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'The Church: Into the Future'
June 21, 2011 in General, News
"The Church: Into the Future" was the theme chosen by Irish Jesuit Provincial Tom Layden, for the Province Assembly held in Gonzaga College, Saturday 11 June. Over 180 Jesuits, colleagues and co-workers heard the Provincial urge them to be honest about the state the Church finds itself in today, so that they might carve out a new vision of Church for the future. By doing so "we can make our contribution as one part of the Church in Ireland," he said. Bruce Bradley SJ gave a potted history of the Irish Jesuit Province to mark its 150th anniversary, and theologian Jim Corkery spoke about an alternative vision of Church. Lively plenary and group sessions followed. A photostory of the highlights of the 'Broken Faith' conference was shown, along with a compilation of photos from AMDG Express. Photos of the day can be seen here (more to follow). Read the Provincial's address below.
THE CHURCH INTO THE FUTURE
Province Assembly Address, 11 June 2011
'The Church into the Future' is the theme I have chosen for this Province Assembly of 2011. Why this theme?
Well, the Province is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and although it's a somewhat technical anniversary it is nonetheless important that we mark it. However, I want us not just to mark it, but in true Ignatian spirit to do an 'examen' on it. That means we reflect on and give attention to the presence of God in the last 150 years of our history. We give thanks for that presence and the work it engendered; we ask for mercy and healing for where we have gone wrong; and we ask for the light of the Spirit to guide us into the future.
Let me draw your attention to three significant events of recent times that might help to set the context for my chosen theme.
Firstly, the visit of Queen Elizabeth II was an important and uplifting moment for the people of Ireland. Bowing her head in the Garden of Remembrance in honour of those who died fighting for Irish freedom was a powerful symbol of how it is possible to come to terms with the past and move on in maturity and freedom. It was a moment of hope, marking real change.
Secondly, the dramatic shifts in the economic realities of Irish life over the past twenty years have left us reeling. The unprecedented financial growth of the nineties into the new millennium gave rise to a wealthier, more self-confident Ireland, a new Ireland of changed complexion, with immigrants from many parts of the world.
But the subsequent economic collapse of recent years has robbed many people of their livelihoods, forcing our young people onto the emigrant trail once again. The revelations of dubious ethics and lax governance in our financial institutions, along with low morals in high places, have left many people angry or disillusioned about the future.
And lastly, in our own Church we have had to face the scandal of the child sexual abuse crisis. We think of those who were hurt, abused and betrayed; those who were treated so unjustly in the way their cases were handled or indeed mishandled. We cannot forget them and we know that their story points us to a wider and deeper problem because cases involving clergy and religious have impacted on our very sense of 'Church'.
There was a time when the Church was seen as a sanctuary, as a place where people, especially children, would be safe. Now that 'sanctuary' is seen by many as a place where our most vulnerable were at risk. How can the Church be renewed, how can it become a sanctuary again?
Many of you attended the Broken Faith conference which took place in the Milltown Institute, in April. In the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports, people from various disciplines came together to explore how we might respond to what was revealed in those reports, how we might re-vision the Church in Ireland, the Church in the world.
We are the Church – or part of it, certainly. For the Church is the community of the baptised. We want to play our part in serving the Irish Church at this moment in its history.
And by 'we' I mean the Jesuits of Ireland, our co-workers, those of you who work with us or for us, you who direct our works or are members of our boards. And I ask: is there any specific contribution we can make, coming out of our Ignatian tradition?
That tradition emphasises honesty. In the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius we are required to be honest with the Lord in our prayer and honest with the Spiritual Director as we report the movements of the Spirit in our lives.
Our tradition asks that we pay attention to our affective state, noting how we feel about issues that emerge for us, asking "Am I sad, angry, fearful?"
It is a tradition of respect for 'the other' requiring in particular, that we always put the best possible interpretation on their words or actions. So we allow for difference and accept that everyone does not have to be the same.
Examining the past and present in that stance of honesty, attentiveness and respect orients us to the future. We ask, "Where is the Spirit leading us?" And believing that God speaks to us through our desires, we ask, "Where do we want to go, where do we not want to go?" And it is always 'we' not I. For we are not alone. We have each other. And we have the three divine persons accompanying us.
In the Spirtitual Exercises we speak of 'sentire cum ecclesia', a concept that is sometimes translated as 'thinking with the Church'. I prefer the notion of 'feeling' with the church; feeling with the whole body of Church, the community of Christ's disciples. And that is what we can do here today. I invite all of us, including myself, perhaps especially myself, to take the plunge, trusting that the Spirit is at work with us in the process that unfolds.
Let us risk being honest. Let us each allow 'the others' to be themselves. Never denying that there is a real crisis, never forgetting the pain of the victims – those abused, not believed or falsely accused – let us trust that God's Spirit is at work. That spirit can enable us to bring about real change as we bear witness to God's love by proclaiming our faith, working for justice and seeking for dialogue with women and men of goodwill.
If St Ignatius were in our situation today, what would he do? I believe he would begin with a question: "What ought I do for Christ in this situation of brokenness?" And so each of us here today can ask a similar question of ourselves: "What can I do for Christ in this situation of brokenness, in my apostolate, my community or where I live and work?"
Throughout today I will be listening. I have set up a Church advisory group with whom I can consult and I will bring your sharings and reflections to our next meeting in September. The group members are Alan McGuckian (Chair), Mary Curtin, Jim Corkery, Sue Mulligan, Gerry O'Hanlon, Danny McNelis and myself. Socius, Noel Barber, is secretary.
Also in the course of next year's visitations, I shall be talking with you in your works and communities. I will be continuing with you the conversation which begins today. We can explore together how things are going for us as we ponder the question Ignatius would ask: "What Christ would have us do, and so what might we do at this difficult moment in the life of the faith-community?"
I don't want to add extra work on to busy people, so I will include it in the visitation agenda and have it as a focus there. We are all affected by this situation. It's in the air we breathe. There's no getting away from it. We want to make our contribution as one part of the Church in Ireland.
Studies: 'How to reform Ireland'
This Sporting Life
'Hope in Turbulent Times'
Galway rows
The Boy From Eccles Street who dared to be different
Pioneering and the community
Father Adolfo meets the press
With refugees in Goma, Congo


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Ilkin is conducting research in the field of mediatization - a metaprocess through which different types of media emerge; are culturally established and become integral part of everyday life. Ilkin's main interest is in the intersection of mediatization theory with the practices of increased global surveillance. Especially of interest is how this pervasive surveillance, fueled by the increasing reliance on online communication channels and networked digital media devices, is affecting the practices of activism. The scrutiny of these relations becomes even more important within the context of semi-authoritarian countries. By focusing on certain activist cases from Turkey and Azerbaijan, Ilkin's dissertation aims to disentangle the web of complicated relations, built by state agencies in collaboration with private infotainment and telecommunications companies.
Born in 1979 in Azerbaijan, then part of USSR, Ilkin Mehrabov obtained his M.S. degree from METU (Middle East Technical University), Ankara, Turkey, Media & Cultural Studies program in January 2010. Previously he has obtained his B.S. degree from METU Electrical & Electronics Engineering department with the specialization in Control.
His other research interests and publications focus on alternative, radical and activist media; citizen journalism; and social impacts of ICTs.
Research: I am conducting research in the field of mediatization - a meta-process through which different types of media emerge; are culturally established and become integral part of everyday life. My main interest is in the intersection of mediatization theory with the practices of increased global surveillance. Especially of interest is how this pervasive surveillance, fueled by the increasing reliance on online communication channels and networked digital media devices, is affecting the practices of activism. The scrutiny of these relations becomes even more important within the context of semi-authoritarian countries. By focusing on certain activist cases from Turkey and Azerbaijan, my dissertation aims to disentangle the web of complicated relations, built by state agencies in collaboration with private infotainment and telecommunications companies.
Biography: Born in 1979 in Azerbaijan, then part of USSR, Ilkin Mehrabov obtained his M.S. degree from METU (Middle East Technical University), Ankara, Turkey, Media & Cultural Studies program in January 2010. Previously he has obtained his B.S. degree from METU Electrical & Electronics Engineering department with the specialization in Control. Ilkin's research interests and publications focus on alternative, radical and activist media; citizen journalism; and social impacts of ICTs.
Corporate Social Media - A Surveilled Public Sphere?


