I have learned in my short time here that there really isn't one India. Different regions, different cultures, different wedding traditions.
After friends & family deliver their best wishes, the style is a little like a US rehearsal dinner, the dancing commences.
After the dancing Abhishek took the mic and sung a love song for his bride. It was followed by other family members singing what I have been told are the classics of Indian song culture.
This is Jessica, the bride.
This entry was posted in Connecting Worlds, English Version, Neues von Tooi, Tooi´s Reisewelt and tagged India, Old Monk, Sangeet by franziskaschwarzmann. Bookmark the permalink.


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text:
//
//  LYTNotificationNoti.h
//  LYTDemo
//
//  Created by Shangen Zhang on 2017/6/1.
//  Copyright © 2017年 Vieene. All rights reserved.
//

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import "SDKGlobalEnum.h"

@class LYTGroupNotification;
@interface LYTNotificationNoti : NSObject

/** NOTI TYPE */
@property(nonatomic,assign) LYTNotificationType notiType;

/** 回话ID  在讨论组中即为 : 讨论组ID */
@property (nonatomic,copy)NSString * sessionId;

/**  通告ID */
@property (nonatomic,copy)NSString * notificationId;

/**
 公告模型

    -- 创建公告通知或者更新未读公告 时会带上
        创建公告数组元素只有一个、更新公告未读数时候可能有多个

    -- 删除或设置已读的通知  改公告模型为nil
 */
@property (nonatomic,strong)NSArray <LYTGroupNotification *>* notifications;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The Singur events are signs of a crisis borne out of a disjuncture between the Left Front's pragmatic policies and the legacy of the movement and class interests that empowered it. For a long time, the open eruption of this crisis was evaded by the West Bengal government's success in convincing its mass base of its ability to manoeuvre state apparatuses for small, yet continuous gains. It justified all its limitations and inefficacy by condemning the faulty centre-state relationship and a larger conspiracy to destabilise limited reformist gains – for instance, those from reforms in the Bargadari system.
The allegation of conspiracy seemed tangible only to the extent that parliamentary politics drives every opposition party to encash the difficulties incumbent governments face – by peddling popular grievances for advantages in electoral competition. This is the way a representative democracy disperses and defuses challenges to its stability. For illustration, one needs to just review the history of the exit-entry of governments and their economic policies over the past 20 years. There were economic grievances that contributed to the opposition's success in destabilizing governments and forming alternative ones, yet there was a remarkable continuity in economic and financial policies. Because of the Indian State's ability to contain popular opposition within the precincts of electoral democracy – the ritual of elections – it could evade any fundamental political economic crisis and did not have to deter from its neoliberal commitments.
Once the Left in West Bengal chose to play by the rules of parliamentary democracy, it faced the continuous threat of defeat in electoral competition. The internalisation of the need to evade this threat transformed its character, thus leading it to aspire beyond being a class party of workers and peasants. It had to become an all people's party – a party that could internalise the dynamo of the status quo, negotiating between diverse, dynamic and antagonistic interests. In other parts of the country too the rise of coalition politics and the possibility of electing representatives decisively regimented the official left's radical rhetoric.
A cosmetic radicalism though is advantageous in the states where it is the incumbent power. It can mobilise its traditional class base, by playing on victimhood, by ritualistic national strikes etc. The patent logic of the West Bengal government has been that in the absence of a friendly centre, it can do nothing but make the best out of the adverse conditions. Alongside, it has been increasingly using the threat of capital flight to justify its concurrence with the national economic policies.
Behind these usual mechanics of stabilizing its position in the representative democratic set-up resides an essential dilemma or crisis for the official left. The historical legacy of the peasants and workers' movements that congealed its rule and continue to provide it stability has been both a boon and a bane. This has gravely severed its ability to use traditional means of state coercion for containing its mass base, forcing an informal accommodation or para-legalisation of the Left's traditional mass organizations – their transformation into ideological state apparatuses. Herein lies the danger.
Once these organizations are identified with the officialdom, the grassroots are increasingly alienated and the scope for their independent assertion amplifies. In the history of Bengal's left, this has happened many times – the most formidable one was definitely the Naxalbari movement. Another example was the self-organization of the Kanoria Jute Mill workers beyond bankrupt bureaucratic trade unionism in the mid-1990s. Singur is the latest case.
One can definitely question the motives of mainstream non-left political parties – like the Congress, Trinamool (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which compete with the Left Front to represent the interests of the neo-rich and landed gentry (which includes many absentee landowners) owning bigger portions of land, using 'kishans' – hired labours, bargadars, etc for cultivation. (EPW, Nov 18, 2006) This class, who the West Bengal government claims have consented to land alienation in Singur, joins such movements essentially to obtain various kinds of concessions – a higher price for giving up land to the State and perhaps also for increasing the price for future real estate speculation around the upcoming industrial belt. Moreover, until now the Left Front has succeeded in representing these class interests, which are the main offsprings of the limited agrarian and other economic reforms during its rule. But as opportunism is intrinsic to these interests, they are determined to utilise every available mechanism to gain concessions from the regime. Singur is a test case for the official Left's pragmatism – being a local agency for reproducing the general conditions of capitalist accumulation, the Left Front government has to articulate larger neoliberal capitalist designs within the local hegemonic set-up, i.e., it will have to facilitate the representation of local hegemonies within "neoliberal state" apparatuses.
But there is a larger section of the landless, poor peasantry and those frequenting nearby towns for work; for them, the struggles like that of Singur are existential ones. There have been instances of reverse migration also with the closing down of traditional industries. These sections do not possess any faith in neoliberal industrialisation based on flexible, informal and mechanised labour processes. Recently in many parts of the country, these sections of rural poor have been the object and subject of radical mobilisations. It is the fear of their politicisation at the wake of its drive for competitive industrialisation, which is the real worry for the accommodated left in West Bengal, especially the CPM, which has traditionally resisted the mobilisation of the landless in the state, even by its own outfit.
However, the efficacy of capitalist parliamentarianism – the political arrangement suitable for the (post)modern "Eden of the innate rights of man" – lies in reducing class conflicts to lobby politics and competition for representation. Hence, the effective status quoist strategy would be to pose the systemic crisis merely as a temporary crisis of representation. The Left Front and the official opposition in the form of Trinamool and other mainstream parliamentary parties are effectively cooperating in this task. Efforts in this regard include the way the Singur struggle is being projected in corporate media and in political statements – as a Mamata-Buddhadeb tussle or even as manipulation by rival corporate interests etc. In order to make this strategy vital, the interests (rentier, concessionary or compensational) of local hegemonic classes need to be posed as universal and representative. This could happen only by subjugating the existential, need-based interests of rural poor and proletarians – these interests question the very logic of development within capitalism. Thus their subjugation through within-the-system representation effectively counters whatever counter-hegemonic potential such struggles have. The attempt to reduce the whole struggle to the issues of compensation and other kinds of concessions is part of this strategy. This allows an escape route for both the government and the official opposition – so that symbolic gestures negotiated between these parties can be posed as successes, which can be eventually played as trump cards in electoral competition.
Only the liberation of local struggles from such accommodation can decisively shape the continuity and effectiveness of counter-hegemonic mobilisations and struggles. But this requires radical segments within these struggles not to fall for the cosiness of politics based on vertically homogenised interests, as by default they are hegemonic.
This article has been published in a modified form in The Times of India, December 28, 2006 under the title, The Lost Left.


