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Nikki Bella, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks not happy with Rousey overshadowing the Rumble
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A couple of female WWE Superstars don't seem to be too thrilled about Ronda Rousey joining WWE or how the company pushed her debut overshadowing the history-making first-ever women's Royal Rumble match on Sunday.
Nikki Bella started the whole thing on Twitter when she replied to a WWE tweet about Ronda Rousey offering her candid thoughts on the night just moments after the Rumble finished.
"Wonder what all the 30 other women candid thoughts were too?" Nikki tweeted. She then answered a fan's question who asked what did she think of Rousey's arrival. "Awesome!… if it was tonight," Nikki wrote, referring to Monday. "Not last night when the women of WWE that have worked so hard for SO many years and years to make history."
Nia Jax also spoke about WWE's continuous push of Rousey on social media. "UP NEXT: We receive the moment you've all been talking about…" the WWE Twitter account said showing a photo of Rousey pointing to the WrestleMania sign. "Cool she's here….I guess 30 women making history can just be forgotten," Jax responded.
Sasha Banks, appearing on the Busted Open radio show, was asked repeatedly about Rousey and every time the topic came up, she replied with, "I have nothing nice to say so I can't say anything at all." When then quizzed about what she would do if she goes to work and her name is next to Rousey's for a segment, the former champion said she'd do what she does every time and does her job.
WWE Hall of Famer Madusa also took a dig at WWE for suddenly ignoring the Rumble. Madusa said that the problem is not with her, but with the company for discrediting all the women before her. "I totally love and support Ronda and everything she did to change the future for women. My rant is not at her. I am merely making sure the women of wrestling get the credit that is due," she wrote.
Rey Mysterio's Rumble entry video on YouTube flying high
Sasha Banks
Footage of Bella Twins and Natalya celebrate with Ronda Rousey backstage after WrestleMania match
Nikki Bella was one of those who were not so happy with Ronda Rousey's arrival at the Royal Rumble and was actually the first one to speak about it on Twitter the day after the Rumble. But it's amazing how a few months can make a whole lot of difference. For their…
Nikki Bella on Dancing With The Stars starting tonight on ABC
WWE Superstar Nikki Bella will start her Dancing With The Stars journey tonight on ABC as the season 25 premiere kicks off at 8PM ET. Nikki is paired up with Russian-American professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev as #TeamSmackdown. The phone number to vote for…
Sasha Banks to face Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam for the title
In front of her home town fans, Sasha Banks became the number one contender for the Raw Women's title after defeating Nia Jax, making Jax tap out to the Banks Statement. Jax and Banks, who each won a respective qualifying match last week, had their match after…


