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The Russia Report
So, it's finally appeared and I'm not sure what to say…
The Russia report surprised me but not in the way I expected. I thought the evidence of Russian interference in Brexit was obvious because… well, Russia has been involving itself in everything we do for at least a decade. I first wrote my judo analogy years ago. Putin is good at pushing when we're off-balance, tripping us when we're not quite on our feet. He has been adept at using our free press to destroy our free press. Maybe people have forgotten the days when The Guardian's comment section was entirely filled with Russian propaganda. Russia's cyber operations and use of social media have become infinitely more subtle since then and are streets ahead of our ability to counter them.
No, what surprised me was the degree to which the British government has tried to look the other way. Yet whilst being surprised in one breath, I also realised I was not that surprised in the next. The government was always going to look the other way. Who, after all, votes for them? This isn't really about Russia. It's about the existential threat to the Conservative Party, which has spent the best part of the last decade fearful that they'd lose votes to their immediate right. UKIP, and then the Brexit Party, threatened to do to the Tories what the Lib Dems and Greens constantly do to Labour: splitting the vote. To look too closely at the referendum might raise legitimate concerns about a result that ran counter to every poll before and after the ballot.
Do they really want to unpick the result, reigniting the smouldering pile of tires that is British nationalism? All us Remainer types have our huge but peaceful protests in London so we can be ignored. The evidence of the other week proves that the other side wouldn't be anywhere near as pleasant.
And, yes, I'm letting my bias creep in, but I think there's some truth in what I'm writing. We Remainy types generally accept the result even though we hate it and would have happily pushed for a second referendum. We begrudgingly accept that Brexit will happen. I'm certainly not going to punch a policeman to vent my anger. I'm not sure the same would be true if the result was reversed.
I very much doubt that much now happens regarding the report. I notice the government have already rejected the idea of a proper investigation (of course they would) whilst Farage (turn three times, spit, and shout "bollocks") is claiming he's been vindicated, despite the report saying that Russian meddling was never properly investigated. It's beginning to feel like the Mueller Report, which said it couldn't clear the President but had no legal means to prosecute him, so the President read that as being vindicated.
Having mentioned the 'F' word, I'm going to end this here. I can feel myself getting angry. Let me finish, however, with a different perspective on the news.
I mainly watch/listen to American networks because I find US politics so much more interesting than politics in the UK. Yet when they do cover the UK, it's often with more objectivity. It's been interesting, for example, to see how American health experts have viewed stories about the Oxford vaccine. They don't think it's as significant as the press over here have been making it and one even went so far as to suggest that the British government might be spinning the news for domestic reasons. I'm not saying that's either right or wrong but I am increasingly worried about Johnson's instincts. Nick Cohen has written an excellent piece for The Spectator today, where he talks about the "Soviet level of overpromising, faked targets and power worship" around this government. That mirrors my own feelings about what's going on. Johnson is acting like the Oxford vaccine will save him and save him by the end of the year. There's a certain swagger about this government that doesn't reflect the reality of our situation: a second wave that might yet be imminent and a No-Deal Brexit that looks increasingly certain. The vaccine might protect us a bit, a lot, or not at all. Nobody knows how long the antibodies will last. One US doctor I listened to said the vaccine produces lower levels of protection than if a person has recovered from the virus yet, in those instances, the protection might not last a month. Are we really all going to get vaccinated each month?
The answer is that we have to wait for the science. Yet it still doesn't explain the confidence I'm sensing coming out of our government. It appears to be a confidence they have done absolutely nothing to earn.
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8 thoughts on "The Russia Report"
Ah, the saintly remainy types wot never did no harm to nobody.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brexit-supporter-attack-eu-referendum-european-union-remain-manchester-a7362956.html
They also didn't drive cars at Brexit party candidates, milk shake them, upend their campaign stands and so on back in 2019. I have no qualms in admitting that there are violent idiots on the pro Brexit side who have committed a number of assaults. I just can't understand your position or that of remain supporters who seem unable to accept the equal unpleasantness emanating from their own side. The leave side always has to be worse. Calling someone a brexitard, a brexshiteer, a racist or a Nazi always has to be less insulting that calling someone a remoaner or a traitor or a snowflake. This attitude of moral and intellectual superiority displayed over the past four years has not helped the remain cause one jot. If the masterminds of the remain campaign and the later stop brexit campaign had been even half as clever as they thought they were, then we wouldn't be about to leave the EU with the hardest brexit possible. The irony is that had the result been accepted we would have had a soft brexit not so very different from membership. We also wouldn't currently have Bozo the Clown running the country, but hey ho.
Happily pushing for a second referendum isn't accepting the result by the way, it is actually the opposite of accepting the result.
Russian interference will have occurred at every electoral event since universal suffrage, for seven years one of our biggest newspapers was owned by Maxwell, a man rumoured to have worked for the KGB, little good it did them. You can take it as read that they interfered with the referendum, so what?, try and quantify the effect, it's impossible and the government is right to leave well alone. Or we can continue to argue for another few years over something that is now done. There were three opportunities to stop brexit at the ballot box, if they weren't taken that isn't the fault of the Russians, the Conservitives or anyone other than the mythical majority who didn't want to leave the EU.
And this is why I write a blog… There's nothing about what I write here that has to be fair or balanced. It's just my unfiltered opinion, written in the fuzzy part of the morning when I'm still waking up.
And, yes, you can always find counter-examples and I'm not denying there was awful behaviour on both sides. Yet I can't help be guided by what I perceived at the time and still believe: Brexit was driven by English nationalists, often with a deeply unpleasant outlook. I might have felt differently if the debate was led by people like you but it wasn't.
I know this sometimes makes it feel like those of us on the Remain side are always hurling the same insults to Leavers but that's the nature of broad-brush thinking. Sometimes it's not possible to parenthesize everything in order to add "(obviously, not everybody is like this)". I think Will Self nailed it when he said that "Not all Brexiters are racists, but almost all racists will be voting for Brexit". I've previously told you that you're one of the few exceptions to the general rule. For every intelligent conversation I've had with you, I've had an email or Twitter exchanges with somebody else peddling propaganda taken from Far-Right websites. I frankly got sick of people emailing me the very same reports about rape in Sweden.
And I'm sure Leavers would have been royally pissed off with a Second Ref, which is why I always said it was unlikely and unfair. But I still wanted one. I do think Leave cheated and I always thought Russia meddled. But I also know there's fuck all we can do. Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. But I'm not going to argue Brexit. I know where you stand. You know where I stand.
As for the Russian argument, I'm sure there are many incidents involving the Russians that have been conveniently brushed under the carpet. It's just that there are now political reasons to pretend it didn't happen. Still doesn't make it right.
Not an argument about Brexit, an argument about perception and tribalism if you like.
I remember watching Will Self, the rich, white, public school educated grandson of Sir Henry as he lectured Dreda Say Mitchell (a working class black woman) on racism while making that comment. Summed up the total lack of self awareness from remain as a whole for me.
With regard to Self's comment, I have always thought it was just him having a lash out after losing, if it hadn't been racism it would have been "not all leave voters are thick but…". And you know what, he may have actually had a smidgen of solid ground with that one if looked at from a purely educational perspective. He may even got away with "a majority of racists", but almost all?, not a chance.
That argument is a load of bollocks as it assumes that all racists go around using words like P*ki. I know a huge number of remain voting people, who outwardly don't present as racist but are racist nevertheless. They engaged in white flight from London to live in the least ethnically diverse towns in the South. I remember their reaction when I moved to one of the most ethnically diverse towns outside of London and it was illuminating to put it mildly. They like black and asian people when they deliver a parcel or make them a coffee. Moving in next to them, not so much. They are ever so very polite and tactful about it though I must say and isn't that the trick?.
Look at the lack of black people in the boardroom, in medicine, in the judiciary, in all of the top professions. The people who make those appointments aren't the football lads alliance or any of the other crackpot groups that attached themselves to Brexit. They are well educated upper middle class and overwhelmingly pro EU in their political views, people not unlike the Will Self's of this world in fact. Just because they hide their racism extremely well doesn't make them any less racist. The proof of the pudding as they say.
There is any number of idiots online, twitter is the pits of the earth. Had you been a leaver you would be telling me about the FBPE cultists and their indentikit memes, word for word responses to arguments and let's not forget the 30 person pile in.
Perhaps I look at it differently as in many ways I switched sides to vote leave. Never thought I would be on the same side as the likes of Peter Bone and Steve Baker so I don't feel part of the leave tribe. However, after the last four years I'm certainly no friend of the remain tribe either and never will be again. It has been a bit of an eye opener for me I have to say. That should give you an idea of how bad "your side" have been.
Always been political reasons to airbrush Russian activity, just look at Chris Bryants comments on the daily politics.
I really don't want to turn this into Brexit because I know you think me wrong and we will never agree. From memory, however, I'm sure he made that comment to Mark Francois on the Daily Politics. It was followed by a memorable stare-off. Yet had he made it to somebody else, I still think his assessment was correct because the race, gender, and class of the other person he was debating shouldn't change the facts. Studies have since shown that immigration was the key driver behind the Brexit vote, followed by the EU's role in making UK laws, with other reasons following by a relatively large margin. No doubt you'd answer that immigration was a reasonable argument. It was but that doesn't mean it was often argued reasonably. The Leave campaign peddled the "facts" such as the 76 million Turks ready to flood into the EU. It continues to this day.
We seem eventually to reach the point where have to decide which is worse: the Far Right or the Far Left. Obviously, there's no answer. They're both objectionable. For the moment, however, I worry more about the Far Right, which has power/influence in the US but also here, specifically in the guise of Farage. You say that "your side" (i.e. my side) have been particularly bad. You give me one example of a Brexiteer killed by a Remainer. I'd obviously give you the example of Jo Cox. We can both point to terrible examples, but the extremes don't define anything. If, however, you want me to agree that the "FBPE cult" on Twitter is objectively worse than the Brexit side, then I'll simply have to disagree. Our relative calm going into Brexit might prove my point. I know it's impossible to prove a negative but I honestly doubt if our re-entering the EU would be met with such acceptance.
Nope, I'm saying they are as bad as each other, that is my entire point. You are claiming some form of moral rectitude for remain over leave that I just can't recognise from what I have seen over the last four years.
On Will Self, he made the comment on June 24th 2016 on channel 4, it's on his own website. He just didn't manage to come up with any new material in the next couple of years.
There is no factual evidence out there that "almost all racists" voted leave. It hugely underestimates and simplifies racism in this country. It is therefore one of the most ridiculous statements made in the aftermath of the vote and that really is saying something. If people want to take comfort from it then I suppose who am I to begrudge them but it probably helps explain why it is so hard to tackle racism in this country.
http://will-self.com/2016/06/24/not-brexiters-racists-almost-racists-will-voting-brexit/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Like you said, agree to disagree.
Admittedly, Self could be right and you could also be right. Whatever the number of racists in the UK, they could have all voted for Brexit, but they might have been such a small %age of the demographic to make no difference or somehow diminish the vote. Having said that, I'm not sure I would agree that "race" (perhaps, it would be fairer to call it xenophobia) wasn't a big factor in decisions around Brexit. I just know that it featured in various conversations I overheard.
Incidentally, if he'd said "some racists voted to Remain" then I'd also agree. Some probably did. But it's not about a few. It's about "most" and don't social attitudes follow demographics? Older people voted for Brexit: 60-40 for Leave in the 50-64 age group, 64-36 in 65+. Granted, it's not a clear cut determiner (those people might have voted for other reasons) but whatever views we might term "racist" are surely associated with those demographics. There are statistics to back that up. I saw one from 2014 that suggested that 36% of people aged 55+ described themselves as "racially prejudiced". Hard not to think those 36% would have been part of the 64%.
That said: what the hell do I know? You are one of a few Leavers I've always respected but you really are an exception. Beyond that, I can only go off the evidence of my eyes and ears and, in that sense, all I can say is that "all the racists I know voted for Brexit". The rejoinder to that is: how can I be sure the Remain voters aren't also racist? There you might be right but, then, we're getting back into the realm of reading people's minds.
Agree with every word re Brexit. I believe there will be a reckoning when people realise they were fooled by charlatans. Sadly far too late.
I wasnt surprised and I'm surprised you were. What were you expecting the report to say? To me the delaying tactics were a clear sign that it was going to be critical of the government. I wasn't expecting a smoking gun which proves the Russian helped Leave but, there is/was so much circumstancial evidence (just like the Scottish Independence referendum) that they could and would I frankly find it difficult to see how any clear minded person could believe they didn't/wouldn't. They are to clever to leave a 'made in Russia' sign laying around.
Perhaps I overstate my surprise. I also thought the delaying tactics were indicative of a damning report but I think I was only slightly shocked it wasn't more damning since, as you say, there's so much circumstantial evidence. As it is, the really damning criticisms are a bit "between-the-lines", such as the part about Londongrad. I was probably too naive to think that Johnson's friendship with Lebedev would be there on the page but, at the same time, I wish it was. In many respects, the most damning line was that one about "a lot of Russians with very close links to Putin who are well integrated into the UK business and social scene, and accepted because of their wealth." Just not sure how much it drives anything forward. I don't know… I'd hoped for something the government couldn't ignore whereas this feels very spinnable.


