These shakes are sawn both sides. Premium and Number 1 Grades are the most common. Number 1, 2 and 3 Grades are also available.
24″ Tapersawn Shakes Western Red Cedar | These shakes are sawn both sides. Premium and Number 1 Grades are the most common. Number 1, 2 and 3 Grades are also available.
Call Direct Cedar Supplies today for a no hassle quote on 24″ Tapersawn Shakes Western Red Cedar!!
For walls or roofs on 4:12 slope and steeper where a high quality, durable and uniform appearance is desired.


I am still getting my bearings back after three straight days of tornadoes. Yesterday, I watched the Moore tornado form from the controls of the KOUN radar on the north side of Norman.
It was my first time to see a tornado while not actively chasing. As I watched it track past me to the northwest and disappear into the murk, I crossed my fingers that it would spare Moore. It didn't. It crossed I-35 between 4th and 19th street, scattering cars, houses, and people like a mammoth lawn mower. The Warren Theater, where I watched a sneak preview of the new Star Trek movie last week, was damaged and pressed into use as a triage area.
I was ready to write two relatively light-hearted posts about my chases last weekend. I just don't feel that lighthearted anymore. A co-worker of mine lost her home, but fortunately is not injured. My husband and I are going to go through our garage tonight and gather items to donate to people a few miles away who literally lost everything they own. Honestly, how many times can a nightmare repeat itself?
Yesterday is already wrapping up to be one of my best chases in years. I witnessed two long-lived tornadoes – one at 6:30 p.m. CDT near Rozel, Kansas, and the second at about 8:00 p.m. just north of Sanford, Kansas (which we watched from less than a mile away). I shot more than 40 minutes of video and boatloads of stills, and it is going to be some time before I can sort through and upload the highlights. Unfortunately we have learned that one of the tornadoes destroyed a home in Rozel, and our hearts go out to the victims as they begin to put their lives back together.
Today is also shaping up to be a big chase / tornado outbreak day, and we have some crucial decisions to make. So for now I will just leave you with a teaser. Stay safe today in OK, KS, and MO!
Sanford, Kansas tornado at about 8:06 p.m. on 18 May 2013.


is dedicated to carrying out the mission of the CHAIN Center by providing the leadership and resources to facilitate multidisciplinary, state-of-the-science research on neuroAIDS and mental health.
Personnel will lead, supervise and coordinate the actions of the Center; and monitor and evaluate the work of the cores and investigators. The Administrative Core will facilitate collaborative efforts, and organize and implement input and recommendations from the Advisors. The Core will continue its responsibility for maintaining the Center's focus on contemporary issues in neuroAIDS and mental health while sustaining an environment in which innovative and significant work is performed.
The Administrative Core will provide accountability for the research performed and funds used in support of our work. It is committed to creating and maintaining a stimulating intellectual environment and providing a research and administrative infrastructure conducive to maximize interdisciplinary neuroAIDS research.


Forrester and InfoWorld set the theme for this year's awards as 'Speed and Responsiveness – And EA". The underlying premise is that business leaders are demanding that their business moves faster – everything from updating digital capabilities to bringing more agility in how firms work with customers and suppliers. In theory, enterprise architecture is a key capability to moving faster. But how can EA programs – traditionally policemen of technology – deliver on this potential?
This year's Enterprise Architecture Award winners show how.
But this isn't just a sentiment unique to Humana. All our winners are delivering business results because they embed insight and guidance into the decisions made by their business and IT leaders – enabling these leaders to 'enterprise architect' how they achieve business results. The result? Speed and responsiveness of their enterprise.
Here is how our five winners of this year's awards are doing this. But before I describe them, I must say that every year, it gets harder to select winners due to the range of innovation and impact our judges are seeing. When a judge says of one firm, not selected as a winner "This is a really neat concept, well conceived and executed. This company could do our profession a great service if they published this model!" – then you know there are many outstanding award submissions.
Humana– Evolving EA through Architecting for Change.
How do you move a diverse set of business units in an increasingly customer-driven industry towards a cohesive future state? Humana's EA team does this by embedding architecture into the thinking of the organization – from execs to project leads. They used three key levers to do this – first, they developed and broadly communicated a combined business and technology Future State Architecture and educated teams on how to move towards it incrementally. Second, they worked to change the decision-making culture to where the Future State Architecture was the backdrop for both strategic and tactical decisions. Humana's technology management organization saw so much value in this future state that they organized their operating model around delivering towards it, and the EA team instituted an enterprise integration competency center. Third, the EA team embraced a federated model for architecture, involving roles from across the organization with central coordination provided by the EA team. The combination of this federated model, the integration competency center, and broad awareness enables progress towards Humana's future state.
South State Bank – Kaizen EA: The Continuous Improvement of An Enterprise.
How do you pragmatically transform your business in a rapidly changing market dominated by larger firms? South State Bank faces this challenge – and their EA team is helping them by using enabling a Kaizen approach to transformation. They first modeled their current state architecture via a capability model that was easily consumable, which revealed opportunities for improvements that could be traced back to enterprise strategic goals. These discoveries drove the impetus for Kaizen, inspired by Masaki Imai – "Engage in activities that continuously improve all functions". Instead of charting out a 2-3 year plan for transformation and trying to adhere to it, they worked with business leaders, steering committees and the PMO to target a business outcome, and then decide on the 'continuous improvement' path to achieve it.
Architectures and transitions are designed quickly using EA tools, eliminating the overhead of many EA formalities, to produce collateral that can be consumed by architects and non-architects alike. Working hand in hand with business technology experts they successfully deployed systems – cutting typical time to market in half, and eliminating technical debt because of the depth of knowledge acquired while rapidly modelling the current state.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company – Leading the transformation with EA.
How do you balance efficiency and strong risk management with the ability to innovate and create compelling customer experiences. MassMutual faces this challenge. Technology Management team recognized that this dual mandate required changing the way they worked, with multiple teams working on different fundamentals with different ways of working. Keeping all these teams working together requires a strong EA practice. The EA team had to provide a disciplined, consistent approach to how technology is implemented and used. And the team had to serve as an agent of innovation. MassMutual's EA team solved this by empowering distributed decision-makers inside and outside IT to quickly understand their options, and make data-driven, architecturally sound technology decisions. They also created a digital Enterprise Reference Architecture to provide a common model of the business and the technology services underpinning it, to guide investments and position MassMutual for on-going change and flexibility. The results from the EA team's work range from digital transformation of customer journeys, to rapid turn-around of business ideas into working prototypes.
Cummins Inc. – Architecture Led, Service Enabled Digital Transformation.
When business leaders identify critical accelerators for success – such as Become Excellent in Customer Service, and Lead in Critical Technologies, what can EA do to make them happen? The EA team at Cummins did this by building a rock-solid foundation of architectural guidance, and then getting into the trenches with technology initiative teams to ensure this guidance was leveraged. First, they focused on five goals: 1) ensure successful IT solutions delivery consistently, 2) drive IT operational excellence by simplification, standardization and reuse, 3) enable agile delivery, 4) support continuous innovation, and 5) build emerging technology expertise. They delivered on these goals with frameworks, processes and practices, and drilled into key enablers such as enterprise information,, technology roadmaps, and Service Excellence Frameworks – combining both process and technology, for integration, applications, digital platforms and security. The results of their efforts? The EA team can point to cost savings, but more tellingly, to revenue and time-to-market benefits. The value of architecture in terms of successful transformation realization, is very visible to their stakeholders.
Aetna– Enabling hybrid business platforms.
I'd like to extend my thanks to our three judges: David Trice, Kishore Sarathy and Gary Smylie. I'd also like to thank those firms that submitted entries to this year's awards, and worked with us through the arduous judging process. The combination of excellent cases and excellent judges makes these awards as valuable as they are.


"When it came to starting the damper, there was nobody who knew how to do it".
Damper is fairly ordinary fare, and "Any one using damper when yeast bread is available may be set down as a fool", thus wrote the eminent geologist and genuine Central Australian explorer, Dr C.T. Madigan in 1927, while travelling through the Macdonnell ranges by motor vehicle. Madigan goes on to say that while he saw no romance in making or eating damper, he made a thorough study of the subject, (as he would) and was prepared to match his skill in the most select company.
Perhaps the C.A.G.E expedition could have used, in more ways than one, an expert like Madigan; Pastor Albrecht, in his 1964 letter to the Lutheran Almanac, recalls a conversation with Alan Crombie, who worked for Archie Giles, to the effect that on the expeditions first night out they discovered that they didn't have any bread and no one knew how to make a damper, Crombie enlightened the men but it did leave them wondering how was it possible to cross the country and not know how to make a damper, apparently Lasseter was ignorant of the art. The story is probably apocryphal and more an indication of Crombie's perception of the general incompetence of the expedition.
However, according to Idriess, Sutherland saved the expeditions reputation, at least in this bush art, by making dampers "so light they were in danger of blowing away", and Sutherland had not made one 'sod' during the entire trip, Blakeley records that Sutherlands dampers were extra good and always palatable, although by the time the expedition reached Ilbilla the men were thoroughly sick of them and Blakeley took the first opportunity to make yeast bread and when baked, "didn't hit the ground", such was the men's craving for the genuine article, no doubt Madigan would wonder why yeast bread wasn't on the menu every night.
Sutherland did have one misadventure with a damper, apparently while mixing and kneading the dough for a large damper in a camp oven, a willy-willy lashed the camp with wind and sand, sending billycans and dishes flying, and depositing sand and ash in the oven along with the damper, Sutherland decided that a little sand wouldn't hurt the men and proceeded to bake the damper, later Blakeley tried to divide the damper with his sheath knife, he swore the blade gritted sand and "it's like cutting the Pyramids", on investigation Sutherlands small deception was exposed and Lasseter commented that if he couldn't bake a better sod than Sutherlands effort he would fry himself, Micky dubiously accepted the taste test, spat out the sandy damper and declared it "All same plurry grindstone".
A sod is a failed damper, either refusing to rise and remaining a sticky doughy mess or, due to overenthusiastic application of heat, turning into a charred brick, tyro bush cooks have been known to bury the former to hide the evidence of their failure, and when some unfortunate sinks his foot in the buried dough usually loudly and profanely exclaims his discovery of a 'mudhole' the resulting aroma is not pleasant, on the other hand Madigan has been known to take a rasp to a burnt damper and turn it into quite a nice loaf.
Blakeley Fred Dream Millions 17,59. Basedow Herbert Journal of the Government North West Expedition 171,172. Gill Walter Petermann Journey 4.31. Idriess Ion L Lasseter's Last Ride 36,37,38. Madigan C.T. Central Australia.


