I've been exploring paid social media monitoring systems as part of my role at FirstGiving. Initially, I was pretty excited about being able to monitor social media sentiment. Measuring aggregate sentiment over time seemed obvious to me. However, it became clear that none of the tools monitored sentiment well. In fact, they were all terrible at returning real online user sentiment. Neutral tweets were marked as negative or positive, positive tweets were marked as negative, and so forth. After researching sentiment analysis, I was not surprised to read that automated sentiment analysis is slightly less accurate than flipping a coin to determine whether or not brand mentions are positive or negative. (I tried to tweak the returns by manually changing the sentiments to influence the automatic marking, but that had no effect on accuracy.) I had been thinking that measuring sentiment analysis was the key to getting real ROI. I was completely wrong.
Measuring social media sentiment is the measuring the wrong ROI.
Sentiment analysis and measurement at companies is often driven by the need to prove the ROI (return on investment) of social media. Pressured to prove the value of social media involvement, the person in charge of social media will be tempted to prove his/her value by highlighting the percent change in positive online mentions. I would argue that measuring the change in sentiment is the wrong ROI to measure.
The right ROI measurement should be increased engagement and interactions.
Positive brand sentiment is nice. Does it move people to action? US internet users are likely to share information about your company and proactively recommend that someone make a purchase online, so engaging with stakeholders online supports that behavior. You really want to engage in such a way as to add value and create brand loyalty. Taking action as a result of social media is the ultimate ROI.
With the right engagement activity, loyal clients and consumers should naturally take the actions that you want them to take. Begin by measuring the level of online engagement with your organization, and make your plan based on that information. If your activists/clients/consumers are not talking to you at all online, that's the engagement equivalent of negative sentiment. If they mention you in passing, that's the engagement equivalent of neutral sentiment.
Stop trying to measure sentiment. Worry about your lack of engagement.
Yes, some of the sentiment tools are not accurate right now. I think they'll get better with time.
Here's a question your post raised in my mind: Does sentiment have any impact on ROI? I think it does. If I see a lot negative sentiment about a product or service, it drives me not to use it. And vice-versa. If people are talking favorably about something, I want to know more.
I think another question that you have subliminally asked is "what is real ROI for social media? That is a much more complicated answer. I believe the response is different depending upon the organization and their goals.
Example: If I am a conference organizer and people are at my event, I want to see the sentiment of what they are saying in real time. If they leave negative online comments, I need to take action and make some changes immediately to the conference experience. Sure it comes back to engagement. However, at most of the events I attended in 2010, someone, somewhere in the audience was posting their thoughts about the conference. It was a given.
And with so many of us carrying our friends in our pockets, it is only natural that some are going to share their feelings with others.
Jeff – you make some great points. I certainly had anticipated the argument about sentiment. I think there is value to watching sentiment trending over time and sentiment spikes. It helps organizations to stay on top of a potential reputation issue (if negative) or news item (if positive). If you are organizing a conference, your ROI could be registrations, online participation, membership renewals, etc. Negative sentiment can and will affect the ROI you are trying to achieve (like the example you gave). It's good to pay attention to it during the conference, even important. I would also suggest that these spikes and trends can be offset (if they are negative) by engagement and building relationships with people who will defend the organization.
Your second question is so important: "What is the real ROI for social media?" I really think it comes down to moving people to action, whatever action that would be for your organization. Engagement is the key to making this happen, I believe. However, the other issue is that we can't engage with everyone, right? I do think that general sentiment monitoring can play a role (monitored on a macro, not micro level). I think obsessing over every tweet is what will kill an organization. Perhaps obsessing over how to create loyalty is a better use of time?
I just wanted to bring up that in the example that you use is qualitative data. Really at that point social media is becoming a tool for a support ticket.
I always imagine sentiment analysis and rating to be a quantitive score that is not the best measurement device for things that immediately impact constituents. I would compare it to a netpromoter score.
True. Here's where qualative data changes into quantative data: data originally obtained as qualitative information about individual items may give rise to quantitative data if they are summarised by means of counts.
For events, if 60% of the attendees have the same sentiment, it is important to know and changes need to be made accordingly.
It's true that sentiment analysis is not perfected right now, but I think some of us are doing a fairly good job at being able to help people like yourself gain a high level overview. One thing I always tell people is that sentiment analysis can help, but like everything else that has become automated, it's always best to check over things with a real human brain.
To your post though, do you really think that sentiment should be taken out of the mythical social media ROI question? While it may not be everything, it must hold some sort of weight. Engagement is great, but it's not always going to be the thing that matters most to people. If you're engaging but people are still saying negative things about you, that has to count for something, doesn't it?
I think ROI should be measured by a few different things that are respective to goals of being in social media. People shouldn't place all their weight against one metric like just number of followers or sentiment.
For me, the clearest example of how sentiment misses the mark is in public policy which, admittedly, is where my focus usually is :). There are so many examples, though, of where policy is out of line with public sentiment, and, often, lack of engagement of part of the constituency is the culprit. The recent vote in the U.S. Congress on the DREAM Act is an example: polls show greater than 70% support for DREAM, which is nearly unanimous in today's polarized climate, but that doesn't translate at all into activism on immigration issues, online or offline. Too often, we advocates think that we've won because people say that they like what we're saying, when the real question is: will you say it, too?


text:
Pretty Lights Music Expands From Mere Record Label to Multi-Media Resource
Essentially, PLMusic will become a living forum where creatives can come together, inspire each other, collaborate, and increase their visibility while strengthening and expanding what the PLMusic…
By Kat Bein
Kat Bein
More Stories by Kat
First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From Yaeji, Illenium, LP Giobbi, Skrillex & More
First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From M83, SG Lewis, Whyte Fang, The Chainsmokers & More
First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From Tiësto, Skrillex & More
Pretty Lights performs at New Orleans City Park on Nov. 2, 2014 in New Orleans. Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
Any Pretty Lights fan knows the PL experience is multi-dimensional. One does not simply go to see mastermind Derek Smith and his band to hear genre-bending music. One goes to be blasted into another world by the symbiotic relationship of lights, sound and movement.
Pretty Lights represents an all-encompassing live experience — a feast for the senses on all fronts — and now, so too does his label, Pretty Lights Music.
It's a family affair, and you're invited as Pretty Lights Music pivots from mere music hub to full-on open-source community, where creatives can come together to share art, graphics, visuals and music. Communication and experimentation will be encouraged among the PLMusic family, and Pretty Lights will put his weight behind his favorite works by pushing them via his social networks.
Pretty Lights Announces Island of Light Festival in Puerto Rico
Essentially, PLMusic will become a living forum where creatives can come together, inspire each other, collaborate and increase their visibility while strengthening and expanding what the PLMusic universe is all about.
How this all pans out in the flesh is yet to be seen, but it's a rather exciting stab at evolving what a label brand can be. Check the official Pretty Lights Music announcement via Facebook below:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace Luaan.AutoPoke
{
	public class PInvoke
	{
		[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
		public static extern bool ReadProcessMemory(
			IntPtr hProcess,
			IntPtr lpBaseAddress,
			[Out] byte[] lpBuffer,
			int dwSize,
			out int lpNumberOfBytesRead
		 );

		[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
		public static extern int VirtualQueryEx(int hProcess, int lpAddress, out MEMORY_BASIC_INFORMATION lpBuffer, uint dwLength);

