I realize that Chinese New Year ended on February 6th, but in an effort to establish that there's no bad time to visit Hong Kong or eat Cantonese food, I decided that now would be a good time to write about dim sum (also, I'm a terrible procrastinator. Is it really almost St. Paddy's Day?).
Hong Kong means different things to different people. Some go for the bargains on everything from cameras to couture, others for the booming nightlife and easy access to other parts of Asia. Others just…really like Jackie Chan movies. Whatever your reason, this former British colony is faring well since it's 1997 return to China (technically the city and environs are considered a Special Administrative Region–SAR–of the mainland). While not as cheap as other Asian cities or destinations, Hong Kong offers plenty of attractions, food and travel options to suit all budgets.
To a little piglet such as myself, Hong Kong means dim sum. In a city positively obsessed with eating, dim sum is perhaps Hong Kong's most beloved culinary ritual. Dim sum, which is variously translated as "touching or pointing to the heart," refers to a variety of steamed or fried dumplings, rice flour rolls, and other small savory or sweet snacks. While Westerners have openly embraced dim sum where dumplings are concerned, some traditional dishes such as braised chicken feet (foong jow) and steamed beef tripe with black bean and chili sauce (ngow pahk yeep) aren't quite the hits they are in China.
Although dim sum is Cantonese (regionally now referred to as Gaungzhou) in origin, today it reflects the multi-regional influences of Hunan, Shanghai, Beijing, and other provinces in various ingredients and styles, such as the inclusion of Hunan ham in a pan-fried root vegetable dish such as taro cake. There are over 2,000 types of dim sum; in addition to the aforementioned dumplings and rice flour rolls, there are spring rolls, pan-fried cakes, baked or steamed buns, crepes, steamed rice dishes wrapped in lotus leaves, bite-size meat dishes such as spare ribs or duck feet, soups, or sweet puddings of tofu with sauces ranging from black sesame to mango.
[Photo credit: Flickr user LifeSupercharger] Standard dim sum ingredients include dried Chinese mushrooms; sweet lotus seed or bean paste; water chestnuts; bamboo shoots; rice or wheat flour; glutinous rice; Chinese sausage (lop cheong); preserved pork belly; dried shrimp; chives; ginger; garlic; seafood; poultry; beef, and pork, although the Cantonese are widely known for eating "everything under the sun," so few bits and pieces are off limits.
Dim sum is thought to have originated during the Sun Dynasty of 960-1280 AD, when drinking tea at teahouses became a popular custom after a day of labor in the fields. The term yum cha, or "to drink tea," came to be synonymous with the supplementation of small snacks, or dim sum. Today, teahouses still abound throughout China, and Hong Kong has it's fair share. These are gathering places where locals can gossip, drink, eat, and relax, although some teahouses–often in five-star hotels– cater to a more upscale clientele, or tourists.
Dim sum is meant to be consumed communally; diners pick what interests them from passing waiters who push carts loaded with bamboo steamers or domed platters- the serving dish will then be placed upon the table, and waiters will tally up the bill according to how many you accumulate. It's not considered bad form to pick morsels communally from the central plate, although you should place your individual choices into your own bowl or plate to catch any drips, or break apart large items using your chopsticks. Dipping bowls of sweet soy sauce, hot mustard (guy lath) and chili sauce (lath ju yow) are used communally as well, although it's also common to spoon some condiments onto your plate for personal use.
For an authentic teahouse experience in Hong Kong, although perhaps not the best dim sum, 79-year-old Luk Yu Teahouse in the city's Central District is a historic landmark. Fiercely crotchety, white-smocked old woman bustle about the small, marble-floored teahouse, carrying battered aluminum trays filled with assorted buns and dumplings around their necks. Over the din of dining Cantonese businessmen and families, ceiling fans lazily circulate and hazy sunlight filters through stained glass windows. Don't expect to know what you're eating, however. During my visit, I was the only Westerner there, and as is the way with most dim sum restaurants, selection of dishes comes down to point and choose. My winning pick was a giant, fluffy cha sui bao, or steamed bun, stuffed with sweet barbecued pork.
The dim sum from the immensely popular Super Star Seafood Restaurant in Kowloon, known for it's whimsical, animal-shaped dumplings is generally excellent. Super Star also offers hands-on dim sum cooking classes by arrangement, and it was there that I (in theory) learned how to pleat my har gow and sek tau yu (rockfish) dumplings. The shaping of dim sum dumplings is an art form that requires skill and dexterity, and the number and style of pleats or shape are specific to each type of dumpling; in the case of har gow, the "shark fin" pleat is said to replicate the shape of a gold ingot. Although my sek tau yu resembled malignant tumors rather than the goldfish they were meant to represent, the instructor was kind, and they tasted wonderful; the airy filling redolent of ginger and garlic, the dough tender and whisper-thin.
My favorite dim sum came from a much-loved Cantonese restaurant chain in Hong Kong called Tai Woo. At the Tsim Sha Tsui location, my meal began with several dim sum-style dishes, including a sweet, moist, steamed turnip cake (loh baak gao) studded with lop cheong and cheung fun, delicate, chewy rice noodle sheets rolled around pungent dried shrimp and chives, both accompanied by both peanut and hoisin sauces for dipping. Cheung fun can also be stuffed with whole shrimp, beef, or barbecued pork, and is often favored as a breakfast treat.
For the adventurous eater, Hong Kong has no shortage of culinary treasures to enjoy, be they in back alley eateries, near street markets, or in high-end restaurants. Explore them all, or enjoy the experience right here at home: every major North American city has its fair share of dim sum restaurants. Most notable for the quality of their dim sum are Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. Check out this site; I can't vouch for every restaurant on it, but I'll stand by the Bay Area selections.
For more information on visiting Hong Kong, click here.
Labor Day is a quintessential American holiday. It's a day to honor the workers, spend time with friends and family, and traditionally, to enjoy one last blow-out backyard barbecue before the cold weather sets in. Burgers, beers, and the all-American apple pie may be the staples, but since America is such a melting pot, why not honor that with a more international array of food and drink? Whether your ancestors arrived in America hundreds of years ago, or just within the last decade, showcase your heritage and the cultures of your closest friends by serving up some traditional cuisines from around the world. It doesn't have to be a big hassle, you can make it as simple or complex as you like. Here are a few ideas for an international-themed Labor Day barbecue.
Spicing up your drink offerings is the easiest way to add more international variety to your party. Nearly every country brews its own beer and, aside from the obvious Dos Equis from Mexico and Heineken from The Netherlands, it's easy to find Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic), Quilmes (Argentina) and even Tsingtao (China) beer at most local stores. Wine is an easy option too. We all know the major players like Italy and France, but Hungary, Chile, South Africa, Croatia, and many other countries also produce wine. If you plan on serving liquor, set up a signature drinks station. Allow guests to mix their own Brazilian Caipirinhas, Peruvian Pisco Sours, or Italian Spritzs.
If you wouldn't dare not serve burgers at your barbecue, you can still fancy them up with some toppings that reflect international cuisines. Add guacamole or cotija cheese to Mexican burgers, Brie cheese and fried shallots for French flair, or Feta cheese and spinach on Greek lamb burgers. You can also swap hot dogs for meats from various regions – go with spicy Spanish chorizo, German bratwurst with sauerkraut or Turkish doner in pita with yogurt sauce. Kebabs also work well. Try pork glazed with Chinese hoisin, or chicken in an Indian tikka masala sauce, skewered with appropriate veggies. Apply the same rules to your side dishes. Share the workload with friends by asking them to bring dishes that represent their heritage to serve on the side.
Dessert is another area where it's easy to get creative while still offering a delicious end to the meal. It's also okay to "cheat" a bit here, and buy some of the ingredients pre-made from the grocery store. Bake (or buy) some Greek baklava, serve French crepes topped with ice cream, Italian tiramisu, or Mexican tres leches cake.
Obviously, these are just a few of the options available. Check websites like All Recipes, consult with family or friends, or make your favorite handed-down-through-generations recipe. And if you have a great recipe you're willing to share, please post it in the comments.


