text:
Racial Disparities in Student Arrests Is An Epidemic Affecting Children Nationwide
By Sarah Hinger, Staff Attorney, ACLU Racial Justice Program
February 3, 2017 | 2:00 PM
Race and Inequality in Education
WEB16-Blog-religion-schools-1160x768.jpg
Black students make up 15.5 percent of school enrollment nationwide but a staggering 33.4 percent of students arrested. This alarming finding comes from Education Week's analysis of the latest federal Civil Rights Data Collection from the 2013-2014 school year.
This is a problem for all parts of our country. As Education Week reports, racial disparities are found in 43 of our 50 states and in the District of Columbia. In most of these states, the share of Black students arrested is at least 10 percentage points higher than their share of enrollment in schools with at least one arrest.
The federal data does not include information on why students were arrested or referred to law enforcement, but other sources reveal that the majority of school-based arrests and referrals are for misdemeanor offenses, like disorderly conduct or fighting that would otherwise be handled by school administrators.
Georgia Juvenile Court Judge Steven Teske recalls that after police were placed in local schools, misdemeanor referrals to court increased by 1,248 percent, while more serious felony referrals did not increase. As Judge Teske found, in Clayton County, like many places in America, the lack of resources for assessment and treatment "create[d] a greater demand for punishers in the form of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests." System reforms focused on prevention and treatment dramatically improved the situation in Clayton County.
In South Carolina, the ACLU is challenging the state's "disturbing schools" law, which leads to criminal charges for anything from refusing to follow instructions or cursing to speaking out against the abusive treatment of a classmate. The required discretion in deciding which instances of adolescent conduct constitute criminal disruption leads to discriminatory impacts. In Charleston, Black students are more than six times as likely as their white peers to be viewed as criminally disruptive.
As Education Week finds, arrests and referrals are also more likely to occur at schools with police, and Black and Latino students are more likely to attend a middle or high school with an on-site law enforcement officer. The disparity is most pronounced in middle schools, where 59 percent of Black students attend a school with onsite police compared with 47 percent of white students and 40 percent of Asian students.
The correlation between law enforcement presence and school arrests and referrals is likely higher than is reflected in the voluntarily reported federal data. For example, Hawaii, which reports the highest percentage of students referred to law enforcement and the second highest percentage of students arrested, does not report any law enforcement officer stationed in schools. However, police officers do have a significant presence in Hawaii schools. As recently as 2014, the Hawaii County Police Department received a federal grant to fund school police officers, and in 2015, Hawaii News Now reported that in the city of Wetumpka alone, 20 police officers were assigned to schools.
Recent incidents — like a police officer in South Carolina violently tearing a young girl from her desk or an officer in North Carolina body slamming a young girl — have prompted many to question whether police officers belong in schools. Data reports, like last week's Education Week reporting, show us that school policing is a matter of nationwide significance that affects racial justice and educational equity. When students of color are met with a police response, they are also more likely to be a part of the 1.6 million students who attend a school with a cop but no counselor.
Approaching the education of children through law and order policies is wrong. It perpetuates fear tinged by racial stereotypes and undermines the supportive learning environment that every child deserves. In the words of Justice Stevens, school is the "first opportunity most citizens have to experience the power of government. . . . The values they learn there, they take with them in life."
Our schools should not prepare Black children to be treated as criminals. Rather, all children should learn from their education that they are valued and deserving of support.
Cassandra roberts
I have been in a battle with SMPDfor seven years for racism and got emails to prove it
The students of my (georgia) high school are unafraid to openly talk about using substances while on school grounds, dealing, and even using in the parking lot or the bathrooms. Our SRO does absolutely nothing and there's no way he doesn't know by now. There's spit tobacco everywhere and at least six cars that smell like cigarettes and marijuana.
Al.Ped
That's every high school in America. All things that should be addressed thru counseling and can be more easily overcome with support and not punishment for nothing disguised as reform.
I'm proud to have been arrested as white student.
Dan M.
Sounds like my "high" school back in the 70's. We had a smoking area, that's where we used to get high before class. Get over it it's not a big deal.
I work in inner city K-12 public schools which are predominantly black and poor. The kids often have little in the way of real parenting and the administrator's hands are tied by courts to do anything. The schools I work in are largely zoos and it's not a surprise to me that many of these children would or will end up in jail. Some of the worst classes are where the teachers make excuses for them instead of even attempting some discipline. It's sad but this statistic is not shocking to me, hell it sounds low.
How can a person "Parent" when they have to work two, three jobs and are still living in poverty?
How can a person "Parent" when home has always been full of people that keep chasing that elusive euphoric first high that will never be found again.
The whole child needs care.
Rhodes scholar
More bullshit liberal boame ducking.
Real cultures have 2 parent households that are insured by social stigmas against bastard children and shunning of women and men who sire them.
Also unemployment is viewed with shame not a way to leech of the government and tax dollars of their betters.
Black American culture is a joke that should be despised and ridiculed not celebrated. Real Africans who come here hate lazy black Americans
So are you saying you could reduce student arrests by 33.4% if you reduce the black school enrollment to 0.0 percent?
Salero21
I'll guess you maybe right, that's one way to look at the way is written.
Disrupting, disturbing and interrupting the Normal course of a Service offered by the Government ["Education"] is indeed delinquency, not just misdemeanor is also a Felony and it ought to be handle as such by the proper authority trained for the purpose namely the Police.
End the Culture of Warrior Policing
The FBI Won't Hand Over Its Surveillance Records on 'Black Identity...
Why School Psychologists Are Worried About the Mental Health of America's...
The Legal System Has Failed Black Girls, Women, and Non-Binary Survivors of...
Federal Data Shows Public Schools Nationwide Are a Hotbed of Racial Injustice
Innocent Students Are Getting Criminalizing Probation in One California County


Midway Atoll is a vital seabird conservation area where millions of birds go to breed and nest every year. Luckily, dedicated conservationists at the Friends of Midway Atoll work to preserve, protect, and restore the islands.
Midway Atoll is an isolated spot of land located on the far northern end of the Hawaiian archipelago. Due to the island's location, approximately half-way between the US and Asia, it was an important Naval Air Facility until1993. Now, the island is a wildlife refuge and is home to Bonin Petrels, Endangered Laysan Ducks, and the world's largest colony of Laysan Albatross. The surrounding marine area is also an important habitat for Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals, Green Sea Turtles and Spinner Dolphins. To preserve the island's biodiversity, The Friends of Midway Atoll (FOMA) was established in 1999. This amazing and dedicated group supports conservation projects on the islands and helps to preserve the area and restore the biological diversity.
Friends of Midway Atoll and partners are currently working on a project to protect nesting Black-Footed Albatross and Laysan Albatross from invasive mice. In the last few years, mice attacks have increased dramatically from the occasional incident to hundreds of attacks on nesting Albatross resulting in nest abandonment, injury, and death. This is a huge threat to the world's largest Laysan Albatross colony which rely on the remote atoll to be a safe place where they can nest and raise their young. The Friends of Midway Atoll is a supporting partner in the effort to remove the mice and create a safe habitat for the seabirds. This is just one of many examples of the Friends of Midway Atoll's inspiring work. If you're interested in learning more about the Friends of Midway Atoll and the Midway Seabird Protection Project you can read their recent newsletter.


text:
Marvel Studios working on behind-the-scenes video of Stan Lee's cameos
Tuesday, 23 April 2019 | PTI | Los Angeles
Marvel Studios is paying homage to comic book legend Stan Lee by compiling all the behind-the-scenes video of his numerous cameos in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies.
The studio is planning to release the video, possibly as an extra when "Avengers: Endgame" is released for in-home viewing.
"We've put a video together. We've never done this before, a behind-the-scenes of every cameo. All the B-roll that was shot and his stand-ups there. His passing was very emotional for all of us, but it suddenly all came back to me just when I watched it," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly.
The footage dates back to the origins of MCU with 2008's "Iron Man", in which Lee appeared on the the red carpet outside a concert hall for a Tony Stark event and is mistaken by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) for Hugh Hefner.
Feige also revealed that he had kept Stan Lee's voicemail saved on his phone for the longest time.
"He left me a voicemail once, in 2004 or something. I'd never gotten a voicemail from Stan Lee, and I kept it for years until I think the phone disintegrated. But it was: 'Fearless Feige! Stan Lee here….' I listened to it over and over and over. That's what he was always like — always supportive," he said.
The studio is currently looking forward to the release of "Avengers: Endgame", which is touted as the culmination of the decade long journey of the MCU, comprising 22 films.
"Avengers: Endgame" is set to release in India on April 26 in English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) reported on Tuesday a 1.7 per cent rise in third-quarter operating profit, helped by an unexpected growth from cargo and mail, while net fuel costs fell.
Profit reached S$293 million (US$207 million) for the three months ended Dec 31, S$5 million up from the same period last year, reports The Channel NewsAsia.
The carrier, a barometer of the health of Asia's airline industry, said "2017 is expected to be another challenging year amid tepid global economic conditions and geopolitical concerns, alongside other market headwinds such as overcapacity and aggressive pricing by competitors".


