith/ Spiritual Belief System
Family Tree and History
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Flow on positives of educating girls
Fun with our kids
Gender stereotypes and children
Grandparents raising their Grandchildren
Grit in children
Hagar International
Head lIce preventIon
Hidden special needs
Hina Matsuri/ Girls' Day in Japan
hope and optimism… and kids
Household Organisation/ Reducing Chaos!
imagination and kids
Incarcerated Children
Independent play
International Missing Children's Day
international Womens' Day
Journal Writing for kids
Keeping kids Safe
Kids and ANZAC Day
Kids and body image
Kids and Books
kids and colour therapy
Kids and Environmental issues
Kids and friendships
Kids and Materialism
Kids and Music
Kids and Peer Pressure
Kids and Sleep
Kids and Sports
Kids and strangers on the internet
Kids and Time
Kids as Peer Educators
Kids as Volunteers in the Community
kids at school
Kids playing outdoors
Kids' Books on Tough Times
Kids' Emotional Intelligence
Kids' Movies which build character
Laughter with kids
Leap Day Fun With Kids
Listening to our kids
Live Below the Line Poverty Challenge
Loss of a child
Maori cultural child rearing traditions
Matariki
Memories with our Children
Mensturation
Ministry of Children's Affairs
Moving to a foreign country… with young children
Multiple Birth
Nature vs Nurture
Nepal Earthquake
Nurturing Touch for kids
NZ Housing Crisis
NZ kids abused in state care
Online pornography and kids
Online support for parents
Parental Guilt
Parenting Against Hatred
Parenting New Year's Resolutions
Parenting/ Caring for Our Children
Pediatric Massage
Post-Natal Depression and Distress
Pride n our kids
Psychology of Play
Public humiliation
Racial Pride in Kids
Raising Global Citizens
Rape and rape culture… and kids
Reading Aloud to Kids
Red Hand Day (against children being used as soldiers)
Relaxation for kids
Screen time and kids
Self Control in Kids
Self Esteem/ Self image
Simplifying Childhood
Single Parents' Day
Speech development/ Speech therapy
Sports stars and child advocacy
Stay at Home Mum
Still birth
Street Smart Kids
Strong Willed Children
Support for parents of disabled children
Support for parents of special needs kids
Supporting Foster Children
Supporting kids who have been abused
Teaching Reasources and Ideas
tedz4kidz
Teen Parenting
Teens and Sleep
Terminally ill children
The Hilde Back Education Fund
Thirst Project (Charity)
Traditions/ festivals for kids
Tramping/ Hiking with Kids
Trauma in Utero
Travelling in London with young children
Travelling with young children
Trying not to yell at kids
UNCROC
Valentine's Day with Kids
War in Syria… and kids
What makes kids feel loved?
When Children Sexually Abuse other Children


Welcome to the new Arcadea website, some areas are still under construction so keep checking back for updates or contact us directly if you can't find what you are looking for.
Zenith's name and the origin of many Swiss traditional watch brand names are not the names of the rolex replica watchesfounders, nor the names of fake rolex watches other watchmakers or important mechanical inventions. Legend of the founder of the brand Georges Favre-Jacot had to walk in the night sky, looked up and looked into the sky, even from the universe to swiss replica watches get his mysterious inspiration. A large celestial system running around the Polaris made him think of the sophisticated precision structure of the watch's gears running around the axis.


Food tech has made its mark on the restaurant industry in a major way. In fact, we're witnessing such a seismic change that the full ramifications of how tech will impact restaurants still remains to be seen. What is for certain is that tech companies will continue to crop up, receive funding, and eventually make their way on to a public exchange. The past few years alone have seen a slew of big names enter the fray, from meal-kit behemoth Blue Apron to food delivery giant GrubHub.
Below, we round up the most recent food tech IPOs (from 2014 – 2017), and examine how they stack up.
Meal kit startup Blue Apron (APRN) made history as the first such company to go public, after it filed for an IPO in June 2017. Its filing made headlines (and raised the eyebrows of investors) when it was revealed that the company had lost $54.8 million dollars in 2016, a 16% greater loss than the previous year, and that it had spent $144 million on marketing in 2016. Blue Apron shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange June 29, with shares initially trading at $10.
Shares of online food delivery company Delivery Hero soared as much as 8% on the first day of its stock market debut in June 2017. The Berlin-based company boasts a market capitalization of 4.7 billion euros ($5.3 billion) thanks to the successful debut on the Frankfurt stock exchange. At the time, the company said it would use the funds raised in its IPO to repay loans and to finance the growth and development of its business.
Shares of the online food ordering company Grubhub finished its debut day on the market with a 31% gain (the stock was up more than 50% at one point, but pulled back). The company priced its initial public offering of 7.4 million shares at $26 per share, raising nearly $200 million in the April 2014 deal.
First Data — a company specializing in mobile payment technology, customer loyalty programs, gift cards and security programs — went public (and went big) in 2015. Its October 2015 IPO was the largest of 2015, raising $2.6 billion and giving the company a market cap of $14 billion.
Square, the payment technology company founded by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, raised $243 million by pricing its initial public offering at $9 per share. The IPO proved to be a disappointment for the San Francisco payment platform, which had expected to price its 27 million shares between $11 and $13.
Though discounts website coupons.com had first planned to sell 10 million shares of its stock at a price ranging from $12 to $14, after meeting with potential institutional investors, it sold an additional 500,000 shares at a price of $16. It eventually brought in $168 million at that price, with an initial valuation approaching $1.2 billion, in its March 2014 debut. The company, founded in the 1990s, offers printable coupons for grocery store, food, and other retail brands.
Everyday Health Inc. (EVDY), a provider of digital health and welfare solutions, raised $100 million in its March 2014 IPO, offering 7.2 million shares at a price range of $13-$15 per share. The medical advice websiteT utilizes celebrity diet and exercise experts(like Jillian Michaels and CNN's Sanjay Gupta) and is home to a number of online properties, including 25 websites, 26 mobile applications, seven YouTube shows, 31 social media outlets, and a broadcast cooking show. The company was acquired in October 2016 by Ziff Davis, a digital media company in the technology, gaming and lifestyle categories, and is no longer public.
Just Eat's 2014 debut was the biggest UK tech IPO in the seven years prior. At the time of the IPO on the London Stock Exchange, the market valued the company at £1.47 billion ($2.44 billion). Today, it hovers at some $4.1 billion.
Most of these food tech stocks have seen price increases since their IPO (all except Blue Apron). While Square double its stock prince (since their IPO and until the end of August 2017), Quotient Technology, Just Eat, and Grub Hub all saw stock price increases larger than 50%. On the other hand, Blue Apron which first began trading at the end of June 2017, accumulated a price drop close to 50% by the end of August 2017.
Blue Apron's stock troubles have been blamed in large part on Amazon's recent acquisition of Whole Foods. Less than two months after its initial public offering, the meal kit's stock was hovering at around half its IPO price, leading some to call it a "catastrophe" and a "disaster" further impacted by multiple shareholder lawsuits claiming that company management misled investors.
In July, Blue Apron's stock was deemed the worst-performing large IPO of 2017 by Renaissance Capital (a manager of IPO-focused ETFs). The company has faced questions over its high customer-acquisition costs as well as increasing competition from Amazon, which moved into the meal-kit space shortly after Blue Apron went public.
Those in the the online food and delivery space have fared a little better, though it's worth pointing out that the sector is becoming increasingly competitive – especially with the addition of large players like Amazon and Uber entering the space. Meanwhile, other, newer companies, continue to expand.
But even despite its struggles, the continued popularity of Blue Apron and meal kit companies like it is already affecting restaurants. Over the last two years, the increase in sales of Blue Apron have significantly outpaced the growth of restaurant sales in the US. Though meal kits are estimated to represent less than 1% of restaurant sales, outstanding growth such as the one experienced by Blue Apron is taking a toll on pockets of the industry.
So far, 2017 has already seen two high-profile food tech IPOs: those of Blue Apron and Delivery Hero. Certainly not yet a frenzy in terms of companies going public, but the activity isn't slowing down. There's speculation that a number of food tech companies will hit the market in the coming months and years, including HelloFresh (which initially filed in 2015, but put its IPO on hold), Zomato, and Yext. There are also rumors that, if it can fix some of its internal issues with a new CEO at the helm, Uber will soon go public in a multi-billion-dollar (some speculate as much as $100 billion) IPO.
With so many companies cropping up, and eventually going public, the sheer scale of options for implementing tech in a restaurant is overwhelming. But those who continue lagging behind are widening the gap between their dated business models and industry leaders, like those who have unveiled high-tech point-of-sale systems, self-ordering kiosks, mobile ordering, and food delivery. Those who wait it out — to see how other chains handle innovation and how guests respond — will find themselves at a considerable disadvantage. Technology moves fast and the urgency for innovation is growing.