		[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
		public static extern bool WriteProcessMemory(int hProcess, int lpBaseAddress, byte[] lpBuffer, uint nSize, out uint lpNumberOfBytesWritten);
	}

	public struct MEMORY_BASIC_INFORMATION
	{
		public uint BaseAddress;
		public uint AllocationBase;
		public AllocationProtectEnum AllocationProtect;
		public uint RegionSize;
		public StateEnum State;
		public AllocationProtectEnum Protect;
		public TypeEnum Type;
	}

	public enum AllocationProtectEnum : uint
	{
		PAGE_EXECUTE = 0x00000010,
		PAGE_EXECUTE_READ = 0x00000020,
		PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE = 0x00000040,
		PAGE_EXECUTE_WRITECOPY = 0x00000080,
		PAGE_NOACCESS = 0x00000001,
		PAGE_READONLY = 0x00000002,
		PAGE_READWRITE = 0x00000004,
		PAGE_WRITECOPY = 0x00000008,
		PAGE_GUARD = 0x00000100,
		PAGE_NOCACHE = 0x00000200,
		PAGE_WRITECOMBINE = 0x00000400
	}

	public enum StateEnum : uint
	{
		MEM_COMMIT = 0x1000,
		MEM_FREE = 0x10000,
		MEM_RESERVE = 0x2000
	}