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As a child growing up just north of Dayton, Ohio, I had no idea that I lived within walking distance of professional sports history. Much later in life, I learned that Triangle Park in Dayton, near my childhood home, was the site of the first game played between members of what became the National Football League. On October 3, 1920, the Dayton Triangles defeated the Columbus Panhandles by a score of 14-0.
I began to wonder: who were these Triangles? What was their story? As I looked more closely, I found myself asking other questions. What was life like in the Triangles' heyday? I set out to answer these questions for myself with the intention of writing a book. I hoped to publish the book on or before the 100th anniversary of that first game in 2020.
However, when the NFL announced plans to celebrate its 100th season and honor the original teams in 2019, I realized that I couldn't finish and publish the book in time to coincide with that celebration. I decided the next best thing would be a documentary podcast.
What's hosted at this site is the result of that effort. "Triangles: The Life and Times of an NFL Original Team" traces the history of the team from the formation of its nucleus at what is now the University of Dayton through its 25th anniversary in 1941. Along the way, we'll meet colorful characters and unsung heroes. I hope to give you a sense of what life and football were like 100 years ago.
Although I call this a "documentary" podcast, let me make one thing clear: I'm no journalist. As I learned more about the team and the men who played for it, I came to cheer for them. I hope that you will, too.
Bruce Smith, Writer/Producer/Narrator


One of the new things in my life since I started blogging recipes is "Food Photography". I almost need to capitalise that as it's still all a bit of a mystery to me. Heck I only just learned that you could twirl the lense thingi and that makes the picture clear. Yes, I do need saving from myself.
I am still generally rubbish at photographing meat dishes, but I think I am slowly getting better (now I know about the lense twirling!). So I am pretty happy with the way this yummy dish took to the spotlight. Ok, so it does look a bit lonely without a bunch of tasty veg to go with it, so maybe a note to self to show them next time!
This dish tastes just as good and is as tender as it looks because it's marinated for at least two hours although overnight is better. I am curious as to why do we say that when it is generally overnight and most of the next day?
Anyway, that makes it a perfect dish for everyday or for a swanky dinner party with all the prep taken care of the day before.
• Place lamb in an oven proof dish.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
• Pour marinade over the lamb, rubbing in both sides.
• Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, leave on the benchtop if you only have an hour or so.
• In the morning turn the meat and recover, place back in the fridge.
• Two hours before you are ready to cook bring the lamb to room temperature.
• Roast the lamb, uncovered, for 20 mins (if you like it medium rare).
• Remove and rest covered for 10 minutes.
• Serve with Sweet Potato Dauphinoise and your favourite greens.


NBC is royally cashing in on the biggest event of the year. The network announced Wednesday that an hourlong special dedicated to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's upcoming wedding, titled Inside the Royal Wedding: Harry and Meghan, will be airing on Wednesday, May 16—mere days before the wedding actually occurs.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Today anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will be hosting the special, which promises to stand out from its fellow competitors by giving viewers "an exclusive and unprecedented glimpse into the fairytale romance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that has captured the imagination and hearts of everyone around the world."
In terms of VIP guests appearing in the special, NBC didn't divulge who specifically would be lending their expertise, only teasing that they will include some of the couple's "close friends" who will also be in attendance at the Windsor Castle nuptials, according to THR. (Hey, that's something!) These pals reportedly will tell the story of "how Harry and Meghan fell in love, their unique courtship and the journey they've shared leading to the most modern royal wedding of all time," NBC said in a statement to THR. "The special will also feature exclusive interviews with prominent figures from the worlds of fashion, sports, and show business." In other words: Expect some insider info on everything from Markle's wedding dress to the couple's choice of cake.
As you can imagine, Inside the Royal Wedding is one of the many specials about the couple announced on American television networks. Fox, for instance, has been heavily advertising its airing of Meghan Markle: An American Princess documentary, to air on May 11, securing special guests such as Markle's half-sister, Princess Diana's ex-butler, and Queen Elizabeth's former press secretary, according to Variety. And at this point, you've definitely heard of the Lifetime movie Meghan and Harry: A Royal Romance, which will give you all of the soapy, fictionalized backstories about the couple you can possibly imagine.


