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Transcript: Video enhanced reflective practice
Supporting improved communication and reflective practice amongst newly qualified child and family social workers.
Published on October 24, 2012 | 33 minutes | 6881 words | Iriss
Podcast Episode: Video enhanced reflective practice
Category: Learning and development
Robin Sen
RS - Robin Sen
RS - What we did was Video Enhanced Reflective Practice and I just want to kind of locate that within the wider method of Video Interaction Guidance, which is a method used with parents to improve interaction with children, particularly young children. I want to focus on the process of what we did and how we set up the training and what we did in the training and give you a few examples of what we did, and then we are going to come onto the evaluation of the training and how effective it was, which is my shakiest point - still looking at the data at the moment. But I am going to talk about how we design the methodology and give you some of the data for the project, and then I am going to reflect on the learning from the project and future use around it.
So just acknowledgements before we start - the main funding came from the Higher Education Authority for running the project and evaluating it. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council … Rotherham is just outside Sheffield, provided some match funding - they also allowed their workers time in order to attend the training, so we are very grateful for that. And the training was provided by (… unclear) particularly by Hilary Kennedy, who was for many years based in Dundee, which is why Video Interaction Guidance, or one of the reasons at least, why Video Interaction Guidance has a strong presence within Scotland. Hilary was also kind enough to lend me some of her slides around VIG for this presentation.
So just to start off with one of Hilary's slides, just around VIG projects in the UK, it is a growing intervention method. The NSPCC, for example, have recently bought into training a number of their project workers in Video Interaction Guidance - and it is spread across the country, albeit with some pockets where it is stronger than others. So Scotland has quite a strong presence, the south has quite a strong presence, not so strong in the Midlands. But it is a growing intervention method which has 80 supervisors, 750 trained practitioners and currently 500 people in training. It has actually been mentioned recently in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidelines as an evidence based intervention method, so it is gathering momentum and gathering an evidence base to support it.
So just in terms of looking at VIG - so as I have said, Video Interaction Guidance is primarily an intervention method between looking at the interaction between a parent and a child - and influenced in many ways by attachment theory and the idea of the internal working model. So a child has a need and creates an initiative through that - through crying, through looking at the parent. And in the 'Yes' cycle, the positive cycle, the parent then responds, that need is then satisfied and the child is then associated through that and that process goes on in a positive cycle. And obviously where that does happen, where a child signifies a need, is hungry or signifies want for physical contact, for a smile, and that doesn't happen, it creates a negative dynamic. So Video Interaction Guidance is very much about looking through video footage at those micro initiatives and those micro responses between a child and a parent. So focused on its initial beginnings on parents and very young children, and looking at those … creating those 'Yes' cycles. And one of the characteristics of the method is it's a strengths based method - and we talk about that in social work quite a lot. In terms of Video Interaction Guidance what that means is it is focusing what a parent is doing right, so some of those micro interactions where a parent has responded to their child and their child then responds positively and there is a positive reciprocal dynamic which builds up. So it's looking at those pieces of footage where there is positive interaction and seeking to replicate them and generalise out from those positive pieces of interaction.
One of the questions that sometimes comes up early on in VIG training is if you take video footage of someone or of a situation, don't people try and sometimes do behave better than they would in ordinary life? And the answer is "yes", and that is used by VIG very explicitly and consciously, because what you are trying to do is take the positives that people have in terms of their interaction and build those up through emphasising and through looking at them and through generalising them out into more general behaviour. So the kind of fact that people sometimes perform for the video and perform better than they would is used very explicitly in terms of the method.
So just looking at VIG and VERP. So Video Interaction Guidance - focused on parent/child interaction, although it has been used subsequently in a number of differing settings, so between parents and teenagers, but also in some criminal justice settings for example. Look at the interaction between primarily a carer and a child or a young person. It has its root in Netherland, and I have put in social work, exclamation mark - because of Hilary's influences, who is from a psychology background, it is often associated as a kind of psychological method of intervention. And I suppose I am keen to emphasise its social work roots in the Netherlands, partly because I don't want social work to be left out of being involved in the method here. So I do want to emphasise that. In terms of its evidence base in Holland, there have been randomised control trials, larger studies, where they looked at the effectiveness, and it has a fairly strong evidence base in the Netherlands. It was brought to the UK in the late 80's and 90's, primarily through Hilary and a colleague of hers efforts - they went over to Holland to get trained and they brought it back and it has been growing since then. The evidence base in the UK, because it is a newer technique in the UK, is emerging rather than established, but as I have said, it has a growing evidence base behind it.
So what is VERP as opposed to VIG? So Video Enhanced Reflective Practice - so it's developed from VIG, but the focus here is on the practitioner's interaction. So it can be used around inter-professional communication, so how professionals speak to each other - either within the same work setting or different work settings, but also about professionals' interactions with service users. So there is footage of practitioners with service users that focuses on what the practitioner did rather than what the service user did. And through that, and through looking at the micro footage and thinking what the practitioner is doing, it becomes a tool for reflective practice as well.
So some of the principles behind VIG that has been brought out through the various settings in which it has been used. So starting from the kind of the paradigm of the parent/child, around attentiveness, encouraging initiatives, receiving initiatives - the idea of attunement where a parent is attune with the emotions, with the initiative that their child gives and shows enjoyment through that, guiding and deepening discussion. And those are then broadened out for VERP in terms of looking at the principles for attuned conversations within professional interaction. So one of the things that sometimes happens in terms of receiving … making and receiving initiatives - where there is a positive 'yes' cycle between, in an adult conversation, is where a person makes the initiative and they are received and they feel that initiative has been received. And quite often where that cycle breaks down is where someone feels that initiative hasn't been received. So I don't know if people are familiar with conversation analysis, which is if you take a transcript of a naturally occurring conversation in any circumstances and you look in detail at the turn-taking in that conversation. So who says what and what is said in response. And what is interesting about conversational analytic breakdown of interaction is quite often when conversations become difficult and there becomes a conflict situation, is the root of it is often that someone has made the initiative and felt they haven't been heard, and the other person isn't then receiving the initiative. So conversation analysis talks about, for example, latching - which is where someone says something and someone speaks over them - or two people speak at the same time. Now it's an ordinary thing that happens in conversation, and usually in a positive conversation, quite easily resolved by the person stopping and the other person taking their turn. But where conversations become more conflictual, you have either one person dominating the turn or two people trying to speak regularly at the same time. And that process of making and receiving initiatives can break down.
So just thinking about the foundations for attuned conversations - some of the basic things that you will be aware of in terms of friendly intonation, listening actively, waiting, looking for initiatives for the other person and then feeling them … then receiving them. But also in terms of showing that you have heard, sometimes by paraphrasing, reflecting back, using the same language, by the appropriate use of body language. And I suppose one of the things that comes through when we look at breaking communication down - it's not enough to hear someone if they don't receive that hearing, so they need to be feeling that you are receiving that communication in terms of a positive cycle.
In terms of attuned interactions - also checking out understanding, waiting attentively, taking short-turns, and I will come onto that in some of my learning through the project - but just again when conversations tend to break down and there is less of a conversation, you quite often find that someone is taking a very long turn within that. So focusing on taking short turns as appropriate now in some contexts - I am obviously going to take a very long turn during this lecture, but it's not a conversation. So there could be situations in which someone takes a long turn appropriately, but it can be a sign of a conversation that is breaking down because someone is dominating the turn. And what tends to happen, as well as that person dominating, to receive that turn over a long period of time becomes difficult - we lose concentration, we find it hard to focus on what the person is saying, might become frustrated or bored. So looking at shorter turns in the attuned interaction.
And finally, in terms of deepening discussion, in terms of sharing viewpoints, collaborative discussion and problem solving - where there are differences, trying to name them - and I think this becomes relevant for social work communication in many ways. Naming of differences, naming contradictions and conflicts - and it is obviously not the expectation that you use this method or any others and you manage to resolve all conflictual situations, because that is obviously not possible - but what is the aim of VIG and VERP to do is for both sides of that conversation to leave feeling they have been heard, that their viewpoint has been heard and that they have had … their viewpoint has been respected within that process. So it might be about naming the differences and naming that there has been disagreement, but for both sides to feel that they have been heard within that interaction - and that becomes a way of managing conflict and trying to get back into that 'yes' cycle of making and receiving initiatives.
So a bit about the project, but firstly I just wanted to say a bit about why I wanted to do the project. So I was working initially as a children and family social worker in Glasgow and I moved to a small project, a contact team, and I was basically sent on two days of VIG training by my manager - didn't know much about it, and was really taken by it in two ways. Firstly, I think in terms of intervention methods in social work, we have the standard ones that we teach, and not all of them have a clear evidence base. And it seemed to me that VIG was something that had a growing evidence base and that we should be doing more to teach evidence based interventions. And there are problems attached to only teaching evidence based interventions and how does an intervention get an evidence base, and it does sometimes depend on what is funded and who funds it. But I think there is a strong case for saying that we might teach qualifying and post-qualifying students an evidence based intervention rather than different methods which don't necessarily have an evidence base. So that was one thing, but it was also about the development of social work knowledge and social work expertise, and the idea that I think VIG is a method which enhances and develops practitioners. So I was interested in it for that reason.
