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2018 Winter Sports Preview
October 29, 2018 December 5, 2018 Towerlight News
[Compiled by Muhammad Waheed, Aaron Thomas, Cyan Thomas and John Hack]
The Tigers finished the 2017 season with a loss to William & Mary in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) quarterfinals. The team went out on a bad note losing their final four games and finishing the season with a 18-14 record.
However, the team has put last season behind them and is ready for a solid 2018-19 season.
Towson has many new faces on their respected roster. Due to the unfamiliarity of these new players, Towson was ranked last in the polls due to the team returning only four players from last year's team.
Head Coach Pat Skerry is embracing a new culture for this team.
"The team has good chemistry from working hard and being together since the summer," said Skerry. "The returners have done a good job getting nine new players comfortable in the system and making sure they stay focused."
Pre-season rankings don't mean a thing when the ball is tossed up in the air, but the Tigers have a very tough challenge against No. 5 nationally ranked Virginia to begin the season.
Virginia is always in the conversation as one of the best teams in college basketball. The Cavaliers earned the number one overall seed in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament before falling to No. 16 seed University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in the first round. UMBC was able to pull off arguably the best upset in college basketball history to end Virginia's season last year.
Towson is looking forward to making history by becoming the next team from Baltimore to upset the Cavaliers.
"Playing UVA will be a great challenge that will help prepare for the regular season and conference play," Skerry said. "I tend to make our out-of-conference schedule harder, so we will be used to playing tougher competition.
Skerry emphasized hard work and camaraderie within his team in order to build good chemistry that will translate as teammates on the court and as family off the court. The team will have plenty of time to bond during their trip to the Bahamas.
Towson will participate in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase in a three-day tournament beginning with the first game against Pepperdine on Friday, Nov. 16.
Towson ended its season with an opening round loss in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) against UNC Wilmington.
The Tigers look to improve on their 9-21 record from last season as they lost their final seven games to finish the season. This year's team aims to flip the program around despite underclassmen making up a majority of the roster.
Though the team is ranked eight out of 10 in the CAA conference preseason poll, Head Coach Diane Richardson is confident in her second season at the helm.
"I am really excited about this upcoming season," Richardson said. "I have been impressed with the way our returners have provided leadership to our eight new players. I like how our freshman and transfers have remained poised and stepped up their game."
Junior Nukiya Mayo was selected to the CAA Preseason All-Conference Second Team. She earned Third Team All-Conference honors after averaging 12.6 points per game in 2017.
Senior shooting guard Danielle Durjan is also primed for a good season. Last season, she started 29 games out of 30 while averaging 8.6 points per game.
"I definitely believe that this season we have a lot of potential to do a lot of great things," said Durjan. "We have all the assets and we work hard together while building good team chemistry on and off the court that will help us grow throughout the season."
Towson faces stiff out-of-conference competition this upcoming season. The team will be on the read for eight out of their first 11 contests, including a tough matchup against West Virginia University in mid-December.
The Mountaineers are nationally ranked No. 13 in the Women's Preseason AP Poll. This game will be a challenge for the Tigers that will help prepare the team for conference and postseason play.
The Tigers open the season Tuesday, Nov. 6 on the road against Wake Forest in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Cross country season is nearing a close and that means that the indoor track and field season is about to begin with the first meet scheduled for early December.
There is a lot of excitement heading into the season.
"I cannot be excited enough," Head Coach Mike Jackson said. "There's just so much talent on our overall team, so much ability and so I think it's great for us to all come together. So with cross country just depends on the training and the plan, but for indoor track December first will be a first meet for many of our student athletes and then we'll carry onto January."
Jackson emphasized that the Tigers are more determined than ever to have a strong season.
"Destroy and conquer, leave a mark, really come together, cohesion, get to know one another,' Jackson said. "We have a lot of you people and mature every single day and every single week as a program and just know how good we are and so really just destroy and conquer, leave our mark and give everything that we have and give our best performances every single day."
Some of the excitement for indoor track and field comes from the potential of younger members of the team.
"I expect them to show us what they're made of now," Jackson said. "Obviously we want to be as patient as possible, but sometimes we're too patient. You know some kids are ready to go now. I mean we see it in a lot of different sports so lets do it. You came here. They went through the recruiting process. They chose Towson. We chose them so it's time to perform."
With young talent abundant on the team, Jackson looks for success in multiple areas of competition.
"It's really everything, "Jackson said. "I mean we have outstanding throwers. Pole vault is going to be great. Our sprints and hurdles will be outstanding. Jumps, distance, I mean we have something in every single area so I'm excited overall and there's so many people I could speak of that I think will make an impact."
The team is looking to make big improvements from last season.
"We would like to have a chance to get to indoor NCAA championships," Jackson said. "It's going to be difficult. It's time to move into the upper echelon and win. Lets win ECACs and then we're just going to some new track and field meets and some more high caliber meets so we want to make sure that we leave our mark there."
Towson has already jumped into their 2018-19 season, and with Head Coach Jake Shrum at the helm, the team looks to put together a monumental season.
Senior Jack Saunderson, who was recently chosen to represent the United States at the 2019 World University Games, has broken both Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Towson University records as he continues to put up impressive numbers.
First year Assistant Coach Carrie Dukes is meshing well with the team and bringing new energy to the players.
"She brings a great sense of enthusiasm to our morning practices and has clicked really well with our coaching staff and team members," Shrum said.
For the past three years, the Tigers have ended their season with third-place finishes at the CAA Championships.
On the men's side, team captain Senior Evan Brophy, a former CAA Conference Swimmer of the Week has been displaying consistently remarkable performances.
On the women's side, Junior Meghan Jones, who had two first-place finishes at the 2018 CAA Championships, is alongside Mangum in leading the women's team to a successful winter season.
The team has welcomed several promising freshmen, such as Ryan Baldino, Cody Stewart and Suzannah Mills. They have all cemented their position on the team already with solid performances.
"Ryan Baldino has done an awesome job for us in the sprint Freestyles.", stated Coach Shrum. "Evan Lynch and Cody Stewart have also both provide a really high level of depth in their best events as well. On the girls side, Suzy Mills has the second fastest time in the conference in the 500 Freestyle and has had other significant swims, and Sarah DiGaetano has done an awesome job in her diving events."
The Tigers will finish off the fall season with a spot in the Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
"Our mid-Season invitational meet at Bucknell University is always a great chance for us to see how we've progressed this Fall," Shrum said. "By all accounts we've had a great first two months of our season so we are all excited for that opportunity to race in a prelims/finals meet.
After winter break, the team will have a few more meets until the March 2019 CAA Championships in Austin, Texas.
Last season, the Towson women's gymnastics team ended their season with a combined 15-19 record against opponents that spanned across 10 different meets. This was a slight improvement from the year before, when the squad posted a record of 9-12.
The 2019 campaign will kick off the programs 51st season in their gymnastics program's history. Vicki May returns for her eighth season as head coach. Last year, she became just the second coach in the program's history to be named the 'National Association of Collegiate Gymnastic Coaches for Women' (NACGCW) Southeast Regional Head Coach of the Year.
First year assistant coach Mary Fredericks joins the staff for Towson as well. Fredericks was a member of the United States national team for seven years, a seven-time national champion on the uneven bars and a four-time international champion under the same exercise.
This year, the Tigers come into the season with high expectations as seniors Cortni Baker, Mary Elle Arduino and Erin Tucker lead the team.
Baker will look to add to her impressive resume coming off a season where she placed in the top ten 21 times, set a season-best on the uneven bars (9.800), and, among other feats, was named to the All-EAGL Scholastic Team.
Arduino won the balance beam event on two separate occasions last year and placed in the top five 11 times. She also set career highs on the vault (9.725), uneven bars (9.750) and floor exercise (9.650).
Tucker set career highs on the vault (9.850), floor exercise (9.850), balance beam (9.725), won the vault title at 3 different meets and finished in the top ten 22 times last season.
The Tigers kick off their 2019 season on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Little Boston Invitational where they will take on Penn State and Temple.
Towson will host their season opener on Friday, Jan. 18 at SECU Arena. They will be competing against North Carolina State, William & Mary and Cornell.
This year, the Tigers are returning five seniors from last year, but they also lost five seniors. The team has a unique blend of youth and experience with four freshmen, two sophomores and four juniors listed on the roster. With such a mixed team coming into the new year, the Tigers can look forward to relying on experienced upperclassmen while also giving developing young talent.
athletics Diane Richardson Gymnastics Head Coach Indoor Track and Field Jake Shrum Men's Basketball Mike Jackson Pat Skerry Sports Swimming & Diving tigers Towson Vicki May Women's Basketball
The IPCC report is out – what now?
Does Sidney Crosby want to take back what he said?


