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Christmas Through the Wardrobe
As ever, I can't tell you about last week's visitors until so long afterwards that you might have forgotten we ever had them. They'll send their thank-you letter in January, so that's something to look forward to once the sprouts are gone.
So, a little round-up of the end of term. Last week was Tallis through the Wardrobe, a magnificent evening in best surreal Tallis style. Dancers, singers, performers of all sorts from the tiniest to the biggest. It was a happy show. I'd been temporarily deprived of hearing so I didn't get much of the detail, but the atmosphere was lovely. I didn't have the brass neck to ask them to do it all again, for a third time, just for me, once I'd had my ears washed out, though it would have been nice.
One of the advantages of being at a school for a bit – this is now my sixth year – is that you see the children grow. The little ones who bounced squeakily in 2013 are now loping year 12s who can barely see me from their great height: piping singing boys now beautiful basso profondos. As I write, the gallery next door to me is full of this year's year 7s taking part in a week-long world peace game. They're pretty ear-piercing when tackling the arms dealers amongst them but it's going to be a great long-term memory. One is urgently shouting 'Charlie, Charlie', perhaps modelling global leadership on POTUS, or the Queen. Knowing how to solve the world's problems at 11 is a pretty good training for life, no?
As are the inevitable. I told you about our preparation for mock exams with year 11, yoga, revision timetables and what not. Now the poor souls are staggering towards the end of it and reflecting on what they've done and left undone. One leaned on the doorpost this morning and told me he was too busy revising to have written a revision timetable. Poor chap thought I'd believe him, but when he says he's worried about Computer Science, I believe that. Study Hall (a history classroom) was stowed out yesterday, flash cards from wall to wall, a marked improvement on just gazing into the middle distance in the hope of accidentally remembering something.
You know how we make a mega-production over exam rituals? Meeting in the Bistro, reminding about the structure of the exams, walking quietly upstairs clutching the see-through pencil case, all under the beady eye of senior staff who happen to be free, subject leads, the vast army of invigilators and their Head of Year. Sir and his giant parka arrange the confident, reassure the anxious and hassle the late. I've asked it before: what's the equivalent of a Head of Year in adult life?
Their performances in assemblies this week has been memorable too, cheesy in the extreme. Concealed in the aforementioned wardrobe, elf-behatted HoYs and other ancillary services have been jumping out to sing to the people. Year 7 nearly died of excitement yesterday morning: year 9 were more phlegmatic on Monday.
So, having established that Heads of Year of any size are inherently comical in conical hats, we prohibited any kind of excitement going into assembly as the 270 assemblees had to be threaded through the up-to-270 revisionists to get into the hall. Simple instructions were sufficient, we assume that sporadic reminders instil precise cooperation. Crucial, daily orders were implemented effectively, for which we show our gratitude. Do you see what I did there? 11 words of the week! Impressive or what?
Were I younger, I could be rewarded for such egregious compliance. Certainly M, who visited me three times on Thursday, seems to feel that his devotion should reap points of some kind. He's got 87 points and is keen to make 100. He may have left it too late.
This afternoon we rest from our labours after our traditional Christmas whole-school assembly, the only time we're all together as a school. It takes 200% longer than the assembly itself to get everyone in and out, but we think it worth doing just for the spectacle and the experience. This is our school, our village, our home from home for the days and the years and it's good to be together once a year.
Next door a bell rings for four Prime Ministers and the Secretary General to reflect on their achieving world peace. Compared to the scenes in Parliament yesterday, their noisy excitement is enthusiastic and positive. They know that far-sightedness and cooperation are vital to policy-making and the security of the people.
The originator of the wardrobe, C S Lewis, who I otherwise find irritating, once said:
'The worst attitude of all would be the professional attitude which regards children in the lump as a sort of raw material which we have to handle.
He's right about that, and educators have a lot to answer for. Much worse, though, are the adults – politicians and others alike – who don't regard children at all.
My hero Eglantyne Jebb wrote 'Every war is a war against children', and every policy is a policy for or against children. I've watched with despair the BBC's reports on the effects of Universal Credit and public service cuts in Hartlepool. My first headship was in that community, and they couldn't afford to get any poorer. Every social decision makes children's lives easier or harder, now or in the future. Some political party needs to stand for that. I don't much care about anything else. Here's to a better 2019.
Tallis in the woods
We know it's Christmas at Tallis when the red tags are issued to decorate the trees with messages of hope and happiness. Thursday was Christmas Show day with lots of excitable Tallisees running about in dancing gear and suchlike, feeling important by being on the wrong lunch and performing while their compatriots are slogging through the curriculum.
Yea, even unto week 14 and in these last two weeks, mock GCSEs. The new exams have a lot of stuff in them and year 11 looked distinctly queasy by Wednesday. We teach them the right behaviour for the task so lining up in the canteen, ushering upstairs in silence to the be-desked Sports Hall, shushed by Sir on the landing, Miss on the stairs, Sir at the door. And me, hassling thoughtlessly raucous small inmates: 'Stand aside! These people are going to an exam!' as if they were slightly bemused gods progressing to a test on Mount Olympus. Anyway, its back to basketball in the big space now, until we gather as a whole village on Wednesday for the Christmas Assembly.
Likewise the Gallery, a much-used space. Exams this week, governors' meetings, anti-Gangs work and a visit from a team of researchers at the British Museum interspersed by tetchiness 'who left the tables like this?'. And the hall: exams, staff briefing, assembly, and tonight the Christmas show Tallis in the Woods. Spaces have specific meaning in schools but flexible spaces are where we train our young for the unpredictability of the outside world. This is what's expected, these are the conventions, don't worry about how to behave, we'll teach you to be secure so we can teach you to be confident. That being said, in the last staff briefing of 2017 I amused myself gathering views through the medium of head shaking and nodding. Funnier for me than them, I said. Sorry.
'Something Christmassy?' requested Heads of Year 7 and 8 so I was away. Having watched Cressida Dick on the news, I was impressed by the quantity and inventiveness of her hand gestures even when sitting with a select committee. So we gathered in the Sports Hall, I waved my arms about a lot and got 540 11-13 year olds to think about the shape of the school year, festivals of light, nativity plays in their past and how all the characters in the ancient story behave unexpectedly. I asked them which parts they'd played and then had to stretch my interpretation to cover 'trees' and 'bales of hay', let alone donkeys. Bales of hay? That's a primary school with more actors than useful parts.
Something Christmassy in maths too this week. Venn diagrams: what's warm, what's festive, what's made of fruit? Lee was away with dreams of a warm mince pie: Tommy trying to persuade Sir that turkey is fruit-based. What falls outside the circles? Shoes! Dogs! Another maths lesson, another set of sets (vets' clients) and Mario's howl 'I'm having trouble with the dogs'. We teach children to categorise and analyse so they can contain the world in their heads, but sometimes stuff doesn't fit and we need to find a way through uncertainty.
Which is why herself had to forage in the archives for a new box of hankies. My room has multiple uses too: meetings, interviews, book looks, arguments, crises, exasperations and the imponderables of human life. Hankies provided, if we can find a new box. I'm writing our Christmas cards today. No winsome drawings of robins and Santa by a perky year 7 for us. Christmas is about a baby, the only character who behaves as expected in the nativity play, the eternal symbol of hope. Our card this year is another lovely sixth form portrait of a young person, and a line from Eglantyne Jebb whose work founded Save the Children: all wars are wars against children.
So as their government forget to count the Rohingya refugee children we look on the clear-eyed face of a girl and try to think about a better future. Tallis in the Woods combined all sorts of music, dance, film and drama with Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and a mystery demon caretaker in an anarchic feast of harmony and wit. As the song says, how do you measure a year? 525 600 minutes? We measure it by hours, lessons, breaks, queues, jokes, plays, trips, events, detentions, quiet, nudging, scuffling and forests of hands up. It's a training for life until they're old enough to put it behind them and change the world for the better. Who says that won't require dancing?