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Toronto to Ra'anana
Articles and information from a Torontonian living in Ra'anana, Israel.
CONTENTS BY TOPIC
ABOUT ME - AVI HERZL
Upcoming Israeli Presidential Elections 2014 and Other Random Comments...
The temperature has cooled down somewhat in Israel but the political atmosphere has been heating up. While Israelis are now enjoying seasonal temperatures in the 27-30 C range, I would imagine that it is quite a bit hotter inside the Knesset.
On Tuesday, Israeli MKs (Member of the Knesset - the Israeli Parliament) will hold a closed-ballot election for the position of President of Israel. The MKs will select a replacement for outgoing President Shimon Peres. The campaign for a new president has been mired in scandal with various allegations surfacing over the course of the campaign against different candidates.
The most recent casualty was Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, the candidate favoured by many Labour party members. He withdrew from the race after being questioned about financial improprieties relating to his purchase of an apartment and the source of the funds. Another candidate, Sivan Shalom, dropped out of the race earlier after 15 year old allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. The allegations were not substantiated and the Shalom was vindicated but the damage had been done. Other allegations were made against some of the remaining candidates but so far they have remained in the race.
The position of President in Israel is largely a figurehead position, much like the position of Governor General in Canada. The President has the power to ask a party to form a government after an election (by building a majority coalition) though by convention, it is generally the part with the largest number of seats in the Knesset. If that party cannot form a government, the President can ask another party to try if the President believes that the party can put together a coalition. The President also attends various state ceremonies and has certain powers to pardon convicted criminals.
Former Israeli President Moshe Katzav was convicted of sexual assault and is now serving time in prison. His successor, the current incumbent President Shimon Peres, has seemingly restored dignity to the office and has been a very popular president. A recent poll of Israelis indicated that more than 63% felt that Peres has done a good job. Many would probably prefer that he continue to serve in the role. However, as indefatigable as the 90 year old Peres might be, he is limited to one term by Israel's "Basic Law."
Peres has been a tireless promoter of peace and of Israeli goodwill worldwide. He has met with leaders across the world and has sought to build bridges and create mutual understanding. Tonight, President Peres will be in the Vatican along with the Pope and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The three will be participating in a multi-faith prayer ceremony for peace - with prayers in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Italian. The prayers will include Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers, focusing on peace. While no one expects that these prayers will have any immediate political impact, the symbolism on Peres' part, as one of his last big gestures as the Israeli President, demonstrates his desire for peace and his hope that his participation will be seen as a representation of the yearning of the Israeli people for a peaceful solution to the problems of the Middle East.
Whomever is elected on Tuesday as Peres' successor will have big boots to fill. Meanwhile, in light of the most recent withdrawal from the race of Ben-Eliezer, some Knesset members, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, are reportedly making efforts to delay the vote by a week or two. Perhaps the thinking is that this would given them more time to try to find other potential candidates - or to decide who they should support from the remaining field. It is hard to see how a two week delay would change very much in this race - though perhaps further scandals will emerge and the field of candidates will be narrowed even further.
Meanwhile, Sivan Shalom, who is no longer a presidential candidate, was a strong advocate of making Sundays a day off in Israel. His push for a five day week seems to have lost some steam recently and Israelis continue to enjoy a six-day work week (even though many Israelis do not work on Fridays). Our kids continue to "enjoy" a six day school week. I note this simply to point out that although next Sunday is Father's Day in Canada and the United States, there is no such holiday in Israel. On the third Sunday in June, the kids will be in school just as they are on any other Sunday. Those who are serving in the army will be at their bases as they would be on any other Sunday.
How does this all tie in to the Israeli presidential elections? It probably doesn't. But here's hoping that whichever candidate is elected as Israel's next President will serve the State with dignity and honour and continue along the path of outgoing President Shimon Peres in spreading Israeli goodwill throughout the world.
Posted by Ranana Reveller at 8:34 AM
Labels: Israeli presidential election 2014, President Peres
Shavuot 2014 - the Rolling Stones, the Heat Wave and Reform Conversions in Israel
The Jewish festival of Shavuot has drawn to a close in Israel. The holiday is celebrated for one day in Israel though it is celebrated for two days outside of the Jewish state in Orthodox and Conservative communities.
Across the country, many Israelis joined evening study sessions - "tikkuns," of all different types. Some were more traditional, focusing on the study of the Torah and accompanying commentaries. Other study sessions featured discussions and lectures on current political events, issues facing Israel and contentious issues facing the Jewish people. In recent years, the number of Israelis participating in tikkuns has dramatically increased, even though many of these events are not religious in nature.
Many Israelis also enjoyed the custom of eating dairy on the holiday of Shavuot - cheese blintzes (known as blintches in Israel) are a particularly popular food item. Cheese cake and other cheese dishes are also ubiquitous.
Israelis woke up this morning to an extreme heat wave. Record temperatures of 44C in Beersheba (for this date) and 41C in K'far Saba (where are our shul is located) were reached. Fortunately our shul air conditioning seemed to be working This meant that I could read the fourth aliyah (the recitation of the 10 commandments) without sweating too much...
The big event in Israel this apres-Shavuot evening was the Rolling Stones concert in Park Yarkon in Tel-Aviv. Attendance for the concert was estimated at 44,000, with ticket prices ranging from 700 to 1800 N.I.S. ($225 to $575, approximately). It was the first ever Rolling Stones concert in Israel. The Stones went ahead with the concert as planned despite a great deal of pressure from the anti-Israel BDS movement, which called on the Stones to boycott Israel. The Stones rejected calls from vocal anti-Israel activists including members of Pink Floyd and went ahead with the concert and their mini-tour of Israel, much to the delight of many Israelis. Band members were seen at different historic sites in Israel earlier today including Caesaria and the Old City of Jerusalem.
Kol Hakavod to Mick Jagger and the Stones for performing in Israel. Having seen them a number of years ago, I was not interested in laying out that kind of money for a relatively short (15 to 17 song set), general admission concert with 44,000 of my best pals. But it certainly was a "happening" in Israel and that is great for those who attended.
Finally, on an issue that is somewhat related to the holiday of Shavuot, I thought it would be interesting to mention that, earlier this week, the Israeli High Court began hearing a case involving the issue of whether or not the State of Israel should recognize Reform (and Conservative) conversions in Israel. The case involves a Colombian born man who married an Israeli and underwent a Reform conversion to Judaism in Israel. Under current Israeli law, non-Orthodox conversions that are performed outside of Israel are recognized for purposes of the Law of Return, even for Israeli residents who leave the country to convert. However, non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel have not been recognized.
The issue has generated a great deal of controversy in Israel, which continues to grant a monopoly to Orthodox Jewish institutions over a whole range of personal status issues in Israel including marriages, burials, conversions and divorces. For example, Israelis looking to marry in Israel are forced to have their weddings officiated by Orthodox rabbis if they wish to have their marriages recognized under Israeli law. Many Israelis choose to leave Israel and marry elsewhere rather than agree to this state-enforced monopoly.
While there had been some hope among many Israelis that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and his party would succeed in changing some of these laws and introducing alternatives for Israelis, progress has been slow on this issue. The issue is particularly relevant on the holiday of Shavuot since we read the Megillah of Ruth, the story of Ruth a convert to Judaism. Many commentators have pointed out that it was far easier for Ruth to join the Jewish people than it has become for someone to convert to Judaism under current Israeli law.
Nevertheless, there are still many prominent, secular Israeli commentators and broadcasters who seem willing to continue the current status quo. Often, it is a case of "the shul that I don't go to should be an Orthodox one....if I were ever to attend..."
So how does this all tie together? I am certainly not making any suggestion that Mick Jagger or Keith Richards will attempt a Reform conversion to Judaism while in Israel (highly doubtful) nor do I have any idea whether or not they will manage to sample some cheese blintzes in honour of the holiday of Shavuot. I do know that they will experience some stifling Israeli heat even though their limos, hotel rooms and private jets are well air conditioned - and the concert stage features giant air conditioners to keep them singing "start me up" without passing out. That's about the best I can do in terms of tying together a few different Shavuot related notes.
Chag Sameach to all.
Posted by Ranana Reveller at 3:41 PM
Labels: Book of Ruth, heat wave in Israel, Israel 2014, Megillat Ruth, reform conversion in Israel, Rolling Stones in Israel, shavuot
Lieberman is new Minister of Defence: Major Political Development in Israel
Wading into the waters of Israeli political analysis can be hazardous. The unexpected sometimes becomes reality. Other times, one can be l...
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Harari: A review.
Browsing around at Steimatzky's bookstore at the Ben Gurion airport, I came across a book by Yuval Harari, Sapiens: A brief history o...
Air Transat Review - Toronto to Tel-Aviv and Gender Equality Issues in Judaism...
I tried something a bit different this time. I flew Air Transat for my latest trip between Toronto and Tel-Aviv. Air Transat is a charter ...
Austrian Airlines - with Stopover in Vienna
It was about time to try a different route from Toronto to Israel so I decided to give Austrian Airlines another chance - and spend a day tr...
Lieberman: Hero or Opportunist? Latest Rumblings from Israel.
Avigdor Lieberman heads the "Yisrael Beitenu" ("Israel, Our Home") party in Israel. He is a bit more of a complex pol...
Jerusalem: The Kotel and the Old City after 50 Years: A Schechter Institute Symposium
It has been 50 years since the State of Israel liberated Jerusalem and returned some of the holiest Jewish religious sites to Jewish contr...
Air Transat Review - Tel-Aviv-Toronto Part 2
In my last blog, I provided a review of my first flight on Air Transat between Toronto and Tel-Aviv. I also discussed some of the engaging c...
Shabbat Candle Lighting times for Tel Aviv courtesy of hebcal.com.
Links of Interest to Me
"Board Game Geek" - Board Game Site
Ben Zion David - Yemenite Jewellery
Beth Tikvah Toronto
CBC - Canada
Conservative Judaism Blog
Elder of Zion - Current Events
Hod VeHadar Synagogue
How to Be Israeli
Israeli Rec Ice Hockey Association
Jack FM - Vancouver Rock Station - Listen Live!
Jewish Issues Watchdog
National Post - Canada
Open Zion
Ra'anana Living Guide
Religion and State in Israel
The Sports Network (TSN Canada)
Wines-Israel - Israeli Wine Site
Google Anayltics
Expat Logo
Internations.org
Ranana Reveller
Upcoming Israeli Presidential Elections 2014 and O...
Shavuot 2014 - the Rolling Stones, the Heat Wave a...
INDEX TO KEY WORDS
Astral Village Eilat (1)
Austrian Airlines Toronto Tel-Aviv (1)
Bar Mitzvah Israel (3)
Bar Mitzvah Jerusalem (1)
Bat Mitzvah Israel (2)
Ben Zion David (1)
Beth Tikvah (3)
Binyamina Winery (1)
Celebrating Sukkot in Israel (2)
Chief Rabbi of Israel (2)
Chosen Wines (1)
Continental Air Lines Toronto Tel-Aviv (1)
Coral Reef (1)
Dalton Winery (1)
David Broza Ra'anana (1)
David Kraemer (1)
Davidson Center Israel (2)
Egalitarian bar bat mitzvah Israel (1)
Ethical Oil (1)
European Duty Free (1)
Ezra Levant (1)
Fifa Announcement Israel (1)
Five Day week in Israel (1)
Flights Between Toronto and Tel Aviv (2)
Frankfurt lounge (1)
Gender Equality in Israel (6)
Gift to Shakira (1)
Golan Heights (2)
Hod v'Hadar (3)
Hula Nature Reserve (2)
Ice Hockey in Israel (1)
Ikea Israel (1)
IRHA (1)
Israel and Fifa (1)
Israel and religious equality (2)
Israel and religious tolerance (1)
Israel Attractions (1)
Israel Ice Hockey (4)
Israel Ice Hockey Association (1)
Israel Memorial and Remembrance Day 2011 (1)
Israel news (2)
Israel Recreational Hockey Association (1)
Israeli Army (1)
Israeli Artists (1)
Israeli Cheese (1)
Israeli democracy (1)
Israeli equality (1)
Israeli Ice Hockey Tournament (1)
Israeli weddngs (1)
Israeli Weekend (1)
Israeli Wineries (3)
Issues in Kashrut (1)
Jacobs Dairy Farm (1)
Jerusalem Old City (1)
Jewish Dietary Laws (1)
Jonathan Kay Among the Truthers (1)
Judith Shulevitz (1)
K'far Monash (1)
K'far Saba (1)
Kohinoor Restaurant Jerusalem (1)
Kosher Dairy and Meat Restaurants (1)
Kosher Indian Food Israel (1)
Kosher pig (1)
Kosher Ra'anana (1)
kosher vegetables (2)
Kosher Wine Israel (1)
Kotel (7)
La Bocca (1)
Laws of Kashrut (1)
Liran Levi (1)
Metulla (2)
Moshe Katsav (1)
Old Jaffa (2)
Operation Pillar of Cloud (6)
President Shimon Peres (1)
Recanati Winery (1)
Recreational Hockey (1)
Robinson's Arch Jerusalem (1)
Sangam Israel (1)
Shabbat (1)
Shabbat in Israel (1)
Sharon Valley (1)
Shlomo Sand; the Invention of the Jewish People; anti-Zionism (1)
Simchat Torah (1)
Sivan Shalom (1)
Sukkot in Israel (1)
Tarek Fatah (1)
The Sabbath World (1)
Toronto Tel-Aviv via Philadelphia (1)
Vegetarian Indian Food Israel (1)
weddings in Israel (1)
Western Wall (3)
Wine and Cheese in Israel (1)
women's rights in Israel (2)
Yemenite Jewellery (2)
Yemenite Jewelry (2)
Yogev Wines (1)
Yom Hazikaron (1)
Yom Kippur in Israel (1)
Yom Kippur in Ra'anana (1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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bobmorris.biz
Blogging on Business
Other Interviews
By More Than Providence: A book review by Bob Morris
By More Than Providence: Grand Strategy and American Power in the Asia Pacific Since 1783
Columbia University Press (2017)
Why and how — throughout its history — the U.S. has had to secure its position in the Asia Pacific by more than providence
In this remarkable volume, Michael Green provides an abundance of information and insights while examining the development of grand strategy and American power in the Asia Pacific from 1783 until 2015. This is indeed an evidence-driven analysis as indicated by 139 pages of annotated notes. I hasten to point out, at this point, that I am not an historian, much less an authority on military history. Green seems to have written this book for persons such as I, however, who have a keen interest in how thirteen colonies who established a new nation would evolve — over time — into the global powerhouse it eventually became and continues to be.
Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) is only one of countless people on whom Green focuses — previously unknown to me — who played a key role in that process. Green observes, "it was Mahan who ultimately exerted the greatest influence on the foreign policies of both Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt (not to mention the war-fighting strategies of the Imperial Japanese Navy). This was in part because Mahan combined the knowledge of history and the sea in terms of Americans had not seen before, but he was than an apostle for naval power. His was the first comprehensive grand strategic concept for the United States – in the Pacific – harnessing diplomatic, ideational, military, and economic tools in pursuit of national interests at a level of detail and realism not met by [John Quincy] Adams, [Matthew Galbraith] Perry, or [William Henry] Seward."
In a review of By More Than Providence for The New York Times, Gordon Chang addresses a shared vision of "manifest destiny" that extended far beyond both western and eastern coastlines: "Protection of the Pacific, therefore, became a paramount concern. American presidents, diplomats, admirals and analysts may have disagreed on strategy, but the disagreements were mostly about how far forward to draw America's defensive line. As Walter Lippmann noted, the United States was never isolationist in the Pacific.
"The American effort over time is all the more remarkable because democracies are, by their nature, ill-suited to maintaining consistent foreign policies, something noted by Alexis de Tocqueville in "Democracy in America." As Green writes: "The founders created a system that was designed to prevent precisely the kind of centralization of decision-making imagined by Thucydides, Clausewitz and other classical strategic thinkers." Yet America has been able to maintain consistency because its policy, he perceptively notes, "always flowed organically from the Republic's values and geographic circumstances."
"Those geographic circumstances — two oceans — did not insulate America. The United States fought two great wars in Europe in the last century, both to prevent one power, Germany, from seizing the continent. That same strategic imperative forced Washington to engage in two epic struggles in the Asia-Pacific, first a war with Japan and then a multidecade effort to contain Soviet power."
These are among the several dozen passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of Green's coverage:
o The Rise of the United States (Pages 17-18)
o Commerce, the Navy, and God: Expanding Relations with the Pacific During the Era of Manifest Destiny (30-34)
o "Maintaining a Propitious Environment": Great-Power Politics and American Good Offices (64-70)
o Strategic Lessons from the Gilded Age (76-77)
o "The Greatest Danger to Our Proximate Interests": Alfred Thayer Mahan and the Problem of Asia (79-86, and 104-107)
o [Theodore Roosevelt] and the Great-Power Diplomacy After Victory (96-97 and 105-108)
o The Rise of Japan (111-113 and 156-239)
o "A Door of Friendship and Advantage": Woodrow Wilson's Idealistic but Eurocentric Policy (123-131)
o Conclusion: The War as Crucible (237-239)
o The Rise of the Soviets (241-243)
o "The Best and the Brightest": Kennedy and Johnson's Asia Hands (299-306)
o "To Take All Necessary Steps": Escalation (306-311)
o Nixon's Legacy in Asia Strategy (354-362)
o Carter's Legacy in Asia Strategy (382-386)
o Richard Allen (391-392 and 394-397)
o Reagan's Legacy in Asia Strategy (420-421)
o Clinton Administration (426-427 and 453-481)
o Clinton's Legacy in Asia Strategy (480-481)
o [George W.] Bush's Legacy in Asia Strategy (516-517)
o Obama's Legacy in Asia Strategy (539-540)
This book explains with rigor and eloquence why and how — throughout its history — the U.S. has had to secure its position in the Asia Pacific by more than providence. Early on, Michael Green notes that "the roots of modern American strategic thought on the Pacific have remained largely untouched by generations." That is, I presume to add, until now.
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Animals Asia is delighted to hear the news that the China Rodeo scheduled for October 2011 has been postponed.
Rodeo is an inherently cruel form of entertainment, disrespectful to the welfare of animals and contributing to the desensitisation of viewers to animal violence. Acts of such cruelty condition children to regard sentient animals simply as objects to be used and abused for entertainment.
We congratulate the Chinese Animal Protection organisations for their tireless campaign in opposition to the China Rodeo. Animals Asia have supported this campaign through our own letter writing to the authorities and organisers and generating opposition from 11 international NGOs as part of the Asia for Animals coalition.
There is still much more to do to prevent the Rodeo event being re-scheduled for the Spring of 2012, and we will continue to provide support to the Chinese Animal Protection organisations to oppose any re-scheduling. The US organisers underestimated the strength of opposition to animal cruelty from within China by seeking approval for this event, if a new date is arranged the level of opposition both within China and internationally will be even stronger.
Cowboys also like to lasso calves during their races. The calves run away quickly, sometimes reaching the speed of 30 miles per hour, with the cowboys lassoing them around the neck and causing them to flip over onto the ground. This usually instantly kills the calves, but sometimes they are even forced to die slowly in great pain. During the Rodeo, the horses are treated cruelly as well, with riders using whips to force the horse to jump high, which causes them to get scared and also badly injured.