After the two days training, and I moved into social work education, one of the things that also struck me is the kind of teaching we do on communication is often not of the interactions that you typically have in social work. So we teach around counselling methods and we teach around the core conditions coming from person centred counselling and (… unclear) counselling, which I think are really important in many ways, but quite often they are premised on a counselling interaction where someone is voluntarily going for help - they might not know exactly what, but they are volunteering to go and they want that intervention. In social work, particularly children and family social work, and particularly child protection within that, many of the situations you find yourself in, you have to negotiate your way over the threshold of the door, you have to negotiate at the very beginning as to why you are there, and try and build up rapport within that context.
One important paper that came out was a paper by Donald Forrester and colleagues, where he trained some qualified social workers in motivational interviewing at the beginning, and then he evaluated their learning through a scenario with an actor and saw how empathic their responses were. The paper was published in Child Abuse Review and he also wrote something in the British Journal of Social Work if people are interested in the paper. But what he found was that generally social workers used a very confrontational style of interaction, so the scenario was around a child protection scenario - typically a parent had … there had been referral, the parent had arrived at a nursery or school under the influence, and the practitioner than had to respond to that situation. And he found that generally, despite the training in motivational interviewing, which you probably all know is a technique based around non-confrontational motivation. So it is based on person-centred, but it allows the practitioner to try and move the service user on to recognise issues which they hadn't started off recognising. But despite that training there was a very confrontational interaction that most social workers had - and what they conclude is that it wasn't the individual workers, but something around the training and the kind of social work education behind that. and I think, thinking back to my own days as a children and families practitioner - I often felt slightly disingenuous if I had a child protection referral, going in and building up rapport, because I knew I had this list of things that I had to ask by the end of that interaction. And so I can think back to situations where my own communication could have been characterised and probably was quite confrontational. But it also felt disingenuous going in there and building up rapport for the reasons that you had this list of concerns. So I think there is a need for a focus on communication within social work that recognises those things.
Now in terms of the project, Rotherham had a group of 17 newly qualified social workers and they had a first year of training for all the children and family NQSW's - and so all 17 got that. In addition, we then provided Video Enhanced Reflective Practice to 6 of them, so they got the Rotherham training and in addition they got this. So in some ways it was set up as a randomised control trial, with a control group getting the ordinary training and the intervention group getting the ordinary training plus VERP.
We also had 4 consultant social workers from Rotherham - they were in post, specifically in a mentoring role for newly qualified social workers, and they also went through the training. And then you also had 2 social work lecturers, of whom one was myself, who also did the training but used interactions with students.
So looking at the 5-day training briefly - so Day 1 and 5 were a full day - Day 1 was an introduction to VIG plus VERP and techniques of filming and reviewing. There were then 4 half days where people brought films along and made plans for changing … looking at the positives in their interaction, but also looking at what they wanted to work on subsequently. On the third half day we introduced … the idea was introduced by the trainers, rather, of difficult conversations and how to break back into the 'yes' cycle when using difficult conversations. And Day 4 looked particularly at deepening discussion.
So some of the key principles - the strength based approach I have already spoken about. So really the idea is of targeted sequences where you are looking at positive interaction, and it's a coaching or guiding approach. So the main person is the person whose video footage it is, identifying the positives in their own interaction. And quite often in both VIG and VERP, one of the things that I think helps it work is it is a parallel process. So quite often the trainers are also going through training themselves and may take the video footage of them giving the supervision session. So there is a parallel process in place.
In this project we arguably had a parallel process and the consultant social workers were also going through the training, so they would sometimes take video footage of their supervisions with the NQSW's, and at the beginning they … the NQSW and the consultant, would sometimes use the same piece of footage but look at their own interactions within that. Later on we had some NQSW's who took footage with carers and with parents and used that, but it was again a parallel process for people in a supervisory capacity also using and looking at their interactions - so it didn't just become a focus on the one person, if you like.
The focus on difficult or just conversations - we had two key books - the Video Interaction Guidance one which is edited by Hillary and two other colleagues, and came out, I think last year - and also a book on Difficult Conversations - and that book is one of a number which are very much about this idea of 'how do you get back to the 'yes' cycle'? So difficult conversations and different settings, and you see from the front of the book, in work, in personal life, with service users. But just that idea that quite often when those interactions become difficult, is around long turns, is around people making initiatives which aren't received, and not hearing each other in those micro-interactions, and looking at how you get back into that positive 'yes' cycle within that and restore an attuned cycle, attuned process. As I say, it is not about saying that there is going to be agreement by the end of it, but by naming the disagreements, quite often one or both parties feels heard within that. So it might be about just recognising that there are disagreements, but hearing those at the same time.
We did move from the idea of difficult to just conversations, just I suppose in terms of labelling. Once you call something a 'difficult' conversations, I suppose there is certain expectations of it and certain emotions that you associate with it. So we did talk about just conversations, and very much the idea that by the end of it both parties could leave feeling that they had been heard.
Okay, so in the actual sessions we would have broken that down - so we would have stopped after every 5 or 10 seconds to break the communication down, which we don't have the time to do, but you would do that with a supervisor - the way we did it in the VERP project was within small groups, so you would get other people's feedback as well. Just watching the footage reminded me of one - firstly that you usually cringe when you see yourself on video. But also, in terms of the strengths-based approach, how … I think all participants found this, you go for the negatives - that you pick up what you are not doing, and it becomes quite difficult to focus on what you do well. So in tune with the method there are several things that I can pick up that I didn't do, but I think what I tried to do was give the turn back - the student who has given her permission for the video use is called Libby. I have taken videos with another student who had himself taken very long turns when I looked at the video, and I had allowed him to take long turns because I was working on the basis of allowing him to explore his narrative was a good thing. What I found when I looked at the video was that my attention was waning, and that also he seemed to kind of lose focus in terms of his turn. So a lot of the focus in the work with the first student was around reflecting back but trying to break up his long turns. And what I found with Libby, who was an under-graduate student doing an extended essay - so it's a kind of long essay that students do in their final year - was in the first meeting it was very much she would ask the question and then wait for me to take the turn. It was very much difficult for her to take turns within that. So it was very much she asked and I said. And in this interaction she had contacted me because she had got feedback from another essay, which I hadn't marked, and said she wanted to meet me about it. So it wasn't clear why she wanted to meet me about that. And what I felt I did well was just get underneath what she wanted to speak to me about. And we managed to get to the fact that she was concerned about the bandings and she was on the cusp of a 2/1, 2/2 banding. And I think through asking the question about where she was and where she wanted to be, and trying to give her the turn back, we did actually, I think, get behind some of the anxieties that she had. Now still in that interaction you will find that I am taking the longer turns and still I am kind of very much in the position of the person giving advice and information - which may well be appropriate to the context, but I think in previous interactions I may well have taken longer turns and not asked the important question about where was she, why was she coming to me with this piece of work - and I think that helped address some of the issues and the anxiety that there was.
I want to move onto the evaluation. So just starting off with John Carpenter's Level of Outcomes. So he has talked about what we want to achieve through social work education, what are the end outcomes of social work education. And obviously learners' reactions and learners feeling positive about learning is important. But in many ways, in terms of what we do in social work, it's perhaps at the bottom of the scale. And because learners can have very positive reactions to learning, it doesn't mean that they change their attitudes or their knowledge has increased through that. And even if someone's knowledge and attitudes have changed, doesn't mean their behaviour has. You can argue that attitudinal change is a prerequisite for behavioural change - but just because you change your attitude on something, for example addiction issues are a classic case, in order to address an addiction you need to recognise that you have got a problem with that addiction - but just recognising the problem doesn't necessarily mean you will or that you can change that behaviour. So changes in behaviour. And at the highest end of the triangle, really what we are trying to do for social work education is to improve outcomes for service users and be a greater benefit to users and carers.
So Carpenter started, and there is another model that he has looked at. If those are the end outcomes of social work education, what do we need to do in terms of evaluating social work education to get data on whether or not we are affecting those higher level outcomes. And some of that is quite difficult - but what Carpenter has been, I think quite well known for, is saying that just the end of course smiley face evaluation isn't enough if you want to be looking at whether or not you have affected attitudes, perceptions and changes in behaviour.
So what we had was, in the end, in terms of evaluation data, slightly less than we started off with. We had 9 in the control group, 5 in the intervention group and 4 consultant social workers who I had some data from, but I am just going to focus on the NQSW's in terms of what I say today. And the methods that we had were, at the beginning of the training I put T1 and T2, and I think later I put T0 and T1, but anyhow, at the start, before the training we did a self-evaluation questionnaire with all the social workers and we also did a vignette scenario at the beginning and at the end. And we also asked all of them open questions about their training, and specifically we asked the VERP trainees about their feedback on that method. So in terms of what we were kind of seeking to do, in terms of Carpenter's levels, we got the feedback sheets on the training and that was learner's responses, which can be important - if people feel positive about the training, if they feel it has been beneficial, they are more likely to put that into interaction. In terms of looking at whether there was a change in attitudes and perceptions, we did self-evaluation questionnaires - and albeit they were self-evaluation, they did give a sense, I think, of how people were confident about their skills and abilities. And finally we used vignettes … certainly Gillian McIntyre and colleagues had used them to evaluate the new degree in England, and as a result, speaking to Gillian, I had kind of put those in place. There were various flaws in the methodology that we used, and I am happy to speak to them in the questions. But it was probably the simplest ways that I could think of, of getting towards the higher level outcomes in Carpenter's methodology.
