Profile : Yeovil Town signed up Byron Webster in July 2012, shortly after the defender was released by his former club Northampton Town, by mutual consent. Joining the Glovers as a free agent, he became reunited with boss Gary Johnson, who had brought him to Sixfields from Doncaster Rovers, during his time with the Cobblers.
Standing at 6'3" Byron is an imposing figure, who spent part of his early career being played sometimes as a midfielder, but is now a regular central defender. He started his career with York City before having a varied career that took in Harrogate Town, Whitby Town and Czech club FK Baník Most.
In 2009 he returned to England and signed for Doncaster Rovers, during which time he had a brief loan spell with Hereford United. During this time he was a team-mate of Glovers striker James Hayter although struggled to hold down a place in the Championship side, making just three starts across just under two seasons, with eleven further appearances for Donny from the bench.
He moved to Northampton in March 2011, initially on a loan basis, before signing permanently for the Cobblers that summer. He started off as a first team regular for the Cobblers, but in September 2011, he broke a metatarsal and did not reappear again until January 2012, by which time Johnson had left the building and was on his way to Yeovil. Overall he made 16 appearances during the 2011-12 season for Northampton, to add to the eight he had made during his earlier Cobblers loan spell.
Byron left Yeovil to sign an agreement with Millwall in the summer of 2014, having made 98 appearances for the Glovers over two years. However, after struggling to break into the Lions line-up, he returned on loan during February 2015, with an agreement to last to the end of the 2014-15 season.


Oversee costing to goods sold to customers.
Liaise with suppliers for the best market price of raw materials.
Liaise with Shipping Section in regards to the delivery schedule from supplier and to customer.
Maintain stock control in order not to over stock the goods.
Conduct monthly stock check at the warehouse.
Preparing the sales budgets and forecast.
-Issuing of quotation, requisition form, confirmation of purchase order.
-Routine and Preventive Maintenance schedule planning for In-house machinery, equipment and facilities.
-Ensure production equipment and plant machinery are in serviceable and good working conditions.
-Conduct & coordinate Engineering Evaluation and Fault Analysis for product & process improvement.
-Update & compile various Engineering reports.
-Coordinate with various department on all Engineering issues .
-Maintain Machine, Customer property, Tooling, Jigs & Fixture lists and spare part control.
-Conduct training for Assist Engineer & Technician.
-Any other responsibilities and authorities assigned by the superior from time to time.
- After 3 months of probation, 10% will be added.
・In case of trouble occurred on production facility, find out failure and carry out checking, repair and adjustment and investigate the root cause, take a preventive counter measure for it.
・Establish and manage document and training to maintain the best product quality and with high productivity.
Company Profile: The company is an internationally recognised global freight and logistics provider from Japan. Wide and strong global networking and connection with 62 corportions over 34 countries. Also, having 381 offices and 198 warehouses with total employees up to 10,200 persons. They currently have domestic offices in Kelana Jaya (HQ), KLIA, Port Klang, Penang, Johor Bahru, Malacca, Ipoh and Kuching and service an impressive portfolio of MNC clients providing total and efficient logistics solutions.
The company is located about 9 mins drive from Paradigm Mall.
•	Visitation to Customer or Site Offices within Klang Valley only, business trip - Singapore / Kedah in average once in a month for 1-2 days.
•	Formulate plan and implement marketing strategies for Long Haul Cross Border Trucking (SIN-KUL-BKK) Business, including of develop effective pricing strategies to sustain profitable growth.
•	Proactively seek out new revenue generating opportunities within existing customer and potential new customer.
•	Follow up on all sales leads generated.
•	Coordinate with the Site Operation center for smooth handling and operation flow.
•	Monthly monitoring of sales performance.
•	Maintain administration and relevant reporting and planning systems.
Company Introduction: This company is to serve famous Japanese food from Osaka. The atmosphere is full of authentic Japanese style restaurant. This company opening Japanese style restaurant in Japan, Thailand. This February they will open new restaurant in Publika.
Working hours: 10 hours per day.
Shift will be arranged if manpower is enough.
Working hours: 10 hours per day. If manpower is enough, shift will be arranged.
To train up engineers for further grow.
- To do simple edit programming, compile and create executing file accordingly.
- Install the executing file to machine and doing some simple debugging.
- To feedback / design simple program together with the supervisor or with the support from supervisor.
- To handle chip, lead frame, PCB recognition test and conclude an advice with the guidance from supervisor.
- To add certain function to existing program with the guidance from supervisor.
- To design / feedback similar software from one machine to another.
- To design software for the middle scale by referring to other sample such as changing of loader type & adding of polygon area search.


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AnshuBlog: The Stack Fallacy : The Social Kerfuffle: What is an Employee?
The Social Kerfuffle: What is an Employee?
Who owns the behavior of an employee on the social networks? In a world where we have all gone BYOD, and I would posit - gone BYOS (Bring your own "Social Network") - who owns what? And who is responsible when an error is made by the employee? What is an error? What is an employee?
Here is what is reported to have happened - Oracle employee Jill Rowley has been fired by Oracle apparently for talking to the press. This wouldn't be such a big deal because all companies have rules on who can and cannot talk to the press. But she was running an active Twitter account and a social network campaign to the knowledge of Oracle. In fact, she was featured in news about how Oracle retained top talent and was using social just last year. In an unrelated news, Github is trying to figure out what it means for your employee to resign and then tweet about it.
I have no strong opinion one way or another on the Oracle-Rowley story although lots of pundits have jumped in. But I do have one big question - in a world where the employee is no longer "inside the firewall" or even the four walls, where are the boundaries and what is the definition of what an employee can and cannot do without explicit consent.
An average employee today will have over 7 jobs in their working life (if not more) and the employers don't even pretend to do what's best for employees anymore. They nickel and dime you to death - see what IBM did to save a few bucks - apparently a new standard in helping your employees.
Meanwhile employees have their permanently updated resumes posted on LinkedIn - a thinly disguised job hunting site. Savvy employees build a network of connections with customers, prospects, media and employees using all the modern tools - LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Companies actively encourage their employees to "retweet" messages from corporate leadership - help recruit, help spread the message about upcoming event, help find new customers and prospects, etc.
Employers actively leverage employees' social networks for their goals. In exchange, they lose control of the clean boundary of 9 to 5 and four walls of the office. If you are posting how awesome your CEO is, what happens when your friend who happens to be a blogger asks back a question about a controversial issue. Are you or are you not allowed to speak?
When employees are actively used by an employer to spread a message on social network, how do you deal with the employee that changes the message or responds to a follow up. What is the line? What happens when an employee adds a picture, a smiley face, a wink to the tweet? What happens when she talks to a blogger? Reporter? CEO of a partner? You can't lead the employee to a situation where they are likely to trip over and then show them your official rule book.
What are the employees rights? Can they refuse to tweet? Will they be penalized for keeping their work and social life/network independent? Should they be paid? What if an employee has a million followers because she blogs about cars and she works for a telephone company? Does she owe helping her employer?
What does it mean to be an employee? What is the bill of rights of employees on social networks?
Anshu, we're moving to world where according to Deloitte most of the individuals an organisation relies on will not be on the payroll by 2020.The extended enterprise will move from being a peculiarity to a generality. At this point employers will have to consider how they deal not only with associates' communications but with a wide range of other facets of a more complex contractual relationship. Individuals' behaviour on social networks is only the starting point for a much more complex world of future employment.
Yes, the definition of 'four walls', 'firewall', 'employees' and even what a 'customer' is needs to be re-thought. We are living in very fluid times.


PVC Sliding doors | Arti S.A.S.
PVC sliding doors can be manufactured in several different sizes among a wide range of options and according to clients' needs: a guaranteed elegant solution. This type of doors enhances the luminosity of your environment and makes indoor and outdoor spaces more rational. All systems are equipped with an aluminium threshold, which makes opening and access easy.
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The fine fellows at Penny Arcade have opinions about most games, and the recently released Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is no exception. Tycho seems to like it, in any case. However, their Wednesday comic indicates a certain reluctance to condone Gabriel Belmont's habit of just, like, randomly staking werewolves.
I love it that these guys include werewolves in their comics so often (relatively speaking), and that Gabe draws them differently every time.


