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Marketing Report on Geneva Switzerland 3000 words
Destination Geneva Switzerland
Travel Destination:
Geneva Switzerland
1.0 Executive summary 3
1.1 Mission Statement 3
1.2 Organisational Objectives 3
2.0 Destination Geneva 4
2.1 Geneva Attracctions 4
2.2 Geneva As a Hub City 5
3.0. Situational Analysis 6
3.1 PESTEL Analysis 6
3.2 SWOT Analysis 11
4.0 Target Markets 12
4.1 Marketing Objective & Strategy 11
4.2 Extended Marketing Mix 12
5.0 Implementation
Appendix 1 14
1.0 Executive summary
1.1 Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Geneva marketing and promotional activities is building the attendance to the various conventions and trade shows that makes up the backbone of Geneva's promotional activities. In addition, there is a clearly secondary goal of publicising its cultural and amusement attractions. The third goal is to attract even more conventions and similar events to the city.
1.2 Organisational Objectives
The advantage of Geneva in this respect is that it is a very international city at the core of which are the various international organisations such as the United Nations which in spite of the move of its headquarters to New York still as an extensive presence in Geneva. While Geneva has a variety of typical tourist attractions, is atypical in that it is both a leisure destination and a business destination. The marketing for the city is based on a very active conventional and events calendar. It reflects the dual attraction of the city and its interest in its cultural and amusement attractions to business visitors as well as conventional tourists. It is also a major arrival point for international travellers who can be convinced to spend a few days in Geneva either arriving in or departing from Europe for a variety of foreign visitors. An example of its aggressive promotions is the Geneva International Motor show package which offers a price of CHF 116 for a hotel room, entrance to the show, a Geneva-Pass to enjoy preferential fares up to 50%, gratuitousness and gifts and free public transportation in Geneva. This allows the show visitor to avoid return trip traffic jams and a chance to discover the many attractions of the city. (Geneva Tourism & Conventions, 2011)
1.3 Financial Summary
Swiss Banking and Swiss banking laws probably cannot be classified as part of the leisure and tourism industry, but the privacy and stability offered by Swiss banks is a generator of a substantial amount of travel to and from Switzerland. The Swiss Franc is one of the most stable currencies in the world, and has appreciated substantially against the US dollar, Sterling and the Euro in the past few years. "While it can't compete with the Dollar and Yen – its main safe haven rivals – in size and liquidity, it benefits from its perceived economic and fiscal stability, as well as through contradistinction with the surrounding Eurozone. In fact, the Franc's rise against the Euro has been even steeper than its rise against the Dollar. As the Eurozone crisis radiates further away from Greece, Switzerland has come to seem more like an island in a sea of chaos." (FOREX BLOG, 2011) Switzeralnd is the 37th largest economy is the world in terms of GDP, but its per capital GDP is 15th in the world. (CIA World Factbook, 2011)
2.0 Destination Geneva
2.1 Geneva Attractions
Every city that tries to attract visitors claims a variety of attractions. Geneva actually offers a variety of attractions from its lakefront walk, officially the Quai du Général-Guisan, featuring the Jet d'eau (water fountain) that sends a jet of water one hundred forty feet above the lake. It is perhaps even more impressive at night when it is lit by huge floodlights. Its other tourist attractions range the United Nations building, the Palais des Nations, to the amazingly bizarre Schtumpfs (French for smurf) apartment complex. Other icons of Geneva include the floral clock and the Solar and Laser clock of Hungarian artist Klara Kuchta. Geneva is still the world capital of the watch and clock industry where it got its beginning in the sixteenth century as a response to the reforms of Jean Calvin which precluded the wearing of jewellery. Jewellery shopping in Geneva is possibly the best in the world and a fascinating if potentially expensive experience. (EsineMark.com, 2010)
Geneva also offers a wide variety of accommodations from very modestly price hotels to luxury establishments. The food available ranges from such traditional dishes as "Filet de peche," small battered and fried fish to some of the most exotic haute cuisine that has made Geneva the culinary capital of Switzerland. (GENÈVA A WORLD OF ITS OWN, 2011) From a cultural standpoint Geneva has more than 40 museums and a number of art galleries. The city can also boast a very active and diverse theatre scene with about 35 stages offering all kinds of shows from light comedy to classics or avant-garde performances. Most theatrical performances are in French, but there are performances in English as well. Music and dance crosses all language borders and Geneva is well provided in both areas. (GENÈVA A WORLD OF ITS OWN, 2011)
2.2 Geneva as a hub city
Geneva has long been a hub for international diplomacy, and since it became international headquarters for the United Nations and Red Cross, and actually many years before that. The UN has moved its headquarters to New York, but retains a major presence in Geneva. Almost all the European air carriers and several Asian, Middle Eastern and trans Atlantic carriers serve Geneva as well. Geneva also has excellent connections with London and Frankfort, the primary European gateway cities for transatlantic travel.
The Swiss rail system has a station at the airport that makes travel throughout Europe convenient using Geneva as a hub and point of entry or exit. The trip to the city from the airport by train takes only a few minutes, and as an example of the thought put into Geneva's attempt to make it convenient and inexpensive for travellers, a free ticket on Swiss Rail for the main city station, the Gare Cornivan (the main Geneva rail station) and other local point is available in the baggage area from the transport Kiosk.
In terms of auto travel, the entire Swiss AutoRoute system is superb in spite of the difficult terrain. The linking French and German systems are also excellent and travel by car is easy to most points in Europe. Geneva is also an important freight terminal, but this is outside the scope of this study.
3.0 An analysis of the societal, economic and political elements of Geneva (PESTEL ANALYSIS)
3.1 Political
The political environment of the city of Geneva is simply a part of the political system of Switzerland. To understand the country, and the city of Geneva, it is necessary to understand it is arguably one of the oldest surviving republics, dating back to 1291 when what are now the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, (what is now central Switzerland) joined in a confederacy that is the basis of modern Switzerland. The evolved into the current Swiss republic that features a system of government not seen at the national level anywhere else on Earth; "Direct Democracy." It is sometimes called half-direct democracy because theoretically, the Sovereign of Switzerland is actually its entire electorate. Referenda on the most important laws have been used since the 1848 constitution. (History of Switzerland, 2010)
The result is that the Swiss are more universally interested in political developments and events than is common in most developed countries. They are very politically aware and involved. They also tend toward insularity and this is probably at least in part a result of their political conservatism and neutrality. In 1848 a "New Federal Constitution combining elements of the U.S. constitution (Federal State with central and cantonal [state] governments and parliaments) and of French revolutionary tradition. The Principles of this constitution are still valid today." (History of Switzerland, 2010)
3.2 Economic background of Geneva
The strength of the Swiss Economy which are obvious in Geneva is the highly skill labour force, and an extensive and highly successful service sector led by the financial service industry. This has produced one of the highest per capita GDP figures in the world. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is estimated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency at US£42,900 per capita or fifteenth in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high technology, knowledge-based production.
The visitor to Geneva cannot escape the prevalence of high technology industry such as watch making and precision machining, jewellery making, and other activities that result in highly skilled and highly paid craftsman. Alternating with the high tech operations are the financial sectors such as banking, money management and estate planning. The population is not only literate, but most have the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree from a university. (CIA World Factbook, 2011) The common language of Geneva is French, but German, Italian and a language known as Romansch are also official Swiss Languages. Many, probably most, Genevans are multilingual and the ability to speak both English and German in addition to French is widespread.
The Swiss budget normally varies in a narrow range between modes deficit and modest surplus. According to the Swiss Federal Department of Finance between 1998 and 2008 there were five years of surplus and five of deficit. The deficits never reached 1% of GDP while the surplus was over 2% in 2001 and 1% in 2008. (Trading Economics, 2010) In 2009 Switzerland managed to be one of the two countries in the OECD that managed to post a surplus with Norway reporting a surplus of 9.7% of GDP and Switzerland 0.7%. In 2010 it is estimated that the Swiss deficit will total 2.4 billion Swiss Francs or about 0.8% of GDP with on going deficits at least through 2013. At that point the deficit estimated at CHF4 million would still be less than 1% of GDP. (Aridas, Mango, 2011)
3.3 Social considerations in Geneva
The Canton (State) of Geneva is located adjacent to France. It is common, particularly since the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the European Union of 1999 and 2004 that workers will commute daily from France to Switzerland and occasionally the reverse. The European Union (EU) surrounds Switzerland. Over 900,000 EU citizens live and work in Switzerland, and many more cross the borders or transit the country on a regular basis. (European Union EXTERNAL ACTION, 2011) Nowhere is this more prevalent that in the Geneva area.
Switzerland is about 42% Roman Catholic, but the vestiges of the conservative nature of Calvinism remains still obvious. The Swiss are not unfriendly, but distant in terms of social relationships and viewpoints. Conversely, the large number of non-profit social organisations creates a strong liberal bias in the viewpoints of many residents of Geneva and there is a clear distinction between the socio-political outlook of the typical Genevan and the balance of Switzerland, which tends more toward conservatism and moderatism. The general prosperity, low rate of poverty and consistent economic strength make the Geneva social background stable and attractive to both residents and visitors. The softness of the Swiss economy resulting from the global financial crisis has modified the society little, but the government has put policies in place that are more " politically liberal" than usual.
The relative strength and conservatism of the Swiss people and the Swiss economy is not ordinarily discussed in terms of hotel marketing, but it is a factor that will very likely have increasing implications in coming years. The strength and stability of the Swiss Banking system is recognised globally. With the possibilities of instability of the United States Dollar and the Euro the attractiveness of using the Swiss banking system with balances held in Swiss Francs becomes increasingly evident. This implies that there will be incremental international visitors as a result of moving money to Switzerland for purposes of investment, safekeeping and security. Fortunately the problems of USB that was bailed out by the Swiss Government has had no negative effect on the perception of Swiss banking and possible the prompt government intervention even increased it. Credit Suisse, the other Swiss banking giant had little problem raising incremental capital in the private market place so the industry remains as attractive as ever. (The Telegraph, 2008) This is not a critical element in the Swiss hospitality industry, but an element that should be considered.
3.4 Swiss Technology
The basis of Swiss industry has always been watch and clock making and similar industries with high levels of craftsmanship and technology. The "shopping" opportunities in Switzerland have always produced hotel traffic from both private shippers and their professional counterparts. As to the hotels themselves, virtually all use very current hotel technology. The CERN particle accelerator which is in the Geneva vicinity is an example of the potential of technical proficiency to generate visitor traffic.
3.5 The Swiss environment
The Swiss were among the first to enact environmental protection laws. The Swiss federal forestry law of 1876 is among the world's earliest pieces of environmental legislation. For Geneva's hotel industry the presence of a huge number of environmentally conscious organisations provides a constant flow of visitors (International Environment House, 2011)
3.6 The Swiss Legal System
The presence of a vast number of international organisations in Geneva makes law and particularly international law a substantial base of activity and again brings numerous visitors, and hence hotel guests to the city. It is simply another component of the internationalisation of the City of Geneva.
4.0 SWOT What is the outlook for the hotel industry in Geneva?
The opportunity for the hotel industry, and travel generally, is little different from what it has been historically. There are no new initiatives that will enhance the traffic for Geneva or seriously impact it. There are constantly international meeting and expositions such as the auto show in March and meetings' involving the offices of the United Nations for causes such a global hunger or the environment. It has been and will remain a shopping destination for the wealthy, particularly in regards to jewellery.
4.2 Threats
Conversely, there are no apparent threats to Geneva as a destination for tourists, international meeting attendees, shoppers or business people that find it necessary to meet with the Swiss bankers of business people. The international "financial revolution" that is underway will doubtless impact the business and financial community worldwide. It would be surprising if the "mix" of visitors to Geneva did not change in coming years, but it would be equally surprising if the impact were significantly negative.
4.3 Strengths
The strength of Geneva is its historic and on going standing as one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the globe. The chances of the movement out of Geneva of the Red Cross or the United Nations in the foreseeable future is minimal. It will remain a wonderful city for tourists to visit, and gastronomic connoisseurs to enjoy. There is no reason to assume that the importance and desirability of the city built over several hundred years will dramatically decline.
4.4 Weaknesses
Geneva weaknesses are, in really, two fold. The first is the growing importance of virtual communication and the Internet. This will unquestionably impact urban centres globally and there is not real indication as to the benefits or detriments to urban culture generally from the "net". In the case of Geneva and its proximity to CERN, usually considered the birthplace of the Internet, it is if anything more likely to be positive than negative.
The other weakness of Geneva is that it is in many respects a French city in a "French" Swiss Canton. The language is French and much of its culture and economy is linked closely to France that is at best a very mature economy and it can be argued a declining culture, particularly the French language, and economy. There will clearly be a cross border impact, but any attempt to relate this to the outlook for the hotel industry in Geneva is far beyond the capacity of this project.
5.0 Marketing Objectives
4.1 Marketing meetings and conventions
The basis of the marketing of the city of Geneva is the convention and meeting business. With the number of international organisations headquartered or having substantial representation in Geneva the number of international meetings of leaders in such fields and health, the environment, human rights, and other social and political causes will doubtless remain high. The quality of the facilities and accommodations offered by Geneva, particularly for those with generous expense accounts and resources is outstanding. The techniques for attracting everyone from FIFA to the Red Cross vary, but with many years of experience Geneva's representatives know the various requirements to attract each such group year after year.
The civic marketing organisation runs aggressive advertising campaigns in various media and have a strong Internet presence to support both the meeting trade and the commercial meeting trade for such as the Geneva International Motor Show. An example of the type of support offered to the sponsors of such events is the Geneva International Motor show package which offers a price of CHF 116 for a hotel room, entrance to the show, a Geneva-Pass to enjoy preferential fares up to 50%, gratuitousness and gifts and free public transportation in Geneva. This allows the show visitor to avoid return trip traffic jams and a chance to discover the many attractions of the city. (Geneva Tourism & Conventions, 2011)
4.2 Marketing Strategy
The strategy is obvious, attract people to meeting and trade shows and while they are traveling they will avail themselves of all the resources and attractions of the destination city. The object is made clear in the promotional material for the auto show "specials" presented above. The other strategic base is the multitude of international organisations represented in the city and the "prestige" inherent in holding international meeting in Geneva. The city's promotional organisation does an excellent job of melding the strategies in its promotional material both in print and particularly on the Internet.
Aridas, T. Mango, A. (2011) "Public Deficit by Country" Global Finance, Recovered17/12/2011 from: http://www.gfmag.com/tools/global-database/economic-data/10395-public-deficit-by-country.html#axzz1ED1XuYQt
CIA World Factbook 2011 "Switzerland." Recovered 15/02/2011 from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html
Encyclopedia of Nations, (2011) "Switzerland Environment" Advameg, Inc. Recovered 17/02/2011 from: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Switzerland-ENVIRONMENT.html
EsineMark.com (2010) The Swiss watch and clock industry had its beginnings in Geneva." Recovered 14/02/2011 from: http://business.ezinemark.com/the-swiss-watch-and-clock-industry-had-its-beginnings-in-geneva-5618da37a00.html
European Union EXTERNAL ACTION (2011) "Switzerland" Recovered 15/02/2011 from: http://www.eeas.europa.eu/switzerland/index_en.htm#
FOREX BLOG (02/06/2011) "Has the Swiss Franc Reached its Limit?"
GENÈVA A WORLD OF ITS OWN (2011) "Theatre" Recovered 14/02/2011 from: http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000005
GENÈVA A WORLD OF ITS OWN (2011) "Restaurants in Geneva" Recovered 14/02/2011 from: http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000194
Geneva Tourism & Conventions (2011) Recovered 14/02/2011 from: http://www.geneva-tourism.ch/?lang=_eng
History of Switzerland, (2010) "Switzerland's History." history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz. Recovered 15/02/2010 from: http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/
International Environment House, (2011) "Upcoming Events" Recovered 17/02/2011 from: http://www.environmenthouse.ch/
The Telegraph, (16/10/2008) "Switzerland injects billions into UBS as it joins global bank bail-out" Telegraph Media Group. Recovered 17/02/2011 from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3208672/Switzerland-injects-billions-into-UBS-as-it-joins-global-bank-bail-out.html
Trading Economics (2010) "Switzerland Government Budget." Swiss Federal Department of Finance. Recovered 15/02/2011 from: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Government-Budget.aspx?Symbol=CHF


