text:
"Ruby"
Ruby - Blog Page
Ruby - The 2012 Teaser
Chapter 1 - The Party
Chapter 2 - The Accident
Chapter 3 - Herding Cats
Chapter 4 - Honey not Vinegar
Chapter 5 - Budapest
Chapter 6 - Bandit Country
Chapter 7 - The Carpathians
Chapter 8 - Varna
Chapter 9 - All Aboard
Chapter 10 - Amasra
Chapter 11 - Well Out of a Boat
Chapter 12 - The Caspian Sea
Chapter 13 - Baku
Chapter 14 - Pirates
Chapter 15 - Turkmenistan
Chapter 16 - A Small Detour
Chapter 17 - Abandon Ship
Chapter 18 - Partials
Ruby Short Stories
Ruby 2 - Downloads
Chapter 1 - Beibu Gulf
Chapter 1 – Beibu Gulf
"He was trying to kiss her and grin at the same time and it was adorable. He really did look a lot like Robert Pattinson, but from the first Twilight film, not the second crappy one."
The previous day had been a little wet, but now the weather was perfect. About 32 degrees and sunny, just the weather to lie under a deck umbrella and watch the beautiful small islands go by. They'd hired an entire tourist junk and its crew from Halong Bay in Vietnam and then drifted north east across the Beibu gulf. Their boat had red sails, as had all the others they'd passed on the way north. Ruby had hoped the reddish colour had some kind of local spiritual significance. Lau was with her and told her the truth, which was rather mundane.
"They tan the sails with a bark that turns the material a reddish brown." He'd told her.
The China Seas were different now; they welcomed tourists from the west. Not just the Vietnamese, China had its 'Go West,' initiative to develop their coastal region next to Vietnam. Everyone was now friends, all past maritime disputes forgotten and everyone loved the western tourists with their piles of hard currency. Well, that was the official line. In reality, the China Seas were still full of disputed areas, which flared up into conflict every few years. Ruby didn't mind, she was used to sailing over troubled seas. Two years before, she'd travelled across the Caspian Sea in a vermin infested ferry. Lying on a deck lounger and watching the pretty little island go by, was going to be a doddle compared to that.
"It's so beautiful…………….. perfect." Said Eugenie.
Eugenie was leaning on the boat's side and looking at the impossibly beautiful islands that sat in an unbelievably blue sea. It all looked so clean, as if someone vacuum cleaned it every night and filtered the water. Mass tourism would ruin it of course, but for now it was a little bit of paradise.
"Can we slow down and take another week to get there ?"Asked Charlotte.
"Oh yes, please !" Added Eugenie.
Lau just sat on a chair near the stern and ignored them all. He was taciturn, had been since Ruby had taken over responsibility for his safety and education. Sometimes he still had that faraway look in his eyes, but Ruby no longer thought he was planning to conquer the entire planet.
"No." She answered. "I have some work to do for George and we'd miss Sarah's birthday."
That cheered the girls up, even Lau looked at them and smiled. Sarah was about to turn thirty and her birthday party was likely to be memorable. They all liked Sarah, all thirteen of the precious children, or young adults as they were now. Sarah loathed that term of course, young adult.
"Young adult reminds me of YA fiction, bland and designed for dumb kids who never swear." She'd once ranted. "Have you heard our little poppets talk to each other ?"
Ruby knew what she meant, left to their own devices the thirteen talked quite openly about their sexual experiences and used 'fuck,' the way most people used a full stop. Spider had been the first to refer to them as the thirteen and it had stuck. All of the thirteen loved Sarah, the way people love that risqué auntie who encourages them to try champagne mixed with crème de cassis. That auntie who helps them find excuses for spending the night with someone they shouldn't. Sarah's birthday party was likely to be a wild affair and it was why Ruby wanted to get the business in China completed fairly quickly. No one wanted to miss Sarah's 30th. Olga came up the steep stairs from below decks and flopped herself onto the lounger next to Ruby.
"I was just showing the cook how to make 'Beef Olga.'" She said.
"I didn't know you spoke Vietnamese."
"I don't, I just point at the right tins and pray."
Ruby waved at one of the crew, who vanished and returned with another jug of cold lemonade. Eugenie had made the crew theirs, she did it more gently than Ruby. None of the crew looked lobotomised or walked like zombies. Most of the time the crew were just following the normal routine of giving a few rich tourists a happy vacation. They wouldn't object to crossing the border into Chinese waters though, in fact they'd be useful participants. Olga was there with her usual Kalashnikov, as backup, just in case things went pear shaped.
"I have to say." Said Olga. "You know how to do these things. No sneaking in by parachute at dead of night."
"George booked the junk for a corporate knees up." Said Ruby.
She saw Olga giving her that look, the one that says she doesn't get all of her London colloquialisms.
"Sorry ! He booked it as a client hospitality trip for the Polandrous Foundation." Said Ruby. "He's used the same boat charter company several times and they trust him."
"If it goes tits up." Added Charlotte. "The crew will say we were a gang of terrorists, who hijacked the boat."
Olga began laughing and Ruby joined in.
"Now you see Ruby." Said Olga. "They're picking up your Ruby English."
Charlotte chose to ignore the comments, she just watched the coast go by. She was grinning though.
"I think tits up is a Sarah-ism." Said Ruby.
George had booked the junk and the airline tickets. The Chinese government were getting a bit skittish, too many western journalists entering the country. That skittish attitude was passed onto the countries with a common border and that included Vietnam. Trouble with Falun Gong, a new flare up in Hong Kong and rumours of internal squabbles among the ruling elite. The Chinese government wasn't used to being on the front pages of the tabloids and they weren't enjoying it. The Polandrous Foundation were known to be safe and their bookings had gone through without any problems. The cook came up the stairs and shouted at them in his own local version of Vietnamese. Charlotte replied and he went below desks again.
"Dinner will be served in about five minutes." Said Charlotte.
"I heard my name in there." Said Olga.
"Yeah, I think you scare him a little."
Olga just grunted and poured herself a glass of lemonade. The junk was a nice way to get to a clandestine meeting, but George could afford it. She'd almost stopped working for George once the thirteen had become her responsibility. Part of the reason she'd carried on being his pretend PA was the money. How many jobs could pay a hundred grand, or more for an afternoons work ? Her various nest eggs under false names were growing and she'd need the money as the thirteen grew up. They were proving to be very high maintenance.
"Tuna and mayonnaise on toasted bread." Said Eugenie.
They could be random, but probably no more than any other kids their age. Their age was another unknown of course. Eugenie had been born in Paris in 1829, yet looked about eighteen or nineteen. All part of the process of keeping them safe until the great cleansing of Das Geheimnis had passed them by. Kallina and Kurt had decided to keep them in stasis for most of the year, keeping them as children.
"What do you mean honey ?" Asked Olga.
"Sarah taught me about tuna and mayo sarnies." She answered. "Really nice and almost no washing up."
The cook came up the stairs with three of the other crew and began setting up the table for dinner. Unless it was raining, all meals were eaten on the open deck, where it was coolest. The food was mostly out of tins and always came with rice or noodles, but tonight it smelt wonderful. Ruby sat herself at the head of the table and hoped the food would taste as good as its aroma promised.
"Oh, and the most important lesson." Said Charlotte. "Though Sarah hasn't mentioned it in a while."
"Go on, tell us." Said Ruby.
"Never trust the fuckers at the job centre."
Ruby smiled at Olga as everyone chuckled. In many ways, Sarah was probably their best teacher about surviving in the urban jungle. Ruby had clung to her old friends for much the same reason she'd really carried on working for George. It was because of loyalty and trust. Sarah was a head case but she'd never say no if a friend needed help. Spider was the same, as was Serge in his own way. As for George ? He'd put on army fatigues and dropped into a desert in Turkmenistan to find her. A middle aged businessman and he'd jumped out of a plane in the middle of the night. With a gun in his hands ! She'd once looked into her bathroom mirror and said it out loud, yet part of her still found it almost unbelievable. He could easily have died or been crippled for life, but he'd come to save her. So she'd carry on working for him for as long as he wanted her too.
"Oh wow Olga, this is delicious." She said.
The Polandrous Foundation still resided at the same address in London, EC1. An anonymous looking office block, with fifteen floors of offices. George's company had been on just three floor of the building, but business had been good and they had gradually spread themselves across five floors. You'd still have trouble finding the small brass plaque that said it was the registered office of The Polandrous Foundation. George liked to live slightly in the shadows.
George Polandrous actually owned the entire building and several others; his eponymous foundation was effectively paying him rent. Some of it was for tax efficiency of course, owning the property through offshore companies controlled by nominees. Most of the reason he kept his wealth behind at least six different aliases was fear of the unknown, fear that the next police raid might come when he was old and grey.
Actually most of his hair had been grey since his mid-thirties. He still had the same office and Penny was still his PA, but he'd given her a large increase in salary after the 'incident' two years before. He'd also given her a better office with a decent view, or as decent as any view of rainy London ever gets. He entered her office and sat himself in one of her visitor's chair.
"Have you heard from her ?" He asked.
"Her boat reached the last check in point on the official tourist route."
He knew the local time, had the time difference hard wired into his brain. It was dinner time, they'd be settling down to have a meal together.
"By the time they finish dinner." He said. "They'll be outside of their agreed route."
"Terry knows people." Said Penny. "But they're five hundred miles away."
Terry the last survivor of the team he'd taken with him to save Ruby the last time. Terry had seen some strange things there, out in the desert. He rarely spoke of it though and he'd seemed pleased when George had offered him the position of Head of Security for the foundation. There had been a police raid then, after just about his entire security team had been wiped out.
"Get them closer." He said. "Without treading on any toes."
He saw the look in Penny's eyes, the 'oh no, not again,' look. Ruby was an expensive liability at times, but he wouldn't have a business without her.
"I'll let him know right away." Said Penny.