On Wednesday, October 27, 2005, the new National Intelligence Strategy of the United States was released by the Director of National Intelligence, terrorist and war criminal John Negroponte. (download the full document is here, see the official press release here).
The document's foreword, written by Negroponte, immediately states that the Strategy is based on the "new concept of 'national intelligence' codified by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act passed by Congress in 2004", its origins in the "tragedy of September 11, 2001", and President George W. Bush's National Security Strategy of the United States".
In other words, the Strategy is a strengthening and solidification of the existing Homeland/National Security apparatus into a more centralized structure (with more power and control in the hands of the Executive Branch), consolidating multiple agencies, including the CIA. The objectives are unchanged, based on the original 9/11/ "war on terrorism" construct, and further inspired ("codified") by the 9/11 Commission whitewash and other more recent variations on 9/11-pretext "anti-terrorism".
Brimming with Orwellian language and bureaucrat-speak, the Strategy promises a lot of the same "war on terrorism"---and what is not the same is worse.
Prevent and counter the spread of WMDs.
Bolster growth of democracy. This includes the "support of diplomatic and military efforts (including pre-and post-conflict) where intervention is necessary".
Anticipate developments of "strategic concern".
In an analysis of the new Strategy by the Washington Post's Walter Pincus, the renewed emphasis on "bolstering democracies in foreign country" and working with/through foreign intelligence services are new, according to two former senior intelligence officers queried by Pincus. But given the fact that "soft power" intelligence and covert operations are as old as the "tradecraft" itself.
In the same vein, the establishment of "new and strengthened relationships with foreign intelligence services, according to Pincus, "appears to conflict with goals recently set by CIA Director Porter Goss, who told his agency he wants to increase unilateral human intelligence collection and reduce reliance on foreign liason relationships." The truth, in contrast to Pincus' suggestion, is that beefed up unilateral and foreign human intelligence are not (and never have been) mutually exclusive.
What the new Strategy does suggest is that the bellicose "go-it-alone" approach of the scandal-ridden Bush administration has become a political liability, which has forced a renewed emphasis on less overt/more subtle methods of intervention, more reliance on foreign agencies, fronts and proxies, and better plausible deniability. This is nothing new. It is an opportunistic return to "classic" methods.
This adjustment in style does not change or derail the "mission objectives" that have been in place since 9/11. If anything, it heralds an even more dangerous, slicker, and more potent international police apparatus, bigger than ever, led by a master of terrorism in Negroponte.
Elsewhere, the Strategy lays out ten goals, or "enterprise objectives", focusing on the restructuring of the national intelligence bureaucracy. The recommendations include the steps pushed by the corrupt and fraudulent 9/11 Commission whitewash (also see this analysis). The Strategy also (in laughably self-conscience wordage) calls for "human source collection with the highest traditions of professionalism and intellectual prowess".
If successfully executed, the elimination of inter-agency conflict could result in an international clandestine force of unprecedented reach and depth.
One of the most pernicious aspects of the Strategy is the official sanction of something that has been in the works throughout 2005: the unleashing of the National Clandestine Service, headed by CIA Director Porter Goss.
A deepening of the national security apparatus into every corner of the nation is made explicit, under the enterprise objective of "expanding reporting of information and intelligence value from state, local and tribal law enforcement entities and private sector stakeholders". The United States, already a police state, will now be officially and thoroughly infested down to the local level.
The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States changes nothing about what matters. The National Security/Homeland Security machine remains an abomination, deadly and criminal from the CIA's founding in 1947 to the present.
"It engages in espionage and counter-espionage, in propaganda and disinformation (the deliberate circulation of false information), in psychological warfare and paramilitary activities. It penetrates and manipulates private institutions, and creates its own organizations (called "proprietaries") when necessary. It recruits officials to carry out its most unsavory tasks. It does whatever is required to achieve its goals, without any consideration of the ethics involved or the moral consequences of its actions."
"The 'clandestine mentality' is a mind-set that thrives on secrecy and deception. It encourages professional amorality—the belief that righteous goals can be achieved through the use of unprincipled and normally unacceptable means."
"Deeply embedded within the clandestine mentality is the belief that human ethics and social laws have no bearing on covert operations or their practitioners. The intelligence profession, because of lofty 'national security' goals, is free from all moral restrictions."
"The extreme secrecy in which the CIA works increases the chances that a President will call it into action. He does not have to justify the agency's activities to Congress, the press, or the American people, so, barring premature disclosure there is no institutional force within the United States to stop him from doing what he wants."
And absolute power continues to corrupt absolutely.
Negroponte Unveils USA's "National Intelligence Strategy"
Future turf battles between the US Director of National Intelligence bureaucratic layer and the US Department of Defense, which has seen its intelligence functions broaden during the War on Terror, seem likely. Given that fact, and the linkage between the key industrial partners for the intelligence and defense industries, it's worthwhile to pay attention to intelligence-related developments.
A recent DefenseLINK article described "The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America: Transformation through Integration and Innovation" [PDF format] as "the blueprint for improving the intelligence community's information gathering and assessment capabilities for the 21st century." In the document itself, the new DNI John Negroponte says: "A strategy is a statement of fundamental values, highest priorities, and action toward the future, but it is an action document as well." Actually, that isn't what a strategy is. Nor is it what one will find in this document.
Readers of the document will find instead a wish list, full of motherhood-and-apple-pie goals. It contains no substantive assessment of or even reference to past weaknesses, or reasons that the intelligence apparatus has fallen short; no communication of the realistic trade-offs involved or the limits of intelligence in the modern age; and no clear statement of the key sources of future intelligence advantage, let alone how an interrelated system will be created to exploit them. It also lacks any action specifics or metrics beyond a couple of minor items about creating a lessons learned function and an integrated financial system, plus some mentions of future plans to come from specific personnel.
If it is to be compared to corporate document, a closer comparison may be a corporate vision statement. Readers are invited to peruse the full document themselves and form their own impressions.
Note that the Acrobat document was modified so cutting and pasting from it produces nonsense characters. At least we can all breathe easy knowing that the secrets in this document are secure.


The U.S. Constitution Exam is required to become an Intern or for credential candidates who have not met the CCTC course requirement for clearing their Preliminary Credential.
If you graduated from a CSU campus, you have already met this requirement.
Show evidence on your official transcript of having taken a course in U.S. government or politics. An AP government course counts if it appears on your college transcript showing 2 or more units credit. This UC Davis course equivalency site gives good information on what courses are approved or rejected for fulling this requirement in colleges or universities across California.
Complete a course (two semester units or three quarter units) in the provisions and principles of the United States Constitution.
Pass an examination in the subject given by a regionally accredited community college, college, or university. Here is NDNU Online Exam page.


text:
<?php

namespace Core\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

/**
 * DocumentType
 *
 * @ORM\Table(name="document_type")
 * @ORM\Entity
 */
class DocumentType {

    /**
     * @var integer
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="id", type="integer", nullable=false)
     * @ORM\Id
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="IDENTITY")
     */
    private $id;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="document_type", type="string", length=50, nullable=false)
     */
    private $documentType;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="people_type", type="string", length=1, nullable=false)
     */
    private $peopleType;

    /**
     * Constructor
     */
    public function __construct() {

    }

    /**
     * Get id
     *
     * @return integer
     */
    public function getId() {
        return $this->id;
    }

    /**
     * Set documentType
     *
     * @param string $documentType
     * @return DocumentType
     */
    public function setDocumentType($documentType) {
        $this->documentType = $documentType;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get documentType
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getDocumentType() {
        return $this->documentType;
    }