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< Back to Meet the Experts Home
Steve Strauss
University Distinguished Professor, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University
Independent Expert
Dr. Steven H. Strauss is a Distinguished Professor of Forest Biotechnology in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University, and has a joint appointment in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program. He is Director of the Tree Biosafety and Genomics Research Cooperative at OSU, a university-public agency-industry consortium formed in 1994. It conducts research on the biosafety and physiology of genetically engineered trees used in plantation forestry and horticulture. Strauss directed the OSU Program for Outreach in Resource Biotechnology from 2004-2013, which was aimed at promoting public understanding, and facilitating science-based public debates, in food and natural resources biotechnology (http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/orb/).
Strauss received the Barrington-Moore Memorial Award from the Society of American Foresters in 2001, which recognizes outstanding achievement in biological research leading to the advancement of forestry. He was recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2009, for advancing of the science and policy regarding forest biotechnologies. He was the Forest Biotechnology Partners Forest Biotechnologist of the Year in 2009 recognizing his outstanding contributions to science, dialogue, and stewardship. In 2005 he was recognized as a Leopold Leadership Fellow, taking part in a program aimed at training eminent environmental scientists to be more effective at influencing public policy and presenting science to news media.
Dr. Strauss has earned degrees in biological sciences from Cornell (BS), Yale (MFS), and the University of California at Berkeley (PhD). He has published 200 scientific papers, given more than 200 invited lectures on biotechnology and genetics of trees, and obtained more than 18 million dollars of competitive grant support. His laboratory has trained 22 graduate students, 27 postdoctoral scientists, and more than 40 professional and technical staff. He has served on panels at the United States National Research Council, National Science Foundation, and Department of Agriculture. Dr. Strauss' current research focuses on genetic engineering of flowering, stature, and transformation-based "functional genomics" using poplar trees as model organisms. He has also advised governments and written in many scientific journals about national and international regulations on field research and commercial development of genetically engineered crops and trees. He was an editor for the highly cited plant science journal New Phytologist for 9 years.
Studies, Articles and Answers
Animals Animal feed Salmon Spiders Business Practices Crop protectants 2-4D Bt Dicamba Glyphosate Pesticides and herbicides - general Development Conventional farming How GMOs are made Organic farming Plant breeding Plant breeding Regulation - Global Regulation - US Seed improvement Testing What are GMOs Where GMOs are Grown Why GMOs are made Economic Consumers Farmers National Editorial Environment Air Benificial Insects Bees Butterflies Environment - general Food Waste Land use Soil Water Global Adoption Brinjal Cassava GMO crops outside of the US GMOs in development Golden Rice Hunger Malnutrtion Sorghum Vitamin A deficiency GMO Basics GMO Crops Alfalfa Apples Canola Corn Cotton Global GMO crops GMO crops - general Potato Rainbow Papaya Soybeans Sugarbeets Summer Squash GMO Labels Bioengineered Non-gmo Organic QR Codes GMOs & Farmers GMOs Globally GMOs in Groceries Health & Safety Health and Safety Animal health - livestock Animal health - pets Human Health Human health - allergies Human health - cancer Human health - gut health Human health - nutrition Human health and safety - general How GMOs Are Made Labeling Modern Agriculture Myths "Terminator" gene Bans Farmers Government Myths - general Patents Pesticide overuse Not GMOs Seedless Tomatoes Wheat Other Producers BASF Bayer Corteva Dow Dupont Monsanto Syngenta Traits Additional benefits Disease Resistance Drought Tolerance Enhanced nutritional content Herbicide Tolerance Improved manufacturing process Insect Resistance Reduced Food Waste Traits - general
Articles and studies Question and answers
Showing 3 out of 3 results
Q: Im interested in the history of the GM debate I was a teenager in the late 90s and want to learn about it from an adults perspective. Do you have any information on the protests, or the response from scientists?
Answered By Steve Strauss - Oct 08, 2015
A: Scientists were the ones who asked for responsible regulation to start with, beginning with a famous conference in Asilomar, California. This was mainly to ensure precautions were taken with possible human pathogens. Unfortunately, the regulations put in place were overly broad and stringent, leading the public to think all GM crops were dangerous, including experiments that were extremely safe and beneficial. Then some activists and organizations, with Greenpeace the most prominent, started to make campaigns against GM crops and food a major effort of theirs, using a mix of unscient [...]
Q: Where did antiGMO start, and what has helped it to spread so much?
A: I answered a similar question here, and have included the response below: "Scientists were the ones who asked for responsible regulation to start with, beginning with a famous conference in Asilomar, California. This was mainly to ensure precautions were taken with possible human pathogens. Unfortunately, the regulations put in place were overly broad and stringent, leading the public to think all GM crops were dangerous, including experiments that were extremely safe and beneficial. Then some activists and organizations, with Greenpeace the most prominent, started to [...]
Q: Who started this anti GMO campaign? I know the answer but everyone should it is important
Business Practices GMOs & Farmers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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District of Maryland Clarifies Rules Governing Discovery of Social Media
District of Maryland Applies Narrower Scope of Discovery of Social Media in "Garden Variety" Emotional Distress Cases
In Allen v. PPE Casino Resorts Maryland, LLC, __ F.Supp.3d __, 2021 WL 2434404 (D. Md. Jun. 14, 2021), and Gaske v. Crabcake Factory Seafood House, LLC, 2021 WL 3188007 (D. Md. Jul. 28, 2021), the Honorable J. Mark Coulson described the principles governing discovery of social media. Both decisions involved employment law claims.
In Gaske, plaintiffs suing under the Fair Labor Standards Act sought evidence that individual defendants were employers within the meaning of the FLSA. They propounded a request for production of documents seeking "all non-privileged content and data" from social media sites. Defendants objected to overbreadth and asserted that the information was equally available to plaintiffs.
In Allen, defendants requested social media posts referring to the facts and witnesses in the lawsuit, and the Court held that was proper, although it directed use of a narrower time window. 2021 WL 2434404 at n. 1.
However, the Allen defendants also asked for much more, including "[a]ny and all social media posts… that refer or relate to Plaintiffs' emotions, feelings, or mental states from January 1, 2013, to the present." The Court found that request far too indefinite.
Judge Coulson stated several clear principles governing the discovery of social media:
"As a starting point, this Court agrees that discovery of social media requires the application of basic discovery principles in a novel context."[1]
"Generally, social media content, even where designated as 'non-public,' is neither privileged nor protected by any right of privacy (beyond, of course, the protections any litigant enjoys under FRCP 26(g))."
"This Court … rejects the requirement urged by Plaintiffs and imposed by some other courts regarding a threshold evidentiary showing by the requesting party that an opponent's 'public' social media account(s) contains relevant information, such that an exploration of non-public information is justified." [Emphasis added].
"Still, discovery seeking social media must be relevant to a claim or defense, proportional to the needs of the case, and not unreasonably cumulative, duplicative, or designed to embarrass or harass."
"With regard to requests for production in particular, FRCP 34(b) further requires the requesting party to describe the items to be produced with 'reasonable particularity,' such that the responding party is under reasonable notice as to what is, or is not, called for in its response."
Not surprisingly, in Gaske and Allen, the Court determined that the blunderbuss requests did not meet the "reasonable particularity" standard of Fed.R.Civ.P. 34.
For example, in Gaske, the request for "all content and data" was not valid. Instead, the Court directed production only of ESI that showed that the business entities held the individual out as an owner or partner, i.e., an "employer" under the FLSA. It has long been recognized that requests for "any and all" documents are overly inclusive. Here, the Court limited the requests to the claims and defenses at issue. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b).
In Allen, the Court also distinguished social media requests in physical injury cases and created a nuanced rule based on the type of emotional distress asserted:
A plaintiff's social media postings could be relevant to a claim for "garden variety" compensatory damages to include an emotional health component. However, some caution must be employed. Unlike cases alleging physical impairment, where social media posts documenting functionality beyond that alleged in the complaint would be clearly relevant, this Court agrees with those cases drawing a distinction between claims of physical impairment versus emotional or mental health damages…. Likewise, cases alleging "garden variety" emotional distress should be distinguished from those that allege severe and specific emotional distress, with social media posts regarding the latter justifying a deeper social media dive than the former…. This is driven both by the "particularity" requirement found in FRCP 34(b), and the inherent shortcomings of social media posts as a reliable and probative indicator of emotional well-being in the absence of specific emotional complaints.
Id. at * 3 (Emphasis added).
[1] Citations and internal quotations are omitted in this blog.


