text:
Throughout the year, our Parents' Handbook will be updated, including with COVID protocols.
Please check in here regularly to review your parents' handbook. Click HERE to access the latest PDF copy or read below.
2022-2023 PARENTS HANDBOOK
Section 1: School Address:
Adath Hebrew Academy • 37 Southbourne Avenue • Toronto, ON M3H 1A4
Section 2: Leadership Staff and Teachers
Avivit Yoffe our Principal of A-HA will be joined by Vice Principal Ariella Markus who is also the teacher for our Grade 3 & 4 students. Avivit is a passionate, dynamic educator who was formerly the principal of the Beit Rayim Supplementary School, the largest school of its type in the GTA. Avivit will be your main contact for academic questions.
Shulamit Heisler will be your administrative contact in the office with respect to registration and Perry Zosky will be your contact for payment.
Ashley Waltman, our Education Committee chair and Bernie Rabinovitch, our Executive Director, will support Avivit and the Hebrew School staff throughout the year and oversee the scholarship committee. Should you wish to apply for a scholarship, the first step will be to complete a UJA application (Click HERE).
Teaching Staff: If you have a specific question or concern about your child's classroom experience, it is important that the initial contact is with the classroom teacher.
Grade Room Teacher Email
Grade JK/SK 21 Brooke Sacks
jk-sk@adathisrael.com
Grade 1 & 2 20 Rachel Aleman grade1-2@adathisrael.com
Grade 3 & 4 Ulrich Hall Ariella Markus grade3-4@adathisrael.com
Grade 5 & 6 Greenspoon Hall Shayna Kravetz grade5-6@adathisrael.com
Staff Leaders Position Email Phone
Avivit Yoffe Principal avivit@adathisrael.com 416-635-5340 (314)
Shulamit Heisler (M-F) Admin Coord shulamit@adathisrael.com 416-635-5340 (322)
During school hours on Sundays (9:30 am-12:15 pm) and Tuesdays (4:30 pm-6:15pm), you can reach our office at 416 635-5340 (314).
Section 3: Schedule Information
Class times are laid out below. Classes will always start on time so please be sure to arrive 5 to 10 minutes in advance as it gives your kids a chance to schmooze before the class begins.
Grade JK/SK and Grades 1 & 2:
Sunday: 9:30 am to 12:15 pm
Tuesday: No Classes
Grade 3 & 4 and Grades 5 & 6:
Tuesday: 4:30 pm to 6:15 pm
Section 4: Curriculum
Avivit will continue to energize the curriculum emphasizing Hebrew reading geared to B'Nai Mitzvah preparation, Jewish lifecycle and history, as well as integration of Jewish online technology. These are designed to spark a series of A-HA moments through your child's journey from JK to Grade 6.
Click HERE to view the A-HA! Curriculum by grade.
Section 5: COVID Protocols
Our in-class COVID protocols have been developed in collaboration with our Medical Advisory Committee. We are fortunate to have five doctors with diverse backgrounds providing counsel including Dr. Ronald Cohn, an Adath member, and the President & CEO of Sick Kids.
Please click HERE or refer to Appendix 1 below for our extensive COVID protocols.
Section 6: Remote Learning via Zoom
If necessary due to Ontario government requirements, A-HA is prepared to revert to Zoom learning as we did for the 2020-21 school year. However, it is our intent to resume and move forward with in-class learning.
Section 7: Early Pick-up Policy:
We appreciate that some children have outside obligations that necessitate early dismissal. In order to not disrupt classroom learning, parents are required to call ahead and your child will be brought to you at the arranged time. A note to the teacher indicating early pick up is required to facilitate this procedure and ensure that your child is ready for pick-up.
Do not park on the street where traffic is congested. Enter the Synagogue parking lot from Westgate Blvd or the Northmount entrance closest to the school wing.
Park in a designated parking space. Turn off your engine.
Do not communicate with your child by using the horn and do not allow your child to dart between parked cars.
Please leave your car and escort your child from the exit of our school.
Section 8: Snacks & Food
All snacks brought by students must be KOSHER AND NUT FREE.
In order to provide a safe environment for all of our students, our policy forbids students in our school from bringing any food items from home containing nut products. Please wash your child's hands thoroughly before he/she attends school.
We ask that you send you child(ren) to school each session with a water bottle and a healthy, nut free, kosher, dairy snack. The school will provide special foods for various holiday celebrations and we will communicate these days in advance.
Section 9: Children with Allergies
Any parent who has a child with allergies or who requires emergency medication will be required to fill out Emergency Medical Forms with Physician and Parental written permission to administer emergency medication.
Parents will be required to adhere to our strict policy of coming in to personally discuss their child's allergy, medications and emergency plans of action with the staff.
Parents and teachers/principal will sign off on the Allergy/Anaphylactic Plan of Action Form after this visit has taken place. Written documentation of any changes made to allergy information or treatment must be provided. Students who are anaphylactic must always carry an epipen with them. Our staff will be trained in the use of an epipen.
Section 10: Fire Safety/Evacuation and Lock Down Plan:
Security is a priority throughout the synagogue and that includes Adath Hebrew Academy and our entire school wing. A-HA has a fire safety, evacuation and lockdown plan in place to ensure the safety of each of our students and staff (for which we will conduct drills throughout the year).
In the case of an emergency evacuation, Summit Heights Public School field will be used as an emergency location during Hebrew School hours.
Section 11: Behaviour Management:
We ensure a safe and secure environment while recognizing the individual social and developmental needs of every child. We always take a positive approach to classroom management.
Section 12: Off-Premise Excursions:
If an off-premise excursion is planned, parents will be informed well in advance and will be asked to sign a detailed permission note.
Section 13: School Closings/Holidays:
Adath Hebrew Academy will be closed on all Statutory Holidays. We will be closed for December Break (2 weeks), Family Day weekend and March Break and Passover. Click HERE to review the annual school calendar.
Section 14: Inclement Weather Policy:
Adath Hebrew Academy will make every effort to remain open in inclement weather. However, it is at our sole discretion to close in severe weather conditions to protect the well-being of our students, parents and staff. In this instance, emails will be sent Tuesdays by 2:30 p.m. and Sundays by 8:00 a.m.
Section 15: A-HA! Family Convenience Program Participation
We are excited to re-introduce our Convenience Program for the 2021-2022 school year.
a) Carpool Program:
The majority of parents have acknowledged interest in participating in the Carpool Program. We look forward to parents and kids meeting each other if you don't have that connection now.After the initial Tuesday session and once registration is finalized, we will be sending a registration form for all families who opted in to share contact details for each class. This will enable parents to set up carpools and playdates on their own. Information captured will include: Student and parents' name; parent's email; child's school and FSA.
b) Walk Over Service from Summit Heights (Tuesday Afternoons at 3:40 pm)
For all students at Summit Heights between Grades 3 to 6, we will be offering an optional walk-over (or driving) service each Tuesday afternoon when classes are in session.
Students are to meet outside Door 4 at the 3:40 bell.
All families who are signed up will be sent a detailed letter explaining how this service will work along with a permission form which we will submit to Principal Mah's office.
c) After-School Club (Tuesday Afternoons):
We are excited to welcome kids from a broad range of schools who will join us on Tuesdays between 3:45 and 4:30 for our after-school club. Adath Israel volunteers and staff will supervise your children during that time.
The after-school club offers your kids a chance to catch up on homework, eat snacks (kosher and nut-free of course), chill, hang out and socialize with old and new friends from around the city.
From our experience two years ago, we do not have plans to formalize the Club into a focused learning-based program as the intent is to allow kids to decompress between the school day and Hebrew School.
d) For entry into the After School Club and school on Tuesday afternoons, students must enter through our main security entrance at the Westgate Avenue entrance where our guard will register the kids upon arrival. They will be escorted downstairs to Greenspoon Hall for the After School Club if they arrive before 4:30 pm.
Anyone arriving at 4:30 (or later) will be escorted to their classrooms:
Grade 3 & 4: Ulrich Hall
Grade 5 & 6: Greenspoon Hall
Dismissal will be via the school wing entry/exit doors.
Section 16: Tuition Payment
A-HA offers flexible payment terms. You can pay all at once or in two or three installments.
Payment dates:
Fee Schedule: Click HERE
To pay: Click HERE.
Thank you for reviewing our 2021-2022 Parents' Handbook.
Please remember to review our COVID protocols in Appendix 1 which follows. We look forward to an incredible school year in collaboration and partnership with you!
Avivit Yoffe Ashley Waltman Bernie Rabinovitch
Principal Education Committee Chair Executive Director
avivit@adathisrael.com bernie@adathisrael.com
APPENDIX 1 – COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
The state of the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly changing. These measures will be continuously reviewed and updated as required.
The purpose of providing this document to our parent and staff community is to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 at Adath Hebrew Academy , and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all students, staff, parents and community members, as much as possible.
These measures were created in collaboration with our Medical Advisory Committee and in accordance with Toronto Public and the Government of Ontario guidelines and recommendations.
Our COVID policies were developed with the utmost concern for the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh, saving a life, as well as our ongoing dedication to providing a dynamic, safe learning environment for all of our students.
We recognize that the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to minimize the risk of introduction of the disease into the school setting in the first place. Achieving this is a partnership between the school and families. It is critical that staff, students and parents/guardians are aware of, and adhere to, the control measures outlined and that we all fully cooperate.
PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS
Vaccination policy:
All persons 12 years or older who enter the shul must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to entry with a vaccine approved by Health Canada.
Vaccination status must be declared on registration forms for any event inside the shul.
Students turning 12 during the school year will have 3 months from the time of their birthday to get double-vaccinated.
Teachers will be required to show proof of vaccination.
Set-Up and Gathering:
Social distancing of 6 feet (2 m) will be in effect. If classrooms don't allow for the proper social distancing, we will instead be using the shul's social halls as classrooms when necessary
Cohorts (classes) can mix together for T'fillah, assemblies, in the Sanctuary. When using the sanctuary, all classes will sit separately and apart from other classes. The main floor of the sanctuary has a capacity of 900+ so achieving social distancing will not be problematic.
Entrance Procedures:
All students must enter through the school wing doors (at the corner of Southbourne and Northmount), not via the Westgate Blvd entry. This includes students who arrive after classes start.
For the purposes of contact tracing and our student's safety, attendance will be taken on each school day for anyone who is entering the building.
Anyone who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 may not attend school. The Toronto District School Board has identified a series of symptoms that require a student to stay home and get tested for COVID-19. These symptoms include:
Fever and/or chills
Coughing or barking cough (croup)
Decrease or loss of taste or smell
Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Parents will not be able to enter the building. Parents will be required to drop their children off at the entry door. Our staff will escort each child to his or her class.
All children and staff must sanitize their hands upon entry to the building.
Masks:
Masks (regardless of age and vaccination status) will be always required indoors. The masks must be worn so that they cover the mouth and the nose.
Students/teachers should bring their own masks. The school will maintain a small inventory of three-ply masks in case a strap breakage.
Masks must be worn outdoors when students gather with their teacher.
Cleanliness and Hygiene:
Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom.
Students are discouraged from sharing school supplies. Disinfectant sprays/wipes will be available and used at the teacher's discretion.
The shul's washrooms will be thoroughly cleaned prior to class.
Snacks:
All students/staff should bring their own kosher, nut free snacks and water bottles.
Students can remove their masks for snack time but must remain seated and maintain their distance.
No sharing of food amongst students will be allowed.
Communal singing is permitted but all participants must wear masks.
PROTOCOLS IN CASE OF ILLNESS OR COVID INFECTION
Illness:
If a student gets sick while at school, parents (or the emergency contact listed) will be notified and the child will need to be picked up.
If a student gets sick outside of school time, they can only return to school if one of the following conditions are met:
If no COVID test was taken:
If a health care provider has determined that symptoms are not COVID-related, students may return to school 24 hours after symptoms have improved.
If symptoms are similar to COVID, students may return to school 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
If the COVID test was negative: students may return to school 24 hours after symptoms improve.
If the COVID test was positive: follow the advice of Public Health – (416) 338-7600.
COVID Infection:
If a student or anyone within a student's family tests positive within 48 hours of attending school, the school must be notified immediately and the child should not attend school for the duration of isolation. Families and the school should follow the advice of Public Health regarding safe return to school. Call 416 338 7600.
If there is a case of COVID-19 in the school, Adath Israel will call Toronto Public Health to get advice on the next steps, including school closures and notification of families. The school will comply with all demands of Public Health officials, including sharing information such as schedules, attendance lists and families' contact information.
Students/staff who have been advised to isolate as a result of exposure to COVID-19 should not attend school for the duration of their isolation.
If you have any questions:
Contact Shulamit for administrative questions (payment, registration): shulamit@adathisrael.com
Contact Principal Avivit Yoffe with academic questions: avivit@adathisrael.com


