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Farmer Suicide Rate Rises Across The Nation
June 29, 2018 Local NewsMatt Demczyk
The national suicide rate for farmers is on the rise. Local OSU extension educator Ed Lentz explained that this can be caused by farmers taking out loans to get started.
Ed Lentz
Lentz said that this is more common in young farmers that aren't sure of how things work yet. He said this can be helped with more safety nets for farmers in case of bad years and by mentoring young farmers.
Hepatitis A Outbreak Across Ohio Targets Drug Users
There has been a statewide outbreak of Hepatitis A in Ohio. Hancock Public Health epidemiologist Chad Masters said that there have been a few cases in our area.
Chad Masters
Masters said that they are concerned about drug users.
He added that another group at risk is men having sex with men. Masters explained that Hep A is transmitted by fecal-oral contact. You can avoid it by staying clean and washing your hands. Vaccines are also available.
50 North Opening Cooling Station To Help Keep People Out Of The Heat
If you're looking to stay out of the heat this weekend an area organization can help you out. 50 North will have a cooling station open at their facility on East Melrose Avenue until 4 p.m. today. They'll open it from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday as well. On Sunday they'll be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. They will also be available throughout the week. The hours are listed below.
Tuesday:8 a.n. – 9 p.m.
Wednesday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Water Pressure Issues Close Rest Area South Of Findlay Again
Water pressure is causing problems at a rest area south of Findlay once again. ODOT says the rest area on the north side of the interstate has closed until further notice as a result.
Water pressure problems forced ODOT to close the same rest area for a little while on Tuesday of this week.
Independence Day Celebrations Start This Weekend In Our Area
Independence Day celebrations in our area kick off this weekend. Fostoria is holding festivities on Saturday. The event starts with music and food at 5 p.m. and includes a vintage baseball game at 6 p.m. Festivities also include "Fostoria's Got Talent" at the amphitheater. Sign-ups are at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The fireworks will start at dusk.
The rain date for the fireworks is July 2.
One Person Injured In Crash Near Van Buren
A two-car crash injured one person near Van Buren Thursday night. The Hancock County Sheriff's Office says the collision happened on State Route 613 at the intersection of Allen Township Road 229 around 6:45 p.m.
51-year-old Pete Lopez of Findlay was driving south on Road 229 when he didn't yield at a stop sign and pulled into the path of an eastbound car driven by 54-year-old Dennis Cramer of Helena. Hanco EMS took a passenger in Cramer's car, Lori Cramer, to Blanchard Valley Hospital for treatment.
Water Color Issues Fixed In Ottawa, Investigation Continues Into Source Of Problem
Whatever was affecting water in Ottawa appears to be gone now. The Putnam County Sentinel reports some village residents started complaining about odd-tasting, oddly colored water in the middle of June. The issue also affected water customers in Glandorf and Bluffton. Ottawa Water Director Doug Schroeder says they slowed production rates at the water plant and flushed lines in the village to take care of the issue.
Schroeder told village council they couldn't find a source for the issue in their plant. The Ohio EPA hasn't been able to find a reason for the off-colored water either. They are continuing to look into the problem.
MORE: Putnam County Sentinel
Rowmark LLC Sold To Windjammer Capital
A Findlay business is changing hands. A release from Windjammer Capital Investors says the company has bought Rowmark LLC from Bertram Capital. The company hasn't released the terms of the deal.
The release from Windjammer says, "Rowmark is an established market leader with strong brand recognition, supported by state-of-the-art manufacturing and an unmatched understanding of the market channel and new product development." It goes on to say, "We are excited about the future of Rowmark, as we fuel and accelerate the Company's growth,"
Rowmark President and CEO Duane Jebbett said, "We believe in Windjammer's strategic approach, and the alignment of our values point to a promising future for our employees, our industry partners, and most importantly, our customers."
County Commissioners Learn More About McComb-Pleasant Township Property Line Issue
If the boundary lines between McComb and Pleasant Township change, the township would lose around 37 percent of its property valuation. Hancock County Auditor Charity Rauschenberg updated the county commissioners on the issue Thursday. Assistant prosecutor Cindy Land says a hearing on the topic will likely happen by the end of July.
Earlier this month McComb officials asked the commissioners to legally separate parts of the village from the township. As it stands now properties annexed into the village still pay real estate taxes to the township in some instances.
McComb officials say the overlapping boundaries "don't allow for efficient use of time or resources."
Hancock County Looking For Architects To Possibly Design New Court Building
June 29, 2018 Local News, WFIN Top StoryMatt Demczyk
The Hancock County Commissioners took a step toward building a new probate and juvenile court building Thursday. They approved a resolution that asks interested architectural firms to submit their qualifications for designing a new building.
So far there is no construction timetable or even a proposed location for the new building. The commissioners agree that building new makes more sense than renovating the current court at this point. The latest reports show renovating the more than 150-year-old building would only cost $500,000 less than building new.
Commissioner Mark Gazarek believes the county can pay for construction with capital improvement fund money. He added that they'll pay off several other county projects over the next two years. That should free up around $400,000 to pay for the new court.


America's Cup? Whazzat? UEFA Cup? Whazzat?
Does anyone remember the America's Cup? Big gorgeous sailboats, all high-tech stuff and rich people, racing off Newport? A Very Big Deal not too long ago.
Today in The Boston Globe, on page D3, the AC got a couple of hundred words announcing that the American entry, owned by software mogul Larry Ellison, was tromped by the Italians (viva la Italia!) and will not even make it to what amounts to the semifinals.
In other sporting news, there was not one word of this Wednesday's soccer final match for the prestigious UEFA cup, between AC Milan and Liverpool.
Not only has the irrelevant fallen, but the relevant can't even get space on the sports page.


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False Conversions Are the Suicide of the Church, Pastor Warns
CP Current Page: Church & Ministries | Thursday, April 12, 2012 | Coronavirus →
By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Follow | Thursday, April 12, 2012
False conversions are a serious problem that could lead not only to the "suicide of the church" but also to the defaming of God's name, an evangelical pastor warned.
Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., told some 8,000 ministers Tuesday at the Together for the Gospel conference that he fears there are thousands, if not millions, of people in churches who are not truly converted.
"My fellow pastors, could it be that many of our hearers each week aren't saved, even many of our members?"
The problem isn't just the "occasional hypocrite lost in unrepentant sin," but "systems that seem to produce false converts – not just one man, but whole congregations," he lamented.
While some may brush off the problem as inevitable and one that pastors should not worry too much over, Dever sought to underscore how false conversions could dim the light of the church.
More importantly, "false conversions obscure God's plan" – which he described as God doing all things for the glory of His name.
The Southern Baptist preacher described false converts as those indistinguishable from the world and who don't hold to certain Scriptural truths.
A big source of the problem, he named, is false teachers, and that includes "health and wealth" preachers.
"We need to know that we can teach the wrong things with disastrous results," he said, noting that the New Testament has "too many" warnings about false teachers.
Dever listed five truths that are frequently distorted and attacked: God's judgment is coming, we should be judged by God, our only hope is in Christ, we don't see the fullness of our salvation in this life, and we can deceive ourselves and others about our relationship with God.
By not teaching these truths clearly, churches become filled with those who do not "evidence the fruit of the Spirit" or who aren't truly born-again.
"We have to be clear ... that because God is good and we are not, we deserve God's judgment," he emphasized. "How many churches seem to downplay, if not deny, natural human depravity and lostness?"
He also warned that without the clear teaching of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation, "you can make converts to fatalism or to an ethical society as so many of our Protestant churches have become but you cannot have a truly Christian church."
But it's not just doctrine that pastors and believers need to get right, Dever pointed out. The way a Christian lives is also just as important.
"Wrong living," he said, "can be just as damning as wrong teaching."
"Watch your doctrine and life closely," he asserted, citing the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4.
So how must the church and the believer live?
They must be holy – not conceding to worldliness; there must be self-sacrifice and denying of oneself; and they must evidence love.
"If you want to get a lot of fake Christians in your church, just tell them that there is this free gift that entails no self-sacrifice and trouble," the Baptist pastor told conference attendees in Louisville, Ky. "The truth, however, is 'no cross, no crown.'"
When believers get doctrine and life wrong, church life and mutual edification are eroded, the church's witness to the world is subverted, and God's name is profaned, he summed.
But "when we get some crucial things right about life and about doctrine, we will help cause the witness of God to shine."
Together for the Gospel was founded by prominent pastors and theologians Ligon Duncan, Dever, Albert Mohler and C. J. Mahaney. The first T4G conference was held in 2006 with the aim of encouraging other pastors to stand together for the same Gospel. This year's event, which mainly drew those in their 20s and 30s, is the fourth gathering of its kind and concludes Thursday.
Pastor Calls Christian Atheists to Shed Hypocrisy
Rick Warren Tells Passive, Fake Christians to Find Another Church
Study: Born-Again Christians Have Become Complacent
'Falsified' Authors Tackle 'Epidemic' of False Conversions in US Churches
Ga. Pastor Andy Stanley: Don't Settle for 'Christian'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Think the Feds Aren't Reading Your Blog, Think Again!
I have often remarked (half joking half serious) to friends that because of my posts criticizing the Bush Regime and Bush personally, I am probably on several lists. Knowing there is a good chance that my phone conversations are being monitored I always make sure I express my opinions about Georgie boy, taking care not to use big words so that when they play the tapes for dumbya he will know what I think about him. I can hardly wait until the next time I try to get on an airplane so that I can see if I've made the no-fly list.
Though this is all in the realm of possibility I still wrote the above with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. Sadly it's all too true. For expressing opinions supporting the Browns (the couple who managed to keep the IRS at bay for five years) one blogger was visited by a half dozen armed agents (new window) from the Department of Justice who detained everyone in the house for an hour and a half. This is not the first blogger to receive such a visit and probably won't be the last. Others have had their blogs shut down because "Big Brother" didn't care for their views.
I wouldn't be surprised if any day now King George the Stupid signs a new "secret order" declaring blogging to be a threat to national security and with one sweep of the pen the entire blogosphere simply fades away.
Well that's pretty scary. I suppose they are monitoring who comments on blogs, too. Let me just go on the record here as saying I LOVE the IRS, I have always loved the IRS, in fact when I was a little kid my favorite game was to play IRS agent instead of Barbies like all the other little girls. My moms even always wanted me to marry an IRS agent, not a doctor or a lawyer like my friends moms.
what he is doing for his country but not for the rest of the world !
Oh crap. I guess they've finally found a way around that pesky First Amendment.
FORMER MEMBER OF THE D-MORT TEAM—A GOOD BOY.
I heard that if you turn someone in for tax evasion you get something like 15% of whatever the IRS recovers, so you might want to drop a dime on your boy.
I wouldn't worry about King George, Honji. He's on his way out. And there are so many who don't approve of what he's doing, he can't possibly harass us all.