The Dust Bowl, also known as the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and. Find out more about the history of Dust Bowl, including videos, interesting articles , pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on donerightseal.com The most visible evidence of how dry the s became was the dust storm. Tons of topsoil were blown off barren fields and carried in storm clouds for hundreds.
THE DUST BOWL chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, in which the frenzied wheat boom of the 'Great Plow-Up,' followed by. 19 Mar The Dust Bowl was a drought and heat wave that destroyed crops in the midwest in the s. It worsened the Great Depression and could. The Dust Bowl of the s lasted about a decade. Its primary area of impact was on the southern Plains. The northern Plains were not so badly effected, but.
The Dust Bowl, its causes and the impact on the people of the United States of America. The term Dust Bowl was coined in when an AP reporter, Robert Geiger, used it to describe the drought-affected south central United States in the aftermath. The Dust Bowl of Oklahoma Did you know there was once a desert in Oklahoma called the Dust Bowl? During the great dust storms of the s in Oklahoma. 19 Apr Dust Bowl, a section of the Great Plains of the United States that extended over southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the panhandles. Dust Bowl Brewing Company is a small craft brewing facility with two taprooms located in Turlock, CA. Brewers of Hops of Wrath, Therapist, Taco Truck and.
Letters From the Dust Bowl. When drought struck Oklahoma in the s, the author and her husband stayed behind to protect their year-old farm. Her letters. The Dust Bowl drought of the s was one of the worst environmental disasters of the Twentieth Century anywhere in the world. Three million people left their. 17 May Four years into an unrelentingly mean, hot drought, a new Dust Bowl engulfs the same region that was the geographic heart of the original. Many factors led to the Dust Bowl. The increased demand for wheat during World War I, the development of new mechanized farm machinery along with falling.


Want to be notified of new releases in SonarSonic/Sonar-Core?
Include versions for Forge and Sonar Core.
Include a crash report if applicable.
Be patient, I don't always have the time to get to all bugs.
Open a new issue labelled with [Suggestion], and I'll check it out.


Your company's website is one of your most valuable assets - it is the first impression consumers receive of your business, it is a center for social interaction, and it can make or break a sale or long-term customer relationship. You'll need to ensure that your Web site is the most effective, informative, and engaging as it can be.
Turn to this white paper to learn the challenges behind site optimization, and learn how you can avoid the pitfalls while implementing the most effective processes and relying on the right people.


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The Tirith
Pioneers of the Outer Arm
Reviews TALES FROM THE TOWER
Reviews A LEAP INTO THE DARK
Tim Cox
Dick Cory
Founding member 1971, Tim is the bands virtuoso guitarist and also plays keyboards. Songwriter.
Tim Cox is a member of production, remixing and songwriting team The Band of Gypsies (www.myspace.com/bandofgypsies2).http://bandofgypsies.bandcamp.com/ They wrote and produced the early Rozalla hits "Everybody's Free", "Faith" and "Are You Ready To Fly". "Everybody's Free" has sold over a million copies worldwide and has been used in numerous films. Recently Tim has written songs for Slippmatt and Daniel Light's new label Can You Feel It Media and is currently working on remixes, songwriting and production with Erire. Tim has just written and recorded some new songs with Lauren Dyson (of Basshunter fame).
In "The Tirith" Tim teams up with his old sparring partner Dick Cory and returns to his original first instrument guitar.
You could say Tim is a dance music producer by day, rock guitarist by night
Founding member 1971, Dick plays bass, acoustic guitar, synths via pedals and handles the vocals. Songwriter.
After the first Tirith, Dick went to University and studied Geology. He has continued with music, writing songs and recording a whole body of work over the years, including working with Tim on many occasions. In 1995 he set up the record label Just Create Records which went on to have success with the compilations "Ambient Northern Lights I and II". These appeared in the mainstream shops and were widely distributed across europe. Dick is best known for his ambient music recorded under the name "Trace Melon", and has had several peices of music used by the BBC. However about 7 years ago he returned to his first love, guitar based prog rock, which eventually led to the reformation of "The Tirith".
Carl Nightingale
Carl joined The Tirith in June 2012. Before this Carl was with Gatecrasher for 15 years, one of the biggest rock covers bands around the Midlands, playing mainly at biker festivals.
The Tirith are a three peice band comprising Tim Cox (Guitars), Dick Cory (Bass and Vocals), Carl Nightingale (Drums)
© The Tirith 2019


FORM 1. Know a refill and/or swap site we don't list?
Tell us and qualify for a monthly prize … a $50 Anaconda gift card.
CONDITIONS: YOUR NAME – Well, that's up to you. Your real name, your nick-name, your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram name … we don't mind.
YOUR EMAIL – Inclusion in the monthly draw for a $50 Anaconda gift card is optional. But, if you wish to be in the draw, we need your email address. We must be able to contact you to mail your gift card if yours is the first number drawn.
FORM 2. Found a site needing updates? New price, new address or new phone number? Seller closed down?
CONDITIONS: Same as those applying to FORM 1.
Your name - read "CONDITIONS"
Your Email - read "CONDITIONS"
Is seller is now permanently closed? Arrow for "Yes"