[ Aerodactyl ] The Pokémon Index: Evolution Chart, Move List, Images, Description, Type Match-Up, Base Stats, and more!
One small step for man, one giant Chimecho for mankind.
38 Bite dar 25 60 100% An attack that may cause flinching.
54 Hyper Beam nor 5 150 90% The target is attacked with a powerful beam. The user can't move on the next turn.
22 Supersonic nor 20 - 55% Emits bizarre sound waves that may confuse the foe.
8 Agility psy 30 - - Sharply increases the user's SPEED.
65 Rock Slide roc 10 75 90% Large boulders are hurled at the opposing Pok�mon to inflict damage. This may also make the opposing Pok�mon flinch.
49 Iron Head ste 15 80 100% The foe slams the target with its steel-hard head. It may also make the target flinch.
25 Ancient Power roc 5 60 100% The user attacks with a prehistoric power. It may also raise all the user's stats at once.
73 Giga Impact nor 5 150 90% The user charges at the target using every bit of its power. The user can?t move on the next turn.
49 Sky Drop fly 10 60 100% The user takes the target into the sky, then drops it during the next turn. The target cannot attack while in the sky.
73 Rock Slide roc 10 75 90% Large boulders are hurled at the opposing Pok�mon to inflict damage. This may also make the opposing Pok�mon flinch.
81 Giga Impact nor 5 150 90% The user charges at the target using every bit of its power. The user can?t move on the next turn.
Aerodactyl does learn any moves by tutoring.
Aerodactyl does learn any moves by egg hatching.
Chimecho fetched this page in 0.964 seconds.