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Jon Jones Becomes Youngest UFC Champion
Written on March 21, 2011 by Markham Mencken
"Champion 2011. It feels so good. It's a testament that dreams can come true, guys. They really can." --- Jon Jones, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Jon Jones' victory at UFC 128 was a hard-to-believe tale, that one day, it will be part of a movie that the audience will assume as fiction. Still, it began when the 23-year-old UFC fighter foiled a robbery, and ended late in the same night when earth encountered the Perigee once again after 18 years.
Jon Jones controlled the action since the opening touch of gloves, until referee Herb Dean pulled him off a grounded Shogun Rua. He won via TKO, and at 23, he is the youngest champion in the UFC history. The road to fame was filled with green lights and short cuts, but Jon Jones just sped through it with ease when he encountered a bump.
His roller coaster ascension to the top of MMA's well-known promotion was stunningly fast. Jon Jones started his training over three years ago, the time when Mauricio Shogun Rua was already considered as one of the best light heavyweight fighters there is in MMA. He was initially labeled as more than 2-to-1 betting favorite, but Jon Jones continuously believed that he will be signing autographs with "Champion 2011″ following his name.
"Champion 2011. It feels so good. It's a testament that dreams can come true, guys. They really can. Believe in yourself, believe in your heart, and once you get there, don't slow down. It comes true, everybody."
Tags: Jon Jones, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, MMA, UFC 128, youngest champion
Written on February 08, 2011
Jon Jones: A UFC 128 Favorite over Shogun Rua
Written on March 10, 2011
Jon Jones is Not Talking About Evans
UFC Pre-Fight Video: Jon Jones
UFC 128 Results - New Champ Jon Jones
Video: Jon Jones Gladly Accepts Torch From Rampage


[OCT. 9, 2002] A free program called "You are what you eat: America on the run" will be presented at the Lincoln Public Library on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Dr. Ryburn-LaMonte's humorous presentation traces America's move from the kitchen to the drive-through, with frequent stops for "junk" food along the way.
The program will be in the Pegram Room of the Carnegie building. For more information, please call the library at (217) 732-5732.
[OCT. 4, 2002] The Illinois Raptor Center invites visitors for an evening educational tour of the center's property with owls displayed in their appropriate habitat. The tour will end in the Sangamon River floodplain, where participants may hear wild barred and great horned owls.
Prowl rain or shine. Bring a flashlight and dress appropriately.
Call (217) 963-6909 to make a reservation or send an e-mail to barnowl@illinoisraptorcenter.org.
This year the Illinois Raptor Center is also offering private owl prowls for organizations and businesses Oct. 21-24. To book a private prowl, call (217) 963-6909 by phone or TTY or e-mail the center.
[OCT. 9, 2002] "Hanging on to Max" by Margaret Bechard. Roaring Brook Press, 2002, 142 pages.
Seventeen-year-old Sam Pettigrew used to go to a regular high school, but now he is a senior and attends an alternative high school. Last year his girlfriend, Brittany, got pregnant and decided to give up the baby for adoption. Sam didn't want that to happen, so he took the baby. Brittany and her family moved away. Sam hates the name that Brittany gave the baby, so when he became the custodial parent he changed the baby's name to Max.
Sam lives with his widowed father, who has agreed to help him out with Max until Sam graduates and takes a construction job. It is obvious that Sam and his father love each other, but they have a hard time showing it and communicating with each other. They are both still grieving over the death of Sam's mother.
The story opens with Sam falling asleep in math class. He is struggling with being a parent and a student, and he feels like he will never get caught up with his homework. He is also having trouble adjusting to his new school and he misses his old friends.
When Sam was in the eighth grade he had a crush on a girl named Claire, and one day she shows up at school with a baby of her own. He is very excited to see her and a friendship develops. Claire is more comfortable with her parenthood than Sam is, and she organizes trips to the park and mall for the two of them with the babies. Being with Claire makes Sam realize that he has really missed the company of a girl.
His father is very uncomfortable with the idea of Sam having a relationship. They have a conversation in which Sam asks his father if he is going to punish him forever by watching everything that he does.
Sam always dreamed of going to college, and when he took the PSATs he got very high scores. Claire convinces him to take the SATs with her, but he has to do it behind his father's back. When the letter comes to the house with the SAT scores in it, Sam's father opens the letter. He confronts Sam with the reality of his situation, and Sam is more confused and stressed than ever.
Sam and Claire and the babies are invited for a night out at a friend's house with other couples. An innocent mistake happens, and it ends up with an emergency room visit for Max. It is at this point that the story begins to change directions. Sam faces some things that he has been thinking about for a long time and the result is a heart-wrenching, surprise ending.
The author uses flashbacks to fill in the missing pieces of the story, like the evolution of Sam's relationship with Brittany, his mother's last days and the first time he sees his baby son. Ms. Bechard does a good job of describing the dilemma young parents face in trying to be good parents without completely giving up their dreams for the future.
The book contains some rough language, so it is recommended for eighth grade and up. The author has done a very good job with a hard subject.
For more information, please visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-8878 or 732-5732.
[OCT. 8, 2002] The LCHS fall play, "The Curious Savage" by John Patrick, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the auditorium at Lincoln Community High School.
The cast includes Betsy Buttell as Mrs. Ethel Savage, a "mature" widow whose stepchildren — Sen. Titus Savage, played by Stanton Schumacher; Lily Belle Savage, Amanda Perry; and Judge Samuel Savage, Tim Fak — decide to have their mother committed because she is spending what they consider to be their multimillion-dollar inheritance. Not only has she decided to finance her own play, but she also tries to "send a ship full of orphans on a cruise around the world... while there's still a world to go around." Her goal is to provide people with enough money to indulge their own foolish fantasies.
When she arrives at "The Cloisters," the home where she will be evaluated by Dr. Emmet, Brian Welter, and looked after by Miss Willie, Amanda Shelley, Mrs. Savage encounters a "perfectly normal" group of "residents." Led by the "statistically inclined" Hannibal, Ty Sank, the group waits with concern to meet the new resident. Fairy May, Lindsey Boerma, worries that Mrs. Savage will be a beauty, challenging her position as the prettiest. The elegant and. lovely Florence, Allison Kessinger, takes the change in stride as she focuses on her son, John Thomas. Jeffrey, Doug Rohrer, tries to hide his "hideously scarred face" from Mrs. Savage, and Mr. Paddy, Brandon Davis, who "hates everything in the world," throws in his own touch of escapism by turning off the lights at every opportunity.
As the plot unfolds, the Savage stepchildren prove they will stop at nothing to regain control of their estate. More importantly, the "Savages" prove that residency in a "home" should not be taken as the only proof that one is unbalanced. Even though Mrs. Savage must accept the fact that the gentle residents of The Cloisters have indeed lost touch with some of the harsh realities of the world, she realizes that their company is infinitely more desirable than that found in the jungle of her Savage stepchildren.
The play is directed by Carolyn Schreiber with the assistance of student directors Tom Swanson and Bo Wright.


