Smartphones have become the main device for accessing the web, but too often we forget the importance of securing your connection. One of the best tools to do so is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). But since there's a bunch of them, it's hard to choose the right one without testing them all. That's why we are reviewing Astrill Android VPN today, so you can see if it fits your needs.
Even if you don't watch Netflix on your phone, preferring your 4K TV, and you don't download torrents, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be using a VPN.
First and foremost, it will protect your privacy and anonymity – a task that's becoming harder each day. So just like your laptop can end-up leaking your personal information, the same can happen when using your phone. What is more, people with smartphones connect to free/unsafe public Wi-Fi networks more often: coffee shops, airports and bus stations are only some of the places where others can spy on your traffic.
It may come in handy to be able to change your IP location because certain websites are blocked in certain countries.
When traveling, you might sometimes take your laptop or tablet, but you will never leave without your phone. Therefore, it may come in handy to be able to change your IP location because certain websites are blocked in certain countries, or you may need to access the 'home version' of a website.
Finally, just like Windows for PC, Android is the most popular smartphone OS, meaning it has the largest amount of malware, spyware, and other types of badware – it will have more trouble stealing your passwords or any other data if you're using a good VPN for Android.
The company's slogan is "AstrillVPN – shining star on VPN sky". Having checked the Astrill Android version, this is not a message we can fully support. Unless the light of Astrill's star is so faint that planets in its gravity well are only able to support populations of the Dimwit species. The speed by which its light travels, though, is quite enjoyable. The only question is are you willing to pay the price, which by some standards, can be called astronomic?
What Astrill says about their VPN?
We found that hard to believe and decided to check it out.
At the time of our test, Astrill Android had over 100,000 installs and almost 4,000 reviews with the average score of 4 out of 5, but the last 4 comments on the current version gave 1 star, citing screen freezing, inability to log in, no answer from the support, no speed test (so you have to check each server one by one), etc.
Situation got even worse once we spent some time touching and swiping Astrill VPN for Android.
It didn't look promising before downloading it for a test, and the situation got even worse once we spent some time touching and swiping Astrill VPN for Android.
As soon as you download the Free version, we recommend upgrading it to the paid one because of the server limit. This might not be a problem if you're based in the US or Europe, but users in other locations, especially China, will probably experience noticeable connectivity issues.
If you insist on staying with the Free version, StealthVPN, a modification of OpenVPN used to combat deep packet inspection (DPI), is the only alternative you will have.
Also, be aware that Astrill offers OpenWeb for Android by default, which sounds similar to OpenVPN yet is something home-brewn (information is lacking on the security of this protocol). If you insist on staying with the Free version, StealthVPN, a modification of OpenVPN used to combat deep packet inspection (DPI), is the only alternative you will have.
We thought the paid version supports all protocols advertised. As it turned out, you get the same two. But in the end, this is more of a communication issue than a security issue. It would even be hard to call it false advertising.
Downloading and installing the Astrill Android VPN version is easy and works just like installing anything else from the Google Store. We were happy that it only required an email and a password.
Then we got to choose either the Android-only, one device free plan, or the paid Full VPN account with support for up to 5 devices. We chose the former to tried to look through the eyes of someone who's not yet committed to spending a lot for a VPN they haven't heard much about.
We were welcomed with a message that [email protected] is there for us throughout the year, as long as the stars don't start falling from the sky.
After the message, we were left on our own with a simple Main screen. Its header and footer had links offering an upgrade, while the body offered a selection of servers and a humongous swipe-type button for ON and OFF.
The free version server menu will not satisfy VPN connoisseurs outside the US – most of the options are in the US with one "China Optimized" server, other countries having 1 or 2 options.
Sadly, the free version server menu will not satisfy VPN connoisseurs outside the US – most of the options are in the US with one "China Optimized" server, other countries having 1 or 2 options. This means that if you need to geo-locate yourself to Canada and that server is down, you are might be down too. But if you commit yourself financially, you get to access the whole bunch of them, just as advertised.
From the user experience point of view, the most annoying thing was the need to disconnect in order to see the list of servers that are available. It goes beyond saying that switching the protocol will also require you to go offline.
Here you can choose some non-default settings, like switching from port 443 (for HTTPS) to 80 (HTTP). You would want to use the latter only if your VPN is detected while using port 443 and blocked. Therefore, it's probably for the best to leave this option on "Auto".
The Application filter will allow you to select apps that will use the VPN connection and apps that will not use the VPN connection. We recommend selecting all apps.
Show logs was a function that caught our attention – basically, here you can see what information has already been logged by Astrill Android VPN. There's nothing creepy about this function – many VPNs have it. Actually, it can be crucial in case you have an issue and need to copy-paste something to the Support staff.
Battery optimization is another option in the Free version that says you should not optimize this VPN for "steady results" in speed. Paid users get a pop-up warning that not giving Astrill Android VPN enough power might make your connection speed suffer.
We decided to run a speed test with both the Free and Paid versions to see if there will be any differences.
Here's what we got after doing 3 tests with Free version on Android 7.1.2, using a server that's ~1000 km away. First one was done without a VPN, the second with the battery-optimized mode, and the last one with the battery non-optimized mode, as recommended by Astrill.
Download speed is 39 Mbps, upload speed is 27 Mbps. Not too shabby.
Astrill Android showed 37 Mbs while downloading and 25 Mbps when uploading. Nice.
Fully-powered Astrill Android managed to surprise with 41 Mbps download speed but saddened with its 19 Mbs upload.
29 Mbps download speed and record-breaking 37 Mbps upload speed – a strange combination indeed.
29 Mbps download speed and silver medal winning 33 Mbps upload speed – a strange sentence to read.
As you can see, there is no clear advantage in setting non-optimized mode for Astrill's Android app. And when it comes to the paid and free version, one gives a better download speed while the other offers a better upload speed. Therefore, we can only conclude that Astrill for Android is a fast VPN. It can be very fast, even the fastest with an extra punch from their VIP servers.
Should you try Astrill Android VPN?
First, we must warn you that there's no DNS leak protection in the Astrill Android version. We've found some claims of DNS leaks earlier in 2018, but our tests have found nothing.
One sad thing we noticed is that at least for our Free and Paid version tests on Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) device, the app launches anew every time you try to open it after a while, even though it's still running in the background.
So if you're connected, you will actually need to go to Settings > VPN, disconnect by "forgetting" Astrill and then connect again to change some settings. We hope this is not a common issue and if it is, it should be fixed soon – the more you charge your clients, the angrier they become when things don't work as they should.
And while the speed of Astrill Android VPN is good, the lack of servers means it will not be the case across the globe. And we're talking about the paid version here. Sure, you can pay extra to get access to VIP servers, which will improve your connection speed and stability, but paying even more when the standard price is already high makes you think of alternatives.
To sum this up, you should use Astrill Android VPN only if you liked the Windows/Mac version and have already bought it.
Since Astrill VPN for Android is clearly not among the best options, we suggest taking a look at these alternatives from our Best VPN for Android list, updated regularly.
Astrill sounds like a really nice VPN, but I'm still hesitating with NordVPN, I feel it's a better and safer VPN. Yet Astrill sounds really interesting too. Any advice on which one's the best ?
Thanks for stopping by. I understand that it can be hard to choose because both tools are very good. However, if you're not spending much time in Asia or connected to servers in Asia – I'd say taking NordVPN would be the best choice. It gives a 30-day money-back guarantee and has cheaper pricing plans.
I had mixed experiences with Astrill. At first things were working out fine and I also recommended the service to friends. Lately, with some updates things are not going great. Constant freezing and a bad support service may lead to me using something else. Will stay for 1-2 more week but if things keep going the way they are right now, I will have no choice but to head to greener pastures. If at least support was a little quick with their replies maybe I wouldn't be so upset.
Easy to use without a glitch, hope it can offer Singapore to Premium users.
THIS IS THE BEST IVE FOUND, AND I JUST LOVE IT,, GREAT APP.
This review of Astrill VPN saved me a lot of time and effort. I appreciate knowing the pros and cons of this service without having to try it out. I'm surprised by the bug you've found about it launching again every time you try to open it, that would be very irritating! Have you tried CyberGhost? I've heard some good things about it.
Hello, I am really happy that this article was useful and you found the information you were looking for! We have several articles on our page about CyberGhost too, you should definitely read them! Here they are – "Is CyberGhost safe?" and for sure an overall review of CyberGhost. I think it will be a true helper while making a decision! Best of luck!


Camera+ is one of the best third party camera applications on Apple's iPhone, a new version has just been released and in brings a range of new features to Camera+ on the iPhone.
The latest version is Camera+ 3 and along with a new app icon, the application now comes with a range of new sharing features that makes it easy to share you photos with a range of services.
You can now import multiple photo libraries into the Camera+ app, and it also features new workflows, that lets you snap a bunch of photos in a row without having to edit and share each one.
There are also new focus and exposure locks that give you more flexibility when shooting photos, you can find out more information about the latest version of Camera+ over at iTunes.