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The End Of Chattel Slavery Essay
1648 WordsNov 10, 20167 Pages
Looking back in history, you will find that slavery was always present. There are accounts of slavery in Babylon, Greece, and Rome, all occurring before the Common Era; but there was a major change during the year 1619 in the way slavery was implemented. This form of slavery was known as chattel slavery. Defined as "A civil relationship in which one person has absolute power over the life, fortune, and liberty of another" (Legal-dictionary.com), chattel slavery targeted African slaves that were brought over from Africa to the Americas to support the production of crops such as tobacco and cotton. Previous to the year 1619, slavery was used as a way to pay off debt or as seen in Rome it existed to provide everyone with an equal opportunity. In examining the start of chattel slavery I pose three questions: What was the true purpose of chattel slavery, why was chattel slavery only in America and found nowhere else in any point of history, and are there forms of chattel slavery that exist today? Answering these questions will be pivotal in explaining why chattel slavery was constructed. A common misconception that most people have about the word "slavery" is that it is bad or people tend to think about African slaves walking in chains and being beaten. History has shown and proven numerous account of slavery so how come when we think of slavery we seem to think of the stereotypical slavery (chattel slavery)? In fact, Classical Greece was the first society seen that had slave
Chattel Slavery
1359 Words | 6 Pages
Chattel slavery, so named because people are treated as the personal property, chattels, of an owner and are bought and sold as commodities, is the original form of slavery. When taking these chattels across national borders it is referred to as Human Trafficking especially when these slaves provide sexual services. Indentureship Indentured laborers were assigned contracts in which they were paid wages to work for a specified period of time. After the contracts expired they were given the option
Essay about Slavery by Another Name
Throughout the book, The Origins of Slavery, the author, Betty Woods, depicts how religion and race along with social, economic, and political factors were the key factors in determining the exact timing that the colonist's labor bases of indentured Europeans would change to involuntary West African servitude. These religion and racial differences along with the economic demand for more labor played the key roles in the formation of slavery in the English colonies. When the Europeans first arrived
The Slavery Of The Slave Trade
is well-defined as an individual detained in servitude as the chattel of another, or one that is wholly impassive to a ruling power (American Heritage dictionary of the English language, 2011). The most renowned circumstances of slavery materialized throughout the settling of the United States of America. From 1619 until July 1st 1928 slavery was acceptable within United States of America the Slavery protestors endeavoured to end slavery, which at some point; they were effective at doing so. This essay
Social Studies Coursework
868 Words | 4 Pages
Question 1 What is slavery? Africans became slaves in several ways. Describe three (3) ways in which Africans became slaves. [10 marks] Answer Slavery is the state of being under the control of another person and is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be, or treated as the property of others. As Source B says, slavery existed in West Africa before
The Growth And Exposure For Moody 's Mama Toosweet Essay
side of the spectrum black people are placed on. On the other hand, Moody's mama Toosweet, has long endured the brutal callousness of Chattel Slavery -- as a result she holds a different perspective than Moody. Their differing viewpoints often lead to tension between the two characters; this essay will examine and compare the psychological effects of Chattel Slavery on Moody and her mother. When examining Coming of Age in Mississippi we must call to mind the Politics of Difference – as readers learn
Chains : On The Neck
various ends, like doing work or performing a task, and to keep doing it. This is what occurs in the historical situation known as slavery. In slavery, the person working or performing a task is doing so against his/her will or desire. He or she simply cannot choose to stop. Slavery doesn't have to involve two or more subjects. It can involve one person, thanks to their complex human brain. One person can force themselves to keep doing something even though they may not want to. Slavery, then, is
Relationship Between Slavery And Capitalism Essay
relationship between Slavery and Capitalism, and the extent to how dependent Capitalism was on slavery. Chattel slavery first arrived to America in 1619 and from there the business just kept on growing. It leads to the invention of the cotton gin and helped push forward the young country into the developed powerful nation it is now. This can be gained from the readings from Bailyn, Beverly, the Declaration of Independence, and other works that show not only how profitable slavery was, but also how important
Celia, A Slave By Melton Mclaurin
of non-stop events, Celia's story became emblematic of the centrifugal conditions that ripped the antebellum America apart because her life helps us understand women's rights in the slavery society and a conflict between proslavery and antislavery activities. First of all, women don't have important rights in slavery society. Patriarchal system is operated under the absolute dominance of men, and women have responsibility to fully obey husbands. Women have to serve men and accept their inferiority
Dehumanization Of Slavery In Frederick Douglass's Narrative Of Life
existence of chattel slavery. The issue of slavery in America was not as easily thought as black and white. Mostly, people in the North were opposed to slavery, while the South promoted it. However, many people were indifferent. People in the North could see slavery as neither good nor bad, instead a way of Southern life. Frederick Douglass, knowing the North was home to lots of abolitionists, wrote his narrative "Narrative of Life" in order to show indifferent people in the north to see slavery as the
The Differences Between The French And British And The American Colonies During The 19th Century
world, slavery was viewed as a form of punishment and an alternative to execution or imprisonment. People who were captured through war were also enslaved. Some people became slaves due to unpaid debt, but this was only a temporary situation. With the growing demand for labor on the plantations, slavery took on a different take to meet the needs. Slavery changed in two major ways with chattel slavery becoming more common and people beginning to be enslaved due to their racial origin. Chattel slavery
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In the attractive and exciting landscape of the Dolomites, in the heart of Cortina d'Ampezzo – the only Italian location included in the Best of the Alps group of Alpine resorts and a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2009 – stands the Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf, a dream world hovering between past and present.
The unique style and the refined, warm and enveloping charm of the Cristallo permeate all 74 bedrooms, including 22 suites, each one differing from the next. Among these are 5 Royal Suites, dedicated to great personages from the past who sojourned there, and two Presidential suites, the hotel's most prestigious and unique: the "Presidential Suite Frank Sinatra" and the "Presidential Suite Peter Sellers" are two fully-fledged apartments, offering top level comfort and services and a private spa complete with sauna and Turkish bath.
The Stube is an authentic, traditional corner which awaits with a unique atmosphere: wood-covered walls, a majolica stove from times gone by and traditional furniture make your dining experience a very special one. Our team transforms carefully selected raw materials into simple, genuine dishes. Vegetables are harvested in the Cristallo Garden or stem from local farms in order to ensure a culinary journey rich in flavors. Round up your dining experience with an exceptional selection of local wines.
The Gazebo & The Veranda: Informality and class enclosed in a light, cozy, gazebo-veranda. The flavours are inspired by the great Italian cuisine, to meet the curiosity of foreign guests, but not only.
The Cristallo Lounge: The renowned Cocktail Bar offers the opportunity to taste the recipes born of the creative flair of our bartenders. It has also a stunning view on the Cortina Valley and the Dolomites.
Chef's Private Table: it is ideal for romantic dinners or private parties with a maximum of 12 guests. It is a cozy space where everyone feels like at home.