So firstly in terms of learners' responses, they were overwhelmingly positive, so just someone saying "it's built my confidence", someone saying "it is very helpful in developing communication skills and strength based approaches", "VIG clearly has great potential for use in many roles", "change of thought around my positive strengths", "despite our initial doubts, it has been beneficial and a real privilege to have had the opportunity to take part". I will maybe speak about this a bit later, but there was quite a few teething problems and I think quite a lot of resistance and cross misgivings as to whether this would work as an intervention method. So that is what that is referring to.
There were also some negatives identified - one which will be probably common to all of you in the room, is around the time to do the training and to put it into practice, to get time off work to attend the days, and also the technology did break down some of the time. Again, I can speak about that in more detail. We used what are called Flip camera's, but getting the software downloaded onto the local authority computers ended up being a big of a saga and didn't always work and limited the NQSW's ability to edit the videos.
So if we can turn to the hand-outs at the back of the slide in terms of the self-evaluation questionnaires - so it's on a scale of 0-100 - these were devised … they had been used previously in social work education, particularly Jonathan Schofield has recently done a study of motivational interviewing and used these, so he kindly provided me with the ones that he had done and I adapted them for children and families NQSW's. So we had 15 areas where we asked them to evaluate themselves at the beginning and the end. So just in terms of some headline findings from that - I haven't included the consultant social workers in this, but just to say that they showed average increase in confidence levels of 15 points or more in all areas. The social workers were more mixed in terms of their findings, but the control group - that's to say those that didn't have the Video Enhanced Reflective Practice, increased confidence in 12 of the 15 areas and had one increase of 15 points or more. There were decreases in 3 areas, but those weren't primarily related to communication skills. So the one where both groups showed a decrease was in Category 11, which was around keeping accurate and helpful case records, which may well be around paperwork and the volume of paperwork which was there. The intervention group showed generally greater increases in confidence - so they increased in 14 of the 15 areas and they had 2 areas where there was increases of 15 points or more. In one area where they had an increase of 15 points of more was area 8, about challenging parent's constructively about safeguarding concerns , and the control group didn't. And we could clearly relate that to some of the course syllabus that we covered in VERP, so we could relate that to the stuff about difficult conversations and managing conflict. There were some others where the intervention group made progress, or more progress, and we might be able to attribute that to the VERP training or we might not be able to. So for example in area 13 - working effectively with other professionals within and outside your organisation' - the control group actually felt less confident, going from 73.3 to 68.9, and the intervention group showed an increase of 8 points on average. So we might relate that to VERP, but that wasn't specifically covered, but there was stuff about communication, inter-professional communication.
The last area was the vignettes, so I will try and describe briefly what we did. We have a vignette at the beginning and the end for all the people taking part, the intervention and the control group. We then, myself and a colleague sat down and graded them for each … well we basically looked at the scenario and looked at 10 areas that we thought they could evidence through the scenario, through response to it, and then we gave them a score of 1, 2 or 3. So 1 was where there was little or no evidence in their response, 2 medium evidence and 3 there was strong evidence. And then in the hand-out that you have got, I have taken the average score for the control group and the intervention group at the beginning and the end. I have then looked at the difference between the beginning and the end score and the score at the bottom with a capital 'D' is the difference between the intervention group and the control group. So for example in 1 - demonstrates ways of building relationships with family members, engaging with family perspectives - D = 0.14 means that overall the average difference in score between the intervention and control group was greater by 0.14.
So the headlines, a slightly more muddled story - I suppose one of the positive things from the point of view of the training overall - there were positive differences in both groups between the beginning and the end of both sets of training. In the control group, in areas 4, 8 and 9, there weren't - and the intervention group, there were no areas where there were negatives for area 9, which was around knowledge of family and life (… unclear) where there was no change.
There was strong evidence of change in area 1 which is about building relationships and area 6 for both groups, which is around planning direct work with children. So an area which you think that the VERP training might influence because of its focus on communication, we might say that the increase change that we saw in the intervention group could be attributed to the VERP, albeit tentative. But there was also some areas where it was harder. So in area 4 - awareness of impact of poverty and social exclusion - the difference between the two groups is 0.52 - that was the greatest difference. And you might say that the VERP training, through focusing on what the other person was saying, through looking at parental perspectives, might have been behind that difference. But it's a harder case to make. So area 4, it wasn't entirely clear why the intervention group was significantly making more progress. And there was also one area of negative difference - that's to say where the people that didn't get the VERP training made more progress - and that was in knowledge of how to support families to engage with appropriate supports. And currently I have no explanation as to why that should be the case, other than perhaps the vignette didn't pick certain things up or people focused in the VERP training on interactional things rather than the care planning aspects in their written response. But I haven't really worked out why that might be and I am not sure I am going to have the ability or then very tentatively to suggest why that might be.
But the summary of the evaluation - first of all very positive learner's reactions, and I kind of regret, in hindsight, that we didn't map out what people said at the beginning of the training in more detail, because I think that could be one way of evidencing their positivity towards the training rather than just the feedback sheets - there was a real change in their attitude towards the training, but also I think their attitude towards themselves and their development. But there were positive learner's reactions, and they only get us to the bottom of Carpenter's scale, if you like.
Secondly, in terms of increased self-confidence, in most areas there was increased self-confidence for both groups, but the intervention group did clearly make more progress in two or three areas. And the last area around increased knowledge - again there were positives in most areas - both groups showed increased knowledge, and again with greater gains for the intervention group that were doing the VERP training in some areas related to VERP. But just to reiterate - one area where the control group made greater progress and gains for the … that should say intervention group - in one or two areas that are harder to explain in terms of the VERP syllabus, we might make an argument and say people feel positive about themselves in their learning, they are more likely to learn in other ways. But again that is very tentative I think.
In terms of my own reflections on the process - there were substantial teething problems of which I was partly to blame. There were anxieties around the training and how effective it was - and because I wasn't maybe as knowledgeable about what VIG and VERP were at the beginning, I may have increased anxieties - and I did kind of arrive at a Newly Qualified Social Workers' meeting and think they would be really enthusiastic about it - not really figuring that there might be concerns about video recording, there might be anxieties about being recorded in that way and fears about being negatively judged through interactions. And I think it is one of the weird things about social work - is that the home visit and interactions with service users are often hidden - they are not scrutinised in social work education that much - you have your direct observations, but three during a long placement. And once you are a qualified practitioner, there is very little, other than perhaps colleagues' feedback that you get. So there is that whole kind of realm of social work interaction, the home visit, about which we know very little about how social workers host those meetings. So perhaps wasn't, in retrospect, very surprising that NQSW's, who were just new in the job, felt slightly concerned about it. And the other issue was time, and that remained a problem throughout, even with organisational support for NQSW's to attend.
In terms of methods, a real piece of learning … I did speak to John Carpenter, whose model I showed you earlier on, just about having a randomised control trial - and he warned me - he said "you are going to have potential difficulties, because the people that don't get the VERP training are going to feel aggrieved that, you know, there is potentially a really good method and you are only giving it to some of them". In effect, it was the ones who actually were allocated to the VERP training that were less happy - they didn't feel that they had the time to do it - they felt it was an extra stress. And even though they ended up with very positive views on the training, it did add extra, I think stress to them at the beginning of what is a stressful period when you are starting in a new job as an NQSW.
Were the vignettes the best method to pick up the changes through VERP? Almost certainly no. and we used them for 2 reasons - partly because I wanted an overall overview of different areas other than the direct interaction, but also they were a cost effective way of doing an evaluation of knowledge. The best way probably would have been through using a video scenario or at least a scenario. I think that would have been difficult in terms of resources. I think it would have been difficult to get the NQSW's to buy into it as well, given that there was already anxieties. I think the idea of being assessed through a piece of video interaction would have caused more anxieties, and I am not sure we would have been able to get them on board for that. but I think ideally, if I was re-running it, I perhaps wouldn't have a random allocation and I would seek, as a result, to use video feedback.
And the final thought is around VERP learning and VIG learning, because one of the things that comes out around the focus of micro-interactions, and I think it is really positive - that micro-interactions is only part of the story. In any interaction, but particularly in social work, if you are very good in your interpersonal skills, but you are horribly unreliable, you don't do what you are say you are going to do, that you don't follow up on care plans - then obviously it only goes a certain way. So I think part of my reflection is around the micro-communications, but them leading to wider changes - and the micro-communication doesn't really amount of much unless you have those wider changes and those wider issues - that you are open, that you are honest, that you do what you say you do and so on. So yes, it is a very important part of the process, but only alongside those wider issues of professional reliability.