On May 16, the Asperger's Association of New England, (AANE) is offering at Bike Riding 101 for Parents workshop in Watertown, MA (Boston) from 7 8:30pm. The presentation will help parents break down the complex process of riding a bike into manageable steps for children with Asperger Syndrome and related disabilities. There is a $40 fee for AANE members ($50 for non-members). For more information, including partial scholarships, or to register, call 617-393-3824 or email info@aane.org.
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The Falling Asleep of the Theotokos
Source: Fr. Bill's Blog
Fr. Bill Olnhausen | 28 August 2018
The Dormition Fast: Fasting Bodily and Spiritually
Dormition of the Theotokos Icon
Dormition of Theotokos: The 'Easter' of Summer
Orthodox title this day the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos – or her Dormition (from the Latin) or her Kimissis (Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου) in Greek. "Falling asleep" means death. *
This term is used several times in the New Testament to refer to death. If we are repentant and in the grace of God, dying is like falling asleep with Christ on this side and waking up with Christ on the other side. After death we will still have a lot of growing to do before we come to perfection, but please don't believe any of the "scare" theories about what happens. Our God "is good and loves mankind".
People all over the world honor their departed loved ones. It's the natural thing to do. I pray for my mother daily. Last week when we were traveling in Ohio my son, grandson and I (it was a guys' trip) stopped at my parents' grave and offered Trisagion prayers for them.
Say hello to my son David and my grandson Matthew.
I pray for my mom especially on the date of her death, July 25. Did the Virgin Mary really die on August 15? No one knows for sure. But my uneducated guess is that if, 34 years later, I remember the date of my mother's death, the early Christians likely remembered the date of Mary's death and passed it down in the Church.
OK, so her death is not recorded in the Bible. But she was there in the very early Church (Acts 1:14), and Christ had given her into the care of the Apostle John the Theologian. How could the early Christians possibly have forgotten her and her death? this Woman who was the Theotokos, the "bearer of God"? who raised and shaped our dear Lord Jesus when he was a boy? this Woman who has become our Mother, too?
Our Mother Mary
I know some folks have an issue with this title, but listen: After being born of the Virgin Mary, Christ then took his new human family and expanded it into the Church. All who are baptized become children of his Father, and brothers and sisters of Jesus, and if you take him you also get his whole family. When my son in law married into the family, he didn't get to pick and choose among us. That's just the way life is. So on what basis should anyone exclude Mary, our Lord's Mother? For if we are adopted siblings of Jesus, then we are adopted children of his Mother. Mary is Mother of the whole Christian family, Mother of the Church. What could be more obvious?
When she and his adoptive brothers went out to see if he was taking care of himself, Jesus looked at the crowd and said, "Who are my mother and my brothers? All who do the will of my Father in heaven are my brother and sister and mother." Matthew 12:46-50 An obvious reference to Mary's "Be it unto me according to your word." I remember an old movie which focused on Mary's face as he said this. Her initial shock (are we being rejected?) slowly turned into a big smile, as she looked out over the crowd, and you could see her realizing: "My family! they're all my children!"
Orthodox genuinely, naturally love our Mother Mary. To forget her and her death seems almost offensive to us – to think of people ignoring Mom!
What happened at her death?
Roman Catholics title this day the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They believe that at Mary's death she was assumed ("translated", "moved") bodily into heaven – although it was not till 1950 (!) that they declared this to be a dogma necessary for salvation. A few Roman Catholics have even believed that the Mother of God did not die.This is the rather sentimental Latin approach. Compare it to the more sober Orthodox icon below.
Protestants are equally dogmatic. They dogmatically disbelieve in her Assumption. I once visited a Lutheran church which had been given a set of Orthodox icons of the annual feasts. They had them hanging on the walls in the entrance way, for people to see as they went into the church. Good for them! Except for the icon of the Falling Asleep of Mary which showed her Son receiving her soul. I mean, how controversial could that be?! But they offered to give the icon to me "because it isn't Biblical". (That again!) Dogmatic disbelief. I almost said, "Neither is Martin Luther", but I held my tongue. And took the icon.
What exactly do Orthodox believe? We are not so dogmatic as either the Roman Catholics or the Protestants. We certainly believe she was "translated", taken into heaven ("assumed" in that sense) and glorified there, but, as I say, our Dormition icon shows only Christ receiving her soul under the image of a little child. We have no official teaching about her bodily Assumption.
The first written accounts of her funeral and Assumption appear late, in the 5th and 6th centuries, though they are certainly the product of earlier unwritten tradition. (You might want to read the little book On the Dormition of Mary, which is part of the Popular Patristics series available from Saint Vladimir's Press.) Some of them say that 3 days after her burial her tomb was found empty. At our services, we sing about some of the stories from these accounts: her burial in Gethsemane, how the Apostles were gathered (on the "clouds") for her funeral, how Thomas was late again, how Bishop Philotheos of Athens was also there and sang beautifully. (I think this last detail is evidence for the authenticity of the account. Why ever would anyone make this up?) But so far as I can find, we do not sing about her being assumed bodily.
This is the Troparion for her Falling Asleep. Since the English text is provided only "mid-video", I'll include it here:
"O Theotokos, in giving birth you were preserved in virginity, and in your falling asleep you have not forsaken the world. For since you were the Mother of Life, you were translated into Life. Therefore by your intercessions, deliver our souls from death."
However, the Theotokos has been fully part of the Church, present all over the world. Some saints seem to concentrate their efforts especially in certain areas or for particular purposes. She has been not only in heaven, but here, doing everything everywhere for everybody, like no other saint. Father Alexander Schmemann wrote an essay called The Presence of Mary, pointing out that if you just hang around the Church for a while you discover for yourself that she is here – like her Son, "more present" on earth universally than she was during her earthly lifetime. We don't need dogmatic definitions to know that.
It is a Mystery. But…
An Episcopal priest friend of mine once said to me, "I want a straight answer: What do you Orthodox really believe? Was she assumed bodily or wasn't she? Yes or no." I answered, "Well… must we have a dogmatic answer? It's a mystery." – the typical Orthodox answer when we can't think what to say. But really, it is a mystery.
However, there are good reasons to believe in Mary's bodily Assumption:
1 Most Orthodox seem to have believed in it. The people of God matter here. Some Orthodox churches are dedicated to her Assumption, for example the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Madison, Wisconsin.
2 There are no relics of Mary. The cult of relics began very early in Christian history – and again naturally so. Bodies are good, created by God. For that reason traditionally, as still in Orthodoxy, Christians have not cremated the dead. In the Judaeo-Christian tradition we have honored the bodies and burial places of our loved ones. Saint Peter's body lies in honor in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Saint Paul's body likewise lies in Saint Paul's Outside the Walls. Saint Andrew has moved around a great deal, but his head at least is now back in Patras in Greece where he was crucified, and he is honored there. And so on with a multitude of saints, ancient and modern. But there have never been any relics of Mary. If, as tradition says, she was buried in Gethsemane, her relics have never been found there or anywhere else. Would the early Christians, would the Church have just lost her? There must be another explanation for the absence of her relics. The simplest one is that there weren't any.
3 It is doctrinally acceptable. There is Old Testament precedent. Elijah/Elias was taken bodily into heaven, and tradition said Moses was too, and probably Enoch. Christ took his risen body with him into heaven at the Ascension. He promised the resurrection of our bodies. We say in the Creed that we "look for the resurrection of the dead." That means our bodies. Heaven is great enough to take in matter, to receive our bodies. Heaven is not less than physical, it is more than physical. Heaven is super-physical, super-material. In heaven we will be not be less than we are here, but more than we are here. As Blessed Mary already is.
4 Here on earth she has given us so many material signs of her presence. Weeping icons with material "myrrh" – which is just a word for that for which we have no words – flowing from the eyes of innumerable icons. These are not common, but they are far from rare. I have seen 2, maybe 3, myself and I have heard first-hand of many more, and read of far more, all over the world. Are these material manifestions here signs that she is bodily present on the other side?
Fr. Bill Olnhausen
Orthodox title this day the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos – or her Dormition (from the Latin) or her Kimissis (Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου) in Greek. "Falling asleep" means death. * This term is used several times in the New Testament to refer to death. If we are repentant and in the grace of God, ...
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David Gill
Former Manchester United chief executive David Gill set to be named FIFA vice-president
The former Red Devils boardroom boss was initially reluctant to stand for the role, but was convinced by support from the FA and from UEFA
James WhalingAssistant Sports Editor
Elected: Gill looks set to become a FIFA vice-president (Image: Getty)
Former Manchester United chief executive David Gill looks set to be elected as a vice-president of FIFA.
The former Red Devils boardroom boss was initially reluctant to stand for the role, but was convinced by support from the FA and from UEFA president Michel Platini.
Sepp Blatter, 79, looks likely to win a fifth term in office, and FA chairman Greg Dyke has backed him to ask the tough questions necessary of the Swiss' regime.
"David will be the sort of person who will do the job as a FIFA executive committee member properly," Dyke said.
"He will not be afraid of asking appropriate questions. In fact perhaps FIFA needs to have someone from the awkward squad asking tough questions.
Backing: Dyke has given Gill his support (Image: Getty)
"He has a strong background in finance so if there are financial questions he will know what to ask and what to look for.
"There is a feeling that there have been too many acolytes and not enough people asking difficult questions and ensuring that decisions are taken in a transparent, ethical and business-like manner."
Gill's only opponent for the position is the Welsh FA president Trefor Lloyd Hughes, but the ex-United chief is expected to comfortably win the vote.
He will replace Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland on Fifa's ruling executive committee in May.
Gill, Sir Alex Ferguson's right-hand man during the most successful period in Old Trafford history, stepped down as chief executive of the club when Fergie called it a day in 2013. He remains on the board as a director, along with Sir Alex.