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text:
Sylvie Collection
Lovebright Collection
Chain & Cord
Monogram Jewelry
Youth & Children Jewelry
Maurice 'Maury' Adams, at age 14, began working as an apprentice to a local Jeweler in York. He started out sweeping and cleaning the store and gradually; was taught and mastered all the skills necessary to become a master jeweler himself. In 1946 he and his wife Elizabeth 'Libby' started their own store in the living room of their row house on W. Maple St. In late 1950, Maury and Libby relocated their store to the corner of S. george St and Maple St. Their younger son George Adams, would eventually attend the Bowman School of Watch Making, where he became a watch maker.
In 1970, George Adams took over his father's business which at the time was located on Maple St, then in 1972 moved the business to Beaver St. In 1977, George and his wife Rose Adams decided to move out of York city and open a new store in the Haines Acres Shopping Center. George tragically died in 1979, suffering from the effects of Agent Orange, which he had come in contact with while he served in Vietnam. Rose Adams after suffering the loss of her husband, decided she would continue the family's business and keep George's dream alive for her two young boys. Rose Adams with the help of her father in-law, Maurice, was able to learn and grow the business over the next 30 years.
In 2001, Rose and George's oldest son, Joseph Adams, decided to start working in the family business. Joseph had years of sales and business experience and also became a GIA Certified Graduate Gemologist on top of his Bachelor's degree in Geology / Environmental Earth Sciences. Joseph Adams quickly began taking on more responsibilities in the day to day operations of the business until 2005, when he took over the position of General Manager.
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Classics and Activism: A contradiction in terms?
Posted on July 5, 2018 by lizgloyn
Professor Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz of Hamilton College gave a keynote at our AGM in April. It is with great pleasure that we share the text of the talk that she gave.
I'm delighted to have been invited here to meet with you all—I was at the Feminist Sandpit in 2016, and have followed your activities with interest. Today's topic of activism is one dear to my heart, and though I am mostly speaking from my US perspective, I anticipate a lively and informative discussion and look forward to moving forward together. Building coalitions is essential for progress.
First, I would ask what we even mean by activism in this context. Not much of what we do as academics counts as activism in the most obvious and political sense. Participating in world or local politics may even conflict with our professional roles. When I was in grad school in Chicago, for instance, feminist and anti-war demonstrations and meetings were all around me. How engaged could I be, given my time in the library instead of on the picket line? Then there is the question of what we study. The intellectual or academic branches of the civil rights and women's movements (and later gay rights movement) have attacked the traditional curriculum, and in particular its domination by dead white men. Classics certainly seemed guilty as charged—a canon of works by dead white men taught mostly by (barely) living white men. And the history of the field supports this critique because of the gate-keeping function of the study of ancient languages; classics was a central part of a liberal education, taken for granted for middle and upper class men. It was decidedly not useless knowledge: as Chris Stray and Phiroze Vasunia among others have argued, a classical education helped in the formation of white male elites and led to jobs in colonial management. Women and people of color were excluded.
The construction of antiquity as white and European persists in very troubling ways. In the last year, the web-based right-wing group Identity Europa has emerged and energetically claimed ancient imagery as its "own," making reclaiming it part of America's "becoming great again," posting flyers on campuses in 2016. The former APA, now Society for Classical Studies in the US, replied first by defining antiquity as
"a complex place, with a vast diversity of peoples, languages, religions, and cultures spread over three continents, as full of contention and difference as our world is today." The statement then turns explicitly ideological: "the Society strongly supports efforts to include all groups among those who study and teach the ancient world, and to encourage understanding of antiquity by all. . . As scholars and teachers, we condemn the use of the texts, ideals, and images of the Greek and Roman world to promote racism or a view of the Classical world as the unique inheritance of a falsely-imagined and narrowly-conceived western civilization."
Like many others of you, I'm sure, I am suspicious of traditional claims for classics' importance and transcendent value; that tactic was associated with the denigration of other traditions. We have to find new reasons to study antiquity, especially as we do "outreach," or "public engagement"; if we are selling the Ancient World, we have to ask why we are doing so (more on that later). In a recent article in Eidolon, Johanna Hanink put it this way: "the hard and rewarding work lies in figuring out how to keep doing what we do — studying antiquity and its legacy — while at the same time acknowledging, and further exposing, the damage done by the old hard line on Classics and "Western civilization."
Classicists have responded to challenges to the field (the critique from the left, the unwelcome support from the right, and I would include here the nonpartisan attacks on the humanities as useless) over the last thirty or so years. In fact, like other disciplines, we have been mobilized by the women's movement, civil rights and anti-colonialist struggles, the gay rights movement, and more recently by a growing disability rights movement. In the rest of the paper I'll be looking first at activism in scholarship and teaching, then at efforts to change the profession, and finally at the ways in which classicists have been using classics outside the profession. Of course, the four social movements don't fit neatly into the three topics, and there are some overlaps. But I hope you will be able to follow!
Against Classics
Posted on October 27, 2017 by lizgloyn
Dr. Jo Quinn, Associate Professor of Ancient History at Oxford, gave a keynote talk at our AGM in April which asked us to consider what precisely our curriculum is covering. We are delighted that she has written up her thoughts in this blog post. You can find her on Twitter at @josephinequinn.
Despite all the efforts made in recent years to increase the diversity of Classicists by organisations like Classics for All and now the WCC as well as by university departments, it is no secret that our student body is still dominated by those from privileged backgrounds, that our secure and senior faculty are disproportionately male, and that BME scholars are disproportionately absent at all levels. I want to suggest here that 'Classics' itself is part of the problem: that we stack the odds against diversity by the way we describe and conceptualise our subject.
Classics is not after all a neutral term. For one thing, this eighteenth century coinage privileges language and literature: the "classics" concerned are Greek and Roman texts. It comes from an era when most of the available evidence was indeed textual, but it does not represent the breadth of the subject as we teach it today. It also dictates a focus on elites, on men, and on people we now at least perceive as white – not only because the writers of these texts overwhelmingly fit this description, but because the people they wrote about do too.
And even if we are okay with a primary focus on texts over history, archaeology, linguistics, and so on, do we really believe that the Greek and Latin texts we teach are the only 'classics' of world, or even western, literature? The extended usage in 'Classical Civilization' raises similar questions: why are (only) Greece and Rome 'classical'?
This raises another question: why do we limit ourselves to Greece and Rome anyway? As researchers, of course, we often don't. The WCC's definition of Classics as "the study of the ancient Mediterranean world and its reception" isn't controversial among practitioners. But our teaching curriculum is still based around the Greeks and Romans, and this is the way we usually present Classics degrees to prospective students – at Oxford, for instance, "Classics is the study of the languages, culture, history and thought of the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome", and similar sentiments can be found at (just to take a few more examples) Durham, Exeter, Reading, and Liverpool. Even where courses on other places and people are on offer, and where faculty research interests are much broader, these aren't what our websites sell as 'Classics'.
If Greek and Roman studies is really what we are teaching, why not just call it that? One reason is that our explicit focus solely on societies associated with the two languages that characterize a widespread stereotype of elite education in the UK already limits the diversity of our applicants – and the fact that even in elite schools those languages are taught for longer and more intensively to boys means that women are always going to have a harder time reaching the top of the profession. Another, more positive reason to rethink the narrow geographical and cultural confines of our courses is that curriculum diversity of all kinds is a powerful tool in attracting and engaging more diverse students, who will then become more diverse faculty.
The problem is that we are trying to diversify a subject whose borders we have intentionally constrained – and so however much we try to change the game, the rules by which we play ensure that the status quo prevails. If we really want diversity, we need to relinquish our nineteenth-century disciplinary framework.
One option would be to split Classics up into its component parts: there's already a trend for separate degrees in ancient history and/or classical archaeology, and for ancient history to be grouped institutionally with history, classical archaeology with archaeology.
A risk with generalizing this approach, however, is that even fewer students from schools that don't teach Greek and Latin have the opportunity to learn the languages that will give them a direct encounter with the words and ideas of the people they study, as well as a good chance of a research career. Another, from the perspective of language and literature specialists, is that the parlous position of modern languages in the UK and elsewhere does not offer an encouraging example of going it alone.
Better I think would be to do the opposite: join forces with neighouring departments with a focus on antiquity such as Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology, if not at departmental level then at least in terms of our degree courses. We could start by simply counting each other's courses towards our own degrees. And we could require all our students to learn at least one ancient language from scratch at university, abolishing the ridiculous unfairness whereby Classics students who have had the unusual privilege of learning Greek and Latin at school get a pass on basic language training at university, luxuriating in the further fields of subjects they have studied for years while their less-expensively educated peers battle with one or both languages as well as with a whole new world.
What to do about staff sexual harassment within your university
Posted on July 12, 2017 by lizgloyn
Dr. Anna Bull of the 1752 Group gave a spirited and powerful address at our AGM in April. Here she outlines some practical steps that can be taken to tackle the problems the group addresses in your institution. You can find her on Twitter at @anna_bull_; The 1752 Group tweet at @1752group.
An urgent issue to address in relation to gender inequalities in higher education is sexual harassment and misconduct by university staff. I spoke at the recent Women's Classical Committee AGM on this issue, on behalf of The 1752 Group, a research and lobby organisation which is working nationally in this area. There is a lot of scope for practical action within individual institutions, and attendees were particularly interested in hearing about these ideas, so in this blog post I discuss some of these.
If you want to read more about the wider issues of staff sexual misconduct, you can read our comment pieces in the Huffington Post and on HE blog Wonkhe as well as analysis by The 1752 Group co-founder Tiffany Page along with Leila Whitley in New Formations. We use the term 'sexual misconduct' to encompass a broader range of behaviours than just sexual harassment or assault including grooming, bullying, sexual invitations, comments, non-verbal communication, creation of atmospheres of discomfort, or promised resources in exchange for sexual access. In short, it involves forms of power enacted by academic and professional staff in their relations with undergraduate and postgraduate students, or between staff members.
Find allies.
First and most importantly, find allies and make the issue a collective one. Acting alone, for example by whistleblowing, making an individual complaint, or approaching a perpetrator of sexual misconduct to discuss their behaviour, puts you at risk of retaliation. The more people who are working together on this issue, the more likely that you will be able to challenge powerful individuals who are sexually harassing students or covering up for others who do so. Choose allies carefully by sounding people out first (bearing in mind that those perpetrating abuse or harassment may also have support within a union). It may be necessary to start by acting informally, for example asking around about stories of sexual harassment and misconduct, and offering to be in touch with students speaking about these experiences.
There may be someone in a position of power within your institution who is willing to be a 'champion' or spokesperson on the issue of staff-student sexual misconduct. There are often people in senior positions willing to be allies but who are unaware of the situation at hand, so you may wish to approach a member of the senior management team at your institution who is likely to be sympathetic. Leadership is key to bringing about institutional cultural change around this issue. Try to find someone in a senior leadership position who will be prepared to put their neck out if it comes to fighting entrenched power.
You may become aware of forms of sexual misconduct or ongoing sexual harassment which you are not experiencing yourself. While it may not be possible to start an inquiry without student complaints, it is still possible for a member of staff or union representative to alert the responsible people named on institutional policies that there is an ongoing issue. There should be someone from the senior management team named in such policies. They are likely to respond that there is nothing they can do without a formal complaint. However, if they have previously declared their commitment to 'zero tolerance' of sexual harassment (a commonly-used and often meaningless phrase) then there may be other actions that can be taken to change the culture within the institution.
Audit existing policies.
Pull together all the policies you can find on sexual harassment (usually subsumed into generic bullying and harassment policies), staff student relationship policies (sometimes called conflict of interest policies), and complaints procedures. Examine all relevant policies alongside each other. You tell if it's potentially a good policy if there is a recognition that staff and students are not equal in relationships. Better policies include at least two named people that students can report incidents to. Ideally, there should also be a named 'Champion' for this issue on senior management, to approach if complaints stall or disappear.
Make sure the policy (if it is a fairly good one) is easily available, for example by putting it up on noticeboards and public spaces. If it is inadequate, for example, by including a 'don't ask, don't tell' position on staff student sexual relationships, containing phrases such as 'we trust both parties to behave with integrity', then you can still make it visible but annotate it with your critical commentary.
The 1752 Group recommends that universities have a bespoke policy for staff-student sexual misconduct, as the difficulties and power imbalances that this form of harassment involves cannot be covered by generic policies. A further action you can take is therefore to lobby your institution for a bespoke policy on staff-student sexual harassment and on staff-student sexual relationships. A crucial difference is that harassment and bullying policies usually have an initial stage of 'informal mediation' where it is suggested that the complainant approach the person harassing them and ask them to stop. Given the power imbalance that characterises staff-student teaching relationships as well as many staff-staff relationships, this is inappropriate for sexual harassment and misconduct.
Examine complaints procedures.
Imagine that you are one of the people in these accounts of sexual harassment at university. Go through the complaints procedure and think about how you would experience making a complaint. Where are the blocks?
Start discussions within your institution about staff-student sexual relationships and sexual misconduct. Playwright Phil Thomas has made her short play about this topic publicly available under a Creative Commons licence. The play is entitled 'The Girls Get Younger Every Year', and puts forward one postgraduate student's experience of a relationship of 'blurred lines' and exploitation of power during her studies. A play reading of this piece sets the scene well for a discussion of the complexities of this issue. This is an event that we have successfully held. Other events could include discussions or talks. These need to focus on the power imbalance and the ways in which this makes students vulnerable, an awareness which tends to be absent from discussions of this issue.
Find any other ways you can to hold institutions accountable.
Universities should be able to give clear statements of their position on this issue. You can ask the Pro-VC for student services or another senior figure in your institution to give such a statement. Here's what we think universities should be doing:
Recognise & publicly acknowledge there is a problem
Recognise they don't have the expertise to deal with this
Provide leadership from senior management – dedicate a Champion
Develop specific policies and reporting procedures on sexual misconduct
Provide support for students who have made a complaint, both during and after the complaints process
Train a dedicated officer as part of their job description to be the point of contact within the university
Invest in research and gather data: know what is happening within the institution as well as nationally; communicate & share with other universities
Finally, recognise that this work can be very draining, and may involve a heavy investment of emotional labour. Practice self-care; do what you can. We can't change everything at once, and this work takes time, but it's important to start.
Starting out in the 1960s, working class and female
Posted on May 22, 2017 by lizgloyn
We are delighted that Professor Dame Averil Cameron has shared the text of the keynote speech that she gave at our 2017 AGM with us for publication on the blog. Her experience resonated with many in the room, and we feel privileged to be able to share her reflections with a wider audience. The WCC UK Administrator has taken the liberty of adding the hyperlinks.
I was encouraged to be autobiographical for the WCC AGM in April, and so I will start from what things were like when I got my first job as an assistant lecturer in classics in the mid 1960s and during my time as a student in Oxford before that. It is an age ago, and things were very different then.
First some background information about myself and about the context. I got my first degree at Oxford (more later), and my first job was in language and literature in the Classics department at King's College London. Then in 1970 I was very fortunate to move into a specifically ancient history job, of which there were then very few outside Oxbridge, and much much later, in 1989, into a post designated as late antique and Byzantine (when I started, Peter Brown was in Oxford, but he was in the history faculty and late antiquity hadn't been invented yet). I did not imagine I would ever return to Oxford, but I came back in 1994 as the head (Warden) of Keble College, originally a men's college, and I retired from Keble in 2010. So my own career was in two places, London and Oxford, punctuated by several stays in the US, at Columbia in New York, Princeton and Berkeley, with visits to other US universities including Duke, all of which had a hugely important impact on my development. That is relevant because I believe profoundly that at least for a historian, a person's own history and experience have an enormously important role in how they approach their subject, and in what subjects they are drawn to.
So class first; what was it like to be a working class classicist at the end of the 1950s? I was at school in the 1950s, and amazingly got in to Oxford to read classics (then known as Greats, or Lit. Hum., from the course's official name, Literae Humaniores) at Somerville College in 1958. I grew up in Leek, a small town in North Staffordshire, much the same size today as it was then, though very different in terms of its economy and to a lesser extent its demography. My father spent his entire working life in a paper factory (we called it a paper mill), incidentally owned by the family to which Vera Brittain belonged. My mother did not have a job after they got married, and probably regretted it, but for my father it was a point of principle that his wife did not have to go out to work, and so she stayed at home. Her sister, who had no children, worked in a textile mill for most of her life, and I know my mother envied her the freedom. We lived in a typical two-up two-down terraced house with no bathroom and no hot water. I was the only pupil in my primary school to pass the 11 plus, and it was quite common for parents to say that if their children 'passed the scholarship' they would not let them go because the grammar school was 'stuck up' – more probably in fact because they would have to spend money on the uniform or because they expected them to leave school early and contribute to the household. Certainly it was quite common for children still living at home to be asked to pay rent to their parents. I must say that my own parents always supported me and encouraged me, but I still remember that I never had uniform from the recommended shop – usually it was homemade, or not quite right. As far as I was aware I was the only girl in the school with brown hockey boots instead of black, probably because my mother had got them in a sale (they were also too big) and not surprisingly I wasn't very good at hockey. One of my ambitions was also to have real Kiltie sandals like my best friend Marjorie.
I got into Oxford because of two people – my classics teacher, who saw something in me and did everything she could to encourage it, and the late lamented Dr John Pinsent, a larger-than-life classics lecturer at Liverpool, who taught me Greek on a summer school to which my classics teacher had taken me and told me I had to go to Oxford and to choose Somerville (no mixed colleges then). I knew nothing about it, so I did what he said and when Cambridge offered me a scholarship I turned it down for Somerville. My parents were out of their depth, but they did everything they could for me, even though they must have known that going to Oxford would take me away from Leek and away from them. That was in fact the case, and it's sad. I well remember going back even during my first vacation and already feeling strangely out of place.
To the edges of normality: Argonauts and the diversity of Classics
Posted on May 8, 2017 by lizgloyn
Helen Lovatt, Professor of Classics at the University of Nottingham, spoke at our 2017 AGM on 'To the Edges of Normality: Myth, Reception and Argonauts'; this blog post is based on that talk. You can also find Prof. Lovatt on Twitter.
In a recent Eidolon article, Johanna Hanink calls for a new discipline of 'Critical Classical Reception Studies', that challenges Eurocentric models of the Classical Tradition. Hanink emphasises that we should not overstate the case for the importance of Greek and Roman civilisations in world culture. But she does also acknowledge that:
'Certain classicists, of course, are already working to disrupt, interrogate, and critique the Eurocentrism of the authorized narratives of Greco-Roman antiquity and its tradition. It's what scholars who work on ancient connectivity and cosmopolitanism, and on non-canonical classical periods, authors, and texts, have been doing for years.'
This critical mode is exactly what the WCC day on diversity and Classics was trying to encourage. My contribution is really from the perspective of someone who has always brought the non-canonical into contact with the highly canonised. When I first decided to work on Statius, my director of studies looked incredulous and rather horrified. Now, of course, it is hardly a controversial choice, and the Oxford University Press book stall at the 2017 Classical Association conference had a special display of commentaries on Flavian epic.
My contribution to 'Critical Classics', if we want to call it that, in this post, is to remind ourselves that Classics is already a vast, varied and diverse discipline. For every 'Great Man' module there is another on slavery or sexuality. Classics is important because it includes many different things: it is an area study of the ancient Mediterranean, not just Greece and Rome, but also the Near East, North Africa, the Celts. It is not just literature, but linguistics, epigraphy, palaeography, material culture, visual culture, philosophy, history. Chronologically it ranges from pre-history to the present day (via reception studies), with a central focus on the millennia either side of the birth of Christ. The interactions between Classics and other cultures is also fascinating, but Classics is not in great demand at the University of Nottingham's Ningbo campus, and this is not particularly surprising. Real collaboration and engagement between cultures, which does not impose, but allows dialogue, is an exciting area for the future: the Globalizing Ovid conference which is taking place at Shanghai at the end of May 2017 looks like a promising example of this.
The Argonaut myth is a particularly interesting one for approaching the diversity of Classics. It takes its start from the fragmentary beginnings of myth and the difficult questions of the relationship with myths of earlier cultures, mostly in the Near East. It enshrines narratives of colonisation, but questions and problematises them (the Argonauts are sent by a Greek tyrant to steal from a matching Eastern tyrant in an advanced civilisation elsewhere). It is used as an image of exploration by those who colonised the Americas. It puts centre stage the importance of sexuality in contrast to war, and leaves heroism to the barbarian woman. It is re-used in a myriad of ways for a myriad of purposes in all sorts of cultural contexts. It is particularly important in less valorised cultural contexts, such as genre fiction and children's literature.
Another research question to add to my list: how European is the Argonaut myth? Can we tell a non-Eurocentric version of it? Where are the boundaries of Europe anyway? Technically the Argonauts precisely depart from Europe when they cross the Bosphorus. But if they are still in the Hellenic sphere of influence, what difference does that make?
Rather than policing how we speak about our subject and its importance, how about letting the richness and complexity of the material make its own case. Let us keep bringing out the less well-travelled parts of Classics and re-reading Classics from different perspectives, as intersectional feminists who also care about the ancient world.
Gendering the MOOC – Helen King
Helen King, Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at the Open University, spoke at our 2017 AGM on Gendering the MOOC; this blog post is based on her talk there. You can also find Prof. King on Twitter.
Gendering the MOOC
I've discussed elsewhere the origins and the experience of the MOOC on 'Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World' and both my collaborator Laurence Totelin and I have also reflected on the process of writing it; here's me and here's Laurence. But I'd like to add some thoughts specifically on gender.
The learners
Learners (FutureLearn terminology for those taking the course) are invited to complete a beginning-of-course survey: 75% identified as female. Only a small fraction – around 7% – completed this survey, a response rate consistent with other comparable FutureLearn MOOCs, so perhaps women are more likely to 'conform' by responding to the invitation. However, from the indicator to which I had most access – the identities of those responding to the 'Comments' thread in each step of the MOOC – I also found that the majority were female. Perhaps this is because the MOOC not only attracts people in Classical Studies, but is designed to appeal to those in health care, who are more likely to be women.
The syllabus
We made sure both men's and women's experiences were covered, and in addition Week 5 (of 6) was on 'Conception, Generation and Sexuality'. Within this, we ranged from myths involving birth to theories of conception, positions for giving birth, and the process of puberty in girls. This week also included the presence of men at births, and infertility; we made it clear that men as well as women could be held responsible for this.
As someone who was at university when women's lives and experiences played a very small part in the curriculum, I was pleased to have this entire week when – although men were definitely present in the materials – women were foregrounded. However, not all learners shared my enthusiasm. Most learners on FutureLearn are not native English speakers, and I had selected contributors to the audio and video to get away from the Oxbridge accent (!), including northern English voices and people with Belgian, American and Australasian backgrounds. But those who commented on each step were largely white, UK or US nationals, aged in the 50+ bracket (information on this can be gleaned from their profiles, which can be accessed by any learner by clicking on their name when they post a comment). The majority – both men and women – said they loved Week 5, although from the women there was repeated surprise at what they perceived as the sexism of ancient thought. Following from this, it was women who thought they'd had enough on the topic and wanted to move on; I got the impression that they thought it was only in this area of life that 'sexism' existed. A man did ask why there was nothing on men growing up and I pointed out there were a lot of soldiers in week 6, which was focused on mobility.
The approach to learning
We wanted to avoid the model of 'the expert faces the camera and tells you the facts', and to create an awareness that knowledge is open to debate, so our model was an interview in which the interviewer was trying to find out more. Each week began with a brief discussion of the ancient and modern aspects of the topic, with me and Mathijs Lucassen, whose PhD is in psychiatry but whose background includes both Classics and occupational therapy. Some learners were disturbed that I needed to ask questions – I was expected to have all the answers already! A key learning point was that neither material culture nor texts contain all the answers, and that sometimes they clash. Another was that we need to know who is telling us this; cherry-picking 'quotes' from ancient authors isn't enough.
By avoiding the position of 'expert', however, I think we helped learners to share their own expertise in the Comments sections – and they had a huge range of knowledge of both classical studies and medicine. Learners commented that certain sections made them question their assumptions (e.g. on how votive offerings worked). There was far more 'personal sharing' of experiences than I'd anticipated. Some debates, particularly on herbal medicine and on homeopathy, were intense but polite, and it was a female learner who became the 'voice of science' and who was called this by other learners.
And finally, an interesting case of 'everyday sexism'. Each week's opening interview took place in an OU recording studio, a room full of ancient computers. Several learners (mostly male) were baffled as to 'why Mathijs has so many old computers in his office'!