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Japan ex-PM Abe's office investigated over funding scandal
MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO (AP) — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged Tuesday his office is being investigated for questionable expenses linked to a dinner party his office hosted for his supporters ahead of an annual cherry blossom viewing party — a scandal that has been on the backburner for months.
Abe made the comment in response to reports Monday that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office has been interviewing his aides over the scandal. None of his aides or supporters have been arrested so far.
Abe, who was in power for nearly eight years as Japan's longest-serving leader, stepped down in mid-September, citing ill health, but some critics have said the scandal might have been a reason. His successor as prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, who served as chief Cabinet secretary in Abe's government, scrapped the cherry blossom viewing party the day he took office.
The scandal involves a 2018 annual dinner party for which Abe's guests paid a 5,000 yen ($48) fee. Opposition lawmakers have said that the fee was too low for a party at an upscale Tokyo hotel, and that Abe's office allegedly covered the difference without reporting it properly.
"My office is fully cooperating with the investigation launched in response to a criminal complaint," Abe told reporters Tuesday. He declined to give details of the investigation and said he had already provided an explanation during parliamentary sessions earlier this year when questioned by opposition lawmakers.
The investigation comes in response to criminal complaints filed earlier this year by a group of hundreds of lawyers and scholars asking Tokyo prosecutors to investigate whether Abe and executives from his political support group had subsidized party fees for Abe's supporters in 2018 in alleged violation of campaign and election funds laws.
Japanese law prohibits politicians from giving gifts to constituents.
Abe has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Drew Barrymore Says Bridgerton Inspired Her to Get Back on a Dating App
"I was like, 'I'm not dead, I'm not dead!'"
Save 45 percent on the 'best Instant Pot ever' at Amazon
Shoppers are saying the Instant Pot Max is the one to buy—especially now that it's $90 off.
Trump impeachment trial pending, McConnell calls it 'vote of conscience'
President Donald Trump's impeachment trial is likely to start after Joe Biden's inauguration, and the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, is telling senators their decision on whether to convict the outgoing president over the Capitol riot will be a "vote of conscience."
How Detroit Red Wings plan to use taxi squad — and who might get bumped off
For now, the Detroit Red Wings' taxi squad is heavy on prospects, but here's why that could change
Stephane Peterhansel Wins The Dakar Rally For The 14th Time
This is the MINI JCW driver's eighth win in a car, joining six wins in bikes.
'Batwoman' star Javicia Leslie on stepping into the iconic superhero role
Leslie is assuming the mantle of Gotham City's masked vigilante in the second season of The CW series.
Like We Never Left: Billy Wagner talks about the big bats on the 2006 Mets
In a bonus segment from the 2006 New York Mets reunion on SNY's Like We Never Left, former closer Billy Wagner recalls his ups and downs from the season, and how he took advantage of the team's big bats.
Celtics stats snapshot: does Boston finally have a bench?
The Celtics' second unit outscored the starters for the first time in recent memory in Friday's blowout of the Orlando Magic.
Is Zynga Inc. (ZNGA) Still A Good Stock To Buy?
Biden's Immigration Reform to Include Pathway to Citizenship for Millions
The new administration plans to send a sweeping immigration reform bill to Congress right away
WLS – Chicago
IL gears up for next phase of COVID vaccine plan
Illinois health officials announced 5,343 new COVID-19 cases and 130 deaths Saturday.


David has raised $105 since 2010.
I enjoy supporting a good cause, and helping to shed light on problems that too many people find it easy to ignore.
Solid start to Movember. Freshly shaved upper lip and a nice nostril slice.


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Q: No Sound in Windows 7 I have a rather peculiar problem with sound. Recently, I re-installed Windows 7 on my PC and sound isn't working since then.
Upon clicking on the Volume icon in the taskbar, I notice that the audio device in use is "Digital Audio (HDMI) (High Definition Audio Device)". When I click on it to go to its Properties window, under "Jack Information" it displays "HDMI Digital Jack". Therein lies the source of the problem.
I do not have an HDMI Digital Jack installed. My speakers are connected via a standard 3.5mm audio jack. The speakers work fine, by the way, as I've tested them with an MP3 player.
There is only one playback device listed under Control Panel > Sounds - "Digital Audio (HDMI)". Right-clicking and selecting "Show disabled devices" and "Show disconnected devices" produces no other results.
I tried re-installing the audio drivers (Uninstalled the sound controller from Device Manager, and installed driver package from Realtek) but to no avail. The sound controller still doesn't list as "Realtek HD Audio" or something similar (as I believe was the case prior to the Windows re-install).
My motherboard has an onboard sound card. Nothing fancy there.
How do I get the analog sound working again?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This year the Victorian Society faced up to English Heritage on the Smithfield redevelopment, and won. Where does the society director Chris Costelloe stand on the imminent changes at EH?
How do you react to the splitting of English Heritage into a charitable trust and statutory consultee?
I'd say the split into different parts shouldn't change the role of the new individual organisations, but I do have questions over whether the £88.5m funding pot over the next eight years is enough to get the existing EH estate in order. That said, I can't see any incumbent government allowing Dover Castle to slide into the Channel.
And what about Historic England?
That's an interesting one. I think it can't help but have a lower profile, so it's going to have to stand up for itself. I'm hoping the fact that it's going to be a smaller organisation means that it's going to be about increased specialisation rather than marginalisation. EH had a strong voice in the past and we wish at times that it would have a stronger one. It did well to campaign for the listing of the London's Broadgate Centre, even though it didn't get it.
Do you think your engagement with HE will change?
It's generally been good – we did find ourselves disagreeing over Smithfield. Even though it was saved in the end, I never heard a reasoned argument from EH that would justify the loss of the market hall. Our priority is to ensure that any future proposal is suitable for what is the biggest market complex in the country and still maintains its original grain. When Thameslink and Crossrail interchange at Farringdon, the area will be a key London centre, and the perfect site I think, for a functioning public market.
And what do you want them to support you on?
Politically, we are looking for VAT relief on the refurbishment of historic buildings, which would put them on a level playing field with the construction of new buildings and get rid of the perverse incentive it currently creates to knock them down.
What has the Victorian Society been concentrating on recently?
Our latest campaign was the 10 most endangered buildings in the UK. We're really worried about the Cardiff Coal Exchange – one of the city's most historic buildings, and where there's a question mark over the city council's commitment to ensuring its future. Also London's Abney Park Cemetery Chapel, historically the world's first non-denominational chapel, is fenced off and in a parlous state.
The government has announced that properties run by English Heritage will remain in public hands but will be managed by a charitable trust, using the same name. It will provide £80m of capital investment and £8.5m to implement the new structure) to restore or maintain over 400 English Heritage sites. Powers in planning and heritage protection will be carried out by a new public body, Historic England, with the remit of providing expert and impartial advice on the wider historical environment.
Funding for the works is due to be disbursed over the next eight years, after which it is anticipated that English Heritage, while remaining in public ownership, will become self-financing. Heritage minister Ed Vaizey called it a benefit for the taxpayer 'as the need for direct government funding for the heritage collection reduces.


If so, the cause may be dyslexia. But don't worry — these days, there are many ways to overcome dyslexia. This hands-on guide leads you step by step through your options — and explains how anyone with dyslexia can achieve success in school and life.


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With English surtitles
Theatre Factory
Director G. Varnas is rehearsing for the first premiere of the 100th season
This season's goal: to increase access for people with physical disabilities
"IDeas": shed your serpent skin, spend 20-minute in a police truck?
The premiere "The Visit" directed by Aidas Giniotis
Guests from the Theatre Association of China visited the National Kaunas Drama Theatre
Games for power in the premiere of Dangerous Liaisons
These plays will be showed with ENGLISH SURTITLES
2019 February 18
Festival DIVE INTO THE THEATRE: international, interactive, rescuing from routine
Review: Remembering the Holocaust in Ghetto
Celebrating Theatre's birthday with four premiers!
1 2 Kitas
The theatre is alive! Get the best offers and news.
A gift voucher
This is an excellent opportunity to present a gift, a performance at the theatre, to your friend, beloved, and colleague.
The backstage of the theatre
Smart Theatre
INFORMATIVE SUPPORTERS
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania
The National Kaunas Drama Theatre
Theatre's box-office: +370 37 22 40 64
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m
Break time: 15.30 – 16.00 h.
"All art forms are in the service of the greatest of all arts: the art of living" Bertolt Brecht
© 1920 to 2017. All rights are reserved.