The main apostolate of our community is the care of two parishes in Chelmsford, Essex; Our Lady Immaculate and Holy Name.
Visit the website for these parishes.
Our canons also serve in a wide range of other ministries, for example, as school and university chaplains. Also, one of our priests is a chaplain to a convent of Dominican sisters in the New Forest and another is a parish priest in Cornwall. One of our confreres is a priest on the Falkland Islands and our Prior, Abbot Hugh Allan O.Praem., is the Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands and Ecclesiastical Superior of the Mission sui juris of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. Find out more about this ministry.
The contemplative aspects of our vocation also involve much labour. To this end the community is served by a dedicated cantor as we strive to make our worship of Almighty God the most solemn and beautiful as possible. We chant the choral office at various times during the day (see our Horarium) and sing our conventual Mass at 8.00am. We are also fortunate to have students for the priesthood, preparing for ordination and solemn vows.
As Canons of the Order of Prémontré we hope our life still bears witness to those first hopes and prayers of Our Holy Fathers Norbert and Augustine.


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Q: Xamarin Forms CocosSharp pause / resume scene android not working in Xamarin Forms i've added a CocosSharpView with a simple animation
  CCMoveTo myactions = new CCMoveTo(1f, new CCPoint(100, 100));
  CCMoveTo myactions2 = new CCMoveTo(4f, new CCPoint(0, 100));
  CCMoveTo myactions3 = new CCMoveTo(2f, new CCPoint(0, 0));
  CCMoveTo myactions4 = new CCMoveTo(2f, new CCPoint(100, 0));

  CCSequence seq = new CCSequence(myactions, myactions2, myactions3, myactions4);
   circle.AddAction(seq);

i want to pause / resume the Scene by clicking a button.
Director.RunningScene.Pause();
Director.RunningScene.Resume();

i found that there was a bug in Cocos2d and android. i'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong or this is still a bug?
i just need a way to pause / resume the sequence
thanks

A: If you are inside the scene, maybe this.Pause() will do the trick.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dogs versus Cats. The Metro charity fund raiser benefiting homeless animals in our teams' communities.
Each November, Metroplex Aquatics members generously donate canned goods and gift certificates to people in need through the Allen Community Outreach program. Most families have a four legged member that is well loved. Metro is showing the love for our furred friends by asking---which animal rules and which one drools?
Vote for your favorite animal, or split your vote between the two. Each vote will charge your account $20 and earn you one service hour. You can vote as many times as you would like. Each family can earn a maximum of 3 service hours. 100% of the money raised by team votes will be split between two rescue groups: North Texas Cat Rescue and Tails from the Heart.
To vote, use the jobs sign up pages for this event. "Vote" by registering under the job for dogs or cats. Each vote is an agreement that your account will be billed $20 PER VOTE. At the closing of the fundraiser, these organizations will receive their portion of the donated money from Metro Aquatics. Earn up to 3 service hours and abandoned, homeless pets from our community have a life saving opportunity to find their forever home.
Our Metro families are known for being generous to those in need. Let's lend a helping paw to the rescue groups, as puppy and kitten season is now in full swing, and they are in desperate need of donations.


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Ad circulars
CG fund
Maryland unveils plan to cut Chesapeake rockfish catch and delay start of spring trophy season to May 1
By Chris Dollar
Capital Gazette |
Scores of anglers and charter boat captains turned out in Annapolis Thursday to hear the Maryland Department of Natural Resources plan to cut striped bass catch by at least 18 percent in the 2020 season.
DNR officials presented four options for its spring season — known as the Conservation Equivalency — that have been submitted to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for review. All options call for allowing sport anglers to keep two rockfish at a minimum of 19 inches.
The popular spring trophy season would be pushed back to May 1 instead of the third Saturday in April as it has been in recent years.
The state could choose to implement Addendum VI, the preferred option for the Chesapeake selected by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission at its October meeting. That calls for one rockfish at an 18-inch minimum size, though it was not clearly identified as an option in DNR's presentation.
A reduction in the catch is necessary because the 2018 benchmark stock assessment, conducted by the commission, demonstrated that the Atlantic population of this popular game fish is being overfished and fishing pressure is increasing. Coastal states from Maine to North Carolina must reduce their catch by at least 18 percent.
[More from sports] Archbishop Spalding girls basketball coach Lisa Smith fired over disparaging comments »
Participants said no economic impact study has been done to assess what affects the proposed regulatory action may have on Maryland's recreational fishery, which contributes $802 million and more than 10,000 jobs a year to the state economy, according to 2016 figures.
Capt. Charlie Sisson, a longtime charter boat captain who runs parties out of Tracy's Landing, said limiting catch to one rockfish per day and cutting the spring trophy season in half by two weeks will have a significant impact on his business, a sentiment echoed by nearly all of the other charter skippers in the room.
Grave concerns about the health of the striped bass stock prompted Virginia to take action. Regulators there eliminated their state's spring trophy season and significantly curtailed its fall fishery by capping sizes. Other coastal states have also taken steps to lower their harvest.
Fishery managers say the best available science indicates too many large breeders are being removed from the coastal stock. The vast majority of stripers spawn in Chesapeake Bay, which serves as a nursery for young rockfish ages 3 and younger.
Another top priority is reducing the number of bay rockfish that die after being caught and returned to the water, commonly called dead discards. Rules implemented two years ago require all Maryland anglers to use circle hooks to help reduce mortality.
[More from sports] Mississippi State reportedly eyeing Navy's Brian Newberry as defensive coordinator »
Of the more than four dozen charter boat captains present at last night's meeting, all voiced support for Option 4. The public comment period for the spring proposed regulations closes on Jan. 21. A summary of the proposals is available at maryland.gov/fisheries.
The next steps include reviews by both the commission's Technical and Law Enforcement committees, and according to DNR, the fisheries commission Striped Bass Management Board will then consider that feedback from those committees.
Finally, the full commission will vote on whether to give final approval to the state's spring plans at its February meeting. The DNR will submit a separate package of proposed regulatory changes for the summer and winter 2020 season, with a public comment period to follow.
DNR officials emphasized repeatedly Thursday that the exact number of days in any closure, as well as other related reductions, are subject to change as they continue to undergo review.
Most of last night's discussion focused on three topics: the economic impact of cutting days in the summer; reducing dead discards, and better data collection from anglers.
[More from sports] Cam Davis comes through in clutch, lifts Navy past Lafayette »
Allison Colden, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Maryland fisheries scientist, asked the DNR to ensure their entire regulatory package takes into account the "big picture" as it relates to striper management. Others implored the DNR to be more transparent when bringing to the public its proposals.
Everyone in attendance agreed reversing the dead discard trend must be a top priority. According to the DNR and at the fisheries commission, a large percentage of the coast-wide striper mortality occurs when recreational anglers return stripers to the water.
High School Sports Newsletter
Keep up with all the games during the season.
Studies indicate that the most lethal time is in the height of summer when bay water temperatures are at their peak. July is typically the hottest month on average. Opinions differed as to the best way to do this, however. Catch-and-release is popular among recreational anglers, and DNR studies show striper mortality after release is very low during cold weather months.
Addressing the crowd, Phil Langley, a charter captain from Southern Maryland who sits on the fisheries commission, said despite the varying opinions in the room, everyone wants to see the striper fishery rebound.
David Sikorski, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, also implored the DNR to take immediate and necessary steps to collect better information from sport fishermen.
"We deserve better," he said.
Mississippi State reportedly eyeing Navy's Brian Newberry as defensive coordinator
Cam Davis comes through in clutch, lifts Navy past Lafayette
Meade boys, North County girls sweep tri-meet on Friday
No. 17 Maryland cools off, but holds on for 57-50 win over Purdue as Jalen Smith scores 18
Andy Ross: Do-it-all midfielder to be inducted into Chesapeake Chapter Hall of Fame
Chris Dollar writes a weekly outdoors column for The Capital. To send him items for the events calendar or a picture of a big fish, contact him at cdollar@cdollaroutdoors@.com
Sprouts Farmers Market seeks budding Pasadena employees
Read today's newspaper
Maryland Gazette
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: rewrite php array based on condition I have one array and i want change the vehicle price based on number of days here is my array want to rewrite the array,i get number of days i get $rental_days and based on that total price is multiplied,now i want to change it such that if days are 1,2,3,4 than charge will be applied if 5,6,7 than the last price will be applicable then how should i rewrite an array based on this condition (total_price)?
        $vehicles[$result['vehicle_id']] = array(
            'vehicle_id'    => $result['vehicle_id'],
            'title'         => $result['manufacturer']." ".$result['series'],
            'manufacturer'  => $result['manufacturer'],
            'series'        => $result['series'],
            'year'          => $result['year'],
            'class'         => $result['class'],
            'image'         => $image,
            'image_thumb'   => $image_thumb,
            'description'   => $description,
            'seats'         => $vehicle_meta['seats'],
            'doors'         => $vehicle_meta['doors'],
            'conditioning'  => $vehicle_meta['conditioning'],
            'transmission'  => $vehicle_meta['transmission'],
            'total_price'     => $rc_currency->format($rental_days*$result['rent']),
            'daily_price'     => $rc_currency->format($result['rent'])
        );

