text:
require 'spec_helper'

$LOAD_PATH << './files/gitlab-ctl-commands-ee/lib'
$LOAD_PATH << './files/gitlab-ctl-commands/lib'

require 'geo/replication'
require 'gitlab_ctl/util'

RSpec.describe Geo::Replication, '#execute' do
  let(:command) { spy('command spy', error?: false) }
  let(:instance) { double(base_path: '/opt/gitlab/embedded', data_path: '/var/opt/gitlab') }
  let(:file) { spy('file spy') }
  let(:options) do
    {
      now: true,
      host: 'localhost',
      port: 9999,
      user: 'my-user',
      sslmode: 'disable',
      sslcompression: 1,
      recovery_target_timeline: 'latest',
      db_name: 'gitlab_db_name'
    }
  end

  subject { described_class.new(instance, options) }

  before do
    allow(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:get_public_node_attributes).and_return({ 'postgresql' => { 'dir' => '/var/opt/gitlab/postgresql' } })

    allow(instance).to receive(:service_enabled?).and_return(true)
    allow(STDOUT).to receive(:puts)
    allow(subject).to receive(:print)
    allow(File).to receive(:open).and_yield(file)
    allow(File).to receive(:exist?).with('/var/opt/gitlab/postgresql/data/standby.signal').and_return(true)
    allow(File).to receive(:exist?).with(anything).and_call_original
    allow(File).to receive(:write).with('/var/opt/gitlab/postgresql/data/standby.signal', "")

    allow(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command).and_return(command)
    allow(subject).to receive(:postgresql_user).and_return('gitlab-psql')
    allow(subject).to receive(:postgresql_group).and_return('gitlab-psql')
    allow(subject).to receive(:postgresql_version).and_return(12)
  end

  it 'replicates geo database with default timeout' do
    expect(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('password')
    expect(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command)
      .with(%r{/embedded/bin/pg_basebackup}, hash_including(timeout: described_class::DEFAULT_REPLICATION_TIMEOUT_S))

    subject.execute
  end

  it 'uses the db_name option' do
    expect(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('password')
    expect(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command)
      .with(%r{gitlab_db_name}, anything)

    subject.execute
  end

  it 'uses the supplied postgres directory' do
    expected_dir = '/non/default/location'
    allow(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:get_public_node_attributes).and_return({ 'postgresql' => { 'dir' => expected_dir } })

    expect(described_class.new(instance, options).postgresql_dir_path).to eq(expected_dir)
  end

  it 'writes recovery settings to postgresql.conf and creates a standby file' do
    allow(File).to receive(:write)
    allow(STDIN).to receive(:gets).and_return("pass\n")
    allow(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('password')

    expect(subject).to receive(:write_recovery_settings!)
    expect(subject).to receive(:create_standby_file!)

    subject.execute
  end

  context 'with a backup timeout specified' do
    before do
      options[:backup_timeout] = 100
    end

    it 'replicates geo database with specified timeout' do
      expect(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('password')
      expect(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command)
        .with(%r{/embedded/bin/pg_basebackup}, hash_including(timeout: 100))

      subject.execute
    end
  end

  context 'when there is TTY available' do
    before do
      allow(STDIN).to receive(:tty?).and_return(true)
    end

    it 'asks for database password in an interactive mode' do
      expect(STDIN).to receive(:getpass).and_return('password')

      subject.execute
    end
  end

  context 'when there is no TTY available' do
    before do
      allow(STDIN).to receive(:tty?).and_return(false)
    end

    it 'asks for a database password in a non-interactive mode' do
      expect(STDIN).to receive(:gets).and_return('pass')

      subject.execute

      expect(file).to have_received(:write).with(/recovery_target_timeline = 'latest'/)
    end

    it 'strips the password' do
      allow(STDIN).to receive(:gets).and_return("pass\n")

      subject.execute

      expect(file).to have_received(:write).with("localhost:9999:*:my-user:pass\n")
      expect(file).to have_received(:write).with(/password=pass sslmode=disable sslcompression=1'\n/)
    end
  end

  context 'with a custom port' do
    let(:options) { { now: true, skip_backup: true, host: 'localhost', port: 9999, user: 'my-user', slot_name: 'foo', db_name: 'gitlab_db_name' } }
    let(:cmd) { %q(PGPASSFILE=/var/opt/gitlab/postgresql/.pgpass /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/gitlab-psql -h localhost -p 9999 -U my-user -d gitlab_db_name -t -c "SELECT slot_name FROM pg_create_physical_replication_slot('foo');") }
    let(:status) { double(error?: false, stdout: '') }

    it 'executes a gitlab-psql call to check replication slots' do
      expect(subject).to receive(:check_gitlab_active?).and_return(true)
      expect(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('mypassword')

      allow(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command).and_return(status)
      expect(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command).with(cmd, anything).and_return(status)

      subject.execute
    end
  end

  context 'when user has to provide a confirmation text' do
    let(:options) { { now: false, host: 'localhost', port: 9999, user: 'my-user', slot_name: 'foo' } }

    it 'asks for confirmation string' do
      allow(subject).to receive(:ask_pass).and_return('mypass')
      expect(STDIN).to receive(:gets).and_return('replicate')
      expect(GitlabCtl::Util).to receive(:run_command)
        .with("PGPASSFILE=/var/opt/gitlab/postgresql/.pgpass /opt/gitlab/embedded/embedded/bin/pg_basebackup -h localhost -p 9999 -D /var/opt/gitlab/postgresql/data -U my-user -v -P -X stream -S foo",
              anything)

      subject.execute
    end
  end
end


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We offer a range of frame constructions to suit the requirements of any project. Our range of frames deliver uncompromising comfort through expertly crafted design.
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This year's Leprechaun Chase was another great success – despite the bitterly cold weather. Over 2,000 people crammed into Blackrock Park and much fun and merriment was had by all, including the much chased-after Leprechauns themselves! We wish to sincerely thank all those who participated, in particular the kids and parents who braved the elements but also Johnny Sheehan and his merry band of Leprechauns. In total we raised €3066 for Blackrock Hospice and Laura Lynn charities. We are also most grateful to those Blackrock businesses who supported the event financially. The occasion is now firmly established in the Blackrock Events' Calendar. However, as always, the burden of organisation falls on too few people and future running of the event and its quality will depend on more trusty citizens putting their hands to the pump. Finally, to the two main organisers Angela Kelly and Catherine Curran – a huge thank you for all the effort you put in to ensure this year's great success.


Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, February 5, 1953, second section page 4, col. 6 & 7.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, March 12, 1953, page 1, col. 1.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, March 12, 1953, page 1, col. 4.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, March 12, 1953, second section, page 2, col. 1. (Report of the details of his death).
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, April 2, 1953, page 1, col. 7.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, April 16, 1953, page 1, col. 2, also June 18, 1953, page 6, col. 6.
3 killed and 150 injured.
The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, April 23, 1953, several articles in this and ensuing issues.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, April 30, 1953, page 8, col. 2.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, May 21, 1953, page 1, col. 5.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, May 21, 1953, page 3, col. 5, 6 & 7.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, June 4, 1953, page 7, col. 5.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, June 11, 1953, page 1, col. 1.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, June 11, 1953, page 3, col. 3.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, June 25, 1953, page 1, col. 2.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, June 25, 1953, page 1, col. 3.
Notice of death, no details.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, July 2, 1953, page 1, col. 4.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, July 16, 1953, page 1, col. And July 23, 1953, page 1, col. 2.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, July 23, 1953, page 1, col. 2.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, October 22, 1953, page 3, col. 3.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, October 22, 1953, page 8, col. 3.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, October 29, 1953, page 1, col. 6.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, October 29, 1953, second section, page 4, col. 7.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, November 12, 1953, page 1, col. 6.
Source & date of issue: The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC, Thursday, December 10, 1953, page 1, col. 6 & 7. The obituary for Henry Bennett Allen was published in the December 17, 1953 issue. He was a veteran.


text:
Produce Business
Marketing • Merchandising • Management • Procurement
The Pulse of Packaging Innovation in Europe
Posted By: Gill McShane January 1, 2015
Reducing costs, waste and the potential for food contamination have emerged as three key trends for the European packaging and packing industries as production costs continue to rise and protecting both the environment and the consumer become increasingly important.
According to leading players within the industry, the high cost of raw materials and labor across the European region has prompted demand for less or cheaper packaging and increased automation of the packing process.
The sector is also responding to environmental calls to cut both packaging and food waste by offering recyclable, biodegradable or recycled packaging and extending the shelf life of produce.
In addition, manufacturers are starting to play an important role in improving food safety as they develop increasingly automated machinery and more hygienic packing solutions to reduce the potential for contamination.
BrimaPack
"In some European countries, labor costs are huge while a lack of labor is also a problem, and those issues are emerging in the U.S. too," explains Ron van de Pavert, owner of BrimaPack, a Dutch manufacturer located in Ulft, Netherlands, of fruit and vegetable packaging solutions.
"If you look at the vegetable business in particular, prices aren't really going to get any higher; so if a grower wants to earn more money, he has to cut back on costs. Our systems reduce the need for labor, and therefore offer the potential for growers to reduce their costs by up to 50 percent."
Van de Pavert singles out productivity, costs and food safety as the biggest issues for the produce industry at the moment. "There is still a lot of money that can be saved by developing packing equipment that makes it as easy as possible for the workers to pack, and saves on labor costs. Productivity goes up if the packing process is easier, while if you use fewer people or less packaging your costs go down."
To that end, BrimaPack is working on several projects. To reduce the cost of bunching and labeling, the company developed a new concept in collaboration with Sroka Processing Systems (a company in Bochum, Germany that develops and produces binding systems and special machines for market gardening and wholesale trade) that binds per hour up to 3,000 bundles of produce such as spring onions, asparagus and herbs while simultaneously adding a label.
"Some suppliers bind and label by hand, or they use plastic clips or special rubber bands that come with a fixed label," notes van de Pavert. "But they are all expensive methods. Our system allows you to incorporate your own locally sourced labels and the machine does it all for you. You get a return on your investment in less than a year."
For the field, the firm developed electronically driven vehicles that cut labor costs and are cleaner and cheaper to power, plus a self-propelled harvester. In January, BrimaPack also launched a new tight packaging film with a seal at the butt to significantly extend the shelf life of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage by six to eight days and thereby reduce food waste.
"We optimize the natural atmosphere inside the packaging film without the use of chemicals, gases or expensive laser perforation," explains van de Pavert. "The film extends the shelf-life naturally without expensive perforation and no additional substances to absorb the ethylene. The vegetables taste better for longer."
With food safety and traceability already a big issue in Europe, and a growing concern in the U.S. following scares with melons and lettuce, BrimaPack is keen to develop additional solutions that respond to industry challenges.
Already, the firm is working on an automated packing system for melons while testing an antibacterial packaging film for melons that eliminates fungi and pathogens like e-coli. Van de Pavert expects both trials to yield results in one year's time.
The next step in search of food safety, according to van de Pavert, is to make packing systems completely automatic where even placing the product in the packing machine is automatic. "The idea is to improve food safety through mechanization as you reduce the number of people touching the product," he points out. "But of course you have to ensure a return on investment."
Polymer Logistics
Saving costs, being greener and tightening food safety is also a goal at Bertinoro, Italy-based Polymer Logistics (a company specializing in Retail-Ready Packaging with plastic containers and pallet pooling services), which is currently trialing a plastic produce pallet that is designed to be a cheaper, more durable, greener and safer alternative to the conventional wooden pallet.
"The industry hasn't really evolved from the wooden pallet, so it's time for a change and to think of something smarter," suggests managing director Adrian Dale. "We know wooden pallets are heavy, need repairing, can't be cleaned and are potential bug and fungus traps. So we think there's scope to save costs, be more environmentally friendly and improve food safety."
Dale claims the plastic pallet designed by Polymer Logistics is lighter, requires less maintenance and fewer laborers, plus it is nestable and therefore takes up less space in warehouses or distribution centers as well as on vehicles, which is particularly cost effective in reverse logistics.
With the economical and environmental benefits already being recognized by users in the trial Polymer Logistics is hopeful its new concept will be fully introduced to the market by the end of this year.
Infia
Alessandro Mariani, export manager of Italy-based packaging giant Infia (which handles production of plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables), agrees costs and the environment are two key trends that are currently influencing packaging innovation in Europe.
"We're seeing a reduction in the amount of plastic being used, so there has been a lot of substitution of rigid plastic lids in favor of film/top-sealing lids because they're cheaper and more environmentally friendly," he explains.
In the future, top-sealing lids will replace clamshells as the preferred packaging solution for produce, especially berries and table grapes, according to Mariani. "Top-sealing trays use at least 33 percent less plastic than a standard clamshell, so the cost savings are significant. Not to mention the environmental benefits of producing less plastic."
Mariani believes top-sealing trays will completely revolutionize the produce packaging industry, particularly in a market like the U.S. where he claims the berry industry alone uses 1 billion clamshells each year. "By reducing the weight of each tray by only 10 grams, you can cut plastic production by 5,000 tons and save approximately $6.5 million a year."
Unlike clamshells, Mariani says top-sealing trays can also be packed on completely automatic lines, which means fewer workers are needed, plus the packaging is completely sealed to offer more safety and hygiene. "Top-sealing trays can also be fully printed in color rather than adding a label, which is a huge advantage," he adds.