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Plane descends too low on approach to Birmingham Airport
Inquiries have started after a Mahan Air Airbus A.310 landing at Birmingham International Airport came in too low. The airplane is reported to have descended to 600ft (182m) six miles from the airport. At that point it should have been at 1,800ft (550m). Reports say the pilot was alerted and told to climb, which he did before making a second attempt at landing.
(BBC)
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


AKA: ARPAT-2;Pedro Recruit-1. Status: Retired 1977. Thrust: 244.00 kN (54,853 lbf). Burn time: 11 s. Height: 3.10 m (10.10 ft). Diameter: 0.71 m (2.32 ft).
Country: USA. Launch Vehicles: ARPAT, Athena RTV, Pedro Recruit. Propellants: Solid. Stages: TX-261-3. Agency: Thiokol.


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Daily World News Digest, 27 February 2015
Tamil organizations reject Sri Lanka's Commission on Missing Persons
The Tamil Guardian reported on 26 February that the Tamil Civil Society Forum and the Welfare Organization for Forcibly Disappeared Persons have announced that they will boycott Sri Lanka's Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, stating that a "credible inquiry" can "only be achieved through international means." The groups said the Commission "continues to function under the new government without rectifying any of the concerns realized by civil society activists and those affected," and argued that to appear before the current Commission would give it "a stamp of legitimacy". http://bit.ly/1LQaWHl
Violent arrests at rally for 43 missing students in Mexico
Russia Today reported on 27 February that Mexican police violently arrested protesters rallying on 26 February in Mexico City to mark the five-month anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero September. The spokesman for the families, Felipe de la Cruz, called…
Human rights decline in Myanmar
The Asia Times reports today that Amnesty International's 2014 Annual Report noted a decline in human rights standards in Myanmar despite ongoing reforms. In addition to continuing violence against the ethnic Muslim Rohingya population, Amnesty noted that President Thein Sein has failed to keep his promise to release the country's remaining prisoners of conscience. The same report cited Amnesty's assessment that in Vietnam, at least 60 prisoners of conscience remained jailed in harsh conditions following "unfair trials,", while new trials and arrests took place. http://bit.ly/1DVWmeX
UK's 'evasion and denial' criticized in Amnesty Report
The Daily Mail reported on 25 February that Amnesty International's 2014 Annual Report criticizes the UK Government for its 'evasion, denial and delays' over establishing the truth about Britain's complicity in torture. There had been 'no significant progress in holding those responsible to account', Amnesty said. Those detained under a CIA program made…
A Camp to Find Missing People and Identify Bodies
The Times of India reports today that ten police units in the Pune area were scheduled to take part in a course on Wednesday and Thursday designed to develop capacity for locating and identifying missing persons. Police Superintendent Manoj Lohiya said the aim was to identify murder victims by learning how to connect information from different sources, for example when a missing person is reported in one district and a murder victim is found in another. Pune police failed to detect 3,344 missing persons in 2014 and 230 in 2015. http://bit.ly/1wnicav
Row in South Africa over Bodies of Nigeria Church Victims
NewVision News reported on 24 February that a row has erupted in South Africa over the identity of one of the bodies of dozens of South Africans who were killed in the collapse of a Nigerian church building last year. One…
Kosovo's Thaci criticized for genocide suit threat
BalkanInsight reported on 23 February that Kosovo Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci has come under criticism for saying at the weekend that Kosovo is considering suing Serbia for genocide committed during the 1998-99 conflict. "Serbia definitely committed genocide in Kosovo. We have evidence, we have testimony and the entire world knows," he told Turkish news agency Anadolu. Thaci, who is also the deputy prime minister, said that Pristina would apply to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after evaluating "internal and international circumstances". This month the ICJ rejected claims by both Croatia and Serbia, who were accusing each other of genocide during the 1991-95 war. http://bit.ly/1wj1Z68
UK: Amend Modern Slavery Bill
The UK House of Lords should amend the Modern Slavery Bill to restore the right for migrant domestic workers to change employers, Human Rights Watch and the UK charity Kalayaan said today in a…
New Sri Lanka prime minister vows to free 'disappeared'
The Australian newspaper carries an interview today with the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who says that persons detained in Sri Lanka under the Prevention of Terrorism Act may soon be released. The Prime Minister said his government had demanded a full list of detainees from all security agencies. He said provision would be made for reparations to be paid to families of deceased detainees. Mr Wickremesinghe said the number of people to be released is likely to be in the hundreds. http://bit.ly/1DNhrYV
Ukraine truce opens way to address issue of combatants missing in action
The Russia Today TV station reported on 22 February that 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers have been listed as missing in action and that the Ukrainian authorities are proposing to launch a DNA identification process after collecting samples from family members. To date, 52 PoW have…
UN rights chief calls on Syria to release detainees
The United Nations released a statement by High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on 19 February calling on Syrian authorities to release all those held by Government forces and militias, without due process, in some cases for years on end. The High Commissioner noted that activists, lawyers and human rights defenders have been particularly targeted, adding that "in many cases, people are held incommunicado for weeks or months, in particular by Political Security, State Security, Military Security and Air Force Intelligence branches." http://bit.ly/1FBCUGj
Tamils call for Sri Lanka paramilitary leader to face justice
The Tamil Guardian reported on 19 February that Tamils in the eastern town of Ampara protested on Wednesday demanding that the Tamil paramilitary leader, K Pushpakumar (alias. Iniya Bharathi), should face justice for crimes he is alleged to have committed when he was the regional head…
French appeals court blocks torture suspect's extradition to Argentina
Radio France Internationale reported on 18 February that France's top appeals court has ruled against extraditing a former Argentine police officer wanted for alleged torture, kidnapping and murder under the country's military dictatorship in the 1970s. The Cour de Cassation overturned a decision by another court last year approving the extradition of Mario Alfredo Sandoval but it ordered the case against him to be reexamined. Sandoval, who obtained French nationality in the 1980s, is wanted for the 1976 kidnapping of student Hernan Abriata, who was never seen again, and a number of other cases of opponents of the then-ruling junta who disappeared. http://rfi.my/1Jr3Mvs
Missing persons' families protest in Sri Lanka
The Tamilnet web portal reported on 18 February that family members of missing persons staged a day-long fast in the eastern town of Batticaloa city on Monday carrying the clothes and photographs…
Iraqi women trafficked into sexual slavery
India's Zeenews reports on a statement issued in London today by Minority Rights Group International and the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, which says that up to 10,000 women and girls in Iraq have been abducted or trafficked for sexual slavery, prostitution or ransom. The authors of a report issued by the two groups say trafficking in Iraq has "mushroomed" in recent years and that Islamic State (IS) has become a major actor in the buying and selling of girls, though IS "is not the first group to be involved in abducting and trafficking women." http://bit.ly/1DpjjZ5
Egypt's Copts still seeking work in Libya, despite IS beheadings
The Huffington Post UK reported on 16 February that Egyptian Coptic Christians are still seeking work in Libya despite the risks from IS militants. It cited a BBC report from the town where 13 of the 21 Egyptians recently…
Authorities Must Be Actively Engaged
Filed under News Press Releases
Banja Luka, 17 February 2015: The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have to engage more actively in the process of accounting for missing persons, speakers at a Town Hall meeting organized in Banja Luka by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) said today.
"The state of BiH is still not showing sufficient effort in providing a solution for this joint problem," said Milutin Misic, a member of the collegium of directors of the BiH Missing Persons Institute (MPI). "There must be state accountability. One of the obstacles in the process of search and identification is a lack of information – the problem lies in the fact that those who are obliged to give information are not providing it, even though they are legally obliged to do so."
The meeting brought together representatives of associations of families of missing persons, the MPI, the BiH Prosecutor's Office, and the BiH Ministry for…
Sri Lanka UN war crimes report delayed until September
The BBC reported on 17 February a UN announcement that the publication of a long-awaited report into alleged atrocities committed in the final stage of Sri Lanka's civil war has been delayed until September. The administration of incoming Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has undertaken to cooperate "on a whole range of human rights issues" and has asked for more time to prepare for the release of the report, which was due to have been published next month. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein welcomed the delay, saying that it is possible that "important new information" could emerge in relation to the report. http://bbc.in/1v8XwlG
Gunmen kill Mexican activist searching for the Disappeared
Venezuela's Telesur media group reported on 16 February that a Mexican woman belonging to a group of activists searching for disappeared relatives was murdered on Friday…


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Rekspanning, trekspanning of extensiespanning is een mechanische spanning die tot uitrekking of expansie van een materiaal leidt. De lengte van het materiaal kan toenemen tot de treksterkte van het materiaal wordt overschreden, waarna het breekt.