	public enum TypeEnum : uint
	{
		MEM_IMAGE = 0x1000000,
		MEM_MAPPED = 0x40000,
		MEM_PRIVATE = 0x20000
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada on Nov. 23, 2020 – Kamloops This Week
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):
There have been 17 deaths in British Columbia over three days due to COVID-19 and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says most of the victims were seniors in long-term or assisted care.
There have been 1,933 new cases since Friday, with 1,304 of them diagnosed in the Fraser Health region.
There are 60 active outbreaks in health-care facilities, including 54 long-term care or assisted-living sites and six hospitals or acute-care facilities.
Henry says it's now the most challenging time of COVID-19 and everyone is feeling the strain.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is self-isolating due to a possible exposure to COVID-19.
A spokesman for Moe's office says the potential exposure happened on Nov. 15 in the Prince Albert area.
Jim Billington says the premier is not experiencing symptoms but was tested today out of an abundance of caution.
He says Moe is to work remotely from his home in Shellbrook until Sunday.
The province announced 235 new cases today and four new deaths.
Nova Scotia is reporting 11 new cases of COVID-19 today.
The province says the new cases were identified on Sunday in the Central Zone, bringing its total active case count up to 51.
Eight of the infections are connected to previously reported cases, while three are still under investigation.
Officials say the recent rise in cases has led to stricter rules for metro Halifax Regional Municipality and parts of Hants County which go into effect today.
New Brunswick is reporting one new death and 15 new cases of COVID-19.
The new death brings the provincial fatality total to seven.
The province currently has 89 active cases of novel coronavirus and has registered 445 total cases and 349 recoveries.
Premier Blaine Higgs says there are no changes planned at this point around the Atlantic bubble despite the temporary withdrawal of Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
COVID-19 cases in Yukon have jumped to 38, 14 more infections than just a week ago.
Territorial health officer Dr. Brendan Hanley says two of the new cases involve children under nine years old and at least one of those infected is over 60.
Yukon increased restrictions last week as infection rates jumped in jurisdictions around it, requiring all but critical services workers to self-isolate for two weeks when they enter the territory.
Hanley says community transmission has not yet been ruled out in some of the latest cases.
Manitoba health officials are reporting a record-high 543 new COVID-19 cases.
Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says there are some positive signs, however.
He says the average number of contacts per case is dropping, which could slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Manitoba brought in strict measures last week that limit store openings and public gatherings.
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting two new cases of COVID-19 and its first case confirmed in a school.
In a press conference today, officials announced one of the new cases is a student at the elementary school in Deer Lake, in western Newfoundland.
The student's infection is connected to a cluster of cases in the area.
Officials say the other case is also in western Newfoundland, but is related to travel and is not connected to the ongoing cluster.
Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King has announced his province will be temporarily withdrawing from the Atlantic bubble for a two-week period starting tomorrow.
He says it's a necessary step because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the other three Atlantic provinces.
King says all non-essential travel to and from the Island will be suspended until December 7th, at which time the situation will be re-evaluated.
The Island reported one new case of COVID 19 today.
Quebec is reporting 1,164 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including three that occurred in the past 24 hours.
Health officials say today that hospitalizations decreased by eight, to 634, and 98 patients were in intensive care, a drop of five.
The province says 1,282 more people recovered from COVID-19, for a total of 115,367 recoveries.
Quebec has reported 133,206 COVID-19 infections and 6,842 deaths linked to the virus since the start of the pandemic.
Ontario is reporting 1,589 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 19 new deaths due to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 535 in Peel Region, 336 cases are in Toronto, and 205 cases in York Region.
The province says it has conducted 37,471 tests since the last daily report.
In total, 507 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 156 in intensive care.
Ford differentiates between Ontarians holding private gatherings and establishments defying COVID-19 rules – CBC.ca
More than 7 in 10 Canadians support barring unvaccinated people from businesses: Nanos survey – CTV News
The survey, conducted by Nanos Research in December 2020 and commissioned by CTV News, asked more than 1,000 Canadians 18 years of age and older if they would support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or oppose businesses (like airlines or movie theatres, where people are in close contact) having the right to bar a customer who does not have proof of vaccination.
In the results, 45 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they support the idea, 27 per cent said they somewhat support it, eight per cent said they somewhat oppose the idea, 16 per cent said they oppose it, and four per cent said they were unsure.
Support for the idea of barring individuals from businesses who don't have proof of vaccination was most popular in Ontario, at 49 per cent and least popular in the Prairies, which had the highest percentage of those opposed to the idea at 21 per cent.
Canadians over the age of 55 were most likely to support the idea of barring people from businesses who don't have proof of vaccination, with 57 per cent supportive, compared to those aged 18 to 34 who were 34 per cent supportive.
The survey also asked Canadians if they agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or disagree that with vaccines now being distributed in Canada, their lives will get back to normal by the end of 2021.
In the results, 22 per cent of Canadians survey agreed their lives would be back to normal by the end of 2021 due to the vaccines being distributed, 50 per cent somewhat agreed, 14 per cent somewhat disagreed, eight per cent disagreed and five per cent were unsure.
Quebec had the highest rate of people surveyed that agree, with 28 per cent, and the Prairies had the highest percentage of people who disagreed, at 11 per cent.
"Around 45 per cent of Canadians cite [the pandemic] as the top national issue of concern – unprompted," Nik Nanos said on CTV News Channel Saturday, adding that sentiments can change on a dime as it's "almost day-to-day, week-to-week" for provinces in the fight against the virus.
Aligning with those concerns, Nanos conducted another survey, commissioned by CTV News to assess whether or not Canadians supported the continued closure of the border between Canada and the United States.
The survey found more than nine in 10 Canadians support or somewhat support keeping the land border closed to non-essential travel until the number of cases in the U.S. significantly drops – even if that takes several months or longer.
In the breakdown of results, 80 per cent of Canadians surveyed supported the idea of keeping the Canada-U.S. border closed, 11 per cent somewhat support the idea, four per cent somewhat opposed it, four per cent opposed it and less than one per cent were unsure.
Support for keeping the Canada- U.S. border closed was highest in the Atlantic provinces, with 88 per cent in support of the idea – with the Prairies least in support of the idea with 71 per cent. The Prairies also had the largest percentage – seven per cent – of people who opposed the idea.
Canadians 55 plus represented the age group most supportive of keeping the border closed, with 85 per cent, compared to those 18 to 34 years of age with 74 per cent.
Currently, the Canada-U.S. land border closure has been extended to at least Feb. 21, 2021.
For both surveys cited above, Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,048 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between December 27 and 30, 2020 as part of an omnibus survey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey online. The sample included both land- and cell-lines across Canada. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Canada.
Individuals were randomly called using random digit dialling with a maximum of five call backs. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
This study was commissioned by CTV News and the research was conducted by Nanos Research.
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday – CBC.ca
India begins ambitious COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Trudeau says delayed Pfizer vaccine deliveries will ramp up again in February.
New modelling shows roughly 2,000 more Canadians could die from COVID-19 over next 10 days.
Alberta's Phase 1 vaccination rollout slowed over Pfizer supply issues.
Why playing arena hockey can be risky during the pandemic.
Do you have a tip or question about the pandemic? Email us at COVID@cbc.ca.
India began its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 on Saturday, with plans to inoculate about 300,000 people on the first day of the drive.
The first recipients are to include doctors, nurses and other front-line workers. They are to be followed by people who are either over 50 years old or have illnesses that make them vulnerable to the respiratory illness.
The first dose was administered to a sanitation worker at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital of New Delhi, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the campaign with a nationally televised speech.
"We are launching the world's biggest vaccination drive and it shows the world our capability," Modi said. He implored citizens to keep their guard up and not to believe any "rumours about the safety of the vaccines."
People will not be able to choose between the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and a government-backed vaccine developed by India's Bharat Biotech whose efficacy is not entirely known because it's still undergoing Phase 3 trials. Both vaccines are being produced locally.
Canada's vaccine supply, meanwhile, has hit a stumbling block. Pfizer is upgrading and expanding its European production line, so its vaccine deliveries to Canada and other countries will be temporarily disrupted, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand said on Friday.
Canada's allotment of the vaccine will be reduced by half for four weeks, said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander leading vaccine logistics.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the development will not thwart plans to have enough vaccine doses by September for every Canadian who wants to be inoculated and that deliveries will ramp up again in February.
The news came as the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released federal projections that suggested the pandemic's impact may soon exceed levels seen in the first wave, rising to 19,630 cumulative deaths and 10,000 daily infections over the next 10 days.
WATCH | Pfizer delays will slow vaccine program, says Ontario's task force leader:
Retired general Rick Hillier says Pfizer's shipment delay means there will be adjustments to the vaccine program in Ontario. 2:23
PHAC said the modelling data showed that roughly 2,000 more people are expected to die from COVID-19 by Jan. 24, while as many as 100,000 more people could contract the novel coronavirus.
What's happening across Canada
As of 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, Canada had reported 698,763 cases of COVID-19, with 75,860 cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 17,780.
In British Columbia, where all available vaccine doses are being deployed as they arrive, Health Minister Adrian Dix said Pfizer's delay in deliveries will have "some significant effect" on when priority groups get their shot.
The delay could also affect the wait time between each shot of the two-dose regime, he said.
Although Pfizer-BioNTech suggests a second dose 21 days after the first, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that could be extended to 35 days.
A spokesperson for Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said the temporary slowdown in deliveries reinforced the province's decision to wait up to 90 days to administer the vaccine's second dose.
WATCH | Businesses plan when remote employees return to the office:
Businesses are beginning to prepare for what happens when employees return to the office after working from home since the start of the pandemic. 2:03
"The strategy remains the same: We must give a boost now and vaccinate as many vulnerable people and health workers as possible, as quickly as possible," Marjaurie Côté-Boileau said.
Alberta decided earlier this week to push back its second shots to 42 days. The province's health minister, Tyler Shandro, said Friday that he had hoped to soon announce all seniors over 75 and Indigenous people over 65 would be eligible for the vaccine, but the delay makes that out of the question.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province was evaluating the impact of the delay and "will adjust as necessary."
On Saturday, Ford's government announced that it's extending for another 30 days legislation that gives it broad authority over emergency orders. The Reopening Ontario Act 2020 came into effect last July.
In Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick recorded 25 new cases on Friday, continuing a recent surge in cases that has seen provincial officials warning of new restrictions.
Nova Scotia reported two new cases and two new recoveries on Friday, leaving its number of active cases at 32. In Truro, a mobile health unit has been set up in response to an increase in the number of potential exposures in the area during the last week.
Newfoundland and Labrador added one new case on Friday. Prince Edward Island saw one new case on Thursday.
WATCH | Ontario schools for special-needs students stay open despite lockdown:
Schools for special needs students aren't closing despite Ontario's new lockdown measures — and that's a worry for teachers and staff who work in them. 2:06
Quebec announced 1,918 new cases and 62 deaths on Friday. There are 1,496 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, including 231 in intensive care.
Ontario reported 3,056 new cases and 51 more deaths from the illness on Saturday. The province saw 2,998 new cases and a record 100 deaths on Friday and reported 1,647 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 387 in intensive care.
WATCH | COVID-19 treatment Bamlanivimab goes unused:
COVID-19 vaccines have come fast but treatments for the disease are still limited. When a Canadian company developed Bamlanivimab, a new monoclonal antibody drug, Ottawa spent millions on doses. But after the rush to buy them they've sat on shelves for months, unused. 2:04
Manitoba reported 191 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths on Friday. The update comes a week before provincewide restrictions that ban most gatherings and the sale of non-essential goods expire. The provincial government is now considering reducing some of those restrictions and is asking for input from the public in an online survey.
Saskatchewan reported 382 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths on Friday. Intensive care units in the province are at 95 per cent capacity, stretched by emergencies, including COVID-19 cases, the head of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Scott Livingstone, said on Thursday.
Alberta reported 785 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional deaths on Friday, while British Columbia health officials reported 509 new cases and nine more deaths.
In Yukon, a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for physicians and high-risk hospital staff has inoculated about 300 people.
Northwest Territories chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola announced that one person in Yellowknife had tested positive for COVID-19. Kandola said the person has not travelled, and there is no known source of infection at this time.
In Nunavut, more than 600 people are estimated to have received a first dose of the Moderna vaccine so far, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Patterson said.
What's happening around the world
As of Saturday morning, more than 93.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, with more than 51.8 million of those considered recovered or resolved, according to Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 case tracking tool. The global death toll stood at just over two million.
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has been granted approval for emergency use in Pakistan, Faisal Sultan, the country's health minister said on Saturday.
Pakistan is in the process of speaking to a number of vaccine makers, but this is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be given the green light in the South Asian country.
In Europe, Spain on Saturday ruled out a new national lockdown despite the record number of COVID-19 cases recorded on Friday. The country registered 40,197 new cases on Friday, while the incidence of the disease measured over the past 14 days hit a new high of 575 cases per 100,000 people.
Unlike other European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands, which have extended national lockdowns, Spanish officials have repeatedly said a return to home confinement should not be necessary.
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine inside Lichfield Cathedral, which has been turned into an emergency vaccination centre, in Lichfield, north of Birmingham, England, on Friday. (Carl Recine/Reuters)
Prince William is encouraging everyone in Britain to follow the example of Queen Elizabeth, his grandmother, in being inoculated against COVID-19 as authorities battle unsubstantiated fears about vaccine safety.
The second in line to the throne spoke about the Queen and her spouse, Prince Philip, during a video call with National Health Service staff and volunteers that was released late Saturday. The medics told William some members of the public are reluctant to get any of the coronavirus vaccines authorized by regulators.
"My grandparents have had the vaccine and I am very proud of them for doing that," William said. "It is really important that everyone gets the vaccine when they are told to."
The Queen, 94, last week disclosed that she and Philip, 99, had received the first dose of vaccine. The disclosure was meant to boost confidence in the shots as the NHS seeks to give the first dose of vaccine to everyone over 70 by the middle of February.
The news came as the Public Health Agency of Canada released federal projections that suggested the pandemic's impact may soon exceed levels seen in the first wave, rising to 19,630 cumulative deaths and 10,000 daily infections over the next 10 days.
A spokesperson for Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube said the temporary slowdown in deliveries reinforced the province's decision to wait up to 90 days to administer the vaccine's second dose.
"The strategy remains the same: we must give a boost now and vaccinate as many vulnerable people and health workers as possible, as quickly as possible," said Marjaurie Cote-Boileau.
WATCH | Ontario schools for special needs students stay open despite lockdown:
Ontario reported 2,998 new cases and a record 100 deaths on Friday, though 46 deaths reported by Middlesex-London Health Unit occurred earlier in the pandemic. There are 1,647 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 387 in intensive care.
Manitoba reported 191 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths on Friday. The update comes a week before provincewide restrictions that ban most gatherings and the sale of non-essential goods expire. The provincial government is now considering reducing some of those restrictions, and is asking for input from the public in an online survey.
Saskatchewan reported 382 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths on Friday. Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, said Thursday he will recommend new restrictions next week if COVID-19 case numbers don't decline.
In Europe, Spain on Saturday ruled out a new national lockdown despite the record of COVID-19 cases recorded on Friday. The country registered 40,197 new cases on Friday, while the incidence of the disease measured over the past 14 days hit a new high of 575 cases per 100,000 people.
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine inside Lichfield Cathedral, which has been turned into an emergency vaccination centre, in Lichfield, north of Birmingham, England on Friday. (Carl Recine/Reuters)
Investment7 seconds ago
GM to Invest Nearly $800m for EV Output at Ontario Plant – Bloomberg
Art6 mins ago
Artists sought for Five Corners public art project in downtown Chilliwack – Chilliwack Progress
Real eState11 mins ago
Who knew a health crisis would spur on a Vancouver real estate boom? – News 1130
Economy24 hours ago
Canadian dollar drops, posts weekly decline on greenback short-covering
Business8 hours ago
COVID-19: B.C. health officials report 509 new cases, nine additional deaths – Vancouver Sun