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Fantasy Island Castaways: Celebrating 1,000 Posts with our Favorite TV Characters
This post is kind of a big deal here at MTVP. It's our 1,000th. Yes, for those of you counting at home, that is over one million words about television. We wanted to do a little something to mark the occasion. Way back in 2009, to celebrate a mere 100 posts, we did a Desert Island Discs post, ranking season TV on DVD sets. It seemed appropriate to revisit that concept four years later. Tonight, we're having a little fun contemplating which TV characters we'd most like to be stranded on a desert island with. There is personality, practicality, and sheer pretty to consider, and consider it all we did. Enjoy!
Ichabod Crane
For anyone who follows the blog, you will know my favorite freshman drama this season is Sleepy Hollow. Part of what makes the show so great is the character of Ichabod Crane. He's witty and handsome and quite the scholar. There's just something so endearing about the way he presents himself and the respect he shows to women. I would want him on a deserted island with me for the conversation and all of the little tidbits about history he could impart. And of course I would do my best to elicit those charming little reactions of his to modern marvels. Sun tan lotion anyone? Besides, he's awfully pretty to look at. With his vast knowledge of things, he might even be helpful in finding a way off the island. At the very least he could recite things in various languages (much like Captain Renard from Grimm) and it would be a lovely way to pass the time.
Neal Caffrey
Who doesn't love Neal Caffrey? He's smooth, sexy and the epitome of charm. It doesn't matter that he's a con man and a thief. What can you steal from a deserted island anyway? Plus he looks great in a fedora. Not that he'd need one on a deserted island (well I suppose it would work as a makeshift fan), but you never know when you might get rescued and need a good hat. I'd keep Mr. Caffrey around for the eye candy factor sure (sue me!) but he's also one of the more clever gents on the shows I watch. I have a feeling if given enough time, he could give MacGyver a run for his money and get us off the island. And that's why I'd want him along. You let him sit a while coming up with a plan and more often than not, it would actually pan out. Besides, with his culture and class, he and Ichabod could have some intriguing discussions.
Jen's Picks
Yeah, Nick has his immature moments on "New Girl" that might make you think he'd be a bad choice to have around on an island. But have you seen the way he fixes things that are broken in the loft? It's a cross between Rube Goldberg and MacGyver. Maybe even being on an island would provide the motivation for him to "fancy fix" a way home, or at least to make the stay more comfortable. Plus, his grumpy old man in his early 30's shtick is charming, and he's not exactly bad looking. And he would certainly keep his fellow castaways laughing. Nick blurting out randomness is only very rarely not funny. A deserted island seems like a place that probably needs some fun, and Nick, especially after feeling useful thanks to his "fancy fix" skills, can certainly bring the fun.
Jaye Tyler
She can be prickly and probably would have no actual desire to be helpful on a deserted island. She would probably also grumble quite a lot. Jaye does have a very keen sense of self-preservation, though, and she's smart. She's also intensely loyal to the people she cares about. All of these qualities would make the "Wonderfalls" star quite useful to have around on the island. Plus, she's got the Muses. As long as we had something with an animal face on it in the wreckage, the Muses would probably tell Jaye exactly what to do to survive and eventually get home. It would be unnecessarily complicated, and Jaye would probably resist doing whatever it was at first, but eventually she'd cave, and we would all be going home.
And the grand finale…
The Tenth Doctor
We here at More TV, Please are confessed Whovians and unabashed Ten fangirls. So it's only fitting we'd want him along on our deserted island. He's exciting and fun with a great sense of adventure. Which is something you need on an island. And while he'd have a way to get us all off the island (which would probably negate Neal going all MacGyver) he wouldn't whisk us away too soon. He'd let us have a rollicking adventure or avert some whacky, timey-wimey crisis before spiriting us all home in the TARDIS. That's how all of the Doctor's best adventures happen, after all - by winding up somewhere unexpected. The best part of having the Doctor around would have to be the escape. Because how cool would it be to recreate the ending of "Journey's End" with all of us piloting the TARDIS in the way it is meant to be piloted?
With all of our picks on the island, we might not actually want to leave. Hanging out with these fabulous characters could be too thrilling to pass up. It could put the island on LOST to shame (one would hope we wouldn't be hunted by polar bears or crazy scientists). Regardless of when (or how) we got off the island, it would be one interesting time. Lucky for us, we can hang with these fantastic characters any time we want thanks to DVRs and our rather ridiculously-sized TV on DVD collections. So here's to MTVP's first 1,000 posts. We look forward to bringing you more thoughtful posts on our favorite TV shows and the characters that populate them. And we hope to see you down the road in another 1,000 posts!
Labels: Doctor Who, lists, New Girl, Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Wonderfalls
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.08: "The Well"
Thanksgiving "Classic" Recap: Suburgatory: "Thanks...
Person of Interest 3.10: "The Devil's Share"
Trophy Wife 1.08: "Lice and Beary White"
Sleepy Hollow 1.09: "Sanctuary"
The Mindy Project 2.08: "You've Got Sext"
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: "The Day of the Doctor"
New Girl 3.08: "Menus"
Doctor Who Week 2013: "Dalek"
Doctor Who Week 2013: The Eleventh Doctor - Mad Ma...
Doctor Who Week 2013: "The Lodger"
Person of Interest 3.09: "The Crossing"
Doctor Who Week 2013: The Tenth Doctor - Rude and ...
Sleepy Hollow 1.08: "Necromancer"
Doctor Who Week 2013: "Stolen Earth/Journey's End"
Once Upon a Time 3.08: "Think Lovely Thoughts"
Doctor Who Week 2013: The Eighth Doctor - Probably...
The Mindy Project 2.07: "Sk8er Man"
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.07: "The Hub"
Trophy Wife 1.07: "The Date"
50th Anniversary Countdown: Doctor Who 7.14: "The ...
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.06: "F.Z.Z.T."
Person of Interest 3.08: "Endgame"
Sleepy Hollow 1.07: "The Midnight Ride"
New Girl 3.07: "Coach"
Once Upon a Time 3.07: "Dark Hollow"
50th Anniversary Countdown: Doctor Who 7.13: "Nigh...
Person of Interest 3.07: "The Perfect Mark"
Trophy Wife 1.06: "Halloween"
Sleepy Hollow 1.06: "The Sin Eater"
The Mindy Project 2.06: "Bro Club for Dudes"
Once Upon a Time 3.06: "Ariel"
Fantasy Island Castaways: Celebrating 1,000 Posts ...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


1. Subscribe and participate in iMAES curriculum.
2. Contact your Country's National Federation to take the iMAES exam.
3. Once you are qualified, you will be granted the award of e-certificate by your NF.
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iMAES has arranged the award of certificates to students of Muaythai at all levels, with the endorsement of WMC, IFMA and Muaythai iGLA, which owns the copyright of the iMAES syllabus.Only the National Federation can access to the Certificate System. The certificates confirm the accomplishments of the students and should motivate them to pursue further study of Muaythai. Furthermore, students can continue studying Muaythai at any certified iGLA or iMAES gyms in any countries globally.
The National Federation (NF) of Muaythai in each country is appointed to be the center of the curriculum for information, training, and granting certificates. You are responsible to be the center for students to take exam or evaluation. Once qualified, iMAES has arranged the award of certificates to students of Muaythai at all levels, with the endorsement of WMC, IFMA and Muaythai iGLA. iMAES certificate system will grant a unique certificate with individual information of each student.
Khru Muaythai levels consists of 6 khans. The color of Mongkol is bronze, silver, silver-gold, and gold. WMC-IFMA will be the center to test and qualify students for granting certificates.
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By now I'm sure you've heard of Snapchat, most likely through the news of Snap's massive IPO.
Snap, Inc. identifies itself as a Camera company, but to those of us who use their app, Snapchat, they may be more accurately described as a social media platform. The app is based around sharing moments: pictures and videos in 10-second increments that only last for 24 hours. You can share your moments via your "story" (viewable to any of your friends for 24 hours) or send direct messages to your friends (viewable only once).
Snapchat is popular amongst millennials, so brands have started to take notice. With 160 million daily users (60% under the age of 25) and over $400 million in ad revenue, business is booming and growing larger every day.
Snaps are for showing the organic, real side of you and your business in small clips.
So for the modern attorney, trying to keep up with the times, how do they utilize this tool to bring in business and acquire new clients?
Marketing and advertising using snapchat can be difficult due to most of Snapchat's users being millennials. Businesses — especially law firms — often disregard millennials and digital natives because they believe that young folks don't have the money to pay for what they're selling.
Millennials love sharing experiences, and this is a great way to share with them the experience of being an attorney.
But if you're the firm who's placing your bets on younger generations, you should have been on snapchat yesterday.
Snapchat offers a very particular insight for users that no other social media platform comes near: something raw, organic, and non-permanent. This allows your brand to show a more human side that millennials absolutely eat up.
They love the brand that wants to show them the nitty-gritty, the unexpected, and the often-unseen side.
This gives law firms who target millennials a very particular tool for engaging them in ways no other firm is going to do. Snapchat can make you different, and I guarantee millennials will take notice.
Many millennials haven't even seen the inside of a law firm: this is your way to show them that.
A lot of them don't know any attorneys or how they work: you'd probably be the first to connect with them in this way, giving you unique and unprecedented access to their attention.
Young entrepreneurs need lawyers and legal advice, but often don't know where to get it or who to trust. But the attorney who's just a snapchat away? The one offering tips & content in quick 10-second clips?
They've just grabbed millennials' attention—and maybe their business.
"Community" GeoFilters are free and can be submitted by anyone for important locations and monuments. However, Snapchat now offers businesses & events a purchasable "On Demand GeoFilter" where companies can create artwork to be added to people's snaps when they visit their business.
Why would anyone need a business GeoFilter?
Anytime anyone is within your filter's "GeoFence," your brand's artwork is now going to be available to them. Furthermore, with your business now active on the Snap, you now have a very powerful way to brand your snaps and increase your company's recognition.
GeoFilters are a great way to show your brand's creativity — and they're pretty cool lookin', too.
Do people often describe you as a "character"? Are you personable, interesting, and funny? Then Snapchat might be a great way for you to develop your brand presence amongst millennials and increase your chance of going viral.
Millennials are sharing creatures and care a lot for personality. To many of them, attorneys are often seen as abrasive, unfunny, and downright scary.
But the charismatic attorney on snapchat? Now that's an attorney millennials will not only want to hire, but share with all their friends.
Content on snapchat needs to be fast: pictures and video are limited to 10 seconds. That means you're not going to be able to read them your new article, or explain to them the full-extent of the Labor Code.
But that's not what snapchat is for: Snaps are for showing the organic, real side of you and your business in small clips.
Take them on a quick tour of your office. Send them a photo of the inside of a courtroom. Show them what your desk looks like. Snap the next networking event you go to.
Millennials love sharing experiences, and this is a great way to share with them the experience of being an attorney. It makes you human to them, and younger generations will appreciate it.
More than just posting your own content, you're going to need to engage with others to really get the full value of social media. This is general social media advice, as opposed to a solely snapchat-related tip.
However, Snapchat is a very engagement-heavy platform: it rewards users for connecting with each other and for creating special & deeper relationships through "friend emojis" which show you and your connections' Snap-relationship.
Furthermore, if you're going to use Snapchat for your business, you should expect people to send your business snaps! Maybe they'll have questions; maybe they'll react to your content. The point is, you have to expect this and they will expect you to respond. That's the point of the app: not only to share, but to build relationships, connect, and react.
1) It's more than just sharing, it's about connecting.
2) Be original, but more importantly: be yourself.
3) Show your connections your every-day; it might be something they've never experienced. Millennials love to share and participate in new experiences.