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92.5 THE CHUCK
Brooke and Jubal
The Chuck Newsletter
Tool overtakes Taylor Swift to hit No. 1 on Billboard Top 200 Albums chart
(L-R) Maynard James Keenan, frontman of Tool, and Taylor Swift.
CP Images Archive
After heavy speculation and much controversy, Tool officially claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with its latest release, Fear Inoculum.
The long-awaited album serves as the progressive rock outfit's first release in more than 13 years. As a result, it was expected to have sold between 240,000 to 260,000 copies by Sept. 9.
However, according to Billboard, it surpassed those estimations and reached an impressive 270,000 by the end of Sunday night.
The victory dethroned Taylor Swift and her seventh album, Lover, after being in the top spot for only one week.
Taylor Swift posing for a 'Lover' photo shoot in 2019.
Taylor Swift / Instagram
Fear Inoculum became the first rock album to reach No. 1 on the Top 200 Albums chart since the Dave Matthews Band's Come Tomorrow in June 2018. It's also Tool's third No. 1 album overall.
READ MORE: Tool likely to take over No. 1 from Taylor Swift, and her fans aren't pleased
Upon seeing the news, many Swift fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the singer losing the top spot. Some even questioned the existence of the 29-year-old rock band, asking: "Who the f–k is Tool?"
Coincidentally, Swift is also 29 years old.
As the supposed beef resulted in a social media divide between fans of the two acts, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan took to Twitter to join in the fun.
Heh. #comedyfirstandalways #lightenuporjogon @taylorswift13 @puscifer @Tool pic.twitter.com/RSGKXaZvJV
— Maynard J Keenan (@mjkeenan) September 7, 2019
The 55-year-old tagged the pop sensation in a satirical meme that poked fun at her loss with a reference to Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
He used the hashtags "#comedyfirstandalways" and "#lightenuporjogon" in response to the backlash he and the band received after beating out Swift.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift releases 'Lover' album, single
While Lover raked in an impressive 885,000-plus sales in its first week, the singer also offered a variety of different album bundles, including both digital and physical versions.
These included vinyl variants, T-shirts and other merchandise bundles. Not only that, but Swift released four different Target-exclusive CDs, effectively prompting many of her fans to purchase Lover more than once.
Tool band
Image credit: Courtesy Speakeasy Public Relations & Marketing
Tool, on the other hand, has not yet released a vinyl variant of Fear Inoculum. Its website does not offer T-shirt bundles or any varying exclusives, either — only the CD package itself, which, before selling out, cost fans US$45 due to its "over-the-top" contents.
Now that the album has sold out twice worldwide, it's going for upwards of $250 on websites like eBay and Amazon.
READ MORE: Seth Rogen to host adults-only pot-friendly charity carnival for Alzheimer's
As reported by Billboard, Fear Inoculum is also a rare example of a chart-topping album that didn't utilize a concert ticket/album sale bundle offer.
While the news upset a large number of Swifties, Tool fans celebrated the accolade on social media.
It is great that Tool has dethroned Taylor Swift. Tool puts out such amazing music. It's not generic. It's not watered down. I think America needs more bands like Tool. We need more rock music. pic.twitter.com/FpJZ3yZULC
— BJ The Web Guy (@BJtheWebGuy) September 9, 2019
Take a seat #TaylorSwift #Tool just took the number 1 spot #fearinnoculum
— Phil Wells (@PhilWells77) September 9, 2019
Dads all around the world when they realize Tool is about to overtake Taylor Swift for that number 1 spot pic.twitter.com/XlRYmaqE4E
— Max 🔧 (@PointSpreadMax) September 5, 2019
so tool snatched that #1 spot from taylor swift and i have never been more alive
— 𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖏𝖆 (@armitagetrash) September 9, 2019
What's up Taylor Swift fans.#tool pic.twitter.com/A84yDjh52r
— 𝔅𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔦 (@Bernib0ps) September 9, 2019
"Tool outselling Taylor Swift by potentially 80,000 units while their CD costs $45 is the most badass and hopeful thing music has seen in a while," tweeted another user.
READ MORE: Tool releases 'Fear Inoculum,' announces North American tour, 2 Canadian dates
As of this writing, Swift has not scheduled any upcoming concerts, however Tool will be embarking on a 25-date North American tour with Killing Joke this fall.
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased through the official Tool website.
Tool's Canadian 2019 tour dates
Nov. 11 — Toronto, Ont. @ Scotiabank Arena


Slacker! That's all I can think about. But, I pray that God will have mercy upon me and will allow me to be a good steward of this platform to proclaim His name. I have put this blog in God's hands because, after-all, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1, NIV).
I can only describe my life right now as something a friend of mine said, "Girl, you're lacking in everything!" This is true. I recently relocated to Amherst, MA in hopes of working (full-time) with The Navigators; but things haven't exactly gone as expected. So, I need money, which means I need a job (but it could also mean that someone can just generously give me a million dollars… but I'll stick with reality). Anyway, I need a job, which means I need to send in applications, which means I need some form of device (a laptop) that'll reach that end. Unfortunately, my laptop, Leo, is reaching the end of his life.
This past couple of months, Leo would turn on but won't work; so, I have been without a laptop (and none was available for me to use). It didn't really bother me because before Leo stopped working I had put in a lot of applications and I was expecting call-backs… And I kept expecting call-backs… I am still expecting call-backs. It was obvious I needed to put in more applications, but that meant I would need to go to the library. I did do that one day, but then I realized how very inconvenient the entire process was– I'll save you the details.
Today was my "Applications Day" day. I woke up this morning and I told God (more like kinda cried and whined) that I didn't want to go to the library. I wasn't in the best mood and I just wanted to stay indoors (which is also my natural disposition, my personality, if you will). I didn't even pray to God about my laptop because I thought it was ridiculous to ask God to fix something like that, something that seemed dead already– also, admittedly, a part of me didn't believe that God will actually answer because it's a laptop! Talk about no faith!!! Anyway, I turned on Leo and he works! In fact, I am writing this on my precious Leo!
It is amazing to me how much God cares for me! This blows my mind! He cares for me enough to let my laptop work again, properly, even! I am expecting a job after this– a good one, too, because His blessing "brings wealth and he adds no trouble to it" (Proverbs 10:22, NIV). As a matter of fact, I am expecting a new laptop!
This may make me sound like a spoiled brat, but God did it for me anyway! I am overjoyed.