Santiago would allegedly immediately take a photo of the stolen item with his cell phone, post it for sale online and often sell it by the time his shift ended.
Conclusion The use of phase-appropriate CMC development strategies maximizes the limited resources available to small pharma. Drought relief programmes in Botswana have been essentially short-term operations and programmes, with action taken immediately after a drought. All our quantitative surveys are conducted by our in-house survey platform, staffed by our specialized team of surveyors.
The water rights were issued in perpetuity as long as they were being used beneficially. In relation to these major issues, the RSAP aims to harmonize policy, legislation and management of water sources in general and transboundary water sources in particular in the region. Movements to unseal adoption records for adopted citizens proliferated along with increased acceptance of illegitimacy.
It is unclear, though, what differentiates adoptees who search from those who do not. In the long term, as water does not recognize political boundaries whether national or international, its management will be carried out in regional or catchment water management areas.
The riparian system of allocation, in which the right to use water is tied to the ownership of land along rivers, will effectively be abolished. Review your vision, mission, and objectives to keep you on the right track It is helpful to review your mission, vision, and objectives to ensure that your strategies are all aligned with the goals expressed in your previous work.
Identifying patients who may be low in health literacy is not always easy in a clinical setting. Yet, despite the remarkable achievements in recent decades, millions of people worldwide have been excluded from the benefits of socioeconomic development and the scientific advances that have improved health care and quality of life.
As a result of these factors, small organizations often fail to take advantage of phase-appropriate CMC development strategies that can reduce costs while building asset value.
For most, thoughts were both negative and positive in that they produced both feelings of sadness and joy. For example, connecting youth with caring adults might be good for virtually all youth, regardless of income or past experience with the problem.
The government programme for had as its main objective the reconstruction of the national social and economic structure. Small pharma as well as CDMOs are not of a single character. Taking full advantage of these meetings, especially a dedicated CMC End of Phase 2 meeting and a pre-NDA meeting, is one key to an efficient development strategy.
Will tensions arise if this is the case? InEngland and Wales opened records on moral grounds. As such, no special structures need be created in the event of a drought. These were used to help develop strategies to reduce the risk of teen pregnancy. Review identify the targets and agents of change for your initiative Your targets of change include all of the people who experience or are at risk for this issue or problem addressed by your initiative.
The establishment of the SADC-WSCU and development of the Shared Watercourse Systems Protocol represent important strides towards realizing the importance of water in the region in achieving the strategic and development objective of the SADC of poverty alleviation, food security and industrial development.
The policy states that these activities should be integrated with other developmental programmes and projects and that they should form an integral part of all district- provincial- and national-level development policy and planning processes. Equivalent structures are to be established in each metropolitan and district municipality.
A strategy is a way of describing how you are going to get things done. Use a generic HPLC method e. Since its first publication inthe story of the orphaned Anne, and how the Cuthberts took her in, has been widely popular in the English-speaking world and, later, Japan.
Good strategies attract allies and deter opponents. One of the most difficult challenges healthcare providers may need to overcome when speaking with persons having low health literacy is gaining their trust. We'll walk through the process of developing strategies with this group so as to better explain the who, what, and why of strategies.
Over time, increasing emphasis has been placed on the demand side of the food security issue, focusing on household economies and vulnerable groups. Most SADC countries are developing explicit legal frameworks for drought management, treating drought as a recurrent phenomenon that should be included in the normal planning process of development.
In addition to the distal socio-environmental factors, the model emphasizes the role of intermediate, modifiable risk behaviours, i. The airport was shut when flood waters ran over its runways.
To help meet these goals, you might post some "ground rules" so people feel free to express themselves. Therefore, its objectives are to improve food security at both household and national levels by giving top priority to production systems and programmes that are sustainable, efficient in resources and environmentally compatible.
Although there are a range of possible reasons, the most recent study of experiences of women who adopt suggests they are most likely to be 40—44 years of age, currently married, have impaired fertility, and childless.
Alternatively, prospective adoptive parents sometimes avoid intermediaries and connect with women directly, often with a written contract; this is not permitted in some jurisdictions.
By identifying the behavior of passengers approaching the security stations and selecting those who appear to be low risk, the procedure allows more focus on potential higher-risk individuals and improves the security experience for all involved, including shortening lines through regular security.
The main activities of the hub include: Thus, this function is decentralized and removed from the administrative court, to which appeals may now be made under certain circumstances.Several organizations have adopted a particularly effective way to communicate corporate priorities to business and supports units.
They identify three to five strategic themes to describe the. About CODA Excellence. Relevance. Commitment. CODA Strategies is a specialized strategic and market analysis consultancy.
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It's often a mistake to set out to create a worldwide strategy. Better results come from strong regional strategies, brought together into a global whole.
Jun 30, · Put simply, strategy can be described as a given set or course of action(s) adopted by a person or an organization towards the achievement of specific, predetermined goals / outcomes.
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Each of these is explained in this article.
There are various levels of strategy in an organization - corporate level.


Eye-tracking technology can be used to determine what an individual looked at, how long and how often. Understanding what information someone did or did not see can paint a picture of their situational awareness. Eye tracking has been used in other industries, including aviation, but has not been heavily utilized in the drilling industry. A multidisciplinary team consisting of experts in petroleum engineering, systems engineering and psychology from the University of Oklahoma (OU) performed an eye-tracking experiment using a virtual reality drilling simulator to assess the situational awareness of participants. In this video from the 2018 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, on 7 March, Raj Kiran, a PhD candidate in petroleum engineering at OU, discusses this experiment and what the team learned. He also explains what the drilling industry can learn about situational awareness and decision making by using eye-tracking technology.


If the whole point of branding is to help your business stand out from the competition, why do so many startups choose logos that look the same as everyone else's?
There's a reason why something becomes cliché: it works. A tooth means dental, roofs mean real estate, human forms in a circle mean people helping each other and that's what non-profits do and so on… There's little chance that customers won't immediately understand what the company does.
I get that. But just knowing what your company does is not enough to tell your dream customers who you are and what they can expect from their experience working with you.
That is not to say that you shouldn't use literal devices in your logo design. Strong logos often employ safe and familiar symbols, only they give them an original twist.
That "original twist" is the ultimate creative challenge for a designer: "How can I take a literal concept and make it original so I can convey the spirit of this brand?" This is what we do, it's why working with a designer is different from buying a logo from an app or a stock art site.
Here's an example of a Mexican food-truck logo concept I created that uses a literal, generic approach… but with a twist.
The hot peppers are hardly original as symbols of Mexican food, and the colors are totally stereotypical because they're the colors of the Mexican flag—there's no mistaking what this is! But, the typography and hand-drawn stems give the mark humor and cheekiness. This is not an elevated or sophisticated food truck for high-brow foodies, this is a fun place to grab a burrito on your lunch break.
Because it's hand-drawn and the idea came from my brain, it's unique in the world (and trademarkable).
Great logos are innovative as well as relevant.
Maybe a little scary. Great branding usually feels a little uncomfortable (and SO EXCITING TOO!), because it means you're setting yourself apart from the safety and comfort of what everyone else is doing. Branding = setting yourself apart.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: a logo is not your brand. If anybody ever tells you otherwise, check to see if they're trying to sell you a mediocre logo design at a high price.
You can have a generic, clip-art logo and have a very successful brand. You can have a beautiful, award-winning logo and fail to win clients over. Your brand is largely defined by the experiences of your customer.
But a logo is a symbol of your brand and it sets expectations, especially when people don't know you. It embodies who you are and your promise to your customers. It can elevate, convey emotion, and give voice to what's unspoken.
Try getting out of your comfort zone and be a little daring—this is how you're going to stand out in a sea of sameness. If you're looking for an out-of-the-box brand identity system, shoot me an email and we can chat over coffee about how I can help.
I've been through the difficult process of re-branding my business and I can tell you, my problem wasn't my logo, it was that I wasn't clear about who I was, who I wanted to attract, and the work that's most valuable to my clients and fulfilling for me (personally and financially).
In my book, The Client Attraction Mindset, I share all of my "Aha!" moments, paradigm shifts, and exercises that helped me go from learning mode, research mode, "I'm scared shitless" mode to create a solid foundation for my brand. This mental clarity allowed me to turn my business around and attract clients I love again.
My own journey was the inspiration for completely revamping the process I use when helping my clients brand (or re-brand). Now I know it starts with clarity; then, creating a brand identity system that's in alignment with who you are and helps you get visible with the right people becomes much easier.