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TSB swings to a loss following IT meltdown
Feb 1st 2019 1:41AM
TSB has swung to a mammoth annual loss as it counted the cost of an IT meltdown last year which caused chaos for thousands of customers.
The high street lender posted a pre-tax loss of £105.4 million for 2018 compared with a profit of £162.7 million the year earlier.
The disastrous migration of its IT system cost the bank £330.2 million with higher charges related to customer compensation, additional resources and fraud.
Around 80,000 customers switched their bank account away from TSB in 2018 – 30,000 more than 2017. The lender currently has 3.8 million current account customers and over 5 million customers in total.
The bank said it had recovered £153 million from IT provider Sabis.
TSB has today announced its financial results for 2018. Read more here: https://t.co/66QXdP5VQt
— TSB News (@TSB_News) February 1, 2019
TSB, owned by Spanish banking giant Sabadell, was stung by an IT crisis last April that left up to 1.9 million users of its digital and mobile banking locked out of their accounts.
The tech troubles were triggered by a migration of customer data from former owner Lloyds' IT system to a new one managed by Sabadell.
Following the botched IT migration chief executive Paul Pester left the bank and is to be replaced by CYBG's chief operating officer Debbie Crosbie in the spring.
TSB executive chairman Richard Meddings said: "Last year was TSB's most challenging year. But we enter 2019 with renewed ambition to re-emerge as the leading challenger bank in the UK – firmly on the side of the customer.
"We have a truly customer-focused team, a strong banking system that customers are starting to see the benefits of, and look forward to our new CEO, Debbie Crosbie, joining us later this year."
.@TSB has today announced that Debbie Crosbie will be joining the Bank as CEO. Read more: https://t.co/y0q6IEJvbPpic.twitter.com/oUO7ZzMZbe
— TSB News (@TSB_News) November 19, 2018
Mr Meddings added: "Whilst the migration caused considerable difficulties, we're now a stronger bank, operating on a more coherent and modern platform, and able to service more customers than ever before".
TSB said it has resolved around 90% of 204,000 customer complaints since the IT meltdown and that it is seeing a lower volume of new complaints.
Customer deposits fell by 4.7% to £29.1 billion last year, which the company said was due to "a planned reduction in savings balances as a result of pricing decisions taken early last year to manage ISA deposit volumes."
Customer lending also decreased by 2.7% to £30 billion.
TSB's Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio, a key measure of a bank's financial strength, stood at 19.5%.
TSB flagged that economic and market conditions remain uncertain for a number of reasons, including Britain's impending departure from the European Union.
But it maintained that it is "one of the most strongly capitalised banks in the UK and, with a healthy liquidity reserve, is well positioned to weather economic uncertainty or shocks".
TSB


It has to be my smile. I have been told by customers that I have a nice smile.
Summer time and the summer holidays because I get to spend time with my children.
Chwayita first joined The Big Issue in 2008 and had no previous working experience before arriving at the magazine.She had been living with her mother and sister, who had been supporting her.
The Big Issue has been Chwayita's saviour as it has helped her gain independence and provide for her family. She's at her pitch every weekday, between 10h00 and 18h00.
We sat down with her to find out how becoming a vendor has changed her life.
"Before joining The Big Issue in 2008 I was unemployed. I had no confidence in myself because I had dropped out of school when I was in Grade 9. I felt sad and hopeless because my mother and sister had to support me and my two children.
I found out about the magazine through friends in the neighbourhood. They had already been Big Issue vendors. I never thought I could do it because selling the magazine meant that I would have to approach strange people and talk to them, something I had never done before.
The other reason why I was too scared to join was because I cannot speak English.* It has hindered me in a big way when it comes to job opportunities and finding work. One day I decided to just try my luck and go to The Big Issue offices.
To my surprise, people assisted me in isiXhosa. Everyone was so helpful and kind, I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. I was delighted to hear that they could help me and that I could start immediately.
Selling the magazine hasn't been easy, but the other vendors have given me loads of tips to help me. At the moment I rely on my body language to sell magazines. I have learnt a few words, but not enough to hold a conversation.
I like being part of a team at The Big Issue. The vendors aren't mean to each other, we help each other and we have healthy competition. It feels like a working environment and I think it's great preparation for when I get a permanent job.


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maayanj_admin_2018
About Tony Leon
So far Tony Leon has created 216 blog entries.
Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump, World Politics
Misery loves company, as the old saying goes. So however depressed the local weather, the stuttering economy or the winning loss of the Proteas exit makes you feel, spare a thought for Sir Kim Darroch. He enjoys the dream diplomatic posting as British ambassador to the United States. But right now, despite residing in one [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-07-10T06:14:37+00:00July 10th, 2019|Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump, World Politics|0 Comments
African National Congress (ANC), Donald Trump, World Politics
During an English heat wave, I recently escaped London to lose myself in the bucolic Kent countryside near the picturesque town of Westerham. I was one of many Winston Churchill latter-day pilgrims on a visit to his country home at Chartwell. This was where he lived or visited for more than 40 years from 1922 until [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-07-09T04:42:31+00:00July 9th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Donald Trump, World Politics|0 Comments
African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, South African Politics
Binge-watching a top-rated TV series is a sure-fire way to escape the depressing reality of SA's winter of discontent. But beyond escapism, one current series offers compelling insight into what happens to a society where trust is destroyed and truth is completely corrupted. Chernobyl is the masterful HBO-Sky series depicting the nuclear disaster at the eponymous [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-06-30T07:54:21+00:00June 30th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, South African Politics|0 Comments
SA's longest-serving leader of the opposition, Sir de Villiers Graaff, had a handy solution to the numerous crises faced by his United Party. "When in doubt, Div would appoint a committee," one of his confidantes once told me. That worked until it didn't and the UP dissolved itself, appropriately perhaps, on a Johannesburg ice rink [...]
African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma
"Never make predictions, least of all about the future," was the wise advice of Hollywood mogul Sam Goldwyn. The same might be said of political slogans and phrases, some of which barely survive contact with the real world. As Theresa May limps through her last days as prime minister of Great Britain, and the fight [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-06-12T08:14:10+00:00June 12th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma|0 Comments
"Confidence," opined former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers, "is the cheapest form of stimulus." So, how confident should South Africans and foreign investors feel after Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled his slightly less gargantuan cabinet and last week's central bank mandate debacle? An apt question is, "Who governs?", given Ace Magashule's disastrous intervention in the realms of monetary [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-06-10T06:55:07+00:00June 10th, 2019|Cyril Ramaphosa|0 Comments
Bold movers or losers? The Cyril and Mmusi conundrum
African National Congress (ANC), Brexit, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mmusi Maimane
Commentators should be indebted to The Times (of London) ace columnist Clare Foges for transposing the medical affliction Achromatopsia, or colour blindness, and applying it to the bewildering world of (non) Brexit Britain. In her Monday offering, Foges noted that the Conservative Party – hitherto the most successful and enduring party in the Western world, the "natural [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-05-29T06:36:31+00:00May 29th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Brexit, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mmusi Maimane|0 Comments
Cyril assumes power – but not over his own party
African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa
'Dual use" is the national security theory on the dilemma that arises when something of benefit to humanity can also harm it. Thomas Friedman, global affairs columnist of the New York Times, this week quoted a security strategist on the US clampdown on China's Huawei: "Everything that makes us powerful and prosperous also makes us [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-05-26T06:38:07+00:00May 26th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa|0 Comments
Ramaphosa, Eisenhower ace the same hole – up to a point
At the height of America's postwar supremacy in the 1950s, which birthed the baby boomer generation and saw the US standard of living soar, the country's 34th president was emblematic of its elevated national mood and international standing. President Dwight D ("Ike") Eisenhower – Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during the war – and thereafter [...]
IEC shows mediocrity has become the norm in SA
African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, Democratic Alliance, Elections
The biggest loser in Wednesday's election was an institution, not a party or any leader: the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC). Heedless of 25 years' experience, it contrived to combine, in the words of Helen Zille, incompetence with "ineffable smugness": double voting due to indelible ink that wasn't; voting stations that were meant to open [...]
By Tony Leon|2019-05-14T06:46:57+00:00May 14th, 2019|African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, Democratic Alliance, Elections|0 Comments


An alien in the United States or at a port of entry who is found to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear thereof must be based on the alien's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. For persons with no nationality, the country of nationality is considered to be the country in which the alien last habitually resided. Asylees are eligible to adjust to lawful permanent resident status after one year of continuous presence in the United States. These immigrants are limited to 10,000 adjustments per fiscal year.


While adding patterns for files to be included/excluded in the workspace deletion, the selected option (include/exclude) is not displayed.
Broke somewhere between Jenkins 1.565 and 1.580.
Oliver Gondža added a comment - 2015-05-29 11:23 Broke somewhere between Jenkins 1.565 and 1.580.
I am able to reproduce that in Chromium, though not in firefox. Ioannis Moutsatsos, what was your browser?


Because it is a symbol and a medium of value, gold has been the preferred currency since the ancient times. In fact, historical evidence suggests that gold has become an officially recognized standard of exchange around 700 B.C. in the Kingdom of Lydia (now Western Turkey).
Nowadays, gold is mainly used for investing in a safe haven against inflation and economic collapseI Investors' interest in buying and selling gold has grown dramatically following the economic crisis of 2008, when industrialized nations across the world, including the United States, reported a huge increase of the paper money supply and the inevitable inflation associated with it.
What is the real value of gold today?
While gold is employed in the field of dentistry and in the electronics industries, gold coins, bullion, jewelry, and adornments will remain the principal method of investment. The consequence here is that the demand for gold and its current real value depends on the investment potential of the precious metal. Unlike numerous other trading commodities – oil, wheat, cotton, etc. – the price of gold correlates with its appeal to investors.
Considering that the one digit interest rates provided by the National Reserve are enough to scare anyone with a basic knowledge i of the economy, it's no wonder that many perceive gold as their very own lighthouse in the raging storm. Let's explore the reasons why it's a good idea to invest in gold at this point.