text:
Ethan Hawke Explains His Thing for Knights
By Eric Lach
"I don't know what exactly possessed us to publish it," Hawke said of his new book, "Rules for a Knight," a cross between a parenting guide and a self-help book.
Photograph by Henny Garfunkel / Redux
The actor-writer Ethan Hawke bounded up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, past the fat pigeons and the tourists with selfie sticks, and began to talk. It was the morning of his forty-fifth birthday, and he was in an expansive mood. "When I was first in New York, I used to come here to kill time between auditions," he said, entering the Great Hall. "My son just loves it here." Hawke walked through the galleries, past crucifixes and stained glass, and soon reached his destination: the Arms and Armor Court.
He was dressed in "Boyhood" chic: blue baseball cap, Army green jacket, and worn-down corduroys. A toothpick poked out the side of his mouth. While eying the gleaming breastplates and helmets of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century kings and noblemen, Hawke explained the backstory of his new book, "Rules for a Knight," which arrives this week. "I've just always loved the idea of knighthood," he said. "It makes being a good person cool. Or, aspiring to be a good person cool."
The book is a hybrid parenting guide and self-help book, on horseback. It takes the form of a letter from a father to his four children. The father is an imagined fifteenth-century ancestor of Hawke's, a Cornish knight named Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke. Writing on the eve of a battle, Sir Thomas presents a guide for living an upright and noble life in twenty short chapters, each containing a moral and a parable. "It's one of the stranger things I've ever worked on," Hawke said, grinning. "I don't know what exactly possessed us to publish it." (Rule No. 2, Humility: "Never announce that you are a knight, simply behave as one.")
The project began about a decade ago, Hawke explained. "My wife was reading a book about step-parenting, and this book was talking about the value of rules," he said, before approaching a massive suit of armor made for Henry VIII in the fifteen-forties. "So we started saying, well, what are the rules of our house? And you start with the really mundane, like eight-o'clock bedtime, all that kind of stuff. And then, invariably, you start asking yourself, well, what do we really believe in? So I started riffing on this idea of 'rules for a knight.' Like, what does the king decree, you know? I wrote it out—the idea was we were going to put it on the wall, in calligraphy. Like, these are the rules." (Rule No. 14, Discipline: "Without it, locating your saddle may take all morning.")
The book evolved gradually. There were seven rules, then ten, then twenty. One year, Hawke and his wife gave bound copies of the rules to their children as a Christmas present. Another year, they gave copies out to friends. (Rule No. 6, Friendship: "Remember, a friend does not need you to impress him.") Hawke entered a side room and spotted the child-sized armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias. "I haven't been in here in a long time," he said. He stood quietly for a moment, leaning forward to read the display copy, then returned to the topic of the book. "I hope that people like it," he said. "But I have no idea. What has been valuable about it for me was that it gave me an excuse and permission to bring up subject matters that are very difficult to talk about with kids. How do you find the right reason to talk about why it's good to be alone with yourself? Why solitude is important in a person's life? What is humility?"
The ideas in the book come from "other knights," as Hawke credits them on the acknowledgment page. They include Muhammad Ali, Emily Dickinson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Mother Teresa. "I think I only thanked one real knight in the book," Hawke said. "Tom Stoppard."
Hawke began roaming the halls of the museum more widely. He paused to take in some small engraved pistols, then some old baseball cards on display on the mezzanine floor. He eventually found himself in the vestibule of the American Wing. He kept walking, and explained how his wife had wanted him to go further into the historical research for "Rules for a Knight," to dig deeper into the Cornish language, for example. But he'd resisted, doing only what he thought necessary to keep the spell of the book from breaking. "That's where the actor in me just comes out," he said, snapping his fingers to illustrate the point. "I'm just trying to entertain. I'm not trying to be a Cornish scholar."
Hawke turned a corner into a giant room. The Temple of Dendur loomed. He lowered his voice. "Have you read 'From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'?" he said, walking not out into the middle of the room but along the back wall, toward the rear side of the stone temple. "I can't help but think of that every time I walk in here. You know, I always think, if you had to hide in here"—he stopped below a dark cavity in the wall, about eight or so feet off the ground—"if you just, really quick, hopped up in that back vent, and then you just lay down, right in there, and let them close up shop ... I think that's the spot. That's the spot." (Rule No. 11, Patience: "There is a moment for action, and with a clear mind that moment is obvious.")
Eric Lach writes and edits The Current, The New Yorker's online news and current-events column.
Sign up for the New Yorker Recommends newsletter and get expert recommendations every week from the worlds of film, literature, and music.
The Comedian
Eight years of consistent comedy gigs later, Nore Davis never goes more than four days without stepping onto a stage. He also makes a living doing it full-time.
Ethan Hawke's Life-Changing Music Lesson
In Ethan Hawke's first documentary, he aspires to find his way through the second half of his career by seeking out the wisdom of a sister art.
By Nathan Heller
Richard Brody
A Portrait of the Artist as an Older Man
For classical-music lovers, Ethan Hawke's documentary "Seymour: An Introduction," is a treat, albeit a mixed one.
By Richard Brody
Why Richard Linklater Makes Movies
The director behind "Boyhood," "Dazed and Confused," and other films has claimed independent cinema as a bright alternative to studio production.