Yandal recognises the benefits arising from employee and Board diversity, including a broader pool of high quality employees, improving employee retention, accessing different perspectives and ideas and benefiting from all available talent.
The Board also acknowledges the benefits of the recommendations and guidance provided in the ASX Corporate Governance Council's Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations that relate to diversity, however, it is also cognisant of the fact that Yandal's workforce is not of a size where the benefits of such initiatives are proportionate to the costs involved in the implementation of such strategies.
To this end, the Board has adopted a tiered approach to the implementation of its Diversity Policy which is relative to the size of Yandal and its workforce.
Where Yandal employs 50 or more employees, the Board undertakes to adopt practices in line with the recommendations and guidance provided in the ASX Corporate Governance Council's Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations.
Whilst Yandal's workforce remains below this threshold, the Board will continue to drive Yandal's diversity strategies on an informal basis and will apply the initiatives contained in this Diversity Policy to the extent that the Board considers relevant and necessary.
The Diversity Policy does not form part of an employee's contract of employment with Yandal or any of its subsidiaries, nor does it give rise to contractual obligations. However, to the extent that the Diversity Policy requires an employee to do or refrain from doing something and at all times subject to legal obligations, the Diversity Policy forms a direction of the Company with which an employee is expected to comply.
The Diversity Policy does not impose on Yandal, its directors, officers, agents or employee any obligation to engage in, or justification for engaging in, any conduct which is illegal or contrary to any anti-discrimination or equal employment opportunity legislation or laws in any State or Territory of Australia or of any foreign jurisdiction.
The Board is committed to workplace diversity and supports representation of women at the senior level of Yandal and on the Board where appropriate.
The Board acknowledges its responsibility for the development of measurable objectives and strategies to meet the objectives of the Diversity Policy (Measurable Objectives) and the importance of monitoring the progress of the Measurable Objectives through the monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms listed below.
report on Yandal's progress (if any) towards achieving them.
Where Yandal employs less than 50 employees, the Board will monitor Yandal's diversity strategies on an informal basis.
In any event, the Board will endeavour to conduct all Board appointment processes in a manner that promotes gender diversity, including establishing a structured approach for identifying a pool of candidates, using external experts where necessary.
any other strategies the Board develops from time to time.
The Board is responsible for monitoring the scope and currency of this policy.
Yandal is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reporting on the Measurable Objectives.
If and when Yandal's workforce grows to a size of 50 or more employees, it will undertake a review of the annual key performance indicators for the Managing Director and senior executives and will determine the extent to which the Measurable Objectives shall be linked to performance-based incentives offered to those executives.
Where appropriate, the Board will review progress against the Measurable Objectives (if any) as a key performance indicator in its annual performance assessment.
if Yandal becomes a "relevant employer" under the Workplace Gender Equality Act, it will disclose its most recent "Gender Equality Indicators", as defined in the Workplace Gender Equality Act.
Where Yandal employs less than 50 employees, it will comply with c) above, and will disclose information under sections a) and b) to the extent that they are relevant.


There will be an area for your belongings during the Fair, it is on a first come, first serve basis.
Tips from StudentsThe Green Fair can be a bit overwhelming. Use this tips from students to make the most of each day:- "Be prepared to ask specific questions of different recruiters based on the research you've done on their company"- "Go in with a game plan because the long lines can be disorienting"- "Remember people's names from the companies you are interested in. It will make it easier tofollow up with them in the future- "I would have been less stressed out if I was more organized"- "Come prepared and knowing what position(s) you are interested in. Most importantly, be able to explain why you're interested in it"


I woke up this morning meditating on these verses in Zech. 14:1,2.
Would not this disaster take place before Antichrist "sets up" the abomination?
When does Antichrist "enter the beautiful land" and accomplish this taking of the city?
I share full agreement with your observation here, Phil. The prophets quite typically envision the day of the Lord as the climax of a larger crisis that is revealed in Daniel to extend for the entire last half of the 70th week (i.e., the final 3 1/2 years of Dan 7:25; 9:27; 12:7, 11; Rev 11:2-3; 12:6, 14; 13:5). That is why Daniel says, " and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined " (Dan 9:26).
This means the war that begins at the time of the abomination continues for 42 months unto its end at 'the great day of God Almighty' at Armageddon (Rev 16:12-17). In other words, Armageddon is the climax of the war that began 42 months earlier. A comparison of Dan 11:40-45 with Rev 16:12-17 will show the development of that war from its inception in Dan 11:31 till its end in the destruction of the AC in Dan 11:45.
According to Eze 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26, the Antichrist (definitely him; see Eze 38:17) comes down from the north (Dan 8:9) like a flood (Dan 9:26 with Dan 11:22) at a time of seductive false security for Israel. There is no way that one can put the battle of Eze 38 & 39 at the end of the tribulation. It certainly does end there (Eze 39:22-29, especially Eze 39:8 with Rev 16:17), but that is not where it begins. The Eze 38-39 invasion of Israel begins at a time of false security, which we may reasonably suppose is the result of the false peace covenant that Israel enters into with the Antichrist (Dan 9:27; 11:23). ((Though the language is similar, it is important that the interpreter not confuse the security of Eze 39:8, 11, 14 with the millennial security of the restored nation. Eze 39:26 is clear in showing that Israel's sins increase during the time of this security. This stands in marked contrast to the continuous and undisturbed security that the prophets speak of as following the coming in of the everlasting righteousness at the day of the Lord — Jer 32:40; Dan 9:24 –.)) (see footnote). Evidently, Eze 38 begins with the invasion that desecrates the temple and starts the 42 months trampling down of Jerusalem and ends at Armageddon. The entire time of desolation is conceived as belonging to a single war (Dan 9:26). That's what you're correctly seeing here in Zech 14, Phil. It's the comprehensive overview of the last war that ends in the day of the Lord.
There is no evidence that the Jews are welcoming the Antichrist, as some teach. He comes with force (Dan 11:31). He prevails militarily and overruns the city. According to Daniel 11:31-45, this begins a conflict that extends into the nations, but is ongoing till its end at Armageddon.
I also very much agree with your statement, " I cannot imagine Antichrist quietly coming into Jerusalem and setting up the abomination. The security in and around Jerusalem's old city and their holiest place is impenetrable at this point. An earlier battle of some sort must already have taken place before he sets up the image!" Exactly true. The AC enters suddenly and without warning (1Thes 5:3) at a time of security (Eze 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26; Dan 11:24). He then proceeds to the temple for the desecrating act that marks the beginning of the end. Forty two months later, the war that begins with the Antichrist invasion of Jerusalem ends with his destruction (Dan 11:31, 45; 12:11; 2Thes 2:8; Rev 11:2; 13:5; 19:19-20).
Although Satan's 'little season' of Rev 20 is symbolically identified with Ezekiel's battle of Gog and Magog, there are marked differences that demonstrate the necessity to distinguish between two similar events that bound the thousand years at both ends. This has confused many interpreters. There are many literal details that could be pointed out that plainly will not fit with a strictly post-millennial fulfillment. I will mention only one that is very clear. The invasion of Eze 38-39 clearly ends with the day of the Lord deliverance of Israel (see Eze 39:22-29). "So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward." But when Satan is released for a little season at the end of the millennium, Israel has known the Lord for a thousand years. Hence, we conclude that Eze 38-39 and Rev 20 describe two symbolically parallel events that are distinct and must not be confounded.
Interesting. Then Ez.38f ends in Armagedon 42 months later, and this victory as described in Ez and Rev. is the day of the Lord. Then the Gog and Magog invasion and the wars of the Antichrist are not two different events, one having to occur before the other. Do you have more teachings on that on your website?
I'll have to check if there's more on Ez 38-39 on the website, but I do recall sending an answer on this question to a Jewish brother who just might still have it. I can ask him and forward that on to you. It will probably be a little more detailed than what you saw in that recent exchange. It's just one more of many such things that merit work I've not had opportunity and time to invest in writing a more complete apologetic for that view of those chapters.
There's a lot out there on those chapters that is way off track. Time and grace permitting, I hope sometime to get to a more complete apologetic on those chapters. I know this: From ch 39, verses, 21-29, one could hardly wish for a more glorious theology of Israel's day of the Lord redemption, which is shown to come with the end of the hiding of God's face, which significantly coincides with the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit after a final assault on a newly regathered nation, only "recently" restored from the many generations of the long exile (see Eze 38:8 with Zeph 2:1-2).
This amounts to some powerful evidence against the popular replacement view that the church has now become the "new" Israel and the so-called, "redefined" people of God, with nothing left over for the natural branches except that some might come back into the church at some undefined time and manner. On the contrary, the time is clear (day of the Lord) and the manner is clear (a surviving remnant receives repentance in one day at the sight of the One whom they pierced. With this comes the pouring out of the Spirit and the end of God's hiding His face from Israel "forever." Thus begins the millennium). What could be clearer?!
Taken in context with other scriptures from other prophets that show the perfect correlation between the end of the hiding of God's face with the pouring out of the Spirit at a still future day of the Lord (e.g., Deut 31:17-18; 32:20; Isa 8:17; 32:15; 44:3; 54:8; 59:21; 64:7; Zech 12:10 with Joel 2:28-32 etc.), there is much that needs to be "unpacked" in those chapters. It means that what has come to us already, as first-fruits, will yet faithfully come to them at that time ("in that day"), when "at once," a nation will be "born in a day" (Isa 66:8; Eze 39:22; Zeph 3:9; 14:7).
This entry was posted in Anti-Christ, Bible Study, Daniel, Ezekiel, Gog, The Day of the Lord. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Q: footnote gives error in minipage environment with cta-author class I need to use \footnote in a minipage environment, but it always gives an error

Command \itshape invalid in math mode. a\footnote{

\documentclass{cta-author}
\begin{document}

\begin{table}
\begin{minipage}{\columnwidth}
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
    \hline
    Column 1 & Column2 \\
    a\footnote{footnote example} & b\\
    \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Latex class file is here

A: First a MWE. Much of your example was unnecessary for producing the issue. This is sufficient.
\documentclass{cta-author}
\begin{document}
\begin{minipage}{\linewidth}
Foo\footnote{bar}
\end{minipage}
\end{document}