    /**
     * Set peopleType
     *
     * @param string $peopleType
     * @return DocumentType
     */
    public function setPeopleType($peopleType) {
        $this->peopleType = $peopleType;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get peopleType
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getPeopleType() {
        return $this->peopleType;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Life at OSU »
Marine Science Media Fellowship
Invading weed threatens devastation to western rangelands
The journal publication the story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/bt7dox
CORVALLIS, Ore. - A new field study confirms that an invasive weed called medusahead has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions of acres of grazing land almost worthless.
The research, by scientists from Oregon State University and the Agricultural Research Service, was one of the most comprehensive studies ever done that compared the "relative growth rate" of this invasive annual grass to that of other competing species in natural field conditions.
It found that medusahead has a faster growth rate, a longer period of growth and produced more total biomass even than cheatgrass - another invading species that is a major problem in its own right, but not as devastating as medusahead.
"Medusahead is now spreading at about 12 percent a year over 17 western states," said Seema Mangla, a researcher in the OSU College of Forestry. "Once established, it's very hard to get rid of. It displaces native grasses and even other invasive species that animals can still eat. Unless we do more to stop it, medusahead will take over much of the native grassland in the West.
"This is a devil species," she said.
Research is identifying some other grass species, including crested wheatgrass and Sandberg's bluegrass, that may be able to compete with medusahead, reduce its spread and preserve the grazing value of lands, Mangla said. They are also studying new ways of restoring medusahead-infested areas. But so far, medusahead has received very little attention compared to other threats such as cheatgrass, even though it ultimately poses a far greater threat to ecosystems across the West.
Cheatgrass is a serious problem on more than 50 million acres, Mangla said, but grazing animals can still eat it. The new study makes it clear that cheatgrass and native grasses may all eventually be replaced by medusahead, which eliminates more than 80 percent of the grazing value of land.
Experts at the Oregon Department of Agriculture say that once land is invaded by medusahead, it becomes largely worthless, incapable of supporting native animals, birds or livestock.
The sharp and twisting points on the tips of medusahead injure the eyes and mouths of animals, and give the plant its name - based on the female monster in Greek mythology that had hair composed of writhing snakes. The plant takes up other soil resources and its deep root system soaks up limited moisture. It creates fuel for wildfires, has a high silicon content that wears away the teeth of animals, is virtually inedible, and it prevents many other plants from germinating.
"Annual grass invasion is driving one of the largest changes in vegetation structure ever documented," the researchers wrote in their new study. "This conversion has major negative impacts on ecosystem function, wildlife and fire regimes.
"We expect that medusahead will continue to invade both native perennial and less-undesirable invasive annual grasslands, because of its higher relative growth rate and extended period of growth," they reported.
Medusahead is not a new problem, only a rapidly worsening one. Native to the Mediterranean region, it was imported to the United States in the late 1880s and has gradually established footholds since then.
It's now found on about 2.5 million acres in the U.S. - much less than other invading species such as cheatgrass - but it's widespread in the Pacific Northwest and most of Oregon, including the Willamette Valley. Its impact on ecosystems when established is far greater than some other species, experts say, and it has evolved many traits that allow it to invade North America.
"For too long we've treated these invasive species as something you just mow, spray with herbicides, or chop out somehow, and then forget about them," Mangla said. "That just treats the symptoms but doesn't get to the underlying problem. If we're going to stop something like medusahead, we have to better understand its ecology and find ways to compete with it."
The new study - one of the first of its type - is a step toward that, she said. Researchers now have a better target to aim at, in identifying plants that have some ecological characteristics similar to medusahead, and are useful species that may be able to better compete with it once they are established.
"However, this plant is easier to keep out than it is to get rid of," Mangla said. "The time to stop it from taking over the West is now, before it becomes much more widely established. And it has not gotten the attention it deserves."
This research was just published in the Journal of Arid Environments. It was done by OSU and the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, which is a joint cooperative between the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station and the Agricultural Research Service. This project was part of an area-wide program managing annual grassland ecosystems by the USDA-ARS. It included two years of field studies in 2008 and 2009 near Burns, Ore., in which medusahead growth in specific plots was compared to that of other species.
"Our results suggest that the continued invasion and dominance of medusahead onto native grasslands will continue to increase in severity," the researchers wrote in their report.
Editor's Note: B-roll video to illustrate this story is available online and for download:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVuy4b2E7zg
Broadcast version: https://files.me.com/universitymarketing/feojcf.mov
Click photos to see a full-size version. Right click and save image to download.
Seema Mangla, 541-737-8475
Grab a feed of news and stories for your site.


Despite having released multiple phones with support for wireless charging last year, Apple has still yet to release an official wireless charger of its own. The AirPower multi-device charger was announced last year, but as of right now, it still doesn't even have a release date. Thankfully, accessory makers have picked up the slack and given iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus owners plenty of options to choose from if they decide to go the wireless route.
Most wireless chargers on the market are small, circular pads that sit on your desk or a bedside table, but on Monday, Logitech unveiling the Powered Wireless Charging Stand, which is its first to hit store shelves. Unlike other wireless chargers, you can actually prop your iPhone up in the Logitech stand, vertically or horizontally.
"Whether charging your iPhone overnight on a nightstand, at your desk in the daytime, or anywhere a charger can sit, [the Powered wireless charger] holds your iPhone in a snug and comfortable position so you can check notifications, read a recipe, FaceTime with friends or watch your favorite shows in either portrait or landscape mode – all while charging your device," reads the description on Logitech's blog post from Monday.
Logitech goes on to explain that the rubberized u-shape cradle, apparently designed "in collaboration with Apple," can support an iPhone with a case up to 3mm thick, and ensures consumers that they won't have to adjust the phone — just drop it in. The charger delivers up to 7.5W charging for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, but just 5W for other Qi-enabled devices.
Logitech's Powered Wireless Charging Stand will be available later this month for $69.99.