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text:
cmupress.th@gmail.com
ASR Chiang Mai University Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
Home > Journal Issues
The Test of Measurement Invariance Across Groups: Autonomy, Career Satisfaction and Job Satisfaction Scales in Teleworking Context in Thailand
Pattarachat Maneechaeye
Published: Apr 24, 2020 https://doi.org/10.12982/CMUJASR.2019.0005
Download Full Papers [137]
7. Author contribution
8. Conflict of interest
The study of the test of measurement invariance across groups: autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction scales in teleworking context in Thailand aimed to scrutinized and investigated the measurement invariance across two groups of employees regarding autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction. The study utilized a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis technique based on review of related literature. The samples were selected from teleworking professionals both private and public sectors in Thailand. Research tools were questionnaire with rating scale and convenience sampling was applied. The results indicated that even in the strictest model which measurement structure, factor loadings, intercepts and residuals were all constrained to be the same, these measurements were still invariant regardless of groups. According to the implied result, even in a modern teleworking context at present, an element of autonomy and satisfaction were still measurable. Therefore, an organization, regardless of the type, private or public, could still measure a level of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction by using these traditional rating scale. Future research should possibly extent the result of this study by further analyze on the multi-group structural equation model to test an invariance causal relationship and indirect effect among group by utilizing these measurements and focus on a broader type of employee to generalize the result into a broader context.
Autonomy, Career satisfaction, Job satisfaction, Measurement invariance
At present, even in an age of digital transformation, a high-caliber human capital requires mass investment by an organization both time and financial resource. A development of human capital has surely become an essential factor promoting organization professional targets and goal. In order to meet a high expectation from third party entities, an organization is required to invest on individual employee and train them to reskill or upskill in many aspects regarding work so as to make certain that they often meet expectations. The problem is that what if all those costly and expensive investment has gone in vain by a resignation of those good work forces. In accordance with a digital transformation and the coming of advance internet and mobile technologies, workers and workplaces are currently disrupted but in a positive way. There are many fields of works the can work anywhere outside the typical workplace. A modern-day working environment has been changing from functional-based work to a project-based or collaborative task. Therefore, employees do not need to stay at the office to work anymore. In such situation, autonomy is considered as a factor relating to teleworking work environment. Autonomy at work can promote a freedom to each employee to design their own work role or even a work schedule. To be free is considered as the most basic need of every human. Therefore, the coming of this new work practice can possibly promote satisfaction at their work. The more employee feels satisfy in their role and job, the less probability that these workforces will leave an organization (Gajendran & Harrison, 2007). Hence, this phenomenon pays off an organization investment in human capital and retains high performance workforces to stay within an organization even longer. Moreover, by promoting autonomy in modern day teleworking context, this can mitigate a risk of intention to turnover due to a dissatisfaction at work.
Teleworking is the new mean of work practice in the modern working world owing to the coming of digital transformation era. Presently, there are many jobs in various industries that apply this concept to their work practice. For instance, in real estate industry, realty sales professionals and agents are now on mobile work and these employees mostly stay outside their typical workplace to engage prospect client and consult their managers via teleconference. Medical representatives in health care industry always travel to various hospital to engage their target clients in various hospitals and contact their coworkers on mobile messaging application. Financial auditors and management consultants in business professional service industry are always at their client offices to provide professional service and send their work product to their managers at the office by email. Government representatives and some military officers in public sector often travel to various place to provide a government service in various region country wide and report the work progress to their managers by online conference application. According to many examples provide aforementioned, this new work practice is vastly applied in many industries among the country and considered as a new normal work practice.
There are many academical researches that focus on measurement scales relating to autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction. Yet, there are a few studies that mostly emphasize on the measurement of these factors among different private organization and public sector group in a modern teleworking environment. In accordance with those reasons mentioned before, this study aims to answer the question: Do measurement scales of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction measure a level of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfactory differently among private organization employee and public sector employee in a teleworking environment? Therefore, the objective of the study is to test the measurement invariance of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction scales among private and public group of employees in a teleworking context.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENT
The test of measurement invariance among groups
The test of measurement invariance among groups are the specific test of identical psychometric properties under different context among group. For instance, a use of the same scale measuring certain properties under different group or contexts namely culture, gender, position or control and experiment group (Johnson & Braddy, 2008). In social science research, test of measurement invariance is suitable for answering many research questions now that this test could investigate measurement invariance of various components across different groups such as sociotropy and autonomy factors across gender (Hong, Malik, and Lee, 2003), autonomy support scale across cultures (Hagger et al., 2007), work place mentoring across countries (Hu, Pellegrini, and Scandura, 2010) and job satisfaction factor among jobs (Etchegaray & Sexton, 2010).
Presently, several social scientists have recognized an important of measurement invariance analysis as this can lead to a question that can each response in rating scale be interpreted the same way when this scale is applied to different contexts of samples? Therefore, the test of measurement invariance can be utilized to test if the same measurement scale can be used in different contexts invariantly.
According to Milfont and Fischer (2010), the test of measurement invariance can be accomplished by using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. This analysis consists of 4 steps and, upon each step, constrains are added to the model for testing an invariance. As per figure 1, the four steps include as follow. First, configural invariance model examining that both groups are structurally the same. If this model is fitted then move to next step. Second, metric invariance model is analyzed. In this model, measurement structure and factor loadings will be equally constrained among group. If this model is still invariant. Then a scalar invariance will be analyzed. In this model, measurement structure, factor loadings and intercepts will be equally constrained among group. If this model is still invariant. Then a strict invariance will be analyzed. In this model, measurement structure, factor loadings, intercepts and residuals will be equally constrained among group. And finally, a latent means invariance will be put into an analysis. Invariance of latent factor means is tested by constraining the means to be the same among groups.
Figure 1. Measurement invariance analysis process.
To check whether each step is invariance, Chen (2007) has suggested that in order to determine model invariance in each step, delta RMSEA or delta CFI should be put into a consideration. If delta CFI is not different more than 0.010 and delta RMSEA is not different more than 0.015 compared to previous constrained model, a measurement invariance can be expected.
According to self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), autonomy is a form of freedom at work that can help promote employee to make decision, design way of work and practice on their own. This can also be linked to a hierarchy of need as need for autonomy, need of competence and need for relatedness are the component of cognitive evaluation theory. There are several recent published academic manuscripts studying on effect of autonomy in job satisfaction as this factor yields several positive results on any organization (Narayanan, Menon, and Plaisent, 2017). Autonomy can help increase in work efficiency since employee can perceive a reliability from their management. This perception leads to an intrinsic motivation and results in a positive performance at work (Narayanan et al., 2017).
Career satisfaction and job satisfaction
Generally, job satisfaction was portrayed as psychological and physical satisfaction of workers at work. This factor is quite self-explanatory. In other studies, this was described as a recognition of a work value in an individuals' mind resulting in a pleasurable and satisfactory emotional state. Job satisfaction is an important construct in many work practices as it is positively correlated to each employee well-being mentally and physically (Inauen, Jenny, and Bauer, 2015). Furthermore, career satisfaction has a broader definition as it is an overall satisfaction that related to their professional entitlement. For instance, if an employee works as a representative, he can feel satisfied to what he has done as a representative not just a job itself but the overall assignment relating to this title. Previous studies also indicated that career satisfaction was predicted by work-personal life enrichment (Rastogi, Karatepe, and Mehmetoglu, 2019). According to the review of related literature stated above, it can be seen that autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction is correlated. Thereby, it could be hypothesized that measurement instrument for autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction are invariant among private organization employees and public sector employees in teleworking context.
This research is considered as a social science survey with a quantitative methodology. Population of the study is an employee that assigned to work outside office, including salesperson and other teleworking jobs. Then samples were divided into 2 groups of workplace, private organization and public sector. A convenience sampling method was utilized. Self-administered 500 survey questionnaires were distributed and this was classified into 3 parts, autonomy, career satisfaction, job satisfaction and demographic information. After cleaning noisy data, detecting outlier, imputating missing value and eliminating duplicated information, only 420 samples were qualified for the statistical analysis consisting of 208 samples of private organization employees and 212 public sector employees. Due to the nature of sample, both online soft copy and offline hard copy questionnaires were distributed by the researcher. Inclusion criteria and scope for the respondents was that the target sample should be any employees in any level and job title that typically worked outside the office across Thailand regardless of industry type such as sales professionals, medical representatives, real estate agents, government representatives, law enforcement agents, military representatives, financial auditors, management consultants and any other teleworking professionals that were always assigned to work outside their typical workplace. The questionnaires were managed as per actual social context, tradition and local Thai culture. Therefore, all the measurements were translated and back-translated from English to Thai.
For the measurements, Autonomy was 5 items scale by Anja Van Dec Broeck (Van den Broeck et al., 2010) to measure a level of autonomy. Career satisfaction was 5 items scale by Greenhaus (Greenhaus, Parasuraman, and Wormley, 1990) to measure career satisfaction. Job satisfaction was rated with a reduced version of Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) (Weiss, Dawis, and England, 1967) to measure overall job satisfaction in work.
For the data analysis, the qualified data of 420 samples were put into an analysis by using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis approach or the test of measurement invariance to test research hypotheses. The main purpose behind the utilization of this statistical technique was that it provides for testing multiple group invariance of latent variables. According to the objective of the study, firstly, basic descriptive and inferential statistics of each scales was calculated to determine overall snap-shot of the data and assumption requirement such as normality and correlation. Secondly, multiple group confirmatory factor analysis will be analyzed to hypothesize the study. The analysis process from data preprocessing to structural multiple group confirmatory factor analysis and data visualization was totally conducted by R, a powerful yet free statistical computer language (R Core Team, 2019).
Regarding a data analysis, the results were separated into 2 sections comprising of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Cleansed and screened 420 samples were input into the statistical analysis. For the descriptive part, most of the sample are female (56.9%), holding above bachelor degree (55.2%), working in operational level position (59.5%) and being single (63.8%). Half of the samples are currently working in public sector (50.5%). Mean age of the sample was 37.22 years with standard deviation of 11.27 years, average work experience was 13.84 years with standard deviation of 11.07 years.
According to Table 1, descriptive statistics for scales was described including means and standard deviation. In almost every inferential statistic methodology, normality of variables should be met. Skewness and kurtosis of each variables should not exceed plus or minus 2. Moreover, correlation among factors were all statistically significant with overall medium level of correlation except for career satisfaction and job satisfaction that were highly correlated. Normality could be expected as skewness and kurtosis of each scale was in range of plus or minus 2. Moreover, in accordance with Table 2, student's t-test with equal variance was calculated and found that only career satisfaction was not significant among private and public workers group. This implied that no matter where the workplace these employees were in, a level of career satisfaction was still the same.
Table 1. Descriptive statistics for scale, skewness, kurtosis and correlation matrix.
0.45***
Note: *** significant at p < 0.00 and ANM = Autonomy, CRS = Career Satisfaction, JST = Job Satisfaction
Table 2. Test of mean differences.
Private (N=208)
Public (N=212)
Student's t-test
2.07*
Career Satisfaction
-2.35*
Note: * significant at p < 0.05
So as to check the model fitness with the empirical data. The confirmatory factor analysis of overall model was analysed. This included a structural validation of the model on each latent variable to investigate the relationship among observed variables by using correlation. The several presumptions of both absolute fit and relative fit indices criterion and model fit statistics were described in Table 3. According to measurement model fit indices, the model was considered moderately fit with empirical data as almost all fit indices were satisfied with the criteria except Chi-square test seeing that this index was generally sensitive to large sample size. Therefore, no model modification was required in this analysis.
Table 3. Fit indices criterion and measurement model fit statistic and criterion.
Fit indices
Fit stats
Chi-square
261.22***
Not significant
Relative Chi-square
Comparative Fit Index (CFI)
More than .90
Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI)
Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)
Less than .08
Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR)
Source: Hair et al. (2013), Bagozzi & Yi (1988), Browne & Cudeck (1993)
Note: *** significant at p < 0.00
In accordance with Table 4, overall model of confirmatory factor analysis estimated and standard coefficients, the reliability coefficient of Cronbach's Alpha, composite reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity were showed. All coefficients were statistically significant. Cronbach's Alpha was used to estimate the reliability of internal consistency among questionnaire rating scale and it was found that all parts of the questionnaire were considered reliable. Composite reliability score was also calculated to check measurement reliability. Both standard minimum threshold for Cronbach's Alpha and composite reliability was 0.7 or higher to indicate a suitable reliability.
Convergent validity means the extent to which manifest variables of a construct converged or shared a high level of proportion of variance in common (Hair, Black, Babin, and Anderson, 2013). Convergent validity could be analysed via factor loadings and average variance extracted (AVE). Standard minimum cut off for average variance extracted was 0.5 or higher indicating adequacy of convergence.
Discriminant validity refers to the extent to which indicators of a construct is distinctively discriminating from other constructs. The criteria were that the AVE should be greater than Maximum Shared Variance (MSV) and Average Shared Variance (ASV) to ensure adequacy of divergence (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).
It could be found that the scales in the model had a high internal consistency reliability according to Cronbach's Alpha higher than 0.7 and according to Composite Reliability the model was considered reliable. Furthermore, Average Variance Extracted, Maximum Shared Variance and Average Shared Variance portrayed a model with validity, convergently and divergently.
Table 4. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity.
ANM1
CRS1
JST1
The very first step of measurement invariance analysis was to analyze a configural model. This type of model was assumed that both groups had the same measurement structure but factor loadings, intercepts or means, residuals or errors could still be different. If this model was not fitted with empirical data, this could conclude that both groups were not invariance at the first place and further analysis for invariance measurement should not be analyzed.
According to Table 5, the measurements of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction from both groups were fitted with empirical data. Both private organization employee group and public sector employee group had exactly the same model fit statistics. That were Chi-squared of 261.224 with 87 degree of freedom and CFI was 0.945 and TLI was 0.933. Moreover, a significant RMSEA was 0.069 with 90 percent confidence interval from 0.061 to 0.077 and SRMR was 0.40.
Table 5. Configural measurement invariance model fit indices.
Note: *** significant at p< 0.00
Refer to Table 6 which portrayed results of configural measurement invariance model, the first step of the analysis, divided by private and public group, standardized factor loadings were all significant and coefficient of determination yield a moderately high value for both groups. By considering composite reliability and average variance extracted from both groups, it could be implied that both groups were considerably reliable and valid convergently and discriminately as those values were exactly the same across groups.
Table 6. Configural measurement invariance model, reliability and validity.
Standard loadings
Coefficient of determination
Composite reliability
Average variance extracted
Ultimately, in accordance with Table 7 and Figure 2, measurement invariance analysis of chi-square, degree of freedom RMSEA, delta RMSEA, CFI and delta CFI were described. This is the second step, third step and fourth step of the analysis which were metric invariance, scalar invariance and strict invariance. According to the invariance analysis model fit statistics, this could be concluded that the measurement model could equally describe both private organization employee group and public sector organization group seeing that delta RMSEA from each constraining steps was not exceed 0.015 and delta CFI from each constrains steps was not exceed 0.010, according to Chen (2007) and Cheung and Rensvold (Cheung & Rensvold, 2002)
Table 7. Measurement invariance analysis, chi-squared different and fit measures.
Invariance model
χ2
Δ χ2
Δ df
RMSEA
Δ RMSEA
Δ CFI
Configural
Metric (loadings)
Scalar (intercepts)
Strict (residuals)
Latent means
Figure 2. Latent means invariance model (constrained means) among groups.
As mentioned earlier, the main objective of the study is to test the measurement invariance of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction scales among private and public group of employees in a teleworking context and this research was set to answer a question: Do measurement scales of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction measure a level of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfactory differently among private organization employee and public sector employee in a teleworking environment? As per analysis result, the objective was achieved and the study result also revealed that measurement scales of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction measured a level of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction invariantly among private organization employee group and public sector employee group.
The process of testing invariance across group in this study was analyzed according to a suggested work from Milfont and Fischer (2010). A configural invariance model was the starting point of the analysis process as the measurement model structures were constrained to be the same. Then metric invariance was put into an analysis by constraining measurement structure and factor loadings of both measurement model to be the same. The next process was scalar invariance constrained measurement structure, factor loadings and intercepts to be the same. Last but not least, strict invariance constrained measurement structure, factor loadings, intercepts and residuals to be the same. Finally, latent means invariance was analyzed by constraining latent means to be the same. According to the five steps of the invariance models analysis, it could be found that the measurement model was still invariant even in the strictest model. This implied that observed or manifest scores had a relationship with latent scores and then resulting in a meaningful interpretation of measurement model across two groups. The result found in this study was consistent with prior research of measurement invariance and structural model from Sardžoska (Sardžoska & Tang, 2009). For the satisfaction scale, this study was also consistent with previous study from Spurk, Abele and Volmer (2015) in the context of the measurement invariance of career satisfaction. This implied that both groups shared the same perception toward these rating scales. As per result, autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction scale were still suitable for measuring a level of autonomy, career and job satisfaction regardless of the group of private organziation or public sector employee. This indicated that, even in a modern teleworking context nowadays, an element of autonomy and satisfaction were still measurable. Therefore, an organization, regardless of the type of the organization, private or public, could still measure a level of autonomy, career satisfaction and job satisfaction by using these traditional rating scale.
Even this study emphasized on the teleworking professional in a modern working context and digital transformation climate, there were several limitations in this study. Firstly, this study only tested for the measurement invariance among group. Future study could possibly extent the result of this study by further analyze on the multi-group structural equation model to test an invariance causal relationship and indirect effect among group by utilizing these measurements. Secondly, the sample used in the study consisted of employees that always worked outside an office. Therefore, the extent and level of invariance measurement might differ in other type of employees. Hence, future study should focus on a broader spectrum of employee type to generalization the result to more general context.
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Pattarachat Maneechaeye*
Faculty of Management Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
*Corresponding author. E-mail: pattarachat@gmail.com
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Apartment walk-throughs are necessary but uneventful. You visit the kitchen, hit the bathroom, size up the bedroom, kick a dead cockroach into the front closet and then sign a contract. But what if you could see an apartment in 3D even before you visited the building. That's what GeoCV is trying to do.
The system consists of a mobile app for 3D scanning and a cloud processor for creating the 3D model. The model then is visible in SketchFab 3D viewing software and can be viewed using Google Cardboard or other VR systems.
The founders, Anton Yakubenko and Gleb Krivovyaz, have PhDs from the Graphics & Media Lab at Moscow State University. They worked on a number of research products before deciding to bring true 3D to market. They are part of the Starta Accelerator in New York.
The company has raised $700,000 from four investors, including Rothenberg Ventures. They will be launching next year with a usable product, but until then you can fly around a virtual apartment on their website and click the various labels — bedroom, foyer, kitchen — for a closer look at the walls, carpets and potential spots for hiding dead cockroaches.