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President Trump Set to Sign Executive Order on Voter Fraud
By Paul | Commentator | May 11, 2017 10:41AM
For years, the issue of voter fraud has unfortunately become partisan in the United States. Republicans have sought common sense reforms to our voting system, such as requiring voters show a photo ID in order to vote, yet Democrats have cried foul.
Every time Republicans in any local government try and pass any law restoring confidence in our voting system, Democrats freak out and claim the GOP is trying to block minority voters from voting, as if they are incapable of obtaining an ID.
While the left doesn't take the issue of voter fraud seriously, President Trump does, and he is planning to take action. It is being reported that the president will sign an executive order launching an official probe into voter fraud across the country.
Pres. Trump expected to sign an executive order today forming a commission on voter fraud, adviser confirms to CNN https://t.co/HiDolDi4La pic.twitter.com/EpMuKcNguV
— CNN (@CNN) May 11, 2017
From ABC News:
The officials say Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach will be announced as Chair and Vice Chair of the 'Presidential Commission on Election Integrity' in a press release today. It's not clear whether the White House will allow coverage of the order signing.
The commission, which will include Republicans and Democrats, will be tasked with studying "vulnerabilities" in U.S. voting systems and potential effects on "improper voting, fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting," according to one official with knowledge of the announcement.
The commission will also examine the issue of voter suppression, officials said, which could encourage Democrats to sign on to the effort. The commission is tasked with submitting a report on its findings sometime in 2018, officials said, and is expected to meet for the first time this summer.
Kansas Secretary of State Chris Kobach has been leading the charge on voter fraud, prosecuting multiple individuals in his state for the crime, and will be perfect to lead President Trump's commission. While Democrats are likely to oppose any commission to investigate voter fraud, hopefully they will be enticed by the inclusion of voter suppression to join the investigation.
Unfortunately, given that Democrats have opposed literally everything proposed by President Trump, the American people shouldn't hold their breaths expecting them to suddenly jump on board and help investigate voter fraud.
One thing is for certain – the days of silence are over. Trump will not sit by and do nothing.
Are you supportive of President Trump's voter fraud commission? Share your thoughts below!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Gina Nkechi Akpe-Moses (née le  à Lagos, Nigeria) est une athlète irlandaise, spécialiste du sprint.

Carrière
Arrivée à l'âge de trois ans à Dundalk, elle débute l'athlétisme à 11 ans au sein du St Gerald's AC, puis se spécialise dans le sprint. En 2014, elle s'installe à Birmingham pour faire partie d'un club britannique d'élite. Elle remporte la médaille d'argent lors du Festival olympique de la jeunesse européenne 2015.
Le , elle porte son record personnel sur 100 m à 11 s 56 à Oordegem.

Palmarès

Records

Lien externe

Sprinteuse irlandaise
Naissance à Lagos
Championne d'Europe junior d'athlétisme
Naissance en février 1999

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Lino Lacedelli (n. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Italia, 4 de diciembre de 1925 - 20 de noviembre de 2009) fue uno de los dos escaladores de la expedición italiana que alcanzó por primera vez la cumbre del K2 el 31 de julio de 1954.

Su primera escalada parece que fue a los catorce años, escapando a la vigilancia de su padre, en las paredes de las Cinque Torri. De 1947 a 1954 es cuando concentra su mayor nivel de actividad en la montaña con notables segundas, terceras o cuartas repeticiones de vías difíciles sobre todo en los Dolomitas. Mientras Desio deja fuera de la expedición al mejor alpinista italiano del momento Ricardo Cassin (a causa de unos supuestos problemas físicos), Lacedelli está entre los mejores, es el segundo integrante más joven de la expedición, cinco años más que Bonatti y once menos que Compagnoni. En el libro oficial Desio escribe de él: "soltero, de 29 años, de Cortina d´Ampezzo. Talla, 1,78; de profesión hidráulico, guía alpino y profesor de esquí…".

Fue nombrado Caballero de la Gran Cruz, Orden al Mérito de la República Italiana, en 2004.

Véase también
 K2
 Expedición italiana al K2 de 1954

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Cincuenta años de la primera ascensión al K2

Montañeros de Italia
Nacidos en Cortina d'Ampezzo
Fallecidos en Cortina d'Ampezzo


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Q: Why isn't there a default implementation of NSCoding? I understand how to use NSCoding to convert my objects to archive objects. That's not my question.
What I'm wondering is why there isn't a default implementation of NSCoding that could handle probably 99% of cases.
For instance, every time I write a custom class that I want to archive, I perform the following:

*

*Implement -(void)encodeWithCoder: and -(id)initWithCoder:.

*Go down my property list, writing a pair of statements (one encode, one decode) for each property.

*

*If the property is an object, I use the encode/decodeObject method.

*If the property is a value, I use the corresponding encode/decode method.

*I always use the property's name as my key.

I would suspect that almost every implementation of NSCoding is exactly like mine, with the only changes being the particular properties that need to be manipulated.
It seems to me that this would be a perfect place for a standard implementation, with the option to override if your particular case if funky.
Do I have a misunderstanding of what's going on? If not, could I add a category on NSObject to implement this common method on all objects in my projects?

A: I suspect that the answer to your question is simply that NSCoding was designed long before Objective-C properties existed. (NSCoding was part of the OpenStep spec in 1994, whereas properties arrived with Objective-C 2.0 in 2007.) Additionally, some classes have properties that are not appropriate to be serialized for later.
However, your proposed solution could be a great time-saver! At least one such solution already exists. Check out AutoCoding.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Videos & Pitching News Are The Two Awesome Way To Discover Your Business All Over The World.


text:
Now Reading: A Texas Dad Remembers His Daughter on the Transgender Day of Remembrance
A Texas Dad Remembers His Daughter on the Transgender Day of Remembrance
Alex DeChiara Courtesy of the DeChiaras
John Wright Nov 20, 2014, 10:35 am CST
Rick DeChiara can't undo his daughter's suicide.
He can't erase the memory of coming home to find 17-year-old Alex hanging from a tree in their backyard—and having to cut her down. He can't wipe away the recollection of picking up Alex's high school diploma a day after receiving her death certificate.
"I can't undo what's been done, but maybe I can prevent somebody else from taking the same path," DeChiara told the Observer this week. "That's what I want to do. If I can stop some other kid from doing what Alex did, then I'll be a success."
Six months after his daughter's suicide, DeChiara took a major step in that direction Sunday.
Along with his wife and Alex's younger sister, he traveled from their home in Euless, near Fort Worth, to a Transgender Day of Remembrance observance at the Cathedral of Hope, a predominantly LGBT church in Dallas.
Alex was transgender, and even though she took her own life, the annual ceremony commemorating victims of anti-trans violence was dedicated to her.
"I made a lot of new friends down there. They're a wonderful group of people," said DeChiara, a New Jersey native who works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and described himself as the "macho" type.
"I'm going to stay in touch with a lot of people," he said. "It was good for all three of us."
"I can't undo what's been done, but maybe I can prevent somebody else from taking the same path,"
DeChiara, speaking publicly about his daughter's death for the first time with the Observer, acknowledged he wasn't always so comfortable with the idea that Alex was trans. When she began to come to terms with her gender identity in middle school, she discussed it with her mom but grew distant from him.
"What Alex didn't realize was that, just because I don't understand, doesn't mean I can't accept," he said. "I didn't understand. … It took me a while to come around."
DeChiara said his relationship with his daughter had improved somewhat prior to her death, but other problems—depression, bullying and isolation—proved insurmountable.
Alex sported long blonde hair and sometimes wore a few items of women's clothing to Euless' Trinity High School. Although there was no physical violence, DeChiara said classmates talked behind Alex's back, and sometimes to her face, calling her a "freak."
"She was spending a lot of time down at the counselor's office," DeChiara said.
"Apparently the counselor was aware and tried to do something about it [the bullying], but I don't know how much further it got from there. I've heard it was teachers that were saying stuff as well."
Eventually, the DeChiaras agreed to transfer Alex her to an alternative school, KEYS High School. But that move cut her off from friends and something she loved—working with special needs children at Euless Trinity, where she was no longer allowed on campus.
"When she was banned from school, things spiraled out of control," DeChiara said. "Part of the reason she loved those kids at the special ed building is because, like them, she was in a body she didn't want to be in, and she could identify with them. That was her passion. She was going to go to school to teach autistic kids."
Alex, who'd taken several AP courses at Euless Trinity, graduated a month early from KEYS, but being home alone only made things worse. DeChiara said he had no idea how deep his daughter's depression had become.
On May 8, when DeChiara found Alex hanging from a tree, she'd left a note on her desk saying only that she didn't want a funeral—a request her parents honored.
"There is no amount of sins I have ever done in this lifetime, that anybody should have to go through what I did that day," DeChiara said. "Mom? I would have had to bury two people if she got home before me."
After Alex's death, one of her friends connected the DeChiaras with a Dallas LGBT group, which invited them to the Trans Day of Remembrance. DeChiara only wishes Alex had found those resources when she was alive.
Studies show roughly half of trans youth have contemplated suicide, and one in four have made an attempt.
The numbers may be even higher in Texas, which has no explicit anti-bullying protections based on gender identity and few resources for LGBT youth outside major cities.
"There definitely needs to be more," DeChiara said. "They definitely need to have a place where they know they can go."
DeChiara said there are suicide hotlines, bullying prevention programs and perhaps even a modicum of support for gay teens and their parents.
But he added: "As far as transgender awareness kind of stuff, that's a different story. I don't think that's quite as popular, as out there in the open."
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is today, Thursday, Nov. 20. For a list of events in Texas, go here.
John Wright is a freelance journalist based in Austin. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Read More: LGBT Rights, transgender
Fort Worth Professors Fight to End Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Against LGBTQ Couples
Fatma Marouf and Bryn Esplin sued after a government-funded Catholic group blocked them from fostering refugee children. A court ruling this month allows their case to go forward. by Michael Barajas
The Clothes that Make the Man
Jose Villalobos' art redresses the macho traditions of norteño culture. by Michael Agresta
The GOP Failed to Ban Paid Sick Leave and the Business Lobby is Livid
Texas businesses are growing increasingly disgruntled that Dan Patrick appears unable to stop poisoning their political agenda with right-wing social warfare. by Justin Miller