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text:
Francis Cuthbert Malcolm Cumming. (Robert Crang.)
Francis (Frank) Cuthbert Malcolm Cumming
A father of five, Francis Cuthbert Malcolm Cumming realized he wouldn't make money from his crop, now demolished from a storm. So, he enlisted.
In the summer of 1915, a severe hailstorm hit the farm belonging to Francis (Frank) Cuthbert Malcolm Cumming and Elizabeth Anne (née Smith), his wife, and demolished the crop. The hail was so large it also killed several of their geese on their Saskatchewan farm.
A father of five, Cumming realized there would be no income from the crop, Frank made the decision to enlist in the army. November 30, 1915, Frank travelled to Yorkton to enlist with the 188th Battalion. He spent several months training and embarked overseas in 1916, on the S.S. Olympic.
Cumming was transferred to 46th Battalion France, taken on strength 46th Battalion December 1st, left for unit December 2nd, and joined unit December 9th.
After relief on November 24, the 46th Battalion spent two weeks in Bruay, France, about ten miles behind the front lines. On December 19, they moved back in the line at Vimy Ridge, taking over a portion of the line dominated by German positions on The Pimple, a natural fortress atop the north end of the ridge.
The 46th and 50th Battalion alternated shifts in the trenches until the 46th was relieved by the 13th Middlesex Regiment on April 4, 1917.
The front line on the night of January 3, 1917 was very quiet. At about 6:30 a.m., an artillery and trench mortar show started and lasted until 2:00 p.m. Shells obliterated trenches, caused dug-outs to cave in, and killed many soldiers. One of those killed in action was Cumming. He was forty years old.
The 46th Battalion served with the 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division from August 11, 1916, until the armistice. The unit has come to be known as "The Suicide Battalion." The 46th Battalion lost 1,433 killed and 3,484 wounded and won sixteen battle honours in twenty-seven months.
Cumming was born April 17, 1876 in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. He was the youngest child of Malcolm Cumming and Margaret Gibson.
Army (327), soldier (298), volunteered (285), died (126), family (124), killed (112), Vimy (74), Manitoba (59), Nova Scotia (40), Saskatchewan (36), Somme (32)
Okill Massey Learmonth
"He caught enemy bombs and threw them back. When he could no longer fight because of his wounds, he continued to instruct his junior officers."
Guy Dunmall
Guy worked as a photo engraver at The Telegram and even at war he pursued his passion for photography.
Findlater John Charles Crang
Among the troops was 29-year-old Findlater John Charles Crang, who, before the fighting was over, would become a hero to his brothers-in-arms.
Harold Stephen Rolland
"He was considered something of a 'rascal'... He loved a good joke and was merciless in his teasing of children."
William Alexander Munns
The engine of the Jenny shifted back breaking Munns' foot and ripping the skin off his back.