Tag Archives for " Google Search Console "
The video above is a replay of a recent live webinar I conducted. Combined with the text below you should have a pretty good feel for how to use the new Google Search Console.
There is a tremendous amount of interest in Google tools, especially for small business owners because these are important tools and they change a lot, making them difficult to stay on top of.
One of the tools that deserve a lot of attention these days is Google Search Console, so I thought I'd cover some of the basics here to help get you started.
Google My Business: This tool is especially important for local businesses. Google seems to be putting a lot of energy into making improvements in this space, which, to me, is a sign that this tool isn't going away. If you're a local business and haven't gotten started with this yet, I suggest you begin here.
Google Analytics: This is a free tool that allows businesses to understand their traffic and other relevant data.
Google Search Console: Partnering Google Analytics with the Google Search Console is how you get the most complete picture of what's going on in terms of people finding your website, clicking on search results, and so on.
Google AdWords: For a lot of small business owners, paid search is the way they generate leads and customers.
These elements all have the ability to be integrated with one another and you should take advantage of this to get a full picture.
If you're relatively familiar with Google tools, you may remember Webmaster Tools. Google Search Console has replaced that (in fact, if you type in "Webmaster Tools," you'll get directed to Google Search Console).
In addition, there is also now a new version of Google Search Console but you can still get access to the older version. You'll find that you'll jump back and forth between new and old because there are elements in each that are better than the other version.
In my opinion, the dashboard serves as the landing place when you log in but it doesn't really provide any valuable or actionable information. The menu on the left side of the page is where you want to focus your time.
Messages: If you have any messages, this is the area where Google will let you know. In my opinion, this is reason enough to have a Google Search Console account. If there is something wrong with your website (including it being hacked), Google will let you know here.
Search Appearance: The sections under Search Appearance include Structured Data, Rich Cards, Data Highlighter, HTML Improvements, and Accelerated Mobile Pages. I personally love HTML Improvements because it will show you the pages Google looks at that let you know if you have duplicate or missing title tags, or that the tags are too long or too short, and so on. It shows you actionable steps you can take to improve your site pages.
Search Traffic: Within this category, there is a tool called Search Analytics that will show you just that, metrics that give you insight into how your site's performing with traffic, including clicks, impressions, and CTR. It will also give you keyword rankings for terms you're going for. It'll essentially show you what's sending traffic to your site. I look here for opportunities of where to start for places I could rank.
Search Traffic also includes an area called Manual Actions where Google will show you why they may be penalizing your site for various reasons and how you can take action to fix them. Mobile Usability under the same section will show you what's wrong with your site from a mobile standpoint.
Google Index: This is where you can see what pages Google has indexed (as the name implies).
Crawl: Here, you can see how Google actually sees your pages. This becomes important when you're trying to see why pages aren't ranking. This can also show you 404 pages that need to be cleaned up.
As you can see, there aren't nearly as many tabs on the left-hand side in this version. It only includes Performance and Index Coverage. They're useful, but as I mentioned, this tool really becomes useful when you dive deeper, which is why it's important to jump back and forth between each of the versions.
The Performance Report in the new version, however, has a lot more information than the previous version and I believe it's the best feature of the new one. You have the ability to look at the past 16 months of data, which can be very useful when identifying trends and patterns.
You need to verify you are the owner. Not anybody can just set up an account for any site. You need to go through the process to claim you are the owner or have access to the site.
I usually click on Alternate Methods (see image to the right) and select Google Analytics because this seems to be the easiest way to verify if your analytics account is already set up.
This gives Google the opportunity to be able to index the pages on your site. If you use WordPress, the Yoast plugin will automatically produce a sitemap for you and gives you a link to submit to Google (there are other tools that do this as well but I tend to go with this one).
Once you have the link, go to Crawl in the old version of Google Search Console and click Sitemaps, which is where you'll be able to submit it. You may not see the information populated immediately but it will happen over time.
Once your account is set up, go look at your messages immediately. It may take a few days for messages to show up, but you'll want to see them as soon as they do.
This will allow you to see search term performance data within Google Analytics which isn't there by default.
It may take a bit for information and recommendations to populate, so be patient!
Analyzing the performance of your website is one of my favorite components of the Google Search Console.
You can see actual search terms people are using to find the pages that they land on on your site. Google Search Console is the only place you can get this information.
As mentioned this is a great way to see trends, but it's also a great way to see improvement for your business or your client's business.
This ranking factor isn't talked about very much, but it's important. Understanding your CTR and ways to improve it can help you get an extra SEO boost. CTR is where I often spot opportunities for ranking and conversion. On page one, aim for at least 5% CTR. You can view CTRs under the Performance tab on the updated version of Google Search Console.
Looking at a combination of search terms, impressions, CTR, and position on Google can help you identify areas of opportunity to rank and convert. To make a CTR better for any given page, look at the metadata, including title and description, for the page.
While the description isn't technically a ranking factor, it is an ad for the page. See how you can improve it to make the page more enticing. Additionally, see how you can improve the content and on-page elements of that page to make it more clickable. Consider adding internal links to the page as well to increase dwell time which can also help to boost CTR and rank.
To see what search terms are bringing traffic on individual pages, look at Pages within the performance report, click on the page, and then click on Queries to see what search terms are for that page specifically instead of the site as a whole. Whichever term is bringing in the best results, that's the one you should consider optimizing the page for moving forward.
The Performance report is really where the new version of Google Search Console shines.
Did you know your internal linking structure is a ranking factor? So, if you have a page that's ranking, and performing well, but isn't quite in the top three spots on Google, linking to it from other pages of your website could give you that extra boost to move you into those desired spots.
In the older version of Google Search Console, click Internal Links to gain valuable information as it relates to this ranking factor. You can see how many pages are driving to a particular link and see what areas could use a boost.
If you click on Links to Your Site in the menu, it will show you sites that are linking to your pages from external sites (another ranking factor). This tool will give you insight into areas of opportunity to get additional backlinks to your site.
The pages that already have a lot of backlinks are what I like to refer to as Power Pages because they have a lot of authority. I'll often try to use those pages to link to other pages of the site that I'm working on to increase rank.
When I'm in the Performance Report, I want to look at pages that are doing well but are underperforming. For example, ask yourself how you can get your results on page two to rank on page one (these are the low-hanging fruit).
I also like to understand what keywords are driving to a page before I make any adjustments.
In addition, taking a look at mobile vs. desktop performance can be very beneficial. If you have a site where mobile traffic is extremely valuable, but CTR on a mobile device is lower than the desktop version, brainstorm ways to optimize for the mobile version.
While many areas of Google Search Console may seem technical, as you can see, there are other areas that can be extremely helpful without going to deep into the technical side of things if you spend some time playing with the tool.
Dive into the Google Search Console monthly and you'll start to find information that could help drive your marketing efforts moving forward.
Head swimming with all this?
How would you like us to set your Google Search Console up for you?
Check out our Total Online Presence Audit service where we'll review your website, content, SEO, reputation, competitive landscape and Google Analytics and Google Search Console – oh, and we'll also give you a rundown of your highest priority fixes and opportunities – how's that for getting some peace of mind? – Check out the Audit here.
Update: 06/20/18 – Google significantly updated the look and reporting in Search Console. The reports now go back a full 16 months and allow 6-month comparison similar to Google Analytics reports.
We do strange things for love, and when you love your business you find yourself making all sorts of little weird changes to your website to boost that Google Search ranking slightly higher. The thing is, in a world where search results are customized for each individual user, it's sometimes tricky to tell whether or not your efforts are really paying off. Luckily, Google provides you with a powerful tool you can use to take a look at your rankings, track keyword performance, and spot content that has the best chance of making it to page one. It's called the Google Search Console.
If you're dipping your toe in the deep SEO waters, we've got you covered with this comprehensive guide on how to use the Google Search Console, plus what it can tell you about your website.
The first step towards accessing the powerful tools at your disposal through Google Search Console is to verify your domain. Basically, Google wants to make sure that you are indeed the owner of your website. There are a few ways to do it, so just go through the steps and you'll be up and running in no time.
The next step is to dig into what properties you list using "Add Property," and how you organize them. It might seem granular, but it's worth it to go through and list any and all versions of your domain: http://yourdomain.com, http://www.yourdomain.com, https://yourdomain.com, and https://www.yourdomain.com. If you have any subdomains that you want to be able to play around with, you also should add those here (and any variations), so things like http://blog.yourdomain.com for your blog, or http://www.yourdomain.com/es if you have a Spanish-language version of your site, for example.
If this is starting to look like a lot of domains to handle, you're right, and Google has made a tool to help you. If you click "Create a Set" you can group your domains into "Property Sets." This can help you segment off particular areas of your website to see how they're performing as a group, like all your inventory listings, for example.
Since the main reason we're here is to find out what's going on with search and our website, let's get down to brass tacks and crack open the Search Analytics Report. Immediately, you'll notice there are a bunch of different ways to view this data. Google presents you with filters for Clicks, Impressions, CTR, and Position, and then you can separate the data out further with an array of options to view by queries, pages, countries, devices, search type, and time range. It's important to note that Search Console only shows the last 90 days of searches, so it's all about recent trends.
So, that's a lot of options, but what can all this data tell you? The great thing about Google Search Console is that it shows you the actual search queries that lead someone to click through onto your site. That means you can see what's working, and what's not.
You also have a few different stats you need to understand. "Clicks" shows the number of clicks to your website per search query, but keep in mind it doesn't account for everything— you'll quickly notice your clicks per query don't add up to the total clicks number it gives you.
"Impressions" is the number of times your website came up on Google results. This might include a lot of times when you came up for a weird search query (like if someone is looking for a client you have listed on your website) or showed up on the 8th page, which might as well be not at all. Still, you should understand these numbers as your site's potential to broaden its reach.
There's also "CTR": click-through rate. This number tells you what percentage of impressions resulted in a click through. Remember, there are a ton of different ways that your website can make an impression without necessarily being relevant, so a low number isn't necessarily that bad.
Finally, there's "Position." This number shows you where your website appears in an average user's search engine results page (SERP). We're talking about organic results, so shopping, images, videos, etc., but not AdWords. There are 10 results per page, so any number below 10 means you're on the front page and doing pretty well.
The first thing you want to do with all this information is take a look at how customers are actually finding your website. Using the Search Query Report, you can find out what people are searching that gets you on a SERP, and then use that data to make a plan for how to do that better.
You might be surprised by how you're popping up on the radar. Use these search terms to guide content generation that will help you perform stronger in the future. Maybe consider reworking the titling of key pages so that they index stronger and score a higher position. We all have a lot more to do than sit around and think up content all day, so working backwards is hugely helpful because it lets your prospects tell you what they want to see.
The Search Console also helps you sort through search terms to figure out which have high CTR and which have room for improvement. Some terms are just going to be irrelevant, but anything with an unusually high CTR is a promising possibility for generating traffic and business. Terms with low CTR probably need some help, either because the listing is bad or the term is competitive.
Figure out what queries you're interested in, and then crack open a fresh incognito tab (so you get a more average Google experience) and search these terms. Look at your listing and see what's going on. How does it read? How do the other listings on the page look? What can you do to stand out? Finally, what does Google think the searcher is looking for based on what's on the SERP?
One of the most powerful things that you can do in Search Console is to break out queries by landing page. This helps you look at specific parts of your website to see how people are finding them and how you can give them a boost. If the terms don't seem all that relevant but have a high CTR, then you may have discovered a new angle to optimize for. If on the other hand, the terms are general, then you need to do some work on how to land it more firmly in a niche or work your SEO tactics to help give it a boost.
Search Console also gives you a series of reports that can help you to catch obvious errors in your site that will help it perform better. Browse through Search Appearance HTML Improvements to help you sort out your tags and meta descriptions. In Search Traffic, there are Manual Actions, which tells you if you're doing something that's against Google's rules and might be negatively impacting your presence. There's also Mobile Usability, which lets you know which pages might have issues on mobile like clickable elements being placed too close together. Finally, there are some options under Crawl that are helpful. Use Crawl Errors and Site Map to help you understand if your site is speaking robot effectively.
There's a lot to take in, and the data is constantly updating since it tracks the last 90 days of search performance, but Google Search Console is a powerful tool you should be using to help you improve your search performance and make the tweaks you need. Looking at the right data can help you understand how prospects are finding you, where you need to do better or make more content, and how to get started. Take advantage of the robust dashboard and check in with Search Console whenever you're looking at ways to make your website perform at its peak.
Now, what I do encounter most of the time is a small business that needs a total site makeover or redesign. It's not that they were just awful in the first place, (well, some were) it's that every site, just like every business, needs to evolve. That means if your current site design is around two years old it needs some attention.
But, before you rush out and give a designer the keys to your site, take steps to ensure you don't unknowingly undue all the good you've accomplished with your previous site.
Eager designers don't mean harm when they create a new design, they just need more information, and that's where you come in. Before you even visit a WordPress theme designer arm yourself with some information that can help them make good decisions about what stays and what goes in your current configuration or take the risk of losing all that hard earned search traffic.
Now, I'm not suggesting you simply hang on to SEO gains over things like better navigation, visitor usability, and conversion, but don't throw everything out just for something that looks more modern.
Use this checklist as you embark on a site redesign as a way to capture all existing elements and consider content needs, edits and issues before the project starts.
Do you have access to Google Analytics? – I know, weird question, but you might be surprised how many sites have analytics installed the owners have no idea how to access the data.
Have you cataloged all pages and current issues? – Use Screaming Frog to create a spreadsheet of all of your pages and any currently broken links or crawl errors.
Have you added Google Analytics data for pageviews, bounce rate and time on page to a spreadsheet to help make assessment on content to keep? By adding this kind of data to your spreadsheet you might learn about some pages that are receiving a surprising amount of traffic or links.
Have you ranked your spreadsheet content? A= keep no edit, B=keep edits needed, C= drastic rewrite or dump? This step involves your overall business and marketing strategy so you'll need to consider how you want to position your business and your editorial calendar moving forward to make some of this decisions.
Have you audited any lead capture/landing pages/forms? If you're capturing email addresses for a newsletter, ebook or webinar series you'll want to make sure you take note of these for the redesign. It's easy to lose track of landing pages because they are often buried away from the main navigation.
Have you audited SEO for ranking pages? Screaming Frog can give you information about pages that already rank for desired terms. If these terms are still relevant, you'll want to think long and hard about how to keeps these pages intact.
Have you evaluated current plugins for use? A redesign is a great time to reconsider your current plugin use. Plugins are a big resource drag and a security hole – less is better.
Have you evaluated needed integrations (CRM, ESP, Shopping cart, etc.) Finally, if you currently have some integration with other 3rd party tools or client portals, you'll want to note the need for these and make sure you can share this information with your designer.
The steps above may seem like a lot of work, but it will save you a ton of work, worry, and headache in the end. In fact, if you start working with a designer and they don't ask you for this information up front, you should be concerned.