It starts with one village, then another, and then another; building sustainable communities with empowered women and girls, clean water, efficient health clinics, and thriving fruit and vegetable markets. Each village can in turn nurture healthy, independent and confident children — children who will someday go on to have healthy, independent and confident children of their own, who will ultimately lift their communities into prosperity.
While Rwanda has made significant progress since the 1994 genocide, unemployment and education remain key challenges. Rural poverty in Rwanda stands at 67%.
Women and youth face acute unemployment and limited livelihood opportunities due to low levels of education. An inability to afford the cost of school materials and uniforms cause many families to withdraw their children from school. Other children, particularly the older ones, are withdrawn from school to work, tend to household chores and raise the youngest children. The children that do go to school typically attend on an empty stomach, which makes it difficult for them to concentrate on their lessons or participate in activities, severely affecting their performance and ability to learn.
The lack of educational opportunities and the inability to meet economic needs are significant barriers to eliminating the poverty that denies children the very things we take for granted – clean water, adequate food, healthcare, and a bright future.
This project is in partnership with the Canadian International Developments Agency (CIDA). North Shore Realty's contributions to this project will be matched 3:1, increasing value and impact.
More than 19,805 children, youth, women, and men will directly benefit from these projects. A further 176,088 family members will indirectly benefit, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 195,893.
According to the Tanzania National Gender survey, about 60% of women in Tanzania live in absolute poverty and lack the necessary food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and their families. Struggling to provide for their families, they are especially vulnerable to economic shocks and disaster.
Improving economic household security is an utter priority for those living on the margins of survival, but access to credit, savings and loan services – particularly for women – is extremely limited, restricting people from engaging in meaningful economic activities and savings to fight their economic vulnerability. Further, youth who are unable to continue their formal education through secondary school and beyond, lack vocational and entrepreneurial skills and ultimately join the ranks of the unemployed – continuing the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Address economic security in Tanzania, specifically in the Dar Es Salaam, Kisarawe, Kibaha, and Ifakara Programme Units, by working with adult women and youth (ages 15 -24) to acquire the vocational skills they need to secure livelihood opportunities so they can support their families.
Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups and Input Marketing Associations (IMAs) will be formed and trained so women can access small loans and savings facilities to start businesses and manage household cash flow. Kits, containing items like a cash box and passbooks, will be provided to each group. To sustain and expand this effective model, representatives from groups who show exemplary results will be enlisted as trainers for new groups in other communities.
This project is in partnership with the Canadian International Developments Agency (CIDA). Our contributions to this project will be matched 3:1, stretching the value and impact of your philanthropic investment.
This project will benefit a total of 79,200 people. Direct beneficiaries include 11,000 women and youth, who will be provided with the vocational skills and financial services needed to improve their economic situation. A further 68,200 people will also benefit as entire families are lifted out of poverty and led on a path to self-sufficiency.
Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They face unique barriers to survival and development. But girls also have the power to change the world. It's proven that investing in girls is key to eliminating global poverty.
By focusing on education and economic security, this project will have a particular impact on girls and women.
Educated girls grow up healthier, marry later and raise fewer, healthier, and more educated children.
Women who succeed economically are more likely to spend earnings on medical care and education for their children; they also have a greater sense of self-worth, have increased confidence, and believe in their right to make decisions about their own lives.
Most importantly, girls and women who are educated and earn a living help raise the status of all girls and women and go on to improve the lives of those around them and become agents for change, leading their communities and nations on a path out of poverty.


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A-Data's microSD memory card uses SLC Flash memory to provide a higher data transmission speed, making it ideally suited for high-definition audiovisual display. With 3G (Third Generation Mobile Communications) beginning to take off and wireless transmission speeds rising steadily, the way that people use their mobile phones is being transformed. Applications such as video recording, photography, film viewing, MP3 music playing, games, personal diary management, e-mail and message recording, which in the past would have required the powerful multimedia capabilities of a laptop or desktop PC, are now available on a tiny mobile phone handset! The rapid evolution of the mobile phone has made it a vital tool for today's lifestyles.
The A-Data microSD memory card was designed with these trends in mind. The microSD is the world's smallest memory card; it is only half the size of a mobile phone SIM card. Motorola is already using the microSD for several of its MOTO handsets. By providing a riser card, A-Data has made the microSD compatible with any mobile phone handset that supports SD memory cards.
A-Data offers first-class after-sales service for the microSD card. All microSD cards come with a lifetime warranty; A-Data also provides a unique memory card data rescue service, ensuring that users of the microSD will not have to worry about losing important data or treasured photographs. A-Data adds that extra level of convenience to your hi-tech digital lifestyle!
With the increasing demand for portable digital devices, microSD is an extension of the Secure Digital card in an even smaller size. Bundled with a SD adapter, A-Data microSD cards are ideal for digital devices designed to use microSD or SD cards.


Here we are again on iPhone day, and once more the world waits on the edge of its seat to see what the fruitchomp masterminds of Cupertino have in store.
We'll tell you what they've got in store - and none of it's good. Without further ado, here are ten points you should ponder before you even think of buying a new iPhone 5.
Simon will still buy one!
We know him too well.
Just a hint of bias in that report!
Anyway, the iPhone 4S will be here first.


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HOME > RealityTVDB > Evelyn Cormier
Evelyn Cormier
Evelyn Cormier Photos
Evelyn Cormier and David Vazquez Zermeno
Season: 90 Day Fiance, Season 5
Current Status: Married
Evelyn was an 18-year-old from Claremont, NH and David was a 27-year-old from Granada, Spain when he arrived in America on a K-1 visa.. They both came from religious Christian families and were saving themselves for marriage.
The couple met after David saw the Facebook page for Evelyn's band, and he decided to send her a message.
Despite David's objections to living in a small town, they got married in Boston in October 2017 and currently reside in Claremont.
In 2018, Evelyn auditioned for Season 17 of American Idol, which premiered on ABC in March 2019.
"I auditioned for @americanidol Tune in to @abcnetwork on March 3rd to see what happened," she wrote in a December 15 posting on Instagram.
When American Idol determined its Season 17 Top 20 finalists in January, Evelyn was one of only nine girls to make the cut for the Top 20 group.
Evelyn also made the Idol season's Top 14 finalists, which were determined by the show's judges and filmed in March.
However, she was eliminated on the season's April 15 broadcast, which determined which Top 14 finalists would advance to the competition's Top 10.
In September 2019, Evelyn and David announced they were moving to Los Angeles for her music career.
"David and I have decided that we think it's best for both of us if we move to L.A., guys! My apartment here is empty," Evelyn said in an Instagram video announcing the move.
"Tomorrow morning, David is driving across country with all of our stuff in a car to Los Angeles, California. It's just the next step in my career. I think it's going to be really fun and I'm really excited about what's next," she continued.
"I'm going to be back and forth to the East Coast a few times, the next few months, because I have shows, but I am flying out to L.A. to live there this Saturday! So that's my big news!"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Directors of adult social services have joined voices with individuals and organisations in regretting the closure of the Social Care Association which was announced recently.