Come and try some of Spain's most mouth-watering Tapas from the extensive but inexpensive Tapas menu or choose from the a la carte menu of continental dishes including meat, chicken, fish, pasta and paellas. All dishes are cooked and served by Domingos and his family who have over 20 years experience in the restaurant trade and you are assured of excellent food in a warm and pleasant family environment. Select any two Tapas plus bread at lunch time for only £6.00.
Domingos, Ana, Rosa and Victor are the Pereira family - a Portuguese family who have been in the restaurant/catering trade for over 25 years. Domingos started leaning his restaurant trade back in the heart of the West End in the late sixties. In the seventies he was the head chef at Jaspers, now known as Browns in Kew. After several years he moved to East Sheen continuing his trade as a head chef. In the eighties he was offered a partnership. He was to stay for 21 years serving the public at Carlo Domingos. Here all of his skills and years of knowledge and dedication was used to train his nephew, Augusto, who has been the head chef for the family for the past 9 years.
The Pereira family, after a small break, have decided to return and offer the people of Northfields and Ealing their experience in the restaurant business. They aim to offer a selection of mouthwatering Spanish tapas plus a full a la carte menu in a warm and pleasant family environment.
Open Mon-Sat 12-3pm and 6-midnight (closed Sun). All major credit cards accepted. 10% service charge only on bills over £50.
A range of delicious tapas together with Spanish and Continental dishes.
Currently there is no review for this restaurant. Click below to write the first review.


text:
HomeInternational
Will 2014 Be The Year Catalonia Leaves Spain?
By Kimberley Peake on	 March 24, 2014 International Politics
In September 2013 I left for my Year Abroad in Barcelona with a case full of teabags and a vague idea about Catalan nationalism. Seven months on, I feel like something of an expert on the subject. Wherever you go in Barcelona you will see the Estelada flag, which is the symbol of Catalan independence, hanging from balconies. I think it's safe to say that the political situation between Catalonia and the central Spanish government in Madrid is almost as tense as a match between the cities' football teams.
However, and some people will disagree with me on this, the question of Catalan independence is slightly more significant than the famous El Clásico match. This is not the first time Catalonia has clashed with the rest of Spain as conflicts date as far back as 1714 and the Siege of Barcelona during the War of Spanish Succession. Aptly, 2014 marks the tercentenary of this event and on Sunday 9th November of this year there will be a referendum on whether Catalonia should become a state, and if that state should be independent from Spain.
Catalonia has been a part of Spain since the 15th century but the idea of a separate Catalan identity began to emerge in the 19th century. With the arrival of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, Catalonia was given autonomy from Spain although this was soon revoked after General Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War in 1939. He led a dictatorship until his death until 1975 and during this time, Catalonia suffered. Franco prohibited the use of the Catalan language, even going so far as burning books that were written in Catalan. Franco's victory also signalled the end of the Catalan government, the Generalitat, and its pre-war leader was killed on the dictator's orders. However, following Franco's death, the Generalitat was re-established, along with the use of the Catalan language in the public sphere, and the question of separation from the rest of Spain once again formed part of the region's political agenda.
Catalonia currently have autonomy following a referendum in 2006. This means that the Generalitat now has power over certain judicial and fiscal matters, but it is still not enough to appease the region. There have been a series of referendums on independence throughout Catalonia since 2009, but these have been treated as evidence of public opinion, rather than binding political decisions. However, the referendum this November looks to be the beginning of the separation of Catalonia and Spain.
Catalan Parliament during the Festival of Santa Eulalia
So why does Catalonia want to be independent?
When I first arrived here, I naively thought that it was mainly due to the language difference. Both Catalan and Castilian (normal Spanish) are spoken in Catalonia but the official language of the Generalitat is Catalan so I assumed that this was the reason for the referendum. However, after discussing the issue with locals and following the debate in the newspapers I have realised that, like most things in life, it comes down to money.
Currently, Catalonia accounts for over 20 percent of the GDP of Spain, and yet the region only receives 8 percent back from the Spanish government for public spending. Many people here think that it is unfair that Catalonia is forced to pay more taxes than any other regional community in Spain and they are not receiving a fair share of it. In the last 20 years, the number of tourists visiting Barcelona alone has tripled due to the region's efforts to attract the foreign visitor. Is it really fair that the rest of Spain are cashing in on this success?
A recent survey showed that nearly 59.6 percent of the population of Catalonia want independence from the rest of Spain so it looks likely that the result of the referendum will be what the Generalitat are hoping for. The level of public support has been far higher than in Scotland and on the surface the future of an independent Catalonia looks promising.
So it's looking good for Catalonia then?
Well, not really. The Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced that the referendum on 9th November will be seen as unconstitutional and will not guarantee Catalan independence. It's understandable that the Spanish government want the beautiful region of Catalonia to remain part of their country but just imagine for a moment if the people of Scotland vote for independence from Great Britain and David Cameron says no. If relations between England and Scotland were bad before, they certainly would be after that.
Another problem the Catalan people face is whether the European Union would accept Catalonia as a member state. Arguably, in order to be a viable independent country they would need the support of the European Union and all the monetary and trade benefits that go with it. It seems that if they grant membership to an independent Scotland, there will be pressure on them to do the same for Catalonia.
Only time will tell if Catalonia can win their fight for independence. When I moved here I thought that they were mad to want to leave Spain. Now, after having spoken to the people who live here, I am not so sure.
Tags: European UnionGreat BritainScotlandSpain
Kimberley Peake
The Human Rights Abuses of the British Empire
Four Key Takeaways from Wednesday's PMQs
SUSU Issue Updated Brexit Information
Discussion4 Comments
Spanish Student March 24, 2014 6:44 pm
How can you write an article about Catalan independence without mentioning the education issues regarding the use of Catalan in schools across Catalonia and the Balearic Islands? I was in Mallorca recently and that is a HUGE issue there with people protesting in the streets and teachers striking. It's a huge point of tension at the moment and could be one of the biggest factors encouraging Catalan independence
Politics Student March 24, 2014 7:59 pm
This is an article about independence in Catalonia, not Majorca. The main reasons for independence have been discussed here so obviously Catalan in schools isn't as much of an issue in Catalonia as it is in Majorca, otherwise it would've been mentioned.
Education Student March 24, 2014 8:28 pm
A fantastic, well written informative article. A great introduction to the debates surrounding catalan independence. Thanks!
Roger Evans March 25, 2014 2:51 pm
"Catalonia has been a part of Spain since the 15th century …"
Well, no. They had the same monarch, but had a separate constitution, the king had a totally different role (no laws except those approved by parliament), own language, and customs payments at the borders. It was that long siege broken in 1714 (before which Barcelona held off the combined armies of Spain and France for more than a year) that started occupation of Catalonia by the autocratic Bourbons and the abolishing by force of Catalan freedoms and public institutions. Hence the importance of the tercentenary.