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HomeNewsLukasz Fabianski: West Ham goalkeeper out for two months with hip injury
Lukasz Fabianski: West Ham goalkeeper out for two months with hip injury
September 30, 2019 Blowing Bubbles News 0
West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has been ruled out for at least two months with a torn hip muscle. The Pole, 34, suffered the injury taking a goal-kick during West Ham's 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday and was substituted in the 34th minute.
He was the Hammers' player of the season for 2018-19 and started all 38 league games. Roberto Jimenez, 33, replaced Fabianski at Bournemouth for his league debut, having signed for free in May.
West Ham's only other senior goalkeeper is David Martin, 33, who joined on a free transfer from Millwall in the summer but is yet to play for the club. West Ham are currently fourth in the Premier League and have not lost since defeat by Manchester City on the opening day.
Hugh Southon: West Ham's stars will expect to be playing in Europe next year
George Parris: Aaron Cresswell shows left-back battle isn't finished just yet


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Nice Cape , Near Village, Bring You Ideas And Imagination, Lots Of Potential ,Large Rooms, Needs Updating, Cash Only! Great Bones, Recent Gas Burner ,And Hw Heater. Some New Windows ,Vinyl Sided. Updated Elec. As-Is Sale $500 + Area !


This semester I am taking a graduate Film Studies class about the Classical Hollywood period, mostly from the early sound movies until just beyond the end of the studio system. Even though I've seen my share of Classic Hollywood films, they are not my primary interest. With some exceptions, I far prefer the European products of the 1930s (especially French: Renoir, Duvivier, Feyder, Carne), and have never been a fan of Hollywood icons like Capra. The studio system was the barrier and it seemed to inhibit creativity to a degree, although there were some brilliant films out of that era — like those from Von Sternberg, Lubitsch, Hawks, Ford, and of course the later noir movement brought a lot more artistry thanks to people like Orson Welles (even though we was constrained and ultimately defeated by the system).
One noteworthy aspect of this class is that the textbook and a lot of the modules will focus on the business and economics of Hollywood rather than artistic merit. Of course when we examine the films, we cannot help but view and evaluate them as pieces of art, but we also look at them as instruments of entertainment and tailor made, easily digestible products.
When looking at this era from the 21st century, with film studies firmly established as an academic discipline and the debate settled as to whether film is art (spoiler alert: it is art!), it is a little odd to examine how they treated the early films as they were produced and released. The studios and the stars were the main attraction, and the directors were secondary. The auteur theory is ingrained in the fiber of modern film, but didn't exist prior to Andre Bazin. There's no question as to whether the director is the author today. Not so back then. Thus far we have seen films from Rouben Mamoulian (Queen Christina) and Josef von Sternberg (The Scarlet Empress). The former had talent and could be argued to be an auteur. The latter is unquestionably an auteur — one of the most notable working in Hollywood.
We have just scratched the surface, and soon will be looking at Depression era films, Noir, Musicals, and the end of the studio system. Since I'm enrolled in this class as a grad student, I'll be leading the section about the end of the studio system, and will be doing my project on Elia Kazan and how his films were impacted by the system and, naturally, his part in the HUAC proceedings.
It should be a good class, and will inevitably change my perception of Classic Hollywood — probably just in time for me to revisit It Happened One Night just one more time. Maybe the 'Walls of Jericho' will finally come down and I'll enjoy the movie.
Posted on September 5, 2014, in Film. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.


text:
import numpy as np

def is_good_frame(frame): #works
    # True if a frame is well-formed, false otherwise
    # record numbers, packet numbers, terminator should be 0x55 0xAA

    if (frame['recordNumber'] == frame['sameRecordNumber'] and
    frame['packet1'] == b'1' and frame['packet2'] == b'2' and
    frame['packet3'] == b'3' and frame['packet4'] == b'4' and
    frame['packet5'] == b'5' and frame['packet6'] == b'6' and
    frame['packet7'] == b'7' and frame['frameTerminator'][0] == 0x55 and
    frame['frameTerminator'][1] == 0xAA):
        return True
    else:
        return False

def seek_to_first_good_frame(frames): #works
    # Given an open file, seek() to the offset of the first well-formed frame in the file

    for i in range(frames.shape[0]):
        if is_good_frame(frames[i]) == True:
            first_good_index = i
            return first_good_index
    return None

def read_frames(infile): #works

    frame_dtype = np.dtype([

        ('packet1', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 1
        ('recordNumber', 'B'),
        ('errorFlags', 'B'),
        ('statusFlags', 'B'),
        ('parallelPort', 'B'),
        ('trRegister', '2B'),
        ('chans127to109', '(19,3)B'),

        ('packet2', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 2
        ('chans108to89', '(20,3)B'),

        ('packet3', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 3
        ('chans88to69', '(20,3)B'),

        ('packet4', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 4
        ('chans68to49', '(20,3)B'),

        ('packet5', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 5
        ('chans48to29', '(20,3)B'),

        ('packet6', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 6
        ('chans28to09', '(20,3)B'),

        ('packet7', 'c'), # This should be ASCII 7
        ('chans08to00', '(9,3)B'),

        ('sameRecordNumber', 'B'), # same record number
        ('frameTerminator', '(2,1)B') # end
    ])

    f = open(infile, 'rb')

    if f == None:
        print("The file is empty.")