NSW Police are reminding motorists of the changes to reporting traffic crashes which come into effect next month.
The new streamlined process starts on Wednesday 15 October 2014 as part of a red-tape reduction initiative to better manage crashes on NSW roads.
3. A driver appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Therefore, drivers involved in traffic crashes where their vehicle needs to be towed – and none of the above criteria apply – can now organise their own tow and leave the area, and later report the crash to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
In addition, drivers will no longer need to report minor collisions to police, even for insurance purposes.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, urged motorists to become familiar with the new streamlined process.
"With only three weeks to go until the new reporting criteria come into effect, it is important for motorists to know whether or not they need to wait for police at a crash site," Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
"These changes are intended to make our roads safer and reduce the impact of a crash on road users, particularly the amount of time vehicles are left blocking the roadway.
"By allowing drivers involved in tow-away only crashes to safely make their way off the road to exchange details and organise their tow, we should see a reduction in traffic delays caused by blocked lanes.
"It will also reduce the risk of secondary impact and possible injury to those waiting at the roadside or to another road user.
"In addition, police will be able to re-allocate resources to focus on proactive road safety initiatives, targeted operations and other investigations," Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
Police will also attend to direct traffic and deal with hazards or debris on the road, as well as assist with the tow of heavy vehicles.
Currently they attend and investigate where a person is killed or injured; parties fail to exchange particulars; a driver is under the influence; or, a vehicle involved requires towing from the scene.
* Motorists should organise their own tow and have their vehicle removed from the scene as quickly and safely as possible.
* Once this has occurred they should report the crash to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
NB. If motorists exhaust all other options to have their vehicles towed, the Police Assistance Line will be able to provide further guidance and assistance.
* Also, from Wednesday 15 October 2014, reports of 'minor' traffic crashes – where vehicles do not require towing – will no longer be recorded by police. Police event numbers will not be issued for these incidents.
A 'flowchart' with step-by-step instructions on what to do in a crash will be sent to motorists with registration renewals, which can be kept in the glove box.
This entry was posted in criminal defence, drink driving, traffic and tagged reporting traffic crashes. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Q: Finding the highest number using a while loop I've received some c++ code regarding finding the highest number until the input been set as 0 using the form and while statement, but my echo doesn't appear, even after several times trying to key in the highest number
here some reference of C++ code that need to be transform into php format:
http://prntscr.com/plw8mw

<form method="POST">
    Enter First Number:
    <input type="text" name="num1"/>

    <input type="submit">

<form/>

<?php
    if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
        $bignum = 0;
        $num = $_POST['num1'];

        while($num != 0) {
            if ($num > $bignum)
                $bignum = $num;
            }
            print "$bignum";
        }
?>

A: Use echo insteed of print
echo($bignum);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When it comes to communications, words are the life's blood of every business. Except for blood banks, of course, where blood is the life's blood.
Well-written copy is the public face of your company. But strategically directed, well-written and clever copy is what makes your story, your message, your business persona memorable.
Drawing on extensive writing and marketing know-how in new media, print, television and radio, Dave Jaffe Communications, Inc. creates crisp, focused copy – from web content, newsletters and brochures to corporate blog posts, video scripts and news features – that breaks through the communications clutter to deliver your message to your target audiences.
Visit Dave Jaffe Communications, Inc. website or contact us to learn more about communications thinking that's not just outside the box, but off the coffee table and onto the rug.


A well-stocked 10 person first aid kit, kept within easy reach, is a necessity on every job site, business, home or automobile. With this ERB Safety 10 ANSI Premium First Aid Kit (17131), you'll have exactly what you need for minor injuries.
A well-stocked 10 person first aid kit, kept within easy reach, is a necessity on every job site, business, home or automobile. With this ERB Safety 10 ANSI Premium First Aid Kit (17131), you'll have exactly what you need for minor injuries. It meets ANSI Z308.1-2009 requirements to assist in compliance with OSHA standards for industry and construction.


The Hepsia Control Panel is the web hosting CP coming with all our shared hosting plans. It's really intuitive and comes bundled with free-of-charge tools and bonuses. With the ability to host multiple domain names simultaneously, the drag 'n' drop file upload functionality and the leading-edge Email Manager tool, it's truly one of the best web hosting Control Panels in existence. But don't simply take us at our word - have a glance at our video demonstration, or check the fully featured web hosting control panel demo.
You can now register, transfer and manage multiple domain names & web sites from just one place. This is something cPanel has enormous problems with. In fact, there is no Domain Manager section at all in cPanel. With the Hepsia Control Panel, you can launch and manage multiple thoroughly independent web sites under one single hosting account. There's no need to have separate Control Panels (i.e. logins) for your domain names, helpdesk tickets and billing transactions.
With drag-and-drop file uploads allowed, now this is something truly incredible - you no longer require FTP client software to upload files. Just select the files on your personal computer and drag them over to your browser window - the upload process will begin instantaneously. You will also be able to move files around the File Manager making use of the in-built drag-and-drop functionality.
Hepsia's Email Manager permits you to forward electronic mails, to create autoresponders with just a mouse click, to configure email filters and to defend your email mailbox accounts against junk messages. You can configure the desktop mail client of your liking to access your e-mail box accounts or administer them through a webmail client.
The Domain Manager, the File Manager and the Email Manager are just some of the tools incorporated into the Hepsia hosting Control Panel. We also provide a simple way to manage MySQL and PgSQL databases with our Database Manager. Our Stats Manager gives you a detailed overview over all the relevant stats for your website. There is also a wide array of free-of-charge bonuses coming with the Hepsia web hosting CP - a site installer, a web apps installer, a PHP frameworks installer, cost-free website themes, a cost-free sitemap generator, etc. There is also a range of administration and marketing tools, among them an .htaccess Generator tool, a PHP Configuration tool, a URL Redirection tool, a Password Protection tool, a Domain Parking & Redirection tool, a collection of web accelerators and many more. Plus, the Hepsia web hosting Control Panel includes an SSL Certificates section, from where you can order SSL certificates for your websites.
If you are interested to learn more, you can take a look at our Hepsia vs. cPanel head-to-head comparison and see how these hosting control panels cope with day-to-day website hosting tasks.


text:
Q: date format like 2nd day of September 2013 in javascript for selenium ide I have JavaScript to return date format in dd-mmm-yyyy
var d=new Date();
var my_month=new Date();
var month_name=new\nArray(12);
month_name[0]="Jan";\nmonth_name[1]="Feb"; month_name[2]="Mar";\nmonth_name[3]="Apr"; month_name[4]="May";\nmonth_name[5]="Jun"; month_name[6]="Jul";\nmonth_name[7]="Aug"; month_name[8]="Sep";\nmonth_name[9]="Oct"; month_name[10]="Nov";\nmonth_name[11]="Dec";
d.getDate()+'-'+\n((month_name[my_month.getMonth()]))+'-'+d.getFullYear();

I am using this in selenium ide to format current date and it is working fine.
But I want to format current date as 2nd day of September 2013. How can I introduce st, nd, rd and th for different dates to get this format??

A: I modified your code as follows:
var d=new Date();
var month_name=new Array(12);
month_name[0]="January";
month_name[1]="February";
month_name[2]="March";
month_name[3]="April";
month_name[4]="May";
month_name[5]="June";
month_name[6]="July";
month_name[7]="August";
month_name[8]="September";
month_name[9]="October";
month_name[10]="November";
month_name[11]="December";
var month_day = d.getDay() + 1;
var Nth = "th";
if(month_day === 1 || month_day === 21 || month_day === 31){
    Nth = "st";
}
else if(month_day === 2 || month_day === 22){
    Nth = "nd";
}
else if(month_day === 3 || month_day === 23){
    Nth = "rd";
}
alert(month_day+Nth+' day of '+(month_name[d.getMonth()])+' '+d.getFullYear());

To see the code in a JSFiddle, click here.


Companies usually park their reserves of cash in staid, low-yielding liquid assets. But asset managers are trying to persuade them to invest some of that money differently, in a way that could help them live up to their environmental commitments.
The idea combines several aspects of the financial world that do not usually go together: corporate social responsibility; treasury management; and impact investing.


Bathroom : Different Bathroom Designs Bathroom Design Gallery Restroom Decor Ideas Bathroom Layout Ideas The Best Small Bathroom Designs. Tiny Bathroom. Small Bathroom Decor Ideas. Very Small Bathroom Solutions. Small House Bathroom Design.
By BiSmiLlahmyriadlit. Bathroom. At Tuesday, October 09th 2018, 01:06:00 AM.