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For all enquiries 01242 522136
Louise Rahmanou
Physiotherapy for Gynaecological Issues
The Mummy MOT
Home›About us›Louise Rahmanou
MSc (Women's Health Physiotherapy) BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, BSc(Hons) (Human Biol), MCSP, HCPC reg, MPGOP.
Louise has gained a wealth of experience throughout her career working in the NHS and private practice in London and Cheltenham including: NHS: Gloucester Royal Hospital, Cheltenham General Hospital, Guys and St Thomas' Hospital, London, University College Hospital, Private: The Lister Hospital, Chelsea, St Johns and St Elizabeth Hospital, St Johns Wood, The Princess Grace Hospital, Marylebone.
As a specialist in women's health, Louise set up the 'PT Practice for Women' in Harley Street, London, in 2006. She opened a second branch of the practice in Cheltenham, 'Physiotherapy for Women', in 2016 having moved to live in the area with her family. Louise is a state-registered physiotherapist and full member of the Association for Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP). She also attends national courses and international conferences to maintain her expertise and knowledge of new developments and the most up-to-date research in the field.
Louise is passionate about raising awareness about women's health and holistic care, looking at the whole person, physically and emotionally. She believes in working within a team of dedicated professionals to help women achieve optimal health and well-being. As a result, she has established partnerships with local, like-minded specialists.
She provides an amicable, accessible and professional environment for patients. As a mother of two, she has a good understanding of many issues faced by the women she treats giving a level of empathy that is important when discussing and dealing with personal matters.
Claire: 'Louise was so easy to open up to because she really understood where I was coming from.'
Briony: 'I felt so comfortable explaining everything to Louise. There is something about talking to someone that can relate to what you're saying. She was the first person since the birth who was actually interested in the whole of me, emotional and physical.'
Louise Rahmanou MCSP SRP Registered Physiotherapist
Louise's has almost 20 years experience working in the NHS and private practice throughout her career. She is passionate about helping women achieve optimal pelvic health through all phases of womanhood, such as postnatal recovery, menopause and beyond.
Copyright © 2020 PT Practice for Women


Dental implant candidate is a person who had good general health and oral health. A best candidate should have healthy gum tissues and adequate jaw bone is required to support the implant.
A patient who wishes to undergo a dental implant will have to undergo comprehensive medical check up to determine his fitness for the procedure. The dental surgeon will evaluate the available medical and dental histories and suggest for X-ray and sometimes for axial tomography scan which will help him to evaluate the condition of the jaw bones like texture and quality of the jaw bone available for implant. The radiographic image will help him to determine the locations of adjacent nerves, sinus etc. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes and smoking habit are not suitable for dental implants because these are ample reasons for the failure of implants. Careful planning of the treatment process is very important in dental implants.
The prostheses used for dental implant which are the products of the cutting edge technology also help to save the existing healthy teeth as no support from the adjacent teeth are not required in dental implant. These implants can also bear a pressure of 450 lbs/sq.inch while chewing as compared to 540 lbs/sq.inch capacity of the natural teeth. In this context it has to be noted that dentures can bear a pressure of 100f t lbs/sq.inch he pressure that a normal teeth can bear.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Resolve: Do Better for the Bay
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has set some New Year resolutions for the federal government: buff up (riparian buffers, that is) and stop the smoking (from the Ohio Valley).
CBF made their recommendations to the federal interagency committee overseeing President Obama's 2009 Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection. That order requires USDA, EPA and other federal agencies to develop a coordinated strategy for restoration and set milestones for progress along the way. But despite increases in conservation farming practices throughout the watershed and unexpected gains from improvements in air quality in recent decades, the region is still off track for meeting the 2025 restoration goals in these two categories.
What gives? USDA reported last month that, between 2006 and 2011, farmers in the Bay watershed increased conservation practices that keep nitrogen and phosphorus on fields and out of waterways. These included so-called structural practices such as terraces and contour farming as well as forested riparian buffers. But restoration plans in each of the six Bay states rely on buffers in particular to reduce nutrient runoff – a total of 185,000 additional acres of forest buffers by 2025, or more than 14,000 acres per year. Forested buffers are one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the level of nutrients entering water according to Dr. Beth McGee, CBF's Senior Water Quality Scientist, and they provide multiple other environmental benefits including shading streams and storing carbon. But in 2012, only about 2,000 additional acres in the Bay watershed were converted to forest buffers.
The feds aren't the only players when it comes to buffers – state agencies, individuals, and nonprofit groups also play a critical role — yet the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) provides valuable help by funding farmers to make the shift and offering technical assistance on how to do so. McGee would like to see more dollars available to USDA to recruit new farmers and provide even greater assistance. CREP has been comatose since the Farm Bill expired in October. Even if Congress passes a new Farm Bill this winter – as many hope they will – funding is likely to be lower than in the past, not higher. Bay supporters will need to find other ways to fill that gap.
EPA has a different gap to fill: When calculating water quality standards known as TMDLs (for Total Maximum Daily Loads), EPA included future nitrogen reductions from coal fired power plants in the Ohio Valley expected under new clean air rules. But those rules have been challenged in court and remain in legal limbo. So CBF is turning to the Clean Water Act to clean up the air as well. They believe a 2009 court case allows EPA to identify power plants and other major emitters as point sources of water pollution, adding nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere that then rain down on the Bay and its tributaries. If implemented, this would be a novel application of the Clean Water Act's point source provisions. Regardless, McGee says EPA and USDA both could do more to reduce nitrogen emissions from large poultry houses and animal waste lagoons. Ammonia from these facilities contributes as much as one-third of the nitrogen entering the Bay from the air.
It's unclear how federal agencies will respond to these recommendations and what 2014 will mean for Bay restoration. One thing is clear: Restoration is a complicated, multifaceted process requiring regular progress on all fronts.
Dreaming of a white (and green) ChristmasDoes the Potomac Pass the Test?
2 thoughts on "Resolve: Do Better for the Bay"
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Fantasy Men's Basketball
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Mavericks rule Doncic (ankle sprain) out vs. Jazz
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LeBron, Giannis voted as All-Star Game captains
Victor Wembanyama: The latest news and stats on the top 2023 NBA draft prospect
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NBA MVP race: How close behind Nikola Jokic is Joel Embiid?
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2dEric Moody
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Nick FriedellESPN Staff Writer
Nick Friedell is the Chicago Bulls beat reporter for ESPN Chicago. Friedell is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and joined ESPNChicago.com for its launch in April 2009.
Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins on Monday explained his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine, noting that he felt "forced" to do so in order to continue his NBA career.
"The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA," Wiggins said after the Warriors' preseason opener at the Portland Trail Blazers, his first public comments since getting the shot. "It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I'm still healthy."
Wiggins' decision comes after the league recently declined his application for a religious exemption. The topic of Wiggins' vaccination status came into question prior to training camp given the restrictions from the San Francisco Department of Public Health requiring anyone age 12 or over to be vaccinated to attend indoor events. As part of that mandate, beginning Oct. 13, Warriors players must show proof of vaccination before entering Chase Center, unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption.
Wiggins, 26, went into detail about why he was so hesitant to get the shot, noting that he doesn't hold any ill will toward the Warriors organization for how the situation played out.
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"They didn't make the rule," Wiggins said. "But I guess to do certain stuff, to work, I guess you don't own your body. That's what it comes down to. If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do. Hopefully, there's a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them."
Wiggins said he received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, which will allow him to not miss any practice time and be fully vaccinated prior to the Warriors' Oct. 21 home opener against the LA Clippers.
Wiggins noted that he contracted COVID-19 previously and "it wasn't too bad." He also said he had an allergic reaction to something a couple of years ago, describing it as a "scary moment" that resulted in him now carrying an EpiPen.
"I know a lot of people get reactions or injuries from getting the vaccination, so I don't know what it's going to do to me in 10 years," he said.
"I feel like I could go on for days about why I didn't want to get it. Most importantly, I don't know what's going to happen or what it's going to do to my body in 10, 20 years. ... But I guess it's something that had to get done."
Wiggins said he is dealing with some body aches and chills after getting vaccinated, but he was still able to play 16 minutes and score 13 points in Monday's 121-107 win over the Blazers.
Wiggins also said he is the only member of his family who is vaccinated.
"It's not really something we believe in as a family," he said. "They know that I had to. It came down to get the vaccination or don't play basketball. I'm 26. I have two kids. I want more kids. I'm trying to do something that will generate as much money as I can for my kids and my future kids, [create] generational wealth. So, I took the gamble, took the risk, and hopefully, I'm good."
Wiggins said he was appreciative of some of the public support he received from teammates. Warriors forward Draymond Green recently said that he didn't think it was his place to push Wiggins toward getting the vaccine.
"It was good," Wiggins said. "It was nothing but love. Especially from Draymond; [Andre] Iguodala said a lot of good stuff. So, there was a lot of support on the team, but whatever decision I decided to make, they were going to stand by it."
Wiggins admitted that "time was not on my side" and explained why he felt compelled to get the shot when he did.
"It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that's going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time," Wiggins said. "It's not something I wanted to do, but I was forced to."