text:
Memorial Home
About Memorial History Visit Donate
Memorial Tour Art Tour
Elks National Memorial
Welcome to the Elks National Memorial
The Elks National Memorial will be closing for the season (for touring by the public) Saturday, November 12th at 4PM. Business offices will remain open.
A monument in the truest sense, the Elks National Memorial was built in 1926 to honor Americans whose profound sacrifices for the nation can never be recognized by mere words. With its massive dome, heroic sculptures and intricately detailed friezes, the Memorial is a distinctively American interpretation of classical greatness.
On this website, you can explore the Memorial without leaving your chair. You can read about the building's history or take a virtual tour. When you're ready to come and see the Memorial in person, you can plan your visit, too.
Thanks to the following individuals for their generous online donations to the Elks National Memorial Restoration Trust:
Mack Novosad
Michael Tona
William Hollifield
Carlos Gotay

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today as I was walking to school with two of my friends, we were walking through a trail in a forest leading to our school.
Anyway, we were walking when I noticed a light brown greyish looking thing.
At first I thought it was Raccoon but it was obviously not, so then I calmly said to my friends "We need to go the other way cuz I see something and I'm not sure if it's a Coyote or a Wolf".
So now we have to walk a really long way to go and to get back from school.
Thanks for telling us about your encounter - it probably was a Coyote or a Coywolf.
It is highly unlikely that this creature would be a danger to you, but if you do travel through that area, make sure you make enough noise that the animals know you are there.
In Ontario there were 13,000 Emergency Room visits because of domestic dog bites in 2011-12, whereas, the biggest danger from Coyotes is to dogs and cats.
Just be cautious when going through wooded areas and always walk with friends - this will help keep you safe from anything in the woods.
the Deer they come out early morning or early evening. Let me know if you see them. You will be amazed knowing Mississauga has so many deer and it is a city!!!


Kourtney Kardashian unveiled a new wellness-focused website called Poosh. And it's surprisingly familiar to another celebrity-owned health publication: The one, the only (well, not anymore), Goop. That's because the website has a surprising connection to Gwyneth Paltrow's infamous and controversial website.
"People are constantly asking me how I do it all, from being a single mom to working full-time to still maintaining a social life. I get endless questions about food, kids, beauty, and fashion, so I decided to create Poosh, a curated experience and a destination for modern living," she added.
Her reason for launching the website might sound inspiring, but it hasn't resonated with everyone. "She said this despite that our collective obsession with everything we put in/ on our bodies is the foundation of several multibillion-dollar industries and at least a few other websites," wrote LA Magazine.
In one quick scroll, you might notice some shocking similarities between Poosh and Goop. Both were started by health-obsessed celebrities, both have similar branding (at least on their homepage), and both — obviously — feature a strong focus on wellness. However, there's one more similarity you might have missed: Both have two O's in their name. Coincidence? We think not.
According to WWD, Kourtney Kardashian's website was named after her daughter, Penelope, whose nickname is "Poosh." However, there might be one more underlying factor — one that momager, Kris Jenner might have made note of when incubating Kourtney's idea.
We will probably never really know if Kourtney (and Kris) meticulously researched Gwyneth Paltrow's website and discovered the savvy reason she chose to name her company Goop. But, judging by the backlash, some fans won't be keeping up with the Kardashian's Goop.