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By Chuck Norris
C-Force: Dry January Leaves Behind Sobering Thoughts
Health / Chuck Norris / Jan 27, 2023
For those of you who have successfully navigated Dry January without a slip up, your liver, heart and skin all thank you. Dry January is said to be an observance gaining in popularity during the last few years -- sort of a "mini New Year's resolution" to some.
According to Forbes, the pledge to avoid drinking alcohol during the month of January...Read more
C-Force: Still Falling Short on Meeting the Health Needs of Veterans
As a U.S. Air Force veteran, past spokesperson for the U.S. Veterans Administration and Veteran Foundation's Veteran of the Year Award recipient, I will always have unwavering regard for those who serve in the military. I also pledge to try to stay up to date on how they are being treated and compensated for their service and sacrifice.
Back in...Read more
C-Force: Unseen Effects of Witnessing Damar Hamlin's Traumatic Injury
"Where were you on the evening of Monday, Jan. 2?" This may be a question that hangs around for quite some time. The full story of the evening's massive impact is yet to be fully played out. For a viewing audience estimated by Nielsen at 23.8 million, and a sold-out stadium of NFL fans, these folks were dialed in to view one of the most ...Read more
C-Force: Resolving Nursing Shortage Critically Important in 2023
The news report seemed hardly new, and I suspect it is not all that surprising. "Nursing is in crisis, fueled by burnout (and) exhaustion," reports New York Times health and science reporter Andrew Jacobs and correspondent Isadora Kosofsky. "An alphabet soup of respiratory illnesses has been spreading misery across the United States, once again ...Read more
C-Force: New Year Gets Chilling Reception
Health / Chuck Norris / Dec 30, 2022
As the holiday season draws to a close, we have moved from a holiday based on gratitude to a celebration of the birth of Christ (and other religious-based holidays) to settle on a time for ushering in the New Year and for making resolutions. For many, it has not been a smooth or joyful journey. Much of the country remains in the grips of what ...Read more
C-Force: Christmas Togetherness - Why It Matters
That advice last week about getting out and enjoying the great outdoors? You may want to put a check on that for a while.
"Chicago residents yearning for a snowy white Christmas are likely to get more than they hoped for," reports the Chicago Tribune. "Meteorologists are looking at a possible 'near blizzard,' with snow and subfreezing winds." ...Read more
C-Force: Taking Flight From Holiday Stress
The refrain "It's the most wonderful time of the year," forever associated with the song by Andy Williams, has become an enduring holiday standard. But a lot of folks in today's world find their sense of wonder dampened, and the holiday season as a major stressor. Some even would be OK seeing the holidays canceled entirely.
So says an annual ...Read more
C-Force: The Time Has Come to Walk It Off
From Little League to the big leagues, from Pop Warner to the pros, when an athlete has a minor tweak or injury, or is frustrated or dejected, common advice is for them to "walk it off." Says the website Writing Explained, the idea that the physical act of walking can be a tonic in alleviating minor physical or emotional pain has been go-to ...Read more
C-Force: Cigarettes and Their Substitutes Court a New Generation
Health / Chuck Norris / Nov 25, 2022
I think we all could agree that preventing an addictive habit before it begins is the best course of action you can take. The problem is, when it comes to young people, there is so much working against us when we try to provide such advice. Let's look at smoking as an example. As I reported last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control...Read more
C-Force: Drinking and Smoking to Relieve Stress Stir Up Health Concerns
It may not be surprising to learn that deaths caused by alcohol use in the United States spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by CNN and others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now reports that the death of more than 49,000 people in 2020 is directly related to alcohol consumption. Putting this number in perspective, ...Read more
C-Force: Wake-up Call for the Changing of the Clocks
You have now had about a week to settle into it, so how has this switch back to standard time been for you? With such a critical national, local and regional election cycle underway (I'll save that discussion for a different venue), I'm guessing that this tradition of moving clocks back one hour may be hardly noticed.
But there are a couple of ...Read more
C-Force: The Chilling Prospect of a Bad Winter Ahead
As noted in a posting by the Library of Medicine, scientific investigation of the effects of stress on humans spans more than 50 years. Studies have shown that stress can affect the human nervous system and even cause structural changes in different parts of the brain. More recently, it has been shown that stress is contagious, with the ability ...Read more


DIBS 2016 – A Successful Boat Show !
Tan Orient is celebrating the closing of this year's Dubai International Boat Show 2016, held from 1-5 March at the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) !
As many companies, we noticed a high proportion of serious buyers attending the show, leading to contracts signed either during the show, or expected in the coming weeks.
Xavier Bouin and his team believe the event was one of the best Dubai International Boat Show editions !