according" to Sarah Pickup, President of ADASS, "The SCA, and its forerunner, the Residential Care Association, has played a significant role over the past 60 years and more in promoting, defending, and applying all that is best about social work and social care in both the home care, and in care home, settings.
Macmillan Cancer Support and the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) have come together, for the first time, to encourage and support people caring for people with cancer in line with the Macmillan vision for cancer survivorship.
Directors of adult social services have welcomed Four Season's 'mature and transparent' attitude towards working to show the public the financial stability of care businesses.
Directors of adult social services have acknowledged the strength of todays Equality Commission* report into the care of people in their own homes. But emphasise that the report shouldnt be allowed to cast too deep a shadow over all enterprises looking after vulnerable people at home.
ADASS President Peter Hay has made an unprecedented offer to private care home owners to join him and other directors of adult social services in talks about fee levels paid by local councils.
Freedom from anxiety and the fear of undignified treatment. Freedom from financial insecurity in old age. Freedom from a lack of clarity about the social care system - three guarantees to older and vulnerable people offered today on behalf of adult social services by ADASS President Peter Hay.
Councils have taken significant and sufficient steps - such as mainstreaming, re-engineering services, identifying new suppliers, and staff training and development - to achieve their target of providing universal personal budgets by 2013, according to a survey conducted by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
On the eve of the annual social care conference - held in London this year - and as the Health and Social Care Bill concludes its Parliamentary stages, Lord Norman Warner has written a pungent article in ADASS Futures** reminding Parliamentarians of what he believes is a simple truth about adult social care.
"Ensuring that dignity is the watchword for professional staff in their dealings with older people, either in care or in hospital, is far, far too important to be left to chance: it must be deeply and systematically embedded in the training, practice and thinking of everyone who works in these institutions."
Directors of adult social services have welcomed Government's determination to proceed with the wide-ranging consultation promised following publication of the Dilnot Commission report on the funding of adult social care, and the Law Commission's analysis of adult social care law.
Embargo: ImmediateToday sees the launch of Phase 1 of a comprehensive guide to changes in Southern Cross home ownership in England, compiled, constructed and presented by the senior local government managers responsible for the overall care and protection of vulnerable older people.
Directors of adult social services have committed themselves to working closely with the Care Quality Commission, the health service, and all other relevant agencies to help ensure that the treatment of residents with learning disabilities or mental health issues is never again allowed to fall to the 'dreadfully low standards' recorded by the BBCs Panorama programme at Winterbourne View earlier this year.
Seven key ingredients to good practice surrounding cases where carers abuse the adults they care for, or are in turn abused by them, have been published today by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. Their report* highlights seven key messages that need to be taken on board by people using the Associations review of safeguarding and caring, and how carers leads and safeguarding leads can work better and more closely together.
Directors of adult social services have welcomed 'without reservation' today's report of the Commission led by Andrew Dilnot into the funding of adult social care in England. According to ADASS President Peter Hay, the report "signals what will become the moment when adult social care was put on a footing to become fit for purpose in the twenty first century.
ADASS welcomes the commitment from the Landlords Committee of the Southern Cross care homes outlined in their press release.
The following quote is from the Landlord's Committee press release, The Landlords' Committee's priority remains ensuring continuity of care for Southern Cross's residents. The Committee continues to work with Southern Cross to achieve a consensual solution to the Group's current difficulties."
Directors of adult services have welcomed todays report from the Audit Commission* as being 'valuable corroboration of trends that have already emerged from their Associations own research.
According to ADASS Vice President Sarah Pickup, this new material is entirely coherent with our own survey conducted in March this year which showed that around 70 per cent of the £1 billion savings social care departments plan to make in the current year will come from increased efficiencies and developing new ways of meeting people's needs.
The proposed core duties as set out in todays Law Commission report on adult social care provide a framework within which the government's vision for adult social care, and the sector's aspiration set out in Think Local, Act Personal, can be delivered, according to directors of adult social services.
There is a crucial need for a sustainable solution to issues concerning the funding of social care for individuals in the greatest need, according to directors of adult social services. Their warning follows a new survey of English local authority adult care budgets, conducted by ADASS, showing that councils intend to reduce spending on adult social care by £1 billion in the coming year.
Directors of Children's and Directors of Adult Social Services have welcomed the Governments intention to return to local authorities a leading role in improving, promoting and protecting the health of their communities. But it seeks further clarification of the means by which local government will be resourced to enable councils to meet Government expectations.
A wide range of factors adversely influence services for people with dementia and can act as barriers both to maximising their care and to providing cost-efficient services, according to Directors of Adult Social Services.
A new National Lead for adult offenders has been set up by the Association of Directors of Adult Social services in order to help inform the social care of one of the most vulnerable and little-regarded groups in our society.
Richard Webb, Executive Director of Communities at Sheffield City Council, will take up post as the new Honorary Secretary for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) at the Association's AGM in April.
Date: Tuesday 25th January 2011 Embargo: Immediate A report published today by the Alzheimers Society has been welcomed by directors of adult social services, bringing to the fore as it does the difficulties faced by many thousands of people with dementia, many self-funders and others funded by local authorities, who are receiving for whatever reason unsatisfactory care services.
In a joint statement issued today, the two Associations said Both ADASS and ADCS have always supported the formation of The College of Social Work and we will continue to do so.
Local government "at the heart of the health and wellbeing agenda"
Embargo: ImmediateAdult Social Services Directors have welcomed proposed extra responsibilities local authorities will have in relation to the new NHS emerging from the Health and Social Care Bill published this week. In particular they have welcomed the decision to put the new Health and Wellbeing Boards onto a statutory basis.
New research, commissioned on behalf of councils, has highlighted the growing significance of people paying for their own care and support (self-funders) and underlined the importance of people getting the right information and advice when it comes to understanding and considering their options.
The two linked reports from the Institute for Public Policy at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags">OxfordBrookesUniversity and Melanie Henwood Associates suggest that people who pay for their own care are not guaranteed greater choice and control unless they are properly advised, but it is also clear that many people do not wish to approach councils to get that advice. Therefore, comprehensive and consistent information about care and support options available to people needs to be provided in different formats and from different organisations.
The report also highlights that people who currently pay for their own care face the prospect of seeking state-funded support if their money runs out because they outlive their savings, the cost of care increases or the value of their investments or assets decrease.
An estimated 170,000 older people currently pay for residential care inEngland. The privately-funded care home market for older people inEngland is estimated to be worth almost £5 billion, while the home care market is worth £652 million.
The research was commissioned by the Putting People First consortium and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) as a way of demonstrating the challenges faced by the sector as they work to transform adult social care for all people, including those who fund themselves.
Councils will welcome this fresh perspective and acknowledge that a wider approach needs to be taken in helping people make decisions about their support. At a time of more restricted public finance this is a timely reminder for them and their local partners of the need to provide the right sort of information for all sections of their local community, possibly through third party or independent organisations. This must include help for older people to manage their money better. The Putting People First Consortium is continuing to explore avenues for better nationally available information and to offer support around local delivery arrangements.
The new cross-sector partnership agreement Think Local, Act Personal reinforces the need for local leaders to ensure that everyone in their area can have access to good public information, including assured financial advice and advice on how to choose services. This research shows that commitment is needed to act on giving the right information and advice.
· Estimating the number and distribution of self-funders of care inEngland - a quantitative study from theInstitute ofPublic Care atOxfordBrookesUniversity; and Journeys without maps: The decisions and destinations of people who self-fund - a qualitative study from Melanie Henwood Associates are available from www.puttingpeoplefirst.org.uk. The reports estimate the numbers of older people who pay for registered social care; explore future trends in self-funding; tracks peoples journeys through care and explores the how, why and consequences of decisions people make.
www.scie.org.uk or call Steve Palmer, Press and Public Affairs Manager, tel 020 7089 7117 or 07739 458 192.
Embargo: ImmediateIn response to a newspaper story concerning delayed transfers of older people from hospital into the community, ADASS President Richard Jones said today: There is no single explanation for why transfers of older people from hospital to home or residential care are delayed. As a spokeswoman for the Nuffield Trust has confirmed, they can often be caused by insufficiently robust NHS point-of-exit arrangements as well as local authority delays. And sometimes the passage of patients from one hospital department or ward to another is not as efficient as it ought to be.
Directors of Adult Social Services have emphasised the importance of the £162 million in-year transfer of NHS money to local authorities announced today by the Secretary of State for Health. According to ADASS President Richard Jones, the money will go a long way towards helping us make sure that people going home from hospital are supported in ways that promote their independence and underline the importance of integrated working and the contribution social care makes to keeping people at home and preventing them needing health services."


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PHPExcel classes

                                    API Documentation

Packages

 Default

 JAMA

 JAMA
Cholesky decomposition class
For a symmetric, positive definite matrix A, the Cholesky decomposition
is an lower triangular matrix L so that A = L*L'

 JAMA
Class to obtain eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a real matrix

 JAMA
Error handling

 JAMA
For an m-by-n matrix A with m >= n, the LU decomposition is an m-by-n
unit lower triangular matrix L, an n-by-n upper triangular matrix U,
and a permutation vector piv of length m so that A(piv,:) = L*U

 JAMA
For an m-by-n matrix A with m >= n, the QR decomposition is an m-by-n
orthogonal matrix Q and an n-by-n upper triangular matrix R so that
A = Q*R

 JAMA
For an m-by-n matrix A with m >= n, the singular value decomposition is
an m-by-n orthogonal matrix U, an n-by-n diagonal matrix S, and
an n-by-n orthogonal matrix V so that A = U*S*V'

 JAMA
Pythagorean Theorem:
a = 3
b = 4
r = sqrt(square(a) + square(b))
r = 5
r = sqrt(a^2 + b^2) without under/overflow

 PHPExcel

                                    Charts

 Class hierarchy diagram

                                    Reports

 Errors
                519

 Markers

todo
                19

fixme
                10

 Deprecated elements
                12

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 Methods

The class constructor
__construct()

Advance to the next valid token.
_advance()

pack() row and column into the required 3 or 4 byte format.
_cellToPackedRowcol()

Convert an Excel cell reference such as A1 or $B2 or C$3 or $D$4 to a zero
indexed row and column number.
_cellToRowcol()

It parses a condition.
_condition()

Convert a token to the proper ptg value.
_convert()

Convert an error code to a ptgErr
_convertError()

Convert a function to a ptgFunc or ptgFuncVarV depending on the number of
args that it takes.
_convertFunction()

Convert a number token to ptgInt or ptgNum
_convertNumber()

Convert an Excel range such as A1:D4 to a ptgRefV.
_convertRange2d()

Convert an Excel 3d range such as "Sheet1!A1:D4" or "Sheet1:Sheet2!A1:D4" to
a ptgArea3d.
_convertRange3d()

Convert an Excel reference such as A1, $B2, C$3 or $D$4 to a ptgRefV.
_convertRef2d()

Convert an Excel 3d reference such as "Sheet1!A1" or "Sheet1:Sheet2!A1" to a
ptgRef3d.
_convertRef3d()

Convert a string token to ptgStr
_convertString()

Creates a tree.
_createTree()

It parses a expression.
_expression()

It parses a factor.
_fact()

It parses a function call.
_func()

Look up the REF index that corresponds to an external sheet name
(or range).
_getRefIndex()

Look up the index that corresponds to an external sheet name.
_getSheetIndex()

Initialize the ptg and function hashes.
_initializeHashes()

Checks if it's a valid token.
_match()

Convert the sheet name part of an external reference, for example "Sheet1" or
"Sheet1:Sheet2", to a packed structure.
_packExtRef()

This function just introduces a ptgParen element in the tree, so that Excel
doesn't get confused when working with a parenthesized formula afterwards.
_parenthesizedExpression()

pack() row range into the required 3 or 4 byte format.
_rangeToPackedRange()

It parses a term.
_term()

The parsing method.
parse()

This method is used to update the array of sheet names.
setExtSheet()

Builds a string containing the tree in reverse polish notation (What you
would use in a HP calculator stack).
toReversePolish()

 Properties

$_current_char

$_current_token

$_ext_sheets

$_formula

$_lookahead

$_parse_tree

$_references

 Constants

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_QUOTED
REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_QUOTED

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_UNQUOTED
REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_UNQUOTED

\

global

\PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser

PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser

category
PHPExcel

package
PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5

copyright
Copyright (c) 2006 - 2013 PHPExcel (http://www.codeplex.com/PHPExcel)

 Methods

The class constructor

__construct()

Advance to the next valid token.