Here you'll find a wealth of information to help support teachers and parents alike in educating children to lead healthy and active lifestyles.
Read on for some useful lesson plans, educational games and resources, interesting articles and links to other websites that may be of use.
We know how hard a teacher's job is and we're passionate about children learning to live healthy lifestyles early on. So, we want to help make your life a little easier by providing some ready-made lesson plans with resources that you can simply print out and use for your class to help teach about healthy living. Free lesson plans simply click and print.
KS1 & LKS2 children discover that habits are important for keeping fit and healthy.
Eat your colours every day to stay healthy and fit! 18" x 24"
A fun-tastic way for students to learn nutrition facts. This 15" inflatable ball challenges players with 60 questions. Pass the ball amongst the class, pupils answer the questions on which their left thumb lands. Answer sheet included.
Stickers make great rewards and incentives. Each package contains 36 Veggie Friends & 32 Festive Fruit stickers.
Set of two laminated posters that encourage healthier snack options choices. 8½" x 24"
Set of two posters that explain the importance of breakfast. 8½" x 24"
A quick and Colourful reference. These cost effective, 17" x 22" food charts explain what a fruit or vegetable is. Each poster includes four reproducible activities on the back.
Entertaining poster that reminds children to drink 8 glasses of water a day 18" x 24".
This 15" diameter inflatable ball includes instructions for several different fun educational activities. Helps kids identify 35 foods they may not be familiar with and the benefits of these foods to our bodies.
Colourful 14" x 20" dancing heart poster stresses the importance of fruits & vegetables. Includes 3 reproducible handouts & recipes, the benefits of fruits & vegetables and tips for consuming more.
KS1-Children use 30 colourful cards (11" x 14") to identify common fruits and vegetables, recognize their names and learn the plants they come from.
Pair of 4" x 4" dice – One die has fitness and exercise directions and the other has numbers. Exercises include, toe touch, arm curls, jumping jacks, leg lifts and more.
A happy blend of active learning songs and nutritional information, at a level young children can understand. Cheerfully imparts the elements of a healthy diet including the importance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Start the day a great way with clapping, skipping,stretching, and sit-ups! Exercises are short, simple, and fun. Songs include: Red, Red Robin; Zippity Doo Dah; Oh, What a Beautiful Morning; and more.
This colourful named chart includes 35 re-usable stickers that help children get their 5 – a day from each rainbow food group. Also learning the names and colours of many fruits and vegetables.
*at the time of linking the sites were useful and relevant but we are not lid to or responsible for any content on these sites.
http://www.findschoolworkshops.co.uk/Primary/Healthy-Schools/ Healthy eating school workshops for primary schools.


text:
Huberht Taylor Hudson dit Hubert Hudson, né le  à Londres et mort le , est un officier de marine et explorateur britannique.

Biographie
Il a participé à l'expédition Endurance d'Ernest Shackleton où il se distingue pour son habilité à attraper des manchots, source de nourriture pour les explorateurs.

Surnommé « Buddha », il participe à la Première Guerre mondiale en servant sur des navires-leurres.

Il trouve la mort lors de la Seconde Guerre mondiale lorsque son navire est torpillé.

Notes et références

Naissance en septembre 1886
Naissance à Londres
Décès en juin 1942
Explorateur britannique
Membre de l'expédition Endurance
Récipiendaire de la médaille polaire
Décès à 55 ans

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Nepal says COVID-19 cases may double as daily infections hit record level
TOPICS : Schoolgirls new suicide bombers
Rishi Singh
By Ashfaq Yusufzai
Published: 12:00 am Jul 20, 2008
I was able to save my daughter from becoming a suicide bomber. She had been lured by her teacher at the religious school," said Jamilur Rehman, a Pakistani schoolteacher, whose 13-year-old daughter was taken away by a Taliban group to be trained as a suicide bomber in North Waziristan, a lawless border area. Rehman said that his daughter Sameena took religious lessons in a seminary in Tank district of the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), where she was shown videos of the suicide bombing.
"She was motivated to the extent that she became ready to be trained as a suicide bomber and destroy the enemies of Islam," he said. According to Sameena, she and another student, Mushtari Begum, 15, were handed over by her teacher to two men, but they were seized by political authorities in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) who handed them over to the Tank police.
"The situation is extremely bad. We have saved the two girls from becoming suicide bombers, but indications are that the trend of women training as suicide bombers has gained currency," said police officer Ahmad Jamal, in Tank district, which adjoins North Waziristan. The FATA has been over-run by Pakistani Taliban groups that oppose the so-called 'war on terror' unleashed by US President George W Bush in the wake of the World Trade Center bombings in September 2001. The Afghan and Pakistan Talibans are believed to be behind the escalating violence and suicide attacks in Afghanistan and FATA and the NWFP in Pakistan. Intelligence agencies claim the FATA is a training ground for suicide attackers. Haji Hussain Ahmed has been identified as running one of the schools for bombers. "We saw thousands of video clips in which the atrocities of the US forces against Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay had been shown. We were ready to act as suicide bombers, kill pro-US forces and win the blessings of god," Sameena said.
Ashraf Ali who is an authority on the Taliban at the University of Peshawar confirms the trend. "The Pakistani Taliban, impressed by Iraq, where women suicide bombers have become an albatross around the necks of the US forces, are preparing a lot of women suicide bombers to inflict more damages on the pro-US forces operating in Pakistan." Not only in Tank, but about 25 girls from religious schools in restive Swat district, NWFP, have gone missing during the month of July. There have been 41 incidents of suicide attacks in Pakistan since the start of the year.
It was on Dec. 4 last year that a female bomber, believed to be Afghan, blew herself up at a checkpost in a high-security zone housing intelligence services buildings and a Christian convent school in Peshawar. "This was the first suicide attack carried out by a woman in Pakistan," Ali says. "The possibility of using women suicide bombers by terrorists in Pakistan cannot be ruled out now," said Jamiluddin, a teacher of political science at the Government College, Tank. — IPS
EDITORIAL: Fighting virus together


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Statement on International Migrants Day
On Sunday unions commemorated International Migrants Day and the millions of people who have left their homes in search of safety, peace or better living and working conditions. According to the International Labour Organization there are over 150 million migrants in the global workforce. Migrant workers are essential part of the global economy and without them, entire economies would collapse. Yet migrant workers are exploited, paid less than national workers and often deprived of their basic rights at work – such as the right to organize in a union, to bargain collectively or in some countries even to quit their job or return home without their employers' permission.
Laws and regulations that denies migrant workers their basic rights create labour markets where national workers and migrant workers from different countries are forced to compete against each other, which leads to social dumping and wages dumping for all workers.
To challenge this development unions need to organize migrant workers and make their struggle part of their own. For the BWI and its affiliates organizing migrant workers on the principle of equal rights and equal pay for equal work is the only strategy to defend hard won rights and working standards.
This year a number of initiatives have been taken. Unions in countries of origin such as India, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines are educating workers about their rights before they go abroad and have set up networks to assist them in various countries of destination. in some countries they have set up support groups and for workers in countries of destination.
Unions can also contribute to raise awareness and promote acceptance. In Bahrain the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions have produced a video highlighting the exploitation of migrant workers in the country. and aware and putting migrants rights on the agenda is also an important task for unions.
In Porto Alegre and Brazil, the construction union STICC are organizing Senegalese and Haitian migrant workers; in addition, Brazilian and Haitian unions are cooperating to protect the rights of Haitian migrant workers. The construction union STICC last week signed an agreement with the Haitian union to strengthen their cooperation to organize migrant workers.
The BWI call on unions to continue to push for respect of migrant workers' rights in their countries, and on governments to recognize that fundamental human and workers rights should apply to all regardless of migration status.
The BWI also call on all unions to fight xenophobia and racism, for welcoming refugees and migrants and to push for fair and safe migration policies.


Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Juddy G, Feb 9, 2019.
Just thinking about the fans forum notes and the exiting plans for the ground/fan experience, it all hinges on buying the ground back from the council. Now obviously due process needs to be followed but with our council leader being a seaso ticket holder you'd think he would influence the decision for the club to grow !
I'm extremely surprised that the details weren't already sorted out when they announced that they had the option to buy after 6 months.
Selling to the council was PC's safeguard against land speculators making millions on the vast amount of land owned.
Can we be absolutely sure that the consortium have the fans best interests at heart or their shareholders interests at heart?
Once they own the land, I'd like to think they'd improve facilities and the match day experience but you just never know with businessmen.
imer red, HardyRed, GeorgeRobledo and 2 others like this.
Council need to insert clauses whereby it can only be used for BFC purposes and even then cover all the small print for any loopholes .
All businesses speak of the good things they intend until they get what they want.
I'm not saying for one minute that the consortiums intentions arent honourable but we must guard against all scenarios and protect in case of future buyers .
churtonred, imer red, Tykeored and 4 others like this.
It was alluded that long term they want some sort of accommodation for younger players near or at the ground - some sort of sports village with hotel would be great for the area.
Tykeored, Kettlewell and Connor like this.
Why cant they rebuild West Stand with these offices, shops, new sports bar and wotnot?
Why does the Council retaining an interest prevent any additional enhancement of the facilities? Is the Council putting the block on anything?
The Council is the ultimate safeguard against unscrupulous owners and my preference is it to hold on to its share. I've no reason to believe that current owners have any dark agenda, but who's to say what might happen in ten, twenty years?
I sincerely hope BMBC and Steve Houghton just say no. Whatever you think about the Council i'm happier with the ground being under their control rather than ANY owner, no matter how well intentioned they say they are.
It doesnt practically, but they probably don't want to spend millions on a property they don't own.
Old Goat and Kettlewell like this.
It was the Council's safeguard - not Cryne's.
Simple solution - sell the ground to the club and keep control of the pitch !
I'm really confident with our current ownership. They've owned Nice 3+ years now and spent millions on developing their training facilities and dipped in their pockets to the tune of 70~80 Mill euros over last 3 xfer windows. Don't know how the council conversations will transpire when they've just announced a 5percent increase on the tax. We'll see . .
The company that owns the ground and surrounding land is OCAL (Oakwell Community Assets Limited) which is a 50/50 joint venture between BMBC and the Cryne family.
There is a covenant on the playing area which says that in the event of the land being developed it (the pitch area) must be retained as a 'Public Open Space'.
Dillydilly and Kettlewell like this.
Interesting, but I guess a public open space could be a playground in the middle of a housing estate, just like they put in every new estate anyway.
Is that the covenant that John Dennis mentions in his book?


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January | 2020
WVC - Booth 722
AVMLA Leadership
AVMLA Website
AVMLA Contacts:
info@avmla.org
AVMLA Member Benefits & More
Dear AVMLA Member,
The AVMLA is celebrating its 26th Anniversary in 2020. Offering wonderful member benefit enhancements will highlight this celebration. These enhancements include access to year-round professional development through our continuing e-Learning webinars, monthly AVMLA News Brief e-Newsletter, a two-day conference in conjunction with AVMA, exhibiting at a professional trade-show, a new workshop teaching program being initiated at several law schools around the country as just a few of the exciting programs and opportunities to expand your knowledge and practice to look forward to.
If you have been a long-term supporter of the AVMLA or are joining us for the first time, we invite you to take a closer look at what the AVMLA has to offer !
As a member you receive a discounted rate to attend the AVMLA Annual National Continuing Education Conference. Be sure to save-the-date for this year's AVMLA Conference in San Diego on August 1-2, 2020!
RENEW, ENGAGE AND COMMIT today by visiting AVMLA.org . We look forward to your participation in the AVMLA's top-notch educational programs while earning continuing education credits. For just $150, you can enjoy all of these valuable benefits plus a network of colleagues who understand veterinary representatives and veterinarian's unique challenges.
Be sure to drop by booth 722 at WVC 2020, February 16-19 , Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, I would love to meet you in person!
Please contact me if you have any questions or if you are interested in contributing to the AVMLA News Brief, or sponsoring an upcoming event: info@AVMLA.org .
Thank you for your continued support of the AVMLA.
Andrea Ball
AVMLA Executive Director
Murphy joins AVMLA Board of Directors
Mike Murphy, DVM, JD, PhD, most recently a veterinary medical officer with the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration, joined the AVMA this past October as director of the Division of Animal and Public Health and most recently as a member of the AVMLA's Board of Directors.
During his FDA tenure, Dr. Murphy was the agency's representative to the AVMA's task forces on the model veterinary practice act and antimicrobial stewardship in companion animal practice. He also was a member of the AVMA Judicial Council and the Association's committees on antimicrobials and veterinary specialty organizations.
Prior to joining the FDA, Dr. Murphy was a professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined the faculty in 1987 to coordinate the veterinary college's toxicology program, provide diagnostic services, and teach veterinary and graduate students about toxicology. He retired from the university in 2009 as professor emeritus.
Dr. Murphy is a 1981 graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He has a doctoral degree in toxicology as well as a law degree, Dr. Murphy received his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN, in 1999. Dr. Murphy is a diplomate of both the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology and American Board of Toxicology.
"The AVMLA is delighted to have Dr. Murphy join our board of directors," said Frank Muggia, AVMLA National President. "Dr. Murphy has been a long-term supporter and valued member of the AVMLA. His experience in mixed animal practice, veterinary diagnostic laboratories, academia, and most recently the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA will be beneficial in helping advance the goals of the AVMLA."
AVMLA to exhibit at WVC - Booth 722
AVMLA is excited to be exhibiting at WVC in Vegas, come see what's new with AVMLA drop by booth 722!
Visit WVC for more conference details
Case Law Summary
By: John F. Scott, DVM, JD, Scott Veterinary Services
The presentation of court cases involving veterinary medicine is provided as a benefit to all AVMLA members. Our membership consists of both lawyers and veterinarians, some of whom have substantial interest in veterinary law as well as those who are new to the field. Consequently, I try to provide current cases when possible, but will also provide older cases if they consider a basic principle of veterinary law, especially if that principle differs from the law as it is applied to other areas. I encourage your comments on how to make this section better and also solicit cases you become aware of which might be published in this format. In order to save research time and expense, if possible please provide a written copy of the entire case in pdf format. If you only have a cite to a legal reporter, I will try to locate the case and consider it for publication. You may contact me at jscottlaw47@aol.com or telephone 806-231-4678, John F. Scott, DVM, JD
BOARD ACTION FOR VIOLATION OF PRACTICE ACT BY VERBALLY HARASSING THE OWNER OF A PATIENT ANIMAL
Nelson v. State Bd. Veterinary Medicine, 863 A. 2d 129 (Commw. Ct. Pa 2004)
Case Summary - click here
OWNERS OF A DOG SUED VETERINARIAN FOR NEGLIGENCE AND
MISREPRESENTATION UNDER THE DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES
ACT FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE DOG AFTER SURGERY.
Downing v Gully, 915 S.W. 2d 181 (Ct. App 1996)
The Legal Perspective
From Bees to Livestock: The AVMA Continues to Advocate for Animal Health and Safety
By: Frank C. Muggia, Partner, HARRIS BEACH, PLLC,
AVMLA National President
The AVMA has been working tirelessly toward a federal regulation that would govern the use of medically important antibiotics in animal feed in an effort to promote animal health and welfare, and in turn, human health. The Veterinary Feed Directive ("VFD") mandates that producers of livestock and other food producing animals obtain veterinary approval before using feed containing "medically important" antibiotics. The overarching goal of the VFD is to address concerns that using antibiotics in food are contributing to antibiotic resistance in people. With the new regulation in place, antibiotics may no longer be used to promote growth, feed efficiency, or milk production; they are to be used only where deemed medically necessary.
Under the VFD, a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) must be established before an antibiotic order can be placed. Veterinarians must also demonstrate compliance with state and federal laws related to the VCPR. Under federal guidelines, a VCPR exists where the veterinarian: (1) assumes responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment; (2) has sufficient knowledge of the animal's health to make a general or preliminary diagnosis; and (3) is readily available for follow-up in case of an adverse reaction or failure of the therapeutic regimen. Notably, all of this information also applies to honey bees, the only insect that is considered a food-producing animal. Prescriptions required under the VFD can be filled from a licensed pharmacy or feed mill.
For our friends with fur, fins, feathers, and the like, the AVMA is currently advocating for new federal regulations that would allow veterinarians to compound medication to provide more specific treatment. Compounding involves the mixing, diluting, concentrating, or changing of a drug's form to accommodate the needs of an animal that are not met through the use of an FDA-approved drug on its own. Given the variety of species and breeds treated by veterinarians, it is important to have some flexibility in the administration of potentially life-saving drugs. However, if compounding is done incorrectly, it could result in prolonged treatment needs, treatment liability, or enforcement action by state or federal authorities. Nonetheless, the FDA has recognized that there are limited circumstances where their approved drugs, even when compounded, do not work. In those circumstances, veterinarians are able to use compounds including bulk drug substances from outsourcing facilities without the risk of an enforcement action. The AVMA continues to work with the FDA in hopes of ensuring ease of access to patient-specific compounds without risking the licensing of those working hard to save animals in dire need.
Thank you for your continued support of the AVMLA!
American Veterinary Medical Law Association | AVMLA.org