text:
Q: Is it possible to update 2 columns of 2 tables using triggering in oracle? I create 3 table whose name are customers,payments and orders.They have a same column name customerNumber.customerNumber is a primary key of customers table and a foreign of payments and orders table.Now I want to make a trigger whose works is to update customerNumber in payments and orders table before updating customerNumber in customers table.
my code is here:
create or replace trigger customers_update
before update of customerNumber on customers
for each row
begin
update payments,orders
set
payments.customerNumber = :new.customerNumber
orders.customerNumber = :new.customerNumber
where (payments.customerNumber = :old.customerNumber)
and
(orders.customerNumber = :old.customerNumber);
end;
/

but it shows some problem like this
Error at line 2: PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored

*

*create or replace trigger customers_update

*before update of customerNumber on customers

*for each row

*begin

So my question is how I fix the problem ?

A: Just use two update statements:
update payments
    set customerNumber = :new.customerNumber
    where payments.customerNumber = :old.customerNumber;

update orders
    set customerNumber = :new.customerNumber
    where orders.customerNumber = :old.customerNumber;

Oracle doesn't allow updates to two tables in the same statement.

A: "Oracle doesn't allow updates to two tables in the same statement."
That's true, but if you really like, you can create a view and update the view.
Using a trigger with type INSTEAD OF, you can update both, but still two updates internally, but one update a functional level.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The term "charrette," popularized largely by new urbanist planners and architects, refers to the intense, inclusive planning process used to design many new urbanist communities.
Type is a form, determined by function, confirmed by culture. In other words, it is an artifact (building, thoroughfare, etc.) intended for a specific use, having become a carrier of meaning through familiarity.
Style/Fashion is a permanent attribute of design typically subject to short-term cycles.
The French word, "charrette" means "cart" and is often used to describe the final, intense work effort expended by art and architecture students to meet a project deadline. This use of the term is said to originate from the École des Beaux Arts in Paris during the 19th century, where proctors circulated a cart, or "charrette", to collect final drawings while students frantically put finishing touches on their work.


This small earring is very everyday friendly. The earring changes expression depending on the angle you see it from. Seen from the front it is almost like small stones, seen from the side the effect of the sticks are most visible. It is also cool to combine with other earring if you have more than one hole in each ear.


Come and be a part of Oak Island's hottest new neighborhood! This gorgeous 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath house offers small slices of the ICW waterview. Tucked on East Yacht Dr and nestled behind the water oaks in the front yard, porch living is offered at its best. The master bedroom on the main floor has his/hers walk-in closets and comes with its own private screened rear porch. An elevator shaft is installed leading to the first floor. Upstairs consists of two additional bedrooms and a huge loft area as well. Wood floors abound in the great room, kitchen and loft area above. This fenced oversized lot offers room for a pool in the back. A screened in porch and lots of storage underneath with room for all your favorite beach toys and even a golf cart. Come see this spacious beach home today!


The impressive ROYAL MOSCOW BALLET makes a return visit to Ireland this February 2019 with its inspiring production of Swan Lake.
Set to Tchaikovsky's magical and mystical score, Swan Lake is one of the most famous and best loved works in the Ballet repertoire worldwide The Royal Moscow Ballets production of Swan Lake is an irresistible combination of drama and tragedy set against the dramatic battle between good and evil.
From the splendour of the palace ballroom to the moonlit lake where swans glide in perfect formation. All brought to life for the very first time on the Theatre Royal stage through sumptuous costumes and wonderful stage sets and decorations. This Ballet Classic has it all.
This entry was posted on February 9, 2019 by waterfordarts in Dance, General, theatre and tagged ballet waterford, Dance Waterford, drama and tragedy waterford, ROYAL MOSCOW BALLET waterford, SWAN LAKE waterford, Theatre Royal Swan Lake, Theatre Royal Waterford.