_advance()

access
private

pack() row and column into the required 3 or 4 byte format.

_cellToPackedRowcol(string $cell) : array

access
private

Parameters

$cell

string
The Excel cell reference to be packed

Returns

arrayArray containing the row and column in packed() format

Convert an Excel cell reference such as A1 or $B2 or C$3 or $D$4 to a zero
indexed row and column number.

_cellToRowcol(string $cell) : array

Also returns two (0,1) values to indicate
whether the row or column are relative references.

access
private

Parameters

$cell

string
The Excel cell reference in A1 format.

Returns

array

It parses a condition.

_condition() : mixed

It assumes the following rule:
Cond -> Expr [(">" | "<") Expr]

access
private

Returns

mixedThe parsed ptg'd tree on success

Convert a token to the proper ptg value.

_convert(mixed $token) : mixed

access
private

Parameters

$token

mixed
The token to convert.

Returns

mixedthe converted token on success

Convert an error code to a ptgErr

_convertError(string $errorCode) : string

access
private

Parameters

$errorCode

string
The error code for conversion to its ptg value

Returns

stringThe error code ptgErr

Convert a function to a ptgFunc or ptgFuncVarV depending on the number of
args that it takes.

_convertFunction(string $token, integer $num_args) : string

access
private

Parameters

$token

string
The name of the function for convertion to ptg value.

$num_args

integer
The number of arguments the function receives.

Returns

stringThe packed ptg for the function

Convert a number token to ptgInt or ptgNum

_convertNumber(mixed $num)

access
private

Parameters

$num

mixed
an integer or double for conversion to its ptg value

Convert an Excel range such as A1:D4 to a ptgRefV.

_convertRange2d(string $range, int $class)

access
private

Parameters

$range

string
An Excel range in the A1:A2

$class

int

Convert an Excel 3d range such as "Sheet1!A1:D4" or "Sheet1:Sheet2!A1:D4" to
a ptgArea3d.

_convertRange3d(string $token) : mixed

access
private

Parameters

$token

string
An Excel range in the Sheet1!A1:A2 format.

Returns

mixedThe packed ptgArea3d token on success.

Convert an Excel reference such as A1, $B2, C$3 or $D$4 to a ptgRefV.

_convertRef2d(string $cell) : string

access
private

Parameters

$cell

string
An Excel cell reference

Returns

stringThe cell in packed() format with the corresponding ptg

Convert an Excel 3d reference such as "Sheet1!A1" or "Sheet1:Sheet2!A1" to a
ptgRef3d.

_convertRef3d(string $cell) : mixed

access
private

Parameters

$cell

string
An Excel cell reference

Returns

mixedThe packed ptgRef3d token on success.

Convert a string token to ptgStr

_convertString(string $string) : mixed

access
private

Parameters

$string

string
A string for conversion to its ptg value.

Returns

mixedthe converted token on success

Creates a tree.

_createTree(mixed $value, mixed $left, mixed $right) : array

In fact an array which may have one or two arrays (sub-trees)
as elements.

access
private

Parameters

$value

mixed
The value of this node.

$left

mixed
The left array (sub-tree) or a final node.

$right

mixed
The right array (sub-tree) or a final node.

Returns

arrayA tree

It parses a expression.

_expression() : mixed

It assumes the following rule:
Expr -> Term [("+" | "-") Term]
     -> "string"
     -> "-" Term : Negative value
     -> "+" Term : Positive value
     -> Error code

access
private

Returns

mixedThe parsed ptg'd tree on success

It parses a factor.

_fact() : mixed

It assumes the following rule:
Fact -> ( Expr )
      | CellRef
      | CellRange
      | Number
      | Function

access
private

Returns

mixedThe parsed ptg'd tree on success

It parses a function call.

_func() : mixed

It assumes the following rule:
Func -> ( Expr [,Expr]* )

access
private

Returns

mixedThe parsed ptg'd tree on success

Look up the REF index that corresponds to an external sheet name
(or range).

_getRefIndex(string $ext_ref) : mixed

If it doesn't exist yet add it to the workbook's references
array. It assumes all sheet names given must exist.

access
private

Parameters

$ext_ref

string
The name of the external reference

Returns

mixedThe reference index in packed() format on success

Look up the index that corresponds to an external sheet name.

_getSheetIndex(string $sheet_name) : integer

The hash of
sheet names is updated by the addworksheet() method of the
PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Workbook class.

access
private

Parameters

$sheet_name

string
Sheet name

Returns

integerThe sheet index, -1 if the sheet was not found

Initialize the ptg and function hashes.

_initializeHashes()

access
private

Checks if it's a valid token.

_match(mixed $token) : mixed

access
private

Parameters

$token

mixed
The token to check.

Returns

mixedThe checked token or false on failure

Convert the sheet name part of an external reference, for example "Sheet1" or
"Sheet1:Sheet2", to a packed structure.

_packExtRef(string $ext_ref) : string

access
private

Parameters

$ext_ref

string
The name of the external reference

Returns

stringThe reference index in packed() format

This function just introduces a ptgParen element in the tree, so that Excel
doesn't get confused when working with a parenthesized formula afterwards.

_parenthesizedExpression() : array

access
private

see
\_fact()

Returns

arrayThe parsed ptg'd tree

pack() row range into the required 3 or 4 byte format.

_rangeToPackedRange(string $range) : array

Just using maximum col/rows, which is probably not the correct solution

access
private

Parameters

$range

string
The Excel range to be packed

Returns

arrayArray containing (row1,col1,row2,col2) in packed() format

It parses a term.

_term() : mixed

It assumes the following rule:
Term -> Fact [("*" | "/") Fact]

access
private

Returns

mixedThe parsed ptg'd tree on success

The parsing method.

parse(string $formula) : mixed

It parses a formula.

access
public

Parameters

$formula

string
The formula to parse, without the initial equal
                       sign (=).

Returns

mixedtrue on success

This method is used to update the array of sheet names.

setExtSheet(string $name, integer $index)

It is
called by the addWorksheet() method of the
PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Workbook class.

access
public

see
\PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Workbook::addWorksheet()

Parameters

$name

string
The name of the worksheet being added

$index

integer
The index of the worksheet being added

Builds a string containing the tree in reverse polish notation (What you
would use in a HP calculator stack).

toReversePolish(array $tree) : string

The following tree:

+
  / \
 2   3

produces: "23+"

The following tree:

+
  / \
 3   *
    / \
   6   A1

produces: "36A1*+"

In fact all operands, functions, references, etc... are written as ptg's

access
public

Parameters

$tree

array
The optional tree to convert.

Returns

stringThe tree in reverse polish notation

 Properties

$_current_char : integer

$_current_token : string

$_ext_sheets : array

$_formula : string

$_lookahead : string

$_parse_tree : string

$_references : array

 Constants

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_QUOTED

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_QUOTED

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_UNQUOTED

REGEX_SHEET_TITLE_UNQUOTED

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            generated on 2013-06-02T15:42:53+01:00.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I believe that dentistry is more than just a profession. Dentistry is a gift. I worked hard to get accepted into dental school, but I know that I owe a lot of my accomplishments to certain talents, skill sets, and constant support from friends and family. I would not be able to get through dental school without the mental capacity or artistic ability to do so, and I most importantly would not be where I am today without the dedication of my parents. My passion for dentistry revolves around caring for others just as much as others have cared for me, and using my gifts to continue to give to everyone else.
While in dental school, it takes a conscious effort to maintain perspective amidst the never-ending stressors. At UNC, classes and clinics keep us busy, but we are also provided many opportunities to give back to our community—both locally and globally. As a member of the UNC Philippines Project, I will be traveling to the island of Bohol with three amazing dental school classmates and an attending dentist from North Carolina. We all share the common view that being a good dentist involves more than excellent hand skills and scientific knowledge, but a genuine compassion for helping others. Over the span of two weeks, we will travel throughout local schools in Jagna, Bohol to promote sustainable oral health education and to provide dental care to thousands of underprivileged school children and their teachers. All of our supplies and efforts will be made possible through donations and funds that we have raised.
We are extremely excited to be spending our summer together in the Philippines and to be fully immersed in a culture that allows us to see the beauty of diversity in dentistry and to build lasting relationships with the people we meet. We aim to use this opportunity to grow as future healthcare providers and to make a solid investment in improving global public health. Although we will only be in the Philippines for two weeks, we hope to leave with the knowledge that we have made a measurable impact in the lives of the local people, and with the tools to continue our work even after we return to Chapel Hill.


text:
Grain Media is a British film, television and commercials production company in South London, established in 2006 by Jon Drever and Orlando von Einsiedel.