The problem arises due to the cta-author class which interacts poorly with minipage. In particular, it defines
\def\@makefnmark{$^{\@thefnmark}$}%

That is, it typesets the footnote mark in math mode. The interaction with minipage comes from the fact that minipage redefines how the footnote mark is displayed.
\def\thempfootnote{{\itshape\@alph\c@mpfootnote}}

These two together cause the error, "\itshape invalid in math mode."
You can redefine \thempfootnote to avoid this issue. Here's a complete example based on your example code.
\documentclass{cta-author}
\renewcommand\thempfootnote{\alph{mpfootnote}}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}
\begin{minipage}{\columnwidth}
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
    \hline
    Column 1 & Column2 \\
    a\footnote{footnote example} & b\\
    \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Is that actually what you want the footnotes on the table to look like? I normally just typeset a mark myself and then the corresponding text below the tabular.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"The imbalance between the increasingly severe domestic market environment and Apple's high product unit price has led to the declines of iPhone shipments in Chinese market," the firm argued in a Chinese-language report seen by the South China Morning Post. The same study noted that Apple's 19.9 percent decline during the December quarter was far greater than the overall Chinese smartphone industry's 9.7 percent.
The company did managed to rise to fourth place, but only because local vendor Xiaomi did worse, plummeting 34.9 percent in the period.
Since the beginning Apple has been notoriously unwavering about its iPhone design and pricing policies, rarely making any concessions to accommodate different countries or even different income levels within the U.S. The company's "budget" iPhones are simply older models, and still relatively expensive -- the iPhone 7 costs at least $449. The cheapest new iPhone is the XR at $749, and that price is $100 more than Apple charged for flagship models just a few years ago.
A 256, 5.8 iPhone Xs with Apple care is $2,076.94 with tax in Canada. Insane. Price is a huge issue here as well.
I know I'm beating a dead horse but I would pony-up quickly if I could get a 30-50% improvement in battery life.
Demands curves slope down. Who knew.
Honestly I probably would have bought more Apple stuff this year if it was more cost effective. I just can't justify the price with the way they price their stuff in Canada.
We're all beating dead horses here, probably.
But whoever I talk to, Apple fanatics or people who converted from Windows or Anroid over the last few years, agree that Apple's pricing has gone out of hand. Everyone agrees that quality costs money. Yet they unanimously say that the have to re-evaluate whether they can justify buying another Apple device or not.
Sure, Apple can start lowering prices. But it seems that the damage to Apple's reputation has already been done. In a lot of people's minds they are a company that is selling highly overpriced devices. This makes me sad. It seems like such a foolish mistake to make. I don't understand it.
Time Cook keeps talking about how expensive it is to develop these devices. But with the amount of cash the company is garnering every quarter, this seems like a desperate attempt to justify. People are not stupid. Developing the first iPhone, a truly revolutionary device, not evolutionary, with a much smaller marked, must have been very expensive. Yet it cost half as much as today's offerings. In a lot of people's minds - including mine - something just doesn't add up.
But you do not need an iPhone Xs apple offers lower cost phones, you buy what you want to afford, no one is make you spend more than you want or need to spend. 30% to 50% improve battery performance is a pipedream, It will require significant leaps in technology to achieve that.
I never bought Apple top of the line anything, first could not justify it, but if I wanted something they made it bought what I felt has the best value, plus I am willing to wait to get something since I know the price will come down or there will be a deal around the corner. That does not mean Apple over priced their products.
I think Apple has hit the wall on prices they think they can charge. iPhone prices are sky high. iPad prices are sky high. Really it's all shot up to crazy high prices for what you're getting. Remember when you could get a cheap Mac by just getting a mac Mini. Now those like everyone else shot up in price. For what you get at the so called CHEAP end is a joke. I have this new iPhone XS, but in 4 years when I go to upgrade once again as I upgrade every 4 years, will it be another iPhone? I'm sure not paying $1500+ for a new iPhone in 4 years. I am not a fan of Android or all of Google's spying, but if Apple is going to drive me over their with their insane prices!?!?!?! This phone of mine was $1100. Personally I don't think that OLED screen is much better than the LCD screens I've had. Apple had really just gotten greedy, and if they continue, people will start fleeing from them. I really do wish there was a 3rd choice. How about a comeback of Windows Phones!!!
Given the price increases, it forces most people to either adopt a longer upgrade cycle (spend $1200 every 4 yrs vs $650 every 2 yrs) or to stop buying Apple products...things are getting out of hand.
So Chinese phone makers, who literally stole every once of technology available from the West to make their products, are undercutting Apple and Samsung on price? Wow, who would have thought that? And Huawei, who products are banned the U.S. because of their association with the totalitarian regime in China, and whose executives have been arrested and charged in the West, are thriving in the Chinese domestic market. Yet it's Apple prices that are at the bottom of this decline? Okay, I guess so?
You make a lot of assumptions there, Hondo. Sounds like talking point mimicry to me but hey, whatever. Unanimous agreement, eh? Okay.
IDC always has narrative different than what is really happening, nothing new here. It has been stated by Apple and others the Trade wars had a direct affect on Apple's business in China and the fact their were rumors and statements that Chinese companies were ordering/paying people not to buy Apple but Buy Chinese competitors.
Based on this it was not the selling price but trade actions causing the problem.
Not sure how Samsung moved from the 'who literally stole every once of technology available' category into the same category as Apple in your otherwise accurate comment.
I think you should update your knowledge on smartphone battery life comparisons. I did before I made that comment.
People don't always buy what they can afford. Many people have a frugal cut-off-point where they say "I could drop the cash, but, meh! I'll save it." People buy what they want based on the value. I'm a long APPL investor and I'm happy with good margins. However, I do think 2k for the "entry-ish" Xs is steep. Your average phone is so good now that people are just going to pass.
Regardless, I'm bullish on Apple finding ways to increase value in the coming years.
First there was Fake News, then there were Fake Rumors.
People buy what they want based on the value.
This is really the fundamental issue. It would not be at all surprising to find that more and more people are simply not seeing the incremental value for the prices and choosing to wait to upgrade. This is the inevitable result in a mature product category. Smartphones have become a mature product category. There's very little that really compelling most people to upgrade as fast as they once did. Basically the phones have become "good enough" for most customers. When the time does come to upgrade they may face other decisions about whether the value Apple claims to provide is worth the price they ask (to the customer). What's more many people (e.g., families, couples) may find themselves wanting to upgrade more than one phone at a time. So this makes the bite even harder to swallow.
For myself I considered upgrading this year but figured I'd just wait. Nothing really compelling me to spend the money. I have perfectly serviceable phone and am content to wait and if I end up paying $1K for a new phone, my upgrade timeline will stretch again.
There's nothing wrong with any of this. But I suspect it's something Apple wasn't expecting to happen as quickly as it did.
Certainly there a multiple factors involved in Apple's recent iPhone sales challenges. But price-to-value ratio cannot be easily dismissed. Because what the dismissers seem to frequently ignore, forget or simply not get is just because they perceive the price to be worth it. Not everyone else necessarily does.
I love Apple products but, enough is enough with this insane phone pricing!! By the time they lowered the XR, well, too late Apple, I had already purchased another competitor's phone, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that did so... It is sad, way too much greed and these prices ARE way out of line!
But Apple's sales and market share have actually increased in the U.S. and elsewhere so I'm not buying your too expensive narrative. I guess you forgot this article is about the Chinese market, huh?
Tim Cook is not the right CEO for Apple in 2019. A true definition of success would be to sell the hardware with a razor thin margin, and make buttloads of cash on services. Apple is doing a poor job at services right now - Amazon, Google, Microsoft are performing much better on that regard. And I'm not talking iCloud photo storage here. I'm talking professional SaaS services for both consumers and enterprise.
Also Tim Cook should invest cash they are not moving. Buy 20% of Tesla, buy 25% of Netflix. It's frustrating to be a shareholder of a company that keeps money on the banks and over-pays management.
So do you vote your shares? Have you voted against Cook as CEO? I vote my AAPL shares every year and I like Tim Cook as CEO. If you don't vote then I cancel you out and then some.


KRISTEN SPRINGER, PH.D. - Welcome to my Practice!
As a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Concord, Massachusetts, I am committed to helping you reach your goals by building skills and mastering your anxiety and fears while working collaboratively with you in a structured (yet empathic) manner using the most up-to-date evidence-based treatments.
My expertise is in working with both adolescents and adults with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you learn to challenge your thoughts and change your behaviors so that you feel better. It is a very active and collaborative treatment and is aimed at helping you achieve your goals and involves doing some work outside of the therapy office as well. Depending on your goals and level of severity, treatment often can take somewhere between 10-24 sessions.