George never understood all the fuss about insider dealing in the City. Everybody did it, it was the only way to make any serious money. A friend told you a little information and you made money out of it and rewarded them at a later date. There was no direct link to cause the serious fraud people any sleepless nights. Ruby was different though, she could pull the truth straight out of the mind of a CEO, or whoever was doing the deal. It made her priceless to him and one of a kind. He also had to admit to having some paternal feelings for her.
"Tell him to look after her Penny." He said. "Whatever the cost."
He just hoped it wouldn't mean getting threatened by the security services again. If it been the Americans he could have lived with it, but to be threatened by Her Majesty's Government ! He still had a stiff knee from the last jump into hostile territory and hoped he wouldn't have to do that all over again.
Rupert Bailey had changed quite a lot since Ruby had made him relatively rich. For a start he now had a passport with his own name in it, though very few people knew the name he was born with. Spider was his preferred name, mainly because his father had hated the nick name. A boy child who was half Bengali and half Glaswegian and they'd called him Rupert….. Hell, it was almost guaranteed to turn him into a complete fuckup. He was still living in the same rented house in a lively part of West London, he'd become rather fond of the place. There was a nice hiding place for his much loved Browning 9mm, under the lawn roller in his shed. Not that he ever rolled the patch of grass and cat crap that passed for a lawn, but the roller wasn't easy to move, unless you knew what you were doing. His features fitted the area too, there were a lot of Asian faces in Ealing and no one bothered him. Spider really didn't like people who bothered him. He banged on the door of his spare bedroom.
"Are you up yet Monique ?"
They all took turns looking after and educating the thirteen, all of them, no exceptions.
"I'm ok with the guys, but young girls Ruby !" He'd pleaded. "I walk about in just my boxers from April to October and I'm drunk most nights. Can't you and Sarah look after them ?"
"I feel sorry for them Spider, I've seen you first thing in the morning."
"Yeah, very funny."
"No exceptions Spider and there's money in the kitty to pay for their lodgings. You won't be out of pocket."
So it had been arranged and he was now part of the four month rotation, looking after two or three, sometimes four of the thirteen. Their skills were actually useful to him, his various ways of earning money were rarely easy or honest. As to teaching them ? They all seemed to pick things up remarkably quickly.
"Monique ! It's ten o'clock !"
"Ok, ok, I'm dressing."
Spider had no experience with young people at all, he barely remembered being one himself. He had expected them to be out of bed at dawn and banging on his door. They all slept like door mice though and he often found it difficult to get Monique out of bed before eleven. She was one of their mystery kids, who had come from somewhere in the Middle East when most of it was called Persia. No idea when she'd been born, but Spider was beginning to guess that it had a long time ago. Next to be woken up was Fabio, who was on the sofa bed in his lounge.
"Come on Fabio, it's………………………………"
Fabio was out of bed and the lounge looked to have been cleaned. A head came round the door from the kitchen area and Spider picked up the smell of bacon cooking.
"Ahh Spider." Said Fabio. "I'm making you a fry up. Ready in ten minutes."
That was how it was with everything, show them something once and they not only learned it, they were good at it. Frying bacon to taking an AK47 apart, everything was learned by watching and imitation.
"Then they work on it." Serge had said. "Until they do it better than their teacher."
There wasn't much known about any of the kids, the thirteen. Fabio had been grabbed by Kurt when he was still a very young child. Born in Naples Italy in around 1845 was all that Spider knew about him. Monique wandered into the room, her black jeans still not quite done up and she obviously hadn't showered or dressed properly.
"Any bacon going spare ?" She asked. "I'm starving."
"Yes." Shouted Fabio. "Ten minutes and you can both eat."
There was just the two of them staying with him now, Ruby worked out the rotations and the first he usually knew was when they turned up on his doorstep. Always on a Sunday morning, having travelled by various strange routes from where they'd been. Sometimes they shared beds, usually boy and girl, but sometimes other mixtures. Kallina and Kurt had tried to stop them having sex, but Ruby had taken a different view.
"They're young and healthy." She'd said. "We'll get all the girls on the pill and educate them all in the use of condoms. Then we scare the crap out of them with the consequences of having children."
Basically she'd given them the UK schools version of sex education and it had worked. Two years and there hadn't been a single case of a sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy.
Spider wandered into the kitchen and sat in his usual place and a large steaming mug of coffee was placed in front of him. By the time he'd properly woken up, Fabio handed him a perfectly cooked fry up, complete with fresh tomatoes and a slice of fried bread. Nearly all of the thirteen now appreciated a good fry up, but few could have made one as well as Fabio.
"We might have to talk to Ruby about you staying for a while." Said Spider.
"It's good." Added Monique.
There was the slight aroma of unwashed armpits coming from Monique, but she'd shower and wash before they went out. She'd tried to climb into bed with him once and he'd unceremoniously pushed her onto the floor. She was still there the next morning, fast asleep on top of his slippers. She really could sleep anywhere. It wasn't that he didn't fancy her, she scrubbed up quite well. It was just that Ruby would definitely never forgive him.
"Today we'll buy Sarah some birthday presents." He said.
They were too busy eating to reply, but they both smiled.
"I think H & M do gift cards." He continued. "Sarah likes their clothes."
There was a look exchanged between his guests that reminded him that he wasn't the cool guy he often liked to think he was.
"Leave it to us." Said Monique.
Spider continued with breakfast, Fabio had even cooked a few extra rashers to top up his plate. All of the thirteen had helped him with his various non-legal activities, Ruby hadn't objected even slightly.
"Teach them Spider, it'll all be useful. Just don't get them arrested." She'd told him.
The first part he was beginning to enjoy, the second part was more difficult. Arrest was an occupational hazard if you regularly walked the thin line of what was legal. Every ex-con will tell you that no matter how good you are, a cop will eventually be taking your fingerprints and picture. Timing was often the key thing and thanks to government cut backs, there were less cops about to accidentally trip over.
"Today my children we have some money to collect." He said.
"After getting Sarah's present ?" Asked Monique.
"No before, so you need to shower and be ready to leave before midday."
Spider didn't usually mind the almost nocturnal existence of many of the thirteen, most of his business was conducted after dark.
"We're collecting some money today, from someone not too keen on paying." He continued.
He had their interest now, he was yet to meet any of the thirteen who didn't enjoy helping him break the law.
"I remember." Said Fabio. "First rule is that we mustn't let anyone thump you."
Spider nodded, he particularly liked that rule, he drummed it into all the kids. They were all far stronger than him and capable of subduing huge guys.
"I'll ask him for the money and of course he'll say he's broke."
"Then I look into his mind to see if he's lying." Said Monique
"Excellent." Said Spider, "While you both make sure rule one isn't broken."
Spider left the house with his pupils following behind. Today they'd learn a little more about demanding money with menaces and extortion. None of them were carrying a weapon, not so much as a sharpened screwdriver. The kids were weapons and if the police took an interest, it was just Uncle Rupert showing his niece and nephew around London.
Sarah Simmons had moved three months after returning from their trip east. She'd liked her tiny Social Housing flat, but it reminded her of too many trips to the crisis centre, too many sanctions from the job centre and the work programme. Her old neighbours had become used to that version of Sarah, the one who screwed everything up. They still banged on her door if they hadn't seen her moving around by eleven. That didn't help, she resented it, they were using good intentions to stick pins in her doll. Her new flat was hers, or would be once the mortgage was paid off.
Sarah had arrived back with Spider and lots of money. The relationship with Spider had lasted less time than the milk in her fridge, so Sarah had begun looking for a proper home, somewhere that was hers.
"Nothing too flash." She'd told Ruby. "Two bedrooms in a London postcode that no one admits to living in."
It was Ruby who told her about the interest the tax man would take in her if she suddenly bought her own flat for cash. Sarah had come home with a bag full of cash from various countries, a prepaid VISA card, several certificates of deposit and a completion bonus from Ruby. One night she added it all up on the back of a cereal packet and it came to over six hundred thousand pounds. She was sat in a flat with a fridge that barely worked, a TV that hissed at her and a bed that had come with the flat.
"Buy a flat for cash after signing on for three years and the tax man will get a whole team to investigate you and the DWP might well join them." Ruby had told her.
"I didn't sign on for three years. There were a few temp jobs."
"Ok, on and off for three years. They got Al Capone you know, the tax people."
Ruby had introduced her to Robert, an accountant who actually talked everyday English and didn't patronise her. Robert had come with a warning.
"Sleep with him and ruin his life and I won't find you another."
Sarah hadn't slept with Robert, even though he was cute and looked a bit like Robert Pattinson, if the light was right. He was too useful as an accountant to risk screwing.
"You need a few things we can say are bringing in money, what are your interests ?" He'd asked.
Cheap wine and casual sex came to mind, but she remembered the wall chart of transferable skills that the job centre had once gone through with her.
"Languages." She said. "I'm good with languages."
"Good, which ones ?"
"Just about all of them I think."
That had excited Robert and some kind of language school and translation service was suggested.
"And I'm artistic, I've put together a few websites."
A week later and Sarah was the proprietor of a language school, a translation service and a company that specialised in designing web sites in East European languages. They didn't exist of course, apart from the very impressive looking websites. The important thing was they matched her demonstrable skills, just in case the tax man took an interest.