text:
Black Friday and Jumia's Exciting Deals for Customers
Business Post Contributor
When Philadelphia law enforcement officers used the term Black Friday to describe the chaos that ensued after suburban shoppers and tourists flooded the city on the day after Thanksgiving in the 1950s, little did they know that it will become a global phenomenon that will transcend decades.
Such is the grip and prominence that several attempts to rename it Large Friday failed to stick. Black Friday has since evolved to become the biggest shopping event of the year during which retailers delight their customers with some of the best mouth-watering discounts on products and sellers smile to the bank with sales proceeds.
There's hardly any period that gets customers in a buying mood than the popular Black Friday sales. To get a fair share of the sales, brands and sellers also make enticing offers to customers.
Digital technology and e-commerce have further helped the course of Black Friday Sales. In the world's biggest markets such as the USA and China, online shopping makes up a substantial portion of Black Friday shopping, as brands partner with the likes of Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, and other big e-commerce platforms to connect with millions of customers across the globe.
In developing markets of Africa, leading e-commerce platform, Jumia is also leading the line to provide a thrilling Black Friday experience to customers on the continent.
The platform commenced its 2020 Black Friday sales on the 6th of November, partnering with several big and global brands to provide customers with the best possible deals and enable them to save more during the period.
"The Black Friday campaign has been a success year-on-year, hence the reason we're hosting it for the 8th time. We know customers are always on the lookout for the best deals and as such, there will be a significant increase in inventory across all product categories, flash sales on top SKUs.
"So, It is also an avenue to give back to consumers by offering them amazing and cost-saving deals," said Jumia Nigeria CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi.
Jumia has also partnered with thousands of sellers and brands on its platform to offer consumers a wide assortment of products ranging from groceries, electronics, home items; and special deals.
Added to these are incentives on purchases. One of such is the opportunity for customers to get cheap or free delivery from brands and manufacturers partnering with Jumia for the sales period. Brands such as Unilever, Samsung, Absolute, Nivea and P&G are offering free and faster shipping.
Others eligible for free shipping include products from Coca-cola, Reckitt Benkiser hygiene products, Nestle seasoning and beverage products, gadget products by Umidigi, and Apple.
Customers can also shop Jumia Express to benefit from the free delivery offer from these Jumia partners. Jumia Express offers faster delivery within 24 hours of placing orders. As part of the Black Friday deals, Jumia is giving Prime Plus subscribers the opportunity to save more even after the sales period.
Likewise, existing and new subscribers to the plan will enjoy up to 20% off on a 3 months package and free delivery on all local items and Jumia food orders. Customers can also leverage the Pick-up station option on the checkout page to pay cheaper delivery fees and also stand a chance of winning shopping vouchers.
With all the twists and turns of 2020, customers sure deserve an exciting end to this unique year. For those still interested in getting that choice of high-earned gadget and home appliances, the Black Friday shopping window is an ample opportunity for exciting purchases and deals. Ecommerce makes it easier and Jumia is just a click away.
Related Topics:black fridayjumiajumia black fridayJumia Black Friday 2020
Developing Economy, Evolution, Civilization & Great Ideas
Year 2020: Glimmer of Hope for Nigeria Amid Recession and Pandemic
UNICEF, Jumia Partner Giga to Connect African Schools to Internet
Jumia Woos Consumers with New Deals for 2021 Black Friday
Jumia Unveils Brands Festival to Promote Authentic Products
Despite Infrastructure Deficit, Impact of Jumia Felt in Secondary Cities
Jumia Supports Customers With Shopping Festival Campaign
At Jumia, Every Opinion Counts Irrespective of Gender—Ajagunna
By Hyther Nizam
With digital transformation picking up faster than ever before in the business landscape, most organisations today employ a mix of business tools to run their operations across sales, marketing, finance, HR, etc.
More often than not, all of these tools include a reporting module that displays department-specific data records and statements. However, stand-alone data like sales figures, lead numbers, email open rates, and the like, can only tell you so much about customer behaviour.
As businesses continue to go digital and become increasingly data-driven, it's imperative for them to include a holistic business intelligence (BI) programme in their technology strategy.
A comprehensive BI programme helps combine various data points from multiple sources, perform cross-functional analysis, and bring out intuitive insights like inspirations behind seasonal customer trends, reasons for supply-chain gaps, sales funnel pain points gathered from customer feedback, productivity drops due to employee attrition, future trend predictions, and whatnot. Powerful information like this can enable organisations to adopt a culture of smart, evidence-based decision-making and gain a true competitive edge.
Getting started with a business analytics and intelligence program
Provided that your organisation has the necessary funding and resources to implement a central BI programme, the first natural step is to identify the key business metrics you want to compute and track.
As pointed out here, once you have identified the goals, the next step is defining a data strategy. You need to go about defining your data strategy for key focus areas and then identify and align its data sources with that strategy. From there, it should be relatively simple for the organisation to build a data pipeline and prepare the data for analysis.
Building a robust, unified data pipeline from disparate sources
Prepping the data pipeline is one of the biggest challenges organisations face while implementing their BI programme. Using a mixed toolset offered by different vendors translates to disparate data sets that need to first be integrated, blended, and unified to enable a(n) smoother as well as accurate analysis procedure. In fact, it's been noted that 80% of analysis time is spent on data preparation as poor quality data often results in untrustworthy business insights.
This is where BI tools that include data preparation provisions come in handy. Be it a custom-built BI program or a bespoke tool, it's important that your option incorporates data-prepping and blending capabilities, i.e., the ability to connect to different sources (legacy or cloud app) and port data in different formats, clean and remove duplicates, blend the data into a single data warehouse, and improve the overall data quality. This helps ensure robust, error-free data pipelines, in turn assuring reliable business intel.
Updating your privacy practices and official policy
With a BI programme, your obligation as a company to protect customer data becomes greater. Some privacy practices to keep in mind include, (1) masking critical user data, i.e., removing personally identifiable information from all data sets using anonymization methods, before feeding them into the BI data pipeline, (2) collecting explicit consent from the data subjects (customers and employees) to use their anonymized data for BI analysis, (3) ensuring that your data sources are also subject to stringent privacy standards, and finally, (4) updating your organisation's customer privacy policy straight away to include required details about your BI programme.
Integrating your BI program with internal collaboration platforms
Despite setting up a cost-intensive, comprehensive BI programme, many organisations struggle to drive adoption among their teams and prompt necessary action or decision-making.
One way to solve this is to integrate the BI system widely and deeply across internal communication and collaboration platforms used by employees such as email, chat, intranet forums, project management avenues, etc.
The BI dashboards must allow executives to blend and visually analyse data for cross-functional insights, fashion the insights into easily understandable and interactive reports, decide the next course of action, and subsequently share the information with the teams or individuals concerned in real-time.
Staying future-ready – leave room for innovation
As you implement modern technologies and boost your operational efficiencies, running a future-ready business also includes being constantly on the lookout for innovation, and ensuring that the business systems and processes are elastic enough to absorb the change.
Similarly, your BI programme should have enough legroom to experiment and capitalise on emerging opportunities like AI-powered voice analytics and RPA/business analytics integration.
For instance, current AI trends have made it possible for users to hold conversations with AI assistants to generate automated BI insights with a single click, predict future trends, conduct as well as visualise cognitive and what-if analyses, and much more.
If the events of the past two years have taught us anything, it's that things can change incredibly quickly and it's vital to be flexible. Cloud-based BI tools enable business owners to look at real-time data from across departments to make quick decisions. This helps businesses stay nimble during unprecedented times.
Hyther Nizam is the President, MEA, Zoho Corporation
Information Operations: An Understudied Facet of Russian Influence in Africa
By Miriam Roday and Sarah Daly
In a quiet neighbourhood just outside of Accra, 16 Ghanaians were instructed to create social media accounts, representing themselves as Americans, to post content about divisive political issues, where and when U.S. audiences were most active online.
Starting in June 2019, posts like this tweet trickled into users' newsfeeds: "How can a #police officer kill an 11-year-old #black boy and go unpunished? Why, are some lives more important than others?"
In the run-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Russian operatives from Ghana and Nigeria crafted fake profiles on social media to stoke tensions and widen cleavages in American society.
Russian trolls posted in Facebook groups about police brutality and racial inequity, implying or claiming that they lived in the United States, and in one case, purported to be the cousin of a Black American who had died in police custody.
These trolling tactics may sound familiar. They were central themes of Moscow's "sweeping and systematic" campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Under the direction of Russian financier Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin deployed an army of professional trolls from the now-infamous Internet Research Agency (IRA) based in St. Petersburg to manipulate social media platforms and flood the information space with divisive and inflammatory narratives. During the 2016 election cycle, the effort succeeded in fomenting unrest and conflict.
Russia's most recent campaign to sow discord within the American electorate, however, marks its first use of Africa as a launchpad for disinformation campaigns aimed at the United States.
Earlier in 2021, the intelligence community confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to influence the contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, including by "exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the US" and using troll farms in Ghana and Nigeria to "propagate US-focused narratives."
A months-long investigation by CNN uncovered details about the pop-up operation in Ghana masquerading as a non-profit that received funding from an "anonymous source" in Europe. Its 16 employees, some unaware they were working with and for Russian operatives, built audiences and coordinated their posts by time and topic to maximize engagement with American users. Facebook corroborated these findings and linked several of the accounts to Prigozhin's IRA that it had previously removed for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour."
The Kremlin uses these troll accounts on social media to establish digital networks of influence and advance its agenda in the information space—to subvert public discourse and disseminate anti-Western messaging.
Russia's interference campaign in 2016 illustrated how damaging these low-cost, low-risk tactics can be, especially against a fractious electorate in a highly polarized media environment. This threat is particularly palpable in Africa, where geopolitical developments and democratic backsliding make many states vulnerable to Russian interference.
And while the Kremlin's use of Africa as a base for its information operations targeting a U.S. election may be novel, Russia has been running information manipulation campaigns within Africa for years. Moscow's weaponization of information is an understudied, overlooked component of its strategic influence efforts that presents immediate national security risks to democratic processes and institutions across the continent.
Russia's Evolving Information Operations
The conversation surrounding Russian power projection in Africa often focuses on its revitalization of Soviet-era relationships and strategies to strike military, trade, and resource deals across the continent.
Russia's use of parastatal and opaque private military companies to accomplish its goals has drawn international scrutiny. Nominally private, these entities and individuals operate at the direction of the Kremlin, and often deploy information operations to advance Russia's broader goals in Africa: building a positive reputation for Russia as a "revitalized great power, international mediator, humanitarian actor, and effective counter-terrorism partner"; and courting current and future African leaders to establish long-term ties that will benefit its strategic interests.
Russian reputation-building campaigns involve circulating propaganda through various media, from social and state-funded to proxy sources in foreign news outlets. The Kremlin infiltrates and controls the information space by buying local media outlets or inserting Russian state-owned television channels RT and Sputnik in-country. Establishing mass media control allows Russia to shape the citizenry's impressions of current events. The resulting de-democratization of information creates a similar effect to that of Russia's social media campaigns: the Kremlin can develop and disseminate narratives not immediately identifiable as foreign propaganda and impose them onto a population.
Russia sees sidelining Western influence in Africa as integral to its campaign of upending the international order led by the United States. Using an ad-hoc blend of private military companies, non-governmental organizations, and local agents to carry its messages, Russia can launder narratives through the information ecosystem that paint the West as exploitative interventionist actors, and Moscow as a benevolent partner engaging with Africa on mutually beneficial terms.
Common tactics include criticizing the U.S. and French security assistance efforts and praising Russia's ability to serve as a mediator and counter-terrorism partner despite limited evidence to support its effectiveness at either.
In addition to propagandizing, Russia uses its "franchised" proxies—local troll farms established by Russian operatives and affiliates—to influence domestic politics in Africa, often as a means to court political elites and secure support for extracting resources and building Russian military bases.