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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A Rochester man with a history of domestic violence is facing new charges.
Rochester police were contacted by a woman Wednesday who reported she had been beaten and held against her will by her boyfriend for several hours, beginning Tuesday night. She says she was able to get away Wednesday morning after 36-year-old Samuel Carlson fell asleep. Carlson was still there when officers arrived and arrested him.
These allegations are very similar to an incident involving Carlson in July.
In that case, he was accused of holding his estranged girlfriend against her will over a period of several hours. He was accused of beating her and threatening her with a knife during the ordeal. As in the new case, the victim in that incident was able to get away after he dozed off and called police.
Court records show he was convicted of two earlier domestic violence cases.


One of the places I work moved across the street to an older place twice the size and the same rent. It seemed like a smart move for the owners. What they failed to notice and mention to me was that there was no phone infrastructure. I think it's rare to find a building in a downtown that has no phone wire whatsoever.
The DSL was activated and phone cable run to the outside of the building in a fancy new gray box and that was it. The repair man offered to run it inside for an extra $150. They said no thanks because they thought I could do it.
I was called frantically in the middle of the morning at my other job asking if I could come fix the situation. Having no wire strippers or any phone tools I arrived. I used cat5 cable and ran a length to the wiring area in the back by my repair desk. Phones only use 1 pair of cables but usually 2 pair are present I think as a backup. Cat5 brings 4 pair, allowing for an additional 3 lines if that need arises in the future.
The only tool I had was my leatherperson mini. This is a key chain sized tool that is rusty, sticky and has notches in every sharp edged tool. I have it always. Using the small scissors I was able to strip the wires and curve them so they'd seat and wire in well. I matched both sides, after checking both sides several times to fix broken wires bent from poor stripping on my part everything worked!
My boss was relieved but was less impressed than I. Didn't they realize I'd brought their business to life using a 2" 2oz tool and a bit of know how?
I had in fact done this with exactly those tools. It made me think of the phone company. They had it made. They had infrastructure that rarely needed upgrading, a simple technology that isn't patented by anyone, easy to install and requires very little maintenance and no competition.
For decades these companies have sucked out monthly fees from almost %100 of the population. They grew fat with mirth at the ease of the industry they captained. Even when they were busted up for monopolizing the game didn't really change that much; they were all friends still.
Thankfully Internet is giving them a run for their money.
Old-style phone wires had 4 conductors (red, green, black, yellow) so you could put two phone lines on them.
Today there's almost no reason to use that kind of wire behind the wall: better to use Cat5 or better, and pick one pair for a phone line, like you did.
Nice work. :) I'm so glad the mini is so useful for you!