    frames = np.fromfile(f, dtype = frame_dtype)

    return frames

def make_frame_numbers(frames): #works
    # Given an open file seek()ed to the first good frame of data, return an increasing list of integers
    # indicating the index of each frame of data, starting at 0 and taking into account skipped frames

    number_array = np.zeros(frames.shape, dtype=np.intp)

    first_good_frame = seek_to_first_good_frame(frames)

    record_numbers = np.zeros(0)
    most_frames = np.zeros(0)
    running_sum = 0

    for i in range(first_good_frame, frames.shape[0]):
        record_numbers = np.append(record_numbers, frames[i]['recordNumber'])

    derivatives = np.diff(record_numbers)

    for i in range(derivatives.size):
        if derivatives[i] < 0:
            derivatives[i] = derivatives[i] + 256
        running_sum += derivatives[i]
        most_frames = np.append(most_frames, running_sum)

    # compute frame numbers, will be one element too short
    number_array[1:] = most_frames
    return number_array

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text: Higher Level Socket.IO-like WebSocket for node


By my count, there are more than 170 churches in Springfield. In the city we have downtown churches, neighborhood churches, mainline churches, independent churches, historic churches and recently formed churches. They're diverse in size -- and in theology, organization, and style of worship.
And yet all of these churches grapple with the same questions: How do we tell the story of our congregation? How do we make an impact on the larger community? How do we attract new members? How do we flesh out the meanings of "mission" and "evangelism"?
In recent weeks, I've talked to several church leaders to find some answers to these questions. What I've learned is that churches that are growing have committed themselves to some sort of social mission -- from feeding the poor to providing shelter to working actively for peace.
• Abundant Faith Christian Center started 10 years ago with six couples meeting in a home. Today, Abundant Faith holds three services every Sunday in a large building, overlooking a pond, at 2525 South Taylor Ave.
Worship at Abundant Faith is informal, charismatic, and emotional. There are no printed bulletins. Words to the hymnsare displayed on a screen on the front wall of the sanctuary. Music is provided by drum, guitar and keyboard players, plus singers.
Abundant Faith has developed several high-profile programs in its 10 years, including a food pantry, a computer-technology center, high-school equivalency classes, a sports complex, an apartment complex and a safe house for women.
The Rev. Jerry Doss is pastor; his wife, Gita Doss, serves as Abundant Faith's worship leader. One Sunday, when the theme is evangelism, Gita Doss presents a skit about witnessing to one's faith on the job. After the 11 a.m. service, she talks about the connection between mission and evangelism: "Springfield is our mission field. We see needs and try to meet them. That's how our programs get started. We use compassion to reach people. We are experiencing phenomenal growth."
• First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Seventh St., is a perfect example of a "historic church." Founded in 1828, First Presbyterian celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2003. The members of "First Pres," as it's commonly known, believe strongly that evangelism falls under the umbrella of mission. This past February, seven members of the church made a mission trip to a Presbyterian church in Cuba.
The Rev. Gordon McLean, a native of Scotland, has been the senior pastor of First Presbyterian for six years. "We believe that our church must be involved in mission," he says. "We want to maintain an open-door attitude. From a survey, we learned that 1,000 people live in downtown Springfield. We invite those people to various events at our church, and we support a health clinic for the homeless."
First Pres has become well known for its organ recitals and public lectures. And the church enjoys certain bragging rights in Mr. Lincoln's hometown. A large sign on the east side of the building proclaims: "This was the church of Abraham Lincoln. The family pew is on display." Sanctuary tours are conducted during the summer months.
• St. John's Lutheran Church, 2477 W. Washington St., was founded by German immigrants in 1870. The Rev. Paul Olson is the pastor of St. John's, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. St. John's is in the process of building a $3.9 million addition east of the existing structure. Dubbed the Parish Life Center, the 300-seat building will be the site of a new contemporary-worship service.
St. John's has experienced significant growth, averaging 80 new members every year since 1999. Olson explains the reasons for the growth: "We make a real effort to connect with our Sunday-morning visitors. I write a personal note to all of our visitors. We try to practice hospitality. New-member classes are held four times a year, and, of course our preschool has attracted many young families to our church."
• Blessed Sacrament is a Roman Catholic church located at 1725 S. Walnut St. The parish school was established in 1925. The church itself was established in 1930. Blessed Sacrament holds one Mass on Saturdays and three on Sundays. On Holy Saturday, April 10, 13 persons will be received into membership at the church. Some will be baptized. Others will be confirmed. "The Easter vigil is the high point of the church year," says the Rev. Msgr. Kevin Vann, pastor of Blessed Sacrament.
Vann says parishioners are active in local mission activities: "Some work at St. John's Breadline. Others serve as caregivers at St. John's Hospital. Some folks help to administer our rent-assistance program. Others call on new visitors in their homes, and still others are working for peace through Pax Christi."
Know how to breathe? Think again.


Even before the contractor imploded, the public contracts it operated were known to be expensive. After Carillion it's hard to argue private sector efficiency justifies the cost. UK Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn's preference for a bigger public sector is increasingly in vogue.
Procurement under Britain's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) results in additional costs compared to publicly financed procurement, the National Audit Office said in a report published on Jan. 18. The most visible extra expense was the higher cost of finance, it said.
Data collected on private finance deals entered into since 2013 show that debt and equity investors are forecast to receive a return of between 2 and 4 percent above government borrowing. Some deals agreed when credit market conditions were poor projected an annual return for debt and equity investors of over 8 percent - over 5 percentage points higher than the cost of government borrowing at the time.
The NAO said its work on PFI hospitals found no evidence of operational efficiency.


text:
Environmental Initiatives / Studies
Middleport Environmental Exposure Investigation Study Results – 2004
Conducted in summer 2003, the Middle Environmental Exposure Investigation was designed to meet three main study objectives:
To quantify the relationship between arsenic in soil and arsenic in urine of children less than 7 years old. Arsenic in urine is a biomarker of recent arsenic exposure.
To provide Middleport residents with information on their biomarker levels of arsenic relative to reference levels that indicate a potential for elevated exposure and a need for follow-up.
To provide the Middleport community and interested health agencies with information regarding residential exposure to arsenic from soil.
The findings indicate that the levels of arsenic observed in this investigation are not expected to cause health problems. The final report, appendices to the report, and a summary brochure are available as PDF files:
Middleport Environmental Exposure Investigation Report — The Complete Study Report is available here online (1.9 MB)
Summary Brochure — See the Study Results Brochure (200 KB)
What is the nature of arsenic and how is it used?
Arsenic is a natural element that is widely distributed in the earth's crust. Two main forms of arsenic are inorganic arsenic and organic arsenic. Organic forms such as in food are usually less harmful than the inorganic forms. Inorganic arsenic occurs naturally in water, soil and many kinds of rock, especially in minerals and ores that contain copper or lead.
Everyone is exposed to small amounts of arsenic through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Of these, food is usually the largest source of arsenic. Fish and seafood contain the greatest amounts of arsenic, but this arsenic is mostly in the organic form, the form least harmful. Young children are likely to eat small amounts of dust or dirt each day, which is another way they may be exposed to arsenic. The body absorbs arsenic in water more efficiently than arsenic in soil.
If you are exposed to arsenic, many factors determine whether you will be harmed. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and the frequency (how often), the form of arsenic and how you come in contact with it. Other factors may include your age sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.
What was the biomonitoring study about?
Biomonitoring refers to testing a population for clinical measure of possible exposure to a particular substance, in this case arsenic. This study investigated whether residents of the Middleport community have been exposed to excess levels of arsenic from soil.
The study focused on levels of urinary speciated arsenic, a measure of exposure to inorganic arsenic from soil. Study investigators compared speciated arsenic levels in urine to arsenic levels in soil, house dust, and homegrown produce. Careful attention was given to other exposure factors such as diet, individual activities (such as playing in creeks), and other potential sources of arsenic.
Who participated in the study?
Young children less than age 7 were the primary focus of the study because of their greater potential for soil exposure. Seventy-seven young children or nearly half the available population in this age group within the study area participated (Figure 1). A total of 362 older children and adults also participated.
Figure 1. Study Area of the Middleport Environmental Exposure Investigation
Why was this study conducted?
The community advisory panel (CAP) of Middleport asked FMC to conduct a biomonitoring study of the Middleport Community.
Who paid for the project?
FMC Corporation funded this study. Exponent, an independent contractor, conducted the study with outside review by a panel of health experts from universities, research institutes, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Figure 2). Figure 2. Organization Chart of the Study Team
What samples were collected?
Participants were asked to provide urine samples collected in the morning on two consecutive days. Toenail samples were collected and analyzed for arsenic only upon request. Professional field staff collected soil and interior house dust samples from participating residential properties that had owner consent. Homegrown produce was sampled at the request of homeowners.
Where were the samples analyzed?
Samples were shipped to federally accredited laboratories, including the CDC, where they were measured for arsenic levels.
What did the study find?
There is no clear evidence of elevated exposure from arsenic in soil for participants in this investigation. Figure 3. Urinary Speciated Arsenic in Children Less Than 7 Years Old and in All Participants
Urinary arsenic levels of individual participants were overall much lower than the reference level for elevated arsenic exposure. Toenail arsenic levels were also below the CDC reference level for normal exposure.
There was no evidence that exposure to arsenic in soil or house dust increased speciated arsenic in urine in children less than 7 years old. Expanding the analysis to include older ages had the same result.
Eating garden vegetables, playing in creeks, or other soil-related behaviors were not associated with increased urinary arsenic levels.
Sources of inorganic arsenic other than soil (likely background levels in water and diet) are the primary contributors to inorganic arsenic exposure in this community.