In October 2019, researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory together with social media analytics firm, Graphika, uncovered Russian-linked information operations aimed at influencing the politics and public discourse of eight African countries.
Their joint report shows how using local trolls to augment mass and social media campaigns pays dividends allowing Russia to deploy effective, low-cost operations to more easily evade detection and obviate the need to conduct the operations within its own borders.
Russia has demonstrated a preference for autocratic or authoritarian-leaning political leaders and regimes that often coexist with a controlled information and media space.
For instance, in 2019, Russia orchestrated information operations in Sudan aimed at delegitimizing protestors in Khartoum and Moscow. Private researchers found that Prigozhin-linked proxies set up a Facebook page disguised as a local news network and frequently re-shared Sputnik articles.
The proxies, who were attempting to preserve President Omar al-Bashir's leadership against popular opposition, also recommended public messaging themes to the regime and security responses to demonstrations. Though al-Bashir was deposed in April 2019, Russia's influence campaign in Sudan corresponded to interests in licensing for gold mines and military basing in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. For Russia, relationship building, with later economic and security agreements in mind, supersede loyalty to a particular candidate or political platform.
Moscow has demonstrated this ideological flexibility in its extensive electioneering and propaganda efforts in the Central African Republic, Libya, Madagascar, and Mozambique, among others. The Kremlin seizes upon the information space as a means to gain political allies and threaten U.S. and French interests, even if it only manages to hijack African social and political discourse in the short term or on a particular issue.
To this end, Russian state-backed media outlets offer training courses on social media and the Kremlin sends "spin doctors" or propaganda specialists overseas to African clients. These impermanent and relatively agile information operations are ideal for producing a maximum effect on African states with minimum effort.
Growing Threat to Democracy
Russia's efforts to infiltrate the information space in Africa brought to the fore with its most recent attempt to influence the 2020 U.S. election, will likely grow in scale and sophistication. In the past few years, such campaigns have enabled the Kremlin to dictate the terms of the truth and to degrade democratic discourse, which directly undermines U.S. stated interests in the region, namely its commitment to strengthening democratic progress and peace. These campaigns draw Africa into the spotlight as a battlefield where Russia can hone its weaponization of the information space against the United States and its allies.
Just as the Soviet Union did during the Cold War, Russia perceives the African information environment as permissive and less monitored, a place where it can experiment with tactics to influence political processes, fan the flames of social unrest, and deflect culpability. The threat to Africa, however, is acute. Russian information operations could fuel conflict in states prone to election violence, could destabilize governments and economies, and further erode democratic gains across the continent.
The United States and its allies can mitigate this risk by bolstering the African information environment against Russian exploitation. Specifically, the West can double down on its support for African nations and leaders working to strengthen election integrity and public discourse and to preserve independent and diverse media.
Also, establishing the means for greater collaboration between governments, civil society, and tech companies to expose and raise awareness about Russian disinformation can increase societal resilience against it.
Countering Russia's subversive activities in the information environment will not only stymy its attempt to broker political, economic, and security deals across the continent, but promote the endurance of democratic institutions at home and abroad.
Miriam Roday is a researcher in the Joint Advanced Warfighting Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses with a focus on digital disinformation, Russia, and transatlantic security.
Sarah Daly is an adjunct researcher in the Intelligence Analysis Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses with a focus on geopolitical and security developments in Africa.
The views, opinions, and findings expressed in this paper should not be construed as representing the official position of the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
A Nation in Search of Its Soul
By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi
The debate on the interrelatedness of equity, justice; peace and development is among the most presently discussed topics on the surface of the earth.
The reason for this unending debate stems from the time-honoured belief that without equity and justice, there will be no peace. And without peace, no society, group or nation should contemplate development.
For Nigeria to achieve the above feat, there exists the need to think over the marriage of two unwilling brides who had no say in their forced and ill-fated union; the amalgamation of the northern and the southern protectorates on February 14, 1914, by Sir Lord Luggard- as well as the pre-and post-independence political structure of Nigeria.
The British colonial overlords probably intended the protectorates to operate in a symmetrical manner with no part of the amalgam claiming superiority over the other. And at independence in 1960, Nigeria became a federation, resting firmly on a tripod of three federating regions-Northern, Eastern and Western Regions.
Each of the regions was economically and politically viable to steer its own ship, yet mutual suspicion among them was rife. In fact, regional loyalty surpassed nationalistic fervour with each of the three regions at a juncture threatening secession.
On the reason for amalgamation, two economic reasons/objectives, going by reports were documented. First, the supply of primary raw material (agriculture and mineral) for which Nigeria as a large nation was abundantly endowed to the British home industry, and to secure Nigeria as a large market for the industrial goods (capital and consumer items) and professional technological services of the British home industry and personnel.
The second and most serious reason for amalgamation, according to one of Nigeria's foremost lawyers, late Richard Akinjide, is found in Fredrick Lugard's Book titled The Dual Mandate of Europe in Tropical Africa London, 4th Edition, 1929, where, Lord Harcourt, the British Colonial Secretary, after whom Port Harcourt (PH) was named, clearly stated the Purpose of Amalgamation of the Entities named Nigeria as follows, "We have released Northern Nigeria from the lending Strings of the Treasury (British Government Treasury). The promising and well-conducted youth is now on Allowance on his own and is about to effect the Alliance with a Southern Lady of means. I (Lord Harcourt) have issued the special License and Sir Fredrick Lugard will perform the Ceremony. May the Union be fruitful and the Couple constant".
Now, this is the foundation of the nation's crisis. Unfortunately, it is rather one of leadership, management and perennial egotism.
The late Premier of the Western Region once described Nigeria as a "mere geographical expression" and later threatened "we (Western Region) shall proclaim self-government and proceed to assert it" a euphemism for secession.
In the same vein, the Northern Region under the Premiership of the late Ahmadu Bello never hid its desire for a separate identity. Just before independence, the region threatened to pull out of Nigeria if it was not allocated more parliamentary seats than the south. The departing British colonial masters, desirous of one big entity, quickly succumbed to the threat.
In fact, the north at that time did pretend it never wanted to have anything to do with Nigeria. For example, the motto of the ruling party in that region at that time was "One North, One People, and One Destiny." And the name of the party itself "Northern People's Congress, NPC," was suggestive of separatist fervour, distinct identity.
However, of all the secession threats since independence, it was the one issued by the Eastern Region in 1966-67 following the bloody counter-coup of July 1966 and subsequent genocide by northern soldiers and civilians in which thousands of easterners living in the north lost their lives or maimed, and the failure of Gowon to implement the Aburi Accord which was aimed at settling the crisis, that was much more potent because it was actually carried out.
The result was the declaration of the Eastern Region independent country with the name, "Biafra" on May 30, 1967, by the then Military Governor of the Region, the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
The proclamation ended with emotional 'Biafra Anthem" –'The Land of the rising Sun' rendered in the beautiful tune of 'Finlanda" by Sibelius, symbolizing the end of the struggle to assert the self-determination of a new nation.
The scene was set for a confrontation between the new state of Biafra and the balance of the ethnic nationalities that made up the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to resolve the question of the unity of the Nigerian states by use of force (see the report titled; Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra)
Looking at the above tragic developments/accounts, the question may be asked; could the civil war have been avoided? In the same vein, from the present spiralling demand in some quarters for the marriage of 1914 be ended as the basis for its continued existence has severely been weakened, coupled with the current wave of secessionist sentiments sweeping across the country with restive youths in the north and south-east particularly the very vociferous agitation for Biafra's restoration by Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, led by youthful Nnamdi Kanu, another question that is as urgent as the piece itself is; did Nigeria and Nigerians truly learn any useful lesson from the experience of the Nigerian civil wars? Are those factors that set the stage/fuelled Nigeria's civil war still alive and active in the nation's political geography?
Again, here is another affirmation that we did not learn any lesson.
Currently, a wave of secessionist sentiments is sweeping across the country with restive youths in the north and southeast as the main gladiators.
Some groups in the southwest and south-south have also joined the fray to demand the marriage of 1914 be ended as the basis for its continued existence has severely been weakened. However, the very vociferous agitation for Biafra's restoration by IPOB has been the loudest of the separatist movements.
Though separatist bug has also caught some sections of the country, there is no denying the fact that even with the defeat of the Igbo in the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, the majority of the people, especially those born after the war harbour immense sentiment for separate political and cultural identity for the Igbo nation in the mould of restoration of the short-lived Republic of Biafra.
For example, at the return of democracy in 1999, Ralph Uwazurike, an Indian-trained lawyer from Imo State, ignited a passion for Biafra among southeast youths via his separatist platform, Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
MASSOB and its founder enjoyed a tremendous following and respect among mostly youths of the region that it almost became an alternative government in the southeast. The group's sit-at-home orders were religiously obeyed just as the one declared by IPOB on May 30th was a monster success.
Uwazuruike's support base has since drastically waned following dissent in MASSOB. But from the ashes of MASSOB's bye-gone years of strident pro-Biafra agitation came Kanu and IPOB, a much more vitriolic but charming personality and organization.
Kanu happened on the national and international limelight through a pirate radio Biafra which he used as a vehicle to promote the agitation to actualise the IPOB quest for independence.
Two factors have so far worked for Kanu in his separatist agenda: His long incarceration by the Buhari government over Biafra and the recent quit notice given to the Igbo residing in the north by Arewa youths.
Both factors, apparently unknown to President Buhari's handlers, have helped and still helping IPOB and Kanu's cause. One, his incarceration for almost two years helped to project him to his supporters, a mass of Igbo youths, and the international community as a prisoner of conscience and freedom fighter.
A random sampling of opinions of pro-Biafra supporters indicates that they have rock-solid belief in their cause and are even prepared to give their lives to actualise it. They also believe that in no distant future, Biafra will be realized and point to the total compliance by the entire south-east and some parts of the south-south states like Delta and Rivers to IPOB's sit-at-home order as evidence of the justness of the Biafra cause and unstoppable progress of their dream.
While those of us who believe in the unity of Nigeria may not agree with Kanu's campaign or campaign of any group or ethnic nationality to dismember Nigeria, the truth must be told to the effect that the whole gamut of restiveness of youths, whether in the south-east, south-south, north or south-west, and resurgent demand for the dissolution of Nigeria stems from mindless exclusion, injustice and economic deprivation.
I believe that the likes of Kanu would instantly fizzle away and their cause dies naturally if Nigeria is restructured to ensure more inclusiveness. But agitations for the death of Nigeria cannot go away when nepotism and sectionalism continue to be evident in the manner of political patronage and distribution of our common patrimony as currently obtained.
It is a barefaced truth that the Nigerian state has not treated the Igbo, one of the three tripods on which the federation of Nigeria stands, fairly since the war ended. The situation is exacerbated by the current government with its mindless near-exclusion of that zone in government appointments.
And specifically to the governors of the south-east states, they are not expected to support a group that is advocating the dissolution of Nigeria but as at this material time, Biafra agitators are still their subjects and citizens of this great country. That alone qualifies them to be listened to.
Finally, the Igbo, especially its youths, should allow sanity to prevail over emotion. I hold the opinion that if by omission or commission this agitation is allowed to sail through, Kanu may not be the messiah they lost their limbs for. Chances are that Kanu, from the character he exudes, may want to establish what Niccole Machiavelli called the "hereditary principalities." For example, he now parades himself as the supreme leader of Biafra with his supporters equating him with God.
As I usually quote, "The destiny of the ship is not in the harbour but in sailing the high sea" and so shall our collective responsibility be, not to destroy this great nation but join hands to nurture and sustain it.
If we are able to manage this situation and other social menaces effectively and navigate out of dangers of disintegration, it will once again, announce the arrival of a brand new great nation where peace and love shall reign supreme. But, then, no nation enjoys durable peace without justice and stability without fairness and equity!
Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), a Lagos-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). He could be reached via Jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/08032725374.
Turkish Pipeline Fire Drives Crude Oil Prices Higher January 20, 2022