Some might view them as a gimmick, but smartphone apps are becoming greater in number and increasingly tailored to van operators. Jack Carfrae reports.
It's easy to dismiss apps as a ruse, particularly in a commercial environment.
If your business is managing vehicles then it's hard to imagine how something commonly used for playing games on a smartphone is going to help with that.
game have produced apps that are genuinely worthwhile, ranging from the operational to the money-saving. Some are free and open to all; others incur a cost but are designed specifically for existing customers of leasing and fleet management specialists. We've picked the offerings that are the most up-to-date and relevant for today's van operators.
Arguably the biggest movement in van-themed apps relates to vehicle checks and compliance. The immediate, connected nature of smartphones, lack of physical paperwork and ability to take and upload photos makes them ideal tools for on-the-ground reporting, and a suite of leasing companies and fleet specialists have cottoned on.
Initially unveiled at the 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show, an updated version of fleet software firm Jaama's MyVehicle app was launched earlier in 2018. The app is specifically designed for commercial vehicle fleets using the firm's Key2 management system, and helps operators to keep tabs on the condition of their vehicles, cut downtime and ensure compliance.
New features in the updated version include an archive for vehicle defects flagged up by drivers, which keeps a record of the fault and personnel involved in reporting it/deeming the vehicle fit to be back on the road following a repair. For severe incidents, drivers can label vehicles 'off road' via the app, by uploading photos of damage and labelling it 'critical'.
Conversely, they can tag minor damage 'non-urgent', logging the issue in the management system, which in turn arranges for the repair to take place when the vehicle is scheduled for regular maintenance. Drivers can also declare 'nil vehicle defects' for a clean van and, again, the details are logged, creating a digital paper trail, proving inspections have taken place even if a driver has missed something crucial.
Since the original version's inception, Jaama claims that operators "with a combined total of more than 100,000 drivers" have put the app to use.
Also revealed at the 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show, albeit in beta mode, was leasing giant Leaseplan's My Vehicle Check app, which is now available in fully-fledged form and replicates the daily inspection process legally required of HGV drivers.
Users are prompted to perform an inspection of their van before they set off for a day's work; drivers are asked a series of questions about the vehicle relating to core safety elements such as tyre tread. It's also possible to upload photos to illustrate damage or wear, and each report is automatically sent to the fleet manager, highlighting any problems.
The app is said to meet the requirements of the Freight Transport Association's (FTA) Van Excellence Scheme and the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), and can also be used in conjunction with Leaseplan's Uptime fleet management system, which, similarly to Jaama's offering, aims to reduce vehicle downtime by grouping minor repairs in with scheduled maintenance and telling garages what parts they'll need before the van arrives.
Although you have to be a customer to use it, the app can also be applied to non-Leaseplan vehicles, and costs £4, per vehicle, per month. Discounts are available for FORS members, but the company did not say how much they would be.


Setting up and configuring ASUS laptops at affordable rates.
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NEL CSU is committed to equality of opportunity and we believe there is no place in our society for modern slavery and human trafficking. As an organisation we hold a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and breaches in human rights. We have established business and organisation practices, internally, with our partners and suppliers to identify, address and prevent this issue.
their supply chains are free from slavery.
community health care providers, NHS England, prisons and custody suites, and local authorities. We manage over thirty large NHS provider contracts valued at approximately £10 billion.
Has a clear set of ethics and values that underpin everything we do.
NEL CSU complies with the NHS England Modern Slavery Statement and anti-slavery programme.
Our policies including Dignity at Work, Staff Support Champions and Freedom to Speak Up Guardian additionally give a platform for our employees to raise concerns about poor working practices.
Further details can be found at NHS England.


Although medical can get expensive, overall package is above par.
10 weeks PTO for maternity and paternity leave.
10 weeks for parental leave. If you are the birthing parent depending on how you gave birth, 6 weeks for vaginal and 8 weeks for c section of STD. So if you are the birthing parent you get either 16 or 18 weeks of paid leave depending on how you gave birth.
12 weeks for Mothers, 4 weeks for Fathers.
I used maternity leave twice at Moody's, and I didn't feel stigmatized upon my return. Of course, I think everyone should expect that if they go on leave twice in less in not quite two years, that's like working 1 1/2 yrs, not 2 yrs, in terms of promotion path. But I got promoted right before going on leave the first time and eventually after going on leave the second time. In terms of actual time provided, I think it's comparable to most places, 4 weeks paid by the company plus 6 weeks paid under short term disability via health insurance (potentially longer if complications, I believe).
But you'll likely be terminated when you get back from leave so look for a new job.
What can you tell job seekers about Moody's's Maternity & Paternity Leave?"
Glassdoor is your resource for information about the Maternity & Paternity Leave benefits at Moody's. Learn about Moody's Maternity & Paternity Leave, including a description from the employer, and comments and ratings provided anonymously by current and former Moody's employees.


Subject: ADOPT Resolution No. 2018/249 Confirming Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Final Annual Report for County Service Area L-100 and Levying the Service Charges.
1. ACCEPT the filing of the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Final Annual Report on service charges in County Service Area (CSA) L-100 ("Final Annual Report"), a copy of which is attached.
2. ADOPT Resolution No. 2018/249, confirming the Final Annual Report and levying the service charges set forth in the report.
3. DIRECT the Clerk of the Board to file certified copies of the Final Annual Report and Resolution No. 2018/249 with the County Auditor-Controller.
4. DIRECT the County Auditor-Controller to include the service charges on the tax roll for Fiscal Year 2018-2019, the service charge for each parcel to appear as a separate item on the tax bill, pursuant to County Ordinance Code section 1012-2.614.
The levy of the annual service charges in CSA L-100 will provide revenues for the continued operation and maintenance of street lighting services. The CSA L-100 total revenue (inclusive of ad-valorem, service charges, and other) was $1,564,177.50 for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 and will be $1,583,890.04 for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. In Fiscal Year 2017-2018 the basic service charge was $14.94/year per equivalent dwelling unit for a single-family home and will remain the same for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
On June 5, 2018, the Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 2018/135 confirming the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Tentative Annual Report on proposed service charges for CSA L-100. CSA L-100. CSA L-100 provides street lighting services.
On July 1, 2018, the County Assessor released the official assessment roll for Contra Costa County for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. Thereafter, pursuant to Section 1012-2.612 of the County Ordinance Code, the Public Works Director directed staff to determine whether the Tentative Annual Report required revision in order to conform to the official assessment roll. Any change to an estimated basic service charge or estimated service charge notated in the Tentative Annual Report may only be accommodated as a result of changes in ownership, changes of address, the subdivision of an existing parcel or changes in the class or land use of a parcel. Upon review of the official assessment roll, staff determined that revisions to the Tentative Annual Report were required in order to conform to the official assessment roll. These included changes in the use code of parcels. The Tentative Annual Report as revised is the Final Annual Report. See Attachment 1.
The Board may confirm the Final Annual Report by resolution. Resolution No. 2018/249 serves to confirm the Final Annual Report and constitutes the levy of the service charge for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
If a resolution confirming the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Final Annual Report is not adopted, service charges for CSA L-100 would not be levied or collected in Fiscal Year 2018-2019 and street lighting would have to be selectively eliminated throughout the County to meet decreased funding levels.