A: If I understand you correctly....
Do your if statement to check for days, then apply the charge to the total at the bottom
Not sure if you want to apply the charge once, or times it by the amount of days as well...I'll leave that to you to figure out
      if(($rental_days>0)&&($rental_days<=4)){
       $charge = 12.00; //whatever you charge for 4 days
       } elseif(($rental_days>4)&&($rental_days<=7)){
       $charge = 25.00; //whatever you charge for 567 days
      } elseif($rental_days>7){
       $charge = 40.00; //whatever you charge for 8 days
      } else {$charge = 0;}

      $vehicles[$result['vehicle_id']] = array(
        'vehicle_id'    => $result['vehicle_id'],
        'title'         => $result['manufacturer']." ".$result['series'],
        'manufacturer'  => $result['manufacturer'],
        'series'        => $result['series'],
        'year'          => $result['year'],
        'class'         => $result['class'],
        'image'         => $image,
        'image_thumb'   => $image_thumb,
        'description'   => $description,
        'seats'         => $vehicle_meta['seats'],
        'doors'         => $vehicle_meta['doors'],
        'conditioning'  => $vehicle_meta['conditioning'],
        'transmission'  => $vehicle_meta['transmission'],
        'total_price'     => $rc_currency->format(($rental_days*$result['rent'])+$charge),
        'daily_price'     => $rc_currency->format($result['rent'])
    );


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Amara alpina  — вид заполярных жуков из семейства жужелиц и подсемейства харпалин (Harpalinae). Один из немногих «истинно» арктических представителей отряда жесткокрылые.

Распространение
Тундра северной Евразии и Северной Америки. Ископаемые остатки времён оледенения (79 000—91 000 лет) найдены на северо-западном побережье Гренландии и на Чукотке (26 000 лет). Современное распространение: Аляска (США), арктические острова и тундра Канады; Финляндия, Великобритания, Норвегия, Россия (Кольский полуостров, Вайгач, Канин (полуостров), Новая Земля, Камчатка, Магаданская область, Северный Урал, Якутия, Ямал; Бурятия, Забайкалье, Восточные Саяны, Тува).

Описание
Длина около 10 мм (7,3—11,5 мм). Чёрный, иногда с красноватыми ногами.
Вид был впервые описан в 1790 году шведским энтомологом, поэтом и академиком Густавом Пайкулем (Gustaf von Paykull, 1757—1826).

Вид имеет локальное распространение, характерен для нагорных биотопов с альпийской и арктической растительностью. Например в Скандинавии обнаружен на участках с такими растениями как берёза карликовая (Betula nana), беквичия ледниковая (Ranunculus glacialis), толокнянка альпийская (Arctostaphylos alpina), ива травянистая (Salix herbacea), Harrimanella  hypnoides, водяника (Empetrum), Luzula  arcuata.

Полиморфный вид с тенденцией к редуцированию задних перепончатых крыльев. Этот вид никогда не наблюдали летающим и, вероятно, это и не позволило ему после ледникового периода заселить, например, побережье Гренландии. На этом острове имеется немало подходящих для Amara alpina биотопов, которые покрывают огромные районы в южной половине Гренландии. Более того, там встречается четыре вида жужелиц, все с более южным общим типом ареала (Nebria rufescens Strom, Patrobus septentrionis Dejean, Bembidion  grapii (= grapei) Gyllenhal, и Trichocellus cognatus (Gyllenhal) и эндемичный стафилин Atheta groenlandica.

Примечания

Литература
 Bocher J. (1988). The Coleoptera of Greenland. Meddelelser om Gronland. // Bioscience. 1988. — Vol.26 . — P. 1-100.

Ссылки
 Fauna Europaea
 Database Сarabidae of the World (Фотография)
 Arctos Specimen Database
 Catalog of Life
 The Ground Beetles of Canada
 Encyclopedia of life

Тускляки
Животные, описанные в 1790 году
Насекомые Северной Америки
Насекомые Евразии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Is the BBB a scam ? What's the real story?
In this day and age is the Better Business Bureau and viable? Does anybody still use it? What do contractors think about it? And do consumers even care anymore?
The answer to these questions is what GreenPal sought to answer when we conducted our survey of over 20,000 contractors in the lawn care and landscape maintenance industry about their opinions on the Better Business Bureau and its viability in 2018.
Simply stated, the consensus seems to be Better Business Bureau may have had it it's time and place offering information and insight into the reputability of local businesses however in today's world of instant feedback and ease of access through platforms like Yelp, Thumbtack, and moreover industry specific marketplaces such as GreenPal, it seems that the perception of the BBB is that it is better years are behind it, and it seems to gone the way of the Yellow Pages.
As if that's not enough, our research shows that that the BBB has been under scrutiny in recent years for unscrupulous pay to its executives, and also it's rating system has been called into question for legitimacy, fairness, and reliability. Some of even asserted that local businesses effectively can pay to have an A+ rating on the BBB while businesses that don't pay don't get a fair shake. One poll participant equated the BBB to mafia in terms of its strong handed tactics and waning relevance.
It's these allegations that that sparked our research and survey that we conducted so we could get to the bottom of understanding what the perception of the Better Business Bureau, and its viability, especially with respect to the home maintenance industry.
We polled over 20,000 landscape maintenance contractors and asked several questions related to the BBB starting off with a simple one.. Do they participate in the Better Business Bureau.
As it turns out, the results of our survey were staggering.
94% of respondents indicated that they did not belong to the Better Business Bureau or even check their standing on it. Put another way, they did not consider it a relevant place to monitor their reputation.
Whats more.. Even more staggering and 78% of respondents indicated that they felt the Better Business Bureau was a fraudulent organization itself and that it misleads what few consumers still use it as a means to vet local contractors.
But it does get better, 4% of respondents say that they are active members and that they get adequate return on investment for the money spent to join a participate in their local Better Business Bureau organization in terms of new customer leads and increase sales. So not bad if you put it another way that even today the BBB has 4% market share in the landscape maintenance industry.
When you consider that a cost anywhere from $500-$1200 for a local business to participate in their local BBB it is certainly understandable for very smaller businesses to skip it and apply those advertising dollars elsewhere more performance based, such as Yelp, Thumbtack, or even Facebook.
An institution that had its day.
But think about it… 30 years ago before the Internet the Better Business Bureau was probably one of the only places to figure out who was good and who wasn't when evaluating a local handyman, plumber, lawn care service, or home-improvement contractor. But the reality is this day and age where Facebook reviews, Yelp reviews, and online marketplace such as Angie's list Thumbtack and industry specific marketplaces like GreenPal which are built to capture feedback around local home services contractor, the consensus among the respondents of our poll is that the Better Business Bureau best most viable days are behind it.
What's the real story? Anecdotally, survey participants stated that the ones that did actively participate in the Better Business Bureau's and who did receive lucrative job leads from their advertising dollars report that BBB clients are mostly in the baby boomer generation over the age of 50. So to put it another way.. If a local businesses' primary target demographic is over the age of 50 , then the BBB might be a good place to invest time and marketing dollars.
But that's just part of the story… The overwhelming survey feedback is that the Better Business Bureau is barely relevant in today's day in age and most likely won't exist 5 to 10 years from now, especially given that the organization's integrity has been called into question in the media and several well documented cases over the last few years.
While the BBB's PR battles are most likely a symptom of its fight for economic viability, fair enough, local businesses need to manage their expectations when investing their hard-earned advertising dollars into Better Business Bureau marketing.
What's the bottom line… According to our survey results those advertising dollars are probably better spent on more advanced platforms and review sites such as Facebook, Yelp, or industry specific marketplaces like Thumbtack.