In een homogene staaf waaraan aan beide kanten wordt getrokken wordt de extensiespanning gegeven door:

waarin  de extensiespanning is,  de kracht waarmee aan de staaf getrokken wordt (de trekkracht) en  de oppervlakte van de doorsnee van de staaf.

Zoals bij alle spanningen is de eenheid voor extensiespanning de pascal (afgekort Pa, 1 Pa = 1 N/m²). Een trekspanning wordt meestal positief genoteerd, aangezien een verlenging van een materiaal (door er bijvoorbeeld aan te trekken) resulteert in een positieve rek en dus ook een positieve spanning. In een driedimensionale spanningstoestand is de richting van de trekspanning de kleinste spanningsrichting. Omdat de drie ruimtelijke componenten van de spanning worden genoteerd op volgorde van grootte, wordt de rekspanning altijd als σ3 genoteerd.

Veel eigenschappen van een materiaal kunnen worden afgeleid uit trekproef. In zo'n experiment wordt een voorwerp van het materiaal met constante snelheid van vervorming uitgerekt, terwijl de benodigde spanning wordt gemeten. Deze wordt uitgezet in een spanning-rekdiagram.

Zie ook
 Mechanische spanning
 Lijst van materiaaleigenschappen
 Trekkracht
 Diaklaas

Externe link
 Voorbeeld van trekspanning/afschuiving/stuikdruk in één toepassing

Grootheid
Materiaaleigenschap
Spanning-rekdiagram

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Factoring $(1+i)z^2 - 3z +2 - i$ I'm not sure how to factor $(1+i)z^2 - 3z +2 - i$. I was thinking of writing this as: $$c(z - \alpha)(z -\beta)$$ and solving for $\alpha,\beta$ however that yields some very nasty results. Could someone give me a starting step?

A: Hint:  by inspection $\,z=1\,$ is a root, so one of the factors is $\,z-1\,$.

A: HINT: $$(1+i)z^2 - 3z +2 - i=(z^2-3z+2)+(z^2-1)i=\color{red}{(z-1)}(z-2)+\color{red}{(z-1)}(z+1)i$$

A: Since $1$ is a root we obtain:
$$(1+i)z^2-3z+2-i=(z-1)((1+i)z-2+i)=(1+i)(z-1)\left(z-\frac{2-i}{1+i}\right)=$$
$$=(1+i)(z-1)\left(z-\frac{2-2i-i-1}{2}\right)=(1+i)(z-1)\left(z-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{3}{2}i\right)$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Words cannot express how much love I have towards my son Hudson. I made this video to try to capture all the many emotions that I experienced as I became a mother. Hudson your parents love you so much and want nothing but the best for you. I love being a mom!


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Acanthurus leucopareius är en fiskart som först beskrevs av Jenkins, 1903.  Acanthurus leucopareius ingår i släktet Acanthurus och familjen Acanthuridae. IUCN kategoriserar arten globalt som livskraftig. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Bildgalleri

Källor

Externa länkar

Abborrartade fiskar
leucopareius


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Body Count's Ice-T appeared on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' (video)
July 31, 2020 July 31, 2020 NextMosh StaffClip, News
Share the post "Body Count's Ice-T appeared on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' (video)"
On July 29, 2020, Body Count frontman Ice-T appeared as a guest on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on NBC. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, current episodes of the show are being filmed at Fallon's home with celebrity guests video conferencing in their appearances.
During the interview, Ice-T spoke about the meaning of Body Count's "No Lives Matter" track, along with his family's close call with coronavirus, plus more.
ICYMI, Body Count's seventh album, 'Carnivore,' is out now.
As of recent, the band unleashed a 'No Lives Matter' limited edition charity T-shirt, and revealed an animated video for their single "Thee Critical Beatdown."
Watch clips from the interview below:
The Sword release "Winter's Wolves" quarantine video
Mastodon release new song "Fallen Torches" (ft. Neurosis' Scott Kelly)
Gemini Syndrome release "IDK" music video
CHOKE drop new video single "Hack To The Basic"
North Kingsley release "Rifle In Thought" video


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toni braxton Princess Love matt james kim cattrall cynthia nixon cynthia bailey cobra kai nene leakes adam levine heather morris Eva Marcille hilary duff taylor swift porsha williams kenya moore nathan kress miley cyrus brittany cartwright selena gomez zendaya andy cohen uma thurman lucy hale
Home » TV Shows
All New Episodes Of "Riverdale" Will Be Dedicated To Luke Perry Claims Executive Producer
Bridget Hill Mar 6, 2019 8:07 PM PST
Source: Racked.com
According to a new report from CBS News, every episode of Riverdale from now will be in Luke Perry's memory following his death on Monday, March 4th. Mr. Perry played the role of Fred Andrews, Archie's father, in Riverdale – the show on CW based on Archie Comics.
This past Monday, the infamous actor passed away at 52-years-old following the aftermath of a gigantic stroke claims Us Weekly. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, on Instagram, stated he was rummaging through old pictures and it was clear Perry was good at what he did.
This latest episode also featured Fred helping out his son, Archie. Referring to the latest episode, the executive producer wrote on his Instagram account, "it is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run." Ever since it was revealed that he died, cast and crew members – as well as fans – have written a ton of posts in his memory.
Lili Reinhart, who portrays Betty, one of the love interests of Archie, said it was "hard to grasp" that Luke was gone. Molly Ringwald, who portrayed Perry's estranged wife said, "I will miss you so much."
The writers of the show chimed in as well, stating that he would be sorely missed on set. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight back in 2017, Perry said he easily related to his role as Archie's father on the show because of his own son and experiences raising him.
Going through pictures on my way to set. From the early days. With Luke in the middle. Our heart, always. Tonight's episode of #Riverdale finds Fred doing what he does best–helping Archie. It is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run. ❤
A post shared by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (@writerras) on Mar 6, 2019 at 8:06am PST
According to the 90210 alum, he related to Fred a lot because his character cares deeply about his child. That's all he is at the end of the day, a father who loves his children.
After it was revealed he passed away, the cast and crew were given time off to grieve. Riverdale's executive producers, The CW, as well as Warner Brothers Studios also released a statement in his name as well, stating that the actor was a compassionate person.
Thus far, it isn't clear as to why Luke suffered a stroke at such a young age, but everyone thus far was quite shocked. His daughter, Sophie, and his son, Jack, both posted commemorative posts on Instagram as well.
Read more about luke perry riverdale
Marisol Nichols Opens Up About Leaving Riverdale To Help Catch Child Predators
Oct 31, 2020 8:34 AM PDT
KJ Apa And Camila Mendes Reveal How They Film Kissing Scenes For 'Riverdale' Amid The Pandemic!
Sep 24, 2020 6:59 AM PDT
Lili Reinhart Talks About Feeling Like She Was Dying During Her Bouts With Depression
Aug 21, 2020 8:58 PM PDT
Tyler Baltierra Posts Adorable Pic Of Newborn Daughter - Gets Candid About His And Catelynn Lowell's Ups And Downs!


In July of this year Global Justice Ecology Project, the Campaign to stop GE Trees and a handful of other organizations, were successful in collecting signatures and comments from over a quarter of a million individuals and over five hundred organizations globally, opposing the USDA's proposed approval of genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus tree plantations throughout the US Southeast. After devastating wildfires in Chile and Portugal this year due to Climate Change and eucalyptus plantations, the global community had begun to wise up to the fact that monoculture tree plantations are a serious threat to communities and ecosystems around the world.
Monoculture eucalyptus and pine plantations already exist in the Southeast US, but the genetic engineering of freeze tolerant strains of the eucalyptus trees would vastly expand the size, number, and location of these plantations–as well as introducing a wealth of new and unpredictable impacts on communities, biodiverse ecosystems and wildlife.
The proposed locations for proposed GE tree plantations can be seen below.
These plantations, much like any other environmentally hazardous operation, will be located mostly in and around disenfranchised and/or forest dwelling communities. They will be left to deal with the droughts, poisonous water runoff, biodiversity loss, and overall human rights violations that are so prevalent among monoculture tree plantations as a whole. Not to mention the fact that eucalyptus trees are highly flammable (as we have seen), and with increasingly hot and dry weather in the proposed areas of development, this is a dangerous recipe for disaster. In fact, states like California and Hawaii, who have already experienced devastating fires due to invasive eucalyptus trees, have already put into motion tactics to cull the trees yearly to reduce wildfire risk.
As we have seen with this recent hurricane season, and many natural disasters before that, as well as industry mishaps such as pipeline malfunctions, oil spills, and the improper disposal and/or intentional release of toxins, the people who are impacted the most negatively by environmental hazards are the poor and disenfranchised. They are the ones that deal with the brunt of the pollution, destruction, and silencing by big corporations. Brownfield cleanup sites are notoriously in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, and lawsuits for air and water pollution in these same communities can go on for years with no retribution for the affected parties.
Monoculture tree plantations are bad for the environment, and they are bad for people. The only ones benefiting from them are the large companies making profit from wood products and biofuels (a false solution to climate change). The industry makes false claims about the benefits of monoculture plantations, but the truth is that these trees do not reduce carbon, they take up land from native forests and agricultural land, they dry up and pollute the surrounding areas, they cause severe wildfires, and so much more.
Letting the USDA know how the public feels about possible GE tree plantations was a huge victory, but there is much continued work to shed light on the evils of existing non-GE tree plantations and the exacerbation of those evils by incorporating GE trees into the mix. Global Justice Ecology Project, the Campaign to Stop GE Trees, and our partners will continue our ongoing fight to keep GE tree plantations out of communities globally and right here in the United States. And we will continue to provide a voice for those communities most affected by the serious issues that come hand in hand with monoculture plantations.