[Somcarmas] Very strong sweet citrus fragrance, small creamy lemon flowers that absolutely smother the plant. Compact growth with dark glossy foliage. 80cm. Trademarked.
[Somausred] Double deep red old fashioned style blooms that have extremely weather resistant flowers that last on the bush or in a vase for weeks. Compact growth. 1.2m. Trademarked.
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text:
AWAY TO PETERBOROUGH IN FA CUP SECOND ROUND
Hatters off to London Road in second round
The Town's reward for beating Crawley is a trip to League 1 side Peterborough United in the second round of the FA Cup.
The tie will be played over the weekend 5th December. Dates, times and ticket information to be confirmed in due course.
Posh, 13th in the third tier, progressed to the second round after a 3-0 victory at Burton Albion this weekend.
It will be the second time the Hatters have played Posh in the competition, having won 3-0 at Kenilworth Road in a third round tie in 1983.
There are plenty of connections between the two clubs with manager John Still, goalkeeper Mark Tyler, defender Scott Griffiths and strikers Josh McQuoid and Craig Mackail-Smith all previously with Peterborough.
The Hatters' last visit to London Road was a 2-2 draw in the League 1 title season of 2004/05 - Tyler played in that game but couldn't keep out goals from Steve Howard and Kevin Nicholls.