St. Michael's Cathedral | Aren't We All Just Tourists Here?
From Sofiyska Square, you will see another cathedral to the east.. St. Michael's Golden Domed Monastery which sits on Mykhailivska Square.
The original cathedral was built in the middle ages and dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It was demolished in the 1930's after falling into disrepair but was reconstructed and reopened after Ukrainian independence in the late 90's. While it is not an exact reconstruction of the original, St. Michaels is a beautiful sight to see.
Also on the square, is a monument to Olga of Kiev. Her husband, Igor of Kiev, was killed and she ruled as regent for her son Svyatoslav. If you read into the history of her rule, you will see she was ruthless in her protection of Kiev.
This entry was posted in Photography, Travel and tagged Cathedral, Kiev, Kyiv, Photography, St. Michael's, Travel, Travel and Tourism, Ukraine by Steven. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Potential Top 10 Bust: Jaylen Brown (2016 NBA Draft)
Synopsis: During the 2015-16 regular season, Cal freshman Jaylen Brown put up respectable averages of 15 points and six rebounds per game. At the same time, he shot 46% from the floor (including 31% from behind the 3-point arc). During the 2016 Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments, however, he wilted and averaged only eight points and three rebounds. In those three tournament games, Brown had almost three times as many turnovers (14) as field goals (5). Additionally, he shot an abysmal 17% from the floor, including a 3-17 outing in an 82-78 overtime loss to Utah. Regardless, Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge seemingly went against the grain and took Brown with the team's #3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. While it's unlikely that Brown will be a Top 10 Bust, he certainly is on the radar screen.
POTENTIAL TOP 10 BUST: JAYLEN BROWN
Going into the 2016 NBA Draft, virtually every mock draft had Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram going first or second overall. At least, I couldn't find one that didn't. In contrast, the "experts" disagreed about what the Boston Celtics would or should do with its #3 pick. Most thought Boston GM Danny Ainge would trade the pick or take Providence point guard Kris Dunn. However, Ainge proved to be an independent thinker by taking Cal small forward Jaylen Brown instead.
Prior to the announcement of Boston's pick, ESPN NBA Draft host Rece Davis noted that the Celtics had the highest pick for a team with at least 48 wins since the Pistons took Top 10 Bust Honorable Mention Darko Milicic in 2003. As if cursing a pitcher by talking about a no-hitter in the 7th inning, Davis might as well have put a hex on Boston. The Pistons' biggest mistake that year involved taking someone based on need (i.e. Milicic) instead of taking the best available player (i.e. Carmelo Anthony). This year, the Celtics could be accused of the same mistake. In particular, they passed on the best player (i.e. Kris Dunn) presumably because they already had All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Since being ranked by ESPN as the 4th best high school senior in 2015, Brown received a lot of attention at the top of many 2016 mock drafts. Then again, his draft stock fell given his struggles toward the end of his "one-and-done" year at Cal.
JAYLEN BROWN – 2015-16 PER GAME AVERAGES
Schedule Games Min FG% 3P% FT% REB AST STL BLK T/O PTS
Pre-Conference 13 25.6 45.7% 26.8% 65.9% 5.5 1.5 0.5 0.4 3.0 14.5
Conference 18 29.2 46.1% 34.5% 64.7% 5.6 2.3 0.8 0.9 2.9 15.9
Post-Season 3 26.7 17.2% 12.5% 76.5% 3.0 2.7 2.0 0.3 4.7 8.0
Full Season 34 27.6 43.1% 29.4% 65.4% 5.4 2.0 0.8 0.6 3.1 14.6
As shown by the previous table, Jaylen Brown put up decent numbers during his freshman year. In particular, his achieved a stat line of 16 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 35% from behind the 3-point arc during Cal's conference schedule. However, those numbers fell by 50% in the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments. At the same time, his turnover average increased by 50% from 2.9 to 4.7 per game.
Before the start of March Madness, Draft Express projected that Brown would be the #3 overall pick. However, he fell to #8 soon after his poor performance in the NCAA Tournament. In a first round match-up between #4 seed Cal and #13 seed Hawaii, Brown only scored four points on 1-6 shooting from the field. Even more concerning, he had seven turnovers before fouling out after 17 minutes. Cal was already short-handed due to injuries to two of its starters (including leading scorer and point guard Tyrone Wallace. Once Brown went out, the Golden Bears' Weenies' fate against the Rainbows was sealed.
JAYLEN BROWN – WEAKNESSES
As highlighted by SBNation.com, Brown wilted when placed in the spotlight. Specifically, SBN's Ricky O'Donnell wrote:
Brown has two major flaws right now: he's a poor jump shooter and isn't a gifted playmaker with the ball in his hands. Both were a problem against Hawaii.
Brown's season-long stats show isn't ready to be a primary option on offense just yet. He finished his freshman year with 105 turnovers to only 67 assists, a brutal ratio for even a bigger player. It was compounded by Brown's sky-high usage rate of 31.2 percent — No. 20 in the country and first in the Pac-12. He's just not skilled enough offensively to be ending more than 31 percent of his team's possessions with a shot, turnover or free throw.
Despite Brown's drop in draft status, analysts still regarded him as worthy of a Top 10 pick based on numerous strengths.
JAYLEN BROWN – STRENGTHS
Apparently, Boston appreciated Brown's strengths while discounting his weaknesses. In contrast, my Spidey sense started to tingle when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver read his name as the Celtics' pick. However, that tingle seemed to fade when ESPN analyst Jalen Rose offered his commentary. In particular, the former Fab Fiver mentioned that Brown:
can play in the back and front court.
is a good ball handler.
plays well on and off the ball.
has the athleticism and strength to play against some of the best wing players in the league.
Fellow ESPN analyst Jay Bilas seemed less impressed and argued that Brown went higher than expected. Regardless, Bilas offered positive commentary and claimed that Brown:
is a big time athlete with a body ready for the NBA.
attacks the rim and has the ability to finish with either hand.
can get things done in isolation or out of a pick-and-roll.
works hard on the court and has the tools to succeed.
When sharing his thoughts, Bilas also highlighted the former Cal star's limited shooting range and proneness to turnovers. Overall, Bilas described Brown as a "risk/reward guy." In essence, that term simply is another way of saying that a player's career trajectory can go to the extreme in either direction. Uh oh, there goes that Spidey sense again.
JAYLEN BROWN – THE NEXT TYREKE EVANS?
Jalen Rose followed up his initial commentary by making a comparison between Brown and Tyreke Evans. After being selected with the 4th overall pick in the 2009 Draft, Evans stormed into the league and averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists as a rookie. He also averaged 1.5 steals en route to winning the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Unfortunately, Evans hasn't improved since then. In fact, he peaked in points, rebounds, and steals that year.
Overall, Rose viewed the comparison favorably and liked the pick by the Celtics. He noted similarities in both players' ability to "play downhill" and attack the basket. Unfortunately, the comparison also can be viewed unfavorably. Since his impressive rookie season, Evans has been overshadowed by the following players from the 2009 Draft.
2x MVP Steph Curry (71.6 win shares).
4x All-Star James Harden (76.3 win shares).
5x All-Star Blake Griffin (54.7 win shares).
2x All-Star DeMar DeRozan (35.4 win shares).
1x All-Star Jeff Teague (33.1 win shares).
In addition to these five players, there are four others (i.e., Ty Lawson, Taj Gibson, Darren Collison, and Brandon Jennings) with more win shares. As of now, it appears likely that Evans will finish his career with below-average win shares for a #4 overall pick. Still one of the best ten players from the 2009 Draft, Evans will never be considered a bust. However, he could be considered a questionable pick given the success of Steph Curry, who was taken three spots later. Then again, the failure of #2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet protects him from that negative scrutiny.
Unlike the first two players taken in the 2016 NBA Draft, #3 pick Jaylen Brown deserves consideration as a potential Top 10 Bust. Granted, the odds aren't great. Then again, they aren't negligible either. I don't have the ability to know if Brown's late-season struggles at Cal reflect the exception or the rule for his future NBA career. However, it certainly put a seed of doubt in the minds of many draft analysts.
By comparing Brown to Tyreke Evans, Jalen Rose provided a reference which wasn't solely positive. In particular, Evans likely will finish his career in the third quartile of all players taken with a comparable pick since 1970. A similar career ranking for Brown seems to make sense to me. While that type of production is not bust-worthy, it's more indicative of a mid-first round instead of a top 10 pick. As such, I believe Brown has more downside than upside. Giving him a 10% chance of being a star, I'll also give him a 20% chance of being a bust.
On July 24, 2016 By Buster
One thought on "Potential Top 10 Bust: Jaylen Brown (2016 NBA Draft)"
Can't shoot poor decision making trade before others realize he is bust,
Previous PostPotential Not T10B: Brandon Ingram (2016 NBA Draft)
Next PostNBA TOP 25 GREATEST PLAYERS (2016)
Synopsis: Going into the 2021 NBA Draft, the worst kept secret is the selection of Cade Cunningham by the Detroit...
Thanks to the shutdown following the spread of COVID-19, the 2020 NBA delayed its annual draft from June to November. Despite the additional time to conduct research, I only started my analysis several days ago. Still, I feel confident in the accuracy of my 2020 T10B Mock NBA Draft. The shortened college season and limiting scouting may complicate matters, but not relative to my approach.
Regardless of which player from the 2019 NBA Draft has the best career, it will be remembered as the "One with Zion Williamson." Williamson will live up to the hype or get overshadowed by another player. Either way, he will be in the center of the discussion as the certain #1 overall pick. The next two picks of Ja Morant and RJ Barrett seem almost as certain. After that, the draft should open up with five picks battling for the next five spots. I considered six players for the final two spots in my top 10.
When committing to Duke, Wendell Carter Jr. thought he would be the best one-and-done Blue Devil available for the 2018 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, 2018 #2 overall pick Marvin Bagley graduated high school early and joined him for their one-year college basketball experience. Carter's stat line of 13.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg fell short of Bagley's production of 21.0 ppg and 11.1 rpg. The lesser regarded Dukie can't be too upset going to the Chicago Bulls with the 7th overall pick. Then again, former Duke players haven't had the best success in the NBA so perhaps he should be concerned.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Harmony party's pick for the prime ministerial post, Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis, is set to likely exchange his recently-won seat in Saeima for one at the European Parliament after he was confirmed January 24 as the party's leading candidate for May's European elections.
The announcement was made by party leader and Rīga mayor Nils Ušakovs on social media.
Ušakovs confirmed his colleague "will take the lead in the European Parliament elections" describing him as "a person who is not only popular, but also with extensive experience in politics and the executive."
Dombrovskis is an economist and academic by profession and was formerly Minister for Economics when he was a member of the Reform Party. More recently he was the head of the Certus think-tank before running in October's Saeima elections as the lead candidate and prime ministerial nominee of the Harmony party.
He is the latest high-profile figure to announce his candidacy. Two weeks ago, another well-known academic, Ivars Ijabs, announced his own candidacy as the main candidate for the liberal-leaning Development/For! alliance.
Places in the European Parliament are highly prized by Latvian politicians, not least because the remuneration and benefits enjoyed by MEPs are considerably higher than those available in domestic politics.