This is an insightful and articulate book by one of the foremost conservationists of our time. Wilson tells you about the wonderful planet that is currently under our stewardship, why it may not be wonderful for long, and what positive changes are underway to save our world. Wilson believes that the 21st century will be the century of the environment because soon we will have little choice but to be more environmentally responsible.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Norway chess'
Carlsen checks out of Norway's chess federation
Magnus Carlsen PHOTO: FRChess/Nick Barton
Norway's reigning world champion in chess, Magnus Carlsen, has cancelled his membership in the Norwegian chess federation (Norges Sjakkforbund). His withdrawal follows a lengthy conflict over strategy and sponsorships.
— Read on www.newsinenglish.no/2019/11/08/carlsen-checks-out-of-norways-chess-federation/
Tags:chess, chess federation, chess news, chess sponsors, Magnus Carlsen, Magnus chess, Norges Sjakkforbund, Norway chess, Norwegian chess federation
Posted in Carlsen, chess, Chess History, chess news, Magnus Carlsen, World Chess News | Leave a Comment »
Tromso 2014: Hikaru Nakamura Raises a Stink About Toilettes
As if on cue, Hikaru Nakamura waited until after the Kramnik – Topalov match to publicly blast the organizers of the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway on the restroom conditions at the chess venue. One would think the American Grandmaster would be used to win – loos situations at chess tournaments. Then again, this is supposed to be a chess tournament for elite players… not a game of thrones.
Below is the tweet concerning Toiletgate 2014:
@GMHikaru: One favor for all future Olympiads; can we please have real toilets and not portable toilets?? This is absolutely disgusting!
Tags:2014 chess olympiad, 41st chess olympiad, chess, chess olympiad, Hikaru Nakamura, Norway chess, toiletgate, Tromso chess olympiad
Posted in chess news, Chess Olympiad, Hikaru Nakamura, Toiletgate, Veselin Topalov, Vladimir Kramnik, World Chess News | Leave a Comment »
GM Karsten Müller Breaks Down Endgames from Carlsen, Karjakin and Aronian
Today is the perfect day to learn from the chess games of Norway Chess 2014. GM Karsten Müller examines three key games of Karjakin, Carlsen, Aronian and Agdestein for your learning pleasure.
Tags:chess, chess endgames, chess lessons, endgames, Magnus Carlsen, Norway chess
Posted in chess, chess lessons, Levon Aronian, Magnus Carlsen | Leave a Comment »
Why You Should Care About the Upcoming World Chess Championship Match
FIDE World Chess Championship Match 2013
On November 9, 2013 the world is going to stop. Billions of people around the globe will be watching live as two titans clash in what may be the greatest chess match ever played. Viswanathan Anand, the Pride of India, will be taking on the charismatic "Mozart of Chess," Magnus Carlsen. By the end of November, the player who utterly destroys his opponent will be crowned "The King of Chess."
Viswanathan Anand at the chess board.
Viswanathan Anand is more than a World Chess Champion. He is the greatest sportsmen ever produced from the second most populous country in the world. "Vishy," as his friends call him, became India's first grandmaster in 1988. Anand was also first to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1992. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor. Viswanathan Anand has also won the coveted Chess Oscar a total of six times! Indeed, historians tell us that chess has its roots in ancient India, but it was not until Viswanathan Anand became World Champion that chess took a hold of the sub-continent's imagination.
The charismatic "Mozart of Chess."
Many consider Magnus Carlsen to be for chess, what Mozart was for music. In the long and distinguished history of chess prodigies, Magnus may be the greatest of them all. Magnus Carlsen, who started chess at the age of five, became a chess Grand Master at thirteen and the number one rated player in the world before the age of twenty. A short while later, Carlsen established the highest rating ever in the game of chess and in doing so surpassed his former teacher, Garry Kasparov. Often mentioned in the same class as Paul Morphy, Jose Raul Capablanca and Bobby Fischer, Magnus is missing only the title of World Champion to establish his residency on Mount Olympus.
Throughout human history, there have been certain events which demonstrate the greatness of human achievement. The Hammurabi Code of 1750 B.C., the dawn of Democracy in 594 B.C., The Wright Brothers taking flight in 1903 are important events on the timeline comparable to what, I believe, will result from the FIDE World Chess Championship of 2013. Chess is about to become "cool" again and our world may never be the same.
Don't miss the event:
The Official Site for the Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship Match of 2013
Watch live on you Android device.
Watch live on your iphone or ipad.
Get Norway's perspective on the Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship Match of 2013
See what India feels about Anand's play against Carlsen.
Blogs covering the 2013 World Chess Championship:
World Chess Championship Blog
Susan Polgar's Blog
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Blog
Chris Torres' Blog
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Posted in 2013 World Chess Championship, Anand, Anand-Carlsen, Chennai, chess, chess and music, chess news, Chris Torres, Magnus Carlsen, Paul Morphy, Viswanathan Anand, World Chess Championship, World Chess Championship 2013, World Chess News | 15 Comments »
World Chess Championship 2013: Preview 3 of the Anand-Carlsen Match
In our third preview game of the 2013 World Chess Championship Match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen, we are going to examine a stunning defeat of Anand at the hands of the cunning Russian chess player, Alexander Morozevich. In my humble opinion, this game clearly illustrates what is perhaps the best strategy for Magnus Carlsen in his upcoming match with Anand. Put simply, Magnus Carlsen needs to control his nerves and play dynamic attacking chess as much as possible. Below, Alexander Morozevich shows us how this is done:
Move 24: How did Morozevich(white) destroy Anand's king safety?
[Event "It 'Kremlin Stars'"]
[Site "Moscow (Russia)"]
[Date "1995"]
[White "Morozevich, Alexander (RUS)"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan (IND)"]
[Annotator "Chris Torres"]
2.f4 exf4
3.Bc4 Nf6 ( 3…Qh4+ 4.Kf1 d6 5.Nf3 Qh5 6.d4
g5 7.h4 Bg4 8.Nc3 Nc6 {Is how a more aggressive player might handle the black pieces.}
4.Nc3 c6 {This move takes a lot of the key squares away from white's developed pieces and prepares a pawn thrust to "d5."}
5.Bb3 d5
6.exd5 cxd5
7.d4 Bb4 {
At this point, objectively, black looks a little better. Both sides have one
center pawn and two developed pieces. Black does have an extra pawn and is
ready to castle. However, things can change very quickly in the King's Gambit.}
8.Nf3 O-O
9.O-O Bxc3 {
A smart maneuver for Anand. His bishop was pinning white's knight to just "air"
while exchanging creates a pawn weakness which can easily be attacked.}
10.bxc3 Qc7 {
Anand is still a little better than Morozevich. Both sides have two pieces
developed and a pawn in the center. Black momentarily has an extra pawn.}
11.Qe1 {I believe this is game represents the first time this idea has been tried.}
( 11.Qd3 b6 12.Ne5 Ba6 13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Bxc4 15.Nxc4 Nd5 16.Ne5
Nc6 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.Bxf4 Rac8 19.Qa3 Rfe8 20.Qf3 Nb4 21.Qxc6
Rxc6 22.Rae1 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 f6 24.Re8+ Kf7 25.Ra8 a5 26.Ra7+ Kg6
27.Rc7 Rxc2 28.Rxc2 Nxc2 29.Bc7 b5 30.d5 Kf7 {…0-1, Eberth Zoltan (HUN) 2198 – Vujosevic Vladimir (MNE) 2430 , Gyor 1997 It (open) "Nyar"}
) Nc6
12.Qh4 {Morozevich just wants to get Anand's king. But isn't that the real objective in chess?}
( 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxf4 Qc6 14.Bxe5 Ne4 15.Rf4 Be6 16.c4 dxc4 17.Qxe4
Qxe4 18.Rxe4 cxb3 19.axb3 Bf5 20.Re2 Rfe8 21.Rf2 Bg6 22.c4 a6
23.Bc7 Re3 24.d5 Rae8 25.Raf1 f6 26.Rf3 Kf7 27.Bb6 Rxf3 28.Rxf3
Ke7 29.Kf2 Kd7 30.Rg3 Rg8 31.Ke3 Re8+ {…1-0, Charbonneau Pascal (CAN) 2490 – Roussel-Roozmon Thomas (CAN) 2425 , Montreal 8/??/2004 It (cat.12)}
) Ne7
13.Bxf4 {Morozevich takes "f4" but will give Anand "c3." Now who do you think is better? I would rather play with the white pieces.}
Qxc3
14.Bd2 {!?} {
Is this move brilliant or a mistake? Morozevich could have also played the more
natural looking "Bg5" or the "Qe1" retreat. However, Morozevich is not in the
mood to retreat and has a reputation for playing slightly outlandish moves.}
Qc7 {Anand retreats his queen to the most useful square he can find.}
15.Ne5 {Morozevich's knight wastes no time finding its outpost.}
16.Qf4 {The best choice for Morozevich but now his knight is pinned to an unattractive exchange of the queens.}
Be6 {Anand places his bishop on a bad square in order to unify his rooks.}
17.Bb4 {Forcing the rook from "f8" becomes important much later in the game.}
Rfc8
18.g4 {!} {It is now or never for Morozevich.}
Nd6
19.Rae1
{Morozevich has, more or less, all his pieces involved in the attack.}
Nfe4
20.c4 {!} {This move will eliminate the outpost for the black knight on "e4" as well as create more action for Morozevich's light bishop.}
dxc4
21.Bc2 Nf6
22.g5 {!} {
When all your pieces are involved in the attack, sometimes it is up to the
pawns to create the final weaknesses in your enemy's camp.}
Nh5{?} {Morozevich again proves that the best way to deal with Anand is to attack.
Viswanathan Anand should have played something like this:}
( 22…Nd5 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Qh4+ Kg8 25.Bxd6 Qxd6 26.g6 fxg6
27.Nxg6 Bf5 28.Qh8+ Kf7 29.Rxf5+ Nf6 30.Qh5 Qxd4+ )
23.Qf3 {!}
{Severe punishment is in store for Anand's crime.}
24.Nxg6{!} hxg6
25.Bxg6 {!} fxg6
26.Rxe6 Qf7
27.Qd5 {!} Nf5
28.Rxf5{!} {There is no defense for Anand now and he appropriately resigns.} 1-0
Tags:Alexander Morozevich, Anand-Carlsen, Anand-Carlsen 2013, Anand-Carlsen world chess championship 2013, Anand-Carlsen world chess championship match, chess, Chris Torres, fide chess, fide world chess championship, fide world chess championship 2013, India chess, King's Gambit, King's Gambit Anand, Magnus Carlsen, Morozevich-Anand, Norway chess, Russia chess, Viswanathan Anand, world chess championship, world chess championship 2013
Posted in 2013 World Chess Championship, Alexander Morozevich, Anand, Anand-Carlsen, chess, chess news, Chris Torres, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, World Chess Championship 2013, World Chess News | Leave a Comment »