text:
Ekpali Saint
Fri, Aug 12, 2022 3:19 PM
last updated Tue, Nov 8, 2022 10:35 PM
Nigerian Kids With Cerebral Palsy Are Overcoming Discrimination At School, Here Is How
By Ekpali Saint
Credit: The Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation
OGUDU, LAGOS – Six months after his birth in August 2017, doctors at the Mercy (Children) Hospital in Lagos diagnosed Taiwo with a neurological disorder called cerebral palsy, which results from a disruption in the development of the brain in the womb or shortly after birth.
Cerebral palsy leads to a life-long disability affecting the victim's ability to move and sustain balance. Because it has no cure and can only be managed, children with the condition often need lifelong care.
Taiwo is one of a set of twins. "I feel bad about his condition," Tolulope Awolusi, his father, said. "The feeling that he cannot participate in some activities is not good on my part."
Experts say the disruption in brain development leading to cerebral palsy could be caused by an injury in a part of the brain resulting in decreased blood or oxygen flow or some infections a mother must have had during pregnancy.
"Anything that happens to the brain from inside the womb to the first five years of life can potentially damage the part of the brain that controls movement," Afolabi Lesi, a professor of pediatric neurology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, told Prime Progress.
Cerebral palsy occurs in one to four per 1,000 live births globally. But the prevalence is higher in Africa. Here, it is two to 10 per 1000 live births. In Nigeria, there is no sufficient data to show accurate prevalence, but some estimates say at least 500,000 citizens are affected.
Those with the condition, sometimes erroneously interpreted as spiritual punishment for a child's parent's sins, often suffer stigmatisation and rejection in public places and have limited access to economic opportunities.
"We took Taiwo to Providence Height [nursery school] in Lagos [in April 2019], but he was rejected because of his condition," said Awolusi.
But determined to see Taiwo study like every other child, in May that year, Awolusi searched online for organisations or individuals who support children with cerebral palsy to improve their physical condition. That led him to The Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation in Lagos, whose founder, Tobiloba Ajayi, he contacted via Facebook Messenger, explaining Taiwo's condition.
Ajayi's Lagos-based nonprofit helps children living with cerebral palsy gain admission into mainstream schools by training parents and teachers in the best ways to relate with the children and help them improve in their studies.
At her office in Lagos, Ajayi explained to Awolusi the process of getting Taiwo into a regular school after conducting a "school readiness assessment" on Taiwo. From the assessment, she identified challenges that could hinder the boy from thriving in school, including writing difficulty.
But she offered tips on Taiwo's dietary needs, including that he should be fed vitamins and calcium-rich food regularly to help his bones and muscle tones grow stronger to aid his body movement. She also recommended that Taiwo's food be soft since children with cerebral palsy sometimes find it difficult to swallow or chew.
"Sadly, these are things they did not tell us in the hospital. Taiwo was always lean [because he hardly ate enough food]," Awolusi said. "But we noticed a change when we started following the tips she [Ajayi] gave us."
Tobiloba Ajayi. Credit: Ekpali Saint
Usually, during the assessment, Ajayi determines whether the child needs to see a physiotherapist for medical attention or whether to proceed with school placement support, which entails identifying a school with trained teachers and placing the child there.
Taiwo did not need to see a therapist. With improvements in his ability to maintain balance and control body movements following the dietary recommendations, Ajayi proceeded to place him at Inspired Christian Learning Centre in Lagos, where he is currently in nursery two with Kehinde, his twin brother.
"[Ajayi's] organisation gave us hope. Taiwo and Kehinde would not have started school because I won't allow Kehinde to go to school without Taiwo," Awolusi said. "[Now] I get good reports from the school about his progress, which makes me happy."
'A keg of gunpowder'
Ajayi herself is a person living with cerebral palsy. But she did not face much rejection growing up because she had an educated and supportive family that gave her the support she needed, including placing her in non-discriminatory schools. This boosted and kept her confidence throughout her formative years up to the university as a law student.
Her motivation to support kids with cerebral palsy came when she was in the US in 2016 as a Mandela Washington Fellow having her leadership training at the Presidential Precinct, an organisation equipping emerging leaders to address pressing issues in their countries.
During the period, Presidential Precinct did and published the impact stories of fellows on Youtube. Surprisingly, Ajayi's story, which centred on her experience with cerebral palsy, went viral. It generated reactions from people, mostly Nigerian parents with children with cerebral palsy, who wanted to know how she went through school without rejection and grew to global recognition.
Some sent her direct messages on social media explaining how their children with the condition were being rejected in public and even private institutions.
When she returned to Nigeria after her fellowship, 36-year-old Ajayi started meeting with parents of children living with cerebral palsy and teachers and owners of private schools to know why mainstream schools were rejecting children with the condition. She soon identified that most teachers were not trained to help such kids, and parents frequently hid their children due to fear of stigma.
She then launched The Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation - which now has 14 volunteers - to solve these problems.
Twice yearly, it organises a one-day training for parents and teachers, each participant paying N7, 500 about ($17). The training, held every January and September, is facilitated by Ajayi and Rhoda Odigboh, a curriculum theorist and inclusive education advocate.
Teachers learn how to design lesson plans that will serve the educational needs of children with cerebral palsy and those without it in the classroom. The teachers are divided into small groups and guided to design lesson plans in four approaches – visual, auditory, aesthetics, and read and write elements.
Ajayi teaching teachers and parents how to support children with cerebral palsy. Credit: The Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn
Ajayi said presenting lesson plans in a single approach limits the learning ability of children living with cerebral palsy. "But the biggest impact so far is that the training helps to improve learning in the classroom," she said.
Ajayi only places children with cerebral palsy at schools whose teachers her foundation had trained. The foundation provides free specially designed learning materials like chunky coloured pencils and jumbo crayons for children with cerebral palsy to make their learning easy. Ajayi said 110 children have been supported with school placements since she launched in March 2017.
Her foundation has held eight training sessions involving 500 parents and teachers from about 50 schools in Lagos.
"For us, the fact that people now know that cerebral palsy is not a contagious disease and that it is not synonymous with an intellectual disability is a major win," Ajayi said.
But dealing with parents' attitudinal issues remains a challenge. She said some parents still feel ashamed of their children and barely give correct information about their condition during counselling.
"They lie, making it difficult to recommend the best [approach]. So to avoid giving wrong recommendations, I ask them to override that natural bias and not see the child as disabled," Ajayi said.
She hopes that "In the near future, we should not ask 'should children with cerebral palsy go to school?' What we should be talking about is getting scholarships for these children."
Today, Awolusi is happy with Taiwo's improvement at school. The boy wants to become a lawyer like Ajayi when he grows up, and his father says he is determined to give him (Taiwo) all the support so "he [can] defend people as well."
This story was produced with the support of Nigeria Health Watch through the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.
The Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation Tolulope Ajayi cerebral palsy
Solutions journalism is rigorous, takes lots of money, time, and effort to produce. To sustain our vision of healing Nigeria by documenting how people and groups are solving humanitarian, economic, and social problems in Nigeria, and to keep our content accessible free of charge, we ask you to support us with a modest donation (either one-off or regularly).
By donating, you are helping us change the old erroneous narrative that says Nigeria's problems are either hopeless or near hopeless.
To Save Lives, This Nonprofit Links Blood Donors To Recipients Using Telegram Bot, Facebook Messenger
Inside Nigeria's Home-grown School Feeding Programme
How Can We Help IDPs Settle Into Host Communities?
How A Nonprofit's Initiative Helps Villagers Access Healthcare