text:
About us Mission and vision Board members Games History
Pan American Sports Parapan American Sports
About Panam Sports About APC
Gustavo Alarcón: "Santiago 2023 is the opportunity to win several golds in fencing"
The Chilean was the great surprise of the fencing team at the last Pan American Games in Lima 2019. After reaching the semifinals, he won the silver medal in his first Pan-American participation.
Currently, Gustavo Alarcón is one of the best fencers of the Chilean team. In Lima 2019, participating for the first time in the Pan American Games was one of the great surprises of Team Chile: he reached the final of the championship and obtained the silver medal.
The San Joaquin-born fencer trains Monday through Friday with the goal of continuing to improve and thus possibly secure a spot to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. In addition, he is preparing for Santiago 2023, an instance where he believes that the Chilean team can obtain multiple medals.
Here Gustavo Alarcón tells us more about fencing, his link with sport and his expectations for Santiago 2023.
How did you get into this sport?
I came to fencing for my family, specifically my aunt Ruby Alarcón, an athlete in her time and later a coach. She initiated me on fencing when I was very young. At first, I was not very aware of what I was doing, because I practiced other sports such as soccer and basketball, but around 12-13 years I realized that I liked fencing a lot and decided that I was going to dedicate myself to it on a professional way.
How do you train to be a fencer?
There are technical and physical sessions. The first is linked to the ability to make decisions at a split moment and under pressure. There are times when you have to be quick, but you also have to think. The physique of fencing is linked to movements, guard position, attacks and flexibility. Personally and at the level that I am, my training sessions are from Monday to Friday with a physical session and a technique session, plus the fights with the coach.
How is the sport developed?
Fencing in Chile is still small, there are not many people who practice this sport. There are several clubs where one can practice it, and at a recreational level there are almost always options, however, at a competitive-professional level the circle is still reduced, but we are growing.
What is the most difficult part of fencing?
Discipline and perseverance. Fencing is a martial art and these things are key to coping with the sport, you have to practice and develop them. In addition, knowing how to overcome adversity is part of the most difficult things.
How do you see the participation of fencing in Santiago 2023?
I think it is going to be good and interesting, because it is a super beautiful instance in which we will be local. In addition, it is a time where good projections are seen, since this new wave of fencers is emerging with an internal level that had not happened before, where there were always 1-2 who had that level, and now we are like 4-5 . Any of us can be the best.
What are your expectations for the event?
The idea is to be able to get a team medal and hopefully now because fencing has never had a gold in the Pan American Games. Santiago 2023 is the opportunity to obtain several golds.
Do you hope to win, too, an individual gold?
Of course. If we keep doing things right, and we can get a team gold, we can definitely win individual gold. Hopefully to get two gold medals in Santiago.
Together we advance to the Games
María José Mailliard: "The level I have today allows me to dream of a gold for Santiago 2023"
The Santiago 2023 Games belong to everyone!
These were the milestones of Santiago 2023
Santiago 2023 All rights reserved. Terms and conditions Minutes of General Assemblies


Born in Hyderabad, India, Nasreen Munni Kabir is a London-based documentary filmmaker/author who has written several books on Hindi cinema, including Guru Dutt, a life in cinema (OUP, India, 1996), Talking Films/Talking Songs with Javed Akhtar (OUP, India 1999/2005), Bollywood, the Indian Cinema Story (Channel 4 Books/ PanMacmillan, 2000) Yours Guru Dutt (Roli Books, 2004) and The Immortal Dialogue of Mughal-e-Azam (Oxford, Delhi, 2006), The Immortal Dialogue of Awaara (Niyogi Books, Delhi, 2009) and The Immortal Dialogue of Mother India (to be released February 2010, Niyogi Books, Delhi, 2009). She is currently working on Talking Music with A R Rahman, to be released in 2011.
Her many documentaries, produced for Channel 4 TV (UK), include Follow that Star (Amitabh Bachchan), the 49-part series Movie Mahal, Lata in her own voice (1991), How to make a Bollywood Movie (1999), How to make it Big in Bollywood (2000) and The Inner/Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan (2005, Channel 4/Red Chillies). In 1999, she won the first Asian Womens' Achievement Award for her work promoting Indian cinema in the UK, and is a former governor on the board of the British Film Institute, serving a six-year term. A consultant to Channel 4 for over 27 years, she continues to curate their annual 20-part Indian film season.


text:
Q: MVC 5.2 Cookie Sign In OWIN and Injecting Authenticated User Information I am in a bit of a pickle with my MVC Application due to the way I have coded up (currently) the implementations of my application services and the way they are configured for dependency injection.
I'm looking to separate the layers of the application by following SOLID principles.
The problem is that in some of these services, the constructor requires an instance of IUserContext.  IUserContext contains the various information about the logged in user and will be passed around a few different layers.
public class ProjectDataLoader : DataLoaderBase, IProjectDataLoader
{
    public ProjectDataLoader(IMyDbContext dbContext, IUserContext userContext)
        : base (dbContext, userContext)
    {
    }
    ...

    public IEnumerable<ProjectViewModel> Find(string filter = "")
    {
        ...
    }
}

And an implementation of IUserContext:
public class AspNetUserContext : IUserContext
{
    ...
}

I could pass IUserContext on every method call but I feel it belongs in the constructor.  But that is not the question here.
When I sign in from the login page via AccountController, MyAppSignInManager.SignInOrTwoFactor gets called via the OWIN pipeline.  At this point I was creating a new instance of AspNetUserContext in the session:
HttpContext.Current.Session["UserContext"] = aspNetUserContext;

Now I have custom SignInManager implementation:
public class MyAppSignInManager : SignInManager<MyAppUser, string>
{
    ...
}

I have a custom IUserStore implementation:
public class MyAppUserStore : IUserPasswordStore<MyAppUser>,
    IUserStore<MyAppUser>
{
    ...
}

All of the above have been hooked up for Dependency Injection with Simple Injector my choice of container.
public static class DependencyConfig
{
    public static Container Initialize(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        Container container = GetInitializeContainer(app);
        container.Verify();

        DependencyResolver.SetResolver(
            new SimpleInjectorDependencyResolver(container));

        return container;
    }

    private static Container GetInitializeContainer(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        var container = new Container();

        RegisterCommon(container);
        RegisterRepositories(container);
        RegisterDataLoaders(container);
        RegisterAppServices(container);
        RegisterMvc(app, container);

        return container;
    }

    private static void RegisterCommon(Container container)
    {
        container.Register<IUserContext>(() =>
        {
            IUserContext context = null;
            if (HttpContext.Current.Session == null)
                context = new AspNetUserContext(Guid.Empty, Guid.Empty);
            else
                context = (IUserContext)HttpContext.Current.Session["UserContext"];

            return context;

        }, Lifestyle.Transient);
    }

    private static void RegisterRepositories(Container container)
    {
        container.RegisterPerWebRequest<IUserRepository>(() =>
            new UserRepository(container.GetInstance<IMyApp4Context>()));

        container.Register<IMyApp4Context>(() => new MyApp4Context(),
            Lifestyle.Transient);
    }

    private static void RegisterDataLoaders(Container container)
    {
        container.Register<IProjectDataLoader, ProjectDataLoader>();
        container.Register<ContractDataLoader>();
        container.Register<DrawingDataLoader>();
        container.Register<WeldDataLoader>();
    }

    private static void RegisterAppServices(Container container)
    {
    }

    private static void RegisterMvc(IAppBuilder app, Container container)
    {
        container.RegisterSingle(app);
        container.RegisterPerWebRequest<MyAppUserManager>();
        container.RegisterPerWebRequest<SignInManager<MyAppUser, string>,
            MyAppAppSignInManager>();

        container.RegisterPerWebRequest(() =>
        {
            if (HttpContext.Current != null &&
                HttpContext.Current.Items["owin.Environment"] == null &&
                container.IsVerifying())
            {
                return new OwinContext().Authentication;
            }
            return HttpContext.Current.GetOwinContext().Authentication;
        });

        container.RegisterPerWebRequest<IUserStore<MyAppUser>>(() =>
            new MyAppUserStore(container.GetInstance<IUserRepository>()));

        app.UseOwinContextInjector(container);

        container.RegisterMvcControllers(
                Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly());

    }

    private static void InitializeUserManager(MyAppUserManager manager, IAppBuilder app)
    {
        manager.UserValidator =
         new UserValidator<MyAppUser>(manager)
        {
            AllowOnlyAlphanumericUserNames = false,
            RequireUniqueEmail = true
        };

        manager.PasswordValidator = new PasswordValidator()
        {
            RequiredLength = 6,
            RequireNonLetterOrDigit = false,
            RequireDigit = true,
            RequireLowercase = true,
            RequireUppercase = true,
        };

        IDataProtectionProvider dataProtectionProvider =
             app.GetDataProtectionProvider();

        if (dataProtectionProvider != null)
        {
            manager.UserTokenProvider =
             new DataProtectorTokenProvider<MyAppUser>(
              dataProtectionProvider.Create(purposes: new string[] { "ASP.NET Identity" }));
        }
    }

}

And also:
public partial class Startup
{
    public void ConfigureAuth(IAppBuilder app, Container container)
    {
        app.CreatePerOwinContext(() => container.GetInstance<MyAppUserManager>());

        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
        {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString(value: "/Account/Login"),
            Provider = new CookieAuthenticationProvider
            {
                OnValidateIdentity = SecurityStampValidator.OnValidateIdentity<MyAppUserManager, MyAppUser>(
                    validateInterval: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(value: 30),
                    regenerateIdentity: (manager, user) =>
                    {
                        return user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(manager);
                    })
            }
        });
        app.UseExternalSignInCookie(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ExternalCookie);
        app.UseTwoFactorSignInCookie(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorCookie, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
        app.UseTwoFactorRememberBrowserCookie(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorRememberBrowserCookie);
    }
}

Then these are to be used in the controllers:
public class ProjectController : MyBaseContextController
{
    public ProjectController(IProjectDataLoader loader)
        : base(context)
    {
        ...
    }
}

My initial question was going to be how can I get MyAppUser after the cookie authentication has taken place.  Maybe asking this is still valid.
The better question is to ask what I am trying to accomplish. Essentially what I want is to inject IUserContext into my services.  This needs to be injected into the constructor of the various service implementations registered in my DI container.  However, this instance won't be available until a user has logged in/authenticated.
NOTE: All of the user information is stored in SQL and I use Entity Framework to access all of this.
So given that once a user has authenticated by logging in via the login page via the MyAppSignInManager.SignInOrTwoFactor method and also by a cookie, how can I make my AspNetUserContext (IUserContext) instance available to my DI container?
NOTE: I just want to get the user information from the database once - rather that every call to the controllers where it is required.

A:
"I just want to get the user information from the database once."