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Port 2015: a buyer's guide
Richard Mayson October 28, 2017
The Douro Valley, home of Port.
Magazine: December 2017 Issue
Much of 2015 had the makings of a classic vintage in Port, but not all houses declared. Richard Mayson investigates the ups and downs and picks out some of his favourite wines from the sporadic declarations...
When an exceptional viticultural year comes to an end in the Douro valley, there is every prospect of a vintage declaration. As Paul Symington, chairman and joint managing director of the Symington Family Estates, wrote just as the last grapes were being picked, 2015 was such a year. His cousin and winemaker Charles added for good measure that 2015 'produced the best Touriga Franca grapes in memory'. But it turns out that 'exceptional' and the 'best' of the Douro's most widely planted grape variety is not quite enough. Declared outright by a handful of shippers, 2015 has turned out to be one of those knife-edge, oh-so-nearly-but-not-quite years that punctuate more than two centuries of Port vintages.
So what happened in 2015 that prevented a more widespread declaration, and how good are those wines that have been declared?
How terroir makes a difference in Barbaresco


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Windows 8 for Business
4 Mar/12
When I came to review the Windows 8 Consumer Preview I decided that the best way to do it was to split it into separate reviews for the different types of people who would use it, so between gHacks and our sister site Windows8News I've already written about Consumers, where the operating system got a resounding win and IT Pros where, frankly, it's still all to play for. Keep an eye out on Windows8News for my review for Enthusiasts too but here I want to talk about businesses.
Business users are, and always have been, Microsoft's bread and butter. If you think about it Windows has always been a business operating system and consumers have had to adapt to using a business system at home. Now the pendulum has swung completely in the opposite direction, so what if anything does Windows 8 offer business users? In many ways Microsoft don't need to worry about business uptake. Most businesses are only still migrating to Windows 7 and so Windows 8, and possibly even Windows 9 will be skipped completely. The financial markets and shareholders aren't going to criticise Microsoft when this happens as no medium sized or large business upgrades their operating systems every three years anyway.
Despite this, Microsoft have thrown in some very tempting features for businesses including Hyper-V and support for a new relational file system when used in conjunction with the new edition of Windows Server, also out at the end of this year. Some of these new features could be very well received by system administrators and IT managers. This enthusiasm will have to be tempered though with thoughts of retraining staff in how to use Metro and the new Start Screen. With the Start Menu gone and no Group Policy setting to disable Metro there will be much scratching of heads at office desks where staff are suddenly presented with the new interface.
For this reason, as staff training is always expensive and comes with a significant hit on productivity, Windows 8 won't be a winner for business. It could have been as consumer devices keep creeping into the workplace. Last week however Microsoft announced that the new ARM version of the operating system won't come with the Administrative Tools or Group Policy settings. This means that Windows on ARM will be no more useful in the workplace than the iPad and some commentators have suggested that Microsoft is shooting itself in the foot by taking this approach.
Ultimately there will be scope for Metro apps to come along that will be every bit as useful and usable as their desktop equivalents, and I've seen how these apps can be genuinely powerful myself, but this will take some time. It takes a long time, sometimes years, to develop bespoke apps but with the move away from Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6 now fairly urgent, there is a strong case to be made for considering Metro as the way forward. It is much easier to develop cross platform apps for the PC on Intel/AMD, ARM and even Windows Phone and, unlike the desktop which now faces an uncertain long-term future, Metro isn't going to be going away.
At least for the next few years though Windows 8 is not a win for businesses. There are too many problems associated with the way businesses operate at and the speed at which they develop and deploy things.
Tags: Windows 8 ⋅ Archiviato in: News ⋅ Windows ⋅ Inserisci Commento
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The Gillam family have been providing fine food and excellent service in Ulverston since 1892, when John James Gillam opened his cash & wholesale grocers on Market Street, Ulverston. Since then generations of the Gillam family have worked in the business until it closed in 1994.
In 2006 Doug Gillam (J J Gillam's great great grandson) and his wife, Shirley, renovated a building directly opposite the old shop and opened Gillam's tearooms. It brings the family name back to Ulverston and offers the same quality and service that the Gillam family is famous for.
In Autumn 2010 Gillam's specialist grocers opened. It adjoins the tearoom and offers specialist and local produce and organic fruit and vegetables.
Gillam's offer quality, traditional tearoom fayre and a tempting selection of cakes all made using only the finest organic ingredients, many locally and regionally sourced.
Our specials board changes on a daily basis and is influenced by local Cumbrian food as well as classic global dishes.
We cater for all types of dietary needs with an extensive menu for vegans and those on gluten-free diets.
Gillam's is fully licensed selling the finest organic wines and beers.


One of the peculiarities of the Alien Tort Statute is its mix of cosmopolitan conceptions of justice with American exceptionalism. Under the ATS the U.S. has been the only nation in the world allowing for universal jurisdiction ("UJ") in civil suits. So while enforcing international law has been the justification for these suits, it has been a mode of enforcement otherwise unseen around the world.
So what does this ruling mean for the ATS, and particularly the extraterritoriality issue to be argued in Kiobel? At first, it would seem to bolster the plaintiff's case, by making civil UJ seem (very marginally) less anomalous. But it also cuts the other way, perhaps more strongly. The argument that there is no other forum where these serious wrongs can be redressed has underpinned broad notions of the ATS, both with regards to UJ extraterritoriality and corporate liability. Now, the danger of "impunity" has abated. Now a federal judge must now ask in a UJ ATS case – why wasn't it brought in Holland? What if Holland is actually physically closer to the conduct (as in Kiobel)? Isn't Holland where all the international lawyers are? Does plaintiff's presumptive choice of forum apply to UJ cases?
Finally, the Libyan defendants were all sued as individuals (because of sovereign immunity), suggesting an absence of entity liability (like corporate liability) does not make a nullity of international justice and human rights litigation.
[T]he lower courts appear to have gone further than the established jurisprudence allows. .. the lower courts have both asserted jurisdiction with regard to a wider category of such violations, and in relation to facts in which a "sufficiently close connection" to the U.S. is entirely absent.
I would think the Dutch ruling would greatly weaken the usefulness of the Dutch/British amicus briefs to the Kiobel defendants. It is particularly embarrassing that the defendant is Royal Dutch Shell – apparently Holland knows "can dish it out, but …can't take it no more," to quote Edward G. Robinson's Rico character. This all underscores a broader point about UJ – there are several cases of nations exercising UJ, but very few of them submitting to it uncomplainingly.


text:
Trump says pandemic clouds US-China trade deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was very disappointed in China over its failure to contain the novel coronavirus, saying the worldwide pandemic cast a pall over his trade deal with Beijing. The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, in December and was spreading silently as the United States and China signed a Phase 1 trade deal hailed by the Republican president as a major achievement. "I'm very disappointed in China," Trump said in an interview broadcast on Fox Business Network. "They should have never let this happen. So I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn't feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn't feel the same to me," he said. The U.S. president's pique extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom, Trump says repeatedly, he has a good relationship. "But I just – right now I don't want to speak to him. I don't want to speak to him," Trump said. Under the Phase 1 deal signed in January, Beijing pledged to buy at least $200 billion in additional U.S. goods and services over two years while Washington agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese goods in stages. A Chinese state-run newspaper has reported that some government advisers in Beijing were urging fresh talks and possibly invalidating the agreement. Trump said again he was not interested in renegotiating. While U.S. intelligence agencies said the virus did not appear to be man-made or genetically modified, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said early in May there is "a significant amount of evidence" it came from a laboratory in Wuhan. Pompeo's comments followed Trump's assertion on April 30 that he was confident the virus may have originated in a Chinese virology laboratory. In April, the World Health Organization said all available evidence suggested the virus originated in bats and was not manipulated or constructed in a lab. In the Fox Business interview, which was taped on Wednesday, Trump focused more on China's response to the outbreak than on its origin. "We have a lot of information, and it's not good. Whether it came from the lab or came from the bats, it all came from China, and they should have stopped it. They could have stopped it, at the source," he said.
World U.S membership cancelled President Ashraf Ghani denucelearization approval airplane crash Trump clouds TRADE DEAL us china pandemic Tallal Ch


text:
Men in early childhood education comprise a very low minority in the profession. Early childhood education is among the most female-dominated industries in terms of employment. Based on studies, estimates on the percentage of workers in the sector who are men include 1.4%, 2%, 2.4%, and 3%. Due to the low percentage of men in early childhood education, there is also little representation of queer men or men of colour overall in the field.

Challenges, disadvantage and field presence
There a variety of negative factors related to men in early childhood education that are reasons for the low percentage and/or present challenges and disadvantages to men already working in the field:

 The care and education of young children is commonly seen as an extension of women's roles as mothers. Society tends to see women as the adults who stay home and care for the children. Thus, society generally considers the ECE field to be a "women's profession", perceiving it as one where women understand it and perform much better than men.
 Many men who might otherwise consider entering the field, choose not to for fears of being labeled as gay, or not a "real man".
 Some people perceive all women to be safe with working directly with young children, whereas any man would be considered suspect for being in the profession, having ulterior motives such as pedophilia or child abuse.
 Traditionally, men are the breadwinner of the family. But early childhood education is a low-paying field. This makes the breadwinner model much more difficult for men to follow compared to other professions.

Positive impact
"Men can bring different skills and qualities to the profession which could help to broaden the curriculum and enhance the quality of the service. Having a male childcare worker present is good for staff relationships and brings a healthy mix." Research suggests that men "do have different styles from women in many aspects of their work such as their use of language, risk-acceptance, physical play and humour, as well as behaviour in staff meetings, input in policy discussions etc. Men are not better than women, but they are different and together men and women create a rich culture in which to raise child".