"Lasting Memories" Scrapbook Layout Challenges: Thursday's Layout to Share with you!!!
DT Call @ Digitally Sweet Challenges!
A Few Layouts to Showcase!!!
LMCB #102 - It's COOL To Be COOL!
Thursday's Layout to Share with you!!!
Some TUESDAY Inspiration to share!!!
LMCB #101 - A Special Celebration!
LMCB #100 - BINGO and a Giveaway!!!!!
I couldn't pass this one up to share with all of you!! Love the Celebration of TRIUMPH of Little Brother over Big Brother! Thanks KAREN W. for sharing this with us!!
Congratulations on being FEATURED today with us!!! Woo Hoo!! Grab your "I was Featured" badge if you haven't already!!
Okay... all of you out there!! See how EASY it is to show us just about ANYTHING you can celebrate?? Just a few days left!! You have a chance to be a part of our TOP 3 and to be entered into our Monthly giveaway!!


Physics, sponsored by the American Physical Society, aims to "spotlight exceptional research," with an emphasis on research published in APS journals.
Focus stories: Explanations of research papers geared toward students and non-experts.
Viewpoints: Commentaries on papers written by prominent experts in a given field (edited by me).
Synopses: Brief news summaries about papers.


Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus & Andorra... Those are the five teams who stand in the way of Wales and their first international tournament since the World Cup of 1958. Real Madrid's Gareth Bale and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey have the hopes of a nation resting on their shoulders as Chris Coleman's boys begin the road to Euro 2016. TFHB take a look at the history of the Welsh national team and the golden generation that is before us.
Rugby is the sport that has historically been affiliated with Welsh life and culture. The establishing of many rugby clubs across the nation means the famous red jersey is far more often associated with the oval shaped ball rather than a spherical one. Success on the rugby field has often come in waves and the recent decade has been one of relative success, notably with the British & Irish Lions often been led by Welshmen. However, on a domestic level it has long been the case that football has dominated rugby in terms of attendance. On the national level this has not matched up and that saw Wales move from the 74,500 seater Millennium Stadium to 27,000 (now 33,316) seater Cardiff City Stadium for the regular home international ties. As Euro 2016 qualification begins, the country is now filled with optimism about the prospect of a major tournament finals.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) was formed in February 1876 with the desire to compete against Scotland, a tie that had been taking place between them and England for 4 years previous. The first secretary Llewelyn Kenrick, a Welsh solicitor, organised the match against Scotland in front of 17,000 fans but Wales would go on to lose 4-0.
The early years were significantly dominated by the north of the principality as rugger (rugby) was the sport of the south. Soccer (association football) was looked upon as the sport of the working class with rugger the predominately private school game along the lines of "Muscular Christianity". However by the mid-1890s the sport was on its rapid rise, the league system was fully organised, the FA Cup had become an institution whilst professionalism had been legalised in 1885. In 1895 Welsh football found one of its first heroes, a outside forward from Chirk, North Wales, who made his debut in a 2-2 draw with Ireland.
Billy Meredith began his career with local club Chirk before moving on to Northwich Victoria. Following this came his break for fame, Manchester City. He spent 12 years in the blue half of Manchester and played 339 league games for the club on the way to scoring 129 goals. His best season for the team was when he notched 29 goals in 33 games as the Citizens were promoted back to the First Division. He won an FA Cup with City before his move to North-West rivals Manchester United in 1906. The agile, tall, strong forward played 303 league matches for United but in a reduced goalscoring role he found the net 35 times. During the 11 seasons with the club he was instrumental in 2 First Division title victories, an FA Cup and 2 FA Charity Shields. Finally he returned to Man City for 28 league appearances but it was for Wales he found real stardom. He earned 48 caps and scored 11 goals as well as winning the 1907 & 1920 British Home Championships, Wales' first and second ever.
Football's popularity grew in the years following The Great War that finished in 1918 and Wales saw success in the British Home Championships during the inter-war period. They won in 1920, 1924, 1928, 1933, 1934 and 1937 with Fred Keenor of Cardiff City playing in 3 of the victories. He won 32 caps between 1920-1932 and the 5ft 7in defender was also the captain of the Cardiff during their FA Cup success. Since its inception, the FA Cup has only been won by a non-English team once, that was in 1927 and it is Cardiff City's most famous moment. They beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley Stadium following their final defeat to Sheffield United in 1925. Welsh football clubs had joined the English football league system but when economic depression hit in the 1930s that all went sour. Various clubs fell out of the football league and many stopped existing all together, such as Mid Rhondda FC. Fred Keenor was sold by Cardiff to Crewe Alexandra in 1931 and the biggest Welsh club slipped down the divisions.
World War Two hit in 1939 and this changed the landscape of Europe, football could not be avoid this either. However, in 1946 football began its steady incline and post-war boom. Attendances in football for the next decade peaked as people had little alternatives with their free time and unemployment was at 3%, something it did not rise above between 1948-1970 . 41 million spectators were attracted to professional football in 1948/49 as many clubs broke record attendances that still exist to this day.  For Welsh football the 1950s became arguably their heyday with the towering John Charles the leader of his generation. Swansea born Charles began his professional career with Leeds United and scored 150 goals in 297 league games for the club where he either played at centre back or centre half. In 1957, he was courted by Juventus who paid a British record £65,000 for his services. Charles earned legendary status in Italy during his 3 Serie A title wins and was named Italian league Player of the Year in 1958. He returned to Britain with Leeds United, Cardiff City and Hereford United as well as having a spell with Roma but he also was mighty on the national stage.
Wales' finest hour to this date came in 1958 when they made their first and only foray into the FIFA World Cup. Qualification was earned in rather unusual circumstances as Wales were handed a play-off lifeline against Israel, this followed the Suez Crisis and the withdrawal of Egypt, Indonesia, Sudan and Belgium. Wales beat the Israeli's 4-0 on aggregate with goals from Len and Ivor Allchurch, Cliff Jones and captain Dave Bowen. Wales' tournament group contained Mexico, hosts Sweden and 1954 runners-up Hungary. The Welsh opened their campaign with a draw against Hungary as John Charles netted in the 27th minute. 3 days later followed a draw with Mexico thanks to Ivor Allchurch and then a 0-0 draw with Sweden saw them secure a play-off against Hungary to decide who would advance. After falling 1 behind in the first half to a Lajos Tichy goal, it took Ivor Allchurch and Terry Medwin to put Wales into the Quarter-Finals. Next up was Brazil, who featured the likes of Pelé, Vavá and Garrincha. The Brazilian took 66 minutes to break the deadlock as debutants Wales managed to hold their own. However Pelé would send Wales home and Brazil would go on to beat Sweden in the final. Wales had survived Sweden and Hungary and would only lose to a top class Brazil squad, certainly the country's finest hour. Read the full story about 1958 in our piece here.
The rest of the 1990s were shameful for Wales with Bobby Gould taking the national side a number of steps backwards that prompted his resignation in 1999. Mark Hughes would eventually be appointed his permanent replacement and would come agonisingly close to a major tournament again in 2003. Wales would lose their play off for Euro 2004 to Russia making the highlight from the early 2000s, the 2002 win over the mighty Italians 2-1 thanks to a Craig Bellamy strike.  Josh Toshack then took the helm but as pressure grew on him with poor performances, he would step down and the FAW would make perhaps their greatest decision for many a decade... Gary Speed.
Gary Speed was given the task at improving the fortunes of the Welsh national team. He was appointed as boss in December 2010 and following a struggle that hung over the side from the previous regime Wales dropped to 117th in the world rankings in August 2011. However, then followed the turn around as Gary Speed's tenure took hold and victories came against Montenegro, Switzerland and Bulgaria as well as a close 1-0 away loss to England. In November 2011 Wales beat Norway 4-1 at home as the rankings showed that they had moved up to 45th. Then came the heartbreaking news, on 27th November 2011, Gary Speed committed suicide at his home. The man who we truly believed would take up to a tournament and who was loved throughout the nation was gone and tears flowed from fans and players alike. Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale had emerged as vital talents in their domestic squads and were taking the international stage by storm too, now qualification become about doing it for Speedo.
Chris Coleman was given the chance to replace Speed. A tough task and a very bittersweet moment for someone who called Gary Speed his friend. In January 2012 the decision was made and then in February 2012 came the Gary Speed memorial match against Costa Rica at Cardiff City Stadium.  The emotional night is one I certainly won't forget and the 1-0 loss began the new tenure. Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup started terribly: a 2-0 home loss to Belgium followed by a humiliating 6-1 away loss to Serbia. Perhaps the highlight of these campaign that saw Wales finish 5th out of 6, was the double victory over Scotland. On 12 October 2012 in Cardiff with Wales 1-0 with 10 minutes to go, Gareth Bale stepped in with a marvelous double to sink the Scots. Then in March 2013 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Wales would come from 1-0 down again to beat Scotland. Unfortunately the poor form would continue with loses to Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia again. It seemed Coleman's time was up with public opinion completely against the Swansea born man. The FAW though would restrain from execution though as Wales saw off Macedonia at home and then earned a brilliant draw with the Belgians away in the final game of qualification.
Now things are slightly different, on 18 September 2014, Wales moved up to their highest FIFA world ranking since the days of Terry Yorath, 29th.  Despite criticism of Coleman and a terrible performance away to Andorra, another Gareth Bale double salvo saved Wales' blushes in our opening Euro 2016 qualifier. When a full side is out it can boast Swansea captain Ashley Williams, Liverpool's Joe Allen, Arsenal maestro Aaron Ramsey, 20 goal 2013/14 Championship man Sam Vokes and one of the best players in the world in Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale. Coleman will remain in charge as Wales set their sights on France, Euro 2016. What it requires is a fully fit squad, a packed out Cardiff City Stadium and a united nation. The next step begins in October as the Welsh host Cyprus and Bosnia. Will this group of players become our 'Golden Generation'? Well only the next 9 matches will tell as the hopes of that proud history rest on their shoulders.
We'd love you to vote for us in the Football Blog Awards by tweeting this or following this link and entering us in the 'New' category!
 J. Denman. 'Unemployment statistics from 1881 to the present day' (January 1996) <www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour.../unemployment-since-1881.pdf>.
 Richard Holt and Tony Mason, Sport in Britain 1945-2000 (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2000), p.3.
 Catch 11 minutes of gripping video highlights on the BBC Sport website here.
 BBC Sport article about the game here.
 Match report from BBC Sport on the Gary Speed memorial match here.


text:
Minions er en amerikansk computeranimeret komedie- og krimifilm i 3D fra 2015. Den er efterfølger til Grusomme mig (2010) og Grusomme mig 2 (2013).

Handling

Minions er små gule dyr som har eksisteret siden tidernes begyndelse. De har udviklet sig fra encellede organismer til skabninger, som kun eksisterer for at tjene verdens
superskurke. Tre minioner, Stuart, Kevin og Bob, drager fra deres base i Antarktis til USA i håb om at finde en leder de kan følge. De finder Scarlett Overkill, verdens første kvindelige superskurk.