You should consider storing your required user data in claims.
app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
{
    AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
    LoginPath = new PathString(value: "/Account/Login"),
    Provider = new CookieAuthenticationProvider
    {
        OnValidateIdentity = SecurityStampValidator.OnValidateIdentity<MyAppUserManager, MyAppUser>(
            validateInterval: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(value: 30),
            regenerateIdentity: (manager, user) =>
            {
                return user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(manager);
            })
    }
})

The GenerateUserIdentityAsync method adds the core identity claims but you can override this and store custom claims that your services need. Then instead of passing in a IUserContext to your service you could pass in an IClaimsIdentity.
This would mean you don't have to query the database all the time to get the data you need. The claims would be automatically updated after the 30 minute interval as specified in your code.
Hope this helps.


Our 2018 Interns have just arrived!
We are very happy to welcome our 7 new trainees who have joined our team for 6 months. Four interns in the Microbiology team : Myriam Haddouche from University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Jeanne Combes from Polytech Clermont-Ferrand, Mané Merane Mahe and Oumayma Essofi both from University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne ; 2 interns in the Chemistry team : Joseph Lepont and Izia Do Marcolino both from University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and 1 intern in the Process engineering : Athénais Fournel from Polytech Nantes.
We wish them the best for the next 6 months!
Partnership between Monash University and Chaire ABI : 11 Ph.D. positions available !
As part of the australian PALS ARC program recently funded by the Australian Government, Monash University (Clayton, Victoria) is currently looking for enthusiastic students for 11 Ph.D. positions, 3 of whom will be in collaboration with Chaire ABI. PALS is a new industry-focused ARC research transformation Hub which aims to convert renewable biomass and waste streams from the Australian Pulp, Paper and Forestry Industry into high-value products in existing and developing markets.
Welcome to Dr. Cédric Peyrot, our new post-doctoral researcher !
Dr. Cédric Peyrot (Ph.D., University of Orléans and Chimie Rennes) joined the chemistry team in December as a post-doctoral researcher. With his skills in enzymatic chemistry, Cédric will work on the ANR SINAPUV project dedicated to the biosynthesis and study of physico-chemical/biological properties of sinapoyl malate analogues: non-toxic and biobased anti-UV compounds for cosmetics industry.
We are very happy to welcome 9 new scientists that will bring new skills and broaden our expertise in chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, downstream processing and valorization.
Valorization and transfer team: Kévin Magnien joined us as responsible for science transfer and valorization. With a scientific background in biology (M.Sc. from URCA) and a formation in business and management of innovation (Masternova, AgroParisTech and Neoma Business School), Kévin will contribute to increasing the visibility of Chaire ABI towards industries and universities.
Chemistry team: Two post-doctoral researchers joined us in September, Dr. Louis Mouterde (Ph.D., University of Florida) and Dr. Ezinne Achinivu (Ph.D., University of Alabama) who has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship. Jeremy Pereira (B.Sc., University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1) has also been hired as an engineer. All three are going to support our chemistry team with their expertise in biochemistry/molecular biology, bioprocessing and analytical chemistry, respectively.
Microbiology team: Guillaume Delfau joined the Chair ABI as a graduate student (co-supervision with the University of Mons) since the beginning of october on the ALPO Interreg Project. Alpo aims to propose innovative solutions for the development of biobased plastics and coatings on an industrial scale from microalgae. Guillaume has an expertise in microbiology (liquid fermentation) and a M.Sc. from URCA on the production and valorization of agro-resources. Dr. Elsa Rouches joins also the microbiology team as a research engineer. Elsa is specialized in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and was a post-doctoral researcher at the INRA in Versailles.
Downstream Processing team: We are also very pleased to welcome Dr. Erika Clavijo-Rivera as new responsible for our Down-stream Processing team. Erika brings her expertise in separation, extraction and membrane filtration and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (University of Nantes). For this specific project, Erika will be supported by Catalina Quesada who has been hired as an engineer. Catalina has an expertise in down-stream processing (extraction, purification and separation) and has worked on the valorization of wine residues at Chaire ABI during her internship (M.Sc., Montpellier SupAgro). To continue this project on the valorization of wine residues, Hélène Auger (M.Sc. in chemistry, natural substances and medicinal products, URCA) joined us as an engineer with skills on separation techniques.
As part of the partnership between the Chair ABI and the Chemistry Department at the University of Florida, the Chair is looking for enthusiastic and motivated french candidates for a co-advised PhD position at the University of Florida (USA) and the Chair ABI (Reims) starting in Fall'17.
Ideally, the successful candidate will realize an internship at the Chaire ABI in Reims starting february-march 2017 prior to engaging in graduate studies at the University of Florida.
Candidates should have expertise in organic chemistry, biochemistry or related fields.
Applications can be sent at florent.allais@agroparistech.fr.
New responsible for science transfer and valorisation at the Chair ABI!
First graduate student from the Chair ABI to get his Ph.D. (in Biotechnology), Dr. Grégoire Burgé has started his new job as responsible for science transfer and valorisation within the Chair. With a scientific background in microbiology and process engineering, Grégoire developed a passion for multidisciplinary research. His work will contribute to increase the visibility of the Chair and make it known to industries and universities in Champagne-Ardenne, in France and internationally.
Three new scientists started to work at Chair ABI!
We are very happy to welcome Dr. Marine Janvier and Dr. Raphaël Ménard as new post-doctoral researchers! They are going to support our chemistry team, by benefiting from their expertise in polymer. We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Mélanie L'Enfant as research engineer! She will work in collaboration with the Start-Up Neweaver on the production of bio-based molecules of interest.
Louis Hollande and Florian Diot have joined the Chair ABI as graduate students since the beginning of January.
As part of the new partnership between the Chair ABI and the Chemistry Department at the University of Florida, the Chair is looking for enthusiastic and motivated french candidates for a co-advised PhD position at the University of Florida (USA) and the Chair ABI (Reims) starting in Fall'16 or Spring'17.
Ideally, the successful candidate will realize an internship at the Chair ABI in Reims starting february-march 2016 prior to engaging in graduate studies at the University of Florida.
We are extremely happy to welcome our 8 new trainees who have joined our team for 6 months, starting in March. They are going to support our scientific team in microbiology (1 trainees), chemistry (4 trainees) and process engineering (2 trainees) and our business development team (1 trainee).
New solid-state fermentation specialist joined the Microbiology team.
Mathilde Grandchamp, Research Engineer, was hired at the beginning of October 2014. As a white biotechnologies specialist, she will use solid-state fermentation to valorise biomass and biorefineries by-products produced in Champagne-Ardennes. Her work will be focused on lignin depolymerisation. She will benefit from our chemists' expertise to recover building blocks that will then be used as starting blocks or monomers in the other projects of our team dedicated to the production of bio-based (macro)molecules.


text:
package org.apache.wicket.extensions.markup.html.repeater.util;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.fail;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;

import org.apache.wicket.extensions.markup.html.repeater.tree.ITreeProvider;
import org.apache.wicket.model.IModel;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;

/**
 * Test for {@link ProviderSubset}.
 *
 * @author svenmeier
 */
public class ProviderSubsetTest
{
	private ITreeProvider<String> provider = new EmptyProvider();

	/**
	 * All models requested from the provider.
	 */
	private List<StringModel> models = new ArrayList<>();

	/**
	 * Test set methods.
	 */
	@Test
	public void setMethods()
	{
		ProviderSubset<String> subset = new ProviderSubset<>(provider);

		subset.add("A");
		subset.addAll(Arrays.asList("AA", "AAA"));

		assertEquals(3, subset.size());

		Iterator<String> iterator = subset.iterator();
		assertTrue(iterator.hasNext());
		iterator.next();
		assertTrue(iterator.hasNext());
		iterator.next();
		assertTrue(iterator.hasNext());
		iterator.next();
		assertFalse(iterator.hasNext());
		try
		{
			iterator.next();
			fail();
		}
		catch (Exception expected)
		{
		}

		assertTrue(subset.contains("A"));
		assertTrue(subset.contains("AA"));
		assertTrue(subset.contains("AAA"));

		subset.createModel().detach();

		for (StringModel model : models)
		{
			assertTrue(model.isDetached());
		}

		assertTrue(subset.contains("A"));
		assertTrue(subset.contains("AA"));
		assertTrue(subset.contains("AAA"));
	}

	private class StringModel implements IModel<String>
	{

		private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

		private String string;

		private boolean detached;

		public StringModel(String string)
		{
			this.string = string;
			models.add(this);
		}

		@Override
		public String getObject()
		{
			detached = false;
			return string;
		}

		@Override
		public void setObject(String string)
		{
			detached = false;
			this.string = string;
		}

		@Override
		public void detach()
		{
			detached = true;
		}

		public boolean isDetached()
		{
			return detached;
		}

		@Override
		public boolean equals(Object obj)
		{
			return string == ((StringModel)obj).string;
		}

		@Override
		public int hashCode()
		{
			return string.hashCode();
		}
	}

	private class EmptyProvider implements ITreeProvider<String>
	{

		private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

		private List<String> EMPTY = new ArrayList<>();

		@Override
		public Iterator<String> getRoots()
		{
			return EMPTY.iterator();
		}

		@Override
		public boolean hasChildren(String object)
		{
			return false;
		}

		@Override
		public Iterator<String> getChildren(String string)
		{
			throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
		}

		@Override
		public IModel<String> model(String string)
		{
			return new StringModel(string);
		}

		@Override
		public void detach()
		{
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package com.ajoshow.justpass.config;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.ViewControllerRegistry;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.WebMvcConfigurerAdapter;