Men in early childhood education offer distinct benefits that are either rare, difficult, or impossible to attain in an all-female teacher setting:

 Whereas women tend to foster a nurturing, calm, and positive environment, men promote a more active and physical environment. This can be particularly meaningful for boys, as their styles of play, learning, and thinking are more likely to be valued, accepted, and expanded. For girls, it can expose them to new ways of playing, learning, and thinking that they may not have experienced before.
 Fathers of children will have someone that they can more closely relate to in their parenting experiences, particularly single fathers because they are raising children alone and thus will likely need to be more autonomous in their parenting life.
 Children of single mothers greatly benefit from having a father figure when there is none present in the home. This can happen for reasons such as divorce, separation, abandonment, and incarceration, among others. Additionally, such children have the opportunity to experience a positive male role model.
 When there are men in their early education settings, children are able to observe and experience positive professional relationships between men and women. At a young age, children absorb much of what is modeled in front of them, so those relationships have a huge lasting impact on them.
 Male and female brains process information differently. Thus, male educators offer a new perspective when dealing with situations involving the children.
 Early childhood settings that previously had an all-female teaching staff may have had gender issues that no one recognized before. Having a male can challenge those stereotypes in relation to toys and activities.
Gender based positive impact may stem from socially constructed ideas of gender, as sexist stereotypes of the traits of men and women are prevalent in society as a whole.

Advantages for male educators
Advantages for men in feminized jobs like Early Childhood Education may depend on a variety of factors such as location, culture and educational background.

Due to the rarity of men in the field, some advantages may include:

 Finding employment easily
 More employment opportunities
 Quicker job advancement or promotion
 Supportive relationships with colleagues

These advantages may be a form of affirmative action, as the underrepresentation of men in the field becomes a barrier to recruitment and inclusion.

Queer men and early childhood education

Male educators who identify as queer are not only faced with the challenges of being a minority within the field of Early Childhood Education, they also must manage the perception of their identity and its impact on their work.  Homophobia plays a large part in how queer men are perceived, which can lead to discrimination at work and in the field as a whole."One highly influential homophobic myth that has been prevalent in early childhood educational settings (and within the broader society) is the perception of 'homosexuals' as paedophiles and sexual predators".The myths and stereotypes of queer men in early childhood settings are thought to be partially responsible for the low percentage of men in the field. Despite the challenges and discrimination queer men face in early learning environments, their representation has a positive impact creating safe spaces for other queer educators, parents and children.

While there are barriers to men entering the field as a whole, information regarding the experiences of queer men is difficult to find. More research into this marginalized group is needed to further understand their experiences and make improvements.

Men of colour and early childhood education
Another marginalized group within Early Childhood Education are men of colour. Societal expectations of masculinity and race perpetuate stereotypical views of identity that may prevent men from choosing to work with children in early learning environments. To relate and connect to all children and families in their care, men of colour must have a lens of double consciousness or use code switching, to fit the support needs of the diverse backgrounds of those in their care.

Some barriers to men of colour entering the field include:

 Limited representation in education for young men of colour when choosing higher education
 Required understanding of how to navigate social settings using cultural code switching
 Systematic indifference to inclusion and recruitment
 Limited opportunity for mentorship by men of colour

Children benefit from having role models they can relate to as they are constructing and forming their identities. Men of colour strengthen representation within the Early Childhood Education field, and can provide much needed culturally relevant education to children of colour and other children.

Activism
The Novak Djokovic Foundation founded and run by accomplished tennis player Novak Djokovic advocates for the importance of men in the field of early childhood education.

The Office of Early Childhood Education, New Zealand offers an award available to any male born or with full citizenship in New Zealand with intent to enroll in a registered Early Childhood Education degree program.

The World Forum Foundation runs a working group to advocate for the inclusion, recruitment and support of male early childhood educators. This forum includes chapters in various countries around the world.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides a MEN interest forum to members who would like to participate, reflect and learn more about the recruitment and retention of men in early childhood education settings.

See also
 Men in nursing

References

Early childhood education
Men by occupation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hi, I'm the Wave, a stylish visitor chair. I am a stackable visitor chair so I am as helpful as can be. My simplistic yet modern style is perfect for any working environment and office space! Whether it be visitor chairs, breakout and reception seating - we've got you covered. I represent the JasonL great value and I come in a variety of colours; plastic black, plastic white, upholstered grey, upholstered blue and upholstered red/burgundy. Style and comfort? Give me a try.


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text:
answeredquestions.html?_page=0&AnsweringBody.=Department%20for%20Environment,%20Food%20and%20Rural%20Affairs&_properties=answer.isMinisterialCorrection,hansardHeading,answer.questionFirstAnswered,tablingMemberPrinted&max-date=2019-05-14
max date
Plastics: Waste
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of plastic waste which will be produced per annum in the event that avoidable plastic waste is reduced to zero by 2050 in accordance with the Government's strategic ambition.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government has committed to eliminating all avoidable plastic waste throughout the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Our working definition of 'avoidable plastic waste' is plastic waste that is technically, economically, and environmentally feasible to reuse or recycle, or, where this does not apply, it is (technically, economically, and environmentally) feasible to replace with alternatives that are reusable or recyclable. It is our intention that there will not be any avoidable plastic waste by 2050.

We will be publishing an evaluation plan and indicator framework for the Resources and Waste Strategy later this year. This will set out further details on how we intend to monitor progress to reduce avoidable waste. This will be a living document where we will publish updates as we develop our methodologies to better capture the data and as new evidence comes to light, particularly with the indicator framework. We are confident that we have set out an ambitious programme of reform which will ensure that we meet our strategic goals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to (a) ensure local authorities have a duty to provide access to a fully trained Animal Welfare Inspector with responsibility for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and (b) provide additional funding for that role; what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that do not employ an Animal Welfare Inspector; and if he will make a statement.
Brighton, Pavilion

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities, the Animal & Plant Health Agency and the police all have powers of entry to inspect complaints of suspected animal cruelty and take out prosecutions where necessary. Local authorities must be able to make decisions based on local needs and resource priorities and the arrangements that work best for them. It is for local authorities to determine how to prioritise their resources. We do not hold data centrally on the number of inspectors appointed under the Act.

Local authorities will often work in close partnership with others, such as the RSPCA, to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 allows anyone to be able to investigate allegations of animal neglect and if necessary take forward a prosecution and it is on this basis that the RSPCA have been enforcing animal welfare legislation in this country. Although they have no specific powers under the 2006 Act, the RSPCA do investigate allegations of cruelty and successfully prosecute 800 to 1,000 people each year.

David Rutley
Biography information for David Rutley
Biography information for Caroline Lucas
Veterinary Medicine: Migrant Workers
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of additional accredited vets that will be required in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.
Damian Green

In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, all animals, products of animal origin (POAO), fish, shellfish, crustaceans, germplasm or fishery products exported from the UK to the EU will require an export health certificate (EHC). EHCs have to be certified by either a suitably accredited Official Veterinarian (OV) or, in the case of fish and fish products, either an OV or an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) employed by a local authority.

Defra does not employ OVs or EHOs so we have engaged with the private sector and local government to identify means of increasing the number of authorised signatories available. From February we have provided free training for vets to become accredited to sign EHCs. Over 300 vets have completed the training, an increase of just under 50% in the total number of suitably qualified OVs.

To support OVs we also created a new role of Certification Support Officer (CSO). A CSO can handle preparatory and administrative aspects of EHCs (checking documents, identifying products or sealing containers). This will free up OV time and capacity to provide the final assurance required. The number of qualified CSOs stands at 84.

Biography information for Damian Green
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Sick Leave
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
Carshalton and Wallington
Tom Brake

We can confirm we have searched our records and can provide the information below. This information covers the period 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019. We do not hold data relating specifically to stress as a separate category of sick leave absence. Instead we have provided data relating to all mental health absences. This category includes psychological illnesses such as stress, depression, anxiety and any other mental health condition.

How many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to mental health in the last 12 months

109 members of staff 2.25% of total staff headcount

What proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department

Absences relating to mental health made up 34.9% of all sickness absences

What the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period

Total cost of mental health sickness is £427,559.55

The proportion of officials taking sick leave for reasons relating to mental health has remained constant at around 2% for the last five years.

We have various services and support mechanisms in place to support employee mental health. For example we have an internal employee led mental health 'buddy' network, and employees have access to an external provider Employee Assistance Programme, and Occupational Health Service. We also have a process in place for notifying and managing work related stress.

Scarborough and Whitby
Mr Robert Goodwill
Biography information for Mr Robert Goodwill
Biography information for Tom Brake
Farmers: Suicide
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to suicides in the farming sector, what steps he is taking to monitor levels of distress in that sector.

Defra takes the issue of farmers and agricultural workers' wellbeing very seriously. I am aware that rates of suicide are higher across the agricultural sector generally than they are for the general population. I know that they often have a solitary lifestyle, it is hard work and their businesses are subject to unpredictable factors such as the weather. As part of the Future Farming programme we are looking at the impact of policies on wellbeing, and we are also working with partners to foster personal and business resilience.