When going on journeys in Bus Simulator 18, there are a number of things you can do that will positively or negatively affect your score and ranking. Achieving five stars can be very difficult. You basically have to drive a faultless journey, while also performing as many things that positively affect your score as you can. Below is a list of things that you should try to do and what you should avoid when aiming for a five star journey.
Indicating at stops – When approaching a stop, indicate to the right. When leaving a stop, indicate to the left.
Alert cars blocking the stop – If a car is blocking a bus stop, honk the horn using the H key when close.
Perfect parking – You have to park perfectly at a stop. Keep your car straight, and try to park near the bus stop's bench. If the bus stop doesn't have a bench, try to park as close as possible to the people at the end of the stop. I find it easier to achieve perfect parking using the third-person camera, which is set to F1 by default.
Perfect timing – Try to get to a bus stop at the right time. Aim for between 0:45 and -0:45 on the clock.
Silence the music – If someone is listening to loud music, stop the bus and tell them to turn it off. You can do this by pressing F3 to switch to passenger view.
Alert people blocking the doors – If someone is blocking the bus door, use passenger view and interact with them to get them to move.
Let people off the bus if they need to – Occasionally, people will call out to you letting you know that they have to get off the bus. Just stop the bus and open the doors.
Return lost possessions – If a message pops up saying that someone has left something on the bus, you need to return it to them. Quickly leave the driver's seat, retrieve the lost item, which should be on one of the passenger seats, and run after the passenger. They should have an arrow above their head.
Driving over potholes – Potholes are small ditches on the road. Either drive around them or drive over them slowly.
Driving over speed bumps too fast – If you see a speed bump, slow down to around 20km/h.
Driving on the curb – Stick to the road!
Hitting anything – Don't touch anything with the bus. Be especially mindful of pedestrians. They don't cross the road too often, so it can be easy to forget.
Arriving too late – If you're following the path and driving well, this shouldn't happen. If you are falling behind, you can attempt to drive past stationary cars blocking your way, but it's pretty risky.
Arriving too early – If you're running early, you can simply wait at a bus stop. You won't be penalized for this until you pull away from the bus stop, so just chill for a bit to avoid this.
Jumping red lights – If you see a crosswalk, look around for traffic lights. If there are traffic lights and they're red, stop before the crosswalk and wait for them to turn green.
Giving too much change – Be careful when giving change to a passenger. Get the math wrong, and you will be punished.
Indicating on a straight – The indicators should turn off automatically after a turn, but occasionally, the indicators can get stuck. It seems to happen often when pulling away from a bus stop. Be sure to glance at the indicator LED on the dashboard every now and again to make sure you're not accidentally indicating on a straight.
Speeding – If you use the Z key to enable the speed limiter, you probably won't be penalized for this too often. However, it can still happen, though it is rare. Just be mindful of speed limit signs.
Passengers left behind – Passengers can take their time getting on to the bus. Use the passenger view mode to make sure you don't miss any stragglers.
Hopefully these tips will help you achieve the coveted five star journey in Bus Simulator 18. For more on Bus Simulator 18, be sure to search for Twinfinite.


Look at, what would you actually like to be in the world? And how can you allow your body to contribute to you being that? The thing is, people always looking at the doing-ness, they don't necessarily look at the being. Would you lie to be noticed? Have more potency or be more creative? Listen in to this short sound clip HERE.
What would you like to be in the world?


text:
As VA scandal grows, local veterans highlight more problems at Hampton VA Medical Center
By: Laurie Simmons
"I pray to God every day and night." What Ernest Hudson is praying for is time.
Time to be able to overcome the Stage 4 Prostate Cancer he has been fighting for more than a year.
Stage 4 Prostate Cancer that he says went undiagnosed by his Hampton VA doctor.
"Everything was fine according to him."
What Hudson says the doctor wasn't paying attention to was his rising PSA levels, an indicator that prostate cancer might be present.
A normal PSA level is between 0-4 - by 2013, Hudson's VA medical records show his PSA level hit 58!
"The lady was saying, 'I wish we would have caught it in time.' Well, I do too."
Hudson is now waiting yet again for the VA, three months after completing his radiation treatments at nearby Riverside Hospital.
"I haven't seen anybody about aftercare yet. I don't know if it worked, not worked, is it killing me or what?" said Hudson. "You worry yourself to death, but it doesn't matter because they are going to move at their own pace."
NewsChannel 3 first started covering stories like Hudson's last year. Local veterans were struggling with long wait times for appointments.
Now in 2014, whistleblowers are coming forward from inside VA hospitals all over the country. Doctors say secret lists covered up long wait times, and schedulers saying they altered records to make cancelled appointments look like the veteran's fault.
The allegations hit home for Gulf War veteran Henry Smith because he says it happened to him at the Richmond VA.
"They stated I cancelled the appointment, when the doctor wasn't even there!" said Smith. "If you do enough people like that, you can say you were reaching your numbers, doing what you are supposed to be doing when you're not."
These Hampton Roads vets want everyone to know the problems aren't just in Arizona or Texas.
"I want people to know we are not getting the proper care on time, that we are not being examined for ordinary diseases that other doctors would examine you for, and when they do, it's too late," said Hudson.
NewsChannel 3 contacted the Hampton VA Hospital, and got this statement:
As soon as we learn that a patient is dissatisfied with their care or a potential error has been made we perform a detailed clinical review in order to determine whether or not appropriate care was provided. There are times when corrective action is required and there are also times when we find that the root of the dissatisfaction is unclear or there has been inadequate communication between the patient and their VA team. We are constantly working to improve our services to the Veterans we serve and welcome any feedback that will help us in this effort.
Comments can be sent to the following email address: VHAHAMTelltheDirector@va.gov. Each email will be reviewed and responded to by Medical Center Leadership.


text:
Experience: I survived an alligator attack
11th September 2019 Health 18444
In April this year, I was diving for fossils in Peace river in Florida, not far from where I teach marine science at a private naval academy. At 24, I'd been diving in the area for six years without any problems, and was guiding the dive for two friends, including Jake Koehler, who films videos of his underwater finds for his YouTube channel, Dallmyd. Because of the danger from alligators, we'd usually drop anchor on a particular spot, and bang on the boat and throw rocks to disturb them, as they tend to avoid contact with humans. But we hadn't got much on film that day, so we decided to take a chance and do something unusual: instead of staying in one area, we jumped in the river and drifted backwards with the current.
I drifted into a very narrow channel, about a quarter of a mile ahead of the others, wearing my usual scuba gear: a gas tank, a lifejacket and weight belt. I suddenly felt an intense pressure on my left ankle, and, for a split second, I thought it was Jake messing about. We'd been joking earlier that my black wetsuit made me look like bait – the other two were wearing camouflage wetsuits. But then the pressure became unbelievably intense, and I realised it was a gator.
He was already twisting me like a corkscrew as he dragged me to the bottom, in what I knew as a marine biologist was a death roll – almost always lethal. My survival instinct kicked in: I've never known such mental clarity. The water was only 8ft deep, so I inflated my lifejacket, and kicked with my free leg towards the surface, dragging the gator with me. I could feel him pulling my leg down, and it felt as if I was being ripped in half. As we broke the water, I saw he was around 8-9ft long, his tail lashing in a frenzy as he tried to roll with me again. I knew that if he took me back down, he would twist my foot off.
Unlike victims of a shark attack, most people attacked by gators drown rather than bleed to death; my scuba gear had bought me valuable time. But my biggest fear now was that my regulator, which delivered air, would be ripped out of my mouth, or that I'd become trapped beneath a rock or the roots of a tree.
I hammered the gator's head with my free foot as hard as I could, but his jaws were clamped around my ankle with a force equivalent to that of a T rex. I understood that I would only be able to free myself if the gator tried to get a better grip on me with a bite readjustment, so I kept hammering, forcing him to reposition. The pressure on my ankle eased for just a second, and I took my chance. When his jaws clamped down again, this time he got a mouthful of my flipper. Kicking with all my strength, I got my foot out of the flipper and swam for my life to the riverbank.
Gators don't like prey that makes their life difficult, so he didn't pursue me. I sat panting on the bank in shock, waiting for my friends to surface. His teeth had ripped through two layers of my wetsuit, cutting deep into my flesh, but it was the crush injury that caused the most damage. My ankle was twice its normal size.
When my buddies surfaced five minutes later, they had no idea what had happened. Between them, they helped me back to the car, which was parked an hour away, and took me to hospital. Astonishingly, nothing was broken. The doctors said I'd make a full recovery. Medics came from all over the hospital to take a look at me: gator attacks are surprisingly rare, with fewer than 400 recorded in Florida over the past 70 years; few people survive a death roll.
Jake posted the aftermath of the attack on YouTube, and, a week later, another diver contacted me, saying he'd found my bright-yellow flipper. The bite marks were massive – it made me realise what a close call it had been.
I don't blame the gator: I was on his turf, and I disturbed him. The attack hasn't put me off diving; I was back in the river again a few weeks later, posting my adventures on Instagram at @thinkseek – though now I'm careful to stick to an area I've already scouted. It's important to me that young people in particular recognise that we humans are just one part of an extraordinary natural world, and that we can out-think these magnificent predators without destroying them.