8 Street-NYU is a BMT Broadway Line Local Stop with two side platforms for the four track line and no free crossover or under. The stop has two narrow side platforms with blue columns that get dangerously narrow at their extreme ends that were renovated again in the early 2000s restoring the teens-era tiling of a trimline consisting of shades of gold for the solid sections with a brown boarder and a green background for 8s at regular intervals. Name tablets say 8th Street off white on a green background with shades of golden yellow forming the boarders. This was first covered over with the 1950s era cinderblock type walls in a previous renovation. Each platform has two exits the main one is towards the northern end of the station both sides have a bank of turnstiles. The uptown platform to one street stair each on the NE and SE corners and the downtown to two on each the NW and SW corners of 8 Street and Broadway. Each platform has a secondary entrance towards there southern ends. A staircase leads up from each platform to a tiny mezzanine landing (above each platform) where there are two High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles, not even enough room for a TVM before a streetstair on the uptown side at what would be the NE corner if Waverly Place did not end at Broadway (the mosaic on the platform says the exit is to Astor Place) and the downtown side at the NW corner of Waverly Place and Broadway.


text:
by Rev. M. Tataryn	Leave a comment
"Hope is bold; … and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile."
Fratelli Tutti (52)
Pope Francis recognizes how dissonant his exhortation to change the world sounds to our ears, so accustomed to the normalized noise of individualism and insatiable consumerism. Nevertheless, he grounds his argument in current brutal reality and persistently offers hope.
Through turning our own lives around—away from the shallowness of self-indulgent digital networks—towards authentic encounter, shared wisdom with others, we can indeed stop the destruction of the planet and humanity itself. Francis discusses many "paths of hope" that when taken by each of us, ultimately will save the world. "Hope is bold; it can look beyond personal convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our horizon, and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile".[52] Francis's insistence on reawakening our awareness of human interconnection echoes much current knowledge in science, medicine, and social sciences. But the pope demonstrates that living responsibly is described by Christ and is already outlined in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
The command to "love your neighbour as yourself" (Lev 19:18) is repeated in many parts of the OT: "In the first century before Christ, Rabbi Hillel stated: 'This is the entire Torah. Everything else is commentary'".[55] With Christ, the imperative to love stipulates love for otherness, beyond one's own community: "Saint Paul, recognizing the temptation of the earliest Christian communities to form closed and isolated groups, urged his disciples to abound in love 'for one another and for all' (1 Thess 3:12)".
Thus, the parable of the Good Samaritan is central to Christian life: "The parable clearly does not indulge in abstract moralizing, nor is its message merely social and ethical. It speaks to us of an essential and often forgotten aspect of our common humanity: we were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love. We cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone to go through life as an outcast. Instead, we should feel indignant, challenged to emerge from our comfortable isolation and to be changed by our contact with human suffering. That is the meaning of dignity."
Truly, "whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 Jn 4:8)
Last Sunday, Pope Francis published his latest encyclical (authoritative Church teaching) called Fratelli Tutti.
This document has received criticism, understandably, for its gendered language. However, after reading the entire work, it becomes clear that, for Francis, the word "fraternity" which simply translates as brotherhood in English, does not have this simplistic meaning. Fraternity for this pope is a concept that some have described as "social friendship" but in fact is far more expansive.
It refers to a relatedness amongst all humanity, extending to the natural environment. In Fratelli Tutti, Francis describes how today's world could revive from its present state of toxic injustice and corruption to reflect a universal fraternity that acknowledges the interdependence of nations and seeks a common respect. Fraternity recognizes human dignity, difference, history, and seeks genuine dialogue, collective wisdom, peace.
Much like his namesake, the 13th c. St Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis is responding to Christ's call to "rebuild my church". We must dare to return to the faith and practice of the Early Church that brought Christ's radical vision of relationship to the world: not through self righteousness and entitlement, but through solidarity with the most vulnerable, impoverished, excluded and oppressed. Fratelli Tutti has not only religious but also social, political, and economic, ramifications.
The encyclical speaks to each of us as members of the Catholic community, but it addresses all human beings as members of the family of God—whether atheist, pagan, or members of other religions. This is a call to action. How will we respond?
Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti: "In some countries, a concept of popular and national unity influenced by various ideologies is creating new forms of selfishness and a loss of the social sense under the guise of defending national interests. Once more we are being reminded that "each new generation must take up the struggles and attainments of past generations, while setting its sights even higher. This is the path. Goodness, together with love, justice and solidarity, are not achieved once and for all; they have to be realized each day. It is not possible to settle for what was achieved in the past and complacently enjoy it, as if we could somehow disregard the fact that many of our brothers and sisters still endure situations that cry out for our attention".[8]
This week we continue our focus on Post COVID change:
"Let's encourage ourselves to dream, seeking these ideals,"
"Let's not try to rebuild the past, especially the past that was already unjust and already sick."
"We must cure a great virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization and lack of protection for the vulnerable."
During the weeks of strictest restrictions beginning last March, the churches closed, and we adjusted as best we could to home prayer: isolated, yet collective. From our home, we shared icons, prayers, and methods of contemplative prayer (meditation). From media we've learned that many people, the world over, discovered spiritual connection and renewed prayer during lockdowns. Many for the first time recognized interconnectedness and interdependence among human beings and our equally fundamental interrelation with the environment.
As this realization grows, historically suppressed voices are speaking with renewed strength against their oppression. At the same time, those who have denied the "body" of Christ, benefitting from exclusion, vociferously oppose the change equality would bring.
But this connection and unity of creation is the Spirit of God—the light we see through Christ's love—the sacredness of the earth that we celebrate on the Feast of the Transfiguration.
Whether expressed by researchers in scientific terms or artists in poetic forms, our faith tells us that we are a family of God.
Now, as we imagine a post COVID world, we must become the change we wish to see!
Every year at praznyk, we speak of being a "transfigured" community through which others around us can feel the joy and peace of Christ. Possibly we might have felt these were nice sentiments, but less than realistic? Can we be a transfigured people while slogging through work, writing exams, paying parking fines?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Can I? Can You? We can.
Can we believe the words of a pope of Rome? A leader of a Church that has made so many mistakes throughout history?
We know because we see that throughout history, corruption and greed could not destroy the Holy Spirit that shines through those who live in love.
One working class young guy, a long time ago, opposed the status quo and listened to everyone, talked to unpopular folks and didn't care how people looked or if they were rich. He was killed. A couple of millenia later, people continue to follow His example. It is always changing the world. . .
We must act all together, in the hope of generating something different and better!
"In the midst of crises, a solidarity guided by faith enables us to translate the love of God in our globalized culture, not by building towers or walls — and how many walls are being built today! — that divide, but then collapse, but by interweaving communities and sustaining processes of growth that are truly human and solid. And to do this, solidarity helps. I would like to ask a question: do I think of the needs of others? Everyone, answer in your heart."
(Pope Francis: General Audience September 2, 2020)
While our thoughts might waft towards imagining the "post-Covid" world, our world, in fact, is plunging into another critical surge of coronavirus infections. Sadly, the reason is clear: too many of us do not allow the good of others to get in the way of what we want for ourselves. Whether it's attending parties or believing voices inciting disregard for public health authorities, we risk not only our own well-being, but also the health of our society and the well-being of future generations.
It might be difficult to discern what to believe in today's climate of social media distortions and false information. However, we, in our Faith Tradition are particularly blessed with the current prophetic leadership of our Patriarch Sviatoslav, and Pope Francis in Rome. While any leader may invoke God and religion to promote his own agenda, both Sviatoslav and Francis fearlessly point to Christ's example of love, mercy, and openness in all situations, even though this does not promise riches and popularity.
Remember when we spoke of the African concept of "Ubuntu" where there could be no "me" without "we"? The pandemic illuminates this reality. We, as humans, have only to recognise and acknowledge its meaning, its repercussions. In short, there would be no pandemic as such, if humanity did not succumb to greed. Overconsumption, exploitation, and arrogance underlie the inequities, suffering, and degradation of the environment and humanity.
"When the obsession to possess and dominate excludes millions of persons from having primary goods; when economic and technological inequality are such that the social fabric is torn; and when dependence on unlimited material progress threatens our common home, then we cannot stand by and watch. No, this is distressing. We cannot stand by and watch! With our gaze fixed on Jesus (cf. Heb 12:2) and with the certainty that His love is operative through the community of His disciples, we must act all together, in the hope of generating something different and better. Christian hope, rooted in God, is our anchor. It moves the will to share, strengthening our mission as disciples of Christ, who shared everything with us."
(Pope Francis: General Audience, August 26, 2020)
So, while we refocus on mitigating the spread of covid-19, it is especially important to begin planning the post-covid reality. Let's do all we can to "transfigure" this time of public emergency into a consciousness of caring, an acknowledgment of belonging to each other regardless of race, religion, gender, ability, or sexuality. And we, sisters and brothers all, are part of God's universe. Just as I am inextricably linked to the rest of humanity, so too am I linked to the natural environment. (Without air and water, there can be no I.)
"In the midst of crises and tempests, the Lord calls to us and invites us to reawaken and activate this solidarity capable of giving solidity, support and meaning to these hours in which everything seems to be wrecked. May the creativity of the Holy Spirit encourage us to generate new forms of familiar hospitality, fruitful fraternity and universal solidarity."
This new liturgical year of 2020 begins as we here in KW, and everyone the world over, are experiencing a new surge in Covid cases. Territories are being devastated by climate crises and populist governments such as those in Belarus and the US incite division and hatred among their own citizens. In our faith community we support each other to remain grounded in a spirit of caring, kindness, and hope. The Church throughout the ages has been supported by prophets to keep us focussed on Christ in the context of our time, so that we do not succumb to the allures of fear and greed, and indeed, false prophets. Currently, the pope of Rome is such a prophet. Through example he tirelessly redirects the Church (and humanity) away from valuing status, riches, and exclusivity, towards Christ's example of love, inclusion, and social action.
On October 3rd, Pope Francis will sign his new encyclical Fratelli Tutti, in Assisi Italy. The title is taken from the 13th century St Francis's teaching to his fellow friars. In Fratelli Tutti, the pope is to examine inequality, fragmentation and offer ways for all human beings to restore relationship with one another. This official document will call us to a new era—post-Covid—that would acknowledge, value, and act on our interrelatedness with all human beings and the natural environment.
May we help one another grow in wisdom
September is often seen as the real "new year": new beginnings for schools, jobs, travel—and of course—it is the new Liturgical year. Every September 14th, we begin afresh the annual cycle of community prayer and celebration.
This year of pandemic, however, the September new year carries a dissonance that is hard to describe: the air of change and adventure for many is fraught with frustrated expectations, uncertainly, disappointment, as well as anxiety and fear. We don't know what winter brings when a novel virus lurks about. . .
Thankfully, we can know with certainty what the Liturgical year brings, especially in times of crisis; in it we have an anchor to keep us steady throughout life's storms. The scriptural readings provide guidance, speaking newly to each situation, year after year. Through Church, whether we attend physically or online, we join in communal prayer, so that we feel we belong and indeed comprise Christ's body. We are reminded of Christ's teaching so that we gain energy and inspiration to love and be loved, to have compassion, generosity, kindness, to others as well as ourselves. Especially in this time of pandemic, our Faith Tradition is not only the anchor, but a lighthouse too—a beacon illuminating our journey of peace. With all the questions and fears provoked by Covid, we have only to pay heed to the church cycle to know the answers to the issues around us. In all things, what would Christ do? Always—love, forgive, listen, care, share, be patient, be kind.
In this new year may our children, our teachers, our families remain safe; may we help one another to grow in wisdom, as well as knowledge; may we begin a post pandemic year that normalizes environmental consciousness and respect for all humanity.
Let us pray together.
Go to our YOUTUBE channel for livestream and videos.
Today we have an opportunity to build something different.
The world is constantly changing. Not a day passes without hearing of a new invention. People live in an insane routine of consumption and pleasure which appears to have no limits.
But that is just the impression . . .
A small virus has brought vital corrections to our turbulent lives. People have been given an opportunity to pause and think anew about life's worth. The entire planet has cowered before such a microscopic, yet global threat. For nearly a year now, eminent scholars of the most advanced nations of the world are striving to find a solution to this virus, but unfortunately there is still no effective remedy.
Could it be that the answer is actually much simpler? Yes, it is necessary and extremely important to find a cure for COVID-19, but, possibly, this is precisely the moment for us to look at the root of the problem . . .
Pope Francis suggests that the problem lies in that "We have broken the ties that bind us to the Creator, other people and all creation." Pope Francis bitterly observes: "We deplete the resources of the planet, squeezing it as if it were an orange." Already five years ago, in the encyclical "Laudato Si", he implored humanity to protect our common home. His prescription for saving the person and the world is simple and effective: renew the lost connections to our Creator and praise God through your life in your treatment of your neighbour and all creation. Living in the spirit of "Laudato Si" will help to free us from many modern-day problems and prevent them in the future.
Bureau of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church for Ecology
We continue to pray together
Go to our YOUTUBE channel for live stream services and videos.
The first among the saints: the Most Holy Mother of God
Our cultural church traditions are replete with symbolic significance that reinforce profound theological truths. Sometimes we may feel the meaning of a ritual without being able to express why or how. When we can take time to reflect on a given tradition, it can speak to us in fresh ways. Although there is no biblical account of the Dormition, this feast day dates back to the earliest church communities in the first century. The Eastern Church Fathers recount several stories describing the death of Mary as it is depicted in the icon. We say her death is a "falling asleep" to this world, only to wake in God's embrace. There is a story of her body vanishing from the tomb, replaced by fragrant flowers. By blessing flowers and herbs on this day, we, in our tradition, honour the mystery of cycles of death and life. We honour the sacred beauty of nature, it's power to bring healing. When we recognize God in creation, our Tradition demands a deep respect for nature, that expects us to care for the environment and for humanity—because it is sacred.
Sometimes our church practices, may, on the surface, appear quaint, or antiquated; however, when we seriously think about them, they carry great responsibility. The pandemic has raised awareness of so much divisiveness amongst people, so much fear of otherness. It has uncovered our society's gross neglect of those who need care: the elderly, impoverished, disabled. It has illustrated the acceleration of the climate crisis. We who celebrate Christ among us, and recognize the fruits of the earth as blessed, are called to experience a dying and rising to new life. We die to our greed, our fear of being different, our impulse to hate, in order to be reborn in love and generosity. This is not easy; it requires effort and commitment. We need each other's support to care for others. Just as the apostles surround the body of Mary as Christ holds her soul, so too we surround each other so that our souls will live in Christ.