Leigh Ann Anderson, 4th grade teacher, forgoes the textbook for exploration then explanation.
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Scientists Close to New Improved X-Ray Laser
A cost-effective and reasonably sized X-ray laser that can be used for super high-resolution imaging is close to development by US researchers. The development of the tabletop X-ray laser gives scientists a new way to peer into a single cell and gain a better understanding of the nanowo
By cms admin
A cost-effective and reasonably sized X-ray laser that can be used for super high-resolution imaging is close to development by US researchers.
The development of the tabletop X-ray laser gives scientists a new way to peer into a single cell and gain a better understanding of the nanoworld, according to researchers at University of Colorado at Boulder.
University of Colorado at Boulder physics professor Margaret Murnane said that this new laser creates a laser beam that contains a broad range of X-ray wavelengths all at once that can be focused in time and space.
"If we have this source of coherent light that spans a huge region of the electromagnetic spectrum, we could make the highest resolution light-based tabletop microscope in existence that could capture images in 3D and tell us exactly what we are looking at. We're very close," Murnane said
Venture financing deals in healthcare soared in H2 2021
University of Colorado at Boulder professor and co-author of the research Henry Kapteyn said the tabletop X-ray laser with its bright, focused laser-like X-ray beam, might make it possible to improve X-ray imaging resolution at your doctor's office by a thousand times.
"The X-rays we get in the hospital now are limited and for example, they can't detect really small cancers because the X-ray source in your doctor's office is more like a light bulb, not a laser," Kapteyn said.
cmsadmin