text:
<?php

namespace Classified\Controller;

use Zend\View\Model\ViewModel;

class CategoryController extends \Application\Controller\AbstractController
{
    public function questionsAction()
    {
        $cat = $this->params()->fromPost('cat');
        $defaults = $this->params()->fromPost('defaults');
        $defaults = json_decode($defaults, true);
        $v = $this->params()->fromPost('val');

        if ($cat)
            $category = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Category', $cat);
        elseif (! empty($v))
        {
            $m = preg_split('/:/', $v);
            $q = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Question', $m[0]);
            $category = $q->getCategory();
            $defaults[$m[0]] = $m[1];
        }

        if (! $cat && ! empty($defaults['category']))
            $category = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Category', $defaults['category']);

        $res = $this->getServiceLocator()->get('category_service')
            ->getQuestionsList($category, $v, $defaults);

        return new ViewModel([
            "qs" => $res['qs'],
            "defaults" => $res['defaults'],
        ]);
    }

    public function filterAction()
    {
        $cat = $this->params()->fromPost('cat');
        $defaults = $this->params()->fromPost('defaults');
        $defaults = json_decode($defaults, true);
        $v = $this->params()->fromPost('val');

        if ($cat)
            $category = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Category', $cat);
        elseif (! empty($v))
        {
            $m = preg_split('/:/', $v);
            $q = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Question', $m[0]);
            $category = $q->getCategory();
            $defaults[$m[0]] = $m[1];
        }

        if (! $cat && ! empty($defaults['category']))
            $category = $this->em()->find('\Classified\Entity\Category', $defaults['category']);

        $res = $this->getServiceLocator()->get('category_service')
            ->getQuestionsList($category, $v, $defaults);

        return new ViewModel([
            "qs" => $res['qs'],
            "defaults" => $res['defaults'],
        ]);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


To whom are they verses, and to whom are the roots: how is the credit divided in divorce?
At a time when the family is collapsing, the idea of which of the spouses will hang to the bank does not come immediately. However, it is impossible to pull for a long time, because the next payment date is approaching, andbecause you need to decide how and who will have to repay the debt. The question of how the loan is divided in a divorce, it is necessary to try to solve by the former spouses together, having come to a compromise.
If there are problems and misunderstandings, thenit is already necessary to apply to the procedure established by law for the division of obligations. When divorcing loans are divided in half, if, of course, they were issued during the marriage, and the marriage contract or the court's decision does not provide for a different procedure for determining property and obligations between spouses.
How is the loan divided by the bank itself? The financial and credit institution can offer a re-registration of the contract and divide the balance of obligations between husband and wife by signing a new agreement with separate repayment schedules for each of the borrowers.
Another option - the contract remains unchanged,simply the court obliges the second spouse, who does not act officially as a borrower, to make a certain part of the mandatory payment in accordance with the current schedule, or at the same time pay off part of the debt ahead of schedule.
In addition, the bank may require terminationof the contract and recommend to realize the property purchased on the loan funds that is in pledge in order to return the balance of the debt and pay off ahead of schedule for the obligations.
Difficulties can arise if necessaryto understand how the loan is divided in a divorce, if the money was not received for general household needs for targeted programs (for example, to buy a dwelling, dacha or car), but in cash. In this situation, the parties in the court will need to document the expenditure items of borrowed funds, and if the money is spent on the personal needs of one of the spouses, then the debt obligations can be transferred exclusively to him.
Are divorced loans divided, if one of thethe couple did not inform the second about getting borrowed funds? The answer to this question is unequivocal: even if you do not know, you still have to pay your half of the debt. But you can, again with the help of the court, disown from such a "gift", proving that the borrower was very secretive with the second half, and therefore did not tell where the money brings.
Before you decide how the loan is divided in a divorceif there are children in the family, the court will take into account the following facts: with whom will the children remain, who will keep them, what are the incomes of both parties, is the amount of alimony sufficient, and in whose interests was the loan received sometime?
Chances of staying with a child in their arms without the means toexistence, and even with debts on the loans of the former spouse when applying to court are scanty. All financial aspects of residence and the maintenance of minors will be taken into account when considering the case and making a decision.
How to take a loan on the "Beeline" on the phone? Who can receive a trust payment?
Commercial credit. Commodity loan. Differences and advantages.
Tips for borrowers. Do I have to pay a loan if the bank has burst?
Is it advantageous to take cars on credit without down payment?


2. Second, click on download website link download the Download Epson Workforce Pro Wp 4540 Driver For Windows Vista associated with it.
Pick your OS through the record of OS outlined this post and download Download Epson Workforce Pro Wp 4540 Driver For Windows Vista linked to it. We're normally out there to assist you in the event you face any dilemma though downloading the driver. Please, come to feel totally free to get in touch with us.


text:
Home The Latest What Trump's Attack on National Monuments Is Really About
What Trump's Attack on National Monuments Is Really About
by Jenna Ruddock
John Fowler
Golden Cathedral, Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument, Utah, one of 24 national monuments threatened by Trump's executive order, which targets monuments 100,000 acres or more, and were created by presidential proclamation since 1996.
Last week Trump declared hunting season on some of our most iconic public lands.
Flanked by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to review all national monuments established since 1996, placing at least 100,000 acres of protected lands at risk. Claiming the review will end "abuses" and "return control to the people, the people of all of the states, the people of the United States," Trump took aim at the century-old Antiquities Act, declaring that it "does not give the federal government unlimited power to lock up millions of acres of land and water."
But if his goal was truly to "return control to the people, the people of all the states," Trump would have kept our national monuments off the table entirely.
National monuments, like all federally managed public lands, are already held in trust for the American people. The government's mandate is to manage these lands sustainably. We're talking over 600 million acres of land and 600 million square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, a Herculean management effort especially as Congress routinely cuts funding for the already cash-strapped agencies charged with the task.
The United States has the most extensive public land holdings in the world. Grand Canyon National Park, one of this country's most-visited landmarks, was first a national monument. Teddy Roosevelt, eager to preserve the sprawling expanse of canyons and waterways for public use and frustrated by stalled efforts in Congress, used the Antiquities Act to protect the Grand Canyon thirteen years before Congress followed suit. Like all other national monuments, it remains open to the public to this day.
So when Trump and other public land opponents' claim that national monuments are "locked up," they aren't claiming that the lands are closed to the public; they mean that the lands are closed to commercial developers, mining, and drilling operations.
On Tuesday, Democratic members of the House Natural Resources Committee joined a rally on Capitol Hill, questioning whether Trump even possesses the authority to follow through on his threats. The Antiquities Act grants the President authority to designate national monuments, but beyond that point all federal public lands fall under Congressional jurisdiction.
Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear designer and retailer, is threatening to sue the Trump Administration if further steps are taken to revoke national monument protections. More than 450 organizations including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and the NAACP signed a letter to Trump, Zinke, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross opposing any moves to "remove or decrease protections for any national monuments."
Trump and House Republicans have thrown down the gauntlet. But public land advocates in Congress, in the outdoor industry, and in communities across the country are ready to fight.
Public Land Dispatches Trump Republicans
Jenna Ruddock
Jenna Ruddock is a writer, producer, and recent law school graduate based in Washington D.C. Her work focuses on civil liberties and environmental justice.
Read more by Jenna Ruddock