Due to turbulence, we will not be coming through the cabin serving beverages at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for flying Asiana, a Star Alliance member.
ROFL! Guess they read the wrong announcements page in their handbook.
Choose Our United Polaris Cooking Adventure!


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The 2019 Contractor Skills & Demands Survey
Michael Strawbridge, July 1, 2019 , Blog Post, Inform, capability, skills, 0
Blue Eskimo (LPI Capability Map Ambassador) has just launched its 2019 'contractor skills and demands survey', asking those who work as contractors or freelancers – and those who employ them – for their views on the current state of contracting in the L&D sector.
The goal, says Blue Eskimo director Nick Bate, is to build an accurate picture of contracting in the sector and make it available free of charge. "We speak to both contractors and employers daily," says Bate, "and lots of them, but we want to gather a larger set of more accurate information. Once this is done, we'll publish the report without charge and present the findings at industry events."
"The survey is simple to complete," says Bate. "There are just a few questions and it can easily be completed in just a few minutes. We understand that people are busy."
The survey seeks to find which skills are most in demand, how active and buoyant the market is – plus answers to other related questions. "We're asking these questions because both contractors and employers want to know the answers," says Bate. "As the sector's leading recruiter, we're in a unique position to be able to ask the questions. We want to help contractors and employers make informed choices."
As an incentive, Blue Eskimo is offering a free Apple Watch, worth £399. "Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw," says Bate, "and the winner will get a Series 4 Apple Watch, GPS version."
Take part here
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My next nurse, Stephania, then took us back to the delivery room, where we would spend the rest of our time. She was so kind and soothing to me. She got me all situated, started my IV beautifully and prayed with me and Peter on my hospital bed. I honestly don't remember what led to that prayer, but it happened so naturally. I also don't remember exactly what she said, but it was good and was a reassuring start to know that a believer would be with us until 7 pm that night, until change of shift. They started to induce me with Pitocin around 3 pm that day. Due to this horrific situation, I was immediately transitioned from the care of my midwives to the physicians. Yet, my kind midwifes checked on me throughout the entire hospital stay and kept me informed and comforted. One of my midwives told me that at the very best, from the start of induction to delivery, would be at least 12 hours but to brace for 24 hours. I was preparing for the worst, even though "worst" seemed irrelevant given the news we received hours earlier.
Our daytime doctor checked me and said that amazingly, at 36 weeks and 4 days, I was already 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced.Because I was already dilated, they could skip the initial induction drug and go straight to Pitocin. Stephania, standing by my side, looked at me and said, "See, God is looking out for you. This may go quicker than we thought." She was right. God was looking out for us.
I felt God with me. He was with us.
By this time, some of our siblings were also with us. Josh, Peter's brother, had arrived first, and I was so glad he was there, especially for Peter. Holly was in DC at the time we had called her with the news of Charlotte, visiting a dear friend. We later found out that she literally ran a mile from the capitol to her car and drove back to Richmond in record time to be with us. Danny, Holly's husband, came so quickly from Williamsburg, which was such a blessing. They all brought us food (Chick fil a of course), went to our place to feed our dog, Annie, and to get us some clothes and toiletries. Then, they all just stayed in the hospital room with us. What courage for each of them to linger in that room, in that darkest of moments. That's family.
My parents were already on their way from Pittsburgh on the six hour drive. I also found out later that some of my mom's friends were with her when we broke the news to her. Her friend's helped her pack a bag before jumping in the car to drive to Richmond to be with us. I was so glad to know she wasn't alone after hearing the news. My mother-in-law was at work when we tried calling her. When we talked to Peter's dad, the first who heard the news and prayed with us on the phone, he told us Pete's mom was at work. Pete looked at the find my friends app a little later and saw that his dad went right away to pick up his mom. She then caught a flight from Iowa to Virginia and would get in around 10 am that next morning. Caleb, Peter's youngest brother, was starting school the next day and thus, neither Caleb nor Peter's dad were able to come right away. I really felt for them and missed them. But gosh, how they were with us in spirit. I remember sitting in the hospital room when Peter's phone rang. It was Caleb. Caleb is 16. Peter answered the phone, "Hey Cabe." "Hey Pete," he said. Then there was a pause. "I love you." That was all Caleb could get out. "I love you too, Caleb. Thanks for calling," Peter said, struggling to get out the words. It was this raw, sincere moment that spoke volumes of Caleb's heart and maturity.
Pete and I sent out texts to our closest friends, informing them of the news and asking them to pray for us. My really good friend, Abby, who lives in town, came right to the hospital after receiving the news. Abby had texted me and Peter if she could come and be with us but I didn't see the text until later nor did I respond. Yet, she still came. I loved that she came without me having to answer or ask.
Abby's one of those types of friends that come by once in a special while. Her husband, Steve, came home from work to watch their daughter, Nora, so Abby could come be with us. When they had Nora about a year earlier, I remember I was at work that day and knew Abby was in labor. I had this funny feeling that she had had the baby so on my lunch break, without asking her or Steve, I walked right on up to the labor and delivery unit (the same one I was currently on) and saw beautiful Nora, who had just been born. We still laugh about how I barged in that day. I loved that despite the difference in circumstances, Abby barged right in on our grief. It takes a special friend to enter into your darkest moments. I remember she crawled into the hospital bed with me and sobbed by my side. As Peter explained, it was good for me to have a friend there like that for me to let loose on. Abby told me how sorry she was and how she wished she could take it all away. And she just stayed around. Her presence was so comforting.
What felt like soon after, my parents arrived from Pittsburgh. Instead of coming to the hospital to meet their alive and active granddaughter, they were coming to console and support me in Peter as we delivered our lifeless little girl. I can't imagine what their drive must have been like. Having my parents there to witness it all pained me as I wished it was just so different, like I know everyone was feeling. But it was also overwhelmingly uniting to have them present with us as they shared in our devastation.
Then, we all just waited. My contractions were noticeable but nothing worse than bad menstrual cramps. I was able to walk around (mostly to the bathroom), talk (though I didn't have much to say) and eat (though I had zero appetite but forced myself to eat and drink). The feeling in the hospital room was odd. The room was full of family, love and support yet also full of anguish, earthly death and confusion. But through it all, I knew our Savior was undoubtedly present. He was the most present of all. Gosh, if I could only explain better with words how gracious the Holy Spirit was to us in the hospital, if I could only put this on paper. Just like in prayer when we had nothing to utter except our groans of agony, I know He was interceding for us. Our words don't cut it but He gets it.
Time ticked along, faster at times and slower at others. Then, Dr. Layson Denney came in. She had taken over for our daytime doctor, both who were incredible and handpicked, I know, for our Charlotte and for us. She listened and talked with us. She thought to speed things along, it was time to break my water. We agreed.
So around 10:45 pm, we did so. That experience was less than pleasant. I'll spare you the details. Peter comforted me through every intervention and was beyond strong. He was my biggest fan, a tower of strength for me. I remember hearing his mom through the phone when he was first sharing the news with her earlier that day, saying, "Peter, be strong for Hannah." And was he ever. Truthfully, of all of the pain I was experiencing, physically, emotionally, spiritually, the most excruciating was witnessing the brokenness of my husband. In these moments, God knit us together in ways that I don't think any other experience could have. It's not that I would ever in a zillion years wish this experience on us or anyone again, but it was humbling to experience how God wastes nothing, as my mom so wisely said. Our God wastes nothing. He can even use the death of a child.
What seemed like immediately after my water was broken, I began having strong contractions, very strong contractions. I had 10-12 excruciating contractions. We had been informed that my contractions would likely be even more intense due to the Pitocin I had onboard. Peter coached me through each one perfectly. He breathed with me, rocked with me and told me every step of the way that I was doing great and that yes, this would be okay. Though nothing was "okay" and losing our unborn child and it all was beyond messed up and just wrong, Peter and I really had this sense that "Yes, Lord, it is okay." This was His grace alone, we know that in full.
Because my pain had been very manageable prior to them breaking my water, and because I wanted to be mobile as long as possible and free from a foley catheter, I did not yet have an epidural. Ever since my leg surgeries as a kid, my parents always told me I had a high tolerance for pain. But after those contractions started, I had wished my threshold for pain had been a lot lower so that I would have already had that epidural placed! In my head, after hearing the news that Charlotte's physical life was extinguished, I made the mental shift that every hope and plan we had made for our birthing experience was out the window. I now wanted to be as medicated as possible so that I would not experience additional pain and suffering to the pain and suffering I was already enduring. One doctor had said to me, "Time is not an issue any more…" See, in a "normal" birth, time is of the essence when it comes to pushing and alleviating any fetal distress. But in our case, time too was out the window. We could decide when to push, how much pain medication. Essentially, all the doctors kept saying that Peter and I called the shots.