We get very excited about styling and space and making it beautiful. Whatever your occasion we have years of experience in styling venues, weddings, events, film and tv etc. We love to draw upon this knowledge and use it across in all areas. With a vast access to props and hire we aim to create jaw dropping experiences.


text:
Stockton Strong fund receives $1M donation for virus response
The Stockton Record
STOCKTON — Financial Center Credit Union and the Michael Duffy Family Fund announced a $1 million donation Thursday to the Stockton Strong COVID-19 Response Fund, which was launched in an effort to support Stocktonians impacted by the coronavirus.
"Today's donation doubles the size of the money raised to the Stockton Strong Fund, and doubles the size of our efforts to help local nonprofits, serving families in need," Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs said. "Time and time again, when this community needs help, Michael Duffy, his family, and Financial Center Credit Union, leadership and staff answer the call."
The substantial investment to the Stockton Strong COVID-19 Response Efforts will support numerous local nonprofits that have seen significant increases in requests for assistance from members of the public during the pandemic.
The credit union was formed 65 years ago by 11 county employees looking to help people, their co-workers, friends and their community.
"We are proud to spearhead such an incredible movement through our partners at Stockton Strong to help provide immediate relief in our hometown," said Michael Duffy, chief executive officer at FCCU. "Our donation is going to directly benefit our neighbors, our community, and those in need."
St. Mary's Dining Room and the Stockton Emergency Food Bank will receive $100,000 each. Additional donations include various amounts to the Women's Center-Youth & Family Services, Catholic Charities, Community Medical Center, and Stockton Shelter for the Homeless.
"During these difficult times we've seen an increased demand for services," said Edward Figueroa, CEO of the St. Mary's Dining Room in Stockton. "Today's support of $100,000 will help us to provide additional meals for those in need."
Stockton Strong is a coalition of public, private and civic leaders collaborating to serve as a source of information and support during the COVID-19 crisis.
"I am deeply grateful to the Financial Center Credit Union as a whole and the Duffy family for responding to this time of great need in our city with generosity, compassion, and empathy for all of our neighbors," said Lange Luntao, executive director of Reinvent Stockton, which is heading the Stockton Strong effort. "Now, more than ever, it's important to support the nonprofits that continue to serve our most vulnerable residents."
For more information about Financial Center Credit Union, visit www.fccuburt.org.


text:
Le hindi des Fidji, également connu sous le nom de hindi fidjien ou hindoustani des Fidji, est une langue parlée aux Fidji par la plupart des citoyens fidjiens d'origine indienne. Il provient principalement de la langue awadhi avec une forte influence du bhodjpouri ; malgré son nom, sa relation avec l'hindoustani compris comme l'ensemble hindi-ourdou est plus distante. Il contient aussi des mots issus d'autres langues indiennes, ainsi que du fidjien et de l'anglais.

Présentation

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Liens externes

Inventaire de langues
Langue indique centrale
Langue aux Fidji
Koinè

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
By Julie Andrews , with Emma Walton Hamilton
Read by Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews Hachette Books 9780316349253
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, Home, Julie Andrews shares reflections on her astonishing career, including such classics as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria. In Home, the number one New York Times international bestseller, Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage. With this second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films--Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry -- from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two stepchildren, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. The pair worked together in numerous films, including Victor/Victoria, the gender-bending comedy that garnered multiple Oscar nominations. Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews's trademark charm and candor, Home Work takes us on a rare and intimate journey into an extraordinary life that is funny, heartrending, and inspiring.
A Bustle Pick of Memoirs That Will Leave You Starstruck
A Los Angeles Times Pick for Book Clubs
In this follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, Home, Julie Andrews shares reflections on her astonishing career, including such classics as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria.
In Home, the number one New York Times international bestseller, Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage.
With this second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films--Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry -- from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two stepchildren, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. The pair worked together in numerous films, including Victor/Victoria, the gender-bending comedy that garnered multiple Oscar nominations.
Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews's trademark charm and candor, Home Work takes us on a rare and intimate journey into an extraordinary life that is funny, heartrending, and inspiring.
"Andrews continues to approach life—and writing—with strength and grace." —People
[W]arm, graceful, and candid... This deeply pleasurable and forthright chronicle illuminates the myriad reasons 'home work' has such profound meaning for artist and humanitarian Andrews... [a] treasury of delectable Hollywood revelations. —Booklist
"The book is packed with emotion, action, gossip, and fascinating tidbits about craft. The Julie Andrews we get to know is salty, funny, passionate, hard-working, gracious, and above all, a brilliant vocalist and actress who has braved many disappointments." —O, The Oprah Magazine
"In her charming new memoir, Home Work...her focus, as the title of the book emphasizes, is on the work, and particularly on the difficulties of the work. Her tone throughout is brisk, matter-of-fact, and endlessly self-deprecating." —Los Angeles Times
Sincere and inspiring...This charming account of Andrews's professional and personal life will no doubt serve to make the venerated performer all the more beloved. —Publishers Weekly
"A frank and intimate storyteller whose radiant spirit fills these pages, Andrews chronicles the peaks and valleys of her life and career. This event-packed memoir is a must for fans of Andrews's life and work, students of cinema history, and anyone who is curious about musical film production." —Library Journal (starred review)
A warm, entertaining memoir...An insightful treat for Andrews's fans. —Kirkus Reviews
Shares reflections on Andrews's astonishing career, and discusses her famous roles in Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria, and more. —Bustle, New Celebrity Memoirs that Will Leave You Starstruck This Fall
"In that charming, familiar voice, Andrews fills in the years between 1963 and 1986, recounting her arrival in Hollywood, her marriage to designer Tony Walton, its eventual end, and her astronomical rise to stardom…Delivering many of her insightful diary entries, Andrews sounds sincerely amazed and delighted…Andrews acknowledges her gifts, but she attributes much of her success to luck. We're the lucky ones—to have Andrews and this audio gem." —AudioFile
Author Bio: Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews is one of the most beloved figures in the entertainment world. An Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award–winning actress and singer, she is best known for her roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Her legendary career has taken her from Broadway and London stages to Hollywood and the sets of myriad films and television shows. In addition, she is also a New York Times bestselling author of children's books and the memoir Home.
Publisher: Hachette Books
AE Catalog ID: E9W491


It just didn't reflect the angst of my generation.
I love new Orleans, Dr. Who, and you.
I really like the red head guy. He's got an easy to hear voice if you know what I mean. Like, I can imagine what he would sound like. Well drawn/written.
The pic of Matt Smith made me bookmark this page.
Your humour is also very…unique?
Matt Smith rocks, and so do you. end of story.
is your name zoe? cuz mine is too.
also, i did like david tennant better, but i will admit that matt smith is pretty boss.


Thank you for visiting the official website of ADD Tyres and Exhausts. We are one of the largest vehicle service stations in Pickering, catering to people of this neighbourhood since 2005.
ADD Tyres and Exhausts is licenced to service all types of cars that drive on the UK road. We are also certified to perform Class 7 MOT test. We also sell tyres, and spare parts for different vehicles, and offer the entire range of services that you might require for your car. Our staff will provide you with the highest level of service for your vehicle.
Every time a customer comes for any service at our station, we offer nothing but the best services. We know our customers expect and deserve the finest service from us. That is a goal that we have set for ourselves, and we meet it every time.
If you would like to know more about what we have to offer, or who we are, feel free to check the rest of the website. We have listed all the details of the services that we provide.
If you would like to talk to us, please reach us at the phone number provided on the "Contact us" page. ADD Tyres and Exhausts will be happy to assist you.