From Lorie's Noggin Blog: Where To Now Dreamer?
Ta-da! Finally finished Where To Now Dreamer? and plunked it in my store a minute ago. It will be on sale 20% off for the next two days. It is huge and it's dedicated to all you brave travelers who have followed your dreams. Some day, when I begin traveling, I will use this kit for my travel journal.
Serena - Oh No! We're on the wrong course!
Yahhh!! absolutely amazing!! Woow!! You are the best!!
so fantastic and congrats for your new shop!
As always it's a stunner, love it all !


text:
Q: DELETE data from two tables, based on a third's ID I'm hesitant to run this query which deletes data (for obvious reasons).
I would like to delete the the matching rows from two tables, where the ID = the ID of a third table (which i want to remain unaffected)
This is the exact query I would like to run:
DELETE FROM ItemTracker_dbo.Transaction t,
            ItemTracker_dbo.Purchase p
USING ItemTracker_dbo.Transaction
INNER JOIN ItemTracer_dbo.Purchase ON p.Transaction_ID = t.Transaction_ID
INNER JOIN ItemTracker_dbo.Item i ON i.Item_ID = p.Item_ID
WHERE i.Client_ID = 1

To test this, i tried running a select replacing DELETE FROM with SELECT * FROM, and I get a syntax error 'near USING'.  When I remove USING ... it selects EVERY row in the table (ignoring the client_id=1 clause).
I (essentially) copied the syntax from the mysql manual (obviously replacing the values).
Is this query valid?

A: I'm sorry I didn't comment instead of post, but I just don't have enough reputation. Why don't you run it as a transaction and see the results? Or am I missing something?
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/commit.html

A: As far as I know, you can't do that. The way to acomplish that is with a transaction.
START TRANSACTION;

DELETE FROM tableOne WHERE criteria;

DELETE FROM tableTwo WHERE criteria;

COMMIT;

If something goes wrong between the statements, you can issue a ROLLBACK and your data will be there.
The catch is, THIS WON'T WORK WITH MyISAM. MyISAM doesn't support transactions, so it will simply delete the data and there is no way to roll it back. They need to be InnoDB tables. It does this silently. I've lost a production table that way (good thing I had a backup and it wasn't updated much).
Easiest way to find out if the tables are InnoDB?
SHOW CREATE TABLE tableName;

At the end, it will have something like 'Engine = InnoDB' or 'Engine = MyISAM'.

A: I'm not familiar with this (non-standard?) use of USING to join tables in the above, but if you just want to delete rows from only some of the tables in the join the normal way would be:
DELETE Purchase, `Transaction`
FROM Item
JOIN Purchase ON Purchase.Item_ID=Item.Item_ID
JOIN `Transaction` ON `Transaction`.Transaction_ID=Purchase.Transaction_ID
WHERE Item.Client_ID=1;

Assuming I understand your schema right. It seems a bit unusual to be deleting the Transaction that is referenced from the Purchase as this would naturally be a many-Purchases-to-one-Transaction relation. Is there a UNIQUE constraint to ensure it is one-to-one? If not, can you be sure no other Purchase will be referencing the deleted Transaction?
You can test the above construct as a SELECT simply:
SELECT Purchase.Purchase_ID, `Transaction`.Transaction_ID
FROM Item ...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Philosophical behaviourism is an absurd theory. Practically the only philosophers who ever held it, at any rate in its crude form, were certain logical positivists.
'Logical positivists' thought most language was only meaningful if it connected to actual observations.
I presume Lockwood's target here is eliminativist behaviourism, as opposed to methodological behaviourism (which is a reasonable practice to adopt), and 'black box' behaviourism (which has been superseded by functionalism).


Nearly a week after a "very cordial" meeting to resolve a dispute surrounding a 14-year-old student, the matter remains hanging with no signs of a resolution.
Elicia Weekes, the mother of the pupil at the centre of the wrapper controversy at Springer Memorial School, along with her lawyer Steve Straughn and child advocate Shelley Ross met last Friday with Minister of Education Ronald Jones on the future the child's education.
From left, Elecia Weekes, child advocate Shelley Ross and Weekes' lawyer Steve Straughn.
Following two hours of talks Straughn reported that they had agreed to work in the girl's best interest and structures were being put in place to ensure her return to school.
The teen has not attended classes for nine weeks, and this afternoon her mother said there had been no word from the Ministry of Education since last week's meeting.
"I am upset but all I can do now is wait. Of course I am not pleased at all. How can any mother be pleased at all? Remember the Minister is not on the island, so for right now it is a matter of waiting," Weekes told Barbados TODAY this afternoon.
There have been suggestions of a number of schools in St Michael to which the fourth form student could be transferred. However, Weekes has denied that any such proposals were made during last Friday's meeting.
In a recent post on Barbados TODAY's Facebook page, Ross appeared to indicate that the parent had requested that her daughter be transferred to one of two schools.
"There has been lots of comments about transferring her to a school other than Ellerslie. We would accept The St Michael School or even Foundation, to which the answer was that she did not get the marks for either school in the Common Entrance," Ross stated in the post.
The student was suspended for refusing to pick up a wrapper after she was ordered to do so by a teacher and the principal.
At the end of her suspension she was kept away from class and put to sit on a bench as punishment for continuing to refuse to pick up litter, her mother claimed.
Prior to last week's meeting, Weekes refused transfers to Daryl Jordan Secondary School and Elerslie Secondary School, citing personal reasons.
Though he did not make direct reference to the matter, Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave's comments yesterday to St Elizabeth Primary School students suggested that he was not in agreement with the teenager.
Delivering remarks during the school's 50th anniversary celebrations, Sir Elliott advised the students to respect themselves and their teachers and to love their school.
"You should obey reasonable orders. Do not say, 'my mother didn't send me to school to pick up this or that'.
Was she, in fact, punished twice?
So many times we've heard that business wasn't completed because some officer was away or ill. Now tell me, does anyone think that if Ronald Jones got a message that he had won $1million and all he had to do was video conference for a few minutes or e-mail a confirmation response, ANYTHING would keep him from getting it done?
If this was a cabinet colleague's child, a solution would have been found. If this child had lawyer parents, this would have been resolved. This would not happen to a US diplomat's child. End this madness!
Some what mis leading, but hey, the media has nothing new from any of us and they are looking for something to report.
This is liken to a man " said to have" run a red light, and after delayed discussion with authorities he is now paying the price associated with treason.
What kind of weapon was it OK a sweet paper rapper.. This is real madness..I seeing only children in this case..something needs to be done..just so turned into a fire ball..wishing the best in this case.