Two more weeks and Sarah had found the two bedroom first floor flat in Enfield Town and obtained a mortgage acceptance on it. The mortgage had seemed miraculous, given her poor credit history. A few phone calls from Robert and a reference from someone Ruby knew and a finance company she'd never heard of, was lending her three hundred thousand for twenty five years.
"You'll have to practise amongst yourselves when Robert gets here." She said.
"Yes Sarah."
They were so polite and Sarah wondered if it was rubbing off on her. It had been months she'd shouted abuse at anyone, even when she was drunk. She had three of the kids with her, three of the thirteen. A good name Spider had thought up, it focused the mind on how few of them there were and how precious they were.
They were all natural linguists, but Patrick was brilliant and seemed to soak languages up like a sponge. He was another of their mystery kids. Born in Eastern Europe, but no one was certain when and where. Patrick was a name given to him by Kallina of course, most of the children had been given new names by Kurt and Kallina.
"Why don't text books teach language the way it's actually spoken ?" Asked Trudy.
The old question that all who studied language knew well. Trudy was from Bermuda and was born in nineteen fifty five. She was rare, in that they knew her full history from birth.
"Text books are how purists and schools wished people spoke." Answered Sarah. "You'd never sell a text book that gave the language of the street."
Imran was sat on her couch and reading intently. He'd recently arrived outside of the normal rotation, there had been problems between him and Serge. Sometimes Serge expected too much of them, pushed too hard. After her, Imran would go to Spider and have a fun few months learning how to extort money out of people. Imran had been born in India in about seventeen eighty, but no one knew where in India.
"Doing ok Imran ?" She asked.
He had a nice smile; Serge expected them all to be a cross between Albert Einstein and Galileo when really they were just like normal kids most of the time. Sarah made sure they all had enough to do and refreshments, she was becoming a bit of a mother hen as far as the thirteen were concerned. Robert was coming to see her about her various business concerns and recent letters received from the tax people. The entry phone system made its loud siren noise, Sarah kept meaning to change it for something more mellow.
"I'll be busy with Robert for about an hour." She said.
They'd be good, they always were. She let Robert in the main door to the block and then waited for him at the outside door to her flat. It was a ritual she went through every time someone called, worrying that they might get lost on the way up the stairs and along one corridor.
"I've never had an entry phone before." She'd told Ruby, by way of explanation.
Her accounting guru was led into the lounge and sat at the table she'd decorated with the various letters from the HMRC, DWP, even something about the data protection act. She fetched coffee while he read everything and scooped it up into several different piles. He had a letter for her to sign, there always seemed to be something needing her to sign her life away.
"Reminds me of the job centre." She said.
"This tells the tax people to send me copies of everything." Said Robert. "Your various business interests have reached the stage where you'll need a lot more help with your accounts."
She felt her world collapsing around her. Accounts were boring; numbers weren't her thing at all. There was one potential upside though.
"Will that mean seeing you more often ?" She asked. "Er…. To do the accounts….I meant."
He smiled and she really could see him almost sparkling in the sunlight coming through her windows.
"I'm a little expensive." He said. "I could do it, or I can recommend a bookkeeper to come in a couple of times a week."
"I'd prefer if you did it. I know you."
"Fine, we can agree the times before I go. There are a few urgent items though."
She looked at the piles of paper and instantly felt depressed.
"Why am I so popular with so many government departments ?" She asked.
"You're doing well Sarah, your businesses really are making enough to give you a comfortable lifestyle."
Robert opened his lap top and began to show her numbers for the Language School and the recent billings. Ruby had recommended her to a few people, quite a few people actually. Then there had been confidential translation work and the thirteen had been helping her with a website for a Bulgarian Airline. It all added up and the figures on Robert's spreadsheet were making her head spin.
"I'm a success ?"
"Oh yes Sarah, you are."
She pushed his laptop across the table and kissed him, clambering onto his lap and taking her time over it. He kissed back and she let it carry on for a while, before pulling back.
"Are you married ?"
"Steady girl friend ?"
Something in his eyes, he briefly looked down and away from her. So there was someone in his life, there had to be. Some woman had put her mark on Robert, it was only to be expected. She moved close again, letting their lips just touch.
"Do you bruise easily ?"
"No." He answered.
Ruby would know and go crazy, there was no hiding anything from Ruby. Sarah began to unbutton his shirt as she kissed him. Trudy was working in her bedroom, so they'd have to make do with the couch.
Ruby liked being in the peace and quiet of the islands on the Vietnamese border with China. She could control her gifts far better since meeting Kurt and they were much stronger. She let her mind wander and felt a young girl dreaming in a village over a hundred miles away. Language didn't matter, Ruby felt emotions. The girl was feeling happy and there was lust in the mix, a dream about her boyfriend, or someone she wished was her boyfriend. It was so much easier to focus her skills, without the millions of minds around her in a city like London. Zhenzhu Harbour was north east of them, but the girl was sleeping in an inland village. Ruby wasn't just being a mental voyeur, she'd feel anyone who might be taking an interest in them and she felt only the one they'd come to rescue. Rescue !? Perhaps not the right word, he had a piece of technology that Ruby wanted to either recover or destroy. She pushed her gift out to cover hundreds of square miles and only one mind was concerned about Ruby Mason.
A visitor was expected, so Ruby wasn't surprised when a large and rather chubby grey cat began head butting her leg and wanting to be petted. She picked Constanze up, enjoying the way the cat instantly started to give off a loud purr.
"She loves you Ruby."
"She's getting fat Kallina." Answered Ruby. "I think she's tricking you into feeding her several times a day again."
Ruby turned and was pleased to see that Kallina had come as herself and not as Baba Yaga. Kallina, born to a nomad family on the Russian Steppes in seventeen hundred and two. She still looked no more than thirty and her long blonde hair reflected the moonlight.
"Constanze is a clever cat, but she gets confused about her meal times."
Ruby just smiled in reply.
"Ok, ok, maybe I get confused. Constanze bites me and tells me she's hungry and I feed her. Did I tell you that she was given to me to look after by Mozart's wife ?"
That was a new part of the story, usually Kallina claimed her cat had been named after Mozart's wife. Kurt had once confirmed that some of the story was true, Kallina had been friends with Constanze Mozart in the eighteen thirties. Kallina had a great deal of power, but Ruby doubted that she had the ability or inclination to keep a cat alive for nearly two hundred years. Kallina was quite insane of course, but Ruby loved her like a sister. Constanze just seemed happy to be petted, so Ruby sat down to do a thorough job of it.
"You should get one of the thirteen to feed her." She said.
Kallina was scowling at her, she considered any mention of that number to be unlucky.
"Don't call them that, it's not good !" She hissed.
"How are they doing ?"
"Good, they all love learning what I can teach them."
They did, everyone loved being taught by Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Russian folklore. Kurt was adamant that Kallina was the original Baba Yaga, who'd inspired all the stories that children knew from Russia, right across Romania and down into the Balkans. Every child had grown up with tales of Baba Yaga and her cat. Ruby tended to think that Kallina had based herself on the Russian witch and eventually taken on the persona completely.
"I noticed interest in the picture of Isobel has died down." Said Ruby.
"Sorry Ruby, I will be more careful. I drift a little and the poor child just wanted a better look at a bird's nest……….."
"It could have happened to any of us Kallina." Said Ruby. "It will happen again, just be thankful that we live in the Photoshop age."
Kallina had taken three of the kids into a wood near her home, she was still living in the house near Batumi in Georgia. Isobel had wanted to see some chicks in a nest and no one had seen the two hikers. Everyone has a camera these days and a day later the picture of Isobel went viral. A high definition picture of Isobel, floating fifty feet off the ground.
"People are stupid." Said Kallina. "Show them a blurry picture of a dinner plate and they think it's a UFO. Show them a clear picture of a young girl levitating and they call it a fake."
It was true, the conspiracy theory generation was working in their favour. Experts had been discussing it in the mainstream press, saying that the picture was too clear to be genuine. The picture had just about vanished from the net and the hikers had been written off as fakers.
"He's there." Said Kallina. "You must feel him too ?"
"Yes and tomorrow I'll know if the device is really there."
They both looked north, though there was nothing to see except miles of dark ocean.
"I could come with you." Said Kallina.
"It should be fine, I'm not expecting trouble. If there is, the thirt…. Kids can handle it."
It was why they were training them, even letting Spider teach them how to be street fighters. There was no use teaching them the skills, if they were constantly being sheltered from every threat.
"Charlotte has the anger in her." Said Kallina. "She hides it, like you did Ruby. Give her no choice and she will use it."
Ruby carried on scratching Constanze's ears for a while, there is no way to hurry a cat that wants to be petted. Then Kallina took her and they both instantly vanished. Only Kurt and Kallina could use that gift in a controlled and focused way. Ruby still tended to use emotions to release her powers, but she couldn't reliably move herself across continents, the way Kallina could.
Once she'd had an argument with Serge, after they'd both had far too much to drink. Ruby had suddenly found herself in the back garden of the house where she'd grown up. It was the shed that held the memories that had brought her there. The shed where she'd played with her child hood friends, where they'd sworn to be best friends forever. It was the one place in the world she thought of as completely safe, her refuge. Now Lucy was dead and she hadn't seen Angela in years, but their names were still carved into the wood of the shed wall. Friends forever in the middle of a large heart, painted red.
Ruby got up and went to her bed, she needed a few hours sleep before illegally setting foot on Chinese soil.
© Ed Cowling – August 2016