I've just read two of the most bizarre comments of the year so far, in a review of Fangirl in the Daily Telegraph. Calling it 'teenage schlock' is bad enough (although in fairness, Lorna Bradbury says it's "clever enough to keep you reading on") but there's a line here which stunned me. "...its American college setting may grate on British ears."
Seriously? With the fantastic #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign going on at the moment, hoping that more books about diverse characters will be published, it's soul-destroying to suggest that British readers can't even cope with a setting which is one of the most popular on TV. I mean, to struggle with a US college setting, you'd have to have missed out on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, 90210, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, The OC, Gilmore Girls, Greek, and lots of others. I would imagine most YA fans had seen at least a few of those shows and loved them.
I just can't believe it's the case that Brits can't cope with a setting like this. Because if it IS true that they're not able to cope with the American college as a backdrop for life, will they struggle with even less familiar ones, that they can't see on TV pretty much every day? India at the time of Partition, as portrayed so brilliantly in Irfan Master's A Beautiful Lie? Laini Taylor's epic fantasy trilogy, starting with Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which so breathtakingly describes Prague? For that matter, will James Dawson's Hollow Pike only really be accessible to people who've lived in a rural village? The same question could be asked about dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of others, but Laini Taylor's success alone shows the answer is a resounding no! I think teens, and older (and even younger) YA fans, can appreciate a good book whatever the setting.
What do you think? How important is it to have experienced the setting of a book for yourself?
I take your point about the notion that people should be able to follow stories with a background not their own. If nothing else, there are all those American films and TV series we are bombarded with regularly, including the ones you mention. Pity the American publishers also don't think their readers could cope with anything from overseas! Books are rewritten, titles changed, even, in some cases, films dubbed for the benefit of American audiences who I'm pretty sure aren't anywhere near as dumb as the publishers, etc, seem to think! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Fangirl, even though I never lived on campus when I was studying and living in isn't compulsory here. The fan fiction references were enough for me to feel comfortable.
Yes, I think it's ridiculous to dismiss a book just based on it's setting alone. For many, it is the complete opposite. You find out a book is set somewhere other than the place you live, and it makes you want to read it that much more - especially if you're someone who loves to read for escape, to see new perspectives, to learn more about the world. It may be unusual or different from what you expect, but that doesn't mean you won't grow to understand it. Diversity, no matter what the element (character, setting, relationships, family dynamics, health, genre, etc.), should be accepted and encouraged.
Fangirl is really NOT the sort of thing I'd normally read but I loved it. I'm a geeky sort of person, I've done the whole fanfiction thing and oddly enough, the fact that it was set in the US really didn't have much of an impact on me beyond a perfunctory 'oh, it's college not Uni'. Now granted I'm not a teen, but I like to think that most teens wouldn't have much more of a reaction beyond that either. Certainly in my job I've never encountered any teens exclaiming 'oh my God, this is so hard to get into! It's just so AMERICAN! It's like it's a whole other culture!' :p With the exposure we get to American tv over here I'm willing to bet teens and adults are far more familiar with US culture than they are with cultures from around the world, so much so that I'm willing to be proved wrong that it requires little to no shift in thinking to really get into a book set over there.
To suggest that Brits can't cope with an American College setting is just plain ridiculous, she really didn't put an thought into that one at all, unless she was just speaking for herself of course. I agree with what bookauhu above has said, with the amount of exposure to US tv over here it's exceedingly hard to believe that the Brits have no clue about US culture and that a US school environment would be totally alien to them..... stupid statement indeed!
As an avid Ya reader I can say that if Ya readers can cope with a setting and world building the likes found in many dystopian books like The Hunger Games and Divergent, I'm sure they can cope with the American college setting. As someone who attended college in aboard and did not experince high school or college in the US or the UK it IS slightly perplexing. I do not usually enjoy the setting but if the story is good enough, I'm game.
And acing said all this I finally read the review itself. "Schlock" is unfair and way too strong, but I got the impression she actually quite liked it and knew young readers would. It's just that after the glowing review above it, it sounds dismissive.
I don't feel she was saying that British people wouldn't cope with the US setting, rather that they'd find it 'grating', ie...somewhat distasteful! it's a 'very American' book indeed, full of loud people, extreme sentimentality, American brands and love for American pop culture (and consumer culture). I think her claim here is very interesting. It's not so much a question of not being able to cope with 'diversity' but perhaps quite the contrary- having to deal with such in-your-face cultural and economic dominance! I found her review fairly positive, personally, though 'schlock' is indeed a strong word.
Ooh, interesting, and hadn't thought about it that way! I genuinely don't think the vast majority of YA readers would find the setting grating/distasteful because I would imagine the aforementioned TV shows have made it almost as familiar to them as the UK settings are - but perhaps that's my own taste in TV showing through!
I completely agree with you - where she is wrong is that she assumes that people the book targets aren't used to/ don't already love such settings. She's just not the target audience - and, to be honest, I felt when reading Fangirl that I wasn't the target audience either. Which is why I understand her feeling, though I think you're absolutely right when you say that people for whom Fangirl is truly marketed are people who will love it in part thanks to that setting and atmosphere.
Personally, I LOVE reading books set in other countries, particularly non English-speaking ones. If a YA is set in another country and culture, that alone is definitely enough to pique my interest (although admittedly I do tend to prefer UKYA to USYA.) And 'schlock' is just a horrible way to describe any novel.