Infia prides itself on constantly striving to improve its packaging offer in order to reduce the environmental impact and lengthen the shelf life of food products. To that end, the firm created a new side ventilation system for punnets of table grapes, tomatoes and soft fruit called "F Concept," which Mariani claims allows for a "dramatic" reduction of condensation in top-sealing trays.
As a result, the F Concept improves productivity in the packhouse and slows down the ripening process of the fruit, ensuring a longer shelf life and less waste. "F Concept packaging pre-cools 25 percent faster; saving 25 percent on energy costs and reducing by 25 percent the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, which leaves a smaller carbon footprint," says Mariani.
VPZ
In addition to recyclable packaging, the European market is increasingly demanding biodegradable options, particularly for organic produce, according to Bettina Reichl of family-run packaging firm Verpackungszentrum Graz (VPZ) in Graz-Neuhart, Austria.
"The industry is seriously looking for alternatives to packaging based on fossil resources, so we are ripe for change even though the prices of natural packaging are much higher than plastics," predicts Reichl.
Reichl says Austria is leading the way in the development of bio-brands for the food sector with VPZ already having spent 20 years focusing on the research and development of net packaging made from natural fibers.
Since December 2012, VPZ has supplied the Austrian stores of major German retail cooperative, Rewe Group (Cologne, Germany) with its compostable tubular nets made from modal cellulose fibers sourced from beechwood forest thinning in Europe.
The concept is environmentally friendly, both in production and in waste disposal, and was recently nominated to win the innovation award at Fruit Logistica 2014. After much success in Europe VPZ is now discussing future cooperation with two clients in the U.S. and one in Canada.
"In the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, we could really achieve a big shift toward eco-friendly packaging," asserts Reichl. "In Austria Rewe started with potatoes, onions and beetroot. For the last year, ALDI's Hofer stores in Austria have also been using the bio nets and now uses them for citrus and black radishes."
Reichl claims VPZ's compostable packaging nets look more natural, give a coherent image for both organic food and packaging and improve shelf life. "The silky surface not only feels good for the consumers, but it also protects sensitive contents such as zucchini or thin-skinned avocados," she says. "The breathable natural netting offers consumers the added benefit of keeping the produce fresh for an extra two to three days, and also prevents potatoes and onions from sprouting."
Going forward, VPZ is concentrating on the development of a new production process for the tubular nets as well as net bags that are also made from cellulose for both manual filling (single bags) and automatic filling with the aim of making them economically more competitive. A further research project is underway for compostable labeling, while the use of natural dyes is another objective for the firm.
NNZ
Reducing food waste is a major area of focus for many other European packaging manufacturers, including Dutch firm NNZ headquartered in Groningen, Netherlands. "We emphasize the role that packaging plays in reducing food waste," confirms innovation manager Alies Gonlag.
NNZ offers two new products that can reduce food waste through spoiling. For tomatoes on the vine Gonlag claims adding NNZ's Flow-Fresh® film to cardboard cartons or plastic trays can reduce the deterioration of quality.
"Tomatoes on the vine are very sensitive to mold formation due to moisture build up in the pack, so we are proposing usage of a film with improved ventilation properties," she explains. "Using a film with a portion of net material (Flow-Fresh), mold formation was still absent 11 days after harvesting."
For apples, NNZ developed a concept called Paper-Fresh tray, which protects the fruit's sensitive skin during handling and transport. "Apples are very sensitive to browning," explains Gonlag. "By making use of one compartment per apple, the apples maintain their quality throughout handling in the supply chain and in retail."
Changing The U.S. Mindset
Many European manufacturers already supply packaging products or packing machinery to the U.S. market and most see potential to boost business stateside. But although a number of European innovations lend themselves well for use by U.S. industry players, encouraging businesses to part with age-old practices may be difficult.
"The interest is certainly there, but decision making is slow," says van de Pavert of BrimaPack, which exhibited at United Fresh 2014. "We have references from our customers all over the world in Chile, Brazil, Taiwan, Iceland and across Europe and Russia, but it's difficult to convince someone to move away from what they've been using for 30 years."
Van de Pavert claims U.S. growers are also hesitant to invest in changing their packaging in case the retailers repack before sale. "It will take time," he concedes. "Before 2006, Tesco in the U.K. had never changed its way of packing broccoli and lettuce, and now our concept is their preferred packaging."
Dale at Polymer Logistics concurs that acceptance of change is a long process but points out if a product is right for the market it will ultimately succeed. "You need to demonstrate the benefits of making that change, and endorse the help of those early adopters to sell the idea to others," he explains.
Indeed, Infia's Mariani points out that Europe already had to adapt to a lack of labor with innovations such as automated packing systems, the U.S. still has a large availability of manpower.
"You could say Europe is ahead of the U.S. in terms of the automation of the packing process," he says. "But there will come a time when the U.S. needs automation too. We have lots of packaging concepts that could be interesting for the U.S. The first and foremost is using a top-sealing tray instead of a clamshell, where we have more than 20 years' experience and are the largest manufacturers in the world with a huge range of products."
TOPICS:Europefood safetyfood wastepackaging
Highlighting The Bulb
Waste Not, Want Not
The Art Of Produce Labeling And Bag Printing
Cover Stories, Retail
Food Fight: The Battle Against Waste
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
MY_ACCOUNT
Junior Citizen
Spining and Objectivity
IF someone asked me the difference between a journalist and a Public Relations (PR) writer like myself (both using a mainstream platform in dissemination of content they produce) - I could say one is expected to be objective, and that one is not me.
Mapping PR in sri lanka
Public relations as a job, seems to be a grey, undefined profession activity surrounding it largely from two points of views, and they are media relations and people's relations. While this may sound like covering the ground it really does not.
PR industry standards
When I was in school, if we had a situation where information was needed on a particular subject, probably an event in history or some facts related to geography or biology which could have expanded our knowledge, the only sources to turn to were our textbooks, or if we were lucky (as was the case with me), an uncle who owned the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was at that time the ultimate source of information.
The PR 'big idea'
It is usual for advertising people taking on a new campaign for a client to talk of the 'big idea'. The cracking of this 'big idea' becomes the pivotal factor in designing any campaign.
PR and branding
I recently went to lunch at a restaurant in a five star hotel, and was quite surprised by the restaurant's name. It was actually called 'The Heist'. If you refer to any dictionary, it will tell you that a heist is a robbery in which there is a large haul of loot. So in other words this place could easily be called 'The Robbery'. Yes, it is a little funny, but I am merely trying to make a point.
Of public relations and media
Who is a PR person? Though the answer may seem obvious on the face of it, it has become quite important these days to define the role of public relations.This is because the sustainability model of present day business demands engaging and interacting with their various stakeholders as businesses are increasingly beginning to realise that they no longer operate in isolation.
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Many plants that we knew as house plants in Colorado just grow out of doors here. Here you can see spider plants and philodendron. We also have a lot of coleus and geranium.
It's not easy to get a good shot of the huge lychee tree that provides welcome shade for the front porch. It's making new fruit now. Hmm, just thought that part of why I love it here so much is that we spend hours every day on the front porch — eating, talking with friends, reading, working on our laptops now that we have a wireless home network — and I have many happy memories of porches from my childhood in Maryland.
We have two kinds of bamboo along the side of our property. I'm no fan of ankle-threatening cobblestones, and heartily concurred when Kelly recently took out a lot of the stones to give this bamboo more room to expand. The little green shoots are quickly taking advantage of the situation.
This entry is for you, Chinle! You were practically in the yard with me as I took the photos!
You and Kelly are very blessed to have such a beautiful place in paradise!
It surely looks like a little piece of paradise. Having such a beautiful yard, looks to more than make up for the small house. Nothing more comforting than a porch, with a VIEW.