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Bulgaria turns GDPR into media censorship instrument
Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the number 2 in GERB, is the head of the Internal affairs committee in the Bulgarian Parliament [Dnevnik]
Posted By: Editors January 19, 2019
The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered in force last May with the purpose of stopping the abuse with the citizens' private data by business. GDPR is one of the big achievements of the Juncker Commission, it has been acclaimed internationally and positioned the EU as a leader in the field of internet privacy. But, according to an expression in Bulgarian, the political class in this country reads GDPR "as the devil reads the Evangel". Georgi Gotev has the story.
Without any votes against, the Bulgarian parliament Internal affairs committee on 16 January passed amendments to the national Data Protection Law, allegedly inspired by GDPR, but in reality aiming at silencing media. The amendments open the door for a state body – the Commission for protection of personal data – to scrutinise publications under 10 criteria [page 8 of this document], the obvious aim being to discourage journalists or editors from mentioning any names in critical publications.
Among the criteria are the presumed influence of such publications on the person's reputation, the circumstances under which the data published about a given person have become known to the journalist, the importance of the disclosure of personal data for the coverage of an issue of public interest, and other texts the interpretation of which can only be subjective.
The Commission for protection of personal data can impose fines of 4% of the annual turnover of the "guilty" media only if it finds that a publication has encroached into the personal space of the person cited, whatever this may mean. A series of such fines could wreck any Bulgarian media.
Right defenders denounced the changes to the legislation as tantamount to media censorship in breach of the Constitution. The NGO "Access to Information" waged battles with the competent Internal affairs committee of the Parliament before the vote, but found no support among MPs: only one lawmaker from the opposition BSP abstained during the vote.
Lawyer Alexander Kashamov from Access to Information Programme said this was the only GDPR-inspired legislation in the EU, which introduces such a wide menu of possibilities to limit the journalistic expression. He reminded that the GDPR regulation specifically states it is not infringing to the freedom of information and expression.
We can only imagine how would reporting in Bulgaria look like when the law will be passed. Most probably no one will dare to mention names of graft suspects, especially when the state machinery would be eager to silence the disclosures. And it's not surprising that the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (DPS) are not against. BSP hopes to accede to power, while DPS is always on power positions, even when officially it is in opposition.
In Romania too, the authorities misuse EU legislation to require journalists to reveal their sources. RISE Project, an award-winning investigative journalism outlet in Romania, was recently ordered by the Romanian Data Protection Authority to reveal its sources under the threat of a fine of up to €20 million based on the EU's GDPR directive. [More]
TOPICS:BulgariacensorshipGDPRmedia freedomRomania
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BOARD MEETINGS |
ANTHONY WILLAMS
Board Chair | Legal
Anthony Williams is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2006 and practices in the admiralty and maritime, construction, toxic tort, gaming industry litigation, and litigation areas. Anthony's experience includes insurance defense, automotive casualty, commercial litigation, transportation law and governmental affairs. Anthony has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and counselor to his clients, many of whom include the nation's largest corporate entities, by offering thoughtful and practical advice on litigation management, trial strategy and litigation technology. Anthony began his legal career as the first African American lawyer to practice at New Orleans' Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson and was voted to the partnership of that firm after only four years. He was selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as a 2013 Leadership in Law Award recipient.
He is engaged in the Greater New Orleans community, especially with his alma mater, Jesuit High School, where he has served for nine years on Reverend Father President's Advisory Council, including one year as Chairman. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Catholic Foundation and currently chairs the Board of Trustees of The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men.
He holds an undergraduate degree from Tulane University where he played NCAA Division I baseball and a law degree from Louisiana State University.
LAUREN CLEMENT
Board Secretary | Community Relations
After a successful tenure with Caps for Kids, Lauren L. Clement now devotes her expertise and considerable energies) to The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men serving on its Board of Trustees. Notable is her Board leadership experience including service as Vice President of Caps for Kids following her time as its Executive Director. Lauren was also a board member for the Holy Cross School Parent Advisory Board for four years serving as the Sophomore Class Representative, Vice President, President, and Past President. Lauren also served as the 2017 Holy Cross Gala Co-Chairman, the school's largest fundraising event.
Her experience as the Executive Director of Caps for Kids is invaluable to the formulation of the development strategy of The Arthur School. Her responsibilities there included:
• Managed all public relations including radio and television interviews
• Developed, nurtured and executed all fundraising activities
• Cultivated and managed local and national membership
• Established and maintained relationships with ninety-three participating national pediatric medical facilities
• Corresponded and communicated with national celebrities and their management teams
• Worked with twelve Major League Baseball teams for a national fundraising event for three consecutive years
• Worked with several minor league hockey teams for a national fundraising event
Lauren holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and a Master's of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University.
JOHN GERRETS
Board Treasurer | Finance
John Gerrets is a life-long New Orleanian who has not only had an accomplished professional career but has devoted his time and talents to community service.
A graduate of Loyola University, John is a Certified Public Accountant who currently serves as the CFO of Versa Tech Automation Services.
Prior to that he was CFO of Holy Cross School where he had an opportunity to use his skills to help his alma mater continue operations post Hurricane Katrina. His significant accomplishments include but are not limited to the following:
• Designed and implemented a system to manage all financial aspects of a $115mm construction project to construct a new middle and high school for boys
• Responsible for issuance of $15mm of tax-exempt public bonds in connection with above
• Designed and implemented an accounting and internal control system in MAS90 to manage a middle and high school for boys
• Designed, implemented, and tested all phases of internal control procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) section 404
• Negotiated credit with banking institutions to finance a 100% increase in operations
• Served as trustee of the company's benefit programs to evaluate and negotiate annual renewal for insurance, 401(k) and voluntary benefit programs
John remains committed to giving back to the community of New Orleans by holding leadership positions on a number of non-profit boards including the St. Dominic Catholic School board as well as the board of The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men.
DR. STEPHEN BROSSETTE
Academics | Entrepreneurial Thinking
Stephen Brossette, MD, PhD is a scientist and entrepreneur. His first company, MedMined, was acquired by Cardinal Health in 2006 and is now part of Becton Dickinson. He is currently the scientific lead and cofounder of Indicator Sciences. His work focuses on the statistical analysis of healthcare data and on a computer vision system that differentiates authentic from counterfeit medications using smartphones. That system, MedSnap, has been presented at the World Health Organization and United Nations in Geneva, was successfully tested in Laos, and is under active development for large-scale deployment in the poor and middle-income countries. Dr. Brossette was honored by MIT's Technology Review as one of the world's top 100 young innovators in 2002. He holds several patents and is the author of a number of peer-reviewed scientific publications.
KYM BURKE
Human Resources and Talent Management
Kym is a big picture thinker and tactical implementer who helps companies and teams achieve transformation. She works across the spectrum of HR capabilities and people solutions. She currently leads the HR shared services arm at Cox Automotive.
Kym has spent her career in leading and managing HR change, communication and service delivery transformation and evolution. She's worked in a variety of industries with a variety of workforces to adopt and adapt best practices to best solutions. She has led organizational change and communication, mergers and acquisitions, service delivery, event planning, portfolio and program management, and process reengineering.
Kym is a certified Project Management Professional, Six Sigma Black Belt and Synetics-trained Facilitator with degrees from Penn State and University of Maryland; she is an IABC, NY Film Festival and Washington Area Music Association award winner and published author.
DR. MIKE EDMONDS
Mike Edmonds, PhD, is the Dean of Students/Vice President of Student Life at Colorado College, where he has served for nearly 30 years. Dean Edmonds is also an Executive in Residence in the Economics and Business Department. Dean Edmonds holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master's, and Ph.D. from Ole Miss, and was inducted as a Hall of Fame graduate in 1984. He has completed a post-graduate institute at Harvard University, and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership. He frequently judges for the National Speech and Debate Association.
Dean Edmonds is a member of the North Central Institution Action Committee of the Higher Learning Commission, and serves as a peer reviewer for accreditation visits. At Colorado College, he has been recognized with the Colorado College Center for Service and Learning Award; the Victor Nelson Cisneros Diversity Award, which was presented at the 2010 Colorado College Honors Convocation; and the 2011 Gresham Riley Award, which recognizes faculty and staff of the College who have made a significant difference to the Colorado College community through outstanding service, commitment and accomplishment.
Nationally, Dean Edmonds is a member of the Lott Institute Trustees at the University of Mississippi and the School of Liberal Arts Board of Trustees at Ole Miss. He is treasurer of the Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha forensics honorary. Regionally, Dean Edmonds is a past chair of the Board of Trustees for Memorial Health System, past chair of United Way for the Pikes Peak Region, a member of the Tocqueville Society United Way and on the Board of Trustees of the Colorado Springs School. He is past chair and current member of the Board of Directors of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, president-elect of the Great West American Cancer Society Board of Directors, and past member of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Board. He was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to serve on the Fourth District Judicial Commission of Colorado and served as chair of the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Commission. Dean Edmonds holds a professional membership in Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha and is a silver lifetime member of the NAACP.
Dean Edmonds has been honored with the Educator of the Year Award from the Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region; the national St. George Award from the American Cancer Society; the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forensic League; the MLK award from James Logan High school in Union City, CA; the Delores Taylor Arthur Award from Holy Cross High School in New Orleans; the Men of Achievement award from Delta Sigma Theta; and the Citizen of the Year Award from Omega Psi Phi. He was the recipient and awardee of the Uplift Community Foundation's support in 2015. For his work in speech and forensics, he has been recognized with the National Speech and Debate Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, and inducted into the Gold Key Society at Emory University.
CYNTHIA BUTLER MCINTYRE
Academics | Management and Operations
Cynthia Butler-McIntyre is an educator who formerly served as a director of human resources for the Jefferson Parish Public School System in Harvey, LA. She has impacted the lives of countless young people for over 30 years as a teacher, assistant principal, summer school principal and personnel administrator in her school district. Her professional experience also includes her service as executive director of Tech-Prep Summer Program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, LA. She has also worked as the assistant coordinator of field experiences and College of Education supervisor for early childhood student teaching experiences for the University of New Orleans.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood education at Dillard University. At the age of 20, she earned a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction/educational administration at the University of New Orleans. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree in religious education from the Louisiana Christian Bible College.
Cynthia is the 24th National President of Delta SigmaTheta Sorority, Inc. Initiated into the Sorority through the Beta Gamma Chapter of Dillard University on November 30, 1973, Butler-McIntyre has served Delta with distinction at the local, state, regional and national levels which has earned her the respect and admiration of the membership. She is lovingly regarded as "A Leader with a Servant's Heart."
Butler-McIntyre's distinguished service and outstanding achievements have been recognized by numerous professional, civic and religious organizations on the local, state and national levels. Some of her recognitions include: National Alliance of Black School Educators Lifetime Achievement Award in Education, Shiners Hall of Fame, Women of Substance Inductee (Bennett College), Langston University Presidential Award, Dillard University Distinguished Alumnus Award, MLK Outstanding Activist Honoree, YWCA Role Model and Louisiana Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year. Other honors include: Distinguished Woman of Honor, Trailblazer's Award, Women Who Make A Difference – Women in the Ministry, SHEroes of the Present, Presidential Service Award, Distinguished Public Servant Award, African American Hall of Fame, Who's Who in American Education, Outstanding Alumnus of a Historically Black College or University, Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Gospel Speaker, Outstanding Young Women of America and Delta of the Year.
Butler-McIntyre is an active, life-long member of the Olive Branch Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA. Her professional and community affiliations include: board member of the New Orleans Convention Center, MLK Task Force and The Delta Research and Development Foundation; the National Council of Negro Women, the Louisiana State and American Association of School Personnel Administrators, the Founding President, Algiers-Gretna Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
As a motivational, educational and religious speaker, Butler-McIntyre has inspired thousands and she lives by the words from 1 Peter 4:10 which states in part that "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others."
She is married to Mr. Ronney McIntyre, owner/operator of McIntyre Masonry, and they reside in New Orleans. Through her marriage she has four children: Shavonny, Ronney, Jr., Ciara and Rachaud; and two grandchildren, Gavon and Angie.
MIKEAL SWIFT
Mikeal Amacker Swift is a wife, mother, nurse and life-long resident of Orleans Parish. Since childhood she has been caring for those around her with skill and compassion. Having once a been young Candy Striper and then a Summer Science Apprentice under the program leadership of the late Ms. Oretha Castle Hailey, Mikeal knows the influence mentorship can have on a child. Mikeal is now a Registered Nurse with over 20 years' experience in the field and in 2010 was named Healthcare Hero by City Business Magazine. Mikeal has served as Director of Nursing at St. Charles Surgical Hospital where she guided the care of women whose lives had impacted by breast cancer. In keeping with her devotion to promoting healing and recovery, Mikeal is currently employed as Med Surg Nurse Manager at Ochsner Baptist Hospital.
DR. LISA TROPEZ-ARCENEAUX
Dr. Lisa L. Tropez-Arceneaux is a currently a Pediatric Psychologist in New Orleans, LA. She has worked with children since she was a child herself. At 11 years old she earned her CPR license and began babysitting to earn money. She is a graduate of Xavier University of New Orleans. She earned her doctorate degree in Honolulu, Hawaii, completed her internship at Howard University Hospital and her fellowship in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in Pediatric Burns at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. It was during this time in 2006 that she began working with young girls who, survived severe burns, in the areas of body image, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and resiliency. She has traveled extensively with Physicians for Peace to care for children in Central and South America who suffered burn injuries.
In 2011, Dr. Tropez-Arceneaux became the International Burn Psychologist for Aproquen Burn Hospital in Nicaragua. In 2016, along with Aproquen she started the first burn camp in Central America for children who survived burn injuries. Her research from the camp was given multiple awards. The most prestigious award was from the American Burn Association honoring her for the Best Pediatric Research Paper of 2016. She continues to work closely with the staff of Aproquen and they hope to have another burn camp soon. Her passion to work with children has a long history that will likely continue throughout her career.
Dr. Tropez-Arceneaux is also passionate about her infant mental health work since 2000, where she actively fights for early interventions for children ages zero to five. She is equally committed to Maternal Fetal Health where she works with at risk teenager girls. Her most recent research involves defining a protocol for postpartum depression in teenage mothers. In all of her work, she believes in early intervention and prevention.
LLPearls is another component on that continuum of prevention, resiliency and care for the psychological well-being of children. She created the concept of LLPearls, which is an organization that develops young ladies body positivity who and all aspects of becoming a wellrounded beautiful lady inside and out. From physical well-being, emotional strength, to age appropriate fashion and style. This is the first program of this caliber for girls in New Orleans and it is just a small representation of the lifelong work Dr. Tropez-Arceneaux.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Tropez-Arceneaux has served on multiple school boards, served as President of Board of Directors for several community organizations and local organizations. She is also an active alumni member of Xavier University.
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Persona 3 Portable (Switch) Review
by Jordan Rudek - January 17, 2023, 12:00 pm EST
Shooting yourself in the head shouldn't be this satisfying.
Since its original release over a decade ago, Persona 3 Portable had long been trapped on Sony's PSP and Vita. Debuting after the original Persona 3 and Persona 3 FES, Portable is famous for allowing players to choose a female protagonist from the beginning of the game, which Persona 4 and 5 would move away from. P3P is also condensed in terms of movement and exploration, taking a cursor and menu-based approach in contrast to physically moving a character from area to area, at least outside of the series' traditional dungeon crawling. Without question, it skews on the longer end of JRPGs, with my most recent playthrough clocking in at just over 40 hours, and that's as someone who had finished it once before on Vita and played quickly for review purposes. The upgrades brought to this remaster of P3P, though, help it retain staying power as a solid and engaging entry in a series that has continued to gain a fanbase.
P3P begins with a choice between a male or a female protagonist, and I opted for the latter. As a new transfer student, you move into a dorm with fellow students who end up becoming your friends and party members. The cast definitely has a few standouts, such as Aigis who joins the group about halfway through, but on the whole I found them a little less endearing than those from Persona 4 and 5. P3P's narrative is a captivating one, with the school transforming into a massive, multi-floor tower called Tartarus during the Dark Hour, a hidden hour just after midnight. Tartarus represents the primary dungeon of the game, one to which you'll return regularly to power up your characters, acquire new demons (personas), and complete side quests. Outside of the dungeon, every few weeks you have to defeat a boss or two roaming the city during a full moon, but you're given ample warning about when such an event is going to occur.
Guiding your chosen protagonist through the school year during the day and navigating Tartarus and the Dark Hour at night is highly addictive. No matter what activities you take on, you're always making progress in some way. Speaking of the recent Persona games in particular, the feeling of seeing your social stats like Academics, your character level, or your S-Link (Social Link) ranks climb is endlessly gratifying, and having a multitude of choices each in-game day makes the game very hard to put down. I spent much of the early part of the game working at two of the shops at the mall to build up social stats while also earning some money to buy better weapons. With my Courage and Charm at a higher level, I had greater access to different S-Links, so I could unlock more side story beats and make fusing personas more effective.
Tartarus itself contains over 250 floors, and the floors themselves are randomly generated. The floors are divided into six blocks that each provide their own color palette, but for the most part the visuals of the dungeon are fairly boring and repetitive. Persona 4 and especially Persona 5 would improve on this issue quite a bit. Still, the "press-turn" combat system that rewards you with an extra turn when you score a critical hit or strike an enemy's weakness remains a delight, and it's one of my favorite types of combat in a turn-based RPG. Carrying a balanced team that can hit a variety of enemy weak points while also not having your party too susceptible to a specific element or two can be the difference between climbing to higher floors of the dungeon and endlessly seeing your party wiped.
Without a doubt, there are some particularly challenging boss fights throughout P3P. Grinding at various points is practically a necessity, which is made a little easier with some of the customization options added for this remaster. In addition to multiple difficulty levels you can switch between at any time, there's also an experience boost or decrease you can activate. Frankly, trying to get through the final boss gauntlet is such a Herculean task that no one should feel guilty for making ample use of these features.
Reiterating on an early point, the lack of mobility and 3D exploration in P3P does put a bit of a damper on the experience. It's harder to connect with its world and characters because they just aren't as visually realized. That said, there are some genuinely charming, heartwarming, and engaging moments to be found among the game's dozens of hours, and the way in which you almost can't see everything in one playthrough makes its new game plus all the more enticing. From purchasing items through the home shopping channel on Sunday, to meeting the old monk at the club on weekends, and even going on a date with Elizabeth, the character who helps you perform demon fusions and offers most of the game's side quests: P3P is full of day-to-day tasks that manage to captivate in that repetitive RPG fashion. It doesn't hurt that the hip-hop and jazz-infused soundtrack is full of certified bangers.
Even though its sequels would largely improve on the formula, Persona 3 Portable remains an enjoyable but formidable challenge. It packs a healthy amount of content into its lengthy runtime, and if the combination of school life sim and dungeon crawler strikes you, there's little reason not to dive right in. It's worth considering that P3P does feel a fair bit darker in tone and theme, complete with characters needing to shoot themselves in the head to summon their personas. For those who first played the game on PSP or Vita, the visuals and performance have received a noticeable boost over the original version, in addition to now being able to quick save your progress at any time. The update doesn't reinvent the wheel, but added quality of life features definitely make this the ideal way to play Persona 3 Portable.
Lengthy main story with replay value
Nice quality of life updates to the original
Satisfying blend of sim and RPG elements
If the protagonist falls in battle, it's game over
Incredibly tough final dungeon
Menu and cursor-based exploration is less engaging
Developer Atlus
Release Jan 19, 2023
Publisher Atlus
Rating Mature
Persona 3 Portable [Switch]