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For the Transformation of the World
Conference-wide event on Oct. 29, in Lincoln
The Great Plains Mercy & Justice Team invites you to spend a day encountering poverty and related issues.
The "Let's Talk – For the Transformation of the World" event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday Oct. 29, at First UMC (2723 N. 50th St.) in Lincoln, Nebraska. This event is priced to make it financially accessible to as many people as possible. The registration fee is a suggested donation of $5, which includes the day of programming and lunch. If the cost prevents you from attending, please contact the Rev. Kalaba Chali at kchali@greatplainsumc.org or 316-684-0266.
Besides worship and a panel discussion with outstanding leaders (the Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, the Rev. Dr. Charlotte Abram and the Rev. Mark Holland), there will be a variety of workshops that will be offered in the afternoon, read about them below.
Let's Talk Healthy Families Healthy Planet (45 minutes)
Facilitators: Gina Gile and Pauline Muchina
Description: The Healthy Families Healthy Planet project strives for a world in which every woman can plan her children, and every family experiences God's promise of abundant life. The workshop will offer tools and resources that will educate, inspire and empower faith leaders to take on maternal health and family planning through advocacy and awareness.
Gina Gile is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, currently serving at Dakota City and Homer Nebraska churches and has served churches in Kansas as well. She is a longtime advocate for women and children including implementing poverty initiatives and recent work in Global Maternal Health. Through her work as a Healthy Families Healthy Planet advocate she has facilitated workshops, organized letter writing campaigns to state representatives and senators and traveled to meet with members of Congress in their Washington D.C. offices as well as in their local state offices.
Pauline Muchina comes from the Rift Valley Province in Kenya, where her family still resides. She has a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary. She is the director of Healthy Families, Healthy Planet at the General Board of Church and Society. Previously, she served as the senior partnership advisor for UNAIDS for seven and a half years. Pauline serves in several boards and advisory groups including Foundation for Sustainable Development and the Global Room for Women. She is also a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. In 2011, Pauline received the United Methodist Church Global Leadership Award. On March 8, 2014, the Huffington Post honored Pauline as one of 50 women powerful international religious leaders. Pauline's goal in life is to challenge injustice that render women, girls and marginalized communities vulnerable – addressing policies, structural, cultural and religious teaching and practices that undermine their human rights.
Let's Talk Race (45 minutes)
Facilitator: Glory Kathurima
Description: What are the challenges faced by people of color in our Midwestern communities? Is there a connection between race and poverty? Explore individual roles in identifying and confronting racism in our social circles and explore ways to get comfortable with calling out injustices both loud and silent.
Glory Kathurima is originally from Kenya but has lived in the U.S. for many years. She is an active member of The United Methodist Church and a healthcare professional with a lifelong passion for justice and equality. Years ago, as a high school senior, she won the Peace with Justice award given out through the former Nebraska Conference for her speech about migrant farm workers. In the last few years she has been using her voice within her work, church and community circles to start conversations about racial inequalities affecting our communities.
Let's Talk Environment (90 minutes)
Facilitator: Bonnie McCord
Description: What does the scripture say about environmental justice? This workshop will focus on the scriptural basis of creation care and advocacy, contributing factors to the current environmental crisis and the intersection of environmental injustice and poverty.
Bonnie McCord is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church serving in Chadron, Nebraska. She is married with two grown sons and three grandchildren. She was raised on a ranch in the Great Sandhills northeast of Oshkosh, Nebraska. Her love of creation stems from this earthy upbringing. She hold master's degrees in geography, with a minor in water resources, and in theology, with a social justice focus. She is a fellow in the GreenFaith program, which prepares persons for religiously based environmental leadership. Bonnie enjoys gardening, going for walks, canoeing, teaching and spending time with family. In general, she likes being out of doors so she can experience the beauty of God's creation.
Let's Talk Gender Relations (90 minutes)
Facilitator: Margi Ault-Duell
Description: How are gender relationships in our communities? In this workshop look at how homophobia, transphobia and sexism shape people, and how to create safer spaces for a diversity of gender identities. Discussion will be both informative and participatory.
Margi Ault-Duell has been working for social change for 15 years, primarily as a social justice educator with youth and adults. She grew up in rural Kansas, later migrating to Arkansas, New Jersey, Arizona and finally back to Kansas. She has organized and collaborated on efforts to address climate change and ecojustice, immigrant rights, global economics and migration, gender justice, racial justice and health and healing within activist communities. She has learned how deeply liberating it can be to name our shared experiences and tell our stories as an act of resistance to oppression. During her five years in the borderlands of Southern Arizona as BorderLinks education director, she witnessed people committing incredible acts of courage in an environment of fear and hostility. She is an experienced interpreter/translator, facilitator, writer and speaker. She is actively involved with the ICT-Army of Artists and she serves as a board member of SoCe Life. She completed her Master of Divinity degree at Drew University in 2009.
Online registration is available. You can also register by calling the Wichita conference office at 316-684-0266.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tom Caron: MLB labor talks could bring much-needed changes on the field
While financial issues are at the heart of the disagreement between owners and players, the sport would benefit from rule changes to create more action.
By TOM CARON
There likely would be fewer disputes about balls and strikes if umpires were given access to the same virtual strike-zone information that every fan can see while watching a game at home. Morry Gash/Associated Press
The clock is approaching midnight on the Major League Baseball labor agreement. The deal expires at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, and unless owners and players can come to an agreement the sport will see its first work stoppage in 26 years.
It's likely to happen. And that's OK. A December work stoppage doesn't really mean a lot in baseball. MLB's winter meetings probably will be canceled and free agency will be frozen, but the two sides will continue to negotiate as a cold winter descends on everyone in the game.
The real problems won't begin unless the two sides are arguing into February. Then, with spring training looming, we will begin to ponder what it will mean as camps remain silent and preseason momentum is lost.
That's a long ways off. For now the hope is the two sides can settle grievances that have been simmering for years. The players want fundamental changes to the current structure of service time, and the owners want more cost certainty when it comes to payroll.
There is much more to it than that, of course. And the devil in any agreement is in the details. As it should, most of these negotiations will center on the financial structure of the game. Yet there are other issues that must be dealt with. Issues that will impact the way the game is played on the field in the years to come.
The most obvious change the game needs is the implementation of the designated hitter in the National League. The universal DH is long overdue, and everyone expects it to be part of any new deal.
There are other rules that have been added to the game in recent years, like the runner placed on second in extra innings. It is a polarizing rule that many fans hate. Anyone watching the Alabama-Auburn football game over the weekend knows how frustrating it can be to see a great game end in a flurry of "speed up" rules that change the essence of the game itself.
Yet the extra-inning rule in baseball added urgency and strategy to extra innings, bringing managers and fans to the edge of their seats with the game on the line. In a sport that is often dismissed as old and stodgy, the jolt of intensity was welcome. The rule should stay.
So should the rule forcing relief pitchers to stay on the mound for a minimum of three batters (or the end of an inning.) No one misses the endless march of lefty specialists entering the game to face a single batter. There were times we watched an inning unravel because a relief pitcher couldn't get the job done. It added more strategy, and made managers think twice before going to the bullpen. With starting pitchers going shorter than ever before, it was another welcome rule twist that should stay.
Baseball also should agree to a system that would limit the amount of shifting a defense does. My simple fix would feature two infielders on each side of second base, with all infielders standing on the dirt of the infield. That would bring more base hits back into the game, meaning more action on the base paths.
Action is what this sport needs most.
Finally, and most importantly, it's time to give home plate umpires access to the same information every fan watching at home has. Umpires standing behind the plate should be holding a device that would buzz when a ball passes through the virtual strike zone. The umpire would still have authority to call the pitch a ball or a strike, but at least he would know what the data is showing anyone with a TV or access to MLB.com.
If we know it's a strike, he should know it's a strike. There will be a lot less complaining if we can all share in the data.
That's it. A few simple rules to help the game keep moving. Let's hope the two sides can figure out how to share the rewards of a $10 billion industry and still have a little time left to work out ways to make the game more enjoyable for the paying customers.
Tom Caron is a studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on NESN. His column runs on Tuesdays in the Portland Press Herald.
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text:
Q: Laravel 4 Form Model not binding id correctly I am binding a user model to a form and attaching the id.  When i hit submit it places a character code (%7Bid%7D) into the form in place of the id.  The model elements bind to the form properly otherwise.  If I use firebug to change that code to 1 then it fires fine so I know it is an issue with how the id is binding or set.
What am I doing wrong?
I have the following code pieces:
View
{{ Form::model($user, array('route' => 'users.update', $user->id)) }}

Route that is being set in the form
Route::post('users/{id}/update', array(
  'uses' => 'UserController@update',
  'as' => 'users.update'
 ));

Controller Method that calls the form (UserController)
public function edit($id)
{
    //
    $user = $this->user->find($id);
    return View::make('users.edit')->with('user', $user);
}

A: Without seeing your code for the form I'm guessing from the fact you said you are getting %7Bid%7D that you've missed a set of curly braces.

A: I had a similar problem. It was down to a named route that required a parameter.
Route::post('something/new/{id}', array(
    'as' => 'something-new-post',
    'uses' => 'SomeController@newFunction'
));

I was calling it using
{{ URL::route("something-new-post") }}

with the intention of adding the variable later. What I should have been doing is adding an extra parameter..
{{ URL::route("something-new-post", $data) }}

live and learn..