Aidnag Diaz, M.D. received his bachelor's and master's degrees in nuclear engineering from Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science and his medical doctorate and his Master of Public Health from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Diaz is a national and international expert on boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and writes and lectures on such topics as central nervous system toxicities, treatment of primary brain tumors, and head and neck cancer. He is a member of the communications committee of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), Vice Chairman of the Rush University institutional review board, and Chairman of the Cancer Committee at Rush University Cancer Center.


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Question on Planning by Feature
I have just taken on a new position at a company and have been tasked with putting a development process methodology in place. After spending some time looking at the various options I belive that FDD is the right direction for us.
I have done as much reading as I can and I am pretty confident on most parts of the process and where I need to make minor tweaks to fit in with our enviroment.
The main question I am a little stumped on is during the Planning by Feature stage it mentions devloping a "Development Sequence" what actually is this ? Also how/who decide what features are built in each iteration and is this done in the Planning by Feature stage or is this done at the beginning of each iteration ?
‹ Early Access to Highsmith's Agile Project Management The Model - PD, UI & SI ›
It's the sequence or order of business activities by date
Having decomposed the Features List (FBS) you specify the month/year that each Business Activity will be completed. This series of Business Activities by target completion date is what is called the Development Sequence in process 3. This is poor terminology and will be changed in the next version of the process descriptions.
There are no fixed iterations in FDD. Depending on your point of view, the thing that drives it is the Chief Programmers putting features into workpackages. A workpackage is some number of features that are to be put through Design By Feature (DBF) and Build By Feature (BBF). They are constrained by time in that it can take no longer than 2 weeks, but it is NOT a fixed 2 week cycle. At any point in time there will be a number of workpackages active and they will overlap each other (in time) by varying amounts.
During the construction phase (iterations of DBF and BBF) the Project Manager (PM) is assigning features from the Features List to Chief Programmers for DBF-BBF. The PM has the flexibility to pick and choose features as he likes. He is guided, of course, by the dates on the Business Activities, but does not have to follow the categorisation in the Features List or the implied date sequence of features (derived from the Business Activity they come from). A Chief Programmer (CP) then logically has an inbox of features waiting to be put through DBF-BBF. The CP himself decides which features to put into a workpackage. He has the flexibility to choose from his virtual inbox of features waiting for DBF-BBF.
Let me contrive an example:
There are seven features in the CP's inbox. The first three all touch a certain class. That class owner is known to be very busy this week. The next four features in the inbox are in a different area and touch classes that the owners are not very busy with. So, the CP takes the last four features and puts them in a Workpackage. It is at this moment that the CP sets the plan dates for the 6 discrete per-feature milsetones (domain walkthrough, design, design inspect, code, code inspect, and promote to build) and it is this act that identifies those features as now being "in progress."
Fri, 10/03/2003 - 11:32 — Dave Overall
Going a little deeper
Thanks for the detailed response and I have found it very useful.
From reading through your response would i be correct in thinking that a chief programmer is rather like what is traditionally called a team leader and that he is responsible for drawing on the teams resources to get features in his work package completed ( as well as developing some himself )
If this is the case then would also be correct in assessing that a programmer who may own several different classes would get a virtual inbox listing all of the the changes that he is been required to make to the classes he own for server different cp/workpackages ?
What a CP does
Yes, a CP also designs and codes themselves - absolutely. A CP is also a class owner (a CP also owns classes).
Features are assigned to CPs. The CP looks at a feature, and using his knowledge from participating in the Develop an Overall Model process (in particular) he identifies in his head the classes this feature will touch. Since classes are owned by programmers, thus a feature team dynamically forms. Feature teams are forming all the time and a programmer will likely be in more than one feature team at a time.
I only use the virtual inbox metaphor to describe features that are asssigned to a CP waiting to be put through DBF-BBF.
A programmer is clear on what changes he needs to make to a class he owns as he participates directly in that feature team.
Having said that we do often use group calendar/todo list entries that list the things a class owner must do (see the last exit criteria of the Design By Feature process). You could just as easily call this a virtual inbox of changes he is required to make to the classes he owns (as you say).
Thu, 10/09/2003 - 12:09 — Dave Overall
Feature Dependancies
Another little issues i have is where do you define the a feature depends on another feature to be developed first. For instance I a feaure which is to develop a sales commision algorithem. Then I have another feature with is to allow a sales to be entered. This second feature can only be written once the first one has been written. Both of these feature may be in the same feature set or different ones as well. At what stage in the process would you identify this dependency and how would you document the dependency ?
Sun, 10/12/2003 - 06:43 — Jeff De Luca
I don't show them explicitly
in practice, I don't show them explicitly as I've never needed to. The thing about process 1 Develop an Overall Model is the amount of knowledge transfer that is taking place. This is what allows a features list to be constructed that is both granular and accurate. As an exercise, after the features list is done, I can ask the team to rank a feature by complexity. For example, I can point to a feature and ask "this feature here - is it simple, medium or complex?" and I'll get a fast, unanimous response. Same if I point to two features and ask "could we build this feature before that feature?" which is asking about a dependency and again I'll get a fast, unanimous response.
This is also in the context of the features list being a functional decomposition of the domain, where the top-level categories usually come straight from the partitioning of the domain done by the domain experts in the Develop An Overall Model process (where they are asked to describe the domain in a series of 20 minute topics).The majority case here is that when asked to do this, domain experts will breakup the domain in terms of its major workflow.
Thus, from these top-level categories (that usually follow the major workflow in the domain) we functionally decompose them into the categorised features list.
One effect of this is that we get the same kind of benefits we get in tracking and planning in terms of a coarse-grained mechanism (month year target completion dates on business activities) and also a very fine-grained mechanism (self-organising workpackages of features and their milestone completion dates).
The same two-levels apply here. In other words, it is very easy to see dependencies between business activities (coarse-grained) and for the CP and programmers to see dependencies between features (fine-grained).
Thu, 10/09/2003 - 09:42 — pbradley
Planning and late binding of features to development
Dave this is somewhat theoretical answer to your question.
Senior managers love to see plans and timelines. It makes them feel comfortable that things are under control. So early in a project you have to give completion date for a set of work (features). This the purpose of Process 3 - Plan By Feature - to lay out the planned development schedule.
At the same time it is valuable to be able to decide as late as possible what gets developed in a development iteration because of many factors - staff availability, technical issues, etc. Several Agile processes recognize this - XPs planning game and SCRUM schedule features for development immediately prior to the iteration. I have also used this approach and in FDD terms the CP is the final arbiter of what goes into the iteration and will decide from what is in a ready to design/build state.
Note that FDD reporting - Parking Lots - focuses on percentage complete and not on whether some timeline is being kept to as GANNT charts do.
The JMCU book says nothing about deciding the content of an iteration and a fully FDD exposition should address this issue.