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Actress Sharon Small: 'It's five years since I played a TV part where I had any sex'
Published: 1:26 AM June 18, 2015 Updated: 1:44 PM October 14, 2020
Sharon Small. Picture: Shaun Webb - Credit: Archant
As she prepares to star in Hampstead Theatre's Luna Gale, the Muswell Hill resident tells Bridget Galton how the theatre is offering her juicier roles in her 40s.
It's a dilemma familiar from countless tragic headlines about the missed chances to save an abused child.
A six-month-old baby with drug addict teen parents is brought to hospital suffering from dehydration. A hard-pressed social worker must decide whether to remove her.
Rebecca Gilman's prize-winning play Luna Gale may be set in Iowa, but it cannot fail to conjure comparisons with our own Baby P or Victoria Climbie.
Centring around jaded welfare officer Caroline, Gilman's drama asks us to spare a thought for those making the toughest of decisions on a daily basis – often with the best intentions.
Sharon Small, who takes the role at Hampstead Theatre, says Gilman cleverly shows the complexity of this burden of responsibility by drip-feeding the audience details of the unfolding case as Caroline works it.
"It really builds as you follow a woman being presented with various social care situations, having to make a judgement call.
"The writing quickly twists and takes turns you don't expect as information presents itself.
"No-one is right or wrong, no-one is vilified. It presents the moral and ethical arguments. But it's not dry. It shows humans trying their best and sometimes failing."
Drained by 25 years working in an underfunded system, witnessing families struggling with poverty and a dilapidated social fabric, Caroline is teetering on the edge of burnout following a mistake "along the lines of Baby P"
"She's really, really good at her job," says Small, whose research has evidently provoked compassion for social workers' plight.
"She works on her instincts, while her new boss wants things done by the book. She's a good improviser who can put a sticking plaster on things to make sure the case is propelled forward, but the system lets her and the clients down."
Social workers, she says, often have to walk into threatening situations where no-one is on their side.
"She has over 90 cases but we only see her working on two."
"It must be so stressful knowing you don't always make the right decision but have to live with it anyway. The system really needs people like her, but she's counting down to retirement."
Presented with the baby's grandmother – a devout Christian who condemns her own daughter as a lost cause – Caroline has to fight her own prejudices against such moralising attitudes,
"She has to decide have the parents neglected their daughter? Do they love her? Are they lost causes? The grandmother looks a good option but is very religious and argues about bringing Luna up in the right way, giving her a 'better life' – the same life her mother was brought up in but went off the rails."
The Muswell Hill resident, a familiar face on TV in the likes of Sunburn, Mistresses and the Inspector Lynley mysteries, says since hitting her mid 40s, theatre has offered juicier roles than TV.
While before she'd audition for parts calling for 'a woman in her late 30s' now she's lumped into a pool of "brilliant actresses" 'aged 40-55' vying for a dwindling number of parts.
"I hit an age when there was less stuff to go up for in TV, but theatre has offered really cracking parts of late. For the RSC I played a woman having an affair with a younger man trying to murder her husband. She was crazy and sexy and it struck me it was about five years since I played a role on TV where I looked like I even had sex."
That said, she is currently on BBC2 in an intriguing two-parter set in her native Scotland, based on Iain Banks' thriller Stonemouth.
"It's a small but pivotal role as the wife of Peter Mullan one of two warring affluent drug families."
Her real life partner, photographer Dan Bridge, became a house husband after their two sons were born to enable her to continue her career. The family live near Albert Road Recreation Ground in Muswell Hill, where Small says the local community is "lovely".
"He still moans, 'Are you not done yet?' but he loves it. Having boys, it's worked out well that they had so much contact with their dad. Though not having a daughter means I sometimes feel I'm talking to myself and wish there was the occasional, 'Mummy did you buy that? Can I go to ballet? Will you do my hair please?"
In the meantime she feels lucky to be back in theatre, working on a UK premiere of a new play.
"So much of drama is about making money, so they are going to chose subject matters which appeal widely. The social care system isn't very attractive to get bums on seats.
"But we need writers to put on what's going on in the world. In TV really complex arguments are not often allowed to happen unless they can be done visually, but theatre is a great platform for a dialogue."
Luna Gale runs at Hampstead Theatre until July 18