text:
<?php

namespace CMPayments\IDeal\Request;

use CMPayments\IDeal\IDeal;
use DOMImplementation;
use RobRichards\XMLSecLibs\XMLSecurityDSig;

/**
 * Class Request
 * @package CMPayments\IDeal\Request
 */
class Request
{
    /**
     * Class constants
     */
    const XMLNS = "http://www.idealdesk.com/ideal/messages/mer-acq/3.3.1";

    /**
     * @var IDeal iDEAL client
     */
    protected $ideal;

    /**
     * @var \DOMDocument XML payload
     */
    protected $doc;

    /**
     * @var string Root node
     */
    protected $root;

    /**
     * @var bool Signed indicator
     */
    private $signed;

    /**
     * @var string Merchant
     */
    protected $merchant;

    /**
     * Request constructor.
     *
     * @param IDeal $ideal
     * @param       $rootName
     */
    public function __construct(IDeal $ideal, $rootName)
    {
        $this->ideal = $ideal;
        $this->signed = false;
        $this->createDocument($rootName);
    }

    /**
     * Get iDEAL client
     *
     * @return IDeal
     */
    public function getIdeal()
    {
        return $this->ideal;
    }

    /**
     * Create XML request
     *
     * @param string $rootName XML root node
     */
    private function createDocument($rootName)
    {
        $implementor = new DOMImplementation();
        $this->doc = $implementor->createDocument(self::XMLNS, $rootName);

        $this->doc->version = '1.0';
        $this->doc->encoding = 'UTF-8';
        $this->doc->formatOutput = true;
        $this->doc->preserveWhiteSpace = false;
        $this->doc->formatOutput = false;

        $this->root = $this->doc->documentElement;
        $this->root->setAttribute('version', IDeal::VERSION);

        // add timestamp request is created
        $now = gmdate('Y-m-d\TH:i:s.000\Z');
        $created = $this->createElement('createDateTimestamp', $now);
        $this->root->appendChild($created);

        // add merchant information
        $this->merchant = $this->createElement('Merchant');
        $this->merchant->appendChild(
            $this->createElement(
                'merchantID',
                sprintf('%09d', $this->ideal->getMerchantId())
            )
        );
        $this->merchant->appendChild($this->createElement('subID', $this->ideal->getSubId()));
        $this->root->appendChild($this->merchant);
    }

    /**
     * Create XML namespaced element
     *
     * @param      $name
     * @param null $value
     *
     * @return \DOMElement
     */
    protected function createElement($name, $value = null)
    {
        // Always create the element without value, because createElementNS() does not apply encoding / escaping to the value
        $element = $this->doc->createElementNS(self::XMLNS, $name);

        //  If there is a value, use textContent to set the value;
        //  textContent is some wierd pseudo-property that does encoding and escaping.
        if ($value !== null) {
            $element->textContent = $value;
        }

        return $element;
    }

    /**
     * Sign XML request
     */
    public function sign()
    {
        $this->preSign();
        $key = $this->ideal->getMerchantPrivateKey();

        // sign document
        $dsig = new XMLSecurityDSig();
        $dsig->setCanonicalMethod(XMLSecurityDSig::EXC_C14N);
        $dsig->addReference($this->doc, XMLSecurityDSig::SHA256, ['http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#enveloped-signature'], ['force_uri' => true]);
        $dsig->sign($key, $this->root);
        $signature = $dsig->sigNode;

        // add keyinfo
        $thumbprint = $this->ideal->getMerchantCertificate()->getX509Thumbprint();
        $keyName = $dsig->createNewSignNode('KeyName', strtoupper($thumbprint));
        $keyInfo = $dsig->createNewSignNode('KeyInfo');
        $keyInfo->appendChild($keyName);
        $signature->appendChild($keyInfo);

        $this->signed = true;
    }

    /**
     * Presign XML request
     */
    protected function preSign()
    {
        // do nothing in standard implementation
    }

    /**
     * Returns signed status of request
     *
     * @return bool
     */
    public function isSigned()
    {
        return $this->signed;
    }

    /**
     * Get request payload as XML document
     *
     * @return \DOMDocument
     */
    public function getDocument()
    {
        return $this->doc;
    }

    /**
     * Get request payload as string
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getDocumentString()
    {
        return $this->getDocument()->saveXML(null, LIBXML_NOEMPTYTAG);
    }

    /**
     * Send request to iDEAL acquirer
     *
     * @return \CMPayments\IDeal\Response\DirectoryResponse|\CMPayments\IDeal\Response\ErrorResponse|\CMPayments\IDeal\Response\StatusResponse|\CMPayments\IDeal\Response\TransactionResponse|null
     */
    public function send()
    {
        return $this->ideal->send($this);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Special Education Resident Teacher Program
Resident teachers (RTs) earn a master's degree in special education through online coursework and on-the-job experience in a school district/special education unit.
RT is a one-year program which begins summer session.
Each RT assumes full responsibility for a special education caseload.
What makes this program unique?
The appointment of the Resident Teachers as Graduate Teaching Assistants, therefore providing them with a scholarship for some of the master's program.
The three layered mentorship: building level mentors, UND mentor and UND academic advisor.
The on-the-job training format while taking graduate courses makes for natural connections between research and practice and between the theoretical and real-life.
The delivery of the coursework online allows schools across the region to participate in the program.
The program meets the needs of schools across the state of North Dakota and western Minnesota, since the RTs are prepared in a cross-categorical program that licenses them as Special Education Strategists who are able to case manage students with learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, and intellectual disabilities.
3-Step Admissions Process
Applicants apply for both the Master's in Special Education and the Special Education Resident Teacher Program (SERTP). Admission to both the master's program and the SERTP must be completed no later than March 15, and it is highly recommended to apply early as the admissions process is lengthy. Admission to both is competitive.
Step 1. Apply to the Special Education Master's Program
The first step in the admissions process is to apply to the Master's in Special Education with a specialization in Special Education Strategist (SES). Candidates WITH an undergraduate degree in education should apply for the M.S. in Special Education. Candidates WITHOUT an undergraduate degree in education should apply for the M.Ed. in Special Education.
The admissions process for the master's program consists of a transcript/GPA review, recommendations review, and a writing assignment.
Apply to the UND School of Graduate Studies
Step 2. Apply to the Special Education Resident Teacher Program
The SERTP admissions process consists of admissions to the master's program, a face-to-face interview on the UND campus, a thorough reference check, GPA review, and a problem-solving writing activity.
Apply to the Special Education Resident Teacher Program
Please note candidates are encouraged to apply to the SERTP upon completion of the master's application. Full admission to the master's program is NOT required to complete the SERTP application. Candidates will be notified of admission into the master's program prior to the SERTP on-campus interviews.
Step 3. Placement in a Public School
Once candidates have been admitted to both the Master in Special Education and the SERTP, their names are then forwarded to the school districts/special education units. They are then interviewed by administrators (or other school personnel) so schools/SPED units have a role in the final decision regarding the placement of the RT. The program attempts to place RTs in areas they wish to be placed, although this is not always possible and depends on placement availability.
Once all three of these steps have been complete, the candidate becomes an official RT.
Open All Sections
Ideal Candidates(Open this section)
The Special Education Resident Teacher Program (SERTP) at the University of North Dakota seeks to attract and keep teachers in rural schools in North Dakota and western Minnesota that have had great difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers.
The target population of candidates is individuals considered by UND as "home-grown." In SERTP's case, this means recruits are already living in a rural area and will be trained to become special education teachers in their community. SERTP seeks unemployed or recently graduated general education teachers to participate in its program. SERTP also seeks candidates with other completed baccalaureate degrees.
SERTP's goal is to provide inexperienced teachers with support in entering the special education teaching profession. The purpose is to increase the pool of endorsed and well prepared special educators in the region by enabling University of North Dakota students, who are admitted to a graduate program in special education, to complete a one year internship in a school district or special education unit under the joint supervision of experienced special educators and a University of North Dakota special education faculty member. The focus of the program is in the area of mild/moderate disabilities with an emphasis on working with students in inclusionary settings.
Costs and Implementation Requirements(Open this section)
The school district/special education unit provides funding for each resident teacher accepted into the program that will be placed in their district/unit. Administered by the University of North Dakota, these funds are used to underwrite a 10-month half-time Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) appointment for each student. This pays the RT a stipend and also partially supports the UND mentor and program costs. The work assignment for GTAs participating in the program is in the district/special education unit.
RTs earn a stipend and a scholarship for a majority of the coursework in the master's degree. RTs are responsible for university fees, books each semester, and any tuition above and beyond the scholarships awarded. Candidates are expected to complete a one year program.
Resident Mentors (Open this section)
Resident mentors (certified special education teachers) from the school district/special education unit provide support to the RTs and work with the UND mentor. These mentors offer RTs consultation, demonstration teaching, feedback, and support. Resident mentors receive information prior to the start of the academic year. This occurs on site at each of the school districts and is conducted by the UND mentors. Resident mentors are not paid to participate in the program. They are chosen collaboratively by the school district, special education director, and UND.
In order to participate in the Special Education Resident Teacher Program, a school district forms a team consisting of the principal, special education mentors, and special education director and/or coordinator that must commit to the following:
Provide a mentor teacher in each of the disability categories (i.e. LD, EBD, ID).
Provide a set/designated time for the RT and resident mentors to meet on a regular basis. Optimally, the resident mentor's time with the RT should be daily for 15-30 minutes. At a minimum, mentoring time should occur for 30-60 minutes once a week.
The University of North Dakota's representative of the Special Education Program Area agrees to the following responsibilities:
Provide an orientation for the resident mentors.
Be available by email and telephone to answer questions and provide consultation.
Arrange for on-site, online, and phone conferences with the RT and school team throughout the school years.
Be responsible for clarifying the requirements for internship credits and assigning all grades.
Incentives(Open this section)
Incentives for RTs
The academic year scholarships awarded, stipends, and mentoring components mentioned above are the greatest incentives for candidates.
Incentives for School Districts
Special education teachers in the schools receive support from the RTs with their caseload of students. Schools are frequently able to retain the RT as an employee of the school after the one year "on-site interview." Since the RT is taking University coursework, teachers in the schools benefit from the information RTs learn about best practices and current trends in the field.
Incentives for the University
The special education master's program enrollment has more than tripled since the initiation of the SERTP, therefore recruitment is an important benefit to the University. In addition, the partnerships with several K-12 schools established through the SERTP contribute to the University's presence across the region, as well as meeting several aspects of the University's Strategic Plan.
Incentives for the State of North Dakota and western Minnesota
Recruitment, preparation, and retention of special education strategists to meet the shortage of special education teachers in rural areas is a priority of the ND State Legislature, thus the SERTP meets an area of critical need in the state of North Dakota. Likewise, there has been a critical shortage of special education teachers in schools in western Minnesota, thus these schools are able to recruit and retain previously hard to find special education teachers.