text:
Home › Frequently Asked Questions › State/Church FAQ › Civil Violations › Religion in the workplace
Religion in the workplace
Religion in the workplace — Is it legal?
The Freedom From Religion Foundation specializes in cases concerning the separation of religion and government. Private employment disputes fall outside the purview of FFRF and its purpose. If your complaint concerns a state or federal agency, please read through our FAQ and then contact us with your specific concern. FFRF staff attorneys cannot represent you in private employment disputes.
If you have a complaint about a private employer, you may wish to read through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's compliance manual on religious discrimination, or the brief summary provided below, and then contact a private attorney who specializes in employment law, the EEOC, or a civil rights office in your area. Please note that there may be strict time frames within which employment discrimination charges must be filed. You may also file EEOC claims yourself.
While we are very sympathetic to the plight of a nonreligious employee who is subjected to forms of religious indoctrination or observance at the workplace, our staff is not equipped to handle employment law. The Foundation cannot represent you, advise you, or refer you to secular employment law attorneys. You may wish to bring your complaint directly to the human resources or legal department at your place of employment. Otherwise, the American Bar Association provides information on lawyer referral services in every state (click here for the directory).
Finally, FFRF is periodically contacted by reporters seeking to document religious discrimination/harassment in the workplace. If you are willing to speak with reporters, you may wish to briefly summarize your claim and give FFRF your contact information. We will not divulge information to media without first contacting you for permission.
I was fired/not hired because I am an atheist/agnostic/freethinker. Is this legal?
Generally, religious status (including lack of religious affiliation or lack of belief in a god) is a protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This means that when an employer chooses who to hire/fire/promote/demote, the employer may not use religious affiliation as a factor in making that decision. The EEOC does make a limited exception to this general rule for employers at expressly religious places of business, at least when it comes to hiring/firing decisions. The Supreme Court held that this exemption was constitutional in Corp. of Presiding Bishop of Church of LDS v. Amos, 483 U.S. 327 (1987) (upholding exemption for nonprofit activities run by the LDS church). The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently applied this exception in Spencer v. World Vision, — F.3d —, 2010 WL 3293706 (9th Cir. 2010) where it held that a non-profit, faith-based Christian organization fell within the Title VII religious exemption and could therefore fire non-Christian employees. Still, this remains a very narrow exception. See, e.g., EEOC v. Kamehameha Schs., 990 F.2d 458, 461 (9th Cir. 1993) (finding no exception for a religiously affiliated school); EEOC v. Townley, 859 F.2d 610, 619 (9th Cir. 1988) (finding no exemption for a "Christian, faith-operated" commercial company). If the company at issue is not run by a church or other expressly religious, nonprofit organization, chances are that a non-religious person cannot be legally denied a position, fired, demoted or denied a promotion based on religious criteria. If you believe you have experienced such an injustice, contact the EEOC or an attorney specializing in employment law as described in the opening paragraph of this FAQ.
Work meetings usually contain a prayer or are held in conjunction with religious services. What can I do?
The act of requiring an employee to attend a religious service is in clear violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the "Accommodations" section of the EEOC guidelines (described below). The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote the definitive argument against the practice of mandatory worship services in EEOC v. Townley Eng'g & Mfg. Co., 859 F.2d 610, 615 (9th Cir. 1988) (holding that an employer must accommodate atheist employee by allowing him to opt out of worship services), which still stands as the leading case on the issue.
Most likely, any prayer or religious service that accompanies a mandatory work event or meeting would violate Title VII discrimination laws under the same reasoning used in Townley. Impromptu prayers or services accompanying optional work events do not violate Title VII per se, but if they occur frequently, a non-religious employee (or an employee with conflicting religious beliefs) may seek a change in workplace practices/policy (see the Accommodations section of the EEOC policy below). Although not always feasible, usually the best course of action is to alert the employer to the situation directly and to explain that a work environment where prayer is pervasive and difficult to avoid is problematic for you.
I was invited to attend church/bible study by my superior. Is this legal?
It is illegal for an employer to coerce an employee into attending religious events or practicing a religion. Thus, context is key in deciding whether an employer has crossed the line in inviting an employee to attend church. The invitation is problematic if done in a way that suggests that there will be job-related benefits or consequences based on the employee's response. Repeated invitations that are met with rejection are most likely a form of harassment under the EEOC guidelines (outlined briefly below). On the other hand, a one-time invitation made in a casual setting probably does not constitute religious harassment, even though this may still feel like inappropriate workplace behavior to you.
For some illustrative examples of behavior deemed permissible and impermissible, see Guidelines on Religious Exercise and Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace (1992), examples following the statement: "[S]upervisors should be careful to ensure that their statements and actions are such that employees do not perceive any coercion of religious or non-religious behavior (or respond as if such coercion is occurring), and should, where necessary, take appropriate steps to dispel such misperceptions."
My boss/coworker put up a religious poster/display in the office. Is this a violation?
Context is key in deciding if a religious display creates a hostile work environment or otherwise violates an employee's right to be free from religious harassment at work. Factors to be considered include: the employer's policy on displays in general, who will likely see the display, what message the display sends, how difficult it would be to accommodate an offended employee, and whether the employer is a private or government entity.
If an employer has a general policy on employee displays/posters, that policy must not make an exemption for religious displays (by either only excluding or only allowing such displays). Thus, if an employer prohibits employees from displaying posters generally, the employer cannot allow religious posters to be displayed. If employee displays are allowed in general, offensive displays that constitute religious harassment may still be excluded. However, the EEOC would not consider most religious posters to be offensive. In its compliance manual on religious discrimination, EEOC writes, "workplace displays of religious artifacts or posters that do not demean other religious views generally would not constitute religious harassment." In contrast, the Ninth Circuit has held that a poster displaying the word "gay" under a picture of an employee as part of a campaign to celebrate diversity did not constitute religious harassment against a devout Christian employee. Peterson v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 358 F.3d 599, 604-05 (9th Cir. 2004) ("the company's workplace diversity campaign did not attack any group of employees on account of race, religion, or any other important individual characteristic."). However, the employee's response, which was to post biblical passages condemning homosexuality on the walls where they could be read by coworkers and customers, was inappropriate and the company could legally require that they be removed. Id. at 601-02, 605.
Finally, a government employer may be able to exercise greater control over religious displays than a private employer in order to avoid the appearance of the government endorsing a particular religious viewpoint. Compare Berry v. Department of Social Services, 447 F.3d 642, 651-52 (9th Cir. 2006) (holding that employee couldn't place religious items in his workspace when clients routinely entered that workspace for purposes of consulting with an agent of the state) with Tucker v. Dept. of Educ., 97 F.3d 1204 (9th Cir. 1996) (holding that employee was allowed to place religious items in his workspace when no members of the public had access to that office). As always, the state's interest in avoiding the appearance of state promotion or endorsement of religion remains a relevant factor when deciding what restrictions on employee speech are appropriate.
My boss/coworker has a bible on his/her desk. Is this appropriate?
Having bibles or other religious texts in a private office are subject to many of the same criteria as religious posters, discussed above. In a government context, if there is a remote chance that a client/customer would see a bible on a desk and if the primary purpose of the bible is not to display a message for others, the presence of such books if likely permissible. The EEOC compliance manual on religious discrimination addresses this issue explicitly. "In her private work area, a Federal worker keeps a Bible or Koran on her private desk and reads it during breaks . . . This conduct, without more, is not religious harassment, and does not create an impermissible hostile environment with respect to employees who do not share those religious views, even if they are upset or offended by the conduct."
A Brief Summary of the EEOC Compliance Manual on Religious Discrimination
The EEOC Compliance Manual focuses on religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"), which protects against employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected activity. Title VII's protections against religious discrimination apply equally to those who practice a non-theistic religion and to those who profess no religious belief. See, e.g.,Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488, 495 (1961). Title VII itself applies to any employee, applicant, apprentice, or ex-employee of a covered employer, employment agency, or labor organization. Generally, all employers (private, state, and local government employers), employment agencies and labor organizations are covered under Title VII, with some exceptions, such as religious organizations and some employers with fewer than 15 employees. If a nonprofit organization's purpose is, for instance, to promote Roman Catholicism or atheism, it may hire based on its purposes.
The EEOC manual on religious discrimination is divided into three main sections concerning employment decisions, harassment, and accommodations. Each is briefly summarized for informational purposes only.
Employment Decisions:
Title VII makes it generally illegal for an employer to refuse to interview, hire, or give a promotion to an individual based on that individual's religion, or to treat an employee differently because of that employee's religious beliefs, nonbeliefs or practices. This does not restrict an employer from making accommodations for an employee's religious practices or belief. In fact, reasonable accommodations for religious practices are an EEOC requirement (discussed below). Employees may not be disciplined or discharged based on their religious beliefs or nonbeliefs, nor may they be rewarded based on religious considerations.
Harassment:
Religious harassment in violation of Title VII has occurred when an employee is "required or coerced to abandon, alter, or adopt a religious practice as a condition of employment," or when an employee is subjected to hostile or abusive statements or conduct that concern religion. Included within this category are unwelcome impositions of religious views or practices on employees (proselytizing behavior). The EEOC notes: "[t]o establish a case of religious harassment, an employee must show that the harassment was: (1) based on his religion; (2) unwelcome; (3) sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; and, (4) that there is a basis for employer liability."
The "severe or pervasive" requirement is not easily defined, but it is not met when comments are merely insensitive but not severe and when issues arise infrequently and irregularly. Note however that one instance of physically threatening conduct is enough to constitute a violation, as are persistent offensive remarks.
The requirement that there be a basis for employer liability can be satisfied in a few different ways. If the harassment came from a supervisor, then the employer is automatically liable. If the harassment came from an employee, then the requirement is satisfied if the employer knew or should have known about the harassment and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. If the harassment came from a non-employee (e.g. a contractor), then the employer is liable if it should have known about the harassment, could have controlled the non-employee's actions or could have otherwise protected the employee, and failed to take appropriate action. In other words, keep a written log to record a history of harassment, and report promptly to a supervisor (or employer).
Once on notice, an employer must reasonably accommodate an employee whose sincerely held religious belief or practice conflicts with a work requirement, unless providing the accommodation would create an undue hardship. An employee is responsible for notifying the employer of the need for an accommodation and for explicitly requesting the accommodation. The employee is obligated to explain the religious nature of the belief or practice if the employer requests that information.
According to the EEOC, a reasonable accommodation most often constitutes one of the following: "(1) flexible scheduling; (2) voluntary substitutes or swaps of shifts and assignments; (3) lateral transfer and/or change of job assignment; and, (4) modifying workplace practices, policies, and/or procedures." While an employee may seek an accommodation permitting time for prayer, proselytizing, or a religious display, these requests are more likely to create an undue hardship than other types of accommodation, since they may directly affect the workplace environment.
Researched and Written by Sam Grover, FFRF Summer 2010 Legal Intern
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