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Star soprano to sing 'Happy Birthday'
This column has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia. Image: Cor Frederiks' book.
THE countdown to a special birthday party is under way.
The November 10 party at Sirromet Winery will be one to remember, with performances by the district's star soprano, Mirusia Louwerse, and accomplished bagpipers including Roddy MacDonald, of Wellington Point.
Birthday boy Cor Frederiks is already excited, with his 80th still months away.
"Eighty means nothing – I have another 20 years to go," says the Cleveland accountant. "A lot of very prominent people have been extremely productive in their eighties and nineties.
"You'll find a list of them in my book."
THE Money Bible, which Cor published in 1998, lists politicians, writers, artists and church identities, aged 80 to 100, under the heading, "You're never too old!"
The chapter may give a clue to Cor's birthday guest list.
"If you are dealing with negative people you will be dragged down to their level," he writes.
"Only cultivate friendships with people who are more positive than you are … it will rub off."
Who could possibly be more positive than Cor Frederiks, opening new offices for his accountancy practice this year and serving as Redlands Christian Businessmen's Network treasurer and on the Redlands Christian Reform Church property committee? Then enjoying music, stamps, coins, paintings and social golf?
Cor says the achievements of his six children and 11 grandchildren – and the birth of a great-grandchild last month – are most important in his busy life. "I have taught them the value of money and how to save," he says.
THE lesson comes from values formed in his birthplace, the Netherlands, during the Great Depression and World War Two, during which Cor was a wireless operator on a Dutch destroyer under allied command.
He came to Australia to study theology in 1951 but ended up with an accountancy degree from Queensland University.
Cor first practised at Moorooka in the mid 1950s. In 1977 he bought a cattle property near Longreach and lived there for a decade, moving to Thornlands after selling the property in 1987.
Before starting his Cleveland practice in 1991, Cor worked voluntarily with the Haggai Instiute, promoting evangelism in the third world.
He now devotes his life to "helping people maximise their potential" with a philosophy based on Christian principles.
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Posted by John Rumney at 12:22 pm
Wayward Eagles star in new 'bear hunt'
New job comes with bear suit