@Configuration
public class MvcConfig extends WebMvcConfigurerAdapter {

    @Override
    public void addViewControllers(ViewControllerRegistry registry) {
        registry.addViewController("/index").setViewName("index");
        registry.addViewController("/").setViewName("index");
        registry.addViewController("/login").setViewName("login");

        registry.addViewController("/dashboard").setViewName("dashboard");
    }

}


text:
River to Rail in 2021: Cruise, Land and Train on Journeys in Europe with Uniworld
About Europe, Anywhere
Debuting in August 2021, Uniworld is launching 2 new itineraries and destinations with Luxury Train Travel in Europe.
The two cruise, land, and train packages will travel through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.
Explore a variety of destinations across several countries in one journey, combining major cities with little-known destinations.
BOOK YOUR 2021 RIVER CRUISE + LAND + TRAIN TRIP IN EUROPE TODAY
FOR YOUR FIRST CHOICE OF DATES
Limited Capacity on these one-of-a-kind, luxury journeys
Like river cruising, luxury train travel is an opportunity to bring guests to the heart of Europe and with a view that changes daily. Train travel is experiencing a renaissance and combining luxury train travel with Uniworld's exquisite river cruises gives travelers who love Uniworld the opportunity to broaden your travel experience and explore new destinations Uniworld river cruises can't reach.
THE 2 NEW ITINERARIES INCLUDE:
14-day Cruise & Rail: Milan, Venice & the Swiss Alps that starts with a land portion in Milan, a 7-day, round-trip cruise from Venice on Uniworld's S.S. La Venezia and ends with a train trip to Zurich
Only 3 departures in 2021!
July 30, August 6, October 22
Prices starting at $10,000 USD/ $16,529 CAN
12-day Cruise & Rail: Venice & the Swiss Alps starting with a train trip from the Zurich to Venice and then a 7-day, round-trip cruise from Venice on Uniworld's S.S. La Venezia
2021 departures:
August 1, August 4, August 8, August 11, October 24, October 27,
Prices starting at $9,999 USD / $15,129 CAN
Both itineraries provide guests the new opportunity to travel onboard the luxury train as it runs along Lake Zurich, stopping in destinations such as the medieval town of Lienz, the picturesque Lake Bled with a Pletna rowing trip to Bled Island, and a tour of the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana.
Excursion highlights include detraining for a visit to Gutenberg Castle in the town of Balzers, Liechtenstein and enjoying an evening with a private concert in the caves of Postojna.
ALL INCLUSIVE LUXURY RIVER + RAIL
Just like the Uniworld experience, the train journeys are five-star and all-inclusive including all transfers, meals, drinks, excursions and gratuities, and all accommodations include a private in-suite bathroom.
The itineraries were created with sustainable tourism in mind, seeking to impact the destinations positively by bringing guests to eat at local restaurants and experience hidden-gem villages in addition to the popular cities.
ABOUT UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISE COLLECTION
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection—the world's most luxurious all-inclusive river cruise line - features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, exclusive excursions, gourmet cuisine, and one of the highest staff-to-guest-ratio in the river cruise industry. Uniworld offers truly all-inclusive itineraries in Europe, as well as voyages in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia, India, Peru and Egypt—a total of 25 rivers in 25 countries worldwide. Uniworld is a member of The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of companies, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020.
ABOUT GOLDEN EAGLE LUXURY TRAINS
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains is renowned for operating some of the world's most pioneering rail journeys over the last 30 years. Our Voyages of a Lifetime by Private Train™ in 2020/21 operate worldwide through Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Mongolia, China, Central Asia and India, on board a selection of the world's leading luxury private trains. We offer our guests first-class customer service, a romantic exploration of the world's most remarkable sites and a room with a view that constantly changes. Aboard our luxury trains you can expect welcoming cabins, fine dining and elegant surroundings - no matter where you choose to explore.
Splendors of Italy
From Venice
Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan, Valpolicella, Chioggia, Polesella, Mazzorbo
Danube Holiday Markets
Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg, Passau, Wachau
Classic Christmas Markets
From Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Wertheim am Main, Kitzingen
Castles along the Rhine
Koblenz, The Convent Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Cologne, Basel, Mannheim, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Riquewihr
Bordeaux, Vineyards & Chateaux
Bordeaux, City of Cadillac, Pauillac, Libourne, Bourg
Rhine-Main Discovery & Munich
From Cologne
Cologne, Nuremberg, Munich, Wurzburg, Rothenburg upon Tauber, Miltenberg, Braubach
Budapest, București, Belgrade, Danube, Golubac, Vidin, Ivanovo
Magnificent Moselle & Rhine
From Bonn
Bonn, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Mainz, Trier, Cochem, Bernkastel
© Crowfoot Travel 2021
ken@crowfoottravel.com
#217- 5403 CROWCHILD TRAIL NW Calgary, AB - Alberta T3B4Z1


text:
TRAC - Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse TRAC - Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse
Talk of Criminally Prosecuting Corporations Up, Actual Prosecutions Down
October 13 2015, 9:09 p.m.
A new analysis of federal data from Syracuse University finds that the Justice Department's criminal prosecutions of corporations fell 29 percent from 2004 to 2014, even as criminal referrals to the Justice Department from other federal agencies have risen.
In fiscal year 2014, the Justice Department brought 237 cases against corporations, the lowest number since 2010, and well below the high-water mark of the decade: 398 cases in 2005. The number of convictions fell to 162, well below the Bush administration average of about 240.
The data comes from the Justice Department itself, obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) through a Freedom of Information Act request. TRAC also synthesizes data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a division of the federal courts, to arrive at its totals.
Corporate Prosecutions Filed, FY 2004 — 2014 , U.S. DOJ via TRAC
TRAC's report on criminal prosecutions mirrors the data released in August on enforcement of individual white-collar cases. That showed prosecutions at a 20-year low, down 36.8 percent from the peak.
It's not for lack of possible cases. Despite the pullback in prosecutions, available data shows that federal agencies continue to find similar amounts of potential corporate misconduct. TRAC's analysis shows that criminal referrals actually increased by 2.6 percent between fiscal years 2004 and 2014. The Justice Department last year received over nine times as many criminal referrals as they brought criminal cases.
There are also far more corporations today. TRAC's numbers, based on the most recent IRS data from 2002 and 2012, show a 24 percent increase in total corporations and partnerships. Criminal prosecutions of both employees and the businesses themselves fell, despite the expansion.
The numbers say little about the seriousness of the cases referred or brought. But they do identify a trend of less stringent enforcement.
Just a month ago, the Justice Department, seeking to rehabilitate its image as a diligent enforcer of the law, announced new guidelines for corporate prosecutions, with a focus on individual accountability. But the guideline only pertained to new cases, meaning it could take years to reverse the shrinking trend in the TRAC data.
As it happens, TRAC blames another memo, written by Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip in 2008, for the reduction in prosecution rates. The Filip memo warned prosecutors to "take into account the possible substantial consequences to a corporation's employees, investors, pensioners and customers" when filing a case.
That preoccupation with collateral consequences has roots in a memo from former Attorney General Eric Holder, back when he was a Justice Department official in 1999.
By highlighting the threat to corporate employees and other possible consequences, the political leadership at the Justice Department gave prosecutors a convenient excuse to neglect to pursue criminal cases, using a standard that no bank robber or drug kingpin ever has the privilege of receiving.
In the five years before the Filip memo, DOJ filed 1,677 cases against corporate criminals. In the five years after, they filed 1,309 cases, a 21.9 percent drop.
Overall criminal prosecutions in the time studied have surged by over one-quarter, TRAC found, mainly due to increased cases for violations of immigration laws. But white-collar criminals and the companies who employ them have seen less enforcement over the period.
TRAC shared their findings with the Justice Department prior to publishing the results, but received no comment.


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In 2016 I wrote about a book entitled Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson, which discussed the issue of nutrient density in food and how plant breeding has resulted in a loss of nutrients compared to the wild plant ancestors.
As it turns out, the answer to this nutrient loss may be a little more complicated. I am providing a link to an article which covers a little-known area of research looking at how changes in the atmosphere may be changing the nutrient levels in plants, and speculation on how this may be affecting humans and other wildlife.
Within the article is some research being conducted at UDSA looking at changes in the protein content of goldenrod pollen over time, and how those changes may be affecting bee populations. Looking at goldenrod allows a comparison of how a plant not subjected to breeding improvement has been affected by atmospheric changes. The study is showing a 1/3 drop in goldenrod pollen protein levels since the start of the industrial revolution. How is this affecting bees? The suggestion is that lower protein levels may be hurting bees worldwide.