Communication and image are phenomena conditioned by society and culture and they define the human being. Apart from the space of interaction and interpretation, image and communication could not exist. The latter provides the spread of images, while the first gives sense to communication. This paper aims to investigate the pre-logical elements of image, by analyzing the ancestral structures – archetypes – and their way of expressing human feelings – myths and symbols – in order to reach the historical forms of image and to reveal the key role that communication plays in the way that images are constructed. I departed from the premise that human attitudes and behaviours depend on the way in which images are being interpreted and communicated.


Rehoboth Beach announced its schedule of services for Good Friday, April 19.
City Hall will be closed April 19. Residential trash pickup will remain on the regular schedule; visit cityofrehoboth.com for a trash collection calendar.
For more, call 227-6181, ext. 522, or communications@cityofrehoboth.com.


Legacy can mean different things to different people. Creating your Ultimate Legacy is a journey that involves individual stops along the way. We can take this journey with you. No matter what stage of journey you are in, we can help you with defining, sharing, capturing, and starting your ultimate legacy.
We literally 'wrote the book' on creating the Ultimate Legacy in your life and your business. Find out how you can start today!
View a sample of Michael's personal Legacy reflections.
But legacy has a broader meaning. In this context it does not mean necessarily great feats or accomplishments during your life. We all achieve varying degrees of success and meet our fair share of disappointments, but I think everyone has a story to tell that they hope will have an impact on those that come after them.
Legacy in this context answers the question: If you had the opportunity to share your dreams, visions, and wisdom with your son or daughter, what would you say? The answer to this can have a dramatic impact on the lives of the people you care about.
We should share not only our stories, but our intentions with our family frequently. We are here to help you with this very important dialog. I can remember listening to my grandmother, my YiaYia, tell me stories about the old country and the trials and tribulations she had as a young girl. I loved her gentle way and peaceful nature. The way she cared for us and ran her day-to-day chores is a testament to the kind of person she was. One day we got together around the kitchen table and talked—that was where most conversations took place in our Greek household. I set up a cassette recorder (yes, I am dating myself…) just in the off chance that I could capture great words of wisdom. She told some wonderful stories that day and even sang a little, and I got it all on tape. I had the honor to capture that tremendous opportunity for my family, especially those who did not have the opportunity to meet my YiaYia, and it will be a treasure of immense value for generations to come.
These are the types of stories we are hearing from our clients and we are incorporating them into their planning. People relate to their stories, and that is how they relate to their legacies – how they would like to be remembered by the people they love. People are concerned about being fair with their children, promoting family harmony, giving back to their community and providing a measure of security for their families that may not have been available to them. Charitable legacies are often discussed as a way to bring and keep the family together to learn about how to properly give money or talents. Such discussions can also outline the organizations the family feels are important while serving as the training ground for younger members of the family to understand the concept of giving back.
The receipt of a gift of money, during lifetime or at death, can impact the beneficiaries by making their lives better or by bringing a set of unexpected challenges. More importantly, many people want to share their vision for their families so that future generations will understand the love and hard work that went into the creation of the wealth in the first place. Legacies of this sort can strengthen family bonds, make clear a patriarch or matriarch's visions, or provide the groundwork for the family to give back to society. These legacies are being captured and shared with family members and organizations with profound effect.
Capturing a recorded or written legacy may be one of the most exciting things you can do for your family. Think about the wisdom you can communicate to help future generations deal with the issues of their day. Since we can create documents that can last for more than our lifetimes, doesn't it make sense for the matriarch or patriarch of the family to capture their Legacy vision so that future generations can benefit? What about the creator of a business who has spent their whole life building something that has provided for their family? In my opinion, those entrepreneurs want to tell their stories, partly to say "Yes, I've been lucky enough to build this business," but also to give guidance to those who will continue the business, to avoid pitfalls, and make better decisions. What about communicating the Legacy to children who are too young to appreciate the wealth being passed or the business being transferred to give them a better understanding as they mature?
Capturing Your Ultimate Legacy is a wonderful way to remember someone's life, their achievements, their life lessons, and their desire to help others and give back to the community. Being able to celebrate one's life or contributions can help make a difference in so many people's lives, including the story teller and the interviewer. I get so much out of the Ultimate Legacy Conversations℠ we have with clients — because we get to know them on a deeper, more intentional level. The clients and I feel we are truly making a difference in their lives and the lives of their children and co-workers. We'd like to get to know your stories and help you get started creating Your Ultimate Legacy.


Yesterday afternoon, I was surprised by the loud knocking outside, and there was an impatient mailman looking for Ruth (my surname here). Right. She's right infront of you. Not quite convinced, he requested for my ID. Now, this should be serious. I saw the envelope with BDO logo. Alright, I know that it is not my monthly bill. I am expecting it to arrive next week. When I got the envelope (delivered by an unknown courier), I know there is a card inside. Knowing BDO, I was thinking of BDO rewards card or maybe another SM Advantage card.
But the envelope says "Are you ready to shop online?". Hell yeah, who are you talking to? I've been shopping online since 2007! Ok, so when I opened the envelope, BDO graciously offered me a BDO Virtual Card. I have heard about this before. They have it in other countries. A special credit card which you only use for online transactions. Am I one of the few credit card holders who have received this type of card? Did BDO base it on my previous billing statements?
I searched the net for relevant topics about BDO Virtual Card, but it only landed me to a twitter post announcing the receipt of the same card. BDO's website is not even updated yet.
Anyway, it is a card (literal card), with different credit card number and verification digits specific for online shopping (nope, it cannot be swiped!). This is for extra protection for online shopping (as we know, unsecured sites can hack our credit card information and use our accounts). The BDO Virtual Card does have a credit limit (which is more than half of my credit limit). Note that it is tied with my credit line.
It says that it is free as long as I keep my credit card active and current.
To be honest, I am quite impress with BDO for coming up with such a card. Plus, there is no need for customers (like me) to line up and enroll for this. Two thumbs up.
Now, I'm thinking of using and testing this Virtual Card.. Let's try Sephora..


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The Christian Post | Mike Pence on Critics Slamming Prayer After Church Shooting: 'We Need to Cover Families in Prayer'
Vice President Mike Pence has responded to critics who have questioned the usefulness of prayer following Sunday's mass shooting at a church in Texas which left 26 people dead.
"Right now I truly believe that covering those families in prayers is making a difference in their lives, and it will continue to support those families and that community in the days ahead," Pence told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday.
Online debate has unfurled across Twitter and other platforms in the wake of the massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, with some suggesting that prayer does not work if it can't protect Christians at church.
"I'm a believer. I believe in prayer and I know that at this moment of such heartbreak and loss in that community that what most Americans are most able to do is pray for those families," Pence said.
The vice president added, however, that prayer takes "nothing away from our determination … to get to the bottom of what happened, to understand the why, to determine whether or not there were errors along the way."
Authorities are investigating if and in what way existing laws and background checks were not properly applied to shooter Devin Kelley, who illegally purchased the guns he used in Sunday's attack.
House speaker Paul Ryan also told Fox News in a separate interview on Monday that he stands by his offers of prayer, even though he was specifically targeted for his tweets.
Former "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Stand By Me" actor Wil Wheaton lashed out and wrote in response to Ryan's prayer tweet earlier this week: "The murdered victims were in a church. If prayers did anything, they'd still be alive, you worthless sack of [expletive]."
Wheaton later apologized and explained he wasn't trying to attack people of faith, though prayer continues being criticized in debates online.
"It's disappointing. It's sad, and this is what you'll get from the far secular left. People who do not have faith, don't understand faith, I guess I'd have to say," Ryan told Fox.
He added: "And it is the right thing to do, is to pray in moments like this because you know what? Prayer works."
The House speaker blamed the "secular left" for much of the "polarization and disunity" in the country due to sentiments like that.
Prominent pastors, such as Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside and Irvine, California, told The Christian Post on Monday that while it is hard to understand God's role in tragedies like church shootings, prayer is far from ineffective.
"The Bible does not promise anyone a pain-free life. In fact, Jesus Himself said, 'In this world you will have tribulation' (John 16:33). Here is what I do know: these people that were gathered for worship at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, believed in and loved Jesus Christ," Laurie added.
He said that the victims are now in God's presence, "where there is 'fullness of joy' and 'pleasures forevermore' (Psalm 16:11). All of their questions are answered; our questions will have to wait."
Pastor Ronnie Floyd, president of National Day of Prayer and senior pastor at Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, separately told CP:
"In this fallen world when the spirit of evil is raging, all things that happen are not good. Yet, our faith and hope remains in God alone. When we pray we are depending on God for strength; when we do not pray, we choose to depend upon ourselves which always lead to unbelief."
Read more at Mike Pence on Critics Slamming Prayer After Church Shooting: 'We Need to Cover Families in Prayer'.