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The Masters Odds & News
The Masters Golf Tournament (also known as the U.S. Masters outside of the United States) is a prestigious golf tournament held annually at August National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The event is traditionally held at the end of the first full weekend of April and is the first of golf's four major events in a calendar year. It's also the only major to be contested at the same site each year. It also tends to have the smallest field of all majors, as it is an invitation-only event.
The Masters Golf Tournament History (1933-1996)
Legendary golfer Bobby Jones wanted to build a golf course after he retired from the game, and he happened upon the grounds in Augusta that would become Augusta National Golf Club. Work began on the course in 1931 and opened in 1933.
The Masters was originally called the Augusta National Invitational Tournament, and it was won by Horton Smith in 1934. The first legendary moment at Augusta came in 1935 when Gene Sarazen hit the so-called "shot heard around the world," which was holing his second shot on the par-5 15th for a double eagle and going on to win the tournament in a playoff.
Golf's biggest early names have claimed victory at Augusta. Byron Nelson won twice, Sam Snead claimed victory three times, and Ben Hogan won in 1951 and '53.
In the 1960s and '70s, it was the trio of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player who dominated this major golf tournament, winning 11 times in those two decades. Nicklaus has won a record six times while Palmer claimed four wins and Player three. The trio is so synonymous with this Golf Tournament that they would open the tournament each year with a ceremonial tee shot all the way until Palmer's death in 2016.
Nicklaus's sixth win came in 1986 at the age of 46, which was likely the most popular win at Augusta up until that time. In 1995, Ben Crenshaw won his second time in 1995 and sobbed after making his final putt, as his longtime teacher and mentor had just passed away before the tournament began.
The following year in 1996, Greg Norman looked like he was finally going to tackle Augusta, but he blew a six-shot lead heading into the final day and was outscored by Nick Faldo 67 to 78. In all, Norman placed in the top 5 eight times here but failed to win.
The Masters Golf Tournament History (1997-Present)
It felt like a new era began at this golf event when Tiger Woods, who was just 21 at the time, dominated the course and won by 12 strokes, breaking the 72-hole record by shooting an 18-under 270 in the process. Woods also won in 2001 and '02.
At that point, the course went through a renovation that was referred to as "Tiger-proofing." Augusta National had been 6,925 yards until it was extended to 7,270 in 2002 and then to 7,445 in 2006. The greens were also made more difficult from a 1981 renovation.
Woods is a five-time champion, one behind Nicklaus, as he was victorious in 2005 and again in 2019, which was his first major title in 11 years.
In recent years, Bubba Watson won two out of three in 2012 and '14, Jordan Spieth became the second youngest winner and tied Woods' course record in 2015, and Sergio Garcia finally won his first major with a playoff victory over Justin Rose in 2017.
In 2020, the event was postponed until November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dustin Johnson won that event and set a new course record in the process by shooting a 20-under 268.
Awards for the Masters Golf Tournament Champion
Smith won $1,500 in 1934, and in 2021, Hideki Matsuyama took home just over $2 million for the win.
Since 1949, this major Golf tournament winner has also received a green jacket that is awarded in a post-match ceremony inside Butler Cabin. The winner is given his jacket by the previous year's champion.
He can then keep it for a year until the following year's tournament. At that point, the jacket remains at Augusta National, and former champions can wear it when they are on the club's grounds.
There are playing privileges that are also given to Masters champions. They are given a lifetime exemption to play in any future Masters, as well as a five-year exemption to play in the other three majors along with The Players Championship. The winner also receives a five-year exemption to play on the PGA Tour.
The Masters field is generally consisted of around 90-100 golfers, and players are invited based on a number of criteria.
The process starts with the top-50 golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings being invited along with the 30 golfers that reach the previous season's Tour Championship.
Then, the list of invitees includes: former Golf Masters winners, other major winners for a five-year span, a three-year exemption for The Players Championship winner, the defending Olympic gold medalist, and several amateur champions from around the world.
Finally, the top 12 from the previous years' Masters and the top four from the most-recent other three majors are invited to round out the field.
The Golf tournament format is a typical four-day, 72-hole event with a few wrinkles thrown in.
First, because the field is smaller than a typical tournament, competitors play the course in threesomes instead of foursomes. In addition, all players will play holes 1-18 in order instead of having half the field start on the 10th hole. The only exception to this rule is if weather is expected to be an issue.
After 36 holes, only players remaining in the top 50 on the leaderboard (including ties) remain. All other golfers are cut. Golfers are then paired together based on their position on the leaderboard for the final two rounds, with the top two on the leaderboard heading out last.
In the event of a tie following 72 holes of play, a sudden-death tiebreaker begins on the 18th hole and then goes to the 10th hole, if necessary. Players then repeat those two holes in succession as many times as needed until there is a winner.
Follow us on Social Media for more PGA Golf updates. Make sure to stay tuned for the Masters picks, PGA Tour Schedule & The Masters Tournament Odds.
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Use of plasma therapy successful, claims Pune hospital
PTI May 23, 2020
The first experimental use of plasma therapy for treating a COVID-19 patient has been successful at Pune's state-run Sassoon general hospital, a senior doctor claimed on May 21.
For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.
A 47-year-old woman, who had co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, hyperthyroid and obesity and who was in critical condition, was given convalescent plasma therapy twice on May 10 and 11. "The condition of the patient improved and her repeat tests following the 14-day period came out negative. The woman has been shifted out of COVID ward and will be given discharge soon," said Dr Murlidhar Tambe, the dean of Sassoon Hospital.
Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure where plasma from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies. When injected into the blood of another patient, these antibodies are supposed to help that person fight the infection.
This news story is picked from a reputed newswires feed and is minimally edited by M3India staff. M3India does not hold any view for or against it.


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XS Wireless Digital can certainly be used for traditional MI and A4V applications such as band practices, club dates, vlogging or freelance video shoots. Several MI and A4V sets will be offered to show those use cases. But with the innovative form factor and streamlined operation, a wide range of applications such as wireless stage boxes or remote speaker links can be created; the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
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It has been a while since we have done a site review like we did for H1Base, however given this tends to be a busy season for people especially hunting for H1B visa sponsors in advance of the April 1, 2010 opening filing date for FY2011.
There are a lot of sites out there that propose to help potential H1B applicants from everything from their finding a company, writing resumes, interview practices, legal help, transferring to a green card option, etc.
The legal helps site differ dramatically in what type of help they offer but a word of caution immediately is that any time you start paying for a legal service in the US, be fully aware and informed about what you are paying for in advance, and what it does and does NOT cover. The US legal model is very much based on pay for time, so if you are not paying much, more likely not much time is spent on your individual case and nor will you get much or quick turnaround support.
I will be brutally honest, most of these sites are unscrupulous and either SCAMS or on the borderline. These are easy to spot as they charge large amounts of money, charge for and do not mention the green card lottery is completely free, offer scant information prior to payment and otherwise are more style than substance.
Some off a legitimate service but the service they are offering is not entirely accurate in the way it is marketed nor is it mentioned anywhere that all the best bits of information they have like the Top US Visa Employers are freely available to the general public. They do however provide a type of value added service by repackaging this information in a more user friendly way and at least state they will provide ongoing support, although not really sure how accurately when it comes to real hard slog, grind and few ups and many downs of job searching in the US as a foreigner. (I would put H1Base in this category as a Value Added Service).
Now I would put H1Visajobs.com in this category as a Valued Added Service. Their main product seems to be repackaging the US Visa companies (that I provided links for above) into classification lists like IT, Health, etc. and selling these to a prospect. They also of course have offers to cross sell multiple databases and then further special offers for students and institutions like universities who may want multi-user access.
Finally they have a 30 minute consultation, although reading further it is not entirely clear how much that costs or exactly what is on offer during this time. They do have a running tally (annonymized) of the people who were the most recent subscribers according to them.
I will firstly say noone at E3visa.info has had firsthand experience with H1visajobs and nor are we basing this review on either user comments sent to us here or that we have read elsewhere. This is purely observations based on navigating the site and our what we would like to think is growing deep knowledge of the US Immigration and US Visa system.
Their prices are cheaper than a lot of their competitor sites but then again they also are offering you are lot less. Like I said though other sites may state they offer you a lot but it could be different in reality. A classified database would be helpful if it is done very well and provides multiple layers of search and categorization (given the complex nature of companies like Microsoft wanting IT talent but also talent in other areas).
This would certainly take effort to do this compared to just a raw list of companies and would be extremely helpful further down the list where the company itself may not be as obvious to the average person as to what they would do. As mentioned for this to be truly worthwhile it should be regularly updated (i.e. Top 2009 US Visa companies vs. Top 2008 US Visa Companies) so person can make full determination on the information.
Also if the categorization is just basic, in that the IT list has just all companies who are IT related with no further information beyond that, then it may be worth saving your money and just browsing the lists yourselves.
H1Visajobs to their credit provides some links to useful resources for US Immigration and from those sites although no easily first seen you could actually navigate to US Visa Employer Sponsor lists. So it is definitely not trying to isolate a potential customer as to stating they are the only service, and nor are they offering any crazy guarantees just stating they want to help.
The site itself is very basic in nature as if was created using MS Front Page many many years ago and rarely changed since then. Not that this is a minus but I hope like I said that is not a reflection of the currentness of the databases they provide.