text:
BFA Hon. in Theatre
BA Hon. in Theatre
Next Steps: Moving from First to Second Year
Regular discussion panels with Theatre professionals
size of carpentry studio for set construction
of leadership in Canadian theatre
Performances and Exhibitions
Rochdale by David Yee
Nina Lee Aquino
Theatre@York
THEATRE AT YORK GRADUATES
Weyni Mengesha started her career directing 'da Kink in my Hair', helping build it into an international sensation; and composing its Dora-nominated score. The show went on to make history, selling out some of the largest houses in the country and becoming a national television show. In 2018, Mengesha was appointed the Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto.
Weyni Mengesha Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre
Theatre BFA 2005
Tanya Palmer is the Producer and Director of New Play Development at Goodman Theatre in Chicago. She coordinates the New Stages Festival every year. She has served as dramaturg on many Goodman productions, including Vigils, The Long Red Road, and Ruined. She has also served as the Director of New Play Development at Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Tanya Palmer Producer and Director of New Play Development at Goodman Theatre
Theatre MFA 2000
James Roy founded the Blyth Festival in 1975. It is one of the most successful Canadian theatre festivals. For a short period of time he was the Artistic Director the Belfry Theatre and the Manitoba Theatre Centre. He joined CBC Radio in 1990 and stayed in radio for over 20 years. He was the lead of the team that launched Radio One. He is now the president of Amazing Agency.
James Roy Founding Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival
Theatre BA 1974
Jillian Keiley is an award-winning theatre director, winning the Siminovitch Prize for Directing in 2004 and the Canada Council's John Hirsch Prize in 1997. She founded Artistic Fraud in 1995 and became the Artistic Director of National Arts Centre English Theatre in 2012. Some of her productions have included A Christmas Carol, Twelfth Night, and Tartuffe. She frequently directs for the Stratford Festival.
Jillian Keiley Artistic Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre
Elizabeth Bradley has had a long expansive career across North America. She was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Gold Medal for her contributions to the arts in Canada. She headed the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University before she was recruited in 2008 to serve as the Chair of the Department of Drama at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Elizabeth Bradley Former Head of Theatre at Carnegie Mellon and now Head of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU
Anusree Roy is a Dora award-winning playwright and performer. Her first piece, entitled 'breathlessness' premiered in 2006. Her play Pyassa premiered in 2007 and won two Dora Awards for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Performance. She has written many plays since and won many awards, including another Dora award for Outstanding New Play in 2011 with her play Brothel #9. She continues to write and perform today.
Anusree Roy Playwright and performer
Richard Rose is the current Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre. Before joining the Tarragon in 2002, Richard was Founding Artistic Director at Necessary Angel from 1978 to 2002, Associate Director for Canadian Stage Company, and Director of the Stratford Festival Young Company. He has directed plays across Canada and the United States, earning him four Dora Awards and numerous other nominations.
Richard Rose Artistic Director of the Tarragon Theatre and founding artistic director of Necessary Angel Theatre Co.
Luke Reece is a theatre producer, playwright, spoken word poet and arts educator. He is the Producer for Obsidian Theatre, and a Member of the Toronto Poetry Project. Reece is one of Toronto's most decorated slam poets, becoming the Toronto Poetry Slam (TPS) Grand Champion in 2017, winning the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word as the captain of the TPS team and then again in 2018 as the team coach.
Luke Reece Canadian Slam Poetry Champion; Producer, Obsidian Theatre Company; Co-founder & Director Little Black Afro and Dark Nights
Theatre BA '15
Theatre @ York gracefully tackles bespoke David Yee play "Love in the Time of Werewolves"
AMPD alumni, students, faculty receive over 20 Dora award nominations
Ph.D. graduate wins Governor General's Gold Medal
Emma Ferreira joins Rob Lowe's new Netflix comedy
Mel Hague named Artistic Director of iconic Toronto theatre
"Bespoke" New Play in Development
The Department of Theatre renews it collaboration with Director Nina Lee Aquino and Playwright David Yee.
Theatre@York 2021/22 Season Announcement
Come join us for our 2021/22 Season Announcement from our Season Building Committee!
Theatre@York Year in Review: 2020/21
How do you teach and produce theatre in a pandemic? The York University Department of Theatre explored various models this year as we worked remotely, collaboratively, and eventually, in person. Come look back with us as we start looking towards the future.
Take the next step toward a career in art and design.


"Weird Dream" starts off with loud feedback that slowly morphs into a riff. Before you know it, the song's right on top of you and doesn't take a second to let up and breathe. It's impeccably arranged fuzzed-out rock, raucous and full of energy. Happy Diving only have a self-titled EP to their name so far and have only been together since last year, but they've emerged onto the scene fully formed. "Weird Dream" is the lead single from their upcoming debut, Big World, and it's a hell of an introduction. Listen below.
Happy Diving's debut album Big World is out 10/21 on Father/Daughter Records.


The Santa Monica College Police Department is joining a nationwide effort to promote firearm safety, working in conjunction with the government funded Project Childsafe - a program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to distribute gun lock safety kits.
"Hundreds of children and teenagers in this country are killed each year by gun accidents," said SMC Police Chief Eileen Miller. "We want to do what we can to save lives."
Area residents and students are encouraged to come to the SMC Police Department to pick up a Project Childsafe gun safety kit for safe storage of their firarms. The kits will be distributed without asking for identification or gun licenses, however, those who want a kit should not bring a firearm to the station.
For more information, call (310) 434-4608 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
A kids-only event (children over 18 prohibited) was held in Temple City Park last Saturday morning on the 26th, starting at Sultana Avenue and Las Tunas, proceeding across Las Tunas and ending at the festival on Rowland Avenue. About 4,000 kids drawing from service organizations, sports teams, marching bands and proud arrays of Brownies and Cub Scouts participated in the parade, many pulling floats designed by their own members and built out of camellias.
carnival rides did require tickets.
Last Sunday, thousands of walkers and well over 10,000 runners covered a 5K route in the streets surrounding the Rose Bowl in the Komen Race for the Cure - an event held to raise money and awareness on the fight against breast cancer. Thousands of people not in the race converge on a Health Expo as a show of support for attending the drive. A breast cancer survivor of seven years, Actress Shelley Morrison - who once played Rosario on 'Will and Grace' lead the Celebration of Life Survivor Ceremony in which hundreds of other survivors are invited to the bleachers at the race's starting line outside the Rose Bowl. Shortly after this emotional demonstration, the race began at 9:30 in the morning for runners and 9:40 a.m. for walkers. An awards ceremony began less than an hour afterwards, with raffle prizes drawn ranging from free airline tickets to personal trainer packages, with trophies handed out as well.
A traditional Mexican dance ceremony - Aztec Dance La Danza Azteca was performed near the statue of Aztec's last emeror, Cuauhtemoc, at Mission Road and Main Street in the Lincoln Park Recreation Center, free of charge at 11:00 a.m.


text:
Mickaël Joseph Niçoise (born 19 September 1984) is a Guadeloupean professional footballer who plays as a striker for French club Meaux.

Club career

Youth
Born in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis, Niçoise began playing football at an early age in his hometown club, the ASCC Chelles. He was spotted at 13 by AJ Auxerre but left the family nest at 14 to join the sports study CS Meaux and the training center of Paris Saint-Germain .

Senior
Niçoise began his senior career at Amiens SC training center that offered him his first professional contract in 2003. He signed his professional contract under Denis Troch. He played in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Troyes. Arrived in extra time, he qualify his team with  his penalty during the session of shots in the purpose . Alex Dupont's arrival will push him then towards the exit.

In 2005, he signed with Belgian club FC Brussels. During his first experience outside France he was coached by French manager Albert Cartier. Partnering Igor de Camargo in attack, he registered 3 goals for 26 league matches.

In 2006, Elijah joined Süper Lig side Gençlerbirliği S.K.

In 2007, he returned to Belgium signing with Mouscron.

In 2008, he moved to Switzerland to play for Neuchâtel Xamax.

He spent part of the 2008–09 season with Ethnikós Áchnas but agreed the termination of his contract after six months with the Cypriot club.

In 2010, Niçoise played for Réunion side SS Saint-Louisienne.

In summer 2011, Niçoise signed a three-year contract with Egyptian club Al-Masry SC. He did not make an appearance for the club.

In early 2012, he signed with Malaysian Super League side PKNS F.C. as a free agent following a one-week trial. He was made vice-captain of PKNS. He scored 5 goals in his first 4 matches. He later injured his anterior cruciate ligament.

In 2013, he signed with Finnish second-tier club PK-35 Vantaa.

In 2015, he played for Maziya S&RC of the Maledives.

International career
Niçoise made his debut for Guadeloupe at the Caribbean Cup in December 2008 against Cuba. He scored in his second game against Haiti.

Personal life
He is Muslim, having converted to Islam. He also has two daughters.

References

External links

1984 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Bondy
French people of Guadeloupean descent
Association football forwards
French footballers
Guadeloupean footballers
CS Meaux players
R.W.D.M. Brussels F.C. players
Gençlerbirliği S.K. footballers
Royal Excel Mouscron players
Ethnikos Achna FC players
Al Masry SC players
Belgian Pro League players
Süper Lig players
Swiss Super League players
Cypriot First Division players
PKNS F.C. players
Expatriate footballers in Belgium
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
Expatriate footballers in Switzerland
Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
French expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Egypt
French Muslims
Converts to Islam
Guadeloupe international footballers
Footballers from Seine-Saint-Denis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The International Journal of Modern Engineering (IJME)
was founded by Mark Rajai in the spring of 2000. It is the first peer-reviewed print and online journal covering topics that appeal to a broad readership of engineering, engineering technology, and industrial technology fields.
The journal is an independent publication, which aims to provide the online engineering community with a resource and forum for scholarly expression and reflection. IJME is steered by a distinguished Board of Directors and is supported by an international review board consisting of prominent individuals representing many well-known universities, colleges, and corporations in the United States and abroad.
IJME is published twice annually (Fall and Spring issues) and includes peer-reviewed articles, book and software reviews, editorials, and commentary that contribute to our understanding of the issues, problems, and research associated with engineering and engineering technology. The journal encourages the submission of manuscripts from private, public, and academic sectors. The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IJME or its editors.
Mark Rajai, Ph.D.
Email: mrajai@csun.edu
California State University Northridge
Philip D. Weinsier, Ed. D.
Vice President for Journal and Conference Affairs
Email: philipw@bgsu.edu
Bowling Green State University Firelands
Copyright © 2000-2020 IJME. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Statement


Hi, my name is Maggie and I am recovering from employment in the medical field! I worked for many years in the organ transplant world working with families in life and death situations, on 24-hour call for days on end. I loved my job, but it was exhausting. I retired 2 years ago and started working as an artist full time. I am a metalsmith and love being able to find a new peace and fulfillment in my studio. I call it torch therapy! Many of my creations are what I call "Meaningful Jewelry" I have a sign in my booth that states "Life is Short, Buy the Jewelry". Life is short, find meaning in life…I hope that some of the jewelry I have created for you reminds you to embrace life!
Jewelry is such a saturated category, I have strived to find a different look to help me stand out. Concrete and silver is one of my newest obsessions. I experimented for a few months and several mishaps to discover a blend that would hold the wet concrete look. I added an expanding chemical to make it light weight and a bonding chemical to make it strong. I now create the sterling silver forms & pour the concrete to create one of a kind, new, unique pieces. I use silver, copper & semi-precious stones in many of my pieces.