When my first and second babies were born, I made the mistake of choosing to stay home often because I was afraid of wrangling a newborn while going out and about. Needless to say, cabin fever was inevitable which led to multiple bouts of my own tears alongside my kids. I vowed to change that when my 3rd baby arrived, and it has carried over to Baby #4. A month ago, I had plans to have brunch with 2 of my best friends with just the baby. My husband and I had a small miscommunication of who was watching the kiddos, and I ended up bringing all 4 kids to brunch and then to the mall afterwards. It was definitely an adventure! Although this experience may seem really intimidating to some, it truly was good practice for future outings. Time and your responsibilities do not stop when you have a baby. Thankfully my 2 besties offered extra pairs of eyes during that day and it helped me work on some practical tips for going out with all 4. I'll try to make a separate post with those tips soon!
The baby is turning 3-months-old next week, and to date I have been able to do a couple dozen trips by myself with all 4 kids in tow. Some days are a breeze, and some days not so much, but I'm confident that with the right mindset (and LOTS of prayer) before each trip that it CAN BE DONE! I know it can be really difficult to just get a baby out the door, but I encourage you to make it a goal to get out of the house at least once every few days even if it means a short walk. I know from experience that cabin fever with a newborn in the house is very stressful and can also lead to depression with some moms. Side note: if you have been dealing with baby blues or postpartum depression, please seek help! These are very real issues that new moms may deal with and there should be no guilt in feeling this way with a new baby.
I survived 3 hours at the mall with the 4 kids thanks to the BFFs @mari_bella_bella and @charmed2beme. I find it funny that they're the ones coloring while while the kids watch music videos at @DisneyStore. I also managed to only spend $11.17 at Hot Dog on a Stick – didn't buy anything else haha.
I'm really looking forward to some Disneyland and SeaWorld trips with the 4 kids soon, and main reason is that I finally dug out my Double BOB from deep in my garage! It's been hibernating the past year or so. Thanks again to bestie Char for helping me clean it. 🙂 If you have any tips on how to have a stress-free outing with your kids, feel free to comment below!
I can't imagine keeping my eyes on 4 kiddos. You rock momma!! It's awesome you have the support around you too.
4 small kids, with one being an infant?! I can't even imagine getting them dressed and in the car! I totally understand the cabin fever thing though! You go mama!
You are a champ Raquel! Taking one more kid out does make things a little more of a juggle and I can only imagine what 4 looks like as opposed to 3. I will be eager to hear from you when baby is close to a year old and you look back if the transition from 3 to 4 kids was more smooth than any of the other new babies joining the family. Remember that article claiming that sometime last year on facebook?


At Beaumont Villa in St Peter, Jersey, short breaks or respite care provides carers with an opportunity to take a holiday or simply spend some time looking after their own needs, providing peace of mind that loved ones will receive the very best care and hospitality.
Many of our residents at Beaumont Villa take regular short breaks with us and discover they are able to enjoy the chance to meet new people and try out a few new activities and experiences. Residents can chose to be pampered and or simply unwind with care and wellbeing packages which offer every opportunity to relax, refresh and revitalise.
Our home offers excellent facilities, but it's our highly skilled, caring and dedicated teams of care workers, nurses, support staff, specialists and manager who make the overwhelming difference. They continuously go above and beyond in providing superb care to our residents – a fact that is recognised by our resident and family testimonials.
We are providing a number of seasonal activities throughout spring and encourage members of the local community to come and visit us, take a look round, participate in events and discover how the team work together encouraging and supporting residents to lead as full and active a life as they are able, within a flourishing, friendly environment.
Older members of the community need not be alone this spring and we are encouraging members of the community to discover our short breaks, hospitality and community events that are on offer and be part of the vibrant atmosphere in our home.
At Beaumont Villa in St Peter, Jersey we provide the highest standard of dementia care for up to 24 elderly people.
If you would like to find out more about short stay breaks at Beaumont Villa, contact us now on 0808 223 5409 or enquiries@caringhomes.org to find out how we may help you.


text:
Квирнбах:

 Квирнбах — коммуна в Германии, в земле Рейнланд-Пфальц. Входит в состав района Вестервальд.
 Квирнбах — коммуна в Германии, в земле Рейнланд-Пфальц. Входит в состав района Кузель.


text:
Our Kind Of Traitor brings some style to second-tier le Carré
Jesse Hassenger
Photo: Roadside Attractions
Our Kind Of Traitor
Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, Naomie Harris, Damian Lewis
Select theaters July 1
Beware a jovial Stellan Skarsgård. The actor has so often played dire and/or imposing scarf-wearing men (he even looked grim during Mamma Mia!, though in retrospect, perhaps that was understandable) that a Skarsgård character inviting a stranger over to have a drink with him and his comrades should be cause for immediate suspicion. But poor college professor Perry (Ewan McGregor, boasting long hair and a contrasting buttoned-up manner) shows only the minimum reluctance at the outset of Our Kind Of Traitor. Tensions with his lawyer wife, Gail (Naomie Harris), have radiated through an aborted attempt at a romantic dinner during an aborted attempt at a romantic getaway. So when Dima (Skarsgård boasting long hair and a complementary boisterous Russian accent) beckons and immediately starts referring to Perry with a booming, affectionate cry of "PROFESSOR," Perry responds. The two men form a mutual trust at a near-ludicrous speed.
Dima, as it turns out, is a money-launderer who wants out of the Russian mob and hopes Perry will be able to deliver information to British intelligence, which will help him and his family. The pinched, officious face of British intelligence is provided by Damian Lewis as Hector, who intercepts Perry and Gail when they return to England. Perry has several opportunities to more or less cut and run, but he sticks around and tries to work his way out of this mess as befits the particularly unslick hero of a John le Carré spy novel, from which Our Kind Of Traitor was adapted.
Our Kind Of Traitor's story requires some leaps, especially in fully believing Perry's near-instant loyalty to Dima and his ability to participate in complex international espionage. But the film balances out some potential preposterousness with quotidian details of Dima's and Perry's respective family lives. (There is a reason for Perry and Gail's hesitant attempts to rekindle their relationship.) For that matter, the spy stuff isn't ridiculous enough to qualify as sexy. Even for a le Carré adaptation—sometimes an invitation for dry realism—much of the story flirts with the rote: exposition dumps, uncooperative spooks and bureaucrats, and the frequent exchange of meaningful glances.
Director Susanna White, on only her second feature, jazzes up the proceedings to match the skill of actors like McGregor, Harris, and Skarsgård. Most notable is her smart use of cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. Together they give the movie bleary textures and rich colors, especially its yellows, blues, and greens. Some of the visuals have a dreamy edge without going full-tilt feverish, striking just the right balance of shimmery glamour and digital grit. White also gooses interpersonal conflicts by often framing McGregor and Harris through glass or having them share the frame via their reflections.
The presence of Trainspotting's McGregor, 28 Days Later's Harris, and the cinematographer of Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, among others, brings to mind Danny Boyle, which in turn can make Our Kind Of Traitor feel like the kind of stodgier British films Boyle's rebelled against fed through more modern filmmaking techniques. But White's keen eye and her strong cast make a case for this type of hybrid, which matches the marriage of domestic and geopolitical drama at the film's center. Our Kind Of Traitor develops, slowly but not dully, into the right kind of old-fashioned thriller.