In 2020 the company's short film Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short and the BAFTA for Best Short Film. In 2017 the company's short film The White Helmets won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

The feature-length documentary Virunga was nominated for Best Documentary at both BAFTA 2015 and the 87th Academy Awards.

Productions
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (2019), short documentary
Lost and Found (2020), short documentary
Seahorse (2019), feature-length documentary
Evelyn (2018), feature-length documentary
Bruce Lee and the Outlaw (2018), feature-length documentary
The White Helmets (2016), short documentary
SuperBob (2015), feature film
Virunga (2014), feature-length documentary
We Ride (2013), feature-length documentary
Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul (2010), short documentary
India's Forbidden Love (2018), short documentary

References

Film production companies of the United Kingdom
Television production companies of the United Kingdom
Mass media companies established in 2006

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Can you feel that??? Energy is a feeling! How we vibrate is a sensation. A sense that the heart picks up on.
You can tell where your level of vibration is by sensing how your heart feels. If you feel tired, drained, stressed etc etc then the heart feels empty and it makes you feel small.....that's a low vibration! If you feel full of love, excitement and enthusiasm you can literally feel your heart expanding.....that's your vibration rising!
So it's simple really, the better you feel, the higher your vibration is rising!!!
See more of both my decks HERE.


text:
The Wright Way: How Villanova Won the 2018 National Championship
By Jordan Petersen
Versatile players and a free flowing offensive system helped the Villanova Wildcats capture the 2018 men's NCAA National Championship.
The story of the night was Donte DiVincenzo, who came off of the bench and sparked a huge run for Villanova, which continued to hit big shot after big shot throughout the game. Early on it was Michigan who built a lead, as Moe Wagner was able to get a few open looks from deep. The junior Wolverine also took advantage of the Wildcat pressure defense, blowing by his defender and getting to the rim before help arrived.
Defense is where Michigan excelled early on, as it was was able to turn Villanova over and force contested shots. Much of Michigan's defense relied on being able to contain Wildcats in a 1-on-1 situation without using much help. Enter in DiVincenzo. The redshirt sophomore and Big East Sixth Man of the Year was able to break down his defender, getting to the rim and knocking down deep threes off the dribble or in ball screen situations. Halfway through the second half, Michigan began to make a comeback and closed the lead to 12. DiVincenzo responded with back to back threes to extend the lead to 18, putting a huge dagger into Michigan's comeback chances. DiVincenzo was the catalyst to the Villanova victory, but there were many keys that helped carry the Wildcats to the National Championship for the second time in three seasons.
Offensive versatility (aka positionless basketball) is what Villanova is known for, and this was huge in earning the title. Jay Wright's Wildcats always have five players on the floor who can shoot and score at the basket. Villanova bigs can step out and knock down threes, and its guards and wings can all post up. This versatility and ability to knock down shots forced Michigan to stay locked into single coverages, allowing Villanova to go 1-on-1 in the post, out on the perimeter, or create an advantage off of a ball screen. Wright has been employing this system for years, and recruiting players to fit into it as well as developing the skills necessary to be successful playing in it. It's safe to say his teams have bought into it, as the Wildcats are tough to stop offensively.
On the flip side, Villanova's defensive versatility deserves much more credit that it gets. Throughout the night, the Wildcats switched everything 1-5 and didn't miss a beat. The switching caused Michigan to get out of rhythm at times, and it could not take advantage of mismatches. Wildcat point guard and National Player of the Year Jalen Brunson would be fronting Wagner at times, but Villanova always had weak side help to deter the lob pass.
Villanova EFG%- 56.14%
Michigan EFG%- 46.36%
Looking at the box score, one can see both teams shot a similar FG%, with Villanova at 47.4% and Michigan at 43.6%. However, looking at the EFG% (effective field goal percentage), the gap widens as you can see the impact three-point shooting played in the game.
Villanova ORB%- 36%
Michigan ORB%- 19%
Coaches always stress the importance of offensive and defensive rebounding, and last night it played a significant role in the game. Not only did Villanova shoot a higher percentage than Michigan, but it secured offensive rebounds at a higher rate as well. Just looking at the raw numbers, Villanova finished with 12 offensive rebounds as opposed to Michigan's six. Part of this can be attributed to Michigan running out of gas and struggling to keep up with the Wildcats' tempo.
Villanova Assists- 7
Michigan Assists- 6
Obviously, not a big disparity in the number of assists each team finished with, but an interesting stat for two teams that are known for ball and player movement. Villanova averages 16.4 apg while Michigan averages 14.3 apg. The number of assists were cut by more than half – a testament to both defenses and scouting report execution.
Most Outstanding Player – DiVincenzo
Donte DiVincenzo turned himself into a household name by taking over the National Championship game, scoring 31 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He was lights out from deep, finishing 5-7 from three when others on Villanova struggled to put up their typical numbers. Many of his threes came off of the dribble or from pick and roll situations. The "Michael Jordan of Delaware" was able to punish Michigan for not plugging the ball screen high enough. Not only did he do damage from distance, but he was able to penetrate the defense and finish at the rim. Using his athleticism and ball handling ability, he was able to get by his defender and finish in traffic and against help. Not only did he impress on the offensive end, but DiVincenzo's presence on defense was felt with two monster blocks coming from the weak side. Once DiVincenzo was feeling it, Villanova ran a variety of sets to get him in pick and roll situations and also take advantage of the defense trying to pressure him. Below are some of the sets Villanova used for DiVincenzo last night. Click on a play to add it to your FastDraw library.
Villanova – Triangle Pop
Villanova – Floppy Flat
Villanova – Lift Backdoor
While Villanova played excellent, Michigan ran its fair share of effective and creative offensive sets as well. Team FastModel member Tony Miller covered several of the Wolverines' plays and BLOBs, which you can check out on the PlayBank here.
Two of the sport's most respected programs and coaches took the court Monday evening in San Antonio. It was Villanova's night, but we were all winners for the opportunity to study the game's elite in action!
Read: The Numbers Behind Villanova's 2018 Tournament Dominance
View all Villanova, Michigan + other NCAA Tournament team sets on the FMS Playbank.
Jordan Petersen
Jordan Petersen is a former collegiate player and coach. He currently runs Positionless Basketball, which provides elite level basketball training and camps for youth players all the way to college and professional. It's mission is to provide student-athletes with a unique experience that develops players' minds and athletic performance.
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8 Easy Ways to Build Automatics Into Your Offense - August 23, 2019
Final Four Preview: Auburn Combine's Explosive Offense with Pressure Defense - April 3, 2019
April 2, 2018 – San Antonio, TEXAS, USA – The Villanova Wildcats celebrate after their NCAA Division I Men's National Championship Basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines held Monday April 2, 2018 at the Alamodome. Villanova Wildcats won 79-62. (Credit Image: © Edward A. Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News via ZUMA Wire)
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News — indigenous African language
Home / News / indigenous African language
Teen Woke Up From Coma Speaking Different Language
After being kicked in the head during a soccer game, Rueben Nsemoh stopped breathing several times. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was in a coma for days. When he woke, his parents said he spoke exclusively Spanish, which he never spoke fluently before. He did not speak any English for a couple of days. Ruben's story is one among many football players who have suffered from severe concussions. His story proves we know little about the impacts of concussions on the brain, and we should take the necessary precautions to prevent it. What do you think?
Tags: Black Teen, Coma, Eight Languages, indigenous African language, Spanish
Feature News: South Africa's Anthem Comprises Five Different Languages In The Same Song
It is not that there are five linguistic renditions of South Africa's national anthem even though there may as well be. But the legitimate anthem of the Rainbow Nation since 1997 is a five-language lyrical composition, making it the most unique anthem in the world in this regard.
The five different languages are Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.
Having that much linguistic diversity can only be for the purpose of tapping into the strength of differences. And it would seem that is exactly what the 12-member committee that oversaw the foundation of the anthem took into cognizance. Indeed, this vision was stated in the document that founded the committee and was authorized by Nelson Mandela.
The native Black populations of South Africa are different and many. The country has 11 official languages and nine of them are originally African. These differences are also a fact that the apartheid government tried its possible best to help it realize a white-dominated and separate nation.
South Africa's anthem is informally known by the Xhosa reference 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika which translates as Lord Bless Africa. That name is taken from a hymn authored in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Xhosa man who was a Methodist clergyman. However, that does not tell the whole story of the anthem.
The anthem is mainly a combination of two songs – 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem van Suid-Afrika – The Call of South Africa – the apartheid-era anthem composed in the 1930s. After 1994, both anthems were used by South Africa until 1997.
For a long time, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika stood as an anthem of defiance of white-minority rule and apartheid. It was adopted by the African National Congress (ANC) in 1912 and it has been associated with African nationalism in South Africa and southern Africa ever since. Apart from South Africa, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was in various forms, the anthem of Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with Tanzania still retaining a Swahili version.
When Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem van Suid-Afrika were married, a few other verses in other languages were introduced leaving South Africans with the following:
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (Xhosa)
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo (Xhosa)
Yizwa imithandazo yethu, (Zulu)
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho Iwayo. (Zulu)
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, (Sesotho)
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, (Sesotho)
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, (Sesotho)
Setjhaba sa, South Afrika, South Afrika. (Sesotho)
Uit die blou van onse hemel, (Afrikaans)
Uit die diepte van ons see, (Afrikaans)
Oor ons ewige gebergtes, (Afrikaans)
Waar die kranse antwoord gee, (Afrikaans)
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom
In South Africa our land.
Tags: Afrikaan, indigenous African language, National Anthem, South Africa
Feature News: Kenya's Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o acknowledged for writing in an indigenous African language
Kenya's Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is the first writer to be nominated for the International Booker Prize as both writer and translator of the same book. He is also the first-ever nominee for a work originally written in an indigenous African language.
In the award's 16-year history, Thiong'o has made history writing his epic novel, The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi, and translating it from the original Bantu language, Gikuyu, into English.
The book, which tells the origin story of the Gikuyu clan, is a blend of folklore and mythology about the first man and woman created according to Kenyan legend.
Judges described the novel-in-verse as "a magisterial and poetic tale about women's place in a society of gods," according to The Guardian.
It talks about nine sisters and their quest to find a magical cure for their youngest sibling, who cannot walk.
Thiong'o is known for writing several books and for his unending fight for recognition and use of indigenous languages. His writing career dates to the 1960s. He is the author of many award-winning novels, plays, short stories, and essays including the "Wizard of the Crow", "Weep Not, Child", and "The River Between".
For his work in literature, Thiong'o has been recognized all through his life with awards such as the Lotus Prize for Literature and National Book Critics Award, among others. He has also been conferred honorary degrees by different universities across the world.
One of his first plays "Ngaahika Ndeenda", a native Kenyan word for "I Will Marry When I Want", set in post-independence Kenya in 1977, was banned by the then Kenyan government because of its thought-provoking plot, which authorities saw as a threat to the status quo.
His recognition has come from a repressive past, where he was imprisoned for more than a year at Kamiti Maximum Prison. Thiong'o fled to the United States with his family in 1978 to seek asylum because the then-government considered his writings treasonous.
13 books were nominated for the Booker Prize this year from 12 countries and the books have been translated from 11 languages. The other African author to make the list is Senegalese-born David Diop, who was picked for his second novel, At Night All Blood is Black.
Diop's book follows the experiences of two Senegalese soldiers fighting in World War I for the French. The judges described it as "like nothing else in terms of tone and power, it is a blinding revelation, an incantatory work of kinship and terror."
Tags: Black Literature, indigenous African language, International Booker Prize, Kenya, LITERATURE