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Wild Side Guide Ken Tucker takes us to Franklin, Tenn., where a key part of a restoration effort starts with removing the last remaining dam on the Harpeth River.
Used for recreation, irrigation, and drinking water, the Harpeth River is a middle Tennessee workhorse. Draining nearly 900 square miles, it flows through one of the fastest growing regions in the country. All that development takes a toll. Removed trees on the river's edge expose and weaken its banks. More roofs and pavement send rainwater rushing in, causing erosion. And pollution…coming in many forms from all those people…finds its way into the water. That's why the river needs help, from all of us, to stay healthy.
One group working to do just that is the Harpeth River Watershed Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the river. Wild Side Guide Ken Tucker takes us to Franklin, where a key part of that restoration effort starts with the last remaining dam on the river.
Thanks to the removal of the dam, the Harpeth is now free-flowing, joining only a few other rivers in Tennessee that are not impounded. The TWRA will continue taking fish and mussel surveys for the project to document the improvements in the river's ecological system and likelihood of potential mussel reintroduction in the reach in a few years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Nathan Singer, the TWRA biologist heading up the sampling effort, says that so far they have seen increased numbers of fish, roughly 10 times more than before the restoration, and a significant increase in the diversity of fish, especially in the river tributaries. Nathan says that the removal of the dam has created some promising new habitat for the smallscale darter, a species of concern in the river. But since darters traditionally expand their range in small increments, it may be several years before they move that far upstream.
Fish aren't the only ones loving the restored river..people are loving it too! The reshaped banks make it a lot easier to get canoes and kayaks in and out of the water. Long term plans for the area include the possibility of a marked path and staging area for paddlers.
While the project was headed up by the Harpeth River Watershed Association, there were many other organizations involved in the restoration. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation removed the dam, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, and the National Fish Habitat Partnership contributed $350,000 to improve fish habitat, the City of Franklin contributed another $350,000, Vulcan Materials offered a 25% discount on materials, the "Dam Cam" (source of that cool time lapse) was paid for by Waste Management, and the restoration design was conceived by Beaver Creek Hydrology, an engineering firm based in Franklin. Other partners include TWRA, TDOT, North State Environmental and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Harpeth River restoration project was named one of the 51 great river projects in the nation by the Department of the Interior as part of America's Great Outdoors Rivers Initiative. Click here to learn more.


This entry was posted in Challenge, Death, Writing 101 and tagged Fear, Writing 101. Bookmark the permalink.
I like the point form. I also like the progression of feelings. Well done.
Wow, what an incredible way of exploring loss and the ways it overlaps with fear, what an amazing piece of writing in response to this challenge! I'm so happy you have found a new partner–and knowing this history makes that fact all the more meaningful!
One year ago today this was the challenge for Writing 101. And now I have to add that the Architect who was in my life for such a short time died on August 16th.
Now I have to ask myself all the questions I asked when my Dashing Young Scotsman died and make it through to the stage where I can say that I can live my life without him and move on, never forgetting him but making a new life without him.


On June 17, a complainant came to the sheriff's office to report financial fraud. The complainant stated when checking her bank account online she found a charge that she had not made. The complainant contacted the company and found someone had used her name and debit card information to make a purchase that was charged to her, but sent to an address she did not know. Investigation continues.
June 17, answered a call to Ten Mile Road in reference to elder abuse. The complainant stated she believes someone is taking advantage of her grandmother by taking her social security check. Investigation continues.
June 18, answered a call to Wilson Crapps Road in reference to a theft. The complainant stated someone had taken a battery from an old vehicle that was parked under a shelter.
June 19, answered a call to Appling HealthCare's emergency room (ER) in reference to an ATV accident that occurred on James Kent Road. A family member stated eleven-year-old male victim was turning around on a road near a ditch and the four-wheeler turned over and he fell off. The victim was taken to ER by a private vehicle.
June 19, answered a call to Daniels Road in reference to a domestic. The complainant stated she believed her husband was in drug related activity. When she tried to leave the residence with the children they had a physical altercation. The husband left the residence before officers arrived.
June 20, answered a call to Alpine Drive in reference to criminal damage to property. The complainant stated her ex-boyfriend threw bricks at her vehicle doing damage to the back glass, taillight, roof and trunk of her vehicle.
June 20, answered a call to Rock Point Drive in reference to a domestic. The complainant stated her estranged husband and his mother came to their house to get his personal items, when a physical altercation occurred. Both subjects left the residence before officers arrived.
June 20, answered a call to County Farm Road in reference to harassment. The complainant stated her ex-husband continues to harass, send text messages to her and shows up at her residence uninvited.
June 20, a complainant came to the sheriff's office to report a physical altercation that occurred on Wright Drive. The complainant stated a family member choked him and pushed him down at his residence.
June 20, answered a call to Willow Lane in reference to a mental subject. Upon arrival a female subject told deputies she needed treatment. Appling EMS responded and took subject to Appling ER for treatment.