The 600 or more residents attending the public meeting organised by the Save Mona Vale Hospital committee on Tuesday February 5th cheered loudest every time a speaker stated the community wanted Mona Vale Hospital to be returned to, or upgraded to at least a Level 3 hospital.
Unfortunately they did not hear what they wanted from Pittwater MP Rob Stokes, with two attendees stating they asked him directly after the meeting if he would support a Level 3 hospital at Mona Vale and Mr Stokes replied: "No."
During the meeting Mr Stokes repeatedly said he was relying on doctors' advice to decide what mix of services were needed at Mona Vale Hospital.
"While my job is of course to listen to you … when it comes to healthcare, it is important that I listen to the views of our local clinicians," Mr Stokes told the audience.
"The ones that we count on to actually serve us and save us.
Mr Stokes said there had been a real threat to public ownership of the land at Mona Vale hospital, so his first task in relation to it had been to secure the land in public ownership for health services.
"That land is to be kept for no other purposes than health care," he said.
"Debates surrounding our local hospitals have been going on since the 1980's.
"We now have a major metropolitan hospital on the northern beaches and we've secured a permanent and purposeful future for Mona Vale Hospital." Rob said.
"We can't forget that just over 8 years ago there was no confirmed future for Mona Vale Hospital and no funding for any major capital improvements. We've come an enormously long way since then, with almost 90 inpatient beds and over 30 medical services - acute, subacute and non-acute - provided onsite.
"As we approach the election there are, of course, many claims being thrown around which simply serve to muddy the situation once again.
"The Labor Party is in hiding because they have an embarrassing history of ignoring our local hospitals. Meanwhile the Greens are promising everything and anything because they never have to deliver in government.
"I understand and share the passion for our local hospital within our community. I feel this passion and I use it every day to take the messages I hear directly to NSW Health.
"I will always support and fight for everything our senior local hospital clinicians recommend, in order to deliver the best patient outcomes for our community. "
The second speaker for the evening, Associate Professor Richard West AM, drew loud applause throughout the points he went through. He reiterated the statistics recently released stating that since November more than 3,500 patients have presented to Mona Vale Hospital's Urgent Care Centre.
"As a result, Mona Vale Urgent Care Centre needs to be upgraded," he said.
"I think a lot of the people here would like it to be a Level 3 Emergency Department," Prof West said to loud applause.
"If that is going to happen they need to open a Level 3 hospital. Even for a Level 2 hospital, NSW Health would need to ensure doctors and nurses have the proper qualifications in emergency medicine.
"They need to be able to be able to resuscitate and stabilise patients before they send them off," he said.
The Ultrasound, CAT scan, pathology, X-rays would all need to be available 24 hours a day, seven days per week, rather than only between 7.45am and 7.45pm.
Referring to the new Northern Beaches Hospital, Professor West said this "should be able to do anything" as a Level 5 Hospital with state of the art equipment.
"We are seeking confirmation from the Health Minister about whether patients with strokes can be treated there or must be transferred to Royal North Shore for treatment."
"Similarly, for cardiac angiograms and stents, as well as the level of trauma services that are available at NBH," he said.
"And for a Level 5 hospital (one Level below RNS) all services should be open to public and private patients." he said.
Accessibility to the new 500 bed hospital was also raised by Prof. West, stating the new bus service announced this week, to commence in July, would still leave those north of Mona Vale having to catch a bus to catch bus that may not run along its scheduled route of the Wakehurst Parkway every time the creeks of Narrabeen overflow.
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Manager Mr. Dennis Ravlich also addressed the meeting. He said the union had always been opposed to the Northern Beaches Hospital being run by a private operator.
"Let's be clear. The Northern Beaches Hospital is an integral part of the business plan of Healthscope (the operator)," he said.
"Private hospitals have an important role to play in the Australian health setting but the provision of essential services that previously were the preserve of the public health system was a significant change," he said.
"However, the union is working with Healthscope on a number of issues to ensure the new hospital is an effective and efficient "public" hospital, albeit owned by a private provider."
"One of them is an inordinate reliance on casual or agency nursing staff," Mr Ravlich said.
"… As you can imagine it is not ideal for the continuity of care or the familiarity of the delivery of that care to have different nurses coming and going who may never have worked at Healthscope.
Mr Ravlich welcomed Mr Stokes revelation that there is no contractual obstacle to adding services at Mona Vale Hospital.
"The association supports the fight to recover Mona Vale Hospital as a Level 3 facility," he said, but also noted it would need extra services in addition to an emergency department.
"Some of this is there – the building blocks are there. It's going to be an enormous challenge for the community but it's one that we share with you," he said.
Parry Thomas, speaking for the Save Mona Vale Hospital committee, said the community wants a Level 3 Emergency Department at Mona Vale with radiology, pathology, pharmacy, general surgical services, orthopaedics, anaesthetics.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we don't only want, we demand a Level 3 service at that site," Mr Thomas said to rousing applause.
"The hospital's main building is sound although the exterior was run down because governments have failed to maintain it," he said.
He noted that it contained asbestos but said that wasn't a reason to pull it down.
"You've got to solve that problem whether you pull it down or fix it," he said.
Mr Thomas said the Save Mona Vale Hospital committee was calling for the state government to investigate hospital services on the Sunshine Coast which is similar to the Northern Beaches in population size.
The Queensland government had built a new major hospital there but retained the old ones such as Nambour Hospital (comparable to Mona Vale as a community hospital), with a full range of acute services and a new speciality in geriatric medicine.
"So they didn't close it, they changed it. They have got a Mona Vale," Mr. Thomas said.
Former Home and Away thespian Chris Sadrinna told the crowd his story of being turned away from the Mona Vale Urgent Care Centre despite having a two-year-old daughter whose colouring had gone black and blue and was passing in and out of consciousness.
"That's what we're to expect I suppose," Mr. Sadrinna said.
"And the difficulty of getting to those places (NBH or other hospitals), when I've still got a five-year-old and I've still got to run the home and I've got to get to the hospital.
"And it has gone from 6km away to 23km away from Avalon.
Mr Sadrinna is the organiser of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital tent, based on the Korean war television comedy-drama M*A*S*H* series, that will be set up in Avalon's Dunbar Park as S*H*A*M* headquarters next weekend.
The event will give the community a chance to share their stories and concerns about the closure of acute services at Mona Vale Hospital.
Mr Sadrinna has invited all northern beaches residents to come down and join in the fun, which will include local bands, activities such as pregnant egg and spoon races and a real tank for kids.
"It's a corroboree of the community with storytelling at its heart," Mr Sadrinna said.
A wall of words will be created from the hospital stories and, at the end of the event, organisers will compile them and create a communique to be sent to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Health.
The Save Mona Vale Hospital Committee is also planning another rally in march, with details still to be confirmed.


The adults-only Live Aqua gives you a great choice of restaurants and pools, not to mention an enviable beach setting.
This place borders a long, cotton-white beach. Plus, you're in Cancun's bustling Hotel Zone, so you've got a strip of shops, restaurants and bars at your disposal.
The hotel has just bagged a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award – and the sleek interiors may have played a part. State-of-the-art rooms come with oil diffusers, minibars, plasma TVs.
The long pool runs along the beach here. It comes with a handful of circular pools and a swim-up bar. For extra relaxation, there's a spa with beachfront massage huts. Activities-wise, things are just as laid-back, with yoga, tennis and volleyball on offer. As for food, the huge selection of restaurants serve everything from Asian and Latin to gourmet seafood. Live music and clubbing outings keep things going after dark.
You can choose a different cuisine every night here. The restaurant count includes a Mexican à la carte and Latin and Asian eateries. A special mention goes to the grill house*, where steak and lobster* are plated on to candlelit tables.
The spa menu features treatments* from around the world – think Moroccan-inspired massages and Egyptian-style milk baths. And there are huts on the beach for some al fresco pampering.
The pool and beach are practically inseparable, so the sea views are incredible. A couple of circular pools jut out from the main belt, and they come in a range of different temperatures.
Luxurious rooms cater for up to three. They've got a minibar, plasma TV, coffee-maker and a beach bag and sandals. Deluxe rooms come with a sea view and for a bit extra you can go for an Deluxe Oceanfront room with a balcony and sea view. You'll also have a DVD player, electronic safe, free Wi-Fi and a clock radio.


text:
This document provides steps to install *kbase-ui* into a working state on Ubuntu 14.04.

It can serve as a starting point for specific deployment scenarios. In that case, we probably want to have a set of quick deployment documents (with links to common materials or more detailed explanations):

- CI
- Next
- Production
- Local testing

## Steps

### Prerequisites

Assume raw, freshly installed Ubuntu 14.04; if that isn't the situation, you'll know what to ignore.

#### 1) Ensure system is up to date

```
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y
```

if *dist-upgrade* performs installs you should restart the Ubuntu instance.

If you are advised to *autoremove*. Might as well do this with:

```
sudo apt-get autoremove -y
```

#### 2) Get the NodeSource PPA:

The nodejs distributed with Ubuntu is very old -- antique by node standards -- and will not work with *kbase-ui* build tool requirements. We are currently using 4.2.x, so install that package source into Ubuntu:

```
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_4.x | sudo -E bash -
```

#### 3) Install packages

These are required for the build tools and for providing a web server.

```
sudo apt-get install -y git build-essential libfontconfig1 nodejs nginx
```

- *ibfontconfig1* is a hidden dependency for *phantomjs*
- *build-essential* is for npm modules which include c-compilable code (e.g. phantomjs)

### Prepare kbase-ui

You'll want to be in whatever filesystem location is acceptable for creating the kbase-ui repo directory. In certain build modes (e.g. dev) a *temp* directory will be created with the directory which contains the kbase-ui repo, so you may wish to create and use a directory to contain the kbase-ui repo.

```
mkdir kbase-ui-working
cd kbase-ui-working
```

#### 1) Clone kbase-ui

```
git clone https://github.com/kbase/kbase-ui
```

This will install the current master.

For CI or normal development you will want the develop branch:

```
git clone -b develop https://github.com/kbase/kbase-ui
```

Or if you want a specific release:

```
git clone --branch v0.1.3 --depth 1 https://github.com/eapearson/kbase-ui
```

#### 2) Make the distribution

```
cd kbase-ui
make init
make build config=ci
```

- ```make init``` will install build tools locally
- ```make build config=ci``` will build the base the dist.
    - build configs include *ci*, *next*, *prod*, and *dev*
    - the default is *dev*

For example, to make a build suitable for or to emulate CI

```
make build config=ci
```

> Where are the configurations for this? See [configuration](configuration.md)

#### 3) Deploy it

This installs the *dist* directory created above into the standard KBase runtime directory ```/kb/deployment/services/kbase-ui```.

```
sudo ./deploy.sh
```

> PLEASE make a better deploy.sh.