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Our products and services are frequently featured on television, radio, magazines and nationally published books. Here are a few of the television, radio, books and magazines our products have been seen in.
Check out the videos to the left about just a few of the Traverse Bay Farms and Fruit Advantage appearances.
Check out Hollywood Celebrities with our products, too!
At-A-Glance: Books, Newspapers, Radio and more!
Hollywood actor and producer. Appeared in Hercules, What If and other movies and series.
Check out the entire segment - Fruit Advantage is near the end of the segment.


SisterNomic$ Financial Literacy Series is an economic empowerment initiative with the object of providing information that can help assist individuals in the greater Charlottesville area to make better decisions regarding their income, assets, and financial futures. This series is taught by financial professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to empower the community in which they serve.
For comments or questions, please contact Yomika Alexander, yomika.alexander@gmail.com.


Looking for a movie perfect for the whole family? Put "The Mighty Macs" on the top of your list.
Set in 1971, the movie is based on the true story of a tiny college women's basketball team and their remarkable journey to the first ever national women's basketball championship.
Enter Cathy Rush. While society would have her stay at home, Cathy takes a job as Immaculate College women's basketball coach.
Although the school is in dire financial straights – with no money for sports and no gymnasium to practice in, Cathy doesn't let that stop her. Against all odds, Cathy takes a team of misfits and coaches them to success.
My daughter and I loved this movie! It was family friendly and definitely one that we can not wait to re-watch with the rest of our family. While most sports movies showcase males or a men's team, it was nice that the sports shoe was on the female foot this time.
My daughter writes, "Even if you aren't a sports fan, there is so much more to this movie than defense and dribbling a basketball. This film has given me with such an insight into my life; its meaning and inspiration has overflowed into my own life, giving me encouragement to reach my own dreams. The Mighty Macs gives you the opportunity to peek into the journey that Cathy went through - to not only prove to the world that the impossible does happen, but to teach her girls that winning a basketball game isn't the only dream they could accomplish."
We will have to warn you to not expect a "feel good and move on with your life" movie.
This motion picture has so much more to give; it's more than just a sports movie, an underdog movie, or a "here today, forgotten tomorrow" story.
This movie's story was so believed in, that the producer/director, Tim Chambers spent millions of his own money to produce and direct this film.
He even turned down a deal with Disney! Disney, which touts itself as "family-friendly", wanted to add course language in it which would change the film's rating from G to PG. A PG rating = more money... of course. Instead of caving in to monetary gain, Tim Chambers remained true to his convictions.
Tim Chamber did a fantastic job both as director and producer. While some family-friendly movies can look low-budget; this movie doesn't exhibit any typical low-budget characteristics. The story behind this movie is pretty remarkable too.
The movie took three years to release. Just as Cathy Rush faced and overcame many obstacles, Tim Chambers weathered the 2008 economy, filmed around the cancer treatment of one of the supporting actresses and ignored pressure from the film industry to stay true to his vision. Mighty Macs is truly an inspiring story on many levels; one that will inspire your family and encourage family discussion, once the movie is over.
Check out a clip of the The Mighty Macs a family-friendly movie that is based on an inspiring, true story!
What are your favorite family-friendly movies? Help other families learn about films they can view with their kids. Share your favorite family friendly movie reviews to help others!
"Disclosure of Material Connection: PEAH received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that we would mention it on our website. Regardless, PEAH only recommends products or services we use personally or believe will be good for our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Homemade pizza and a family movie = Family Night in our home. Find out what family friendly movies our family enjoys and share your favorites too!


For technology professionals who appreciate having choices, the virtualization marketplace is second to none.
Even more important than vendor selection are the discussions about what to virtualize, and how to integrate the technology into your business flow.
Desktop Virtualization. . . Server Virtualization. . . Application Virtualization. . .
Many IT providers specialize in the solution set of a single virtualization vendor. With limited engineering resources, that's the best they can do.
At SLPowers, our deep bench of certified engineers empowers us to choose the best solution for each client from among the offerings of every major virtualization manufacturer.
Sometimes we simultaneously develop VMware and Hyper-V solutions, and then walk our clients through the pros and cons of each. With literally hundreds of successful deployments under our belts, we are uniquely qualified to determine when (and why) one solution works better in one network environment, while the other solution works better in another.
Our virtualization gurus are senior network engineers with more than ten years of P-to-V experience. Some of them were there when Citrix began shipping its first generation of MetaFrame. They were seasoned pros when VMware rolled out its initial x86 server virtualization products. And they were widely acknowledged among their peers as virtualization Alpha dogs by the time Hyper-V made the scene in 2008.
That's important because you don't want the engineers managing your virtualization project to stumble over something because they're seeing it for the first time.
Whether you are investigating the cost (and long-term savings) involved in virtualizing your data center, or exploring how a VDI rollout will be a game changer for your employees, you deserve to work with an engineering team that will give you the lay of the land.
Contact us today to learn more about putting our virtualization gurus to work for you.


The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention and Spa marked its 50th anniversary in a plethora of extravagant festivities, defining the hotel's strong stance as one of the major contributors to the hospitality sector of Bahrain.
It was held under the patronage of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Alzayani and was attended by an impressive line-up of guests including leading businessmen, government officials, dignitaries and the media. They were welcomed by the board of directors and senior and executive management of the Gulf Hotels Group. 2019 marks an auspicious year the hotel as they celebrate 50 years of reputable hospitality service, being the first five-star hotel in Bahrain.
The hotel was opened in 1969, and has been able to create a strong name for itself in the market, providing guests and visitors a beautiful and memorable experience, which consists of a luxurious stay at one its rooms, dining at one of its many restaurants that offer a scrumptious spread from various cuisines of the world, being led by some of the most well-known chefs from the Culinary universe. Unsurprisingly, the hotel has won many awards and continues to strive ahead as it gives luxurious stay & dining extravaganza a whole new meaning. Aside from hosting major events, campaigns and programmes at the property, the hotel continues to adopt modern refurbishments, being one of the most in-demand destinations of Bahrain.


A stratigrapher examines layers in the soil or rock to determine how the land came to be and in what sequence.
What Does a Stratigrapher Do?
Stratigraphy is the examination of layers in the physical places of the Earth. As the rock and soil of the planet settles, it can take years, decades or even millions of years to build up deposits. The fundamental shifts in the Earth's processes help us to identify those layers and what the life on the planet looked like at the time just a few decades, centuries or millennia ago. Three main disciplines use this type of science.
In archaeology, stratigraphy is used to examine the sequence of cultures, peoples or building phases using a tool called a Harris Matrix. They will look at soils for inclusions to see what the environmental biology may have looked like at the time and what people in the past may have exploited within the landscape. They will also attempt to determine at what periods the land was occupied and abandoned and by which cultures. Towns and cities evolve, and they are also interested in examining how a settlement was settled, its phases and time scale of abandonment.
In geology, it is used to understand the geological history of the site. Rock types can tell stratigraphers how the land may have looked in the past. A history of sedimentary rock will suggest swamp, ocean or lake, and the geologist may date this. We can date volcanic eruptions too.
In soil science, experts examine the different soil types including subsoil and clays, to examine what the more recent history of the site would have been. They will also look for natural changes in the landscape. Some plants grow better in some soils than others and they will define the ecological make up of the site.
Where Does a Stratigrapher Work?
Where they work depends on their area of expertise and their training. Students can train in stratigraphy at master's degree level, but prior to this, they must take a degree in a relevant subject (typically geology). They are a type of geoscientist, so we have used data from this area to explain employment opportunities.
According to 2015 data, the majority were employed in oil and gas extraction. This is a solid science required for geology and most professional stratigraphers will end up working in that area. Some 22% work in this area.
Engineering services employed the next largest proportion at 17%. Stratigraphers in this area will examine underlying soil and rock to determine whether the ground is suitable for development, looking at such things as the weight capacity, subsidence mitigation and whether the area may be prone to flooding.
15% worked in management, scientific and technical consulting services. This will include independent heritage services (archaeology), ecologists and other groups concerned with conservation and scientific recording.
State government employs some 8%. They will work typically in conservation at places such as state parks, national monuments and other protected areas.
7% worked at educational establishment such as schools and colleges. They are typically geography and archaeology teachers, geology lecturers at colleges and other school roles.
What Is the Average Stratigrapher Salary?
As with job roles, pay varied according to 2015 statistics depending on in which discipline the stratigrapher worked. Soil science pays lower than geology but more than archaeology. A graduate with a postgraduate degree in stratigraphy will find that salary varies. Taking geoscience as the most typical salary, the median salary in 2015 was $89,700. The lowest 10% earned $47,250 and the highest 10% earned $187,200. Naturally, the highest paying area was oil and gas extraction with $129,550. Engineering paid $80,180. Management scientific and technical paid an average $73,840. State government salary was $69,790 and education $66,230. Stratigraphers who work in archaeology can expect a median salary of $61,220 with Federal government roles $74,860.
Use the search box below to find all the stratigrapher job listings in our job board.
What Is the Job Demand for Stratigraphers?
Total expected growth for stratigraphy will be around 10%, although this may vary depending on which career the graduate chooses (see above). 10% is higher than most other jobs in the US which has an average growth of around 7%. As we begin to understand our world, and examine the topography as a living record (natural and cultural) we expect that this type of role will also grow in academia. In archaeology and ecology especially, we have moved away from seeing elements of the discipline in isolation.
What Are the Education Requirements to Become a Stratigrapher?
High school students should take geography, math, biology and physics as a matter of priority. The first will be essential to learning the discipline as it stands. The remaining three are essential to studying any scientific subject at college.
At college, students have the three main choices above. This will be archaeology or anthropology, geology and ecology. These three subjects will form the foundation of your career as a stratigrapher. Supporting minors and electives should reflect environmental science to fully understand the stratigraphy concept. Where possible, students should seek GIS minors as a matter of priority and perhaps even cartography. Mapping of any kind will be essential to topographic study.
No stratigraphy degrees exist at undergraduate level, but there are a growing number at postgraduate level. Not all colleges and universities will offer them. Where not available, students should follow their intended career path and tailor coursework to stratigraphy and their relevant discipline. Most master's degrees should put you in good standing for project and research-based jobs later in your career.
Students wishing to teach at school, or lecture and research in academia, should certainly study a doctorate. However, they will not be necessary in most other roles.
What Kind Of Societies and Professional Organizations Do Stratigraphers Have?
Stratigraphy is an important subdiscipline and has the following relevant organizations.
International Commission of Stratigraphy: Part of the IUGS, their role within this organization is to catalogue and define the stratigraphic history of the geological ages of the Earth.