This goal of this proposal is to extend ongoing work on learning with structured output spaces in the support-vector-machine (SVM) framework. Such structured output spaces arise in problems where the prediction is not a univariate response (e.g. yes/no), but a structured object (e.g. a sequence, tree, or alignment). While recent work has uncovered how to discriminatively learn prediction rules for simple structures with limited interdependencies, research is needed to extend these methods to the complex structures needed for many applications (e.g. machine translation). This project aims to extend the structural SVM framework to such complex structures. Specifically, it focuses on the required gains in computational efficiency, broader classes of loss functions, and the use of unlabeled data to improve statistical efficiency.
[Joachims/etal/09a] T. Joachims, T. Finley, Chun-Nam Yu, Cutting-Plane Training of Structural SVMs, Machine Learning, 77(1):27-59, 2009.
[Joachims/etal/09b] T. Joachims, T. Hofmann, Yisong Yue, Chun-Nam Yu, Predicting Structured Objects with Support Vector Machines, Communications of the ACM, Research Highlight, 52(11):97-104, November, 2009 (with Technical Perspective by John Shawe-Taylor).
T. Joachims, Chun-Nam John Yu, Sparse Kernel SVMs via Cutting-Plane Training, European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML), Machine Learning Journal, Special ECML Issue, 76(2-3):179-193, 2009.
[Yu/Joachims/09a] Chun-Nam John Yu, T. Joachims, Learning Structural SVMs with Latent Variables, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2009.
[Yu/etal/08a] Chun-Nam John Yu, T. Joachims, R. Elber, J. Pillardy, Support Vector Training of Protein Alignment Models, Journal of Computational Biology, 15(7): 867-880, September 2008.
[Yu/Joachims/08b] Chun-Nam John Yu, T. Joachims, Training Structural SVMs with Kernels Using Sampled Cuts, Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD), ACM, 2008.
[Finley/Joachims/08a] T. Finley and T. Joachims, Training Structural SVMs when Exact Inference is Intractable, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2008.
[Yue/Joachims/08a] Yisong Yue and T. Joachims, Predicting Diverse Subsets Using Structural SVMs, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2008.
[Yue/etal/07a] Yisong Yue, T. Finley, F. Radlinski, T. Joachims, A Support Vector Method for Optimizing Average Precision, Proceedings of the Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval (SIGIR), 2007.
[Yu/etal/07a] Chun-Nam Yu, T. Joachims, R. Elber, J. Pillardy, Support Vector Training of Protein Alignment Models, Proceeding of the International Conference on Research in Computational Molecular Biology (RECOMB), 2007.
[Joachims/06a] T. Joachims, Training Linear SVMs in Linear Time, Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD), ACM, 2006.
[Yu/Joachims/06a] Chun-Nam Yu and T. Joachims, Training Protein Threading Models Using Structural SVMs, ICML Workshop on Learning in Structured Output Spaces, 2006.
[Joachims/05a] T. Joachims, A Support Vector Method for Multivariate Performance Measures, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2005.
[Finley/Joachims/05a] T. Finley and T. Joachims, Supervised Clustering with Support Vector Machines, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2005.
[Joachims/Hopcroft/05a] T. Joachims and J. Hopcroft, Error Bounds for Correlation Clustering, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2005.
[Tsochantaridis/etal/05a] I. Tsochantaridis, T. Joachims, T. Hofmann, and Y. Altun, Large Margin Methods for Structured and Interdependent Output Variables, Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR), 6(Sep):1453-1484, 2005.
I. Tsochantaridis, T. Hofmann, T. Joachims, and Y. Altun, Support Vector Machine Learning for Interdependent and Structured Output Spaces, Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2004.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under CAREER Award No. 0412894. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).


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Home News NFL player reps vote to send proposed collective bargaining agreement to full...
NFL player reps vote to send proposed collective bargaining agreement to full union membership for approval
The NFL and its players have cleared a major hurdle in the race to complete a new collective bargaining agreement.
The NFL Players Association's board of player representatives voted to send a proposal brought forth by team owners to a full vote by the league's players, assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah announced early Wednesday morning.
A simple majority approval from the entire body is required for the new agreement to be ratified and put into effect.
There was no immediate timetable provided by the union on when the vote would take place.
The announcement follows a nearly four-hour meeting between player reps and members of the NFL's management council executive committee on Tuesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. The two sides concluded talks without further comment to media.
The union's executive committee voted 6-5 on Friday against forwarding the contract for a vote, and player reps opted to wait while they pursued the meeting this week.
The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement would most notably expand the regular season to 17 games for every team. Players had been seeking various forms of compensation, including expanding their share of the total revenue to at least 48%, for that concession.
The two sides also agreed to revise the pact so that every player now will receive the full prorated value of their contract when the NFL implements the 17-game slate, a person with knowledge of the discussions told USA TODAY Sports' Mike Jones. The person spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. Previously, owners had proposed capping the extra game check for the additional contest at $250,000 for those currently signed to deals that would last into the start of the 17-game schedule, which is not expected to be implemented immediately.
The 10-year deal would also expand the postseason to include 14 teams, with only the top seed in each conference receiving a first-round bye.
If approved in the coming days, the new agreement could be put into effect for the new league year starting on March 18, which could reshape free agency and the rest of the offseason given salary cap implications.
The NFL's current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2020 season, but agreeing to terms now would give the league a favorable position as it looks to negotiate broadcast deals this offseason.
Opinion:Joe Burrow could have bucked NFL draft system, but LSU QB isn't taking issue with Bengals
Opinion:During week of uncertainty at combine, Tua Tagovailoa is rolling with the challenges
Other items in the deal the owners approved include:
– A cap on the number of international games and that there would not be a full week of such contests. More likely is a continued mix of games in England (and other European sites) and Mexico. Most team schedules will have nine home games and eight road games in alternating years.
– Training camp padded practices would be reduced from a total of 28 to 16. A five-day acclimation period would precede summer practices. There would be more days off during camp – eight instead of five – and a limit on joint practices.
– No extra bye week in the regular season, something that had been discussed. However, teams would basically have two weeks to prepare for the season opener with the elimination of the fourth preseason game.
– Rosters would expand from 53 to 55, with 48 players able to dress for games rather than the current 46. Practice squads would go from 10 players to 12 and eventually to 14, probably by 2022. There would be more flexibility for protecting practice-squad players from becoming free agents.
The Associated Press contrbuted to this report.
Continue reading at USA Today