On one hand, this was slightly comforting but on the other, it felt so wrong and I felt guilty by it. I felt like I was hurting her and being an inconsiderate, selfish mother. Peter kept reminding me that her earthly body was simply a vessel, a shell, and that her whole self was dancing with Jesus. The little body inside of me was her, but only partly. While writing this, I thought of 1 Corinthians 13:12: "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (NIV) So much of this is a mystery to me. How could an all-loving God allow me to carry my daughter to 36 weeks and 4 days? How could this all be? Yet, though I question and though I doubt, I trust Jesus and I believe in the goodness of God. Truly I do not believe my God took life from Charlotte. My God is a God of LIFE, not death. We all face death, it's just timing. Her time was sadly short, way too short. Jesus conquered death for everyone who believes in Him over 3,000 years ago on the rugged Cross. "It is finished!" Jesus said. Right? Like how Jesus said, " In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish" Matthew 18:14 NLT. Right, Lord? Right?
I know my God can take my venting. I know he SEES me in my pain and meets me there. Just like how He saw Hagar in the wilderness, who had fled from Sarai. After hearing from the Lord, Hagar declared, "You are a God of seeing…Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." (Genesis 16: 13b) Thank you God, that you look after me and thank You for looking after our baby girl, Charlotte. (Other verses God gave me on how HE SEES me in our anguish – Jeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139:7-10). I can't even count the number of times I have read and memorized Psalm 139, for example for my eighth grade confirmation. However, verses 7-16 never struck me like they did when I read them after losing Charlotte. I have never been so aware that God chooses to seek me out in my darkest hours. Never have I been so honored to be the vessel that carried Charlotte Raye, where God formed her frame and that her life "will forever alter heaven and earth" as my husband beautifully said days following her delivery.
So, after battling through the 10-12 contractions, the anesthesiologist came to administer my epidural. The pain was severe and I knew full well that I needed to hold still, very very still. My nurse mind went to having a CSF leak if I jerked and the needle went in too deep or something, but my non-nurse mind certainly did not stay there. The physician was so calm and comforting. He treated me like any other woman in labor. I didn't feel like a spectacle. God gave me this supernatural strength to be still. It was incredible. I just knew it was not of my own doing –it was all Him. And He used the anesthesiologist, my husband and my night nurse, Susanna, to help me.
When I first met Susanna a few hours earlier, my head was turned and I was talking to Peter or someone and I didn't see her walk into our hospital room. I then heard her say, "You're Hannah. I have heard so much about you." I turned my head and saw a lovely, young nurse with braided hair, whom I had never met. She continued to explain that her friend, Hallel, from nursing school at VCU, whom I discipled a few years prior, had told her all about me. Again, God was showing me that I was known, and He deeply cared for every detail. Susanna would walk through the entire birthing experience with me and Peter. She was like an oasis of comfort for me, this reassuring symbol that no detail is too small for my God and that even though this was the worst case scenario of our lives, our God was there. His Spirit was alive in that room. And Charlotte was alive with Him.
After the epidural was placed, it took about 20 minutes for it to take full effect. I was now confined to the bed because my legs were numb, as was part of my lower abdomen. My right side was more numb feeling than my left side, but they told me that was normal and to position on my left side if need be to disperse the anesthetic, or something like that. That seemed funny to me. Soon after, Susanna put a foley catheter in. It was pretty amazing not feeling a thing for that. Having inserted quite a few foleys myself as a nurse, I was grateful to not feel a thing.
As time ticked on and Susanna titrated up my Pitocin by increments of 2, family trickled out so that I could "sleep." Somewhere along the lines, I was told that it would be good for me to get some sleep. "Who sleeps during labor?" I thought. How could I rest? Again, this went against every thing I wanted for our labor. I ended up sleeping (I wouldn't call it resting) for about 2 and a half hours but my husband did not. Instead, he later told me that he went to the lobby and journaled about the day so far. One entry was more objective; with a chronological order of events and his other entry was more subjective and expressive. The fact that my husband was journaling struck me and moved me to tears. He tried to read the entries to me but couldn't get through them. I read them and just sobbed. How I love my husband.
Around 4 am on August 23rd, 2016, I woke up from that odd nap during labor and had a heavy, vaginal pressure feeling. Susanna told me this was normal. Soon after, sharp pains on the left side of my abdomen emerged. These contractions kept increasing in intensity. And to boot, I was imprisoned to the hospital bed. I was rocking side to side trying to distract myself but too abrupt of movements hurt even worse. Peter woke up and coached me through about 10-15 of these contractions until our kind anesthesiologist came and "topped me off" through the epidural.
Around 4:15 or 4:30 am, Dr. Denney came in to check me and told me that at any time, I could go ahead and push because the timing was up to us. That was just so strange but again, the Charlotte who was still inside of me was a shell, her soul was already reunited with our sweet and strong Jesus. I told Dr. Denney that Pete and I wanted about 15 minutes to call our families and to pray. Susanna set up the room for delivery quietly so that whenever we were ready, the room would be, too. We then called Pete's parents, who were already awake and praying. We then called my parents, who said they would come right away to the hospital as they were at our house about 20 minutes away. Pete and I then prayed together. The prayers were more like inconsolable weeps to God, but we were comforted that He knew our need before we could even try to utter a word.
As soon as we said, "Amen," I felt a type of pressure I had not yet felt and said to Peter, "She's here." Even saying that was odd, because she really wasn't, her soul was not here, but her physical body was. I reached my hand down and felt her bottom. Then, I immediately hit the call bell. Dr. Denney and Susanna came right in. Dr. Denney checked me and I saw her eyes get bigger for a second, seemingly surprised by how delivered Charlotte already was, or at least that was my impression. I mean, she was frank breach. Dr. Denney then paged the important looking doctor to come assist with the delivery. She then proceeded to tell me I could push whenever I was ready. She intentionally kept the lights dimmed and spoke to me softly, kindly.
During every moment of the pushing, Peter was right there with me. He kept telling me what a good job I was doing and how proud he was of me. How could he be proud of me? I was delivering our lifeless daughter. But, he was proud and I could see how much he meant it. I just wished he would have been telling me, "Hannah, you can do it. You get to meet your daughter soon!" But instead, with tears streaming down his face, he told me to push and that it was almost over. This nightmare, or at least this part of it, was almost over. How I wish I was delivering a crying, healthy baby into my husband's arms. How I wish I could take away his pain.
I'll always remember her earthly delivery; the details are vivid. I was so appreciative of how Dr. Denney led the delivery. The moment was so devastating, so quiet without any cries from my baby girl, so surreal, yet so sacred, so peaceful. Jesus was right there the whole time. Jesus was so present, so WITH us during every second of this experience. Never in my life had I felt the presence of God like I did during the hardest day of my life. By the time the important looking doctor came into the room, Charlotte had already been delivered. I was relieved that it had only been Peter, Dr. Denney, Susanna, Charlotte, and me. The dichotomy of emotions that day and onward is hard to explain.
I was open to Charlotte coming right away to my chest depending on the state of her skin. Susanna informed us that depending on how long Charlotte had been in utero after being delivered into heaven, her skin might have deteriorated, which it had. Looking back, I am so grateful for the words of my friend, Anna, just 24 hours earlier. God used her to prompt me to act. I wonder a lot of things and know that not all of the wonderings are healthy. I know that the "what ifs" serve no good purpose, but rather, are a tactic of Satan. Nevertheless, I do wonder how much more of Charlotte's skin could have been deteriorated if I had waited to be evaluated. We were able to see all of her sweet facial features and I forever hold the picture of her beautiful face in my mind. I'm thankful for that. How I love my stunning little girl.
Susanna wrapped Charlotte in blankets and then brought her to us. Peter kept saying how perfect she was and that she was the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. I told Charlotte how much mommy loved her and how beautiful she was. I told her how sorry mommy was. I told her that Jesus was the One really holding her. I mean, I was holding her bodily shell, but she had already been delivered into the arms of the Good Father. He was holding her in the most beautiful nursery and she was wrapped in the loveliest blankets, drinking the most nourishing milk. She was free.
Looking back, God knew how perfect Charlotte's name was for her, given that one meaning for Charlotte is free. It comforts me to know how intentional God was and is. It comforts me to know that my child is free from the sadness of this world. She is forever free in the presence of the Lord. Perfectly said, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17). I've listened to quite a few songs that talk about how wherever the Spirit is, wherever our God is, there is freedom.(Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher, Freedom by Bethel , and Thank you Jesus, for sparing our daughter.
All of the hospital staff told us that we could keep Charlotte in the room with us for as much or as little time as we wished. I did not think I would want her to be in the room with us too long; I just thought it would be too painful. But in fact, I felt the opposite. And isn't that how this grieving is? Unpredictable, dynamic, unexpected. I loved having her in the room with us. It comforted me. Holding her was harder for me though. There was just something about holding a dead baby that felt so wrong to me. And it wasn't just any baby, it was our baby, our firstborn. I hated that she wasn't breathing. I hated that after the entire 36 weeks and 4 days, we would walk out of the hospital empty handed. Part of me feels so selfish to say that but honestly, it just feels so wrong. I feel robbed. I can't help but think of how Jesus identifies for us who the true thief is, the prince of this broken world, Satan. Like God's Word states in John 10:10 (NET), "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." The word, life, has taken on such a fuller meaning for me now. I always knew this verse did not just mean life on earth but how much more I understand this now.