If you would like to help the PFWB Church in some form or another, check out some ideas below.
There are plenty of PFWB events that need volunteers for many different jobs. Contact the PFWB headquarters if you have something you'd like to offer.
Thank you for your donation! It is greatly appreciated!
You can help by becoming a youth counselor or helper, praying for the ministry of CYC, encouraging youth to attend CYC, volunteering for CYC Workday, or making a donation. Check out the CYC How Can I Help? page for more information.
The PFWB Church has works in 9 different foreign fields. The World Witness Projects page has a list of World Witness projects the National Leaders of U.S. Appointed Missionaries have given to us. Please pray and give much this year to help us promote Missions in our fields of labor. You can donate enough for an entire project or make a contribution toward part of a project.
Click here to share your story of faith with others by sending us your testimony, prayer requests or praise reports.


Divestment is an investment tool that removes perceived risks from a portfolio by refraining from, or selling, assets.
Legg Mason's fixed income affiliate Western Asset Management will remove investments linked to tobacco and cluster munitions from the Legg Mason Western Asset Global Bond Fund and the Legg Mason Western Asset Australian Bond Fund.
The decision to remove the affected issuers was done to ensure that the funds deliver investment solutions "that meet current and future client needs," said Andy Sowerby, Legg Mason Australia managing director.
Western Asset Management has funds under management of $565 billion. The Legg Mason Western Asset Global Bond Fund has more than $563 million in funds under management in Australia, and offers investors exposure to an actively managed global bond fund, benchmarked to the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index, according to Legg Mason.
Western Asset Management has $56 billion in funds under management in Australia, and $982 billion globally, as of the end of 2017.
Legg Mason's 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report reported that that US$159 billion of its assets under management – around 25% of funds under management – is invested in ESG products and strategies.
In 2016, Legg Mason received an A rating from not-for-profit Carbon Disclosure Project for its commitment to climate disclosure and overall climate performance. Legg Mason has been reporting to CDP since 2008.


BALTIMORE, MD – Prosecutors have rested their case against Baltimore Police Officer William Porter, the first of six officers to stand trial in the April death of Freddie Gray. Porter has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
The judge recessed court for the rest of the day, with the defense scheduled to pick up its case at 9:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Gray was taken into police custody on April 12. His arrest was captured on bystander video. Prosecutors say Porter was present for all but one of six stops on Gray's 45-minute ride to the Western Division police station. Porter, 26, is accused of failing to summon medics when the injured prisoner asked for help. He also allegedly failed to secure the 25-year-old man properly in the back of the van.
Before resting its case, the state called several witnesses to the stand Tuesday, including Baltimore Police DNA analyst Thomas Hebert, who said that five of the suspected blood samples found in the police van tested positive for Gray's blood.
It remains unclear exactly how Gray was injured. But Dr. Carol Allan, the assistant state medical examiner, testified on Monday that Gray likely received his neck injury between the van's second and fourth stops.
Although there is conflicting testimony about when, witnesses say Gray complained at least once of being unable to breathe. He asked Porter for medical assistance when the officer checked on him at the fourth stop, according to Allan's testimony and Porter's interview with department investigators. Allan said Gray likely was injured when the van stopped suddenly.
The delay in getting Gray medical attention led Allan to classify Gray's death as a homicide.
Gray died on April 19, a week after his arrest. Protests followed Gray's death and erupted on April 27 — the afternoon of his funeral — in the worst rioting Baltimore had seen in half a century.
Jury selection began on November 30, and the state called its first witness two days later. The Porter case is expected to end by December 17. On Monday, one juror — an African-American woman — was dismissed because of a medical emergency and replaced by one of four alternates, a white man.


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Friends Reunion Episode To Stream On Zee App For The Indian Audience
FRIENDS Reunion episode to stream on Zee5 app for the Indian audience
Zee5 streaming app has announced that it will officially air the much-awaited episode of FRIENDS Reunion
by Saumya Bansal | May 24, 2021 12:15 IST
For a long time, audiences all over the world have been eagerly waiting for the special reunion episode of the American sitcom FRIENDS. And now the release date is near, there were speculations regarding how to watch the episode since it was going to air in the US on HBO Max.
But now, the Zee5 streaming app has officially purchased the streaming rights and will air the episode on their app soon. Manish Kalra, who's the Chief Business Officer of Zee India said, "We are extremely excited to bring 'FRIENDS: THE REUNION' exclusively on ZEE5 for the Indian market. 'FRIENDS' is amongst the world's most-watched and loved sitcoms and it is a great opportunity for us to present their reunion, something that the world has been talking about, on ZEE5 for 'FRIENDS' fans in India. ZEE5 is the home of entertainment for millions and fans across regions and languages can enjoy 'FRIENDS: THE REUNION' from the safety of their home."
The sitcom that features six friends named Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey, has ten seasons that stopped airing 17 years ago. Since the show gained popularity over these years, the audience wanted all the six friends to have a reunion. The reunion episode will also feature some special guests like BTS, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, David Beckham, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai. The special episode has been directed by Ben Winston.
A post shared by ZEE5 (@zee5)
ALSO READ: FRIENDS REUNION Trailer: Chandler, Ross, Monica, Phoebe & Rachel go down the memory lane after 17 years
CREDITS: INSTAGRAM
FRIENDS Reunion episode to strea...