text:
THE MASTER SOLVERS CLUB CONTEST
HISTORY AND PAST CHAMPIONS
At the back of the first issue of The Bridge World, published in October 1929, "In the World of Problems" challenged the reader with 21 questions. Prizes, and membership in the "Expert Solvers' Club" (and variations on that title) were offered for the best sets of solutions. Many phases of bridge were covered, and the settings were about equally divided between contract and auction bridge. This column, or its equivalent, has appeared in every issue since. The first Bridge World Standard was introduced the following month with the announcement, "Unless otherwise specified all problems . . . are based upon the Forcing System in Contract and the Approach System in Auction." The December 1929, issue included the first solutions to earlier problems and the first Honor Roll. The unattributed official answers were presumably the work of "team Culbertson." In January 1930, the column solicited problems from readers. One problem, which included a matchpoint duplicate aspect, was attributed to a reader.
With new problems, old problems, Honor Rolls, occasionally lengthy Conditions of Contest (which changed frequently, if not dramatically), and, especially, longer and longer explanations of solutions (now sometimes bylined as by Ely himself), the column grew in size. In May 1930, the title was changed to "Our Problems." In June 1930, the first overall winner (of a six-month contest) was announced. In 1931, the event was reorganized to run on a half-calendar-year basis: January to June, July to December. (A slightly different "Holiday Contest" covered the gap.) The May 1931 problems included a double-dummy problem by Dr. Emanuel Lasker, one of the greatest chess players in history, who had been befriended by Culbertson in time of need. Somewhat mysteriously, the column shrank in size. By August 1931 it was back almost to its original space, and occupied less than two (oversized) pages by January 1932 (but the Honor Roll appeared separately).
Things got reorganized in the July 1932, issue, under the heading "Our New Problem Contest," by Samuel Fry, Jr. A new six-month series began, with 10 problems per month, covering all phases of bridge. Bidding questions were still mainly quizzes on the current version of the Culbertson system. A Solver was marked correct or incorrect on each problem. (Previously, there had been an occasional problem with multiple credits.) Under its new name (it kept the old one in the Tables of Contents, though), the article once again gradually increased in size. In later 1932, the number of submitted solutions rose dramatically (to over 400), and, in November, the feature was renamed, "Our Problem Contest." The next year, the contest became annual, and the new name was, "Our Problem Contest for 1933." There were eight problems per issue, labelled (A) through (H). With time, the prizes had evolved. Some now were engraved certificates of membership in the "Master Solvers Club." In February 1933, the article was titled "The Master Solvers Club" for the first time, and it was now directed by Fry.
During 1933, the size of the column stabilized. Typically, each solution's explanation was one long paragraph, but an occasional one was longer. In November, Albert H. Morehead replaced Louis H. Watson as The Bridge World's technical editor. By 1934, there were over 800 sets of answers received each month. Some problem sets featured multiple-part problems, thus a maximum score of more than eight. In April 1935, the Culbertson System of 1935 became the new "Bridge World Standard." In March 1938, asking-bids, having become optional devices in Culbertson, were removed from official MSC methods. By this time, auction bridge was gone.
In March 1939, The Bridge World switched its format to a smaller, digest-size page. However, the MSC problems did not always occupy their own page. Fry was titled "Problem Editor" on the masthead. The length of the MSC, including Honor Rolls, averaged about four or five of the smaller pages. Having settled into this mold, the Club continued in fairly constant form for several years. Trends were noticeable only over long periods of time: there were a higher percentage of questions about bidding (often seven or eight out of eight); the problems became more and more a matter of judgment rather than system, notwithstanding the occasional claim that "the entire staff" agreed on each answer. And the average length gradually rose; at times, the department covered 6 or 7 pages. The number of entries from Solvers fluctuated.
But changes did come. In January 1945, Fry, breaking with the tradition that said there was one right answer to a bidding problem (which stemmed from the idea that a bid either conformed to Culbertson methods or it didn't), introduced part-credits, which he used in the scoring the following month. Each problem carried a maximum credit of 100, so the top score became 800. In part, this may have stemmed from Fry's occasional need to defend himself when his own view seemed not to match the official Culbertson system pronouncement. Soon thereafter, in the September 1946 issue, there was another major change: "The Master Solvers Forum," a letters column spun off from "Readers' Forum," allowed Solvers to argue with the director. This column, which was unsigned but carried Sonny Moyse's unmistakable stamp (in later years, he was listed as "moderator"), was often quite lengthy. On its maiden voyage it occupied four-and-one-half pages, and it was often longer.
In June 1948, after a 16-year stint as director, Fry was forced by business commitments to give up the directorship. He was replaced by Albert H. Morehead. For a while, Morehead ran the Club in the same style as Fry, though his analyses of the alternatives were sometimes longer, and thus some of the columns occupied significantly more space than in the past. By this time, the problems were all in bidding (or, very occasionally, an opening lead) and there were more than one thousand Solver answers to each set. The clerical work involved in scoring caused occasional delays in the posting of the Honor Roll.
Big changes were to come under Morehead's directorship. In July 1951, explicity acknowledging that there was a consulting panel of experts, the director provided a chart of their choices. Furthermore, the votes of the 17 panelists were used, in part, to determine the scoring. (A sampling of Solvers' votes also appeared, though not for the first time.) In the ensuing months, the panel grew larger. In September 1951, Morehead, acting on a reader's suggestion, announced that any action supported by a panelist would receive a positive score. At the same time, he made this the official MSC policy: The scoring would be based on the panel answers, but with revisions by the director allowed. In November 1951, and occasionally in later months, Morehead used a few very brief quotes from comments supplied by some panelists. In April 1952, he gave his own idea of the correct scoring when he disagreed with the panel--but his personal scoring was not used in the contest, a major change from the earlier rules. At times, the quoted comments were a little longer. But it was not until November 1954 that A.H.M. formally converted the MSC into a panel show. He wrote: "This month we shall do what we probably should have done long ago: let our panelists take over a large share of the argumentation whenever they so elect." Although there are only about 10 quoted comments in that month's discussion, it clearly marks the beginning of the Master Solvers Club as we know it today, in the form that has been widely copied by magazines and other publications.
Through the fifties and early sixties, the panel sometimes grew larger, sometimes grew smaller, sometimes remained stable. However, the number of quoted comments gradually increased, and this, combined with Morehead's directorial analysis, pushed the size of the column to new heights. Some of this space came at the expense of the Master Solvers Forum, which became smaller (and sometimes disappeared altogether). In May 1956, the Club (including vote chart and Honor Rolls) occupied 15 pages (there is no Master Solvers Forum). It had clearly become a major element of the magazine. Over the next 10 years, Morehead developed his new art form into the most popular bridge feature ever. In 1959, after there were so many answers submitted to the 1958 contest that the clerical staff had been overwhelmed by the scoring, Solvers were required to keep their own scores.
At times, after the MSC was well established in its modern form, Morehead was hard-pressed by outside business affairs. William Grieve, Edgar Kaplan, Jeff Rubens, and Morty Rubinow filled in as guest directors. When Morehead died, in 1966, Moyse directed briefly. Then, upon his semi-retirement in January 1967, Sonny shared the directorship in rotation with Howard Schenken, Alfred Sheinwold, and Alan Truscott. Each month, there were seven bidding problems and one opening-lead problem. The first, 1968, version of Bridge World Standard based on polls of experts and readers was introduced shortly thereafter. Later, new polls produced Bridge World Standard versions in 1984, 1994, 2001 and 2017.
Moyse died in 1973, Schenken in 1979; Robert Wolff and Jeff Rubens assumed their quarter-directorships. Eric O. Kokish replaced Sheinwold in 1980, and Kit Woolsey took over for Truscott in 1984. After 20 years of service, a longer period than any other director to that time, Wolff retired after the 1993 MSC year; his position was filled by David Berkowitz and Larry Cohen, the MSC's first tandem director. With the July 2007 issue, Berkowitz became the sole representative of the tandem.
The death of Edgar Kaplan, who had been editor and publisher of The Bridge World for more than 30 years, in September 1997, led to a reorganization of the magazine's Editorial Department, with Kaplan's duties taken over by other staff members. One of these adjustments (in December 1997) led to Larry Cohen's becoming Problem Editor (rejuvenating Sam Fry's old position), with major influence over the selection of problems to be used in the Club. Cohen's supervisory role lasted through the 2006 problems, at which point Michael Becker took over the job.
The surviving editor, Jeff Rubens, Kaplan's long-time co-editor, instituted a policy of broader perspectives in several of the magazine's areas. This included guest directors in the Master Solvers Club: Bart Bramley, Danny Kleinman, Steve Landen, Karen McCallum, and Barry Rigal. Beginning with the January 2005 issue, the Club switched from a four- to a six-director rotation; Bramley and Kleinman became the two new permanent directors.
PAST MSC CHAMPIONS
October 1929 - March 1930: A. N. Cowperthwait
April 1930 - October 1930: George S. Coffin
January 1931 - June 1931: Five-way tie
July 1931 - December 1931: Rektor A. Midsem
January 1932 - June 1932: Gaylord A. Smith
July 1932 - December 1932: Robert V. Menary
1933: Lowell G. Harder
1934: J. D. Curphey
1935: Delbert J. Hayford
1936: E. A. Knight
1937: Ralph A. Cash
1938: Louis L. Rosen
1939: F. W. Hughes
1940: Dr. Frederick Spearing
1942: Albert J. Ward
1943: Victor Romano
1945: Mrs. J. O. Gaynor
1947: Harold H. Harvey
1948: Renato Cusano
1949: Chris Hebert
1950: Mat L. Green
1951: Mrs. William Savery
1953: Mrs. Julian Barth
1954: Edward Langer
1956: K. W. Robertson
1957: K. A. Burnham
1958: John H. Watson
1959: Dorothea Woodington
1961: Don Hartman
1962: Albert E. May
1963: Gerald A. Caravelli
1964: Lawrence Simon
1965: H. Olin Sweet
1966: Richard Halperin
1967: Miles Storfer
1968: Harry Philp
1969: Dean Duncan
1970: Stanley Slater
1971: Arnold Malasky
1972: Arthur Turcott
1973: Hugh B. Levy
1974: Murray Schlanger
1975: William S. Truman
1976: John & Marilyn Rosenschein
1977: Doris Orlett
1978: Michael DiCenso
1979: John C. Arledge, III
1980: Hal Antonson
1981: Howard Goldrich
1982: Alan M. Beir
1983: Norman A. Nason
1984: Bruce Rogoff
1986: John R. Crigler
1987: Greg Mackey, tied with Tom Dodd & Chris Habegger
1988: Tom Dodd & Chris Habegger
1990: Dana R. Reinhart
1991: Pat Gelman
1992: Manfred Michlmayr
1993: Bob Holl
1994: Manfred Michlmayr, tied with Dr. Fumio Yagi
1995: John Blubaugh
1996: Mark J. Bartusek
1997: Gary Powell
1998: Richard J. Margolis
2000: David Liss
2001: Steve Clark
2002: Larry Rosenberg
2003: Don Stack
2004: Russell Shoup
2005: S.D. Gohel
2006: David Rowntree
2008: Ed Lewis
2009: Stan Slater
2012: John Maki
2013: Jon Nance
2014: Harry Steiner
2015: Jonathan Green
2017: Steve White
2018: Paul Boudreau
2019: Susan Panter, tied with Harry Steiner
2020: Will Beall
MSC HISTORY AND
The Bridge World's Master Solvers Club is the world's longest-running bridge feature. A new set of problems has been featured in The Bridge World maagzine every month since October 1929.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Take orders from anywhere and instantly send them to the bar—our point of sale will keep the party going.
Take payments and open bar tabs quickly.
From the order screen, bartenders can access menu items, take payment, and open tabs fast, so they can spend more time creating a unique experience for customers.
Train employees quickly on Lightspeed Restaurant. The intuitive interface will speed up your service and ensure that your new staff is ready to ring up orders on the first day.
No service interruptions, even if your internet goes down. Your point of sale remains fully-operational and the Lightspeed Liteserver will sync any new data as soon as the connection is back up.
Whether they are standing at the bar or chilling on the terrasse, your customers want the full experience. Let your staff come to them, offer suggestions and take payments on the spot.
Do you need to stock up on a particular vodka? Does soda sell faster than tonic? Find out what your customers want with complete reports and keep your bar stocked accordingly.