HERE at Peace Lutheran Church!
Scholarships are available. The training is designed for trainees to complete all three modules. If you want to learn more about this process for forming faith, this is a wonderful opportunity. Please contact Pastor Carolyn if you are interested.


Hi guys, I'm on this tutorial http://www.outsystems.com/learn/lesson/796/themes-and-common-ui-exercise/ Part 4.
i am trying placing bottom bar items side-by-side but I don't get what I doing wrong.
Guys, my bad, the problem was I tried put the bottom bar items in a wrong component !
I have to same problem. How did you do it?
Need help... How did you solve the problem?


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Posts tagged 'Russia'
Russia, India Planning $30 Billion Oil Pipeline Through Xinjiang
By John Daly
Russia is changing its energy export policy vector as strong demand for hydrocarbons in both in China and in India continues to grow. The recent unease in both the U.S. and Europe over Russian President Vladimir Putin's March 17 annexation of Crimea has only added to Moscow's efforts to diversify its markets beyond Europe.
Now Russia and India are planning to construct a $30 billion oil pipeline through China's restive Xinjiang province. If successful, the pipeline will be the most expensive in the world.
The groundwork for the project was laid on October 21, 2013, during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow for the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit. Singh and Putin issued a joint statement that said, "Russia and India have agreed to establish a joint group to study the possibility of direct ground transportation of hydrocarbons."
That announcement reaffirmed the two countries' joint commitment to implement the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of India on the Enhancement of Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector, which was concluded on December 21, 2010.
The project has been on the drawing boards for nearly a decade, as Russia and India first began discussing it in 2005.
Related Article: Threat Of Tough Western Sanctions On Russia Unnerves U.S., EU Energy Firms
Four years later, in 2009, the foreign ministers of Russia, India and China agreed to enhance energy cooperation. Sergei Lavrov, S.M. Krishna and Yang Jiechi met in Bangalore to discuss energy security, the fight against terrorism and climate change. In a joint declaration, the diplomats said, "India, Russia and China are seeking to intensify international energy cooperation on a new basis to help make the energy market more open, transparent and competitive and reflect the common interests of all the parties involved."
At the end of last year, India's biggest oil and gas company, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) confirmed its interest in the pipeline project, saying, "The pipeline from Russia seems appropriate. The details of the project will be clarified with the Russian partners."
full article at source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Russia-India-Planning-30-Billion-Oil-Pipeline-Through-Xinjiang.html
India Planning $30 Billion Oil Pipeline Through Xinjiang
Vladimir Putin ousts another puppet of the Western Nazi continuum
THE GRAND KREMLIN PALACE, MOSCOW. President Putin with Lyudmila Putin at a party after the inauguration ceremony. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
by Alcuin Bramerton
In the corridors of Western power, Vladimir Putin is not popular. He has a disconcerting habit of getting things done. Putin, a Russian patriot, started to reshape covert geopolitical power structures when he and his colleagues moved to stamp out the influence of the Rothschild and Rockefeller syndicate maggots at work inside Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-90.
These parasites, mostly oligarchs, mummy-got-me-ready chess players, and P2 Lodge mafia proxies, were agents of the G7 Nazi continuum. Their aim was to secure Russian oil and gas to prop up the US petrodollar Ponzi nexus. They failed and, from 1998 onwards, Vladimir Putin made sure that they failed publicly.
Just as the Soviet Union was deliberately collapsed by the G7 élite syndicates, it had been deliberately constructed to fail by a previous generation of those same puppeteers many decades earlier.
The EuroZone was another bankster toy. Manufactured to launder unbacked fiat paper currency to Asia, it is now being collapsed by the very same banksters who set it up in the first place.
In Western fractional banking, it doesn't matter whether you build up or whether you smash down; you make big money each way and in the process you generate useful debt to control sovereign treasuries. After each collapse there is a fire sale. If you're a banker, you don't just buy the dips; you create the dips. Money is the mechanism which makes people poor.
With China and one hundred and eighty other BRICS alliance nations, Putin's Russia is teaching the G7 Nazi continuum a rather obvious lesson: fiat paper currencies are not money; gold is money.
What is happening worldwide now is that the BRICS nations are accumulating gold and beginning the process of freeing up the trillions (some say quadrillions) of dollars' worth of suppressed gold held outside the markets in the Global Collateral Accounts
full article at source: http://jhaines6.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/vladimir-putin-ousts-another-puppet-of-the-western-nazi-continuum-by-alcuin-bramerton/
Putin Affirms Russia's Focus On High-Precision Weapons (fortunascorner.wordpress.com)
FEMEN Protests Topless Against Gazprom, Vladimir Putin
It seems it's never too cold for FEMEN. Despite temperatures dipping to minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (about -24ºC), members of the Ukrainian activist group protested outside the headquarters of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom — topless, The Huffington Post reports.
According to the Associated Press, the women held signs reading "Gas Racket" and "Gas Gangsters," accusing Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin and Gazprom of subjugating Ukraine and Europe through its gas policies.
According to the Russia Times, FEMEN's official blog notes that the group is targeting Russia's "gas terror" against Ukraine during the country's freezing winter.
"The organization is also protesting against Russia's gas pressure, price monopoly, takeover of national gas transportation, and forcing gas-depending countries into dead-born political and economic unions," the blog reportedly reads……
full article at source:http://www.epress.am/en/2012/02/14/femen-protests-topless-against-gazprom-vladimir-putin-photos.html
Putin's Geopolitical Chess Game with Washington in Syria and Eurasia
Since reassuming his post as Russia's President, Vladimir Putin has lost no minute in addressing the most urgent geopolitical threats to Russia internationally. Not surprisingly, at the center of his agenda is the explosive situation in the Middle East, above all Syria. Here Putin is engaging every imaginable means of preventing a further deterioration of the situation into what easily could become another "world war by miscalculation." His activities in recent weeks involve active personal diplomacy with Syria's government as well as the so-called opposition "Syrian National Council." It involves intense diplomacy with Erdogan's Turkey regime. It involves closed door diplomacy with Obama. It involves direct diplomacy with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu
Syria itself, contrary to what most western media portray, is a long-standing multi-ethnic and religiously tolerant secular state with an Alawite Muslim President Bashar Al-Assad, married to a Sunni wife. The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam which doesn't force their women to wear head scarves and are liberal by Sunni standards, especially in the fundamentalist places like Saudi Arabia where women are forbidden to even hold a driver's license. The overall Syrian population is a diverse mix of Alawites, Druze and Kurds, Sunnis, and Armenian Orthodox Christians. Were the minority regime of Al-Assad to fall, experts estimate that, like in Egypt, the murky Sunni (as in Saudi Arabia) Muslim Brotherhood organization would emerge as the dominant organized political force, something certainly not welcome in Tel Aviv and certainly not in either Russia or China.
full article at source: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article35727.html
Putin's Geopolitical Chess Game with Washington in Syria and Eurasia (sgtreport.com)
Syria crisis: western troops 'increasingly likely' to intervene (guardian.co.uk)
Buoyed in Syria, al-Qaeda turns to Iraq? (english.ruvr.ru)
Why Russia sticks by al-Assad (globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com)
Saudi Arabia levels accusations at Russia (english.ruvr.ru)
Alawite
Shia Islam
Innocent men, women, and children are being slaughtered by the Assad government
The Syrian regime says life in Homs is normal, but the pictures and reports tell a much different story. In an emotional interview, a Syrian activist gives voice to a reality of death and destruction.
Innocent men, women, and children are being slaughtered by the Assad government because they are asking for freedom.
Russia and China have this blood on their hands and should now be expelled from the UN. The UN is now a farce .Thousands of people are now dead and are now been killed! Why is this been allowed to continue? Any person who calls themselves human must condemn this genocide. The Syrian army leadership must be told that they will have to face the international court of justice for murder and crimes against humanity. These criminals must be brought to justice a face the hangman for this!
25 die as blasts hit Syrian city (independent.co.uk)
Diplomacy fails as Assad's troops continue their slaughter in Syria (independent.co.uk)
Obama Criticizes Syrian Masssacre (myfoxphoenix.com)
Inside Syria's Slaughter: One Photographer's Journey Through a War Zone (lightbox.time.com)
Syrian regime using car bombs as diversion, rebels say (news.nationalpost.com)
Syria 'relaunches' assault on Homs (guardian.co.uk)
Assad government
Syrian Army
"CIA spy" Davis was giving nuclear bomb material to Al-Qaeda, says report
London, Feb 20(ANI):
Double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis has been found in possession of top-secret CIA documents, which point to him or the feared American Task Force 373 (TF373) operating in the region, providing Al-Qaeda terrorists with "nuclear fissile material" and "biological agents," according to a report.
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is warning that the situation on the sub-continent has turned "grave" as it appears that open warfare is about to break out between Pakistan and the United States, The European Union Times reports.
The SVR warned in its report that the apprehension of 36-year-old Davis, who shot dead two Pakistani men in Lahore last month, had fuelled this crisis.
According to the report, the combat skills exhibited by Davis, along with documentation taken from him after his arrest, prove that he is a member of US' TF373 black operations unit currently operating in the Afghan War Theatre and Pakistan's tribal areas, the paper said.
While the US insists that Davis is one of their diplomats, and the two men he killed were robbers, Pakistan says that the duo were ISI agents sent to follow him after it was discovered that he had been making contact with al Qaeda, after his cell phone was tracked to the Waziristan tribal area bordering Afghanistan, the paper said.
The most ominous point in this SVR report is "Pakistan's ISI stating that top-secret CIA documents found in Davis's possession point to his, and/or TF373, providing to al Qaeda terrorists "nuclear fissile material" and "biological agents", which they claim are to be used against the United States itself in order to ignite an all-out war in order to re-establish the West's hegemony over a Global economy that is warned is just months away from collapse," the paper added. (ANI)
Inter-Services Intelligence
Warfare and Conflict