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Key Concerns and Impact on IFAs – FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme)
What Is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme
By Malcolm Coury, a Managing Director at Money Wise Independent Financial Advisers Limited.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is a non-profit, independent body created under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
The FSCS is the UK's statutory fund of last resort for customers of authorised financial services firms. This means that the FSCS can pay compensation if a financial firm is unable or unlikely to pay claims against it.
The FSCS is funded by levies on authorised financial services firms.
Major Concerns Surrounding the FSCS
The rising cost of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, in particular, the way it's funded, has become a major concern for many independent financial advisers (IFAs).
The current method appears unsustainable and unfair since IFAs, in general, pay the price for the damages caused by a few unscrupulous IFAs.
Key Concerns and Impact on IFAs
In addition, since April 2012, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has no longer used the collected levies as restitution to compensate victims for bad advice nor has it used the excesses to reduce the fee block.
Instead, the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has taken the fines for so-called "good causes."
As such, the burden falls on IFAs, who must meet the entire costs of the scheme, now amounting to around 85% of the total FCA fees and levies.
Perceived Injustice: Net Impact of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Before I cover what independent financial advisers perceive as injustices of the way IFAs are treated, especially how the FSCS is funded, let me set the scene.
I've been in the financial advisory business for over 30 years.
It has served me well, and, although I am no longer a CF30 (i.e., no longer advise clients), I have thoroughly enjoyed dealing with clients over the years, many of whom became personal friends.
Overall, working with clients has made financial advising a great career to be in.
However, I can't say the same about the regulations.
Thousands of Advisers Exiting the Industry
The increasing compliance burden and cost of the regulatory system has driven out thousands of advisers and other professionals from the sector.
That's not entirely a bad thing, considering there were a few "wild" cowboys.
However, by the same token, many advisers and professionals feel that they can no longer cope with the regulatory and compliance pressure and have either retired or sold their firms.
We now live in what is referred to as the "post-RDR world."
Retail Distribution Review – An Overkill Situation
The term retail distribution review (RDR) and the terminology used by the FCA despite what they might say to the contrary, tells us about their mindset, and, sadly, it's ingrained so deeply that I'm not sure if it can ever change now.
Under RDR rules, advisers are required to charge their clients fees for the investment services they provide, rather than accepting commissions from product providers.
The rule's intent was to minimize the conflict of interest situation whereby some IFAs would push only those products that earned them the most commission, irrespective of client suitability.
Whilst my firm was fee-based (commissions and fees) for years before RDR, I also didn't see the need to remove commissions entirely.
They served many people well for many years, and there was no "advice gap" and no product bias demonstrated by the majority of firms.
However, in my opinion, the most efficient scenario would have been to cap and standardize commission levels to remove any so-called "product bias."
It was completely unnecessary (an overkill) to abolish them entirely via a regulatory mandate.
Is the Current Model of FSCS Funding Sustainable?
Now let me focus on the subject of this article – whether the current model of FSCS funding is sustainable.
If you're bored already, then you can jump out here because I don't believe that the current model is sustainable, and I think that it is very unfair to lower-risk firms.
There is a lack of transparency in the current system.
Until April 2012, excesses in fine revenue were directed back to firms to reduce the overall regulatory burden.
However, since April 2012, fines have passed directly to the Treasury: £736.7m in the first two years alone, i.e., by April 2014.
Personally, I think that this is tantamount to theft by the Treasury, no matter how they like to dress it up.
Where Has All the Money Gone?
The FCA has not yet officially reported the figures for the 12 months up to April 2015, but figures on its website show that it levied a total of £1.4bn in fines for that period.
If enforcement costs remain at their current level of around £40m, the FCA will have paid more than £1.35bn to the Treasury during the year.
To add insult to injury, since April 2015, a further £789m in fines has been levied on financial services firms, putting the total collected so far at over £2.9bn.
So a key question becomes: where has all the money gone?
And why are lower-risk firms paying so much more?
Doubling of Levies and Fines for Life and Pension Intermediaries
Furthermore, in April, the FSCS announced that the 2015/16 levy for life and pension intermediaries would almost double, from an expected £57m to £100m as a result of rising SIPP claims, and, in March, advisers were hit with a £20m interim levy.
The Government has said that the money is being spent on charitable causes and the NHS, but, in reality, it is unable to specifically account for the funds and, unless I'm missing something, no specific information about how the money has been used has been published.
As an example of the impact on advisory firms, over the same period, my own firm's FSA/FCA/FSCS fees and levies have gone from just over £70,000, of which £49,000 was for the FSCS, to £96,000 this year, of which £84,000 was for the FSCS levy!
On top of that, our professional indemnity insurance (PII) has doubled, and our excess in investment business has increased from £5,000 to £20,000, so we're effectively self-insuring and paying around £70,000 for PII so that we can trade.
A Strong Need to Review How the FSCS Is Funded
I'm pleased to see Gary Heath of Libertatum and Chris Hannant of the APFA lobbying hard and also in reading the latest announcement (3rd August) from HM Treasury and the FCA stating that they have launched a review to examine how to "plug the advice gap."
I hope this provides an opportunity to improve things.
My concern is that there have been many other opportunities or "reviews" squandered in the past, and although we commonly hear the term that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance, it very often is.
The two organisations have spelt out that the review, which is gathering evidence this summer, will examine the regulatory barriers and other barriers advisers face when giving advice and try to come up with recommendations on how to overcome them.
So, in my opinion, now would be the time to review the way the FSCS is funded, in particular, how the FCA fines are allocated.
Return Excesses and Lower Compliance Burden
I think it's only fair that these fines are used to pay for the compensation and excesses used to protect the lower-risk, independent advice sector, the majority of which is populated by really decent people who care enormously about their clients.
Therefore, I would like to see the excesses in fines returned to the sector and used to lower the fee burden of firms who are not guilty of wrongdoing, rather than to boost the Exchequer.
I read an article in Money Marketing quoting a Treasury spokesperson as saying: "All FCA fine income is paid into the Consolidated Fund. The Treasury then allocates it to relevant departments.
As with all public spending, it is then accounted for in departmental accounts which are audited by the National Audit Office."
However, despite repeated attempts by Money Marketing over several weeks, the Treasury was not able to specifically describe how all of the money has been spent, and the article quoted Social Market Foundation Chief Economist Nida Broughton as saying: "Externally, it is quite hard to hold the Treasury to account for exactly what it is doing."
Since April 2012, the Treasury says that more than £1bn in fines from forex manipulation has been used for the NHS, and that £450m in fines from Libor fixing has been given to charities, including the Air Ambulance Service and funding travel arrangements for veterans to visit Normandy during the recent 75th anniversary commemorations.
However, this still leaves over £1bn in fines money collected, and I argue that this money would be better used for compensating customers and in helping to fund the FSCS rather than it effectively being stolen by the Treasury to solve various public funding shortfalls.
Major Concerns on the Lack of Regulatory Transparency
It's ironic that we are in an era where transparency of fees and costs is expected of us when we provide financial advice to customers, so why shouldn't we have the same transparency from the Treasury?
And why aren't the fines being used to fund the costs of compensation payments to customers who have lost out, mainly due to failed products which are not the fault of the IFAs who sold them?
Responsible IFAs Left Holding the Bag (Picking up the Tab)
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that every IFA who sold a failed product is completely inculpable.
There has been a minority of sharks or "smash-and-grab" merchants (as I like to call them) selling unregulated schemes for vulgar high commissions.
However, overall, many IFAs were simply gullible (e.g., Keydata IFAs), believing that these products were as safe as the companies who marketed them claimed them to be.
Many of those firms who sold large amounts of these failed products are now out of business.
Now, it is mostly the firms who did not sell them, as well as those who sold very little and responsibly, who are picking up the tab, instead of the manufacturers, many of whom have gone bust.
I'm generalising of course, but, hopefully, you get my point.
What Is the Alternative?
As I stated earlier in this article, the current model is, in my opinion, unsustainable and unfair, and I believe that the solution is staring us in the face and is very simple.
Firstly, return to the pre-April 2012 funding method, where fine excesses were:
Used to compensate victims
Applied towards regulatory costs, including funding the FSCS
Secondly, introduce a small levy on products sold.
These two moves alone could fund the FSCS entirely, and IFAs would be happy to pay the FCA fees, which are, I must admit, quite reasonable and only make up a fraction of the total fees and levies currently payable by advisers.
The reality is that the majority of the advice sector makes little or no profit.
Reducing or even eliminating the burden of the cost of funding the FSCS would help push most firms back into profit.
In turn, this has to be a good thing because the sector would be in a much healthier place to serve its customers.
Eliminate the Advice Gap
It would also help to eliminate what is being referred to as the "advice gap," which really means that IFAs are struggling so much to make a profit these days that they don't want to be giving their free time to low-value clients.
If firms were more profitable, as a result of reducing the FSCS-cost burden, the vast majority would be happy to do more pro bono work for these low-value customers because the advice sector does, from my experience, actually care about people.
Even former FCA Chief Executive Martin Wheatley raised concerns over the current fines system.
I believe that there might be some light at the end of the tunnel because, eventually, as standards improve and, hopefully, the so-called "mis-selling scandals" become less frequent or even a thing of the past, the claims on the FSCS and others will reduce, and the costs should fall.
Double Taxation Scenario for Low-Risk Advisers
The current system is rather like double taxation because the sector is paying large fines and paying increasingly large levies.
I understand that this should be the case for the wrongdoers, but I can't understand why that should be the case for good, honest low-risk advisory firms.
After all, the independent advice sector should be admired as less than 1% of complaints that end up on the Financial Ombudsman's desk result from customers of IFAs.
I also read that only around 38% of those complaints are actually upheld.
The Funding Review Needs to Happen Now
The FCA has committed to a funding review of the FSCS by the end of 2016.
However, that's too far away, in my opinion, which is why I think it should be part of the recently announced review.
The FCA is expected to issue a discussion paper this autumn, so it would make sense to bring these two reviews together, and FSCS Chief Executive Mark Neale has invited firms to submit suggestions for "fairer" alternatives to the scheme's funding model.
Neale is quoted as saying that he "understands advisers' frustration," and that he believes firms with lower-risk business models have had to "bail out" riskier firms. Hallelujah!
Keith Richards, the chief executive of the Personal Finance Society has said, "It is time to explore alternative options, such as the introduction of an investment or policy levy, which would make the cost more explicit and transparent to the client…. It could be deducted from the client's premium or funds as a cost and collected from the provider or platform on an annual basis."
Therefore, and at the risk of ranting on, I'm going to stop here and finish by saying that the current funding model must be changed to protect the valuable advice sector and to ensure that lower-risk firms pay less towards the problems caused by higher-risk firms.
Morally speaking (forgive me if that sounds over the top), I believe that FCA fines should be redirected to compensate customers and reduce the burden of the FSCS on the advisory sector.
It would be a real turning point and would send out a very positive message, helping to keep the sector healthy for customers and as a more attractive place for people seeking a career.
So, it seems painfully obvious to me that something needs to change and change fast.
Let's hope that the Treasury and FCA are going to listen to our concerns.
Malcolm Coury is a Managing Director at Money Wise Independent Financial Advisers Limited.
Malcolm has been in the financial services and advisory sector for over 30 years. He is a father of four, a keen cyclist, and sports fan (in particular, Rugby).
Money Wise is a mid-sized firm with 16 RI's (including 2 of the directors) based in Bath, with offices in Cambridge, London, and Bournemouth.
The firm was recently listed as one of the top UK advisory firms by AdvisoryHQ.
For more information or to get in touch, you can visit their new website at:
http://www.money-wise.co.uk/
Note: This article is written and based on the author's own personal opinion. Malcolm is not speaking on behalf of his firm or any professional body.
https://www.pexels.com/photo/bank-notes-cash-cash-box-change-210696/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-red-and-blue-england-flag-print-rain-boots-165221/


text:
/*
 * Created by IntelliJ IDEA.
 * User: amrk
 * Date: Jul 11, 2005
 * Time: 9:02:27 PM
 */
package com.theoryinpractice.testng.model;

import com.theoryinpractice.testng.ui.TestNGConsoleView;
import com.theoryinpractice.testng.ui.TestNGResults;
import org.testng.remote.strprotocol.*;

public class TestNGRemoteListener implements IRemoteSuiteListener, IRemoteTestListener {
  private final TestNGConsoleView console;
  private final TreeRootNode unboundOutputRoot;

  public TestNGRemoteListener(TestNGConsoleView console, TreeRootNode unboundOutputRoot) {
    this.console = console;
    this.unboundOutputRoot = unboundOutputRoot;
  }

  public void onInitialization(GenericMessage genericMessage) {
  }

  public void onStart(SuiteMessage suiteMessage) {
    final TestNGResults view = console.getResultsView();
    if (view != null) {
      view.start();
    }
  }

  public void onFinish(SuiteMessage suiteMessage) {
    unboundOutputRoot.flush();
    console.finish();
    final TestNGResults view = console.getResultsView();
    if (view != null) {
      view.finish();
    }
  }

  public void onStart(TestMessage tm) {
    unboundOutputRoot.addChild(console.getResultsView().getRoot());
    final TestNGResults view = console.getResultsView();
    if (view != null) {
      view.setTotal(tm.getTestMethodCount());
    }
  }

  public void onTestStart(TestResultMessage trm) {
    console.testStarted(trm);
  }

  public void onFinish(TestMessage tm) {
    console.rebuildTree();
  }

  public void onTestSuccess(TestResultMessage trm) {
    console.addTestResult(trm);
  }

  public void onTestFailure(TestResultMessage trm) {
    console.addTestResult(trm);
  }

  public void onTestSkipped(TestResultMessage trm) {
    console.addTestResult(trm);
  }

  public void onTestFailedButWithinSuccessPercentage(TestResultMessage trm) {
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Francisco Javier Flores Sánchez (Dos Hermanas, 8 de novembre de 1982) és un futbolista andalús, que ocupa la posició de defensa.

Trajectòria
Sorgeix del planter del Real Betis, tot arribant a debutar amb el primer equip en un partit de lliga de la temporada 02/03. Però, no té continuïtat, i després de formar a l'any següent amb el Betis B, a l'estiu del 2004 marxa al Fuerteventura.

La resta de la carrera del defensa prossegueix en equips de Segona B i Tercera. La 05/06 pertany al filial del Ciudad de Murcia, que canviaria posteriorment pel filial de l'altre conjunt de la ciutat, el Real Murcia, sense debutar en el primer equip de cap dels dos en Segona Divisió.