text:
Graphene concrete is twice as strong and better for the planet
Add concrete to the list of things graphene can improve. Scientists at the University of Exeter's Center for Graphene Science developed a new technique to incorporate graphene in concrete production with the help of nanoengineering technology — and the resulting material is not only over twice as strong as concretes we have today, but it "drastically reduced the carbon footprint of conventional concrete production methods."
Is there anything graphene can't do? It can boost both the strength and durability of concrete. The resulting University of Exeter composite material is four times as water resistant as existing concretes, and, according to professor Monica Craciun, "by including graphene we can reduce the amount of materials required to make concrete by around 50 percent — leading to a significant reduction of 446 kilograms per tonne of the carbon emissions."
The research, published in late April in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, pioneers a novel, low cost technique that is, according to the university, compatible with requirements for modern, large-scale manufacturing. The composite material can be utilized right on building sites.
View the slideshow and keep reading on Inhabitat.com


Are you sick of spending your free time doing the laundry, working to get rid of the never ending cycle of washing folding and ironing?
The Shirt Butler can help!
We provide door-to-door dry cleaning in Kurraba Point, with FREE pickup and delivery and quick turnaround time: 48 hours.
You can also receive $20 off your first order.
WE DO MORE THAN DRY CLEANING & WE COME TO YOU!
Business Shirts. Washing. Folding. Ironing.
We can even do items other than clothing, such as sheets, comforters, towels and more.
We know you would rather spend your hard earned spare time doing things that are actually enjoyable – not working your way through mountains of laundry and piles of ironing – which is why we offer a complete laundry service.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee – if you're not happy with your returned garments, we'll re-clean it for free, no questions asked!
Typically dry cleaning and laundry services can be expensive – but with The Shirt Butler, there's no minimum order so you won't break the bank, plus we offer FREE pickup and delivery in Kurraba Point, so that's not an extra cost you have to worry about!
What are you waiting for? Book your first order today and save $20!
The Shirt Butler is known for the best quality in door to door dry cleaning and laundry services in Kurraba Point, so if you're sick of doing laundry, ironing and folding – then get in touch today and let us take it off your hands!
Are you located in Kurraba Point?
GREAT: We service your area!
Claim your $20 first-order discount when you book a pickup today.
Got more questions? See our questions below or visit our FAQ page for answers to all of our commonly asked questions.