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About Everett Potter
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Home»Getaways»Caribbean»Smart Deals: Rent a Caribbean Villa
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Smart Deals: Rent a Caribbean Villa
everett 2009-03-15
everett / March 15, 2009 /	772
It may sound disingenuous to be talking "villa" in recessionary times, but a villa in the Caribbean can save you money — sometimes a great deal — when compared with a hotel room. By villa, I don't necessarily mean a grand house. In the Caribbean, the term can mean a condo, a house or a cottage, as well as the beach side palaces that deserve the name.
Aquamare (above and below) is a classic example of the latter, a true luxury villa. In this case, it's a five-bedroom, 8,000 square foot beachfront home on Virgin Gorda in the BVI's (in fact, there are three such homes, side-by-side). There's an infinity pool, alfresco showers and a vast living and dining area that opens to the outside. From August 1 through December 16, 2009, it commands $13,750 a week, half of what it would cost you to rent the villa during the Christmas holidays. But divided by 10 people, it comes out to $196 per person, per night, far less than what a five-star resort would charge.
DEALS GALORE
But many Caribbean rentals will cost you considerably less. The sweetest deals can be found directly from private owners who advertise on sites such as Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO). While most rental prices on the site don't seem to have changed since the economy tanked, there's every reason to believe that you can negotiate a better price than the one that's listed, at least with private rentals. Better yet, we're heading into one of the best times of the year to get a deal in the Caribbean, the months of April and May, when prices traditionally drop and you've got eight weeks or so before the hurricane season officially begins on June 1.
There are thousands of homes and condos in the Caribbean, and many are on VRBO. For instance, La
Pompe (above) is a three-bedroom, three-bath, ocean-view home on Bequia that
starts at $131 per night.
A secluded three-bedroom, three-bath West
Indies-style home (above) with sea views on an eight acre beachfront lot in
Nevis is $1,650 a week. And a sea-view studio on St. Martin overlooking Nettle Bay is suitable for a couple and ranges from $800 per week.
WHY A VILLA
For a larger group, I'm a big fan of houses that offer multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, plenty of communal space and privacy. Ideally, a house should have a private pool, a good view and access to a beach. And the reasons to love a house in the Caribbean are legion. In a hotel for example, public spaces, including the pool, are shared. With a villa, you can take a dip in the pool at midnight or have breakfast with the songbirds at 5 a.m. There's no schedule.
From a cost standpoint, villas are ideal for a group of friends, a family or a multi generational group, because sharing the cost brings the price down to a point that's often lower than a comparable hotel. In fact, frequently you can stay at a house that is nicer than any hotel you could afford. And by cooking, you save on restaurants, the cost of which can quickly add up in the Caribbean.
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST
There are hundreds of villa rental companies, including WIMCO, which generally handles only blue-chip properties. But VRBO shines here, offering hundreds of villa rentals in the Caribbean, like Island Horizons on St. John, a three-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath home (above) with a pool on the side of Bordeaux Mountain overlooking the British Virgin Islands. Rates range from $1,540 per week. Or go for a secluded, three bedroom beach house that's literally on Cane Garden Beach (below) in Tortola, BVI, for $3,500 per week.
If there is a downside to house rentals, it's that there's no one to make your meals or bed (unless you hire a staff for a house, which is costly). House rentals shorter than seven nights are also hard to find. And you will often need to factor in the cost of a rental car, rarely a necessity at a large resort.
When you go shopping for villas, check out forGetaway.com and Zonder.com that list professionally managed rental properties. But you can also rent directly from tens of thousands of homeowners at sites like HomeAway.com and its subsidiaries, such as VRBO.com, VacationRentals.com, A1Vacations.com, GreatRentals.com and CyberRentals.com
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Q: Mongodb C# driver return only matching sub documents in array I have a document in this format:
{
    _id: ...,
    myArray: [{other: stuff}, {other: stuff}, ...],
    ...
}

I want to find elements that match certain things, like the _id or fields value from the sub-documents in myArray.
I want to return the documents, but with a filtered MyArray where only the matching sub-documents are present.
I tried to do a projection and include the matched elements like this:
_mongoContext.myDocument
    .Find(x => x.id == id & x.myArray.Any(y => myList.Contains(t.other)))
    .Project<myModel>(Builders<myModel>.Projection.Include("myArray.$"))

This, I think, should only return the first element that matched in myArray instead of all documents, which is not what I want (I want all sub-documents that match the query to be present in the returned document).
And anyway it did not even work, I'm getting a positional projection does not match the query document error. Maybe it's because I'm not using FindOne?
In any case, how can I achieve what I'm looking for? (See question in bold)

A: Typically you need to use $filter in Aggregation Framework to filter nested array. However there's an easier way to achieve that using MongoDB .NET Driver and IQueryable interface.
Considering simplest model:
public class MyModel
{
    public string _id { get; set; }
    public IEnumerable<MyNestedModel> myArray { get; set; }
}

public class MyNestedModel
{
    public string other { get; set; }
}

and following data:
var m = new MyModel()
{
    _id = "1",
    myArray = new List<MyNestedModel>() {
        new MyNestedModel() {  other = "stuff" },
        new MyNestedModel() { other = "stuff" },
        new MyNestedModel() { other = "stuff2" } }
};

Col.InsertOne(m);

you can simply call .AsQueryable() on your collection and then you can write LINQ query which will be translated by MongoDB driver to $filter, try:
var query = from doc in Col.AsQueryable()
            where doc._id == "1"
            select new MyModel()
            {
                _id = doc._id,
                myArray = doc.myArray.Where(x => x.other == "stuff")
            };

var result = query.ToList();

EDIT:
Alternatively you can write $filter part as a raw string and then use .Aggregate() method. Using this approach you don't have to "map" all properties however the drawback is that you're losing type safety since this is just a string, try:
var addFields = BsonDocument.Parse("{ \"$addFields\": { myArray: { $filter: { input: \"$myArray\", as: \"m\", cond: { $eq: [ \"$$m.other\", \"stuff\" ] } }  } } }");

var query = Col.Aggregate()
               .Match(x => x._id == "1")
               .AppendStage<MyModel>(addFields);

$addFields is used here to overwrite existing field.