Yesterday an incident at Tesla's Fremont, CA assembly facility for the Model S described as "...a failure in a low pressure aluminum casting press" caused burn injuries to three workers via hot metal from that press; and left short term production of the Model S in question.
One of the three workers was left with what is being described as a serious injury.
Today however, Jeff Evanson, a Tesla spokesman, told Bloomberg that Tesla does not expect Model S production delays following yesterday's accident.
Tesla has said it will sell about 6,000 Model S sedans this quarter and around 21,500 for the year.


Donetsk, Sep 8 – DAN. Acting Donetsk People's Republic Head Denis Pushilin signed the decrees to appoint Alexey Ananchenko, Vladimir Antonov and Yekaterina Matyuschenko as acting deputy chairpersons of the DPR Council of Ministers.
The decrees No 2, 3, 4 were published on the DPR official website on Friday, September 7, and came into force.
Ananchenko currently Heads the Council of Ministers Analysis and Strategic Planning Department, Antonov supervises social policy and Matyuschenko is in charge of budget and finance.
In the previous government, Yekaterina Matyuschenko also occupied the posts of DPR finance minister and deputy prime minister, while Vladimir Antonov was acting agriculture and food minister.
On Friday, the DPR parliament appointed its speaker Denis Pushilin as acting Head of the Republic. Pushilin thanked the lawmakers for their confidence in him saying that he planned to step up the work of the Council of Ministers.


text:
Island men's homeless shelter adding more social activities
Guests at an Island men's homeless shelter are getting an opportunity to take in some social events with the help of local businesses.
'Those things really really help make Bedford MacDonald House a home'
Tony Davis · CBC News · Posted: Jul 10, 2019 9:00 PM AT | Last Updated: July 11
Bedford MacDonald House guests and staff were joined by city officials for a softball game on Sunday. (Bedford MacDonald House/Facebook)
Guests at an Island men's homeless shelter are getting an opportunity to take in some social events with the help of local businesses.
Bedford MacDonald House provides a warm and comfortable place for homeless men in Charlottetown to stay and also connects them with important community supports.
Now, guests are also getting an opportunity to take part in some social events.
Mike Redmond, residential manager of Bedford MacDonald House, said guests had a quick answer when they were asked what social activity they wanted to do.
"The first thing that they came up with was going to play softball in the park," he said.
A group of guests and staff made it happen on Sunday. Redmon said Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown and Coun. Alana Jankov even joined in.
"It was a tremendous success," he said.
Province commits $355K a year to homeless shelter
Looking to have more outings
Redmond said after the softball game in Victoria Park, guests went back to Bedford MacDonald House for pizza.
He said the socializing is about more than just fun and games.
"Doing things that make you laugh or smile is a way of reconnecting you back into the community," he said. "Really, the opposite of addictions is connection."
Redmond said the list of future activities includes deep sea fishing, hockey and basketball games, and gardening, among others.
Homeless shelter, nursing school partner for health project
Redmond said Bedford MacDonald House gets a lot of assistance from the community, with local businesses offering things such as tickets to sports games. The city has also provided picnic tables and benches for guests to use.
The local restaurant Leonhard's Café helps out by donating hot food, Redmond said.
"Those things really really help make Bedford MacDonald House a home."
Redmond said the house receives funding from the province and benefits from community partnerships like the one the shelter has with the Salvation Army.
"It gives us greater opportunity to provide resources in the building."
More P.E.I. news
Some Island pharmacies struggling to find technicians to hire
Minister promises extra $900K to extend secure income pilot
With files from Mainstreet P.E.I.


An "after-the-fact confirmation" of activity must be performed, so that the certification is based on actual, not proposed, costs.
Pay must be allocated proportionally among multiple activities in which the employee is involved.
Salary certification "may reflect categories of activities expressed as a percentage distribution of total activities," since different institutions define a "full workload" differently.
As with the rest of the University, FAS employs eCRT for its effort reporting needs. To comply with these guidelines, the University has adopted three salary certification programs, one for faculty academic year salary, one for faculty supplemental salary, and one for all other employees.