As part of our on-going work using data on the farming sector, we monitor the published ONS statistics on suicides by employment group. As well as headline mortality numbers, we keep under review the issues that may affect broader experiences of positive and negative wellbeing.

Officials meet regularly with farming and rural charities to hear first-hand about resilience in the farming sector. This provides an indication of how farmers and farm workers are responding to any pressures affecting the sector.

Government launched its first ever Loneliness Strategy in October 2018. One of Defra's commitments is to hold regular stakeholder roundtables to tackle the issues of loneliness and isolation in rural areas. The next roundtable, to be chaired by Lord Gardiner, is being held on 11 June 2019. Defra also provides financial support through an annual grant of £1.7 million to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), whose network of 38 rural community councils work on housing and transport issues that we know can affect farming communities.

Defra works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on this issue. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights the higher risk of suicide experienced by certain occupational groups, and this includes agricultural occupations. Through the Strategy, DHSC has ensured that every local authority has a suicide prevention plan in place to implement tailored approaches to reducing suicides based on the needs and demographics of local communities.

In October 2018, the Prime Minister announced the first Minister for Suicide Prevention, and she recently met the Farming Community Network to understand better the issues facing farmers.

It is important that farmers are aware of the people they can turn to if they are going through difficult times. In particular, the farming charities – the Farming Community Network, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and the Addington Fund – all do a brilliant job in supporting farmers and their families. The National Farmers Union also has a regional network of advisers who can provide support.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) reusable, and (2) disposable, nappies on the (a) environment, and (b) collection and disposal of refuse; and what incentives they are encouraging for the use of reusable nappies.
Lord Greaves

The Government recognises the need to address the issues associated with the environmental impact of nappies. In line with the Resources and Waste Strategy published in December last year, we are considering the best approach for a range of products.

There are a number of policy measures available to us, including standards and consumer information, and we believe the right approach for each product requires careful consideration taking account of various factors, for example, waste benefits versus energy usage. We are therefore carrying out some new research into the impacts of reusable and disposable nappies. This will help us decide on the best course of action for the future and in terms of Government support.

Biography information for Lord Greaves
Landfill: Hillingdon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Newyears Green Lane landfill site is a special site of contamination; and what steps the Environment Agency has taken to ensure that any drilling into that site poses no risk to the Chiltern Aquifer.

On 26 May 2011, in accordance with Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the London Borough of Hillingdon determined the land at the former 'New Years Green Lane Landfill Site' as Contaminated Land as defined by Section 78A (2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the Act).

On 6 July 2011, the Environment Agency (EA) agreed to designate the land at New Years Green Landfill as a Special Site pursuant to Section 78C (6) (b) of the Act. The site is now within the regulatory control of the EA under Part IIA of the Act.

There is no proposal to undertake any such drilling activity at the landfill site. However, the EA is involved in the technical review of any drilling proposals at this landfill. As a minimum requirement, any drilling works in the landfill or in areas where waste is suspected must utilise "clean" drilling methodologies to avoid potential cross contamination between different parts of the geology.

Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Colne Valley
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether HS2 is compliant with the obligations of the EU Water Frameworks Directive in regards to its activity at Colne Valley; whether a risk assessment of drilling in that area has been undertaken; what assessment they have made of the impact of any such drilling on contamination of the watercourse; and what discussions they have had with HS2 about the possible risks posed by such drilling.

The Environment Agency (EA) continues to discuss the assessment of the potential impacts of the High Speed Two (HS2) scheme on European Water Framework Directive (WFD) status with High Speed Two Ltd (HS2 Ltd) and its contractors for the Colne Valley.

HS2 Ltd is producing a report about the impacts of the main construction works. Where the EA has issued approvals for enabling and investigation works, it has made sure that HS2 Ltd has assessed the WFD requirements.

HS2 Ltd has a Code of Construction Practice which requires its contractors to work in accordance with British Standards 'Investigation of potentially contaminated sites' (BS 10175:2011) and 'Code of practice for ground investigations' (BS 5930:2015). By following the practices set out in this guidance, drilling would not cause contamination or further mobilise any contamination already present in the ground.

The EA is working with HS2 Ltd to secure the protection of water bodies in the Colne Valley and also advises HS2 Ltd in relation to any potential environmental risks associated with the proposed construction.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of electric vehicle batteries in the UK that will need to be recycled in (1) 2020, (2) 2030, (3) 2040, and (4) 2050; and what assessment they have made of the UK's capacity to meet this demand for battery recycling given that there are no lithium-ion recycling facilities in the UK.
Lord Mendelsohn

The Government has not made an estimate of the number of electric vehicle batteries in the UK that will need to be recycled in the future. However, the Government's Road to Zero Strategy, published last year, set out the ambition that by 2030 50%-70% of new cars sold and up to 40% of new vans sold are ultra low emission and that by 2040 those percentages rise to 100%. Presently, cars and vans have an average lifespan of around 14 years before they become end-of-life vehicles, and figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that in 2018 there were new car registrations of 2,367,147 units and for light commercial vehicles 357,325 units. Of these, 141,234 units were for plug-in and hybrid vehicles.

Second life applications are being explored for batteries which are no longer able to perform as required in electric vehicles. An example is in energy storage solutions, which will delay the point at which the battery has to be recycled.

Electric car batteries are classified as industrial batteries and covered under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009. This bans the disposal to landfill of such batteries and their incineration. It also establishes take-back and recycling obligations for industrial battery producers.

The UK's £246 million Faraday Battery Challenge is playing a leading role in promoting the reuse and recycling of battery components. One of the eight technical challenges set is to be able to recycle 95% of an electric vehicle battery pack by 2035.

A number of live projects are exploring this area including a £10 million Faraday Institution research project. This is developing the technological, economic and policy framework that would allow high percentages of the materials in lithium-ion batteries at the end of their first life to be reused or recycled. In addition, several collaborative research and development projects are looking at reusing, remanufacturing or recycling end-of-life, automotive lithium-ion batteries.

Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn
Birds: Pest Control
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on which occasions he requested legal advice on the revocation of General Licences 04/05/06 in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Nicholas Soames

In accordance with the usual convention, legal advice is not disclosed outside of the Government. This ensures that the Government can obtain full and frank legal advice in confidence.