text:
Home community LEGO Bionicle 2 Cheats & Hack for Stars, All Upgrades, & High...
LEGO Bionicle 2 Cheats & Hack for Stars, All Upgrades, & High Score Unlock
Umarak the Hunter is up to no good, as he is about to dive into the Labyrinth of Control to retrieve the Mask of Control. The world of LEGO Bionicle 2 requires heroes to stop him in his tracks, as Tahu, Lewa and Pohatu are here to answer the call! Take control of these three Toa, upgrade their fighting abilities to defeat the hordes of Skull Warriors and end Umarak the Hunter once and for all during 2018!
LEGO Bionicle 2 is a fighting action game released by LEGO Systems, based on the popular LEGO Bionicle brand. You probably heard about LEGO products before, but in case you didn't know, the company also creates a great number of mobile games! Some of their titles include LEGO Ninjago: Skybound, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Technic Race and LEGO DUPLO Circus, just to list a few.
LEGO Bionicle 2 is rated with an average of 4.1/5 stars by users on the Google Play Store, while it has only been released since a short time on the Apple App Store, and its ratings are not yet finalized in 2018. Still, the game already has half a million downloads in just a few weeks, and users seem to call it an improvement over the first LEGO Bionicle. We are here today to find out whether the game can provide enough addicting content on its own or not! If you are ready, then read on!
About LEGO Bionicle 2
In the beginning of the game, players get a short peek into the story of Bionicle, mostly related the Labyrinth of Control and the history behind it. You will learn that the Creatures have taken the Mask of Control from its creators Ekimu and Makuta, and have hidden it in the labyrinth. But things are not as simple, as Umarak the Hunter finds the whereabouts of the mask, and he intends on claiming it for himself. This is where you take control of three Toa: Tahu, Lewa and Pohatu to defeat Umarak and the Skull Warriors infesting the labyrinth.
The gameplay of LEGO Bionicle 2 is most reminiscent of brawler and fighting games. There are no story transitions between fights, and you get to choose encounters, aka levels from a map. Each of these 16 levels contain three battles, one for each of your Toa to complete. Once you entered a level, you will immediately be put against a Skull Warrior, and after a short countdown the battle begins.
The controls of the game are rather simple, and don't really require much practice to get used to. Your Toa will automatically move throughout battles, and tapping on the screen will cause it to attack. You can tap repeatedly to chain attacks and create combos up to a 3x combo attack. Once the battle capabilities of your Toa are upgraded through the ingame upgrade system, they will be able to perform special attacks.
These are executed by swiping in certain directions on the screen when the action popup appears. Action popups are frequent, as they will sometimes appear to let you dodge enemy attacks, or when your opponents sends spider swarms or shadow traps against you, you will have to swipe or tap the popup repeatedly to escape.
Additional controls include two buttons on the screen, one which is for blocking the attacks of enemies, while the other one is used to summon the Creature supporting your Toa. This Creature then will charge up an attack using your swipes and fire it at the current opponent. Once you deal enough damage during combat, you will be able to activate this flashing button again, but this time the Creature and Toa combine themselves for a short time into a powerful Unity Form to deal a lot more damage.
As you progress throughout LEGO Bionicle 2, some levels will send multiple enemies against your Toa. You will still fight only one at a time, but once the first is defeated, there will be more to take its place. In case your Toa gets downed, then you get the option to call one of the two remaining ones to fight, but if all three are down then you lose the current level. It's also important to mention that each level can only be successfully completed if all three battles are finished with at least one Toa alive.
Certain levels have star requirements on the game map, and this means that you can only attempt those battles once you have enough stars. This limitation is in place because these levels have Umarak the Hunter as the last enemy, and thus are much more challenging than the usual Skull Warrior levels. During the earlier Umarak fights he can never be defeated, but will escape towards the next battle, and you will only get to face him for real in the very end.
Now, I mentioned the upgrade system earlier, and this is definitely an important part of LEGO Bionicle 2. There are 18 different upgrades available overall, and you have to earn crystal shards from completed levels to unlock these upgrades. The first line of upgrade is all about combat, as each of these upgrades unlock an additional special attack for your Toa. The second line of upgrade improves the overall health of your Toa, while giving them a resurrect ability for the first time they get downed in a fight. The last upgrade line improves the summoning of your Creatures and makes the Unity mode last longer.
This is a rare occurence on mobile these days, but this game features no ingame shop or in-app purchases of any kind. There are also no ads whatsoever, so this title is as free as it gets.
Cheats & Tips for LEGO Bionicle 2
If you are here looking for cheats related to LEGO Bionicle 2, then you will be glad to hear that there are ways to make the gameplay easier! Let me give you some tips and tricks on how to maximize your crystal shard collection and combat power!
One of the less serious cheats you can hope for is the ability to replay levels after being much stronger, and earn extra crystal shards this way. If you only managed to get one or two stars on a few levels early in the game, then it might be a smart idea to replay those levels and aim to finish the remaining objectives as well. Especially so, since if you manage to get three stars, then there will also be a bonus added to the overall amount that you earned! Don't fear to trick the system this way!
At certain parts of LEGO Bionicle 2 you might feel like the enemies are a lot tougher than you. This can become especially frustrating when you have to defeat five different enemies in a single level. To stand more of a chance against them, you should try to block all of their attacks. The game doesn't actually teach you this, but you can block every single attack by pressing the block button at the right moment. The tutorial only shows how to block special charged attacks, but if you block every strike, then you can easily keep your Toa at a healthy level.
As another useful tip, remember to use your Creature's summon everytime you can. This is not only a powerful attack, but it can also cheat the game a little and interrupt the action of your enemies. If an enemy is charging a huge blow, just activate the Creature summon and it will immediately interrupt the charged attack. The same is true for the Unity form, which is a very powerful stance that adds a lot of damage to your attacks, and can also interrupt any action taken by your foe!
Lego Bionicle 2 Review
As far as brawler and fighting games go, the freedom of movement and attack moves is a very important part of the genre. Without being able to control what you do at what moment, the skill and amazement of the game is lost. LEGO Bionicle 2 decides to take an approach that goes against this principle, and instead puts the combat on rails. Is this a great innovation, or does it end in failure?
I was curious to find out what a brawler game plays like without total freedom, but I was also a little scared of what I might find out. Still, I decided not to waste any time, and jumped right into the gameplay of LEGO Bionicle 2. That is after watching a comic-like cutscene that had zero words and only a slight indication of what the story is about.
As for the gameplay, this is obvious the most important part in a game like this. After finding my way through the level selection map, which reminded me a lot of the casual puzzle games' maps, I entered my first battle. The sad thing about this first battle was that it was exactly the same as the upcoming 20. I immediately felt really limited controls wise, as there was no option to move my Toa in any way, and I could only attack by repeatedly tapping the screen.
Soon after finishing a few battles and earning crystal shards I got to unlock new combat abilities, and fights became a little more interesting. There were actual combos to be executed now by a combination of swipes and taps at the right moments, but I could only do these when the game let me. There was no way to set up a combo at any time, and it could only be done when the popup appeared at a random time. This felt like I had every control taken out of my hands, or rather not even given to me in the first place.
The upgrade system of LEGO Bionicle 2 is also a little disappointing, to be honest. There are 18 upgrades overall in three lines that all relate to a different part of the Toa's abilities. This might sound good at first, but the rate at which crystal shards are earned is really slow, and therefore a lot of the levels had me tapping and swiping the same comboes over and over again, while feeling extremely tired of them.
But the biggest problem here is that the game has no depth at all, as there are only fights and nothing else. Even when battling Umarak it's exactly the same feeling as against the Skull Warriors. Most of the fights become unbalanced quite early on as well, so not only is the game highly repetitive with very same-ish combat, but it's too difficult to progress. If the devs aimed this at younger players with the on-rails combat, then the difficulty will definitely scare them away. Either give full freedom in controls, or make the game easier, but the current mix isn't working out.
In conclusion, LEGO Bionicle 2 is a bit of a disappointment with tiresome combat, slow upgrades, two types of enemies and high difficulty spikes. I advise you to only give this one a try if you are really into Bionicle, but even then you will probably find it boring after a few hours.
LEGO Bionicle 2 Ratings
Artwork: The artwork of LEGO Bionicle 2 gets a 6/10. Honestly, the graphics of the game is rather disappointing, as not only the backgrounds and environment feels low resolution, but even the characters themselves, which would be the most important part of the visuals.
Music & SFX: As far as the music and SFX go, this title deserves a 5/10. The music is rather bland and generic, and while there are some traces of unique sounds, the overall audio experience is just poor. The SFX are not much better either, although they hit an average level at least.
Story & Originality: I give the story and originality of the game a 4/10. Sure, you could say that this is a Bionicle game, of which there isn't too many, but that's not enough of a reason for it to become original suddenly. The story is almost non-existent and the gameplay is very barebones for this to feel unique.
General Gameplay: The gameplay of LEGO Bionicle 2 gets a 3/10 from me. Just by looking at the screenshots you might expect this to be a good game, but it's sadly not. The combat is on rails with very limited controls, battles are tiresome and repetitive. There isn't much to do outside of battles either, and the upgrade system doesn't provide any additional value to the game.
Addictiveness: I give the addictiveness rating of the game a 3/10 as well. I can't imagine anyone feeling fully content with this title, and especially getting addicted to it seems impossible. There are just not enough features, and the existing ones are also done in a lackluster way for this to have a lasting appeal.
Overall Score: 4/10.
Previous articleInstagram brings out the new notification tab for its desktop website
Next articleThings you need to know about the Android Marshmallow 6.0
Hello my name is Gustavo! I am an avid gamer who is up to date with all the latest news and trends on the internet! Besides gaming I enjoy reading and writing on current event topics.
KleptoCats Cheats & Hack for Gems & Special Deal Unlock
Dark Sword Tips & Cheats for Souls & Gold – Working Hack Updated
Battle Bears Gold Multiplayer Cheats, Tips, & Hack for Gas & Joules