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Child injured in shooting at Memphis K-8 school
September 30, 2021 at 2:29 pm EDT
By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A shooting reported Thursday morning at Cummings School in Memphis left a 13-year-old boy in critical condition, according to police and WHBQ-TV.
The victim was shot inside the school around 9:15 a.m. CDT, police said. The suspected shooter, identified as a fellow Cummings School student, turned himself in after the incident, according to WHBQ.
Huge scene in South Memphis in front of Cummings Elementary. Memphis Police and ATF on the scene. We know a shooting victim did go to LeBonheur Children's Hospital. Waiting to get word from SCS and MPD. pic.twitter.com/cXnoz6I5nZ
— Jeremy Pierre FOX13 (@JeremypierreFOX) September 30, 2021
Update 12:20 p.m. CDT Sept. 30: Assistant Memphis police Chief Don Crowe said police for several agencies responded immediately Thursday morning after getting a call about a shooting inside Cummings School.
Officers found a 13-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital where he was last listed in critical but stable condition, Crowe said.
"Certainly, at this point we need everyone to be praying for that child and that child's family so he can make a full recovery," Crowe said at news conference.
Authorities began evacuation procedures as they searched the school Thursday morning. During a secondary search for any people missed as officers swept through the school the first time, the suspected shooter turned himself in to authorities at a police precinct.
"During the course of the investigation, video evidence indicated that our shooter was another student here at the school," Crowe said. He added that the shooter left the school in a vehicle before turning himself in.
"I know there's many, many questions, especially (about the) motive and why" the shooting happened, Crowe said. "It's way too early in the investigation to begin that, but we have detectives on the scene ... they will conduct a very thorough investigation."
Parents were being reunited with students at Metropolitan Baptist Church after the incident.
Children are being reunited with their families after a shooting at Cummings Elementary. Parents are lined up outside Metropolitan Baptist Church waiting for their kids to be released. pic.twitter.com/4qcbOihNMK
— Tony Sloan FOX13 Memphis (@TonySloanTV) September 30, 2021
Authorities continue to investigate.
Update 11:30 a.m. CDT Sept. 30: The boy injured in Thursday's shooting has been identified as a 13-year-old Cummings School student, WHBQ-TV reported.
The news station reported he was in critical but stable condition after being shot by a boy inside the school around 9:15 a.m. The shooter is also a student at the school, according to WHBQ.
Update: a 13 year old boy was shot at Cummings School by another student. He is in critical, but stable condition. @FOX13Memphis
— Brittani (@BrittaniD_Fox13) September 30, 2021
Update 11:25 a.m. CDT Sept. 30: Police confirmed to WHBQ-TV that the suspect in custody after Thursday's shooting at Cummings School is another student.
The boy injured in the shooting was in critical but stable condition after the incident, according to WHBQ.
UPDATE: MPD confirms the shooter was another student. He is in custody. The child shot is in critical, but stable condition @FOX13Memphis https://t.co/oVOaZPq9xB
— Shelia O'Connor FOX13 (@SheliaOConnor) September 30, 2021
Update 11:20 a.m. CDT Sept. 30: Police told WHBQ-TV that the suspected shooter, identified as a juvenile male, has turned himself in following Thursday's shooting.
Additional information about the circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately available.
Original report: Officers responded to a report of a shooting at Cummings School at 9:15 a.m. CDT and found a boy who they identified as a "shooting victim." Authorities transported him to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in critical condition, police said.
In a statement posted around 10:15 a.m., authorities said officers continued to clear the building.
>> Read more on Fox13Memphis.com
"Students and faculty members are being relocated to a staging area," police said. "No other injuries have been reported."
Investigators added that they were looking for a male juvenile suspect in connection with the shooting. No arrests were immediately made.
1037 Cummings shooting update. pic.twitter.com/9pwIWNSi7c
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 30, 2021
Citing unidentified sources, WHBQ-TV reported that the shooting happened inside the school building.
In a statement obtained by the news station, Shelby County Schools officials said the school remained on lockdown as a safety precaution.
"We are aware of the incident at Cummings K-8 and will share preliminary information as soon as possible," the statement said. "Parents have been notified of the situation. We are working with SCS Security and the Memphis Police Department to gather more information for further updates."


The action photo captures Ocon on the Monte Carlo street circuit at the Formula 1 "Grand Prix De Monaco" 2017.
Professionally framed with a black wood frame and conservation-grade white/black double mount, the A4 photo is accompanied by a hand-carved piece of bodywork from Ocon's VJM10 Sidepod and an official Force India plaque containing Esteban Ocon's printed, digital signature.
The piece of bodywork measures W 7cm x H 4.5cm. Due to the unique race-used nature of the hand-carved piece of bodywork, each is a one-of-a-kind. The detail on the section of race-used sidepod livery that you receive may look different to the one pictured.
This framed display piece will be delivered ready to hang and complete with the team's certificate of authenticity.


OTTAWA, ON – At the yearly United Nations Climate Change Conference now underway in Qatar, there are two sessions; one is irrelevant to Canada while the other is setting a time bomb for us.
Since our government had the foresight to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol last year, Canadians can safely ignore the first session, the 8th Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.
The second session is another matter. Because Canada is still an active participant in the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), that body's 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) is something we must watch closely. At COP18, Canadian representatives will continue working with the UNFCCC to help create what is, in effect, another Kyoto Protocol.
That is not what the government is saying, however.
"We support the establishment of a single, new international climate change agreement that includes greenhouse gas [GHG] reduction commitments from all major emitters," the Minister has said repeatedly over the past year.
But Canada and other developed nations are being hoodwinked. Here's how.
At last year's U.N. Climate Change Conference, delegates endorsed the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action. Under this agreement, the Canadian and other governments pledged to work with the U.N. to establish by 2015 a global apparatus to force countries to enable legally-binding GHG reduction plans starting in 2020.
The Durban plan advances – "in a balanced fashion," the U.N. asserts – the implementation of the December 2010 Cancun Agreements.
As June's Angus Reid public opinion poll found, almost three in five Canadians believe that global warming "is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities." Conservative strategists have obviously concluded they must continue to play along with the climate scare until public opinion changes. Consequently, the Canadian government continues to support alarm, telling citizens that we are causing a climate crisis and that we must therefore reduce GHG emissions. That science does not support such a stance is immaterial. Government cannot lead public opinion, strategists assume.
But recent research shows this is not the case. A paper published in February in the journal Climatic Change showed that the stated positions of politicians and other "elites" in society is the major factor driving public opinion about climate change.
Purge climate alarmism from all government communications, especially those of Minister Kent. The public needs to hear a realistic perspective of climate change. Hosting a climate science conference with experts from both sides of the debate is also important. So is bringing up, in the House of Commons and interviews, the growing credibility of the worldwide skeptic movement.
The federal governm ent needs to support adaptation to climate variability as the most cost-effective and humane approach to inevitable changes. Putting the vast majority of climate change funding into vainly trying to stop what might happen late in the century, as is happening around the world today, is irrational and immoral, Kent could say.
Canada needs serious leadership on this file. Simply waiting for public opinion to change while the government itself helps feed the fire that threatens to burn down our economy is obviously a serious mistake.
This is great advice for the Canadian government. Hopefully it will be heeded. From the writings of Tom Harris, I believe there may be a chance for a successful energy policy in Canada with great economic success and security for its citizens.
This advice also applies to the government of Canada's neighbor to the South–the United States. With the present Obama administration policy on energy development, it appears the government has blinders to prevent noticing what is happening on the planet with regard to any signs carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are causing catastrophic global warming.
At this time the meeting of climate alarmists in Doha, Qatar are spreading news about the record melting of Arctic sea ice this summer–no mention records are only from 1979 to present. This melting was caused by a hurricane in early August that broke up Arctic sea ice and sent it into areas of higher water temperatures with consequent greater melting. The Arctic is now experiencing record restoration of sea ice. Over 2.5 million square miles of sea ice has been reformed in 70 days. So much for global warming disaster in the Arctic. Of course, no one is told this story.
CFACT writer Paul Driessen circulated an article yesterday that featured writings from South Africa scientist, Dr. Kelvin Kemm, who pointed out in December 12, 2007, Associated Press global warming scare writer Seth Borenstein quoted a scientist who said Arctic sea ice in the summer would completely disappear in five years. Well, the five years are up–will someone come forward and say these forecasts are stupid and lead to extremely damaging energy policies for the world.
This is just one of numerous scare stories fed to the public that are false and retractions never told to the public. Proponents of eliminating use of fossil fuels for the purpose of climate modification are living with a monsterous lie. They will never admit to error because theirs is a religious cause–not scientific. Those aware of true science about climate change, of whom there are hundreds of thousands, must be diligent in educating the public of the damage being inflicted upon them.
of the Office of Atmospheric Programs on March 9, 2009.
in making changes if requested by OAR.
Section 2.9 for a detailed discussion).
to have the effect of overstating the importance of GHGs/CO2.
5 to surface rather than satellite data.
which is at best three years out of date in a rapidly changing field.
little evidence for the operation of such processes.
decreased GHG emissions compared to the assumptions made by the IPCC.
the increase in Earth's global temperatures.
fully discussed in the draft TSD if it is be scientifically credible.
which would require substantial revision of the Draft TSD.
the draft TSD or the conclusions changed.