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A Curse of Roses – Book Review
December 1, 2020 / June Reads Books	/ Leave a comment
Title: A Curse of Roses
Author: Diana Pinguicha
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ
Cover: Like it
With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies.
There's a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic–her curse–has turned her meal into a bouquet. She's on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain.
If only it were possible to reverse her magic. Then she could turn flowers…into food.
Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help. But she is trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse–if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss.
As the Kind of Portugal's betrothed, Yzabel would be committing treason, but what good is a king if his country has starved to death?
With just one kiss, Fatyan is set free. And with just one kiss, Yzabel is yearning for more.
She'd sought out Fatyan to help her save the people. Now, loving her could mean Yzabel's destruction.
Based on Portuguese legend, this #ownvoices historical fantasy is an epic tale of mystery, magic, and making the impossible choice between love and duty…
Happy book birthday to Diana Pinguicha's A Curse of Roses! Thank you to Entangled Teen and Pinguicha for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pinguicha writes a fantasy loosely inspired by Portuguese folklore with an own voices spin. Yzabel not only struggles with a magical curse that's slowly killing her, she struggles with her faith, her role as future queen, and her sexuality in a time where people are rejected for anything apart from the norm. In her self-discovery journey to understand the blessings in her life, including her magic, she learns she has more people who are willing to support her than she ever could've imagined.
I was bothered by the pacing of the story, finding much of the middle dry. I also struggled to connect with the characters because anytime they started to show a flaw, someone swooped in and dismissed it as a flaw but a strength. Flawless characters aren't very exciting. The most redeeming part of the plot was seeing Yzabel work through her frustrating self-hatred and religion-based self-harm, but it did seem to turn around very suddenly. Everything was fixed in the end because all you need is love. I found myself wishing for more depth to the characters and less of an obvious good guy vs bad guy type of story.
Book Review – The Library of Fates
July 19, 2017 / June Reads Books	/ Leave a comment
Title: Library of Fates
Author: Aditi Khorana
Genre: YA Fantasy
A romantic coming-of-age fantasy tale steeped in Indian folklore, perfect for fans of The Star-Touched Queen and The Wrath and the Dawn.
No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn't enough.
The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, utterly alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amid the chaos of a palace under siege. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to rely on each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn her people, the newly free Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates. To go back to before Sikander took everything from them.
Stripped of all that she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, will Amrita be able to restore what was lost, or does another life—and another love—await?
"All I had now were stories, words, and hope" (p. 185)
Thank you Penguin Random House for an eARC of The Library of Fates.
This story is unlike one I've ever read before and I absolutely love that fact. Khorana writes an #ownvoice story about Indian folklore that completely dunks you into this awesomely beautiful culture and storytelling. The descriptions are colorful and vivid, evoking a subconscious sense of wanderlust, presenting a world that you will want to reach out to touch, taste, feel, and can't get enough. Who wouldn't want to explore a place like this: "Blue and silver minarets rose above the walled city of Shalingar's capital—Ananta. A layer of marine fog settled over Chanakya Lake, revealing miniature houseboats wearing elaborate gardens on their roofs like soft, mossy hats. They sailed placidly across the flat, misty surface of the basin" (p. 7)?
Amrita is the daughter of an emperor who has kept her primarily contained within the palace walls her whole life. Honestly, the palace has so much for her, it's not surprising that she doesn't have huge dreams to leave. She has a great relationship with her father, a best friend from childhood who recently revealed his feelings for her, and a handmaiden-type woman who is basically a mother figure. While she can be a bit of a brat when she doesn't get what she wants (Can you blame her, though? Everything is generally given to her usually.), she respects her dad and his leadership of their lands.
But everything gets flipped upside down when her father's old friend comes to visit. Sikander is a sexist, entitled jerk who wants to own and rule over everything. Soon into his visit, he reveals his plan to take over the kingdom and wreak destruction to make it happen. Amrita is encouraged to flee to warn her people. She then is sent on a great journey with her new friend Thala, learning about the world outside her doorstep, about how to take risks and fight for the people she loves, about sacrifice, and that the folklore stories she grew up hearing had more truth than she ever dreamed and she played a big role in them.
While the writing was absolutely gorgeous and the adventure exciting, there were some slower parts that I just wanted to rush through. Plus, there were actually a couple love triangles and I'm not really about that life. However, even with those things, I cannot recommend this book enough!
The Library of Fates is an enchanting story that heavily focuses on love and sacrifice. The amount of sacrifices made throughout this story make you want to be a better person and love your people harder. And while there is quite a lot lost on the journey, the fight is worth it and the end is inspirational. So I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
"And we cried because I think we both understood that there was no life without loss."
Looking at the Artists Behind the Book Covers
July 8, 2017 / June Reads Books	/ 3 Comments
Who judges books by their covers? *tentatively raises own hand* If you think about it, from a marketing standpoint, it's totally natural to be drawn to something that is presented better than another. Books that are released with the whole package are way more exciting than ones with disappointing covers. Plus, I grew up in a very artistic-centered family, so a cover that disappoints is significantly less likely to be picked up than one that's well done. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the correlation between what a cover looks like and the probability that you'd pick it up to read or buy. Are covers important to you?
As I spend more time in the bookstagram community, working with authors and publishers, and writing reviews, I've noticed a growing trend of cover revels for upcoming titles. Cover reveals help cultivate more excitement over an upcoming book and the author's work, but most of the time I've noticed that there is no recognition for or mention of the artist who created the cover. To me, that's just ridiculous. Why create hype over a piece of art without crediting the artists who made it? We credit the author and the publisher, but often times the artist gets completely overlooked for their contribution, unless they're a big name like Jim Kay. I wanted to take some time today to show you some beautiful covers and let you know who made them. I hope you enjoy! Let me know which are your favorites in the comments.
Artist: E. Michael Mitchell
Artist: Francis Cugat
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Artist: J.R.R. Tolkein
Exes by Max Winter
Designer: Strick&Williams
Illustrator: Zohar Lazar
Designer: Keith Hayes
Artist: Carel Fabritius
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Designer: Rodrigo Corral
Illustrator: Matt Buck
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
Designer: Abby Kagan
Artist: Sam Weber
SCI-FI/FANTASTY
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
The Vorrh by B. Catling
Designer: Jaclyn Whalen
Paper Girls by Brian Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang & Matt Wilson
by Ben H. Winters
Designer: Oliver Munday
Vermilion: The Adventures of Lou Merriwether, Psychopomp by Molly Tanzer
Designer: Osiel Gòmez
Artist: Dalton Rose
Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
Designer: Caroline Cunningham
Misery by Stephen King
Designer: Will Staehle
Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk
Designer: Michael Collica
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley
Designer: Maria Carella
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
Designer: Matt Dorfman
Art Director: Helen Yentus
The Animal Under the Fur by E.J. Mellow
Designer: E.J. Mellow
Typography: Dan Covert
YA CONTEMPORARY
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
Designer: Kristin Logsdon
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Artist: Eileen Savage
Sill Life with Tornado by A.S. King
Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin
Artist: Jill De Haan
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Designer: Samira Iravani
Artist: Adams Carvalho
YA HISTORICAL FICTION
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Artist: Teagan White
YA MYSTERY
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Designer: Nancy R. Leo-Kelly
The Graces by Laura Eve
Designer: Maria T. Middleton
Artist: Spencer Charles
Tales of Peculiar by Random Riggs
Artist: Andrew Davidson
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Designer: Sheila Smallwood
Artist: Evan B. Harris
Thanks to my brother, Dylan, for helping me with this special blog post. Check out his artwork HERE.
Book Review – Plains of Sand and Steel
June 16, 2017 August 19, 2017 / June Reads Books	/ Leave a comment
Title: Plains of Sand and Steel (Uncommon World #2)
Author: Alisha Klapheke
Cover: Don't like it
A ruler's young bride with a body to conceal, a mercenary bent on revenge, and the Fire magic that will alter their story forever. The Wrath and the Dawn meets Truthwitch in the second standalone, full length novel of the Uncommon World series. When her new royal husband dies at the beginning of an invasion, Seren must hide his body and use the visions the Holy Fire gives her to save the Empire from itself and its enemies. But if the high-ranking general who hates her discovers her secret, he'll have her put to death.
When invaders slaughter Ona's family and shatter her artist life, she joins Lucca, an experienced mercenary and her exact opposite, and heads into war. She just knows the "chanting" she can do—imposing one's will on the world and watching it come to life—will break the invaders and give her sweet vengeance.
Both want to save the Empire but with tangled histories and new passions swirling around them, their divided motivations turn a possible victory into a deadly storm. Join the battle today.
"Ona could smell her own fear and rage like vinegar and blood. Her hands had never vibrated with this kind of power. She was going to kill so many people today." (Chapter 7)
Happy book birthday to Plains of Sand and Steel by Alisha Klapheke, book two in the Uncommon World series. You can check out my review of the first book Waters of Salt and Sin HERE. I just want to say thanks to the author for giving me an eARC to read. PLUS, she just released the map of the world and goodness, I love book maps, don't you?
This book goes straight into the action and conflict in the first chapter, resulting in a total emersion into the character's lives instead of a building up of their stories. We get a chance to hear more about each character's backgrounds, desires, fears, etc as the story continues. This is different than the first book, but I felt it appropriate for these characters (how many times can I say characters in one paragraph?). Similar to Waters of Salt and Sin, Plains of Sand and Steel deals with some conflict between different classes and roles, however, it was not as much of a focus.
Let's take a minute to talk about these strong females Klapheke has given us! Seren has found herself in a role she's completely unfamiliar with after her husband, the Kyros, dies. Her family has been working their way upward in the class system for generations. Seren's father was hired as the high-ranking general, which brough Seren into the scene to be married to the Seren. After his death, she finds herself in a unique position where she has to decide whether or not to fight for the position of Kyros, a position she believes she deserves but others don't because of her blood. And fight she does. With encouragement from her friends, she recognizes the unique power she has and the desire she has to lead her people. She not only stands up and demands her title of Kyros, but she stands by her people's side to fight with them. Of course, it's a process. She learns to overcome her fear and that nagging voice telling her she's not good enough, but the journey is inspiring. Just look at this badass line she even gets in chapter 24:
"Never seen a woman with," he made a flourishing kind of motion with his hands, "these…type ideas."
"It's the Holy Fire that gives me these ideas. And perhaps if you asked more women about their thoughts, you'd hear more good ideas."
On the flip side, we've got Ona. Ona is badass from the get-go, she's already gone through the character development to get her there. But she's quite different than Seren. Her only goal in life is to kill every last invader because of the wrong they've inflicted in her life. She is a passionate fighter and throws herself at everything she does. Ona is ruthless. Her care for the people close to her is the only evidence that her heart isn't rock solid. And to wrap it all up, she is vulgar and sassy. It's like night and day, yet both are badass and strong. The only difference is that Seren knows her limits.
Okay, I should probably let you get to know the other characters by actually reading the book, but I just got so excited about these strong females! That being said, there's some other great characters, like my dear Lucca, but you should just get the book to get to know them yourself.
There were some slower parts that were difficult to get through when life got in the way, but once you got through them, the plot picked up with vengeance. My other disappointment was the cover. I know some people love them, but artistically it's hard to completely support them.
It was a fun and exciting read. The entire book is basically a battle: a battle with the invaders, a battle for the role of Kyros, a battle with self-discovery, and a battle of secrets. If you like action, what are you doing? Go read it for yourself.
Did you count how many times I said "characters?"
Book Review – Vinyl
May 13, 2017 May 11, 2017 / June Reads Books	/ Leave a comment
Title: Vinyl (The Vinyl Trilogy #1)
Author: Sophia Elaine Hanson
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Steampunk
Ronja staggered back and forth across the room half a dozen times, rolling the kinks from her neck and kneading her shoulders. The exercise worked the hitches from her mind. For the first time in her life, her thoughts were bitingly clear. Everything that had happened over the course of the last few days was impossible. A shiny without a Singer. A makeshift hospital underground. A symbol invisible to an entire city that she alone could see. Her Singer, ripped from her skull just before The Quiet Song could drag her under. Ronja halted, her heart writhing in her ribs. The Conductor tried to kill me, she thought dimly. Why?
All citizens within the soaring black walls of Revinia have metal Singers grafted into their skulls at birth. The parasitic machines issue a form of auditory hypnosis called The Music, which keeps their minds malleable and emotions flat. All artistic expression—especially real music—is strictly prohibited. On the edge of the city, nineteen-year-old Ronja struggles to support her cousins and disabled mother. A chance meeting leads to her kidnapping by an underground resistance striving to preserve the human spirit. Violently severed from her Singer by the brash young agent Roark, Ronja revels in her newfound freedom until the consequences of her disappearance begin to unfold.
"Uncaged ideas can be dangerous, even deadly" (p. 56).
An emotionally investing dystopian story set in a steampunk society with characters worth fighting for. Vinyl is immersive, dunking the readers right into this futuristic world.
One theme highlighted heavily in this story is one that is common with dystopian books: class structure. However, Hanson handles this with such grace that it doesn't feel like we hear this theme over and over in this genre. The vivid writing connects the audience with the disparity those on the outer circle feel, like Ronja and her family. Ronja's family has been genetically modified in order to serve the Conductor and suppress their emotions better. While they are the ultimate servant and citizens of this repressed society, they are the lowest of the low. No one wants to hire them, talk to them, or associate with them in any way. Ronja has to bust her butt working every job she can get her hands on in order to provide for her alcoholic mother and two young cousins. One of these jobs is how she met Roark and was thus thrust into a secret underground society with little to no choice.
The Anthem is a resistance group that is on the brink of demanding a revolution. As Ronja is introduced to this strange world without The Music controlling your thoughts and actions, and to the slew of dynamic and diverse characters, I couldn't help feel the excitement she felt. There was this hope that she could've never even let herself dream of. There was joy in feeling emotions in a far more tangible way without the demands of the Conductor's way of living blocking and dulling them. As Ronja encountered real music for the first time, as she encountered dancing and singing and rejoicing in freedom, it made me appreciate the privileges of this life I live so much more. We have freedom over our thoughts, over our emotions, over who we want to be. How amazing is that?
Ronja learns just how powerful ideas and thoughts are. They can change and shape the world. They are the very thing that scares those in power, the very thing that drives the resistance. Individual ideas and thoughts are the tools to create the reality we live in, which is why books like this are so important! I felt a pull in my gut to fight for the characters in the midst of all their dangerous situations, and I couldn't let go! I can't wait to see how the characters fight in book two, Radio.
Book Review – Waters of Salt and Sin
April 24, 2017 April 24, 2017 / June Reads Books	/ 2 Comments
Title: Waters of Salt and Sin (Uncommon World #1)
When seventeen-year-old salt witch Kinneret learns of a lost island of silver, she sets out to find it, raise her status, and finally have a chance to wed Calev, the high-caste friend she secretly loves.
But when a madman enslaves her sister, Kinneret must make a deal with the local ruler: Find the island to secure the ruler's place in history. In return, the woman's fighting sailors will rescue Kinneret's sister.
Using Salt Magic to navigate cursed waters, Kinneret and Calev struggle to hide their taboo, caste-breaking feelings, knowing if the ruler witnesses the attraction, she will cancel the agreement. But when Calev makes a terrible mistake, Kinneret must choose between the life of her only remaining family member and saving the boy she loves from a traitor's death.
"Courage isn't not being afraid," Calev said. "It's standing and fighting through your fear. Protecting those you love" (chapter 7).
Waters of Salt and Sin was such a fun read. I found myself captivated, unable to stop worrying about the characters and their safety. That's one thing you need to know about this book—it is dangerous. No one is safe. However, not only do we get some kickbutt fighting scenes and many encounters with death, but we also get lovey dovey butterfly feelings and the fight for a non-traditional family. Plus, everything happens on the sea! You can't get more excitement than this.
One theme that is engrained in the whole plotline is the tension between class statuses. More than anything, Kinneret just wants the safety and security that comes with a higher class status (or caste) than her own. Though this is a fictional world, this specific theme holds true to our world today. By putting such a focus on the quality of life between classes, Klapheke is commenting on the prejudices in our own society. It was such a bold commentary that no reader can come away from this book without considering how our own world handles these very issues. Kinneret even makes remarks that make it hard to ignore: "Caste meant nothing when it came to death" (chapter 40).
The world Klapheke created is so immersive, filled with beauty, ugliness, sorcery, and tales of treasure. The characters are even better! Kinneret is a badass who is loyal to the bone and won't let anyone tell her she can't do something. I love this about her. This quality makes her worth rooting for. But, where Kinneret can be a hothead, easily worked up about things, Calev is more grounded and rational. They are the perfect mixture, each having strengths that help the other person's weaknesses. Be careful, you might get so connected with these characters that you can't put the book down—don't worry. There's more books to come!
Hold on to your hats because Kinneret and Calev are about to take you on a trip across the seas that you'll never forget!
"If we kept to safe things forever, we'd have no kind of life at all" (chapter 40)