text:
November 20, 2012 / 2:41 PM / 7 years ago
Frail Turkish ex-president appears in landmark coup trial
Ozge Ozbilgin
ANKARA (Reuters) - A retired Turkish general who seized power in 1980, sending thousands to jail and to the gallows, faced a court on Tuesday by video link from hospital, looking ill and gaunt, in a trial marking a watershed in Turkey's emergence from army domination.
Kenan Evren, who governed as President into the late 1980s, says the coup was necessary to save a country beset by street fighting. Virtually the entire political class was rounded up and interned, thousands were tortured and many more disappeared.
The 95-year old, dressed in a black jumper, a sheet pulled up over his legs, cut a brittle figure, a shadow of the strongman who led Turkey for nine years.
His cheeks sunken, he appeared tired and expressionless, giving little indication of whether he understood what was being said in the courtroom as the indictment against him was read.
A nurse helped him lie up in bed and he leant over occasionally to consult a lawyer sat in his room at an Ankara military hospital. He spoke to confirm his father's and mother's names, date and place of birth as the court went through the formality of confirming his identity.
He gave his monthly income as 13,330 Turkish lira ($7,400).
Turkey remains haunted by the coup, its third in 20 years. Evren's appearance on television screens in court epitomized how far the country has come in taming a once all-powerful military.
Victims' lawyers have said Evren should be treated no differently to former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak and Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet. Both were forced to appear in court, one on a bed behind bars, the other in a wheelchair.
The once-dominant secularist generals have seen their power and prestige eroded sharply over the last decade in the course of a series of coup trials and political reforms under the rule of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party.
A Turkish court in September sentenced more than 300 military officers to jail for plotting to overthrow Erdogan's government almost a decade ago in a trial that underscored civilian dominance over the armed forces.
Evren has said he does not regret the coup, arguing it restored order after years of chaos in which 5,000 people were killed in street violence between leftist and right-wing groups.
He was not expected to give testimony until Wednesday at the earliest, which will be the second of three days of hearings.
"GOVERNMENT SHOW"
Many Turkish secularists broadly supported the reining in of the army, but argue that coup conspiracy trials have been used as a pretext to round up scores of the government's political opponents and create a climate of fear.
Judges previously accepted requests by political parties, parliament and trade unions to be co-plaintiffs in the case, but there was skepticism from some about whether the Evren trial would bring justice to the victims of the coup.
Former minister Yasar Okuyan, who was among thousands jailed after the coup, was also dismissive of the trial, which attracted little public interest at the court house in Ankara.
"This is just a theatre ... This is a 30-year-old problem, a legal solution will not emerge. It's a government show," Okuyan told Reuters outside the courtroom.
In April, the court rejected an appeal by prosecutors to arrest Evren, disappointing victims who had hoped his detention would guarantee he appeared in court in person. His ill health precluded such an appearance.
Also appearing on the split screen television was the other defendant, retired air force commander Tahsin Sahinkaya, who was being treated at an Istanbul military hospital.
The generals long saw it as their right to intervene in political affairs and if necessary topple the government to safeguard the secular order set up by soldier-statesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk after 1923.
Apart from the need to end the killings, the coup leaders were also worried by what they saw as a rising Islamist threat to the secular republic following the 1979 Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran. ($1 = 1.7978 Turkish liras)
Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Ralph Boulton


I have posted my mom's salmon recipe on instastories a several times- it is a family favorite so we make it often! Whenever I post it I get tons of requests to share it! So I am finally typing it up here for you guys! It is super easy and so tasty. Both Frances Moon and Sterling love it!! The measurements are approximate so make more sauce or glaze if you need it! I love capers so I usually pile them on. You can see two ways we served it above for meal ideas! Enjoy!
Place the salmon in a baking dish skin down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper generously. Melt the butter and mix that with the white white. Pour over the salmon. Top with the capers. Bake at 325 about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of salmon. Remove from oven and spread the brown sugar mustard mixture over the top. Turn oven to broil and broil about 3-5 mins until sauce is bubbly!
I also wanted to mention BeautyCounter is running an amazing sale where you can take 20% off your entire order with code LOVE! You can shop HERE! I listed my current favorites below!
A few of my current favorites!
I love the new eye make-up remover. It is gentle and really removes all your makeup.
I love all the products in the new Countermatch line but especially this lotion. I have mentioned before I have really dry skin and this is so moisturizing. It provides 24 hours of hydration.
The plumping face mask is definitely my favorite. You can tell it is working while you wear it and afterwards I promise you your skin will feel tighter, smoother and plumper. Go and read the reviews too everyone loves it. This is such a great set, the face oil and spray are also amazing. This would make an awesome Mother's Day gift.
I swear by the BeautyCounter lipgloss. Most of the times when you guys ask me what color I am wearing it is Peony from the BC line. I also love Azalea and Dahlia.
I have been using these probably 3 years now. I use them after I wash my face and before I apply my serums and moisturizer. I feel like they really deep clean my skin and leave it feeling so fresh.
What type of white wine do you normally use for this recipe? Chardonnay, Sauvingon Blanc?


The Brother SA421 1"x2.5" Small Embroidery Hoop is a small monogramming or small motif hoop. A great size, the Brother SA421 1"x2.5" Small Embroidery Hoop, is perfect for monograms, small designs,collars, and cuffs. The versatile Brother SA421 1"x2.5" Small Embroidery Hoop is a must have for the home embroiderer.


text:
"Hō-Ren-Sō" (報・連・相) is a business mantra or mnemonic acronym in Japanese business culture. It is an "abbreviation of "Hōkoku" (報告, to report), "Renraku" (連絡, to inform) and "Sōdan" (相談, to consult), and is more memorable as a homonym of hōrensō, the Japanese word for "spinach". It is utilised as a basic business rule in Japan to conduct smooth business communication. The origin of "Ho-Ren-So" comes from Tomiji Yamazaki who was the ex-president of Yamatana Security firm. In 1982 he started using the term for effective business communication in his firm and it has been widely spread and used throughout Japan through his book, "Strengthen your company with Ho-Ren-So".