ROBERT GERRISH: (00:34) Now today I'm delighted to be talking with Louise Keir.
Hello Louise, thanks so much for joining us.
LOUISE KEIR: (00:40) Thank you, Robert.
ROBERT GERRISH: (00:41) Well look it's good to have you here. Now I know we've bumped into each other a few times, Louise, as you had a wonderful little segment on TV that I'm sure the First Class people will put a little link to that and now here we are speaking on the phone. So perhaps we could start off, Louise, by you just letting us know where your First Class Accounts business is based and just give me a just a little snapshot of the area.
LOUISE KEIR: (01:08) I actually work from home to begin with and my area is the lower North Shore.
ROBERT GERRISH: (01:21) Okay. Lower North Shore of Sydney.
LOUISE KEIR: (01:22) Yeah. Lower North Shore of Sydney, primarily North Sydney, Neutral Bay around that small business hub. I guess you could say it's almost an extension of the city.
ROBERT GERRISH: (01:34) Yeah, it is. What a great area to have your business. I mean you're surrounded by businesses there.
LOUISE KEIR: (01:40) That's right. I am fortunate.
ROBERT GERRISH: (01:42) Now look, what I should say before we get any further, let's advise listeners that you work from a home office and you share your space with two youngish, boisterous individuals called Jazz and Spencer and they're Jack Russell terriers and they may make an appearance. That will be fair to say, wouldn't it?
LOUISE KEIR: (02:05) Yeah. It's very hard for them not to make an appearance, Robert.
ROBERT GERRISH: (02:09) Yeah, particularly when you're away from them. I'll bet that's when they want you the most. That's the way it is, isn't it.
LOUISE KEIR: (02:13) Yeah. It's a little scratch on the door. Yes.
ROBERT GERRISH: (02:15) I always remember, there was someone telling me once that the reason you see so many Jack Russell's in movies is because they are so incredibly intelligent, so if they do interrupt us we can only imagine that they're probably saying something very useful even though we might not fully understand it.
Anyway, we'll keep going. Shall we?
ROBERT GERRISH: (02:35) Okay. Alright. So your area then as you said lower North Shore as you say almost like an overspill to the sort of North Sydney area, so great catchment in terms of the number of businesses. Now you are very much a newbie. How long have you actually had your franchise for?
LOUISE KEIR: (02:54) I actually signed my franchise agreement on the third of July last year.
LOUISE KEIR: (03:03) And after the training because First Class Accounts do put you through pretty rigorous training to ensure that you know what you need and so I've been operating or allowed to trade, I guess you could say, from the fifth of September last year.
ROBERT GERRISH: (03:19) Oh okay. Alright, so very new, very new. Alright and so we'll sort of delve into that, but what I'm particularly interested in and I'm sure some of the people listening will be too is what's been your path to starting this business? What's your background? Where do you come from? What did you do before you decided to start your own business like this?
LOUISE KEIR: (03:43) I had a… I still have a career, but I came out of IT. I started off as a bookkeeper and then after about 10 years of doing that and having my own business, I decided to move into IT where I initially started to transfer people from menu based systems into automated accounting systems and then from that point on it grew and I became more and more ambitious. So I've… mainly my background is corporate and government and the previous 12 years I've been doing freelance project management.
LOUISE KEIR: (04:31) Where I did look after… well I had a number of corporate and government clients and what I was doing was different types of projects, but there was always a commonality and there was always a financial requirement which I was able to leverage off my bookkeeping experience.
LOUISE KEIR: (05:02) And also I have led development teams in software development for developing accounting systems and have had projects where I've done it for implementation into corporate.
ROBERT GERRISH: (05:06) Wow! So you've actually… I suppose we could say you're kind of completing the circle then. You started out with your own bookkeeping business. Grew that then moved into corporate and you worked your way around corporate now back into your own bookkeeping business. How does that feel?
LOUISE KEIR: (05:23) You could say that.
ROBERT GERRISH: (05:24) Yeah. Does it feel like a… I mean did you always kind of have your business in your back pocket if you like? Were you always thinking one day or is it something that's kind of grown gradually more recently? What's the process of kind of leaving and getting into your own business?
LOUISE KEIR: (06:22) … in different shapes and forms. So I started looking at it and as I continued on down the path I thought, "I think need to make the leap and just go for it," which is what I've done.
ROBERT GERRISH: (06:40) How exciting. So with the corporate side then, did you just sort of feel that you'd done as much as you wanted to do there, that you got as far as you wanted to go? What precipitated that move?
LOUISE KEIR: (06:54) I thought that I had gone as far as what I could go. I've gone from permanent employee to a contractor.
LOUISE KEIR: (07:09) And then I… But I still felt that I wasn't in control of my destiny.
LOUISE KEIR: (07:16) So that's why I did make that change and decided to be in charge and do my own thing. I suppose… I just wanted to be able to be in charge of my own destiny and know where I was going and that was the real drive for it.
ROBERT GERRISH: (07:35) Yeah. Okay. And I think… When we speak to people that are starting a business whether it's bookkeeping or whatever when they're starting a small business, it is that sort of reason, that desire to do things your way that is by far the biggest driver and without us getting into talking about ages or anything, we have met… and we are of a similar generation. We remember the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie and others. So , you know, we are of a similar… and I guess when we get to this sort of age, we kind of do want to be as you say, as you so beautifully put it, in control of our own destiny, don't we? So how does that feel for you now? I know it's still the year one and I know that there are… inevitably there are pressures of building a business, but how does it feel generally? You wake up in the morning with your own business. Is it exciting? Is it scary? Is it a mix of both?
LOUISE KEIR: (08:32) Look, it's a combination of all things because like I like to get in and develop business. I've had some roles in the past that has allowed me to take away that shyness, so to speak, and you just get in and go after it. It's a combination… like we do a lot of… I enjoy doing networking and getting there. The challenge is, and I think for any small business, is finding enough customers.
ROBERT GERRISH: (09:09) Yes. Yes.
LOUISE KEIR: (09:12) Because you want to be able to do is know that you can pay the bills and all of that type of thing.
ROBERT GERRISH: (09:14) Yes, of course.
LOUISE KEIR: (09:09) So I'm driven like that. But it is scary because all of a sudden you've gone from a corporate position where you can go anywhere in the organisation to get something done.
LOUISE KEIR: (09:31) All of a sudden you're in a small business. You have multiple hats to wear because nobody else is going to do it for you.
LOUISE KEIR: (09:42) So you're doing the admin. You're doing the business development. You're in the operational work which is what you're selling, as in bookkeeping and all of a sudden you have all of those responsibilities rolled into one and you've got that pressure of getting more clients.
ROBERT GERRISH: (10:04) Yes, of course. And so we'll go into a few of those little things. I totally get that and you're right. That is the stuff of small business and I think it's very true that sometimes people get into small business without necessarily thinking about all that. I mean you certainly, I guess because of your previous experience you have an idea what was coming and also you made the decision to buy a franchise. What was the decision making process there? Why did you decide to do that versus just sort of putting up your sign and working on your own?
LOUISE KEIR: (10:45) I think the First Class Accounts brand is renowned like people do know it. As soon as you mentioned First Class Accounts at a networking group people just immediately know the brand and that's what I wanted. I wanted something, a brand that people would recognize. I knew that… If I had have done it myself it would have taken me a lot longer and I might be one of those businesses that are just done and operating any further.
LOUISE KEIR: (11:25) Falling into perhaps financial problems and so on. But with First Class Accounts you've got the brand recognition. You have extensive training that they provide you and you've got support processes that are in place. You have a helpdesk that is there to help, to guide you through the process and as everybody… All bookkeepers become BAS agents. Well the majority of them do. Some have the preference not to. And so you've got First Class Accounts offering those supervised services so that you can lodge your clients BAS for them. So yeah.
ROBERT GERRISH: (12:12) Yes. So it's all there, isn't it?
LOUISE KEIR: (12:13) There's a lot of support in place. It's all there and if you're thinking about wearing all of those hats when we start off in small business, the fact that that's in place and you've got it there rather than creating it from scratch yourself, it makes a big difference.
ROBERT GERRISH: (12:34) Yes. And so you mentioned the helpline there and I'm just dying to know. Have you had cause to ring it? And if so what's been your experience? Do you have any particular scenario that springs to mind where you made use of that facility?
LOUISE KEIR: (12:51) Yes, I have. Sometimes it could be around software like… because we do get trained on numerous accounting software and there can be something operational that you just can't see. For example, when I was using Xero the other day and I was wanting to… I needed to update an activity statement as such because I was going back and doing some rescue work which was going back a few months. So it means that I would need to lodge a new BAS for that client. But it had… down the bottom it had finalised and there was nothing that I could do to remove that, at least I thought.
ROBERT GERRISH: (13:47) So just to recap. You're saying that something had kind of happened there within that software and what you were trying to find out is, "Yikes! How can I kind of wind it back a little?" Is that sort of what the problem was?
ROBERT GERRISH: (14:35) How that works.
ROBERT GERRISH: (14:44) Situations. Yeah.
LOUISE KEIR: (14:50) … that do crop up during the day that you just need to get that additional support and sometimes there's… Where the Internet is very good to research this stuff and you normally do. I normally try to go there first to find it out.
LOUISE KEIR: (15:02) But sometimes you can waste a lot of time.
ROBERT GERRISH: (15:05) Yes, certainly.
LOUISE KEIR: (15:06) And it's best that you contact the experts.
ROBERT GERRISH: (15:11) Yeah. So brilliant to have that. I wish I had a similar sort of service myself and I remember hearing a little while ago that a new Bentley they were making a few years ago. I think it was selling for $350,000 and it had a big red button on the dashboard – so legend has it. Anyway and you press the big red button and it goes straight through to somebody who will answer any question that you've got. That's what it… It sounded like something out of Batman. But it sounds like you have a similar service working for you which is great to hear.
So let's have a look at customers. Now I know that… you've already said that you really kind of started in September, so incredibly early days because November, December, January, even February it's hard to get conversation with people and I know this is a path that you're very much sort of on at the moment, but what have you been doing so far? I believe you've joined some networking groups. I wonder just if you can take us through your own sort of thinking there with your marketing.
ROBERT GERRISH: (16:24) No. No.
LOUISE KEIR: (16:47) It depends on how they actually, how often they're running. Whereas others may only have breakfast once a week, so I would just… I'll do it once a week every week like as in BNI does. I have a weekly breakfast whereas the other groups that I've joined, Bx Networking, it's once every fortnight.
ROBERT GERRISH: (17:12) Right. Okay.
LOUISE KEIR: (17:15) So you can make it work yourself, but you do need to make that contact with other people because they can also become your sales force.
ROBERT GERRISH: (17:26) Yes, your advocates.
LOUISE KEIR: (17:29) As far as… for extending beyond yourself to somebody that gets to know your business because that's what it's all about and then you can take it from there and they'll be referring to you whatever and vice versa because they'd like to get that… referrals themselves.
ROBERT GERRISH: (17:44) So it's so good to hear that you sort of embraced networking so fully because it's not always the case. You know, I speak to people who are much more hesitant. Do you remember the very first time you walked into a networking group, possibly with your First Class Accounts sort of blouse on. What was that like? Do you remember that?
LOUISE KEIR: (18:08) It was a bit strange because really you don't know exactly what the process is. One of the things that is really good is that if you are a visitor to any of these meetings they do make you welcome and people want to learn about your business and people introduce you as soon as you come in because they're looking for people to join their chapters as such and for me, like I thought, "What do I say?" I was listening to the different pitches that people were giving and I have not, had never ever really done any pitch or anything like that in the past.
ROBERT GERRISH: (18:55) Oh okay. So what did you say when it got around to you?
LOUISE KEIR: (18:59) So it was amusing as well. I copied basically what they said.
ROBERT GERRISH: (19:01) That's fine.
LOUISE KEIR: (19:07) Give your name, who you're from, what you do and who invited you to attend and as we get further into it, once you join you need to talk more about your business and look at specifically who it is that you want or the types of businesses that you want to connect with.
ROBERT GERRISH: (19:22) Yeah. Look, I think the thing there… I mean and clearly it's very brave. A number of people I have spoken with and not in the bookkeeping industry, but who are hesitant with networking is they just can't face that kind of situation where they walk in a room and they don't know people. But it's very interesting what you said and I think it's so true that in this day and age the majority of networking groups certainly professional networking groups and you mentioned BNI, you know, have been very well established for many many years all around Australia and they are a professional networking group. And the other thing I think with pretty well every networking group is they are populated by people like us, by other small businesses and this notion that you walk into somewhere and, you know, the piano stops playing and everybody goes quiet like in one of those cowboy movies. That's kind of not what it's like because people are welcoming and as you said, they welcomed you in. I'm sure they all understand what it's like to be at that starting point and I'm so pleased to hear that you're building your own confidence and building a picture of your ideal client. Because it takes time, doesn't it, to get that piece of the jigsaw right.
LOUISE KEIR: (20:38) It does because when you're out there selling yourself and selling the service as such you're really do need to be able to communicate that clearly so that people understand if they're going to be referring you, what type of client you're after and that to me is quite key. So yeah, I totally agree.
ROBERT GERRISH: (21:02) Yeah. But are you sort of… are you comfortable with the discomfort because at this stage until you've worked that out it must feel a little uncomfortable for you, but are you getting a little bit sort of stronger and clearer as each week goes by?
LOUISE KEIR: (21:20) Yes, definitely. I have to say the last 12 months or probably since September, what I have learned and what I have got out of this – and I'm talking about me not about sitting down learning software – but what I've got out of it for me I think has been really valuable and I've learned a hell of a lot and what has happened is I have become more confident because it's like I was very comfortable in the corporate land and working where I was working, but when I made that stick and that transition into something that is different again plus I'm the one that has to… I'm the one that is the business so to speak it was… it took me a while before I did feel confident and as I did more as far as networking and looking at my business and what I've learned and I have learned a lot from different coaches and I learned about LinkedIn and what is good to know is that when you go out and you have a look at… because there's a lot of people out there that help small business. There are different things that you can attend and so on.
LOUISE KEIR: (23:00) …often uncomfortable because I thought I was, but everybody goes through it and you just have to push yourself.
ROBERT GERRISH: (23:04) Yeah. Okay. That's delightfully said and I'm going to wrap this up by asking you three questions that I actually do use in my coaching sometimes. So I haven't primed you for this so good luck, but don't worry.
ROBERT GERRISH: (23:20) But I'll ask you three questions. In your first year of running your own business, what are you happiest about?
LOUISE KEIR: (23:26) I have to say that I now have a clearer vision as to where I want to go and I know what I need to do to get there. There are some things that I need to work on, but I have a much clearer vision. I'm much happier and I can see that I can achieve it.
ROBERT GERRISH: (23:49) Fantastic. That's a great response. Next one, what are you most excited about?
ROBERT GERRISH: (24:20) How brilliant. Alright. Now the last one is, what are you most proud of?
LOUISE KEIR: (24:27) That I stuck it out. Right. Look I tell you there were lots of moments where you think, "Oh my goodness what have I done?" But the fact is that I stuck it out. I stayed focused and you do have your off days and it doesn't matter what you do if you're a bookkeeper or a baker, you still have those off days.
LOUISE KEIR: (24:58) But yeah, I'm pleased that I have stuck with it and I can see where it can go.
ROBERT GERRISH: (25:03) How fantastic. Well I've got to tell you we're rather pleased that you stuck with it as well and I can't wait to see where it all goes to next.
Louise Keir, thank you so much for spending your time with us. It's been great to have a chat with you.
LOUISE KEIR: (25:22) Thank you, Robert. Thank you for inviting me.
ROBERT GERRISH: (25:24) Okay and also big shout out to Jazz and Spencer who have obviously sat there just riveted to this, listening to all of this and have decided not to interrupt. So I think that was great too.