text:
Home Megido Publications Dvorak (arr. Ben-Meir) - Three Slavonic Dances (Flute Orchestra) - MEG
Dvorak (arr. Ben-Meir) - Three Slavonic Dances (Flute Orchestra) - MEG
The Slavonic Dances are a series of 16 orchestral pieces composed by Antonin Dvorak in 1878 and 1886 and published in two sets as Opus 46 and Opus 72. Originally written for piano four-hands, the Slavonic Dances were inspired by Johannes Brahms' own Hungarian Dances and were orchestrated at the request of Dvorak's publisher soon after composition. The pieces, lively and overtly nationalistic, were well-received at the time and today are among the composer's most memorable works, occasionally making appearances in popular culture. Dvorak only made use of the characteristic rhythms of Slavic folk music: the melodies are entirely his own. The three dances included in this arrangement are from Opus 46, No. 7 (Skocna, in C minor), No. 2 (Dumka, in E minor), No. 8 (Furiant, in G minor).
6 C Flutes (Flute 2 doubles on Piccolo)
2 Alto Flutes
Contrabass Flute


text:
Karl Collan, född 3 januari 1828 i Idensalmi, död 12 september 1871 i Helsingfors, var en finländsk tonsättare, skriftställare och biblioteksman. Han var bror till Fabian Collan och gift med Maria Collan.

Collan komponerade främst sånger med pianoackompanjemang till ord av finländska författare som Johan Ludvig Runeberg och Zacharias Topelius. Hans första musikhäfte utkom 1847. Hans sånger i romantisk stil blev mycket populära, och hans Vasa marsch och Savolaisen laulu blev landskapssånger och har även upptagits som militärmarscher. Collan påbörjade 1869 den i många häften utkomna sångsamlingen Det sjungande Finland, och grundlade Litterär Tidskrift (1863–1865). Han skrev även flera arbeten omkring den finländska folkdiktningen och utgav 1864–1868 en svensk översättning av det finska nationaleposet Kalevala. Collan utgav även flera svenskspråkiga översättningar av Heinrich Heines verk.

Collan blev 1859 lektor i tyska vid universitet i Helsingfors och 1866 bibliotekarie vid universitetsbiblioteket, där han genomförde en rad viktiga reformer.

Kompositioner
 Fåfäng önskan
 Sylvias julvisa
 Ensam i skogen sjöng den vackra Rose-Marie
 Gamle Hurtig
 Vasa marsch

Källor
 Svensk uppslagsbok. Malmö 1931.

Externa länkar

Födda 1828
Avlidna 1871
Personer verksamma vid Helsingfors universitet
Finländska klassiska kompositörer
Män
Personer från Idensalmi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Germany's Bavaria region has become the 62nd GMO Free farming area in Europe. The Munich-based Bavarian Environment Minister Dr. Marcel Huber, signed the GMO Free agreement in Brussels, with the President of the European GMO Free network, Maura Malaspina, the Environment Minister for the Marche region of Italy.
Fact Box Bavaria: The Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast. With an area of 70,548 square kilometres (27,200 sq mi), it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany. Bavaria is Germany's second most populous state (after North Rhine-Westphalia), with 12.5 million inhabitants. Bavaria's capital and largest city is Munich, the third largest city in Germany.
62 regions have stated: We reject gene technology from our fields. For our demand for self-determination, we need allies in Europe. The agreement is a clear political commitment and highly symbolic for the people of Bavaria,‰ Huber said at a GMO Free network meeting.
"The vast majority of the population is against genetic engineering in agriculture, risks were not sufficiently clarified. Bavaria stands for high quality regional and seasonal foods. Plant biotechnology is incompatible with the sensitive natural areas and small-scale agricultural structure of the Free State,‰ Huber continued.
Huber also warned against the EU aligning with the U.S position on genetic engineering in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in the context of the ongoing negotiations. "We have therefore asked the German Federal Government to push in the negotiations, our high standards for the protection of humans and the environment,‰ Huber concluded.


× seven = seven Required Please enter the correct value.
Keith Fitz-Gerald just named his two favorite holiday shopping stocks for 2018.
What Is Shipping with Amazon?
In October 2013, Money Morning Defense and Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson predicted that Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) was destined to hit $1,000 per share.
According to Michael, his bold price prediction "had to do with my thesis that high tech is vital to our economy and your investment portfolio... the road to wealth is paved by tech."
Last month, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed in a shareholder letter that his company has 100 million Prime subscribers worldwide.
But the memo contained another statistic we find even more compelling... one the mainstream media completely missed.
And it hints at where and what Bezos has his sights set on next.
Amazon is changing retail, groceries, and even healthcare as we know it.
The companies that can't adapt are dead in the water.
Amazon.com Inc. is in talks to develop a "checking-account-like product" for consumers. Considering Amazon's recent forays into healthcare, package delivery, and brick-and-mortar retail, the company's move into finance is not surprising.
Shipping with Amazon is going to revolutionize the package-delivery market.
Amazon is going to start cutting out other services by sending products directly to customers.
Analysts are speculating that Amazon may soon add another prize to its collection: Target Corp.
But our Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald sees an entirely different company taking on that deal.
Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald appeared on Fox Business Network's "Varney & Co." yesterday to discuss why Amazon will hit $2,000.
Amazon is lowering third-party vendor product prices to compete more fiercely with other low-cost rivals like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Dollar General Corp.
In the latest Amazon cryptocurrency news, there's some concrete evidence the retail giant is paying attention to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Amazon registered three domain names, one being specifically for Ethereum.
Amazon's acquisitions in 2017 helped the online retail giant net $1.3 billion in Q3 2017 alone from Whole Foods.
In 2018, the company may be eyeing even bigger targets to purchase.
Amazon is "eating the retail world," according to analysts.
Amazon.com Inc. wasn't always the Internet behemoth that it is today.
Amazon shook the grocery industry to its core when it acquired upscale grocery chain Whole Foods Market for a hefty $13.7 billion in cash on June 16.
Amazon just opened up a brick-and-mortar retail store in NYC.
It's a complete 180 from traditional business models... and it's pure genius.