Description
"Hokoku" is to report on a process or result of business, from a subordinate to a superior. In Japan, subordinates don't have much authority to make business decisions. Usually the decisions are made by an organisation as a whole. Therefore, a subordinate must report everything to their superiors immediately and exactly. It is especially important to report a mistake or a problem immediately because his superior has the responsibility for it.

"Renraku" is to inform and notify of facts. One must inform the facts and decisions to the relevant parties. One should not include one's opinion and guesses. If "Renraku" is not done or not completed, then it is not possible to control a team. And then, "Renraku" should be communicated to the people who need it. Finally, "Renraku" must be done quickly, as its contents might be needed to prepare for the next action.

"Sodan" is to consult or discuss. For example, a superior gives advice to a subordinate, and an employee talks over with his superior about some unnecessary consultation in Japanese business. In Japanese companies, superiors rarely speak to their subordinates, but they actually do want to be asked for their advice or opinion. They want others to think that they can be relied upon, so they feel better if they receive requests for consultation from their subordinates.

Pros and cons

There are many benefits to incorporating the "Ho-Ren-So" philosophy. First, if an issue within tasks is reported, it can be resolved quickly because a manager controls it and decides how to resolve it. Next, if information is communicated with team members and it is known to all members of a team, they can take ownership of the schedule and tasks. Finally, if a subordinate proactively asks for information, a decrease of quality will be prevented and likely won't occur again.

On the other hand, there are some Cons in "Ho-Ren-So". First, there are management costs. It is a very time-consuming process, leaving employees with little time to complete their various work assignments. Moreover, and since a subordinate must always wait for instructions from his supervisor, this prevents employees from applying their problem-solving skills on their own, and initiative is prevented by the constant need for managerial input.

References

Japanese business terms
Mantras
Mnemonics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's incredibly important to pay attention to recall alerts that get posted throughout media outlets; however, that doesn't mean that once a recall goes out you can simply move on. That's because, as this next report demonstrates, oftentimes an update will be made that expands the purview of the recall.
An earlier recall was made which concerned a series of Mexicali cheese products sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The June 29th recall was issued because of the risk that Acatian Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese and Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano, Mexican Style Fresh Cheese were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause healthy people to experience such things as nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and a variety of other short term symptoms, but it can prove fatal to the young, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems. This potentially deadly organism was unearthed during testing by the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services' Food Laboratory, and the original recall was issued.
Now, though, the scope of the recall has been expanded to include Mi Quesito Mexicano, Mexican Cheese and Quesillo Ecuatoriano, Ecuadorian Style Cheese. Every item recalled will have been contained in a 14 ounce tub, have 36-0128 as its plant number, and 071512 as its date code.
No one has reportedly become ill at this time from these products, and to ensure it stays that way, consumers should make sure they don't consume the aforementioned items.


Species Geraniums, Pelargoniums, Zonal Geraniums, Ivy Geraniums, Scented Geraniums, and Martha Washington Geraniums beautify the garden.
True Geraniums, sometimes called Species Geraniums, are a group of plants which is only now receiving the attention it so richly deserves in the U.S.
These unquenchable, tireless perennials need almost no attention and can be propagated from a mere twig of a mother plant. Their simple five petaled flowers bloom practically all year long in temperate climates and come in exquisite, soft shades of pink and blue, wonderful lavenders, and also vibrant blues. Many have a mallow-like bi-colour effect. The flowers are simply charming, but it is the leaves of the Geranium plant that put this perennial in a class by itself. Foliage tends to be mid-green to grey-green, and each leaf is so exquisitely formed and cut that to look upon one is a study in the wonders of nature. Add to this the fact that it gives off a restful, herby fragrance, and you have a plant that deserves a place in any garden. Geraniums thrive in full to part sun, require little water, and form beautiful mounding shrubs about 1' high and twice as wide in diameter. If you are not growing true Geraniums, we think you should be and guarantee you will come to love them.
The funny thing is that the plants most people commonly think of as Geraniums are, in fact, Pelargoniums. These can be divided into three main headings, which we will call Geraniums here, rather than risk confusion. Zonal Geraniums are the hardy, puff ball blooms in white, pink, salmon, lavender, and that matchless Italian red. Their delightful rounded foliage often bears striking dark variegation. Zonal Geraniums may be grown in containers, but we warn you that we have seen specimens growing right up the sides of houses, over fences, and across lawns. Bloom is spring, summer, and fall and pinching flowers and leaves back will help to prolong bloom and manage rangy growth.
Ivy Geraniums bear some resemblance to Zonal Geraniums in the texture of their leaves and flowers. Flowers are five petaled and come in the same hues as Zonals. Ivy Geraniums are the adored subject of hanging basket gardens, and also make a great effect when cascading from window and planter boxes. They trail 1' to 3', require a little more water than Zonals due to getting dry from hanging in the wind, and should be pinched to achieve a pleasing shape. These reliable plants grow like a perennial in temperate climates and are often grown as a house plant in colder zones. Bright and cheerful, Ivy Geraniums are loads of fun.
Martha Washington, or Regal Geraniums, have sharp edged, crinkly leaves and big, pretty flowers. Some are solid colours, others bi-coloured, in the white, orange, pink, maroon spectrum. They are less sun tolerant than Zonal or Ivy Geraniums and their leaves tend to burn in hot afternoon sun. Morning sun or dappled light is preferred. Apart from this, they will grow almost anywhere and require little care. Like all Geraniums, ultimate size varies. We have seen these reach 4' in height and diameter. Give moderate water and a little food now and then for optimum bloom spring through fall.
A last mention should be made of another much adored member of the Pelargonium family - Scented Geraniums. Leaf texture is like that of Regal Geraniums, though foliage is tiny and often ruffled like parsley. Flowers minute, but these plants are grown for their amazing variety of scents, which include apple, mint, cinnamon, chocolate, orange, pineapple, and numerous others. The leaves of Scented Geraniums have long been used to flavour drinks, cakes, and white sugar.


Each month, the content of this page will focus on the issues that affect your home. Written by a veteran local remodeling professionals intent on providing informative, relevant content ranging from design trends, to seasonal maintenance, to jurisdictional policy and planning for a renovation.
Michael Tenhulzen is a Redmond native, raised in a family-owned remodeling company with deep-rooted senses of integrity, professionalism, integrity and trust. His wife, Traci joined the company in 2010 after several years of owning and operating her own safety consulting company. The Tenhulzens reside in Woodinville with their 8-year old son, 2 dogs and are active in the Eastside communities where they work and live.
Tenhulzen Residential offers a unique approach to Design/Build home remodeling that focuses on the process required to develop a script. Finish materials are considered cast members assembled by the crew. The script is executed in the form of construction performance. In-house design professionals exhibit creativity in their Design Center, followed by a talented and disciplined field crew managed to meet expectations of timeliness, cleanliness, quality and communication. The poster below is the first of a series of annual company photos.
Behind the scenes, Tenhulzen Residential utilizes some of the most sophisticated software in the industry for drafting, estimating, bookkeeping and scheduling. Their systems and procedures make for an accountable and predictable environment underscored by a culture forged in responsibility, respect and light-hearted humor.
Specializing in catering to homeowners who appreciate service and performance, the Bellevue-based company travels no more than 10 miles from their office location. Each project is assessed in effort to reduce the environmental impact by locally-sourcing materials and recycling of debris. We select vendors and trade contractors who exemplify our standards of quality and accountability.
What type of articles will be featured in "For The Home Of It"?