text:
BNP ParibasSuccessStory
SuccessStory
Welcome Back !!!
By Signing up you accept our terms of Serivce & privacy policy
Password Remember?
BNP Paribas SuccessStory
BNP Paribas is a global bank and financial services company based in Paris, France. The bank was formed by the merger of two large financial institutions, namely Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas in the year 2000. According to its official website, as of 2012, BNP Paribas was the fourth-largest bank in the world in terms of its total assets in the official poll released by Bloomberg and Forbes. BNP Paribas has its global headquarters in London.
The bank's business division are split into three categories or units: Retail Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking and Investment Solutions.
BNP Paribas' first parent company, Banque Nationale de Paris was established in 1996; via the merger of Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris and Banque nationale pour le commerce et l'industrie. The company was established by the French Provisional Government on 7 March, 1848 while the latter was also established by the French government on 18 April, 1932. Paribas, on the other hand was also established through merger of Banque de Crédit et de Dépôt des Pays-Bas and Banque de Paris on 27 January 1872. The foundation for the merger was laid in 1999, when Société Générale started bidding for Paribas. Concurrently BNP was also bidding for Paribas. One year later, BNP and Paribas merged on 22 May, 2000. The institution then started its expansion via mergers and acquisitions.
BNP acquired 75% stake of Fortis' business in Belgium and 66% of its Luxembourg activities on 6 October, 2008. The acquisition was completed on February 11 and the bank was renamed as BNP Paribas Fortis. BNP Paribas also acquired Rabobank's Polish division in December 2013. BNP Paribas' largest unit is Retail Banking which is responsible for the majority part of the bank's revenue. The retail business is spread across 80 countries. The primary area of this business unit is concentrated in France, Italy and Belgium. BNP Paribas is one of the France's leading retail banks, having more than 22,000 branches and more than 31,000 employees.
Similarly, BNP Paribas operates in Italy though Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) and has more than 13000 employs and more than 2.5 million clients. Apart from three domestic markets, BNP also operates in United States via BancWest with more than 11,000 employees. The second major unit of BNP Paribas handles corporate banking and investment banking. This unit is divided into six major sub units: Fixed Income, Equity & Derivatives, Commodity Derivatives, Investment Banking, Structured Finance and Corporate & Transaction group.
Together, this division churns out revenue of more than 12 billion annually. Similarly, the Investment Solutions unit of the bank handles assets management, custodial banking, real estate, online brokerage and insurance and wealth management activities. The bank is also involved in various philanthropic projects as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. As of 2014, the organization has conducted 1352 social inclusion projects, 444 Educational projects and 187 culture-related projects.
With a market Capital of $98.61 billion, sales of $123.2 billion and a head count of 184,545 employees BNP Paribas is well on its way to become one of the leading financial institutions in the world.
Founder :
Baudouin Prot
CEO :
Jean-Laurent Bonnafé
Sector :
bnpparibas.com/en/home
L Oréal SuccessStory
AXA SuccessStory
Total S.A. SuccessStory
GDF Suez SuccessStory
Groupon SuccessStory
Louis Vuitton SuccessStory
American Express SuccessStory
LG Corp SuccessStory
BP (British Petroleum) SuccessStory
Carrefour SuccessStory
Chevron Corporation SuccessStory
Glencore Xstrata SuccessStory
Koch Industries Inc. SuccessStory
Trafigura SuccessStory
Vitol SuccessStory
BASF SuccessStory
Facebook SuccessStory
Apple Inc. SuccessStory
Microsoft SuccessStory
Want to Be Successful?
Learn Secrets from People Who Already Made It
VitolSuccessStory
TrafiguraSuccessStory
Total S.A.SuccessStory
Koch Industries Inc.SuccessStory
Glencore XstrataSuccessStory
CostcoSuccessStory
AXASuccessStory
Cargill Inc.SuccessStory
Contribute To SuccessStory
©2019SuccessStory.com All Rights Reserved


Sophia Al-Maria (b. 1983) studied Comparative Literature at the American University in Cairo, and Aural and Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her first solo exhibition, Virgin with a Memory, was presented at HOME, Manchester in 2014. Al-Maria has also exhibited work at New Museum, New York, NY, USA (2015); Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, South Korea (2013); Waqif Art Centre, Doha, Qatar (2007); and Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt (2005), among other places. Al-Maria has also been invited to participate in the 2016 Biennale of Moving Images (BIM), organised by the Centre d'Art Contemporain in Geneva, Switzerland and is a root researcher in the 2016 Shanghai Project. In 2015 she guest edited issue 8 of The Happy Hypocrite entitled Fresh Hell. Her memoir, The Girl Who Fell to Earth (2012), was published by Harper Perennial. Her writing has also appeared in Harper's Magazine, Five Dials, Triple Canopy, and Bidoun. She currently lives and works in London.


text:
Coronavirus: Flight Centre to close 100 underperforming stores across Australia
13 Mar, 2020 04:30 AM 4 minutes to read
Flight Centre has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Photo / 123RF
By Alexis Carey
Flight Centre will shut down 100 stores across Australia as the fallout from the lethal coronavirus pandemic continues.
The travel agent made the shock announcement today that scores of its underperforming outlets would shut down.
However, the company did not confirm how many jobs were hanging in the balance, or which specific branches had been earmarked for closure.
A spokesperson for Flight Centre New Zealand said there were no plans to close any New Zealand stores.
"Having said that, these are challenging times, and our Travel Experts are working around the clock to provide support for our customers.
"Kiwis are renowned for their resilience and thirst for travel like no other nationality - there's very little that stops us from exploring the world".
"Flight Centre has been booking Kiwi's travel for over 30 years, and over that time we've just about seen it all. GFC, SARS, September 11 - these have all triggered a sudden drop in customer demand from Kiwi travellers - but every time, we've found our way through and come back stronger than before".
In an announcement to the ASX this morning, Flight Centre blamed the dramatic raft of closures on "heightened uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus".
"Total transaction value (TTV) trends generally in line with expectations in early 2H trading but virus's spread & increased travel restrictions mean demand is softening significantly and time frame for recovery is unclear," the statement reads.
It confirmed a "strategic response plan" was in place which aimed to "protect and grow market-share ahead of future rebound, while reducing costs" and that there were "up to 100 underperforming leisure shops to close in Australia".
Comment: Donald Trump has poured fuel on the flames of coronavirus
13 Mar, 2020 04:36 AM Quick Read
Very first coronavirus case traced back to November
Shut down: Aussie PM warns not to travel or attend large events
NZ First's Tracey Martin was with coronavirus-infected Oz MP a week ago
Flight Centre said it was "looking to transfer TTV and sales staff to other shops, while also continuing to invest in new and emerging models" and that there was a "solid balance sheet, with A$1.3 billion ($1.33b) in total cash and investments and A$189 million positive net debt position at February 29".
Travel companies have been particularly ravaged by the virus and the increasingly severe travel restrictions imposed by governments in a frantic bid to quell the spread.
Both Webjet and Flight Centre fell nearly 20 per cent on Thursday, while Virgin Australia was down 16.7 per cent.
Managing director Graham Turner said although the outlook and the time frame for recovery remained unclear, the company was well placed to overcome challenges.
He said the company would draw on its experiences with SARS in 2003 and during the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 by seeking to stimulate demand, while also implementing sensible cost reduction strategies to maintain its balance sheet strength.
"While people are still booking travel – in February, our TTV actually increased slightly globally compared to the same month last year – we are now seeing significant softening and expect this to continue into April at least," Turner said.
"Within this uncertain environment, our priorities are to reduce costs, while also ensuring that we and our people are ready to capitalise when the steep discounting that is underway across most travel categories starts to gain traction and as the trading cycle rebounds.
"As we saw with both SARS and the GFC in Australia, the rebound can be relatively fast and strong after a fairly significant downturn in international travel."
The company has also introduced a range of other measures in light of the bleak current climate, including short-term flexible work arrangements for staff, reduced trading hours in some shops, reducing leave balances and encouraging employees to take time off during the quieter period, introducing a freeze on recruitment and deferring some "non-essential" projects ad expenses.
VirusFacts2
TO READ THE HERALD'S FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE CLICK HERE


The site Bookmarkwig.com's front page was last entered by gilturl 12-8-2010. The source was comprised of 75 characters, of which 60 are code, leaving an organic character count of 20. The total specialized word count on the Bookmarkwig.com home page is 167. We calculated that number of unique words is 207. We extracted 1210 top keywords, leaving 168% above the threshold. Total Phrases above the threshold was 1100.