### Web server

Of course, kbase-ui is nothing unless it is fronted by an http server.

We have already installed the nginx server above.

Replace the default nginx config file with one appropriate for the deployment environment.

E.g.

```
sudo vi /etc/nginx/sites-available/default
```

And then empty the file and copy/paste in the following very simple example non-secure server:

```
server {
  listen 80 default_server;
  listen [::]:80 default_server ipv6only=on;
  root /kb/deployment/services/kbase-ui;
  index index.html;
  server_name dev.kbase.us;
  location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
  }
}
```

- Since kbase-ui is served at https:, you may want to add an ssl server as well, depending on the front end proxy requirements.
- The *server_name* may be whatever you want, *dev.kbase.us* is just an example (not in use publicly at KBase.)

> TODO add basic ssl self-signed cert instructions, very handy for testing.

---

[Index](index.md) - [README](../README.md) - [KBase](http://kbase.us)

---


text:
How 'Flash Crashes' Raise Exchange Rate Risk for International Business
By Frances Coppola
On January 3, 2019, at about 5:40 pm Eastern time, the U.S. dollar exchange rate suddenly dropped by more than 8 percent versus the Japanese yen. The Australian dollar's exchange rate also fell sharply versus the yen, as did the Turkish lira. These sharp falls were very short-lived, lasting only for a few minutes, though FX markets remained volatile for some time afterwards—potentially working havoc with corporate foreign exchange risk management.
This "flash crash" was not the first of its kind. Since the financial crisis of 2008, there have been similar flash crashes involving the British pound, the South African rand, the euro, the Swiss franc, and the New Zealand dollar.1 There have also been flash crashes in other markets. For example, on May 6, 2010, U.S. stock markets lost a trillion dollars in 35 minutes,2 and on October 15, 2014, there was a sudden sharp fall in U.S. Treasury yields.3
In FX markets, a flash crash can be defined as a sudden episode of extreme exchange rate volatility affecting one or more currency pairs. Although the extreme exchange rate movements are usually short-lived, the turbulence arising from them can last for some time. This can make FX risk management more complex for international businesses. But what causes these dramatic events—and are they becoming more frequent?
Complex Relationships Between News and Extreme Exchange Rate Risk
Some flash crashes are directly caused by news events. For example, on January 15, 2015, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) suddenly announced that it would immediately end the asset purchases that had been preventing the Swiss franc from rising versus the euro.4 The franc's exchange rate promptly shot up, rising by 41 percent versus the euro in 25 minutes.
But for most flash crashes, the relationship with news events is more complex. The sterling flash crash on January 7, 2016, was initially blamed on the publication of an article in the Financial Times that said French President François Hollande would demand "tough Brexit negotiations." However, subsequent analysis by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) showed that the information in the article had been available to markets for some hours before the crash. Thus, it was unlikely that publication of the article directly caused the crash. However, the news that Brexit negotiations could be difficult might have made the sterling exchange rate more volatile, and thus more sensitive to other market conditions.5
Some think the dollar-yen flash crash in January 2019 was triggered by an unexpected profit warning from a giant international technology firm based in China.6 But the profit warning occurred several hours before the flash crash and did not affect the Chinese yuan.7 In this case too, it seems that other factors determined the time of the crash and the currencies affected.
Do Automated and High Frequency Trading Drive Flash Crashes?
Analysts say that flash crashes tend to occur when there are unusual strains in the market. This can be due to human behavior: for example, in the stock market flash crash of May 6, 2010, a rogue trader set up so many fake sell trades (known as "spoofs," because their purpose is to move markets by fooling other traders into selling8 ) that he caused the entire market to crash.
However, flash crashes mostly seem to occur in markets where there is a high proportion of electronic and automated trading, particularly high-frequency (algorithmic) trading (HFT).9 Some analysts think that the spoofer responsible for the 2010 stock market flash crash would not have been able to cause a crash were it not for the amplifying effect of HFT.10
Analysts blamed "robots gone wild" for the dollar-yen flash crash of January 2019. The crash occurred during what FX traders call the "witching hour" between market closure in New York and market opening in Tokyo, when automated trading dominates because the humans have gone home. Trading volumes tend to be low during this time, which reduces market liquidity and raises exchange rate volatility.
Similarly, the sterling flash crash of January 2016 occurred at midnight London time, when the London and New York markets were closed but Asian markets had just opened. Detailed analysis by BIS showed that the crash happened when liquidity suddenly dried up. Several other flash crashes examined by BIS have also occurred outside normal trading hours, which tends to support the argument that HFT makes flash crashes more likely. However, BIS was unable to confirm that HFT was the main cause of the liquidity freeze. It said that major dealers, principal trading firms and firms representing a retail client base all withdrew liquidity from the market during the flash crash.
Research by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority shows that in equity markets, HFT, far from causing episodes of extreme volatility, may help to mitigate them. "Our evidence suggests that, contrary to received wisdom, high-frequency trading (HFT) firms potentially act as a partial stabilizing force during these periods," the FCA said, adding: "In contrast, large investment banks appear to contribute the most to the price fall by selling heavily during the decline."11
How Ordinary Trading Activity Could Cause A Flash Crash
According to BIS, in a deep and liquid market with significant automated and algorithmic trading, a flash crash can simply result from ordinary trading behavior. It identifies two activities in particular that can considerably amplify exchange rate movements:
Option hedging
Stop-loss orders12
Of the two, the first may be the most significant. Dealers typically hedge option positions by buying or selling the underlying security (or currency, for FX options). When the options price moves, dealers can be forced to buy or sell large quantities of the underlying asset. These trades may be automatically executed when the position becomes unhedged. In FX markets, this can cause sudden exchange rate spikes.
Automatic execution of stop-loss orders can also contribute to exchange rate moves. BIS observes that "both retail and institutional investors often leave such orders with dealers in order to close out positions quickly and thus limit potential losses or to initiate new trades at specific entry levels," and comments that these orders can be executed regardless of the impact on the market.13 If large numbers of stop-loss orders are simultaneously executed, the exchange rate can move precipitously.
Simultaneous unwinding of yen short positions seems to have helped to cause the dollar-yen flash crash of January 2019. Traders simultaneously sold dollars and bought yen, causing the dollar exchange rate to fall precipitously.14
Why Do We Need A Foreign Exchange Risk Management Strategy?
Are Anti-Money Laundering Regulations And Red Tape Reaching Critical Mass?
In Africa: Understanding the CFA Franc and its Foreign Exchange Rate Impact
In the last decade, FX markets have become deeper and more liquid, and electronic trading has proliferated. Concurrently, episodes of extreme exchange rate volatility have increased. Many explanations for these "flash crashes" have been advanced, but as yet no definitive cause has been identified. While this remains the case, flash crashes seem likely to remain a risk for international businesses active in FX markets. Businesses may wish to identify tools and strategies for handling extreme exchange rate volatility.
With 17 years experience in the financial industry, Frances is a highly regarded writer and speaker on banking, finance and economics. She writes regularly for the Financial Times, Forbes and a range of financial industry publications. Her writing has featured in The Economist, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She is a frequent commentator on TV, radio and online news media including the BBC and RT TV.
1. "The Sterling 'Flash Event' of 7 January 2016," Bank for International Settlements; https://www.bis.org/publ/mktc09.pdf
2. "The 2010 'flash crash': how it unfolded," Guardian; https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/22/2010-flash-crash-new-york-stock-exchange-unfolded
4. "Oh, Switzerland, What Have You Done?" Forbes; https://www.forbes.com/sites/francescoppola/2015/01/17/oh-switzerland-what-have-you-done/#16706b205e31
6. "Three Theories On The FX Flash Crash: Robots, Apple, Yen Shorts," Bloomberg; https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-03/dissecting-the-fx-flash-crash-robots-apple-yen-shorts-blamed
7. "Yen flash crash: what happened and why," Financial Times; https://www.ft.com/content/45d3807a-0f5b-11e9-a3aa-118c761d2745
8. "What Is Spoofing?" FXCM https://www.fxcm.com/uk/insights/what-is-spoofing/
10. "Guy Trading At Home Caused The Flash Crash," Bloomberg; https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2015-04-21/guy-trading-at-home-caused-the-flash-crash
11. "Catching a falling knife: an analysis of trading halts," Financial Conduct Authority; https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/research/analysis-circuit-breakers-uk-equity-markets
12. "The Sterling 'Flash Event' of 7 January 2016," Bank for International Settlements; https://www.bis.org/publ/mktc09.pdf
14. "Three Theories On The FX Flash Crash: Robots, Apple, Yen Shorts," Bloomberg; https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-03/dissecting-the-fx-flash-crash-robots-apple-yen-shorts-blamed
Using Active Foreign Exchange Risk Management to Control Cost of Funds
Foreign Payroll Obligations & Foreign Exchange Rate Fluctuations
Explaining Options for Managing FX Risk, From the Basics to the Straps & Straddles