You will find additional means to skimp on your computer data. You might under no circumstances recover your computer data or your customer's data. Moreover, uncover what is going to affect your data in case the provider is out of organization. Put basically, it's a technique of saving info so its accuracy are unable to be disputed and its security are unable to be made up. More the amount of facts, minimal is the cost of the digital storage area. You will discover furthermore a number of personnel relishing the right of being able to access the business's cloud data which in turn contains mental property components and organization trade secrets. Ideally, selecting a hybrid sort of cloud could be the perfect assortment for the majority of organizations. Adding another level of information security is always seen as an benefit, while its lack may be a critical drawback. Thus it is helpful to increase the data dependability. Data protection and reliability has blossomed between the many essential portion of a great enterprise.
The latest challenges in the market In the past decade, backup and recovery continues to be among the most tough tasks pertaining to numerous businesses. Nowadays riches is often found in digital variety, and that may be why over the internet data back-up has come to become so desired. Further you can exchange information with distinctive persons on the net through the existing accounts. Whether it comes to impair computing, traditional backups as you may know them avoid exist since there is normally usually not any supplementary cloud. Cloud processing features versatility as you pay out as you go. Featuring cloud processing stipulates an incredibly practical choice for enterprises and at this time there are a good amount of hybrids of cloud processing database expertise that you could acquire in the marketplace today. It allows you to automate the majority of your crucial functions and remain updated with the most up-to-date in technology and bring about a even more so environment. It enables for seamless, real time collaboration within a company. It is definitely a method to take in THAT information like an assistance instead of merchandise. Everywhere Access Cloud computing enables businesses to deploy their very own applications worldwide so they can serve their very own customers in a part of the price of any normal local company. Database management systems happen to be between the primary software systems for businesses inside the info era. Cloud computer systems are largely set up for enterprise or research needs. Online internet marketer document management program can support to boost the security of important paperwork.
Learn other ways in which in turn you can easily promote your organization your self. Ahead of you select for your company only learn which usually provider fulfils your business requirements and can help you take it to the next level. Given that every businesses need a way of stroage corporate commercial enterprise email, the battle for THAT decision-makers is going to be to locate an email storage treatment that is certainly correct for all of them. Along with the individual, they are also handy to transform. The web info back up business is going to be one particular which has expanded a larg sum more than the past many years. A lot of businesses happen to be focusing on developing cost-effective and quick info backup procedures. One of the overall most well-liked cloud calculating company is usually AWS of course, if you are able to shift the infrastructure in AWS then you definitely have to utilize AWS consulting products from a skilled or a dependable organization. Maybe the biggest advantage impair accounting supplies is drastically improved flexibility. The advantage meant for little and medium-size businesses is having the chance to order the capability only simply because needed. Inside my thoughts and opinions, the benefits of cloud work plainly combine the price personal savings that appear with economic climate of dimensions, but likewise incorporate tons of varied positive aspects. The digital effect of Cloud computing can it be avoids all types of paper helping saves trees. If you prepare for going into a foriegn environment, you will will need to uncover what the specialist is going to do in the event of sacrificed or perhaps dropped data. It really is simpler to assess the foriegn structure with the real time information on the security system procedure with the cloud storage area program.
How come Data Storage became the key instruments in company nowadays?


The Muse, the traditional dispenser of inspiration, is a concept that has come down to us from classical times. In this rendition she has a rather terrifying aspect: she is both the slayer of heroes and the succour of the bereaved. The two masks complete her traditional tripartite aspect, a tradition that has been associated with the Great Goddess for thousands of years. In her hair are the snakes of Medusa, who represented the dark aspect of the triple Goddess.
I had great fun with the composition. It has an interlocked quality, fitting the figures in front and behind of eachother weaving a whole from many diverse parts. This is a trick I learnt from studying the work of Gustave Klimt.
A favourite theme of classical and neoclassical painters was The Garden of the Hesperides, a mythical orchard where an apple tree or a grove grows, producing golden apples. The Hesperides were beautiful nymphs who were given the task of tending to the grove. The Olympian Goddess Hera placed in the garden an immortal, never-sleeping dragon to protect the garden.
There are many clues in this myth that suggest that it is a disguised reference to the Pole star or Polaris. The golden apples being the stars of the sky, and the dragon the constellation of Draco that surrounds Polaris.
Oddly, many heroes of various cultures have attempted to steal these golden apples including Loki from Norse mythology and Hercules/Heracles from Greek mythology.
Due to the timeless appeal of the subject and its symbolic nature, I felt drawn to make my own rendition of this myth. Here I have tried to emphasize the vulnerability of the nymphs into whose secret and sacred place a stranger has wondered.


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text:
Pssst! Want to Find a Great Speakeasy?
The speakeasy's front gate
Belgrade is a city that knows how to keep its secrets. The underground bar we were seeking had two different names, the street it was on ceased to exist years ago, and while our map was in standard Roman lettering, the street names, if posted at all, were in Cyrillic. Naturally almost none of the buildings had a street number. However, such is the power of the Internet that we managed to discover that Улица 29 новембра (29 Novembra Street) had transformed itself into Булеван Деспота Стефана (Bulevan Despota Stefan) and by counting carefully we eventually arrived at an apartment block with a big, black, unmarked, wrought-iron gate and a doorbell discreetly labeled "Federal Association of Globe Trotters." We were pretty sure this was the place, even though we'd been looking for the World Travelers' Club. Translations are always a bit slippery.
After that we simply had to press the doorbell, wait for the gate to buzz open, walk through the echoing lobby of the apartment building, make our way down some dimly lit stairs, find the yellow door standing slightly ajar, push it open, and enter. Inside was one of the coolest bars I've ever seen, dimly lit and gorgeously decorated in around-the-world memorabilia and grandma's attic cast-offs. The fact that it was one of the city's secret drinking dens added a small, clandestine thrill.
Federal Association of Globe Trotters, aka the World Travelers' Club, Belgrade, Serbia
The speakeasy atmosphere harks back to the days of the Balkan wars, when it was imprudent to be overheard expressing anti-Milosevic sentiments, and hip young dissidents wanted to gather to discuss their political views in safe, congenial surroundings with a fully stocked bar.
Plenty of room for 6 in this compartment...
Today, in the free and democratic Republic of Serbia, such secrecy is no longer necessary, but the habit of flying under the radar seems deeply imbedded in the local psyche. Just getting to Belgrade had been a challenge due to the almost total lack of signage on our train; we had a hard time identifying the sleeping car, let alone our compartment. And weren't we surprised to discover that contrary to what we'd heard, there were no private compartments on this overnight run from Sofia to Belgrade. Each compartment held six bunks, and we might be sharing the six-by-seven-foot (1.8 x 2.1 meter) space with as many as four strangers. Where some overnight trains helpfully post signs indicating which beds are reserved, those in charge of the Sofia-Belgrade run would never willingly divulge that kind of hush-hush information. So at each of the 13 stops during the long, long night, I waited for roommates to come barreling into the tiny space. By some miracle – and the fact Mondays are less popular travel nights – we lucked out and had the place to ourselves.
Upon arrival, it seemed as if everyone in Belgrade was speaking in code. I'd heard numerous references to a district called "Silicon Valley" and assumed the city had some sort of high-tech industrial zone. It was days before I learned that this nickname referred to the silicon implants favored by many of the female patrons of an upscale district known for its slick, trendy bars.
Then there's the ? bar. Its previous name, Cathedral Tavern, reflected its proximity to the Orthodox cathedral of St. Sava and roused the ire of the clergy, who felt using a sacred name for such a worldly establishment was bordering on sacrilege. I gather there was a spirited exchange of opinions on the matter, but eventually the owner capitulated and agreed to come up with something else. To give himself time to mull the matter over, he posted the question mark as a temporary solution, and it has remained in place since 1878.
Belgrade boasts some outstanding bars, restaurants, and cafes with off-the-wall atmosphere and great food and drinks at a fraction of what you'd pay in Western European or American cities. Of course, the mystery surrounding many of them just adds to the fun. When I posted photos of some of my favorites on my Facebook page, several people wrote in asking how I managed to find these esoteric eateries and gin joints. So I am going to let you in on a closely guarded trade secret: All this info came from Lonely Planet and the free walking tour. I did a little additional research via Google, eventually finding the website for the Federal Association of Globe Trotters (yes, even speakeasies have websites nowadays!) and articles such as Belgrade's Secret Bars in the Financial Times online edition.
Is this car number 431 or 864 or ... ?
No doubt Belgrade has countless more secrets it has managed to keep hidden from Lonely Planet, Google, and the tour guides, and I hope some day to return and unravel a few more. In the meantime, I'm blessed with many fond memories of the city, including this enigmatic sign on my train out of town, a last reminder that Belgrade is a city that knows how to keep you befuddled right up to the last moment.
Rich and I are in the final phase of our three-month train journey around Central and Eastern Europe. So far we've traveled 5875 km (3650 miles) by rail, 859 km (534 miles) by ferry, 176 km (109 miles) by bus, and 10 km (6 miles) by horse-drawn cart. We've slept in 31 beds (counting overnight train and ferry berths), eaten in countless restaurants, and have far more stories to tell than will fit on this blog.
Want to see more? Check out my photos of Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
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