"The Root Word of Ignorance is Ignore"
In the information age that we live in, little is left hidden and undisclosed. We have access to things readily available, "literally" through a digital medium paved on an electron highway, on a global scale.
"Careware is the new Shareware"


text:
Home A Hate Love Story Discography MP3 LP Sleeves Game LP Reviews Session Singers Contact Us
« TOP OF THE POPS LP – Volume 22 SHM 780
TOP OF THE POPS LP – Volume 5 CHM 635 »
TOP OF THE POPS LP – Volume 1 HM 572
Cover Girl: Unknown
So this is where it all began. When this LP was released in June 1968, Easy Listening acts were still enjoying considerable success in the UK single's chart. It's no surprise then that the Easy Listening genre is well represented on this album. The first thing that struck me when listening to this LP was that a lot of the keys had been dropped to suit the range of the session singers. I don't think this practice continued for too long, though I'm not entirely sure. It's something I'll be looking out for when I review future issues.
The album gets off to a great start with a rather impressive version of Gary Puckett's 'Young Girl.' It's followed by a rather disappointing cover of 'My Name Is Jack.' the lead vocalist on this track is well respected session singer Roger Cook*. On this occasion though, he comes across rather whiney, and is unable to recreate the warmth of Mike D'Abo's original. I'm assuming that the very capable crooning on tracks three and four is provided in both cases by the same vocalist. The first track he attempts (Can't Take My Eyes Off You) is lowered by a tone, while the second (Blue Eyes) has to be dropped by a tone and a half to enable him to croon within his comfort zone.
The second side of the album is not as good as side 1. Some of it is quite awful. The band sound as if they're about to fall apart on Lulu's 'Boy.' We are also treated to a very clipped and clinical attempt at covering Dionne Warwick's 'Do You Know The Way To San Jose' along with a terrible cabaret version of Cilla Black's 'Where Is Tomorrow,' which incidentally is performed two whole tones lower than the original.
TRACK LISTING – Side 1
Original Artist
The Union Gap
My Name Is Jack
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Crewe-Gaudio
Kerr-Maitland
Don Partridge
Something Here In My Heart
MacLeod-Macauley
The Paper Dolls
Clark-Nash
Do You Know The Way To San Jose
Bacharach-David
I Can't Let Maggie Go
Honeybus
Lovin' Things
Schroek-Loring
Where Is Tomorrow
Bindi-Mason
Cilla Black
De La Calva-Arcusa-Julien
Massiel
Stevens-Blakely
CHOICE OF SONG – SUCCESS RATE
Once this series was up and running, part of the challenge for the producers was trying to guess which tracks would be riding high in the singles chart when these LP's hit the shelves. For this first volume though, the majority of tracks chosen were probably big hits at the time the LP was being made. For that reason, I'm a little surprised to see just one chart topper on this LP. It also seems strange to me why they chose to cover the Eurovision winner 'La La La' instead of the runner-up 'Congratulations' by Cliff Richard, which was probably at number 1 while this album was being recorded.
The producers did choose to take a punt on a couple of new releases though, and in the case of Cilla Black's latest offering, they got it very wrong. They were obviously hoping that Cilla's latest single would be enjoying similar success to its predecessor (Step Inside Love) when this LP hit the shelves.
Here's a rundown of the highest positions attained by the original artists with these twelve tracks.
Young Girl – No.1
My Name Is Jack – No.8
Can't Take My Eyes Off You – No.5
Blue Eyes – No.3
Something Here In My Heart – No.11
Jennifer Eccles – No.7
Do You Know The Way To San Jose – No.8
I Can't Let Maggie Go – No.8
Lovin' Things – No.6
Where Is Tomorrow – No.39
La La La – No.35
Boy – No.15
MOST CONVINCING COVER VERSION
There's a number of enjoyable tracks on this LP, but the best effort in my book is Track 1, Side 1, 'Young Girl.'
Comparison Sample – Young Girl
LEAST CONVINCING COVER VERSION
It's gotta be the naff version of Cilla's song this time.
Comparison Sample – Where Is Tomorrow
MP3 SAMPLE PLAYER
Click Play on the MP3 Sample Player to hear samples of any or all of the tracks that are featured on this LP.
All of the tracks featured on the sample player are available (at a price) as MP3 – DRM Free Downloads.
SLEEVENOTES
Welcome to the 'Pop' scene, here we present a wonderful bunch of 'Pop' goodies. All the songs on this record are Chart-Busters and we take great pleasure in reproducing them for you using the swinging-est bunch of talent on the scene. Switch on and we dare you to try and SIT through both sides.
If anybody is able to help me out with any additional information about this specific edition, especially regarding the names of any musicians who played on this LP, the identity of the cover-girl, or any other trivia, then please leave a comment below or use the 'Contact Us' link in the Main Menu.
Of course, everybody is welcome to leave comments about this LP. If you have any memories or opinions (even if they conflict with my personal opinions above), then please feel free to do so.
Keith.
* A big thank you to Chris for his much appreciated 'vocalist-ID' work.
PICKWICK POPS MENU
Home Hate-Love Discography Downloads Game Reviews
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 at 2:35 am	and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /homepages/0/d77007479/htdocs/website/pickwick-pops/wp-includes/class-wp-comment-query.php on line 405
Leave a comment.
Warning: Use of undefined constant bwt - assumed 'bwt' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /homepages/0/d77007479/htdocs/website/pickwick-pops/wp-content/themes/l2aelba-2/functions.php on line 76
Session Singers
Back To The Top↑