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Sparrows Point ParkBaltimore County Property Management
This site was last utilized as a train yard, and remnants of rails, ties, and rail beds still remain along with debris from the former steelworks.
Home : : Portfolio : : Sparrows Point Park
Team Members Involved
Marianne K. Crampton, PE
Steve McCalmont
Seth Glasser
Ned Masek, PE, LEED AP
Architect | Manns Woodward Studios
10839 Philadelphia Rd
This study assessed the feasibility of a new Baltimore County Park and Recreational Facility on a site last used as a train yard associated with the Bethlehem Steel Mill. Thorough study of the site identified unsuitable soils, invasive species, and wetlands, and also determined that the site lies in a floodplain and the Critical Area. This requires coordination through both MDE and the USACE. Careful design sited a new community center and recreational features to limit impact to the existing environment.
bet网址注册 researched existing property characteristics and regulations that would impact potential site development. Once the feasibility study was approved by the County, we began site/civil engineering design for infrastructure and stormwater management to support the development of this 22-acre park. The design project proposes to construct a new multi-purpose field, recreation center, soft area playground, parking lot with bus loop, and walking trail. The park amenities will also include a kayak launch and fishing pier for waterside access.
A network of pedestrian pathways was designed to connect program elements, provide access to the wooded area of the park, and create a bridge over an existing stream. The design seamlessly integrates proposed site improvements, recreational amenities, and stormwater management areas.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Meade High School
bet网址注册's participation in planning and design improves this high school, seen as a lynchpin for revitalizing this neighborhood which borders the Fort Meade Army installation.
SEE CASE STUDY
Frederick County Public Schools Blue Heron Elementary School
A new elementary school in Frederick County was created in response to growing population and development in the County. This school required extensive coordination with the developer of the adjacent community.
Image Credit: GWWO
Carroll County Public Schools Career & Technology Center
CCCTC's site design juggled a number of competing interests – construction phasing, vehicular circulation, and stormwater management. bet网址注册 created a design that balances all these requirements and more.
Image Credit: HCM
Baltimore City Public Schools Mary E. Rodman Elementary School
On a postage stamp site, bet网址注册 dramatically improved the play area and outdoor community spaces while also upgrading the infrastructure.
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Hours: 8am-5pm Mon-Fri


text:
import { useLayoutEffect } from 'react'
import { applyPolyfills, defineCustomElements } from 'test-component/loader'

export default function App({ Component, pageProps }) {
  useLayoutEffect(() => {
    applyPolyfills().then(() => {
      defineCustomElements(window)
    })
  }, [])
  return <Component {...pageProps} />
}


OCP Group Inc is pleased to announce its latest addition to a growing family of USB 3.0/3.1 external Cable Assemblies with compatible Panel Mount Assemblies. These positive retentions "Press Fit" assemblies feature a waterproof connection up to 1 meter with a Withdrawal force of 8N and 30V DC with up to 10Gbps rated signal.
They are ideally suited for Industrial, Outdoor or Marine applications. They can also be custom tooled for unique applications requiring Wearable or Portable power. A growing interest in the Medical Device market the Video transmission properties of USB 3.0 has also inspired several ISO 10993 Biocompatible configurations of the product.
One version of the product is also formed fit compatible with the Amphenol LTW "Swift-LA" receptacle. The USB 3.1 Standard offers users transfer rates of up to 10Gbs with backward compatibility to the USB 3.0 and 2.0 specifications.
The new type "C" connector can be plugged in either direction due to its elegantly simple redundant design. These unique designs craft the best practices of Industrial Design. High-quality materials including gold plated contact pins and UL VW-1 flame rated cable ensure wide compatibility while reliably delivering the high-speed transfer rate specified in the new USB 3.1 standard.


The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević and the Ambassador of the U.S. to Croatia H.E. Robert Kohorst on 28 February 2019 signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and the Ministry of Defence on the U.S. assistance with the disposal of conventional weapons.
As specified in the Memorandum, the U.S. will donate up to USD 1 million-worth funds to the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of safe disposal of surplus conventional weapons and ammunition (using industrial demilitarisation).
Minister Krstičević stressed that the signing of the Memorandum with the United States was another indicator of excellent bilateral relations between the Republic of Croatia and the United States amd extended appreciation to the U. S. for the support and donations aimed at enhancing Croatia's defence capabilities.
"This bilateral activity adds to the already productive co-operation between the United States and the Republic of Croatia in the domain of security. My appreciation goes to Ambassador Kohorst and the U.S. for the valuable donation contributing to the security and neutralising the threat of illegal use of air defence systems and also to the security of the global civil air transport security", said the Minister.
The Ambassador of the United States to Croatia Robert Kohorst expressed honour for attending another bilateral activity, and the pride over making a joint important step preserving the security of the area and said he was looking forward to future co-operation. "The Memorandum we have just signed entails the programme for safe storage of weapons and explosive ordnance by the Croatian Armed Forces, providing security fo their members and overall security of the citizens of Croatia!", said Ambassador Kohorst and concluded that the agreed programme was a symbol of partnership of the two countries.
"I am proud to be here today with my good friend to sign this document and I wish to thank Croatia for its commitment in the partnership with the United States", said Ambassador Kohorst.
The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia in support of the destruction of conventional weapons is an extension of the bilateral co-operation in safe disposal and destruction of decommissioned air defence systems (the Man-Portable Air Defence Systems - MANPADS).
Since the inception of the programme in 2009 the United States has donated USD 3 mil used for the instalment of technical protection on the ammunition depots considered for future use; since that time Croatia has destroyed 971 rockets Strela 2 M (MANPADS), 200 more were used during the exercises "ŠTIT 14" and "ŠTIT 15", and a small quantity of anti-armour artillery has been destroyed too. The 2019 donation will be used for industrial demilitarisation of outdated and decommissioned explosive ordnance.
Croatia and the United States have run bilateral defence co-operation in most functional areas,ranging from the education of the Ministry of Defence and of the Croatian Armed Forces personnel in the United States, equipment and strategic lift of the troops to Afghanistan, joint training and exercises and the donation of various funds intended for equipment and training and humanitarian activities.
The co-operation comprised over 1,000 activities held in the U.S. and Croatia, engaging nearly 1,000 members of the Croatian Armed Forces and of the Ministry of Defence , and provided over USD 150 mil for the equipment and modernisation of the Croatian Armed Forces. Considering the purchase price of the equipment, the assistance from the U.S. is worth ca US 500 million.


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Fifty of Belfast's top business people were honoured last Thursday at a reception in the City Hall.
Guest speaker at the event, organised by the Andersonstown News Group and backed by main sponsor Deloitte and the Northern Bank, was former head of Enterprise Ireland and the man credited with the creation of the 'Celtic Tiger', Pádraic White.
Mr White praised the winners – all of whom are based in developing areas of Belfast, hail from those areas or have made a major commitment to them – during the event, which saw 50 business people from both sides of the community come together to celebrate their success.
Delighted by the success of the event, Andersonstown News M.D. Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said, "All those being honoured today are flying the flag for a new Belfast which is prosperous, peaceful and diverse.
"Urban entrepreneurs are helping to redevelop Belfast as one of Europe's most vibrant cities," added the Belfast Regional Manager of Northern Bank, Colin Dundas.
"It is therefore vital that we continue to create an environment where this type of business activity is encouraged to flourish," he said.
Adding an element of surprise to the event, a special presentation was also made to two of the 50 who hail from opposite sides of the Falls Road peaceline: Jim Carvill of Wilton Healthcare on the Shankill and Seán Mitchell of Mitchell-Kane Communications on the Falls. Both entrepreneurs are deeply involved in their communities. Jim is a founder of the Argyle Business Centre on the Shankill and serves on the newly-established West Belfast and Greater Shankill Enterprise Centre, while Seán is one of the driving forces behind plans for a Gaeltacht Quarter in West Belfast.
The other honorees came from all parts of the city. Represented were giants of industry, developers, women entrepreneurs, representatives of ethnic minorities, social economy businesses, start-ups and veteran businesses.


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Millions of visitors make the trip to Versailles each year and queue to see the 700 room palace with its splendid Hall of Mirrors and Royal apartments.
A portrait of Marie Antoinette with her children.
The Mansart designed chapel is quite beautiful.
Marie Antoinette's own little theatre is charming.
But if you have time walk the full length of the gardens to the Hamlet which is the delightful farm setting created for Marie Antoinette and her friends to play at being shepherdesses and milkmaids !
There is a little educational farm with lots of cute animals in this perfectly idyllic setting - well worth a visit after the grandeur of the Palace. I loved it !