BRIDGE Energy Group's Continuous Compliance, part of the BRIDGE BREAKTHRU suite, is a Gold winner of the 2018 Global Excellence Awards® in the New Products and Services category.
NEWTON, Mass., May 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BRIDGE Energy Group (BRIDGE) announced today that Info Security Products Guide, the industry's leading information security research and advisory guide, has named the company's Continuous Compliance, part of the BRIDGE BREAKTHRU suite, a Gold winner of the 2018 Global Excellence Awards® in the New Products and Services category. The managed service reduces resource loading and spending enabling utilities to focus on securing their broader set of T&D operations and assets from evolving threats to the grid.
More than 40 judges from a broad spectrum of industry voices from around the world participated and selected BRIDGE Continuous Compliance for its ability to streamline compliance monitoring and maintenance while driving down budgets. Through this service offering, the company's customers receive a sustainable, highly-effective solution for managing and performing compliance activities while also evaluating the likelihood of future compliance issues -- at a fraction of the cost typically associated with these types of compliance adherence activities.
BRIDGE's data-driven managed service approach minimizes disruption to a utility's internal team while ensuring consistency in key compliance activities. Continuous Compliance includes the services and metrics that reduce the likelihood of compliance violations, such as those from complexity and performance failures. BRIDGE's experienced NERC CIP compliance and security experts are dedicated to addressing the standards and requirements critical to protecting real-time systems from deep within grid operations and all the way to the grid edge.


Paris must hands down be one of my favourite cities on earth. The architecture, the food and not to mention the street style, always make me want to pack up my things and move south. This particular trip to Paris was to catch up on the various fashion week happenings and attend the Valentino show! For my look for the Valentino show I wanted something Parisian-inspired, so I opted for a turtleneck dress. I also couldn't help myself and decided for a Valentino piece in the form of this ridiculously exquisite matador-style cropped jacket. You may not be able to tell in the pictures but every bead was hand-sewn and it has been crafted immaculately. I accessorised with some booties and a ladylike bag, et voilà!
wow. I hope your heart is as beautiful as you look.


This unit is designed as enable students to grapple with the challenges of engaging in, facilitating and managing innovation and technology commercialisation. Key learning outcomes are: developing an understanding of the processes of management, and in particular of innovation, dealing with uncertain and inadequate information, how to communicate effectively to and motivate a group of people to work out what to do, and how to do it. Content will include the challenges of modern management; understanding of the new rules of international competitiveness; effects of globalisation on Australia's economic performance; the competitiveness of Australian firms; the generation of employment and wealth; the changing requirements of the engineer; the engineer as manager and strategist; the role of innovation in business management; product innovation and commercialisation; IP recognition and management; starting a high-tech company.


text:
Q: CSS - Can't change width/height of textbox for mobile devices I've encountered a problem when I'm trying to adjust my CSS after the user-device dimensions. I'm using the following code:
@media only screen and (max-width: 700px) {
#form input[type=text]
  {
  width: 100px;
  height: 50px;
  margin: 95px -60px 0 15px;
  box-shadow: inset 0px 0px 3px 1px grey;
  border:1px lightgrey solid;
  border-radius: 4px;
  text-align: center;
  font-family: times;
  font-size: 10px;
}
}

All settings apply properly and change the original CSS except the dimensions, which remain the same. How is this even possible? Is this a CSS bug? If some do apply the selector is correct and all, but the dimensions don't. It's not a cache problem, and I've tried on several devices.
I very much appreciate the help,
Fredrik

A: Can you post a link to your code?
Does the problem only occur on a mobile device? What happens when you resize the browser window to a width less than 700px?
Typically this kind of error is due to having selectors that are too specific somewhere else in your code, which makes them hard to override.
Try adding !important to the end of your declaration to see if the style can be overridden. Beware its generally bad practice to leave !important in there, so if that works for you search your code for the offending selectors and adjust it until your media query can override.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Provider shortage a barrier to opioid dependence treatment, Avalere finds
Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic states lack a sufficient number of providers to handle the opioid crisis sweeping the country, a new Avalere report warns.
Eleven states — Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia — plus the District of Columbia, have lower than average rates of providers certified to prescribe buprenorphine, a front-line medicine used to prevent relapse in people with opioid dependence.
Nine other states — Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah — have lower rates of providers per overdose than the national average. The U.S. experiences, on average, 1.6 opioid overdoses per buprenorphine prescriber, according to the report.
The federal government and states have been stepping up their efforts to confront the opioid crisis, which claimed the lives of 64,000 Americans in 2016. In October, President Donald Trump declared opioids a public health emergency, to give the issue more attention at the national level. His administration's HHS budget proposal, released earlier this month, calls for $5 billion over five years in resources to fight the epidemic. Public health experts say far more funding is necessary to fight the epidemic, however.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — considered the gold standard in addiction care — has strong support from addiction experts, the American Medical Association and Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. However, provider shortage issues could make access to treatment difficult. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects the current shortage could reach 105,000 by 2030, fueled by burnout, burdensome regulations and retirement of baby boomer practitioners.
To increase access to MAT, Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, creating a federal waiver pathway for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid-related issues. The waiver caps the number of patient they can treat at 30 a year.
"Although more providers are now able to prescribe buprenorphine, there appears to be a shortage of prescribers in many states," Clara Soh, a director at Avalere, said in a statement. "Evaluating ways to narrow this gap, including bringing state scope-of-practice laws into alignment with federal regulations, would enable policymakers to achieve their goal to expand access."
Avalere Midwest and Mid-Atlantic States Face Provider Shortage to Address Opioid Epidemic


The 44th Battalion was raised in Claremont WA in February 1916. Everett sailed with the first contingent of the 44th Battalion. He disembarked at Plymouth and marched in to Training Camp in England in June 1916. After 5 months of intensive training, he embarked from South ampton for France on 25.11.1916. They marched into the Brigade Details Camp in France on 27.11.1916. The 44th Battalion entered the front line trenches on the Somme on 29.12.1916. Everett and his Battalion spent the long harsh winter of 1916-17 in difficult conditions in the trenches. Everett earned two blue Chevrons in this period. He fought at Messines in Belgium and Broodseinde Ridge in June 1917. On 14.8 1917 Everett became ill and was taken from the field by the 53rd Field Ambulance to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station and transferred to 5th General Hospital at Rouen 15.8.1917. Everett was diagnosed with myalgia and transferred by HS 'St Patrick' to England 18.8.1917. He was admitted to Clan Park Hospital affiliated with the Royal Herbert Hospital in Woolwich with Rheumatism and Myalgia 19.8.1917. Everett was transferred to the 3rd Auxilliary Hospital in Dartford 2.9.1917. He marched out to Weymouth, was detailed as unfit for active servcice and listed for early return to Australia as an invalid 10.9.1918.
Notes Everett's son John (SN 2375) was KIA 3.8.1916. Everett was a brickmaker who moved to Guildford c1897- 1910. He lived on GTL 154 Helena St where he had a small brickyard . Everett made the bricks for the Municpal stables at the rear of the old Council Chambers 1906 (Guildford Municipal Minute Books 18.4.1906. SRO. Acc 1110/12 p101).
Guildford Municipal Minute Books. State Records Office WA. Acc. 1110.


The hexadecimal color code #003b66 is a dark shade of cyan-blue. In the RGB color model #003b66 is comprised of 0% red, 23.14% green and 40% blue. In the HSL color space #003b66 has a hue of 205° (degrees), 100% saturation and 20% lightness. This color has an approximate wavelength of 476.7 nm.


Home Bay features 69 listings in Mill Valley, CA.
Several types of real estate are available in Mill Valley, and our inventory includes 44 houses, 10 condos and townhouses, and 11 lots for sale.
The average size of a home in Mill Valley, across all listings, is 2,665 square feet, with an average lot size of 21,702 square feet.
The average price of homes for sale in Mill Valley is $2,041,465, with the highest listing price at $9,000,000 and a low of $2,925. The average listing price for Mill Valley is 115% more than the average of California of $950,309.