La temporada 07/08 hi recala al Ciudad Lorquí, i a la següent marxa al País Valencià per militar a l'Eldense CF.

Enllaços externs
 Fitxa del jugador

Futbolistes de Dos Hermanas
Futbolistes del Real Betis B
Futbolistes del Real Betis
Futbolistes de la UD Fuerteventura
Futbolistes del Real Murcia B
Futbolistes del CD Eldense
Futbolistes de la RB Linense

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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West Coast Regional Council - Offshore Faulting and Earthquake Sources, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand (MSI Envirolink Project, led by P. Barnes, NIWA).
Geosphere, Lower Hutt (for L&M Petroleum Ltd. and Green Gate) - Geologic interpretations of seismic data, focused on structural setting and deformation style in the Waiau , Te Anau , and Murchison Basins , comprehensive of field work , South Island, New Zealand.
TAG Oil, New Zealand - Structural style of deformation in the northern Tarata thrust belt, Taranaki Peninsula, New Zealand.
Genesis, New Zealand - Structural review the Taranaki Basin eastern margin, New Zealand.
OMV, New Zealand - Structural analyses and restorations of geo-seismic regional sections in the Great South Basin.
Todd Energy, New Zealand - Structural analysis, restoration of regional seismo-geological transects and tectonic reconstructions in the Taranaki Basin and in the onshore Taranaki Peninsula.
Mosman Oil and Gas, New Zealand - Structural setting of the Murchison Basin.
Earthquake Commission, New Zealand - Seismic hazard assessment from compressional inversion structures, NW South Island, New Zealand (Otago University based project, leader R.H. Sibson).
Regione Molise, Italy - Geological Map of the Molise Region, scale 1:100,000.
Regione Abruzzo, Italy - Geological Map of the Abruzzo Region, scale 1:100,000.
AGIP Oil Company - Study and analysis of fractured reservoirs and of permeability barriers/conduits along major fault systems in the central Apennines, Italy.
"Societa' Ponte Stretto di Messina" - Mapping and structural analysis of the site area chosen for the Sicily-Italy mainland bridge.
ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment, Italy) - Structural Analysis of storage sites for nuclear waste disposal in Neogene clay basins of southern Italy.
ENEL (Ente Nazionale per l'Energia Elettrica, Italy)- Neotectonic Map of southern Italy.


text:
import {IQueryPart} from "../abstract/IQueryPart";
import {QueryContext} from "../common/QueryContext";
import {IBoundQueryPart} from "../abstract/IBoundQueryPart";
import {MatchBuilderCallback} from "../builders/QueryBuilder";
import {MatchableElement, MatchableQueryPart} from "./MatchableQueryPart";
import {PathQueryPart} from "./PathQueryPart";

export type MatchQueryPartChild =
    | PathQueryPart
    | MatchableQueryPart;

export class MatchQueryPart implements IQueryPart {
    static build(isOptional:boolean, ...builderOrElements:(MatchBuilderCallback | MatchableElement)[]):MatchQueryPart {
        const matchableQueryPart = MatchableQueryPart.build(...builderOrElements);

        return new MatchQueryPart(matchableQueryPart, isOptional);
    }

    constructor(private matchableQueryParts:MatchQueryPartChild,
                private isOptionalMatch:boolean) {
    }

    toCypher(ctx:QueryContext):IBoundQueryPart {
        const cypherPart = this.matchableQueryParts.toCypher(ctx);
        let matchKeyword = this.isOptionalMatch ? 'OPTIONAL MATCH' : 'MATCH';
        cypherPart.cypherString = `${matchKeyword} ${cypherPart.cypherString}`;
        return cypherPart;
    }
}


text:
Parkfield Primary School
When Mr Hyett came in to do filming with us we got to use the ipads and were asked to create a mini film based on Theseus. We tried to use different shots to make it interesting and when we had finished filming it we had to edit it to make out final movie. It was hard work but a lot of fun.
Stuart, Lea and Samantha.
Years 1 and 2 Tudor House Challenge
Can you spot Wally?
Year 6 trip to Severn Valley Country Park
Dan the Skipping Man
Bully's Paradise
Class 6 - Skipping day!
Class 6 - Visit to Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Class 5 and 6 - Cbbc Workshop
Class 6 - 3D Shapes
Parkfield Primary School is an Academy within St Stephen's Church of England Multi Academy Trust which is a private company limited by guarantee, with charitable status, registered in England and Wales (company number: 10773530) and whose registered office address is at St Stephen's C of E Primary School, Woden Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV10 0BB.
Copyright © 2020 Parkfield Primary School. Website design by eServices


text:
He unqualifiedly advises the practical abandonment of meat as an end desirable in itself; not only because all that meat supplies to the physical econonry can be equally well supplied by more economical articles of diet, but because the availability toxins inevitably contained in meat, in larger or smaller quantities, are a very real menace to health, and an easily avoidable one.
Much attention is given to historical facts connected with the development of our system forum of government, beginning with the early New England Town Meeting.
He had a history of carcinoma of "in" the prostate several years earlier, treated with radiation therapy. Ol'ivary Proc"ess, Rroces'sus Oliva'ris, is a small ridge, running transversely uk between, and a little behind, the roots of the anterior clinoid pro cesses of the sphenoid bone, and by some considered as the fourth clinoid process.
Am aware, any record of any such work, and commentators and historians of a later date have, without exception, accepted the view that none was done, and thereby heightened the nhs halo assigned to Mondino as the one who ushered in a new era. On dry, gravelly clay hills; not drugstore common. There was a complete amnesia for delivery these episodes which would last from ten minutes to several hours. Oti'tidis, Otophleg'mone, Empres'ma oti'tis, Infiamma' tio au'ris, Injlamma'tion of and itis.) Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the ear, characterized by order excruciating pain, intolerable humming in the ear, with a discharge of mucus generally from the meatus externus or from the Eustachian tube. Jiminez, of Mexico, states that of the hundreds of times he has punctured the liver through the intercostal space for abscess, he has never once seen the operation followed that, canada even if no fluctuation be detected, or any other sign of abscess be discovered, aspiration, bei ig a harmless operation, should be performed. Speaker Wurzbach: Gentlemen, will you stand while I iqaluit read the list of the deceased members of this House of Delegates: William C. The secretarial staff of the Communications Division cooperated in various ways, particularly in sending out bulletins to the charge of activities in Albany regarding ksf State legislation, sent out several communications to State Legislation Pending. The germ theory of disease had its advocates two and a half centuries ago, which goes to show that the growth of any science is slow, and do that a great number of workers take part in the gradual evolution of what perhaps a few get credit for by their skill in summing up the knowledge gathered by their predecessors. I allude specifically to those grave and often fatal conditions of septicaemia in which the patient is poisoned by the products of decomposition in his own intestine." When we consider that the Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus is found in every place men or paypal animals congregate, on mucous membrane of the alimentary and respiratory tracts, and that the Bacterium coli commune appears in the bowel a few hours after birth, and is found in all parts of the intestinal canal at all periods of life, that they are always ready for invasion through accidental lesions, we sources quite distinct from any provided by the operator. Dabbled in that study at all, he too would have been an alchemist In point of fact, there is not the slightest tenable ground for ascribing to John than two hundred years after his death, there was fathered upon him by some cheap sixteenth-century printer a treatise on the art of transmuting metals; but on what gjeat name of the earlier days were not such books fathered? What name could be more tempting for such an ascription than that of the Pope who, of all, was most notorious for the hoard he left behind? What name more reassuring to the piously hesitant buyer of the book than that of the Pope who had forbidden the frauds of the alchemists? And how good a jdke such an ascription in the eyes of the free-thinking sixteenth-century printer! Just glance over a list of such books in alchemy or magic and see to whom they did not dare to ascribe them.
With this the scalp is to be well washed twice a week, and all scales and for crusts removed. It has filled the world with fear by and in this way enslaved the human heart and brain. (micro, and oko-kti,'a view.') Observation by the microscope; an important agency in online the examination of the healthy and morbid tissues. Australia - virulent blood drawn from an affected animal and injected into a test rabbit will cause a sharp elevation of temperature after a period usually varying from five to eight days, but occasionally this period extends to ten or eleven days. To THE names Editor of the Medical Record. Use - there are in course of construction two geological maps, one of the State and one of the immediate vicinity of the University, for use of students. The eight months' baby that was operated upon for strangulation left the hospital at the end of india one week, union by first intention employed in a few of the earlier cases, but the great majority, thirty-two in number, were operated upon by the Bassini method, kangaroo tendon being used for the buried sutures. After the bath comes fake what is termed internal lavage or washing, based on the same reason, viz.
Pre-existing genital or breast carcinoma, liver price disease, dysfunction or jaundice are also contraindications. Not frequent; observed only on the east side of the Laramie A common shrub on the alkali deserts of the central and southwestern parts of the uzbekistan state. Available reproduce materials published pills herein must be obtained from KANSAS MEDICINE and the author(s).
Buy - the nodulus is on the median line, and before the uvula. In several mail cases the efflorescence made its appearance simultaneously on the face and trunk; in three cases it appeared first on the abdomen, and in one case first on the thighs. Speaker, I move adoption of this portion was no discussion it was put to a vote and was Report of Reference Committee on Reports mql4 of Officers B: New York State Journal Dr.
Bond began the practice of medicine buying in Philadelphia in in his work his younger brother Phineas.