Medvirkende

Referencer

Eksterne henvisninger

Animationsfilm fra USA
Computeranimationsfilm
Amerikanske film fra 2015

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


When it comes to blogging, there is not always a clear distinction between right and wrong. Your journey to success will look different than everyone else's.
But it seems like there are certain beliefs that many people still hold onto in the blogging world. Whether you are new to blogging, or have been at it for a few years, you have probably come across some of these blogging myths that I am going to share with you today.
I have been blogging for a little over four years, and I am definitely guilty of falling victim to a few of these myths.
As someone who has been around for awhile, I feel like it is my duty to share with you some of the blogging myths that I have encountered.
Nope, definitely wrong. Shocking, right?
You started your blog, so it should be about you. Sorry to say, but it can't be.
Most blogs are started as a hobby, and more often than not, they share personal stories and life experiences.
But the main focus of your blog needs to be your audience. Although you still need to maintain your unique voice and writing style, your reader's needs should be your focal point. In order to build a relationship and gain a loyal audience, you have to serve their needs.
This does not mean you can't share your life throughout your blog; it just means that you need to tie it in to help solve your reader's problems, and answer their questions, within your content.
Even if you have the most interesting blog and write mind-blowing content, your posts still need to be found by your ideal readers. Yes, I know everyone says the term, "Content is King", which means your amazing content should be found automatically, but that is not always the case.
I made this mistake when I first started blogging. I was so excited to have my blog up and running, that it never occurred to me that people would not come flooding in.
Promotion is an important aspect of blogging. You cannot sit on the sidelines and wait for readers to find your blog. You need to go find them.
I used to wholeheartedly believe this myth. I was so worried that if I narrowed down my focus and stayed within a niche that I would be limiting myself. I wanted to relate to everyone who landed on my blog, and to do this, I needed to write about every topic possible…or so I thought.
I was wrong. You cannot be an expert in everything. I was trying to relate to everyone, and in doing so I wasn't relating to anyone. People would land on my blog and not understand what it was about. It was overwhelming, and the audience that I was getting was not my ideal reader. Once I took the time to figure out my blog's purpose, I began to grow and connect with my readers. This myth held me back for a long time [2 years, but who's counting?].
I have heard this myth quite a bit over the last few years. A lot of bloggers bank on the notion that if they have a post go viral, that they will be set. Although it is nice to increase your page views and have more traffic, it does not necessarily mean more money.
You can have an extremely small and engaged audience, and make much more money than someone with a huge audience.
The key is not comparing yourself to other bloggers. Just because someone may have 1 million page views does not mean that they make a ton of money from their blog. The relationship that you build with your readers is much more valuable.
Your authority and reputation will have a bigger impact on your audience. You could have a ton of traffic, but if your readers do not value your blog, it won't make a difference how many visitors you have.
Not only is blogging everyday difficult to keep up with, but it does not directly correlate to the success of your blog. Every blog is different and every blog has a different audience.
You may see bloggers who are extremely successful post once a week, and another successful blogger post every single day.
You need to figure out what works well with you and your audience. Focus on quality over quantity. Do not get caught up in posting every day just because that is what you see other people doing.
If you need to, take more time to perfect a post rather than posting because you feel like you have to.
I got caught up in this myth in the beginning years of my blog. I was so worried that if I did not post every single day, that people would stop coming to my site.
I was not focusing on the quality of my content. It did not matter if I posted three times a day; I was not going to build a larger audience, because my posts were rushed and did not offer much value.
Not everything you write needs to be done for SEO purposes. Focusing on SEO is a great way to target specific keywords, but sometimes you just need to write for your audience, without trying to put in keywords and phrases.
This is definitely a myth. Like I mentioned above, a larger audience does not necessarily mean you will be successful. Having a smaller audience, who is loyal to you and your blog, can be much more beneficial. You need to be focusing on building a community of like-minded people, not worrying about your numbers.
Organic growth will happen when you put in the work, and focus on attracting the right readers to your blog.
Did you fall victim to any of these myths?


text:
EML Wambola (A433) is a  built in 1977. As KDM Lossen, she served in the Danish Navy  until 2006. Sold to the Estonian Maritime Academy as a maritime training vessel, she was renamed MS Kristiina. In 2009, she was handed over to the Estonian Navy as a command and support vessel and renamed Wambola.

History
KDM Lossen () was built in Denmark by Svendborg Ship Yard Ltd. as a minelayer. Her crest was prepared by the Navy's Heraldic Working Group at the request of the Chief of the Danish Navy and approved by Queen Margrethe II on 1 December 1976. The vessel was laid down on 9 June 1977 and launched on 9 September 1977. She entered service a year later on 14 June 1978 and became part of the Danish 2. Minelayer Division. In 1982, Lossen was made available to STANAVFORCHAN for command and support duties. Lossen served as a command ship when she participated in the exercise Blue Harrier between 12 and 22 April 1988.

The Danish Navy decommissioned KDM Lossen on 22 October 2004 and sold the vessel to the Estonian Maritime Academy on 4 July 2006. Renamed MS Kristiina, it was intended that she be used as a maritime training vessel. However, due to shortfalls in funding, the Maritime Academy handed the vessel over to the Estonian Navy on 10 September 2009. The ship was renamed EML Wambola on 14 May 2010 and left in reserve.

Wambola was modernized in the first half of 2016 and commissioned to replace  on 1 November 2016, with (Lt. Junior Grade) Leitnant Ermo Jeedas becoming her commander. EML Wambola took up the role of flagship of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 between 8 February 2017 and 29 June 2017. On 31 August 2017, (Lt.) Vanemleitnant Tanel Kangro became the ship's commander. On 16 August 2019, (Lt. Comdr.) Kaptenmajor Deniss Tulin replaced Tanel Kangro as the captain of the ship.

References

External links
Estonian Navy
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1)

Lindormen-class minelayers
1977 ships
Ships built in Svendborg


text:
require 'desk_api/error/client_error'