The company has been founded to cater to the large number of people who are affected by balance disorders and endeavors to provide a holistic management for vertigo and balance disorders by carrying out breakthrough innovations in this field.
NeuroEquilibrium Diagnostics Systems Pvt. Ltd., founded by Rajneesh Bhandari, Anirban Biswas & Anita Bhandari in March 2015, is an organization established to address the needs of patients suffering from vertigo and dizziness with its advanced diagnostic systems. The product was launched in April 2016. The company has been founded to cater to the large number of people who are affected by balance disorders and endeavors to provide a holistic management for vertigo and balance disorders by carrying out breakthrough innovations in this field.
NeuroEquilibrium™ assessment platform is the most advanced vertigo and balance assessment platform in the world and has been developed in collaboration with top Neurotologists of India. The organisation has developed four cutting edge diagnostic equipments for the diagnosis of vertigo- Video Nystagmography (VNG), Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV), Craniocorpography (CCG) and Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA). The objective of NeuroEquilibrium is to set up specialised vertigo and balance disorder clinics across India in collaboration with leading ENT and Neurology clinics.
The diagnostic equipments have been developed in India in line with the 'Make in' campaign and we have already applied for 3 patents. It is a comprehensive diagnostic system, which integrates various diagnostic tests on one platform and sends the diagnostic reports to a cloud server, which helps in providing proper diagnosis and treatment to vertigo patients.The NeuroEquilibrium platform has comprehensive vertigo and balance evaluation, customized reporting, one click patient data retrieval, rehabilitation module and patient monitoring module, making it India's first robust diagnostic system that helps doctors to diagnose and treat vertigo cases easily. It is highly scalable as it leverages cloud technology.
Most vertigo patients do not know which doctor to visit, oscillating among ENT specialists, Neurologists, Orthopaedics, Physicians, etc. Also most patients believe that vertigo does not have a cure and that they have to live with vertigo. Changing this mindset and educating the patients that vertigo is curable is the biggest challenge.
The other challenge was that when we showcased the diagnostic equipment for the first time, the doctors did not believe that this technology could be developed in India or that the products made in India could be at par or better than the equipment made in USA or Europe.
We are setting up specialized vertigo clinics in collaboration with leading ENT and Neurology clinics in the country. It's a clinic-in-clinic model whereby NeuroEquilibrium Diagnostics Systems Pvt. Ltd. provides the diagnostic equipment, technology, trained manpower & detailed analysis of tests by specialist doctors via cloud technology in real time at carefully identified and established ENT and Neurology clinics. All this is at very affordable costs so that a large number of patients can benefit. I would say, looking at the percentage of population affected by the condition, that the growth prospects are very bright.
Our vision is to diagnose & treat one million patients in the next 5 years and 5 million in the next 10 years. The diagnosis is affordable and the complete battery of tests cost less than the cost of an MRI.
As of now, we are boot strapped and all investment has come from the promoters. We plan to raise funds in the next couple of months.
The product was launched in April 2016. The first two clinics became operational in May 2016 and we are already getting very good response. The third clinic will be operational by end June.
In the future, we plan to set up clinics outside India as well. Since it leverages cloud technology, we believe this is a very scalable model. The most promising markets will be South East Asia, Africa, etc.
Vertigo affects about 20% to 40% of the population at some point of time in their lives. Further, 5% of the population suffers from vertigo and dizziness in any given year. This means that over 6 crore people in India are affected by vertigo and balance disorders. Unfortunately, vertigo and dizziness is a problem that is prevalent but is mostly undiagnosed or treated as a chronic, untreatable condition. Thus, there is a huge gap and an urgent need for specialized vertigo clinics across the country to provide an appropriate and case-sensitive management for vertigo and balance disorders.


text: Q: Why is solving linear equation system so fundamental to applied mathematics? They appear as a subroutine in nearly every algorithm, which solves a complex applied mathematical problem. Examples are finite elements, newton method, simplex method, interior point method, regression .... Is there an explanation, why this structure appears over and over again?


text:
About NISLT (Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology)
The major functions of the Institute are contained in Act 12 of 26th June, 2003, published in the official gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria No. 47 volume 90 of 23rd July, 2003 stated as follows:
Advancing science laboratory technology profession in Nigeria
Determining the standard of knowledge, exposure to equipment, practicals and skills, to be attained by person seeking to become registered members of the profession and reviewing those standards, from time to time, as circumstances may require
Promoting the highest standards of competence, practice and conduct among the members of the profession
Securing in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the establishment and maintenance of a register of members of the profession and the publication from time to time of the lists of those persons
Serving as an agency to secure, safeguard and advance the professional knowledge, standing, efficiency and interests of science laboratory technologists through the Council
Conducting examinations and granting certificates and diplomas and advising on, assisting in examinations relating to science laboratory technology in Nigeria
Conducting research in all the areas of science laboratory technology
Serving as a certifying agency through its registered members
Ensuring safety standards and necessary facilities in science laboratories and workshops in Nigeria
Ensuring, through its registered members, effective and efficient management and administration of all science laboratories in Nigeria
Arranging appropriate on-the-job training for members of the profession
Conducting inspection of science laboratories in schools
post-secondary institutions, industries and research institutes in order to improve the professional standards
Doing such things as may advance and promote the advancement of the profession in both the public and private sectors of the economy
Performing, through the Council established under Section 4 of this Act, the functions conferred on it by this Act
Click Here to Download the official gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria No. 47 volume 90 of 23rd July, 2003


text:
Daimler pays €6.000 record bonus to 100.000 German employees
Daimler and Mercedes pay up to € 6 000 profit-sharing bonus to 100 000 of their employees in Germany /Daimler
The German car manufacturer, Daimler AG/Mercedes-Benz AG, will pay a record profit-sharing bonus of up to € 6 000 to some 100 000 of its German employees. The company wants its workers to participate in the success of the 2021 financial year.
The Board of Management and the General Works Council have decided to pay a bonus of up to 6 000 euros to eligible tariff-scale employees in Germany. In this way, the companies are expressing their gratitude to the employees for their outstanding work and flexibility in a year that was once again impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and by difficult overall conditions.
For 100 000 employees
Even though the financial results for the year are not yet available, the Board of Management and the General Works Council have decided to set a lump-sum profit-sharing bonus for 2021. The profit-sharing bonus will be paid along with the wages and salaries for February 2022 to approximately 100 000 eligible tariff-scale employees in Germany.
Sabine Kohleisen, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Human Resources and Director of Labour Relations: "Our company's extraordinary development is a team achievement. I would like to wholeheartedly thank all of the colleagues who contributed to this accomplishment with their great dedication."
Ergun Lümali, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: "Our colleagues are the key to the success of our company. Therefore, it is only more than fair to reward their tireless dedication with an extraordinarily high profit-sharing bonus. On behalf of the General Works Council, I would like to thank them for this outstanding commitment in 2021."
Not unusual
Profit-sharing is not unusual in Germany, where works councils and unions are strong and earnestly involved in the wellbeing of the companies they're represented in. The paying of substantial bonuses is a logical consequence of this way of (co-)working.
Other car manufacturers, like Porsche, for instance, are also known for paying substantial bonuses to their employees. The € 6 000 the Mercedes workers are now getting is a record for the company. But, unfortunately, not all workers apparently qualify, and the pay-out is also limited to Germany.
Canoo drops VDL Nedcar deal definitely


These commentaries are not written to be exhausitve and wordy. Instead, they are concise, easy to understand, and conversational in tone. This file contains 15 commentaries spanning 24 books of the Bible (all listed below).
NOTE: The MySword version of this commentary is available here.
Gary Hampton is the director of the East-Tennesse School of Preaching.
The commentaries can be found in pdf format at http://www.aBibleCommentary.com or can be purchased in print for from http://www.HesterPublications.com .
The commentaries have been converted and uploaded with the author's encouragement and blessing.
"The commentaries have been converted and uploaded with the author's encouragement and blessing."


Takumo NORITA has been keen on animation forever and has been dedicating his career to it for about 15 years. After Pandora Hearts or Broken Blade, among many more titles, he is working on Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love alongside Nobuyoshi HABARA and Chizuru KOBAYASHI. Come meet him at Japan Expo!
Takumo NORITA has always loved animation. He has contributed to many successful series such as Broken Blade or Pandora Hearts. He is now working as an animator on Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love and will be part of the festival events dedicated to that anime. He is inviting you to meet him at signings!


This great shoulder bag that has a classy yet modern look that makes it a great every day accessory. Also a great purse to use for school or work as it is well spaced inside with 2 additional compartments inside as well as a snap cell phone pocket. Made with a super soft faux leather-like material.


Listen to Stefflon Don's latest project!
Stefflon Don has released her anticipated new mixtape 'Secure'.
The UK rapper, who used Lil Kim as inspiration for the artwork, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in UK and US music.
Alongside a star-studded remix of her hit single 'Hurtin' Me' alongside Sean Paul, Popcaan and Sizzla, Stefflon Don's mixtape also features Future, DJ Khaled, Fekky and more.
Interestingly, after Stefflon Don released her new mixtape artwork, fellow female rapper appeared to block her on Instagram.
Taking to the photo-sharing app, Steff showed a screenshot of the incident.
"But wait Why one of my fav aunties got to block me cuz i show love to the other," she said.
"Tag her n tell her chill sis, be secure sh*t ain't that deep and she should focus more on her president and the GMO'S they put in our food."


Wait? We Have Manufacturing in This Country?
Economic Stimulus Plan Is (Almost) Law: What Made The Cut?
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another.
Ask the taxgirl: Do I Need to Do Anything to Claim the Rebate?