text:
Technology - 28m 3s ago
Business & Lobbying
Lobbying group to maintain Russia contract amid tension
by Roxana Tiron and Kevin Bogardus - 09/16/08 6:52 PM ET
A prominent lobby shop says it is planning to keep its lucrative contract representing Russia despite increased friction between Washington and Moscow.
The Washington Group's decision comes amid uproar on Capitol Hill and in the White House in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of its neighbor Georgia, which attracted criticism from presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
{mosads}It is not unusual for lobby shops to terminate contracts with foreign countries when representing them becomes politically difficult.
For example, Cassidy and Associates dropped its $1.2 million contract with the Pakistani government after former President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule last year.
But the Washington Group, a subsidiary of public affairs giant Ketchum Inc., plans to keep its contract in place, said Al Jackson, a partner at Ketchum.
"The Washington Group and Ketchum continue to represent the Russian Federation," said Jackson, adding, "The Washington Group was hired to focus mainly on issues surrounding Russia's ascension to the [World Trade Organization (WTO)]," and repealing the so-called Jackson-Vanik amendment for the mutual benefit of American and Russian businesses.
Jackson, however, did not mention the situation with Georgia, even though his company has been active lobbying on behalf of Russia after the invasion of Georgia.
In the wake of the Russia-Georgia conflict, the Bush administration recently postponed a U.S.-Russia civilian nuclear pact.
"Trying to advance the Russian image in Washington is going to be more challenging," said Steven Pifer, a Russian and Eurasian visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.
"You cannot underestimate the anti-Russian mood and fervor in Washington," said Andrew Kuchins, the director and senior fellow of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
That mood could also translate into an increased fee for representation, according to lobbyists who represent foreign clients. As of press time, the Washington Group had not filed a change in fees with the Department of Justice.
The Russian government signed a $2 million contract with Ketchum in 2006 to help with public relations surrounding the G8 Summit, according to Justice Department records.
The contract has grown since then as the Washington Group was added to the agreement in 2007. Integrated Solutions Group, another Washington Group partner, also joined in representing Russia, signing a contract in February 2008.
Overall, Ketchum and the Washington Group have taken more than $7.5 million in fees since 2006, according to Justice Department records.
In addition, Ketchum has handled public relations in the United States for Gazprom, Russia's national natural-gas company. That contract has earned it more than $2.6 million in the last year, according to records.
Over the past two years, much of the lobbying for Russia by the Washington Group was in regard to the country's energy policy as well as its status with the WTO. But late this summer, as tensions between Georgia and Russia exploded into a full-fledged military conflict, lobbyists in Washington also took action.
The day after Georgian troops attacked rebels in the breakaway province of South Ossetia, senior lobbyists such as former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) contacted aides to Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Justice records show. The records do not spell out the details of those conversations.
Ketchum also distributed statements from the Russian government to congressional offices saying that the Georgian military action was "a gross violation of international law" and that "the perpetrators will receive the punishment they deserve."
{mosads}The public relations giant has been active this month in presenting Russia's side of the story. The firm distributed a timeline that emphasized Russia's attempts to reach a peace settlement before Georgia's attack as well as contradictory statements coming from the Georgian government on the conflict.
Since the start of the Georgia crisis, Ketchum has been leading an international consortium of agencies, including the Brussels, Belgium-based PR giant GPlus, to promote Russian interests, according to PR Week.
In the wake of Molinari's recent departure from the Washington Group, John O'Hanlon, the co-founder of the lobby shop, is currently managing the contract. O'Hanlon is a longtime Democrat and a former finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee's 2003 presidential gala.
Adam Olsen, who is the head of Integrated Solutions Group, also has strong Democratic credentials. He worked as the deputy national finance director for former House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt (Mo.).
But the Washington Group still has strong ties to McCain — apart from former CEO Molinari, who serves on the Women for McCain Steering Committee. McCain's former economic adviser, Carlos Bonilla, is a lobbyist at the Washington Group. So is Missy Edwards, a big-time fundraiser for the Republican candidate. Edwards, according to a Department of Justice filing, traveled to Moscow for a U.S.-Russia Business Council meeting in October 2007. Ketchum PR directed that trip.
Yet McCain has been an adamant critic of Russia. The work his advisers did on behalf of that country seemed to have little influence on him during the recent outbreak of hostilities in Georgia.
McCain's senior foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, has previously lobbied for Georgia.
Tags Barack Obama Joe Biden John McCain
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text:
The Kindle is made by underpaid workers
Good E Reader Michael Kozlowski Jun 11, 2018
Good E Reader Jun 11, 2018
Michael Kozlowski Jun 11, 2018 Read Source
The Amazon Kindle line of e-readers is made by illegal underpaid workers at Foxconn, according to China Labor Watch. 40% of the staff were agency workers and those who were working working overtime were being paid at the normal hourly rate instead of the time-and-a-half required by Chinese law and by Amazon's own supplier code of conduct.
A China Labor Watch investigator – who spent a month at the factory, posing as a dispatch worker – reported workers slumped, exhausted, over their work benches trying to catch a few minutes' sleep during breaks. Most of them were working 14 hour weeks without a single day off and had to ask for permission to visit the restroom.
The Kindle is made at the Hengyang factory and they were paid considerably less than those at other Foxconn factories. A staffer making Apple products in Shenzhen has a base monthly pay of 2,400 yuan ($375 US), but one of Amazon's Hengyang workers starts at 1,750 yuan ($273) per month. Both are considerably lower than an estimated living wage of about $710, promoting employees to work as much as 80 hours of overtime in the case of the Hengyang factory.
In its statement, Amazon said: "Amazon takes reported violations of our supplier code of conduct extremely seriously. In the case of the Foxconn Hengyang factory, Amazon completed its most recent audit in March 2018 and identified two issues of concern.
"We immediately requested a corrective action plan from Foxconn Hengyang detailing their plan to remediate the issues identified and we are conducting regular assessments to monitor for implementation and compliance with our supplier code of conduct. We are committed to ensuring these issues are resolved."