We can service your new car!
Following the Block Exemption Regulations 2002, you are not obliged to get your car serviced by a franchise dealer during the warranty period.
You must though get your car serviced according to the manufacturer's recommended schedule and criteria, using only manufacturer approved parts.
If you do get the car serviced outside the dealer network, you must make sure it's done to the maker's recommended schedule and criteria using approved parts. You must also keep records so you can demonstrate to the manufacturer that servicing was undertaken to their requirements.
You should still get warranty work undertaken by the franchised dealer as it is easier for them to deal directly with the manufacturer.
Come and talk to us at B&K about servicing your new car. As an independent garage, we have lower overheads by comparison with dealerships, with hourly labour rates set at a lower level. As a consequence, we can usually save you a lot of money to do exactly the same job, without compromising on your vehicle's warranty.


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Home > West Bank Security Barrier Draws Artists and Advertisers
West Bank Security Barrier Draws Artists and Advertisers
The Jewish Daily Forward
August 25, 2010 - 12:00am
http://www.forward.com/articles/130705/ [1]
What many Israelis see as a security barrier, and many Palestinians see as a prison wall, Majd Abdel Hamid sees as a blank canvas.
"It's really tempting as an artist," said Abdel Hamid, a 22-year-old Ramallah-based painter.
Back in 2007, Abdel Hamid and two assistants spent two 10-hour days painting a 130-foot-long portion of the barrier that separates Israel from the West Bank. On the concrete slabs, they stenciled a jumble of Arabic letters. Unscrambled, the letters spell out the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, written in 1988 by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
In recent decades, in some of the world's most politically charged places — such as Berlin and Belfast — walls have become magnets for an increasingly sophisticated, increasingly political genre of graffiti artists. As Israel began building its security barrier in 2002, at the height of the second Palestinian uprising, with the stated goal of preventing terrorist attacks, artists from around the world began to flock to the West Bank to protest its existence by covering it with paint.
Eight years later, the barrier, made up of alternating fences and walls, is mostly complete. In dense Palestinian urban areas around Jerusalem, where the barrier is a wall, formerly bare concrete slabs have taken on a clutter of artwork, graffiti, posters and commercial advertisements.
Most famously, back in 2005, the British guerilla street artist Banksy — known for sauntering into the world's top museums and hanging his own art on the walls — came to the West Bank and painted nine works on the Palestinian side of the barrier, including an image of oversized sofas next to a window looking out of the wall, and a depiction of children digging their way out.
Two years later, around Christmastime, Banksy returned to Bethlehem with a coterie of street artists, including Italian artist Blu, who painted ona giant man who is using one finger to crack a guard tower attached to the barrier; British artist Paul Insect, who drew a woman who has doves over her eyes, and American artist Ron English, who also painted on the Berlin wall shortly before it fell.
There have been other creative uses of the barrier, too, with some using it to announce car washes and souvenir sales. In Bethlehem, the Bahamas Seafood Restaurant, just yards away from the concrete barrier, tacked a giant menu onto it. Meanwhile, visitors to the Dutch-Palestinian website Sendamessage can enter a message, and for 30 euros it will be spray-painted on the Palestinian side of the barrier — with the final product e-mailed to the customer. So far, Sendamessage has commissioned political slogans, birthday greetings and about 10 marriage proposals. Messages deemed vulgar or bigoted are not permitted.
The company's Palestinian coordinator, Faris Arouri, called its operation "communication art" and said that the proceeds go to Palestinian nongovermental organizations supporting small cultural and educational projects. "We check the profile of the artists, what are their political stances, if any," Arouri said. "We don't want our work to end up a part of an ultra-Orthodox artist or Zionist artist or fundamentalist Muslim artist's work. We want to stay away from controversy — this kind of controversy."
Since they began work in 2007, Arouri said, his group has been detained by the Israeli military twice. On one occasion, according to Arouri, the army asked them to sign a statement declaring that they won't paint on the barrier anymore; one group member crossed out the word "won't" before signing it.
In a written statement, the Israeli military spokesperson's office said that the barrier is considered military property and that "causing damage to the fence and engaging in unauthorized contact therewith, including by spraying graffiti, are prohibited."
Arouri said that one mural very close to a checkpoint was plastered over by the Israeli military. And according to locals in Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers recently painted over graffiti near the city's main checkpoint, with light-blue paint, as a part of their preparation of the checkpoint for Ramadan worshippers.
The critical mass of art and messaging on the separation barrier has sparked a debate within the Palestinian art community about whether it should be painted on at all.
"They are changing the reality of the wall," said Muhannad Al-Azzeh, an artist whose murals cover the walls of refugee camps in Bethlehem. "It's a military color, and an ugly color, so keep it as ugly. I will not want to make this wall a beautiful thing."
"This space is there," Abdel Hamid countered. "You have an opportunity to use it in a conscious way." Still, he said that he did not agree with all the art displayed: He criticized English-language graffiti that equated a swastika with an Israeli flag.
As for those who not only live with the barrier near their homes, but also view the art every day, reactions are mixed. Majed Ghareeb, who works at a souvenir shop across the street from a display of giant photographed portraits of people making silly faces, stood across from the barrier and offered up his own interpretation, as if standing in a contemporary art museum. "He's smiling," Ghareeb said of a boy's portrait, "because he knows that in the end, the wall will not be here."
But Mike Canawati, a restaurateur and souvenir shop owner in Bethlehem, was angry when Banksy left his mark on the side of a building across the street from his shop: a soldier checking the paperwork of a donkey.
"I don't like the idea of putting Palestinians as donkeys," Canawati said, explaining his interpretation of the piece. So he created a business opportunity: He cut out the slab with the artwork from the building and offered it for sale for $200,000, with the proceeds going toward renovating churches and to other charitable projects. A British art dealer claimed he had a buyer that ultimately backed out.
Still, Canawati keeps Banksy's art in the driveway of his shop, waiting for the next offer. Though he isn't pleased with Bethlehem's graffiti art, it has turned him into an international art dealer of sorts.
"If the buyers come," Canawati said, "I am ready to cut down all the walls of Bethlehem."
The Wall [2]
Palestinian Society [3]
Source URL (retrieved on Jan 22 2022 - 1:52am): http://www.americantaskforce.org/daily_news_article/2010/08/25/1282708800_21
[1] http://www.forward.com/articles/130705/
[2] http://www.americantaskforce.org/security/_wall
[3] http://www.americantaskforce.org/palestinian_society


We were absolutely pleased and happy from our first small münsterlander girl Barbara, so we decided to have another one, friend for Barbara. When we have found information about this litter in Cerna hurka kennel and parents of these puppies, we wanted to have one girl out of them so much. Our Sara has beautiful mother and grandmother, Club Winners and also beautiful father, boy Xantos from Germany. Pedigree of Sara is very interesting and we had to posibility to choose the best girl from 6 sisters and it seems , that our choice was great. Sara is also beautiful girl with perfect temperament.