Dr. Daniel Butterman has been practicing dentistry in Colorado since 1994. He lectures locally, nationally and internationally on various topics, including Implants, CAD/CAM and Single Visit Dentistry.
Dr. Butterman uses technology and materials to make dentistry easier, faster, and more fun for him, so that he can enjoy what he does to deliver a better result and experience for his patients.
We welcome new patients and look forward to meeting you. To schedule your visit, give us a call at 303-221-3044, send us an email, or use the contact form in the right hand margin. We'll do our best to respond quickly, even when we're out of the office.
Dr. Butterman performs all aspects of Surgical Implant Placement and Restoration, including Bone Grafting and Socket Preservation. Our 3-D Imaging System provides precise anatomical measurements and diagnostic accuracy. It takes only about an hour to place your implant, which means that you can enjoy your new smile immediately! To get your new smile today, email or call us to schedule your visit.
Because your health is our priority, we offer Same Day Dental Care, and we do not charge an additional fee for this service. For immediate pain relief, please email or call us to schedule your appointment today.
Dr. Butterman makes beautiful crowns in one visit, without messy impressions or uncomfortable temporaries. By eliminating impressions, temporaries, and multiple visits, we have improved the patient experience. In about an hour, you can have a crown that fits precisely to your natural tooth and blends seamlessly into your smile.
In order to make the most accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendation, Dr. Butterman uses the latest three-dimensional imaging technology. While most dentists take traditional two-dimensional x-rays, our 3D system enables Dr. Butterman to uncover the true diagnosis that may be missed with traditional imaging. This technology goes hand-in-hand with our goal of making your dental treatment safer, faster, and more predictable.
Porcelain veneers are an ideal choice for improving smile imperfections. We make your veneers right in our office, as opposed to an outside lab, to provide immediate cosmetic results. Porcelain veneers require a high degree of technical skill as well as attention to cosmetic detail. With more than two decades of experience and the latest technology, Dr. Butterman designs consistently beautiful smiles time after time.
From emergencies to cosmetic dentistry, we're always ready to help!
Dr. Butterman has always looked out for my welfare and dental health before anything else. His total focus is on the individual and their needs and what brought them to his office. I am almost embarrassed to say it but on my most recent visit I went to sleep while he was filling a cavity and working on a tooth. I am not sure what more you can say about how gentle and caring he is! He is the best I have found!


text:
Took my eye off the ball and stepped into the virus trap
So easily avoided, but alas I'll have to sneeze it out now. And there is an up side.
So much has happened in the last few weeks that no-one's feet have touched the ground. The day jobs kept a grip on Monday to Friday and the book signings and related stuff filled Saturdays and Sundays. So it was full speed ahead on all counts from mid November to mid December.
The trick is to be very aware of the point where activity stops, so as to be ready for the army of viruses that hang about waiting for that moment when a busy person goes 'Whew! Time for a bit of a breather,' which is when they dive in to take hold, unless the barricades are well up. Barricades come in all shapes and sizes. Mental preparedness seems to help, as can a vitamin-rich diet. But anyway, no point in regretting a lack of awareness at this point. The viruses have arrived, taken hold and made themselves at home.
However, through the fog of congestion, in between sneezes and whilst not seeing stars from the coughing fits, I can look back over the month with a glow of satisfaction. Incredible though it seems, we shifted several thousand books, we had a stack of good publicity and the icing arrived to top off the cake the day after the final pre-Christmas event, with an offer from a publisher wanting to take the books to Canada and the USA.
Book shops rock!
We started here
... and ended here a few weeks later...
The cop always collars the crime writer.
The final day of the Yorkshire book signing tour was incident-packed, but before we came close to having collars felt, to the shoplifting incident or to the electronic capture of the missing books, we found we were still in a mystery race with the book distributors.
The race is who gets to the store first: us or the books? The mystery is why they seem so keen for us to win.
It's been touch and go with half a dozen of the venues, but we've now started to hit the individual shops' best-seller lists, which makes the bumpy ride worthwhile both for us and for the store managers who have pulled out all the stops to make the events successful. Especially Adam in Hull, Prospect Centre. We'd sold out of Like False Money and had a customer wanting a set of all three books. Adam's gizmo told him there were another two copies in the shop and, despite it being the busiest day of the year - not helped by a serious shoplifting incident - he hunted them down. They were in the crime section, not in the shoplifters' pockets.
The other final Saturday pre-Christmas venue was WHS, Kingswood, tucked cosily into the Kingswood retail park. It's the smallest of the shops I've been to. Would it attract in the buyers of crime fiction? For the first 30 seconds, I wasn't sure, then Seaside Radio arrived in the person of broadcaster, Paula Coomber, and a steady stream of shoppers followed, most of them happy to stop and chat and many to buy books. Before our allotted time was up, there were just four books left - and no Like False Moneys. This time, there were none lurking in hidden corners, but Agent raced off and scrounged a few from another branch.
Frustrating though it is to have no books left when there are still readers wanting to buy them, it's an amazing feeling to see an empty table where there had been a stack of books.
In all, that's eight venues since publication mid November and we ended where we started, back in WHS Prospect Centre, Hull. It wasn't in the original plan to return to any of the venues, but we were delighted the books were selling well enough that they wanted us back. But maybe those shoplifters took advantage, knowing the law would be diverted because the cop always collars the crime writer.
Labels: author event, book signing, crime fiction
La Scala short story competition shortlist and prize presentation
The prize presentation has been delayed to the New Year but the shortlisted entrants will be notified before Christmas.
La Scala Studios had planned to run the prize presentation for their 2011 short story competition to coincide with a local East Yorkshire Dengie qualifier and puissance competition in December. However, because of a problem at the venue, the qualifier has had to be delayed into the New Year and is now expected to be held in February. The competition organisers have taken the decision to delay the prize presentation and to hold it at the same event as the delayed qualifier, unless there should be a further delay, in which case the prize presentation will be held as a separate event at a different venue.
All shortlisted entrants will be notified before Christmas and details of the prize presentation will follow as soon as they are confirmed.
Anyone wanting further information or clarification, please leave a comment on this blog and it will be answered here.
Labels: short story competition
Scarborough Rocks!
An inauspicious start to Scarborough book signing day.
After previous experiences with loose wheels, what would go wrong today? It was a clear run through, a sunny day, beautiful sea views on the way. If we hadn't known the way and had used the SatNav, that might have unnerved us, because it can't cope with the new road into Scarborough and degenerates into hysterics as the little arrow tracks across fields and the voice rattles out, "Turn right - do a u-turn - keep left". Last chance for a big glitch on the journey would have been to find the multi-storey full, but it wasn't.
And on to WH Smith, Westborough where the Manager, Russell, had the signs and the books all waiting for us. It was all going far too smoothly. The obvious trap now would be to score a duck on the book sales front and indeed the first few minutes went by without a taker. But then things picked up and we estimate we sold a book every two minutes and for the first time ever we sold out!!
Big thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a success.
Yay! Scarborough Rocks!
Crime comes to Harrogate: WHS Victoria Shopping Centre 10 December
The Yorkshire based crime series featuring PI Annie Raymond is now out in paperback. I will be in WHSmith, Victoria Shopping Centre, Harrogate signing books on 10 December from 12 to 2. Do call in and say hello.
WHS are doing a special deal – get the first three books for £15.
Books in danger on way to Monks Cross
The Doll Makers : The Jawbone Gang : Like False Money
When author and agent arrived for the book signing at WH Smith, Monks Cross, York, it should have been to a heap of books ready-delivered from the distributors. The hitch that had delayed the arrival of the stock is covered in a previous blog.
Monks Cross has its own car-park, but the shopping centre covers a vast acreage - 100, 200, I'm not sure. The fact there were no spaces near WH Smith was a good omen for a book signing. However, the books had to make it unscathed from car to shop and the borrowed sack barrow now had three reliable wheels and one that had lost its sprocket, pin, or whatever the thing is that keeps the wheel on the axle (as related in previous blog).
Loss of the wheel was not an option whilst the barrow was loaded. It turned out that it took the length of three author steps for the wheel to work its way to the dangerously-close end of the axle. So with the agent manoeuvring the barrow, the author fell into a rhythm of three steps, skip and a sideways kick. A kind of grotesque parody of Strictly.
By this means, the books were delivered in pristine condition. Store manager Tom matched the special 3-book deal in other branches and we sold the first full set of three before the books were properly stacked on the table. Again, the time flew by in conversation with all the people who approached (or were strong-armed to) the table. One of those who came along was York author, Joan Emery, whose pen has been stilled for a few years by a bout of ill-health. She's back at her keyboard now, so watch out for her name popping up on the shelves again.
There's something that happens when I sign crime novels in a branch of WHS - the law takes a keen interest.
We slipped under the radar in Coney Street, but they caught up with us here. 'Mayhem across the York area...? Out of control sack barrow...? Not us, officer. Clear case of mistaken identity. We're just quietly signing and selling books.' A pleasingly high number again. Thank you to Tom and Matthew in the store and hoping that all new readers enjoy their purchases.
New novel coming out on Litopia Radio
The great thing about Litopia After Dark for a writer of contemporary PI novels is the way it completely freed me from the constraints of the world of the 21st century licensed private investigator. It isn't that it doesn't fascinate me to inhabit the world of private investigation, and even scare me a bit when I get mistaken for the real thing (that's a whole other blog) but it's said that a change is as good as a rest and it was good to dive briefly into the world of Johnny and Priscilla of Magenta Delicious, the novel being written week by week by the guests on Litopia After Dark.
It goes out on Sunday nights at about 8 pm, but all the broadcasts are published as podcasts. You will find 'Bach to the Future' right here.
Labels: author event
Took my eye off the ball and stepped into the viru...
La Scala short story competition shortlist and pri...
Crime comes to Harrogate: WHS Victoria Shopping Ce...


It seems to me people have lost the ability to judge what is true and what is not, what is reliable, what is not reliable, what should you believe, what should you not believe. And when you have people who don't know much about science, standing in denial of it, and rising to power, that is a recipe for the complete dismantling of our informed democracy.
He goes on to wax nostalgic about how America used to be better than this. You didn't have people "standing in denial" of science.
But you see what he's really saying. He's telling you that you have "lost the ability to judge what is true" because instead of passively swallowing up everything Neil Tyson tells you, you have the chutzpah to judge scientific questions for yourself, arriving at conclusions that Dr. Tyson and others don't care for. For the public, good "judgment" when it comes to science means not questioning their authority.
The March for Science, in this perspective, is really a March for Public Passivity. Shut up, he explained, and believe what we tell you.