Many people think of the civil war in Yemen in broad terms - Shia versus Sunni, Saudi Arabia versus Iran. But what does the constant fighting mean to those in the country? Jane Ferguson examines how the ongoing struggle is affecting everyday Yemenis, providing an on-the-ground perspective on the war.
Today in Geneva, Switzerland, talks ended between Yemen's exiled government and Houthi Shiite rebels, who control that country's capital. The negotiations failed to reach even a temporary cease-fire.
Tonight, we take a close at the personal cost of the conflict, but first a bit of background. The latest turmoil can be traced back four years to the Arab spring, when an uprising ultimately led to the ousting of then President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Earlier this year, Houthi rebels, with the help of soldiers still loyal to the former leader, forced Yemen's current president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, into exile. That sparked an international military response led by Saudi Arabia.
The subsequent fighting has killed more than 1,000 civilians and displaced more than one million.
"NewsHour" special correspondent Jane Ferguson traveled to Yemen to see firsthand what life is like in rebel-controlled territory.
These rebels have ruled much of Yemen for almost a year, marching through the streets of their greatest prize, the capital, Sanaa, in a show strength and defiance.
Houthi gunmen control the streets and their politicians control the government. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of backing the Houthis. And this was Saudi Arabia's answer to that close relationship. Intensive airstrikes have pounded the country for three months.
My God. So, this is where the rocket fell.
We were among the first Western journalists to enter Sanaa since that bombardment began in March. We found neighborhoods destroyed and people terrified.
Hi there. Are there Saudi planes here? They say, yes, all the time. All the planes are Saudi. It is dangerous here?
OK. Well, then let's — let's move on then.
Survival is now the priority. In addition to airstrikes, Saudi Arabia has imposed a blockade on the country and supplies are running desperately short. Clean water is rationed by the government to families, but there isn't enough. This water station was paid for by a local businessman as charity.
Piles of garbage, which haven't been collected in months, are burnt in the streets. Lines for gas stations go on for miles, with many people sleeping in their cars for days, waiting to get fuel. Ahmed has given up trying. As a cab driver, that means no income for his family.
When was the last time you had fuel?
I went to the gas station. I stayed for two days.
Oh, my goodness. OK. And so when was the last — how often do you get to work nowadays?
I don't have — I just stay here.
Yemen's rich history has not been spared from the violence. The capital's Old City, thousands of years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been damaged.
These ancient brick buildings were brought down during bombardment, causing an international outcry.
After years of working to safeguard the Old City, Dr. Naji Thawabteh says the site is under threat.
It's very, very sensitive. Any movement will damage the houses. So, it's very difficult because it's old.
It's not made by metal or concrete. This is by this material — old bricks, ancient bricks, yes, yes. Before this crisis, the city was alive more from the tourism, and the income of the owner of the houses come to be higher. And that means they will spend money for their houses to protect.
But now, with this, they are suffering for the food, and they don't care about something for the houses — to pay something for the houses.
As destitution grows, so does anger. But the officials are blaming Saudi Arabia and its number one ally for civilian deaths.
Can you tell us why you say these attacks are done by both Saudi Arabia and the United States?
Saudi Arabia cannot do anything in the Middle East without a green light from the United States. The Saudis and the Americans have both admitted that they support them militarily, logistically and politically.
The White House said at the beginning of the bombardment that they were helping the Saudis. Most Yemenis in the street are aware of this. These shopkeepers say there is growing anger at America.
Our people, they are angry from the United States.
They're angry at the United States because?
Yes, because they are not doing anything for our people.
So, they think that the United States could tell Saudi Arabia to stop it?
Yes. They are supporting. They are supporting with the guns, by money.
Not everyone supports the Houthis. Those who hope the exiled President Hadi will return are either too frightened to speak or have left the city. The Houthis are accused of arresting and jailing people opposed to them.
Hostility between the Houthis and the Saudis is not new. The Houthis are Zaidi, followers of a Shia sect of Islam. Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni country, has accused the Houthis for years of being puppets of Shiite Iran on their doorstep.
But senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi denies any relationship with Iran.
"We don't have any links whatsoever with Iran and Iran doesn't have any influence on us," he says. "We are completely independent and separate."
While the rest of the world may view the conflict here in Yemen from the perspective of Shia vs. Sunni power, Saudi Arabia vs. Iran, most Yemenis don't really relate to those sectarian terms.
There isn't really a history of sectarianism in Yemen. And most people here say they are more loyal to their tribe than specific religious sects. The worry, however, is that sectarianism could be brought into Yemen as a result of the region-wide struggle.
You want to sit next to me here?
In Sanaa's Old City, we met Ahmed al-Dhaia, religious teacher at the Grand Mosque.
"Country leaders create these problems to stay in power," he says. "Those people who make these problems, they're not supporting Sunni or Shia. They just want power. They have a lot of money and they want to control all the country."
While the Houthis are strongly anti-American, they're even more anti-al-Qaida. Yemen is home to al-Qaida's most dangerous offshoot, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
And the U.S. has been conducting a drone strike campaign against them for years.
Yemeni journalist Nasser Arrabyee says many here are confused by the U.S.' foreign policy.
United States are supporting the enemy. They are supporting al-Qaida. They're supporting their enemy. Saudi Arabia is the factory of terrorists. Saudi Arabia is the factory of al-Qaida. And the United States, unfortunately, is supporting Saudi Arabia. So, they are supporting their enemy.
This kind of chaos has Yemenis worried about their country disintegrating. It's increasingly the chosen battleground between America and Saudi Arabia on one side and Iran on the other. It's a fight that is bringing Yemen to its knees and threatens to destroys everything in its path.
For "PBS NewsHour," this is Jane Ferguson, Sanaa, Yemen.


SSL Certificates have become essential in internet site management, due to the fact that they add a level of security that each internet site needs today. By encrypting sensitive info such as payment details or login credentials, SSLs give both website owners and guests ease and comfort and ensure the fact that no transaction or members' area is compromised. In addition, SSLs are a significant search engine results position factor.
At ENSR.com, you will be able to obtain standard and Wildcard SSL Certificates at a reasonable price. They all provide strong encryption together with a 30-day money-back warranty. A totally free re-issue is included as well, should you need it.
This dependable kind of data encryption will make your websites virtually invulnerable to online abuse.
We'll send a full refund in case you're not satisfied with the level of encoding provided by our SSLs.
Should you need help handling your SSL or wonder exactly how to redirect all site traffic to https://, our 24x7 support team will help you.


text:
Ottawan
Hands Up Ottawan 03:28
D.I.S.C.O. Otawa 03:20
T'es OK, T'es Bath, T'es In Ottawan 03:22
Crazy Music Ottawan 03:32
Qui va garder mon crocodile cet été? Ottawan 02:32
D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan, Infiltré 02:52
You're O.K. Ottawan 03:24
Haut les mains (Donne-moi ton cœur) Ottawan 03:26
D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan 03:43
Lanzamiento más popular
Alle Hits auf einer CD
de Ottawan
D.I.S.C.O.
You're O.K.
Crazy Music
Ottawan 2
Ottawan 2 (Version Française)
T'es OK, t'es bath, t'es In
Qui va garder mon crocodile cet été?
de Ottawan, Infiltré
Help, Get Me Some Help
Fais chanter le juke-box
La siest' avec toi
La Compagnie Créole
Été 80
BALADAS AMERICANAS 80'S Y 90'S
Last Christmas - The Original Soundtrack
Soirée 70
Bon Entendeur Radio
Disco with Kylie Minogue
Music For Friends by Friends of Friends
1 196 canciones - 266 fans
Sarah Zucker | Disco Playlist
The Vaults of Zagora Records Mastermind (1971-1984)
de Daniel Vangarde
Inolvidable Vol.1
Le bal (Bande originale du film d'Ettore Scola)
de Vladimir Cosma, Marcel Azzola, Roland Romanelli
Die Jury - Die besten Disco-Hits
Hit Parade, Vol. 1
Hit-Parade
Founded in France in 1979, Ottawan is a French pop music duo consisting of Caribbean-born singers Patrick Jean-Baptiste and Annette Eltice. After singing in church choirs as a child, Jean-Baptiste moved to Paris to focus on a career in music, founding the group Black Underground. Discovered by renowned music producer Daniel Vangarde in a Parisian bar, he was invite to perform with Annette Eltice, a vocalist and dancer on a new project Vangarde was creating with Belgian producer Jean Kluger. Their debut single "D.I.S.C.O" reached number 2 in September 1980 and certified silver, followed by "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" in 1981 which achieved similar chart success, climbing to number 1 in New Zealand.