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Student killed on parkway in 1980 leaves legacy of safety at Memorial University
Rosie Mullaley (rosie.mullaley@thetelegram.com) The Telegram
Published: Oct 17, 2019 at 9:58 p.m.
Updated: Oct 18, 2019 at 12:01 p.m.
In an emotional gathering Thursday at Memorial University's University Centre, a storyboard was unveiled in memory of Judy Lynn Ford, a MUN biology major who was killed while crossing Prince Philip Drive on Oct. 17, 1980. Ford, 20, from Port aux Basques, was living in the student residence at Paton College. She was struck by a dumptruck, and her death precipitated a nearly week-long student and citizen protest and occupation of the parkway that ultimately led to the construction of two pedways spanning the road. The storyboard was unveiled by her parents, Rodney and Ida Ford, who still live in Port aux Basques and came to St. John's for the event. Also in attendance were Judy Lynn's sisters, Linda Spencer (left), of Port aux Basques, and Rhonda Whitten of Corner Brook. - Joe Gibbons
Storyboard in Judy Lynn Ford's memory unveiled
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. —
Rodney and Ida Ford hadn't been at Memorial University's St. John's campus in almost four decades, but on Thursday, as they overlooked the spot where their daughter, their first-born child, was killed, it was clear the memories and pain are still fresh.
"It's really hard to talk about it," Ida said, her voice quivering as she wiped away tears. "Every year on this day, it's especially hard."
On the afternoon of Oct. 17, 1980, Judy Lynn Ford, a 20-year-old biology major, was crossing Prince Philip Parkway on her way to class from Squires House in Paton College residence when she was struck and killed by a dump truck.
"It's been 39 years and it's always a very sad day — one we'll never forget," said Rodney, adding that he didn't have words strong enough to describe how wonderful their daughter was.
"But we're very grateful to the university for what they've done here and what they're doing here today."
Rodney, 88, and Ida, 74, made the trip to St. John's from Port aux Basques, joining their daughters, Linda Spencer and Rhonda Whitten, for a ceremony at the University Centre food court to unveil a storyboard in Judy Lynn's memory.
"It's been 39 years and it's always a very sad day — one we'll never forget." — Rodney Ford
The storyboard — which is hung at the pedway entrance to the Chemistry-Physics Building — depicts the events of that time, including the accident and the resulting student movement — the likes of which the university had never seen and which became an important moment in its history.
More than 2,000 students swarmed the parkway, blocking traffic, to demand changes for safer pedestrian access on campus. The nearly week-long occupation of the parkway ultimately resulted in an agreement being reached between the provincial government, the City of St. John's and the university to fund and construct two pedways spanning the road.
The two pedways have since been replaced by the main food court pedway crossing the parkway, along with a system of others connecting buildings. A fence separating the four-lane traffic was later added, while the underground tunnels have been made brighter and more accessible.
"It's great how the students stood up and supported us," Rodney said. "At least it will prevent some other family from going through what we went through."
Donna Hardy Cox was a member of MUN's student union that led the student protest after Ford's death.
"Some of us described the parkway like a bowling alley," said Hardy Cox, adding that the union had regularly discussed parkway safety.
Hardy Cox — who was the first female Memorial social work graduate to be named dean of the school — said Ford's tragic death affected her and various parts of her career. She said Ford's death continues to inspire her, as she uses it for teaching purposes to illustrate community action, student advocacy and the importance of designing a safe and student-friendly space on campus.
Donna Hardy Cox of MUN's school of social work was a member of the student union on Oct. 17, 1980, when Judy Lynn Ford was struck and killed on the parkway. Her death triggered a massive students protest that ultimately resulted in an agreement to construct pedways. pic.twitter.com/YX4oUHm3h2
— Rosie Mullaley (@TelyRosie) October 17, 2019
"I've seen Memorial's culture of safety evolve to where it is today and I'm very proud of what has been accomplished, and much of this had to be accomplished with fewer and fewer resources," said Hardy Cox, who, in her new role as associate vice-president (academic) students, plans to address future safety issues as they arise.
"There's still more for us to do. This story, this legacy, is about the power of coming together to shape the community we want to live in."
Kent Decker, vice-president (administration and finance), who hosted Thursday's event, was a second-year student at the time of the tragedy and joined the protest.
"The university community made it clear that safety must come before cost," Decker said.
"Today, we continue to focus efforts on continually improving pedestrian safety around Memorial's campuses. We endeavour to address hazards before they become incidents and we continue this commitment to a safe campus."
Liam O'Neill of MUN's student union said, "May the name Judy Lynn Ford and this dedication to her memory always be a reminder that it takes proactive action to prevent tragedy and safety must always be of the highest priority for those making decisions."
Twitter: @TelyRosie
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Home Guest Posts Parents warn Ofsted it's missing chances to boost inclusion
Guest Posts, SEND Accountability
Parents warn Ofsted it's missing chances to boost inclusion
By Tania Tirraoro April 8, 2019 April 8, 2019
A few weeks ago, we ran an open letter from a SEND parent, Claire Ryan, to Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman about how the new draft inspection framework was letting down vulnerable learners. As a result, Claire led a small group of parents to a meeting with Jonathan Jones, HMI Specialist Adviser, SEND, to discuss their concerns. The consultation for the draft framework closed last Friday.
Claire also gathered relevant views, opinions and ideas from parents across the country within the working group, Parents Alliance for Inclusion to discuss at the meeting. To bring you a follow-up, Claire's back again today on SNJ with an overview of the general discussion, although some more significant concerns are being addressed via other, more appropriate methods.
Our meeting with Ofsted HMI, Jonathan Jones by Claire Ryan
The meeting began with a quote from Lesley Cox, former National Lead for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, "Inspection is primarily about evaluating how well individual pupils benefit from their school. Inspectors will test the school's response to individual needs by observing how well it helps all pupils to make progress and fulfil their potential." from a 2017 presentation, "How Ofsted evaluates SEND provision in schools 2016".
But our group of parents thought this was a contradiction to the quote below, from Ofsted's new draft inspection framework.
"Inspectors will seek to evaluate the intent and quality of what a provider offers, but will not attempt to measure the impact of the provider's work on the lives of individual learners."
Amanda Spielman, Ofsted Chief Inspector, Education inspection framework 2019: inspecting the substance of education
We asked Jonathan Jones why this decision to change had been made. He said there's a lot that schools can do that can't be measured, because it may take time to have an impact. The example given was work schools might do around obesity and that personal development is around the school's provision, not around the impact of that provision.
The parental feedback suggested that additional topics, which also come under that heading, including social development, equality and diversity, all have a direct impact and we believe they require both measuring and inspecting. Parents are concerned that preventative measures around mental health difficulties are absent from the framework. Jonathan discussed a few points in relation to this and said 'relationships' were looked at during inspections. One of the important aspects of inspections, he said, is to both observe and to speak to the children directly about whether they feel safe at school.
Claire Ryan
We raised concerns about that current methods used to gain parental and pupil views within inspections are often insufficient, and suggested ways inspectors could ensure the information gathered is more accurate, and Jonathan agreed to take the concerns and ideas back to Ofsted.
Reducing data isn't good for children with SEND
Next, there was discussion around reducing the need for schools to produce data. The examples given were around the amount of time it takes to go through the data, rather than inspectors seeing the results for themselves. Parents said that they want more assessment, more outcomes and more data, especially for children and young people with SEND, not less. We feel that the framework may look more inclusive, but without the accountability, will it work in reality and will it be consistent? Children with SEND are often working in small steps and those steps need to be visible to Ofsted. The concern is that if Ofsted don't look at these small steps, they will go unrecorded.
Jonathan Jones said that one of the biggest reasons for this decision, was that because so much time was spent in inspections trying to validate internal data, accuracy can't be easily measured. Therefore, Ofsted is proposing that instead of looking at data, inspectors look at progress in other ways. Ofsted don't want to look at numbers on a board, but unique individual progress. However, Jonathan also said that just because Ofsted aren't looking at internal data, that doesn't mean it's not important.
Personal development is important for disabled children
We asked why Ofsted separates out personal development, when it is always individual, particularly for children with SEND? Jonathan replied that Ofsted is aiming to make the system more simple and that parents generally want to know what the behaviour like in school. He said inspectors use hard data for this, and that schools say they cannot separate out personal development from other aspects of school performance. Ofsted will ask schools what they are actually doing around personal development, what provision are they making?