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Indian boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav settled for the silver medal after going down to Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev in the final of the Asian Championships in Bangkok.
The 23-year-old Indian lost 0-2 to the reigning Youth Olympic champion in a gruelling fight that left both the boxers with several bruises on their faces.
With Vikas' silver, India finished their campaign with one silver and three bronze medals -- L Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) being the third-place finishers. Besides, six Indians also made the cut for next month's World Championships -- the first qualifying event for the Olympics next year.
"I am extremely happy with the performance because six boxers have made the World Championships cut but a gold medal would have been even better. Vikas performed exceptionally well and it's quite disappointing that he could not win," national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu told PTI.
In today's bout, the two boxers went in with sharply contrasting strategies in the opening round. While Melikuziev was fearless and moved around fluently threatening to attack every moment, Vikas was defensive and had himself covered in a shell guard.
Melikuziev's approach found favour with the judges as he took the opening round unanimously, using a combination of right hooks and jabs to do the scoring.
Vikas went on the offensive in the second round but the fist-speed of Melikuziev was something that the Indian struggled to keep pace with.
However, due to Vikas' aggressive approach, the 19-year-old Uzbek could not connect as many scoring punches as he managed in the first three minutes. The second round was eventually awarded to the former World Championships bronze-medallist from India on a split decision. But it did not count for much as a point was deducted from his account owing to a rather harsh warning for bending.
In the final round, Vikas continued his offensive approach but Melikuziev also threw caution to the wind and the two boxers exchanged a flurry of punches. The final three minutes were fought on an even keel but Melikuziev got the judges' nod in the final analysis.
"To my mind, he dominated two rounds but that's how it is in sports. You win some, you lose some," Sandhu said.
Overall, compared to the previous edition in 2013, India's medal count did not dip but the country failed to win a single gold medal this time.


The Emerge hoodie is nonetheless a Fit to Fly Apparel original. This sweatshirt is soft, comfortable, and smooth. Perfect for cooler preflights, or a warm up pull-over in the gym. The Emerge hoodie is branded with a Fit to Fly Apparel logo variation on the upper right chest, complemented with the original FTF wings on the upper back. Designed to be loud and prevailing, this hoodie is for those who seek to Emerge from the norm.


text:
Little boy selling his Coles..
Little boy selling his Coles mini shop collectables to raise money for Royal Children's Hospital
Six-year-old Oliver Nguyen is putting the mini plastic toys handed out at Coles to good use.
He's hatched a plan to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital with a raffle to win his entire collection, so far selling 40 tickets, at $5 each.
His mum Huong told Neil Mitchell as much as Oliver loved collecting the minis, she wasn't surprised he made this decision.
"He's always been that kind of empathetic little person," she said.
"It's more than we ever anticipated we'd get, the public response has been great."
"I wanted to give it away," Oliver told Neil.
"And I was counting while you two were talking and there's 45 not 40 tickets!"
Click PLAY below to hear the chat with Oliver and his mum


香港討論區 » 撲克交流 » 大家打online poker最多同時開幾枱?
You guys play PS Real money?
I am having trouble to pay it with my Visa, and the service charge of entropay is just too expensive. Plus, if I win, there is another charge for bank transfer.
On the other hand, getting tired to go Macau during the weekend.
if u r holding credit card which is issued by Hong Kong, u are not able to deposit into PS.
Entropay would be the only option for you.


Rooftop micro farms enable these women from Deheishe Refugee Camp to support their families and address the food insecurity they suffer from. Many families don't have sufficient access to fresh vegetables, effecting especially the children in their development. Providing these women with the training and materials to produce two healthy harvests a year has showed to be a successful way to address the need of Palestinian refugees, and should be made available to more women as soon as possible!
Enduring occupation continues to reduce the freedoms,resources and future aspirations of the Palestinians,especially refugees and even more: refugee women. In Deheishe Camp almost no space is available for gardens or food production. Creating rooftop gardens is proved to be a great way to address the needs of these families and positively impact the lives of the women. But more funds are currently needed to provide more women with the necessary means to get their families out of food insecurity.
Rooftop micro farms create a green space on the houses of the women,giving them the opportunity to produce two organic harvests a year. The complete system will provide enough water,shade as well as sun to complete their diet with fresh vegetables,especially improving the development of the children. The green space will improve the environment in the camp,while the possibility of outdoor activity,training in a skill and social recognition for their work,will positively impact the woman's lives.
More information first try-out of this project.
will provide an extra tube for one woman to plant her vegetables in.
will train one women in maintaining her rooftop garden.
provides 4 planting tubes for one women to start her own micro farm.


text:
AUSTRALIAN NEWS SITES ACHIEVE RECORD AUDIENCES
ABC News websites and News.com.au exceeded 6 million unique audiences for the first time
ABC News websites jumps to top spot
Nine.com.au launches into the top five
Sydney, Australia – 27 August 2016: Latest figures from Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) show significant growth for the nation's leading current events and global news websites.
The Federal Election on 2 July dominated news with Australians keen to see the election results.
ABC News websites jumped to the top position with a significant unique audience increase of 30% compared to the previous month, to reach a unique audience of 6.5 million.
News.com.au also saw an increase of 14% to a unique audience of 6.2 million ahead of smh.com.au who retained third place with a unique audience increase on the previous month of 6%.
ABC News Websites and news.com.au both reported large increases in smartphone engagement with unique audience growth on last month of 77% and 25% respectively for these devices.
The recently launched nine.com.au came in at fourth place, followed by Daily Mail, the Guardian and Yahoo7 News.
The Age jumped back into Nielsen's top 10 rankings in eighth place with a 12% increase in unique audience compared to the previous month and notably smartphone engagement increasing by 37% for this site. BBC came in at ninth followed by the Herald Sun.
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy.
Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content — video, audio and text — is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics that help improve performance.
Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90 percent of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
Jackie Helliker
T: + 61 403 074 864
E: jackie.helliker@nielsen.com
https://www.nielsen.com/au/en/press-releases/2016/australian-news-sites-achieve-record-audiences/


text:
The Overstreet Hall of Fame: Will Eisner (DiamondGalleries.com)
Mr. Media® Radio Network • Email • Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn • YouTube • Stitcher
Who are the individuals who have made great contributions to the comic book arts? Who are the writers, artists, editors, publishers and others who have plied their craft in insightful ways? The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide presents The Overstreet Hall of Fame. We'll take a look at one of our inductees each week in Scoop.
Considered by many to be the father of the American graphic novel, Will Eisner was a writer, artist, master storyteller, and businessman. In a career that spanned eight decades, he created The Spirit, John Law, Lady Luck, Mr. Mystic, Uncle Sam, Blackhawk and numerous other characters.
He co-founded the Eisner — Iger Studios, then created The Spirit sections which were issued weekly in newspapers across America, and developed and packaged P.S. Magazine for the U.S. Army.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Bob Andelman is the author or co-author of 12 books, including Mind Over Business with Ken Baum, The Consulate with Thomas R. Stutler, The Profiler with Pat Brown, Built From Scratch with the founders of The Home Depot, The Profit Zone with Adrian Slywotzky, Mean Business with Albert J. Dunlap, and Will Eisner: A Spirited Life. Click here to see Bob Andelman's Amazon Central author page. He is a member in good standing of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (member page).
Copyright 2011 Bob Andelman. Click here for copyright permissions!
Follow @andelman
The Spirit, Will Eisner


Georgia Martin is an emerging ceramic artist and photographer, completing her Diploma of Ceramics at Holmesglen Tafe in 2015.
Georgia's range of ceramics uses wheel thrown, hand building and slip casting techniques. Her pieces are quiet and minimal, drawing inspiration from the Australian natural and suburban environment. She is interested in the interaction of human relationships, daily routines and sublime moments in the mundane.
When I arrive in the morning I usually start by cleaning and tidying the space. What follows is planning my day ahead, writing a 'to do' list as to what I would like to achieve for the day or week ahead. This keeps my mind focused. The day is then spent making in the studio, usually on one or two projects or ideas.


Strasbourg, France… Week one from my perspective!
First arrival in Strasbourg arriving at about 5pm, I thought to myself "This is a cute little town!" After dinner, going to explore, around 7pm, I'm confused; "Why does everything close so early?" Still unable to answer that question… I have grown to accept it. If you want dinner, it better be before 7pm, if you want to shop, it better be before 7pm if you want to stop by the grocery store, it better be before 7pm. Actually, I am growing to like these ideas, it is better to eat meals before 7pm. This also causes families to bond, if everyone's home by 8pm (allowing for shut-down and traffic), it allows for family time. Time to help children with homework, having family talks and encourages togetherness.
There was also this "Alsace" place people spoke of. There were bags,hats and even umbrellas with Alsace on them. "What is this place?" I wondered. After talking with my professor and asking a gazillion questions (lol). I understand. Alsace is one of the regions Europe spilt into during war. It includes multiple cities just as other countries.