Biography information for Sir Nicholas Soames
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"Goodbye, Garrett!" I exclaimed after our weekly play therapy hour, which included singing Garrett's favorite songs-"The Wheels on the Bus" as always a particular favorite. Garrett, a non-verbal eleven year-old boy with autism and Down Syndrome, would clap along. But this particular Wednesday afternoon was different. As I waved goodbye, he said for the first time, "Bye, Judia." "Close enough," I joyfully thought. His mother audibly gasped and looked from me to him. "That's the first time he ever said anyone's name!" she whispered. Leaving that day, I understood again that I need not only be the recipient of kindness and assistance, but I can also be the provider.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain."
I have looked at this quote every day for fourteen years. This may seem odd, as I am a girl for whom dancing is an unlikely pastime, or at least dancing without my ever-present Lofstrand crutches. My mother probably put it there to inspire me to attend to my physical therapy more enthusiastically, but the quote did more than that. Garrett saying my name helped me again realize what "dancing in the rain" really means: to find the positives within the negatives, often with the help of one's personal umbrellas. But it has taken me a long time to learn about dancing in the rain, and I am still learning, because for many years the rains came long and hard, and I have had to depend on umbrellas to get me through - people like my parents, my physical therapist, and my friends.
My fourth of eight surgeries, which rotated my errant hip back into the socket where it belonged with nine titanium screws, stands out the most. I thought it would eat my summer with its giant mouth of pain and boredom, but umbrellas came. My friends kept me company while I painstakingly healed in my mom's office, unable to ascend the stairs. They painted my toes, and when I was feeling grimy from not showering, they gingerly wheeled me out to the summer-steamy deck. They hosed down my stinky, sweaty body. Laughing along with my beautiful parasols, I did get some summer.
A few years later, during my internship at the Isla Vista Youth Project, I worked in a toddler room dedicated to serving working families, many who struggle to survive on inadequate wages. One boy, Damian, grabbed a book and ran to me every time I walked in. As I read stories I thought about the social inequities they didn't even know yet that they faced. I wondered how I could help these children reach their highest potential as people in my life have helped me to do. I am not sure if I made a lasting impression on them, but they surely did on me. They reminded me of something I had first discovered through my work with Garrett, the value of helping others learn to dance in the rain.
The importance of umbrellas keeps emerging in my life, as it did at a hospital where I currently work in the psychiatric department. Candidly, I was scared on my first day. As I entered, I heard patients crying from their beds. Then I met Sharon. Over checkers and canasta, I learned about her own set of formidable challenges. She has bipolar disorder and has suffered the loss of a child. There probably isn't an umbrella big enough for that, but I hope that my visits provide momentary breaks in the clouds. When Sharon says, "Will your mom be mad if I steal you?" I think maybe they do.
Dancing in the rain will look different for different people. Garrett's dance is different than Damian's dance, which is different from Sharon's dance. My dance has been about graciously receiving help while joyfully giving it. It has been about cherishing my many umbrellas even as I hold one out over others. I mean to make it my life's work. As a psychologist, I hope to help other people learn their dances. Everyone should have opportunities to dance in the rain, whether it is a samba or a simple box-step.
My sticky hands scraped against the table, struggling to grab a napkin, yet my scrawny eight-year old arms were not quite long enough to reach the pile. Looking around Cracker Barrel, I saw a variety of people: typical families with kids outnumbering the parents, young couples eating breakfast after church, college girls laughing loudly, and an elderly woman alone in the corner.
I saw my mom subtly gesture to the little, old lady I noticed before. Her head swayed over her food as she cut into her pancakes, pouring her syrup on with an unwavering aura of solitude. In minutes, we paid for our meal and hers. Not only did I have butterflies in my stomach, but the entire zoo as well, as I realized that my mom made that woman's day. As we pushed the heavy, wooden doors open to leave, I left with a full stomach and an impression of a lifetime.
Today, I volunteer endlessly through many organizations such as the Dream Team, a group that raises money locally for childhood cancer. I participate in about every club or activity in my school, mentor younger kids as a Big Sister, and spend my extra time working in a local nursing home. That memory of kindness had imprinted itself on me, and pushed me to change the lives of others.
Deja vú struck as I sat in a booth at Red Lobster, on a busy Thursday night. Eating my New England Clam Chowder, I couldn't help but notice a woman, sitting alone eating her lobster. Like Cracker Barrell, the overwhelming feeling of loneliness poured off of her, tugging on my heart strings. I noticed my sticky fingers, and reached across the table, finally able to grab the napkin I remembered from so long ago.
Quietly, I whispered over the table to my friend, "We should pay for that lady's meal." Nodding in agreement, we signaled our waiter over. In minutes, we paid for our meal, as well as the woman's in the corner.
It was then that it struck me that spontaneous acts of kindness make the biggest differences. Paying for the person's coffee behind you in the drivethrough, or helping someone carry in a big pile of books shows love for others in need far more than signing up to volunteer so you can put it on your application. As someone greatly involved in my community, I spend many hours giving back to my hometown. Through all of this, however, I realized that genuine kindness cannot be premeditated; it is the moments in which we are least expecting when it strikes, forever leaving an imprint on us and those that it affects.
I pushed open the heavy, wooden doors to Red Lobster, and this time, I was truly full.
A little girl went to Disney World with her grandmother. Upon entering the park, they were approached by a security guard. The guard, pretending to mistake the girl for the real Cinderella, asked for her autograph. The little girl's face lit up with joy and a giant smile spread across her face. The security guard, Freddie Wieczorek, has been "mistaking" kids for the character they are dressed up as for the 4 ½ years he's been working at Disney. In that time, he has collected nearly 1400 autographs from kids. Wieczorek says he does it because it makes the kids happy, not just in that moment, but for the rest of the day. For this one little girl, she felt special for the rest of the day and this is a story she will never forget.
Since I heard this story, I have tried to do things that make other people happy. I'm not afraid to compliment someone on their nails or outfit because I know they will feel good about themselves afterwards. I volunteer at my local hospital. Whenever I deliver flowers or a book to a patient, I try to think of things I can do while I'm with the patient that would make them happy. Sometimes this is as simple as plugging in their phone. Other times I sit and talk to them for a while. Whenever I leave the patient's room, I try to make sure they are smiling. This not only makes the patient happy, it makes me happy. I enjoy being able to brighten up someone else's day. That is the reason I started volunteering at the hospital to begin with. The impact of what that security guard did has gone far beyond that little girl. It has been spread around the world and inspires people to be kind to each other.
At 23 weeks pregnant, I woke up terrified as I discovered that I was lying in a pool of blood. I was in labor four months before my due date. My husband was left behind as I was airlifted by the Coast Guard from our Alaskan cruise. Both mine and my unborn son's life were inevitably on the line as I continued to bleed.
I was transported to a small hospital in Sitka, Alaska. "You can't deliver your baby here. Our equipment is not small enough for a baby that weighs less than a pound, and Honey..." she paused abruptly, while shaking her head. We listened quietly as the heartbeats on the monitor slowly faded away. I thought I lost him until I felt a faint little kick. Suddenly, I began hemorrhaging and the entire hospital staff stepped in to attempt to, somehow, stop the bleeding. "We need to get you to Seattle." the nurse said without hiding her fear for our lives.
I had already known that my son's chances for survival were about 17%, not including all of the other severe, life-threatening complications that accompany being born four months early. But I couldn't allow this to be my focus. I tried so hard to find something else to focus on but I couldn't seem to escape the reality of this terrifying tragedy.
Another nurse named Vicki looked over at me with compassion. Her heart visibly ached for me. She approached me and with deep sincerity handed me a beanie she hand-knit for her patients. "When Malachi is big enough to wear this, I want you to send us a picture of him in it." I was given a piece of hope that I could hold in my hands at a time when no words would bring comfort. I clung onto that beanie with all the strength I could muster in hopes that someday, my son really would be big enough to wear it. That beanie became my main focus.
After being transported to a larger hospital in Seattle, I was told that every day I remained pregnant meant three less days for my unborn son, Malachi, in the NICU. I kept that beanie right next to my hospital bed so that I could try to focus on his small chances of survival, regardless of the unlikelihood. This beanie was something I could look to and physically grasp for comfort in a time when I felt utterly hopeless. I focused on what my son would look like wearing this beanie as I tried to imagined his features. Would he resemble my husband, with his dark, wavy hair? Or would he take after me by having straight, blonde hair? Would his eyes be a deep hazel? Or would they be bright blue?
With every day that passed, this beanie served as a constant reminder of how far we had come. Slowly but surely, those days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Malachi defied all odds and I was able to remain pregnant for another fifteen weeks.
Finally, the day that I thought would arrive too soon came at just the right time. The delivery room crowded with many of the nurses and doctors who had been caring for me all of these months. They were rooting for me. In this moment, they had witnessed an absolute miracle. Malachi was born perfectly healthy and I delivered him at full-term.
A few weeks after arriving home, I came across something that made me cry as I remembered everything that had happened. It was that piece of hope that was given to me. The very thing that became my focus while being told that the chances of Malachi's survival were extremely low. It was the beanie that I never imagined Malachi fitting into. I picked it up and looked at it. As tears streamed down my face, I placed it on his head. Not only was it able to fit, but it was already slightly small. "We did it, Malachi." I said as he looked at me with curiosity and wonder.
This experience instilled a deep desire within me to pursue my dream job by becoming a nurse. A passion that stems from the knowledge and experience as a long-term patient. All thanks to a nurse named Vickie and a little beanie that was hand-made with love for my blonde-haired, blue-eyed little miracle that I am so thankful to have and to hold.
I blink. In a fog, I open one eye seeing the yellow textured wall around me. The smell is familiar. Thoughts race through my mind as I inhale the noxious stench of antiseptic. My memory starts to come back. I look down at my arm, wrapped in gauze from my wrist to my shoulder. Here I am again.
Junior year is supposed to be a time filled with prom, placement tests, and parties. For me it was filled with white walls, beeping noises, and IV poles, spending six months in and out of the hospital. In October of 2016, I donated blood which resulted in a rapidly spreading infection in my arm. I never would have thought that a small act of kindness would have turned into such a tragedy. When the infection continued to spread and could not be controlled by antibiotics, I was admitted to the hospital, later to hear the word - surgery. This process was repeated time and time again, as the infection went dormant and resurged throughout my body. I traveled out of state and was diagnosed with an immune deficiency, preparing for an invasive operation on my arm. As my arm healed, I started to feel like myself again. The infection had been eradicated from my body, and I was left with the care of the doctors and nurses around me.
Not too long after overcoming this hurdle, while riding my bike home from work, I was struck by a car. I suffered a concussion and severe road burn on my entire right side. Within a week my leg was bright red, swollen, and unfortunately infected. For three weeks, I tried everything within my power to stay out of the hospital, but the antibiotics alone were not working. I was readmitted to the hospital, and had four more surgeries to remove necrotic tissue in my leg. However, I met an incredible surgeon who changed my life. She implemented less invasive techniques which had never been used before, and the result has been better than I could have ever imagined. I am finally recovering and will have only a few small scars. She went out of her way to research methods that would keep me comfortable and at home, while my condition improved; all along the way she considered my feelings, never leaving my side.