I have appreciated my affiliation with Plan International over the years. They graciously offer me transportation to the projects we have supported, and partner with CPI in monitoring the computer projects in the three areas I have been involved in.
This is Saul who is a long time friend and has been a liaison for me with Plan Int. He has worked with Plan for 7 years but has a long history of working for NGO's in this area of Honduras. He is responsible for the sponsored kids through Plan. There are 700 or so sponsored children through this branch of Plan. Here he is loading 475 "kits" of school supplies to be distributed next week to kids in 20 communities in this area of Plans territory.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 at 10:39 am	and is filed under Copan Ruinas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Divisions of Tabor
Directions and Locations
Adolescent Initiative Program
Meet Our Wonderful Kids
Become an Adoptive Parent
Foster Care FAQs
Aging Out Independence Program
Supervised Independent Living
Tabor Community Partners (TCP)
About Tabor Community Partners (TCP)
TCP BOARD AND LEADERSHIP
TCP Community Advisory Board
TCP HISTORY
Strengthening Families
TCP COMMUNITY EVENTS
Family Teaming Conferences
TCP Community Resources
OPPORTUNITIES WITH TCP
CHARITABLE GIVING: WAYS TO GIVE
The Heart of Gold Project
Vendor Opportunities and Supplier Diversity
TCP SUBCONTRACTOR PORTAL
Tabor Community Partners (TCP) exists to impact the systemic social problems within communities throughout Philadelphia.
Utilizing innovative evidence based and trauma informed child welfare and behavioral health services, TCP will improve the functioning of the youth and the family while strengthening the community.
Tabor Children Services' affiliate, Tabor Community Partners (TCP), contracts with the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) to serve as the Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) for the 5th and 14th police districts in the Northwest Section of Philadelphia. As a CUA, TCP manages cases in this region to provide community-based service delivery to children and families.
TCP provides stronger protection for vulnerable populations in efforts to support the Improving Outcomes for Children (IOC) initiative set forth by DHS.
TCP is a community-based service delivery approach which will enable DHS to work more closely with the communities our children come from. The ultimate goal is to create a service system that is informed by and speaks to the needs of those communities.
The shared vision of Tabor Children's Services and Tabor Community Partners has resulted in a network that helps the most vulnerable children and families within our community. This network supports the IOC initiative where the community is strengthened through partnerships and communities working together to build upon resources.
On July 1, 2016, Tabor Children's Services became the sole member of Tabor Community Partners (TCP), formerly known as Tabor Northern Community Partners (TNCP).
Change the Life of a Child
AUD CAD EUR GBP JPY USD NZD CHF HKD SGD SEK DKK PLN NOK HUF CZK ILS MXN BRL
A Closer Look at Tabor
Tabor Children's Services is committed to providing culturally-competent, cost-effective quality services that ensure the safety of children, youth, adults and families; enhance the development of children and youth; secure the children's right to permanent families; foster the integrity of the family; and promote the mental health and improved functioning of children and adults seeking stability and independence.
Tabor Children's Services is a private nonprofit child welfare agency serving children, youth, young adults and families. Services for families are the least restrictive possible and link families with resources for support within their own community and culture. Extended family members with safe homes are the best resource for children who cannot remain with their own parents. Preparation for youth independence begins at the onset of service delivery and includes planning the steps that will lead to emancipation from the child welfare system. Permanency and independence are key objectives for all service consumers.
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It's that time of year again! October arrives and brands dive straight into marketing their products and services for Halloween. Now, I've seen a lot of people grumbling about Halloween campaigns this year, but I personally can't see why. It's fun to create something a little different for your audience, and it gives you a chance to showcase your brand's more playful side! Here are some of the best ones I've seen today.
Hootsuite's whole shtick is making the management of multiple social media platforms much easier to do for businesses. So, the marketing team at Hootsuite combined that with some classic horror movies to produce these brilliantly clever images. My personal favourite is the Alfred Hitchcock Twitter birds. Although, American Psycho on LinkedIn comes pretty close!
The best thing about these is they clearly know who they're talking to with their marketing. Nasty Gal's tone of voice is kind of sassy, mirroring the aesthetic of the kind of clothes for 'nasty gals' they're renowned to sell. And Monki uses a quote from Mean Girls, which is probably one of the most popular films of the early-naughties that Millenials are bound to remember.
Another I had to mention here is sunglasses brand, Hawker's. They created a Tarot card game on their website to add a fun spin to their sale. All you've got to do is pick a card to have your fortune read, and you'll recieve up to 70% off your order. Pretty cool, right?
This is just SO CUTE that I had to include it. San Francisco zoo have advertised their 'Boo at the zoo' Halloween night by putting torch lights under the little fuzzy chins of their animals — just like you'd do if you were 'round a campfire telling scary stories. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of zoos — but just look at this spooky Koala bear!
Ahh, Burger King. Ever grabbing that opportunity to bash on their rivals. So to stir the pot even more, a Burger King store in Queens, New York, dressed up as the ghost of McDonalds.
Not only that, but Burger King UK also created this Stranger Things-reminiscent advert which uses its' competition's mascot to, I suspect, not only play on the success of Stephen King's It movie, but also invite viewers to switch fast food teams. Genius.
Each year, Trailhead releases fun spooky-themed badges you can earn for your Trailblazer profile over the Halloween period. And this year, it's no different!
All you'll need to do is complete any Trailhead module, project, or superbadge between October 28th and November 2nd. Once completed, the Trick or Trailhead IV badge will appear on your Trailblazer profile.
The trick (or should I say, treat?) with Halloween marketing is that it's such a playful holiday, so you don't have to be scared of getting a little more creative with it. After all, that's what gets people talking and sharing! Have you seen any spooky marketing campaigns today that impressed you? Share them with us below! We'd love to see them.