module DeskApi
  class Error
    # Raised when desk.com returns the HTTP status code 429
    class TooManyRequests < DeskApi::Error::ClientError
      HTTP_STATUS_CODE = 429
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Did Lady Gaga seek help from plastic surgery?
Did Lady Gaga seek help…
Actors and ActressesModelsSingers
The world-famous, popular singer and fashion designer, an icon of style and a fighter for justice, the multifaceted and talented Lady Gaga could not help but fall under the sight of journalists to see if she visits the plastic surgeon's office. Of course, the singer looks amazing, but nevertheless, fans found oddities that should be considered more closely and we will definitely do it.
In her early childhood, she was a little cute girl who used to toss and sing on stage. Now her dream has come true and she has to play by the rules of show business and do things that she probably would not dare to do. We mean Lady Gaga surgery. In particular, it was noticed that some parts of the body began to change over time and the singer began to appear in public with signs of changes in appearance. Who would call Lady Gaga the outbreak of the queen, he will certainly be right. She never shone with modesty, her clothes and outfits were and will be stunning. And the appearance always raises questions. Let's try to answer the most popular ones.
1 Lady Gaga's nose looks straight (2006)
2 How many operation she did? (2008)
3 Lady Gaga before and after plastic surgery (2006-2010)
4 Is such a young face the result of a facelift? (2012)
5 Why did Lady Gaga's ass grow? (2015)
6 Childhood Years
7 Teenager Years
8 Year 2005
10 Year 2010
17 Lady Gaga Without Makeup
19 What she says about that rumors?
20 More Information about Lady Gaga:
21 Lady Gaga Instagram
22 Watch video transformation
22.1 Related Posts:
Lady Gaga's nose looks straight (2006)
For example, some worshipers point out what her nose looks like. Lady Gaga did some work on her nose. Earlier, during her unpopularity, when she only performed with her group in bars and cafes, her nose was bigger and said bluntly that Lady Gaga has Italian roots. It was so obvious that the fans noticed this change and began to tell each other that their idol was not satisfied with her appearance, no matter how much she would say that she needed to be proud of her individuality. And now look: her nose has become smaller. Lady Gaga nose job – that's what it is. And it happened around 2014. It was during this period that the singer was increasingly suspected of carrying out the operation, and in some interviews she confirmed that she had performed some manipulations with her appearance, but this only concerned Botox injections.
How many operation she did? (2008)
But we were still assured that there were manipulations and consultations with a plastic surgeon too. Well, what did you want? Lady Gaga is a whole cult and a world for many fans of her work. She is a very media person and her lifestyle attracts everyone without exception. Well, who has never uttered or even heard her name? This is how they relate to her personality. And she has to keep her back straight and answer all the questions of biting journalists. Lady Gaga before and after – they are two completely different women, as many speculators believe. Due to a change in her nose, her singing technique changed, as some phoniatologists believe. But these are the opinions of experts, but the simple viewer only has a nose that has become so neat and small, as if she was born with him.
READ LAHH Star Hazel-E's Plastic Surgery and Tattoos – Before and After Pictures
Lady Gaga before and after plastic surgery (2006-2010)
In many photos where Lady Gaga before and after it can be seen that the early shots capture her with the presence of mimic wrinkles. These photos were taken relatively long ago, when she was 25. Now these wrinkles are almost gone. Even in the photo, where the singer appears before us without makeup, this lack of wrinkles is visible and suggests the idea that a high-quality face lift was performed. As a result of this operation, certain areas of the face, or rather the skin on it, are tightened in a certain configuration, thus achieving the effect of smoothing wrinkles. The face is rejuvenated, significantly transformed. And then this effect can be maintained with a variety of creams and ointments. That's how you can regain years. Lady Gaga is a very media person and all changes in appearance will be displayed on photos. Therefore, all the fans will be easy to find any changes. Take only a few photos from different periods of the singer's performances and compare them with each other. Let's see how it happened this time.
Is such a young face the result of a facelift? (2012)
Lady Gaga face lift gave the singer such a peculiar young look that impresses fans, giving them hope that their idol is always young and will present many more new creations. It's hard to argue with that. In many interviews, Gaga mentioned that she did Botox injections. This operation is quick and easy. There are several ways to do it, and the client must leave happy with it. Lady Gaga decided to give injections to increase her lips. The photo shows that at the beginning of her solo career she has small lips, while at the present time she has ripe and rich lips that stand out significantly on her face. This selection is also emphasized by lipsticks and gels that create volume. Her face now looks very young and all fashion magazines write only praise for her work. Not only was a high-quality face lift, as a result, wrinkles were removed around the eyes, wrinkles in the neck, chin area were almost imperceptible, the cheeks looked very rosy and fresh, the forehead was completely even. This also tells us that Botox shots do their work and we see the result of plastic surgery. But very high quality, professional. At this level, much is at stake and the best in this business should work. Lady Gaga is no exception and copes amazingly with the pressure, succinctly answering all the questions about her possible consultations with surgeons.
READ Has Marie Osmond Ever Had Plastic Surgery? Breast, Facelift, Botox, Jaw
Why did Lady Gaga's ass grow? (2015)
Some lovers of speculation and simply curious personalities have suggested that Lady Gaga's buttocks have grown significantly. Her thighs were also increased. Of course, many attributed this to the fact that the singer turned for help to plastic surgeons and made an implant, and due to this her buttocks just exploded. Some tried to protect the singer and said that this is only the result of training in the gym, exercise, a large number of squats with weights. That's why the legs and buttocks became so pumped up. What is not a reasonable explanation? But those who disliked the singer, nevertheless, did not cease to exert pressure and in social networks literally showered her with accusations that she "pumped" her buttocks with implants. This is really intrigue. But meanwhile, her ass looks quite natural. Of course, looking at the photos of bygone days, we find her with a small neat booty, quite unlike the one she has now. But she was young and slim. But the dance activities, which she does, a large number of concerts make themselves known. Can you imagine what it is like to dance almost every day? Constant classes with choreographers, dance performances – as a result, we get a reasonable explanation for the increase in the volume of her buttocks. And it looks quite natural and natural. Such a mobile activity, proper nutrition, providing yourself with nutrients, makes the singer so slim, athletic and fit. And Lady Gaga surgery comes to the background, because this would be an unnecessary factor that interferes with the dance. Imagine dynamically dancing Kim Kardashian. This presentation will not last long.
Childhood Years
Teenager Years
Lady Gaga Without Makeup
In conclusion, we can say that Lady Gaga is a standard of natural beauty and cheerfulness of a woman. Many housewives with trepidation watch movies with her participation and try to be inspired by this state. Many actresses ask Gaga for advice on how to maintain their state at a positive level. After all, the feminine state of mind is so precarious that you need to be very sensitive to every minute of your life and look for inspiration in everything that you want. Lady Gaga has a partner at the moment, she is raising two adopted children. Perhaps, than, if not the presence of such beautiful children, you can inspire yourself and wake up every morning for their sake. And all the talk about the fact that Lady Gaga surgery only do that they support her youth are simply ridiculous. Try to live your life, adhering to the correct philosophical principles, leading a healthy lifestyle and almost without using harmful food and you will get a terrific result.
READ Julie Bowen and plastic surgeries
What she says about that rumors?
«AND HOW MANY MODELS AND ACTRESSES DO YOU SEE ON MAGAZINE COVERS WHO HAVE BRAND-NEW FACES AND HAVE HAD PLASTIC SURGERY, WHILE I MYSELF HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PLASTIC SURGERY? I AM AN ARTIST, AND I HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE FREE WILL TO CHOOSE THE WAY THE WORLD WILL ENVISION ME"
– that's what she said in an interview about her possible operations. It's hard not to agree with her. It only remains to add that Lady Gaga looks 70 percent natural. In addition, she does not need plastic to be at the height of her success. All the changes that are external, that internal, are the changes that Lady Gaga herself decides to carry out. All issues that cause such transformations should be resolved
directly with the participation of Gaga. This is in some case difficult solutions, in some they are given easier. In any case, every decision has a reason and it must be heard and accepted by fans.
More Information about Lady Gaga:
Name: Lady Gaga
Nick Name: Lady Gaga, Gaga, Queen of pop
Birth name: Stefani Joanne Germanotta
Profession: Singer
Place of birth: New York
Height: 5 feet 1 inch
Hair color: Dyed Blonde
Etnicity: White
Lady Gaga Instagram
#HAUSEDITORIAL in @hauslabs 📸 by @christinehahn 💄 by @sarahtannomakeup 💇♀ by @fredericaspiras Products: Glam Attack in Legend, Dynasty, Rose B*tch 🤘 EYE-LIE-NER in Punk 🦹♀ RIP Lip Liner in Ride 🏍 Le Riot Lip Gloss in Blaze 🔥
Публикация от Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) 20 Сен 2019 в 2:00 PDT
Watch video transformation
Stay on site plasticsurgerypro.info for latest exiting information.
Has Jada Smith Had Plastic Surgery, Nose, Facelift,…
Demi Rose Mawby Plastic Surgery: Lips Boobs Job &…
Jennifer Lopez Plastic Surgery: before and after
Niykee Heaton Plastic Surgery, Boob Job, Nose & Lip…
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Models, SingersBy redactor Leave a comment
Tags: Lady Gaga
PreviousPrevious post:Has Megan Fox Had Cosmetic Surgery?NextNext post:Did Rihanna get Plastic Surgery, Breast implants, Forehead, Eye, boob job and hair?
Julie Bowen and plastic surgeries
Mindy Kaling Plastic Surgery Before and After Pictures, Nose Job, Skin Bleach, Lips
Has Marie Osmond Ever Had Plastic Surgery? Breast, Facelift, Botox, Jaw
Christina el Moussa Plastic Surgery – Before and After Pictures
Kylie Jenner, Before And After plastic surgery
Sandra Bullock prefers plastic surgery?
Nicki Minaj Plastic Surgery Before and After, Breast, Butt Implants
Bella Thorne and all her plastic surgery. Really?
Ana Cheri Plastic Surgery, Breast Implants, Nose Job, Lips Fillers


The course will provide an update on current diagnostic standards, best practice and new developments in clinical practice relating to the young onset dementias. Delegates will see clinical and research facilities, talk with our specialist doctors and nurses, and learn about opportunities for research collaboration. The overarching aim of the course is to bring delegates fully up to date in the emerging and increasingly important clinical field of young onset dementia.
A case-presentation session at the end of the meeting will give delegates an opportunity to have difficult cases or management dilemmas discussed by an expert panel.
The features that distinguish early stages of neurodegenerative dementia in people under 65 from the worried well or the effects of depression or anxiety.
The diagnostic processes that lead to the recognition of Alzheimer's disease, the frontotemporal dementias and other, rarer types of dementia in people aged under 65.
The support that is available to people with young onset dementia after diagnosis.
Attendees: General practitioners; psychiatrists (consultants and trainees); neurologists (consultants and trainees); dementia specialist nurses; dementia support workers.
For more information and to book the course, please click here.


I've written before of my brain surgeries and their impact on my life and well being. The discovery of my aneurysm and the progressive brain disorder led to an extreme change in every aspect of how I live my life from work to exercise to my overall general health. I had been in very good shape – I was going to aerobics classes and doing weight training. I had successfully gone through a weight loss program and was at a healthy weight. I was making healthy choices right and left! I had set a series of health goals and I had met them. I was in a really good place and then, well, I wasn't. My brain laughed at my "really good place" and took me down a peg or two. But that's OK because it ultimately led me to where I am now and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
Now I have good days and bad days; the bad ones leave me sleeping for most of the day. I knew that I needed to do something to try and be better about exercise – I really don't get a lot of formal exercise but I do a fair bit of moving around in taking care of the goats. It's surprising what goes into their daily needs. I also try and eat well which is somewhat easy to do since we grow most of our food. I just have to learn to curb my sweet tooth! My husband and I have chosen the lifestyle we live to have a healthier life so I was so excited to learn that Walgreens has a new addition to their Balance Rewards program.
You are a member of Balance Rewards aren't you? It's Walgreens' point program and it's free and easy to join! You can earn points with purchases – I was able to use points to get $5 off one of my orders. You can sign up online or the next time you go into your local Walgreens. Once you sign up you can join the healthy choices program and track your progress towards a healthier you..
It's really simple; you just log in and set your goal. Then enter your info and sync your device if you have one. It's really simple; you just log in and set your goal. Then enter your info and sync your device if you have one. You can earn points in a number of different ways. Fitness goals can lead to 1000 points a month. You can earn up to 20 points per day for entering weight and blood pressure readings; blood glucose can earn you up to 40 a day. Connecting devices can garner you up to 500 points a month so you can see that there are many options to make that point balance soar! There are many options for adding points to your account.
A lot of water gets hauled. I must admit this is my least favorite job. I don't know exactly why, but it's the task that I least look forward to – haul it to the pen, haul it to the barn. Water, water, water. I guess it's my weight training now since each bucket weighs close to 24lbs! In the heat of the summer the goats go through a lot more than in winter so I'm hauling probably twice as much.
Goats are not always the most cooperative of animals so I do spend a fair bit of time chasing them to get them in their pens. If they see something that looks like it tastes good – off they go! I can't say that I blame them. I've been known to act that way around bakeries…..
Heading up to the barn at night is another story; I try not to get in their way! They are VERY focused on getting to their grain! When it's barn time, IT.IS.BARN.TIME! They also have been known to get the wild and crazies and just run around like maniac beasts! Silly goats!
So Walgreens – exactly how many points DO I earn for being chased by goats?
Or chasing them for that matter?
I'll bet you aren't going to get many people asking you THAT question!
Making healthy choices for me is also impacted by the fact that I am post menopausal. I take calcium for my bones and a multivitamin every day because I know I need them for my better health. I have trouble swallowing pills and I can find the gummies that I love at my local Walgreens – they were even on sale on my last visit. Needless to say I stocked up, I love a sale! You can find what you need for all of your diet and nutrition needs.
You can save money with the Balance Rewards card and start earning more points with the healthy choices program. It might just be the extra push you need to motivate yourself to set a goal and work towards achieving it.