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Life and health cover: Is having both a good idea?
There's no stopping the NZ property market
Property market still strong, but are clouds on the horizon?
While expectations for a decline in property prices remain, residential data has so far been telling a different story. According to figures released earlier this month by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), sales volumes and prices were up in July across most regions.
For more on this, here's a quick monthly property market update for you.
Strongest July month in five years
Last month saw the largest number of residential properties sold in a July month since 2015. Sales volumes across New Zealand increased by 24.6 per cent year-on-year, and in Auckland alone, the number of properties sold was up by 30.3 per cent from 2019.
For the first time since April 2016, most regions (excluding Gisborne and Marlborough) saw double-digit percentage increases in sales volumes. The top five regions were:
West Coast: up 57.1 per cent YOY (highest sales volume for July in 14 years)
Tasman: up 55.7 per cent YOY (highest sales volume for July in 18 years)
Nelson: up 42.4 per cent YOY (highest sales volume for July in 27 years)
Waikato: up 34.8 per cent YOY (highest sales volume for July in 5 years)
Taranaki: up 30.8 per cent YOY (highest sales volumes for July in 17 years).
Pricewise, July marked 106 months in a row of year-on-year national median price increases, with all regions seeing a rise and four regions (Waikato, Gisborne, Manawatu and Taranaki) achieving record median prices.
High levels of interest and engagement
In commenting on the data, REINZ chief executive Bindi Norwell said that figures show "just how confident the market was in July."
"Part of the sales volumes can be attributed to post-Covid pent up demand; but underpinning this activity during July was strong levels of interest and engagement from all buyer levels including first-home buyers, investors and families looking to upgrade their property," Norwell said.
On the other hand, she couldn't help but note that the horizon isn't clear of clouds, especially with cases of Covid-19 starting to emerge in some regions: "Even though anecdotally we've had a great start to August, the real question now is, how long this can be sustained for?"
How will the 'second wave' of Covid-19 affect the market?
That's the big question that property experts are debating over. Economists have been reviewing their expectations over the past few months, and some were no longer predicting a downturn until next year. But now the scenario may change again.
Infometrics senior economist Brad was cautiously optimistic. "We still feel like property prices are likely to hold up better than expected. We also maintain the view that property prices are more likely to see continued softening from here on, but will actually dip more into early next year."
To support borrowers further, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has recently confirmed the extension of the mortgage deferral programme – a move that may help underpin the market. If you'd like to learn more, please don't hesitate to contact us.
What about mortgage rates?
As for mortgage interest rates, some economists are not ruling out the possibility of further cuts in the next few months. Any reduction is likely to be minor compared to what we've seen in the past couple of years, but even so, the current sentiment is that interest rates may not move up for at least one or two years.
We'll be keeping a close eye on any developments. If your fixed rate is due to expire soon, or you'd like to review your mortgage structure, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help.