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The Democratic Experiment Is Finished – Sharing Ideas
Home / Activism / Geoengineering / Politics / Society / The Democratic Experiment Is Finished
The Democratic Experiment Is Finished
Source: Philosophers-stone.co.uk
by Julian Rose
We in the West have lived with this thing called 'democracy' for a good few centuries now. It has been an important experiment, but one which has, in the end, succeeded in swallowing its own tail rather than leading society to a better place. Now its time is up and we have the task of putting something genuinely better in its place.
The most well known definition of democracy – but by no means the first – is enshrined in the Gettysburg Address of November 1863. It proclaims democracy as 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' which – maybe for good reason – laid a strong emphasis on 'people'.
But here also lay its weakness; people (it turned out) had other ambitions that this form of self rule was ill equipped to address. Nor did they particularly want to be responsible for deciding and managing the intricacies of the experiment that they had signed-up to. 'The majority', that is.
And it is this word 'majority' which encapsulates the failure of democracy, because, as some of us will have noticed, 'the majority' have never yet been possessed of the vision and wisdom necessary to move society towards a meritorious goal.
At best 'the majority' have created some from of social justice which was not around under the leadership of a regicide (king/queen) unless such happened to have a social conscience. Democracy thus became akin to a personal insurance policy, in which one signed-up to the policy and paid the annual cover – via taxation. In return, one got a type of guarantee that one would have certain 'inalienable rights', backed by 'the law'. A law supposedly designed to support this form of self rule, but in reality providing a cosy revenue absorbing niche for the same exploitive elitist element that had been around well before the democratic experiment came along.
As it turned out, what the majority actually wanted was based upon self interest and not a vision of a better society for all. So give 'the majority' the right to decide upon who they wish to run their country – and the one's they actually elect will be those who have gone the most out of their way to claim 'to have their interests at heart'. The interests of 'the majority'.
A society under the mantle of 'democracy' therefore never evolves. Instead it simply revolves around the wishes and the fears of the electorate. The wish to be 'looked after' and the fear of not being looked after. 'The majority' simply elect a bunch of baby-sitters so that they can go out and play, leaving the actual responsibility for the shape and function of society to others – mostly those who enjoy flirting with the power that has been granted unto them.
The electorate then complain loudly when things get done by those in whom they entrusted power – which fail to live up to their fawning pre-election promises. It is a constantly repeating pattern which still shows no sign of abating. It is 'mob rule' in action: the undirected, unaware voice of a majority who readily succumb to the powers of the hidden persuaders.
The people, when this means 'a majority' of the the people, have never yet, throughout the course of history, been in possession of the wisdom and vision which are the necessary prerequisites of an evolving society. A society asked to raise its level of awareness, consciousness and responsibility.
The democratic experiment is thus an entirely inappropriate tool for getting out of – and going beyond – the mess we are currently in. It is simple naivety which is on display at demonstrations where placards are held-up announcing that such and such 'is not democratic' : 'TTIP is not democratic', 'the WTO is not democratic', 'tax avoidance is undemocratic' etc.
Over the years, democracy has formed itself around an unshakeable alliance with capitalism. Capitalism is generally held up as 'democracy in action', particularly in relation to 'the free market' as a self adjusting silent voice of the people.
It is indeed in the market place that 'the majority' have put their faith; and left those who claim to
have mastered its intricacies to operate according to the nefarious rules of competition and greed that dominate the neo-liberal global economy which is the capitalist empire's crown jewels.
An economy where multi national corporate sweat shops in Third World countries can give 'the majority' exactly what they want: 'cheap clothes' 'cheap food, 'cheap cars'. That my friends, is our famous democracy in action…and those who say "that isn't democracy" fail to realise that the majority voted-in those who condone and execute these deeply exploitive policies. Voted-in via 'election by majority' vote: the cracked cornerstone of the democracy experiment.
Not only this, but when challenged by someone touting the merits of communism, the answer comes "but communism isn't democratic" thus wittingly or unwittingly, holding up the flag of democracy as though it was a symbol of a free and progressive society.
Like religion and like the Mafia, democracy has provided a formula which offers protection for those who prescribe to a skewed system of control by the few. It puts a nice gloss on that which is, in reality, a sophisticated game of double deception.
A deception which has its roots in the the electorate's abdication of control over its own destiny. Choosing instead to play victim to a system it helped put in place.
Today, eyes are slowly opening to what it is we have saddled ourselves with. Be it under the name of Conservative, Socialist, Liberal, Republican, Democrat or whatever – it makes not the slightest difference. They are simply entertaining variations of the same theme, and that theme remains mastered and controlled by a shadowy elite which quietly pulls all the main strings of power and will allow the game to be played strictly within its own terms – and no further
By we, I mean that smallish minority who are capable of rational thought informed by vision and wisdom.
This group cannot exert any serious authority upon the society around it, because – in a democracy – a small minority cannot form the majority necessary to becoming an elected administrative body. But at least we are not going to deny that, should a council of wise elders be at the helm of regional, national and global affairs, the world would be a different place. The value systems would be reversed. Instead ofmoney, power and selfish self interest dominating the scene, we would have humane values , deep ethics, and genuine justice as the main prerogatives, within an eclectic, multi ethnic society.
There are still tribal societies that operate on such a system. They are called 'primitive' and are vindictively linked to a scary voodoo world of witch doctors and unruly shamans. Every attempt has been made to wipe them off the map – both physically and by our 'democratic' Western value system's high minded judgemental view on this ancient, time tested from of 'leadership by the wise'.
As we once again find our true spiritual footing, our thoughts naturally turn back to this form of society by the wise, because it is an organic response to our deeper, actual and non superficial needs.
No wonder the North American Indian tribes were wiped out or driven into special 'reserves'; likewise the native South American tribes and the Aboriginals of Australia. The 'democracy' that supplanted them could have no truck with such deeply rooted and nature attuned cultures.
The capitalist free market needed to exploit their sacred territories and rip out the uranium, gold and all other precious metals which, while under the ground, informed the vibratory geography of their holy sites.
The supposed 'civilisation' which plundered the native territories, was largely a Judeo-Christian fabrication. One with a strongly Eurocentric bias and a penchant for grandeur and unashamed material wealth. Nothing of ancient tribal or pagan origins had any place in this great show of unabashed self importance. And it is from this tradition that most people reading this essay will probably have received their education – or more properly said: indoctrination.
Yet along with its pride and arrogance, there have been some idealistic ventures in various parts of the world into territories that bear some resemblance to 'leadership by the wise' and these belong to the category of 'benign dictatorships'. Fidel Castro of Cuba; Frederik the Great of Prussia; Mustafa Kamal Atutuk of Turkey; the king of Bhutan, are cited examples. Dictatorship is far less complicated than our form of democracy – but only if it is 'benign' can it be deemed genuinely superior.
A number of great spiritual leaders have filled this role of benevolent dictator during times of national crisis. Their followers seeing that they possess the qualities that combine love and leadership – consequently feel happy to live under their guidance. Great leaders always encourage the best to come forth in mankind, by-passing power and self prestige in favour of leading by example.
This form of 'leading by example' runs closer to universal spiritual principles of divine leadership than anything democracy has or can, ever come up with. When earthed and coupled with village level self determination and a council of wise elders – it probably constitutes the best role model we have to guide humanity through the crisis that is now upon us – and only likely to worsen. That is until a majority of human beings finally recognise themselves as divine entities – and therefore only answerable to the Supreme.
None the less, it is beholden for all of us who are both willing and bale to see a bigger picture, to now give serious amounts of time and energy to thinking through the basic tenets that need to be put in place so as to bring about the world that we know must replace the current crumbling dystopia.
We must, as an imperative, lay the foundations of the life to come even before the present fiasco has reached its lowest point. That is the true meaning of taking responsibility for our destinies.
Julian Rose is an early pioneer of ecological farming, integrated rural economies and decentralised community regeneration. Farmer, writer, holistic thinker, broadcaster and activist: Julian campaigns against all attempts to sterilise our living earth and creative aspirations – and expresses belief in the power of the human spirit to awaken
and direct our passion for life. You can buy his latest book "In Defence of Life" at amazon.com and via his website www.julianrose.info
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