Regarding 'outcomes', Jonathan said that the word refers to a narrower view than, for example, within the SEND Code of Practice. When Ofsted speak about outcomes, they are referring to the end of KS1, KS2 etc. But to parents, this doesn't seem a sufficient signpost for schools. Why can't outcomes be the same for everyone? Why are the outcomes different in the draft framework than they are in the SEND Code of Practice?
We were told that Ofsted's interested in seeing if teachers have provided a sequence and structure that enables all learners to understand the curriculum. Jonathan said some research is due soon around lesson observations and work sampling, where more of this will be teased out. He then went on to give an example of an inclusive curriculum and task. But our group of parents feel that the framework ought to include what each point does and doesn't mean, by providing practical examples in give greater clarity.
Experiences of inclusion
We then moved on to talking about we learn about inclusion at school from what our children tell us about their experiences when they're there. One of us then read out a child's view of inclusion that began with, "My children's experience of inclusion is that it doesn't exist." We explained how it's unlikely vulnerable children will ever tell an inspector how they really feel, when they already don't feel safe in school, in spite of being "prepped" as many schools do, to speak a stranger.
We suggested that one way inspectors could gain a real understanding of how children feel, how they are supported and if they are included, is to talk to their peers instead. Peers are very insightful about the experiences of other children and young people. Asking children how they perceive their peers with SEND would be very insightful, although inspectors would need to listen carefully to responses to identify any patterns. For example, around any negative impressions of what their disabled peers can and can't do and whether these in fact stem from a lack of inclusion.
Many children with SEND absolutely have a voice with some of the health professionals they see. These professionals can often have a very good understanding of how inclusive a school is, so why doesn't Ofsted talk to them, or include them within inspections?
Training to spot inclusivity
Jonathan Jones said one of the things Ofsted is hearing from consultation responses, is around confidence that there is consistency between inspectors. It's something that it's apparently trying to address through training.
We also raised the issue of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which contained questions about the training of inspectors that had been blocked by Ofsted. We thought this undermined transparency between schools and parents.
As part of their training, some inspectors have what's called, 'enhanced training'. We asked what this was and it was explained that inspectors have a SEND aspect to all areas of their training, but that Ofsted provides enhanced training to those who are inspecting specialist settings. So is 'enhanced training' and expertise the same thing? Does 1.5 hours of enhanced training mean that the inspector has SEND expertise? Shouldn't all inspectors have this training?
We had a bit of discussion about why there were no speech and language therapists as part of the inspection teams, considering the diverse needs of disabled children's communication, interaction, and the impact this has on accessing the curriculum. Jonathan raised concerns about cost effectiveness and how a speech and language therapist could speak to the quality of education. But we responded by saying how this relates to quality of education, as many children with SEND are taught by teaching assistants, not teachers. When EHCPs state provision must be 'embedded into the curriculum or lessons', the responsibility of education to meet these needs. Without expertise around communication at all stages of planning and inspecting, inspectors can't confidently determine that the curriculum or the delivery of it, is appropriate for all learners and inclusive. Jonathan agreed to take this back to Ofsted to discuss further.
Further on this, we ask why the new framework has removed the duty to provide BSL interpreters for inspections? The teachers of the deaf cannot interpret for them, so how will inspectors gain the children's views? Again, Jonathan said he'd take it back to Ofsted.
Where's the SEND research?
This developed into a discussion on the research used to inform the new framework. One of the parents noted that of the more than 321 pieces of research cited in the framework, none focused on SEND and none related specifically to learners in specialist provision. There is reference to mental health and literacy difficulties within the research, but nothing specifically focusing on SEND.
How can the framework claim to be 'evidence-based' and 'inclusive' (both words used frequently in the framework documentation) if no research related to learners with SEND had been used to support the framework? Our group suggested this oversight implies that learners with SEND are so insignificant to Ofsted that they don't even warrant inclusion at the level of basic research. In addition, the relationship between the framework and the research could be interpreted as if the decisions were made first and then research was found to support it. As if it was retro-researched rather than being research-led.
We explained our concerns that many teachers will view the framework as 'gospel'. They won't have the time or the skills to be able to critically review its contents in terms of the quality of the supporting evidence. They're likely to feel that it must be adhered to and may not have the skills or experience to confidently adapt it to be inclusive or appropriate. We believe some school staff would benefit from explicit examples of expectations in relation to children with SEND.
There was a parents' group set up within the consultation period and of course, all parents should have had an opportunity to be involved and feel their voice is valued. However, many do not feel this is the case. Many don't have a voice at all, but if Ofsted works with parents and value their voice, it could be a positive demonstration to schools on inclusion of all.
Parents have many cost-free and simple ideas on ways inspectors can look at inclusion in school. This could be a positive and helpful way for both parents and Ofsted to work on lines of communication- and to help schools improve their communication too.
One idea was to develop a leaflet or a list for inspectors to use during inspections containing ideas such as:
Inspectors asking children for their views on their disabled peers.
Involving and seeking views of health professionals.
Checking inclusion via attendance on school trips and if parents had to attend or not. School events such as performances, visitors etc. This could be done by checking home/school contact books for key dates.
Looking at complaints to governors.
Asking for evidence that all reasonable adjustments have been considered and checking on how many have been put into practice effectively and appropriately.
Are schools offering appropriate opportunities, individual support or reasonable adjustments for parents to ensure equality of opportunity to participate
This could encourage schools to think deeper about how they include vulnerable children and children with SEND. There is good practice in some schools and there needs to be many more opportunities to share what works. School-to-school support could work, but Ofsted needs to demonstrate they're serious about inclusion. Jonathan agreed to take all these points back.
SEND isn't separate!
In the draft framework, reference to SEND is within an appendix, separate to the main document. But the points within this section should apply to ALL learners and ALL families; it shouldn't be a separate 'SEND thing'. It's also unclear that it relates to mainstream SEND provision rather than only to specialist provision, units attached to mainstream, etc. Jonathan agreed this could have been worded better and said he'd take it back to Ofsted.
Amanda Spielman referred to "being whole and undivided"; we need to talk about all schools, all children, all inspectors. We need to ensure that all inspectors have deep knowledge of SEND. We discussed discriminatory school policies such as 100% attendance for children with chronic health and mental health needs. It's especially concerning how some schools are rewarding attendance with for example, passes to jump the queue at lunchtime. This can only division rather than an inclusive community. Will Ofsted look at 100% attendance reward schemes, and other potentially discriminatory policies, such as zero tolerance behaviour, we asked? Jonathan Jones, agreed to take it back for discussion, although he said while Ofsted do look at attendance, the pressure schools feel around this hasn't come from Ofsted themselves. He pointed to an issue with 'consultants' offering help to implement the new framework, which is often how myths are perpetuated.
But this is precisely why Ofsted needs to employ experts within its inspection teams, to ensure that all learners have appropriate, equal access to the curriculum, within an inclusive environment. We also suggested that as well as SLT and BSL experts, educational or developmental psychologists could be involved when inspecting behaviour policies and their impact on children, one further point Jonathan agreed to report back on.
Our group of parents would like to thank Jonathan Jones, HMI SEND Specialist Adviser, for meeting with us, for engaging in an open and honest discussion and for agreeing to take these concerns back to Ofsted in order to discuss them further.
You can read a longer version of this article on Claire's own blog tomorrow
SEND inspections: what do Ofsted and CQC inspectors really think?
SEND National Crisis: Marching for our disabled children's future
CDC – Developing Key Working
Caring in the Chaos
KLS Support UK
The Jigsaw Tree
Cerebral Palsy Guide
Family Fund
Disability Law Service
Huddersfield Down Syndrome Support Group
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Supported Decision Making