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Siphiwe Moyo faces deportation to Zimbabwe
Siphiwe Piwie Moyo, a carer from a village near Taunton says she fears being tortured and killed if she is deported to Zimbabwe.
Piwie Moyo, was a member of the country's opposition party before she fled to the UK in 2007.
She's been living with and caring for Yvonne Gade from Trull for nearly nine years.
The Home Office has denied her a visa extension and she's now hoping to claim asylum.
The Home Office issued the following statement:
"All applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with UK immigration rules. Where applications are refused removal is only enforced when we and the courts conclude that it is safe to do so, with a safe route of return."
Related Topics:FeaturedPiwie Moyo
Zimbabwe Drifts Towards Online Darkness
Zimbabwe limits dollar sales to foreign payments only
Uncle Roland Muchegwa Fined 68 Million Rands For Tax Evasion
Uncle Roland Muchegwa 's ostentatiousness lifestyle is alleged to have triggered the authority to conduct a lifestyle audit on him after he went viral on social media for splurging money on beautiful Mzansi women keen to make a 'quick buck'.
Roland Muchegwa is alleged to be part of a fuel smuggling syndicate which has been diverting cheap fuel from areas like Kwazulu Natal province after misrepresentation of export and allegedly selling it at a profit in Limpopo province.
The well-knit syndicate also allegedly imports fuel from South Africa and lies that it's in transit to DRC but offloads it in Zimbabwe where there are fuel shortages and feeds the black market for ridiculous profits.
The tanker then proceeds to DRC filled with water, because the weighbridge cannot dictate the type of liquid but quantity of contents, so this exercise legitimises the rot.
Wilfred Marodza raped woman four times in the park
Wilfred Marodza, a trainee solicitor at a top law firm who repeatedly raped a young woman after stalking her and dragging her to a park is facing years in prison.
Marodza, 28, pounced on the victim, in her twenties, in the early hours of July 20 as she walked along Great Dover Street in Borough, grabbing on to her neck and threatening her as he forced her into a secluded part of Dickens Fields.
He then stripped her and raped her four times before she managed to break free, Inner London crown court heard.
She fled naked through the street with Wilfred Marodza in pursuit, as he claimed to bystanders they were having a "domestic" before she managed to escape in a passing minicab.
Marodza, a trainee solicitor with firm Cripps Pemberton Greenish, had been drinking in the area before carrying out the attack at 2.15am and struck again less than two hours later.
He grabbed another woman, also in her twenties, from behind in Borough High Street and put his hand over her mouth, attempting to drag her into a side street. However, the woman screamed and Wilfred Marodza fled.
Police were able to catch him because he left his rucksack, with his work identification inside, at the scene.
CPS prosecutor Nahid Mannan said: "This was a horrendous attack on two young, lone females. The prosecution case included compelling evidence showing Marodza dragging the two victims to secluded areas and also chasing the naked victim he had just raped.
"Marodza also left his rucksack containing his work identification at the scene of the rape, allowing police to easily identify him.
"The CPS takes crimes against women extremely seriously and I hope this conviction goes some way to provide the victims with a degree of closure."
At court yesterday, Wilfred Marodza, a Zimbabwean national from Eastbourne in East Sussex, pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, kidnapping and a charge of committing an offence with the intent to commit a sexual offence.
He was remanded in custody by Judge Nigel Seed QC until a sentencing hearing next month.
Gavin Tyler, the managing partner at Cripps Pemberton Greenish, said: "We are completely appalled to learn of Wilfred Marodza's conviction for such shocking offences. We were informed by the police in July of the arrest and that he was remanded in custody but did not know anything about the details of the offences until today. Our thoughts, of course, are with the victims and their families.
"Although there were never any concerns raised internally regarding Mr Marodza, we are offering support for staff members who worked closely with him or who feel affected by the news for any other reason." The Standard
Five people have been killed and 189 arrested in a spate of Johannesburg xenophobic violence that has rocked parts of the city since Sunday, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The five deaths have led to police deploying more police officers in areas identified as hot spots.
The latest killings were of two South Africans who were shot in Coronationville on Tuesday afternoon.
"Police have increased deployments to cover all the areas identified as hot spots of violence that have seen several shops being looted, burned and the property being looted," said police spokesperson Col Lungelo Dlamini.
He said the situation had been stabilised in parts of the Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg Central, Jeppestown and Cleveland policing areas.
This was, however, not the case in Coronationville, as violent clashes continued and claimed the lives of two South Africans on Tuesday.
The clashes forced Gauteng premier David Makhura to leave a meeting between police minister Bheki Cele and those affected by the recent violence and rush to the area to call for calm.
Apart from these two murders, two killings were reported in Hillbrow and one near the Jeppe hostel.
Police had, however, made arrests in connection with the outbreaks of violence.
"A total of 189 arrests have been effected since Sunday," said Dlamini.
Those arrests are facing a raft of charges, ranging from charges which include public violence, malicious damage to property, theft, and business break-ins.
Police said they were forced to fire rubber bullets to disperse a group of people who planned to loot businesses in Thokoza and Kempton Park in the early hours of Tuesday.
Dlamini said the spate of violent incidents led to criminals gangs taking advantage of the chaotic situation and breaking into businesses, not only those belonging to foreign nationals but also other businesses.
A process to identify leaders of the protests was underway.
"In the meantime, police are identifying the leaders of these violent groups and will be arrested them once full evidence against them has been gathered," said Dlamini.
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela thanked members of the public who provided information to assist the police in dealing with violent situations.
Mawela has also assured the public that no unlawful activities will be tolerated.
"All our members are on the ground to deal with criminality," he said.TimesLive


I don't need sponsors. I surf better when I'm broke anyway.
For a 1986 Surfing magazine profile, Sam George interviewed Dave Parmenter and also accompanied the third-year world tour pro to many of that year's contests. "With all his eccentricities," George wrote in his intro, "Dave Parmenter may be the most interesting surfer in the world." Parmenter was 24 at the time. Two years later, while still at the top of his game, he left the tour to become a full-time boardmaker.


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Looking Back on Milken's Purim Extravaganza
All Photo Credit goes to Jordan Pardo of Yearbook
Michael Bolour
Last Friday, Milken had its annual Purim celebration. As usual, students and faculty dressed up in creative costumes and went through a fairly relaxing Friday. Lauren Pakravan '17 says that she loves Milken's Purim festivities because, "it's a day that focuses on celebrating and spending time with friends, rather than just academics. All of my teachers found a way to make class chill, but still related to Purim, which made the day so much more enjoyable." Students also took the time to snap as many pictures as possible during passing and free periods to savor the memories of the day. However, the most memorable highlights came after normally scheduled classes were complete.
During lunch, the student and faculty costume contests were the first of the school-wide Purim festivities. Teachers went head-to-head showing off their unique costumes. Some teachers planned themed group costumes. Most notably, the science department dressed as characters from Despicable Me with Dr. Scoville, Department Chair, at the forefront dressed as Gru, the film's evil mastermind. Science teachers Dr. Shenassa, Ms. Liran, Dr. Lofstedt and Mr. Rayhan served as Scoville's minions, dressed in yellow suits. They came out victorious – a fan favorite from the start of the competition. Other memorable costumes included Ms. Khorsandi, Ms. Jasper, Ms. Mallor, Ms. Frangi and Dr. Morgan as literary puns, incorporating novels such as Harry Potter, The Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies into their attire. In addition, Mr. Walker, Art Department Chair, dressed as a safari explorer and brought his two children as a lion and a rhinoceros.
Students took their costumes to a whole other level of creativity at this year's costume contest. Jessie McAdams '20 went all out, arriving on campus and entering in the costume contest as Guardians of the Galaxy character, Groot. McAdam's raised the bar for years to come, rocking stilts as part of his costume. These accessories allowed him to take on the full persona of the rather large, tree-like creature. Other costumes included Brian Pearlman '17, Michael Schulman '17, Aaron Lawrence '17 and Joshua Berenbaum '17 as a s'mores sandwich, as well as Idan Yohanan '17 and Daniel Solomon '17 as the varsity boys basketball coach, Michael Whiting. Many students participated in the contest, but of all of them, Shaked Salem's '17 Vicki's breakfast burrito costume stood out as the fan favorite among the crowd. Ultimately, Salem faced Yohanan and Solomon in the final round of the contest and claimed the victory, receiving the loudest crowd cheer of any contestant. The day's festivities continued as students and faculty made their way to the gym for the performance of the teacher and student shpiels.
Students were first treated to J-Life's annual live Purim shpiel performance. Faculty actors and actresses included Upper School Receptionist, Melinda Diner as Esther, Rabbi Menachem Weiss as King Achashverosh, math teacher Harrison Gallway as Haman, math teacher Billy Kaplan as Uncle Mordecai, and Rabbi David Saiger as the narrator. Over the course of their performance, the faculty poked at certain student traits, such as forged early dismissal letters. Both students and teachers alike got a great laugh out of the performance, including Head of School Gary Weisserman, who sat and read the long compilation of forged letters that Melinda had put together for the performance. The faculty shpiel, on the other hand, was a compilation of various memes the teachers submitted to create a short video, prior to the student shpiel premiere. Each meme resonated with each and every grade-level with themes ranging from Dr. Scoville's difficult biology tests to student fashion choices. The dance team performed a routine in pastel colored outfits. As always, Coach Andrew Rincon joined the squad half-way through the dance. From there, the premiere of the long anticipated Class of 2017 Senior Shpiel finally began.
In years past, the shpiel had been presented in the theater behind the Hollander Gymnasium. However, this year the gym was configured with a new state of the art adjustable projector and projection screen. As a result, students now had a clear view of the screen as opposed to the smaller screen used for prior shpiel premieres. Producers and writers Justin Leff '17, Brandon Ptasznik '17, Sawyer Kroll '17, Niv Henn '17, Jonah Cohen '17 and myself went up to start the presentation with a few words. Throughout the day, the producers wore white hats displaying the phrase "Make Milken Great Again," both a play on words from President Trump's campaign slogan in this year's election, and the title of the shpiel itself. Producer and writer Niv Henn '17 discussed his feelings on the student reactions to the shpiel explaining, "Let's just say that a month before Purim, we didn't even have a rough draft of the script. Administration thought we were crazy and they were doubtful of it even getting done. But in just the last three weeks, we really pulled it together and made it happen." Henn continued, discussing his appreciation for his fellow creative team members saying, "Luckily, I was a part of the small group of students who were extremely determined and worked tirelessly to make this the greatest shpiel that Milken has ever seen. And the greatest honor of all was presenting our production to the school and getting unparalleled feedback."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrjONgSghU4
This year's Purim celebration was certainly one to remember for both students and faculty, but especially for the senior class. Milken students often ask why Purim on campus is one of the most anticipated days of the school year. The clear explanation is the joyful, celebratory and festive atmosphere Milken experiences on a day when everyone gets the opportunity to express themselves and savor what our community is all about.