First stop after leaving Townsville was the surprisingly short 2 hour drive to Charters Towers. For some reason I imagined the famous Charters to be miles inland and in the middle of nowhere. Neither Chris or myself have been on the Townsville to the Three Ways (NT) road before, so this was all unchartered waters for us all.
Charters Towers certainly had an 'Old World' charm about it. Chris and her love of architecture(!!!!) had the camera snapping away for what seemed an eternity. We did a walk around the main town area and visited the local bakery for a couple of after lunch treats. A lot of these smaller towns have great museums, with all sorts of things from yesteryear on display. These were harsh days for the pioneers and it was interesting to see how tough it really was. It certainly makes the kids realise that being asked to do the dishes every so often is not so bad after all. We found a beautiful park in the middle of town for our lunch break that very much reminded us of Toowoomba. The only down side was that we had to share the park with a few million bats and therefore it did have a bit of an odour to it.
Next stop for an overnighter was Hughenden. The town has a nice council caravan park with a 33 metre pool. You beauty. It was as hot as hades, so it was a lovely way to end a long hot day. Next morning we packed up early and visited the local dinosaur museum. Ladies and gentleman, this is 'Dinosaur Country' and everything for the next 200kms revolves around these prehistoric monsters. There is a full size replica of a 'Muttaburra Dinosaur' in the main street, and even the garbage bins have a prehistoric theme. The museum was a great introduction to the area and we spent a good few hours looking at all matter of things that roamed this area over 100 million years ago. Once again I am not so sure about the old saying 'the good old days'. Many of these guys were very nasty and extremely vicious. When they were having a bad day, nothing was spared. I am not sure how the boys got on, but I had real trouble getting my head around the 100 million years ago thing, the fact that there were no people, and that what is now inland was once the bottom of the ocean. Its in the same league as space and the fact that it goes on forever. I have trouble with that concept as well!!
Next stop and not far down the road was another dinosaur town, Richmond. What a great little place. In 2001 the local council decided to dig a huge lake in the middle of town and fill it with fresh water from the local river, and named it Lake Fred Tritton. It is big enough to water ski on, swim in, jet ski or sail on. Around the lake is a cement jogging/walking track, barbeques and shelter sheds. There is even a small water park to keep the little people amused. And just to impress a little more, it is flood lit at night, and looks amazing. The local council caravan park is perched on one side of the lake and made a sensational backdrop in an otherwise brown canvas.
Richmond also has a dinosaur museum, which is a little more upmarket than Hughenden. It has a self guided audio commentary with a device that you simply held to your ear. It gave enormous detail, on everything big and small. Harry in particular thought this was pretty cool and stood and listened to everything, some even twice. After the museum it was a 15km drive to a council quarry to fossick for, you guessed it, dinosaur remains. It was hot, dry and very dusty, with young Harry making the find of the day. We have no idea what it is but it looks like either a claw or very large tooth encased in rock. Regardless it is impressive and no doubt very old. To think that it might have once been attached to a prehistoric creature again has my head spinning. Other than that we only found a few small items (pieces of belemnite - an ancient sea creature) to help weigh the camper down even more.
There was a very noticeable change in the colour of the country from this point on. From Townsville to Richmond, the countryside was green and lush after all the rain. It really was a beautiful sight and not one you see every year. From Richmond on, the countryside just got browner and browner, and dustier and dustier. The change was significant and dramatic, which is what makes Australia such a fascinating place to explore. Next stop was Mt Isa where we planned to stay a few nights.
Now I am not exactly sure what I expected of the Isa, with my mental image being nothing like the real thing. This place is fairly large and is very remote, being only 200 kms from the Northern Territory border and nearly 900 kms to the East Coast. The first thing to take your eye is the mine that is smack bang in the middle of the town. Why you would put the town almost in the mine is a little hard to understand, but there you are. Town is surrounded by a large mountain range that does give a lovely backdrop to an otherwise unattractive town. In saying that, and not wishing to be harsh, it does have a wild west, tough guy feel to it. We did the rounds of the local caravan parks, none of which are particularly inviting, and stayed in the 'Copper City Caravan Park'. We set up down the back of the park on a lovely grassed, shady area opposite a very well equipped camp kitchen. All the caravan parks in town are filled with permanents, employed at one of the mines, as any other accommodation is impossible to find or prohibitively expensive.
Our first stop in the morning was at the Isa's 'School of the Air'. We had a very informative teacher show us around, and being the only people on tour, it was very customised to our interests. The old HF radios are no longer used, with normal telephones taking their place. There are huge advantages in using telephones, with the main two being that numerous people can talk at once (although they teach phone etiquette!) and the improved quality of the call. In the old HF days once the button was pushed nobody else could talk. The problem being that when the teacher asked little Jonny how his weekend was, Jonny would push the button and then spend the next 20 minutes telling in great detail everthing he did. The teacher was unable to interrupt and nobody else could say a thing. The new system is computer operated and very hi tech. We had not been in the building 10 minutes when a teacher walks past and says to me, "I know you!" Michelle Ridge was a teacher at Kepnock about 3 years ago and has been at the Isa since. She loves it so much she said she would be there until she dies. I don't wish to sound unfair but these guys really do have it made. They do one 30 minute phone lesson a day, have no playground duty, no bus duty and no discipline problems. The rest of the day is spent marking work that is sent in, with very little preparation as it is all prepared by somebody else, made into booklets and posted to the students in term lots. Both School of the Air and School of Distance Education all use the same standard packages, thus preparation is practically nil, or very close to it. Then every few months they jump in a chartered plane or the Landcruiser and visit some kids on their properties or go on a school camp. I guess the down side is you have to live somewhere rather remote.
Our next visit was to the 'Underground Hospital' which is in the current hospital grounds. During WWII they believed that Mt Isa could be attacked by the Japanese. In preparation for that possibility, the local miners were asked to build an underground hospital, for no pay and on their days off. They did and completed it within a very short time frame. As we know the attack never happened and this fully stocked hospital, that had a small operating theatre, maternity section, kids and general ward was never used. In fact the entry became overgrown and people forgot it even existed. It was rediscovered again not so long ago when a backhoe doing some work, literally fell into one of the wings of the hospital. It has now been taken over by a group of volunteers and is now heritage listed. It was very interesting with a very well stocked museum in a building above, housing all types of old medical equipment and instruments.
While we were underground it started to rain, which got heavier and heavier. Next thing water started flowing into the tunnels at a great rate. The water around our feet got deeper and deeper. As the rain did not appear to be easing we decided to do a runner to the museum above. As we left the tunnel we realised this was not just heavy rain, but also destructive winds. There were trees down across the paths and stuff everywhere. The lady in the museum said she thought the building was going to blow away. All we could think about was the camper. We got in the car and on the way back to the caravan park the damage was amazing. Sheds blown away, roof's damaged and trees down everywhere. The local radio station was calling it a mini tornado. We braced ourselves for what the camper was going to be like. When we got to the park, it was obvious they had coped it as well. More trees down, annexes destroyed and there was the camper, sitting there in all its glory, unscathed. In fact there were a few people standing there looking at it, wondering how in hell it had survived, with so much damage all around. Had I not left a few windows open, that did saturate the boys beds, we would have been fine. Not a bad test for the 'The Trailer Shop Camper', let me tell you.
Now on the subject of the camper, let me tell you what we think thus far. This thing does not have the comfort of a caravan, and is in fact nothing more than a tent on a trailer, but it can go places the caravan can't. Our set up time is amazing, with the basic set up taking around 15-20 minutes, with very little effort. That gives you sleeping accommodation and an open air kitchen. Pull down takes just slightly longer. As far as sleeping goes it is great. It has heaps of big windows and our expensive 12 volt fans have been our saviour. The boys are very happy on the camp stretchers. Now you must remember it is early February, bloody hot (very high 30's to low 40's) and we have never slept so well. A queen size bed with enough head room to actually stand up,and the fact that we are all together, and not crawling from one tent to another is luxury. With all the windows open and the fans on we have been pulling up the sheets and doonas at night. These fans cost around $100.00 each, are 2 speed, almost silent and draw around .4 amp. They are the best of the best, and no camper trailer should be without them. The plastic crates that Chris bought to pack inside the trailer (from Bunnings) are great with everything having it's place. The trailer tows really well and so far, we would not change a thing. We are very happy with our choice and are living very comfortably (see cover page for contact details if you are after a great camper). The 'Beast' as we have named it certainly does get a few looks and comments. She certainly is a head turner.
Anway, back to the travel. We left the Isa, traveled through Camooweal and crossed the border into the NT. This is a very boring border crossing with nothing but a scaby old sign covered in graffiti. Next stop was Barkley Homestead Roadhouse. Now this was a place where I really wanted to stay. No particular reason except it is a place that you often hear people talking about. I had an impression of an old homestead with green grass and shady campsites scattered around. What we were confronted with was a dirty old rundown dust bowl with overgrown weeds as far as the eye could see. This place severely is in need of some TLC. Couple that with the most disgusting, filthy and dilapidated toilet block in the world and you have Barkly Homestead. As for the homestead itself, it was nowhere to be seen. Then to add insult to injury, they charge like wounded bulls. I don't want to go on here, but I forgot to mention the pool. It gets cleaned as often as the weeds get mowed. Regardless we had a swim anyway, as the pool was marginally cleaner than the toilet block, and I spent the whole time being attacked by some very fast aquatic animal that really packed a punch when they bit, and bite they did!
Take our advice. If travelling this way go the extra 100kms and stay at the 3 Ways Roadhouse. Talk about chalk and cheese. This actually does have lovely, well mowed green grass, clean toilet block and a well maintained pool with as far as I could see, no resident wildlife. All this for the same price as Barkly. Not happy Jan. We will know next time. Next stop was one of our favourite places in the NT, Daly Waters Pub. We stayed there in September on our last trip around the block, and nothing was going to stop us visiting again. It was much quieter than last visit with only one other camper trailer and a whiz banger (they are those horrid vans with sliding doors). We had dinner and a few drinks in the pub and looked for items left by friends traveling through at the same time as we did in 2006. Unfortunately they had recently painted the inside and a lot of the stuff (I am not sure there is another word to use here) had been removed, in waiting for new stuff to be left. Both Wayne and Tracey's and Tim and Katie's memorabilia was no longer, but we did leave a bit of ours this time. Although very quiet, we had a good meal and a great time, chatting to the staff and the other campers. This is a very special place and so 'bloody Australian'.
Next day was Daly Waters to Katherine. There is a fair bit to see if you are passing through this way, so take your time and enjoy what there is to see. Next trip we will most definitely be stopping at the Larrimah Pub, which I believe is almost as well known as the Daly Waters Pub. It boasts having 'the highest bar in the Northern Territory'. Now I am not sure if the actual bar is high or if its the elevation of the ground that the building is on. I will find out next time. It was a bit too early this time to stop for a drink. Next stop was Mataranka (covered in more detail in September 2006) where we stopped for a quick swim. We only visited the main swimming hole at 'The Homestead' and for most of the time we were the only ones there. That was a pleasant change from our last visit when it was almost standing room only. While this is clearly not tourist season, due to both the wet and the heat, the upside is you have most places to yourself. The down side being that a lot of attractions are not operating. Mataranka was just recovering from a very nasty flood that again threatened to fully submerse the caravan park and surrounding area. The swimming hole had only just been reopened having had a couple of metres of water over it. We then drove 20kms out of town to the graves of identities from Jeanie Gunn's novel, 'We of the Never Never', and numerous others from the late 1800's, most of whom worked on the station at that time. It was very interesting walking around reading the stories of hardship and often misery that are so often quoted as the 'good old days'. The day's traveling then continued to Katherine for an overnighter before the final day's drive to Darwin. We arrived at the 'Low Level Caravan Park' Katherine (a Big 4, that charges BIG dollars as they all do) and as we pulled up at our site the heavens opened and down it came. We all sat in the car, the boys watching a DVD, while Chris and I read. Finally it stopped and we set up on very soggy grass. There lies one significant benefit of a caravan.
We arrived around lunch time, with plenty of time to find a caravan park and set up. We had planned to stay at the Malak Caravan Park as we did last time. So in I went to book in. When I told the lady I wanted a site, she looked at me, looked at the camper trailer, and then looked at me again. She asked if I had heard the weather forcast. On answering 'no', she informed me that monsoonal rains were predicted for the next week. She said "Are you sure you want to camp in THAT during monsoonal rains?" I answered, "I don't know, do I??" Her response was quick and with much certainity, "No, you don't!" she replied.
Great, now what do we do?? Out came the phone book and we found a nice holiday apartment in the city for 3 nights. That would give us time to sort a few things out. The remainder of the day was beautiful and sunny and I started to think we had made a mistake, and should have set up the camper. I was wrong, and she was right. By that evening down it came. And boy was it heavy, and it went on for day after day. Large areas of Darwin were flooded and it would have been absolutely miserable had it not been for that very honest lady.
For the next 5 nights the Health Dept paid for our accommodation as they were unable to get us on a flight out of Darwin. We shifted into a large two bedroom cabin in a very nice caravan park about 10 kms out of the city. It was a good move as the kids had more room to run around. We ended up spending just on a week in Darwin and what a busy week it was. The road to Wadeye, the community that we are going to is impassable for over 6 months of the year. The Daly River is the main obstacle having around 14 metres of water over the road at present.
So this presented us with a few issues. The first was what do we do with the car and camper. The road will possibly not open until June and some years it can be later depending on how long the wet goes. Being cyclone and wet season we wanted car and camper not only secured but also undercover. So the search began. We ended up getting a 12x 3 metre lockup storage shed opposite the caravan park we were staying at. At $345.00 a month it is not cheap (luckily work will pay for it until the road opens) but it is nice to know that it is safe and dry.
Our next issue was getting our gear to Wadeye. At present the only way to get there is to fly. That allows you 20 kg per person freight. The barge which delivers all the other gear to the community only goes out once a fortnight and it would arrive in Wadeye nearly two weeks after we arrived there. That meant we had to split all our gear into 1/ have to take and 2/ gear that we could wait the 2 weeks for. So the must take gear included clothes, a few personal effects and food. All the gear for the barge was sorted and packed into all the boxes that were on the roof of the car, and a few packing boxes we bought. All sounds easy but it was a massive job.
We then had to open up an account at the barge company and an account at Coles. We have to order all our groceries via a list faxed to Coles. Somebody then runs around the shop collecting all your groceries, packs them in boxes and takes them to the barge. All that is done for just $22.00 which I think is a bargain. When you consider how many people in the NT live in remote and inaccessible places, these stores that offer this service must be incredibly busy.
All the food is packaged into dry, chilled and frozen foods and once unloaded from the barge in Wadeye it can be collected from the back of the local store.
I also had to attend computer training and a couple of meetings while in Darwin in preparation for the new job, while Chris was busy stocking up on necessities to be packed for the barge. So our week was anything but leisurely.
Finally the big day arrived. The day we were going to fly to our new home for 6 months. All the time and effort we had put in to get us to this stage. All the phone calls, emails, planning and all those 'are we doing the right thing' moments. Now was the moment of truth .We were all excited and a little apprehensive about what lay ahead. At 6.30am the limousine (true story, thanks NT Health) arrived at the caravan park and off to the airport we went. Our plane was a 12 seater which only carries 8 passengers as they take out some seats to fit in the freight. Chris was not at all happy that it wasn't a 747, while I was happy it had 2 engines. Finally we boarded and took off on the most beautiful clear morning we had seen all week. I thought to myself 'what a great day for a flight'. The trip takes 50 minutes and fifteen minutes into the trip the sky got darker and darker, very bouncy and rough, with lightning all around us. Then the rain started and the sound of the rain lashing the windscreen of the plane was horrendous.The look on Chris's face was priceless with the boys loving the roller coaster ride. We arrived somewhere over Wadeye and flew around for at least 20 minutes waiting for a break in the weather so we could land. By this stage poor Chris was almost panic stricken, not to mention the gouges her fingernails put in my legs!! Finally the pilot turned around and said we had two options. He could keep flying around and run out of fuel or head back to Darwin. The choice was clear, so back to Darwin we went.Unfortunately for Chris the trip back was equally as unpleasant. My biggest issue now was that I had to get Chris back on the plane again somehow!!!!! We landed safely and then spent the next 3 hours sitting in this old building, miles from the main terminal with nothing but an 'out of order' drink machine. As we had expected to be in our new home by 9.30am, we had taken very little food to snack on. By lunch time we were not only sick of waiting, but also getting very hungry. Luckily somebody from the airline offered to drive Chris and another lady to buy some food. So now we were not hungry, but still waiting.
By about 2.00pm we were starting to wonder if today was going to be the day. By now the weather in Darwin had again turned nasty with the afternoon storm clouds rolling in. On our flight was the local butcher who rang his boss in Wadeye, and was informed that the skies were clearing. The butcher went in and told the airline staff, and within minutes we were back on the plane again and back in the sky (things happen in strange ways up here). This trip was the exact opposite to the first. The first half was rough and cloudy with the second half of the trip clear and sunny. It finally looked like we were going to get there. The view on the way there was amazing. We could not get over the amount of flood waters that engulfed all the land, as far as the eye could see. This truly was wet lands at their best, with huge rivers meandering across the floodplains like huge slithering snakes. Welcome to the Top End. Finally we were back on the ground again and taxiing towards the terminal. Ha! Ha! Ok, the shed.
What happened next and what were our first impressions?? Sorry. You will have to wait until next month. Stay tuned.
A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. The same goes for life.