text:
WCU on Facebook
WCU Chancellor Twitter
WCU Instagram
WCU YouTube
About Western Carolina
Legal, Compliance, Title IX, Section 504
University Policy 53
Unlawful Discrimination
Formerly Executive Memorandum 95-110
Initially Approved: May 10, 1995
Revised: August 10, 2009
Revised: January 5, 2015 (technical corrections)
Revised: March 16, 2015 (technical corrections)
Revised and Renamed: August 4, 2020 (effective August 14, 2020)
Policy Topic: Governance and Administration
Administering Offices: Chancellor's Office; Legal Counsel's Office
I. POLICY STATEMENT ON UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
Western Carolina University (University or WCU) is committed to equal opportunity in employment for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation and veteran status. The University is also committed to an inclusive and welcoming environment where scholarship and the exchange of ideas may be freely accomplished. To the fullest extent allowed by law, the University does not permit harassment based on bigotry, slurs and other hateful rhetoric. Additionally, in order to foster participation and learning, to the fullest extent provided by law, the University does not permit discrimination based on the above classes or characteristics. See Section IV. "Definitions" below for a full description of prohibited conduct. In addition, please review University Policy 129, Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy (Policy 129).
II. SCOPE AND APPLICATION OF POLICY
It shall be a violation of this Policy for any employee or agent within the University's control to engage in Unlawful Discrimination as defined below, including discrimination described in Policy 129 and its related procedures. Employee sanctions for violating this Policy may include a letter of counseling, a letter of warning, a no contact order, and suspension or termination from employment and/or sanctions found in Policy 129 and its related procedures, as applicable. Complaints against students alleging unlawful discrimination or retaliation are addressed under the WCU Code of Student Conduct.
The protections afforded under this policy apply to: (1) all applicants for employment; (2) University officers, faculty, and staff; (3) persons who serve the University as agents (e.g. volunteers, contractors); and (5) visitors. The University is obligated to respond to reports made under this Policy.
III. DEFINITIONS
"Protected Status" means characteristics for which an individual is not permitted to suffer undue distinction or unlawful mistreatment as defined below. Those traits include race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation and veteran status.
"Unlawful Discrimination" means:
Unlawful Discrimination means experiencing disparate treatment based on an individual's Protected Status. Types of relevant actions include: hiring and firing; compensation, assignment and classification; transfer, promotion or layoff; recruitment; pay, retirement plans and fringe benefits; or altering other terms and conditions of employment or enrollment based on that individual's Protected Status.
Unlawful Discrimination also occurs when a protected individual is subject to a Hostile Environment as defined below.
Unlawful Discrimination includes failing to provide reasonable disability, religious, or other legally recognized accommodations where the University has adequate notice of the disability or requested accommodation.
"Reasonable Person" is the viewpoint of a hypothetical individual whose sensibilities, sensitivities and receptiveness to ideas are typical of an individual in the same or similar circumstances.
"Hostile Environment" occurs when one experiences unlawful distinction, preference, or harm as compared to others based on that individual's Protected Status and that it is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive enough to unreasonably interfere with deny or limit: 1) an employee's or applicant for employment's access to employment or conditions and benefits of employment (e.g., hiring, advancement, assignment); 2) a student's or admission applicant's ability to participate in, access, or benefit from educational programs, services, or activities (e.g., admission, academic standing, grades, assignment, campus housing); or 3) an authorized agent's ability to participate in an agent activity. A Hostile Environment is one that a reasonable person (objective standard) would find hostile or abusive and one that a complainant under this policy perceives to be hostile or abusive (subjective standard). Hostile environment is determined by looking at all of the circumstances, including the frequency of the allegedly harassing conduct, its severity, whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, the extent to which the conduct was intended to harm, harass or exploit the complainant, and whether the conduct actually and substantially interferes with an employee's work performance or a student's ability to participate in or to receive benefits, services, or opportunities in the University's education programs and activities.
"Interim Measures" are temporary actions the University may impose to stabilize a situation where there is a reasonably articulated violation of this Policy. Interim Measures may be imposed to stop suspected and ongoing Unlawful Discrimination or Retaliation. Interim Measures support the people involved in the allegation, including the reporting party, respondents or witnesses.
"Retaliation" is mistreatment or any act of reprisal, interference, restraint, coercion, penalty, discrimination, harassment - overtly or covertly - against any applicant for employment, student, employee, volunteer or agent within the University's control when the person engages in a protected activity. A protected activity includes opposing discrimination or participating in the investigatory process under this policy. Examples of other protected activities include, filing or being a witness to a complaint under this policy or a formal grievance, communicating with a supervisor or manager about unlawful discrimination, answering questions during an investigation, refusing to follow orders that would result in Unlawful Harassment or Sexual Misconduct, requesting a disability accommodation, or availing oneself of rights protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA").
IV. COMPLAINTS
A. INFORMAL RESOLUTION OF UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
With the exception of behavior contemplated pursuant to Policy 129, for complaints concerning Unlawful Discrimination, any party may elect to discuss the problem directly with the person whose behavior is questioned before seeking formal assistance, which is recommended in most circumstances. Confronting the offending party in a conversation or in writing to request that he/she stop engaging in the offensive behavior may resolve the situation. Candid discussion between the parties involved about how a behavior made someone feel can be an empowering experience that overcomes the negative feelings associated with the offending conduct.
The Title IX Coordinator may offer to facilitate informal resolution by acting as a mediator, conducting a limited investigation, working with appropriate University personnel, and recommending further administrative action in order to resolve the complaint.
For any complaint under this Policy, a reporting party may request that his or her identity remain confidential. The University will evaluate that request in the context of the University's responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, employees, and third parties in order to determine the steps the University will take to pursue the matter.
Some situations may be so serious that informal resolution may not be appropriate and direct progression to the formal initiation of a complaint may be necessary. For example, if a complaint is directed against a supervisor or administrator who would otherwise play a role in responding to and attempting to resolve the complaint, the employee might not wish to discuss his/her complaint with that supervisor but may elect to discuss the complaint with the next supervisor in a direct line of authority.
NOTE: For applicants to SHRA covered positions and SHRA employees, informal resolution occurs as part of WCU Policy 77 "Grievance Policies and Procedures for SHRA Employees," sub-section V.A. "EEO Informal Inquiry."
B. FORMAL RESOLUTION OF UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
With the exception of behaviors contemplated pursuant to Policy 129, procedures provided under this Policy allow for a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation and adjudication process that provides appropriate procedural safeguards and adequate due process for all parties.
1. Complaints from Applicants, EHRA Non-Faculty Employees, Faculty, Students, Agents and Visitors Against Other Employees, Agents or Visitors (See Below for Complaints from Applicants to SHRA Positions)
(a) Initiating Section V.B.1 Complaints
Complaints should be reported, preferably in writing, to the Title IX Coordinator at 520 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC, 28723. The Title IX Coordinator may be reached by telephone at (828) 227-7116. Complaints should be made within fifteen (15) calendar days of the conduct giving rise to the complaint to ensure a prompt and complete investigation; however, the University reserves the right to initiate investigations and take action at any time depending on the nature of the alleged conduct.
(b) Investigation of Section V.B.1 Complaints
The Title IX Coordinator shall assign to the University Investigator as appropriate. All investigations shall be thorough and impartial and shall be completed within forty-five (45) calendar days from the receipt of complaints. The Title IX Coordinator may seek the assistance of other University officials, in situations where there may be actual or perceived conflicts of interest or as otherwise may be necessary to ensure timely, impartial, and complete investigations.
(c) Written Reports /Resolution of Section V.B.1 Complaints
Upon completion of the investigation, the Title IX Coordinator shall provide to the applicable Executive Council member a written report of key evidentiary findings, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, whether the alleged conduct constituted a violation of this policy and the Title IX Coordinator's recommended resolutions pertaining to the complaint. The Title IX Coordinator's report is deemed a confidential personnel record of the respondent employee and shall not be disclosed except as required or permitted by law. The applicable member of Executive Council shall be responsible for determining what University action, if any, is warranted.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Title IX Coordinator also shall provide a written response to: (1) the complaining employee apprising him/her that the investigation is complete and whether the alleged conduct constituted a violation of this policy; and (2) the respondent employee apprising him/her that the investigation is complete and whether the alleged conduct constituted a violation of this policy.
(d) Internal Appeals of Section V.B.1 Complaint Resolution
Both the complaining employee and the respondent may appeal the Title IX Coordinator's finding(s) and conclusions within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of the Title IX Coordinator's written response. Appeals must be in writing and clearly state the basis for the appeal (i.e., that the findings and conclusions are (i) erroneous; (ii) violate applicable federal or state law or university policies; or (iii) the result of a flawed process. Appeals must be directed to the Director of Human Resources at 220 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC, 28723. The Director of Human Resources may be reached by telephone at (828) 227-7218. The Director of Human Resources shall respond to the appeal within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt, and may either uphold, overturn, or modify the finding(s). No further appeal by either party shall be permitted.
2. Complaints from Applicants for SHRA Covered Positions and SHRA Employees against Other Employees, Agents or Visitors
Complaints, investigations and appeals regarding prohibited conduct under this policy shall be processed in accordance with University Policy 77, "Grievance Policies and Procedures for SHRA Employees"
V. RETALIATION PROHIBITED
This policy seeks to encourage employees and others to report concerns involving discriminatory or harassing personal conduct and accordingly retaliation is prohibited. Any act of reprisal or retaliation, including interference, restraint, coercion, penalty, discrimination, harassment - overtly or covertly - against a student or employee for responsibly reporting under this policy interferes with free expression and violates this policy. Accordingly, individuals who violate this retaliation prohibition may be subject to disciplinary action.
VI. EMPLOYEES' OBLIGATION TO REPORT
Any University employee who experiences, witnesses, reasonably suspects or receives a written or verbal complaint of an incident of Unlawful Discrimination or Retaliation related to the workplace shall promptly report it to the Title IX Coordinator.
Those employees designated as Campus Security Authorities under University Policy 116 "Clery Act Compliance" are obligated under the law to notify the University Police Department of alleged Clery Crimes that are reported to them (see University Policy 116). All employees are encouraged to report known or suspected crimes to law enforcement to the extent provided by law and according to appropriate professional standards.
In some instances, employees with legally recognized professional privileges may not be subject to mandatory reporting under Section IX. The Title IX Coordinator with Legal Counsel shall delineate these individuals' reporting obligations by an official memorandum to the department.
VII. FRIVOLOUS OR FALSE COMPLAINTS
This policy shall not be used to bring frivolous or false complaints. If a complaint has been made maliciously or in bad faith, disciplinary action may be taken against the person bringing the complaint.
VIII. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INVESTIGATIONS AND RECORDS
Information gathered in the course of investigations conducted under this policy will be given the full extent of confidentiality accorded by law to employee personnel records and student education records. Any person who, without authorization, reveals such information may be subject to disciplinary action. Disclosure of the content of complaints will be made on a "need to know" basis, depending on the type of investigation and remedial action required by the complaint. In any event, the accused individual will be informed of the specific allegations in the complaint.
IX. RELATED POLICIES AND RESOURCES
University Policy #10, Equal Opportunity Programs,
University Policy #58, Improper Relationships between Students and Employees,
University Policy #77, Grievance Policies and Procedures for SHRA Employees,
University Policy #109, Campus/Workplace Violence Prevention and Management,
University Policy # 116, Clery Act Compliance,
University Policy #129, Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy,
Western Carolina University Code of Student Conduct
http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/