In the last few months the Lord has been dealing with me about letting some things go in my personal life. He has also been ministering to me about how as believers we hold on to certain things naturally and spiritually that He wants us to release. Sometimes the cycles we go through emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically are due to the fact that we won't release things. These things can be emotions, past disappointments, relationships, ungodly habits, and so much more. Often times we can't move forward in an area or God can't do certain things in our lives because we are still holding on to these old dead things. I ministered this same topic at a recent women's meeting at my church and felt led to blog about it as well.
In 1 Samuel 15, the Prophet Samuel instructed King Saul to destroy Amalek and everything they had, he was instructed to "utterly destroy" everything and to spare nothing. But as we read further, King Saul took pleasure in some of the things that God told him to destroy; he was unwilling to destroy everything (vs.7-9). Are there some things in your life that God has told you to let go of but you're unwilling to let them go because you find pleasure in them? Do you find pleasure in things that displease God? When we come to Christ we go through a lifelong process of God revealing things in our hearts and lives that He wants us to let go of or "destroy." But sometimes, like King Saul, we kill some things while keeping alive the things that still benefit us. Remember, King Saul didn't kill "Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good" (vs.9) because they benefited him, he thought it was much better to keep those things live. It wasn't just because the people persuaded him to keep those things alive, he himself found pleasure in those things.
So maybe God has been dealing with you about gossip, lust, your bad attitude, anger, an ungodly relationship, backbiting, your defense mechanisms, masturbation, etc. but you're unwilling to let them go. Maybe God has been telling you to let these things go for a while now but you haven't because you still find pleasure in them. Or maybe God has been telling you to let go of your life and the plans you've created, or your distorted/worldly view of yourself? God has told you to fight against these things until they are consumed but instead you pretend like you are fighting against them all the whole keeping them alive because they bring you pleasure. What are you still holding on to that God has instructed you to let go of? It's time to really let it go. And sometimes we let go of these things but when we're tempted or need to be comforted, instead of running to God for help, we run back and pick up what God told us to destroy. It's time to utterly destroy it and never pick it back up again.
God can't use you when you refuse and are unwilling to let these things go. Further on in 1 Samuel 15, the kingship was stripped from King Saul and his entire line because of his blatant disobedience (vs.22, 27-28). When we continue to be disobedient we hinder the plans and purposes that God has for our lives, we stunt our own spiritual growth, and we can even prevent certain things that God wants to release to us from being released. God can't trust those who live in habitual disobedience. And verse 22-23 lets us know that disobedience is witchcraft. Sometimes we say things like "I'm in a struggle," but there is big difference between being in a struggle and giving in to something. If you're in a struggle you are in a fight with something, but if you've laid down and given in, you're no longer in a struggle, you are now entertaining that thing. When you entertain sin, it will eventually become master over you. If you read on into chapter 16, because of King Saul's disobedience to God's instructions, a distressing spirit came upon him. Continues disobedience invites unclean spirits into our lives. Let go of whatever it is that God has instructed you to let go of. If He told you to let it go, then He already has all the tools you will need. It cannot be done in your power, you must completely rely on Him to do it.
Sometimes what we are struggling to let go of isn't necessarily a sin or old habit, sometimes it may be a longing or mourning over a past situation, a disappointment, hurt from a relationship or feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. A few years ago I got laid off from a job because of budget cuts. It was a good paying job and the layoff happened about a month and a half after my husband and I got married. It came at such an inconvenient time; we were planning to do so many things at the time but because of the layoff, our plans were pretty much halted. I was so sad over the situation and was feeling really down about it for a while. After days and weeks of feeling sad over the situation, God took me to 2 Samuel 16. In verse 1 the Prophet Samuel was mourning over the disappointment of King Saul's disobedience in chapter 15, we don't know how long he mourned but we know that he was in a state of mourning for some time. Eventually God tells him to stop mourning and to move on! God was up to something new and He wanted Prophet Samuel to seek Him concerning the new thing He was about to do. As I began to read that verse at the time, God immediately began to speak to me about my old job, He told me it was time to stop mourning over it and to seek Him concerning what He wanted me to do next!
At times, we are so stuck on the hurt, regret, disappointment, etc. of old situations that we are unable to receive new instructions from God concerning the new thing He wants to do. Usually God will give us time to mourn over these things, but there comes a time where He says "let it go and move on." Had the Prophet Samuel continued to mourn over Saul, he could have missed or delayed what God wanted to do concerning David. What have you been mourning (grieving) over or longing for that God has told you to let go of? Maybe it's certain dreams and goals that you had for your life but God told you were not in His will for you, or emotional wounds and scars; maybe it's unforgiveness from a past hurt, or a past failure/failed attempt, or the shame of a past mistake, or maybe things and people you had to leave behind to follow Christ. Sometimes we don't realize that in our minds we replay these situations and still "mourn" over them in our hearts. This hinders us from truly moving on.
When I came to a certain stage of surrender in my walk with God, He began to reveal to me that the career path and plans I had chosen for my life were not His will for me. I had to go through 2 stages of letting it go: the first was actually accepting that it wasn't God's plan for me and dropping those things entirely, the second was letting go of the grief of having to let go. I know it may sound strange, but after some time I realized that I was still sad, mourning, over having to let go of my plans. I was mostly still sad because I didn't yet know what God's will was for me and I was afraid of what complete surrender to His will for me would look like. I was still mourning over the loss of my old plans. Most of it was fear – fear of what God had planned and fear with the fact that getting there would not be as clear cut as the career path I had chosen for myself in the past. I took me a while to stop grieving over that past thing, but when I finally chose to surrender that area of my life, God began to reveal, little by little, His plans for me. My heart wasn't in position to receive the new until I let go of the old.
While the Prophet Saul was busy mourning, God already had plans for the new thing He wanted to establish. Don't miss out on the new things that God wants to do in your life because you're still mourning over the old. The old thing can even be something like fear or an insecurity. Even with things like that, there comes a time where God says, it's time to let go of fear or to let go of the insecurities you've carried all your life. These things hinder us from moving forward in God. It's impossible to do and be all that God has called you to do and to be when fear and insecurity is constantly holding you down. Your issue may even be self-doubt, God has given you tools and truths in the word for you to use to combat the negative thinking. There comes a point where you have to get tired of letting the enemy mess with your mind, use the weapons God has given you, cast the thoughts down, and move on. The new thing that God wants to do in you may be something as simple as giving you new joy. Constantly replaying those old things in your mind prevents you from walking in the joy which in turn affects other areas of your life. Don't miss what God wants to do in your life now, LET IT ALL GO. There was a whole nation of people waiting on the Prophet Saul to receive new instructions from God and there are people waiting for you to walk in what God has for you NOW. Focus on what God is doing with you NOW and let go of the past.
Romans 12:1-2 is a passage that God has been having me to read and meditate on for several weeks now and it is so fitting for this particular topic. The whole Christian walk is about letting go of our ways, our thinking, our plans, and our will to pick up Christ's. This passage is a reminder that whatever God asks us to sacrifice (or let go of) is our offering and He requires that we lay down our entire life and pick up His will for us. There is no way to determine God's will for us unless we make ourselves a sacrifice. Our hearts must always be ready, as His sons and daughters, to let go. Our hearts must always be in a posture that says, "God whatever You ask me to let go of, I am ready to let it go for You because You are worthy of it." And it is in the process of letting go that God will begin to reveal His will for you in whatever season you are in. God has to know that He can trust you to let it ALL go. This is discipleship – letting go of everything to follow after Him and being willing to drop everything for His name sake. So whether you are in a season where God is giving you certain instructions for your life and asking you to let go of some people, places or things, or you are in a place where God is revealing hidden sin that you haven't released to Him, or you've realized you are still mourning over old situations or negative thinking, I encourage you to ask God to give you the courage to release it and the strength to not pick it back up. He will replace whatever you give up with something so much better, He is not a God who just takes, He is a God who replaces what He took with something much greater.