Donald Trump has said he plans on immediately deporting somewhere between two and three million undocumented immigrants, including those going to college on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The DACA provides safety for undocumented students who came into the country as a child. These massive deportations would include members of our own campus community who are on the DACA program.
These students should not feel scared at home. They should not be afraid for their families and loved ones who could be forced to leave everything behind. There is a true fear of sharing immigration status with people because many undocumented immigrants are fearful of the consequences. Because of this fear, those of us with legal status must speak up for our classmates and neighbors in their vulnerability.
Instead of using our Bibles as justification to show hate and bigotry towards others, we must use Christ's overall message of acceptance and inclusion of the most vulnerable to love our neighbors unconditionally.
As a nation, we may not simply decide that we want to provide for our own people and not others—there needs to be a sincere commitment to the needs of all. If this is something we truly believe, then we need to stand up for that as the individuals we are, and overall as a Catholic and Christian university—we must show that we stand in solidarity with those who feel marginalized and oppressed by society, specifically in terms of the recent election.
As the University of Portland, founded in the Catholic tradition, we must stand in solidarity with the undocumented members of our campus community and those outside of it.
Matthew Nelson is a senior theology major and can be reached at nelsonm17@up.edu. Lupita Zamora-Resendiz is a junior music major and can be reached at zamorare18@up.edu.