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Research & Commentary: School Vouchers in Tennessee
By Tim Benson, Joy Pullmann
Proposed legislation in Tennessee would make vouchers available to children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and who currently attend or are zoned for a school ranking in the bottom 5 percent statewide. The bill would also incrementally cap the number of students to be awarded scholarships each year. A maximum of 5,000 scholarships would be awarded for the 2015–16 school year. Altogether, a total of 42,500 scholarships would be offered through 2018–19.
"School voucher programs have an excellent track record in improving outcomes for students," Tony Niknejad, state director of the American Federation for Children (AFC), said when the bill was originally proposed in 2015. "Study after study has shown that introducing choice and competition only helps. Moreover, in every state that school vouchers or private school choice has been enacted, the school system saves money in the long term."
Opponents of vouchers say they take funding from the public schools that need it most and do not improve student achievement. Voucher proponents point to a large number of gold-standard research studies showing vouchers increase student achievement for voucher students and those remaining in traditional public schools and increase social harmony, citizenship, and racial and economic integration. Voucher programs have operated in K–12 school districts in the United States for more than 20 years, and they have been around for even longer in higher education. For example, the G.I. Bill and Pell grants are examples of commonly used voucher programs. Vouchers are well past the pilot phase, as these programs have proven successful and best practices have already been established.
"Vouchers are funded through state tax dollars, allowing parents to 'vote with their feet' and select the best schools for their children, public or private," wrote AFC. "Research has demonstrated that vouchers increase student achievement, boost graduation rates, and help public schools improve. They also lead to high parental satisfaction rates."
Recent polling in Tennessee shows voters view voucher programs favorably. A Tennessee Federation for Children poll of registered voters, conducted in February 2015, found 59 percent—including 69 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of independents—were in favor of legislation introducing vouchers. A November 2015 poll by the Black Alliance for Educational Options found 64 percent of black voters are in favor of vouchers and 93 percent agreed "a candidate's views of education are important to them before they vote."
School choice offers families equal access to high-quality schools that meet their widely diverse needs and desires. Instead of unjustly condemning millions of children to failing and dangerous schools because their parents cannot afford to pay private school tuition rates, vouchers give all families a greater opportunity to meet each child's unique education needs. Vouchers also end the injustice of forcing parents to pay both taxes and tuition in order to exercise school choice.
The following documents offer more information about voucher programs and school choice.
Ten Principles of School Choice
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/ten-principles-school-choice
Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2002 school vouchers are constitutional, grassroots activists around the country have been organizing to support passage of school choice programs. Legislatures passed statewide programs in Colorado and Florida, and other states are expected to follow their lead. At least 35 cities have privately funded voucher programs. This booklet from The Heartland Institute provides policymakers and civic and business leaders a highly condensed and easy-to-read guide to the debate. It presents the 10 most important principles of the school choice movement, explaining each principle in plain and precise language. It also contains an extensive bibliography for further research, including many links to documents available on the Internet and a directory of the websites of national organizations that support school choice.
New Survey Shows Black Voters Strongly Support Parental Choice for Education Options in Tennessee
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/new-survey-shows-black-voters-strongly-support-parental-choice-educational-options-
This press release by the Black Alliance for Educational Options discusses a 2015 survey showing black voters in Tennessee overwhelmingly support school choice: "The survey reveals clear support for greater freedom in the K–12 education system with a noticeable majority supporting educational options in their school districts. There was also widespread recognition for the need for better quality schools, which includes ample support for charter schools and scholarships for low-income and working-class Black families to have access to private schools."
The Fiscal Effects of School Choice Programs on Public School Districts
http://news.heartland.org/policy-documents/fiscal-effects-school-choice-programs-public-school-districts
This report by Benjamin Scafidi is the first-ever study of public school districts' fixed costs in every state and the District of Columbia. Scafidi concludes approximately 36 percent of school district spending cannot be quickly reduced when students leave a school to enroll elsewhere. Scafidi finds the remaining 64 percent, or approximately $8,000 per student on average nationally, are variable costs that change directly with student enrollment. This means a school choice program attaching less than $8,000 to each child who leaves a public school for a private school leaves the district with more money to spend on each remaining child. Scafidi says in the long run, all local district spending is variable, meaning all funds could be attached to individual children over time without creating fiscal disasters for government schools.
The Effects of School Vouchers on College Enrollment
http://heartland.org/policy-documents/effects-school-vouchers-college-enrollment
Vouchers boost college enrollment rates for black students by 24 percent and double student attendance at selective colleges, conclude researchers Paul Peterson and Matthew Chingos. Their study, the first of its kind, tracked voucher students from kindergarten to college using the gold standard of research—random assignment—to compare students who won a voucher lottery with students in similar circumstances who didn't.
A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Vouchers
http://heartland.org/policy-documents/win-win-solution-empirical-evidence-school-vouchers
Greg Forster of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice collected the results of all available empirical studies using the best available scientific methods to measure how school vouchers affect academic outcomes for participants, and all available studies on how vouchers affect outcomes in public schools. Contrary to the widespread claims vouchers do not benefit participants and that they hurt public schools, empirical evidence consistently shows vouchers improve outcomes for participants and public schools alike.
Markets vs. Monopolies in Education: A Global Review of the Evidence
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/markets-vs-monopolies-education-global-review-evidence
Examining the evidence on school choice across the globe, this paper from the Cato Institute finds the efficiency—student achievement per dollar spent on education—of private education provision was higher than for public education provision in 23 of the studies surveying foreign countries, and only three of those studies found equal or greater efficiency in public schools.
How School Choice Programs Can Save Money
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/wm727.cfm
This Heritage Foundation study of the fiscal impact of voucher programs notes Washington, DC vouchers cost only 60 percent of what the city spends per pupil in government schools. The study estimates if the states with the top eight education expenditures per pupil adopted voucher programs similar to the one in Washington, DC, they could save a combined $2.6 billion per year.
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After One Year
http://heartland.org/article/21958
This U.S. Department of Education study found no primary impact, positive or negative, on student achievement in voucher programs, despite chronic underfunding.
How School Choice Can Create Jobs
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/how-school-choice-can-create-jobs
Examining five South Carolina counties, Sven R. Larson found school choice programs were associated with gains of up to 25 percent in youth self-employment. Larson writes, "School Choice raises academic achievement and reduces the problems and costs associated with high school dropouts. But it also has a decisively positive impact on youth entrepreneurship and could provide a critical boost for the economies of poor, rural counties."
School Choice by the Numbers: The Fiscal Effect of School Choice Programs, 1990-2006
http://www.schoolreform-news.org/article/21956/
Examining the fiscal effects of school choice programs, Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation Senior Fellow Susan Aud found $444 million in savings in the years 1990–2006, $422 million of which was from local school corporations. The direct passage of savings to school districts has a profoundly positive net benefit on districts, but not enough to enable them to compete with the high performance of private schools or charter schools.
The Legal Landscape of Parental-Choice Policy
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/legal-landscape-parental-choice-policy
The U.S. Supreme Court decision Zelman v. Simmons-Harris cleared away the most significant obstacle to the expansion of private school choice programs by ruling the First Amendment's Establishment Clause does not preclude faith-based schools from participating in private school choice programs. Other important legal questions fall into four categories: the scope of students' right to an education and parents' right to choose their children's schools; state-constitutional obstacles to private school choice; the effect of laws governing racial integration and the inclusion of disabled students; and the religious-liberty implications of faith-based schools participating in such programs. This report from the American Enterprise Institute notes the lack of clarity on these questions poses challenges, but the report says they also create opportunities for proponents of private school choice to scale existing programs and expand program options.
The Integration Anomaly: Comparing the Effects of K–12 Education Delivery Models on Segregation in Schools
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/integration-anomaly-comparing-effects-k-12-education-delivery-models-segregation-sc
Kennesaw State University economics professor Benjamin Scafidi, also a senior fellow at the Friedman Foundation and director of Kennesaw State's Education Economics Center, examines the relationships among traditional public schools, school choice programs, and racial diversity. Although in many cases neighborhoods are becoming more racially integrated, traditional public schools are actually becoming less so. Scafidi concludes existing evidence indicates school choice is a diversifier, leading to greater racial integration in schools.
School Choice Across the Globe
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/school-choice-across-globe
Despite the heated rhetoric, critics of school choice may be surprised to learn voucher programs are quite common in the economically developed world. Twenty-five of the richest countries in the world have vouchers or tuition tax credits for students to attend private schools of their choosing. Most significantly, many of these countries have more robust school choice programs than those present in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty reports in a Policy Brief. Exploring school choice in Chile, the Netherlands, and Sweden, the study found market-oriented programs, such as those that provide universal voucher eligibility regardless of income, have existed in other countries for many years.
America's Best (and Worst) Cities for School Choice
https://heartland.org/policy-documents/americas-best-and-worst-cities-school-choice
More than 12 million American students exercise some form of school choice by going to a charter, magnet, or private school or opting for homeschooling, instead of attending a traditional public school. Countless others use district-wide lotteries, attendance waivers, or inter-district transfers to attend public schools other than the ones in their neighborhoods. But some cities are significantly more "choice-friendly" than others, and some are downright hostile. Using nearly fifty markers of "choice friendliness," this report ranks 30 American cities on school choice.
Nothing in this Research & Commentary is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of The Heartland Institute. For further information on this subject, visit School Reform News at http://news.heartland.org/education, The Heartland Institute's website at http://heartland.org, and PolicyBot, Heartland's free online research database at www.policybot.org.
The Heartland Institute can send an expert to your state to testify or brief your caucus; host an event in your state; or send you further information on a topic. Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance! If you have any questions or comments, contact John Nothdurft, Heartland's director of government relations, at [email protected] or 312/377-4000.
Tim Benson
Tim Benson joined The Heartland Institute in September 2015 as a policy analyst in the Government Relations Department.
Joy Pullmann
Joy Pullmann is a research fellow on education policy for The Heartland Institute and managing editor of The Federalist, a web magazine on politics, policy, and culture.
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