Along this bumpy road, I met nurses who also gave me hope. They treated me with kindness and respect, creating an environment that felt like home. They tirelessly tried to keep a smile on my face, even though I was living in a hospital bed. One nurse, Joe, had an even greater impact. From the most painful days to the better ones, he was there for me. He would study with me on biology homework, and was the person that bridged the confusing gap between me and the medical jargon that surrounded me. And above all else, he was my friend - showing me a side of nursing that I had never seen before.
Among the negative nature of my experiences, I gained something even more valuable. I learned that I want to be someone's Joe. As cliché as it may sound, I want to be the one who makes a difference for people just like me. Sometimes life can get messy; and unfortunately, people can experience trauma along the way. I want to help ease someone's suffering, just like Joe helped me. My numerous surgeries have left me with scars, both physical and emotional - which I am still working hard to overcome. However, with the support I've had from all my caregivers and of course my family, I know I will come out of this even stronger. In light of the situation, I believe my scars will forever show the struggles of my past, and represent my hope to be part of a better tomorrow.
Lately, the topics of terrorism and hate have been prevalent in news reports across the nation. The future is clouded by bleak depictions of selfishness, and kindness usually remains unseen. However, there are still people that are lights in dark times. This wonderful luminescence is seen in a man who pushed an elderly wheelchair-bound man uphill in the pouring rain. The disabled man had been out when the downpour began, and his savior was driving by. Even being a complete stranger, the man saw that he was struggling, stopped is car, and got out to help the man arrive at his destination. Many people would have simply kept driving by, and merely hoped that the man would miraculously get his wheelchair up the hill, through the rain storm. Instead, this man forgot about himself, and thought only of the needs of this disabled man. Even though the conditions were formidable, the man helped. This is so inspiring to me, as it motivates me to be a more selfless person, someone who puts the needs of others above their own, and someone who is willing to stop, and help a mere stranger. I think this story can also be inspiring to everyone, as kindness is contagious. If we all forgot about ourselves a little more often, finding the generosity in our hearts wouldn't be as difficult, and this world would be a little kinder.
If there were ever any one statement that every person knows to be true, regardless of who they are or where they are in the world, it would be that life isn't easy. Throughout the course of our lives, we all encounter some form of hardship at one point or another. During these times of hardship, the challenges may seem far too great to be overcome, causing us to despair; and yet, even in trying times, a single act of kindness can act as a light in the darkness, guiding us through to better days. In my own life, I have struggled with an eating disorder for several years, and have felt at many points that I would never recover. However, because of simple acts of kindness from my choir director, one of the most unlikely people I know, I was forever inspired to get better and go on to help people in the same way that he had helped me.
Out of all of the challenges that I've ever had to face over the course of my life, living with anorexia has proven time and again to be the single most challenging and dangerous. When my disease was at its worst, I would spend hours every week crouched over a toilet, desperately trying to make myself throw up every morsel of food that I had eaten that day. Anorexia completely and utterly consumed me, sucking all the joy out of life and bringing me closer to the grave with every passing day. However, despite my disease's severity, I chose not to reach out to anyone for help; I felt that I was the only person who truly understood my situation, and anyone else being involved would be nothing more than a hindrance. This would continue to be my attitude toward others for several more years, as my condition spiraled continued to spiral even further out of control. In my sophomore year of high school, however, I would join my school's choir and meet my choir director, a person that would forever change my life for the better. Unlike the other people in my life, he was by far one of the most understanding people to my condition. When other people would make backhanded statements about my weight or appearance, my choir director would simply give me words of encouragement. He was never overly intrusive, but still took the time to show that he cared about me a great deal. Something that most people don't understand about people with a mental disorder is that we just want to be treated like any other person; we don't want to be given special treatment or to be thrust into the limelight. My choir director understood this fact and treated me like he would any other student, something that I am eternally grateful for. Because of how he treated me, I didn't feel as though I was broken; I didn't feel like an outcast. I simply felt cared for, and it was because of this that I found the strength to continue fighting my eating disorder. Over the years, recovery has undoubtedly been a struggle, but I genuinely do believe that it would have been even more difficult, if not impossible, if not for the love and support that I received from my choir director. Furthermore, not only did his kindness inspire me to get better; it has also kindled within me an intense desire to help others in the same way that he helped me, or even beyond. My choir director was one of the people in my life that inspired me to pursue nursing, even if he hadn't chosen that career path for himself. To be able to help those in less fortunate situations than myself is something that I want more than anything else in this world. If I can help even a single person in the same way that he helped me, then I can say that I lived my life to the fullest. This being said, my director's acts of kindness towards me forever inspired me to recover and go on to help others in whatever possible.
It's truly amazing how something so seemingly small as an act of kindness can have such a colossal impact upon somebody's life. When it initially happens, the person performing the act may think that they're simply doing someone a favor; and yet, these seemingly insignificant acts can completely change someone's life. It was because of the kindness and compassion that my choir director showed me that I was able to recover from anorexia, and I truly believe that I may have never recovered if not for his act of kindness.
In the second grade we had a bully; he was always bossing people around and was very loud and aggressive. Naturally, I tried to avoid him and stay out of his line of fire, but one day I overheard him talking about how his mom was in the hospital. I told my mom about what I had heard. A few days later my mom asked if I had any update on the bully's mom, but I didn't, so she contacted my teacher to see how she could help. It turned out his mom, Cindy, was very sick; she had been diagnosed with tumoral calcinosis. Tumoral calcinosis is an extremely rare and painful side effect of lupus which causes bones to produce excess calcium, resulting in painful bony structures throughout an afflicted person's body. Cindy had a very aggressive and hard to treat version of this. My mother reached out to the family and started assisting them by bringing home cooked meals, driving Cindy to her doctor appointments, helping with her two sons' homework, and anything else that their family needed. My family continued to help for many years, as they tried to find and attempt many different treatments and procedures to improve her condition and because of this our families became very close. As time progressed her state slowly worsened as the disease took control, and she had to amputate fingers as well as receive wound care constantly. In the summer of 2015 Cindy took a sharp turn for the worse and it became clear that her body could not survive her tedious and painful condition much longer. She was put on hospice and given 2 months to live and required constant attention and care, care that a working husband and teenage sons could not provide. Cindy's husband, Oscar, came to our house and broke down into tears while telling us this terrible news. They were looking into various nursing homes when once again my mom stepped in. My mother ensured Oscar that Cindy wouldn't have to spend her final days in a nursing home surrounded by strangers, but at home, with her family and loved ones. My mother personally took over her care, spending long days and night with Cindy, who had been fully handicapped due to the bony tumors all over her body. She could not perform even basic daily functions such as dressing herself, brushing her hair, or eating, so it was up to my mom and the other volunteers she coordinated with to make sure that Cindy was fully provided for. My mom also worked with hospice providers to make sure she had the right medicines and pain relievers so that Cindy could be comfortable. The hardest thing my mom had to do was treat Cindy's wounds, which was a 4 hour ordeal every 3 days. The doctor my mom worked with said that Cindy's wounds were the worst he had ever treated, and he had been an army medic on the front lines of the Iraqi war. My mother would always be behind Cindy when treating her, so that she couldn't see my mother crying the whole time. On January 27th, 2016, Cindy passed away peacefully in her bed, surrounded by her family and her loved ones. Had my mom not intervened when she did, Cindy's last months would have been spent alone, but thanks to my mother's sacrifice and act of kindness she was able to see her sons everyday, cuddle with her beloved dogs, Molly and Peewee, and stay in the comfort and familiarity of her own home. In the months that my mother was taking care of Cindy she often wouldn't come home until late in the evening after my brother and I had gone to bed and would turn around and leave before we woke up. She sacrificed spending time with her own family so that Cindy could spend time with hers. Today, almost 2 years after Cindy's passing, my mom remains close to Cindy's sons, Justin and Hunter. Justin who is now 23, works for her cousin's company. Hunter will be graduating along side me in June and then plans to enlist in Marines, which was always his mother's dream for him. My mom made many promises to Cindy and no matter what the toll it took on her, she refused to do anything less than to stand by her word. I have heard my mom say there is power in the word 'yes'. Confronted with the complexity of caring for someone with such an advanced and complicated disease, Mom often wondered how she could do it. But once she said 'yes', the means just fell into place. When confronted with challenges, we can all learn from my mom and just say 'yes' to kindness and power through the storm.
A galaxy of scars scatters his fragile, little body. Etched next to each scar is the battle of which he survived. An old soul lies in the child's body, one that develops after an individual endures a great number of hardships. He had the blood of a fighter coursing through his veins, which was vital when he was sent on his journey of endless obstacles he had to overcome. But he wasn't alone on his journey. He had captured the hearts of those around him, with his wisdom, his strength, his selflessness, his caring nature, and his mental attitude which made him ready to take on any curve ball life threw at him and to do it with a smile on his face. The community was there for every step of the way, to cheer him on as he conquered each barrier in his path, and when stumbled, they were there to catch him before he fell. This little boy, who rightfully earned the title of superman, had been at war with cancer since the age of 2. After going through treatment which included chemo, radiation, trials, and medications, and he finally beat it, a new patch of the venomous disease would find a foreign place in his body to take refuge. Not only did it strain the boy who had to battle the almost never ending pain of his fight, it also took its toll on the rest of the family. There were always fundraisers and benefits to try to alleviate some of the weight on the family's shoulders. But one of the best acts of kindness done for this family wasn't some organized event that received a lot of attention; it was the action of a young girl with a heart of gold who would receive no glory from it except for the satisfaction of knowing she impacted the lives of others. For her 11th birthday, she didn't create a list of presents she wanted, she instead asked for money as a substitute. With all the birthday money she collected -- which she could have wasted on materialistic objects for herself -- she decided to give the money to the family to help pay for this little boy's treatment. As a little girl, I knew the excitement and bliss that comes from unwrapping gifts on your birthday, so witnessing another little girl sacrificing this experience to give a meaningful, sentimental gift to this family, was one of the most inspiring moments.