All mobile device Avonet email setup for Android, Outlook, webmail, Window or iPhone on our website. We provide setup details for all over mail providers. Setting up your email has never been so easy. We provide you Avonet imap mail settings, Avonet smtp webmail settings, Avonet Incoming Mail Server or Avonet Outgoing Mail Server settings.
Avonet email setup, Avonet email support, Avonet webmail, Avonet mail, Avonet email.
Avonet check your email Avonet signup for Avonet new email address and avonet.cz sign in or login email account my mailing a check or mail services for sign in or login email.


Richard Hartnell lives at the Vulcan in Oakland, California. His career in object manipulation now carpets the USA's west coast and stretches across the Atlantic Ocean into several European countries. In 2008, Richard was a co-founder of the Bellingham Circus Guild in northwest Washington State. In 2009, he relocated to the Vulcan, a collective of movement artists in Oakland, California. He presently performs full-time, whether solo or as a member of a number of troupes.
From the fundamentals to the far reaches, Richard has a grasp of contact juggling technique that brings him repeatedly to stages worldwide. He taught contact juggling at FireDrums and this is a breakdown of some drills to work on the butterfly, one of the fundamental moves for contact juggling.
It is an easy trick to get wrong. So, here are some step, by step drills to get it right.
Get the throw on the back of the hand right. Get really comfortable and roll it around on the back of the hand. Get tosses up and down right with a really soft catch. This is called a cradle.
Find comfort with the ball in your palm to the side of you. Your elbow should be straight, but relaxed straight out to the side of your body. Throw the ball up and down. Try to get used to catching and holding the ball without using your fingers. Your fingers will want to come up to grab the ball, but that is cheating. You really have to let go, and get comfortable with the no finger catch in the middle of your palm.
Once steps 1 & 2 are easy, combine the palm and the cradle. Make sure that the elbow stays in line with the shoulder away from the body. Don't let it drop down because that will mess you up.
Once you get the throws down. Practice, the rolls keeping your fingers straight. Keeping your hand in a tight blade will complete the illusion. Isolate your elbow and you're butterflying.


For the last four weeks I have been working with the book by Delle Fowler on Sabian Symbols in Card Reading. I am wondering if there is anyone else interested in working with this system. There is still a lot I don't understand but feel that maybe we can get a group together to work through the book.


This will be a webinar during one of our chat times, initially. In subsequent years, the recording will be here.
We will discuss ministry finances, expenses, record keeping, etc.
After listening, please write a summary essay and paste it HERE. This does not have to be 200 words. Just an indication that you listened and what you learned.


text:
Red Light Cameras Make a Few People Wealthy on the Backs of Poor Chicagoans
by Lionel Carter
Courtesy of michael kooiman (Flickr CC0)
Chicago has the largest photo enforcement of red light cameras and speed cameras than any other city in America, according to Executive Director of Citizens to Abolish Red-light Cameras, Mark J. Wallace in an interview with Chicago Leader. Red light cameras make "a few people very very wealthy on the backs of people who can least afford it."
The city of Chicago has received a whopping $30 million in fines within a 10-month period in 2021 from traffic cameras. That is $30 million more than the previous three years at the cost of those who can barely afford the payments.
There are 69 "safety zones" that hold a total of 162 "race-neutral" cameras. New research conducted by the University of Illinois-Chicago reveals that Black, Latino, and low-income residents are harmed financially by automated traffic cameras. They were intended to reduce fatal accidents, yet they have fallen short with front-end collisions decreasing by 15% while rear-end collisions increased by 22%. This statistic indicates that accidents have actually increased at red light camera intersections.
The study also discovered nearly half of tickets received by low-income recipients incur late fees and additional penalties before they are paid. For example, a $35 ticket can bump up to $85 and a $100 ticket to $244 whereas upper-income drivers only see 17% in additional penalties.
Mark J. Wallace Executive Director Citizens to Abolish Red-Light Cameras
The two professors that conducted the study in the UIC Department of Urban Planning and Policy are asking city leaders and officials to revamp the current inequitable system.
The traffic system unjustifiably hurts minority and low-income Chicagoans and needs to be reformed. Roughly $14.4 million in tickets from the predominantly impoverished South Side, in the first 10 months of 2021, equates to nearly 20% of the total take.
Additionally, on March 1, 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot decreased the 10 mph tolerance to 6 mph. This has contributed to a tremendous spike in tickets.
Low-income individuals have less money to focus on paying debts, which is why African Americans and Latinos are more affected by tickets. "The consequences have been especially punishing in Black neighborhoods, which have been hit with more than a half of one billion dollars in penalties over the last 15 years, contributing to thousands of vehicle impoundments, driver's license suspensions, and bankruptcies," according to a ProPublica analysis.
The City of Chicago is aggressively ticketing to boost revenue. This tactic affects minorities disproportionately compared to other races, according to the UIC study. It also creates more business for law firms.
Drivers who have to get back behind the wheel for economic advancement and education only have two choices: either get on a city payment plan that they cannot afford, or file bankruptcy with its myriad of negative consequences.
In his plan to aggressively step up collection of fees and fines, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel stated in 2011: "If you owe a parking ticket, you owe a bill. You have to pay. That's true, first of all, for anybody. The free ride is over for everybody."
"There hasn't been anything more than lip-service" from the Aldermen and other elected officials representing the Black and Latino communities, explains Wallace. "We have had conversations with Alderman, offline, who say something appeasing to our ears but it doesn't translate into something substantive."
Ald. Anthony Beale (Ward 9) "made a veiled attempt to get Mayor Lightfoot to change the threshold between amber and red lights back from three to six seconds. That has gone nowhere," Wallace asserts.
Courtesy of Ambernectar 13 (Flickr CC0)
Ald. Michelle Harris (Ward 8) once stated, "well, you know, Black folks drive really badly, they are reckless drivers."
"This is a Black woman saying this about her Black constituents," Wallace points out.
Speed and red light camera companies have been funneling a lot of money to representative's campaigns, anywhere from $2,500 to $15,000. "In the 2015 election, we had more than 274 candidates sign a pledge to abolish the traffic cameras if they were elected. Eight were elected. One reversed the decision and the others did nothing," Wallace asserts.
In January, 2020, "Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza called on communities to reconsider their red-light camera programs. She said her office would no longer assist municipalities in collecting unpaid tickets," according to the non-profit Illinois Policy Institute.
Senator Mattie Hunter, a strong opponent of red light cameras, drafted a bill that was supposed to enact a statewide ban on photo enforcement of red light cameras and speed cameras. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit causing the bipartisan bill to stall.
From its inception, the entire red light camera system was to be put in place under the guise of safety and placed at intersections that had the highest rates of traffic. However, a Texas A&M study, in conjunction with the Chicago Tribune, found that approximately 50% of those cameras should never have been installed because half of those intersections had only experienced one traffic crash over a 12-month period. This evidence suggests that safety may have disguised the primary objective in the placement of these red light cameras.
Given the fact that the city of Chicago has collected more than $30 million in fines over the last 10 months suggests that revenue was the reason for red light cameras all along. This is why Wallace and his coalition are demanding the city to do "the right and just thing; to eliminate this system and find another way to generate revenue that the municipalities need in terms of balancing their budgets and managing their governments. We should not be implementing unjust policies [masquerading] as safety…, purely because they generate a lot of money." And to generate money on the backs of Chicago's poor Black and Brown residents is even more reason red light cameras should be discontinued, Wallace concludes.
Written by Lionel Carter and TNS Staff
Interview: Mark J. Wallace Executive Director Citizens to Abolish Red-Light Cameras on Jan. 17, 2022
ProPublica: Chicago's "Race-Neutral" Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most; by Emily Hopkins and Melissa Sanchez
ProPublica Illinois: How Chicago Ticket Debt Sends Black Motorists Into Bankruptcy; by Melissa Sanchez and Sandhya Kambhampati
Illinois Policy: Lightfoot Admits Speed Cameras Hurt Low-Income Chicagoans More; by Patrick Andriesen
ABC News: Emanuel says 'free ride' over
Chicago Tribune: Yellow lights shorter in Chicago; by Bob Secter, Erika Slife and John Owens and Tribune reporters
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of michael kooiman's Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Zoom Meeting Interview Screenshot – Mark J. Wallace
Second Insert Image Courtesy of Ambernectar 13's Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Tags: red light CamerasTraffic CameraTraffic Cameras
Lionel Carter
American Caste System Endures