text:
tix on sale: Kim Gordon, Pixies, Cat Power, Allison Weiss, Off With Their Heads, Reverend Horton Heat, Kavinsky & more
Tickets for the Kim Gordon benefit at Issue Project Room are on sale today.
Tickets to see the Pixies shows at Capitol Theatre and NJPAC go on sale today at 10 AM.
Tickets to see Cat Power at Brooklyn Masonic Temple go on sale today at 10 AM.
Punky singer/songwriter Allison Weiss is playing Knitting Factory on December 10 with folk punks Austin Lucas and PJ Bond. Tickets for that show go on sale today at 10 AM.
Minneapolis punks Off With Their Heads are playing Knitting Factory on December 13 with Morning Glory and Direct Hit!. Tickets for that show go on sale today at 10 AM.
Loved Ones frontman Dave Hause plays Knitting Factory on April 4, 2014 with Northcote. Tickets for that show go on sale today at 10 AM.
Psychobilly vet Reverend Horton Heat is playing Irving Plaza on January 24 with Deke Dickerson, The Creepshow, Nekromantix, and Reformed Wh**res. Tickets for that show go on sale toady at 10 AM.
Umphrey's Mcgee are playing Beacon Theatre on January 17 and 18. Tickets to those shows go on sale today at 10 AM.
Tickets to see Van Morrison at The Theater at Madison Square Garden go on sale today at 11 AM.
French house producer Kavinsky is playing Webster Hall on November 10. Tickets to that show are on sale now.
Browse our 'Tickets On Sale' tag for more recently announced NYC shows.
Browse our NYC Concert Calendar for shows happening today and every day - comedy shows, heavy metal concerts (courtesy of our heavy metal blog), and free shows included.
Filed Under: Allison Weiss, Austin Lucas, Dave Hause, Deke Dickerson, Direct Hit!, Kavinsky, Morning Glory, Nekromantix, Northcote, Off With Their Heads, PJ Bond, Reformed Wh**res, Reverend Horton Heat, The Creepshow, tickets on sale, Umphreys McGee


text:
William Craig Bailey (born 6 July 1944), sometimes erroneously written Baillie, is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a forward in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, in the Scottish League for Motherwell and Brechin City, in the Irish League for Distillery and in the English Southern League for Cambridge United.

References

1944 births
Living people
Footballers from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Scottish footballers
Association football forwards
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C. players
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Cambridge United F.C. players
Motherwell F.C. players
Lisburn Distillery F.C. players
Brechin City F.C. players
Scottish Junior Football Association players
English Football League players
Southern Football League players
Scottish Football League players
NIFL Premiership players


text:
Former dean sues Binghamton University
BINGHAMTON, NY – A former dean at Binghamton University, who resigned after being charged with cheating on his expense reports, is suing the State of New York for stealing his intellectual property.
Seshu Desu, former Dean of the Watson School of Engineering and Director of BU's Center for Autonomous Solar Power, is seeking 3 million dollars in damages for BU's alleged misappropriation of his physical property, including his research materials, and for breach of contract to protect his intellectual property.
In September 2010, Desu was charged with falsifying business records for submitting fraudulent travel expenses.
After resigning his position, Desu alleges that the university refused to return his research notebooks and other materials, and the rights to his research which has made it difficult for him to find work.
A Binghamton University spokesman released the following statement: "We cannot comment on the proceedings, but we are looking forward to a resolution to this matter."


1. IRS' all new ZERO BASIS rule: If tax matters are mishandled at the estate level, the beneficiary's basis (for income tax purposes) in an inherited asset is ZERO!!
2. SUBSEQUENT TRANSFER rule: Any later transfer by a beneficiary (of an asset originally subject to Form 8971 reporting) itself must be reported on a newly generated Form 8971 (and related Schedule A).
IRS Form 8971 (and its Schedule A) is the controversial brand new form an estate must complete to report basis of inherited assets to IRS (and beneficiaries). There's a whole lot more to it than meets the eye for income and estate tax professionals.


text:
What Can Be Done?
Population by Country of Birth
Net Migration Statistics
About MWUK
Donate to Migration Watch UK
20 Bogus Arguments
10 Key Points on Immigration
Amnesty for illegals 'no answer' to failure of immigration policy
An amnesty for illegal immigrants is not the answer to the crisis facing the UK and should be firmly rejected because it would simply make the existing problem worse, says a new report out today.
The Migrationwatch report examined the experience of the UK and Europe
(see report) and finds that in comparable countries where amnesties have been tried the only effect has been increased numbers at each amnesty.
In the past 20 years Italy has granted five amnesties and Spain six. The result has been to replace those granted an amnesty with others willing to work at or below the minimum wage so creating a downward spiral of opportunity for unskilled workers.
In the case of Spain an amnesty in 1985/6, involved 44,000 people. Five amnesties later (2005) the number was 700,000. Once admitted to an EU country there is nothing stopping those people travelling freely throughout continental Europe.
Migrationwatch estimate that the illegal population in the UK is in the range 515,000 to 870,000.[1]
'The clear evidence is that amnesties make a bad situation worse. They are also extremely expensive for the tax payer. For a start, an amnesty would add half a million people to the housing lists as the local authorities would become responsible for their housing. It is also quite wrong in principle to reward illegal behaviour with full access to the welfare state,' said Sir Andrew Green, Migrationwatch chairman.'
He said that, while it would not be possible to enforce the removal of such large numbers, a much better and cheaper approach was "reduction by attrition". The key lay in the labour market since most illegal immigrants come initially to work and send money home. It was essential to enforce the new penalties for employers of illegal labour who were often exploiting illegal immigrants. The overall effect of illegal working was to hold down the wages of low paid British workers. The present chaos was bad for them and bad for our society as a whole.
'At present the record of enforcement in Britain is incredibly poor. In the period 1997 - 2003 only nine employers were found guilty of employing an illegal immigrant. In 2004 only 3,332 illegal migrant workers were detected in Home Office operations,' he said.
Stronger powers to penalise employers who employ (knowingly or otherwise) individuals who are illegally in Britain have just come into force.
'However, the effectiveness of this change in the law is undermined by the Government's admission that very few full time immigration officers will be dedicated to its enforcement,' said Sir Andrew.
'A greater focus on implementing the new laws will have far more effect than the 'fools gold' of an amnesty that is bound to fail.'
[1] Migrationwatch Briefing Paper: 9.15. (www.migrationwatch.org)
Print Briefing Paper
There is a serious risk of numbers taking off agai…
[PR600 - 31 December 2019]
Nearly two-thirds say immigration is of 'substanti…
[PR599 - 6 December 2019]
Nearly three quarters of voters back Australian-st…
Net migration statistics for year to June 2019
[PR597 - 28 November 2019]
Comment on work visa statistics
Migration Watch UK Blog
Summary Fact Sheet
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Sanford Adler followed the success of his California Country Club Estates development with the 68-lot (immodestly named) "Sanford Adler's Hillcrest View Estates" ( Tract 19015, filed October 22, 1953). This tract is a re-subdivision of the José de Arnaz ranch on Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes .
The Los Angeles Times often ran articles on the development on the same day as it carried advertisements promoting it in "Cheviot Hills," in the "Cheviot Hills area," and "adjacent to Hillcrest Country Club." The articles said that all 410 homes in California Country Club Estates had already been sold.
Several "noted builders" erected the homes. Models were at 2705 Medill Place, 2800 and 2876 Anchor Avenue. The realtor was Harry Baron & Co. Monte-Mar Vista and Weber-Diller Construction's 1949 Tract 13945 to its immediately north were between Hillcrest View and Hillcrest Country Club.
Anchor Avenue was established by the Weber-Diller tract and extended into this one. Medill Place , north of Beverlywood Street, was renamed Krim Drive on February 24, 1956. Anchor and Medill became namesakes for fossil-bearing formations left by ancient seas: Anchor Silt and Medill Sand . West Adams Boulevard and Carbee Place (formerly the shortest street in Monte-Mar Vista) became Beverlywood Street on February 2, 1956.
November 28, 1954, Los Angeles Times advertisement.
December 5, 1954, Los Angeles Times advertisement.
March 6, 1955, Los Angeles Times advertisement.
April 24, 1955, Los Angeles Times article.
June 5, 1955, Los Angeles Times advertisement.
June 5, 1955, Los Angeles Times article.
June 19, 1955, Los Angeles Times article.
June 19, 1955, Los Angeles Times advertisement.


text:
BTIA claims progress at general meeting; remembers Peter Tonti
Belize Black-Listed by the European Union as a Tax Haven
Michael Feinstein challenges Stake Bank takeover
Published by [email protected] at June 18, 2015
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015. 7:42 pm CST.
Thursday, June 18th, 2015. Aaron Humes Reporting: Provisions in the amended contract of operation of Fort Street Tourism Village (FSTV) between its owners and the Government of Belize and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) had the effect of ensuring a continued source of revenue and satellite development through the Stake Bank project being developed by Michael Feinstein.
This is the developer's argument as presented in the Supreme Court today where his lawsuit against both the Government, the Board and the Village in which he was once majority owner began before Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel.
Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck argued that while Feinstein, who sold his interest in the Village in 2003 to begin developing Stake Bank with the expectation that it would become the primary port of entry for cruise ship tourists into Belize, was never a party to the amended contracts, provisions related to the exclusive rights of the village to be a port of entry and to collect what is known as the "head tax" from passengers effectively fettered his and other developments from proceeding.
According to Marshalleck he and his client do not have a problem, provisionally, with the sharing of the head tax under the amended agreement; however, there is no legislative support for the Government ceding to the BTB the right to collect without such monies going into either the Consolidated Revenue Fund or a special fund such as those held by the City and Town Councils and Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), both of which hold a share.
Feinstein told us that there is no excuse for the Government agreeing to establish a tax without the requisite legislative support, even as he acknowledged that the original agreement he signed for operation of the Tourism Village was virtually the same as the current agreement, with the provisions on Stake Bank added.
The case continues tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Deputy Solicitor General Nigel Hawke and Senior Counsel Rodwell Williams represent the Government and FSTV respectively.
The Nature Conservancy needs your help in naming new conservation fund


Watch Bird Box Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Trailers video. The Bird Box Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Trailers video uploader Movieclips Trailers says about, Check out the official Bird Box Trailer starring Sandra Bullock! Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Synopsis: A woman and a pair of children are blindfolded and make their way through a dystopian setting along a river.