Order your 2 oz Monarch Hand Poured Marigold silver skull from our shop online to enjoy the web's best price. Monarch Precious Metals, renowned for their hand poured and stamped masterpieces, brings you this "Day of the Dead" sugar skull inspired art bar.
The top of each three dimensional silver sugar skull is artfully adorned with stylized marigolds and vines, all arrayed symetrically to startling effect. Tonation varies from black and grey to icey blue and even a gorgeous rainbow effect which can be seen within the cast detailing.
The base of each skull is hand stamped with the Monarch crown logo. Also on the base, you will find details of metal content, weight and purity.
Each art bar is finished with a hand painted antique finish that adds depth and ensures no two skulls are exactly alike. Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos and enrich your holdings with a 2 oz Monarch Hand Poured Marigold silver skull today!
Obverse Hand stamped Monarch crown logo, with the words " 2 Troy ounces 999 fine silver"
Hand stamped Monarch crown logo, with the words " 2 Troy ounces 999 fine silver"
2 oz Monarch Precious Metals Hand Poured Marigold Silver Skull Order your 2 oz Monarch Hand Poured Marigold silver skull from our shop online to enjoy the web's best price. Monarch Precious Metals, renowned for their hand poured and stamped masterpieces, brings you this "Day of the Dead" sugar skull inspired art bar. The top of each three dimensional silver sugar skull is artfully adorned with stylized marigolds and vines, all arrayed symetrically to startling effect. Tonation varies from black and grey to icey blue and even a gorgeous rainbow effect which can be seen within the cast detailing. The base of each skull is hand stamped with the Monarch crown logo. Also on the base, you will find details of metal content, weight and purity. Each art bar is finished with a hand painted antique finish that adds depth and ensures no two skulls are exactly alike. Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos and enrich your holdings with a 2 oz Monarch Hand Poured Marigold silver skull today!


We briefly interviewed Zlatko Michailov, author of the Guide to Implementing Custom TPL Dataflow Blocks.
InfoQ: What types of applications do you think are especially suited for TPL Dataflow? Which do you see as inappropriate?
TPL Dataflow is a stream processing platform. For instance, streams of audio/video frames, streams of price quotes, etc. It is especially useful when the messages come at a high frequency. That's when you can make a difference between an efficient platform and a non-efficient one.
An additional benefit of using a dataflow platform in general is that the topology of the dataflow network takes part in the processing. Thus the application consists of individual, small yet narrowly focused delegates. That makes the application easier to maintain.
InfoQ: Do you see TPL Dataflow as an advanced technique that is only going to be used by a few? Or do you think it will largely replace working directly with Tasks much like Tasks superseded threads?
Neither. TPL Dataflow doesn't replace tasks. (I don't think tasks replaced threads either. Tasks filled in a gap in the concurrent programming space.) TPL Dataflow implements patterns using tasks. While the main pattern is stream processing, each block is very general and could be used for other purposes. For instance, the WriteOnce block was designed to be used as a request-response mechanism – a WriteOnce block is instantiated upon a request and once the response data is written to it, it automatically completes, so that the requestor can continue asynchronously. Another example is ActionBlock in combination with the MaxDegreeOfParallelism option – it could be used as throttling mechanism that prevents more than a given number of processing tasks to execute at the same time. A third example is the BufferBlock in combination with the BoundedCapacity option which throttles the data feed. So I see TPL Dataflow as generally applicable.
InfoQ: For a novice just starting out with TPL Dataflow, what would you say are the most important things for them to learn?
This is purely my opinion - the most important thing is to realize that threads are expensive and the OS should not be pressured to create unnecessary threads. Developers should focus on the dependencies among tasks and should rely on the OS/framework to schedule those tasks.
Specifically about TPL Dataflow, I'd advise developers to experiment with each block individually. Chances are you'll discover a block implements a pattern you frequently use. If you see a pattern that is close to the one you use but not quite like it, consider encapsulating multiple built-in blocks to make up that pattern. If that still doesn't do it, you may be able to write a simple synchronous block that will fill in the gap.
InfoQ: Would you recommend mixing TPL Dataflow and Windows Workflow together?
WF's goal is to enable persistent flows that usually take days or even months to complete. Its focus is on reliability, not on performance. TPL Dataflow targets purely performance. Its goal is to utilize the available hardware cores in the most efficient possible way. So technically you can mix the two technologies. My guess would be you can use TPL Dataflow within a WF step.